Associations between tripartite dimensions of internalizing symptoms and transition readiness in a sample of emerging adults with and without chronic physical health conditions

OBJECTIVE

Theoretical models note psychosocial functioning as a key influence on transition readiness skills (TRS) among emerging adults (EA), but little is known about the relative importance of unique vs. shared anxiety and depressive dimensions, operationalized according to Clark and Watson's (1991) tripartite model, in contributing to TRS. Moreover, although development of TRS is important for all EA, few studies have examined whether the strength of relationships between internalizing symptoms and TRS vary between EA with and without chronic physical health conditions (CHC). Given the links between suboptimal TRS and adverse health outcomes, additional research is needed. This study examined individual and additive associations between three internalizing symptom dimensions (anxious arousal, anhedonic depression, and general distress) and TRS, as well as the moderating role of CHC status.

METHOD

One hundred twenty-six EA completed an online survey measuring TRS and internalizing symptoms. The sample was 70.6% women, 39.7% of minoritized racial identity, and 21.2% Hispanic ethnicity. The mean participant age was 21.23 years.

RESULTS

In two of three regression models, anhedonic depression alone was significantly related to TRS. CHC moderated the relationship between internalizing and TRS in only two of nine models. In both cases, internalizing symptoms were negatively associated with TRS for those without CHCs, but not for those with CHCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment of anhedonic depression may be particularly useful in identifying youth at risk for suboptimal TRS regardless of CHC status. Moreover, interventions such as behavioral activation to improve TRS skill attainment warrant additional investigation.

Factors associated with missed appointments by adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

Keeping regular medical appointments is a key indicator of patient engagement in diabetes care. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) miss their regular medical appointments. In order to prevent and delay diabetes-related complications, it is essential to understand the factors associated with missed appointments among adults with T2DM. We synthesized evidence concerning factors associated with missed appointments among adults with T2DM. Using five electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO and Web of Science, a systematic literature search was done to identify studies that describe factors related to missed appointments by adults with T2DM. A total of 18 articles met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies included in this review were cohort studies using medical records. While more than half of the studies were of high quality, the operational definitions of missed appointments varied greatly across studies. Factors associated with missed appointments were categorized as patient characteristics, healthcare system and provider factors and interpersonal factors with inconsistent findings. Patient characteristics was the most commonly addressed category, followed by health system and provider factors. Only three studies addressed interpersonal factors, two of which were qualitative. An increasing number of people live with one or more chronic conditions which require more careful attention to patient-centered care and support. Future research is warranted to address interpersonal factors from patient perspectives to better understand the underlying causes of missed appointments among adults with T2DM.

Health status and quality of life in patients with diabetes in Switzerland

AIMS

We aimed to assess the health status and quality of life (QoL) of patients with diabetes and explore the associated factors in a French-speaking region of Switzerland.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study analyzed self-reported data from 585 patients with diabetes. We ran univariate and multivariate regressions analyses on health status (Physical and Mental Component Summary scores (PCS, MCS) of the SF-12) and diabetes-specific QoL (ADDQoL score).

RESULTS

Mean PCS was 43.1±10.4 and mean MCS was 46.7±11.1. The overall ADDQoL score was -1.6±1.6; the life domains of the ADDQoL with the lowest scores were freedom to eat, sex life and freedom to drink. Being older was independently and significantly associated with higher mental health and QoL, while lower income was associated with lower physical health, mental health, and QoL. Having diabetes for over 10 years was associated with lower QoL, while insulin treatment and complications were correlated with lower physical health and QoL.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides key information on the health status and QoL of patients with diabetes in Switzerland and their associated factors, which can help healthcare providers to identify patients at higher risk of lower health and QoL.

Resilient, Empowered, Active Living with Diabetes (REAL Diabetes) study: Methodology and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial evaluating an occupation-based diabetes management intervention for young adults

OVERVIEW

This paper describes the study protocol used to evaluate the Resilient, Empowered, Active Living with Diabetes (REAL Diabetes) intervention and reports on baseline characteristics of recruited participants. REAL Diabetes is an activity-based intervention designed to address the needs of young adults diagnosed with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) from low socioeconomic status or racial/ethnic minority backgrounds. The REAL intervention incorporates tailored delivery of seven content modules addressing various dimensions of health and well-being as they relate to diabetes, delivered by a licensed occupational therapist.

METHODS

In this pilot randomized controlled trial, participants are assigned to the REAL Diabetes intervention or an attention control condition. The study's primary recruitment strategies included in-person recruitment at diabetes clinics, mass mailings to clinic patients, and social media advertising. Data collection includes baseline and 6-month assessments of primary outcomes, secondary outcomes, and hypothesized mediators of intervention effects, as well as ongoing process evaluation assessment to ensure study protocol adherence and intervention fidelity.

RESULTS

At baseline, participants (n=81) were 51% female, 78% Latino, and on average 22.6years old with an average HbA1c of 10.8%. A majority of participants (61.7%) demonstrated clinically significant diabetes distress and 27.2% reported symptoms consistent with major depressive disorder. Compared to participants with T1D, participants with T2D had lower diabetes-related self-efficacy and problem-solving skills. Compared to participants recruited at clinics, participants recruited through other strategies had greater diabetes knowledge but weaker medication adherence.

DISCUSSION

Participants in the REAL study demonstrate clinically significant medical and psychosocial needs.

Depression Screening in Diabetes Care to Improve Outcomes

Purpose

Evidence-based guidelines recommend regular depression screening among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study is to examine depression screening patterns among a primary care population with T2DM, through use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Methods

In total, 1817 patients with T2DM were analyzed through a retrospective observational study at 2 sites, a regional health center and a federally qualified health center (FQHC). The T2DM sample was divided into those with and without a major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis. Depression screening rates and depression severity were assessed through the PHQ-9.

Results

Both sites had higher rates of PHQ-9 screening among individuals with a history of MDD (64.82%) vs those without MDD (11.39%). Individuals from the FQHC without a history of depression had a higher mean PHQ-9 score (10.11) than those with a previous MDD diagnosis at both RHS and FQHC (7.16 and 9.85, respectively).

Conclusions

Depression screening rates among individuals with diabetes and no history of MDD were remarkably low. Patients with diabetes but no MDD diagnosis who sought health care at a FQHC clinic had more depressive symptoms than those with a history of MDD at both sites. Individuals with diabetes and who have a MDD diagnosis are much more likely to receive regular depression screening than those without MDD, which leaves a substantial proportion of patients with undetected depression. Depression screening must be enhanced for all individuals with diabetes, particularly for low-income individuals and those without a previous diagnosis of MDD.

Depression and Diabetes in a Primarily African American Female Population

Depression is one of the most serious mental health comorbidities associated with diabetes. In this pilot study, we describe the associations identified via a cross-sectional survey among demographic variables, depression, self-efficacy, and glycemic control in a primarily minority population (mean age = 57.9 years; n = 30) with diabetes mellitus. Descriptive, bivariate, and correlation analyses were conducted. A significant inverse relationship was detected between depression and self-efficacy; however the relationship between depression and A1C was not significant. The implications of these findings include the need for interventions that regularly screen for depression and self-efficacy in persons diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, especially in the earlier years of diagnosis.

Screening and correlates of depression and HbA1 C in United Arab Emirates (UAE) women with diabetes

PURPOSE

The aim was to identify the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of United Arab Emirates (UAE) women with diabetes and depression and to explore any differences between depressed and nondepressed patients in relation to glycemic control.

DESIGN AND METHODS

One hundred eighty-two subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II and a socio-demographic questionnaire (i.e., age, national status, economic status, level of education, and employment status). Glycemic control was assessed by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C ).

FINDINGS

Ninety-two subjects were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. A statistically significant higher incidence of depression was found in the subject group with diagnosed diabetes mellitus than in the nondiabetic subject group. A statistically significant relationship was found between depression status and type of diabetes (Type 1). A positive relationship between poor glycemic control and higher levels of depression was identified. A positively significant relationship was found between national status and level of depression among the diabetic sample, among whom at least half showed poor glycemic control (HbA1C levels > 7.5).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Early detection of depression among women with diabetes is crucial to enhance treatment regimen adherence and glycemic control. As the UAE diabetic women are at even greater risk than other diabetic women, they need to be very carefully screened and evaluated for depression.

Effect of psychopathology on patient-perceived outcomes of total knee arthroplasty within an indigent population

BACKGROUND

Factors other than surgical technique and implants impact patient outcomes following a total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of psychopathology on the rate of improvement following total knee arthroplasty in an indigent population.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty-four consecutive indigent patients undergoing a primary total knee arthroplasty for arthritis were enrolled and available for follow-up. Patients were classified as having psychopathology on the basis of the presence of somatization, depression, and/or a panic or anxiety disorder as assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire. Outcome measures were completed preoperatively and one year postoperatively. Univariate analyses, controlled for sex and age, were used to compare the rates of improvement in patients who exhibited psychopathology with the rates in those without psychopathology.

RESULTS

Fifty-four patients (35%) were diagnosed with at least one Axis-I psychological disorder. The psychopathology group showed significantly lower Short Form-36 mental component summary scores both at baseline and one year postoperatively (p < 0.001 for both). The psychopathology group also reported significantly higher levels of perceived disability at baseline on the Pain Disability Questionnaire (p < 0.001) and worse scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (p = 0.004); however, the improvement on both of these scales did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 0.05). The Knee Society Score differed significantly between the two groups at both baseline and the one-year follow-up evaluation (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively), but there was no significant difference in the total rate of improvement between the two comparison groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Not only is there a high prevalence of psychopathology in the indigent population, but psychopathology may result in lower patient-perceived outcome scores at one year after a total knee arthroplasty. Even though outcome scores may be worse for patients with psychopathology, our study showed that these patients still benefit, with the same degree of improvement in function.

Quality of life in medically ill persons with comorbid mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This systematic review aims to investigate the association between comorbid mental disorders and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic medical diseases.

METHODS

Studies investigating adults with diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, asthma, chronic back pain and colorectal cancer were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed methodological criteria. Effect sizes for QoL scores were analyzed in random-effects meta-analyses. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The database search identified 7,291 references and 65 primary studies were included. Medically ill persons with comorbid mental disorders showed a significantly decreased overall (d = -1.10; 95% CI = -1.34 to -0.86), physical (d = -0.64; 95% CI = -0.74 to -0.53) and psychosocial (d = -1.18; 95% CI = -1.42 to -0.95) QoL compared to persons without mental disorders. Subgroup analyses did not reveal significant differences between the examined medical diseases or mental disorders.

CONCLUSION

The review provides evidence of a substantially reduced psychosocial and physical QoL in medically ill patients with comorbid mental disorders. This patient-reported outcome highlights the importance of recognizing and treating comorbid mental disorders in the medically ill.

Maintenance of Risk Factor Control in Diabetic Patients with and Without Mental Health Conditions After Discharge from a Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Clinic

Background:

Diabetes and hypertension can be challenging to manage in patients with mental health conditions. While the effectiveness of a cardiovascular risk reduction clinic (CRRC) has been shown not to differ between those with and without mental health conditions, it is unknown whether patients with mental health conditions would differ in durability of success following discharge from the CRRC.

Objective:

To determine the effect of mental health conditions on the maintenance of glycemic control and blood pressure control in patients with diabetes following successful completion of a CRRC program.

Methods:

Patients were discharged from the CRRC when therapeutic goals of hemoglobin A1c (A1C) <7% and blood pressure <130/80 mm Hg were achieved. We performed a retrospective chart review of a cohort of 231 patients by quarterly intervals for A1C and systolic blood pressure (SBP), providing up to 3 years of data following discharge from the CRRC. We assessed the time to failure to maintain goal A1C and SBP following CRRC discharge for patients with diagnosed mental health conditions versus patients without mental health conditions.

Results:

For patients with and without mental health conditions, 50% of those who had been discharged from the CRRC with an SBP goal of <130 mm Hg failed to maintain SBP by 1 quarter. The hazard ratio for failure to maintain SBP, with those without mental health conditions as the reference group, was 0.96 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.35). Overall, for patients with an A1C goal of <7%, the combined median time to failure was 3 quarters. Among patients without mental health conditions, 25% failed in 3 quarters, and of those with mental health conditions, 25% failed in 4 quarters (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.50 to 1.66).

Conclusions:

There was no significant difference between diabetic patients with and without mental health conditions in maintenance of A1C and SBP after discharge from a CRRC. This provides further evidence that a CRRC is a viable approach to cardiovascular risk reduction in individuals with mental health conditions.