Sex-specific Relationship between Stress Coping Strategies and All-Cause Mortality: Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study

Factors associated with psychological distress in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A retrospective medical records study

OBJECTIVE

Although psychological distress is a prevalent issue among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and can impact survival, the risk factors contributing to this distress remain insufficiently understood.

METHODS

Patients with ALS who completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) between June 2017 and March 2022 were included. Participants with moderate to severe cognitive decline were excluded, resulting in the recruitment of 121 patients. The associations between POMS profiles and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Physical motor symptoms were evaluated using the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) for objective measurement and the 40-item ALS Assessment Questionnaire (ALSAQ-40) for subjective assessment.

RESULTS

Our model, employing the ALSFRS-R, revealed significant factors associated with overall psychological distress, as assessed by the POMS, including upper limb symptoms, the presence of sleep apnea syndrome, older age at onset, and male sex, with an inverse association with tracheostomy. The POMS subscale scores revealed that anger and depression were significantly associated with upper limb symptoms. The second model, which employed subjective scales, yielded similar results, reinforcing the robustness of our findings. Moreover, subjective bulbar symptoms on the ALSAQ-40 were significantly associated with psychological distress, particularly in female patients.

CONCLUSION

This study identified the main clinical characteristics significantly associated with psychological distress in patients with ALS. Our findings may be useful in developing individualized psychological management strategies for these patients.

Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Emotional Support and Self-rated Health among Chinese Elderly

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore sex differences in the association between emotional support and self-rated health among the elderly.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey based on the sub-project of China's National Basic Public Health Service Project-Health Management Services for the Elderly.

SETTING

Participants were recruited from ten rural townships in Jingyuan County, Gansu Province, Northwestern China.

SUBJECTS

1405 subjects aged 60 or above.

METHODS

Emotional support (consisting of 5 items) and self-rated health (evaluated by EQ-VAS) were investigated in this study. Multiple linear regression was conducted to consider the potential relationship.

RESULTS

The frequency of children visit and the number of providers of emotional support were positively associated with self-rated health among older women (β = 1.13, 95%CI = 0.25-2.02; β = 1.80, 95%CI = 1.01-2.58), whereas the number of close friends had a positive association with self-rated health among older men (β = 1.11, 95%CI = 0.20-2.01). The number of close relatives and the frequency of seeking emotional support were not found to be associated with self-rated health among both older men and older women.

CONCLUSION

The study has found that the relationship between emotional support and self-rated health was differed by sex, calling attention to the need for sex-specific interventions.

Mental Health Status before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients First Visiting a Psychosomatic Internal Medicine Clinic in Tokyo, Japan

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has aggravated anxiety and depression worldwide, particularly in patients with chronic illnesses and mental disorders. Using validated questionnaires, in this paper, we examine the psychological effects of the pandemic in Japan in detail. The General Mental Health Scale (GHQ), the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to assess mental health, state and trait anxiety, and depression, respectively. The survey was completed during the patients’ first visits to the clinic of Psychosomatic Internal Medicine from November 2018 to April 2021. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare data from 226 participants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The GHQ total, GHQ subscales of “social dysfunction” and “anxiety and dysphoria”, and state anxiety scores were significantly higher during than before the pandemic. The GHQ total, some GHQ subscales, and state anxiety scores were significantly higher among male than female participants during the pandemic. The GHQ total, some GHQ subscales, CES-D, and state anxiety scores in those aged 10–39 years were significantly higher. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused mental health changes in many individuals based on their gender, age, and with time.