Well-being in major depression and social phobia with and without comorbidity

Background/Objective: Lower levels in well-being have been observed in individuals with Major Depression (MDD) and Social Phobia (SP), but well-planned direct comparisons with control individuals, not suffering from a mental disorder, are lacking. Furthermore, MDD is highly comorbid with anxiety disorders, and SP with depressive disorders. This study is among the first to examine differences in well-being in individuals with a clinical diagnosis of MDD or SP compared to individuals with no such diagnosis and to test differences in well-being within the combined diagnostic categories respective with and without anxiety-depressive comorbidity. Method: Participants were 119 individuals with a diagnosis of MDD, 47 SP and 118 controls. Results: Results revealed that overall well-being as well as emotional, psychological, and social well-being were lower in the MDD and SP group compared to the control group. Individuals with comorbidity reported lower well-being than individuals without comorbidity. Conclusions: These findings have clinical implications as presence of comorbidity may require a different therapeutic approach than with no comorbidity.

[Life-styles determining the oral health of adolescents in Vitoria (Gasteiz):and evaluation]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the factors determining oral health in adolescents in school at Vitoria (Gasteiz).Design. Descriptive epidemiological study.

PARTICIPANTS

Randomised representative sample of 1,380 students from public and private schools. Setting. Vitoria (Gasteiz). MAIN MASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A questionnaire on bucco-dental health was self-administered. 41.9% of the adolescents brushed their teeth three times or more a day (2.2 ( 0.98 times a day), with greater frequency in girls. 64% never used dental floss, and 30% did so only at times. 88.1% did not complement their oral hygiene with mouth-washes. Consumption of commercial cakes and pastries was 0.74 ( 1.12 times a day; and of sweets, 1.58 ( 3.15 times a day. 81.9% of the adolescents valued their mouth and dental health the same as the health of other organs of their bodies. 63.5% did not know whether any compound was added to the water as a preventive measure against dental disease; and 83.2% of those who thought something was added did not know what compound it was. 66.7% had been to the dentist during the previous year; 28.2% had not been for over a year.

CONCLUSION

The oral health habits of adolescents in Vitoria (Gasteiz) show deficiencies that could be corrected through Health Education Programmes and promotion of the use of preventive dental services.

[Cases of heart failure requiring hospitalization]

OBJECTIVE

To find the characteristics of patients with heart failure requiring admittance to the referral hospital for the A Coruña Health Area.

DESIGN

Descriptive, crossover and retrospective study.

SETTING

Health area of 500,000 inhabitants.

PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Patients admitted with diagnosis of heart failure (1995; n = 636). A simple randomised sampling was undertaken, stratified by sex (n = 225; alpha = 0.05; accuracy = 6%). Sample size was increased by 25% due to possible losses of information.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The most common underlying causes were: ischaemic cardiopathy 36.4%, dilated myocardiopathy 23.6% and hypertension 16.5%. The most common catalysing factors were: infection 32.6% and tachycardia 24.6%. The commonest symptoms were dyspnoea 90.6% and orthopnoea 63.9%. The most frequent sign was crepitus 79.8%, followed by oedemas 58.3%. An echocardiogram was performed on 42.6% and 22% had digoxinaemia. Most common linked pathology was: hypertension 33.5% and COPD 25.0%. After admission the use of diuretics (30%), digoxin (9%) and ACE inhibitors (27%) was increased. 7.7% of patients died. Variables most commonly linked to death were myocardial infarction (OR = 21.8), hyponatraemia (OR = 12.2) and kidney failure (OR = 7.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Given the underlying causes and catalysing factors seen in the results of this study, family doctors play a decisive role in prevention and control of heart failure.