Annals of Clinical Psychiatry最新文献

Background: Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) are highly prevalent conditions at the border of psychiatry and dermatology. Using a newly developed scale, the Generic BFRB scale (GBS-36), we aimed to compare 4 prominent BFRBs in terms of phenomenology, age at onset, and other illness-related aspects.

Methods: A sample of 391 individuals with different forms of BFRBs completed the GBS-36, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (depression), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF global item (quality of life).

Results: Most individuals showed multiple BFRBs (73.9%). Skin picking and nail biting were reported most frequently (nail biting: 68.3%; skin picking: 60.9%; trichotillomania: 52.4%; lip-cheek biting: 31.7%). Nail biting was most common in childhood; the other BFRBs began mainly in adolescence. Both trichotillomania and skin picking were associated with the greatest impairment and urge to perform the behavior. The 2 conditions also showed a higher association with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Overall symptom severity was correlated with earlier age of onset, number of concurrent BFRBs, and severity of depression as well as suicidality.

Conclusions: BFRBs are a heterogeneous group of conditions, with trichotillomania and skin picking showing the largest similarities. Whether the observed differences reflect specific etiological factors awaits further testing.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not recognized as an indication for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). However, research indicates promise for this treatment modality. To elucidate the effects of ECT for treating PTSD, prospective research is needed. The first step in assessing the feasibility of such research is to determine if many patients being treated with ECT have comorbid PTSD. This study examined the PTSD comorbidity rates and compared demographic data among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who were treated with ECT vs patients with MDD who were not treated with ECT.

Methods: Data from patients with MDD were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Results: Approximately 10% of patients undergoing ECT for MDD also had PTSD. The difference in comorbidity of PTSD in those treated with ECT vs those not treated with ECT was approximately 1%.

Conclusions: Prospective naturalistic studies that examine the response of PTSD to ECT are feasible because a sizable number of patients with PTSD are receiving ECT.

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death in adolescents. Problematic internet use (PIU) has been associated with suicidal behavior in this age group. To assess this association, we reviewed population-based studies that examined the relationship between PIU and suicidal behavior.

Methods: We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science for studies published in English from 1995 through 2021. Only studies with the stated aim to examine the relationship between PIU and suicidal behavior in participants age 13 through 18 were included. Also, each study had to include a measure of internet overuse with resultant impairment/distress. To minimize selection bias, studies with convenience samples were excluded.

Results: Seven cross-sectional studies with at least 9,500 participants each met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Five assessed both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and 2 examined suicidal ideation only. All studies found a statistically significant association between suicidal behavior and PIU. Effect sizes were mostly in the minimal to small range.

Conclusions: All 7 studies supported a positive relationship between PIU and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, which could be clinically important. Longitudinal studies with improved methodology are needed to identify risk factors and determine whether PIU is causally related to suicidality.

Background: Trichotillomania is a common psychiatric disorder classified as an obsessive-compulsive and related condition in DSM-5. Despite being first described in the 1800s, little is known about its phenomenology and clinical presentation. Most information about trichotillomania is based on small samples.

Methods: Clinical and demographic data were collected from 858 individuals with trichotillomania who participated in research studies that used in-person assessments with validated instruments.

Results: A total of 858 adolescents and adults (mean age 29.3; range 11 to 65; 89.9% female) were recruited. The peak age of symptom onset was 11 to 15, and most affected individuals (93.5%) had symptom onset before age 20. Individuals reported pulling from several body sites, and the most frequent triggers were stress and the feel of their hair. Comorbidities included major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and skin picking disorder. Most individuals with trichotillomania (61.7%) previously had received treatment. Among those who had received treatment, more individuals had received medication (43.4%) than psychotherapy (33.0%).

Conclusions: This study sheds new light on the clinical presentation and phenomenology of trichotillomania. Results highlight the need for further research into its clinical presentation, longitudinal course, and optimal treatment approaches.

Background: The aims of this study were to develop a mobile mental health application (app) to scan the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and related factors during pregnancy; examine the effect of the app on pregnant women; and determine the factors related to using such an app.

Methods: A software platform called Perinatal Anxiety Depression Monitoring Platform (PADIP) was developed. This study included 320 pregnant women: 160 in the PADIP group and 160 in the control group. The PADIP group was screened monthly for 3 months for depression, anxiety, and sleep quality, and instant feedback was provided on scale scores.

Results: During the follow-up period, there was a significant decrease in depression and anxiety scale scores in the PADIP group but no significant difference in scale scores in the control group. The interface used for the app was important for scale scores. It was preferred by pregnant women with a high education level, higher Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale scores, and lower sleep quality scores.

Conclusions: PADIP use was associated with a decrease in depression and anxiety scores of pregnant women. It was more useful for patients with higher education levels and a history of a psychiatric disorder, but further research is needed to develop a more comprehensive model.

Background: The association between low vitamin D levels and mental illness has been described in earlier research. The aim of our study was to examine the association between vitamin D levels with psychotic symptoms among hospitalized patients.

Methods: A total of 1,456 patient records from an academic psychiatric hospital were examined. Vitamin D levels were classified as normal (>30 ng/mL); insufficient (20 to 30 ng/mL); and deficient (<20 ng/mL). We then analyzed the association among vitamin D groups and symptoms of psychosis.

Results: The average vitamin D level in our sample was 23.59 ng/mL, with 76.2% of patients presenting with vitamin D levels <30 ng/mL. There was a significant association between vitamin D levels <20 ng/mL and symptoms of psychosis (P < .05). African American patients had lower mean vitamin D levels than White patients (15.6 ± 0.2 ng/mL vs 25.8 ± 0.4 ng/mL, P < .001). There was no sex difference in vitamin D levels (females: 23.3 ± 11.5 ng/mL; males: 23.9 ± 11.0 ng/mL).

Conclusions: Patients with vitamin D levels <30 ng/mL were 1.5 times more likely to have symptoms of psychosis. Patients who were African American, Hispanic, Asian, or biracial had lower vitamin D levels than patients who were White. Multivariate analysis found that after adjusting for age, sex, and race, the association between vitamin D and psychosis was not statistically significant. Possible explanations could include the known tendency to overdiagnose psychosis among individuals who are African American, referral bias, subgroup effect, or an epiphenomenon.

Background: Trichotillomania is a common psychiatric disorder, but little is known about whether or how it differs in people with minority sexual identities. We sought to understand whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other individuals differ from heterosexual individuals in terms of hair pulling and associated characteristics.

Methods: A total of 207 participants age 18 to 64 with trichotillomania undertook clinical evaluations. Those who identified as sexual minorities were compared to those who identified as heterosexuals on clinical measures, comorbidities, impulsivity, and stress responses.

Results: Overall, 33 participants (15.9%) identified as sexual minorities. These individuals showed significantly higher levels of attentional impulsivity and higher rates of co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder compared to heterosexual participants. The groups did not differ in terms of trichotillomania severity or dysfunction due to trichotillomania or in terms of stress response CONCLUSIONS: The rate of sexual minorities in this study (15.9%) is higher than recent US Census Bureau data for sexual minorities in the US population (11.7%). People with trichotillomania from sexual minority groups may present with unique clinical symptoms. Treatments may need to be tailored for this population.

Background: Patients placed in seclusion for behavioral dyscontrol often perceive that the health care team is treating them inappropriately. These patients may express their indignation in many ways. To better characterize these behaviors, we conducted a study of protest behaviors in a psychiatric emergency service.

Methods: Video surveillance of seclusion room occupants is routinely reviewed as part of our safety protocol. For 1 month in 2022, we noted the frequency and timing of potential protest behaviors such as disrobing and evacuation. Descriptive statistics were applied.

Results: A total of 41 seclusion events (8.1%) occurred over the surveillance period, which included 504 initial emergency psychiatric evaluations. Six patients (14.6%) engaged in protest behaviors (all within 5 minutes of being placed in seclusion), including 3 (7.3%) who urinated and 3 (7.3%) who disrobed. One patient urinated almost immediately (2.4%), and another urinated 25 minutes after entering seclusion; the latter was not interpreted as a protest behavior.

Conclusions: Immediate behaviors in seclusion that are different from behaviors that led to seclusion can be interpreted as protest behaviors. The 2 most often observed protest behaviors were urination and disrobing.