Abstract Background Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediates neural plasticity, mood, different behaviours, and stress response. A functional BDNF polymorphism (BDNF Val66Met) was reported ...to influence the effects of stressful life events or childhood adversity on depression and suicidal behaviour in various psychopathologies. The study evaluated the association between BDNF Val66Met variants and suicide, committed with violent or non-violent methods, in victims with or without stressful childhood experience. Methods BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was genotyped on 560 DNA samples from 359 suicide victims and 201 control subjects collected on autopsy from unrelated Caucasian subjects and subdivided according to gender, method of suicide, and influence of childhood adversity. Results A similar frequency of BDNF Val66Met variants was found between all included suicide victims and the control groups, and also between the male groups. The frequency of the combined Met/Met and Met/Val genotypes and the homozygous Val/Val genotype was significantly different between the female suicide victims and female controls, between the female suicide victims who used violent suicide methods and female controls, and between all included suicide victims with or without stressful life events. The combined Met/Met and Met/Val genotypes contributed to this significance. Limitation A small group of suicide victims with available data on childhood adversity was studied. Conclusions The combined Met/Met and Met/Val genotypes of the BDNF Val66Met variant could be the risk factor for violent suicide in female subjects and for suicide in victims exposed to childhood trauma. These results confirm a major role of BDNF in increased vulnerability to suicide.
Izhodišča: Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti povezanost med športno dejavnostjo (ŠD) in doživljanjem stresa ter vrednotenjem zadovoljstva z življenjem odraslih Slovencev.
Podatki so bili pridobljeni s ...pomočjo anketnega vprašalnika na reprezentativnem vzorcu 856 odraslih Slovencev in Slovenk (povprečne starosti 39 ± 13,7 leta). ŠD je bila opredeljena s številom dni ukvarjanja s katero koli športno dejavnostjo tedensko. Stres je bil opredeljen s pogostostjo doživljanja devetih znakov stresa na štiristopenjski lestvici. Pri oceni zadovoljstva z življenjem so udeleženci raziskave izrazili strinjanje oziroma nestrinjanje s petimi postavkami na petstopenjski lestvici. Vrednosti prve glavne komponente stresa in lestvice zadovoljstva z življenjem je bila določena z Anderson-Rubinovo metodo. Povezanost spremenljivk je bila ocenjena s Spearmanovim koeficientom korelacije in s splošnimi linearnimi modeli.
ŠD je bila statistično značilno povezana s stresom (p = ,03) in z zadovoljstvom z življenjem (p < ,01). V linearnih modelih imajo izbrani dejavniki (ŠD, starost, spol in izobrazba) skupaj statistično značilen vpliv (pri stresu: R
= ,040; p < ,001; pri zadovoljstvu: R
= ,068; p < ,001); ŠD ima statistično značilen vpliv le na oceno zadovoljstva z življenjem (η
.= ,020; p = ,002). Na stres statistično značilno vplivajo vsi preostali dejavniki, na zadovoljstvo z življenjem pa le izobrazba.
Na podlagi dobljenih rezultatov lahko sklepamo, da so športno dejavnejši odrasli Slovenci manj pod stresom in bolj zadovoljni s svojim življenjem, vendar je ta vpliv ob upoštevanju vpliva starosti, spola in izobrazbe razmeroma majhen.
Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation of sports activity (SA) with stress experience and evaluation of satisfaction with life among adult Slovenians.
Data was collected with a survey on a representative sample of 856 adult Slovenians (average age 39±13.73 years). We determined sports activity with incidence of any sports activity - times per week. To determine mental health, the respondents marked how often the 9 signs of stress appeared within a last month and how satisfied they were with their life. Scores on the first component of stress and satisfaction with life scale were computed using Anderson-Rubin method. The correlations between variables were evaluated using the Spearman correlation coefficient and general linear models.
SA is statistically significantly correlated with stress (p= .03) and satisfaction with life (p= .00). In the models for prediction of stress and satisfaction with life, the set of predictors (SA, age, gender and education) has a significant effect (R
= .040, p< .001; R
= .068, p< .001), with SA having a statistically significant effect only on value of life satisfaction (η
= .020, p= .002). A set of all mentioned predictors has significant effect on stress, while only education beside SA has a statistically significant effect on satisfaction with life.
It could be concluded that individuals that are more active in sports experience the signs of stress less often and that they are more satisfied with their lives, but taking age, gender and education into consideration, SA is not the main predictor.
Abstract Suicidal ideation and behavior are a frequent complication of schizophrenia. Although a number of risk factors have been identified, specific features of suicidality in schizophrenia remain ...poorly understood. In this study, 19 patients with schizophrenia were interviewed in depth on their suicidal ideation and intentions, followed by a qualitative phenomenological analysis of the material. Solitude with inability to participate in human interactions and feelings of inferiority were found to be the main sources of suicidal ideation. These experiences seem to resemble ordinary depressive reactions, yet we found them to be reflective of a more basic self-alienation and incapacity for immersion in the shared world. Ignoring this experiential level of patients' disturbances may lead to trivialization (and misjudgment) of the experiences at the root of suicidality in schizophrenia.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental health disorders in childhood; symptoms persist into adulthood in a majority of patients. It is among the most ...heritable of psychiatric disorders with a high risk for familial aggregation and has been linked in adulthood with impairment across a variety of domains, including parenting. Parental gender, ADHD status and symptom expression could be related to the severity of ADHD symptoms in the child.
We used prospective, observational study of clinical group of 30 children with diagnosed ADHD and control group of 37 healthy subjects. Only children with both biological parents available were included. Data on ADHD symptomatology for all subjects was gathered by a set of clinical tools (CBCL1991, TRF1991, WURS, self-report scale modified from DSM IV). Under the assumption that ADHD is a dimensional disorder, raw scores from questionnaires were used as they display the complete range of values.
Clinical group showed higher values in all areas of children symptomatology, the same was observed for parental ADHD symptomatology. Significant correlation was found between children and paternal current ADHD symptomatology in the clinical group. This was not confirmed for mothers.
Our study stresses an importance of screening for ADHD symptoms in parents of clinically referred children with ADHD as the correlation between severity of paternal and child's ADHD symptoms was confirmed. Our results stress the importance of including the father into the clinical assessment.
Objective: To determine lifetime prevalence of suicidal and self‐injurious behaviors in Slovenian adolescents with type 1 diabetes compared with healthy controls.
Research design and methods: ...Adolescents (14–19 yr) with type 1 diabetes were compared with a normative control group of healthy secondary school students by means of a self‐reported questionnaire (according to Kienhorst) containing questions on demographic and family characteristics, suicidal ideation, intended suicide, attempted suicide, possible future suicide, and self‐injurious behavior. Patients received the questionnaires at regular outpatient visits to the pediatric diabetes clinic, completed them in private, and returned them by mail. Questionnaires for control subjects were administered in classrooms.
Results: The responses of 126 eligible patients and 499 controls were analyzed. The control group trended toward higher lifetime prevalence of all suicidal behaviors and self‐injurious behavior. The lowest prevalence of all suicidal behaviors and self‐injurious behavior was reported by males with diabetes. Compared with male controls, the differences were statistically significant for suicidal ideation (p < 0.05) and intended suicide (p < 0.05). Compared with females with diabetes, the differences were statistically significant for suicidal ideation (p < 0.001), intended suicide (p < 0.01), attempted suicide (p < 0.05), and self‐injurious behavior (p < 0.05). Females with diabetes reported highest prevalence of all suicidal but not self‐injurious behaviors. More patients than controls reported receiving counseling the year preceding the study (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: In the study, type 1 diabetes showed a protective effect for suicidal behavior in adolescent males but not in adolescent females. Professionals working with adolescents with type 1 diabetes should be alert to possible suicidality, especially among females.
▶ Association between suicide and alcohol-related suicide for SNP Rs1843809 in TPH2. ▶ Tendency for association for SNP Rs1386493 and alcohol-related suicide in TPH2. ▶ More impulsive, verbal ...aggressive behavior in suicide victims with alcohol misuse.
Substantial evidence from family, twin, and adoption studies corroborates implication of genetic and environmental factors, as well as their interactions, on suicidal behavior and alcoholism risk. Serotonergic disfunction seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of substance abuse, and has also an important role in suicidal behavior. Recent studies of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 showed mild or no association with suicide and alcohol-related suicide. We performed SNP and alcohol analysis on 388 suicide victims and 227 controls. The results showed association between suicide (
P(
χ
2)
=
0.043) and alcohol-related suicide (
P(
χ
2)
=
0.021) for SNP Rs1843809. A tendency for association was determined also for polymorphism Rs1386493 (
P(
χ
2)
=
0.055) and alcohol-related suicide. Data acquired from psychological autopsies in a subsample of suicide victims (
n
=
79) determined more impulsive behavior (
P(
χ
2)
=
0.016) and verbal aggressive behavior (
P(
χ
2)
=
0.025) in the subgroup with alcohol misuse or dependency. In conclusion, our results suggest implication of polymorphisms in suicide and alcohol-related suicide, but further studies are needed to clarify the interplay among serotonergic system disfunction, suicide, alcohol dependence, impulsivity and the role of TPH2 enzyme.
Implication of serotonergic system in suicide and suicide attempts has been discussed for several years. One of the most abundant serotonin receptors in the mammalian brain is the receptor 1A ...(5-HT1A); studies of its polymorphisms and suicide have provided very inconsistent results so far. The suggestion that the G allele depresses HTR1A autoreceptor expression, and therefore reduces serotonergic neurotransmission that might predispose to depression and suicide, made the promoter polymorphism -1019C>G a very promising candidate gene. In our study we analyzed promoter polymorphism -1019C>G on 323 suicide victims and 190 controls (all of Slovenian origin), taking into account sex, suicide method, and in case of suicide victims also stressful life events. Differences in the distributions of genotype and allele frequencies were not statistically significant between suicide victims and control group, and the same was found for distributions according to sex and suicide method. For 62 suicide victims information about stressful life events in the month prior to the suicide and in childhood was provided. For analysis we combined CG/GG genotypes and compared them to the CC genotype. More stressful life events in the month prior to the suicide were reported for the subgroup with CC genotype (mean number of events = 2.53; SD = 1.50) in comparison to subgroup with CG/GG genotypes (mean number of events = 1.58; SD = 1.32;
P
< 0.05). However, subgroups of suicide victims with CC or CG/GG genotypes did not differ regarding numbers of reported stressful life events in childhood (
P
> 0.05). Our study provides no evidence for the implication of HTR1A promoter polymorphism in suicide in general, but it suggests further studies that would take into account the interconnected network of suicide completion, genetic background and stress, beside other risk factors.
The aim of the study was to provide further and up to date information on the evaluation of the management of Anorexia and Bulimia nervosa at the Eating Disorders Unit (EDU) of the Ljubljana ...Psychiatric Clinic, based upon detailed assessment of the eating disorders specific and non specific symptoms of impulsive behaviors, highly correlated with these entities. 34 female patients with anorexia (restrictive or purgative type) and 38 female patients with Bulimia nervosa (purgative or non-purgative type) undergoing hospital treatment at the EDU were evaluated upon admission, as well as upon discharge and three and six months after discharge, using the Eating Disorder Questionnaire. Upon discharge a marked decrease in the overall symptoms was noted. The differences in symptoms incidences between the two groups were significantly specific for the individual form of eating disorder, especially upon admission, and were more pronounced in anorexia group. In later measurements, performed during the period of three and six months after discharge, a mild trend of increase in the disorder specific symptoms was detected in both groups, but was not statistically significant. In addition to binging on food, striking, quarreling and spending sprees are characteristics of patients with eating disorders, which in particular apply to the Bulimia nervosa group. Apart from the disorder specific symptoms, impulsive behavior was also reduced during study period, while the difference in its occurrence between the two groups gradually became non-significant. The management of patients with eating disorders at the EDU was successful in both groups, confirmed by an intense reduction of the disorder specific symptoms, impulsive behavior and increased stability recorded three and six months after discharge. The study strongly suggests that the effect of treatment regime for eating disorders can be predicted by careful assessment of the relevant symptoms and impulsive behavioral patterns.
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