Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a significant contributor to global disability, projected to emerge as the leading cause of disability by 2030. While Antidepressants (ADTs) are a prevalent...Show moreMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a significant contributor to global disability, projected to emerge as the leading cause of disability by 2030. While Antidepressants (ADTs) are a prevalent treatment option for MDD, their efficacy is constrained by low remission rates and undesirable side effects, prompting exploration of alternatives. In the last decade, the efficacy of nutraceuticals in MDD treatment has gained attention. However, there is a gap in research regarding direct comparison between the dropout rates in trials investigating the effect of ADTs and nutraceuticals on MDD. This study conducted a comprehensive comparison of efficacy and dropout rates among 17 types of ADTs and 3 types of nutraceuticals. Data were derived from RCTs included in the most recent meta-analyses on this subject. Due to a lack of previous studies on the dropout comparison of ADTs and nutraceuticals, no predictions were made in that regard. However, it was hypothesized that higher dropout rates would be associated with better treatment outcomes. The findings indicate that Nutraceuticals were more effective (Cohen’s d = -1.96, CI: -3.40 to -.53) in MDD treatment compared to ADTs (Cohen’s d = -.35, CI: -.39 to -.31). There were no significant differences in dropout rates between ADTs and nutraceuticals, except within control groups, where nutraceuticals demonstrated lower dropout rates (M =.13) compared to ADTs (M =.28). Furthermore, no relationship between dropout rates and treatment outcomes was observed, except within the ADTs control group where higher dropout rates corresponded to lower treatment outcomes (t (1,144) = -2.91, p = .004). This study shows the comparative efficacy and dropout dynamics of ADTs and nutraceuticals in the treatment of MDD.Show less
Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effects of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption. Studies were included if they reported results on two measures of the...Show moreObjectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effects of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption. Studies were included if they reported results on two measures of the short version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-C), pre and post pandemic. The databases that were used were PubMed and Web of Science for articles published in English. Data were extracted on demographics and details of measures used to assess alcohol consumption. A random-effects meta-analyses was performed and calculated the standardized mean difference in scores on the AUDIT-C questionnaire. Results: The effect size was low, 0.1993 (95% CI: -0.0442 to 0.4429) and of none statistical significance (p= 0.109, > 5%). Conclusion: The results may be the outcome of the only six studies that were included in the analysis. It is also possible that alcohol consumption did not increased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or that for some populations has instead, decreased.Show less
Mental well-being has been shown to be reflected by several different linguistic markers, such as emotion words, temporal orientation, and insight words. Here, we investigated the effect of the...Show moreMental well-being has been shown to be reflected by several different linguistic markers, such as emotion words, temporal orientation, and insight words. Here, we investigated the effect of the COVID-19 stressor on the word use of those suffering from psychopathology and their healthy controls in a longitudinal design. 1556 blog posts written between February and June 2019 and the same period of time in 2020 were analyzed. In both the clinical and the control group, emotional negativity (d = -0.18), a focus on the present (d = -0.31), and use of insight words (d = -0.15) increased with the appearance of the COVID-19 stressor. Focus on the past decreased in the clinical group (d = 0.32). In the clinical group, the use of insight words was associated with emotional negativity and a focus on the present during the pandemic. In the control group, the use of insight words was additionally associated with a focus on the past and the future. Overall, these findings suggest that those suffering from psychopathology are no more vulnerable to the pandemic’s consequences on mental health than their healthy controls, as reflected in their word use. Yet, since word use on online platforms does not seem to reflect actual well-being very accurately, and considering that our sample was relatively homogenous in terms of mental disorders presented, gender, and age, these results should be interpreted with caution. Future research should replicate our findings with more valid measures of mental well-being and in a more diverse sample.Show less
A person’s mental state can be shown by their word use. Patterns that can be seen in a person’s word use can reflect markers which can indicate symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Studies showed...Show moreA person’s mental state can be shown by their word use. Patterns that can be seen in a person’s word use can reflect markers which can indicate symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Studies showed that stressors can have an impact on a person’s word use and reveal symptoms of psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate linguistic changes in individuals with a psychiatric disorder during the Covid-19 pandemic. Blog posts of Dutch, English and German female bloggers with a psychiatric disorder and those without a psychiatric disorder were used to analyse changes in first-person singular and plural personal pronouns, negative and positive emotion words and cognitive processing words. Furthermore, the changes over time in these word categories were assessed by means of random-effects meta-analyses over cases. It appeared that patients used more first-person singular and plural personal pronouns and cognitive processing words compared to the control group. There were no changes over time in the emotional tone of the blog posts between the patients and the controls. However, patients had a more negative or a less positive tone during Covid-19 compared to before the pandemic. To conclude, patients were more focused on themselves as well as on others and may have been more preoccupied with cognitive processes than the control group. It was also evident that patients were perhaps more likely to experience negative emotions during stressors such as the Covid-19 pandemic.Show less
Introduction: Reluctance is an important factor in treating patients with severe anorexia. Sometimes the pursuit of weight-loss gets so out of control that somatic values drop to become life...Show moreIntroduction: Reluctance is an important factor in treating patients with severe anorexia. Sometimes the pursuit of weight-loss gets so out of control that somatic values drop to become life threatening. In that case, involuntary treatment can be imposed, raising the question whether a treatment with resistance can be effective. In this study, an involuntary treatment group was compared with a voluntary group in terms of growth in BMI. Additionally, this study examined the relation between personal characteristics and BMI over time. Method: 31 patients participated who were currently being treated in an inpatients program. Quantitative data such as BMI, age, resistance, feeding-tube administration and history of admissions was collected from both groups. The collected data was analyzed through a multi-regression analysis. Results: The groups differ in BMI growth; the voluntary patients gain more weight in the early stages of admission, however it is the involuntary group who takes the lead in a later phase. Furthermore, it has been found that the BMI growth curve of patients who receive nutrition from a feeding-tube rise faster compared to patients who eat naturally and involuntary patients experience more resistance to recovery. However, that does not mean that scoring high on resistance equals less effective recovery. Discussion: This study suggests that involuntary treatment may be effective when a situation has become dire. Although there are negative sides, such as disrespecting autonomy and damaging the client-therapist relationship, patients can often reflect the importance of treatment afterwards. Further long-term research needs to be done to determine whether any future relapses play a role in recovery.Show less
Depression, obesity and T2D are growing healthcare and societal burdens worldwide. Several studies showed that there are relationships between these burdens. T2D often coincides with depression and...Show moreDepression, obesity and T2D are growing healthcare and societal burdens worldwide. Several studies showed that there are relationships between these burdens. T2D often coincides with depression and vice versa, whereas elevated glucose levels can indicate T2D. Current study focuses on depressive mood, postprandial- and glucose levels. This cross-sectional cohort study utilized secondary, quantitative data from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study (N = 6671), which included a meal challenge. The Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (IDS), was used to assess depressive mood. It was expected that depressive mood predicts elevated postprandial- and fasting glucose levels. Sex, BMI and Total Body Fat were expected to be moderators. Depressive mood significantly predicted elevated postprandial- and fasting glucose levels, before adding covariates other than age and sex. Sex, BMI and TBF all significantly moderated the associations between depressive mood and elevated postprandial- and fasting glucose. The effect of depressive mood on postprandial glucose, but not fasting glucose, was stronger in females than in males, with B = .017, p < .001 and B = 007, p < .001, respectively. Subjects with depressive mood are more at risk for developing IGM, IFG, and ultimately T2D. Women are more at risk than men, whereas excess weight also seems a risk factor for elevated glucose levels. It is suggested that future research focusses on the impact of confounding variables and depressive symptoms by itself, to more accurately study the effect of depression on IGM, IFG and T2D.Show less
