El papel de los esquemas cognitivos y la adversidad infantil en la probabilidad de desarrollar un trastorno depresivo mayor / The role of cognitive schemas and childhood adversity in the likelihood of developing Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract Introduction/objective: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial mental health disorder. Stressful events and childhood abuse have been included in different models to explain its etiology. However, little evidence is available on how attributional style and early maladaptive schemas are related to MDD. Method: A retrospective case-control study using a three-stage hierarchical logistic model was conducted to explore the relationship between MDD and psychosocial variables such as childhood adversity, stressful life events, attributional style, and cognitive schemas in a sample of 171 individuals with a current depressive episode and 171 healthy controls. Results: Depression could be predicted by childhood adversity, an attributional style characterized by interpreting stressful events as negative and uncontrollable and the cognitive schemas in impaired autonomy/performance domains and impaired limits. Conclusions: Our results highlight the relevance of identifying cognitive factors, beyond clinical symptoms that could be useful to better understand MDD. These findings may result in better preventive programs and create awareness of the role of cognitive domains in MDD.

Resumen Introducción/objetivo: el trastorno depresivo mayor (TDM) es un trastorno de salud mental de origen multifactorial. Los eventos estresantes y el maltrato infantil se han incluido en diferentes modelos para explicar su etiología. Sin embargo, hay poca evidencia disponible sobre cómo el estilo atribucional y los dominios de esquemas maladaptativos tempranos se relacionan con el TDM. Método: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de casos y controles utilizando un modelo logístico jerárquico de tres etapas para explorar la relación entre el TDM y variables psicosociales como la adversidad infantil, los eventos estresantes, el estilo atribucional y los esquemas cognitivos en una muestra de 171 individuos con un episodio depresivo actual y 171 controles sanos. Resultados: La depresión podría predecirse por la adversidad infantil, un estilo atribucional caracterizado por interpretar los eventos estresantes como negativos e incontrolables y los esquemas cognitivos en los dominios de autonomía/desempeño y límites deteriorados. Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados resaltan la relevancia de identificar factores cognitivos, más allá de los síntomas clínicos, que podrían ser útiles para alcanzar una mejor comprensión del trastorno. Estos hallazgos favorecen el diseño de programas de prevención que enfaticen en el rol de los esquemas cognitivos.

El papel de la valoración de los sucesos vitales estresantes en el Trastorno Depresivo Mayor / The role of stressful life events appraisal in major depressive disorder

RESUMEN Introducción: El Trastorno depresivo mayor (TDM) es una enfermedad multifactorial en la que, por interacción con diversas variables, se incrementa la vulnerabilidad a padecerla. Diversos modelos han explicado las interacciones, como el de diátesis-estrés. Vivir eventos estresantes no siempre lleva a la aparición del TDM, y se ha planteado que la atribución y la valoración de los eventos estresantes podrían ser un mejor predictor de la aparición de los síntomas. Objetivo: Determinar la asociación y el poder predictivo de la frecuencia y la valoración de eventos vitales estresantes en la presencia de sintomatología del TDM. Métodos: Estudio de casos y controles con 120 pacientes psiquiátricos y 120 personas de la población general. Se utilizó una entrevista clínica estructurada y el Cuestionario de Sucesos Vitales de Sandín y Chorot. Los datos se analizaron con pruebas no paramétricas y regresión logística binaria. Resultados: El grupo de casos obtuvo significativamente más altos en afecto negativo, frecuencia de eventos estresantes, nivel de estrés percibido, valoración negativa de la situación y percepción de no control. El modelo de regresión logística binaria indicó que la baja percepción de control frente al evento estresante es el factor más determinante, seguido por la evaluación negativa del evento. Conclusiones: Las atribuciones realizadas sobre los eventos estresantes son determinantes en la presentación del TDM, en especial la valoración del control percibido frente a los sucesos vitales, en concordancia con los modelos etiológicos del TDM de diátesis cognitiva al estrés.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial disease in which, due to the interaction of several variables, the vulnerability of suffering from it increases. Several models, such as the diathesis-stress model, have explained these interactions. However, experiencing stressful events does not always lead to the development of MDD, and the attribution and appraisal of stressful events contributing to further development of depression symptoms has been considered as a possible explanation. Objective: To determinate the association and the predictive power of the frequency and appraisal of stressful life events to predict MDD symptomatology. Methods: Case-control study with 120 psychiatric patients and 120 people from the general population. A structured clinical interview and the life events questionnaire (Sandín and Chorcot) were used to evaluate the sample. The data were analysed with non-parametric tests and binary logistic regression. Results: The psychiatric patients reported significantly higher levels of negative affect, frequency of stressful life events, perceived stress, negative appraisal of the situation and lack of perceived control. The binary logistic regression model indicated that poor perception of control of the stressful event is the most determining factor, followed by negative evaluation of the situation. Conclusions: The attributions that are made regarding a stressful event are variables that predict MDD, specifically the assessment of the perceived control over the situation. These results concur with the aetiological models of MDD, such as the cognitive diathesis-stress model.

Asociación entre marcadores de posición social y adherencia al tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial en Colombia / Association between social position indicators and hypertension treatment adherence in Colombia

INTRODUCCIÓN: Generar evidencia sobre los efectos de la posición social en la adhe-rencia terapéutica en personas con hipertensión arterial (HTA) en Colombia. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio transversal, a partir de mediciones cuan-titativas del Programa de Determinantes Sociales e Inequidades en el Control de la HTA en Colombia. Se desarrollaron análisis descriptivos e inferenciales (regresión logística) para modelar las asociaciones. RESULTADOS: Se evidenció una alta proporción de adherencia, siendo mayor para cumplimiento farmacológico y las citas (>50%). Las personas con menor educación e ingresos tienen menor posibilidad de adherirse al tratamiento farmacológico; mientras que quienes tienen mejor posición socioeconómica tienen menor posibilidad de adherirse a las citas y a las conductas saludables. Los afrocolombianos tienen menor posibilidad de adherirse al tratamiento farmacológico, a las citas y a la actividad física. DISCUSIÓN: Existe una brecha en el logro de la adherencia a tratamiento de HTA en Colombia, debido a condiciones socioeconómicas y étnica/raciales.

INTRODUCTION: To generate evidence on the effects of social position on therapeutic adherence among individuals with hypertension (HT) in Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out, using quantitative data from the Social Determinants and Inequities in the Control of HT Program in Colombia. Descriptive and inferential analyses (logistic regression) were developed to model the associations. RESULTS: The prevalence of adherence was high, especially for pharmacological treat-ment and compliance with appointments (>50%). Individuals with less education and lower income are less likely to adhere to pharmacological treatment, while tho-se with higher socioeconomic status are less likely to adhere to appointments and healthy behaviors. Afro-Colombians were less likely to adhere to pharmacological treatment, appointments, and indications regarding physical activity. DISCUSSION: There is a gap in HT treatment adherence in Colombia, due to socioeco-nomic and ethnic/racial conditions

Índice de Calidad Ecológica y gestión hídrica en tres ecosistemas de Colombia

Introducción: La investigación y el diagnóstico de fuentes hídricas es de interés académico y gubernamental, la exploración de instrumentos numéricos aplicados al ordenamiento de cuencas brinda la posibilidad de identificar dónde y qué variables son útiles en programas de monitoreo y rehabilitación en ecosistemas acuáticos, lo cual incluye la calidad del agua, convencionalmente analizada por índices fisicoquímicos e hidrobiológicos. En el 2014 a través de la guía de ordenamiento hídrico en Colombia, se desarrolló una evaluación del índice de calidad ecológica (ICE); la cual genera un sistema numérico de correlaciones que diagnostica, clasifica y detecta afectaciones ambientales. Objetivo: Esta investigación pretende demostrar que el ICE permite evaluar la calidad de ecosistemas acuáticos afectados por diferentes situaciones ambientales. Métodos: Se analizaron tres escenarios ubicados en diferentes regiones de Colombia y como grupo hidrobiológico indicador se utilizaron las algas perifíticas y fitoplanctónicas. Los ecosistemas fueron monitoreados entre el 2007 y 2016 y corresponden a una planicie de inundación, un río andino de alta montaña y un grupo de quebradas en un bosque húmedo tropical. Resultados: Las correlaciones canónicas fueron significativas (P < 0.005) y se estimó el óptimo y la tolerancia de cada taxa; variables relacionadas con la concentración de iones, la amortiguación de la acidez, la temperatura y la hidráulica, incidieron en la distribución de las abundancias de los organismos y la clasificación ecológica mediante el índice. Conclusiones: La aplicación del índice permite identificar variables, organismos y ordenamientos numéricos que posibilitan clasificar el estado ecológico en un sistema, resultados útiles en el diagnóstico y seguimiento de los ecosistemas acuáticos estudiados y que pueden ser implementados con otros escenarios.

Introduction: Research and diagnosis of water sources is of academic and governmental interest, for this reason, the exploration of numerical tools applied to watershed management, offers the possibility to identify where and what variables are useful in monitoring and rehabilitation programs of aquatic ecosystems. Environmental planning and management, which includes water quality, is conventionally analyzed by physical, chemical and hydrobiological indexes. In 2014, through the water management guide, included the assessment of the ecological quality index (EQI); it was generated a comprehensive approach through a numerical system of correlations that diagnoses, classifies and detects environmental impacts. Objective: This research aims to demonstrate that the EQI allows to assess the quality of aquatic ecosystems affected by different environmental situations. Methods: In order to analyze the application of this tool, we studied three scenarios located in different biogeographical regions of Colombia and, as a hydrobiological group indicator, we used peripheral and phytoplankton algae. The ecosystems were monitored between 2007 and 2015 and correspond to a flood plain, a high mountain Andean river and a group of water stream in a tropical humid forest. Results: Canonical correlations were significant (P < 0.005)and a model of weighted averages, allowed to estimate the optimum and the tolerance of each taxa for the sites ecological classification; variables related to ion concentration, acidity damping, temperature and hydraulics, influenced the models that explained the abundances distribution of the studied biological groups. Conclusions: The application of the EQI makes it possible to identify variables, organisms and numerical systems to classify ecological status. These results are useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of aquatic ecosystems and that can be implemented in other scenarios.

Depression Levels Following Discharge Predict Quality of Life in Heart Disease Patients / Depressão após Alta Prediz Qualidade de Vida Prévia em Pacientes Cardíacos

Abstract Depression and stress have been related with poor Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) prognosis. However, it is not clear when these depressive symptoms should be measured. A sample of 177 Coronary Heart Disease patients were followed for 15 months aimed to compare the effect of depression and stress measure at time of hospitalization and three months later on the physical HRQoL trajectory. Linear growth models' results showed that depression and stress after discharge are negatively correlated with the physical HRQoL and depressive symptoms negatively affect the prognosis of these patients.

Resumo Depressão e estresse têm sido associados ao prognóstico da Qualidade de Vida Relacionada à Saúde (QVRS). Contudo, não há clareza sobre quando os sintomas de depressão devem ser mensurados. Uma amostra de 177 pacientes com cardiopatia isquêmica foi acompanhada por 15 meses, para comparar o efeito do estresse e a depressão durante a internação e, três meses depois, avaliou-se a trajetória do componente físico da QVRS. Os resultados da comparação de duas curvas de crescimento latente mostraram que a depressão e o estresse pós-alta estão negativamente correlacionados com o componente físico da QVRS, e que os sintomas depressivos afetam negativamente o prognóstico desses pacientes.

Validación del cuestionario de 90 síntomas SCL-90-R de Derogatis en una muestra clínica colombiana / Validation of Derogatis' Questionnaire of 90 Symtoms (SCL-90-R) in a Colombian clinical sample / Validação do teste dos 90 síntomas SCL-90-R de Derogatis em uma amostra clínica colombiana

Introducción. El cuestionario de comprobación de 90 síntomas (SCL­90­R) se utiliza, con frecuencia, en la exploración de la salud mental. Sin embargo, no existen estudios sobre su validez ni sobre la sensibilidad al cambio en la población clínica colombiana. El objetivo es establecer las propiedades estructurales y psicométricas del SCL­90­R para muestras clínicas colombianas e identificar diferencias con relación al género y a la sensibilidad de cambio. Metodología. Diseño longitudinal con tres meses de diferencia entre la primera y la segunda observación. Participaron 214 pacientes que asistían a consultas (51.9% hombres y 43.1% mujeres), con edad media de 26 años (desviación 11.3). Se realizó tanto el análisis factorial confirmatorio como el exploratorio para buscar los mejores índices de validez. Instrumentos: El SCL­90­R y el cuestionario sociodemográfico y de características de la psicoterapia. Resultados. Se identificaron adecuados niveles de confiabilidad con alfas de Cronbach entre 0.74 y 0.90. El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró índices de bondad de ajuste bajos: Índices de bondad de ajuste comparativo = 0.67, Índice de Tucker-Lewis = 0.65 e Índice de ajuste normalizado = 0.508, y valor de la aproximación del error cuadrático medio de 0.068. La solución final del análisis factorial exploratorio mostró un índice Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin de 0.92 y un resultado significativo en la prueba de esfericidad de Bartlett (Chi cuadrado = 3,682.9; gl = 603, valor p < 0.001). Esta estructura incluyó 36 ítems para una razón de tamaño de muestra/ítems igual a 5.9 y representó el 60.7% de la varianza total, con siete de los nueve factores que contiene el cuestionario original: depresión, obsesiones y compulsiones, somatización, ansiedad, hostilidad, ansiedad fóbica e ideación paranoide. Se identificaron para ambas versiones adecuados índices de sensibilidad al cambio. Con relación a las diferencias según el género, se reportaron diferencias significativas en algunos factores, con puntuaciones superiores en las mujeres; para el cuestionario original se identificaron diferencias en el factor ansiedad y en el cuestionario abreviado, en el factor depresión y hostilidad. Conclusiones. El cuestionario original reportó adecuados niveles de confiabilidad. El cuestionario abreviado, que se generó a través del análisis factorial exploratorio, reportó adecuados niveles tanto de confiabilidad como de validez. Ambas versiones del cuestionario presentaron sensibilidad para detectar cambios en un segundo momento de la evaluación. [Londoño NH, Agudelo DM, Martínez E, Anguila D, Aguirre DC, Arias JF. Validación de la escala de 90 síntomas SCL-90-R de Derogatis en una muestra clínica colombiana. MedUNAB. 2018;21(2):45-59. doi:10.29375/01237047.2807].

Introduction. Questionnaire of 90 symptoms (SCL-90-R) is frequently used in the exploration of mental health, but there are no studies on its validity or sensitivity to change in Colombian clinical population. The objective is to establish the structural and psychometric properties of SCL-90-R for Colombian clinical samples, and to identify differences in relation to gender and sensitivity to change. Methodology. Longitudinal design with a three-month difference between the first and second observation. 214 patients participated (51.9% men and 43.1% women), with a mean age of 26 years (deviation 11.3). Both the confirmatory factorial analysis and the exploratory one were carried out to search for the best validity indexes. Instruments: SCL-90-R, and sociodemographic questionnaire and characteristics of psychotherapy. Results. Levels of reliability were identified as adequate with Cronbach alphas 0.74 to 0.90. The confirmatory factor analysis showed low goodness of fit on the indexes: Comparative goodness indexes = 0.67, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.65 and normalized adjustment index = 0.508, and approximate value of the mean square error of 0.068. The final solution of the exploratory factor analysis showed a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index of 0.92 and a significant result in the Bartlett sphericity test (Chi square = 3,682.9, gl = 603, p-value < 0.001). This structure included 36 items for a sample/item size ratio = 5.9 and explained 60.7% of the total variance, with seven of the nine factors that the original questionnaire contains: depression, obsessions/compulsions, somatization, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation. Indices of sensitivity to change were identified for both versions. Regarding the difference according to sex, significant differences were reported in some factors, with higher scores in women; for the original questionnaire, differences were found in the anxiety factor, and on the abbreviated questionnaire in the depression factor and hostility. Conclusions. The original questionnaire reported adequate levels of reliability. The abbreviated questionnaire, generated through exploratory factor analysis, reported adequate levels of both reliability and validity. Both versions of the scale presented sensitivity to detect changes in a second evaluation moment. [Londoño NH, Agudelo DM, Martínez E, Anguila D, Aguirre DC, Arias JF. Validation of Derogatis' Questionnaire of 90 Symtoms (SCL-90-R) in a Colombian clinical sample. MedUNAB. 2018;21(2):45-59.doi:10.29375/01237047.2807].

Introdução. O teste dos 90 sintomas (SCL-90-R) é freqüentemente usado na avaliação da saúde mental. Entretanto não há estudos sobre sua validade ou sobre a sensibilidade à mudança na população clínica colombiana. O objetivo é estabelecer as propriedades estruturais e psicométricas do SCL-90-R para amostras clínicas colombianas e identificar diferenças em relação a gênero e sensibilidade à mudança. Metodologia. Estudo longitudinal com três meses de diferença entre a primeira e a segunda observação. Participaram 214 pacientes que compareceram às consultas (51.9% homens e 43.1% mulheres), com média de idade de 26 anos (desvio 11.3). Tanto a análise fatorial confirmatória quanto a exploratória foram realizadas para encontrar os melhores índices de validade. Instrumentos: SCL-90-R e o questionário sociodemográfico e de características da psicoterapia. Resultados. Identificamos níveis adequados de confiabilidade com alfa de Cronbach entre 0.74 e 0.90. A análise fatorial confirmatória mostrou baixos índices de bondade de ajuste: índices comparativos de bondade = 0.67, índice de Tucker-Lewis = 0.65 e índice de ajuste normalizado = 0.508 e valor aproximado do erro quadrático médio de 0.068. A solução final da análise fatorial exploratória mostrou um índice de Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin de 0.92 e um resultado significativo no teste de esfericidade de Bartlett (qui quadrado = 3,682.9 gl = 603, valor de p < 0.001). Essa estrutura incluiu 36 itens para uma razão de tamanho de amostra / item = 5.9 e representou 60.7% da variância total, com sete dos nove fatores contidos no teste: depressão, obsessões e compulsões, somatização, ansiedade, hostilidade, ansiedade fóbica e ideação paranóica. Índices adequados de sensibilidade à mudança foram identificados nas duas versões. Em relação às diferenças de acordo com o gênero, foram encontradas diferenças significativas em alguns fatores, com pontuações maiores nas mulheres. No teste original, foram encontradas diferenças no fator ansiedade e no teste adaptado no fator depressão e hostilidade. Conclusões. O teste original relatou níveis adequados de confiabilidade. O teste adaptado que foi gerado através da análise fatorial exploratória, relatou níveis adequados de confiabilidade e validade. Ambas as versões do teste apresentaram sensibilidade para detectar mudanças em um segundo momento da avaliação. [Londoño NH, Agudelo DM, Martínez E, Anguila D, Aguirre DC, Arias JF. Validação do teste dos 90 síntomas SCL-90-R de Derogatis em uma amostra clínica colombiana. MedUNAB. 2018;21(2):45-59. doi:10.29375/01237047.2807].

Cuestionario de efectividad de la psicoterapia outcome questionnaire. validación en muestra clínica colombiana / Questions effectiveness of psychotherapy outcome questionnaire. validation in colombian clinical sample

Resumen Establecer las propiedades estructurales y psicométricas del OQ-45.2 e identificar la sensibilidad al cambio y diferencias según género. Método: se realizó en población clínica, participaron 214 consultantes (111 hombres y 103 mujeres), Instrumento: Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2). Resultados: El AFC mostró índices de bondad de ajuste bajos y valor de RMSEA de 0.071. Se recomendó realizar el AFE, y esta estructura incluyó 20 ítems y explicó el 58,8% de la varianza total: preocupación, problemas del desempeño del rol social, insatisfacción global, alcohol/drogas, dificultades en las relaciones e insatisfacción en las relaciones afectivas. Para la escala original, los coeficientes se encontraron entre 0.52 y 0.92; no se presentaron diferencias según género en ninguno de los factores pero sí sensibilidad al cambio en la terapia en todas las dimensiones. Para la estructura encontrada a través del AFE con 20 ítems, los coeficientes se encontraron entre 0.47 y 0.75. Los índices de ajustes para esta nueva estructura fueron muy favorables (CFI = 0,920, TLI = 0,902 y NFI = 0,790) y valor de RMSEA de 0.046. Se reportaron diferencias con relación al género en las dimensiones Insatisfacción global (más elevadas en mujeres) y Alcohol/droga (puntuaciones más elevadas en hombre). La prueba reportó sensibilidad al cambio en la escala original en Estrés, Desempeño y Relaciones interpersonales negativas, y en la escala abreviada en Preocupación, Problemas del rol social e Insatisfacción en las relaciones afectivas. Conclusiones: el OQ 45.2 no presentó una estructura adecuada a través del AFC. El AFE reportó 6 factores y 20 ítems, adecuados índices de ajustes, pero no todos los factores con buen nivel de confiabilidad.

Abstract To establish the structural and psychometric properties of the OQ-45.2 and identify sensitivity to change and differences by gender. Method: It was done in clinical population included 214 consultants (111 men and 103 women) Instrument: Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2). Results: The AFC showed low rates of kindness adjustment and RMSEA value of 0.071. It was recommended that the AFE, and this structure included 20 items, explaining 58.8% of the total variance: worry, problems performing the social role, overall dissatisfaction, alcohol / drugs, relationship difficulties and dissatisfaction with relationships. For the original scale, the coefficients were found between 0.52 and 0.92; no gender difference appeared in any of the factors but sensitivity to change in therapy in all dimensions. For the structure found throughout the AFE with 20 items, the coefficients were between 0.47 and 0.75. The rates for this new structure adjustments were very suitable (CFI = 0.920, TLI = 0.902 and NFI = 0.790) and RMSEA value of 0.046. Gender-related differences in size (higher in women) overall dissatisfaction and Alcohol / drug (higher scores in man) were reported. The test reported sensitivity to change in the original scale Stress, Performance and negative interpersonal relations, and the abbreviated scale Worry, Problems of the social role and Dissatisfaction in relationships. Conclusions: 45.2 OQ did not provide a suitable structure through the AFC. The AFE reported six factors and 20 items, appropriate indexes setup, but not all factors with a high level of reliability.

Factores de riesgo psicosociales y ambientales asociados a trastornos mentales / Psychosocial and environmental risk factors associated with mental disorders

En Colombia, son escasos los estudios sobre la asociación de los factores psicosociales y medioambientales con trastornos mentales de mayor prevalencia; tales estudios son necesarios debido al contexto de violencia, inseguridad social e inestabilidad laboral y económica del país. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los factores de riesgo psicosociales y ambientales de los trastornos mentales, en los usuarios de servicios de psicología de Colombia. Para ello, se aplicaron el Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview y un cuestionario de evaluación del Eje IV del DSM-IV-TR, a 490 participantes. Se utilizaron análisis descriptivos y de factores de riesgo. Como factor de riesgo para la depresión, se identificaron los problemas de vivienda, acceso a los servicios de asistencia sanitaria, los relativos al grupo primario, los económicos, del ambiente social y los problemas laborales. Para la ansiedad generalizada se identificaron los problemas económicos y los relativos a la enseñanza. Para los trastornos de pánico, fueron relevantes los problemas relacionados con el ambiente social, y para la fobia social, los problemas de enseñanza, los laborales y el ambiente social.

In Colombia, there are few studies on the association of psychosocial and environmental factors with the most prevalent mental disorders; such studies are important due to the context of violence, social insecurity, and job and economic instability in the country. The objective of this study was to identify the psychosocial and environmental risk factors for mental disorders, in users of psychologicalservices in Colombia. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and a Questionnaire to evaluate the Axis-IV of the DSM-IV-TR were applied to 490 participants.The analysis comprised descriptive statistics and risk factors. As riskfactors for depression, there were identified housing problems, access to health care services, problems related to the primary group, economics, problems of the social environment, and labor. For generalized anxiety, there were identified economic and education issues. For panic disorders, the risk factors were related to social environment, and for social phobia, the risk factors were problems in education,work and social environment.

La depresión: ¿un trastorno dimensional o categorial?

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Summary One of the crucial subjects, either for the clinical or scientific activity, is the dimensional or categorical character of depression and other mental diseases. Each approach is different from the theoretical and epistemological points of view. At presence, the categorical model for the definition and estimation of the presence of a disorder are reflected in the data on epidemiology, the results of investigations, instruments and the interventions. These elements are related to a system of thinking which results in a particular form of conceiving the psychopathology and intervention. Nevertheless, the strong influence of the categorical model in which the disorders are defined as a group of accomplished criteria has not prevented from development of a dimensional model. The latter postulates the existence of a continuum between the normality and pathology which correspond with dimensions, levels and severity related to the certain behaviours, traits or even symptoms. The interest in the dimensional approach to psychopathology, in general and in mood disorders, is caused by the observation in clinics which indicate, for example, that many patients do not improve with medicines and present residual symptoms during long periods of time. For these reasons, some personality factors which would explain the chronic symptoms of disorders have been proposed in Psychology and Psychiatry. Although the diagnostic manuals consider different types of mood disorders, many investigations have showed the possibility to consider depression as a continuum, where the least severe extreme would be the depressive personality and the most severe, major depression. According to the abovementioned proposal, it is possible that some people present certain vulnerability which would explain the different answers in case of depression. Cognitive factors, together with social and genetic factors increase the risk of chronic depressive symptoms. The catastrophic perception of self, the world and future, the dichotomous thinking and tunnel vision are the cognitive factors associated with the presence of the mood disorders symptoms. Additionally, some studies show the importance of gender, as women are more prone to develop depression and similar disorders which is related to traditional social roles. This can be caused by the need to sacrifice the professional career to dedicate time to housework, or to assume multiple roles. Concerning the genetic factors, the presence of first degree relatives with mood disorders increases the risk of development of depression or dysthymia. The consideration of depressive personality is based on the presence of symptoms which do not fulfil the criteria of severity and frequency of major depression but do affect the mood. The presence of these stable traits is related to major chronicity and worse prognosis. This condition has been described in manuals as dysthymia. Nevertheless, as it remains relatively stable in time it could be understood as a personality disorder. The disorder would be a continuum with the normality similar to this described as neuroticism in which some entities are qualitatively and quantitatively different which represent the categories. The analysis of what has been described above shows the possibility of differentiation between the mood disorders which are related to the dimensional focus where some traits increase the vulnerability to develop them. On the other hand, the categorical focus requires the accomplishment of the diagnostic criteria. The cognitive models also support the existence of depressive personality disorder. These models emphasize the importance of schemes in thinking which are created in childhood together with the attachment to the caretaker. The schemes are the basis for the future relationships which in case of mood disorders are always perceived with continuous thread of abandonment and lost. On the other hand, the behavioural models emphasize the patterns of negative interpersonal interaction in childhood, as the factors which predispose to the development of depression, whereas the psychodynamic theories establish the successive lost during the lifetime as the principal cause of mood disorders. All these theories show the existence of unfavourable emotional conditions which cause a certain vulnerability to develop symptoms of depression. The dimensional focus on depression is also supported by the evidence on the distinction between the disorders according to the severity. The difference between the normality and the psychopathology is not as clear as in the categorical focus. There is a necessity to develop new forms of evaluation which would enable the differentiation between the stable traits and punctual states of mood. At presence, most of the questionnaires are based on the categorical classification which makes the estimation from the dimensional point of view more difficult. On the other hand, the measures which provide differentiation between the traits and states are an alternative to estimate the stable conditions which would be related to the depressive personality and also specific reactions which depend on the present situation. Most of the instruments have been developed on the basis of the categorical model in which the diagnosis is the presence or absence of a disorder according to the diagnostic criteria. For this reason they do not have sufficient sensitivity to determinate less severe levels which are also important in clinical interventions as they allow the estimation of the improvements and decrease of symptomatology. The dimensional focus allows the preventive interventions in mood disorders which are very important to solve this serious health problem in the population.

Ansiedad y depresión: el problema de la diferenciación a través de los síntomas

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SUMMARY The differentiation between the symptoms of anxiety and depression is one of the most important problems in psychology as the dilemma profoundly affects the diagnosis and clinical intervention. According to the epidemiological data there is a strong comorbility between the two types of disorder. Nevertheless, it is not known which one of them precedes or predisposes to the other. The comorbility could be also caused by the confusion between the two. There are many common symptoms and some of them traditionally attributed to the anxiety are also present in depression and vice versa. Additionally, in some cases the symptoms themselves could constitute complete clinical charts. Taking into account the above description, one of the most important current preoccupations in psychology and psychopathology is the identification of the symptoms which would be characteristic for each disorder. Although there is clinical evidence on an overlap between the symptoms, the current manuals describe two disorders and the clinical differences are crucial. One of the possible explanations of the overlap between the symptoms of anxiety and depression has been classically attributed to comorbility which means the presence of both charts in many clinical cases. Different sources indicate that the presence of anxiety in early ages can generate certain vulnerability to develop later-age major depression. On the other hand, other studies indicate that the cases in which both, depression and anxiety are present, tend to chronify and are more resistant to treatment. In this case both disorders are present but there is no sufficient evidence to determinate which one of them would be the principal diagnosis and which one would be secondary. For this reason, the explanations are confused and neither the researchers nor clinicians are satisfied. On the other hand, the concurrence of symptoms has been attributed to the instruments utilized for the evaluation. The disorders also depend on the tools for their measure which follow a theoretical model to explain the aetiology, course, prognosis and associated symptomatology. This way, the implicit bias of the instruments is to privilege a specific aspect which depends on the definition of disorders without taking into account the other aspects. According the description above, the evaluation, especially in case of depression, is characterized by multiplicity of instruments and diversity of contents which are evaluated. Thus, it is difficult to establish the characteristic symptoms as in many cases only some of them coincide when utilizing different tools. Moreover, many symptoms which are detected by scales of depression are also present in anxiety disorders. This difficulty is one of the most important problems in clinics as it affects the validity and reliability of the tools which assess the disorders. The importance of the instructions given to the subjects should also be emphasized. In many cases they lead to the confusion of the measures of frequency and severity which is related to the classical discussion about the dimensional or categorical character of depression. Some authors state that the consideration of depression as a dimensional disorder makes possible to understand that some charts, as for example the anxiety disorders, can appear as a consequence of certain vulnerability generated by the depression. One of the alternatives to explain the presence of symptoms shared by the anxiety and depression is to consider the existence of a factor of negative affect which would be present in both types of disorder. This point of view is derived from the correspondence between some common symptoms in depression and anxiety observed in clinics. Additionally, some items included in the self-report questionnaires and scales are the same for the two disorders. The group of symptoms includes sadness, crying, psychomotor restlessness and irritability among others. The factor which includes these symptoms is called negative affect and would be common for the anxiety and depression. Although the negative affect factor is the same for anxiety and depression, some elements are characteristic for one disorder but not for the other. In case of anxiety, according to the tripartite model the characteristic factor refers to high physiological activation related to the vegetative symptoms. On the other hand, in depression, the negative affect is also accompanied by low positive affect which can be seen in the lost of interest in things which were enjoyed before (anhedony). Thus, the anxiety would be defined as high negative affect together with high physiological arousal whereas depression is characterized by high negative affect and low positive affect. For all the reasons described above, the importance of applying adequate and reliable instruments to evaluate the disorders should be emphasized. These instruments would help to clarify the features of each disorder and would support more effective interventions to decrease the rate and incidence of mental disorders in the population. In relation to this, Spielberger et al. offer an instrument which differentiates the aspects characteristic for depression utilizing two different scales: depression as a trait and as a state. The instrument allows the differentiation between the trait and the state which provides the information about the aspects which are more stable and lasting in time related to the mood which probably refer to the personality traits (the trait scale). The aspects which depend more on the punctual moments are measured by the state scale. This is possible thanks to the instructions which evaluate in a different manner the frequency and the severity which are usually confused in most of the scales. The component of negative affect (Dysthymia) which is common for the anxiety and depression is evaluated together with positive affect (Euthymia) and offers the valuation of low affectation levels which are not considered in most of the self-report questionnaires, although they are crucial for the clinical practice and investigation.

Evaluación del componente afectivo de la depresión: análisis factorial del ST/DEP revisado

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Abstract: Depression is a main Public Health problem due to its high prevalence and to the costs for intervention and treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to identify strategies that allow an adequate assessment that would let us obtain a more precise and useful diagnosis. Nevertheless, animportant obstacle for this task, is a lack of theoretical clarity in regard to diagnostic criteria or, especially, to symptoms which are relevant for depression. This fact is obvious in the scales focused on depression assessment, which have a broad variety of symptoms to assess, and it is possible to overestimate some areas or to underestimate others, related to theoretical criterions which were involved in test construction. So, depression is evaluated in accordance with the questionnaire that is used and, of course, depending of theoretical framework that supports this tool. Therefore, depression is defined in line with the criteria which evaluates it, with regard to assessment s criteria, which could explain the usual difficulty to identify common symptoms when some tools are used, which are then identified as genuine symptoms of depression. As the aim of this paper is to improve some of this limitations, the State/Trait Depression Questionnaire (ST/DEP) is showed as an useful tool for clinical and research work. It offers an assessment of one of the component of depression, the affective one, providing two measures: State and Trait. This allows to differentiate between intensity and frequency. Main-axis factor analysis has been made and the results have shown two main factors in affectivity: Dysthymia (negative affection) and Euthymia (positive affection). The interest on positive affection assessment aims to obtain a more precise tool. So, when scores are inverted in positive items, it is possible to obtain a measurement of low levels on affectation. The relevance of this fact is emphasized because it has been neglected in most of depression scales, that only identify presence or absence, a fact that limits the ability to estimate slight modifications. This issue is very useful at two levels: clinic and research. At a clinical level because it permits to identify slight changes in affectation, which could be important as measurement oftherapeutic efficacyand ofsymptoms remission. In research, because it offers the possibility to dispose of one able tool to differenciate of low levels of affectation, which allow a more accurate estimation of the depression symptoms, specially when working with a nonclinical population. The present study was carried out with a sample of 300 participants (103 males and 197 females), with mean age of 21.82 (2.74 s.d.) for males and 22.26 (3.66 s.d.) for females. It was an instrumental study where the Spanish Experimental Version of Stat-Trait Depression (ST/DEP) was used. All participants received information about research and they answered the questionnaires voluntarily. The findings are shown separately for the two scales (State and Trait) and for the two sub-scales (Dysthymia and Euthymia). Data indicated significant differences between males and females, being the highest scores for females. This is an evidence related to the higher prevalence of depression in women. It is very important to remark that essentially the same strong state and trait factors were found for both males and females, according to the factor structure of the Spanish Experimental Version of the State-Trait Depression Questionnaire (ST/DEP). These factors explained the 54% variance for females and of 53% for males. The Promax Rotation differentiated two factors clearly: Dysthimia and Euthymia. That was similar to what was found in the original English form of the ST-DEP. The factorial structure was then confirmed, because of the bifactorial structure which differentiated the negative and positive affectivity of Depression. Another positive result was the test ability to detect slight changes on affectivity, which will be useful to differentiate between clinical and non clinical population. It is important to point out that the ST/DEP is a measurement of one component of depression: affectivity, which has been identified as a relevant component in this disorder, but this tool is not enough to diagnose depression. This fact is relevant, because some tools for depression assessment are used as a diagnostic criteria, a fact that increases confusion in making a differential diagnostic between anxiety and depression or some other symptoms and clinical problems. All this results provide evidences of the psychometric properties of the Spanish ST-DEP, and make this scale a fruitful and useful assessment instrument.

Análisis comparativo de las revistas de psicología de la salud editadas en castellano / A comparative analysis of health psychology journals edited in Spanish

En el presente artículo se realiza un análisis comparativo de cuatro revistas relacionadas con la Psicología de la Salud editadas en castellano (Revista Internacional de Psicología Clínica y de la Salud/International Joumal of Clinical and Health Psychology; Clínica y Salud; Salud Mental; y Psicología y Salud). Las revistas se comparan en función de la metodología utilizada en los artículos publicados en las mismas y se presentan las proporciones de trabajos según sean teóricos, descriptivos mediante encuestas, descriptivos mediante observación, cualitativos, experimentales, cuasiexperimentales, ex post facto, estudios de caso único o instrumentales. El análisis pone de manifiesto que existe un claro predominio de los estudios teóricos, de manera que en las cuatro revistas es la metodología de mayor uso, mientras que son los diseños descriptivos mediante observación y los diseños cualitativos los que tienen una menor representación en el conjunto de las revistas analizadas. Se realizan algunas reflexiones finales sobre los usos metodológicos

Efecto del consumo de galactagogos en la producción de leche materna

Entre los meses de enero y marzo de 1993 se realizó un estudio en madres en período de lactancia, primíparas y con recién nacidos sanos y a término. En el primer mes de estudio las 24 madres recibieron educación sobre lactancia materna con el fin de homogenizar el grupo. Durante el segundo mes a 12 de estas madres se les suministró infusión de hinojo como sustancia galactagoga para determinar el efecto real de esta sustancia. Las 12 restantes siguieron una dieta normal para su estado actual, sin inclusión de hinojo. Se encontró un aumento en la producción de leche en aquellas madres que consumieron hinojo, además de un incremento mayor de peso en sus hijos comparados con aquellos que no consumieron ninguna sustancia galactagoga. Galactagogo: viene de la palabra galacto. Del griego galaktos que significa leche y agogos que significa conductor, es decir que aumenta la secreción de leche. Hinojo: Planta umbelífera, aromática y medicinal.