Improved quality of life and reduced depressive symptoms in medical students after a single-session intervention

Objective: Anxiety and depression are prevalent among medical students. Brazilian medical students have higher levels of depression and lower quality of life than their U.S. counterparts, and no preventive intervention exists for this risk group in Brazil. The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP), a cognitive-behavioral treatment protocol for neuroticism, was recently adapted into a single-session, preventive intervention. This study tested the impact of this protocol on psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in Brazilian medical students. Methods: In this open trial, the intervention protocol was translated and adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. Medical students over 18 years of age without psychotic symptoms, severe depressive episodes, or acute psychiatric risk were included, undergoing a psychiatric clinical interview (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview [MINI]) and evaluation at baseline and at 7 and 30 days after a single-session UP that included experimental avoidance, quality of life, self-esteem, empathy, and anxiety symptom scales. A new evaluation was performed 90 days after the intervention. Results: Sixty-two students participated. Ninety days after the intervention, there were significant reductions in the number of students who met the criteria for social anxiety disorder (p = 0.013) or panic disorder (p = 0.001). There were also significant improvements in depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory, p < 0.001) and quality of life (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, p < 0.001). Conclusion: UP improved anxiety and depressive symptoms in medical students. The single-session group format could reduce costs and facilitate application. Future placebo-controlled studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Cardiovascular risk and bipolar disorder: factors associated with a positive coronary calcium score in patients with bipolar disorder type 1

Objective: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with positive coronary calcium score (CCS) in individuals with bipolar disorder type 1. Methods: Patients from the Bipolar Disorder Program at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, underwent computed tomography scanning for calcium score measurement. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were compared between patients according to their CCS status: negative (CCS = 0) or positive (CCS > 0). Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the association of CCS with number of psychiatric hospitalizations. Results: Out of 41 patients evaluated, only 10 had a positive CCS. Individuals in the CCS-positive group were older (55.2±4.2 vs. 43.1±10.0 years; p = 0.001) and had more psychiatric hospitalizations (4.7±3.0 vs. 2.6±2.5; p = 0.04) when compared with CCS- negative subjects. The number of previous psychiatric hospitalizations correlated positively with CCS (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Age and number of psychiatric hospitalizations were significantly associated with higher CCS, which might be a potential method for diagnosis and stratification of cardiovascular disease in bipolar patients. There is a need for increased awareness of risk assessment in this population.

Interest in research among medical students: Challenges for the undergraduate education / Interesse em pesquisa entre estudantes de medicina: desafios para a graduação

Summary Introduction: In recent decades, there has been a reduction in the number of graduates from medical schools who choose to pursue a career in scientific research. That has an impact on the profile of graduates, since medical education depends on understanding the formation of scientific evidence. The construction of new knowledge is also hampered by the reduction of medical scientists, whose clinical experience with patients provides an essential step towards medical Science evolution. Objective: The present cross-sectional study sought to identify the interest in research among medical students from a federal university in southern Brazil. Method: Medical students from a federal university were asked to respond to a self-administered questionnaire that sought to identify the level of knowledge about the importance of scientific research in medical training, and the interest of this population in this element of their training. Results: 278 medical students from the first to the sixth year responded to the questionnaire, and 81.7% stated their interest in medical research. However, only 4.7% of respondents considered research as first in degree of importance to their medical training. The variable "interest in research" showed no statistically significant association with age, gender, presence of physicians in the family, or other prior college courses. Conclusion: Although interest in research is clearly present among the students, this is still an underexplored element among the population studied. The incorporation of research in the learning process depends on stimulus and guidance until it becomes culturally consolidated as an essential element of the medical training.

Resumo Introdução: nas últimas décadas, diminuiu o número de egressos de escolas médicas que optam por se dedicar à pesquisa científica. Isso tem impacto sobre o perfil dos profissionais formados, já que o aprendizado médico é indissociável da compreensão da formação da evidência científica. A formação de novo conhecimento é prejudicada com a redução de pesquisadores médicos, cujo contato clínico com os pacientes fornece etapa essencial na evolução da ciência médica. Objetivo: o presente estudo transversal buscou identificar o interesse em pesquisa entre estudantes de medicina de uma universidade federal do Sul do Brasil. Método: estudantes de medicina de uma universidade federal foram convidados a responder um questionário autoaplicável que buscou identificar o nível de conhecimento sobre a importância da pesquisa científica na formação do médico, bem como o interesse dessa população por esse elemento da formação. Resultados: 278 estudantes de todas as séries do curso de medicina responderam ao questionário, e 81,7% declararam interesse pela pesquisa científica. Contudo, apenas 4,7% dos entrevistados consideraram a pesquisa em primeiro lugar em grau de importância para a sua formação. A variável "interesse em pesquisa" não apresentou associação estatisticamente significativa com idade, gênero, presença de médicos na família ou outro curso superior prévio. Conclusão: embora o interesse em pesquisa esteja claramente presente entre os estudantes, este é um elemento da formação ainda pouco explorado pela população estudada. A incorporação da pesquisa na rotina do aprendizado depende de estímulo e orientação até que esteja culturalmente consolidada como matriz essencial da formação.

Aspectos funcionais e psicologicos imediatamente apos alta da Unidade de Terapia Intensiva: coorte prospectiva / Functional and psychological features immediately after discharge from an Intensive Care Unit: prospective cohort study

OBJETIVO: Avaliar aspectos funcionais e psicológicos dos pacientes imediatamente após alta da unidade de terapia intensiva. MÉTODOS: Coorte prospectiva. Na primeira semana após alta da unidade de terapia intensiva, por meio de uma entrevista estruturada, foram aplicados questionários e escalas referentes à avaliação do grau de dependência e da capacidade funcional (escalas de Barthel modificada e Karnofsky), e aos problemas psíquicos (questionário hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão), além da escala de sonolência de Epworth, em todos os sobreviventes com mais de 72 horas de internação na unidade de terapia intensiva, admitidos de agosto a novembro de 2012. RESULTADOS: Nos 79 pacientes incluídos no estudo, houve aumento do grau de dependência após a alta da unidade de terapia intensiva, quando comparados aos dados pré-hospitalização, por meio da escala de Barthel modificada (57±30 versus 47±36; p<0,001). Nos 64 pacientes independentes ou parcialmente dependentes previamente à internação (Karnofsky >40), o prejuízo foi uniforme em todas as categorias da escala de Barthel modificada (p<0,001). Já nos 15 pacientes previamente muito dependentes (Karnofsky <40), o prejuízo ocorreu somente nas categorias de higiene pessoal (p=0,01) e na capacidade de subir escadas (p=0,04). Na avaliação dos distúrbios psicológicos, os transtornos do humor (ansiedade e/ou depressão) ocorreram em 31% dos pacientes e os distúrbios do sono em 43,3%. CONCLUSÃO: Em pacientes internados na unidade de terapia intensiva por 72 horas ou mais, observaram-se redução da capacidade funcional e aumento do grau de dependência na primeira semana após alta da unidade de terapia intensiva, bem como elevada incidência de sintomas depressivos, de ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the functional and psychological features of patients immediately after discharge from the intensive care unit. METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Questionnaires and scales assessing the degree of dependence and functional capacity (modified Barthel and Karnofsky scales) and psychological problems (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), in addition to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, were administered during interviews conducted over the first week after intensive care unit discharge, to all survivors who had been admitted to this service from August to November 2012 and had remained longer than 72 hours. RESULTS: The degree of dependence as measured by the modified Barthel scale increased after intensive care unit discharge compared with the data before admission (57±30 versus 47±36; p<0.001) in all 79 participants. This impairment was homogeneous among all the categories in the modified Barthel scale (p<0.001) in the 64 participants who were independent or partially dependent (Karnofsky score ≥40) before admission. The impairment affected the categories of personal hygiene (p=0.01) and stair climbing (p=0.04) only in the 15 participants who were highly dependent (Karnofsky score <40) before admission. Assessment of the psychological changes identified mood disorders (anxiety and/or depression) in 31% of the sample, whereas sleep disorders occurred in 43.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who remained in an intensive care unit for 72 hours or longer exhibited a reduced functional capacity and an increased degree of dependence during the first week after intensive care unit discharge. In addition, the incidence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and sleep disorders was high among that population. .