The Effects of Triallelic Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism and Stressful Life Event on Depression in Patients with Alcohol Dependence

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the triallelic serotonin transporter gene and stressful life events to determine their effect on depression with alcohol dependence. METHODS: Ninety-five hospitalized patients with alcohol dependence (73 male, 22 female) were enrolled in this study. Thirty-two (33.7%) of the total patients were diagnosed with major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder by Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV. The characteristics of stress were evaluated using the stressful life events scale, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the depression scale (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI). Alcoholism with depression (n = 32) and alcoholism without depression (n = 63) were genotyped for the triallelic serotonin transporter gene (LA : higher expressing allele, LG/S : lower expressing allele). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the allele frequency between the depression group and the non-depression group (chi2 = 0.345, p = 0.619). LG/S alleles had more comorbid depression in the higher score of stressful life events scale [Mental-Haenszel (MH)-chi2 = 4.477, p = 0.034]. But there was no significant difference in the comorbidity according to the scores from the stressful life event scale in the LA alleles (MH-chi2 = 0.741, p = 0.399). In the results, alcohol-dependent individuals with LG/S alleles had more comorbid depression than those with LA alleles when they had experienced severe stressful life events (MH-odds ratio = 2.699, p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there is no direct relationship between triallelic serotonin transporter gene and depression in the alcohol dependent patients. But alcohol dependent individuals with the lower expressing alleles of the serotonin transporter gene were more susceptible to depression than those with the higher expressing alleles in response to stressful life events.

A Study of Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill of Administration Clerks in Mental Hospitals:mparison between National Mental Hospitals and Private Mental Hospitals / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes toward the mentally ill, identify the factors influencing their attitudes of administration clerks in national and private mental hospitals, and to get basic data to develop education program and the strategy to treatment of mental illness. METHODS: Total 166 administration clerks working in the two national mental hospital and four private mental hospital were interviewed by Community Attitudes to the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale. RESULTS: The administration clerks who working in the mental hospital showed generally sympathetic and positive attitudes in all CAMI scales like other community residents and mental health personnels. Administration clerks working in national mental hospitals showed more positive attitudes in authoritarianism subscale than those in private mental hospitals. Females who live in township areas (myeon), are low educated and have shorter duration of employment in national mental hospitals had relatively negative attitudes toward the mentally ill. Administration clerks working in private mental hospitals showed less significant differences according toward demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: It will be necessary to give information and systematic education about mental health for those who have negative attitude toward mentally ill, especially in the early period of employment. Further investigations should include comparison between characteristics of administration clerks working in national and private mental hospitals and change in attitudes after systematic education.