Meta-analysis on the effectiveness of family-focused intervention among Patients with depression and anxiety

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders seen and managed in primary care. Both mental disorders have been increasingly prevalent worldwide. Filipinos are known for being family-centered and the family has been consistently a good ally in healthcare. A family- focused intervention is believed to be a good adjunct in the reduction of symptom severity of depression and anxiety.<br />Objective: This study aims to systematically analyze the effectiveness of family-focused interventions among patients with depression and anxiety.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> Studies were obtained from electronic search for literature (PubMed, Cochrane, HERDIN). Additional cross-referencing was done from the reference lists of included studies. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of included trials.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Two studies met the selection criteria and were included for meta-analysis. There was a total of 224 participants who were all clinically diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Compared with the standard care for depression and anxiety, family-focused intervention was found to be more effective (SMD=-1.20, z=6.92, p=0.001, 95% CI=-1.54 to -0.86). There was also no substantial heterogeneity (I2=13.80%) seen among the included studies (Q=1.16, p=0.281; ?2=0.01).<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Family-focused intervention was shown to be effective in reducing the symptom severity of depression and anxiety.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RECOMMENDATION:</strong> The authors recommend future researchers to use more studies, both published and unpublished, on the utilization of family-focused interventions in the management of depression and anxiety. Applicability of the results in the Asian region, especially in the Philippines, should be explored. This review also suggests the option to provide different family-focused intervention techniques as an adjunct in the management of depression and anxiety in primary care.</p>

Association of mycobacteria with Eales' disease.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Eales' disease is an idiopathic disease resulting in retinal neovascularization, recurrent haemorrhages, with or without retinal detachment predominantly affecting healthy young males (97.6%) in the Indian subcontinent. Inspite of several studies, the aetiology of Eales' disease is not clear. The isolation of Mycobacterium fortuitum from the aqueous humour of a patient with classical Eales' disease, led us to hypothesize that rapid growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (RGNTM), particularly M. fortuitum and M. chelonae could be associated with Eales' disease. We therefore undertook this study to detect DNA of these RGNTM and also of M. tuberculosis in vitreous fluids (VFs) from patients with Eales' disease and non-Eales' disease. METHODS: We developed and optimized seminested polymerase chain reactions (SnPCRs) to detect DNAs of M. fortuitum and M. chelonae on archival ERMs (33) and VFs (19) of Eales' and control patients along with conventional mycobacteriological investigations. RESULTS: In the retrospective study, 70 per cent ERM samples were positive for one or more Mycobacterium spp. tested by snPCR. M. fortuitum and M. chelonae were isolated from two VFs, which were also positive by sn PCR in the prospective study. Statistical evaluation of the results of both retrospective and prospective investigations showed a statistically significant association of Mycobacterium spp. with Eales' disease. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggested the involvement of Mycobacterium spp. in the aetiopathogenesis of Eales' disease. Further studies on a larger sample will be required to confirm these findings.