Depression help-seeking attitudes and behaviors among an Internet-based sample of Spanish-speaking perinatal women / Actitudes y comportamientos de búsqueda de ayuda para la depresión en una muestra basada en internet de mujeres de habla hispana en período perinatal

OBJECTIVE: To examine attitudes and beliefs related to help-seeking for depression among an international sample of pregnant women, a majority of whom were Spanish-speakers residing in Latin America. METHODS: More than 6 000 (n = 6 672) pregnant women met eligibility criteria and consented to participate between 15 January 2009-12 August 2011. Of these, 1 760 with a Latino/Hispanic background completed a baseline survey as part of a larger study. Group comparisons analyzed attitudes and behaviors related to seeking help for depression, while a logistic regression was conducted to identify demographic characteristics related to help-seeking support. RESULTS: Of the participants, three-fourths reported experiencing depression during or after their current or past pregnancies. The majority of participants did not seek help, and generally reported ambivalence about their depressive symptoms and uncertainty as to the helpfulness of others. However, 44.8% did seek help, mostly by speaking to family or partners and reported feeling fear, shame, and embarrassment about their symptoms. A current major depressive episode and an income less than or equal to US$ 10 000 were significant predictors of help-seeking behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study suggest that when feeling sad or depressed, perinatal Latinas tend to seek emotional support first from family and friends and may underutilize mental health services when needed. The Internet is an effective means for reaching perinatal women, especially those in areas of the world where there may be barriers to accessing psychological resources.

OBJETIVO: Analizar las actitudes y las creencias relacionadas con la búsqueda de ayuda para la depresión en una muestra internacional de mujeres embarazadas, la mayor parte de ellas hispanohablantes y residentes en América Latina. MÉTODOS: Más de 6 000 mujeres embarazadas (n = 6 672) cumplieron los criterios de selección y aceptaron participar entre el 15 de enero del 2009 y el 12 de agosto del 2011. De estas, 1 760 de origen latino o hispano completaron una encuesta básica que formaba parte de un estudio más amplio. Mediante comparaciones de grupo, se analizaron las actitudes y los comportamientos relacionados con la búsqueda de ayuda para la depresión, mientras que, mediante regresión logística, se determinaron las características demográficas relacionadas con la búsqueda de ayuda o apoyo. RESULTADOS: De todas las participantes, tres cuartas partes notificaron sentimientos de depresión durante o después de los embarazos actuales o pasados. La mayor parte de ellas no buscaron ayuda, y en general manifestaron ambivalencia acerca de sus síntomas depresivos e incertidumbre en cuanto a la capacidad de ayuda de otras personas. Sin embargo, 44,8% buscaron ayuda, principalmente hablando con familiares o compañeros, y notificaron sentimientos de temor, culpabilidad y vergüenza acerca de sus síntomas. Un episodio depresivo mayor actual y unos ingresos iguales o inferiores a US$ 10 000 fueron factores predictivos significativos de comportamientos de búsqueda de ayuda. CONCLUSIONES: Los datos de este estudio indican que, cuando se sienten tristes o deprimidas, las mujeres latinas en período perinatal tienden a buscar en primer lugar el apoyo emocional de la familia y los amigos, y podrían subutilizar los servicios de salud mental cuando son necesarios. La internet es un medio eficaz para llegar a las mujeres en período perinatal, especialmente a las que viven en zonas del mundo donde pueden existir barreras para el acceso a los recursos psicológicos.

Conservation of cis-Regulatory Element Controlling Timely Translation in the 3'-UTR of Selected Mammalian Maternal Transcripts

The earliest stages of mammalian embryogenesis are governed by the activity of maternally inherited transcripts and proteins. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation of selected maternal mRNA has been reported to be a major control mechanism of delayed translation during preimplantation embryogenesis in mice. The presence of cis-elements required for cytoplasmic polyadenylation (e.g., CPE) can serve as a useful tag in the screening of maternal genes partaking in key functions in the transcriptionally dormant egg and early embryo. However, due to its relative simplicity, UA-rich sequences satisfying the canonical rule of known CPE consensus sequences are often found in the 3'-UTR of maternal transcripts that do not actually undergo cytoplasmic polyadenylation. In this study, we developed a method to confirm the validity of candidate CPE sequences in a given gene by a multiplex comparison of 3'-UTR sequences between mammalian homologs. We found that genes undergoing cytoplasmic polyadenylation tend to create a conserved block around the CPE, while CPE-like sequences in the 3'-UTR of genes lacking cytoplasmic polyadenylation do not exhibit such conservation between species. Through this cross-species comparison, we also identified an alternative CPE in the 3'-UTR of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), which is more likely to serve as a functional element. We suggest that verification of CPEs based on sequence conservation can provide a convenient tool for mass screening of factors governing the earliest processes of mammalian embryogenesis.