Indice de calidad de vida percibida en pacientes con trastornos gastrointestinales funcionales en Buenos Aires, Argentina / Perceived Quality of Life Index in Patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders at a Public Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Resumen Los trastornos gastrointestinales funcionales (TGF) son enfermedades crónicas que configuran un problema relevante en la salud pública, asociados en investigaciones previas a una peor calidad de vida. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar la calidad de vida en pacientes que acuden a un servicio de neurogastroenterología en un hospital de Argentina y compararlo con población control. Para ello, se realizó un estudio cuantitativo y transversal incluyendo población clínica diagnosticada con algún TGF (n = 35) y una muestra control sin diagnóstico de TGF (n = 37). Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre personas con TGF y sujetos control, X 2 (1, N = 70) = 30.23,p < .001 en todas las subdimensiones de la escala de calidad de vida (MQLI), exceptuando satisfacción espiritual (PE). Similar a investigaciones previas, los resultados de este estudio sugieren que, en Argentina -al igual que en otros países-, los individuos con TGF muestran una peor percepción de calidad de vida que la población general. Estos hallazgos podrían contribuir al diseño de intervenciones que contemplen variables biopsicosociales, con el objetivo de una mejoría integral en la calidad de vida de las personas que padecen estos trastornos.

Abstract Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGDS) are chronic diseases that constitute a relevant public health problem, associated in previous research with a poorer quality of life. The aim of this study was to study the quality of life in patients attending a Neurogastroenterology Service at an Argentinean public hospital and compare it with a control population. A quantitative and cross-sectional study was carried out including a clinical population diagnosed with some FGD (n = 35) and a control sample without diagnosis of FGD (n = 37). Significant differences were found between people with FGD and control subjects, X 2 (1, N = 70) = 30.23, p < .001 in all sub-dimensions of the Quality of Life Index (MQLI), except Spiritual Fulfillment (SF). Similar to previous research, the results of this study suggest that individuals with FGD show a worse perception of quality of life than the general population. These findings could contribute to the design of interventions that contemplate biopsychosocial variables, with the aim of a comprehensive improvement in the quality of life of people with these disorders.

Tratamiento de la desregulación emocional en hospitales del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires: una encuesta a profesionales / Treatment of emotional dysregulation in hospitals of the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires: a survey to practitioners

Resumen El proceso de regulación emocional está siendo foco de gran cantidad de investigaciones en la actualidad. Se estima que se encuentra asociada al desarrollo y mantenimiento del 75 % de los trastornos mentales del Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales (DSM, por sus siglas en inglés). En esta línea se han estado estudiando en los últimos años, a nivel global, protocolos transdiagnósticos que tienen, como foco de tratamiento, dicho proceso. El objetivo de este estudio consistió en explorar la familiaridad de los profesionales de la salud mental, de hospitales públicos del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires, con el constructo de la desregulación emocional y los protocolos diseñados para el tratamiento de pacientes con dichas características. A su vez, se buscó conocer el grado de acercamiento de los profesionales clínicos a las investigaciones sobre psicoterapias. A estos fines, se diseñó un cuestionario con 40 preguntas de respuestas abiertas y opción múltiple que fue completado por 75 profesionales (psicólogos y psiquiatras) de hospitales públicos del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires. La mayoría reportó conocer el constructo de desregulación emocional, pero al pedirles que conceptualicen un caso diseñado para este estudio muy pocos utilizaron el constructo. En cuanto a los protocolos transdiagnósticos diseñados para intervenir en la desregulación emocional, son muy poco implementados. Por su parte, menos de la mitad reportó haber leído investigaciones empíricas. Los cursos elegidos para continuar la formación son en su mayoría psicoanalíticos y la participación en congresos internacionales es escasa. Se propone la necesidad de fomentar el uso de intervenciones basadas en evidencia en hospitales públicos y la divulgación de protocolos transdiagnósticos con evidencia para la desregulación emocional.

Abstract A substantial amount of evidence regarding comorbidity among mental disorders has been accumulated during the last years. Moreover, it has been identified that there is a great variability within nosological categories. These limitations of categorical systems lead to the development of the transdiagnostic paradigm which contemplates the existence of underlying processes common to different diagnoses. The process of emotional regulation is currently the focus of many investigations. It is estimated that it is associated with the development and maintenance of 75 % of DSM mental disorders. Emotional dysregulation is being studied particularly as a common factor in depression and anxiety, the two most prevalent disorders in Argentina. Related to this, transdiagnostic protocols aiming this process have been studied in the last years at a global level. The Unified Protocol has been developed by Barlow from a transdiagnostic perspective aiming to offer an evidence-based intervention that could be faithfully used in heterogeneous groups. It was created for emotional disorders with a specific focus on emotional dysregulation, contemplating comorbidity and heterogeneity. This makes the Unified Protocol a proper and valid intervention for the most prevalent disorders in Argentina. The objective of this study was to explore the familiarity of mental health practitioners, of public hospitals in the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires, with the emotional dysregulation construct and protocols designed for the treatment of patients with these characteristics. Moreover, the degree in which clinicians approach psychotherapy research was evaluated. For this purpose, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried on. A questionnaire was designed with 40 questions (25 with closed answer and 15 with short open answer) that investigated five thematic areas: demographic characteristics, therapeutic approach, knowledge about the emotional dysregulation construct and treatment protocols, knowledge about the transdiagnostic paradigm and approach to empirical research. The questionnaire was completed by 75 practitioners (psychologists and psychiatrists) from public hospitals of the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires. After analyzing the results, it can be said that the most prominent theoretical framework from which practitioners work in public hospitals is psychoanalysis. The most prevalent diagnoses are anxiety and depression and comorbidity is frequent (M = 2.23, SD = .707). When studying the familiarity to the construct of emotional dysregulation, it was observed that even though most of them reported knowing the emotional dysregulation construct (89.3 %), when asked to conceptualize a person with intense and long-lasting emotional distress and difficulty in controlling their behavior and recognizing their emotions, very few mentioned difficulties in the regulation of emotions (13.51 %). Individual format treatment was the most chosen by psychologists for patients with these characteristics (69 %). Psychiatrists reported pharmacotherapy as the most chosen treatment (87.5 %). Group format is not frequently used. In regards to transdiagnostic protocols designed to intervene in emotional dysregulation, they are very poorly implemented. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy was reported to be known by 80 % of the sample, but used by 33.9 %, while the Unified Protocol was referred to be known by 34.7 % and used by 7.69 % of them. On the other hand, the gap between clinical practice and research seems to be wide. Less than half of the practitioners reported reading empirical research (44 %). And the transdiagnostic paradigm is known by 46.7 % of practitioners. When asked to mention the most influential authors in their practice, Freud and Lacan (classical psychoanalytic authors) were mentioned by the majority. The courses chosen to continue their training are mostly psychoanalytic and participation in international congresses is low (10.45 %). These results show the need to look for ways to encourage the use of evidence-based interventions in public hospitals and specifically the dissemination of transdiagnostic protocols with evidence for emotional dysregulation, being emotional disorders the most prevalent.

La comunicación entre psicólogos clínicos y psiquiatras en el tratamiento combinado (psicoterapia y farmacoterapia) en salud mental / The communication between clinical psychologists and psychiatrists in combined treatment (psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy) in mental health

Actualmente, la aplicación de TC tiene evidencia a favor para una importante cantidad de trastornos mentales. Sin embargo, aún no hay estudios acerca del trabajo interdisciplinario que deben llevar a cabo psicólogos y psiquiatras en un TC. El objetivo del presente estudio fue conocer las variables que favorecen y obstaculizan la comunicación entre psiquiatras y psicólogos clínicos dentro de un TC, en la Ciudad autónoma de Buenos Aires. Se trata de un estudio exploratorio-descriptivo, de análisis cualitativo. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 10 psicólogos clínicos y 10 psiquiatras, a quienes se les realizó una entrevista y se trabajó con viñetas clínicas. Los resultados muestran que si bien, tanto psicólogos y psiquiatras, indicaron comunicarse con el otro profesional, parecería que los psicólogos lo realizan con mayor frecuencia. Por otro lado, se observó que en general los profesionales suelen comunicarse ante situaciones de urgencia, aunque más de la mitad refiere no tener un plan de acción acordado para casos de emergencia. Los participantes que afirmaron tener un plan de acción, compartían el lugar de trabajo con el otro profesional.

Recently, there is evidence for the combined treatment for a considerable number of mental disorders. However, the interdisciplinary task of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists that make combined treatment possible lacks of appropriate study. The aim of this study is to know aspects that improve and as wells as those that obstruct the communication between clinical psychologists and psychiatrists in the context of the combined treatment that have place in Buenos Aires city. This is a descriptive-exploratory study with a qualitative analysis. The sample is compound by 10 clinical psychologists and 10 psychiatrists, to whom it applied an interview with clinical vignettes. The results indicated that clinical psychologists and psychiatrists said that they tried to communicate with his or her colleagues; it seemed that clinical psychologists tried to communicate more frequently. Besides, it observed that both professionals tried to communicate in emergency situations. However, a half of the sample referred that they have not a protocol accorded to emergency. Those who said having a protocol share the setting with the other professional.

Evidencia empírica de la combinación de psicoterapia y tratamiento farmacológico de la fobia social: trastorno de ansiedad social / A systematic review of empirical evidence on the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in social phobia: social anxiety disorder

El tratamiento combinado (TC) de la fobia social o trastorno de ansiedad social es frecuente en la práctica clínica. Sin embargo, la evidencia acerca de su superioridad sobre la psicoterapia o la farmacoterapia administradas en forma de monoterapia no está clara. En los últimos años se han publicado estudios clínicos que evalúan la eficacia del TC en la fobia social. En este artículo se realiza una revisión sistemática de estudios clínicos sobre el TC de la fobia social a través de las bases de datos: EBSCO, PubMed, Cochrane Collaboration y el Portal de Búsqueda de la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud. Se hallaron 8 estudios controlados y aleatorizados. En la mayoría de los estudios clínicos se observó una superioridad del TC sobre la monoterapia, sea psicoterapéutica o farmacológica. Se discuten estos hallazgos en función de las limitaciones metodológicas de los estudios clínicos encontrados y las sugerencias clínicas que de ellos pueden extraerse. Se concluye que existe evidencia acerca de la superioridad del TC sobre la monoterapia en el tratamiento de la fobia social aunque se sugiere cautela en la generalización de esta conclusión.

Combined treatment (CT) for patients with social anxiety disorder or social phobia is quite common in clinical practice. However, the superiority of TC over psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy as monotherapy is still not clear. Over the last few years, several clinical studies that evaluate the efficacy of CT in social phobia have been published. A systematic review of clinical studies about CT in social phobia was carried out in this article in the following database: EBSCO, PubMed, Cochrane Collaboration and the “Portal de Búsqueda de la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud”. We found 8 randomized controlled studies. There is a superiority of CT over monotherapy in most of them, either psychotherapeutic or pharmacologic. We discuss these findings in terms of the methodological limitations of all clinical studies found, and based on clinical suggestions derived therefrom. Given this, it is concluded that there is evidence about the superiority of CT over monotherapy in social phobia treatment, although caution in generalizing this conclusion is suggested.