[Depression and coping strategies in the elderly with type 2 diabetes]. / Dépression et stratégies de coping chez les sujets âgés atteints de diabète de type 2.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Elderly patients with diabetes have been shown to have more diabetes-related complications, and they are more likely to develop somatic and psychiatric comorbidities including cognitive dysfunction and depression. Several studies have shown a close association between diabetes and depression. This comorbidity may lead to functional disability and quality of life deterioration. Thus, the elderly will face various constraints through the coping strategies. In this context, we conducted our study to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in elderly patients with diabetes as well as its associated factors, and to investigate their coping strategies. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study among 50 elderly patients (age≥65 years) being followed for type 2 diabetes at the outpatient department for chronic diseases of the Regional Hospital of Aguereb, Sfax, Tunisia. We used the "Activity of Daily Living" to assess the dependence level, the "Geriatric Depression Scale" to screen for depressive symptoms, and the "Brief Coping with Problems Experienced" to investigate the coping strategies. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 73.3 years, with a sex-ratio (M/F) of 0.62. Smoking and alcohol consumption were reported respectively in 20% and 4% of participants. The mean duration of diabetes was 7.7 years. Diabetes complications were noted in 70% of participants. Somatic comorbidities were noted in 94% of cases (hypertension 84%; dyslipidemia 34%). Psychiatric histories were reported in 18% of patients who suffered from anxio-depressive symptoms. No patient among those with mental disorder histories benefited from any psychiatric management prior to the study. Three patients (6%) had previously presented suicidal ideations but none of them had attempted suicide. The mean "Activity of Daily Living" score was 4.9 points. Patients were autonomous in 28%, and dependent in 4% of cases. The mean "Geriatric Depression Scale" score was 9.8 points. According to this scale, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 34%. They were correlated with: smoking (P=0.04), psychiatric histories (P=0.031), absence of leisure activity (P=0.035), "Activity of Daily Living" score (P=0.028), long duration of diabetes (P=0.04) and the presence of suicidal ideation (P=0.013). According to the « Brief Coping with Problems Experienced ¼, the problem-focused coping strategies were the most frequently used (44%), followed by emotion-focused (38%) and passive strategies (18%). Participants with depressive symptoms are significantly more likely to adopt emotion-focused coping strategies (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among elderly patients with diabetes. This relationship seems to be bi-directional and may increase somatic complications and alter the quality of life, and then darken the prognosis. Thus, besides pharmacological treatment, regular depression screening and psychological support are essential to ensure a better control of diabetes and to improve well-being.

[Post-partum depressive symptoms: Prevalence, risk factors and relationship with quality of life]. / Symptomatologie dépressive du post-partum : prévalence, facteurs de risque et lien avec la qualité de vie.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of the post-partum depressive symptomatology in a sample of Tunisian women, to study associated factors and to assess its relationship to quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study carried out in two stages: during the first week (T1), then between sixth and eighth week post-partum (T2). Depressive symptomatology and quality of life were assessed respectively by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale. RESULTS: In the first stage, the prevalence of depressive symptomatology in the total sample (150 women) was 14.7% and was related to age above 35 years, low school level, personal psychiatric history, multiparity, caesarean delivery or forceps in the previous pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy. This prevalence was 19.8% among the 126 women reviewed in T2 and was correlated with the exaggerated sympathetic signs during pregnancy, namely perversion of taste and fatigue. Quality of life was strongly correlated with depressive symptoms in T1 and T2. CONCLUSION: Post-partum depressive symptoms were common in our sample and were correlated with quality of life. Therapeutic measures should be proposed for women with post-partum depressive symptoms and particularly with several risk factors in order to improve their quality of life.

[Sexuality of Tunisian women: Involvement of religion and culture]. / Sexualité de la femme tunisienne : entre le religieux et le culturel.

INTRODUCTION: Culture and religion carry several prohibitions and taboos, especially in the Arab-Muslim societies, and are therefore involved in the sexual behavior and its perception, particularly that of women. OBJECTIVES: To assess the married population's knowledge and opinion about female sexuality, and to estimate the impacts of religious and cultural factors on women's life experience and sexual practice in the Tunisian society. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Our study is in an inquiry. We targeted 55 men and 55 women agreeing to participate in the study. They responded to an anonymous self-administered questionnaire comprising 18 items related to the influence of religion and culture on female sexuality. Among these items, some were binary responses (yes or no) assessing knowledge about female sexuality in the Tunisian religious and cultural context; 8 others explored the opinions of participants about female sexuality. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (15th version). Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact association test were used for comparative study (P<0.05). RESULTS: The rate of participants who did not manage to reach the threshold of 50% of responses compliant with religious precepts and morals in the Tunisian context was 48.19%. According to 61.8% of participants, the woman should consider sex as a religious duty, and according to 79.1%, she always ought to have sex with her husband even when she did not wish to. This assertion was more frequently reported by women (P<0.001). Among the participants, 35.5% did not approve of the idea that women had the right to reach sexual pleasure, like men. Men recognized this right less often than women did (P<0.001). With reference to social morals, 43.6% of participants thought that the woman should always remain passive when having sex. This opinion was more common to women (P<0.001). There were 71.8% who thought that premature ejaculation was not a limiting factor for female pleasure. Virginity was considered by 63.6% of respondents as a feminine virtue to preserve. This response was statistically more frequent among males (P<0.001). For 55.5%, in addition to sodomy, a man could not afford all the sexual practices with his wife. This response was significantly more frequent in males (P<0.001). Regarding the subjective perception of female sexuality, the percentage of those who thought that women might simulate orgasm was 70.9%. Women thought more frequently than men that such a behavior could be justified to avoid hurting the man's pride (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The experience of sexuality within the Tunisian population is hampered by the prohibitions related to religion and culture, at least in some of its aspects. The reasons for that may be the ignorance of religious texts or their misinterpretation and the biased cultural transmission not followed by questioning or seeking deeper knowledge. The introduction of sex education in school programs could play a crucial role in the fight against the obstacles surrounding sexuality, in order to promote the welfare of woman, and thereby, that of the couple and the family.