Mother-Infant Bonding in Patients with Bipolar Disorder.

Introduction: The quality of mother-infant bonding might play a role in future psychopathologies of the infant. The present study aims to compare the mother-infant bonding in mothers with remitted bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy mothers. Methods: We included 51 mothers who have bipolar disorder in remission and 53 healthy mothers during postpartum one-year period. All participants were interviewed with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV). Young Mania Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were given to the patient group to evaluate depressive and manic symptoms. Mother-infant bonding in both groups were evaluated with the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ). Results: There was no significant difference in PBQ scores between the bipolar group and the control group. Age was negatively correlated with PBQ scores in the patient group. Conclusion: Women with bipolar disorder can develop healthy bonding patterns with their babies, during remission.

Evaluation of Eating Attitudes, Anger and Impulsivity in Atypical and Non-Atypical Depression and Assessment of Comorbidity of Binge Eating.

BACKGROUND: Although there have been studies investigating emotional eating, impulsivity and anger, the relationship between differentiated eating attitudes, impulsivity and anger in atypical depression has not yet been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate eating attitudes, impulsivity and anger in participants with atypical and non-atypical depression and to compare their behaviours with those of the control group. Binge eating comorbidity was also investigated. The relationship between eating attitudes, impulsivity and anger was explored and the factors contributing to disordered eating attitudes were analysed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The participants were divided into three groups; 56 with atypical depression, 36 with non-atypical depression and 32 healthy controls for comparison. Clinical assessment was carried out using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Multidimensional Anger Scale, Eating Attitude Test, and Hamilton Depression Scale. RESULTS: Deteriorated eating attitudes, increased anger symptoms and motor impulsivity were observed more in participants with atypical depression compared with participants with non-atypical depression. The frequency of binge eating was statistically significantly higher in participants with atypical depression (50%) than in participants with non-atypical depression (8%). A positive relationship was identified between deteriorated eating attitude, anger, and impulsivity. Behaving anxiously as a reaction to anger was found to be the significant predictor of disordered eating attitudes in participants with depression. The percentage of the variance explained by anxious behavior in disordered eating attitudes was 7%. CONCLUSION: Participants in the atypical and non-atypical depression groups can be differentiated from each other based on their eating attitudes, anger symptoms, motor impulsivity and binge eating frequency.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Major Depressive Disorder and Bereavement Symptoms in Elderly Patients Who Present Either to Psychiatry or Family Medicine.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to determine the level of bereavement and depression symptoms among elderly patients who experience the loss of a significant other and the relationship between depressive symptoms and bereavement symptoms. METHODS: The study sample consisted of elderly adults who lost a significant other at least 6 months prior to the submission time. Participants were recruited from patients who presented to either the psychiatry or family medicine outpatient unit of a Training and Research Hospital. Cognitive functions were assessed using Standardized Mini Mental Examinations for Educated and Uneducated People (SMME/SMME-U). Participants were excluded from the study if their SMME or SMME-U scores were lower than 23 points. To assess the severity of depressive and bereavement symptoms, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Core Bereavement Items (CBI) scales were used, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 33 out of 67 individuals (49.2%) who presented to the psychiatry unit and 7 out of the 43 individuals (16.3%) who presented to the family medicine unit were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). CBI scale score means were higher in the MDD groups than in the non-depressive groups (p=0.012 and p=0.001, respectively). CBI scores were significantly correlated to acute (p=0.047) and chronic stress (p=0.007) in the psychiatry group and to chronic stress in the family medicine group (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Probing loss experiences and reactions to them can be important to understand depression, to evaluate its symptoms, and to help manage the relevant symptoms. Considering the significant contributions of bereavement to depressive symptom severity in elders, interventions specific to bereavement symptoms should not be ignored.

Urinary neopterine levels in patients with major depressive disorder: alterations after treatment with paroxetine and comparison with healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: A close relationship has been shown between mood disorders and pteridine levels. The aim of this study was to examine alterations in the urine neopterine levels of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who responded to paroxetine during the initial treatment and to compare their levels to those of healthy controls. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with major depression and 19 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. In order to assess depression severity levels, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered. Urinary neopterine values that were measured using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) were compared using non-parametric tests for the MDD patients before and after treatment. Urine neopterine levels in MDD patients before and after treatment were compared to those of the healthy control group. RESULTS: Urinary neopterine levels were recorded as follows: For the MDD group before treatment the mean level was 187.92±54.79 µmol/creatinine. The same group under treatment at 4 to 8 weeks was at 188.53±4962 µmol/creatinine, and the healthy control group showed 150.57±152.98 µmol/creatinine levels. There was no statistically significant difference in the urinary neopterine levels among the MDD patients before and after treatment (p=0.938). When urine neopterine levels in MDD patients before and after treatment were compared to those of the healthy control group, levels in the MDD group were found to be significantly higher (p=0.004 and p=0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the current study suggest that despite treatment response, depression is related to higher levels of urine neopterine. Paroxetine treatment has no significant effect on urine levels of neopterine in MDD patients.