Changes in depression and quality of life during inpatient treatment of depression.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in the symptoms of depression and subjective quality of life improvement during inpatient treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 87 patients were assessed during the first five days of hospitalization and during naturalistic follow-up at the time of discharge using Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF), structured interview for depressive symptoms assessment, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated Questionnaire. RESULTS: Results indicate that symptoms of depression decrease and quality of life increases during inpatient treatment. However, high frequency of residual symptoms was observed. More than half of all patients reported ten or more symptoms at time of discharge. Although same gender differences in the frequency and severity of depressive symptoms were observed at time of admission, gender did not impact significantly treatment outcomes. Older age, comorbid somatic diseases, higher number of depressive symptoms at the time of admission, CIDI-SF confirmed major depressive episode, and lower quality of life were related to poor outcome of the treatment. Multiple regression analyses suggested that CIDI-SF confirmed major depressive episode and physical health domain of the quality of life were the most significant predictors of the outcome. CONCLUSION: Combination of measures of clinical assessment and quality of life can be useful for more complete patients' evaluation and the prediction of treatment outcome.

[Professor Juozas Blazys--psychiatrist, academic and public figure]. / Profesorius Juozas Blazys--psichiatras, mokslininkas, visuomenes veikejas.

Juozas Blazys (1890-1939)--the first chief of the Department of Nerve and Psychiatric Illnesses and Vice Rector of Lithuanian Vytautas Magnus University in the interwar period. In 2004 we commemorated the 65th anniversary of his death. He was a highly prominent personality of enormous erudition and productive scientist. He wrote a coursebook "Introduction to psychiatry", monograph-study "Tolerance, as a basis of culture", published around 100 articles in "Medicina" and various journals of that period. His ideas about psychiatry are relevant nowadays too. Professor was interested in the causes of psychosis origin, analyzed alcoholic, somatogenic psychosis, was interested and working in the fields of forensic psychiatry, military expertise, heredity and is contradictory evaluated in the field of eugenics till now. Juozas Blazys was born in Siauliai. In 1914 he graduated Petersburg Academy of Military Medicine, worked at the various hospitals of Russian military. In 1918 he returned to Lithuania and started to work at the psychiatric hospital in Taurage at first as a chief of department, and later as director, at the same time working as a physician of Taurage district. In 1920-1921 Juozas Blazys lectured the course of psychiatry at Higher Courses of Study in Kaunas. In 1924, after the establishment of the University of Kaunas, he was elected as a chief of the department of Nerve and Psychiatric Illnesses. In 1935 he was granted the degree of professor, in 1938--appointed as Vice Rector of Vytautas Magnus University. He had been developing educative activities: wrote articles on psycho hygiene, negative impact of alcohol, smoking and prostitution on heredity, cared about the improvement of Lithuanian genotype.