Assessing the subjective experience of participating in a clinical trial (AVATAR).

This study assessed the subjective experience of participating in a clinical trial, specifically positive and negative experiences and the experience of audio recording assessment sessions. The study was cross-sectional from a single blinded randomised controlled trial. Forty participants with a primary diagnosis of non-organic psychosis completed baseline and 12-week follow-up questionnaires assessing their experiences. Participants rated research interviews as moderately helpful in facilitating their therapy and talking to the interviewer as moderately helpful at baseline and 12-week follow-up. Self-report ratings of the degree of self-realisation promoted by the research questionnaires were significantly higher at 12-week follow-up compared to baseline. Participants adjusted quickly to being audio recorded and rated interviews as not at all disruptive and not at all to slightly intrusive. On average there were neutral emotional reactions, positive gains and minimal inconveniences as a result of participation. The main reasons for taking part were: 'To help myself', 'I was curious' and 'To help others'. The findings offer support to previous research reporting that individuals with mental health problems find participating in clinical trials a beneficial experience. This may alleviate concerns that participation in similar studies may be personally intrusive or harmful.

5-HTTLPR genotype, asthma, diabetes and late-life depression in an older French population.

OBJECTIVE: Associations between environmental risk factors and depression have been reported to be stronger in people with the S allele of the S/L polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR); however, most studies have focused on adverse life events as a general exposure, and interactions with physical disorders have been less investigated. We therefore investigated associations of asthma and diabetes with depression in an older community population and compared these by 5-HTTLPR genotype. METHODS: A sample of 1617 people aged 65 years and over, from Montpellier, France, were examined for depression, using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview assessments, and a standardised interview was conducted to establish physical health status. Blood samples were also taken for 5-HTTLPR genotype. RESULTS: Depression was significantly associated with asthma and diabetes but not with 5-HTTLPR genotype. After adjustment for age, sex, education and co-residency, the association between asthma and depression did increase in strength and significance across genotype groups (odds ratios in LL, SL and SS genotypes: 1.59 (0.66-3.82), 1.88 (1.05-3.36) and 3.00 (1.26-7.13), respectively) although the interaction term fell below statistical significance (p = 0.29). No modification was observed for diabetes as an exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provided some support for effect modification by 5-HTTLPR genotype for asthma but for not diabetes as risk factors for depression.

Emotional vulnerability and coping styles for resolving decisional conflict.

This investigation supplements the study by D. Bouckenooghe, K. Vanderheyden, S. Mestdagh, and S. van Laethem (2007) on the role of cognitive dispositions in coping patterns for resolving decisional conflict. Literature suggests emotional vulnerabilities may significantly affect decision making. Thus, the present authors assessed the role of trait anxiety and depression in decision coping styles as specified by I. L. Janis and L. Mann's (1977) conflict-theory model. The participants--100 young adults--completed the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (J. A. Taylor, 1953), Beck's Depression Inventory (A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. M. Garbin, 1988), and the Melbourne Decision-Making Questionnaire (L. Mann et al., 1998), which measures 4 coping strategies: vigilance, buck-passing, procrastination, and hypervigilance. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis, controlling for demographic and lifestyle factors, revealed trait anxiety and depression as significant predictors of procrastination and hypervigilance. Depression failed to predict buck-passing but functioned as an important moderator variable whereby trait anxiety better predicted hypervigilance in nondepressed participants. Consistent with past research, emotional dispositions failed to predict vigilance. Overall, these findings implicate emotional vulnerabilities in the quality of decision making but raise important questions about their unique and conditional effects.