ABSTRACT
We review the research literature regarding affective symptomatology and disorders following miscarriage, with an emphasis on controlled studies and those that have been published since the last review article in 1996. The current review draws a sharp distinction between controlled and uncontrolled designs and clarifies the proper inferences that may be drawn from each, as only with an appropriate comparison group can it be determined whether the affective reactions following miscarriage are a specific consequence of the reproductive loss or of other life events common in women of reproductive age. In addition to providing an update of the literature on depression in the aftermath of miscarriage and associated risk factors, we also discuss reproductive loss in the context of attachment theory and grief, and present information on topics that were not covered extensively (or at all) by prior reviews, such as issues related to a pregnancy subsequent to miscarriage and the impact of miscarriage on the partners of miscarrying women. In the final section, treatment options relevant to miscarriage are presented.
Subject(s)
Abortion, Spontaneous/psychology , Mood Disorders/etiology , Female , Humans , Object Attachment , Pregnancy , Pregnancy OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Generations of epidemiologists have documented an association between low socio-economic status (SES) and depression (variously defined), but debate continues as to which is the causative factor. AIMS: To test the extent to which social causation (low SES causing depression) and social selection (depression causing low SES) processes are in evidence in an inter-generational longitudinal study. METHOD: Participants (n = 756) were interviewed up to four times over 17 years using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS). RESULTS: Low parental education was associated with increased risk for offspring depression, even after controlling for parental depression, offspring gender and offspring age. Neither parental nor offspring depression predicted later levels of offspring occupation, education or income. CONCLUSION: There is evidence for an effect of parental SES on offspring depression (social causation) but not for an effect of either parental or offspring depression on offspring SES (social selection).
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/etiology , Social Class , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Educational Status , Family , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Middle Aged , Models, Theoretical , Retrospective Studies , Social MobilityABSTRACT
We tested the criterion, concurrent, and content validity of depression indicators in 180 Russian psychiatric patients. Indicators from the Exner Rorschach (DEPI, CDI) and the Russian MMPI (Berezin Scale 2, Wiggins depression content) were compared to Hamilton (HRSD) scores and 3 types of diagnosis: traditional Russian, contemporary Western (ICD-10), and a mixed version. The MMPI scales had significant associations with each other and each criterion. The Rorschach indexes were unrelated to all other variables, even when their affective, cognitive, and interpersonal components were analyzed separately, response styles were taken into account, or the 2 indexes were used in combination. Nevertheless, sample means on 107 variables were roughly similar to Exner's norms. The study represents an initial step towards establishing the validity of instruments commonly used in Russia and North America for assessing depression among Russians.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder, Major/psychology , MMPI , Mental Disorders/psychology , Rorschach Test , Catchment Area, Health , Culture , Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Russia/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Focusing on a variety of relevant psychological theories, this chapter addresses important elements in the recovery process for people with serious mental disabilities.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Mental Disorders/psychology , Social Perception , Adaptation, Psychological , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Competency , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Women with severe mental illness were surveyed to explore issues in living with mental illness, personal relationships, and professional relationships and health care. The topics were drawn from the literature on the psychology of women and from separate focus groups of therapists and mental health care consumers. The women's survey responses were compared with men's responses to an equivalent survey to determine if the issues affected women and men similarly. METHODS: A 76-item questionnaire was completed by 107 women and 59 men from ten rehabilitation centers in Maryland. RESULTS: A larger proportion of women than men cited personal relationships as their most important formative experiences, with only 32 percent of women citing severe mental illness or related issues as formative experiences. Despite acknowledging the negative impact of several mental illness on their lives, most respondents reported normal concerns rather than illness-related ones, and most were relatively satisfied with their lives. Respondents made sense of their problems in diverse ways, although most knew their diagnosis. Women reported both more and better quality personal relationships than men. However, women were more likely than men to report a history of sexual abuse. Women reported generally good relationships with providers. About one-quarter to one-third of women reported not receiving proper care for birth control and menopause and not receiving pelvic or breast examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The survey results suggested that personal relationships are central in women's lives, that women with severe mental illness do not see their mental illness as the main feature of their identities, and that women's experience of living with severe mental illness is considerably different from that of men.
