Rate and risk factors of nocturnal enuresis in school going children.

PURPOSE: The purpose is to find out the rate of nocturnal enuresis in school going children (5-12 years) and the risk factors associated with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The parents of children aged between 5 and 12 years studying in two primary schools in Ahmedabad completed a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire comprising of enuresis, sociodemographic profiles, and risk factors. Children with enuresis and those without were compared on demographic characteristics and risk factors using Chi-square and t-test for categorical and quantitative data respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. RESULTS: The response rate was 86.54% as 1904 responses were collected out of 2200. The overall rate of nocturnal enuresis was 6.7% (according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition definition of nocturnal enuresis). As the age increased, the rate of nocturnal enuresis declined. A positive family history was seen in 36.6% of children with enuresis. Enuresis was found to be more frequently in lower socioeconomic class. It was a neglected problem, only 20.6% of children received some kind of treatment. CONCLUSION: The rate of nocturnal enuresis was 6.7% in school going children. Strong correlation was found with family history. Although the rate was high, most of the children with enuresis were not treated.

An exploratory study of fears among adolescent students from an urban cohort in India.

BACKGROUND: Normal fear is an adaptive response to a real or imagined threat. Fears occur in children and adolescents at varying levels while they negotiate different developmental phases. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at assessing the types of fears in children and adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 years. Age and gender based differences in these fears were also studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 2010 adolescents from an urban setting between the ages of 11 and 19 who filled in a proforma questionnaire for socio-demographic details and also filled in the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised (FSSC-R). Statistical analysis of the data was done along with the use of descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The prevalence of fears among adolescents was found to be 85.17% in the total sample. Girls reported a significantly greater number of fears (p<0.0001) and greater levels of fear (p<0.0001) than boys. Age however, did not affect the number of fears reported. Girls scored significantly higher on all the subscales of the FSSC-R. 'Failing a test' emerged as the most common fear expressed by the sample. Girls expressed a greater fear for snakes and earthquakes than boys. CONCLUSION: Girls expressed fears to a greater extent than boys and adolescents demonstrated a high level of fears in general. There is a need for further studies in this direction to elucidate the nature of fears in this population.

Comparison of suicide attempts in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder: an exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD) are among the most common psychiatric diagnoses associated with suicide. There is a dearth of published research systematically comparing suicidal behavior in schizophrenia and MDD. The present study aimed to compare suicide attempts in schizophrenia and MDD. METHODS: In this hospital-based, cross-sectional study, 50 outpatients each of schizophrenia and MDD were evaluated for their sociodemographic characteristics. In subjects with a history of suicide attempt(s), additional information related to the attempt(s) was obtained. Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) was used to assess the suicidal intent and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to measure the current suicidal risk. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent and 44% of patients with schizophrenia and MDD, respectively, attempted suicide. The attempters in schizophrenia compared to those in MDD were younger and more likely to be single (unmarried, separated or divorced). Suicidal intent was stronger in schizophrenia, while the attempters with MDD were more often preoccupied with a death wish and reported that stressful life events influenced the attempt. There were no differences in the attempt methods of the two groups. Current suicidal risk was higher in attempters compared to the non-attempters in schizophrenia as well as MDD. DISCUSSION: Suicide attempts in schizophrenia and MDD have similar features, with quite a few notable differences, which have been discussed at length in the present paper.

Escitalopram Versus Citalopram and Sertraline: A Double-Blind Controlled, Multi-centric Trial in Indian Patients with Unipolar Major Depression.

The present randomized, double blind, parallel group, controlled, multi-centric trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram in comparison with citalopram and sertraline in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Outpatients (N=214) with an ongoing/newly diagnosed ICD-10 major depressive episode and a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score of > 18 were randomly assigned to citalopram, 20-40 mg/day (74 patients), escitalopram, 10-20 mg/day (69 patients) and sertraline, 50-150 mg/day (71 patients), for a 4-week double-blind treatment period, with dosage adjustment (after 2 weeks of treatment) according to the response to treatment. Clinical response was evaluated by the 17 items HAM-D and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scales, which were recorded at baseline and at weekly intervals. Tolerability was evaluated by observed/spontaneously reported adverse changes in laboratory parameters (baseline and after 4 weeks). Response rate was defined as a decrease in HAM-D score by 50% from baseline and remission rate was defined as a HAM-D score of < 8. Response rate at the end of two week were 58% for escitalopram (10mg/day), 49% for citalopram (20mg/day) and 52% for sertraline (50-100mg/day). Response rate at the end of four week were 90% for escitalopram (10-20mg/day), 86% for citalopram (20-40mg/day) and 97% for sertraline (100-150mg/day). The Remission rates at the end of four weeks were 74% for escitalopram, 65% for citalopram and 77% for sertraline. Adverse experiences were reported by 45% of patients in escitalopram group, 58% patients in citalopram and 56% patients in the sertraline group. Additionally, there were lesser dropouts and lesser requirement for dose escalation in escitalopram than in citalopram and sertraline group. In conclusion Escitalopram, the Senantiomer of the citalopram is a safe and effective antidepressant in the Indian population. It has potentially superior efficacy than citalopram and a comparable efficacy to sertraline with fewer side effects than both citalopram and sertraline.