Burnout syndrome among preschool teachers in Serbia.

Pedagogical work, especially with preschool children, is one of the most stressful professions, and the incidence of stress-related illnesses among preschool teachers is higher than in the general population. The aim of this cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2018 and April 2019, was to examine the prevalence of the burnout syndrome in a representative sample of 482 preschool teachers in Serbia and the factors associated with it. For this purpose, the participants completed a questionnaire composed of six sections: the socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, health and lifestyle characteristics, workplace and employment characteristics; Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI); Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The frequency of the total burnout was 27.1 %. The frequency of burnout on the CBI was 25.4 % for personal burnout, 27.0 % for work-related burnout, and 23.4 % for client-related burnout. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with total burnout as an outcome variable showed that being single (OR: 0.18; 95 % CI: 0.05-0.58), having poor (OR: 6.05; 95 % CI: 1.05-34.91), or average (OR: 3.60; 95 % CI: 1.57-8.25) self-rated health, not having didactic/play tools (OR: 2.71; 95 % CI: 1.21-6.04), having a higher score on the BDI (OR: 1.19; 95 % CI: 1.09-1.29) or SAS (OR: 1.10; 95 % CI: 1.03-1.18) was significantly associated with the total burnout among our participants. Our study shows the worryingly high prevalence of the burnout syndrome among preschool teachers in Serbia and points to its association with mental health issues, depression, and anxiety.

Effects of perioperative intravenous lidocaine and esketamine on the quality of recovery and emotional state of patients after thyroidectomy: A randomised, double-blind, controlled trial.

Background and Aims: Perioperative intravenous (IV) infusions of lidocaine and esketamine reduce postoperative pain, but there are few studies on the quality of recovery and patients' emotional states postoperatively. We aimed to explore the effects of perioperative IV lidocaine and esketamine on the quality of recovery and emotional state after thyroidectomy. Methods: In this randomised trial, 137 patients undergoing thyroidectomy were randomly assigned to three groups: a lidocaine group (Group L), an esketamine group (Group E) and a normal saline placebo group (Group C). The primary outcome was the Quality of Recovery 40 (QoR-40) on postoperative days (PODs) 1 and 2. The secondary outcomes included Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores on days 1 and 2 after surgery, pain scores, opioid consumption and incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Statistical analysis was performed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests. Results: The global QoR-40 scores in groups L and E on POD 1 and POD 2 were significantly higher than in group C (P < 0.001). The SAS and SDS scores on POD 1 and POD 2 in groups L and E were significantly lower than in group C (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores among the three groups at 1 h, 2 h, 6 h and 12 h (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Perioperative IV lidocaine and esketamine improve the quality of postoperative recovery and the emotional state of patients undergoing thyroidectomy.

Effect of multidisciplinary cooperative continuous nursing and psychological nursing on multiple myeloma with a peripherally inserted central catheter.

Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the effectiveness of multidisciplinary cooperative continuous nursing combined with psychological nursing intervention in multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergoing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). Methods: The Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale (SAS), Depression Self-Assessment Scale (SDS) and Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS-R), Self-Care Ability Scale (ESCA), Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), incidence of unplanned extubation of PICC, total incidence of catheter-related complications and satisfaction with nursing were compared between the two groups of patients in a prospective study. Results: Patients in the observation group had reduced NPRS, SAS, SDS and PFS-R scores, total incidence of unplanned extubation of PICC and the total incidence of catheter-related complications, and a higher nursing satisfaction rate in comparison to those in the control group. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary cooperative continuous nursing combined with psychological nursing interventions can relieve pain in MM patients.

The Effects of Implantable Collamer Lens ICL Implantation in High Myopia Patients' Mental Health.

Purpose: To investigate the psychological changes in patients pre and post implantable collamer lens (ICL, EVO) implantation surgery in the posterior chamber. Patients and methods: Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to assess the mental states of 43 patients who underwent ICL implantation surgery performed by the same surgeon between January 2021 and December 2022. Results: Comparing the results before and one week after the operation, there is a significant difference in both the SAS scale (P<0.05) and the SDS scale (P<0.05). Similarly, when comparing the pre-operation and one-month post-operation results, there is also a significant difference in both the SAS scale (P<0.05) and the SDS scale (P<0.05). However, when comparing the one-week post-operation and one-month post-operation results, there is no significant difference in either the SAS scale (P>0.05) or the SDS scale (P>0.05). Moving on to the comparison between the pre-operation results and the national norm level, there is a significant difference in both the SAS scale (P<0.05) and the SDS scale (P<0.05). When comparing the one-week post-operation results and the national norm level, there is a significant difference in the SAS scale (P<0.05). Similarly, when comparing the one-month post-operation results and the national norm level, there is a significant difference in the SAS scale (P<0.05). Conclusion: After undergoing ICL implantation surgery, patients typically experience a notable decrease in anxiety (SAS) and depression (SDS) scales. These improvements gradually stabilize and enhance during the postoperative recovery period. However, it may require a significant amount of time for patients to fully restore their psychological well-being to levels comparable to the national norm, particularly in terms of anxiety levels.

Randomized controlled trial on the effects of mindfulness-based respiratory decompression therapy in claustrophobic patients undergoing MRI inspection.

Background: Claustrophobia is a psychological disease. It is estimated to occur in 2.1-14.3% of all magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Mindfulness decompression is an effective means to treat and reduce fear and anxiety. There is a rare report on the application of mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy in the magnetic resonance examinations of patients with claustrophobia to date. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the intervention effect of mindfulness respiratory decompression therapy on the MRI inspection of patients with claustrophobia. Methods: A total of 86 patients with claustrophobia requiring MRI in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were divided into two groups. The control group was given routine psychological nursing, and the observation group was given a mindfulness breathing technique on the basis of the control group. Before and after the intervention, we compared the intervention effect, satisfaction with nurses' psychological intervention technique, severe autonomic nervous symptoms during the examination, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores, and profile of mood states revised (POMS-R) scores. Results: The total effective rate of intervention in the observation group was 90.90%, which was significantly higher (χ2 = 6.857, p = 0.00004) than that in the control group (26.19%). Severe autonomic nervous symptoms in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). After the intervention, SAS scores and POMS-R scores in the observation group decreased with statistical significance (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Mindfulness respiratory decompression therapy can effectively help claustrophobic patients complete an MRI examination, which may be worthy of wide promotion and application in the clinic.

Analysis of mental health status and related factors in patients with acute cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND: Acute cerebral infarction (ACI) is characterized by a high incidence of morbidity, disability, recurrence, death and heavy economic burden, and has become a disease of concern in global researchers. As ACI has serious effects on patients' physical status, life and economy, often causing anxiety, depression and other psychological problems, these problems can lead to the aggravation of physical symptoms; thus, it is very important to understand the factors affecting the mental health of these patients. AIM: To understand the elements that affect the mental health of patients who have suffered an ACI. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted among patients with ACI admitted to three tertiary hospitals (Quanzhou First Hospital, Fuqing City Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, and the 900 Hospital of the Joint Service Support Force of the People's Liberation Army of China) in Fujian Province from January 2022 to December 2022 using the convenience sampling method. ACI inpatients who met the inclusion criteria were selected. Informed consent was obtained from the patients before the investigation, and a face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted using a unified scale. The questionnaire included a general situation questionnaire, Zung's self-rating depression scale and Zung's self-rating anxiety scale. All questionnaires were checked by two researchers and then the data were input and sorted using Excel software. The general situation of patients with ACI was analyzed by descriptive statistics, the influence of variables on mental health by the independent sample t test and variance analysis, and the influencing factors on psychological distress were analyzed by multiple stepwise regression. RESULTS: The average age of the 220 patients with ACI was 68.64 ± 10.74 years, including 142 males and 78 females. Most of the patients were between 60 and 74 years old, the majority had high school or technical secondary school education, most lived with their spouse, and most lived in cities. The majority of patients had a personal income of 3001 to 5000 RMB yuan per month. The new rural cooperative medical insurance system had the largest number of participants. Most stroke patients were cared for by their spouses and of these patients, 52.3% had previously smoked. Univariate analysis showed that gender, age, residence, course of disease, number of previous chronic diseases and smoking history were the main factors affecting the anxiety scores of patients with ACI. Age, living conditions, monthly income, course of disease and knowledge of disease were the primary variables influencing the depression score in patients with ACI. The findings of multivariate analysis revealed that the course of disease and gender were the most important factors influencing patients' anxiety scores, and the course of disease was also the most important factor influencing patients' depression scores. CONCLUSION: Long disease course and female patients with ACI were more likely to have psychological problems such as a high incidence of emotional disorders. These groups require more attention and counseling.

Correlation between the Degree of Hearing Loss and the Levels of Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Tinnitus.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the correlation between the degree of hearing loss (HL) and the degrees of anxiety and depression in patients with tinnitus. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved the use of basic clinical data from 600 enrolled patients with tinnitus who visited the otolaryngology clinic in Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from April 2020 to June 2022. The tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) scale was used to assess the tinnitus status among the participants. The pure tone audiometry (PTA) test was used to conduct audiological assessments for all patients to determine their hearing condition. The self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to assess the levels of anxiety and depression among the participants, respectively. The correlation between the HL and anxiety/depression scores from the questionnaires was tested through Pearson correlation analysis. Results: Among the 600 enrolled patients with tinnitus, most patients had mild-to-moderate degree of tinnitus, accounting for 248 cases (41.3%) and 179 cases (29.8%), respectively. PTA results showed that a large proportion of patients with tinnitus were accompanied with HL (467 cases, 77.8%). Among them, patients with mild HL accounted for the largest proportion with a total of 241 cases (40.2%). Based on the results of SAS and SDS test, almost half of the patients had symptoms of anxiety and depression, accounting for 52.3% (314 cases) and 48.8% (293 cases), respectively. Similarly, patients with mild anxiety and depression occupy the largest proportion, accounting for 35.8% (215 cases) and 23% (138 cases), respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the degree of HL was closely related to THI/SAS/SDS scores (P < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate a strong positive correlation between the degree of HL and anxiety/depression scores in patients with tinnitus.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anxiety Among Adult Patients with Chronic Pharyngitis in Wuhu, China.

Objective: Chronic pharyngitis (CP) is a common disease, which has a long duration and a wide range of onset. Anxiety is considered to be a common complication in patients with CP. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anxiety level and potentially influencing factors in patients with CP, to provide insights for the management of anxiety in patients with CP. Methods: A total of 104 adult patients with CP meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria were enrolled from a single center in Wuhu, China between October 2015 and December 2016. A Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used to measure the status of anxiety. The relationship between SAS scores and illness period in patients with CP was analyzed by Pearson correlation test. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to analyze the risk factors of anxiety in patients with CP. Results: The average SAS score of 104 patients with CP was (44.17 ± 8.38), including 82 cases (78.85%) without anxiety and 22 cases (21.15%) with anxiety. Moreover, the illness period was found to be positively related to SAS scores in patients with CP (r = 0.378, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the results of univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in anxiety state among CP patients with different age, illness period, source of treatment payment, and marital status (P < 0.05). Additionally, the results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that age, source of treatment payment, and marital status were the independent risk factors affecting the anxiety status of patients with CP (P < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggested that CP patients with advanced age, self-pay, and unmarried status had higher risk for anxiety.

The over-expression of miRNA-206 in peripheral blood of patients with burning mouth syndrome and its relationship with anxiety and depression.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterised by persisting burning pain of the oral mucosa, and its etiopathogenesis remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to detect the expression of miRNA-206 in the blood and clarify the relationship among miRNA-206, pain, anxiety and depression of BMS patients. METHODS: Thirty patients with BMS and 30 healthy individuals were enrolled in the experimental and control groups, respectively. Data on medical history and clinical oral examination for all participants were collected. Simultaneously, scores of Visual Analogous Scale (VAS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) were administered. The expression level of miRNA-206 in plasma were determined by RT-(q)PCR. Finally, the relationship of miRNA-206 expression with the VAS score, SAS score, and SDS score was analysed. Chi-square test and t-test were used for statistical analysis of the data, and p < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The majority of the patients with BMS identified the tongue as the main pain area, and showed dry mouth and poor sleep quality. The SAS and SDS scores of patients with BMS were higher than those of healthy controls (p < .05) and were positively correlated with VAS pain score. In addition, miRNA-206 expression was higher in patients with BMS than in healthy individuals (p < .05), and was positively correlated with the VAS and SDS scores (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with BMS suffer from pain and tend to be more anxious and depressed than healthy controls. miRNA-206 expression in the peripheral blood of patients with BMS is positively correlated with pain and depression, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of BMS.

Pregnant women: psychology, cognitive and behavioral responses, and solutions towards COVID-19.

COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) has spread globally and is highly infectious, causing psychological disturbances such as anxiety, depression, or both. Pregnant women, as a vulnerable population, need further attention. This study aims to evaluate the psychological impact of pregnant women during COVID-19 to constitute base data for solution guidance. Using a self-designed questionnaire, self-rated anxiety scale (SAS), and self-rated depression scale (SDS), we conducted a web-based survey on 1160 pregnant women from February 20 to April 30, 2020. The prevalence of anxiety and depression during pregnancy was shown to be 12.93% and 31.21%, respectively. Besides, younger age, housewives, lower education level, and early pregnancy all contributed to psychological disturbance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed significant variations in cognitive and behavioral responses based on the levels of the COVID-19 pandemic concerns, perceptions of life impacts and family concerns, preparation of personal protection equipment and motherhood, and the need for psychological counseling (P < 0.05). Regarding their primary concerns, 73.2% of the participants worried about the health and safety of childbirth. And 90.6% of respondents anticipated scheduling prenatal appointments to avoid crowds. Pregnant women are susceptible to anxiety/depression during the COVID-19 outbreak, necessitating immediate psychological care and intervention.

Prevalence and influencing factors of anxiety in medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background and objective: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a traumatic impact on the whole world in all aspects including physical health, economic condition, and mental health. Psychological problems are commonly neglected for their inconspicuous symptoms. Little is known about the medical students' psychological status during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of anxiety among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Two thousand and two medical students were investigated in this cross-sectional study. Zung's self-rating anxiety scale was used to evaluate their anxiety symptoms. A total of 1917 questionnaires were collected, and the response rate was 95.8%. Results: There were 1735 (90.5%) complete and valid questionnaires. The average SAS standard score was 42.8 ± 11.0. The results indicated that the prevalence of anxiety in medical students was 25.9%. Less social support (OR = 1.4, 95%CI 1.2-1.7) is an independent risk factor of anxiety syndrome, while the female (OR = 0.6, 95%CI 0.5-0.8) is less likely to have anxiety syndrome. Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety in medical students is higher during the COVID-19 pandemic. Male students and students with less social support are more likely to have anxiety syndrome. Medical educators and students themselves should take serious steps to prevent, recognize and deal with the anxiety prevalence.

Characteristics of tinnitus and factors influencing its severity.

Background and Objectives: There is a wealth of information regarding the treatment methods for tinnitus; however, the treatment available is unsatisfactory because of the following reasons: first, tinnitus has various etiologies and second, it has distinct heterogeneity among different individuals. Numerous studies have focused on understanding the causes of tinnitus severity, but the conclusions have been inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to define factors that differentially influence subjectively perceived tinnitus severity. Methods: Clinical data of patients with chronic tinnitus who visited our outpatient clinic from April 2020 to April 2021 were collected. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ) were used to evaluate tinnitus severity among patients, and the independent factors influencing the severity of tinnitus were investigated by performing univariate and multivariate stepwise regression analyses. Results: Eleven variables were associated with THI and TEQ scores, of which nine were identical. Multiple regression analyses results revealed that five variables had a significantly unique predictive effect on tinnitus severity based on THI and the TEQ scores. Three factors including Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS), change in loudness, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were identical. Conclusion: Sleep status, anxiety level, and change in loudness in patients with chronic tinnitus were significantly correlated with severity of tinnitus. Follow-up studies should investigate the causal relationship between these factors and tinnitus severity.

Golden bifid might improve diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome via microbiota modulation.

OBJECTIVE: Gut microbiota might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and probiotics supplement may be an effective treatment option. This study aims to explore the therapeutic effects of Golden bifid on the diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D). METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive IBS-D patients were recruited based on Rome IV criteria. All patients took 2000 mg Golden bifid triple daily for 4 weeks. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, psychological symptoms, small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and fecal microbiota characteristics were evaluated in IBS-D patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: After 4-week treatment of Golden bifid, the GI symptoms such as abdominal pain (2.90 ± 1.04 vs. 1.90 ± 1.26, P = 0.002), abdominal distension (2.00 ± 1.34 vs. 1.29 ± 1.31, P = 0.007), diarrhea (3.24 ± 1.37 vs. 1.81 ± 1.21, P = 0.001), defecatory urgency (3.48 ± 1.03 vs. 2.33 ± 1.35, P = 0.000) and incomplete evacuation (2.71 ± 1.15 vs. 1.76 ± 1.26, P = 0.003) were significantly alleviated in IBS-D patients. The Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) decreased significantly (46.19 ± 11.36 vs. 43.33 ± 9.65, P = 0.041), and SIBO could be eradicated in 25% (4/16) of IBS-D patients with SIBO. Meanwhile, the abundance of Unclassified Lachnospiraceae and Dorea in genus level and Unclassified Lachnospiraceae, Bacterium Dorea, Bacterium Butyricicoccus and Dorea formicigenerans ATCC 27755 in species level were increased in fecal microbiota (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Golden bifid could improve most of GI symptoms and depressive symptoms in IBS-D patients and eradicate a small proportion of SIBO in those IBS-D patients with SIBO. What's more, Golden bifid could also modulate the fecal microbiota in IBS-D patients, which implied that the Golden bifid might improve IBS-D via microbiota modulation.

Comparison of the anxiety level between the medical staff and the public during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Background: A sudden outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Up-to-date, there have been limited studies examining the anxiety status of Chinese individuals in the early phase of the pandemic period (January 30, 2020-February 15, 2020). This survey aimed to compare the level of anxiety of the medical staff with that of the public and to provide a theoretical basis for developing an effective psychological intervention. Method: Questionnaires were sent on the Internet (http://www.wjx.cn) during this period. The anxiety levels of Chinese people were investigated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the demographic data were collected simultaneously. Results: A total of 1110 participants were enrolled in this study, with an effective response rate of 100%. A total of 482 respondents were medical staff (43.4%), while 628 were members of the general public (56.6%). The medical staff itself had a higher SAS score than the general public (48.36±13.40 vs. 45.74±11.79, P < 0.01), while the medical staff in Wuhan were more anxious than the public in Wuhan with a higher SAS score (54.17±14.08 vs. 48.53±11.92, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the anxiety levels of the medical staff and the public, with the medical personnel showing a higher anxiety level than the public, especially female medical staff in Wuhan. Therefore, urgent intervention programs to reduce anxiety should be implemented.

Development and preliminary validation of a self-rating anxiety inventory for maintenance haemodialysis patients.

This study aimed to develop a self-rating anxiety inventory for maintenance haemodialysis patients (AI-MHD) and perform preliminary validation to provide a simple, effective, and highly specific practical tool for effective anxiety disorder screening in haemodialysis patients. Based on existing general anxiety disorder screening scales and common symptoms of MHD patients as a reference and after expert discussions and preliminary validation at a single dialysis centre, a self-rating AI-MHD containing 12 items was developed. Subsequently, the AI-MHD was applied in 4 dialysis centres and compared with GAD-7 and HADS-A. Further multicentre validation showed that Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.918; the AI-MHD score not only significantly differed between the anxiety disorders group and the non-anxiety disorders group (p<0.001) but also correlated with GAD-7 and HADS-A scores (p<0.001). In addition, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) score was 0.847, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (x2=849.45, p<0.001). The anxiety disorder detection rate was 93%, and the specificity was 90%, which were significantly better than the screening results using the GAD-7 and HADS-A scales in the same groups. Although there were limitations, such as the sample size and regionality, the AI-MHD showed good efficacy and reliability in rating anxiety in MHD patients.

Investigation on anxiety, depression and sleep quality in primary glaucoma / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To investigate the anxiety, depression and sleep status of patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma(PACG)and primary open angle glaucoma(POAG).<p>METHODS: Retrospective clinical study. The Anxiety Self-Rating Scale(SAS), Depression Self-Rating Scale(SDS)and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)were used to evaluate 60 patients with primary glaucoma(30 PACG, 30 POAG)diagnosed in the department of ophthalmology in our hospital during the period from June 2019 to December 2020 and 30 healthy adults from the physical examination department of our hospital as a control group. The scores of anxiety, depression and sleep quality in the three groups were compared.<p>RESULTS: The scores of SAS, SDS and PSQI in PACG and POAG groups(48.40±9.302, 53.40±8.625, 9.57±2.861; 42.57±9.684, 48.80±10.320, 7.23±2.223)were significantly higher than those in control group(37.03±6.805, 38.63±7.881, 4.87±2.688)(<i>P</i><0.05). The scores of SAS and PSQI in PACG group were higher than those in POAG group(all <i>P</i><0.05). With SAS≥45, SDS≥50 and PSQI>7, the positive rates of anxiety, depression and insomnia in the PACG group(77%, 73%, 70%)were higher than those in the POAG group(43%, 40%, 37%)and the control group(13%, 10%, 20%)(<i>P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION: Patients with PACG has more severe anxiety, depression and insomnia than POAG, so necessary psychological intervention should be given.

The Influences of COVID-19 on Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted global attention. During the lockdown period of COVID-19, follow-up of many patients with chronic disease had been interrupted, which brought severe challenges to better management of their disease. This study aimed at exploring the change of illness, daily life, and psychological responses during the COVID-19 pandemic among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: A total of 612 patients were enrolled in this study; 282 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 1-2 group and 330 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 3-5 group. Among two groups, 168 (27.5%) and 177 (28.9%) patients were female with a median age of 42 and 45, respectively. The study was conducted by collecting the questionnaires in five nephrology centers. The questionnaire consisted of assessment of anxiety by using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the influences of COVID-19, which included basic demographic data, the influences of COVID-19 on illness and daily life, as well as the patients' psychological responses during the epidemic. Results: A total of 612 patients were included and divided into two groups according to eGFR. Ninety-six patients (34%) in the CKD stage 1-2 group and 141 patients (42.7%) in the CKD stage 3-5 group had reduced their follow-up frequency (p = 0.031). More patients with CKD stages 1-2 consulted online (25.9%), p = 0.005. Besides, patients in the CKD stage 3-5 group tended to be more anxious about follow-up (p = 0.002), fearful of being infected with COVID-19 (p = 0.009), and more likely to feel symptoms getting worse (p = 0.006). The standard scores of SAS were 48.58 ± 7.082 and 51.19 ± 5.944 in the CKD stage 1-2 group and the CKD stage 3-5 group, respectively (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in the severity of anxiety (p = 0.004). Conclusion: COVID-19 had a greater impact on patients with CKD stages 3-5 than those with stages 1-2 in terms of illness, daily life, and psychological disorder. Patients with CKD stages 3-5 were more anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Application Value of Information-Based Health Education and Continuity of Care in Patients With Peptic Ulcer.

Objective: This study is to assess the application value of information-based health education and continuity of care in patients with PU (peptic ulcer). Methods: Patients (116) with PU who have been treated in the hospital between January 2019 and October 2020 were taken as research objects and equally assigned to a control group and an observation group in a random manner. In contrast to the routine care applied to the control group, the observation group received information-based health education and continuity of care intervention. The clinical efficacy, the mastery of health knowledge, self-care ability, medication compliance, quality of life, mental state, and nursing satisfaction of the two groups were compared. Results: After the intervention, the total effective rate, health knowledge adequate rate, Exercise of Self-Care Agency (ESCA) scores of all dimensions, the MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) scores of all dimensions, medication compliance rate, and total nursing satisfaction of the observation group all notably exceeded those of the control group, with a p < 0.05. Patients of the group with continuity of care intervention showed lower Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, as compared to the group with conventional care (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Information-based health education and continuity of care elevates the medication adherence and nursing satisfaction of patients with PU, enhances disease-related knowledge of patients and their self-care ability, and eventually ameliorates the quality of life and psychological state. It is worthy of clinical application.

Depression and anxiety in Malaysian population during third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The outbreak of coronavirus posits deleterious consequences on global healthcare system while affecting human life in every aspect. Despite several measures undertaken to limit the socio-economic effect of coronavirus, various challenges remain pervasive, and one such challenge is mental health, particularly depression and anxiety. Therefore, this study examines the prevalence and determinants of depression and anxiety in Malaysian population during third wave of COVID-19. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out via social media platforms and 1544 Malaysians were selected. The level of depression was assessed by Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-9) and scored accordingly for categorization. Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used as a self-assessment survey to quantify the level of anxiety of persons experiencing anxiety-related symptoms. Percentage distribution and logistic regression analysis were used in the data analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that one-fourth (25.1%) of the participants had severe depressive symptoms. Almost one-sixth (18.7%) had mild depressive symptoms and one-third (34.1%) had mild to moderate anxiety symptoms. Age, gender, and friends infected with virus were the three important predictors of depression and anxiety. The odds of having depression (OR = 1.44; C·I. = 1.32-1.62) and anxiety (OR = 1.36; C·I. = 1.27-1.47) were significantly higher among females than in males. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of the study participants were facing mild to severe depression and anxiety symptoms which is very alarming as the pandemic is still now increasing across the country. Immediate interventions including community counselling programmes, TV and social media campaigns are urgently needed to reduce the psychological stress among the Malaysian population.

Exploring Factors for Predicting Anxiety Disorders of the Elderly Living Alone in South Korea Using Interpretable Machine Learning: A Population-Based Study.

This epidemiological study aimed to develop an X-AI that could explain groups with a high anxiety disorder risk in old age. To achieve this objective, (1) this study explored the predictors of senile anxiety using base models and meta models. (2) This study presented decision tree visualization that could help psychiatric consultants and primary physicians easily interpret the path of predicting high-risk groups based on major predictors derived from final machine learning models with the best performance. This study analyzed 1558 elderly (695 males and 863 females) who were 60 years or older and completed the Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). We used support vector machine (SVM), random forest, LightGBM, and Adaboost for the base model, a single predictive model, while using XGBoost algorithm for the meta model. The analysis results confirmed that the predictive performance of the "SVM + Random forest + LightGBM + AdaBoost + XGBoost model (stacking ensemble: accuracy 87.4%, precision 85.1%, recall 87.4%, and F1-score 85.5%)" was the best. Also, the results of this study showed that the elderly who often (or mostly) felt subjective loneliness, had a Self Esteem Scale score of 26 or less, and had a subjective communication with their family of 4 or less (on a 10-point scale) were the group with the highest risk anxiety disorder. The results of this study imply that it is necessary to establish a community-based mental health policy that can identify elderly groups with high anxiety risks based on multiple risk factors and manage them constantly.