Social phobia in Brazilian university students: prevalence, under-recognition and academic impairment in women.

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that public speaking is a common academic activity and that social phobia has been associated with lower educational achievement and impaired academic performance, little research has examined the prevalence of social phobia in college students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of social phobia in a large sample of Brazilian college students and to examine the academic impact of this disorder. METHODS: The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and the MINI-SPIN, used as the indicator of social phobia in the screening phase, were applied to 2319 randomly selected students from two Brazilian universities. For the second phase (diagnostic confirmation), four psychiatrists and one clinical psychologist administered the SCID-IV to subjects with MINI-SPIN scores of 6 or higher. RESULTS: The prevalence of social phobia among the university students was 11.6%. Women with social phobia had significantly lower grades than those without the disorder. Fear of public speaking was the most common social fear. Only two of the 237 students with social phobia (0.8%) had previously received a diagnosis of social phobia and were under treatment. LIMITATIONS: Social phobia comorbidities were not evaluated in this study. The methods of assessment employed by the universities (written exams) may mask the presence of social phobia. This was not a population-based study, and thus the results are not generalizable to the entire population with social phobia. CONCLUSION: Preventive strategies are recommended to reduce the under-recognition and the adverse impact of social phobia on academic performance and overall quality of life of university students.

Translation into Brazilian Portuguese and validation of the five-part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility.

INTRODUCTION: Joint hypermobility (JH) is an inherited clinical condition with increased joint elasticity in passive movements. In the general population, its frequency, which can be estimated through specific methods, such as the nine-point Beighton hypermobility score (Beighton score) and the self-reported five-part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility (five-part questionnaire), ranges from 10% to 20%. OBJECTIVES: To validate the Portuguese version of the five-part questionnaire and to determine its sensitivity and specificity when compared with the Beighton score for diagnosing JH. METHODS: The five-part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility was translated into Portuguese and applied to 2,523 Brazilian university students. Then, a sample with 394 randomly selected students was evaluated by use of the Beighton score, aiming at establishing the JH diagnosis. Finally, the two methods were statistically compared. RESULTS: The JH frequency was 37.01% when using the five-part questionnaire, and 34% when using the Beighton score. Considering sex, the JH frequencies according to the five-part questionnaire and Beighton score were 43.54% and 44.26% in females, and 28.44% and 16% in males, respectively. The sensitivity of the self-reported questionnaire was 70.9% and its specificity was 77.4%, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.786. CONCLUSIONS: JH is frequent in Brazilian university students, and more common in women. The self-reported five-part questionnaire for JH identification, translated into Portuguese and validated, was an effective method when compared with the Beighton score for identifying JH.

Tradução e validação do The five part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility para a língua portuguesa do Brasil / Translation into Brazilian Portuguese and validation of the five-part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility

INTRODUÇÃO: A hipermobilidade articular (HA) é uma condição clínica hereditária em que há aumento da elasticidade articular em movimentos passivos. Na população em geral, a frequência varia entre 10 por cento e 20 por cento, podendo ser estimada por métodos específicos como o Escore de Beighton, e o The five part questionnaire for identifying hipermobility, um questionário de autoavaliação para a identificação da HA. OBJETIVOS: Validar o The five part questionnaire for identifying hipermobility para a língua portuguesa e determinar sua sensibilidade e especificidade quando comparado ao escore de Beighton no diagnóstico da HA. MÉTODOS: O The five part questionnaire for identifying hipermobility foi traduzido para a língua portuguesa e aplicado em 2.523 universitários brasileiros. A seguir, o escore de Beighton foi aplicado em uma amostra de 394 estudantes selecionados aleatoriamente do primeiro grupo, a fim de estabelecer o diagnóstico de HA. Finalmente, ambos os métodos foram estatisticamente comparados. RESULTADOS: A frequência da HA foi de 37,01 por cento quando avaliada através do questionário de autoavaliação, e 34 por cento com o escore de Beighton. As frequências da doença, quando o questionário de autoavaliação e o escore de Beighton foram aplicados, foram, respectivamente, 43,5 por cento e 44,2 por cento no sexo feminino, e 28,44 por cento e 16 por cento no masculino. A sensibilidade do questionário de autoavaliação foi de 70,9 por cento, e a especificidade, de 77,4 por cento, com área sob a curva ROC (receiver operating characteristic) de 0,786 por cento. CONCLUSÕES: A HA é frequente em universitários brasileiros e mais comum no sexo feminino. O questionário de autoavaliação para identificação de HA, traduzido e validado para a língua portuguesa, foi um método efetivo para sua identificação, quando comparado ao escore de Beighton.

INTRODUCTION: Joint hypermobility (JH) is an inherited clinical condition with increased joint elasticity in passive movements. In the general population, its frequency, which can be estimated through specific methods, such as the nine-point Beighton hypermobility score (Beighton score) and the self-reported five-part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility (five-part questionnaire), ranges from 10 percent to 20 percent. OBJECTIVES: To validate the Portuguese version of the five-part questionnaire and to determine its sensitivity and specificity when compared with the Beighton score for diagnosing JH. METHODS: The five-part questionnaire for identifying hypermobility was translated into Portuguese and applied to 2,523 Brazilian university students. Then, a sample with 394 randomly selected students was evaluated by use of the Beighton score, aiming at establishing the JH diagnosis. Finally, the two methods were statistically compared. RESULTS: The JH frequency was 37.01 percent when using the five-part questionnaire, and 34 percent when using the Beighton score. Considering sex, the JH frequencies according to the five-part questionnaire and Beighton score were 43.54 percent and 44.26 percent in females, and 28.44 percent and 16 percent in males, respectively. The sensitivity of the self-reported questionnaire was 70.9 percent and its specificity was 77.4 percent, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.786. CONCLUSIONS: JH is frequent in Brazilian university students, and more common in women. The self-reported five-part questionnaire for JH identification, translated into Portuguese and validated, was an effective method when compared with the Beighton score for identifying JH.

Prevalencia de depressäo em escolares de 7 a 14 anos / The prevalence of depression in students aged 7 to 14 years

Quadros depressivos na infancia tem sido descritos desde o inicio deste seculo. Entretanto, foi somente a partir da decada de 60, que as investigacoes comecaram a ser sistematizadas. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi detectar a taxa de prevalencia de sintomas depressivos em escolares da rede particular de ensino, na cidade de Ribeirao Preto. Os sujeitos foram alunos de 7 a 14 anos e utilizou-se como instrumento o CDI (Children's Depression Inventory). Foi aplicado em sala de aula, na presenca de um...

Encefalite por vírus herpes simples: consideraçöes diagnósticas e terapêuticas / Encephalitis by herpes simplex virus: diagnostic and therapeutic considerations

As meningoencefalites virais säo afecçöes relativamente comuns, sendo o vírus do herpes simplex o agente etiológico mais freqüente. O prognóstico das encefalites herpéticas alcançou melhora significativa a partir do advento do aciclovir. Os autores revisam, no presente artigo, os aspectos clínicos, diagnósticos e terapêuticos das encefalites virais, relatando o caso de uma paciente jovem, com boa evoluçäo clínica, a partir da instituiçäo precoce de terapêutica anti-viral.