Cognitive behavioral therapy in combination with systemic family therapy improves mild to moderate postpartum depression.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in combination with systemic family therapy (SFT) on mild to moderate postpartum depression and sleep quality. METHODS: 249 primiparous women with mild to moderate postpartum depression were recruited and randomly assigned to a control group (n=128), which received conventional postpartum care, or to a psychological intervention group (n=121), which received conventional postpartum care combined with psychological intervention. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were employed to evaluate depression and sleep quality, respectively. RESULTS: 104 patients in the intervention group and 109 in the control group completed the study. After intervention, the EPDS score, PSQI score, sleep quality score, sleep latency score, sleep duration score, habitual sleep efficiency score, sleep disturbance score, and daytime dysfunction score were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. The EPDS and PSQI scores of each group at different time points after intervention were markedly decreased compared with those before intervention, and the reduction in the intervention group was more evident than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: CBT in combination with SFT can improve depression and sleep quality in patients with mild to moderate postpartum depression.

Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on insomnia of maintenance hemodialysis patients.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy [sleep-related behavior modification and progressive muscle relaxation on insomnia of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients] on improving insomnia of MHD patients. 103 MHD patients complicated with insomnia were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 52) and control (n = 51) groups. The control group was treated with conventional hemodialysis, and the treatment group was additionally treated with cognitive behavioral therapy for 3 months (sleep-related behavior modification and progressive muscle relaxation). All cases were assessed by Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks after treatment. Fifty-one patients in the treatment group and 47 patients in the control group completed the experiments. After treatment, the total mean scores were (1.94 ± 0.50/2.29 ± 0.31); scores of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, and additional items were (1.87 ± 0.58/2.56 ± 0.26), (2.25 ± 0.80/2.79 ± 0.50), (1.79 ± 0.26/2.37 ± 0.34), (1.71 ± 0.46/2.25 ± 0.43), and (1.91 ± 0.67/2.26 ± 0.59) in SCL-90, respectively. The total scores for PSQI were (12.63 ± 2.27/16.40 ± 2.16); scores of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, hypnotics, and daytime dysfunction which were (1.98 ± 0.76/2.57 ± 0.58), (1.75 ± 0.59/2.60 ± 0.50), (2.10 ± 0.50/2.62 ± 0.53), (2.06 ± 0.47/2.57 ± 0.54), (2.04 ± 0.69/2.45 ± 0.72), (1.02 ± 0.79/1.51 ± 0.98), and (1.69 ± 0.55/2.09 ± 0.58), respectively, were significantly lower in the treatment group compared with the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the scores of factors of obsessive-compulsive (2.26 ± 0.62/2.32 ± 0.38), interpersonal sensitivity (2.23 ± 0.64/2.43 ± 0.47), phobic anxiety (1.98 ± 0.62/2.01 ± 0.67), paranoid ideation (1.55 ± 0.43/1.69 ± 0.39), and psychoticism (1.57 ± 0.46/1.66 ± 0.49). The conclusion is that sleep-related behavior modification in combination with progressive muscle relaxation effectively improved the mental state and sleep quality of MHD patients with insomnia.

Cognitive behavioral therapy in combination with systemic family therapy improves mild to moderate postpartum depression

Objective: To explore the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in combination with systemic family therapy (SFT) on mild to moderate postpartum depression and sleep quality. Methods: 249 primiparous women with mild to moderate postpartum depression were recruited and randomly assigned to a control group (n=128), which received conventional postpartum care, or to a psychological intervention group (n=121), which received conventional postpartum care combined with psychological intervention. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were employed to evaluate depression and sleep quality, respectively. Results: 104 patients in the intervention group and 109 in the control group completed the study. After intervention, the EPDS score, PSQI score, sleep quality score, sleep latency score, sleep duration score, habitual sleep efficiency score, sleep disturbance score, and daytime dysfunction score were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. The EPDS and PSQI scores of each group at different time points after intervention were markedly decreased compared with those before intervention, and the reduction in the intervention group was more evident than that in the control group. Conclusion: CBT in combination with SFT can improve depression and sleep quality in patients with mild to moderate postpartum depression. .

Brain activation evoked by erotic films varies with different menstrual phases: an fMRI study.

In humans, fluctuating hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle are believed to regulate many cyclical sexual behaviors and motivational processes. However, there is a dearth of research investigating the neural correlates of this phenomenon. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify brain regions involved in sexual arousal's regulatory process. Fifteen female participants were scanned while viewing erotic film excerpts at three time points during a single menstrual cycle: ovulation, menstruation, and at one additional time point. Tripled two-group differences analysis revealed that significant activation in the comparison was observed in non-ovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle in parts of the right inferior frontal gyrus, right lateral occipital cortex, and left postcentral gyrus, as well as in the bilateral superior parietal lobule. Thus, our results indicate that brain activity differs in the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle compared to during other menstrual phases. This finding provides neurological evidence for the ovulatory cycle's modulation of the processing of the sexual arousal in female human brain.

[Sex therapy is effective for erectile dysfunction].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sex therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: We recommended the sex therapy to ED patients and their partners (11 couples in all) in the outpatient department. Of the total number of volunteers, 2 males were accompanied by ejaculation disorder, another 2 with hyposexuality, and 1 female had vaginismus. The effect of the therapy was assessed and the problems with it analyzed by interviews with the subjects and the results of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Of the 11 pairs of volunteers, 5 quitted halfway and 1 discontinued at the therapists' decision. The 5 couples who accomplished the whole therapy felt more satisfied with their sexual life and general relationship, with improved scores on all the items of IIEF, particularly on erectile function (EF), with the only exception of sexual desire (SD). CONCLUSION: The sex therapy is effective not only for ED but also for other accompanying sexual dysfunctions, the sexual dysfunctions of the patients' partners and the improvement of the general relationship of the couples.

[Factors affecting clinical application of sex therapy for erectile dysfunction].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the factors that affect the clinical application of sex therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: Urological researchers recommended free sex therapy to ED patients and their partners in the outpatient department and studied the factors affecting the patients of Medicaid their partnersology, acceptance of sex therapy by interview and observation. RESULTS: Many patients refused sex therapy. Only 11 pairs of volunteers underwent it, of whom 5 pairs gave up halfway, 1 pair were stopped by the therapist due to the breakup of their marriage, and merely 5 pairs accomplished the whole course. Among the 5 pairs of quitters, 2 pairs thought of their problem as organic and turned to drug therapy, 1 pair withdrew because the patient's girlfriend broke up with him, 1 pair gave up because they lived in another city too far away from the clinic, and the other pair discontinued because they could not spare the time from their work. CONCLUSIONS: Many factors affect the clinical application of sex therapy for ED in China. Apart from the shortage of qualified professional sex therapists, some factors from the patients and their partners are at work, such as stress of work, lack of time, home location, education background, relationship between the patient and his partner, attitude to sex therapy, and so on.