Pica and Eating Attitudes: A Study of High-Risk Pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and determine the association between the occurrence of pica and eating attitudes in women with high-risk pregnancies and to determine the prevalence of pica during pregnancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional and prospective 24-month study was conducted with 913 women with high-risk pregnancies. Structured interviews were carried out and the Eating Attitudes Test was applied. RESULTS: Pica was diagnosed in 5.7 % of the pregnant women, and its most commonly practiced type was geophagia (57.7 %). The association between pica and signs related to the eating attitudes: "to be considered too thin by others" (p < 0.02), and "to spend too much time thinking about food" (p = 0.05); and the association between pica and the risk of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (p < 0.01) were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of validated instruments in the literature for assessing pica reinforces the difficulty of investigating this practice and the need for further studies. Moreover, additional efforts need to focus in the improvement of screening for other eating disorders with obstetric consequences associated with pica and be incorporated into the routine of healthcare professionals.

The self-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology for screening prenatal depression.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the self-reported version of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-SR), which is used for major depression, is a reliable tool for screening and assessment of prenatal depression. METHODS: Between June 2006 and July 2008, pregnant women attending a teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, completed the Portuguese version of the IDS-SR. Trained psychologists diagnosed depression via the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders questionnaire, which is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. RESULTS: Of 543 participants, 60 (11%) were diagnosed with depression. The Cronbach α of the IDS-SR was 0.89, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.8. The IDS-SR cutoff score at 30 gave a sensitivity and specificity of 78% and 76%, respectively, for diagnosis of prenatal depression. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses revealed a 2-factor structure for the IDS-SR, characterized by symptoms of "mood/cognition" and "irritability/anxiety/pain". CONCLUSION: The IDS-SR gave satisfactory internal consistency and accuracy for diagnosing prenatal depression, showing that it can improve early diagnosis and treatment of this condition, thereby minimizing the burden. In addition, a 2-factor model was found to account for depressive symptomatology during pregnancy, which will be useful for developing further depression subscales specific to prenatal depression.

Depressão e eventos de vida relacionados à asma grave / Depression and life events related to severe asthma

Objetivo: Investigar a relação entre o diagnóstico e tratamento da asma grave e o fenômeno da depressão nos pacientes em tratamento ambulatorial e avaliar se existe associação entre depressão e eventos de vida e que situações mais freqüentes se correlacionam aos aspectos depressivos. Métodos: O estudo foi caracterizado por uma entrevista clínica transversal ex post facto. Foram entrevistados 30 pacientes com o diagnóstico confirmado de asma grave, com idade de 18 a 70 anos, em tratamento no Serviço de Alergia e Imunologia do HCFMUSP e aplicados os seguintes instrumentos: entrevista psicológica semidirigida, Escala Diagnóstica Adaptativa Operacionalizada (EDAO), Escala Classificatória de Readaptação Social e PRIMEMD. Resultados: Segundo a EDAO, 63,4 (per cent) dos pacientes apresentaram depressão, 20 (per cent) apresentaram depressão crônica e 36,6 depressão reativa). De acordo com o PRIME, 66,7 (per cent) apresentaram algum tipo de depressão. Dos pacientes que apresentaram depressão, 41 (per cent) referiram pelo menos um evento de vida estressante (os eventos mais referidos foram doença pessoal importante e alteração importante na saúde de familiar), e obtiveram maior pontuação de adaptação ineficaz moderada e ineficaz severa. Conclusão: A depressão está correlacionada à asma grave, principalmente como conseqüência do prejuízo na qualidade de vida ocasionado pela doença. Os pacientes que conseguiram adaptarse à condição crônica da asma grave, apresentando respostas mais eficazes no decorrer da vida, obtiveram menor índice de depressão. Podemos concluir que a asma afeta a qualidade de vida, causa grande prejuízo na produtividade e interfere no cotidiano do paciente. Estes dados enfatizam a importância do psicólogo na equipe que assiste aos pacientes com esta doença.

A Importância do Psicólogo na Criação e Implantação dos programas Educativos e de Prevenção em Saúde / The Importance of Psychologists in Planning and Developing Educational Programs in Health Prevention

Resumo: Vários autores têm demonstrado a eficácia dos programas educativos para favorecer a adesão dos pacientes ao tratamento recomendado, visando educá-los e informá-los sobre suas patologias e propostas terapêuticas. A literatura mostra que não está definida a especificidade do psicólogo nessas atividades. Acreditamos que, além de poder transmitir informações a respeito do tratamento, esse profissional deve realizar também um diagnóstico da real situação do grupo-alvo e identificar conteúdos subjetivos que possam interferir no modo como esses pacientes lidam com sua doença e seu tratamento, propondo intervenções efetivas. Percebemos a necessidade da inserção específica do psicólogo na elaboração e execução de tais programas, o que permite considera-los como "psicoeducativos", havendo propostas fundamentadas nesta direção.

Abstract: Different studies have shown the efficacy of education program in promotion patient compliance with prescribed medical treatment. Such program aim to educate and inform patient about their disease and proposed treatment. According to the literature, the specificities of the psychologists role are not taken into account in these activities. We contend that beyond transmitting specific information, psychologists should perform the diagnosis of the target groups real situation, including identification of subjective content that might interfere in the way patient cope with disease and treatment. We also emphasize the psychologists importance in creating and developing such program, allowing them to be as "psycho-educational". We also provide specific proposal in this direction.