Psychosocial risk factors, inequality and self-rated morbidity in a changing society.

The aim of this study was to analyse the interaction of social, economic, psychological and self-rated health characteristics of the Hungarian population in representative, stratified nation-wide samples during the period of sudden political-economic changes. In 1988 20,902 and in 1995 12,640 persons, representing the Hungarian population over the age of 16 by age, sex and place of residence were interviewed. Self-rated morbidity characteristics, shortened Beck Depression Inventory, hopelessness, hostility, ways of coping, social support, control over working situation and socioeconomic characteristics were examined. Age dependent changes could be observed between 1988 and 1995 with increasing depressive symptomatology, hopelessness, lack of control over working situation in the population above 40 years, while in the younger population improvements in depressive symptomatology could be seen. According to hierarchical loglinear analysis, depressive symptom severity mediates between relative socioeconomic deprivation and higher self-rated morbidity rates, especially among men. Depressive symptomatology is closely connected with hostility, low control in working situation, low perceived social support and emotional ways of coping. A vicious circle might be hypothesised between socially deprived situation and depressive symptomatology, which together has a major role in higher self-rated morbidity rates.

Depressive symptomatology and vital exhaustion are differentially related to behavioral risk factors for coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study proposes to assess the differences of two psychosocial risk indicators for coronary artery disease (CAD), ie, depressive symptoms and vital exhaustion. METHOD: In a representative, stratified, nation-wide sample of the population of Hungary over the age of 16 years (N = 12,640), analyses were made of whether those risk indicators were differentially related to several illness behaviors (including history of cardiovascular treatment and cardiovascular sick days), cognitions, mood states, and socioeconomic characteristics that may generally be associated with increased CAD risk. The sample was stratified by age, sex, and composition of the population of all counties in Hungary. RESULTS: Although depressive symptoms and vital exhaustion correlated strongly, there were clear and significant differences in strength of association between depressive symptoms, vital exhaustion and several variables under study. Dysfunctional cognitions, hostility, lack of purpose in life, low perceived self-efficacy, illegal drug use, alcohol and drug abuse, several forms of subjective disability complaints and history of treatment because of congenital disorders, and chronic skin and hematological disorders were more often associated with depressive symptoms, whereas loss of energy, use of stimulants, chest-pain-related disabilities, history of treatment because of cardiovascular disorders, and self-reported cardiovascular sick days were significantly more often associated with vital exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS: Vital exhaustion and depressive symptomatology are differentially associated with relevant external criteria. Vital exhaustion is associated with perceived cardiovascular complaints and history of cardiovascular treatment, whereas depressive symptomatology seems to be more closely connected to disabilities and complaints related to alcohol, drug, and congenital-disorder, and to dysfunctional cognitions and hostility.

[Increased right hemisphere activation dominance in bronchial asthma]. / Fokozott jobb féltekei aktivációs dominancia asthma bronchialeban.

In our study 16 patients suffering in asthma bronchiale were compared with 16 healthy controls in relating to hemispherical activational dominance assessed by the analysing of electrodermal response features. In accordance with others' findings our results show that the asthmatic patients' group as a whole have more activated right hemisphere compared to the controls' group. In the present issue the possible pathogenic role of the right hemisphere in asthma bronchiale is reviewed and the risk factors which during pregnancy increase the risk of the siblings to become atopic are discussed.

Possible role of sweating in the pathophysiology of panic attacks.

In recent years the role of hyperventilation in the generation of panic attacks has attracted a considerable amount of interest. According to these studies hyperventilation can elicit the somatic symptoms of panic due to systemic alkalosis. We suggest that since in the case of panic, sweating might cause alkalosis, it could also contribute to the generation of panic attacks. In light of this hypothesis we made a statistical analysis of the panic symptoms of 111 panic patients diagnosed according to DSM-III criteria. The analysis revealed that: (1) there was a well identified group of panic patients who had minor breathing difficulties with heavy sweating; and (2) that all the patients sampled had either severe breathing, or sweating symptoms, or both. We conclude that in the absence of the intensive physical activity of the 'flight or fight' reaction, sweating as well as hyperventilation can cause alkalosis, which in turn might generate panic attacks.

Socioeconomic factors, severity of depressive symptomatology, and sickness absence rate in the Hungarian population.

We analysed the relationships between socioeconomic factors, severity of depressive symptomatology, and sickness absence rate in an active (working and studying) population of 20,902 persons representative of the Hungarian population over the age of 16 by age, sex, and place of residence. The severity of depression was very closely correlated with sick leave. Hierarchical log linear analysis was performed to investigate the interactive effects of socioeconomic factors, severity of depressive symptomatology, and sickness absence rate. Material socioeconomic factors such as housing situation, access to a car, and owning properties had no direct impact on sick leave, unless mediated by the effect of depression. All of the measured socioeconomic factors, with the exception of place of residence, were closely connected with depressive symptomatology, and depression appeared to mediate between socioeconomic factors and higher sickness absence rate. A vicious circle might be hypothesized between depression and a socially deprived situation, which plays a significant causal role in ill health.