Iranian Journal of Psychiatry
Volume:4 Issue: 3, Summer 2009

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of psychological therapies and art/sport supportive interventions separately,and in combination on post traumatic stress symptoms in children and compare them with a control group. In a field trial, we evaluated the efficacy of group behavioral therapy, art and sport supportive interventions in Bam earthquake children survivors with PTSD symptoms and compared it with a control group. Before and after interventions we evaluated the PTSD symptoms using K-SADS-PL semi-structural interview for each group and compared them using appropriate statistical methods. The participants were 200 individuals who were randomized in four groups according to an intervention program including: Group behavioral therapy; Group behavioral therapy plus art and sport interventions; Art and sport interventions; and control group. During the interventions, 39 individuals were excluded. None of the participants had severed PTSD or other psychiatry disorders that needed pharmacological interventions. In interventional groups, the reduction of total PTSD symptoms and the symptoms of re-experience, avoidance and hyper arousal was not statistically significant. However, in the control group, the PTSD symptoms increased during the study which was statistically significant. Group behavior therapy and supportive interventions (art and sport) may have preventive effects on PTSD symptoms.

Suicide represented 1.8% of the total global burden of disease in1998 and it will increase to 2.4% in 2020. We performed a cross sectional study to assess the prevalence of suicide ideation, attempt and its associated factors.We designed a cross sectional study in Mahan and Bardsir cities, Kerman province, Iran. Based on the multistage cluster sampling, 860 subjects aged 15 and older were selected as the non-attempter group and 58 hospital cases admitted due to suicide attempts were selected as the attempter group. General Health Questionnaire, Suicide Ideation Scale and demographic form were filled for each participant. This study showed that the prevalence of suicide ideation was 10% in total: 48.3% in the suicide attempters and 7.33% in the non-attempters. Being female, young, single, more educated and less religious, living in urban areas, opium use and having somatic complaints and other psychiatric problems were associated with suicide attempts. Suicide ideation and attempt aren''t uncommon in Iran and should be recognized as important problems existing in these two cities of Kerman province.

The main purpose of this study was to validate the short-form of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ) Scale among Iranian undergraduate students. A total of 250 nurse undergraduate students participated in this study. Participants completed the ESCQ in addition to measures of Sheering Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and Student''s Demographic Questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in three factors that were largely consistent with the a priori scale structure. These factors included such dimensions as appraisal of others'' emotions, managing and regulating emotion and specifying and understanding the individuals'' own emotions. The results provide initial support for the construct validity of the self- report version of the ESCQ in nurse students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence ofpsychiatric disorders in patients with dermatologic disease and its relationship to the patients'' quality of life. This study was cross-sectional. A total of 414 patients with various dermatologic diseases participated in this study. The participants were recruited from an outpatient clinic and inpatient ward of a referral dermatologic hospital using a simple random sampling method. Demographic variables, duration and characteristics of disease and admission status were recorded. Patients were asked to complete two questionnaires: GHQ-28 (General Health Questionnaire), and DLQI (Dermatologic Life Quality Index). The estimated prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in dermatologic patients was %51.3.There was a significant relationship between GHQ score and educational level, marriage statues, type and course of dermatologic disease and admission status (p<0.05). The probability of psychiatric disorders increased among patients with lower educational level, married subjects, patients with relapse of the disease and those having some special skin diseases such as Psoriasis and Pemphigus. However, no significant relationship was observed between the GHQ score and duration of disease and sex. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between quality of life and educational level, marriage status, type of dermatologic disease, course of disease and admission status (p<0.05). Higher quality of life was observed among participants with higher educational level, those who were unmarried, patients with first episode and milder diseases. This study shows a significant relationship between quality of life and mental health (p<0.05). The lower probability of concomitant mental disorder, the higher the quality of life. Psychiatric disorders are frequent among patients with dermatologic diseases. These disorders have a negative effect on quality of life. Psychiatric consultation, liaison services and education in dermatologic wards can help the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of psychiatric comorbidity in dermatologic patients.

In geriatric practice, the impact of psychological distress on health status has been undermined due to ageism, atypical presentation and less tendency to report negative affect among elderly people. Few studies have examined the impact of psychological stressors on medical burden in older adults. The current study has investigated the correlation of psychological distress and burden of medical conditions in a sample of older people. A convenient study sample of 120 elderly subjects was recruited from the places where there was greater chance for the elderly people to attend. Data were collected by a trained research assistant using perceived stress scale, cumulative illness rating scale, geriatric depressive scale and a demographic questionnaire.Our participants perceived more level of stress than the average for their age. In the current study, the burden of medical condition was significantly correlated with the level of perceived stress(r =. 197, p =. 044). Moreover, in regression analysis, perceived stress was the strongest predictor for physical health morbidity (R2 =.049, significant f=. 03).The result of this study suggested that the psychological stressors contribute to poor health outcome in older adults; the area that is usually overlooked due to ageism and its physiological related changes. The medical practitioners should consider the psychological distress as a part of etiological factors implicating in health morbidity among their aged patients.

Attention deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder is a common psychiatric disorder with an early onset. Investigation reveals that mothers of children with ADHD higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptomatology than do mothers of comparison children. The aim of the present study was to compare anxiety and depressive symptoms in the mothers with ADHD children with control group. Fifty mothers of the ADHD children aged between 6 to 12 whom diagnosed on the basis of interviews held with psychiatrist in the first referral to sheikh Child Psychiatry Clinic. The control group consisted of mothers of fifty children without any psychiatric disorder. The selected mothers were evaluated with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory interviewed for the basic Psychiatric disorder,. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square statistical tests. Our data showed the 20% and 10% of mothers had mild and moderate depression. In control group, mild and moderate depression was reported 6/7% and 3/3%, respectively. The differences between depression and trait anxiety in mothers of ADHD children and control group were significant. There was a correlation between intensity of the trait and state anxiety and the depression in mothers with intensity of ADHD in their children but the relation was not significant. The present study suggests that the Intensity of depression and trait anxiety in mothers of ADHD children are more than the control group.

Sexual dysfunction in patients who take antipsychotics causes adecline in their quality of life and medication acceptance. Considering the restrictions in cross sectional design of many earlier researches, we used a clinical trial aimed at assessing sexual dysfunction by substituting Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic drug, with Haloperidol, a typical one. This clinical trial was conducted on 51 patients who had been using Risperidone with a minimum dose of 2 mg/daily for at least 2 months. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. The first group continued taking Risperidone, whereas the second group was given Haloperidol. Sexual function prior to and after the drug substitution was assessed using a sexual questionnaire designed to assess four stages of sexual function. Compared to those who changed their medication to Haloperidol, the patients who remained on Risperidone therapy suffered from more sexual dysfunction, especially in their tendency towards having sexual activities (P= 0.01), post menstrual sexual activity (P= 0.002), and reaching orgasm in their sexual activities (P= 0.04); however in the Haloperidol group, no significant difference was observed before and after the change in medication. Although Risperidone and Haloperidol can both disturb patients''sexual function, the side effects of Risperidone are stronger. Hence toprevent the decline of medication acceptance or irregular consumption by patients which may lead to possible relapse, substitution of Risperidone withanother drug with fewer side effects on sexual activities is definitely to the advantage of the patients.

Patients with bipolar mood disorder constitute a relatively large number of individuals hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals. This disorder is highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and may effect their clinical course. The goal of this study was to determine the co-occurrence rate of anxiety disorders and substance abuse with bipolar mood disorders and their impact on clinical course.153 bipolar patients (type I) were selected among the hospitalized patients at Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, from September 2007 to October 2008 through convenience sampling method. The participants were evaluated by a structured clinical interview based on DSM-IV criteria (SCID), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and Young Mania Rating Scale(YMRS). Co-morbidity of anxiety disorders was 46.15%. Occurrence of anxiety disorders was 28% for obsessive-compulsive disorder, 26.6% for generalized anxiety disorder, 4.2% for phobia and 2.1% for panic disorder. Co-morbidity of substance abuse was 7.7% and the highest occurrence of substance abuse was 5.6% for alcoholism and 4.2% for opium. No significant difference was observed between the severity of disease and duration of hospitalization in bipolar patients with or without anxiety disorder. The severity of disease and duration of hospitalization in bipolar patients with substance abuse was higher compared to bipolar patients without substance abuse (P<0.05). This study suggests that there is a high co-morbidity between anxiety disorders and substance abuse with bipolar disorder. Further, this study suggests that co-occurrence of substance abuse disorder with bipolar disorder increases the everity of the disease and duration of hospitalization.