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Comparative Study 2015; 36(8): 787-792 PubMed PMID: 26921580 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Anxiety:psychology, Case-Control Studies, Colitis, Ulcerative:psychology, Crohn Disease:psychology, Depression:psychology, Female, Humans, Male, Parents:psychology, Quality of Life:psychology,.   

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic diseases with a significant impact on quality of life (QoL). The aim of the study was to examine the QoL in children with IBD and their families, depression and anxiety for both the children and their parents.

METHODS: Participants were 29 adolescents with IBD (19 individuals suffered from the Crohn disease, another ten had ulcerative colitis) and 40 healthy controls of the same age (13-16 years). The probands and their parents completed questionnaires measuring the quality of life (KidScreen-10, PedsQL), depression (CDI, BDI-II), and anxiety (SAD, BAI).

RESULTS: The QoL measured by questionnaires did not differ between the adolescent participants, but it was significantly lower in the parents of the children with IBD than in the parents of the healthy controls. The parents of the IBD children scored lower in the Family Impact Module Total Scale Score and the parental Health-Related QoL Summary Score. The fathers of the IBD children also had a lower level of the Family Functioning Summary Score. There wasn't any difference in the levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms among the IBD adolescents and the controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The parents of the children with IBD experience lower QoL than the parents with the healthy children. The children with IBD show similar symptoms of depression, anxiety, and QoL as the healthy controls....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(Suppl 1): 54-58 PubMed PMID: 25433355 Citation  Keywords:  Anxiety:psychology, Arrhythmias, Cardiac:psychology, Defibrillators, Implantable:psychology, Depression:psychology, Humans, Psychology, Quality of Life:psychology,.   

: Various mental and social problems can negatively impact the quality of life and overall health in patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD). In this report, we review and summarize the main studies and research related to this topic. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, stress and post-traumatic stress are the most common symptoms of ICD-related disorders that can negatively impact mental status. Factors than can influence the impact of these psychological disorders include socio-demographic variables (younger age, gender, and employment), variables related to the ICD (number of ICD shocks, generator size, time from ICD implant, etc.) and psycho-social variables (negative coping strategies, lack of social support and personality type). Fortunately, these disorders, and their symptoms, can be prevented, treated or managed, if recognized....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 279-285 PubMed PMID: 21712772 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Anxiety:psychology, Cognition:physiology, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Depression:psychology, Female, Humans, Hypothyroidism:blood, Male, Memory, Short-Term:drug effects, Neuropsychological Tests, Pilot Projects, Psychomotor Performance:physio.   

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our pilot study was to explore the relationship between serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels during overt hypothyroidism (OH) and hypothyroid-related neuropsychological symptoms. We hypothesized that TSH level may reflect the degree of 'brain hypothyroidism' such that an inverse correlation may exist between serum TSH and cognitive function in patients experiencing overt hypothyroidism (OH), and sought to explore this hypothesis.

METHODS: Eleven thyroidectomized patients underwent neuropsychological and thyroid function testing while overtly hypothyroid, and again following thyroid hormone replacement. Their test performance was compared with that of eleven healthy controls at a similarly separated two points in time, and the change over time for the patient group and the controls was likewise assessed and compared. The patients' neuropsychological test scores were then correlated with their serum TSH levels while hypothyroid.

RESULTS: The patients' performance while hypothyroid was worse than that of the controls in only one neurocognitive measure--Working Memory Index. The subjects improved similarly or to a greater degree than the controls, when the subjects were thyroid hormone replaced, on all but one neurocognitive measure - Thurstone Word Fluency. TSH level during hypothyroidism was inversely proportional to the patients' performance on these same two measures, but no others.

CONCLUSION: Serum TSH level during hypothyroidism was inversely proportional to performance on the only two neurocognitive measures evidencing an adverse effect from hypothyroidism in our cohort. This suggests that serum TSH level may reflect the severity of 'brain hypothyroidism' during the overt stage of this condition....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(6): 775-781 PubMed PMID: 21196911 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Depression:psychology, Female, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Humans, Hyperthyroidism:psychology, Informed Consent:statistics & numerical data, Iodine Radioisotopes:therapeutic use, Male, Middle Aged, Patients:psychology, Poland, Surv.   

OBJECTIVES: Many patients with a chronic disease are dissatisfied with the information they are given. A brief questionnaire completed by patients would assist health professionals to identify areas of information needed to be provided, tailored to the patient's mental condition.

AIM: The aim of our study was to assess how often thyroid patients report being adequately informed about iodine treatment in connection with their real need thereof, emotional state and acceptance of the disease.

METHODS: One hundred outpatients who had presented subclinical hyperthyroidism "[19 men (19%), 81 women (81%); mean (SD±) age 53±14,range 18-77 yr ] treated with radioiodine (RAI) responded to an Experimental Questionnaire, 54 of them answered to AIS, HADS-M and Beck Inventory measuring their acceptance of the illness and depressive symptoms, 37 of them answered the Patient Request Form (PRF).

RESULTS: The obtained results indicated that about 50% of patients treated with 131I therapy did not receive suitable information about their treatment. Neither written information prepared by the specialist, nor verbal information given by physicians were adequate for specific problems of study group. The examined patients presented with a comparable intensity of three distinct types of requests: for explanation and reassurance, for emotional support, and for investigation and treatment. The acceptance of their disease was mediocre for most of the study group.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that the reported lack of satisfaction with medical information in study group was associated with depressive symptoms influencing cognitive efficiency, patients' great need of emotional and cognitive support, influencing the acceptance of their disease, and social prejudice to radioiodine (as a method of treatment), worrying them additionally. All thyroid patients even these with subclinical symptoms of hyperthyroidism should be treated with specific attention by physicians, especially during information process....

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