Psychiatry - Research Publications

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    AB026. Cross-regional collaboration to promote digital mental health equity in the Asia Pacific in the context of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
    Murphy, J ; Michalak, EE ; Greenshaw, A ; Ng, CH ; Ravindran, A ; Withers, M ; Charkraborty, PA ; Lam, RW (AME Publishing Company, 2021-12-01)
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    Psychometric properties of the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale supplemented with DSM-5 Mixed subtype questionnaire in Chinese patients with mood disorders
    Du, Y-L ; Hu, J-B ; Huang, T-T ; Lai, J-B ; Ng, CH ; Zhang, W-H ; Li, C ; Xu, Z-Y ; Zhou, H-T ; Ruan, L-M ; Xu, Y ; Hu, S-H (ELSEVIER, 2021-01-15)
    BACKGROUND: With the modification of DSM-5 mixed features specifier, a brief scale to screen mixed features in patients with mood disorders is needed in clinical practice. This study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale supplemented with DSM-5 Mixed subtype (CUDOS-M-C) for the Chinese patients with mood disorders. METHODS: Overall, 300 patients with major depressive episode were recruited. All participants were assessed using CUDOS-M-C, Young Mania Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to calculate the optimal cut-off values of CUDOS-M-C score. The reliability and validity of CUDOS-M-C were examined using Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: The results of PCA indicated two-factor structure as the best solution for CUDOS-M-C, which explained 54.82% of cumulative variance. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.892 and the ICC was 0.853. The area under the ROC curve of the CUDOS-M-C for participants with mixed depression was 0.927 (p<0.001) and the suitable cut-off value was 8, with a sensitivity of 91.6% and specificity of 79.9%. LIMITATIONS: Most of the patients were recruited from eastern China and further research with larger sample is warranted. And this study did not perform confirmatory factor analysis to identify the generalization of factor structure of CUDOS-M-C. Besides, the study performed the test-retest reliability of CUDOS-M-C and further analysis is needed to ascertain the patient's post-treatment changes. CONCLUSION: The CUDOS-M-C demonstrated to have satisfactory psychometric properties as a self-report scale, and could be applied to screen patients with mixed depression in clinical practice.
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    Mental health status and quality of life in close contacts of COVID-19 patients in the post-COVID-19 era: a comparative study
    Zhao, Y-J ; Zhang, S-F ; Li, W ; Zhang, L ; Cheung, T ; Tang, Y-L ; Ng, CH ; Yang, B-X ; Xiang, Y-T (SPRINGERNATURE, 2021-10-02)
    Close contacts of those with COVID-19 (CC) may experience distress and long-lasting mental health effects. However, the mental health status and quality of life (QOL) in CC have not been adequately examined. This study examined the mental health status and QOL in CC during the post-COVID-19 period. This cross-sectional study comprised 1169 CC and 1290 who were non-close contacts (non-CC). Demographic data were collected; depression, fatigue, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and QOL were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 items (PHQ-9), fatigue numeric rating scale, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - 17 items (PCL-17), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Analysis of covariance was used to compare depressive symptoms, QOL, fatigue, and PTSS between the CC and non-CC groups. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent correlates for depression, fatigue, PTSS, and QOL in the CC group. Compared to the non-CC group, the CC group reported significantly more severe depression (F(1, 2458) = 5.58, p = 0.018) and fatigue (F(1, 2458) = 9.22, p = 0.002) in the post-COVID-19 period. No significant differences in PTSS and QOL between the CC and non-CC groups were found (F(1, 2458) = 2.93, p = 0.087 for PTSS; F(1, 2458) = 3.45, p = 0.064 for QOL). In the CC group, younger age, financial loss due to COVID-19, and perception of poor or fair health status were significantly associated with depression and fatigue, while frequent use of mass media was significantly associated with fatigue. In conclusion, close contacts of COVID-19 patients experienced high levels of depression and fatigue in the post-COVID-19 period. Due to the negative effects of depression and fatigue on daily functioning, early detection and timely interventions should be provided to this neglected population.
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    Effects of a group-based lifestyle medicine for depression: A pilot randomized controlled trial
    Ip, AK-Y ; Ho, FY-Y ; Yeung, W-F ; Chung, K-F ; Ng, CH ; Oliver, G ; Sarris, J ; Abdelbasset, WK (PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2021-10-08)
    Given the growing evidence that a range of lifestyle factors are involved in the etiology of depression, a 'lifestyle medicine' approach can be potentially safe and cost-effective to prevent or treat depression. To examine the effects and acceptability of a group-based, integrative lifestyle medicine intervention as a standalone treatment for managing depressive symptoms, a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in a Chinese adult population in 2018. Participants (n = 31) with PHQ-9 score above the cut-off of ≥ 10, which was indicative of moderate to severe depression, were recruited from the general community in Hong Kong and randomly assigned to lifestyle medicine group (LM group) or care-as-usual group (CAU group) in a ratio of 1:1. Participants in the LM group received 2-hour group sessions once per week for six consecutive weeks, which covered diet, exercise, mindfulness, psychoeducation, and sleep management. Linear mixed-effects model analyses showed that the LM group had a significant reduction in PHQ-9 scores compared to the CAU group at immediate posttreatment and 12-week posttreatment follow-up (d = 0.69 and 0.73, respectively). Moreover, there were significantly greater improvements in anxiety, stress, and insomnia symptoms (measured by DASS-21 and ISI) at all time points in the LM group (d = 0.42-1.16). The results suggests that our 6-week group-based, integrative lifestyle intervention program is effective in lowering depressive, anxiety, stress, and insomnia symptoms in the Chinese population. Further studies in clinical populations with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are warranted.
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    Efficacy and Safety of Adjunctive Aripiprazole, Metformin, and Paeoniae-Glycyrrhiza Decoction for Antipsychotic-Induced Hyperprolactinemia: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
    Zhang, L ; Qi, H ; Xie, Y-Y ; Zheng, W ; Liu, X-H ; Cai, D-B ; Ng, CH ; Ungvari, GS ; Xiang, Y-T (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2021-09-29)
    Aripiprazole, metformin, and paeoniae-glycyrrhiza decoction (PGD) have been widely used as adjunctive treatments to reduce antipsychotic (AP)-induced hyperprolactinemia in patients with schizophrenia. However, the comparative efficacy and safety of these medications have not been previously studied. A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety between aripiprazole, metformin, and PGD as adjunctive medications in reducing AP-induced hyperprolactinemia in schizophrenia. Both international (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases) and Chinese (WanFang, Chinese Biomedical, and Chinese National Knowledge infrastructure) databases were searched from their inception until January 3, 2019. Data were analyzed using the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations with the WinBUGS software. A total of 62 RCTs with 5,550 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Of the nine groups of treatments included, adjunctive aripiprazole (<5 mg/day) was associated with the most significant reduction in prolactin levels compared to placebo (posterior MD = -65.52, 95% CI = -104.91, -24.08) and the other eight treatment groups. Moreover, adjunctive PGD (>1:1) was associated with the lowest rate of all-cause discontinuation compared to placebo (posterior odds ratio = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.10, 3.13) and adjunctive aripiprazole (>10 mg/day) was associated with fewer total adverse drug events than placebo (posterior OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.65, 1.77) and other eight treatment groups. In addition, when risperidone, amisulpride, and olanzapine were the primary AP medications, adjunctive paeoniae/glycyrrhiza = 1:1, aripiprazole <5 mg/day, and aripiprazole >10 mg/day were the most effective treatments in reducing the prolactin levels, respectively. Adjunctive aripiprazole, metformin, and PGD showed beneficial effects in reducing AP-induced hyperprolactinemia in schizophrenia, with aripiprazole (<5 mg/day) being the most effective one.
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    Network Analysis of Insomnia in Chinese Mental Health Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
    Bai, W ; Zhao, Y ; An, F ; Zhang, Q ; Sha, S ; Cheung, T ; Cheng, CP-W ; Ng, CH ; Xiang, Y-T (DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD, 2021)
    PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with increased risk of insomnia symptoms (insomnia hereafter) in health-care professionals. Network analysis is a novel approach in linking mechanisms at the symptom level. The aim of this study was to characterize the insomnia network structure in mental health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 10,516 mental health professionals were recruited from psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric units of general hospitals nationwide between March 15 and March 20, 2020. Insomnia was assessed with the insomnia severity index (ISI). Centrality index (ie, strength) was used to identify symptoms central to the network. The stability of network was examined using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. The network structures between different genders were also compared. RESULTS: The overall network model showed that the item ISI7 (interference with daytime functioning) was the most central symptom in mental health professionals with the highest strength. The network was robust in stability and accuracy tests. The item ISI4 (sleep dissatisfaction) was connected to the two main clusters of insomnia symptoms (ie, the cluster of nocturnal and daytime symptoms). No significant gender network difference was found. CONCLUSION: Interference with daytime functioning was the most central symptom, suggesting that it may be an important treatment outcome measure for insomnia. Appropriate treatments, such as stimulus control techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation training, could be developed. Moreover, addressing sleep satisfaction in treatment could simultaneously ameliorate daytime and nocturnal symptoms.
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    Anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students during the late stage of the COVID-19 outbreak: a network approach
    Bai, W ; Cai, H ; Liu, S ; Chen, X ; Sha, S ; Cheung, T ; Lin, JJ ; Cui, X ; Ng, CH ; Xiang, Y-T (SPRINGERNATURE, 2021-12-17)
    Mental health problems are common in college students even in the late stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Network analysis is a novel approach to explore interactions of mental disorders at the symptom level. The aim of this study was to elucidate characteristics of depressive and anxiety symptoms network in college students in the late stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 3062 college students were included. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to measure anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Central symptoms and bridge symptoms were identified based on centrality and bridge centrality indices, respectively. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedure. The strongest direct relation was between anxiety symptoms "Nervousness" and "Uncontrollable worry". "Fatigue" has the highest node strength in the anxiety and depression network, followed by "Excessive worry", "Trouble relaxing", and "Uncontrollable worry". "Motor" showed the highest bridge strength, followed by "Feeling afraid" and "Restlessness". The whole network was robust in both stability and accuracy tests. Central symptoms "Fatigue", "Excessive worry", "Trouble relaxing" and "Uncontrollable worry", and critical bridge symptoms "Motor", "Feeling afraid" and "Restlessness" were highlighted in this study. Targeting interventions to these symptoms may be important to effectively alleviate the overall level of anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students.
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    The assessment of decision-making competence in patients with depression using the MacArthur competence assessment tools: A systematic review
    Wang, Y-Y ; Wang, S-B ; Ungvari, GS ; Yu, X ; Ng, CH ; Xiang, Y-T (WILEY, 2018-04)
    PURPOSE: This is a systematic review of the usefulness of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tools (MacCAT) in assessing the decision-making competence in patients with depression. DESIGN AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed. FINDINGS: Eleven studies met the search criteria. The decision-making capacity was impaired in 9-31% of the patients with depression. There was inconsistency regarding the differences of MacCAT scores between patients with depression and controls, while relatively large effect sizes were found on the Appreciation and Reasoning MacCAT subscales. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The MacCAT appears to be a useful tool for measuring decision-making capacity in patients with depression, but the association between depression and competence is not consistent. The mechanisms mediating such association are likely to be complex and multifactorial.
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    A comparison of clinical characteristics of older adults treated with antidepressants in general and psychiatric hospitals in Asia
    Wang, Y-Y ; Xiang, Y-T ; Ungvari, GS ; Ng, CH ; Chiu, HFK ; Yim, LCL ; Si, T-M ; Chee, K-Y ; Avasthi, A ; Grover, S ; Chong, M-Y ; Sim, K ; Kanba, S ; He, Y-L ; Lee, M-S ; Yang, S-Y ; Udomratn, P ; Kallivayalil, RA ; Tanra, AJ ; Maramis, MM ; Shen, WW ; Sartorius, N ; Mahendran, R ; Teng, J-Y ; Tan, C-H ; Shinfuku, N (WILEY, 2017-11)
    AIM: This study compared the demographics, clinical characteristics, and antidepressant prescription patterns between Asian patients aged 50 years and older attending psychiatric hospitals and those attending general hospitals. METHODS: In total, 955 patients (604 in general hospitals, 351 in psychiatric hospitals) aged 50 years or older treated with antidepressants in 10 Asian countries and territories were examined. Patients' demographics, clinical features, and prescriptions of psychotropic drugs were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression revealed that high income and diagnosis of schizophrenia were independently associated with psychiatric hospital treatment, whereas outpatient care, diagnosis of anxiety disorders, and multiple major medical conditions were independently associated with general hospital treatment. In addition, tetracyclic and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants were more likely to be prescribed in general hospitals. CONCLUSION: Older adults treated with antidepressants showed different demographic and clinical features between general hospitals and psychiatric hospitals in Asia.
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    Comparison of the 32-item Hypomania Checklist, the 33-item Hypomania Checklist, and the Mood Disorders Questionnaire for bipolar disorder
    Feng, Y ; Wang, Y-Y ; Huang, W ; Ungvari, GS ; Ng, CH ; Wang, G ; Yuan, Z ; Xiang, Y-T (WILEY, 2017-06)
    AIM: Bipolar disorder (BD) is frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD) and hence reliable and culturally appropriate screening tools are needed. This study compared the 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32), the 33-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-33), and the Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ) for BD. METHODS: Altogether, 350 depressed patients were included. The HCL-32, HCL-33, and MDQ were completed by patients to identify manic and/or hypomanic symptoms. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve among the HCL-32, HCL-33, and MDQ for BD and MDD were calculated and compared, using cut-offs suggested by respective validation studies. RESULTS: Of the three scales, the MDQ had the highest sensitivity and NPV (sensitivity = 0.90, 0.81, and 0.90 for BD vs MDD, BD-I vs MDD, and BD-II vs MDD, respectively; NPV = 0.78, 0.86, and 0.86 for BD vs MDD, BD-I vs MDD, and BD-II vs MDD, respectively), while the HCL-33 had the highest specificity and PPV (specificity = 0.74, 0.69, and 0.66 for BD vs MDD, BD-I vs MDD, and BD-II vs MDD, respectively; PPV = 0.74, 0.55, and 0.56 for BD vs MDD, BD-I vs MDD, and BD-II vs MDD, respectively). CONCLUSION: Compared to both HCL scales, the MDQ had higher sensitivity and lower specificity in screening for BD. These results contradict previous findings in Western populations. As a screening instrument for BD in Chinese clinical settings, the MDQ appears to be appropriate.