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Background: Early recognition of children's mental health problems is crucial. Although the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a commonly used screening method, further research is needed on its validity and norms for young children. Aims: The aims of the study were to confirm the adjusted lower (normal/borderline) and upper (borderline/abnormal) cut-offs for the SDQ in a Finnish community sample of 4-9-year-old children, and to explore the SDQ's ability to identify the children with mental health problems. Methods: Parents and teachers completed the SDQs ( n = 2666). The Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) was administered to parents and teachers of 646 children. Results: The overall participation rate was 57%. The suggested cut-offs for the SDQ total difficulties scale rated by parents and teachers were 2-5 points lower than the corresponding published British norms. The sensitivity for the total score normal/borderline cut-off (9/10) was 76% in the parent and 66% in the teacher reports and for the borderline/abnormal cut-off (11/12) 90% and 70% respectively. The respective specificity values were 69%, 63%, 74% and 66%. The area under curve (AUC) values of the higher cut-offs were good for parent (0.87) and satisfactory for teacher rated (0.76) total scores. The presence of a DAWBA-rater assigned diagnosis in the abnormal group compared with the normal group was sixfold in the parent and threefold in the teacher reported SDQs. Conclusions: The suggested cut-offs were clearly lower than the British norms. Yet the properties of the method's discriminative validity were acceptable. Population specific norms, taking into account both the culture and children's age, seem necessary for screening and for international comparisons of the method's validity properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The psychopathic traits measured with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) in a representative national prisoner sample have not been studied in Finland before. It has been unclear whether there could occur some national differences or whether the PCL-R can be used for assessing psychopathic traits in the Finnish forensic settings. Aims: Our aim was to study the distribution of psychopathic traits in the Finnish male prisoners as well as the correlations of these traits with DSM-IV disorders and to compare the sample with similar samples of Europe and America. Methods: 171 male prisoners representing all Finnish sentenced male offenders (about 3300) were studied using the PCL-R, SCID-I and SCID-II. Results: The results of the first Finnish study utilizing the PCL-R in a representative national sample of male prisoners were quite similar to the findings of the previous studies of male prisoners carried out in North America, the UK and Sweden. The scores of the interpersonal facet are lower in this sample than in the sample of North America. In total, 16.4% of the Finnish male prisoners can be diagnosed as having a psychopathic disorder. Conclusions: The PCL-R is a reliable and valid measure of the psychopathy construct of the Finnish male prisoners. The PCL-R is applicable to the Finnish offenders and it is a useful tool for assessing psychopathy in the Finnish criminal justice settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Depression and pain are often co-morbid. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) include facial pain as one main symptom. Reports are lacking on the association between chronic facial pain and earlier depressiveness. The aim of the study was to investigate whether depressiveness increases the risk for chronic facial pain in a longitudinal population-based study. Materials and methods. Subjects included in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 ( n = 5696) answered a questionnaire on facial pain and depressiveness using the Symptom Checklist-25 depression sub-scale at the age of 31 years. In addition, reported depression diagnosed by a doctor was enquired about. Three years later a sub-sample of the cohort, including 63 cases with chronic facial pain and 85 pain-free controls, was formed based on the question concerning facial pain. Results. Of the chronic facial pain cases 17.5% and of the pain-free controls 7.1% were depressive 3 years earlier at baseline ( p = 0.050, χ 2 test, crude OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.0-8.0). Of the chronic facial pain cases 6.3% and of the pain-free controls 1.2% reported having had diagnosed depression ( p = 0.085, crude OR = 5.7, 95% CI = 0.6-52.2). After adjusting the gender, the association between depressiveness reported at the baseline and chronic facial pain was significant (OR = 4.2, 95% CI = 1.1-16.2). When widespread pain was included in the analysis, the association was not significant. Conclusions. Depressiveness increases the risk for chronic facial pain in a 3-year follow-up. This association seems to be mediated through widespread pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study investigated the association between dental fear and alcohol use disorder and smoking controlling for age, gender and attained level of education as well as anxiety and depressive disorders. Materials and methods. Nationally representative data on Finnish adults, 30 + years old ( n = 5953), were gathered in interviews. Dental fear was measured in an interview using the question: 'How afraid are you of visiting a dentist?' The alternatives for replying were: 'Not at all', 'Somewhat' and 'Very'. Alcohol use, anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed with a standardized structured psychiatric interview based on DSM-IV criteria. The question on regularity of smoking gave three reply alternatives: smoking 'Daily', 'Occasionally' or 'Not at all'. Results. When socio-demographics and anxiety and depressive disorders were controlled for, those with lifetime alcohol use disorder were more likely to have high dental fear than were those without this disorder. When smoking was added to the model, those who smoked regularly were more likely to have high dental fear than those who smoked occasionally or not at all. In this model, alcohol use disorder was not statistically significantly associated with dental fear. Conclusions. The results of this study support the suggestion that some individuals may have personality traits that make them vulnerable to substance use disorders and dental fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to psychoses, antipsychotic drugs are nowadays also prescribed for other psychiatric disturbances, such as mood disorders. We wanted to find out whether there is any association between the use of antipsychotic drugs and suicidality in cases of psychotic and non-psychotic disorders. Our sample was the population-based Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort. Information on the use of prescribed drugs was collected in 1997 from the nationwide medication register and with a postal questionnaire ( N = 8218). The presence of suicidal ideation was assessed cross-sectionally using the Symptom Check List-25 questionnaire. We studied associations between suicidal ideation, adjusted for symptoms of depression and anxiety, and antipsychotic medication in different diagnostic groups (schizophrenia, other psychosis and no psychosis). Individuals receiving antipsychotic medication ( n = 70, 0.9%) had in general more suicidal ideation regardless of diagnostic group, although the associations diminished when taking other symptoms into account. There were no statistically significant differences between those taking typical and atypical antipsychotics. In the non-psychotic group, higher antipsychotic doses were associated with more suicidal ideation even when adjusted for symptoms of depression and anxiety ( p < 0.05). In the cases of schizophrenia or other forms of psychosis, no such associations were observed. Our results suggest that one should take suicidal ideation into account when prescribing antipsychotic medication, especially for off-label use. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Our aim was to compare the weapons used in lethal or potentially lethal violence against parents according to the age (adolescent vs. adult) of the offender and victim (mother vs. father) of the offence. Method: All forensic psychiatric examination statements of male offenders who had offended violently against one of their parents during 1973–2004 in Finland (n=192) were reviewed retrospectively. Data on the weapons used by adolescent and adult offenders in relation to the sex of the victim, mental disorder, criminal responsibility and intelligence were gathered. Results: In the whole sample, sharp-edged weapons were the most commonly used weapons. Firearms were more commonly used in offences against fathers (i.e. patricidal offences) than against mothers (i.e. matricidal offences). Adolescent offenders were more likely to use firearms than adult offenders in violent acts against a parent. Among personality-disordered subjects, patricidal offenders used firearms more commonly than did matricidal offenders. Homicidal matricidal offenders had higher full-scale and verbal IQ scores as compared to homicidal patricidal offenders. The matricidal offenders using firearms were shown to be more intelligent as measured by full-scale and verbal scale IQs than the patricidal offenders using firearms. Conclusions: Consistent with the physical strength hypothesis, firearms are used more often in lethal or potentially lethal violence against parents by adolescents than by adults in Finland. As firearms legislation in Finland is currently under reform the study findings suggest that restriction of gun availability may have an influence on intrafamilial homicides, particularly those committed by adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To test different biopsychosocial models of pain within two different samples. Method: Early maladaptive schemas, pain intensity, depressiveness and pain disability were assessed using questionnaire data from 271 first visit pain patients and 276 municipal employees as controls. Exploratory factor analysis was used as the early maladaptive schema factor extraction method and path analysis as the model specification and estimation method. Results: Cross-sectionally, early maladaptive schema factors were predictors of depressiveness in both groups. The effect size of depressiveness on pain disability was 11 times that of the pain intensity in the pain patient group. The situation was opposite in the control group, where effect size of pain intensity was 5.6 times that of depressiveness. In subgroups of pain duration, the effect size of pain intensity on pain disability became insignificant when pain duration was more than 2 years in pain patients. Conclusions: The study supported the importance of early emotional adversities in predicting depressiveness especially among pain patients. Depressiveness was the main predictor of pain disability in the pain patient group and as the pain duration increased, the significance of pain intensity on disability vanished. Pain intensity was the main predictor of pain disability in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the work ability and employment history of Finnish female prisoners and their need for treatment. Design/methodology/approach – The sample consisted of 101 female prisoners, with 309 male prisoners for comparison. The methods included interviews, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I, II Disorders and medical examination including ICD-10 diagnoses. Findings – Among women, 78 per cent were unemployed and only 6 percent were employed whereas among men, the proportion of those employed was four times greater than for women. Of women, 42 per cent were unable to work; of men 11 per cent. Substance abuse disorders were the most common reason for impaired work ability (over 70 per cent in both genders). Among women, other mental disorders were the second most common reason (39 per cent), somatic diseases caused impairment in 23 per cent. Basic socio-demographic factors were not associated with impaired work ability among women. Violent crime as the present main offence was significantly more common among prisoners with limited working capacity. Need for treatment was found in 94 per cent of women and 90 per cent of men. In both genders, the majority of treatment needs were for mental disorders. Finnish female prisoners have serious problems with substance abuse, of both alcohol and drugs, which impairs their work ability, employability and is the cause of their need for treatment. In addition, female prisoners have other mental disorders commonly complicating their situation. Originality/value – This paper is a part of the first comprehensive health study of Finnish female prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigation of the environmental influences on human behavioral phenotypes is important for our understanding of the causation of psychiatric disorders. However, there are complexities associated with the assessment of environmental influences on behavior. Methods/Principal Findings: We conducted a series of analyses using a prospective, longitudinal study of a nationally representative birth cohort from Finland (the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort). Participants included a total of 3,761 male and female cohort members who were living in Finland at the age of 16 years and who had complete temperament scores. Our initial analyses (Wessman et al., in press) provide evidence in support of four stable and robust temperament clusters. Using these temperament clusters, as well as independent temperament dimensions for comparison, we conducted a data-driven analysis to assess the influence of a broad set of life course measures, assessed pre-natally, in infancy, and during adolescence, on adult temperament. Results: Measures of early environment, neurobehavioral development, and adolescent behavior significantly predict adult temperament, classified by both cluster membership and temperament dimensions. Specifically, our results suggest that a relatively consistent set of life course measures are associated with adult temperament profiles, including maternal education, characteristics of the family's location and residence, adolescent academic performance, and adolescent smoking. Conclusions: Our finding that a consistent set of life course measures predict temperament clusters indicate that these clusters represent distinct developmental temperament trajectories and that information about a subset of life course measures has implications for adult health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Marginalized people are often absent from population surveys of substance use and from research based on care data. Special methods are needed to reach these small but very significant groups. This study analyses how patterns of intoxicant use have changed over time among one of the most marginalized group of people, the prisoners. Methods: Nationally representative samples of Finnish prisoners were examined: 903 prisoners in 1985, 325 prisoners in 1992, and 410 prisoners in 2006. Comprehensive field studies consisting of interviews and a clinical medical examination were used. Results: In 1985, a diagnosis for alcoholism was given to 41% of the men and 36% of the women prisoners. An increase over time was observed, and in 2006, 52% of men and 51% of women prisoners were alcohol dependent. Dependence on a drug was diagnosed in 6% of men and 3% of women in 1985; this prevalence had increased to 58% of men and 60% of women in 2006. Conclusions: A dramatic change in prevalence of illegal drug use and drug addiction among prisoners has taken place in the past 20 years. Recognizing this shift from alcohol to other intoxicants is important since drugs are illegal substances and thus tend to lead to involvement with the judicial sector, thus stigmatizing and deepening the spiral of marginalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain and depression are coexisting entities with high simultaneous prevalence. Both are linked with early adversities. Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) can be seen as a reflection of these adversities. EMSs extensively indicate underlying psychic patterns and provide a good opportunity to detect covert processes and psychic shapes (latent factors), which create the basis of how people rate their schemas. The purpose of this study was to explore these latent, higher order schema factors (SF) and to find out how they are associated with pain intensity or depression in chronic pain patients and a control sample. The study subjects consisted of 271 first-visit pain patients and 331 control participants. Sociodemographic and pain data were gathered by questionnaire; 18 EMSs were measured with the Young Schema Questionnaire (short form) and depressiveness was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory, Version II. Exploratory factor and regression analyses were used. The chronic pain patient group showed two SFs. The first SF showed a shameful, defective, socially isolated, failure, emotionally inhibited, deprived, submissive and resigned pattern. The second SF showed a demanding, approval seeking, self-sacrificing and punitive pattern. SF1 predicted more than half of the depressiveness in the pain patient sample. A three-factor structure was found in the control sample, and SFs 1 and 3 together predicted almost one-third of depressiveness. The pain patient and the control groups had a different, higher order factor structure. We assume that SF1 in the pain patients reflected a rather serious, undefined early psychic trauma and was also associated with their depressiveness. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Chronic pain patients showed a two-factor higher order schema factor (SF) structure, which we labelled Loser and Encumbered., The control participants showed a three-factor structure with many similarities to earlier studies., The first SF ( Loser) was strongly associated with depression in the chronic pain patients., The data support the view that early adversities predispose chronic pain patients to depression., From the therapeutic point of view, we should be able to support the ashamed, failure, dependent, incompetent, negative and vulnerable ones ( Loser) to feel dignity and calm down the ' Encumbered' ones to get them relaxed and their suffering bodies to heal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Assessment of the etiology of alexithymia is in most studies hindered by recall bias. The aim of the present study was to assess the significance of individual developmental factors at the age of 5 years for alexithymia in late adolescence. By using data from a child welfare center check-up at the age of 5 years, it was possible to avoid recall bias. Methods: The sample consisted of 723 subjects who were comprehensively examined at the age of 5 years at a child welfare center where their state of health and verbal, gross motor, visuomotor, socioemotional, and cognitive development were assessed. In late adolescence (mean age, 19 years) their alexithymic features were measured using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Results: In females, none of the developmental factors remained associated with later alexithymic features in the multivariate analyses. However, in males, emphasis on the variables measuring speech development was important. In particular, a variable measuring the ability to comply with multipart instructions, thus receptive language skills, was strongly related with alexithymic features in late adolescence. Conclusion: The results suggest that speech development is a significant factor in the developmental process of alexithymia, at least in males. It is possible that children who have impaired language skills and therefore struggle in social situations have a higher risk of developing alexithymia. This emphasizes the need for further research to assess how the inadequate speech development predisposes to the emergence of alexithymic features and whether it is a sex-specific phenomenon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: In a health survey of Finnish prisoners in 2006, the authors aimed to study frequency and gender differences in childhood physical and sexual abuse, and the connections of maltreatment in childhood to substance abuse and mental health among female and male prisoners.Design/methodology/approach: The sample consisted of 101 female prisoners, with 309 male prisoners for comparison. The subjects participated in a comprehensive field study consisting of several questionnaires, interviews, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I and II Disorders (SCID I, II) and a clinical medical examination including ICD-10 diagnoses.Findings: Both forms of abuse were more common among females than males (childhood physical abuse 25 per cent versus 15 per cent and childhood sexual abuse 32 per cent versus 7 per cent). Associations of childhood abuse with substance abuse and mental health were different among males and females. Family integrity was important only for males and in connection with drug dependence and antisocial personality disorder. The gender differences did not concur with those reported in studies on general populations.Originality/value: This is a part of the first comprehensive health survey of Finnish prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Specialized self-report questionnaires have been developed for detection of symptoms indicative of psychosis risk. The identification of at-risk individuals is typically based on sum scores, which assume equal severity and discriminability of all symptoms, and a single dimension of illness. Our aim was to test whether separable dimensions of risk could be identified in the general population. Methods: We explored the latent structure of one such questionnaire using full-information item factor analysis, deriving exploratory models from the PROD-Screen questionnaire responses of the adolescent generalpopulation based on the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort ( n = 6611). Results: A three-dimensional factor structure of positive, negative and general symptoms emerged. The factor structure, the appropriateness of the statistical model and the application of the results to the detection of heightened psychosis risk are discussed. Conclusions: In explicitly taking into account the multidimensionality and varying symptom severity of the included items, the current model provides an improvement in questionnaire-based assessment of psychosis risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation among young men exempted from compulsory military or civil service in Finland. Methods: The study involved a total of 356 men exempted from military or civil service. The research data were collected using questionnaires and register data. Results: One third of the young men exempted from compulsory military or civil service reported serious suicidal ideation. Of the men with serious suicidal ideation, one third had attempted suicide. Various childhood adversities and current stressful life events and problems were associated with suicidal ideation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were independently associated with suicidal ideation: maternal alcohol-related problems, changes in the family, discord with the boss over the past 12 months, and lack of social support. Accumulation of problems predicted suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Men exempted from compulsory military or civil service comprise an important target group in the prevention of suicide. In order to prevent suicidal behaviour among young men at risk, it is important to address the significance of social support and relationships, and likewise to be aware of early risk indicators such as maternal alcohol-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: Depression is a worldwide leading cause of morbidity and disability. Genetic studies have recently begun to elucidate its molecular aetiology. The authors investigated candidate genes of monoamine neurotransmission and early environmental risk factors for depressiveness in the genetically isolated population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (12 058 live births). Design: The authors ascertained and subdivided the study sample (n=5225) based on measures of early development and of social environment, and examined candidate genes of monoamine neurotransmission, many of which have shown prior evidence of a gene-environment interaction for affective disorders, namely SLC6A4, TPH2, COMT, MAOA and the dopamine receptor genes DRD1-DRD5. Results and conclusion: The authors observed no major genetic effects of the analysed variants on depressiveness. However, when measures of early development and of social environment were considered, some evidence of interaction was observed. Allelic variants of COMT interacted with high early developmental risk (p=0.005 for rs2239393 and p=0.02 for rs4680) so that the association with depression was detected only in individuals at high developmental risk group (p=0.0046 and β=0.056 for rs5993883-rs2239393-rs4680 risk haplotype CGG including Val158), particularly in males (p=0.0053 and β=0.083 for the haplotype CGG). Rs4274224 from DRD2 interacted with gender (p=0.017) showing a significant association with depressiveness in males (p=0.0006 and β=0.0023; p=0.00005 and β=0.069 for rs4648318-rs4274224 haplotype GG). The results support the role of genes of monoamine neurotransmission in the aetiology of depression conditional on environmental risk and sex, but not direct major effects of monoaminergic genes in this unselected population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armfield JM, Pohjola V, Joukamaa M, Mattila AK, Suominen AL, Lahti SM. Exploring the associations between somatization and dental fear and dental visiting. 
 Eur J Oral Sci 2011; 119: 288–293. © 2011 Eur J Oral Sci While somatization has been investigated as an important variable in relation to excessive health‐service utilization, its role in relation to dental visiting and dental fear has received limited attention. It was hypothesized that an excessive focus on physical symptoms might lead somatizers to experience dental treatment as more traumatic, resulting in greater dental fear. The aims of this study were to determine whether somatization was associated with dental fear, reduced dental visiting, and symptomatic visiting. Questionnaire data were collected from 5,806 dentate Finnish adults, with somatization measured using 12 items from the Symptom Check List (SCL‐90). Dental fear was measured using a single‐item question and dental visiting was assessed by questions relating to time since last dental visit and the usual reason for dental visiting. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that somatization has a statistically significant positive association with both dental fear and symptomatic dental visiting after controlling for age, gender, and education. However, the association between dental‐visiting frequency and somatization was not statistically significant. The results were consistent with the hypothesized role of somatization in the development of dental fear. Further investigation of how somatization is related to dental fear and dental‐service utilization appears warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to explore the associations of perceived social support and parental attitude with alexithymia in a Finnish adolescent population sample. Of the initial sample of 935 adolescents, 729 (78%) answered the questionnaire and formed the final sample. The mean age of the subjects was 19years (range 17–21years). The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used for assessment of alexithymia. Perceived social support from family, friends, and significant other people was measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Perceived parental care and overprotection were assessed using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), and separately for mother and father. After controlling for the sociodemographic factors, alexithymia was significantly associated with a lower degree of experienced social support and higher parental overprotection both in females and males. Maternal overprotection was associated (p <0.04) with TAS-20 total score as well as the Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF) and Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF) subscales. The lack of social support from friends appeared to predict alexithymia more strongly than lack of support from family and significant other people. Against our hypothesis, maternal and paternal care was not directly associated with alexithymic features. This study highlights the significance of intrusive and overprotective parental attitudes as a possible risk factor for development of alexithymia. However, to assess causality, we need longitudinal studies. The results also emphasize the need for further studies to establish the significance of peer relationships in the development of alexithymia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: It is suggested that the incidence of schizophrenia is decreasing. However, changes in the number of psychiatric beds available and diagnostic practice have not always been taken into account. We studied the annual first-admission rate (per 100,000) for schizophrenia (FARsch) during a rapid deinstitutionalisation period in Finland. Method: From the National Finnish Hospital discharge register, we identified all 30,041, 15- to 64-year-old patients admitted for the first time with schizophrenia to hospitals in Finland between 1980 and 2003. Results: FARsch decreased from 56.39 in 1980 to 29.51 in 1991 and slightly increased thereafter. Changes in FARsch corresponded with changes in all admissions. FARsch was higher when using ICD-8, but lower when DSM-IIIR and ICD-10 were used. Conclusion: Changes in the number of psychiatric beds available, admission policy and diagnostic practice may explain the majority of variations in FARsch. Possibly, increased use of illegal drugs and improved treatment of depression are reflected in the increase in FARsch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saariaho, T.H., Saariaho, A.S., Karila, I.A. & Joukamaa, M.I. (2011). Early maladaptive schemas in Finnish adult chronic pain patients and a control sample. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 146-153. suggested that negative physical or emotional experiences in childhood predispose to the development of chronic pain. Studies have shown that physical and sexual abuse in early life is connected with chronic pain. Emotional adversities are much less studied causes contributing to the development of chronic pain and disability. Early emotional abuse, neglect, maltreatment and other adversities are deleterious childhood experiences which, according to Young's schema theory (1990), produce early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). The primary goal of this study was to examine whether early adversities were more common in chronic pain patients than in a control group. A total of 271 (53% women) first-visit chronic pain patients and 331 (86% women) control participants took part in the study. Their socio-demographic data, pain variables and pain disability were measured. To estimate EMSs the Young Schema Questionnaire was used. Chronic pain patients scored higher EMSs reflecting incapacity to perform independently, catastrophic beliefs and pessimism. The most severely disabled chronic pain patients showed an increase in all the EMSs in the Disconnection and Rejection schema domain, namely Abandonment/Instability, Mistrust/Abuse, Emotional Deprivation, Defectiveness/Shame and Social Isolation/Alienation EMSs. The results of the study suggested that chronic pain patients had suffered early emotional maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pohjola V, Mattila AK, Joukamaa M, Lahti S. Anxiety and depressive disorders and dental fear among adults in Finland. Eur J Oral Sci 2011; 119: 55-60. © 2011 Eur J Oral Sci We studied the association between dental fear and anxiety or depressive disorders, as well as the comorbidity of dental fear with anxiety and depressive disorders, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, dental attendance, and dental health. Nationally representative data on Finnish adults, ≥ 30 yr of age ( n = 5,953), were gathered through interviews and clinical examination. Dental fear was measured using the question: 'How afraid are you of visiting a dentist?' Anxiety and/or depressive disorders were assessed using a standardized structured psychiatric interview according to criteria presented in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) (DSM-IV).Those with depressive disorders, generalized anxiety disorder or social phobia more commonly reported high dental fear than did those without these disorders. When age, gender, education, dental attendance, and the number of decayed, missing, and restored teeth were considered, those with generalized anxiety disorder were more likely to have high dental fear than were participants with neither anxiety nor depressive disorders. The comorbidity of depressive and anxiety disorders also remained statistically significantly associated with dental fear; those with both depressive and anxiety disorders were more likely to have high dental fear than were those without these disorders. Our findings support the suggestion that some individuals may have a personality that is vulnerable to dental fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our aim was to study the association between psychotic-like symptoms and inattention/hyperactivity symptoms in a general adolescent population. Subjects and methods: The sample is based on a population-based prospective mother-child birth cohort, the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. In the 15-16-year follow-up survey, the adolescents completed the Youth Self-Report questionnaire as well as the PROD-Screen questionnaire that addressed prodromal symptoms of psychosis. Meanwhile, their parents assessed inattention and hyperactive symptoms of their offspring by completing the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behaviors questionnaire ( N = 5,318). The cross-sectional associations between psychotic-like symptoms and inattention/hyperactivity symptoms were studied with logistic regression models. Results: The association between negative psychotic-like symptoms and inattention symptoms, especially the dreamy type of inattention symptoms (e.g., difficulties in organizing tasks, losing things, being forgetful), was statistically significant for both genders. Psychotic-like symptoms, however, were not associated with hyperactivity symptoms. Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate that an association between psychotic-like symptoms and attentional dysfunction, which has been found in clinical samples, is also present in a general adolescent population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aims of the study: The connection between chronic pain and traumatic experiences in childhood has been established in several studies. The association of emotional maltreatment with chronic pain has been studied, but to a lesser degree. Schema therapy is an extension of cognitive therapy and presents the early maladaptive schema (EMS) concept. EMSs reflect early, mainly emotional maltreatment. The aim of the present study was to examine the existence of EMSs, the association between EMSs and pain variables and EMS driven patterns. Patients and measures: The study consisted of 271 first visit pain patients. Their socio-demographic data, pain variables and pain disability were assessed. The presence of EMSs was measured using the Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form Extended. One hundred and three successive participants were also interviewed according to the cognitive case conceptualization. Results: More than half (58.3%) of the chronic pain patients scored EMSs as meaningful. The patients with meaningful EMSs had significantly higher pain intensity, duration of pain and pain disability. The two most frequently occurring EMSs in male pain patients were Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness (US) (36.2%) and Self-Sacrifice (SS) (23.6%) and in female pain patients SS (40.3%) and US (27.1%). The speech contents of five of the highest scoring US and SS male and female patients (n =20) were analyzed. The analyses showed schema driven behavior which exacerbated the pain situation. US and SS schemas had a stronger motivational effect on their behavior than the pain itself. Regression analyses showed that Self-Sacrifice schema in women and Emotional Deprivation schema in the total sample predicted pain disability as did pain intensity and the number of pain locations. Conclusions: This study suggested that a remarkable amount of chronic pain patients may suffer from early maladaptive schemas which have an effect on their current pain situation and may reflect underlying early emotional maltreatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To compare self-reported (SR) medication use and pharmacy data for major psychoactive medications and three classes of medications used for different indications, and to determine the socio-economic factors associated with the congruence. Methods: Postal questionnaire data collected in 1997 were compared with the register of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland on the reimbursed prescriptions purchased during 1997. Altogether 7625 subjects were included in this study. Drugs were categorized according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) system. Results: Kappa values were 0.77, 0.68, 0.84, 0.92 and 0.55 for antipsychotics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, antidiabetics and beta-blocking agents, respectively. Prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa values were almost perfect (0.98–1.00). Reliability of antipsychotics use was better for married subjects than for those who were not married; and of antidepressants use for highly educated and married subjects than for those who were less educated and were not married. Altogether 414 (5.4%) responders and 285 (7.1%) non-responders had used at least one of the selected medications. Conclusion: Agreement between the SR and pharmacy data was moderate for psychoactive medication use. Even though data collected by postal questionnaire may underestimate the prevalence of medication use due to non-participation it can be assumed accurate enough for study purposes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Earlier general population studies have shown that novelty seeking (NS) of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) of personality is lower for persons born in winter compared to those born in summer, particularly for women. Here, we investigate if this result can be replicated in another population. Method: The Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, comprising 4968 subjects (2725 women, 2243 men), was investigated with regard to the temperament dimensions of the TCI and the season of birth. Results: Novelty seeking and reward dependence (RD) showed significant variations according to the month of birth. We found that women born during winter have significantly lower levels of NS compared to women born during summer, with a minimum for the birth month November and maximum for May. These results are similar to those found in a previous Swedish study. Furthermore, our study showed that men born during spring had significantly lower mean scores of RD compared to men born during autumn, with a minimum for birth month March. This was in contrast to the Swedish study, where the minimum of RD was obtained for the birth month December. Conclusion: Women born in winter have lower NS as adults compared to women born in summer. Because NS is modulated by dopamine, this study gives further support to the studies in the literature that show that dopamine turnover for those born in winter is higher than for those born in summer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]