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Whilst child abuse experiences can often be found among prisoners, whether they would co-exist with emotional suppression to influence interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity is unknown. 428 prisoners from three prisons in Anhui and Guangdong, China, were recruited from January to March 2020. They completed questionnaires measuring child abuse experiences, emotional suppression, interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity. Latent profile analysis supported a three-profile solution: Profile one prisoners had the highest levels of child abuse with a tendency not to suppress distressing emotions (a high-abuse group). Profile two had the lowest levels of child abuse with a tendency to suppress emotions (a low-abuse group 1). Profile three prisoners were similar to Profile two except that the former experienced significantly higher physical and emotional abuse levels than did profile two (a low-abuse group 2). Profile one showed significantly higher levels of fragile inner self and depression than the other two profiles. They also reported significantly higher levels of interpersonal sensitivity and co-morbid psychiatric symptoms, except social dysfunction, than profile two individuals. Profile three prisoners reported significantly higher levels of most interpersonal sensitivity and co-morbid psychiatric symptoms than profile two individuals. The severity of child abuse experiences and tendency to suppress or express emotional distress can affect levels of interpersonal difficulties and psychological distress among Chinese prisoners., Author(s): Zilan Ye [sup.1] , Man Cheung Chung [sup.1] , Xiaohua Di [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10784.3a, 0000 0004 1937 0482, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, , Hong Kong, [...]

: Introduction: Gay and bisexual men (GBM) are at increased risk of hepatitis C/HIV co?infection. In Australia, the availability of subsidized direct?acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C has rendered eliminating co?infection possible. High reinfection rates in subgroups with continued exposure may compromise elimination efforts. To inform the development of hepatitis C risk reduction support in GBM, we explored reinfection risk perceptions and attitudes among GBM living with HIV recently cured from hepatitis C. Methods: Between April and August 2017, 15 GBM living with diagnosed HIV were recruited from high caseload HIV primary care services in Melbourne following successful hepatitis C treatment. In?depth interviews were conducted exploring understandings of hepatitis C risks, experiences of co?infection and attitudes towards reinfection. Constructivist grounded theory guided data aggregation. Results: Participants? understandings of their hepatitis C infection and reinfection trajectories were captured in three categories. Hepatitis C and HIV disease dichotomies: Hepatitis C diagnosis was a shock to most participants and contrasted with feelings of inevitability associated with HIV seroconversion. While HIV was normalized, hepatitis C was experienced as highly stigmatizing. Despite injecting drug use, interviewees did not identify with populations typically at risk of hepatitis C. Risk environments and avoiding reinfection: Interviewees identified their social and sexual networks as risk?perpetuating environments where drug use was ubiquitous and higher risk sex was common. Avoiding these risk environments to avoid reinfection resulted in community disengagement, leaving many feeling socially isolated. Hepatitis C care as a catalyst for change: Engagement in hepatitis C care contributed to a better understanding of hepatitis C risks. Interviewees were committed to applying their improved competencies around transmission risk reduction to avoid reinfection. Interviewees also considered hepatitis C care as a catalyst to reduce their drug use. Conclusions: Hepatitis C/HIV co?infection among GBM cannot be understood in isolation from co?occurring drug use and sex, nor as separate from their HIV infection. Hepatitis C prevention must address subcultural heterogeneity and the intersectionality between multiple stigmatized social identities. Hepatitis C care presents an opportunity to provide support beyond cure. Peer support networks could mitigate social capital loss following a commitment to behaviour change and reduce hepatitis C reinfection risks., Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant public health threat; in 2015, an estimated 71 million people worldwide had chronic HCV infection. Due to shared modes of transmission, [...]

Objectives To examine to what extent availability of social integration affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in former intensive care unit (ICU) patients and how it relates to corresponding findings in a general reference group. Design Controlled, multicenter, prospective, explorative study. Setting and patients HRQoL data (SF-36) were collected from three combined medical and surgical ICUs in the south-east of Sweden. Social integration was assessed by the Availability of Social Integration (AVSI) instrument (seven questions related to the social interaction of the patient). As reference group, a random sample (n = 6,093) of people from the uptake area of the hospitals was used. Social integration (AVSI), HRQoL (SF-36), and comorbidity were examined also in the reference group. Interventions None. Measurements and results The level of social integration significantly affected HRQoL for the former ICU patients, whereas no such effect was seen for the general reference group. For the ICU patients, social integration affected HRQoL to a larger extent than age, sex, and the ICU-related factors examined, but to a lower extent than the pre-existing diseases. Conclusions For a comprehensive assessment of HRQoL in former ICU patients, it is mandatory to include the effect of social integration., Author(s): Lotti Orwelius [sup.1] [sup.3], Carl Bäckman [sup.4] [sup.6], Mats Fredrikson [sup.4], Eva Simonsson [sup.7], Peter Nordlund [sup.7], Anders Samuelsson [sup.1] [sup.3], Folke Sjöberg [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.04.012 Byline: G. Martinotti (a), V. Carli (b), D. Tedeschi (a), M. Di Giannantonio (c), A. Roy (d), L. Janiri (a), M. Sarchiapone (b) Keywords: Polysubstance dependence; Comorbidity; Childhood trauma; Personality; Suicidal behaviour Abstract: The study aimed to examine the clinical correlates of polysubstance dependence. Author Affiliation: (a) Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy (b) Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy (c) Institute of Psychology, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy (d) New Jersey VA Healthcare System, Psychiatry Service, East Orange, USA

It is important to understand the epidemiology of intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by both males and females. Data were drawn from the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The relationships between physical IPV and child abuse, mental disorders, and suicidal ideation and attempts among males and females were examined. The results indicate that child sexual abuse was associated with IPV among males, whereas child physical and sexual abuse was associated with IPV among females. IPV was associated with poor mental health outcomes for males and females, although sex differences are noted. The sex differences indicate that females experience a wider range of poor mental health outcomes compared to males. Knowledge about correlates of IPV can be useful in identifying individuals exposed to violence. Further research is required to identify effective methods to reduce exposure to IPV and to adequately address the specific needs of male and female victims of IPV. Keywords: child abuse; intimate partner violence; mental disorders, suicidal ideation and attempts

This article examines Gene x Environment (G x E) interactions in two comorbid developmental disorders--reading disability (RD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)--as a window on broader issues on G x E interactions in developmental psychology. The authors first briefly review types of G x E interactions, methods for detecting them, and challenges researchers confront in interpreting such interactions. They then review previous evidence for G x E interactions in RD and ADHD, the directions of which are opposite to each other: bioecological for RD and diathesis stress for ADHD. Given these results, the authors formulate and test predictions about G x E interactions that would be expected at the favorable end of each symptom dimension (e.g., above-average reading or attention). Consistent with their prediction, the authors found initial evidence for a resilience interaction for above-average reading: higher heritability in the presence of lower parental education. However, they did not find a G x E interaction at the favorable end of the ADHD symptom dimension. The authors conclude with implications for future research. Keywords: Gene x Environment interactions, reading disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bioecological interactions, diathesis-stress interactions

This article reports findings of an exploratory study of 71 parents with substance abuse conditions involved in a child dependency court. Over half (59%) of the parents had a co-occurring mental health condition. Parents with co-occurring conditions (PWCC) differed in several important ways from those with only substance abuse conditions. PWCC were also more likely than their case managers were to report a need for mental health treatment. Implications for child welfare practice and research are offered., Parental substance abuse has dearly been identified as a major contributing factor in cases of child abuse and neglect since the mid-1980s. Current estimates from national studies suggest that 50 [...]

Studies of the social lives of men and women living with co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and serious mental illness) suggest that social networks critically influence recovery. In this paper, we examine some of the reasons that the social networks of individuals with co-occurring disorders are small, and the impact of small networks for this population. Using a social capital framework with cross-case analysis, we analyze 72 in-depth qualitative interviews with 39 formerly homeless mentally ill men and women who were substance abusers. All were participants in the New York Services Study (NYSS), a federally funded study of mentally ill adults in New York City. The patterns suggest that networks shrunk because (1) social network members died prematurely, (2) study participants withdrew or pushed others away, and (3) friends and family members faced so many obstacles of their own that they could not provide resources for the study participants. We suggest that as networks diminished, some participants responded by attempting to rebuild their networks, even if the networks provided negative social capital, and others isolated themselves socially to escape the pressures and disappointments of interaction. Keywords: USA; New York Services Study (NYSS); Social capital; Social networks; Co-occurring disorders; Mental illness; Homeless; Substance abuse

Purpose: On average, adults aged 60 years or older have 2.2 chronic diseases, contributing to the over 60 million Americans with multiple morbidities. We aimed to understand the financial implications of the most frequent multiple morbidities among older adults. Design and Methods: We analyzed Health and Retirement Study data, determining out-of-pocket medical expenses from 1998 and 2002 separately and examining differences in the impact of multiple-morbidity constellations on these expenses. We paid particular attention to the most common disease constellations- hypertension, arthritis, and heart disease. Results: An increasing prevalence of multiple morbidity (58% compared with 70% of adults had two or more chronic conditions in 1998 and 2002, respectively) was accompanied by escalating out-of-pocket expenditures ($2,164 in 1998, increasing by 104% to $3,748 in 2002). Individuals with two, three, and four chronic conditions had health care expenditure increases of 41%, 85%, and 100%, respectively, over 4 years. Such patterns were particularly noticeable among the oldest old, those with higher educational attainment, and women, although having supplementary health insurance or Medicaid mitigated these expenses. Finally, there were significant differences in out-of-pocket expenditure levels among the multiple-morbidity combinations. Implications: Increasing rates of multiple marbidities in conjunction with escalating health care costs and stable or declining incomes among elders warrant creative attention from providers, researchers, and policy makers. Further understanding how specific multiple-morbidity constellations impact out-of-pocket spending moves us closer to effective interventions to support vulnerable elders. Key Words: Multiple morbidity, Medical expenditures, Financial status

Social anxiety disorder (SaD) or social phobia is a co-morbid affective disorder in schizophrenia, present in up to one in three individuals. We employ 'social rank' theory to predict that one pathway to social anxiety in schizophrenia is triggered by the anticipation of a catastrophic loss of social status that the stigma of schizophrenia can entail. A group of 79 people with a first episode of psychosis were assessed for social anxiety: hypotheses were tested comparing 23 socially anxious and 56 non-anxious patients on measures of cognitive appraisals of shame/stigma of psychosis and perceived social status, controlling for depression, psychotic symptoms and general psychopathology. Participants with social anxiety experienced greater shame attached to their diagnosis and felt that the diagnosis placed them apart from others, i.e., socially marginalised them and incurred low social status. We propose a stigma model of social anxiety that makes testable predictions about how the shame beliefs may contaminate social interaction and thereby exacerbate and maintain social phobia. Keywords: Psychosis; Social anxiety; First episode; Shame

Objective To investigate whether high estimates of the burden of depression could be attributed to an overestimation of disability weights (reflecting more severe disability). Methods We derived disability weights that were tailored to prevalence data. Empirical disability data from a Dutch community survey was used to describe three classes of severity of depression and their proportional prevalence. We obtained valuations from experts for each class and calculated the overall disability weight for depression. Findings Expert valuations were similar to those of previous studies. The overall disability weight for depression was similar to other studies except the 1994 Dutch Burden of Disease Calculation, which it exceeded by 73%. The Iower Dutch 1994 disability weight resulted from an overestimation of the proportion of mild cases of depression by experts (60% versus 27% observed in the empirical data used in the present study). Conclusion This study found no indication that disability associated with depression was overestimated. The Dutch example showed the importance of tailoring disability weights to epidemiological data on prevalence. Keywords Depressive disorder, Major; Disability evaluation; Disabled persons/statistics; Cost of illness; Comparative study; Netherlands (source: MeSH, NLM). Mots cles Depression involutive; Evaluation incapacite; Handicape/statistique; Cout maladie; Etude comparative; Pays-Bas (source: MeSH, INSERM). Palabras clave Depresion involutiva; Evaluacion de la incapacidad; Personas incapacitadas/estadistica; Costo de la enfermedad; Estudio comparativo; Paises Bajos (fuente: DeCS, BIREME)., Introduction One of the major findings of the 1990 global burden of disease study was the importance of major depression as a contributor to the worldwide disease burden, with an [...]