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Background Postpartum depression affects parents of newborns. Major depression causes cognitive prejudice. Nothing is known about memory impairment in those affected of postpartum depression. This study has a purpose to assess working and short-term memories during the postpartum period in mothers and fathers in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil and also to correlate the changes in memory with postpartum depression, sociodemographic factors and possible confounding factors. Methods This cross-sectional study includes families assisted by the public health system. The sample consisted of fathers and mothers of live births, born from March to December 2008. The participants were evaluated during home visits using the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the word span test. The cutoff point for depression in the EPDS scores was ≥ 13, and the word span scores were evaluated as discrete variables. Results The sample consisted of 395 individuals (222 women and 173 men). The prevalence of depression was 16.2% among mothers and 5.2% among fathers. Depressed individuals performed worse on the memory test. Limitations The number of men evaluated was smaller than that of women. That's a transversal study, so we have the prevalence bias. Conclusions This study shows that postpartum depression affects both men and women, and the symptoms of depression affect the working and short-term memories of affected individuals. Given that this was a larger study than those in the literature, the results emphasize the importance of detecting and treating postpartum depression and helping affected families.

Objetivos: O objetivo principal desta pesquisa foi avaliar a relação entre a contratransferência (CT) e a aliança terapêutica (AT) no início da psicoterapia psicodinâmica. O objetivo secundário é avaliar a associação da CT com as variáveis da dupla e da CT com as demais variáveis do paciente avaliadas, que foram os mecanismos de defesa, sintomatologia e funcionalidade. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo transversal com 30 pacientes do ambulatório de psicoterapia de dois serviços de psiquiatria, atendidos por 17 terapeutas. As avaliações ocorreram entre quarto e décimo encontros da dupla. Resultados: A dimensão da CT distância apresentou correlação negativa moderada com a AT, especialmente sua dimensão que representa a capacidade de trabalho em terapia do paciente. Foram verificadas correlações moderadas positivas entre CT distância e cisão e entre CT proximidade e supressão, além da correlação moderada negativa da CT indiferença com fantasia. Outro dado encontrado foi a presença de maiores níveis da CT indiferença diante de pacientes da classe socioeconômica D e E. Conclusões: A qualidade da CT pode servir de fonte de informações sobre a AT. A presença de alta CT que indica distância está relacionada a baixa AT, sobretudo em relação a capacidade de trabalho do paciente, ainda que a presença de cisão pode influenciar a CT, de forma que representa uma variável de confusão. A CT é um conceito útil ao psicoterapeuta, servindo como fonte de informações sobre o mundo interno do paciente e sobre elementos da psicoterapia, como a qualidade da AT, importante para os bons resultados dos tratamentos. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationship between countertransference (CT) and therapeutic alliance (TA) during the early stages of psychodynamic psychotherapy. A secondary objective is to assess associations between CT and variables related to therapist and patient and between CT and other patient variables investigated, which were defense mechanisms, symptomology and functionality. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 30 patients treated by 17 different therapists at the psychotherapy clinics of two psychiatry centers. Assessments of each patient-therapist pair were conducted between their fourth and 10th sessions. Results: The CT distance domain exhibited a moderate negative correlation with TA, particularly its sub-dimension representing the patient’s capacity for work in therapy. Moderate positive correlations were observed between CT distance and the splitting defense mechanism and between CT closeness and suppression defenses, in addition to moderate negative correlation between CT indifference and the fantasy defense mechanism. Another finding was higher scores for CT indifference in association with socioeconomic classes D and E. Conclusions: The quality of CT may provide a source of information about TA. A high degree of CT distance represents a low level of TA, particularly with relation to the patient’s working capacity, although presence of the splitting defense mechanism can affect CT, to the extent that it constitutes a confounding variable. The concept of CT is useful to psychotherapists, providing a source of information about the patient’s internal world and about certain elements of therapy, such as the quality of TA, which is important for good treatment results.

Com o objetivo de estudar a validade do Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) no rastreio de episódio depressivo maior na população geral, conduziu-se um estudo de base populacional em Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Os domicílios foram sorteados por amostragem em múltiplos estágios, sendo os adultos (> 20 anos) convidados a participar. O padrão ouro foi a entrevista diagnóstica estruturada Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) aplicada por psiquiatras e psicólogos. Tanto o PHQ-9 quanto o MINI foram aplicados no domicílio. Em um total de 447 participantes (191 homens e 256 mulheres) a análise contínua identificou o ponto de corte > 9 como de máxima sensibilidade (77,5%; 61,5-89,2) e especificidade (86,7%; 83,0-89,9). Usando o algoritmo do teste, houve diminuição da sensibilidade para 42,5% (27,0-59,1), enquanto que a especificidade aumentou para 95,3% (92,8-97,2). O PHQ-9 mostrou-se apropriado para rastreamento de episódio depressivo maior. Pela maior sensibilidade, o PHQ-9 pontuado de forma contínua mostrou-se mais adequado do que o algoritmo para rastreamento de episódio depressivo maior na comunidade. This population-based study focused on the validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for screening major depressive episodes in the general population in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Households were selected by multi-stage sampling, and adults (> 20 years) were invited to participate. The gold standard was the structured diagnostic Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), applied by psychiatrists and psychologists. Both the PHQ-9 and the MINI were applied in the subjects' homes. In a total of 447 participants (191 men and 256 women), the continuous analysis identified > 9 as the cutoff point with the highest sensitivity (77.5%; 61.5-89.2) and specificity (86.7%; 83.0- 89.9). Use of the test's algorithm decreased the sensitivity to 42.5% (27.0-59.1), while the specificity increased to 95.3% (92.8-97.2). The PHQ-9 proved appropriate for screening major depressive episodes. For greater sensitivity, the continuously scored PHQ-9 proved more adequate than the algorithm for screening major depressive episodes in the community. Con el objetivo de evaluar la validez del Cuestionario de Salud del Paciente-9 (PHQ-9) en la detección de un episodio depresivo mayor en la población general, se llevó a cabo un estudio de base poblacional en la ciudad de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Los hogares se seleccionaron al azar a través de muestreo multietápico, siendo solo invitados a participar los adultos (> 20 años). El padrón de primer orden fue la Mini Entrevista Neuropsiquiátrica Internacional (MINI), aplicada por psiquiatras y psicólogos. Ambos instrumentos fueron aplicados en la casa del participante. De un total de 447 participantes (191 hombres y 256 mujeres), el análisis continuo mostró un punto de corte > 9 como el de máxima sensibilidad (77,5%; 61,5-89,2) y especificidad (86,7%; 83,0-89,9) para la identificación de un episodio depresivo mayor. Al utilizar el algoritmo del test, la sensibilidad disminuyó a un 42,5% (27,0-59,1), mientras que la especificidad aumento a un 95,3% (92,8-97,2). El PHQ-9 mostró ser adecuado para el cribado de un episodio depresivo mayor. Debido a la sensibilidad más alta, el PHQ-9 marcado como una variable continua fue más adecuado que el algoritmo para la detección de episodio depresivo mayor en la comunidad.

This population-based study focused on the validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for screening major depressive episodes in the general population in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Households were selected by multi-stage sampling, and adults (20 years) were invited to participate. The gold standard was the structured diagnostic Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), applied by psychiatrists and psychologists. Both the PHQ-9 and the MINI were applied in the subjects' homes. In a total of 447 participants (191 men and 256 women), the continuous analysis identified9 as the cutoff point with the highest sensitivity (77.5%; 61.5-89.2) and specificity (86.7%; 83.0- 89.9). Use of the test's algorithm decreased the sensitivity to 42.5% (27.0-59.1), while the specificity increased to 95.3% (92.8-97.2). The PHQ-9 proved appropriate for screening major depressive episodes. For greater sensitivity, the continuously scored PHQ-9 proved more adequate than the algorithm for screening major depressive episodes in the community.