A randomized controlled trial assessing behavioral, cognitive, emotional and physiological changes resulting from a communication skills training in physicians caring for cancer patients.

Objective: This randomized study assesses behavioral, cognitive, emotional and physiological changes resulting from a communication skills training (CST) for physicians caring for cancer patients.

Methods: Medical specialists (N = 90) were randomly assigned in groups to complete a manualized 30-h CST or to a waiting list. Assessments included behavioral (communication skills), cognitive (self-efficacy, sense of mastery), emotional (perceived stress) and physiological (heart rate) measures.

Towards a Vulnerability Model for Major Depressive Episodes.

Background: While many studies have investigated depression risk factors, few attempts have been made to weight, and compare them. Therefore, we conducted a prospective comparison of a sample of subjects suffering from major depressive disorder and a group of healthy subjects. We compared classic risk factors with internal elements such as personality, family dynamics and health locus of control.

From Family Surroundings to Intestinal Flora, A Literature Review Concerning Epigenetic Processes in Psychiatric Disorders.

Background: Some behaviors or psychiatric conditions seem to be inherited from parents or explain by family environment. We hypothesized interactions between epigenetic processes, inflammatory response and gut microbiota with family surroundings or environmental characteristics.

Subjects And Methods: We searched in literature interactions between epigenetic processes and psychiatric disorders with a special interest for environmental factors such as traumatic or stress events, family relationships and also gut microbiota.

How does physicians' decisional conflict influence their ability to address treatment outcomes in a decision-making encounter with an advanced-stage cancer simulated patient? A descriptive study.

Objectives: This descriptive study assesses how physicians' decisional conflict influences their ability to address treatment outcomes (TOs) in a decision-making encounter with an advanced-stage cancer simulated patient (SP).

Methods: Physicians (N = 138) performed a decision-making encounter with the SP trained to ask for TOs information. The physicians' decisional conflict regarding patients' cancer treatments in general was assessed with the General Decisional Conflict Scale (Gen-DCS).

Role of gut microbiota in the interaction between immunity and psychiatry: a literature review.

Background: Psychiatric disorders may be correlated with a low-grade systemic inflammation but the origin of this inflammatory response remains unclear and both genetics and environmental factors seems to be concerned. Recent researches observed that gut microbiota seems to have an impact on the brain and immune processes.

Method: We review recent literature to a better understanding of how microbiota interacts with brain, immunity and psychiatric disorders.

Correlations between event-related potentials and NK cells, B and T lymphocytes.

Background: The links between psychiatry and immune dysfunctions are well known. By contrast, there are few studies that evaluate the link between neuroelectrophysiology and immune system disturbances.

Subjects And Methods: We retrospectively included 31 patients hospitalized between 2011 and 2012.

Immunity and psychiatric disorders: variabilities of immunity biomarkers are they specific?

Background: In previous studies we showed the interaction between depression and immunity. We observed that psychological stress seems to be important in this association. In this review we try to understand if psychological stress and immunity have similar or specific impact on the other psychiatric disorders.

Depression and physical health, the therapeutic alliance and antidepressants.

Background: In a two-year study we compared the efficacy of noradrenergic (duloxetine D) and serotonergic (escitalopram E) antidepressants with and without the addition of 100 mg acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in subjects suffering from a major depressive episode (MDE). The results showed that the D + ASA (DASA) group improved more rapidly than the E + placebo (EP) subgroup. In particular, Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) scores improved as early as two months, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores improved at five months, and remission rates were better.

Depression and Immunity: a Psychosomatic Unit.

Background: The effects of depression on the immune system are well known. Recently, depression as a consequence of an immune disorder has received increased research attention. Here, we test the hypothesis that the depression-immunity association is a buffer zone between external stimuli, defence mechanisms, and intrinsic determinants.

Selective Serotonergic (SSRI) Versus Noradrenergic (SNRI) Reuptake Inhibitors with and without Acetylsalicylic Acid in Major Depressive Disorder.

Background: Antidepressant medication efficacy remains a major research challenge. Here, we explored four questions: whether noradrenergic antidepressants are more effective than serotonergic antidepressants; whether the addition of 100 mg acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) changes antidepressant efficacy; whether the long-term efficacy differs depending on the antidepressant and the addition of ASA; and whether serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are clinically informative.

Subjects And Methods: In a two-year study, forty people with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to groups that received an SSRI (escitalopram) or an SNRI (duloxetine), each group received concomitant ASA (100 mg) or a placebo.

Returning to Work after a Common Mental Health Disorder: a New Preoccupation for Mental Health Professionals?

Background: Since 2010, the Belgian mental healthcare system has been involved in a structural reform: the main objective of this reorganisation is to foster the reintegration in the community of patients suffering from a mental health disorder. In parallel, the role of mental health professionals has evolved these last years: from a strictly clinical role, to the preoccupation with the rehabilitation of social competencies such as enhancing patients' abilities to return to work. The aim of this paper is to explore, specifically for patients hospitalized for a common mental health disorder, the predictive variables of returning to work within 6 months after hospitalization (RTW6).

The Psycho-Immunological Model As a Psychosomatic Entity: a Literature Review of Interactions between Depression and Immunity.

Background: A large amount of evidence has already shown associations between depression and immunity, a bi-directional relationship seems to be increasingly evident. We showed in several precedent studies that family dynamics (Dubois et al. 2016, Zdanowicz et al.

Development of the Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Patient Outcome Predictions (MD.POP) during medical encounters.

Objective: Our first objective was to develop the Multi-Dimensional analysis of Patient Outcome Predictions (MD.POP), an interaction analysis system that assesses how HCPs discuss precisely and exclusively patient outcomes during medical encounters. The second objective was to study its interrater reliability.

Communication about uncertainty and hope: A randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of a communication skills training program for physicians caring for cancer patients.

Background: Although previous studies have reported the efficacy of communication skills training (CST) programs, specific training addressing communication about uncertainty and hope in oncology has not yet been studied. This paper describes the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of a CST program aimed at improving physician ability to communicate about uncertainty and hope in encounters with cancer patients.

Methods/design: Physician participants will be randomly assigned in groups (n = 3/group) to a 30-h CST program (experimental group) or to a waiting list (control group).

Predictors of physicians' communication performance in a decision-making encounter with a simulated advanced-stage cancer patient: A longitudinal study.

Objectives: Physicians' characteristics that influence their communication performance (CP) in decision-making encounters have been rarely studied. In this longitudinal study, predictors of physicians' CP were investigated with a simulated advanced-stage cancer patient.

Methods: Physicians (n=85) performed a decision-making encounter with a simulated patient (SP).

Cognitive compensatory processes of older, clinically fit patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy: A longitudinal cohort study.

Objective: Despite the well-known negative impacts of cancer and anticancer therapies on cognitive performance, little is known about the cognitive compensatory processes of older patients with cancer. This study was designed to investigate the cognitive compensatory processes of older, clinically fit patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: We assessed 89 consecutive patients (age ≥ 65 y) without severe cognitive impairment and 89 age-, sex-, and education level-matched healthy controls.

Depression, gender and cellular immunity: influence of gender and severity of depression on the cellular immunity.

Background: Exposure to stress modifies the humoral and cellular immunity by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. On one hand, this psycho-immunological theory allows the analyse of links between immunity and depression. On the other hand, the correlation between the immune response, the clinical expression in major depressive disorder (MDD) and the gender was proven.

Ways of coping and multidimensional health locus of control in hospitalized depressed patients admitted through the emergency department or consultations.

Background: In a previous study, we compared the family relationships of patients hospitalized in a psychiatry unit from either psychiatric consultations or after passing emergency room (E.R.).

Depression, family and immunity: influence of humoral immunity on family relationships and on the severity of depression.

Background: Previous study shows that cellular immunity and family relationships are each correlated with the severity of depression and suggests that the psycho-immunological theory should look at the relation between immunity and family life. The aim of the present study based on the same sample is to investigate if similar correlations exist with humoral immunity.

Subjects And Method: 498 inpatients with major depressive disorder were enrolled in an open-label trial.

Comparison of components of the depression of hospitalized patients admitted through the emergency department or consultations.

Background: In a previous study, we investigated the risk of admission to emergency (ER) of depressed patients prior to their hospitalization in psychiatry in comparison with hospitalized patients transferred from the consultations department (Cdpt). In the present study, we compare among the same patients variables affecting the intensity of depression in each group.

Method: All patients with Major depressive disorder admitted in our department through emergencies (N=146) or consultations (N=2172) between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012 were included in an open study.

Liaison psychiatry and bariatric surgery: double standards. What are the possibilities for the systematization of the pre-operative psychiatric assessment in Belgium?

Background: In the context of health care in Belgium, the psychological or psychiatric opinion of a multidisciplinary team is required in the assessment of bariatric surgery candidates. In clinical practice, a wide variety of liaison psychiatry assessment methods exist.

Subjects And Methods: On the basis of a post-operative psychiatric comorbidity case report and a literature review on "liaison psychiatry and bariatric surgery" we aim to identify opportunities for the systematization of bariatric pre-surgery psychiatric evaluation.

Vulnerabilities in Older Patients when Cancer Treatment is Initiated: Does a Cognitive Impairment Impact the Two-Year Survival?

Introduction: Dementia is a known predictor of shorter survival times in older cancer patients. However, no empirical evidence is available to determine how much a cognitive impairment shortens survival in older patients when cancer treatment is initiated.

Purpose: To longitudinally investigate how much a cognitive impairment detected at the initiation of cancer treatment influences survival of older patients during a two-year follow-up duration and to compare the predictive value of a cognitive impairment on patients survival with the predictive value of other vulnerabilities associated with older age.

Is it possible to improve communication around radiotherapy delivery: A randomized study to assess the efficacy of team training?

Background And Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 38-h communication skills training program designed for multidisciplinary radiotherapy teams.

Materials And Methods: Four radiotherapy teams were randomly assigned to a training program or to a waiting list. Assessments were scheduled at baseline (T1) and then after the training was completed or four months later (T2), respectively.