Publications by authors named "Kari Aaltonen"
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted in Finland to explore the mental health effects of home quarantine on individuals, focusing on symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- The research included 57 quarantined participants and a control group of 53 individuals, utilizing various psychological assessment tools to measure their well-being.
- Results indicated that while quarantined individuals reported higher levels of distress than controls, the overall impact on mental health was not severe enough to classify as a mental disorder.
Self-reported treatment adherence among psychiatric in- and outpatients.
Nord J Psychiatry
October 2018
Background: Poor adherence to psychiatric treatment is a common clinical problem, leading to unfavourable treatment outcome and increased healthcare costs.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the self-reported adherence and attitudes to outpatient visits and pharmacotherapy in specialized care psychiatric patients.
Methods: Within the Helsinki University Psychiatric Consortium (HUPC) pilot study, in- and outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SSA, n = 113), bipolar disorder (BD, n = 99), or depressive disorder (DD, n = 188) were surveyed about their adherence and attitudes towards outpatient visits and pharmacotherapy.
Article Synopsis
- Psychosis-like experiences (PEs) are frequently reported in patients with mood disorders, and childhood traumatic experiences (CEs) are significant risk factors, especially in those with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
- Research involving 282 patients revealed that cognitive symptoms associated with BPD (like identity disturbance and distrust) fully mediate the link between childhood trauma and the occurrence of PEs.
- Understanding these cognitive symptoms is crucial for better recognizing and treating co-morbid BPD features in patients experiencing PEs within mood disorders.
Article Synopsis
- The life expectancy of psychiatric patients is significantly shorter than the general population, partly due to high rates of smoking and substance use.
- A study found that 27.7% of psychiatric patients had substance use disorders, with notable gender differences and varying prevalence among specific disorders.
- Alcohol consumption linked to anxiety and borderline personality traits suggests the need for targeted preventive and treatment strategies focused on substance use in psychiatric care.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explores the impact of borderline personality disorder (BPD) features on the treatment of mood disorders, identifying high neuroticism, childhood traumatic experiences, and insecure attachment as potential contributing factors.
- - Using data from 282 psychiatric patients with mood disorders, researchers found strong correlations between BPD features and neuroticism, childhood trauma, and attachment anxiety, with young age and high neuroticism serving as significant predictors of BPD symptoms.
- - The research highlights that insecure attachment may partially mediate the connection between childhood trauma and BPD features in mood disorder patients, indicating the complexity of these relationships.