The sex effects scale: pilot validation in a healthy population.

Objective: Sexual dysfunction is frequently associated with depression and is often exacerbated by antidepressant treatment. The true prevalence of antidepressant minduced dysfunction during a major depressive episode is generally underreported, due to reliance on spontaneous self-report data and the reluctance of physicians to use standardized rating scales. The aim of this study is to validate the Sex Effects scale (SexFX) in a healthy population, addressing internal and inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, as well as convergent and divergent validity.

Frequency and correlates of gambling problems in outpatients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Objective: To investigate the frequency of gambling in people who have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD). Secondary objectives were to examine: sex differences in the rates of gambling behaviour, the temporal relation between onset of mood disorders and problem gambling, psychiatric comorbidities associated with problem gambling, and the influences of problem gambling on quality of life.

Method: People (aged 18 years and older) who met criteria for lifetime Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision-defined MDD or BD I or II, and were confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, were enrolled.

A double-blind comparison of sexual functioning, antidepressant efficacy, and tolerability between agomelatine and venlafaxine XR.

Impaired sexual function is associated with major depressive disorder in the untreated state and is often more prevalent during antidepressant therapy, which frequently results in poor treatment compliance. In this double-blind, multicenter study, the effects of agomelatine (an MT1 and MT2 agonist and 5HT-2C antagonist) and venlafaxine XR on sexual function were compared using the Sex Effects Scale in depressed patients. A total of 276 male and female patients received either agomelatine (50 mg) or venlafaxine XR (titrated to a target dose of 150 mg/d) for 12 weeks.

Screening for mental health problems among patients with substance use disorders: preliminary findings on the validation of a self-assessment instrument.

Objectives: We conducted a preliminary study on the validation of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) among patients seeking treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs).

Method: We assessed 76 patients with SUDs, using the PDSQ, followed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated.

Sexual function during bupropion or paroxetine treatment of major depressive disorder.

Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate sexual function (SF) separately in men and women with major depressive disorder (MDD) before and during treatment with bupropion sustained release (SR) or paroxetine. The secondary objectives involved a comparative evaluation of the Sex Effects Scale (Sex FX) and the Investigator-Rated Sexual Desire and Functioning Scale (IRSD-F), as well as a comparison of antidepressant outcomes and an examination of the relation between level of depression and SF over time.

Method: There were 141 patients (68 women and 73 men) who met DSM-IV criteria for a current major depressive episode.

Measuring the severity of depression and remission in primary care: validation of the HAMD-7 scale.

Background: Symptomatic remission is the optimal outcome in depression. A brief, validated tool for symptom measurement that can indicate when remission has occurred in mental health and primary care settings is unavailable. We evaluated a 7-item abbreviated version (HAMD-7) of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) in a randomized controlled clinical trial of patients with major depressive disorder being cared for in primary care settings.