Learning Outcomes of e-Learning in Psychotherapy Training and Comparison With Conventional Training Methods: Systematic Review.

Background: Mental disorders pose a major public health problem in most western countries. The demand for services for common mental health disorders has been on the rise despite the widespread accessibility of medication. Especially, the supply and demand for evidence-based psychotherapy do not align.

Finnish Psychotherapy Quality Register: rationale, development, and baseline results.

Background: The push to systematically follow treatment outcomes in psychotherapies to improve health care is increasing worldwide. To manage psychotherapeutic services and facilitate tailoring of therapy according to feedback a comprehensive and feasible data system is needed.

Aims: To describe the Finnish Psychotherapy Quality Register (FPQR), a comprehensive database on availability, quality, and outcomes of psychotherapies.

The role of ethical analysis in conducting a health technology assessment of medical treatments for gender dysphoria.

Objectives: Treatment seeking for gender dysphoria (GD) has increased manifold in western countries. This has led to increased interest on evidence-base of treatments, but also discussions related to human rights, identity politics, gender-related structures, and medicalization. Combining these discourses into coherent health policy is difficult.

Identifying Local and Centralized Mental Health Services-The Development of a New Categorizing Variable.

The challenges of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) require shifting of the balance of resources from institutional care to community care. In order to track progress, an instrument that can describe these attributes of MHS is needed. We created a coding variable in the European Service Mapping Schedule-Revised (ESMS-R) mapping tool using a modified Delphi panel that classified MHS into centralized, local services with gatekeeping and local services without gatekeeping.

Outcome of depressive and anxiety disorders among young adults: Results from the Longitudinal Finnish Health 2011 Study.

Purpose Of The Study: We investigated the outcomes and outcome predictors of depressive and anxiety disorders in a general population sample of young adults with a lifetime history of these disorders.

Materials And Methods: The study sample was derived from a nationally representative two-stage cluster sample of Finns aged 19-34 years. The original study was carried out in 2003-2005, and the follow-up in 2011.

Mortality in people with psychotic disorders in Finland: A population-based 13-year follow-up study.

Objectives: We conducted a population based study aiming at finding predictors of mortality in psychotic disorders and evaluating the extent to which sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related factors explain the excess mortality.

Methods: In a nationally representative sample of Finns aged 30-70years (n=5642), psychotic disorders were diagnosed using structured interviews and medical records in 2000-2001. Information on mortality and causes of death was obtained of those who died by the end of year 2013.

Regional Correlates of Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment.

Current reforms of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) emphasize community-based care and the downsizing of psychiatric hospitals. Reductions in acute and semi-acute hospital beds are achieved through shortened stays or by avoiding hospitalization. Understanding the factors that drive the current inpatient treatment provision is essential.

Predictors of new-onset depressive disorders - Results from the longitudinal Finnish Health 2011 Study.

Background: Identifying risk factors for depression is important for understanding etiological mechanisms and targeting preventive efforts. No prior studies have compared risk factors of dysthymia and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a longitudinal setting.

Methods: Predictors of new-onset MDD and dysthymia were examined in a longitudinal general population study (Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys, BRIF8901).

Cost-effectiveness of apixaban and warfarin in the prevention of thromboembolic complications among atrial fibrillation patients.

Background: To reduce the risk of thromboembolic complications, clinical guidelines recommend anticoagulation treatment for almost all atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Although warfarin has long been the primary treatment alternative, now newer alternatives such as apixaban have proven effective in prevention of the thromboembolic complications of non-valvular AF. The aim of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of apixaban when compared with warfarin in the prevention of AF-associated thromboembolic complications in Finland.

Treatment adequacy of anxiety disorders among young adults in Finland.

Background: Anxiety disorders are common in early adulthood, but general population studies concerning the treatment adequacy of anxiety disorders taking into account appropriate pharmacological and psychological treatment are scarce. The aims of this study were to examine treatments received for anxiety disorders in a Finnish general population sample of young adults, and to define factors associated with receiving minimally adequate treatment and with dropping out from treatment.

Methods: A questionnaire containing several mental health screens was sent to a nationally representative two-stage cluster sample of 1894 Finns aged 19 to 34 years.

Prognosis of depressive disorders in the general population- results from the longitudinal Finnish Health 2011 Study.

Background: Depressive disorders are among the most pressing public health challenges worldwide. Yet, not enough is known about their long-term outcomes. This study examines the course and predictors of different outcomes of depressive disorders in an eleven-year follow-up of a general population sample.

Treatment received and treatment adequacy of depressive disorders among young adults in Finland.

Background: Under-treated depression may be especially harmful in early adulthood. The aims of this study are to describe treatments received for depressive disorders, to define factors associated with treatment adequacy and dropouts from treatment in a Finnish general population sample of young adults.

Methods: A nationally representative two-stage cluster sample of 1894 Finns aged 19 to 34 years was sent a questionnaire containing several mental health screens.

Lung function and respiratory diseases in people with psychosis: population-based study.

Background: There is little information on lung function and respiratory diseases in people with psychosis.

Aims: To compare the respiratory health of people with psychosis with that of the general population.

Method: In a nationally representative sample of 8028 adult Finns, lung function was measured by spirometry.

Health-related quality of life 6 months after burns among hospitalized patients: Predictive importance of mental disorders and burn severity.

Rationale: Major burns are likely to have a strong impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We investigated the level of and predictors for quality of life at 6 months after acute burn.

Methods: Consecutive acute adult burn patients (n=107) admitted to the Helsinki Burn Centre were examined with a structured diagnostic interview (SCID) at baseline, and 92 patients (86%) were re-examined at 6 months after injury.

Prevalence and correlates of major depressive disorder and dysthymia in an eleven-year follow-up--results from the Finnish Health 2011 Survey.

Background: Up-to-date epidemiological data on depressive disorders is needed to understand changes in population health and health care utilization. This study aims to assess the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia in the Finnish population and possible changes during the past 11 years.

Methods: In a nationally representative sample of Finns aged 30 and above (BRIF8901), depressive disorders were diagnosed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) in 2000 and 2011.

Mental and somatic health and pre- and post-migration factors among older Somali refugees in Finland.

Mental and somatic health was compared between older Somali refugees and their pair-matched Finnish natives, and the role of pre-migration trauma and post-migration stressors among the refugees. One hundred and twenty-eight Somalis between 50-80 years of age were selected from the Somali older adult population living in the Helsinki area (N = 307). Participants were matched with native Finns by gender, age, education, and civic status.

Association of stigma resistance with emotion regulation - functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological findings.

Background: [corrected] Personal characteristics contribute to whether negative attitudes in society are internalized as deteriorating self-stigma. Studies in healthy subjects suggest that resilience is associated with the regulation of amygdala activation by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but little is known about the factors that contribute to individual stigma resistance in psychiatric patients.

Methods: We assessed stigma (by measuring association strengths between social inferiority and schizophrenia by an implicit association test) in 20 patients with schizophrenia and in 16 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects.

Mortality and its determinants in people with psychotic disorder.

Objective: We investigated mortality and its determinants in people with psychotic disorder.

Methods: A nationally representative two-stage cluster sample of 8028 persons aged 30 years or older from Finland was selected for a comprehensive health survey conducted from 2000 to 2001. Participants were screened for psychotic disorder, and screen-positive persons were invited for a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV.

Cognitive impairments in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: relationship with clinical characteristics.

The present study aimed to compare population-based familial samples of patients with schizophrenia (n = 218) and schizoaffective disorder (n = 62) and a healthy control group (n = 123). Patients with schizoaffective disorder outperformed patients with schizophrenia in verbal ability, processing speed, visual working memory, and verbal memory. When compared with controls, patients with schizoaffective disorder also had a generalized cognitive impairment.

Mortality in people with depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders in Finland.

Background: Mental disorders are associated with increased mortality, but population-based surveys with reliable diagnostic procedures controlling for somatic health status are scarce.

Aims: To assess excess mortality associated with depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders and the principal causes of death.

Method: In a nationally representative sample of Finns aged 30-70 years, psychiatric disorders were diagnosed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Different methods for ethical analysis in health technology assessment: an empirical study.

Objectives: Ethical analysis can highlight important ethical issues related to implementing a technology, values inherent in the technology itself, and value-decisions underlying the health technology assessment (HTA) process. Ethical analysis is a well-acknowledged part of HTA, yet seldom included in practice. One reason for this is lack of knowledge about the properties and differences between the methods available.

Inflammation in psychotic disorders: a population-based study.

We investigated inflammatory markers in psychotic disorders and their association with metabolic comorbidity, antipsychotic medication, smoking, alcohol use, physical condition, and mood. From the population-based Finnish Health 2000 study, we identified all persons with schizophrenia (n=45), other nonaffective psychosis (ONAP) (n=57), affective psychosis (n=37) and chose controls matched by age, sex, and region of residence. We found that persons with schizophrenia had significantly higher sIL-2Rα, IL-1RA and C-reactive protein (CRP), persons with ONAP significantly higher IL-1RA and CRP and persons with affective psychosis almost significantly higher TNF-α compared to their matched controls.