Authors should clearly report how they derived the overall rating when applying AMSTAR 2-a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: A measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (SRs) 2 (AMSTAR 2) allows for deriving the overall confidence in an SR. We investigated how authors derived the overall confidence rating and whether different schemes lead to different results.

Study Design And Setting: We compared three different schemes (original 7-item scheme, a self-developed 5-item scheme, and the AMSTAR Web site) to derive the overall confidence in AMSTAR 2 using two distinct samples of SRs.

[GRADE guidelines: 18. How ROBINS-I and other tools to assess risk of bias in nonrandomized studies should be used to rate the certainty of a body of evidence].

Objective: To provide guidance on how systematic review authors, guideline developers, and health technology assessment practitioners should approach the use of the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) tool as a part of GRADE's certainty rating process.

Study Design And Setting: The study design and setting comprised iterative discussions, testing in systematic reviews, and presentation at GRADE working group meetings with feedback from the GRADE working group.

Results: We describe where to start the initial assessment of a body of evidence with the use of ROBINS-I and where one would anticipate the final rating would end up.

Title: Brief Implicit Association Tests of Stigmatizing Attitudes, Awareness of Mental Distress and Label-Avoidance: A Study in People with Depressive Symptoms.

This study aims to develop and implement brief implicit association tests (BIATs) assessing stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness, awareness of mental distress and self-identification as having a mental illness. We recruited 229 people (age range 18-80 years) with currently untreated depressive symptoms. In addition to BIATs, explicit measures assessed depression severity, contact experience and self-identification as having a mental illness.

Validity and psychometric properties of the Self-Identification as Having a Mental Illness Scale (SELF-I) among currently untreated persons with mental health problems.

Conceptualizing own symptoms as potential signs of a mental illness is an important, yet under-researched step towards appropriate help. Few validated measures address recognition and identification of own mental illness. Aim of this study is to investigate performance and correlates of the 'Self-Identification as Having a Mental Illness' scale (SELF-I) in a group of 229 currently untreated individuals with mental health problems, predominantly depression.

Stigma as a barrier to recognizing personal mental illness and seeking help: a prospective study among untreated persons with mental illness.

It is unclear to what extent failure to recognize symptoms as potential sign of a mental illness is impeding service use, and how stigmatizing attitudes interfere with this process. In a prospective study, we followed a community sample of 188 currently untreated persons with mental illness (predominantly depression) over 6 months. We examined how lack of knowledge, prejudice and discrimination impacted on self-identification as having a mental illness, perceived need, intention to seek help, and help-seeking, both with respect to primary care (visiting a general practitioner, GP) and specialist care (seeing a mental health professional, MHP).

[Depression Literacy - German Translation and Testing of the Depression Literacy Scale].

Objective: Translation and psychometric testing of a German adaptation of the Australian Depression Literacy Scale.

Methods: Translation of the Depression Literacy Scale by Griffith et al. (2004) into German and testing for depression literacy in a sample of 229 people with depressive syndrome.

Associations between causal attributions and personal stigmatizing attitudes in untreated persons with current mental health problems.

Past research has shown that among the general public, certain causal explanations like biomedical causes are associated with stronger desire for social distance from persons with mental illness. Aim of this study was to find out how different causal attributions of persons with untreated mental health problems regarding their own complaints are associated with stigmatizing attitudes, anticipated self-stigma when seeking help and perceived stigma-stress. Altogether, 207 untreated persons with a current depressive syndrome were interviewed.

The Stigma of Mental Illness as a Barrier to Self Labeling as Having a Mental Illness.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether personal stigma decreases self-identification as having a mental illness in individuals with untreated mental health problems. We interviewed 207 persons with a currently untreated mental health problem as confirmed by a structured diagnostic interview. Measures included symptom appraisal, self-identification as having a mental illness (SELFI), self-labeling (open-ended question on the nature of their problem) stigma-related variables (explicit and implicit), as well as sociodemographics, current symptom severity, and previous treatment.

Writing interventions in older adults and former children of the World War II: impact on quality of life and depression.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to analyze whether biographical writing interventions have an impact on depression and QoL compared to daily diary writing. We also wanted to investigate differential effects between structured and unstructured interventions.

Method: In two Northern regions of Germany, 119 older adults aged 64-90 were randomly assigned to three different types of narrative writing interventions: written structured and unstructured biographical disclosure as well as daily diary writing.

Psychosocial Correlates of Frailty in Older Adults.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate psychosocial variables associated with frailty status. Moreover, gender differences in the psychosocial variables associated with frailty were examined.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined a community-dwelling sample of N = 210 older adults ( = 75.

The impact of forced displacement in World War II on mental health disorders and health-related quality of life in late life - a German population-based study.

Background: Long-term effects of World War II experiences affect psychological and physical health in aged adults. Forced displacement as a traumatic event is associated with increased psychological burden even after several decades. This study investigates the contribution of forced displacement as a predictor for mental health disorders and adds the aspect of health-related quality of life (QoL).

[How traumatized are the children of World War II? The relationship of age during flight and forced displacement and current posttraumatic stress symptoms].

Traumatic events experienced in childhood can be reactivated in older age. The present study investigates the relation of age during flight and forced displacement within World War II (WWII; 2-7 years, 8-13 years, 14-20 years) and the current occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traumatic events and current posttraumatic stress symptoms were assessed by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale-revised.