A comparative analysis of personality pathology profiles among patients with pure depressive-, pure anxiety-, and pure somatoform disorders.

Background: Depressive-, anxiety-, and somatoform disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders. The assessment of comorbid personality pathology or traits in these disorders is relevant, because it can lead to the exacerbation of them or to poorer remission rates. To date, no research findings have been published on the comparison of these three prevalent patient groups with regard to comorbid dimensional personality pathology.

The use of symptom dimensions to investigate the longitudinal effects of life events on depressive and anxiety symptomatology.

Background: Findings on the association between life events and depression have been quite inconsistent. This could be due to the heterogeneity of traditionally used depression outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether specific symptom dimensions can be used as an alternative to detect more specific life event effects.

High dose benzodiazepines prolong reaction times in chronic users who have major depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

Aim: Short term administration of benzodiazepines (BZD) was found to prolong reaction time (RT) in experimental studies. However, studies on long term BZD use did not always adjust for important confounders and showed inconsistent results. We aimed to identify a possible relationship between long term BZD use and RT in BZD users in this large cross-sectional, observational study.

Longitudinal relationship of depressive and anxiety symptoms with dyslipidemia and abdominal obesity.

Objective: Previous research indicates that patients with severe symptoms of depression or anxiety are prone toward the development of dyslipidemia and abdominal obesity. We sought to study these associations longitudinally.

Methods: Among 2126 Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety participants, we studied whether severity of depressive (Inventory of Depressive Symptoms) or anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory) symptoms at baseline was associated with changes in lipids (i.

The generalizability of psychotherapy efficacy trials in major depressive disorder: an analysis of the influence of patient selection in efficacy trials on symptom outcome in daily practice.

Background: Treatment guidelines for major depressive disorder (MDD) are based on results from randomized clinical trials, among others in psychotherapy efficacy trials. However, patients in these trials differ from routine practice patients since trials use stringent criteria for patient selection. It is unknown whether the exclusion criteria used in psychotherapy efficacy trials (PETs) influence symptom outcome in clinical practice.

Dimensions of the inventory of depressive symptomatology as predictors of the course of depressive and anxiety disorders.

For depressive and anxiety disorders general course characteristics are known. However, prognosis varies among patients with the same diagnosis. The current study investigated whether the more homogeneous symptom dimensions of mood/cognition and anxiety/arousal, could be used to predict more differentiated prognoses than with overall course-categories.

The impact of stress systems and lifestyle on dyslipidemia and obesity in anxiety and depression.

Background: Dyslipidemia and obesity have been observed in persons with severe anxiety or depression, and in tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) users. This likely contributes to the higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in anxiety and depressive disorders. We aimed to elucidate whether biological stress systems or lifestyle factors underlie these associations.

Efficacy versus effectiveness: a direct comparison of the outcome of treatment for mild to moderate depression in randomized controlled trials and daily practice.

Background: Results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered to give the most reliable information on treatment outcome (efficacy). Yet, the generalizability of efficacy results to daily practice (effectiveness) might be diminished by the design of RCTs. The STAR*D trial approached daily practice as much as possible, but still has some properties of an RCT.

Different gene sets contribute to different symptom dimensions of depression and anxiety.

Although many genetic association studies have been carried out, it remains unclear which genes contribute to depression. This may be due to heterogeneity of the DSM-IV category of depression. Specific symptom-dimensions provide a more homogenous phenotype.

Symptom dimensions as predictors of the two-year course of depressive and anxiety disorders.

Background: Because of the heterogeneity of known predictive factors, course-predictions for depression and anxiety are often unspecific. Therefore, it was investigated whether symptom-dimensions could be used as more specific course-predictors, on top of already known predictors, such as diagnosis and overall severity.

Methods: A sample of 992 subjects with depressive and/or anxiety disorders was followed in a 2-year prospective cohort study.

Determinants of initiated and continued benzodiazepine use in the Netherlands study of depression and anxiety.

Background: Longitudinal research on determinants of initiated and continued benzodiazepine (BZD) use is inconsistent and has identified many possible determinants. It is unclear which of those are most important in the prediction of BZD use. We aimed to identify the most important predictors of initiated and continued BZD use.

Personality traits and childhood trauma as correlates of metabolic risk factors: the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).

Objective: Personality and childhood trauma may affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, evidence for an association with metabolic risk factors for CVD is limited and ambiguous. Moreover, despite their interrelatedness, personality and childhood trauma were not yet studied simultaneously.

Adulthood trauma and HPA-axis functioning in healthy subjects and PTSD patients: a meta-analysis.

Background: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis dysregulation has inconsistently been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, trauma exposure rather than PTSD may be responsible for HPA-axis dysregulation. In two meta-analyses, we assessed the association of adulthood trauma exposure and HPA-axis functioning in healthy subjects with and without PTSD.

Biomarkers in burnout: a systematic review.

Background: Burnout is a stress state characterized by symptoms of mental exhaustion and physical fatigue, detachment from work, and feelings of diminished competence. Several biomarkers have been tested for association with burnout, but the results are conflicting.

Aim: The objective of this review was to identify potential biomarkers for burnout.

Antidepressant use and salivary cortisol in depressive and anxiety disorders.

Antidepressants are an effective treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders. Those disorders are frequently accompanied by heightened cortisol levels. Antidepressants may affect hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, the alteration of which could be partially responsible for treatment efficacy.

Reliability and validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale in clinical outpatients with depressive disorders.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) is widely used to assess psychological, social and occupational functioning. The validity and reliability of the GAF in clinical practice have only scarcely been studied in naturalistic samples.

Methods: A total of 432 outpatients with a current major depressive disorder (MDD) were evaluated with routine outcome monitoring (ROM).

Correlates of (inappropriate) benzodiazepine use: the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).

Aim: Results on determinants of benzodiazepine (BZD) use in general and inappropriate use were inconsistent and mostly univariate. The relative importance of sociodemographic, psychological and physical determinants has never been investigated in a comprehensive, multivariate model.

Methods: We included 429 BZD users and 2423 non-users from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) in order to investigate sociodemographic, psychological and physical determinants of BZD use and inappropriate use by logistic and linear regression analyses.

Dimensions of depression and anxiety and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Background: Results on the association between depression and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have been inconsistent, possibly due to heterogeneity of the DSM-IV category of depression. Specific symptom-dimensions could be used as a more homogenous phenotype in HPA-axis research.

Methods: Subjects (n = 1029) with a lifetime depression and/or anxiety disorder from the NESDA study (Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety) (mean age: 43.

Long-term benzodiazepine use and salivary cortisol: the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).

Background: As benzodiazepines (BZDs) have anxiolytic effects, it is expected that they influence the stress system. During short-term treatment, BZD use was found to suppress cortisol levels. However, little research has been done on the effects of long-term BZD administration on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Development and validation of a 30-item short adaptation of the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ).

The original Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ) is a 90-item self-report, designed to measure the dimensions of Clark and Watson's tripartite model. We developed and validated a 30-item short adaptation of the MASQ: the MASQ-D30, which is more suitable for large-scale psychopathology research and has a clearer factor structure. The MASQ-D30 was developed through a process of item reduction and grouping of the appropriate subscales in a sample of 489 psychiatric outpatients, using a validated Dutch translation, based on the original English MASQ, as a starting point.

Trauma exposure and hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis functioning in mentally healthy Dutch peacekeeping veterans, 10-25 years after deployment.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis alterations have been found in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is unclear whether trauma exposure during adulthood in the absence of psychopathology is also associated with HPA-axis dysregulation. Thirty-six trauma-exposed peacekeepers, 23 nonexposed peacekeepers, and 25 nonexposed civilians, all without lifetime psychopathology were studied.

The structure and dimensionality of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self Report (IDS-SR) in patients with depressive disorders and healthy controls.

Background: The Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self Report (IDS-SR) is a widely used but heterogeneous measure of depression severity. Insight in its factor structure and dimensionality could help to develop more homogeneous IDS-SR subscales. However previous factoranalytical studies have found mixed results.

Gender differences in clinical characteristics in a naturalistic sample of depressive outpatients: the Leiden Routine Outcome Monitoring Study.

Background: No previous large scale studies have assessed gender differences in naturalistic samples of major depressive disorder (MDD) outpatients. We therefore determined gender differences in comorbidity, symptom patterns and subjective health status in these outpatients in a mental healthcare setting.

Methods: Of 3798 consecutive adult patients (age range: 18-65), 1131 (65.

Trauma exposure in relation to basal salivary cortisol and the hormone response to the dexamethasone/CRH test in male railway employees without lifetime psychopathology.

Background: Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis is hypothesized to underlie stress-related psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We aimed to explore whether trauma exposure is associated with alterations in HPA-axis functioning in the absence of lifetime psychiatric morbidity.

Method: We included 39 trauma-exposed healthy male subjects (mean age=47 years; SD=9.