Exploratory RCT of a group psychological intervention for postnatal depression in British mothers of South Asian origin - ROSHNI-D.

Background: Postnatal depression (PND) is a global public health problem. There is a high prevalence of PND amongst ethnic minority women and major ethnic inequalities in mental health care in the U.K.

Effect of delaying treatment of first-episode psychosis on symptoms and social outcomes: a longitudinal analysis and modelling study.

Background: Delayed treatment for first episodes of psychosis predicts worse outcomes. We hypothesised that delaying treatment makes all symptoms more refractory, with harm worsening first quickly, then more slowly. We also hypothesised that although delay impairs treatment response, worse symptoms hasten treatment, which at presentation mitigates the detrimental effect of treatment delay on symptoms.

Depression predicts emergency care use in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a large cohort study in primary care.

Depression is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been associated with a variety of poor outcomes. A large proportion of health care costs in the UK are spent on emergency care. This study examined the prospective relationship between depression and use of emergency care in patients with COPD managed in primary care.

Culturally-adapted cognitive behavioural therapy based intervention for maternal depression: a mixed-methods feasibility study.

Background: British Pakistanis are one of the largest ethnic minority groups living in the UK, with high rates of maternal depression being reported in this population. Evidence suggests that culturally-adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based interventions for depression, may improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. This study was conducted to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally-adapted, CBT-based, manual-assisted intervention in British Pakistani mothers experiencing maternal depression.

Associations between antenatal depression and neonatal outcomes in Malawi.

Studies from several low- and middle-income countries have shown that antenatal depression may be a risk factor for poor neonatal outcomes. However, those studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa have not consistently demonstrated this association. We set out to investigate whether antenatal depression is associated with shorter duration of pregnancy and reduced newborn size in rural Malawi.

Identifying demographic, social and clinical predictors of biologic therapy effectiveness in psoriasis: a multicentre longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Biologic therapies have revolutionized the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. However, for reasons largely unknown, many patients do not respond or lose response to these drugs.

Objectives: To evaluate demographic, social and clinical factors that could be used to predict effectiveness and stratify response to biologic therapies in psoriasis.

The associated features of multiple somatic symptom complexes.

Objective: To assess whether two or more functional somatic symptom complexes (SSCs) showed stronger association with psychosocial correlates than single or no SSC after adjustment for depression/anxiety and general medical disorders.

Methods: In a population-based sample we identified, by standardised questionnaire, participants with chronic widespread pain, chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome, excluding those with a medical cause for pain/fatigue. We compared psychosocial variables in three groups: multiple (>1), single or no FSS, adjusting for depression/anxiety and general medical disorders using ordinal logistic regression.

Social stress predicts preterm birth in twin pregnancies.

Objective: To investigate whether stress, anxiety and depression predict preterm birth in twin pregnancies.

Methods: A prospective cohort study with a convenience sample of women pregnant with dichorionic, diamniotic twins. They were interviewed at 24-28 weeks using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Cross-sectional comparison of first-generation antipsychotic long-acting injections vs risperidone long-acting injection: patient-rated attitudes, satisfaction and tolerability.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare patients' attitudes and satisfaction with medication and patient-rated tolerability between those prescribed a first-generation antipsychotic long-acting injection (FGA-LAI) and those prescribed risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI).

Method: A cross-sectional study of a representative sample of outpatients prescribed an FGA-LAI or RLAI for a minimum of 6 months and attending a depot clinic. Attitudes to medication were assessed by the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-30), tolerability was measured by the Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) and satisfaction with antipsychotic medication was assessed by the Satisfaction with Antipsychotic Medication (SWAM) scale.

The impact of maternal diet fortification with lipid-based nutrient supplements on postpartum depression in rural Malawi: a randomised-controlled trial.

Perinatal depression is highly prevalent in low-and-middle-income countries and has been linked to poor child health. Suboptimal maternal nutrition may be a risk factor for perinatal depression. In this randomised-controlled trial conducted in rural Malawi, we set out to test the hypothesis that women taking a fatty acid-rich lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) would have fewer depressive symptoms postpartum than those taking iron-folate (IFA) or multiple-micronutrient (MMN) capsules.

Illness perceptions of people with long-term conditions are associated with frequent use of the emergency department independent of mental illness and somatic symptom burden.

Objective: To determine whether illness perceptions of patients with long-term conditions (LTCs) are associated with urgent healthcare use and whether this association is independent from mental illness and somatic symptom burden.

Methods: Illness perceptions (B-IPQ) and somatic symptom severity (PHQ-15) were assessed in 304 patients with diabetes, rheumatological disorders and COPD attending an Accident and Emergency Department (AED) in Greece over a one year period. The presence of mental illness was determined by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

Common and unique associated factors for medically unexplained chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue.

Objective: Chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue share common associated factors but these associations may be explained by the presence of concurrent depression and anxiety.

Methods: We mailed questionnaires to a randomly selected sample of people in the UK to identify participants with chronic widespread pain (ACR 1990 definition) and those with chronic fatigue. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic factors, health status, healthcare use, childhood factors, adult attachment, and psychological stress including anxiety and depression.

Validation of the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ 20) in British Pakistani and White European population in the United Kingdom.

Background: The incidence of depression is difficult to determine because of low clinical depression detection rates in the primary care setting. This low level of detection is a significantly greater problem in people from ethnic minority communities. The availability of culturally validated screening questionnaires might help to improve the detection and treatment of depression.

The impact of perinatal depression on exclusive breastfeeding: a cohort study.

Perinatal depression is associated with infant undernutrition. We hypothesised that perinatal depression was associated with early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding and reduced quantity of breast milk in rural Pakistan. We used a prospective cohort design to study a population-based sample of 132 depressed and 147 non-depressed women from the third trimester of pregnancy to 6 months post-natal.

Antenatal Depression is Not Associated with Low-Birth Weight: A Study from Urban Pakistan.

Background: Low-birth weight (LBW) (<2500 g) is considered to be a leading cause of cognitive impairment and physical disabilities in children. Incidence of LBW in South Asia has been reported to be as high as 33%. We investigated the association between antenatal depression and LBW in an urban community, in Karachi, Pakistan.

Complex interventions reduce use of urgent healthcare in adults with asthma: systematic review with meta-regression.

Introduction: Asthma accounts for considerable healthcare expenditure, a large proportion of which is attributable to use of expensive urgent healthcare. This review examines the characteristics of complex interventions that reduce urgent healthcare use in adults with asthma.

Method: Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCINFO, CINAHL, the British Nursing Library and the Cochrane library, from inception to January 2013 were conducted.

Depression predicts future emergency hospital admissions in primary care patients with chronic physical illness.

Objective: More than 15 million people currently suffer from a chronic physical illness in England. The objective of this study was to determine whether depression is independently associated with prospective emergency hospital admission in patients with chronic physical illness.

Method: 1860 primary care patients in socially deprived areas of Manchester with at least one of four exemplar chronic physical conditions completed a questionnaire about physical and mental health, including a measure of depression.

Validity of the Greek version of the PHQ 15-item Somatic Symptom Severity Scale in patients with chronic medical conditions and correlations with emergency department use and illness perceptions.

Background: The PHQ-15 is a brief measure assessing the severity of somatic symptoms and is widely used in different health care settings. We aimed to assess the psychometric properties of its Greek version in patients with chronic physical illnesses seeking urgent or unscheduled care in the Accident and Emergency Department (AED).

Methods: The PHQ-15 was translated into Greek using back-translation, and it was administered to 303 patients with diabetes, COPD and rheumatic diseases visiting our AED during a one-year period.

Does anxiety predict the use of urgent care by people with long term conditions? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Objective: The role of anxiety in the use of urgent care in people with long term conditions is not fully understood. A systematic review was conducted with meta-analysis to examine the relationship between anxiety and future use of urgent healthcare among individuals with one of four long term conditions: diabetes; coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

Methods: Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCINFO, CINAHL, the British Nursing Library and the Cochrane Library were conducted These searches were supplemented by hand-searching bibliographies, citation tracing eligible studies and asking experts within the field about relevant studies.

Impact of early intervention services on duration of untreated psychosis: data from the National EDEN prospective cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to determine if the inception of Early Intervention Services (EISs) is followed by an improvement in the prompt treatment of people with first episode psychosis.

Method: A prospective cohort study of referrals to new and established EISs was conducted at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after inception of new EIS. The study was conducted with 14 (seven new and seven established) secondary care EIS within geographically defined catchment areas in England between 2005 and 2009.

A phase-specific psychological therapy for people with problematic cannabis use following a first episode of psychosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cannabis use is high amongst young people who have recently had their first episode of psychosis, and is associated with worse outcomes. To date, interventions to reduce cannabis consumption have been largely ineffective, and it has been suggested that longer treatment periods are required.

Method: In a pragmatic single-blind randomized controlled trial 110 participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: a brief motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy (MI-CBT) intervention (up to 12 sessions over 4.

Validation of the multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) and the relationship between social support, intimate partner violence and antenatal depression in Malawi.

Background: Lack of social support is an important risk factor for antenatal depression and anxiety in low- and middle-income countries. We translated, adapted and validated the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in order to study the relationship between perceived social support, intimate partner violence and antenatal depression in Malawi.

Methods: The MSPSS was translated and adapted into Chichewa and Chiyao.