Publications (3)3.75 Total impact
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Article: Anxiety comorbidity and quality of life in bipolar disorder patients.
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ABSTRACT: To assess the impact of anxiety comorbidity on the quality of life of patients with bipolar disorder (BD). We undertook a cross-Sectional survey of 162 BD outpatients interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The primary outcome measure was quality of life, assessed with the 26-item WHO Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). Anxiety comorbidity in BD patients was associated with lower scores in all domains of quality of life. The impact of anxiety comorbidity on the psychological domain of the WHOQOL-BREF was kept, even when the current level of depression was added to the model as a confounding factor. Current anxiety comorbidity was also associated with lifetime alcohol abuse and dependence, rapid cycling, lifetime psychosis, number of suicide attempts, and a lower score in the Global Assessment of Functioning measure. Our findings suggest that anxiety comorbidity in BD patients is related to lower quality of life, particularly on the psychological domain. BD-anxiety comorbidity may be associated with such markers of illness severity as number of suicide attempts, rapid cycling, lifetime alcohol abuse, and psychosis. The recognition and treatment of anxiety comorbidity may help patients with BD to relieve their psychological pain and improve their overall quality of life.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie 04/2007; 52(3):175-81. · 2.42 Impact Factor -
Article: Validation of the Portuguese version of the Lithium Attitudes Questionnaire (LAQ) in bipolar patients treated with lithium: cross-over study.
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ABSTRACT: Poor adherence to lithium is very common in bipolar patients and it is a frequent cause of recurrence during prophylactic treatment. Several reports suggest that attitudes of bipolar patients interfere with adherence to lithium. The Lithium Attitudes Questionnaire (LAQ) is a brief questionnaire developed as a means of identifying and grouping the problems patients commonly have with taking lithium regularly. The original version is validated in patients, but a validated version in Portuguese is not yet available. One-hundred six patients with bipolar disorder (DSM-IV criteria) criteria under lithium treatment for at least one month were assessed using LAQ. LAQ is a brief questionnaire administered under interview conditions, which includes 19 items rating attitudes towards prophylactic lithium treatment. We analysed the internal consistency, concurrent validity, sensitivity and specificity of the Portuguese version of LAQ. The internal consistency, evaluated by Cronbach's alpha was 0.78. The mean total LAQ score was 4.1. Concurrent validity was confirmed by a negative correlation between plasma lithium concentration and total LAQ score (r = -0,198; p = 0.048). We analysed the scale's discriminative capacity revealing a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 71% in the identification of negative attitudes of bipolar patients. The psychometric assessment of the Portuguese version of LAQ showed good internal consistency, sensitivity and specificity. The results were similar to the original version in relation to attitudes of bipolar patients towards lithium therapy.Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health 02/2006; 2:32. -
Article: [Heavy alcohol consumption and associated factors: a population-based study].
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ABSTRACT: To determine the prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption and factors associated with it in a Brazilian adult population. Cross-sectional population-based study including 2,177 adults (aged 20 to 69), living in the urban area of the municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The sample was selected in multiple stages. Heavy alcohol consumption was defined as above 30g/day. The adjusted analysis was conducted by logistic regression. The prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption was 14.3% (29.2% among men and 3.7% among women). The following groups presented higher prevalences of heavy alcohol consumption after adjusted analysis: men, elderly people, blacks or mulattoes, heavy smokers, and people who present some kind of chronic disease. Men with minor psychiatric disorders showed higher prevalences of heavy alcohol consumption than other men. Among women, association between age and heavy alcohol consumption was inversely related. Furthermore, the study indicates that among hypertensive subjects, those with heavy alcohol consumption presented worse disease management. Heavy alcohol consumption is high and results in countless negative consequences for the individual's health and quality of life. Our results highlight the high prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption and indicate subsections of the whole population more susceptible to alcoholism.Revista de Saúde Pública 05/2004; 38(2):284-91. · 1.33 Impact Factor
