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The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relative importance of diagnostic and psychosocial factors in the prediction of adolescent suicidal ideation. Previous research has shown both sets of variables to be significantly related to suicidality but has failed to compare their relative efficacy in explaining suicidal ideation. It was hypothesized that diagnostic variables would afford better prediction of suicidal ideation than psychosocial variables, diagnostic variables would predict suicidal ideation above and beyond psychosocial variables, and psychosocial variables would predict suicidality after controlling for the effects of diagnostic variables. This study included valid diagnostic and psychosocial variables, employed independent diagnoses as opposed to diagnostic groupings, and utilized continuous measures of psychiatric symptomatology, in series of regression analyses to test these hypotheses. Results revealed that diagnostic variables, in particular, severity of major depressive disorder symptomatology, afforded the strongest prediction of suicidal ideation, even after controlling for psychosocial variables. The comorbid combination of mood disorder and generalized anxiety disorder was found to be the most strongly linked to suicidal ideation of all diagnostic combinations. However, social support added to the prediction of suicidal ideation above and beyond that offered by all diagnostic variables. Moreover, the interaction of social support and family environment predicted suicidality above and beyond severity of major depressive disorder symptomatology. It was concluded that optimal prediction of suicidality is likely obtained through the utilization of continuous measures of psychiatric symptomatology in suicide research. Moreover, suicide research and clinical practice should include examinations of both diagnostic and psychosocial variables to increase prediction and understanding of suicidal ideation in adolescents. / Ph. D.

The present study estimated the genetic and environmental effects on different dimensions of religiosity, explored how genetic and environmental effects covary across different dimensions of religiosity, and decomposed the covariance of genetic and environmental effects between different dimensions of religiosity and internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders. Dimensions of religiosity were found to be largely influenced by additive genetic and unique environmental effects, with little influence observed from common enviromental effects. Multidimensional analyses found that the seven religiosity factors observed in the present study were influenced by one common additive genetic factor, three common unique environmental factors, and unique environmental effects specific to each religiosity factor. Bivariate analyses of the seven religiosity factors and four psychiatric disorders found that the negative correlation between alcohol dependence and six of the seven religiosity factors could be accounted for by additive genetic effects. Similar results were obtained for nicotine dependence and one religiosity factor, "Social Religiosity" and for phobia and the religiosity factor "Unvengefulness" with shared genetic factors accounting for the observed correlation. For phobia and the religiosity factor "God as Judge", the correlation due to additive genetic factors was positive while that due to common environmental effects was negative. Analysis of a subset of religiosity items showed that for one religiosity factor, additive genetic effects increased over time while common environmental effects decreased. The results of the present study point to the complexity of the religiosity construct and suggest that various dimensions of religiosity are differentially related to various psychiatric disorders.

This paper is written in the field of Educational Science, and it focuses on literature that pupils read. Literature has the power to shape readers beliefs, that is why this paper aims to examine, and compare two novels that are used in Swedish schools in class settings. Both novels deal with the issue of psychiatric disorder from a woman´s perspective. Research done in the field of psychiatric disorder shows that it is an important subject that should be addressed in schools. Research done from the perspective of gender studies points out the need of representation of female perspective in literature that pupils are working with. This is so that equality between men and women can increase in society. From an intercultural point of view it is important for people suffering from psychiatric disorder to be represented in literature. This is so that social justice can increase in society, which it does when more and more categories of people are given representation. Pupils that uphold prejudice thoughts about psychiatric disorder, or about people suffering from psychiatric disorder, can through reading and discussing about the phenomenon, change their stereotypical way of thinking. Research done in the field of reading shows that reading literature, and then discussing it, can change the way people think. More exactly the paper looks at how the novels describe psychiatric disorder, and if prejudice surrounding psychiatric disorder is reproduced, or questioned in the novels, and if so, in what way. The paper looks also at how the novels describe the woman suffering from psychiatric disorder, and how gender affects her. The examination is done through the method of close reading, and by applying the theory of interculturality, defined by Pirjo Lahdenperä, and the theory of gender, defined by Yvonne Hirdman, to the reading. The examination reveales that both novels describe psychiatric disorder in a prejudiced way, as something rare, and totally life changing. And, both novels describe women in a prejudiced way, as fragile, and their psychiatric disorders are explained to be caused by their weakness. The attitude towards psychiatric disorder differs between the novels. One of the novels is more accepting in it´s language when it comes to psychiatric disorder, while the other novel is merely tolerant in it´s language.

Rationale and objectives: Because of known and imputed roles of dopaminergic and nicotinic cholinergic systems in a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, combined neurochemical and behavioral methods assessments were made to study the intermodulatory roles of these neurochemical systems. Methods: Rats were treated daily during postnatal ontogeny with the dopamine D2/D3 agonist, quinpirole (QNP) HCl (1.0 mg/kg/day), for the first 3 weeks from birth. This priming process replicated previous findings of behavioral sensitization, manifested as hyperlocomotion, increased paw treading with jumping, and increased yawning. Results: All effects were partially or totally blocked by acute treatment with nicotine (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.). The effects of nicotine, in turn, were partially or totally blocked by the nicotinic antagonist, mecamylamine (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.). In concert with these behavioral actions, QNP-primed rats displayed greater binding of [3H]cytisine in midbrain and cerebellum and greater [125I]α- bungarotoxin binding in hippocampus and striatum. Conclusions: Accordingly, these selective ligands for α4β2 and α7 nicotinic receptors, respectively, demonstrate that nicotinic receptors are altered by dopamine D2/D3 agonist treatment of rats with primed dopamine receptors. We propose that nicotinic agonists may have a therapeutic benefit in behavioral disorders brought about by central dopaminergic imbalance.

Thesis (MScMedSc (Biomedical Sciences. Medical Physiology)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / For many centuries, scientists have engaged in a theoretical debate concerning the etiology of mood disorders, with very few ancient scholars speculating about the importance of genetic factors and affective temperaments as factors in the etiology of depression. Mood, emotion and cognition have been shown to be modulated by the serotonergic midbrain raphe system; implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders like those of the affective spectrum. Evidence from neuroscience, genetics, and clinical investigation demonstrate that depression is a disorder of the brain. Brain imaging research is revealing that in depression, neural circuits responsible for moods, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior fail to function properly, and that the regulation of critical neurotransmitters is impaired. Genetics research, including studies of twins, indicates that genes play a role in depression. Vulnerability to depression appears to result from the influence of multiple genes acting together with environmental factors. Other research has shown that stressful life events, particularly in the form of loss such as the death of a close family member, may trigger major depression in susceptible individuals. Depression and anxiety have often been successfully treated by means of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. However, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors do not solve all the problems inherent to the treatment of depression, for approximately 30 % of depressed patients do not respond to treatment and 20 % experience relapses whilst on treatment. Of consideration is the fact that the majority of drugs today are based on proteins, with 50 % of therapeutics on the market targeting cell membrane proteins. Up to this day the precise pathophysiology of mood disorders remains obscure, as does the neurobiology of normal mood regulation. Accordingly, there is a need for methods to identify the structural and/or signaling components which lead to changes in the brain, particularly the hippocampus, of subjects having mood disorders such as bipolar depressive disorder, chronic major depressive disorder and the like. Similarly, there is a need for the early detection, screening and diagnosis of individuals at risk for a mood disorder. As the serotonin tranpsorter is the primary target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of numerous psychiatric disorders and considering the fact that at the structural level this protein’s function as transporter in membranes remains incompletely understood, investigating its function in psychiatric disorders are of importance . The objective of this study was to determine the role of the serotonin transporter in wild type and serotonin knockout rats, with regards to the hippocampus. Rat hippocampi were fractionated into cytosolic and membrane components, which were run and further separated in two dimensions. Firstly separation occurred by isoelectrical focusing (pI), follwed by gel iii electrophoresis (molecular weight). Gels were compared to see whether protein spots have changed between animals that have been differentially bred. Differentially expressed protein spots, as determined by PD Quest software, were excised, digested and analyzed by means of mass spectrometry. Our results indicated that metabolic, structural and cell signaling proteins were differentially expressed in both the ventral and dorsal hippocampus of the serotonin knockout rat. Futhermore, cellular stress proteins were found to be only differentially expressed in the ventral hippocampus. The majority of proteins identified in both hippocampal areas as well as both fractions, were assigned to energy metabolism. The cytosolic protein profile mirrored the pattern of the membrane protein profile. In conclusion, this proteomic study identified various protein groups that interacted with one another, thus establishing compensation for disrupted serotonin homeostasis.

The purpose of this study has been to examine if the participation within a social psychiatric day care is to be helpful for the participants. The aim was to find out if the day care has been helpful, what kind of support has been helpful and what have the participants been helped with. This has been researched from the participators view by conducting qualitative interviews. The data was analyzed by using thematic analysis. Antonovsky’s theory, Sense of Coherence was used as theoretical instrument to understand the collection of data. The main findings of this study indicate that occupations aimed for social purpose is important for the participators. In the study social support and the social interaction between staff and other participators appears to be the most important findings. Another important finding was the lack of research within the field of studies regarding social occupations such as day care.

Introdução: Ideação suicida e tentativas de suicídio são geralmente complicações dos transtornos psiquiátricos. O estudo da freqüência e fatores associados podem contribuir para uma abordagem mais adequada por profissionais de saúde mental. Objetivos: Estimar a prevalência de tentativas e pensamentos suicidas, em pessoas com transtornos mentais graves (TMG) e as associações com características sócio-demograficas, diagnóstico, ajustamento social, sintomas psiquiátricos, uso de substâncias psicoativas, envolvimento familiar e tratamentos realizados. Método: Foram entrevistados e avaliados 192 pessoas que apresentavam TMG, com idade entre 18 e 65 anos e que tiveram contato com os serviços de saúde mental de três regiões definidas do município de São Paulo em período determinado. Utilizou-se anamneses estruturadas com questionários padronizados e escalas psicométricas. As entrevistas foram realizadas no domicílio do paciente. Realizou-se análise descritiva, análise univariada e análise multivariada. Resultados: Da amostra estudada predominaram as pessoas do sexo masculino (53,1%), solteiras (57,3%), com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia (58,3%). Poucas pessoas apresentavam abuso ou dependência de álcool (7,3%) e apenas três pessoas (1,6%) não utilizaram medicações psiquiátricas no período de um ano anterior à entrevista. Cento e nove (57,7%) entrevistados apresentaram pensamentos suicidas ao longo da vida e nos 12 meses anteriores a entrevista, trinta e oito (20,1%) tiveram tais pensamentos. Cinqüenta e nove (30,9%) pessoas já haviam tentado suicídio durante a vida e oito (4,2%) apresentaram tentativas nos 12 meses anteriores à entrevista. Para todas as variáveis de desfecho, apresentaram associação estatística, a presença de sentimentos de culpa e sintomas depressivos. Na análise multivariada, o uso de neurolépticos apresentou associação com pensamentos e tentativas de suicídio ao longo da vida. Conclusão: Ideação e tentativas de suicídio foram bastante prevalentes na população estudada devendo sempre ser investigadas pelos profissionais de saúde mental, para que se possa tomar as devidas condutas, como o manejo dos sentimentos de culpa e depressão, além do ajuste correto da medicação para o transtorno mental. / Introduction: Suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts are usually complications of psychiatric disorders. The study of the frequency and associated factors may contribute for the mental health professionals to have a more appropriate approach. Aims: Estimate the prevalence of attempts and suicidal thoughts, in people who have serious mental disorder (SMD) and the association with social-demographic characteristics, diagnosis, social adjustment, psychiatric symptoms, use of psychoactive substances, family involvement and treatments they have gone though. Method: One hundred ninety two subjects, age 18 - 65, showing SMD and having been in touch with mental health services in three defined zones in the city of Sao Paulo, in the determined period, were evaluated and interviewed. The researchers used structured anamnesis with standardized questionnaires and psychometric scales, the subjects were interviewed at home and a descriptive analysis, a univariate analysis and a multivariate analysis were used. Results: From the sample we studied we’ve found a predominance of men (53,1%), single people (57,3%), having a diagnose of schizophrenia (58,3%). Few people presented abuse or dependence of alcohol (7,3%) and only three people (1,6%) hadn’t used psychiatric medications within one year before the interview. One hundred nine (57,7%) people who where interviewed showed suicidal thoughts during their lives and during 12 months prior to the research, thirty eight (20,1%) had that kind of thoughts. Fifty nine (30,9%) people had tried to commit suicide during their lives and eight (4,2%) showed attempts to it within 12 months before the interview. The presence of guilt feelings and depressive symptoms showed statistics association to all dependant variables. The multivariate analyses showed statistics association to attempts and suicidal thoughts during the patients’ lives to the occasional use of neuroleptics. Conclusion: The presence of suicidal ideation and attempts to suicide were prevalent in the studied population and they should always be investigated by the health mental professionals in order for them manage the prosper procedures, such as the handling of guilt feelings and depression and be able to stablish the proper medication, for the mental disorder.

Queixa escolar é um dos principais motivos de encaminhamento de crianças à rede pública de saúde e às clínicas-escola de psicologia. Estudos prévios sugerem que, no segmento de crianças encaminhadas para atendimento com queixa escolar, a prevalência de problemas de saúde mental é maior que na população geral. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo a identificação e classificação das áreas de dificuldade associadas à queixa escolar, em categorias compatíveis com a CID-10 e com o DSM-IV-TRTM, além da descrição do perfil da clientela quanto a dados sócio-demográficos, nível intelectual, fonte de encaminhamento, profissional solicitante, outros acompanhamentos realizados na área de saúde e uso de medicação. Participaram 103 crianças, de seis a doze anos, inscritas em uma clínica-escola de psicologia vinculada ao SUS, com queixa de dificuldade de aprendizagem escolar. Foram feitas consultas aos prontuários e a aplicação junto ao responsável da versão brasileira adaptada da Avaliação do Desenvolvimento e Bem-estar, em inglês, Development and Well-Being Assesment (DAWBA), entrevista de diagnóstico de transtornos mentais na infância e na adolescência que aponta áreas de dificuldade compatíveis com o DSM-IV-TRTM e a CID-10. Os resultados mostraram taxas de escolaridade dos pais abaixo da média do município, 90% das crianças com história anterior de acompanhamentos na área de saúde e 29% fazendo uso de medicação psicotrópica. Também foi encontrada uma alta prevalência de dificuldades como transtorno hipercinético, transtorno desafiador de oposição, transtorno de conduta, ansiedade de separação, ansiedade generalizada e fobia específica. O trabalho oferece subsídios para a defesa de políticas públicas na área de saúde mental infantil e para o planejamento de tratamentos compatíveis com a demanda, contribuindo para a melhoria do atendimento à clientela e da formação de pessoal / Low performance at school is one of the main reasons for referral of children to the public health system and clinical schools of psychology. Previous studies suggest that the prevalence of mental health problems is higher in children with underachievement than in the general population. The aim of the present study was to identify and classify the areas of difficulty associated with underachievement according to the categories of ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TRTM, and to describe socio-demographic data, intellectual level, sources of referral, previous health treatments and the use of medication. One hundred and three children, aged six to twelve years, who were referred to a public university clinic of psychology due to school underachievement, participated in the study. Medical records were consulted and the validated and adapted Brazilian parent-version of the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) was applied. DAWBA is an interview for the diagnosis of mental disorders in childhood and adolescence that points areas of difficulty according to DSM-IV-TRTM and ICD-10. The results showed that parents\' level of education was lower than the average of the municipality, 90% of the children had previous health treatment and 29% were using psychotropic medication. It was also found a high prevalence of hyperactivity and inattention, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety and specific phobia. The work shows a need for public policies in the area of child mental health and for treatments compatible with the demand, contributing to the improvement of the service and staff training

Queixa escolar é um dos principais motivos de encaminhamento de crianças à rede pública de saúde e às clínicas-escola de psicologia. Estudos prévios sugerem que, no segmento de crianças encaminhadas para atendimento com queixa escolar, a prevalência de problemas de saúde mental é maior que na população geral. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo a identificação e classificação das áreas de dificuldade associadas à queixa escolar, em categorias compatíveis com a CID-10 e com o DSM-IV-TRTM, além da descrição do perfil da clientela quanto a dados sócio-demográficos, nível intelectual, fonte de encaminhamento, profissional solicitante, outros acompanhamentos realizados na área de saúde e uso de medicação. Participaram 103 crianças, de seis a doze anos, inscritas em uma clínica-escola de psicologia vinculada ao SUS, com queixa de dificuldade de aprendizagem escolar. Foram feitas consultas aos prontuários e a aplicação junto ao responsável da versão brasileira adaptada da Avaliação do Desenvolvimento e Bem-estar, em inglês, Development and Well-Being Assesment (DAWBA), entrevista de diagnóstico de transtornos mentais na infância e na adolescência que aponta áreas de dificuldade compatíveis com o DSM-IV-TRTM e a CID-10. Os resultados mostraram taxas de escolaridade dos pais abaixo da média do município, 90% das crianças com história anterior de acompanhamentos na área de saúde e 29% fazendo uso de medicação psicotrópica. Também foi encontrada uma alta prevalência de dificuldades como transtorno hipercinético, transtorno desafiador de oposição, transtorno de conduta, ansiedade de separação, ansiedade generalizada e fobia específica. O trabalho oferece subsídios para a defesa de políticas públicas na área de saúde mental infantil e para o planejamento de tratamentos compatíveis com a demanda, contribuindo para a melhoria do atendimento à clientela e da formação de pessoal / Low performance at school is one of the main reasons for referral of children to the public health system and clinical schools of psychology. Previous studies suggest that the prevalence of mental health problems is higher in children with underachievement than in the general population. The aim of the present study was to identify and classify the areas of difficulty associated with underachievement according to the categories of ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TRTM, and to describe socio-demographic data, intellectual level, sources of referral, previous health treatments and the use of medication. One hundred and three children, aged six to twelve years, who were referred to a public university clinic of psychology due to school underachievement, participated in the study. Medical records were consulted and the validated and adapted Brazilian parent-version of the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) was applied. DAWBA is an interview for the diagnosis of mental disorders in childhood and adolescence that points areas of difficulty according to DSM-IV-TRTM and ICD-10. The results showed that parents\' level of education was lower than the average of the municipality, 90% of the children had previous health treatment and 29% were using psychotropic medication. It was also found a high prevalence of hyperactivity and inattention, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety and specific phobia. The work shows a need for public policies in the area of child mental health and for treatments compatible with the demand, contributing to the improvement of the service and staff training