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Annals of Medicine 2023Somatic symptoms related to mental health in medical students are under-researched, with nothing on the topic being published in the United States in over three decades.... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Somatic symptoms related to mental health in medical students are under-researched, with nothing on the topic being published in the United States in over three decades. This scoping review is the first of its kind to explore the prevalence, type and severity of somatic symptoms induced by stress, anxiety, depression and burnout amongst medical students, with the objective of describing the significance and breadth of this issue.
METHODS
PRISMA-ScR guidelines were used to guide this review. A comprehensive search was performed of 22 databases, followed by bibliographic and hand searching. Inclusion criteria were published, peer-reviewed articles with a sample of medical students and at least one measure of somatic symptoms related to mental health, in English or with an English-language translation. Excluded were review, companion and editorial articles. Coding was done by an experienced coder trained in systematic review techniques. Two authors reviewed each article.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine articles met inclusion criteria, representing 16 countries, 31 schools/teaching hospitals and 9,887 medical students. The prevalence of somatic symptoms ranged from 5.7 to 80.1%, and somatic symptoms were overwhelmingly found to be significantly correlated with mental ill-health. Somatic symptoms included back pain, neck pain, headaches, sleep disturbances and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Eleven different outcome measures were used, with varying degrees of validity and reliability, which were compared and assessed.
CONCLUSIONS
Somatic symptoms appear strongly correlated with mental ill-health in medical students, and are likely highly prevalent. This review highlights the need for further research on somatic symptoms of mental ill-health in medical students, particularly in the United States, and the addition of larger, multi-institutional cohorts to expand our understanding of prevalence, incidence and inciting factors of somatic symptoms. Longitudinal studies tracking somatic symptoms' effect on career trajectory and professional burnout levels are also needed. Finally, future research should explore interventions for reducing physical symptom burden in medical students.
Topics: Humans; United States; Mental Health; Students, Medical; Prevalence; Reproducibility of Results; Medically Unexplained Symptoms
PubMed: 37552776
DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2242781 -
PloS One 2023The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to cause psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, panic, and insomnia. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to cause psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, panic, and insomnia. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy of psychological interventions (including CBT, DBT, and mindfulness based interventions) in reducing distressing feelings in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on psychological interventions for reducing negative emotions among college students during the COVID-19 epidemic were searched in databases Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, PsychInfo, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP. We utilized Cochrane risk of bias assessment technique to assess the quality of included RCTs. The data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4. Eight RCTs were finally included involving 1,496 participants. According to the meta-analysis results, psychotherapies could significantly alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among university students, [MD = -0.98, 95%CI (-1.53, -0.43), p<0.001] [SMD = -0.47, 95%CI (-0.77, -0.16), p = 0.003] [MD = -1.53, 95%CI (-2.23, -0.83), p <0.001]. The difference in attenuation of somatization symptoms between the two groups was not statistically significant [SMD = -0.42, 95%CI (-1.41, 0.56), p = 0.40]. Psychotherapy might effectively alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress in university students caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It could be considered the preferred strategy for reducing negative emotions and improving the quality of life of university students.
Topics: Humans; Psychosocial Intervention; Depression; Universities; COVID-19; Anxiety; Emotions; Mindfulness; Students
PubMed: 37167313
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283208 -
Pain Oct 2023Interpatient variability is frequently observed among individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP). This review aimed at identifying phenotypic domains and...
Interpatient variability is frequently observed among individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP). This review aimed at identifying phenotypic domains and characteristics that account for interpatient variability in cLBP. We searched MEDLINE ALL (through Ovid), Embase Classic and EMBASE (through Ovid), Scopus, and CINAHL Complete (through EBSCOhost) databases. Studies that aimed to identify or predict cLBP different phenotypes were included. We excluded studies that focused on specific treatments. The methodological quality was assessed using an adaptation of the Downs and Black tool. Forty-three studies were included. Although the patient and pain-related characteristics used to identify phenotypes varied considerably across studies, the following were among the most identified phenotypic domains and characteristics that account for interpatient variability in cLBP: pain-related characteristics (including location, severity, qualities, and duration) and pain impact (including disability, sleep, and fatigue), psychological domains (including anxiety and depression), behavioral domains (including coping, somatization, fear avoidance, and catastrophizing), social domains (including employment and social support), and sensory profiling (including pain sensitivity and sensitization). Despite these findings, our review showed that the evidence on pain phenotyping still requires further investigation. The assessment of the methodological quality revealed several limitations. We recommend adopting a standard methodology to enhance the generalizability of the results and the implementation of a comprehensive and feasible assessment framework to facilitate personalized treatments in clinical settings.
Topics: Humans; Low Back Pain; Anxiety; Adaptation, Psychological; Fear; Catastrophization; Chronic Pain
PubMed: 37027149
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002911 -
Archivio Italiano Di Urologia,... Mar 2023A spectrum of psychological problems is commonly found in CP/CPPS patients, though it is not yet clear whether, a priori, psychological dysfunctions are the cause of...
INTRODUCTION/AIM
A spectrum of psychological problems is commonly found in CP/CPPS patients, though it is not yet clear whether, a priori, psychological dysfunctions are the cause of these pain syndromes, or whether these pain conditions are themselves causing psychological disturbances. In this article we present the current perspective on the impact of psychological problems in chronic prostatitis syndromes and we discuss the implications thereof from a clinical perspective.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A database and a manual search were conducted in the MEDLINE database of the National Library of Medicine, EMBASE, and other libraries using the key words "prostatitis syndromes", "chronic bacterial prostatitis", "chronic pelvic pain", in various combinations with the terms "psychological issues", "depression" "anxiety", "stress", "unhappiness", "cognitive status" and "personality". Two independent reviewers performed data extraction. We included clinical studies with available information on chronic prostatitis and related psychological conditions. We considered full-text written papers. We excluded reviews and case reports. In order to reduce the risk of bias we analyzed only studies including patients with confirmed CBP or CP/CPPS. Bibliographic information in the selected publications was checked for relevant records not included in the initial search.
RESULTS
Database search allowed us to retrieve 638 studies to which we added to 16 additional studies retrieved by hand-searching. After screening, 34 relevant papers were identified for thorough review. Most studies included patients with chronic pelvic pain and prostatitis-like symptoms, whereas a smaller number of studies included patients with methodologically con- firmed CP/CPPS including studies with a microbiologically confirmed diagnosis of CBP. The psychosocial factors examined in the selected studies include pain, catastrophizing, stress, personality factors and social aspects. Comorbid psychiatric disorders evidenced in the studies included depression, anxiety and trauma-related disorders, somatization disorders, and substance abuse. Some studies investigated the association of pain with each individual psychological disturbance, while others examined the impact of pain in association with the overall quality of life. Sample size, study design and diagnostic measures varied among studies.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite limitations and variations in sample size, study design and diagnostic measures in all included studies, a relation between chronic prostatitis and psychological problems is a consistent finding. The existing evidence does not permit to definitely conclude whether psychological problems are a risk factor for CP/CPPS or whether they represent an array of symptoms that are associated with the exacerbation of this disease.
Topics: Male; Humans; Quality of Life; Prostatitis; Chronic Disease; Chronic Pain; Pelvic Pain
PubMed: 36943000
DOI: 10.4081/aiua.2023.11300 -
International Journal of Colorectal... Mar 2023To systematically reevaluate the role of psychological factors in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and thus provide a scientific basis for the psychological... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
To systematically reevaluate the role of psychological factors in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and thus provide a scientific basis for the psychological treatment of FGIDs.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from January 2018 to August 2022 for researches on psychological factors affecting patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Meta-analysis was carried out with Stata17.0 after the screening, extraction, and evaluation of article quality.
RESULTS
The search included 22 articles with 2430 patients in the FGIDs group and 12,397 patients in the healthy controls. Meta-analysis showed anxiety [(pooled SMD = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.62 ~ 0.86, p < 0.000) (pooled OR = 3.14, 95%CI: 2.47 ~ 4.00, p < 0.000)], depression [(pooled SMD = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.63 ~ 0.95, p < 0.000) (pooled OR = 3.09, 95%CI: 2.12 ~ 4.52, p < 0.000)], mental disorders (pooled MD = -5.53, 95%CI: -7.12 ~ -3.95, p < 0.05), somatization (pooled SMD = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.61 ~ 1.23, p < 0.000), and sleep disorders (pooled SMD = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.04 ~ 1.34, p < 0.05) are risk factors for functional gastrointestinal disorders.
CONCLUSION
There is a significant association between psychological factors and FGIDs. Interventions such as anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and behavioral therapy are of great clinical significance in reducing FGIDs risk and improving prognosis.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Mental Disorders; Anxiety; Depression
PubMed: 36894717
DOI: 10.1007/s00384-023-04333-9 -
PLOS Digital Health Oct 2022Mental health problems in the workplace are common and have a considerable impact on employee wellbeing and productivity. Mental ill-health costs employers between £33...
Mental health problems in the workplace are common and have a considerable impact on employee wellbeing and productivity. Mental ill-health costs employers between £33 billion and £42 billion a year. According to a 2020 HSE report, roughly 2,440 per 100,000 workers in the UK were affected by work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, resulting in an estimated 17.9 million working days lost. We performed a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of tailored digital health interventions provided in the workplace aiming to improve mental health, presenteeism and absenteeism of employees. We searched several databases for RCTs published from 2000 onwards. Data were extracted into a standardised data extraction form. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Due to the heterogeneity of outcome measures, narrative synthesis was used to summarise the findings. Seven RCTs (eight publications) were included that evaluated tailored digital interventions versus waiting list control or usual care to improve physical and mental health outcomes and work productivity. The results are promising to the advantage of tailored digital interventions regarding presenteeism, sleep, stress levels, and physical symptoms related to somatisation; but less for addressing depression, anxiety, and absenteeism. Even though tailored digital interventions did not reduce anxiety and depression in the general working population, they significantly reduced depression and anxiety in employees with higher levels of psychological distress. Tailored digital interventions seem more effective in employees with higher levels of distress, presenteeism or absenteeism than in the general working population. There was high heterogeneity in outcome measures, especially for work productivity; this should be a focus of attention in future studies.
PubMed: 36812547
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000123 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023This study aims to discuss evidence for the efficacy of aerobic exercise in reducing drug addiction and improving the physical and mental health of drug addicts. We... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This study aims to discuss evidence for the efficacy of aerobic exercise in reducing drug addiction and improving the physical and mental health of drug addicts. We systematically searched several online databases as of the end of September 2022, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang. All articles were identified, screened and included according to the inclusion or exclusion criteria. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was used as a criterion for assessing the methodological quality of included studies. Random and fixed effects models were used for the analysis of standard mean differences (SMD) or mean differences (MD) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 27 studies involving 2022 drug addicts were finally included in the analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that aerobic exercise could improve the physical fitness [body fat percentage: MD = -0.74, 95%CI (-1.40, -0.08), vital capacity: MD = 213.79, 95%CI (46.28, 381.29), muscle force: MD = 1.21, 95%CI (0.34, 2.08), flexibility: MD = 4.61, 95%CI (2.98, 6.25), balance: MD = 9.95, 95%CI (6.29, 13.62)], regulate the systolic blood pressure: MD = -4.38, 95%CI (-7.08, -1.68), diastolic blood pressure: MD = -2.66, 95% CI (-3.82, -1.51), beats per minute: MD =-1.92, 95%CI (-3.19, -0.65); emotional state [anxiety: MD = -4.56, 95% CI (-5.67, -3.45), depression: MD = -3.28, 95%CI (-5.16, -1.39), drug craving: SMD= -1.68,95% CI(-2.56, -0.80)], and promote the mental health [anxiety: MD = -0.22, 95%CI (-0.33, -0.11), obsessive-compulsive: MD = -0.26, 95%CI (-0.50, -0.03), somatization: MD = -0.21, 95%CI (-0.27, -0.14), depression: MD = -0.21, 95%CI (-0.28, -0.15), psychoticcism: MD = -0.12, 95%CI (-0.18, -0.06), phobic anxiety: MD = -0.11, 95%CI (-0.16, -0.07), paranoid ideation: MD = -0.09, 95%CI (-0.15, -0.02), interpersonal sensitivity: MD = -0.16, 95%CI (-0.22, -0.10), hostility: MD = -0.12, 95%CI (-0.18, -0.05)], with statistically significant differences( < 0.05)] of drug addicts. Thus, aerobic exercise could effectively improve the physical fitness, emotional state and mental health of drug addicts, and reduce their drug addiction. For clinical practitioners and researchers, this study could provide more reliable evidence for addiction treatment.
Topics: Humans; Mental Health; Drug Users; Physical Fitness; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Quality of Life
PubMed: 36767656
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032272 -
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental... Jun 2023WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Researchers have examined several interventions for psychological distress, mindfulness being a popular one. One intervention that fosters... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
UNLABELLED
WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Researchers have examined several interventions for psychological distress, mindfulness being a popular one. One intervention that fosters mindfulness is mantram repetition. Mantram repetition is an ancient traditional practice of repeating a sacred word/phrase at various times throughout the day and whenever needed. Psychologically, mantram repetition can mitigate immediate stressors. When used consistently, mantram repetition promotes resilience and deepens mindfulness, thereby promoting recovery from distress. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper examines the overall effect of mantram repetition on psychological distress symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety and somatization). WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The portable, cost-effective, mantram repetition intervention outperformed standard therapies. In people who are prone to psychological distress, practitioners might teach this technique, encouraging them to use it initially as they go through their day and then when they are experiencing distress. Mantram repetition can quiet the mind and pairs well with breathing exercises and routine activities such as walking or exercising, or during chores, thus, integrating the mantram into daily life.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Researchers have examined several interventions for psychological distress, mindfulness being a popular one. One mindfulness intervention is mantram repetition. Mantram repetition is an ancient traditional practice of repeating a sacred word/phrase at various times throughout the day and whenever needed.
AIM
To examine the evidence of the effect of mantram repetition on psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety and somatization).
METHOD
We searched 16 databases and retrieved 12 studies testing the effects of mantram repetition; only four of these measured aspects of psychological distress with comparison groups.
RESULTS
All studies showed positive effects ranging from very mild (.08) to very strong (.71). The summary effect across all studies was small (.23, p = .015). Importantly, this small effect was found when compared to treatment as usual and even psychotherapy.
DISCUSSION
The portable, cost-effective, mantram repetition intervention outperformed standard therapies.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
In patients who are prone to psychological distress, practitioners might teach this technique, encouraging them to use it initially as they go through their day and then when they are experiencing distress. Mantram repetition could be practiced with breathing exercises, when walking or exercising, or during chores, integrating the mantram into daily life.
Topics: Humans; Meditation; Psychotherapy; Psychological Distress; Anxiety Disorders; Anxiety; Mindfulness; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 36427257
DOI: 10.1111/jpm.12886 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022The World Health Organization (WHO), in its last review of its International Classification of Diseases, established a new classification for chronic pain. Among the...
The World Health Organization (WHO), in its last review of its International Classification of Diseases, established a new classification for chronic pain. Among the principal categories, of particular interest is chronic primary pain as a new type of diagnosis in those cases in which the etiology of the disease is not clear, being termed as chronic primary visceral pain when it is situated in the thorax, abdomen, or pelvis. Due to the novelty of the term, the objective of the systematic review was to examine the psychopathological and neuropsychological disorders associated with chronic primary visceral pain. We carried out a search of the scientific literature following the PRISMA directives using the Pubmed, Medline, PsycInfo and Scopus databases. A total of 33 articles were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis of the studies showed that most persons with chronic primary visceral pain suffer from at least one psychological disorder; the most prevalent being anxiety, depressive or somatoform disorders. The most frequent psychopathological symptoms are anxiety, depression and somatization. Similarly, the findings are insufficient to determine the existence of deficits in the domains of executive functioning, memory and intelligence. However, the existence of attention biases does seem to be clear. This review supposes a starting point for conceptualizing chronic primary visceral pain. It is necessary to continue further research so as to obtain a better understanding of this pathology and the disorders associated.
PubMed: 36337545
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031923 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... Oct 2022Total hip arthroplasties (THA) are cost-effective interventions for patients with osteoarthritis refractory to physical therapy or medical management. Most individuals...
BACKGROUND
Total hip arthroplasties (THA) are cost-effective interventions for patients with osteoarthritis refractory to physical therapy or medical management. Most individuals report positive surgical outcomes with reduction in pain and improved joint function. Multiple recent studies demonstrated the influence of patient mental health on surgical success. We sought to determine the relationship between patient preoperative psychological factors and postoperative THA outcomes, specifically pain and function.
METHODS
PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Reviews databases were queried using terms "(mental OR psychological OR psychiatric) AND (function OR trait OR state OR predictor OR health) AND (outcome OR success OR recovery OR response) AND total joint arthroplasty)." A total of 21 of 1,286 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All studies were analyzed using GRADE and Risk of Bias criteria.
RESULTS
Overall, compared to cohorts with a normal psychological status, patients with higher objective measures of preoperative depression and anxiety reported increased postoperative pain, decreased functionality and greater complications following THA. Additionally, participants with lower self-efficacy or somatization were found to have worse functional outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative depression, anxiety and somatization may negatively impact patient reported postoperative pain, functionality and complications following THA. Surgeons should consider preoperative psychological status when counseling patients regarding expected surgical outcomes.
Topics: Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; Humans; Osteoarthritis; Pain, Postoperative; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 36253795
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-022-03355-3