The purpose of this Study was to determine
the effect of using a validated self-reporting depression scale on the ability to detect depression in people with epilepsy receiving care in a busy Clinical setting.\n\nMethods: The Neurological Disorders BI-6727 Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) is a 6-item questionnaire validated to Screen for depression in people with epilepsy. We performed a retrospective chart review of 192 consecutive patients who had completed the NDDI-E while receiving care at a seizure clinic in the largest public hospital in Houston, Texas. For comparison, charts of 192 consecutive patients receiving care immediately prior to the implementation of the NDDI-E in the same clinic were assessed.\n\nResults: Fifty-five (28.6%) of patients screened positive for depression
with the NDDI-E. They subsequently received a semi-structured psychiatric interview based on the DSM-IV model and 89% (n = 49) were confirmed to have major depression. Use of the NDDI-E thus resulted selleck compound in the detection of active depression in 25.5% (n = 49) of the patients, whereas only 2.6% (n = 5) of patients in the group not systematically screened were found to have active depression (p < 0.0001). Thirty-two of the 49 (65%) patients with depression detected by screening were not previously diagnosed or treated. Multivariate analysis revealed that a history of depression, seizure frequency, and topiramate use were independent predictors of depression. Lamotrigine use was protective against depression.\n\nDiscussion: Use of the NDDI-E significantly improved the ability to detect depression in epilepsy patients in a busy clinical practice. (C) 2009 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: To assess a genetic counseling intervention measuring the distress, cancer risk perception, anxiety, worry and level of knowledge in people with familial history of breast cancer.\n\nMethods: One group pre- and post-test design. A total of 212 individuals completed a baseline questionnaire,
88.6% completed a second questionnaire one month later and 75.4% six months later.\n\nResults: Counseling selleck chemicals intervention significantly increased the knowledge level of the individuals who received genetic education and significantly decreased the cancer worry levels. Persons with low perception of their cancer risk also had low worry levels. There were no significant changes over time in cancer risk perception or in quality of life.\n\nConclusion: Counseling in a high risk population seems to decrease cancer worry and to increase cancer knowledge thus enabling a counselee to take well-informed decisions. Furthermore, according to our results, such interventions do not increase anxiety and do not modify the quality of life, but do not adjust their cancer risk perception.