Anxiety and depression in mothers of children with psychotic disorders and mental retardation

Article Abstract:

Given the range of feelings that parents go through when confronted with having and raising a handicapped child, it is no surprise that mothers of these children often report depression. However, research suggests that mothers of autistic children tend not to seek help. Research also indicates that while mothers seem most affected emotionally by a child's handicap, they are affected differently depending upon the handicap. Eighteen mothers whose children exhibited early childhood psychosis and mental retardation were evaluated for anxiety and depression. The children were autistic or suffered from some other pervasive illness. There was also a control group of 18 mothers of children with motor (movement) disorders but no psychosis or mental handicaps. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale was completed for each mother and it was found that the median score for mothers of psychotic children on the anxiety scale was 8.5 as compared with 6 for mothers of children with motor disorders. A score of between 8 and 10 is considered borderline, with a score of 10 or above indicating an anxiety or depressive disorder. On the depression scale, mothers of psychotic children averaged 6, and mothers of children with motor disorders averaged 2. While the scores did not indicate a diagnosis of depression or anxiety for any mothers, scores for mothers with psychotic children were significantly higher than scores for mothers with children who were not psychotic. Since no other factors such as age, employment, or economic status were significantly different between the two groups, it is suggested that having a psychotic child leads mothers to be more anxious and depressed than other mothers. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Depression (Mood disorder), Family, Anxiety, Mothers, Mentally disabled children, Child psychiatry, Autistic children, Psychoses in children

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Psychotic depression presenting as status epilepticus

Article Abstract:

Reports of polydipsia (a potentially fatal syndrome of excessive, chronic thirst leading to water intoxication) in non-psychotic patients are rare. The case report of a 58-year-old married woman with two children and a diagnosis of depressive disorder is presented. She had been admitted to the hospital in 1988 for repeated, prolonged seizures (status epilepticus). The patient regained consciousness after 24 hours, and complained of poor appetite and weight loss. She had been drinking large amounts of water and tea to compensate for her poor appetite, and had been drinking almost continually for the two days before her seizures began. For six months she had experienced symptoms of depression, including early morning awakening, inability to concentrate, loss of pleasure, confusion, and a sense of hopelessness, accompanied by various physical complaints including back, chest and abdominal pains. Two weeks after admission, she was transferred to a psychiatric unit. She was tense, anxious, and had little recollection of the events leading to her admission. The woman was also paranoid, and felt that relatives and hospital staff members wanted to sue her. She became fully delusional, was diagnosed with psychotic depression, and was treated with amitryptyline and trifluoperazine (antipsychotic medications). It is likely that the seizures were induced by her compulsive water drinking. Unlike chronic, end-stage psychotic patients with polydipsia, she recovered fully and was found to be symptom-free six months after discharge. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Physiological aspects, Drinking (Physiology), Psychoses, Status epilepticus

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Serum interferon in first psychotic attack

Article Abstract:

Infection with some viruses can cause inflammation and other pathologies of the brain that can, in turn, result in behavioral disturbances. On the basis of this observation, a relation between viral infection and schizophrenia has been posited. Results of previous research, which measured antibodies to specific viruses in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of schizophrenic patients, have been contradictory, perhaps because of the specificity of the antibodies sought. Thus, to further explore this theory, a nonspecific indicator of viral infection, interferon, was measured in 20 men and 14 women admitted to a hospital with their first psychotic attack and before any medication was administered. In addition, blood and CSF from nonschizophrenic controls was also tested for the presence of these antibodies. No significant differences were found first, between patients with a brief psychotic episode and those with prolonged psychosis, and second, between the psychotic group and the control group. Although the study yielded negative findings, this in itself may be useful evidence in resolving the debate about a possible viral etiology of schizophrenia. Conclusive research involving specific characteristics and numerous immunological parameters needs to be conducted. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Measurement, Causes of, Virus diseases, Interferon, Schizophrenia

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