Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Responses to stressful circumstances have psychological and physiological dimensions, and are related to anxiety symptoms and mental disorders such as depression. Nonetheless, the relationship between subclinical stress and anxiety symptoms is still elusive. Methods To explore possible associations between stress and anxiety symptoms, patients with major depression ( N  = 77) and mentally healthy individuals of different age clusters and occupations ( N  = 412) were enrolled into the study. Stress was assessed with the new subclinical stress symptom questionnaire (SSQ-25). Anxiety was studied with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), mainly focusing on clinical anxiety, whilst anxiety as a personality trait was assessed with the trait aspect of the State Τrait Αnxiety Ιnventory Y (STAI Y). Statistical analyses included ANOVA, Scheffe test, linear regression models and a two-step cluster analysis using Log-Likelihood Distance measure and fixed number of two clusters. Results Age, stress symptoms and BAI scores differed significantly between among groups ( P  < 0.001), whilst STAI Y scores did not. Stress levels were found to be related to clinical anxiety ( P  < 0.001), while neither group identity nor age exerted any influence on anxiety levels ( P  > 0.05). The two Step Cluster analysis classified 76 out of 77 participants with milder stress (subclinical) symptoms into the cluster with moderate anxiety, as indicated by BAI scores, and all individuals with more severe stress into the severe anxiety cluster. Conclusions The observed associations between stress and anxiety shed light on the interrelations between even very mild (subclinical) stress and anxiety symptoms and may point to the potential of mild stress to serve as a target for early interventions aiming to prevent anxiety morbidity.

Cultures from the unicellular green alga Scenedesmus obliquus biodegrade the toxic p-cresol (4-methylphenol) and use it as alternative carbon/energy source. The biodegradation procedure of p-cresol seems to be a two-step process. HPLC analyses indicate that the split of the methyl group (first step) that is possibly converted to methanol (increased methanol concentration in the growth medium), leading, according to our previous work, to changes in the molecular structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus and therefore to microalgal biomass increase. The second step is the fission of the intermediately produced phenol. A higher p-cresol concentration results in a higher p-cresol biodegradation rate and a lower total p-cresol biodegradability. The first biodegradation step seems to be the most decisive for the effectiveness of the process, because methanol offers energy for the further biodegradation reactions. The absence of LHCII from the Scenedesmus mutant wt-lhc stopped the methanol effect and significantly reduced the p-cresol biodegradation (only 9%). The present contribution deals with an energy distribution between microalgal growth and p-cresol biodegradation, activated by p-cresol concentration. The simultaneous biomass increase with the detoxification of a toxic phenolic compound (p-cresol) could be a significant biotechnological aspect for further applications.

Purpose The present study aims to investigate the course of psychological symptoms through chemotherapy in a sample of primary caregivers of patients with cancer and to examine all possible correlations between psychological distress and demographic characteristics. Methods In this prospective study, 112 primary family caregivers of cancer patients were evaluated. Symptom checklist 90 revised (SCL-90-R) was administered to assess their pathological symptoms, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess depression and anxiety. There was an evaluation at the beginning of chemotherapy and a second at the end of the patients’ intravenous chemotherapy treatment (EOT). Results A total of 112 primary caregivers were initially enrolled in the study, and 99 (88.4%) completed it. Caregivers’ psychopathology was low to moderate at both points of time (baseline and EOT). However, a considerable decrease in the Global Severity Index (GSI) emerged over time. Conclusions At EOT, participants reported statistically significant decreases in five aspects of SCL 90, namely Depression, phobic anxiety, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, somatization, and psychoticism. A notable finding was that female caregivers were significantly more distressed, especially when providing care to a male recipient.

Τhe COVID-19 pandemic has mental health implications for both healthcare workforces and general population, particularly in regions heavily hit by the crisis. Τhe study aimed (i) to investigate anxiety- and depression severity differences between staff of a COVID-19 treatment unit (N = 84) and a hospital without such a unit (N = 55) in comparison to participants of a convenience general population online survey (N = 240) and (ii) to explore relations between such symptoms and hospital staff reaction to COVID-19 in a low COVID-19 burden setting. Anxiety was studied with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item in hospital workforces and with the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) in online survey participants. Depression symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in hospital employees and the HADS in the online survey sample. Symptoms were classified as absent/minimal, borderline abnormal or indicating clinical caseness. Staff reaction to COVID-19 was tapped with a 9-item-questionnaire and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-revised (IES-R). Proper tests for differences and stepwise ordered logistic regression models were employed. Anxiety- and depression severity was higher in hospital workforces than in online survey participants (P < 0.05). Anxiety was more severe in frontline- compared to backstage employees (P < 0.001) was inversely correlated with age (P = 0.011) and positively with avoidance (P = 0.028). Both anxiety and depression symptoms related to intrusion symptoms (P < 0.001). Regarding the relatively long data collection period, an inverse association between crisis duration and depression symptoms was detected (P = 0.025). These observations point to the urgent need for distress-mitigating interventions for hospital workforces even in low COVID-19 burden settings.

The objective of the present work was to compare the levels of executive, emotional, and initiation apathy in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD), and cognitively intact healthy controls (HCs). Fifty-two patients with mild ADD, 40 individuals with MCI, and 37 cognitively intact individuals were included in the current study. The participants were consecutive visitors to the Outpatient Memory Clinic of “Nestor” Alzheimer’s Center. The symptoms of apathy were measured with the dimensional apathy scale. Analyses showed that ADD patients had significantly higher degrees of executive, emotional, initiation, and overall apathy compared with both the MCI group and the HCs. Additionally, a significant difference was observed in the dimension of executive apathy between individuals with MCI and the HCs. In conclusion, the dimension of executive apathy was the most sensitive measure regarding the differentiation of individuals with mild ADD or MCI and HCs. Hence, detailed evaluation of executive apathy in older individuals referred to a memory clinic may provide useful information contributing to their diagnostic categorization and to the differentiation between neurocognitive disorders and healthy cognitive ageing.

SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread worldwide, threatening public health and financial and social life. The current study's aim was to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the Greek population during the first COVID-19 lockdown, and to detect potential correlates. An anonymous online survey was conducted between 10 April and 4 May 2020, to collect information regarding people's psychological functioning and COVID-19-related perceptions. A total of 1443 individuals completed the survey; 293 (20%) reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms, 188 (12.9%) reported clinically significant depressive symptoms and 506 (36.4%) suffered from definite post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety symptoms were independently associated with female gender (β = 1.281, 95% CI 0.808-1.755, P < 0.001), educational level (β = -1.570, 95% CI -2.546 to -0.595, P = 0.002), perceived severity (β = -1.745, 95% CI -3.146 to -0.344, P = 0.015) and COVID-19-related worry (β = 7.633, 95% CI 6.206-9.060, P < 0.001). Depressive symptoms were strongly correlated with educational level (β = -1.298, 95% CI -2.220 to -0.377, P = 0.006), perceived severity (β = -1.331, 95% CI -2.579 to -0.082, P = 0.037) and COVID-19-related worry (β = 4.102, 95% CI 2.769-5.436, P < 0.001). Finally, post-traumatic stress symptoms were linked to female gender (β = 6.451, 95% CI 4.602-8.299, P < 0.001), educational level (β = -5.737, 95% CI -9.479 to -1.996, P = 0.003), psychiatric history (β = -4.028, 95% CI -6.274 to -1.782, P < 0.001) and COVID-19-related worry (β = 23.865, 95% CI 18.201-29.530, P < 0.001). A significant percentage of the population reported clinically important anxiety, depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Women, less-educated individuals and people with a psychiatric history appeared more vulnerable to the pandemic's psychological impact.

Obesity has become a modern epidemic, increasingly affecting the general population worldwide. Obese people are vulnerable to a variety of co-morbidities, including cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes, cancer and psychiatric conditions, that not only diminish life expectancy but also impair quality of life. Research has shown that obesity is further linked to sexual dysfunction, although relevant studies are limited and further investigation is needed. We assessed the sexual function of 60 obese women scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery and 50 healthy controls matched by age, education and marital status. All participants were administered the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Additionally, participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Obese women reported significant impairment on most domains of sexual function, including sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction, compared to healthy controls. The observed sexual impairment was associated with BMI but was not entirely attributed to the presence of anxiety or depression. Obese women complain of significant sexual impairment. Obesity-related sexual dysfunction appears to be a complex condition linked to a range of social, psychological and biological factors. Clinicians are encouraged to evaluate routinely sexual function in this patient population in order to detect those who are in need of intervention.

Purpose Our aim was to assess the perceived emotional burden and quality of life (QOL) in a sample of Greek primary caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods Twenty-two male and 13 female primary caregivers (mean age 47.3 ± 12.4 years), and an equal number of patients with MS, completed the Greek validated version of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the Greek validated version of EuroQOL (EQ-5D). Thirtyfive age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls were used for comparison. Results Caregivers experienced higher degree of anxiety than depression. The mean score of the HADS-A subscale was 9.5 ± 4 (range 3-15), and the mean score of the HADSD subscale was 7.1 ± 3.1 (range 2-14). The mean scores of caregivers on both HADS-A and HADS-D were significantly higher than the controls' (P < 0.0001). Twenty-two caregivers were diagnosed with manifesting anxiety, whereas 12 of them also presented depression. Highly educated caregivers were more prone to manifest increased levels of anxiety and depression. The increased psychological distress was further supported by the responses in the anxiety/depression dimension on the EQ-5D: 27 reported a moderate level of anxiety/depression and three indicated an extreme degree. The caregivers reported a mean EQ-VAS value of 61.9 ± 13.8 (range 40-100), with 10 caregivers rating their health status a score of 50 or lower; the controls scored significantly higher (90.3 ± 7.1; P < 0.0001). Conclusion The sample of caregivers we studied was psychologically burdened to a significant degree, a fact that obviously deteriorates their QOL. Appropriate psychopharmacological interventions are warranted to reduce caregivers' burden.

Background: This study has assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological distress between public sector professional groups. Methods: Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered to healthcare personnel, schoolteachers, and municipality and regional personnel in the region of Western Greece. Mean scores on all SF-36 dimensions and HADS were compared among these professional groups as well as with the Greek national norms to assess if there were significant differences between our study sample and the general population. Results: Healthcare personnel reported significantly lower SF-36 scores than teachers and municipality employees. Women reported poorer HRQoL than men on all SF-36 dimensions. This overall low score for health care workers masks the fact that male health care workers, primarily medical doctors, actually scored better than women, primarily nurses and auxiliary personnel. Average mean scores on all SF-36 dimensions reported by nurses and auxiliary personnel in healthcare were considerably lower than the ones from employees in all other occupational types. The impact on HRQoL observed mainly in vitality, social functioning and mental health was important. Many participants have shown psychological burden and depression. Conclusions: The health inequalities among healthcare employees are significant. This study is important to suggest taking measures for improving the HRQoL of health workers.

Background Negative consequences of the obesity epidemic include decreased physical, psychological, and sexual health. Bariatric surgery is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for morbid obesity. This study aimed to determine the effect of bariatric surgery on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sexual functioning and to identify potential predictors of this effect. Methods Eighty morbidly obese patients (50 women) completed the study. HRQOL was measured using the Short Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36). Sexual functioning was assessed using the Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). All participants were evaluated four times as follows: presurgery (T1), 1 month (T2), 6 months (T3), and 1 year (T4) after surgery. Results Body mass index (BMI) significantly decreased over time ( p  < 0.001). Apart from male orgasm, all sexual functioning components as well as all SF-36 sub-scales improved between T1 and T4. The maximum improvement was observed between T2 and T3. Baseline HRQOL scores correlated with postoperative improvement in all HRQOL components. BMI improvement was correlated with improvement in role physical, bodily pain, and mental health scores. Baseline total sexual satisfaction score independently predicted total satisfaction improvement in both genders. Conclusions The present findings indicate that bariatric surgery represents an effective obesity treatment, leading to significant BMI reduction and improvement in HRQOL and sexual functioning, especially in the first 6 months postoperatively.