Relacionamento conjugal durante a gravidez mulheres e homens ansiosos e deprimidos

To assess anxiety, depression and relationship satisfaction in both women and men during pregnancy, the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) were administered during the second trimester to a sample of 59 pregnant women and their partners. Anxious pregnant women rated their relationships as less positive. Depressed pregnant women also rated their relationships as less positive. The women’s anxiety scores were predictive of their positive and negative relationship scores. The women and their partners’ negative relationship scores were also predictive of each others’ negative relationship scores. These results highlight the importance of targeting anxiety as well as depression, and pregnant women as well as their partners in prenatal intervention programs.Para avaliar a ansiedade, a depressão e o relacionamento conjugal em mulheres e homens durante a gravidez, o State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), o Center for Epidemiological Studies ­Depression Scale (CES­D) e o Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) foram administrados durante o segundo trimestre a uma amostra de 59 grávidas e seus companheiros. As mulheres grávidas ansiosas avaliaram o seu relacionamento como menos positivo. As mulheres grávidas deprimidas também avaliaram o seu relacionamento como mesmo positivo. Os valores de ansiedade mostraram ser preditores do relacionamento positivo e negativo. Os valores do relacionamento da mulher e do seu companheiro também se mostraram mutuamente preditores dos seus relacionamentos negativos. Estes resultados mostram a importância de considerar a ansiedade tanto quanto a depressão e a mulher grávida tanto quanto o seu companheiro em programas de intervenção pré-natal.This research was supported by grants from the March of Dimes (12FY03-48) and NIMH (MH# 46586) and NIMH Research ScientistAwards (MH# 00331 andAT# 001585) to Tiffany Field, funding from Johnson & Johnson to the Touch Research Institutes, and a fellowship to Barbara Figueiredo (POCI/SAU-ESP/56397/2004, funded under the 2010 Science and Innovation Operational Program (POCI 2010) of the Community Support Board III, and supported by the European Community Fund FEDER)

'Against the World': Michael Field, female marriage and the aura of amateurism'

This article considers the case of Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper, an aunt and niece who lived and wrote together as ‘Michael Field’ in the fin-de-siècle Aesthetic movement. Bradley’s bold statement that she and Cooper were ‘closer married’ than the Brownings forms the basis for a discussion of their partnership in terms of a ‘female marriage’, a union that is reflected, as I will argue, in the pages of their writings. However, Michael Field’s exclusively collaborative output, though extensive, was no guarantee for success. On the contrary, their case illustrates the notion, valid for most products of co-authorship, that the jointly written work is always surrounded by an aura of amateurism. Since collaboration defied the ingrained notion of the author as the solitary producer of his or her work, critics and readers have time and again attempted to ‘parse’ the collaboration by dissecting the co-authored work into its constituent halves, a treatment that the Fields too failed to escape

Prenatal serotonin and neonatal outcome: brief report

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationships between prenatal serotonin levels and other biochemical values during pregnancy as well as their relationships to neonatal biochemical and behavioral variables. To address that question, the pregnant women were divided into the top and bottom tertiles based on their serotonin levels at 20 weeks gestational age

Prenatal paternal depression

Prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger and daily hassles were investigated in 156 depressed and non-depressed pregnant women and their depressed and non-depressed partners (fathers-to-be). Depressed versus non-depressed fathers had higher depression, anxiety and daily hassles scores. Although the pregnant women in general had lower anxiety, anger and daily hassles scores than the men, the scores on the measures for depressed fathers and depressed mothers did not differ. Paternal depression appeared to have less effect than maternal depression on their partners’ scores. However, the similarity between the scores of depressed mothers and depressed fathers highlights the importance of screening for depression in fathers-to-be as well as mothers-to-be during pregnancy.We would like to thank the mothers and infants who participated in this study. This research was supported by a merit award (MH #46586) and Senior Research Scientist Awards from NIH (MH #00331 and AT #001585) and a March of Dimes grant (#12-FY03-48) to Tiffany Field and funding by Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institutes

Massage therapy reduces pain in pregnant women, alleviates prenatal depression in both parents and improves their relationships

Prenatally depressed women (N=47) were randomly assigned to a group that received massage twice weekly from their partners from 20 weeks gestation until the end of pregnancy or a control group. Self-reported leg pain, back pain, depression, anxiety and anger decreased more for the massaged pregnant women than for the control group women. In addition, the partners who massaged the pregnant women versus the control group partners reported less depressed mood, anxiety and anger across the course of the massage therapy period. Finally, scores on a relationship questionnaire improved more for both the women and the partners in the massage group. These data suggest that not only mood states but also relationships improve mutually when depressed pregnant women are massaged by their partners.We would like to thank the mothers and fathers who participated in this study. This research was supported by a Merit Award (MH # 46586), an NIH grant (AT# 00370), Senior Research Scientist Awards (MH#0033 1 and AT# 001585) and a March of Dimes Grant (# 12-FYO3-48) to Tiffany Field and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institutes

Partner relationships during the transition to parenthood

Partner relationships are relevant in the psychological adjustment during the transition to parenthood, but mothers have been studied more often than fathers in this respect. The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) to assess negative and positive dimensions of the partner relationship, The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to assess depression an the State Anxiety Inventory (STAi) to assess anxiety were administered to 43 women and their partners recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy and seen again until after delivery to assess differences in women's/men's anxiety and depression according to partner relationships. Results indicate that women/men with a less positive relationship with the partner show higher anxiety than women/men with a more positive partner relationship, and those women/men with a more negative relationship with the partner show both higher depression and higher anxiety than women/men with a less negative relationship. Also partners of women/men with a more negative partner relationship show higher depression than partners of women/men with a less negative relationship. Psychological adjustement during the transition to parenthood of both the women/men and the partner is impacted by the partner relationship.We would like to thank the couples that participated in this study and the researchers (Yanexy Vera and Karla Gil) who assisted with the study. This research was supported by grants from the March of Dimes (12FY03-48) and NIMH (MH# 46586) and NIMH Research Scientist Awards (MH# 00331 and AT# 001585) to Tiffany Field, funding from Johnson & Johnson to the Touch Research Institutes, and a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (POCI/SAU-ESP/56397/2004) to Barbara Figueiredo

Chronic prenatal depression and neonatal outcome

Four hundred and thirty pregnant women were recruited at approximately 22 weeks gestation at prenatal clinics. Of these, 86 (20%) were diagnosed as depressed. The women were seen again at approximately 32 weeks gestation and after delivery. Chronicity of depression was evidenced by continuing high depression scores in those women diagnosed as depressed. Comorbid problems were chronically high anxiety, anger, sleep disturbance, and pain scores. Less optimal outcomes for the depressed women included lower gestational age and lower birthweight of their newborns

Comorbid depression and anxiety effects on pregnancy and neonatal outcome

The effects of comorbid depression and anxiety were compared to the effects of depression alone and anxiety alone on pregnancy mood states and biochemistry and on neonatal outcomes in a large multi-ethnic sample. At the prenatal period the comorbid and depressed groups had higher scores than the other groups on the depression measure. But, the comorbid group had higher anxiety, anger and daily hassles scores than the other groups, and they had lower dopamine levels. As compared to the non-depressed group, they also reported more sleep disturbances and relationship problems. The comorbid group also experienced a greater incidence of prematurity than the depressed, the high anxiety and the non-depressed groups. Although the comorbid and anxiety groups were lower birthweight than the non-depressed and depressed groups, the comorbid group did not differ from the depressed and anxiety groups on birth length. The neonates of the comorbid and depressed groups had higher cortisol and norepinephrine and lower dopamine and serotonin levels than the neonates of the anxiety and non-depressed groups as well as greater relative right frontal EEG. These data suggest that for some measures comorbidity of depression and anxiety is the worst condition (e.g., incidence of prematurity), while for others, comorbidity is no more impactful than depression alone.This research was supported by a Merit Award (MH #46586), an NIH grant (AT #00370) and Senior Research Scientist Awards (MH #0033 1 and AT #001585) and a March of Dimes Grant (#12-FYO3-48) to Tiffany Field and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institute

A restatement of recent advances in the natural science evidence base concerning neonicotinoid insecticides and insect pollinators

A summary is provided of recent advances in the natural science evidence base concerning the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on insect pollinators in a format (a ‘restatement’) intended to be accessible to informed but not expert policymakers and stakeholders. Important new studies have been published since our recent review of this field (Godfray et al. 2014 Proc. R. Soc. B 281,20140558. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.0558)) and the subject continues to be an area of very active research and high policy relevance

Clinical effectiveness of a sedation protocol minimizing benzodiazepine infusions and favoring early dexmedetomidine: A before-after study

INTRODUCTION: Randomized controlled trials suggest clinical outcomes may be improved with dexmedetomidine as compared to benzodiazepines, however further study and validation is needed. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness of a sedation protocol minimizing benzodiazepine use in favor of early dexmedetomidine. METHODS: This was a before-after study including adult surgical and medical ICU patients requiring mechanical ventilation and continuous sedation for at least 24 hours. The before phase included consecutive patients admitted between April 1 and August 31, 2011. Subsequently, the protocol was modified to minimize use of benzodiazepines in favor of early dexmedetomidine through a multidisciplinary approach and staff education was provided. The after phase included consecutive eligible patients between May 1 and October 31, 2012. RESULTS: 199 patients were included, with 97 patients in the before and 102 in the after phase. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between groups. Use of midazolam as initial sedation (58% vs. 27%, p \u3c 0.0001) or at any point during the ICU stay (76% vs. 48%, p \u3c 0.0001) was significantly reduced in the after phase. Dexmedetomidine use as initial sedation (2% vs. 39%, p \u3c 0.0001) or at any point during the ICU stay (39% vs. 82%, p \u3c 0.0001) significantly increased. Both the prevalence (81% vs. 93%, p =0.013) and median percent of days with delirium (55% (IQR 18-83) vs. 71% (IQR 45-100), p = 0.001) were increased in the after phase. The median duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly reduced in the after phase (110 (IQR 59-192) vs. 74.5 (IQR 42-148) hrs, p = 0.029) and significantly fewer patients required tracheostomy (20% vs. 9%, p = 0.040). The median ICU length of stay was 8 (IQR 4-12) days in the before phase and 6 (IQR 3-11) days in the after phase (p = 0.252). CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a sedation protocol that targeted light sedation and reduced benzodiazepine use led to significant improvements in the duration of mechanical ventilation and requirement for tracheostomy despite increases in the prevalence and duration of ICU delirium