André Luiz Moreno

Chronic pelvic pain, psychiatric disorders and early emotional traumas: Results of a cross sectional case-control study

AIM To compare the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and early emotional traumas between women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and healthy women. METHODS One hundred women in reproductive age, 50 of them had CPP (according to the criteria set by the International Association for Study of Pain), and 50 were considered healthy after the gynecological evaluation. The eligibility criteria were defined as follows: chronic or persistent pain perceived in the pelvis-related structures (digestive, urinary, genital, myofascial or neurological systems). Only women in reproductive age with acyclic pain for 6 mo, or more, were included in the present study. Menopause was the exclusion criterion. The participants were grouped according to age, school level and socio-economic status and were individually assessed through DSM-IV Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-I) and Early Trauma Inventory Self-report - short form (ETISR-SF Brazilian version). Descriptive statistics, group comparison tests and multivariate logistics regression were used in the data analysis. RESULTS The early emotional traumas are highly prevalent, but their prevalence did not differ between the two groups. The current Major Depressive Disorder was more prevalent in women with CPP. The CPP was associated with endometriosis in 48% of the women. There was no difference in the prevalence of disorders when endometriosis was taken into account (endometriosis vs other diseases: P > 0.29). The current Major Depressive Disorder and the Bipolar Disorder had greater occurrence likelihood in the group of women with CPP (ODDS = 5.25 and 9.0). CONCLUSION The data reinforce the link between mood disorders and CPP. The preview evidences about the association between CPP and early traumas tended not to be significant after a stronger methodological control was implemented.

Estrutura fatorial, fidedignidade e parâmetros de itens da versão em português brasileiro do questionário GAD-7

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD-7 questionnaire in a community sample (n = 206) of Brazilian adults. The sample was 41% female, with a mean age of 21.10 (SD = 4.49), 75.6% from colleges/universities. Results of a confi rmatory factor analysis provided support to the original unidimensional model of the GAD-7 in the Brazilian context. Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) showed that the GAD-7 scores were signifi cantly different between males and females, with females scoring higher than males. The scale demonstrated good reliability evidence; both Cronbach’s alpha coeffi cient (α = .916) and rho composite reliability coeffi cient (ρ = .909) were adequate. Item parameter analysis showed items 5 and 7 presented 1 Mailing address: Av. Dr. João Severiano Rodrigues da Cunha, 101, Uberaba, MG, Brazil 14048-900. Phone: (34) 9198-3998. E-mail: moreno.andreluiz@gmail.com, diogo.a.sousa@gmail.com, anamariafl ps@gmail. com, gmanfro@gmail.com, gsallumjr@gmail.com, silvia.koller@gmail.com, fl aviaosorio@ig.com.br and jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br Moreno, A. L., DeSousa, D. A., Souza, A. M. F. L. P., Manfro, G. G., Salum, G. A., Koller, S. H., Osório, F. L., Crippa, J. A. S. 368 the highest severity thresholds for the generalized anxiety latent trait, whereas item 1 presented the lowest ones. Our fi ndings suggest that the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the GAD-7 is suitable for assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms in Brazilian adults in community settings.

Psychometric properties of the dimensional anxiety scales for DSM-5 in a Brazilian community sample.

The DSM‐5 highlights the use of dimensional assessments of mental health as a supplement to categorical diagnoses. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the DSM‐5 Dimensional Anxiety Scales in a Brazilian community sample. Dimensional scales for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and specific phobia were administered to 930 adults aged 18 to 70, 64.2% female. Psychometric properties investigated were: unidimensionality; measurement invariance; internal consistency; composite reliability; test–retest reliability; convergent and divergent validity; category thresholds and item performance analyses. Analyses revealed unidimensionality for all scales except for specific phobia. Measurement invariance, high internal consistency and composite reliability, and convergent and divergent validity were demonstrated. Test–retest reliability was high for all scales but generalized anxiety disorder. Item‐based analyses evidenced that none of the items were very easy to endorse and that the scales offered more information about subjects with high severity estimates of anxiety. The DSM‐5 Dimensional Anxiety Scales are a valid and reliable alternative to assess anxiety symptomatology in community settings, although further evaluation is needed, especially for specific phobia. The scales seem to be more useful for characterizing dimensionality of symptoms for subclinical or clinical cases than for slight or mildly anxious subjects.

Heritability of social anxiety disorder: a systematic review of methodological designs

Background The investigation of heritability stands out as an important means to establish the weight of genetic and environmental factors in the development of social anxiety disorder. Objective This study aims to make a critical review of methodological designs used in the investigation of the social anxiety disorder (SAD) heritability. Methods We reviewed 31 research articles published until October 2015 and found through the electronic search bases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus and manual searches in the reference lists of the selected references. Most of the investigations involved adult samples and twins to assess heritability. Results There was great variability in the screening and diagnostic instruments used in the studies, leading to different outcomes. Structural equation models proved to be the most adequate to assess SAD heritability, allowing better estimates of this aspect of the disorder. SAD heritability rates varied between 13% and 76% in the articles reviewed. Discussion We discuss methodological aspects that may affect the quality and the development of improved studies to investigate SAD heritability such as sample size, quality of screening instruments, and use of diagnostic interviews. More homogeneous investigations involving larger samples and standardized instruments and methods are desirable and opportune.