Chante Wellington

Depression, Suicidal Ideation, and Attempts in Black Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

There is a strong relationship between suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and depression. Rates of successful suicides are relatively high among the chronically ill compared to other populations but are reduced with treatment. Depression and suicide rates also often differ among blacks as compared to other populations. Using survey methods, we evaluated self-reported rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in 30 male and 37 female black patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is a condition characterized by chronic, unpredictable pains and psychosocial distress. Thirty-six percent of the sample self-reported depression in the past 30 days, while 22 percent of the sample exhibited scores on the Beck Depression Inventory indicative of mild or greater depression (mean BDI, 8.31 +/- 7.79). Twenty-nine percent of patients indicated an episode of suicidal ideation and 8%, a suicidal attempt in their lifetime. Thirty-three percent reported treatment by a mental health professional. We conclude that there is a continuing need for mental health services in the management of depressed affect and risk for suicide among patients with SCD. Standards of clinical care must remain flexible to accommodate the mental health needs of this population of patients.

Neuropsychological effects and attitudes in patients following electroconvulsive therapy

The current study examined the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on neuropsychological test performance. Forty-six patients completed brief neuropsychological and psychological testing before and after receiving ECT for the treatment of recalcitrant and severe depression. Neuropsychological testing consisted of the Levin Selective Reminding Test (Levin) and Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Edition (WMS-R). Self-report measures included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Short-Term Memory Questionnaire (STMQ), and several other measures of emotional functioning and patient attitudes toward ECT. The mean number of days between pre-ECT and post-ECT testing was 24. T-test revealed a significant decrease in subjective ratings of depression as rated by the BDI, t(45) = 9.82, P < 0.0001 (Pre-BDI = 27.9 ± 20.2; post-BDI = 13.5 ± 9.7). Objective ratings of memory appeared impaired following treatment, and patients’ self-report measures of memory confirmed this decline. More specifically, repeated measures MANOVA [Wilks Lambda F(11,30) = 4.3, p < 0.001] indicated significant decreases for measures of immediate recognition memory (p < 0.005), long-term storage (p < 0.05), delayed prose passage recall (p < 0.0001), percent retained of prose passages (p < 0.0001), and percent retained of visual designs (p < 0.0001). In addition, the number of double mentions on the Levin increased (p < 0.02). This study suggests that there may be a greater need to discuss the intermittent cognitive risks associated with ECT when obtaining informed consent prior to treatment. Further that self-reports of cognitive difficulties may persist even when depression has remitted. However, patients may not acknowledge or be aware of changes in their memory functioning, and post-ECT self-reports may not be reliable.

Opioid Management and Dependency Among Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

While pain is one of the most debilitating symptoms of sickle cell disease, narcotics remain an effective although controversial widely practiced intervention. Vaso-occlusive crises are the most common cause for seeking pharmacological treatment. The influence of stigmatization and pseudo addiction in emergency departments and outpatient clinics was reviewed. We analyzed patterns of narcotic utilization in a sample of 63 adult patients with sickle cell disease to determine if their psychological functioning and reports of pain differed as a function of the primary narcotics they were taking for oral pain management. Fifty-one percent of patients reported treatment of Oxycodone, 35% OxyContin, 24% methadone and 11% morphine. Patients who were treated with Oxycodone reported greater sensory reactions to pain (p = 0.001), visual analog scale (VAS) (p = 0.02), and averaged weekly pain intensity ratings than patients who did not use this medication. There were no differences in pain or affective response in patients treated with OxyContin, methadone or morphine. We suggest there are clear differences between the reports of pain in patients with sickle cell disease taking short-acting narcotics for pain management as compared to those who are not, a pattern that does not distinguish patients who are managed with long-acting preparations. We discuss the relevance of addressing narcotic management in the context of the perception of health care providers and patients with sickle cell disease.

Misestimation of Peer Tobacco Use : Understanding Disparities in Tobacco Use

Blacks experience disproportionately elevated rates of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Blacks experience delayed smoking initiation relative to other racial/ethnic groups, highlighting the importance of examining smoking correlates occurring in late adolescence/early adulthood. The current study reports data collected as part of an ongoing collaborative effort to assess alcohol and drug use on the campuses of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Two-thousand, two-hundred, seventy-seven African-American subjects, aged 20.3 +/- 3.9 (range 18-53), completed the CORE Alcohol and Drug survey and a brief demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that 90% of all subjects overestimated the rate of smoking among their peers. Overestimating was associated with a > 80% increase in the risk of smoking. These data highlight the need to correct misinformation regarding smoking norms among students at some HBCUs.

Somatization in the Conceptualization of Sickle Cell Disease

The unpredictable nature of sickle cell disease (SCD) and its social and environmental consequences can produce an unhealthy and almost exclusive focus on physical functioning. At the upper range of this focus on health concerns is somatization. In the current study, using 156 adult patients (55.13% female, 86) with SCD, mean age 35.59 +/- 12.73, we explored the relationship of somatization to pain. We found somatization to be predictive of pain severity and current pain intensity as well as a range of averaged indices of pain over time (p < .0001). We further found somatization to be predictive of a range of negative psychological experiences to include depression, anxiety, and hostility (p < .0001). We interpret these data to suggest that patients with SCD who have a propensity to focus exclusively on their health or are more sensitive to minor changes in their health status (somatization) may also be more likely to report greater concerns about their health and higher ratings of pain.

Neurocognitive testing and functioning in adults sickle cell disease.

The impact of cerebrovascular events (CVE) on cognitive functioning in adults with sickle cell disease is not well understood. Sequelae of CVEs can adversely impact their quality of life. We reviewed neurocognitive presentation and testing in adults with sickle cell disease. We evaluated the frequency of complaints of memory disturbance using survey methodology in a sample of 109 adult patients with sickle cell disease (48 males, 61 females). A subsample of 24 patients also received a memory questionnaire where specific cognitive functions were assessed. Overall, we found that males and females did not differ in the frequency of experienced memory disturbance during painful crises. However, the frequency of men reporting that their ability to remember where they place common objects such as keys (p = 0.017) and remembering the item they intended to buy in a grocery store or pharmacy (p = 0.048) was worse now compared to when they were in high school and was greater when compared to women. The frequency of men who reported their memory was worse now than when they were in high school (p = 0.051) was also greater than in women. We concluded that memory dysfunction predicts global monthly presentation of pain. We suggest incorporating cost-effective neurocognitive screening measures as a standard of practice in sickle cell disease.