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A review of studies of the psychological symptoms found at the menopause.

The scientific literature was reviewed in order to determine whether psychological symptoms were directly associated with the menopause. Aetiology theories of symptoms include biological, psychological, sociological and multifactorial. There is evidence that psychological symptoms do occur in increased frequency in relationship to declining ovarian function. The severity of these symptoms may be affected by sociological variables. Administration of oestrogens alone or in combination with progestogens appear to alleviate some of the symptoms. More detailed research is needed into the relationship between psychological symptoms and the menopause.

Adolescent

Assessing psychologic symptoms in adolescents.

Assessing the meaning of psychologic symptoms in adolescents can be a difficult task. Pediatricians, internists, and family practitioners are often the first professionals consulted by families worried that their teen-agers may be in psychologic distress. The practitioner is faced with the difficult decision of meeting the adolescent's need himself or referring the patient to an adolescent psychiatrist for further evaluation and possible treatment. In making this decision the practitioner must carry out a complex assessment task which requires the simultaneous evaluation of multiple clinical variables. This paper presents a conceptual scheme for evaluating the psychologic status of an adolescent patient.

Adolescent

Alcohol consumption and tolerance of workers exposed to styrene in relation to level of exposure and psychological symptoms and signs.

A group of 98 male workers occupationally exposed to styrene was interviewed for information on the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption and changes in consumption frequency and tolerance. Alcohol consumption and changes in consumption were not compared to any reference data, but the changes in tolerance were. The styrene-exposed workers revealed a lowered tolerance somewhat more often than the unexposed group. Neither the duration nor the intensity of styrene exposure was related to any of the alcohol "behavior" variables. The amount of over-time work in exposure had a slight relationship to high alcohol consumption, but the interpretation of this relationship remains undecided. Subjective symptoms, like hand tremor and difficulties in staying asleep, were associated with the alcohol "behavior" variables, but these two symptoms were unrelated to intensity of styrene exposure. Of the psychological functions studied, lowered visuomotor speed showed a slight relationship to high alcohol consumption. Visuomotor inaccuracy, which had proved to be related to a high intensity of styrene exposure, revealed no connection with the alcohol "behavior" variables. It was concluded that alcohol consumption among styrene-exposed workers is not related to the same psychological symptoms and signs as styrene exposure.

Adolescent

Persistent trauma three decades after the Halabja massacre: psychological symptom profiles and hair cortisol levels in gas attack survivors.

BACKGROUND: Survivors of the 1988 Halabja chemical attack have experienced severe, chronic trauma, yet limited research has examined the long-term psychological and biological consequences of chemical warfare exposure more than three decades later. AIMS: To examine long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression/anxiety symptoms, somatic symptoms and perceived stress among survivors of the Halabja chemical attack, and to investigate the associations of trauma exposure, sociodemographic factors and hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) with psychological symptom severity and symptom profiles. METHOD: A total of 209 survivors of the Halabja chemical attack participated in structured interviews using culturally adapted and field-tested instruments, including the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, the Patient Health Questionnaire-13, the Perceived Stress Scale-14 and an adapted War and Adversity Exposure Checklist-26. Hair cortisol and cortisone concentrations were assessed as biomarkers of chronic stress. Data were analysed using correlations, independent-samples t-tests, multiple linear regression analyses, multinomial logistic regression and latent profile analysis (LPA). RESULTS: Survivors demonstrated a substantial long-term psychological symptom burden. Overall, 87.6% of participants exceeded the cut-off for probable PTSD symptoms, and 75.1% exceeded the cut-off for elevated depression/anxiety symptoms. Most participants (81.8%) reported exposure to 11 or more lifetime traumatic events. Men reported significantly greater cumulative trauma exposure, whereas women reported significantly greater somatic symptom severity. Higher educational attainment and employment were consistently associated with lower psychological symptom severity across multiple outcomes. HCCs were not significantly associated with PTSD symptoms or latent symptom-profile membership after adjustment for trauma exposure and psychosocial variables. The LPA identified four symptom-severity classes characterised by differing levels of PTSD and depression/anxiety symptoms. Greater cumulative trauma exposure and lower social support were associated with membership in more severe symptom classes. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of the Halabja chemical attack continue to experience substantial psychological distress more than three decades after exposure. Long-term symptom severity appears to be more strongly associated with cumulative trauma exposure and psychosocial adversity than with HCCs. The findings highlight substantial heterogeneity in symptom presentation and support the need for long-term, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed mental health interventions for survivors of chemical warfare and mass violence.

Halabja chemical attack

The feasibility and efficacy of weighted blankets as a sleep intervention for people with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a pilot randomised crossover trial.

Sleep disturbances contribute to disease progression in dementia and result in reduced quality of life. Non-pharmacological interventions are recommended for the management of sleep and other behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), although these interventions can be challenging to implement. This pilot study assessed the feasibility and efficacy of weighted blankets as a sleep intervention for people with BPSD in a neurobehavioural unit. Fourteen residents, serving as their own control, slept two weeks with a weighted blanket and two weeks with usual bedding in a crossover trial. The primary outcomes were sleep duration and efficiency, measured via a Withing's sleep analyser and sleep disordered behaviours, measured by the sleep disorder inventory (SDI). Secondary outcomes included responsive behaviours, measured by the Neuropsychiatric index (NPI), falls incidents, restrictive practice incidents and use of pro re nata psychotropic medications. Generalised Estimation Equation (GEE) method was used for analysis. There was no statistical evidence that weighted blankets improved sleep or behavioural outcomes for people with BPSD, however fewer fall incidents, wakings and restrictive practices were reported during weighted blanket use. Weighted blankets were considered feasible and acceptable with high recruitment rates, nil participant withdrawals and no adverse outcomes, however there was variable compliance to the intervention protocol and the Withings did not adequately measure sleep. Whilst there is insufficient effectiveness evidence for further trials, weighted blankets can be offered to people living with dementia as a low risk sleep intervention option, with the caveat that there is currently no effectiveness evidence.

Behavioural Symptoms

Reported physiological and psychological symptoms of tobacco smoke pollution in nonsmoking and smoking college students.

A 147-item questionnaire concerning the relevance of the nonsmokers' right movement to college and university campuses was administered to 307 University of New Hampshire undergraduates. The fourth section of the questionnaire consisted of 28 questions on symptoms caused by smoke pollution. Responses to these questions were given on a five-category frequency of occurrence scale. Frequencies, descriptive statistics, and t tests contrasting current smokers from nonsmokers were presented. Generally sizable percentages of nonsmokers reported adverse physiological and psychological symptoms from tobacco smoke pollution. Smokers reported a similar pattern of responding but at lower frequencies of occurrence.

Adolescent

Prevalence and pattern of psychological symptoms in form of dental fear and anxiety in children and adolescents with traumatic dental injuries: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the level and pattern of dental fear and anxiety (DFA) amongst children and adolescents with traumatic dental injuries (TDI) and, where available, to compare these outcomes with non-traumatised controls. METHODS: An a priori protocol was developed and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261329946). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus on 3 March 2026, with additional grey literature, citation, and reference searching. No language or time restrictions were applied. Observational clinical studies assessing DFA in individuals with TDI using validated tools were included. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: A total of 2885 records were identified, of which 4 cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria after screening. Studies were conducted in Croatia and Kosovo and included paediatric populations. Sample sizes ranged from 147 to 505 participants. Different validated scales (CFSS-DS, CDAS, S-DAI) were used to assess DFA. Overall, children with TDI demonstrated predominantly low levels of dental fear and anxiety across assessment tools. However, findings were inconsistent, with some studies reporting lower or similar anxiety levels in TDI patients compared to controls. Risk of bias was moderate or high in three of the four studies, and the overall certainty of evidence was rated as low to very low due to methodological limitations, heterogeneity, and imprecision. CONCLUSION: The limited available evidence suggests that children and adolescents with TDI do not consistently present with higher levels of dental fear and anxiety than non-traumatised controls. These findings indicate that TDI does not inherently cause DFA, underscoring the critical role of empathetic behaviour support in mitigating post-traumatic dental fear. However, the evidence is based on a small number of regionally concentrated cross-sectional studies with low to very low certainty. Future prospective studies using standardised TDI classifications, validated DFA instruments, and clearly defined assessment time points are needed.

Dental anxiety

Pharmacological treatment following experimental cerebral infarction: implications for understanding psychological symptoms of human stroke.

Middle cerebral artery ligation in the rat produces decreases in catecholamine concentrations at brain sites uninjured by ischemic damage and a transient increase in spontaneous horizontal activity. Development of this hyperactivity can be blocked by postoperative treatment with the antidepressant, desmethylimipramine, or by preoperative destruction of norepinephrine terminals with 6-hydroxydopamine. These results suggest that ischemic damage to the cerebral cortex which injures some axonal branches of elaborately arborizing catecholamine-containing neurons may alter the biochemical and functional state of the entire system in its intact collateral axons. Thus the concept of stroke as a local injury producing symptoms by local structure-function relationships is conceptually inadequate, and poststroke symptoms must be evaluated with these "whole brain" concepts in mind. We suggest that the poststroke symptoms of apathy and depression may represent emotional changes which result from pathophysiological processes in catecholamine neurons far from the site of the stroke.

Animals

Postoperative complications in 1,000 cases of intracranial aneurysms.

Clinical analysis of postoperative complications was made in 1,000 cases of intracranial saccular aneurysm. Psychological symptoms, motor disturbances, and aphasia were observed in 107 cases (11.5%), 74 cases (7.1%) and 20 cases (2.1%), respectively, in 939 discharged cases. Water and electrolyte disturbances and gastro-intestinal bleeding were found in 60 cases (6.0%) and 19 cases (1.9%), respectively, in 1,000 surgically treated patients including those that died during hospitalization. Psychological symptoms were most apt to develop in cases of vertebrobasilar artery aneurysm, multiple aneurysms and anterior communicating aneurysm. It appeared that the poorer the preoperative grade, the higher the incidence of psychological symptoms. These developed most frequently in patients operated on the third to seventh days after the subarachnoid hemorrhage. The postoperative psychological symptoms improved in 63% of 107 cases. The occurrence rates of other complications were also studied.

Alcohol Amnestic Disorder

Locus of control and symptoms of psychological distress among Chinese-Americans.

A sample of Chinese-Americans in the District of Columbia was drawn to examine the relationship between the locus of control, the personality factor, and two indices of symptoms of psychological distress. The findings indicated that the externals scored higher on symptomatology than did the internals. A multivariate analysis further compared the predictive utility of locus of control with other determinants of psychiatric symptoms, i.e., sex, marital status, SES, kinship and friendship tie, and amount of life change. The evidence showed that locus of control is an important determinant of Chinese-Americans' symptomatology. It accounted for a greater proportion of the variance in the two indices of psychological distress than did the other independent variables.

Acculturation

A prospective study of premenstrual tension symptoms in healthy young Australians.

Thirty healthy young women volunteered to complete questionnaires concerning physical and psychological symptoms during a full menstrual cycle. A maximal incidence of minor physical and psychological symptoms was observed in the first few days of menstruation. This was preceded by a gradual rise in the level of symptomatology during the premenstruum.

Adult

Back symptoms and psychological perception of work. A study among nursing aides in a geriatric hospital.

233 nursing aides in a geriatric hospital were interviewed about back symptoms and asked to fill in a questionnaire about their psychological perception of their work. Seven psychological scales and a variable of the overall satisfaction with the job were tested against the presence/absence of cervical, thoracic and low-back symptoms. Nursing aides with thoracic and low-back symptoms exhibited in general a lower level of overall satisfaction with the job, perceived more negative relations with supervisors and workmates and perceived greater strain and a greater demand for physical and psychic strength. The psychological perception of the work was, however, only partly related to the presence/absence of back symptoms.

Adult

Smoking withdrawal symptoms in two weeks of abstinence.

In order to study trends in smoking withdrawal symptoms, 35 participants in a smoking cessation clinic completed four questionnaires daily for 2 weeks. The questionnaire dealt with a variety of symptoms which a factor analysis showed could be grouped into four factors: stimulation, desire to smoke, and physical and psychological symptoms. Changes were observed in reports of symptoms over days. Trend analyses found that each symptom group except stimulation showed significant patterns or changes as a function of days in abstinence. These symptom clusters were all found to have U-shaped functions. In addition, desire to smoke and psychological symptoms showed linear decreases as abstinence proceeded. Light and heavy smokers were found to differ in the pattern of reported stimulation. Ss who were totally abstinent reported less severe craving overall for cigarettes than those who only reduced their cigarette consumption by an average of 60%. Also, the craving of totally abstinent Ss dropped off more sharply as abstinence proceeded. The import of these patterns and trends in withdrawal symptoms as a function of time is discussed.

Adult

Psychiatric complications of medical drugs.

General drug toxicity has long been a concern of physicians. Recently, there has been increasing concern about the psychological side effects of drugs. This paper reviews the literature on psychological side effects of those drugs which have been most studied in recent years. It also includes a section reviewing the literature on miscellaneous drugs associated with psychological symptoms. This review, although not exhaustive, is intended to alert the physician to drug related causes for psychological symptoms which patients may experience while taking drugs.

Adolescent

Pain and the marital relationship: psychiatric distress.

Psychologic assessment and treatment of the family of the chronic pain patient has been thought to be of benefit in the outcome of pain therapy. The present study was designed to determine the presence of psychologic symptoms in the spouses of pain patients and the relationship of distress levels between the marital pair. Forty-four couples were studied. Demographic data was collected and each individual completed the SCL-90, a widely used and validated measure of psychologic symptom severity. There was a significant correlation (P = less than 0.001) on psychiatric distress scores between pain patients and their spouses particularly when pain patient distress scores were high. Distress levels tended to decrease with age and were highest among the unemployed and lowest in the retired. In addition spouses were significantly higher than nonpatient norms on most symptom subscales. These data underline the importance of conjoint assessment of the chronic pain patient and the spouse, and have implications for treatment.

Adolescent

Mental health in the middle-aged population.

In the general health screening carried out 9 September 1973--11 January 1974 in the municipality of Säkylä in Southwest Finland as part of the Säkylä-Köyliö project, the current self-perceived psychological symptomatology of the population between the ages of 40 and 64 years (a total of 2,431 persons) was measured by the questionnaire developed by Goldberg. With a participation rate of 93.3%, the study revealed that 21% of those who took part suffered from psychological symptoms. In the subjects 50 years old or over these symptoms were nearly twice as common as in those under 50 years. Mental symptoms occurred most frequently in widowed and divorced persons as well as in pensioners and the unemployed. An increase in income and/or education appeared to be related to a decline in psychosymptomatology. In the municipality of Köyliö, with a less developed social organization, the frequency of psychological symptoms was 1.5 times that obtained for the more highly developed Säkylä.

Adult

A psychological profile of the transsexual. I. The male.

The present research introduced standardized psychological measurement into the clinical assessment of the male transsexual. Thirty-one males with a presenting complaint of gender dysphoria were carefully screened as to their correspondence with current nosological conceptions of transsexualism, and administered the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI) as part of their clinical psychometric work-up. The DSFI is an omnibus self-report scale providing measurement in the primary domains of sexual information, sexual experiences, sexual drive, sexual attitudes, psychological symptoms, affects, gender role definition, and sexual fantasy. Transsexual profiles were contrasted with those of a comparison group of 57 normal heterosexual males. Results of the comparisons revealed the transsexuals to show a significant decrement in accurate sexual information, and a marked reduction in the variety of sexual experiences they have been involved in. They also revealed a reduction in drive levels; however, this was qualified by which indicator of drive was used. Significant elevations in psychological symptoms and dysphoric affect were also noted, particularly of a depressive nature. Gender role definitions were markedly polarized in the feminine direction for male transsexuals, and their fantasy endorsements revealed some of the classic transsexual themes. The ability to develop this quantified and standardized psychological profile is viewed as an important step in accurately assessing the nature of these complex individuals, and developing a more accurate understanding of their condition.

Adult