Later-life depressive symptoms and anxiety attacks in displaced and nondisplaced populations
Abstract Background Forced displacement has been suggested as a potential cause for depression and anxiety in later life. Little research has been done on the influence of the host country's socio-political system. Here we examine whether the later-life effects of displacement on mental health (i.e. depressive symptoms and anxiety attacks) differ between socio-political contexts. We hypothesized that between-group differences (displaced vs. nondisplaced) in self-rated depression scores and frequencies of anxiety attacks are more pronounced in East versus West German populations. Methods Datasets from three representative nationwide surveys (2002, 2003, 2007) were analyzed; study participant…
The role of self-compassion in the relationship between attachment, depression, and quality of life.
Abstract Background Self-compassion may be shaped by early attachment experiences, and has been linked to mental health and well-being. This study examined the role of two distinct features of self-compassion, self-warmth and self-coldness, in the relationship between attachment insecurity and depression as well as quality of life in a general population sample in Germany. Methods Participants (N = 2,253; 53.4% female, Mage 50 years) completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS), and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Mediation analysis was used to…
Teststatistische Prüfung und Normierung der deutschen Versionen des EUROHIS-QOL Lebensqualität-Index und des WHO-5 Wohlbefindens-Index
Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag berichtet uber die teststatistische Prufung und Normierung der deutschen Versionen des EUROHIS-QOL 8 Item Index (EUROHIS-QOL) zur Erfassung der generischen Lebensqualitat und des Wohlbefindens-Index der WHO (WHO-5) zur Erfassung der Wohlbefindens aus Sicht der Befragten. Datengrundlage bildet eine reprasentative Stichprobe der bundesdeutschen Bevolkerung aus dem Jahr 2004. Die teststatistische Prufung verweist auf gute psychometrische Eigenschaften des EUROHIS-QOL Index. Obgleich Modifikationsmoglichkeiten bestehen, wird die Selektion von Items ausgeschlossen, weil dies den komzeptuellen Vorgaben der Indexkonstruktion widersprechen wurde. Die Ergebnisse der test…
A two-stage genome-wide association study of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
The cause of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is largely unknown, but genetic factors are thought to play a significant role in determining susceptibility to motor neuron degeneration. To identify genetic variants altering risk of ALS, we undertook a two-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS): we followed our initial GWAS of 545 066 SNPs in 553 individuals with ALS and 2338 controls by testing the 7600 most associated SNPs from the first stage in three independent cohorts consisting of 2160 cases and 3008 controls. None of the SNPs selected for replication exceeded the Bonferroni threshold for significance. The two most significantly associated SNPs, rs2708909 and rs2708851 …
Socio-demographic, health-related, and individual correlates of diagnostic self-testing by lay people: Results from a representative survey in Germany
Introduction A broad range of self-tests (testing for e.g. HIV, cancer, hepatitis B/C) have become available and can be conducted by lay consumers without the help of a health professional. The aims of this study were to (a) investigate the prevalence of self-testing, (b) identify the most frequently used self-tests, and (c) explore the associations between socio-demographic, health-related and individual factors with self-testing. Methods A face-to-face plus paper-pencil cross-sectional survey was conducted. The sample consisted of 2.527 respondents who were representative of the German population in terms of the age, sex, and residence. Basic descriptive statistics and univariate logistic…
APOE epsilon variation in multiple sclerosis susceptibility and disease severity: some answers
Background: Previous studies have examined the role of APOE variation in multiple sclerosis (MS), but have lacked the statistical power to detect modest genetic influences on risk and disease severity. The meta- and pooled analyses presented here utilize the largest collection, to date, of MS cases, controls, and families genotyped for the APOE epsilon polymorphism. Methods: Studies of MS and APOE were identified by searches of PubMed, Biosis, Web of Science, Cochrane Review, and Embase. When possible, authors were contacted for individual genotype data. Meta-analyses of MS case-control data and family-based analyses were performed to assess the association of APOE epsilon genotype with dis…