2 results
Depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK
- K. S. Young, K. L. Purves, C. Hübel, M. R. Davies, K. N. Thompson, S. Bristow, G. Krebs, A. Danese, C. Hirsch, C. E. Parsons, E. Vassos, B. N. Adey, S. Bright, L. Hegemann, Y. T. Lee, G. Kalsi, D. Monssen, J. Mundy, A. J. Peel, C. Rayner, H. C. Rogers, A. ter Kuile, C. Ward, K. York, Y. Lin, A. B. Palmos, U. Schmidt, D. Veale, T. R. Nicholson, T. A. Pollak, S. A. M. Stevelink, T. Moukhtarian, A. R. Martineau, H. Holt, B. Maughan, A. Al-Chalabi, K. Ray Chaudhuri, M. P. Richardson, J. R. Bradley, P. F. Chinnery, N. Kingston, S. Papadia, K. E. Stirrups, R. Linger, M. Hotopf, T. C. Eley, G. Breen
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 53 / Issue 12 / September 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 July 2022, pp. 5428-5441
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Background
The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mental health is still being unravelled. It is important to identify which individuals are at greatest risk of worsening symptoms. This study aimed to examine changes in depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using prospective and retrospective symptom change assessments, and to find and examine the effect of key risk factors.
MethodOnline questionnaires were administered to 34 465 individuals (aged 16 years or above) in April/May 2020 in the UK, recruited from existing cohorts or via social media. Around one-third (n = 12 718) of included participants had prior diagnoses of depression or anxiety and had completed pre-pandemic mental health assessments (between September 2018 and February 2020), allowing prospective investigation of symptom change.
ResultsProspective symptom analyses showed small decreases in depression (PHQ-9: −0.43 points) and anxiety [generalised anxiety disorder scale – 7 items (GAD)-7: −0.33 points] and increases in PTSD (PCL-6: 0.22 points). Conversely, retrospective symptom analyses demonstrated significant large increases (PHQ-9: 2.40; GAD-7 = 1.97), with 55% reported worsening mental health since the beginning of the pandemic on a global change rating. Across both prospective and retrospective measures of symptom change, worsening depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms were associated with prior mental health diagnoses, female gender, young age and unemployed/student status.
ConclusionsWe highlight the effect of prior mental health diagnoses on worsening mental health during the pandemic and confirm previously reported sociodemographic risk factors. Discrepancies between prospective and retrospective measures of changes in mental health may be related to recall bias-related underestimation of prior symptom severity.
Studies on Endemic and Experimental Goitre
- C. E. Hercus, H. D. Purves
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- Journal:
- Journal of Hygiene / Volume 36 / Issue 2 / June 1936
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 May 2009, pp. 182-203
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1. Some improvements in the determination of small quantities of iodine in biological substances are described.
2. The thesis that a low iodine intake is prerequisite for goitre production is supported.
3. A survey of determinations by various authors of the daily urinary iodine excretion in goitrous and non-goitrous regions leads to the conclusion that the critical level of iodine intake sufficient to suppress goitre is between 120 and 160γ per day.
4. Determinations of urinary iodine excretion in New Zealand and in the non-goitrous islands of Samoa are presented which show that in the parts of New Zealand investigated the iodine intake is at a low or goitrous level.
5. The result in New Plymouth, Taranaki, shows that a high content of iodine in the soil does not necessarily assure an adequate iodine intake.
6. The progress of prophylaxis by iodised salt in New Zealand is reviewed, and from consumption data it is concluded that iodised salt constitutes approximately only 30 per cent, of the domestic salt consumption of New Zealand.
7. To ensure a more general use of iodised salt it is recommended that the regulations be amended to provide that:
(a) Ordinary domestic salt shall be iodised.
(b) Non-iodised salt shall be sold only in packages labelled “Non-iodised” and with the addition “ The use of this salt exposes the user to the risk of developing goitre”.
8. The results obtained hitherto with the use of iodised salt are briefly reviewed and attention drawn to some apparent failures even when iodised salt has been used for all domestic purposes. These failures are attributed to the standard for iodised salt being too low.
9. It is concluded that for New Zealand a supplementation of at least 100γ per day is necessary to afford complete protection against goitre.
10. To provide the necessary amount of supplementation the iodine content of iodised salt in New Zealand requires to be raised. We recommend therefore that either
(a) If the domestic salt only is to be iodised the standard be fixed at from 5 to 6 parts of potassium iodide (KI) per 250,000 of salt, or
(b) If iodised salt is to be used in the manufacture of bread, butter, bacon and other salted foods, the standard be fixed at from 3 to 4 parts of potassium iodide (KI) per 250,000 of salt.
11. In New Zealand cabbage has not shown any marked goitrogenic activity as tested on rabbits.
12. Turnip roots showed sporadically a goitrogenic activity comparable with that found for the most active samples of cabbage in other countries.
13. In tests of Brassica seeds on rats, goitrogenic activity was found in rape seed, cabbage seed, steamed white mustard seed, and steamed black mustard seed.
14. The activity of rape seed was destroyed by steaming.
We have pleasure in acknowledging the financial help which we have received from the Sir John Roberts Endowment for Medical Research, from the Sir H. L. Ferguson Fund and from the Honorary Staff of the Dunedin Hospital, and for the co-operation of a large number of our colleagues in New Zealand and Samoa in the collection of specimens.
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