Browsing by Author "Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N."

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    Determinants of Anxiety in the General Latvian Population During the COVID-19 State of Emergency
    (2022) Vrublevska, Jelena; Perepjolkina, Viktorija; Martinsone, Kristine; Kolesnikova, Jelena; Krone, Ilona; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Rancans, Elmars; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health; Komunikācijas fakultāte; Department of Health Psychology and Paedagogy
    Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictive public health measures have seriously affected mental health of society. Social, psychological, and health-related factors have been linked to anxiety in the general population. Aim: We investigate the association of various sociopsychological and health-related determinants of anxiety and identify the predicting factors for anxiety in the general population during the COVID-19 state of emergency from in Latvia. Methods: We conducted an online survey using a randomized stratified sample of the general adult population in July 2020 for 3 weeks. Anxiety symptoms were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S). Sociodemographic, health-related, sociopsychological characteristics and suicidality were identified using the structured questionnaire. The statistical analysis included Pearson's chi-square test, post hoc analysis, and binomial logistic regression. Results: The weighted study sample included 2,608 participants. The mean STAY-S score of the total sample was 22.88 ± 12.25. In the total sample, 15.2% (n = 398) of participants were classified as having anxiety. The odds ratio (OR) of having anxiety was higher in females (OR = 2.44; 95% CI 1.75–3.33) and people who had experienced mental health problems in the past (OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.03–2.04), had suicide attempt in the past (OR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.08–2.59), were worried about their health status due to COVID-19 (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.36–1.16), were worried about stigmatization from others if infected with COVID-19 (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.03–1.35), were worried about information regarding COVID-19 from the Internet (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.08–1.43), persons who were lonely (OR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.54–2.34), and persons with negative problem orientation (OR = 1.26; 95% CI 1.06–1.51). Protective factors were identified as having good self-rated general health (OR = 0.68, 95 % CI 0.58–0.81), maintaining a daily routine (OR = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.61–0.90), having financial stability (OR = 0.66, 95 % CI 0.55–0.79), and having good psychological resilience (OR = 0.90, 95 % CI 0.87–0.94). Conclusions: This is the first study to report a prevalence of anxiety in the general population of Latvia. Certain factors that predict anxiety, as well as protective factors were identified.
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    EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY STATE IN THE LATVIAN GENERAL POPULATION WITH DEPRESSION AND DISTRESS ON CHANGES OF PATTERNS OF SMOKING AND PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE
    (2024-02-01) Germanenko, Ilana; Vrubļevska, Jeļena; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Rancāns, Elmars; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
    The World Health Organisation warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could have psychiatric consequences, such as elevated levels of depression and increased alcohol and psychoactive substance use. On 12 March 2020, Latvia declared a state of emergency, which was repealed on 10 June 2020. A nationwide representative online study in the general population of Latvia was conducted from 7 to 27 July 2020. The Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to determine the presence of distress/depression. A structured questionnaire was used to determine psychoactive substance use. The study sample included 2608 respondents. In the study population, prevalence of depression and distress was estimated to be 5.7% (95% CI 4.92-6.71) and 7.82% (95% CI 6.85-8.91), respectively. Patients with depression and distress smoked more tobacco than respondents without distress/depression. During the state of emergency, there were changes in smoking habits in patients with depression, in contrast with respondents without reported depressive symptoms, with a tendency to smoke either more (28% vs. 7.4%) or less (22% vs. 9.7%). Patients with distress smoked more than healthy patients (30.9% vs. 7.4%). Patients with depression and distress were significantly more likely to consume more alcohol during an emergency (14.0% and 17.7%). Patients with depression were more likely to use less alcohol during an emergency than healthy respondents (18.0% vs. 10.6%). There was no statistically significant difference in the use of other psychoactive substances among those who were depressed or in distress. Participants with depression were more likely to change their smoking habits during the state of emergency and to consume smaller alcohol amounts compared to participants without symptoms. Participants with distress smoked more and consumed larger alcohol amounts compared to healthy participants.
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    Factors Related to COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors : A Structural Equation Model
    (2021-07-05) Šuriņa, Sanita; Martinsone, Kristine; Perepjolkina, Viktorija; Kolesnikova, Jelena; Vainik, Uku; Ruža, Aleksejs; Vrublevska, Jelena; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Rancans, Elmars; Department of Health Psychology and Paedagogy; Komunikācijas fakultāte; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    Background: While COVID-19 has rapidly spread around the world, and vaccines are not widely available to the general population, the World Health Organization outlines preventive behavior as the most effective way to limit the rapid spread of the virus. Preventive behavior is associated with a number of factors that both encourage and discourage prevention. Aim: The aim of this research was to study COVID-19 threat appraisal, fear of COVID-19, trust in COVID-19 information sources, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and the relationship of socio-demographic variables (gender, age, level of education, place of residence, and employment status) to COVID-19 preventive behavior. Methods: The data originate from a national cross-sectional online survey (N = 2,608) undertaken in July 2020. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: COVID-19 threat appraisal, trust in COVID-19 information sources, and fear of COVID-19 are all significant predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Together they explain 26.7% of the variance of this variable. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs significantly negatively predict COVID-19 threat appraisal (R2 = 0.206) and trust in COVID-19 information sources (R2 = 0.190). COVID-19 threat appraisal contributes significantly and directly to the explanation of the fear of COVID-19 (R2 = 0.134). Directly, as well as mediated by COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, threat appraisal predicts trust in COVID-19 information sources (R2 = 0.190). The relationship between COVID-19 threat appraisal and COVID-19 preventive behaviors is partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 (indirect effect 28.6%) and trust in information sources (15.8%). Socio-demographic variables add very little in prediction of COVID-19 preventive behavior. Conclusions: The study results demonstrate that COVID-19 threat appraisal is the most important factor associated with COVID-19 preventive behavior. Those Latvian residents with higher COVID-19 threat appraisal, experienced higher levels of fear of COVID-19, had more trust in COVID-19 information sources, and were more actively involved in following COVID-19 preventive behaviors. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs negatively predict COVID-19 threat appraisal and trust in COVID-19 information sources, but not the COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Socio-demographic factors do not play an important role here.
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    Prevalence of Distress and Depression and Related Health and Behavioural Factors in the Student Population of Latvia during the COVID-19 Outbreak
    (2023-02-01) Vorobjova, Julija; Pilaga, Sindija Mairita; Gustsone, Beatrise Elizabete; Rancans, Elmars; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Vrublevska, Jelena; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    The COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread across the world, has made an impact on every student's ordinary life and mental health, from studying conditions, internship, employment to freedom of movement. This was a cross-sectional study where Latvian university and college students were asked to fill the self-report online questionnaire developed as part of an international study. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and investigate clinical depression, distress and identify the predicting factors. Depression and distress were determined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) with a previously developed algorithm and cut-off scores. The statistical analysis included the Pearson's chi-square test and binomial logistic regression. The study included 1047 students. The prevalence of distress was 18% (n =188) and prevalence of depression was 33.8% (n = 354). Depression was more common among women-35.9 % (n = 298). Risk factors for depression were poor quality of sleep (OR = 8.31), unemployment (OR = 1.42), excessive internet usage (OR = 7.17), thoughts about death (OR = 12.14), and suicidal behaviour (OR = 4.99). Physical activities operated as a protective measure to prevent depression. This study potentially could help to develop a plan in the future for dealing with psychological support for the student population.
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    Prevalence, impact and treatment of generalised anxiety disorder in bipolar disorder : A systematic review and meta-analysis
    (2016-08) Preti, Antonio; Vrublevska, Jelena; Veroniki, Areti Angeliki; Huedo-Medina, Tania B.; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
    Question Recent data suggest that anxiety disorders are as often comorbid with bipolar disorder (BD) as with unipolar depression; however, less attention has been paid to comorbidity of anxiety disorders with BD. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders that is highly comorbid with other mental disorders. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the degree of comorbidity between GAD and BD. Study selection and analysis We searched for all studies, which included primary data concerning the existence of GAD in patients with BD. The literature search strategy, selection of publications and the reporting of results have been conducted with PRISMA guidelines. The meta-analysis calculated prevalence estimates using the variance-stabilising Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. We applied the inverse variance method using both fixed-effects and random-effects models to estimate summary effects for all combined studies. Heterogeneity was assessed and measured with Cochran’s Q and I2 statistics, respectively. Findings The current meta-analysis analysed data from 28 independent studies and a total of 2975 patients from point prevalence studies and 4919 patients from lifetime studies. The overall random-effects point prevalence of GAD in patients with BD was 12.2% (95% CI 10.9% to 13.5%) and the overall random-effects lifetime estimate was 15.1% (95% CI 9.7% to 21.5%). Both estimates reported significant heterogeneity (94.0% and 94.7%, respectively). Conclusions Published studies report prevalence rates with high heterogeneity and consistently higher than those typically reported in the general population. It is believed that comorbid GAD might be associated with a more severe BD course and increased suicidality, and it is unknown how best to treat such conditions. The current meta-analysis confirms that GAD is highly prevalent in BD and the rate is higher in comparison to those in the general population.
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    Relationship of suicide rates to economic variables in Europe : 2000-2011
    (2014-12-01) Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Kawohl, Wolfram; Theodorakis, Pavlos N.; Kerkhof, Ad J.F.M.; Navickas, Alvydas; Höschl, Cyril; Lecic-Tosevski, Dusica; Sorel, Eliot; Rancans, Elmars; Palova, Eva; Juckel, Georg; Isacsson, Goran; Korosec Jagodic, Helena; Botezat-Antonescu, Ileana; Warnke, Ingeborg; Rybakowski, Janusz; Azorin, Jean Michel; Cookson, John; Waddington, John; Pregelj, Peter; Demyttenaere, Koen; Hranov, Luchezar G.; Injac Stevovic, Lidija; Pezawas, Lucas; Adida, Marc; Figuera, Maria Luisa; Pompili, Maurizio; Jakovljević, Miro; Vichi, Monica; Perugi, Giulio; Andrasen, Ole; Vukovic, Olivera; Mavrogiorgou, Paraskevi; Varnik, Peeter; Bech, Per; Dome, Peter; Winkler, Petr; Salokangas, Raimo K.R.; From, Tiina; Danileviciute, Vita; Gonda, Xenia; Rihmer, Zoltan; Forsman Benhalima, Jonas; Grady, Anne; Kloster Leadholm, Anne Katrine; Soendergaard, Susan; Nordt, Carlos; Lopez-Ibor, Juan; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
    Background: It is unclear whether there is a direct link between economic crises and changes in suicide rates. Aims: The Lopez-Ibor Foundation launched an initiative to study the possible impact of the economic crisis on European suicide rates. Method: Data was gathered and analysed from 29 European countries and included the number of deaths by suicide in men and women, the unemployment rate, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, the annual economic growth rate and inflation. Results: There was a strong correlation between suicide rates and all economic indices except GPD per capita in men but only a correlation with unemployment in women. However, the increase in suicide rates occurred several months before the economic crisis emerged. Conclusions: Overall, this study confirms a general relationship between the economic environment and suicide rates; however, it does not support there being a clear causal relationship between the current economic crisis and an increase in the suicide rate.
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    Relationship of suicide rates with climate and economic variables in Europe during 2000-2012
    (2016) Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Chatzikosta, Isaia; Pastiadis, Konstantinos; Zanis, Prodromos; Kawohl, Wolfram; Kerkhof, Ad J.F.M.; Navickas, Alvydas; Höschl, Cyril; Lecic-Tosevski, Dusica; Sorel, Eliot; Rancans, Elmars; Palova, Eva; Juckel, Georg; Isacsson, Goran; Jagodic, Helena Korosec; Botezat-Antonescu, Ileana; Rybakowski, Janusz; Azorin, Jean Michel; Cookson, John; Waddington, John; Pregelj, Peter; Demyttenaere, Koen; Hranov, Luchezar G.; Stevovic, Lidija Injac; Pezawas, Lucas; Adida, Marc; Figuera, Maria Luisa; Jakovljevic, Miro; Vichi, Monica; Perugi, Giulio; Andreassen, Ole A.; Vukovic, Olivera; Mavrogiorgou, Paraskevi; Varnik, Peeter; Dome, Peter; Winkler, Petr; Salokangas, Raimo K.R.; From, Tiina; Danileviciute, Vita; Gonda, Xenia; Rihmer, Zoltan; Forsman, Jonas; Grady, Anne; Hyphantis, Thomas; Dieset, Ingrid; Soendergaard, Susan; Pompili, Maurizio; Bech, Per; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
    Background: It is well known that suicidal rates vary considerably among European countries and the reasons for this are unknown, although several theories have been proposed. The effect of economic variables has been extensively studied but not that of climate. Methods: Data from 29 European countries covering the years 2000-2012 and concerning male and female standardized suicidal rates (according to WHO), economic variables (according World Bank) and climate variables were gathered. The statistical analysis included cluster and principal component analysis and categorical regression. Results: The derived models explained 62.4 % of the variability of male suicidal rates. Economic variables alone explained 26.9 % and climate variables 37.6 %. For females, the respective figures were 41.7, 11.5 and 28.1 %. Male suicides correlated with high unemployment rate in the frame of high growth rate and high inflation and low GDP per capita, while female suicides correlated negatively with inflation. Both male and female suicides correlated with low temperature. Discussion: The current study reports that the climatic effect (cold climate) is stronger than the economic one, but both are present. It seems that in Europe suicidality follows the climate/temperature cline which interestingly is not from south to north but from south to north-east. This raises concerns that climate change could lead to an increase in suicide rates. The current study is essentially the first successful attempt to explain the differences across countries in Europe; however, it is an observational analysis based on aggregate data and thus there is a lack of control for confounders.
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    Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study
    (2022-01) Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Karakatsoulis, Grigorios; Abraham, Seri; Adorjan, Kristina; Ahmed, Helal Uddin; Alarcón, Renato D.; Arai, Kiyomi; Auwal, Sani Salihu; Berk, Michael; Bjedov, Sarah; Bobes, Julio; Bobes-Bascaran, Teresa; Bourgin-Duchesnay, Julie; Bredicean, Cristina Ana; Bukelskis, Laurynas; Burkadze, Akaki; Abud, Indira Indiana Cabrera; Castilla-Puentes, Ruby; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Colon-Rivera, Hector; Corral, Ricardo; Cortez-Vergara, Carla; Crepin, Piirika; De Berardis, Domenico; Zamora Delgado, Sergio; De Lucena, David; De Sousa, Avinash; Stefano, Ramona Di; Dodd, Seetal; Elek, Livia Priyanka; Elissa, Anna; Erdelyi-Hamza, Berta; Erzin, Gamze; Etchevers, Martin J.; Falkai, Peter; Farcas, Adriana; Fedotov, Ilya; Filatova, Viktoriia; Fountoulakis, Nikolaos K.; Frankova, Iryna; Franza, Francesco; Frias, Pedro; Galako, Tatiana; Garay, Cristian J.; Garcia-Álvarez, Leticia; García-Portilla, Maria Paz; Gonda, Xenia; Gondek, Tomasz M.; González, Daniela Morera; Gould, Hilary; Grandinetti, Paolo; Grau, Arturo; Groudeva, Violeta; Hagin, Michal; Harada, Takayuki; Hasan, Tasdik M.; Hashim, Nurul Azreen; Hilbig, Jan; Hossain, Sahadat; Iakimova, Rossitza; Ibrahim, Mona; Iftene, Felicia; Ignatenko, Yulia; Irarrazaval, Matias; Ismail, Zaliha; Ismayilova, Jamila; Jakobs, Asaf; Jakovljević, Miro; Jakšić, Nenad; Javed, Afzal; Kafali, Helin Yilmaz; Karia, Sagar; Kazakova, Olga; Khalifa, Doaa; Khaustova, Olena; Koh, Steve; Kopishinskaia, Svetlana; Kosenko, Korneliia; Koupidis, Sotirios A.; Kovacs, Illes; Kulig, Barbara; Lalljee, Alisha; Liewig, Justine; Majid, Abdul; Malashonkova, Evgeniia; Malik, Khamelia; Malik, Najma Iqbal; Mammadzada, Gulay; Mandalia, Bilvesh; Marazziti, Donatella; Marčinko, Darko; Martinez, Stephanie; Matiekus, Eimantas; Mejia, Gabriela; Memon, Roha Saeed; Martínez, Xarah Elenne Meza; Mickevičiūtė, Dalia; Milev, Roumen; Mohammed, Muftau; Molina-López, Alejandro; Morozov, Petr; Muhammad, Nuru Suleiman; Mustač, Filip; Naor, Mika S.; Nassieb, Amira; Navickas, Alvydas; Okasha, Tarek; Pandova, Milena; Panfil, Anca Livia; Panteleeva, Liliya; Papava, Ion; Patsali, Mikaella E.; Pavlichenko, Alexey; Pejuskovic, Bojana; Pinto Da Costa, Mariana; Popkov, Mikhail; Popovic, Dina; Raduan, Nor Jannah Nasution; Ramírez, Francisca Vargas; Rancans, Elmars; Razali, Salmi; Rebok, Federico; Rewekant, Anna; Flores, Elena Ninoska Reyes; Rivera-Encinas, María Teresa; Saiz, Pilar; de Carmona, Manuel Sánchez; Martínez, David Saucedo; Saw, Jo Anne; Saygili, Görkem; Schneidereit, Patricia; Shah, Bhumika; Shirasaka, Tomohiro; Silagadze, Ketevan; Sitanggang, Satti; Skugarevsky, Oleg; Spikina, Anna; Mahalingappa, Sridevi Sira; Stoyanova, Maria; Szczegielniak, Anna; Tamasan, Simona Claudia; Tavormina, Giuseppe; Tavormina, Maurilio Giuseppe Maria; Theodorakis, Pavlos N.; Tohen, Mauricio; Tsapakis, Eva Maria; Tukhvatullina, Dina; Ullah, Irfan; Vaidya, Ratnaraj; Vega-Dienstmaier, Johann M.; Vrublevska, Jelena; Vukovic, Olivera; Vysotska, Olga; Widiasih, Natalia; Yashikhina, Anna; Prezerakos, Panagiotis E.; Smirnova, Daria; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    Introduction: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID‐19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. Material and methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. Results: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. Conclusions: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them.
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    Students' mental health during the pandemic : results of the observational cross-sectional COVID-19 MEntal health inTernational for university Students (COMET-S) study
    (2023) Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Alias, Nor Aziah; Bjedov, Sarah; Fountoulakis, Nikolaos K.; Gonda, Xenia; Hilbig, Jan; Jakovljević, Miro; Kulig, Barbara; Mahale, Girija; Manafis, Alexandros; Mohammed, Muftau; Nadareishvili, Ilia; Navickas, Alvydas; Patsali, Mikaella E.; Pavlichenko, Alexey; Pilaga, Sindija Mairita; Razali, Salmi; Romanov, Dmitry; Rossitza, Iakimova; Salihu, Auwal Sani; Sinauridze, Ana; Stoyanova, Maria; Thosar, Ketaki; Vorobjova, Julija; Vrublevska, Jelena; Rancans, Elmars; Javed, Afzal; Theodorakis, Pavlos N.; Breda, Joao; Smirnova, Daria; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    Introduction: The aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 “non-binary gender” (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios. Results: Dysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders. Discussion: The current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism.