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- Bjork Thordardottir, Edda, et al.
(author)
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Mortality and major disease risk among migrants of the 1991-2001 Balkan wars to Sweden : A register-based cohort study
- 2020
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In: PLoS Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1277 .- 1549-1676. ; 17:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In recent decades, millions of refugees and migrants have fled wars and sought asylum in Europe. The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of mortality and major diseases among migrants during the 1991-2001 Balkan wars to Sweden in comparison to other European migrants to Sweden during the same period.Methods and findings: We conducted a register-based cohort study of 104,770 migrants to Sweden from the former Yugoslavia during the Balkan wars and 147,430 migrants to Sweden from 24 other European countries during the same period (1991-2001). Inpatient and specialized outpatient diagnoses of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and psychiatric disorders were obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register and the Swedish Cancer Register, and mortality data from the Swedish Cause of Death Register. Adjusting for individual-level data on sociodemographic characteristics and emigration country smoking prevalence, we used Cox regressions to contrast risks of health outcomes for migrants of the Balkan wars and other European migrants. During an average of 12.26 years of follow-up, being a migrant of the Balkan wars was associated with an elevated risk of being diagnosed with CVD (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.34-1.43, p < 0.001) and dying from CVD (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.29-1.62, p < 0.001), as well as being diagnosed with cancer (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.24, p < 0.001) and dying from cancer (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.15-1.41, p < 0.001), compared to other European migrants. Being a migrant of the Balkan wars was also associated with a greater overall risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.14-1.23, p < 0.001), particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (HR 9.33, 95% CI 7.96-10.94, p < 0.001), while being associated with a reduced risk of suicide (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.96, p = 0.030) and suicide attempt (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.51-0.65, p < 0.001). Later time period of migration and not having any first-degree relatives in Sweden at the time of immigration were associated with greater increases in risk of CVD and psychiatric disorders. Limitations of the study included lack of individual-level information on health status and behaviors of migrants at the time of immigration.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that migrants of the Balkan wars faced considerably elevated risks of major diseases and mortality in their first decade in Sweden compared to other European migrants. War migrants without family members in Sweden or with more recent immigration may be particularly vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. Results underscore that persons displaced by war are a vulnerable group in need of long-term health surveillance for psychiatric disorders and somatic disease.
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2. |
- Smari, Unnur Jakobsdottir, et al.
(author)
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Psychiatric comorbidities in women with cardiometabolic conditions with and without ADHD : a population-based study
- 2023
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In: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1741-7015. ; 21:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Leveraging a large nationwide study of Icelandic women, we aimed to narrow the evidence gap around female attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cardiometabolic comorbidities by determining the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases among women with ADHD and examine the association between cardiometabolic conditions and co-occurring ADHD with anxiety and mood disorders, alcoholism/substance use disorder (SUD), self-harm, and suicide attempts.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the nationwide, all-female, population-based SAGA Cohort Study (n = 26,668). To ascertain diagnoses and symptoms, we used self-reported history of ADHD diagnoses, selected cardiometabolic conditions and psychiatric disorders, and measured current depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms through appropriate questionnaires (PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PCL-5). We calculated age-adjusted prevalences of cardiometabolic conditions by women's ADHD status and estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), using modified Poisson regression models. Similarly, we assessed the association of cardiometabolic conditions and co-occurring ADHD with current psychiatric symptoms and psychiatric disorders, using adjusted PRs and 95% CIs.RESULTS: We identified 2299 (8.6%) women with a history of ADHD diagnosis. The age-adjusted prevalence of having at least one cardiometabolic condition was higher among women with ADHD (49.5%) than those without (41.7%), (PR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.14-1.25), with higher prevalence of all measured cardiometabolic conditions (myocardial infarctions (PR = 2.53, 95% CI 1.83--3.49), type 2 diabetes (PR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.66-2.61), hypertension (PR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.12-1.34), and obesity (PR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.11-1.25)). Women with cardiometabolic conditions and co-occurring ADHD had, compared with those without ADHD, substantially increased prevalence of (a) all measured mood and anxiety disorders, e.g., depression (PR = 2.38, 95% CI 2.19-2.58), bipolar disorder (PR = 4.81, 95% CI 3.65-6.35), posttraumatic stress disorder (PR = 2.78, 95% CI 2.52-3.07), social phobia (PR = 2.96, 95% CI 2.64-3.32); (b) moderate/severe depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms with PR = 1.76 (95% CI 1.67-1.85), PR = 1.97 (95% CI 1.82-2.12), and PR = 2.01 (95% CI 1.88-2.15), respectively; (c) alcoholism/SUD, PR = 4.79 (95% CI 3.90-5.89); and (d) self-harm, PR = 1.47 (95% CI 1.29-1.67) and suicide attempts, PR = 2.37 (95% CI 2.05-2.73).CONCLUSIONS: ADHD is overrepresented among women with cardiometabolic conditions and contributes substantially to other psychiatric comorbidities among women with cardiometabolic conditions.
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3. |
- Chourpiliadis, Charilaos, et al.
(author)
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Short-term improvement of mental health after a COVID-19 vaccination.
- 2023
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In: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 18:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The role of COVID-19 vaccination on the mental health of the general population remains poorly understood. This study aims to assess the short-term change in depressive and anxiety symptoms in relation to COVID-19 vaccination among Swedish adults.A prospective study of 7,925 individuals recruited from ongoing cohort studies at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, or through social media campaigns, with monthly data collections on self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms from December 2020 to October 2021 and COVID-19 vaccination from July to October 2021. Prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms (defined as a self-reported total score of ≥10 in PHQ-9 and GAD-7, respectively) was calculated one month before, one month after the first dose, and, if applicable, one month after the second dose. For individuals not vaccinated or choosing not to report vaccination status (unvaccinated individuals), we selected three monthly measures of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 with 2-month intervals in-between based on data availability.5,079 (64.1%) individuals received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 1,977 (24.9%) received one dose, 305 (3.9%) were not vaccinated, and 564 (7.1%) chose not to report vaccination status. There was a lower prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among vaccinated, compared to unvaccinated individuals, especially after the second dose. Among individuals receiving two doses of vaccine, the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was lower after both first (aRR = 0.82, 95%CI 0.76-0.88 for depression; aRR = 0.81, 95%CI 0.73-0.89 for anxiety) and second (aRR = 0.79, 95%CI 0.73-0.85 for depression; aRR = 0.73, 95%CI 0.66-0.81 for anxiety) dose, compared to before vaccination. Similar results were observed among individuals receiving only one dose (aRR = 0.76, 95%CI 0.68-0.84 for depression; aRR = 0.82, 95%CI 0.72-0.94 for anxiety), comparing after first dose to before vaccination.We observed a short-term improvement in depressive and anxiety symptoms among adults receiving COVID-19 vaccines in the current pandemic. Our findings provide new evidence to support outreach campaigns targeting hesitant groups.
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4. |
- Daníelsdóttir, Hilda Björk, et al.
(author)
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Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Mental Health Outcomes
- 2024
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In: JAMA psychiatry. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2168-6238 .- 2168-622X. ; 81:6, s. 586-594
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IMPORTANCE: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has consistently been associated with multiple negative mental health outcomes extending into adulthood. However, given that ACEs and psychiatric disorders cluster within families, it remains to be comprehensively assessed to what extent familial confounding contributes to associations between ACEs and clinically confirmed adult psychiatric disorders.OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether associations between ACEs and adult mental health outcomes remain after adjusting for familial (genetic and environmental) confounding.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This Swedish twin cohort study used a discordant twin pair design based on monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. A total of 25 252 adult twins (aged 18-47 years) from the Swedish Twin Registry born between 1959 and 1998 were followed up from age 19 years until 2016, with a maximum follow-up time of 39 years. Data were analyzed from April 2022 to November 2023.EXPOSURES: A total of 7 ACEs, including family violence, emotional abuse or neglect, physical neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape, and hate crime, were assessed with items from the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised in a web-based survey.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Adult (ages >18 years) clinical diagnosis of psychiatric disorders (ie, depressive, anxiety, alcohol or drug misuse, or stress-related disorders) were obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register.RESULTS: Of 25 252 twins included in the study (15 038 female [59.6%]; mean [SD] age at ACE assessment, 29.9 [8.7] years), 9751 individuals (38.6%) reported exposure to at least 1 ACE. A greater number of ACEs was associated with increased odds of any psychiatric disorder in the full cohort (odds ratio [OR] per additional ACE, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.48-1.57). The association remained but ORs per additional ACE were attenuated in DZ (1.29; 95% CI, 1.14-1.47) and MZ (1.20; 95% CI, 1.02-1.40) twin pairs. Individuals who were exposed to sexual abuse compared with those who were not exposed had increased odds of any clinically confirmed psychiatric disorder in all comparisons: full cohort (OR, 3.09; 95% CI, 2.68-3.56), DZ twin pairs (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.33-3.32), and MZ twin pairs (1.80; 95% CI, 1.04-3.11).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study found that associations between ACEs and adult mental health outcomes remained after controlling for shared genetic and environmental factors, which was particularly evident after multiple ACEs or sexual abuse. These findings suggest that targeted interventions may be associated with reduced risks of future psychopathology.
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5. |
- Daníelsdóttir, Hilda Björk, et al.
(author)
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Adverse childhood experiences and resilience among adult women : A population-based study
- 2022
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In: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have consistently been associated with elevated risk of multiple adverse health outcomes, yet their contribution to coping ability and psychiatric resilience in adulthood is unclear.Methods: Cross-sectional data were derived from the ongoing Stress-And-Gene-Analysis cohort, representing 30% of the Icelandic nationwide female population, 18-69 years. Participants in the current study were 26,198 women with data on 13 ACEs measured with the ACE-International Questionnaire. Self-reported coping ability was measured with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and psychiatric resilience was operationalized as absence of psychiatric morbidity. Generalized linear regression assuming normal or Poisson distribution were used to assess the associations of ACEs with coping ability and psychiatric resilience controlling for multiple confounders.Results: Number of ACEs was inversely associated with adult resilience in a dose-dependent manner; every 1SD unit increase in ACE scores was associated with both lower levels of coping ability (β = -0.14; 95% CI-0.15,-0.13) and lower psychiatric resilience (β = -0.28; 95% CI-0.29,-0.27) in adulthood. Compared to women with 0 ACEs, women with ≥5 ACEs had 36% lower prevalence of high coping ability (PR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.59,0.70) and 58% lower prevalence of high psychiatric resilience (PR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.39,0.45). Specific ACEs including emotional neglect, bullying, sexual abuse and mental illness of household member were consistently associated with reduced adult resilience. We observed only slightly attenuated associations after controlling for adult socioeconomic factors and social support in adulthood.Conclusions: Cumulative ACE exposure is associated with lower adult resilience among women, independent of adult socioeconomic factors and social support, indicating that adult resilience may be largely determined in childhood.
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6. |
- Isomura, Kayoko, et al.
(author)
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Risk of specific cardiovascular diseases in obsessive-compulsive disorder
- 2020
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In: Journal of Psychiatric Research. - : Elsevier. - 0022-3956 .- 1879-1379. ; 135, s. 189-196
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but evidence for specific types of CVD is limited. This population-based, sibling-controlled cohort study investigated the risk of specific CVD in individuals with OCD. Linking data from various Swedish population-based registers, we explored the risk of a range of CVD in a cohort of individuals diagnosed with OCD between 1973 and 2013 (n = 33,561), compared to matched (1:10) unaffected individuals (n = 335,610). Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using conditional Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for history of somatic diseases. To control for familial confounders, we analyzed 23,263 clusters of full siblings discordant for OCD. Individuals with psychiatric comorbidities were systematically excluded to assess the impact of these comorbidities. Over an average follow-up time of 27 years, OCD was associated with an increased risk of a broad range of CVD (adjusted HR [aHR] for any CVD = 1.25 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-1.29]). These associations were strongest for the subtypes venous thrombo-embolism (aHR = 1.48 [95% CI, 1.38-1.58]) and heart failure (aHR = 1.37 [95% CI, 1.28-1.46]). When comparing OCD-exposed individuals with their non-exposed full siblings, results were largely similar. Exclusion of several groups of psychiatric comorbidities resulted in comparable results, albeit attenuated. Individuals with OCD have a moderately increased risk of CVD-related morbidity, independent from history of somatic diseases, familial confounders, and psychiatric comorbidities. The time may be ripe for the development and evaluation of lifestyle interventions to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbidity in OCD.
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7. |
- Karalexi, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Perinatal mental health : how nordic data sources have contributed to existing evidence and future avenues to explore
- 2022
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In: Nordic Journal of Psychiatry. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0803-9488 .- 1502-4725. ; 76:6, s. 423-432
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Perinatal mental health disorders affect a significant number of women with debilitating and potentially life-threatening consequences. Researchers in Nordic countries have access to high quality, population-based data sources and the possibility to link data, and are thus uniquely positioned to fill current evidence gaps. We aimed to review how Nordic studies have contributed to existing evidence on perinatal mental health.Methods We summarized examples of published evidence on perinatal mental health derived from large population-based longitudinal and register-based data from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.Results Nordic datasets, such as the Danish National Birth Cohort, the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, the Icelandic SAGA cohort, the Norwegian MoBa and ABC studies, as well as the Swedish BASIC and Mom2B studies facilitate the study of prevalence of perinatal mental disorders, and further provide opportunity to prospectively test etiological hypotheses, yielding comprehensive suggestions about the underlying causal mechanisms. The large sample size, extensive follow-up, multiple measurement points, large geographic coverage, biological sampling and the possibility to link data to national registries renders them unique. The use of novel approaches, such as the digital phenotyping data in the novel application-based Mom2B cohort recording even voice qualities and digital phenotyping, or the Danish study design paralleling a natural experiment are considered strengths of such research.Conclusions Nordic data sources have contributed substantially to the existing evidence, and can guide future work focused on the study of background, genetic and environmental factors to ultimately define vulnerable groups at risk for psychiatric disorders following childbirth.
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8. |
- Laugesen, Kristina, et al.
(author)
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Nordic Health Registry-Based Research : A Review of Health Care Systems and Key Registries
- 2021
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In: Clinical Epidemiology. - : Dove Medical Press Ltd.. - 1179-1349. ; 13, s. 533-554
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Nordic countries are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and comprise a total population of approximately 27 million. The countries provide unique oppor-tunities for joint health registry-based research in large populations with long and complete follow-up, facilitated by shared features, such as the tax-funded and public health care systems, the similar population-based registries, and the personal identity number as unique identifier of all citizens. In this review, we provide an introduction to the health care systems, key registries, and how to navigate the practical and ethical aspects of setting up such studies. For each country, we provide an overview of population statistics and health care expenditures, and describe the operational and administrative organization of the health care system. The Nordic registries provide population-based, routine, and prospective data on individuals lives and health with virtually complete follow-up and exact censoring information. We briefly describe the total population registries, birth registries, patient registries, cancer registries, prescription registries, and causes of death registries with a focus on period of coverage, selected key variables, and potential limitations. Lastly, we discuss some practical and legal perspectives. The potential of joint research is not fully exploited, mainly due to legal and practical difficulties in, for example, cross-border sharing of data. Future tasks include clear and transparent legal pathways and a framework by which practical aspects are facilitated.
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9. |
- Vilaplana-Pérez, Alba, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Educational Achievement in Sweden.
- 2020
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In: JAMA Network Open. - : American Medical Association. - 2574-3805. ; 3:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Importance: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with impaired educational performance. Previous studies on the disorder could not control for important measured and unmeasured confounders.Objective: To prospectively investigate the association between PTSD and objective indicators of educational attainment across the life span, controlling for familial factors shared by full siblings, psychiatric comorbidity, and general cognitive ability.Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study included 2 244 193 individuals born in Sweden between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1997, who were followed-up until December 31, 2013. Clusters of full siblings were used to account for familial factors. Data analyses were conducted between December 2018 and May 2020.Exposure: International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision diagnoses of PTSD in the Swedish National Patient Register.Main Outcomes and Measures: Eligibility to access upper secondary education after finishing compulsory education, finishing upper secondary education, starting a university degree, and finishing a university degree.Results: Of the final cohort of 2 244 193 individuals (1 151 414 [51.3%] men) included in the analysis, 1 425 326 were assessed for finishing compulsory education (919 with PTSD), 2 001 944 for finishing upper secondary education (2013 with PTSD), and 1 796 407 and 1 356 741 for starting and finishing a university degree (2243 and 2254 with PTSD, respectively). Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with lower odds of achieving each of the educational milestones during the study period, including 82% lower odds of finishing compulsory education (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.18; 95% CI, 0.15-0.20), 87% lower odds of finishing upper secondary education (aOR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.12-0.14), 68% lower odds of starting a university degree (aOR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.28-0.35), and 73% lower odds of finishing a university degree (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.23-0.31). Estimates in the sibling comparison were attenuated (aOR range, 0.22-0.53) but remained statistically significant. Overall, excluding psychiatric comorbidities and adjusting for the successful completion of the previous milestone and general cognitive ability did not statistically significantly alter the magnitude of the associations.Conclusions and Relevance: Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with educational impairment across the life span, and the associations were not entirely explained by shared familial factors, psychiatric comorbidity, or general cognitive ability. This finding highlights the importance of implementing early trauma-informed interventions in schools and universities to minimize the long-term socioeconomic consequences of academic failure in individuals with PTSD.
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