BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the factors associated with sexual dysfunction (SD), with a particular focus on the influence of sex on the occurrence and severity of this condition in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodSociodemographic and clinical assessments were conducted on 273 patients with MDD (female = 174, male = 99), including the ASEX, QIDS-SR16, GAD-7, and PHQ-15. Univariate analyses, independent samples t-test, Chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test were used as appropriate, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify correlation factors for SD. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS 9.4).ResultSD was reported in 61.9% of the participants (ASEX score = 19.6 ± 5.5), and the prevalence of it in females (75.3%, ASEX score = 21.1 ± 5.4) was significantly higher than that in males (38.4%, ASEX score = 17.1 ± 4.6). Factors associated with SD included being female, being aged 45 years or above, having a low monthly income (≤750 USD), feeling more sluggish than usual (a QIDS-SR16 Item 15 score of 1 or above), and having somatic symptoms (evaluated with the total score of PHQ15).LimitationThe use of antidepressants and antipsychotics might be a confounding factor affecting sexual function. Also, the lack of information in the clinical data regarding the number, duration, and time of onset of the episodes limits the richness of the results.ConclusionOur findings reveal the sex differences in the prevalence and severity of SD in patients with MDD. Evaluated with the ASEX score, female patients showed significantly worse sexual function than male patients. Being female, having a low monthly income, being aged 45 years or above, feeling sluggish, and having somatic symptoms may increase the risk of SD in patients with MDD.

Purpose The relationships between sleep quality and sleep hygiene awareness in the Chinese population were unclear. We aimed to investigate the associations and related factors between sleep quality and sleep hygiene awareness in adults and to identify the most central domain for sleep quality using network analysis. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 22 to May 5, 2020. Adults (18 years old or above) who had access to smartphones were invited to participate in this survey. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Sleep Hygiene Awareness and Practice Scale (SHAPS) were used to evaluate the sleep quality and sleep hygiene awareness of the participants. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used as sensitivity analysis to reduce the confounding effects. Multiple logistic regression was performed to evaluate the associations. The R packages “bootnet” and “qgraph” were used to estimate the connection and calculate the network centrality indices between good and poor sleepers. Results In total, 939 respondents were included in the analysis. Of them, 48.8% (95% CI: 45.6–52.0%) were identified as poor sleepers. Participants with nervous system diseases, psychiatric diseases, and psychological problems were more likely to have poor sleep quality. The notion that using sleep medication regularly was beneficial to sleep was associated with poor sleep quality. Similarly, the notion that waking up at the same time each day disrupted sleep was also associated with poor sleep quality. The findings were consistent before and after PSM. Subjective sleep quality was the most central domain for sleep quality in good and poor sleepers. Conclusion Poor sleep quality was positively associated with certain sleep hygiene notions in Chinese adults. Effective measures such as self-relief, sleep hygiene education, and cognitive behavioral treatment may have been needed to improve sleep quality, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11325-023-02798-0.

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) imposes a heavy global disease burden. However, current etiology, diagnosis and treatment remain unsatisfactory and no previous study has resolved this problem. Building on the strengths and limitations of previous cohort studies of MDD, the prospective cohort study of depression (PROUD) is a 3-year large-scale cohort study designed to collect multidimensional data with a flexible follow-up schedule and strategy. The goal is to establish a nationally representative, high-quality, standardized depression cohort to support precise diagnosis and treatment of MDD and address the gap in current research. Methods PROUD is a patient-based, nationally representative multicenter prospective cohort study with baseline and 3-year follow-up assessments. It will be carried out from January 2022 to December 2026 in 52 qualified tertiary hospitals in China. A total of 14,000 patients diagnosed with MDD, according to the DSM-5 criteria, and aged ≥ 16 years, will be recruited to PROUD. Participants aged 18-65 years who have not received any treatment during a depressive episode will be included in the precision medicine cohort (PMC) of PROUD (n=4,000). Patients who meet the general eligibility criteria but not the PMC criteria will be included in the naturalistic observation cohort (NOC) of PROUD (n=10,000). A multiple follow-up strategy, including scheduled, remote, telephone, external visits and patient self-reports, will be implemented to collect comprehensive sociodemographic, clinical information, biospecimens, neuroimaging, cognitive function and electrophysiology data and digital phenotypes according to strict standard operating procedures implemented across centers. Trial registration: ChiCTR2200059053, registered on 23 April 2022, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=165790. Conclusions PROUD is a prospective cohort study of MDD patients in China. It will provide a comprehensive database facilitating further analyses and aiding the development of homeostatic and precision medicine in China.