Background and Objective: Web-based screening of depressive symptoms in general non-clinical population can provide better insights into actual prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated risk factors. To study the current prevalence of depressive symptoms in Russian non-clinical population we conducted screening using an online survey based on Depression subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D). Methods: The online survey covered 2610 Russian-speaking respondents and included HADS-D, questions about sex, age and presence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) diagnoses or symptoms in respondents. Results: The proportion of respondents with depressive symptoms, estimated by online HADS-D, was 14.4% (11.5% - at subclinical level, 2.9% - at clinical level). The overall HADS-D score was higher in women (p=0.003), in young individuals under 30 y.o vs. participants over 42 y.o. (p=0.004) and in individuals with self-reported CVD symptoms (p=0.00002). Linear regression analysis showed that self-reported CVD symptoms increase HADS-D score (p<0.001), but male sex (p=0.002) and older age (p<0.001) decrease it. Logistic regression showed that CVD symptoms increase the risk of depressive symptoms by HADS-D (p=0.033, OR=1.29), but older age (p=0.015, OR=0.87) and male sex (as a trend, p=0.052, OR=0.80) decrease this risk. Conclusion: Online survey based on HADS-D showed new patterns of depressive symptoms prevalence in Russian non-clinical population. Depressive symptoms prevalence did not differ between men and women and was higher among young people. The reported association between depressive symptoms and CVD was confirmed.

Controlling the epidemic of overweight and obesity is one of the major challenges to modern healthcare. One of the possible causes of overweight and obesity can be food addiction manifesting as overeating and other eating disturbances (ED).We conducted a cross-sectional study to test the association between addiction-related ANKK1/DRD2 gene Taq1A polymorphism (rs1800497) and ED in overweight patients. Overall, 527 outpatients (469 (89,0%) females, 58 (11,0%) males; mean ± SD: BMI — 35,8±7,3 kg/m2; age — 46,7±11,8 years) of European ancestry were included in the study. Eating Disorder Examination — Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) were used to assess the ED. We also used Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRDS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) to assess depressive, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disturbances respectively. DNA was extracted from blood samples and polymorphism rs1800497 was detected by RT-PCR.According to the dominant genetic model, carriers of minor T allele (“CT+TT” group) in contrast to wild-type allele homozygous patients (“CC” group) were younger (p=0,075) and demonstrated higher scores of EDE-Q (p=0,085) and emotional eating subscale of DEBQ (p=0,063). Moreover, among them the proportion of patients with high ED risk was significantly increased vs. CC group: 1) EAT-26 score: 15,2% vs. 9,0%, OR=1,82 (CI95% (1,054-3,134), p=0,03; 2) EDE-Q score: 46,6% vs. 37,5%, OR=1,45 (CI95% (1,015-2,072), p=0,041. BMI was correlated with emotional eating subscale of DEBQ score in “CT+TT” group only (ρs =0,199, p=0,004). Correlation analysis showed weaker connections between ED and affective disturbances in “CT+TT” group.Our results show that carriers of the addiction-related T allele of ANKK1/DRD2 gene Taq1A polymorphism comprise the at-risk group for eating disturbances in overweight individuals. This may support the role of food addiction in overweight and obesity.

The article presents the results of a study of individual psychological factors that are potentially significant for the development of Internet addiction (IA), carried out as part of the Russian interdisciplinary research project to identify a system of high-risk markers for developing IA. As a result of the analysis, a model of psychological predictors of IA was obtained, which includes personality characteristics — high nonplanning impulsiveness (as a lack of forethought and ability to follow future plans), and low self-direction (concerning to Cloninger’s psychobiological model of personality). Additionally, childhood experiences of living in a community with a high level of violence were included in the model as one of the psychological predictors. The male gender also entered one of the final models as a risk factor for the development of IA. The results can be used as the basis for the development of targeted psychological assistance programs and preventive measures aimed at improving the specific characteristics of inhibitory control and the development of self-awareness.

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