Search

Aims Epidemiological studies indicate that individuals with one type of mental disorder have an increased risk of subsequently developing other types of mental disorders. This study aimed to undertake a comprehensive analysis of pair-wise lifetime comorbidity across a range of common mental disorders based on a diverse range of population-based surveys. Methods The WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys assessed 145 990 adult respondents from 27 countries. Based on retrospectively-reported age-of-onset for 24 DSM-IV mental disorders, associations were examined between all 548 logically possible temporally-ordered disorder pairs. Overall and time-dependent hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Absolute risks were estimated using the product-limit method. Estimates were generated separately for men and women. Results Each prior lifetime mental disorder was associated with an increased risk of subsequent first onset of each other disorder. The median HR was 12.1 (mean = 14.4; range 5.2–110.8, interquartile range = 6.0–19.4). The HRs were most prominent between closely-related mental disorder types and in the first 1–2 years after the onset of the prior disorder. Although HRs declined with time since prior disorder, significantly elevated risk of subsequent comorbidity persisted for at least 15 years. Appreciable absolute risks of secondary disorders were found over time for many pairs. Conclusions Survey data from a range of sites confirms that comorbidity between mental disorders is common. Understanding the risks of temporally secondary disorders may help design practical programs for primary prevention of secondary disorders.

Despite the Bologna agreement implementation in 2008, teachers' education in Portugal has not changed significantly from earlier practice. The major modification in the requirements of master’s level teacher education programmes was the introduction of a strong component of educational research in a master’s degree; this is designed to replace an educational monograph in the typical 5-year ‘Licenciatura’. Both a professional one-year in-school pedagogical stage and a fifth year as a university student continue to be mandatory, as well as the stage co-supervision of the university and the school. However, existing government regulations imply that in the very near future the full professional education of teachers will have to be complemented with an in-service probation year conducted under the supervision of a school mentor. The current study has been designed to try to determine: (a) how the activities of the probation year should be organised in order to improve this stage of professional educa...

Based on constructivism and cognitivism we believe that learning physics in schools can be faced as a process of reshaping students’ mental models about Nature’s behavior. These can correlate with existing physics misconceptions. Aware of the negative consequences of basic cognitive misunderstandings and believing that their correction, implying active and motivated students, should start from first contacts with physics knowledge in lower secondary schools, we asked three schoolteachers to participate on a pilot study with 7th, 8th and 9th graders. This study is specifically designed to promote and coach teachers’ attitudinal changes towards stronger student centered teaching behaviors. We report results obtained during academic year 2017/2018, some qualitative (from teachers diaries and recorded interviews) and a quantitative quasi-experimental study (with pre- and post-tests and control groups) with 9th graders, searching for misconceptions evolution on basic mechanics. The results obtained with 15 out of the 30 questions of the Force Concept Inventory indicate a fairly high average normalized gain for the experimental group. However, this average gain was not uniformly distributed along every FCI question, evidencing some difficulties with Newton’s 3rd law understanding. A recommended approach for its teaching in 2018/2019 produced evidence of deep learning of every tested mechanics concept.