The cognitive processes are rather relevant in order to achieve a comprehensive and integrative recovery in schizophrenia and other psychosis.

To research the different variables implied in cognitive outcomes in psychosis in order to increase our knowledge to establish therapeutic interventions in this field.

An overall of 73 patients were included in the study. We used the SCIP and STROOP tests to measure the cognitive processes. We applied a comprehensive questionnaire for clinical and epidemiological variables including PANSS, SGPTS, GAF and SIX. After that, we constructed a binary logistic regression model with the following variables: positive, negative and general psychopathology PANSS subscales, PANSS subtype, first or second generation antipsychotic, stimulant drugs use, tobacco use, sex, age, onset age, number of psychotic episodes, global functioning and family history.

Having more than two family members affected by any psychiatric disease was associated to a lesser outcomes in short-term and immediate memory. Likewise higher scoring in positive subscale PANSS was also associated to a worse performance in short-term and long-term memory, so stimulant drugs use was also related to a lesser immediate memory and working memory. Finally, a better global functioning appeared as a factor related to a better overall learning.

Our data show that a heavy genetic factor exists as a variable influencing cognitive performance. Moreover, stimulant drugs use and positive symptoms are another variables which can be controlled in order to improve cognitive performance.

Both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are associated with elevated rates of completed and attempted suicide. No studies have examined whether there is an additive risk for suicidal behavior in patients diagnosed with both disorders. in the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project we tested the hypothesis that patients diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder would have a higher rate of suicide attempts than patients with either diagnosis alone.

Three thousand four hundred and sixty-five psychiatric outpatients were interviewed with semi-structured interviews.

The suicide attempt rate in both the bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder groups was significantly higher than the rate in patients without either of these disorders. Compared to the bipolar patients without borderline personality disorder, the patients diagnosed with both bipolar and borderline personality disorder were significantly more likely to have made a prior suicide attempt (58.0% vs. 28.9%, p< .001) and to have made multiple suicide attempts (33.3% vs. 16.5%, p< .01). The patients with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder were nonsignificantly more likely than the borderline patients without bipolar disorder to have made a prior suicide attempt (58.0% vs. 46.7%, p=n.s.) and to have made multiple suicide attempts (33.3% vs. 24.2%, p=n.s.)

While bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are each risk factors for suicidal behavior, the cooccurrence of these disorders confers an additive risk.

Mindfulness has become an increasingly popular intervention or adjunct therapy but little is known about whether mindfulness attributes normally develop with healthy ageing. Despite many negative stereotypes, evidence is consistently emerging that one of the few benefits of ageing may be enhanced psychological well-being. Although mindfulness has been reported as an important predictor of well-being, research on mindfulness in older adults is scarce. One reason that older adults may improve in psychological well-being which has not been systematically examined is that healthy elders may become more mindful.

To examine the contribution of ageing and mindfulness to psychological well-being.

1. 1. To compare younger and older adults on mindfulness and psychological well-being.

2. 2. To examine the relationship between each facet of mindfulness and psychological well-being.

Participants comprised 292 healthy adults including a younger group (N = 122, aged 17 -35 years) and an older group (N = 170, aged 60 -80 years) and completed the Scale of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB; Ryff 1989), and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer et. al., 2006).

T-tests revealed that older adults were higher on all facets of mindfulness, and psychological well-being. Correlation analyses showed that all five facets of mindfulness were significantly correlated with psychological well-being.

Older adults were both more mindful and psychologically healthy. Each facet of mindfulness was a significant predictor of psychological well-being. Further research is required to replicate these findings and examine whether the positive relationship between age and well-being is mediated by mindfulness.

To investigate the difference of visual pattern memory among first-episode treatment-naive patients with deficit and nondeficit schizophrenia.

199 first-episode treatment-naive patients with schizophrenia, and 148 controls were recruited. Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome (SDS) was used to categorize the patients into deficit or nondeficit subtype. Pattern Recognition Memory (PRM) was used to test the immediate and delayed mode of visual pattern memory. Positive and Negative Symptom Scale PANSS was used to assess the degree of patients symptoms.

The PRM immediate mode and delayed mode percent correct was significant lower and time latency was significant longer in two subtypes of patients. There were no significant difference in the performance of immediate mode of PRM between deficit and nondeficit patients[(86.49 ± 15.34) vs. (87.28 ± 16.00), P=0.960]. But the impairment was more severe in patients with deficit schizophrenia [percent correct (63.10 ± 19.17) vs. (70.69 ± 15.34), P< 0.001 time latency 5086.80 ± 7528.54 vs. 3527.40 ± 3649.08 P=0.024] in the delayed mode. and PRM has no significant correlation with the negative symptoms of deficit schizophrenia.

There were significant difference in the performance of immediate and delayed mode of PRM between patients and controls. The difference between first-episode treatment-naïve deficit schizophrenia and nondeficit schizophrenia was only in delayed mode of PRM, and has no correlation with the primary negative symptoms. The deficit schizophrenia is a subtype of schizophrenia with unique impairment of cognitive functions.

The aim of this study is to investigate the “Hospital Service providers” perception, attitude and actual practice in managing schizophrenia in Malaysia.

In this study, it was designed as a mixed -methods study. in the first phase, quantitative surveys have been implemented among 42 service providers. in the second phase, the descriptive qualitative study method was also used.

The questionnaires designed to gather the data relating to the respondent satisfied in managing Schizophrenia in Malaysia. Thirty five (or 83.3%) of the respondents are satisfied with the current Schizophrenic overall management, but twenty one (or 50.1%) of the respondents does not satisfy with current psychosocial interventions available in Malaysia. The qualitative found that, the psychiatrists responded that they are satisfied with current use of atypical antipsychotic in the hospitals but they are concerned with the lack of community services particularly in the university hospitals. The medical officers and general practitioners responded that they received many patients who were brought by their families to see them in outpatient clinic. However, many doctors failed to diagnose the disorder as they have a lack of training in diagnosing mental illness diseases. This is mainly due to misperception about mental illness particularly in rural areas among the Malay population.

The study concluded that more community awareness program needs to be done which emphasis on mental illness to reduce the duration of untreated illness and ensure active roles of family members in supervision of treatment.

Recognition of cognitive deficits in old-age depression is especially important since they contribute to poor function outcome, have strong implications for coping abilities and treatment compliance. However, substantial variability in cognitive deficits among older depressed persons has been reported. Clinical and demographic characteristics are likely to have contributed to inconsistencies in previous findings.

To assess effects of unipolar depression on cognitive performance in a population-based sample of elderly persons (60+ years).

An extensive cognitive test battery was administered. Eighty-nine persons fulfilled ICD-10 criteria for unipolar depression (mild, n=48; moderate; n=38, severe; n=3) after thorough screening for dementia (DSM-IV criteria), psychiatric comorbidities, antidepressant pharmacotherapy, and lastly preclinical dementia.

Unipolar old-age depression was associated with deficits in processing speed, attention, executive function, verbal fluency, and episodic free recall. No depression-related deficits were observed in short-term memory, semantic memory, or spatial ability. Increasing age did not exacerbate the cognitive deficits in old-age depression. The cognitive deficits remained significant after exclusion of persons with preclinical dementia, except free recall, where performance differences were at trend level.

Cognitive deficits in unipolar old-age depression involve a number of cognitive domains, and are also present among persons with mild depression. Importantly, no statistically significant performance differences between mild and moderate/severe depression were observed. Given the prevalence of depression in older populations, the impact of this disorder on cognitive functioning may be relatively large at the population level.

Chronic and persistent alcohol use is known to induce sexual dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is a health problem that affects not only the individual's sexual functionality but as well their physical and psychological well-being, affecting their mental health.

This study aims to analyze the relationship between erectile dysfunction and alcoholism in a clinical sample of 76 alcoholic patients.

The study sample consists of 76 men, admitted to an addiction center with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome. Data were collected through the IIEF questionnaire (assessment of ED), the SADQ-C (assessment of prevalenece of alcohol consumption), and a sociodemographic questionnaire.

Most patients of the sample exhibit a moderately satisfactory sexual function. However, it was not possible to confirm the existence of a relationship between the severity of alcoholism and sexual dysfunction.

Sexual dysfunction is common in patients with alcohol dependence. However, given the impact of treatment on sexual performance perceived by the respondents, it seems that this is an area that needs to be further investigated. Clinicians need to routinely assess sexual functioning in alcoholic patients so that other factors contributing to sexual dysfunction can be ruled out.

Adolescents with Internet addiction were also shown to have higher scores in neuroticism and psychoticism temperament categories than those of the control group.

There is not a study in the literature addressing the correlation between affective temperament profiles and the Internet addiction.

Our aim was to compare the affective temperament profiles and emotional and behavioural characteristics of adolescents with or without the Internet addiction.

This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. It was conducted in a high school. The study sample included 303 students. A sociodemographic characteristics data form, Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (DSQ), and The Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPSA) were used to collect data.

Of the sample, 6.6% were found to be addicted to Internet. Having a computer in the home (p< 0.001) was found to be related with higher scores on the IAS. The prevalence rate of anxious temperament for Internet addicts was more than that for non-addicts (p< 0.001). Dysthymic (p< 0.01), cyclothymic (p< 0.01), hyperthymic (p< 0.01), irritable (p< 0.01), and anxious (p< 0.01) temperaments; conduct problems (p< 0.05), hyperactivity-inattention (p< 0.05), emotional symptoms (p< 0.05), and total difficulties (p< 0.01) were found to be correlated with IAS scores.

There is a relation between the Internet addiction and affective temperament profiles, especialy with anxious temperament. Furthermore, emotional and behavioural problems are more frequent in adolescents who have problematic Internet use.

To improve health entails training how to achieve a normal life and to help individuals at risk avoid high risk behaviors.

The research had an experimental method with pre- and post- test design. Statistical population of the research comprised all Payam-e-noor university students enrolling at academic year 2012-213 in Bobol branch. The studied sample of the research included 40 students dividing into two control and experimental groups, each with 20 students. Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) was used to collect data. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used as criteria for analyzing data, and finally data were transferred to SPSS spreadsheet.

Results from research indicated that a significant difference amongst mean, test anxiety variables, experimental groups before and after implementing lifestyle training program was found. As a result, it could be stated that life style training would result in decreasing test anxiety in university students.

All individuals demonstrate some regular patterns of behaviors and habits when they are facing tasks and events in their own life. That pattern represents their life style. There are ample evidence that support the belief that students are affecting by many stressful factors such as worrying, depression, loneliness, failure, anxiety and conflict. Consequently, they should be provided with mental health. Similarly, they should have an opportunity to live a condition where they can be brave enough to encounter the reality of their life in order to adapt themselves to the changes and develop their maximum capacities.

The present research will examine the effectiveness of music on social skills in male students who are mentally retarded but educable.

This research applied an experimental method with pre-test and post-test tools. Therefore, to carry out the research, 40 eligible students were chosen from three especial schools in such cities as Amol (Bahmand school), Babol (Kusha school) and Noor (Tulo-e-Noor school) in Mazandaran province in Iran. Afterwards, they were randomly divided into two groups, namely control and experimental ones. Both Demographic Data Collection and Social Skill Development (by Vineland) Questionnaires were used to pile up the data. in addition to being provided by teachers' teaching, the experimental groups were exposed to rhythmic -melodious music for 12 sessions weekly, 10 minutes per session, as compared to the control groups who have been educated without the dependent variable (i.e. absent of rhythmic -melodious music).

Results from covariance analysis revealed that after the scores of pre-test and other variables related to social skills had been checked, there existed a significant difference between the mean of remained scores in control and experimental groups. That is, the mean score of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group (P=0).Eta square root equaling 1 explained 58% of covariance of remained scores (personal differences) in regard to musical effects.

Results of the research indicate that rhythmic -melodious music can be considered as one of the factors affecting socially developmental skills in especial children.

The present research aimed at determining the effectiveness of risk-taking on reducing anxiety level in students in Payam-e- noor University in the city of Babol.

This research had a semi-experimental and comparative design with pre-test and post-test tool. The sample size of the research was divided into groups, namely control and experimental ones, each including 15 students out of 30 individuals. Anxiety Inventory was used as an instrument for the present research. Statistical t-test for independent variables and SPSS spreadsheet were applied to analyze data.

Results of this research demonstrated that the way of risk-taking training could increase risk-taking behaviorally and cognitively. in addition, risk-taking training through group-counseling could lead to the reduction of anxiety in university students. Accordingly, the more the degree of risk-taking increased, the less the anxiety level would be.

The use of expressive style training can elevate the risk-taking in anxious students. Moreover, when students learn how to answer courageously, this surely can decrease the stress and tension they have been experiencing in a certain situation in the past.

Nephrotoxicity is a well-known pharmacological side effect in patients under long-term treatment with lithium. About 20% may develop renal insufficiency and in 33-62.5% of these patients renal cysts are seen.

Some prior studies report MRI findings in patients undergoing chronic lithium therapy.

To compare Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the kidney in patients undergoing chronic lithium therapy with renal function to determine if MRI findings are related to renal function impairment.

Thirty five consecutive patients with mood disorders who were undergoing lithium therapy for at least one year were evaluated with a 1.5 tesla MRI imaging and renal function tests. Renal size and the presence, number and location of renal microcysts were analyzed and compared with renal function.

The mean size of kidney was 106.0 mm ± 6.0; 106.0 mm ± 11.0. The mean number of microcysts in both kidney was 6.2. There was a positive correlation between duration of lithium treatment and number of renal microcyst(P< 0.0001, r=0.773). Correlation between MRI findings and renal function tests were not statistically significant.(p> 0.05).

The present study reports that longer duration of lithium therapy can increase number of renal microcysts.It seems that increasing renal microcysts are not consistent with renal function impairment and magnetic resonance may not be useful for prediction or diagnosis of lithium-induced nephropathy. Our study results suggest that the relationship between MRI findings and renal function impairment in patients on long-term lithium therapy is not clear and needs further studies.

Gypsies and Travellers have been described as one of the most marginalized minorities in society with poor living conditions which are known to have a negative effect on health. Published research on the mental health needs of the Roma population is sparse. Knowledge of Social representations of mental health is fundamental for improving mental illness prevention strategies and mental health education programmes targeted to Roma people.

The aim of this research was to understand the Social representations of mental health among a group of Roma people in the center of Portugal (city of Coimbra).

This study covered twenty Roma children aged 6 to 11, in a Basic school located in a Roma neighborhood, as well as a group of adults and Roma families. Qualitative methodologies were used in data collection: semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents and Focus Group techniques.

Findings suggest that social representations of mental health and emotional well-being in Roma participants have a strong holistic and integrative component. There is no marked cleavage between the concept of “physical health” and “mental health.” in this group, the notions of mental health and emotional well-being appear to be strongly associated with the welfare of the family - including extended family -, in addition to the individual's own emotional well-being.

Mental health interventions with Roma community members must meet their social representations relating to mental health, access to mental health provision and contacts with mental health professionals,

High prevalence of poor sleep quality has been reported among Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) patients. in order to reduce side effects and prevent relapse, new treatment approaches should be considered and recently, electroacupuncture (EA) has believed to have a therapeutic effect in the treatment of drug addiction.

To investigate the effects of EA on sleep quality in patients receiving MMT.

A prospective, open-labelled, parallel, randomized-controlled trial was conducted among MMT patients in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 22 drug misusers who met DSM-IV were randomly assigned into two groups. The treatment group was given methadone plus EA stimulation at 1.1+80Hz while the control group received methadone plus Sham EA without increasing the intensity of the stimulation. Both groups received the EA treatment 30 minutes per session for 14 days. Sleep quality was assessed by validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

In terms of pre and post treatment comparison, we found that there were significant difference of mean sleep latency (p= 0.011), use of medication (p= 0.043) and global PSQI (p= 0.009) for the treatment group. However, only sleep efficiency (p= 0.014) showed a significant difference between pre and post treatment for the control group. in terms of group comparison, we found that there was significant difference of mean sleep latency (p= 0.004), sleep efficiency (0.004) and global PSQI (0.008) for post treatment. No significant difference was found for pre treatment.

Electroacupuncture may have adjunct effect on sleep improvement and have potential to reduce Benzodiazepine use among MMT patients.

The aim of our cross-sectional study was

1. (1) to assess social and functional impairment in schizophrenia outpatients from the Czech and Slovak Republics, and

2. (2) to examine a relationship between functional impairment and antipsychotic treatment and demographic variables.

Enrolled were schizophrenia outpatients in a stable phase of illness, treated with current antipsychotic medication for a minimum of one month. Recorded were demographic and medication data, administered were Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), Subjective Well-being Under Neuroleptics (SWN), and CGI scale.

The total number of study subjects was 926. Most PSP values were within the interval of moderate impairment. Functional performance correlated positively with subjective satisfaction with medication and negatively with symptom severity. Higher education predicted better functioning on PSP. The best performance was associated with a stable relationship and a useful work role. The patients who showed the best level of functioning were more likely to be treated with antipsychotic monotherapy. No difference among drugs in monotherapy was found in subjective satisfaction.

The PSP values of stable schizophrenia outpatients indicated moderate degree of impairment. Improvement of functional capacity remains one of the unmet needs of schizophrenia patients.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often have symptoms of re-experiencing traumatic life events, recurring nightmares, hyper arousal and insomnia. Evidence is increasing that stress-related hyperglutamatergic states may contribute to dissociative symptoms and neurodegeneration in temporo-parietal cortical areas. Cognitive performance is also be effected in some of the traumatized patients. We are going to present a PTSD case who demonstrates significant memory impairment.

38 years-old, male patient. He had experienced combat related traumatic life events June in 2009 and diagnosed with PTSD according to DSM-IV criteria. Disturbance in short time memory, perception, attention, concentration deficiency was observed in the clinical interview. As a result of cognitive assessment, calculating and remembering subtests were lower than the others so it could be associated with cognitive impairment. To evaluate the organic brain pathology CT was applied and it was within normal limits. After than PET was conducted to reveal the metabolic abnormalities. Left parietal cortical global hypo-metabolic activity, global hypometabolism in temporal cortex and regional hypometabolism in medial parietal cortical regions was demonstrated. He has been treated and fallowed up for two years and provided significant improvement in PTSD symptoms but cognitive impairment was still showed constancy.

It is well known that left parietal and temporal cortical region would be associated with impaired memory performance. The areas that we have found at PET are known to be involved in episodic memory consolidation and retrieval. Comorbid PTSD and hypometabolism in lateral cortical region has not been well documented in the literature.