Despite the huge progression in depression treatment, many individuals do not achieve full recovery. Studies demonstrated alternatives from neurotransmitter targets which are promising to predict and manage illness.

This study aimed to select metabolic factors linked to the severity of depression symptoms.

66 patients (36% males) with episode of depression from part of SANGUT study were assessed for laboratory biomarkers (insulin, glucose, ALT, AST, lipid profile, cortisol, hs-CRP), anthropometric measurements (BMI, body composition, WHR ratio) and severity of subjective depressive (BDI scale) and stress (PSS-10 scale) symptoms.

Maximum accuracy for differentiating mood symptoms was achieved by the combination of triglycerides (cut-off point > 101 mg/dl) and HDL cholesterol (cut-off point <=48 mg/dl). For differentiating stress symptoms the combination of cholesterol LDL (cut-off point > 108.35 mg/dl) and hs-CRP (cut-off point <=1.55 mg/dl) were most accurate. In the regression analysis model, total; LDL and HDL cholesterol, adjusting for HOMA-ir, cortisol, hs-CRP, triglycerides, age and body fat content were independently related to mood symptoms severity and explain 23.4% variability. Stress symptoms were related to cortisol, hs-CRP levels and WHR ratio adjusted for age, duration of illness, LDL cholesterol, and body fat content. The following model explains 19% variability of symptoms severity.

In patients with mood disorders, more attention should be paid to metabolic changes, predicting intensified depression traits. The results indicate lifestyle changes as an available to all patients tool for depression management.

No significant relationships.

Clozapine is a drug that can cause several side effects. Among the less commonly described is a drug-induced lung disease. Due to its non-specific clinical presentation, it represents a diagnostic challenge. The diagnosis is made based on: 1. Association of exposure to the agent and development of symptoms, 2. Pulmonary infiltration, 3. Exclusion of other causes, 4. Withdrawal of symptoms when the agent is excluded from therapy. To date, there have been only a few descriptions of this condition.

Case report of rare side effect of clozapine.

Case report

Case report: male patient (37) with schizophrenia, was hospitalized after a brutal suicide attempt. The PCR test for COVID-19 that was routinely performed on admission was negative. After the introduction of clozapine into therapy, the patient became febrile. There was a drop in oxygen saturation, a Lung CT scan showed inflammatory changes („ground-glass opacities“), and COVID-19 pneumonia was suspected. Due to the worsening of the mental state, the dose of clozapine was increased. The physical condition further deteriorated: febrile, sO2 declining. After repeated PCR tests for COVID-19 (all negative), interstitial pneumonia caused by clozapine was suspected, and clozapine was excluded from therapy. The physical condition started to improve. Quetiapine was introduced, and occasional episodes of agitation were relieved with intramuscular diazepam. In the following days, the patient’s mental state improved and he was discharged.

Despite its superiority over other antipsychotics, clozapine was with good rationale ranked third in treatment guidelines for schizophrenia.

No significant relationships.

Nurses specializing in maternal and child health are poised to play a pivotal role in the early identification and prompt treatment of perinatal depression. Postpartum period it is well-known for presenting high-risk for the appearance of a mental illness.

This study has been carried out with the aim of investigating the level of knowledge of the nurses and their role in the management of post-partum depression.

73 participants (n=73) were selected which are professional nurses. The data were collected through a questionnaire formed out of 16 questions. The questionnaire is structured on three parts: general information about the participants, the nurse’s knowledge about the postpartum depression, and the identification and the management of the patient’s cases.

73 of the nurses questioned, consider that they were not properly prepared for this role and they were not able to identify and manage the patients with post-partum depression. They also consider that the ideal training should contain more theoretical information. Amongst these (32, 87%) do not know the symptomatology, and 38, 35% are not aware of the risk factors of post-partum depression.

Postpartum depression is seen in approximately 10% of women who have recently given birth, but also in 3, 3% of men. Despite of this numbers, the Romanian medical staff is not yet well prepared in facing this affection.

No significant relationships.

Sexuality is a growing field in the context of the management of chronic diseases and cancer in particular. Cancer treatments and the traumatic nature of the cancer experience frequently elicit considerable sexual difficulties.

To assess the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) in patients with cancer, and to determine the associated factors.

This was a cross-sectional study, conducted over 1 month, involving 100 cancer patients followed in the oncology department at the Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax (Tunisia). General, clinical and therapeutic data were collected using a pre-established questionnaire. Sexual function was assessed with the “Female sexual Function Index” and the “International Index of Erectile Function”.

These results showed that half of the patients were female, and 70% of them were married. Their mean age was 51.96, and 68% of them were unemployed. Unemployment in men and treatment with chemotherapy were statistically associated with erectile dysfunction (p=0.049 and p= 0.001 respectively). treatment with radiotherapy was statistically associated with decreased desire in men (p=0.048). Depression correlated with a decreased orgasm (p=0.032) and erectile dysfunction (p=0.043) in men, mean score of IIEF (p= 0.019) and with a decreased sexual arousal (p=0.006) in women.

Sexual dysfunction is common in cancer patients. They can be of iatrogenic or psychological origin and can depend on the dynamics of the couple relationship. Training to raise awareness of the importance of sexuality first among cancer patients should be considered given the lack of communication between doctors and patients regarding sexuality issues.

No significant relationships.

Lurasidone is an atypical antipsychotic agent with potential antidepressant effects through its antagonist activity at the 5-HT7 receptor. Although treatment-emergent affective switch (TEAS) induced by second-generation antipsychotics are not frequent, several cases have been reported. To our knowledge, there is no evidence of lurasidone-induced TEAS.

To describe a case of lurasidone-induced mania.

We describe a clinical case of a patient admitted to our psychiatric outpatient unit who developed a manic episode, presumably induced by the introduction of lurasidone. We also conduct a review of the literature on this subject.

A 37-year-old man diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and an alcohol use disorder was hospitalized due to OCD decompensation with depressive symptomatology and suicidal thoughts, and for alcohol detoxification process. Since he had a previous history of clomipramine-induced TEAS, he was started on lurasidone up to 111mg to avoid the use of antidepressants, showing a progressive improvement of depressive symptoms. Thus, the patient was discharged when alcohol detoxification process was completed. Eight days after discharge, the patient began to show manic symptoms, so he had to be readmitted. Lurasidone was discontinued and valproic acid up to 1000mg/day as mood stabilizer was added, presenting a positive remission of manic symptoms.

According to our experience, lurasidone may have induced an affective switch in this patient. Based on our findings, patients and psychiatrists should monitor possible lurasidone-induced mood switching. However, further research is needed in order to back-up this one case report findings.

No significant relationships.

Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NSLH MIM 607721) is associated to mutations in PTPN11, RAF1, BRAF and SHOC2 genes.

Here, we report behavioral phenotype of a child suspected to have NSLH.

A 2-years-old Tunisian child harboring severe pulmonic valvular stenosis was referred to our genetic counselling for genetic assessment. Medical dysmorphology, cytogenetic analysis as well as genetic exploration of RAS-MAPK pathway genes were conducted.

The child had short stature and ectodermal features including ichthyotic skin and thin-soft nails. He has specific hair appearance associated to NS features. In fact, he had a small nasal tip, thick lips and sticking-out rotated ears. He harbored typical nasal voice and loose anagen hair with ungrowing thin hair, sparse and pale scalp hair and eyebrows. He showed cognitive deficits with mental retardation and hyperactive behavior. Considered as having NSLH, cytogenetic analysis revealed a 46,XY formula, but molecular screening of PTPN11, RAF1, BRAF, RIT1 and SHOC2 genes was negative.

Mutations within the RAS‐MAPK signaling pathway affect neurophysiologic activity in brain regions underlying attention and executive functions. Children with rasopathies demonstrated higher rates of attention deficit-hyperactivity (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders. However, no studies have examined specifically the aspects of behavioral attention in the various types of Rasopathies. A recent study demonstrated that ADHD seems to be higher in children with NSLH and SHOC2 mutation, which is the case of our patient. We suggest that assessment of inattentive and hyperactivity symptoms in children should consider Rasopathies with specific molecular screening.

No significant relationships.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that interferes negatively with many areas of the patient’s life. Sexual dysfunction is a frequent comorbidity in epileptic patients. Quality of life is particularly affected in women, who are also culturally stigmatized because of their illness.

To assess the sexual function of women with epilepsy compared to healthy women.

This was a case-control study of female patients with generalized epilepsy, carried out at the national institute of neurology in Tunisia in 2018. The controls were the patients’ companions in the department. They were matched by age with the cases. Sexual function was assessed by the female sexual function index (FSFI).

We included 40 cases and 40 controls.Their averge age was 30.45years. In comparison to the controls,the women with epilepsy had less kids ( p=0.04) and more miscarriages (p=0.032). On the other hand, women with epilepsy presented more sexual dysfunctions (p=0. 03) and had a lower total score on the FSFI (p=0.015) as well as significantly lower scores in the domains “desire” (p=0.009), “orgasm” (p=0.026), “satisfaction” (p=0.001) and pain (p=0.015).

The findings of this study are consisting with the literature, the women with epilepsy in this survey had impaired sexual function. More attention should be paid to these sexual disorders, previously considered secondary or even neglected.

No significant relationships.

The main scientific task of the study is at the intersection of two fundamental areas of psychology - self-regulation of human mental states and management of educational activities. In the context of these problems, we study the self-regulation of states in academic activities.

The purpose of the study is to show the patterns of mental organization of the person that ensure the regulation of states.

The theoretical basis of the study is the system approach. The typical methods and techniques of self-regulation of states, as well as the influence of mental structures on students’ self-regulation have been studied. To solve the problems, standardized psychological tests have been used (23 methods, 303 indicators). The research involved 206 students.

We have revealed the features of the relationship between the quality of students’ subject training, regulatory abilities and mental states. It indicates that the effectiveness of students’ mental states self-regulation significantly affects the productivity of the semester exam. It has been established the properties of the personality providing high efficiency of self-regulation (adequacy, awareness, independence and assertiveness). Students with high self-regulation efficiency use a wide range of regulatory means.

The study of the influence of the mental structures on self-regulation and regulatory abilities of students confirmed the hypothesis that characteristics of mental organization play the central role in the regulation of psychological states. The research has been carried out with the financial support of the RFBR, project No. 19-29-07072.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a pathology represented by thoughts, images, impulses or feelings that generate great anxiety and discomfort, as well as the development of compulsive acts and rituals that cause great dysfunction.

The comorbidity of different psychiatric disorders with OCD is known, such as impulse control disorder and tic disorder.

The objective of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics, comorbidities and the treatment used in a patient with an OCD diagnosis and motor tics.

Description of a clinical case of motor tics associated with OCD in an adult patient.

A 29-year-old man begins mental health follow-up for presenting, as a result of a choking episode, obsessive thoughts with significant emotional and behavioral repercussions, to the point of restricting his diet and losing several kilos of weight. He also manifested checks and rituals in order to avoid possible choking.Treatment with sertraline and clonazepam was started, without evidence of improvement in symptoms. Months later, bucolingual and guttural tics, difficult to control by the patient and which caused bite lesions in the mouth and tongue, were added to the described clinic. Oral aripiprazole was associated to the treatment and then prolonged- release intramuscular administration was used, achieving improvement in obsessive symptoms and motor tics.

The usefulness of adjuvant treatment with atypical antipsychotics has been demonstrated in adults with OCD who present an insufficient response to an SSRI. Injectable prolonged-release antipsychotics can help improve long-term prognosis by ensuring adherence.

No significant relationships.

The examination of the cinematic metanarrative provides many possibilities for recovery-oriented addiction consultation. The key to efficiency can be the approach of the recipient’s point of view and attitude, with which the client can interpret his own traumas and life story retrospectively.

Our aim is to show that the recognition, the turning points, the acknowledgement and the recovery from addiction can be described as a model in the deep structure of recovery stories. Can narrative research explore more deeply the main stages of recovery andidentity shaping, with the possible use of the film’s narrative technique?

12 recovering addicts were interviewed who have been clean for at least 4 years. Interviews covered the years spent as addicts and the path to recovery using the method of deductive metanarrative analysis.

Based on the results of the analysis, elements of the film narrative could be found together major psychoanalysis concepts and literary theory models in the semi-structured interviews. Emotion control dysregulation all appear in the stories. Together these can be traced to a summary narrative and a historical line. Furthermore, the addicted person as a hero, the compulsion to repeat and its spookiness, and the role of the helpers also appear in the retrospective narratives without exception.

The well-structured, coherent recovery stories help the recoverer to reconstruct their self, to make the behavioral change permanent, thus reducing the chances of relapse. The film narrative and toolkit provide an opportunity based on similarities with the narrator’s framework, which can strengthen the recovering identity.

No significant relationships.

We present the case of a 22 year old male with a history of two hospitalizations in the Psychiatric ward of our hospital with psychotic symptoms that led to a diagnosis of schizophrenia, whose later evolution arose doubts about such a diagnosis and provoked a re-examination of the case, eventually leading to a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

To present a complex case of Identity Dissociative Disorder disguised by a myriad of psychotic-like symptom and to review the links between this kind of disorders and a personal history of trauma.

We performed an extensive review of the scientific literature available regarding the topic of Dissociative Identity Disorder, using sources both in English and Spanish languages.

Our patient experimented two admissions into our Psychiatric ward due to acute psychopathological symptoms (auditive pseudohallucinations and visual hallucinations attributed by the patient to two different people who could influence on his behaviour), then linked to a début of a Paranoid Schizophrenia. The follow-up of the patient in a Day Clinic related to our hospital revealed a close relationship between the described symptoms and a personal history of trauma, as well as a lack of effect of the antipsychotic medication prescribed, and the clinical case eventually evolved to the development of two distinct identities within our patient, leading to a new working diagnose of Identity Dissociative Disorder.

Identitive Dissociative Disorder is a complex, underestimated entity of difficult diagnosis with deep roots in personal traumatic history and whose multifaceted presentation may entail a challenge to clinicians.

No significant relationships.

The fact of emergence of a child with special needs in a family is followed by intensive emotional reaction of the parents. One of the pronounced feelings in those circumstances is the sense of guilt.

The research aim is studying the emotional experience of mothers of children with special needs connected with the sense of guilt and the characteristics of the parent-child relationship in such families.

The research sample includes 25 mothers of children with special needs in the age from 3 to 10 years old with the diagnosis ASD, cerebral palsy and epilepsy as well as 29 mothers of normally developing children of the same age. Research methods: Guilt Inventory (Jones &Kugler); Inventory of Parental Attitude (Varga &Stolin); Inventory of the Parent’s Psychological Type(Tkacheva).

The mothers of children with special needs show the more pronounced sense of guilt comparing with the mothers of the healthy children. They are less optimistic towards the future of the child, more sensible to the failures of the child, but demonstrate the higher degree of readiness to cooperation with the child. Those results can be applied when designing the intervention programs for the families of children with special needs.

Those results can be applied when designing the intervention programs for the families of children with special needs.

No significant relationships.

The Irish traveller community are an ethnic minority group known for their distinct identity. Although this group has its roots in Ireland, they are marginalised and discriminated against by every part of Irish society. Adolescent females encounter particular difficulties within the expectations of this community. They encounter specific issues including mental illness, sexual stigma and limitations to the role of women.

Explore the vulnerabilities of young women within the irish travelling community.

Literature review and case series using three cases.

Patient A is a nineteen-year-old girl known with a history of overdose and depression. Significant triggers for her mental illness are linked to familial disharmony and sexual assault. Patient B is seventeen years old and was referred for CAMHS inpatient admission following overdose. She has a background of sexual assault and drug misuse. Patient C is fifteen years old and was admitted to a CAMHS unit following a hanging attempt. Her suicide attempt was triggered by chronic bullying, grief and sexual assault.

Young women in the travelling community are estimated to be twice as likely to suffer mental health issues as compared to men. They are primed to follow a culture where the main events in life are centred around training for marriage and child rearing. In this world of ethical practice and focus on women’s rights, females in such communities can feel conflicted between their identity, heritage and their position in the world. Adolescents within the travelling community should be monitored with consciousness given to their particular risk factors.

No significant relationships.

Although around 50% of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from trauma-related disorders, literature lacks a specific treatment for these serious co-occurring problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) is a recent protocol developed by Melanie Harned, integrating (PE) into standard (DBT). The protocol has showed promising results in treating comorbid PTSD in BPD patients. The current study, however, was the first trial to apply DBT PE protocol in Egypt.

To investigate the efficacy of (DBT PE) protocol in reducing trauma-related symptoms (psychological trauma symptoms and trauma-related cognitions) among Egyptian women with BPD.

Sixteen women diagnosed with BPD and trauma-related symptoms, were recruited from “DBT clinic”, a private outpatient clinic in Alexandria, Egypt and randomly divided into equivalent (Therapeutic & Control) groups. The therapeutic group received DBT PE protocol while the control group received Treatment as usual (TAU). Participants were assessed pre and post-intervention using: The short version of the Borderline Symptom list, The Trauma Symptom Checklist-40, and The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory. The therapeutic group started treatment with standard comprehensive DBT concurrently with DBT PE protocol (14 individual sessions, 120 minutes/ week), according to readiness criteria suggested by the treatment developer.

Patients who received DBT PE protocol showed significantly lower degrees of psychological trauma symptoms and trauma-related cognitions compared to patients in control group.

Despite being applied for the first time in Egypt, DBT PE protocol proved to be an effective intervention in reducing trauma-related symptoms in a sample of Egyptian BPD patients without any need to modify the original protocol.

No significant relationships.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the current world issue, with huge impact on mental health. More specifically,we expect that it will have a naocif effect on the pregnant women’s mental health and their well being, since they are more likely to be hospitalized and require more intensive care units admission than non-pregnant women.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the evolution of depression symptoms in the time of pandemic and their associated factors.

In the current work, we conducted a comparative in field cross-sectional study. We compared depressive scores and prevalences before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in Tunisia in pregnant women.The sampling period was outside the lockdown period to avoid quarantine bias. The sampling period was from September to October 2020.

showed a significantly higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in expecting mothers during the pandemic. Multivariate analysis showed that the pandemic multiplied by 3 the risk of severe depression symptoms. The impact of the COVID-19 period on depression was independent of sociodemographic and obstetric changes related to the pandemic.

These results highlighted the emergency of preparing strategies to avoid post-partum psychiatric disorders and to enable a healthy development of born. Screening the post-partum depression and assessing the mother-children early interactions should be considered in the up-coming births.

No significant relationships.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with suffering and disability. The serotoninergic system is implicated in the neurobiological processes of OCD and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are the first-line treatment. However, clinical improvement after starting SRIs can take long and patients may not fully recover. Meanwhile, recent data suggests that activation of 5-HT receptors may exert a therapeutic action in obsessional symptoms. Some psychedelics are strong 5-HT2 receptor agonists and there is a growing research interest as they can be a promising therapeutic approach to OCD.

We aim to provide an overview on the current evidence on the therapeutic potential of serotoninergic psychoactive substances in the treatment of OCD.

Non-systematic review. Literature search in the PubMed database using the terms psychedelics and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Although research is currently limited to a few small studies, the ones conducted so far showed clinically meaningful acute reduction of OCD symptoms after treatment with serotoninergic psychoactive drugs, as well as possible longer-lasting benefits, particularly with psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Furthermore, substance-assisted psychotherapy with psychedelics has been showing promising results, being suitable for OCD treatment. It is important to add that, to date, studies have indicated relatively good tolerability to these drugs.

These promising early findings highlight the role of psychedelics in OCD treatment and the need for further research into efficacy, therapeutic mechanisms and safety, in order to determine whether these drugs may be worthy options for OCD treatment in the future.

No significant relationships.

Some evidence suggests that disruption of integrity in the superior longitudinal fascicle (SLF) may influence cognitive functions in chronic schizophrenia (CS) but the results are inconclusive.

Using diffusion tensor imaging tractography, we investigated the differences in fiber integrity between patients with CS and healthy controls (HC) together with the relationship between fiber integrity and cognitive functions.

Forty-two patients with CS and 32 HC took part in the study. Assessment of cognitive functions was performed using Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia.

showed group differences, left and right in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of the SLF, where patients showed less integrity than controls. Patients performed worse attention/vigilance, working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, reasoning and problem solving, and social cognition tasks than HC. However, when premorbid IQ and level of education were controlled for, the differences were no longer statistically significant in verbal learning and social cognition. In patients with CS, a positive correlation was found between FA of the left SLF and attention/vigilance and working memory. Moreover, in this group there was a negative correlation between MD of the left and right SLF and working memory and social cognition.

These findings provide evidence that SLF disruption appears in patients with CS and might account for impairment of cognitive functioning. This research was funded by the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education’s program named “Regional Initiative of Excellence” number 002/RID/2018/2019 to the amount of 12 million PLN.

No significant relationships.

Cognitive functioning and psychological well-being are considered negatively affected by COVID-19. An estimated 15%-40% of COVID-19 patients report disrupted cognitive performance. Higher rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances are also reported post infection.

We examined the profile of cognitive changes in a group of adults with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, compared to those without a COVID-19 diagnosis (cross-sectional between-subjects investigation); and for a subgroup, compared to their pre-COVID-19 cognitive function (longitudinal within-subjects investigation).

One hundred and twenty-one adults (57 with no known history of COVID-19; 64 with confirmed COVID-19; 17/64 with long COVID symptoms) were assessed online for psychological well-being and cognitive function (attention, processing speed, working memory, episodic memory and executive function). Pre-COVID-19 cognitive data were available for 56 of 121 adults (24 adults with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19; 22 with no known history of COVID-19) through the MyCognition database.

The COVID-19 group showed reduced processing speed in both cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations, and also showed significant attentional impairment when examined cross-sectionally. Five long COVID symptoms (abdominal pain, chest pain, sore eyes/conjunctivitis, sore throat and vomiting/nausea) were associated with reduced performance in multiple cognitive domains. Higher levels of depression and anxiety were also present in the COVID-19 group but these symptoms were mostly unrelated to cognitive performance.

COVID-19 survivors, especially those with long COVID symptoms, are very likely to experience cognitive disruption. Measures need to be implemented to support their cognitive recovery in addition to the physical recovery.

No significant relationships.

Breast cancer is a serious public health problem and one out of every 4 women diagnosed with cancer is breast cancer. Although the survival rate has increased due to advances in diagnosis and treatment, getting a cancer diagnosis is a highly stressful life event and seriously affects the lives of patients.

Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences of women with breast cancer.

Data were gathered using semi-structured forms, in-depth interviews with 7 patients aged between 29 and 64 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and after. All interviews were tape-recorded and the themes have resulted in analyzing the content of the recorded data.

It has been determined that women have difficulties in getting information from healthcare professionals, emotional supports from their partners and family members, dealing with losses in roles and femininity, and coping with intrusive thoughts. However, it has been highlighted that women have experienced some positive changes in certain areas such as deeper interpersonal relationships with others, appreciating health and life.

As a result of the study, it has been thought that it is important to reduce the distress level of women with breast cancer related to their needs and difficulties and to encourage their positive changes. Besides, working in cooperation with healthcare professionals responsible for their treatment will be beneficial to reduce the distress level of the women.

No significant relationships.