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.

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.

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.

Peripartum depression (PPD) impacts around 12% of women globally and is a leading cause of maternal mortality. However, there are currently no accurate methods in use to identify women at high risk for depressive symptoms on an individual level. An initial study was done to assess the value of deep learning models to predict perinatal depression from women at six weeks postpartum. Clinical, demographic, and psychometric questionnaire data was obtained from the “Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition during Pregnancy and the Puerperium” (BASIC) cohort, collected from 2009-2018 in Uppsala, Sweden. An ensemble of artificial neural networks and decision trees-based classifiers with majority voting gave the best and balanced results, with nearly 75% accuracy. Predictive variables identified in this study were used to inform the development of the ongoing Swedish Mom2B study.

The aim of the Mom2be study is to use digital phenotyping data collected via the Mom2B mobile app to evaluate predictive models of the risk of perinatal depression.

In the Mom2B app, clinical, sociodemographic and psychometric information is collected through questionnaires, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Audio recordings are recurrently obtained upon prompts, and passive data from smartphone sensors and activity logs, reflecting social-media activity and mobility patterns. Subsequently, we will implement and evaluate advanced machine learning and deep learning models to predict the risk of PPD in the third pregnancy trimester, as well as during the early and late postpartum period, and identify variables with the strongest predictive value.

Analyses are ongoing.

Pending results.

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.

Schizophrenia is often associated with impaired functioning abilities due to its disabling symptoms.

to determine the clinical factors that impact the functioning in stabilized patients withschizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study. It was carried out on an outpatient population with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder diagnosis. We used the Functional Assessment Staging Scale (FAST) to measure the functional capacity, the PANSS to assess psychosis symptom severity and the Calgary scale to screen for comorbid depression.

Seventy-five patients were included with 61 males (81.3%).The mean age was 39.81 ± 9.96 years. The mean sore of the Fast scale was 33 ± 14.95. 90% of our patients scored higher than 11 on the FAST scale revealing a functioning deficiency. 18.7% scored higher than 6 on the Calgary scale revealing a comorbid depression .No significant correlations were found between the FAST score and the age of patient, the gender,the age of onset of psychosis, the duration of untreated psychosis and the number of life-time episodes. Scores of PANSS were significantly higher among patients with a functioning deficiency (p<0.00).No significant correlation was found between the FAST score and the Calgary score.

Our study suggests that the severity of residual positive and negative symptoms affects negatively the functioning of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Thus, targeting those symptoms in the treatment may have significant functional benefits.

No significant relationships.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder displaying inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity as core symptoms. It can affect several areas of life including sexual health. Clinicians have often made assumptions concerning the bound of specific ADHD symptoms affecting sexual desire by increasing its frequency and intensity. Yet, there is still a lack of knowledge about the comorbidity between ADHD, hypersexuality, and paraphilias. A recent literature review could show that some individuals who suffer from ADHD report about hypersexual and paraphilic fantasies and behaviors, but as far as we know, no clear empirical data has emerged supporting the idea that hypersexuality and paraphilias are more frequent in individuals with ADHD.

The present investigation aimed to compare several sexuality related aspects between individuals with and without ADHD.

Therefore, we designed an extensive online survey based on established questionnaires, such as the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI). The survey was implemented in a outpatient sample, ADHD specific fora as well as other general online channels.

In total, N = 238 individuals participated in the survey (n = 160 with ADHD). Thereby, individuals with ADHD reported significantly more often about a wide range of hypersexual fantasies and behaviors in comparison to individuals without ADHD. Furthermore, individuals with ADHD reported significantly more often about paraphilic fantasies and behaviors including fetishistic and sadistic sexual fantasies. No differences were found concerning other paraphilias. Further results regarding other facets of sexuality, such as sexual orientation, are to be presented and discussed.

The present study contributes to closing the knowledge gap regarding sexuality in individuals with an ADHD.

No significant relationships.

Trans-cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a non-invasive method of altering brain activity (1) has widened the array of therapeutic options available for various psychiatric disorders.

Trans-cranial Magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a non-invasive method of altering brain activity has widened the array of therapeutic options available for various psychiatric disorders. •A large number of studies have shown therapeutic benefits in a wide range of patient population with majority of studies in adults. •TMS is used increasingly for the treatment of child and adolescent depression. •Yet, the scarcity of studies and lack of published guidelines for this population is notable. •As TMS use is expanding in this population, an overview of the use of TMS in children and adolescents with depression may provide much needed and timely perspective on this neuropsychiatric intervention.

We searched all published studies using PubMed database, on TMS use in depressive disorders in children and adolescents. A total of 13 studies were found to have reported use of TMS in depression in children and adolescents.

We found various case series, open label studies as well as sham controlled blind studies indicating that TMS has been effective in treating depression in children and adolescents. No significant side effects were found in our review.

Studies have shown that TMS is an effective treatment option for depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Initial studies look promising but implications in large pediatric population may be different and there is a need for more double blind, controlled trials with larger sample size.

No significant relationships.

The Burnout syndrome occurs preferentially in individuals subjected to intense stress conditions. The nursing staff in Obstetrics Gynecology is an example of this.

To assess the prevalence of Burnout and its determinants in the obstetrics gynecology service - Mahdia.

We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study carried out with the medical and paramedical staff of the gynecology-obstetrics department of the Taher Sfar Mahdia hospital during a period of 3 months.We used a pre-established self-questionnaire containing 2 parts: a part exploring the socio-demographic data of the population and a psychometric part evaluating Burnt out using the “Maslach Burnout” scale inventory ”.

Our sample consisted of 122 medical and paramedical personnel.The sex ratio was 4.3 (99/23), the mean age was 30.5 with values ranging from 25 to 55 years.Of the participants, 59 (48.3%) were single .Nine (7.4%) of the participants were smokers and 2 (1.6%) consumed alcohol.The majority of the population (96.7%) did not have a psychiatric history, 88 (80.3%) reported an organ history.A high level of burnout was noted in 64.8% of our population with 14.8% severe burnout. The presence of burnout was significantly associated with the consumption of psychoactive substances (p = 0.05) and professional rank (p = 0.04) .Nurses, residents and senior doctors werethose most at risk of developing burnout. It was also significantly related to the absence of other professional activities such as research (p = 0.05) and training continuing medical care (p = 0.05).

Psychological intervention strategies with these suffering health promoters would be desirable.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

An infectious disease such as COVID-19 can have a great impact on mental health due to the fear of contracting it as well as the social isolation itself due to the containment measures. Such events are considered stressors, as they can be perceived as threatening or challenging, and can have cumulative effects that are harmful to mental health. Along with this scenario, anxiety can occur in association with stress, and it is defined as extreme concern and somatic symptoms that generate tension, hindering the proper functioning and development of basic life functions. In people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families, such events can occur more intensely, as changing routine and adapting to different activities are usually challenging. The study examined stress, anxiety and coping strategies during the pandemic.

To analyze stressful events, anxiety and coping strategies in caregivers of children and adolescents with ASD and typical development.

Forty caregivers of children and adolescents with ASD and 40 of typically developing participated in the study. The assessment instruments used were: 1. RSQ COVID-19; 2. Semi-structured interview; 3. State–Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults. For statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) or chi-square were used.

Caregivers of children and adolescents with ASD showed greater stress and anxiety, in addition to using less adaptive coping strategies.

There is a great need to welcome families of children and adolescents with ASD, helping to develop coping or coping strategies.

No significant relationships.

Cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the increased use of social media among younger population. It is more harmful than traditional bullying as it can happen at any time, has a much wider audience, and can invade personal space. YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. The victims of cyberbullying can present with social anxiety (41%), depression (37%), suicidal thoughts (26%) among many others (self-harm, substance use, etc). In the past year, these numbers have significantly risen due to switch to virtual learning due to the pandemic, hence the risk of exposure to cyberbullying has risen.

To study the impact of cyberbullying on Adolescent Mental health

A review of articles (2016-2021), was done using PubMed and Google scholar focusing on impact of cyberbullying in children and young adults.

John et al group showed that both victims [OR- 2.10 (95% CI 1.73-2.55)] and perpetrators [ OR 1.21 (95% CI 1.02-1.44)] have increased risk of exhibiting suicidal behaviors. Kwan I et al group showed a negative association between cyberbullying and mental health. One study suggested that during the pandemic there has been increased online perpetrators due to increased amount of fear and anger which has projected in the form online aggression.

There is an increase in prevalence of cyberbullying with young population spending more time on internet and social media. Psychoeducation of parents and mental health experts is needed to recognize early warning signs in order to take steps for early intervention.

No significant relationships.

There is a growing and renewed interest in the use of hallucinogenic drugs in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, especially since the FDA approval of ketamine treatment for resistant depression. The response to hallucinogenic psychedelic substances (ayahuasca, psilocybin, LSD, ketamine) in the treatment of depression and addictions calls for a theoretical explanatory model.

Provide a descriptive / explanatory psychopathological model of the response to treatment with hallucinogenic drugs based on the descriptions of the subjects and the comparison with other extreme life experiences.

Relevant published literature on subjective experiences in treatment with hallucinogenic drugs for depression and addictions is reviewed. It is compared with subjective experiences in life changing experiences.

Intense emotional states, mystical-type experiences including feelings of oneness, transcendence, ineffability, and the complex emotion of awe seem to be consistently presented as psychic elements related to the efficacy of these treatments. The genetic and cultural (memetic) evolutionary value of these emotions in the cohesiveness of human groups and the genesis of affective symptoms, and in the recalibration of cognitions and emotions, is discussed.

The efficacy of hallucinogenic drugs used in the treatment of depression and addictions is accompanied by complex and varied emotions but with common psychopathological elements that could mediate their action.

No significant relationships.

Headucate: University of East Anglia, a university student-led society, was founded almost 10 years ago by medical students to promote mental health education and raise awareness and funds for mental health causes.

Headucate aims to spread mental health awareness and reduce stigma by working with schools, universities, other societies and charities internationally.

Headucate delivers workshops for children aged 4-18 in primary and secondary schools, community and youth groups and university students. These sessions were delivered in-person pre-COVID and online as interactive webinars since 2020, to spark discussion around mental health, and provide information about the variety of supports available for young people.

In the past decade, Headucate UEA has grown to become one of UEA’s largest student-led groups boasting over 175 members in 2020-2021 from all courses. Within the online world, Headucate’s events have reached worldwide. The initiative has received national recognition, won national student awards and has expanded to set up three further Headucate branches nationwide. Outreach has accelerated and the school workshops reached over 1,000 students in the past year.

Headucate has grown from strength to strength and has plans to continue to develop, with passionate student drivers behind the project. Expansion of the project could include a national mental health university directory, bringing together like-minded mental health advocate students around the country and creating new Headucate branches across the country. To further develop, Headucate could expand outreach to the elderly community as discussed by previous committee.

No significant relationships.

It has been suggested that dysregulation of sex hormones is associated with schizophrenia. However, obesity and metabolic syndrome are very common between schizophrenic patients, and it can also dysregulate sex hormones so they could act as confounders.

To determine if estradiol and progesterone are abnormally elevated regardless of obesity or metabolic syndrome in men with SCZ.

We measured serum levels of progesterone and estradiol in 56 schizophrenic male patients at treatment with a depot antipsychotic. Subsequently, we studied the association or independence of our results with obesity or metabolic syndrome by a Chi Square Test.

66.07% of our patients elevated progesterone levels, 19.64% of our patients elevated estradiol levels, and 16.07% of our patients elevated both, progesterone and estradiol, simultaneously. We found no relationship between increased estradiol and / or progesterone with obesity and / or metabolic syndrome.

Estradiol and progesterone are abnormally elevated regardless of obesity and / or metabolic syndrome in male schizophrenic patients on depot treatment.

No significant relationships.

Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) have a higher risk of weight gain, dyslipidemia and insulin-resistance. It was observed that insulin resistance has a pathoplastic effect: in Schizophrenia it was associated with a greater severity of negative symptoms, whereas in Bipolar Disorder it was associated with more chronicity and rapid cycling. Moreover a correlation was observed between obesity and a worse outcome in Bipolar Disorder type I.

We aimed at assessing the influence of dysmetabolisms on clinical characteristics in patients with SMI.

We recruited 78 patients with SMI consecutively hospitalized in the Psychiatry Clinic of the Ospedali Riuniti of Ancona, Italy. We administered a checklist for socio-demographic and clinical features (diagnosis, age of onset, illness duration, number of episodes, number of episodes per year, suicidal attempts and comorbidities), and evaluated the following metabolic parameters: weight, height, BMI, abdominal circumference, blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, glycemia and insulinemia. We determined insulin-resistance according to the HOMA-IR model. We performed bivariate Pearson correlations to compare metabolic and socio-demographic/clinical parameters.

The analyses showed positive correlations between BMI and disease duration (P = 0.003), and BMI and the number of episodes (P = 0.022). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between HOMA-IR and the number of episodes per year (P = 0.008). The associations remained statistically significant after controlling for age through partial correlations.

Weight gain and insulin-resistance in severe mental illness are associated with a more severe SMI, as suggested by the greater number of acute episodes.

No significant relationships.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition which can be developed following traumatic experience. Treatment guidelines have long considered psychotherapy as a first line treatment. Despite that, PTSD remains an illness with high rates of comorbidity. Therefore, exploring novel therapies is of utmost importance.

Clarifying methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy efficacy in symptom relief in people with PTSD. Explaining clinical MDMA mechanism of action. Assessing safety of MDMA clinical use.

PubMed database search, with “MDMA for PTSD” keyword expression. 12 Articles published in the last ten years were selected among the 112 best matches. Reference lists of articles were reviewed to identify additional articles.

Mithoefer et al. (2010) carried out the first controlled clinical study with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in people with PTSD. Twenty patients with treatment-resistant PTSD were selected. They were given either placebo or two or three sessions of MDMA. 83% of the experimental group no longer met the criteria for PTSD (mean remission lasted 45 months without further MDMA doses) compared with 25% of the placebo group. Further studies were also suggestive of improvements in treatment-resistant PTSD patients undergoing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. MDMA may increase exposure therapy effectiveness, allowing patients to stay emotionally involved while revisiting past traumas without being overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.

To date, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy studies demonstrated consistently positive results. However, they have been carried out with small groups of individuals. Therefore, larger trials should be conducted to assess MDMA’s efficacy and safety for it to become a licensed medicine.

No significant relationships.

Capgras syndrome is a disorder of personal identification characterized by the delusional belief that one or more persons close to the subject have been replaced by physically identical doubles.

To deepen our knowledge of the Capgras syndrome

A case report about a Capgras syndrome.

We report the case of a 46-year-old female patient who was admitted in February 2021 for incoherent speech and behavior disorder against her family members. Three years ago, she started to have hypochondriacal concerns. A week before her admission, she threatened her husband with a knife and she was convinced that her daughters were dead and that they had been replaced by clowns. She had a Capgras delusion with a hallucinatory and interpretative mechanism against her daughters, she reported olfactory and cenesthetic hallucinations. Biological explorations and brain CT were normal. The PANNS scale showed a positive scale of 36, a negative scale of 39, the general psychopathology scale of 53. She had a total score of 30/40 on The Penn emotion recognition test. The patient had difficulty in recognizing low intensity emotions (0 or 1) and 50% of the false responses were for the neutral emotion with responses tending towards anger first and then sadness.

Capgras syndrome remains poorly described in the literature and the hypotheses concerning its origin often oscillate between neuropsychological and psychodynamic. With the recent advances in neuroscience, it would be interesting to deepen its physiopathology in order to place it in a more modern nosological framework.

No significant relationships.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a psychotraumatic event .

The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical manifestations of PTSD in the pediatric population.

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on children over the age of 7 and victims of a traumatic event that had occurred at least one month before. They were recruited from August 2020 to April 2021, in child psychiatry department. The clinical manifestations were evaluated using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale Child and Adolescent version for DSM 5 (CAPS CA5) in Tunisian dialect. The statistical processing of these data was carried out using SPSS 26 software.

We recruited 101 children who had experienced a traumatic event which was in 35.6% physical assault, 47.5% sexual assault and in 16.8 % exposure to death. The mean age was 10.7 years at the onset of traumatic event and 11.74 years at the interview. We noted in our patients a female predominance at 64.4%. Diagnosis of PTSD according to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM5 was retained in 54.5% of cases. Intrusive symptoms were present in 81.2%, with 66.3% of involuntary, intrusive memories. Persistent avoidance of stimuli was noted in 80.2%. 71.3% of cases suffered from negative cognition and mood. We found in 66.3% marked alterations in trauma-related arousal and reactivity. Resulting in clinicialy significant distress in71.3%.

Recognizing PTSD symptoms is essential for diagnosis to initiate specialized care and reduce impairment at this critical age.

No significant relationships.