No significant relationships.

Many studies have searched for an association between violence and psychiatric diagnoses, without providing a confirmative result.

We have sought to deepen this topic, analysing different aspects of aggressivity, focusing on a specific diagnosis and its particular phases of illness, and looking for a correlation between psychiatric co-diagnoses and outpatients’ visits adherence.

We studied 151 bipolar type I inpatients presenting complaint, past medical and family history; we collected information about lifetime hetero/self-aggressive behaviours, irritability, agitation, suicide attempts, alcohol, or substance abuse.

The overall aggressivity in our sample resulted in 11.92% of cases, while the number of aggressive episodes during euthymia decreased to 2.64%, close to the population without psychiatric disorders. Personality disorders and alcohol abuse appeared to be the main risk factors for irritability [Fig. 1]; substance abuse for both irritability and hetero-aggressive behaviour [Fig. 2]. We observed that subjects who displayed better compliance to follow-up visits exhibited a significant lower aggressive behaviour than less adherent subjects. Moreover, our data disconfirm the common conception that correlates the presence of psychotic features to violence.

Studying aggressive in a bipolar population, we observed that the rare episodes of aggressiveness were condensed in active phases of illness and mainly related to alcohol or substance abuse, while violent acts during long periods of wellbeing appear in line with those of the general population. We are confident our data might be helpful in deconstructing the stigma that a psychiatric diagnosis equals to violent behaviour.

No significant relationships.

As of August 27th, 2021, the diagnosed cases of COVID 19 in Spain are 4 758 003 with a prevalence of 10.03%. 68.4% of the Spanish population is fully vaccinated

Primary: To compare the prevalence of COVID infection in a cohort of patients with schizophrenia to patients with a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and substance use disorder Secondary: To compare the rate of fully vaccinated patients diagnosed with schizophrenia with and without a coexisting substance use disorder.

Retrospective descriptive study. The population in study is made up of patients with schizophrenia (46) and dual diagnosis schizophrenia (28) (following DSM 5 criteria) Confirmed cases were those cases with positive PCR

There was not a stadistically significant difference in the prevalence of COVID 19 infection between both groups of patients. The prevalence of COVID infection among the dual diagnosis schizophrenia was 3.57% compared to 6.5% in those without coexisting substance abuse disorder. Relative to vaccination rate, we didn’t find a stadistically significant difference between both groups. However, there was a higher vaccination rate in the dual diagnosis schizophrenia group (82.12%) compared to the non-dual diagnosis schizophrenia group (69.56%)

The prevalence of COVID 19 infection in the dual diagnosis schizophrenia cohort is 3.57% and in the group of patients with schizophrenia without substance abuse disorder is 6,5%. In those with dual diagnosis schizophrenia the vaccination rate was un 82.12%. It was 69.56% in those without coexisting substance abuse disorder.

No significant relationships.

The language of visual arts speaks to us in a way that words cannot. Acknowledging the therapeutic effects of artistic expression, art therapy – a psychotherapeutic approach that integrates expressive characteristics of art and explorative characteristics of psychotherapy – has developed. From its beginnings, it has been used with people with psychotic disorders and is enlisted in NICE guidelines as psychological therapy for psychosis and schizophrenia.

To understand and to activate the potential of artistic expression in people with psychotic disorders treated on acute ward, in day hospitals and as a form of long-term therapy in the Patients club of the University psychiatric hospital „Sveti Ivan“.

Art therapy programme is conducted separately on acute ward (Ward for integrative psychiatry), day hospitals (Day hospital for integrative psychiatry and Day hospital for psychotic disorders) and in the Patients club with patients with psychotic disorders. The workshops are adjusted for people with psychotic disorders to enable them to strengthen their sense of self, to empower them and to express their authentic feelings in a safe environment.

The artwork of people who have taken part in the art therapy programmes for psychosis of the University psychiatric hospital „Sveti Ivan“ will be presented and will serve as an example of an art therapy process, therapeutic goals, as well as the significance of this method for psychotic disorders.

Art therapy can be of great benefit for people with psychosis both on acute wards and as a long-term therapy.

No significant relationships.

The Social media have gained tremendous popularity over the past decade, these sites have occupied a major part of people’s lives, especially young people. Many teenagers use tik tok, instagram, snapchat and facebook, to build relationships, connect with the world, share and acquire knowledge and information, and build their personalities, their effects are not limited. to that, comparisons made using social networking sites have led people to have a drop in self-esteem, with all the complications that can cause (anxiety disorders, depression and the anxiety disorder , etc.)

Assessment of the impact of social media on the self-image, of young subjects in the Moroccan context

Cross-sectional study with a descriptive and analytical aim, using a questionnaire and a satisfaction scale to assess the impact of social media on the self-image of young subjects in the Moroccan context. bibliographic research to objectify several studies on this subject

our results are close to the results of the literature. Sample of 200 young peoples was selected based on the confidence level of 80%. In order to test the hypothesis each respondent was given a questionnaire which tested their selfesteem and enquired the amount of time they spent on Facebook, instagram, tik tok, snapchat.

social networks are a way to communicate information, ideas of ways of life. this communication includes harmful effects on the social behavior of young people

No significant relationships.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is an important cause of discomfort and dysfunction that impair the quality of life and the daily functionality not only of the patient but also of her child and her family, in its entirety. New treatment options have been made available for this pathology, but their use is restricted by methodological aspects, like the difficulty of administration, lack of enough data regarding their long-term efficacy, and costs.

To conduct a literature review in order to find the most evidence-based pharmacological interventions for PPD.

A literature review was performed through the main electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, EMBASE) using the search paradigm “postpartum depression” AND “treatment” OR “pharmacological agents”. All papers published between January 2000 and August 2021 were included.

Among the most evidence-based agents for PPD treatment are serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). As individual agents, sertraline seems to be the most supported antidepressant by evidence from clinical trials, followed by escitalopram/citalopram, and fluoxetine. Other antidepressants supported by clinical data were venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, nortriptyline, and bupropion. A 6-12 months maintenance treatment is considered optimal after remission, in women with a low risk of recurrence. Brexanolone, zuranolone, and ganaxolone are members of a new class of drugs studied for postpartum depression, but currently, only the first agent is FDA-approved for this indication.

SSRIs are the most supported by evidence treatments for PPD, and brexanolone is a drug with a new mechanism, dedicated to this pathology that provides new hope for recovery.

No significant relationships.

Volume reductions in brain structures of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) have repeatedly been found in voxel-based morphometry MRI studies. Hence, an underlying neurodegenerative etiological component of SSD is currently being discussed. In recent years, the imaging method of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has shown its potential in evaluating structural changes in the retina in patients with confirmed neurodegenerative disorders, providing a window into the brain.

To evaluate potential differences in measurements of retinal layers between patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and healthy controls with OCT.

Twenty-six patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were examined with the Heidelberg Spectralis OCT system to derive a single-layer analysis of both retinas. The segmentation of retinal layers was manually corrected to minimize artifacts and software imprecisions.

Compared to the control group, SSD patients showed reduced thickness and volume measurements for nearly all retinal layers, and these differences reached significance for macular volume, macular thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and inner nucleiform layer (INL). Furthermore, a significant correlation between the duration of illness and the total volume of the RNFL was found.

Our OCT measurements demonstrate reduced single retinal layer thickness in patients with SSD. In the context of the MRI volume changes, our results provide further evidence that structural changes seen in the brain of patients are also observable in the retina, potentially allowing further insights into the different components of the nervous system that are altered in this highly etiologically complex disorder.

No significant relationships.

Previous studies indicated, that mentalization mediates the link between adult attachment and stress, however, this relationship was not tested before among non-clinical parents of children aged between 12 and 18 years.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between parental reflective functioning, attachment style, perceived parental sense of competence, and stress among parents.

After providing written consent, 186 non-clinical mothers completed a questionnaire packet that included a demographic form, The Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire - Adolescent version, the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Parental Sense of Competence Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. A moderated mediation analysis with parental sense of competence as a dependent variable, mother’s attachment style as an independent variable, certainty about mental states hypermentalization subscale as a mediator, and stress as a moderator was conducted.

In the moderated mediation analysis, the direct effect of the attachment style on the parental sense of competence in the case of preoccupied attachment style was significant (p < .001). The interaction term of the hypermentalization subscale by perceived stress was also significant in the case of low level (w = -1.57, p < .001) and high level of perceived stress (w= 1.21, p = .049) among mothers with a preoccupied attachment style.

These findings suggest that the preoccupied attachment style is related to the parental sense of competence through certainty about mental states hypermentalization in case of low level and high level of perceived stress, so mentalization-based interventions are warranted.

No significant relationships.

Lurasidone is a second-generation antipsychotic shown to have a lower risk of weight gain and a lower incidence of metabolic adverse events compared with some medications in the same class.

To describe treatment patterns, clinical outcomes and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) over 12 months following lurasidone initiation in patients with schizophrenia.

This was a multi-centre observational study involving data collection from patients’ medical records, conducted in seven mental health centres in the United Kingdom (UK) and Switzerland. The study included patients aged ≥18 years who initiated lurasidone after 1 January 2016 for the treatment of schizophrenia. Data were collected from medical records both retrospectively and prospectively using a standardised data collection form. Data collected included patient characteristics, treatment history, lurasidone regimens, clinical outcomes and ADRs.

Forty-eight patients participated in the study. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age at lurasidone initiation was 33.5 (25.5-50.3) years and 31 (65%) patients were male. The median (range) lurasidone starting dose was 37 mg daily (9.3–148 mg). Thirty-eight (79%) patients continued lurasidone for the entire 12-month follow-up period. Among the 14 (29%) patients with documented relapse, the median (IQR) time to relapse was 3.4 (1.5–7.9) months. Five ADRs were recorded in patient notes judged as related to lurasidone: agitation, nausea, akathisia, somnolence and vomiting (one patient each).

In this real-world study of patients with schizophrenia in the UK and Switzerland, 79% of patients continued lurasidone for at least 12 months, and ADRs were reported rarely in patient notes.

This study was sponsored by CNX Therapeutics Ltd (formerly Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Europe Ltd). AJ is an employee of CNX Therapeutics. MA is an employee of OPEN HEALTH who was contracted by CNX Therapeutics for data analysis and medical writing.

The Portuguese shortest version of the Perinatal Depression Screening Scale/PDSS-7 proved to be valid and reliable, in Portugal and Brazil, but it is essential to analyze its operational characteristics before using it for screening purposes.

To determine PDSS-7 cut-off points and associated conditional probabilities to screen for major depression, according to the DSM-5.

he pregnancy sample was composed of 259 women in the second trimester (Mean gestation weeks=17.83±4.750). The postpartum sample consisted of 241 women assessed between the 2nd-6thmonths postpartum(M=17.99±4.689 weeks postpartum). All women completed the PDSS-7 and were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview for Psychological Distress(Pereira et al., 2017), a semi-structured clinical interview to assess the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the perinatal period according to the DSM-5 criteria. MedCalc was used to perform ROC analysis.

During pregnancy, the major depression prevalence was of 4.6%(n=12). The cut-off point that maximizes the Youden Index(J=.98, 95%CI: .97-.99; AUC=.99; se=.004; p<.001) was of 18(95%CI:17-19), which resulted in a sensitivity of 100%(71.5%-100%), a specificity of 97.98%(95.3%-99.3%), a positive predictive value/+PP of 68.8%(48.0%-84.0%) and a negative predictive value/-PP of 100%. In the postpartum, the major depression prevalence was of 10.4%(n=25). The cut-off point(J=.79, 95%CI: .63-.82; AUC=.89; se=.036; p<.001) was of 14(95%CI: 12-16), with a sensitivity of 85.0%(69.3%-93.2%), a specificity of 85.0%(69.3%-93.2%), a +PP of 56.5%(46.1%-67.3%) and a -PP of 97.5%(94.6%-98.8%).

The Portuguese version of PDSS-7 presents good combinations of sensitivity and specificity, being accurate and usable to screen for depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum both in research and primary health care.

No significant relationships.

Working memory (WM) deficit in bipolar disorder (BD) is heterogeneous and seems to be affected by both, demographic and clinical aspects, of the patient.

To assess the WM performance in euthymic bipolar patients (BP) comparing to healthy controls (HC) and to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with it.

A case-control study was conducted among euthymic bipolar patients according to DSM-5. The recruitment of patients was performed in the outpatient psychiatric unit in the university hospital Hedi Chaker in Sfax during the period from January to December 2020. The HC were matched to BP on gender, age and education level. The Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry scale (SCIP) was used to assess the WM performance by the WM test (WMT).

We recruited 61 BP (37 males and 24 females) and 40 HC (20 males and 20 females). The average age of BP was 41.75 years (SD=11.6 years). The BD group included 47 BD type I and 14 BD type II patients. The mean duration of illness was 9.75 years (SD=7.93 years). Thirty-seven BP (60.7%) had a history of psychotic symptoms. The WMT score was significantly lower among BP than HC (p<0,001). The female gender, the type II of BD and the history of psychotic symptoms correlated with a poorer performance on WMT (p=0.019; 0.017 and 0.002, respectively).

BP have shown significant impaired performance in WM even during euthymia. Female gender of patient, type II of BD and psychotic symptoms seem to be the predictors of this impairment.

No significant relationships.

Beyond living longer, it is increasingly important to live with more and better health during aging (1). Sexual well-being (SWB) was found to contribute to health and well-being in old age and is highly under-researched in the older population (2).

This study aims to analyze SWB in a cross-cultural way through older Portuguese and Slovenian older samples.

We interviewed 136 older participants with an average age of 71.6 years old. Participants were Portuguese and Slovenian and lived in the community. Participants were subjected to semi-structured interviews and these were subjected to a content analysis process.

The content analysis indicated nine themes related to SWB: self-reported good health; demonstrations of love; non-sexual joint activities; overall well-being and quality of life; partner support; positive self-image; being independent and active; sexual compatibility; and masturbation. Portuguese older adults experience their SWB associated mainly with self-reported good health and demonstrations of love, while Slovenians older adults associate their SWB mainly with non-sexual joint activities and overall well-being and quality of life.

The themes found in this study are fundamental evidence for cultural interventions and guidelines outlining in the context of sexual health in aging, mainly due to the scarcity of knowledge of SWB among older adults. 1.von Humboldt S et al. Sexual expression in old age: How older adults from different cultures express sexually? Sex Res Social Policy. 2020;1-15. 2.von Humboldt S et al. Are older adults satisfied with their sexuality? Outcomes from a cross-cultural study. Educ Gerontol. 2020;46:284-293.

No significant relationships.

Waiting times for gender identity services, even before the Covid-19 pandemic, have been a cause of concern. Despite the waiting time standard for planned elective care in the NHS being a maximum of 18 weeks, the average waiting time for a first appointment with a gender identity clinic is 18 months. This study aims to analyse the effect that these timings have on the transgender community, and whether they impact the risk of developing mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.

This study’s main aim is to analyse the correlation between waiting times and mental health burden in the transgender community.

A literature review and analysis on a transgender individual’s mental health and waiting times for Gender Identity Clinics; looking at any key themes and conclusions. Research papers were taken from MEDLINE, The International Journal of Transgender Health, Oxford Academic, SpringerLink and Emerald Insight, with studies publishing date ranging from 2014 – 2021.

The transgender population were found to have higher rates of suicidal ideation, depression and self harm compared to the general population. Longer waiting times were found to contribute to feelings of low mood and suicidal ideation, as well as decreasing overall quality of life.

Longer waiting times can decrease a transgender individual’s quality of life and impact their overall mental wellbeing: especially with the impact of COVID-19 and the rise in referrals.

No significant relationships.

The transition into parenthood is associated with an increased psychopathological vulnerability. Most studies have focused on mothers, although recently, the role of fathers has grown more importance. Paternal perinatal depression (PPD) is an episode of major depressive disorder occurring in new or expectant fathers during the perinatal period. PPD is not widely acknowledged and research are rare.

The authors intend to review the literature about PPD, focusing on its prevalence, risk factors, clinical features, treatment and consequences.

Non-systematic review of the literature through PubMed.

A meta-analysis of PPD estimated a prevalence of 10.4%. Risk factors of PPD are multiple and complex. There are sociodemographic factors, such as marital status, monthly income and social support. Psychological factors, for instance history of depression, maternal prenatal anxiety and maternal depression. Some literature also suggests hormonal changes on men like increase estrogen and lower testosterone levels. PPD can present with symptoms of mood alterations, like irritability and restricted emotions, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite. Also common are behavioural disturbances such as interpersonal conflicts, impulsivity, violence, avoidance behaviour, and substance abuse. There are no studies to specific treatments to PPD, so the treatment is the same for women, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy. If untreated, PPD can have an adverse influence on the health and wellbeing of the mother and child.

PPD is still underscreened, underdiagnosed and undertreated. It is fundamental identifying risk factors and the development of specific interventions. Further research on PPD is needed.

No significant relationships.

Exposure to severe childhood trauma has been associated with the onset and the severity of bipolar disorder in adults.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and functioning of patients suffering from bipolar disorder.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study, including sixty-one remitted patients with BD. We used the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) to measure history of traumatic childhood experiences and the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) to assess functioning.

The mean age of patients was 43.4. The sex ratio was 2.4. Almost two-thirds of patients (64%) had experienced at least one type of childhood trauma. An overall functional impairment was found in 70.5% of participants. The CTQ total score was significantly associated with low educational level (p=0.001), low socio-economic status (P=0.034), a family history of psychosis (P=0.022), the number of mood episodes (P=0.001), the number of hospitalizations (P=0.04), the number of relapses with psychotic features (p=0.002) and that of depressive relapses (P<0.001), rapid cycling (P=0.012), higher rates of suicide attempts (P=0.04) and poor functioning (P<0.001).The logistic regression analyses showed a significant association of childhood trauma with low educational level (p=0.001), high number of depressive episodes (p=0.013) and poor functioning (p<0.001).

Our findings demonstrate that childhood abuse and neglect are risk factors associated with worsening clinical course of bipolar disorder and higher functional impairment. These findings press the urgency for preventive practices and early intervention strategies to diminish the prevalence of childhood trauma and minimize their impact.

No significant relationships.

Alexithymia, the lack of words to express emotions, is a common problem in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

To investigate the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with MS and to evaluate the factors related to it, including depression.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study, which took place in the neurology department in Sfax (Tunisia). It involved MS outpatients in remission phase. Data collection was done using a form exploring sociodemographic, clinical and radiological characteristics. We used the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to evaluate neurological impairments, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to assess alexithymia, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess depressive symptoms.

Our study included 93 patients. They were married in 57% of cases. The total number of relapses ranged from 1 to 30, with a median of 5. The EDSS score ranged from 0 to 8. A temporal lesion on brain imaging was found in 29% of cases. MS patients had alexithymia in 58.1% of cases and depression in 26.9% of cases. Alexithymia was more frequent in unmarried patients (p = 0.028). Among clinical and radiological factors, the number of relapses was higher (p = 0.035), and temporal lesion was more frequent in alexithymic patients (p = 0.045). In this study, alexithymic patients were more depressed (p < 10-3).

According to our results, depression and alexithymia were found to be significantly inter-related in MS. Future longitudinal studies might better clarify the nature of this relationship in MS patients.

No significant relationships.

Today, a number of researchers consider the problem of addictive behavior as one of the most global problems for Kazakhstan and Russia. Some scientists consider CBT to be the most effective way to work with addictions. In our country there are no scientific works devoted to the study of addictive beliefs, so we decided to conduct such a study.

The Objective of the study was to identify the characteristic addictive beliefs of drug addicts with different type of addiction: opioids and synthetic cathinones (designer drugs called “salts”, “bath salts”).

Questionnaire of addictive beliefs by A, Beck, questionnaire of beliefs about cravings by A. Beck and F. Wright, clinical interview. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used for data processing.

People with opioid addiction are more likely to believe that their lives will become more depressive if they stop using drugs (p= 0.0347); that drug use is the only way to cope with pain in their life (p= 0.0347) and that they cannot cope with anxiety without drugs (p=0.009). Respondents who use synthetic psychostimulants endorse to believe that addiction is not a problrm for them (p= 0.0358).

Having categorized these beliefs in accordance with A. Beck’s classification, we came to the conclusion that “relief-oriented beliefs” are more typical for people who use opiates. The motive for use is often the desire to alleviate a negative emotional or physical state. For people using psychostimulants “salt”, “anticipatory beliefs” are more characteristic - the desire to experience euphoria and pleasant experiences.

No significant relationships.

Hepatic ones are some of the most described somatic complications in anorexia nervosa (AN) affected patients. They can be due to malnutrition, which is the more usual thing, or due to re-feeding. The first one can lead to more marked elevations of the hepatic enzymes, especially alanine-aminotransferase (ALT). It’s been also described the relation between a sharply decreased body mass index (BMI) and this kind of complications, but there are still to determine more predictors.

Identifying clinical predictors of hepatic complications in AN.

We analysed data from 71 AN affected patients hospitalized at Bellvitge Hospital from January 2016 to October 2021. We used IBM SPSS Statistics 22 to do all the statistics in this work.

The medium age of the sample was 27.66 years with 10.8 years of evolution of AN. The medium BMI was 13.88. 33.80% of them had some sort of hepatic enzymes elevation, two of them a several one. AST, ALT and ALP were significantly more elevated in those patients with lower BMI. GGT was significantly more elevated in patients with more years of disorder development. We didn’t identify correlation between any purgative method and hepatic alterations.

The elevation of ALT, AST and ALP seems to be related with the BMI of the patients, while the elevation of the GGT turns out to be related to the time of evolution of the eating disorder. Purgative methods don’t seem to be related to the development of hepatic alterations in AN.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

Clozapine use is not deprived of serious complications that can condition treatment strategies, particularly hematological. Recognizing the time it takes for these effects to set, can therefore help to better screen their appearance, improving healthcare.

To study the time of onset of hematological adverse reactions in patients treated with Clozapine.

A longitudinal, retrospective and descriptive study on a period of 20 years starting from the first of January 2000, at the psychiatry department A of the Razi hospital in Tunisia. This study was conducted on patients treated by Clozapine. The data was collected from patients’ medical files using a pre-established sheet.

The studied sample included 64 patient. Hematological disorders were found in 21 patients (32.8%). The mean time of onset of hematological adverse reactions was 119.71±126.56 days. Indeed, some patients had presented more than one hematological disorder and this at different times. Mild to moderate neutropenia had a mean time of onset of 502.57±908.32 days. The time of onset of eosinophilia was 937.75±1725.87 days, 297.67 ± 444.93 days for thrombocytopenia, 741±1268.85 days for leukopenia, 69.25 ± 48.19 days for hyperleukocytosis and 183. 33±231.80 days for anemia. Two cases of agranulocytosis were noted: one case occurred 10 years and three months from treatment beginning and the second case occurred after 7 months of treatment onset.

The time of onset of hematological side effects with clozapine varies widely and cannot be predicted with precision. Early, more frequent and regular surveillance is therefore necessary in this population.

No significant relationships.