Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines have been linked to a variety of adverse effects including addiction. Long term use of these drugs has been associated with an increased risk of suicide.

We assessed if individuals in treatment with non-benzodiazepine (n-BZD) and benzodiazepine (BZD) had higher rates of suicide when compared to individuals not in treatment with these drugs.

We utilized a cohort design and national longitudinal data on all individuals aged 10 or above who lived in Denmark between 1995 and 2018. Treatment with either n-BZD or BZD was identified via the Danish National Prescription Registry and suicide deaths were identified in the national cause of death registries.

In a total of 6,494,206 individuals, 10,862 males and 4,214 females died by suicide. Of these, 1,220 (11.2%) males and 792 (18.8%) females had been in treatment with n-BZD, resulting in adjusted IRR for suicide of 4.2 (95% CI, 4.0 – 4.5) and 3.4 (95% CI, 3.1 – 3.7) for males and females, respectively, when compared to those not in treatment. In all, 529 (4.8%) males and 395 (9.3%) females who died by suicide had been in treatment with BZD. The IRRs for suicide were 2.4 (95% CI, 2.2 – 2.6) and 2.5 (95% CI, 2.3 – 2.8) for males and females, respectively, and compared to those not in treatment.

In this study we find that those in treatment experienced higher suicide rates than those not in treatment, this persisted when also adjusting for a large variety of covariates.

No significant relationships.

Recently, several antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics have been suggested to have favorable effects in the treatment of COVID-19.

The aim of this systematic review was to collect evidence from preclinical and clinical studies concerning the scientific evidence for the repurposing of psychotropic drugs in COVID-19 treatment.

Two independent authors searched PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycInfo, Clinical Trial Registration Site US (ClinicalTrials.gov) databases, and reviewed the reference lists of articles for eligible articles published up to May 31st, 2021. All preclinical and clinical studies on the effect of any psychotropic drug on Sars-CoV-2 or patients with COVID-19 were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for the quality assessment of clinical studies. This systematic review adheres to the PRISMA guidelines.

22 studies were included in the synthesis: 9 clinical studies, 9 preclinical studies, and 4 computational studies. The use of antidepressants, both SSRI and non-SSRI, was associated with a reduced risk of severe complications of COVID-19. Several antipsychotics showed an increased risk for both Sars-CoV-2 infection and severe complications during COVID-19.

The current evidence supports a potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 role for several antidepressants, while the evidence on mood stabilizers or antipsychotics remains controversial. Drug repurposing proved highly successful in response to the current pandemic and psychotropic medications are widely used in clinical practice with well-known safety and tolerability profiles, showing antiviral, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties, being perfect candidates for possible treatment of COVID-19. Further research will deliver optimized and specific therapeutic tools that will increase the preparedness of health systems for possible future epidemics.

No significant relationships.

Oral health behavior is based on an acquired experience and cultural traditions. University education may smooth out cultural differences in oral health practice.

Our goal is to study self-reported oral health attitudes and behavior of university students and the cultural basis for it.

We used the English version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory to carry out an online survey of 136 university students of Morocco and Russia.

Over half of the students (60.3%) do not feel anxious when visiting a dentist. Most of them take care of their gums (41.2%), teeth color (49.3%) and the degree of their cleanness (38.2%). The overwhelming majority of the students brush their each tooth very thoroughly (62.5%), they regularly examine their teeth in the mirror after brushing them (90.4%). They are well aware that tooth brushing alone cannot prevent a gum disease (63.2%), and they feel concerned about the possibility of having bad breath (73.6%). At the same time, over half of the students (61.7%) put off their visit to a dentist until they have a toothache, which is a negative behavioral factor. We did not reveal any gender or cultural differences between the students of the two countries, which can be regarded as a universalization factor of oral health behavior in young people who get higher education in universities.

The majority of the surveyed Russian and Moroccan university students have similar patterns of oral health attitudes and behavior. This assumption needs verification on a larger sample of students.

No significant relationships.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was classically considered a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental condition. Over the past 40 years, it became evident that it can persist during adulthood.

The purpose of the authors is to describe the characteristics of ADHD in adults and the specific comorbidities, proposing an approach to these patients.

A brief non-systematized review is presented, using the literature available on PubMed and Google Scholar.

Only 40-50% of children and adolescents with ADHD will have symptoms that persist into adulthood (estimated adult prevalence of 2.8% across 20 countries; 25% in prisons). A more subtle presentation in adults and the difficulty to access past medical history, lead to diagnosis and treatment rates of lower than 20% (versus 50% in children). Well-characterized core symptoms in children evolve into a predominance of inattention symptoms. They became adults with marked disorganization, difficulties in completing tasks and managing time. Emotional dysregulation is a very prevalent symptom in this population. The comorbidities rate increase over time (reaching 75% of patients).

Adults (or even older subjects) with cognitive and/or behavioural complaints should be submitted to systematic screening for ADHD. Non-treated ADHD symptoms in adulthood are associated with severe impairment, therefore adjustments in the health care system to support the transition from child to adult services are needed.

No significant relationships.

Even if breast cancer is a severe pathology that can cause the death of a person, nowadays there are effective screening methods that could help us to discover in due time the tumor formation and thus be able to benefit from conservative breast surgery.

Evaluating the feasible relationship between the noted levels of procrastination and the educational level of subjects

The analyzed group comprises a number of 152 female subjects (n=152). They were divided in three subgroups: subgroup I(26) composed of women with lower education, subgroup II(66), women with medium education level and subgroup III(60), women with higher education. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Tuckman Procrastination Scale have been applied.

Comparing the three subgroups, the levels of procrastination were similar. Low levels of procrastination were most common in all three subgroups: in the subgroup I 57,69%, in the subgroup II 56,06% and in the subgroup III 53,33%. Average procrastination levels were observed in 34,61% of women in subgroup I, 42,42% of women in subgroup II and 45% of women in subgroup III. Concerning high levels of procrastination we can affirm that they involve a small number of subjects. Measuring the degree of connection between the two variables, we obtained as a result r=0.13, which means a very weak, non-existent correlation.

The study revealed that there is no relationship between the level of education and the levels of procrastination that include postponing the presentation to the doctor.

No significant relationships.

There is a huge resource gap in mental health service provision & service utilisation in LAMIC including Pakistan. SOUL Programme has been established in the City of Larkana, on charitable donations, which utilises principles of home-based outreach and produces clinical and functional outcomes.

SOUL programme focuses on collaborative working with patients & families. The objectives include recognition, treatment, family education & psychosocial support to maximize clinical, functional & occupational outcomes.

Single cohort intervention (patients recruited on continual basis over time) with innovative service structure and culturally relevant open label intervention design developed with local academic psychiatric unit in Larkano, Pakistan. Training was provided to local mental health professionals on diagnosis, delivering care & use of recognized clinical outcome measures.

We have recruited a cohort of 160 patients on continual basis over time. Our analysis show a higher BPRS and lower GAF ratings for men in comparison to female cohort at the baseline. Our Ten year follow up has demonstrated statistically significant clinical / functional improvement on BPRS, CGI & GAF measures. The mean differences recorded for the individual measures after 12 months were BPRS, CGI-I and GAF and were all statistically significant. Innovative home-based community mental health intervention shows significant improvements in clinical and functional outcomes (with good effect size).

SOUL Programme is a highly effective and cost-efficient intervention model for treatment of schizophrenia in a developing country setting. Our 10 year follow up study confirms the feasibility of this intervention model through close working with families of our patients.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

Vaccination has proved to be an effective tool in decreasing infectious diseases incidence and their mortality rate. Negative public vaccine attitude can significantly undermine efforts to combat the pandemic that makes vaccine hesitancy one of the WHO main concerns

Examination of the relationships in population between vaccine attributes and COVID-19 personal experience, social and demographic characteristics

Cohort cross-sectional study of the population attitude to vaccination against coronavirus infection COVID-19 was performed online during the first 2 months of mass vaccination in Russia, using the special designed questionnaire assessing social demographic variables, COVID-19 related factors, and preferable sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines. 4977 participants in the age from 18 to 81 years were enrolled in the study to vaccination against coronavirus infection COVID-19 was performed online during the first 2 months of mass vaccination in Russia, using the special designed questionnaire assessing social demographic variables, COVID-19 related factors, and preferable sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines .

34.2% of respondents consider vaccination useful. 31.1% ‑ doubt its effectiveness. 9.9% ‑ consider vaccination unnecessary. 12.2% ‑ dangerous. indifference to vaccination was formed in 7.4% of respondents. They indicated that they do not plan to be vaccinated. 32.3%. postpones their decision until more remote data on the results and effectiveness of vaccination are obtained ‑ 34.0%. were vaccinated at the time of the study ‑ 11.6%.

Attitude towards vaccination depends on age, gender, education, fear of possible complications, coronaphobia. Young people are less focused on vaccination than middle-aged and older people.

No significant relationships.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), conceived in the womb of Chinese culture, is gaining more and more popularity in the world. What views on its possibilities do dentists studying in Russia have?

Our goal is to establish the peculiarities of the attitude to TCM that are characteristic of dental students and correlate them with their psychosocial qualities.

We surveyed anonymously 106 dental students of Ulianov Chuvash State University using the Attitude to TCM Survey (E. Nikolaev) and the Sociocultural Health Questionnaire (E. Nikolaev). To analyze the interrelations, we used a correlation analysis.

More than two thirds of the respondents (72.6%) know about TCM, 20.8% consider it more effective than conventional medicine. Respondents with a higher level of stress show more interest in TCM (r=.27, p<.05), those who smoke hookah have less interest (r=-.25, p<.05). Students who less often work out in a gym are ready to turn to TCM (r=.23, p<.05). Students who are less often engaged in sports are more inclined to go to China for TCM treatment (r=.19, p<.05). They also less often agree that TCM can help Russian people (r=-.22, p<.05). Stronger belief in the possibilities of TCM correlates with deeper trust in private medicine (r=.22, p<.05). We did not find any correlations with the level of health.

A more positive attitude to TCM in dental students is correlated with less physical activity, higher stress, as well as deeper trust in private medicine.

No significant relationships.

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is highly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder(BD), and may affect the functionality of this population.The increased rate of MS in BD might be due to poorer access to physical health care, unhealthy lifestyle related with psychiatric symptoms and adverse effects of pharmacological treatments.

We sought to compare differences in clinical features of patients with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 (BPD-1)with and without MS in euthymic period.

This study included 67 euthymic BPD-1 patients without MS and 33 age- and sex-matched BPD-1 patients with MS. All participants completed a sociodemographic form; took the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Young Mania Rating Scale score. MS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.

Age at onset of disease was significantly lower in BPD-1 group with MS than without MS (p < 0.05). Number of suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalisation, was significantly higher in BPD-1 group with MS than without MS (p < 0.05). Catatonic and melancholic depression were significantly more prevalent in the BPD-1 with MS than without MS (p < 0.05). Having history of comorbid psychiatric diseases, mixed episodes, are significantly more prevalent in the BPD-1 with MS than without MS (p < 0.05). There was not significant difference between groups in terms of the medication between groups (p>0.05)

Our findings suggest that MS might have an effect on the course of BD patients. The development and testing of interventions for preventing and treating the MS and its components in patients with BD might be important .

No significant relationships.

Clozapine, the first atypical antipsychotic, is a highly effective medication for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Robust evidence describes important risk for psychosis in immigrant population(2). Despite this, some studies suggest that immigrant patients are less treated and misdiagnosed due to cultural barriers(3,4). Clozapine and Electroconvulsive therapy tend to be less prescribed in immigrants(3). However, few studies assess differences in clozapine prescription between immigrants and non-immigrant psychotic inpatients.

To describe and compare clozapine prescription between psychotic patients and non-psychotic patients in a sample of Acute and Chronic inpatients.

Patients who have presented, according to DSM-V criteria, one or more non-affective psychotic episodes, were recruited in Acute and Chronic inpatients units leading to a total sample of 198 patients. Immigrant condition was defined as “a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country”. Demographic characteristics of patients, clinical data and main pharmacological treatment were recorded through a questionnaire. Comparative analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics using Chi-Square Test and t-Student test.

From a total of 198patients clozapine was prescribed to 31(15,7%). From the total immigrant sample only 7,1% had prescribed clozapine compared to 24,2% from the locals(p<0.005). Significant differences in diagnosis associated to clozapine were found between both groups : Schizophrenia(57,1%immigrants, 57,1%locals), Schizoaffective disorder(14,3%immigrants, 41,7%locals) and Non specific psychosis (28,3%immigrants, 8,3%locals).

According to our results, immigrant psychotic inpatients receive less clozapine prescription compared to non-immigrant psychotic patients. There results should be considered to study barriers for clozapine prescription in this population and offer a treatment based in equality.

No significant relationships.

Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for various comorbidities, such as cirrhosis, chronic sclerosing stomatitis, and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Our study examined the associations between psychological factors and alcohol addiction of the individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Southern Taiwan.

Demographic information as well as suicidal history and sources of stress were collected from 177 participants. The extent of alcoholism was assessed by AUDIT questionnaire. Demographic and linear regression analyses were performed with the Statistical Software Stata version 12.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA).

Demographic data, suicidal history and the causes of stress of patients divided by AUDIT scores are shown in Table 1. Among 177 participants, 17 (9.6%) had suicidal thoughts, 4 (2.3%) had suicide plan, 22 (12.5%) self-injured, and four-fifth of patients lived under pressure. Patients who self-harmed were with significant lower AUDIT scores of -7.24 (95% CI: -11.49 – -3.00) (Table. 2). The AUDIT scores of patients with physical stress, interpersonal difficulties and loneliness increased significantly by 6.71 (95% CI: 3.19 – 10.30), 6.14 (95% CI: 2.15 – 10.13) and 5.02 (95% CI: 0.93 – 9.11), respectively (Table. 3).

Our findings indicated negative correlation with alcohol use and auto-inflicted injury. However, previous study showed systematic assessment of the association between suicide and AUD, and considered alcohol an important risk factor for suicide, which is related to mental health and affected by different genders and drinking patterns. Our results may provide reference for estimation of the alcohol-related psychological effects in Taiwan.

No significant relationships.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of intrusive thought (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviour (compulsions). First-choice psychopharmacological treatment is based on serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). However, about half of OCD do not or partially respond to SRIs (TR-OCD) and need an augmentation strategy with second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs).

We report a case of severe OCD with comorbid anorexia nervosa, restrictive type (AN-r) treated with fluoxetine (up to 40 mg daily) and lurasidone (37 mg daily bedtime) augmentation.

At baseline and monthly 4-months-follow-up were administered Y-BOCS-II (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale), CGI-S (Clinical Global Impression-Severity), SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90 items) and EDI-3 (Eating Disorder Inventory-3).

Compared to the baseline, a clinically significant clinical response was observed on OC at Y-BOCS-II (≥35% Y-BOCS reduction) and eating symptomatology at EDI-3 after 1 month of augmentation treatment, while a full remission after 3 months (Y-BOCS scoring ≤ 14)(p<0.01). We also noticed, throughout clinical follow up interviews, improvement in patient’s social skills and life satisfaction.

Further longitudinal and real-world effectiveness studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings and investigate the potential of lurasidone augmentation strategy in attenuating OC symptomatology in TR-OCD and whereas a comorbid AN-r is present.

No significant relationships.

To improve the effectiveness of treatment for atypical depression, it is necessary to revise the accumulated experience, taking into account new knowledge and drugs.

Comparative study of the efficacy and safety of therapy for atypical depression (AtD) in the structure of bipolar affective disorder (BAD), recurrent depressive disorder (RDR) and psychogenic depression (PD).

Clinical and clinical follow-up methods examined 77 patients with AtD, of which 35 - with bipolar disorder, 18 - with RDR and 24 - with PD. Patients in all three groups received monotherapy with an antidepressant or a mood stabilizer, or a combination of antidepressant and antipsychotic, antidepressant and mood stabilizer, mood stabilizer and antipsychotic, as well as a combination of antidepressant, antipsychotic and mood stabilizer.

Agomelatine was the most frequently used (27.3%) and effective in reducing MADRS in all groups both in monotherapy and in combination with other drugs. Also in the PD group, escitalopram and vortioxetine were highly effective. Of the antipsychotics, when combined with antidepressants, sulpiride was found to be the most effective. When comparing the tolerance of antidepressants in all groups showed the best results (by the CGI scale), agomelatine and venlafaxine, in the BAR group is also vortioxetine.

The best strategy for effective and safe treatment of atypical depression is the use of modern antidepressant, which does not increase the symptoms of the atypical spectrum and, if necessary, can be supplemented with some antipsychotics.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

The magnitude and exceptional opportunity to research the psychological distress of shelter in place resulted in a publication frenzy on a smorgasbord of research studies of variable scientific robustness. Confinement, fear of contagion, social isolation, financial hardship, etc. equated to stratospheric stress levels. The decline in protective factors as a function of quarantine anecdotally reflected historic rates of anxiety and depression.

In this study, we combined 12 variegate datasets and developed an algorithm to build a model to identify key predictors of pandemic-related stress with high accuracy and generalizability.

This study reports on existing published data. We first describe the International (Adamson et al., 2020) and then the Italian dataset (Flesia et al., 2020). The time-frame (first wave of lockdown), method (survey), measurement tool (Perceived Stress Scale), and outcome measures were extremely similar to enable consolidation of datasets (see Figure1). The Flesia et al., (2020) data set was integrated into the Adamson et al., (2020) dataset as the first step towards data validation construction of the ML predictive model.

We aim to demonstrate the strength of combining cross-cultural datasets, and the applicability of ML algorithms to facilitate the process and generate a predictive model that identifies and validates key predictors of pandemic-related stress and accommodates for interaction with demographic, cultural, and other mitigating factors while concurrently having high generalizability.

We believe our model provides clinicians, researchers, and decision-makers with evidence to investigate the moderators and mediators of stress, and introduce novel interventions to mitigate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

No significant relationships.

Patients with schizophreniform disorder(SD) and schizophrenia present similar symptoms, however, SD has a shorter duration, varying between at least 1 month and 6 months.

To describe and analyse Schizophreniform disorder related hospitalizations in a national hospitalization database.

We performed a retrospective observational study using a nationwide hospitalization database containing all hospitalizations registered in Portuguese public hospitals from 2008 to 2015. Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of schizophreniform diso72.1-der were selected based on International Classification of Diseases version 9, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code of diagnosis 295.4x. Birth date, sex, residence address, primary and secondary diagnoses, admission date, discharge date, length of stay (LoS), discharge status, and hospital charges were obtained. Comorbidities were analysed using the Charlson Index Score. Independent Sample T tests were performed to assess differences in continuous variables with a normal distribution and Mann-Whitney-U tests when no normal distribution was registered.

In Portuguese public hospitals, a total of 594 hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of Schizophreniform disorder were registered during the 8-year study period. Most were associated to the male sex patients, 72.1% (n=428). The mean age at admission was 35.99 years and differed significantly between sexes (males - 34.44; females- 40.19; p<0.001). The median LoS was 17.00 days and the in-hospital mortality was 0.5% (n=3). Only 6.1% (n=36) of the hospitalization episodes had 1 or more registered comorbidities.

Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of Schizophreniform disorder occur more frequently in young male patients. This is the first nationwide study analysing all hospitalization episodes in Portugal.

No significant relationships.

Contemporary anxiety disorders are the main medical problem.

On the basis of complex psychopatological, pathopsychological research, were obtained reasons and conditions of formation, psychopathological structure, syndrome peculiarities, emotional disfunctions of patients on episodic paroxismal and generalized anxiety disorders and mixed anxiously depressed disorders.

The basic method was a group psychotherapy with the elements of rational, positive, suggestive and family psychotherapy. In relation to disfunctions of emotional sphere, CBT was used for the phobic-depressive and anxious-depressive syndroms.

180 anxiety disorders patients were examined, by the stationary course of treatment.Decrease of general level of anxiety and internal anxiety was obtained for most patients. No spontaneous emergence of fear was practically observed. While active interviewing, patients stated that their former worries and fears have lost actuality and apparent emotional colouring become. Considerable reduction of symptomatic of the depressed circle also took place, patients started to feel joy and optimism.

To correct emotional disfunction of patients with episodic paroxismal disorders, generalized anxiety disorders and mixed anxiously depressed disorders, psychotherapeutic correction system is optimal to use, which is built based on stepwise and multimodal principles.

No significant relationships.

Psychiatric disturbances induced by substances are registered in both CIE-10 and DSM-5. It is also well known, since many years, the association between mania and corticosteroids (more than 200 results in PubMed found), recently widely used during the last pandemic against COVID-19.

To remember and to point out the association of substance-induced mental disorders, warning about the experimentation in new clinical settings and raising awareness to prevent or treat its possible consequences in mental health.

A two cases clinical series with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with high-doses intravenous corticosteroids during more than a week. Two women, after theirs 50s, with no personal or family psychiatric history, developing after finishing the hospital treatment, insomnia, motor and behavioral hyperactivity and dysphoric mood with irritability, but preserving clinical insight.

At first, these states were assessed by internists and psychologists as reactive stress anxiety and were treated with benzodiazepines and psychotherapy, without success, during more than two weeks. After a psychiatric evaluation, considering the medical history and recent use of corticosteroids, the hipomania diagnosis was pointed out. Antipsychotic treatment (low doses olanzapine chosen) was induced with total remission of symptoms in less than 15 days with restitutio ad integrum. Regarding these cases, an updated bibliographic review on corticosteroid-induced mania and its treatment was carried out.

With this presentation, the authors would like to highlight, in these times of pandemic, the importance of remembering the influence and relationship of drugs use in major psychiatric syndromes, both in the causal origin and in the treatment.

No significant relationships.

Approximately 30% of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia suffer from treatment-resistant or refractory schizophrenia. The gold standard for treatment is clozapine. However, a significant number of patients discontinue clozapine treatment and this carries a poor prognosis.

This study explores patients’ motives for cessation of clozapine therapy and its prevalence.

A longitudinal, retrospective and descriptive study on a period of 20 years, at the psychiatry department A of the Razi hospital in Tunisia. Data was collected from the medical files of patients trated by clozapine using a pre-established sheet.

The studied sample included 64 patient records. Treatment with clozapine was stopped spontaneously or following a medical decision in 37 patients (57.8%). The total number of clozapine stops in these 37 patients was 70. Indeed, each one of these patients had stopped treatment at least once. Clozapine was discontinued by some patients in the study sample for poor compliance(45.9%), for adverse side effects of treatment (16.2%) and by treating physicians for poor response treatment (8.1%). Clozapine was discontinued by 11 patients for hematological adverse reactions, representing 27.9% of the total number of clozapine discontinuations. Withdrawal of clozapine was indicated in 2 cases of agranulocytosis(18.2%), in 2 cases of moderate neutropenia(18.2%), in 3 cases of eosinophilia (27.2%), in 3 cases of thrombocytopenia (27.2%) and in 1 case of severe anemia (9.2%).

Clozapine discontinuation was essentially caused by poor patients’ observation and hematological adverse reactions appearance.Future research should seek to further investigate clozapine cessation factors in order to better benefit from the medical virtues of this molecule.

No significant relationships.