Eating Disorders (EDs) as a public health concern were explored by numerous studies, where attention was drawn to further exploration of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) in non-western countries due to the existing gap in the area (Cummins et al., 2005; Javier & Belgrave, 2019). The studies emphasized the importance of exploring the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare practitioners in order to improve the quality of medical care for people who have AN (Atti et al., 2020; Colmsee et al., 2021; Costa-Val et al., 2019; Ghaderi et al., 2020; Jafar & Morgan 2021; Kohrt et al., 2020; Reas et al., 2021). Little research related to EDs in Central Asia has been found among previous literature. This study contributes to further research in this area taking into account societal and cultural specifics existing in Kyrgyzstan.

Healthcare practitioners are accessible for the majority of the population of Bishkek through the local primary healthcare (PHC) structure. Therefore, the perceptions of the local PHC workers were explored within the present study. The aim of the current research was to explore how primary healthcare practitioners perceive AN and people who have AN in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Six semi-structured interviews with six PHC workers who currently provide medical care for the local population were conducted in accordance with the Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results were discussed in frames of the Social Constructionism theory.

The interviews uncovered major themes which show how the participants perceive AN and people with AN. According to the participants, AN develops due to stress. Families of AN patients carry the heavy burden of the disorder. The participants described how local and western socio-cultural standards influence the development of AN and seeking treatment process. AN patients do not want to be treated due to the stigmatization of mental health area within the local population and self-stigmatization of mental health disorders. However, the participants themselves have both positive and negative attitudes towards the mental healthcare.

The participants represent local societal perceptions and attitudes related to EDs and AN among medical professionals in accordance with the social constructionism theory. Overall, the PHC physicians in Bishkek have positive attitudes towards AN patients. They feel compassionate towards people who need their professional help. However, the participants feel like they are not able to provide the appropriate medical help for the population with AN due to the way PHC structure in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan functions. Local PHC practitioners do not receive enough resources to provide medical care for people with mental health issues in general. The important discourse uncovered within the present study is the attention brought to the local PHC structure.

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The COVID-19 outbreak is a serious global public health issue with wide-ranging negative effects on people’s lives, which is reflected in steadily rising mental health problems. In order to appropriately respond to the increased occurrence of psychiatric illness, protect mental health and strengthen resilience it is necessary to include new technologies, such as extended reality (XR) or socially assistive robots (SAR) in not only psychiatric treatment but also in the prevention of psychiatric diseases. In this context, the use of new technologies offers innovative ways to strengthen resilience, self-efficacy and stress coping skills and plays an important role in improving psychological wellbeing.

Preliminary results from studies at the Clinical Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine in Graz, Austria, dealing with new technologies in psychiatry, show new options for psychiatric settings.

Project AMIGA: The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of a cognitive training session, conducted with the SAR named Pepper. In this randomized controlled trial, the effectiveness of SAR on depressive symptoms and correlates is evaluated in a sample of 60 individuals with major depression. While the intervention group will receive cognitive training with the SAR Pepper, the control group will receive “treatment-as-usual” therapy with a common PC software. Participants will receive 30 minutes of training 2 times per week over a period of 3 weeks.

Project XRes4HEALTH: The aim of this study is to develop an XR resilience training to increase resilience and stress coping mechanisms in healthcare workers. A total of 40 people will be included. To test the effectiveness of the resilience training, 3 XR training sessions of 15 minutes each will be held. A pre-post measurement will test the effectiveness of the training on wellbeing and stress levels as well as the acceptance and satisfaction with the training.

Project AI-REFIT: The overall goal of this study is to explore key information to increase resilience in healthy individuals who are at increased risk for mental health problems. Through a usability study, the artificial intelligence-based prototype app of the resilience training will be tested for acceptance, usability, functionality, and efficiency. During the resilience training, participants are wearing a smartwatch which measures psychophysiological parameters. Conclusions about the success of the therapy can be drawn based on digital data acquisition.

New technologies including XR and SAR support classical psychiatric treatment in the topics of resilience and cognitive training as an add-on therapy in times of reduced availability of healthcare workers.

The rapid development of new technologies holds a lot of potential in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, which is why it is important to scientifically evaluate those innovative tools.

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There is a high prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders in college students globally. Financial stressors, course workload, peer pressure and other personal, family, and societal stressors contribute to the high incidence of mental disorders among college students. Despite the high prevalence of mental disorders in college students, barriers such as lack of mental health literacy, stigma of mental health, inadequate numbers of mental health counsellors and clinical psychologists supporting students in colleges in both low- and high-income countries, financial and geographical barriers often hinder college students from accessing the needed mental supports.

In this article, we provide a perspective on the ResilienceNHope program, an evidence-based text and email messaging innovation to close the psychological treatment gap and improve the mental health literacy of university and college students.

Review of literature. There is increasing evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of mobile technology in health promotion and closing psychological treatment gaps. College students are well adapted to the use of mobile technology, particularly text and email messaging daily, which presents a unique opportunity for an innovative way to offer support for their mental health.

There’s evidence to support the findings that ResilienceNHope program, which involves the use of text and email messaging is an innovative tool which can be adopted to close the psychological treatment gap and improve the mental health literacy of university and college students

Supportive text messaging can be adopted to help support and improve the mental health of university and college students.

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Mental health problems in the workplace are common and have a considerable impact on employee wellbeing and productivity. Mental ill-health costs employers between £33 billion and £42 billion a year. According to a 2020 HSE report, roughly 2,440 per 100,000 workers in the UK were affected by work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, resulting in an estimated 17.9 million working days lost.

This study is part of the EMPOWER study. The European Intervention to Promote Wellbeing and Health in the Workplace (EMPOWER) consortium’s aim is to create an individualised digital tool that promotes employee wellbeing, mental health, and work productivity. It has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/home) and innovation program under grant agreement No 848180.

We performed a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of tailored digital health interventions provided in the workplace aiming to improve mental health, presenteeism and absenteeism of employees.

We searched several databases for RCTs published from 2000 onwards. Data were extracted into a standardised data extraction form. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Due to the heterogeneity of outcome measures, narrative synthesis was used to summarise the findings.

Seven RCTs (eight publications) were included that evaluated tailored digital interventions versus waiting list control or usual care to improve physical and mental health outcomes and work productivity.

The results are promising to the advantage of tailored digital interventions regarding presenteeism, sleep, stress levels, and physical symptoms related to somatisation.

There is less evidence for addressing depression, anxiety, and absenteeism in the general working population, but they significantly reduced depression and anxiety in employees with higher levels of psychological distress.

Tailored digital interventions seem more effective in employees with higher levels of distress, presenteeism or absenteeism than in the general working population. However, so far, there are not many studies in this domain. Given the promising results, tailoring of digital interventions based upon employee input should be a focus in future research.

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Social media “influencers” are popular online users with large audience bases they are paid to advertise products or services to. Influencers have enormous reach and sway with young people, combining the relatability of peers and the prestige of celebrities. Many researchers have investigated the role of influencers in marketing to youth, and there is a growing interest in public health. However, despite young people’s interest and poor outcomes in mental health, very little research has examined the role of influencers in this field. While a very small number of ethnographic observations about influencers discussing mental health have generated some initial insights on the topic, they contain neither the breadth nor depth to consider the potential impacts of these influencers on young people. To understand the phenomenon of influencers discussing mental health, we need a broad description of what is occurring, how the parties involved feel about it, and what possible effects it may be having on young people.

The aim of this research was therefore to explore the role of social media influencers in young people’s knowledge, perspectives and behaviours relating to mental health.

Researchers conducted digital interviews (text, phone or video-chat) with 21 young people (aged 16-24) and 7 local influencers (18 years plus). Influencers had over 5,000 followers, engaged in sponsored content within 6 months and posted at least once a week. Young people had an interest in mental health and followed at least one of the described influencer accounts.

The preliminary findings reveal four key tensions in how participants view the role of influencers in discussing mental health online. Firstly, participants felt it was important for influencers to be neither overly negative or overly positive in representing mental health, by remaining realistic yet recovery-focused. Second, it was suggested influencers should treat the topic of mental health with appropriate reverence, by taking it seriously but still presenting it in a friendly, youth accessible way. Thirdly, participants suggested influencers should consider how often and openly they discuss mental health, finding a balance between repression and over-expression. Finally, participants valued hearing from both personal and professional perspectives on mental health, and suggested the ideal influencer would share both personal experience and scientific evidence.

This exploratory research is the first step in investigating the possible use of social media influencers in mental health promotion and may be of interest to service providers and health promotion agencies considering this marketing strategy. The research also offers recommendations for popular social media users currently engaging in discussions of mental health online for how to discuss mental health in a way that is most likely to be positively received by young people.

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On average, thirty percent of patients in internet based treatments do not complete the treatment program. The majority of studies predicting adherence have focused on baseline variables. While some consistent predictors have emerged (e.g. gender, education), they are insufficient for guiding clinicians in identifying patients at risk for dropout. More precise predictors are needed. More recently, studies on prediction have started to explore process variables such as early response to treatment or program usage.

To investigate:

1. i) How much variance in adherence is explained by baseline symptoms and sociodemographic variables?

2. ii) Can we improve the model by including early response and program usage as predictors?

3. iii) What is the predictive accuracy of the most parsimonious regression model?

Data will be extracted from the Danish ‘Internetpsychiatry’ clinic, which delivers guided internet based cognitive behavioural therapy for depression. Sociodemographic data is collected upon application, and symptoms of depression and anxiety are measured at the start of treatment. Further, symptoms of depression are measured between each session of the online treatment program. Early response to treatment will be conceptualized as the individual regression slope of depression scores for each patient, during the first four weeks of treatment. Program usage data will be collected from the online treatment platform (e.g. number of words per message to therapists, time spent on each session during the first four weeks, number of logins during the first four weeks).

Predictors for adherence will be examined in a hierarchical logistic regression. Models will be compared using ANOVA. The most parsimonious model will be determined using the Aikake Information Criterion. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses will be used to classify the accuracy of the model.

Analyses have not yet been conducted. Results will be available for presentation at the conference.

Determining more accurate predictors for adherence in internet based treatments is the first step towards improving adherence. Research findings need to be translated into clinically useful guidelines that may inform clinical decision making. Findings from this study could potentially be implemented as a system that monitors patients’ program usage and symptom development and signals therapists if a patient is at risk for dropout.

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The evolution of technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics has already begun to shape the future of health care delivery and will have an undeniable impact on patient experiences over the next decades. In times of shortened human resources, especially in the field of health care settings, we should also consider robots as assistance for existing treatment settings. The use of robotic assisted surgery has already found its way into clinical practice and allows doctors to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control. Nevertheless, to date, the use of robotics in the field of psychiatry is sparse, at least in European countries.

Socially assistive robots (SARs) are robotic technology platforms with audio, visual, and movement capabilities that are being developed to interact with individuals while also assisting them with their management of their well-being. Robots could support classic psychiatric treatment by training cognition and motivation as well as educating patients.

The robot “Pepper” has found its home at the Medical University of Graz, Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapeutic Medicine in Austria in summer 2022. It is friendly and positive, around 1,30m tall, can make conversations, learn people’s tastes, preferences, and habits to help personalize responses and better address needs. He can also offer games, make music and dance.

In our ongoing studies we use the robot “Pepper” in the context of psychoeducational settings on different mental diseases, training of cognitive functions as well as motivational aspects in inpatients with psychiatric disorders. It can also react and suggest a break during the sessions if he has the impression that participants are stressed or overstrained with content. We collect personal feedback of the patients and associated employees in the hospital through the ongoing usability study, as well as perform a randomized controlled trial to test effects of cognitive and motivational training aspects in comparison to standardized treatment settings.

It is time to apply new technologies in healthcare, especially in times when the staff is decreasing. Better integrating and expanding on the mental health implications of social robots will complement the ongoing drive in the field of psychology and psychiatry to better assist clients with supportive exercises and education, cognitive training, and an asynchronous care option.

Although the use of SARs in mental health research is not yet widespread, new robots and programming are constantly changing, adapting and expanding. There is an abundance of opportunity for growth, expansion, and exploration to triangulate SARs usability and efficacy as the next step in advancing this field. We should not be afraid of this new and expanding technology but come to use it as soon as possible as a support in psychiatric treatment. Let‘s make fiction become reality!

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Routine psychiatric treatment in Germany suffers from a lack of information exchange in a sectored care system, long and complex treatment courses, insufficient evidence orientation with increasingly complex clinical knowledge, a lack of qualified personnel, and lack of patient involvement. How can a digital solution counteract these problems?

First, discussion of problems in the care system and second, presentation of the concept and challenges of the DECIDE project, a Decentralized digital Environement for Consultation, data Integration, Decision making and patient Empowerment

The project plan and first results will be presented of

1. 1. surveys of patients and mental health professionals needs and concerns about digital solutions

2. 2. focus groups

3. 3. the software solution for mental health professionals and the connected app soltion for patients

Improtant functions of the DECIDE solution for mental health professionals should include:

• - digitize clinical data to represent longitudinal treatment trajectories and plans and, in the face of increasingly complex knowledge, implement a transparent decision support system based on current guidelines for depression and important comorbidities in a disinterested way secure and transparent data exchange and access in practitioner networks involve patients in this exchange via app/web solution based on patient guidelines for transparency, empowerment and collaborative decision making review improved treatment algorithms in the long term using artificial intelligence based on digitized data lean data collection and compatibility with billing, appointment management, findings management and medication plan solutions.

In psychiatry and psychotherapy digitization of clinical data for transparent exchange between practitioners and patients, presentation of progressions and treatment plans, and evidence-based decision support have a great potential. However, standardization, compatibility and collection of complex data remain a challenge.

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Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health conditions among children and adolescents. However, it is estimated that less than 25% of all children and adolescents with an anxiety disorder receive professional help. Thus, it is of utmost importance to develop novel interventions that aim to increase treatment accessibility.

The aim of this study is threefold, to determine the effectiveness of CoolMinds, an iCBT intervention for adolescents with anxiety disorders. In addition to investigate predictive factors and the networks between symptoms, severity and change from pre- to post- treatment.

The study is designed as a three-armed randomized controlled trial comparing iCBT with planned feedback, iCBT with on-demand help and a waitlist control, with 56 patients in each group. The participants in the two treatment conditions will receive 12 weeks of iCBT, while participants in the waitlist control wait for 12 weeks, before receiving iCBT with planned feedback. The participants in the two iCBT conditions will be randomized to get a booster session or not, 12 weeks after finishing treatment. The participants are adolescents between the age of 12 and 17 years and their parents. The families must live in the Region of Southern Denmark, and the adolescents must have a principal anxiety diagnosis according to DSM-5 criteria. The primary outcome measure are the Youth Online Diagnostic Assessment - child and parent versions. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, post-treatment and at the 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are also measured between each session with PHQ-9 and S-SCAS.

The results from this study will be submitted to high-status international and peer-reviewed journals, as well as be presented at national and international conferences.

This study will allow us to determine the efficacy of iCBT in adolescents with anxiety, where parent involvement is emphasized as part of the treatment. The results from this study intends to enhance accessibility of evidence-based treatment for adolescents with anxiety.

None Declared

Background: At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in China. The high potential of human-to-human transmission led to subsequent COVID-19 global pandemic. Public health strategies, including reduced social contact and lockdown have been adopted in many countries. Nonetheless, social distancing and isolation could also represent risk factors for mental disorders, resulting in loneliness, reduced social support and under-detection of mental health needs. Along with this, social distancing determines a relevant obstacle for direct access to psychiatric care services. The pandemic generates the urgent need for integrating technology into innovative models of mental healthcare.

In this paper, we discuss the potential role of Telepsichologyy (TP) and other cutting-edge technologies in the management of mental health assistance.

We narratively review the literature to examine the advantages and risks related to the extensive application of these new therapeutic settings, along with the possible limitations and ethical concerns.

Telemental health services may be particularly flexible and appropriate for the support of patients, family members and healthcare providers during this COVID-19 pandemic. The integration of TP with other technological innovations (eg, mobile apps, virtual reality, big data and artificial intelligence (AI)) opens up interesting future perspectives for the improvement of mental health assistance.

Telepsichologyy is a promising and growing way to deliver mental health services; but it is still underused. The COVID-19 pandemic may serve as an opportunity to introduce and promote, among numerous mental health professionals, the knowledge of the possibilities offered by the digital era.

None Declared

The types of Electronic-Based Therapy & Intervention are spreading rapidly, especially after the onset of COVID, and several authors are dealing specifically with digital psychology and psychiatry, implementing new techniques and methodologies (Festa, Martinotti, 2022).The latest technological innovations related to metaverse and holography are emerging as new digital mediums and a reflection on their potential in the psychological field is urgent. Telepsychology, which currently uses text, audio and video-based communication as a medium, will see the way to relate to the patient with the “new digital presence” amplified at 360 degrees. This will of course revolutionize some aspects of classic psychological intervention: “physical proximity” will have a completely different meaning. New technologies through the digital medium have the power to cancel space, thus allowing the intervention to be separated from the sharing of the same physical environment. The first great epochal upheaval produced by new technologies in the field of the psychological profession is precisely this: psychological intervention no longer necessarily coincides with the sharing of the same physical space, space and intervention becoming independent.

We will soon and increasingly refer to associations, national and international professional associations and institutions that deal with the subject, such as the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Mental Health Online, the Online Therapy Institute, to have guidelines on best practice with respect to psychological performance online. This will be accompanied by specific training courses for clinicians who decide to work using technological tools and courses related to telepsychology and the development of a professional online identity.

Holographic technology will revolutionize our “internal and external world”, and it is the task of psychological science to cultivate questions and provide answers both on the impact that this technology will have on the life of the average man and on the possibilities of use for our profession. The distance of the real world from the digital one is getting smaller with each passing day.

Our habits, our way of working, having fun have changed in different ways and in a very short time. Our physical, cognitive and sensory boundaries have expanded and our way of life has “evolved”.

We find ourselves passing through and going through a phase, which began in the 1980s, which is not without shadows and settles into mass cultural aspects. The contradictions, abnormal uses and abuses of technology, but which accompany every innovative transformation and which we should gradually manage wisely, are also typical of this phase. We will see what the future holds!

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Due to the convenient and easy access to the Internet, there is an increasing tendency to seek online health information instead of formal help-seeking. To date, there is a very little amount of research on online help-seeking behaviors for mental health problems, with no studies having been performed in Tunisia.

We aimed to explore mental health information-seeking behaviors and e-health literacy in a sample of Tunisian community adults.

We performed a cross-sectional descriptive study among adults from the general population. All participants were administered the Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation scale (BACE-30), the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (SIS-5), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the eHealth Competency Scale (eHEALS).

A total of 44.2% participants reported having searched the Internet for mental health-related information during the last 12 months. Google was the most used tool by participants when searching for mental health related information. The main topics searched were symptoms and management (n=49%), followed by finding a diagnosis (n=47%), researching for medications and physicians (n=41%). We conducted a multivariate analysis to identify factors related to participants’ e-health literacy. A higher depression score (p=0.037), lower levels of education (p=0.011), and perceived barriers to access to care (p=0.004) were substantially linked to worse e-health literacy.

While a high proportion of participants reported mental health information-seeking behaviors, those with higher depression and who perceived more barriers to care access exhibited lower e-health literacy. These findings may have practical clinical implications.

None Declared

Interest in the development of innovative technologies in the health sector has increased due to their potential to improve accessibility, efficacy, quality, and cost-effectiveness of treatment. Based on these considerations, we developed the app Robin Z to support adolescents in psychiatric treatment. Robin Z is intended as an add on therapy-tool. It aims to assess symptoms in real time, offer help in coping with symptoms and everyday life and to support medication adherence. Despite initial encouraging research findings supporting the use of smartphone technology in psychotherapy, it remains unclear whether the consistent use of smartphone technology in outpatient clinics is practical outside of research projects. Thus, it is uncertain whether patients will engage with this technology over an extended period of time and whether clinicians will be willing to integrate this new technology into their routine. In view of these factors, it is crucial to evaluate the use of smartphone apps for their applicability, effectiveness, and efficiency in clinical routine. In our investigation, we want to address these questions and fill the gap between research and clinical practice.

The aim of our evaluation is to identify barriers in clinical implementation plus to assess the usability and applicability of the Robin Z app in clinical practice.

We started the clinical implementation of Robin Z in four community-based outpatient services. We collected data of 27 adolescent patients and their caregivers (N=15) over a six-week period. They all completed questionnaires on user-friendliness and satisfaction. Further, user data about mood logs, symptom trajectories, achieved weekly goals and entries for positive reinforcement were gathered to examine the clinical impact of using the app.

The clinical implementation and evaluation will provide data on feasibility, user-friendliness, clinical implication and satisfaction of patients and therapists with the smartphone app Robin Z.

Although many apps are available for young people with mental health problems, most of these have not been developed by professionals, and their effectiveness has not been evaluated. To the best of our knowledge, Robin Z is one of the first apps of its kind to be specifically developed by clinical experts as an additional tool to support psychotherapy for adolescent patients. The results of this evaluation are of clinical importance to the field of eMental Health. They will provide preliminary evidence of the clinical utility of the app. In addition, the results will improve our understanding of potential barriers and facilitators to using Robin Z for both patients and therapists.

None Declared

Depression is a leading cause of disability, worldwide. Recently, WHO highlighted the negative impact of recent crises (COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, economic crisis).

Although most international guidelines recommend psychotherapies as first-line treatment of depression, access remains scarce in France due to limited availability of trained clinicians (notably those with CBT certification), high cost for patient in a context of non-reimbursement and fear of stigmatization (Coldefy M. HCAA, 2022/04,19). Therefore, online blended psychological treatment such as deprexis® could increase access to care for people with depression. It presents several advantages such as easy access, scalability, and a proven efficacy (Twomey et al. PLoS One. 2020;15(1):e022810).

This study aims to test real-life acceptability of deprexis® for people with depression in France outside a reimbursement pathway.

Primary objective of this cross-sectional study is to measure acceptability of deprexis® a new digital therapy in France.

Questionnaire includes acceptability of deprexis® assessed with patient willingness to complete deprexis® course, reasons of refusal, when needed, demographics and depression characteristics.

The secondary objectives are to study 1/ acceptability according to type of center (Hospital based, Community Based or private practice) and type of practitioners (psychiatrists or psychologists), 2/ differences in acceptability according to severity’s level (evaluated with PHQ 9), 3/ differences in acceptability according to administration or not of a treatment (including psychotherapy), 4/ differences in acceptability according to prescriber’s profile (age, sex, place and type of practice), 5/ identification of reasons for refusal , and 6/ analyze refusal rate over time.

DARE is as a cross-sectional study in which deprexis® is suggested to any patient meeting the inclusion criteria over the fixed inclusion period June-December 2022

Inclusion criteria are: 1/ depression, 2/ age between 18 and 65 years, 3/ speak French sufficiently, 4/ access to Internet with a device to connect to deprexis® platform.

Exclusion criteria are diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychotic symptoms and/or suicidal thoughts during the current episode.

All investigators received a video-based training on deprexis® before inclusion to make sure they all have same level of information and understanding on the program.

The study is currently recruiting. Data will be available for EPA congress.

It is a first time a digital therapy is completing the current therapeutic options for the treatment of depression in France. Acceptability of this innovation by both patients and Healthcare providers is a first step.

DARE may allow to have a better understanding of the acceptability of a digital therapy in the treatment of depression in France and identify the different factors influencing it in a natural setting.

O. Amiot Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, A. H. Clair Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, P. Courtet Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, E. Fakra Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, V. Narboni Employee of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, F. Gheysen Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, E. Haffen Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, D. Drapier Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy, L. Lecardeur Consultant of: Ethypharm Digital Therapy

Mental illness is not uncommon among males. While the estimates of the males who are dissatisfied with their lives, die by suicide, become alcohol-dependent and drug users are high, low numbers seek mental health support.

In this study, we aimed to assess Text4Hope, a texting mental health support service, provided to people in Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic, and examine its effectiveness among male subscribers.

In a naturalistic randomized controlled trial design, a comparison was run between two populations of Text4Hope male subscribers; an intervention group (IG, Text4Hope subscribers who received once-daily supportive text messages for 6 weeks) and a control group (CG, Text4Hope subscribers who joined the program in the same time frame but were yet to receive text messages). The severity and the prevalence of likely stress, anxiety, and depression were examined between the two groups, using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and defined the Composite Mental Health (CMH) score as the sum of these three. T-test, Chi-squared association, and binary logistic regression analyses were applied.

There were 286 male subscribers to Text4Hope. The majority were above 40 years, white, employed, had postsecondary education, were in a relationship, and owned a home. Mean scores of PSS-10, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scales and the CMH were significantly higher for the CG compared to the IG, 11.4, 28.8, 25.8, and 18.7%, respectively. Similarly, there was a statistically significant lower prevalence in IG, compared to the CG, on likely MDD (58.15 vs. 37.4%) and likely GAD (50 vs. 30.8%), with a small effect size. The IG was a significant predictor for lower odds of both likely MDD and likely GAD while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics.

Text4Hope is an effective tool for mental health support for male subscribers, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the subscribers who didn’t receive the service, those who received it were in a better mental health condition. Further efforts are still needed to encourage males to participate in such online services that can provide adequate support, particularly during crisis time.

None Declared

One of the most common somatic responses of the human body to a mental health issue consists of alterations of the breathing rate. Typically, when an individual is under stress, tends to have a more rapid shallow breathing - instead of resorting to the diaphragm to help the air in and out the lungs, ends up conducting a thoracic breathing, leading to extended fatigue or dizziness.

The aim of this project is to assess the accuracy and efficacy of measuring the breathing rate through abdominal breathing movements, via the smartphone’s sensors, and applying it to personalize a digitized diaphragmatic breathing strategy. The main hypothesis under testing is that the digitization of this strategy with the personalization to the subject’s own response is efficient as a valuable tool for mental health coping.

A tool was developed and integrated with a mobile app that aggregates mental health coping strategies, based on the digitalization of positive psychology techniques. The tool included the diaphragmatic breathing exercise and the personalization to the user through biofeedback. Such biofeedback was based on the user’s abdominal movements and directly impacted the course of the strategy. The tool is under testing, counting so far with 25 subjects resident in Portugal.

The usability and effectiveness metrics of the solution will be assessed on the first contact of the subject with the app, and segmented by different subject profiles. Mental health metrics will also be assessed, namely anxiety levels - using the smartphone sensors and standard psychiatric scales. The results will be compared with a control group, in which the subjects will only perform the self-assessment, without using the breathing exercise.

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We have yet to draw conclusions from the project; however, we aim to achieve the first results in due time.

None Declared

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The situation now in Egypt, through the efforts done by the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment (GSMHAT) which is governmental body following the Ministry of Health and Population: Establishment of 2 Hot lines for psychological counseling and Psychosocial support to working 24 hours/ 7 days a week. In the last year, the Mental Health platform is a main objective to be dedicated for Egyptian population, the national mental health platform is another milestone in the innovative digital remote MH services that is planned to be provided.

Evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of different mental health services provided by hospitals affiliated to General Secretary of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, Ministry of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak including evaluation of remote delivery of mental health service and digital health solutions.

Observational Cross-sectional study. All patients seeking the hotline service & National Mental Health Platform, Evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of services delivered over 12 months.

The platform’s statistical results since its launch showed that the number of visitors to the site is 44,105 and the number of registered users is 17,153. The number of self-requests conducted by users reached 16,318 and the number of virtual treatment sessions reached 2,797. The results also showed that the number of female users is 31%, compared to 69% of male users. The statistics showed that most of the age groups used for the site are between 15-20 years old, and that the users of the site are from all governorates, but most of the users are from the capital, Cairo. The statistical results also showed that general psychiatry with all its diseases is the most visited by the user of the site, followed by child and adolescent psychiatry subspecialty, then addiction.The GSMHAT, through the hotline, has provided services to the public represented by a number of calls ranging from April 2020 to March 2021 (8618) calls, and the GSMHAT hope that the hotline service to continue providing psychological counseling and support to those who wish, while continuing providing the service in hotline with the corresponding technical development and community needs.

it is crucial to reallocate resources in order to serve for psychological and social needs and liaison psychiatry and digital as well as defining the barriers for providing a convenient service delivered by healthcare providers to people who are in need.

None Declared

Description of a job of training technical professionals who have personal experience with Chemical Dependency to work in the area and resocialization of the mentally ill in order to combat social stigma.

Training technical professionals who, having gone through the experience of the disease, wish to help others and by participating in the training course for therapists in chemical dependence, they will seek to combat stigma.

The Chemical Dependency Therapist Training course is a free course and takes place online, through a platform on a social network, which allows students to access it at any time of the day and can access it from outside Brazil.In the course students receive daily communication from the educational deparmtent. All patients during the hospitalization period are invited to attend the course, write down their doubts with the course professors.

The creation of a free online course, which has patient students and enrolled students from Brazil and the world, will help to train more professionals capable of working with chemical dependency.

The online course has 1,800 students enrolled in 2022. These are students from Brazil and abroad, such as Portugal, France, Italy, Angola, United Kingdom, Finland, who are developing more knowledge and becoming professionals in the area of chemical dependence.

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Cyberbullying is a form of virtual harassment through the Internet, cell phones and social networks. Its psychopathological consequences are serious, including the risk of suicide.

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying in a sample of Moroccan adolescents, as well as the associated comorbidities.

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of cyberbullying among Moroccan adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 20 years old. The data collection was done by a survey on Google Form sent on social networks

A number of 120 forms were completed by high school students, followed by secondary school and university students, of which 96 were valid. The average age was 16 years with a sex ratio of 0.25. Fifty-nine percent of the youth spent more than two hours daily on the Internet and 73% admitted having been bullied online at least once while 19% said it happened often. The profile of harassers included strangers, followed by acquaintances and schoolmates. The platforms where harassment was most present were Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The most frequent types of cyberbullying were private hate messages, humiliating comments about physical appearance and messages with sexual connotations. After the harassment, 65% of victims did not tell anyone; 68% of victims felt angry, and one in five felt suicidal. Among the most common comorbidities were adjustment disorder, anxiety and depressive symptoms, aggressive behavior, and suicidal ideation. Half of the youth felt that cyberbullying had impacted their school or family life.

Parents, educators, and health professionals need to be aware of the risks of virtual communication, and the link between cyberbullying and mental health disorders, and to develop national intervention and prevention programs.

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Burnout syndrome (BO), considered to be the final stage of stress, is a dynamic process resulting from the gradual loss of the employee’s ability to face psychosocial risk factors and the exhaustion of personal resources. This syndrome can affect all professional categories. It represents a major threat for the worker and has a high economic cost

To identify the professional factor associated with BO among agents of a service center of a telecommunications operator in the governorate of Sousse in Tunisia

Cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted from February 1st, 2020 to January 31st, 2021 among agents of a service center of a telecommunications operator in the agencies of the governorate of Sousse. The collection of data was based on an anonymous self-questionnaire. The evaluation of stress was done via validated measurement instruments, namely the questionnaires of Siegrist and Karasek and the evaluation of BO by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

Ninety four actel agents were identified in our study, and 59 participants answered the questionnaire. The average age of our population was 43.93 ± 8 years. The female gender was predominant with a sex ratio of 0.48. The Karasek Job Content Questionnaire showed that 23.7% of the participants were in job strain. Furthermore, 28.3% of our total population had an imbalance between extrinsic efforts and rewards. The assessment of burnout by the Maslach Burnout Inventory showed that 64.2% of the workers were in occupational BO, and in 11.8% of these cases, BO was considered high. Our study showed that work-related organisational and environmental factors were significantly associated with BO, such as the number of customers seen per day: exceeding 50 (p = 0.048) and being a victim of verbal aggression (p = 0.038).

The results of this study showed that BO among agents of a service center of a telecommunications operator in Tunisia, was significantly associated with some professional factors. Therefor, in the future, it would be advisable to improve the working conditions of these agents by introducing collective and organisational preventive measures (primary prevention) and individual measures (secondary prevention) and by facilitating their professional reintegration (tertiary prevention) to avoid relapses.

None Declared