Throughout this period we were confronted with news and information about the Corona virus and its consequences. Which led to the development of a huge sense of fear among people. Although fear has helped to maintain restrictions, it has also had a significant impact on mental health, especially among patients with a psychiatric history.

In this paper I will highlight the consequences of the nocebo effect of the pandemic among people with a psychiatric history.

To complete this work I used medical articles, studies, and specialized information on the subject.

The pandemic’s restrictions have made it difficult for psychiatric patients to be compliant treatment by avoiding regular psychiatric exams.Isolation and fear of infection has led to new decompensations in existing psychiatric pathologies.

The exacerbations of psychiatric pathology increased both in number and in their intensity, ultimately determined by the increase in the number of hospitalizations in psychiatric emergencies.

No significant relationships.

SARS-COV 2 virus and the disease caused by the virus is a challenge for the healthcare workers since the beggining of the Covid-19 pandemic. Working with huge number of patient who need hospital care at the same time but also having scare information about the virus resulted with physical exhaustion, increased workload and mostly fear among the healthcare workers.

The purpose of the study was to expand our knowledge about the mental health of the healthcare workers and explore most common psychological problems they faced during the Covid-19 pandemic over a period of three month.

All participants in the study work in the same public hospital in Skopje, North Macedonia in one of the following job positions: physicians, nurses, paramedics, and hygienists. They anonymously filled out a google form answering questions about their mental health. Questions in the form were created based on Beck Depression Scale and the GAD-7 Scale for Anxiety along with questions about the gender, age, and job position.

The results we gained from this study are showing that the participants experienced insomnia, reduced concentration, intense feelings of restlessness and fatigue, less energy and mostly lack of job satisfaction.

Those symptoms indicates that healthcare workers developed anxiety and depression while working with patient infected by the SARS-COV 2 virus.

No significant relationships.

Hypochondria is characterized by the presence, for 6 months or more, of a generalized and non-delusional concern with fear of having (or the idea that one has) a serious illness, based on the wrong interpretation of the symptoms. In somatic-type delusional disorder, the delusional idea is fixed, indisputable, and occurs intensely because the patient is fully convinced of the physical nature of the disorder.

To describe a clinical case and make a differential diagnosis of hypochondriac disorder vs somatic-type delusional disorder.

Case report: 61-year-old woman, after suffering from COVID-19, develops a hypochondriacal disorder vs. somatic delusional disorder, presenting anxiety-depressive symptoms and digestive somatic complaints, with a loss of 15 kg of weight. She made frequent visits to doctors and multiple complementary tests discarding organicity. She required involuntary hospital admission for 48 days, and pharmacological treatment with Venlafaxine 150 mg, Olanzapine 5mg, Mirtazapine 30mg and Alprazolam 1mg. The patient presented slow evolution during admission, with ups and downs and stagnation, meriting enteral nutrition due to refusal to ingest, given abdominal kinesthetic hallucinations and digestive evaluation (EDS) with a result of antral gastritis and negative H. pylori. In subsequent follow-ups after partial remission of symptoms, obsessive personality traits are glimpsed, although with better personal functioning.

The diagnosis at discharge was inconclusive, however the data points to a somatic-type delusional disorder.

The influence of COVID-19 as a triggering factor, social isolation and premorbid personality traits, influence the development of a Somatic Delusional Disorder vs Hypochondriac Disorder, regarding this case.

No significant relationships.

Looking at the vast majority of mental disorders in the last year, we noticed that most of them were closely related to this feeling of fear but also to the restrictive measures that appeared with the pandemic. Exposure for a period of more than a year to this mental stress has led to the appearance of a large number of psychiatric patients, especially those who have undergone SARS-CoV-2 infection or who have had close people infected, some of whom have even died.

In this paper I will highlight the post traumatic consequences in patients who have gone through the disease.

To complete this work I used medical articles, studies, and specialized information on the subject.

Patients who have gone through the disease developed sleeping problems, phobias, various anxiety and delusional disorders.

These conditions create the need for a multidisciplinary approach among this particular category of patients.

No significant relationships.

Hwa-Byung is a cultural-related mental syndrome that reflects the cultural characteristics of Korean in DSM-IV. This syndrome is caused by anger or resentment towards unreasonable social violence and trauma.

The purpose of this study is to revise and validate the ’Hwa-Byung scale’, which can be used to diagnose Hwa-Byung and evaluate the severity of its symptoms.

To begin with, the factors of the Hwa-Byung scale were set based on the previous studies. Additionally, the respective subfactors were generated by the semi-structured interviews with these patients. Based on these factors and previous studies, a 142-item pool was developed and verified by six Oriental Neuropsychiatrists. A pilot study was conducted on 50 patients with Hwa-Byung and the main study for the validation was conducted on 200 Hwa-Byung patients. Item analysis, internal consistency, and exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis were performed. Lastly, this study analyzed the ROC curve to present the diagnostic cut-off score of the scale.

As a result of analyzing the content validity of the item pool, we constructed a preliminary scale. We excluded the inadequate questions from the pilot study results. In the main study, The Hwa-Byung scale showed high internal consistency and its items were suitable for the factor structure. Finally, we suggest an optimal cut-off score of the symptoms sub-scale for screening Hwa-Byung.

Overall, the results of this study indicated the reliability and validity of the Hwa-Byung Scale. Based on these results, we discussed several values and limitations of this study and provided suggestions for further research.

No significant relationships.

The most recent global refugee figures are staggering, with over 82.4 million people forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations. However, little is known about their long-term mental health.

This review aimed to assess prevalence of mental disorders and to identify the main factors associated with the development of mental disorders among refugees.

We searched MEDLINE databases using the key terms “refugees” and “global mental health” without language or date restriction. Articles were considered for inclusion in the review if they comprised a population of refugees. Three studies were identified.

Our review showed a great heterogeneity in the prevalence of mental disorders that affect migrants showing an overall prevalence of 20% of these pathologies among them. War-related factors are more associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and post-migration-related factors (acculturation, economic uncertainty and ethnic discrimination) are more associated with mood, anxiety and substance use disorders.

Existing evidence suggests that mental disorders tend to be highly prevalent in refugees many years after resettlement. The increased risk is not only caused by the past adversities in the country of origin but also by the post-migration-related factors. Thus, there is a need for more consistent and rigorous research from a methodological point of view on the mental health of refugees, allowing to find measures to protect and promote their mental health.

No significant relationships.

Alcoholization is considered as prolonged auto-aggression, low frustration tolerance, filling of the existential vacuum. In all cases, the use of a psychoactive substance that alters the state of consciousness is regarded as a way of escape from real life.

The study of clinically significant markers in alcoholism associated with the constitutional characteristics of craving for alcohol in people of different ethnicity is importance for the formation of new approaches to prevention and treatment.

68 Russian alcoholics and 67 Tuvans alcoholics only men and 20 healthy male were monitored. Clinical assessment of the condition of patients was carried out with the traditional clinical description. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to determine serum hormone levels in patients and volunteers.

Deeper shifts in the increase in ACTH and Cortisol levels were found in alcoholic Tuvinians compared with Russian patients, which is associated with a high risk of alcohol dependence and a highly progressive course of the disease. The index of the ratio Cortisol/ACTH (IR) in the blood of alcoholic patients of the Russian (IR - 10,36) and Tuvan (IR - 10,62) nationalities does not differ, but significantly (1.5 times) differs from the indicator in healthy individuals (IR - 15,12).

The background level of dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients of Tuvan nationality is significantly more pronounced, however, the index of Cortisol/ACTH ratios (IR) in each ethnic group of patients is constant in this disease, which is characterized by a high level of stress.

No significant relationships.

Research into sociocultural mediation of human health engages the role of gender differences in the subjective evaluation of factors that determine health status.

The focus of the research was the respondents’ opinion about the importance of various factors for human health and subjective well-being.

210 men and 403 women aged 14 to 76 years (M = 26.9; SD = 13.7) from six regions of the Russian Federation participated in the study. Participants were asked to rank six factors: genetics, healthy lifestyle, good ecology, regular medical examination, absence of stress (ability to cope with them), financial well-being in terms of their impact on human health (1 is the most important, 6 is the least important).

Both men and women consider “healthy lifestyle” to be the most important factor for human health, while financial well-being - most unimportant. Using the t-test for two independent samples, it was found that: women consider “absence of stress (the ability to cope with it)” significantly more important for health than men (t = -2.569; p = 0.010), while men consider “financial well-being” to be significantly more important than women (t = 2.807; p = 0.005).

It was revealed that men and women equally indicate the most and least important factors determining health. At the same time, subjective assessments of the importance of such factors as absence of stress and financial well-being for health have significant differences. The reported study was funded by the RFBR, project number 17-29-02506.

No significant relationships.

Transhistorical psychiatry defends that a psychic alteration can be interpreted as a cultural, historical and personal construction, subject to incessant variations.

A journey through the history of the disorder and the successive pathomorphoses it has undergone could provide us with a better understanding of it and explain the reason for the epidemiological trend towards a decrease in its diagnosis; and bring us closer to a universal definition of the phenomenon.

Bibliographic review

The word hysteria and all its subsequent meanings, not only contain a particular conception of the pathology, but also reflect its different forms of presentation in specific periods of time. Hysteria is presented as a voluble material that can take on any form: from the wandering womb theory of classical Greece to the demonic possessions of the Middle Ages; from the neurological degeneration of Charcot (1825-1893) to the conversion and dissociation of Freud (1856-1939). With the entry of the 20th century, its dramatic clinic has been progressively overshadowed by somatoform disorders and emerging functional somatic syndromes. Today, it is practically unrecognisable and very difficult to diagnose, to the point of having disappeared as a term from the official classifications of our time.

Hysteria is an entity that has not always been the same, neither in its conception nor in its manifestations. Depending on the socio-cultural context in which it is framed, it will be interpreted and expressed in different ways.

No significant relationships.

The word couvade originated from the French verb couver, meaning to hatch, nest, or brood. Custom of Couvade or Couvade Syndrome (CS) is a poorly understood phenomenon observed since ancient times, in which the expectant father experiences somatic and psychological symptoms of pregnancy.

Defining what is CS. Identifying possible origin. Hypothesizing causes. Identifying CS frequency.

PubMed database search, with “Couvade syndrome” keyword expression. Seven articles were selected among the best matches. Reference lists of articles were reviewed to identify additional articles.

Currently, there are several views on this phenomenon, including religious, cultural, medical, psychoanalytic, and psychological. CS is used in Psychiatry to describe somatic symptoms resembling pregnancy and/or childbirth in expecting fathers, such as weight gain, diarrhea or constipation, toothache, and headache. Lipkin and Lamb (1982) studied 300 couples from New York: they diagnosed Couvade Syndrome in 22,5% of fathers. Nevertheless, Brennan et al. (2007) found different incidence rates of CS diagnose in different areas of the world: 20% in Sweden; 25–97% in United States; 61% in Thailand; 68% in China; 35% in Russia.

Whether CS constitutes a disease entity, or it should be considered a ritual or custom remains a matter of debate. Different rates of CS around the globe may indicate that culture plays an important role. It may be a way for fathers-to-be to cope with changes imposed by pregnancy in the mother and in the couple. Overall, it is a fascinating intersection between the physiological and psychological realms.

No significant relationships.

Hwa-Byung is characterized by feelings of anger or resent about unreasonable social violence and trauma. Although Prevalence of Hwa-Byung is high in middle-aged, recently Hwa-Byung is occurred in young people. And it is suggested that young Hwa-Byung patients will show different patterns from middle-aged.

The purpose of present study was to qualitatively analyze young Hwa-Byung patients’ experiences of symptoms and psychological characteristics related to antecedent events of Hwa-Byung.

10 women aged 20s were Interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires to in-depth study on their experiences related to Hwa-Byung. The interview data were analyzed using phenomenological approach in order to understand the essence of experiences. In particular, it was analyzed through five steps according to Giorgi (1985). First, by repeatedly reading the material, recurring themes were identified. Second, the meaning units were divided to capture important parts of participants’ statements. Third, similar meaning units were grouped together. Fourth, the determined meaning units were described in psychological term. Finally, research data were integrated and presented according to the described meaning units. Reliability between coders was higher than the minimum reliability coefficient.

In symptoms, two themes and seven sub-themes were emerged. In psychological characteristics, three components and five sub-themes were derived. In particular, the antecedent events of young Hwa-Byung patients were related to vertical social relationships, suggesting that Hwa-Byung need to be understood under social context which make them angry.

Present study revealed the social context of Hwa-Byung by discussing the differences between young and middle-aged patients, and furthermore, differences between Hwa-Byung and depression, PTSD patients.

No significant relationships.

Numerous evidences point out how migrants use health services differently than the natives. Migrants turn more frequently to the ED for psychiatric problems and less to territorial psychiatric services than the native population. Other differences can be found in terms of diagnosis, type of discharge, type of hospitalization.

Our study has the objective of evaluating the incidence of psychiatric hospitalizations of migrant patients compared to natives in a well-defined area of the metropolitan city of Bologna and evaluate the effect of the Covid 19 pandemic on the incidence of psychiatric hospitalizations among migrants and on their clinical characteristics.

The study conducted is of an observational and retrospective type on migrant and native patients admitted to the psychiatric unit “SPDC-Malpighi” of the DSM-DP of Bologna AUSL between 01/01/2018 and 31/12/2020.

Migrants were more likely to be admitted via ED and less likely to be referred from a CMHC or from non-psychiatric hospital unit compared with natives. Most migrants were discharged at home while natives more frequently chose to self-discharge. With regard to diagnosis, migrants were more likely to be admitted due to a SSD, while natives were more likely to be diagnosed with a MD or SUD.

We confirm the presence of differences in access to care, type of discharge and type of diagnosis between migrants and natives. Further studies to investigate changes in pre and post Covid admissions in migrants would be needed.

No significant relationships.

Suicide results from a complex interaction between biological, genetic, psychological, sociological, cultural and environmental factors. The frequency of suicide among psychiatric pathologies is quite variable, with depression accounting for 45% to 70% of suicides. The association of suicide with the existence of mental illness is not consensual, with reports of rational suicides in 2% to 9% of suicide cases. It is unquestionable that the awareness of the lived experience limits the person’s condition to what it is.

To describe a clinical case on the subject and discuss the influence of cultural context in suicide.

The authors describe a case of a patient hospitalized in Psychiatry, after a suicide attempt and a consummated suicide by his wife.

The patient and his wife lived their entire lives as hermits. Although no acute psychopathology was found in the patient to justify the act, such as psychotic or depressive symptoms, dysfunctional personality traits were found, which translated into an attitude of superiority, requirement of subservience, hostility when contradicted and breaches of basic rules.

Taking into account what has been described, the authors discuss the influence of personality on the patient’s life choices and on the decision that led to the suicide attempt, as well as the suicide of his wife. A reflection is made on whether suicide can be completely independent of mental illness or whether, even in cases where rationality seems to be the causal factor, personality dysfunctionality and a profound influence of the cultural context, are present or not.

No significant relationships.

Societies nowadays, including Greece, are usually multicultural. Health professionals should therefore be properly trained to consider patients’ beliefs, attitudes and particular needs depending on their different cultural background.

To identify the features that the culturally competent professional should have in order to understand better the nature of cultural competence and its importance to mental health professionals in early intervention of immigrants’ mental health problems.

A literature review has been made through PubMed database.

The development of cultural competence is a continuous process. Culturally competent professionals should have the following features: a) Understand the concept of culture and the way individuals’ cultural background affect their feelings and their intercultural interactions. b) Choose appropriate collaboration strategies with people from different cultural backgrounds. c) Accept diversity and respect patients’ differences, demands and choices without criticism while providing them the proper care. d) Be fair and take care of all patients without any distinction regardless of the language they speak. e) Familiarize themselves with issues related to mental health and illness and encourage patients to explain how their illness affects their lives. Culturally competent mental healthcare professionals should seek more than the provision of caring without prejudice. They should respect the positive contribution of cultural origin and identity to people’s well-being, learn their life stories and develop a relationship of trust with each patient separately.

Cultural competence might help mental health professionals to understand and provide adequate services with respect to patients who come from a different cultural background.

No significant relationships.

After a long moratorium since the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1970, there has been a resurgence of research on the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic (PE) compounds. It has been widely believed that the PE effect is a result of the interaction between the drug and the mindset of the patient (the “set”) with the external physical and social conditions (the “setting”). In order to control non-pharmacological variables and improve therapeutic outcome two types of psychological approaches to PE use have emerged traditionally. One is based on psychoanalytically informed talk therapy with low to moderate doses of a PE agent with the goal of facilitating a discharge of emotionally charged mental contents (psycholytic therapy). The other used one or several high doses of a PE to create an “overwhelming experience,” which was then followed up in integrative sessions (psychedelic therapy).

Currently, it is unclear which one is better than another, these two methods are frequently mixed, and all-together carry the name of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. There has also been some discrepancy about what is the right “set” and “setting”.

To add some anchor points for (and at the same time warn about the limitations of) the reemerging field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy the authors refer to anthropological observations in cultures, where PE use has a long practice historically.

As part of healing ceremonials PE has usually been administered in a tight community with shared cosmology (“set”) and ritual context (“setting”).

These are difficult-to-reach conditions for someone coming from Western tradition.

No significant relationships.

Cultural psychiatry is an area of psychiatry that has been growing in importance recently. According to the new definition, mental health requires harmony with the universal values of society (Galderisi et al., 2017). Faith is considered an important factor in culture. Theology can enable a better understanding of psychiatric problems and distinction between spiritual and mental issues. “Pastoral theology aims at constructing models of redeeming activity of the Church which are current in these days, and will be current in the nearest future” (Przygoda, 2013). This discipline must recognize and evaluate the impact of contemporary sciences, including psychiatry, on theology and ecclesiastical activity.

This study aims to prepare a modern concept of pastoral psychiatry, which will be used to prepare a textbook, teaching aids and teaching plan for this discipline.

Textbooks and articles in psychiatry, psychology and related disciplines, and pastoral theology monographs were analyzed. This was followed by the conceptualization of areas of interest and methodological standards.

Textbooks on this problem were published several decades ago (Gabriel, 1933; Bless, 1949; Polish edition issued in 1980, translated with amendments by Kaczmarek). Since then, knowledge has advanced considerably. Textbooks of psychiatry and psychology only selectively consider the Christian perspective.

“Pastoral Psychiatry” should be helpful for priests, theologians, believers, doctors, psychologists. It requires the work of authors with theological and psychiatric competence. It will create ways of agreement, facilitate understanding of different perspectives, increase competence: theologians, priests – to better understand modern psychiatry; psychiatrists, psychologists – to better help religious patients.

No significant relationships.

Hwa-Byung is a mental syndrome classified as a “cultural-related syndrome” which reflects the cultural characteristics of Korea in DSM-IV. Hwa-Byung is caused by anger, which is characterized by feelings of anger or resent about unreasonable social violence and trauma. Kwon et al (2008) had developed self-report measure to assess severity of Hwa-Byung but it has several limitations to use in current clinical settings. Therefore, we investigated opinions of experts who have professionality in giving treatment of Hwa-Byung patients in the clinical settings.

The present study aimed to reach consent of oriental neuropsychiatrists’ opinions about the direction of revision of the Hwa-Byung scale.

The Delphi method is a survey method that induces people to freely present their opinions without face-to-face processes and reaches consent through continuous feedback of survey results while ensuring anonymity. The Consensus Panel consists of 16 experts who are Oriental neuropsychiatrists and have experience in diagnosing patients with Hwa-Byung. A total of four surveys were conducted as consensus was reached on the fourth round. Each questionnaire was distributed by mail to a panel of experts and was asked to submit a response after receiving the questionnaire.

The results of the study are as follows. First, common factors for Hwa-Byung include anger, resent/blame, modify memory bias and attention bias for anger events. Second, characteristics of young Hwa-Byung patients include stress caused by social factors and excessive immersion in certain things such as drinking or smoking.

Therefore, when revising the Hwa-Byung scale, it would be necessary to include these factors.

No significant relationships.

Migration is a difficult and painful process for individuals, since they could no longer rely on the supportive structures of their own country that would help them develop resilience and mental well-being, on the one hand and, on the other hand, they may be obliged to find a new identity and adapt to a new social context.

To identify mental health issues in migrants in Greece.

A literature review has been made through PubMed database.

First-generation immigrants exhibited an increased risk of poor mental health including increased levels of depression, post-traumatic disorder and anxiety compared to local population. When immigrants come to a new country, they often experience culture shock, significantly influencing their mental health. The term “culture shock” describes feelings of weakness and a state of disorientation of individuals living in a new environment as well as the difficulties they face in the process of their adapting to the new conditions. Individuals lack a social supportive environment while experiencing lack of acceptance, as well as social discrimination, economic exploitation and racism by local society. Additionally, their cultural background can influence and differentiate the way they perceive, react and cope stressful conditions.

For the smooth completion of the cultural process, mutual adaption to the new conditions of both migrants and host society is needed, focusing on the understanding of different cultural heritage, as well as on the respect and recognition of rights of both sides.

No significant relationships.

. Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania, has a historically multiethnic population who maintain their language-based cultural identities. In order to harmonize interethnic relations in our multicultural society, art-therapeutical methods depend on the need to establish a sensitive relationship between the cultural horizon of individuals, thus increasing self-confidence, tolerance, resilience.

The objectives are : to develop social skills, which facilitate the social and professional integration of children and adolescents belonging to ethnic groups living together, including those with disabilities.

Clinical art therapy have unfolded within interdisciplinary teams: a neuropsychiatry doctor, a psychologist, a pedagogue, a social worker, an art therapist– each one having a specialized role. A medical project was transformed into an artistic project: E xperimenting with complex relationships: shape of the human body – shape of man-made objects and the creation of personal shapes conduct to harmonize interethnic relations in a multicultural place.

Focus on several objectives: - practicing the abilities to express one’s feelings - the consolidation of self-respect and of confidence - the training of empathy - the development of personal problem and conflict solving strategies -the breaking through the emotional blockages - the improvement of cognitive abilities -the release of tension, frustrations, anxieties, stress -the development of social skills

Benefits arise from experiences based in artistic creativity: materializing ideas and coping with unexpected outcomes.

No significant relationships.

Important role of sociocultural mediation of human health is reflected in the regional specificity of subjective evaluation of factors determining human health.

The research is focused on the opinion of respondents from different regions of Russia about the importance of various factors that determine health and subjective well-being.

210 men and 403 women aged 14 to 76 years (M=26.9; SD=13.7) from six regions of the Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Udmurtia, Sakha, Sverdlovsk and Kemerovo) participated in the study. Respondents were asked to rank six factors (genetics, healthy lifestyle, good ecology, regular medical examination, absence of stress, financial well-being) in terms of their impact on health (1 is the most important, 6 is the least important).

It was revealed significant differences among respondents from different regions of the Russia in evaluation of importance of health factors such as “genetics” (F=3.317; p=0.003) and “good ecology” (F=5.008; p<0.001). Respondents from the Sverdlovsk consider “genetics” significantly more important than participants from the Sakha (MD=-0.706; p=0.019) and Kemerovo (MD=-0.859; p=0.015). Respondents from St. Petersburg consider the ‘good ecology’ significantly less important than participants from Moscow (MD=0.791; p=0.046), Udmurtia (MD=0.867; p=0.035), Sakha (MD=1.168; p<0.001), and Kemerovo (MD=1.286; p<0.001).

Regional specificity was found in the subjective evaluation of the importance of factors that determine health and subjective well-being. The reported study was funded by the RFBR, project number 17-29-02506.

No significant relationships.