Psychological hardiness is one of the powerful personality characteristics individuals posses that can help them improve their ability to cope with illness and external pressures. Some researchers considered psychological hardiness as a general criterion for mental health. That is, hardiness can depict a total outcome of mental health in individuals.

The present study aimed at comparing psychological hardiness with mental health among students in Paym-e-noor University in the city of Babol, Iran.

A causal-comparative (ex post facto) design was used to carry out this research. All students studying in Babol Payam-e-noor University in academic year 2012–2013 were involved in the statistical population of the research. 200 students were selected through simple random sampling. Tools of this research were both Hardiness and Mental Health Questionnaires used to analyze data with SPSS software.

Results showed a significant difference between psychological hardiness and mental health variables among male and female students. The mean score of illness criteria in male students was significantly higher than that of in female students. Also, the mean score of psychological hardiness variable in female students was higher than that of in male students.

Psychological hardiness is one of the powerful personality characteristics individuals posses that can help them improve their ability to cope with illness and external pressures. Some researchers considered psychological hardiness as a general criterion for mental health. That is, hardiness can depict a total outcome of mental health in individuals.

Job-related stress is considered a main factor to cause illness resulting in increaseing nurses’ absence from work. This study investigated the relationship of job-related stress in nursing career to the big five personality factors in personnel in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Yasuj, Iran.

A correlative study was conducted with statistical population of all nursing personnel in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Yasuj. 83 nurses working in the hospital were randomly selected to form the statistical sample.

Results revealed no significant positive link between Neo personality traits and job-related stress, death-related stress, conflict with doctors, problems with colleagues, problems with supervisors, amount of work, lack of confidence in treatments, patient and their families -related stress and discrimination-related stress whereas a significant positive relationship between the lack of adequately emotional intelligence and neuroticism- two neo personality factors- (P = 018 and R = 259)was observed. Results of regression analysis indicated that neuroticism could only predict one of the job-related stress (i.e. lack of adequately emotional intelligence) (β = 259). This variable explained only 0.05% variance of nurses’ job-related stress. Also, no prediction could be made by considering factors such as introversion-extroversion, openness, dutifulness as associated with job-related stress in nurses while agreeability could affect the prediction of problems with colleagues-related stress(β = 364),which determined 12% of total variance.

Results have shown that nurses’ score is at the higher level than mean regarding stress related to lack of confidence in treatments, which can be mitigated through workshops and scheduled and applicable training programs.

Based on the assumptions of Group Analysis theorized by Burrow and Foulkes, in the Center for Mental Health of Casarano (Department of Mental Health of Lecce, Italy), it has been experienced the “Workshop of words, sounds and music”, with the aim to develop and empower the skills of the participants promoting the functional re-inclusion in the context of normal life.

The work group has provided weekly meetings and involved 12 schizophrenic patients followed by the Mental Health Center of Casarano. It was stimulated the writing of songs first by lyrics and then by melody starting from individual and group introspective thoughts.

Several songs have been created by the participants and it was released a CD in the recording studio.

It was possible to develop creative moments in which they could be expressed deep emotions that dwell in the individual lives of the protagonists stimulating at the same time socialization as an intrinsic part of the therapeutic process. This allowed the metaphorical language of the unconscious could be communicated to the conscious, resulting in a curative effect on psychosis. in this way, the pent-up energy from the disease has been usefully channeled in a group setting where each component has expressed a new access to mental regenerative sources.

The aim of the study was to disclose the meaning of both clinico-psychopathological and character traits of smoking adolescents in organizing special antinicotine programs.

85 adolescents, middle age 16,1, regular smoking period more, then 1 year. All the adolescents had special clinical signs of tobacco dependence (TD): easy-going adaptation to nicotine intoxication; fast growth of smoking intensity, 1 cigarette per day; the craving for tobacco symptoms (impossibility to control the mental ideas of smoking, somato-vegetative disturbances, high level of irritation, attention deficit). The character traits of heavy smoking adolescents were complicated (according DSM-IV) and included schizo-hysteric, schizo-epileptoid origin

Character traits were strongly associated with intensity of ideatory symptoms of TD and irritation level.

Heavy smoking adolescents need special therapy including both personality and TD approaches - bio-feed-back, psychotherapy.

Alcohol drinking behavior is increased in alarming rate in public universities of Ethiopia. However, their prevalence is not well described. This study was conducted to describe the prevalence of alcohol drinking behavior in public universities of Ethiopia.

A probabilistic sample of 861students was selected and interview edusing the CAGE questionnaire regarding their alcohol drinking behavior.

Eighty-one per cent of the respondents admitted that they currently drank alcohol. The prevalence of alcohol drinking was 19.4% for females and 47% for men. Among those who drank, 24.6% met the criterion for problem drinking as defined by two or more positive responses to the CAGE. The overall prevalence for problem drinking was found to be 5.5%.

The prevalence of alcohol drinking behavior in Public Universities of Ethiopia is high.

Starting from the theoretical assumptions of Group Therapy, within the Department of Mental Health of Lecce, in the Center for Mental Health of Casarano it was experienced the “Project Hinterland: the way of the steps and thoughts”.

The “Project Hinterland: the way of the steps and thoughts”, through a group activity, was aimed to provide a undergoing reorganization of the gap between inner and outer world, characteristic of the mental disorder.

1. - Conductors: psychiatrist and psychologist

2. - Sample: 9 schizophrenic patients

3. - Duration: 12 months

Phases of the project:

1. 1. Exposure of the project and identification of individual interests

2. 2. Identification of journey and collection of information about it

3. 3. Excursion on the sites identified

4. 4. Sharing emotions and thoughts related with the experience of excursion

Rating scales:

1. - Clinical Global Impression (CGI) at baseline and 12 months

2. - Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36): at baseline and at 12 months

Significant reduction in mean scores in all areas of the CGI and the SF-36.

Knowledge of the territory of belonging has reinforced the cultural and social identity of participants favoring the appropriation of their life contexts. The integration between cognitive space and motor activity has encouraged the perception of emotions related to it. The group activity has positively stimulated socialization longer valid and closer to the needs of the patient.

The specific content of community care is not clearly articulated and services are described as diffuse. Community psychiatric service is reported to be virtually invisible. This study describes the characteristics of a community care population with severe enduring mental illness who are subject to case management in a point of time (October 2009 to March 2010).

The objectives are to screen the main services offered to them.

The aim to identify the main trends in relation gender differences in making use of the services.

The screening is done using a specially designed instrument covering in addition to demographics clinical correlates and profiles of services offered.

The patients are subject to two tiers of case mananagement namely the out reach and the traditional care. The general profile of cases demonstrates high morbidity and social disability. Gender differences are identified in relation to diagnoses, level of engagement and profile of risk. Though male subjects are more morbid and more socially disabled they make less use of services compared to females. The highest frequency of risk was self neglect.

Special therapeutic strategies are needed to be tailored to the high morbidity of schizophrenia and high prevalence of comorbidity. Gender differences are to be considered in service designs. Regular access to guidance from tertiary services particularly in relation to addiction rehabiliation and forensic could assist to address the complex needs.

Most users of psychiatric services shows jointly clinical severity, disability and marginalization so complex that it can not be answered fully only within the same services.

Within the Mental Health Department of Lecce, in the Mental Health Center of Casarano it is started the Natural Social Network Project “One for all and all for one” aimed to provide a more adequate response to the needs of these patients.

It will be identified patients with most psychosocial problems according to frequency of hospitalizations, emergency visits and rating scales (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Life Skills Profile and Short Form 36 Health Survey). Then it will be identified with the patient a “facilitator”, or a person outside the CSM and longer fit into the everyday life of the patient (eg, relatives, friends, etc..). After that, the various parties involved (doctor, nurse, facilitator and user) agree an individual program based on which we make a psychoeducational path. The process will be checked quarterly with the presence of all the parties involved and monitored monthly or on the basis of needs.

After one trial year it is expected a substantial improvement by the patient in the satisfaction of his needs and more generally in his rehabilitation.

Bipolar adults are known to experience emotion regulation (ER) problems. Detailed examination of components of bipolar patients’ emotion dysregulation process is yet needed.

To investigate basic FER in bipolar patients, how this affects quality of life and stress responses. To provide leads on implementing these insights into practice.

Drawing on the FACE©-model, this paper presents preliminary facial emotion recognition (FER) findings among psychiatric hospital-based bipolar patients compared with non-clinical controls (n = 45). A case series of bipolar patients’ is further followed-up over three months in an open-access, addiction centre in the Paris region. Patients completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID) and self-report questionnaires (including ABCL/ASR, BDI, MDQ, STAI I/II, YMRS).

Active phase bipolar adults mainly needed significantly more time for FER. Bipolar patients and controls did not differ significantly on types of emotions recognized. This bipolar sample reported low anxiety, few comorbidities or stressful life events. The series of treatment-resistant bipolar clients with addictions reported high anxiety levels and relapse after life stressors. Applying the integrative FACE©-program, which comprises step-wise emotion regulation along with problem solving training, resulted in quality-of-life improvements within seven weeks. Short-term clinical progress included program adherence, along with self- and clinician-reported diminished anxiety, internalising and externalising problem behaviour.

Further investigation is warranted to identify which emotion regulation components are particularly challenging for bipolar patients according to subgroup differences. A scientist-practitioner model contributes to fostering therapeutic adherence and outcomes.

Clinical and neuroscientific insights suggest that emotion regulation (ER) is a core challenge for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Relatively few empirical studies yet explicitly address ADHD children's ER. The conceptual and practical underpinnings of ER for ADHD youth's wellbeing also remain to be fully established. Objectives and aims: To assess basic and contextual emotion recognition in children with ADHD. To advance conceptual and practical insights into ADHD children's emotional development.

Operationalising the FACE©-model (Facilitating Adjustment of Cognition and Emotion), an ongoing research compares children with ADHD and matched non-referred controls (currently n = 68, ages 7–12, mean age 10, 80% boys) on ER components, including facial (FER) and verbal emotion recognition, Theory-Of-Mind, attentional, and behavioural functioning.

A subsample of ADHD children (n = 15) with comorbid learning problems and autism spectrum symptoms (ASS) made significantly more FER errors (t (26) = -2,578, p = 0,016), especially for happiness and anger, and doubted more their choices (t (26) = -2,147, p = 0,041). Another subsample of learning disordered ADHD children without ASS (n = 20) did not differ in basic FER compared to controls (n = 20) but was less efficient in contextualising emotions, especially anxiety, and in Theory of Mind. ADHD children's behavioural problems were inversely proportional to their emotion recognition skills.

Children with ADHD as a group appear differentially inclined to experience emotion processing difficulties compared to peers. Fine-grained FACE© risk-resiliency mapping helps identifying individual ADHD children in need of training in emotional adjustments to routine contextual demands.

Studies have shown an association between parental anxiety and depression, and caretaking of children with developmental cognitive delays. There is little data in developing countries, such as Pakistan, concerning the impact of raising children with Mental Retardation, upon the quality of parent functioning and risk for psychopathology.

To evaluate for anxiety and depression among parents of children with Mental Retardation (MR).

This was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Participants were 198 parents (99 fathers/99 mothers) of 100 children with the diagnosis of MR. The parents were assess for anxiety and depression using DSM IV criteria. Informed consent was obtained. The study was approved by the Institutional Research Committee.

Significantly high proportion (p-value = 0.024) of mothers (89%) had anxiety, depression or both anxiety and depression together as compared to fathers (77%). Among mothers, 35% met criteria for anxiety, 40% for depression and 13% for both anxiety and depression. Among fathers 42% had anxiety, 31% depression and 3% both anxiety and depression. There was a significant association (Pvalue = 0.027) between gender of parent and individual psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression and anxiety and depression together. A significant association (pvalue = < 0.043) was also found between mother's anxiety, depression or both and degree of mental retardation of their children.

1. 1. Parents of children with MR are at higher risk for anxiety, depression or both, needing mental health assessment.

2. 2. There was correlation between mother's anxiety, depression or both and level of MR among children.

Internet and media can play an important role in suicide prevention. in Hungary the suicide rate is the second highest in the European Union. in spite of this fact, in Hungary the first guideline on media coverage of suicide was only published in March 2012. The Suicide Prevention by Internet and Media Based Mental Health Promotion (SUPREME) project aims to develop an Internet based suicide prevention intervention. in the first part of SUPREME project the goal was to obtain an overview of the already existing suicide prevention websites. The current presentation aims the show the Hungarian data.

The first thirty search hits was examined using the Google search engine between March 21–25, 2011 on the keyword “suicide” in Hungarian (“öngyilkosság”). Coding of the website was made according to the following categories: type of content, sender, form of communication, age group.

Type of content was: direct preventive: 25% (n = 6), scientific: 30% (n = 9), news: 23.33%, (n = 7), pro-suicide: 0% (n = 0), other (i.e.: forum, video): 26.67%, (n = 8). Among direct preventive websites the sender was: governmental bodies: 0% (n = 0); non-government organizations: 33.33% (n = 2); corporations: 0% (n = 0); private senders: 66.67% (n = 4); Form of communication was: monological: 33.33% (n = 2); semi-dialogical: 16.67% (n = 1); dialogical: 50% (n = 3); Age group was: children/adolescents: 16.67% (n = 1); young adults: 0% (n = 0), adults/elderly: 83.33% (n = 5).

Our results highlight the importance of developing Hungarian suicide preventive websites, especially for children, adolescents and young adults. The good news is, that during the study period there wasn’t found any Hungarian pro-suicide website.