Suicide attempts (SA) leading to highly lethal consequences have been associated with heightened suicide planning (Barker et al., 2022), along with deficits in social cognition (Levi-Belz et al., 2022). Hypomentalizing, characterized by excessive uncertainty regarding mental states, may contribute to heightened social withdrawal and an increased risk of SA (Nestor & Sutherland, 2022). Although certain studies have identified a connection between hypomentalizing profiles and self-harm (Badoud et al., 2015), research into the lethality of SA remains limited.

This study aimed to explore the association between hypomentalizing and SA lethality.

Our study encompassed a cohort of 1,371 patients who committed a SA. We conducted assessments of mentalizing using the RFQ-8 instrument, and evaluations of suicidal ideation and behavior employing the CSRSS questionnaire. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared using the T-student and Chi-square tests. To investigate the relationship between hypomentalizing and the SA lethality, we employed logistic regression models.

Descriptive date are presented in Table 1. Our results show that hypomentalizing do not predict a higher SA lethality. Additionally, hypomentalizing increased the risk of SA planning (p≤0.001, B=-0.182), and SA planning predicted a higher SA lethality (see Table 2).Table 1.

Means Comparison for low and high lethality (N=1371)

While the association between hypomentalizing and high SA lethality was not significant, a discernible trend toward such relationship can be noted. Further studies examining the moderating effects of planning in the association between hypomentalizing and SA lethality are required.

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A growing body of research have devoted into suicide and deliberate self-harm in immigrant population, but no study has examined how reason for immigrating to the host country differentiates the risks.

To gain firm insight into suicide and deliberate self-harm among peopel with immigrant background.

Norwegian registers were interlinked to identify all individuals who died by suicide in 1992-2018 and who received emergency treatment for non-fatal deliberate self-harm (DSH) in 2008-2018, and to construct the respective databases via a nested case-control design. Rates and relative risks of suicide and DSH were assessed according to immigrant background, country of birth and reasons of immigration, and in the context of personal socioeconomic status.

People with an immigrant background accounted for 11.6% of all suicides in 1992-2018 and 17.9% of all DSH incidents treated in hospital emergency departments in 2008-2018. The rates of both suicide and DSH were highest in people born abroad with two Norway-born parents (mean rate: 19.4/100 000 for suicide and 280.9/100 000 for DSH) and lowest in the second-generation immigrants. Compared with the native Norwegians, suicide risk was significantly higher for those foreign-born with two Norway-born parents (HR=1.50) and those born in Norway with 1 one foreign-born parent (HR=1.20), but was significantly lower for the first- and second-generation immigrants. The associated risks remained almost unchanged when the data were adjusted for personal differences in education, marital status, income and place of residence in Norway. The analyses on deliberate self-harm exhibited similar patterns of results as for suicide, although the estimated reduced risks in the first- and second-generation immigrant is somewhat smaller. Evidently, the risks for suicide and DSH varied significantly by reason of immigration and country of origin. Immigrants coming for education had the lowest risk for suicide and self-harm, and those coming for work the second lowest. The risks for immigrants coming for family unity were lower than the natives, but significantly higher than counterparts coming for job or education from the same country. Among immigrants coming to Norway as a refugee or asylum seeker, the risk of suicide was comparably high as those coming for work, but the relative risk for self-harm was significantly higher. The increased risks associated with the mixed immigration background tended to be slightly higher in females than in males, and were likely confined to adoptee population.

Risks for suicide and deliberate self-harm in people with an immigrant background differs significantly by reason of immigration and country of origin. The findings should be taken into account in efforts of mental healthcare and suicide prevention targeting immigrant population.

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Chronic alcoholism can result in severe liver conditions such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, potentially leading to life-threatening complications and premature death.

This study investigated the age-sex distribution of patients with alcohol addiction and aimed to identify differences in clinic department preferences based on their principal and additional diagnoses in Taiwan, in 2022.

We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the diagnostic patterns of 334 patients with alcohol addiction from the Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Figure 1 depicts patient demographics, highlighting 297 male and 37 female patients with alcohol-related disorders. Males aged 41-60 years were particularly dominant, as shown in Figure 2. Principal diagnoses, including alcoholic liver disease and acute pancreatitis, are detailed in Table 1. Additional diagnoses, such as chronic pancreatitis and esophageal varices, are presented in Table 2. For departmental preferences, Table 3 reveals the Gastrointestinal (GI) department as the top choice, followed by Kidney, Neurological, and Cardiovascular/Chest.Table 1.

Top 5 Principal Diagnoses of Alcohol Addiction Patients.

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Image 2:

The study revealed that patients with alcohol addiction often delay seeking psychiatric help instead of presenting for medical care only after liver or gastrointestinal complications occur. This underscores the crucial need for better health education regarding the relationship between alcohol addiction and liver disease. Prompt recognition and early intervention for substance addiction can significantly reduce these risks and improve patient outcomes.

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Lithium is one of the main drugs used in Bipolar Affective Disorder. However, it has a narrow therapeutic window, which requires close monitoring and progressive dose adjustment, according to serum levels, clinical response and the appearance of side effects. The term ‘SILENT’ explains descriptively persistent neurological sequelae related to lithium salt intoxication when symptoms persist for more than 2 months after stopping treatment. SILENT Syndrome is more common in females, at ages ranging from 21 to 77 years and is characterized mainly by avermian-type cerebellar disorder, persistent extrapyramidal syndrome, brainstem dysfunction and dementia of varying severity. It can also result in apraxia of the body, changes in the coordination and balance, dysarthria, as well as intentional and kinetic cerebellar tremor, involuntary movements of orofacial dyskinesias or resting tremor.

The authors intend to review the relevant and current literature in order to extend the knowledge about this condition and find the best conducts for clinical practice.

Non-systematic literature review.

Complications from the use of lithium known in the medical literature include mainly nephrotoxicity, endocrine alterations and neurotoxicity. The neurotoxic effects of lithium usually occur at high serum concentrations. However, they can also occur with lithium in the therapeutic range, and memory, attention and ataxia impairment may be some of the permanent sequelae. The etiopathogenesis is unclear, but demyelination has been detected in multiple brain regions, mainly in the cerebellum. The mechanism of lithium-induced cerebellar injury is believed to be mediated by the entry of calcium into the cells of this organ. The main factors that predispose to greater side effects and risk of toxicity are patients with decreased renal function, advanced age, use of diuretics, dementia, pregnancy, low sodium intake and physical illness with vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Lithium is a drug used mostly in affective disorders and given the narrow therapeutic window, it requires close monitoring in order to avoid side effects that can be permanent. In this way, it is important to review the factors that increase the lithium toxicity and make recommendations about it.

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War represents one of the major traumatic events for humans and comes with enormous consequences for individuals and society over a long period of time. War causes acute psychological trauma, but also results in subacute, chronic psychiatric disorders for all those experiencing or witnessing direct war trauma and to those experiencing indirect war trauma resulting from losing the safety of home and financial income, to losing family members and close ones. Therefore, acute reaction to trauma may result in maladaptive disorders and PTSD within days of experiencing trauma and with chronic posttraumatic stress conditions even years after the traumatic experience. Chronic PTSD is associated with higher morbidity of somatic conditions, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, all resulting in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders. Additionally, according to reports from World Health Organisation (WHO), it has been projected that in emergencies, on average, the percentage of people with a severe mental disorder increases by 1 per cent over and above an estimated baseline of 2–3 per cent. In addition, the percentage of people with mild or moderate mental disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders (including PTSD), may increase by 5–10 per cent above an estimated baseline of 10 per cent. Furthermore, research indicate the possibility of a transgenerational effect of trauma, via maternal psychosocial stress and socioeconomic disadvantage during pregnancy but also through adverse parenting practices, as parenting style may change when exposed to war traumas.

As war affects mental health of different population groups dramatically and long-term, establishment of long term and coordinated mental health care is necessary. In the presentation, examples of practices from Croatia will be discussed.

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The Northern Territory (NT) has Australia’s highest mental health burden. It has a diverse and transient population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and various multicultural communities. While peer support has been widely used nationwide, in the NT, peer support is poorly implemented in psychosocial support activities.

The NT Lived Experience Network (NTLEN), in allyship with a team of researchers from Flinders University, has secured multiple fundings aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a peer education and recovery program called Recovery Together (RT) for individuals with mental health and alcohol and drug use issues and related challenges.

The suitable evaluation approach was co-designed with live experience representatives from NTLEN and other local key stakeholders. It applied a mixed-method approach, including pre and post-program surveys (n=64) and individual interviews with program participants and the program delivery team (n=32). The evaluation findings were also informed by data collected by NTLEN via feedback forms n=38). We also used a co-design approach to develop survey instruments to ensure they were strengths-based and recovery-oriented.

Participants reported poor and fair self-perceived health, high stress levels, dissatisfaction with their relationships and relatively low recovery scores, which showed improvements at post-program completion. They discussed their journeys in the interviews and shared their experiences with local mental health services and the Recovery Together program. Many expressed that mental health professionals are not necessarily the care providers they feel comfortable engaging with. However, they described their experience with the peer program as highly positive, empowering, safe, non-judgmental, and beneficial, satisfying their support needs. The program gave them hope and tools to manage their mental health challenges and opportunities to gain insight into non-clinical aspects of recovery. Participants conceptualised personal recovery in their own words and described the facilitators and barriers to their recovery. They emphasised that recovery is being empowered, strong within themselves and the leader of their journey, living their best possible life, understanding themselves, having the necessary knowledge about mental health, and looking forward in a hopeful way.

Our findings highlighted the demand and need for ongoing delivery of the RT program in the NT, which was highly effective in supporting personal recovery, addressing the service delivery gap and complementing the available clinical and mental health practices. They also showed the importance of providing recovery-oriented and trauma-informed education for medical and mental health professionals.

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Burnout, marked by persistent workplace stress without effective management, is particularly pertinent for psychiatry nurses, considering the nature of their work environment and its potential impact on the quality of care they deliver.

To assess the prevalence of burnout among psychiatric nurses and to identify the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with it.

Cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study conducted over the course of one month from October 11th to November 8th 2023. Participants included were psychiatric nurses working in Razi Hospital, Tunisia. We collected data using pre-established questionnaire which included socio-demographic and clinical data of the participants. The assessment of Burnout was conducted using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), validated in Arabic. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) in its 25th version.

We collected data from 55 nurses working in Razi psychiatry hospital during the time of the study. Among them, 80% (n=44) were female. Their median age was 35 (Min=25, Max=62). Most of participants were married (81.8%, n=45) and 70.9 (n=39) had kids. In our sample, 5.5% (n=3) and 23.6% (n=13) had respectively personal psychiatric and somatic history. Some addictive behaviors were identified among our participants, especially smoking (14.5%, n=379) and alcohol use (3.6%, n=2).

Regarding working conditions, 81.8% (n=45) were assigned shift work. They worked in the men’s ward (43.6%, n=24), the women’s ward (34.5%, n=19), or in both (21.8%, n=12). Furthermore, 45.5% (n=25) reported witnessing a suicide attempt during their work, and 74.5% (n=41) were victims of aggression, primarily by patients (82.5%, n=33). Sixty percent (n=33) said expressed a desire to transfer.

According to the MBI, 49.1% (n=27) had high emotional exhaustion, 27.3% (n=15) had high depersonalization and 67.3% (n=37) had low personal accomplishment.

A significant association was found between low personal accomplishment and the desire to transfer to another department (p=0.026). No further links were found with other clinical data.

Our findings provide a thorough examination of burnout among psychiatric nursing professionals, underscoring the critical need for specific interventions tailored to their unique challenges.

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Phenomenology is one of the fundamental tools in the clinical practice of psychiatrists, constituting one of the touchstones regarding the diagnostic framework in which clinicians navigate.

For Husserl, Phenomenology provided access to the structure of pure consciousness, experience and existence. These are conditions of possibility for the object of Psychiatry, ontologically prior to it. Thus, clarification of the object and method of Phenomenology is preliminary to understanding the object of Psychiatry.

Phenomenology, being a direct tributary of Philosophy, evolves dialectically, constantly dialoguing with its predecessors. While it is taken as a philosophical current, it is also considered a method. It is precisely as a method that we can see how the methodology changes in different phenomenological traditions.

To compare how the main phenomenological traditions operate.

Comparative analysis between the phenomenological reductions in key figures of the phenomenological tradition, resorting to the corpus of the Husserliana, Being and Time, Phenomenology of Perception and General Psychopathology. Additionally, a non-systematic literature review of papers on the database Philpapers, using the keywords “critical phenomenology”, “eidetic reduction”, “phenomenological reduction”.

While there is a multiplicity of ways of taxonomizing phenomenological currents, we divide it in: pure, existential, embodied, jasperian, psychopathological, and critical.

Husserl’s pure phenomenology uses the free variation in phantasy and epoché as operators, starting from the natural attitude.

Heidegger’s existential phenomenology makes no reference to a reduction of any kind. For him, it is necessary to take a step back, to a more primordial mode of being through which we can access Being, where the world is given and constituted.

Embodied phenomenology, of Merleaupontinian provenance, recognizes the reduction, but cannot be fully achieve it.

Jasperian phenomenology uses empathy and co-experience as its operators, through which it gains access to the subjective states of the other, with the aim of systematizing and taxonomizing subjective phenomena.

Phenomenological psychopathology tentatively uses Husserlian reductions to identify the a priori structures of the human, be it Biswanger’s forms of manifestation of failed human existence or Blakenburg’s anthropological disproportions.

Critical phenomenology uses a historical-transcendental analysis of experience as its operator, through which it accesses transcendental intersubjectivity.

At a time when the DSM and ICD are increasingly seen as inadequate, limited and dogmatic, the resurgence of interest in Phenomenology is evident. It is important to avoid falling back on new presuppositions without constant revision and questioning, at the risk of simply mutating dogmas and missing the original legacy of pure phenomenology, the suspension of presuppositions.

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There is a national movement to reduce restrictive interventions due to the harm and distress they can cause which has been reflected in NHS trust policies and practices. NHS trust policies state that all in-patients who may require restrictive interventions must have a Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP) based on a functional analysis of what drives and triggers their behaviour. A PBSP is intended to facilitate understanding and help manage behaviours that challenge by teaching new skills and ways to communicate a person’s needs. Previous research on the use of PBSPs on adult acute mental health wards is limited but research on PICU wards has shown PBSPs have not been implemented into mental health care as intended.

Trust policies identify that PBSPs should be implemented to reduce the use of restrictive interventions. However, it is unknown whether PBSPs are being used as part of routine practice on the acute mental health ward. The degree to which staff are aware of patients PBSPs and how they use them to guide their practice is unclear. The service evaluation aims to understand the perspectives, attitudes, and experiences of staff who are responsible for using and implementing PBSPs on the ward. The evaluation aims to investigate how PBSP informs practice and to identify the barriers and facilitators to implementing PBSPs on the ward.

A volunteer sample of clinical staff members (including Doctors, Nurses, Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Clinical Support Workers) who are responsible for implementing PBSPs on an acute mental health ward in the East of England took part in a focus group which lasted up to an hour. There were four focus groups with between two and four participants per group. A total of thirteen staff members participated in the focus groups. The focus groups lasted up to one hour and were guided by a topic guide. Two members of the project team facilitated the group. Focus groups were audio recorded.

Thematic synthesis will be the overarching approach used to synthesise the qualitative data from the focus groups. The audio recordings will be transcribed. Analysis will be conducted on a within-case basis prior to cross-case analysis aimed to identify common themes. Two evaluators will work together to code, analyse, and synthesise the extracted data.

Based on the results, training may be developed to improve the understanding and implementation of the PBSPs on the ward. The findings may also result in changes to the way PBSPs are used. The results will be presented to the trust chief executives and used to inform how to best support individuals who may be at risk of requiring restrictive interventions.

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The mental health of the people who featured in Pornographic Productions (PP) is underexamined. However, PP frequently involve unsimulated violent acts mostly experienced by women. Furthermore, some women participating in PP also report being coerced into unwanted sexual acts. Therefore, featuring in a PP could be experienced as a traumatic event, and could be associated with negative mental health disorders.

Our study examines mental health indicators among Women who have participated in at least one PP (WPP), and who consulted clinical psychologists, after referral by WPP support groups.

Thirty-six women were recruited by two clinical psychologists during an individual consultation. Participants completed the French versions of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), as well as the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13). Data on socio-demographic characteristics, lifetime experience of sexual violence prior to participating in a PP, as well as the perceived effect of participating in a PP were also measured.

The mean age of participants was 31.2 (std=7), and the average age at first participation in a PP was 23.4 (std=6). The majority (78%) of participants reported lifetime experience of sexual violence prior to participation in a PP. Thirty women (83%) had a PCL5 score over 33 indicative of probable PTSD, and 28 women (78%) had a DES score of 30 or more indicating high levels of dissociation. Further, 16 participants (44%) reported a BDI-13 score over 16 indicating severe depression.

This study highlights the high prevalence of PTSD, dissociative experiences, and depressive symptoms in a clinical population of women who featured in at least one PP. Further studies are needed to better understand the scale of the problem and optimize care interventions.

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Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the inability to conceive after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse, infertility remains a current and compelling topic of interest for both scientists and the general public.

Over the past few decades, the prevalence of infertility, regardless of its cause, has significantly increased. Furthermore, it affects approximatively 15% of tunisian couples. However, previous studies have primarily assessed the psychological impact on women, leaving a gap in understanding gender differences.

Our study aims to compare the psychological impact of infertility between genders in a Tunisian sample.

We conducted a cross-sectional study in a public hospital specializing in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) from August 30th to December 1st, 2022, involving sexually active infertile couples who had been under observation for at least one year. The participants provided information related to socio-demographic data. Additionally, we used the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) to assess anxiety and depression, and the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQol) questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life. These questionnaires were administered in the Tunisian dialect.

A sample of 60 infertile couples were recruited to this study. Primary infertility was present in 97% of cases and male infertility was the most common cause, accounting for 35%. Our findings revealed that women experienced higher rates of depression (35%) and anxiety (52%) compared to men (15% and 28%), with a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.001).

Furthermore, women reported a significantly compromised overall quality of life, particularly in the context of treatment-related aspects (p=0.03).

Notably, anxiety was identified as a significant risk factor for reduced quality of life among women (B = -5.27). In contrast, lower socioeconomic status was associated with diminished overall quality of life in men (B = -7.09).

It is important to consider gender differences in the management of infertility in order to guide and target psychological interventions and to improve the quality of life of infertile couples.

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Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, is an important therapeutic tool in the management of rheumatic diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) due to its anti-inflammatory action. SLE is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects the connective tissue of multiple organs. Neuropsychiatric disturbances in SLE are common; however, lupus psychosis is rare, occurring in 2 to 11% of patients. The literature has described the emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms as an adverse effect of hydroxychloroquine use, with some patients experiencing clinical depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and psychotic symptoms.

The aim of this work is to review the available evidence regarding neuropsychiatric symptoms secondary to the use of hydroxychloroquine.

The case of a 50-year-old woman diagnosed with SLE, with no other relevant medical history, has been evaluated. She was brought to the emergency department due to paranoid and persecutory ideas, as well as self-referentiality, coinciding with the introduction of hydroxychloroquine in her treatment. She was admitted to the University Hospital of Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín with a diagnostic orientation of a first psychotic episode.

The presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients diagnosed with SLE is so common that they constitute a diagnostic criterion for the disease. On the other hand, the medications used for therapeutic management of this disease can lead to the emergence of new neuropsychiatric symptoms or exacerbate preexisting neuropsychiatric clinical manifestations.

The study of this case highlights the challenges in establishing a differential diagnosis between primary SLE symptoms that require an increase in hydroxychloroquine and those caused by its own treatment. It underscores the need for further studies to explore the risk of psychiatric symptoms associated with the use of hydroxychloroquine, as well as its impact on the course of underlying mental disorders.

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Family caregivers of patients suffering from severe psychiatric disorders may present with health problems, lower quality of life, and painful emotions, which can seriously compromise their well-being when they do not receive appropriate professional support.

The aims of this study were to assess the level of burden and resilience in family caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders and to determine associated factors.

We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study among family caregivers of patients followed at the psychiatry outpatient clinic of the Hedi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax, during the period from February 2022 to July 2022.

We used the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to assess resilience and the Zarit Burden Inventory to assess the level of burden. Higher scores indicate higher resilience and greater burden.

The sample included 90 family caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders. The average age was 50.68. They were the parents of patients in 40% of cases. Professionally active caregivers accounted for 57.8% of cases. Thirty family caregivers had a somatic disorder history (33.3%).

The median age of patients was 42 years. Ten patients (11.1%) were financially independent. The diagnosis was schizophrenia in 68.9% of cases. The mean duration of illness was 16.23 years. Irregular follow-up was noted in 10 patients (11.1%).

The mean scores of the Zarit Burden scale and the CD-RISC were 41.86± 10.33 and 58.46± 9.18 respectively.

Unemployed caregivers and parents experienced a higher burden (p=0.001, p=0.03 respectively). The level of burden was higher in caregivers taking care of financially dependent patients (p=0.03), with a duration of the disease greater than 15 years (p=0.04), and with irregular follow-up (p=0.008).

A low level of resilience in caregivers was correlated with spousal relationship (p=0.001), cohabitation with the patient (p=0.05), widowhood (p=0.01), low level of education (p=0.02), the presence of a somatic disorder history in the caregivers (p=0.04).

A negative correlation was observed between CD-RISC and Zarit scores (p=0.04; r=-0.21).

Family caregivers of mentally ill patients experienced a significant level of caregiver burden, and it was lower in caregivers with higher levels of resilience. Psycho-educational programs directed toward family caregivers are highly recommended.

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Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are linked with poor functioning and quality of life. Therefore, appropriate measurement tools to assess negative symptoms are needed. The NIMH-MATRICS Consensus defined five domains for negative symptoms. We used the COSMIN guidelines for systematic reviews to evaluate the quality of psychometric data of negative symptom scales as Clinician-Rated Outcome Measure (ClinROM). COSMIN assesses risk of bias, so called updated criteria of measurement properties, a modified GRADE approach and a final judgement on the rating scale. In the lecture the process will be described using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale and the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) as examples.

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Klippel-Feil abnormality (KFA) is an association of bone defects characterized by a triad: fusion of the cervical vertebrae and consequent short neck, low hairline and a limited motion in the neck. KFA may be a feature of another disorder, such as MURCS association. Familial mutations in the GDF6 (KFS1 8q22), MEOX1 (KFS2 17q21), GDF3 (KFS3 12p13) and MYO18B (KFS4 22q11) genes cause inherited KFA.

The aim of this study was to report dysmorphic features and psychological burdens in two sisters with Klippel-Feil condition.

Two sisters with amenorrhea and dysmorphic clinical features were examined at our genetic counselling. Assessment of dysmorphic and behavioral features and karyotyping using RHG banding were performed.

Familial history revealed consanguineous parents and seven other healthy sisters. Physical examination shown typical triad of KFA. Karyotyping showed 46,XX formula in both patients. The first 22-year-old sister had body asymmetry with size difference between the two sides at the level of bones, pectus excavatum of the sternum, an ascent of the left scapula, scoliosis, dental position abnormalities and facial dysmorphism. The second 28-year-old sister had size difference between the two legs and scoliosis, vitiligo and facial dysmorphism. Anxious and depressed, the two sisters had normal learning abilities but shared many personal psychological concerns regarding their physical appearance and their amenorrhea. They were also exposed to significant discrimination and stigma making them feel excluded and ignored because of their visible difference.

Physical appearance has a profound impact on a person’s life. To our knowledge, there is no reports that describe specific psychological burdens of KFA. Self-esteem, body image, and quality of life is negatively impacted in the case of dysmorphic physical appearance, always associated to social discrimination. Patients with KFA should be assessed not only for associated congenital defects but also for psychological distresses.

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Sexual satisfaction is relevant to aging well, throughout the lifespan.

This study aims to compare the perspectives of sexual satisfaction and adjustment to aging in three age cohorts, across the life span; and to analyze whether sexual satisfaction influences the perceptions of AtA.

This cross-sectional study comprised participants from three different age cohorts (18-44; 45-64; and 65+ years). Four measures were used to meet the defined objectives: (a) Adjustment to Aging Scale (ATAS); (b) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NISS-S); and (c) sociodemographic, health and lifestyle questionnaire. Data were subject to One-way ANOVAs and hierarchical regression analyses.

Social support emerged as the most relevant dimension in the multifactorial nature of AtA. Generational differences were found in sense of purpose and ambitions [F (2, 616) = 14.203, p = .000], social support [F (2, 616) = 10.65, p = .000] and body and health [F (2, 616) = 8.73, p = .000]. Participants aged 65 and older showed significantly lower levels of sense of purpose and ambition, body and health, and social support. Younger participants showed the highest score for body and health. Age-related decreases in sexual satisfaction were also found, as younger participants showed statistically higher levels of sexual satisfaction, followed by middle-aged and older participants. Sexual satisfaction predicts all the dimensions of AtA, exception made for aging in place and stability, where age is the main predictor. Ego-centered sexual satisfaction positively predicted sense of purpose and ambitions (β = .212, p < .05) and social support (β = .311, p < .001); while partner/sexual activity centered sexual satisfaction was a positive predictor of zest and spirituality (β = .255, p < .01), body and health (β = .239, p < .001), and social support (β = .168, p < .05).

Sexual satisfaction decreases with age and is positively related to all dimensions of AtA, hence gerontological interventions and program policies with older people would strongly benefit of including sexual satisfaction as a relevant variable for aging well.

Keywords: sexual well-being; sexual satisfaction; adjustment to aging; generational groups; lifespan.

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The treatment of dual disorders, the co-occurrence of a major psychiatric disorder and a substance use disorder, represents a great challenge. Recent articles recommend antipsychotics with a dopamine partial agonism as first line treatment for these patients. Studies also postulate that drugs targeting the dopamine D3 receptors specifically might have an advantage, as these receptors are involved in drug-related reward, drug-seeking, and drug-intake behaviour. One compound that has both, partial agonist- and D3- activity is cariprazine.

To evaluate the real-world evidence of the effectiveness of cariprazine in patients with dual disorders.

We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed, looking for English language articles published between January 2017 - September 2023 with the following search terms: (cariprazine) AND (psychosis OR schizophrenia OR schizoaffective OR bipolar depression OR bipolar mania OR bipolar disorder OR major depressive disorder) AND (“substance use disorder” OR cocaine OR alcohol OR cannabis OR heroin OR “double diagnosis” OR “dual diagnosis”) NOT (animal OR rat OR mouse) NOT (review or meta-analysis). An additional targeted hand search of congress reports, posters, and case reports was also conducted.

The search yielded 8 articles with 11 case reports. Mental health disorders included psychosis, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and bipolar disorder while the abused substances were methamphetamine, cannabis, alcohol, and cocaine. All case reports described an improvement in both the symptoms of mental and substance use disorder with reduced craving and drug use and in some cases even ceasing drug use all together.

In summary, evidence suggests that cariprazine seem to be a potential candidate for dual disorders as it improves symptoms of both mental and substance use disorders.

Á. Barabássy Employee of: Gedeon Richter Plc., Z. Dombi Employee of: Gedeon Richter Plc., R. Csehi Employee of: Gedeon Richter Plc., D. Djuric Employee of: Gedeon Richter Plc., G. Németh Employee of: Gedeon Richter Plc.

Psychiatric Day Hospital (DH) constitutes an area of semiresidential care for short- and medium-term diagnostic and therapeutic-rehabilitative services. Through a descriptive analysis, we analyzed the clinical rationale and expected goals leading to an admission to the psychiatric day hospital service at St. Andrew’s Hospital in Rome, over a two-year period (2021-2022).

We aim, through the evaluation of the epidemiological data of patients, particularly the causes of admission and sending institutions, to be able to have at our disposal important comparison data to understand the characteristics of the patient population received in psychiatric day hospital services.

Medical records of 218 patients admitted from 01.01.2021 to 31.12.2022 at the Psychiatry Day Hospital of Sant’Andrea Hospital in Rome were analyzed. The main sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and finally the type of psychiatric service from which the admission came were collected and analyzed, in addition to the reason for referral and therapeutic goal. Statistical analyses were conducted using Excel spreadsheets.

64% of admissions aimed to modify or start new medication regimens with monitoring (e.g., Clozapine, Carbolithium, Esketamine). 19% were for medical evaluations, mainly neurological, cardiological, endocrinological, or internal medicine. 9% were for diagnostics. 2% were for infusion therapy, and an additional 2% for Esketamine treatment. The main findings highlight that Day Hospital use primarily focused on comprehensive patient assessments and therapy adjustments, often involving closely monitored drugs. Notably, 19% were for medical evaluations, with 28% of them being neurological assessments. This suggests challenges in conducting detailed medical assessments outside a context with prioritized access to such services.

Limited data in the literature make it challenging to conduct comparative analyses regarding patients in psychiatric day hospital services. However, our data can spark a discussion about admissions with objectives that could potentially be addressed through alternative services. We should also explore why this isn’t happening. It could be interesting to conduct a descriptive analysis comparing epidemiological data from the two years before and after the period under investigation. Conducting retrospective statistical analysis on the collected data can yield more comprehensive results.

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Obssesive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by impaired neuropsychological functions that are also influenced by clinical variables and aging.

According to the literature, several of these neuropsychological deficits could be potential endophenotype markers.

The present study aimed to study what kind of cognitive deficits OCD patients have and how aging and clinical course modify their cognitive profiles campared with general population.

This study examined a sample of 60 adult outpatients with OCD diagnosis, who were matched with 70 healthy controls (HC). Cognitive performance in both groups was assessed using a neuropsychological battery including Rey-Osterrieth complex Figure (ROCF) and Digit Span Test (DGS). Based on previous research on neuropsychology of OCD, it was specified that these neuropsychological measures could be divided in two composites. The first composite, Executive function, includes Total Digit Span and the domain of organization of ROCF. The second composite, Non-Verbal Memory, includes the copy of ROCF, immediate recall, delayed recall and recognition of ROCF.

Severity of OCD symptoms was assessed by YBOCS and HDRS was used for symptoms of depression.

Both cognitive performance and clinical data were documented before and after a follow-up of 11 years.

During analysis, group differences between patients with OCD and HC regarding demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline and follow-up were calculated with independent t-tests and Pearson tests.

The main analysis tested if the change in cognitive function over time differed between patients and controls. To this end, a linear mixed model was used, examining the interaction between age, gender and time in both groups.

Older age, in patients with OCD and HC, was associated with poorer performance on executive function and nonverbal memory. Executive function was influenced by severity of OCD, and non-verbal memory by depressive symptoms at baseline. While, after the follow-up, as obsessive and affective symptoms improve along de follow-up, there is no significant change in the neuropsychological pattern.

At baseline, patients with OCD showed a poorer performance than HC in areas of nonverbal memory and executive function. After de follow-up, there is a poorer performance in the cognitive function in both groups, as they get older. However, there is no significant difference in this change between patients and HC.

Results suggest that OCD is characterized by the existence of dysfunction in several neuropsychological areas that are influenced by time and clinical variables.

Nevertheless, this alteration is no solely attributable to these factors, as they remain stable through time compared to the general population. Therefore, certain neuropsychological functions might be endophenotype traits of the disorder.

None Declared