All older adults have a strong desire to age healthily and successfully. Because of this, the research community has extensively researched various influences on an older person’s aging experience. One of those influences is music, which is associated with a positive impact on the aging experience and contributes to an individual’s health, wellness, and quality of life.

This study aims to explore the relationship between older adults’ mental health and music listening.

A self-report survey was employed in this study with 168 people over the age of 65, using a convenience sample. The survey had two parts: the first part included socio-demographic information and a variety of music and listening factors, while the second part was a health-related quality of life assessment—the SF-36.

The Mann–Whitney statistical test was used to examine the hypothesis that the mean total score of the SF-36 mental health subscale is different between participants who identified as enjoying music listening and those who did not. Participants who identified as enjoying music listening had a significantly higher overall mental health total score (median = 74.5) than participants who did not enjoy music listening (median = 66.2), U (Enjoy = 38, No Enjoy = 130) = 3037, z = 2.150, p = 0.032.

Music has a positive influence on both mental and physical health in older adults. Listening to music or participating in music-making in late life can positively affect quality of life, particularly for older adults.

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The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a significant shift in our approach to healthcare, leading to the widespread adoption of virtual healthcare services, including mental healthcare. In this context, understanding and incorporating the unique perspectives of youths is crucial for improving virtual mental health services for this population.

This qualitative study explores the ideal features of virtual mental health services among youths.

Nine focus group discussions and eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with 65 individuals aged 15-35 in Singapore. To ensure the comprehensive representation of youths’ perspectives, participants from diverse ethnicities (mainly Chinese, Malay, and Indian), ages, and genders were included using purposive sampling. The data was analysed using content analysis through both inductive and deductive approaches.

Four main themes were identified from the data. First, technology and platform: youths stressed the importance of a credible and government-endorsed service provider to deliver a comprehensive and trustworthy experience facilitated by qualified professionals. Second, functionality: they wanted credible affiliations to be displayed prominently on the home page and various tools such as calls, chats, moderated forums, profiles of healthcare professionals, and educational resources. Confidentiality, anonymity, and privacy were also highlighted as necessary. Third, user interface: youths preferred an intuitive and age-tailored interface to ensure a seamless and user-friendly experience, with organised content, appealing aesthetics, and engaging elements on video call sessions. Fourth, usability: they emphasised the need for an affordable and widely compatible operating system to promote accessibility of services.

Virtual mental health services, with their great potential, can expand and effectively meet the needs of youths. By prioritizing credible platforms, comprehensive functionality, confidentiality, an intuitive interface, and broad accessibility, we can enhance help-seeking among youths and create a more effective support system.

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The basis of this study is established on the unreliability of conventional heart rate variability metrics. The complex physiology of stress and the relaxed state cannot be drawn sufficiently, because the conventional heart rate variability metrics, presented by the established professional medical literatures, are dependent on the changes in the heart rate and thus cannot provide reliable data.

We introduced a novel, heart rate independent variability parameter, which is the normalized variability, and we contrasted it with the consensus-based parameters (RMSSD: root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats; SDNN: standard deviation of normal-to-normal interbeat intervals).

We tested the normalized variability parameter in two studies. During the first study, the work-related stress among professionals in the frontlines of healthcare was reduced during the work-shift via either heart rate variability-biofeedback training or through achieving a relaxed state by allowing the subjects of the test during breaks to relax in their own usual manner. Consequently, the sample of Study 1 was categorized into the heart rate variability biofeedback group (N = 21) and the habitual recreation group (N = 21). Comparatively, Study 2 was concluded on healthy students, where the subject sample consisted of N = 9 participants. In this case, stress response was triggered by one of two laboratory stress induction methods. This meant the application of either the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT) or, a novel stress induction procedure, the Socially Evaluated Stroop Test (SEST). Furthermore, we used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to compare the distribution of heart rate variability parameters, mean heart rate, logRMSSD, logSDNN, and normalized variability before, during, and after the stress-inducing and the stress-alleviating interventions.

According to our results, on the one hand, logRMSSD and logSDNN did not change significantly throughout the stress alleviation and stress inducing states; on the other hand, the distribution of normalized variability significantly changed during and after both stress decreasing methods (p ≤ 0.01) and between the period that preceded recreation and during the process of habitual recreation itself (p = 0.03). Normalized variability during and after the SECPT (p = 0.05) significantly changed as well; however, the heart rate did not change significantly under and during the test.

Normalized variability, a heart rate variability parameter that is independent of the heart rate of the patient, can be considered a sensitive stress indicator and suitable for investigating the complexity of the functions of the vegetative nervous system without the confounding effect of the heart rate.

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The concept of health is beyond the absence of disease; it encompasses the physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual, as well as their quality of life. Consequently, research into this multifaceted concept has become a crucial aspect of healthcare. With progress in medicine it has become increasingly evident that the primary objective of medical interventions is not merely to prolong life, but also to enhance its quality. A number of quality of life measures have been developed; however, the majority of these focus exclusively on physical health, and fail to fully encompass the dimensions that are crucial for the quality of life of individuals with mental health issues. The Mental Health Quality of Life (MHQoL) questionnaire, developed by Van Krugten et al., encompasses the seven most fundamental dimensions of mental health-related quality of life.

Our aim was to develop and test a Hungarian adaptation of the Mental Health Quality of Life (MHQoL) questionnaire and to compare the results in healthy subjects with those from individuals diagnosed with psychiatric disorders.

Our ongoing research so far involved 189 participants, including 157 psychiatrically healthy subjects and 32 patients diagnosed with a mental disorder who completed the MHQoL as part of a larger test battery. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis and an independent samples t-test.

Confirmatory factor analysis showed that all items exhibited a satisfactory fit with the model. The factor weights for each item ranged from 0.45 to 0.79. MHQoL exhibited exemplary internal reliability, with Cronbach alpha index value of 0.81 and individual item-specific reliability coefficients ranging from 0.7 to 0.81. Independent samples t-tests showed significant differences between healthy and patient groups for items pertaining to future vision, mood, relationships and physical health, as well as when MHQoL mean total score and the mean scores of psychological well-being.

Our preliminary results support that MHQoL is a suitable and reliable tool for assessing quality of life in relation to mental health, offering valuable insights into the domains in which psychiatric illnesses have the most significant impact on patients’ quality of life. The objective of our future research is to further validate the MHQoL questionnaire, including patients with different psychiatric diagnosis in order to contribute to the concept of healthcare that focuses not only on the elimination of symptoms but also on the improvement of quality of life, personalized to the needs of patients suffering from different psychiatric syndromes.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD are both neurodevelopmental disorders which share genetic heritability and often coexist in adults diagnosed with ADHD and vice versa. Despite the overlap between the two disorders there are enough phenomenological differences to indicate that these conditions are sufficiently distinct

To estimate the coexistence of ASD traits in an adult sample diagnosed with ADHD; to compare those screening positive for possible ASD to those scoring negative, in terms of functionality, quality life and clinical outcomes; to explore the effects of ADHD medication in three main outcomes (clinical, quality of life, and functionality) in those with only ADHD and in those with a coexistence of ASD and ADHD.

Prospective longitudinal study of an adult sample diagnosed with ADHD. Data collected on age, gender, medications and on scales: Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10); Adult ADHD Clinical Outcome Scale (ACOS); Adult ADHD Quality of Life Questionnaire (AAQoL); Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS).

Sample of 165 participants was recruited. The AQ-10 showed that n=74 (44.8%) of the participants had traits of ASD. Longitudinal analyses demonstrated that people with ADHD and ASD traits have worse clinical outcomes, quality of life, social skills and family functioning compared to those with ADHD only. The effects of ADHD medications (stimulants, atomoxetine) were significant in the three examined outcomes across the time but no significant effects of medications to those with ASD traits was found.

Hight coexistence of ADHD and ASD traits. Perhaps lesser if clinical diagnosis for ASD was performed. Medications for ADHD did not improve those with ADHD and ASD traits. Service implications (for local services): neurodevelopmental clinics is necessity now and not only special for ADHD, where adults with ADHD and ASD can be diagnosed and treated accordingly.

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Due to longer life expectancies, improvements in psychiatry, and reduced stigma about mental health in Tunisia, we are seeing more elderly people hospitalized for the first time in our department. Caring for this group presents both social and clinical challenges. While we are getting better at handling the clinical aspects, we often forget the social factors, which are crucial for the progress, follow-up, and mental well-being of older patients. These social issues can also lead to relapses or new mental health problems in this population.

Determine the evolution of elderly patients hospitalized for the first time in the psychiatric department.

This is a retrospective study. We examined the records of all patients aged over 65 who were admitted to the Avicenne Psychiatric Department at Razi Hospital from September 2022 to September 2024.

A total of 22 patients were identified, including 16 men and 6 women. The average age of these patients was 68 years, with ages ranging from 64 to 80 years. The majority came from an urban background (81%). The educational level of our patients was primary at 19%, an university level at 34% and a secondary school education at 47%. Among our patients, 13% are still professionally active and 57% retired. The socioeconomic level of our patients was affluent in 42%, average in 34%, and low in 24%. Within our patient population, 61% were married, 24% divorced, 10% were single and 4% widow or widower. 23% of our patients were living alone and 77% were living with one or more family members. Concerning the diagnosis, we observed mental confusion caused by an organic pathology in 9%, a purely neurological cause of the disorder in 14% ( dementia in 10% and Parkinson’s disease in 4%), a depressive episode in 31%, a manic episode within the context of bipolar disorder in 37%, and schizophrenia in 9%. During hospitalization, 27% of the patients experienced family rejection from their relatives. After leaving the hospital, a significant number of patients were lost to follow-up (63%), 22% had regular follow-up and 13% attended appointments irregularly.

This study shows that more elderly patients are being hospitalized for the first time in psychiatry. Many face social challenges, such as family rejection and losing contact after leaving the hospital.The creation of retirement homes and social support systems may be a solution to provide safe living and support for these patients, helping them stay healthy and connected after hospitalization.

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We all have a personality, whether or not we also have a mental health disorder, and for some people parts of our personality lead to problems with others, or in getting on in our lives. Indeed the same might be said of neurodevelopmental conditions, autism, intellectual disability, ADHD, of which we understand there to be a spectrum of degree, and which in unfavourable circumstances produces difficulty and dysfunction. The combination of personality and neurodevelopmental pathology is common, so too is misdiagnosis between them. This talk will describe the key theories to understand the overlap, tackle diagnostic uncertainty, and outlines the ways in which support can be offered for the combination of the two.

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The basic purpose of any research is to encourage and develop original thinking, critical analysis, and inculcate spontaneity and creativity. However, the online availability of a plethora of resources, sophisticated software, and artificial intelligence has opened floodgates to plagiarism, which is having adverse effect on developing minds for original research.

To comprehensively understand the current state of postgraduate research training, the challenges faced by students, and potential areas for improvement, particularly in fostering an environment conducive to original and unimpeded research.

A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among medical students pursuing postgraduate courses in various specialties to address potential gaps in postgraduate research training. It comprised four sections with a total of twenty-seven items; Section one: Personal Data and Demographics; Section two: Exposure to Research Principles during Undergraduate Studies; Section three: Perception of postgraduate students towards Plagiarism Checks and Linguistic Barriers faced during dissertation writing; Section Four: An open-ended question inviting participants to suggest ways to promote the free flow of research ideas among young researchers. Survey data were exported to Microsoft Excel and analysed using descriptive statistics. Key themes and insights were derived from the suggestions provided in the fourth section of the questionnaire.

The survey questionnaire was completed by 130 respondents. The majority of the students were in their first or second year of postgraduate studies and represented various medical specialities. The majority of participants reported “low exposure” (n=86, 66%) to research methodology during undergraduate studies. 80% participants reported that they conducted a background research on the topic of their thesis and the most common challenge faced by them was lack of credible content in the online arenas. Almost one-third of the respondents reported that their original idea was blocked because of the “plagiarism checks”. Our survey participants represented linguistic diversity and 70.8% considered plagiarism as a marker of “linguistic proficiency”. 77.2% believed that conducting literature reviews exclusively in English, without considering texts available in other languages, hampers comprehensive research on a given topic.

It is imperative to expose undergraduate students to “Practical aspects of research”, such as “Good research Practices”. Further, mentors should allow free flow of ideas, linguistic liberty, and encourage for in-depth discussion over these ideas, ensuring alignment with current scientific standards. An institutional level “Research integrity support” should be provided, including access to authentic plagiarism checking software and workshops focussing on research publication ethics.

R. K. Gupta Consultant of: Nil, J. Yadav Employee of: Nil, R. Gupta Employee of: Nil

Suicide is a huge public health problem with 700,000 deaths per year. United Nations are aiming to reduce suicide rates with 33 percent before 2030. Some countries have experienced declining trends, especially in Asia, partly due to restrictions in access to highly lethal pesticides. USA are facing increasing trends and in many western European countries there has been declining tendencies, but most recently rates have been rather stable.

Suicide preventive strategies have focused on universal prevention, thus intervention targeting the who population, selective prevention aiming to reduce risk in different high risk groups, and indicated prevention targeting people who are already having suicidal behavior. In most cases, suicidal acts are carried out within a short period of time, and in many cases without a long period of warning signals. In a way, suicidal acts resemble heart attacks or epileptic episodes more than other complications that often develop slowly and gradually. This makes the task of creating awareness programmes even more difficult.

However, a thorough mapping of risk groups and risk situations will enable us to plan a more targeted intervention. Thus, epidemiology and clinical research can play together.

The most important task is to identify those of immediate risk of suicide and provide treatment and support. There are four distinct risk groups with a very high suicide rate. These are 1) people sent home from psychiatric emergency room visits, 2) people recently discharged from psychiatric hospitalization 3) people who were hospitalized due to attempted suicide 4) people who have called life-line or other NGO-driven helplines because of suicidal thoughts. It can be helpful to evaluate the population attributable risk associated with different risk factors. The population attributable risk is an estimate of the proportion of the problem that could be avoided if the increased risk in a specific risk group could be reduced to the level of the general population. All these four groups have a very high risk of suicide and together they accounted for 25 - 50 percent of all suicides in Denmark, and the help they are offered are in most countries fragmented and not well organized. Coherent and assertive interventions are needed in order to reduce suicide rates. Interventions will need to involve monitoring persons in high-risk groups for longer periods.

All mental disorders are associated with increased risk of suicide, especially the first years after first hospital contact.

Safety plans have proven to be an effective tool for suicide prevention, and this concept will be presented

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Existing literature highlights unique sensory processing patterns and decreased executive functions (EF) in adults with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). However, most studies have focused on specific diagnoses, such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Specific Learning Disabilities, and have used smaller sample sizes, indicating a need for broader and more comprehensive research.

Based on prior research conducted in the same laboratory, the current study aimed to comprehensively evaluate sensory processing patterns and EF in adults with NDD compared to controls, as well as to explore the relationships between these characteristics within each group.

The study sample included 290 adults (aged 20–50 years), comprising 149 individuals with NDD and 141 matched controls. Participants completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Adult Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF).

Significant group differences were found in the AASP scores (F(4,285) = 42.05, p < .001, ηp² = 0.37), with variations in three sensory processing subscales: low registration (F(1,288) = 149.92, p < .001, ηp² = 0.34), sensitivity (F(1,288) = 103.97, p < .001, ηp² = 0.26), and avoidance (F(1,288) = 50.06, p < .001, ηp² = 0.48), though not in sensory seeking. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the BRIEF (F(5,284) = 67.58, p < .001) across all nine subscales and indexes. Notably, significant correlations were identified between BRIEF scores and three AASP subscales in both groups: low registration (control: r = .50, p < .001; NDD: r = .54, p < .001), sensitivity (control: r = .45, p < .001; NDD: r = .47, p < .001), and avoidance (control: r = .45, p < .001; NDD: r = .42, p < .001).

This study highlights the distinct sensory processing patterns and EF challenges in adults with NDD compared to controls. The findings also reveal a consistent relationship between sensory processing and EF across both groups. These insights enhance the understanding of the interplay between sensory and executive functioning, emphasizing the importance of considering these characteristics at assessment and intervention of adults with NDD.

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Late-life depression (LLD) is consistently linked with higher risk of subsequent dementia (Livingston G et al. Lancet 2024; 404: 572-628); however, predictors of progression from LLD to dementia are yet to be identified.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we focus specifically on cognitive phenotypes of LLD as predictors of progression to dementia. This review aims to summarize findings from longitudinal studies exploring which cognitive domains affected by LLD are more likely to predict progression to all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO were searched for relevant studies published by April 18th, 2024. Study search and selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed by two reviewers separately, in accordance with the updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines (Page MJ et al. BMJ 2021; 372). Effect sizes for performance on neurocognitive tests were extracted and pooled separately for all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) outcomes.

Six studies were selected for inclusion (See Fig. 1 for PRISMA flowchart). Conversion from LLD to all-cause dementia was strongly predicted by worse performance on delayed recall (SMD 0.84 [0.64 – 1.05]), immediate recall (SMD 1.02 [0.63 – 1.41]), attention/working memory (SMD 1.17[0.82 – 1.52]), processing speed (SMD 1.23 [0.37 – 2.10]), delayed recognition (SMD 1.30 [0.59 – 2.01]) and orientation (SMD 1.13 [0.90 – 1.36]); and moderately by verbal fluency (SMD 0.70 [0.50 – 0.91]), naming (SMD 0.54 [0.16 – 0.93]), and construction (SMD 0.67 [0.37 – 0.98]), but not intelligence (see Fig. 2). For AD, strong effects were observed for deficits in delayed recall (SMD 1.30 [0.59 – 2.01]), immediate recall (SMD 1.26 [0.74-1.79]), and orientation (SMD 1.64 [0.67 – 2.62]), and small to moderate for verbal fluency (SMD 0.47 [0.06 – 0.87]) and processing speed (0.66 [0.26 – 1.07]); attention or naming were not significant predictors (See Fig. 3).

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There appear to be significant neurocognitive differences across a wide range of domains within an episode of LLD between those who convert to dementia and those who do not. Future studies should aim to establish a neurocognitive profile of LLD associated with risk of conversion to specific subtypes of dementia.

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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a pervasive global health issue, contributing significantly to disability and impaired quality of life. A substantial proportion of individuals with MDD develop Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), characterised by the failure to respond to at least two adequate antidepressant treatments (at an adequate dose and duration). TRD poses additional challenges due to its complex clinical presentation and limited treatment options, making it crucial to better understand its impact and develop more effective care strategies.

To investigate the prevalence and clinical profiles of TRD in a large NHS Mental Health Trust and explore the treatment experiences and perceptions of TRD patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in their care.

A concurrent mixed-methods approach, incorporating patient and public involvement (PPIE), was used. Quantitative analysis of anonymised electronic health records (EHRs) identified the TRD cohort and key characteristics (e.g. age, gender, employment status). Binary logistic regression explored predictors such as comorbidities and service use. The qualitative component included semi-structured interviews with TRD patients (n=7) and HCPs (n=8), analysed using thematic analysis to explore lived experiences and treatment barriers. Findings from both approaches were integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of TRD.

TRD was prevalent in 48% of patients diagnosed with MDD. Predictors of TRD included recurrent depression (OR=1.24, CI 95%=1.05–1.45), comorbid anxiety (OR=1.21, CI 95%=1.03–1.41), personality disorders (OR=1.35, CI 95%=1.10–1.65), and cardiovascular diseases (OR=1.46, CI 95%=1.02–2.07). Qualitative findings highlighted the severe emotional impact of TRD on patients’ lives and revealed significant dissatisfaction with treatment options, particularly frustration with the “trial and error” approach of pharmacological treatments. HCPs echoed concerns about the lack of standardised treatment pathways, with both groups emphasising the need for more holistic and personalised care, citing limited access as a serious barrier to effective treatment.

This study highlights the significant burden of TRD, affecting nearly half of MDD patients within the examined NHS Trust. By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, it offers a comprehensive understanding of TRD’s prevalence and complexities. The findings support a shift toward holistic, patient-centred care, addressing institutional barriers and enhancing healthcare provider resources to improve outcomes.

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Suicide and self-harming behaviors represent significant public health challenges across Europe, with profound implications for individuals, families, and communities. This presentation aims to explore current trends in suicide and self-harm, highlighting variations across different European countries and demographic groups. Recent data indicate a concerning rise in self-harming behaviors, particularly among adolescents and young adults, often linked to factors such as mental health disorders, social isolation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the stigma surrounding mental health issues continues to hinder open discussions and access to care, exacerbating the problem.Looking ahead, this presentation will propose future directions for research and practice, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach that integrates psychological, social, and medical perspectives. By fostering collaboration among healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organizations, we can enhance our understanding of suicide and self-harm, ultimately leading to more effective prevention and intervention strategies. This session aims to stimulate dialogue and inspire innovative solutions to address these pressing issues in Europe, promoting mental well-being and reducing the incidence of suicide and self-harming behaviors.

P. Saiz Grant / Research support from: “laCaixa” Foundation, Government of the Principality of Asturias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Consultant of: Angelini Pharma, Ethypharm Digital Therapy, Johnson & Johnson, Rovi, and Viatris España.

Psychiatry residency programs in Spain offer diverse clinical rotations to ensure comprehensive training. However, certain rotations may require adjustments in length or structure to meet the evolving educational needs of residents. This study assesses the opinions of psychiatry residents regarding which rotations should be extended, shortened, or maintained.

To evaluate the perceived need for adjustments in rotation length across various subspecialties of psychiatry, including child and adolescent psychiatry, dual pathology, and psychotherapy, among others.

Data was collected through a national survey of psychiatry residents in Spain. Respondents were asked to indicate whether specific rotations should be lengthened, shortened, or maintained. Quantitative analysis was performed on responses for seven key rotations: child psychiatry, dual pathology, psychotherapy, research, neuropsychiatry, community psychiatry, and geropsychiatry.

A total of 109 psychiatry residents participated in the survey. The most frequently requested extension was for geropsychiatry, with 57% of respondents advocating for a longer rotation, followed closely by community psychiatry (48%). In contrast, rotations in research (26%) and child psychiatry (24%) were identified as those most needing to be shortened. Most residents supported maintaining the current duration of dual pathology (86%) and neuropsychiatry (83%) rotations.

The results suggest a strong desire among psychiatry residents to extend rotations in geropsychiatry and community psychiatry, while shortening research and child psychiatry. These findings highlight the need for training programs to reevaluate the duration of certain rotations to better align with resident learning needs.

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Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia experience a 2- to 3-fold higher mortality rate compared to the general population, with cardiovascular disease being the primary cause. On average, they lose about 15 years of potential life. Additionally, up to 15% of individuals with schizophrenia develop type 2 diabetes, further exacerbating their health challenges.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, as an adjunctive treatment to antipsychotic therapy in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, prediabetes and overweight.

We conducted an investigator-initiated, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial across two clinical sites in Denmark. Out of 402 possible eligible participants, 154 were enrolled. Participants were receiving second-generation antipsychotic treatment, were overweight or obese, and had prediabetes (HbA1c 39-47 mmol/mol). Data collection spanned from January 1, 2022, to May 1, 2024. The primary outcome measure was changes in HbA1c, with secondary outcomes including psychotic symptoms, quality of life, BMI, and cardiometabolic parameters. A pre-specified statistical analysis plan was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov prior to unblinding the treatment arms.

The trial is spear-headed by Odense University Hospital with recruitment from community psychiatry settings in the Region of Southern Denmark and Region Zealand.

The last patient visit was May 1, 2024 and unblinding occurred primo September 2024. Results will be analyzed in Q4, 2024 and primary and secondary results presented at the conference.

Semaglutide holds potential as a novel therapeutic option for individuals with schizophrenia who experience prediabetes and antipsychotic-induced weight gain.

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Smartphones, central to modern life, offer a cost-effective tool for gaining patient insights outside the consultation room. Through passive data collection (e.g., sensor data) and active questioning, smartphones enable ecological assessments of psychiatric symptoms and self-reported experiences. This “moment-by-moment quantification of the individual-level human phenotype in situ using data from personal digital devices” via digital phenotyping (DP) has garnered significant research attention, showing potential for early detection and intervention in mental health.

We explore recent DP developments in mental health, highlighting its potential to transform clinical practice while acknowledging challenges and risks.

Narrative literature review resorting to PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords such as “digital phenotyping”, “digital phenotype”, “digital biomarker” and “mobile sensing”.

DP studies, particularly in Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia, mostly rely machine learning for data analysis. Biomarkers from passive data (e.g., GPS, social connectivity, physical activity) correlate with self-reports and clinical measures of depression, anxiety, mania, and psychosis. Speech and text analysis through Natural Language Processing (NLP) offers new research avenues. DP promises early detection, relapse prevention, and treatment monitoring but faces challenges, including privacy concerns, and low user engagement - that could be solved by closing the loop by returning individual research results or a tailor-made intervention. Nevertheless, regulation and good practice standards are still lacking, posing the threat of diagnostic inaccuracy and undeniable iatrogenic risk.

For DP to fully realize its potential, integration with standard care and existing systems is essential. While risks exist, when comparing DP with other medical interventions currently under research, perils are minor. Mental health care urgently needs disruptive innovation to improve access and quality.

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Depressive disorder is a common mental disorder, with an estimated 3.8% of the population experiencing it. Despite the advent of new antidepressant medication, many patients presenting with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) do not recover after multiple trials. Although the prevalence of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is not clear due to the lack of a standard definition, its prevalence ranges from approximately 30 to 70 percent.

Considering the high prevalence of treatment-resistant depression, this work aims to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative treatments, namely Noninvasive Neuromodulation Therapies in the treatment of MDD.

Non-systematic literature review, using Pubmed as database, with the keywords “depression treatment”, “neuromodulation” and “noninvasive neuromodulation”.

We can divide non-invasive neuromodulation into convulsive therapies (CV) and therapies that do not involve inducing a seizure. Additionally, we can also divide them into clinically available therapies and others only available in investigational settings.

Regarding clinically available CV, we have Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), the oldest neurostimulation procedure. Being heavily studied, ECT is superior to pharmacotherapy for MDD based upon meta-analyses of randomized trials and is generally considered the most efficacious treatment for depression, albeit recurrence following remission is common.

Other CV, but still in investigational stages, are Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) and Focal electrically administered seizure therapy (FEAST) both showing positive results in prospective studies and MST in a small head-to-head randomized trials with ECT, that showed a similar efficacy between these two therapies.

Other clinically available, but not convulsive therapies, are Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES). Meta-analyses of randomized trials indicate that rTMS is beneficial for treating TRD, being also approved by the FDA. In its turn, multiple reviews indicate that no high-quality studies have demonstrated that CES is efficacious for MDD or TRD.

Additional non-convulsive therapies, available in investigational settings, include Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Transcranial Low Voltage Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields, Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation, Low Field Magnetic Stimulation and Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation, with all of them showing positive effects in the treatment of MDD or TRD, except for Low field magnetic stimulation.

With this review, we were able to verify that clinically available non-invasive neurodomulation therapies, such as ECT and rTMS, present robust results in the treatment of MDD and TRD, however, resistance to these therapies also exists.

Considering the positive results of multiple novelty therapies, these could be the solution to this scourge.

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The cannabis use has increased widely in Tunisia during the ten past years, especially in adolescents and young adults. Cannabis use can lead to mental and physical health problems.

The aim of the study was to determine the factors associated to problematic cannabis use.

This was a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study including 115 subjects arrested for suspected drug use, carried out using a pre-established questionnaire, the CAST (Cannabis Abuse Screening Test) for the assessment of cannabis use, the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression scale, the 5-word Test of Dubois for memory evaluation, and the Rosenberg scale for the assessment of self-esteem.

A urine dosage of cannabis was also performed.

The mean age of the study population was 25.19 ± 6.7 years. The sex ratio was 8.16. the problematic users represented 73.9% of the study population. The cannabis was used in the form of joints. Memory decline was noted in 73% of the cases, and 52% of users had anxiety and depression symptoms.

Problematic use was associated to male gender (p<0.001), to an age older than 21.5 years (p= 0.01), to early initiation (p= 0.005), to memory decline (p= 0.003) and the higher scores of anxiety (p< 0.001)

The frequency of cannabis consumption and the vulnerability factors of problematic use must be taken into account in prevention campaigns.

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Sleep is essential for one’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. Healthy sleep is particularly important for adolescents, individuals who undergo drastic developmental changes, making them susceptible to psychiatric disorders. Education and sleep health promotion to the public are urgently needed to improve population sleep health (Lim et al. Lancet Public Health 2023; 8 e820-e826). One novel way to improve sleep health communication is to engage adolescents with lived experiences of sleep disturbances in the development of sleep health innovations.

The designathon is a participatory innovation context that brings individuals to co-create communication packages to address a specific challenge within a short period. We aimed to present the process of crowdsourcing designathon to create sleep health communication packages for adolescents and the products produced in the event.

The designathon was a two-day event held at a university building in Hong Kong. Adolescents were recruited from a summer programme about sleep and psychology and sorted into groups with a balance of educational backgrounds. A judging panel that included experts in sleep and mental health and a youth representative evaluated the communication packages. The products were scored based on content, accuracy, visuals, innovation, and delivery.

A total of 13 participants participated in the designathon. About 61.5% (n=8) of participants reported poor sleep quality. All three groups successfully created a sleep health communication package consisting of a poster, a leaflet, and a slideshow during the 2-day designathon event. One finalist was selected. The finalist package was a comprehensive package comprising psychoeducation and action elements to promote napping in school to address insufficient sleep and psychological health, and was described as structured, interesting, and informative although some information may be too technical to layperson based on judges’ comments.

Designathon is a novel and successful strategy to engage the community to co-create sleep health communication package for adolescents. It is promising to utilise crowdsourcing designathon to increase access to sleep educational information and improve knowledge in the public. Future studies are needed to evaluate the feasibility, impact, and implementation of the products.

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