Internet use can become uncontrollable, leading to physical and psychological suffering and what is known as cyberaddiction.

To assess the frequency of cyberaddiction in a population of young doctors.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study of a population of young doctors. We collected socio-professional and medical data using a Google Forms self-questionnaire. The Young scale was recommended for screening for cyberaddiction. A score ≥5 indicates Internet addiction. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) was adopted to reveal anxiety-depressive disorders.

A total of 45 physicians responded to our survey. The mean age was 29.93±4.8 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.3. Participants were single in 69% of cases. Residents represented 64% of the population. Physicians were family medicine residents in 11% of cases. The mean Young’s score was 3.13±1.97/8. Cyberaddiction was noted in 24% of cases. A definite anxiety-depressive disorder was found in 6.7% and 13.3% of cases respectively. Internet addiction was significantly associated with female gender (p<0.05) and a positive HAD (A) score (p=0.03).

According to the results of our study, cyberaddiction is common among medical staff. A preventive strategy is needed to counter the harmful effects of this addiction.

None Declared

Excessive use of tobacco, alcohol and other illicit drugs has a negative impact on the physical and mental health and work capacity of users. Physicians are no exception to these dreadful practices.

To assess tobacco and alcohol use among medical staff and the factors associated with these uses.

Descriptive cross-sectional study of physicians practicing in different Tunisian hospitals. The levels of tobacco and alcohol dependence were assessed by the Fangeström and AUDIT tests. Anxiety and depression disorders were screened by the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD)

A total of 45 physicians participated in our study. The average professional seniority was 3.36 ± 3.5 years. The mean age was 32.11 ± 6.08 years with a sex ratio (M/F) of 0.32. The participants were medical residents in 64% of the cases. The frequency of smoking was estimated at 24%. The level of smoking dependence was high in 9% of cases. Men were more addicted to nicotine than women (p=0.014). Alcohol consumption was 18%, made up of 62% of women; with a strong dependence rate in 25% of users. Definite anxiety disorders were found in 7% of cases and definite depressive disorders were present in 13% of cases. No correlation between medical specialty, grade, anxiety disorders and level of dependence was observed.

Doctors seem to be particularly affected by addictive behaviours and psycho-emotional disorders which could sustain these practices. Awareness-raising sessions and special monitoring must be introduced to combat these scourges.

None Declared

Clozapine is the standard treatment for managing treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). However, concerns arise due to potential hematologic side effects, such as agranulocytosis, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aims to investigate the association between clozapine treatment and an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection in patients with TRS.

A retrospective study reviewed clinical records of forensic patients with TRS from 2020 to 2022 at Razi Hospital’s forensic psychiatry department in Tunisia. Twenty-five patients, including 18 on clozapine treatment, were included.

All patients were male, with an average age of 39.7 years. Twenty-three patients received at least one vaccine dose. Twenty-two patients contracted COVID-19. Among those treated with clozapine, two required intensive care unit admission and oxygen therapy without intubation. Clozapine treatment remained uninterrupted, with no dose escalation during infection episodes. Lymphopenia was the most commonly reported hematologic abnormality.

While there may be an association between clozapine use and an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, no clear correlation with infection severity and antipsychotic treatment was established in this study. Further research is needed to explore this potential association comprehensively.

None Declared

Being a doctor is a profession with special medical requirements. Therefore, the assessment of medical fitness for work among physicians remains a complex decision, particularly for those with psychiatric disorders.

To assess the fitness for work decisions among physicians with psychiatric disorders.

Descriptive and retrospective study including physicians with psychiatric disorders referred to the occupational department of the Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for a medical fitness for work from January 1, 2018 to August 30, 2023.

The study included 28 patients with a female predominance (sex ratio M/F at 0.3) and a mean age of 44.1 ± 12 years. Participants were general practitioners (N=12), junior doctors (N=10), specialists (N=5) and one dentist. They worked in the public health sector in 93% of cases, and had a mean professional seniority of 12.4 ± 9.3 years. A psychiatric history was found in 20 patients. Current psychiatric disorders recorded were: depression (N=15), bipolar disorder (N=7), anxiety-depressive disorder (N=4), personality disorders (N=1) and addiction (N=1). Concerning the fitness for work, six patients were fit for work and 11 were temporarily unfit. Job adjustments were proposed for 11 physicians, mainly night shift exemption.

Physicians are exposed to several occupational hazards and require strict medical qualifications. The impact of psychiatric disorders on medical fitness for work is considerable, and could be avoided by appropriate prevention by occupational health practionnairers, starting from professional orientation.

None Declared

Chronic exposure to damaging noise can lead to hearing loss . People suffering from hearing problems find it increasingly difficult to communicate and become withdrawn. This lack of contact can lead to the onset of anxiodepressive disorders .

To study the epidemiological and clinical particularities of hearing loss in patients with psychoaffective disorders.

To study the impact of this association on the medical aptitude for work.

Retrospective descriptive study of depressive patients with hearing loss who consulted the Occupational Medicine Department at Charles Nicolle Hospital over a six-year period from January 2016 to November 2022.

Out of 150 patients with hearing loss who consulted our service, 10 patients had an axio-dépressive disorder . Seven were men and three were women. The mean age was 43 ± 5 years and the mean job seniority was 11 years [3-20]. they belonged to the telecommunications (n=6), industry (n=2), printing(n=1), and transport sectors (n=1) . The job positions were : teleconsultant (n=6), operator machine (n=3) and driver (n=1)  the symptoms presented by the patients were hearing loss (n=4), otalgia (n=1) , diziness (n=1), tinnitus(n=1) . The average time to onset of symptoms was 13±8 years [1-35] . The hearing deficits presented by the patients were: sensorineural hearing loss (n=7), mixed hearing loss (n=1) and conductive hearing loss (n=2). The mean of Hearing loss were 34±9 dB in the right ear and 34±6 dB in the left ear . A declaration of the deafness as an occupational disease was indicated in two of the cases. the univariate statistical study showed that anxiety-depressive disorders were associated with tinnitus (p=0,036,OR=4,2[0,99-17,659]) and the position of teleconsultant (p=0,009,OR=5,622[1,338-23,627] . Eviction from exposition to noise was indicated in seven cases

According to our study, hearing loss in patients with anxio-depressice disordes is associated with tinnitus and teleconsultant job position . Early screening early screening of people at risk is recommended.

None Declared

Patients with mental illness, particularly those with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. The protective effect of vaccination against severe disease has been demonstrated, and vaccination of vulnerable individuals was a priority during the vaccination campaign. However, the effect of vaccination on the psychiatric symptoms of the disease is not well understood.

To investigate the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on psychiatric symptoms and somatic symptoms in patients hospitalized for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Thirty patients hospitalized for treatment-resistant schizophrenia with a history of medico-legal acts were admitted to the forensic psychiatry department at Razi Hospital in Manouba, Tunisia. The consent of patients and/or their relatives was obtained before vaccination, and potential side effects were explained to patients and their families. A neuropsychiatric assessment and clinical examination of patients were performed by their referring psychiatrist before vaccination and one month after.

The patients were all male, with a mean age of 42.3 years.No patient had an allergic reaction to the vaccine. No patient was infected with the virus one month after vaccination. On the clinical level, 30% of patients had general symptoms such as fatigue and myalgia, which improved spontaneously within a few days. On the psychiatric level, exacerbation of positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions was found in 26% of patients. No increase in the frequency of agitation episodes or risk of hetero-aggressive behavior was reported. Sleep disturbances such as difficulty falling asleep and fragmented sleep were reported. The most common functional complaints reported by patients were palpitations, which were a source of somatic concern.

Several side effects of the vaccine have been documented and are taken into account in the daily practice of practitioners, but psychiatric effects are poorly reported and are sometimes attributed to the underlying disease. A complete examination, objective assessment, and regular follow-up are necessary to identify symptoms early and prevent relapses.Because of the small size of the sample;results could not be generelized.Further studies on a larger scale should be conducted.

None Declared

The driver’s job is a safety job requiring a meticulous neuropsychological assessment, which can affect the decision on fitness to drive. Professional driving benefits from codified regulations concerning neuropsychological disorders.

To describe the socio-professional characteristics of drivers with psychiatric illnesses

To specify the impact of these pathologies on decisions on fitness for work

Retrospective descriptive study of drivers with psychiatric disorders who consulted the occupational pathology and fitness for work department of the Charles Nicolle Hospital for fitness for work assessment during the period from January 2016 to January 2023.

Out of 98 drivers who consulted our department for an aptitude assessment, nine (n=9) patients had a psychiatric disorder. The average age was 45±7 years. They were all men. They were bus (n=7), light car (n=1), and lorry (n=1) drivers. They belonged to the transport (n=7) and service (n=2) sectors. Length of service ranged from one year to 35 years. The pathologies presented by the patients were: anxiety-depressive disorder (n=7) , bipolar disorder (=1) and drug-addiction (n=1). They were being treated with antidepressants (n=7), anxiolytics (n=3), and thymoregulators (n=1). The medico-legal decision was to avoid professional driving (n=7) and to avoid professional driving at night (n=2).

psychiatric illnesses can compromise fitness to work. The role of the occupational physician in the primary and secondary prevention of people at risk is important.

None Declared

Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic that is primarily prescribed for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Despite its proven efficacy, the prescription of clozapine is sometimes limited by its hematologic side effects, including agranulocytosis. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, schizophrenia is recognized as a risk factor for developing severe forms of the infection. Early and complete vaccination of patients has been recommended. However, there is limited data on the effect of the vaccine on the risk of hematologic abnormalities in patients treated with clozapine.

To study the hematologic effect of the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 in a population of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia treated with clozapine.

Twenty-five patients hospitalized for schizophrenia at the forensic psychiatry department of Razi Hospital in Manouba, Tunisia, were included. Eighteen patients were treated with clozapine, and seven patients were treated with other antipsychotics. Consent from patients and/or their relatives was obtained before vaccination. The results of complete blood counts performed as part of the therapeutic protocol were compared between the two groups before and after administration of the vaccine.

No patient experienced agranulocytosis induced by clozapine after vaccination against COVID-19.Blood cells counts,red blood cells counts,and platelets were within the normal ranges.However,a decrease in the number of WBCs,neutrophils,and lymphocytes was observed in patients treated with clozapine without significant difference compared to the patients treated with other neuroleptics, but there was no severe neutropenia or need to stop treatment.

The prescription of clozapine, the introduction protocol, and treatment administration have been greatly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the hepatotoxic risk of the drug. Vaccination is essential to prevent severe forms of the infection, especially in at-risk populations such as patients treated for schizophrenia.The potentiation of hematologic side effects induced by clozapine by the vaccine is not documented.The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is safe even with clozapine

None Declared

Assessing the medical fitness of workers with mood disorders remains a topical issue, because of its organizational, socioeconomic and professional impact.

To assess the medical and occupational characteristics of workers with mood disorders.

To evaluate the impact of these psychiatric disorders on the medical decision of fitness for work.

Descriptive and retrospective study, over six years (January 1, 2018 to August 30, 2023) including all medical records of workers with mood disorders (bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and depression), referred to the occupational department of the Charles-Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for a medical fitness for work.

The study included 101 patients, mostly female (sex ratio = 0.4), with a mean age of 43.3 ± 9.2 years. The most represented sector of activity was health care. The participants were mainly nurses (25%), followed by technicians (22%) and workers (21%). The mean job seniority was 16.5 ± 9.3 years. A pathological history was found in 74.3% of cases, of which 47.5% were psychiatric disorders. Mood disorders identified in our population were: bipolar disorder (53.5%), anxiety disorder (43.5%), and depression (3%). After medical examination and the decision of treating physician, 39% of the patients (N=39) were declared fit for work, and 31.4% (N=32) were fit with ergonomic adjustments. These accomodations consisted mainly of night shift exemptions in 75% of cases. Temporary unfitness was declared in 24 patients (23.6%). Job mutation was recommended for four patients. Early retirement due to invalidity was proposed for two patients.

The decision on the medical fitness of workers with psychiatric disorders remains a delicate issue that requires the attention of both legislators and occupational health practitioners.

None Declared

Adult and child psychiatry residents encounter unique stressors in their training distinct from those in other medical specialties. Patient suicide has been identified as one of the most distressing experiences during psychiatric training.

This study represents the first Tunisian investigation aiming to assess (1) the impact of patient suicide on psychiatry residents and (2) the limitations of the institutional support system in dealing with such cases.

A Google Forms questionnaire was distributed via email to all residents, gathering socio-demographic data, assessing traumatic impact using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and soliciting open-ended responses regarding personal experiences and expectations of the institutional support system.

Fifty-three residents participated in the study. Among them, 29 residents had encountered patient suicide, with 12 directly involved. Symptoms of PTSD were detected in three residents. The physician directly involved in treating the suicidal patient reported the highest PCL-5 score. The majority of residents (27 out of 29) expressed the need for a structured support and training program tailored to healthcare professionals dealing with suicide.

The findings suggest that psychiatric residents may require additional training and support to effectively address the complex issue of patient suicide. Implementing specific training programs could significantly enhance their ability to manage such situations.

None Declared

Long-term leave for psychiatric illness is the most frequently prescribed reason for leave, and appears to be on the increase in recent years.

To draw up a sociodemographic, occupational and clinical profile of workers who have taken long-term sick leave for psychiatric illness

Retrospective descriptive study involving the medical files of workers from both the public and private sectors, having benefited from long-term sick leave over a period going from August 17, 2022 to September 12, 2023, referred to the occupational medicine and pathology department of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for medical fitness-for-work assessment. Data collection was based on a pre-established synoptic form.

During the study period, we identified 639 long-term sick leave prescribed for psychiatric illnesses. Our study population was predominantly female, with a sex ratio of 0.29 and a mean age of 46.82 ± 25.06 years. Sixty percent of employees were married. The most represented occupational category was nurses (33%). Average job seniority was 17.21±10.41 years. Depressive syndrome was the most common psychiatric pathology in our population (80.3%), followed by bipolar disorder (6.4%) and anxiety disorder (5%). Long-term sick leave was prescribed by a psychiatrist working in the private sector in 90.3% of cases. The average duration of leave was 63.70±31.58 days. The triggering factor was work-related and social in 33.6% and 30.1% of cases respectively. The agents returned to work after the long-term sick leave in 92% of cases.

Long-term sick leave for psychiatric reasons is a handicap to productivity in society. Non-occupational factors are thought to be responsible for these mental health disorders. Setting up and improving social structures in the workplace would reduce the number of cases of long-term sick leave

None Declared

Acute dystonia, an adverse effect of neuroleptics, is linked to D2 neuronal receptor hypersensitivity or neurotoxicity due to oxidative stress mechanisms. Pisa syndrome (PS) or Pleurothotonus, a relatively uncommon condition, manifests as dystonia of the trunk and is potentially reversible with early intervention.

To describe PS following haloperidol decanoate injection in a treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) patient, identify associated risk factors, and present therapeutic options.

We provide a comprehensive case description and perform a PubMed database search using the following keywords: “Pisa syndrome,” “dystonia,” “schizophrenia,” and “antipsychotic”.

A 54-year-old man with TRS, previously treated with 100 mg of haloperidol decanoate and 10 mg of olanzapine due to clozapine-induced myocarditis, exhibited hallucinatory delusional syndrome and behavioral disturbances. Neurological examination, lab tests, and brain imaging confirmed a psychotic relapse. Haloperidol decanoate dosage was increased to 150 mg. Four days later, the patient developed a trunk tilt that resolved after receiving anticholinergic treatment.Despite PS being more common in females and associated with brain conditions, this patient presented multiple risk factors, including prolonged typical antipsychotic treatment, advanced age, and an increase in antipsychotic doses. Discontinuing the causative antipsychotic or adding synthetic anticholinergics led to symptom reversibility.

PS is a rare occurrence. Understanding associated risk factors and frequently implicated medications is crucial for elucidating the phenomenon and managing the disorder

None Declared

People followed at the department of psychiatry have a high prevalence of somatic pathologies that are generally not taken optimal care of in time, which implies excess mortality rate among these patients.

To study somatic comorbidities in patients followed at the department of psychiatry of the regional hospital of Gabes (Tunisia).

We conducted a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study carried out on a clinical population who consult for the first time at the psychiatry department at the Gabes regional hospital during the period from January 1st, 2010 to December 31, 2013. Sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutic data of the patients were assessed. Data were analysed using the software SPSS (20th edition).

The number of patients consulting for the first time at the psychiatry department during the study’s period was 1601 patients, with a mean age of 34 years and a sex ratio (M / F) of 0.96. Among these patients, 399 (24.9%) had somatic comorbidity. The most common somatic comorbidity was arterial hypertension (8.1% of patients, n=129 patients). Diabetes mellitus was ranked second with 99 patients (6.2%). The analytical study showed that depressive disorders were significantly more frequent in patients with hypertension (p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (p<0.001) and asthma (p=0.026).

Somatic comorbidities were frequent in patients followed by the department of psychiatry. Paying attention to somatic comorbidities must be part of the evaluation of these patients in order to coordinate effectively with the somatic doctors.

Bipolar disorders (BD) are associated with a high degree of impulsivity especially during manic and depressive episodes. However, there is little information on impulsivity during remission phase.

Our objective was to assess impulsivity in patients with BD in remission compared to healthy controls (HC).

This was a comparative, cross-sectional and analytical study, conducted in the outpatient psychiatry department of Hedi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax (Tunisia), from July to September 2019, among 30 patients with BD in remission compared to 34 HC. Data were collected on a pre-established questionnaire. Impulsivity was assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11).

Mean ages of BD patients and HC were 44.17 and 40.1 years, respectively. The sex ratio was 1.7 in BD patients and 0.9 in HC groups. Age of onset of BD was 30 years. Impulsivity scores of the BD patients were higher than HC on total (66.27 vs 53.53) and three subscales measures; motor (21.83 vs 16.15), attentional (15.83 vs 13.53) and non planning impulsivity (28.93 vs 23.71). High degree of impulsivity was noted in 33.3% of BD patients. BD patients scored significantly higher than the HC on total, motor, and non planning impulsivity scores (p = 0.001; p = 0.001; p=0.000, respectively)

Our study found that patients with BD had a high degree of impulsivity outside the critical period compared to healthy individuals. Would this impulsivity be a vulnerability marker to the risk of early onset of the disease or the risk of its relapse?

Psychiatric staff could be exposed to various types of violence that might have potential consequences on their psychological balance.

To detect post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To assess the professional quality of life among psychiatric hospital workers.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the psychiatric department of the Hedi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax. The questionnaire study had three major components: the baseline participant characteristics,the post-traumatic stress disorder Checklist (PCL-5) for which a total symptom severity score cutoff of 38 was recommended as the cutoff for a positive screening test and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL).

Thirty-one participants completed the questionnaire. The sex-ratio was 0.93. The mean age was 41.5 years. All participants were exposed to physical or verbal assault. Physical aggression was the most traumatic behavior reported by 39.3% of psychiatric professionals. A feeling of insecurity when performing professional tasks was reported by 93.3% of participants. Among participants, 41.9% expressed the desire to change workplace. The mean score on the PCL-5 was 21.6 ± 15.35. Five participants (16.7%) had a PCL-5 score ≥ 38. The Compassion Satisfaction mean score was 37.48 ± 5.64. The burnout mean score was 26.41 ± 7.3 and the mean score at the secondary traumatic stress scale was 27 ±6.7.

PTSD could result from stressful events encountered in the course of managing patients in mental health departments. Attention to post-traumatic event interventions may be useful both to reduce the rate of PTSD and to improve the professional quality of life among psychiatric staff.

The university transition life is the most frequent source of problems. These problems results from stress academic and family relationship dysfunction. These stress factors can pose a risk in student's mental and physical health.

However, stress is the result of a transaction between the person and the environment.

Of this work is to validate the specific scale of perceived stress among Tunisian students.

To evaluate the perceived stress among students, we used the specific scale of perceived stress (Boujut E, Bruchon-Schweitzer M, 2003). This scale was constructed and validated on French students.

The scale is as a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 25 items.

The validation was made on a representative sample of university students (n = 500) randomly selected.

The main properties studied were: acceptability, reliability (Pearson’s coefficient ‘r’), face validity and content validity (Cronbach's alpha).

The acceptability of the questionnaire was good, less than 10% of students were unable or unwilling to complete the questionnaire. The Pearson coefficient showed good reliability for this scale r = 0.98, p < 0.05. The Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for all items of the scale α = 0.81.

The specific scale of perceived stress is valid among Tunisian students. It is now available for clinicians to measure the level of perceived stress among students.

Gaining access to university is a potential stressful situation. This stress results from external factors such as lifestyle change, academic stress and family relationship dysfunction but also other factors of personal vulnerability as neuroticism. These factors may represent a risk in student's mental and physical health.The objective of this work is to extract the various predictors of stress among Tunisian students.

To evaluate the perceived stress among students, we used the specific scale of perceived stress (Boujut E, Bruchon-Schweitzer M, 2003). Neuroticism among students was evaluated using the Neuroticism scale of the NEO-PI-R (Costa and McCrae, 1985).Both scales have been validated among Tunisian students.Students also answered a general questionnaire with questions relating to conditions of life like the type of lodgment and socio-economic status of parents.Our study was conducted on a representative sample of university students (n = 500) randomly selected.The correlation between perceived stress and neuroticism and between perceived stress and the various issues was measured by Pearson's ‘r’.

The Pearson coefficient showed a weak correlation between the total score of perceived stress and neuroticism score r = 0.42.The correlation between the total score of perceived stress and some questions of the questionnaire was good ;like the type of housing, socio-economic level, the means of transport used to go to school ; p < 0.05 for each of these issues.

Stress among Tunisian students is due to external factors rather personal factors.

Neuroticism is one of the five fundamental dimensions of personality based on the model of the Big Five. It is defined as the general tendency to experience unpleasant emotions such as hostile emotions, feelings of anxiety or depression.

The objective of this work is to validate the Neuroticism scale of the NEO-PI-R (Costa and McCrae, 1985) among Tunisian students.

Neuroticism among students was evaluated using the Neuroticism scale of the NEO-PI-R (Costa and McCrae, 1985). This scale provides an overall score of Neuroticism Lire phonétiquement Dictionnaire - Afficher le dictionnaire and also different scores for each of the six Neuroticism facets are: anxiety, depression, anger / hostility, impulsivity, social shyness and vulnerability to stress.

The validation was made on a representative sample of university students (n = 500) randomly selected.

The main properties studied were: acceptability, reliability (Pearson’s coefficient ‘r’), face validity and content validity (Cronbach’s alpha).

The acceptability of the questionnaire was good, less than 10% of students were unable or unwilling to complete the questionnaire. The Pearson coefficient showed good reliability for this scale r = 0.96, p < 0.05. The Cronbach’s alpha was acceptable for all items of the scale α = 0.73.

The Neuroticism scale of the NEO-PI-R (Costa and McCrae, 1985) is valid in Tunisian students. It is now available for clinicians to measure the level of neuroticism among students.

With the popularity of high-tech devices and Internet use in recent years, playing online or offline games has become a popular activity, among young adults (YA). However, research suggests that excessive engagement may in extreme cases lead to symptoms commonly experienced by substance addicts.

Estimate the prevalence of problematic use of video and Internet games (PUVIG) among YA. Determine the factors associated with it.

A cross-sectional study was carried out during the first half of September 2016. A sample of 69 YA with a high education's level was randomly selected from the general population. Data were collected through a global questionnaire consisted of a sociodemographic part, the Young Internet Addiction Test, the Problem Video Game playing questionnaire, online network game scale and the Perceived Stress Scale.

The average age was 27.6 years. The majority (70%) reported using video or Internet games. The risk of dependency to online network games involved 10% of game players while the presence of video games use consequences concerning 16%. Gaming addiction was significantly more likely in boys (P = 0.001). The students had more PUVIG than employees (P = 0.036). A link was highlighted with a problematic Internet use (P = 0.008), a facebook addiction (P = 0.001) and high perceived stress level (0.014).

Playing video and Internet games is a widespread activity among YA. The factors potentially involved are inevitably multiple and complex. It supports the need to carefully explore these emerging practices among this vulnerable population and suggest the establishment of better prevention and better tracking of video gaming.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep disorder, which leads to higher morbidity, and mortality and can result in various psychological problems, such as depression.

The purpose of this study was to assess the severity of depression and to examine its relationships with coping strategies in OSAS patients.

We performed an analytical cross-sectional study of 87 recently diagnosed OSAS patients. Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was determined by an overnight polysomnography. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Coping strategies were assessed by the brief cope.

Subjects included 38 men and 49 women averaging 55.7 years of age (SD = 11.6) with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 33.8 kg m−2. According to the AHI, 70.1% of the patients had severe OSAS, and 16.1% had moderate OSAS. Depressive symptoms were found in 44.8% of all patients. Emotional coping was used by 72.4%, while problem-focused coping was used by 28.7% of the patients. The score of depression on HADS (HADS-D) showed positive correlation with BMI (r = 0,48; P ≤ 0.001). No significant association was found between HADS-D and AHI. Depressive symptoms were associated with more emotional coping (P = 0.03) and with less problem-focused coping (P = 0.002).

Our findings suggest that depression is highly prevalent among patients with OSAS, and that coping style seems to have a significant influence on emotional status in these patients. Further research should explore the possibilities of intervening on this factor, aiming to lessen depressive symptoms in OSAS patients.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.