Empathy is an essential skill in the doctor-patient relationship since it contributes to improve aspects of health care and patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, burnout research projects have been developed in recent years.

To examine the predictive capacity that empathy has on burnout syndrome in health professionals.

A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was proposed. The type of study was correlational-descriptive since it was sought out to explore a functional relation through the prognosis of a criterion variable. Sample: 200 (100 female and 100 male).

First, the variance of cognitive and Affective Empathy was dug out in the emotional exhaustation criterion scale. Results accounted for 15% of variability in emotional exhaustation. (Corrected R 2 = .15, F = 17,56, p = 0,00). The best predictor of emotional exhaustation refers to Cognitive Empathy. (B = -.27, p = 0.00). It does not seem that Affective Empathy acts as a predictor variable of Emotional Exhaustation. (Table 1).Table 1

Multiple linear regression analysis considering Emotional Exhaustation as a criterion.

The predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Depersonalization was estimated (Corrected R 2 = .20, F = 25,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive and affective empathy were included as predictor variables and MBI as a criterion variable (Table 2). On one hand, the best predictor of Depersonalization is the Cognitive Empathy. On the other hand, regarding Affective Empathy, it does not act as a predictor of Depersonalization.Table 2

Multiple linear regression analysis considering Depersonalization as a criterion.

Lastly, the predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Personal Achievement was figured out. (Corrected R 2 = .19, F = 23,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive Empathy is the best predictor for Personal Fulfillment (Table 3).Table 3

Multiple linear regression analysis considering Personal Fullfilment as a criterion.

It was noticed that through a linear multiple regression analysis, the variable that best explains Emotional Exhaustation is Cognitive Empathy. Those results are replicated for Depersonalization and Personal Fullfilment.

None Declared

According to Bisquerra Alzina (2003),competencies are defined as a set of knowledge, capabilities, skills and attitudes, necessary to understand, express and regulate emotional phenomena appropriately and which are fundamental in the teaching profesion since they are closely related to students´performance and mental health.

compare socio-emotional skills in two groups of participants: female and male

A non-experimental,cross-sectional design was proposed for this study. The scope of this research is descriptive, in the sense,that it seeks to establish measures in regard to specific variables. Sample (100 female and 100 male).

Results revealed that the evaluated teachers show average level of socio-emotional competencies, (Table 1).The highest scores were encountered in relation to the optimism competence. It suggests that teachers have the ability to obtain favorable balances from adverse situations presented in their daily lives.Table 1:

Distribution of socio-emotional competency levels in the professionals evaluated

Findings showed that there exists a statiscally significative difference (P=0,000) in the empathy and self-efficacy dimensions. Women obtained higher scores in these two abilities in regard to men. (Table 2). No differences were observed in the rest of the competences evaluated.Table 2:

Differences according to men and women

Although teachers´s socio-emotional competences were classified in medium levels, it is necessary to implement an intervention design that allows to streghten those dimensions since they could improve not only the relationships with their students but also teachers´ mental health.

None Declared

The Dunning-Krueger effect is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to overestimate their abilities in areas where they are less competent. The Cordoba Naming Test (CNT) is a 30-item confrontation naming task. Hardy and Wright (2018) conditionally validated a measure of perceived mental workload called the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). Researchers reported that workload ratings on the NASA-TLX increased with increased task demands on a cognitive task. Anxiety is known as an emotion that can make an individual more susceptible to develop a mental health condition. We examine if the Dunning-Krueger effect occurs in a Mexican population with and without current symptoms of anxiety and possible factors driving individuals to overestimate their abilities on the CNT. We predicted the abnormal symptoms of anxiety (ASA) group would report better CNT performance, report higher perceived workloads on the CNT, and underperform on the CNT compared to the normal symptoms of anxiety (NSA) group. We also predicted the low-performance group would report better CNT performance, report higher perceived workloads on the CNT, and underperform on the CNT compared to the high-performance group.

The sample consisted of 192 Mexican participants with NSA (79 low-performance & 113 high-performance) and 74 Mexican participants with ASA (44 low-performance & 30 high-performance). Participants completed the CNT, NASA-TLX, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in Spanish. The NASA-TLX was used to evaluate perceived workloads after the completion of the CNT. Meanwhile, the HADS was used to create our anxiety groups. Finally, CNT raw scores were converted into T-scores, which then were averaged to create the following two groups: low-performance (CNT T-Score <50) and high-performance (CNT T-Score 50+). A series of 2x2 ANCOVAs, controlling for gender were used to evaluate CNT performance and perceived workloads.

We found a significant interaction where the low-performance ASA and the high-performance NSA groups demonstrated better CNT performance and reported higher perceived workloads (i.e., performance, temporal demand) on the CNT compared to their respective counterparts (i.e., low-performance NSA & high-performance ASA groups), p's<.05, ηp's2=.02. We found a main effect where the high-performance group outperformed the low-performance group on the CNT and reported lower perceived workloads on the CNT, p's<.05, ηp's2 =.04-.46.

The Dunning-Krueger effect did not occur in our sample. Participants that demonstrated better CNT performance also reported higher perceived workloads regardless of their current symptoms of anxiety. A possible explanation can be our sample's cultural norms of what would be considered as abnormal symptoms of anxiety, is a normal part of life, decreasing the possibilities to experience self-efficacy distoritions. Future studies should investigate whether the Dunning-Kruger effect may be influencing other aspects of cognitive functioning subjectively in Mexicans residing in Mexico and the United States with and without current symptoms of anxiety.

Early intervention on a first psychotic episode is fundamental for a more favorable prognosis, and it usually combines pharmacological treatment, which mainly affects positive psychotic symptoms, with interventions that can improve the rest of the symptoms and associated problems such as deterioration in social functioning (Harvey & Penn, 2010; Fusar-Poli, McGorry & Kane, 2017). While Mindfulness is gaining more and more prominence in the field of psychotherapy (Chan et al., 2019; Cillesen et al., 2019), social cognition and social functioning are being researched as key targets on which to intervene after a first psychotic episode (Green, Horan & Lee, 2015).

SocialMIND® is a mindfulness-based social cognition training tailor-made to improve social functioning in people who have suffered a first psychotic episode within the last five years. It is currently being compared with a group Psychoeducational Multicomponent Intervention (PMI) in a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) (Mediavilla et al., 2019). Both group psychotherapies include 17 sessions delivered over a 9 month period: 8 weekly sessions, 4 biweekly sessions and 5 monthly sessions.

The results of SocialMIND® at 8 weeks showed improvements in social cognition and social functioning, specifically on affective social cognition and self-care (Mediavilla et al., 2021).

To evaluate the efficacy of SocialMIND® in improving social functioning, measured by the Personal and Social Functioning (PSP) scale 16 weeks after starting the intervention, in people who have suffered a first psychotic episode in the last 5 years.

Randomized, controlled pilot trial (use of a psychoeducational multicomponent intervention or PMI as active comparator) of two parallel groups (SocialMIND® and PMI) with a 1:1 ratio using a blind evaluator.

No statistically significant differences were found in the social functioning variable between the two treatment arms. Intragroup differences are observed in other secondary variables studied (social cognition) 16 weeks after starting the interventions.

SocialMIND® has not been shown to be more effective than a PMI in improving social functioning at 16 weeks after starting the intervention in people who have suffered a first psychotic episode in the five years prior to being included in the study.

None Declared

Almost nine months after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, millions of people have been affected physically, economically and mainly mentally. Those who have stayed in their homeland, and the ones that have chosen to emigrate to a safer place.

The objective of this article is to assess the importance of social stressors in the onset of a brief psychotic episode, even in the absence of substance abuse or previous illnesses.

The case of a 45-year-old woman is described, known by the Pediatric Emergency Service, for being the tutor of a patient who suffered from anxiety attacks, having emigrated without her parents from Ukraine together with her 5 brothers. The psychotic episode begins when our patient gets notified that she must abandon the custody of the girl, because she will have to go to Turkey with her legal guardians. The family explains the behavioral changes that the patient made and how the clinical picture worsened.

She was admitted at the Hospital’s Psychiatry Service and antipsychotics treatment started. After 5 days, the episode had completely been solved.

In conclusion, we highlight the importance of social problems in the development of a psychiatric pathology and the necessary elements to prevent it: family support network, fast and efficient care services and availability of hospital and pharmaceutical resources.

None Declared

Steroids are a necessary treatment for hypoxic respiratory failure; however there are many side effects that should be taken into account. A 44- year-old-woman with asthma and no past psychiatric history was admitted due to COVID-19 pneumonia and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, presenting hypoxic respiratory failure. After two days of intravenous methylprednisolone administration, the patient presented acute psychosis and agitation.

It has been previously described that steroid use can cause effects such as mania, anxiety, agitation, delirium and psychosis amongst other. However they are a necessary treatment in respiratory illnesses and are sometimes unavoidable.

The aim was to examine the appropriate medical response to steroid induced psychosis in patients with acute hypoxic failure.

A bibliographical review was done in PubMed database searching recent cases of steroid induced psychosis using the words (“Steroid”, “Psychosis” and “COVID-19”).

According to literature, it has been shown that partial or complete reduction of steroid use and/or use of psychotropic has been successfully used to treat steroid induced psychosis. Following the research it was decided to reduce intravenous methylprednisolone dose from 20mg/ 8h to 20mg/12h and start oral haloperidol 5mg/8h the first 24h and reducing the dose progressively as the patient recovered. After the first 24 hours the patient presented adequate response to steroids as well as partial response to antipsychotic treatment; presenting no further agitation, absence of hallucinations and partial persistence of the persecutory delusion. A couple of days later there was complete remission of the psychotic symptoms and the patient was on the way to recovery from COVID-19 and RSV.

There is evidence that suggests that medications such as steroids used to treat COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses can lead to psychotic episodes. It is very important to pay attention to possible side effects when treating with steroids and evaluate the patient history as well as suggest having a follow up visit after the hospital discharge.

None Declared

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects 1 in 1000 people. Given the association of MS to many affective disorders and specifically with Bipolar Disorder (BD), it is possible that a manic episode and an acute episode of MS may appear together. In these cases, it is difficult to decide whether it is necessary to start a corticosteroid regimen as treatment for the acute episode of MS, since it may worsen manic symptoms.

The aim is to carry out a review of the existing information in relation to the comorbidity prevalence of MS and TB as well as the joint treatment of both illnesses, and to expose the details of a clinical case, regarding the treatment that was used in the acute psychiatry unit.

First, a search was done in PubMed database reviewing recent cases of steroid induced psychosis using the words (Multiple Sclerosis) AND (Bipolar Disorder). Subsequently, we describe the case of a 41-year-old patient who was admitted to the acute care unit from the emergency department presenting manic symptoms (megalomania, sensation of increased capacities and ideas of mystical content) associated to episodes of muscle weakness and gait disturbances. A screening Magnetic Resonance was performed in which lesions with inflammatory-demyelinating characteristics were detected, and was therefore catalogued as MS debut.

After carrying out a bibliographical review, we can conclude that studies recommend the inclusion of MS within the differential diagnosis of a first manic episode (1), performing neurological examinations, complete anamnesis and imaging tests, given that there is a high prevalence ratio of the comorbidity (2.95%) (2). It has been described that the use of lithium has a calming and neuroprotective agent that may be useful (3).

We consider it of interest to describe the therapeutic approach to the case. After the introduction of Aripiprazole and Lithium, a short regimen of methylprednisolone in high doses was administered to treat the MS episode. When the treatment started, the patient presented a progressive improvement of the manic episode and motor symptoms. We observed that corticosteroid therapy did not worsen the manic symptoms or the patient’s evolution in this case. We intend to contribute by providing information on the joint management of these pathologies and we consider that it is necessary to continue studying this matter to be able to manage these cases in the most appropriate way.

None Declared

Risk of functional impairment and progression to chronic illness in people with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) has motivated early intervention programs, showing promising results. Defining the characteristics of people with FEP at local level enables the clinicians to adjust interventional models to the reality of the population. The area 5 of Madrid (Spain) is referred to La Paz University Hospital and it serves a catchment area of roughly 527,000 people.

We aim to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients in the area 5 of Madrid (Spain) who meet the criteria of FEP.

A descriptive retrospective study including 179 people (age range 18-40 years) who were attended in mental health services of La Paz University Hospital (area 5 of Madrid, Spain), between January 2019 and May 2020, having suffered a psychotic episode in the last five years.

The average age of people with FEP was 29.32 years, with a higher proportion of men (62%). The mean duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) was 3.64 months and 47% of patients consume cannabis. We found disparities in DUP among the different districts in the area and we also observed differences depending on the district for inclusion in rehabilitation programs or psychotherapy. The following averages were obtained for the aggregate sample: 1.01 hospitalization/year, 1.42 emergency room visits/year, 1.81 years of illness and a mean dosage equivalent to olanzapine 6.75 mg/day. The incidence of psychosis in our area has been 7.01 cases per 100000 inhabitants/year.

The incidence of psychosis has been as expected according to data recorded at previous studies in Spain. The results obtained in our sample have included a lower DUP and a higher use of cannabis than those described in the literature. We have also found differences when observing the inclusion of patients in different treatments (psychotherapy, rehabilitation), which may be related to the differences in the DUP by districts. Further exploration in this field is needed to draw causal conclusions.

None Declared

Long-term COVID-19 effects has been recently described as persistent and prolonged symptoms after an acute and severe SARS-COV-2 (1). An important concern is that the sequelae of severe COVID-19 may suppose a substantial outpatient 's burden for the specialized services in reopening pandemic phase (2).

To describe the frequency of mental health service use in COVID-19 hospitalized patients after discharge and to estimate the costs associated to the post- discharge consultations.

We used a 1-year follow-up cohort of 1455 COVID-19 inpatients hospitalized in La Paz University Hospital of Madrid, Spain between March 16th and April 15th, 2020. Data were retrieved from Psychiatry Service (PS) electronic health records and we described the frequency of mental health reason for consultation. We used information published by the Madrid health Office to estimate the cost of initial and following appointments.

Our sample consisted of 1,455 patients admitted with a COVID-19 diagnosis between March 16th and April 15th, 2020, and then discharged. Roughly half of them were men (776, 53%), 238 (16%) had a prior history of mental health problems, and 44 (3%) died. 193 participants (13%) visited the mental health department after being discharged. The total cost was estimated in 103,581 USD, of which two-thirds corresponded to patients with prior history of mental health problems.

Our results indicate that the mental health burden of severe COVID-19 inpatient s after discharge was substantial during the first year of follow-up. This generate important economic impact to mental health providers and society at large.

No significant relationships.

The extent to which structural gender inequality contributes to macro-level differences in postpartum depression (PPD) remains largely unknown.

To examine the association of structural gender inequalities with national-level prevalence estimates of PPD symptoms.

Meta-analytically derived national-level estimates for the prevalence of PPD symptoms – based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) – were combined with economic (e.g., income inequality), health (e.g., infant mortality rate), sociodemographic (e.g., urban population), and structural gender inequality variables (e.g., abortion policies) for 40 countries (276 primary studies). Data came from a prior meta-analysis on PPD prevalence and international agencies (e.g., UNICEF). Meta-regression techniques and traditional p-value based stepwise procedures, complemented with a Bayesian model averaging approach, were used for a robust selection of variables associated with national-level PPD symptom prevalence. Sensitivity analyses excluded primary studies with small sample sizes or countries lacking evidence for psychometric properties of the EPDS.

Income inequality (β = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.07) and abortion policies (β = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.00 to 0.03) were the only variables included in the final, adjusted model, accounting for 60.7% of the variance in PPD symptoms across countries. Gradual liberalizations of abortion policies were associated with a 2% decrease in national-level PPD symptom prevalence. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses.

Structural gender inequalities might be social determinants of PPD, as the liberalization of abortion policies seem to impact women’s perinatal mental health on a population level. More research on structural gender inequality is needed to guide policy and practice.

No significant relationships.