Clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) states exhibit diverse clinical presentations, prompting a shift towards broader outcome assessments beyond psychosis manifestation. To elucidate more uniform clinical profiles and their trajectories, we investigated CHR-P profiles in a community sample.

Participants (N = 829; baseline age: 16–40 years) comprised individuals from a Swiss community sample who were followed up over roughly 3 years. latent class analysis was applied to CHR-P symptom data at baseline and follow-up, and classes were examined for demographic and clinical differences, as well as stability over time.

Similar three-class solutions were yielded for both time points. Class 1 was mainly characterized by subtle, subjectively experienced disturbances in mental processes, including thinking, speech and perception (basic symptoms [BSs]). Class 2 was characterized by subthreshold positive psychotic symptoms (i.e., mild delusions or hallucinations) indicative of an ultra-high risk for psychosis. Class 3, the largest group (comprising over 90% of participants), exhibited the lowest probability of experiencing any psychosis-related symptoms (CHR-P symptoms). Classes 1 and 2 included more participants with functional impairment and psychiatric morbidity. Class 3 participants had a low probability of having functional deficits or mental disorders at both time points, suggesting that Class 3 was the healthiest group and that their mental health and functioning remained stable throughout the study period. While 91% of Baseline Class 3 participants remained in their class over time, most Baseline Classes 1 (74%) and Class 2 (88%) participants moved to Follow-up Class 3.

Despite some temporal fluctuations, CHR-P symptoms within community samples cluster into distinct subgroups, reflecting varying levels of symptom severity and risk profiles. This clustering highlights the largely distinct nature of BSs and attenuated positive symptoms within the community. The association of Classes 1 and 2 with Axis-I disorders and functional deficits emphasizes the clinical significance of CHR-P symptoms. These findings highlight the need for personalized preventive measures targeting specific risk profiles in community-based populations.

Coping strategies, competence, and locus of control (LOC) beliefs are important predictors of mental health (MH). However, research into their complex interactions has produced mixed results. Our study investigated them further in the previously unexplored context of clinical high-risk (CHR) of psychosis.

We tested six alternative structural equation models in a community sample (N = 523), hypothesizing a mediating role of coping and treating CHR symptoms as (i) an additional mediator or (ii) a specific outcome. Our measurement model included two latent factors of MH: (1) psychopathology (PP), consisting of presence of mental disorders, global and psychosocial functioning, and (2) self-rated health (SRH) status.

In the model with the best Akaike Information Criterion and the latent factors as outcome variables, maladaptive coping completely mediated the impact of maladaptive LOC on PP and SRH. Additionally, CHR symptoms partially mediated the effect of maladaptive coping on PP and SRH in the community sample, as long as sex was not entered into the model. In the clinical sample (N = 371), the model did not support a mediation by CHR symptoms, despite significant pathways with both coping and MH outcomes; further, competence beliefs directly impacted SRH.

Coping strategies are an important intervention target for MH promotion, especially in the community. In clinical populations, interventions focusing on coping strategies may improve CHR symptoms, thus potentially supporting better MH, especially SRH. Additionally, due to their mostly cascading effects on MH, improving competence and LOC beliefs may also promote psychological well-being.

On March 13th 2020, in execution of the Law Decree 14/2020 regarding the reorganization of National Health Care related to COVID-19 emergency, all non-urgent outpatient healthcare services were suspended in Italy. The present work describes remote support and online group psychotherapy set in motion during COVID-19 emergency for outpatients with Binge Eating Disorder.

Aim of the present work is to describe and evaluate online support and group psychotherapy for outpatients with Binge Eating Disorder during lockdown due to COVID-19 emergency. Outcomes were evaluated by remote administration of questionnaires.

20 outpatients with Binge Eating Disorder, treated by psychotherapists of Hospital Psychology Unit in Psychiatry Day Hospital of an Italian General Hospital, received remote support by phone calls and online group psychotherapy from march to may 2020. During the first two weeks, patients were supported via phone calls. From the third week on, they took part to online group psychotherapy sessions, held every week at the same day and time. Pre-post remote administration of Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) and the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviours (Scheda dei Comportamenti Alimentari, SCA) was used to evaluate outcomes. Data were analyzed by Student’s t-test.

No significant difference was found, thus indicating stability of symptomatology.

Lockdown was a highly stressful period, in which many people lost control on eating behaviours and those with Binge Eating Disorder were expected to have an exacerbation of symptoms. Remote support and online group psychotherapy proved effective in protecting patients from a possible aggravation of their condition.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common liver disease worldwide. Prolonged fasting and excessive caloric intake are possible nutritional causes of NAFLD incurred by patients with eating disorders (ED).

Aims of this study are: identifying if eating disorders are associated with NAFLD; evaluating possible improvements of the risk of NAFLD and of psychopathology determined by integrated multidisciplinary treatment (behavioral therapy, dietary assessment and treatment, clinical care overall).

78 patients with ED received the integrated multidisciplinary treatment. Psychopathology and eating symptoms were assessed before and after treatment through Eating Disorder Inventory and Questionnaire of Eating Behaviours (QEB). The risk of NAFLD was evaluated by Fatty liver index (FLI) based on values of γGT, BMI, triglycerides and waist circumference.

54% of patients with binge eating disorder in our sample has a 60-FLI, indicating a risk of NAFLD higher than 85%.

FLI (p: 0.003) and yGT (p: 0.006) were significantly lower after treatment, thus indicating an improvement in the risk of NAFLD. Four of the eight EDI's subscales improved: Drive for thinness (p: 0.008), Interoceptive awareness (p < 0.001), Bulimia (p: 0.001), Ineffectiveness (p: 0.014). Two of the three SCA's subscales improved: Binge Eating (p: 0.001) and Food Restriction (p: 0.016).

the association between NAFLD and eating disorders was shown together with the efficacy of the multidisciplinary treatment. The risk index FLI and γGT were reduced by the therapy but should be monitorized over time.

To demonstrate the complex correlation existing in patients with eating disorders between hormonal alterations and psychopathological symptomatology, that has been little studied until now.

60 women aged between 16 and 35 years and diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa according to the DSM-IV were assessed using the SCL-90-R, EDI, BAT and DES II. A blood sample was taken from each patient in the morning, on the seventh day of the menstrual cycle or on the corresponding day from the women with amenorrhea; the following hormone levels were measured: TSH, FT3, FT4, LH, FSH, 17-beta-estradiol, cortisol, DHEAS. Pearson's Correlation Coefficient has been used to test the correlation between hormonal level and test scores.

Positive correlations exist between BMI and FT3 and LH, which decrease when BMI decreases. We can observe positively significant correlations between LH and FSH levels and the BAT scale scores.No one significant correlation was found between hormonal levels and dissociative symptoms as measured by DES. With regard to EDI, the following psychopathological features correlate with hormonal assessment: the wish to be thin, body dissatisfaction and perfectionism.

Our findings suggest a significant correlation between psychopathological features we considered and hormonal readings, especially LH, FSH, TSH, FT3. When these hormonal readings decrease, the patients’ self-ratings and their body dissatisfaction decrease. That attributes a protective meaning to the dietary symptom akin to an effective measure that relieves the person's feelings of inadequacy.

Even if obesity isn’t a psychiatric disorder included in the DSM IV-TR, it is associated with a high prevalence of psychopatological features. Mainly obese patients on a waiting list for bariatric surgery are affected by psychiatric disorders more often than non-obese individuals.

To estimate the prevalence of psychopatology in obese patients on a waiting list for weight loss surgery.

To demonstrate the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to bariatric surgery that includes a psychodiagnostic evaluation.

Forty-seven patients on a waiting list for bariatric surgery were assessed using the SCL-90-R.

In a high rate of patients (83%) was identified a significantly altered value at least in one of the SCL-90-R subscales. Mainly the 80.85% has expressed a psychological distress through physical symptoms (SOM), the 63.82% had a deflection of mood (DEP), the 61.7% had a higher ability to perceive both internal and external stimuli (IS); suspiciousness (PAR) occurred in 59.57% of patients (PAR).

Our results suggest a high rate of psychopatological alterations in patients on a waiting list for weight loss. These individuals try to manage their emotions through the relationship with food, and the body become a way to express themselves. Therefore the early detection and the treatment of the psychopatological features associated with obesity could have a role to improve the therapeutic outcome, and a multidisciplinary approach could represent an essential element to reach a global resolution of both clinical and mental features of patients.

The original cognitive-behavioural model of bulimia nervosa (CBT-BN) proposes that specific dysfunctional cognitions and behavioural factors maintain BN, and has provided the basis for the widely used cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) of BN. However, Fairburn et al. (2003) noted that among treatment completers with BN, only 40% achieved full remission of the bulimic symptomatology. The enhanced CBT-BN model (CBT-E) proposed by the authors describes how four additional factors (i.e., clinical perfectionism, low self esteem, mood intolerance and interpersonal difficulties) interact with the core psychopathology of BN (i.e., over-evaluation of eating, weight, and shape and their control) to maintain the disorder.

The goal of this study was to examine (a) the validity of the CBT-E model and (b) whether each of the four hypothesized maintenance factors intensifies the core psychopathology-bulimic symptomatology relationship in a clinical sample.

Data were analysed from 362 adults seeking treatment for BN (n = 167) or atypical BN (n =195) at four Italian specialized care centres, using latent variable structural equation modeling approach.

Both the measurement and the structural model were good fits for the data. All four hypothesized factors exacerbated the core psychopathology-bulimic symptomatology relationship. Core psychopathology explained approximately 47.7% of the variance of bulimic symptomatology. The inclusion of the direct effects and interaction terms increased the explained variance of bulimic symptomatology to 64%.

Overall, results supported the validity of the CBT-E model and highlighted the importance of assessment and treatment of the four maintenance processes included in the CBT-E model.

Psoriasis is a multifactorial chronic infiammatory skin disease that often occurs in patients with overweight or obesity; obesity makes psoriasis less susceptible to therapy and a moderate weight loss improves drug response. Many studies shows connections between obesity and eating disorders, but few studies investigated the link between eating disorders and psoriasis.

To evaluate the presence of eating disorders and psychopathological traits in patients affected by psoriasis compared with a control population, and correlate this data with different features of cutaneous disease and BMI.

To suggest the importance of a psychological support that could reduce the occurrence of loss of control over food.

We enrolled 100 consecutive psoriatic outpatients and a control group of 100 selected non psoriatic outpatients, matched by BMI to the study group. The assessment battery was composed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, the EDI and SCL-90R.

Most of EDI and SCL-90R subscales resulted more altered in psoriatic population compared to the controls (p < .001 for IA and ID, and p < .05 for GSI). Moreover, we noticed an association between the progressive weight gain and the impairment of most of EDI subscales, indicating the presence of an ED in only psoriasis group (p < .01).

Psoriasis is associated with psychopathological traits and symptoms commonly associated with eating disorders. A multidisciplinary approach could have an important role to reduce the loss of control over food, to loss weight and to improve the drug response.

Given the poor compliance of schizofrenic patients to antipsychotic therapies, are been developed drugs in long-acting formulation that for their pharmacokinetic ensures prolonged therapeutic activities. Currently, we consider that their efficacy depends on hereditary tracts, influencing both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic parameters.

Investigate relationships between clinical efficacy and genetic polymorphims of long-acting drugs’ pharmacodynamic targets.

Seventy-eight psychotic patients, treated with atypical long-acting antipsychotics (olanzapine pamoate, paliperidone palmitate, risperidon and aripiprazole), were examined. We carried out a blood sampling to evaluate dopaminergic DRD2 and glutamatergic GRM3 genetic receptors polymorphisms. PANSS and BPRS scales were used to assess clinical condition.

Regarding the GRM3 genes, the study of rs2228595 and rs6465084 polymorphisms showed a prevalence of wild type genotypic frequency of 81.2% and 56.2%, respectively. The prevalence of the patients with mutated heterozygote genotype (rs6465084 polymorphisms) resulted high (40.6%). Considering rs1989796 e rs274622 polymorphisms, the sample showed a prevalence of mutated heterozygote genotype in the 53.1% e 45.3%, respectively, with a percentage of 43.7% of patients with a mutation in homozygosis. Considering the rs146812 polymorphism, the 53.1% of patients resulted with a wild type genotype. Finally, findings showed a prevalence of 56.2% for the mutated heterozygote genotype in the DRD2 rs6277 polymorphism. The genotypic categorization analysis demonstrated a significative association between the GRM3 rs274622 polymorphism and higher BPRS scores.

The relationship between rs274622 polymorphism and worse clinical conditions could indicate a major resistance to long-acting antipsychotics in patients with genotypic frequency CT (mutated heterozygosis) for this polymorphism.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.