Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit smaller regional brain volumes in commonly reported regions including the amygdala and hippocampus, regions associated with fear and memory processing. In the current study, we have conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) meta-analysis using whole-brain statistical maps with neuroimaging data from the ENIGMA-PGC PTSD working group.

T1-weighted structural neuroimaging scans from 36 cohorts (PTSD n = 1309; controls n = 2198) were processed using a standardized VBM pipeline (ENIGMA-VBM tool). We meta-analyzed the resulting statistical maps for voxel-wise differences in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes between PTSD patients and controls, performed subgroup analyses considering the trauma exposure of the controls, and examined associations between regional brain volumes and clinical variables including PTSD (CAPS-4/5, PCL-5) and depression severity (BDI-II, PHQ-9).

PTSD patients exhibited smaller GM volumes across the frontal and temporal lobes, and cerebellum, with the most significant effect in the left cerebellum (Hedges’ g = 0.22, pcorrected = .001), and smaller cerebellar WM volume (peak Hedges’ g = 0.14, pcorrected = .008). We observed similar regional differences when comparing patients to trauma-exposed controls, suggesting these structural abnormalities may be specific to PTSD. Regression analyses revealed PTSD severity was negatively associated with GM volumes within the cerebellum (pcorrected = .003), while depression severity was negatively associated with GM volumes within the cerebellum and superior frontal gyrus in patients (pcorrected = .001).

PTSD patients exhibited widespread, regional differences in brain volumes where greater regional deficits appeared to reflect more severe symptoms. Our findings add to the growing literature implicating the cerebellum in PTSD psychopathology.

Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) are a crucial component of mental health care, providing timely support to individuals experiencing acute mental health crises. This abstract delves into the concept of crisis and seeks to identify the patients who stand to benefit from these specialized services.

Defining crisis within the context of CRTs can be complex. It encompasses not only immediate emergencies but also broader mental health distress.

Research suggests that suitable candidates for CRT interventions are those facing acute mental health crises : This includes individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, severe agitation, or severe emotional distress.

La “Escala de Evaluación de Resolución de Crisis” (Crisis Resolution Team Assessment Tool, CRTAT) de Sonia Johnson es una herramienta diseñada para para medir la efectividad de los CRT y la duración de la intervención en crisis. Establece un límite de seis semanas como el período máximo durante el cual se debe ofrecer la atención en crisis.

Existen otras escalas de evaluación para medir la eficacia de la resolución de crisis:

1. 1. Escala de Intensidad de Crisis (CIS): se utiliza para medir la gravedad de la crisis y la necesidad de intervención inmediata.

2. 2. Escala de Evaluación de Crisis de Brage Hansen (BCES): se enfoca en la evaluación de crisis suicidas y evalúa la intensidad de la ideación suicida y la urgencia de la intervención.

3. 3. Escala de Evaluación de Crisis de Eriksson (ECAS): Diseñada para evaluar la intensidad de la crisis en pacientes psiquiátricos, la ECAS se centra en la agitación, la ansiedad y la angustia emocional.

- Studies have explored the effectiveness of CRTs and the perspectives of service users. Understanding how patients perceive crisis and CRT services is crucial for tailoring interventions effectively.

- CRTs play a vital role in mental health care, offering timely support to individuals experiencing crises. While defining crisis is complex, suitable candidates often include those in acute distress requiring immediate intervention. Understanding the perspectives of service users and the diverse nature of crisis experiences informs effective crisis resolution strategies.

None Declared

“Cluster suicides,” also known as “suicide clusters,” refer to a phenomenon in which a series of suicides occur within a specific community, group, or geographic area within a relatively short period of time. These suicides often appear to be interconnected, either through imitation or contagion, and may involve individuals who have some form of social or emotional connection to each other.

• - Understanding the definition and characteristics of cluster suicides.

• - Analyzing common risk factors and triggers in cluster suicide cases.

• - Evaluating prevention and support strategies for affected individuals and communities.

We conduct an analysis of this concept based on a sample of suicides that occurred in a Spanish region over an 8-year period (2015-2022).

We will Analyzethe following aspects:

• - Definition and characteristics of cluster suicides.

• - Risk factors contributing to the occurrence of cluster suicides.

• - Examples of real cases or case studies illustrating this phenomenon.

• - The role of imitation and contagion in cluster suicides.

• - Prevention and support strategies, including education on warning signs and access to mental health services.

• - The impact of media coverage and how it can amplify the contagion effect.

• - Measures to reduce access to lethal means of suicide.

We will discuss about the results found:

• - Definition and characteristics of cluster suicides.

• - Risk factors contributing to the occurrence of cluster suicides.

• - Examples of real cases or case studies illustrating this phenomenon.

• - The role of imitation and contagion in cluster suicides.

• - Prevention and support strategies, including education on warning signs and access to mental health services.

• - The impact of media coverage and how it can amplify the contagion effect.

• - Measures to reduce access to lethal means of suicide.

The main conclusions of our presentation are :

• - The importance of recognizing cluster suicides as a real and concerning phenomenon.

• - The need to address specific risk factors and triggers in affected communities.

• - The effectiveness of prevention and support strategies in reducing cluster suicide cases.

• - The importance of promoting media responsibility in suicide coverage.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. 1. Cluster Suicides: A Critical Review and Theoretical Framework” (2019) - Este estudio proporciona una revisión crítica de la literatura sobre cluster suicides y presenta un marco teórico para comprender mejor este fenómeno

2. 2. “Clusters of Suicides and Suicide Attempts: Identification, Prediction, and Prevention” (2016) - Aunque este estudio no se centra exclusivamente en España, ofrece información sobre la identificación y prevención de clusters de suicidio que puede ser relevante.

3. 3. “Epidemiology of Suicide in Spain, 1981–2008” (2012) - Proporciona una visión general de la epidemiología del suicidio en España, lo que podría ayudar a contextualizar los estudios específicos sobre clusters.

None Declared

Cerebral microvascular dysfunction may contribute to depression via disruption of brain structures involved in mood regulation, but evidence is limited. We investigated the association of retinal microvascular function, a proxy for microvascular function in the brain, with incidence and trajectories of clinically relevant depressive symptoms.

Longitudinal data are from The Maastricht Study of 5952 participants (59.9 ± 8.5 years/49.7% women) without clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline (2010–2017). Central retinal arteriolar equivalent and central retinal venular equivalent (CRAE and CRVE) and a composite score of flicker light-induced retinal arteriolar and venular dilation were assessed at baseline. We assessed incidence and trajectories of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ⩾10). Trajectories included continuously low prevalence (low, n = 5225 [87.8%]); early increasing, then chronic high prevalence (early-chronic, n = 157 [2.6%]); low, then increasing prevalence (late-increasing, n = 247 [4.2%]); and remitting prevalence (remitting, n = 323 [5.4%]).

After a median follow-up of 7.0 years (range 1.0–11.0), 806 (13.5%) individuals had incident clinically relevant depressive symptoms. After full adjustment, a larger CRAE and CRVE were each associated with a lower risk of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (hazard ratios [HRs] per standard deviation [s.d.]: 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83–0.96] and 0.93 [0.86–0.99], respectively), while a lower flicker light-induced retinal dilation was associated with a higher risk of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (HR per s.d.: 1.10 [1.01–1.20]). Compared to the low trajectory, a larger CRAE was associated with lower odds of belonging to the early-chronic trajectory (OR: 0.83 [0.69–0.99]) and a lower flicker light-induced retinal dilation was associated with higher odds of belonging to the remitting trajectory (OR: 1.23 [1.07–1.43]).

These findings support the hypothesis that cerebral microvascular dysfunction contributes to the development of depressive symptoms.

The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of loneliness in informal caregivers of people with dementia in Chile during the Covid-19 pandemic.

195 Chilean informal caregivers responded to an online or telephone survey. They were asked about sociodemographic aspects, clinical and caregiving changes experienced by them and the person with dementia during the pandemic, perceived psychosocial support and loneliness.

Less years of formal education, lower income, low level of support with care tasks, living with the person with dementia, low social support, high levels of burden and depressive and anxious symptomatology were significantly related to higher loneliness. In contrast, carrying out physical and mental activity was significantly associated with lower feelings of loneliness. Almost half of the variability of loneliness was explained by higher depressive and anxious symptomatology (β = 0.53), low psychosocial support (β = -0.29) and living with the person with dementia (β = 0.16) (adjusted R2 = 0.48).

The risk of developing loneliness in informal caregivers of people with dementia is high. Special emphasis should be placed on developing interventions that improve the mental health of this group, as well as increasing their contact with formal and informal support networks. Thus, they would be able to cope with care tasks in a better way, reducing the likelihood of experiencing feelings of loneliness.

High cognitive activity possibly reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

To investigate associations between an individual's need to engage in cognitively stimulating activities (need for cognition, NFC) and structural brain damage and cognitive functioning in the Dutch general population with and without existing cognitive impairment.

Cross-sectional data were used from the population-based cohort of the Maastricht Study. NFC was measured using the Need For Cognition Scale. Cognitive functioning was tested in three domains: verbal memory, information processing speed, and executive functioning and attention. Values 1.5 s.d. below the mean were defined as cognitive impairment. Standardised volumes of white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and presence of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) were derived from 3T magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple linear and binary logistic regression analyses were used adjusted for demographic, somatic and lifestyle factors.

Participants (n = 4209; mean age 59.06 years, s.d. = 8.58; 50.1% women) with higher NFC scores had higher overall cognition scores (B = 0.21, 95% CI 0.17–0.26, P < 0.001) and lower odds for CSVD (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.60–0.91, P = 0.005) and cognitive impairment (OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.48–0.76, P < 0.001) after adjustment for demographic, somatic and lifestyle factors. The association between NFC score and cognitive functioning was similar for individuals with and without prevalent cognitive impairment. We found no significant association between NFC and WMH or CSF volumes.

A high need to engage in cognitively stimulating activities is associated with better cognitive functioning and less presence of CSVD and cognitive impairment. This suggests that, in middle-aged individuals, motivation to engage in cognitively stimulating activities may be an opportunity to improve brain health.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has serious physiological and psychological consequences. The long-term (>12 weeks post-infection) impact of COVID-19 on mental health, specifically in older adults, is unclear. We longitudinally assessed the association of COVID-19 with depression symptomatology in community-dwelling older adults with metabolic syndrome within the framework of the PREDIMED-Plus cohort.

Participants (n = 5486) aged 55–75 years were included in this longitudinal cohort. COVID-19 status (positive/negative) determined by tests (e.g. polymerase chain reaction severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, IgG) was confirmed via event adjudication (410 cases). Pre- and post-COVID-19 depressive symptomatology was ascertained from annual assessments conducted using a validated 21-item Spanish Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models assessed the association between COVID-19 and depression symptomatology.

COVID-19 in older adults was associated with higher post-COVID-19 BDI-II scores measured at a median (interquartile range) of 29 (15–40) weeks post-infection [fully adjusted β = 0.65 points, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15–1.15; p = 0.011]. This association was particularly prominent in women (β = 1.38 points, 95% CI 0.44–2.33, p = 0.004). COVID-19 was associated with 62% increased odds of elevated depression risk (BDI-II ≥ 14) post-COVID-19 when adjusted for confounders (odds ratio; 95% CI 1.13–2.30, p = 0.008).

COVID-19 was associated with long-term depression risk in older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome, particularly in women. Thus, long-term evaluations of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and preventive public health initiatives are warranted in older adults.

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