The population of adult CHD patients is continuously increasing. The underlying CHD affects performance and prognosis, but also has a significant impact on quality of life, psychosocial behaviour, anxiety and emotional disturbances. This study analyzes these parameters of patients after one or more heart operations and the possible psychological effects of medical and psychosocial complications at the Department of Cardiology of the Kepler University Hospital Linz.

A total of 81 subjects participated in the questionnaire survey of the Institute of Cardiology and Clinical Psychology during their annual cardiological check-up. Of these, 80 participants were included in the study and three showed a mild CHD, 49 a moderate one, and 28 a severe one. This study has an exploratory design to assess possible stress factors and limitations in quality of life. For this purpose, a self-administered sociodemographic questionnaire and three standardised questionnaires were used. In summary, the quality of life of adult CHD is considered depending on the severity of the symptoms and compared with the healthy population. Differences in this regard are observed in individuals with lower symptom severity, who report higher psychological well-being. Sex differences are observed in physical role function and physical functioning.

Based on the results, regular repetitions of the study, as well as continuous psychological and psychosocial support, are necessary, since challenges are predictable with the increasing age of adult CHD patients and since the upholding of good quality of life and dealing with difficult life circumstances must be supported.

To investigate the prevalence of pathological Internet use (PIU) among adolescents in eleven European countries in relation to demographic and health-related risk factors and Internet accessibility using homogenous methodology.

Cross-sectional analysis.

The 7th Framework European Union funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE), is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluating preventive interventions for risk-behaviors among adolescents in Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain with Sweden as the coordinating site.

11,956 adolescents (F/M: 6731/5225; mean age: 14.9 ± 0.89) recruited from randomly selected schools within the eleven study sites.

Internet users were classified by gender into three categories: adaptive, maladaptive and pathological, based on the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ).

The overall prevalence of PIU was 4.4%. the rate was higher among males than females (5.2% vs. 3.8%). Students not living with a biological parent or relative had the highest risk for both maladaptive and pathological Internet use. Low-parental involvement and parental unemployment showed high relative risk for both maladaptive and pathological Internet use. PIU significantly correlated with the average number of hours spent online. No correlation was found between national levels of Internet accessibility and pathological Internet use.

Prevalence of PIU varied by gender. Youth in households without a biological parent and/or low level of parental involvement had the most significant health-related factors associated with PIU. National levels of Internet accessibility were not a risk factor for either maladaptive or pathological Internet use.

Peer relationships play a critical role in the development of adolescents, not only for the acquisition of social skills but also for the sense of personal identity and competence. Thus the quality of peer relationships influences actual and future mental health of the adolescent.

SEYLE (Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe) is a randomized controlled trial, funded by the EU, evaluating interventions for mental health promotion and suicide prevention. The study comprised 12,395 high-school students from 11 European countries.

We investigated the differences on psychological problems between students with poor and good peer relationships.

1,195 adolescents (mean age 15.3 ± 0.6; 68% females) from the Molise region constituted the Italian sample. Adolescents were identified as with poor peer relationships if they never or just sometimes get along with people of their age, feel that peers like having them in the group and feel that peers were kind and helpful. Psychometric measures were used to assess mental health problems such as depression (Beck Depression Inventory II), anxiety (Zung Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale), well-being (WHO-5) and suicidal ideation (Paykel Suicide Scale).

Adolescents who reported poor peer relationships scored significantly higher (p < .005) on the scales assessing depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation and significantly lower (p < .001) on the WHO-5.

Particularly in adolescence peer relationships may influence psychological well-being and vice versa mental health influences the openness to the others. So promoting mental health and contemporary improve social skills could lead adolescents to a better life.

Smoking among adolescents is still a major public health problem and a global concern. Early onset and long-term smoking are associated with physical and psychological health problems.

To identify risk factors and comorbidities for occasional and daily smoking among European adolescents.

In the context of the Europe-wide 'Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe” (SEYLE) study we surveyed 12,328 youths at the age of 13 to 17 from 11 countries. We applied questions from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey to determine nicotine consumption as well as other risk behaviors. Psychiatric symptoms were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Becks Depression Inventory-II, the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale,the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory and the Paykel Suicide Scale.

On average 30.9% of adolescents reported daily smoking and the onset of smoking was reported by 35.3% between the age of 12 and 13 already. Multinomial logistic regression model showed significant correlations between adolescent smoking and migration background, living in single parent households, no physical activity, parental smoking and physical fights. Further it revealed significant associations of adolescent smoking with alcohol consumption, illegal drug use, anxiety, conduct problems, hyperactivity, suicidal ideation, self-injury and internet-dependence.

Our data show that adolescent smoking is associated with psychosocial factors, especially family setting and parental behaviors. Further, smoking and psychiatric problems are highly correlated. Therefore, early preventive measures are necessary and essential not only for adolescents but also for their parents.

Truancy is a serious public health problem that affects adolescents from all countries around the world. It negatively affects almost every aspect in the life, including physical, mental health, social and economical conditions. Young who are habitual truants are more likely to engage in at-risk behaviour like suicidal behaviours.

This analysis investigated the prevalence of truancy and suicidal behaviours in the Italian sample.

to reduce truancy among European adolescents improving mental health in European high schools.

the WE- STAY intervention carried out in 6 different European Countries. In Italy a sample of 2265 High school students (mean age 15.6±0,6; 64,4% females) was selected. Baseline evaluation of students' lifestyle, coping styles, at-risk truancy, suicidal behaviour and mental health issues was collected using a structured questionnaire.

6% has been absent from school for 7 days or more without a valid excuse during the past year (6.6% male); 20,3% as considered as truant student (three or more skipped days per month without a valid excuse in the past year). 4,6% have seriously considered taking own life during past 2 weeks have thought about suicide, and 1,2% tried to take own life in past 2 weeks. The analysis showed as correlation between skipped school and suicidal behaviour (p < .001)

Teens engaging in risk behaviours are at increased odds of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts (Hallfors et al. 2004). The preliminary We-Stay data confirm the prevalence of at-risk behaviours is higher among truant students.

Truancy negatively affects almost every aspect in the life, including physical, mental health, social and economical conditions.

To implement and evaluate outcomes of three different kinds of intervention against truancy. A mechanistic intervention to stop truancy will be used as control.

To reduce truancy among European adolescents improving mental health in European high schools.

The WE- STAY intervention carried out in 6 different European Countries. In Italy a sample of 2265 High school students (mean age 15.6 ± 0,6; 64,4% females) was selected. The students were randomized into one of four different intervention arms. Baseline evaluation of students' lifestyle, coping styles, at-risk truancy, self-harm behaviours and mental health issues was collected using a structured questionnaire.

6% has been absent from school for 7 days or more without a valid excuse during the past year. 55,0% of the sample has smoked cigarettes; 7,2% drank alcohol 4 or more time during the week (13,9% male and 3,4% female). About the use of drugs, 17,4% of them used drugs at least once in a lifetime. 16% of the students started a fight at least once in a lifetime.

Truancy is often related to mental health problems and at-risk behaviours. The truancy has been the focus of a different policy initiatives, often ended in failure. Through the implementation of WE-STAY is possible to acquire more data on truancy prevalence and its correlated psycho-social and psychiatric aspects, as well as information on school and parents attitudes toward this phenomenon.

According to previous studies the prevalence of adolescent depression is 4–8% both in the USA and Europe. the aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of adolescent depression separately in several European countries.

Data were drawn from the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study, which included 11 countries (Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Romania, Slovenia and Spain) and Sweden served as the coordinating centre. Depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Adolescents with a score of 20 or greater on the BDI-II were defined as depressed. Multiple imputations were conducted to address missing data.

Out of 14,115 students who consented to participate, finally 12,395 adolescents (5,568 (44.92%) boys and 6,827 (55.08%) girls) were enrolled into the study. the mean age of the students was 14.81 years (SD = .83). Significant differences were detected in the ratio of non-depressed and depressed adolescents among countries (χ2(20) = 385.352 p = .000). the prevalence of depressed adolescents ranged from 7.1% to 19.4%. the prevalence of depressed adolescents according to country in increasing order is: Hungary: 7.1%, Austria: 7.6%, Romania: 7.6%, Estonia: 7.9%, Ireland: 8.5%, Spain: 8.6%, Italy: 9.2%, Slovenia: 11.4%, Germany: 12.9%, France: 15.4%, Israel: 19.4%.

Based on a screening tool our data underlines the importance of taking account country specific prevalence rates of adolescent depression.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an increasing phenomenon among adolescents. So far, comparable data on prevalence and psychosocial correlates are still rare due to different definitions, study samples, and measures.

To investigate the prevalence and associated psychosocial factors of occasional and repetitive non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and its relationship to suicide attempts in a representative adolescent samples from eleven European countries.

Cross sectional assessment of adolescents was performed within the European Union funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE), which was conducted in eleven European countries. The representative sample comprised 12,068 adolescents (F/M: 6,717/5,351; mean age: 14.9±0.89) recruited from randomly selected schools. Frequency of NSSI was assessed by a modified version of the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI) and the Paykel Suicide Scale. Additionally, a broad range of demographic, social and psychological factors was assessed.

Overall lifetime prevalence of NSSI was 27.6%; 19.7% reported occasional NSSI and 7.8% repetitive NSSI. Lifetime prevalence ranged from 17.1% to 38.6% across countries. Suicidality, anxiety and depression had the highest odds ratios for both occasional and repetitive NSSI.

Results suggest high lifetime prevalence of NSSI in European adolescents, with significant country differences. A strong association of NSSI with both psychopathology and risk-behaviours, including family-related neglect and peer-related rejection/victimization could be found. These results, combined with the observed gender and country differences, support the need for a multidimensional approach to better understand the development of NSSI and facilitate culturally adapted prevention/intervention.

Review findings on the role of dietary patterns in preventing depression are inconsistent, possibly due to variation in assessment of dietary exposure and depression. We studied the association between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms in six population-based cohorts and meta-analysed the findings using a standardised approach that defined dietary exposure, depression assessment and covariates.

Included were cross-sectional data from 23 026 participants in six cohorts: InCHIANTI (Italy), LASA, NESDA, HELIUS (the Netherlands), ALSWH (Australia) and Whitehall II (UK). Analysis of incidence was based on three cohorts with repeated measures of depressive symptoms at 5–6 years of follow-up in 10 721 participants: Whitehall II, InCHIANTI, ALSWH. Three a priori dietary patterns, Mediterranean diet score (MDS), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were investigated in relation to depressive symptoms. Analyses at the cohort-level adjusted for a fixed set of confounders, meta-analysis used a random-effects model.

Cross-sectional and prospective analyses showed statistically significant inverse associations of the three dietary patterns with depressive symptoms (continuous and dichotomous). In cross-sectional analysis, the association of diet with depressive symptoms using a cut-off yielded an adjusted OR of 0.87 (95% confidence interval 0.84–0.91) for MDS, 0.93 (0.88–0.98) for AHEI-2010, and 0.94 (0.87–1.01) for DASH. Similar associations were observed prospectively: 0.88 (0.80–0.96) for MDS; 0.95 (0.84–1.06) for AHEI-2010; 0.90 (0.84–0.97) for DASH.

Population-scale observational evidence indicates that adults following a healthy dietary pattern have fewer depressive symptoms and lower risk of developing depressive symptoms.

Many women experience both vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS) and depressed mood at midlife, but little is known regarding the prospective bi-directional relationships between VMS and depressed mood and the role of sleep difficulties in both directions.

A pooled analysis was conducted using data from 21 312 women (median: 50 years, interquartile range 49−51) in eight studies from the InterLACE consortium. The degree of VMS, sleep difficulties, and depressed mood was self-reported and categorised as never, rarely, sometimes, and often (if reporting frequency) or never, mild, moderate, and severe (if reporting severity). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the bi-directional associations adjusted for within-study correlation.

At baseline, the prevalence of VMS (40%, range 13–62%) and depressed mood (26%, 8–41%) varied substantially across studies, and a strong dose-dependent association between VMS and likelihood of depressed mood was found. Over 3 years of follow-up, women with often/severe VMS at baseline were more likely to have subsequent depressed mood compared with those without VMS (odds ratios (OR) 1.56, 1.27–1.92). Women with often/severe depressed mood at baseline were also more likely to have subsequent VMS than those without depressed mood (OR 1.89, 1.47–2.44). With further adjustment for the degree of sleep difficulties at baseline, the OR of having a subsequent depressed mood associated with often/severe VMS was attenuated and no longer significant (OR 1.13, 0.90–1.40). Conversely, often/severe depressed mood remained significantly associated with subsequent VMS (OR 1.80, 1.38–2.34).

Difficulty in sleeping largely explained the relationship between VMS and subsequent depressed mood, but it had little impact on the relationship between depressed mood and subsequent VMS.