The present study sought to determine the associations between executive functioning and Big Five personality traits in an undergraduate sample.

Participants included 200 undergraduates (73% women), with a mean age of approximately 21 years. Participants completed the Big Five Inventory-44 and a psychological assessment battery, which included the Trail Making Test and the Semantic Fluency Test.

Results from multiple regression analyses suggested agreeableness was negatively associated with Semantic Fluency – Animals (β = −0.310, p < 0.001). Moreover, conscientiousness was positively associated with Trail Making Test B-A (β = 0.197, p = 0.016), but negatively associated with Trail Making Test A (β = −0.193, p = 0.017).

Overall results identified that executive function association with personality varies by construct. Given conscientiousness’ differential associations within the executive function task performances, future research should examine the conscientious threshold that would result in psychological symptomatology associated with extreme lows and highs in conscientiousness.

Recently the NHS has expanded the provision of liaison mental health services (LMHS) to ensure that every acute hospital with an emergency department in England has a liaison psychiatry service. Little work has been undertaken to explore first-hand experiences of these services. The aim of this study was to capture service users’ experiences of LMHS in both emergency departments and acute inpatient wards in the UK, with a view to adapt services to better meet the needs of its users.

This cross-sectional internet survey was initially advertised from May-July 2017 using the social media platform Facebook. Due to a paucity of male respondents, it was re-run from November 2017-February 2018, specifically targeting this demographic group. 184 people responded to the survey, of which 147 were service users and 37 were service users’ accompanying partners, friends or family members. The survey featured a structured questionnaire divided into three categories: the profile of the respondent, perceived professionalism of LMHS, and overall opinion of the service. Space was available for free-text comments in each section. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data was undertaken with R statistical software V.3.2.2. Qualitative data from free-text comments were transcribed and interpreted independently by three researchers using framework analysis; familiarisation with the data was followed by identification of a thematic framework, indexing, charting, mapping and interpretation.

Opinions of the service were mixed but predominantly negative. 31% of service users and 27% of their loved ones found their overall contact with LMHS useful. Features most frequently identified as important were the provision of a 24/7 service, assessment by a variety of healthcare professionals and national standardisation of services. Respondents indicated that the least important feature was the provision of a separate service for older people. They also expressed that a desirable LMHS would include faster assessments following referral from the parent team, clearer communication about next steps and greater knowledge of local services and third sector organisations.

Our survey identified mixed responses, however service users and their loved ones perceived LMHS more frequently as negative than positive. This may be attributed to the recent governmental drive to assess, treat and discharge 95% of all patients seen in emergency departments within four hours of initial attendance. Additionally, dissatisfied service users are more likely to volunteer their opinions. The evaluation and adaptation of LMHS should be prioritised to enhance their inherent therapeutic value and improve engagement with treatment and future psychiatric care.

Ceroid lipofuscinosis neuronal 2 (CLN2) disease, a form of Batten disease, is a rare, degenerative neurometabolic disorder. Disease onset around 2–4 years is followed by rapid decline in motor and neurologic function and mortality in early teenage years (1). Disease burden is best captured using observer-reported outcomes. However, validation is challenging in ultra-orphan diseases, requiring flexible methods and reasonable acceptance of limitations related to participant access.

The study aim was to assess content validation of clinical trial measures (i) CLN2 Disease Based Quality of Life Assessment (Sponsor-developed), (ii) EQ-5D-5L, (iii) Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL); and (iv) PedsQL Family Impact Module.

The Batten Disease Family Association recruited United Kingdom caregivers of a child with CLN2 disease (aged 3–7 years, non-participants in any CLN2 trial), to:

1. 1. Focus groups with symptom elicitation

2. 2. Cognitive interviews to assess measures.

The Focus group comprised eleven caregivers (eight female, three male) from six families. Three families were current caregivers and remainders bereaved. Symptom and disease impact elicited showed the majority of measures domains were relevant.

The interview sample comprised sixteen current caregivers (twelve female, four male) from ten families (caring for eleven children). Overall measures were relevant, easy to understand and answer. However several items were difficult to apply to children with advanced disease (for example, Euroqol, EQ-5D-5L “overall health”), when ability is lost (for example, PedsQL walking), with misinterpretation of “no difficulties” with eating where child feeds using gastrostomy (CLN2 QoL). Caregivers found it difficult to know how their uncommunicative child was feeling (PedsQL worrying, EQ-5D-5L depression). Some symptoms and impacts were missing (for example, constipation, working life).

The mixed-methods approach enabled content validity assessment of multiple measures. While these measures were largely relevant, adjustments could strengthen these for use in this fatal pediatric condition population and increase their acceptance within health technology assessment (HTA).