Although there is recent growing attention on mental health and mental well-being across the globe, supports in this area of healthcare can be a challenge for immigrant and racialized groups with frequent experiences of hardship.

This study aimed to gather perspectives of immigrants and racialized community members on strategies central to support their mental health and well-being, with the aim of addressing research-to-practice gaps.

The study was co-designed in collaboration with a Community Action Table in Markham, Ontario, a setting with 93% of residents self-identifying as Canadian visible minorities (i.e., non-Caucasian descent). A mixed method Concept Mapping methodology was used to engage residents, service providers, and policymakers (n = 68) through three phases of data collection and interpretation.

Participants first brainstormed ways to support their mental health and well-being, generating 283 statements in three group sessions. A consolidated list of 68 statements was then prepared by removing duplicates and merging similar ideas. This list was shared with participants in three group sessions for the sorting and rating actvities: each participant made groups of statements based on a shared meaning and labelled the groups; and rated each statement on a scale of 1-5 for its importance and feasibility to act in next six-months to support the mental health and well-being of their community. The sorted and rated data was then analyzed statistically through techniques of similarity index and hierarchical cluster analysis to produce visual maps, which were shared with participants in the interpretation session for review and naming of clusters followed by open discussion. This led to a 9-cluster concept map comprising of Family Wellness, Awareness & Education, Cultural Sensitivity, Social Service Access, Community Building, Socioeconomic, Food Security, Healthcare Access, and Housing Stability. The rating data showed the clusters of Family Wellness, Housing Stability, Healthcare Access, and Awareness & Education were ranked high for the dimension of importance. In terms of feasibility to act in next six-months, the clusters of Awareness & Education and Family Wellness remained among the top three while the clusters of Housing Stability and Healthcare Access scored low – which was discussed by participants as requiring a multi-year action plan with short- and long-term goals.

Overall, participants viewed mental health and well-being as being closely tied to their living and working conditions while also focusing on family wellness and intergenerational dynamics. The gained insights emphasize a need for multi-sectoral response to support the mental health and well-being supports of immigrant and racialized communities.

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There has been an increasing socio-medical discourse on the humanitarian approach to the use of restraint in psychiatric inpatient units.

It is necessary to investigate the attitudes of psychiatric hospital staff toward the use of restraint in psychiatric inpatient units and to identify the factors influencing these attitudes.

This study examined the attitudes of psychiatric hospital staff toward the use of restraint in situations involving physical violence toward other patients, verbal violence toward other patients, physical violence toward staff, verbal violence toward staff, and disruption of the treatment environment. The study also investigated factors related to the considerations and perceived burdens (both legal and medical) associated with the use of restraint, comparing these findings with data from a survey conducted 10 years ago.Attitudes toward restraint were not significantly associated with gender, age, or years of service. However, staffs who exhibited less prejudice toward mental illness-related crime were less likely to find restraint necessary. Compared to 10 years ago, there was little change in the need for restraint in cases of physical violence (both toward patients and staff), but the need for restraint in response to verbal violence (toward both patients and staff) had decreased. The perceived burden, both legal and medical, associated with the use of restraint had increased.

Attitudes toward restraint were not significantly associated with gender, age, or years of service. However, staff who exhibited less prejudice toward mental illness-related crime were less likely to find restraint necessary. Compared to 10 years ago, there was little change in the need for restraint in cases of physical violence (both toward patients and staff), but the need for restraint in response to verbal violence (toward both patients and staff) had decreased. The perceived burden, both legal and medical, associated with the use of restraint had increased.

Psychiatric hospital staffs with less prejudice toward mental illness-related crime were less likely to perceive a need for the use of restraint. Compared to 10 years ago, the necessity of restraint in cases of verbal violence has decreased, which may be attributed to ongoing human rights education and increased legal and medical concerns. These findings provide important insights for future policy development aimed at promoting humanitarian approaches, such as non-restraint treatments.

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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common cause of early-onset dementia and is clinically characterised by progressive behavioural changes, executive dysfunction and language difficulties. FTD is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease and other psychiatric disorders. Clinical features of FTD include personality changes, agitation, loss of inhibition, apathy, social withdrawal and impulsivity. In some cases, the disease is accompanied by mood or psychotic symptoms, resulting in the diagnosis of an additional psychiatric disorder. (Gliebus G.(2014). SAGE open medical case reports,2, 2050313X13519977.). This article presents the case of a middle-aged woman who was diagnosed with an anxiety spectrum disorder before developing and being diagnosed with FTD.

A 57-years-old right handed female with previous history of anxiety disorder admitted to psychiatry clinic with restlessness, decreased sleep, and complain of constant non-purpose walking. Physical examination revealed bradymimia and grabellar reflex. Additionally in her psychiatric evaluation she had short-term memory impairment, disinhibition and verbal perseverations. She had been given multiple combinations of medications by outpatient providers and her restlessness only increased. At the time of admission she was taking mirtazapine,olanzapine and clonazepam. The initial impression was that she had akathisia, and her medications were tapered. She was then started on propanolol and lorazepam. After several days her symptoms had not changed.

In routine biochemical and hematological tests, electroencephalogram (EEG) were within normal limits. 18F-FDG PET/MRI revealed hypometabolism in the bilateral temporal-frontoparietal region, more pronounced in the frontal region which is consistent with FTD.

Trazodone was started to control behavioural symptoms and the dose was gradually increased to 150 mg/day. The dose of propranolol was increased to 80 mg/day, and lorazepam was tapered and discontinued. During the follow up with this treatment, there was an improvement in her restlessness and anxiety symptoms, but her memory problems were persistent.

Frontotemporal dementia may overlap and be confused with other psychiatric disorders. Therefore, a comprehensive history, physical and neurological examination are required to differentiate each clinical entity (Khan I, De Jesus O. (2023).Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia. In: StatPearls ). Additionally, the use of functional neuroimaging, such as 18F-FDG PET/MRI, enables the different distribution of pathology in dementing disorders to be highlighted, as can be seen in our case. This case report highlights the importance of re-evaluating patients with psychiatric diseases, especially when symptoms are resistant to treatment.

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Arachnoid cysts are intra-arachnoid space-occupying brain lesions, typically of a benign, congenital nature.Such cysts are quite rare, accounting for only 1% of all lesions in the intracranial space. In most cases, they are diagnosed accidentally by neuroimaging.Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) has a high burden both for patients and healthcare services. There is a need to identify treatment resistance earlier in the course of the illness, in order that effective treatment can be offered promptly. Recently, the co-occurrence of arachnoid cysts and schizophrenia has captured the popular attention about possible relevancy.

Through a case report and a review of the literature, we hypothesize that arachnoid cyst is the cause of resistance in a patient with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Starting from a case report, we conducted a literature review on “PubMed”, using key words “arachnoid cyst, arachnoid cyst and psychosis”, “arachnoid cyst and treatment-resistant schizophrenia”,

We present a 47-year-old who is single and unemployed. His past psychiatric history revealed a diagnosis of schizophrenia, having been admitted several times in different inpatient psychiatric wards. In the psychiatric examination, the presence of auditory hallucinations, dissociated thinking, and predominantly negative symptoms was observed. His symptoms showed only minimal responsiveness.He was diagnosed with TRS owing to the inadequate response to two sequential antipsychotic trials (with adequate dose, duration, and adherence).Our evaluation of TRS began with a thorough review of the patient’s psychiatric and treatment history. All nonpsychiatric causes, including untreated medical problems, that may contribute to ongoing psychotic symptoms have been ruled out. Physical examination and blood tests were unrevealing.Electroencephalography showed no signs of seizure activity. Following the evaluation process, a head CT scan showed a left paramedian cystic lesion at the level of the pineal gland. A cerebral MRI was performed in order to get a more detailed image. It confirmed the nature of the lesion and revealed the existence of an arachnoid cyst about 2.5 cm × 3.5 cm × 2.0 cm in size, centered on the quadrigeminal cistern with triventricular dilatation. This neurological tumor didn’t require neurosurgery.

Our case emphasises the importance of considering an organic cause like any space-occupying lesion in the brain (an arachnoid cyst in our case) for the induction of psychopathological symptoms, even those of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, which represents a major clinical challenge. This also underlines the interest of neuroimaging in the initial workup and supports the hypothesis of psychosis as a global network.

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North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are among the provinces most severely affected by humanitarian needs. The security situation is highly unstable, with over 530,000 people displaced. Those remaining face urgent needs, and the conflict has severely impacted their mental health. An assessment of healthcare staff in local centers revealed significant distress due to both their exposure to patients in crisis and the surrounding violence and insecurity.

The aim of the protocol developed and proposed to healthcare staff was to implement preventive and curative phycological support actions designed to address all the psychosocial risks identified, as well as to alleviate emotional distress, improve well-being and strengthen the resilience mechanisms of healthcare centre staff.

A 5-session protocol was proposed to healthcare staff. The sessions focused on psychological distress specific to professional situations in the context of conflict and humanitarian emergencies: vicarious trauma and self-help strategies using emotional regulation exercises. We measured several dimensions of participants’ psychological and professional well-being at the start and end of the programme: the PCL-5 to assess post-traumatic stress symptoms, the HADS to measure levels of anxiety and depression, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to assess three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal fulfilment. Finally, the ProQoL scale was used to assess participants’ quality of working life.

Analyses of the scores differences between pre and post intervetion, among a pre-sample of 65 participants (21% women; 78.5% men) showed significant improvements. Anxiety and depression levels decreased significantly (HAD-A: t = - t = 7.71, p < 0.001; HAD-D: t = 7.30, p < 0.001). On the MBI, participants showed a significant reduction in emotional exhaustion (t = 5.83, p < 0.001) and depersonalisation (t = 8.85, p < 0.001) and an increase in the sense of personal accomplishment (t = -5.12, p < 0.001). The results also show a clear reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms (PCL-5: t = 8.64, p < 0.001). On the ProQoL scale, compassion satisfaction also increased significantly (t = -5.70, p < 0.001), indicating that carers feel more gratified by their role despite the challenges they face. Secondary traumatic stress (t = 5.38, p < 0.001), and burnout (t = 2.82, p = 0.006)., although significantly reduced, remain areas of concern.

The intervention had significant positive effects on several dimensions of the psychological and professional well-being of healthcare workers, contributing to better stress management, increased satisfaction, and reduced burnout. These results highlight the importance of implementing support programs for healthcare professionals working in challenging contexts.

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Recent literature shows that childhood trauma might be associated with developing an eating disorder (ED) or borderline personality disorder (BPD) on the long term. These two disorders have a great comorbidity, and they share many common symptoms.

The aim of this study is to test if childhood trauma could be a transdiagnostic factor for both diagnostics, as well as analysing if trauma could be related to the severity of impulsive and instability symptomatology which characterize both of these diagnoses.

The sample consisted of 45 patients with a diagnosis of either ED (n=21) or BPD (n=24). Childhood trauma was assessed using the CTQ (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire). Impulsive-unstable symptomatology was assessed using the BIS (Barrat’s Impulsivity Scale), CSV (Feeling of Emptiness Questionnaire) and STAXI (State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory), HARS (Hamilton’s Anxiety Rating Scale), MADRS (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale). Differences between groups were measured for the CTQ using the t test. The relationship between test results and trauma was measured via regression analyses.

Both groups had high scores of emotional and sexual abuse, and the BPD group also showed high scores in emotional negligence. There were no statistically significant differences between groups relating to trauma symptoms (see Figure 1) Moreover, significant relationships were found between childhood trauma and higher levels of impulsivity (R2adj = 0.14; p = .006), feelings of emptiness (R2adj = 0.15; p = .005), anxiety (R2adj = 0.13; p = .008) and depression (R2adj = 0.08; p = .037).

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Out preliminary study shows that childhood trauma is a transdiagnostic factor between BPD and EDs, and it’s related to the aggravation of impulsivity and instability symptomatology.

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The high prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with cancer has an impact on a decrease in quality of life. there are practically no studies among people with lymphoproliferative diseases, which determines the relevance of our study.

Purpose: to assess the prevalence of anxiety-affective spectrum disorders and their impact on the quality of life and adaptability in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and a group, including malignant neoplasm of the body of the stomach and T- and B- cellular lymphoma.

95 patients (women - 52, men - 44) diagnosed with NHL, HL, others were examined using a continuous sampling method.

Clinical interviews; the author’s questionnaire; HADS, EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, PSM-25. STATTECH were used to process the data.

The average age was 52.8±8.3 years (18 to 86). 3 groups: 1-non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 2-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 3- malignant neoplasm of the stomach body and T- and B-cell lymphoma. In gr-s 1 and 2 (90% and 85%), no symptoms of anxiety were detected. In gr 3, clinically pronounced anxiety levels were uniformly detected in 50%. Depressive symptoms a predominantly absence in all groups (1 - 95%; 2 - 86% and 3 - 75%) p>0.05. The assessment of quality of life: in gr 1 and 2, most of the patients noted that they experience some difficulties in the final indicator (55% and 61%), pronounced problems prevail in gr 3 (50%). The mobility of the majority in all groups does not suffer or suffers to a minor extent, 80% of all noted the absence of difficulties in self-care. “daily activity” were a statistically significant - 64% maintained it at a high level (p=0.006); Pain/discomfort is experienced by more than half of the respondents to a moderate degree 55% (p=0.003). In gr 1 and 3, the average of EQ-VAS determined at a level of more than 70 (the arithmetic mean 78 and 73), which indicates a more favorable sense of self. In gr 2 the average was determined at 68, also characterizes a high level of assessment of their general condition, in all patients with CLL, according to PSM 25, the stress level was determined to be low, indicates a state of psychological adaptation to workloads in 100%. In the gr 1, 12 people (17%) were identified with an average level of stress and reduced adaptation and need the rest for this contingent.

our pilot study showed that patients with lymphoproliferative diseases are characterized by a slight decrease in their quality of life, a high level of life satisfaction, good stress resistance to workloads. The main symptoms (reliably expressed in 55%), are moderate severity of pain and discomfort. The obtained data make it possible to emphasize the heterogeneity of the prevalence and severity of anxiety-affective symptoms in patients with various types of oncological diseases.

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Several authors have demonstrated that COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by feelings of fear, anxiety and insecurity (Wang et al., Int JERPH 2020; 17, 1729) Emotions and affective states as nervous, apprehension, despair, preoccupation was also studied (de Sousa et al., PSYCH 2024; 6(1), 163-176). Therefore, affective but also cognitive factors were important to the perception of the pandemic threat and its impact. In accordance, it seems important to understand if the perception of each one vulnerability to COVID-19 is related with the development of high levels of stress, depression and anxiety symptoms.

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the relation between the perception of vulnerability, stress, depression and anxiety in public health threats, as COVID 19.

This study followed a cross-sectional design and its sample consisted of 600 participants, distributed between two countries (N Brasil=300; N Portugal=300). The instrument used to assess the three dimensions: stress, anxiety, and depression, with seven items each were the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21-item version (DASS-21) (Lovibond & Lovibond; BHV, 1995; 33, 335-43 ) presented in a four-point response scale (0-Not applied to me; 3- Applied to me most of the time). To assess the perception of vulnerability to COVID-19 a 5 item Likert Scale were used (1-Not vulnerable; 5-Extremely vulnerable). The protocol was developed online, presenting the objectives of the study, and ensuring the anonymity and confidentiality of data. A non-probabilistic sampling technique of convenience and snowball were used. The data was collected in 2023 and referred to COVID-19.

The results suggest that perception of vulnerability to COVID-19 are very similar in both countries (M Brazil= 3.20, DP Brazil= .98; M Portugal= 3.13, DP Portugal=.91). The values in Brazil of stress (M=7.40), depression (M=5.73) and anxiety (M=4.01) are higher compared to Portugal, with the following values of stress (M=4.07), depression (M=2.62) and anxiety (M=1.6). The perception of vulnerability is related with the three dimensions studied (stress, anxiety and depression) in both countries, with the following values in Brasil: Stress (r=.341; p< .01); depression (r=.270; p<.01) and anxiety (r=.316; p<.01). In Portugal the values of correlation were: Stress (r=.284; p< .01); depression (r=.252; p<.01) and anxiety (r=.350; p<.01). These results emphasized that relation between the perception of vulnerability and anxiety presented higher levels in both countries.

In conclusion, our study have shown significative relations between the perception of vulnerability to COVID-19 with levels of stress, depression and anxiety in the countries studied. Therefore, our data emphasized the relevance to study the perception of vulnerability in public health events to better manage and prevent psychopathological symptoms.

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Insomnia, affecting about one-third of adults and worsening with age, impacts individual’s health, social life, and occupational functioning. Therefore, untreated insomnia can lead to depression. Although it can appear as an independent symptom, it most often presents as a comorbid disorder.

This paper discusses the case of a 71-year-old man with acute necrotizing pancreatitis and history of multiple admissions for recurrent abdominal pain, was assessed by Psychiatry for a possible adaptive disorder. He was diagnosed with persistent insomnia linked to his medical condition and secondary low mood. Sleep hygiene and various medications were recommended but proved ineffective. Eventually, an orexin antagonist, daridorexant, was prescribed.

The aim of this work is to orient, within the wide range of psychopharmacology available for the treatment of insomnia, the effectiveness and advantages of the use of daridorexant in patients with comorbid medical pathology.

To evaluate the efficacy of the drug in improving the quantity and quality of sleep, and the diurnal impact of insomnia, the Athens scale, consisting of 8 items, was used. It has been completed with a sleep diary that provides specific information on sleep. The results obtained were compared with those published by means of a literature search in PubMed.

Permission is requested from the patient to present this case anonymously.

After 30 days of treatment with daridorexant, the Athens Scale score decreased, with a perceived improvement in nocturnal rest (quantity and quality of sleep) and daytime impact of insomnia, with good tolerance and no side effects.

The pharmacological treatment of insomnia has undergone important advances in the last two decades. The treatment of insomnia is multidisciplinary and will depend on its etiology. There seems to be no single, first-choice pharmacological treatment for insomnia, which is why the options are varied and wide-ranging.

The management of this disorder seeks two fundamental objectives: to improve the quality of sleep and to improve daytime symptoms. Both are improved in this patient with the help of daridorexant. The review of the available literature supports the observed case, being daridorexant a safe and effective option for the treatment of insomnia. It is worth mentioning that in Spain, daridorexant has been approved in September 2023, so the clinical experience at present is scarce.

In our patient the drug has been well tolerated, with no reported side effects or variations in analytical parameters. With respect to insomnia, anxious and negative expectations regarding sleep, concern about the potential consequences of not sleeping enough or not sleeping well have decreased and, in short, the quality of sleep, functionality during the day, and even mood have improved in general terms.

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Emotional intelligence (EI) has gained increased attention in medical education and research. EI is often defined as the ability to perceive, express, understand, and manage émotions making it a crucial skill to cultivate during medical school.

This study aimed to explore levels of global EI among Tunisian medical residents based on their demographic characteristics.

This cross-sectional study was carried out with medical residents in training at hospitals across Tunisia. We gathered data anonymously through a Google Forms survey conducted from October 2023 to January 2024. Participants first completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, followed by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF). This 30-item assessment measures overall trait emotional intelligence and evaluates four specific dimensions : Well-Being, Self-Control, Emotionality, and Sociability.

Our study included 127 participants, with men comprising one-fourth (25.2%). The mean age was 27.24±1.34 years with majority aged under 30 (93.7%). The majority of participants were single (81.8%). Most participants (71.7%) were pursuing a medical specialty. First-year medical residents represented 39.4%, while fifth-year residents made up only 1.2%. The total EI score was 4.6±0.68. The mean scores for the four EI traits factors were as follows : well-being 4.81±1.07, self-control 4.34±0.9, emotionality 4.86±0.73, and sociability 4.45±0.85.

Univariate analysis showed that higher levels of global EI, self-control, and sociability were associated with the male gender, with p= 0.027, p=0.00 and p=0.02 respectively. Also, final-year residents demonstrated significantly lower emotionality scores compared to first-year medical residents. Moreover, participants in medical specialties were significantly associated with higher well-being scores (p = 0.017).

It is crucial to further investigate the factors contributing to these variations in EI and to develop tailored strategies that can effectively enhance EI among medical professionals and to support its development in the next generation of physicians.

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Although stigmatization is a barrier to treatment for many individuals and groups, individuals with mental disorders are the most affected by stigmatization. Among mental disorders, substance use disorders are the group with high levels of social stigma and internalized stigma. Internalized stigma may lead to a decrease in self-esteem and withdrawal from society and may increase depressive symptoms. Among individuals who use substances, depressive symptoms are high due to both the effects of the substances used and the psychosocial and legal problems experienced. In the literature review, no study examining the relationship between internalized stigma and depression in adolescents was found.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between internalized stigma and depression in a group of adolescents diagnosed with substance use disorder.

The study was conducted between December 2023-March 2024 with 71 adolescents between the ages of 12-18 who were diagnosed with substance use disorder and admitted to the outpatient clinic of university hospital in a city located in the southeastern part of Turkey. Information Form, Internalized Stigma of Mental Disorders Scale-Adolescent Form (ISMI-AF), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used for data collection.

The mean age of the adolescents was 15.97 years (1.51); 85.9% were male, 59.2% were high school students, and 90.1% had severe depressive symptoms. According to the Pearson correlation analysis, no significant relationship was found between the total scores of the ISMI-AF and BDI; however, BDI, educational status of the adolescent, and academic achievement was found to be statistically significant as determinants of the ISMI-AF (R2=0.29). It was determined that the variables specified in the model explained 24% of the ISMI-AF (Adjusted R Square = 0.24)

Almost all of the adolescents who participated in this study were found to have severe depressive symptoms. In addition to depression, adolescents’ school life and academic achievement were important variables explaining internalized stigma. Since adolescents’ school attendance may be a situation that will prevent substance use, interventions to be carried out in cooperation with mental health professionals and school nurses are very important.

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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern. One of the most common forms of interpersonal violence concerns IPV, one in three women which is approximately 35% of women who experience physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner at some points in their lives. Women with mental illness are a vulnerable risk group for IPV.

The current study aimed to assess the prevalence and clinical correlates of IPV among women outpatients with mental illness in a tertiary care psychiatric hospital.

118 participants with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders or depression were recruited. Data on intimate partner violence (IPV) were assessed on the World Health Organization Violence Against Women (WHOVAW) scale, consisting of three domains-psychological, physical and sexual intimate partner violence. Psychopathology was measured using Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-18 items (BPRS) questionnaire, consisting of five domains- positive symptoms, negative symptoms, resistance symptoms, activation symptoms, and affect symptoms. Data on socio-demographic characteristics were also obtained. Multivariable logistic regression was used for analysis.

The mean (SD) age of women participants was 32.63 years (10.96). The overall prevalence of IPV among women with mental illness was 55.1%. Participants who were separated/widowed/divorced (versus single) were significantly more likely to experience total VAW scores (OR=14.57), and psychological (OR=21.64), and physical (OR=11.30) domains. Those who belong to Malay ethnicity (versus Chinese ethnicity) were significantly more likely to experience sexual abuse (OR=6.25). Women who were unemployed (versus employed) were significantly more likely to experience sexual IPV (OR=3.94). Women who experienced IPV (OR=1.36), psychological abuse (OR=1.30) and physical abuse (OR=1.25) were significantly more likely to have positive symptoms compared to those who did not experience IPV. Women who experienced IPV (OR=1.14) and psychological abuse (OR=1.13) were significantly more likely to have affect symptoms compared to those who did not experience IPV.

The study highlights the prevalence of IPV among women with mental illness. Overall VAW scores, psychological and physical IPV were strongly associated with higher score on the positive and affect symptoms on psychopathology scale. The high prevalence of IPV among this group of patients is concerning and mental health professionals should actively identify IPV and implement holistic interventions to ensure good care of women with mental illness.

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Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents and its prevalence among young people has steadily increased in recent years.

This study aimed to identify patterns of risk factors that differentiate adolescents who experienced suicidal thoughts from those who attempted suicide using six different machine learning (ML) algorithms for Korean adolescents using data from online surveys.

Data were extracted from the 2011−2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS), conducted annually since 2005 by the Korean Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The pipeline was solely generated from classic ML (CML) methods, namely logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGB).

Among the 69,840 adolescents included in the analysis, 13,288 cases (19.0%) were identified as having made a suicide attempt. Prediction models using seven relevant features calculated by Boruta algorithm was developed and five features (drug experience, current smoking, grade, current alcohol drinking and sadness or hopelessness) were identified as the most important predictors. The performance of the six ML models on the balanced testing dataset was good, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and area under the precision−recall curve (AUPRC) ranging from 0.66 to 0.73.

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The developed and validated SA prediction models can be applied to detect high risks of SA. This approach could facilitate early intervention in the suicide crisis and may ultimately contribute to suicide prevention for adolescents.

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In view of recent global trends in alcohol use, it becomes increasingly relevant to characterize health outcomes related to unhealthy alcohol use. Previous studies found that self-reported alcohol use was related to poor brain health. However, these studies remain inconclusive since they limited their analyses to very narrow demographic strata, considered only a subset of cortical regions, or didn’t validate self-reported alcohol use with biomarkers such as gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT).

This study aimed to comprehensively examine several aspects of brain health (cortical thickness, gray matter volume, and brain age gaps) in participants regularly exceeding the recommended limits of moderate alcohol use versus those who don’t, and to validate self-reported alcohol intake by comparing gamma-GT levels across groups.

This analysis was based on cross-sectional data from the population-based cohort of the BiDirect Study conducted in Münster (Germany). Individuals aged between 35 and 65 years were randomly selected from the local population register and invited to participate in the assessment that included a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and a blood collection. Unhealthy alcohol use was defined as the regular consumption of at least three units of alcohol (one unit = 0.2L beer or 0.1L wine or 2cl spirits) per occasion at least twice a week. Regional cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volumes were extracted from T1-weighted images in participants who underwent MRI. In addition, brain age gaps were estimated using an elastic net algorithm based on the imaging-derived phenotypes. Associations between unhealthy alcohol use, cortical thickness, subcortical gray matter volumes, and brain age gaps were analyzed using multiple regression models adjusted for age, sex, lifetime smoking status, education, and childhood trauma.

Participants engaging in unhealthy alcohol use had significantly higher gamma-GT levels. In addition, unhealthy alcohol use was associated lower regional cortical thickness across all four lobes of the brain. No differences in subcortical gray matter volumes were detected. In addition, we observed a significantly higher brain age gap (+ 1.11 years) in unhealthy alcohol users.

The results of this study indicate that the regular exceedance of the recommended levels of alcohol use is associated with poorer brain health as reflected by lower regional cortical thickness and advanced brain aging. The findings underscore the potentially adverse effects of alcohol on brain health, which are increasingly relevant in view of recent global trends in alcohol use.

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Nature based interventions are becoming more popular in mental health prevention and treatment. Blue therapies are rarely known because of limited access and high costs. The poster presents the results of research on the level of the hardiness and resilience of high sea cruises participants. The study involved 123 people, including 65 girls and 58 boys, and 55 young adults, including 15 women and 39 men.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of blue intervention on the level of the hardiness and resilience of high sea cruises participants.

Pre-posttest study with questionnaires issued on the first and last day of each cruise. Dispositional Resilience Scale (Bartone et. al., 1989) was used to measure mental hardiness, commitment, openness to challenges and a sense of control of participants. EEA Resilience Scale (Maltby et. al., 2015) was used to measure ecological and engineering resilience and adaptive capacity of partifcipants.

The results show a statistically significant increase in hardiness level. There was also a significant increase in commitment, openness to challenges and a sense of control of participants, which are measured by subscales of the DRS. Significant increase of ecological resilience and adaptive capacity has been noted.

Hardiness and resilience are key protective factors for mental health. Blue interventions can be effetcive ways of mental wellbeing improvement.

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Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common psychiatric condition characterized by excessive worry, concentration issues, and insomnia. Despite numerous studies, its neurometabolic mechanisms remain unclear.

This study aims to compare the levels of kynurenine pathway metabolites between GAD patients and healthy control groups, and to investigate the relationship between kynurenine metabolism products, executive functions, and disease severity in GAD patients.

The study included 41 GAD patients and 41 healthy controls. Participants were enrolled after ruling out major depressive disorder using the Beck Depression Inventory. They then completed the Sociodemographic and Clinical Data Form, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B, the Digit Span Test (DST), the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), the Stroop Test, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Venous blood samples were collected for serum metabolite measurements. Levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA), quinolinic acid (QUIN), tryptophan (TRP), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), kynurenine (KYN), and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) were measured using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

We found that GAD patients performed significantly worse in terms of the number of categories completed on the WCST (p=0.014), TMT-A (p<0.001), TMT-B (p=0.015) and Stroop Test sub-scores (p<0.001) compared to the healthy control group. GAD patients had significantly higher QUIN levels and a lower KYNA/QUIN ratio (p<0.001) than the healthy control group, while the control group had a higher 3-HK/KYN ratio (p=0.008). A negative correlation was found between DST scores and 3-HAA (r = -0.311, p = 0.048), as well as between the KYNA/KYN ratio and the stroop test subscore (r = 0.368, p = 0.019). In the GAD group, we found a positive correlation between kynurenine levels and state anxiety scores (r=0.34; p=0.032). In regression analysis, the KYNA/QUIN ratio significantly reduced GAD risk (p=0.001; OR: 0.531), independent of test performance.

Our study suggests that neurotoxic metabolites in the kynurenine-tryptophan metabolism may explain the executive function impairments observed in GAD. A key finding is that higher KYNA/QUIN ratios significantly reduce GAD risk, which is etiologically important and provides valuable guidance for future research.

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Suicide is a major public health issue and different metrics have been put into place in order to compare suicide rates and adapt prevention strategies to local contexts. Two numbers often cited are the number of suicides in a given country in a given year and the rate of suicides per 100.000 people in this country.

As straightforward as those two indicators may seem, they may nevertheless be subject to considerable caveats in specific national contexts. As an example, we will outline the case of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is a high-income European Union member state and benefits greatly of its multilinguality and close ties to its neighboring countries. Although other European countries also have considerable populations of foreign nationals working in, but not residing in their country, the Luxembourgish context is unique for its proportions: For a population shy of 680.000, there are about 200.000 foreign workers that cross the boarder every day.

Those frontalier-workers, as they are called, might however die by suicide in both their country of residence as well as in Luxembourg. Moreover, the Luxembourgish health care system offers considerable opportunities for patients to be treated in neighboring countries.

Those patients also might die by suicide abroad, thus not being counted into the Luxembourgish statistics.

To investigate the influence of a considerable foreign commuters demographic as well as of treatment of Luxembourgish nationals in boardering countries on the number of suicides reported for Luxembourg and its suicide rate.

Analysis of data by the Ministery of Health (Ministère de la Santé et de la Sécurité sociale), the National Statistics Insitute (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg) as well as the National Health Fund (Caisse Nationale de Santé)

Different figures are reported for suicide cases, which cannot easily be converted into one another:

One counts the number of suicides taking place in the territory of Luxembourg, an other one describes the causes of death for Luxembourgers who died outside of the country.

Although a considerable demographic, no data exists on the proportion of frontalier-workers among suicide victims in Luxembourg.

The study of suicide rates in Luxembourg highlights how a seemingly simple metric can prompt researchers to reconsider what exactly they aim to measure, enabling them to better design targeted prevention strategies for groups at higher risk.

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Atypical eating behaviors are more common in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared with neurotypical development. Cognitive inflexibility in ASD can result in rigid food-related rules and preoccupation with eating, similar to Eating Disorders (ED). Several studies have focused on cataloging these atypical eating behaviors, such as Zickgraf H. et al. (2019). [Figure 1].

Case presentation attended at the outpatient clinic of the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (Tenerife).

Literature review on atypical eating behaviors in ASD patients and their comorbidity with EDs.

A 14-year-old male, with no prior mental health history, showed normal social and academic adaptation but had a notable deficit in social smiling and persistent food texture rejection. He lives with his mother and has a close relationship with his paternal uncle, a personal trainer and role model.

He was referred to mental health services after multiple episodes of agitation, triggered by disruptions in his eating and exercise routines. Over the past year, he developed an intense focus on physical training practicing calisthenics several times a day, in addition to rejecting high-calorie foods, opting for vegetables (carrots and pumpkins). A conversation with soccer teammates, where comments about his body were made, may have acted as a trigger.

Physical Examination: Yellowish skin pigmentation, particularly on palms and nasolabial folds, not affecting sclera.BMI: 21.7.

Mental Status Examination: Aprosodic speech, limited eye contact. Marked rigidity with daily routines; severe anxiety when disrupted. Irritability related to eating and exercise. Food restriction focused on fruits and vegetables (carrots, pumpkins); interest in “being healthier” (muscle gain, fat loss).No purging or binge eating behaviors.

Psychometric Tests: ASSQ, ASAS, WISC-R suggest Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1, with average intellectual functioning.

Differential Diagnosis: Biochemical tests ruled out jaundice, liver disease, hypothyroidism, and diabetes. Diagnosis of carotenemia made by exclusion.

Diagnostic Interviews (EDI-III):Symptoms consistent with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

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The relationship between ASDs and EDs is common. Brede et al. (2020) proposed that certain autism traits, such as sensory sensitivities, social difficulties, identity issues, and the need for control, may contribute to restrictive eating behaviors. Westwood et al. (2018) [Figure 2] found a high prevalence of autism symptoms in adolescents with severe anorexia nervosa. Additionally, studies like Keski-Rahkonen et al. (2023) [Figure 3] report a significant prevalence of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in individuals with ASD and their relatives. Further research is crucial to improve treatment approaches for these comorbid conditions.

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Despite several efforts and public awareness campaigns, suicide rates are still rising in some countries, being third leading cause of death among 15-29-years-old. Some populations are at higher risk for suicidal behavior, such as LGBTIQ+ people and physicians. We found no literature regarding a possible association between physicians emotional response to suicidal patients (countertransference), sociodemographic factors and physicians mental health.

Identify a possible association between sociodemographic factors, countertransference and Burnout Syndrome.

An anonymous web-based survey was implemented through the software REDCap, collected by snowball sampling. Participants were volunteers and could withdraw at any time. The study was approved by the University Ethics Committee. The survey consisted of the Informed Consent Form (ICF), Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Rating Scale for Countertransference (RSCT), which evaluate the main emotional responses (approximation, indifference or rejection). Scales also included Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index of Davis. Other scales were included, but are being developed in other studies.

From the 210 respondents, 179 (85.2%) completed the query: 108 (60.3%) were female; 166 (92.7%) were self-declared white-colored skin; 139 (77.7%) had a sexual partner. The mean age was 37.22 (SD=12.33), 65(36.3%) were medical residents; 112 (62.6%) were already specialists, 54 (48.2%) of those, declared to be psychiatrists. Indifference varies according to sexual orientation (p = 0,002), even when controlling for burnout (p < 0,001). Bissexual physicians had lower indifference rates than the other groups (Heterosexual: N=104, M 1,52, SD 1,52, CV 0,998; Homosexual: N=15, M 2,60, CV 0,870; Bisexual: N=17, M 0,64, SD 0,20, CV 1,332). Females had higher approximation rates when compared to male (Male: N = 53; M 15,71; SD 5,77; Female: N = 90; M 17,94; SD 3,70; p = 0,006). There’s no difference between gender when evaluating indifference and rejection. Homosexual and bisexual physicians experience more burnout (Heterosexual: N = 118, M 49,94, SD 14,5. Homosexual: N = 16; M 60,0; SD 15,2. Bisexual: N = 18; M 59,6; SD 4,6). F (2) = 5,51; p = 0,05.

We find preliminary evidence that sexual orientation could influence emotional response when evaluating suicidal patients. Women have higher approximation. Both results remain the same when controlling for Burnout syndrome.

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Physical restraint in psychiatry is a widely used practice intended to protect patients from harming themselves or others, guided by strict procedures and monitoring. Recent reports and legal updates aim to regulate its use more closely

This study assesses the extent of physical restraint use and explores healthcare workers’ perceptions and experiences regarding this practice, focusing on ethical issues.

Between April and May 2024, we conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study involving healthcare staff from psychiatry departments across Tunisia, including hospitals in Sousse, Monastir, Kairouan, Mahdia, Sfax, and Tunis. Participants were surveyed using a literature-based questionnaire, and data were analyzed with SPSS21 software.

The study included 16 men (28%) and 43 women (72%), predominantly aged 20-30 years (72%), with most participants from Kairouan (52%). Sixty-four percent of staff viewed physical restraint as a therapeutic tool. Opinions on its impact on the therapeutic alliance and physical integrity were mixed, with 33% considering it dehumanizing. The most common emotions reported were fear (58%) and pity (39%), while anxiety was the least reported (9%). Coping strategies included rationalization (63%) and discussing experiences with colleagues. Sixty-six percent of staff reported encountering ethical dilemmas, with varying frequencies. Views on patient consent were divided, with 42% opposing seeking consent, and differing opinions on obtaining consent from patients with good insight or in relapse.

The study reveals diverse and complex attitudes towards physical restraint in psychiatry. It underscores the need for continuous training, ethical reflection, and efforts to align practices with ethical standards to mitigate negative impacts on staff.

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