The relationship between childhood adversity and psychosis has been the focus of extensive research in recent years. Studies suggest that individuals who experience significant adversity during childhood,such as abuse,neglect,or trauma, hava an increased risk of developing psychotic disorderser later in life.

Enviromental factor have been shown to play a signitficant role in the development of psychosis,often interacting with genetic predispositions.Nevertheless the relation between childhood trauma and social vulnerability in adulthood in patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) patients has not been studied.

The aim of this work is to study social factors in patients with childhood trauma and their impact on the development of a FEP.

The sample was divided into 3 groups, controls,first episode psychosis patients with childhood trauma (FEP with CT) and first episode psychosis patients without childhood trauma (FEP without CT). 135 controls and 190 patients with FEP (58.42% with CT) were assesed through questionnaires on traumatic experiences, life stress events and a socio-demographic interviews. The likelihood of experiencing life stress events in the past year, social vulnerability,affective issues and substance use were examined using logistic regression models.

Four covariates demonstrated a significant association with the clinical group with CT: being without a partner (p < .01), unemployment (p < .01), a history of psychiatric conditions (p < .01), and migration status (p < .01). However, stressful events in adulthodd were not found to be significant.

While childhood trauma does not seem to directly trigger re-traumatization in adulthood, it may contribute to place FEP patients in socially vulnerable circumstances that could lead to the development of psychotic symptoms.

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Detection for individuals at ultra-high risk for bipolar disorder (UHR-BD) is crucial due to the exploration of potential biomarkers at the early stages of bipolar disorder, including language abnormalities. Formal thought disorder (FTD) is an important symptom that can be observed in BD, which may be mildly noticeable during the early stages of the disease. Automated methods have demonstrated the ability to evaluate FTD in psychotic disorders and can also be employed to evaluate FTD in the speech of individuals at UHR-BD.

This study aimed to investigate the differences in language between UHR-BD and healthy controls (HC) using natural language processing (NLP) methods.

We collected speech samples from 20 individuals at UHR-BD and 20 HC during descriptions of eight Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) pictures, which were then manually transcribed. After transcribing the text, word2vec was used to convert it into vectors. The semantic similarity between words was calculated using a moving window approach to windows of words sized 5-10. Finally, the mean and variance of similarities were determined.

The variances of similarities in the windows of 5 to 9 were increased in UHR-BD (p=0.004, p=0.005, p=0.01, p=0.02, and p=0.037, respectively). There was no significant difference regarding the mean similarity.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate language with NLP methods in individuals at UHR-BD. Our findings showed that the variance of semantic similarity differed between the two groups. This indicates NLP methods may be used in the UHR-BD group to detect FTD.

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PNEA- Psychogenic Non-Epileptic seizures resemble epileptic seizures, have no electrophysiological correlate or clinical evidence for epilepsy, whereas there is positive evidence for psychogenic factors that may have caused the seizure. The clinical presentation usually includes convulsive movements, tremor of the whole body, or just some of the parts, loss of awareness, unresponsiveness and sometimes amnesia. ( N.M.G. Bodde, J.L. Brooks, G.A. Baker, P.A.J.M. Boon, J.G.M. Hendriksen, O.G. Mulder, A.P. Aldenkamp, Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures—Definition, etiology, treatment and prognostic issues: A critical review, Seizure, Volume 18, Issue 8, 2009, Pages 543-553, ISSN 1059-1311, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2009.06.006.). We were called for a psychiatric consultation for a 35 year old female patient who presented to the Emergency service of our hospital with a history of severe headache unresponsive to painkillers, seizures and a panic attack. A few days prior to this visit she was hospitalized in the Department of Neurology of a different hospital under suspicion of hydrocephalus.

The objective of our psychiatric consult was to determine whether the clinical presentation of seizures and headache could be caused by underlying psychological disturbances, rather than by somatic symptoms.

We reviewed the patient history and previous medical findings and treatment. Additionally, the patient underwent a series of diagnostic tests, with the most important one being video EEG monitoring.

On the MINI diagnostic questionnaire, she met the criteria for Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder and Dissociative and conversion disorder. Psychological testing confirmed a tendency to somatization, and development of secondary psychiatric symptoms on top of the existing physical symptoms. Also, continuous EEG recording for the duration of four days detected only functional seizures, and with other non-pathological findings, among others, through MR of the brain and MR angiography, confirmed the working diagnosis of PNEA.

The mutual cooperation between neurology specialists and liaison psychiatrists is vital in cases like this when there is an unclear cause of the symptoms. Accurate determination of the underlying cause of disturbances enables adequate treatment of the patient.

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that highly impacts children’s development, representing a significant challenge in pediatric healthcare. Parents of children with ASD are nowadays considered as real partners in their children’s care. Several parent-mediated interventions (PMIs) have proven to produce sustained improvements in autism symptomatology and social communication. However, widespread access to this type of intervention is still very limited mostly due to geographic and logistic constraints. The use of technology is therefore increasingly considered with the use of videoconferencing and online training modules. In this context, our team developed a novel parental coaching via E-learning (E-coaching) intended for parents of pre-school children with ASD.

The ongoing randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of our E-Coaching program compared to a standard coaching and a control group with no PMI.

The present study is a monocentric randomized controlled trial with three arms (E-coaching, Standard coaching, Control) of 33 children (N=99). Feasibility was assessed across recruitment, acceptability and implementation using semi-structured interviews. The primary outcome will be the quality of parent-child interaction, measured using a range of behavioral observations and by monitoring parent and child gaze using two head-mounted eye-tracking systems during semi-structured standardized play sessions. Secondary outcomes will include child’s developmental level through neuropsychological testing, and parental wellbeing through several standardized parent-report questionnaires.

We present preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, with participants reporting positive benefits on parent-child interaction. Preliminary observational data on the first families provided support for an improvement on parent-child interaction immediately after the end of the E-coaching intervention, as well as an increase of parental wellbeing.

We found initial feasibility for our E-coaching program, suggesting that parent-mediated E-learning interventions may be a promising format to implement with ASD families. Further evaluation to assess efficacy of the intervention is warranted and underway. If validated, E-coaching will enable us to reach a larger number of families and to have an early and meaningful impact on the developmental trajectory of these children, and on their quality of life.

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In the general population, the lifetime prevalence rates for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) range between 1.9% and 3.3%. In patients with schizophrenia, the prevalence rates of OCD range between 7.8% and 26%. Accurate diagnosis has prognostic and treatment implications.The empirical basis regarding the optimal treatment for comorbid OCD in patients with schizophrenia is almost nonexistent.

We report a successful treatment course of intensive CBT for a patient with OCD comorbid with schizophrenia and reflect on the difficulties in the management and treatment of these cases.

We describe a case report in which OCD emerged gradually after the remission of positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The CBT involved psychoeducation, case formulation, cognitive restructuring, and exposure and response prevention.

The case is a 24-year-old male, single, with no comorbid somatic diseases. He was admitted to our psychiatric ward for self-muttering activity and delusion of thought broadcasting from the past year. A diagnosis of schizophrenia was made. We started risperidone gradually titrated to 6 mg/day. During his follow-up period, he reported having repetitive and intrusive thoughts of blasphemous nature despite well-controlled psychotic symptoms. He acknowledged these thoughts as originating in his own mind but was unable to stop them on his own accord. He also reported obsessions related to contamination and disgust. This led to compulsive hand washing and avoidance behaviour of some objects, which was both distressing and time-consuming. The diagnosis was revised to comorbid schizophrenia and OCD. Antipsychotic was changed from risperidone to amisulpride 800 mg daily in combination with paroxetine up to 60 mg/d. Since paroxetine was already optimized, the next step taken was to substitute it. He was then medicated with amisulpride, and clomipramine slowly increased up to 225 mg/d. There was no significant clinical improvement, regardless of the dose. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was commenced later. Medication was kept stable during the baseline, treatment, and follow-up period. Fourteen 1-hour sessions of CBT, including exposure and response prevention, were delivered each week over a period of 14 weeks. At the end of the intensive treatment, he reported a significant reduction in obsessions and compulsions. His score on the Y-BOCS dropped from 34 to 8 (76%) before treatment to 4-month follow-up.He reported that the decrease in OCD symptoms was associated with a significantly higher quality of life.

CBT appears to offer a valuable opportunity to reduce symptom severity in patients with OCD comorbid with schizophrenia.Further research within this field and systematic clinical evaluations are highly desirable.

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Just as our bodies have immune systems to defend against harmful biological agents, our souls also need psychological “immune competencies” to cope with stress. These competencies include effective emotional, psychological, social and spiritual functioning, resilience, creative and executive efficiency, self-regulation and savoring, the ability to enjoy positive experiences.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the mental health competencies, the symptoms of mental disorder, or the interaction of the two have a stronger predictive power on subjective well-being among Hungarian adult psychiatric patients.

The psychiatric sample of 129 patients (44 men, 85 women) was recruited in a cross-sectional design in four Hungarian health care facilities. Participants completed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, the Mental Health Test and six well-being questionnaires.

Mental health competencies are stronger predictors of the three indicators of well-being (β = 0.61; 0.79; 0.51 p < 0.05) than mental disorder symptoms (β = 0.17; 0.12; 0.25, p < 0.05). Including both mental health competencies and mental disorder symptoms in a regression model more accurately predicts indicators of well-being (BIC = 310; 359.7; 170; AIC = 289; 337.3; 148.3; R2 = 0.74; 0.52; 0.58, p < 0.05) than either the effect of the two separately (BIC = 310.3; 365.4; 170.2; AIC = 291.1; 345.8; 151.1; R2 = 0.73; 0.48; 0.56, p > 0.05) or the effect of their interaction (BIC = 314.9; 363.6; 173.6; AIC = 290.3; 338.4; 149.1; R2 = 0.74; 0.52; 0.57, p > 0.05). Mental health competencies were positively (B = 0.88; 1.64; 0.54, p < 0.05) while mental disorder symptoms were negatively (B = -0.50; -0.28; -0,17, p < 0.05) related to indicators of subjective well-being.

The results underscore the potential of mental health competencies as protective factors that can enhance well-being and restore daily functioning even in the presence of mental disorder symptoms.

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Night-shift work significantly impacts sleep quality among nurses, leading to various adverse health outcomes.

This study aimed to assess the link between night-shift work and sleep quality among nurses.

The study was conducted with a sample of nurses in university hospitals of Sfax. Two groups of staff were defined based on their work schedule: the first group(G1) consisted of those working day shifts, either a regular morning schedule or alternating between morning and afternoon shifts, while the second group (G2) included those working night shifts, either fixed night shifts or alternating between morning, afternoon, and night shifts. Data collection was carried out using an anonymous self-questionnaire developed via an online interface hosted on Google Forms. Sleep disorders were screened using the validated Arabic version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

The study population consisted of 114 nurses, with 37 nurses in G1 and 77 in G2. The average age of the workers was 33.8 years ± 7 years with extremes of 23 and 55 years. The average duration of night work was 5.9 years ± 4.64 years, ranging from a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 25 years. The overall PSQI scale score was on average 6.86 ± 3.2. Based on this scale, 62% were classified as poor sleepers. In bivariate analysis, night-shift work was associated with a bad sleeper profile (p= 0.027, OR=2.44, IC95% [1.09-5;46]). However, day-shift work protected from the bad sleeper profile (p=0.04, OR=0.4, IC95% [0.18-0.91]).

The study highlights the negative association between night-shift work and sleep quality among nurses. it is essential for healthcare organizations to implement strategies that address the unique challenges faced by night-shift nurses, such as promoting better sleep hygiene and providing support resources.

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Motor abnormalities in schizophrenia are important as they are measurable objective parameters. Neurological soft signs (NSS), which are one of the primary motor abnormalities, are minor motor and sensory abnormalities that cannot be localised to a specific brain region, reflect the areas of sensory integration, motor coordination and motor sequencing. Instrumental measures of motor abnormalities have the potential to improve detection, early intervention and treatment strategies in psychotic disorders.

Our aim in this cross-sectional study was to compare NSS in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and treatment responsive schizophrenia (non-TRS) and healthy controls (HC), and to examine the relationship of NSS with sociodemographic and clinical variables, premorbid adjustment, functioning, negative and cognitive symptoms.

30 TRS patients, 30 non-TRS patients and 30 HC were included in the study between November 2021 and November 2022. The inclusion criteria for the TRS group were to meet the criteria for resistance to antipsychotic treatment. Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was applied to all participants to evaluate NSS. The scale assesses impairment in four different functional areas: “sensory integration”, “motor coordination”, motor sequencing” and “other signs”. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Brief Negative Symptom Scale, General Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S), Premorbid Adjustment Scale-Childhood (PAS), and a cognitive battery were applied to patients with schizophrenia. The authors declare that all methods used in this study adhere to the ethical guidelines of the corresponding national and institutional review boards for human research and are in alignment with the 1975 Helsinki Declaration, as updated in 2008. All participants provided written informed consent to participate in this study.

We found significant differences in the NES-Total score and all subscale scores between patients with schizophrenia and HC (all comparisons p<0,001). NSS in patients with schizophrenia were found to be higher than in HC. TRS had higher NES-Total (p=0,002), NES-Sensory Integration (p=0,001), and NES-Other Signs (p<0,001) scores than non-TRS. NES-Total score was negatively correlated with GAF score and positively correlated with BPRS, CGI-S and PAS-childhood scores. Poor performance on cognitive tests was associated with more NSS. Only the sensory integration deficits were found to be associated with negative symptoms.

Our findings suggest that NSS examination in patients with schizophrenia may indicate treatment resistance or response. NSS are associated with severity of illness, lower functioning, poor premorbid adjustment, and poor cognitive performance. Longitudinal studies involving larger samples are needed to understand the course of NSS at different stages of the illness.

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Addiction is a complex condition affecting millions globally, involving behaviors from substance use to behavioral addictions like gambling disorder (GD). It frequently co-occurs with psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder (BD) and bulimia, complicating treatment. Individuals with BD are six times more likely to develop GD, especially men. This presentation explores managing various forms of addiction across different populations.

1. 1. Provide updated knowledge on addiction and its comorbidities.

2. 2. Explore integrated treatment for co-occurring psychiatric disorders.

3. 3. Highlight the role of cultural contexts in addiction treatment.

4. 4. Equip clinicians with practical tools for comprehensive addiction care.

Four key areas of addiction management are discussed using case studies and comparative analysis:

1. 1. Compulsive Sexual Behavior in Veterans: Examining compulsive sexual behavior as a PTSD symptom, diagnosis, and treatment approaches.

2. 2. Polish Addiction Treatment Standards: A comparative analysis of Polish standards and recent reforms, and their impact on practice.

3. 3. Dual Diagnosis: Alcohol Addiction and Bulimia: Case-based discussions on integrating treatment for co-occurring alcohol addiction and bulimia.

4. 4. BD and GD Comorbidity: Reviewing pharmacological (e.g., lithium) and psychosocial interventions for BD-GD comorbidity.

1. 1. Compulsive Sexual Behavior in Veterans: Tailored interventions improve outcomes for veterans.

2. 2. Polish Addiction Standards: Reforms improve accessibility, but aligning with European standards for dual diagnosis remains challenging.

3. 3. Dual Diagnosis: Integrated treatment for alcohol addiction and bulimia improves outcomes and reduces relapse rates.

4. 4. BD and GD Comorbidity: Lithium and psychosocial interventions stabilize mood and reduce gambling, but more research is needed.

Innovative approaches to addiction management, particularly for co-occurring psychiatric disorders, improve clinical outcomes. Tailored interventions for veterans, analysis of treatment standards, and integrated strategies for dual diagnoses provide practical solutions for clinicians. Further research is needed to optimize treatments for BD-GD comorbidity.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved from philosophical musings to a crucial component of modern technology. The concept of using computer technology to simulate thinking and intelligent behavior was first described by Alan Turing in 1950. The Dartmouth Conference in 1956 marked a pivotal moment, coining the term “artificial intelligence” and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Further contributions to the development of AI theory were made by scholars such as John McCarthy, Valerie Barr, Edward Feigenbaum, Claude Shannon and others. The concept of creating AI is to form a system that would be able to operate autonomously, solving intellectual tasks in a manner similar to human cognitive processes. This is achieved by using algorithms that are translated into computer code containing instructions for quickly analyzing and transforming data into conclusions, information, or other outputs. Throughout the subsequent decades, AI experienced cycles of optimism and disillusionment, known as “AI winters,” primarily due to unmet expectations regarding computational capabilities and practical applications. The resurgence of AI in the 21st century can be attributed to breakthroughs in machine learning, especially deep learning, and the availability of vast datasets and increased computational power. Today, AI is defined broadly as the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior, encompassing a range of subfields including natural language processing, robotics, and computer vision. As AI continues to evolve, its definitions are adapted to address ethical considerations and the implications of autonomy in decision-making systems. Current discourse often examines AI not only as a technological phenomenon but also as a sociocultural force, raising questions about accountability, bias, and the future of work. This presentation will reflect the complex path of AI development and the shifting paradigms that define its scope and impact on modern society.

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Current global societal challenges pose significant threats to the mental well-being of European citizens. The ‘RECONNECTED’ project, supported by the EU/Horizon Europe program, aims to tackle mental health issues experienced by vulnerable populations in Europe, including those in Kosovo, particularly individuals with low socioeconomic status.

The objective is to present key pillars of project and outline some key findings that will inform the consortium toward finalizing the conceptual framework of RECONNECTED which draws inspiration from the Urban Mental Health (UMH) framework, with a focus on particular aspects related to Kosovo.

It’s a mixed-methods study design. We have reviewed the literature related to three key pillars of project: social prescribing, mental health literacy and personalized micro-interventions in Kosovo, and analysed preliminary some recent cross-sectional samples focusing on sociodemographic and psychosocial variables. Data processing was done with SPSS 27.0 and Microsoft Excel 2019.

The literature review in internet does not find information about the implementation of social prescription and personalized micro-interventions in Kosovo so far. However, we can see that similar fragmented activities of social prescription have been implemented in Kosovo in various unstructured and informal designs. There is also information about the individual use of various applications by young people. Furthermore, no study is found regarding mental health literacy in Kosovo, and we have found that there are no mental health promotion programs. Recent cross-sectional samples analysis highlights the association between gender, dysfunctional coping style, social support and low socio-economic status with mental health indicators like anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation among young individuals.

These findings highlight how key mental health challenges could impact the implementation and use of a digital support system like RECONNECTED within a community care model. Addressing these factors during the co-creation process between researchers, stakeholders and end-users is crucial for ensuring the success of this innovative scientific approach in Kosovo, a low-middle-income country.

N. Fanaj Grant / Research support from: Principal Researcher for Kosovo in Project RECONNECTED, S. Mustafa Grant / Research support from: Researcher Officer for Kosovo in Project RECONNECTED, E. Krasniqi Grant / Research support from: Researcher Officer for Kosovo in Project RECONNECTED, A. Cerga Pashoja Grant / Research support from: Principal Researcher for UK in Project RECONNECTED

Negative symptoms in CHR-P people are generally not responsive to treatments and commonly related to poorer functional outcome. However, less research attention has been dedicated to Persistent Negative Symptoms (PNS), defined as clinically stable negative symptoms of moderate severity evident for at least 6 months.

This study aims to (a) determine the prevalence of PNS in a sample of young people at CHR-P; (b) investigate any association of PNS with functioning and clinical features; (c) examine longitudinal course of PNS across 2 years of follow-up and changes in PNS severity levels with specialized treatments.

One Hundred Eighty CHR-P participants were recruited and were divided into CHR-P/PNS + and CHR-P/PNS− subgroups according to the presence/absence of PNS. The clinical assessments were based on the PANSS and the GAF and were conducted at baseline and every 12 months during the follow-up. Association of PNS with sociodemopgraphic, clinical, psychopathological and treatment variables were examined using linear regression analysis.

Twenty four participants showed PNS at entry. Of them, 21 concluded the 2-year follow-up period. At baseline, the CHR-P/PNS + participants showed more educational and employment deficits, and more social and functioning impairment. During the follow-up, the CHR-P/PNS + subgroup had a significant longitudinal decrease in negative symptoms, which was specifically related to antidepressant treatment. CHR-P/PNS + subjects also showed a higher incidence of new hospitalization and a lower functional recovery over time.

Our findings support that the persistence of negative symptoms in CHR-P people is longitudinally related to worse daily functioning and more severe clinical conditions that are at higher risk of hospitalization and are less responsive to specialized treatments.

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Patients with schizophrenia experience uncertainty due to unpredictable symptoms, disease progression and lack of information about the illness, treatment and prognosis. Studies underline that illness uncertainty is a risk factor in schizophrenia, while psychological well-being and quality of life are critical outcomes. Psychological resilience is also recognised as having a mediating role.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between illness uncertainty, psychological resilience and psychological well-being in people with schizophrenia.

In this cross-sectional study, 150 participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (DSM-5) were recruited. Data were collected using the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community Form, the Psychological Well-being Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and pearson correlation analysis.

The mean age of people diagnosed with schizophrenia who participated in the study was 37.52±10.62 years, 41.3% (n=62) were high school graduates, 68.7% (n=103) were single, 53.3% (n=80) had income equal to expenses, 59.3% (n=89) were not working, 54.7% (n=82) lived with their parents and 38.7% (n=58) had children. The study found a negative and weak relationship between the mean MUIS-C total score and the mean PWBS total score (r=-0.359), and also a negative and weak relationship between the mean MUIS-C total score and the mean CD-RISC total score (r=-0.287).

It is important for health professionals to assess the uncertainty experienced by people with schizophrenia, to examine its impact on their psychological well-being and to understand how they cope with their illness.

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The COVID-19 pandemic set up a global health crisis, with an impact on the daily lives of the population. The effectiveness and importance of Single-Session Interventions (SSI), have increasingly been demonstrated, which also found expression during the Pandemic and remote care and has shown a significant impact in reducing symptoms, reducing relapses and hospitalizations, increasing positive attitudes, improving treatment adherence, and reducing the length of hospital stay for various mental disorders. It is considered an easy-to-access and economical tool.

The Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) and the Brazilian Ministry of Health developed the TELEPSI. This Project aims to: provide telecare using different types of psychotherapeutic approaches to health professionals, teachers, and essential service workers during the Pandemic in Brazil.

This study aims to investigate the predictors of perceived improvement after the Single Session Intervention with Enhanced Psychoeducation (SSI-EP) with support videos in frontline professionals during the Covid 19 Pandemic.

he COVID-19 pandemic set up a global health crisis, with an impact on the daily lives of the population. This study analyzed data from a large trial including frontline workers from April 2020 to December 2021. We included all participants randomized to SSI-EP.

The final sample consisted of 709 subjects, 82.8% were health professionals, 87.8% health professionals. One month after the intervention, 558 (78.7%) have improved emotional symptoms. Factors associated with better outcomes were the number of videos watched by the participants and use of medications without a medical prescription. Excessive consumption of carbohydrates and fats was negatively associated with improvement.

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This new TELEPSI proposal that combines online SSI based on Psychoeducation with the sending of support videos proved to be effective, as we saw in the main article in which a significant proportion of participants improved. The participant’s perception of improvement, corroborates the data found on the improvement of symptom scales and some factors associated with this outcome, such as videos. This was an interesting finding and the importance of studying and exploring and studying more and more digital interventions, which can offer access to many people and have low implementation costs. We believe that in this way we will be able to better indicate such new psychotherapeutic strategies in a more personalized and adapted way. Enhanced psychoeducation is an effective and low-cost approach to improving symptoms. More research is needed to compare its effectiveness with other intervention strategies. Furthermore, its application must be explored beyond the context of the pandemic and social isolation.

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The postpartum period can significantly affect sexual life, particularly for women who have undergone an episiotomy. This study examines the impact of episiotomy on sexual activity during the postpartum period.

To evaluate the sexual life of Tunisian women following episiotomy in the postpartum period.

We conducted a prospective cohort study at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of Farhat Hached University Hospital in Sousse. The study included women who delivered vaginally with an episiotomy in 2020. Data were collected from medical records and delivery reports. Nine months postpartum, participants were contacted by phone to complete a questionnaire assessing their experiences with episiotomy and sexual satisfaction.

The final sample comprised 66 women with a mean age of 27 ± 2.8 years (range: 20-34 years).

Regarding sexual function, 84% of women were very or moderately satisfied with their sexual life before pregnancy, and 74% were satisfied during pregnancy. Most women resumed sexual activity between 7 and 8 weeks postpartum (78%), with 22% resuming before 8 weeks. Compared to pre-birth satisfaction, 54% of women reported no change in sexual satisfaction after childbirth, while 29% reported a decrease and 17% an increase.

Sexual satisfaction was statistically related to the mode of delivery, with 55% of women who had forceps delivery being dissatisfied or equally satisfied as dissatisfied (p=0.01).

Factors affecting postpartum sexual activity included fear of pain (32%), fear of another pregnancy (13%), perceived loss of body desirability (37%), body changes (31%), and excessive fatigue (24%).

This study demonstrates that episiotomy can have a notable impact on postpartum sexual life. Several factors, including the type of suture used during delivery and the mode of delivery, influence women’s sexual satisfaction. These findings underline the importance of considering both physical and emotional aspects of postpartum recovery to improve the overall sexual health and well-being of women after childbirth.

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SLC6A1 is a GABA transporter which, being expressed in neurons and glial cells, removes GABA from extracellular space, preventing the spread of the inhibitory transmission within the brain. Recently, A93T, R211C, and W495L de novo mutations in SLC6A1 have been demonstrated to be involved in schizophrenia pathogenesis. However, the mechanism of action of SLC6A1 in schizophrenia is still to be determined.

To establish a series of SH-SY5Y-based cell lines expressing wt SLC6A1 and its forms with single A93T, R211C or W495L mutations and their combinations, and to further characterize the properties and the subcellular localization of the resulting proteins.

The chosen variants of SLC6A1 tagged with N-terminal FLAG were cloned into a lentiviral plasmid under the TRE promoter and used for transfection of HEK293T with further SH-SY5Y transduction. SLC6A1 expression was initiated by adding 20 μg/mL of doxycycline to the cells. After 48 hours of treatment the cells were either used for qPCR and Western blot analysis, or stained.

All cell lines expressed SLC6A1 forms efficiently. SLC6A1 with single mutations, SLC6A1R211C;W495L, and SLC6A1A93T; R211C;W495L were present by the same ≈67kDa form as wt SLC6A1, while SLC6A1A93T;R211C resulted in an additional band at ≈130kDa, indicating either the presence of PTM, or the formation of a homodimer. SLC6A1A93T;W495L gave no protein product, probably, due to its proteolytic degradation. Interestingly, wt SLC6A1, SLC6A1R211C, and SLC6A1A93T;R211C were detected in neurites, while SLC6A1A93T, SLC6A1W495L, SLC6A1R211C;W495L, and SLC6A1A93T;R211C;W495L were mainly found in cytoplasm, which might indicate that these mutations might affect the function of the protein.

Having established a series of SH-SY5Y-based cell lines expressing SLC6A1 with schizophrenia-associated mutations, we demonstrated the effect of the latter on the protein’s subcellular localization. Based on our observations, we speculate that R211C has the mildest effect on the localization and function of SLC6A1 and can even partially compensate that of A93T, but not W495L. We also suggest that SLC6A1 with the A93T;W495L combination undergoes proteolytic degradation, most likely, due to the defects in its structure.

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More than any other field in medicine, psychiatry is marked by an individual’s life experiences and the cultural context surrounding them. When a patient presents a set of somatic and seemingly unrelated symptoms that can’t be explained by an underlying physical condition, the diagnosis can become challenging. However, when these symptoms are seen through the lense of their particular cultural context and their traumatic family history, these manifestations start to make sense.

This paper aims to examine the relationship between transgenerational trauma and somatic manifestations without an underlying physical condition in an adult female partient N.

In order to investigate the psychological functioning of the patient N, we conducted a semi-structured interview followed by a set of psychological tests. We administered the Draw-a-Family Picture Test, the Rorschach Test and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). We also analysed the patient’s diary entries.

N initially came to us with unexplained somatic symptoms and a generally depressive mood, finding it difficult to discuss certain topics like her sexual issues. The various elements we have collected through the tests and the interviews with the patient N have shed light on an event that occured within the father’s family, an incestuous rape. This event was the cause of the family’s breakdown, and we believe that the depressive symptoms, suicide attempts, as well as the incestuous atmosphere related to the patient N and her family are connected to this event and have continued to be unconsciously transmitted across generations.

This case study showed the importance of taking family history and cultural context into consideration when examining psychological functioning. Family secrets and seemingly unrelated past events can cause a transgenerational trauma affecting the descendants mental and physical health.

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Negative symptoms are one of the core symptom groups of schizophrenia. These symptoms are highly prevalent and are proven to have a strong correlation with mental health-related quality of life. Evaluating negative symptoms using the Brief Negative Symptoms Score (BNSS), a semi-structured interview, is recommended. BNSS can be supplemented with the Self-assessment of Negative Symptoms (SNS), a self-assessment scale. It is unclear whether a semi-structured interview or a self-assessment scale is more related to the mental health-related quality of life.

To evaluate whether scores BNSS or SNS are more strongly correlated with the mental health-related quality of life.

We performed a cross-sectional study in an inpatient clinic of a university hospital in Lithuania. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to ICD-10, age between 18 and 65. Exclusion criteria were acute and/or severe comorbid psychiatric or somatic disorders. BNSS and SNS were used to evaluate negative symptoms. The 36-item Short Form survey (SF-36) was used to evaluate quality of life. Three independent psychiatrists evaluated the participants of the study. The first psychiatrist evaluated the negative symptoms with BNSS. The second psychiatrist handed out, collected, and scored SNS. The third psychiatrist handed out, collected, and scored SF-36. Afterward, the statistical correlation analysis was performed. Only the energy/fatigue and mental health subscores of SF-36 were included in the study to limit the correlation analysis to only the mental health-related quality of life.

The study included 93 participants. We found that SNS scores significantly correlated with mental health-related quality of life compared. SNS had higher correlation indexes with the energy/fatigue subscore than the mental health subscore of SF-36. The strongest correlation was seen between the total score of SNS and the energy/fatigue subscore of SF-36 (r=-0,508, p<0,001). BNSS had no statistically significant correlations with either the energy/fatigue or the mental health subscore of SF-36. All of the correlation coefficients can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Correlation coefficients of SNS and SF-36 scores. MH – SF-36 mental health subscore; EF- SF-36 energy/fatigue subscore; SNS SI – SNS social isolation subscore, SNS A- SNS alogia subscore; SNS AV – SNS avolition subscore; SNS AN – SNS anhedonia subscore; SNS total score.

SNS, a self-evaluation scale, was more strongly correlated to mental health-related quality of life than scores of BNSS.

None Declared