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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) significantly impacts adults’ work performance, yet their lived experiences and perceptions of their work challenges remain underexplored. Understanding these subjective viewpoints is crucial for capturing the complexities of this population’s daily work challenges and needs, serving as a foundational step in developing targeted intervention to enhance work performance and participation.
Objectives
This study aimed to explore the work performance experiences, challenges, and needs of adults with ADHD.
Methods
Twelve adults (ages 20-46) diagnosed with ADHD participated in three separate online focus groups, each comprising four participants.
Results
Participants reported key challenges in executive functions, including difficulties with time management (lateness, missing deadlines), planning (prioritizing tasks, multitasking), working memory (forgetting instructions and names), maintaining focus, managing distractions, and emotional regulation (struggles in relationships with colleagues and employers). These challenges often led to frustration, stress, and low occupational self-efficacy. Identified needs included psychoeducation, self-regulation strategies, work and environment accommodations, and personalized interventions.
Conclusions
The study highlights the unique executive challenges and emotional consequences faced by working adults with ADHD. Hence, it emphasizes the need for personalized interventions to enhance work performance, participation, and overall well-being in this population.
Research indicates that for psychiatric services to be generally effective, individuals have to complete the treatment. Although treatment completion does not necessarily equate to treatment success, it has been found to consistently lead to improved outcomes including improved rates of recovery and reduced risk of involvement with the justice system and other adverse outcomes. Treatment non-completion, on the other hand, has been associated with a higher risk of readmissions for inpatient care, legal, and other health-related problems (Dreyer et al. S Afr J Psychiatr 2020; 26 a1255). These findings underscore the importance of examining factors associated with treatment completion.
Objectives
The goal of the study was to identify predictors for treatment completion among individuals receiving psychiatric services from state-administered behavioral health systems in Indiana, USA. Three domains of predictors were examined, including sociodemographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and the type of treatment patients received.
Methods
Statewide records from merged administrative data sets were used for this analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted using a sample of 15,412 adults receiving behavioral health services in fiscal year 2020.
Results
Among demographic characteristics only race was associated with treatment completion. Individuals who were non-Hispanic White were 20% more likely to complete their treatment compared to their minority (e.g., Black, Hispanic) counterparts (p < .05, OR = 1.20). Having more than one mental health disorder was associated with 16% decreased odds of completing treatment (p < .05, OR = 0.87). Individuals who were institutionalized for psychiatric conditions had 26% decreased odds of completing the treatment (p < .05, OR = 0.80), but those who received inpatient substance abuse related care were over four times more likely to complete their treatment (p < .05, OR = 4.61). Finally, individuals who attended any self-help groups had 63% greater odds of completing the treatment.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that individuals who simultaneously received substance abuse and mental health treatment had the greatest chances to complete treatment successfully. Study implications also suggest that self-help or support groups should be promoted as ways to motivate patients to adhere to treatment.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex mental disorder characterized by a voluntary food restriction and excessive physical activity resulting in dramatic weight loss. Neurotrophins are growth factors that play s role in the proliferation, survival and differentiation of cells in the brain. Alterations in neurotrophin factors, including the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been found in patients wuth AN. Variants of genes encoding various neurotrophins and their receptors have been associated with eating disorders or with disease outcome or prognosis compared with controls. In animal, BDNF negatively modulates the central control of food intake and its injection into rodents induces weight loss and anorexia. Its receptor, the p75 neurotrophin receptor was also able to regulate the energy balance, as observed in mice lacking the p75NTR, which decreased their feeding. Thus, several neurotrophins and their receptor may have a metabolic effect, making them good candidates for biomarkers in AN for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.
Objectives
Our work measured the levels of expression of neurotrophins and their receptors in specific brain areas, taking advantage of the mouse AN-like model in food-restricted and refeed animals.
Methods
The AN-like model combining a chronic food restriction (50%) for 15 days followed by an ad libitum refeeding period of one week was used. Female mice have access to a running wheel to create a metabolic environment similar to that of patients suffering from AN during restriction and recovery after hospitalization. The mRNA levels of Bdnf, TrkB, Ngf, NtF3 and Ntf5 were measured in brain regions (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and dorsal striatum) using quantitative PCR in the different groups of mice (ad libitum, ad libitum with wheel, food restriction and food restriction with wheel). Statistical analysis will compare levels using one-way or two-way ANOVAs depending on the animal group or brain region.
Results
A significant decrease of the expression of Bdnf, Ngf and Ntf5 genes was observed between ad libitum and food restriction groups in the dorsal striatum. The transcript level for Bdnf was also decreased in the prefrontal cortex in the food restriction groups compared to the ad libitum groups. In contrast, TrkB transcript was increased in in food restriction groups compared to ad libitum groups, in the prefrontal cortex. We expect significant differences in gene expression in the other brain regions of interest for the food restricted animals compared to the ad libitum animals. The levels of neurotrophic genes are ongoing for the refeeding animals.
Conclusions
Neurotrophins could represent potential biomarkers of AN for the diagnosis and prognosis in the evolution to weight recovery and will thus allow a better understanding of the aetiology of AN.
This work was supported by Fédération Recherche sur le Cerveau.
Psychosocial interventions play a role in recovery and in the patient’s journey. Recovery is individual and so needs individual responses from the mental health services with individual goals set. Different interventions will be useful at different stages and, of course, they only “work” for some people. Three main strategies are often referred to – reducing symptoms, reducing barriers to recovery, and extending and maintaining recovery to achieve some stable and acceptable (to the patient) optimal level of functioning. Psychosocial intervention strategies are beneficial for each of these, and they are often thought of as independent, but they are inter-related with one type of therapy leading to reductions in the need for other therapies. Even though many of these strategies are included in guidelines, the process of considering which one to start with is a choice. We need to work out how that choice is made.
A finite group is said to be n-cyclic if it contains n cyclic subgroups. For a finite group G, the ratio of the number of cyclic subgroups to the number of subgroups is known as the cyclicity degree of the group G and is denoted by $\textit {cdeg} (G)$. In this paper, we classify all $12$-cyclic groups. We also prove that the set of cyclicity degrees for all the finite groups is dense in $[0,1]$, which solves a problem posed by Tărnăuceanu and Tóth [‘Cyclicity degrees of finite groups’, Acta Math. Hungar.145(2) (2015), 489–504].
Artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially enhance healthcare professionals’ understanding of certain disorders, facilitating improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Exploring potential psychological factors that can possibly influence healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards AI in their work is crucial to assist successful adoption and utilization of these technologies.
Objectives
The possible role of burnout, perceived distress, and factors related to work circumstances on willingness to use AI were explored in this investigation.
Methods
Attitudes towards artificial intelligence, perceived distress and factors related to work were assessed by using an online questionnaire. Participants (86 % women, Mage = 46.9 years, SD = 11.3) were healthcare professionals recruited from Hungarian hospitals and healthcare institutions.
Results
Linear regression analysis indicated that most participants (58%) were open to using AI in their work. Significant predictors of use were job satisfaction, work performance, and administrative workload. Higher burnout levels and perceived distress were not associated with attitudes towards AI.
Conclusions
The present findings suggested that work-related environmental factors may have a greater predictive power in explaining the propensity to use AI in healthcare than individual psychological factors. However, the explanatory power of these factors in AI use was modest (7.5%), suggesting that future research should investigate further possible predictors of attitudes towards AI such as social factors.
Africa has the oldest artefacts and evidence for fire. It is where Homo sapiens evolved and developed novel technologies before dispersing into the rest of the world some 70ka ago. There is, however, no reliable evidence in Africa for artificial shelters and dwellings older than 20ka. This paper sets out to understand why such basic architecture appears so late in a continent with great environmental variation and a deep history of innovation. The approach combines evidence from micro and macro scales of analysis. The micro scale uses ethnoarchaeological studies of Africa’s small circular houses to examine how and why gender separates their occupants both spatially and through their access to food stores. At the macro scale, the absence of food stores among Africa’s extant hunters and gatherers is predicted from environmental factors that apply to the whole continent. Without food storage there are no significant dwellings. I then turn to the archaeological evidence for the appearance of dwellings and storage from Africa and the Levant, a contiguous region where huts are known at 23ka. The evidence for dwellings in Europe is then considered. While dwellings are earlier here than in Africa and the Levant none are reliably older than 32ka. They are found with evidence for food storage. The paper explores the implications of this chronological framework for a major transition in hominin evolution that, before agriculture, involved intensification in subsistence combined with storage, and a novel architecture of gendered spaces now found worldwide.
Parkinson’s Disease is associated with depigmentation of the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus, with specific pathophysiological alterations. It is characterized by tremor at rest, bradykinesia, postural instability and rigidity. But there are also other comorbid psychiatric disorders that accompany it, such as cognitive impairment, psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions), mood disorders and sleep disorders, among others.
Objectives
The main objective of this work is to review the current scientific evidence on the management of depression in Parkinson’s Disease.
Methods
The case of a 75-year-old man with a neurological history and a diagnosis of depression with a poor evolution is presented. A detailed search was performed on UpToDate using the search terms “Parkinson’s Disease” and “Depression”.
Results
This is a 70-year-old man with a history of Parkinson’s disease and comorbid depression with a poor evolution. A multitude of therapeutic options have been tried, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, antipsychotics, tricyclic antidepressants and an intensive psychotherapeutic approach. Despite what has been described, the expected improvement is not obtained and, given the difficulties in the treatment of his Parkinson’s Disease, an update is necessary according to the scientific evidence collected.
According to the scientific evidence consulted, among the antidepressants most studied in Parkinson’s Disease are SSRIs, SNRIs and tricyclic antidepressants. The choice of antidepressant treatment will depend on the patient’s main symptoms and the risk-benefit assessment of starting treatment. The importance of cognitive-behavioral treatment is also highlighted.
Conclusions
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders seen in PD. Depressive symptoms in PD are associated with increased motor disability and decreased quality of life. It is estimated that up to 50% of patients have depressive symptoms.
In conclusion, the approach to depression in Parkinson’s Disease must be multidisciplinary and comprehensive, with both psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is non-invasive neuromodulation technique that manages various mental disorders, including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) that is characterized by impulsive behavior, emotional lability, aggressiveness and unstable mood. TMS may decreases some core symptoms of borderline personality disorder by targeting specific brain regions involved in emotion regulation, aggression management and impulse control.
magnetic fields stimulate nerve cells in prefrontal cortex, involved in emotional regulation, also influences neural circuitry, that diminish symptoms like aggressiveness, dysregulation and problems in interpersonal relationships.
Objectives
-Treatment effectiveness assessment in reducing symptoms like problems in interpersonal relationships, mood swings, impulsivity, aggressiveness, sometimes paranoid ideations
-management of affect, anxiety and depressive states
-Changes in neural circuitry: alterations in brain activity patterns
-Safety profile of TMS in individuals with BPD, also adverse reactions
- self assessment of the pationt regarding symptom relief
-Compare with medications
Methods
Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
Duration
10-14 weeks
Setting
Outpatient department of Todua clinic
Inclusion Criteria
- Adults aged 18-65 y
- Diagnosis of Borderline Personality
Exclusion Criteria
- Contraindications (e.g., metal implants in the skull or brain)
The results have shown a really promising outcome:
1.reduced symptom severity: impulsivity, aggressiveness, self-harming, emotional instabiliyu, mood swings, improved mood and decreased anxiety and depressive states.
2.Changes in neuronal circuits: TMS changed total brain activity in a positive way, it regulated limbic system functioning tha correspondingly improved the symptoms.
3.This technique is really safe and very well tolerated with few side effects, most of them were mild, such as headache.
4.Improved Quality of Life
Conclusions
In conclusion, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation leads to significant reductions in main symptoms, such as mood swings, impulsivity, aggressiveness, emotional dysregulation and self harm. moreover, this technique is very well-tolerated, with minimal side effects, like mild headache.
Changes in brain activity shows how TMS facilitates symptom improvement, especially when combined with psychotherapy or medications.
TMS promises to be an innovative technique nin the management of core symptoms of BPD and improving patients’ quality of life.
In recent years, Tunisia has observed a notable decrease in marriage rates, with a 36% drop in marriage contracts. This decline has been linked to post-independence reforms, modernization, the influence of tourism, media, foreign languages, rapid communication, and international migration, which have transformed values and behaviors related to marriage and family. However, it remains to be determined if the reluctance of women toward marriage is the primary cause of the decrease in marriage rates, or if other factors, such as socioeconomic conditions and male migration, are also contributing to this decline.
Objectives
To determine if women are reluctant to marry.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with Tunisian women using a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms and social media.
Results
The study included 138 women with 121 women being not married at the time of the study. Only not married women were part of the study. The age range of the participants was from 20 to 40 years with a majority in the age range between 20 and 25 years. The majority of the participants had a university-level education (88%), came from an urban background, were active(99%); 64% were employed, 28% were university students and 7% were high school students. Interest in a serious relationship and openness to marriage was expressed by 65% of the women. 30% of women who are open to marry, reported that they are unable to find a suitable partner. Among the cases, 1.3% women were homosexual, and the lack of same-sex marriage legislation in our country was the reason they had not yet married. Additionally, 1.3% of the women admitted to having a disability or deformity, which they perceived as a challenge for a potential partner. In 16% of cases, the women expressed that economic difficulties are the reason, as they and their partners are unable to cover the costs of the wedding ceremony. However, 31% of these women reported that they are not affected by social pressure regarding marriage.
Conclusions
The study indicates that reluctance to marry among Tunisian women is influenced by multiple factors rather than being a single cause. While 65% of participants expressed interest in serious relationships or marriage, challenges such as difficulty finding a suitable partner, economic constraints, lack of same-sex marriage legislation and personal disabilities or deformities contribute to the observed decrease in marriage rates. However, some women remain unaffected by social pressure. This suggests that the decline in marriage rates is a multifaceted issue, involving a combination of personal, economic, and legislative factors rather than a singular reluctance to marry.
Case-based learning holds a crucial place in psychiatric education. Through methods such as written scenarios, video presentations, patient simulations, or observing real patients, students are expected to gain clinical reasoning skills by observing psychiatric cases.
Objectives
This study aims to generate case scenarios using ChatGPT-4 and create multiple-choice questions based on these cases.
Methods
A prompt was developed based on the literature to generate case scenarios for 12 psychiatric diagnoses, along with five related questions for each case (Figure) (Kıyak. Rev esp educ méd 2023; 4(3)). The scenarios and questions were organized into six forms, each containing two cases and ten questions.
Results
A total of 12 psychiatrists, (5.33 ± 1.31 years of practice) evaluated each form in pairs. The results of the case evaluations are presented in Table 1, and the question evaluations in Table 2.
Table 1
Form 1
Form 2
Form 3
Form 4
Form 5
Form 6
Total
Schizophrenia/ MDD
Schizophreniform/ AN
Brief PD/ SSD
Panic/ Bipolar I
Dysthymia/ BPD
Conversion/GAD
The clinical scenario represents a typical case for the queried disorder.
2/2
2/2
1/2
2/2
2/2
2/2
23/24
The mental status examination findings in the case are appropriate for diagnosis.
2/2
2/2
2/2
2/2
2/2
1/2
23/24
The case scenario is well-written.
2/2
2/1
2/2
2/2
2/2
2/2
23/24
The case is of appropriate difficulty for medical students.
2/2
1/1
2/1
2/2
2/2
1/2
20/24
The case is aimed at measuring clinical reasoning skills.
2/2
2/2
2/1
2/2
1/1
2/2
21/24
Table 2
The question text is clear.
The question is clinically appropriate.
The question has only one correct answer.
The information provided is sufficient to find the correct answer.
The distractors are plausible.
The question was of appropriate difficulty for medical students.
Factual Recall/Clinical reasoning
Total by question type
Diagnosis
23
23
22
23
23
19
16
149/168
Treatment
24
23
12
20
17
15
17
128/168
Differential diagnosis
22
17
18
16
19
15
20
127/168
Prognosis
23
22
17
21
19
14
14
130/168
Complications
21
19
17
19
13
12
14
115/168
Total by criterion
113/120
104/120
86/120
99/120
91/120
75/120
81/120
Conclusions
The evaluation confirmed that the case scenarios were typical for the respective disorders and included appropriate mental status examinations for diagnosis (23/24). The cases were deemed suitably challenging for medical students (20/24) and effective in assessing clinical reasoning skills (21/24). However, the questions did not meet certain criteria, such as appropriate difficulty (75/120), the presence of a single correct answer (86/120), and the plausibility of distractors (91/120). It is suggested that further work on the prompt is needed to improve the quality of the questions. While ChatGPT is suitable for generating case scenarios, the questions should be reviewed before use.
We prove that the proximal unit normal bundle of the subgraph of a $W^{2,n} $-function carries a natural structure of Legendrian cycle. This result is used to obtain an Alexandrov-type sphere theorem for hypersurfaces in $ \mathbf{R}^{n+1} $, which are locally graphs of arbitrary$W^{2,n} $-functions. We also extend the classical umbilicality theorem to $ W^{2,1} $-graphs, under the Lusin (N) condition for the graph map.
Emerging research suggests that retinal structure, assessed via optical coherence tomography (OCT), may be a potential biomarker in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD). However, the relationship between retinal and cognitive parameters in the early stages of the disease remains underexplored.
Objectives
To examine the correlation between retinal structure and cognitive functioning in patients with early-course SSD.
Methods
A cross-sectional sample of 26 SSD cases and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent OCT imaging. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), macular, and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCL+IPL) thicknesses were measured. Cognitive domains, including verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test, CVLT[Delis et al. 2000]), working memory (WAIS-III Letter–Number Sequencing Subtest[Wechsler 2011]), processing speed (Trail Making Test-A, TMT-A[Reitan et al.Clin Neuropsychol 1995;9:50-6]), sustained attention (Conners’ Continuous Performance Test, CPT[Rosvold et al.J Consult Psychol 1956;20:343]), executive function (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, WCST[Heaton 2008]), and social cognition (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, MSCEIT[Mayer et al.Emotion 2003;3:97-105]), were assessed and then transformed into t-scores. A Principal Component Analysis(PCA) was conducted, and associations between retinal and cognitive parameters were explored with Pearson/Spearman correlations; statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results
SSD patients (mean age:31.9years[SD=1.2]; males n=11[44%]; mean duration of illness:32.5months[SD=22.3]) exhibited thicker pRNFL in both the right (t=-2.25,p=0.03) and left (t=-2.08,p=0.04) eyes compared to HCs (mean age:32.7years[SD=1.9]; males n=13[50%]). A thicker pRNFL was associated with a poorer cognitive performance: verbal (r=-0.53,p=0.04) and working memory (r=-0.64,p=0.01) was correlated with average pRNFL thickness; processing speed was associated with superior temporal pRNFL thickness (rs=-0.54,p=0.02); sustained attention was correlated with inferior nasal pRNFL thickness (rs=-0.54,p=0.04); social cognition was correlated with average pRNFL thickness (r=-0.72, p=0.03) and temporal pRNFL thickness (r=-0.82, p=0.01). Executive function was not associated with retinal measures, and macular and GCL+IPL thickness did not correlate significantly with cognitive variables.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest relationships between increased pRNFL thickness and impaired cognitive functioning in early-course SSD patients. Previous studies have reported that pRNFL might be thicker during the initial stages of SSD and thins as the disease progresses, highlighting the role of inflammatory processes in both retinal changes and cognitive impairment. Further longitudinal multimodal research is warranted to explore the utility of retinal imaging in monitoring cognitive outcomes in SSD.
Leptospirosis remains a significant occupational zoonosis in New Zealand, and emerging serovar shifts warrant a closer examination of climate-related transmission pathways. This study aimed to examine whether total monthly rainfall is associated with reported leptospirosis in humans in New Zealand. Poisson and negative binomial models were developed to examine the relationship between rainfall at 0-, 1-, 2-, and 3-month lags and the incidence of leptospirosis during the month of the report. Total monthly rainfall was positively associated with the occurrence of human leptospirosis in the following month by a factor of 1.017 (95% CI: 1.007–1.026), 1.023 at the 2-month lag (95% CI:1.013–1.032), and 1.018 at the 3-month lag (95% CI: 1.009–1.028) for every additional cm of rainfall. Variation was present in the magnitude of association for each of the individual serovars considered, suggesting different exposure pathways. Assuming that the observed associations are causal, this study supports that additional human cases are likely to occur associated with increased levels of rainfall. This provides the first evidence for including rainfall in a leptospirosis early warning system and to design targeted communication and prevention measures and provide resource allocation, particularly after heavy rainfall in New Zealand.
People with mental illness often experience stigma and discrimination, which can reduce treatment outcomes and quality of life. Numerous studies have shown that stigmatizing attitudes among physicians negatively affect both psychiatric and somatic care. Recently, technological advancements have led to the emergence of digital medicine as a new avenue for health care. However, little is known about how stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with mental illness might impact clinical decisions in the context of digital medicine
Objectives
This study aims to assess how implicit and explicit stigma against mental illness among medical students and general practitioners affects their decision for recommending treatment through a digital mHealth app.
Methods
A total of 62 general practitioners and 60 medical students participated in the anonymous online survey. After providing demographic information, participants reviewed two case vignettes: one depicting a patient with a comorbid mental and somatic illness, and the other depicting a patient with only a somatic illness. Participants rated, on a scale from 1 to 10, the likelihood of prescribing an mHealth app designed to enhance treatment of the somatic disease. The Social Distance Scale (SDS) and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) were used to measure explicit and implicit stigma, respectively. The IAT is a computer-based task that assesses implicit bias regarding the perceived incompetence associated with psychiatric disorders compared to somatic disorders.
Results
On average, participants were more likely to prescribe an mHealth app for patients with only a somatic illness than for patients with both somatic and comorbid mental illness (p < .001). Furthermore, implicit stigma was a significant predictor of participants’ preference to treat patients with somatic over mental disorders (p = .013). There were no group differences in the IAT score.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate a bias against people with mental illness among both medical students and physicians, even within the context of digital medicine. Future research is needed to further examine the scope and impact of stigmatizing attitudes on patient health care outcome.
Disclosure of Interest
I. Papazova: None Declared, N. Hartmann: None Declared, J. Grimmer: None Declared, A. Hasan Consultant of: Rovi, Recordati, Otsuka, Lundbeck, AbbVie, Teva and Janssen-Cilag, Speakers bureau of: Janssen-Cilag, Otsuka, Recordati, Rovi, Boerhinger-Ingelheim and Lundbeck, N. Khorikian-Ghazari: None Declared
Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common neuropsychiatric disorder after stroke, and also the main factor limiting recovery and rehabilitation in stroke patients, which leaded to poor quality of life. A prevalence of 30% is estimated between 1 to 5 years after stroke. More than half of all cases are neither diagnosed nor treated.
Objectives
The aim of this paper is to review the latest updates regarding post-stroke depression and progress in its diagnosis and treatment.
Methods
A systematic review of the scientific and clinical literature on PSD was conducted. The review included databases such as PubMed and Cochrane, covering articles from the past 10 years. The scientific evidence obtained was analyzed and synthesized.
Results
Currently, the diagnosis of PSD is mainly based on the DSM guidelines and combined with various depression scales. Symptoms usually occur within the first three months after stroke, the patient presents symptoms of a depressive episode such as low mood, anhedonia, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, vegetative symptoms or social withdrawal. Several mechanisms, including biological, behavioural, and social factors, are involved in its pathogenesis. The main predictors are personal history or cognitive impairment, as well as sequelae of the stroke. Left hemispheric strokes are those with the highest risk of early depression, as well as small subcortical vessel pathology. Treatment is mainly pharmacological, with SSRIs. The probability of recovery is between 15 and 57% in the first year, with a recurrence of 38% at two years, up to 100% at 15 years. In addition, there is an increase in mortality, especially in those under 65 years of age.
Conclusions
There are still many unanswered questions in the treatment of PSD, such as the best time to start treatment or the effects of antidepressants on cognition and motor function, among others. Although great advance has been made by researchers, the mechanism of PSD is not completely clear.
Health professionals are a vulnerable population, prone to mental health problems such as suicidal behaviors. Suicidal ideation (passive and active) is a potential indicator of committing suicide. Passive suicide ideation has been undervalued as an indicator of suicide risk for not having a plan to commit suicide. Despite the high risk, few studies have examined the prevalence and factors related to the presence of passive suicidal ideation in healthcare residents.
Objectives
Determine the prevalence and associated factors of passive suicidal ideation among resident healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and psychologists.
Methods
This cross-sectional study involved a non-probabilistic sample of 775 healthcare professionals. Data were collected via a self-administered survey distributed to teaching units in hospitals across Spain. Key variables included passive suicidal ideation (yes/no), year of residency, and personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness), assessed with the Spanish adaptation of the NEO-PI-R Personality Inventory. Descriptive analyses summarized categorical and continuous variables. Associations between passive suicidal ideation and independent variables (age, gender, personality traits, drug consumption, mental health specialization, residency program) were analyzed using logistic regression models.
Results
Among the total sample, 13.42% exhibited passive suicidal ideation. In terms of personality traits, individuals with higher levels of neuroticism and openness demonstrated an increased likelihood of experiencing passive suicidal ideation, whereas higher scores in extraversion were associated with a decreased probability of such ideation. Additionally, the use of prescribed medication and instances of self-medication were found to be related to passive suicidal ideation.
Conclusions
A notable proportion of healthcare professionals experience suicidal ideation during their residency. The findings of this study indicate that preventive measures for suicidal ideation should be implemented during the residency period for healthcare professionals.
Patients with severe mental disorders (SMD) often report unhealthy dietary patterns, including low intake of fruits and fiber, high consumption of junk food, and alcohol misuse, leading to poor nutritional status and increased oxidative stress, which negatively impacts physical and mental health. Psychoeducational interventions focusing on dietary habits and alcohol consumption have shown promising results, but long-term data is currently scarce.
Objectives
The main objective was to evaluate the LIFESTYLE intervention’s one-year effectiveness in helping individuals with SMD improve their eating habits. Secondary objectives included evaluating the impact of psychiatric symptoms on lifestyle behaviors and the reduction of alcohol consumption.
Methods
The study included 401 patients with SMD from 7 university centres in Italy. Participants were randomized to either the control group, which received general health education, or the experimental group, which received a 5-month psychoeducational intervention. The intervention featured group sessions focused on diet, physical activity, and behavior modification. Univariate analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between psychiatric symptoms and changes in lifestyle behaviours, such as eating habits, physical activity, and alcohol consumption.
Results
Univariate analysis showed significant improvements in lifestyle behaviors among the experimental group. There was an increase in fish consumption (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.45-1.97; p < 0.05), fresh fruit intake (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 0.80-2.31; p < 0.05), and vegetable consumption (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.56-1.96; p < 0.05). Moreover, there was a reduction in junk food consumption (OR: 0.814, 95% CI: 0.53-1.25; p < 0.05) and daily alcohol intake (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.42-1.15; p < 0.05).
Conclusions
The results of this study support the efficacy of structured lifestyle intervention for enhancing physical activity and eating behaviors in patients with severe mental disorders. They also support the translation of similar interventions into clinical practice and illustrate the necessity of physical activity and dietary advice in patients with SMD as part of their treatment schedule. Psychoeducational interventions can greatly improve the long-term health outcomes for those with SMD.
The high prevalence of mental health disorders makes investigating their etiology a fundamental activity. Factors influencing their physiology include genetic predisposition, substance use, environmental factors, etc. Among these, weather and atmospheric pollutants are two of the least studied. The biologically active agents in the atmosphere interact with living beings, disrupting their homeostasis and leading to alterations in both physical and mental health. This interaction was already noted in the Corpus Hippocraticum in the 4th century BC.
Objectives
The objective is to analyze the impact of various environmental factors and atmospheric pollutants on daily emergency hospital admissions for mental disorders in the healthcare area of the province of León from 2011 to 2022.
Methods
An observational, retrospective, ecological, longitudinal, and time series study is conducted. Admission data is sourced from the coding office at the Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León, meteorological data from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, and pollutant data from the Junta de Castilla y León. A combined database in Excel is created for statistical analysis, both descriptive and analytical (Poisson regression), using the SPSS statistical package.
Results
It was observed that hospital admissions for mental disorders are significantly related to sunlight hours, ozone, precipitation, average wind speed, CO, NO2, maximum atmospheric pressure, NO, and PM10.
Conclusions
The findings of this study show that meteorological factors and atmospheric pollutants are related to hospital admissions for mental disorders. Applying this information in psychiatric emergencies could improve forecasting and resource management during periods of higher demand.