Art therapy means treatment and healing of mental disturbance through an artistic mediated through which the client can reveal itself and helps the therapist to analyze what he has offered and take another step towards the methods of treatment.

Therefore, in this study, with a proactive approach to examine the effects of art therapy on housewives general health, anxiety and self-efficiency in Tehran.

In order that twenty-one housewives in West of Tehran area were selected randomly using a cluster sampling method and they were divided into three groups of seven subjects each. Each three groups responded general health, Sherer general self-efficacy and Beck anxiety tests before and after applying the Independent variable (art therapy). Twelve art therapy, sessions per a week for 90 minutes each session was held. To describe data, we used a tree diagram, central indices such as mean and standard deviation, and we used t test for statistical analyzing of research hypotheses.

According to the results, art therapy has significant influence on general health and its components in the housewives (5/44) . Art therapy significantly reduces the housewives anxiety (5/89). Art therapy significantly increase the housewives efficiency (3/73) .

Art therapy can be effective when used in treating anxiety, promote general health and self-efficacy.

Headache is a common complaint among adolescents and is associated with several comorbid conditions particularly anxiety and depression. Transdiagnostic cognitive behavior therapy (TCBT) is an alternative approach to third wave CBT. It attempts to address multiple diagnoses at the same time while focusing on shared pathology and common processes (McEvoy et al., 2009).

To develop a group transdiagnostic cognitive behavior therapy intervention module for adolescents with comorbid headache and anxiety disorder and to evaluate the module in terms of feasibility, acceptance and efficacy.

A TCBT intervention module for headache and anxiety disorder for use with adolescents was developed. Fifteen adolescents diagnosed with comorbid headache and anxiety disorder were recruited from the outpatient psychiatric clinic at AIIMS, New Delhi. Baseline, mid-and post- intervention assessments was done on Youth Self Report, M.I.N.I KID, Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule, STAI – Y, CDI – 2, Headache Diary, Headache Impact Test (HIT) and Global Assessment Scale for Children (CGAS). TCBT was carried out over a period of 12 weeks with one group session per week for each of the three groups.

85% participants showed clinically significant improvement as rated on scores on STAI-Y, HIT and CGAS. Qualitative interpretation of headache diary showed significant decrease in the frequency, intensity and duration of headache for all participants.

TCBT module was found to be feasible, acceptable and efficacious leading to significant symptom reduction.

Possible benefits of TCBT as pertaining to the Indian context along with barriers are further discussed.

The present pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 7-week mindfulness-based intervention program (MBI-p), as a part of a RCT of larger scale. The MBI-p was developed by the Early Psychosis Studies and Intervention (EPSI) team in Hong Kong designated for patients with early psychotic disorders. In particular, the objective was to investigate the effects of MBI-p on depressive and anxiety symptoms associated with psychosis.

An uncontrolled design was used. Nine participants with psychotic disorders received MBI-p were assessed at baseline and post-treatment on outcomes of symptom severity (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS), depression and anxiety (Calgary Depression Scale, CDS, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, DASS), and mindfulness skills (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, FFMQ).

Significant improvements were found on the PANSS total score (P<.01), PANSS general symptom subscore (P<.01), CDS total score and DASS 21 depression subscore (P=0.05), accompanied by the improvements of mindfulness skills (FFMQ-observing subscore P<.01).

These pilot results indicated initial effectiveness of a group intervention based on mindfulness principles for patients with early psychosis. Significance in various measures despite small sample revealed a potentially robust effect of improving patients’ mood condition. It provides the foundation for future studies of larger scale and implementation of a promising and cost-efficient treatment option.

Schizophrenia can impair functioning and have serious individual and societal impact. Non-adherence rate to anti-psychotics is high due to side effects, raising the importance of adjuvant therapy. Artistic creation can help the patients expressing their illness experience and finding some order in their chaotic psychotic world.

To determine the differential effects of group art therapy on clinical symptoms and cognitive functions.

1. - Techniques taken from both art therapy and art expression provided as 24 group therapy sessions (2 sessions per week).

1. - Symptoms severity measured by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS)

2. - Executive functions and set shifting measured by Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST)

3. - Visual attention and task switching measured by the Trail making test

1. - Post treatment results showed significant decrease in PANSS sub-scales (positive p < 0.0001, negative p < 0.001, general p < 0.001, total p < 0.0001)

2. - Also significant increase in cognitive biases in WCST (number of categories) p < 0.05 and significant decrease in WCST (failure to maintain set) p < 0.01 and trail making B test (time spent p < 0.003 and number of errors p < 0.001)

Symptom severity and cognitive functions in stable schizophrenia can improve when art expression and therapy are provided.

Family interventions in psychosis are well established through systematic reviews and meta-analysis of outcome studies. Such reviews report that family intervention might reduce the risk of relapse, benefits in general social functioning, and reduction in levels of expressed emotion and family burden. But most previous studies are conducted in caregivers with chronic schizophrenia. Thus, the effects of family interventions in the early stages are largely unknown.

The study evaluated the effectiveness of group intervention in improving social support and reduction in expressed emotion among caregivers of first episode psychosis.

Using a quasi-experimental comparison group design, we evaluated the effectiveness of an add-on seven sessions of group interventions with treatment as usual group among 59 caregivers of first episode psychosis. Intervention included support, psycho-education, and communication components. The samples were recruited during participants’ inpatient stay at the hospital. Follow-up assessments were carried out after one moth and three months of interventions. Standardized instruments were used to measure the outcomes. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to the data.

Caregivers in group intervention reported significant reduction in expressed emotion (p<.007) and improvements in social support (p<.002) in one month follow-up assessment. But these benefits were not sustained at three months follow-ups. Overall, both groups showed significant changes on outcome variables over the time period.

Group intervention was effective for improving caregivers’ social support and reducing expressed emotion. Intervention need to provide longer period to sustain the benefits.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive psychosocial treatment developed by Marsha Linehan and originally designed for persons meeting criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). DBT contains four treatment modes that are deigned to address core problems of BPD. The four modes of treatment include individual therapy, skills training group, phone consultation and therapist consultation meeting.

The skills training group is organized as 120-150 minutes group, weekly, for 6 months. Four modules are taught across the six months period which are core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

Although psychotherapeutic interventions are always the first line of treatment for BPD in most guidelines but adherence to therapy have been always a major problem.

Assessment of patient's compliance to DBT skills training group.

The aim of the current study was to estimate drop out rate in the first Egyptian DBT skills training group over one year.

Fifteen female patients diagnosed with BPD were recruited to DBT skills training over one year. Drop out rates were calculated based on the rule of being out of therapy if the patient misses four consecutive sessions for no obvious reason.

Three patients only out of 15 dropped out of treatment (20%). Twelve patients could complete the full six month DBT skills training or are still currently engaged in treatment.

Although this was the first time to teach DBT skills in Arabic, DBT skills training group among Egyptian female patients with BPD had a high compliance rates.

Several studies have reported that immigrant adolescents suffer high rates of victimization. Polyvictimization was established as a well predictor of mental health problems. Many authors have highlighted the need to study immigrant adolescents’ community as they were immersed in a stressful process.

The aim is to assess multiple types of victimization (polyvictimization) and mental health problems among immigrants (first and second generation) in comparison to native adolescents.

The sample was composed of 296 adolescents (62.2% girls) aged 13-18 (M = 15.63; SD = 1.19) in Catalonia. Participants were distributed in three groups: native (50%), first (34%) and second (16%) generation immigrants. The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire and the Youth Self Report were used to assess victimization experiences during the last year and psychological distress, respectively.

Immigrant and native adolescents were comparable in average of total victimizations and in different types of victimization. Nevertheless, significant differences were shown among first immigrant generation and natives in relation to child maltreatment (p = .005). Significant associations were found between multiple kinds of victimization and mental health problems. However, for first immigrant generation who had experienced multiple victimizations were more associated with internalizing symptoms, while victimized native adolescents were more associated with externalizing symptoms.

Results emphasized the importance to assess victimization experiences which were suffered by adolescents, and also suggested that polyvictimization will be associated differently depend on the migration status group of the adolescents with mental health problems.

The migration experience is a complex process that involves a break with the society of origin and an adaptation in the host society. This process involves cognitive and emotional aspects, both conscious and unconscious, of individuals. All of that with the culture and ethnicity influence the mental health of this population.

To observe and describe what these population groups require of mental health care.

Collect data (sex, age, place of origin, work activity, diagnosis, treatment) of immigrant patients referred from Primary Care or Specialty Care Hospital to the Community Mental Health Unit of the North of Granada from 2010 to 2013.

We identified differences between immigrant patients and the remaining patients: younger age (“working-age”), with unskilled labor activity or unemployed, higher prevalence of affective pathology major discontinuity and treatment dropout.

In these groups the prevalence of mental illness is similar to the rest of the population, however, they have limited access to medical services that may be related to increased frequency of disability, social cost and human suffering.

We should pay special attention to these ethnic minorities for a better care and monitoring of mental disorders.

The modern circumstances of migration processes in Russia are unique in comparison with other countries. The mental states of children, their adaptation depended on interfamily relations and dialogue within a family, its educational potential that was determined by the structure of a family, social, material and educational status of parents.

There were used personal questionnaires, PARI method and Test-Questionnaire of Parental Attitude (QPA). Besides, Pathocharacterological Diagnostic Questionnaire by Lychko (PDQ) and a list of projective tests was applied to reveal characterological and psychological peculiarities of children.

In the most families before migration, it was possible to ascertain such conditions and style of upbringing, which characterized families as stable and safe. After migration, children get in the situation of long-term intensity with constant risk of adaptation mechanisms failure. The families, which structure after migration transformation became most abnormal, have incurred the greatest loss. Parents had feeling hopelessness, mood was reduced to depressions, discipline in a family fell down and ability to constructive actions was lost. There was also moral fall with complete disharmony and pedagogical inconsistency, and children suffered from diverse deprivations.

The complex of social and psychological influences accompanying by stress of social changes during migration fatally influenced on psychological health of family and its structure. Thus, the degree of disorder in great extent was determined by quality of the social-psychological characteristics, which were inherent in families before migration from the one hand and an adequate competitive psychological and therapeutic care on the other.

This study tested the associations between Language-proficiency (LP) and clinical, therapeutic characteristics among hospitalized immigrants to study how LP may influence the presentation and the outcome of mental disorders.

According to our previous evidences, lack of cultural adaptation may risk or worsen mental illness among immigrants, and interfere with assessment and treatment. Also, LP seems essential for access to foreign environments. In this study further considerations were made regarding LP on a larger sample of immigrant patients and longer period of observation.

We reviewed clinical records of immigrant psychiatric patients hospitalized at the University of Foggia in 2004–2012 (N=153), and compared characteristics of patients with adequate versus inadequate language proficiency (LP).

Subjects were 80 men and 73 women, aged 35.2±10.3 years, 50.3% emigrated from other European countries. Many were diagnosed with a DSM-IV adjustment disorder (31.3%) or depressive disorder (28.1%), and 69.9% were in first-lifetime episodes. Average comprehension and spoken language-proficiency (LP) was considered adequate in 62.7% and inadequate in 37.3%. Adequate-LP was more prevalent among women (p<0.0001), in first-lifetime episode cases (p=0.0005), among patients had entered Italy legally (p=0.0009), and emigrated from another European country (p=0.01).

Findings support an expected importance of LP among immigrant psychiatric inpatients, and encourage language-assessment and training as part of comprehensive support of such patients, especially men.

Prevalence of ADHD among people with intellectual disability (ID) is higher than people without intellectual disability (Reilly & Holland 2010), however it appears to be underdiagnosed (Rose et al 2009).

Describe the prevalence of ADHD in ID psychiatric clinics and patient characteristics in Surrey, UK.

Patients' records in ID psychiatric clinics were audited.

14 patients attending ID clinics had a diagnosis of ADHD. Age range was 18 to 32. 85% were male. Prescribed ADHD medications were Concerta XL, Medikinet XL, methylphenidate, atomoxetine and clonidine. 21% were on combination of two ADHD medications. 43% of the patients were also on other psychotropic medications. 36% of patients with ADHD also had a diagnosis Autism. 42% had another comorbid mental disorder.

Given the prevalence rate for ID (1.03%) and ADHD (6.8%), nearly 400 individuals with ID should have a diagnosis of ADHD in this catchment area. Presence of only 14 individual with ADHD shows that ADHD is extremely under diagnosed and under treated within ID population. This raises the issue whether patients are treated with psychotropic medications and psychological methods for behavioural and mental health issues due to under diagnosis of ADHD. Diagnosis of ADHD and complexities of such diagnostic processes among people with ID may be some of the reasons for under diagnosis (White et al 1995, Reiss et al 1982). Screening tools and increasing awareness may be needed to detect ADHD symptoms in this group of people when psychiatric diagnoses are often challenging.

With microarray analysis, several novel microdeletion syndromes have been ascertained that are often accompanied by a specific behavioural phenotype requiring specific treatment modalities.

Investigating the neuropsychiatric phenotype of Phelan-McDermid syndrome.

Diagnostic evaluation of an adult female with mild intellectual disability.

Detailed genetic, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological examination.

The patient is a 22-years-old female. Aged 4, conventional karyotyping demonstrated a translocation 11;22. Her history is characterized by neonatal hypotonia accompanied by feeding problems, global intellectual disability, sleep disturbances, delayed development of speech, and ritualistic/compulsive behaviours. Since about two years recurrent mood changes paralleled by an increase of pre-existent autistic behaviours became prominent. Psychotropics induced severe extrapyramidal symptoms without, however, any reduction of problematic behaviours.

At examination, no dysmorphic features were observed. Her behaviour showed autistic-like elements and mood alterations. Neuropsychological assessment revealed mild intellectual disability (SON-R IQ: 61) and a developmental age of 6;3 years with marked attentional deficits. Visuomotor, speech, and memory functioning were in line with her developmental age. Fluctuation in mood and affect was substantiated. MRI-brain disclosed no abnormalities. Microarray analysis confirmed the de novo t(11;22) that had resulted in a 11qter duplication of 8,77Mb and a 515kb 22qter deletion, encompassing the SHANK3 gene, in agreement with a diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid syndrome.

Here a never reported unbalanced translocation leading to Phelan-McDermid syndrome with its characteristic neuropsychiatric phenotype is demonstrated. Apart from the implementation of systematic environmental measures, a plasma-concentration controlled treatment with valproic acid for mood stabilisation was advised.

The provision of support for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the community is improving as a consequence of policy and legislative changes. However, specialist services are not currently provided in prisons.

This aim of the study was to determine the extent of ASD and co-occurring mental health problems among prisoners. We tested the hypothesis that ASD traits would be unrecognised by prison staff and would be significantly associated with increased rates of anxiety, depression and suicidality.

ASD traits were measured among 240 prisoners in a resettlement prison in London, UK using the 20-item Autism Quotient (AQ-20). Anxiety, depression and suicidality were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).

There were 39 participants (16%) with an AQ-20 score ≥10; indicating significant autistic traits. Mental health data were available for 37 ‘high autistic trait’ participants and another 101 prisoners with no/low ASD traits. There was a significant positive association between AQ-20 and suicidality scores (r=.29, p=0.001). Participants with ASD traits had significantly higher suicidality scores (means=15.1 vs. 5, p= 0.001) and chi-square analysis showed that they were more likely to have a high suicidality rating (27% vs. 8%, p=0.003) than those without ASD traits. Moreover, those with ASD were significantly more likely to be experiencing a current episode of depression (30% vs. 6%, p<0.001) or Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (27% vs. 11% p=0.019).

Our initial data suggests that severity of ASD traits is a risk factor for suicidality and common mental health problems among prisoners.

In the last years there is more research in a differentiated view of the capacity of people with IDD. Besides the evaluation of cognitive functioning, studies also look at other developmental dimensions like socio-emotional skills. Because of their basically biological character, motor skills were not further studied in people with IDD. We wanted to study whether there is a correlation between these different dimensions in patients with IDD.

This presentation will look at possible connections and interferences between socio-emotional development, cognitive functions and motor skills.

We evaluated the level of motor development with the 'Movement Assessment Battery for Children” in n= 31 patients. Results were correlated with the level of cognitive impairment and socio-emotional status.

In contrast to cognitive functioning we found no significant difference between the socio-emotional and the motor skills for all study patients, regardless of sex, in the subscales manual and ball skills. Only in the subscale balance we found a significant correlation with the socio-emotional level in female patients.

With regard to the dimensions cognitive impairment and socio-emotional level we found no significant correlation with motor skills. This is in accordance with the literature. Only in the dimension 'balance” in female patients we could see a significant difference which is a new result and interesting for further evaluation. So another study with a bigger and more balanced patient sample to confirm this result is planned.

Non pharmacological interventions are recently proposed for the management of mild Alzheimer's Disease (mAD). Aims: The aim of this study was the comparison of the magnitude of the observed changes applying 2 types of cognitive interventions, the cognitive training (CT) and the cognitive stimulation (CS).

Fifty five systematically recruited mAD outpatients separated randomly in 3 subgroups, 2 experimental (CT CS) and one control group (CON). They were matched in age, education, duration and type of medication and style of living. The intervention programs were lasting 4 months on individual basis.

Statistically significant differences were found in the general cognitive state between groups (p=.000-.024) after the end of the program (1^st follow up) and 12 months later (2^nd follow up) and in trained and untrained cognitive abilities. Analytically, the CTs showed large effect improvement in general cognitive state in both follow up. Large to medium effect size improvements were observed in trained abilities as memory, naming, retrieval and time response, as well as in non trained cognitive abilities (prospective memory, shifting ability, face recognition). Both the CSs and the CONs showed large effect size general cognitive decline. However CSs were improved in time response.

CT intervention can cause large effect size improvements in the general cognitive state and the trained cognitive abilities and transfer of the effects to untrained cognitive abilities remoting the possibility of institutionalization. Non structured interventions without training processing don't seem to restrain the cognitive decline of the patients.

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder which severely limits the social and occupational functioning.

Employment, education, relationships, housing and health are among the most frequently stated life and treatment goals among persons suffering from schizophrenia.

Rehabilitation for persons with schizophrenia aims at preservation and improvement of psychosocial functions, promotes recovery-oriented interventions and, therefore, serves the central goals of affected persons.

The goals of these models focus on improving knowledge, coping, self-care, social support and self-management strategies.

The aims of this cases report is to underline the effectiveness of multidimensional approach, which included drug treatment, psychosocial therapeutic interventions, supported employment, peer-supported housing.

We report 8 patients with a early onset psychosis, detected with EriRaos and clinical interview.

Diagnostically, these patients had a real improvement of their psychosocial functions in areas such as work, social relationship and independent living skills.

Cognitive functioning, education, negative symptoms, social support and skills, age, work history and rehabilitation service to restore community functioning have proven to be strong predictors for successful psychiatric rehabilitation.

Sporting practice for psychotic patients have been demonstrated to be efficacious as a rehabilitation tool at various levels, improving social interaction, self esteem, body self consciousness, reduce anxiety and depression, reduce stigma, improve compliance, reduce admission rates, reduce aggressiveness, reduce family burden.

Since 1999 the Fuoric'entro Polisportiva was founded in Trieste, with the support of the Department of Metal Health, with the aim of influencing recovery at several levels.

Evaluate the impact on participants' health.

Demonstrate the outcome of the rehabilitation program based upon the sporting activity.

The research is a descriptive, case-control study, led on 40 patients (20 cases and 20 controls) followed by the Trieste's Metal Health Department. We considered as items living situation, professional condition, gender and age, diagnosis, therapy and its compliance, admissions’ number and duration, main therapeutic interventions, following up a previous study on the same rehabilitation program.

In the cases’ group there is a stable improvement of the professional and living conditions, compliance and a reduction of admissions’ number and duration.

A rehabilitation program based on sporting can improve coping abilities, psychopathological conditions, person's 'social functioning”, family burden.

It has been reported that vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) and 2 (VGLUT2) are implicated in cognitive deficit in schizophrenia rat model. However, vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3) has not been investigated yet. Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) has been popularly known as a cognitive enhancer in elderly and patients with Alzheimer's disease. It consists mainly of bacoside A and B, which may increase cognitive function in schizophrenia by changing VGLUT3 density in the brain.

To study effects of bacoside A and B (bacoside A+B) on attenuation at cognitive deficit and cerebral VGLUT3 density in sub-chronic phencyclidine (PCP) rat model of schizophrenia.

Rats were administered PCP or vehicle. Half of the PCP-group was treated with bacoside A+B. Discrimination ratio (DR) representing cognitive ability was obtained from novel object recognition test. VGLUT3 immunodensity was measured in prefrontal cortex, striatum and CA1-3 of hippocampus using immunohistochemistry.

DR in PCP-group was significantly decreased compared with control. This occurred alongside VGLUT3 up-regulation in CA1-3, but not in prefrontal cortex and striatum. PCP with bacoside A+B showed a significant increase in DR score compared with PCP alone. This occurred alongside significant decrease in VGLUT3 immunodensity in CA1-3. No significant difference in cerebral VGLUT3 immunodensity was observed between PCP with bacoside A+B and control.

VGLUT3 up-regulation in CA1-3 could produce glutamate excitotoxicity, which then induce cognitive deficit in schizophrenia rat model. Interestingly, bacoside A+B can recover this cognitive deficit by reducing excessive VGLUT3 in CA1-3 to normal level.

Evidence suggests that the subjective experience of AVHs cannot be explained by any of the existing cognitive models,[1] highlighting the obvious need to properly investigate the actual, lived experience of AVHs, and derive models/theories that fit the complexity of this.

Via phenomenological interviews and ethnographic diary methods, we aim to gain a deeper insight into the experience of AVHs.

To explore the phenomenological quality of AVHs, as they happen/reveal themselves to consciousness, [2] [3] without relying on existing suppositions.

Participants with First Episode Psychosis were recruited from the Birmingham Early Intervention Service (EIS), BSMHFT. In-depth 'walking interviews' were carried out with each participant, together with standardised assessment measures of voices. Prior to interviews, participants were asked to complete a dairy and take photographs, further capturing aspects of their AVH experiences.

20 participants have completed interviews to date. Emerging themes cover the form and quality of voices (i.e. as being separate to self, imposing, compelling etc.), and participants' understanding and management of these experiences.

Authentic descriptions gleaned from participants have the potential to increase our understanding of the relationship between the phenomenology and neurobiology of AVHs and, in turn, the experience as a whole.