To estimate the heritability of mental health of children by using a twin design method of quantitative genetic analysis. To analysis the influences of family environment on children mental health.

Using cross-sectional design twins aged 6–16 years were recruited. Using SDQ(Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire)which was examined by parents (>=11)to evaluate the children mental health. The general questionnaire, FADGFS (General Functioning Scale of the MacMaster Family Activity Device), SLE (stressful life events), FSQ (Family Stresses Questionnaire), FLQ (Family Life Questionnaire), EFQ (Everyday Feelings Questionnaire) were used to collect information about family environment from parents. Zygosity was determined by the DNA picked up from cheek mucosa of twins children. Holzinger analysis was employed to estimate the heritability of mental health.

122 pairs of twins (103 pairs DNA were picked up successfully, including 54 MZ and 49 DZ twin pairs.Heritability of mental health: emot (emotion): 0.86, hyper (hyperactivity): 0.75, total: 0.61, cond (conduct): 0.4, proso (prosocial): 0.12, peer (peer): −0.97. In twins family the score of FAD-GFS was significantly correlated with proso (r = −0.200), the score of FSQ, EFQ was significantly correlated with total (r = 0.206, −0.304), FLQ(include three factor) was significantly correlated with total, proso (r = − 0.472, 0.389; r = −0.277,.247; r = −0.298,0.364), the score of father authoritative parenting style was significantly correlated with total, proso r = −0.244,0.207 the score of mather authoritative parenting style was significantly correlated with total, proso r = −0.437, 0.342. The score of family cohesion was significantly correlated with total proso (r = −0.315,0.432), the score of family adaptability was significantly correlated with total, proso r = −0.359, 0.357.

Emotional problems were influenced by genetic factors most followed by inattention-hyperactivity problems and total difficulties environment factors play a main role in conduct problems and prosocial degree while peer problems were only influenced by environment factors. Each aspect of family environment influence children mental health differently.

Difficulties in diagnostics of mild depressions are related to clinical interpretation of thought structure and content within depressive triad. Whereas nonverbal (motor) and affective components are similar to variations of normal sadness in healthy individuals, associative component reveals the most sensitive psychopathological finding being represented in definite language changes.

124 patients and 77 healthy controls, including 35 with normal sadness reactions, were observed. Speech (superficial, deep levels, Russian language) was studied using standardized psycholinguistic procedures. Statistical data evaluation included descriptive methodics, nonparametric analysis, mathematic modeling (discriminate analysis).

Three clinical groups were formed upon to psychopathological subtypes (anxious, asthenic-hypodynamic, melancholic mild depressions). Leading hypotymic affect correlated with content of affective component, semantics of associative component, pronounced component of depressive triad and direction of the prevailing time representation.

Lexical-stylistic sublevel of speech demonstrated verbosity, narration dominated over reasoning, signs of oral speech, increased number of phraseologisms, tautologies, lexical and semantic repetitions, metaphors, comparisons, inversions, ellipsis. Lexical-grammer sublevel contained more pronouns of all types with the prevalence of personal pronouns, imperfective verbs in preferential past tense. Syntax-stylistic sublevel represented the prevalence of simple sentences (truncated, impersonal), inversive word order. Component analysis of speech demonstrated the qualitative distortion and reduction of semantic component.

Disruptions in structure and semantics of speech related to the most clinically pronounced thought disorder were presented in melancholic depression. Superficial level of speech was damaged mostly in asthenic-hypodynamic depression. Speech was similar to healthy controls and demonstrated the highest among subgroups cognitive adaptability level in anxious subtype.

To analyze process and outcome quality of inpatient depression treatment depending on German language proficiency.

Documentation of patients in 24 psychiatric hospitals in Baden-Württemberg (South Germany). The following three groups were matched according to age, gender, and education: native German speakers, non-native speakers with good German proficiency, and non-native speakers with limited German proficiency (67 in each group).

Germans received more group psychotherapy than the other two groups (p = .003). No differences were found regarding pharmacotherapy. Non-native speakers with limited German proficiency were discharged an average of 19 days earlier than German speakers and 7 days earlier than non-native speakers with good German proficiency (p = .02). Compared to Germans, twice as many non-native patients with good German proficiency and nearly four times as many patients with limited German proficiency were discharged with depressive symptoms (p = .006).

Results confirm the significance of linguistic factors for the effectiveness of treatment of depressive patients and show a direct impact of linguistic factors on length of hospitalization.

To analyze the status quo of outpatient treatment of depression from general practitioner's, psychiatrist's and psychotherapist's point of view.

Pooled analysis of the outpatient treatment of depression of general practitioners (n = 180), psychiatrists (n = 71), and psychotherapists (n = 160). Survey performed to uncover the clinical process the clinical process, the perceived obstacles, and subjective responsibilities.

The diagnosis of all three groups was based primarily on their clinical impression, rather than on formal diagnosis criteria. The cooperation with the medical-psychotherapeutic sector was assessed more favorably than cooperation with the psycho-social sector.

Needs for improvements particularly regarding diagnoses and an interdisciplinary cooperation.

To ensure an adequate health care of migrants, differentiated information on the association of cultural background and migration related factors and psychosomatic complaints are necessary.

Cross-sectional questionnaire based survey regarding psychosomatic complaints of migrants from Turkey (n = 77), Italy (n = 95), and Spain (n = 67) and ethnic German resettled from the states of the former Soviet Union (n = 196). Questionnaires distributed by non-health specific counselling agencies of welfare associations.

The cultural background was a relevant factor for psychosomatic complaints, showing Turkish and ethnic German resettled migrants a higher likeliness, also compared to a sample of age corresponding Germans. Whereas Spanish and Italian migrants showed a lower risk for psychosomatic complaints. Also gender, feeling unwell in Germany and fatalism showed a significant association with psychosomatic complaints.

Migrants in Germany do not have per se a higher risk for psychosomatic complaints. A distinct differentiation by cultural background is necessary.

Recently the cognitive profile of restrictive anorexia nervosa patients, particularly visuospatial and constructive abilities, raised the interest of researchers as a maintenance factor of the disorder. This study focuses specifically on the impairment of these complex executive functions.

Only patients hospitalized in our department for restrictive anorexia nervosa restrictive type (AN-R) could participate in the study. They had to fulfill self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety and depression and had to achieve a battery of neuropsychological tests (the Rey Complex Figure (RCF), the Hayling Sentence Completion Test (HSCT) and the span test).

21 patients participated in the study. The average age was 20.62 years (σ = 5.39) and body mass index (BMI) was 14.67 (σ = 0.93). In this sample, the distribution of the copy of the RCF corresponds to the normal distribution for age 7 to 12 years. Visual memory (recall of the RCF) is impaired. The inhibition score of the HSCT is higher than normal. The mean score on the span task is at −0.68 standard derivation. Only the inhibition score of the HSCT is positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.46).

These results highlight a lack of visuospatial and visuoconstructive capacities and a lack of cognitive inhibition in patients with AN-R. These results can be integrated in an impairment of central coherence. Therapeutic perspectives that emerge would focus on the central coherence, i.e cognitive remediation. It is then necessary to improve knowledge on the cognitive profile.

Investigation of the relationship between the HPA axis function, depression and family history of alcohol problem (FHA).

40 abstinent, alcohol dependent patients (9 females and 31 males) of inpatient treatment program were tested during the hospitalization with questionnaires (including family history of alcohol problem (FHA) and depressive symptoms measured by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)) and with dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test.

22,5% of subjects had abnormal results of DEX test.

There was significant (p < 0,05) correlation between DEX test and depressive symptoms among alcohol dependent subjects with positive FHA. There was no such correlation in negative FHA group. Abnormal DEX test was connected with higher scores in BDI.

There are correlations between depression, HPA-axis function and family history of alcohol problem.

Fatigue is of great clinical and investigational importance. It is a prevalent symptom in the general population and it is a central symptom in many diseases, while fatigue is considered a normal occurrence in daily life, it is also a symptom associated with a variety of physiological and psychological conditions.

To compare levels of the various aspects of fatigue with sociodemografic characteristics in order to build a model explaining fatigue in general population.

To see if negative emotions are significant predictors of fatigue.

We conducted a survey in a random sample of 712 healthy adults (534 women and 169 men), using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20). Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS 16 for windows. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to look for independent associations between the five domains of the MFI and the variables of interest.

In general fatigue, stress (b = .217 p < .05) and satisfaction with life (b = -.143 p < .05) along with sex, education and PCS12 explained 47% of the variance. In reduced motivation stress (b = .246 p < .05) and depression (b = .266 p < .05) explained 34% of the variance. In mental fatigue, reduced activity and physical fatigue, only sociodemografic characteristics and health related quality of life had significant effect in the models.

A small part of fatigue in general population is explained from negative emotions, but a larger amount of the variance is explained by sex, education and age. Also limitations in day activities pay a significant role in the model of fatigue.

A relative decline in systolic blood pressure has been found to occur prior to and around the clinical onset of dementia but the reasons for this remain unclear.

In a large series of surveys carried out using identical methodology in populations with relatively low mean blood pressures we investigated the consistency of the association between dementia, dementia severity and resting blood pressure.

The analysed sample comprised 15,022 participants from eleven cross-sectional surveys carried out in seven low and middle income countries (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, China and India). Associations between dementia status (ascertained through a detailed assessment with extensive cross-cultural validation) and resting blood pressure were described for each sample and then compared in meta-analyses.

In age- and sex-adjusted linear regression analyses, there was a high level of between-site heterogeneity in these associations (I-squared 60.2% for dementia and SBP). The only site with significant and consistent associations was Cuba (n=2944), the sample with highest mean systolic blood pressure, where dementia was associated with 7.9mmHg lower systolic blood pressure (95% CI 4.7-11.1) and 2.6mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure (95% CI 0.9-4.2). In general, associations between dementia and lower blood pressure were weak or absent in these surveys.

The association between dementia and low blood pressure, generally observed in Western settings was not observed in these populations with lower hypertension prevalence. These findings do not support a hypothesis that lower blood pressure in dementia is purely secondary to underlying neurodegeneration.

Patients with schizophrenia have elevated rates of cigarette smoking, and difficulty in smoking cessation. Cigarette smoking may reduce plasma levels of antipsychotics up to 50%.

To investigate effects of cigarette smoking in olanzapine treatment of schizophrenia.

91 patients with schizophrenia, aged 18-51, were divided into four groups. Control group (25 patients) and experimental groups: E1, 1-20 cigarettes/24h (23 patients), E2, 21-40 cigarettes/24h (22 patients) and E3, 40+ cigarettes/24h (21 patients). Patients were observed for one year period. Patients were assessed by Positive and Negative Symptom Schedule Scale (PANSS) at baseline and after one year.

No significant differences were found for PANSS score at baseline (p = 0.535). PANSS reduction at study endpoint was significant in all groups (p < 0.001). PANSS reduction was highest in non-smokers group 65.5%, and lowest in group of heavy smokers (40+ cigarettes/24h) 39.2%. There is a statistically significant difference in PANSS reduction between nonsmokers group and all smokers groups (p < 0.001). There is a statistically significant difference in PANSS reduction between E1 and E2, and E1 and E3 group (p < 0.001), and no difference between E2 and E3 group (p = 0.414). There is a statistically significant difference in olanzapine average daily dose after one year between non-smokers group and all smokers groups (p < 0.001).

Olanzapine therapy is most efficient in non-smokers group. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day significantly reduces effects of olanzapine therapy. Average daily dose of olanzapine is significantly lower in non-smokers group than in all three groups of smokers.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder caused by traumatic experience. Some studies showed low hippocampal volumes in PTSD patients. Our previous research indicated apoptosis induced such atrophy in the hippocampus. Endoplasmic reticulum stress -induced apoptosis has been implicated in the development of disorder diseases.

Our study was to reveal whether apoptosis induced by single-prolonged stress (SPS) in the hippocampus involved in Endoplasmic reticulum-related pathway through observation expression of three important apoptosis-related indicators on ER pathway: Glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78; calcium/calmodulin/CaM kinaseIIα and caspase-12.

Wistar rats were killed at 1, 4 and 7 days after exposure to SPS. The apoptotic cells in the hippocampus were assessed by TUNEL method and the free intra¬cellular Ca2+ concentration was measured. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting and RT-PCR were used to detection expression of GRP78, Ca2+/Calmodulin/ CaM kinase IIα and caspase-12.

Our results showed that apoptosis exactly occurred in hippocampus of SPS rats. Both GRP78 and Caspase-12 were significantly up-regulated during early PTSD. They reached peak in the 4 days and then returned to normal levels in 7 days after SPS. The free intra¬cellular Ca2+ concentration was significantly higher in 1 day after SPS and decreased in 7 days; However, CaM expression significantly increased, while CaMKIIα expression significantly decreased in the hippocampus 1 day after SPS.

SPS induced the change of GRP78, Ca2+ and caspase-12 in the hippocampus of PTSD rat, indicating that the endoplasmic reticulum pathway was involved in the process of SPS-induced apoptosis.

To estimate the heritability of personality of children by using a twin design method of quantitative genetic analysis. To analysis the influences of family environment on children personality.

EPQ(Eysenck Personality questionnaire) applying on twins children aged 6-16years to evaluate the children personality.

The general questionnaire, PSDQ Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire, FAD-GFS(The General Functioning Scale of the MacMaster Family Activity Device), SLE(stressful life events), FSQ(Family Stresses Questionnaire), FLQ(Family Life Questionnaire), EFQ(Everyday Feelings) were used to collect information about family environment from parents. Zygosity was determined by the DNA picked up from cheek mucosa of twins children. Holzinger analysis was employed to estimate the heritability of mental health.

122 pairs(244 children) of twins (103 twin pairs DNA were picked up successfully), including 54 MZ twin pairs and 49 DZ twin pairs.The heritability of personality:N(Extrovision-Introvision):0.71,P(Psychoticism):0.56,L(Lie):0.43,E(Neuroticism):0.07.

In twins family educated-year of father was significantly correlated with EPQ-E,EPQ-N(r = 0.167,0.145);educated-year of mather was significantly correlated with EPQ-N(r = -0.145);the score of FAD-GFS was significantly correlated with EPQ-E(r = - 0.235);FLQ was significantly correlated with EPQ-n(r = 0.356);the score of father authoritative parenting style was significantly correlated with EPQ-p r = -0.196 ;the score of mather authoritative parenting style was significantly correlated with EPQ-e r = 0.230. the score of family cohesion was significantly correlated with EPQ-n(r = 0.198).

Emotional problems were influenced by genetic factors most followed by inattention-hyperactivity problems and total difficulties environment factors play a main role in conduct problems and prosocial degree while peer problems were only influenced by environment factors. Each aspect of family environment, influence children personality and mental differently.

Parasuicidals behaviour is an urgent state in psychiatry and it occurs in different forms as the first or recidival attempt.

The aim is to prove the difference in frequency in presuicidal conditions together with sociodemographical and psychopathological predictors during the period from January 1st 2001 to December 31st 2010.

Subjects have been divided into two groups depending of the way they Parasuicidals behaviour: violent (N = 75) and nonviolent (N = 75) in multicentric prospective observation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The following instruments have been premortally used: list of general data (ICD-10 criteria); personal features test (EPQ-Eysenck HJ); test of depressiveness (HDRS-Hamilton M); emotional index test (P.I.E. Plutchik R) and postmor-tally: SSIPA interview. Results were analysed using descriptive and multivariant analyses.

Multivariant analysis has showed the highest difference between groups in a violent group comparing to a nonviolent one (P = 0.001) in a treatment length [OR = 0.950 (95%), CI 0.710 -970], compliance [OR = 0.810(95%), CI 0.780 - 1.050], severity of depression [OR = 0. 825 (95%), CI 0.650 -1.340] and motivation [OR = 0.750 (95%), CI = 0.835-1.150].

Parasuicidals behaviour performance have not shown statistically significant difference. This study has shown the difference in the length of treatment (duration of disease), cooperation with therapeutic team, depression worsening regardless its origin and motivations for social adaptations and participation. Patients with more expressed mentioned predictors, were attempting suicide faster, regardless therapeutical treatment.

Families of individuals with schizophrenia and autism experience similar stressors in their everyday life. Research shows that working with families of people with schizophrenia is effective in reducing family burden and distress levels, through structured psychoeducational interventions. These interventions are delivered in individual family or group family design. However, psychoeducational interventions have not been widely implemented in standard clinical practice, while there is limited research on the effectiveness of psychoeducation in parents of children with autism.

Psychoeducational interventions are organized around two primary objectives:

1. a) provision of information about the nature and treatment of the disorder and

2. b) teaching family members problem-solving, communication skills and behavior management techniques.

The aim of this study was to compare and contrast the efficacy of group psychoeducational intervention in reducing family burden and in improving communication and problem solving skills, when applied to two groups of parents of individuals with schizophrenia and of children with autism.

Eight parents of individuals with schizophrenia and six parents of children with autism participated in two group psychoeducational programs. Twenty three group sessions were conducted for each group. Pre and post treatment measures included qualitative assessment of knowledge about the nature of the disorder of their offspring and social stigma, as well as psychometric measurement of family burden, family rituals, family communication and general family functioning.

Quantitative and qualitative data on the effectiveness of each group psychoeducational intervention, as well comparative data between the two groups will be discussed.

In primary care, difficulty to distinguish somatic syndromes from depression with somatic symptoms is recognised. In somatoform disorders co-morbid depression and anxiety have an additive detrimental effect on level of functioning.

To investigate role of depressive symptoms in somatic presentations and elucidate its impact on level of functioning.

Cohort is 106 consecutive patients referred to a specialist somatoform disorder clinic as part of a naturalistic follow- up study. Tools used included Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD), Patient Health Questioner (PHQ-15), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).

26% of cohort had only depressive disorder (ICD-10 F32-34, 38), 44% had a somatic syndrome (F 44-45, 48), 10% with anxiety or psychotic disorders and 20% had no mental disorders. 34% of somatic syndrome had co-morbidities, mainly depressive disorder. No significant difference in HAMD, PHQ-15 and GAF, seen between diagnostic groups. In the somatic syndrome group, HAMD and PHQ-15 scores negatively correlated with GAF (functioning) (t = -4.5, df = 1, p = 0.0001 and t = -2.3, df = 1, p = 0.04). When HAMD along with PHQ-15, age, gender, co-morbidity and medication-use entered in a multiple regression model, HAMD score was the only significant parameter (F = 17, t-4.2, df = 1, p = 0.001).

A considerable number of patients with severe somatic symptoms and functional impairment have depressive disorder. In patients with somatic syndrome, depressive symptoms (even sub-syndromal) appear to influence the level of functioning and mediate the effect of somatic symptoms on level of functioning. This finding may have implication in treatment and needs establishing.

To characterize connectivity patterns of brain default mode network (DMN) in lsTLE patients with and without anxiety and depressive disorders.

28 lsTLE patients, divided into two groups: patients with (“affective” group) and without anxiety- depressive symptoms. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hospital Anxiety Depressive Scale (HADS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Montgomery-Asberg Depressive Rating Scale (MADRS) were used to assess affective symptoms. All subjects underwent 9-min resting-state fMRI scanning session. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to isolate DMN. The resulted maps were compared in groups using two-sample t-test. The results were considered as statistically significant according to threshold of p < 0.005 with a 10-voxel extent that has recently been shown to produce an optimal balance between Types I and II error rates in fMRI studies (Lieberman, 2009). The data were processed and analyzed using SPM8 and “GIFT” toolbox for ICA “GIFT”.

Mild depression and moderate-severe anxiety levels were observed in the "affective" group. Significantly increased functional connectivity was found in “affective” group in the right cerebellum (culmen), right gyrus fusiformis, dorsolateral prefrontal and midcingulate area, and in the left insula.

We found that brain DMN is altered by affective disorders associated with lsTLE. The observed regional pattern of difference can reflect the impaired levels of self-control often present in lsTLE patients with affective symptoms

The satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) is a brief five-item measure of global life satisfaction rated on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). It is noted as one of the most popular scales in the measurement of life satisfaction.

To test the psychometric properties of SWLS.

To create a valid measurement, easy to use for primary care and during treatment assessment in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), emotional disorder (ED) and general population (GP).

Translation of SWLS was performed using the multiple forward and backward translation protocol. Life orientation test (GrLOT-R), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), was also administered to check construct validity of SWLS.

809 adults participated, 175 (21.6%) male, 634 (78.4%) female. The total scale of the SWLS had a coefficient alpha of .831. Item - total correlations where from .253-.783. Factor analysis has supported a unidimensional model with 1 factor explaining 68% of the total variance. Mean scores differed significantly between GP (M = 21 ± 6.3), DM (19.1 ± 6.2) and ED (M = 17.2 ± 6.9) (Mean differences = 1.847 and 3.723 p < .001 respectively). There was significant negative correlation with stress (r = -.297 p < .001), anxiety (-.297 p < .001) and depression (r = -.499 p < .001) and positive correlation with GrLOT-R (r = .499 p < .001).

The results of the current validation study suggest that the Greek translation of the SWLS is both reliable and valid, with good construct and discriminant validity and psychometric properties close to those reported in the international literature.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with low frustration tolerance, which is a risk factor for suicide. Hippocampal structural and functional abnormalities have been documented to play one of the crucial roles in the pathophysiology of depression. Recent studies have revealed functional differentiation of the hippocampus. Thus, activity of the anterior part was shown to be associated with negative affect mediation.

To investigate brain mechanisms of frustration, comparing its impact on anterior hippocampal connectivity in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs).

14 MDD and 14 HC right-handed subjects were included in the study and underwent comprehensive clinical assessment. MDD was diagnosed during psychiatric interview according to ICD-10 criteria. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was additionally used to assess depressive symptoms. The original Stroop test was modified to evoke a state of frustration by administrering impossible task conditions and negative feedback during 10-min functional magnetic resonance scanning session. Psychophysiological interactions were used to analyze left and right anterior hippocampal functional connectivity changes in response to frustration. The resulted Z-maps were adjusted using Z > 2.3 threshold and a (corrected) cluster significance threshold of p = 0.05.

Increased functional connectivity of the left anterior hippocampus in response to frustration was significantly higher in MDD patients compared to HCs in the pars opercularis of the right prefrontal cortex and bilateral posterior cingulate regions.

The results revealed that depressed patients demonstrate abnormally increased anterior hippocampal response to frustration, suggesting that hippocampal-neocortical network impairment may contribute to decreased frustration tolerance associated with MDD