Obesity is a grave problem in pediatrics and child psychiatry. It was revealed that in many cases obesity has comorbidity with different mental disorders. Besides a number of endocrine disturbances, immune system deficiency and oxidative stress with free radical oxidation take part in pathogenesis of these phenomena.

The essence of the therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen lies in the fact that under the influence of elevated barometric pressure, oxygen saturation of body fluids increases: blood, interstitial fluid, which deliver oxygen to organs and tissues, increasing oxygen supply to cells by 5-10 times and eliminating hypoxia (oxygen starvation tissues). Hyperbaric oxygen, normalizing blood circulation in tissues and metabolic processes at the cellular level, has a number of effects that favorably affect the patient’s condition: promotes the formation of a new vascular network in areas where it is damaged or insufficient, has anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects, has an immunocorrective effect , normalizes hormonal status, enhances the action of a number of pharmacological agents. The aim of our research was to study effects of HBO on children suffering from anxiety and obesityas a result of the mental instability? S;eep disturbances and immune instability

Sessions of hyperbaric oxygenation were carried out at a pressure of 1.6 ATA: the first session lasted 45 minutes, subsequent sessions was 30 minutes. After HBO, each of the patients during the day showed a steady increase in the saturation index, which persisted until the morning of the next day. An analysis of fluctuations in the saturation index during the day showed its decrease in all patients to a minimum value at 8 am and its general dynamic increase from the beginning of hyperbaric oxygenation. Parameters of immune status, including serum concentrations of IgA, IgM and IgG, circulating immune complexes were studied in pediatric patients, aged from 10 to 14 years old, 42 girls and 34 girls. Mapping EEG was used for evaluation of electric brain activity.

It was found that HBO treatment normalized mental state: patients demonstrated less anxiety and overeating habits, тormalization of sleep, positive dynamics of sleep, reflected in the EEG pattern in the form of alpha waves. Immune reactions were changed: IgA, IgM and IgG, were increased and CIC serum level decreased.

The use of antioxidant therapy in combination with psychopharmacological drugs has long been a well-established method of treatment for a variety of psychopathological conditions. The inclusion of hyperbaric oxygenation in this complex also helps to achieve more distinct results in terms of weight loss in obesity and normalization of the mental state, improved sleep and significant immunocorrection.

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Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults (AYA) (Czyz EK, King CA. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol.2015;44(1):181-19), and psychiatric disorders are a major contributing factor (WHO Global Health Estimates 2000-2019). Studies focusing on suicidality in Italian inpatients samples are scant.

The present cross-sectional study aimed to define clinical variables associated with suicidality related phenomena in a sample of young inpatients. The main objectives were to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm in inpatients aged 16–24 years and to determine the relationship between suicidal behaviours and psychiatric disorders.

This retrospective study was conducted in a naturalistic setting, at the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit, Perugia Hospital/Local Mental Health Unit 1, from January 2018 to December 2019. Sociodemographic information, clinical history, diagnostic and treatment features were collected. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed (p<0,05).

Among 120 patients (14,2% of the overall 850 hospitalizations in the index period) admitted for suicidality-related phenomena, 21 (17,5%) were AYA. Admission was due to deliberate self-harm in 85,7% (n=18) and to suicidal ideation in 14,3% (n=3) cases. Personality disorders (p=0.006), were significantly more prevalent among AYA, while mood disorders were more frequent among adults (p=0.0018) (Tab.1).Tab.1.Differences in diagnostic features between AYA and adult population.

Personality is under construction among youths, and affective symptoms may have unusual characteristics (Lack CW, Green AL. J Pediatr Nurs. 2009;24(1):13-25), as demonstrated by the fact that irritable rather than depressed mood is a core diagnostic mood symptom for adolescents (Rice F, et al. J Affect Disord. 2019;243:175-181). We hypothesized that symptoms of irritability, emotional dysregulation, and impulsivity could be linked to suicidality (Ghanem M, et al. Arch Suicide Res. 2013;17(3):262-274). Further investigations are needed for the characterization of AYA inpatients who experience suicidal thoughts or self-injurious behaviours, in order to redefine preventive tools and reduce suicide mortality rates.

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Cognitive symptoms in psychosis represent a major unmet clinical need (Acuna-Vargas et al. Cog in Psych 2019; 21(3), 223–224). Deficit in memory has been largely described in first episode early onset psychosis (Mayoral et al. Eur Psych 2008; 23(5), 375-383) and has been associated to a worse functionality (Øie et al. Neuropsychology 2011; 25(1), 25–35). However, results from existing studies are quite mixed on memory deficits of early psychosis patients, particularly in terms of memory contents and storage resources.

The aims of this study were 1) to examine the nature and extent of cognitive impairment in early-onset psychosis and 2) to analyze which type of memory (verbal and visual) is more affected in the disorder.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA criteria (Moher et al. Systematic Reviews 2015; 4(1), 1 - 9). A systematic search of CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, Redalyc, SCOPUS and Web of Science (published from 2000 to 2020) identified case-control studies of early onset psychotic disorder (under 18 years old). Those studies focused on both verbal and visual memory performance.

Twenty articles were included in the review. A deficit in memory in child and adolescent psychotic disorders was obtained displaying a large effect size in memory tasks (g = -0.83). Also, a medium effect size was found in visual memory tasks (g = - 0.61) and a large effect size was found in verbal memory tasks (g = -1.00).

It was observed a strong memory deficit on early psychotic disorders already present at the onset of the illness. This deficit was stronger when verbal memory tasks were used compared to the effect found with visual memory tasks. Based on previous literature (García-Nieto et al. Jou Cli Child & Ado Psych 2011; 40(2), 266-280; Lepage et al. Eur Psych 2008; 23(5):368- 74; Hui et al. Psych Med 2016; 46(11):2435-44), these results contribute to describe and characterize the cognitive symptoms in the first-episode psychosis in a youth population.

None Declared

Incidence of alcohol abuse in our country is high, although it is still under-diagnosed and under-treated. The WHO estimates that a total of 3.3 million deaths worldwide per year are related to alcohol consumption.

The main objective is to describe the pattern of alcohol consumption in a sample of patients who are admitted to our psychiatric hospital for different reasons, relating with previous diagnoses.

A retrospective observational descriptive study was carried out in the acute care unit of the psychiatric hospital, after approval of the corresponding protocol by the ethics committee. All patients admitted to this unit during a three-month period were taken as a sample. During admission, sociodemographic data, drug use, treatment type and time and previous diagnoses were collected.

Out of 172 patients, 81 reported being abstemious, 45 declared occasional consumption, 11 weekly and 22 daily consumption. There is no data about 13 patients. Among those who reported daily alcohol consumption, 59% had a previous diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), 23% a previous diagnosis of Schizophrenia, 13.5% of Bipolar Disorder and finally 4.5% of Depressive Disorder. All the patients with a previous diagnosis of SUD reported consumption of more than 10 SDUs/day, the group with Schizophrenia stated less than 5 SDUs/day, of the group with T. Bipolar between 7-10 SDUs/day and with T. Depressive 5 SDUs/day.

The results obtained are consistent with the literature in relation to the under-diagnosis of alcohol use disorder, taking into account that 40% of patients in the sample with daily alcohol consumption previously had not such a diagnosis and it was not recorded in their medical history. For this reason, and for the sake of being able to treat them, it is essential to question all patients about alcohol consumption, whatever the reason for their admission.

None Declared

This paper highlights the mutual influences and the relationships between the variables of type II diabetes, the type of psychiatric conditions, the administered treatment schemes, the imaging examinations and the impact on the functioning and quality of life of the patients.

Analysis of the influences between diabetes and psychiatric disorders, studying the relationships between the variables of type 2 diabetes, the type of psychiatric disorders, treatmentregimens, imaging examinations and the impact on the functioning and quality of life of patients.

Psychiatric interview, Hamilton, Reisberg and Rosenberg scales, laboratory analysys

Patients with pre-existing diabetes, psychiatric disorders led to deterioration of its evolution, documented by HbA1c values, treatment schedule, frequency of diabetic emergencies; the increased frequency of psychotic phenomena (hallucinations and delusional ideas) is directly proportional to the number of diabetic emergencies; patients with uncontrolled, long-term diabetes have higher scores on HAM-D and Reisberg scales, while patients with controlled diabetes have higher scores on the self-esteem and quality of life scales; in patients with taste or odor disorders, cortical atrophy may be seen on CT examination, elevated HbA1c levels and the presence of polyneuropathy; alcohol consumption, smoking, high cholesterol levels, determine the advancement of diabetic complications, and these in turn correlate with higher scores on the HAM-D scales, Reisberg; patients who show large variations in blood glucose in the first days after hospitalization are those who exhibit irritability, irritability, nervousness and heteroaggression at the time of hospitalization;

65% patients with depressive disorders, 10% - with organic personality disorder, 25% - with affective disorders and 30% associated with cognitive impairment. The duration of diabetes mellitus, glycosylated hemoglobin levels and the presence of diabetic complications is directly related to the HAM-D and Reisberg scores; and inversely proportional to quality of life scores and self-esteem.

None Declared

Inflammasomes are cytosolic multi-component signaling platforms critical to the innate immune response to infectious diseases and the dysregulation of their activation can lead to the development of neurodegeneration and cancer.

We aim through this review to ass a possible interplay between dysregulation of inflammasome activation, development of chronic inflammatory disease and enhancement of behavioral abnormalities.

We comprehensively review the scientific literature using Pubmed database and other search platforms such as Google scholar to assess the role and the actors of chronic activation of inflammasome signaling complexes to establish a potential association between dysregulation of inflammasome activation, chronic inflammatory disease and enhancement of behavioral abnormalities.

Our bibliographic review revealed that dysregulation of the inflammasome is associated with the onset and progression of several autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including cryopyrin-associated periodic fever syndrome, familial Mediterranean fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. These multimeric complexes form in response to molecular patterns unique to pathogens and cellular damage, triggering a cascade of downstream responses, including the induction of pyroptotic cell death and release of proinflammatory cytokines. Some inflammasomes directly recognize these patterns, while others indirectly sense these patterns through changes in the homeostatic environment of the cell. Moreover, although being a normal part of the skin flora, yeasts of the genus Malassezia are associated with several inflammatory skin diseases including pityriasis versicolor (tinea versicolor), atopic eczema, psoriasis, Malassezia folliculitis and onychomycoses. In the context of tolerating fungi during colonization and eliciting, activation, of inflammasomes signaling complexes, has been identified as an integral part of antifungal host defense. While the activation of inflammasomes mainly the NLRP3 one, was shown to be pivotal for innate immunity against pathogenic fungi such as candida albicans, their role in the fungal genus Malassezia remains imprecise. Even though, many observations suggest that simultaneous activation of NLRP3, NLRC4 and AIM2 inflammasomes may play an important role.

Whereas, chronic inflammasome activation such as by chronic infectious has been tied to the development of metabolic syndromes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer progression, a possible interplay between chronic invasion by the genus Malassezia, vigorous immune response to eliminate invading fungal pathogens, disruption of immune sensors of genotoxic stress, development of chronic inflammatory disease and behavioral abnormalities may be a new field of scientific researches.

None Declared

Allergic immune reactions and adverse reactions to foods, have been described as having growth concerns in children with food allergy. Moreover, immune dysregulation and inflammation have been documented as typical hallmarks in both allergic and neurodevelopmental conditions.

In this review, we address the association of food allergy and altered neurodevelopment in children.

We comprehensively review the scientific literature using Pubmed database and other search platforms to state the potential associations of food allergy and altered neurodevelopment in children.

Food allergy is a pathological, potentially deadly, immune reaction activated by normally inoffensive food protein antigens. It is an important public health problem that affects children (children under the age of 5 years: 5 %) and adults, and it has been increasing in prevalence in the last 2 to 3 decades. The enhancement of the knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms lead to many suggestions such as the important role of the intestinal microbiota, the role of the immunological adaptation of the mucosal immune system to food antigens and the nutritional impact and growth concerns of children with food allergy. In recent studies and reviews, a significant and a positive association of common allergic conditions, in particular food allergy, with autism spectrum disorder and with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders have been reported. At the mechanistic level, it was recently shown through animal models, the potential role of intracranial Mast cells in neuroinflammation and neuropathology associated with food allergy as well as the potential role of the dysfunction of the gut-brain axis in promoting white matter development during early life when the brain is vulnerable to environment (such as food restrictions) that can result in an a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders later in life. Food allergy was also associated in literature with enhanced mTOR signaling in the brain and gut, which may impact brain and behavioral development.

Neurodevelopmental disorders which occur in childhood in the context of food allergy is a challenging public health problem that need more human research studies to understand underlying mechanisms and promote therapeutic innovations.

None Declared

In the last decade, the prevalence of THC use is increasing among adolescents and adults. There is also strong evidence to suggest that cannabis use is associated with psychiatric comorbidities. The strongest evidence is found between cannabis use and psychotic disorder. However, the literature shows that those who have used cannabis in the past or for a large part of their lives are at higher risk of mood disorders, anxiety, personality disorder or other drug use than those who do not use cannabis in a harmful way.

To provide an overview of the association between cannabis use and the different mental pathologies presented by the patients admitted during the study period. To describe the prevalence of THC use in the study according to the mental pathology presented by the patient.

A retrospective observational descriptive study was developed for 3 months, of all patients admitted to the acute unit of the psychiatric hospital. No exclusion criteria were included.

During the period of study 172 patients were admitted to the hospital, classified according to the main diagnosis we have: 49 patients suffer from schizophrenia, 26 bipolar affective disorder, 20 with depressive disorder, 20 with personality disorder, 19 with substance use disorder, 18 with other unspecified disorders and 20 patients with no known previous diagnosis. The prevalence of THC use in the study sample according to diagnosis, would be schizophrenia 16%, Bipolar affective disorder 19%, Depressive disorder 5%, Personality disorder 45%, Substance use disorder 21%, Unspecified disorders 11% and patients with no known previous diagnosis 10%.

The results obtained in the study in terms of THC use are in agreement with those obtained in the literature. In our study, we observed that cannabis use is associated with psychotic disorders as well as with mood, personality and substance abuse disorders. Given that the frequency of use has increased and there is a strong association with different comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, guidance on modifications in medication strategies might be necessary.

None Declared

Cognitive impairment is a well-recognized key feature of schizophrenia. However, these cognitive impairments may be worsened by alcohol consumption. Up to 80% of patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD) display cognitive impairments. Screening for those impairments with a full neuropsychological assessment may be difficult. The Brief Evaluation Alcohol-Related Neuropsychological Impairments (BEARNI) is a specific tool for screening those impairments easy to implement in in clinical practice (Ritz et al. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 2015; 39, 2249-60). To our knowledge, no previous studies have assessed the alcohol-related cognitive impairments using the BEARNI test in schizophrenia patients.

The objective of the study was to compare BEARNI mean scores between a group of schizophrenia patients with alcohol use disorders and a group of schizophrenia patients without alcohol use disorder.

39 patients with schizophrenia and AUD (SCZ/AUD +) (82% males, mean age 44.9 ± 11.0 years-old) and 49 patients with schizophrenia without AUD (SCZ/AUD-) (65% males, mean age 42.6 ± 11.4 years-old) consecutively included in the study, were assessed using the BEARNI test. All patients met DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia and AUD. Demographic and clinical variables were also collected, using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The primary endpoint of the study was the difference in BEARNI cognitive mean scores between the SCZ/AUD+ and SCZ/AUD- groups.

There was no difference between the two groups regarding demographic variables or PANSS mean scores (59.1 ± 12.8 vs 58.1 ± 14.0; t=-0.3; p=0.7). The AUDIT mean score was higher in the group of patients SCZ/AUD+ (20.6 ± 7.8 vs 1.6 ± 1.5; t=-14.7; p<0.0001). Total BEARNI and cognitive BEARNI mean scores were significantly lower in the group of patients SCZ/AUD+ compared to the group of patients SCZ/AUD- (10.6 ± 4.8 vs 12.6 ± 5.2; t=1.8, p=0.03 and 8.1 ± 3.9 vs 9.8 ± 3.6 t=2.0, p=0.04, respectively). The mean subscores of delayed verbal memory, alphabetical ordination, and alternating verbal fluency subtests were also significantly lower in the group of patients SCZ/+ group (respectively 1,0 ± 0.9 vs 1.6 ± 1.2, t= 2.5, p=0.01; 2,1 ± 1.2 vs 2.5 ± 1.1, t= 1.6, p=0.04; 3.3 ±1.5 vs 3.8 ± 1.5, t= 1.8, p=0.03).

The present study found cognitive impairments using BEARNI test in schizophrenia patients with AUD compared to their counterparts without AUD. Screening alcohol related cognitive impairments using BEARNI could be easier in patients in schizophrenia patients with AUD than usual neurocognitive assessments

None Declared

Adult ADHD diagnosis sometimes represents a challenge for the clinician, due to the comorbid psychiatric diseases that are often associated and which complicate de recognition of the primary symptoms of ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD in adult populations is 2’5% and it is a relevant cause of functional impairment.

Presentation of a clinical case of a male cocaine user diagnosed with adult ADHD.

Literature review on adult ADHD and comorbid substance abuse.

A 43-year-old male who consulted in the Emergency Department due to auditory hallucinosis in the context of an increase in his daily cocaine use. There were not delusional symptoms associated and judgment of reality was preserved. Treatment with olanzapine was started and the patient was referred for consultation. In psychiatry consultations, he did not refer sensory-perceptual alterations anymore, nor appeared any signals to suspect so, and he was willing to abandon cocaine use after a few appointments. He expressed some work concerns, highlighting that in recent months, in the context of a greater workload, he had been given several traffic tickets for “distractions.” His wife explained that he had always been a inattentive person (he forgets important dates or appointments) and impulsive, sometimes interrupting conversations. In the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale he scored 32 points.

He was diagnosed with adult ADHD and treatment with extended-release methylphenidate was started with good tolerance and evolution, with improvement in adaptation to his job and social environment. Since then, the patient has moderately reduced the consumption of drugs, although he continues to use cocaine very sporadically.

Early detection of ADHD and its comorbidities has the potential to change the course of the disorder and the morbidity that will occur later in adults. Comorbidity in adult ADHD is rather the norm than the exception, and it renders diagnosis more difficult. The most frequent comorbidities are usually mood disorders, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Treatment of adult ADHD consists mainly of pharmacotherapy supported by behavioral interventions. When ADHD coexists with another disorder, the one that most compromises functionality will be treated first and they can be treated simultaneously. The individual characteristics of each patient must be taken into account to choose the optimal treatment.

None Declared

Functional neurological disorders (FNDs) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) share common features in terms of deficits in emotion regulation and recognition, sensory sensitivity, proprioception and interoception. Nevertheless, few studies have assesed teir overlap.

Aims of the present study were: (i) to assess the prevalence of autistic traits in a sample of adult patients with FNDs and (ii) to assess the prevalence of FNS in a sample of adult individuals with ASDs without intellectual disabilities; in this sample, we also evaluated the presence of a possible association between sensory sensitivity and FNS.

We recruited 21 patients with FNDs, 30 individuals with ASDs without intellectual disabilities and 45 neurotypical adults (NA). Participants completed: the Autism Quotient (AQ); the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R); and a questionnaire assessing functional neurological symptoms (FNS). ASDs participants also completed the Sensory Perception Quotient-Short Form (SPQ-SF35), assessing sensory sensitivity.

In the FNDs sample, no patient scored above the clinical cut-off at the AQ and the 19% scored above the cut-off at the RAADS-R, a prevalence similar to the one we found in NA (15.6%; both p > 0.05). The 86.7% of participants with ASDs reported at least one FNS, a prevalence significantly higher than the NA one (35.6%, p < 0.001). In the ASDs sample, tactile hypersensitivity was found to be a risk factor for functional weakness (OR = 0.74, p = 0.033) and paraesthesia (OR = 0.753, p = 0.019).

In conclusions, FNDs individuals did not present autistic traits more than NA, but ASDs individuals presented a higher number of FNSs than NA; this rate was associated with higher sensory sensitivity, especially in the touch domain.

None Declared

Persons with temporal lobe epilepsy due to hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) have a high frequency of psychiatric disorders, namely depression and anxiety. In addition, poor quality of life (QOL) and impairments in psychosocial adjustment are frequently reported. Despite the increasing number of studies aiming to identify predictors of poorer QOL, the role of depressive and anxiety symptoms remains poorly understood.

This study aimed to evaluate: (1) if psychosocial adjustment predicts worse QOL; (2) the relationship between psychosocial adjustment and QOL by concurrently examining the role of depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Thirty-five persons with TLE-HS ranging from 18 to 60 years old (mean age 39.82 SD 9.05; 20 men 57.14%) followed in a tertiary outpatient center underwent neurologic and psychiatric assessments.

The psychiatry interview was performed using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID). Psychosocial adjustment was assessed with the total score of the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS) (SAS Overall). The QOL was evaluated by the total score of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 Inventory (Overall QOLIE-31), the most frequently used instrument in assessing QOL in epilepsy. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-X) were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively.

Prediction analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of psychosocial adjustment on QOL (simple linear regression). Simple moderation models were used to examine the moderation effect of depressive and anxiety symptoms on the association between PA and QOL (Figure 1). We used SPSS (version 29 IBM Corp) and PROCESS Macro (version 4.1. for SPSS) to perform regression and moderation analyses (Figures 2 and 3), respectively.

Poor psychosocial adjustment (higher scores on SAS) impacted on poor QOL (lower scores on QOLIE-31) (R=0.39; R2=0.15; adjusted R2= 0.12; B=-0.39; t=-2.28; p=0.03). The severity of anxiety symptoms (Trait and State; coefficient=-0.64; t=-2.01; p=0.05 and coefficient=-1.17; t=-2.20; p=0.03, respectively), but not the severity of depressive symptoms (coefficient=0.77; t= 1.37; p=0.18), moderated the relationship between psychosocial adjustment and QOL.

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Psychosocial adjustment is a predictor of QOL in TLE-HS. Anxiety symptoms moderate this relationship between psychosocial adjustment and QOL. Consequently, higher anxiety symptoms are associated with worse psychosocial adjustment and quality of life.

None Declared

Coronavirus infection affects the CNS and modulates the immune system. The associated processes of neuroplasticity play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression.

The aim of the study is to identify the relationships between EEG and immunological parameters in depressive patients who recovered from coronavirus infection, in order to clarify the features of neuroimmune interaction after suffering COVID-19.

30 female patients aged 16-25 enrolled in the study were admitted for treatment during the pandemic in 2020-2022 (“COVID” group). Previously, they had been ill with COVID-19 in a mild or asymptomatic forms on a background of depressive state (F31.3-4, F21.3-4 + F34.0, according to ICD-10) from 3 months to 2 years before the examination.

All patients underwent pre-treatment multichannel background EEG recordings in a state of quiet wakefulness with eyes closed and analysis of the absolute EEG spectral power (SP) in 8 narrow frequency sub-bands.

As well, markers of neuroplasticity ─ the levels of autoantibodies to the S100b protein (AAT-S100b) and to the myelin basic protein (AAT-MBP) were measured in each patient’s blood plasma using the laboratory technology “Neuro-immuno-test”.

The EEG and immunological parameters of the “COVID” group were compared with similar data of 40 depressive patients who were treated in 2018-2019, that is, they did not have COVID-19 (“pre-COVID” group), but matched by sex, age, syndrome structure, as well as the pre-treatment severity of depression (according to the HDRS-17 scale) to patients of the “COVID” group.

Statistical analysis of the data obtained was carried out by the correlation analysis method of the IBM SPSS Statistics, v.22 software package.

In the “COVID” group, the AAT-S100b level valuespositively correlated with the EEG delta sub-band (2-4 Hz) SP valuesin T3, T4, P4, and O1 leads. The values of the AAT-MBP level correlated with the SP values of delta (2-4 Hz) and theta1 (4-6 Hz) EEG sub-bands in C3, T4, P3, P4, O1, and O2 leads. In the “pre-COVID” group, the values of the AAT-S100b level correlated positively with the SP values of not slow-wave, but alpha2 (9-11 Hz) and alpha3 (11-13 Hz) EEG activity in T3, P3, O1, and O2 leads.

Positive correlations of the AAT-S100b level with alpha2 and alpha3 SP values indicate that in the “before COVID” group, the AAT-S100b level reflects rather the reparative processes of neuroplasticity. On the contrary, in the “COVID” group, positive correlations of the AAT-S100b and of the demyelination marker AAT-MBP levels with the SP values of slow-wave (delta and theta1) EEG frequency components, reflecting a reduced brain functional state, indicate that elevated levels of AAT-S100b and AAT-MBP in this group are markers of nerve tissue damage caused by coronavirus infection.

The study supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 21-18-00129).

None Declared

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in suicidal intentions and attempts. One of the ways to prevent suicides is the timely detection of suicidal intentions. In this regard, it seems relevant to search for objective markers of suicidal intentions.

The aim of the study is to identify EEG correlates of suicidal intentions in depressive patients who survived and not have been ill with COVID-19.

The study included 30 female patients aged 16-25 years with depressive disorders (F31.3-4, F21.3-4 + F34.0, according to ICD-10), who had previously a mild or asymptomatic coronavirus infection (group “COVID”), and 40 depressive patients, matched by sex, age, syndrome and the pre-treatment severity of depression (according to the total score of the Hamilton HDRS-17 scale), but not sick with COVID-19 (“non-COVID” group, The severity of suicidal intentions was quantified by the number of points of item 3 of the HDRS-17 scale. All patients underwent pre-treatment registration of the background EEG in a state of quiet wakefulness with eyes closed in 16 monopolar leads: F7, F3, F4, F8, T3, C3, Cz, C4, T4, T5, P3, Pz, P4, T6, O1 and O2. The analysis of the absolute EEG spectral power (SP) was carried out in 8 narrow frequency sub-bands. Statistical processing of the data obtained was carried out using the methods of descriptive statistics, comparison of means and correlation analysis of the IBM SPSS Statistics, v.22 software package.

In the “COVID” group, the mean number of points of item 3 of the HDRS-17 scale was slightly higher than in the “non-COVID” group (2.1 ± 1.5 and 1.8 ± 1.6, respectively), but these differences did not reach the level of statistical significance (p> 0.05). However, the structure of correlations between the values of this indicator of the severity of suicidal intentions and EEG parameters in the two groups turned out to be different. In the “COVID” group, the largest number of significantly (p<0.05) positive correlation coefficients was noted between the number of points of item 3 of the HDRS-17 scale and the SP values of slow-wave EEG components, e.g. theta2 sub-band (6-8 Hz) in leads F7, F3, F4, F8, T4, C3, C4, P3 and P4, as well as the delta sub-band (2-4 Hz) in leads F7 and P4. In the “non-COVID” group, the number of points of item 3 of the HDRS-17 scale positively correlated with the SP values of the alpha2 sub-band (9-11 Hz) in leads F7, F8, F4, C3, C4, T4, P4 and O2, as well as with SP values of the delta sub-band (2-4 Hz) in leads F7, F3 and C3.

In depressive patients who underwent COVID-19, the severity of suicidal intentions is associated with EEG signs of a more reduced functional state of the cerebral cortex, including the anterior regions, than in patients who did not have coronavirus infection.

The study supported by the RSF grant No. 21-18-00129.

None Declared

The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused adverse outcomes on tens of millions of people worldwide, both physically and psychologically. As a public health response, quarantine has been recruited as a national measure in COVID-19, which subjects people who are suspected and confirmed cases to strictly isolation. Unfortunately, people may suffer from various adverse effects under self-quarantine at home. Thus, it is crucial to explore how to improve the psychological outcomes of self-quarantined residents to provide future intervention targets.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory quarantine may threaten people’s psychological health and well-being. This study aimed to test the relationship between self-compassion and general well-being among self-quarantined residents and to examine the mediating role of certainty in control (i.e., a component of psychological security) in the relation. It further explored the moderated role of positive coping in the correlation between self-compassion and certainty in control.

Participants were 312 self-quarantined residents (120 men, 192 women) from a community in Liaoning Province, China, who completed online questionnaires of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Security Questionnaire (SQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and General Well-Being Scale (GWBS). A moderated mediation model was conducted to test the hypotheses.

The moderated mediation model suggested that self-compassion was positively associated with well-being. Certainty in control partially mediated the relationship between self-compassion and general well-being. Moreover, positive coping moderated the relationship between self-compassion and certainty in control. The link between self-compassion and certainty in control was stronger among low-level positive coping people than high-level ones.

Findings reveal that increased psychological security (e.g., certainty in control) by self-compassion contributes to general well-being during the self-quarantined period. People with low positive coping may benefit more from self-compassion. This study thus broadens the understanding of the mechanism underlying self-compassion on positive functioning and well-being. Psychological interventions should focus on self-compassion to enhance the general well-being of quarantined people in the pandemic.

None Declared

External natural events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can contribute to increased stress, depression and anxiety in pregnant persons. Thus far, studies on the impact of maternal mental health during the pandemic on perinatal outcomes have been conflicting.

Assess the impact of prenatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic on preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW).

Pregnant individuals, >18 years were recruited in Canada, their data were collected through a web-based questionnaire. Our analysis includes data on individuals recruited between 06/2020 and 08/2021, who completed questionnaires at baseline and 2-month post-partum. Data on maternal sociodemographic, comorbidities, medication, mental health measures (Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale, General Anxiety Disorder-7, stress), hardship (CONCEPTION study Assessment of Stress from COVID-19 –150 points), gestational age at delivery and birth weight were self-reported. PTB defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. LBW defined as birth weight less than 2,500 grams.

A total of 1,265 and 1,233 participants were included in the analyses of PTB and LBW, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found no differences between prenatal mental health and PTB ([depression [adjusted RR [aRR] 1.01, CI 95% 0.91 to 1.11], anxiety [aRR 1.04, CI 95% 0.93 to 1.17], stress [aRR 0.88, CI 95% 0.71 to 1.10], hardship [aRR 1.00, CI 95% 0.96 to 1.04]). However, we found that the risk of PTB was increased with ethnicity/race (aRR 3.85, CI 95% 1.35 to 11.00), obstetrician/gynecologist follow-up (aRR 2.77, CI 95% 1.12 to 6.83). We didn’t find any significant association between prenatal mental health and LBW. However, annual household income, previous delivery were associated with a decreased risk of LBW (aRR 0.15, CI 95% 0.05 to 0.49; aRR 0.39, CI 95% 0.20 to 0.77, respectively).

Conclusion: No association was found between prenatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of PTB or LBW. However, it is imperative to continue the follow-up of mothers and their offspring in order to detect early any long-term health problems.

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Coronavirus infection has shown a significant impact not only on physical health but also on mental health. Among the long-term consequences in the post-COVID period, depressive and anxiety disorders are well observed. A potential mechanism for developing mental disorders after undergoing SARS-CoV-2 is a neuroinflammatory process in the central nervous system.

This study aimed to discover the features of anxiety and depressive disorders in people who suffered from COVID-19.

The study was conducted from October 2021 to September 2022 in outpatient and inpatient conditions of the S. S. Korsakov Psychiatric Clinic of Sechenov University. 58 patients (17 (29.3%) men and 41 (70.7%) women) with a diagnosis of F32, F34.1, F41-F48.0, or F06.3-06.4 according to ICD-10 who underwent COVID-19, mainly of mild and moderate severity (46 (79,3%) and (8 (13,8%) consequently), were examined clinically.

The median age among the respondents was 34 years. Mental illness in the family history had 38 (65.5%) people. Among the examined patients, 21 ((36.2%) people had psychasthenic traits premorbid, 13 (22.4%) – hyperthymic, 9 (15.5%) – hysterical. 15 patients (25.9%) had a history of maternal disorders during pregnancy and childbirth – 16 (27,6%) had neurotic disorders in childhood, 27 (46.6%) had a traumatic brain injury or general anesthesia. 2 patients (3.4%) reported substance abuse, 7 (12.1%) abused alcohol. The median period from somatic well-being after infection to the onset of mental illness was 3 months. The duration from the onset of symptoms of a mental disorder to treatment with a psychiatrist was 3 months. The main symptoms in the clinical picture were impaired concentration (100.0%), decreased productivity (98.3%), sleep disorders (96.6%), decreased mood (98.3%), anxiety (89.7%), anhedonia (75.9%), decreased appetite (65.5%), asthenia (65.5%), emotional lability (44.8%), self-blame ideas (43.1%), obsessive thoughts (39.7%), irritability (37.9%), suicidal thoughts (19.0%).

About two-thirds of respondents were female. The main reasons for consulting a psychiatrist were decreased concentration, sleep disorders, and reduced productivity. In addition, symptoms of anxiety, asthenia, and low mood were revealed, and more than half of the patients complained of apathy. Although the severity of depression was moderate, and the level of anxiety was mild, all these disorders were accompanied by clinically significant fatigue.

None Declared

During the COVID 19 pandemic children and young people (CYP) faced significant restrictions. The virus and restrictions also affected how health services could function, including mental health. Research analysing the COVID 19 pandemic is important to ensure dynamic and resilient service design in case of future national emergencies.

To investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on CYP psychiatric admission trends during lockdowns 1 (started 26 March 2020) and 2 (started 20 November 2020) of the COVID 19 pandemic in England.

Routinely collected, retrospective, English, administrative data looking at the CYP hospital admissions, length of stay and patient demographics were analysed using an interrupted time series analysis to compare pre-pandemic service use with service use during COVID 19 lockdowns 1 and 2. The analysis used an ordinary least squares (OLS) approach with Newey–West standard errors to handle autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity.

Table 1.Patient characteristics in the entire sample (n=6,250)

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During lockdown 1 and 2, psychiatric admissions for CYP were fewer and shorter. The rise in admissions for more deprived CYP and looked after children suggests these CYP may have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

None Declared

Psychiatry has historically had difficult relationships with Indigenous people, tending to dismiss their views on mental health and illness as superstitious or primitive. Indigenous people have responded by refusing to come for services, missing appointments, and dismissing treatment offered. Canadian Mi’qmak elder Albert Marshall introduced the term, etuaptmumk, to highlight the idea that Indigenous Knowledge and Practice has equal value to contemporary psychiatry. While translated as two-eyed seeing, the term refers to explanatory pluralism and invites a respectful dialogue among cultures as equals.

We implemented a two-eyed seeing research in Indigenous communities to explore the differences of some Indigenous North American cultures in their view of mind and mental health from conventional Euro-American psychiatry and how their cultural practitioners negotiated those differences. We wondered how perception of services would change if mental health practitioners were aware and were more respectful of those differences.

We engaged in a series of discussions with traditional knowledge keepers about their views on mind and mental health. We used constructivist grounded theory methods to identify what was common among these views. We developed a training program to engage mental health clinicians in understanding and responding to these differences. We engaged community members receiving services in a discussion about their perception in the change in the quality of the services. We summarized their responses.

Differences between Indigenous views and those of conventional psychiatry included (1) greater emphasis on the role of community and socio-environmental influences on mental health, (2) inclusion of spirituality and spiritual beings in their expectation for cause of problems and treatment, (3) greater emphasis on inter-generational trauma and historical trauma in addressing mental health. After inclusion of practitioners in the mental health services who had been oriented to these differences and integration of ceremony into the mental health services, ninety-four percent of respondents asked if the service had improved responded in the positive. Attendance at scheduled appointments increased from 56% to 81%. Adherence to recommendations increased from 27% to 67%, which were significant.

Awareness of cultural differences in beliefs about causes of mental illness and acceptable types of treatment increased client satisfaction with services offered, improved attendance rates, and improved adherence rates to treatments offered among Indigenous people. These results could generalize to other populations who hold different views than those of conventional psychiatry. The concept of two-eyed seeing, or explanatory pluralism, holds heuristic value for psychiatry by allowing multiple points of view to be true at the same time.

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Attitudes toward people with mental disorders in Arab countries have undergone huge transformations throughout history. Stigmatization of the mentally ill has been a long tradition in our communities. The public’s views have evolved since then, however, little is known about the current situation regarding mental illness stigma in our context.

Explore attitudes towards mental illness and mental health knowledge in Arab countries.

We carried out a multinational cross-sectional study using online self-administered surveys in the Arabic language from June to November 2021 across 16 Arab countries.The Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale,the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule scale and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form were administered to participants from the general public.

The study sample was predominantly female (77%), married (41%), educated (89% with tertiary education), living in urban areas (85%), with a mean age of 29.6 ± 10.8 years.

Based on the CAMI, MAKS, and ATSPPH-SF total scores, 75th, 50th, and 25th percentile were considered as cut-off points for the high, medium, and low scores. We found that 26.5% exhibited stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illnesses, 31.7% had poor knowledge, and 28.0% hold negative attitudes toward help-seeking. Regarding attitudes toward mental illness, the highest mean score was on the social restrictiveness subscale (35.1 ± 5.6), reflecting the lowest amounts of stigma in this dimension; while the lowest mean score was on the Authoritarianism subscale (32.0 ± 4.6).

We found a significant difference between countries regarding attitudes (F=194.8, p<.001) and knowledge (F=88.7, p<.001).

Although much scientific progress has been made in the fields of diagnosing and treating mental illness, at a societal level the stigmatization of mental illness is still an important societal problem. The general population is largely ignorant about mental disorders, and fear of the mentally ill remains prevalent.

None Declared