With the growing mental health concerns in the United Kingdom, it is undisputable that there will be a need for more mental health professionals, particularly psychiatrists. It has been estimated that there is 1 consultant psychiatrist per 12,567 people in England. The Royal College of Psychiatrists continue to call for a long term plan to address the mental health crisis by investing in psychiatric training and education.

To analyze the socio-demographic profile of doctors in training in psychiatry and change in demand over the last decade (2012-2021)

We carried out secondary review of the state of medical education and practice in the UK in 2021 report. We analyzed reference tables in the report pertaining to doctors in training in psychiatry by age group; gender; by ethnicity; and by place of primary medical qualification. The report included data for the period 2012-13 to 2020-21, which was analyzed. In addition, 5-year (2017-2021) and 10-year (2012-2021) trends were also available and included in our analysis.

While in 2012, there were 1,370 doctors in training in psychiatry, the number had dropped marginally to 1,352 in 2021. While there has been an overall decline of 1.3% in the decade (2012-21), there has been a 11.1% increase (2017-21) in the last 5 years. A big change was noticed with respect to gender. While there were 670 male doctors in training in psychiatry in 2012, the number dwindled to 522 in 2021 (22.1% decline). A deeper analysis of the decline in the male psychiatry trainees reveals that the steepest decline has happened among male international medical graduates (389 to 131 or 58.1% to 25.1%). However, the 5-year trend for male doctors has been more favorable with a 10.6% increase between 2017 and 2021. Among female doctors on the other hand, there was a 18.6% increase from a baseline of 700 in 2012 to 830 in 2021. From an ethnicity perspective, there has been a sharp decline in the proportion of Asian or Asian British trainees, down by 33.9% (555 to 367) between 2012 and 21, compensated largely by White trainees, where a 50.1% increase (511 to 767) has been seen. There has been a significant fall in the proportion of international medical graduates taking up psychiatry training (down 53.5% from 677 to 315) in the UK. This has been compensated by a 58.2% (607 to 960) increase in those who had primary qualification from the UK.

The theme of the 31ST European Congress of Psychiatry: ‘social cohesion, a common goal of psychiatry’ blends well with what is needed in today’s psychiatry teaching and practice in the UK. With the role of culture and society well established in psychiatry, the pursuit for popularizing the profession should not be a ‘one size fits all’ approach but a more targeted approach to ensure that there is greater diversity among the available psychiatrists for patients to choose and benefit from.

None Declared

Patients with mental health issues visit the emergency department (ED) more often than those with other disorders. Frequently ED visiting not only adversely impacts patients and their families, but also burdens the healthcare system economically. Identifying ways to minimize avoidable ED readmissions has become a hot research topic worldwide.

The purpose of this scoping review was to identify influential factors and possible interventions to reduce psychiatric frequent ED visits.

This scoping review was conducted through a systematic search in major scientific databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, JSTOR, Scopus, and Web of Science, to identify factors and interventions contributing to decreasing repeat visits to the emergency department for mental health concerns up to January 2022.

From 6951 publications, 31 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. This review showed six influential factors and 26 potential interventions were aimed to reduce the ED visits, such as receiving methadone & having a regular family physician, readiness for hospital discharge assessment & perceived coping skills and strategies; The High Alert Program (HAP) & the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), the Primary Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) & the Collaborative Care (CC) Program etc.

Worldwide, several initiatives have been taken to reduce ED visits and the associated burden on healthcare systems. Interventions involving comprehensive and multidisciplinary services, incorporating evidence-based behavioral and pharmacological strategies and emphasizing case management were found to be effective. Additionally, there were a marked consideration for diverse mental health groups, such as those with substance use disorder and of young age. This review highlights the greater need for addressing more influential factors, developing accessible interventions, as well as setting up a comprehensive community health care systems aiming to reduce frequent ED presentations.

None Declared

Thyroid disorders can present with psychiatric symptons similar to depression, and, at the same time, certain treatments, like litio, can cause changes in thyroid function. Given, therefore, the importance for the treatment and care of patients, the study of thyroid function is one of the parametres that should be requested in patients with psychiatric pathology.

To study the frequency of thyroid disorders in patients who where admitted to a psychiatric short stay unit.

Retrospective descriptive observational study is carried out in the acute stay unit of a psychiatric hospital. As a sample, all patients admitted to the unit over a period of three months. During admission, their sociodemographic data, the treatment they receive and their diagnosis are recorded. Secondly, blood test are performed whith differents parameters, including TSH values.

In the total sample of 172 patients, 8 of them have TSH abnormalities. 7 of them, all women, present hypothyroidism values.

A single male patient presented values of hyperthryroidism.

According to the present study, 4,6% of the patients present alterations at the TSH at admission, although except in one case, the values were not markedly altered.

The thyroid study at admission allows detecting cases of altered TSH that are amenable to treatment and monitoring.

None Declared

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication skills and repetitive behavior patterns. Lower quality of life has been reported by adults with high functioning ASD (Barneveld et al. CP, 2015; 55, 302–310, Dijkhuis et al. Autism, 2017; 21, 896–906, Mason et al. AR, 2018; 11, 1138–1147). Less is however known about which autistic core symptoms are associated with lower life quality. One previous study found that quality of life was lower in adults with ASD who reported more repetitive symptoms during childhood (Moss et al. JADD, 2017; 47, 1830–1837). We therefore aimed to explore the relationship between repetitive symptoms and quality of life in adult ASD.

We present preliminary data on the relationship between self-reported repetitive behaviors and quality of life in a cohort of adults with a diagnosis of ASD. Our hypothesis is that higher levels of repetitive symptoms are associated with lower quality of life.

We recruited 87 individuals, with a diagnosis of ASD, from a psychiatric out-patient clinic in Stockholm County. Mean age was 39.2 years and 52 females, 34 males, and one non-binary participated. The patients were also included in the Population-Based Autism Genetics and Environmental study (Pages) in Sweden. The participants answered a survey with questions regarding socio-demographics. They also completed self-assessment forms on repetitive behavior; The Adult Repetitive Behaviors Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A, Barrett et al. JADD, 2015; 45, 3680–3692), and quality of life; Diener Satisfaction with Life scale (DSWLS), item 3 -5 (Diener et al. JPA, 1985; 2, 896–906). Depending on the results from the DSWLS, the participants were divided into two groups: High or low life quality and group differences were calculated for repetitive symptoms with Student’s t-test. R-Studio (version 2022.07.2) was used for statistical analysis.

In total 86 individuals were included, one individual was excluded due to missing data. Lower life-quality was more frequently reported by females (71%), as compared to males (52%). Mean age was slightly lower in the group with lower life quality (lower: 38.5 years vs. higher: 40.6 years). The group with lower quality of life scored higher on the RBQ-2A questionnaire (mean = 18.6, Standard deviation [SD] = 8.25, n = 54) as compared to the group who reported higher life quality (mean = 13.8, SD = 6.23, n = 32). Higher scores of repetitive behaviors were significantly associated with lower life-quality (t-value = 3.0153, degrees of freedom [df] = 78.966, p-value = 0.0035).

Lower self-reported life-quality was associated with higher repetitive symptoms in adults diagnosed with ASD. This highlights repetitive symptoms as an important treatment-target when developing pharmacological as well as psychotherapy-oriented treatments for this group of patients.

None Declared

As a result of the wildfire that engulfed Fort McMurray (FMM), Alberta, Canada in May 2016, over 90,000 residents were evacuated from the city. Approximately 2400 homes, or 10% of the housing stock, were destroyed in Fort McMurray. About 200,000 hectors of forest were destroyed by the fire, which reached into Saskatchewan. In the aftermath of a major disaster, a community’s infrastructure is disrupted, and psychological, economic, and environmental effects can last for many years.

Intensive research was conducted in Fort McMurray five years after the wildfire disaster to determine the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among residents of the community and to determine the demographic, clinical, and other risk factors of probable MDD and PTSD.

An online questionnaire administered via REDCap was used to collect data in a quantitative cross-sectional study between 24 April and 2 June 2021. Patients were asked to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in order to assess the presence of symptoms associated with MDD. An assessment of likely PTSD in respondents was conducted using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-C). In this study, descriptive, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted.

Out of 249 people who accessed the survey link, 186 completed it (74.7% response rate). There was a median age of 42 among the subscribers. A majority of the sample consisted of 159 (85.5%) females; 98 (52.7%) over the age of 40; 136 (71%) in a relationship; and 175 (94.1%) employed. Our study sample had an overall prevalence of 45.0% (76) of MDD symptoms. The multivariate logistic regression model revealed four variables that were independently associated with MDD symptoms, including being unemployed, diagnosed with MDD, taking sedative-hypnotics, and willingness to receive mental health counseling. A total of 39.6% of our respondents (65) reported having likely PTSD. Three independent variables: received a mental health depression diagnosis from a health professional, would like to receive mental health counseling, and have only limited or no support from familycontributed significantly to the model for predicting likely PTSD among respondents while controlling the other factors in the regression model.

The findings of this study indicate that unemployment, the use of sleeping pills, the presence of a previous depression diagnosis, and the willingness to seek mental health counseling are significant factors associated with the increase in the prevalence of MDD and PTSD following wildfires. Support from family members may prevent these conditions from developing.

None Declared

Psychoses constitute an extremely heterogeneous clinical entity, with variable medical and socio-professional prognosis depending on several associated factors.

- To describe the socio-professional and medical characteristics of patients with psychotic disorders.

- To study the repercussions of these psychotic disorders on the patients’ medical fitness for work.

Cross-sectional descriptive study of workers with psychotic disorders referred to the consultation of occupational pathology of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for a medical opinion of fitness during the period from January 2013 to July 2022.

A total of 34 patients were included. The average age was 41.67 ± 10 years. A male predominance was noted with a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.12. Patients with bipolar disorders represented 77% (n=26) of the psychotics versus 23% with schizophrenia (n=8). Two cases had a family history of psychosis. The most represented sector was the health sector in 41% of cases, followed by the tertiary sector in 11.8% of cases. The most prevalent job position was administrative assistant (14.7%). The average professional seniority was 17.07 ± 11.18 years. At the end of the medical aptitude consultation, 17% of the patients (n=6) were considered fit to continue their usual professional activity and 70% of the patients (n=24) had certain restrictions, mainly an exemption from night work in 46% of the cases (n=11) and from security and responsibility functions in 17% of cases (n=4). Temporary unfitness for work was indicated for 18% of patients (n=6) with a median duration of 8 ± 3.46 months. Twenty-three percent (23%) of the patients were judged permanently unfit for their jobs. Early retirement was proposed for five patients. The main diagnosis for permanent unfitness was bipolar disorder (7/8 patients).

The evaluation of the social and professional impact of psychotic disorders is an area of research that requires continuous and periodic re-evaluation.

None Declared

By its nature, the activity of teleoperators seems to be a propitious environment for the development of psychosocial disorders, sometimes severe

To study the frequency of psychiatric disorders among teleoperators and their impact on medical fitness for work

This is a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study. We examined the files of teleoperators who were referred to the occupational medicine department of Charles Nicolle between 2014 and 2022 for a medical opinion of aptitude

A total of 82 cases were identified, 27 of which had psychological complaints. A clear female predominance was noted (21). The average age was 38.22+-6.536 years. All the patients were telephonists at the call-taking station with an average professional seniority of 9.3+-3.395 years. The symptoms noted were: sad mood (19), irritability (15), anxiety (10), sleep disorders (8), loss of vital impetus (8), neurovegetative signs (6), psychomotor slowing (5), concentration and memory disorders (3). Only one patient had suicidal thoughts. Symptoms had been evolving for an average of 34.32+-34.527 months. Psychiatric follow-up was noted in 16 patients. The diagnoses retained were: anxiety and depressive disorder (19), adjustment disorder (4), panic disorder (2), obsessive-compulsive disorder (1), and a satisfactory state of health (1). In some cases, the evolution was marked by complications: addiction(1), tonic stuttering with phobic disorder(1) and speech disorder(1). The prescribed treatments were: an antidepressant(2), an antidepressant-anxiety combination(8) and psychotropic drugs(2). Concerning the ability to work, 21 patients required an eviction from call taking (definitive (9) or temporary for 3 months (7) or 6 months (5) with re-evaluation of the medical ability to work at the end of this period), 1patient had an eviction from night work and an other had a reduction of the working hours.

Teleoperators are exposed to several risks which can affect both their mental and physical health and put their medical fitness for work at risk.

None Declared

Shift work can lead to mental health problems evolving into real anxiety disorders with significant socio-professional repercussions.

The purpose of our work was to screen paramedics with shift work for anxiety disorders.

Cross-sectional study carried out among the paramedical staff of a Tunisian university hospital. The data was collected from a pre-established record sheet. Screening for anxiety-depressive disorders was done using the HAD scale

The study included 158 paramedics. The average age was 36.48 years with female predominance at 70.9%. The average working time was 11.1 8.9 years and the average working time in shift work was 10.27 9.2 years. Of the 13 departments with non-standard hours of work, the main departments represented were resuscitation (n=24; 15.2%), emergencies (n=18; 11.4%) and radiology (n=17; 10.8%). Nurses accounted for 46.2%, manual workers for 23.4% and senior technicians for 19%.Certain anxiety symptomatology was found in 53.2% (n=84) and doubtful symptomatology in 29.1% (n=46) of the general population. Certain depressive symptomatology was noted in 17.1% (n=27) and doubtful symptomatology in 30.4% (n=48) of the general population. Occupational seniority and seniority in shift work were statistically significantly associated with both anxiety (p=0.04/p=0.05) and depression (p=0.05/p=0.006) symptomatology. ). Similarly, this anxiety-depressive symptomatology was associated with the position occupied (p=0.02 / p=0.04) and the assignment department (p=0.008 / p=0.01).

Anxiety-depressive disorders are common among paramedics working shift work in hospitals. Screening consultations in occupational medicine are necessary to detect these disorders early.

None Declared

Work on atypical schedules could lead to alertness and sleep disorders, which makes people with psychiatric pathologies more likely to exacerbate their illness.

To study the impact of psychoaffective diseases on the fitness for night or/and shiftwork

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with patients with psychoaffective disorders working atypical hours who have consulted the Occupational Medicine Department of the Charles Nicolle Hospital for statements of medical fitness. The study period was six years from January 2016 to June 2022.

Among 224 employees who had shift/night work , 32.1% (n=76) had psycho-affective disorders. The average age was 43.32±8.64 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.46. The average professional seniority was 17.35±9.17 years. The most represented sectors were: health (56%), the electronics industry (5%), finance (5%) and the plastics industry (5%). The most occupied jobs were: nurses (21%), blue collar workers (20%), senior techniciens (20%) and security guards (8%). Psychiatric pathologies were represented by anxiety disorders (80%), psychoses (8%), schizophrenia (8%) and bipolar disorders (4%). The consultants were on medication in 88% of cases. Antidepressants were prescribed in 75% of cases, followed by anxiolytics (54%), antipsychotics (22%) and thymoregulators (4%). Concerning the medical fitness for work of the patients, a definitive eviction from shift/night work was indicated in 56% of cases.

A medical assessment of the fitness to work on atypical schedules for workers with psychiatric disorders is required, in particular, during the employment medical examination

None Declared

Those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 may be considered at risk of complicated grief. A 5-item mental health screening tool called the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) was developed to find likely instances of dysfunctional grief during the pandemic.

To develop a Greek version of PGS and to explore the validity and reliability among the general population in Greece in order to further use it as clinical mental health screener.

We conducted a cross-sectional study between January and April 2022, and 342 persons were recruited. The questionnaire included socio-demographic parameters, the PGS, the Brief Resilience Coping Scale to capture tendencies to cope with stress and the Athens Insomnia Scale to assess the insomnia symptoms. Based on experiences over the previous two weeks, each PGS item is scored on a 4-point scale, from 0 (not at all) to 3 (almost every day), with higher rating and a cut-off of 7 indicating dysfunctional grief. Prior to the psychometric validation a linguistic validation and adaptation in Greek was performed.

A total of 342 patients participated in the study, 67.8 % were females and 27.8% were 18-30 years old. Coefficient Validity Ratio (CVR) results showed that 100% (n = 5) of items were acceptable. Value of Cronbach’s alpha was found 0.848. A one-factor model was conducted by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), giving acceptable global fit indices. The resulting global fit indices [Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.037, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.952, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI)= 0.903] showed that the 5 items in one-factor solution proposed by the primary researchers shouldn’t be rejected for the Greek version. The Bartlett Test of Sphericity was 758.08 (p <0.001). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy was 0.826, showing that the data is suitable for factor analysis. The one-factor solution derived in our study consisted of 5 items. The total explained variance was 64.3 %.

The findings of this research support the PGS psychometric validity and reliability. PGS is suitable to be used in healthcare to identify and assist individuals, who are experiencing this type of pandemic-related dysfunctional grief as it is a screening tool that it’s simple to use, access, and understand.

None Declared

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with prevalence of 14%, causes disability and burden to the person, his/her close environment and whole society due to, among other factors, interruption in a range of daily life activities. To date little research was done to delineate comprehensive patterns of daily life participation among people with PTSD. Despite extensive research, our understanding of factors affecting the participation in PTSD is limited, given that relief in the PTSD symptoms does not guarantee returning to satisfying daily life activities.

Investigate objective and subjective participation dimensions among individuals with PTSD in comparison to healthy controls; and explore the impact of personal and illness-related factors, body functions and environment on the participation in PTSD.

Sixty two individuals with PTSD (age: M=34.3, SD =9.2; women: 24, 77.4%) and matching by age and gender healthy controls participated in this cross-sectional study. They completed standard assessments for PTSD symptoms severity, general cognitive profile, executive functions (EF) based on self-report and performance, sensory processing, self-efficacy, capacity to perform everyday activities, environmental properties, and actual participation in daily life in objective (number of activities, frequency, location and with whom) and subjective (enjoyment, satisfaction, meaningfulness) dimensions.

The participation was found to be inferior in PTSD in the following dimensions: number of activities, participation frequency, and enjoyment (2.72<3.9, p<.01), and experienced low meaning within the participation. Number of participated activities was correlated with self-reported EF (r=0.465, p<.05), and environment properties (r=0.5, p<.01). Frequency of participation was associated with self-reported EF (r=0.45, p<.05). In addition, number of activities, frequency and experience of meaning were inferior in those who reported on avoidance from sensory stimuli in daily life (71%; 2.5<t<2.9, p<.05). PTSD symptoms severity was not correlated with the participation (-0.35<r<-0.01, p<.05).

The restriction in both objective and subjective dimensions of participation in PTSD raises major concern given the profound effect of participation on well-being, and individual and community burden. The study reveals unique patterns of association between the participation indices and personal and illness related factors in PTSD, suggesting that objective factors are of less impact in comparison to subjective ones; and aspects of cognitive and sensory regulation as well as environment are of particular importance for participation. This pilot study demonstrates a need for further research to expand our knowledge in the field with the ultimate goal of contributing to well-being and health of individuals with PTSD.

None Declared

Stress is inextricably linked to mental well-being while stressful events remain a major contributor to many common psychosomatic disorders. Traumatic events are universal stressors. Only some individuals participating in stressful events do not develop full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but many of them manifest psychosomatic symptoms with a strong psychological component

The current study compared the severity of somatization, anxiety, depression, and distress in medical university students who were exposed and in those who were not exposed to a traumatic event.

Data were collected from 594 students of different faculties of the Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland. Participants were asked whether or not they had experienced any psychological trauma events and were asked to rate the intensity of psychosomatic symptoms they manifested. The data was collected using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) questionnaire and The Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4 DSQ).

The study found that 78% of study participants experienced a traumatic event while 15% of them reported moderate and severe PTSD symptoms. 45% subjects reported moderate or high stress levels, 23% subjects reported symptoms of depression while 30% reported symptoms of anxiety. The analysis also demonstrated 26% of students participating in the study reported somatic symptoms.

In the subgroup of study participants with trauma history trauma sufferers, 36% subjects declared they experienced a one-time event, 23% subjects experienced trauma event twice while others experienced trauma ≥three times. The number of traumatic events was positively associated with the number of PTSD symptoms and severity of psychosomatic manifestations such as stress, depression, anxiety and somatization. In addition, the study analyzed whether traumatic events resulted from conscious and intentional harm by others. In this respect, 16% of subjects declared they participated in an event that was consciously and intentionally caused by others (e.g., battering or abuse). Students who experienced traumatic events related to intentionally harming another person were characterized by a greater severity of depression.

Study indicates that experiencing traumatic events is associated with a greater severity of a range of psychosomatic symptoms.

None Declared

Theoretical perspectives emphasize that trauma and complex/posttraumatic stress disorder (C/PTSD) may interrupt with the perception of normal day-to-day bodily sensations, such as hunger, temperature and pain. Yet, a coherent conceptual synthesis of such processes is still lacking.

This presentation portrayes two studies that provide empirical grounding for the conceptualization of ‘Posttraumatic Orientation to Bodily Signals’ (posttraumatic-OBS); an umbrella term reflecting the tendency to interpret bodily signals as catastrophic and frightful following trauma.

Two studies assessing exposure to trauma, C/PTSD, and OBD (Pain catastrophizing scale, PCS; body vigilance scale, BVS; Anxiety sensitivity index-physical), were conducted to test the hypothesized association between exposure to trauma and posttraumatic-OBD, as explained by C/PTSD.

Study 1 included 59 ex-prisoners of war and 44 controls along three time-points, revealing that exposure to trauma was associated with a more catastrophic OBS (t = 2.73, p = .008; Cohen’s d = .57), which was mediated by longitudinal hyperarousal PTSD symptoms (indirect effect = .04 [.009, .11]). Additionally, a long-term chronic trajectory of PTSD was implicated in a more catastrophic OBS (F (2102)=6.91, p = .046).

Study 2 included 194 dyads of mothers and their young adult daughter. Dyadic path analyses demonstrated that OBD was associated with exposure to trauma, through the mediation of CPTSD among mothers (indirect effects between 0.13–0.28; p > 0.021) and daughters (indirect effects between 0.21–0.11; p > 0.032). Mothers’ OBD was associated with daughters’ OBD (effects between 0.19-0.27; p < 0.016). Daughters’ OBD was serially associated with mothers’ trauma exposure through mothers’ CPTSD and mothers’ OBD, (indirect effect = 0.064; p = 0.023). The findings demonstrate that trauma is often implicated in posttraumatic-OBD, which is mediated by C/PTSD, and that these processes may be intergenerationally transmitted.

The findings lay the foundation for the conceptualization of posttraumatic-OBD. The implications of the unified encapsulation of posttraumatic-OBD as an umbrella term reflecting subjective perception of bodily sensations for future research and practice will be presented.

None Declared

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder affecting approximately 6% of the population. Current treatments have been shown to efficaciously reduce symptom burden between 30%-50%. However, due to the high intensity of treatment over a long period of time. drop-out rates are as high as 50%.

Assess the effect of one-time ketamine infusion in subanasthetic dosage on PTSD psychotherapy

Assess feasibility and effect of massed, four days, esposure focused psychotherapy for PTSd

Here, we tested the efficacy of a four-day exposure and processing-focused psychotherapy at reducing PTSD severity. Twenty-seven participants with chronic PTSD were randomized to two groups, one receiving a one-time infusion of ketamine in a subanesthetic dose (0.5mg/kg for 40 minutes), the other receiving midazolam. Both groups underwent four 90-120 minutes of daily psychotherapy sessions a day after infusion, followed by in-vivo exposure practice. The severity of PTSD was assessed with the PCL-5 before and at the end of treatment, and at 30 and 90 days follow-up. Brain reactivation to the trauma reminders was measured using fMRI

PTSD severity in both treatment groups decreased by 13, 16, and 15 points on the PCL-5 at the end of treatment, 30 days follow-up, and 90 days respectively, surpassing the minimum clinical difference of 7.9 points. There was no significant difference in symptom reductions between the treatment groups. However, brain reactivation to trauma stories differed between the groups, with the ketamine group showing a decline in the amygdala and hippocampus reactivation compared to the midazolam group, at the end of treatment.

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Our results imply comparable efficacy of this short-term intervention to standard trauma-focused psychotherapies, emphasizing its clinical usefulness as a short and effective intervention.

None Declared

Intrusion symptoms are a core defining feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was recently proposed that intrusions may be comprised of two distinct underlying processes: internally-cued intrusions (e.g., memories), and externally-cued intrusions (e.g., reactions to one’s environment). Preliminary empirical evidence demonstrated superior fit of an 8-factor model of PTSD, separating intrusion symptoms into an in internally-cued and externally-cued symptom cluster over other factor models of PTSD. However, whether these two clusters are related differently with functional outcomes was not investigated previously.

This is the first study to examine the functional correlates of the internally-cued and externally-cued intrusion symptom clusters in PTSD to assess whether separating intrusion symptoms into these two clusters is of clinical and scientific relevance.

Participants included 7460 veterans discharged from 40 VA PTSD residential treatment programs (RRTPs) across the United States in fiscal years 2018 through 2020. Demographic data was collected using a self-report form during the admission process. Symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and emotional and physical functioning were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7, and the corresponding subscales of the Short Form 12-item Health Survey, respectively. Latent network modeling was used to test the fit of the 8-factor model of PTSD. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the associations between the factors of PTSD and the functional outcomes. All associations were adjusted for demographic characteristics, and standardized.

The 8-factor model, with separate intrusion factors, showed good model fit (CFI 0.965, RMSEA 0.045, χ2 2453.022, and P <.001). Internally-cued intrusions were negatively associated with physical functioning and positively with emotional functioning. No relationship with depression or anxiety was found. In contrast, externally-cued intrusions were negatively associated with emotional functioning and positively associated with anxiety, but not related to physical functioning and depression.

This study provides initial support for the functional utility of distinguishing between internally- and externally-cued intrusions in veterans with PTSD. Consequently, researchers focusing on the biological underpinnings of intrusion symptoms (e.g., in imaging or genetic studies) should account for differences in the origin of the cue triggering intrusions. Our findings are of potential clinical relevance as they might help patients adapt their coping strategies for intrusions depending on whether they originate internally (e.g., thoughts) or externally (e.g., loud noises).

None Declared

As a result of the floods in Fort McMurray (FMM) and the surrounding area in 2020, more than $228 million in insured damage was sustained, over 1200 structures were damaged, and more than 13,000 people were evacuated from their homes.

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms among the population of FMM one year after the flood in 2020 and the risk predictors associated with such symptoms.

In order to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and flood-related information from residents of FMM via REDCap, an online quantitative cross-sectional survey was administered between April 24 and June 02, 2021. Respondents were assessed for probable PTSD using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-C).

An overall response rate of 74.7% was achieved among 186 of 249 respondents. The prevalence of likely post-traumatic stress disorder was 39.6% (65). There was a significantly increased likelihood of developing PTSD symptoms in respondents with a history of depression (OR= 5.71; 95% CI: 1.68 - 19.36). As well, disaster responders experiencing limited and no family support after the disaster were more likely to report PTSD symptoms (OR= 2.87; 95% CI: 1.02 - 8.05) and (OR= 2.87; 95% CI: 1.06 - 7.74), respectively.

As a result of our study, we found that those who had a history of depression and had sought health counseling were significantly more likely to develop PTSD symptoms following flooding, while those with family support were less likely to suffer from PTSD symptoms. There is a need for further studies to investigate the relationship between the need for counseling and the presentation of potential symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

None Declared

Mental illness accounts for high levels of morbidity, mortality, and poor quality of life among young people. Globally, 1 in 7 youth between 10-19 years are mentally ill making up 13% of the global burden of disease; depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder lead here. Unaddressed mental illness progresses into adulthood disrupting victims’ lives. In Kenya, school going adolescent mental illness is manifested in violent outbursts such as arson attacks, intimate partner violence and riots in school. Not much is documented of non-school going adolescents and children in Kenya even while it is estimated that they number about 1.8 million. To seek help for mental illness, one has to recognize and understand it causes.

An ethnographic study exploring rural based Kenyan adolescents’ conceptualizations, causes and management options for Depression, Schizophrenia and anxiety among the rural Turkana community of Northern Kenya.

An ethnographic study exploring rural based Kenyan adolescents’ conceptualizations, causes and management options for Depression, Schizophrenia and anxiety among the rural Turkana community of Northern Kenya. We conducted Focus Group Discussions with 32 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 divided into four groups; school going girls and non-school going girls and a similar two groups for boys. We first read out scenarios in which the main character exhibited symptoms of one of the three mental health conditions and analyzed the data thematically.

32 participants described the health conditions without referring to the local names we had collected earlier; Depression (Akiyalolong) Schizophrenia (waarit/ Ngikerep) Anxiety (Ngatameta naaronok). Participants conceived the three conditions as resulting from extreme sadness attending loss, traumatic event, curses and rarely as mental illness. They assigned curses, guilt, hunger pangs, evil spells as causes and believed friends and age-mates, parents, teachers, the local chief among other options could help and rarely medical intervention.

Interventions to improve the adolescent’s knowledge of mental illness is needed so they can seek help for themselves and possibly help others.

None Declared

According to the World Health Organisation (March 2022), it is estimated that one in 100 children worldwide has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). People with ASD very often face stigma, discrimination, and violations of their human rights. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge and the attitudes of the general population regarding autism spectrum disorder as well as to raise awareness and promote appropriate behaviors towards people with ASD.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and the behaviors of the general population towards people with autism spectrum disorder in Greece. As far as is known, this is the first study carried out in Greece on this research topic.

A cross-sectional study was conducted online via social media and completed by 642 participants with various characteristics. The questionnaires were anonymous, their completion was voluntary and included the “Societal Attitudes Towards Autism” (SATA) scale. Linguistic validation and cultural adaptation of the SATA scale into the Greek language was based on the World Health Organization specifications. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

A total of 642 people participated in the survey, 81.2% women and 18.8% men. The majority had a very good knowledge of autism (mean score 9.1 out of 13). However, women achieved significantly higher scores than men (p = 0.003). Respondents showed moderate to positive attitudes towards people with ASD (mean score 57.9 out of 80). The knowledge score is associated with the level of education, the place of residence, the existence of a person with autism in their friend or family environment, their income and occupation. The highest scores were observed in psychiatrists, following by teachers and other mental health professionals. Notably, 220 people believed autism to be caused by vaccination.

Educational and public health interventions should be organized in the general population in Greece to discard childhood vaccination as a causative factor of autistic spectrum disorder. There is significant need to educate the public in acquiring knowledge about autistic spectrum disorder.

None Declared

The transition from secondary education to higher education (HE) marks the beginning of a new stage in the individual journey of students, which is assumed to be one of the best and most remarkable periods of life.

University students constitute a risk group in which situations that generate stress are abundant and potentially disturbing, which can condition their self-efficacy and perception of well-being.

Describe correlations between sociodemographic variables and self-efficacy, perceived stress and psychological well-being;

Understand the correlation between the various variables under study in newly admitted students in a HE establishment;

Raising awareness of the importance of the Specialist Nurse in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing in the transition process, promotion of mental health and prevention of mental illness.

Descriptive and correlational study with a non-probabilistic sample of students in the 1st year of the nursing degree at a Portuguese nursing school.

Data collection took place in the 1st semester of the 2019/2020 school year, after a favourable opinion from the Ethics Committee and authorization from the HE institution’s governing bodies. The following measurement instruments were used: Sociodemographic/Academic Questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Perceived Stress Scale and Psychological Well-Being Manifestation Scale.

There are statistically significant differences between global self-efficacy and the variables that measure who students live with during the school year, whether entering HE implies leaving home, participation in extracurricular activities, professional activity, level of adaptation to the institution of education and level of schooling satisfaction with the course. There are statistically significant differences between perceived stress and the variables gender, studying away from home, who they live with during school term, participation in extracurricular activities, level of adaptation to the institution, degree of satisfaction with the course and need for psychological support.

There were statistically significant differences between psychological well-being and gender and variables measuring necessity studying away from home, who they live with during the school term, participation in extracurricular activities, economic situation, level of adaptation to the institution and degree of satisfaction with the course.

There was a negative correlation between general self-efficacy and perceived stress (moderate) and between perceived stress and psychological well-being (strong) and a moderate positive correlation between general self-efficacy and psychological well-being of HE students.

It is concluded that the transition environment for HE is complex and impactful for students, so it is essential to develop facilitating strategies in order to reduce the impact of stress-inducing factors and emotional exhaustion in this population.

None Declared

It is suggested that parenting intervention programs can play a core component in early child development. Given the limited healthcare resources in developing countries, a group design intervention might be cost-effective.

Our objective was to assess the effect of parenting interventions in a cost-effective setting through group sessions CCD interventions on children’s development and behaviors in a non-Western, low/middle income country.

This randomized controlled trial was conducted in a public Pediatrics clinic in Isfahan, Iran. We included 210 pregnant women in their third trimester, and then followed their children for 18 months. The intervention group underwent 5 educational group sessions. The main outcomes were the children’s development and behaviors based on Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III (BSCID-III) at 12 months and Children Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 18-month of age.

Data of 181 children were analyzed (80 in the intervention group and 101 controls. The adjusted median differences were significantly lower in the intervention group than in controls for attention problems (-3.38; SE=1.59; P=0.035), anxiety problems (-2.28; SE=1.03; P=0.007) and pervasive developmental problems (-5; SE= 1.16; P<0.001) based on CBCL results. However, the difference of proportions was not significant in none of the BSCID-III domains in the intervention and control groups.Table 1-Results of BSID-III in intervention and control groups at 12 months of age a

We found that parenting interventions through CCD group sessions were significantly effective on several child’s behavior domains, but not on children’s development. Future longitudinal studies are necessary in this field.

None Declared