Sexuality and sexual experiences in forensic mental health patients are intricate issues at the crossroads of mental health, legal contexts, and societal perceptions. Forensic mental health patients, situated within the criminal justice system, require psychiatric treatment due to offenses committed. Understanding their sexual behaviors, experiences, and attitudes towards sexuality is pivotal for effective therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation. Various factors influence the sexuality of forensic mental health patients. Mental health disorders impact an individual’s sexual expression, and medications used to treat these conditions may affect libido, sexual functioning, and arousal patterns, posing challenges in their sexual experiences.

Addressing the sexual needs and experiences of these individuals requires a comprehensive approach. Mental health professionals must create safe and non-judgmental spaces for patients to openly discuss their sexual concerns. Therapeutic interventions should focus on facilitating healthy sexual expression and providing education on consent, healthy relationships, and understanding boundaries. Forensic mental health professionals often receive specialized training to address the complex intersection of sexuality and mental health within legal contexts. Navigating ethical and legal boundaries while providing support to these individuals is crucial, ensuring that interventions align with legal regulations and ethical standards. Rehabilitation programs in forensic mental health facilities should integrate sex education and relationship-building skills to help patients develop a healthy understanding of sexuality. These programs aim to reduce reoffending and support the reintegration of individuals into society by promoting responsible and respectful sexual behaviors.

This study conducts a systematic literature review to comprehend the intricate nature of sexuality and sexual experiences among forensic mental health patients.

Research in this area faces limitations and ethical challenges due to the sensitivity of the topic. Ethical considerations, such as confidentiality and consent, must be meticulously addressed in studies and while providing care to this population.

Understanding the sexuality and sexual experiences of forensic mental health patients is integral to their treatment and rehabilitation. It requires a multifaceted approach that acknowledges the complexities these individuals face due to mental health conditions, personal histories, and the nature of their care environment. Tailored and comprehensive support can promote healthier sexual behaviors, relationships, and overall well-being among this population.

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Individuals with co-occurring mental and physical health issues have worse health outcomes in both domains. Integration improves outcomes and aligns with patient preference, but health services tend to be siloed. The Mental Health in Medicine Clinic (MHiM) supports patients receiving inpatient or outpatient medical or surgical care at a tertiary academic hospital in Toronto, Canada. The predominantly virtual clinic has an interdisciplinary team offering services via stepped care, matching patient need with service intensity. Measurement-based care (MBC), the systematic evaluation of patient reported outcomes, was not initially used routinely in the clinic, but its implementation may improve treatment decision-making and may be useful in allocating patients within a stepped care model.

1) To describe the stepped care model, referral patterns, diagnoses, and level of care provided since implementation of stepped care. 2) To conduct a quality improvement initiative to implement MBC in the clinic, with a goal of 50% of patients completing at the time of first assessment and prior to discharge from the clinic.

We reviewed the electronic medical record for referral source, diagnoses, and level of stepped care within the clinic. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (clinicians, administrative staff, patients) to explore barriers to implementation of MBC. Interviews were analyzed for themes around barriers and facilitators to MBC. Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles were carried out around change concepts informed by stakeholder interviews and relevant literature.

The MHiM clinic began operations in August 2020. The clinic operated on a physician-only model until March 2022 and then shifted to a stepped care model with an interdisciplinary team. The most frequent referral sources were internal medicine, COVID19 clinics, consultation-liaison psychiatry, red blood cell disorders clinic and cardiology. Since the implementation of stepped care, 250 referrals were assessed. 58% of new referrals were assessed by the psychiatrist, 42% were managed by the NP, and 25% consulted with the social worker. Referrals consisted of trauma and stress-related disorders (32%), depression (21%) or anxiety disorders (20%). Personality, substance use, and psychotic disorders accounted for less than 10% of referrals combined. Some patients did not have any diagnosis (6%). Results from the quality improvement initiative to implement MBC will also be presented.

The MHiM clinic provides an integrated care pathway addressing comorbid mental and physical health conditions. We describe a novel stepped care model and the implementation of MBC. Future directions include ongoing quality improvement of MBC and its integration within the clinic to assess and re-assess service intensity.

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One of the biggest global crises in our generation is the COVID-19 pandemic. It has had a severe and far-reaching negative impact on our health systems, economies, and societies. Older adults were particularly at higher risk of severe illness, isolation from social distancing measures, and concerns about their health.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the daily supportive text message program (Text4Hope) on the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by elderly subscribers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta six weeks after enrollment.

An online survey link was used to gather demographic and clinical information on several self-report scales, such as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) ≥ 14 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7). Scale ≥ 10, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) ≥ 10. Descriptive and inferential statistics were run using SPSS version 25.

172 subscribers out of 1136 completed baseline and six weeks using an online questionnaire, giving a response rate of 15.1%. There were significant reductions in mean scores on the PSS-10 and GAD-7 scales at six weeks compared to baseline (P>.05), but not on the PHQ-9 scale. There were also significant reductions in the prevalence of moderate or high stress (68.6% vs 60.5%, p=0.036) and likely GAD (14.9% vs 22.7%, p=0.029) from baseline to six weeks, with the highest reduction in stress (8.1%). A change (27.6% to 25.2%) in the prevalence of likely MDD from baseline to six weeks was insignificant. (P>.05)

This study’s findings show a decrease in the prevalence rates and the mean scores for stress and anxiety on standardized scales, indicating an improvement from baseline to six weeks. This outcome has potential implications for planning an intervention to meet the mental health needs of the elderly in similar situations like the pandemic

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Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the inability to conceive after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse, infertility remains a current and compelling topic of interest for both scientists and the general public.

Over the past few decades, the prevalence of infertility, regardless of its cause, has significantly increased. Furthermore, it affects approximatively 15% of tunisian couples. However, previous studies have primarily assessed the psychological impact on women, leaving a gap in understanding gender differences.

Our study aims to compare the psychological impact of infertility between genders in a Tunisian sample.

We conducted a cross-sectional study in a public hospital specializing in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) from August 30th to December 1st, 2022, involving sexually active infertile couples who had been under observation for at least one year. The participants provided information related to socio-demographic data. Additionally, we used the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) to assess anxiety and depression, and the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQol) questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life. These questionnaires were administered in the Tunisian dialect.

A sample of 60 infertile couples were recruited to this study. Primary infertility was present in 97% of cases and male infertility was the most common cause, accounting for 35%. Our findings revealed that women experienced higher rates of depression (35%) and anxiety (52%) compared to men (15% and 28%), with a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.001).

Furthermore, women reported a significantly compromised overall quality of life, particularly in the context of treatment-related aspects (p=0.03).

Notably, anxiety was identified as a significant risk factor for reduced quality of life among women (B = -5.27). In contrast, lower socioeconomic status was associated with diminished overall quality of life in men (B = -7.09).

It is important to consider gender differences in the management of infertility in order to guide and target psychological interventions and to improve the quality of life of infertile couples.

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A growing body of literature has investigated diet and mental health, however, it is often viewed through a “weight-centric” lens, where weight loss is considered a primary outcome and motivator. This review aims to shed new insights into the connections between mental health and wellbeing, and eating behaviours that focus on internal cues and regulators and do not centralise around weight. Such “weight-neutral approaches” have been associated with improved psychological health and wellbeing, however, consolidated evidence is lacking.

To explore eating styles that do not centralise around weight, and their relationship with mental health and wellbeing and other health outcomes.

A systematic search was performed including observational studies of adult populations, with ≥1 mental health and wellbeing or physical health outcome, and ≥1 validated measure of eating behaviour reflective of a weight-neutral approach. Outcomes were characterised into four domains (mental health and wellbeing, physical health, health promoting behaviours and other eating behaviours). Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

In total 8281 records were identified with 86 studies including 75 unique datasets and 78 unique exposures included. Eating behaviours included intuitive eating (n=48), mindful eating (n=19), and eating competence (n=11). All eating behaviours incorporated biological, physiological, and social factors, with 297 outcomes categorised for mental health and wellbeing (n=122), physical health (n=116), health promoting behaviours (n=51) and other eating behaviour (n=8). Greater intuitive and mindful eating were significantly related to lower levels of disordered eating, and depressive symptoms, as well as greater body image, self-compassion, and mindfulness. Greater intuitive eating, mindful eating and eating competence were significantly related to a lower BMI, and greater diet quality and physical activity. Eating competence and intuitive eating were significantly related to higher fruit and vegetable intake, and eating competence alone was significantly related to higher fibre intake, and greater sleep quality.

This review provides evidence that intuitive eating, mindful eating and eating competence are positively related to a range of mental and physical health outcomes. Considered within the biopsychosocial model, these findings enhance understanding around the impact of approaches to healthy eating patterns that are not focused on weight loss, and contributes a case towards promoting health-centric eating behaviour in mental health care. Future research should focus on experimental studies and broader population groups.

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Even in the current times people with mental health disorders face negative treatment due to negative stereotyping. This occurs not only within their private environment and in the public community, but also by healthcare professionals. Mental health related stigma results in various disadvantages, such as: worse treatment in healthcare and discrimination in job interviews, in work environment, in education and in housing.

Our aim with this cross-sectional study, was to investigate the attitudes of adult and child psychiatrists in the Netherlands towards people with mental health problems.

We used the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) to measure the stigmatizing attitudes. Participants filled in this internet-based survey anonymously. The OMS-HC total scores as well as the subscales were used to determine the stigma.

Altogether, N=170 practitioners (n=45 males, n=124 females) completed the survey. The bifactor ESEM model showed the best model fit (RMSEA=0.057, CFI=0.968, TLI=0.935); however, exploratory factor analysis results indicated the weakness of items 13 and 15. Participants who provide psychotherapy to their patients prefer less social distance towards them (9(7-10) vs 10(7.5-11), p=0.051)). Also those who have ever been treated medically for their own mental health problems, prefer less social distance (7,5(6-10) vs 9(8-11), p=0.009). Rural working psychiatrists are more willing to disclose and seek help for their mental health problems than those working in urban areas (9 (8-10) vs 8 (6.5-9.5), p = 0.024). Those who are open to (29(26-32.5) vs 32.5(31.25-35), p=0.009) or having an opportunity to regularly participate in case discussion groups (29(25.25-32) vs 32(28-35.25), p=0.012) have an overall favourable attitude towards people with mental health problems.

This is the first study on the stigmatizing attitude of practicing psychiatrists in the Netherlands from their own perspectives. It will contribute to the gaps of knowledge of the stigmatizing attitude of psychiatrists towards people with mental health problems. Moreover this study will provide new interventions towards less stigmatizing attitude of psychiatrists.

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Peripartum mental disorders (PPMD) are characterized by heterogeneous psychopathological symptoms related to specific personality traits, which are only taken into account by a few preventive and therapeutic strategies. Traumatic experiences during childhood could predispose to develop those disorders during adulthood, especially in more stressful conditions, such as pregnancy and postpartum.

Our study aims to evaluate the correlation between mother’s childhood trauma and the development of certain psychopathological dimensions during peripartum and which of these dimensions could be indicative of mother’s childhood trauma.

The sample included 74 women, recruited from Sant’Andrea Hospital in Rome between 2011 and 2022, diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder during peripartum, according to criteria of DSM-5. All recruited women were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form (CTQ-SF) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). We performed a linear regression using the total CTQ score as a dependent variable and the MMPI-2 scale’s scores as independent variables.

The linear regression used showed two significant models, of which the most inclusive explained 60% of the variance (R2 = 0.597), resulting significant (F = 31.141; p < 0.001). This model showed that a greater expression of childhood traumatic aspects was associated with greater expression of Pa (paranoia) (t = 4.04; p < 0.001) and Ma (hypomania) (t = 3.873; p < 0.001) in the clinical scales of the MMPI-2, which were indicative of childhood trauma.

Our study shows that paranoiac and hypomanic symptoms in PPMD, assumed by the MMPI-2 scale, are indicative of previous traumatic dimension. Thus, in the presence of a positive history of trauma, clinicians should pay attention especially to these aspects, in order to optimally set both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment.

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The perinatal period may intensify weight and body image concerns. Due to its specifics, the traditional body image scales are inaccurate in the perinatal period (Fuller-Tyszkiewicz et al. 2013). The Body Image Concerns During Pregnancy (Uçar et al. 2018) was developed to measures this cognitive-emotional variable in pregnancy.

To analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese adapted (both for pregnancy and postpartum) version of the Body Image Concerns during the Perinatal Period (BICPP), namely its construct validity and the internal consistency.

A sample of 346 women recruited through social media and Family Health Units, assessed in the second trimester of pregnancy (mean gestational age=28.11±7.67 weeks) and after delivery (baby’s age 4.37±2.87 months), completed a survey including the Portuguese BICPP.

The total sample was randomly divided into two sub-samples: sample A (n=173) was used to perform an exploratory factor analysis/EFA; sample B (n=173) to perform a confirmatory factor analysis/CFA.

EFA resulted in four components. CFA revealed that the second-order model with four factors presented good fit indexes (X2/df=2.4141; CFI=.9195; GFI=.948; TLI=.9028; GFI=.8181; RMSEA=.0807). BICPP Cronbach alphas was α=.936; for F1 Concern about future weight and image, F2 Concern with the new body image, F3 Social avoidance and concern and F4 Concern with appearance were .922, .930, .809, .807, respectively.

This psychometric study provides evidence for the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of BIC-Perinatal Period, which will be used in an ongoing research project on the relationship between eating, depressive and anxiety disorders in the perinatal period.

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Cognitive dysfunction has been reported in acute psychiatric patients for a long time and has profound implications for the management of severe mental disorders. The Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) is a scale developed for screening cognitive deficits. This tool is simple and easy to administer.

To translate and to validate to Portuguese the SCIP.

The accepted back-translation method is employed for translating from English into Portuguese. One-hundred individuals in good health were characterized using demographic questionnaires and a neuropsychological battery. Subsequently, the new version of the scale was administered on two distinct occasions with a minimum one-week gap between them.

High internal consistencies as well as strong correlations with comparable neuropsychological tests were obtained.

The results obtained from the Portuguese version of SCIP are in line with those from the English version. Effectively, SCIP serves as a key instrument for the initial assessment of cognitive function. Its characteristics, particularly its conciseness and independence from a technological platform, allow it to be integrated into clinical practice. Our aim is to use this version and apply it to different pathologies, comparing patients with controls. This will allow us to study different patients and apply it to our population.

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Neurofilmology is a young and evolving research field, at the intersection between neuroscience and movie experiences, that explores how the brain processes and responds to visual storytelling. It involves examining the cognitive and emotional effects of movies on viewers, including social cognition and perspective-taking aspects. However, up to date, these studies have focused only on the neurotypical population, hence constituting a considerable gap in the literature with respect to individuals with neuroatypical functioning.

Aim of this study was to investigate the experience of film viewing and its correlates in individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

30 neurotypical individuals and 30 individuals with ASD without intellectual disabilities were asked to observe 12 short video clips of 3 seconds length, showing an agent grasping an object from a table, and filmed with three different camera techniques: Still, Steadycam, Zoom; for each clip, they were asked to respond to six question on a Visual Analogue Scale (0-100) designed to investigate participants’ potential feeling of involvement with the observed scene, their comfort with the different filming conditions, and their estimation of the ecological plausibility of the different types of camera movements.

Participants felt more involved watching videos filmed with a Steadycam, with respect to the Zoom and Still condition. Within the neurotypical group participants felt more comfortable when the camera was in motion (both Steadycam and Zoom condition) compared to the Still condition; no differences were found between conditions in the ASD group, as if they felt equally comfortable in every condition administered, regardless the filming technique.

First, our results reinforce prior findings regarding the influence of different camera techniques on neurotypical individuals. Second, they add to the existing literature suggesting that individuals with ASD may exhibit differences in their subjective experiences related to empathizing with characters and immersing themselves as actors when the camera replicates naturalistic movements, resulting in a diminished overall fulfillment in the movie-watching process.

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People with mental illness often experience a concealable stigmatized identity that may be invisible to others. As a result, they are often faced with the dilemmas of whether to disclosure or conceal their diagnosis and their experience. However, in order to overcome the social stigma and self-stigma that hinder their recovery, they must establish a network and social support through identity disclosure.

This study investigates the effect of clinical characteristics (symptom and social function level), self-stigma and social support on the disclosure of people with mental illness.

The research was conducted with 236 respondents who are currently using community mental health services. (Male: 51.9%, Female: 48.1%; Mean age = 47.97±13.24; SPR: 66.8%, other diagnosis: 33.2%).

Most respondents disclosed their mental illness to health service providers and family, but they are least open about their identity toward neighbors and co-workers. A regression analysis of predictors of disclosure revealed that only social functioning level and social support had significant predictive power. It was discovered that individuals with better level of social function and social support disclosure more about their mental illness.

A program that increases social functions and support network can be recommended to improve disclosure efficacy.

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Transition to a consultant role is a challenging time for an early career psychiatrist, as the high level of structure and guidance available during psychiatric training ceases when training is complete. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK therefore pioneered the Startψell initiative to ease this transition. This consultant-led initiative proposed embedding good habits and robust coping mechanisms early on, to enable psychiatrists to thrive in their roles and is based on six main pillars (New consultants (StartWell) (rcpsych.ac.uk) Image 1: Startwell framework. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT) is a mental healthcare provider based in Southeast England where we designed a project to enhance support to new consultants, based on Startψwell principles.

The aims of this project were to:

• - Improve the experience of early career psychiatrists taking on their first consultant role in BHFT.

• - Ensure that the new consultants are provided with relevant information and resources to fulfil their roles safely.

• - Set up a system for ongoing support for new consultants till they complete five years in their post.

Having discussed the feasibility of setting up a local Startwell initiative in BHFT, plans were presented to the medical director and medical staff committee including new consultants, for their input. Under the guidance from senior consultants, monthly meetings were arranged which offered professional development talks and peer support. As several themes emerged at these meetings, we stratified and aligned these local to the RCPsych Startψell framework (Image 2:Themes). An induction folder was also collated with all the relevant information in paper and digital format. In addition, a yearly bespoke induction event for new consultant psychiatrists was delivered from 2019-2022 except in 2021, during the pandemic.

We used Likert scales to gather quantitative feedback (Table 1) with free box for comments to capture qualitative feedback (Image 3). Feedback response rate for the three cohorts were 75%, 70% and 80% respectively.

Image:

Image 2:

Image 3:

The BHFT Startwell initiative has been running successfully for the past five years and been valued by the new consultants. We are therefore continuing to working towards embedding the programme futher and ensuring sustainably for the future. W e are looking to share our experience in the hope that similar programmes are set up and our newer colleagues can enjoy a long, fulfilling, and enjoyable career.

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War tends to produce fear. The devastating and traumatic occurrences of war can have both short- and long-term effects on the mental well-being of populations. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine indirectly affects all populations, especially individuals of Ukrainian descent.

To assess the mental health impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Canadian residents who subscribed to ‘Text4Hope Ukraine’ program and to ascertain if there are differences in mental health impacts between those with and without Ukrainian descent.

Canadians were invited to self-subscribe to the text messaging program. An online survey was used to collect sociodemographic, war-related, and clinical information; stress, resilience, likely anxiety disorder and likely depressive disorder from subscribers. Outcome measures included baseline scores using validated scales. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 25. To examine the association of psychological problems with the sociodemographic and war-related factors, univariate analysis using the Chi-square/Fishers Exact test was performed with two-tailed significance (p ≤ .05). An independent sample t-test with two-tailed significance (p-value ≤ 0.05) was employed to assess the differences in the respective mean scores of the psychological problems across the two groups. The first group represents the participants who did not have citizenship or ancestors from Ukraine (NUk), while the second group represents the respondents are Ukrainian who either have previously held citizenship or have ancestors/family from Ukraine (Ukr). No imputation of missing data and reported data represents the complete responses

Study findings reflected prevalence of low resilience (59.7%), moderate to high stress (87.5%), likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (45.8%) and likely Major Depressive Disorder (38.9%). Respondents who identified as female had a higher likelihood of presenting with low resilience (χ2(1) = 5.68, p = .02) and likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (χ2 (1) = 4.85, p = .03) compared to male respondents. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean scores of the four psychological problems based on any of the variables that suggest Ukrainian descent or not (p>.05).

War can have negative impacts on all populations irrespective of their location, or association of individuals with the impacted country. This study provides valuable insights into the mental health impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on a specific sample of Canadian residents who subscribed to the ‘Text4Hope Ukraine’ text messaging program. This information is relevant when planning mental health intervention for this population. Governments should target and provide adequate mental health and psychosocial support or interventions for global populations at risk during war.

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Hyperthyroidism, characterized by excessive production of thyroid hormones, is a common endocrine disorder that affects various body systems. While most commonly recognized for its classic symptoms such as weight loss, tremors, and palpitations, it is important to acknowledge that hyperthyroidism can also lead to a rare but significant complication: psychosis. Psychosis in the context of hyperthyroidism refers to the presence of delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking, which can significantly impact an individual’s mental health and overall well-being.

This case report aims to describe a rare case of hyperthyroidism-related psychosis in a patient including the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management. Additionally, we aim to increase awareness of and promote further research into this condition.

We present a comprehensive case report detailing the clinical course of a 29-year-old male patient with no previous medical or psychiatric history, who sought urgent psychiatric evaluation at the Razi Hospital La Manouba’s emergency department due to escalating symptoms of agitation and paranoia persisting for three days. The patient, identified as Mr. S.O., a Tunisian male, presented with severe agitation and paranoia necessitating the use of restraints upon admission to the psychiatric emergency department. The initial physical examination revealed no notable abnormalities, except for the presence of tachycardia, which was subsequently confirmed on an electrocardiogram, arousing suspicion of a primary psychiatric illness.

While the standard blood workup yielded unremarkable findings, the endocrine workup revealed decreased levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and elevated free thyroxine (FT4). Further laboratory investigations demonstrated elevated anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies, leading to the diagnosis of Graves’ disease. Collaborative consultation with an endocrinologist resulted in the initiation of a treatment regimen consisting of methimazole, propranolol, and risperidone. Notably, within three days of the initiated therapy, the patient exhibited significant improvement in terms of reduced agitation, coherent speech, and the development of self-reflection regarding the episode, ultimately leading to his discharge on the seventh day of hospitalization. This case report serves to highlight the complexity of psychiatric presentations associated with underlying endocrine disorders and underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in achieving optimal patient outcomes.

While mental health factors play a significant role in the development of psychosis, it is essential to recognize that underlying medical conditions may also contribute to its onset or exacerbation.

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Conjugal homicide refers to the act of killing a current or former intimate life partner, regardless of their marital status. This type of behavior is still inadequately addressed by prevention programs, as it is often regarded as exceptional compared to other forms of domestic violence.

To describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological data of individuals who commit spousal homicide.

This is a retrospective descriptive study of 21 psychiatric expertise files conducted between January 2002 and September 2023 in the psychiatric department of Hedi Chaker Hospital in Sfax. Sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological data were collected from criminal psychiatric expertise files and supplemented with information from medical records.

The perpetrators of spousal homicide were predominantly male (85.7%), had an educational level above secondary school (57.1%), were married (85.7%), and had an average age at the time of the act of 40.3 years. Most of them had no psychiatric history (81%) or legal history(85%), and only 19% were using psychoactive substances.

Among the perpetrators, 66.7% had a history of violence against their partners, with threats of homicide in 19% of cases. The majority of homicides occurred during the day (42.9%), in a public place (28.6%), were perpetrated in isolation (95.2%), happened impulsively (47.6%), and employed a single method (81%), with knives being the primary weapon (42.9%). In 76.2% of cases, the perpetrators of spousal homicides were found criminally responsible, while 19% were hospitalized in a psychiatric setting as part of a judicial non-prosecution decision.

The study of specific characteristics of spousal homicides holds crucial importance for the early detection of domestic violence situations that carry a lethal risk. By highlighting these particularities, it enables the development of more targeted prevention strategies.

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Over the course of the last decade social media has become a very important part of the human experience; it has become the main source of communication and entertainment for a lot of people young and old.

This study aimed to examine the influence of social media on undergraduates working memory and academic performance. We assessed the association between the harmful use of social media on gender differences, physical activities, academic performance, and working memory.

This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the effect of social media on the working memory of undergraduate students from three different Universities in Georgia involving 722 participants. The collection survey form was distributed among Undergraduate students from the University of Georgia (UG), Eastern European University (EEU), and Batumi State University (BSU) through google forms from 14th June to 2nd July 2023. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and institution), social media disorder scale (SMD), academic performance scale (APS), and working memory (WM).

58.7% were female students, the mean age was 21.94 (SD ± 2.8), and most of the participants were international students. More students from Tbilisi had persistence (59.8%), escape (69%) complaints, and students from Batumi had more preoccupation (43%), persistence (62.5%) and escape (65.7%) complaints. 64.1% of female students are at increased risk of using social media as an ‘escape’ from negative feelings (OR 0.50; χ2 (18.206), p= 0.000, 95% Cl[0.368-0.692]). 51.6% of male students and 48.4% of female students had the risk of ‘conflict’ with families and friends because of social media (OR 1.65; χ2 (6.507), p= 0.011, 95% Cl[1.122-2.452]. 80.3% of students that had good academic performance are at risk of neglecting activities such as hobbies, sports, and class assignments because of social media (OR 0.63; χ2 (5.133), p= 0.023, 95% Cl[0.425-0.942]). 94% of students with good working memory had the risk of withdrawal complaints (OR 0.34; χ2 (6.865a), p= 0.009, 95% Cl[0.154-0.793]). As 93.4% of having conflicts with parents, siblings, and partners because of social media.

Our studies presented the prevalence of social media addiction and its effect on academic performance and working memory among undergraduate students. The influence of social media on students has been significant. Students should establish boundaries, use digital moderation, and seek treatment for emotional difficulties as further studies are recommended.

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The association among suicidal ideation, plans, attempts and pain has not attracted as much attention as the association between suicidal ideation and attempts and psychiatric disorder.

The aim of this prospective study was to establish if patients with chronic pain associated or not to psychiatric disorders with ideation and planning for a suicide attempt will aways end in a suicide act.

The patients were initially examined through structured interview, scan-schedules for clinical assessment in neuropsychiatric – version 2.0 used only to diagnose. (HDRS – 17) - Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17 itens version, (HAMS) Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, (CGI) - Clinical Global Impression: (CGI – S) Severity of illness and (CGI – I) Clinical Global Improvemnt. Pain intensity through numerical rating scale. Those were repeated throughout the research.

Patients

Study 1 - 325 patients (244W, 81M aged 19 – 58) with chronic pain, suicidal ideation or plan associated or not to psychiatric disorders.

124 had chronic pain without psychiatric disorder. 54 suicidal ideation and 70 had suicidal plan.

201 had chronic pain associated with phychiatric disorders. 7 with opioid dependence after pain and suicidal plans. 4 with adjustment disorders before pain and suicidal ideation.

3 with somatoform disorder before pain and suicidal plan. 125 had chronic pain associated with: general anxiety disorder, mixed anxiety and depression, severe panic pain before or after pain with suicidal plans or ideation. 62 patients presented chronic pain associated with depressive disorder: recurrent severe depression without psychotic symptoms; moderate recurrent depression without psychotic symptoms. Before or after the occur of pain with suicidal ideation or suicidal plans.

Study 2 -132 patients remained in treatment. (79W and 53M aged 20 to 59)

54 had chronic pain without psychiatric disorder with plans or ideation suicidal. 78 Patients had chronic pain and a psychiatric disorder. 16 became dependent on opioids after pain and suicidal plans. 36 with chronic pain associated with anxiety disorder: general anxiety disorder before or after pain with suicidal plans. 26 had chronic pain associated with depressive disorder: recurrent severe depressive disorder with or without psychotic symptoms with suicidal ideation.

Study 1 - No patient attempted suicide. 54 patients with pain without psychiatric disorders considered suicidal thoughts absurd and intrusive.

Study 2 - No patient died. 51 attempted suicide

47 remained with suicidal ideation

33 did not have suicidal ideation or suicidal plans. They adapted their lives to chronic pain regardless of presenting a psychiatric illness.

The authors concluded that a suicidal act is not always necessarily an expression of chronic pain associated/not with psychiatric disorder.

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Cameroon’s eastern region faces numerous security challenges linked to successive crises in the Central African Republic, particularly with the massive influx of refugees especially since 2013. Official UNHCR figures speak of 349,409 Central African refugees present on Cameroonian soil. These are both refugees already well established in their host communities, and new arrivals. Since the post-electoral crisis in CAR at the end of 2020, the situation has gradually stabilized in the Kadey department, but remains volatile due to daily insecurity in the northern regions of the Central African Republic.

With a view to meeting the mental health and psychosocial support needs of the region’s population and better integrating refugees into their host communities, it was necessary to obtain a more exhaustive picture of the population’s perception of mental health, to understand the mechanisms of psychosocial support at community level and any differences between refugees and the indigenous population.

A mixed methodology with quantitative and qualitative data was chosen for a more detailed analysis. The survey was carried out in two communes in the Kadey department: Kentzou and Kette. The sample was disaggregated to take account of the socio-demographic characteristics and to enable to make comparisons between the situations of host communities, living in refugee sites and outside sites. For quantitative data, 205 the individuals responded to a questionnaire. 12 individual interviews and 12 Focus Group Discussions (involving 60 participants ) guided by semi-structured questions were used to collect qualitative data from key members of the community.

Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data has confirmed the successful integration of Central African refugees into the host community. Nevertheless, there is a difference between these two groups in terms of their perception and understanding of the definition of mental health, mental health disorders and treatment options. Thus, there was a clear difference in training and awareness needs between the host and refugee communities.

Based on the qualitative and quantitative results of our assessment, a number of recommendations have been drawn up. It would be interesting to find a balance in the definition, attribution of causes and treatment of mental disorders between the traditional, mystical and cultural vision and the psychological and psychiatric one. It would be important to encourage refugee communities to return to some of their traditional practices, and to allow several visions of the human being to coexist between a traditional and a more medical vision.

To address the lack of resources for mental health care in the Kadey area, more training in mental health and psychosocial support is needed for health and social workers in the area.

None Declared

Ethnicity and migration have an impact on illness models and consequently how, when and where people seek and obtain care. Early Intervention Psychosis (EIP) teams attend high rates of migrant and ethnic diverse populations but the study of ethnic differences in pathways to obtain and maintain care is still scarce . The most consistent findings are that minorities are less involved with primary services, have a higher risk of being treated in a coercive way and are at higher risk of early disengagement. Despite the increasing migration rates there has been very little investigation in Spain.

To investigate ethno-racial differences in pathways to obtain care, adherence and engagement during their first year of follow-up of subjects who start treatment at EIP of Reus, Catalonia, Spain

Participants

This is an observational 12 months follow-up retrospective study including all consecutively subjects with First Episode of Psychosis (FEP) referred to the EIP from January 2015 to January 2019. Visible ethno-racial status was self-reported being grouped as belonging to minority ethno-racial group if they were coded “any other than White regardless of country of origin”. ‘White’ was the majority group

Study variables:

At program entry:

Source of referral

At 12- months:

Adherence to the service:

Admissions to in-patient unit

Disengagement

184 FEP subjects (mean age 22.8 years and 66.1% of males) were included. Nearly 31% belonged to a minority ethno-racial group being the Maghrebi (60.4%) followed by the Latin-American (20.1%) the most frequent minority groups. The 81.2% of the minority group were first-generation migrants and 7.5% second generation migrants. The 52.2 % were referred from community services, 18.5% from emergency unit and 29.3% from inpatient unit. At follow up 64.5%, were highly adherent to EIP (> 75% of attended appointments), 16.7% required hospitalization and 11% disengaged. Multivariate analysis showed that the minority group was 2.19 times more likely to be low adherent [(95% CI 0.78-3.17; p=0.03], 2.89 times more likely to be hospitalised [(95% CI 1.20-6.98); p=0.01], and 4 times more likely to disengage from the EIP [(95% CI 1.35-11.90); p= 0.01] during follow-up than the majority group. No group differences were found in pathways to obtain care or in causes of disengagement.

In agreement with previous studies from other countries we found high rates of ethno-racial diversity in the EIP of Reus. In addition, we also found inequalities in the use of services, being minorities more likely to disengage, to be low adherent to the program and at greater risk of hospitalization. On contrary to other studies we did not find significant differences between groups in the source of referral to EIP

None Declared

Chronic pain patients often contend with insomnia symptoms, creating a reciprocal relationship that adds complexity to their condition. Evaluating interventions targeting insomnia in this population becomes paramount, given the intertwined nature of pain and sleep disturbances.

This retrospective pretest design aimed to assess the efficacy of an Internet-delivered sound healing intervention in reducing insomnia severity and addressing sleep- and pain-related parameters among individuals with chronic pain.

Conducted as a community-based project, Tuning for Health provided support to individuals grappling with long-term illnesses. The intervention involved the virtual delivery of a specially crafted sound track using tuning forks over a 6-week period, supervised by an experienced therapist and administered weekly for an hour. Participants were instructed to play the track daily at a time convenient for them. A total of 68 participants (mean age 59.3 years) completed the intervention. Outcome measures, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), a sleep diary, and assessments for anxiety, depression, and pain-related parameters, were collected at the end of the 6-week intervention and repeated after a 6-month follow-up. Negative effects were monitored and reported.

Significant immediate interaction effects (time by treatment) were observed for the pain severity, ISI and various sleep parameters, such as sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, early morning awakenings, and wake time after sleep onset. A time effect for anxiety and depression was noted at the 6-month follow-up. The group exhibited highly significant improvements in pain-related parameters. At the 6-month follow-up, sustained enhancements in sleep parameters and mental health were reported, with no reported side effects.

These unique results suggest the potential efficacy of sound healing in alleviating chronic pain and associated insomnia. Further research with a larger sample size is warranted to validate these findings. Combining sound healing with other treatments may offer enhanced outcomes for individuals dealing with both chronic pain and comorbid insomnia. This study lays the groundwork for future investigations into the promising intersection of sound healing, chronic pain management, and sleep improvement.

None Declared