Despite the increased knowledge about the prevalence and consequences of eating disorders (ED), they continue to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Being more common in women of childbearing age, the perinatal period may play a decisive role in the incidence and course of these pathologies. The Screen for Disordered Eating (SDE) was developed for the screen of ED in primary care.

Our aim was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese Version of SDE in women during the perinatal period.

Participants were 346 women with a mean age of 31.68 of years old (± 4.061; range: 18-42). 160 were pregnant (second or third trimester) and 186 were in the post-partum (mean baby´s age=4.37 months (± 2.87; range: 1-12). They answered an online survey including the Portuguese version of the SDE and of the Eating Disorder Examination – Questionnaire (EDE-Q-7).

Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the unidimensional model presented good fit indexes in pregnancy (), post-partum () and considering both – perinatal period (χ2/df=2.0335; RMSEA=.0547, p<.001; CFI=0.9976 TLI=0.9939, GFI=0.9906). The Cronbach’s alfa were ≥ 0.65. All the items contributed to the internal consistency and presented high internal validity. Pearson correlations between SDE and EDE-Q-7 total scores were significant (p<.001) positive and high in pregnancy (.639), postpartum (.583) and the perinatal period (.617).

The Portuguese version of SDE has shown good validity (construct and concurrent) and internal consistency. As such, SDE might be a useful tool to screen ED in women during the perinatal period.

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Mood symptoms, especially depressive ones, occur in the majority of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Therefore, depression is often identified as one of the symptomatological dimensions of schizophrenia. Catatonia is also considered by some researchers as one of the dimensions of schizophrenia, or as an independent transnosological formation. Catatonia in SSD may be associated with affective dysregulation and is often accompanied by depression. Although the clinical course of SSD has been well studied previously, its relationship with psychopathological structure of episodes of SSD remains not entirely clear.

To determine the impact of episodes of catatonic depression on the course and prognosis of SSD.

A sample of 60 patients with episodic course of SSD who met the criteria for catatonia according to the Bush-Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI) and for depression according to the Calgary depression schizophrenia scale (CDSS) was analyzed. An analysis of the clinical course of SSD was carried out on the basis of the medical history of all patients in the study sample and follow-up observation of 42 patients for 5 years. Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) was used to assess the prognosis of SSD.

Patients were divided into two groups depending on the period of manifestation of catatonia in the clinical course of SSD: during the first episode or during subsequent episodes. The sample of patients with the first episode (n=43, 71.7 %) was divided into three subgroups. A relatively favorable course of SSD was observed only in 13 patients (30.2 %; 21.7 % of SSD sample). The course of disorder was characterized by similar episodes with a high proportion of affective symptoms, long-term remissions and minimally expressed negative symptoms (GAF score=75.2±5.82). A relatively unfavorable course of SSD was observed in 15 patients (34.9 %; 25.0 % of SSD sample). It was characterized by moderate negative and chronic subdepressive symptoms with low frequency of catatonic and psychotic relapses (GAF score=62.3). An unfavorable course of SSD was also observed in 15 patients (34.9 %; 25.0 % of SSD sample). It was characterized by a high frequency of relapses with a tendency to form a chronic conditions with residual catatonic signs and psychotic symptoms (GAF score=50.1). In the sample of patients with manifestation of catatonia in the second or subsequent episodes (n=17; 28.3 %), the clinical course of SSD was unfavorable. It was characterized by a rapid augmenting of negative symptoms with the formation of psychomotor poverty syndrome with residual catatonic symptoms (GAF score=52.7).

Our study shows that the occurrence of catatonic depressive episodes in the clinical course of SSD in most cases is an unfavorable prognostic factor.

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Current metrics of cannabis use are inconsistent. This issue prevents the integration of the literature to date and to robustly measure the health risks and benefits associated with specific levels of cannabis consumption. This talk will overview a number of international initiatives to improve the current metrics of cannabis use.

The Standard THC Unit was created to objectively measure cannabis potency across all products, mode of administration, jurisdictions, contexts and over time.

To build upon the notion of the Standard THC Unit, addional multidisciplinary, international consensus based frameworks have been created.

One such ongoing initiatives, seeks to reach expert consensus on how cannabis potency should be reported in cannabis products in order to clearly and effectively inform consumers. The talk will overview preliminary results of the Delphi.

A similar Delphi methodology was used to establish internationally agreed-upon minimum standards to measure cannabis consumption in research (iCannToolkit), the results of which will be outlined.

Overall, it is imperative for cannabis researchers to join forces with multidisciplinary experts in order to improve metrics of use to inform consumers, general practitioners, researchers and public health experts on the harms and benefits associated with cannabis use.

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Forensic psychiatric services address the therapeutic needs of mentally disordered offenders in a secure setting. Clinical, ethical, and legal considerations underpinning treatment emphasize that the Quality of Life (QOL) of patients admitted to forensic hospitals should be optimised.

This study aims to examine changes in the QOL in Ireland’s National Forensic Mental Health Service following its relocation from the historic 1850 site in Dundrum to a new campus in Portrane, Dublin.

This multisite prospective longitudinal study is part of the Dundrum Forensic Redevelopment Evaluation Study (D-FOREST). Repeated measures were taken for all inpatients in the service at regular six-monthly intervals. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was offered to all inpatients and an anonymised EssenCES questionnaire was simultaneously used to measure atmosphere in the wards. Data were obtained at five time points for each individual patient and ward. WHOQOL-BREF ratings were obtained across five time points with comparisons for four time intervals, including immediately before and after relocation. For 101 subjects across the four time intervals, 215 sets of data were obtained; 140 before and 65 after relocation with 10 community patients who did not move. Using Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE) to correct for multiple comparisons over time, the effect of relocation, with community patients as a control, was analysed by ward cluster and whether patients moved between wards. Observations were categorised according to security level — high dependency, medium secure, rehabilitation, or community — and trichotomised based on positive moves to less secure wards, more secure wards (negative moves), or no moves.

The hospital’s relocation was associated with a significant increase in environmental QOL (Wald X2=15.9, df=1, p<0.001), even when controlling for cluster location, positive and negative moves. When controlling for ward atmosphere, environmental QOL remained significantly increased after relocation (Wald X2=10.0, df=1, p=0.002). EssenCES scores were obtained within the hospital for three time points before relocation and two time points afterward. No significant differences were found in the three subscales before and after the relocation. All three EssenCES subscales progressively improved with decreasing security level (Patient’s Cohesion: Wald X2=958.3, df=1, p<0.001; Experienced Safety: Wald X2=152.9, df=5, p<0.001; Therapeutic Hold: Wald X2=33.6, df=3, p<0.001).

The GEE model showed that the hospital’s relocation improved self-reported environmental QOL. The cluster location made significant differences, as expected for a system of stratified therapeutic security, with a steady improvement in scores on all three atmosphere subscales.

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Antipsychotic use for adolescents (defined here as under 25 year olds) must be done with caution, giving due thought to advantages and potential side effects. Antipsychotics are extremely useful and effective drugs, but have side effects and many of these are problematic.

It has been noted that Risperidone is often used for this age group, despite the UK guidance being cautious about its use.

To assess the extent of Risperidone prescribing in Norfolk/Suffolk for this patient group and to consider the monitoring of this.

Given that bone mass density is set down in teens – mid 20’s, this is a particularly concerning issue when given to this age group. Additionally, distressing side effects and issues with fertility shoudl be considered. If risperidone is used, Maudsley is very clear that this must be monitored: baseline/annual prolactin levels done, and action should be taken if these are elevated and/or the patient symptomatic.

1. 1) Evaluate numbers of adolescents, under 2ndry care Mental health service who have been prescribed Risperidone

2. 2) Consider who prescibed it and the indication

3. 3) to consider if routine monitoring had been completed (specifically, baseline prolactin and then annual prolactin levels)

4. 4) to consider if these patients had developed side effects

Almost 20% of 18-25 years olds, due to be seen in Youth Community Service had been prescribed Risperidone. Of these, only 44% had had prolactin levels done, despite the guidance. This equates to the over half not having prolactin checked. 60% of patients reveiwed had symptoms of hyperprolactinemia. Indications for use included emotional dysregulation/EUPD, psychosis, ADHD, OCD/ASD and depression

Risperidone should be used with extreme caution in this patient group. Medication can be very useful for some young people experiencing distressing symptoms but, as Hippocrates advises, “do no harm” and seek not to cause iatrogenic harm.

Given that many of the young people seen by mental health services are experiencing emotional dysregulation (not necessarily an abnormal state in adolescent, when much is in flux), it is tempting to consider medication as one means of trying to alleviate distress. There is no clear treatment for dysregulated feelings, and most would accept that psychological support is more appropriate.

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Sustained alcohol intake, when combined with incomplete treatment, can result in chronic structural changes in the Central Nervous System, including generalized cortical and cerebellar atrophy, amnesic syndromes like Korsakoff’s syndrome, and white matter disorders such as Central Pontine Myelinolysis and Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome. It is crucial to prevent these complications due to their potential for irreversible and debilitating consequences. For Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, early recognition and thiamine administration for prevention are paramount, as it arises from thiamine deficiency due to malnutrition caused by persistent alcohol use. In the case of Central Pontine Myelinolysis, which is caused by abrupt fluctuations in serum osmolality, controlled sodium correction is essential.

Through a clinical case and a review of published literature, this study aims to reflect on the importance of preventing neurological injuries associated with chronic alcohol consumption, specifically Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome and Central Pontine Myelinolysis.

A literature review was conducted by searching for articles on PubMed using the terms “Alcohol Use Disorder,” “Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome,” and “Central pontine myelinolysis.” A clinical case is presented, featuring a 50-year-old patient with alcohol use disorder who developed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and Central Pontine Myelinolysis. Considering this case, we reflect on the primary approaches that could have been beneficial in preventing these complications and propose a straightforward method for doing so.

A 50-year-old patient presented with poor general condition, characterized by low weight, significant loss of strength in the limbs and arms, and incoherent speech with anterograde amnesia and confabulation. This condition had progressed to a point where the patient could no longer walk, perform basic self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, and eating independently, underscoring the severity of his condition. The diagnoses of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and Central Pontine Myelinolysis were established based on clinical manifestations and the presence of hyperintense lesions observed in the central pons on T2/FLAIR axial MRI scans. This clinical case highlights the importance of proper and precocious prevention of complications in patients with alcohol use disorder. The foremost step in preventing these complications is to treat alcohol dependence effectively, even when faced with patient resistance. It’s vital to remain vigilant about potential complications and implement suitable prophylactic measures.

The devastating effects of complications arising from Alcohol Use Disorder, such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and Central Pontine Myelinolysis, underscore the importance of enhanced attention that clinicians should provide when approaching these patients at all clinical interactions.

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Eating disorders are a group of pathologies in which negative beliefs about food, body type and weight are associated with conducts that include food restriction, binge eating, excessive exercise, induced vomiting and the use of laxatives. They can be really severe, affecting quality of life and lead to multiple physical and psychiatric complications, even with a deadly fate.

Presentation of a patient’s case with an eating disorder and the intervention with her family, as well as, doing a review of the family interventions in these kinds of patients.

Presentation of a patient’s case and review of existing literature, in regards to the use of family therapy in patients with eating disorders and its effects.

As in the patient’s case, there are a lot of studies that support the evidence of improvement using family therapy in patients with eating disorders. However, the difficulty to isolate the necessary variables in order to do studies about psychological treatments, complicates finding scientific evidence that supports the clinical evidence that we see in our patients day by day with these types of interventions.

There are studies that support the efficacy of these types of family interventions. However, there needs to be a more thorough investigation with the objective of finding the more precise optimal family intervention, and specifically, determining for who and under what conditions, certain types of family interventions would be more effective.

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The postpartum period poses a risk of both onset and relapse of mental health disorders in mothers, which can impact maternal-child relationships and development of children. Timely intervention is crucial, especially considering that majority of at-risk women do not seek professional help.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Mom Supports Mom, a remote peer support intervention, in improving the mental health of postpartum women.

A randomized controlled trial with 488 Czech postpartum women with depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS score ≥ 10 shortly after giving birth) assessed the impact of Mom Supports Mom on depressive and anxiety symptoms (EPDS and Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale, PASS) and health-related quality of life (Assessment of Quality of Life, AQoL-8D) at 6 weeks postpartum. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5 (MINI) was used to assess psychiatric diagnoses.

The intervention significantly reduced depressive (Cohen’s d = 0.30; p = 0.003) and anxiety symptoms (Cohen’s d = 0.29; p = 0.003) and improved health-related quality of life (Cohen’s d = 0.27; p = 0.008) at 6 weeks postpartum. No significant difference was observed in psychiatric diagnoses between the intervention and the control group.

Mom Supports Mom intervention reduces postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms and enhances health-related quality of life. These findings support the integration of peer support into perinatal mental health care, addressing barriers that women face in seeking help.

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Psychosurgical procedures gained an infamous reputation during the 20th century with the implementation of the lobotomy as treatment for several psychiatric illnesses. However, modern-day psychosurgery is a flourishing field that provides valid treatment alternatives to neuropsychiatric patients thanks to increasingly accurate and safe stereotactic procedures. As more than 80% of people with mental disorders reside in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), investigating the impact of psychosurgical procedures has a global relevance. People living in LMICs are exposed to a variety of stressors which could facilitate the development of psychiatric and neurological diseases. The immense gap that still exists between the population of LMICs and adequate medical and surgical care is an important obstacle to the reduction of global mental health burden. A scoping review will be conducted to investigate the extent of the existing literature and identify key themes, challenges and research gaps on the implementation and outcomes of psychosurgery in LMIC settings.

• - To comprehensively map the existing literature: Provide an extensive overview of the literature on the use of psychosurgery in low and middle-income countries.

• - To identify key themes: Recognize recurring themes and topics within the literature related to psychosurgery in these settings.

• - To assess challenges: Analyze the challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of psychosurgery in resource-constrained contexts.

• - To identify research gaps: Highlight areas within the existing literature where further research is needed to enhance our understanding of psychosurgery in low and middle-income countries.

The methodology consists of five stages, consistent with Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. Using the PICO model, the Research Question, Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria and search methods were developed. Electronic Medical Databases (Medline OVID, Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus) will be searched for relevant studies. The PRISMA-ScR framework is used to guide the reporting process. Quantitative and Qualitative data will be extracted, including key information such as study type, demographics and methods used to assess the outcomes of psychosurgical interventions. Data will be presented discursively, supported with statistics and graphs where appropriate. No ethical approval is required.

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The results will be useful to healthcare professionals in LMICs involved in neuropsychiatric care, evaluating the current uses of psychosurgery and their potential benefit for the affected population whilst highlighting gaps in knowledge with the aim of propelling further research.

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Based on the available literature and the studies presented by the previous speakers, Dr. Andreu will provide a summary of predictive and protective factors associated with mood relapse or recurrence in bipolar disorder, with a special focus on the distinction between modifiable and non-modifiable factors and on the identification of specific phenotypes at higher risk of relapse. The speaker will also mention the role of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments, and will summarize the available evidence regarding lithium response.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common psychiatric disorder. It is considered that dysregulation of cytokine levels is related to the pathophysiological mechanism of OCD. However, the results of previous studies on cytokine levels in OCD are inconsistent.

To perform a meta-analysis assessing cytokine levels in peripheral blood of OCD patients.

We searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from inception to March 31, 2023 for eligible studies. We conducted multivariate meta-analysis in combined proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], IL-1β, IL-2, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], and interferon-γ [IFN-γ]) and combined anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-4) respectively, and calculated the same meta-analysis in each cytokine. We also performed sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests, as well as subgroup analysis (i.e. different age groups, varied cytokine measurement methods, medication treated or naïve, and presence of psychiatric comorbidities) and meta-regression analysis (variables including patients’ sex ratio, age, age at symptom onset, illness duration, scores of Y-BOCS, family history of psychiatric disorders, and BMI).

17 original studies (13, 13, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2 studies for IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ, respectively), 573 patients (mean age, 25.2; 50.3% female) and 498 healthy controls (HC; mean age, 25.3; 51.4% female) were included. The results showed that the levels of combined pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines and each signle cytokine were not significantly different between OCD patients and HC (all P>0.05), with significant heterogeneities in all analyses (I2 from 79.1% to 91.7%). We did not find between-group differences in cytokine levels in all subgroup analyses. Meta-regression analysis suggested that age at onset (P=0.0003) and family history (P=0.0062) might be the source of heterogeneity in TNF-α level. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that all results were stable, except for IL-4 where different cytokine measurement methods may be the contributing factor. Egger test did not find publication bias.

Our study showed no difference in cytokine levels between OCD patients and HC, but age at onset and family history may affect TNF-α level. Confounding factors such as age at onset, family history, and cytokine measurement methods should be controlled in future studies to further explore the immune mechanism of OCD.

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The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire short version (EDE-Q7) presented better psychometric properties than the Fairburn’s 28-items original version, not only in girls (Machado et al. 2018), but also in older women (Pereira et al. 2021; Pereira et al. 2022). It comprises 7 items in three subscales: Dietary Restraint/DR; Shape and Weight Overvaluation/SWO and Body Dissatisfaction/BD. In a more recent clinical study in men (Laskowski et al. 2023) the factors associated with body concerns and dissatisfaction weren’t fully represented in the questionnaire, possibly indicating differences in body ideals, specially relating to musculature.

We aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of EDE-Q7 in males.

Participants were 227 male individuals with a mean age of 30.41 years (±13.96; range: 14-73 years). They answered an online survey including the Portuguese versions of the Screen for Disordered Eating/SDE; the Body Image Concern Inventory/BICI and the Muscle Dysmorphia subscale of the Eating Disorder Assessment for Men/DM-EDAM.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the second order model presented good fit (χ2/df=2.437; RMSEA=.0794; CFI=.986 TLI=.974, GFI=.967). Cronbach’s alpha was .856 for the total, .876 for DR and .917 for SWO and .900 for BD. All items contributed to internal consistency and presented high internal validity. Pearson’s correlations of EDE-Q7 with BICI (.465), DM-EDAM (.384) and SDE (.361) were significant (p<.001) and moderate.

Also in men, the Portuguese version of EDE-Q7 demonstrates good validity (construct and convergent) and reliability.

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Non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents has grown in recent years, becoming a significant public health issue. The high social and psychological impacts related to it are often characterized by substance abuse and the development of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, emotional dysregulation and heightened reactivity are associated psychological characteristics.

The aim of this paper was to do a scoping review, mapping the existing literature on self-harming behaviors among Brazilian adolescents, considering their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

We followed the adapted PRISMA checklist for scoping reviews. We searched eight databases: APA PsycNet, LILACS, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus. The selection of studies was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, where three independent researchers examined all titles and abstracts, applying the eligibility criteria. Accordingly, six studies were selected for descriptive analysis due to the variety of study types.

A total of 2,032 youngsters were studied in the age range of 10 to 19 years-old, among over 15,000 reported cases of self-harming behaviors. Females accounted for 51.3% of the cases and had higher scores of impulsivity and loneliness to self-harming behavior (P ≤ 0.05). Alcohol use was evident across both genders but showed higher measures for males in both age groups (10 to 14 and 15 to 19 years, p < 0.001).

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The study pointed to a diversity of clinical and sociodemographic characteristics; however further research is needed on this topic on Brazilian adolescents. In addition, a broader standardization of data is necessary for more specific statistical analyses.

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Attention–Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder encompassing developmentally inappropriate inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and increased impulsivity (DSM-5). Symptoms presentation is different for different stages of life; moreover, individuals with ADHD symptomatology can develop abilities and strategies that help them adapt and mask the distinctive features of the condition, thus reducing the functional impairment usually seen in ADHD subjects, and ultimately not receiving neither a clinical diagnosis nor a proper therapeutic support. They might express their lack of well-being through other transdiagnostic symptoms, and finally reach psychiatric attention for potential comorbidities. Hence, it was argued that the existence of children and adolescents with subthreshold and underrecognized symptoms that subsequently develop into a full diagnosis suggests that ADHD should be significantly more considered in adult mental health settings.

Here we aimed to analyse the prevalence of ADHD symptoms and traits in a heterogeneous clinical psychiatric sample of young adults (aged 18 to 24 years old), who referred to a specialized outpatient clinic for various psychiatric and psychological disturbances.

259 participants completed three validated self-report screening questionnaires for ADHD: the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5 (ASRS-5), and the Conners’ adult ADHD rating scale (CAARS).

12.4% of our sample scored above the cut-off at both the WURS and the ASRS-5 and was considered at risk of ADHD.

The prevalence rate in our sample is higher than the one found in the adult general population (6.76%), and in the lower range of the one found in the adult clinical population (6.9% to 38.8%). We discuss the potential role of sociodemographics (age, sex, gender identity, and employment) and comorbidity factors. Differences in the clinical presentation of ADHD according to sex assigned at birth and age should be considered during every psychiatric evaluation to minimize the risk of underdiagnosis. We advocate for further studies investigating the prevalence of ADHD in different psychiatric services for adults, and for a stronger presence of specialistic ADHD services and trained clinicians on the territory: this would increase diagnostic reliability, consequently providing a better treatment for ADHD in adults, and facilitate the transition from pediatric to adult’s services.

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Eating disorders are severe mental disorders with a high mortality rate - suicidality - and a high incidence in adolescence and early adulthood, especially in women. The course of these disorders is uncertain and treatment outcomes are limited, with successful outcomes in 50-75% of cases. For bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED), several factors, such as duration of the disorder, eating and general psychopathology, dysfunctional personality traits and cognitive impairment, have been found to be associated with treatment adherence and response. In anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical ED (OSFED), treatment response is poorer, with higher dropout rates and longer duration and chronicity. In this presentation, we will describe recent prospective observational studies in large samples of EDs analysing clinical, personality and cognitive predictors of treatment response in eating disorders, as well as potential associated neurobiomarkers. Optimisation of health care resources and transitions, as well as early and effective personalised treatments, can change the trajectory of EDs.

F. Fernandez-Aranda Grant / Research support from: We thank CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya for institutional support. We also want to thank the Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL) and ISCIII (CIBERobn is its initiative). This research was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (FIS PI20/00132) and co-funded by FEDER funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), a way to build Europe.Additional support was received from the Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (2021I031) and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grant PID2021-124887OB-I00), but also AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya (2021-SGR-00824), European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant agreement no. 847879 (PRIME/H2020, Prevention and Remediation of Insulin Multimorbidity in Europe) and the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101080219 (eprObes)., Consultant of: FFA received consultancy and speakers honoraria from Novo Nordisk.

Pharmacogenomic testing in psychiatry is an emerging area with the potential clinical application of guiding medication choice and dosing. However, this has not been adopted widely due to a combination of barriers that include a varying evidence base, clinician and patient familiarity and acceptance, uncertainty about cost-effectiveness, and regulatory requirements.

This review aims to examine recent updates in this field and provide a contextualised summary and recommendations for Asian populations. The recommendations serve to guide healthcare professionals in the utility of pharmacogenomic testing in psychiatric practice.

A review of recent literature about current evidence and guidelines surrounding pharmacogenomics in psychiatric practice was carried out with particular attention paid to literature evaluating Asian populations. Literature was reviewed for the different classes of psychotropics with supplementary information about Asian populations included where available. Existing evidence about combinatorial pharmacogenomic panels was also reviewed.

In line with the available body of evidence, we recommend that pharmacogenomic testing should be employed as an augmenting tool to guide medication selection and dosing in certain clinical situations, and not as part of standard or routine clinical practice. Pharmacogenomic testing should also be mainly limited to the known drug-gene pairs such as the anti-depressants and CYP2C19 or CYP2D6. Clinicians should also be aware that many of the gene-drug associations have not been evaluated for clinical outcomes. Combinatorial pharmacogenomic panels are not presently recommended as there is limited and inconclusive available evidence on clinical outcomes.

Pharmacogenomic testing in psychiatry is not recommended as standard or routine clinical practice. Exceptions may include concerns about drug concentrations (due to metaboliser status) or potential severe adverse drug reactions/ Pharmacogenomic testing should be mainly limited to the known drug-gene pairs such as the anti-depressants and CYP2C19 or CYP2D6.

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Although the research on behavioral addictions (BAs) is continuously developing, the awareness about this category of disorders and their important negative consequences still remains a problem for many physicians. This phenomenon is associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation, lack of valid epidemiological data about these pathologies, and overall lower quality of life in these patients.

The main objective of this study was to explore the awareness of GPs on the general diagnosis criteria of BAs.

An online questionnaire addressed to general practitioners (GPs) investigated the level of their knowledge regarding the main criteria for diagnosis in five more commonly reported BAs, i.e., gambling disorder, problematic Internet use, cell phone addiction, food addiction, and shopping addiction. The questionnaire included 50 items and required 20-25 minutes to complete. The answers were anonymized.

Answers from 12 GPs were analyzed, with an 80% completion rate. Gambling disorder was the only diagnosis recognized by all the respondents, followed by shopping addiction (50%) and abusive Internet use (33.3%). Lack of time to screen for these disorders was the most frequently invoked reason for not including instruments dedicated to BAs in the regular visits to the GPs. The Internet was admitted by all the respondents as their source of information about BAs.

There is an acute need to improve the knowledge of GPs about the existence and consequences of BAs in order to increase the probability of early detection and treatment initiation for these patients. It is expected that Internet-based campaigns for increasing GPs will benefit BAs patients in the long term.

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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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Internet use can become uncontrollable, leading to physical and psychological suffering and what is known as cyberaddiction.

To assess the frequency of cyberaddiction in a population of young doctors.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study of a population of young doctors. We collected socio-professional and medical data using a Google Forms self-questionnaire. The Young scale was recommended for screening for cyberaddiction. A score ≥5 indicates Internet addiction. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) was adopted to reveal anxiety-depressive disorders.

A total of 45 physicians responded to our survey. The mean age was 29.93±4.8 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.3. Participants were single in 69% of cases. Residents represented 64% of the population. Physicians were family medicine residents in 11% of cases. The mean Young’s score was 3.13±1.97/8. Cyberaddiction was noted in 24% of cases. A definite anxiety-depressive disorder was found in 6.7% and 13.3% of cases respectively. Internet addiction was significantly associated with female gender (p<0.05) and a positive HAD (A) score (p=0.03).

According to the results of our study, cyberaddiction is common among medical staff. A preventive strategy is needed to counter the harmful effects of this addiction.

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Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a self-damaging behavior with typical onset in early adolescence, and shows greater prevalence in females. NSSI is defined by recurrent episodes of intentional self-inflicted damage to body tissue, without suicidal intent. These recurring self-inflicted injuries are done by the indivuduel to relief oneself from negative feelings, to resolve interpersonal difficulties, or to induce positive feelings.

NSSI in DSM-5. has been included among the conditions in need of further study.

NSSI can be interpreted as a maladaptive coping mechanism that can be regarded as an emotional dysregulation. Adverse childhood experiences including physical abuse, neglect or sexual abuse are the strongest predictors of the NSSI. Research has repetitively found strong associations between NSSI and identity diffusion and/or distorted personality traits.

The aim of our study was to assess the association between childhood traumatization, personality characteristics including stages of identity development, and self-injurious behavior among female adolescents that experience difficulties with emotional regulation.

We compared our results to a Hungarian normative sample. The sample consisted of inpatients adolescents, age between 14 and 18, with a diagnosis consisting of „Emotional disorders with onset specific for childhood” or „Mixed disorders of conduct and emotions” with chronic nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior.

Childhood traumatization was measured with the short version of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (H-CTQ-SF). Identity development and identity diffusion were measured with the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence Questionnaire (AIDA). Temperament and character factors were measured with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI).

Adolescent patients with NSSI reported severe and multiplex childhood traumatization. These patients scored higher on novelty seeking and harm avoidance and scored lower on the persistence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness factors in the JTCI. These results were compared with the Hungarien normative sample. Adolescents scored higher on the Discontinuity and Incoherence scales of the AIDA.

Our preliminary results suggest that childhood traumatization predicts self-injurious behavior in adolescent females. Additionally, we have found associations between signs indicative of personality disorder, including lower level of self-cohesion, self-integration and self-directedness.

None Declared