bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing and Validating for Cognitive Screening Tools for Identifying and Intervening Dementia among Older Persons in Rural Uganda.
Authors: Jephthah D. , Ddumba I.
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Background

Although risk of developing dementia increase in later years, identification and assessment of older persons with dementia in developing countries is still low. Access to easy and user friendly cognitive screening tools by the health care professional in developing countries is difficult.

Objectives

The study aimed to develop, validate and field test the cognitive screening tool for use in outpatient departments within health facilities in Uganda.

Methods

In the rural eastern region of Uganda, twenty-three (23) purposively selected health facilities and administered a scientifically derived cognitive screening tools to all eligible older persons. We conducted an inter-rater reliability in all the health facilities using three raters. Diagnosis of dementia (DSM-IV) was classified as a major cognitive impairment and was quality checked by physiatrist who were blinded to results of the screening assessment.

Results

The area under the receiver operating characterizes (AUROC) curve in health facilities was 0.912. The inter-rater reliability was good (Intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.692 to 0.734). the predictive accuracy of the tool to discriminate between dementia and other cognitive impairment was 0.892. In regression modal, the cognitive screening tool, didn’t appear to be biased by age.

Conclusions

The cognitive screening tool if performed well among the older persons, can be proved useful for screening dementia in other developing countries

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
PTSD and prospective memory among Afghan students in the Kyrgyz Republic
Authors: Molchanova E.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Prospective memory is a memory for actions to be performed in the future, such as composing an abstract for Congress. Various studies (see, for instance, Khan, A, 2020) showed that deficits in prospective memory are part of depressive cognitive deficits. This study is devoted to the prospective memory characteristics of migrants - students from Afghanistan who study at American University in Central Asia

Objectives

The study’s objective was to test the hypothesis of the existing connections between PTSD and prospective memory.

Methods

One hundred and fifty students submitted informed consent for participation in the study, which the local IRB approved. Twenty-five had been diagnosed with PTSD; others also experienced traumatic stress but did not present the complete clinical picture of PTSD.

The research was quantitative; a variety of self-questioners were used, including the one Dr developed by Azzizudin Khan in 2021 (Khan and others, 2021) to measure traumatic stress level, depression, anxiety, and subjective perception of the prospective memory.

ANOVA and family of regression statistics helped to establish connections between several variables.

One hundred and fifty students submitted informed consent for participation in the study, which the local IRB approved. Twenty-five had been diagnosed with PTSD; others also experienced traumatic stress but did not present the complete clinical picture of PTSD. The research was quantitative; a variety of self-questioners were used, including the one Dr developed by Azzizudin Khan in 2021 (Khan and others, 2021) to measure traumatic stress level, depression, anxiety, and subjective perception of the prospective memory. ANOVA and family of regression statistics helped to establish connections between several variables.

Results

The study’s preliminary results, which are still in progress, showed that the perceived level of traumatization predicts the perceived failure in prospective memory. However, there are also a lot of statistical outcomes which need to be analyzed. Among those are, for instance, the connection between depression and prospective memory and the connection between prospective memory and anxiety.

Conclusions

Prospective memory deficiency is a part of a traumatic cognitive deficit. More research is needed to investigate cognitive distortion in PTSD.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
The mechanisms of influence in intergenerational trauma transmission from mother to baby after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina: what have we learned since then?
Authors: Le Roch K.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

After the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina that lasted from 1992 to 1995, the populations gradually rebuilt their lives haunted by the spectrum of personal and collective painful souvenirs. Regarding the children who were born after the war, some mothers would rather not talk about it to protect their children from what they might be feeling while others would definetely share what they have experienced to protect their children. Because the intergenerational transmission of war trauma from mother to baby has been poorly explored among populations who recently lived in a warzone, we seeked to highlight the particularity of the interpersonal relations between the mother and her child in connection with maternal psychotrauma, by searching the factors of influence on the functioning of the dyad.

Objectives

The main objective of this study is to determine and conceptualize the modes of transmission of trauma from the study of mother-baby interactions in a Bosnian environment, after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Methods

In 2003, 40 mothers and their babies aged 2 to 36 months living in Sarajevo were enrolled in the study. Among these mothers, 31 lived in or near the warzone and 9 were either displaced in other areas of the country or were refugees in foreign countries. We assessed the level of severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (Blake et al, 1998). In order to examine the quality of the mother-child dyads of mothers who lived through the war, we videorecorded a 10-minute free play of 23 dyads in their home environment. Then the interactions were coded using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development observation grid by two independent raters.

Results

The results showed that all mothers who lived through the war presented post-traumatic symptoms but only half of them showed a PTSD. Videotaped observations of mother-child interactions during playtimes revealed that their interactions are less linked to the mother’s PTSD than to the influence of PTSD on maternal attitudes and thereby extending to those of their infant. They are less sensitive to their children’s signals. They are also more intrusive and detached. Overall, they are more focused on themselves than on their child when they are interacting. As a result, their children are more focused on play and less actively engaged in communicating with their mothers.

Conclusions

The interactions between the mother and her child cover a set of relatively complex processes during which the two partners influence each other. When a mother lives through the war, she will pass on to her child an often painful life story. And thus, it is not only the content but also the way she transmits it that influences how the child receives the objects of the transmission.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Risk of childhood trauma exposure and severity of bipolar disorder in Colombia
Authors: Guillen F. , Galvez-Florez J. F.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Bipolar disorder (BD) is higher in developing countries. Childhood trauma exposure is a common environmental risk factor in Colombia and might be associated with a more severe course of bipolar disorder in Low-Middle Income-Countries. We carried out the first case-control study (114 BD patients and 191 controls) in Colombia using a structural clinical interview and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) to describe the prevalence and association between trauma exposure during childhood with a severe course of illness in a sample of BD patients.

Objectives

to describe the prevalence and association between trauma exposure during childhood with a severe course of illness in a sample of BD patients.

Methods

A case-control study (114 controls versus 191 controls) that assessed outpatients between 18 and 65 years old, at a teaching hospital in Barranquilla, Colombia was carried-out. All participants were assessed with the SCID-5-CV, the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS). Additionally, exposure to childhood trauma was assessed using The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF). The CTQ-SF is a brevity 28-item Likert-type, with a five-factor structure: emotional abuse EA, physical abuse PA, sexual abuse SA, physical neglect PN, and emotional neglect EN, self-administered instrument in order to assess multiple types of trauma during childhood.

We generate an outcome variable named severe bipolar disorder defined by course severe of bipolar disorder as the presence of any clinical indicator of severity, previously delimited by the research team (early-onset, rapid cycling, ideation or suicide attempt, or 3 or more hospitalizations per year). Also, we carried out bivariate and regression analyses with each clinical indicator of severity as an outcome.

Results

Cases included 61.4% BD type I and 38.6% BD type II. The median age was 31.5 years (IQR, 75-24) for BD patients and 31 years old (IQR, 38-24) for healthy controls. A higher prevalence of childhood trauma was evidenced in cases compared to controls.

Multivariate logistic regression model in severe bipolar disorderSevere Bipolar DisorderVariableBSEOR95% CIp valuep modelR2Emotional Abuse0.830.362.301.753.03<0.001<0.0010.10Physical Abuse1.070.432.921.545.53<0.001<0.001Sexual Abuse1.610.445.044.735.36<0.001<0.001Physical Neglect0.280.491.320.931.870.117<0.001Emotional Neglect1.240.383.452.285.23<0.001<0.001

Conclusions

This is the first association study between childhood trauma exposure as a higher risk for a severe course of illness in BD patients in Colombian. Our findings highlight the importance of screening and evaluating childhood trauma exposure during the course of BD patients.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Do prospective longitudinal studies of bipolar disorder support the hypothesis of neuroprogression?
Authors: Melle I. , Lagerberg T. V. , Etain B. , Lyngstad S. H. , Wold K. F.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Bipolar I disorder is a mental disorder with the risk of severe clinical outcomes. Bipolar disorder was initially defined based on having a better outcome than schizophrenia. However, while recent longer-term findings in schizophrenia do not support neuroprogression, bipolar disorder is increasingly depicted as having neuroprogressive elements. There are, however, remarkably few prospective longitudinal studies of representative bipolar I cohorts followed from the first treatment.

Objectives

To study the clinical development of a representative cohort of bipolar disorder patients recruited at their first treatment.

Methods

Patients with DSM-IV Bipolar I or Bipolar NOS were consecutively recruited from in-and outpatient units in the larger Oslo area during their first treatment year and extensively clinically characterized at baseline. They then participated in personal one- and ten-year follow-ups.

Results

Sixty-nine patients participated in the 10-year follow-up. Age at follow-up was 39.0 (+ 9.6) years, 59% were females. A total of 12% had unipolar mania, 58% had psychotic bipolar disorder, and 20% had experienced rapid cycling. At follow-up, 75% were in full affective remission, 60% had regained full functioning, and 54% were in stable full recovery.

Mood episode relapses clustered around the first episode. Despite occasional relapses, 2/3 were mainly euthymic during the follow-up period. A small sub-group was highly affected from the first 2-3 years of treatment, but there were no apparent signs of kindling effects or indications of neuroprogression

Conclusions

The follow-up of this cohort of first-treatment Bipolar I patients does not support the hypothesis of neuroprogression.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Examining Brain Structural Connectivity in Early-life Interpersonal Stress
Authors: Lim L. , Talozzi L. , Howells H.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Early-life interpersonal stress, particularly childhood maltreatment (CM), is associated with social cognition deficits as well as neurobiological abnormalities including alterations in brain structure and function and heightened inflammation. However, few studies have investigated whether peer victimisation (PV) has similar effects.

Objectives

This study first examines the associations between white matter tract abnormalities and childhood interpersonal stress from carers (CM) and peers (PV). Next, it explores how the observed tract alterations are in terms related to cytokine IL-6 level and theory of mind (ToM) performance in the CM and PV groups.

Methods

Data were collected from 107 age-and gender-matched youths (34 CM, 35 PV and 38 controls). Tractography and whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analyses were conducted.

Results

Tractography showed that both CM and PV groups had smaller right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) tract volume than controls, which was furthermore associated with longer maltreatment duration within the CM group. At the microstructural level, the CM group had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) of bilateral anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) than both PV and control groups, which were associated with enhanced affective ToM performance in maltreated individuals only. Reduced left ATR FA, however, was associated with greater emotional and behavioural difficulties in the PV group. Using TBSS, the CM group had higher FA than both PV and control groups in predominantly right-hemispheric limbic tracts (UF, ATR, ILF, cingulum bundle and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus), corpus callosum and corona radiata, which were furthermore associated with heightened cytokine IL-6 level within the CM group.

Conclusions

Early-life interpersonal stress, particularly from carers, is associated with widespread alterations of neural pathways connecting the frontal, temporal and occipital cortices involved in cognitive and affective control. The adverse caregiving experience may conceivably contribute to enhanced mental-state decoding but there exists a hidden cost of heightened inflammation in these seemingly healthy maltreated youths. Our findings thus underscore the need to further examine the mental and physical well-being of healthy individuals exposed to early-life stress as they may still be vulnerable to psychopathology later on.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents during COVID-19
Authors: Marini A. , Farmakopoulou I. , Theodoratou M. , Gintoni E. , Chalkiopoulos K.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potential traumatic events that occur from birth to the end of adolescence (0-18 years), including various types of neglect, abuse and violence in a child’s domestic and community life. Experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is associated with the onset of anxiety in adolescence. According to recent studies, pandemic COVID-19 is a novel ACE that has been found to increase anxiety in adolescents.

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between ACEs and COVID-19 in the development of anxiety in adolescence

Methods

Α cross-sectional study was designed in a community sample of 248 adolescent boys and girls, aged 12 to 15 years (Mean: 13.5 years), from five High Schools in Eastern Attica. Four Questionnaires were used: 1) Demographic Questionnaire, 2) State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory for Children - STAIC, 3) Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, and 4) Impact of COVID-19 Questionnaire.

Results

The results demonstrated a strong correlation between the total number of ACEs and Anxiety (Trait and State) in adolescence (Trait Anxiety: rho=,37, p <0.001, State Anxiety: rho=,29, p<0.001).Girls scored significantly higher in Trait (U=4353, p <0.001) and State Anxiety (U=5822.5, p = 0.014), presenting higher anxiety compared to boys. Finally, a significant relationship was observed between the number of ACEs and the impact of COVID-19 (β=0.025, p <0.001).

Conclusions

The findings of the present study can be used to design and implement future effective, preventive and therapeutic programs for adolescents with anxiety symptoms, who have experienced the multitude of Adverse Childhood Experiences and the COVID-19 pandemic during their adolescence.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Research of the preferred style of coping stress in relation to locus of control among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Muric D.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The locus of control is associated with a variety of psychological concepts, theories and researches, including learned helplessness, which is explained in way that person has learned to act helpless even when they actually have control over their situation or the ability to change a circumstance or outcome. In this scientific work, the aim is to examine the corelation between the locus of control and stress coping strategies in a group of health care workers. A sample is 110 respondents, of different age, gender, ages and educational degrees.

Objectives

In this research, the aim is to examine the connection between locus of control and coping strategies among healthcare workers during the Covid-19 epidemic. The research results showed that there are no statistically significant differences in the relationship between stress coping strategies and locus of control in relation to men and women and age. Also, there is a statistically significant difference in the stress coping strategy focused on avoidance in relation to the locus of control, i.e. it turned out that the coping strategy focused on avoidance is more pronounced in respondents with an internal locus of control than in those with an external locus of control.

Methods

The research was conducted at the Clinical Center of Montenegro, in Podgorica, in March 2022, through an online program, due to the epidemiological situation. The sample consists of 110 respondents, of both sexes and aged from 20 to 65 years old, who were chosen by the method of random selection. The CISS and RI-E scales were used.

Results

The research showed that there is a connection between the locus of control and strategies for overcoming stress, but that there are no statistically significant differences in the connection between strategies for overcoming stress and locus of control in relation to men and women and their age, as well as that there is a statistically significant difference in the strategy coping with stress focused on avoidance in relation to locus of control, i.e. it was shown that the coping strategy focused on avoidance is more pronounced in respondents with an internal locus of control than in those with an external locus of control.

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Conclusions

This research actually confirmed the importance of individuality and various factors that can affect a person, and because of this, it was very likely that not all hypotheses could be answered in the way the author expected before the research began. With this, it can be assumed that the personality of a person can hardly be related to broad styles of coping with stress, and that generalizations regarding gender, age, education and work experience cannot be made, because there are predominantly individual differences in the development of an individual.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Safety of repeated neuromodulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in dementia: a narrative review
Authors: Daniel A. A. , De Souza S.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neuromodulation most commonly used in depression. tDCS aims to modulate cortical activity by the application of a weak electrical current to the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp. Several studies have identified the potential of tDCS for managing behavioural and psychological symptoms in a range of dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. Although the preliminary data on efficacy is promising, the safety of repeatedly neuromodulating the brain of a person with dementia, by tDCS, has not been extensively reported.

Objectives

Our aim was to review the current literature on how safe it is to repeatedly neuromodulate a brain with dementia.

Methods

Advanced literature searches of PubMed and the Web of Science Core Collection were conducted to identify relevant publications. The search terms deployed were: “tDCS” or “transcranial direct current stimulation” and “frontotemporal dementia” or “vascular dementia” or “Lewy body” or “Alzheimer’s disease”. The following inclusion criteria were applied to the search: (1) publications which focused on the use of tDCS in patients with either frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies or Alzheimer’s disease, (2) studies involving human participants and, (3) publications written in, or readily translated to English.

Results

216 articles were returned in the initial search. Following the removal of 54 duplicate articles, the remaining 162 underwent eligibility screening using the titles and abstracts. 31 articles were then selected for a full text reading and following this, 12 studies were selected to be included in the review. Across all 12 studies, 3590 sessions of active tDCS were performed with no severe adverse effects being reported. The most commonly occurring adverse effect was a tingling/burning sensation underneath the electrodes, followed by headache and skin changes. These reported effects tended to be mild and short lived.

Conclusions

Overall, the results of the reviewed papers suggest that repeated neuromodulation by tDCS can be safely performed in dementia patients. More and larger studies should aim to perform a greater number of sessions of tDCS, across a longer time period. Few studies assessed for potential brain damage as a result of tDCS and future studies should consider using MRI or monitoring biomarkers to further investigate this.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Knowledge and Attitudes about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation among Psychiatrists in Oman: A cross sectional study
Authors: Albalushi M. K.
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Background and Objective

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive treatment method and the only been approved for medication refractory depression by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, comprehensive knowledge about rTMS is not yet widespread among psychiatrists. The aims of this study were to assess psychiatrists’ knowledge of and attitudes toward rTMS and to determine the contributing factors on knowledge of rTMS in Oman.

Objectives

A quantitative observational cross-sectional study will be conducted using an online survey. Demographic information, knowledge of and attitudes towards rTMS measures were collected. Both univariate analysis, multiple linear regression was performed to identify the risk factors associated with knowledge levels.

Methods

A quantitative observational cross-sectional study will be conducted using an online survey. Demographic information, knowledge of and attitudes towards rTMS measures were collected. Both univariate analysis, multiple linear regression was performed to identify the risk factors associated with knowledge levels.

Results

A total of 50 psychiatrists participated in this study (response rate = 83%). The average age of the participants is 32.7±4.3 years [26.0-41.0], more than half of them were females (n=28, 56.0%), and resident (Junior/Senior) (n=25, 50.0%). The majority of the samples are Omani (n=45, 90.0%), working in the tertiary hospital (n=38, 76.0%). The average scores on knowledge of and attitudes towards rTMS in this sample were 14.5±3.8 and 22.5±6.3, respectively. Linear model showed that senior residents and above had a higher knowledge level than junior residents (ß=4.65, p<.001). Those samples with the rTMS device in their work-place had a higher knowledge level than don’t have (ß=1.88, p=0.027).

Conclusions

Three factors have a directional effect on the level of knowledge among psychiatrists toward rTMS, namely, higher educational level, presence of rTMS device at the workplace and availability of standardized training in Rtms.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Searching for bridges between psychopathology and real-world functioning in first-episode psychosis: a network analysis from the OPTiMiSE trial
Authors: Dal Santo F. , Fonseca-Pedrero E. , García-Portilla M. P. , González-Blanco L. , Sáiz P. A. , Galderisi S. , Giordano G. M. , Bobes J.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Network analysis has been used to explore the interplay between psychopathology and functioning in psychosis, but no study has used dedicated statistical techniques to focus on the bridge symptoms connecting these domains.

Objectives

The current study aims to estimate the network of depressive, negative, and positive symptoms, general psychopathology, and real-world functioning in people with first-episode schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder, focusing on bridge nodes.

Methods

Baseline data from the OPTiMiSE trial were analysed. The sample included 446 participants (age 40.0±10.9 years, 70% males). The network was estimated with a Gaussian graphical model (GGM), using scores on individual items of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), and the Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale. Stability, strength centrality, expected influence (EI), predictability, and bridge centrality statistics were computed. The top 20% scoring nodes on bridge strength were selected as bridge nodes.

Results

Nodes from different rating scales assessing similar psychopathological and functioning constructs tended to cluster together in the estimated network (Fig. 1). The most central nodes (EI) were Delusions, Emotional Withdrawal, Depression, and Depressed Mood. Bridge nodes included Depression, Conceptual Disorganisation, Active Social Avoidance, Delusions, Stereotyped Thinking, Poor Impulse Control, Guilty Feelings, Unusual Thought Content, and Hostility. Most of the bridge nodes belonged to the general psychopathology subscale of the PANSS. Depression (G6) was the bridge node with the highest value.

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Conclusions

The current study provides novel insights for understanding the complex phenotype of psychotic disorders and the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of comorbidity and functional impairment after psychosis onset.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Association among early life stress, mood features, hopelessness and suicidal risk in bipolar disorder: The potential contribution of insomnia symptoms
Authors: Palagini L. , Gemignani A. , Riemann D.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Mood disorders are complex illnesses possibly resulting from the interaction of genetic, physiological, psychological, and environmental factors.Within this framework, a role for early life stressors has been proposed. Although this association is probably not specific to Bipolar Disorders BDs, with early life stressors predisposing to trans nosological indicators for severity of psychiatric disorders, it may represent an early marker both for triggering and long-term clinical manifestations of BDs.

Insomnia likely plays a triggering role in the onset and maintenance of BDs, as it may might play a key role in BDs by potentially dysregulating the systems involved in mood and emotion regulation, including stress and inflammatory systems and circadian rhythms alterations. Early life stressors have been demonstrated to alter sleep regulation. It has been hypothesized that sleep disruption related to early life stressors might contribute to the development pathways towards BDs in adult life through the epigenetic re-reprogramming of stress and inflammatory systems.

Objectives

We aimed to study their association with mood symptoms and suicidal risk in BDs with and without clinically significant insomnia symptoms. Since hopelessness is a construct strongly predicting depressive symptoms and suicidal risk in BDs and it has also been related to early life stress and to insomnia symptoms we aimed to specifically assess this symptom in our research.

Methods

a sample of 162 adult participants with BD I or II were assessed during depressed phase using the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI). Participants with or without clinically significant insomnia were compared and we carried out correlations, regression and mediation analyses.

Results

Participants with insomnia showed a greater severity of depressive symptoms,of suicidal risk, of the cognitive component of hopelessness and of early life stressors. Insomnia symptoms mediated the association among early life stress and depressive symptoms (Z = 2.72, p = 0.0006), the cognitive component of hopelessness (Z = 3.02, p = 0.0001) and suicidal ideation and plans (Z = 2.07 p = 0.0006).

Conclusions

fnsomnia may mediate the relationship between early life stress and clinical manifestations of BD. Assessing the evolution of insomnia symptoms could offer an approach to characterize BD and to formulate treatment strategies. In particular targeting insomnia symptoms might potentially modify the clinical features of BD in response to early life stressful events.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Nightmares and bad dreams preceding suicidal behaviors
Authors: Geoffroy P. A. , Borand R. , Ambar Akkaoui M. , Maruani J. , Lejoyeux M.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Sleep and circadian markers are of increasingly growing interest to help better predicting suicide. Indeed, specific sleep disorders and circadian rhythm disorders have been associated to suicidal behaviors, and the most replicated findings are insomnia and nightmares. Nevertheless, these interesting preliminary studies did not examine the chronology and trajectories of these dream contents’ alterations before a suicidal crisis.

Objectives

In this context, we decided to perform a naturalistic study to better understand the characteristic of this population during suicidal crisis, and to evaluate their past dream contents. We aimed to distinguish in this phenomenology three different experiences: bad dreams, nightmares (i.e. awakening bad dreams), and suicidal scenarii during dreams. We hypothesized that these dream experiences may have different chronologies of emergence, and that individuals with dream alterations, compared to individuals without dream alterations, present with different clinical characteristics.

Methods

This naturalistic study included individuals hospitalized between January 2021 and May 2021 in a psychiatric post emergency unit for suicidal crisis (thoughts and attempts).

Results

The study observed that 80% (n=32/40) of patients had altered dreams (AD) before the suicidal crisis, including 27 (67.5%) with bad dreams, 21 (52.5%) with nightmares -awakening bad dreams- and 9 (22.5%) with suicidal scenarii during dreams. No differences were observed between the AD group versus no altered dream (ND) regarding sociodemographic characteristics. We observed a progression of dream content alterations: bad dreams appear 111 days (4 months) before the suicidal crisis, then nightmares appear 87.3 days before (3 months), and suicidal scenarii were reported 45.2 days before (1.5 month). For the AD and ND population in suicidal crisis, 80% met at least one subtype of dream alterations, 40% had bad dreams and nightmares, and 17.5% had the 3 subtypes. The AD group, compared to ND, had significantly more family history of insomnia (p=0.046). Almost all patients (97.5%) had depressive symptoms (MADRS≥7; 82.5% had moderate to severe symptoms, MADRS≥20), 60% had insomnia (ISI>14), 92.5% had altered sleep quality (PSQI>5), and 57.5% reported sleepiness (ESS>10).

Conclusions

Dream alterations and their progression could be readily assessed and may help to better identify prodromal signs of suicidal behaviors.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Comparison of stress and coping mechanisms among family members of patients abusing licit and illicit substances
Authors: Mehta S. , Jaiswal A. , Khattri S. , Garg S.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Addiction has long been recognized as a disease that may have a dramatic influence on the addicted individual’s family members, manifesting as stress or trauma-related physical and psychological symptoms, resulting in increase in the usual family’s use of health-care services. There is little research available to identify and explore problems of families associated with such patients. In this study, we will evaluate stress among family members of substance abuse patients and try to focus on how these family members are dealing with these stress factors. The study will also compare different types of coping mechanisms among family members of patients taking licit and illicit substances.

Objectives

To identify stress among families of patients abusing licit and illicit drugs and assess and compare their coping mechanisms.

Methods

175 family members of patients with licit substance abuse cases and 175 family members of patients with illicit substance abuse were taken for study after informed consent. Stress among participants was evaluated using Symptom Rating Test and The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS). Coping Questionnaire (CQ) and Breif COPE was used to assess coping among them.

Results

The study demonstrated that the total number and severity of symptoms, including psychological and physical symptoms, are found lesser in caregivers (participants) of patients abusing licit substances than in patients abusing illicit drugs. These symptoms among family members grow as the patient’s age rises. Symptoms in participants are more if their patient is female as compared to male. And also, total symptoms are more if they are living in nuclear family (Table 1). In our results, total coping and engaged coping mechanisms in family members are found to be not significant as per drug type and remains the same for both licit and illicit drugs abusing patients’ families. Avoidant coping mechanisms in family members are more if their patient is female and in nuclear family.
Table 1symp1CoefficientsStd. Err.P Valueage0.005*0.0010.000drug_type-0.114*0.0270.000female_d0.230*0.0280.000nuclear_d0.124*0.0270.000

Conclusions

In our study, it was clearly noticed that the total symptoms, both physical and psychological, were found more in family members of patients abusing illicit drugs. Impact of substance abuse related problems is found more in female members compared to male members of family.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Framing substance use disorders among forcibly displaced people through a syndemics lens.
Authors: Tay Wee Teck J.
Published: August 2023

Syndemics are synergistically interacting epidemics (for example, the epidemics of substance use disorders and forced displacement) in a particular context with shared drivers such as pre-existing political, structural, social and health conditions. Policymakers may ask what the risks of and needs are for forcibly displaced people with regards to substance use disorder (SUD). Working from a syndemics framework, we would argue that multiple risk and resiliency factors relating to both forced displacement and SUD work synergistically, and impact more significantly upon some populations than others. These risk factors include structural inequality and racism, social deprivation, violence, homelessness, trauma, childhood adversity, and co-morbid physical and mental health disorders. Individuals may become vulnerable while experiencing displacement, during transition, settlement or resettlement, and also through their life across and across generations. In this perspective, our answers to policymakers becomes more nuanced. We may argue for integrated, multi-modal interventions, cross-disciplinary collaborations, cross-pollination of ideas and knowledge and embedding lived experience to bridge gaps and make use of limited resources in sustainable ways. This presentation will detail aspects of the application of a syndemic lens to the evidence base on SUD among forcibly displaced people and generate discussion on what scientists, clinicians and policymakers can and may do with these insights.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Prevalence and Correlates of Low Resilience: Aftermath of the Fort McMurray Wildfire Disaster
Authors: Adu M. K. , Eboreime E. , Shalaby R. , Sapara A. , Agyapong B. , Obuobi-Donkor G. , Mao W. , Owusu E. , Oluwasina F. , Pazderka H. , Agyapong V.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The Fort McMurray wildfire (2016) was one of the most expensive and devastating natural disasters that ever happened in the history of Canada. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (2016), the cost of this disaster was estimated at USD 3.6 billion in insured losses. Despite the fundamental role of resilience in the daily functioning of individuals in the form of a protective shield that ameliorates the devastating impact of disasters on their mental well-being, to date, the long-term impact of wildfires on resilience and its associated predictors of low resilience has not been well studied and evaluated.

Objectives

The study aimed to enhance the understanding of the psychological impact of wildfires through the evaluation of the prevalence and predictors of resilience among the affected residents of Fort McMurray five years after the devastating wildfires.

Methods

This study applied a cross-sectional survey design which was used to gather quantitative data through an online-based self-administered questionnaire. The surveys included standardized rating scales for resilience (BRS), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety disorder (GAD-7), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PCL-C) was used to measure the prevalence of resilience and its demographic, clinical, as well as wildfire-related predictors. The data collection spanned between April and June of 2021. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and univariate analysis with done using a chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 249 residents accessed the online survey and 186 completed the survey. Therefore, there was a response rate of 74.7%. Most of the respondents were females (85.5%, 159), above 40 years of age (81.6%, 80), employed (94.1%, 175), and in a relationship (71%, 132). The study identified two variables, thus having PTSD symptoms (OR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.06–7.63), and the age of respondents significantly predicted low resilience in our sample. The prevalence of low resilience in our sample was found to be about 37.4%.

Conclusions

The study finding demonstrated that age and the presence of PTSD were the independent significant risk factors associated with low resilience in the affected population of Fort McMurray five years after the devastating wildfire disaster. This result further provides new information about the association between resilience, demographic, and clinical characteristics while adding to the rising body of evidence on the benefits of resilience in individuals during and after disasters. However, further research is needed to enhance understanding of the pathways to

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Nutritional Markers and Perinatal Maternal Mental Health: A Network Analysis
Authors: van der Waerden J. , Knox B. , Galéra C. , Sutter-Dallay A.-L. , Heude B. , de Lauzon-Guillain B.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Perinatal maternal depression and anxiety are associated with adverse maternal outcomes, and nutrition may play an important role in their emergence. Previous research shows that certain micro and macronutrients found in different dietary patterns may influence perinatal mood disorders.

Objectives

This study aims to explore relationships between nutrition during pregnancy and perinatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms using network analyses.

Methods

Using data from the French EDEN mother-child cohort, the sample consisted of 1438 women with available perinatal mental health outcomes (CES-D, STAI and EPDS) and nutritional markers collected from food frequency questionnaires. Four networks were constructed to explore the relationships between prenatal nutrient status, dietary patterns, and perinatal mental health, while accounting for important confounders.

Results

The Healthy dietary pattern was associated with the presence of vital micronutrients, while the Western dietary pattern was consistently associated with poorer intake of vital micronutrients and contained an excess of certain macronutrients. Western dietary pattern and symptoms of postnatal depression were connected by a positive edge in both the macronutrient and micronutrient networks. Lower education levels were associated with higher Western dietary pattern scores, from which a positive edge linked to postnatal depression symptoms in both models.

Conclusions

A Western dietary pattern was associated with increased symptoms of postnatal depression in our adjusted network models; The Healthy dietary pattern was associated with essential micronutrients but not with symptoms of depression or anxiety. Perinatal mental health might be impacted by specific dietary patterns in the context of psychosocial and physical stress associated with pregnancy.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
The culture of winemaking as a protective factor against at-risk drinking: a peer-led intervention with adolescents
Authors: Rossero E. , Barbieri A.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Alcohol consumption is part of the global youth culture and represents a dimension of young people’s social identity. Even if at-risk drinking in the young population is lower in Italy compared to other countries, the increasing complexity and changes in global values may influence risky behaviours, which therefore require attention and preventive strategies.

Objectives

The intervention followed a pilot named The Vineyard Project, which engaged a group of young mental health service users in local practices of hand-harvesting grape. The initiative was hosted in the wine-producing area of Langhe (Italy), which shows lower rates of at-risk drinking also due to the protective role played by the cultural dimension of winemaking craft. The pilot inspired a peer led-intervention in a local high school, acknowledging the crucial role that educational settings play in the lives of young people and the relevance of peer influence on adolescents’ behaviours.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews with young people participating in the Vineyard Project have been conducted, audio-recorded and shared with high school students (n=80) to become the object of dedicated workshops. Interviews explored participants’ experience in the vineyard, the relationship they developed with the vines and with professional vine growers, their role in the winemaking process, and the emotional and sensorial contents of their immersion in the viticultural landscape.

Results

The peer-led intervention showed promising results in producing benefits beyond the group of young people directly involved in the vineyard activities. By narrating their experiences through the interviews, participants acted as cultural mediators with the students who subsequently listened to their stories. Their narratives represent unusual accounts of the world of wine and its production, drawing on the perspective of non-expert, young people that are not familiar with the viticultural landscape. The embodied knowledge they could learn from professional vine growers, concerning the harvest as well as other activities of care for the vines, contribute to portray wine as a cultural product, which is the result of traditions handed down from generation to generation, hard work, competent interventions on the vines and the other living beings of the vineyard. This unusual perspective on wine was perceived as particularly surprising for students who lived in the area, who became so acquainted with the viticultural landscape and the discourses around its products to the point of taking it for granted in a non-reflexive attitude.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that peer-led interventions concerning wine and other drinking products, narrated in their cultural dimension (e.g. their story, identity, local traditions, practices and the tacit knowledge implied in their production), may encourage a limited and competent consumption among young people.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared
Under-diagnosis of alcohol abuse: a descriptive study in a psychiatric hospital
Authors: Lopez Fariña A. , López Puentes U. , Alonso Salas I. , Gonzalez Navarro C. , Bilbao Idarraga A. , Morado Sansegundo L. , Ortega Pozas U. , Aran Cisneros C. , Samso Martinez B. , Lopez Brokate R. F. , Ruiz de Azua Aspizua T. , Garnica De Cos E. M.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

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

Objectives

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

Methods

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

Results

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

Conclusions

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

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared