bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Schizophrenia and major depression: Resilience, coping styles, personality traits, self-esteem and quality of life
Authors: Di Marco S. , Feggi A. , Cammarata E. , Girardi L. , Bert F. , Scaioli G. , Gramaglia C. , Zeppegno P. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionResilience is commonly defined as positive adaptation to adverse events or as the ability to maintain or regain mental health after exposure to difficulties. According to the bio-psycho-social model, resilience is influenced by self-esteem, coping strategies and personality traits. In schizophrenic patients, resilience seems to affect real-life functioning, while in mood disorders, resilience influences the longitudinal course of the disorder, reducing the frequency of relapses and improving drugs response.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to asses levels of resilience and self-esteem, coping strategies, perceived quality of life and temperament characteristics in a sample composed by patients with major depressive disorder and patients affected by schizophrenia.MethodsWe collected a sample composed by 40 patients with major depressive disorder and 40 patients affected by schizophrenia patients recruited at the “Maggiore della Carità” Hospital in Novara, Italy. The assessment protocol included: Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory–Brief (BRIEF–COPE), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), Paykel List Of Stressful Events, Temperamental and Character Inventory (TCI) and Short form 36 (SF-36). Comparison of qualitative data was performed by means of the χ2, a t-test was performed for continuous normal-distribution variables otherwise a non-parametric Mann–Whitney test was performed. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05.ConclusionsIn patients with major depressive disorder resilience were associated with a good self-perception of physical and mental health, higher self-esteem levels and problem-focused/emotion focused coping strategies. In schizophrenic patients, sample there was no positive correlation between resilience and perceived quality of life. Further implications will be discussed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Postural control and executive functioning in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Yildirim M. , Elvan A. , Ercegil G. , Simsek I.E. , Savci S. , Alptekin K. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionPatients with schizophrenia commonly show deficits in executive functioning that allow a person to make plans, solve problems, do many tasks simultaneously and adapt to unexpected conditions. Executive dysfunction is associated with very simple and automatic activities, such as walking in schizophrenia patients. However, no study exists about its relation to postural control in these patients.AimTo investigate the effect of executive functioning on postural control using dual task paradigms.MethodsFifteen clinically stable schizophrenia outpatients and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Postural control was assessed with bilateral stance test using the Balance Master system under three different conditions with eyes open and eyes closed (EC): without a task, during a cognitive task (verbal fluency) and during a motor task (holding a cup of water).ResultsStanding on a foam surface with EC resulted in higher postural sway velocities in schizophrenia patients under all conditions (P = 0.009, P = 0.032, P = 0.013). During a cognitive task, both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls showed higher velocities on firm surface with EC in comparison to the condition without a task (P = 0.023). Both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls did not show higher postural sway velocities during the motor task.ConclusionThe effect of verbal fluency on postural sway shows the relationship between executive functioning and postural control in schizophrenia patients. Foam surface also higher postural sway velocities in schizophrenia patients in EC condition suggesting the difficulties in integrating the proprioceptive information in the absence of visual input.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Concomitant psychotropic medications and functional remission in schizophrenia patients
Authors: Ghajati B. , Leila C. , Raja L. , Majda C. 
Published: June 2017

Along with the rise of symptomatic and functional remission concepts in schizophrenia, multiple aspects of the disease treatment have been explored in their link to vocational prognosis. Although antipsychotics are the corner stone treatment, monotherapy is seldom. In fact, concomitant psychotropic medications (CPM) use during treatment of schizophrenia has dramatically increased worldwide.AimTo examine whether concomitant psychotropic medications use is associated to functional remission in schizophrenia patients.MethodsA cross-sectional, retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in the psychiatry department “C”, in Razi hospital (Tunis), between October 2014 and March 2015. Sixty patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorder (DSM IV-R) were included. Functional status was explored with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment scale and the Social Autonomy Scale (EAS). Sociodemographic and therapeutic characteristics have been collected during a semi-structured interview.ResultsRates of functional remission were respectively: 63.30% at the GAF scale, 48.30% at the SOFAS and 51.70% at the SAS. Antipsychotics were prescribed alone in more than half patients (56.70%), mood stabilizers in 40% and antidepressants in 1.7% of the cases. Benzodiazepines were prescribed in 40% of the patients. There was no association between CPM use and functional remission, using three scales (GAF: P = 0.091; SOFAS = 0.125; EAS = 0.728).ConclusionLargely used, concomitant psychotropic medications can increase side effects, cause drug interactions, escalate treatment costs, and lead to non-adherence. That is said, their therapeutic effectiveness should be thoroughly investigated, aiming to recovery not only symptoms control.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Spanish Adaptation of the Recovery Enhancing Environments (REE) Measure: Preliminary Results
Authors: Penas P. , Uriarte J.J. , Ridgway P. , Moreno M.C. , Iraurgi I. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionDuring the last decades, the recovery from severe mental illness has shifted from a focus on reducing symptoms to a more holistic approach of emphasizing consumer-centered goals and subjective wellness (Anthony, 1993). The implementation of this controversial new model it has not had an easy path. In that sense, Ridgway (2004, 2011) developed the Recovery Enhancing Environments (REE), an instrument to gather information on personal mental health recovery and the elements that people feel are important to their recovery; staff activities and an organizational climate that encourages resilience.ObjectiveTo present the preliminary results of the Spanish adaptation.MethodEnglish to Spanish translation of REE was carried out. The REE interview and Euro-Qol5d, HoNOS, EEAG and CGI scales were completed by 312 patients in Mental Health Services organization of Bizkaia (Spain), 189 men and 123 women (age = 48.89). The interviewers of the REE were service users trained and hired for this task.ResultsThe alpha de Cronbach was .98, and for its dimensions: program performance indicators (.97), organizational climate (.92) and recovery markers (.93). The concurrent validity with others scales have resulted in correlations coefficients superiors to r = .35 (P < .001).DiscussionAs the different indicators are adequate and the instrument has a similar structure to other theoretical studies, it can be conclude that Spanish REE is an appropriate measure to fill the gap between the knowledge in the recovery model and what services can do to supports this model. All of this information gathered from people who receive mental health services.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Evolutionary Aspects of Psychotic Disorders Induced by Cannabis
Authors: Guermazi F. , Ennaoui R. , Halouani N. , Chouayakh S. , Aloulou J. , Amami O. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionCannabis is increasingly used by young people. Its several noxious effects on mental health have become a matter of preoccupation. Although cannabis use may be involved in the etiology of acute psychosis, there has been considerable debate about the association observed with chronic psychosis.Aims(1) To describe the profile of patients with cannabis use disorders (CUD); (2) to determine the evolutionary aspects.MethodsWe proceed with a retrospective and descriptive study conducted among 16 male patients with CUD and hospitalised for the first time in the psychiatric department at the University Hospital Hedi Chaker during the period from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2014.ResultsAn overwhelming majority of the subjects were single and unemployed. One-third of the users had a stay abroad, the half was incarcerated at least once and one patient was implicated in illegal drugs trade. CUD were associated with specific personality disorders: borderline (18.8%) and antisocial (6.3%) personality. Into at least the 2 years of follow-up, different evolutionary aspects were distinguished. Many of the patients were lost to follow (18.8%). A total restitution of symptoms or a recurrence of the same disorders were observed in 25% of cases. About 56.3% of subjects had a change in diagnosis to either schizophrenia (43.3%) or affective disorder (12.5%).ConclusionThis study showed that cannabis use can be a cause of the emergence of chronic psychosis. This emphasizes the importance of early screening of the vulnerability to psychotic disorder and identify more effective strategies to improve intervention.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Psychosocial Functioning in Injured and Non-injured Athletes with Symptoms of Exercise Addiction
Authors: Lichtenstein M. , Nielsen R.Ø. , Gudex C. , Bojesen A.B. , Hinze C.J. , Jørgensen U. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionExercise addiction is characterized by compulsive and excessive exercise patterns that eventually can lead to musculoskeletal injury. While exercise leads to increased self-esteem and is a useful tool for emotional regulation, the level of psychosocial distress may be negatively affected by such injuries.ObjectivesThe prevalence proportions of post-injury depression and emotional stress in athletes with exercise addiction have not previously been explored and compared to non-addicted athletes.AimsWe wanted to test the hypothesis that athletes with addiction profiles react to injury with higher levels of emotional and social distress compared to athletes without addiction.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was employed and a total of 1167 athletes (673 with diagnosed musculoskeletal injuries and 494 without present injury) responded to the following questionnaires: The Exercise Addiction Inventory, The Major Depression Inventory, The Perceived Stress Scale and EQ-5D to assess quality of life.ResultsWe found that 26% of the injured athletes with exercise addiction had symptoms of major depression and 53% reported emotional distress. These proportions were significantly greater compared with the injured non-addicted athletes where 11% had symptoms of major depression and 28% reported stress. Quality of life was also significantly reduced in the addiction group.ConclusionsInjured athletes with exercise addiction report more post-injury psychosocial distress compared with injured non-addicted exercisers. Future trials need to investigate the effect of emotional assessment and support as a complement intervention to somatic injury treatment. Injured athletes should be examined for exercise addiction as they are at risk of depression.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Platelet and Plasmatic Lipidic Profile as Potential Marker of Bipolar Disorders: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Sideli L. , Mule’ A. , Damiani F. , Corso M. , Montana S. , Caprin M. , Colli G. , Di Giacomo S. , Catalano D. , Greco M. , Di Gaudio F. , La Barbera D. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionAlthough the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is currently based on clinical criteria, preliminary studies showed that palmitic and arachidonic acid levels are able to discriminate adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) from those with bipolar disorder (BD).ObjectivesTo replicate and to expand previous findings by investigating the relation between mood disorders and platelet and plasmatic fatty levels.AimsTo compare the lipidic profile of individuals with different mood disorder (MDD vs. BD) and to investigate the relation with specific clinical features (duration of illness, attempted suicide, psychotic symptoms).MethodsPotential participants were recruited from the outpatient and inpatient psychiatric units of the university hospital of Palermo (Italy). Diagnosis of DSM IV mood disorders was made using the MINI. Symptom severity was assessed using the HAM-D rating scale and the YMRS. Fatty acid profile was analyzed using mass spectrometry.ResultsPreliminary analyses were performed on 8 patients with MDD and 6 with BD. Groups were similar in terms of demographic variables. Patients with MDD showed highest levels of platelet palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidonic acid. Furthermore, plasmatic docosahexaenoic acid was negatively related with manic symptoms severity (Rho = –0.697; P = 0.025) and platelet alpha linolenic acid was positively related with illness duration (Rho = 0.845; P = 0.040).ConclusionsThese preliminary findings suggest that platelet fatty acids may be possible biological markers to improve the diagnosis of BD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
The Effect of Gender on Neurocognitive Functioning in Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Tournikioti K. , Ferentinos P. , Michopoulos I. , Dikeos D. , Soldatos C. , Douzenis A. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionBipolar disorder (BD) is frequently associated with cognitive deficits in attention, verbal memory and executive functions that have been related to various clinical characteristics of the disorder.ObjectivesHowever, few studies have examined the effect of gender on cognition despite its clinical relevance.AimsThe aim of our study was to investigate potential diagnosis-specific gender effects on visual memory/learning and executive functions in BD.MethodsCognitive performance of 60 bipolar-I patients and 30 healthy controls was evaluated by using CANTAB battery tasks targeting spatial memory (SRM), paired associative learning (PAL), executive functions (ID/ED, SOC). A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) of neuropsychological parameters was performed with gender and diagnosis as fixed effects and age and education as covariates. Following univariate analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were undertaken to examine the effect of gender on each neuropsychological task.ResultsBipolar patients showed significantly poorer performance in paired associative learning (PAL), set shifting (ID/ED) and planning (SOC). Moreover, a diagnosis specific gender effect was observed for cognitive functioning in BD (gender × diagnosis interaction P = 0.029). Specifically, male healthy controls outperformed healthy females in tasks of visual memory/learning but this pattern was not sustained (SRM) or was even reversed (PAL) in BD patients.ConclusionsThe present study is one of the few studies that have examined the effect of gender on neurocognitive function in BD. Our findings indicate that the gender-related variation observed in healthy subjects is disrupted in BD. Moreover, they suggest that gender may modulate the degree of frontotemporal dysregulation observed in BD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Handedness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Kobylinska L. , Anghel C.G. , Mihailescu I. , Rad F. , Dobrescu I. 
Published: June 2017

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a less definitive hand preference for certain actions as opposed to neurotypical children. Moreover, left-handedness in children with ASD has been associated with more echolalia. The objective was to conduct a screening of potential risk and associated features for autism spectrum disorders, among which the hand preference of the child. The current aim is to compare the perceived handedness of children with autism spectrum disorders with that of children with other psychiatric pathologies.MethodsEight hundred and forty-two parents completed our risk and associated features screening questionnaire. Out of these, 494 answered the question regarding handedness (209 had children diagnosed with ASD). This asked the parents to state how they perceived their child's handedness. An ADOS assessment has been conducted for 170 of the children whose parents were included in the study, based on clinical relevance for the case. The data were analysed using Excel and SPSS 22.0. For the comparisons, Chi2 and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used.ResultsChildren with ASD had more left-handedness (χ2(2) = 12.54, P = 0.002). There were no differences between boys and girls in terms of perceived handedness in any of the groups. There were no differences in the ADOS scores according to the perceived hand laterality (χ2(2) = 0.58, P = 0.74).ConclusionRightward-asymmetry in regions of corpus callosum has been reported to correlate with symptoms severity in ASD. The finding of different perceived handedness in children with ASD versus children with other psychiatric pathologies is useful for designing appropriate, individualized training programs for motor therapy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Altered Puberty Timing in Recent Decades: Implications for Adolescence-onset Conduct Disorder
Authors: Michielsen P. , Nuijten M. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionIn industrialised countries, the age of puberty onset has substantially diminished over the last 150 years. Several factors, like improved nutrition and health care have contributed to this, but there are concerns about other factors, like obesity, levels of divorce and chemicals. There is an association between early puberty and externalizing disorders in both girls and boys.AimTo describe trends in advanced puberty timing and adolescence-onset conduct disorder (CD), analyse if an association exists between both and evaluate which measures can be taken to prevent youth from antisocial activities during adolescence.MethodA systematic literature review using Medline, Embase and Psycinfo Databases.ResultsFamily break-up and increased stress are risk factors for adolescence-onset conduct disorder. Obesity is associated with low SES families, so prevention campaigns giving advice on healthy nutrition may be beneficial. On the general level, there is no clear positive correlation between adolescence-onset CD and early puberty over the last decades as numbers of CD are decreasing.ConclusionPotential mental health gains can be obtained to focus on children with multiple risk factors for early puberty. More research is needed to assess, which interventions (diet, advice on body changes, social expectations, etc.) are most useful.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Paradigm Shift in the Educational System of Adolescents with Disabilities
Authors: Paulino S. , Almeida C. , Croca M. , Santos N. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionIn the last years, there has been a paradigm shift in the educational system of young people with disabilities. Regular schools associated with specific support plans have become the destination of choice for these adolescents, instead of schools with special education. This integrated teaching seeks to reduce stigma and to promote tolerance but frequently these students become easy targets of psychological and physical violence or discrimination.ObjectiveTo evaluate the integration of adolescents with disabilities in mainstream education compared to special teaching.MethodsAnalysis of 32 patients with disabilities from the adolescence consultation of the psychiatry service of hospital de Santa Maria, between January 2015 and September 2016.ResultsAbout 30% of the adolescents with disabilities who attend regular schools with special support complains of poor adjustment associated with some kind of mistreatment by peers.ConclusionViolence among students in school is a current problem very difficult to fight. Young people with disabilities often find themselves in a significant minority presenting less efficient defense mechanisms. If unprotected, they may easily develop school phobia or refusal. These situations must be identified and avoided to prevent the associated suffering.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Correlations Between the Parents’ ADHD Score and the Child's ADOS Score in Parents of Children with Comorbid ADHD–Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Rad F. , Kobylinska L. , Mihailescu I. , Buica A. , Dobrescu I. 
Published: June 2017

From assortative mating theory to genetic background, several ethipathogenic hypotheses in ASD deal with the traits of parents.Backgroundseveral ethipathogenic hypotheses in ASD deal with the traits of parents. The objectives of our study were to measure the ADHD and autism spectrum disorder quotients in parents of children diagnosed with ASD comorbid with ADHD and to correlate the measurements for the tests in parents with those in their children. The specific aim was to identify whether any significant correlations exist.MethodFifty-two pairs of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders and ADHD were included in this study, based on informed consent and the ethical committee's approval. The child's diagnosis was established by a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, based on the child's clinical symptoms and on specific diagnostic scales, such as the ADOS and ADHD-rating scale. The parents completed an Autism Spectrum Quotient Scale (ASQS) and an adult ADHD scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and Excel. The correlations were verified using Spearman's non-parametric correlation test.ResultsThere was a strong correlation between the parents’ ADHD scores (r = 0.5, P < 0.001), and a reverse medium correlation between the mother's ADHD score and the child's ADOS score (r = –0.32, P = 0.02). The father's ASQS and ADHD scores correlated between each other (r = 0.31, P = 0.02). There were no correlations between the parents’ and the child's ADHD score, nor between the child's ADOS score and the parents’ ASQS scores.ConclusionOur results suggest that ADHD symptoms in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders comorbid with ADHD might be predictors for the child's prognosis.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.