bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cannabis addiction in Tunisia: sociodemographic profile and neuropsychological complications
Authors: Smaoui E. , Mnif D. , Ouali R. , Sellami R. , Feki I. , Baati I. , Masmoudi J. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionCannabis consumption constitutes a public health problem both because of its serious repercussions and complications and the psychological and social problems it causes.ObjectivesOur objective was to assess the level of cannabis dependence in consumers receiving care at the Sfax detoxification center in Tunisia, to describe the sociodemographic profile of these consumers and the neuropsychological complications that may be caused.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study, over a period of 13 months (September 2020 to October 2021), among cannabis users consulting the Sfax detoxification center in Tunisia. We used the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) in order to detect a “problematic” cannabis use, along with a clinical information sheet to collect epidemiological and clinical data. All patients gave their free and informed oral consent to participate in the survey while ensuring anonymity.ResultsWe included 38 patients. The average age was 26 years old with a median age of starting cannabis use at 17 years old. The sex ratio was 8.5 with an over-representation of men. Most of the subjects were single, lived with their family and had a secondary school education. Consumption was daily for the majority of patients (68.5%) with an average quantity of 4 joints/day. According to the CAST scale, 36 users (94.7%) had problematic cannabis use. The factors favouring cannabis consumption were stress and anxiety in 34 patients (89.5%) followed by depression and the festive atmosphere in 14 subjects (36.8%) each. Among the participants, 26.3% had a psychiatric history including depression (5.3%), a psychopathic personality disorder (10.5%) and cannabis-induced psychotic disorder (10.5%). History of psychiatric hospitalization and history of suicide attempt were found in 21.1% and 26.3% of the patients respectively. Concerning the complications caused by cannabis, 68.4% of the patients described a phenomenon of tolerance, while 63.2% reported the sensation of craving. Psychotic symptoms such as delirium and/or hallucinations were found in 6 patients (15.8%) and 8 subjects (21.1%) reported a history of overdose in the form of cannabis psychosis. Chronic complications were an amotivational syndrome (63.2%) and social disintegration (52.6%). Treatment of cannabis dependence was considered effective with total withdrawal in 31.6% of subjects. Weaning was partial in 42.1% of the patients.ConclusionsCannabis use is emerging as one among many interacting factors that can affect psychological and physical health, with an impact on various levels including mood, neurocognition and general health. Although studies have shown functional brain mechanisms underlying the effects of cannabis, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Overall, treatment for substance use disorders generally prevents these complications and improves prognosis.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Diversity and gender at the largest European university hospital: The effects of discrimination on mental health
Authors: Enarovic I. , Straßburger V. M. , Berger M. , Smith J. , Stadler G. , Buspavanich P. J. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionDiscrimination is known to have different effects on health. In particular the mental health of affected people diminishes. Although it is known that marginalized groups are discriminated against more, at present only research on gender and ethnicity has been done. Further diversity domains like socioeconomic status, care responsibilities, sexual orientation, disability, mental and physical health, and their intersections have been scarcely looked at.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to determine the effects of discrimination on the mental health for employees and students of a university hospital taking diversity domains into account.MethodsA web-based survey between June 22 to October 23 was conducted using the PHQ-4 and WHO-5 as well as innovative Diversity Minimal Item set to measure different diversity domains.ResultsPreliminary data shows that discrimination among employees and students is common, widespread and most frequent based on gender, ethnicity and health. The mental health of those who feel discriminated against tends to be poorer, especially looking at the intersectionality of diversity domains.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that both more measures to prevent discrimination in a university hospital have to be implemented and individuals from marginalized groups need special psychosocial support to ensure a safer working environment. In addition, greater attention to diversity and inclusion in medical research is needed to develop appropriate responses and interventions, including diversity policies.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Relations between the Arabic BFI-2 and HEXACO-60 scales among Kuwaiti Undergraduates.
Authors: Alansari B. M. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionMany researchers are likely to use the BFI-2 as a measure of the Big Five personality factors. The HEXACO-60 Honesty-Humility factor has no direct counterpart in the Big Five system; however, it should show modest positive correlations with Big Five Agreeableness.ObjectivesThe study aimed to examine the BFI-2 in relation to a similar-length version of the HEXACO-60.MethodsParticipants were 1536 undergraduate students (960 women 576 men) at Kuwait university who completed the personality questionnaires. Participants aged 18–23-years-old mean age = 21.26 ± 1.20. The Arabic versions of HEXACO-60 and the BFI-2 instruments were administered in paper-and-pencil format in research laboratories.ResultsCronbach’s alphas ranged from 0.75 to 0.88 for the BFI-2 Domains and 0.70 to 0.75 for the HEXACO-60 Domains denoting good internal consistency. Regarding cross-inventory correlations, these were high for the two inventories variants of Openness (0.77), Conscientiousness (0.75), and Extraversion (0.71). BFI-2 Agreeableness correlated 0.56 with HEXACO-60 Agreeableness. The HEXACO-60 Honesty-Humility was weakly related to the BFI-2 scales, showing only modest correlation with Agreeableness (0.48). In addition, the BFI-2 Neuroticism correlated 0.53 with HEXACO-60 Emotionality, −0.33 with HEXACO-60 Extraversion, and −0.30 with HEXACO-60 Agreeableness.ConclusionsThe BFI-2 scales captured well the variance of the HEXACO-60 scales apart from Honesty-Humility. In particular, the BFI-2 accounted for about as much variance in the HEXACO Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness scales as the HEXACO-60 scales accounted for in the BFI-2 scales of the same names. The results confirm the BFI-2 and HEXACO-60 are heavily overlapping.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Birth weight, leptin and adiponectin in patients initiating clozapine
Authors: Ilzarbe L. , Garriga M. , Oliveira C. , Gómez-Ramiro M. , Mallorquí A. , Ruiz-Cortés V. , Rivas Y. , Amoretti S. , Mezquida G. , Ilzarbe D. , Vieta E. , Parellada E. , Baeza I. , García-Rizo C. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionPsychotic patients often require pharmacological treatment, which may prove ineffective, leading to treatment-resistant psychosis necessitating the use of clozapine. However, the emergence of side effects can result in discontinuation, potentially triggering a relapse of psychotic symptoms. One significant side effect is antipsychotic-induced weight gain which, over time, can lead to adverse metabolic events. Recent translational research is evaluating the impact of prenatal factors on the metabolic outcomes of psychotic patients, using a surrogate marker of the intrauterine milieu such as birth weight (BW).ObjectivesWe aim to evaluate the changes in leptin, adiponectin, and insulin levels in patients with treatment-resistant psychosis who initiate clozapine treatment due to persistent psychotic symptoms.MethodsSubjects older than 18 years with a diagnostic of a major mental disorder and initiating clozapine were enrolled in this 18-months longitudinal study. Neurohormones levels, including leptin, adiponeptin, and insulin were measured at baseline, 8 and 18 months during follow-up. Statistical analysis were conducted by using a fixed-effects model.ResultsA total of 23 subjects initiating clozapine were evaluated during the initial mandatory 18-week period. Neurohormones, specifically leptin and adiponectin, were measured at three time points: baseline, 8 weeks, and 18 weeks. The changes in leptin levels were significantly associated with birth BW with sex differences, being inversely correlated only in females. Adiponectin was significantly associated with BW, being inversely correlated in males. Conversely, there was no observed association between insulin levels and BW.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the significance of prenatal factors in influencing the subsequent evolution of neurohormones in individuals initiating clozapine treatment. This suggests that subjects with lower BW tend to exhibit elevated neurohormone values, emphasizing the role of prenatal events in this context.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Adherence to therapy of patients with adolescent depression
Authors: Kaleda V. , Omelchenko M. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionTherapy of adolescent depression is accompanied by a number of difficulties associated with the influence of the age factor, which include the following aspects: social - with the possibility of forming a fear of stigmatization, biological – with low tolerance of psychopharmacological agents due to the immaturity of the functional systems of the body, psychological – with a combination of oppositional behavior of adolescents and their desire to “be like everyone else”. All these factors may lead to a decrease in patients’ compliance in the treatment of adolescent depression and premature refusal to continue treatment, which may provoke a relapse of the disorder.ObjectivesTo assess the adherence of adolescent patients with a first depressive episode regarding the continuation of therapy after discharge from the hospital.Methods124 patients (average age – 19.4) were examined after discharge from the hospital where they were treated for a depressive episode (according to ICD-10: F32.1, F32.2, F32.38, F32.8). The severity of depression during hospitalization and at discharge was assessed according to the HDRS scale. During hospitalization, 45.9% of patients (n=57) were diagnosed with severe depression (HDRS score of more than 24), 54.1% (n=67) were diagnosed with moderate depression (HDRS score of 17-23) (Zimmerman M. et al. JAD 2013; 150(2):384-8). At discharge, 35.5% of patients (n=44) had moderate depression, 38.7% of patients (n=48) had mild depression (HDRS score of more than 7-16) and only 25.8% of patients (n=32) had no depression (HDRS score of less than 7 points). This indicated the need to continue therapy after discharge. The degree of adherence to therapy and the main reasons for its refusal were analyzed using the Medication Compliance Scale (Lutova N. NIPNI, 2007; 26).ResultsThe average duration of treatment continuation in patients with adolescent depression was 7.4±9.6 months. At the same time, 42 patients (33.9%) refused to continue therapy within 30 days after discharge from the hospital. 15 patients (12.1%) turned out to be fully compliant, following the doctor’s prescriptions. The main reasons for refusing therapy were: negative attitude to the fact of receiving therapy and visiting a psychiatrist (n=50, 40.3%), the development of side effects of therapy (n=46, 37.1%), negative attitude of relatives to the continuation of therapy (n=11, 8.9%), and negative attitude to the attending psychiatrist (n=2, 1.6%). In general, formally, the average duration of continuation of therapy coincides with the recommended 6-12 months (Sim K. et al. IGN 2015;19(2) pyv076), however, it is noteworthy that some patients tend to self-cancel therapy without the approval of the attending physician.ConclusionsThe results indicate a low level of adherence to therapy in patients with adolescent depression and require additional measures to improve it.The work was carried out with the financial support of the RSF grant 22-15-00437.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
“Beenomials”: exploring beekeeping as a rehabilitation tool in the field of mental health
Authors: Barbieri A. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionBeekeeping is a peculiar activity able to connect people both to nature and to other people. Extant research shows how it provides beekeepers with meaning, opportunities for learning, and a sense of connection to bees as well as to the surrounding ecosystem. The relationship of care and interdependence that is established supports well-being, encourages collaboration and positive social relations.Objectives“Beenomies” is a pilot project inspired by the union of opposites symbolically associated with bees: love and war, sweetness (honey) and bitterness (venom), the individual and multiplicity (society), regeneration and death. As CG Jung observed, honey expresses, psychologically, “the joy of life and the life urge which overcome […] the dark and the inhibiting. Where spring-like joy and expectation reign, spirit can embrace nature and nature, spirit”. Drawing on this psychological and philosophical basis, the project aimed to introduce beekeeping in a therapeutic community placed in the Alpine environment (Mondovì, Italy), to explore its rehabilitative potential and its ability to promote well-being in the field of mental health.MethodsThe project stems from the collaboration between mental health services, a local agriculture high school, and a farm involved in social agriculture. Initially, some beehives have been settled on the land surrounding the therapeutic community. Activities of beekeeping have been conducted and supervised by experienced beekeepers of the farm involved, who engaged a selected group of users hosted in the community (n=15), instructed them and worked side by side for several weeks, according to the bees’ needs and the seasonal rhytms. Once the training was completed, teaching activities have been co-conducted by beekeepers and participants, to introduce and train a group of students from the local agriculture high school. A study encompassing observational data, surveys, and semi-structured interviews was conducted to monitor and evaluate the project as it unfolded.ResultsThe performance of practical activities (i.e. beekeeping operations) proved successful in relaxing social norms around talking, lowering the emotional intensity of the encounter, allowing non-verbal communication and normalizing silence. These features supported participants with relational difficulties and encouraged the gradual development of skills in the social area. In the second part of the project, the involvement of high school students that needed to be trained allowed participants to have an active role as teachers; this contributed to the development of positive feelings, increased self-esteem and self-efficacy, eventually supporting the recovery process.ConclusionsPreliminary findings suggest further collaboration between different social actors and further research to develop inclusive, effective, and community-based interventions in the field of mental health and rehabilitation.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Participation limitations as a transdiagnostic feature in serious mental illness: confirmatory modeling
Authors: Bar Yosef J. , Lipskaya-Velikovsky L. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionParticipation in daily life occupations of personal and community meaning is an important component of health and recovery from mental illness. Limitations in participation were found to be a hallmark of serious mental illness (SMI). Still, previous research has mainly focused on objective dimensions of participation, largely neglecting the subjective aspects that hold particular relevance for health outcomes. Next, participation was addressed by specific diagnoses, approach which is divergent from the recovery model, a transdiagnostic approach and clinical practice. Hence, further research into participation is warranted to broaden our understanding.ObjectivesWe investigated objective and subjective patterns of participation across a range of SMI diagnoses to delineate differences, and to identify personal and illness-related factors associated with participation dimensions.MethodsA secondary analysis of cross-sectional studies (N=14). The analysis included data from 489 men (40.7%) and women (59.3%) diagnosed with one of 4 SMI conditions: psychotic, affective (AD), post-traumatic (PTSD) or personality (PD) disorders. The participants were aged 18 to 60 (M=34.41; SD=10.9) and were in contact with intensive mental health services. All participants completed the Adult Subjective Assessment of Participation (ASAP), which comprised participation intensity, diversity, satisfaction and enjoyment, and standard evaluations of cognitive functioning, symptom severity, and functional capacity. Z-scores were calculated for independent variables to enable comparison. Demographic and illness-related (IR) information was also collected.ResultsFrequency of participation was found to be significantly different between diagnostic groups, but not participation diversity, enjoyment and satisfaction. Participation diversity was altered by range of demographic variables (5.26<F<10.6, p<.01, 0.3<<0.4) while participation frequency differs by employment status (t (485) =-2.84, p<0.05, Cohen’s d=0.25). No differences were found between groups in symptoms’ severity. Regression analysis indicates that cognition, functional capacity and employment status explain in a significant way integrated index of objective participation (χ2 =47.52, p<0.001). For the subjective dimension, the logistic regression was not found statistically significant (χ2 =20.99, p=0.51).ConclusionsLimitations in diversity, enjoyment and satisfaction with participation, were demonstrated to be a transdiagnostic feature in SMI. Objective participation dimensions can be explained with demographic, personal and illness related factors, while modeling of subjective dimensions should be further investigated.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
The Startψell initiative in Action: A Project supporting Early-career Consultant Psychiatrists in a Southeast UK mental health trust.
Authors: Deepak S. , Ghazirad M. , Lowe M. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionTransition to a consultant role is a challenging time for an early career psychiatrist, as the high level of structure and guidance available during psychiatric training ceases when training is complete. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK therefore pioneered the Startψell initiative to ease this transition. This consultant-led initiative proposed embedding good habits and robust coping mechanisms early on, to enable psychiatrists to thrive in their roles and is based on six main pillars (New consultants (StartWell) (rcpsych.ac.uk) Image 1: Startwell framework. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT) is a mental healthcare provider based in Southeast England where we designed a project to enhance support to new consultants, based on Startψwell principles.ObjectivesThe aims of this project were to:
-Improve the experience of early career psychiatrists taking on their first consultant role in BHFT.-Ensure that the new consultants are provided with relevant information and resources to fulfil their roles safely.-Set up a system for ongoing support for new consultants till they complete five years in their post.MethodsHaving discussed the feasibility of setting up a local Startwell initiative in BHFT, plans were presented to the medical director and medical staff committee including new consultants, for their input. Under the guidance from senior consultants, monthly meetings were arranged which offered professional development talks and peer support. As several themes emerged at these meetings, we stratified and aligned these local to the RCPsych Startψell framework (Image 2:Themes). An induction folder was also collated with all the relevant information in paper and digital format. In addition, a yearly bespoke induction event for new consultant psychiatrists was delivered from 2019-2022 except in 2021, during the pandemic.ResultsWe used Likert scales to gather quantitative feedback
(Table 1) with free box for comments to capture qualitative feedback (Image 3). Feedback response rate for the three cohorts were 75%, 70% and 80% respectively.201920202022Overall Satisfaction100%75%100%How relevant was the content of the programme to your new role?70%100%100%How far did the programme meet your expectations?100%75%100%Image:Image 2:Image 3:ConclusionsThe BHFT Startwell initiative has been running successfully for the past five years and been valued by the new consultants. We are therefore continuing to working towards embedding the programme futher and ensuring sustainably for the future. W e are looking to share our experience in the hope that similar programmes are set up and our newer colleagues can enjoy a long, fulfilling, and enjoyable career.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Impact of an Internet-Delivered Sound Healing Intervention on Chronic Non-Malignant Pain and Sleep Disturbances in Community Settings
Authors: Sharma N. , Walker D. , Prasad B. S. , Patel M. 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionChronic pain patients often contend with insomnia symptoms, creating a reciprocal relationship that adds complexity to their condition. Evaluating interventions targeting insomnia in this population becomes paramount, given the intertwined nature of pain and sleep disturbances.ObjectivesThis retrospective pretest design aimed to assess the efficacy of an Internet-delivered sound healing intervention in reducing insomnia severity and addressing sleep- and pain-related parameters among individuals with chronic pain.MethodsConducted as a community-based project, Tuning for Health provided support to individuals grappling with long-term illnesses. The intervention involved the virtual delivery of a specially crafted sound track using tuning forks over a 6-week period, supervised by an experienced therapist and administered weekly for an hour. Participants were instructed to play the track daily at a time convenient for them. A total of 68 participants (mean age 59.3 years) completed the intervention. Outcome measures, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), a sleep diary, and assessments for anxiety, depression, and pain-related parameters, were collected at the end of the 6-week intervention and repeated after a 6-month follow-up. Negative effects were monitored and reported.ResultsSignificant immediate interaction effects (time by treatment) were observed for the pain severity, ISI and various sleep parameters, such as sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, early morning awakenings, and wake time after sleep onset. A time effect for anxiety and depression was noted at the 6-month follow-up. The group exhibited highly significant improvements in pain-related parameters. At the 6-month follow-up, sustained enhancements in sleep parameters and mental health were reported, with no reported side effects.ConclusionsThese unique results suggest the potential efficacy of sound healing in alleviating chronic pain and associated insomnia. Further research with a larger sample size is warranted to validate these findings. Combining sound healing with other treatments may offer enhanced outcomes for individuals dealing with both chronic pain and comorbid insomnia. This study lays the groundwork for future investigations into the promising intersection of sound healing, chronic pain management, and sleep improvement.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared