bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safety hazards in clinical practice of seclusion in psychiatric care
Authors: Varpula J. , Välimäki M. , Lantta T. , Berg J. , Soininen P. , Lahti M. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionSeclusion is part of the clinical practice in European psychiatric hospital care with the aim to maintain the safety of patients and staff. Adverse events and harm have been reported for patients and staff resulting from seclusion. Safety hazards, which are the prerequisite of adverse events, can be identified using video observation methods. Identifying safety hazards can be used to prevent adverse events and improve the quality of psychiatric care.ObjectivesTo identify safety hazards during seclusion in psychiatric hospital care.MethodsDescriptive design with non-participant video-observation of seclusion care practice. Data consisted of video recordings (n = 36) from six wards of one psychiatric hospital in Finland. The data were analysed with inductive thematic analysis.ResultsClinical practice of seclusion included safety hazards stemming from the actions of patients and staff. Patients’ actions were as follows: aggressive behaviour, attempting to escape, precarious movements, preventing the visibility of staff, exposing themselves to contamination, and falls during seclusion. Staff actions included: leaving dangerous items to seclusion, issues in the administration of medication, performing physical and mechanical restraints in unsecure way, and precarious movements and postures.ConclusionsAccording to our results, the use of seclusion has safety hazards that can result in harm for patients and staff. To improve the quality and safety of seclusion in clinical practice, the guidelines, practices, and staff training need to consider the various safety hazards. While the work in Europe to abolish the use of seclusion is still in progress, this topic requires attention in clinical practice, education, and policymaking.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Attitudes and beliefs towards transgender individuals among residents of Mashhad in 2020
Authors: Omidvar Tehrani S. , Talaei A. , Sorouri Khorashad B. , Afzaljavan F. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionTransgender people are more vulnerable to psychiatric morbidities compared to cisgender people. This increased vulnerability can be partly due to the discrimination and stigma transgender people experience.ObjectivesSeveral studies have tried to assess the stigma by studying the public attitudes and beliefs about transgender people. This study aims to explore the attitudes of a large sample of Iranian citizens toward transgender people.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, attitudes and beliefs towards transgender individuals were evaluated using the GTS among citizens of the Mashhad city of Iran. Participants were interviewed, and demographic data and socio-economic status of participants were also obtained.ResultsA total of 1202 participants with a mean age of 41.57±13.41, including 27.4% males and 72.6% females, participated in the study. In our sample, the GTS mean score indicated a moderately positive attitude toward transgender individuals. Our results pointed out the significant difference between sex (p=0.002), marital status (p<0.001), educational and economic levels (p<0.001) in GTS. Furthermore, people who knew a Transgender individual indicated higher GTS (p<0.001).ConclusionsIn Iran, with religious culture and a closed community, the situation for transgender people can be more challenging compared to that of Western countries. Although intolerant views toward transgender people have faded in recent years, society’s attitude is still negative. This investigation revealed that educational level accounted for much of the variance in transgender attitudes. Therefore, we can say that increasing informative trans-related content in social media can educate the general population and reduce anti-trans attitudes and behaviors.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Antipsychotic prescribing choices in patients with First Episode Psychosis
Authors: Fallon J. , Tierney O. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionAs all first line options in treating First Episode Psychosis (FEP) are similarly effective there is a consensus among prescribing guidelines that clinicians and patients should consider side-effect profile as the ‘driver’ of initial choice of antipsychotic. Anecdotally it has been observed that different care teams prescribe particular medications preferentially.ObjectivesTo evaluate the patterns of antipsychotic prescribing in patients with FEP at the time of initial treatment and over the first year with the Early Intervention Service (EIS).MethodsMedical records of all patients who had completed 1 year of follow-up with EIS in Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust (n=274) were reviewed. The first antipsychotic prescribed and antipsychotic prescribed at 12-months was recorded alongside initiating care team (EIS, non-EIS community services, inpatient services).Results99% (n=272) of patients were prescribed an antipsychotic. 46% were initiated by inpatient serves, 40% non-EIS community services and 14% EIS. Aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone accounted for 95% of initial prescriptions. Different care teams prescribed antipsychotics preferentially (p=<0.005) (Fig.1). Rates at which initial medication was continued at 12-months varied according to initial prescription (P=<0.05) (Fig.2).ConclusionsThe frequency that specialist EIS services prescribed aripiprazole as initial treatment contrasts the preference for olanzapine in other services. Olanzapine has a significant metabolic side effect profile, is sedating and was least likely to be continued at 12 months. This raises questions about why non-FEP specialist services prefer olanzapine and whether EIS services can support these services around initial medication choices more likely to be continued throughout the key first year of treatment.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Efficacy of paliperidone palmitate 3-month formulation in preventing hospital admissions. 60 months of follow-up
Authors: Romero Guillena S.L. , Plasencia Garcia De Diego B.O. , Gotor Sanchez-Luengo F. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionPaliperidone Palmitate 3-month formulation (PP3M) has shown a significantly longer time to relapse compared to placebo, with similar efficacy and safety to Paliperidone Palmitate 1-month (PP1M). However, studies of longer duration are required.ObjectivesThe main objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of PP3M in the prevention of hospitalizations in patients with non-acute schizophrenia in a naturalistic outpatient psychiatric setting.MethodsSample: 30 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (DSM 5) that started treatment with PP3M after being stabilized with PP1M (the treatment dose was not changed in the four months before study inclusion) The mean dose of PP3M was 401. 55 mg Quarterly basis, the following evaluations were performed during a follow-up period of 60 months: The Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale (CGI-SCH) Treatment adherence, concomitant medication, and the number of hospitalizations. Efficacy values: Percentage of patients who remained free of admissions at the end of 60 months of follow-up. Other evaluation criteria: Average change from baseline visit to the final evaluation as assessed by score obtained on the following scale: GSI-SCH; percentage of patients on antipsychotic monotherapy, and treatment adherence rate.ResultsThe percentage of patients who remained free of admissions at the end of the 60 months was 83.25%. Mean variations from baseline scores at 60 months were: (-0.36 ±0-37) on the GCI-SCH. The rate of adherence to treatment with PP3M after 60 months was 86.58%.ConclusionsIn our study, we found that paliperidone palmitate 3-month formulation effectively prevents admissions under daily clinical practice conditions.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Using smartphone battery data to infer sleep-wake metrics in psychiatric cohorts – an exploratory study
Authors: Howes S. , Gillett G. , Palmius N. , Bilderbeck A. , Goodwin G. , Saunders K. , Mcgowan N. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionDisturbances to sleep-wake patterns are associated with bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Objective assessment typically involves actigraphy monitoring, although it may be possible to derive sleep-wake metrics from other digital data, such as smartphone battery degradation.ObjectivesTo assess whether common actigraphy-derived phase markers of the sleep-wake pattern (L5 and M10 onset) are in agreement with measures derived from smartphone battery data and explore if battery metrics differ between people with BD, BPD , and a healthy control group (HC).MethodsHigh frequency smartphone battery data was collected from 30 BD, 19 BPD and 33 HC participants enrolled in the Automated Monitoring of Symptom Severity (AMoSS) study, over 28 days. Participants also wore an actigraph during this period. L5 and M10 values were calculated separately based on the rate of smartphone battery degradation and conventional actigraphy methods. Bland-Altman analyses were performed to assess agreement between battery-derived and actigraphy-derived values, and Kruskal-Wallis tests used to compare diagnostic groups.ResultsFor L5, battery-derived and actigraphy-derived values had a bias of 0.46 [-0.10, 1.02], upper limit of agreement (LOA): 5.45 [4.49, 6.41], and lower LOA: -4.53 [-3.56, -5.49]. For M10, the bias was 0 [-0.92, 0.92], upper LOA: 8.19 [6.61, 9.76], and lower LOA: -8.19 [-6.61, -9.76]. Between diagnostic groups, there was no difference for battery-derived M10 (p=0.652), or L5 (p=0.122).ConclusionsOur results suggest battery-derived and actigraphy-derived M10 and L5 show good overall equivalence. However, battery-derived methods exhibit large variability, which limits the clinical utility of smartphone battery data to infer sleep-wake metrics.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Coproducing multilingual conversational scripts for a mental wellbeing chatbot - where healthcare domain experts become chatbot designers
Authors: Nieminen H. , Kuosmanen L. , Bond R. , Vartiainen A.-K. , Mulvenna M. , Potts C. , Kostenius C. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionDigital mental health interventions, such as chatbots that promote mental health and wellbeing are a promising way to deliver low-threshold support 24/7 for those in need. According to current knowledge about the topic, health care professionals should participate in the design and development processes for digital interventions.ObjectivesThe aim of this presentation is to describe the interdisciplinary content development process of the ChatPal chatbot.MethodsThe content development process started in co-operation with mental health professionals and potential users to identify requirements. Content was created, evaluated and tested in international, multi-disciplinary group workshops, and online tools were used to allow the collaboration. Initial conversational scripts were drafted in English, and translated into Finnish, Swedish and Scottish Gaelic.ResultsA multilingual chatbot was developed and the conversation scripts were structured and stored using a spreadsheet. The conversation scripts will be made freely available online in due course using this structured approach to formatting chatbot dialogue content. It will allow repurposing the content as well as facilitating studies that wish to assess the design of conversation scripts for mental health chatbots. Conversation design process also highlighted some challenges in turning empathetic and supportive conversations to short utterances suitable for a chatbot.ConclusionsThe ChatPal chatbot is now available in four languages. As literature about the topic is still scarce, it is important to describe and document the content development processes of mental health chatbots. Future work will develop a conversational UX toolkit that would allow health professionals to design chatbot scripts using design guidelines.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic on School-age children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Farmakopoulou I. , Efstratiou C. , Dokos A. , Lepsinioti E. , Theodoratou M. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionThe Covid-19 pandemic has caused multilevel changes worldwide. Everyday life of all people has been altered drastically. Children with ASD seem to face difficulties due to their heightened sensitivity to unpredictable and complex changes in their lifestyle. Our presentation aims to reveal the effects of Covid-19 on school-age children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.ObjectivesThe main thematic areas of this research, concerning the social workers’ questionnaire, focused on the routine, psycho-emotional field, school performance, sociability and school environment of children with ASD.MethodsBetween June 22nd and August 16th, 2021, social workers (n=38) and parents (n=25) administrated a questionnaire -through google form platform- which investigated issues around routine, psycho-emotional field, school performance, sociability, school, and family. Descriptive statistics were used for statistical analysis of the data.ResultsThe routine and psycho-emotional conditions of children with ASD were found to have a negative shift. Moreover, the degree of change on school performance was moderate, while sociability change was minimal. The significance of the school’s contribution and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the family functionality was highly observed. Another interesting finding was that children with ASD did not display discomfort for the mandatory social limitations or fear for the virus transmission.ConclusionsLastly, it is important to implement appropriate practices for the protection of children with ASD, through the mobilization of the responsible parties and thus, social policy transformations are vital for this vulnerable population.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Prevalence of depression in Europe using two different PHQ-8 scoring methods
Authors: Arias De La Torre J. , Vilagut G. , Ronaldson A. , Serrano-Blanco A. , Valderas J. , Martín V. , Dregan A. , Bakolis I. , Alonso J. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionThe prevalence of depression based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) may vary depending on the scoring method.Objectives1) To describe the prevalence of depression in Europe using two PHQ-8 scoring methods. 2) To identify the countries with the highest prevalence according to each method.MethodsData from 27 countries included in the European Health Survey (EHIS-2) for the year 2014/2015 were used (n=258,888). All participants who completed the PHQ-8 were included. The prevalence of depression and its 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) were calculated overall for the whole of Europe and for each country using a PHQ-8≥10 cut-off point and the PHQ-8 algorithm scoring method. Weights derived from the complex sample design were considered for their calculation.ResultsThe overall prevalence of depression for all Europe was lower using the PHQ-8>=10 cut-off point (6.38%, 95%CI 6.24-6.52) than the PHQ-8 algorithm (7.01%, 95%CI, 6.86-7.16). Using the PHQ-8≥10 cut-off point, the highest prevalence was observed in Iceland (10.33%, 95%CI, 9.33-11.32), Luxembourg (9.74%, 95%CI, 8.76-10.72) and Germany (9.24%, 95%CI, 8.82-9.66). Using the PHQ-8 algorithm the highest rates were observed in Hungary (10.99%, 95%CI,10.14-11.84), Portugal (10.63%, 95%CI, 9.96-11.29) and Iceland (9.80%, 95%CI, 8.77-10.83).ConclusionsThere is variability in the prevalence of depression rates in Europe according to the PHQ-8 scoring method. These findings suggest the necessity of identify the method of choice for each country comparing with a gold standard measure (clinical diagnosis). Countries with consistent higher prevalence of depression based on PHQ-8 regardless of scoring method deserve further study.DisclosureThis work has been funded by CIBERESP (ESP21PI05)
Electroconvulsive Therapy’s use in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension with Mood Disorder: caution, promise, and progress
Authors: Parker M. , Carr B. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionIdiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a condition characterized by an increase of intracranial pressure (ICP) with no identifiable cause to date. One-half of patients who suffer from IIH have co-morbid mood disorders, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), that can be refractory to pharmacologic treatment. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for treatment-refractory mood disorder, but possesses a relative contra-indication for IIH due to its theoretical increase in ICP. Can ECT become the gold-standard treatment modality for mood disorder from IIH?ObjectivesWe aim to synthesize and summarize the state of the literature surrounding the intersection of ECT and IIH. We will present notable findings and propose avenues for future investigation.MethodsWe conducted a literature review using PubMed’s search function. Key terms that were queried are as follows: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Pseudotumor Cerebri, Benign Intracranial Hypertension, Mood Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, ECT, Electroconvulsive Therapy.ResultsThe prevailing theory of IIH and mood disorder centers around HPA axis dysfunction, which has been heavily theorized to be positively impacted with ECT. ECT itself may not increase the ICP, but the anesthesia might. The only two case reports in the literature presented safe and successful use of ECT’s in patients with IIH and MDD.ConclusionsMore data is needed to draw conclusions, as the literature surrounding ECT’s use in patients with IIH remains sparse. Further studies must explore whether ECT’s use in IIH remains effective. Through this, we may understand more about both IIH and ECT itself.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Frequent visitors in a university psychiatric emergency department in Greece
Authors: Vlachos I. , Chondraki P. , Magioglou P. , Lempesi E. , Bourazana D. , Papageorgiou C. , Margariti M. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionBackground :The profile of “frequent visitors” at the psychiatric emergencies (PE) has not been sufficiently investigated in Greece.ObjectivesIn this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence and relevant parameters of frequent PE visits in a Greek University Psychiatric Hospital for the year 2017.MethodsIn a retrospective study, we analyzed data of patients who presented in the PE of Eginition University Hospital in Athens during 2017. Frequent visitors were grouped under this category if they had at least five visits per year. Clinical and sociodemographic data of the patients were further related to number of visits.Results84 patients were characterized as frequent visitors carrying out 9.8% of the total number of visits. 50% were women and 70% of them were living with family members. Anxiety, depressive and psychotic symptoms were the most frequent major complaints at the time of their visit, whereas psychosocial problems were associated with increased number of visits. Moreover, in terms of the underlying diagnosis substance use disorders significantly related to more frequent visitsConclusionsPsychosocial problems and the diagnosis of substance use disorders significantly correlated to the number of visits at the PE of a university hospital setting in Greece for 2017.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Dysfunctional anxiety in women recovered from COVID-19
Authors: Lagha M. , Hamdi G. , Dhaouadi N. , Chebli S. , Ridha R. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionStudies assessing the psychological impact of COVID-19 have shown that patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms than healthy controls.ObjectivesThe objectives of our study were to assess dysfunctional anxiety in women recovered from COVID-19 and to compare it to healthy controls.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional case-control study.We randomly recruited women, from April 1st to 30th, 2021.The women in the case group have been infected with Sars-Cov 2, with a benign or pauci-symptomatic clinical form, and cured for one to two months at the time of the study without any post-COVID complications. Women included in the control group have not been infected with Sars-Cov 2 .Anxiety was assessed by the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS).ResultsIn total, we recruited 30 women in the case group and 30 women in the control group.The average age of the case group was 35.8 ±6.8 years versus an average age of 35.3 ± 6.33 years in the control group. The majority of coronavirus infections were symptomatic (83.3% (n=25)). Nearly one-third of the patients in the case group had a CAS score greater than 9, indicating dysfunctional anxiety probably related to coronavirus (33.3%), with a significant difference with the control group (p=0.026).ConclusionsCOVID-19 is significantly associated with dysfunctional anxiety, even in mild or pauci-symptomatic clinical forms.DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Prevalence of anxiety and depression among students and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ionescu T. , Minecan E. , Zaharia S. , Fetecau B. , Tudose C. 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionFacing the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are experiencing severe mental distress. Following social distancing and economic insecurity, significant increases in mental health concerns have developed.ObjectivesThe aims of this study was to report the levels of depressive and anxiety within active population in Romania, and to identify possible risk and protective factors for mental health.MethodsData collection occurred between February-March 2021. The online survey included questions regarding socio-demographic characteristics and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). 620 responses were validated (331 students and 289 workers).ResultsAmong active population, risk of anxiety symptoms is lower in those who already were infected with SARS-Cov2 (p=0.026, df=2, Phi=0.109), while positive screening for anxiety or depression in this study was statistically significant associated with younger age (p=0.026, df=4, Phi=0.134) and female gender (p=<0.001, df=2, Phi=0.166). Even though anxiety and depression scores are similar among students and employees, there are different aspects regarding symptomatology between these two groups. Students have experienced more frequently tendency to worry and sudden feelings of panic (p=0.004, df=3, Phi=0.146). Also, their ability to laugh and see the funny side of things is affected (p=0.019, df=3, Phi=0.127) and they feel less enthusiasm about future (p=0.001, df=3, Phi=0.159). Participants living with someone else scored lower on anxiety and depression subscales and those are not influenced by the person with whom they are cohabitating or residing (p=0.020, df=3, Phi=0.138).ConclusionsFindings from the current study offer initial insights into the rates of anxiety and depression within active population in Romania, one year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.DisclosureNo significant relationships.