[Stigma in psychiatry]. / Stigmatisation en psychiatrie.

Mental illness affects 48.9 % of the Moroccan population. Despite this significant figure, mental illness remains unrecognized. The patients suffering from mental disorders are therefore subject to stigma and social rejection. A descriptive study was conducted at the consultation service of the psychiatric Ibn Nafiss hospital of the CHU of Marrakech. We chose as a sample 100 stabilized patients, followed on an outpatient basis. The study included the three mental disorders: depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The number of patients in each group had been fixed beforehand; and we tried to get a fairly even distribution between the two genders. The questionnaire had three main axes: (1) Sociodemographic data of the patient. (2) Knowledge of the disease. (3) Evaluation of the experience of stigma. The results of our sample were as follows: For both sexes the age extremes were 19 to 68 years with an average of 38.5 with a clear predominance of women. For the entire population, most patients were single with a percentage of 60 %. Two thirds of the patients, i.e. 59 %, did not exceed primary school. For personal medical history, endocrine pathologies were the most prevalent, at 18 % of cases, while depression was the most common family psychiatric history in our study. We noticed that our population suffered more discrimination and disclosure from those around them regardless of family, social and professional with less appreciation of the positive aspects.

[C-reactive protein and agitation in patients with schizophrenia: A cohort study with a control group]. / Protéine C-réactive et agitation chez des patients atteints de schizophrénie : suivi d'une cohorte avec groupe témoin.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies first reported the relevant role of the immune system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and then the association between inflammation and agitation. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aim to explore the relationship between CRP (C-reactive protein) levels and agitation in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study with a comparison group of 60 patients with a DSM5 diagnosis of schizophrenia who were followed by the Department of Psychiatry of the University Hospital of Marrakech in Morocco. Patients were divided into two groups according to the state of agitation evaluated by the PANSS Excitement scale. These two groups have been matched according to age and gender. A comparison of CRP level, clinical and laboratory characteristics between the two groups and a monitoring of CRP level in the agitated group after 3 weeks of treatment were performed. RESULTS: Inpatients with agitation displayed a significantly high CRP (P<0.0001), a high score of PANSS total (P<0.0001), PANSS positive (P<0.0001) and general PANSS (P<0.0001). After treatment, there was a significant reduction in CRP (P<0.0001) and PANSS excitement (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: These results confirm the role played by inflammation and immunity in agitation behavior in patients with schizophrenia and highlight the interest of the CRP assay at the time of admission of patients as a potential marker of agitation in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.

[Prevalence and characteristics of sexual dysfunction among Moroccan patients consulting for a first depressive episode]. / Prévalence et caractéristiques de la dysfonction sexuelle chez des patients marocains consultant pour un premier épisode dépressif.

Depression as such causes emotional and physical disturbances that affect biological functions such as sleep, appetite, decreased libido and lack of interest in sexual function. Indeed, there is a significant incidence of sexual dysfunction in depressed patients. In addition, depression and sexual dysfunction have a significant impact on the quality of life of couples which can be improved by managing these two conditions between which there seems to be a two-way causal link. Sexual dysfunction has long been neglected in the clinic of depression. In Morocco, depression affects more than a quarter of the population. However, to date, no study has focused on the assessment of sexual function in relation to depression among Moroccans. OBJECTIVES: This work aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of sexual dysfunction in Moroccan patients consulting for a first depressive episode. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. All subjects included in this study were consulting for a first major depressive episode according to DSM-5 criteria from June 1st to November 30th, 2017 at the psychiatric university department at Ibn Nafis hospital in Marrakech. The severity of depression was assessed using the Hamilton scale. The ASEX (Arizona Sexuel Experience) scale was used to define sexual dysfunction. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22 software. RESULTS: Fifty eight patients were recruited 34 of whom were female. They had an average age of 37 years. The majority were between 27 and 42 years old (59 %), married (81 %), with an average level of education (34.5 %). The average duration of the episode was 57 days. The major depressive episode was severe in 62 % of patients. According to the ASEX, 77.6 % of the depressed patients had a clinically significant sexual dysfunction. The majority of our patients (60.3 %) consulting for depression attach their sexual dysfunction to their depressed mood, either by reporting the onset of sexual dysfunction at the same time as depression (53.4 %), or worsening after the depression onset (6.9 %). The frequency of sexual intercourse with the pre-depressive state was decreased in the majority of our sample. Sexual desire was the most impaired phase of the sexual response (58.6 %) followed by excitation (53.4 %) and then orgasm (51.7 %). Of the 47 married patients, more than two thirds (32 patients) were dissatisfied with their life as a couple as well as with different aspects of their relationship life. The majority of patients reporting marital dissatisfaction attributed the cause to the quality of their sexual intercourses rather than to their frequency or other relational aspects. Sexual dysfunction was significantly correlated with the severity of depression (P=0.031), whereas it was not correlated with duration of depressive episode (P=0.412) or age or patient sex (P=0.114, P=0.202 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sexual dysfunction is high in depressed patients. It significantly impacts the couple's quality of life. Although our main limitation was the small sample size which prevented us from doing a multi-varied analysis, the robust nature of this study lies in documenting the initial prevalence and types of sexual dysfunctions in both sexes in the first major depressive episode unrelated to the dysfunctions induced by antidepressant drugs. The early identification of sexual disorders and the consideration of couple dynamics would be two important elements in the management of the depressed patient.

[Risk factors related to homicide in Moroccan patients with schizophrenia]. / Facteurs de risque de passage à l'acte d'homicide chez des patients marocains atteints de schizophrénie.

BACKGROUND: Persons with schizophrenia are thought to be at increased risk of committing violent crime - 4 to 6 times the level of general population individuals without this disorder. The relationship between schizophrenia and homicide is complex and cannot be reduced to a simple causal link. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of homicide in Moroccan patients suffering from schizophrenia and to determine the correlated sociodemographic, clinical and toxic variables. METHODS: The study included two groups of patients with a DSM IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who attended the "Ibn Nafis" university psychiatric hospital of Marrakech in Morocco. The first group was composed of 30 patients hospitalized for homicide in the forensic unit between 1 January 2005 and 31 August 2015. The second group included 90 patients without any criminal record. These two groups have been matched according to age and gender. Demographic, clinical and therapeutic variables were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Data analysis has objectified the following results: the mean of age in the first group was 37.03 (±9.09) and in the second group was 31.4 (±8.76). No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding the different sociodemographic variables and the age of onset of disease. Significant differences were found between the two groups regarding: personal antecedents of attempt of homicide (P=0.003), personal antecedents of attempt of suicide (P<0.001), a history of previous violence (P=0.005), untreated psychosis before the act (P<0.001), poor medication compliance and a low familial support (P<0.001), antisocial behavior (P<0.001) and addictive behavior (P=0.005). DISCUSSION: Several studies identified some possible predictor factors for violent behavior: poor compliance, lack of insight impulsivity and paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms, systematized delusions and addictive behavior seem to considerably increase the risk of turning to violence. Demographic variables as suggested by other studies are less valuable predictors of homicide in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: Awareness of these factors will allow us to provide improved prevention of violence within schizophrenic subjects. Interventions for reducing such behavior should focus on clinical variables and integrate an early diagnosis of the disease and an improvement of medication compliance.

[An acute psychotic episode revealing neuropsychiatric lupus with atypical brain MRI]. / Un accès psychotique aigu révélateur d'un neurolupus avec images atypiques à l'IRM encéphalique.

INTRODUCTION: The frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms in systemic lupus varies between 14 and 75%. Their mechanisms are multiple and their non-specificity makes the etiological diagnosis more difficult. The MRI lesions are dominated by small white matter hyperintensities. CASE REPORT: We report a case of 17-year-old girl without medical, surgical or familial past, who presented an acute psychotic episode with fever. The neurological examination showed a pyramidal syndrome. The brain MRI objectified diffuse, bilateral and symmetrical white and gray matter hyperintensities. The diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus was retained with association of more than four criteria among the 11 ARA revised criteria: pleural effusion, neuropsychiatric manifestations, anemia, lymphopenia and positive ANA. The treatment was based on corticosteroids. The evolution was fatal. DISCUSSION: Psychiatric disorders are polymorphic and appear during the course of the disease or at diagnosis; they can be seen in 20% of cases and are a sign of a poor prognosis. Most often these disorders are a non-specific reaction, but severe clinical forms can be observed as suicidal risk or mood disorders (depression, mania...), or acute psychotic episode. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus must be evoked systematically in atypical neuropsychiatric disorders especially when confronted with minimal biological and brain imaging abnormalities.