Effects of seasonality in emergency admissions for mental disorders: two years of clinical experience.

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study, conducted in Turin, Italy, between January 2021 and February 2023, investigates the impact of seasonal heatwaves on emergency department (ED) admissions for mental disorders. METHODS: Through the analysis of data from 2,854 patients, this research found a significant link between the occurrence of heatwaves, especially from June to August, and an elevated rate of ED admissions for psychiatric conditions. RESULTS: The data indicate a clear seasonal pattern, with admissions peaking during the hot months and diminishing in the colder months. Particularly, the study delineates an enhanced correlation between heatwaves and admissions for severe psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, major depression, personality disorders, and schizophrenia, accounting for 1,868 of the cases examined. This correlation was most pronounced among individuals aged 50-59 years. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlight a critical association between the incidence of seasonal heatwaves and an uptick in ED visits for psychiatric disorders, with a distinct impact on severe cases. It underscores the urgency for healthcare systems to anticipate seasonal fluctuations in psychiatric ED admissions and to allocate resources effectively to support patients during peak periods.

[Effectiveness of a manualized cognitive-behavioural intervention for postnatal depression]. / Efficacia di un intervento cognitivo-comportamentale manualizzato nella depressione post-partum.

AIM: Important guidelines recommend cognitive-behavioural interventions for postnatal depression but in the clinical practice they are not really diffused. This study describes the results and effectiveness of a structured cognitive-behavioural intervention implemented in a public mental health department. METHODS: The study involved 54 depressed women drawn from a community screening programme for postnatal depression in Bergamo province. Intervention was conducted on group and individual basis following a cognitive-behavioural programme of 10-15 weeks duration, including at least one partner session and adhered to a structured manual. Baseline and post intervention measures of depression and health were collected through validated rating scales. RESULTS: Following treatment, a significant improvement was demostrated on Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Short Form-12. The improvements were manteined after a 12 mounths follow up. CONCLUSIONS: These results are encouraging and suggest that brief and structured cognitive behavioral interventions can be effective as a treatment for depression in postnatal period and routinely implemented in the clinical practice.

Psychological factors of sibling caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders: an observational study.

The goal of the present study is to explore the perception of the relationship with parental figures, traumatic experiences, personality traits and psychosocial characteristics of the participant sibling caregivers. The sample was composed of 30 sibling caregivers recruited at psychiatric facilities in Italy, and of 30 control siblings. The battery of instruments administered included Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2), and The Inventory of Traumatic Experiences (TEC). This research found that sibling caregivers of patients with severe psychiatric pathologies are distinctly different from the siblings of the control group with respect to the perception of their relationship with parental figures more frequently regarded as dysfunctional, and were also characterized by a higher presence of traumatic experiences. The problematic relationship with parental figures, some traumatic experiences, and the burden of taking care of a sibling with psychiatric disorders are probably important variables with regards to the individual's overall psychological condition.

Superwellness Program: a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based group intervention to reduce weight gain in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs.

OBJECTIVE:: To assess the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention (Superwellness Program) on weight gain compared with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) approach in patients treated with antipsychotics, and to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) variation and clinical variables. METHOD:: Eighty-five patients treated with antipsychotics were allocated across two groups, experimental (n=59) and control (n=26). The Superwellness Program (experimental group) consisted of 32 twice-weekly 1-hour sessions, conducted by a psychologist and a nutritionist/nurse, concurrently with moderate food intake and moderate physical activity plans. Sociodemographic, clinical, and biological variables were collected at baseline, at the end of intervention (16 weeks), and after 6 months. RESULTS:: BMI change from baseline differed significantly between the experimental and control groups, with a larger decrease in the experimental group (F = 5.5, p = 0.021). Duration of illness moderated the effect of treatment on BMI (p = 0.026). No significant (p = 0.499) effect of intervention during the follow-up period was found. Interestingly, the intervention indirectly induced a significant (p = 0.024) reduction in metabolic risk by reducing BMI. CONCLUSION:: A cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention could be useful in reducing weight in a clinical population taking antipsychotics, with consequent benefit to physical and mental health.

Superwellness Program: a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based group intervention to reduce weight gain in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention (Superwellness Program) on weight gain compared with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) approach in patients treated with antipsychotics, and to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) variation and clinical variables. Method: Eighty-five patients treated with antipsychotics were allocated across two groups, experimental (n=59) and control (n=26). The Superwellness Program (experimental group) consisted of 32 twice-weekly 1-hour sessions, conducted by a psychologist and a nutritionist/nurse, concurrently with moderate food intake and moderate physical activity plans. Sociodemographic, clinical, and biological variables were collected at baseline, at the end of intervention (16 weeks), and after 6 months. Results: BMI change from baseline differed significantly between the experimental and control groups, with a larger decrease in the experimental group (F = 5.5, p = 0.021). Duration of illness moderated the effect of treatment on BMI (p = 0.026). No significant (p = 0.499) effect of intervention during the follow-up period was found. Interestingly, the intervention indirectly induced a significant (p = 0.024) reduction in metabolic risk by reducing BMI. Conclusion: A cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention could be useful in reducing weight in a clinical population taking antipsychotics, with consequent benefit to physical and mental health.

[Prevalence and risk factors of postnatal depression among women attending antenatal courses]. / Prevalenza e fattori di rischio della depressione post parto tra le donne che partecipano ai corsi pre parto.

AIMS: Postnatal depression, the most frequent complication occurring after pregnancy, is often not recognized. The prevalence of postnatal depression is currently considered to be 10-15% in western countries. A wide range of risk factors related to postnatal depression were researched in international studies. Our aim was to evaluate the risk factors and their frequency in a women population of Bergamo Province and compare the results with findings of international literature. METHODS: 595 women taking part to antenatal courses in three hospitals in Bergamo Province were screened for Postnatal Depression using EPDS and clinical interview. Prevalence and possible psychosocial risk factors data were collected and subsequently analysed and compared with literature findings. RESULTS: Thirty six (7.1%) women of our sample had postnatal depression. Depressed mood and depression during pregnancy, anxiety during pregnancy, poor social support, recent life events, a history of depression or other psychiatric history, presence of maternity blues were the strongest predictors of postnatal depression in our sample. CONCLUSIONS: The Psychosocial risk factors emerged from our study are substantially the same indicated by international studies, on the contrary prevalence is a little lower. This result may be explained considering that our women sample wasn't completely representative of general population.