Distance Under Pandemic Conditions (COVID-19): Professional Burnout of Primary and Secondary Grade Teachers.

This study elaborates on the possibility that distant education via online platforms increased the levels of burnout among teachers of primary and secondary general education during the school year 2020-2021. The main goal was to identify the factors that cause additional stress and intensify burnout. Data was collected with Google Forms by simple random sampling method. A standardized questionnaire was used as a research tool which includes demographic data in the first part of the research and the scale of stress levels, the scale of professional burnout of teachers, as well as the teaching scale self-efficacy.The final sample consisted of 169 primary and secondary education teachers during the school year 2020-2021 both in live and distant teaching. The results showed that mostly women who were permanently employed in special education or language teachers with 6-15 or more years of experience suffered from depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout. In conclusion, live teaching is considered much more effective, regardless of teacher gender or age, with the exception of teachers experienced in distance education programs. Teachers do not feel ready and sufficient to implement distant learning regarding classroom management and student involvement.

Health Related Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is associated with deteriorating of quality of life (QOL) and exercise capacity (EC) but less is known on how EC interplays with QOL. The present study explores the relationship between quality of life and cardiovascular risk factors in people who present in cardiology clinics. A total of 153 adult presentations completed the SF-36 Health Survey and provided data for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity, hyperlipidemia and history of coronary heart disease. Physical capacity was assessed by treadmill test. were correlated with the scores of the psychometric questionnaires. Participants with longer duration on treadmill exercise score higher on the scale of physical functioning. The study found that treadmill exercise intensity and duration were associated with improved scores in dimensions of the physical component summary and the physical functioning of SF-36, respectively. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors is related to a decreased quality of life. Patients with cardiovascular diseases should undergo particularly detailed analysis of the quality of life along with specific mental factors such as depersonalization and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Burnout Related to Diabetes Mellitus: A Critical Analysis.

Background: Diabetes burnout is a condition when a patient with diabetes feels tired from his/her disease and neglects it for a certain period or continuously. Objective: Diabetes burnout is frequent, and there is extended literature about psychosocial stress and its negative effects on health. Methods: A search for relevant studies was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar and ResearchGate. A systematic review was conducted on the relevant articles after critical appraisal. Only publications in English were selected. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between burnout syndrome and diabetes mellitus. Results: This article mainly focused on studies that evaluated the presence of burnout and diabetes mellitus effects. Diabetes can influence psychological health equally with somatic strength. Relatives can also express depression, guilt, fright, worry, rage, and burnout. Psychosocial job stress and extended working hours are linked with a higher possibility of myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Conclusion: Diabetes burnout is a combination of emotions and practices, ranging from tiredness to indifference, linked with a distressing sense of hopelessness. Revealing this health condition is necessary so that preventive measures can be taken.

Instantaneous radiated power of brain activity: application to prepulse inhibition and facilitation for body dysmorphic disorder.

BACKGROUND: Global measures of neuronal activity embrace the advantage of a univariate, holistic and unique description of brain activity, reducing the spatial dimensions of electroencephalography (EEG) analysis at the cost of lower precision in localizing effects. In this work, the instantaneous radiated power (IRP) is proposed as a new whole-brain descriptor, reflecting the cortical activity from an exclusively electromagnetic perspective. Considering that the brain consists of multiple elementary dipoles, the whole-brain IRP takes into account the radiational contribution of all cortical sources. Unlike conventional EEG analyses that evaluate a large number of scalp or source locations, IRP reflects a whole-brain, event-related measure and forces the analysis to focus on a single time-series, thus efficiently reducing the EEG spatial dimensions and multiple comparisons. RESULTS: To apply the developed methodology in real EEG data, two groups (25 controls vs 30 body dysmorphic disorder, BDD, patients) were matched for age and sex and tested in a prepulse inhibition (PPI) and facilitation (PPF) paradigm. Two global brain descriptors were extracted for between-groups and between-conditions comparison purposes, namely the global field power (GFP) and the whole-brain IRP. Results showed that IRP can replicate the expected condition differences (with PPF being greater than PPI responses), exhibiting also reduced levels in BDD compared to control group overall. There were also similar outcomes using GFP and IRP, suggesting consistency between the two measures. Finally, regression analysis showed that the PPI-related IRP (during N100 time-window) is negatively correlated with BDD psychometric scores. CONCLUSIONS: Investigating the brain activity with IRP significantly reduces the data dimensionality, giving insights about global brain synchronization and strength. We conclude that IRP can replicate the existing evidence regarding sensorimotor gating effects, revealing also group electrophysiological alterations. Finally, electrophysiological IRP responses exhibited correlations with BDD psychometrics, potentially useful as supplementary tool in BDD symptomatology.

Exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is known to impact on patients' physical and mental health. The relationship between performance on treadmill exercise tolerance test (ETT) and health-related quality of life (HRQL)has never been specifically investigated in the setting of CAD. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing an ETT with the Bruce protocol during a diagnostic workup for CAD (n = 1,631, age 55 ± 12 years) were evaluated. Exercise-related indices were recorded. Detailed information on cardiovascular risk factors and past medical history were obtained. HRQLwas assessed with the use of the validated 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. RESULTS: Increasing age and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities correlated with lower scores on the physical and mental health component of SF-36(all P < 0.05). Subjects with arrhythmias during exercise and slow recovery of systolic blood pressure had lower scores on the physical health indices or the Social Role Functioning component (P < 0.05). Achieved target heart rate and good exercise tolerance were independently associated with better scores of the physical and mental health domains of SF-36 and overall HRQLscores (ß = 0.05 for target HR and PCS-36, ß = 1.86 and ß = 1.66 per increasing stage of exercise tolerance and PCS-36 and MCS-36, respectively, P < 0.001 for all associations). Ischemic ECG changes were associated with worse scores on Physical Functioning (ß = - 3.2, P = 0.02) and Bodily Pain (ß = - 4.55, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: ETT parameters are associated with HRQL indices in patients evaluated for possible CAD. Physical conditioning may increase patient well-being and could serve as a complementary target in conjunction with cardiovascular drug therapy.

Economic Distress in Families with a Member Suffering from Severe Mental Illness: Illness Burden or Financial Crisis? Evidence from Greece.

The present study aims to explore the economic distress and pertinent coping strategies in families with a member suffering from a severe mental illness. Furthermore it endeavors to gauge the impact of illness burden and that of the Greek recession on economic distress, while disentangling their contribution. In total, 190 key relatives of people with severe mental illness were recruited from community mental health services in the region of Attica. Relatives completed a self-reported questionnaire consisting of the Index of Personal Economic Distress, the Family Burden scale and the Family Rituals scale. Information on financial strategies for tackling recession and income loss due to the recession was also gleaned. Regarding economic distress, only 15% had frequent difficulty meeting routine financial demands in their household. The preponderant strategy was spending savings (56.8%). Income category and spending less on basic needs were the main predictors of economic distress. Objective poverty indices rather than burden predicted economic distress to a greater extent.

Neurological and neurourological complications of electrical injuries.

Electrical injury can affect any system and organ. Central nervous system (CNS) complications are especially well recognised, causing an increased risk of morbidity, while peripheral nervous system (PNS) complications, neurourological and cognitive and psychological abnormalities are less predictable after electrical injuries. PubMed was searched for English language clinical observational, retrospective, review and case studies published in the last 30 years using the key words: electrical injury, electrocution, complications, sequelae, neurological, cognitive, psychological, urological, neuropsychological, neurourological, neurogenic, and bladder. In this review, the broad spectrum of neurological, cognitive, psychological and neurourological consequences of electrical trauma are discussed, and clinical features characteristic of an underlying neurological, psychological or neurourological disorder are identified. The latest information about the most recently discovered forms of nervous system disorders secondary to electrical trauma, such as the presentation of neurological sequelae years after electrocution, in other words long-term sequelae, are presented. Unexpected central nervous system or muscular complications such as hydrocephalus, brain venous thrombosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are described. Common and uncommon neuropsychological syndromes after electrical trauma are defined. Neurourological sequelae secondary to spinal cord or brain trauma or as independent consequences of electrical shock are also highlighted.

Mental Health Professionals' Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness and Its Correlates in Psychiatric Hospitals of Attica: The Role of Workers' Empathy.

To describe mental health workers' attitudes to severe mental illness and to explore its socio-demographic and professional correlates, including the influence of empathy. A total of 127 mental health staff working on the psychiatric hospitals of Attica participated in the study. Stigma was assessed with the Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness scale (ASMI) and the Greek Social Distance scale; whilst Empathy with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Participants' unfavourable attitudes to severe mental illness were limited to pessimism about recovery, difficulty in viewing people with mental illness as similar to other people and desire to keep distance in intimate encounters. Professional group and personal experience with mental illness were found to predict stigma. Only perspective taking was associated with both stigma measures; while Fantasy was positively correlated with social distance. Anti-stigma interventions in mental healthcare should prioritize nurses and psychiatrists and aim at enhancing perspective taking.

Problem Gambling in Greece: Prevalence and Risk Factors During the Financial Crisis.

In Greece no study has ever been conducted on the prevalence of problem gambling. Therefore, a cross-sectional survey was carried out amid the recession aiming to (1) estimate past year prevalence of problem gambling, (2) explore socio-economic and demographic differences among gamblers and non gamblers, (3) explore socio-economic and demographic differences among gamblers who started gambling prior and during the downturn and (4) identify its risk factors with a special interest in the influence of the recession. To this end, data emanating from a telephone and patron survey were combined. A random and representative sample of 3.404 people participated in the telephone survey and 2.400 in the patron survey. The interview schedule was the same in both studies. The presence of problem gambling was assessed with the Canadian Problem Gambling Index. Information on participants' socio-economic and demographic characteristics as well as their ways of dealing financially with the crisis were collected. Findings indicated that 2.4% of respondents met criteria for problem gambling. Male gender, minority status, living with family of origin, low educational level and low to zero income were found to constitute the risk factors of the disorder. Moreover, having started gambling during the recession increased the odds of suffering from problem gambling; however this finding was gender-specific. Thus, people end up in problem gambling through various pathways, with these trajectories being different for men and women. Any intervention should address the complexity of the issue and be tailored by gender.

Enduring financial crisis in Greece: prevalence and correlates of major depression and suicidality.

PURPOSE: A series of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013 were conducted with the aim of estimating the prevalence of major depression and suicidality as well as of investigating its risk factors. The present report concentrates on the 2013 survey. METHODS: A random and representative sample of 2.188 people was telephone interviewed with regard to various socio-economic indicators and the presence of major depression and suicidality, which were assessed with the germane module of the Structured Clinical Interview. RESULTS: Findings suggest a rise in 1-month prevalence of major depression (12.3 %) and a decline in prevalence of suicidality (2.8 %). Female gender, residence in rural area, low educational attainment, unemployment and economic hardship were found to increase the odds of suffering from major depression. The influence of economic hardship and unemployment on suicidality was also substantial and independent of major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Results stress the imperative need for the design and implementation of social policies and interventions that would offset the dire impact of the sustained recession in Greece.

Cytokines, diabetes mellitus and psychopathology: a challenging combination.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α with trait and state psychological factors in type 2 diabetic patients. DESIGN: Patients were divided in two groups. Group A consisted of 86 controlled diabetic patients (HbA1c<7) and the Group B consisted of 45 uncontrolled diabetic patients (HbA1c ≥ 7). SETTINGS: During the initial phase of the study (T0), blood samples were taken for measuring IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α serum levels as well as a battery of psychometric instruments. One year later (T1), the uncontrolled diabetic patients were re-evaluated with the use of the same psychometric instruments and with the identical blood analysis. RESULTS: The average values of tnf-α were significantly different among controlled (7.73 ± 5.51) and uncontrolled patients (9.29 ± 4.52) at a significance level of 5% (p=0.009). Controlled diabetic patients show a statistically significant relationship between IL-6 and neuroticism (rp=0.303, p=0.010), and between IL-12 and psychotism, (rsp=0.382, p=0.001). Controlled diabetic patients show a statistically significant relationship between IL-12 and the act out hostility (rsp=-0.307, p=0.009). The scores of the psychometric tests differ significantly between the first and second evaluation. Acting out hostility and the direction of hostility increased when HbA1c values fell below the threshold of 7, while the total hostility index, as well as all other scales, dropped when patients controlled their metabolic profile. CONCLUSIONS: The present results provide evidence that IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α are closely related to the course and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Factitious Disorder as a Skin Ulcer: A Case Report.

Dermatitis artefacta (factitious dermatitis) is a dermatological disease of different types; it could appear on various parts of the body. It is associated with severe difficulties, such as psychic distress and negative feelings aroused in healthcare personnel or borderline personality disorder, and the long-term possibility of patient self-harm to create more symptoms, resulting in unnecessary medical procedures. This is a case of a 17-year-old girl who was hospitalized with a skin ulcer on her right ankle that proved to be a factitious disorder. She was experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety, such as feeling nervous, having trouble sleeping and concentrating, and an inability to control worry due to her preparation for university studies. She refused to see a mental health professional since the onset of anxiety symptoms, i.e., the last four months. Patients who present with factitious disorder deliberately create clinical signs of a somatic disease because they need warmth and attention in a medical environment. Symptoms offer no significant benefit, and the pathophysiological mechanisms are mainly psychological. The primary treatment for factitious disorder is psychotherapy while the management of the ulcer requires dermatosurgical treatment.

Depressive symptomatology and pineal epidermoid cyst: a case report.

Introduction Intracranial epidermoid cysts are congenital cysts. They comprise 0.2-1.8% of primary intracranial tumours and are four to nine times as common as dermoid cysts. Case report We here in present the case of a 32-year-old man who reported sudden onset of symptoms of a depressive symptomatology and particularly severe headache, accompanied by fatigue, depressed mood most of the day, marked diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities, insomnia and diminished ability to think or concentrate. Brain magnetic resolution imaging examination revealed a pineal epidermoid cystic lesion, visualised in the posterior part of the third ventricle, with a maximum diameter of ∼2.8 cm and obstructing the aqueduct of Sylvius, causing obstructive hydrocephalus. Discussion Pineal cysts may enlarge over time, because of either increased cyst fluid or intracystic haemorrhage, and become symptomatic. Brain radiological investigations in patients with depressive symptomatology may be substantial.

The association of the metabolic profile in diabetes mellitus type 2 patients with obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and depressive symptomatology: new insights.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between diabetes mellitus type 2, Obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) symptomatology and depressive symptomatology with the metabolic profile of diabetic patients. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-one diabetic patients were randomly selected. In the first assessment all participants completed the Zung Self Rating Scale (ZUNG) and the Maudsley O-C Inventory Questionnaire (MOCI). After 1 year, diabetic patients that were initially uncontrolled (n = 31) (HbA1c > 7) were re-evaluated by the same psychometric tools. From those 31 patients, 10 had managed to control their metabolic profile. RESULTS: In the first evaluation MOCI and the sub-scale of slowness were statistically related with the diabetic profile (controlled, HbA1c ≤ 7; uncontrolled, HbA1c > 7), with uncontrolled patients scoring significantly higher on the overall MOCI score and the factor of slowness of MOCI scale (P = 0.028). The analysis revealed a positive association between depressive symptomatology (P = 0.004) and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptomatology (P < 0.001) and the metabolic profile of the patients. In the second evaluation the patients that managed to control their metabolic profile scored lower in both ZDRS and MOCI, although these differences in scores failed to reach significance levels were indicative of a tendency. CONCLUSIONS: The present results provide initial evidence that diabetes mellitus type 2 is associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptomatology and depressive symptomatology.

The Consequentialist Scale: Translation and empirical investigation in a Greek sample.

The Consequentialist Scale (Robinson, 2012) [89] assesses the endorsement of consequentialist and deontological moral beliefs. This study empirically investigated the application of the Greek translation of the Consequentialist Scale in a sample of native Greek speakers. Specifically, 415 native Greek speakers completed the questionnaire. To uncover the underlying structure of the 10 items in the Consequentialist Scale, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted. The results revealed a three-factor solution, where the deontology factor exhibited the same structure as the original work by Robinson (2012) [89], while the original consequentialism factor split into two separate factors. Significant Pearson's r correlations were observed between age and responses to the Consequentialist Scale. Separate EFAs were conducted for two age groups based on a medial split: younger (36 years old or less) and older (more than 36 years old). Interestingly, the younger group exhibited a two-factor solution with the same structure as the original work, while the older group showed a three-factor solution. A hierarchical k-means cluster analysis revealed that the cluster of participants who scored higher in deontology compared to consequentialism primarily consisted of older participants, whereas the two other clusters comprised of younger participants exhibited the reverse pattern. Neither gender nor previous experience with philosophy significantly affected scores on the Consequentialist Scale. Overall, our study provides evidence that the Consequentialist Scale is suitable for use in the Greek population.

A Digital Mental Health Support Program for Depression and Anxiety in Populations With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Feasibility and Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: A total of 1 in 2 adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggles with major depressive or anxiety disorders. The co-occurrence of these disorders adds to the complexity of finding utility in as well as adherence to a treatment option. Digital therapeutic solutions may present a promising alternative treatment option that could mitigate these challenges and alleviate symptoms. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate (1) the feasibility and acceptance of a digital mental health intervention, (2) participants' engagement and retention levels, and (3) the potential efficacy with respect to anxiety and depression symptoms in a population with ADHD. Our main hypothesis was that a digital, data-driven, and personalized intervention for adults with coexisting ADHD and depressive or anxiety symptoms would show high engagement and adherence, which would be accompanied by a decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms along with an increase in quality of life and life satisfaction levels. METHODS: This real-world data, single-arm study included 30 adult participants with ADHD symptomatology and coexisting depressive or anxiety symptoms who joined a 16-week digital, data-driven mental health support program. This intervention is based on a combination of evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and positive psychology techniques. The targeted symptomatology was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Quality of life aspects were evaluated using the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, and user feedback surveys were used to assess user experience and acceptability. RESULTS: The study retention rate was 97% (29/30), and high engagement levels were observed, as depicted by the 69 minutes spent on the app per week, 5 emotion logs per week, and 11.5 mental health actions per week. An average decrease of 46.2% (P<.001; r=0.89) in depressive symptoms and 46.4% (P<.001; r=0.86) in anxiety symptoms was observed, with clinically significant improvement for more than half (17/30, 57% and 18/30, 60%, respectively) of the participants. This was followed by an average increase of 23% (P<.001; r=0.78) and 20% (P=.003; r=0.8) in Satisfaction With Life Scale and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire scores, respectively. The overall participant satisfaction level was 4.3 out of 5. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and value of the examined digital program for adults with ADHD symptomatology to address the coexisting depressive or anxiety symptoms. However, controlled trials with larger sample sizes and more diverse participant profiles are required to provide further evidence of clinical efficacy.

Unravelling brain connectivity patterns in body dysmorphic disorder during decision-making on visual illusions: A graph theoretical approach.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with perceived defects in physical appearance, and is associated with compulsive checking. Visual illusions are illusory or distorted subjective perceptions of visual stimuli, which are induced by specific visual cues or contexts. While previous research has investigated visual processing in BDD, the decision-making processes involved in visual illusion processing remain unknown. The current study addressed this gap by investigating the brain connectivity patterns of BDD patients during decision-making about visual illusions. Thirty-six adults - 18 BDD (9 female) and 18 healthy controls (10 female) - viewed 39 visual illusions while their EEG was recorded. For each image, participants were asked to indicate (1) whether they perceived the illusory features of the images; and (2) their degree of confidence in their response. Our results did not uncover group-level differences in susceptibility to visual illusions, supporting the idea that higher-order differences, as opposed to lower-level visual impairments, can account for the visual processing differences that have previously been reported in BDD. However, the BDD group had lower confidence ratings when they reported illusory percepts, reflecting increased feelings of doubt. At the neural level, individuals with BDD showed greater theta band connectivity while making decisions about the visual illusions, likely reflecting higher intolerance to uncertainty and thus increased performance monitoring. Finally, control participants showed increased left-to-right and front-to-back directed connectivity in the alpha band, which may suggest more efficient top-down modulation of sensory areas in control participants compared to individuals with BDD. Overall, our findings are consistent with the idea that higher-order disruptions in BDD are associated with increased performance monitoring during decision-making, which may be related to constant mental rechecking of responses.

Deciding on Optical Illusions: Reduced Alpha Power in Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation with imagined defects in appearance. Optical illusions induce illusory effects that distort the presented stimulus, thus leading to ambiguous percepts. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we investigated whether BDD is related to differentiated perception during illusory percepts. METHODS: A total of 18 BDD patients and 18 controls were presented with 39 optical illusions together with a statement testing whether or not they perceived the illusion. After a delay period, they were prompted to answer whether the statement was right/wrong and their degree of confidence in their answer. We investigated differences of BDD patients on task performance and self-reported confidence and analyzed the brain oscillations during decision-making using nonparametric cluster statistics. RESULTS: Behaviorally, the BDD group exhibited reduced confidence when responding incorrectly, potentially attributed to higher levels of doubt. Electrophysiologically, the BDD group showed significantly reduced alpha power at the fronto-central and parietal scalp areas, suggesting impaired allocation of attention. Interestingly, the lower the alpha power of the identified cluster, the higher the BDD severity, as assessed by BDD psychometrics. CONCLUSIONS: Results evidenced that alpha power during illusory processing might serve as a quantitative EEG biomarker of BDD, potentially associated with reduced inhibition of task-irrelevant areas.

Psychopathology and Alexithymia in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis: Development of a Novel Index with Prognostic Value.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disease with a high risk of developing mental health difficulties. OBJECTIVE: The purposes of the study were to evaluate in moderate-to-severe psoriasis (a) the prevalence of depression and psychopathology, (b) the relationship between depression, psychopathology symptoms, and alexithymia, including its three dimensions, difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty in describing feelings (DDF), and externally oriented thinking (EOT), and (c) to establish a novel index for the development of depression according to patients' psychopathological profile. METHODS: In 104 patients, alexithymia was evaluated with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and psychopathology with the Brief Symptom Inventory SCL-90 (SCL90). A psychopathology index that combines information from the BDI and SCL90 scales was constructed and the performance of the index with alexithymia was examined. RESULTS: Female patients and active smokers score higher on BDI and SCL90 scales. Overweight patients tend to score arithmetically higher. The psychopathology index developed correlates significantly with age, DIF, DDF, and TAS-20. DIF, DDF, and TAS-20 are significant predictors of the psychopathology index. Patients with alexithymia/possible alexithymia are six times as likely to score higher in one of the psychopathology scales. CONCLUSIONS: Alexithymia is a significant factor in the development of psychopathology in psoriasis patients. The use of the proposed novel psychopathology index could be essential in order to identify patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who are more likely to experience depression and psychopathology. This could have an impact on the decision-making of psoriasis treatment and monitoring of the patient.

Feasibility, engagement, and preliminary clinical outcomes of a digital biodata-driven intervention for anxiety and depression.

Hypothesis: The main hypothesis is that a digital, biodata-driven, and personalized program would exhibit high user retention and engagement, followed by more effective management of their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Objective: This pilot study explores the feasibility, acceptability, engagement, and potential impact on depressive and anxiety and quality of life outcomes of the 16-week Feel Program. Additionally, it examines potential correlations between engagement and impact on mental health outcomes. Methods: This single-arm study included 48 adult participants with mild or moderate depressive or anxiety symptoms who joined the 16-week Feel Program, a remote biodata-driven mental health support program created by Feel Therapeutics. The program uses a combination of evidence-based approaches and psychophysiological data. Candidates completed an online demographics and eligibility survey before enrolment. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, respectively. The Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to assess quality of life. User feedback surveys were employed to evaluate user experience and acceptability. Results: In total, 31 participants completed the program with an overall retention rate of 65%. Completed participants spent 60 min in the app, completed 13 Mental Health Actions, including 5 Mental Health Exercises and 4.9 emotion logs on a weekly basis. On average, 96% of the completed participants were active and 76.8% of them were engaged with the sensor during the week. Sixty five percent of participants reported very or extremely high satisfaction, while 4 out of 5 were very likely to recommend the program to someone. Additionally, 93.5% of participants presented a decrease in at least one of the depressive or anxiety symptoms, with 51.6 and 45% of participants showing clinically significant improvement, respectively. Finally, our findings suggest increased symptom improvement for participants with higher engagement throughout the program. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the Feel Program may be feasible, acceptable, and valuable for adults with mild or moderate depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. However, controlled trials with bigger sample size, inclusion of a control group, and more diverse participant profiles are required in order to provide further evidence of clinical efficacy.