Cognitive Impulsivity in Anorexia Nervosa in Correlation with Eating and Obsessive Symptoms: A Comparison with Healthy Controls.

Impulsivity in eating disorders (ED) has been historically focused on bingeing-purging symptoms, evidencing lower levels in restricting subtypes. In the recent literature, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been described as characterized by high cognitive impulsivity. This specific impulsivity factor has been rarely studied in anorexia nervosa (AN). In this study, 53 inpatients with anorexia nervosa and 59 healthy controls completed the following questionnaires: the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI), the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). AN individuals showed significantly increased levels of cognitive instability but no difference in global score and other subscales of impulsivity compared to the healthy controls. Among AN individuals, cognitive instability emerged as being associated with the global score and obsession subscale of the OCI. It was also significantly associated with interoceptive awareness and impulse regulation. Cognitive instability was the main predictor of obsessive thoughts and behaviors in AN. Our study supports the hypothesis of AN as being characterized by high cognitive instability and adds the result that the cognitive domain of impulsivity may be associated with the presence of obsessive symptoms, specifically obsessive thoughts.

Demoralization in acute coronary syndrome: Treatment and predictive factors associated with its persistence / Desmoralización en el síndrome coronario agudo: tratamiento y factores predictivos asociados a su persistencia

Background/objective: Although demoralization is associated with morbidity and mortality in cardiac settings, its treatment has been overlooked. The present randomized controlled trial aimed at 1) evaluating the effectiveness of sequential combination of Cognitive-Behavioral and Well-Being therapies (CBT/WBT), compared to Clinical Management (CM), on demoralization among Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients, at post-treatment and after 3 months; 2) examining ACS patients’ characteristics predicting demoralization persistence at 3-month follow-up. Method: 91 demoralized ACS patients were randomized to CBT/WBT (N = 47) or CM (N = 44). Demoralization was assessed with an interview on Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatics Research at baseline, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. Predictors of demoralization maintenance included cardiac parameters, psychological distress and well-being. Results: Compared to CM, CBT/WBT significantly reduced demoralization post-treatment. Somatization (odds ratio = 1.11; p = 0.027) and history of depression (odds ratio = 5.16; p = 0.004) were risk factors associated with demoralization persistence at follow-up, whereas positive relationships (odds ratio = 0.94; p = 0.005) represented protective factors. Conclusions: The study provides preliminary and promising evidence on the benefits of CBT/WBT in treating demoralization in ACS patients. Moreover, ACS patients with somatization or positive history of depression could be at higher risk for developing persistent demoralization.(AU)

Longitudinal trajectories of anxiety and depression in subjects with different mental disorders after one year in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the development and trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms among subjects with different mental disorders, during the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (T0, March-April 2021) while strict containment measures were applied in Italy, and after 3 months (T1, June-July 2021), with reduced restrictive measures. A sample of 527 subjects, with different DSM-5 diagnoses, was enrolled at nine Italian psychiatric outpatient services. Assessments at T0 and T1 included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms. Differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms rates emerged across different mental disorders and a general improvement at T1 was detected for all of them in both the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores, except for Psychosis and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Patients with Feeding and Eating Disorders (FED) reported statistically significantly higher: GAD-7 scores than those with Bipolar Disorder (BD), at both times, and Anxiety Disorders at baseline; PHQ-9 scores than all other diagnostic categories, at both times. Unemployment, no COVID-19 infection, OCD were predictive variables related to GAD-7 scores at T1, while being unmarried, BD or FED related to PHQ-9 scores at T1. Subjects with mental disorders reported anxiety and depressive symptoms during the third pandemic wave and most of patients showed an improvement over a 3-month follow-up, despite differences emerged among diagnostic categories and for the variables involved. Further studies are needed to deepen knowledge on pandemic impact on patients with mental disorders.

Demoralization in acute coronary syndrome: Treatment and predictive factors associated with its persistence.

Background/objective: Although demoralization is associated with morbidity and mortality in cardiac settings, its treatment has been overlooked. The present randomized controlled trial aimed at 1) evaluating the effectiveness of sequential combination of Cognitive-Behavioral and Well-Being therapies (CBT/WBT), compared to Clinical Management (CM), on demoralization among Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients, at post-treatment and after 3 months; 2) examining ACS patients' characteristics predicting demoralization persistence at 3-month follow-up. Method: 91 demoralized ACS patients were randomized to CBT/WBT (N = 47) or CM (N = 44). Demoralization was assessed with an interview on Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatics Research at baseline, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. Predictors of demoralization maintenance included cardiac parameters, psychological distress and well-being. Results: Compared to CM, CBT/WBT significantly reduced demoralization post-treatment. Somatization (odds ratio = 1.11; p = 0.027) and history of depression (odds ratio = 5.16; p = 0.004) were risk factors associated with demoralization persistence at follow-up, whereas positive relationships (odds ratio = 0.94; p = 0.005) represented protective factors. Conclusions: The study provides preliminary and promising evidence on the benefits of CBT/WBT in treating demoralization in ACS patients. Moreover, ACS patients with somatization or positive history of depression could be at higher risk for developing persistent demoralization.

The interplay between mentalization, personality traits and burnout in psychiatry training: Results from a large multicenter controlled study.

BACKGROUND: A better characterization of educational processes during psychiatry training is needed, both to foster personal resilience and occupational proficiency. METHODS: An adequate coverage of medical residents at the national level was reached (41.86% of the total reference population, 29 out of 36 training centers-80.55%). Controls were recruited among residents in other medical specialties. All participants were assessed by questionnaires to evaluate early life experiences, attachment style, personality traits, coping strategies, emotional competencies. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) framework was employed to investigate the interplay between individual factors. RESULTS: A total sample of 936 people was recruited (87.9% response-rate; 645 residents in psychiatry, 291 other medical residents). Psychiatry trainees reported a higher prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect), greater attachment insecurity (anxious or avoidant) in comparison to other medical trainees. Psychiatry residents also reported higher social support-seeking as a coping strategy, lower problem-orientation, and lower transcendence. Lower neuroticism, higher openness to experience, and higher emotional awareness were also observed in psychiatry trainees. Psychiatry training was associated with a redefinition of conflict management skills as a function of seniority. The SEM model provided support for an interplay between early traumatic experiences, mentalization skills (coping strategies, emotion regulation), interpersonal competencies and occupational distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study supported a theoretical model based on mentalization theory for the interactions between personal and relational competencies in psychiatry training, thus providing potential target of remodulation and redefinition of this specific process of education.

Perfectionism in anorexia nervosa: Associations with clinical picture and personality traits.

Although many researchers addressed the topics, no consistent data are currently available regarding the relationship between perfectionism and personality traits in anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study aimed to assess differences between high- and low-perfectionism groups of patients with AN and to identify which variables show the strongest association with perfectionism. A group of inpatients with AN (n = 193) was recruited and completed a battery of self-report questionnaires regarding eating-related and general psychopathology, perfectionism, and personality. On the basis of perfectionism scores, patients were divided into high- and low-perfectionism groups. High-perfectionist patients displayed higher eating-related and general psychopathology; higher depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperament, and lower self-directedness, cooperativeness and self-esteem. Perfectionism was associated with the drive for thinness, cooperativeness, self-esteem and anxious temperament. On the basis of the two personality traits most strongly correlated with perfectionism (i.e., cooperativeness and anxious temperament), patients could be correctly assigned to the high- or low-perfectionism group by an algorithm. The study suggests that perfectionism in AN is related to eating psychopathology, especially of restrictive type, and personality features such as cooperativeness and anxious temperament. These findings confirm the important role of perfectionism in AN, not only concerning eating behaviour but personality as well.

The Nepean Belief Scale (NBS) as a tool to investigate the intensity of beliefs in anorexia nervosa: psychometric properties of the Italian version.

BACKGROUND: People with anorexia nervosa (AN) show a peculiar impairment of insight regarding their condition, often manifesting a denial of extreme emaciation and sometimes hiding or underreporting socially undesirable abnormal eating patterns. Sometimes the intensity of the beliefs held by patients with AN reach a delusional intensity. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the Italian version of the Nepean Belief Scale was applied to a sample of patients diagnosed with AN to investigate the intensity of their beliefs and convictions and its clinical correlates. METHODS: The Nepean Belief Scale (NBS) was translated and adapted to Italian and applied to a sample of patients diagnosed with AN based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5). RESULTS: The Italian version of the 5-item NBS showed excellent reliability. Convergent validity was proved by negative association with levels of insight measured with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight in Eating Disorders. Beliefs of delusional intensity were reported by 10% of participants. Those with a greater intensity of beliefs, either overvalued or delusional ideas, were more likely to report poorer general cognitive performances on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. No association was observed between NBS score and age, body mass index, symptoms of eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, or levels of depression. Fear of weight gain and control seeking were the most often reported themes at the NBS. CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of the NBS is a reasonably reliable, valid, and usable tool for the multidimensional assessment of insight in AN. Level of evidence Level III, Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Exploring Caloric Restriction in Inpatients with Eating Disorders: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations with Body Dissatisfaction, Body Avoidance, Clinical Factors, and Psychopathology.

Reduction in food intake is an important feature of eating disorders (EDs). However, whereas self-reported cognitive control over food (i.e., dietary restraint) is commonly assessed, we are not aware of any study evaluating the actual reduction in caloric intake (i.e., caloric restriction, CR) and its relationships with psychopathological, clinical, and anamnestic factors in individuals with EDs. In this study, we quantified caloric intake, CR, and weight suppression in 225 ED inpatients and explored significant relationships with self-reported eating symptoms, body dissatisfaction, body avoidance, personality, and affective symptoms. For underweight inpatients (n = 192), baseline predictors of caloric intake and restriction at discharge were assessed through a data-driven approach. CR at admission was significantly related to eating symptomatology, state anxiety, and body image. In regression models, CR, higher BMI, binge-purging symptoms, and the interaction between weight suppression and CR were significantly related to body dissatisfaction. The best psychopathological predictors of caloric intake and restriction at discharge for underweight inpatients were perfectionistic concern over mistakes and state anxiety. These results suggest that caloric restriction is associated to relevant ED features and warrant for a multidimensional assessment of ED psychopathology.

Abnormal sense of agency in eating disorders.

The feeling of controlling one's own actions and, through them, impacting the external environment (i.e. Sense of Agency-SoA) can be relevant in the eating disorders (EDs) symptomatology. Yet, it has been poorly investigated. This study aims to implicitly assess SoA exploiting the Sensory Attenuation paradigm in two groups of EDs patients (Anorexia Nervosa Restrictive and Anorexia Nervosa Binge-Purging or Bulimia Nervosa) compared to a control group. We find that controls perceive self-generated stimuli as less intense than other-generated ones showing the classic pattern of sensory attenuation. By contrast, EDs patients show the opposite pattern, with self-generated perceived as more intense than other-generated stimuli. This result indicates an alteration of the implicit component of the feeling of control in EDs patients, thus suggesting a potential implication of these results for the clinical practice and the treatment of EDs symptomatology.

Easy to get, difficult to avoid: Behavioral tendencies toward high-calorie and low-calorie food during a mobile approach-avoidance task interact with body mass index and hunger in a community sample.

In recent years, different studies highlighted the importance of assessing behavioral tendencies toward different food stimuli in healthy and pathological samples. However, heterogeneities in experimental approaches and small sample sizes make this literature rather inconsistent. In this study, we used a mobile approach-avoidance task to investigate the behavioral tendencies toward healthy and unhealthy foods compared to neutral objects in a large community sample. The role of some contextual and stable subjective variables was also explored. The sample included 204 participants. The stimuli comprised 15 pictures of unhealthy foods, 15 pictures of healthy foods, and 15 pictures of neutral objects. Participants were required to approach or avoid stimuli by respectively pull or push the smartphone toward or away from themselves. Accuracy and reaction time of each movement were calculated. The analyses were conducted using a generalized linear mixed-effect model (GLMMs), testing the two-way interaction between the type of movement and the stimulus category and the three-way interactions between type of movement, stimulus, and specific variables (BMI, time passed since the last meal, level of perceived hunger). Our results evidenced faster approaching movement toward food stimuli but not toward neutrals. An effect of BMI was also documented: as the BMI increased, participants became slower in avoiding unhealthy compared to healthy foods, and in approaching healthy compared to unhealthy stimuli. Moreover, as hunger increased, participants became faster in approaching and slower in avoiding healthy compared to unhealthy stimuli. In conclusion, our results show an approach tendency toward food stimuli, independent from caloric content, in the general population. Furthermore, approach tendencies to healthy foods decreased with increasing BMI and increased with perceived hunger, indicating the possible influence of different mechanisms on eating-related behavioral tendencies.

The oracle of Delphi 2.0: considering artificial intelligence as a challenging tool for the treatment of eating disorders.

In this editorial, we discuss how the diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools-such as the recently available conversational AIs-could impact and transform eating disorders (EDs) care. We try to envision the possible use of AI by individuals affected by EDs and by clinicians, in terms of prevention, support to treatment, and development of new and actually personalized treatment strategies. We then focus on how the introduction of AI into psychotherapy could either represent an element of disruption for the therapeutical relationship or be positively and creatively integrated into session and inter-sessional dynamics. As technological advancements open scenarios where anyone could have access to a personal and all-knowing "oracle", the ability to formulate questions, individuals' experiences, and the scientific rigor with which clinicians study them must remain at the center of our work. Ethical and legal issues about the use of AI are also considered.

What's New in Research during the Current Epidemic Wave of Eating Disorders?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused physical health concerns and has significantly impacted mental health [...].

Pathways to eating disorder care: A European multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess barriers and facilitators in the pathways toward specialist care for eating disorders (EDs). METHODS: Eleven ED services located in seven European countries recruited patients with an ED. Clinicians administered an adapted version of the World Health Organization "Encounter Form," a standardized tool to assess the pathways to care. The unadjusted overall time needed to access the ED unit was described using the Kaplan-Meier curve. RESULTS: Four-hundred-nine patients were recruited. The median time between the onset of the current ED episode and the access to a specialized ED care was 2 years. Most of the participants did not directly access the specialist ED unit: primary "points of access" to care were mental health professionals and general practitioners. The involvement of different health professionals in the pathway, seeking help for general psychiatric symptoms, and lack of support from family members were associated with delayed access to ED units. CONCLUSIONS: Educational programs aiming to promote early diagnosis and treatment for EDs should pay particular attention to general practitioners, in addition to mental health professionals, and family members to increase awareness of these illnesses and of their treatment initiation process.

Increased General, Eating, and Body-Related Psychopathology in Inpatients in a Specialized Eating Disorders Unit after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Comparison with the Pre-Pandemic Period.

The study of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals who attended mental health services is needed to identify the specific vulnerabilities associated to this challenging period. Despite several analyses reporting the worsening of eating disorders symptomatology after the beginning of the pandemic, characterizations of adult inpatients with eating disorders are still lacking. We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess whether adult individuals who underwent hospitalization in a specialized eating disorders unit in the two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic differed in clinical presentation, psychopathological measures, and treatment outcomes from inpatients hospitalized in the two years before. In the comparison between the two groups, the individuals who began treatment after the start of the pandemic presented with more physical hyperactivity and more severe psychopathological scores in most of the areas investigated, with differences in eating symptoms still evident at discharge. Notably, body-related symptoms (i.e., body shape concerns, body checking, body avoidance) were associated with the pandemic, and also for inpatients with extreme anorexia nervosa. This retrospective analysis does not allow us to separate the impact of COVID-19 from other potentially relevant co-occurring factors; however, these findings help in understanding how the pandemic could have affected individuals that needed specialized intensive treatment.

Association of emotion recognition ability and interpersonal emotional competence in anorexia nervosa: A study with a multimodal dynamic task.

OBJECTIVE: Interpersonal difficulties are evidenced in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and are thought to contribute to disease onset and maintenance, however, research in the framework of emotional competence is currently limited. Previous studies have often only used static images for emotion recognition tasks, and evidence is lacking on the relationships between performance-based emotional abilities and self-reported intra- and interpersonal emotional traits. This study aimed to test multimodal dynamic emotion recognition ability in AN and analyze its correlation with the psychometric scores of self- and other-related emotional competence. METHOD: A total of 268 participants (128 individuals with AN and 140 healthy controls) completed the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test, the Profile of Emotional Competence, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and measures of general and eating psychopathology. Scores were compared between the two groups. Linear mixed effects models were utilized to examine the relationship between emotion recognition ability and self-reported measures and clinical variables. RESULTS: Individuals with AN showed significantly poorer recognition of emotions of both negative and positive valence and significantly lower scores in all emotional competence dimensions. Beside emotion type and group, linear mixed models evidenced significant effects of interpersonal comprehension on emotion recognition ability. DISCUSSION: Individuals with AN show impairment in multimodal emotion recognition and report their difficulties accordingly. Notably, among all emotional competence dimensions, interpersonal comprehension emerges as a significant correlate to emotion recognition in others, and could represent a specific area of intervention in the treatment of individuals with AN. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we evidence that the ability to recognize the emotions displayed by others is related to the level of interpersonal emotional competence reported by individuals with anorexia nervosa. This result helps in understanding the social impairments in people with anorexia nervosa and could contribute to advancements in the application of the training of emotional competence in the treatment of this disorder.

Anorexia Nervosa and Somatoform Dissociation: A Neglected Body-Centered Perspective.

Dissociation in anorexia nervosa (AN) is common (literature reported 29% of dissociative disorders in eating disorders) and higher in patients with binge-purging AN (BP-AN) than in those with restricter AN (R-AN). However, the distinction between somatoform (SomD) and psychoform dissociation (PsyD) is understudied. We aimed to assess the differences in PsyD and SomD, eating-related, general, and body-related psychopathology, and childhood trauma between subtypes of AN. Then, we attempted to describe a subgroup of patients with AN with marked SomD comparing them to patients without SomD, also controlling the results for PsyD and AN subtypes. Inpatients with AN (n = 111; 109 women and 2 men) completed self-reported questionnaires evaluating dissociation, eating-related, body-related, and general psychopathology, and childhood abuses. Patients with BP-AN reported higher SomD and PsyD and a more severe clinical picture than those with R-AN. The SomD-group (n = 41) showed higher eating concerns, trait-anxiety, body-related variables, and sexual/physical abuse compared to the no-SomD group (n = 70), independently of AN subtype and PsyD symptoms. Results described particular features of patients with AN and SomD. Data, clinically, suggest a careful assessment, for both SomD and PsyD, especially when a history of bodily-impacting trauma is present, potentially fostering dissociation-informed interventions.

Negative health outcomes in depressed cardiac patients are associated with both low and high psychological well-being dimensions.

Literature supports the positive effects of psychological well-being (P.W.B.) on health. However, most studies focused on the unitary construct of P.W.B., neglecting the different role played by distinct P.W.B. dimensions on health-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether unbalanced (i.e. low or high) levels of P.W.B. dimensions could differentially affect cardiac course after acute coronary syndrome (A.C.S.), in terms of participation in secondary prevention (S.P.) and/or survival. The sample included 136 depressed and/or demoralized A.C.S. patients referred for a S.P. program on lifestyle modification, in addition to routine cardiac visits provided by the hospital where they were admitted. Psychological assessment included validated interviews on depression and demoralization, Symptom Questionnaire and Psychological Well-Being scales. 100 patients joined the S.P. program, 36 did not. Logistic regression revealed that older age (B = 0.051; p < 0.05), higher autonomy (B = 0.070; p < 0.05) and lower personal growth (B = -0.073; p < 0.05) levels were associated with non-participation in S.P. Moreover, only among patients who did not join the program, those presenting with an impaired level of P.W.B. 'positive relations' dimension (i.e. below the 25th percentile) showed a worse cardiac prognosis (Log Rank: χ2(1) = 4.654; p = 0.031). Negative health outcomes in depressed cardiac patients, such as non-participation in S.P. and worse cardiac course, are associated with both high and low levels of certain P.W.B. dimensions. Psychotherapeutic approaches geared to a balance in P.W.B. dimensions could represent promising new additions to S.P. programs.

An innovative approach to the assessment of mood disturbances in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The clinical value of the identification of mood disorders in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is well established. However, assessment based on DSM criteria presents some limitations. This study aimed to provide an innovative strategy for evaluating the spectrum of mood disturbances in ACS. METHODS: A total of 288 patients with a first episode of ACS underwent interviews based on DSM-IV-TR criteria (major depressive disorder, minor depression, and dysthymia), Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research-DCPR (demoralization and type A behavior), and the Clinical Interview for Depression-CID. Additional self-report inventories (psychological well-being and distress) were administered. A total of 100 consecutive patients who satisfied criteria for DSM-IV-TR depression or DCPR demoralization were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial on a sequential combination of cognitive-behavioral and well-being therapy (CBT/WBT) vs clinical management (CM) and reassessed up to 30-month post-intervention. RESULTS: A total of 29.9% of patients showed a DSM-IV-TR depressive syndrome. Inclusion of demoralization and type A identified psychological distress in 58% of the sample. According to CID, reactivity to social environment, fatigue, depressed mood, and somatic anxiety were the most common symptoms. Somatic symptoms were significantly associated with DSM-IV-TR depression (fatigue and changes of appetite), whereas environmental reactivity with demoralization. Both depression and demoralization were associated with higher distress and lower well-being. Unlike CM, CBT/WBT was significantly associated with decrease of guilt, pessimism, fatigue, and early insomnia (CID). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that standard psychiatric approach identifies only a narrow part of mood disturbances affecting ACS patients. A more articulated assessment unravels specific clinical configurations that may entail prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Diagnostic Concordance between Research and Clinical-Based Assessments of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Anorexia Nervosa.

The literature has reported poor concordance in the assessment of psychiatric conditions, and inhomogeneity in the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in Anorexia Nervosa (AN). We aimed to investigate concordance level between clinicians' and researchers' diagnoses of psychiatric comorbidity in AN and differences in eating and general psychopathology between patients with and without psychiatric comorbidity assessed by clinicians versus researchers. A clinical psychiatrist interviewed 122 patients with AN; then a researcher administered the Structured and Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5). Participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The agreement between clinicians and researchers was poor for all diagnoses but obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorder. Patients with comorbid disorders diagnosed by researchers reported more severe eating and general psychopathology than those without SCID-comorbidity. The differences between patients with and without comorbidities assessed by a clinician were smaller. Two approaches to psychiatry comorbidity assessment emerged: SCID-5 diagnoses yield a precise and rigorous assessment, while clinicians tend to consider some symptoms as secondary to the eating disorder rather than as part of another psychiatric condition, seeing the clinical picture as a whole. Overall, the study highlights the importance of carefully assessing comorbidity in AN.

PTSD trajectories across different mental disorders in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: a naturalistic, longitudinal, multicenter study.

The potentially traumatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in subjects with pre-existing mental disorders is still unclear, especially regarding its long-term consequences. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in patients with mental disorders, during the 3rd wave of the infection (T0, March-April 2021) while strict containment measures were applied in Italy, and after 3 months (T1, June-July 2021), with reduced restrictive measures. A total sample of 527 subjects, with different DSM-5 diagnoses, was consecutively enrolled at nine Italian psychiatric outpatient services. Assessments at T0 included: the Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS). These two latter were repeated at T1. Results showed that at T0, 43.6% of the sample reported symptoms of PTSD, with females (p = .004), younger subjects (p = .011), unemployed/students (p = .011), and living with their parental families (p = .017), resulting more affected. Differences in PTSD rates emerged across diagnostic groups ranging from 10% in patients with psychoses up to 59% in those with feeding and eating disorders. An improvement at T1 emerged in all diagnostic groups for the IES-R scores, while WSAS scores improved only in subjects with mood disorders. In conclusions, subjects with mental disorders presented relevant rates of PTSD and PTSS at 1-year into the pandemic. Further long-term studies are needed to follow-up the course of pandemic traumatic burden especially in patients with severe mental disorders.