The influence of gender in cognitive insight and cognitive bias in people with first-episode psychosis: an uncontrolled exploratory analysis.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have investigated the role of gender in clinical symptoms, social functioning, and neuropsychological performance in people with first-episode psychosis (FEP). However, the evidence of gender differences for metacognition in subjects with FEP is still limited and controversial. The aim of the present study was to explore gender differences in cognitive insight and cognitive biases in this population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 104 patients with FEP (35 females and 69 males) recruited from mental health services. Symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, cognitive insight with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, and cognitive bias by the Cognitive Biases Questionnaire for Psychosis. The assessment also included clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: After controlling for potential confounders (level of education, marital status, and duration of psychotic illness) analysis of covariance revealed that males presented greater self-reflectiveness (p = 0.004) when compared to females. However, no significant differences were found in self-certainty and composite index of the cognitive insight scale, as in the cognitive biases assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Gender was an independent influence factor for self-reflectiveness, being better for males. Self-reflectiveness, if shown to be relatively lacking in women, could contribute to the design of more gender-sensitive and effective psychotherapeutic treatments, as being able to self-reflect predicts to better treatment response in psychosis.

Gender differences and risk of readmission in hospitalizations with a diagnosis of psychotic spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in psychosis are a topic that has been studied considering different aspects. Although some available evidence would point to a possible better prognosis in women, this claim is far from conclusively established. METHODS: We propose an analysis of gender differences in the risk of readmission to an acute hospitalization unit, an indicator related to prognosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found that although the risk of readmission at 1 year is lower in women, this seems to be explained by other confounding factors.

Impulsivity, decision-making, and risk behavior in bipolar disorder and major depression from bipolar multiplex families.

OBJECTIVES: Bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are characterized by specific alterations of mood. In both disorders, alterations in cognitive domains such as impulsivity, decision-making, and risk-taking have been reported. Identification of similarities and differences of these domains in BD and MDD could give further insight into their etiology. The present study assessed impulsivity, decision-making, and risk-taking behavior in BD and MDD patients from bipolar multiplex families. METHODS: Eighty-two participants (BD type I, n = 25; MDD, n = 26; healthy relatives (HR), n = 17; and healthy controls (HC), n = 14) underwent diagnostic interviews and selected tests of a cognitive battery assessing neurocognitive performance across multiple subdomains including impulsivity (response inhibition and delay aversion), decision-making, and risk behavior. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze whether the groups differed in the respective cognitive domains. RESULTS: Participants with BD and MDD showed higher impulsivity levels compared to HC; this difference was more pronounced in BD participants. BD participants also showed lower inhibitory control than MDD participants. Overall, suboptimal decision-making was associated with both mood disorders (BD and MDD). In risk-taking behavior, no significant impairment was found in any group. LIMITATIONS: As sample size was limited, it is possible that differences between BD and MDD may have escaped detection due to lack of statistical power. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that alterations of cognitive domains-while present in both disorders-are differently associated with BD and MDD. This underscores the importance of assessing such domains in addition to mere diagnosis of mood disorders.

Use of psychological interventions among healthcare workers over the 2-year period following the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Although healthcare workers (HCWs) have reported mental health problems since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they rarely use psychological support. Here, we described the use of psychological support among HCWs in Spain over the 2-year period following the initial pandemic outbreak and explore its association with workplace- and COVID-19-related factors measured at baseline, in 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study on HCWs working in Spain. We used an online survey to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, workplace- and COVID-19-related variables, and the use of psychological support at three time points (2020, 2021, and 2022). Data was available for 296, 294, and 251 respondents, respectively at time points 1, 2, and 3. RESULTS: Participants had a median age of 43 years and were mostly females (n = 242, 82%). The percentage of HCWs using psychological support increased from 15% in 2020 to 23% in 2022. Roughly one in four HCWs who did not use psychological support reported symptoms compatible with major depressive disorder at follow up. Baseline predictors of psychological support were having to make decisions about patients' prioritisation (OR 5.59, 95% CI 2.47, 12.63) and probable depression (wave 2: OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06, 1.19; wave 3: OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04, 1.16). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there is call for implementing mental health promotion and prevention strategies at the workplace, along with actions to reduce barriers for accessing psychological support.

Suicidal behavior in persons attended in out-of-hospital emergency services in Spain.

Background: The aims of this study were to describe the use of health services by patients attended for suicidal behavior by out-of-hospital emergency services and to identify the variables associated with the repetition of this behavior in Spain. Methods: An analytical, observational, retrospective study was carried out. A total of 554 patients attended by the mobile teams of the Primary Care Emergency (mt-PCES) of the Malaga Health District (Spain), after being coordinated by the 061 Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) were analyzed. Results: Of the total, 61.9% of the patients were women and the mean age was 43.5 years. Ninety-six percent (N = 532) of the patients attended by mt-PCES were transferred to hospital emergency services. Regarding clinical decision, of those transferred 436 persons (82%) were discharged home. Of the total sample 25.5% (N = 141) were referred to primary care, while 69% (N = 382) were referred to outpatient mental health care. Regarding follow up in the 6 months after being seen by emergency services, among those referred to a mental health facility, 64.4% (N = 246) attended the follow-up appointment while out of the total sample only 50.5% (N = 280) attended a follow-up appointment with an outpatient mental health service. Finally, it should be noted that 23.3% presented a relapse of suicidal behavior in the 6 months following index episode. The variables associated with repetition of suicidal behavior were older age, greater number of previous suicide attempts and having any contact with mental health services in the following 6 months. Conclusion: We believe that selective suicide prevention initiatives should be designed to target the population at risk of suicide, especially those receiving both out-of-hospital and in-hospital emergency services.

Non-lethal suicidal behavior in university students of Spain during COVID-19.

Background: Suicide is the fourth external cause of death in the world, in persons between the ages of l5 and 29. The objectives of this study were to measure the prevalence of suicidal behavior in university students and analyze the relationship of suicide risk with psychological distress, resilience, and family and social support. Methods: An observational and transversal study wherein the students at the University of Malaga (Spain) completed an online questionnaire which included items from different scales, sociodemographic and academic questions, and the subjective impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive analyses and prevalence rates of suicidal behavior were calculated, and bivariate analyses, multiple linear regression, and a mediation and moderation analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 2,212 students completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of the last 6 months was 30.4% wishing for death, 14.7% suicidal ideation, 5% self-harm injuries, and 0.5% suicide attempts. Psychological distress, family and social support were linked to the risk of suicide. Lastly, resilience and family support measure and moderate the relation between psychological stress and suicide risk. Conclusion: Psychological distress is a risk factor for suicidal behavior, while resilience and family and social support are linked to a lower risk of suicide.

Classification of suicidal behavior calls in emergency medical services: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the classification of calls for suicidal behavior in emergency medical services (EMS). METHODS: A search strategy was carried out in four electronic databases on calls for suicidal behavior in EMS published between 2010 and 2020 in Spanish and English. The outcome variables analyzed were the moment of call classification, the professional assigning the classification, the type of classification, and the suicide codes. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were included in the systematic review. The EMS classified the calls at two moments during the service process. In 28% of the studies, classification was performed during the emergency telephone call and in 36% when the professional attended the patient at the scene. The calls were classified by physicians in 40% of the studies and by the telephone operator answering the call in 32% of the studies. In 52% of the studies, classifications were used to categorize the calls, while in 48%, this information was not provided. Eighteen studies (72%) described codes used to classify suicidal behavior calls: a) codes for suicidal behavior and self-injury, and b) codes related to intoxication, poisoning or drug abuse, psychiatric problems, or other methods of harm. CONCLUSION: Despite the existence of international disease classifications and standardized suicide identification systems and codes in EMS, there is no consensus on their use, making it difficult to correctly identify calls for suicidal behavior.

Risk of psychiatric readmission in the homeless population: A 10-year follow-up study.

Homelessness continues to be a major social and clinical problem. The homeless population has a higher burden of disease that includes psychiatric disorders. In addition, they have a lower use of ambulatory health services and a higher use of acute care. Few investigations analyze the use of services of this population group in the long term. We analyzed the risk of psychiatric readmission of homeless individuals through survival analysis. All admissions to a mental health hospitalization unit in the city of Malaga, Spain, from 1999 to 2005, have been analyzed. Three analyses were carried out: two intermediate analyses at 30 days and 1 year after starting follow-up; and one final analysis at 10 years. In all cases, the event was readmission to the hospitalization unit. The adjusted Hazard Ratio at 30 days, 1-year, and 10-year follow-ups were 1.387 (p = 0.027), 1.015 (p = 0.890), and 0.826 (p = 0.043), respectively. We have found an increased risk of readmission for the homeless population at 30 days and a decreased risk of readmission at 10 years. We hypothesize that this lower risk of long-term readmission may be due to the high mobility of the homeless population, its low degree of adherence to long-term mental health services, and its high mortality rate. We suggest that time-critical intervention programs in the short term could decrease the high rate of early readmission of the homeless population, and long-term interventions could link them with services and avoid its dispersion and abandonment.

Estrategias de afrontamiento durante el confinamiento por COVID-19 en pacientes con primer episodio psicótico: el impacto en su vida diaria / Coping strategies during covid-19 lockdown in patients with first-episode psychosis: the impact on their daily life

Introducción: El confinamiento por la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) interrumpió la vida de todo el mundo en marzo de 2020. El confinamiento obligatorio duró dos meses, lo que tuvo un impacto en la salud mental de las personas. Sin embargo, se desconoce en gran medida cómo afectó a quienes ya luchaban con problemas de salud mental. Métodos: Se recopiló información de 18 pacientes con primer episodio psicótico (PEP) mediante una encuesta en línea. La encuesta tenía preguntas sobre COVID-19, el impacto del confinamiento en la vida diaria y las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas durante el confinamiento entre marzo y abril de 2020 en España. Resultados: Algunas estrategias de afrontamiento se asociaron con diferentes actividades de la vida diaria: normalizar la situación, buscar ayuda de amigos o familiares y buscar ayuda de profesionales en situaciones estresantes, leer fuentes de información y autoayuda para enfrentar el estrés, enfocarse en las emociones que generan estrés, intentar centrarse en problemas concretos y buscar soluciones, y aceptar la situación con resignación. Conclusiones: Como conclusión, los resultados sugieren que no todas las estrategias de afrontamiento impactaron de la misma manera en la vida diaria de los/las pacientes con PEP durante el confinamiento por COVID-19.(AU)

Introduction: Lockdown for 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disrupted life worldwide from March 2020. Mandatory lockdown lasted two months, which had an impact on people’s mental health. However, how it affected those who already struggled with mental health problems is largely unknown. Methods: We collected information from 18 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) through an online survey. The survey contained questions regarding COVID-19, impact of confinement on daily life, and coping strategies during lockdown between March and April 2020 in Spain. Results: Some coping strategies were associated with different daily life activities: normalizing the situation, seeking help from friends or family, and seeking help from professionals in stressful situations, reading information sources and self-help to cope with stress, focusing on the emotions that generate stress, trying to focus on specific problems and seek solutions, and accepting the situation with resignation. Discussion: As a conclusion, results suggest that not all coping strategies impacted in the same way in daily life of patients with FEP during COVID-19 lockdown.(AU)

Association between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes among health workers during the initial COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND: During the initial COVID-19 outbreak, health systems faced unprecedented organizational stress. Meanwhile, reports of episodes of discrimination and violence towards healthcare workers increased globally. This study explores the association between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes in a large sample of healthcare workers in Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthcare workers from inpatient and outpatient facilities (N=2,053) filled an on-line questionnaire in May or June 2020. Mental health outcomes included depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]), psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire [GHQ-12]) and death thoughts (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale [C-SSRS]). We also measured perceived discrimination and/or stigmatization due to being a healthcare worker since pandemic onset. Regression models adjusted for potential confounding sources (age, sex, history of a mental health diagnosis and type of job) were fitted. RESULTS: Thirty percent of the respondents reported discrimination and/or stigmatization. Perceived discrimination was associated with higher depression (B=2.4, 95 percent CI: 1.8, 2.9) and psychological distress (B=1.1, 95 percent CI: 0.7, 1.4) scores, and with a 2-fold increase in risk of reporting death thoughts (OR=2.0, 95 percent CI: 1.4, 3.1). CONCLUSIONS: Perceived discrimination is a modifiable driver of mental health problems among healthcare workers. Mass media, legislators, and healthcare institutions must put in place prevention and restoration strategies to limit discrimination towards healthcare workers and reduce its mental health impact.

Effectiveness and implementation of an online intervention (MINDxYOU) for reducing stress and promote mental health among healthcare workers in Spain: a study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has formally recognized that healthcare professionals are at risk of developing mental health problems; finding ways to reduce their stress is mandatory to improve both their quality of life and, indirectly, their job performance. In recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, there has been a proliferation of online interventions with promising results. The purpose of the present study is twofold: to test the effectiveness of an online, self-guided intervention, MINDxYOU, to reduce the stress levels of healthcare workers; and to conduct an implementation study of this intervention. Additionally, an economic evaluation of the intervention will be conducted. METHODS: The current study has a hybrid effectiveness-implementation type 2 design. A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial design will be used, with a cohort of 180 healthcare workers recruited in two Spanish provinces (Malaga and Zaragoza). The recruitment stage will commence in October 2022. Frontline health workers who provide direct care to people in a hospital, primary care center, or nursing home setting in both regions will participate. The effectiveness of the intervention will be studied, with perceived stress as the main outcome (Perceived Stress Scale), while other psychopathological symptoms and process variables (e.g., mindfulness, compassion, resilience, and psychological flexibility) will be also assessed as secondary outcomes. The implementation study will include analysis of feasibility, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. The incremental costs and benefits, in terms of quality-adjusted life years, will be examined by means of cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses. DISCUSSION: MINDxYOU is designed to reduce healthcare workers' stress levels through the practice of mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion, with a special focus on how to apply these skills to healthy habits and considering the particular stressors that these professionals face on a daily basis. The present study will show how implementation studies are useful for establishing the framework in which to address barriers to and promote facilitators for acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability of online interventions. The ultimate goal is to reduce the research-to-practice gap. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on 29/06/2022; registration number: NCT05436717.

Is Metacognitive Training effective for improving neurocognitive function in patients with a recent onset of psychosis?

The aims are to assess improvements in memory, attention and executive function in first-episode psychosis after Metacognitive Training (MCT). A multicenter randomized clinical trial was performed with two arms: MCT and psychoeducational intervention. A total of 126 patients with a diagnosis of psychosis, less than 5 years from the onset of the disease, were included. Patients were assessed two or three moments (baseline, post-treatment, 6 months follow-up) depending on the test, with a battery of neurocognitive tests (TAVEC, TMTA-B, CPT, WCST, Stroop and premorbid IQ). General linear models for repeated measures were performed.  A better improvement in the MCT was found by an interaction between group and time in CPT Hit index, TMTB, Stroop, recent memory and number of perseverations of the TAVEC. Considering three assessments, a better improvement was found in non-perseverative, perseverative and total errors of the WCST and TMTB. The MCT is an effective psychological intervention to improve several cognitive functions.

Influence of Maternal and Paternal History of Mental Health in Clinical, Social Cognition and Metacognitive Variables in People with First-Episode Psychosis.

This study investigates, for the first time, clinical, cognitive, social cognitive and metacognitive differences in people diagnosed with first-episode of psychosis (FEP) with and without a family history of mental disorder split by maternal and paternal antecedents. A total of 186 individuals with FEP between 18 and 45 years old were recruited in community mental-health services. A transversal, descriptive, observational design was chosen for this study. Results suggest that there is a higher prevalence of maternal history of psychosis rather than paternal, and furthermore, these individuals exhibit a specific clinical, social and metacognitive profile. Individuals with a maternal history of mental disorder scored higher in delusional experiences, inhibition of the response to a stimulus and higher emotional irresponsibility while presenting a poorer overall functioning as compared to individuals without maternal history. Individuals with paternal history of mental disorder score higher in externalizing attributional bias, irrational beliefs of need for external validation and high expectations. This study elucidates different profiles of persons with FEP and the influence of the maternal and paternal family history on clinical, cognitive, social and metacognitive variables, which should be taken into account when offering individualized early treatment.

Sustained Negative Mental Health Outcomes Among Healthcare Workers Over the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To characterize the evolution of healthcare workers' mental health status over the 1-year period following the initial COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and to examine baseline characteristics associated with resolution or persistence of mental health problems over time. Methods: We conducted an 8-month follow-up cohort study. Eligible participants were healthcare workers working in Spain. Baseline data were collected during the initial pandemic outbreak. Survey-based self-reported measures included COVID-19-related exposures, sociodemographic characteristics, and three mental health outcomes (psychological distress, depression symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms). We examined three longitudinal trajectories in mental health outcomes between baseline and follow-up assessments (namely asymptomatic/stable, recovering, and persistently symptomatic/worsening). Results: We recruited 1,807 participants. Between baseline and follow-up assessments, the proportion of respondents screening positive for psychological distress and probable depression decreased, respectively, from 74% to 56% and from 28% to 21%. Two-thirds remained asymptomatic/stable in terms of depression symptoms and 56% remained symptomatic or worsened over time in terms of psychological distress. Conclusion: Poor mental health outcomes among healthcare workers persisted over time. Occupational programs and mental health strategies should be put in place.

Validity of the classification of emergency service requests related to suicidal behavior / Validez de la clasificación de las demandas por conducta suicida a un servicio de emergencias

Abstract Introduction Suicide attempts are the most predictive risk factor for suicide deaths. Most people who attempt suicide receive care from out-of-hospital Emergency Services (OES), where these requests are managed and classified. Objective Validate the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) classification for the detection of suicidal behavior requests. Method A descriptive, cross-sectional study of requests to the ECC of Málaga (Spain) during 2013 and 2014 was conducted. To classify the requests, the authors considered the ECC categorization when answering the call and the clinical assessment of the healthcare professional when attending the person who had made the call at the scene, which was considered the reference standard. To analyze the validity of the ECC classification system, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were calculated. Results The total number of requests for medical assistance analyzed was 112,599. The validity indicators of the classification system for suicidal behavior were sensitivity = 44.78%, specificity = 99.34%, PPV = 46.91% and NPV = 99.28%. Discussion and conclusion The ECC classification system has a lower capacity to detect the presence of suicidal behavior and a higher capacity to identify its absence in the requests received. OES provide key information on suicidal behavior requests as they can be one of the first places people with this problem go to. It would therefore be extremely useful to improve the classification systems for requests related to suicidal behavior.

Resumen Introducción Los intentos de suicidio constituyen el factor de riesgo más predictivo de todos los casos de suicidio consumado. La mayoría de las personas que intentan suicidarse reciben atención en los Servicios de Urgencias Extrahospitalarios (SUE) donde se gestionan y clasifican estas demandas. Objetivo Validar la clasificación del Centro Coordinador de Urgencias y Emergencias (CCUE) para detectar las demandas relacionadas con la conducta suicida. Método Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo y transversal de las demandas al CCUE de Málaga (España) realizadas durante 2013 y 2014. Para su clasificación se tuvo en cuenta la categorización en el CCUE al responder la llamada y el juicio clínico del profesional sanitario cuando atiende al demandante in situ, considerando éste como patrón de referencia. Para evaluar la validez del sistema de clasificación se calcularon la sensibilidad, la especificidad y los valores predictivos positivo (VPP) y negativo (VPN). Resultados El total de demandas sanitarias analizadas fue de 112,599. Los indicadores de validez del sistema de clasificación para las demandas por conductas de suicidio fueron una sensibilidad = 44.78%, especificidad = 99.34%, VPP = 46.91% y VPN = 99.28%. Discusión y conclusión El sistema de clasificación del CCUE presenta una capacidad más baja para detectar presencia de conducta suicida comparada con una capacidad más alta para identificar su ausencia en las demandas recibidas. Los SUE aportan información relevante sobre las demandas por conducta suicida ya que pueden ser uno de los primeros lugares a los que acuden las personas con este problema. Por ello, sería de gran utilidad mejorar los sistemas de clasificación de las demandas por conducta suicida.

The role of social support and resilience in the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) from COVID-19 pandemic hotspots across the globe have reported mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, or sleep problems. Many studies have focused on identifying modifiable risk factors, such as being afraid of getting infected or reporting shortage of personal protective equipment, but none have explored the role of protective factors. METHOD: This cross-sectional study used an online survey to describe the association between three potentially protective factors (self-reported resilience, self-perceived social support from colleagues at work, and self-perceived social support from relatives and friends) and three mental health outcomes, namely psychological distress, depression symptoms, and death thoughts in a large sample of Spanish HCWs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: We recruited 2372 respondents between April 26th and June 22nd, 2020. Resilience and self-perceived social support were inversely associated with mental health problems (psychological distress, depression symptoms, and death thoughts), after adjusting for potential sources of confounding. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience and self-perceived social support might protect HCWs against negative mental health outcomes. Public health strategies targeting these modifiable determinants might help to reduce the impact of the pandemic on HCWs' mental health.

Patient-reported impact of symptoms in schizophrenia scale (PRISS): Development and validation.

BACKGROUND: We report the psychometric properties of the Patient-Reported Impact of Symptoms in Schizophrenia Scale (PRISS), which assesses the impact of subjective experiences or qualia in outpatients with this condition. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 162 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Spain. The PRISS measures the presence, frequency, concern and interference with daily life of self-reported experiences related to the main symptoms observed in these patients. The psychometric analysis included test-retest reliability, internal consistency and structural and convergent validity. RESULTS: The 28-item PRISS showed good test-retest reliability as 64.3% of the intraclass correlation coefficient values were between 0.40 and 0.79, which were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Analysis of the structural validity revealed a three-factor structure, (1) productive subjective experiences, (2) affective-negative subjective experiences and (3) excitation, which accounted for 56.11% of the variance. Of the Pearson's correlation coefficients analysed between the PRISS and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS), 72.2% were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and ranged from 0.38-0.42, 0.32-0.42 and 0.40-0.42, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the PRISS appears to be a brief, reliable and valid scale to measure subjective experiences in schizophrenia and provides valuable information complementary to clinical evaluation.

Role of access to personal protective equipment, treatment prioritization decisions, and changes in job functions on health workers' mental health outcomes during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the initial COVID-19 outbreak, organizational changes were required to ensure adequate staffing in healthcare facilities. The extent to which organizational changes impacted the mental wellbeing of healthcare workers (HCWs) remains unexplored. Here we analyzed the association between three work-related stressors (reported access to protective equipment, change in job functions, and patient prioritization decision-making) and mental health outcomes (depression symptoms, psychological distress, suicidal thoughts, and fear of infection) in a large sample of Spanish HCWs during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study including HCWs from three regions of Spain between April 24th and June 22nd, 2020. An online survey measured sociodemographic characteristics, work-related stressors, fear of infection, and mental health outcomes (depression [PHQ-9], psychological distress [GHQ-12], death wishes [C-SSRS]). We conducted mixed-effects regression models to adjust all associations for relevant individual- and region-level sources of confounding. RESULTS: We recruited 2,370 HCWs. Twenty-seven percent screened positive for depression and 74% for psychological distress. Seven percent reported death wishes. Respondents were more afraid of infecting their loved ones than of getting infected themselves. All work-related stressors were associated with depression symptoms and psychological distress in adjusted models. LIMITATIONS: Non-probabilistic sampling, potential reverse causation. CONCLUSIONS: Modifiable work-related stressors are associated with worse mental health among HCWs. Our results suggest that workplace prevention strategies for HCWs should provide sufficient protective equipment, minimize changes in job functions, favor the implementation of criteria for patient triage and on-call bioethics committees, and facilitate access to stepped-care, evidence-based mental health treatment.

A multicentric study on stigma towards people with mental illness in health sciences students.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of negative attitudes among health professionals towards people with mental illness but there is also a knowledge gap on what training must be given to these health professionals during their education. The purpose of this study is to compare the attitudes of students of health sciences: nursing, medical, occupational therapy, and psychology. METHODS: A comparative and cross-sectional study in which 927 final-year students from health sciences university programmes were evaluated using the Mental Illness: Clinicians' Attitudes (both MICA-2 and MICA-4) scale. The sample was taken in six universities from Chile and Spain. RESULTS: We found consistent results indicating that stigma varies across university programmes. Medical and nursing students showed more negative attitudes than psychology and occupational therapy students in several stigma-related themes: recovery, dangerousness, uncomfortability, disclosure, and discriminatory behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Our study presents a relevant description of the attitudes of each university programme for education against stigma in the formative years. Results show that the biomedical understanding of mental disorders can have negative effects on attitudes, and that education based on the psychosocial model allows a more holistic view of the person over the diagnosis.

Met and Unmet Needs in an Inpatient Psychiatry Setting in Spain.

PURPOSE: Patients with severe mental disorder have health and social needs that require care. The aim of the study was to determine the main areas of perceived needs among inpatients with severe mental disorders and to identify risk factors of the group of patients with the greatest unmet needs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 150 patients with severe mental illness were assessed during admission prior to discharge from the hospital. Camberwell Assessment of Needs was used as evaluation measure, in addition to clinical status (The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), social functioning (Personal and Social Performance) and sociodemographic variables. A descriptive and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyse variables related to the group of patients with the highest number of unmet needs (≥3). RESULTS: Mean number of needs was 7.93, being 4.61 the mean number of needs met and 3.32 the needs unmet. The highest proportion of unmet needs were intimate relationships (44.0%), company (40.7%) and daytime activities (38.7%). A relationship was also found between the presence of three or more unmet needs and the following variables: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale score (p=0.004), Personal and Social Performance score (p = 0.013), marital status (p=0.018), employment status (p=0.009) and voluntary admission (p=0.032). The multivariate model explained 29.5% of the variance (Nagelkerke's R2: 0.295). CONCLUSION: Treatments aimed at improving social relationships and daytime activities could be a good option for inpatients with many unmet needs.