Interactions between mood and paranoid symptoms affect suicidality in first-episode affective psychoses.

BACKGROUND: Suicide prevention is a major challenge in the treatment of first-episode affective psychoses. The literature reports that combinations of manic, depressive and paranoid symptoms, which may interact, are associated with an increased risk of suicide. The present study investigated whether interactions between manic, depressive and paranoid symptoms affected suicidality in first-episode affective psychoses. METHODS: We prospectively studied 380 first-episode psychosis patients enrolled in an early intervention programme and diagnosed with affective or non-affective psychoses. We compared intensity and presence of suicidal thoughts and occurrence of suicide attempts over a three-year follow-up period and investigated the impact of interactions between manic, depressive and paranoid symptoms on level of suicidality. RESULTS: At 12 months follow-up, we observed a higher level of suicidal thoughts and higher occurrence of suicide attempts among the affective psychoses patients compared to non-affective psychoses patients. Combined presence of either depressive and paranoid symptoms, or manic and paranoid symptoms, was significantly associated with increased suicidal thoughts. However, the combination of depressive and manic symptoms showed a significant negative association with suicidal thoughts. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that paranoid symptoms combined with either manic or depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk of suicide in first-episode affective psychoses. Detailed assessment of these dimensions is therefore warranted in first-episode affective patients and integrated treatment should be adapted to increased suicidal risk, even if patients do not display full-blown depressive or manic syndromes.

Personalidad, afecto y estilo de afrontamiento: interacciones en trastorno de personalidad grave / Personality, Affect, and Coping Style: Interactions in Severe Personality Disorder

Interiorización y exteriorización han sido estudiados como tendencias o rasgos de la personalidad, próximos a los conceptos de neuroticismo y extraversión, relacionados con la estructura bifactorial del afecto y con el estilo de afrontamiento. Este trabajo examina su interacción en personas con trastorno de personalidad (n= 358). El afecto negativo (AN) es superior en los interiorizadores que en los exteriorizadores (g= 0,62); también la gravedad sintomatológica (GSI: g= 0,60). Los análisis de mediación muestran que el efecto del tipo de personalidad sobre el GSI está mediado parcialmente por la disposición afectiva y por el estilo de afrontamiento. El 88,1% de la muestra presenta un estilo de afrontamiento desfavorable y su frecuencia es mayor entre los interiorizadores (93% vs 83%; χ2= 7,23; p= 0,007). Pero el subgrupo de interiorizadores con estilo de afrontamiento favorable (EAF) no se diferencia de los exteriorizadores con EAF en AN (p= 0,428) ni en GSI (p= 0,082). Independientemente de la estructura de la personalidad, el aprendizaje de estrategias favorables y adaptativas puede mejorar el estado psicopatológico de pacientes graves (AU)

The concepts of internalization and externalization have been proposed as personality tendencies or traits related to the constructs of neuroticism and extraversion. They have been associated to the bifactorial structure of affect and also to the coping style. This paper examines the interaction of personality, affect and coping in a sample of people diagnosed with personality disorder (n= 358). Negative affect (NA) in internalizers is higher than in externalizers (g= 0.62), and so is the severity of symptoms (GSI: g= 0.60). Mediation analyses show that personality type produces an indirect effect on GSI, with NA and coping style as partial mediators. 88.1 % of the sample has an unfavourable coping style (U-CS). The frequency of U-CS among internalizers is bigger than among externalizers (93% vs 83%; χ2= 7.23, p= .007). However, the subgroup of internalizers with a favourable coping style (F-CS) shows no difference with externalizers with the same F-CS, either in NA (p= .428) or in GSI (p= .082). Regardless of personality structure, promoting adaptive strategies of coping can alleviate the psycopathology of severe patients (AU)

Un estudio longitudinal de 2 años sobre la experiencia subjetiva de la cognición social en jóvenes con primer episodio de psicosis / A 2-year longitudinal study on subjective experience of social cognition in young people with first episode psychosis

INTRODUCCIÓN: En la literatura, se detectaron deficiencias en la cognición social (CS) en primer episodio de psicosis (PEP) utilizando exclusivamente pruebas neurocognitivas. Los objetivos de este estudio son: (1) evaluar la experiencia subjetiva de la CS en adolescentes y adultos jóvenes con PEP en comparación con pacientes sin PEP; (2) investigar posibles asociaciones significativas de la CS con psicopatología y funcionamiento en pacientes con PEP; (3) monitorear longitudinalmente la estabilidad de la CS después de un periodo de 2 años de follow-up. MÉTODOS: Los participantes (141 con PEP y 98 sin PEP), de 13 a 35 años, completaron la CAARMS («Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States») y la escala GEOPTE de la CS para la psicosis. En el grupo de pacientes con PEP, también se realizó un análisis de regresión lineal múltiple con las puntuaciones totales de la escala GEOPTE como variables independientes y las dimensiones de la CAARMS como variables dependientes. RESULTADOS: En comparación con los pacientes sin PEP, los participantes con PEP mostraron puntuaciones totales de la escala GEOPTE significativamente más altos. Después 12 y 24 meses de follow-up, los pacientes con PEP mostraron una disminución significativa en la gravedad de la subescala «Cognición Social» de la GEOPTE. En el grupo de pacientes con PEP, las puntuaciones totales de la escala GEOPTE mostraron correlaciones positivas significativas con las dimensiones «Síntomas Negativos» y «Psicopatología General» de la CAARMS. Los resultados del análisis de regresión mostraron una contribución significativa de la CS subjetiva en la predicción de la depresión. CONCLUSIONES: Las deficiencias de CS son prominentes en los pacientes con PEP, donde en la evaluación inicial parece estar asociada a síntomas negativos y predecir la dimensión depresiva

INTRODUCTION: Impairments in Social Cognition (SC) in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) were reported exclusively using neurocognitive tests. Aim of this study is (1) to assess subjective experience of SC in FEP adolescent and young adults compared to non-FEP help-seeking peers, (2) to investigate any significant association of SC with psychopathology and functioning in FEP individuals; and (3) to monitor longitudinally the stability of SC after a 2-year follow-up period. METHODS: Participants (141 FEP and 98 non-FEP), aged 13-35 years, completed the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the GEOPTE scale of SC for psychosis. Within the FEP group, a multiple linear regression analysis (with GEOPTE total scores as independent variables and CAARMS dimension subscores as dependent variables) was also performed. RESULTS: In comparison with non-FEP, FEP patients showed significantly higher GEOPTE SC scores. After both 12 and 24 months of follow-up, FEP subjects had a significant decrease in severity on GEOPTE SC subscore. In the FEP group, GEOPTE total scores showed significant positive correlations with negative symptoms and general psychopathology. Regression analysis results showed a significant contribution of subjective SC in predicting depression. Conclusions - SC deficits are prominent in FEP patients, where at baseline seems to be associated with negative symptoms and to predict clinical depression

Análisis del concepto de serenidad en relación con el apoyo psicológico y emocional del paciente crónico / Analysis of the concept of serenity in the emotional support of the chronic patient

El proceso de envejecimiento y las enfermedades crónicas implican cambios vitales en el adulto mayor que suponen, en muchas ocasiones, acontecimientos estresantes que derivan en un malestar psicológico y un deterioro de la calidad de vida. La vejez es una etapa caracterizada por sentimientos de pérdidas y disminución de capacidades funcionales y afectivas. Se investiga la serenidad como estrategia de afrontamiento en relación con el apoyo psicológico y emocional para mejorar las capacidades del adulto mayor para afrontar los problemas o dificultades que conllevan las consecuencias del envejecimiento. OBJETIVO: Analizar el concepto de serenidad en relación con el apoyo psicológico y emocional del paciente crónico. METODOLOGÍA: Revisión de la bibliografía. La búsqueda se realizó en PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library y Medline. Se acotó al período 1999-2017, incluyendo aquellos estudios que solo aplican el concepto de serenidad para la promoción de la salud mental. RESULTADOS: De los 40 estudios revisados, 8 hacían referencia al envejecimiento y la cronicidad; 15 a trastornos afectivos en la cronicidad; 13 al apoyo emocional y psicológico en el paciente mayor crónico, y 4 a la serenidad y cuidado enfermero. Posteriormente al análisis se identificaron tres temas relacionados: apoyo emocional en la cronicidad, concepto de serenidad y bienestar psíquico y emocional, definiendo atributos y niveles de serenidad, apoyo emocional en la cronicidad. CONCLUSIONES: El concepto de serenidad puede representar una herramienta que fomente el bienestar psíquico y emocional del paciente mayor crónico, ayudando a aceptar y manejar la situación de salud. Resulta necesaria una mayor evidencia científica sobre el concepto y su uso en los profesionales enfermeros

The aging process and chronic diseases involve vital changes in the elderly that, in many cases, involve stressful events that lead to psychological discomfort and a deterioration in the quality of life. Old age is a stage characterized by feelings of loss and decreased functional and affective abilities. Serenity is investigated as a coping strategy in relation to psychological and emotional support to improve the abilities of the elderly to face the problems or difficulties that entail the consequences of aging. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the concept of serenity in relation to the psychological and emotional support of the chronic patient. METHODOLOGY: Review of the literature. The search was performed in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline. The 1999-2017 period was included, including those studies that only apply the concept of serenity for the promotion of mental health. RESULTS: Of the 40 studies reviewed, 8 referred to aging and chronicity; 15 to affective disorders in the chronicity; 13 to emotional and psychological support in the chronically elderly patient; 4 to serenity and nursing care. Three related topics were identified: emotional support in chronicity, the concept of serenity and psychic and emotional well-being, defining attributes and levels of serenity, emotional support in chronicity. CONCLUSIONS: The serenity can represent a tool that promotes the psychic and emotional well-being of the chronic elderly patient, helping to accept and manage the health situation. Greater scientific evidence on the concept and its use in nursing professionals is necessary

Depresión y demencia: relaciones complejas / Depression and dementia. complex relationships

La depresión (incluida la depresión del anciano) y la demencia plantean desafíos considerables para los pacientes, sus familias, los profesionales de la salud/sociales y toda la sociedad. Esto se debe, en parte, a la complejidad de las relaciones entre estas dos condiciones clínicas. Por un lado, la depresión es a menudo una consecuencia de la demencia (ya sea originada como una reacción psicológica a las pérdidas asociadas al avanzo de la demencia, o como una expresión del proceso orgánico en sí). Por otro lado, además de que la depresión pue-de ser un pródromo de demencia, la mayoría de los hallazgos sugieren un mayor riesgo de desarrollar demencia en personas con depresión. En cualquier caso, la ver-dad es que la depresión y la demencia a menudo coinciden clínicamente, independientemente de la dirección o incluso de la hipótesis de causalidad. Aunque la evidencia sobre la naturaleza y la fuerza de sus asociaciones no es del todo consistente, los vínculos biológicos entre la depresión y la demencia probablemente implican vías nerviosas, vasculares e inflamatorias compartidas

Depression (including late-life depression) and dementia pose considerable challenges for patients, their families, health/social care professionals and the whole society. This is due, in part, to the complexity of relationships between the two conditions. On one hand, depression is often a consequence of dementia (either originated as a psychological reaction to the losses of dementia, or as an expression of the organic process itself). On the other hand, besides that depression may be a prodrome of de-mentia, most findings suggest an increased risk for developing dementia in individuals with depression. Overall, depression and dementia often coincide clinically regard-less of the direction or even assumption of causality. Although the evidence about the nature and strength of their associations is not entirely consistent, biological links between depression and dementia probably in-volve shared nervous, vascular and inflammatory pathways

Cognitive impairment from early to middle adulthood in patients with affective and nonaffective psychotic disorders.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of psychotic disorders, but the profile of impairment across adulthood, particularly in African-American populations, remains unclear. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data from a case-control study of African-American adults with affective (n = 59) and nonaffective (n = 68) psychotic disorders, we examined cognitive functioning between early and middle adulthood (ages 20-60) on measures of general cognitive ability, language, abstract reasoning, processing speed, executive function, verbal memory, and working memory. RESULTS: Both affective and nonaffective psychosis patients showed substantial and widespread cognitive impairments. However, comparison of cognitive functioning between controls and psychosis groups throughout early (ages 20-40) and middle (ages 40-60) adulthood also revealed age-associated group differences. During early adulthood, the nonaffective psychosis group showed increasing impairments with age on measures of general cognitive ability and executive function, while the affective psychosis group showed increasing impairment on a measure of language ability. Impairments on other cognitive measures remained mostly stable, although decreasing impairments on measures of processing speed, memory and working memory were also observed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest similarities, but also differences in the profile of cognitive dysfunction in adults with affective and nonaffective psychotic disorders. Both affective and nonaffective patients showed substantial and relatively stable impairments across adulthood. The nonaffective group also showed increasing impairments with age in general and executive functions, and the affective group showed an increasing impairment in verbal functions, possibly suggesting different underlying etiopathogenic mechanisms.

Olanzapina para el tratamiento de la psicosis en la enfermedad de Huntington: informe de un caso / Olanzapine in the management of psychosis in Huntington's disease: a case report

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Cognitive Deficits in Older Adults With Psychotic Depression: A Meta-Analysis.

A major depressive disorder with psychotic features, that is, psychotic depression (PD), is often accompanied by cognitive deficits, particularly in older patients. We aimed to assess to what extent various cognitive domains are affected in older patients with PD compared to those with nonpsychotic depression (NPD). Therefore, a systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar, and Cochrane for all relevant studies. Hereafter, we conducted a meta-analysis of seven studies on cognitive deficits in older adults (55+ years), comparing patients with PD and patients with NPD. Compared to patients with NPD, those with PD not only showed a significantly poorer performance on overall cognitive function, with a Hedges' g effect size of -0.34 (95% confidence interval: -0.56; -0.12; p = 0.003), but also on nearly all separate cognitive domains, with Hedges' g effect sizes ranging from -0.26 to -0.64 (all p's <0.003), of which attention was most adversely affected. Verbal fluency showed no significant effect, although this analysis may have been underpowered. The funnel plot suggested no significant publication bias (Egger test intercept: -2.47; 95% confidence interval: -5.50; 0.55; p = 0.09). We conclude that older patients with PD show more cognitive deficits on all cognitive domains, except for verbal fluency, compared to patients with NPD. It is crucial that clinicians and researchers take cognitive deficits into consideration in older adults with PD.

Disentangling compliance with command hallucinations: Heterogeneity of voice intents and their clinical correlates.

BACKGROUND: Earlier studies suggested that perceptions of voice intents (benevolence, malevolence) are associated with different psychological and behavioral responses including compliance with command hallucinations (CH). However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the clinical differences between subgroups of clients with different perceptions of the intents of their CH. In order to better understand the risk for compliance with CH, our objectives were 1) to compare sociodemographic and clinical profiles of subgroups of clients (based on perceptions of CH intents); and 2) to investigate their specific associated risk factors for compliance with CH. METHOD: We analyzed the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, focusing on 181 participants with psychosis reporting CH. Group comparisons and within-group ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed using sociodemographic and clinical measures such as the BPRS, BIS-11 and NAS-PI. RESULTS: Of the 181 participants, 102 (56.4%) reported having only malevolent voices, 14 (7.7%) rated them as benevolent only, 58 (32.03%) as benevolent and malevolent, and only 7 (3.86%) as neutral only. Results showed that individuals with malevolent voices had more emotional disturbance while those with benevolent CH had more severe positive psychotic symptoms and were more certain that they would comply in the future. Moreover, childhood physical abuse, belief about having to obey as well as psychotic symptoms significantly predict compliance with malevolent CH in a multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that researchers and clinicians should consider perceptions of voice intents when both assessing risk of compliance with CH and developing relevant intervention targets.

Differential gene expression analysis in blood of first episode psychosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Psychosis is a condition influenced by an interaction of environmental and genetic factors. Gene expression studies can capture these interactions; however, studies are usually performed in patients who are in remission. This study uses blood of first episode psychosis patients, in order to characterise deregulated pathways associated with psychosis symptom dimensions. METHODS: Peripheral blood from 149 healthy controls and 131 first episode psychosis patients was profiled using Illumina HT-12 microarrays. A case/control differential expression analysis was performed, followed by correlation of gene expression with positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) scores. Enrichment analyses were performed on the associated gene lists. We test for pathway differences between first episode psychosis patients who qualify for a Schizophrenia diagnosis against those who do not. RESULTS: A total of 978 genes were differentially expressed and enriched for pathways associated to immune function and the mitochondria. Using PANSS scores we found that positive symptom severity was correlated with immune function, while negative symptoms correlated with mitochondrial pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identified gene expression changes correlated with symptom severity and showed that key pathways are modulated by positive and negative symptom dimensions.

Medication adherence in first-episode psychosis patients in Singapore.

AIM: Early intervention programmes for first episode psychosis (FEP) aim to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and improve functional outcomes. The sustained maintenance of improved outcomes depends largely on patients' adherence to prescribed treatment. This paper examines the prevalence of non-adherence in a cohort of patients with FEP and the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with non-adherent behaviour. METHODS: The sample included consecutive patients accepted from 2007 to 2012 into the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) in Singapore. Sociodemographic variables as well as DUP, insight, severity of psychopathology and clinical diagnoses were collected. Patients were assessed at baseline and 1 year with the PANSS and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Medication adherence was grouped into 3 categories: no-adherence, partial adherence and regular adherence. RESULTS: Of the 445 patients included, 51% were male with a mean age of 26.3 years, 74.6% had schizophrenia spectrum and delusional disorders, 14% had affective psychosis and 11.3% had brief psychotic disorder or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified. At 1 year follow up, 65.5% reported regular adherence, 18.7% were partially adherent and 15.8% were non-adherent. Non-adherence was correlated with male gender, living alone and having poorer judgement and insight. Partial adherence was associated with Malay ethnicity and having undergone national service. CONCLUSION: Medication adherence is prevalent in FEP and associated with a variety of factors. This study supports the use of culturally appropriate interventions in addressing barriers to adherence. Further studies would need to be done to address specific factors affecting adherence outcomes.

Clinical factors predicting treatment resistant depression: affirmative results from the European multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical variables were investigated in the 'treatment resistant depression (TRD)- III' sample to replicate earlier findings by the European research consortium 'Group for the Study of Resistant Depression' (GSRD) and enable cross-sample prediction of treatment outcome in TRD. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES: TRD was defined by a Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score ≥22 after at least two antidepressive trials. Response was defined by a decline in MADRS score by ≥50% and below a threshold of 22. Logistic regression was applied to replicate predictors for TRD among 16 clinical variables in 916 patients. Elastic net regression was applied for prediction of treatment outcome. RESULTS: Symptom severity (odds ratio (OR) = 3.31), psychotic symptoms (OR = 2.52), suicidal risk (OR = 1.74), generalized anxiety disorder (OR = 1.68), inpatient status (OR = 1.65), higher number of antidepressants administered previously (OR = 1.23), and lifetime depressive episodes (OR = 1.15) as well as longer duration of the current episode (OR = 1.022) increased the risk of TRD. Prediction of TRD reached an accuracy of 0.86 in the independent validation set, TRD-I. CONCLUSION: Symptom severity, suicidal risk, higher number of lifetime depressive episodes, and comorbid anxiety disorder were replicated as the most prominent risk factors for TRD. Significant predictors in TRD-III enabled robust prediction of treatment outcome in TRD-I.

Stigma and discrimination in individuals with first episode psychosis; one year after first contact with psychiatric services.

Stigma and discrimination in psychotic illness has not been robustly studied in those presenting with their first episode of psychosis (FEP). We prospectively examined patterns of stigma and discrimination one year after index presentation with FEP and correlates with baseline demographic, symptom burden, depression and level of functioning. We surveyed 101 subjects using the Discrimination and Stigma Scale-12 (DISC-12) and administered the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment of Function (GAF) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).  Discrimination was experienced in 76%; being shunned by people because of mental illness, making and keeping friends and from family were most affected. Older age, female gender, marital status and a family history of mental illness were significantly associated with higher unfair treatment. Higher PANSS score at baseline, 3-month and 12-month was significantly associated with lower positive treatment, higher stopping self-scores and lower overcoming stigma scores, respectively. Higher GAF score at 12-month was associated with higher overcoming stigma scores. Lower PHQ-9 scores was significantly correlated with overcoming stigma. In conclusion, stigma and discrimination is highly prevalent among individuals with FEP; the extent is associated with specific demographic variables, symptom burden, presence of depression and level of functioning. Limitations include selection bias of subjects, potential underestimation of stigma from participants who defaulted or refused to participate and inability to establish causality.

The Genetic Relationship Between Psychological Distress, Somatic Distress, Affective Disorders, and Substance Use in Young Australian Adults: A Multivariate Twin Study.

Psychological distress (PSYCH), somatic distress (SOMA), affective disorders (AD), and substance use (SU) frequently co-occur. The genetic relationship between PSYCH and SOMA, however, remains understudied. We examined the genetic and environmental influences on these two disorders and their comorbid AD and SU using structural equation modeling. Self-reported PSYCH and SOMA were measured in 1,548 twins using the two subscales of a 12-item questionnaire, the Somatic and Psychological Health Report. Its reliability and psychometric properties were examined. Six ADs, involvement of licit and illicit substance, and two SU disorders were obtained from 1,663-2,132 twins using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview and/or from an online adaption of the same. SU phenotypes (heritability: 49-79%) were found to be more heritable than the affective disorder phenotypes (heritability: 32-42%), SOMA (heritability: 25%), and PSYCH (heritability: 23%). We fit separate non-parametric item response theory models for PSYCH, SOMA, AD, and SU. The IRT scores were used as the refined phenotypes for fitting multivariate genetic models. The best-fitting model showed the similar amount of genetic overlap between PSYCH-AD (genetic correlation rG = 0.49) and SOMA-AD (rG =0.53), as well as between PSYCH-SU (rG = 0.23) and SOMA-SU (rG = 0.25). Unique environmental factors explained 53% to 76% of the variance in each of these four phenotypes, whereas additive genetic factors explained 17% to 46% of the variance. The covariance between the four phenotypes was largely explained by unique environmental factors. Common genetic factor had a significant influence on all the four phenotypes, but they explained a moderate portion of the covariance.

Is there a symptomatic distinction between the affective psychoses and schizophrenia? A machine learning approach.

Dubiety exists over whether clinical symptoms of schizophrenia can be distinguished from affective psychosis, the assumption being that absence of a "point of rarity" indicates lack of nosological distinction, based on prior group-level analyses. Advanced machine learning techniques, using unsupervised (hierarchical clustering) and supervised (regularized logistic regression algorithm and nested-cross-validation) were applied to a dataset of 202 patients with functional psychosis (schizophrenia n = 120, affective psychosis, n = 82). Patients were initially assessed with the Present State Examination (PSE), and followed up 2.5 years later, when DSM III diagnoses were applied (independent of initial PSE). Based on PSE syndromes, unsupervised learning discriminated depressive (approximately unbiased probability, AUP = 0.92) and mania/psychosis (AUP = 0.94) clusters. The mania/psychosis cluster further split into two groups - a mania (AUP = 0.84) and a psychosis cluster (AUP = 0.88). Supervised machine learning classified schizophrenia or affective psychosis with 83.66% (95% CI = 77.83% to 88.48%) accuracy. Area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was 89.14%. True positive rate for schizophrenia was 88.24% (95%CI = 81.05-93.42%) and affective psychosis 77.11% (95%CI = 66.58-85.62). Classification accuracy and AUROC remained high when PSE syndromes corresponding to affective symptoms (those that corresponded to the depressive and mania clusters) were removed. PSE syndromes, based on clinical symptoms, therefore discriminated between schizophrenia and affective psychosis, suggesting validity to these diagnostic constructs.

Narrative evaluation strategies as metacognitive task in subjects with schizophrenia. / Estrategias de evaluación en la narración como tarea metacognitiva en personas con esquizofrenia.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the differences in the evaluative component of the narrative structure in subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to subjects diagnosed with affective psychosis. METHODS: The present investigation was descriptive, not experimental and it included the analysis of the narration evaluative components of interviews of 25 individuals with psychiatric diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia and 25 of chronic affective psychosis, matched by age, gender and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: The relationship between diagnosis and type of evaluation showed statistically significant results with a chi square value of 39.880a (p <0.00). It was possible to observe that in the schizophrenia there is a greater inhibition in the elaboration of expressions that imply opinions and that narratives tended to identify facts regardless of how they affected subjects, suggesting a limitation of intersubjective function. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic variable confirms that in schizophrenia there is a functional deterioration in the process of elaborating narrative structures especially in the articulation of the evaluative component. In the case of the affective psychosis group, superficial dysfunctions were manifested, without compromising their performance in the evaluation of narratives.

OBJETIVO: Este estudio procura explorar las diferencias en el componente evaluativo de la estructura narrativa en personas con diagnóstico de esquizofrenia, en comparación con personas con diagnóstico de psicosis afectiva. MÉTODO: El presente estudio es descriptivo, no experimental, y comprende el análisis de los componentes evaluativos de la narrativa, en entrevistas realizadas a 25 individuos con diagnostico psiquiátrico de esquizofrenia crónica y a 25 individuos diagnosticados de psicosis afectiva crónica, pareados por edad, género y características sociodemográficas. RESULTADOS: La relación entre diagnóstico y tipo de evaluación arrojó resultados estadísticamente significativos con un valor de chi cuadrado de 39,880a (p< 0.00). Fue posible observar que en la esquizofrenia existe una mayor inhibición en la elaboración de expresiones que impliquen opiniones, que los relatos tendieron a identificar los hechos independientemente de cómo les afectaron, sugiriendo una limitación de la función intersubjetiva. CONCLUSIÓN: La variable diagnóstico confirma que en la esquizofrenia existe un deterioro funcional en la elaboración de estructuras narrativas y en la articulación del componente evaluativo. En el caso de la psicosis afectiva se manifiestan disfunciones superficiales, sin comprometer su desempeño en la evaluación de las narraciones.

The relationship between illicit amphetamine use and psychiatric symptom profiles in schizophrenia and affective psychoses.

This study examines whether illicit amphetamine use is associated with differences in the prevalence of specific psychiatric symptoms in a community sample of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia or affective psychotic disorders. Data was drawn from the Australian Survey of High Impact Psychosis. The Diagnostic Interview for Psychosis was used to measure substance use and psychiatric symptoms. Participants had used amphetamine within their lifetime and had an ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia (n = 347) or an affective psychotic disorder (n = 289). The past year prevalence of psychiatric symptoms was compared among those who had used amphetamine in the past year (past-year use, 32%) with those who had not (former use, 68%). Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that past-year users with schizophrenia had a significantly higher past year prevalence of hallucinations, persecutory delusions, racing thoughts, dysphoria, and anhedonia relative to former amphetamine users with schizophrenia. There were no significant differences in symptoms between past-year and former users with affective psychotic disorders. The relationship between amphetamine use and specific psychiatric symptoms varies across different psychotic disorders. Amphetamine use may hinder prognosis by exacerbating symptoms of schizophrenia through dopaminergic dysfunctions or depressive vulnerabilities, however, this needs to be confirmed by prospective longitudinal research.

Early Childhood Obesity Risk Factors: Socioeconomic Adversity, Family Dysfunction, Offspring Distress, and Junk Food Self-Medication.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To explore the sequence and interaction of infancy and early childhood risk factors, particularly relating to disturbances in the social environment, and how the consequences of such exposures can promote weight gain and obesity. RECENT FINDINGS: This review will argue that socioeconomic adversity is a key upstream catalyst that sets the stage for critical midstream risk factors such as family strain and dysfunction, offspring insecurity, stress, emotional turmoil, low self-esteem, and poor mental health. These midstream risk factors, particularly stress and emotional turmoil, create a more or less perfect foil for calorie-dense junk food self-medication and subtle addiction, to alleviate uncomfortable psychological and emotional states. Disturbances in the social environment during infancy and early childhood appear to play a critical role in weight gain and obesity, through such mechanisms as insecurity, stress, and emotional turmoil, eventually leading to junk food self-medication and subtle addiction.

Symptom Profile of Psychiatric Patients With Psychosis or Psychotic Mood Disorder in Prison.

There is evidence that psychiatric patients with psychotic or manic disorders who are incarcerated suffer from the same symptoms as psychiatric patients who are treated in the community. There are also indications that their symptoms might be more severe. The aim of this study was to examine the severity of psychotic and manic symptoms, as well as to collect information about the emotional functioning of patients admitted to a prison psychiatric ward. Incarcerated patients with a diagnosis of psychotic or a manic disorder were examined with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Expanded (BPRS-E). With the scores of 140 assessments, a symptom profile was created using the domains of the BPRS-E. This profile was compared with the clinical profile of three nonincarcerated patient groups described in literature with a diagnosis in the same spectrum. We found high scores on positive and manic psychotic symptoms and hostility, and low scores on guilt, depression, and negative symptoms. High scores on manic and psychotic symptoms are often accompanied by violent behavior. Low scores on guilt, depression, and negative symptoms could be indicative of externalizing coping skills. These characteristics could complicate treatment in the community and warrant further research along with clinical consideration.