The impact of a digital guideline version on schizophrenia guideline knowledge: results from a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines are crucial for enhancing healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Yet, their implementation remains inconsistent across various professions and disciplines. Previous findings on the implementation of the German guideline for schizophrenia (2019) revealed low adherence rates among healthcare professionals. Barriers to guideline adherence are multifaceted, influenced by individual, contextual, and guideline-related factors. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a digital guideline version compared to print/PDF formats in enhancing guideline adherence. METHODS: A multicenter, cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in South Bavaria, Germany, involving psychologists and physicians. Participants were divided into two groups: implementation of the guideline using a digital online version via the MAGICapp platform and the other using the traditional print/PDF version. The study included a baseline assessment and a post-intervention assessment following a 6-month intervention phase. The primary outcome was guideline knowledge, which was assessed using a guideline knowledge questionnaire. RESULTS: The study included 217 participants at baseline and 120 at post-intervention. Both groups showed significant improvements in guideline knowledge; however, no notable difference was found between both study groups regarding guideline knowledge at either time points. At baseline, 43.6% in the control group (CG) and 52.5% of the interventional group (IG) met the criterion. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between the two groups at either time point (T0: Chi2(1) = 1.65, p = 0.199, T1: Chi2(1) = 0.34, p = 0.561). At post-intervention, both groups improved, with 58.2% in the CG and 63.5% in the IG meeting this criterion. CONCLUSIONS: While the study did not include a control group without any implementation strategy, the overall improvement in guideline knowledge following an implementation strategy, independent of the format, was confirmed. The digital guideline version, while not superior in enhancing knowledge, showed potential benefits in shared decision-making skills. However, familiarity with traditional formats and various barriers to digital application may have influenced these results. The study highlights the importance of tailored implementation strategies, especially for younger healthcare providers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00028895.

Clinical course and demographic insights into suicide by self-poisoning: patterns of substance use and socio-economic factors.

PURPOSE: To analyze whether sociodemographic characteristics influence the substance choice and preclinical and clinical course of suicidal poisoning. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center study in patients hospitalized due to suicidal poisoning and who received at least one psychiatric exploration during their inpatient stay. Patients' sociodemographic, anamnestic, preclinical, and clinical parameters were analyzed with respect to sex and age. RESULTS: 1090 patients were included, 727 (67%) were females, median age was 39 years (min-max: 13-91) with 603 (55%) aged 18-44 years. 595 patients (54.8%) ingested a single substance for self-poisoning, 609 (59.5%) used their own long-term medication. Comparing to males, females preferred antidepressants (n = 223, 30.7%, vs n = 85, 23.4%; p = 0.013) and benzodiazepines (n = 202, 27.8%, vs n = 65, 17.9%; p < 0.001); males more often used cardiovascular drugs (n = 33, 9.1%, vs n = 34, 4.7%; p = 0.005) and carbon monoxide (n = 18, 5.0%, vs n = 2, 0.3%; p < 0.001). Use of Z-drugs (n = 1, 1.7%, to n = 37, 33.3%; p < 0.001) and benzodiazepines (n = 4, 6.9%, to n = 33, 29.7%; p = 0.003) increased with age (< 18 to > 64 years), while use of non-opioid analgesics (n = 23, 39.7%, to n = 20, 18.0%; p < 0.001) decreased. Average dose of substance in patients > 64 years was 12.9 ± 18.4 times higher than recommended maximum daily dose (compared to 8.7 ± 15.2 higher in those aged < 18 years; p < 0.001). Males more often required intensive care (n = 150, 41.3%, vs n = 205 females, 28.2%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results underline the complexity of (para-)suicidal poisonings and identify potential measures for their prevention, such as restricting access and better oversight over the use of certain substances.

Impairments in Cognitive and Emotional Empathy as Markers of General versus Specific Personality Pathology.

INTRODUCTION: The alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th edition (DSM-5) considers impairments in empathy a basic feature of personality disorders (PDs). In contrast, the AMPD pathological personality trait model and the categorical DSM-5 Section II PD model associate deficits in empathy to specific forms of personality pathology. The present study investigated to what extent impairments in cognitive and emotional empathy are markers of general versus specific personality pathology. METHODS: In a clinical sample (n = 119), the Multifaceted Empathy Test was used to assess cognitive empathy, emotional empathy for positive emotions, and emotional empathy for negative emotions. Personality functioning, pathological personality traits, and DSM-5 Section II PDs were assessed via interviews and self-reports. Confirmatory factor analyses were applied to associate the three empathy facets with the three personality pathology approaches, each modeled with general personality pathology (common factor) and specific personality pathology (residuals of indicators). RESULTS: Impairments in cognitive empathy and emotional empathy for positive emotions were significantly correlated with general personality pathology. All three empathy facets were also correlated to specific personality pathology when controlling for general personality pathology, respectively. Impairments in cognitive empathy were incrementally associated with identity and empathy (personality functioning), psychoticism (pathological personality traits), and paranoid and dependent PD (DSM-5 Section II PDs). Deficits in emotional empathy for positive emotions were incrementally associated with self-direction and intimacy (personality functioning) and detachment (pathological personality traits). Impairments in emotional empathy for negative emotions were incrementally associated with antagonism (pathological personality traits) and antisocial PD (DSM-5 Section II PDs). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that impairments in cognitive empathy and emotional empathy for positive emotions, but not for negative emotions, are markers of general personality pathology, while deficits in the three empathy facets are also markers for specific personality pathology.

[On the Admission of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder to Outpatient Psychotherapy]. / Zur Aufnahme von Patient*innen mit Borderline Persönlichkeitsstörung in die ambulante Psychotherapie.

BACKGROUND: Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) present difficulties in self-regulation and interaction, which is a challenge for psychotherapists that is also addressed in BPD-specific interventions. Against this background, outpatient psychotherapists were surveyed about the factors playing a decisive role in their treatment offer for patients with BPD. METHODS: Psychotherapists for adults were contacted via their email address published on the website of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung (Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians), 231 of whom answered an online questionnaire. The results were analysed descriptively and examined inferentially with regard to the psychotherapists' admission behaviour. RESULTS: Almost 90% reported that they would generally accept patients with BPD in therapy. However, of those, 85% did not have a therapy slot available. The psychotherapists' learned approach of treatment was not a decisive factor in determining whether they were willing to provide treatment. Most of the psychotherapists (85%) recommended a BPD disorder-specific therapy such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) or Schema Therapy (ST). However, only just under 7% were certified in such a disorder-specific approach. Significant individual stress factors described by the psychotherapists were suicidal risk (70%) and potential other-directed aggression (59%). In addition, it was shown that it played a role whether the psychotherapists were trained in an additional therapy approach (with at least 16 teaching units) or not. CONCLUSION: The care situation for people with BPD seeking an outpatient psychotherapy place is clearly in need of improvement. This is mainly due to a general lack of available therapy places as well as various fears and anxieties, such as increased suicidality, which in turn can have a negative impact on the provision of outpatient therapy. Psychotherapists who have undergone disorder-specific further training feel less burdened by suicidal behaviour. However, since only a small number of them are able to offer BPD-specific therapies, it is essential to expand and (financially) support specific training programmes. In order to meet the demand for care, professional changes are urgently needed.

Psychoeducational groups for close relatives of patients with borderline personality disorder.

Psychoeducational groups for family members of patients with schizophrenia have proven to be effective. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) implies serious impairment in interpersonal relationships. Close relatives of individuals with BPD also show high levels of burden and need support. Psychoeducational groups could help to cope with the interactional problems in a relationship with a person with BPD. A manualised psychoeducational programme of 10 group sessions for close relatives of patients with BPD was tested. Measures administered at pretest and after 10 sessions were: perceived burden (IEQ-EU), knowledge about the disorder (WFBBPS-A) and quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). For formative evaluation, a "Group Therapy Session Questionnaire" (participant and therapist version; GTS-A, GTS-T) was used. A total of 33 persons in three groups took part. Pre-post evaluations revealed a significantly lower level of burden and a significantly better knowledge about the disorder after participating in the psychoeducational group. Reduction of burden correlated significantly with the assessment of patients' symptom severity and carers' level of burden at study entry. There was no change in the quality of life. The participants and therapists generally rated the psychoeducational sessions very positively. The highest ratings were found in the sessions about communication skills and coping with crises. Findings indicate that the psychoeducational programme is well accepted and supportive for persons with close relationships to patients with BPD.

Socio-demographic and psychiatric profile of patients hospitalized due to self-poisoning with suicidal intention.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the psychiatric profile of patients hospitalized due to self-intoxication associated with suicide-related behavior (SRB). METHODS: In this retrospective single-center study, records of consecutive patients treated for suicidal poisoning in our Clinical Toxicology unit between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2016, who received at least one psychiatric exploration during their inpatient stay, were analyzed with regard to epidemiological data, ingested substances, psychiatric and somatic comorbidities, suicidal circumstances and follow-up therapy. RESULTS: Out of 1289 hospitalized patients, 1090 patients with complete data were analyzed. Mean age was 40.5 ± 17.2 years, 66.7% were female. 32.0% of patients had previously engaged in SRB, in 76.3% intention was suicidal. 64.7% of patients had a pre-existing psychiatric disorder (PD). Patients with a pre-existing PD more often displayed prior SRB than those without PD (40.7% vs 15.3%; p < 0.001; Fisher's exact test), used long-term/on demand medication (70.2% vs 38.9%; p < 0.001), distanced themselves from the current suicide attempt (65.9% vs 50.8%; p < 0.001) and had no detectable trigger (38.7% vs 18.1%; p < 0.001). Partnership conflict was the most commonly named trigger, and it was documented more often in patients without than in those with PD (41.6% vs 25.6%). After psychiatric reevaluation, most patients were diagnosed with mood disorders (29.7%) and stress disorders (17.0%); 32.8% of patients had a combination of two or more PDs. CONCLUSION: Hospitalization due to self-poisoning is associated with pre-existing PD, prior SRB and access to psychiatric medication. Detection of these risk factors could allow timely introduction of effective preventive measures tailored to particularly vulnerable subgroups and appropriate relief. However, lack of a detectable trigger in many cases may hamper the identification of those at risk.

The role of psycho-oncologic screenings in the detection and evaluation of depression in head and neck cancer aftercare patients.

PURPOSE: Cancer and morbidity during a therapeutic regimen can result in somatic and psychiatric impairment. We have evaluated the need of appropriate psychological screening by analyzing a large collective of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients with particularly burdensome symptoms. METHODS: HNC-aftercare patients were asked about somatic and psychological symptoms by means of standardized questionnaires of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC Q30 and QLQ-H&N35). Patients with poor well-being values on the World Health Organization-5-Well-Being Index were screened for depression by using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and adequate treatment was initiated, if necessary. RESULTS: Our sample consisted of 453 HNC-aftercare patients (average age 64.5 years; 72.0% male; 28.0% female). 25.1% showed abnormalities based on their WHO-5 questionnaire. A current major depressive episode was observed in 8.5% of the total study group. Patients with lip and oral cavity tumors showed the highest depression prevalence (18.9%). Time since initial HNC diagnosis showed no clear trend with regard to the number of depression cases. 50.0% of patients with a current major depressive episode consented to receiving assistance and/or therapy. Within the total study population, the most burdensome symptoms were found to be "dry mouth" (48.3%), "trouble doing strenuous activities" (46.0%), "trouble taking a long walk" (38.5%), and "worry" (35.5%). Aftercare patients with a depression diagnosis tended to have heavier symptom burdens than people without major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the various cancer-related burdensome factors, prevalence levels of depression among the HNC-aftercare patients and the general population were similar. Nevertheless, since the number of diagnosed depression cases is high, the need for psychological treatment should be considered within the tumor collective. Furthermore, screening for depression should be implemented in clinical routines by using the appropriate standardized questionnaires.

A Bifactor Model of Personality Organization.

The aim of this study was to explore the viability of a bifactor model for the Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO), which is a self-report measure of personality functioning based on Kernberg's model of personality organization. A heterogeneous, predominantly clinical sample (N = 616) completed the German 83-item version of the IPO. Confirmatory and Exploratory Factor Analyses were applied to explore the factor structure of the IPO. We were able to establish a bifactor model with a general factor of personality functioning and three specific factors (Aggression, Reality Testing, Moral Values), which represent additional dimensions of personality organization. Virtually all items showed substantial positive loadings on the general factor, explaining roughly 66% of the common variance. Furthermore, we found support for convergent and discriminant validity of general and specific factors with regard to interview-based assessments of personality disorders and personality organization. The results lend support to a bifactor approach to Kernberg's model of personality organization. We also present a 30-item brief form of the IPO that efficiently implements the bifactor approach and may be further validated in future studies.

[Clozapine in the Treatment of Schizophrenic Psychosis: Patient Characteristics and Antipsychotic Combinations in One Cohort at a Psychiatric Care Hospital]. / Clozapin in der Behandlung schizophrener Psychosen Patientencharakteristika und antipsychotische Kombinationstherapien bei einem Behandlungsjahrgang eines psychiatrischen Versorgungskrankenhauses.

BACKGROUND: In many studies, clozapine has been reported to have superior effectiveness compared to other antipsychotics. So far there is little systematic data on the practice of clozapine prescription and characteristics of patients treated. METHOD: Retrospective evaluation of all 392 treatment courses of inpatients with schizophrenic psychoses during one year. Detailed analysis of the patients treated with clozapine including the dosages and additional psychotropic medication. RESULT: Patients treated with clozapine showed a higher disease severity than patients without clozapine. They received more frequently pharmacological combination therapies, which in some cases significantly contradicted the current guideline recommendations. CONCLUSION: The results underline the pronounced disease severity of patients receiving clozapine treatment and substantiate evidence from the literature on the limited implementation of guidelines in prescribing practice. The study carried out serves as a pilot survey of a multicenter research project on the practice of prescribing clozapine in psychiatric hospitals in different German regions.

[The Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit at a Hospital with Maximum Care - An Analysis of Treatment Variables in the Therapy of Psychiatric and comorbid Somatic Disorders]. / Die psychiatrische Intensivstation an einer Klinik der Supramaximalversorgung ­ Analyse der Behandlungsvariablen aus der Therapie Psychiatrischer und Komorbider Somatischer Erkrankungen.

ZIEL DER STUDIE UND METHODIK: Alle 873 Behandlungsakten einer psychiatrischen Intensivstation aus einem Zeitraum von 5 Jahren gingen in eine Analyse des Patientenkollektivs, des Behandlungsoutcomes und von Prädiktoren für die stationäre Behandlungsdauer ein. ERGEBNISSE UND SCHLUSSFOLGERUNG: Auf der beschriebenen Station wurden sowohl Patienten mit psychiatrischen Notfallsyndromen als auch Patienten mit komorbiden psychischen und somatischen Erkrankungen behandelt. Somatische Zusatzerkrankungen beeinflussen den stationären Behandlungsverlauf psychisch Erkrankter erheblich, z. B. durch eine um durchschnittlich 2,4 Wochen kürzere intensivpsychiatrische stationäre Behandlungsdauer bei häufiger Notwendigkeit (41,3%) einer stationären, z. B. rehabilitativen Anschlussbehandlung. Die Stationsauslastung von 110 % und die durchschnittliche Behandlungsdauer von 63 Tagen deuten auf einen hohen Bedarf an interdisziplinären psychiatrisch-somatischen Behandlungsmöglichkeiten hin. In Zukunft ist ein Zusammenwachsen von Psychiatrie und somatischer Medizin anzustreben. Untersuchungen zu Versorgungssituation und Wirtschaftlichkeit interdisziplinärer Behandlungsangebote stehen aus. BACKGROUND AND METHOD: All 873 medical files of psychiatric inpatients treated over a 5 year period at a psychiatric intensive care unit were analyzed in regard to characteristics of the patient group, outcome and predictors for the length of stay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Patients with psychiatric emergency syndromes and patients with comorbid psychiatric and somatic disorders were treated on the described unit. Somatic comorbidities have a considerable effect on the course of treatment for patients with psychiatric disorders. They have to receive stationary treatment for a shorter period (2.4 weeks) but often need further stationary, e. g. rehabilitative treatment. The utilization of this specific unit (110%) and the above average length of stay (63 days) point to an increasing need in inpatient treatment capacities for patients with psychiatric and somatic comorbidities. In future a growing together of somatic medicine and psychiatry in Germany is worthwhile. The evaluation of the treatment situation and aspects of cost effectiveness are yet to come.

The overnight reduction of amyloid ß 1-42 plasma levels is diminished by the extent of sleep fragmentation, sAPP-ß, and APOE ε4 in psychiatrists on call.

INTRODUCTION: In mice there might be an association between sleep deprivation and amyloid ß plasma levels. Hence, we examined whether amyloid plasma levels are associated with sleep duration or fragmentation in 17 psychiatrists on-call. METHODS: Amyloid ß (Aß)42, Aß40, and soluble amyloid precursor protein ß (sAPP-ß) plasma concentrations were measured at the beginning and end of 90 on-call nights, and analyzed using generalized linear models. RESULTS: In on-call nights, a 10.7% reduction of Aß42 was revealed overnight. Every single short sleep interruption diminished this reduction by 5.4%, as well as every pg/mL of sAPP-ß by 1.2%, each copy of APOE ε4 by 10.6%, and each year of professional experience by 3.0%. DISCUSSION: The extent of sleep fragmentation diminishes the physiological overnight reduction of Aß42 but not Aß40 plasma levels in the same direction as the enzyme for Aß42 production, the genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and on-call experience. Might on-call duty and sleep fragmentation in general alter the risk for AD?

Transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: change in reflective function.

Borderline personality disorder is associated with deficits in personality functioning and mentalisation. In a randomised controlled trial 104 people with borderline personality disorder received either transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) or treatment by experienced community therapists. Among other outcome variables, mentalisation was assessed by means of the Reflective Functioning Scale (RF Scale). Findings revealed only significant improvements in reflective function in the TFP group within 1 year of treatment. The between-group effect was of medium size (d = 0.45). Improvements in reflective function were significantly correlated with improvements in personality organisation.

Psychiatric comorbidity and personality structure in patients with polyvalent addiction.

BACKGROUND: This study focuses on the systematic psychiatric evaluation of polydrug-using opiate-dependent patients, using the standard DSM-IV diagnostic interviews and a new psychodynamic instrument operationalizing personality organization (Structured Interview of Personality Organization, STIPO). SAMPLING AND METHOD: 50 patients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID) I and II and the STIPO by two independent researchers at a detoxification treatment unit. RESULTS: According to the SCID I and II, all patients had at least one axis I disorder, 90% at least one axis II disorder. A correspondence was found between STIPO and SCID results, in that more pathology in the SCID coincided with more severity in the STIPO. According to the STIPO, 100% of the patients were located at the level of borderline personality organization, indicating identity pathology according to Kernberg's model. CONCLUSION: Given the fact that comorbid psychiatric disorders compromise the outcome of detoxification and dehabituation treatments, it is highly relevant to diagnose these disorders and to assess underlying personality pathology. While the evidence of psychosocial treatments in addiction therapy is still weak, the integration of syndrome-tailored treatment modules may help improve the treatment of patients with this chronically relapsing condition. LIMITATION: small sample size.

Self-report and observer ratings of personality functioning: a study of the OPD system.

Recent considerations around DSM-5 criteria of personality disorders (PDs) demand new concepts of assessing levels of personality functioning. Of special interest are multiperspective approaches accounting for clinicians' as well as patients' points of view. The study investigates observer-rated and self-assessed levels of personality functioning measured by the level of structural integration as defined by the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis System (OPD). Both perspectives were positively related. The combination of both measures was most efficient in discriminating among 3 diagnostic groups of varying degrees of personality dysfunction. Future studies should take into account expert ratings as well as self-report data.

Escitalopram for the prevention of peginterferon-α2a-associated depression in hepatitis C virus-infected patients without previous psychiatric disease: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a major complication during treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with interferon-α (IFN-α). It is unclear whether antidepressants can prevent IFN-induced depression in patients without psychiatric risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether preemptive antidepressant treatment with escitalopram can decrease the incidence or severity of depression associated with pegylated IFN-α in HCV-infected patients without a history of psychiatric disorders. DESIGN: Randomized, multicenter, double-blind, prospective, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00136318) SETTING: 10 university and 11 academic hospitals in Germany. PATIENTS: 181 HCV-infected patients with no history of psychiatric disorders enrolled between August 2004 and December 2008. INTERVENTION: Escitalopram, 10 mg/d (n = 90), or placebo (n = 91) administered 2 weeks before and for 24 to 48 weeks during antiviral therapy. MEASUREMENTS: The primary end point was the incidence of depression, defined as a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of 13 or higher. Secondary end points were time to depression, incidence of major depression according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, quality of life, sustained virologic response, tolerability, and safety. RESULTS: 32% (95% CI, 21% to 43%) of the patients in the escitalopram group developed a MADRS score of 13 or higher compared with 59% (CI, 48% to 69%) in the placebo group (absolute difference, 27 percentage points [CI, 12 to 42 percentage points]; P < 0.001). Major depression was diagnosed in 8% of the patients in the escitalopram group and 19% in the placebo group (absolute risk difference, 11 percentage points [CI, 5 to 15 percentage points]; P = 0.031). Tolerability and safety parameters did not differ between the groups. In the escitalopram group, 56% (CI, 46% to 66%) of patients achieved a sustained virologic response compared with 46% (CI, 37% to 57%) in the placebo group (P = 0.21). LIMITATIONS: Results might not be generalizable to patients with previous psychiatric disease. Some patients withdrew or developed temporary elevated MADRS scores after randomization but before the study medication was started. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic antidepressant treatment with escitalopram was effective in reducing the incidence and severity of IFN-associated depression in HCV-infected patients without previous psychiatric disease. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Roche Pharma and Lundbeck.

[Anxiety, agitation, suicidality - Psychiatric emergencies in the general hospital]. / Angst, Erregung, Suizidalität ­ Psychiatrische Notfälle im Allgemeinkrankenhaus.

Psychiatric emergencies are encountered by every physician - regardless of specialty. Nevertheless, psychiatric emergencies in general hospitals are often a very significant challenge. In this article, the most important psychiatric emergency situations, diagnostic aspects as well as corresponding therapy options are presented.

Systematic analysis of nonfatal suicide attempts and further diagnostic of secondary injury in strangulation survivors: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Data on nonfatal suicide attempts in Germany are sparse. The study aimed to analyze data on nonfatal suicide attempts and consecutive diagnostic steps to identify secondary injuries after strangulation. Methods: All admissions after nonfatal suicide attempt in a large Bavarian psychiatric hospital between 2014 and 2018 were reviewed and the methods were analyzed. Results: A total of 2125 verified cases out of 2801 registered cases of nonfatal suicide attempts were included in further analysis. The most common methods were intoxication (n = 1101, 51.8%), cutting (n = 461, 21.7%), and strangulation (n = 183, 8.6%). Among survivors of strangulation with external neck compression (n = 99, 54.1%), no diagnostic steps were performed in 36 (36.4%) patients and insufficient imaging in 13 (20.6%) patients. Carotid artery dissection was detected in two (4.0%) of 50 patients with adequate neuroimaging. Conclusions: This study provides details on nonfatal suicide attempts in Germany. Slightly more than half of the patients with strangulation underwent adequate diagnostic work-up, with 4.0% being diagnosed with dissection. Further studies with systematic screening for dissection after strangulation in psychiatric hospitals are recommended to reduce possible under-reporting.

Reliability, structure, and validity of module I (personality functioning) of the Structured Clinical Interview for the alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders (SCID-5-AMPD-I).

According to the alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), a moderate or greater impairment in personality functioning is the essential criterion for a personality disorder diagnosis. Personality functioning is operationalized in the Level of Personality Functioning Scale via 4 domains (identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy) and 2 higher order dimensions (self and interpersonal functioning). The current study examined the reliability (interrater, test-retest), structure, and validity (convergent, discriminant, and incremental) of the Structured Clinical Interview for the AMPD-Module I (SCID-5-AMPD-I). A clinical sample (n = 121) completed the SCID-5-AMPD-I, along with an interview for DSM-5 Section II personality disorders and self-reports for personality pathology (personality functioning, personality organization, personality structure, and pathological personality traits) and other forms of psychopathology (depression, anxiety, somatization, and general disability). Interrater and test-retest reliability was excellent for overall personality functioning, the higher order dimensions, and the domains, except for the empathy domain in the test-retest condition. Factor analyses suggest that personality functioning is an essentially unidimensional construct. Personality functioning demonstrated high convergence with other forms of personality pathology and showed good discriminant validity in relation to depression, anxiety, and somatization but not in relation to the broader construct of general disability. Personality functioning (Criterion A) showed incremental validity over pathological personality traits (Criterion B) in predicting interview-assessed DSM-5 Section II personality disorders but not in predicting self-reported personality and general psychopathology. The present study suggests that the SCID-5-AMPD-I is a viable measure for personality functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Characteristics and predictive factors of severe or fatal suicide outcome in patients hospitalized due to deliberate self-poisoning.

Prediction of clinical course of intoxication is essential for timely initiation of appropriate medical treatment in patients hospitalized due to suicidal self-poisoning. In this retrospective single-centre study in patients hospitalized due to suicidal poisoning in a specialized clinical toxicology unit, we aimed to identify predictive factors associated with severe or fatal course of self-poisoning. All patients underwent at least one psychiatric exploration during their inpatient stay. Severity of poisoning was assessed on admission and after 24 hours according to the Poison Severity Score index (PSS). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to test the association of PSS with sociodemographic, anamnestic and (pre-)clinical parameters. Multivariable binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictive factors for severe and/or fatal self-poisoning. 1090 patients were included in the study. Median age was 39 years (range 13-91), 66.7% of patients were female. PSS was classified in the majority as "minor" (n = 558, 51.2%) or "moderate" (n = 264, 24.2%). 61 patients (5.6%) had PSS "severe"; 14 patients (1.3%) died. A higher severity of poisoning positively correlated with duration of inpatient therapy (p<0.001, Spearman's rho = 0.454) and duration of ventilation (p<0.001, rho = 0.474), and it inversely correlated with initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (p<0.001, rho = -0.437). Multivariable analysis identified no alcohol co-ingestion (OR 3.23; 95%CI 1.3, 8.07; p = 0.012) and self-poisoning with non-medicinal substances (OR 5.4; 95%CI 1.78, 16.34; p = 0.003) as factors predictive for "severe" or "fatal" suicide outcome. In contrast, female gender (OR 0.4; 95%CI 0.2, 0.81; p = 0.011), not using an antidepressant as the method for self-poisoning (OR 0.27; 95%CI 0.12, 0.59; p = 0.001) and a higher initial GCS score (OR 0.79; 95%CI 0.73, 0.85; p<0.001) reduced the risk of a severe or fatal course of self-poisoning. The conclusion for clinical practice is that male patients hospitalized due to self-poisoning, with a low initial GCS score, who did not co-ingest alcohol, attempted suicide with non-pharmaceutical substances or antidepressants are at a higher risk of severe/fatal outcome of suicide. Determination of these risk factors at admission could be potentially used to guide treatment intensification in patients hospitalized due to deliberate self-poisoning.