General Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Enhancing pain modulation: the efficacy of synchronous combination of virtual reality and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation","authors":"Yanzhi Bi, Xu Liu, Xiangyue Zhao, Shiyu Wei, Jingwei Li, Faguang Wang, Wenbo Luo, Li Hu","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101164","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Virtual reality (VR) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have emerged as effective interventions for pain reduction. However, their standalone applications often yield limited analgesic effects, particularly in certain painful conditions. Aims Our hypothesis was that the combination of VR with TENS in a synchronous manner could produce the best analgesic effect among the four experimental conditions. Methods To address this challenge, we proposed a novel pain modulation strategy that synchronously combines VR and TENS, aiming to capitalise on both techniques’ complementary pain modulation mechanisms. Thirty-two healthy subjects participated in the study and underwent three types of interventions: VR alone, a combination of VR with conventional TENS, and a combination of VR with synchronous TENS. Additionally, a control condition with no intervention was included. Perceived pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, positive and negative affect scores, and electroencephalographic (EEG) data were collected before and after the interventions. To delve into the potential moderating role of pain intensity on the analgesic efficacy of VR combined with synchronous TENS, we incorporated two distinct levels of painful stimuli: one representing mild to moderate pain (ie, low pain) and the other representing moderate to severe pain (ie, high pain). Results Our findings revealed that both combination interventions exhibited superior analgesic effects compared with the VR-alone intervention when exposed to low and high pain stimuli. Notably, the combination of VR with synchronous TENS demonstrated greater analgesic efficacy than the combination of VR with conventional TENS. EEG data further supported these results, indicating that both combination interventions elicited a greater reduction in event-related potential magnitude compared with the VR-alone intervention during exposure to low and high pain stimuli. Moreover, the synchronous combination intervention induced a more significant reduction in N2 amplitude than the VR-alone intervention during exposure to low pain stimuli. No significant differences in EEG response changes were detected between the two combination interventions. Both combination interventions resulted in a greater reduction in negative affect compared with the VR-alone intervention. Conclusions Altogether, our study highlights the effectiveness of the synchronous combination of VR and TENS in enhancing pain modulation. These findings offer valuable insights for developing innovative pain treatments, emphasising the importance of tailored and multifaceted therapeutic approaches for various painful conditions. The data in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"248 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139018031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electroencephalography microstates as novel functional biomarkers for insomnia disorder","authors":"Yongjian Guo, Xumeng Zhao, Xiaoyang Liu, Jiayi Liu, Yan Li, Lirong Yue, Fulai Yuan, Yifei Zhu, Xiaona Sheng, Dahua Yu, Kai Yuan","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101171","url":null,"abstract":"Insomnia disorder (ID) is one of the most common mental disorders. Research on ID focuses on exploring its mechanism of disease, novel treatments and treatment outcome prediction. An emerging technique in this field is the use of electroencephalography (EEG) microstates, which offer a new method of EEG feature extraction that incorporates information from both temporal and spatial dimensions.To explore the electrophysiological mechanisms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for ID treatment and use baseline microstate metrics for the prediction of its efficacy.This study included 60 patients with ID and 40 age-matched and gender-matched good sleep controls (GSC). Their resting-state EEG microstates were analysed, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG) were collected to assess sleep quality. The 60 patients with ID were equally divided into active and sham groups to receive rTMS for 20 days to test whether rTMS had a moderating effect on abnormal microstates in patients with ID. Furthermore, in an independent group of 90 patients with ID who received rTMS treatment, patients were divided into optimal and suboptimal groups based on their median PSQI reduction rate. Baseline EEG microstates were used to build a machine-learning predictive model for the effects of rTMS treatment.The class D microstate was less frequent and contribute in patients with ID, and these abnormalities were associated with sleep onset latency as measured by PSG. Additionally, the abnormalities were partially reversed to the levels observed in the GSC group following rTMS treatment. The baseline microstate characteristics could predict the therapeutic effect of ID after 20 days of rTMS, with an accuracy of 80.13%.Our study highlights the value of EEG microstates as functional biomarkers of ID and provides a new perspective for studying the neurophysiological mechanisms of ID. In addition, we predicted the therapeutic effect of rTMS on ID based on the baseline microstates of patients with ID. This finding carries great practical significance for the selection of therapeutic options for patients with ID.","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"385 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139021654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social isolation, loneliness and subsequent risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus","authors":"Yannis Yan Liang, Yilin Chen, Hongliang Feng, Huachen Xue, Yu Nie, Qi-Yong H Ai, Jiacheng Ma, Lulu Yang, Jihui Zhang, Sizhi Ai","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101153","url":null,"abstract":"Background Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are more vulnerable to social disconnection compared with the general population; however, there are few relevant studies investigating this issue. Aims To investigate whether social isolation or loneliness may be associated with subsequent risk of developing major adverse cardiovascular events, whether these associations vary according to fatal and non-fatal outcomes and how behavioural, psychological and physiological factors mediate these associations. Methods This longitudinal analysis included data from 19 360 individuals with T2DM at baseline (2006–2010) from the UK Biobank. Social isolation and loneliness were measured using self-report questionnaires. The study outcomes included the first events of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke (n=2273) and all-cause (n=2820) or cardiovascular disease-related mortality through linked hospital data or death registries. Results Over a median follow-up of 12.4 years (interquartile range (IQR): 11.6–13.3 years), participants who were more socially isolated (most social isolation vs least social isolation) experienced increased risks for all-cause (hazard ratio (HR) : 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19 to 1.47) and cardiovascular disease (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.59) mortality but not first MI or stroke. Loneliness (yes vs no) was associated with a greater risk for a composite of incident MI or stroke (HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.57) but not mortality. Social isolation was associated with fatal MI and stroke, whereas loneliness was associated with non-fatal MI and stroke. The significant associations of social isolation and loneliness with outcomes were mainly mediated by behavioural factors (mediating proportion: 17.8%–28.2% and 17.6%–17.8%, respectively). Conclusions Among individuals with T2DM, social isolation and loneliness are associated with a greater risk of developing major adverse cardiovascular events, with differences in both risks stratified according to fatal and non-fatal events and underlying mediating factors. Data are available upon reasonable request. Data may be obtained from a third party and are not publicly available. Individual-level data from the UK Biobank are not publicly available due to their policy, but the data will be made available after the application to the UK Biobank (<https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/>).","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139055859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the potential of the metaverse medical paradigm in drug addiction treatment: a preliminary discussion and future prospects","authors":"Longtao Yang, Lijie Zhang, Wenhan Yang, Fei Tang, Yanyao Du, Jun Liu","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101258","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101258","url":null,"abstract":"Drug addiction is a chronic and recurrent encephalopathy characterised by impulsive behaviour, spiritual cravings, psychological distortion and physical damage.1 According to the role of molecular biology mechanisms on the central nervous system, addictive substances can be classified as inhibitors (eg, opioids, etc), stimulants (eg, methamphetamine (MA), nicotine, cocaine, etc) and hallucinogens (eg, cannabis, etc).1 As published by the World Drug Report 2022, over 284 million individuals aged 15–64 worldwide have reportedly abused drugs in the past 12 months, emphasising the international challenge of effective detox treatment. The detoxification process consists of three phases: physiological recovery for the remission of withdrawal symptoms, psychological rehabilitation for the elimination of mental dependence, and social function restoration for the return to life, with the second phase being the most significant challenge. A sustained high level of drug craving often leads to unsuccessful psychological rehabilitation. Current methods of psychological intervention generally include compulsory detention management, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS).2 However, often drug cravings are not effectively controlled.3 For example, the relapse rate of individuals addicted to opioid drugs like heroin could exceed 95% within 6 months post-detox treatment.4 Therefore, there is an urgent need to consider treatment effects during psychological rehabilitation. The integration of multiple schemes and novel interventions for drug treatment is emerging as a key research topic in this field. In recent years, digital health has rapidly advanced, with a focus on improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare services, including diagnosis, monitoring, treatment and data management, through digital information communication. Metaverse, also known as the three-dimensional internet, is a broader concept involving virtual multidimensional spaces that foster social interactions, user-generated content and a persistent environment across various domains, such as economy, ecology and the medical industry. Metaverse is a …","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138690103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increased odds of high body mass index in depression with self-reported antidepressant use","authors":"Vanessa K Tassone, Shakila Meshkat, Hilary Pang, Michelle Wu, Sophie F Duffy, Hyejung Jung, Wendy Lou, Venkat Bhat","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101204","url":null,"abstract":"To the editor: The incidence of depression and obesity is on the rise, posing significant public health concerns. While the literature largely supports a positive correlation between depression and body mass index (BMI),1 2 earlier studies have suggested an inverse relationship3 or indicated a lack of association between depression and obesity.4 Monoaminergic antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are the first-line treatment options for major depression. Research strongly supports a correlation between antidepressant use and weight gain, particularly in the case of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).5 6 However, there is limited evidence regarding the association between antidepressant use and BMI, with existing studies primarily focused on how obesity influences treatment outcomes. Several mechanisms, including antidepressant use, have been proposed to explain the relationship between mood disorders and obesity.7 Previous research demonstrated that depressive symptoms and antidepressant use were independently associated with BMI in postmenopausal women.8 However, there were no subset analyses comparing individuals with depression who were taking antidepressants with those with depression who were not. Findings from another study showed that women with depression who had never used antidepressants had reduced odds of having an obese BMI.9 Moreover, the positive relationship between antidepressant use and an obese BMI only became significant when analyses were limited to those with a history of depression.9 A large, population-level analysis is warranted to clarify the associations between depression, antidepressant use and BMI. This study investigated the independent associations of depression and self-reported antidepressant use (yes/no, antidepressant class and duration of use) with BMI. In a secondary analysis, the relationship between antidepressant use and BMI was investigated in a subset of participants with depression. ### Study population This study used data from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition …","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138560351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on attentional processes","authors":"Yuxin Chen, Haoyu Yang, Faguang Wang, Xuejing Lu, Li Hu","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101176","url":null,"abstract":"Background The modulatory effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on attention has varied in previous studies. This inconsistency might be attributed to the combined influence of the modulation effect on the different attentional functions, including alerting, orienting and executive control. Aims We aimed to preliminarily examine the modulatory effects of taVNS on different attentional functions. Methods Fifty-nine healthy participants were recruited and were randomly assigned to taVNS (receiving taVNS for 20 minutes) or control (receiving taVNS for 30 seconds) groups. All participants underwent a dot-probe task before and after the taVNS/control intervention. Their behavioural performance and electroencephalographic signals during pre- and post-tests were recorded, and different observed variables were extracted and analysed to characterise different attentional systems. Results We observed that active taVNS applied at the left ear significantly improved the overall behavioural performance, that is, shorter reaction time (RT) and lower intra-individual reaction time variability (IIRTV) for right-hand responses when compared with the control condition. In addition, active taVNS resulted in larger P3 and movement-related cortical potential (MRCP) amplitudes associated with right-hand reactions than the control condition. Active taVNS also decreased the difference between the pre- and post-tests in the power spectral density of spontaneous high-α band oscillations at C4 electrode. Importantly, parallel mediation models for right-hand responses showed that the change of P3 amplitude mediated the effects of taVNS on RT and IIRTV. In contrast, the change of MRCP amplitude suppressed the effect of taVNS on the IIRTV. Conclusions Our results provided behavioural and brain evidence supporting the effects of taVNS on different attentional systems, and their interaction further shaped behavioural performance, suggesting a promising role of taVNS in cognitive enhancement. Data are available upon reasonable request.","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"11 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138512737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Suicide trends among patients with cancer in India over the past 24 years","authors":"M Swathi Shenoy, Ashish Wasudeo Khobragade, Muthathal Subramanian","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101190","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101190","url":null,"abstract":"Suicide is a significant global public health concern, claiming over 0.7 million lives annually. It is seen in all age groups and is the fourth leading cause of mortality in the 15–29 year old age group. Three-quarters of suicides are reported in low-income and middle-income countries.1 Notably, India significantly contributes to this global burden, reporting 164 000 suicides in 2021.2 Cancer is one of the factors leading to suicide. In India, new cancer cases are estimated to increase by 58.3% by 2040 compared with 2020. The most common cancer among males in India is oral cancer, while breast cancer ranks as the most common type of cancer among females.3 A cancer diagnosis can lead to severe mental and physical distress, raising the likelihood of suicide. Patients with cancer commonly face depression, anxiety, social stigma, lack of moral support, the chronic nature of the illness, financial burden and painful treatment, all of which significantly impact their mental health and can lead to suicidal tendencies. Research indicates that the risk of suicide is significantly greater among those affected by cancer compared with the general population.4 However, the psychosocial challenges of patients with cancer remain insufficiently explored.5 6 In particular, there is limited research on recent suicide trends among patients with cancer in India. Studying these trends will provide insights into the complexities of suicide risk in this specific population. The aim of the study was to find trends of suicidal deaths among individuals with cancer in the Indian population based on secondary data. The number of suicides among patients with cancer from 1997 to 2020 was extracted from the National Crime Records Bureau, along with state-specific and gender-specific suicide data. National population estimates for the same years were collected from World Bank data. The yearly estimate of nationwide cancer …","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138555740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental stress, atheroma, myocardial ischaemia and injury: the link is inflammation","authors":"Hean Teik Ong, Jinghong Chen","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101282","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101282","url":null,"abstract":"Increasing observational and experimental trial data have shown that mental stress can lead to an increase in adverse clinical cardiovascular events. Mental stress affects the heart by inducing ischaemia and precipitating myocardial infarction (MI) or direct myocardial injury. Mental stress leads to systemic inflammation. Inflammation is known to cause rapid atheromatous plaque progression, instability and thrombosis—the classic type 1 MI. Inflammation can also lead to type 2 MI or myocarditis and injury. The published data linking systemic inflammation, mental stress and cardiovascular disease will be reviewed to establish the linkage between mind and heart, thereby highlighting the importance of holistically managing the patient, not only addressing separate organ systems. Finally, recent trial evidence showing the value of anti-inflammatory drugs in cardiovascular and mental conditions will be briefly considered.","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139051361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cooperation between China and Iran in addiction medicine: opportunities, challenges and strategies","authors":"Gangliang Zhong, Hang Su, Di Zhao, Ji Hu, Xing Liu, Yonghui Li, Saeed Semnanian, Abbas Haghparast, Ti-Fei Yuan, Jiang Du","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101162","url":null,"abstract":"Addiction is a major global risk factor for disability and premature death1 and has become a public health and social problem worldwide. Despite substantial investments from governments and research institutions globally, current addiction medicine research remains centred in Western countries. However, theories, models and results from western-centric research may not be applicable to different cultures. Non-Western countries such as China and Iran, and Western countries are committed to establishing addiction prevention and treatment tailored to their unique histories and cultures. To foster a global addiction science, it is important to increase the diversity of evidence without preconceived biases. Studying addiction problems across different regions and cultural backgrounds and sharing successful prevention and treatment models can provide a more comprehensive perspective for global addiction science, potentially yielding innovative solutions that benefit all countries. China and Iran have their own unique addiction challenges and treatment experiences and have become important representatives of addiction research progress in countries outside the Western axis. Both China and Iran have rich traditional medicine experiences in addiction medicine, which have been developed over thousands of years of trial and error. These offer valuable insights for refining addiction treatment and preventing relapse. Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of over 2000 years in China and has been used to treat addiction, including substance and non-substance addiction, for the past two centuries. Traditional herbal therapy, which targets multiple systems and mechanisms, is considered effective in relieving withdrawal symptoms and preventing addiction relapse with minimal side effects.2 3 It also has a rehabilitative effect on physical issues caused by long-term drug use, including improvements in immune function and working memory and the prevention of neurological diseases.4 The continuous application of traditional medical therapies in China and Iran has preliminarily proven effective in addiction treatment in Western countries, …","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"41 8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139055901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the psychological impact of the 2022 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant outbreak in China","authors":"Gangbin Han, Guirong Cheng, Feifei Hu, Chunli Li, Dan Liu, Juan Zhou, Jing Liu, Linya Huang, Xiaochang Liu, Qianqian Nie, Dan Song, Deyang Zeng, Lang Xu, Jinquan Li, Yushan Chen, Zhen Wei, Qiong Wu, Xiaoming He, Qingming Wu, Wei Tan, Yufei Mei, Xingxing Chen, Yangming Ou, Jingjing Zhang, Yafu Yu, Mengliu Yang, Pengfei Lian, Fukai Zhou, Renjia Fan, Hong Wan, Chenlu Hu, Yidi Fu, Shiyue Li, Junyi Wang, Cheng Cai, Mengdie Pei, Yuyang Cui, Wanying Cai, Yiqing Li, Shiyao Pan, Chang Chen, Yan He, Zhaoxia Wu, Liu Hu, Liang Tao, Hongyan Xiao, Xinyan Xie, Yan Zeng","doi":"10.1136/gpsych-2023-101088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101088","url":null,"abstract":"The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 on mental health was substantial in China1 2 and various other countries.3 4 Beyond the direct consequences of COVID-19, the pandemic created an environment in which many determinants of mental health were affected. Issues associated with the pandemic, such as loss of livelihood, limited access to medical services, reduced social interactions, and economic downturn, could potentially have adverse effects on the population’s mental well-being.5 In November 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the new variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), variant B.1.1.529, as a variant of concern and named it Omicron; its rapid mutation and spread raised a new global health concern.6 The first wave of the Omicron outbreak in mainland China started in Shanghai in late February 2022.5 Subsequently, it led to a few small eruptions in several cities in China,7 despite multifaceted public health interventions. After evaluating the pathogenicity, immunity evasion, transmission of the virus, and possible consequences of the Omicron wave, the State Council of China lifted the strict virus control measures on December 7, 2022.8 The official release from attempting to control the epidemic rapidly ushered in the first widespread wave of Omicron, peaking within a month. The number of infected people across the country increased explosively.9 10 The pandemic’s evident impact on netizens’ health emphasised the need for up-to-date information on the prevalence of infectious symptoms and mental health effects. Unfortunately, the threat of future pandemics exists.11 Investigating the impact of epidemics, such as Omicron, and incorporating the findings in ways that inform health system responses has never been more urgent. However, there are few large-scale studies containing significant evidence to explain the effects of recent pandemics in large, widespread …","PeriodicalId":12549,"journal":{"name":"General Psychiatry","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138512735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}