Marion N’Diambourila , Pierre Alexis Geoffroy , Marine Ambar Akkaoui
{"title":"Weather's influence on the number of emergency psychiatric visits: myth or reality? A systematic review of the literature","authors":"Marion N’Diambourila , Pierre Alexis Geoffroy , Marine Ambar Akkaoui","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The influence of weather on emergency psychiatric visits has been explored in various studies, yet the results have been inconsistent. This systematic review aims to investigate the relationship between meteorological factors and visits to psychiatric emergency departments (ED).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following PRISMA guidelines, this review aimed to clarify the relationship between meteorological factors and psychiatric emergency visits. A systematic literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO databases up until January 2024. The search focused on identifying studies that examined ED visits for psychiatric reasons and investigated the impact of at least one meteorological factor (including temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, wind, humidity, sunlight exposure, or day length).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 191 articles initially screened, 16 were selected for in-depth analysis. Among these, 10 studies found a significant association between higher temperatures and an increase in psychiatric ED visits. Further subgroup analyses revealed a specific correlation between increased temperature and psychiatric ED visits for mood disorders, psychotic disorders, substance use disorders, suicidal behavior, and anxiety disorders. Research on meteorological factors beyond temperature was notably scarce.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The link between increased temperature and psychiatric emergencies could stem from various biological mechanisms, including the modulation of melatonin and serotonin levels. Gaining insights into how weather conditions affect psychiatric ED visits enables a deeper understanding of the triggers for psychiatric decompensations. This information is crucial for developing targeted preventive strategies and informing public health policies aimed at mitigating the impact of adverse weather on mental health crises.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 277-290"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Induced abortion and implications for long-term mental health: a cohort study of 1.2 million pregnancies","authors":"Nathalie Auger , Jessica Healy-Profitós , Aimina Ayoub , Antoine Lewin , Nancy Low","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The relationship between induced abortion and long-term mental health is not clear. We assessed whether having an induced abortion was associated with an increase in the long-term risk of mental health hospitalization.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We carried out a retrospective cohort study of 28,721 induced abortions and 1,228,807 births in hospitals of Quebec, Canada, between 2006 and 2022. The exposure was induced abortion compared with other pregnancies, and the outcome was hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder, substance use disorder, or suicide attempt over time. We followed patients up to 17 years after the end of pregnancy to identify mental health-related hospitalizations. We calculated hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the association between induced abortion and mental health hospitalization, adjusted for pregnancy characteristics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Rates of mental health-related hospitalization were higher following induced abortions than other pregnancies (104.0 vs. 42.0 per 10,000 person-years). Abortion was associated with hospitalization for psychiatric disorders (HR 1.81, 95 % CI 1.72–1.90), substance use disorders (HR 2.57, 95 % CI 2.41–2.75), and suicide attempts (HR 2.16, 95 % CI 1.91–2.43) compared with other pregnancies. The associations were greater for patients who had preexisting mental illness or were aged less than 25 years at the time of the abortion. Abortion was strongly associated with mental health hospitalization within five years but risks waned over time.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Induced abortion is associated with an increased risk of mental health-related hospitalization in the long term but the association weakens with time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 304-310"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karel Kostev , Nimran Kaur , Céline Vetter , Marcel Konrad
{"title":"Sleep disorders are associated with subsequent depression and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents in Germany-a retrospective cohort study","authors":"Karel Kostev , Nimran Kaur , Céline Vetter , Marcel Konrad","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aims to investigate the longitudinal association between sleep disorders and the subsequent development of depression and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents sleep disorders and subsequent depression in children and adolescents.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical records from the IQVIA™ Disease Analyzer database and included children and adolescents aged 6–17 years with an initial diagnosis of a sleep disorder and without sleep disorders treated by one of 258 office-based pediatricians between January 2010 and December 2023. The five-year cumulative incidence of depression and anxiety disorders in the cohorts with and without sleep disorders was studied with Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to assess the association between sleep disorders and depression.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The present study included 11,783 children and adolescents with and 58,915 without sleep disorder diagnosis (mean age 10 ± 4 years, 47 % female). Within five years after the index date, 5.3 % of sleep disorder patients and 2.4 % of the matched non-sleep disorder cohort had been diagnosed with depression, and 6.2 % vs. 2.9 % with anxiety disorders. A strong and significant association was observed between sleep disorders and subsequent depression (HR: 2.16; 95 % CI: 1.94–2.39) and anxiety disorder (HR: 2.98; 95 % CI: 1.88–2.30). Upon the exclusion of depression and anxiety disorder diagnoses in the first year after the index date, the association between sleep disorders and both depression (HR: 1.86; 95 % CI: 1.64–2.10) and anxiety disorders (HR: 1.79; 95 % CI: 1.59–2.03) remained strong and significant.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The study indicates a strong and significant association between sleep disorders and depression and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 299-303"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Network meta-analysis of the effects of long-term non-pharmacologic treatment on inhibitory control in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder","authors":"Jingyi Zhou , Wen Jiang , Jingwen Wang , Jingjing Dou","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To conduct a network meta-analysis comparing the effects of various long-term non-pharmacological treatments on inhibitory control in children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to provide theoretical support for non-pharmacological interventions in ADHD management.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of long-term non-pharmacological treatments on inhibitory control in children and adolescents with ADHD published up to November 11, 2024, were searched in databases such as CNKI, Web of Science, APA PsycInfo, Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Library.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 42 studies, including seven non-pharmacological types, were included, involving 1981 children and adolescents with ADHD, with a mean age of 10.04 ± 1.82 years. Both traditional and network meta-analyses based on post-test data revealed that physical exercise, cognitive training, behavior therapy, and neurofeedback significantly improved inhibitory control (P < 0.05), with physical exercise showing the best improvement (SUCRA: 85.9 %). At the same time, board games, EMG feedback, and meditation had no significant effect (P > 0.05). Follow-up analysis showed that behavior therapy and cognitive training had a good maintenance effect (P < 0.05), with behavior therapy demonstrating the best sustained effect (SUCRA: 95.1 %). In contrast, physical exercise, board games, and neurofeedback showed diminishing effects over time and had no significant long-term effect (P > 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Existing evidence shows that physical exercise, cognitive training, behavior therapy, and neurofeedback all have a positive effect on improving inhibitory control in children and adolescents with ADHD, with physical exercise showing the best effect, though with poor maintenance, while cognitive training and behavior therapy had a slightly lower effect, but their maintenance was better.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 261-276"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144088861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rob Saunders , Tobias Nolte , Tom G. Osborn , Henry Delamain , David Riedl , Peter Fonagy , Astrid Lampe
{"title":"Identifying subgroups of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in adult general hospital attendees: associations with mental and physical health measures","authors":"Rob Saunders , Tobias Nolte , Tom G. Osborn , Henry Delamain , David Riedl , Peter Fonagy , Astrid Lampe","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes. While increased ACE exposure often correlates with worse health outcomes, specific combinations of ACEs may heighten the risk for certain conditions and diseases.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Participants (n = 2642) attending inpatient and outpatient departments at an Austrian university hospital provided self-reported measures of physical and mental health, along with retrospective assessments of ACEs. Latent class analysis was utilized to identify subgroups of individuals with co-occurring ACEs. Logistic regression models were employed to investigate the associations between ACE clusters and the prevalence of physical and mental health conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Six classes were identified, with the majority of individuals falling into the ‘minimal ACEs’ class. However, other groups reported specific ACEs such as ‘peer-bullying’, ‘home-neglect’, and ‘physical abuse’, while two groups experienced a variety of ACEs (‘parent abuse and neglect’ and ‘parental and peer bullying’). Classes were differentially associated with the likelihood of reporting specific mental and physical conditions, with higher odds ratios observed in groups endorsing higher ACEs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This exploratory analysis found that different ACE constellations were associated with varying risks of specific mental and physical health conditions. Identifying individuals within particular ACE clusters could help inform preventive strategies and improve adult health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 291-298"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matilda A. Frick , Lin Lindman , Jenny Meyer , Johan Isaksson
{"title":"Are adolescent males or females more proficient self-raters of symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?","authors":"Matilda A. Frick , Lin Lindman , Jenny Meyer , Johan Isaksson","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>The current study examined the relation between self-rated and parent- and clinician-rated symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), by estimating rater agreement and rater differences, and whether these differed between the sexes.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The sample included N = 159 adolescents with ADHD aged 15–18 years (M<sup>age</sup> = 16.59 years, SD = .92) of which n = 58 (36.5 %) were males. Symptoms were assessed using self- and parent-ratings with the adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for Adolescents, whereas clinicians rated symptoms using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children and adolescents conducted with the adolescents and their parent. We used intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) to assess rater agreement and <em>t</em>-tests to assess differences.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Males rated fewer symptoms compared to their parents and clinicians, whereas females’ self-ratings did not differ from parent and clinician ratings. Relatedly, females were in higher agreement with parents and clinicians compared to males. Females had a higher symptom severity than males in self-ratings and clinician-ratings, but not in parent-ratings. Adolescents were in higher agreement with clinicians than parents.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our results indicate that adolescent males with ADHD may underestimate their symptoms whereas females may have more insight into their symptoms when compared to other raters. Adolescents are important raters of their own ADHD symptoms and their perspectives need to be taken into account in diagnostic assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 248-253"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Timothy D. Brewerton , Giulia Suro , Natalie Fernandez , Khuslen Tulga , Ismael Gavidia , Molly M. Perlman
{"title":"Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, traumatic events and PTSD in adolescents and adults admitted to residential treatment","authors":"Timothy D. Brewerton , Giulia Suro , Natalie Fernandez , Khuslen Tulga , Ismael Gavidia , Molly M. Perlman","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding and eating disorder linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that has been associated with prior traumatic experiences, but its relationship to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been relatively unexplored. Whether trauma and PTSD are more closely associated with specific clinical profiles of ARFID (fear of adverse consequences of eating, sensory sensitivity, and/or lack of interest in food/eating) is unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>89 patients (25 adolescents, 64 adults) admitted to residential treatment (RT) with a DSM-5 diagnosis of ARFID completed initial assessments, including the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Trauma histories were identified via the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (adults), the Child Trauma Questionnaire (adolescents), and by detailed chart reviews.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>50 % of adults and 40 % of adolescents (47 % total) met criteria for PTSD, which was more prevalent in patients with sensory sensitivity (60 %) and pre-admission comorbid ASD (80 %). The most common types of traumatic experiences associated with PTSD were sexual assault, unwanted/uncomfortable sexual experiences, and physical assault. In most cases (61 %), traumas reportedly occurred before or at the same time as the eating disturbances, which began on average at 12.4 years of age. Patients with PTSD also had significantly more prior suicide attempts.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Traumatic experiences and resultant PTSD were common in both adolescents and adults with ARFID, especially in those with sensory sensitivity and comorbid ASD. These findings need to be confirmed in larger, more representative samples. Development of treatment approaches that integrate trauma-focused treatments are indicated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 174-180"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143940973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Screening and evaluating seasonal affective disorder: a systematic review of available assessment tools","authors":"Marine Ambar Akkaoui , Pierre Alexis Geoffroy","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a frequent and severe disorder. The prevalence of SAD varies from 1 % to 10 %, influenced by latitude and assessment methods, and is higher in women and younger populations. SAD is also overrepresented in patients with bipolar disorders. In this context, screening for SAD appears crucial, particularly because specific treatments are available. We aimed to examine comprehensively and critically the existing scales and questionnaires for assessing and screening SAD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic literature review was performed using PRISMA guidelines and searching on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO databases up to April 2024.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of 791 articles screened, 28 met the inclusion criteria. Seven scales were identified, divided into those for screening and those for severity measurement. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) is widely used and validated in multiple languages and disorders. Of note, the SPAQ tends to overestimate SAD prevalence. It has good internal validity but limited reliability for diagnosing seasonal depression alone. The SIGH-SAD allows detailed symptom evaluation, with good psychometric properties, although the score interpretation can be complex. The SHQ is more specific and sensitive than SPAQ but longer and more complex. The ISV offers a detailed assessment of seasonal variations and a good reliability but is more complex and less studied than SPAQ. The SBQ provides specific cognitive assessment related to SAD, with good sensitivity and specificity, though more validation is needed. The BDI-add includes atypical symptoms for SAD assessment but lacks comprehensive psychometric data. Finally, the HIGH-SAD is useful for distinguishing unipolar from bipolar disorder in SAD patients, with good reliability but requiring more validation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The SPAQ remains the reference scale despite some limitations. The review highlights the need for ongoing validation and potentially new scales integrating seasonal and mood dimensions for more accurate SAD diagnosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 223-232"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agorastos Agorastos , Oliver Stiedl , Alexandra Heinig , Anne Sommer , Torben Hager , Klaus Wiedemann , Cüneyt Demiralay
{"title":"Differences in baseline and dynamic plasma/saliva endocrine and linear/non-linear heart measures between patients with major depression and closely-matched healthy subjects: A 3-day combined overnight dexamethasone/metyrapone challenge study","authors":"Agorastos Agorastos , Oliver Stiedl , Alexandra Heinig , Anne Sommer , Torben Hager , Klaus Wiedemann , Cüneyt Demiralay","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been consistently associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS) (re-)activity abnormalities, however, often with conflicting results.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study offers a concurrent multi-measure assessment of both HPA-axis and ANS activity and reactivity over 3 days to better characterize baseline and dynamic neuroendocrine alterations in MDD accounting for multiple individual factors. We therefore investigated group differences between 20 unmedicated MDD patients and 20 carefully-matched healthy controls (HC) by simultaneously assessing morning plasma (CORT, ACTH, copeptin) and awakening response saliva (CORT, DHEA, DHEA-s) endocrine measures, as well as multiple linear and non-linear measures of resting heart rate (HR) and its variability (HRV), before (baseline, day 1) and after a successive overnight metyrapone (HPA-axis stimulation, day 2) and dexamethasone (HPA-axis suppression, day 3) pharmaco-endocrine challenge, controlling for childhood trauma (CT) history.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Statistically significant group differences emerged only for baseline plasma CORT and ACTH levels (MDD > HC) and resting HR in all 3 days. No differences were found in dynamic plasma levels and all saliva endocrine measures, as well as all HRV measures. Baseline HR was the only significant predictor for MDD diagnosis.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our detailed baseline and dynamic neuroendocrine comparison using closely matched HC indicates fewer neuroendocrine alterations in MDD than expected. These results challenge prior findings and support the importance of exact matching when investigating neuroendocrine biomarkers, as previously reported findings may rely on unaccounted individual but not group differences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 192-199"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143947188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aaron T. Clarke , Naomi A. Fineberg , Luca Pellegrini , Rodolfo Leuzzi , Keith R. Laws
{"title":"From lockdown to Liberation: How inflexible thinking, obsessive-compulsive and affective symptoms shape pandemic adjustment","authors":"Aaron T. Clarke , Naomi A. Fineberg , Luca Pellegrini , Rodolfo Leuzzi , Keith R. Laws","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted daily life, and the transition to post-pandemic living presented additional psychological challenges. Previous research shows that individuals with obsessive-compulsive traits and pre-existing mental health histories were vulnerable to adjustment difficulties, which appear to be mediated by depression, anxiety, and stress.</div></div><div><h3>Aims</h3><div>This study examined the relationship between post-pandemic adjustment and mental health variables in a population-based cohort during the final lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, tracking outcomes over six months to assess causality. The study was pre-registered on the Open Science Framework (<span><span>https://osf.io/v4c28</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>).</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A cohort of 343 UK adults was assessed online at baseline, three, and six months. Self-report measures included the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Compulsive Personality Assessment Scale (CPAS), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Post-Pandemic Adjustment Scale (PPAS) and COVID-19 Safety Behaviour Scale. Cognitive flexibility was assessed using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (CST: at baseline) and the Intradimensional-Extradimensional Set-Shifting Task (IDED: at 3 months).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Approximately 28 % of participants were identified as poor adjusters. Mediation analysis revealed that obsessive-compulsive symptoms, compulsive personality traits, and a history of mental health disorders predicted post-pandemic adjustment difficulties indirectly via depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 safety behaviours. While we found no evidence that adjustment was linked to cognitive flexibility on the WCST, exploratory analyses showed that poorer adjustment was linked to reversal learning issues on the IDED task.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study replicated our prior findings, identifying obsessive-compulsive symptoms and traits, mental health histories, and cognitive inflexibility as key risk factors for poor post-pandemic adjustment. Moreover, depression, anxiety, and stress mediated these difficulties, suggesting potential markers for identifying at-risk individuals and guiding interventions for future public health crises.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"187 ","pages":"Pages 238-247"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}