IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE最新文献

{"title":"Clinical characteristics of HHC-associated psychosis: an exploratory retrospective inpatient cohort study.","authors":"Sarah Lanigan, Níall Lally, Aoife Brett, Brian O'Mahony, Colm McDonald, Brian Hallahan","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10240","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics of individuals admitted with hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)-associated psychosis and compare with cannabis-associated psychosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective chart review was undertaken of all admissions to the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit at University Hospital Galway, Ireland, between 1 May 2023 and 31 July 2025, with psychosis and documented HHC or cannabis use in the seven days preceding admission. Demographic, clinical, and treatment variables were compared across three groups: HHC-only, cannabis-only, and combined HHC + cannabis associated psychosis. Group differences were examined using ANOVA for continuous variables and Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables, with repeated-measures ANOVA used to examine antipsychotic dosing. Analyses were exploratory in nature.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-three individuals (79% male) met inclusion criteria. All HHC-related cases occurred in a first episode of psychosis. Affective symptoms were more frequent in the HHC-only group (89%) than in the cannabis-only (54%) and combined HHC + cannabis groups (27%) (p = 0.024). Formal thought disorder appeared more common in HHC-exposed groups (80%) compared with cannabis-only presentations (38%), reaching statistical significance in an exploratory comparison between cannabis-only and combined HHC-exposed groups (p = 0.027). Urine toxicology screening for THC metabolites, length of stay and maximum antipsychotic dose were similar across groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this cohort, HHC-associated psychosis was associated with higher rates of affective symptoms and formal thought disorder than cannabis-related presentations, despite otherwise similar clinical features. Findings are hypothesis-generating, given the exploratory analyses, small sample and uncorrected multiple testing. They suggest a potential role for novel cannabinoid screening to support earlier identification and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood trauma and addiction: prevalence, comorbidity, and mediating mechanisms - a systematic review.","authors":"Nuala Murray, Carlos Sánchez Belmar, Santosh Sharma, Narayanan Subramanian","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10229","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine the association between childhood trauma and substance use and behavioural addictions in adults, including comorbid mental and physical illness, and to identify mediating and moderating mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO. Five databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane) were searched for English-language studies published between 2006 and 2025, with an updated search in March 2026. Adults with a diagnosed substance use or behavioural addiction disorder, assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ or CTQ-SF), were included. Cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control designs were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sixty-seven studies encompassing 44,429 participants were included. Emotional neglect and emotional abuse were the most frequently reported trauma types. Alcohol was the most common addiction. Depression was the predominant mental health comorbidity, present in over half of reporting studies. Three themes emerged: psychological and psychosocial mediators (particularly impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and negative self-concept); neurobiological correlates including structural, functional, and molecular brain alterations; and gender as a significant moderator, with women demonstrating more severe trauma profiles and stronger associations between trauma and relapse.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Childhood trauma is consistently associated with addiction across diverse populations and settings. The relationship is substantially mediated by modifiable psychological factors, supporting trauma-informed, gender-responsive approaches in addiction treatment. Routine trauma screening and integrated mental health care are indicated.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CONFERENCE CORNER: WPA World Congress of Psychiatry 2025 - increased representation of topics in areas of paediatric psychiatry and nutritional psychiatry.","authors":"D Antoine Lachmansingh","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10246","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An escape to ESCAP 2025 Congress: well worth the experience for a trainee in Pediatric Psychiatry.","authors":"D Antoine Lachmansingh","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10238","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10238","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149138695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) in early intervention for psychosis services: a pilot randomised controlled study.","authors":"Sophie Mae Harrington, Maeve Dwan-O'Reilly, Sophie Mahon, Conor Gavin, Megan Cowman, Anna O'Mahony-Sinnott, Emily Barrett, Emma Frawley, Tom Burke, Brian Hallahan, Colm McDonald, Karen O'Connor, Max Birchwood, Caroline Heary, Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, Gary Donohoe","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10222","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Psychosis is a significant cause of reduced social and occupational function in those aged 18-35 years. This study investigates the feasibility of enhancing currently available Early Intervention for Psychosis (EIP) care using a moderated online intervention comprising therapist-supported online therapeutic interventions and peer-to-peer social mentoring and networking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong><i>Study design:</i> The Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) trial is a feasibility study for a randomised controlled study. <i>Participants & Setting:</i> Patients attending early intervention for psychosis (EIP) services in Ireland. <i>Analysis:</i> The trial explores data relevant to establishing the feasibility of delivering MOST to patients enrolled in EIP services and estimation of effect sizes for pre-post measures administered to inform power calculations for a full trial.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 35 patients with early psychosis were recruited during the study period, with 17 (48.6%) retained in the study at 6 months. In the intervention arm, 65.4% of participants engaged with MOST for 5 weeks or more but only 15.4% continued to engage at six months. At six months, calculation of effect sizes for pre-post changes indicated small to moderate improvements in social and occupational function, small changes in clinical symptom severity and no changes in cognitive performance.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings partially supported the feasibility of conducting a trial of MOST in Irish EIP services. Recruitment and study procedures were successfully completed, while retention and sustained engagement suggested that intervention duration, delivery, and positioning within the care pathway may require consideration for further study of this promising intervention in the Irish context.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149040819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health and substance use in Europe: initial steps towards a common European approach.","authors":"Linda Montanari, Francina Fonseca, Marc Auriacombe, Alexander Baldacchino, Alessandra Bo, Gabriele Fischer, Ines Hasselberg, Andrej Kastelic, Konstantinos Kokkolis, Melpomeni Minerva Malliori, Joan I Mestre-Pintó, Charlotte Migchels, Erikas Simonavičius, Narayanan Subramanian, Liesbeth Vandam, Cinta Mancheno, Tore Willy Lie, Anita White, Marica Ferri, Marta Torrens","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10212","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Comorbid substance use and other mental health disorders contribute to more than one million years lived with disability in Europe according to the Global Burden of Disease study. They require a comprehensive approach, yet, in Europe, there is considerable variability in the treatment of these patients. The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) is committed to address comorbidity in Europe by providing evidence of epidemiological situation and approaches to interventions and supporting a common European approach.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The methods used to support the promotion of a European approach to comorbidity were the following: a) setting up an EUDA Advisory Board on dual disorders, consisting of international experts guiding and overseeing the EUDA efforts in this field, b) the introduction of a voluntary item on dual disorders in the European data collection on people entering drug treatment (Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) and c) a survey mapping existing care models in Europe was conducted.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149018212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Connecting Practice, Research, and Lived Experience: The Sligo ADHD Conference.","authors":"Fiona McNicholas, Dimitrios Adamis","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10226","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-2"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An exploration of the utility of the modified Angoff standard-setting method for multiple-choice examinations in determining the \"just good enough\" undergraduate medical student in psychiatry.","authors":"Kelechi Nnaemeka Chukwudi, Brian Hallahan, Colm McDonald","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10225","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in medical education, with the Angoff standard-setting method frequently used to determine competence. However, minimal research has determined the accuracy of item-level Angoff scores in predicting the actual performance of borderline-pass students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study analysed five years (2019-2023) of psychiatry MCQ data (350 questions) from 191 fourth-year borderline-pass undergraduate medical students (scoring 45-55% in their psychiatry module MCQ) at the University of Galway. Angoff-derived cut scores were compared with actual student scores across clinical and knowledge-based questions, diagnostic categories, and content domains.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Angoff (mean = 53.0%) and actual student scores (mean = 54.2%) showed minimal overall difference and were moderately correlated (<i>r</i> = 0.57, <i>p</i> < 0.001). However, questions where clinical scenarios were presented were underestimated (-6.2%), and knowledge-based questions overestimated (+2.9%) by standard-setters. Question difficulty was not a significant predictor of score differences. Lower discrimination scores predicted standard setter marks being higher than student marks for knowledge-based (B = -31.96, β = -0.19, <i>t</i> = 2.61, <i>p</i> = 0.01) questions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Modified Angoff scores generally do predict group-level \"borderline-pass\" students' performance adequately, however their accuracy varies by question type, content area and psychometric property. Further standard-setter training, and inclusion of more diverse specialist input may improve standard-setting accuracy across less familiar domains.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual diagnosis and drug-related deaths (2019-2021): an Irish perspective.","authors":"Suzi Lyons, Eamon Keenan, Narayanan Subramanian, Cathy Kelleher","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10215","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>In Ireland, data on dual diagnosis (DD) is limited. This study aims to describe the characteristics of deaths among people who both used drugs and had a mental health (MH) condition to better understand DD and to help improve the provision of DD services in Ireland.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) was used to identify deaths among people who used drugs and had history of at least one MH condition. Sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, substance use, MH conditions, and type and cause of death, stratified by sex, were analysed descriptively. Variance by MH condition was examined using cross tabulation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between 2019 and 2021, 567 deaths met the inclusion criteria. The majority (67.9%) were men. The mean age was 42 years. The most common drugs used were cocaine (47.6%), heroin (37.4%) and cannabis (36.3%). The most common MH conditions were depressive disorders (52.7%), anxiety disorders (36.7%) and specific personality disorders (16.6%). Misadventure (46.6%) and suicide (27.2%) were the most frequent verdicts recorded. Almost equal proportions of deaths were poisonings (48.9%) and non-poisonings (51.1%). Most poisoning deaths involved an opioid-type drug and/or polysubstances (83.8%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The NDRDI data enables in-depth description of those who died with DD in Ireland. While it does not provide comparisons with those who survived, given the limited amount of research in this area in Ireland, the data contributes valuable insights into the issue.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementing psychedelic-assisted therapy in Ireland: perspectives from a national stakeholder survey.","authors":"Colm Harrington, Orla Mallon, Andrew David Gribben, Gurjot Brar, Kathryn Ledden, Ben Lindsay, Caoimhe Salmon, Brian O'Mahony, Andrew Harkin, John Richard Kelly","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2026.10224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10224","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}