{"title":"Use of new psychoactive substances among the general population in Croatia: Patterns of use and sociodemographic characteristics of users","authors":"Renata Glavak Tkalić","doi":"10.20471/may.2018.54.01.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20471/may.2018.54.01.01","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7443,"journal":{"name":"Alcoholism and psychiatry research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67598762","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}
D. Breitenfeld, T. Breitenfeld, M. Vodanović, Mislav Pap, J. Grah, S. Špoljar, Ankica Akrap, Ivan Resetar
{"title":"Malignant Diseases as Cause of Death in 92 Composers / Musicians (addictions included)","authors":"D. Breitenfeld, T. Breitenfeld, M. Vodanović, Mislav Pap, J. Grah, S. Špoljar, Ankica Akrap, Ivan Resetar","doi":"10.20471/DEC.2017.53.02.06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20471/DEC.2017.53.02.06","url":null,"abstract":"Darko Breitenfeld1, Tomislav Breitenfeld2, Marijo Vodanović3, Mislav Pap4, Josip Joachim Grah5, Sanja Špoljar1, Ankica Akrap1, Ivana Rešetar1 1Croatian Physicians′ Music Society, CMA, Zagreb, Croatia; 2Department of Neurology, University Hospital Centre Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia; 3University Hospital Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Zagreb, Croatia; 4 Department of Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia; 5Department of Oncology, Division of Planning and Implementation of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Centre , Zagreb, Croatia Pathographies","PeriodicalId":7443,"journal":{"name":"Alcoholism and psychiatry research","volume":"53 1","pages":"155-160"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.20471/DEC.2017.53.02.06","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46142458","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":"The Role of Thrombocyte Serotonin System and Some Thrombocyte Characteristics in Treatment of Depressive Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases","authors":"Lidija Kostanjšak, D. Zdunić","doi":"10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.04","url":null,"abstract":"IntroductionAmong the known neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine play the important roles in the development of psychiatric disturbances. The research so far has shown that this is not the matter of concentrations themselves, but of disbalance of concentrations between the neurotransmitter systems in CNS (central nervous system). There is proof that there is a decrease of serotonin, epinephrine and dopamine functions in patients suffering from the recurring depressive episodes, while there is a hyperactivity of norepinephrine and dopamine system in patients suffering from the bipolar affective disorder [1]. There is still a dilemma if there were a hypo or hyperactivity of serotonin system in generalized anxiety disorder [2,3]. The agonists of 5HT1A receptors reduce the symptoms of panic disorders, while the activation of 5HT2C receptors induces a panic attack [4]. Hypersensitivity of postsynaptic serotonin receptors plays an important role in obsessive-compulsive disorders [5]. Destabilization of serotonin system has been noted also in posttraumatic stress disorders. This fact had been confirmed by the efficiency of SIPPS in its treatment [6]. Dysfunction of serotonin system is also present in some personality disorders, urge-control disturbances, feeding disorders and dementia. It seems that the negative symptoms in schizophrenia are due to a dysfunction of serotonin system. In suicidal tendencies, the role of serotonin system is of the greatest importance and numerous post-mortem investigations had revealed lower concentrations of serotonin and its main metabolite 5-hydroxyindolacetate acid (5-HIAA) in brainstem, nuclei raphe, putamen and hypothalamus [7]. Some research show that lower levels of thrombocyte serotonin are connected with suicidal behaviour of depressive patients [8]. Numerous investigations have shown that, among the patients who had suffered a myocardial infarction or other diseases of cardiovascular system we can find depressive symptoms in the frame of depressive reaction, but also a real depression in its fully-blown clinical form. Depression slows the recovery in those patients but, even more importantly, some indices had been found in patients suffering from depression that it could be directly connected with an increased risk for the development of cardiovascular diseases and complications during recovery. Thrombocyte serotonin is a strong vasoconstrictor and the research has shown that the treatment with selective inhibitors of serotonin uptake (SIPPS) causes lowering of its concentration, thus reducing its role in increasing the cardiovascular risk and causing the complications of recovery. Also, the treatment of depressive patients with SIPPS lowers the values of MPV (mean platelet volume, mean thrombocyte cell volume), which had been recognized as an independent risk factor for the development of myocardial infarction and stroke.Serotonin system in thrombocytesEnterochromafine cells are the only ce","PeriodicalId":7443,"journal":{"name":"Alcoholism and psychiatry research","volume":"53 1","pages":"33-44"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.04","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41835343","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}
S. V. Pisk, M. Mihanović, I. Filipčić, A. Bogović, N. Ruljancic
{"title":"The Impact of Obesity on Suicidality among Female Patients Suffering from Bipolar Affective Disorder: The Indirect Role of Body Dissatisfaction","authors":"S. V. Pisk, M. Mihanović, I. Filipčić, A. Bogović, N. Ruljancic","doi":"10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.01","url":null,"abstract":"IntroductionObesity is becoming a growing public health challenge and a preventive and therapeutic priority among the adult population, with a significant increase in prevalence recorded over the past two decades [1-3]. Obesity not only constitutes a serious health threat, it is also comorbid with other medical conditions, including psychiatric disorders [4-11]. One of the most frequent methods for establishing obesity is the measurement of the BMI (Body Mass Index), expressed as mass in kilograms over height in meters squared [12-13]. Obesity is a frequent condition among persons suffering from Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD) and is associated with significant impairments in quality of life as a result of increased body weight [14-16]. It is significantly correlated with disorder outcome among patients suffering from BAD [17]. Obese persons, in comparison with those of average body weight, experience a greater number of depressive and manic episodes during their lifetime, and their clinical presentations have a higher intensity of symptoms and more frequent depressive residues [18-22].Obesity is associated with several significant psychological and social factors such as poorer quality of life, deficient social functionality, greater sense of dissatisfaction, lowered self-esteem, and poorer overall bodily health [23-26]. Current cultural norms encourage the ideal of a slim body build. Contemporary Western cultures deem obese persons to be responsible for their state, and they promote an attitude of personal responsibility for many aspects of life including the control of body weight and appearance. As a result of these cultural assumptions, obese people are often described as \"lazy, ugly and stupid.\" Obese persons therefore, often experience discrimination and are stigmatized in their professional and private lives. Taking into consideration these negative attributions, it is logical that obese persons face an increased risk of developing various disorders, including severe, mental disorders and suicidal behaviors [20-27].Suicidal behavior is defined as encompassing a broad semantic spectrum: from suicidal ideation, verbalization, planning, intent and self-harming to attempted suicides and their execution, i.e., committing suicide. Suicidal behavior is an etiologically complex phenomenon predicated on biological, environmental, developmental and learned factors [28-31]. With BAD, there is a high rate of suicidal risk of approximately 15 percent. Suicidal behaviors are the third leading general cause of mortality, and the third leading cause of mortality in the 15- to 24-year-old age group [21,24,32-35].In similar studies of large, nationally representative sample groups (over 40,000 people), Carpenter et al. found a gender-dependent correlation between obesity and depression. Among a group of obese women, 37% had experienced a severe depressive episode, 20% had experienced suicidal ideation, and 23% had attempted suicide in the past year. Among","PeriodicalId":7443,"journal":{"name":"Alcoholism and psychiatry research","volume":"53 1","pages":"5-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.01","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49492169","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}
Danijel Bevanda, I. Tomić, M. Bevanda, S. Skočibušić, Nikolina Palameta, M. Martinac
{"title":"The differences in Quality of Life between the Heroin Addicts treated in Methadone Program and Addicts treated in the Frame of Therapeutic Community Program","authors":"Danijel Bevanda, I. Tomić, M. Bevanda, S. Skočibušić, Nikolina Palameta, M. Martinac","doi":"10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.02","url":null,"abstract":"IntroductionThe addiction to heroin is a severe disorder and its treatment represents a complicated, long-lasting process, which includes a series of various interventions which have to be constantly adjusted to patients' present state and his abilities to accept the therapy. The addiction is very resistant to treatment and if the program is not at the same time, enough influential and persistent, but also acceptable to the addict to stick to it for months or even years, the expected results will not be achieved. Retention to the program, abstinence from the illicit drugs, reduction of illegal activities and improving the aspects of socially acceptable behaviour are the best indicators of therapeutic efforts [1-5].Already thirty years ago, the most of western-European countries and USA, Canada and Australia have accepted the use of methadone as a recognized method for treatment of opiate addicts and a useful tool in the frame of 'harm-reduction' approach for helping the not-motivated or incurable heroin addicts. Methadone enables those patients to stop or significantly reduce taking heroin. Although methadone does not create the feeling of euphoria similar to the effect of heroin, it replaces the biological lack of endorphins at the opioid receptors in brain and, with its help, the patient can achieve a psychophysical balance and control the pathological addict's craving. The use of methadone is the best way to attract the addicts from the street to the process of treatment and, if it is well organized and spread, can ultimately direct many addicts towards the programs that would help them in stabilizing the permanent abstinence [1-5].In the evaluation study carried out by the American National Institute for Drugs (NIDA) it has been found that the substitution therapy reduces users' heroin intake for 70%, and their criminal activity by 57 %. [6]. It has also been reported that the countries which use methadone attract up to 75% of opiate addicts to their programs, while those that do not use it, achieve less than 20 %, making the mortality of addicts due to overdose very high. A large number of addicts included in substitution programs function better socially, i.e. better fulfill their duties at the workplace and in families and display significantly less dealings with criminal activities, particularly with selling drugs, thus reducing the risk of initial drug abuse among the healthy population. Application of methadone improves the physical and mental health of the addict, his life gets longer and the risk for early sudden death is reduced. By using methadone, physical and mental health of addicts is improved, their lifespan prolonged i.e. the risk of sudden death is reduced. The addicts in substitution programs are less dangerous concerning the spread of HIV infection, hepatitis and encouraging others to take drugs. The use of methadone in pregnancy is absolutely indicated: it reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancy termination and the risk of ","PeriodicalId":7443,"journal":{"name":"Alcoholism and psychiatry research","volume":"53 1","pages":"17-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.02","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44991189","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}
Vinka Lesandric, I. Orlović, V. Peitl, D. Karlovic
{"title":"Zoophilia as an Early Sign of Psychosis","authors":"Vinka Lesandric, I. Orlović, V. Peitl, D. Karlovic","doi":"10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.03","url":null,"abstract":"IntroductionZoophilia is a disorder of sexual preference that is characterised by sexual fantasies or behaviours that include animals [1]. Although sexual contact between a man and an animal has been described since biblical times, zoophilia as a mental disorder is first classified in the third edition of the Diagnostic and statistic manual for mental research (DSM-III) [2]. In the last edition of DSM5 5 is classified under the category \"Other specified paraphilic disorder\". This category is applied for clinical pictures where dominant symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, but do not meet the full criteria for any of the disorders in the paraphilic disorders diagnostic class. With the above mentioned, it is important to meet the time criteria of at least six months of recurrent and intense sexual arousal involving animals. Therefore, paraphilia is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for having a paraphilic disorder, and a paraphilia by itself does not necessarily require clinical intervention until it causes distress or impairment to the individual or risk of harm to others [3]. According to the other most acknowledged diagnostic guidelines, zoophilia is classified into \"other disorders of sexual preference\" [4]. In the recent literature there are several articles where authors tried to classify zoophilia to help its easier diagnosis and treatment. For the sake of easier diagnosis, Aggrawal and associates, in 2011, have offered a classification of zoophilia in ten categories, which among the others include sexual fantasies about animals, occasional sexual relations with animals and exclusive sexual relations with animals [5].When talking about the etiology and patophisiology of paraphilia, all the information leading to now suggest an influence of psychosocial and neurobiological factors for the formation of deviant sexual behaviour. Psychological factors which are though to be most important are family violence, dysfunctional family relations, and sexual abuse in childhood. When talking about the neurobiological side, endocrine function in pedophilia research has shown an elevated response of luteinisic hormone (LH) to stimulation of the luteinisic releasing hormone (LRH) or gonadotropin releasing hormone (GRH) [6], which could also be present in zoophilia, but has not been decisively confirmed when taken in consideration a relatively rare incidence of this paraphilia. Furthermore, Casanova and associates have come to a closer approach to the patoanatomic basis of zoophilia, by a representation of two psychiatric patients with zoophilia, where in both of the patients' post mortem had found atrophy of hippocampal pyramidal cells. The first case was a man that suffered from hebephrenic schizophrenia, and the second case was a man that suffered from a bipolar affective disorder and chronic alcoholism. In both cases alongside zoophilia, records show incid","PeriodicalId":7443,"journal":{"name":"Alcoholism and psychiatry research","volume":"53 1","pages":"27-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.20471/APR.2017.53.01.03","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45412896","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}