{"title":"Considerations before the legalization of recreational and medical cannabis in Iran","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cultural perspectives on marijuana consumption have undergone substantial reforms in recent years, and the decriminalization and legalization of cannabis are a matter of debate now. The conditions of determining factors are not the same among societies; therefore, each society should decide independently. Herein, the considerations that Iran should contemplate before legalizing cannabis were addressed. Global trends, social status, influence on the judiciary, costs, health effects, quality control, shifting substance use patterns, societal detachment, and changes in prevalence were the discussed determinant factors. Now that religious, cultural, and legal status has suppressed the increase in prevalence, legalization of recreational use that leads to a significant increase in consumption is not advisable. However, the legalization and production of medical cannabis should be on the agenda, as none of the items that hinder the legalization of recreational cannabis do not apply to medical cannabis. Research should continue to reduce uncertainties, especially by combining big data from sale systems of areas where recreational cannabis use has been legalized with big data sources like social media.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876201824003307/pdfft?md5=d62e24fc006d64bc9e45c473e4ea0d55&pid=1-s2.0-S1876201824003307-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142161970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative analysis of mental health impairment among COVID-19 confirmed cases across the pandemic period in South Korea","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><p>South Korea operates a complete enumeration surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Online mental health survey links were distributed to all COVID-19 confirmed patients within three days of confirmation of infection. This study evaluates the trend of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, somatic symptoms, and suicidal ideation of COVID-19 confirmed cases across the pandemic from January 2020 to July 2022.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A total of 99,055 responses were analyzed. Validated questionnaires were used to assess depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), post-traumatic stress symptoms (Primary Care Post Traumatic Stress Disorder screen), somatic symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-15), and suicidal ideation (P4 suicidality screener). Log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratio across 11 quarters (Q) of the year (2020Q1 to 2022Q3). Stratified analysis was conducted by sex to compare risk between males and females when adjusted prevalence was high.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Compared to 2022Q1 (January-March), all symptoms had their highest prevalence ratio during 2020Q1 to 2020Q3 (January-September). The difference in adjusted symptom prevalence between males and females was nonsignificant during high-risk periods.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Adverse mental health symptoms were most prevalent during the early pandemic, with a nonsignificant difference in prevalence observed between males and females. Greater attention should be given to individuals who experienced COVID-19 infection during the early stages of the pandemic.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876201824003265/pdfft?md5=db973ba5660887c897949b2b5bb27369&pid=1-s2.0-S1876201824003265-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142168481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Attenuated psychosis syndrome: Keeping up with advances in the field","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104223","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142144932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Associations between advocation of the future national positioning of Taiwan and depression among Taiwanese people: A population-based study","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104232","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142161972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Psychoactive substances for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104193","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104193","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the contemporary landscape of psychiatric medicine, critical advancements have been noted in the utilization of psychoactive substances such as hallucinogens, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and ketamine for the treatment of severe mental health disorders. This review provides a detailed evaluation of these substances, focusing on their mechanisms of action and the profound clinical outcomes observed in controlled environments. Hallucinogens like lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin primarily target the 5-HT2A receptor agonist-2 (5-HT2AR), inducing substantial perceptual and cognitive shifts that facilitate deep psychological introspection and significant therapeutic advances, particularly in patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders. MDMA, influencing multiple neurotransmitter systems including 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine, and norepinephrine, has been demonstrated to effectively alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, enhancing patients' emotional engagement and resilience during psychotherapy. Meanwhile, ketamine, a glutamate receptor antagonist, rapidly alleviates depressive symptoms, offering a lifeline for individuals with treatment-resistant depression through its fast-acting antidepressant properties. The integration of these substances into psychiatric practice has shown promising results, fundamentally changing the therapeutic landscape for patients unresponsive to traditional treatment modalities. However, the potent effects of these agents also necessitate a cautious approach in clinical application, ensuring careful dosage control, monitoring, and risk management to prevent potential abuse and mitigate adverse effects.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142144999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dynamics of symptom network in patients with first-episode schizophrenia: Insight from the CNFEST project","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychotic disorder. Recent theories have emphasized the importance of interactions among psychiatric symptoms in understanding the pathological mechanisms of schizophrenia. In the current study, we examined the symptom network in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) at four time points during a six-month follow-up period.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>In total, 565 patients with FES were recruited from the Chinese First-Episode Schizophrenia Trial (CNFEST) project. Clinical symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline and follow-up (514 patients at one month, 429 at three months, and 392 at six months). We used a network analysis approach to estimate symptom networks with individual symptoms as nodes and partial correlation coefficients between symptoms as edges. A cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) model was used to identify predictive pathways for clinical symptoms.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>We found stable and strongly connected edges in patients across the time points, such as links between delusions and suspiciousness/persecution (P1:P6), and emotional withdrawal and passive/apathetic social withdrawal (N2:N4). Emotional withdrawal (N2), poor rapport (N3), and passive/apathetic social withdrawal (N4) had high centrality estimates across all four time points. CLPN analysis showed that negative symptoms, including emotional withdrawal (N2), poor rapport (N3), and passive/apathetic social withdrawal (N4), and stereotyped thinking (N7) may have predictive effects for negative and general symptoms at follow-ups.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The symptom network of schizophrenia may be dynamic as treatment progresses. Negative symptoms remain the central and stable symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms may be potential therapeutic targets that predict other symptoms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142149724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cryptic pregnancy in schizophrenia: A case series","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104221","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142144947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implementing early intervention in psychosis in Indonesia: A scoping review","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In order to prevent the immense burden and costs associated with psychotic disorders, (preventive) interventions in the early phase are considered a most promising strategy. Yet, their implementation faces particular challenges in low- and middle-income countries, where treatment gaps are greatest and resources are extremely limited. To exemplify these challenges, we conducted a scoping review of the relevant literature from Indonesia, a lower-middle-income Southeast-Asian country. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Garuda, and Repository UNAIR in titles and abstracts, using the following English search term and its equivalent in Bahasa Indonesia: (early OR risk OR prodromal) AND (psychosis OR schizophrenia OR psychotic) AND Indonesia. We included full papers on service delivery to first-episode psychosis (FEP) or clinical high-risk of psychosis (CHR), and on assessment of CHR in Indonesia. Seven papers, including one newspaper article, met our inclusion criteria. They showed a focus on economic, widely applicable risk assessments, mainly questionnaires or artificial intelligence-based algorithms, and brief interventions, particularly psychoeducation. Furthermore, our review exposed several areas that require further examination. In particular, Western diagnostic definitions of psychotic disorders and their early course need to be re-examined in the light of local health concepts and the role of the spiritual world. This re-examination is crucial for developing and prospectively validating culturally adapted definitions of CHR states and early intervention strategies for both CHR and FEP, with particular attention to the role of the (extended) family and spiritual, traditional healers, who are often the first point of contact.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187620182400282X/pdfft?md5=0c923f242b597761fdeed929d35d92b7&pid=1-s2.0-S187620182400282X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142161968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Retraction notice to “National trends of suicidality 1999–2020 among Asian American Pacific Islander young adults across sex” [Asian J. Psychiatry 99 (2024) 104180]","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104251","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142364173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}