BMC Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of paliperidone palmitate 1-month formulation (PP1M) for schizophrenia in southwestern China.","authors":"Lian Gou, Rongcheng Su, Ruiqing Guo, Li Li, Jing Li, Bo Zhou, Lihong Huang, Hui Li","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06646-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06646-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This clinical pilot initiative, led by the Sichuan Provincial Government in western China, aims to develop an innovative model for \"integrated hospital-community management and treatment of severe mental disorders\" to enhance the management of patients with such conditions. This single-arm, open-label, prospective, multicenter, interventional study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paliperidone palmitate 1-month formulation (PP1M) in patients with schizophrenia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study enrolled patients with schizophrenia aged 18-55 from all 21 prefectural-level municipalities in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, who received PP1M at doses of 75, 100, or 150 mg. Efficacy and social functioning were assessed using the PANSS and SDSS scales at baseline and after the 3rd, 6th, and 9th injections. The SF-12 scale was administered at baseline and at 6 months, while satisfaction (MSQ) was measured at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months. The TESS scale was performed at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th doses, with adverse events (AEs) monitored after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 9th doses to evaluate safety.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 2268 patients were enrolled, with 1491 completing the 9th injection. The numbers of patients completing the PANSS, SDSS, SF-12, MSQ, and TESS scales were 1151, 1158, 1043, 827, and 1158, respectively. Following multiple PP1M doses, total PANSS scores, positive symptom subscale scores, negative symptom subscale scores, general psychopathological subscale scores, and SDSS scores significantly decreased compared to baseline (P < 0.05), while SF-12 and MSQ scores significantly increased (P < 0.05). The PANSS total response rates were 64.90% (747/1151), 74.63% (859/1151), and 78.71% (906/1151) after the 3rd, 6th, and 9th injections, respectively. TESS scores significantly decreased compared to the first injection (P < 0.05), reflecting a lower incidence of AEs. Common adverse reactions, including tremors, muscle tension, dizziness, and fatigue, were mild to moderate in severity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings indicate that PP1M significantly alleviates psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, accelerates social function recovery, and improves quality of life and patient satisfaction. Furthermore, PP1M demonstrates improved tolerability, fewer adverse reactions, and no new drug-related safety concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"342"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810106","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":"Community-level mental health screening and referral using task-sharing with student volunteers in Kerala, India: a scalable model for low and middle income countries.","authors":"Saju Madavanakadu Devassy, Lorane Scaria, Shyba Babu, Rajeev S P, Lijo K J, Amal Tom Jose, Kiran Thampi, Robin E Gearing","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06773-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06773-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Untreated mental illness poses a significant threat to achieving global mental health targets. The increasing incidence of common mental disorders in India exacerbates the treatment gap. Structural fragmentation prevents effective screening and treatment, despite several policies and programs. The study presents a culturally tailored mental health campaign developed within a service design paradigm for mental health screening.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The campaign had three phases: formation of a multidisciplinary service design team, modelling of an intervention, and implementing activities across three levels- macro, meso, and micro- to be implemented by educated youth, utilizing task-sharing strategies. Additionally, the study tested the feasibility of a mental health screening using student volunteers through a cross-sectional door-knock survey that assessed the prevalence of depression, alcohol consumption, and drug abuse among 2,263 community residents from randomly selected geographical locations in Kerala, India. Standardized scales were used to measure the variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The youth-led community screening is promising, as the detected incidence rate was comparable to that of screening performed by experts. Participants (n = 2263) from the cross-sectional survey comprised 52% males and 48% females. The study revealed the prevalence rates of moderate and above depression (9.1%), harmful alcohol use, including alcohol use disorder (6.2%), and drug abuse (8.9%). Lower economic attainment was a vulnerability for mental disorders in both genders, with females demonstrating a higher incidence of depression and males with higher alcohol and drug abuse. Compared to males from Above Poverty Line (APL) households, females from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households had an 80% higher likelihood of depression.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The service design team, representing a microcosm of the population, developed culturally appropriate mental health campaigns. The act-reflect-act framework within the Service Design Model integrated need-based services to bring together multiple healthcare stakeholders and ecosystem tiers, facilitated by public private partnership (PPP) to improve coverage and address barriers to accessing public mental health services. The stability of the referral model was ensured through long term initiatives, including establishment of mental health clinics and senior daycare centres.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"352"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810170","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":"Post-traumatic stress disorder among Al-Quds University students during the 2023 Gaza war: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Akram Amro, Alhareth M Amro, Raghda Amro, Mahmoud Hamdan","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06781-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06781-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The 2023 Gaza War has had profound psychological impacts on Palestinian students, particularly those at Al-Quds University. Students at Al-Quds University face significant mental health challenges due to exposure to conflict-related trauma, which is exacerbated by direct and indirect stressors, including displacement and the influence of social media. This study aims to assess the prevalence of PTSD among Al-Quds University students and investigate its associations with demographic, psychological, and academic factors, specifically gender, living arrangements, academic specialization, and geographic origin.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed PTSD prevalence among students at Al-Quds University using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), a validated tool for PTSD assessment in this context. A bilingual (Arabic and English) self-administered questionnaire was distributed online. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and ANOVA, were conducted using SPSS version 20.0 to examine associations between PTSD symptoms and demographic or psychological factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>High PTSD symptom severity was reported in 71.3% of participants, with 14.7% identified as probable cases and 10.7% with clinical concerns. Gender differences were evident, as males showed higher mean PTSD scores than females (49.39 vs. 43.22, p < 0.001). Students in student housing exhibited significantly higher PTSD scores than those living with family (49.37 vs. 42.16, p < 0.001). Psychological factors, such as perceived academic disruption and guilt during positive events, were significantly associated with PTSD severity (p = 0.037, p = 0.005).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings emphasize the urgent need for trauma-informed mental health interventions tailored to students in conflict zones. Addressing systemic stressors and providing targeted support can mitigate the psychological burden in these vulnerable populations.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"343"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810263","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":"Causal relationships between hundreds of plasma metabolites and PTSD: a bidirectional mendelian randomization study.","authors":"Xinjie Yao, Jinxin Hu, Ximeng Zhang, Jiapeng Hu","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06796-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06796-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recent studies have indicated a connection between plasma metabolites and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nevertheless, the precise causal relationship remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed bidirectional Mendelian Randomization (MR) using two metabolite and two PTSD GWAS datasets to examine causal relationships between PTSD and 1009 plasma metabolites. Forward MR tested metabolite causally effects on PTSD, while reverse MR assessed PTSD causally effects on metabolites. Primary analysis employed the IVW method, supported by four supplementary methods. Four IVW results per direction were meta-analyzed to identify high-credibility metabolites. Venn diagrams intersected results from the four IVW analyses, and this intersection was further compared with meta-analysis findings to generate a second Venn diagram. Sensitivity analyses addressed horizontal pleiotropy for robust results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After sensitivity analyses, a robust set of 775 metabolites in the forward MR analysis and a set of 566 ones in the reverse process were identified. The meta-analysis of IVW method results (four results between two metabolites GWAS and two PTSD GWAS) revealed that 58 metabolites were significantly associated with the risk of PTSD (P < 0.05) in the forward MR analysis, and 19 metabolites might exhibit significant changes in PTSD (P < 0.05) in the reverse progress. Further Venn diagram intersection analysis among those four IVW results unveiled 4 metabolites with promoting or inhibiting effects on PTSD (P < 0.05) and 1 metabolites with notably increased plasma levels in PTSD (P < 0.05). The subsequent Venn diagram intersection analysis of the meta-analysis outcomes and the initial Venn diagram results identified 3 metabolites. In the forward analysis, 5-hydroxy-2-methylpyridine sulfate (OR = 1.05, P = 0.004) and levulinoylcarnitine (OR = 1.08, P = 0.005) from the Xenobiotics pathway were significantly associated with an increased risk of PTSD. Additionally, cysteinylglycine from the Amino Acid pathway significantly reduced the risk of PTSD (OR = 0.918, 95%CI: 0.868-0.971, P = 0.003). In the reverse analysis, no significant changes in plasma metabolites at the genetic level were found to causally influence the development of PTSD.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide potential biomarkers for predicting and preventing PTSD, as well as possible therapeutic targets for that. However, further research is needed to confirm the clear mechanism.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"349"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810084","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":"Case report: post COVID-19 encephalopathy and oral cenesthopathy.","authors":"Ju-I Wu, Shwu-Hua Lee, Pei-Jung Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06789-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06789-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Post-COVID-19 encephalopathy is a neurological complication characterized by cognitive impairment, memory loss, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms in COVID-19 survivors. Oral cenesthopathy, a rare somatic delusion characterized by unusual oral sensations without physical findings, is typically associated with affective disorders and schizophrenia. This case report describes a 73-year-old female who developed post-COVID-19 encephalopathy, presenting initially with cognitive decline, followed by major depression and oral cenesthopathy 16 months after the infection. Comprehensive investigations excluded autoimmune encephalitis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and other structural or vascular abnormalities. Treatment with Aripiprazole and Carbamazepine resulted in partial improvement, though symptom control was limited by medication side effects. This case represents a rare presentation of long COVID syndrome, highlighting the complex neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19. Further research is needed to explore the pathophysiology, treatment strategies, and long-term impacts of such manifestations.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"351"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810082","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":"Household catastrophic health expenditure and depressive mood among Chinese adults, children, and adolescents: a population-based panel study.","authors":"Shuwen Li, Kailu Fang, Yu Zhang, Yushi Lin, Luyan Zheng, Jie Wu","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06788-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06788-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Numerous studies have suggested that catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) is associated with depressive mood. However, most published studies have examined the relationship between CHE and depressive mood only among middle-aged and older people who are already susceptible to depressive mood. The objective of our analysis was to determine the associations between household CHE and depressive mood among adults and children/adolescents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our study population consisted of Chinese residents who participated in the 2016 CFPS, 2018 CFPS, and 2020 CFPS. Our analytical sample was restricted to children/adolescents aged 10-17 years and adults aged 18 years and older. We utilized multilevel random effects multivariate logistic regression models to investigate the associations between CHE and depressive mood among both adults and children/adolescents.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our study revealed that 15% of adults and 12.61% of children/adolescents had experienced CHE and that CHE was positively associated with depressive mood among adults (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.50) and among children/adolescents (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.96) after adjustment for potential confounding factors. This positive association persisted in different subgroup analyses. In addition, we found that being insured with either urban or rural health insurance was associated with decreased odds of depressive mood.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study indicated that CHE is common in Chinese families and may increase the risk of depressive mood for both adults and children/adolescents. These findings emphasize the need to focus on expanding health insurance coverage, as well as implementing family-based mental health resources and financial literacy programs to reduce the psychological impact of CHE across all age groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"353"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810118","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":"A Mendelian randomization study: causal relationship between immune cells and the risks of social phobia, specific phobia, and agoraphobia.","authors":"Jun-Neng Wang, Dong-Hu Yu, Zhi-Yu Li, Ling-Yue Kong, Nan-Hao Li, You-Xian Wu, Tian-Qing Wang, Ze-Fen Wang, Zhi-Qiang Li","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06794-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06794-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although phobia is a common psychiatric disorder, the underlying biological mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Complex immune-brain interactions that affect neural development, survival, and function may have causal and therapeutic implications in psychiatric illnesses. In this study, the relationships between immune cell traits and phobia were analysed using Mendelian randomization to explore the biological mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Based on publicly-available genetic data, a two-sample MR analysis was used to determine the causal relationship between 731 immune cell traits and the risk of developing phobias. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to verify the robustness, heterogeneity, and horizontal pleiotropy of the results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After forward and reverse analyses, false discovery rate (FDR) corrections were performed. No significant associations between phobias and immune cell traits were identified. After adjusting the FDR threshold, social phobia affected two immune cell traits: CD39 on granulocytes (β = 9.0347, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.4802-13.5891, P = 0.0001, FDR = 0.0738), and CD11c on granulocytes (β = 7.7976, 95% CI = 3.4616-12.1336, P = 0.0004, FDR = 0.1547). Three immune cell traits affected the risk of specific phobias: CD4 + CD8dim T cell %leukocyte (odds ratio (OR) = 0.9985, 95% CI = 0.9976-0.9993, P = 0.0006, FDR = 0.1373), CD45 on CD33 + HLA DR + CD14dim (OR = 0.9977, 95% CI = 0.9964-0.9990, P = 0.0004, FDR = 0.1373), and CD8 on CD28 + CD45RA + CD8br (OR = 0.9990, 95% CI = 0.9985-0.9996, P = 0.0003, FDR = 0.1373). Two immune cell traits affected the risk of agoraphobia: CD3 on CD39 + resting regulatory T cells (Tregs) (OR = 1.0010, 95 CI%=1.0005-1.0015, P = 0.0001, FDR = 0.0596) and HLA DR on CD33br HLA DR + CD14dim (OR = 0.9993, 95 CI%=0.9990-0.9997, P = 0.0002, FDR = 0.0596).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Immune cell traits closely related to phobias were screened out through genomics, which provides a reference for the subsequent research on the immune system-phobia interaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"350"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810078","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":"Family-based treatment at home in adolescents with eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions: rationale and study design of a mixed methods trial.","authors":"Andrea A H Schapink, Jildou van der Velde, Katie Winkelhorst, Shireen Kaijadoe, Hermien H J Elgersma, Daniel Le Grange, Rik Knipschild, Helen Klip","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06672-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06672-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The significant impact of eating disorders on adolescents necessitates the evaluation of current treatments. Family-based Treatment (FBT) is the standard treatment but has modest remission rates, highlighting the need for improvements. Assessing its effectiveness in adolescents with co-occurring mental health conditions is also crucial. In the Netherlands, there is a growing focus on home-based treatment. This study aims to enhance remission rates in FBT by adapting it for use in a home setting (FBT-H).</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This mixed-method study combines single case studies with qualitative research. The primary objective is to assess the effects and experiences of FBT-H in adolescents with eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions across variables such as weight, eating disorder symptoms, anxiety, mood, well-being, quality of life, and family dynamics. Additionally, it explores the experiences of adolescents, parents, and practitioners with FBT-H.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adolescents (12-18 years old) with anorexia nervosa (AN) or other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED), alongside co-occurring mental health conditions, will participate in FBT-H, attending about two home sessions per week for 6-12 months. Ten patients will be monitored with intensive measurements over one year. Baseline assessments include somatic screening, clinical interviews, and evaluations of mood, anxiety, and family dynamics. The primary outcome is weight change from baseline to one year post treatment, and secondary outcomes (e.g., eating disorder symptoms, quality of life, parent-child relationships, and caregiving burden) are assessed at baseline and then every three months. General well-being and therapeutic relationships are tracked weekly. One-year post treatment, somatic health, and mood/anxiety symptoms will be reassessed alongside qualitative interviews with adolescents, parents, and practitioners.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The FBT-H study has the potential to yield significant findings for providing effective treatments for adolescents with eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. By examining a range of variables beyond weight and eating disorder symptoms, this study aims to provide comprehensive insights into the potential benefits and limitations of this home treatment.</p><p><strong>Registration: </strong>The study was approved by the Dutch Medical Ethics Committee 'METC Oost Nederland' (Dossier Number: 2023-16217).</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>NCT06792227, ClinicalTrials.gov, registered on 25 January 2025.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Clinical Trial Number: NCT06792227.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"346"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810114","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":"Neurodevelopmental problems in pre-school children in rural Western Cape, South Africa: is community screening feasible?","authors":"Ben Truter, Christopher Gillberg, Amy L Slogrove, Petra Conradie, Eva Billstedt, Lucy Thompson","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06791-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06791-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is no standard public health screening for neurodevelopmental disorders in pre-school children in South Africa. There are pragmatic challenges in implementing such a programme in under-resourced regions. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of introducing a two-stage screening model for neurodevelopmental disorders among pre-school children in the rural Western Cape, South Africa.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We adopted a mixed methods approach to evaluate the feasibility of using a brief screening questionnaire, the ESSENCE-Q, translated into local languages (Afrikaans and isiXhosa), through verbal administration to mothers of pre-school children by trained research assistants without professional health qualifications within a cross-sectional ESSENCE-Q validation study. A focus group interview with research assistants who conducted the screening was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Feedback from participating mothers was obtained through a simple verbally administered questionnaire, rating 7 items on a Likert scale. Finally, the research team's field notes were reviewed to critically assess feasibility.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The focus group interview identified areas of logistical challenge but highlighted positive reception among mothers. Since mothers generally had low levels of education and literacy, time was required to clarify certain child development concepts during screening. The in-person mode of engagement and flexibility of processes, including the use of a visual consent booklet, supported feasibility. Considerable resource limitations and trauma were encountered. Training key community members to administer the ESSENCE-Q for future studies or screening projects was considered feasible, provided neurodevelopmental training and trauma support is provided. Feedback from mothers was consistently positive, although unavoidable delays between assessment and feedback may have impacted this data. Identified challenges can be adequately addressed through practical adaptations.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Thorough preparation prior to commencing screening is considered essential for feasibility, including community-based stakeholder consultation, broad consultation around translated screening questionnaires, and preparation for diagnostic assessment. Ongoing support to mother-child recipients as well as those administering the screening, is required. The experience of participating mother-child pairs must be placed at the centre of community-based screening processes. Long term sustainability requires adequate training, supervision and psychological support for those administering such processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"348"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810259","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":"General polypharmacy, psychotropic polypharmacy, attitudes of patients on psychotropic deprescribing, and associated factors in adult psychiatric outpatients: a survey study in a comprehensive specialized hospital, northwest Ethiopia.","authors":"Muluken Adela Alemu, Taklo Simeneh Yazie, Woretaw Sisay Zewdu, Liknaw Workie Limenh, Tewodros Ayalew Tessema, Tirsit Ketsela Zeleke, Getu Tesfaw Adiss, Achenef Bogale Kassie, Getaye Tessema Desta, Abrham Nigussie Assefa, Tilaye Arega Moges","doi":"10.1186/s12888-025-06746-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06746-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Excessive polypharmacy causes different problems, including adverse drug reactions and drug-drug interactions. To address the problems, deprescribing has emerged, focusing on reducing the dose or stopping unnecessary medications.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to explore the prevalence of psychotropic polypharmacy, general polypharmacy, deprescribing attitudes and associated factors for psychotropic medications in adult patients with mental disorders.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A facility-based cross-sectional survey study design was conducted to collect data on 123 patients with mental disorders from April 2022 to August 2024. Revised patients' attitudes towards deprescribing (rPATD), trust in physician score, and orientation memory concentration test were used. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and independent t-tests were used. P-value of 0.05 was a cutoff point to determine significant association.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of general polypharmacy and psychiatric polypharmacy was 17.9% [22] and 29.3% [36] respectively. Near to half of patients (54, 44.7%) felt they were taking large number of medications; more than half (69, 56.1%) felt spending a lot of money. Patients with age of > 60 years had significant differences with patients aged from 18 to 44 (p < 0.001) and 45-59 (p < 0.01) years on burden and appropriateness domains respectively. Patients who took < 5 medications had significant difference (p < 0.001) with patients taking ≥ 5 medications on both burden and appropriateness domains.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings of the study showed many patients had meaningful prevalence of general polypharmacy and psychotropic polypharmacy. Patients expressed diverse attitudes toward deprescribing, affected by different factors. This study is conducted in a single health facility with small sample size.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":9029,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychiatry","volume":"25 1","pages":"347"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143810116","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}