S. Sarma, G. Branjerdporn, L. Mccosker, Sean Kenworthy, Leanne Ryan, V. Dong, D. Martin, Halia O’Shea, C. Loo
{"title":"Strategies from A Multi-National Sample of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Services: Managing Anesthesia for ECT during the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"S. Sarma, G. Branjerdporn, L. Mccosker, Sean Kenworthy, Leanne Ryan, V. Dong, D. Martin, Halia O’Shea, C. Loo","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3040026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3040026","url":null,"abstract":"Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is important in the management of severe, treatment-resistant, and life-threatening psychiatric illness. Anesthesia supports the clinical efficacy and tolerability of ECT. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted ECT services, including anesthesia. This study documents strategies for managing ECT anesthesia during the pandemic. Data were collected between March and November 2021, using a mixed-methods, cross-sectional, electronic survey. Clinical directors in ECT services, their delegates, and anesthetists worldwide participated. One hundred and twelve participants provided quantitative responses to the survey. Of these, 23.4% were anesthetists, and the remainder were ECT clinical directors. Most participants were from Australia, New Zealand, North America, and Europe. Most were located in a public hospital, in a metropolitan region, and in a ‘medium/high-risk’ COVID-19 hotspot. Half of the participants reported their services made changes to ECT anesthetic technique during the pandemic. Services introduced strategies associated with anesthetic induction, ventilation, use of laryngeal mask airways, staffing, medications, plastic barriers to separate staff from patients, and the location of extubation and recovery. This is the first multi-national, mixed-methods study to investigate ECT anesthesia practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are vital to inform practice during the next waves of COVID-19 infection, ensuring patients continue to receive ECT.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43722195","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":"Social Media Addiction and Fear of War in Germany","authors":"A. Hajek, B. Kretzler, H. König","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3040025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3040025","url":null,"abstract":"Individuals with an excessive use of social media may be frequently exposed to stimuli, such as (fake) news or images of violence, which might lead to a higher fear of war. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the association between a social media addiction and fear of war (conventional war and nuclear war) in Germany. Data were taken from a nationally representative survey with n = 3091 participants (18 to 74 years; data collection in mid-March 2022). Social media addiction was quantified using the validated Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Moreover, established items were used to quantify a fear of war. Medium differences (in terms of Cohen’s d) were identified regarding the fear of war between individuals without a social media addiction and individuals with a social media addiction. Adjusting for several covariates, the regressions revealed that individuals with a social media addiction had a higher fear of war compared to individuals without a social media addiction (fear of a conventional war: β = 0.44, p < 0.01; fear of a nuclear war: β = 0.61, p < 0.001). In conclusion, our study demonstrated an association between a social media addiction and fear of war.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48904440","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 Emotional Resources Group: A Mixed Methods Practice-Based Study of a Transdiagnostic Emotion Regulation Group Intervention","authors":"Rebekah Moore, D. Gillanders, S. Stuart","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3040024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3040024","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives: This study aimed to understand if the emotional resource group (ERG), a transdiagnostic group intervention, significantly improved emotion regulation (ER) in the short and long term. Methods: Participants completed pre- and post-measures of emotional regulation, psychological distress, wellbeing, self-efficacy and confidence in managing mental health problems. Measures were repeated at three and six months post intervention. 14 participants completed a qualitative interview. Results: ER ability and secondary measures improved following the intervention, but the improvement was not maintained over the three and six month follow-up period. From the themes identified through thematic analysis, the ERG was part of a wider process of learning and change for most participants. Participants described changes in awareness, and implementation of new skills to manage their emotional difficulties. Conclusion: Overall the ERG was a positive experience for most participants, providing improvements in ER and other aspects of mental health. However, it is unclear if these improvements are sustained in the longer term. There may be many reasons for this, including fidelity to the ERG model and the short-term nature of the group. The ERG should be considered an option for participants with ER difficulties and further intervention should be offered when the ERG ends.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44794963","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":"Fusion of Clinical and Lived Experiences of Psychosis: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Clinical Teaching","authors":"M. Norton, Mia McLaughlin","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3040023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3040023","url":null,"abstract":"Psychosis is a clinical syndrome that can cause significant distress leading to hospitalisation/long term stays in psychiatric services. However, limited academic evidence is available examining the lived experience of psychosis. Additionally, no evidence is available looking to combine both learned and experiential knowledge as it pertains to psychosis. As such this article was created to combine both knowledge subsets in order to provide a more complete interpretation of the syndrome itself. This was achieved through academic input from a psychiatrist’s perspective as well as a reflective, autoethnographic input from a service user who has experienced psychosis. Following this collaboration, several recommendations were made to support health professionals to engage appropriately with service users with psychosis. However, the lived experiences of psychosis itself requires further investigation to identify commonalities in experiences that can support clinicians in the diagnosis and co-production of treatment regimens for these service users.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43562656","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}
Tyler B. Mason, Wei-Lin Wang, T. Bastain, S. O’Connor, J. Cabison, Christine H. Naya, D. Chu, S. Eckel, R. Habre, C. Breton, G. Dunton
{"title":"Bi-Directional Associations of Affective States and Diet among Low-Income Hispanic Pregnant Women Using Ecological Momentary Assessment","authors":"Tyler B. Mason, Wei-Lin Wang, T. Bastain, S. O’Connor, J. Cabison, Christine H. Naya, D. Chu, S. Eckel, R. Habre, C. Breton, G. Dunton","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3040022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3040022","url":null,"abstract":"Affective states play a role in dietary behaviors. Yet, little research has studied within-subjects associations between affect and diet during pregnancy. We examined the acute bidirectional relationships between affect and food intake and moderation by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in low-income, Hispanic pregnant women using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Women (N = 57) completed four days of EMA during their first trimester. Women responded to five random prompts per day about their current affect and past two-hour food intake. Higher positive affect (PA) or lower negative affect (NA) predicted greater likelihood of fruit/vegetable consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and lower likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Higher PA predicted less likelihood of fast food consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and slightly higher likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI had higher PA when they reported consuming chips/fries in the past two hours, and women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI had lower PA when they reported consumption of chips/fries in the past two hours. Results showed differential relationships between affect and food intake as a function of pre-pregnancy BMI.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41934068","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}
T. Al-Saadi, Abdulrahman Al-Mirza, Omar Al-Taei, H. Al-Saadi
{"title":"Geriatric Neurosurgery in High-Income Developing Countries: A Sultanate of Oman Experience","authors":"T. Al-Saadi, Abdulrahman Al-Mirza, Omar Al-Taei, H. Al-Saadi","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3040021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3040021","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of geriatric neurosurgical conditions in the Neurosurgical Department at Khoula Hospital (KH), Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. The majority of various neurosurgical conditions is increasing in elderly patients, which leads to an increase in neurosurgical demand. The aging population has a direct effect on hospital decision-making in neurosurgery. However, limited data are available to assess geriatric neurosurgery in developing countries. A retrospective chart review of geriatric cases admitted to the Neurosurgery Department in KH served as our example of a neurosurgical center in a high-income developing country from January 2016 to 31st December 2019. Patients’ demographics, risk factors, diagnosis, Glasgow Coma Scale on arrival, treatment types, and length of stay were recorded. A total of 669 patients who were above the age of 65 years were recruited into our retrospective review. The mean age was 73.34 years in the overall cohort and the male-to-female ratio was (1.6:1). The most common diagnostic category was trauma, which accounted for 35.4% followed by oncology and vascular (16.3% each). Hydrocephalus accounted for 3.7% of the admissions. Most of the patients underwent surgical interventions (73.1%). The associations were significant between the treatment types (surgical vs. conservative), Length of Stay, and the GCS on arrival (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the trend of geriatric neurosurgery is increasing in developing countries. The most common reason for admission to the neurosurgical ward was Traumatic Brain Injury. Special care must be taken when dealing with geriatric neurosurgical cases and a more holistic approach is needed.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43924639","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}
A. Dutkiewicz, M. Tyszkiewicz-Nwafor, K. Bilska, E. Paszyńska, M. Roszak, Weronika Zwolińska, N. Pytlińska, A. Słopień, M. Dmitrzak-Węglarz
{"title":"Ghrelin and Obestatin in Adolescent Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: Is There an Association with Disordered Eating, Depression, and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms?","authors":"A. Dutkiewicz, M. Tyszkiewicz-Nwafor, K. Bilska, E. Paszyńska, M. Roszak, Weronika Zwolińska, N. Pytlińska, A. Słopień, M. Dmitrzak-Węglarz","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3030020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3030020","url":null,"abstract":"Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by restrictive eating and significant weight loss. In the course of AN, changes are observed in appetite regulation, including orexigenic ghrelin and potentially anorexigenic obestatin. The study aimed to determine if any changes in serum ghrelin and obestatin levels during treatment of AN are observed, while investigating the correlations between these peptides and the severity of disturbed eating attitudes, depression, and anxiety. Thirty adolescent inpatients with AN (examined twice: before hospitalization treatment AN-BT and after treatment AN-AT) and thirty healthy age- and height-matched girls (CG) participated in the study. Anthropometric, serum ghrelin and obestatin concentrations and psychometric evaluations (Eating Attitudes Test 26 Item-EAT-26, Beck Depression Inventory-BDI, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-HDRS, and Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-Y-BOCS) were performed. The study revealed significantly higher ghrelin and obestatin levels in AN-BT than in AN-AT. A trend toward lower levels during treatment provided partial normalizations. Analyzing correlations in the AN-BT vs. CG group, correlations of peptides with EAT-26, BDI, and HDRS scores were detected. These results suggest a potential role for ghrelin and obestatin in the context of defense mechanisms regulating appetite and body weight in the course of AN and in terms of psychopathological changes co-occurring with this eating disorder.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44153249","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}
E. Fleischmann, F. Fellendorf, J. Ortner, S. Bengesser, M. Ratzenhofer, R. Pilz, M. Lenger, A. Birner, R. Queissner, M. Platzer, A. Tmava-Berisha, C. Hamm, A. Maget, J. Wagner-Skacel, E. Reininghaus, N. Dalkner
{"title":"Anxious Temperament Predicts Poor Acceptance of Self and Life in Bipolar Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"E. Fleischmann, F. Fellendorf, J. Ortner, S. Bengesser, M. Ratzenhofer, R. Pilz, M. Lenger, A. Birner, R. Queissner, M. Platzer, A. Tmava-Berisha, C. Hamm, A. Maget, J. Wagner-Skacel, E. Reininghaus, N. Dalkner","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3030019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3030019","url":null,"abstract":"The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the social distancing resulting thereof are having a great impact on psychological well-being. Studies investigating resilience found that it impacts mental health during crises. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of pre-crisis temperament on resilience in individuals with bipolar disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in Austria between April and June 2020, including 36 individuals with bipolar disorder and 39 healthy controls. Resilience was assessed with the 13-item resilience scale, and temperament was measured with the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). The bipolar disorder group showed lower resilience than the control group, and scored higher on the TEMPS-A for depressive, cyclothymic, and anxious temperaments. Resilience could be predicted by anxious temperament in individuals with bipolar disorder, and correlated negatively with depressive symptoms in both groups. The results suggest that anxious temperament influences the resilience of individuals with bipolar disorder, likely more than temporary hardships, such as the first months of the COVID-19 crisis. It is therefore important to improve the resilience of individuals with bipolar disorder not only by short-term interventions, but by strengthening resilience and reducing anxious temperament in the long term.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42905211","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}
Amber N. Edinoff, Catherine A. Nix, S. McNeil, Sarah E. Wagner, Catherine A. Johnson, Brooke C. Williams, E. Cornett, K. Murnane, A. Kaye, A. Kaye
{"title":"Prescription Stimulants in College and Medical Students: A Narrative Review of Misuse, Cognitive Impact, and Adverse Effects","authors":"Amber N. Edinoff, Catherine A. Nix, S. McNeil, Sarah E. Wagner, Catherine A. Johnson, Brooke C. Williams, E. Cornett, K. Murnane, A. Kaye, A. Kaye","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3030018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3030018","url":null,"abstract":"Stimulants are effective in treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychiatrist Charles Bradley first made this discovery in 1937 when he found that children treated with amphetamines showed improvements in school performance and behavior. Between 1995 and 2008, stimulants to treat ADHD increased six-fold among American adults and adolescents at an annual rate of 6.5%. Stimulants without a prescription, known as nonmedical use or misuse, have also increased. The highest rates of nonmedical prescription drug misuse in the United States are seen most notably in young adults between 18 and 25 years, based on data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2021. Aside from undergraduate students, nonmedical prescription stimulant use is prevalent among medical students worldwide. A recent literature review reported the utilization of stimulants without a prescription in 970 out of 11,029 medical students. The percentages of medical students across the country misusing stimulants varied from 5.2% to 47.4%. Academic enhancement, reported in 50% to 89% of college students with stimulant misuse, is the most common reason for nonmedical stimulant use. With the increasing use of stimulants among adolescents and adults, it is unclear what long-term outcomes will be since little data are available that describe differences in how side effects are experienced for prescribed and non-prescribed users. The present narrative review focuses on these adverse effects in this population and the reasonings behind misuse and nonmedical use.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47117439","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":"Political Party Affinity and Fear of Conventional and Nuclear War in Germany","authors":"A. Hajek, H. König","doi":"10.3390/psychiatryint3030017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3030017","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: to clarify the association between political party affinity and fear of conventional and nuclear war in Germany. Methods: data were used from a nationally representative online survey (in terms of age bracket, sex and state; n = 3091 individuals; mid-March 2022). Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the association between political party affinity and fear of conventional and nuclear war in Germany, adjusting for several covariates. Results: while, for example, individuals who had an affinity with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany reported the highest frequency of severe fear of a conventional war (58.0%), individuals who had an affinity with the Left Party (Die Linken, left-wing) reported a somewhat lower frequency of severe fear (48.2%) and individuals who had an affinity with the Alternative for Germany (AFD, right-wing) reported the lowest frequency (43.7%). Regressions showed that—compared to individuals who had an affinity with the SPD—individuals who had an affinity with the Free Democratic Party (FDP, liberal) and particularly individuals who had an affinity with the Alternative for Germany (AFD) reported a markedly lower fear of war (both fear of a conventional war and fear of a nuclear war). Conclusion: our study showed some interesting associations between political party affinity and fear of war in Germany. This knowledge may assist in characterising individuals at risk for higher levels of fear of war.","PeriodicalId":93808,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry international","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46255693","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}