Depression disorder is a major public health problem and a serious medical illness which negatively affects people's daily life. The WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD–10) defines this set of disorders ranging from mild to moderate to severe. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) is a useful statistic that is used to measure trends in rates over time-period.

The aim of this study was to compute the drift in depression prevalence disorder using the EAPC of the prevalence of depression disorder between 1990 to 2019 with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) across the GCC countries.

Prevalence of depression disorder data for the GCC countries were downloaded from “Our World in Data” https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health#depression. We computed the drift of depression over 30 years between the 6 GCC countries using the statistical software R.

The greatest decrease was seen for Bahrain which is (–5.2%) followed by Qatar (–3.2%) and United Arab Emirates (–3%). However, the largest increase was observed for Saudi Arabia (2.7%), followed by Kuwait (1.1%) and Oman (0.7%). The reduction in the prevalence of depression disorder seen in Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates shows a significant achievement in mental health diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

However, further studies are required to better understand the drifts in the GCC countries. Furthermore, governmental funding for academic and research mental health programs is highly recommended.

In most populations, the prevalence of depression is more significant in women than in men. Nonetheless, the degree of gender disparity varies significantly across countries. The aim of this study is to consider the role of gender inequality in explaining these differences in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Data on the ecological prevalence of depression (males versus females) from 1990–2019 from the GCC countries were downloaded from Our World in Data and included in the statistical analysis. A mixed-effects linear model was used to examine the association between males and females, i.e. females regress on males. Year and country variables were used as random effect variables.

The prevalence of depression in the GCC countries shows a gender-specific pattern with a higher prevalence in females than in males 1.218 (95% CI: 1.149–1.285), p-value < 0.001. Higher levels of depression between men and women were observed in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia compared with the other four countries. The lowest depression prevalence was observed in the United Arab Emirates.

The pattern of depression in the GCC countries is based on gender. However, the association between global measures of gender inequality and the gender gap in depression may depend on how the level of depression is measured. More research is needed to investigate the mechanisms that underlie the gendered nature of depression prevalence.

The evidence for the association between vitamin-D deficiency and depression, although equivocal, has been established in several populations in different countries and supported by meta-analytical studies1. Much of the evidence for this comes from Western countries2. Similarly, the evidence for the benefits of supplementation, although shown, also comes from similar populations and is equivocal3. Need for data from different populations and for randomized controlled trials to establish causality is stressed by most researchers. This study aims for presentation reviews of the association between vitamin-D and depression in the GCC, using the publicly available data of Our World in Data.

The statistical analysis used median prevalence depressive disorders data (from 1990–2019) in the GCC countries (both sex and age-standardized (%)), which was downloaded from Our World in Data and was last updated on August 28, 2022. Vitamin D deficiency data were collected through a literature review search using PubMed and Google Scholar. A linear regression model was performed with the median prevalence of depressive disorders data as an outcome. The prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency, population median age and the interaction term between prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency and population median age were used as predictors. The effects of prevalence of depressive disorders both sex age standardized (AS) percentage (%) were estimated with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) using bootstrap covariance matrix estimator. Fitted model's likelihood ratio chi-square (LR χ2) test with corresponding p-value was computed and reported.

A positive association was observed between the median prevalence of depressive disorders and the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency, adjusted for population median age, were observed (LR χ2 p-value = 0.005) and adjusted R2 = 0.706.

Prevalence of depressive disorders was associated with prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the population of GCC countries. Future randomized control trials on Vitamin D supplementation are needed to confirm these observations.

The prevalence of emotional problems, such as depressive and anxiety disorders, increases sharply during adolescence. There is evidence for familial clustering of mental health problems during early childhood and adulthood, however no studies have investigated whether adolescent mental health problems cluster within families. This study tests the hypotheses that i) emotional problems during adolescence cluster within families, and that ii) conduct, peer and hyperactivity problems, prosocial behaviour and overall emotional and behavioural difficulties during adolescence also cluster within families.

We used cross-sectional data from a nationally representative survey of UK households, collected between 2019 and 2021, with 4,088 participants aged 10–16 years. Analyses included 1,241 participants who had complete outcome data and complete data on all covariates of interest. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to examine emotional problems, as well as conduct, peer and hyperactivity problems, prosocial behaviour and total difficulties. Multilevel modelling was used to: estimate clustering of i) emotional problems and ii) conduct, peer and hyperactivity problems, prosocial behaviour and total difficulties, within families, after adjusting for several individual- and family-level covariates associated with adolescent mental health problems (including individual and family demographics, school and sibling bullying, quality of parent-child relationship, parent mental health and parent romantic relationship satisfaction).

After adjusting for known covariates of adolescent mental health problems, there was substantial clustering of adolescent emotional problems (ICC: 0.439; CI95%: 0.36–0.52; SE: 0.042) and overall adolescent emotional and behavioural difficulties (ICC: 0.417; CI95%: 0.34–0.50; SE: 0.043) within families. There was also evidence of clustering of adolescent peer problems (ICC: 0.374; CI95%: 0.28–0.48; SE: 0.051), hyperactivity (ICC: 0.332; CI95%: 0.25–0.42; SE: 0.044), prosocial behaviour (ICC: 0.263; CI95%: 0.18–0.37; SE: 0.048) and conduct problems (ICC: 0.232; CI95%: 0.14–0.35; SE: 0.053) within families after adjustment.

We found strong evidence that adolescent emotional problems cluster within families even after accounting for individual- and family-level covariates which are associated with adolescent mental health problems. Over 40% of the variation was accounted for at the family level. This indicates how the contextual characteristics of the family environment may influence the mental health of young people. As such, social policy aiming to prevent or improve the mental health of young people should focus on family context.

The younger generation of today is highly dependent on digital technologies worldwide. Studies on young children's cognitive and socio-emotional development have shown that there can be conflicting effects from using screen-based media or from exposing them to it. The study explored the relation between unsupervised use of digital screen time with student mental health and behavioral problems.

It was a cross sectional descriptive study approached primary and secondary school going children from grades 2–8 (age 6 to 14 years), purposively selected six schools consist of three English and Bangla medium schools from Dhaka city. A total of 420 students along with their parents were enrolled by clustered random sampling. Study explored the effect of the unsupervised screen time on student mental health and social wellbeing through semi structured questionnaires, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Scale (PSQI), Spencer Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and Development and Wellbeing Assessment Scale (DAWBA).

Students used various forms of digital screens for 4.6 hours every day, and 56% of them used these devices without parental supervision or monitoring. English Medium students spend significantly more time on screens on a daily average (5.5 hours) compared with students at Bangla Medium schools (3.7 hours). 21.2% students had mental health concern, this percentage was higher in the unsupervised group (56.2%) than in the supervised group (43.8%). In the unsupervised group, students experienced higher levels of emotional difficulties (15.7%), behavioral difficulties (28.3%), hyperactivity behavior difficulties (17.4%), peer relations difficulties (28.8%), and pro-social behavior difficulties (6.7%) compared with supervised group. 83.3% of students in the supervised group found higher levels of anxiety compared with the unsupervised group (16.7). In the unsupervised group, 15.4% of the students had experienced sleeping problems, compared with 14% in the supervised group.

These results suggest an impact of unsupervised screen time on the prevalence of mental health problems among students. Appropriate screen usage may be a major intervention target to improve children's mental health and wellbeing.

To investigate if estrogen agents as an adjunct to antipsychotic medication are effective at treating psychosis in post-and perimenopausal females.

A digital search focusing on controlled clinical trials was conducted. Studies were assessed for quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE system. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools were used to critically appraise articles. The total Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) scores were synthesised using a meta-analysis.

Of the studies obtained (n = 11), two used estrogen HT as an augmentation agent, and nine used the SERM Raloxifene. Quality review and critical appraisal found inconsistencies in data and publication bias favouring trials that include Raloxifene. Meta-analysis results indicate Raloxifene plus antipsychotic did perform better than placebo [Std diff in means total = 0.340 (95% CI) p = 0.001] with a small effect size (g = 0.3392).

Though research appears promising, recommendations for the use of estrogen agent augmentation cannot be made at this time as more clinical trials that include a diverse range of treatments are needed.

Individuals with psychosis experience impairments in real-world functional outcomes such as employment and health. Rare copy number variants (CNVs) are established risk factors for psychosis, neurodevelopmental disorders and cognitive impairment. However, little is known about their effect on real-world functional outcomes in individuals with psychosis.

I aimed to establish the effect of rare neurodevelopmental CNVs on real-world functioning in individuals with psychosis.

I identified 1,932 individuals with psychotic disorders (ICD–10 F20–F29) in the UK Biobank using first-occurrence data (from primary care, hospital inpatient and death register records and self-reported conditions). I mapped UK Biobank data to two domains of real-world functional outcomes – health deficits and vocational outcomes. We previously called CNVs using PennCNV, annotating them with 53 CNVs associated with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay. I conducted regression analyses with neurodevelopmental CNVs as the predictor, real-world functioning as outcomes and with relevant covariates (e.g. age and sex).

Out of 1,932 individuals with psychotic disorders, 2.5% (n = 49) carried a neurodevelopmental CNV.

Health Deficits

I used first-occurrence diagnosis data to establish comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. I summed these diagnoses and dichotomised them into one or more comorbid diagnoses versus no comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. I conducted a logistic regression analysis – neurodevelopmental CNV carrier status was associated with having at least one psychiatric diagnosis in addition to a psychosis diagnosis (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 - 4.1, p 0.034). Post-hoc analyses revealed an increased rate of dissociative and conversion disorders in CNV carriers (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.26 - 15.99, p 0.021).

I used first-occurrence physical health diagnosis data to establish the burden of the 20 most prevalent chronic non-cancer illnesses. Neurodevelopmental CNV carrier status was associated with chronic physical health multimorbidity in individuals with psychosis (59.2% vs 43.5%, OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.27–4.17, p 0.006), defined as the presence of two or more chronic physical health conditions.

Vocational Outcomes

I conducted an ordinal regression analysis, establishing that among individuals with psychosis, CNV carriers had a lower likelihood of achieving a higher qualification (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.27–0.77, p 0.003).

Neurodevelopmental CNVs are associated with important real-world functional outcomes in individuals with psychosis. This work provides information that can guide the assessment and management of individuals with both psychosis and neurodevelopmental CNVs.

Psychiatrists frequently diagnose mood disorders in children. However, there is a limited understanding of clinical history and phenomenology of mood disorders in these phases of lifespan, and phenomenological variations in those with and without neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The primary objective of the study was to study, comparatively, the phenomenology in children clinically diagnosed with mania, depression and mixed affective disorder. The second objective was to study the phenomenological differences in diagnosed cases of mood disorder children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.

We conducted a semi-qualitative study of the clinical history and phenomenology in 120 children recruited from a tertiary care child and adolescent psychiatry service. Children with current diagnosis of depression, mania or mixed affective state, age less than 18 years, and appropriate consent/assent were included. Children with comorbid neurological disorders, any underlying organicity, or those currently in remission from their mood episode were excluded. Descriptive summaries were calculated for socio-demographic, clinical and phenomenological data. Chi Square test was used to examine statistical differences in prevalence of various phenomena across the clinical diagnostic groups.

The most common clinical diagnosis was depression (58.3%) followed by mania (25.8%) and mixed affective state (15%). Irritable mood and emotional dysregulation were equally distributed among the three diagnostic groups. With a high prevalence of comorbid NDDs in the sample, we compared phenomena between groups with and without NDDs. In cases of depression, suicidal ideas and guilt feelings were expressed in 61% and 80% of these participants without comorbid NDD (n = 45) respectively, which was significantly high as compared with those with NDD (n = 67). The symptoms of disinhibition (78.9%), impulsivity (84.2%) and emotional dysregulation (10.5%) were more frequently seen in participants with neurodevelopmental disorder. Dissociative and obsessive phenomena were present in about a quarter of our study sample, similarly across mania, depression and mixed state.

Mental status examination of mood disorders in children suggests considerable phenomenological overlap with irritable mood, emotional and behavioural dysregulation, dissociative symptoms, obsessive symptoms, sleep disturbances, nightmares and hyperarousal seen in mania, depression and mixed states. These phenomena may, therefore, not be suitable in differentiating these clinical diagnoses. Children with NDDs may report lesser cognitive phenomena of depression, and the clinician may have to rely on the affective and behavioural manifestations of depression in clinical decision-making.

To quantify and evaluate the gender differences regarding the development of PTSD. This meta-analysis calculates (a) the difference between males and females who develop PTSD, and (b) the difference in gendered relative risk of PTSD development.

Study selection criteria included participant mean age above 18 years, single and direct exposure to a terrorism related traumatic event, and a confirmed diagnosis based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition. Data extraction included year and location of terrorist event, the total number of participants in the study, the total numbers of males and females diagnosed with PTSD, and time (in months) of diagnosis following the traumatic event. The number of males and females affected by PTSD was pooled using random effects inverse variance weighted meta-analysis and relative risks (95% confidence interval) were calculated.

Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria of which five had significant information to be included in the meta-analysis. The total number of males in the pooled sample size was 328, and the total number of females was 354 out which a total number of 34 males and 66 females met the PTSD criteria. The mean average of males and females affected by PTSD was 6 and 11, respectively. An independent samples Mann Whitney U test rejected the null hypothesis (p < 0.05) and concluded that the distribution of PTSD between males and females was significantly different. The meta-analysis found an overall relative risk of a diagnosis of PTSD in females to be 1.82 (95% CI 1.25–2.65) compared with males.

This meta-analysis found females to have an elevated risk of developing PTSD following a single terrorism traumatic event. The results of our study are supported by previously published research, which has found females to be at higher risks of developing PTSD. However, such research has proposed gender differences secondary to the types of stressful events experienced, which does not apply to our meta-analysis given the uniformity of the traumatic event we explore. Other factors, therefore, need investigating to understand this phenomenon.

We acknowledge that researching psychological consequences in communities affected by terrorism is complicated and limited by lack of healthcare access, trained clinicians, cultural diversity in the expression and articulation of a community's traumatic experience and of course, the instability of the ground fabric. Other limitations of the included studies are the binary of gender reporting, which limits a fuller understanding of a minoritized community.

This study aimed to analyse contributory factors to serious incidents (SIs) involving adult patients with intellectual disabilities receiving NHS care in a mental health trust. People with intellectual disabilities face considerable preventable harm and disparities in care. In-depth analysis of contributory factors to incidents involving adults with an intellectual disability, using human-factors based frameworks is lacking. Individual SI reports contain useful data, but learning is often limited without aggregated analysis.

Thirty anonymized serious incident reports (2014–2023) from an NHS mental health Trust's intellectual disability service were analysed qualitatively using the Yorkshire Contributory Factors Framework, followed by reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) to identify patterns across the data. This enabled nuanced themes to emerge across errors at the sharp end and systems-level factors at the blunt-end.

Across 30 reports, 606 discrete factors were identified. Situational factors such as behavioural escalations and staff competency gaps were most frequent (n = 187, 31%). Other factors included active failures, such as slips, lapses, mistakes, violations (n = 109, 18%), organisational influences (n = 107, 18%), communication breakdowns (n = 75, 12%), unfavourable working conditions (n = 62, 10%), cultural factors such as reluctance to voice safety concerns (n = 51, 8%), and external system factors (n = 15, 2%).

Using RTA, we identified recurring themes across incidents involving interactions between sharp-end human and blunt-end system factors, with broader issues shaping frontline performance. Patient marginalisation, excessive workloads, lack of resources, and cultures tolerant of shortcuts aligned to permit errors. Deficient coordination across fragmented healthcare systems and overdependence on non-permanent workers and bank staff obstructed comprehensive incident reviews. Failure to adequately probe cultural influences and external pressures further reflect the limited extent of investigational efforts.

Adults with intellectual disabilities are subject to serious incidents caused by interacting human and system-level factors, including organisational, cultural and external factors. Addressing under-resourcing and improving investigation quality are paramount to enhancing safety of care for people with intellectual disabilities.

The course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is complex and remains an area of active investigation, as analyses aimed at identifying predictors of PTSD outcomes often produce variable and inconsistent results. This particular study delves into the progression and patterns of PTSD over a two-year period, focusing on individuals who are in the recovery phase from severe physical injuries. The research aims to understand the different trajectories that PTSD can take and to identify the factors that may influence these pathways, with the goal of enhancing our understanding and treatment of this challenging and multifaceted condition.

Patients were recruited from a trauma center at a university hospital in South Korea between June 2015 and January 2021. At baseline, 1142 patients underwent evaluations encompassing trauma and PTSD-related measures, socio-demographic characteristics, pre-trauma characteristics, and peri-trauma assessments. They were subsequently followed up for PTSD using the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The analyzed sample consisted of 1014 patients who were followed up at least once after the baseline and 3-month evaluations. Latent class growth analysis was employed to identify distinct trajectory groups, and logistic regression models to ascertain predictors associated with each trajectory.

The study identified five unique trajectories of PTSD progression among the patients: resilient, worsening/recovery, worsening, recovery, and chronic groups. The "worsening/recovery” trajectory, which indicates patients whose symptoms initially worsened but later improved, was predominantly associated with individuals who had experienced previous traumatic events and those who had sustained injuries from traffic accidents. On the other hand, the "worsening” trajectory, where patients' symptoms continuously deteriorated over time, was linked to individuals with higher education levels and elevated depressive symptoms. The "recovery” trajectory, characterized by a gradual improvement in symptoms, was more common in female patients and those with a history of childhood abuse, traffic-related injuries, a dissociative subtype of PTSD, and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Lastly, the "chronic” trajectory, where patients experienced persistently severe symptoms, was predicted by the presence of a dissociative subtype of PTSD and heightened anxiety symptoms. These findings illustrate the diverse paths PTSD can take and highlight the importance of various factors in influencing these trajectories.

These findings highlighted the heterogeneity of PTSD symptom development and thus the importance of considering individual characteristics when assessing and addressing PTSD following severe physical injuries.

Depressive disorder is one of the most typical psychiatric disorders that occurs after a traumatic event. However, there has been minimal research regarding the prevalence and associated factors of depression after a traumatic event. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors in the residents of the Gangjeong village, who have been exposed to a traumatic event recently for a prolonged period.

The subjects of this study were the residents of the Gangjeong village, who have been exposed to a traumatic event related to the construction of the Jeju Civilian-Military Complex Port. The questionnaires were used to assess the participants' general characteristics (sex, age, marital status, occupation, self-perceived health, etc.); in addition, for the clinical evaluation, overall stress was assessed through the Global Assessment of Recent Stress Scale (GARS), social support through Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ) and suicide risk through Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (M.I.N.I-Plus). In order to evaluate the depressive symptoms, CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) was used.

In 713 subjects, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 18.5% (95% CI=15.66–21.36) (Table 1). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the length of residence and marital status as factors associated with depressive symptoms (Table 2). Furthermore, the depression group has a significantly higher score of overall stress (GARS), suicide risk and the lack of social support (FSSQ), in comparison with the non-depression group (depression gr. vs non-depression gr. : 28.8 ± 15.0 vs 12.8 ± 10.1, 4.9 ± 8.0 vs 1.1 ± 3.6, 44.8 ± 13.2 vs 34.0 ± 13.9, respectively).

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher among the study population compared with the general population. People exposed to the traumatic event, especially after prolonged exposure, should be assessed for environment factors, the status of overall stress, social support and the suicidal risk.

1. 1) Identify the factors that shape alcohol consumption and accessing support for excessive alcohol consumption in the BSP community.

2. 2) Establish the current provision of alcohol-related education in the UK medical school curriculum and analyse if this is suitable to address alcoholism in the BSP community.

3. 3) Provide recommendations to be made to the curriculum to help medical students approach the issue of alcoholism in specific communities in a culturally competent manner.

Two narrative literature reviews were conducted. 37 studies were included. The first search underwent thematic analysis with reference to a Public Health England framework, and the second underwent inductive thematic analysis. Subsequently, the results from both searches were compared to produce appropriate recommendations.

Factors Influencing Alcoholism in the BSP Community

• • Experiences of racial discrimination result in psychological distress, and the need to acculturate to decrease this risk.

• • Loneliness, mainstream Punjabi music, and a decreased self-reported importance of religion.

• • The role of masculinity was emphasized, with both those who abstained and those who drink viewed as masculine.

Alcohol-related Education and Medical School

• • Alcohol use has increased among UK medical students.

• • The drinking habits of medical students are crucial to their own health, their clinical practice, and indirectly as role models in society for acceptable lifestyle behaviours.

• • Approximately 14 hours are dedicated to alcohol and drug-misuse teaching over the 5-year medical school degree.

• • Lack of alcohol-related-policies at UK medical schools.

• • Doctors’ negative attitudes towards patients with AUD were frequently reported.

• • Medical students are eager to learn about AUD.

Recommendations for the Medical School Curriculum:

• • Development of a comprehensive and supportive alcohol-related policy.

• • Pre-clinical teaching: seminars with an individual who has recovered from an AUD.

• • Clinical stage teaching: encourage students to write and present cases of patients with AUD.

• • Encourage the use of non-judgemental labels.

• • Lectures including speakers from voluntary AUD services.

• • Encourage Alcoholics Anonymous attendance for students.

Overall, the BSP population fail to access treatment services due to fear of shame and stigma. Medical schools have immense potential to make changes to their alcohol-related education to ensure that future doctors provide holistic care, leading to earlier detection and management of alcohol-use disorders. Recommendations were made with the intention of providing culturally competent services.

The neuropsychiatric morbidities associated with post-COVID status are important public health issues. The range and severity of morbidity varies with the type of clinical setting and time of assessment. There are limited studies on the long-term persistence of the post-COVID neuropsychiatric symptoms (PCNS). Hence, this study aims to determine the proportion of persistent PCNS after approximately 2 years of COVID and to find any risk factors for persistent PCNS.

This study was a cross-sectional study of randomly selected 2,281 individuals aged 18–60 years, currently living in the community, who were RT-PCR positive for COVID-19 from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) laboratory (at least 4 weeks before intake) from a period of 1 June 2020 to 31 March 2022. Among them, 927 individuals who met the study criteria were screened for PCNS through telephone interviews using a validated PCNS screening tool comprising sociodemographic details, life events inventory and 20 questions to assess for PCNS. 196 individuals who came positive for PCNS were further evaluated by in-person or web-based interviews with Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM–5-Research Version and World Health Organization-Post-COVID Case Report Form for persistent PCNS. Descriptive statistics, Chi2 test, Mann–Whitney U Test, and Binary logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. The Institutional Ethics Committee approved this study.

The median age of study participants was 34 years, and 51.3% were female. 68 out of 196 participants (34.7%) had persistent PCNS approximately 2 years (23.84 months) after COVID-19 infection. Chronic fatigue (10.2%), depression (6.1%), cognitive symptoms (4%), hyposmia (3.6%), hypogeusia (3.6%), anxiety (2.5%), panic disorder (2.5%) and insomnia (2%) are the main persistent symptoms. The median age of the participants with persisted PCNS (40 years) is higher compared with the median age of the participants without persisted PCNS (34 years) [Mann–Whitney U = 5,225.0, P = 0.021]. Even though significant associations were found between the development of PCNS after 4 weeks of COVID and female gender, symptomatic COVID-19, severity of COVID-19 (oxygen supplementation), hospital admission, total number of times of COVID-19, and presence of life events, this association were not found with persistence of PCNS at 2 years.

This study revealed that one-third of the individuals with PCNS had persistent symptoms after 2 years. Chronic fatigue is the most common persistent PCNS. Middle-aged and above age groups were found to be a risk factor for persistent PCNS.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there has been a 13% increase in mental health and substance abuse disorders within the last decade. Typical and atypical antipsychotics are the most common treatment mechanisms for mental health-related disorders such as schizophrenia, depression with psychotic symptoms and bipolar disorders. However, antipsychotic usage is associated with more than a 50% increase in CVD such as ischaemic heart disease, resulting in cardiovascular-related mortality.

This review aims to investigate the most common type of cardiovascular event causing mortality due to antipsychotic use.

A systematic search within PubMed and Medline was conducted on 3 October 2023. Selection criteria were limited to English, full-text studies excluding case reports. The time frame selected was up to 3 October 2023. All studies included adults only. Interventions of focus include typical and atypical antipsychotics licensed in the UK. Outcome measures include cardiovascular mortality/events post-antipsychotic prescription.

13 studies were included out of 1088 records. Studies originated from 4 nations with the most studies coming from the USA (n = 7), UK (n = 2), Taiwan (n = 2) and Canada (n = 2).

The most common antipsychotic reported in the records was risperidone (n = 11), followed by haloperidol (n = 9), olanzapine (n = 8) and quetiapine (n = 8).

From data extraction, the most common cardiovascular events leading to death were sudden cardiac death/arrest (n = 6), ventricular arrhythmias (n = 6), myocardial infarction (n = 4), and heart failure (n = 2).

Due to data heterogeneity, discrete outcome measures were extracted from each record. This included outcomes measuring: relative risk between various groups (n = 9), rate of cardiovascular event per 100 patient year (n = 3), and mortality post cardiovascular event (n = 1).

From this study, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac deaths were the most common cardiovascular events secondary to antipsychotic use leading to mortality. Owing to patient safety and benefits, patients with psychotic illness are unable to go untreated. They are consequently very vulnerable to the cardiovascular side effects of prescribed high-dose antipsychotic drugs. Despite current monitoring guidelines worldwide, cardiovascular-associated mortality in patients on antipsychotics is still elevated. This may indicate the potential inadequacy of current measures for these patients while demonstrating the need for more aggressive cardioprotective interventions and monitoring.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence and factors of depression among the elderly population, a significant issue in Korea's aging society. By doing so, we aim to provide basic indicators for improving mental health and quality of life while efficiently managing healthcare costs.

From February to December 2021, a study was conducted on a population of 19,158 elderly individuals aged 65 and above residing in Gyeongsangbuk-do province. The severity of depression was evaluated using the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9, which was adapted for use as a depression screening tool in clinical settings. In addition, demographic information such as place of residence, age, gender, and education level was collected to analyze factors that may influence depression. The data were analyzed using cross-analysis, two independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, and Scheffe's post-hoc analysis.

In the PHQ-9 screening, the average score of the elderly population was 3.65. The results showed that 13,705 individuals (71.5%) were in the normal group with scores ranging from 0 to 4, 3,683 individuals (19.2%) were in the mild group with scores ranging from 5 to 9, 1,575 individuals (8.2%) were in the moderate group with scores ranging from 10 to 19, and 195 individuals (1.0%) were in the severe group with scores of 20 or higher. It was found that place of residence, education level, type of housing, top two difficulties in daily life, subjective economic status, desired services, subjective mental health, past and current history of mental health treatment, and medication for physical illness had statistically significant (*p < 0.05) effects on depression.

Various factors were found to have a significant impact on depression among the elderly population in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Proactive prevention and treatment tailored to the population characteristics of the region may be necessary.

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) exhibit elevated health needs when compared with the general population. There is a higher vulnerability to long-term conditions. A scoping review identified that individuals with ID exhibit a distinct pattern of multiple long-term conditions (MLTC) that is different to the general population. Findings highlight health challenges faced by individuals with ID, emphasising the need for targeted and early interventions to address their unique healthcare needs.

This study utilises a professional advisory panel (PAP) and patient and public involvement (PPI) group to form a consensus on relevant long-term conditions for people with ID. Machine learning algorithms are employed to identify long-term conditions in a large, population-based data repository covering the whole of Wales revealing a comprehensive range and prevalence of long-term conditions in a sample of 13,361 adults with ID.

A consensus on relevant long-term conditions for people with ID was formulated through iterative review followed by revision by PAP and PPI group. PAP comprised a multidisciplinary team with relevant expertise including General Practitioners, a Consultant Psychiatrist, nurses, pharmacists, and data analysts. The PAP worked in collaboration with a PPI group, comprising three groups of experts by experience: people with ID, family or informal carers of people with ID, and professional carers of people with ID.

This study utilises machine learning algorithms in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank to identify the range and prevalence of long-term conditions in ID. SAIL is an anonymised, population-based data repository, comprising billions of anonymised records across Wales. This study included 13,361 ID adult patients.

Following iterative review and revision by the PAP and PPI group, a consensus of 40 long-term conditions relevant for people with ID was identified. Prevalence rates for each condition were calculated. Ten most prevalent conditions were recorded as mental illness, reflux disorders, epilepsy, chronic airway diseases, hypertension, thyroid disorders, chronic arthritis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and anaemia.

Consensus on relevant long-term conditions for the general population developed through previous studies is not relevant for the ID population. This is the first effort at creating a full range of long-term conditions for individuals with ID, utilising a population-based data repository. It is possible to do this in partnership with PAP and PPI groups. Along with prevalence, impact of ageing and gender, and hospitalisation as outcome data, this study describes challenges associated with interpreting data captured by Read Codes and ICD–10 codes.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) and peer victimisation (PV) are common sources of early-life interpersonal stress. CM is associated with atypical fronto-limbic emotion processing and regulation, and increased vulnerability for self-harm/suicide. However, few studies have compared the neurofunctional correlates between caregiver-inflicted versus peer-inflicted mistreatment. We compared the alterations of neurofunctional correlates of facial emotion processing in young people exposed to CM or PV and explored their associations with self-harm.

fMRI data were collected from 114 age- and gender-matched youths (39 CM, 37 PV and 38 controls) during an emotion discrimination task. Region-of-interest (amygdala, insula) and whole-brain analyses were conducted.

Groups differed significantly during processing of disgust only. Both CM and PV groups had lower activation in right amygdala and bilateral posterior insula than controls, where the left insular underactivation was furthermore related to increased self-harm in maltreated youths. At the whole-brain level, both CM and PV groups also had underactivation compared with controls in a cluster of bilateral limbic-thalamic-striatal, precuneus/posterior cingulate, temporal, fusiform/lingual and cerebellar regions, which was negatively associated with emotional problems in controls, as well as a cluster of somatosensory regions associated with increased self-harm in maltreated youths.

Early-life interpersonal stress from caregivers or peers is associated with common underactivation of limbic-thalamic-striatal, precuneus/posterior cingulate and somatosensory regions during disgust processing. The hypoactivation of key emotion and sensory processing and self-referential brain regions could be a potential suppressive mechanism to cope with the aversive emotion; however, it may also entail increased risk of affective psychopathology in seemingly healthy youths.

To study the risk factors for burnout among doctors in a tertiary general hospital in Singapore. We hypothesized that burnout would be associated with singles, young age, females, foreign born staff who had recently moved to this country unaccompanied by family, and those showing less resilience. We hypothesised perceived support and satisfaction with leisure would mitigate against burnout.

An anonymised survey was carried out, with questionnaires sent to all staff via email. Survey instruments included the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, Brief Form of Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-4 items (PHQ-4), Leisure Time Satisfaction Survey and the Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ). Descriptive statistics for normally-distributed numerical variables were presented as mean (SD or standard deviation), and for categorical variables, median and n (%). One-way ANOVA was performed to determine differences in total burnout scores across categorical variables and simple linear regression was used to assess for binary and numerical outcomes in terms of resilience, PHQ, DSCQ, satisfaction with leisure time and perceived social support, with significance set as p < 0.05.

A total of 129 doctors responded to the survey. Over half were male, and nearly 70% were married. Nearly half were below age 40 and only about 5% had no immediate family living in Singapore.

Burnout was associated with young age (p < 0.004) and those with anxiety 2.39 (2.13 to 2.64) p = 0.038, and depressive symptoms 2.71 (2.44 to 2.97) p < 0.001. Psychological demand was positively associated with burnout (1.52 (1.32 to 1.71) p < 0.001; whereas decision latitude −0.69 (−0.85 to −0.52), social support at work −1.35 (−1.49 to −1.21), and high resilience −0.56 (−0.63 to −0.48), were negatively associated (all p < 0.001).

Satisfaction with leisure time was negatively correlated with burnout (p < 0.001). Contrary to hypothesis, singlehood, gender, overseas staff recently joined with no accompanying family were not associated with burnout (p > 0.05). In addition, perceived social support from outside work did not mitigate against burnout (p > 0.05).

Young age, anxiety and depression, and psychological demands were risk factors, whereas resilience, decision latitude, satisfaction with leisure, and social support at work were protective factors against burnout. Reducing workload, improving work schedules, promoting self-management, teaching physical, mental, and emotional self-care, and other stress management activities are among the effective techniques shown to reduce burnout. Interventions should be made available for all staff, but specifically focusing on those at greatest risk.

Social contact is crucial for both immediate and later development of adaptive social and emotional behaviour. Tactile experiences during childhood influence the development of the social brain and frequent affectionate touch is associated with secure attachment style. Social touch is an important form of social interaction and plays a significant role in the formation and maintenance of relationships in humans across development, where the hedonic properties of touch are involved in improving the quality of life. However, relatively less research attention has focused on social touch experiences in individuals with a history of early-life interpersonal stress, particularly childhood maltreatment.

Social touch pleasantness ratings using a newly developed Social Touch task and attitudes about a variety of social touch behaviours using the Social Touch Questionnaire (STQ) were examined in 40 age- and gender-matched young adults (23 childhood maltreatment, 17 controls).

The childhood maltreatment group had significantly lower STQ score than the control group, where lower STQ score was furthermore correlated with higher severity of maltreatment, particularly physical neglect. For the social touch task, females who experienced childhood maltreatment had significantly lower mean pleasantness ratings for positive social touch than their male counterparts, and these differences were mainly in response to touch given by stranger and friend of opposite gender.

These preliminary results show that early-life interpersonal stress from caregivers may potentially influence touch processing and pleasantness, particularly for females, and there is a need to further explore the effects of different touch giver role (e.g. friend, stranger, partner).