There is emerging evidence that suicide and suicidal behavior frequently occur in people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), although this topic is largely understudied. We have little understanding of suicidal behavior among individuals with ASD and there are no empirical data to guide practitioners in the treatment of suicidality in persons with ASD. There is a need to investigate risk factors associated with suicidal behavior in persons with ASD, to improve prevention strategies and interventions.

To get an overview from literature of risk factors for suicidality in individuals with ASD.

Review of the literature using Cochrane Collaboration Centre, Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science.

In the literature, we found that, among already known risk factors like comorbid depression, an underlying vulnerability in personality may be a risk factor for suicidal behavior. Several studies showed that a high score on the temperament factor ‘novelty seeking’ and ‘harm avoidance’ is associated with suicidality. In other studies, where suicidality was not an object of study, adults with ASD showed high scores on ‘harm avoidance’ and low scores on ‘novelty seeking’. This suggests that personality profiles may be of predictive value for suicidality in adults with ASD. A study proposal focused on this possible association be presented.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the problems of first-generation immigrant students and the linkage of these problems with the psychopathology of students.

The sample of this study included men and women students, that were second-generation immigrants aged from 18 to > 25 years.

The research tools used were: (a) Psychopathology Scale (Symptom Checklist 90-R - SCL-90) and (b) State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), (c) the orientation test life (LOT-R) d) Other As Shamer Scale (OAS), (e) Experience of Shame Scale (ESS). The statistical processing of data showedQ (a) the students immigrants have higher levels of student migrants stairways: inferior (OAS), empty (OAS), (Mistakes (OAS), Total internal shame (ESS), characterological shame (ESS), behavioral shame (ESS), bodily shame (ESS), Trait Anxiety (STAI), Somatization (SCL-90), Inter. Sensitivity (SCL-90) and Depression (SCL-90).

The results of our study found high levels of psychopathology students immigrants and students migrant and interpretative this finding is explained by the lifestyle of their parents immigrants and different cultures which have to cope and adapt and their marginalization from society and official institutions, a situation that results in their exposure to a variety of risks to their mental health.

In addition to increased levels of psychopathology, second generation immigrants such as students and the students in our sample suffer from violence the authorities and their fellow citizens.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Sensory processing is the individual's ability to receive, process and integrate sensory information from the environment and body movement in the central nervous system, in order to produce adaptive responses. Sensory processing disorders (SPD) are associated to difficulties in regulating emotions and behaviours as well as motor abilities in response to sensory stimulation that lead to impairment in development and functioning. It is estimated that SPD affect 5–16% of school-aged children. Although these diseases constitute a primary diagnostic category in the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood: DC0-3, they have not yet been validated by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-DSM. In the latest edition of DSM, SPD were only included as one of the diagnostic criteria of autism-spectrum disorders. However, several studies have suggested that SPD may present themselves solely or coexist with other clinical conditions.

The aim of this study was to review systematically the relationship between SPD and psychopathology.

Articles indexed in the Pubmed database were analyzed.

Although sensory processing problems are well known to occur in association with autism, their relationship with other mental disorders is not a well studied area. Some studies have related them with ADHD, behavioural disorders and learning disorders. Some studies also comproved that SPD are a valid diagnosis and that there are individuals with SPD who do not meet the criteria for other known disorder. One study found an abnormal white matter microstructure in children with SPD. Despite these findings SPD need to be further studied.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Acceptance and commitment therapy for the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia has been a big boost in last years, and there are preliminary studies about its efficacy. However, most studies have used individual interventions.

Evaluate the effect of an acceptance and commitment group therapy in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.

The sample consisted of 24 patients, aged between 18 and 55 years old, who were referred to groups by psychologists and psychiatrists of Mental Health Center. The intervention in each group consisted of 12 treatment sessions of 1 h 30 m duration, weekly. One pretest and posttest evaluation was conducted. The variables studied were: severity of panic disorder (Panic Disorder Severity Scale [PDSS]), fear of physical sensations (Body Sensations Questionnaire [BSQ]), frequency of catastrophic thoughts (Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire [ACQ]) and level of experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II [AAQ-II]).

The mean scores for all variables studied decreased in the post-evaluation. Means in post-evaluation were significantly lower (t Student, a = 0.10) in three of the four variables studied: severity of the condition (P = 0.001), frequency of catastrophic thoughts (P = 0.038) and level experiential avoidance (P = 0.073). In other words, patients had fewer panic attacks after treatment, and those who had were less intense, they had less catastrophic thoughts about consequences of anxiety, and they were better to accept their feelings and thoughts.

Although it is necessary to continue the study with a larger sample, these preliminary results support the use of ACT in group format in the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Most individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia must cope with some form of stigmatization. Different types of public stigma, self-stigma and label avoidance, may have negative consequences for these individuals.

The aim of the study was to search the degree of self-stigma in schizophrenia and its association with the clinical and demographic factors.

One hundred and ninety-seven stabilized outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders participated in the study. The mean age of the sample was 40 years. All individuals completed the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI) and a demographic questionnaire. The disorder severity was assessed both by a psychiatrist (objCGI-S: the objective version of Clinical Global Impression – Severity scale) and by the patients (subjCGI-S: the subjective version of Clinical Global Impression – Severity scale).

The total score of the ISMI positively correlated with the severity of the disorder measured by the objCGI-S and the subjCGI-S. Additionally, the self-stigma positively correlated with the treatment duration, and the number of hospitalizations. The regression analysis identified these regressors as the most relevant to the self-stigma – the number of hospitalizations, the severity of the disorder rated by a psychiatrist, and the difference between the objective rating and the subjective rating of the severity of the disorder.

Outpatients with psychosis, who have undergone a higher number of hospitalizations, dispose of a higher severity of the disorder and show a bigger discrepancy between their rating of the severity and the psychiatric rating, display a greater degree of self-stigma.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

EHRs contain a rich source of real-world data that can support evidence generation to better understand mental disorders and improve treatment outcomes. However, EHR datasets are complex and include unstructured free text data that are time consuming to manually review and analyse. We present NeuroBlu, a secure, cloud-based analytic tool that includes bespoke NLP software to enable users to analyse large volumes of EHR data to generate real-world evidence in mental healthcare.

(i) To assemble a large mental health EHR dataset in a secure, cloud-based environment.

(ii) To apply NLP software to extract data on clinical features as part of the Mental State Examination (MSE).

(iii) To analyse the distribution of NLP-derived MSE features by psychiatric diagnosis.

EHR data from 25 U.S. mental healthcare providers were de-identified and transformed into a common data model. NLP models were developed to extract 241 MSE features using a deep learning, long short-term memory (LSTM) approach. The NeuroBlu tool (https://www.neuroblu.ai/) was used to analyse the associations of MSE features in 543,849 patients.

The figure below illustrates the percentage of patients in each diagnostic category with at least one recorded MSE feature.

Delusions and hallucinations were more likely to be recorded in people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and cognitive features were more likely to be recorded in people with dementia. However, mood symptoms were frequently recorded across all diagnoses illustrating their importance as a transdiagnostic clinical feature. NLP-derived clinical information could enhance the potential of EHR data to generate real-world evidence in mental healthcare.

This study was funded in full by Holmusk.

Traditional categorical classifications of personality disorders (PD) have been criticized for insufficient structural and cross-cultural validity. In the DSM-5 Section III, alternative model of the PDs (AMPD), the maladaptive personality traits are divided into five domains: negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition and psychoticism. The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF) is a 25-item self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of each of these five domains. To date, no questionnaires assessing pathological personality traits following the AMPD have been validated in Russia.

This study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Russian version of PID-5-BF.

Five hundred and 86 (female - 505 (86,2%), age - 18–77 years (M - 28.2, SD - 11.5)) consecutive inpatients with non-psychotic mental disorders were assessed with the Russian language version of the PID-5-BF. Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) with Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares method of extraction and Robust Equamax rotation was performed in Factor v 11.04.02.

The results of the ESEM analysis showed good fit of the five-factor model (CFI - 0.982; TLI - 0.971; RMSEA (95% CI) - 0.036 (0.01-0.05). Most of the items had the highest factor loadings on their mother domains. However, two items showed weak loadings on their designated factors (<0.4), and attention seeking item had a primary load to (low) detachment instead of antagonism.

The PID-5-BF was found to be a valid and reliable tool for the evaluation of the AMPD trait domain

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

Risperidone, a second generation antipsychotic, shows high affinity with serotoninergic and dopaminergic D2 receptors, but also adrenergic and H1 histaminergic receptors. Previous studies have shown an increase in eosinophile count associated with the second-generation antipsychotics through the histaminergic path.

The presentation of a case in which eosinophilia was associated with risperidone withdrawl which has not been described so far.

A 46-year-old woman with schizophrenia diagnosed at the age of 22 was admitted in our inpatient psychiatric clinic with psychotic symptoms relapse after she voluntarily discontinued risperidone. The patient was fully evaluated with full laboratory tests, a brain CT scan, EEG and her medical and psychiatric histories were recorded.

Risperidone was reinitiated but due to the persistence of symptoms it was switched to clozapine which lead to full remission. It was observed though, that while gradually decreasing risperidone dosage (Figure 1.), eosinophile count was raising and it was normalized after complete discontinuation. Eosinophilia was also present in other instances that the patient discontinued taking risperidone according to her personal history. Other causes of eosinophilia (allergic, inflammatory) were fully excluded.

Risperidone discontinuation could lead to an elevated eosinophile count. There is limited research in this topic and it is yet to be clarified whether the elevation is due to stopping one antipsychotic or switching between two different antipsychotics. It is important to run laboratory tests regularly with every treatment modification.

No significant relationships.

In addition to physical problems, patients with COVID-19 suffer from considerable stress throughout the disease crisis and could present psychiatric consequences even after their remission.

To assess anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms among patients who had recovered from the acute COVID-19 infection in Tunisia.

A cross-sectional design included 50Tunisian adults who survived COVID-19 virus infection.Participants have been screened with a telephone interview 1 to 3 months after a diagnosis of COVID-19. We used a questionnaire including socio-psychological variables,presence of close relatives being infected, bereavement due to COVID-19 and post infection physical discomforts.The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to investigate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Depression and anxiety were measured using The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS).

The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 86 years.38%were female. Twelve percent (12%) of patients required hospitalization during COVID-19 infection. After a mean of 86.60 days (SD = 23) following the diagnosis, 28 % of patients reported clinically significant PTSD. The rates of depression and anxiety disorders in our population are 20% and 30%, respectively. Seventy percent of patients (70%) reported one or more post infection physical discomforts that the most common symptoms included Difficulty breathing and anosmia. Patients with PTSD, depression or anxiety had a more frequent history of a relative diagnosed positive for corona virus, a longer duration of infection, and more frequently post-infection physical discomfort

Long-term psychological impact of COVID19 should not be ignored and mental health care could play an important role in rehabilitation.

No significant relationships.

Study of clinical risk factors of violent behavior in persons with schizophrenia still remains actual in research literature. This is especially important for Georgia as ongoing mental health reform aims to shift from institutional care to community based services, which in turn requires better understanmding and management of risk of aggressive behavior in the community.

To study clinical risk factors for violence in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) who have committed a violent act in the past and in persons with SSD who have not committed a violent act.

The survey design was retrospective case-control study. Case-control groups were defined according to the outcome (violent act in the past). We studied the impact of clinical symptoms on each person using standardized scales for assessment of the positive and negative symptoms and global level of functioning. Data were collected through patient interviews and medical records.

Study results showed that diagnosis of delusional disorder and ideas of persecution were associated with increased risk of violence (28.7% cases versus 7.5% controls); Hallucinations if presented were less severe compared with controls (2.1% vs. 7.5%). Negative symptoms were marked in cases but more severe in controls. Of cases 43,6% showed serious impairment of global functioning (vs 25,5% controls).

Study findings confirmed that a focus on improving controllable clinical factors, including global level of functioning, might help to prevent aggressive behavior. It is discussed that developments and implementation needs-specific services to reduce risk of violence behavior should be prioritized by mental health national strategy plan.

No significant relationships.

The question of the involvement of inflammatory and autoimmune processes in schizophrenia pathogenesis has become the most relevant in the last decade and yet is not fully understood.

The study included 60 patients with paranoid schizophrenia (age 18 - 55 y.o.) and 30 healthy control group participants. Patients were in a stabilization state without a history of organic brain disorder or another verified somatic disease in the exacerbation phase.

Research methods included follow-up method, neuropsychological (PANSS, BAC-S), laboratory (enzyme immunoassay, flow cytometry), and statistical.

Patients with schizophrenia had significant structural disorders of thinking, passive, apathetic withdrawal, negativism, impaired attention, psychomotor speed, volitional impulses. Cognitive impairment was detected in all study participants. Severe impairments are noted in the executive functioning, hand-eye coordination, attention, psychomotor speed. The severity of cognitive impairments correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms. Patients with schizophrenia had a significant decrease in central memory T-regulators levels, and an increase in Th1 and Th2 subsets, «double-positive» and «сlassic» Th17, Tfh2, «classic» Tfh17, and in Tfh17.1 (Pic.1).

Picture. 1. T-helper subsets in patients with schizophrenia. They also had high levels of CCL20, IL-10, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-27, IL-31, IL-4, IL-13, IL-6, IL-9, TNFα in comparison with a control group. A significantly decreased levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-2, IL-22, and TNFβ were also described in this group of patients.

Patients with schizophrenia may be characterized by the presence of an inflammatory process and a high chance of autoimmunity. Aknowledgement. This work was supported by the grant of the Russian Federation Government, contract 14.W03.31.0009

No significant relationships.

Suicide rates in people diagnosed with a psychotic disorder can be up to 50 times higher than in the general population, with the lethality of attempts being significantly higher in this group, compared to people diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, it is known that being male is associated with more serious suicide attempts and higher rates of completed suicides.

To reflect on the increased risk of suicide associated with psychotic disorders.

Case report and literature review.

Case report 40-year-old male, recently diagnosed with Schizophreniform Disorder and currently with persistent positive symptoms. He was admitted to our psychiatric hospitalization unit due to a voluntary overdose of almost 100 tablets (antihypertensives, antiarrhythmics, and benzodiazepines) and alcohol. He admits taking the pills with the aim of committing suicide. Literature review: - Around 10% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia commit suicide. - In young patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, suicide is the leading cause of death. - Between 15 and 65% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia have depressive symptoms such as hopelessness. - Depressive symptoms in these patients seem to be directly proportionally with awareness of the disease (stigma, awareness of its severity and a sudden decrease in quality of life and social integration). - The risk of suicide increases especially in the first 10 years of the disease.

Psychosis is an important risk factor of suicide and active preventive measures should be carried out in these patients.

No significant relationships.

With the COVID-19 pandemic recognized as a major threat to human health, promoting vaccination is of paramount importance to public health.

To examine the association between factors of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and intentions to be vaccinated against COVID-19, when a vaccine becomes available.

A literature review has been made through PubMed database.

The HBM dimensions “perceived barriers”, “perceived benefits” and “perceived severity” were considered to be significant predictors of acceptance of vaccinations. The HBM constructs of cues to action (trust in third-party information sources), perceived severity of and susceptibility to COVID-19, and beliefs about the protection benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine, subsequently may elicit willingness to vaccinate. Individual predictors of vaccination were believing the vaccine is effective at preventing COVID-19, recalling their doctor recommending the vaccine. Common perceived barriers against vaccination included believing the vaccine could give people the virus, believing the vaccine can make individuals ill afterwards and preferring to develop immunity “naturally”. Patients who delayed and refused vaccine doses were more likely to have vaccine safety concerns and perceive fewer benefits associated with vaccines.

HBM is an effective tool for identifying facilitators and barriers to health behaviors. Health promotion should make use of the HBM, as the model provides a theoretically understanding of the dynamics that may enable the success of important health-related policy in the wake of COVID-19 and future pandemics and identifies the communication mechanisms that must be leveraged by governments and authorities in enforcing policy.

No significant relationships.

Major Depressive Disorder is a frequent and disabling condition. More than 20% of patients do not respond to pharmacotherapy alone, so there is the need to find alternative strategies in order to potentiate the drugs. Therapeutic alternatives include repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), which has shown an antidepressant effect in the last decades.

Comparison of the efficacy of accelerated repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (aTMS) treatment (4 sessions/day for 5 days) with the standard rTMS protocol treatment (1 session/day for 4 weeks), using the FDA-approved parameters.

33 patients affected by Major Depressive Episodes treated with either Fluvoxamine or Venlafaxine were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to the two protocol groups: standard rTMS protocol (15 patients) and aTMS protocol (18 patients). In the standard protocol, patients received 1 rTMS session/day for 4 weeks, while in the aTMS protocol they received 4 rTMS sessions/day for 5 days. Symptomatological improvement was evaluated through MADRS, BDI-II and SSI rating scales administered on day: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 21, 28, 56. The study is single-blind, since the clinical rater was unaware of the treatment protocol group. Response and remission rates were calculated, defined respectively as a reduction ≥50% in the MADRS score and a MADRS score <10.

The analysis was carried out on 32 patients (18 in the aTMS group and 14 in the rTMS group). ANOVA for repeated measures shows a statistically significant difference in the MADRS scores on day 5 (p=0.001) and on day 56 (p=0.037). Regarding the BDI-II evaluation, the differences were not fully statistically significant on day 5 and not significant on day 56. No statistically significant differences between the two protocols were observed in the SSI assessment. The aTMS and rTMS response rates were respectively 84.6% vs 45.5% on day 28 (p=0.043) and 92.3% vs 45.5% on day 56 (p=0.012). The aTMS and rTMS group remission rates were respectively 76.9% vs 18.2% on day 28 (p=0.004) and 69.2% vs 36.4% on day 56 (p=0.107). Concerning side effects, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups.

Treatment with aTMS seems faster and more effective than treatment with standard rTMS in improving the clinical condition in patients with Major Depressive Episodes, allowing to treat patients in just 5 days instead of 4-6 weeks, without impacting on side effects and tolerability.

None Declared