Clozapine is widely known as the drug of choice in treating refractory schizophrenia. However, clozapine prescription requires close clinical and biological monitoring to prevent harmful side effects like agranulocytosis, neutropenia and myocarditis.

To show the benefits of lithium carbonate in the clozapine rechallenge of a patient with neutropenia under clozapine.

We present the clinical case of a patient who developed neutropenia under clozapine, we rechallenged with clozapine after lithium treatment to stimulate hematopoietic functions.

A 42-year-old man diagnosed with refractory schizophrenia, under clozapine for 11 years with a good clinical response at a dosage of 500mg per day (clozapine serum level 328ng/ml), developed a neutropenia (BCC at 840/mm3) within an interval of 2 months. Clozapine treatment was suspended and the patient presented a severe psychotic relapse requiring hospitalization. During hospitalization the patient remained symptomatic under haloperidol 15mg daily. At week 3 of clozapine cessation, neutrophil count reached 1510/mm3. After week 4 we introduced lithium carbonate and while reaching 500mg per day we observed an increase in the neutrophil count to 4850/mm3. We rechallenged with clozapine at week 12 after a poor clinical response, with incremental dosage to 150mg per day in 17 weeks. The blood cell count did not show any abnormalities and the patient had a good clinical response up to 11 months after the clozapine rechallenge.

Despite the lack of guidelines assessing clozapine rechallenge after neutropenia, the use of lithium carbonate may be considered to stimulate hematopoietic functions.

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.

Amisulpride is an atypical antipsychotic. Rabbit syndrome(RS) may be seen after antipsychotics use a few days or long‐term application. RS occurs after more frequent typical antipsychotics and also in rare cases atypical antipsychotics.Its characterized by the involuntary rhythmic movements of the lips however involves no tongue movements.

Case report and reflection on its etiology

Case report and literature review

A 28-year-old female with a diagnosis of schizophrenia applied with the complaints and symptoms of withdrawal, do not want to leave the house, physical anergy and avolition that started after stopped taking her medications. She was admitted to the psychiatry service and amisulpride treatment was started and was gradually increased to 800 mg/day. After 30 days of hospitalization, the patient was discharged with mild recovery. 14 days after the discharge, because of the abnormal involuntary movements in mouth, the patient applied. In clinical examination without tounge involvement, rhythmic motions were observed in the lips and jaw.Neurological examination, labrotory tests and cranial screening were all normal. She was evaluated by a private psychiatrist and was diagnosed with RS. Amisulpride treatment changed to olanzapine treatment with 15 mg/day. After two months, RS spontaneously regressed.

The resolution of the involuntary movements following discontinuation of amisulpride in our case, supported the diagnosis of RS. Although the mechanism by which RS emerges as a side‐effect of amisulpride is not fully understood, the drug’s high affinity for and selective binding to dopaminergic D2 and D3 receptors are thought to be responsible for this involuntary motion disorder.

No significant relationships.

knowledge and atittudes of psychiatric nurses should be continuously evaluated and updated to ensure a quality care in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) unit.

Assessment of the psychiatric nurses knowledge and attitudes towards ECT.

A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in multiples psychiatric departments in Razi Hospital Tunisia between January and April 2021.We asked 30 psychiatric nurses using a questionnaire evaluating their knowledge and attitudes towards ECT technique and its impact on the medical care.

Our study revealed a lack of knowledge on ECT among psychiatric nurses.In fact, 93% of nurses reported that schizophrenia represents the most frequent indication. Pregnancy was considered as a contraindication by all participants. ECT was not recognized as a first line treatment and Only few knew the complet medical checkup before ECT.As for their opinion about this technique, 73 % of the nurses have a positive attitude towards ECT and think that it is very effective .

Nurses have a major role in the progress of every ECT-session .For that, specific training can only improve their knowledge and promote more positive attitude toward ECT.

No significant relationships.

We present the case of a 54-year-old man diagnosed with mixed histrionic / obssesive personality disorder admitted in a long-stay hospital. Symptoms began at 40 years of age, predominantly anxiety and agoraphobia alongside somatic complaints. During his admission, the symptoms markedly fluctuated. The patient alternated periods in which he presented confusion with others of irritability, disinhibition, and stereotyped movements. Moreover the patient spent long periods of time in bed with little or no communication with other patients or staff.

The different pharmacological approaches which were carried out and their consequences are analyzed.

It is a common practice to increase the number of prescribed drugs or their doses when symptoms worsen. The result is polymedication and higher doses above maximum levels in the technical sheet. Reducing medication is rarely considered as a strategy.

A case report is presented alongside a review of the relevant literature regarding different long-term pharmacological treatments and their side effects.

The suspension of the antipsychotic treatment which had been administered for years represented a significant improvement. Withdrawal of Olanzapine resulted in a significant improvement.

It is important to review the prescription of each medication in time, as well as to consider their possible side effects.

No significant relationships.

In the past decade, millions of Syrians have sought refuge in neighboring countries and Europe. Refugees are at increased risk for the development of common mental disorders (CMD), such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but only a small percentage access mental health services. Problem Management Plus (PM+) is a brief, scalable intervention targeting symptoms of CMDs that can be delivered by non-specialist helpers in communities affected by adversity, such as refugees.

The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate the effectiveness of PM+ among Syrian refugees in the Netherlands.

Adult Syrian refugees and other Arabic-speaking refugees of 18 years and older with self-reported psychological distress (K10 >15) and functional impairment (WHODAS 2.0 >16) are included. Participants are randomized into PM+ or care as usual. Follow-up assessments are conducted at one-week, three-month and twelve-month follow-ups. Clinical outcomes are symptoms of depression/anxiety (HSCL-25), PTSD (PCL-5), and functional impairment (WHODAS 2.0).

By November 2021 [recruitment ends by December 2021], 214 participants were screened for eligibility and 184 participants were included. Participants are M=36.5yrs old (range 18-69yrs), and 73 participants are female (39.7%). We will present preliminary results for the effects of PM+ on depression, anxiety, PTSD, and functional impairment at one-week follow-up, as well as barriers and facilitators for implementing PM+ in a European country.

After positive evaluation of peer-refugee delivered PM+, the Arabic manual and training materials will be made available through WHO to encourage scaling-up.

No significant relationships.

First responders to disasters are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The trajectories of post-traumatic stress symptom severity differ among individuals, even if they are exposed to similar events. These trajectories have not yet been reported in non-Western first responders.

We aimed to explore post-traumatic stress symptom severity trajectories and their risk factors in first responders to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE)— a historically large earthquake that resulted in a tsunami and a nuclear disaster.

56 388 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) personnel dispatched to the GEJE were enrolled in this seven-year longitudinal cohort study. PTSD symptom severity was measured using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Trajectories were identified using latent growth mixture models (LGMM). Nine potential risk factors for the symptom severity trajectories were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression.

Five symptom severity trajectories were identified: “resilient” (54.7%), “recovery” (24.5%), “incomplete recovery” (10.7%), “late-onset” (5.7%), and “chronic” (4.3%). The main risk factors for the four non-resilient trajectories were older age, personal disaster experiences, and working conditions. These working conditions included duties involving body recovery or radiation exposure risk, longer deployment length, later or no post-deployment leave, and longer post-deployment overtime.

The majority of first responders to GEJE were resilient and developed few or no PTSD symptoms. A substantial minority experienced late-onset and chronic symptom severity trajectories. The identified risk factors can inform policies for prevention, early detection, and intervention in individuals at risk of developing symptomatic trajectories.

No significant relationships.

Anticholinergic syndrome (AS) is a complication that can appear due to different drugs with antimuscarinic effects, such as antihistamines, alkaloids, antipsychotics, tricyclic antidepressives or anesthetics, and it is characterized by urinary retention, dry mouth and skin, mydriasis, low-grade fever, and confusion or coma.

To describe a clinical case of AS admitted to our hospital.

We present a case report of a patient with schizophrenia who presented an anticholinergic syndrome. We also searched for previous studies of AS using a pubmed query.

A 53-year-old male was admitted for a psychotic decompensation to another hospital in Barcelona. The usual treatment at home was amisulpride 1200mg/d, olanzapine 30mg/d and lormetazepam, and haloperidol 6mg/d and clotiapine 40mg/d were added to treat the decompensation. Then, the patient started to present mydriasis, mucocutaneous dryness, low-grade fever, slight hypertension and tachycardia, repeated retentions of urine, confusion, unintelligible speech and agitation, so he was referred to our hospital. Once he was admitted, haloperidol was withdrawn and support measures (bladder catheterization, fluid therapy, etc.) were applied. After a few days, most of the mentioned alterations were stabilized, but the psychotic symptoms, such as thought and behavioural disorganization, persisted and required electroconvulsive therapy, with subsequent improvement.

AS is a relatively frequent side effect of psychiatric medication, which diagnosis is clinical, so, we must be capable to identify it and initiate early treatment to prevent possible complications. The first step, as reflected in the case described, is to stop the causative drugs, and apply support measures. Additionally, physostigmine can be used, as it is an effective antidote.

No significant relationships.

Schizophrenia is frequently a chronic and disabling disorder, characterized by heterogeneous positive and negative symptoms. Negative symptoms are a major health concern and a core component of schizophrenia that account for a large part of the long-term disability and poor functional outcomes in patients with the disorder. Adequate treatment would mean important progress and Distinguishing primary from secondary negative symptoms may inform about treatment options.

Objective: to provide information that may be useful for clinicians treating patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

We searched Pubmed and Cochrane Library database for english language articles.

Negative symptoms are a core component of schizophrenia that account for a large part of the long-term disability and poor functional outcomes. Negative symptoms are common in schizophrenia; up to 60% of patients may have prominent clinically relevant negative symptoms that require treatment. Negative symptoms can occur at any point in the course of illness, although they are reported as the most common first symptom of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms can be primary symptoms, which are intrinsic to the underlying pathophysiology of schizophrenia, or secondary symptoms that are related to psychiatric or medical comorbidities, adverse effects of treatment, or environmental factors. Negative symptoms clearly constitute an unmet medical need in schizophrenia, and new and effective treatments are urgently needed.

Clinically relevant negative symptoms of schizophrenia need to be recognized, assessed, and as well managed as possible in order to achieve improved outcomes for patients. More studies are needed to establish the better approach to negative symptoms.

No significant relationships.

Therapists’ forced transition to provide psychotherapy remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity to examine therapists’ views and challenges with teletherapy.

We aimed to develop predictive models of three aspects of psychotherapists’ acceptance of teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic; attitudes towards teletherapy, concerns about using teletherapy, and intention to use it in the future.

In an international survey, therapists (N = 795) completed a survey about their experiences during the pandemic, including quality of therapeutic relationship, professional self-doubt, vicarious trauma, and telepsychotherapy acceptance. Regression decision trees machine learning analyses were used to build prediction models for each aspects of telepsychotherapy acceptance.

Attitudes toward telepsychotherapy were most positive for therapists who reported neutral or strong online working alliance, especially if they experienced little professional self-doubt and were younger than 40 years old. Therapists who were most concerned about telepsychotherapy, were those who reported higher levels of professional self-doubt, particularly if they also reported vicarious trauma experiences. Therapists who reported low working alliance were the least likely to use telepsychotherapy in the future.

Therapists’ professional self-doubt and the quality of their working alliance with their telepsychotherapy patients appear to be the most pertinent factors associated with therapists’ acceptance of telepsychotherapy during COVID-19, and should be addressed in future training and research.

No significant relationships.

We present the case of a 65-year-old woman who was prescribed levodopa by the Neurology department due to motor symptoms that were not clearly suggestive of a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Before that, the patient had never showed any hallucinations or delusions. After years of increasing doses of levodopa, the diagnosis of PD was withdrawn. However, during the treatment the patient developed severe psychosis with severe impairment of social functioning. Levodopa is the most effective treatment for motor symptoms in PD. However, it might involve difficulties in dose-control and may present with deletereous complications and adverse effects.

To analyse the incidence of pharmacological psychotic symptoms after levodopa treatment.

A case report is presented alongside a review of the available literature regarding psychotic symptoms in patients treated with levodopa.

Hallucinations and delusions are prevalent symptoms of PD. Nonetheless, they could also be potential side-effects of levodopa treatment. When psychotic symptoms occur, they are commonly attributed to the natural course of the disease. Available evidence does not provide with clear guidelines to distinguish the iatrogenic syndrome from the one caused by the disease itself. Our patient, whose PD diagnosis was dismissed, presented extreme psychotic symptoms which disappeared after the discontinuation of levodopa treatment.

Levodopa is an effective treatment with important risks which must not be overlooked. Adverse effects of the drug could have been minimized by making an accurate differential diagnosis of PD. Individualized benefit-risk balance previous to prescription and a close follow-up should be standardized.

No significant relationships.

Suicide-loss survivors (SLSs) are recognized as an at-risk population for several psychiatric complications, including complicated grief (CG) and suicide ideation (SI). However, limited data are available concerning the contribution of CG to SI among suicide survivors. Moreover, knowledge about possible psychological processes which may increase SI levels following CG is rare.

In this study, we aim to examine the role of two important emotion regulation variables––mentalization deficits and entrapment––as possible moderators of the association between CG and SI in the aftermath of suicide loss.

Participants were 152 suicide-loss survivors, aged 18-70, who completed questionnaires tapping CG, SI, mentalization deficits, and entrapment.

The findings revealed SI to have high and positive associations with CG, entrapment, and metallization deficits. Regression analysis showed mentalization deficits and entrapment contributing to SI beyond the contribution of CG. Notably, a significant interaction was found, indicating that CG and SI became more strongly associated at higher levels of mentalization deficits.

The study’s findings highlight the critical link between complicated grief and suicide ideation among SLSs and the role of metallization deficits as a possible facilitator of this link. Practical implications relating to suicide risk among SLSs are discussed, as well as focused clinical recommendations. The importance of mentalization-based interventions for decreasing SI levels in the aftermath of suicide loss is highlighted.

No significant relationships.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with numerous health consequences in adulthood including cognitive decline. However, the underlying mechanisms implicated remain unclear.

In this study, depressive symptoms and systemic inflammation were investigated as potential independent mediators of the association between ACEs and cognitive decline.

Participants were adults aged 50+ from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 3,029; 54.8% female). Measures included self-reported ACEs at wave 3 (2006-2007), C-reactive protein (CRP) and depressive symptoms at wave 4 (2008-2009), and cognitive function at waves 3 and 7 (2014-2015). Mediation analyses examined the direct associations between ACEs and cognitive function at wave 7 and the indirect associations via depressive symptoms and CRP at wave 4 and were conducted using ordinary least squares regression models with the SPSS PROCESS macro. In Step 1, models were adjusted for sociodemographic factors and baseline cognitive function. Models in Step 2 were additionally adjusted for obesity and health behaviours (n = 1,874).

Cumulative ACEs exposure was shown to positively predict later-life depressive symptoms, which in turn predicted cognitive decline. ACEs were also shown to positively predict systemic inflammation as measured by CRP. However, CRP did not mediate the association between ACEs and cognitive decline.

These findings suggest that ACEs are related to cognitive decline partly via depressive symptoms and corroborate prior research linking ACEs with adult systemic inflammation. Efforts towards screening for, preventing, and mitigating the effects of ACEs may therefore represent an important avenue for improving health outcomes in later life.

No significant relationships.

With measures of COVID-19, activities that cover a large part of life have started to be carried out via videoconferencing. Videoconferencing can be disadvantageous for individuals with social anxiety due to increased social presence, decreased mutual understanding and consequently causing awkward communication.

This study aims to develop a scale to explore the difficulties experienced by individuals with social anxiety during videoconferencing.

598 children and adolescents between the ages of 11-18 participated in the study. The data were collected with Sociodemographic Information Form, Videoconference Anxiety Scale and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale.

According to correlation analysis, all correlations between Videoconference Anxiety Scale and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale total score and subscale scores are above 0.50. According to EFA, the scale consisted of 25 items and a single factor. Factor loads were between 0.62 and 0.81, the single factor explained 52.95% of the variance. Model fit indices after CFA were as follows: X2/df:3.360, GFI:.850, IFI:.900, TLI:.890, CFI:.900, RMSEA:.078, SRMR:.0475. Convergent and discriminative validity of the scale was tested. Standardized factor loads of all items were higher than 0.50. AVE value was 0.47, while CR value was 0.96. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 25-item VAS is 0.96.

This study showed that Videoconference Anxiety is a phenomen which is higly correlated with social anxiety and Videoconference Anxiety Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for Turkish children and adolescents.

No significant relationships.

Studies have shown ethnic inequalities in health, with a higher incidence of illnesses among people of some minoritised ethnic groups. Furthermore, it has been observed that people with severe mental illnesses have a higher risk for multimorbidity. However, no study has investigated ethnic disparities in comorbidity in people with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

This study investigates potential ethnic disparities in physical health comorbidity in a cohort of people with psychosis.

Using a cross-sectional design, we identified service-users of the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust who were diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder between 2007 and 2020. We assessed the prevalence of asthma, bronchitis, diabetes, hypertension, low blood pressure, overweight or obesity, and rheumatoid arthritis. Latent class analyses were used to investigate distinct profiles of comorbidity. Multinomial regression was then used to investigate ethnic disparities in these profiles. The regression model was adjusted for gender, age, neighbourhood deprivation, smoking and duration of care.

On a sample of 23,418 service-users with psychosis, we identified two classes of comorbidity: low comorbidity and multiple comorbidities. Compared to the White British ethnicity, a higher risk for multiple comorbidities was observed for people with any Black background, Indian, Pakistani, Asian British, and mixed-race ethnicities. Furthermore, Black African women had a significantly higher risk for multiple comorbidities than their male counterparts.

Ethnic disparities are observed in multiple comorbidities among people with psychosis. Further research is needed to understand the impact of these disparities, especially in relation to mortality.

No significant relationships.

COVID-19-related physical isolation, fear and anxiety determined de novo mental illnesses, by potentially facilitating the emergence of Hikikomori traits (i.e., a severe social withdrawal condition).

The present study aims at screening a cohort of university students for the Hikikomori traits and assessing a set of psychopathological determinants associated with Hikikomori, particularly boredom and loneliness dimensions.

A cross-sectional web-based survey was carried out by administering Hikikomori Questionnaire (HQ-11), Italian Loneliness Scale (ILS), Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20).

1,148 respondents (767 women and 374 men, mean age: 23.2±SD=2.8 years old) were recruited. 70.7% declared to have experienced psychological distress. HQ-11 average total score was 18.4±SD=7.5 with statistically significant higher values in the males (p=0.017) and amongst students studying Informatics, Mathematics/Physics/Chemistry, Science of Communication and Engineering. The HQ-11 positively correlated with ILS (r=0.609), MSBS (r=0.415), TAS-20 (r=0.482) and DASS-21 (r=0.434).

This study represents the first screening of the Hikikomori phenomenon in Italian university students. Hikikomori traits appear to be particularly represented in the Italian youth population and should be carefully investigated in future studies.

No significant relationships.

Meta-analyses suggest that patients with schizophrenia show deficit in working memory – both verbal and visual – and are more distractible. Working memory disturbances are even regarded as the central deficit in schizophrenia by some researchers. Theta synchronization (especially over fronto-central areas) is related to cognitive control and executive functioning during working memory encoding and retention.

The main goal of the study was to gain more understanding of the nature of working memory deficit and attentional distractibility in schizophrenia.

35 patients with schizophrenia and 39 matched controls were enrolled in our study. Participants performed a modified Sternberg working memory task that contained salient and non-salient distractor items in the retention period. A high-density 128 channel EEG was recorded during the task. Event-related theta (4-7 Hz) synchronization was analyzed during working memory encoding (learning) and retention (distractor filtering) in a later time window (350-550 ms).

Patients with schizophrenia showed weaker working memory performance and increased attentional distractibility compared to the control group: patients had significantly lower hit rates (p < 0.0001) and higher distractor-related commission error rates (p < 0.0001). Theta synchronization was modulated by condition (learning < distractor) in both groups but it was modulated by salience only in controls (salient distractor > non-salient distractor, p[patients] = 0.95, p[controls] < 0.001).

Our results suggest that patients with schizophrenia show diminished cognitive control compared to controls in response to salient distractors. Difficulties in cognitive control allocation may contribute to the behavioral results observed in this study.

No significant relationships.

The Kessler Psychological Distress Scales (K10 and K6) are used as screening tools to assess psychological distress and are the first-line assessment of need for help in the Headspace services.

Thus, we studied the psychometric properties of their German versions in a Swiss community sample to evaluate their potential usefulness to screen for mental disorders or relevant mental problems in low threshold transdiagnostic German-speaking services.

The sample consisted of 829 citizens of the Swiss canton Bern of age 19-43 years. K10/K6 were validated against Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) diagnoses, questionnaires about health status and quality of life. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to test for general discriminative ability and to select optimal cut-offs of the K10 and K6 for non-psychotic full-blown and subthreshold mental disorders.

Cronbach’s alphas were 0.81 (K10) and 0.70 (K6). ROC analyses indicated much lower optimal thresholds than earlier suggested; 10 for K10 and 6 for K6. At these thresholds, against M.I.N.I. diagnoses, Cohen’s Kappa (<=0.173) and correspondence rates (<=58.14%) were insufficient throughout. Values were higher at the earlier suggested threshold, yet, at the cost of sensitivity that was below 0.5 in all but three, and below 0.3 in all but six cases.

For the lack of sufficient validity and sensitivity, respectively, our findings suggest that both K10 and K6 would only be of limited use in a low-threshold transdiagnostic mental health service – comparable to Headspace – for young adults in Switzerland and likely other German-speaking countries.

No significant relationships.

Depression in the elderly is common and closely interrelated with the deterioration of the quality of life, especially in the institutionalized elderly.

In this work, we propose to determine the prevalence of depression in the elderly in institution, to assess their quality of life and to evaluate the correlations between depression and the quality of life.

Our study concerned 30 elderly subjects institutionalized at the retirement home(Sousse, Tunisia). Three validated Arabic version scales were used: The 30-item GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale), the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) and the SF36 (assessing the quality of life).

The mean age of our population was 75±7.3 years, the sex ratio was 1.73. The prevalence of depression was 37%. The elderly had a cognitive impairment in 16.7%. The mean global SF36 score were 11.2, attesting an altered quality of life in all our subjects: the mental component (9.43) were more altered than the physical one (13.03). No correlation between depression and quality of life was found. Depression was significantly correlated with the presence of a medical history (p=0.05). Depression had a negative and statistically significant correlation with the physical score of SF36 (r=-0.41, p=0.02) and tended towards significance for the “general health” dimension of SF36 (r=-0.32, p=0.08).

Our study shows a high frequency of depression in the institutionalized elderly as well as a deterioration in their quality of life. Depression is strongly linked to deterioration in physical condition.Our results underline the influence of somatic diseases as a major risk factor for depression in the elderly.

No significant relationships.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent recession, have caused a decline in the job market, with the resultant job insecurity increasing the risk of depression. While this affected all genders, suicidal thoughts were observed to be more common among women than men, suggesting that the impact of unemployment on depression varies by gender, with gender differences affecting the outcome of depression.

This study aims to verify the moderating effect of gender on the structural relationship between unemployment, depression, and suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic by using online search trend data.

The study utilized the search trend data from Naver’s Data Lab service, by analyzing the searches of men and women under 65, between March, 2020 and September 12, 2021. The search terms were “unemployment,” “depression,” and “suicide.” The analysis examined 1121 searches using the Model 7 research model through the SPSS Process Macro to verify the moderating effect of gender on the mediating pathways for unemployment, depression, and suicide.

We observed that searches for “unemployment” significantly increased with searches for “depression” (B=1.860, p<.001) and “suicide” (B=.860, p<.001). The analysis further revealed that the correlation between the increase in searches relating to depression and unemployment was seen more in women than men. This resulted in an accompanying increase in the volume of searches for suicide (B=2.341, p<.001).

The job insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to varying degrees of depression according to gender. Thus, social security measures related to unemployment, depression, and suicide interventions require a gender-specific approach.

No significant relationships.