International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice最新文献

Objectives: To describe, in a naturalistic setting, the impact of the early use of LAI-AP on functional outcomes of early psychosis patients as compared to oral antipsychotics (OAP).

Methods: Longitudinal prospective 3-year naturalistic study of all consecutive admissions (n = 416) to two Early intervention services (EIS) for psychosis comparing baseline characteristics and the evolution of global functioning, occupation (work and studies), and living arrangements autonomy according to the route of administration of the antipsychotic medication. The cohort was divided into four groups: LAI-AP first (started on LAI-AP and later received OAP), OAP first, LAI-AP only, and OAP only.

Results: Global assessment of functioning (GAF) improved in all groups, but our mixed-effect model did not show any significant association between the route of administration and the GAF outcome. The LAI-AP only group was significantly less likely to have extreme residential instability at 3 years than the other groups despite its highest proportion of homeless youth and their poor prognostic factors at baseline.

Conclusions: Our naturalistic study suggests a significant protective effect of LAI-AP on extreme residential instability for the most vulnerable patients, but no impact of the first AP administration route on other functional outcomes was observed at 3 years of follow-up. Key pointsLong-acting injectable antipsychotics seem promising to avoid extreme residential instability in early psychosis.Global assessment of functioning (GAF) improved in all groups.There was no significant association between the first route of administration and global functionning.

Objective: There is growing evidence that reduced cortical thickness has been considered to be a central abnormality in schizophrenia. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that the cerebral cortex becomes thinner in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine whether cortical thickness is altered in drug-naïve schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population and the relationship between cortical thickness and clinical symptoms.

Methods: We compared cortical thickness in 41 schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls. Psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Results: The cortical thickness of left banks of superior temporal sulcus, left lateral occipital gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule and right lateral occipital gyrus in schizophrenia patients was generally thinner compared with healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between cortical thickness of the left banks of superior temporal sulcus and general psychopathology of PANSS.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that cortical thickness abnormalities are already present early in the onset of schizophrenia and are associated with psychopathological symptoms, suggesting that it plays an important role in the pathogenesis and symptomatology of schizophrenia.Key points(1) The first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia had reduced cortical thickness than the controls.(2) Cortical thickness was associated with psychopathological symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: The construct of perfectionism has long been related to Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), though research has not considered how OCPD could distinguish individuals with elevated perfectionism. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical differences between those with and without OCPD in a sample of individuals with elevated perfectionism.

Methods: Seventy-four university students with elevated perfectionism completed a diagnostic assessment and several self-report measures of clinical characteristics and were randomly assigned to complete an exposure-based treatment for perfectionism or waitlist. Thirty-four (45.95%) participants met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for OCPD.

Results: Compared to those without OCPD, individuals with OCPD had higher levels of general and specific domains of perfectionism and higher levels of social anxiety. OCPD diagnosis was also associated with higher rates of current anxiety disorder. Importantly, those with and without OCPD showed comparable benefits from treatment.

Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence of the role of OCPD in perfectionism and demonstrates the efficacy of a perfectionism-oriented treatment in individuals with OCPD.Key pointsWe examined the role of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in a high perfectionism sample.OCPD was associated with higher perfectionism and personal standards.OCPD was also associated with higher social anxiety and higher rates of current anxiety disorder.Those with and without OCPD had comparable responses to an exposure-based treatment for perfectionism.

Purpose: In diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM-5, ICD-10), depression is defined categorically. However, the concept of subthreshold depression (SD) has gained increasing interest in recent years. The purpose of the present paper was to review, based on a scoping review, the relevant papers in this field published between October 2011 and September 2020.

Materials and methods: Of the 1,160 papers identified, 64 records could be included in further analysis. The scoping review was conducted using both electronic and manual methods.

Results: The main result of the analysis is that the operationalisation criteria used are highly heterogeneous, which also leads to very heterogenous epidemiological data.

Conclusions: Clear conclusions are not possible scrutinising the reported results. Most definitions seem to be arbitrary, with considerable overlap (e.g., between SD and minor depression). The review also revealed that the impact of SD on quality of life and related parameters appear to be in the range of the respective impact of major depression (MD) and therapeutic approaches might be helpful for SD and also for the prevention of conversion from SD to MD. Keeping the presented difficulties in mind, a proposal for the definition of SD is made in the present paper in order to facilitate the discussion leading to more homogeneous criteria.

Objective: Our aim is to study changes in sleep and emotions in Spanish population during the confinement period due to first wave of COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 363 adults (69.4% women) aged between 18 and 65 (M_age = 32.59; SD = 12.57) participated in the study. Socio-demographics, sleep quality and emotional experience were evaluated. The study was longitudinal: a first data collection was developed after 15 d of confinement (asking for a subjective comparison with the pre-confined period), and a second collection after 30 d.

Results: Results suggest differences in sleep quality depending on the time confined. Difficulty falling asleep increases and daytime activity decreases with longer confined periods. Morning fatigue, sleepiness and nightmares are reduced significantly after 15 d of confinement when compared with the subjective data from pre-confinement. After 15 d of confinement participants felt higher levels of apathy, sadness, irritability and lower levels of euphoria and joy than they remember feeling before confinement. Anxiety, concern and fear seem to increase at 15 d of confinement and decrease at 30 d. Sleep quality and emotional experiences in confinement are closely correlated.

Conclusions: The confinement in Spain worsened the emotional state and changed sleep habits, although it did not necessarily worsen the quality of sleep. Key pointsThere are differences in sleep quality depending on the time spent in confinement.Confinement situation is related with higher levels of apathy, sadness, and irritability and lower levels of euphoria and joy.Anxiety, concern and fear seem to increase at 15 d of confinement and then decrease at 30 d.Sleep quality and emotional experiences in confinement are closely correlated.After COVID-19, there is a remarkable need of attend the disturbances emerged in sleep habits and daily moods of general popunlation.

Objectives: Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic with a partial agonism of dopamine D₂ and D₃ receptors. This differential mechanism implies a rigorous appraisal of the appropriate therapeutic strategies in certain situations. To answer currently unsolved clinical questions about the use of oral and long-acting injectable (LAI) aripiprazole, we present here an expert consensus from 12 Spanish psychiatrists and a pharmacologist with extensive experience in the use of this antipsychotic.

Methods: Through one face-to-face session and online collaboration, we reached consensus and established practical recommendations based on scientific evidence and clinical experience. We classified the available scientific literature according to SIGN system and attributed a level of evidence to each reviewed article.

Results: The recommendations were divided according to (i) chronological dimension (based on previous treatments, including patients naïve or not to antipsychotic treatment and maintenance regimen), and (ii) dimension related to therapeutic options, comprising switches to aripiprazole and the most used combinations with this antipsychotic.

Conclusions: We recommend considering aripiprazole as first treatment option in the early stages of schizophrenia and in patients with affective symptoms and contemplating a switch to aripiprazole LAI in all candidate patients. Importantly, switches from other antipsychotics should consider previous antipsychotic history and exposure to aripiprazole. KEYPOINTSAripiprazole can be considered as first treatment option in early stages of schizophrenia and in patients with significant affective symptoms.Aripiprazole LAI shows better adherence than oral aripiprazole and could be considered in all candidate patients.Before switching to aripiprazole, detailed information about previous antipsychotic history should be gathered.Switch to aripiprazole should be managed differently for aripiprazole naïve and non-naïve patients.Rigorous and controlled studies on antipsychotics in real clinical practice should be carried out.

Dementia due to Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease are associated with behavioural and psychological symptoms, including psychosis. Long-term management presents a challenge for health care providers and caregivers. Symptoms of psychosis include hallucinations and delusions; if untreated, these can lead to institutionalisation, decreased quality of life, and significant patient and caregiver distress. A critical step in the effective management of dementia-related psychosis (DRP) is the identification and diagnosis of affected patients. The lack of a standardised diagnostic approach presents a barrier to treatment and there are no consensus guidelines for DRP. Furthermore, there are no approved therapies for the treatment of DRP. Antipsychotic medications are often prescribed off-label, even though some are associated with an increased risk of adverse events or mortality. We present currently available screening tools and guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease psychosis and DRP in the context of what is needed for effective management of psychosis.KEY POINTSWe present currently available screening tools and guidelines for Parkinson's disease psychosis and dementia-related psychosis, and discuss the unmet need for simple clinical diagnostic tools and treatment guidelines.The identification of psychosis is variable across different settings and specialties, without a unified approach to screening, definition, or diagnosis.Currently used tools for defining and assessing psychosis in a research setting are usually too cumbersome for everyday clinical practice.The development of a standardised set of diagnostic criteria would provide clinicians the opportunity to improve the detection, treatment, and quality of life of patients and their caregivers.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate whether treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) has an effect on the ruminative response, ruminative beliefs and dysfunctional attitudes (DA), and to evaluate the effects of pre-treatment dysfunctional attitudes and rumination levels on treatment response in individuals diagnosed with the first episode of major depression (MD).

Methods: 110 patients with MD participated in this study. Participants were evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), the Short Version of Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), the Positive Beliefs about Rumination Scale (PBRS), the Negative Beliefs about Rumination Scale (NBRS), and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale form A (DAS-A) before receiving SSRI treatment and 2 months after the onset of treatment.

Results: After two months of SSRI treatment, patients were divided into two groups, remission and non-remission groups. The decrease in RRS subscales and total scores, NBRS uncontrollability and danger of ruminations score, PBRS total score and DAS-A autonomous attitude scores were significantly higher in the remission group. RRS and DAS-A scores were found to be predictors of remission.

Conclusions: DA and ruminations may be associated with poor response to SSRI treatment in depression. KEY POINTSAfter treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, ruminations, dysfunctional attitudes, and positive and negative metacognitions on ruminations significantly decreased in patients with a first episode of major depression.The decrease in ruminations, autonomous attitudes, the metacognitions on the uncontrollability and danger of ruminations, and positive metacognitions on ruminations was higher in remission group compared to the non-remission group.Ruminations and dysfunctional attitudes significantly predicted remission in first episode of major depression.

Objective: To describe MDD patients starting antidepressant (AD) treatment by pharmacological approach and identify factors associated with a longer sick leave (SL) duration.

Methods: Retrospective study on IQVIA German Disease Analyser (specialists) and Spanish Longitudinal Patient Database (general practitioners and specialists). MDD patients initiating AD treatment between July 2016-June 2018 were grouped by therapeutic approach (AD monotherapy vs. combination/switch/add-on) and their characteristics were analysed descriptively. Multiple logistic regression models were run to evaluate factors affecting SL duration (i.e., >30 days).

Results: One thousand six hundred and eighty-five patients (monotherapy: 58%; combination/switch/add-on: 42%) met inclusion criteria for Germany, and 1817 for Spain (monotherapy: 83%; combination/switch/add-on: 17%). AD treatment influenced SL duration: combination/switch/add-on patients had a 2-fold and a 4-fold risk of having >30 days of SL than monotherapy patients, respectively in Germany and Spain. Patients with a gap of time between MDD diagnosis and AD treatment initiation had a higher likelihood of experiencing a longer SL both in Germany and Spain (38% higher likelihood and 6-fold risk of having >30 days of SL, respectively).

Conclusions: A careful and timely selection of AD treatment approach at the time of MDD diagnosis may improve functional recovery and help to reduce SL, minimising the socio-economic burden of the disease.Key pointsThe major depressive disorder has a substantial impact on work absenteeism.The present study aimed to describe MDD patients starting antidepressant (AD) treatment depending on the pharmacological approach and to identify factors associated with longer sick leave (SL) duration.Patients receiving AD monotherapy had a lower likelihood of having more than 30 days of sick leave than those receiving AD combination/switch/add-on.Patients for whom a gap of time between MDD diagnosis and initiation of AD treatment was observed, showed a higher likelihood of having more than 30 days of sick leave.Because findings from this analysis relied on secondary data, the authors would like to claim the urgency of conducting prospective observational studies that further investigate the effect that different AD therapeutic approaches and timely initiation of treatment might exert on patients' recovery.

Objectives: It has been reported that matrix metalloproteinase, MMP-3 may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of mental disorders. However, there are no data on the level of MMP-3 in people suffering from schizophrenia, or its influence on the mental state of these people. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an antipsychotic treatment on the blood levels of MMP-3, as well as investigating its relationship with insight into schizophrenia.

Methods: Thirty people with schizophrenia were included in the study. The concentration of MMP-3 in the blood serum was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Insight into the disease was assessed using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale.

Results: The antipsychotic treatment applied decreased the levels of MMP-3 in patients with schizophrenia (p = 0.005), however, the statistically significant interaction (p = 0.02) indicates that the decrease only concerned men. There was also a statistically significant correlation between the level of MMP-3 and insight into the disease (p = 0.02).

Conclusion: MMP-3 may be associated with gender, treatment and symptoms in schizophrenic patients.KEY POINTSMMP3 could be used as a potential biomarker for schizophrenia.The level of MMP-3 decreased due to the applied antipsychotic treatment.The higher the level of MMP-3 in a group of people with schizophrenia, the better insight into their disease.