Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy最新文献

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare stigmatizing attitudes, reported and intended behavior, and knowledge of mental illness between university students and the general population.

Methods: An online cross-sectional observational study was conducted. The survey included socio-demographic data and validated stigma questionnaires (AQ-27, RIBS, and MAKS). Descriptive, bivariate analyses and multiple regression modeling were employed to analyze the data.

Results: A total of 506 participants completed the survey, including 226 (44.7%) university students (61.1% women) and 280 (55.3%) individuals from the general population (69.3% women). For both groups, women and individuals who had lived with someone with mental health problems exhibited more positive attitudes (p < 0.05). University students reported greater knowledge of mental illness (p < 0.05) than the general population. After controlling for covariates, university students only scored higher than the general population in the blame factor of AQ-27 (p < 0.05). Additionally, older participants from both groups exhibited higher levels of stigmatizing attitudes compared to those of a younger age.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that university students exhibit similar levels of stigmatizing attitudes to the general population. Among both groups, female sex, older age, previous contact with individuals with mental illness, and greater knowledge of mental health are all associated with less stigma toward people with mental illness. Tailored interventions grounded in contact with mental illness have the potential to help reduce stigmatizing attitudes within both groups.

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS).

Methods: The scale was tested on two Internet-based samples: GPS-CCC (n = 657) and GPS-Brazil (n = 431). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on GPS-CCC. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlational analysis and sensitivity and specificity analysis were performed on the GPS-Brazil sample.

Results: EFA indicated a three-factor structure. Regarding CFA, models with one to three factors fitted the data well but the three-factor model proposed by Rossi et al. (2021) showed the best fit. Convergent validity was established between the GPS subscales and scales measuring symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, anxiety and depression. The cut-off point of 4 on the GPS PTSD scale was found to be optimal to identify probable PTSD. Optimal cut-off scores for probable complex PTSD and significant symptoms of anxiety and depression were also identified.

Conclusions: The results show that the Brazilian version of the GPS is a valid tool to screen transdiagnostic posttraumatic reactions.

Objective: In the DSM-III and the DSM-IV, bipolar disorder (BD) is classified as a mood disorder and diagnosis requires presence of a mood change, i.e., euphoria or irritability. In contrast, DSM-5 states that there must be some increase in energy or motor activity in addition to the mood change. Our aim was to identify which types of symptoms (i.e., mood or energy/activity-related symptoms) are the most informative in a manic episode.

Methods: Symptoms of manic episodes in 106 outpatients with BD were assessed in a naturalistic study using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) between November 2002 and November 2015. The scale items were divided into three groups according to clinical criteria: mood, energy/activity, and other. For comparisons between groups, the Samejima graded response model from Item Response Theory (IRT) and the Test Information Function (TIF) were computed. Chi-square tests were used to verify the association between the groups of symptoms by comparing the area under the curve of the TIF results.

Results: The information accounted for by energy/activity represents 77% of the proportion of the total TIF; about 23% is related to mood and other groups of symptoms. These proportions are statistically different (χ²[1] = 30.42, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: On average, changes in energy/activity tend to be more informative than mood changes during the manic phases of BD.

Objective: Peer violence is a serious type of school violence that is associated with emotional and behavioral problems. The objective of this study was to analyze violence between peers and its associations with students' social skills.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey nested within a cluster-randomized controlled trial (REBEC/Brazil, U1111-1228-2342) to evaluate peer violence among elementary school students and its association with prosocial behaviors and mental problems. Teachers answered an adapted version of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) and the Brazilian adaptation of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C) scale for each student. Children completed a sociodemographic questionnaire. The participants were 1,152 5-to-14-year-old children from Brazilian public schools, 79.70% of whom reported being involved in violent situations.

Results: Children who had both committed and suffered violence were less likely to exhibit prosocial behaviors. Children who committed and suffered violence and those who only committed violence were more likely to experience concentration problems and exhibit disruptive behaviors.

Conclusion: This study suggests that peer violence is associated with fewer prosocial behaviors and more behavioral problems. Thus, more specialized mental health care is required for children involved in peer violence, in addition to implementation and maintenance of programs to prevent and reduce violence and develop prosocial behaviors in schools.

Objectives: Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present a variety of symptoms, with different intensities, causing impairment in individual, social, and occupational functioning. The aim of this study was to understand the psychodynamic functioning of patients with PTSD, exploring relationships between symptom severity, quality of life, subjective suffering, conflicts, and psychic structure and sociodemographic characteristics, styles, and defensive mechanisms.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study with 60 participants. The following instruments were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis-2 (OPD-2), and the Defensive Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40).

Results: Participants had moderate to high symptom severity, with significant subjective suffering and isolation. The main conflict was need for care vs. self-sufficiency and the level of total structure was moderate/low. Use of immature, neurotic, and mature defensive styles was observed. More primitive personality structures, more rigid defenses, and greater dependence were found in patients with history of past trauma. Other mental disorders were also associated.

Conclusion: The OPD-2 was effective for assessment of the psychodynamic functioning characteristics of patients with PTSD. Therapeutic treatment should focus on the psychic structure and not only on symptom control. Prevention strategies should target vulnerability factors while strengthening protective factors.

Objective: Although there is a general perception that adolescent social media use is a global phenomenon, there is a scarcity of data on patterns and preferences of social media use among youth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We here describe self-reported prevalence and perceived effects of social media use in a school-based sample of Brazilian adolescents.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data on 7,113 adolescents aged 14 to 16 years enrolled at 101 public state schools between 2018 and 2019 in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Results: Of the 7,113 adolescents with complete data for analyses, 54.9% were female, and 60.6% reported their skin color as white. At least one social media platform was used by 97.7% of adolescents every day, and 64.7% reported being online "almost constantly." YouTube and WhatsApp were the most popular platforms. Most participants perceived the effect on their lives of social media use as neutral.

Conclusion: The pattern of social media use by adolescents in Porto Alegre, Brazil, is similar to that reported for samples from high income countries. Also, we found that those who reported being constantly online were also more likely to report socializing with their friends offline.

Objective: Food intake during binge eating episodes (BEE) has been found to be associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in individuals with eating disorders (EDs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between caloric intake during BEE and psychopathology in individuals with binge eating spectrum disorders (BSD).

Methods: One-hundred and fourteen outpatients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) were sequentially assessed. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI PLUS) was used to assess psychiatric diagnoses. Validated self-report instruments were used to assess general and eating-related psychopathology. The Dietpro Clinical Program® was used for assessment of calorie consumption during BEE. Data were analyzed with independent Student's t tests, effect size (Cohen's d), and Pearson's correlation coefficients.

Results: Participants with BSD comorbid with a depressive disorder consumed significantly more calories during BEE than those without depression. Furthermore, participants with BSD and higher levels of impulsivity had higher caloric intake during episodes. Specifically regarding BN, participants with greater disease severity consumed more calories during episodes than those with lesser severity.

Conclusion: Overall, depression and high impulsivity were associated with higher caloric intake during BEE in individuals with BSD. For those with BN, disease severity was associated with greater calorie consumption during episodes. Our results support the relevance of early identification of psychiatric comorbidities and implementation of strategies to control mood and impulsivity, aiming for better prognosis in the treatment of BSD.