Health-related anxiety, characterized by excessive worry about one’s health, often leads to significant distress and impairment. Thought suppression, the conscious attempt to control or avoid unwanted thoughts, is frequently associated with various psychological conditions, including anxiety disorders. Research suggests that individuals with anxiety may attempt to suppress thoughts related to their fears, potentially exacerbating symptoms.

The present study investigates the relationship between thought suppression and health-related anxiety, exploring how the tendency to suppress intrusive thoughts may influence health anxiety levels.

A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with participants drawn from a sample of medical students. The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) was used to assess the extent to which participants tend to suppress intrusive thoughts, while the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18) was used to measure health-related anxiety. The HAI-18 evaluates the frequency and intensity of health-related worries and behaviors over the past six months.

The study recruited 213 medical students, of which 74.2% were female. The mean age of participants was 22.11 ± 2 years. Among the sample, 22.1% had a personal medical history, and 20.2% had a documented history of psychiatric disorders. Regarding family medical history, 59.6% of participants reported a familial history of medical conditions, and 21.6% reported a familial history of psychiatric disorders. Additionally, 39% of participants had family members who had been hospitalized for serious illness.

Health-related anxiety was observed in 26.3% of participants. A significant positive correlation was found between WBSI scores (thought suppression) and HAI scores (health-related anxiety) (r = 0.301, p < 0.001), suggesting that participants who reported higher levels of thought suppression were more likely to experience health-related intrusive thoughts and heightened anxiety about their health. Furthermore, individuals with higher health anxiety tended to have a stronger inclination to suppress thoughts, compared to those with lower levels of health anxiety.

The findings indicate a positive relationship between thought suppression and health-related anxiety among medical students. Specifically, students who engage in higher levels of thought suppression tend to report more frequent intrusive thoughts related to health and greater anxiety about their well-being. Future research could explore interventions aimed at reducing thought suppression as a potential strategy for alleviating health anxiety.

None Declared

Cyberchondria refers to the phenomenon where individuals experience increased health anxiety due to excessive health-related information-seeking on the internet. This behavior can lead to increased worry, symptom misinterpretation, and the belief that one may be suffering from a serious illness. While internet health-seeking is common, it can become maladaptive and contribute to clinically significant anxiety.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of cyberchondria among medical students, and to explore the relationship between online health-seeking behaviors and health anxiety.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical medical students using the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18). The CSS is a 12-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the frequency of online health searches, the distress caused by those searches, and the misinterpretation of symptoms. The HAI-18 evaluates the frequency and intensity of health-related worries and behaviors over the past six months. Participants were asked to report their online health-searching habits, emotional responses, and overall health anxiety levels.

A total of 169 clinical students participated in the study, with a predominance of females (74%). The mean age of participants was 23 ± 1.5 years. Regarding family medical history, 62.1% of participants reported a familial history of medical conditions, while 26% had a familial history of psychiatric disorders. Additionally, 39.6% of participants reported that their family members had been hospitalized for a serious illness. A personal medical history was reported by 23.7% of participants, and 21.3% had a documented history of psychiatric disorders. Health-related anxiety was observed in 21.9% of participants and was significantly associated with a history of family member hospitalization for a serious illness (p < 0.05). Regarding cyberchondria, 35.5% of participants reported low levels, 43.2% moderate levels, 20.1% high levels, and 1.2% very high levels. High levels of cyberchondria were significantly associated with higher health anxiety scores (p < 0.001).

The findings suggest a moderate to high prevalence of cyberchondria among clinical medical students, with a strong association between higher cyberchondria scores and increased health-related anxiety. Interventions to reduce cyberchondria should focus on managing health anxiety and mitigating the negative impact of online health information

None Declared

Nowadays thousands of students choose to get into medical universities in foreign countries for a plethora of reasons. Tunisia represents one of these destinations, thanks to its geographic localization, weather, biological diversity as well as its ethnical and cultural background.

To determine the effect of anxiety and psychological distress on the motivation of studies in foreign students in Tunisia.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study, carried out between July and September 2023 among foreign students at the Sfax Faculty of Medicine. Data collection was carried out using an anonymous self-questionnaire via “Google Forms shared via social media. Psychological distress was assessed using the “DASS-21” Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Motivation was assessed using the French version of the “SMMS-R-FR” Study Motivational Strength Questionnaire.

Seventy-two foreign medical students completed the survey. The average age was 25 ± 3.45 years. The majority of students were male (57%). Coffee and tobacco were the most consumed substance by the students (88.9%, and 47.2% respectively). The mean score for score anxiety score was 6.59, 7.2 for depression and 7.83 for stress. The mean score for the strength of motivation was 42.4. We found a negative statistical association between the anxiety dimension and the strength of motivation (p=0.011, r= -0.29). We found no statistical association with the depressive symptoms dimension nor with the stress dimension.Smoking was correlated with anxiety and depression in our foreign students (p=0.02 and p=0.027 respectively).

Identifying psychological distress and screening for them can help prevent the deterioration of mental health of foreign students and therefore the deterioration their academic performance.

None Declared

Excessive preoccupation of having a serious illness (EPHSI) or illness anxiety disorder is frequently reported by doctors and medical students

Our objectives were to estimate the frequency of EPHSI in a population of medicine residents in Tunisia and to determine the factors associated with this pathology.

This was a cross-sectional study via internet, carried out among 404 medicine residents practicing in Tunisia during the period of November and December 2020 and January 2021.

The information was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire, edited using the Google site and disseminated via social networks. This questionnaire was inspired by the Health Anxiety Questionnaire, the MSD score, and the DSM-5 criteria for illness anxiety disorder

In the end of the study period, 404 medicine residents responded to the questionnaire. The mean age was 27.4 years, the sex ratio was 0.47. Residents who fulfilled the DSM5 criteria of anxiety illness disorder represented 33.7% of the total group.

The most preoccupying diseases were neoplastic diseases (40.8%), neurodegenerative disorders (14.3%), and psychiatric disorders (10%).

EPHSI was associated to several sociodemographic, anamnestic and psychological factors

The establishment of psychological support systems for students, emphasizing coping and stress management techniques, should be implemented to prevent the EPHSI.

None Declared

Vicarious trauma can significantly affect the physical and mental health of mental health professionals, as well as their ability to provide quality of care, particularly in the population of child and adolescent psychiatry residents who frequently encounter traumatic narratives.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of vicarious trauma in child and adolescent psychiatry residents.

This is a cross-sectional study conducted from 19 august to 16 september 2024. An anonymous Google Forms questionnaire was sent to child psychiatry residents via the college email and private groups. We used the Compassion Fatigue Questionnaire to measure levels of vicarious trauma.

A total of 48 child psychiatry resident out of 70 participated in the study. The sex ratio was 1:8,6. The mean age was 28,8 years. The residents were married in 33,4% of cases, in a romantic relationship in 29,1% and single in 37,5%. We found that 54,1% of residents practiced a leisure activity, 22,9% had history of psychiatric disorder and 14,5% had addictive behaviours. We found that 74% of the residents exhibited a high to very high risk of vicarious trauma. The mean score of Compassion Fatigue Questionnaire was 44,18.

This study underscores the need to recognize and address vicarious trauma among child and adolescent psychiatry residents in Tunisia, as its effects can detrimentally influence both clinician well-being and patient care. By fostering an awareness of this often-overlooked issue and integrating supportive measures into residency training, it can help residents develop healthier coping strategies and resilience.

None Declared

While the relationship between social anxiety disorder SAD and various sociodemographic factors has been explored, there is a notable gap in research examining the prevalence of SAD in visually impaired individuals. Vision loss could influence social interactions and thus may alter the typical presentation or severity of social anxiety.

This study aims to compare self-esteem and social anxiety disorder (SAD) levels between visually impaired and sighted individuals and to explore the relationship between social anxiety and various sociodemographic factors.

A case-control study was conducted from March to June 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, involving 62 participants (24 visually impaired and 38 sighted). Participants completed a demographic form, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA to compare psychological outcomes between groups.

The mean age of visually impaired participants was significantly higher than that of sighted participants (24±2.8 vs. 22.4±2.2 years, p=0.013). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of gender, marital status, or education level. The RSES scores indicated no significant difference in self-esteem between visually impaired and sighted individuals (18.13±2.66 vs. 17.42±2.04, p=0.244). Similarly, LSAS scores did not significantly differ between the two groups (32.63±24.19 vs. 36.68±22.68, p=0.506).

The findings suggest that visually impaired individuals do not have significantly different levels of self-esteem or social anxiety compared to their sighted peers, indicating that visual impairment may not directly contribute to lower self-esteem or higher social anxiety. Future research should involve larger, more diverse samples and longitudinal studies to further explore these relationships.

None Declared

Binge-eating behavior and anxiety disorders pose a significant public health issue worldwide, as it has severe implications for both the physical and mental health of the adolescent population. The present study evaluated the prevalence of binge-eating behavior, anxiety disorders, and associated factors among the northern Saudi adolescent population.

assessed the correlation between binge eating and anxiety.

The present population-based cross-sectional study was carried out among adolescents in the Aljouf region of Saudi Arabia from June 2023 to December 2023. A total of 384 eligible participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. The present study used a pretested Arabic version of the binge eating scale (BES) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) to assess the binge-eating behavior and anxiety disorders among the target population. The Spearman correlation test determined the strength and direction of the correlation between BES and HAM-A scores. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was applied to find the associated factors for binge-eating behavior among the study participants.

Of the 384 participants, moderate and severe binge-eating behaviors were found among 11.2% and 8.3% of the respondents, respectively. Regarding the severity of anxiety as assessed by the HAM-A scale, mild, moderate, and severe anxiety were shown among 12.8%, 9.6%, and 7.5% of the participants, respectively. Also, the study found a positive correlation between binge eating and anxiety scores, with a correlation coefficient of 0.26 and a p-value of 0.001. Furthermore, being female (p = 0.001), moderate (p = 0.004), and severe anxiety (P = 0.001) were significantly associated with binge-eating behavior.

The present research findings advocate for the implementation of targeted interventions and support services aimed at decreasing binge-eating behavior and anxiety, thereby promoting the overall well-being of adolescents and building stronger future generations. Moreover, it is recommended that optional courses about binge eating be incorporated into the curricula of schools and universities.

None Declared

Binge-eating behavior and anxiety disorders pose a significant public health issue worldwide, as it has severe implications for both the physical and mental health of the adolescent population. The present study evaluated the prevalence of binge-eating behavior, anxiety disorders, and associated factors among the northern Saudi adolescent population.

Assessed the correlation between binge eating and anxiety.

The present population-based cross-sectional study was carried out among adolescents in the Aljouf region of Saudi Arabia from June 2023 to December 2023. A total of 384 eligible participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. The present study used a pretested Arabic version of the binge eating scale (BES) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) to assess the binge-eating behavior and anxiety disorders among the target population. The Spearman correlation test determined the strength and direction of the correlation between BES and HAM-A scores. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was applied to find the associated factors for binge-eating behavior among the study participants.

Of the 384 participants, moderate and severe binge-eating behaviors were found among 11.2% and 8.3% of the respondents, respectively. Regarding the severity of anxiety as assessed by the HAM-A scale, mild, moderate, and severe anxiety were shown among 12.8%, 9.6%, and 7.5% of the participants, respectively. Also, the study found a positive correlation between binge eating and anxiety scores, with a correlation coefficient of 0.26 and a p-value of 0.001. Furthermore, being female (p = 0.001), moderate (p = 0.004), and severe anxiety (P = 0.001) were significantly associated with binge-eating behavior.

The present research findings advocate for the implementation of targeted interventions and support services aimed at decreasing binge-eating behavior and anxiety, thereby promoting the overall well-being of adolescents and building stronger future generations. Moreover, it is recommended that optional courses about binge eating be incorporated into the curricula of schools and universities.

None Declared

Illness Anxiety Disorder denotes an excessive fear of becoming critically ill. Even when a medical exam does not indicate a significant medical problem, people may have no physical symptoms or think that familiar body sensations or minor symptoms are symptoms of a dangerous sickness.

We aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder among health colleges students at King Saud University. Also, we examined whether the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder is influenced by the specific field of study within the medical disciplines and whether the disorder manifests differently among students based on their chosen area of specialization.

This was an observational cross-sectional study. Data were collected through an online self-administered questionnaire called The Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) and was analyzed using SPSS 23rd version.

The prevalence of IAD in this study was found to be 5.8% (n=325). with a significant relation to gender, college, the presence of psychiatric disorders, and being subjected to abuse or neglect.

This study found that the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder was low compared to other studies published in the past.

None Declared

Tobacco and alcohol use are two of the main risk factors for most of the non-communicable diseases and causes of death worldwide. Healthcare professionals can play an important role in helping patients to quit smoking and alcohol consumption, but this role is undermined if they themselves have the same addictions.

The aim of this study was to study the effect of smoking and alcohol use on healthcare professionals’ quality of life. In addition we aimed to identify any demographic and occupational factors that affect quality of life.

The research sample of the present cross-sectional study consisted of 200 health professionals. The Demographic Questionnaire, the Smoking Addiction Inventory (Fagerstrom), the Alcohol Addiction Inventory, and the Quality of Life Inventory (EQ-5D) were used. The statistical analysis was performed using the statistical package IBM Spss v.27

Among the sample, the 46.5% stated that were smokers. The mean score of alcohol dependence was found to be 3.61 (±3.29), while the corresponding mean value of Fagerstrom was calculated to be 3.96 (±2.27). The EQ-5D quality of life score was found to be 0.93. Finally, the EQ-Vas score was found to be 7.95 (± 1.57).

A particularly high prevalence of smoking was found among the healthcare professionals in the study, while alcohol consumption was moderate. The results showed that tobacco and alcohol consumption negatively affects the quality of life of healthcare professionals.

None Declared

Women are diagnosed with depression twice as often as men. Although depression is more common in women, men have higher suicide rates. Instead of seeking help, men tend to use various coping mechanisms that can be considered dysfunctional. These behaviors include risk-taking behaviors, aggressive behaviors, and alcohol and substance use. In addition, men’s failure to seek mental health services may be related to their beliefs about gender and masculinity. That symptom cluster is called a male depressive syndrome and can be seen in both sexes.

The present study aimed to measure depression with a widely used scale and a gender-sensitive scale among men with addiction disorders. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate relations between addiction severity, depression and masculinity.

Fifty-one male patients with alcohol and substance addiction participated in the present study. BAPİRT-alcohol and BAPİRT-drug questionnaires, Beck Depression Scale, Gender Sensitive Depression Scale, and Precarious Manhood Beliefs.

The mean age of the patients was 40.56 ± 12.35, and most were single (64.7%). Regarding the cut-off scores of BAPİRT scales, 45.9% of patients screened as high risk for substance addiction, and 86.27% screened as high risk for alcohol addiction. Depression scores were evaluated using the cut-off values. Both the Beck Depression Scale and the Gender Sensitive Depression Scale determined a depression prevalence of 60.8%, with diverse participants. Table 1 shows the intersection of the depression screening with the two scales.

Male patients with addiction showed a high prevalence of depression (%60.8). Gender-sensitive depression was related to substance addiction severity.

Male patients with addiction may experience depression with a specific symptom cluster, which includes irritability.

None Declared

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a highly prevalent and complex class of psychiatric illnesses that lead to increased rates of mortality and morbidity, societal costs, low quality of life, and difficulties in all important areas of personal functioning. Although SUDs are constantly explored from a therapeutic perspective, there are very few validated treatments available for these disorders.

To review the evidence supporting new targets for the psychopharmacological management of patients diagnosed with SUDs.

A literature review was conducted in three electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Clarivate/Web of Science) and the US National Library of Medicine database for clinical trials (www.clinicaltrials.gov) to find clinical and preclinical sources published between January 2000 and September 2024. The keywords used were „substance use disorders”, „drug dependence”, „drug addiction”, „new treatments”, „drugs in pipeline”, and „pharmacological treatment”. There was no restriction regarding the age of participants, and only sources published in English were selected.

Based on 12 sources identified for detailed analysis, the main directions of research in the field of new treatments for SUDs are modulators of glutamatergic and GABA-ergic systems, neurokinin-1 receptors, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, G-protein signaling-biased μ-opioid receptor agonists, serotonin modulators, cannabinoid agonists or partial agonists, N-acetylcysteine, and monoclonal antibodies. These agents are explored for cocaine, opioids, nicotine, psychostimulants, and cannabis use disorder. Examples of investigational products from these emergent classes are SR-170189 (a biased mu-opioid receptor agonist without evidence of tolerance in preclinical studies), dexmedetomidine (BXCL501, an alpha-2 preferring agonist explored for opioid withdrawal), guanfacine (another alpha-2 agonist explored in cannabis use disorder-CUD), lorcaserin (a selective 5HT2C receptor agonist also explored for CUD), oxytocin (explored for alcohol use disorder- AUD and as add-on to methadone for comorbid opioid and cocaine use disorder), N-acetylcysteine (investigated for AUD and nicotine use disorder), NT-814 (neurokinin-1 and -3 receptor antagonist, investigated for opioid use disorder), memantine (a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist explored in patients with AUD), baclofen (a GABA-B receptor agonist explored for AUD, opioid withdrawal, and psychostimulants use disorder) and various biological therapies for NUD and cocaine use disorder.

There are hopes related to an extensive number of investigational products that undergo different stages of clinical research for a large variety of SUDs, targeting multiple neurotransmitters and hormonal pathways, and even biological therapies that could block the action of the drugs of abuse before reaching their targets.

None Declared

Assessment of the quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with substance use disorders (SUDs) is important due to the need to explore potential ways of improving the prognosis and evolution of these patients towards recovery and prolonged abstinence. The impact of SUDs on the QoL is often difficult to determine in the absence of structured methods because of the multiple factors that may moderate the results, including misperceptions of the patients on the effects of the drugs of abuse (DOA), stigmatization, countertransference aspects of the therapeutic relationships, etc.

To assess the most validated psychometric tools dedicated to the evaluation of QoL in patients with SUDs.

A literature review was conducted in three electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Clarivate/Web of Science) to find clinical reports published between January 2000 and September 2024 regarding the QoL instruments in patients with SUD. The keywords used were “substance use disorders”, “quality of life”, “health-related quality of life”, “scales”, “inventories”, and “questionnaires”. There was no restriction regarding the age of participants, and only sources published in English were selected.

The most frequently reported scales used for the purpose of monitoring the QoL in patients with SUDs were the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQoL (EQ) 5D 5L. Also, WHOQOL-BREF, which is associated with the WHO International Classification of Diseases system, is a comprehensive and useful instrument that may be applied in patients with SUDs. Health-related Quality of Life for Drug Abusers (HRQOLDA) and Injection Drug Use Quality of Life Scale (IDUQOL) may be used in this specific population because they refer more exactly to daily life aspects of the patients with SUD that interfere with their QoL, but these instruments are less known and applied by clinicians.

General instruments, like surveys or inventories, targeting the evaluation of QoL and, also, more specific instruments focused on the quality of the daily life of patients with SUDs need to be administered in case management because these may highlight important areas of therapeutic intervention. The inclusion of such instruments is expected to have multiple benefits, such as better treatment adherence through the improvement of the therapeutic relationship, more targeted interventions for the meeds of this population, etc.

None Declared

New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a heterogeneous group of new drugs that are not controlled by the United Nations drugs conventions but may represent public health threats of largely the same impact as substances listed in the respective conventions, according to the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). The history of NPS encompasses approximately two decades, but this category of substances is continually expanding.

To review the literature for data regarding the practical challenges the use of NPS raises for mental health specialists, in order to help clinicians in the construction of an adequate case management plan for these patients.

A literature review was conducted in three electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science/Clarivate) to find primary and secondary sources published between January 2000 and September 2024. The keywords used were „novel psychoactive drugs”, „synthetic cathinone”, „cannabimimetics”, „synthetic cannabinoids”, „synthetic stimulants”, „phenethylamines”, „legal highs”, „designer drugs”, „emergency”, „intoxication”, „case management”, and „challenge”. There was no restriction regarding the age of participants, but only sources published in English were selected.

Based on the 27 sources retained for detailed analysis, six main clinically focused challenges related to NPS use were identified. The lack of characteristic clinical manifestations of NPS intoxication is provocative, especially for the presentations in the emergency rooms (ER), where a rapid differential diagnosis is needed. The second challenge detected was polydrug use, with studies reporting more than 50% of the users combining different NPS or NPS with conventional drugs of abuse. The third difficulty is related to the difficulty of detecting the NPS in the consumers due to the continuously changing structures by designers, who are trying to avoid the current legislation. The fourth aspect is related to the high costs of screening for NPS and the need, despite these costs, to apply such screening in the psychiatric population, which is considered vulnerable to the use of these drugs, according to epidemiological studies. The fifth challenge is related to the lack of specific treatments in the case of NPS intoxication, with management strategies being limited to supportive and symptomatic care. The sixth aspect refers to the need to hospitalize patients with NPS intoxication in ICU departments due to their unpredictable evolution, need for monitoring, cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric toxicity, polydrug use, etc.

There is an acute need for routine screening for NPS in the ER whenever a drug intoxication is suspected and especially in psychiatric populations where the anamnesis could be difficult. Case management requires ICU hospitalization, intensive monitoring, supportive care, and a post-ICU psychiatric evaluation and treatment for relapse prevention.

None Declared

Cocaine use is a significant health problem, since its abuse constitutes a substance use disorder and can produce cardiovascular symptoms, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Tako-tsubo syndrome (TTS) is a transient dysfunction of the apical left ventricle that can manifest with intense chest pain and alterations in the electrocardiogram. TTS can be triggered by physical stressors (hyperthyroidism, cocaine or amphetamine abuse) or psychological stressors (grief or reaction to acute stress).

The objective is to present the case of a patient who developed tako-tsubo syndrome after harmful cocaine use.

A 50-year-old woman, under psychiatric follow-up, diagnosed with mixed personality disorder, with a medical history of hypothyroidism. The patient has been presenting for 2 months after mourning the death of her husband with anxiety-depressive symptoms with a great behavioral impact with episodes of heteroaggression and begins with abusive consumption of cannabis and cocaine toxins. The patient presents an episode of psychomotor agitation after acute consumption of cocaine, presenting psychotic symptoms. During the study in the emergency area, she verbalizes chest pain and complementary studies are performed with elevated cardiac enzymes and alterations in the electrocardiogram. Cardiology is contacted and after hospital admission and complementary studies, the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome is reached, filiating it with Takotsubo syndrome triggered by cocaine consumption. The diagnoses presented by the patient with dual pathology would be a psychotic disorder due to toxins, a borderline personality disorder and harmful consumption of cocaine.

Dual pathology in patients with personality disorder with toxin abuse such as in this case cocaine is very frequent.The situation of grief is an acute stressful situation that leads to greater emotional instability and, together with the toxic effects of cocaine, can trigger Takotsubo syndrome in patients. Therefore, when approaching patients with substance use, it is very important to always take into account the possible somatic complications that can be triggered.The treatment chosen to treat the psychotic symptoms that the patient presented was lurasidone, since it has a tolerability and cardiological safety profile.

In patients with dual pathology, it is very important to address all possible complications, both somatic and psychiatric, for proper therapeutic management.

None Declared

Psychoactive substance use among pregnant women has reached alarmingly high rates and is considered a public health problem. Pregnancy is a period in which women become more sensitive and concerned about their well-being, in view of how that will affect their baby. Therefore, pregnancy becomes a favorable period for therapeutic intervention, especially with regard to drug use. Despite this, there is still a small number of studies that address the issue of female drug users in Brazil, especially due to stigma and prejudice.

Our main aim was to characterize the clinical and psychiatric profile of pregnant crack users in Brazil, with a focus on comorbidities, the severity of crack use, and the use of other substances.

This was a cross-sectional study of 24 pregnant crack users admitted to a referral hospital for psychiatric disorders in pregnant women, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, over three years. Most women tend to remain hospitalized for a long time, often months, until giving birth. This scenario directly influenced the sample size of this study. The following instruments were applied: a clinical-obstetric questionnaire; the condensed version of the Addiction Severity Index; a diagnostic interview for psychoactive substance use based on DSM-5; the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for DSM-IV; and the Semi-Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II).

Most patients had severe crack dependence and used other substances, such as tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol. The median duration of crack use was three years, ranging between three and 12 years. Most women subsisted from illegal or informal activities; a fifth had previously been arrested and often had relationship problems. Twenty percent had HIV (n = 5), and 37.5% (n = 9) had syphilis. Borderline personality disorder was the most prevalent mental condition (62.5%), followed by suicidal tendencies (45.8%), hypomanic episodes due to substance use (37.5%), and past major depressive episodes (33.3%).

This is one of the few studies exploring and characterizing social, economic and health aspects of pregnant crack users in Brazil. An alarmingly high prevalence of consumption of other drugs, psychiatric disorders, and difficult-to-treat personality disorders was observed in our study. Investigating the psychiatric profile of women who use substances is essential to minimize the impacts on the mother and child, optimize therapeutic approaches to comorbidities, and enable more effective relapse prevention.

None Declared

Substance use is a prevalent issue in individuals with psychotic disorders and has major implications for the course of the disease. Substance use is associated with treatment noncompliance, more positive symptoms and increased risk of relapse. However, reasons for substance use in people diagnosed with psychotic disorders are insufficiently understood.

This study seeks to explore the specific reasons for substance use among patients diagnosed with psychotic

disorder, while aiming to identify subgroups of patients that may benefit from targeted interventions to reduce drug use.

We investigated the reasons for maintaining substance use in patients with a dual diagnosis of psychotic disorder and substance use disorder that were admitted to Alexandru Obregia Clinical Psychiatric Hospital, Addictions Department, Bucharest, Romania, between October 2024 and March 2025. Patients were evaluated through a semi-structured interview developed for this study.

The results of the study will be available and presented during the EPA 2025 Congress.

Understanding the underlying motivations for substance use is crucial for developing targeted interventions that address the unique needs of patients with psychotic disorders, ultimately improving treatment outcomes and promoting long-term recovery.

None Declared

Interpersonal traumas affect women’s ability to rely on their social network to cope, which increases their reliance on maladaptive avoidance coping strategies such as drinking. According to psychodynamic models of trichotillomania hair pulling is a manifestation of unresolved sexual conflicts, disordered attachment, and dissociation from traumatic memories. (Houghton, D. C., Mathew, A. S., Twohig, M. P., Saunders, S. M., Franklin, M. E., Compton, S. N., Neal-Barnett, A. M., & Woods, D. W. (2016). Trauma and trichotillomania: A tenuous relationship. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 11, 91-95.)

Evidence suggests that rather than making hair pulling worse, alcohol is often used to avoid negative affect related to hair pulling. It slows the nervous system’s activity and may also be used to reduce the urge to hair-pull. (Grant, J.E., Collins, M., Chesivoir, E. et al. Hazardous Alcohol Use in Trichotillomania. Psychiatr Q 94, 361–369 (2023))

We present a 43-year-old patient who has been hospitalized several times due to alcohol addiction. She is divorced, has no children, is unemployed, and finished elementary school. The patient reported that she started drinking at high school during weekend parties and gradually her drinking became more frequent. Now she is drinking a liter of vodka a day. Her last hospitalization was after she left a domestic violence shelter for women where she escaped because her partner abused her. After she was placed in the alcoholism ward, the initial psychic examination discovered alopecia. Childhood anamnesis showed sexual trauma at a young age, and she reported that she started to pull her eyelashes in kindergarten after two members of a family sexually abused her. Now she is wearing a wig and she reported that there are areas on her scalp where hair doesn’t grow anymore because she pulled it while she was in a shelter. As she described, pulling her hair gave her a sense of relief from anxiety.

During hospitalization, her pharmacotherapy was corrected and titrated. She was included in psychotherapy, family therapy, group, and individual psychotherapy. The therapeutic procedures applied have improved her mental condition. She has been advised to continue outpatient psychiatric treatment, to regularly use pharmacotherapy, and to attend family therapy and rehabilitation club.

There is a clear need for future clinical studies not only in the area of trichotillomania’s relationship to substance use disorders but also in trauma coping mechanisms so we can truly understand how people adapt to and recover from trauma.

None Declared

Gambling is an increasingly widespread practice worldwide. Currently, gambling disorder (also known as pathological gambling) is recognized as a behavioral addiction in the DSM-5 due to its numerous similarities with substance addiction. Consequently, several neurobiological hypotheses have been tested in recent years.

To illustrate, through a literature review, the neurobiological basis of pathological gambling.

We conducted a systematic review of the literature in the “PubMed” database, following PRISMA guidelines, using the following keywords: “Neurobiology,” “Gambling Disorder,” “Pathological Gambling,” and “Gambling.”

Our study included 27 articles, comprising 15 articles addressing pathological gambling from a neuroimaging perspective, 7 articles focusing on neurochemistry, and 5 articles discussing the therapeutic implications of neurobiological mechanisms. Literature studies reveal that the primary neurobiological mechanisms explaining pathological gambling involve dysfunctions in the brain circuits of the “reward system,” particularly in the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. The studies also highlighted the central role of dopamine and dopaminergic receptors, as well as the involvement of other noradrenergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, and opioid systems in the disorder’s development, with preliminary evidence suggesting the effectiveness of medications that alter these neurotransmitters.

Pathological gambling is an increasingly common psychiatric disorder that remains underestimated to this day. Therefore, it is important to clarify the neurobiological mechanisms involved in the etiology of this disorder to develop targeted intervention strategies.

None Declared

To ensure the health of employees, maintaining a smoke-free workplace is essential. Understanding the relationship between smoking and work is crucial for implementing effective smoking cessation interventions.

Our study aims to determine the prevalence of smoking and its relationship with job satisfaction among electrical technicians.

We conducted a descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional survey among electrical technicians. Data collection was carried out using a self-completed questionnaire. We collected socio-professional data. Nicotine dependence was assessed using the Fagerström test, while job satisfaction was evaluated using the single-item measure of job satisfaction.

Our study population was exclusively male, including 70 electrical technicians. The mean age of participants was 38.1 ±10.2 years. The mean of the tenure of job was 14.5±11.1 years. Active smoking was reported by 45.1% of participants. Using the Fagerström test, nicotine dependence was low and moderate to high respectively in 13.4% and 28.9% of smokers. Median job satisfaction was 4, with extreme values ranging from 1 to 5. We found that nicotine dependence was negatively correlated with job satisfaction (p = 0.02, r = -0.3).

Smoking is a prevalent issue among electrical technicians. Our findings highlight the urgent need for smoking cessation interventions among these workers. The association of smoking with low job satisfaction underscores the importance of preventive measures to reduce work-related stress in order to promote greater job satisfaction and smoking cessation.

None Declared