Delusional disorder (DD) is defined by the presence of one or more delusions, of at least one month’s duration, in the absence of prominent hallucinations or other symptoms of schizophrenia. Although functioning may not be markedly impaired, the delusion(s) or its ramifications may have a significant impact in the patient’s life. With a life-time prevalence of 0.18%, DD is still neglected in terms of approved treatment recommendations.

We present the case of a patient diagnosed with DD and discuss the treatment of DD according to current evidence.

Relevant clinical information was extracted from the patient’s clinical process. A non-systematic review was made in Pubmed database with the terms “Delusional Disorder” and “Treatment”.

Male, 76 years old, divorced, living alone, autonomous. First admitted at age 62 in our inpatient psychiatry ward for a persecutory delusion regarding his neighbors. He was discharged with the diagnosis of DD and started a follow-up in a mental health community team. He abandoned treatment and psychiatric consultation after 9 years. During 17 years he moved home more than 10 times due to a progressive dynamism of the delusion, leading to recent marked behavior changes towards his neighbors. He is again admitted in our inpatient psychiatry ward.

This case illustrates the impact that untreated DD can have on its patients. Although consensus using antipsychotics, there are still insufficient studies to make evidence-based recommendations to treat people with DD. Further research is needed in this sense.

No significant relationships.

The General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment is a governmental body dedicated to the provision of mental health services in Ministry of Health in Egypt. Moreover, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Egypt, on line, advice tips, and counseling through the hotline services have became available through social media sites the past few months. Such digital remote MH services were very much welcomed by social media users. In the same time, for mental health professionals, the opportunity to provide help in this time of crisis – without an in-person consultation – was very desirable. In addition to the prevailing stigma of MH condition in the Egyptian culture, which this remote approach overcome it. Effective innovations in the field of mental health have the potential to change the face of mental health care, not only during pandemics but also in routine daily life.

1. Develop a National strategy for E-Mental Health in Egypt. 2. Develop the National mental health platform as a universal implementation tool.

This project conducted in collaboration with WHO in Egypt, It run in 3 phases: Strategy, planning and infrastructure: include needs assessment and software development. Finalizing infrastructure, adaptation of the content Deployment: include training of the service providers on the usage of the adapted M.H platform, launching and advocacy.

Development of E-Mental Health strategy, Development of National Mental Health Platform, Training of 50 therapists on digital mental health services.

National Mental Health Platform is the future road of mental health services in Egypt

No significant relationships.

Road rage is a term used to describe driving usually extreme in nature. There seems to be a multifactorial relationship between the situational characteristics of an anger provoking road situation and the feelings of anger and road behaviour.

To examine driver anger with regards to various sociodemographic parameter.

282 participants completed an internet-based survey including sociodemographic profile, anger assessment while driving using the Deffenbacher Driver Anger Scale, details of the driving. Participants were recruited through networks of authors, institution. The survey was disseminated through social media applications and email by snowball sampling method.

Mean age of the sample was 26.1 years with age group 24-29 years making half of the population. Majority sample were males (62.1%), graduates (53.2%), professionals (45.7%), urban locality based, nuclear family type. People experienced greater anger on Defenbacher likert scale for the following situations, when Someone is driving very close to your rear bumper (mean= 3.09), Someone cuts in right in front of you on the motorway(mean= 3.44), Someone cuts in and takes the parking spot(mean= 3.19), Someone coming towards you does not dim headlights at night(mean= 3.26), driving behind a vehicle smoking badly or giving off fumes(mean= 3.38).

The results revealed a prevalence of high anger scores amongst Indian drivers. The rage didn’t vary significantly within gender, locality, type of vehicle, however the anger scores were significantly higher in younger population. Strategies targeting at driving safety and reducing road rage should be implemented by authorities with sensitization of the drivers.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

Lithium is a highly effective treatment in the management of Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) however it is associated with increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease. There is a lack of clear guidance on alternative approaches to managing those individuals that require cessation of lithium due to progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD).

We discuss two patients with BPAD on lithium therapy who have developed ESRD. In both cases, lithium was discontinued due to ESRD, with alternatives trialled. In one case, the patient continues to be managed without lithium, whereas in the second, a decision was made to recommence lithium at a low dose. We reviewed the literature to provide meaningful context to the cases.

Case 1 This patient with a long history of BPAD and multiple medical co-morbidities experienced progressive decline in renal function. A decision was made to cease lithium therapy with close monitoring for signs of affective relapse. The patient was stabilised using a combination of sodium valproate and quetiapine. Since cessation of lithium, the patient has required a significant increase in support from the CMHT and more frequent admissions to manage mood and anxiety symptoms that cause significant subjective distress.

Case 2 This patient had a long history of stable BPAD, with no episodes of illness for over 30 years. Unfortunately they developed CKD and despite a significant reduction in lithium over time, they developed ESRD requiring haemodialysis. Lithium was discontinued leading to a manic relapse of BPAD requiring a prolonged admission and a combination of carbamezapine, olanzapine, escitalopram and clonazepam to stabilise their mental state. Following discharge home, their mental state failed to reach baseline and they reported significant anxiety symptoms and memory impairment. Following protracted assessment and support they were deemed unfit for renal transplant and a decision was then made by the patient, their family, nephrology and psychiatry to recommence lithium therapy whilst on haemodialysis. Their anxiety and functioning improved significantly following the reintroduction of low dose lithium, allowing the withdrawal of other neuroleptics.

Both cases required an individual approach to balance physical and mental health considerations. There are no clear markers to predict if a patient will respond to alternative mood stabilisers, nor is there a guarantee that kidney function will improve or stop declining when lithium is discontinued. Decisions should reflect patient preference and balance risks associated with relapse and of declining ESRD.

None Declared

This case report elaborates an unconventional approach to the management the use of clozapine, typically used in treatment-resistant Schizophrenia, in a 17-year-old female patient with treatment-resistant Conduct Disorder, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

The aim is to demonstrate the potential effectiveness and applicability of clozapine in treating severe, treatment-resistant behavioral problems associated with Conduct Disorder, even without the presence of psychosis, by detailing the clinical course, treatment strategy and outcome of this unique case.

A 17-year old female patient was referred to inpatient clinic due to escalating aggression towards her family members and risky sexual behaviors despite undergoing treatments before as risperidone, haloperidole, olanzapine, lithium, clonidin or aripipirazole. She was running away from home repeatedly and under the risk of sexual abuse. After comprehensive clinical and psychopathological assessment, a decision was made to initiate treatment with clozapine, closely monitoring the patient for adverse effects, and assessing its impact on the patient’s aggressiveness and other behavioral problems. During her stay, clozapine dose titrated to 250 mg/day in addition to her current treatment as amisulpiride 800 mg/day and valproic acid 500 mg/day. Atropine solution as mouthwash used for salivary hipersecretion. No other side effects observed. Cognitive and behavioural therapy interventions made for anger management and impulsivity. Also focused on family-based interventions about establishing healthy boundaries.

A significant reduction in aggressive behavior was noted under the treatment of clozapine. The patient’s overall conduct and interaction with family improved remarkably. The treatment was well-tolerated except sialorrhea, leading to a successful integration back into her family and community.

This case highlights the potential of clozapine as a viable treatment option for managing severe, treatment-resistant behavioral problems in patients with conduct disorder, even in the absence of psychosis. A randomized-controlled trial showed that clozapine was more effective than risperidone in conduct externalization factors, delinquency trait and global functioning in children and adolescents(Juárez-Treviño et al. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2019;17(1):43-53). While it necessitates careful monitoring due to its side-effect profile, this unconventional use of clozapine may open up new avenues for the management of treatment-resistant conduct disorder, thereby improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Further controlled studies are warranted to ascertain the safety and efficacy of this approach.

None Declared

The optimal duration of antipsychotic treatment following remission of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is uncertain, considering potential adverse effects and individual variability in relapse rates. This study aimed to investigate the effect of antipsychotic discontinuation compared to continuation on recovery in remitted FEP patients.

CENTRAL, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched on November 2, 2023, with no language restrictions. RCTs evaluating antipsychotic discontinuation in remitted FEP patients were selected. The primary outcome was personal recovery, and secondary outcomes included functional recovery, global functioning, hospital admission, symptom severity, quality of life, side effects, and employment. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated with GRADE. Meta-analysis used a random-effect model with an inverse-variance approach.

Among 2185 screened studies, 8 RCTs (560 participants) were included. No RCTs reported personal recovery as an outcome. Two studies measured functional recovery, and discontinuation group patients were more likely to achieve functional recovery (RR 2.19; 95% CIs: 1.13, 4.22; I2 = 0%; n = 128), although evidence certainty was very low. No significant differences were found in hospital admission, symptom severity, quality of life, global functioning, or employment between the discontinuation and continuation groups.

Personal recovery was not reported in any antipsychotic discontinuation trial in remitted FEP. The observed positive effect of discontinuation on functional recovery came from an early terminated trial and an RCT followed by an uncontrolled period. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to very low certainty of evidence.

Less than half of the more than 250 adolescents and young adults who are estimated to experience a first episode of psychosis in the city of Santa Cruz each year are ever diagnosed and receive treatment.

Of those patients who are eventually diagnosed, the average duration of their symptoms of psychosis prior to receiving treatment is estimated to be over 2 years.

Multiple psychosocial variables, such as the reaction of patients and their families to symptoms of psychosis, which play a vital role in determining long-term outcomes, demonstrate their highest degree of flexibility during the period of early psychosis. Psychological, social and evidence-based pharmacological interventions undertaken during this time frame can have a profound impact on the life-course of an individual with psychosis.

We propose to establish a pilot early psychosis intervention program that will provide age appropriate biopsychosocial treatment and support for 15–25 years old with first episode psychosis and their families in Santa Cruz. This will improve short and long-term outcomes for those with psychosis, increase speed of recovery, decrease the need for hospitalization, reduce family disruption and decrease rates of relapse.

By utilizing a mobile, multidisciplinary treatment team that emphasizes the roles of trained case managers focused on providing intensive individual and family support in the home, this program will provide culturally appropriate care that will leverage contributions from a limited supply of psychiatrists and shift dependence away from a fragmented medical system.

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

Because emotional symptoms are common in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and associate with much morbidity, some consider it to be a core feature rather than an associated trait.

Assess the possibility that symptoms of emotional dysregulation should be considered as core diagnostic feature of ADHD.

It’s a cross sectional study, including 60 children with ADHD and 60 children without ADHD ranging from 6 to 19 years of age (mean age 10.43 years). We defined moderate emotional dysregulation if a child had an aggregate cut-off score of ˃180 on the Anxiety/Depression, Aggression, and Attention scales of the CBCL and severe emotionaldysregulation if a child had an aggregate cut-off score of ˃ 210. This profile was selected because of its conceptual congruence with the clinical concept of emotionaldysregulation.

Sixty-three percent of children with ADHD had a severe emotional dysregulation versus 12% of controls (P˂0.001). Emotional dysregulation was associated with elevated rates of hyperactivity and impulsivity : Ninety-six percent of the children with hyperactivity-impulsivity, according to the Conners scale, had emotional dysregulation. With a significant correlation between emotional dysregulation and hyperactivity-impulsivity (p = 0.001). Also all children with attentional disorders exhibited emotional dysregulation and a significant correlation between emotional dysregulation and inattention has been found in both groups (p=0.000).

Emotional dysregulation is now known to play a causal role regarding ADHD symptomatology. It should therefore be included in future theoretical models of ADHD, as well as in clinical practice when identifying the major impairments in this diagnostic group and when deciding therapeutic strategies.

Mental Illness Stigma is a barrier in access to healthcare. Stigma also influences population health outcomes by worsening, undermining adequate processes. The healthcare professionals show several stigmatising behavirous and cognitions, which may impair the adequate provision of care of this population with mental illness.

We aimed to measure mental health stigma in healthcare professionals at a portuguese hospital center.

A cross-sectional study of health profissionals was performed using a survey that included socio-economic and job related questions, personal and familiar questions regarding mental health, and Attribution Questionnaire 27 (AQ-27), a translated and validated stigma questionnaire with nine stigma sub-scales (Responsability, Pity, Anger, Dangerousness, Fear, Help, Coercion, Segregation and Avoidance).

The sample included a total of 388 participants. The majority of the respondants were female (82,5%). The age ranged from 22 to 69 (mean = 40,05). According to the job place distribution, we found statistically significant differences in various stigma subscales among several healthcare settings within our center. The inpatient unit professionals showed lesser stigmatising attitudes in anger, coercion, segregation and avoidance domains; and higher stigmatising attitudes in pity and help domains. However, professionals who work at surgery room showed higher stigmatising attitudes in danger and fear, but lesser levels of help domains. We also found differences in five stigma subscales among various health professions. The study didn’t show differences in stigma domains regarding personal or professional contact with mental illness, neither academic studies in mental health.

Our findings suggest that workplace environment and profession may impact mental ilness stigma levels in healthcare professionals. We propose that future studies could be done to investigate methods to mitigate mental illness stigma, tailored to address different stigma domains in different workplace settings.

None Declared

Perfectionism, as a multiform trait of character, plays an important role in the formation of motivation of achievements in socially significant activity. Adaptive perfectionism, together with the desire to achieve recognition in one’s professional community and insure the emotional stability. Maladaptive (neurotic) perfectionism is directed towards the achievement of excessively high (non-relevant) standards of activity, a constant anxiety, internal stress and lack of self-confidence

To pinpoint the types of perfectionism that graduating medical students at Medical University experience, those who, during all the years of study, showed high academic results

Forty-nine graduating medical students volunteered to take part in the study, their average mark being not lower than 4.75 (maximum was 5). Their average age was 22.41±0.75. The following scales measured the level of expressiveness of perfectionism: A.A. Zolotareva, Hewitt and Flett, I.I. Gracheva

The results of the study undertaken showed two distinct groups. Students of the first group (79.6%) aimed at high internal standards in their study that would make them very well prepared professionally for their future work as doctors. They consciously accepted the common rules and norms of their society. Students of the other group (20.4%), consciously and subconsciously, estimate their high academic results as a good way of overcoming personal disturbances. They have excessive non-realistic demands towards self and others

The results of our study make it possible for us to suppose that medical students of the second group will experience quite a lot of difficulties in their future professional activity

No significant relationships.

Science has focused on types of treatments and their differential effects in achieving treatment outcomes. However, there is a growing body of evidence to support the investigation of clinician factors and how they affect the treatment outcomes of patients. The aim of the presented study was assess and analysis clinician therapeutic optimism in treatment of mental health disorders.

To assess therapeutic optimism we used the Elsom Therapeutic Optimism Scale (ETOS), which was designed to provide a reliable means of measuring mental health clinician optimism. The ETOS consists of 10 items to which respondents rate their agreement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

A convenience sample composed of forty five mental health clinician working in a variety of settings is being collected. The results demonstrate that the most of clinicians (n=45; agree 64,4%; strongly agree, 26,7%) believe that have the capacity to positively influence outcomes for people with mental disorders, can help a lot of number of people of mental illness (n=45; agree,77,8%) and the majority of patients benefit from their intervention (n=45; agree 64,4%; strongly agree, 22,2%). We have applied additional measures to assess adherences strategies and medication beliefs.

Future research should assess the utility of the ETOS for predicting treatment outcomes. If clinician optimism does in fact have a predictive relationship with treatment outcomes, the assessment of clinician optimism using measures such as the ETOS will enable services to identify and rectify the effects of negative clinician beliefs on patient outcomes

Hyponatremia (hypoNa) is a potentially serious adverse event of treatment with antidepressants. Previous research suggests that risk of drug-induced hyponatremia differs between antidepressants.

This meta-analysis sought to determine the risk of antidepressant-induced hypoNa, stratified by different compounds and classes.

PubMed and Web of Science were searched for studies reporting on incidence or risk of hypoNa in adults using antidepressants (PROSPERO, CRD42021269801). We modelled random-effects meta-analyses to compute overall incidence and risk of any and clinically relevant hypoNa for each compound and class, and ran head-to-head comparisons based on hypoNa incidences. We conducted subgroup analyses for geriatric populations, study context and sodium cut-off value.

Thirty-nine studies (n = 8,459,033) revealed that exposure to antidepressants was associated with significantly increased odds of hypoNa (OR = 2.82 (1.79 – 4.45)). The highest event rates were found for SNRIs (7.17%), SSRIs (5.20%), and TCAs (2.26%); the lowest for mirtazapine (1.02%) and trazodone (0.89%). The highest odds ratios were found for MAOIs (4.12 (1.92 – 8.86)), SNRIs (3.16 (1.77 – 5.67)), and SSRIs (2.78 (1.57 – 4.91)); the lowest for mirtazapine (2.82 (1.87 – 4.21)) and TCAs (1.85 (1.28 – 2.69)). Compared to SSRIs, SNRIs were significantly more likely (OR = 1.27 (1.13 – 1.42), p < 0.001) and mirtazapine significantly less likely (OR = 0.61 (0.39 – 0.96), p = 0.032) associated with hypoNa.

Our meta-analysis demonstrated that, while no antidepressant can be considered completely risk-free, for hypoNa-prone patients mirtazapine should be considered the treatment of choice and SNRIs should be prescribed more cautiously than SSRIs and TCAs.

None Declared

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which is used by mental health professionals including occupational therapists (OT) is a time-sensitive, structured, present-oriented therapy directed toward solving current problems and teaching clients skills to modify dysfunctional thinking and behavior.

Supporting the development of CBT theory and efficient use by mental health professionals are vital.

To present the results of CBT training for OTs, which was funded by “European Union technical assistance for increasing the employability of people with disabilities” project (Europe Aid/136449/IH/SER/TR).

Using a basic CBT theoretical framework the participants attended 96 hour face to face training modules with written materials including fundamental features, preconditions and methods used in CBT. A Turkish CBT book was published for course. Participants trained their skills under supervision and send the results to educators. Pre-post of training CBT knowledge and quality of training (plan-contents, educators, and environment) were evaluated by 5-Likert scale.

Thirty OTs (f = 23, m = 7) mostly 43.3% PhD; 20–25 (30%) and 45–50 (26.7%) years age period were included. Total mean score for quality of education was 109.4 ± 29.4 with 23.63 ± 4.34, 47.36 ± 6.41, 38.40 ± 21.61 for plan-contents, educators, and environment subscores, respectively. CBT knowledge was increased from 15.70 ± 6.08 to 45.06 ± 4.59 (P < 0.001).

Training increased CBT awareness and practice skills of OTs. Teaching OTs CBT may increase their understanding of person-environment-occupation approach, psychological problem solving, occupational engagement and participation of individuals. Our result supports that mental health professionals should collaborate to share ideas, develop guidelines and promote good practice examples in client-centered and holistic rehabilitation care.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The association between somatic diseases and bipolar disorder (BD) have been described especially for auto-immune diseases.

Through a case study and a review of literature we are going to describe a comorbidity of BD and myasthenia.

Starting from a case report, we conducted a literature review on “PubMed”, using a key word “myasthenia and bipolar disorder”

The patient AJ, 57 years old, married, mother of 5 children; 4 sons and 1 daughter who also has BD. She is illiterate and a full-time mother. she has high blood pressure, a congestive gastropathy and hemorrhoids. She has been diagnosed with BD in 1987 (at 21 years old) and mainly had depressive episodes. She was put on Amitriptyline, carbamazepine, long-acting neuroleptics and benzodiazepines. Since 2006 the patient has been reporting persisting myasthenia even when she was euthymic. In 2009, she was hospitalized for persistent headaches, pain and a decrease in visual acuity in the right eye. An ophthalmoscopy, a cranial CT-scan and an MRI were performed with no anomalies. Then a fluctuant ptosis and an intense fatigability appeared. She then was hospitalized in a neurology ward where she was diagnosed with myasthenia. Changes in her treatment had to be made. Carbamazepine was switched to valproic acid, amitriptyline was switched to fluoxetine. And benzodiazepines were stopped.

It’s important to pay close attention to somatic diseases in our patients in order to insure appropriate medical care. Also, the association between somatic disorders and BD can be an interesting lead in elucidating the etiopathogeneses of BD.

No significant relationships.

Mixed states in bipolar disorder (BD) are characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of both manic and depressive features. Growing evidence suggests that they are associated with longer duration of illness, increased relapse risk, and higher prevalence of comorbidities. Suicide risk among BD patients is up to 20–30 times greater than in the general population, although there is not a univocal consensus in whether mixed states should be considered as a high-risk state for suicide.

The objective of this study was to identify whether depressive and hypo/manic episodes with mixed features, are associated with more frequent suicidal behavior or ideation when compared to pure hypo/manic and depressive ones. We hypothesized that suicidal ideation or behavior would be more common in those experiencing mixed symptoms. We subsequently also tested whether gender or bipolar subtype moderated the relation between mood and suicidality.

In a naturalistic study, 903 adult BD outpatients participating in the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network were followed longitudinally across 14,213 visits for 7 years. The scores at the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology–Clinician-Rated Version (IDS-C) and at the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), administered at each visit, were used to define the mood episode. Given partial overlap of items between these scales, analyses were also conducted by removing overlapping items. The presence of suicidality was evaluated through the 18th item of the IDS-C (Suicidal Ideation).

During the observation period, up to 60.7% of subjects had at least one visit with suicidal ideation or behavior, broadly defined as a score ≥ 1 at the 18th item of the IDS-C. The distribution of suicidality among visits in different mood states is reported in Figure 1 (N° of visits in which suicidality was detected by mood state at the time of visit). Depressive symptoms were associated with suicidal ideation and behavior either during mixed depression and hypo/mania (p < 0.0001). Hypomanic or manic symptoms appeared to be related to suicidality only during hypo/mania, either pure or mixed (p 0.007). When overlapping items between the two psychometric scales were removed results seemed to confirm these hypotheses. Moreover, male gender appeared to have a protective role against suicidal ideation when hypo/manic (p 0.002).

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The primary role of depressive symptoms in predicting suicidal risk was confirmed by our results, which however suggest that mixed symptoms relate to suicidal ideation and behavior more intensely than pure hypo/manic symptoms. More importantly, hypo/manic symptoms did not appear to have a protective role during mixed episodes. Future studies considering also deaths by suicide are required in order to better clarify the role of mixity on suicidality.

None Declared

The objective of our study is to describe the prevalence of insomnia during active consumption and hospitalisation for detoxification, and its influence on relapses at 3 and 6 months in drug-dependent patients.

We conducted a prospective study of drug-dependence inpatients admitted to the hospital detoxification unit between June 2008 and November 2012, and performed psychiatric follow-up on an outpatient basis over the six months following discharge. Insomnia prior to admission was measured by clinical interview from the patient concerning sleep habits, and during hospital stay using a sleep log filled out by nurse team. Demographic, clinical and diagnostic variables were recorded and a structured clinical interview (SCID) was conducted to assess psychiatric diagnoses. Relapse was deemed to be renewed use of the substance that brought about admission, which was assessed by alcohol testing and/or urinalysis.

We included 434 patients. Insomnia during consumption was reported by 64.3% of patients and 66.1% reported insomnia during hospital stay. Of the patients with preadmission insomnia, 68.3% relapsed at 3 months from discharge, as did 71% of patients with insomnia during hospital stay. Patients who relapsed at 3 months of follow-up showed significantly greater sleep initiation dysfunction prior to and during hospitalisation. Of the patients with preadmission insomnia, 69.2% had relapsed at 6 months from discharge. Patients who relapsed at 6 months of follow-up showed significantly greater sleep initiation dysfunction and global insomnia prior to and during hospitalisation.

Sleep disorders should be study as a prognostic factor in drugdependent patients.