Dear colleagues,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the first issue of 2020.
In our first article, Penzenstadler et al. review information regarding supported decision making (SDM) from a clinical perspective for people with mental disorders. They discuss different models of SDM, the stakeholder views and challenges for implementation. The main challenges related to critical situations include when ‘will and preferences’ are poorly understood or appear contradictory. Future research should investigate specific models of SDM with related outcomes and process measures.
Álvarez et al. assessed the effectiveness of 6-month treatment with aripiprazole long-acting injectable (LAI) in improving clinical symptoms. Patients showed significant improvements on all domains of PANSS after treatment. Furthermore, social functioning improved and co-administered antipsychotic drugs significantly decreased. The authors conclude that aripiprazole LAI is an effective treatment option for clinical improvement of patients with schizophrenia and related disorders.
Blackman et al. reviewed the pharmacological management of clozapine induced gastrointestinal hypomotility (CIGH). A high proportion of clozapine treated patients experience constipation. CIGH can be successfully treated in acute inpatient settings with simple interventions. The authors recommend active monitoring of symptoms of CIGH in patients that are treated with clozapine.
Petrikis et al. evaluated gonadal hormone serum concentrations in drug-naïve patients with psychosis. Testosterone and levels of free testosterone were found to be lower in male patients while sex hormone binding globulin was significantly higher in male patients compared to controls. No difference was detected between female patients and female controls.
Barnett et al. investigated factors associated with re-admission in a cohort of psychiatric inpatients in Malawi. Of 419 patients, 29 were readmitted once and the re-admission rates were associated with intentional medication non-adherence at home. Future studies should aim to improve medication adherence in order to reduce re-admission rates.
Yang et al. assessed clinical features of methamphetamine-associated psychosis and compared it to primary psychosis. They found that early initiation and duration of methamphetamine is associated with psychosis severity and duration. Symptoms of methamphetamine and primary psychosis were similar with methamphetamine patients having less paranoia and negative symptoms.
Ordak et al. investigated the frequency of hospitalisations of patients on mephedrone binge. Around 62% of patients received methadone and the higher number of drugs taken together with methadone, the more frequent were the hospitalisations. The highest number of hospitalisations included those combining mephedrone with at least two psychoactive substances as well as those using methadone and chlorprothixene. The optimal therapy includes methadone with thiazolidine carboxylic acid.
Obeid et al. assessed the effectiveness of integrated psychological therapy (IPT) on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. The authors found that combined therapy of IPT with medical treatment has beneficial effects on patients with schizophrenia which aids them to re-integrate into the community.
Flores-Ramos et al. compared the serum testosterone levels between females with depression and females with bipolar disorder. Mean testosterone levels were significantly higher in bipolar disorder patients in comparison to patients with depression when not including valproate use into the analysis. To conclude, testosterone may be associated with valproate use in bipolar patients.
Taube-Schiff et al. assessed the effectiveness of intensive services residential treatment programme for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in Canada. The treatment does have a beneficial effect on clinical symptoms of OCD. It decreased OCD severity as well as improved functionality and quality of life. Enhancing accessibility to these treatment services and ensuring ongoing maintenance will help ensure long-term recovery in individuals with OCD.
Boston et al. evaluated the vitamin B12 and folate status in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. No difference was detected between vitamin B12 and folate levels between Alzheimer patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, B12 and folate are not predictive of disease development and progression.
Grant et al. investigated cognitive function of individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED) in comparison to healthy controls. Individuals with BED showed impairment in stop-signal response inhibition and executive planning while spatial working memory and set shifting were intact. Future research should investigate whether motor impulsivity is a predisposition to developing BED.
Karadag et al. examined whether eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective therapy in children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors conclude that EMDR is an effective therapy in children and adolescents on symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.
De Berardis et al. explored the relationship between alexithymia, suicide ideation, affective temperaments and homocysteine levels in patients with PTSD. Subjects with alexithymia had increased disorder severity and impairment in emotion recognition that may be related to suicide ideation. No effects of affective temperament or homocysteine levels were detected.
Luo et al. investigated the prevalence and risk factors associated with depression of outpatients in China. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in outpatients was 26%. Risk factors included younger age, alcohol consumption and sleep disturbances. Reduction of alcohol consumption and improving sleep quality should be incorporated into therapies for the prevention and management of depression.
Tosun et al. examined the metabolic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) induced by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with major depression through proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The authors detected an increase in energy metabolism in the ACC which was induced by ECT. An increase in creatine was also detected in patients with depression which was associated with symptom improvement.
Luca et al. compared the prevalence of depression and sleep disturbances in patients with mild versus moderate-severe plaque psoriasis. The frequency of depression and sleep disturbances is high in psoriatic patients. The authors conclude that the association between psychophathological disturbances and psoriasis should not be underestimated.
Siegfried Kasper, MD
Chief Editor
[email protected]