Dimensions Of Psychopathology Research Articles

Understanding general and specific associations between cyberbullying and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents: a latent dimensional approach.

Cyberbullying (perpetration and victimization) is a prevalent public health problem associated with a wide variety of psychopathological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, delinquent behaviors, and substance use). However, the generality and specificity of relations between cyberbullying involvement and psychopathological symptoms have not been investigated. Thus, the current study used a latent dimensional approach to examine how cyberbullying (perpetration and victimization) is associated with underlying dimensions of psychopathology as well as with specific symptoms. General and specific associations were estimated by a series of structural equation models with data from 654 Chinese adolescents (52.4% girls, Mage = 12.96years, SD = 0.67) in a three-wave study. Results indicated that cyberbullying (perpetration and victimization) was significantly and positively associated with latent internalizing and externalizing dimensions. Cyberbullying involvement was non-significantly associated with most specific symptom domains after accounting for the impact of the latent internalizing and externalizing factors. In a few cases, cyberbullying involvement was directly and uniquely associated with specific symptoms. Findings of significant general and symptom-specific associations have important implications for efforts to develop more efficient and targeted strategies for preventing and treating mental health problems associated with cyberbullying.

Engagement in a structured physical activity program and its effects upon health-related quality of life in elderly women: An observational study.

Aging is a complex process associated with an impairment in functional capacity and low health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to a high frequency of chronic diseases in the elderly population. Regular physical activity (PA) may limit some physiological effects of sedentary lifestyle and increase life expectancy. An observational was conducted to measure the HRQoL among older adults living in the community, by comparing a convenience sample of elderly females practicing a structured program of PA from 2 to 3 times per week in 60-min sessions (i.e., active females, AFs) to a sample of participants adopting lifestyle behaviors expending little energy (i.e., sedentary females, SFs). A validated questionnaire (the RAND 36-item) was used as outcome measure. All participants were assessed in terms of cognitive status (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA) to exclude mild cognitive impairment, divided attention/executive functioning (Trail Making Test, Stroop Test) and psychopathological dimensions of anxiety (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, GAI), and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS). Non-parametric analysis revealed that AFs and SFs differed significantly in the RAND Energy/Fatigue (E/F), Emotional Wellbeing (EW), and Social Functioning (SoF), that was however influenced by education level. Moreover, E/F and EW were negatively associated to anxiety and depression, while SoF was influenced by divided attention. PA results in a healthful behavior for combating feelings of fatigue and low energy as well as emotional distress that can affect health status perception in older women.

Cognitive Dysfunctions Measured with the MCCB in Deficit and Non-Deficit Schizophrenia

This study compared cognitive domains between deficit schizophrenia (DS) and non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients and healthy controls (HC), analyzing relationships between psychopathological dimensions and cognitive domains. A total of 29 DS patients, 45 NDS patients, and 39 HC subjects participated. Cognitive domains were measured using the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Battery. Psychopathological symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Clinical groups performed poorer than HC groups in regards to speed of processing, attention/vigilance, working memory, verbal and visual learning and memory, reasoning and problem solving, and social cognition. DS patients scored poorer than NDS patients in terms of all cognitive domains and the overall score, except for reasoning and problem solving. Positive, negative, disorganization, and resistance symptoms were related to cognitive functions only in NDS patients. Our findings suggest that the MCCB battery is sensitive to detecting cognitive dysfunctions in both deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia.

Smartwatch digital phenotypes predict positive and negative symptom variation in a longitudinal monitoring study of patients with psychotic disorders.

Monitoring biometric data using smartwatches (digital phenotypes) provides a novel approach for quantifying behavior in patients with psychiatric disorders. We tested whether such digital phenotypes predict changes in psychopathology of patients with psychotic disorders. We continuously monitored digital phenotypes from 35 patients (20 with schizophrenia and 15 with bipolar spectrum disorders) using a commercial smartwatch for a period of up to 14 months. These included 5-min measures of total motor activity from an accelerometer (TMA), average Heart Rate (HRA) and heart rate variability (HRV) from a plethysmography-based sensor, walking activity (WA) measured as number of total steps per day and sleep/wake ratio (SWR). A self-reporting questionnaire (IPAQ) assessed weekly physical activity. After pooling phenotype data, their monthly mean and variance was correlated within each patient with psychopathology scores (PANSS) assessed monthly. Our results indicate that increased HRA during wakefulness and sleep correlated with increases in positive psychopathology. Besides, decreased HRV and increase in its monthly variance correlated with increases in negative psychopathology. Self-reported physical activity did not correlate with changes in psychopathology. These effects were independent from demographic and clinical variables as well as changes in antipsychotic medication dose. Our findings suggest that distinct digital phenotypes derived passively from a smartwatch can predict variations in positive and negative dimensions of psychopathology of patients with psychotic disorders, over time, providing ground evidence for their potential clinical use.

Emotion-related impulsivity across transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology.

Several dimensions have received attention for their potential role in explaining shared variance in transdiagnostic symptoms of psychopathology. We hypothesized emotion-related impulsivity, the trait-like tendency toward difficulty restraining responses to emotion, would relate to symptoms of psychopathology, with two separable dimensions of emotion-related impulsivity relating distinctly to internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Across two studies, we tested hypotheses using structural equation models of emotion-related impulsivity and multiple indicators of internalizing, externalizing, and thought symptoms. In Study 1 (658 undergraduates), emotion-related impulsivity was highly correlated with the general psychopathology (p) factor. In study 2 (421 Mechanical Turk participants), models did not support a general p factor; however, we replicated the hypothesized associations of emotion-related impulsivity dimensions with internalizing and externalizing factors. Across both studies, forms of emotion-related impulsivity uniquely and differentially related to internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Findings indicate emotion-related impulsivity may help explain transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology, such as the p factor.

Body modifications in borderline personality disorder patients: prevalence rates, link with non-suicidal self-injury, and related psychopathology

BackgroundBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a potentially severe personality disorder, characterized by difficulties in emotion regulation and control of behaviors. It is often associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Borderline personality features have also been linked to body modifications (BMs). However, the prevalence of BMs, the link between BMs and NSSI, and between BMs and several psychopathology dimensions (e.g. borderline severity, emotion regulation, impulsivity …) remains understudied in patients with BPD. This study aims to fill this gap, and to provide further evidence on the link between NSSI and BMs.MethodsWe used data from a psychiatric outpatient center located in Switzerland (n = 116), specialized in the assessment and treatment of BPD patients. Patients underwent several semi-structured interviews and self-report psychometric scales at the arrival, and the data were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsWe found that 70.69% of the patients had one piercing or more, and 69.83% were tattooed. The total score of body modifications and the total number of piercings score of piercings were significantly positively associated with NSSI and the SCID BPD total score. The association with the SCID score was mainly driven by the “suicide and self-damaging behaviors” item and the “chronic feeling of emptiness” item. A significant association was found between total number of piercings and emotion dysregulation. On the other hand, the self-reported percentage of body covered by tattoos score was specifically associated with the sensation seeking subscale of the UPPS-P.ConclusionThis study provides evidence on the prevalence of BMs in BPD patients, and on the link between BMs and NSSI in this population, suggesting a role of emotion regulation in the link between both constructs. These results also suggests that tattoos and piercings may be differentially linked to specific underlying psychological mechanisms. This calls for further considerations of body modifications in the assessment and care of BPD patients.

Executive Functions and Psychopathology Dimensions in Deficit and Non-Deficit Schizophrenia

This study: (a) compared executive functions between deficit (DS) and non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients and healthy controls (HC), controlling premorbid IQ and level of education; (b) compared executive functions in DS and NDS patients, controlling premorbid IQ and psychopathological symptoms; and (c) estimated relationships between clinical factors, psychopathological symptoms, and executive functions using structural equation modelling. Participants were 29 DS patients, 44 NDS patients, and 39 HC. Executive functions were measured with the Mazes Subtest, Spatial Span Subtest, Letter Number Span Test, Color Trail Test, and Berg Card Sorting Test. Psychopathological symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Brief Negative Symptom Scale, and Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms. Compared to HC, both clinical groups performed poorer on cognitive flexibility, DS patients on verbal working memory, and NDS patients on planning. DS and NDS patients did not differ in executive functions, except planning, after controlling premorbid IQ and negative psychopathological symptoms. In DS patients, exacerbation had an effect on verbal working memory and cognitive planning; in NDS patients, positive symptoms had an effect on cognitive flexibility. Both DS and NDS patients presented deficits, affecting the former to a greater extent. Nonetheless, clinical variables appeared to significantly affect these deficits.

Peripersonal space plasticity, Self-disorders and intersubjectivity in patients with early-onset and adult-onset schizophrenia

Introduction In schizophrenia, there is evidence for anomalies in the extension and plasticity of the peripersonal space (PPS), the portion of space surrounding our body, plastically shaped through motor experiences. An impaired multisensory integration at the PPS level would underpin the disembodiment, a core feature of the disorder linked to subjective perturbations of the sense of self (“Self-disorders”) and of the intersubjective dimension (“schizophrenic autism”). Objectives The present study was aimed at: 1) exploring possible associations between PPS data, psychopathological dimensions, and subjective experiences in schizophrenia; 2) identifying a specific PPS profile in patients with early-onset schizophrenia. Methods A motor training with a tool was used to assess the PPS size and boundaries demarcation in twenty-seven schizophrenia outpatients. Moreover, they underwent a thorough psychopathological evaluation with the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Examination of Anomalous Self Experience scale (EASE) and the Autism Rating Scale (ARS). Subsequently, the sample was divided into early (EOS) and adult-onset (AOS) subgroups, that were compared with respect to their PPS and psychopathological profiles. Results PPS features (size and boundaries demarcation) were associated with PANSS negative score, subjective experiences of existential reorientation (EASE Domain 5 scores) and traits of schizophrenic autism (ARS scores; Fig. 1). PPS parameters (Fig. 2) and ARS scores, but not PANSS and EASE differentiated between early and adult-onset subgroups. Image: Image 2: Conclusions Our results suggest a link between PPS patterns, negative symptoms, and disturbances of the subjective experience, particularly in the intersubjective domain, in schizophrenia. Moreover, they candidate specific PPS profiles and schizophrenic autism traits as EOS markers. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Temporal relationships between latent symptoms in psychosis: a longitudinal experience sampling methodology study

IntroductionA variety of dimensions of psychopathology are observed in psychosis. However, the validation of clinical assessment scales, and their latent variable structure, is often derived from cross-sectional rather than longitudinal data, limiting our understanding of how variables interact and reinforce one another.ObjectivesUsing experience sampling methodology (ESM) and analytic approaches optimised for longitudinal data, we assess potential latent variables of commonly-reported symptoms in psychosis, and explore the temporal relationship between them.MethodsN=36 participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder provided data for up to one year, as part of the Sleepsight study. Using a smartphone app, participants self-reported clinical symptoms once daily for a mean duration of 323 days (SD: 88), with a response rate of 69%. Symptoms were rated using seven-point Likert scale items. Items included symptoms traditionally implicated in psychosis (feeling “cheerful”, “anxious”, “relaxed”, “irritable”, “sad”, “in control”, “stressed”, “suspicious”, “trouble concentrating”, “preoccupied by thoughts”, “others dislike me”, “confused”, “others influence my thoughts” and “unusual sights and sounds”). We used a sparse PCA (SPCA) model to identify latent variables in the longitudinal data. SPCA has previously been applied to longitudinal ESM data, and was developed to achieve a compromise between the explained variance and the interpretability of the principal components. We then used a multistage exploratory and confirmatory differential time-varying effect model (DTVEM) to explore the temporal relationship between the latent variables. DTVEM generates a standardised β coefficient reflecting the strength of relationship between variables across multiple time lags. Only significant lags (p<0.05) are reported here.ResultsThe SPCA analysis identified five latent variables, explaining 61.4% of the total variance. Tentative interpretation of the SPCA loadings suggested these latent variables corresponded to i) cognitive symptoms, ii) feeling in-control, iii) thought interference and perceptual disturbance, iv) irritability and stress and v) paranoia. Time lag analysis revealed an effect of feeling in-control on subsequent cognitive symptoms (β=-0.19), and of cognitive symptoms on subsequent thought interference and perceptual disturbance (β=0.14). Irritability and stress was also associated with subsequent cognitive symptoms (β=0.09).ConclusionsUsing longitudinal data, we employ novel methodology to identify potential latent symptoms among commonly reported symptoms in psychosis. We identify five latent symptoms, and elucidate important temporal relationships between them. These findings may inform our understanding of the psychopathology of psychosis, potentially offering data-driven simplification of clinical assessment and novel insights for future research.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Implications of the Symptom-Level Overlap Among DSM Diagnoses for Dimensions of Psychopathology

Research on the patterns of covariation among mental disorders has proliferated, as summarized in the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP). The aim of this brief descriptive study was to examine whether the repetition of symptoms among DSM-5 diagnoses is likely to be inflating the surface similarity of diagnoses in a way that artificially reinforces the dimensions that emerge when modelling patterns of disorder covariation or comorbidity. Specifically, the symptoms comprising the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for all disorders covered by the HiTOP framework were examined for patterns of overlap that mirror the patterns of disorder covariation captured in HiTOP dimensions. I found that 358 pairs of the DSM-5 diagnoses covered by the HiTOP framework had one or more overlapping symptoms in their diagnostic criteria, and that a third (n = 130; 34%) of the unique constituent symptoms reinforced the higher-order structure of HiTOP through repetition within dimensions and/or between dimensions in the same superspectrum. By contrast, 86% of the possible pairs of diagnoses did not have any shared symptoms, and the majority of the symptoms (n = 222; 58%) did not influence the structure through repetition. Further, a fifth (n = 71; 19%) of the symptoms worked against the HiTOP structure by increasing the surface similarity of diagnoses under different subfactors, spectra, and superspectra. Overall, while patterns of symptom-level overlap do not appear strong enough to account for the emergence of HiTOP dimensions, these patterns do seem likely to inflate the similarity and consequent covariation of some DSM-5 diagnoses. Research on the statistical structure of psychopathology that uses DSM-5 diagnostic constructs should account for this potential source of bias.

Youth Team Sports Participation Associates With Reduced Dimensional Psychopathology Through Interaction With Biological Risk Factors

BackgroundPhysical activity is associated with mental health benefits in youth. Here, we used causal inference and triangulation with 2 levels of biology to substantiate relationships between sports participation and dimensional psychopathology in youths. MethodsBaseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which recruited children from 9 to 10 years of age across the United States, were included in multilevel regression models to assess relationships between lifetime participation in team sports (TS), individual sports, and nonsports activities and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores. We calculated polygenic risk scores for 8 psychiatric disorders to assess interactions with sports exposure on CBCL scores among European descendants. Following rigorous quality control, FreeSurfer-extracted brain magnetic resonance imaging structural data were examined for mediation of CBCL–activities relationships. ResultsAmong those with complete data (N = 10,411), causal estimates using inverse probability weighting associated lifetime TS exposure with a 1.05-point reduction in CBCL total (95% CI, −1.54 to −0.56, p < .0001) a relationship that was specific to TS and strengthened with more years of exposure. Associations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder polygenic loading with CBCL total weakened in European children with TS exposure (n = 4041; beta = −0.93, SE = 0.38, p = .013). Furthermore, TS participation and lower CBCL each associated with increased subcortical volumes (n = 8197). Subcortical volume mediated 5.5% of TS effects on CBCL total. ConclusionsOur findings support prior associations of TS participation with lower psychopathology in youths through additional studies that demonstrate specificity, dose response, and coherence across 2 levels of biology. Longitudinal studies that further clarify causal relationships may justify interventional studies of TS for high-risk youth.

Psychopathological mediators between insecure attachment and psychotic features in a non-clinical sample: the role of depression and interpersonal sensitivity.

Attachment styles represent a personality pattern critical to psychological health, with insecure attachment being a central factor in developing psychopathological characteristics of psychosis. However, its downstream psychopathological pathways remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the putative psychopathological mediators in the relationship between insecure attachment and psychotic features in a non-clinical sample of university students. We recruited two non-clinical samples for a total of 978 subjects, 324 males and 654 females, and administered the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) to assess attachment styles and the Symptom Check-List 90 (SCL-90) to assess psychopathological symptoms. Moreover, the Paranoia and Psychoticism subscales of SCL-90 were combined and used as a measure of Psychosis (PSY). A mediation analysis model was carried out to establish the relationship among variables. Mediation analysis showed a total effect from RQ-Preoccupied and RQ-Fearful to PSY, respectively, 0.31 and 0.28. Direct effects from the SCL-90-R factor candidate mediator to PSY ranged from 0.51 for somatization to 0.72 for depression and 0.72 for interpersonal sensitivity. Indirect effects ranged from 0.08 for RQ-Preoccupied via hostility to 0.21 for RQ-Preoccupied via depression. Our results show that the effect of insecure attachment on psychosis features is differentially mediated by some psychopathological dimensions, being depression and interpersonal sensitivity the most relevant ones. PSY feature, therefore, is predicted by other specific symptoms in the psychological context of insecure primary relationships. From a preventive and clinical point of view, our results could be relevant in informing the early-stage psychological treatment of pre-psychotic states and, in general, people experiencing sub-threshold psychotic symptoms.

State and trait dissociation in pathological skin picking

Dissociative experiences like trance or depersonalization may play a prominent role in pathological skin picking (PSP). However, trait and state dissociation and their relation to skin picking have hardly been studied in those with PSP. By means of an anonymous online survey, we recruited 323 adults with PSP defined by Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R) scores ≥ 7 as well as Skin Picking Impact Scale (SPIS) scores ≥ 7. Participants were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale-Taxon (DES-T) to determine trait dissociation as well as the modified Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ) to assess state dissociation during a typical episode of PSP. Sixty-three participants (19.5%) were assigned to the pathological dissociative taxon, that is, were high in trait dissociation. State dissociation during episodes of skin picking was reported by 221 individuals (68.4%) with the feeling of being on “automatic pilot” (49.6%) and alterations in time perception (33.1%) being the most frequent phenomena. Both trait and state dissociation were significantly associated with skin picking-related impairment, but effect sizes were small. Dissociation conceived as trait and state might be an important psychopathological dimension in skin picking. Its systematic detection and recognition may hold therapeutic implications as dissociation is a negative predictor of treatment outcome.

Hypnotic analgesia in chronic pain: role of psychopathology and alexithymia

ABSTRACT Although the belief that hypnotizability is a mental dysfunction has been refuted over time, there is still research today that seeks to explore and clarify this preconception. The results of recent research indicate that, on the contrary, greater psychopathology is more frequent in subjects with low hypnotic susceptibility. Using the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale type A (SHSS-A) for hypnotizability, Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R) for psychopathology, and the Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) for psychosomatic dimensions, we found no relationship between baseline psychopathology, alexithymia and hypnotizability in 69 subjects with chronic pain in this retrospective observational study. Psychopathology did not affect the 2-month outcomes of hypnotic suggestions for pain in terms of either pain (assess using Italian Pain Questionnaire), anxiety or depression (assessed through Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) scores. Furthermore, i) no relationships were found between hypnotizability and degree of either psychopathology or alexithymia, definitively eliminating any doubts about the belief that hypnosis is a mental dysfunction; ii) only single hypnotic phenomena (SHSS-A) could be linked to some psychopathological dimensions; iii) analgesia suggestions also acted on anxiety and depression; and iv) the use of hypnotic suggestions for analgesia revealed a close relationship between improvements in sensorial and evaluative dimensions of pain and mitigation of anxiety. Hypnosis thereby seems to be a powerful tool in psychosomatic medicine whose effects on mind and body are inextricably linked.

Genetic contributions to transdiagnostic symptom dimensions in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZ) exhibit considerable phenotypic and genetic overlap. However, the contribution of genetic factors to their shared psychopathological symptom dimensions remains unclear. The present exploratory study investigated genetic contributions to the symptom dimensions “Depression”, “Negative syndrome”, “Positive formal thought disorder”, “Paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome”, and “Increased appetite” in a transdiagnostic subset of the German FOR2107 cohort (n = 1042 patients with MDD, BD, or SZ). As replication cohort, a subset of the German/Austrian PsyCourse study (n = 816 patients with MDD, BD, or SZ) was employed. First, the relationship between symptom dimensions and common variants associated with MDD, BD, and SZ was investigated via polygenic risk score (PRS) association analyses, with disorder-specific PRS as predictors and symptom dimensions as outcomes. In the FOR2107 study sample, PRS for BD and SZ were positively associated with “Positive formal thought disorder”, the PRS for SZ was positively associated with “Paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome”, and the PRS for BD was negatively associated with “Depression”. The effects of PRS for SZ were replicated in PsyCourse. No significant associations were observed for the MDD PRS. Second, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed for the five symptom dimensions. No genome-wide significant associations and no replicable suggestive associations (p < 1e−6 in the GWAS) were identified. In summary, our results suggest that, similar to diagnostic categories, transdiagnostic psychiatric symptom dimensions are attributable to polygenic contributions with small effect sizes. Further studies in larger thoroughly phenotyped psychiatric cohorts are required to elucidate the genetic factors that shape psychopathological symptom dimensions.

The relationship between individual symptom connectivity and global eating disorder symptom severity.

The network approach has emerged as a useful framework for conceptualizing and investigating psychopathology, including eating disorders. Network connectivity, that is, the density of the connections among network nodes, has been somewhat neglected despite its theoretical relevance. As predicted by network theory, symptom connectivity would be distinct but related to symptom severity and may be a useful clinical indicator of psychopathology as stronger and/or more diffuse connections among symptoms offer more avenues for symptom activation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between moment-by-moment individual-level symptom connectivity and global levels of symptom severity in the context of eating disorder symptoms and experiences. A sample of 58 female undergraduate college students, mean (SD) age=20.5 (3.1) provided data on eating disorder symptoms eight times a day over the course of 10 days. Network analyses were used to calculate the eating disorder symptoms network connectivity for each participant. In addition, participants completed survey of self-report measures of eating disorder symptom severity and trait mindfulness and body image flexibility. Analyses revealed a moderate, positive relationship between individual network connectivity and eating disorder symptom severity. In addition, symptom connectivity predicted unique variance of symptom severity even after controlling for other clinically-relevant variables. Individual-level network connectivity may be an important dimension of psychopathology and further work exploring the role of network connectivity is warranted. These findings suggest that symptom severity and the extent to which different eating disorder symptoms are connected are related but different dimensions. Investigating how these different dimensions play a role in eating disorder pathology could help to better understand and treat these disorders.

Hippocampal and amygdala volumes vary with transdiagnostic psychopathological dimensions of distress, anxious arousal, and trauma

Reduced hippocampal and/or amygdala volumes have been reported in patients with a variety of different anxiety diagnoses, suggesting that structural alterations may vary transdiagnostically across the internalizing disorders. The current study measured hippocampal and amygdala volumes in anxiety and mood disorder patients assessing differences that vary dimensionally with transdiagnostic factors of distress, anxious arousal, and trauma, based on a principal components analysis of questionnaires relating to symptomology. High-resolution structural images were collected in a sample of 165 patients, and volumes extracted from the hippocampal formation (including CA1, CA2/3, CA4/DG, subiculum, and molecular layer) and the amygdala. Transdiagnostically, increasing distress was associated with reduced hippocampal CA1 volume, increasing anxious arousal was associated with reduced hippocampal CA4/DG volume, and increasing trauma severity was associated with reduced amygdala volume in women. Taken together, the data indicate that subcortical brain volumes decrease as the severity of transdiagnostic psychopathological symptomology increases.

Development and validation of the Symptomatic Transdiagnostic Test (S2T)

IntroductionThe categorical approach in psychiatry has received many criticisms. Modern research tends to develop a transdiagnostic approach. However, transdiagnostic works lack an overall understanding and focus mainly on anxiety and depression. The aim of the present study was to develop an easy to use tool to evaluate multiple dimensions opening the way for further research in the transdiagnostic approach. This will allow researchers to quickly assess the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions on multiple psychopathological dimensions. MethodFirst, we identified the main symptoms of psychopathology in a sample of mental healthcare workers. Second, we developed the Symptomatic Transdiagnostic Test (S2T) to assess the main symptoms of psychopathology. Third, we evaluated its psychometric properties (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency) in three non-clinical samples and one clinical sample. ResultsThe 66-item S2T included eleven factors referring to: i) negative thoughts and mood; ii) psycho-traumatic and maladaptive symptoms; iii) addiction symptoms; iv) disturbed eating behavior; v) disturbed perception and behavior; vi) panic and agoraphobia; vii) emotional lability; viii) dejection; ix) neurodevelopmental manifestations; x) anxiety and xi) psychic hyperactivity. We found a high internal consistency for the general scale (α=0.96) and the subscales. We found a good concurrent validity. As expected, we found higher levels of symptoms within the clinical population as compared to the non-clinical samples, except for addiction symptoms and disrupted eating behavior. We found negative associations between the symptomatic dimensions and psychological skills. ConclusionThe S2T is a relevant tool for clinicians and researchers to assess the psychopathological profile. The main psychopathological symptoms are negatively related to the psychological skills.

The Impact of Affective Temperaments on Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors: Results from an Observational Multicentric Study on Patients with Mood Disorders.

Suicide ideation and behaviors are major health issues in the field of mental health. Several psychological and psychosocial factors have been taken into account as possible predictors of suicidality. Only recently affective temperaments have been considered as possible factors linked to suicide. This study aims to investigate the relationship between affective temperaments and suicidality, including the lifetime onset of suicide ideation, lifetime presence of suicide attempts and the total number of lifetime suicide attempts. This is a naturalistic multicentric observational study, involving outpatient units of seven University sites in Italy. Patients were administered with the short version of TEMPS-M and the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. A total of 653 participants were recruited, with a diagnosis of bipolar (55.7%), unipolar (35.8%) and cyclothymic disorder (8.4%). Regression models showed that the presence of lifetime suicide behaviors was increased in patients presenting trait related impulsivity (p &lt; 0.0001), poor free-interval functioning (p &lt; 0.05), higher number of affective episodes (p &lt; 0.01), higher number of hospitalizations (p &lt; 0.0001), cyclothymic and irritable affective temperaments (p &lt; 0.05 and p &lt; 0.05, respectively). Conversely, the presence of hyperthymic affective disposition reduced the likelihood of having suicidal behaviors (p &lt; 0.01). Lifetime suicidal ideation was associated with trait-related impulsivity (p &lt; 0.001), poor free-interval functioning (p &lt; 0.05), higher number of affective episodes (p &lt; 0.001) and of hospitalizations (p &lt; 0.001). Depressive temperaments increased the likelihood of presenting suicidal ideation (p &lt; 0.05), along with irritable temperaments (p &lt; 0.01), contrary to hyperthymic affective (p &lt; 0.05). Results of the present study confirm that affective disposition has a significant impact on the onset of suicidal ideation and behaviors, and that affective dispositions should be assessed in clinical settings to identify people at risk of suicide. Moreover, a wider clinical evaluation, including different clinical psychopathological dimensions, should be taken into consideration to develop effective preventive interventions.

Psychopathological networks in psychosis: Changes over time and clinical relevance. A long-term cohort study of first-episode psychosis

BackgroundFirst-episode psychosis is a critical period for early interventions to reduce the risk of poor outcomes and relapse as much as possible. However, uncertainties about the long-term outcomes of symptomatology remain to be ascertained. MethodsThe aim of the present study was to use network analysis to investigate first-episode and long-term stages of psychosis at three levels of analysis: micro, meso and macro. The sample was a cohort of 510 patients with first-episode psychoses from the SEGPEP study, who were reassessed at the long-term follow-up (n = 243). We used the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History for their assessments and lifetime outcome variables of clinical relevance. ResultsOur results showed a similar pattern of clustering between first episodes and long-term follow-up in seven psychopathological dimensions at the micro level, 3 and 4 dimensions at the meso level, and one at the macro level. They also revealed significant differences between first-episode and long-term network structure and centrality measures at the three levels, showing that disorganization symptoms have more influence in long-term stabilized patients. ConclusionsOur findings suggest a relative clustering invariance at all levels, with the presence of two domains of disorganization as the most notorious difference over time at micro level. The severity of disorganization at the follow-up was associated with a more severe course of the psychosis. Moreover, a relative stability in global strength of the interconnections was found, even though the network structure varied significantly in the long-term follow-up. The macro level was helpful in the integration of all dimensions into a common psychopathology factor, and in unveiling the strong relationships of psychopathological dimensions with lifetime outcomes, such as negative with poor functioning, disorganization with high antipsychotic dose-years, and delusions with poor adherence to treatment. These results add evidence to the hierarchical, dimensional and longitudinal structure of psychopathological symptoms and their clinical relevance in first-episode psychoses.