Mental Disorders Research Articles

Meta-analyses of epigenetic age acceleration and GrimAge components of schizophrenia or first-episode psychosis.

Schizophrenia is a common chronic psychiatric disorder that causes age-related dysfunction. The life expectancy in patients with schizophrenia is ≥10 years shorter than that in the general population because of the higher risk of other diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. Aging studies based on DNA methylation status have received considerable attention. Several epigenetic age accelerations and predicted values of aging-related proteins (GrimAge and GrimAge2 components) have been analyzed in multiple diseases. However, no studies have investigated up to GrimAge and GrimAge2 components between patients with schizophrenia and controls. Therefore, we aimed to conduct multiple regression analyses to investigate the association between schizophrenia and epigenetic age accelerations and GrimAge and GrimAge2 components in seven cohorts. Furthermore, we included patients with first-episode psychosis whose illness duration was often shorter than schizophrenia in our analysis. We integrated these results with meta-analyses, noting the acceleration of GrimAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE, and increase in adrenomedullin, beta-2 microglobulin, cystatin C, and plasminogen activation inhibitor-1 levels, in patients with schizophrenia or first-episode psychosis. These results corroborated the finding that patients with schizophrenia had an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive dysfunction from a biological perspective. Patients with schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis showed differences in the results when compared with controls. Such analyses may lead to the development of novel therapeutic targets to patients with schizophrenia or relevant diseases from the perspective of aging in the future.

Interactive effects of ARRB2 and CHRNA5 genetic polymorphisms on cognitive function in Chinese male methamphetamine use disorder patients.

Both β-arrestin2 and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) have been implicated in cognitive processes, particularly in relation to psychiatric disorders, including addiction. Previous studies have suggested that nAChR may be regulated by β-arrestin2. However, no study has investigated the interaction of β-arrestin2 and nAChR on cognition. We aimed to examine the main and interactive effects of their respective encoding genes, ARRB2 and CHRNA5, on cognitive function in MUD patients. We recruited 559 patients with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) and 459 healthy controls, assessed their cognitive functioning using the Chinese version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and genotyped ARRB2 rs1045280 and CHRNA5 rs3829787 polymorphisms in MUD patients. Compared to healthy controls, MUD patients scored significantly lower on all RBANS indexes. Neither ARRB2 rs1045280 nor CHRNA5 rs3829787 had main effects on cognitive function in MUD patients, but there were significant interactive effects between the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on multiple RBANS indexes, including immediate memory, visuospatial/constructional, delayed memory, and total score. In detail, among carriers of CHRNA5 rs3829787 T allele, ARRB2 rs1045280 TT carriers had higher RBANS scores than the C allele carriers, whereas among carriers of CHRNA5 rs3829787 CC genotype, ARRB2 rs1045280 TT carriers performed worse in RBANS. Our study identified for the first time an interactive effect between ARRB2 and CHRNA5 on cognitive function in MUD patients, which would enlarge our knowledge of genetic interaction on cognitive function.

Delineating the psychiatric morbidity spectrum in congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a population-based registry study.

Clinical studies of psychiatric morbidity in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) imply impaired mental health. To delineate psychiatric morbidity in a national CAH cohort by using complete data on psychiatric diagnoses from all Danish hospitals between 1977-2018 and on all psychiatric medication prescribed between 1995-2018. A registry-based cohort study. A public uniform healthcare system. Four-hundred-forty-eight patients (females: n=215) with CAH, hereof 410 with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) (females: n=255) and 44,527 age- and sex-matched general population controls. Diagnoses were analyzed by negative binomial regression yielding incidence rate ratios (IRR). Medication were analyzed by Cox regression yielding hazard ratios (HR). 21-OHD was associated with an increased risk of any psychiatric diagnosis; females: IRR=2.32 (confidence interval (CI) (1.48-3.64), males: IRR=2.74 (CI 1.31-5.71) as well as of medication related to psychiatric disorders; females: HR=1.74 (CI 1.42-2.13), males: HR=1.74 (CI1.30-2.33). Both females and males with 21-OHD had a significantly increased risk of alcohol use, stress- and adjustment disorders, and of suicidal behavior. For patients with more rare forms of CAH (n=24), the risk of any psychiatric diagnosis was significantly increased for males, IRR=12.85 (CI 1.78-92.87), but not for females, IRR=0.54 (CI 0.10-3.00). The risk of being prescribed psychiatric medication was not increased for neither females, HR=1.05 (CI 0.39-2.84), or males, HR=0.72 (CI 0.10-5.13), with rare forms of CAH. 21-OHD is associated with a significantly increased psychiatric morbidity. This study underlines a need for awareness of mental health in patients with 21-OHD.

Cross-cultural validation of the Clinician-Administered PTSD scale for DSM-5, child and adolescent version in Japan

ABSTRACT Background: The establishment of a formal diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for children and adolescents is the foundation for advancing pertinent clinical research and formulating proper treatment and management. However, a validated diagnostic tool for PTSD in children and adolescents is lacking in Japan. Objective: To examine the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the Japanese Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), child and adolescent version (CAPS-CA-5-J). Method: Overall, 73 children who had experienced potentially traumatic events were recruited from three medical facilities. The linguistically validated CAPS-CA-5-J was conducted by trained psychiatrists and psychologists. Additionally, children and their caretakers completed questionnaires such as the UCLA PTSD reaction index for DSM-5 (PTSD-RI-5), Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRDC), and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); 16 participants were randomly selected for the inter-rater reliability assessment. Results: Owing to missing values in the CAPS-CA-5-J and PTSD-RI-5, 68 children were included in the final analysis. Regarding reliability, the CAPS-CA-5-J showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.90) and interrater agreement (kappa coefficient = 0.88). Convergent validity was supported by a strong correlation between the total severity scale of the CAPS-CA-5-J and the PTSD-RI-5 scores (Pearson’s correlation coefficient = 0.82). Divergent validity was indicated by a moderate correlation between the CAPS-CA-5-J and DSRDC, and no correlation was found with the SDQ scores. Conclusions: This study is the first to validate a structured clinical interview for children and adolescents with PTSD in Japan. The psychometric properties of the CAPS-CA-5-J were good enough and comparable to those reported in previous validation studies. Therefore, the CAPS-CA-5-J can be considered reliable and valid for use in Japan.

Depression in patients with chronic otolaryngology symptoms - A vicious cycle.

Depression is a common comorbidity among individuals with otolaryngologic disorders, particularly those with longstanding conditions. This study aims at analysing the sociodemographic profile of depressive disorders in patients with chronic otolaryngology symptoms or conditions, and the correlation with PHQ-9 score. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a hundred patients presenting to the outpatient department with chronic otolaryngology symptoms or conditions. They were requested to fill in the PHQ-9 questionnaire, containing questions based on the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for major depressive disorder (MDD). Median age was 39, male: female ratio was 1.17. Nasal obstruction (29%), ear discharge (25%), and headache (17%) were the common presenting complaints. Mean and median PHQ-9 scores were 5.03 and 4 respectively. Seven patients (7%) had MDD, while eleven (11%) had other depressive disorder; 9% of cases were found to have no significant otolaryngologic problem despite presenting with symptoms, two of which were found to have depressive disorder. Thirty-five (35%) and thirty-six (36%) patients had minimal and mild depressive symptoms respectively, while one (1%) had severe depressive symptoms. Statistical significance was noted for the duration of symptoms (p-value 0.005); high statistical significance was found for occupation and otolaryngology diagnosis (p-value < 0.001 each). PHQ-9 score showed statistical significance in comparison with gender and duration of symptoms (p-value 0.046 and 0.005 respectively). Correlation of severity of depressive disorder revealed statistical significance with gender (p-value 0.049) and high statistical significance with duration of symptoms (p-value < 0.001). Chronic otolaryngology conditions are associated with significant morbidity, attributable to longstanding disturbing symptoms and prolonged treatment protocols, leading to depression. Nevertheless, depression in chronic otolaryngology disorders may aggravate or overlap the clinical symptoms or may go undetected. Hence it may be worthwhile to evaluate for depressive disorders in chronic patients presenting to otolaryngology.

Psychological outpatient follow-up after hospitalization for adolescent acute alcohol intoxication.

The findings of this study demonstrate that a preventive program following acute alcohol intoxication contributes to the reduction of adolescent alcohol use and associated risk-taking behaviours. • Earlier studies showed that adolescents with problematic alcohol use reported reduced alcohol consumption and fewer alcohol-related problems after participating in a motivational interviewing intervention compared to standard care. • During the follow-up assessment of adolescents with acute alcohol intoxication it is possible to signalize mental disorders and to determine whether the patient requires referral to specialized mental healthcare. • These findings suggest that the preventive program had a short-term impact in reducing alcohol consumption among adolescents with acute alcohol intoxication, as well as a long-term impact in reducing binge-drinking behaviours. • The program's success in mitigating binge-drinking behaviours aligns with its goals of promoting safer drinking habits among adolescents.

Abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis and impaired social recognition memory in two neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by cognitive impairments, specifically deficits in social recognition memory (SRM). Abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in these deficits. Due to the pathogenetic heterogeneity of schizophrenia, studying the hippocampal neurogenesis and SRM in two models with prenatal and postnatal defects could enhance our understanding of the developmental aspects of the biological susceptibility to schizophrenia. Here, we examined SRM and hippocampal neurogenesis in two developmental models of schizophrenia: gestational exposure to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) and postweaning social isolation (SI). Our findings revealed that gestational MAM exposure induced a decay of social memory while postweaning SI led to impaired social memory formation and decay. In both models, we observed a correlation between impaired SRM and reduced number, and abnormal differentiation and less complex morphology of hippocampal neurons. These results indicate that aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis may contribute to the deficits of SRM in both models, and these abnormalities may be a shared underlying pathogenic factor in developmental models of schizophrenia, regardless of prenatal and postnatal pathogenesis.

Systemic Psychotherapy: An Introduction to Its Theoretical Foundations and Clinical Practice.

Systemic therapy (ST) was approved as a further psychotherapy approach in line with the German Psychotherapy Directive's requirements in 2020 for adults and in 2024 for children and adolescents, and is thus covered by statutory health insurance. Selective literature review on the theoretical foundations and clinical practice of ST, including recent meta-analyses of its efficacy. The theoretical foundations of ST include systems and communication theory, moderate constructivism, the multigenerational perspective, and, in some manuals, the attachment perspective. Structural-strategic family therapy and the solution-focused therapy approach are key elements of its clinical practice. ST is mostly provided in individual or multi-person settings. Important interventions include solution-focused and circular questions, positive reframing, genograms, sculptures, tasks, and prescriptions. Several disorder-specific ST manuals have been developed. The efficacy of ST has been evaluated in 7 recent meta-analyses: ST has been found effective against various disorders, both in adults (affective disorders, anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia/psychotic disorders) and in children and adolescents (anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorders, hyperkinetic disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and mixed disorders). For example, in the treatment of depression in adults, ST was shown to be superior to no add-on treatment (Hedges g: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [0.78; 1.40]). ST broadens the scope of treatment options for mental disorders, with a specific focus on their social context.

Qualitative study of the feasibility and acceptability of implementation, and potential mechanisms of Learning Together for Mental Health, a whole-school intervention aiming to promote mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools.

Despite high rates of adolescent mental-health problems, there are few effective whole-school interventions to address this. Whole-school interventions offer a feasible and sustainable means of promoting mental health. We previously evaluated the Learning Together (LT) intervention which was effective in preventing bullying (primary outcome), promoting mental well-being, psychological functioning, and reducing substance use (secondary outcomes). We adapted LT to develop Learning Together for Mental Health (LTMH) with a new menu of evidence-based actions to address mental health and an enhanced SEL curriculum. We undertook a feasibility study of LTMH, a whole-school intervention featuring needs assessment, student and staff participation in decision-making via action groups selecting actions from an evidence-based menu, restorative practice, and a SEL and resilience skills curriculum between 2022 and 2023. This article examines the feasibility, acceptability, and potential mechanisms of LTMH, qualitatively, drawing on interviews and focus groups with 49 students in years 8 and 10, and 20 staff across four state secondary schools in southern England. The intervention was feasible and acceptable to implement. In terms of feasibility, the SEL curriculum was the most challenging to implement and was not prioritised by schools that had existing social and emotional learning lessons. Training and external facilitation were well-rated. Some schools struggled with the resourcing and workload implications of implementing actions from the evidence-based menu. Some aspects were not clear. Some staff were not aware that the various components worked together. Needs reports were not easy to understand for all. Students were generally supportive of restorative practice and SEL lessons. Data supported a potential mechanism involving increased school belonging and developing practical knowledge and skills to manage emotions and relationships. The intervention has little potential for harm. The intervention is ready for phase III trial with minor adaptations. A phase III trial of effectiveness is justified. ISRCTN15301591 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15301591.

Evaluation of Integrative Medicine in Residency-Psychiatry Curriculum.

This study describes knowledge change, self-assessed confidence in providing integrative medicine approach, and respondents' perspective on value and feasibility for the Integrative Medicine in Residency-Psychiatry (IMR-Psychiatry) curriculum, a 100-h elective offered during psychiatry training. Residents/fellows completed pre-post Medical Knowledge tests and self-assessment instruments tracking self-rated confidence. Participants were also interviewed for feedback about their experience using a semi-structured design after completion of the program. Thirty-five of 37 (94.6%) participants completed all elective requirements. Items on the self-assessment instrument with the greatest positive pre-post change (p < 0.001) included ability to identify authoritative sources about botanicals (Cohen d = 2.15), effectively respond to patients' questions regarding the use of herbs/supplements (Cohen d = 2.67), and interpret labels on nutraceuticals (Cohen d = 2.28). Mean score on the Medical Knowledge test (n = 30) increased from 64.7% correct at pretest to 81.6% at posttest. Responses tracking self-assessed confidence in providing an IM approach to address 18 common medical and psychiatric conditions all increased significantly pre to post (p < 0.001). Qualitative interviews provided important insights into challenges and recommendations for improvement, and all participants highly recommended the curriculum and found it feasible to complete during training. The IMR-Psychiatry curriculum provides trainees skills that promote comprehensive person-centered care; as a tool to optimize patient care and safety while enhancing physician well-being, wider-spread incorporation of the curriculum into psychiatry residency programs would be beneficial.

The Concept of Innate Sexual Priors in the Brain: A Theory on Why We Are Attracted to What We Are Attracted to

AbstractSexuality is an integral part of human nature, yet we know little about its origins and underlying mechanisms. Understanding how the brain processes sexual stimuli is crucial for advancing our knowledge of the origins of sexuality and its variations. Only if a stimulus was internally evaluated as ‘attractive’ the information can progress to evoke sexual desire or arousal. Importantly, such evaluation processes require an internal reference against which external information is compared. These processes, however, remain largely unexplored, and hence we still do not understand why we are attracted to what we are attracted to. By synthesizing the existing literature and integrating existing models, this narrative review proposes a novel neuroscientific framework on sexuality, addressing key theoretical gaps. As a result, the concept of sexual priors in the brain is introduced. Within this framework, sexual priors refer to mental ‘images’ representing a collection of internally stored information of what we regard as sexually attractive. Such mental representations act as reference in early internal evaluation processes of sexual stimuli. It is suggested that sexual priors are (partly) innate and sex-specific, contributing to heterosexuality. Evolutionary aspects that could explain the development of these priors are discussed. Furthermore, the framework provides possible explanations for variations in sexual orientation through potential cross-sex shifts in sexual prior content. The refinement of sexual prior content over time may explain the diversity of sexual interests and attraction patterns among humans. Moreover, the concept can be applied to a variety of psychiatric conditions related to atypical and maladaptive sexual behaviors. A proposition is put forward regarding brain areas and networks that may be involved in the formation of sexual priors, serving as potential targets for future research. In summary, by integrating sexual priors into models of sexual stimuli processing, this article fills theoretical gaps while inspiring further research. This work aims to enhance understanding of sexuality, which ultimately could increase social awareness, foster tolerance, and promote psychological well-being.

Prevalence of substance use among a sample of patients attending an outpatient psychiatric clinic in Amman, Jordan.

The issue of substance use is increasingly being recognised as a significant global public health concern. In relation to its influence in the Arab world, scholarly investigation continues to be regarded as relatively constrained in scope. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of substance use among patients with psychiatric disorders, as well as the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of this patient population. This cross-sectional study included 671 patients with psychiatric disorders who attended an outpatient private psychiatric clinic in Amman, Jordan, between January and May 2023. We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of substance-using and non-substance-using patients. Bivariate and multiple binary logistic regression analyses were used to investigate factors associated with substance use. The patients were aged 20-80years, with a mean age of 32.45 ± 10.18years. Most patients were men, more than half were single and unemployed, and mood disorders were the most prevalent psychiatric disorder. Male sex, a younger age, lower educational attainment, current unemployment, and having a family history of substance use were associated with substance use. Substance users exhibited a higher propensity for engaging in self-harming behaviours, having medical conditions, and being subjected to emotional trauma. This study found that patients with psychiatric disorders are vulnerable to experiencing substance use. Clinicians should contemplate directing their attention towards patients as a strategy to proactively address the issue of emerging substance use and enhance overall treatment outcomes.

Understanding the transdiagnostic mechanisms underlying emerging psychopathology in adolescence: study protocol of a 1-year prospective epidemiological (EMERGE) study

IntroductionAdolescent mental health is a global public health challenge as most cases remain undetected and untreated, and consequently, have a high likelihood of persistence or recurrence. It is critical to...

Examining mental health engagement among veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness.

Engagement in psychosocial mental health services has been found to support and facilitate the process of recovery in individuals with serious mental illness. However, many individuals eligible for these services are not receiving them. Presently, little is known about the factors that contribute to treatment engagement. This study aimed to identify attitudes related to treatment engagement among veterans with serious mental illness enrolled at a large VA medical center. Thirty-six veterans participated in individual qualitative interviews about their beliefs about the efficacy and purpose of mental health care; their perceptions of societal attitudes regarding mental health; and their experiences accessing mental health care. Based on their level of treatment engagement in the last year, veterans were classified as either engaged in psychosocial mental health services (n = 15), engaged in psychiatric medication management only (n = 14), or not engaged in VA mental health services (n = 7). Attitudes associated with level of service usage were examined to identify factors that might improve engagement in treatment and quality of mental health services. Results suggest that provider expertise and rapport were critical to engagement. Our findings also suggest that barriers to accessing care included beliefs about when it was appropriate to request services, stigmatizing attitudes within one's social network, the complexity of the mental health system, and failures of providers and the treatment system to address the needs of a diverse patient population. Implications for clinical training and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A systematic review of mental health stigma reduction trainings for law enforcement officers.

The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the outcome of law enforcement officer (LEO) trainings on mental health (MH) stigma and other outcomes. A systematic search of Pubmed, APA PsycInfo, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted to identify studies examining MH stigma trainings implemented within the LEO profession. Both randomized and nonrandomized studies were considered. Risk of bias was assessed via the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized trials and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Study of Intervention (Version 2). The present review identified 18 studies comprised of 2,399 participants (Mage = 37.37, SD = 4.76). Samples were predominantly composed of police officers (k = 16), followed by correctional officers (k = 2) and both (k = 1). Although the review aimed to investigate trainings targeting institutional, public, and self-stigma, all studies implemented trainings intended to decrease public stigma. Outcomes evaluated across studies included attitudes toward MH, knowledge about MH, self-efficacy/confidence, behavioral responses/de-escalation skills, social distance, and awareness, support, and utilization of MH resources. Although the outcomes evaluated were somewhat consistent across studies, there was variability in how variables were defined and measured. Due to this, data could not be compared across studies, and thus, conclusions could not be drawn regarding which trainings demonstrated the most effectiveness in reducing MH. Despite the increased research investigating the outcomes of trainings on stigma within the LEO population, the variability in methodology and the high rate of bias exhibited across studies suggest that more rigorous and better quality evaluations are warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the mental health of young people in households and schools in Gorongosa District, Center of Mozambique.

The mental health needs of young people in sub-Saharan African societies remain understudied. This study builds upon the everyday perspectives of young people in Gorongosa, a rural district in central Mozambique, to determine the frequency and severity of key mental health issues, identify significant risk and protective factors, and their associations with demographic factors and mental health predictors. This cross-sectional study gathered culturally and ecologically relevant variables, such as sociodemographic indicators and risk and protective factors. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) and Nocturnal Intrusions after Traumatic Experiences Questionnaire (NITE) were used to determine the prevalence and severity of key mental health issues. A convenience sampling was used involving n = 794 young people of those (45.8%) were females and the mean age of all participants was 17.24 years (SD 2.9). To examine the results, univariate analysis, chi-square tests, binary logistic regression analyses and odds ratio were used. Risk factors were pervasive in households, communities, and schools. Mental health problems were commonly linked to severe depression (14.2%), anxiety-related disorders (39.3%), sleep disturbances (37.3%), and anxiety dreams (27.5%). Gender, age, and protective factors were associated with the frequency and severity of mental health outcomes, while living with both parents protected against the severity of anxiety-related disorders. Understanding the contextual mental health needs of young people in rural Mozambique is crucial for developing insights to craft and implement targeted public mental health interventions in resource-limited settings. Addressing mental health issues among young people necessitates a concentrated effort on understanding and managing the interplay of risks and protective factors within families, communities, and schools.

"Instead of Building More Buildings, They Should Plant More Trees", a Photovoice Study of Determinants of Happiness and Sadness Among East London Adolescents.

Globally, mental health problems in adolescents, alongside associated morbidity and mortality, have never been higher. Local living, working and environmental conditions, socio-economics, and intra-individual and inter-individual processes impact mental health. The risk of developing mental health problems is higher in certain areas, including East London. However, limited research explores East London adolescents' experiences of mental health. An in-depth and locally situated understanding of determinants shaping East London adolescents' happiness and sadness is needed. This study used Photovoice, a qualitative method within a community-based participatory research methodology, to generate photographic and textual data, which was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. This method allows participants to be part of knowledge production and authors to present the data. Our findings underscore the bidirectional interplay between environmental factors and adolescents' happiness and sadness. Gratitude for nature was described as increasing happiness: adolescents connected to nature to memories, appreciation, and leisure opportunities. Adolescents were concerned about the fragility of nature in response to urban development. The urban environment was perceived as imposing, inspiring, and offering therapeutic benefits blighted by pollution. Beautiful areas were described as paradisical and lacking, revealing urban development and economic productivity disparities. Our research documents the voices of an under-researched group, revealing novel insights while empowering adolescents as co-producers of mental health research. This study indicates participatory research is valuable for granting adolescents autonomy and addressing misrepresentation. The findings implicate multiple stakeholders, including "Health in All Policies." By deepening our understanding of adolescent mental health in East London, our study can be leveraged to bolster the effectiveness and relevance of interventions for East London adolescents.

Bad-Mad-Female. Scientific Analyses of Female Violent Crime from the 1960s to the 1990s

While female capital offences have repeatedly caused astir since the beginning of the modern era at the latest, female violent crime has remained amarginal phenomenon in statistical observations for along time. Forensics, with its traditional core disciplines of psychiatry and law, also remained focused on the dangerous male perpetrator for along time in its analysis and theory development beyond infanticide: male forensic scientists analysed male perpetrators of violence.Since the 1960s, there has been an increasing number of scientific contributions on female criminality and its causes in West Germany. Women were now also analysing female criminality from aprofessional as well as from asocially critical perspective; adevelopment that gained significant momentum with the New Women's Movement and Critical Criminology.The article puts an emphasis on the discourse on female violent crime in the "old" Federal Republic of Germany. It starts out by framing the issue of women's violent crime in criminological discourse. Against this background, it examines how gender-specific constructions of criminality developed, especially in the discussion of the "dangerous mentally ill" in forensic discussion forums, how and to what extent which topoi were perpetuated and which were subject to changes. Did the analyses of female scientists differ from those of their male colleagues? What significance did critical or feminist currents or actors have?In view of social change processes (emancipation, psychiatric reform, criminal law reform), the article examines the interpretation of female violence and the connection between gender, dangerousness and mental illness. It focuses on the question of persistence, dynamisation or diversification of gender-specific constructions and normative concepts of normal/crazy in the forensic conflation of "bad and mad".

How does depressive cognition develop? A state-dependent network model of predictive processing.

Depression is vastly heterogeneous in its symptoms, neuroimaging data, and treatment responses. As such, describing how it develops at the network level has been notoriously difficult. In an attempt to overcome this issue, a theoretical "negative prediction mechanism" is proposed. Here, eight key brain regions are connected in a transient, state-dependent, core network of pathological communication that could facilitate the development of depressive cognition. In the context of predictive processing, it is suggested that this mechanism is activated as a response to negative/adverse stimuli in the external and/or internal environment that exceed a vulnerable individual's capacity for cognitive appraisal. Specifically, repeated activation across this network is proposed to update individual's brain so that it increasingly predicts and reinforces negative experiences over time-pushing an individual at-risk for or suffering from depression deeper into mental illness. Within this, the negative prediction mechanism is poised to explain various aspects of prognostic outcome, describing how depression might ebb and flow over multiple timescales in a dynamically changing, complex environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dance for Wellness: Indigenous adolescents’ Perspectives on Mental Health, Wellness, and Dance

ABSTRACT Purpose Indigenous adolescents living on reservations in Canada experience mental health disparities, and there is an urgent need to address this as mental illness and suicide increase. Therefore, a dance program was initiated to attempt to improve mental health and wellness for Indigenous adolescents The reaearch purpose was to gain insight into theexperiences of mental health and wellness in Indigenous adolescents and identify if and how a four-week dance program affected their mental health and wellness. Design A trauma-informed, qualitative, single-case study design was used. Method Semi-structured interviews and symbol-based data were used to interview eight adolescents aged 11 – 16 years living in a Denesuliné community from February to June 2022. Findings Three multidimensional themes emerged: It Helped My Mental Health and Everything (Dance Helps Me Escape, Dance Makes Me Feel Good, and Dance Is Just Really Fun); A Little Bubble Around Me When I Dance (I Can Be More Confident and I Can Be Myself), and We Won’t Judge You Here (Creation of Friendship, He Said I Was Really Good, and Improved School Attendance). Conclusions The dance program impacted the participants’ mental health and wellness by providing positive activities to engage the adolescents. Clinical Evidence Community health nurses (CHNs) assist in promoting health and wellness in Indigenous adolescents living on reservation and can use these findings to advocate for funding for the development of dance-based mental health and wellness programs.