Severity Of Psychopathological Symptoms Research Articles

Relationship between childhood trauma and social adaptation in a sample of young people attending an early intervention service for psychosis.

Childhood trauma has been associated with an increased risk of psychosis, a greater severity of psychopathological symptoms, and a worse functional prognosis in patients with psychotic disorders. The current study aims to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychopathology and social adaptation in a sample of young people with first episode psychosis (FEP) or at-risk mental states (ARMS). The sample included 114 young people (18-35 years old, 81 FEP and 33 ARMS) who were attending an Early Intervention Service for Psychosis. Positive, negative and depressive symptoms were assessed with the PANSS and the Calgary Depression Scale; history of childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; social adaptation was assessed with the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychopathology and SASS dimensions in the global sample (including FEP and ARMS). An exploratory SEM analysis was repeated in the subsample of FEP patients. ARMS individuals reported more emotional neglect and worse social adaptation compared to FEP. SEM analysis showed that childhood trauma is associated with a worse social adaptation, in a direct way with domains involving interpersonal relationships, and mediated by depressive symptoms with those domains involving leisure, work and socio-cultural interests. Childhood trauma has a negative effect on social adaptation in young people with early psychosis. Depressive symptoms play a mediation role in this association, especially in domains of leisure and work.

Neuroanatomical Features of the Brain in Juvenile Shiftlike Schizophrenia: Morphometry of the Gray Matter of the Prefrontal Cortex and Subcortical Structures

Objectives. To identify the neuroanatomical characteristics of the gray matter in individual areas of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and a number of subcortical formations in patients with juvenile shiftlike schizophrenia (ICD-10, F20) Materials and methods. A total of 43 patients and 54 mentally healthy men, mean age 22 years, were studied. The main methods were psychopathological investigations and MRI brain scans producing high-resolution T1-weighted images. Results. As compared with the control group, the group of patients with schizophrenia showed a decrease in the thickness of the gray matter in all segments of the prefrontal cortex studied, though no between-group differences in the volume of the subcortical formations were seen. No statistically significant correlations between structural changes and measures of the severity of psychopathological disorders were found. Conclusions. The data obtained from these studies show that structural anomalies in the frontal areas of the brain in juvenile shiftlike schizophrenia are not linked with the severity of psychopathological symptoms.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONAL QUALITIES AND MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENTS OF ATHLETES IN THE PROCESS OF THE MOBILIZATION OF PERFORMANCE

The mental health of the individual, being the highest part of the human mind, is developed and structured as a result of the influence of society. The requirements for athletes are rapidly increasing, which is the source of the emergence of contradictions in the "society-personality-health" system and the reason for poor health. Therefore, a practically significant and urgent problem of sports science is the study of ways to ensure sports longevity and maintain health while justifying the mechanisms for mobilizing athletic performance. The aim of the study was to identify changes in personal qualities and the relationship between mental health components at different stages of sports activity, as well as building a model of the mechanism for mobilizing the athlete's mental and physical performance. Research methods and organization The study involved 75 people practicing boxing, judo, sambo. These were highly qualified athletes - Candidates for Masters of Sports, Masters of Sports, Masters of Sports of International Class. Diagnostic methods: Freiburg FPI multi-factor personality questionnaire; Cattell’s 16-factor personality questionnaire; Questionnaire for the severity of psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90) and G. Ammon's I-structural test (ISTA). Research results The research revealed that in a situation of uncertainty and even imaginary vulnerability and danger, the core component of the functional transformation of negative personal qualities into positive ones is the stressful effect of reality, its reflection in one’s mind, and the athlete’s conscious semantic assessment of his actions and their consequences. It leads to the creation of willpower, fortitude, and to an energy-informational upsurge. Conclusion We have demonstrated relationship between personal qualities of an athlete that change at different stages of his sports activity. We have revealed the dependence of their activity on the constructive, destructive or deficit form and the manifestation degree, and their role in the mobilization of performance. We have found close correlation between different forms of aggression, anxiety, internal and external self-delimitation, which can have the exact opposite effect on the performance and mental functions of athletes.

Effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy for stress management on stress and hair cortisol levels in pregnant women: A randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveTo demonstrate the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioural therapy for stress management in pregnant women in the reduction of psychological stress and hair cortisol levels. MethodsThe trial was controlled and randomised, with a total of 78 pregnant women: control group (n-39) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group (n-39). To test the therapy's efficacy, an evaluation of the primary outcome (hair cortisol levels) and secondary outcomes (psychological stress, psychopathological symptomatology and resilience) was conducted before and after the treatment. The therapy was conducted during 8 sessions (one per week) in a group setting. The study was registered as a Randomised Controlled Trial with the code NCT03404141. ResultsThe results showed a group time interaction between hair cortisol levels, psychological stress (perceived and pregnancy-specific), and in the exacerbation and severity of psychopathological symptoms. These variables presented reductions after treatment only in the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group. ConclusionsUsing a novel way of assessing chronic stress (psychological and objective measures as hair cortisol levels), this is the first study that has shown a decrease in both the levels of cortisol in hair and in psychological stress. This decline could have implications for maternal and fetal health.

Pre-rehabilitation sense of coherence as a predictor of symptom change after rehabilitation.

Sense of coherence (SOC) constitutes the key component of salutogenesis theory. It reflects individuals' confidence that their environment is comprehensible and manageable and that their lives are meaningful. Research demonstrates a strong cross-sectional relationship between SOC and mental health. However, little is known about SOC's temporal stability and its potential to predict changes in psychopathological symptom severity in different settings. The goal of the current study was to address this gap. The sample of the two-wave longitudinal study consists of 294 patients receiving inpatient psychotherapeutic (and psychopharmacological) treatment for various psychological disorders at a German psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic. SOC (Antonovsky, Social Science & Medicine, 1993, 36, 725-733) and outcome measures (i.e., general mental health problems, depression and anxiety symptoms) were assessed within two days of arrival and at the end of rehabilitation (week 5/6). SOC was significantly enhanced after treatment whereas psychopathological symptoms were significantly reduced. Regression analyses revealed that pre-treatment SOC was a significant negative predictor of post-treatment symptom severity for all outcome measures even after controlling for pre-treatment symptoms. The current findings provide first evidence that SOC is a significant unique predictor of symptom change. Future studies need to further investigate longitudinal associations between SOC and mental health outcomes in different settings.

Metaphor Processing Dysfunctions in Schizophrenia Patients With and Without Substance Use Disorders.

BackgroundPatients with schizophrenia have difficulties comprehending metaphors, which significantly impedes communication. However, this topic has not been thoroughly studied in people with a dual diagnosis. On this basis, we formulated two research aims: a) to compare the ability to comprehend metaphors in schizophrenia patients without (SZ) and with substance use disorder (SZ-SUD) and b) to determine the relationship between the processing of metaphorical content and the severity of psychopathological symptoms in both clinical groups.MethodsA total of 40 individuals with SZ and 40 individuals with SZ-SUD took part in the study. The control group was composed of 40 individuals without a psychiatric or neurological diagnosis. Four subtests from the Right Hemisphere Language Battery (Picture Metaphor Test, Written Metaphor Test, Picture Metaphor Explanation Test, Written Metaphor Explanation Test) were used to measure the ability to understand and explain metaphors.ResultsBoth groups of individuals with schizophrenia (SZ and SZ-SUD) scored lower than individuals from the control group on all tests of metaphor processing. However, no differences were observed between the two clinical groups. SZ-SUD patients had better results for Picture Metaphor Explanation than for Written Metaphor Explanation. Negative symptoms were found to be significant predictors of difficulties with understanding and explaining metaphors.ConclusionIndividuals with schizophrenia, regardless of their substance use disorder (SUD) status, exhibit impaired metaphorical content processing. SUD in schizophrenia is not associated with significant impairments in understanding and explaining metaphorical content. Moreover, impairments in processing metaphorical content are associated with more severe negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

When parents and children disagree: Informant discrepancies in reports of depressive symptoms in clinical interviews

BackgroundParents and their children often disagree on the existence and severity of psychopathological symptoms, especially in major depressive disorder (MDD). Discrepant estimations pose a problem for the validity of diagnoses and illness severity with major implications for treatment evaluation. Methods118 adolescents aged 13–18 years and their parents were interviewed and their reports were compared regarding the presence of a MDD diagnosis. In addition, severity ratings of depression symptoms reported in the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) were compared between parents and their offspring using multivariate analyses and polynomial regressions. The association between borderline features, functional impairment, and treatment history variables with parent-child agreement was assessed. ResultsIn 38% of the cases, parents and adolescents agreed on DSM-IV diagnostic MDD criteria, while in 53%, only the adolescent endorsed criteria for a MDD. A MDD that was endorsed by parents and adolescents was characterized by higher depression severity, higher number of previous treatments, and higher functional impairment. Using a polynomial approach, neither age nor borderline tendencies were associated with agreement. LimitationsWe did not differentiate between mother's versus father's reports and borderline features were assessed by self-report only. ConclusionsAdolescents and their parents gave differing reports of the existence and severity of depressive symptoms. The high discrepancy levels combined with the uncertainty of previously published findings due to methodological challenges are concerning. Clinicians and researchers need to consider discrepancies in agreement in relation to diagnosis and illness severity in the context of their clinical and research decisions.

Psychological assistance to patients after laryngectomy

The study objective is to assess the effectiveness of psychological support to patients with laryngeal cancer after laryngectomy. Materials and methods.This study included 36 male patients aged between 45 and 62 years with morphologically verified stage II–IV (Т3–4N0–2М0) laryngeal cancer treated in the Department of Head and Neck Tumors, N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology in 2011–2016. Patients were randomized into two groups. Group 1 included 14 patients who received antitumor therapy alone. Group 2 comprised 22 patients who additionally received psychological support. Patients’ mental state was assessed before treatment and 6 months after its completion using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Symptom Check List-90 Revised. Two patients from Group 1 and 1 patient from Group 2 were excluded from the study at the first stage. Results. We found that patients in both groups had severe psychopathological symptoms (including depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and severe distress) six month after treatment completion (according to the Symptom Check List-90 Revised). Patients who received psychological support demonstrated higher level of depression than healthy controls, but it was still significantly lower than that in patients who received no psychological assistance. Similar results were obtained by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: patients who received psychological support had significantly lower level of depression than patients who had no psychological support (8.3 ± 0.9 vs 10.2 ± 0.6 points respectively). Conclusion. Patients with laryngeal cancer who received psychological assistance (including cognitive behavioral psychotherapy) demonstrated significantly lower level of depression 6 months after treatment completion compared to those who received no psychological support.

Modern model of formation for post-stress disorders among military service members and veterans

The clinical phenomenology of post-stress disorders was studied in combatants. We observed 150 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who took a direct part in the fighting in the ATO zone, in accordance with the principles of bioethics and deontology on the basis of the National Military Medical Clinical Center «Main Military Clinical Hospital» and the Military Medical Center of the Northern Region. It is shown, that the clinical structure of post-stress disorders in combatants is represented by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress response and adjustment disorders. The clinical structure of PTSD in combatants is represented by anxious (35.2 % of men and 44.2 % of women), dysphoric (33.5 % and 9.4 %), asthenic (25.4 % and 32.6 %) and somatoform (5.9 % and 13.8 %) syndrome complexes. Adjustment disorders included prolonged depressive reaction (10.1 % of men and 15.7 % of women), mixed anxiety-depressive reaction (16.5 % and 10.2 %), adjustment disorders with a predominance of disturbances of other emotions (9.8 % and 7.4 %). The major risk factors for the development of stress-related disorders in combatants were identified: prolonged participation in combat, the need to see and touch the bodies of the dead, the threat of death from sniper’s fire, the death of friends in their own eyes, the impact of harmful combat factors, family conflicts, adverse social and economic circumstances. The correlation analysis was carried out. It was found, that the severity of psychopathological symptoms is determined by the severity of combat mental trauma. High scores on the Mississippi scale are associated with prolonged mental trauma (rxy=0.64), threat of death (rxy=0.58), death of comrades (rxy=0.54), participation in close combat (rxy=0.50), the offensive (rxy=0.41), the need to touch the bodies of the dead (rxy=0.46), with the killing of opponents (rxy=0.45). There is a strong correlation of combat mental trauma with anxiety intensity (rxy=0.78), fear (rxy=0.71), sense of internal tension (rxy=0.70), disturbance of the sleep-wake cycle (rxy=0.70), incontinence of affect (rxy=0.69) and depression (rxy=0.66). Keywords: post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorders, acute stress response, combat mental trauma, correlation analysis.

Psychometric properties of the General Functioning Questionnaire (GFQ-58) used for screening for symptoms of psychopathology and overall level of functioning.

Measuring severity of psychopathological symptoms using self-assessment questionnaires is important for clinical and scientific research. However, there is no widely-available Polish tool which measures both overall functioning and severity of a broad spectrum of psychopathological symptoms. This paper describesthe designing of such a tool -the General Functioning Questionnaire (GFQ-58). Three studies were conducted to verify the validity and reliability of the GFQ-58: (1)a study comparing 30 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 30 with no psychiatric diagnosis; (2) a correlational study on 602 individuals exploring relationships between the GFQ-58 and tendency for rumination and quality of life; and (3) a study on 37 patients from a ward which treats neurotic and personality disorders, exploring the relationships between the GFQ-58 and tools for measuring severity of psychopathological symptoms, overall functioning and neurotic personality. The first study revealed large differences between individuals suffering from schizophrenia and healthy individuals in the overall score of the questionnaire (p < 0.001; d = 1.30) and some of its subscales. The second study showed strong relations between the GFQ-58 and both severity of rumination (p < 0.001; . = 0.64) and quality of life (p < 0.001; .=-0.81). The third study identified relationships between the GFQ-58 and tools measuring various psychopathological symptoms, overall functioning and neurotic personality. These relationships were moderate or strong (all p . 0.001; r =0.43-0.86). Reliability of the overall score was satisfactory in all studies (Cronbach's . = 0.89-0.92). The GFQ-58 has satisfactory validity and reliability. It can be used in both scientific and clinical research as a screening tool for measuring overall functioning and severity of psychopathological symptoms.

Different aspects of impulsivity in chronic alcohol use disorder with and without comorbid problem gambling.

Background and aimsAlcohol use disorder (AUD) and problem gambling are highly comorbid disorders. This study aims to explore the role of four aspects of impulsivity (trait concept of impulsivity, choice impulsivity, impulsive aggression and response inhibition/decision-making) in long-term chronic AUD patients with and without problem or pathological gambling symptoms.MethodsCognitively intact chronic AUD patients were enrolled with (n = 32) and without (n = 71) problem gambling symptoms in an inpatient clinic for chronic alcohol users. Multiple facets of impulsivity, cognitive ability, psychopathological symptoms, alcohol and gambling severity were measured.ResultsChronic AUD patients with gambling disorder symptoms showed longer lifetime alcohol consumption, more severe alcohol use and higher psychopathological symptom severity than AUD patients without gambling symptoms. Gambling severity correlated with overall trait impulsivity, but not with choice impulsivity, impulsive aggression or cognitive impulsivity with controlling for lifetime alcohol consumption, lifetime alcohol use and psychopathological symptom severity. High trait impulsivity and non-planning was associated with comorbid gambling symptoms in AUD patients, which was independent of the level of intelligence, age and psychopathological symptoms.ConclusionComorbid gambling disorder symptoms in chronic AUD was connected to more severe alcohol-related variables. Higher trait impulsivity was also linked with gambling disorder symptoms in patients with chronic AUD. This accents the need of special focus on comorbid GD symptoms in AUD, since prognosis and treatment for them may vary.

The double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine use in schizophrenia: preliminary results

Currently, oxidative stress as part of the pathogenesis of schizophrenia attracts much attention. In this regard, it becomes relevant to assess the level of redox imbalance in patients with schizophrenia, its impact on existing symptoms and the possibility of its treatment. The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine is one of the potential drugs that affects oxidative stress. To study the possibilities of the use of N-acetylcysteine in patients with schizophrenia. The study included 20 patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia with the disease duration of less than 3 years, randomly assigned to the main group (taking N-acetylcysteine at a dose of 2000 mg per day for 60 days) and a comparison group (placebo) in a double-blinded manner. At the beginning and end of the study, cognitive functions were evaluated using the specialized instrument BACS, the severity of psychopathological symptoms was evaluated using PANSS, and blood was collected to determine the level of glutathione (GSH), which is a metabolite of N-acetylcysteine. There was a significant decrease in positive PANSS score (p=0.013), negative PANSS score (p=0.002) and the general pathology PANSS score (p=0.004) in the main group. Compared with the comparison group, the dynamics of the negative PANSS score (p=0.005) and the general psychopathology PANSS score (p=0.004) was significantly different. When assessing the dynamics of cognitive functions in the main group, a significant improvement in indicators was established in the task for a sequence of numbers that characterizes working memory (p=0.037). The level of GSH significantly increased in the main group (p=0.01), however, there were no statistically significant differences between groups at the final visit. N-acetylcysteine has a positive effect on the negative, general psychopathology PANSS scores, some cognitive functions, in particular, working memory, that allows considering this drug as a promising method of augmentation of schizophrenia therapy and requires further attentive study.

CLINICAL FEATURES OF ADJUSTMENT DISORDER IN INTERNALLY DISPLACED WOMEN

The aim: To study the clinical features of internally displaced women with adjustment disorders. Materials and methods: Clinical features of internally displaced women with adjustment disorders are investigated. Comprehensive clinical psychopathological and psychodiagnostic assessment of 58 women have been conducted, their medical history data have been analyzed. Results: According to the analysis of the questionnaire severity of psychopathological symptoms prevalence of phobic anxiety, somatization with the presence of distress were observed in internally displaced women. In the clinical presentation of psychopathological disorders, the following symptoms of anxiety-depressive syndrome complex prevailed: mental fatigue 93.1 ± 3.9%; decrease in working capacity in 89.7 ± 4.2% of women; decrease in mood 79.3 ± 6.9%; anxiety 75.7 ± 3.8%; decrease in libido in 65.7 ± 4.9%; physical fatigue - 51.7 ± 4.4% of the examined. Conclusions: Analysis of clinical and psychopathological symptoms of women with adjustment disorder indicates the dominance in the structure of symptoms of anxiety and depressive symptoms in mixed and isolated forms. According to the analysis of the questionnaire of severity of psychopathological symptoms, in internally displaced women, the prevalence of phobic anxiety, somatization with the presence of distress was observed.

Validity and reliability of the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) Scale in Turkish

Objective: This study aims to adapt the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) Scale into Turkish and to investigate its psychometric properties. The scale was developed to assess positive childhood experiences and has recently gained more importance in the literature. Method: A total of 175 adults with a mean age of 25.1 years participated in this study. A Turkish version of the BCEs was prepared and administered with other psychological measurement scales. To investigate the construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, and criterion-related validity was tested using the Symptom Check List 90 and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Internal consistency and test-retest coefficients were calculated to assess the reliability of the scale. Results: The Turkish version of the scale was found to consist of two factors that were related with psychopathological symptom severity and life satisfaction, as was expected. In addition, reliability values for the 10-item scale were satisfactory. The internal consistency coefficient was 0.61, the test-retest validity coefficient was 0.91. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that the Turkish version of the BCEs Scale can be used as a valid and reliable tool in Turkey. Psychometric properties of the scale were also found to be similar to the original English version.

Дезадаптивные личностные черты и психопатологическая симптоматика у лиц с первой попыткой суицида и хроническим суицидальным поведением

The paper compares the severity of maladaptive personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in patients with primary and repeated suicide attempts. The study involved patients of the somatopsychiatric department of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care (N=61), who committed the first suicide attempt (n=31) or a repeated attempt (n=30). The results of the study did not reveal differences between the two groups in the severity of symptoms of social anxiety, depression and trait anxiety. However, indicators of such maladaptive personality traits as perfectionism and hypersensitive narcissism were significantly higher in the group of patients with a repeated suicide attempt. This group also manifested higher rates of the severity of borderline personality disorder traits and significant correlations between measures of psychopathology and maladaptive personality traits listed above. Conclusion: timely diagnostics of maladaptive traits and psychotherapy targeting socially prescribed perfectionism, hypersensitive narcissism, and borderline personality features after the first suicide attempt is necessary to prevent repeated ones.

Social and Psychiatric Aspects of the Emigration Problem in Ukraine.

The article presents data on a new scheme of complex treatment and rehabilitation of emigrants with psychogenic, endogenous and organic depressive disorders, as well as the results of comparative analysis of the effectiveness of this scheme, compared to the traditional one.The use of the proposed treatment scheme also allowed to reduce the severity of anxiety, indicators of the severity of psychopathological symptoms, improve the quality of life among emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of different genesis.The received results allow us to recommend the scheme we have developed for implementation in the complex treatment of emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of psychogenic, endogenous, and organic genesis.

The peptide analogue of neurotensin with antipsychotic and pro-cognitive effects: results of the pilot clinical trial

To evaluate the psychotropic specific spectrum activity of the novel peptide drug dilept and to find its effective doses in patients with schizotypal disorder. The effects of dilept were studied in 25 patients (33.4±10.0 years old) with schizotypal disorder (F21.3) with predominance of obsessive-compulsive, hypochondriac, phobic symptoms, mild cognitive impairment and negative symptoms. Patients were treated with dilept 60, 120 and 200 mg daily for 14 days as monotherapy (with allowance of phenazepam up to 2 mg single doses for insomnia and anxiety) followed by combined treatment with phenazepam in the case of insufficient effectiveness of dilept monotherapy. The Positive and Negative Syndrome scale (PANSS), Psychopathological Symptom Severity scale, Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale (WAIS-R) were used as outcome measures. Dilept demonstrated the unique spectrum of psychotropic activity: antipsychotic with stimulating action, favorable effect on negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. Treatment action was the most evident when dilept was used in the dose 200 mg/day. There was no evidence of any side-effects known to be typical for antipsychotics. The efficacy of dilept and phenazepam combination is dependent on dilept's antipsychotic and pro-cognitive effects, while benzodiazepine lacks these effects.

Analysis of the expression of BAX, BCL2, BIRC6, CASP3, CASP9 apoptosis genes during the first episode of schizophrenia.

The aim of the study was the analysis of (1) the level of BAX,BCL2,BIRC6,CASP3, CASP9 apoptosis genes expression in schizophrenic patients and in the control group, and (2) the relationships between the genes expression level and the morphological and biochemical parameters, as well as the severity of psychopathological symptoms. The study included 21 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 and 26 healthy subjects. The following parameters were assessed: genes expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes, laboratory parameters and severity of psychopathological symptoms (using the PANSS). The expression of the BCL2 gene and the CASP3 gene was significantly higher in schizophrenic patients compared to the controls. A significant positive correlation was found between the BAX gene expression level and neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts as well as the severity of negative symptoms (PANSS-N), between BCL2 and CASP9 genes expression and the monocyte count, and between the CASP3 gene expression and the lymphocyte count. (1) Significantly higher expression of BCL2 and CASP3 genes in schizophrenic patients compared to the controls proves the intensification of the apoptosis process, fitting in the theory of increased apoptosis in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. (2) Significant correlations between the BAX gene expression and differential blood count parameters (leucocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte count) in the group of schizophrenic patients suggest a relationship with immune dysregulation and confirm the presence of apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes. (3) The BAX gene expression may be indicative of the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. (4) The analysis of the intercorrelation of studied genes expression indicates that BAX and CASP3 genes were the most active in the apoptosis process in the study group.

Analysis of severity and variability of psychopathology disturbances in structure mental health disorders in long-distance sailors depending on their levels of psychosocial stress

Using clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic methods, we studied the severity and variability of psychopathological symptoms in the structure of mental health disorders in seafarers, depending on the level of psychosocial stress they experienced, to determine the targets of personalized mental health care measures for this contingent. During 2016–2019, 110 officers of the command staff of the Maritime Merchant Navy (CMN), 90 sailors of the Maritime Merchant Navy (SMN), 70 representatives of the command staff of the Maritime Passenger Fleet (CPF) and 30 privates of the Maritime Passenger Fleet (SPF) were surveyed. All were examined by men, citizens of Ukraine. The study included the use of clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic methods. In the inter-voyage period, the vast majority of long-distance sailors are either mentally healthy (30.9 % CMN, 41.1 % SMN, 42.9 % CPF, 33.3 % SPF), or have some signs of mental maladaptation (52.7 % CMN, 37.7 % SMN, 44.3 % CPF, 40.0 % SPF). Clinically delineated disorders of the neurotic register of the F43 cluster (adaptation disorders) are characterized by 26.7 % SPF, 21.1 % SMN, 16.4 % CMN and 12.8 % CPF. The severity and variability of psychopathological manifestations, in general in the sample, correspond to the neurotic level of response, however, have differences among the examined different groups. The greatest severity of symptoms of depression on the background of high levels of anxiety, hostility and psychosis is inherent in SPF, and the greatest severity of anxiety, phobic anxiety, hostility and somatization is inherent in CMN. The lowest severity of psychopathological symptoms is characteristic of CPF. The severity and variability of psychopathological manifestations is directly associated with the level of stress experienced by the subjects: with increasing stress burden, the severity of the psychopathological response increases. The identified patterns should be taken into account in the development of specific measures of psychotherapy and psychoprophylaxis for this contingent, which is the prospect of this study.

Drug-related and psychopathological symptoms in HIV-positive men who have sex with men who inject drugs during sex (slamsex): Data from the U-SEX GESIDA 9416 Study.

ObjectivesSexualized intravenous drug use, also known as slamsex, seems to be increasing among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Physical and psychopathological symptoms have previously been reported in this population, although research on the subject of slamsex is scarce. The objectives of our study were to describe the psychopathological background of a sample of HIV-positive MSM who engaged in slamsex during the previous year and to compare physical, psychopathological, and drug-related symptoms between these participants and those who engaged in non-injecting sexualized drug use.Design and methodsParticipants (HIV-positive MSM) were recruited from the U-Sex study in 22 HIV clinics in Madrid during 2016–17. All participants completed an anonymous cross-sectional online survey on sexual behavior and recreational drug use. When participants met the inclusion criteria, physicians offered them the opportunity to participate and gave them a card with a unique code and a link to access the online survey. The present analysis is based on HIV-positive MSM who had engaged in slamsex and non-injecting sexualized drug use.ResultsThe survey sample comprised 742 participants. Of all the participants who completed the survey, 216 (29.1%) had engaged in chemsex, and of these, 34 (15.7%) had engaged in slamsex. Participants who engaged in slamsex were more likely to have current psychopathology (depression, anxiety, and drug-related disorders) than participants who engaged in non-injecting sexualized drug use. In addition, participants who engaged in slamsex more frequently reported high-risk sexual behaviors and polydrug use and were more often diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and hepatitis C than those who did not inject drugs. Compared with participants who did not inject drugs, participants who engaged in slamsex experienced more severe drug-related symptoms (withdrawal and dependence), symptoms of severe intoxication (loss of consciousness), and severe psychopathological symptoms during or after slamsex (eg, paranoid thoughts and suicidal behaviors).ConclusionSlamsex is closely associated with current psychiatric disorders and severe drug-related and psychiatric symptoms.