Psychopathological Symptoms Research Articles

Relation Between Humor Styles and Psychopathological Symptoms in Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Being a healthcare professional often involves exposure to complex situations that can contribute to the development of psychological problems. Evidence suggests that both mental and physical health are crucial for the well-being of these professionals, which in turn influences the quality of care they provide to patients. The main aim of this study was to examine the association between adaptive and maladaptive forms of humor and psychopathological disorders among healthcare workers. Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive correlational design was employed. The participants consisted of 250 healthcare professionals at a general hospital. Humor styles and the presence of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms were assessed. Data were collected using the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), the Short Checklist of Symptoms (LSB-50), and sociodemographic information. Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were conducted. Results: Healthcare professionals were more inclined to use affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles compared to self-defeating and aggressive humor. Affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles were negatively correlated with psychological symptoms, whereas aggressive humor and, to a lesser extent, self-defeating humor styles showed a significantly positive correlation with most psychological symptoms. Regression analysis revealed that positive humor styles negatively predicted all severity indices of the LSB-50. In contrast, negative humor styles, particularly self-defeating humor, positively predicted the severity indices. Being female, working night shifts, and having temporary contracts were positive predictors of most global indices of the LSB-50. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of considering different types of humor as a potential strategy for improving the mental health of healthcare professionals, as well as the influence of other independent variables related to their personal and work environment. Positive humor styles, specifically affiliative and self-enhancing humor, are associated with a lower prevalence of psychological symptoms among healthcare professionals. Negative humor styles are correlated with a higher prevalence of these symptoms.

Exploring the Impact of Extended Amino Acid Supplementation on Body Composition and Psychopathology in Patients with Eating Disorders Undergoing Psycho-Nutritional Rehabilitation.

Eating disorders are frequently linked to protein-energy malnutrition, resulting from chronic energy intake reduction, and leading to reduced body weight and altered body composition. A nutritional approach based on the supplementation with a mixture of essential amino acids has proven effective in conditions characterized by reduced dietary intake and increased degradation of endogenous proteins and might also contribute to correct the amino acid deficiency possibly involved in the pathogenesis of eating disorders. This study aimed to explore the effects of amino acid supplementation in conjunction with a standard psycho-nutritional rehabilitation program on body composition, symptoms and psychopathology status in 30 female patients with eating disorders hospitalized at the Residenza Palazzo Francisci in Todi, Italy. Enrolled patients were divided in two groups receiving amino acid supplementation for 45 and 90 days, respectively. Each patient underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline, after 45 days and after 90 days. Validated psychometric tests were administered at study entry and study end to all enrolled patients. Results from bioelectrical impedance analysis suggest that amino acid supplementation contributes to restoring nutritional and metabolic balance, with effects proportional to the duration of administration. Conversely, interpreting the effects on psychopathologic state and symptoms was challenging, probably due to the small sample size and short observation period. Prolonged amino acid supplementation may play a role in the management of patients with eating disorders, favoring the correction of the catabolic state and possibly contributing to improvement of the psychopathologic state.

Earlier pubertal timing, not tempo, links time-limited early adversity with psychopathology.

Evolutionary-developmental theories propose that early adverse experiences adaptively shift the timing (i.e., onset) and tempo (i.e., rate) of pubertal maturation. Empirical evidence of links between early life adversity and pubertal maturation is mixed, potentially in part because isolating the unique impacts of early environments is challenging. The current accelerated longitudinal study used a quasi-experimental design to examine pubertal maturation among 132 previously-institutionalized (PI), internationally adopted children who experienced a time-limited form of severe early life adversity, compared to 169 non-adopted (NA) children. Based on prior literature, we also assessed whether pubertal timing and/or tempo are pathways by which early adversity relates to later symptoms of psychopathology. At each of three annual sessions, Tanner pubertal staging was determined by nurse exam, and symptoms of psychopathology were captured in a composite of child self-reported internalizing and parent-reported externalizing symptoms. Findings revealed that, only among children at Tanner pubertal stages 3 or below, PI children were more likely to have reached stage 3 compared to NA children, reflective of earlier pubertal timing. No group differences were found for pubertal tempo. In the subsample of children at Tanner stage 3 or lower, earlier pubertal timing was an indirect pathway by which early adversity related to both higher levels and greater longitudinal declines in internalizing and externalizing symptoms of psychopathology, accounting for a small proportion of the total effect of early adversity on psychopathology. Results from this quasi-experimental study add to existing research on associations between early adversity, early pubertal timing, and psychopathology, further suggesting that links may be specific to timing but not tempo. While findings broadly align with recent calls to consider early pubertal maturation as a transdiagnostic risk marker with utility for identifying children who could benefit from early mental health intervention, they also suggest that pubertal timing is unlikely to be a robust target for reducing psychopathology risk in these children.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program for reducing anxiety and depression in hospital staff during a pandemic: A randomized controlled trial

Hospital staff have experienced an increase in psychopathological symptoms such as anxiety or depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the aims of the present research were, firstly, to study the effectiveness of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in reducing psychopathological symptoms in hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as, its effectiveness in increasing mindfulness-related skills, self-compassion, body awareness, and reducing stress levels. This parallel randomized controlled trial consisted of 97 hospital workers who were divided into two groups: the experimental group (n=54) and the control group (n=44). To test the efficacy of the program, participants' levels of psychopathological symptoms, mindfulness-related skills, self-compassion, body awareness, and stress were assessed and compared before and after the intervention. The results show a significant group×time interaction and significant differences in somatizations (p=.03; η2p=.047), depression (p=.01; η2p=.103) and anxiety (p=.02; η2p=.054). As well as in the following secondary outcomes: from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: Observing (p=.001; η2p=.176), acting with awareness (p=.01; η2p=.151), nonjudging; (p=.01; η2p=.103) and nonreactivity (p=.02; η2p=.101). In the Self-Compassion Scale: self-kindness (p=.029; η2p=.049), mindfulness (p=.033; η2p=.047), self-judgment (p=.016; η2p=.060) and isolation (p=.025; η2p=.051. And finally, in the Body awareness subscale from Self-Body Connection (p=.044; η2p=.042). These results highlight the importance of providing hospital staff with skills that help them connect in the present with their feelings and thoughts, without judgment and with self-compassion, to protect them from suffering an increase in their symptoms of somatization, anxiety, and depression, in adverse times like a pandemic.

Mediators of a randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention for youth of parents with depressive disorders.

The present study assessed two theory-driven mediators of the effects of a family group cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) preventive intervention for youth of parents with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymia on long-term youth psychopathology symptoms and diagnoses. Sample included 180 parents (Mage = 41.9, 89% female, 82% White, non-Hispanic) and one of their children/adolescents ages 9-15 years (Mage = 11.4, 49% female, 74% White, non-Hispanic). Changes in the hypothesized mediators, observations of positive parenting (Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales) and youth secondary control coping (SCC) skills (Responses to Stress Questionnaire), were assessed at 6 months. Changes in youth psychopathology symptoms were assessed on the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self-Report at 18- and 24-month follow-ups and MDD diagnoses with the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia at 12 and 24 months. Changes in youth SCC skills (e.g., acceptance, reappraisal) after the intervention mediated the effects of the FGCB program on changes in youth internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 18- and 24-month follow-ups. Effects for changes in positive parenting behaviors as a mediator were more limited. SCC skills were further shown to mediate the effects of the FGCB intervention on MDD diagnoses from 12 to 24 months. This study provides clear and strong evidence that changes in youth SCC skills mediated the long-term effects of preventive intervention for families of depressed parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Sudden gains in routine clinical care: application of a permutation test for trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy

ABSTRACT Background: Sudden gains, defined as large and stable improvements of psychopathological symptoms, are a ubiquitous phenomenon in psychotherapy. They have been shown to occur across several clinical contexts and to be associated with better short-term and long-term treatment outcome. However, the approach of sudden gains has been criticized for its tautological character: sudden gains are included in the computation of treatment outcomes, ultimately resulting in a circular conclusion. Furthermore, some authors criticize sudden gains as merely being random fluctuations. Objective: Use of efficient methods to evaluate whether the amount of sudden gains in a given sample lies above chance level. Method: We used permutation tests in a sample of 85 patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treated with trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy in routine clinical care. Scores of self-reported PTSD symptom severity were permuted 10.000 times within sessions and between participants to receive a random distribution. Results: Altogether, 18 participants showed a total of 24 sudden gains within the first 20 sessions. The permutation test yielded that the frequency of sudden gains was not beyond chance level. No significant predictors of sudden gains were identified and sudden gains in general were not predictive of treatment outcome. However, subjects with early sudden gains had a significantly lower symptom severity after treatment. Conclusions: Our data suggest that a significant proportion of sudden gains are due to chance. Further research is needed on the differential effects of early and late sudden gains.

Psychological symptoms and loneliness in unemployed people diagnosed with mental illnesses.

Loneliness is a pervasive phenomenon that is linked to adverse health outcomes. Unemployed individuals with mental illnesses (UMIs) constitute a high-risk group, with substantial implications for both health and vocational (re)integration. This study aims to gain deeper insights into the relationships between psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology and loneliness in UMIs. Our research is based on a sample from LIPSY, a project that aims to maintain or restore employability. Two regression analyses were conducted on a sample of unemployed participants diagnosed with a mental illness (ICD-10: F-code) with the outcome variable loneliness (UCLA). In the first analysis, age, gender, education, cohabitation status, and social network size (LSNS-6) were used as predictors; in the second one, the nine symptom dimensions (SCL-90) - (1) Somatization, (2) Obsessive-Compulsive, (3) Interpersonal Sensitivity, (4) Depression, (5) Anxiety, (6) Anger-Hostility, (7) Phobic Anxiety, (8) Paranoid Ideation, (9) Psychoticism -were added. Our sample included 397 participants with an average age of 35.8 years, 53.1% were female. The final regression showed significant positive associations between higher levels of education, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, and the outcome loneliness, and a significant negative relationship between Somatization and loneliness. The high scores on all SCL-90 dimensions, and the links identified between Somatization, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, and loneliness highlight the importance of psychological screening and/or diagnostics in this high-risk group and offer several starting points for prevention measures as well as interventions.

Effects on Multimodal Connectivity Patterns in Female Schizophrenia During 8 Weeks of Antipsychotic Treatment.

Respective abnormal structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) have been reported in individuals with schizophrenia. However, transmodal associations between SC and FC following antipsychotic treatment, especially in female schizophrenia, remain unclear. We hypothesized that increased SC-FC coupling may be found in female schizophrenia, and could be normalized after antipsychotic treatment. Sixty-four female drug-naïve patients with first-diagnosed schizophrenia treated with antipsychotic drugs for 8 weeks, and 55 female healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from HCs at baseline and from patients at baseline and after treatment. SC and FC were analyzed by network-based statistics, calculating nonzero SC-FC coupling of the whole brain and altered connectivity following treatment. Finally, an Elastic-net logistic regression analysis was employed to establish a predictive model for evaluating the clinical efficacy treatment. At baseline, female schizophrenia patients exhibited abnormal SC in cortico-cortical, frontal-limbic, frontal-striatal, limbic-striatal, and limbic-cerebellar connectivity compared to HCs, while FC showed no abnormalities. Following treatment, cortico-cortical, frontal-limbic, frontal-striatal, limbic-striatal, temporal-cerebellar, and limbic-cerebellar connectivity were altered in both SC and FC. Additionally, SC-FC coupling of altered connectivity was higher in patients at baseline than in HC, trending toward normalization after treatment. Furthermore, identified FC or/and SC predicted changes in psychopathological symptoms and cognitive impairment among female schizophrenia following treatment. SC-FC coupling may be a potential predictive biomarker of treatment response. Cortico-cortical, frontal-limbic, frontal-striatal, limbic-striatal, temporal-cerebellar, and limbic-cerebellar could represent major targets for antipsychotic drugs in female schizophrenia.

Maternal Postnatal Psychopathology Predicts Identity Diffusion in Young Adult Offspring

Background/Objectives: In the new conceptualization of personality disorders (PD) in ICD-11 and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (DSM-5 AMPD), identity development in terms of impaired personality functioning plays a central role in diagnostic guidelines and determining PD severity. On the one hand, there is a temporary identity crisis while keeping an integrated sense of identity and, on the other hand, there is pathological identity diffusion, which is associated with a high risk of a current or emerging PD. The latter is characteristic not only of borderline PD but of all personality disorders and should be detected as early as possible to prevent chronic illness and critical life courses. Maternal psychopathology is linked to several areas of child psychopathology (e.g., eating disorders, depression). In the current study, its potential to predict a child’s impaired identity development is investigated. Methods: A total of 101 mothers were asked about their health status 2 weeks after the birth of their child and when their child was 6 weeks, 4 months, 14 months and 5.5 years of age. Specifically, physical and psychological symptoms were assessed with SCL-90-R. In addition, their children were assessed in young adulthood regarding their identity development with the AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) questionnaire. Linear regression models were used to investigate the amount of explanation of children’s identity diffusion by maternal symptom burden. Results: Maternal psychopathology significantly predicted identity diffusion at all time points with small effect sizes, while after 14 months, the explanation model showed a medium effect size. Conclusions: The present data suggest a relevant influence of maternal psychopathological symptoms on their children’s identity development in terms of functioning that has not yet been empirically shown in a longitudinal study. This finding highlights the importance of including further factors (particularly on the part of the child) in longitudinal studies and of investigating this clinically highly relevant relationship in greater depth.

An exploratory study of the safety profile and neurocognitive function after single doses of mitragynine in humans.

Despite the growing scientific interest on mitragynine, the primary alkaloid in kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa), there is a lack of clinical trials in humans. This phase 1 study aimed to evaluate mitragynine's safety profile and acute effects on subjective drug experience, neurocognition, and pain tolerance. A placebo-controlled, single-blind, within-subjects study was conducted in two parts. In part A, eight healthy human volunteers received placebo and three doses of mitragynine (5, 10, and 20mg) in a sequential dosing scheme, on separate days. In part B, a second group of seven volunteers received placebo and 40mg of mitragynine. Vital signs, subjective drug experience, neurocognitive function, and pain tolerance were measured at regular intervals for 7h after administration. Overall, mitragynine did not affect most of the outcome measures at any dose. Yet, the lowest dose (5mg) of mitragynine increased subjective ratings of arousal and attention, accuracy in a sustained attention task, and motor inhibition. The highest dose (40mg) of mitragynine increased subjective ratings of amnesia and produced mild psychopathological symptoms. Mitragynine did not significantly affect vital signs, and only mild, transient side effects were reported. The present study suggests that low doses (5-10mg) of mitragynine may cause subjective feelings of stimulation and enhance attention, while the highest dose (40mg) may cause inhibitory feelings of amnesia and distress. Mitragynine doses up to 40mg were well tolerated in this group.

Emotion Acceptance Questionnaire (EAQ): Factor Analysis and Psychometric Evaluation

Emotion acceptance is defined as the willingness to experience pleasant and unpleasant emotions. Extant research suggests that emotion acceptance—and its converse, emotion nonacceptance or rejection—importantly contributes to experiences of negative affect, symptoms of psychopathology, and physiological markers of emotional responding. However, no validated measurement scale is available in English for assessing emotion acceptance. The current research involved factor analysis and validation of the Emotion Acceptance Questionnaire (EAQ), drawing from items translated from a German scale (FrAGe). In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis (N = 346) revealed four correlated factors: Reject Unpleasant Emotion, Reject Pleasant Emotion, Accept Unpleasant Emotion, and Accept Pleasant Emotion. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis on another sample (N = 413) corroborated the four-factor measurement structure. Internal reliability coefficients of the subscales were satisfactory or higher. Preliminary convergent and discriminant validities were established by examining the extent the four EAQ subscales correlated with previously validated measures of emotion regulation, mindfulness skills, life satisfaction, and positive and negative affect. This psychometric investigation offers a novel multidimensional instrument to help conceptualize, understand, and facilitate the assessment of emotional acceptance in future research.

Identifying transdiagnostic traumatic stress reactions in U.S. military veterans: A nationally representative study.

Traumatic stress reactions (TSRs) exist on a continuum that includes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), highly comorbid psychopathology, and resilience, highlighting the need for comprehensive and integrative approaches capable of capturing the full spectrum of heterogeneous reactions. Here, we used a transdiagnostic and multidimensional method to characterize clinical phenotypes of TSRs in a nationally representative sample of U.S. military veterans. The Middle-Out Approach was used to evaluate self-reported PTSD, generalized anxiety, major depressive symptoms, and physical and mental functioning to identify discrete latent classes of TSRs and their demographic, military and trauma history, and psychosocial correlates. Cross-sectional data were analyzed from 3,727 U.S. veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Latent class analysis identified five classes of veterans: low TSR (61.3%), anxious/depressive (16.6%), avoidant arousal (9.2%), dysphoric arousal (8.2%), and high TSR (4.7%). Veterans in the dysphoric arousal and high TSR classes demonstrated lower functioning than other classes, which showed similar levels of moderate-to-high functioning despite symptom differences. Classes distinguished between resilience to PTSD symptoms versus resilience to all symptoms and functioning domains and were differentially associated with demographic characteristics, trauma and military histories, and psychosocial characteristics. The results suggest that veterans exhibit different clinical phenotypes of TSRs, which may help inform etiology, diagnostic subtypes, and personalized treatment. Further, although most veterans with psychopathology experience functional impairment, a sizable subset demonstrates high functioning despite psychopathology symptoms.

Anhedonia in the structure of post-COVID syndrome in psychiatric inpatients: the probable role of obesity, systemic inflammation, vascular disregulation and general therapeutic comorbidity

COVID-19 caused not only acute but also delayed neuropsychiatric disorders. A highly probable manifestation of the latter may be physical anhedonia, since this transnosological psychopathological phenomenon is associated with a violation of metabolic and neuroinflammatory processes. The goal. To identify the prevalence of physical anhedonia in the clinic of post-COVID syndrome and to assess the association of this transnosological psychopathological symptom with concomitant somatic burden, the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and the time elapsed since the disease. Materials and Methods. The prevalence of acute and delayed neuropsychiatric symptoms was assessed in 48 psychiatric inpatients with severe mental disorders depending on the history of COVID-19. Quantitative and qualitative assessment was carried out by self-reporting on the number of simultaneously present groups of chronic diseases, and the severity of obesity was objectively assessed - by body mass index, dysregulation of vascular tone-by blood pressure variability, systemic inflammation - by sed rate and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). Physical anhedonia was detected using the Russian-language version of the Revised physical anhedonia scale (RPAS). Results. The association between the severity of COVID-19 and the severity of anhedonia, as a probable component of post-COVID syndrome, was confirmed. The total general therapeutic burden was the most important predictor of acute and delayed neuropsychiatric symptoms against the background of COVID-19. The probable role of metabolic syndrome, systemic inflammation and vascular tone was shown in the development of late disorders after coronavirus infection. Conclusion. The role of general therapeutic burden (including obesity, vascular dysregulation and systemic inflammation) in the development of anhedonia in patients with mental disorders who have had COVID-19 has been demonstrated.

Co-development of general psychopathology and high-risk personality traits during adolescence.

There is strong evidence for a general psychopathology dimension which captures covariance among all forms of psychopathology, yet its nature and underlying association with personality remain unclear. This study examined the co-development of general psychopathology and four high-risk personality traits: anxiety sensitivity, negative thinking, sensation seeking, and impulsivity. Data from two large Australian school-based randomised controlled trials of substance use prevention programs were analysed (N = 2,083, mean age at baseline = 13.49 years). Adolescents completed self-report measures of psychopathology symptoms and personality at baseline, one-, two-, and three-years post-baseline. Latent curve models with structured residuals, were used to examine the co-development of general psychopathology (extracted from a higher-order model) and personality traits from 13 to 16 years of age, controlling for age, sex, and cohort. Higher than usual levels of anxiety sensitivity and impulsivity were associated with higher than usual levels of general psychopathology at subsequent time points, and higher than usual levels of general psychopathology were associated with higher than usual levels of negative thinking at later time points. Sensation seeking was unrelated to general psychopathology. These findings enhance our understanding of the meaning and validity of general psychopathology, highlighting potential personality-based prevention and intervention targets.

Preliminary evidence of an affirmative mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion-based, non-randomized group intervention with follow-up for sexual minority individuals (Free2Be)

Sexual minority (SM) individuals present lower levels of mental health compared to their heterosexual peers. This study aimed to explore the preliminary evidence of a manualized 13-week, face-to-face affirmative group intervention for SM individuals based on mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion-focused techniques (Free2Be). In a single-armed trial design, nine participants received the intervention and were assessed in three moments (baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up). Sexual minority-related stress processes, psychopathological symptoms, and general adaptive and maladaptive psychological processes were assessed. Group comparisons and individual reliable change index analyses were performed. Overall, the results were significant/reliable in the expected direction: an increase in general adaptive psychological processes and a decrease in sexual-minority-related stress processes, psychopathological symptoms, and general maladaptive psychological processes. These changes remained stable over time. Stigma consciousness, shame related to sexual orientation, and fears of self-compassion did not present any relevant change. Self-compassion increased in the post-intervention and decreased in the follow-up, presenting an unstable trajectory. Results suggested that the Free2Be is an intervention with benefits for sexual minority people.

Crocus sativus (saffron) adjunct to risperidone for negative symptoms of schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Current treatments for schizophrenia encounter resistance, limited efficacy, and limiting complications, necessitating novel approaches. The effects of saffron on negative symptoms were investigated as it has shown neuroprotective and antipsychotic properties. Fifty-six clinically stable chronic schizophrenic outpatients were equally assigned to saffron 15 mg q12hr or placebo groups while continuing risperidone. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess schizophrenia-related symptoms in weeks 4 and 8. Also, the patients were assessed for the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and adverse effects. The baseline characteristics of the groups were comparable (Ps > 0.05). There were significant time-treatment interaction effects on negative ( = 0.137), general psychopathology ( = 0.193), and total ( = 0.113) PANSS scores. Affirmatively, their reductions were significantly greater in the saffron group until weeks 4 (Cohen's ds = 0.922, 0.898, and 0.759, respectively) and 8 (Cohen's ds = 0.850, 1.047, and 0.705, respectively). Regarding the negative symptoms, a better 25% response rate was obtained in the saffron group until the endpoint (P = 0.003). The HDRS scores, extrapyramidal symptom rating scale scores, and side effect frequencies were comparable between the groups (Ps > 0.05). Saffron was beneficial for primary negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenia in a safe and tolerable manner. It also outperformed placebo in improving general psychopathology and total symptoms.

A network analysis approach to understand the relationship between online problematic gaming, defense mechanisms, and psychopathological symptoms

ABSTRACT Problematic gaming (PG) refers to a dysfunctional pattern of online gaming behaviour that negatively affects individual functioning. The present study adopted a network analysis approach to investigate the patterns of reciprocal associations between PG, defense mechanisms, and psychopathological symptoms. Participants were 1,036 adult Italian online video game players (Mage = 29.94, SD = 8.85; females = 388) who completed self-report questionnaires. We used a regularised partial correlation network analysis (EBICglasso) to investigate the network structure of the relationships among PG, defense mechanisms, and psychopathological symptoms. Centrality measures were computed. The highly influential nodes in the network concerned both psychological symptoms (anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) and defense mechanisms (projection and autistic fantasy). Furthermore, the escapism feature of PG was detected as a prominent bridge symptom in the network. Our findings suggest that negative affect and immature defense mechanisms might play a pivotal role in PG, and that withdrawal in the virtual world may also exacerbate psychological symptoms. Therefore, better understanding the role of escapism and related immature defenses in PG might have important implications for theory and clinical practice.

Суицидальный контингент в общей структуре отравлений в России

Individuals who commit deliberate self-poisoning for suicidal reasons make up at least a quarter of the contingent of toxicology centers in Russia, which indicates the scale of the problem. The suicidal contingent differs from unintentional victims in a number of key indicators. Women predominate among those who commit suicide (up to 73%), with the mean age of 32.5 years. There is a high proportion of unmarried – 31-45%, divorced – 6.3% people, a significant proportion are unemployed (39.5%). Upon admission to hospital, 70.2% are diagnosed with neurotic and stress-related disorders (F40-F48). Often, victims are examined by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist not on the first day, when the most complete picture is needed to make a correct diagnosis. It is assumed that many are not diagnosed with depression. Alcohol is detected in a third of suicide attempters. The motives are predominantly interpersonal conflicts, less often they report the loss of a loved one, somatic disease, in isolated cases productive psychopathological symptoms can be found. Often the motives cannot be established. In 80-87% of attempts, medication is used. Psychotropic drugs (21.6-55.4%), cardiotropic drugs (22.5%), analgesics and antispasmodics (up to 12.5%) predominate. At least a third of suicide victims (36%) use combined medication, which usually entails increased toxic effects. For a number of territories of the country, the use of acids and alkalis (mainly acetic acid) remains relevant – up to 6-7%, poisoning with which determines high mortality. Intentional poisonings with inhalants (carbon monoxide, helium, etc.) are isolated cases. Mortality is on average 1.7-3.1%. The diagnosis of poisoning, especially committed for suicidal reasons, is not always obvious and simple. At the time of the initial examination, 61.5% of patients do not have pronounced clinical manifestations of acute poisoning. Often, victims deny what they did, which requires a more thorough questioning, examination, involvement of other people and objective data. Therefore, when making a diagnosis, it is recommended to use the principle of the "toxicological diagnostic triad": 1) the presence of a toxicological anamnesis; 2) toxicological situation and 3) a characteristic clinical picture, in combination with the fourth (4) task – identifying suicidal history and motives. Conclusion. In order to reduce the number of poisonings for suicidal reasons, a comprehensive system of measures is needed with broader involvement of mental health specialists, social workers, teachers, improvement of the work of the media and Internet resources. Among the key tasks are training and broader educational work on preventive suicidology among medical personnel, psychologists, social workers, volunteers providing assistance in cases of deliberate self-poisoning, the formation of a multi-level system of suicidological alertness for the purpose of earlier identification of this category of people, providing them with assistance and preventing tragic consequences. Keywords: suicidal poisoning, deliberate poisoning, poisoning for suicidal reasons, drug poisoning, suicide attempt, diagnosis of suicidal poisoning, poisoning prevention, suicide prevention

Association between Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) gene rs4680 SNP and rs165599 SNP and schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of case-control studies

The relationship between schizophrenia and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Catechol-O-MethylTransferase (COMT) gene has been investigated in numerous research, yielding varying conclusions. The investigation aimed to perform a meta-analysis for the purpose of determining the combined impact measure of the association of the COMT gene rs165599 SNP and ra4680 SNP with schizophrenia. The effect size used to assess the relationship between these two SNPs and schizophrenia was the odds ratio (OR). R studio was used to achieve the pooled ORs. Additionally, for the sake of assessing bias of publications, this paper utilize the Egger's test. Meta-analyses involving 19 independent studies have not revealed a statistically significant association between rs4680 and rs165599 SNPs and schizophrenia; however, the A versus A genetic model regarding rs4680 SNP has demonstrated a positive association with schizophrenia (OR=0.86,95% CI = 0.75-0.99, I= 42%,P= 0.04), which is dependent on two studies. According to this study, there may be no association between the COMT gene rs16599 SNP and rs4680 SNP and the risk of schizophrenia or its psychopathological symptoms.

Psychopathological Symptoms and Resilience Processes among Korean Adolescents in the Context of Neighborhood Disadvantage.

Research has shown that positive family and individual contexts can prevent adolescents from developing internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, less is known about the various ways resilience occurs longitudinally, considering compensatory (i.e., additive) effects and protective (i.e., moderation) effects of contextual (external) resources and individual (internal) assets. Further, few studies have examined these resilience processes among Korean adolescents exposed to neighborhood disadvantage. In the context of neighborhood disadvantage, the present study examined the compensatory and protective effects of positive parenting and self-esteem for Korean adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms across four years. Data from Waves 1 (2010), 3 (2012), and 4 (2013) from a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents (N = 2322; Mean age at Wave 1 = 12.90; Females = 50.10%) were utilized. Evidencing compensatory effects, positive parenting (Wave 1) negatively and indirectly predicted both adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Wave 4) through their self-esteem (Wave 3), independent of the effect of neighborhood disadvantage (Wave 1). However, there were differences in the protective effects depending on symptoms. In the case of internalizing symptoms (Wave 4), positive parenting (Wave 1) indirectly buffered against neighborhood disadvantage (Wave 1) through adolescents' self-esteem (Wave 3). In contrast, for externalizing symptoms (Wave 4), positive parenting (Wave 1) directly buffered the effect of neighborhood disadvantage (Wave 1). The present study highlights the resilience processes of positive parenting as an external resource and adolescents' self-esteem as an internal asset for preventing internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Korean adolescents, which has implications for intervention and policy strengthening family and individual resilience.