Variety Of Mental Illnesses Research Articles

Anorexia Nervosa in vivo cytokine production: a systematic review

IntroductionThe underlying psychobiology that contributes to Anorexia Nervosa (AN) onset and disease progression remains unclear. New research is emerging suggesting a possible link between inflammation and a variety of mental illnesses. Alterations of cytokines may play a role in the pathogenesis of AN. Some studies have found differences in the cytokine profile of those with AN compared to healthy controls, but results are heterogeneous. The aim of this work was to systematically review existing studies investigating in-vivo cytokine production in those with AN before and after weight restoration compared to controls. MethodsA comprehensive literature search of four electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, EMBASE and CINAH) was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to identify human in-vivo studies investigating the relationship between AN and cytokine production. Data extracted from included studies related to population characteristics (e.g. age, gender, mean mBMI/%IBW), cytokine measurement and relevant findings. Confounding factors (e.g. smoking status, co-morbid mental illness, menstruation status) were also collected. Results36 studies were eligible for this systematic review of which the majority were conducted in Europe (77.8%) and involved female subjects (97.2%). Those with AN ranged in age from 13 to 47 years and had an illness duration of 3 months to 24 years. 15 candidate cytokines and 3 receptors were identified (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1B, CRP, IL-2, IL-7, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-R2, IL-1 α, IL-15, TNF-R1, IL-17, IL-18, TGF-B1, IL-12, IL-6R and TGF-B2) exploring in-vivo levels in patients with AN and comparing to controls. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were the most extensively studied with IL-6 being significantly elevated in 4 out of 8 (50%) of longitudinal studies when comparing AN patients at baseline compared to post weight restoration. Following weight restoration, there was no difference in IL-6 levels when comparing to HC in 7 of 8 (87.5%) longitudinal studies examined. ConclusionsThe most promising cytokine potentially involved in the pathogenesis of AN appears to be IL-6, and possibly TNF-alpha pathways. The heterogeneity of clinical and methodology factors impedes the generalizability of results. Future studies may wish to address these methodological shortcomings as alterations in cytokine levels in AN could act as therapeutic targets assisting with weight restoration and psychopathology and may offer diagnostic potential.

A cross-sectional healthy-control study of serum inflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-1B and IL-2R in panic disorder patients and their offspring

Alterations in the immune system have been associated with a variety of mental illnesses. An increase in circulating inflammatory cytokines is observed not only in people with mental disorders but also in their first-degree relatives. A considerable amount of data support the link between immune system activation and panic disorder (PD) pathogenesis, while it is still unclear whether differential immunological reactivity represents a propensity, a measure of disease activity, or both. To better understand the role of cytokines in PD pathophysiology, we compared the levels of serum inflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-1B and IL-2R among PD patients, offspring of PD patients and healthy controls. The offspring of PD patients were evaluated by a psychiatrist and were considered unaffected by any mental disorder at the time of the evaluation. Concentrations of the cytokines IL-1B and IL-2R were assessed using the Immulite System (Diagnostic Products Corporation). The levels of proinflammatory markers IL-1B and IL-2R were increased in PD patients compared to those of controls, but offspring of PD patients and healthy controls demonstrated no differences regarding peripheral interleukin levels. Our findings suggest that interleukins might represent a disease-dependent marker in PD.

Reading skills deficits in people with mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Good reading skills are important for appropriate functioning in everyday life, scholastic performance, and acquiring a higher socioeconomic status. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify possible deficits in specific reading skills in people with a variety of mental illnesses, including personality disorders (PDs). We performed a systematic search of multiple databases from inception until February 2020 and conducted random-effects meta-analyses. The search yielded 34 studies with standardized assessments of reading skills in people with one or more mental illnesses. Of these, 19 studies provided data for the meta-analysis. Most studies (k=27; meta-analysis, k=17) were in people with schizophrenia and revealed large deficits in phonological processing (Hedge's g=-0.88, p<0.00001), comprehension (Hedge's g=-0.96, p <0.00001) and reading rate (Hedge's g=-1.22, p=0.002), relative to healthy controls; the single-word reading was less affected (Hedge's g=-0.70, p <0.00001). A few studies in affective disorders and nonforensic PDs suggested weaker deficits (for all, Hedge's g <-0.60). In forensic populations with PDs, there was evidence of marked phonological processing (Hedge's g=-0.85, p<0.0001) and comprehension deficits (Hedge's g=-0.95, p=0.0003). People with schizophrenia, and possibly forensic PD populations, demonstrate a range of reading skills deficits. Future studies are needed to establish how these deficits directly compare to those seen in developmental or acquired dyslexia and to explore the potential of dyslexia interventions to improve reading skills in these populations.

Flexible Coordinator and Switcher Hubs for Adaptive Task Control.

Functional connectivity (FC) studies have identified at least two large-scale neural systems that constitute cognitive control networks, the frontoparietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON). Control networks are thought to support goal-directed cognition and behavior. It was previously shown that the FPN flexibly shifts its global connectivity pattern according to task goal, consistent with a "flexible hub" mechanism for cognitive control. Our aim was to build on this finding to develop a functional cartography (a multimetric profile) of control networks in terms of dynamic network properties. We quantified network properties in (male and female) humans using a high-control-demand cognitive paradigm involving switching among 64 task sets. We hypothesized that cognitive control is enacted by the FPN and CON via distinct but complementary roles reflected in network dynamics. Consistent with a flexible "coordinator" mechanism, FPN connections were varied across tasks, while maintaining within-network connectivity to aid cross-region coordination. Consistent with a flexible "switcher" mechanism, CON regions switched to other networks in a task-dependent manner, driven primarily by reduced within-network connections to other CON regions. This pattern of results suggests FPN acts as a dynamic, global coordinator of goal-relevant information, while CON transiently disbands to lend processing resources to other goal-relevant networks. This cartography of network dynamics reveals a dissociation between two prominent cognitive control networks, suggesting complementary mechanisms underlying goal-directed cognition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cognitive control supports a variety of behaviors requiring flexible cognition, such as rapidly switching between tasks. Furthermore, cognitive control is negatively impacted in a variety of mental illnesses. We used tools from network science to characterize the implementation of cognitive control by large-scale brain systems. This revealed that two systems, the frontoparietal (FPN) and cingulo-opercular (CON) networks, have distinct but complementary roles in controlling global network reconfigurations. The FPN exhibited properties of a flexible coordinator (orchestrating task changes), while CON acted as a flexible switcher (switching specific regions to other systems to lend processing resources). These findings reveal an underlying distinction in cognitive processes that may be applicable to clinical, educational, and machine learning work targeting cognitive flexibility.

THE ROLE OF ART MUSIC IN RELIEVING STRESS - IN SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DANCE

The covid-19 epidemic has shaken the entire world today. In this difficult period, the person is frightened about the future, worried, and stressed. The writings written in newspapers, the moving news on the book, and the wisdom of knowledge have further enhanced his problem. This untouchable, unwanted calamity has imprisoned the person imprisoned in their homes away from social activities so much that even a very healthy person is under stress. The fear of something happening every moment dominates him so much that he suffers from a variety of mental illnesses that have had an adverse effect on his physical health as well. In such times, there are arts which provide peace to man.

Mental Illness: Facts app.

From obsessive compulsive disorder to postpartum depression, this app is a comprehensive resource on a variety of mental illnesses.

Vitamin D Insufficiency in Psychiatric Inpatients

The extraskeletal effects of vitamin D have gained increasing attention with the discovery of receptors in a variety of organ systems. Previous work has identified associations between vitamin D insufficiency and a variety of mental illnesses, including affective, cognitive, and psychotic spectrum disorders. We attempted to determine the point prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among psychiatric inpatients and determine if there was a relationship between vitamin D insufficiency and specific diagnoses and pharmacological treatments. This was a retrospective chart review of all adult patients (N=544) admitted to the psychiatric ward of a community hospital in central Illinois between December, 2010 and June, 2011. The mean vitamin D level on admission was 22.3 ng/mL, with a range of 4-79.2 ng/mL. The incidence of vitamin D insufficiency (defined as levels < 30 ng/mL) was 75%. Of those with insufficient levels of vitamin D, only 37% received treatment. Vitamin D insufficiency was not correlated with age, gender, month of admission, length of stay, score on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale at admission, diagnosis, or psychotropic medication usage. Vitamin D insufficiency is highly prevalent in psychiatric inpatients. It is unclear whether this is the result of severe mental illness and resultant social isolation, or if vitamin D has a regulatory role on upstream genes involved in neural networks that influence affect, cognition, and perception.

ISPN DNP Task Force Statement on the DNP

IN 1955, HILDEGARD Peplau initiated the first advanced clinical nurse psychiatric specialist program (CNS) at Rutgers University in the United States with the intent to link theoretical nursing science to practice, improve patient outcomes, and change the existing healthcare systems to promote quality care for patients suffering from a variety of mental illnesses (Dreher, 2011). Then, in 1965, Loretta Ford and Henry Silver envisioned the role of the nurse practitioner to address the shortage of qualified physicians.

How a common variant in the growth factor receptor gene,NTRK1, affects white matter

Growth factors and their receptors are important for cellular migration as well as axonal guidance and myelination in the brain. They also play a key role in programmed cell death, and are implicated in a number of mental illnesses. Recently, we reported that healthy young adults who carry the T allele variant in the growth factor gene, NTRK1 (at location rs6336), had lower white matter integrity than non-carriers on diffusion images of the brain. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) revealed how this single nucleotide polymorphism affects white matter microstructure in human populations; DTI is also used to identify characteristic features of brain connectivity in typically developing children and in patients. Newly discovered links between neuroimaging measures and growth factors whose molecular neuroscience is well known offer an important step in understanding mechanisms that contribute to brain connectivity. Altered fiber connectivity may mediate the relationship between some genetic risk factors and a variety of mental illnesses.

Les B. Whitbeck: Mental Health and Emerging Adulthood Among Homeless Young People

In Mental Health and Emerging Adulthood among Homeless Young People, Les Whitbeck provides a wealth of information gathered during a 3-year longitudinal study of homeless youth in several Midwestern cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Omaha, Wichita, Kansas City, and St. Louis. The purpose of this study was to collect data on young people approximately 16–19 through 19–22 years of age to assess the effects of homelessness on mental health during this critical period of development. The goal of these in-depth interviews was to shed light on a topic that has long been ignored in our country: what happens to children who run away from their homes and live on the streets. Whitbeck’s theory proposes that living on the streets would initiate a dependence on peer groups for social support rather than supportive adults, that education would be interrupted or stopped, and that financial strain would increase, as would emotional burdens that could have long lasting negative effects. These negative effects would emerge because the youth are in the space between childhood and adulthood with no one to steer them in a positive direction. There is no doubt that Whitbeck undertook a major project and made an important commitment to gathering highly needed data to report on the mental health of young adults. The book presents an overwhelming amount of information about a population of young adults that is difficult to reach and gather information from in such a systematic manner. The text is divided into 5 sections and 16 chapters. The first six chapters are intended to introduce the reader to the specific disorders prevalent among the groups of adolescents followed over the specified 3-year period of time. Since small samples of adolescents and clinical samples have shown a prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents, it follows that Whitbeck should study these disorders among this homeless population of youth who do not have adequate adult social support systems and may be at greater risk for presenting these issues. Well accepted diagnostic instruments were utilized throughout the study to test for a variety of mental illnesses. However, as with any psychological test, it is important to note that they are not 100% valid with all populations. For Whitbeck and his colleagues, this should be of particular concern because young adults generally are in a period of immense transition and this group, which consisted of youth who, in many cases, had been abused and neglected, was a particularly vulnerable and heterogeneous population. Despite these limitations, Whitbeck and his colleagues offer important findings that otherwise would not have been available. Section One—‘‘Emerging Adulthood among Runaway and Homeless Youth’’—is comprised of Chaps. 1 and 2. The first chapter provides readers with background information on homeless youths, including the important aspects of ‘‘emerging adulthood’’ (p. 11) that these runaways will be missing: accepting responsibility for oneself, financial independence, independent decision making, general independence, and establishing a household. However, the chapter serves another salient purpose: it explains to readers the detours and missed pathways to adulthood and the negative effects these have for the population of runaways studied here and runaway adolescents at large. This chapter also asserts the hypothesis that running away is part of an ‘‘anti-social trajectory’’. Simply put, Whitbeck proposes that psychologically harmed children run away from home and that the consequence of this action causes further psychological damage. A. Sardina (&) Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA e-mail: asardina@indiana.edu

Diagnostic and Risk Profiles Among Civilly Committed Sex Offenders in Washington State

Since 1990, 17 states have passed legislation allowing for the civil commitment of a small number of sex offenders who are deemed at a particularly high risk for reoffense. Despite the very public and controversial nature of these laws, little is known about the individuals who are detained pursuant to them. The current article presents data on 190 civilly committed and detained sexually violent predators in Washington State. These sexual offenders suffer from a variety of mental illnesses. The modal offender is diagnosed with both an Axis I and an Axis II disorder. Furthermore, these offenders are at moderate to high risk for reoffense and present with a significant degree of psychopathy.

Schizophrenia and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder

Schizophrenia and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder

Special Housing Trusts Foster Independence

Special Housing Trusts Foster Independence

The Genetic Aspects of Criminality

This article considers the recent research carried out to assign responsibility to the importance of genetics as compared with environmental influences and other aspects such as neurological damage to an individual, which makes them susceptible to criminal type behaviour. While there is currently no gene directly linked to criminality, there are genes that are responsible for such functions as aggressiveness and impulsiveness to some degree. The area is currently undergoing considerable influence and investigation with research being carried out in seeking to deal with such diseases as cancer and a variety of mental illnesses. It is currently impossible to assign major responsibility for criminal behaviour and those traits leading to criminal behaviour through either genetics or the environment since both appear to be involved. Neurological damage, pre-natal and post-natal, as well as accidents which affect the brain tissue and many other factors are likely to predispose certain individuals to criminal behaviour. All these factors interact with one another in a variety of permutations. We will need to wait and see what other evidence is presented through the research regarding genes being responsible for criminal behaviour by which is generally meant violent and aggressive behaviour rather than white collar crimes. A major effort should currently be directed towards preventing brain damage and other neurological problems as well as dealing with families that are likely to be prone to producing children of anti-social, aggressive, and violent behaviour. In addition to the home setting, schools, society and the mass media can do much to prevent criminal demeanour as well as the preventive aspects through the police and the courts. It is almost certain that currently forensic psychology and psychiatry are unlikely to be able to rely on genetic aspects in defence of clients and their anti-social behaviour. Time and further research into the influence of genes may modify this viewpoint.

Internet Valuable

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Letter to the EditorFull AccessInternet ValuableJoel V. Oberstar, M.D.Joel V. OberstarSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:21 Sep 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.36.18.0026cI write to disagree respectfully with the concerns about “Web-based psychiatry” raised by Dr. Herbert M. Perr in his letter in the August 3 issue. While I agree with him that the practice of medicine is indeed an art, I do not believe that psychiatrists who utilize the Internet to communicate with patients are in danger of abandoning their “professional standards.”Physician-patient communication through the Internet, using both e-mail and Web-based content, can provide a very valuable adjunct to the traditional “face-to-face” therapeutic relationship. Though I neither expect nor hope that such technology will supplant our more direct and personal interactions with patients, we can use this technology to broaden and improve the doctor-patient relationship. Prescription refills, appointment requests, and general information regarding a variety of mental illnesses are some of the services we can provide our patients through the Internet. Such practice-based Web sites are easy to create, require little maintenance, and are free to APA members through Medem.com.Technology can be construed as a barrier to psychiatric care, but I believe this same technology can provide us with a fantastic new way to communicate with—and care for—patients suffering from mental illnesses.Boston, Mass. ISSUES NewArchived

A Comparison of the Phenomenology of Hallucinogens and Schizophrenia From Some Autobiographical Accounts*

Over the years there have been many reviews of the phenomenology of hallucinogens and schizophrenia. The vast majority of these have been written by scientists who interviewed research subjects and subsequently extracted and summarized the experiences of these subjects. Comparisons of schizophrenia with drug-induced experiences have proven useful in directing further research aimed at increasing understanding of both phenomena. As Knauer and Maloney (1913) point out, Kraepelin employed this strategyin some of his studies. A somewhat different strategy involves the use of autobiographical accounts. Although a number of autobiographies describing drug experiences and schizophrenia have been written, reviews of these accounts are far less common. In fact, a comparison of the subjective phenomenology of drug experiences and schizophrenia relying exclusively on autobiographies seems to be nonexistent. Hoffer and Osmond (1967), who attach considerable significance to autobiographical accounts of drug experiences in understanding hallucinogens and schizophrenia, have drawn the bulk of their conclusions from second-hand accounts; Kaplan (1964) edited a series of autobiographical accounts by people with a variety of mental illnesses as well as an account from a mescaline experience and another with hashish; Metzner (1968) collected a wealth of autobiographical accounts of experiences with mescaline, psilocybin, and d-lysergic acid (LSD). More recently, Freedman (1974) has reviewed autobiographical accounts of schizophrenia including those told directly to another writer. Her effort focuses on the structure and process of schizophrenic thinking