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Psychiatry and Mental Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 9251

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: biomarkers; translational psychiatry; biostatistics; epidemiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Psychiatry and Psychopathology currently play a pivotal role in an era of great social and cultural change. Through a rigorous selection of papers, we aim to explore the new challenges that arise in light of advances in various areas, such as genetics, molecular medicine, diagnostics, and pharmacology, in order to integrate the vision of clinical medicine with the biological basis of disease.

Dr. Massimo Tusconi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • psychiatry
  • mental health
  • neurobiology
  • diagnostic
  • clinical

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 932 KiB  
Article
The Italian Validation of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale: Underlying Factor Structure in Psychotic Patients and the General Population
by Maria Donata Orfei, Desirée Estela Porcari, Gianfranco Spalletta, Francesca Assogna, Fabrizio Piras, Nerisa Banaj and Emiliano Ricciardi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(17), 6634; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20176634 - 24 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1514
Abstract
Cognitive insight refers to the ability to question one’s judgments and cognitive biases and is underpinned by specific metacognitive processes. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale was developed to assess cognitive insight and includes two subscales, Self-Reflectiveness and Self-Certainty (SC). The present study aimed [...] Read more.
Cognitive insight refers to the ability to question one’s judgments and cognitive biases and is underpinned by specific metacognitive processes. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale was developed to assess cognitive insight and includes two subscales, Self-Reflectiveness and Self-Certainty (SC). The present study aimed to investigate the underlying factor structure of the Italian version of the BCIS in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and in the general population (GP) for the first time. A cross-sectional design was adopted and a GP sample of 624 subjects and an SZ sample of 130 patients were enrolled. In the SZ group, a two-factor solution was supported. The internal reliability of each factor was satisfactory. Two items were eliminated and one item moved from the SC to the SR subscale. In the GP group, a two-factor solution was highlighted. The internal reliability of each factor was satisfactory. However, four items of the SR subscale were deleted. The Italian-validated version of the BCIS shows different structures for the SZ and the GP and is characterized by different features concerning previous studies. This evidence suggests new interpretations of metacognitive processes in the two populations and implies specific therapeutic approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychiatry and Mental Health)
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14 pages, 1586 KiB  
Article
Relationship between APOE, PER2, PER3 and OX2R Genetic Variants and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
by Susana Lozano-Tovar, Yaneth Rodríguez-Agudelo, David José Dávila-Ortiz de Montellano, Blanca Estela Pérez-Aldana, Alberto Ortega-Vázquez and Nancy Monroy-Jaramillo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4412; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20054412 - 1 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1555
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of neuropsychiatric or behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). BPSD have been associated with the APOE_ε4 allele, which is also the major genetic AD risk factor. Although the involvement of some circadian genes and [...] Read more.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of neuropsychiatric or behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). BPSD have been associated with the APOE_ε4 allele, which is also the major genetic AD risk factor. Although the involvement of some circadian genes and orexin receptors in sleep and behavioral disorders has been studied in some psychiatric pathologies, including AD, there are no studies considering gene–gene interactions. The associations of one variant in PER2, two in PER3, two in OX2R and two in APOE were evaluated in 31 AD patients and 31 cognitively healthy subjects. Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR and capillary electrophoresis from blood samples. The allelic-genotypic frequencies of variants were calculated for the sample study. We explored associations between allelic variants with BPSD in AD patients based on the NPI, PHQ-9 and sleeping disorders questionnaires. Our results showed that the APOE_ε4 allele is an AD risk variant (p = 0.03). The remaining genetic variants did not reveal significant differences between patients and controls. The PER3_rs228697 variant showed a nine-fold increased risk for circadian rhythm sleep–wake disorders in Mexican AD patients, and our gene–gene interaction analysis identified a novel interaction between PERIOD and APOE gene variants. These findings need to be further confirmed in larger samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychiatry and Mental Health)
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Review

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16 pages, 378 KiB  
Review
The Mental Health Costs of Armed Conflicts—A Review of Systematic Reviews Conducted on Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and People Living in War Zones
by Bernardo Carpiniello
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2840; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20042840 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3187
Abstract
Aims: Armed conflicts produce a wide series of distressing consequences, including death, all of which impact negatively on the lives of survivors. This paper focuses specifically on the mental health consequences of war on adults and child/adolescent refugees or those living in war [...] Read more.
Aims: Armed conflicts produce a wide series of distressing consequences, including death, all of which impact negatively on the lives of survivors. This paper focuses specifically on the mental health consequences of war on adults and child/adolescent refugees or those living in war zones through a review of all systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses published from 2005 up until the current time. Results: Fifteen systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses conducted in adult populations, and seven relating to children and adolescents, were selected for the purpose of this review. Prevalence rates of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were two- to three-fold higher amongst people exposed to armed conflict compared to those who had not been exposed, with women and children being the most vulnerable to the outcome of armed conflicts. A series of war-related, migratory and post-migratory stressors contribute to short- and long-term mental health issues in the internally displaced, asylum seekers and refugees. Conclusion: It should be a required social responsibility for all psychiatrists and psychiatric associations to commit to raising awareness amongst political decision-makers as to the mental health consequences caused by armed conflicts, as part of their duty of care for people experiencing the consequences of war. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychiatry and Mental Health)

Other

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20 pages, 1688 KiB  
Systematic Review
What Are the Experiences of Mental Health Practitioners Involved in a Coroner’s Inquest and Other Inquiry Processes after an Unexpected Death of a Patient? A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of the Literature
by Millie Tamworth, Sahra Tekin, Jo Billings and Helen Killaspy
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(3), 357; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph21030357 - 18 Mar 2024
Viewed by 2198
Abstract
Grief after suicide or patient-perpetrated homicide can be complex for those involved in the patient’s care. Mental health practitioners with patients who die unexpectedly may be called to assist in the formal investigation processes that follow. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
Grief after suicide or patient-perpetrated homicide can be complex for those involved in the patient’s care. Mental health practitioners with patients who die unexpectedly may be called to assist in the formal investigation processes that follow. The aim of this study was to examine the experience of mental health practitioners called to attend a coroner’s inquest or other forms of formal inquiry. A protocol for a systematic review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023400310). A thematic synthesis of existing literature was conducted. We identified six articles for inclusion and constructed three themes from our analysis: Blame and enduring hostility, In the dark, and Limited learning. We found mental health practitioners may construct narratives of self-blame. These can be reinforced by the investigatory processes that follow. Feedback from inquiries is often delivered haphazardly and may not reflect the realities of clinical work. The support given to assist practitioners through inquiry processes varied—both in amount and how helpful it was. The research conducted on this topic is limited. More qualitative research should be conducted to understand the factors that make this experience more or less difficult as well as well as what support is needed for whom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychiatry and Mental Health)
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