Causal relationship between circulating vitamin C and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and common mental disorders-a Mendelian randomization study

Mental disorders seriously affect people’s health and social stability.This Mendelian randomization(MR)study was designed to investigate the causal relationship between circulating vitamin C(VC)or 25-hydroxyvitamin D(25(OH)D)levels and mental disorders.The data used for the MR analysis were derived from the summary genome-wide association studies(GWAS)database for VC and 25(OH)D and from the Finn Gen consortium for fourteen mental disorders.Based on the inverse variance weighted(IVW)method,we found a potential causal association between circulating VC and anxiety disorders(IVW:OR=1.139,95%CI:1.023-1.269,P=0.018).However,no causal association was found between VC or 25(OH)D and other mental disorders(P>0.05).In the reverse MR analysis,individuals with Alzheimer’s disease was causally associated with higher concentrations of circulating VC(P=0.012),while individuals with anxiety disorders had a negative association between the concentrations of 25(OH)D(P=0.012).However,the current evidence does not support a causal relationship between VC or 25(OH)D and other mental disorders.In addition,there was no causal association between circulating VC and 25(OH)D(P>0.05).Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and to elucidate the mechanisms of potential causality.

Brain Research on Mental Disorders: A Criticism

Objective: To expose the problems and inherent limitations of neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders. Method: Discussion of the theory underlying brain research on mental disorders, followed by a systematic evaluation of typical studies. Results: The fundamental problem is that brain researchers fail to differentiate between biological mental disorders in which brain processes cause the disorder (notably schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and melancholic depression) and learned mental disorders in which brain processes mediate but do not cause the disorder (which is the case with reactive depression, reactive anxiety, OCD, and PTSD). Researchers have been unsuccessful in identifying mechanisms in the brain that cause biological mental disorders, and will never be able to locate the innumerable specific neural connections that mediate learned mental disorders. Moreover, the author’s review of typical studies in this field shows that they have serious problems with theory, measurement, and data analysis, and that their findings cannot be trusted. Conclusions: Neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders, unlike other neurological research, has been an expensive failure and it is not worth continuing.

Internet Gaming Disorder and Mental Health of Children in China:A Latent Profile Analysis

In recent years,speculation of an increase in Internet Gaming Disorder(IGD)has surfaced with the growing popularity of internet gaming among Chinese children and adolescents.The detrimental impact of IGD on mental health cannot be denied,even though only a small portion of the screen-dependent population exhibits psychopathological and behavioral symptoms.The present study aimed to explore a latent profile analysis(LPA)of Internet Gaming Disorder on the mental health of Chinese school students.The data were collected from a sample of 1005 Chinese school students(49.8%male;age M=13.32,SD=1.34 years)using a paper-pencil survey through convenience sampling.LPA explored three latent profiles of internet gamers:regular gamers(62.4%),moderate gamers(28.1%),and probable disordered gamers(9.4%).Results showed that the probable disordered gamers had significantly higher levels of depression,anxiety,emotional and conduct problems,hyperactivity,and peer problem symptoms as well as lower life satisfaction,and pro-social symptoms compared to regular and moderate gamers(p<0.05).This study would be helpful to mental health professionals in designing interventions for gamers who present IGD symptoms.Future longitudinal studies should also be undertaken to assess whether mental health worsens for probable disordered gamers.

Need for education of psychiatric evaluation of offenders with mental disorders:A questionnaire survey for Japanese designated psychiatrists

BACKGROUND The management of offenders with mental disorders has been a significant concern in forensic psychiatry.In Japan,the introduction of the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act in 2005 addressed the issue.However,numerous psychiatric patients at risk of violence still find themselves subject to the administrative involuntary hospitalization(AIH)scheme,which lacks clarity and updated standards.AIM To explore current as well as optimized learning strategies for risk assessment in AIH decision making.METHODS We conducted a questionnaire survey among designated psychiatrists to explore their experiences and expectations regarding training methods for psychiatric assessments of offenders with mental disorders.RESULTS The findings of this study’s survey suggest a prevalent reliance on traditional learning approaches such as oral education and on-the-job training.CONCLUSION This underscores the pressing need for structured training protocols in AIH consultations.Moreover,feedback derived from inpatient treatment experiences is identified as a crucial element for enhancing risk assessment skills.

Evidence-Based Design Application of Water Landscaping for Rehabilitation Gardens for Patients with Mental Disorders

The aim of the article is to explore the influence of the water landscape design of a rehabilitation garden for patients with mental disorders on the recovery effect of patients,intending to provide a better rehabilitation environment for patients with mental disorders.Based on literature research,this article reviews three aspects of evidence-based design theory,the concept of water landscape in rehabilitation gardens,and the types of water features in rehabilitation gardens.The results show that well-designed water features can significantly improve patients’psychological state and reduce anxiety and stress,and that water landscape design in rehabilitation gardens is an effective rehabilitation tool that can facilitate the recovery process of patients with mental disorders.Future designs should take into full consideration patients’needs and preferences,as well as best practices in waterscape design,to maximize its positive impact on patients’recovery.

Infectious, atopic and inflammatory diseases, childhood adversities and familial aggregation are independently associated with the risk for mental disorders: Results from a large Swiss epidemiological study

AIM To examine the associations between mental disorders and infectious, atopic, inflammatory diseases while adjusting for other risk factors.METHODS We used data from PsyC oL aus, a large Swiss Population Cohort Study(n = 3720; age range 35-66). Lifetime diagnoses of mental disorders were grouped into the following categories: Neurodevelopmental, anxiety(early and late onset), mood and substance disorders. They were regressed on infectious, atopic and other inflammatory diseases adjusting for sex, educational level, familial aggregation, childhood adversities and traumatic experiences in childhood. A multivariate logistic regression was applied to each group of disorders. In a complementary analysis interactions with sex were introduced via nested effects. RESULTS Associations with infectious, atopic and other chronic inflammatory diseases were observable together with consistent effects of childhood adversities and familial aggregation, and less consistent effects of trauma in each group of mental disorders. Streptococcal infections were associated with neurodevelopmental disorders(men), and measles/mumps/rubella-infections with early and late anxiety disorders(women). Gastric inflammatory diseases took effect in mood disorders(both sexes) and in early disorders(men). Similarly, irritable bowel syndrome was prominent in a sex-specific way in mood disorders in women, and, moreover, was associated with early and late anxiety disorders. Atopic diseases were associated with late anxiety disorders. Acne(associations with mood disorders in men) and psoriasis(associations with early anxiety disorders in men and mood disorders in women) contributed sex-specific results. Urinary tract infections were associated with mood disorders and, in addition, in a sex-specific way with late anxiety disorders(men), and neurodevelopmental and early anxiety disorders(women).CONCLUSION Infectious, atopic and inflammatory diseases areimportant risk factors for all groups of mental disorders. The sexual dimorphism of the associations is pronounced.

Effects of mindfulness-based intervention programs on sleep among people with common mental disorders:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Sleep problems are particularly prevalent in people with depression or anxiety disorder.Although mindfulness has been suggested as an important component in alleviating insomnia,no comprehensive review and meta-analysis has been conducted to evaluate the effects of different mindfulness-based intervention(MBI)programs on sleep among people with depression or anxiety disorder.AIM To compare the effects of different MBI programs on sleep among people with depression or anxiety disorder.METHODS Related publications in Embase,Medline,PubMed and PsycINFO databases were systematically searched from January 2010 to June 2020 for randomised controlled trials.Data were synthesized using a random-effects or a fixed-effects model to analyse the effects of various MBI programs on sleep problems among people with depression or anxiety disorder.The fixed-effects model was used when heterogeneity was negligible,and the random-effects model was used when heterogeneity was significant to calculate the standardised mean differences(SMDs)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs).RESULTS We identified 397 articles,of which 10 randomised controlled trials,involving a total of 541 participants,were included in the meta-analysis.Studies of internet mindfulness meditation intervention(IMMI),mindfulness meditation(MM),mindfulness-based cognitive therapy(MBCT),mindfulness-based stress reduction(MBSR)and mindfulness-based touch therapy(MBTT)met the inclusion criteria.The greatest effect sizes are reported in favour of MBTT,with SMDs of-1.138(95%CI:-1.937 to-0.340;P=0.005),followed by-1.003(95%CI:-1.645 to-0.360;P=0.002)for MBCT.SMDs of-0.618(95%CI:-0.980 to-0.257;P=0.001)and-0.551(95%CI:-0.842 to-0.260;P<0.0001)were reported for IMMI and MBSR in the pooling trials,respectively.Significant effects on sleep problem improvement are shown in all reviewed MBI programs,except MM,for which the effect size was shown to be nonsignificant.CONCLUSION All MBI programs(MBTT,MBCT,IMMI and MBSR),except MM,are effective options to improve sleep problems among people with depression or anxiety disorder.

Mental health of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder(ASD)may have great difficulties when their routines change,and this may affect the psychological wellbeing of their parents.For this reason,it is important to examine studies that address the mental health of parents in order to adapt to the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.AIM To determine the mental health status of parents with children diagnosed with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS The study,which is a systematic review,was conducted between December 15,2020 and December 30,2020 by scanning articles in English.The Scopus,Science Direct,PubMed,Cochrane,Web of Science,and Google Scholar databases were used for scanning.The keywords COVID-19 AND(“autism”OR“autistic”OR“autism spectrum disorder”)AND parent AND(“mental health”OR“anxiety”OR“stress”)were used in the search process.The inclusion criteria in the study were findings regarding the mental health of parents with children diagnosed with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic,addressing their anxiety and stress situations,being a research article,and accessing the full text of the article.RESULTS In the study,a total of 6389 articles were reached,and the full texts of 173 articles were evaluated for eligibility.After the articles excluded by the full-text search were eliminated,12 studies involving 7105 parents were included in the analysis.The findings obtained from the articles containing data on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic of parents with children with autism spectrum disorder were discussed in three groups.These were findings on the experiences of parents with children with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the areas where parents with children with ASD need support in the COVID-19 pandemic and methods of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic for parents with children with ASD.In the systematic review,it was determined that the anxiety and stress of the parents increased,they needed more support compared to the pre-pandemic period,and they had difficulty coping.CONCLUSION In this systematic review,it was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the mental health of the parents of children with ASD.

Adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines in children with mental,behavioral,and developmental disorders:Data from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health

Background:Adopting a healthy lifestyle during childhood could improve physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood and reduce relevant disease burdens.However,the lifestyles of children with mental,behavioral,and developmental disorders(MBDDs)remains under-described within the literature of public health field.This study aimed to examine adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines among children with MBDDs compared to population norms and whether these differences are affected by demographic characteristics.Methods:Data were from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children’s Health—A national,population-based,cross-sectional study.We used the data of 119,406 children aged 6-17 years,which included 38,571 participants with at least 1 MBDD and 80,835 without.Adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines was measured using parent-reported physical activity,screen time,and sleep duration.Results:Among children with MBDDs,20.3%,37.0%,60.7%,and 77.3%met the physical activity,screen time,sleep,and at least 1 of the 24-hour movement guidelines.These rates were lower than those in children without MBDDs(22.8%,46.2%,66.7%,and 83.4%,respectively;all p<0.001).Children with MBDDs were less likely to meet these guidelines(odds ratio(OR)=1.21,95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.13-1.30;OR=1.37,95%CI:1.29-1.45;OR=1.29,95%CI:1.21-1.37;OR=1.45,95%CI:1.35-1.56)than children without MBDDs.Children with emotional disorders had the highest odds of not meeting these guidelines(OR=1.43,95%CI:1.29-1.57;OR=1.48,95%CI:1.37-1.60;OR=1.49,95%CI:1.39-1.61;OR=1.72,95%CI:1.57-1.88)in comparison to children with other MBDDs.Among children aged12-17 years,the difference in proportion of meeting physical activity and screen time guidelines for children with vs.children without MBDD was larger than that among children aged 6-11 years.Furthermore,the above difference of meeting physical activity guidelines in ethnic minority children was smaller than that in white children.Conclusion:Children with MBDDs were less likely to meet individual or combined 24-hour movement guidelines than children without MBDDs.In educational and clinical settings,the primary focus should be on increasing physical activity and limiting screen time in children aged 12-17 years who have MBDDs;and specifically for white children who have MBDDs,increasing physical activity may help.

Reasoning and Rehabilitation cognitive skills programme for mentally disordered offenders: Predictors of outcome

AIM To investigate factors predicting treatment completion and treatment outcome of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Mental Health Programme(R&R2MHP) cognitive skills programme for mentally disordered offenders. METHODS Secondary analysis of data previously obtained from 97 male patients who were sectioned and detained under the United Kingdom Mental Health Act in low, medium and high security hospitals and who had completed R&R2MHP. Predictors of treatment completion included background variables and five outcome measures: Four self-reported measures of violent attitudes, social problem-solving skills, reactive anger and locus of control and an objective measure of behaviour on theward that was completed by staff. Completion of the 16 session programme, which was delivered on a weekly basis, was classified as ≥ 12 sessions.RESULTS It was found that the R&R2MHP is appropriate for delivery to participants of different ages, ethnic background, and at different levels of security without the completion rate or treatment effectiveness being compromised. Participants taking oral typical psychotropic medication were over seven times more likely to complete the programme than other participants. Behavioural disturbance on the ward prior to commencing the programme predicted non-completion(medium effect size). As far as treatment completion was concerned, none of the background factors predicted treatment effectiveness(age, ethnic background, level of security, number of previous convictions and number of previous hospital admissions). The best predictor of treatment effectiveness was attitude towards violence suggesting that this should be the primary outcome measure in future research evaluating outcomes of the R&R2MHP cognitive skills program. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that a stable mental state is a key factor that predicts treatment completion.

Large multimodal models assist in psychiatry disorders prevention and diagnosis of students

Students are considered one of the groups most affected by psychological pro-blems.Given the highly dangerous nature of mental illnesses and the increasing-ly serious state of global mental health,it is imperative for us to explore new me-thods and approaches concerning the prevention and treatment of mental illne-sses.Large multimodal models(LMMs),as the most advanced artificial intelligen-ce models(i.e.ChatGPT-4),have brought new hope to the accurate prevention,diagnosis,and treatment of psychiatric disorders.The assistance of these models in the promotion of mental health is critical,as the latter necessitates a strong foundation of medical knowledge and professional skills,emotional support,stigma mitigation,the encouragement of more honest patient self-disclosure,reduced health care costs,improved medical efficiency,and greater mental health service coverage.However,these models must address challenges related to health,safety,hallucinations,and ethics simultaneously.In the future,we should address these challenges by developing relevant usage manuals,accountability rules,and legal regulations;implementing a human-centered approach;and intelligently upgrading LMMs through the deep optimization of such models,their algorithms,and other means.This effort will thus substantially contribute not only to the maintenance of students’health but also to the achievement of global sustainable development goals.

Health Resource Utilization and Comorbidities in Patients with Mental Disorders: Analysis Based on Health Insurance Claim Data

The number of patients with mental disorders is increasing all over the world and they have a high prevalence of physical complications. To analyze and compare the cost of mental disorders with the total medical costs such as mental disorders and physical disorders, we analyzed the cost that patients with mental disorders incurred. We investigated the distribution of medical costs and the characteristics of diseases by using the health insurance claims of people in City A, Japan from March 2013 to February 2014. The subjects had one or more of 4 mental disorders: schizophrenia, alcohol related disorders, bipolar disorder, and depressive episode. As a result, the total number of patients who met inclusion criteria per year was 7403 (6522 outpatients and 881 inpatients). It was revealed that the hospitalization rate of patients with mental disorders increased with age, and many inpatients stayed in hospital for a long time. Also, it was revealed that many patients with mental disorders were in complicated condition with more than one mental or physical disorders and incurred medical costs for these comorbidities. In conclusion, this analysis indicated that many patients with mental disorders switch from attending the outpatient department to hospitalization as they become older. Further, they incurred a lot of medical expenses for complication management. To improve their QOL, comprehensive assessment of their mental/ physical health, self-management education, coordination of services, and support for decision making regarding treatment are necessary.

Mental health literacy and the anxiety disorders

Context: This study set out to investigate the mental health literacy (MHL) about eight anxiety disorders (ADs), using vignette methodology. Methods: In all 317 British Adult participants completed a questionnaire with vignettes describing eight anxiety disorders including OCD, PTSD, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Social Phobia, Separation Anxiety Disorder, GAD and Panic Disorder. Recognition, beliefs about treatments and perceived life adjustment (happiness, success at work) of specific people with these disorders were assessed. Results: Literacy levels varied across anxiety disorders, with high recognition of OCD (64.67%), but very poor for panic disorder (1.26%), GAD (2.84%) and separation anxiety disorder (5.99%). There were few significant effects of vignette gender on literacy levels. MHL for most anxiety disorders was relatively low;particularly panic disorder, GAD and separation anxiety disorder. Social Phobics were judged as least happy and adjusted and agoraphobics least successful at work and would benefit most from psychological help. Conclusions: Overall recognition of the anxiety disorders was poor. Beliefs about adjustment and treatment varied widely as a function of each disorder. Implications of the research for education of the public and limitations of this research are considered.

The relationship between child maltreatment and axis I mental disorders: A summary of the published literature from 2006 to 2010

Research has indicated that child maltreatment is associated with an increased likelihood of mental disorders and suicidal ideation and attempts that continues into adulthood. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the recent published research from 2006 to 2010 on the association between child maltreatment and Axis I mental disorders and suicidal ideation and attempts. The databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for relevant and high quality citations up to October 2010. The results indicated that all types of child maltreatment examined are linked to reduced mental health. A general noted trend in the literature is that earlier age of onset of child maltreatment is associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Sex differences do exist with some disorders being more likely among males (e.g., anti-social behaviour) and other more likely among females (e.g., depression, PTSD, substance use disorders) following child maltreatment.

Assessing the quality of life of children with mental disorders using a computer-based self-reported generic instrument (KidIQoL)—Quality of life of children with mental disorders

OBJECTIVE: To assess the self-reported quality of life (Qol) of children with various mental disorders and compare the scores in this population with those in children without such problems. METHODS: Self- reported Qol was assessed using KidiQoL, a generic computer-based tool with 44 items exploring four domains (Physical and psychological health, Family life, School life and Social and physical environment). The study group consisted of 139 children (111 boys and 28 girls) aged between 6 and 12 years (mean age 9.1 years) referred to an outpatient mental health unit for mental disorders, 29 of whom completed the questionnaire about 2 weeks later in order to assess test-retest reliability. The comparison group consisted of 130 children from the general population, aged 6 to 12 years (mean age 9.0 years) and attending main- stream schools in the same geographical area. RE- SULTS: The test-retest reliability of the instrument was very good with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97 for the total score and above 0.90 in all domains. No significant differences in domain and total scores were observed according to gender or developmental age. Children with developmental disorders or schizophrenia reported significantly lower QoL in the Health domain than children with other types of mental disorders. In all domains and for the total score, the children with mental disorders re- ported significantly lower QoL than the children from the general population;CONCLUSION: KidIQoL has been found suitable and psychometrically valid in children with mental disorders. Its use could help the assessment and adaptation of psychiatric care.

Classification,prevalence and integrated care for neurodevelopmental and child mental health disorders:A brief overview for paediatricians

‘Neurodevelopmental disorders’comprise a group of congenital or acquired longterm conditions that are attributed to disturbance of the brain and or neuromuscular system and create functional limitations,including autism spectrum disorder,attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder,tic disorder/Tourette’s syndrome,developmental language disorders and intellectual disability.Cerebral palsy and epilepsy are often associated with these conditions within the broader framework of paediatric neurodisability.Co-occurrence with each other and with other mental health disorders including anxiety and mood disorders and behavioural disturbance is often the norm.Together these are referred to as neurodevelopmental,emotional,behavioural,and intellectual disorders(NDEBIDs)in this paper.Varying prevalence rates for NDEBID have been reported in developed countries,up to 15%,based on varying methodologies and definitions.NDEBIDs are commonly managed by either child health paediatricians or child/adolescent mental health(CAMH)professionals,working within multidisciplinary teams alongside social care,education,allied healthcare practitioners and voluntary sector.Fragmented services are common problems for children and young people with multi-morbidity,and often complicated by subthreshold diagnoses.Despite repeated reviews,limited consensus among clinicians about classification of the various NDEBIDs may hamper service improvement based upon research.The recently developed“Mental,Behavioural and Neurodevelopmental disorder”chapter of the International Classification of Diseases-11 offers a way forward.In this narrative review we search the extant literature and discussed a brief overview of the aetiology and prevalence of NDEBID,enumerate common problems associated with current classification systems and provide recommendations for a more integrated approach to the nosology and clinical care of these related conditions.

Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with serious mental disorders: A systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic is having a great impact on individuals from all over the world,particularly on individuals with mental disorders.Several studies found more pronounced psychiatric symptoms,notably symptoms of depression and anxiety.AIM To assess the situation of patients with serious mental illness(SMI:Affective disorders and schizophrenia)regarding their mental health outcome during the pandemic.METHODS A systematic search using the databases PubMed and MEDLINE was conducted,employing the key words“COVID-19”,“SARS-CoV-2”,“psychiatric/mental disorder/illness”,“affective/mood disorder”,“bipolar disorder”,“(major)depression”,“schizoaffective disorder”,and“schizophrenia”.Studies that had been published up until January 9,2021 were included.Information of studies in languages other than English and German was mostly taken from their English abstracts.RESULTS The literature search concluded in the finding of 36 studies containing relevant clinical data.A general impairment of the mental health of individuals with SMI could be detected,particularly in individuals with affective disorders,as compared to those with schizophrenia.Compared to healthy controls,symptoms of anxiety,depression,and stress were more pronounced in individuals with SMI.Relevant factors found that impacted their mental health were age,resilience,and socioeconomic environment,especially the shortage of mental health services,lack of social support,and inadequate information about COVID-19.CONCLUSION In light of these results,mental health services should be reinforced,notably the use of telemental health services.Furthermore,supplying individuals with SMI with adequate information about the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing their resilience is important.When researching the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with SMI,standardization as well as follow-up studies are needed to enable better comparability and understanding.

Revisiting the Major Mental Disorders and Updating the Nosological Schema: A Synthesis

Recently, conciliating findings from molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, along with empirical clinical evidence regarding the major mental disorders (MMDs) namely bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), the anxieties with depression, autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) all point to a common neural-developmental origin. Genetic loci associated with schizophrenia do not directly lead to the disorder;instead, they code for the expression of lopsided, temperamental, variants in individuals that originate mainly from one part of our human nature which applies also, to the rest of the MMDs. These individuals contribute to the flexibility, robustness, and creative input of our species, concomitantly, they incur vulnerability to the development of a MMD as an evolutionary trade off. MMDs initially, are expressed as periodic epiphenomena on the underlying temperamental extreme variants of brain function. Their expressions tend to become permanent. Underlying, aberrant traits remain unaltered. Their clinical expressions are characterized by “either-or”, antithetical substitutes, in addition to co-occurring psychosis. The latter is a common occurrence to other assaults on brain function. Characteristic, “ether-or” symptoms are the result of a disturbed, overall, coordinating property of brain function, normally responsive to the smooth, synchronizing expression of all higher mental faculties. Clinical findings point to the need of modifying the current schema in order to better reflect their collective significance in order to help guide research to a new, more promising direction in elucidating their triggers, development, and mechanisms whereby opening a new horizon for therapy and treatment.

Maternal mental disorders in pregnancy and the puerperium and risks to infant health

Prenatal and postnatal period presents the highest prevalence of mental disorders in women's lives and depression is the most frequent one,affecting approximately one in every five mothers.The aggravating factor here is that during this period psychiatric symptoms affect not only women's health and well-being but may also interfere in the infant's intra and extra-uterine development.Although the causes of the relationship between maternal mental disorders and possible risks to a child's health and development remain unknown,it is suspected that these risks may be related to the use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy,to substance abuse and the mother's lifestyle.Moreover,after delivery,maternal mental disorders may also impair the ties of affection(bonding) with the newborn and the ma-ternal capacity of caring in the post-partum period thus increasing the risk for infant infection and malnutrition,impaired child growth that is expressed in low weight and height for age,and even behavioral problems and vulnerability to presenting mental disorders in adulthood.Generally speaking,research on this theme can be divided into the type of mental disorder analyzed: studies that research minor mental disorders during pregnancy such as depression and anxiety find an association between these maternal disorders and obstetric complications such as prematurity and low birth weight,whereas studies that evaluate severe maternal mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have found not only an association with general obstetric complications as well as with congenital malformations and perinatal mortality.Therefore,the success of infant growth care programs also depends on the mother's mental well being.Such findings have led to the need for new public policies in the field of maternal-infant care geared toward the population of mothers.However,more research is necessary so as to confirm the association between all factors with greater scientific rigor.

Evaluation of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Chinese Patients with Common Mental Disorders in Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Our study aimed to evaluate the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese patients with common mental disorders in primary care in Hong Kong. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 102 Chinese patients with common mental disorders and being followed up in two public integrated mental health clinics in Hong Kong from 1st November 2020 to 31st January 2021. Patients would be evaluated about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their mood and daily life by using a questionnaire which assessed social distancing effects, financial impact, relationship with family, anxiety and depressive symptoms. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 Questionnaire (GAD-7) would also be used to assess patients’ mood symptoms. Factors which were related to COVID-19 pandemic and associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms would be analysed. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 58.0 years and more patients were female (77.5%). There were 84.3% and 72.5% of patients reported their anxiety and depressive symptoms being affected by COVID-19 pandemic respectively. It was found that 17.6% of patients had their income decreased or were unemployed. About one-third (30.4%) of patients indicated that their relationship with their family was worsened while 8.8% was improved. Social distancing was significantly associated with anxiety (p = 0.006) and depressive symptoms (p 0.001) in patients with common mental disorders. Conclusion: There was considerably more psychological impact including an increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms due to COVID-19 pandemic in Chinese patients with existing common mental disorders in primary care. Primary care physicians should raise their awareness of the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their patients. Our findings shed light on mental health care planning and preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and potential subsequent pandemics.