Non-heterosexual orientations are widely stigmatized and frequently exposed to discrimination and victimization. Stigma has an impact on the formation of minority stress which base on the premise that non-heterosexuals in the society are subjected to chronic stress. This is a cause of the occurrence many psychological problems including depression among homosexual and bisexual individuals.

This study examined the relationship between sexual orientation and level of depression among young adult people.

The designed cross-sectional survey was used. The study comprised 316 participants who declare themselves as heterosexual (n=98), homosexual (n=160) and bisexual (n=58). The following questionnaire methods were used: the Beck Depression Inventory and self-report questionnaire including items about demographic characteristics.

Data analyses has shown that 30.7% of surveyed non-heterosexual people have a higher risk of depression. It's nearly three times greater than for general Polish population. The research also has distinguished level of depression according to sexual orientation of respondents (bisexual: M=13.22, SD=10.69; homosexual: M=8.85, SD=8.29; heterosexual: M=4.13, SD=3.88). Results present that the highest risk of depression occurs among bisexual individuals (F=3.68, p< 0.01), especially women.

Some of the excess depression among non-heterosexuals could be lessened by intervention strictly associated with gender and sexual orientation.

Cognitive impairment substantially contributes to functional disability in schizophrenia. Methods to improve functioning in long-term hospitalized patients are lacking. Cognitive Adaptation Training (CAT) improves functional outcomes in schizophrenia outpatients living in the US.

To investigate the efficacy of CAT in long-term hospitalized schizophrenia patients living in the Netherlands.

Twenty schizophrenia inpatients participated in this study. Ten patients received treatment as usual (TAU), the other 10 patients received TAU plus CAT. CAT uses environmental supports (e.g. calendars, alarm clocks) in order to compensate the impact of cognitive impairment. CAT was provided for 8 months. Assessments of the Multnomah Community Ability Scale (MCAS) and SOFAS were conducted at baseline, halfway, and after 8 months. In addition, participation in work-related activities (e.g. woodworking, graphic center) was recorded every month for a duration of 12 months. Anayses of mixed models were conducted, using the baseline score as a covariate.

After 6 months, CAT patients spent significantly more partial days at activity centers, compared to TAU patients. Differences remained significant after 12 months. With regard to the other measures, CAT patients showed improvement on the SOFAS and the MCAS after 8 months (trend) with a large effect size (0.8).

These findings suggest that inpatients with schizophrenia may benefit from CAT. In particular, the method may be effective to increase productivity in this chronic population. These results are promising, research with a larger sample size is needed to further investigate the effect of CAT in long-term hospitalized psychiatric patients.

Genetic disorders underlie a significant number of cases of mental retardation (MR). However, the traditionally used routine karyotyping is not able to detect small but often clinically relevant aberrations. High-resolution genome-wide microarray technologies may help to increase the detectability of MR etiology.

To improve MR diagnostics.

To identify the novel CNV regions and susceptibility genes in MR patients.

Large chromosomal rearrangements, biochemical defects, and known monogenic syndromes accompanied by MR were ruled out for 71 patients. Further the genome-wide analysis using CGH Microarray Kits 4×44K and 8×60K (Agilent Technologies, USA) was performed.

Eight novel CNVs in 9 patients not described in healthy individuals and not associated with any disease were indentified implicating regions at 11q22.3, 5q33.1, 3p26.3, 15q11.1-q11.2, 15q22.2, 1q25.1-q25.2, 7q21.3, 2q12.3. They include candidate genes DDX10 (putative RNA helicase), IL17B (cytokine, primarily localized to neuronal cell bodies), CNTN6 (may play a role in the formation of axon connections), TLN2 (plays a role in cell adhesion and recycling of synaptic vesicles), TNR (an extracellular matrix protein, expressed primarily in the central nervous system), ASTN1 (a neuronal adhesion molecule), PON1 (detoxifies organophosphate neurotoxicants), and SLC5A7 (choline transporter in the brain and periphery).

Previously unknown CNVs, containing genes responsible for proper central nervous system functioning, were detected in 13% of patients. The novel CNVs and genes identified by aCGH may help discovering new etiological mechanisms of MR. This study was supported by European Community's Seventh Framework Programme, CHERISH (project 223692) and by Federal Program (grant 8727).

There are cognitive and motor impairments in individuals with Alzheimer's disease, which are related to their ability to learn the new procedures, skills and activities.

The aim of the study is to compare motor procedural learning in individuals with mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease with motor procedural learning in older subjects without dementia.

32 individuals with mild and moderate Alzheimer's dementia (AD) (F.00.0, F.00.1, F.00.2) (MMSE> 15) (25 women, mean age 76.8 ± 6.41 and 7 men, mean age 79.1 ± 5.21), and 32 individuals without symptoms of dementia (healthy controls- HC) matched for sex, age and education level were examined. Motor procedural learning was assessed by the Pursuit Rotor Task (PRT). The time [ms] of keeping cursor within the moving round object-dot during every 4 trials was measured (after training session).

The average time [ms] of keeping cursor within object in particular trials is as follows:

1. - AD: 857, 1035, 1060, 1098

2. - HC: 1014, 1068, 1316, 1681

It was found that mild and moderate AD patients are able to procedural learn motor task although they achieve worse scores than older persons without dementia.

Large bodies of work have shown that parents of children with disabilities experienced a disproportionately greater level of stress relating to their children.

To investigate the relationship of shame, psychopathology, hostility as well as anxiety in parents of children with autism.

To examine the impact of autism spectrum disorder on the family and compared to with families of diabetic children

A community sample of 105 parents of autistic children (36 men - 69 women, mean age 41 years, SD = 6,5 ranged 30-56) and 83 parents of children with diabetes (18 men - 65 women, mean age 41 years, SD = 7 ranged 24-54) participated to the present study. The families were recruited if their children had been diagnosed with autism or diabetes for at least 1 year and had no other comorbid chronic illnesses. No children age restrictions were applied. The two groups were completed a) the Other of Shame scale (OAS) b) the the Experience of Shame Scale (ESS) c) the Symptom Check-List Revised (SCL-90) d) the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ) and e) questionnaire concerning socio-demographic information.

Age did not differ significantly among the two groups (t=.016, p=.986). Logistic regression found that significant positive correlations were obtained for certain independent risk factors, namely internal shame (OR= 0.9, 95%CI .85-.92), anxiety (OR=1.35 95%CI 1.09-1.67) and paranoid hostility (OR=1.93, 95%CI 1.28-2.92), after adjusting for sociodemographicrelated variables.

Shame, anxiety and paranoid hostility were found significant for families with a child with autism.

Patients with mental disorders associated with somatic pathology addressing specialized psychohygienic help room of general somatic primary care institution. Age of patients was more than 18 years old.

Clinical-psychopathological, questionnaire screening, clinical-follow-up, mathematic-statistical.

During considering of relationships between somatic diseases and mental disorders we have revealed preference of some somatic pathology in various groups of mental disorders. Specific weight of co-morbid mental pathology has been especially represented in patients with organic mental disorders (100,0%), psychological and behavioral disorders associated with diseases (100,0%) behavioral disorders, conditioned by alcoholism (93,6%). Then there were patients with neurotic, stress-related and somatoform (74,6%) and affective (72,7%) disorders. The least association of somatic pathology has been found in patients with schizophrenia (33?3%) and personality disorders (32,9%). Method of factorial analysis has identified factors as follows: somatovegetative, psychopathologic syndromes and somatic pathology) of formation of combined mental and somatic diseases.

Structure of somatic diseases reflects common structure of somatic pathology documented in patients of somatic network that is of importance during development of preventive and rehabilitative programs for patients of general somatic care. Clinical picture of current course is characterized by polymorphism, conditioned by combination of somatovegetative and mental disorders.

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms. The diagnosis frequently is associated to other comorbid axis-I psychiatric disorders, especially depressive disorders. Moreover panic disorder can also be comorbid with axis-II diagnosis of Personality Disorder1(PDs).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the existing comorbidity between current DSM-IV axis I panic disorder with and without co-occurring depression and current DSM-IV axis II PDs.

We review all database from 1987 until January 2012 of all relevant cross-sectional and case-control studies which evaluate the comorbidity between panic disorders and PDs.

We found 97 possible papers, 20 entered in the review. Among patients with a current DSM-IV panic disorder 44.3% [34.6, 54.2] had any PDs; 6.3% [3.1, 10.4] had any cluster A-PDs; 17.9% [12.2, 24.2] any cluster B-PDs, and 34.9% [25.6, 44.7] had any cluster C-PDs. Among patients with a current DSM-IV panic disorder and co-occurring depression 61.8% [44.6, 77.7] had any personality disorder 7.2% [4.4, 10.5] had any cluster A-PDs; 24.0% [17.6, 30.9] any cluster B-PDs, and 38.6% [25.7, 52.2] had any cluster C-PDs.

The comorbidity between Panic disorder and Personality disorders is common. Cluster C-PDs was the most frequent PDs subtype related to panic disorder. Personality disorders were more prevalent among individuals with panic disorder and co-occurring depression. Further evaluations including dimensional and characterial dimensions are needed.Goodwin RD, Brook JS, Cohen P. Panic attacks and the risk of personality disorder. Psychol Med. 2005;35:227-35.

According to the assessment performed by the World Health Organization (WHO), depression will be the second leading disorder in the World, but among the female population will be the first.

To analyze and describe the frequency of depression without psychotic symptoms among total number of the patients hospitalized during 2010-2011 at the Psychiatric clinic in Sarajevo; to show some demographic characteristic and duration of the treatment.

This is retrospective-prospective study covered randomly selected 713 hospitalized patients with depression without psychotic symptoms according to diagnostic criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Majority of subjects was aged 50-59 (60%), lower educational level 64 (81%), female 51 (63%). We show in this study number and types of depression without psychotic symptoms, duration of the treatment as well.

Depression is more frequent among female then among male. Research also show increasing number of subjects younger then 20 yrs due of alcohol and drug abuse.

Living with a child with a chronic disease can affect family life in various domains.

To investigate the relationships of family systems in two different populations: parents of children with autism and parents of children with diabetes.

To examine whether there is a meaningful differentiation on family functioning between families of diabetic and of autistic children.

This cross-sectional study included 105 parents of autistic children (36 men - 69 women, mean 41 years, SD = 6,5) and 83 parents of children with diabetes (18 men - 65 women, age 41 years, SD = 7). The measuring tools used were: a) Family Environment Scale (FES). A discriminant analysis (DA) was performed. Predictor variables were age and environmental characteristics of families.

Significant mean differences were observed for all the predictors on the DA. While the log determinants were quite similar, Box's M (202, 558) indicated that the assumption of equality of covariance matrices was violated (p=.000). However, given the large sample, this problem is not regarded as serious. The DA revealed a significant association between groups and all predictors, accounting for 72, 3% of between group variability. Closer analysis of the structure matrix found only three significant predictors, namely conflict (-.507), achievement orientation (.618) and active-recreational orientation (.418). The cross validated classification showed that overall 77, 0% were correctly classified.

These findings indicate that these groups were not characterized by unique underlying factors and that may inform the development of a common family support system.

This descriptive study aims to determine the relationship between life satisfaction and levels of social functioning in elderly.

The sample of the study is consisted of 115 individuals who lives in a district of Aydın between January-March 2012 and who are volunteer to participate the study. The data were obtained from Sociodemographic Data Collection Form, Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and the Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS). Chi-quare, Correlation, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used in data analyzes.

57.4% of the participants were women, 58.3% of elderly participants were married and 93% used auxiliary device. The mean LS total score of men were higher than women (X=10.1 ±3.7). There was a statistically significant relationship between total score of Life Satisfaction Scale and the subscales of Social Functioning. A statistically significant difference were found between age and interpersonal functioning, independence-competence, independence-performance subscales of SFS (X2= 11.584, p= 0.003, X2= 14.988, p= 0.001 and X2= 20.190, p= 0.00 respectively).

Unlike the male, life satisfaction scores were increased in females if leisure time activities were increased (z=3.445, p= 0.001). There was a positive correlation between interpersonal functionality and life satisfaction score (r= 0.188, p= 0.045) in elderly. Interpersonal functioning and business-professional scores were lower in the individulas who were using the auxiliary devices (respectively X2=12.405, p= 0.03 and X2=25.674, p= 0.00). The individuals who live alone were more socially withdrawn than the others (X2= 41 289, p = 0.00).

Life satisfaction and social functioning in elderly were affected from each other in high levels.

Sometimes psychotic symptoms may occur as a consequence of epileptic discharges. Complex visual hallucinations have been described in patients with occipito-temporal and anteromedial temporal epileptic activity. The potential atypical character of seizures’ manifestations in elderly patients,a reduced tendency to secondary generalization, associated with the high frequency of confusional syndromes, makes the interpretation of perception and thought disturbances a challenge.

Patient 76 years, male gender, with hypertension, light alcohol consumption and without prior history of cognitive impairment. Medicated with benzodiazepines for insomnia (suspended during hospitalization). History of one episode of generalized seizure in his youth. Admitted to the stroke unit with a left occipital hematoma diagnosed after a sudden onset headache. The neurological examination was unremarkable. On the 2nd day of hospitalization initiated episodes of nocturnal restlessness, disorientation and persecutory delusions accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations which were scenic and stereotyped. This clinical picture was initially interpreted as an acute confusional syndrome and haloperidol was administered. These episodes lasted about 20 minutes and did not respond to therapy. There was interepisodic full recovery and no other clinical or analytical abnormalities. Considering the nature of these episodes an EEG was performed, which revealed right anterior temporal intercritical epileptic activity. Therapy with neuroleptic was discontinued with resolution of symptoms.

We intend to point out that in cases of stereotyped hallucinations epileptic etiology should be considered as a differential diagnosis for the clinical pictures with psychotic symptoms, which are often interpreted as acute psychosis or delirium, especially in elderly hospitalized patients.

Stroke represents the third most frequent cause of mortality in developed countries, following only coronary heart diseases and cancer. Post-Stroke Depression (PSD) is extremely common among stroke survivors, and it may have great burden on the likelihood of functional recovery and long-term outcomes. We hypothesized that PSD is related to a higher rate of mortality among people suffering from a stroke.

To estimate the risk of mortality among subjects suffering from PSD as compared with stroke survivors who did not suffer from PSD.

We performed a systematic review of papers indexed in Pubmed. Both fixed and random-effects methods for estimating association and time-to-event pooled effects were used. The presence and the level of heterogeneity were assessed using Q test and I2 statistic.

Seven papers had data suitable for meta-analysis. The pooled association effect for mortality at follow-up in people with PSD were statistically significant (p< 0.05). The time-to-event estimation showed a statistically significant correlation exclusively under the fixed effect analysis.

These findings pointed out the potential burden of PSD on post stroke mortality. Further investigation is required to clarify the nature of PSD/mortality association.

There is increasing data supporting the role of endocannabinoid system (eCB) in the control of emotional homeostasis, mainly acting through CB1R activation (Menchoulam&Parker, 2012). eCB seems important to maintain baseline anxiety levels and to recovery/adapt to stressful and aversive situations (Moreira&Luz, 2008). A misbalance in eCB system might contribute to the etiology of anxiety related disorders (Crippa et al., 2009; Marco et al., 2012). The cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene has been associated to “high neuroticism” and “low agreeableness” phenotype (Juhasz et al., 2009).

Study the association between personality traits and genetic polymorphisms located in genes related to eCB (CNR1, CNR2, FAAH and MGKLL) in patients with anxiety disorders.

In a case-control study, we analyzed 48 polymophisms tagSNPs in sample of 507 Caucasians subjects of both genders. All were assessed using the Semi-Structural Interview of DSM-IV criteria and the Temperament and Character Inventory of Cloninger. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether the different personality traits were associated with each variant in CNr1, CNr2, FAAH, and MGKLL, using age and gender as confounder variables.

A significant association was found between “high Harm-avoidance” trait and rs1049353 in the CNR1 gene (p< 0.005) and rs1157694 in the FAAH gene (p< 0.001). “Low novelty-seeking” trait was associated with rs324490 in the FAAH gene (p< 0.005).

These findings suggest that genetic variations in the CNR1 and FAAH genes may modulate the expression of some clinical aspects of anxiety traits and probably anxiety disorders. Grants: ICIII G03/184; SGR2009/1435.

N-acetylcystein (NAC) is a precursor to the amino acid cysteine, which participates in antioxidant mechanisms through glutathione production and plays a role as a modulator of the glutamatergic system of neurotransmission. Thus, NAC may exert therapeutic effect in psychiatric disorders.

Review the potential therapeutic effects of NAC in psychiatry, with main focus on syndromes of the obsessiveimpulsive spectrum, namely skin-picking disorder (SPD), with report of a case series.

Review of literature collected under key-words “n-acetylcysteine; psychiatric”, “skin-picking disorder”. Report of a series of three cases of patients with SPD treated with NAC.

The three patients were being treated for different multi-impulse control disorders, all of them suffering from SPD. In combination with previously given pharmacological agents, they were administered NAC in dosages from 1200 to 1800 mg/day. All patients had great improvement of skin picking behaviours resistant to other treatments. It was also observed that worsening of symptoms occurred after stopping the NAC and restarting the drug led to new remission of symptoms.

Studies suggest that modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission may decrease compulsive behaviors such as skin-picking, by influencing the reward reinforcement pathway. NAC may be used to achieve this modulation. The fact that in the case series stopping/re-starting the NAC corresponded respectively to worsening/improvement of symptoms, suggests direct relation between treatment with NAC and remission of SPD.

SPD is a prevalent and insufficiently studied condition and randomized controlled studies are needed to ascertain the potential benefits of NAC for patients with the disorder.

Bipolar disorder is widely acknowledged to be underdiagnosed, resulting in a huge unnecessary global impact of the disease. Two schools of thought explain this poor recognition: the first considers that bipolar is simply missed; the second proposes that the underdiagnosis is due to unnoticed conversion from unipolar depression.

We examined how the natural history of bipolar disorder should affect our understanding of its underdiagnosis.

We endeavoured to find the points in the patient's history where they first experienced depressive and manic (or hypomanic) symptoms and to follow the progress of their diagnoses through primary and secondary care.

We analysed patient records in a database held by a community mental health trust, finding 128 patients with confirmed bipolar disorder. We then conducted a retrospective audit on the patients’ notes to find the relevant data.

Only 29.5% of the patients had been given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in primary care, while only 59.3% were diagnosed as such initially by secondary psychiatric services, the majority of the remainders having been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. In general, manic or hypomanic symptoms followed depressive symptoms with a delay of several years (μ=7.3, σ=7.9), but even after manic symptoms were manifested, there was still a considerable delay before a diagnosis of bipolar was made (μ=7.6, σ=8.3).

Our study demonstrates that there is some evidence for both theories of the underdiagnosis of bipolar. Psychiatrists must be aware both of missing manic symptoms and of conversion from unipolar depression.

A series of studies have shown an association between symptoms of psychological distress and hypertension.

To quantify the link between cardiac anxiety functioning (commonly referred to as cardiophobia), depression and quality of life in hypertensive patients.

To test the hypothesis whether these symptoms of distress are meditated on hypertensive patient's quality of life.

A cross-sectional design was performed. A sample of 160 hypertensive patients (81 men - 79 women, mean age 51 years, SD = 12 ranged 25-77) participated to the present study. The questionnaire included:

1. a) question for the recording of social-demographic characteristics and clinical features,

2. b) The SF-36 Health Survey,

3. c) the Beck Depression Inventory -II, and

4. d) The Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire.

Age was differ significantly among the two sexes (t = -2789, p =.006). Linear regression models found that for psychical health cardiac anxiety and depression were fully mediate on levels of quality of life in hypertensive patients after controlling for age, gender and other socio-demographic variables (Beta= -0,36, p=.000, Beta= 0,133, p=.007 respectively). Cardiophobia was the only independent variable that impacts on mental health (Beta= 0, 40, p=.001) after adjustments.

Quality of life is associated with depression and cardiophobia in the case of hypertension. Therefore health care providers should consider the close linear association between psychological distress and quality of life in their continuing care of their patients.