Social isolation frequently proved a strong predictor of diverse psychopathology indicators, spanning both internalizing and externalizing dimensions. Failure's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) served as a potent predictor of withdrawal symptoms, anxiety/depression, social difficulties, and problems with thought processes. Hierarchical cluster analysis on schemas indicated two significant clusters; one containing schemas with low scores and the other with high scores across the majority of EMS ratings. A notable cluster, marked by high levels of Emotional Maltreatment (EMS), showed the most substantial scores related to the presence of Emotional Deprivation, the feeling of Failure, feelings of Defectiveness, the experience of Social Isolation, and Abandonment. Children within this cluster exhibited a statistically significant burden of externalizing psychopathology. Our anticipated connection between EMS, especially schemas surrounding disconnection/rejection and impaired autonomy/performance, and psychopathology was substantiated. Analysis of clusters confirmed the previously presented data, emphasizing the contribution of emotional deprivation and defectiveness schemas to the manifestation of psychopathological symptoms. Children residing in residential care facilities warrant evaluation of EMS, according to this study, and this information can guide the creation of targeted intervention programs to prevent the onset of psychopathology in this demographic.
The question of mandatory psychiatric hospitalization is frequently debated amongst those involved in mental health care. Although Greece exhibits clear signs of exceptionally high rates of involuntary hospitalizations, a comprehensive national statistical record is conspicuously absent. Subsequent to a review of existing research on involuntary hospitalizations in Greece, the paper introduces the Study of Involuntary Hospitalizations in Greece (MANE). A multi-center national study, taking place in the regions of Attica, Thessaloniki, and Alexandroupolis during the period 2017-2020, the study addresses the rates, processes, factors, and outcomes of involuntary hospitalizations. Preliminary comparative findings on the rates and procedures of involuntary hospitalizations are provided. A notable difference in involuntary hospitalization rates exists: Alexandroupolis (around 25%) versus Athens and Thessaloniki (over 50%). This difference might be attributable to the specific organizational structure of mental health services in Alexandroupolis and the strategic avoidance of a metropolitan area. In Attica and Thessaloniki, involuntary admissions are notably more likely to culminate in involuntary hospitalizations compared to the situation in Alexandroupolis. In contrast, almost all patients who freely sought treatment at Athens' emergency departments were admitted, while a considerable number were not admitted in Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis. Alexandroupolis exhibited a considerably greater percentage of formally referred patients at discharge than was observed in Athens and Thessaloniki. A likely factor contributing to the lower rate of involuntary hospitalizations in Alexandroupolis is the extended period of continuous care offered there. In conclusion, the rate of readmission to hospitals was exceptionally high throughout the research centers, manifesting the well-known revolving-door effect, notably within voluntary admission cases. The MANE project aimed to bridge the national recording gap for involuntary hospitalizations, pioneering a coordinated monitoring system in three regionally diverse areas, enabling a comprehensive national picture of involuntary hospitalizations. This project aids in raising awareness of this issue at the national health policy level, developing strategic objectives to address human rights violations, and promoting mental health democracy in Greece.
Psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression, and somatic symptom disorder (SSD), have been identified by literature reviews as potential indicators of unfavorable results in individuals experiencing chronic low back pain (CLBP). The study's objective was to investigate the interplay between anxiety, depression, and SSD and their impact on pain, disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) specifically in a Greek chronic low back pain (CLBP) patient population. Using random systematic sampling, a cohort of 92 participants experiencing chronic low back pain (CLBP) from an outpatient physiotherapy department participated in a comprehensive questionnaire battery. This battery encompassed demographic characteristics, pain assessment using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), disability evaluation via the Rolland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), health status assessment using the EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L), somatic symptom distress measurement with the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8), and anxiety and depression evaluation with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). To compare continuous variables across two groups, a Mann-Whitney U test was employed; for comparisons among more than two groups, a Kruskal-Wallis test was utilized. In order to determine the association of subjects' demographics with SSS-8, HADS-Anxiety, HADS-Depression, NPS, RMDQ, and EQ-5D-5L indices, Spearman correlation coefficients were employed. Multiple regression analysis served to assess the factors associated with health status, pain, and disability, a significance level of p < 0.05 being the benchmark. narrative medicine Of the 87 participants included, 55 were women, resulting in a 946% response rate. The average age of the sample was notably 596 years, presenting a standard deviation of 151 years. While a pattern of weak negative associations was seen between SSD scores, anxiety, depression, and EQ-5D-5L indices, a weak positive correlation was uniquely found between levels of SSD and pain/disability measurements. Upon conducting a multiple regression analysis, the only factor identified as a prognostic indicator of poor health-related quality of life, elevated pain levels, and disability was SSD. Ultimately, higher SSD scores are strongly correlated with poorer health-related quality of life, intense pain, and significant disability among Greek patients with chronic low back pain. For a more robust confirmation of our findings, additional research on a larger and more representative sample of the Greek general population is essential.
The psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, a concern underscored by a proliferation of epidemiological studies three years into its course, is substantial. General population studies, encompassing 50,000 to 70,000 individuals in meta-analyses, underscored a growing prevalence of anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. As a part of pandemic response, mental health services were curtailed, access was restricted, but psychotherapeutic and supportive interventions continued remotely via telepsychiatry. The pandemic's influence on those diagnosed with personality disorders (PD) demands thorough investigation. These patients suffer severely in interpersonal relationships and with their sense of self, issues which manifest intensely in their emotions and actions. Studies concerning the pandemic's influence on individuals with personality disorders have largely concentrated on cases of borderline personality disorder. The social isolation mandated by pandemic-era distancing measures, along with the concurrent rise in feelings of loneliness, significantly contributed to the suffering experienced by individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), often resulting in anxieties of abandonment and rejection, social withdrawal, and an acute sense of emptiness. Subsequently, patients' proneness to engage in perilous behaviors and substance abuse is magnified. The experience of anxiety due to the condition, and the concomitant sense of loss of control, may lead to the development of paranoid ideation in BPD patients, which further hampers their interpersonal relationships. Alternatively, in some cases of patients, the reduced contact with interpersonal stimuli could potentially alleviate symptoms. Numerous studies have investigated the frequency of hospital emergency department visits by patients with Parkinson's Disease or self-harm cases during the pandemic.69 Studies on self-injury, which did not record psychiatric diagnoses, are included here because of the clear relationship between self-harm and PD. Published studies concerning emergency department visits for patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) or self-harm situations displayed a mix of results; some exhibited an increase, others a decrease, and still others remained unchanged in comparison to the preceding year's data. Coincidentally with this period, both the distress felt by Parkinson's Disease patients and self-harm ideation rates within the general population increased.36-8 immune architecture A potential cause for the reduced number of emergency department visits could be the restricted availability of services, or conversely, an improvement in symptoms due to decreased social interaction and adequate access to remote therapy, like telepsychiatry. One of the pivotal challenges confronting mental health services providing therapy to individuals with Parkinson's Disease was the necessity to suspend in-person sessions and initiate telephone or online therapy. Changes in the therapeutic setting were especially difficult for patients with Parkinson's disease, adding a considerable layer of aggravation to their experience. In a series of studies, the cessation of in-person psychotherapy for individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) was linked to an increase in symptom severity, specifically including heightened anxiety, profound sadness, and feelings of profound hopelessness. 611 When telephonic or online sessions became unavailable, emergency department visits saw a substantial rise. Telepsychiatry's continued use was viewed as satisfactory by patients; indeed, some patients saw their clinical condition improve back to and stay at their previous level following the initial phase. The cessation of sessions in the cited studies encompassed a period of two to three months. Talabostat concentration The PD services of the First Psychiatric Department, at Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, hosted 51 BPD patients undergoing group psychoanalytic psychotherapy sessions at the commencement of the restriction period.