Multimorbidity and the Etiology of Schizophrenia
AbstractPurpose of ReviewA global study of multimorbidity in schizophrenia, especially of the association with physical conditions, might offer much needed etiological insights.Recent FindingsOur review suggests that life-style factors and medication related to schizophrenia are only part of the explanation of the increase in risk for cardiovascular, metabolic, pulmonary disorders, and some cancers. Positive associations with autoimmune disorders (with the exception of rheumatoid arthritis) and epilepsy are promising avenues of research but to date have not been fully exploited. The same holds for the negative comorbidit...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - April 16, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Metaverse in Mental Health: The Beginning of a Long History
AbstractPurpose of ReviewWe review the first pilot studies applying metaverse-related technologies in psychiatric patients and discuss the rationale for using this complex federation of technologies to treat mental diseases. Concerning previous virtual-reality applications in medical care, metaverse technologies provide the unique opportunity to define, control, and shape virtual scenarios shared by multi-users to exploit the “synchronized brains” potential exacerbated by social interactions.Recent FindingsThe application of an avatar-based sexual therapy program conducted on a metaverse platform has been demonstrated ...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - April 11, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Acute, Chronic, and Everyday Physical Pain in Borderline Personality Disorder
AbstractPurpose of ReviewPhysical pain is an underrecognized area of dysregulation among those with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Disturbances are observed within the experience of acute, chronic, and everyday physical pain experiences for people with BPD. We aimed to synthesize research findings on multiple areas of dysregulation in BPD in order to highlight potential mechanisms underlying the association between BPD and physical pain dysregulation.Recent FindingsPotential biological mechanisms include altered neural responses to painful stimuli within cognitive-affective regions of the brain, as well as potentia...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - April 10, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Psychological Problems in the Context of Political Violence in Afghan Children
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review provides an overview of recent literature examining psychological problems in the context of political violence among Afghan children.Recent FindingsUsing recent literature (2018 –2023) we identified: 1) heightened levels of psychological problems experienced by children in Afghanistan; 2) the factors associated with these psychological problems, including loss of family and community members, poverty, continuous risk of injury and death, gender, substance use, war, daily stressors, and poor access to education; 3) psychological problems have potentially worsened since the 2021 politi...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - April 2, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Web-Based Initiatives to Prevent Sexual Offense Perpetration: A Systematic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewWeb-based programs to prevent sexual offense perpetration could provide an opportunity that avoids many of the barriers associated with in-person treatment. The aim of this systematic review is to give an overview of the literature on web-based initiatives aimed at sexual offense perpetration prevention published during the last 10 years (2013–2023) and to report data on the efficacy as well as issues of the discussed initiatives.Recent FindingsWe included 18 empirical studies discussing web-based perpetration prevention initiatives, of which six are randomized controlled trials. Among the arti...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - March 21, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Using Measurement-Based Care as a Precision Medicine Strategy for Substance Use Disorders
AbstractPurpose of ReviewPrecision medicine prioritizes characterization of individual patient parameters to optimize care and this review evaluates measurement-based care (MBC) as a strategy for doing so in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Measurement-based care refers to the systematic use of validated assessments to inform diagnosis and treatment planning, with varying frequency of assessments. Despite the seemingly obvious grounds for the use of MBC in treating SUD, systematic implementation to date has been limited. Thus, the goal of this review is to evaluate efforts to date and to stimulate greater co...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - March 15, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Biomarkers of Bipolar Disorder in Late Life: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewReview the current evidence on biomarkers for bipolar disorder in the older adults. We conducted a systematic search of PubMed MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases using the MeSH search terms"Biomarkers","Bipolar Disorder","Aged" and and “Aged, 80 and over”. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) the mean age of the study population was 50 years old or older, (2) the study included patients with bipolar disorder, and (3) the study examined one type of biomarkers or more including genetic, neuroimaging, and biochemical biomarkers. R...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - March 12, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Sex Differences in Stress Susceptibility as a Key Mechanism Underlying Depression Risk
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAlthough females are at relatively greater risk for a variety of disorders, including depression, the biological mechanisms underlying this striking health disparity remain unclear. To address this issue, we highlight sex differences in stress susceptibility as a key mechanism potentially driving this effect and describe the interacting inflammatory, hormonal, epigenomic, and social-environmental mechanisms involved.Recent FindingsUsing the Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression as a theoretical framework, women ’s elevated risk for depression may stem from a tight link between life stre...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - March 12, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
The Impact of Maternal Interpersonal Violent Trauma and Related Psychopathology on Child Outcomes and Intergenerational Transmission
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review aims to outline some consequences that maternal history of trauma with and without related psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), can have on their children ’s development and functioning. It then addresses mechanisms through which intergenerational transmission of interpersonal violence (IPV) and related psychopathology may occur.Recent FindingsFindings include the effects of maternal IPV experience and related psychopathology on child social-emotional and biologically-based outcomes. This includes increased developmental disturbances and child psychopathology...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - March 1, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Dynamic Protective Factors Relevant to Sexual Offending
AbstractPurpose of ReviewFocusing on protective factors rather than risk factors potentially better aligns assessment with strengths-based treatment. We examine research into the assessment of protective factors to see whether it can play this role relative to sexual offending.Recent FindingsStructured asses sment of protective factors is well developed relative to violent offending but only recently studied relative to sexual offending. Nevertheless, multiple measures of protective factors have now been trialed with men who have committed sexual offenses and shown to predict reduced recidivism. Although research into indi...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - February 24, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Narrative Review of Literature Published from 2018 to 2023
AbstractPurpose of ReviewWe review recent advances in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a disorder with very limited treatment options until recently. We examine advances in psychotherapeutic, psychopharmacologic, and interventional psychiatry approaches to treatment of TRD. We also highlight various definitions of TRD in recent scientific literature.Recent FindingsRecent evidence suggests some forms of psychotherapy can be effective as adjunctive treatments for TRD, but not as monotherapies alone. Little recent evidence supports the use of adjunctive non-antidepressant pharmacotherapies such as bupren...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - February 22, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Update on Cognitive Enhancers Among the Older Adult Population: A Clinical Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to identify key classes of medications that are used for the treatment of older adults with neurocognitive disorders.Recent FindingsClinical factors play a critical role in the prescribing of these medication classes for the treatment of dementia. The variation in prescribing trends is determined by the presence of medical and psychiatric comorbidities commonly occurring in older adults and is based on the consideration of potential interactions between pharmacotherapies for the comorbidities and for the dementia. Six medication classes currently exist to address the n...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - February 21, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
A Criminological Perspective on the Sexual Victimization of Older Adults
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review presents recent research on the sexual abuse of older adults and examines this phenomenon from a criminological perspective. Much of the previous work has neglected to consider the entirety of the crime-commission process. Therefore, the work highlighted in this review showcases important information regarding the individual who committed the crime, the victim, and the criminal event as a whole.Recent FindingsComparative studies suggest that the motivations of people who commit sexually victimize older adults are vast and can include those that are sexually and anger motivated, while th...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - February 13, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Reviewing the Evidence on Sibling Sexual Behaviour: Impact on Research, Policy and Practice
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis paper reviews recent research into sibling sexual behaviour (SSB). This is an emerging professional and community issue that binds together a limited evidence base across research, practice and policy in psychology, criminology, politics, social work and policy studies. The review will demonstrate that a multi-disciplinary, life course, family system approach is the most effective way of starting to develop interventions to prevent and respond to this issue.Recent FindingsSSB has previously been researched as a form of intrafamilial abuse or sibling incest. As a result of this SSB is poorly an...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - February 12, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
Palliative Care Psychiatry: Building Synergy Across the Spectrum
AbstractPurpose of ReviewPalliative care (PC) psychiatry is a growing subspecialty focusing on improving the mental health of those with serious medical conditions and their caregivers. This review elucidates the current practice and ongoing evolution of PC psychiatry.Recent FindingsPC psychiatry leverages training and clinical practices from both PC and psychiatry, addressing a wide range of needs, including enhanced psychiatric care for patients with serious medical illness, PC access for patients with medical needs in psychiatric settings, and PC-informed psychiatric approaches for individuals with treatment-refractory ...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - February 8, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research
