Off-label Uses of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).

Psychiatric drugs have primacy for off-label prescribing. Among those, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are highly versatile and, therefore, widely prescribed. Moreover, they are commonly considered as having a better safety profile compared to other antidepressants. Thus, when it comes to off-label prescribing, SSRIs rank among the top positions. In this review, we present the state of the art of off-label applications of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, ranging from migraine prophylaxis to SARS-CoV-2 antiviral properties. Research on SSRIs provided significant evidence in the treatment of premature ejaculation, both with the on-label dapoxetine 30 mg and the off-label paroxetine 20 mg. However, other than a serotoninergic syndrome, serious conditions like increased bleeding rates, hyponatremia, hepatoxicity, and post-SSRIs sexual dysfunctions, are consistently more prominent when using such compounds. These insidious side effects might be frequently underestimated during common clinical practice, especially by nonpsychiatrists. Thus, some points must be addressed when using SSRIs. Among these, a psychiatric evaluation before every administration that falls outside the regulatory agencies-approved guidelines has to be considered mandatory. For these reasons, we aim with the present article to identify the risks of inappropriate uses and to advocate the need to actively boost research encouraging future clinical trials on this topic.

State boredom and behavioral addictions: Evidence of psychometric adequacy for the Short Form of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale with young adults

The hypothesis that State boredom (SB) - the experience of boredom in the moment - can be considered as one of the risk factors for engaging in addictive behaviors has been further supported by the studies conducted during the COVID-19 related lockdown. Moreover, the issue of gender-related differences and similarities in SB is in debate. However, to deeply assess SB, it is fundamental having sound measurement instruments. One of the mostly used and brief instruments employed internationally to assess SB is the Short Form of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS-SF), but evidence regarding its psychometric properties among young adults, who are particularly at-risk for the development of behavioral addictions, is lacking. In particular, the functioning of the scale across genders is unknown in this age group. As a result, we used item response theory (IRT) to investigate psychometric functioning, with a specific focus on gender invariance, of the MSBS-SF among young adults. Eight hundred and twenty five Italian young adults (73% female;Mage = 25.61, SD = 4.53) were recruited. A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated the unidimensionality of the scale, and IRT analyses indicated that the scale was sufficiently informative. Differential item functioning (DIF) across genders showed that items had an equivalent functioning across male and female respondents. Additionally, significant and positive relationships with hypersexual behavior were found. Overall, this study offers evidence that the MSBS-SF is a valuable and useful scale for measuring SB among male and female young adults.