Illness-related outcomes of illicit substance use disorder in adolescents with early onset schizophrenia: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Lifetime co-occurring substance use disorders are common at the time of presentation for the treatment of primary psychosis. Our aim was to investigate the clinical characteristics of adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (EOS), categorized as either with (EOS + SUD) or without SUD (non-SUD/EOS), in a multi-center sample. METHODS: Between 2016 and 2022, 255 patients were evaluated across three tertiary-care inpatient units. Diagnoses were confirmed by the treating physician according to the DSM-5 during the hospital stay. The severity of symptoms was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: The EOS + SUD group exhibited a higher illness onset, fewer years of education, longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), a higher frequency of male gender, more frequent hospitalizations, increased use of clozapine and zuclopenthixol LAI, along with higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and conduct disorder. Notably, differences in DUP, clozapine use, and the number of hospitalizations did not persist in the multivariate logistic regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the notion of SUD playing a role in modifying the course of illness in EOS. Future studies should emphasize exploring treatment responses to medications and interventions among youth with dual diagnoses.

Electroconvulsive therapy or clozapine for adolescents with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: an explorative analysis on symptom dimensions.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to compare pre-intervention patient characteristics and post-intervention outcomes in a naturalistic sample of adolescent inpatients with treatment-resistant psychotic symptoms who received either electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or clozapine. METHODS: Data of adolescents with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder receiving ECT or clozapine were retrospectively collected from two tertiary-care psychiatry-teaching university hospitals. Subscale scores of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) factors were calculated according to the five-factor solution. Baseline demographics, illness characteristics, and post-intervention outcomes were compared. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between patients receiving ECT (n = 13) and clozapine (n = 66) in terms of age, sex, and the duration of hospital stay. The ECT group more commonly had higher overall illness and aggression severity. Smoking was less frequent in the clozapine group. Baseline resistance/excitement symptom severity was significantly higher in the ECT group, while positive, negative, affect, disorganisation, and total symptom scores were not. Both interventions provided a significant reduction in PANSS scores with large effect sizes. CONCLUSION: Both ECT and clozapine yielded high effectiveness rates in adolescents with treatment-resistant schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Youth receiving ECT were generally more activated than those who received clozapine.

Psychomotor agitation and irritability in adolescents with manic episode: Clinical data from three inpatient units.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the characteristics of adolescents with Bipolar disorder-I with irritability and agitation (Mania+IA) compared to those without irritability and agitation (Mania-IA) in a multi-center representative sample. METHODS: Data of 145 patients from three tertiary-care inpatient units between 2016 and 2021 were obtained. Psychomotor agitation was defined as a score of ≥3 on the YMRS "Increased Motor Activity--Energy" item, irritability as a score of ≥4 on the YMRS 'irritability' item, and severity anchors of speech and thought disturbance on the YMRS '6 and 7' items. RESULTS: Previous manic episodes (p = 0.013), involuntary hospitalization (p = 0.006), psychotic features (p = 0.001), formal thought disorder (p = 0.010) and aggressive/disruptive behavior (p = 0.021) were more frequent in the Mania+IA group. Conversely, depressive episodes (p = 0.006) and family history of depression (p = 0.024) were more frequent in the Mania-IA group. The Mania+IA had poorer functioning at the time of discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Irritability and agitation were closely related to complications, psychotic symptoms and thought disorder. Assessment and monitoring of psychomotor agitation and irritability may help child and adolescent psychiatrists to predict clinical difficulties and appropriate interventions.

The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the adaptation of elderly women to depression and old age: a randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The changes that occur during the ageing process affect the mental health of individuals and their adaptation to old age. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) exercises on the depression level of elderly women and their adaptation to old age. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial design was used. The sample consisted of 49 elderly women (21 intervention and 28 controls) from a family health centre of a city in Turkey. The research data were collected using the introductory information form, Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel index, Geriatric Depression-15 Scale, and Assessment Scale of Adaptation Difficulty for the Elderly. Two home visits were made to women in the first and eighth week of the application. PMR was applied by women in the intervention group in 28 min sessions three times a week for 8 weeks. During the 8 weeks the women were called by the researcher once a week and PMR was reminded. RESULTS: As a result of the PMR exercises performed for 8 weeks, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean Geriatric Depression-15 Scale and Assessment Scale of Adaptation Difficulty for the Elderly scores of the women in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, it was found that PMR exercises reduce the depression level of elderly women and increase their adaptation to old age.

The Effect of Doll Therapy on Agitation and Cognitive State in Institutionalized Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Study.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT04120103 Retrospectively registered on 8 April 2019.

Effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the caregiver burden and level of depression among caregivers of older patients with a stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the caregiver burden and level of depression among the caregivers of older patients with a stroke. METHODS: This randomized, controlled experimental study was conducted between December, 2015 and July, 2017 with the caregivers of older patients with a stroke who had been admitted to the home care unit of a state hospital. The caregivers were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 23) and control (n = 21) groups, based on the study's inclusion criteria. The caregivers in the intervention group practiced progressive muscle relaxation exercises at home 3 days per week for 8 weeks. The control group had no intervention. RESULTS: The mean age of the older patients with a stroke was 80.15 ± 9.86 years and the mean duration of the disease was 39.07 ± 44.69 months. The mean age of the caregivers was 50.29 ± 12.62 years, 84.1% of whom were female, 38.6% were elementary school graduates, and 86.4% were married. It was found that there was a statistically significant decrease in the mean Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale and Beck Depression Scale scores of the caregivers in the intervention group after practicing progressive muscle relaxation, but this decrease was not statistically significant when the intervention and control groups were compared. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in the caregiver burden and level of depression among the caregivers in the intervention group after progressive muscle relaxation exercises, but that there was no statistically significant difference when the intervention and control groups were compared.