Tapestry of postnatal emotional disorders: exploring the interplay of anxiety and depressive disorders and their associated risk factors in Sudanese women.

Background: This research aims to unravel the prevalence of postnatal emotional disorders with a focus on how postnatal anxiety remained under-estimated and often embroiled in postnatal depression. Methods: Out of 600 postnatal women invited to take part in this study from two prominent primary care clinics in Khartoum, 468 women agreed to participate in this study. Three questionnaires were utilized in this study, a Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Beck depression Inventory (BDI). Multiple linear regression analysis applied to gauge risk factors with postnatal anxiety and depression. Results: More than half (52.50%) of women showed evidence of both anxiety and depression using HADS, while only (20.9%) of cases were detected by BDI, showing evidence of moderate depressive disorder. A substantial proportion (28.4%) showed high levels of comorbidity of anxiety and depression in the category of moderate to severe symptoms. Main risks factors for postnatal disorders were past psychiatric illness (ß = 0.25, p = 0.001), a family history of psychiatric illness (ß = 0.15, p = 0.002), and stress due to the number of children (ß = 0.32, p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study advances our understanding of postnatal emotional disorders, particularly highlighting the prevalence as well as correlates of postpartum anxiety. More importantly, this study highlights the importance of routine screen for emotional distress in postnatal women.

Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of a Frontal Lobe Meningioma: A Case Report.

The exclusion of organic causes for psychiatric symptoms is a routine practice in mental healthcare. Brain tumors can elicit a range of mood, behavioral, or cognitive symptoms that mimic mental health disorders, significantly altering a patient's personality and behavior if left undiagnosed or untreated. This case report presents a 56-year-old Middle Eastern male with no prior history of mental illness who exhibited a three-week history of depressive symptoms, social withdrawal, and poor self-care. Despite treatment, his condition deteriorated, manifesting psychomotor retardation, urinary incontinence, paranoia, mood lability, and sexually disinhibited behavior. Neuroimaging revealed a large extra-axial mass in the anterior cranial fossa, indicative of a meningioma, necessitating referral to neurosurgery. CT and MRI scans confirmed a hyperdense mass lesion (7.1 x 7.7 x 7.5 cm), causing structural erosion and a midline shift. This case underscores the importance of considering organic causes in atypical psychiatric presentations. Meningiomas, particularly those in the frontal lobes, can present primarily with psychiatric symptoms, complicating early diagnosis. Neuroimaging is critical for accurate diagnosis and effective management in such cases. Clinicians should be vigilant for organic causes in patients with atypical psychiatric symptoms, especially in those over 50. Early neuroimaging can lead to timely diagnosis and treatment, significantly improving patient outcomes.

Transformative Outcomes With Paliperidone Long-Acting Injection in Severe Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) presents considerable challenges in contemporary psychiatric practice due to inadequate response to conventional antipsychotic treatments. Paliperidone, the primary active metabolite of risperidone, particularly in its long-acting injectable (LAI) form, has emerged as a promising option for TRS due to its consistent medication delivery, reducing symptom exacerbation and relapse associated with oral dosing fluctuations. This case report presents the clinical journey of a 42-year-old female diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15. Despite numerous hospital admissions and trials of various oral and injectable antipsychotics, including clozapine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), her symptoms persisted. During her last admission, her condition showed minimal improvement despite extensive pharmacological interventions. Introducing paliperidone LAI while tapering off other antipsychotics led to significant improvements within four weeks. The patient exhibited reduced hallucinatory behaviour, delusions, and disorganized behaviour. Follow-up assessments confirmed sustained progress, with the patient showing increased engagement in daily activities and reduced irritability and suspiciousness. This case underscores the potential efficacy of paliperidone LAI in managing TRS. The patient's notable improvement highlights the importance of personalized treatment plans and continuous monitoring in complex psychiatric conditions. Its favourable safety and tolerability profile further supports its use as a long-term treatment option for TRS, potentially leading to enhanced patient compliance and overall quality of life. The significant symptomatic relief and functional improvement observed advocate for the consideration of paliperidone LAI as a promising therapeutic option for TRS, with the potential to be considered in the future among the first-line treatments for TRS.

Polypharmacy to Clozapine Monotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

This case report discusses a 25-year-old Middle Eastern female with a 14-year history of schizophrenia, managed as an inpatient for nearly eight years. Initially referred to a psychiatrist at age 12, with one-year-long concerns about preoccupation with the idea of having a serious illness, depressed mood, decreased appetite, social withdrawal, and aggression, she underwent multiple admissions, various medication combinations, and electroconvulsive therapy but remained resistant to treatment until clozapine monotherapy was initiated in 2023. After starting clozapine, improvements were noted in speech, communication, and eye contact, though negative symptoms and bouts of aggression persisted. This case highlights the efficacy of clozapine monotherapy in managing treatment-resistant schizophrenia after years of ineffective polypharmacy treatment. The importance of clozapine in treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia cannot be understated. Despite its efficacy, clozapine is often underutilised globally due to concerns about adverse effects and the need for blood monitoring, leading to the overuse of antipsychotic polypharmacy. This polypharmacy is associated with higher adverse event rates, increased costs, and uncertain long-term safety. This case report demonstrates the successful management of treatment-resistant schizophrenia with clozapine monotherapy. The patient's significant improvement supports the need to prioritise clozapine, highlighting its benefits over polypharmacy and advocating for its broader use to enhance patient outcomes.

Role of environmental factors in autism spectrum disorders in Saudi children aged 3-10 years in the Northern and Eastern regions of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To study the environmental factors which can contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorders in Saudi children aged 3-10 years in Northern region (Arar) and Eastern region (Dammam) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A case control study was conducted and the data was collected from September 2017 to December 2017 by interviewing the parents of 100 Saudi autistic children and 100 normal children aged 3-10 years from Arar and Dammam. A specially designed questionnaire was used to collect the data which includes socio-demographic characteristics of the parents and ante-natal history of the mother and developmental history, social history and dietary habits of the child. To find out the association between environmental factors and development of autism in children, logistic regression with odds ratio used. RESULTS: There was a significant association between consanguineous marriages and autism. A significant association was also found between medications taken by the mother during pregnancy and autism. Significantly lowered ORs for Autism were observed for children in families of perceived adequate income and children consuming a Vitamin-D rich diet. Increased maternal age was observed in autistic children when compared to normal children. CONCLUSION: he environmental factors which could contribute to the development of autism are consanguineous marriage, inadequate family income, medications taken by the mother during pregnancy, vitamin D deficient diet of the child and maternal age during pregnancy.