Neuroticism and Conscientiousness Moderate the Effect of Oral Medication Beliefs on Adherence of People with Mental Illness during the Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: After the declaration of the pandemic status in several countries, the continuity of face-to-face visits in psychiatric facilities has been delayed or even interrupted to reduce viral spread. Little is known about the personality factors associated with medication beliefs and adherence amongst individuals with mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief report describes a preliminary naturalistic longitudinal study that explored whether the Big Five personality traits prospectively moderate the effects of medication beliefs on changes in adherence during the pandemic for a group of outpatients with psychosis or bipolar disorder. METHODS: Thirteen outpatients undergoing routine face-to-face follow-up assessments during the pandemic were included (41 observations overall) and completed the Revised Italian Version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire, the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8-item and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. RESULTS: Participants had stronger concerns about their psychiatric medications rather than beliefs about their necessity, and adherence to medications was generally low. Participants who had more necessity beliefs than concerns had better adherence to medications. People scoring higher in Conscientiousness and Neuroticism traits and more concerned about the medication side effects had poorer adherence. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data suggest the importance of a careful assessment of the adherence to medications amongst people with psychosis/bipolar disorder during the pandemic. Interventions aimed to improve adherence might focus on patients' medication beliefs and their Conscientiousness and Neuroticism personality traits.

[Theory of mind in bipolar disorder: a review]. / La teoria della mente nel disturbo bipolare: una rassegna.

AIM: Bipolar disorder (DB) is associated with an impairment in socio-cognitive functioning in both the acute and, to a lesser extent, the euthymic phase. Several neuroimaging and behavioral studies have evaluated social cognition, especially theory of mind (ToM), in people with bipolar disorder, in attempt to identify clinical features, its role and severity. METHODS: A bibliographical research of controlled studies from January 1999 to April 2018 was completed in PubMed and PsycINFO using the keywords "Bipolar Disorder" and "Theory of mind", "Mirror neuron system". RESULTS: During the euthymic phase patients with bipolar disorder show a different pattern in different ToM tasks, compared to healthy controls. Some studies show how these anomalies also involve the mirror neuron system, a network closely connected to the neural structures underlying the ToM. LIMITATIONS: The studies evaluate only one component of social cognition and not all studies include a control group. CONCLUSIONS: Research supports the role of ToM deficits in DB as a relevant clinical element in the complex model of this disorder, especially in interpersonal functioning, offering possibilities for further research and treatment integration.

Advances in treatment for postpartum major depressive disorder.

Introduction: Postpartum depressive disorder (PPD) is a burdensome medical condition. To date, only one treatment (Brexanolone) has undergone registrational trials and is approved in the United States with an indication for the treatment of PPD. However, other treatments are prescribed and have been tested for this condition. Herein, the authors review the available scientific evidence pertaining to the somatic treatments of PPD. Areas covered: The authors evaluate the published open-label and randomized controlled trials (RCTs), examine the biological mechanisms of PPD treatments, and evaluate how the available data translates into information that may be useful for clinical practice. Expert opinion: Antidepressants have long been the mainstay of PPD treatment, despite the limited evidence from randomized clinical trials that supports this practice. Brexanolone improves treatment options for women with PPD. However, the relatively burdensome administration and monitoring protocol, along with the high cost of the medication, limit the possibility for an extensive use of this medication. Large, randomized, controlled trials of hormonal treatments in patients with PPD are warranted. Also, treatment with mood stabilizers and/or antipsychotics in women with major depressive disorder, who meet the DSM-5 mixed features specifiers in the post-partum period, should be tested in controlled clinical trials.