Surviving a global pandemic: The experience of depression, anxiety, and loneliness among individuals with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The world has been experiencing one of the most significant worldwide health pandemics in modern history. The result has been increased depression, anxiety, and loneliness in the general population. However, populations who demonstrated pre-pandemic emotional disturbance and social isolation, such as individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), are likely uniquely vulnerable to such symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the emotional outcomes, including reports of loneliness, in individuals with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic. We additionally sought to examine how individuals' experiences during the pandemic may contribute to a specific COVID-19-related depression or anxiety. METHODS: 142 individuals with MS who previously participated in a national, online, survey-based study were asked to complete an online survey assessing their current level of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Increases in the rates of depression and anxiety were noted, with approximately 54% and 33% reporting "new" depression or anxiety, respectively. Given this increase, we examined how individuals with "new" depression or anxiety differed from those without depression and anxiety and those with pre-pandemic depression and/or anxiety. Significant differences in person-specific factors (e.g., personality, self-efficacy) were noted between the groups. Increased loneliness was also found among both those with depression or anxiety regardless of whether "new" or pre-pandemic. Finally, all those depressed or anxious reported greater disruption and distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic with a trend for increased anxiety specifically related to the pandemic (e.g., fear or dying due to COVID-19) among those with new depression or anxiety when compared to those with existing depression or anxiety, suggesting an influence of the pandemic that is specific to reports of new depression or anxiety. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest increased depression, anxiety, and loneliness among individuals with MS following the COVID-19 pandemic, with reports of "new" depression or anxiety, which appears to be related to the pandemic, specifically. Moreover, factors commonly associated with depression or anxiety in MS (e.g., personality, self-efficacy) were more common among those with existing depression or anxiety but not among those experiencing new depression or anxiety. These differences should be considered when attempting to ameliorate the impact of the COVID-19 among those experiencing emotional distress.

Sobre el lugar del síndrome de Ganser en la nosotaxia: una muestra de la dificultad en la práctica psicopatológica / On the place of Ganser syndrome in nosology: an example of the difficulty of clinical practice in psychopathology

El texto que sigue trata de poner de manifiesto las limitaciones implícitas del proceder psicopatológico al uso, a través de la presentación de un caso clínico de síndrome de Ganser que resulta especialmente útil para dicha tarea. Nos referimos a este trastorno por lo controvertido de su naturaleza y porque el paciente en concreto evidenció, como tantos otros, las dificultades diarias con las que se enfrenta la psiquiatría, en especial cuando se salen de la norma o impiden un pensamiento simplista y estructurado en forma de las clasificaciones que empleamos habitualmente. El paciente con síndrome de Ganser es desconcertante y provoca en el médico observador diferentes reacciones y, sobre todo, la duda y la incertidumbre de lo incomprensible, en términos sintomáticamente determinantes. Para su enfoque se revisa la bibliografía concerniente, y se discuten las opiniones enfrentadas a lo largo de la historia del trastorno y, en especial, lo concerniente a la nosología y el origen psicótico, histérico u orgánico del cuadro, analizando la situación actual y extrapolando la problemática planteada al resto de patologías psiquiátricas conocidas

The present text aims to highlight the limitations implicit in currently used psychopathological procedures through a case report of Ganser's syndrome, which is especially suitable for revealing these limitations. This case is reported because of its controversial nature and because, like so many other patients, the patient illustrated the difficulties encountered daily in psychiatry, especially when patients are atypical and do not fit into commonly used classifications. Patients with Ganser syndrome are disconcerting and provoke different reactions in psychiatrists, especially doubt and uncertainty since these patients cannot be understood in terms of established symptomatology. As a focus, we review the relevant literature and discuss the various opinions held on this disorder throughout its history and, especially, that concerning nosology and whether the origin of the disorder is psychotic, hysterical or organic. The current situation is analyzed and the problems posed by Ganser's syndrome are extrapolated to all known psychiatric disorders

Lucid dreaming and the mind-body relationship: a model for the cognitive and physiological variations in rapid eye movement sleep.

The psychophysiological properties of the lucid dream state were examined to evaluate the relationship between lucid and nonlucid dreaming, emphasizing the fact that the components of self-reflectiveness and other cognitive features commonly associated with lucid dreams occur in all dreams to various extents. Although lucid dreams are clearly toward one end of the continuum, they still share many of the characteristics present in most dreams. In this respect, exploration of lucid dreams may not necessarily be a misguided path toward the understanding of dreaming in general. A simple model was described to illustrate the mind-body relationship in various forms of REM dreaming.