Social disconnection and psychotic-like experiences in daily life: Unravelling the mediating role of threat anticipation.

Social disconnection, manifesting as social isolation and/or loneliness, might be associated with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). There is evidence that lonely individuals tend to focus on social threats instead of searching for opportunities to reconnect with others. Following these considerations, aims of the present study were as follows: (1) to assess momentary patterns of social disconnection in people with PLEs and (2) to test the hypothesis that threat anticipation bias mediates the association between momentary social disconnection and PLEs.

Schizophrenia treatment preferences of psychiatrists versus guidelines: A European perspective.

Background: We aimed to identify therapeutic approaches for managing schizophrenia in different phases and clinical situations - the prodromal phase, first-episode psychosis, cognitive and negative symptoms, pregnancy, treatment resistance, and antipsychotic-induced metabolic side effects - while assessing clinicians' adherence to guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2023 as part of the Ambassador project among psychiatrists and trainees from 35 European countries, based on a questionnaire that included six clinical vignettes (cases A-F). Additionally, a review of multiple guidelines/guidance papers was performed.

Mental healthcare and addiction services in Poland: a (hi)story of attraction and rejection.

This position paper describes the structural elements of the Polish mental healthcare system, with consideration of both historical and contemporary contexts. The historical context has had a significant impact on the evolution of mental healthcare and treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders (AUD and SUD) in Poland, resulting in notable distinctions between the two systems. Those are evident in the distinct legal foundations, therapeutic traditions (medical vs.

Temporal patterns of loneliness and their associations with mental health outcomes: Observations from a longitudinal study.

Background: Loneliness is a global public health concern. Investigating loneliness in the general population offers a greater generalizability across various levels of health-related impairments, the identification of at-risk individuals, the detection of different loneliness severity levels, and broader insights into social determinants. Previous studies have shown that loneliness might be a transient or chronic experience, depending on how consistently it is reported across at least two timepoints.

COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs in Poland. Predictors, psychological and social impact and adherence to public health guidelines over one year.

This study examines demographic and attitudinal determinants of belief in COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs in Poland and their impact on psychological well-being, social functioning, and adherence to public health measures over one year. A cross-sectional study with a retrospective component was conducted one year after the pandemic outbreak (N = 1000). A COVID-19 conspiracy belief factor, extracted via PCA, served as the dependent variable in hierarchical regression models.

The mediating role of the parietal-prefrontal white matter network between trauma experience and anxiety symptoms in individuals with borderline personality disorder: Findings from neuroimaging studies.

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is linked to impairments in white matter (WM) integrity, with traumatic experiences (TE) playing a key role in its development. As TE can affect brain structure, this study examined the parietal-prefrontal WM pathway, focusing on the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), the longest association bundle, to explore WM integrity impairments and their link to BPD symptoms.

Methodology: The study included 90 women (47 with BPD, 43 healthy controls).

Unravelling early transdiagnostic dynamics of psychotic-like experiences in young adults: Results from a cross-lagged panel network analysis.

Background: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are potential transdiagnostic markers of psychopathology. However, temporal patterns of associations between PLEs and other symptoms remain unclear. Moreover, it needs to be clarified as to whether PLEs might be primary targets for interventions.

The associations of negative and disorganization symptoms with verbal fluency in schizophrenia: the mediation effect of processing speed and cognitive flexibility.

Background: Psychopathological symptoms appear important for cognitive functions in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, the factors and their impact on relationships between negative or disorganization symptoms and verbal fluency are still debatable. The preliminary objective of the study was to compare verbal fluency, including clustering and switching as cognitive strategies, executive functions, and processing speed between individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HC).

Psychotic-like Experiences and Underlying Mechanisms: An Integrative Model of ADHD Symptoms, Rumination, Negative Affect, and Trauma Experience.

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are low-intensity subclinical phenomena, often transient in nature. The etiology of PLEs primarily involves neurodevelopmental changes, trauma exposure, and maladaptive coping styles. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered to be one of the factors that increase the risk of future psychosis.

Collaborative Outcomes Study on Health and Functioning During Infection Times (COH-FIT): Global and Risk-Group Stratified Course of Well-Being and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents.

Objective: To identify the COVID-19 pandemic impact on well-being/mental health, coping strategies, and risk factors in adolescents worldwide.

Method: This study was based on an anonymous online multi-national/multi-language survey in the general population (representative/weighted non-representative samples, 14-17 years of age), measuring change in well-being (World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index [WHO-5]/range = 0-100) and psychopathology (validated composite P-score/range = 0-100), WHO-5 <50 and <29, pre- vs during COVID-19 pandemic (April 26, 2020-June 26, 2022). Coping strategies and 9 a priori- defined individual/cumulative risk factors were measured.

Comparative analysis of gut microbiota in major depressive disorder and schizophrenia during hospitalisation - the case-control, post hoc study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) by comparing 36 inpatients with these conditions to 29 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Individuals with SCZ exhibited greater microbiota richness compared to HC (FDR P(Q)=0.028).

Exploring the associations between momentary cortisol levels and psychotic-like experiences in young adults: Results from a temporal network analysis of daily-life data.

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been implicated in the development of psychosis and subthreshold psychotic symptoms commonly referred to as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). The exact mechanisms linking the HPA axis responses with the emergence of PLEs remain unknown. The present study aimed to explore real-life associations between stress, negative affect, salivary cortisol levels (a proxy of the HPA axis activity) as well as PLEs together with their underlying cognitive biases (i.

The same but different too: Depression profiles in young adults without a history of psychiatric treatment identified using Bayesian and partial correlation networks.

Depression is a heterogenous diagnostic construct; however, dynamic interactions between specific depressive symptoms across their qualitatively different profiles remain largely unknown. The study aimed to recognize the most prevalent profiles of depressive symptoms and assess their dynamics in young adults without a history of psychiatric treatment. Depressive symptoms were recorded using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

The rs4354668 polymorphism in the SLC1A2 gene for the EAAT2 glutamate transporter is associated with an increased risk of harmful drug use - an exploratory study on a university student population.

Objectives: Evidence suggests that decreased dopamine secretion in mesocorticolimbic pathways could predispose to increased susceptibility to substance addiction. It has been proposed to define such a phenomenon as the reward deficit syndrome (RDS). Dopaminergic projections of the reward system receive glutaminergic projections from cortex.

Polish standard of treatment with racemic ketamine for patients with depressive disorders developed by a Working Group appointed by the National Consultant in the field of psychiatry.

The Polish standard of treatment with racemic ketamine for patients with depressive disorders was developed by a Working Group appointed by the National Consultant in the field of psychiatry. Despite the wide range of available medications, as many as one-third of depressed patients do not respond to standard antidepressant treatment, raising the need for an ongoing search for new effective and safe therapies. In recent years, the possible role of overactivity of the glutamatergic system in the etiopathogenesis of depression has again attracted the attention of many experts.

Does social isolation predict the emergence of psychotic-like experiences? Results from the experience sampling method study.

Background: Several studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness are associated with the occurrence of psychotic experiences. However, dynamics of these phenomena in people with subclinical experiences, commonly referred to as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), remains largely unknown. Therefore, in this study we performed a temporal network analysis to model dynamic predictions between social isolation, loneliness, negative affect, social stress, and PLEs.

Impulsivity and inhibitory control in deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia.

Background: There is conflicting evidence on impulsivity and its potential relationship with inhibitory control in schizophrenia. This study therefore aimed to identify differences in impulsivity and cognitive and motor inhibition between patients with deficit (DS) and non-deficit (NDS) schizophrenia and healthy controls (HC). We also explored the relationships between impulsivity and different dimensions of inhibitory control in all studied groups.

The importance of oxidative biomarkers in diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring schizophrenia patients.

Introduction: The etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ), an incredibly complex disorder, remains multifaceted. Literature suggests the involvement of oxidative stress (OS) in the pathophysiology of SCZ.

Objectives: Determination of selected OS markers and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with chronic SCZ and those in states predisposing to SCZ-first episode psychosis (FP) and ultra-high risk (UHR).

Greater methylation of the IL-6 promoter region is associated with decreased integrity of the corpus callosum in schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with chronic subclinical inflammation and decreased integrity of the corpus callosum (CC). Our previous study showed associations between peripheral IL-6 levels and the integrity of the CC. Epigenetic studies show associations between methylation of the genes related to immunological processes and integrity of the CC.

Coping styles do not interact with the association between childhood trauma history and the immune-inflammatory phenotype of schizophrenia: Findings from a cross-sectional study.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a well-known risk factor of schizophrenia. Moreover, individuals with schizophrenia are likely to use maladaptive stress coping strategies. Although it has been reported that a history of ACEs might be associated with a pro-inflammatory phenotype in patients with schizophrenia, the interacting effect of coping styles on this association has not been tested so far.