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Introduction: Major depressive disorder is a disabling illness that involves affect and cognition of a person, negatively influencing social and work functioning. Cognitive deficits are often present in depression, although they are often believed to be secondary to typical depressive symptoms., Aim: A detailed literature review has been carried out to assess the cognitive deficits identified in people with major depressive disorder and identify specific assessment tools used for their evaluation., Methods: Using key-words, we selected papers published on Embase and PubMed/Medline, with a particular reference to those published in the last five years., Results: The literature review confirmed that cognitive deficits are one of the most important causes of social disfunctioning in patients with major depressive disorder. Cognitive deficits can be observed already in the first depressive episode. Assessment tools for cognitive deficits are scarcely used in clinical practice., Conclusion: There is a need to identify cognitive deficits in people with major depressive disorder and their relation with social and work functioning, quality of life and risk of relapse as well as to assess the effects of therapeutic intervention on cognitive performance. To achieve this purpose, it is important to use appropriate and sensitive tools for the assessment of cognitive deficits.

Aims: The European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT), founded in London in 1992, is an independent international federation of psychiatric trainees' national associations. The EFPT is engaged in several actions in order to pursue its general aims to promote high standards of quality of psychiatric training and promote the collaboration and networking between European psychiatric trainees., Methods: Member associations constitute the general assembly that meets annually during the European Forum of Psychiatric Trainees. During the Forum, working groups are created and the activities for the next year are planned., Results: Regular activities of the EFPT include the production of statements expressing the standpoint of trainees on educational issues, the conduction of research projects, the creation of new national trainees' associations, the facilitation of networking among European psychiatric trainees and the organization an annual meeting (EFPT Forum). The last EFPT Forum has been organized in Sorrento (Italy) on May 2012. Psychiatric trainees from 37 European countries have registered to this event., Discussion: EFPT activities constitute a opportunity for psychiatric trainees to directly participate in the improvement of their psychiatric training and to establish a network with European colleagues that will contribute to their professonal development.

Aims: To assess in a sample of people with mental disorders: 1) fear of crime and perceived insecurity; 2) the association between fear of crime and insecurity; 3) the incidence of crimes., Methods: Twenty-four Italian mental health centres have been invited to participate in the study from the network of the Early Career Psychiatrists' Committee of the Italian Psychiatric Association. In each participating centre, the first 20 patients consecutively accessing the mental health centre between February and April 2011 have been recruited. All patients have been assessed using validated assessment tools., Results: The final sample consists of 426 patients. They are mostly female (70.1%), with a mean age of 45 years (± 13.5), and with a good level of education. Fifty-two percent of patients have a diagnosis of mood disorders, and 37.8% on anxiety spectrum disorders. About half of the sample declares that the most prominent feeling toward life is uncertainty. Almost all patients report to have at least one big fear, with the most frequently report being: 1) loss or death of a loved one (41.2%); 2) financial constraint (28.4%); 3) physical or mental health problems (26.5%)., Discussion and Conclusions: Our results show the presence of a common sense of uncertainty among patients, probably as a result of the historical moment we are facing. It is reasonable that this attitude toward life can have a detrimental impact on patients' psychological and physical wellbeing, contributing to high levels of distress. Further studies are needed in order to clarify the possible relationship between fears, uncertainty and mental disorders.