Search

Objectives: Working Alliance (WA) is important in the care of patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD). This study aims to determine which sociodemographic and clinical factors are associated with WA, as assessed by patients and staff members in Residential Facilities (RFs), and may predict WA dyads' discrepancies., Methods: Three hundred and three SSD patients and 165 healthcare workers were recruited from 98 RFs and characterized for sociodemographic features. WA was rated by the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) for patients (WAI-P) and staff members (WAI-T). SSD patients were assessed for the severity of psychopathology and psychosocial functioning., Results: Pearson's correlation revealed a positive correlation (ρ = .314; p < .001) between WAI-P and WAI-T ratings. Linear regression showed that patients with higher education reported lower WAI-P ratings (β = -.50, p = .044), while not being engaged in work or study was associated with lower WAI-T scores (β = -4.17, p = .015). A shorter lifetime hospitalization was associated with higher WAI-P ratings (β = 5.90, p = .008), while higher psychopathology severity negatively predicted WAI-T (β = -.10, p = .002) and WAI-P ratings (β = -.19, p < .001). Better functioning level positively foresaw WAI-T (β = .14, p < .001) and WAI-P ratings (β = .12, p < .001). Regarding discrepancies, staff members' age was associated with higher dyads discrepancy in Total scale and Agreement subscale scores, which were also associated with more severe negative symptoms, while patients' age was negatively correlated to Relationship subscale discrepancy., Conclusions: This study provides insight into the factors that influence WA in SSD patients and health workers in RFs. The findings address interventions to improve WA and ultimately patient outcomes., (© 2023 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Background: Positivity (POS) indicates the proclivity to see life and experiences in a positive light. There is limited research on its effects on individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD). Very little is known about the relationship between POS and daily activities in people with SSD., Aim: The study aims to compare the POS rated by patients with SSD with those obtained in an Italian normative sample matched by age and sex and to use the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to investigate the association between POS and daily time use (i.e. productive activities, leisure activities), functioning and mood in individuals with SSD., Method: 620 SSD patients were recruited from mental health services in Italy as part of the DiAPAson project. POS, symptom severity, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed. POS scores were compared to a normative sample of 5,002 Italian citizens. Additionally, a subset of 102 patients underwent 7-day assessments using mobile EMA., Results: People with SSD did not significantly differ from the Italian normative sample in POS levels (0.035, p  = .190). POS showed a significant inverse association with support network (-0.586, p  = .036) and symptomatology (BPRS -0.101; 95% p  < .001; BNSS B  = -0.113, p  < .001). A significant direct association was found between POS and QoL ( B  = 0.310, p  < .001) and functioning ( B  = 0.058, p  < .001). In the subsample using EMA, POS ratings showed significant associations with Positive Emotions ( B  = 0.167, p  < .001) and Negative Emotions ( B  = -0.201, p  < .001)., Conclusion: People with SSD exhibited comparable levels of POS to the normative sample. Higher POS was linked to better functioning, QoL, fewer severe symptoms, and increased positive emotions. However, it did not relate to increased productivity or engagement in leisure activities. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between POS and time use in individuals with SSD.

Objective: In the framework of daily time use, physical activity, and interpersonal relationships in patients with schizophrenia project, we aimed to investigate (a) within and between-group differences in daily time use of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and unaffected controls, stratifying them by age, sex, and employment status; (b) the associations between daily time use, the severity of psychiatric symptoms, and psychosocial functioning amongst those with SSD., Method: From October 2020 to October 2021, 306 outpatients and 312 individuals living in residential facilities (RFs) with SSD were recruited from 37 centers across Italy and compared on a measure of daily time use with 113 people unaffected by mental health problems. Statistical analyses included chi-squared tests, analysis of variance tests, t tests, Pearson's correlations, and nonparametric corresponding tests., Results: Individuals with SSD spent significantly more time in sedentary activities, leisure, and religious activities than unaffected controls, independent of age, sex, and employment status. Unaffected controls and outpatients spent more time engaged in productive activities than patients in RFs. Among the latter group, time spent in productive activities decreased significantly after 45 years of age, while time spent in self-care activities increased. Spending time engaged in sedentary activities was associated with greater severity of psychiatric symptoms and lower levels of functioning., Conclusions and Implications for Practice: This study provides a deep understanding of how individuals with SSD spend their time and how this is associated with the severity of their mental health problems. These findings highlight the need for proactive rehabilitation programs to promote productive occupation and social inclusion of people with SSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) experience disrupted temporality on the immediate timescale. However, insufficient information is available for longer time frames, and the interaction of temporal perspectives with the clinical manifestations of SSD is unknown. We explored the association between unbalanced time perspectives and symptom severity. Thirty-seven Italian mental health services participating in the DiAPAson project recruited 620 patients with DSM-5 SSD (68 % males, mean age = 41.3 ± 9.5 years). Time perspective biases were measured using the Deviation from the Balanced Time Perspective-revisited (DBTP-r) indicator, based on Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) scores. Psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Brief Negative Symptoms Scale (BNSS). Preliminary analyses examined the associations between ZTPI/DBTP-r and BPRS/BNSS total scores. In secondary analyses, we first tested the associations between the ZTPI/DBTP-r and BPRS/BNSS subscales and then compared ZTPI differences between patients with and without hallucinations, delusions, and conceptual disorganisation. Statistical significance was set at Holm-Bonferroni corrected p < 0.05. Low-to-moderate positive correlations were found between the DBTP-r and BPRS/BNSS total scores (r = 0.29/0.22). The strongest associations were between DBTP-r/ZTPI&#95;Past-Negative and anxiety/depression (r = 0.34/0.36), followed by DBTP-r/ZTPI&#95;Present-Fatalistic with thought disturbances (r = 0.22/0.20). DBTP-r was associated with BNSS anhedonia and avolition (r = 0.21/0.24). DBTP-r was higher in patients with hallucinations (ES = 0.391) and conceptual disorganisation (ES = 0.397) than in those without these symptoms. Unbalanced time perspective was positively associated with the severity of primary and secondary SSD features. These findings provide a rationale for empirical tests focused on balancing time perspectives in patients with SSD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare none., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) compromise psychosocial functioning, including daily time use, emotional expression and physical activity (PA)., Objective: We performed a cohort study aimed at investigating: (1) the differences in PA, daily activities and emotions between patients with SSD and healthy controls (HC); (2) the strength of the association between these variables and clinical features among patients with SSD., Methods: Ninety-nine patients with SSD (53 residential patients, 46 outpatients) and 111 matched HC were assessed for several clinical variables, and levels of functioning by means of standardised clinical measures. Self-reported daily activities and emotions were assessed with a smartphone application for ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and PA levels were assessed with a wearable accelerometer for 7 consecutive days.FindingsPatients with SSD, especially those living in residential facilities, spent more time being sedentary, and self-reported more sedentary and self-care activities, experiencing higher levels of negative emotions compared with HC. Moreover, higher functioning levels among patients were associated with more time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity., Conclusions: Sedentary behaviour and negative emotions are particularly critical among patients with SSD and are associated with more impaired clinical outcomes., Clinical Implications: Mobile-EMA and wearable sensors are useful for monitoring the daily life of patients with SSD and the level of PA. This population needs to be targeted with specific rehabilitative programmes aimed at improving their commitment to structured daily activities., Competing Interests: Competing interests: No, there are no competing interests., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) is a valid method of remotely recording activities and mood, but the predictors of adherence to ESM in patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD) are not known. Studies on adherence are significant as they highlight the strengths and weaknesses of ESM-based study designs and allow the development of recommendations and practical guidelines for implementing future studies or treatment plans., Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the adherence to ESM in patients with SSD and unaffected control individuals, investigate their patterns, and report the predictors of adherence., Methods: In total, 131 patients with SSD (74 in residential facilities and 57 outpatients) and 115 unaffected control individuals were recruited at 10 different centers in Italy as part of the DiAPAson project. Demographic information, symptom severity, disability level, and level of function were recorded for the clinical sample. Participants were evaluated for daily time use and mood through a smartphone-based ESM 8 times a day for 7 consecutive days. Adherence was measured by the response rate to ESM notifications. Results were analyzed using the chi-square test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Friedman test, and a logistic regression model., Results: The overall adherence rate in this study was 50% for residents, 59% for outpatients, and 78% for unaffected control individuals. Indeed, patients with SSD had a lower rate of adherence to ESM than the unaffected control group (P≤.001), independent of time slot, day of monitoring, or day of the week. No differences in adherence rates between weekdays and weekends were found among the 3 groups. The adherence rate was the lowest in the late evening time slot (8 PM to 12 AM) and days 6-7 of the study for both patients with SSD and unaffected control individuals. The adherence rate among patients with SSD was not predicted by sociodemographic characteristics, cognitive function, or other clinical features. A higher adherence rate (ie, ≥70%) among patients with SSD was predicted by higher collaboration skills (odds ratio [OR] 2.952; P=.046) and self-esteem (OR 3.394; P=.03), and lower positive symptom severity (OR 0.835; P=.04)., Conclusions: Adherence to ESM prompts for both patients with SSD and unaffected control individuals decreased during late evening and after 6 days of monitoring. Higher self-esteem and collaboration skills predicted higher adherence to ESM among patients with SSD, while higher positive symptom scores predicted lower adherence rates. This study provides important information to guide protocols for future studies using ESM. Future clinical or research studies should set ESM monitoring to waking hours, limit the number of days of monitoring, select patients with more collaborative skills and avoid those with marked positive symptoms, provide intensive training sessions, and improve participants' self-confidence with technologies., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR2-10.1186/s12888-020-02588-y., (©Cristina Zarbo, Manuel Zamparini, Olav Nielssen, Letizia Casiraghi, Matteo Rocchetti, Fabrizio Starace, Giovanni de Girolamo, DiAPAson Collaborators. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 18.07.2023.)

Aims: Care needs represent an essential paradigm in planning residential facility (RF) interventions. However, possible disagreements between users and staff are critical issues in service delivery. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) tracks experiences in the real world and real time. This study aimed to evaluate the care needs of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) in RFs and its association with daily activities and mood monitored using the ESM., Methods: As part of the DIAPASON project, 313 residents with SSD were recruited from 99 Italian RFs. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Care needs, the severity of symptomatology and negative symptoms were assessed. Fifty-six residents were also assessed for 7 consecutive days using the mobile ESM. Descriptive, agreement, predictor and moderator analyses were conducted., Results: The staff rated a higher number of total and met needs than service users ( p < 0.001). Only a slight agreement between users and staff on unmet needs was found in self-care ( k = 0.106) and information ( k = 0.100) needs, while a moderate agreement was found in accommodation ( k = 0.484), food ( k = 0.406), childcare ( k = 0.530), physical health ( k = 0.470), telephone ( k = 0.458) and transport ( k = 0.425) needs. Older age (-0.15; p < 0.01), longer SSD diagnosis (-0.16; p < 0.01), higher collaboration (-0.16; p < 0.01) and lower symptomatology (-0.16; p < 0.01) decreased the number of unmet needs, while being a female (0.27; p < 0.05) and a shorter length of stay in an RF (0.54; p < 0.001) increased the number of unmet needs. A higher number of unmet needs was associated with a lower amount of time spent in leisure activities or reporting a positive mood: on the contrary, more unmet needs were associated with a greater amount of time spent in religious or non-productive activities. The associations between unmet needs rated by staff and users and momentary mood as assessed using the ESM were not moderated by the severity of symptomatology., Conclusions: Although care needs are fundamental in planning residential activities aimed at recovery-oriented rehabilitation, RF interventions did not fully meet users' needs, and some disagreements on unmet needs between users and staff were reported. Further efforts are necessary to overcome Italian RF limits in delivering rehabilitative interventions defined by real users' needs to facilitate users' productivity and progress towards personal recovery.

Time perspective (TP) influences various aspects of human life. We aimed to explore the associations between TP, daily time use, and levels of functioning among 620 patients (313 residential patients and 307 outpatients) with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) recruited from 37 different centres in Italy. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Specific Levels of Functioning (SLOF) were used to assess psychiatric symptoms severity and levels of functioning. Daily time use was assessed using an ad hoc paper and pencil Time Use Survey. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) was used to assess TP. Deviation from Balanced Time Perspective (DBTP-r) was used as an indicator of temporal imbalance. Results showed that the amount of time spent on non-productive activities (NPA) was positively predicted by DBTP-r (Exp(β): 1.36; p .003), and negatively predicted by the Past-Positive (Exp(β): 0.80; p .022), Present-Hedonistic (Exp(β): 0.77; p .008), and Future (Exp(β): 0.78; p .012) subscales. DBTP-r significantly negatively predicted SLOF outcomes (p .002), and daily time use, in particular the amount of time spent in NPA and Productive Activities (PA), mediated their association. Results suggested that rehabilitative programs for individuals with SSD should consider fostering a balanced time perspective to reduce inactivity, increase physical activity, and promote healthy daily functioning and autonomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) is usually not recommended, though it is very common in clinical practice. Both APP and SSDs have been linked to worse health outcomes and decreased levels of physical activity, which in turn is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality. This real-world, observational study aimed to investigate antipsychotic prescribing patterns and physical activity in residential patients and outpatients with SSDs. A total of 620 patients and 114 healthy controls were recruited in 37 centers across Italy. Each participant underwent a comprehensive sociodemographic and clinical evaluation. Physical activity was monitored for seven consecutive days through accelerometer-based biosensors. High rates of APP were found in all patients, with residential patients receiving more APP than outpatients, probably because of greater psychopathological severity. Physical activity was lower in patients compared to controls. However, patients on APP showed trends of reduced sedentariness and higher levels of light physical activity than those in monopharmacy. Rehabilitation efforts in psychiatric residential treatment facilities were likely to result in improved physical activity performances in residential patients. Our findings may have important public health implications, as they indicate the importance of reducing APP and encouraging physical activity., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Recovery and human rights promotion for people with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSDs) is fundamental to provide good care in Residential Facilities (RFs). However, there is a concern about rehabilitation ethos in RFs. This study aimed to investigate the care quality of Italian RFs, the quality of life (QoL) and care experience of residents with SSD., Methods: Fourty-eight RFs were assessed using a quality assessment tool (QuIRC-SA) and 161 residents with SSD were enrolled. Seventeen RFs provided high intensity rehabilitation (SRP1), 15 medium intensity (SRP2), and 16 medium-low level support (SRP3). Staff-rated tools measured psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning; user-rated tools assessed QoL and satisfaction with services. RFs comparisons were made using ANOVA and Chi-squared., Results: Over two-thirds patients (41.5 y.o., SD 9.7) were male. Seventy-six were recruited from SRP1 services, 48 from SRP2, and 27 from SRP3. The lowest QuIRC-SA scoring was Recovery Based Practice (45.8%), and the highest was promotion of Human Rights (58.4%). SRP2 had the lowest QuIRC-SA ratings and SRP3 the highest. Residents had similar psychopathology (p = 0.140) and functioning (p = 0.537). SRP3 residents were more employed (18.9%) than SRP1 (7.9%) or SRP2 (2.2%) ones, and had less severe negative symptoms (p = 0.016) and better QoL (p = 0.020) than SRP2 residents. There were no differences in the RF therapeutic milieu and their satisfaction with care., Conclusions: Residents of the lowest supported RFs in Italy had less severe negative symptoms, better QoL and more employment than others. The lowest ratings for Recovery Based Practice across all RFs suggest more work is needed to improve recovery., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The application of innovative technologies in psychiatry is promising, but the debate about its feasibility is not settled. Our aim was to investigate and compare adherence to and usability of 7-day monitoring with an Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and Actigraphy among a sample of individuals with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) and paired healthy controls. Twenty-two patients living in residential facilities (RFs), 20 outpatients and 26 controls were enrolled in this study as part of the DiAPAson project. Participants wore an actigraph and were evaluated for daily time use and mood with a smartphone-based ESM. Then, they completed questionnaires to assess the usability of the devices and were interviewed. Adherence was assessed as the percentage of time spent wearing actigraph and answering ESM notifications. Residential patients, compared to controls, showed significantly higher usability of the actigraph and lower adherence to both the actigraph and ESM. From the qualitative interviews, four high-order themes emerged: effects of monitoring, adherence and usability, emotions and mental states, and advice. Findings are promising for the application of these methodologies in such populations. The role of multidisciplinary staff in RFs is crucial for guaranteeing the realization of such projects., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) are ranked among the leading causes of disabilities worldwide. Many people with SSD spend most of their daily time being inactive, and this is related to the severity of negative symptoms. Here, we present the 3-year DiAPAson project aimed at (1) evaluating the daily time use among patients with SSD living in Residential Facilities (RFs) compared to outpatients with SSD and to the general population (Study 1); (2) evaluating the quality of staff-patient relationships, its association with specific patient outcomes and the quality of care provided in RFs (Study 2); and (3) assessing daily activity patterns in residential patients, outpatients with SSD and healthy controls using real-time methodologies (Study 3)., Methods: Study 1 will include 300 patients with SSD living in RFs and 300 outpatients; data obtained in these clinical populations will be compared with normative data obtained by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) in the national survey on daily time use. Time use assessments will consist of daily diaries asking participants to retrospectively report time spent in different activities. In Study 2, a series of questionnaires will be administered to 300 residential patients (recruited for Study 1) to evaluate the quality of care and staff-patient relationships, level of well-being and burnout of RFs' staff, and quality of RFs using a European standardized questionnaire (QuIRC-SA). In Study 3, the daily time use will be evaluated in a subgroup of 50 residential patients, 50 outpatients and 50 healthy controls using the Experience Sampling Method approach (participants will complete a brief questionnaire -about time use, mood and perceived energy- on a smartphone 8 times a day for 1 week) to compare retrospective and real-time reports. Moreover, their level of physical activity, sleep patterns, and energy expenditure will be monitored through a multi-sensor device., Discussion: This project is highly innovative because it combines different types of assessments (i.e., retrospective and real-time reports; multi-sensor monitoring) to trace an accurate picture of daily time use and levels of physical activity that will help identify the best therapeutic options promoting daily activities and physical exercise in patients with SSD., Trial Registration: ISRCTN registry ID ISRCTN21141466.

Background: Evaluating emotional experiences in the life of people with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD) is fundamental for developing interventions aimed at promoting well‐being in specific times and contexts. However, little is known about emotional variability in this population. In DiAPAson project, we evaluated between‐ and within‐person differences in emotional intensity, variability, and instability between people with SSD and healthy controls, and the association with psychiatric severity and levels of functioning. Methods: 102 individuals diagnosed with SSD (57 residential patients, 46 outpatients) and 112 healthy controls were thoroughly evaluated. Daily emotions were prospectively assessed with Experience Sampling Method eight times a day for a week. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, correlations, and generalized linear models. Results: Participants with SSD, and especially residential patients, had a higher intensity of negative emotions when compared to controls. Moreover, all people with SSD reported a greater between‐person‐variability of both positive and negative emotions and greater intra‐variability of negative emotions than healthy controls. In addition, the emotion variability in people with SSD does not follow a linear or quadratic trend but is more "chaotic" if compared to controls. Conclusions: Adequate assessments of positive and negative emotional experiences and their time course in people with SSD can assist mental health professionals with well‐being assessment, implementing targeted interventions through the identification of patterns, triggers, and potential predictors of emotional states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To estimate the treated incidence of individuals with first‐episode psychosis (FEP) who contacted the Emilia‐Romagna public mental healthcare system (Italy); to examine the variability of incidence and user characteristics across centres and years. Methods: We computed the raw treated incidence in 2013–2019, based on FEP users aged 18–35, seen within or outside the regional program for FEP. We modelled FEP incidence across 10 catchment areas and 7 years using Bayesian Poisson and Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Models of varying complexity. We explored associations between user characteristics, study centre and year comparing variables and socioclinical clusters of subjects. Results: Thousand three hundred and eighteen individuals were treated for FEP (raw incidence: 25.3 / 100.000 inhabitant year, IQR: 15.3). A Negative Binomial location‐scale model with area, population density and year as predictors found that incidence and its variability changed across centres (Bologna: 36.55; 95% CrI: 30.39–43.86; Imola: 3.07; 95% CrI: 1.61–4.99) but did not follow linear temporal trends or density. Centers were associated with different user age, gender, migrant status, occupation, living conditions and cluster distribution. Year was associated negatively with HoNOS score (R = −0.09, p <.001), duration of untreated psychosis (R = −0.12, p <.001) and referral type. Conclusions: The Emilia‐Romagna region presents a relatively high but variable incidence of FEP across areas, but not in time. More granular information on social, ethnic and cultural factors may increase the level of explanation and prediction of FEP incidence and characteristics, shedding light on social and healthcare factors influencing FEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to predict antipsychotic prescription patterns for people with schizophrenia using machine learning (ML) algorithms. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, a sample of community mental health service users (SUs; n = 368) with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia was randomly selected. Socio-demographic and clinical features, including the number, total dose, and route of administration of the antipsychotic treatment were recorded. Information about the number and the length of psychiatric hospitalization was retrieved. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression and ML algorithms (i.e., random forest [RF], supported vector machine, K-nearest neighborhood, and Naïve Bayes) were used to estimate the predictors of total antipsychotic dosage and prescription of antipsychotic polytherapy (APP). Results: The strongest predictor of the total dose was APP. The number of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) contacts was the most important predictor of APP and, with APP omitted, of dosage. Treatment with anticholinergics predicted APP, emphasizing the strong correlation between APP and higher antipsychotic dose. RF performed better than OLS regression and the other ML algorithms in predicting both antipsychotic dose (root square mean error = 0.70, R2 = 0.31) and APP (area under the receiving operator curve = 0.66, true positive rate = 0.41, and true negative rate = 0.78). Conclusion: APP is associated with the prescription of higher total doses of antipsychotics. Frequent attenders at CMHCs, and SUs recently hospitalized are often treated with APP and higher doses of antipsychotics. Future prospective studies incorporating standardized clinical assessments for both psychopathological severity and treatment efficacy are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: People with mental disorders show mortality rates up to 22.2 times higher than that of the general population. In spite of progressive increase in life expectancy observed in the general population, the mortality gap of people suffering from mental health problems has gradually widened. The aim of this paper was to study mortality rates in people suffering from mental illness in a cohort of people (16,981 subjects) in the local mental health register of the province of Modena during the decade 2006-2015.Methods: Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were calculated to compare the mortality of people with mental disorders to the mortality of people living in the province of Modena and the excess of mortality was studied in relation to the following variables: gender, age group, diagnosis and causes of death. In addition, Poisson regression analysis was performed to study the association between patient characteristics and mortality.Results: An overall excess mortality of 80% was found in subjects under the care of mental health services as compared to the reference population (SMR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.7-1.9). Subjects in the 15-44 year group presented the highest SMR (9.2, 95% CI 6.9-11.4). The most prevalent cause of death was cancer (28.1% of deaths). At the Poisson regression, the diagnosis "Substance abuse and dependence" showed the highest relative risk (RR) (4.00). Moreover, being male, single, unemployed and with a lower qualification was associated with higher RRs.Conclusions: Our study confirms that subjects with mental illness have higher SMR. Noteworthy, the overall higher risk of mortality was observed in the younger age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In mental healthcare, one area of major concern identified by health information systems is variability in antipsychotic prescribing. While most studies have investigated patient- and prescriber-related factors as possible reasons for such variability, no studies have investigated facility-level characteristics. The present study ascertained whether staffing level is associated with antipsychotic prescribing in community mental healthcare. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of data extracted from the Italian national mental health information system was carried out. For each Italian region, it collects data on the availability and use of mental health facilities. The rate of individuals exposed to antipsychotic drugs was tested for evidence of association with the rate of mental health staff availability by means of univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In Italy there were on average nearly 60 mental health professionals per 100,000 inhabitants, with wide regional variations (range 21 to 100). The average rate of individuals prescribed antipsychotic drugs was 2.33%, with wide regional variations (1.04% to 4.01%). Univariate analysis showed that the rate of individuals prescribed antipsychotic drugs was inversely associated with the rate of mental health professionals available in Italian regions (Kendall's tau -0.438, p = 0.006), with lower rates of antipsychotic prescriptions in regions with higher rates of mental health professionals. After adjustment for possible confounders, the total availability of mental health professionals was still inversely associated with the rate of individuals exposed to antipsychotic drugs. Discussion: The evidence that staffing level was inversely associated with antipsychotic prescribing indicates that any actions aimed at decreasing variability in antipsychotic prescribing need to take into account aspects related to the organization of the mental health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the validity of DSM-III-R schizoaffective disorder, the authors explored the morbid risks for schizophrenia and major affective disorders in the first-degree relatives of patients with schizoaffective disorder and relevant other diagnoses. Method: In addition. to patients with DSM-III-R schizoaffective disorder, depressive type (N=21), the probands included patients with mood-incongruent psychotic depression (N=22), mood-congruent psychotic depression (N=19), non psychotic depression (N=2 7), or schizophrenia (N=28) and normal subjects (N=18). The patients were consecutively recruited from the outpatient facilities of a university psychiatry department; the normal subjects were students and nurses. All probands were directly interviewed, with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia—Lifetime Version (SADS-L), by a psychiatrist blind to information about relatives. Consenting relatives were directly interviewed, with the SADS-L, by two psychiatrists blind to the probands' diagnoses. The direct interview was supplemented—or replaced, when an interview was not possible (24%)—by family history data from all available sources. Morbid risks in relatives were calculated according to the Weinberg method. Results: The relatives of the schizoaffective patients had almost the same risk for schizophrenia as the relatives of the schizophrenic patients. In the relatives of the patients with mood-incongruent psychotic depression, the morbid risk for major affective disorders was about one-half that of the relatives of the patients with mood-congruent psychotic depression and one-third that of the relatives of the patients with non psychotic depression, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: These results suggest that DSM-III-R schizoaffective disorder is close to schizophrenia and largely corresponds to mainly schizophrenic schizoaffective disorder in the Research Diagnostic Criteria, whereas DSM-III-R mood-incongruent psychotic depression is probably quite heterogeneous and should be studied further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]