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Background: In patients with a psychotic disorder, rates of substance use (tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol) are higher compared to the general population. However, little is known about associations between substance use and self-reported aspects of social functioning in patients with a psychotic disorder., Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 281 community-dwelling patients with a psychotic disorder, linear regression models were used to assess associations between substance use (tobacco, cannabis, or alcohol) and self-reported aspects of social functioning (perceived social support, stigmatization, social participation, or loneliness) adjusting for confounders (age, gender, and severity of psychopathology)., Results: Compared to nonsmokers, both intermediate and heavy smokers reported lower scores on loneliness (E = -0.580, SE = 0.258, p = 0.025 and E = -0.547, SE = 0,272, p = 0.046, respectively). Daily cannabis users reported less social participation deficits than non-cannabis users (E = -0.348, SE = 0.145, p = 0.017). Problematic alcohol use was associated with more perceived social support compared to non-alcohol use (E = 3.152, SE = 1.102, p = 0.005). Polysubstance users reported less loneliness compared to no users (E = -0.569, SE = 0.287, p = 0.049)., Conclusions: Substance use in patients with psychosis is associated with more favorable scores on various self-reported aspects of social functioning.

Background: Child maltreatment is a common negative experience and has potential long-lasting adverse consequences for mental and physical health, including increased risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and metabolic syndrome. In addition, child maltreatment may increase the risk for comorbid physical health conditions to psychiatric conditions, with inflammation as an important mediator linking child maltreatment to poor adult health. However, it remains unresolved whether experiencing child maltreatment increases the risk for the development of comorbid metabolic syndrome to MDD. Therefore, we investigated whether child maltreatment increased the risk for comorbid metabolic syndrome to depressed mood. Subsequently, we examined whether C-reactive protein (CRP), as an inflammatory marker, mediated this association. In addition, we investigated whether effects differed between men and women., Methods: Associations were examined within cross-sectional data from the multiethnic HELIUS study ( N = 21,617). Adult residents of Amsterdam, Netherlands, self-reported on child maltreatment (distinct and total number of types experienced before the age of 16 years) as well as current depressed mood (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10), and underwent physical examination to assess metabolic syndrome. The CRP levels were assessed in N = 5,998 participants. Logistic and linear regressions were applied for binary and continuous outcomes, respectively. All analyses were adjusted for relevant demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle characteristics, including ethnicity., Results: A higher number of maltreatment types as well as distinct types of emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse were significantly associated with a higher risk for current depressed mood. Child maltreatment was not significantly associated with the risk for metabolic syndrome in the whole cohort, nor within individuals with depressed mood. As child maltreatment was not significantly associated with the CRP levels, subsequent mediation analyses were not performed. No significant moderating effects by sex were observed., Conclusion: In this multiethnic urban cohort, child maltreatment was associated with a higher risk for depressed mood. Contrary to our expectations, child maltreatment was not significantly associated with an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, neither in the whole cohort nor as a comorbid condition in individuals with depressed mood. As the data were cross-sectional and came from a non-clinical adult population, longitudinal perspectives in relation to various stages of the investigated conditions were needed with more comprehensive assessments of inflammatory markers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Willemen, van Zuiden, Zantvoord, de Rooij, van den Born, Hak, Thomaes, Segeren, Elsenburg and Lok.)

Background: People with a severe mental illness (SMI) increasingly receive ambulatory forms of care and support. The trend of deinstitutionalization accelerated in the Netherlands from 2008 and onwards without sufficient understanding of its consequences. The study protocol herein focuses on deinstitutionalization from the perspective of adults with an SMI living within the community in Amsterdam and aims at delivering better insight into, amongst others, their recovery, quality of life, societal participation and needs for care and support., Methods: A cohort design will be used. A representative sample of community-dwelling adults with an SMI, including those in care (n = 650) and not in care (n = 150), will be followed over time. During a two-year time period, participants will be interviewed twice using a wide-ranging set of validated instruments. Interview data will be matched with administrative data about the care process, as retrieved from their patient files. Primary outcomes are changes over time in recovery, societal participation and quality of life, controlled for the occurrence of adverse life-events during follow-up. Additionally, prevalence estimates of and associations between social functioning, safety and discrimination, substance use and health indicators will be investigated., Discussion: The study protocol aims at delivering a comprehensive insight into the needs of community-dwelling adults with an SMI based on which ambulatory care and support can best be provided to optimally promote their social recovery and well-being., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Although adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are related to many single negative outcomes, its relation with multiproblem situations in early adulthood is largely unknown., Objective: To examine ACE's relation with self-sufficiency problems (SSP) in important life-domains among a sample of young adult violent offenders., Participants and Setting: Participants were drafted from a local diversion program for violent repeat offenders. Young adults who agreed to a social-psychiatric screening and who had a history of juvenile probation were eligible to participate., Methods: The screening included the assessment of SSP (N = 523). ACE prevalences were retrieved from historic juvenile probation files (N = 122). The ACE-SSP relation was assessed with multivariable regression analyses with ACE and SSP as cumulative measures., Results: Offenders presented with 6.1 SSPs from 10 life-domains on average and had been exposed to 3.1 ACEs. Exposure to 4+ ACEs was observed for 42 % of the sample. ACE was positively associated with SSP (β = .38, p < .01) and with impaired functioning in the distinct domains finances (OR = 1.53, p < .05), addiction (OR = 1.33, p < .05), community participation (OR = 1.28, p < .05) and housing (OR = 1.22, p < .05)., Conclusions: Both ACE and SSP are common among violent offenders. Higher diversity in ACE was associated with higher diversity in SSP. Juvenile probation for high-risk juveniles should focus on preventing functioning problems in multiple life-domains. Diversion efforts for young adult offenders require sensitivity to personal histories and vigilance about multi-problem situations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ring chromosome 20 syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder., Methods: In six patients, we focused on the presenting epileptic phenotype, the behavioral and mental problems and the relationship between the ratio of mosaicism and the age at onset of the epilepsy., Results: All patients presented with pharmacoresistant frontal lobe complex partial seizures. The earliest onset of epilepsy was seen in patients without mosaicism. There were three patients out of six with behavioral disturbances before the onset of seizures. All patients had mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Electroencephalogram recordings showed rhythmic theta waves with frontal predominance and non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE)., Conclusions: The ring chromosome 20 syndrome is characterized by childhood-onset refractory epilepsy continuing throughout adult life, mental disability, and behavioral disturbances which can originate before seizure onset. Ictal EEG reveals a unique pattern. Our findings indicate a possible link between the percentage of affected cells and the age of epilepsy onset., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)