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Background: Poor adherence to treatment is one of the main challenges to symptom control and preventing recurrence in bipolar disorder (BD). Numerous studies have established an association between patients’ poor adherence and an increased risk of recurrence, relapse of the symptoms and admission to hospital.Aim: To study the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with medication nonadherence in patients with BD who were admitted to the hospital.Setting: The study was conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University.Methods: A 1-year longitudinal prospective study of 110 patients, aged 18–60 years, with BD-I. Young Mania Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression, Global Assessment of Functioning, Sheehan Disability Scale and Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire were applied before and 6 months after discharge. Adherence was measured using the Morisky 8-Item Medication Adherence Scale. Sociodemographic data and level of functioning were studied in relation to adherence.Results: Higher adherence was noticed in female, married and older patients and those with a higher level of education. However, low adherence was more common in male, nonmarried and less educated patients. Follow-up after 6 months revealed that the high adherence group scored the lowest in terms of disability. Meanwhile, the low adherence group scored the highest scores in disability.Conclusion: Several socio-demographic and clinical variables were found to be associated with a low adherence rate to the prescribed medication in patients with BD-I. Age and impaired insight were found to be significant predictive factors for non-adherence.

Purpose of Review This narrative review summarises cultural aspects of cannabis use across different (sub)cultures, nations, and gender, racial, and ethnic groups. Specifically, we aimed to overview historical and traditional contexts of cannabis use and physical and mental health-related correlates, as well as emerging cannabis-related policies and their impacts on medicinal and recreational use of cannabis. In addition, we discuss how cultural factors may affect cannabis use behaviours and sociocultural underpinnings of cannabis use disorder trajectories. Recent Findings Cannabis is the most widely cultivated, trafficked, and used illicit drug worldwide, although cannabis is being legalised in many jurisdictions. More than 4% of individuals globally have used cannabis in the last year. Being traditionally used for religious and ritualistic purposes, today cannabis use is interwoven with, and influenced by, social, legal, economic, and cultural environments which often differ across countries and cultures. Notably, empirical data on distinct aspects of cannabis use are lacking in selected underrepresented countries, geographical regions, and minority groups. Summary Emerging global policies and legislative frameworks related to cannabis use have impacted the prevalence and attitudes toward cannabis in different subcultures, but not all in the same way. Therefore, it remains to be elucidated how and why distinct cultures differ in terms of cannabis use. In order to understand complex and bidirectional relationships between cannabis use and cultures, we recommend the use of cross-cultural frameworks for the study of cannabis use and its consequences and to inform vulnerable people, clinical practitioners, and legislators from different world regions.

In view of the growing interest regarding binge-watching (i.e., watching multiple episodes of television (TV) series in a single sitting) research, two measures were developed and validated to assess binge-watching involvement (“Binge-Watching Engagement and Symptoms Questionnaire”, BWESQ) and related motivations (“Watching TV Series Motives Questionnaire”, WTSMQ). To promote international and cross-cultural binge-watching research, the present article reports on the validation of these questionnaires in nine languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Hungarian, Persian, Arabic, Chinese). Both questionnaires were disseminated, together with additional self-report measures of happiness, psychopathological symptoms, impulsivity and problematic internet use among TV series viewers from a college/university student population (N = 12,616) in 17 countries. Confirmatory factor, measurement invariance and correlational analyses were conducted to establish structural and construct validity. The two questionnaires had good psychometric properties and fit in each language. Equivalence across languages and gender was supported, while construct validity was evidenced by similar patterns of associations with complementary measures of happiness, psychopathological symptoms, impulsivity and problematic internet use. The results support the psychometric validity and utility of the BWESQ and WTSMQ for conducting cross-cultural research on binge-watching.

In response to the multitude of scientific, clinical, and social challenges that psychiatry faces today and the challenges in professional development that go along with them, several associations of early career psychiatrists (ECPs) have been created around the globe in recent years. Participation in these associations promotes local, national, and international sharing of experiences and provides advocacy platforms for improvement of training and working standards. Furthermore, associations of ECPs contribute to networking and to decreasing professional isolation. This paper provides an overview of the aims, structure, and organization of some of the most important international associations of ECPs. Some of the first national associations of ECPs will also be described.