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Background: Technological and medical progresses stimulated a worldwide demographic transition with a high socio-economic impact. The Mental Health in Older People Consensus suggests that elderly mental health deserve attention from a research and a public health perspective. Aims: To investigate mental disorders in a population-based sample of persons aged 75+ living in Faenza (Northern Italy). Methods: The Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX) (Roth, 1986) was administered to 462 elderly (or/and their proxies/informants). Cognitive functions were tested using CAMDEX-Cognitive section (CAMCOG) and dementia diagnoses were achieved according to DSM-IV criteria. Among cognitively intact individuals, depression was diagnosed based on DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria. Presence of general anxiety disorder was evaluated using the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory Short Form (GAI-sf) (Byrne, 2011). Results: Dementia prevalence was 19.1% (95% Confidence Intervals: 16–23%). Even if only eight (2.2%) participants were affected by a major depressive episode (DSM-IV criteria), one out of four participants was clinically diagnosed as being depressed when ICD-10 criteria were applied: mildmoderate- and severe-depression prevalence was 16.4% (95%CI: 12.6–20.2%); 7.5% (95%CI: 4.8–10.2%); 1.1 (95%CI: 0.04–2.2%) respectively. Furthermore 20 (5.4%) participants complained sub-threshold depressive symptoms. Three persons had psychotics’ symptoms (two were depressed). Fifty-one participants (11.0%) felt that living was not worthy (95%CI: 8.0–14.0%) and 29 (7.0%) had suicidal thoughts (95%CI: 4.0–8.0%). Anxiety affected the 18.6% of the sample (95%CI: 14.0–22.0%). Depression and anxiety co-occurred in 36 persons (10.2% of the total population). Conclusions: At least one mental disorder is diagnosable in one out of two community-dwelling elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the cognitive status in an elderly population including both community-dwellers and institutionalised subjects. Methods: 462 subjects (mean age 85.1±6.9 years, 53.2% females) living in the Faenza district (Ravenna, Northern Italy) were interviewed and clinically evaluated. The Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX) was administered to all participants to collect socio-demographic and clinical information. The cognitive status was evaluated using the cognitive assessment included in the CAMDEX (CAMCOG) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (adjusted by sex and age). Cut-offs were as follow: CAMCOG scores < 80; MMSE scores < 24. Results: The CAMCOG identified 245 subjects (53.0%) as cognitively impaired; 132 persons (28.6%) had a MMSE score < 24 and were impaired in the activities of daily living. Prevalence of dementia (DSM-IV criteria) was 19.1% (N=88), including 11 cases of ‘questionable’ dementia. Demented subjects were more likely to be women (65.9%), were less educated (p< 0.05) and older than non-demented (p< 0.001). Demented subjects scored significantly lower than non-demented subjects in any cognitive domain at CAMCOG (p< 0.001). Cognitive domains: mean score and standard deviation (p< 0.001). Non-demented vs Demented All subjects: 78.4(±15.9) vs 28.7(±21.7) Males: 81.1(±13.0) vs 35.0(±19.9) ≤85: 83.3(±12.3) vs 38.0(±20.5) >85: 75.7(±13.2) vs 34.0(±20.2) Females all: 75.7(±18.0) vs 24.3(±21.9) ≤85: 82.5(±12.4) vs 58.5(±10.8) >85: 67.0(±20.2) vs 18.4(±17.5) Among demented subjects, only 4.5% were treated with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (p=0.046); 10.2% used other anti-dementia medications (p=0.067). Conclusions: Despite of the high prevalence of dementia, only few subjects affected by dementia were properly treated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Training in Psychiatry is especially debated since the biological, psychological and social perspectives need to be integrated in the education of Early-Career Psychiatrists (ECP). Aims: To describe the opinion of ECP about the training received and to evaluate their self-confidence in therapeutic interventions. Methods: A training event for ECP from all over Italy takes place in Rome yearly. A 30-item ad hoc questionnaire with both yes/no and rating scale answers has been administered to all the participants in the event. Results: Over the past three years 224 questionnaires were collected from 216 last-year trainees and 8 recently qualified psychiatrists (68.5% women, mean age 30.5±3.5). Only 13% of participants was globally satisfied with his/her training program in psychiatry, the most of them were only partially or a little satisfied (51.4% and 32.0% respectively). The most critical training areas were Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy followed by Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Conversely, Clinical Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology were the most satisfying areas of training. Likewise, ECP felt themselves most confident in Clinical Psychiatry (87.9%) and Psychopharmacology (48.7%); whereas the most uncomfortable areas were Forensic Psychiatry (62.5%), Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (37.2%), and Dual Diagnosis/Substance-Abuse Related Disorders (33.9%). The 45% of ECP complained that Psychotherapy is a critical issue. Despite the 46.4% of participants had supervision within the training program (less than two hours per week), the 87.4% seek help from external psychotherapeutic training programs. Conclusions: To achieve a satisfactory educational standard and an adequate self confidence, network programs (within Italy and/or Europe) might be helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Low assertiveness and difficulties in emotion's regulation can perpetuate symptoms and worsen the outcome in patients with eating disorders (ED). Objectives: Cognitive-behavioral-therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorders (BED). Group training helps patients to cope with interpersonal difficulties. Aims: To examine the effects of a CBT-group-training on assertiveness, emotion's regulation and binge behaviors in patients with ED. Methods: Scale for Interpersonal Behavior (Arrindell et al, 1984; Sanavio, 2002), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz et al, 2004; Sighinolfi et al, 2010), Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh (BITE) were administered at baseline and one and three months after a CBT-training to 20 patients with ED (BED, NES, BN, EDNOS) (90% women, age 25-69 years). Results: Patients who took part in the training improves assertiveness and emotion's regulation. Display Omitted Display Omitted Conclusions: CBT-group-training increases assertiveness, improves emotion's regulation, has little effects on binge behaviors severity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]