Search

Introduction: Early identification and follow-up of young people with ultra-high-risk for psychosis (UHR) has become one of the main targets of early intervention programmes. Objectives:We aimed to explore the presence of dissociative symptoms and self-reported trauma exposure in a population of adolescents (<18 years) referred to a UHR Early Intervention Programme. Methods: We studied 77 adolescents (mean age 15.2 year old, 60% males) attending the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Department from Parc Taulí Hospital (Sabadell, Spain) who were referred to the UHR Early Intervention Programme. The Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental States (CAARMS) interview was administered to obtain a UHR diagnosis. Dissociative symptoms were defined by the presence of at least one of the following CAARMS items: depersonalization, derealization and/or perceptual abnormalities. Self-reported exposure to traumatic events was assessed by clinical interview. Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical variables between diagnostic groups (UHR vs non-UHR). Significance was set at p<0.05 (two-tailed). Results: 27 out of 77 (35%) screened adolescents met UHR criteria. UHR individuals reported more dissociative symptoms than non-UHRsubjects (100%vs 57%, p<0.001). UHR individuals also reported a greater exposure to traumatic events than non-UHR individuals (63% vs 36%, p= 0.03). However, there was a significant prevalence of dissociative symptoms not related to perceived trauma in both groups. Conclusions: Among adolescents who are referred to a UHR programme, those meeting UHR criteria show a greater prevalence of dissociation and exposure to traumatic events. Dissociative symptoms are not necessarily associated with trauma exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic solar energy is booming due to the continuous improvement in photovoltaic panel efficiency along with a downward trend in production costs. In addition, the European Union is committed to easing the implementation of renewable energy in many companies in order to obtain funding to install their own panels. Nonetheless, the nature of solar energy is intermittent and uncontrollable. This leads us to an uncertain scenario which may cause instability in photovoltaic systems. This research addresses this problem by implementing intelligent models to predict the production of solar energy. Real data from a solar farm in Scotland was utilized in this study. Finally, the models were able to accurately predict the energy to be produced in the next hour using historical information as predictor variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As Aldoux Huxley said in his essay Music at Night (1931) ”After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Music has always played an important role in knowledge and communication among different cultures and it plays a very important role in young people culture, transmitting their worries and interests. The music world, especially rock, jazz and blues, has been related to drugs and alcohol. Themes related to drug and alcohol abuse and other mental disorders are frequent in the contents of songs, titles and even in the names of bands. Objectives: The authors aim to show the relation between music and mental disorders. Methods: The authors made a brief review of lyrics, song titles and names of popular bands of different music styles and times. Conclusion: In many song lyrics and titles it is frequent to appear promotion of drugs and alcohol abuse as well as reference to psychiatric clinical terms as suicide, hallucination and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psychosis is a mental condition characterized by the presence of hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders. It spans diagnostic entities that respond to similar therapeutic approaches. Most patients who develop schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders are at very high risk of relapse in the absence of antipsychotic treatment. Yet, chronic psychosis is an entity that has not been well established until today. Evidence indicates that sustained treatment is associated with fewer relapses than is targeted intermittent treatment; however guidelines do not give definite recommendations about treatment duration. Indefinite maintenance antipsychotic medication is recommended for patients who have had multiple prior episodes or two episodes within five years. Adjunctive medications are commonly prescribed for comorbid conditions. Aims: The authors aim to study the therapeutic approach of patients with chronic psychosis. Methods: Cross-sectional study and clinical records review of a sample of patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and other chronic psychotic disorders. Results: The sample consists of 154 psychotic patients, 71% males, with mean age of 45,9 years. 43, 5% of patients are under treatment with more than one antipsychotic agent, and 59% are treated with long-lasting antipsychotic medications (LLA). Conclusions: The considerable decrease in hospitalization days, and the need to avoid covert non-compliance justifies the increased number of patients under LLA treatment. This sample presents with a high percentage of patients treated with more than one antipsychotic medication, despite the fact that there is minimal evidence supporting this therapeutic option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is the primary emergency for the mental health professional and it is also a major public health problem. Altough it is impossible to predict, there are numerous clues that can help to reduce the risk of suicide. Goethes''s novel Die Lieden des Jungen Werther, first published in 1774, in which the protagonist of the story decides to commit suicide by shooting himself, was followed by a wave of imitation suicides across Europe. Later, in 1974, Phillips coined the term “Werther Effect” to describe a situation where the observer copies the suicidal behaviour he has seen modelled in the media. However this was not the first demonstration of the contagious effect of suicide. There are descriptions of several similar suicides among young men in ancient Greece, and it is said that Shakespeare''s novel, Romeo and Juliet, inspired a countless number of young couples to commit suicide. It is known that reading about, seeing or hearing about suicidal behaviours seems to induce imitative behaviour, and this is more notorious among adolescents. There are several reports of increased suicidal behaviour after exposure to suicide-related material on the media. The individual characteristics of adolescents who are susceptible to imitation are currently unknown, but it is accepted that the amount and duration of exposure to the information are important factors in the imitative learning. The authors intend to do a psychopathological and sociological approach to the theme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The word fugue derives from the Latin word for flight—fugere. Dissociative fugue is a rare condition in which a person suddenly travels far from home or customary place of work, with inability to recall the past. The prevalence of this disorder as been estimated at 0.2%, and fugue behaviors are frequent in persons with dissociative identity disorder. Episodes of dissociative fugue are usually associated with severe stress or trauma, such as war, natural disasters, death of a loved one or unbearable pressures at work or home. Patients show signs of amnesia and have no conscious understanding of the reason for the flight. This is usually accompanied by confusion about personal identity and, in rare cases, partial or complete assumption of a new identity. The travels associated with the condition can last for a few hours or for as long as several months. There are descriptions of patients that have traveled thousands of miles from home while in a state of dissociative fugue. The symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Typically an accurate diagnosis is made only after the fugue is over and the person has been brought to the attention of mental health care providers. The authors present the clinical report of a 55-year-old woman, with no prior psychiatric history, that presented as a case of dissociative fugue related to continuous and intense stress at work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cities contribute around 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. There is currently a massive growth in urban areas internationally, especially in developing countries. Urban centers and cities should offer an effective answer to new problems arising from planning and expansion, according to criteria of sustainability. Decisions for sustainable cities planning and management should be taken on an evaluation of their consequences. Correspondingly, each strategy should be designed and undertaken with the right tools of study, analysis and prediction. This paper aims to offer an analysis of the aspects involved in designing sustainable cities. It involves an overview of published papers focusing on urban transport, building energy consumption, green areas planning, waste management and water supply on a city-wide scale. In order to give a broader concept of sustainability in cities, an analysis of other variables from a social point of view is also given. The discussion of this research reflects that the adoption of mechanisms to promote sustainable development is a matter not only of decision makers and designers, but also of users and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]