Promoting healthy lifestyles in patients with severe mental illness (balance diet, physical activity, smoking withdraw, adequate oral hygiene, optimal self-esteem and healthy sexuality) help patients to rely on their recovery.

– avoid social isolation and stigma.

– encourage the recovery process, considering as well as the manage of symptoms together the functioning and quality of life of the patients.

– improve the progress and illness prognosis.

– The program is introduced in the North Health Area of Almeria (Hospital Huercal–Overa) and FAISEM–Andalusia foundation to the social inclusion of mental illness patients;

– patients included in the program has been previously assess and informed-therapeutical contract;

– the program started in January 2013, with 10 sessions in the community, and groups sessions.

– fifty patients included between a total of 300–initial target 16%;

– the initial target considered was at least 60–75% of participation rate—being the result of 80–95%;

– physical assessment detected 10% of metabolic syndrome being the patients referred to primary medical care to the adequate management.

Program:

– twenty group sessions scheduled being performed 19: 95%;

– ten active sessions in community scheduled being performed 9: 90%–one sessions (beach trip) was cancelled due to budget problem;

– patients level of satisfaction: under assessment;

– broadcasting: 2 press articles, scientific communications, and shared the experience through FAISEM to all the Andalusia Areas.

– research: expecting spreading the experience and improve the results.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The use of animals as a therapeutic resource has increased over the past years, especially for patients suffering from chronic conditions associated with high levels of distress, and animal-assisted therapy (AAT) stands out in this scenario.

To assess the impact of an AAT program for children outpatients in oncological treatment according to psychological, physiological, and quality of life indicators.

Children aged 6–12 years attended an AAT program (weekly open group with a duration of three meetings). The activities followed a pre-established script and children were assessed before and after the intervention with instruments that measure stress, pain, mood, and quality of life, in addition to heart rate and blood pressure records. Two trained therapy dogs were used and the program followed the “Guidelines for animal assisted interventions in health care facilities”.

Ten children completed the intervention (70% females, 50% with Ewing's sarcoma/neuroblastoma). There was a significant reduction in anxiety and depression indicators after the intervention (effect size = -0.73 e – 1.27) and a tendency to stress reduction.

Despite the small sample size, the partial analyses already provided favorable results regarding the use of AAT in the oncological context. We highlight the total absence of adverse events during the intervention, which speaks in favor of its safety. The expansion of the sample will probably strengthen the results found so far, suggesting that the technique can be an important ally in the management of emotional conditions associated with oncological treatment in childhood.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

stigma in mental illness is characterized by discrimination towards people affected by mental disorder. Consequence of the paradigm “stigma-injury-discrimination” is the social exclusion of these patients and the denial of their rights. Medical students, those who should be important reference points for psychiatric patients, are instead one of the categories that contribute to their stigmatization.

To study the attitudes of medical students towards psychiatric patients.

The present study analyzes gender differences in a sample of Italian medical students towards mental illness.

A total of 339 Italian medical students completed a cross-sectional survey, in Rome and Foggia (Italy). We used the Italian version of Community Attitude towards the Mentally Ill test (CAMI) to analyze the students’ attitudes.

There is a substantial difference among the attitudes towards mental disorders in female and male students. Female students have obtained less stigmatizing results in 9 of the CAMI test items (P < 0.05), in Benevolence (P = 0.001) and Social Restrictiveness subscales (P = 0.043) and in the total score (P = 0.013).

These results are in line with those achieved in scientific literature, confirming that women tend to show more humanitarian attitude towards the mentally ill. Even in the original article of the validation of the CAMI test, the authors found better attitudes in women in all subscales, with the exception of Social Restrictiveness subscale (that in our analysis also correlates with the female gender).

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Discrimination and stigmatization cause an important burden for people suffering from psychiatric disorders. The medical doctors, those who should be important reference points for psychiatric patients, are instead one of the categories that contribute to their stigmatization.

It is extremely important to study and to know the attitudes of undergraduate medical students towards psychiatric disorders, since these individuals will be involved in the care of these patients throughout their careers.

The present study analyzes the attitudes of a group of Italian medical students towards mental illness, highlighting the differences between the students who would choose surgical specialties from those who prefer medical ones.

A total of 339 medical students of different medical schools, in Rome and Foggia (Italy), completed a cross-sectional survey. The Italian version of community attitude towards the mentally Ill test (CAMI) was used to evaluate the students’ attitudes.

The students that would choose medical specialties reported less stigmatizing responses in 11 CAMI items (including five items with P < 0.01), in benevolence and community mental health ideology subscales (P = 0.003) and in the total score (P = 0.003).

It is evident that the students that prefer the surgical specialties have more stigmatizing attitudes towards psychiatric patients. Negative feedbacks on Psychiatry from non-psychiatrist colleagues may have a fundamental role in stigmatizing mental disorders.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing. It is an important quality in the medical profession, since it is fundamental in interpersonal relationships with patients. Nevertheless, many studies have found that over time medical students (MS) become less empathic and more detached from patients.

To determine MS loss of empathy and to study the differences in empathy between MS and other university students who are not involved in healthcare.

We enrolled 244 MS (120 of the 1st year and 124 of the last year) and 125 other university students not involved in healthcare, in different universities in Rome and Foggia (Italy). They anonymously and voluntarily completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and Baron Cohen's empathy quotient test (EQ).

We found no differences regarding EQ total score between MS and other students, however there are few differences considering individual EQ items. In particular, MS really like taking care of others (P = 0.005) and they are sometimes considered to be rude, even if only they are only blunt (P = 0.006). We found no differences in empathy between first year and last year MS.

In our sample of Italian students, we have not found MS to be more or less empathetic than other university students, but there are some peculiar differences in empathy that make them better suited to the chosen course of study. Moreover, we found no differences between the different years of medical school.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The systematic assessment of child development for the first 30 months of age is essential in the monitoring of health outcomes; this requires to have a structured protocol to systematically observe the milestones that have to be achieved at each stage of child development, and prevent deficiencies related to risk factors, reduce and prevent special needs arising from a deficit of the neurodevelopment.

Describe the results of the evaluation of early detection of neurodevelopment problems in subjects from 0–30 months of age who assist to child developmental centers in municipalities located in the Colombian Caribbean region; the main need for intervention was characterized with different neurodevelopment problems.

A cross-sectional study was developed. Childs from 0–30 months of age who attended to the child development centers were tested. Exclusion criteria were not stipulated. The ASQ-3 and a demographic survey (Graffar's survey) were administrated, in order to correlate the social level and the overall results.

The study included 750 boy/girl. The maturational development for each age group was determined, an analysis of each neurodevelopment area was conducted and the results were correlated with the demographic survey.

High levels of suspicion of possible neurodevelopment problems and the referral to diagnostic evaluation were observed for access to appropriate treatments. Early detection is highlighted as a tool in primary care that optimizes health sector resources and act in the appropriate periods of plasticity of child development.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Having a mental disease is frequently a stigmatizing experience for patients. We know little about urban inhabitants who travel to rural health clinics to receive mental treatment.

Recruit and interview urban-based psychiatric patients who, to avoid stigmatization; travel to rural community clinics with the intention of receiving treatment.

Study included participants (n = 32) who exchanged treatment in government subsidized city clinics for rural community centers. Qualitative interviews lasting thirty minutes were recorded and transcribed for content analysis. MAXQDA, version 12, was used to annotate transcripts with topic specific nodes, followed by cluster theme and trend analysis.

Trend analysis yielded three areas of concern for subsidized urban psychiatry: cost/insurance, lack of staff professionalism, and family-driven ostracism. Seven respondents cited cost as the main factor, influencing the choice of rural-based care over city clinic. Patients with stable income, but without insurance (n = 14), felt unwelcome in city clinics as their ability to pay was frequently questioned by supporting staff. Lack of trained social workers caused additional distress, as participants could not receive access to additional resources. Only four patients said that their psychiatrists acknowledged poor clinic environment and encouraged remaining in treatment. For 18 respondents, family demanded that they receive treatment in rural clinic so that no one finds out about their mental disease.

In large urban clinics, stigma in psychiatry comes in many flavors, especially projected by unprofessional clinic staff and ashamed family. Lack of support forces patients to travel to rural premises to receive unbiased, stress-free care.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which is used by mental health professionals including occupational therapists (OT) is a time-sensitive, structured, present-oriented therapy directed toward solving current problems and teaching clients skills to modify dysfunctional thinking and behavior.

Supporting the development of CBT theory and efficient use by mental health professionals are vital.

To present the results of CBT training for OTs, which was funded by “European Union technical assistance for increasing the employability of people with disabilities” project (Europe Aid/136449/IH/SER/TR).

Using a basic CBT theoretical framework the participants attended 96 hour face to face training modules with written materials including fundamental features, preconditions and methods used in CBT. A Turkish CBT book was published for course. Participants trained their skills under supervision and send the results to educators. Pre-post of training CBT knowledge and quality of training (plan-contents, educators, and environment) were evaluated by 5-Likert scale.

Thirty OTs (f = 23, m = 7) mostly 43.3% PhD; 20–25 (30%) and 45–50 (26.7%) years age period were included. Total mean score for quality of education was 109.4 ± 29.4 with 23.63 ± 4.34, 47.36 ± 6.41, 38.40 ± 21.61 for plan-contents, educators, and environment subscores, respectively. CBT knowledge was increased from 15.70 ± 6.08 to 45.06 ± 4.59 (P < 0.001).

Training increased CBT awareness and practice skills of OTs. Teaching OTs CBT may increase their understanding of person-environment-occupation approach, psychological problem solving, occupational engagement and participation of individuals. Our result supports that mental health professionals should collaborate to share ideas, develop guidelines and promote good practice examples in client-centered and holistic rehabilitation care.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD) are a public health problem in Brazil. In addition, NCDs is more strongly associated with common mental disorders than was each NCD individually. This study is about the implementation and execution through the university extension project “harm reduction and mental health: hypertation control and health education” developed at Images of the Unconscious Museum, Brazil.

Measure the prevalence of hypertation, verify the association with chronic NCDs, educate about risk behavior and improve to psychosocial rehabilitation.

A socio-demographic and blood pressure profile was constructed. We identify hypertation on 33 patients. After the diagnosis, the family health unit was contact to construct a clinical care plan. We distribute health educational material about clinical diseases.

Thirty-six percent patients was identify with hypertation; once had high blood pleasure and rejected any intervention; 68% have family rates of hypertation and 100% referred low salt on diet. A book storytelling was constructed to give orientations about health lifestyle. We conducted therapeutic workshop to highlighting the creative, imaginative and expressive potential of the users on health behavior.

We identify low blood pressure after the activities and a new health style after the orientation process.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A 12 month long mental health promotion pilot programme in Hungary, funded by the Norway Grants, will finish on 30th April 2017.

To launch six community mental health promotion centers (MHPCs) located in various economic environments, supervised by one Methodological Center plus expert teams and carrying out studies on the effectiveness of the launch of the system. The final recommendations will constitute a basis for setting up a national network for mental health promotion.

To develop a sustainable model for establishing a national network of MHPCs; to map and record the mental health problems and the stakeholders of the area; to find and assess the local best practices; and to raise public awareness in the following mental health problems: depression, suicide, stress and dementia.

(1) Models for inducing changes in the knowledge and attitudes upon mental health in the communities were reviewed in a systematic literature search. (2) Based on the results, a model of mental health promotion centers was outlined for problem identification, stakeholder mapping, assessing local best practices, organizing and supporting local networking activities for synergistic effects. (3) In the new MHPCs, on-site TTT education programme and organisational development have been in place. (4) The activities of the MHPCs have been monitored for knowledge transfer and attitude changes in the local networks. (5) Based on the results, recommendations are being made for the national extension of the model.

The first data ready for analysis will be available by April 2017.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

In a 12 month long mental health promotion pilot programme funded by the Norway Grants, 6 mental health promotion centers (MHPCs) are being set up in various locations in Hungary, employing 2 mental health professionals each, whose main commitment is to develop a local network of key stakeholders. The aim of the project is to enable MHPC professionals to perform network building tasks involving knowledge transfer and attitude changes regarding the following key areas: depression, suicide, dementia, stress and risk assessment.

To measure the effectiveness of the training and education process by using indicators for feedback, knowledge transfer and attitude changes.

The comprehensive TTT (train the trainers) process of MHPC professionals targets 3 main domains:

– improving presentation skills;

– knowledge transfer (measured with tests);

– elaborative workshops about mental health problems (measured by attitudes at baseline, post-training and 3 months post-training).

The satisfaction assessment of the initial 3 days long training averaged 4.73 on a 5-point Likert-scale. Altogether, 12 (2/centres) knowledge transfer trainings are being delivered evaluated by attitude change and general satisfaction questionnaires. One elaborating workshop per center has been delivered during the study period. Being a process still underway, the outcome results will only be available by the conference.

This procedure enables professionals to disseminate trainings and build networks for mental health promotion in their micro-regions. The optimized version of this pilot program will be delivered on a national level in future projects.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation are processes known to be implicated in neurodegeneration. Moreover, risk factors for dementia (depression, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, etc.) are associated with up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. OS has been found in animal models to contribute to cerebral amyloid angiopathy. However, investigations of the associations between OS, inflammation and MCI, typically in small clinical samples have produced mixed results.

Clarify associations, between OS, inflammation and MCI in a large cohort of community-living individuals.

Cognitively healthy individuals (n = 211, 44% female, 75.2 years) and with MCI (n = 23, 44% female, 75.2 years) from a population sample were included. MCI diagnosis was established based on a detailed neuropsychological assessment. Inflammatory (IL1b, IL4, IL6, IL8, IL10, TNF-a) and OS (total anti-oxidants, NO, neopterin) markers were assessed in plasma samples. Associations between biomarkers, MMSE, and MCI status were tested with multiple linear and logistic regression analyses.

Univariate analyses showed that log IL4 (estimate: −0.175, SE: 0.085, P = 0.041) and NO (estimate: 0.015, SE: 0.006, P = 0.017) were the only markers associated with MMSE scores. MCI status was predicted by log IL4 (estimate: 0.822, SE: 0.357, P = 0.021) and total anti-oxidants (estimate: −0.007, SE: 0.003, P = 0.014). Controlling for pro-inflammatory conditions (T2D, BMI, depression, hypertension) removed the associations with inflammation but not with OS.

These results indicate that increased systemic inflammation and increased OS were associated with lower MMSE scores and higher odds of having MCI. This confirms that systemic pro-inflammatory processes are associated with impaired cognition and should be specifically considered in treatment and risk-reduction interventions.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Violation of the functional activity of the nervous and immune systems is an essential link in the pathogenesis of chronic alcohol dependence. The search for new psychopharmacological agents whose action is directed to correction of neuroimmune interaction opens new perspectives for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

(CBAxC57Bl/6) F1 mice with active and passive behavioral types in a state of chronic alcohol dependence owing to 6 month 10% ethanol exposure were undergoing intragastric administration of original anticonvulsant meta-chloro-benzhydryl-urea. Animal's behavioral and immune parameters, brain cytokines synthesis before and after anticonvulsant receiving were estimated.

In the formation of experimental alcohol dependence in animals the most pronounced changes in motor and exploratory activities in open field test, brain cytokines synthesis and suppression of immune response were registered in mice with passive type of behavior. Daily consumption of ethanol solution in mice with chronic alcohol dependence decreased sharply starting from 2 days of anticonvulsant administration and led to the cessation of ethanol consumption by the 5 day. After anticonvulsant administration for 10 days behavioral parameters in mice were comparable with those in the control group of healthy animals. It also restored brain cytokines synthesis and significant stimulated humoral immune response, estimated by the relative number of antibody-forming spleen cells.

Behavior and immune changes following chronic ethanol exposure depended on the behavior status of animals; administration of the original anticonvulsant meta-chloro-benzhydryl-urea may correct both immune and behavior disorders in mice with chronic alcohol dependence, so it has promise in the treatment of alcoholism.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Apoptosis is a complex physiological process of the organism which supports cellular homeostasis, provides important aspects of development and functioning of the immune system. In various pathological conditions the process of apoptosis can be impaired that leads to decrease or increase in pro-apoptotic activity.

We conducted investigation of relative and absolute number of CD3+CD95+–lymphocytes in groups of patients with adjustment disorders (n = 90), PTSD (n = 100), organic emotionally labile (asthenic) disorder (n = 232), organic personality disorder (n = 93). Clinical verification was conducted according to ICD–10. Control group included 190 practically healthy persons. Fas protein (CD95) expression on CD3 lymphocytes surfaces was detected using flow cytometry. Cytometric measurements were conducted on flow cytofluorimeter FacsCalibur (Becton Dickinson, US).

In the control group relative number of CD95+–lymphocytes was 11.6%, absolute–0.21 × 109/L. In all examined patients as compared with control the reliable increase both in relative and absolute number of lymphocytes of CD3+CD95+–phenotype was identified. So, in persons with adjustment disorder content of this indicator made 17.0% and 0.28 × 109/L (Р = 0.0015), in PTSD–18.0% and 0.33 × 109/L (Р = 0.0007) and in patients with organic asthenic disorder–19.0% and 0.32 × 109/L (Р = 0.0048), respectively. The highest content in blood of CD3+–lymphocytes, expressing on the surface of membrane the basic marker of apoptosis CD95 is observed in patients with organic personality disorder: 26.0% and 0.44 × 109/L (Р = 0.0003).

In case of intensification of psychopathological symptoms especially in persons with non-psychotic organic mental disorders a receptor-mediated signaling pathway of apoptosis is activated – process of programmed cell death.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The data collected from 271 patients with MetS according IDF criteria, (aged 30–60 years) have been analyzed. Lifetime diagnoses of depression (D), anxiety (A) was self-reported. Current D and A were confirmed by psychodiagnostic interview according to the criteria of ICD-10. All patients passed through: MMSE test, Wechsler memory scale, symbol coding and category Fluency test, scales HADS, HAM-A. Inflammatory markers included CRP, IL-6, IL-1 and TNF-α. Subjects were divided into group A–with D and/or A (139) and group B–without affective disorders (132). Using Mann–Whitney test significant connection between presence of MCI and high levels of inflammation is associated with simultaneous presence affective disorders. High correlations in subjects with A/D were between IL-6, IL-1 and MCI. In-group B, there was no significant correlations between inflammatory markers and MCI.

There is link between affective disorders and levels of inflammatory markers. Increased levels of IL-6 and IL-1 provoke co-morbidity of MCI and depression or anxiety.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The autoimmune (AI) limbic encephalitis (LE) can manifests as changes in neuropsychiatric functions and can even occur with isolated psychiatric symptoms. Many times it is a manifestation of paraneoplastic syndromes and it is lately diagnosed.

Our objective is to increase awareness to this pathology, since initial contact with these patients is often performed by a psychiatrist and its early detection and treatment greatly improve the prognosis of the patients.

The aim of this presentation is to address the AI LE as a differential diagnosis in patients with psychiatric symptoms.

Presentation of a clinical case of AI LE and syndrome revision.

The clinical case involves a 62-year-old man, with no psychiatric history, who begun to present depressive symptoms, emotional lability, aggressiveness and amnesic deficits with 4 months of evolution. After realize an exhaustive clinical evaluation, a cerebral MRI and LCR analysis, the results were consistent with seronegative AI LE. The patient was treated with corticoid therapy and presented a favorable evolution, with remission of the symptoms.

Even though it is a rare pathology, AI LE is an important differential diagnosis to consider in patients with psychiatric symptoms and it is essential to enhance the early detection and treatment of this pathology. This condition also reinforces the role of AI diseases in psychiatric disorders in general, an area, which requires further investigation. With this clinical case, we expect medical professionals to be able to recognize the importance of this diagnosis.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.