Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are common during the course of neurocognitive disorders. NPS have been previously reported in early and late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. However, our understanding of NPS in high-risk states for dementia such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and major depressive disorder (MDD) is poor.

To compare the frequency and factor structure of neuropsychiatric symptoms among individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in remission, and comorbid MCI and MDD (in remission) (MCI-D).

We used baseline data from the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia with Cognitive Remediation Plus Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Depression (PACt-MD) study, a multicenter trial across five academic sites in Toronto, Canada (clinical trial No. NCT0238667). We used ANOVA or χ2-test to compare frequency of NPS across groups. We used factor analysis of Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) items in the three groups.

We included 374 participants with a mean age of 72.0 years (SD = 6.3). In the overall sample, at least one NPS was present in 64.2% participants, and 36.1 % had at least moderate severity NPS (36.1%). Depression (54%, χ2 < 0.001) and apathy (28.7%, χ2=0.002) were more prevalent in the MCI-D group as compared to MCI and MDD groups. In factor analysis, NPS grouped differently in MCI, MDD, and MCI-D groups. A “psychotic” subgroup emerged among MCI and MCI-D, but not in MDD. Night-time behaviors and disinhibition grouped differently across all three groups.

Prevalence of NPS seems higher in persons with MCI-D as compared to those with only MCI or MDD. The factor structure of NPS differed between MCI, MDD, and MCI-D groups. Future studies should investigate the association of NPS factors with cognition, function, and illness biomarkers.

None Declared

Perceived purpose in life (PIL) has been linked to a broad range of adverse physical, mental, and cognitive outcomes. However, limited research has examined factors associated with PIL that can be targeted in prevention and treatment efforts in aging populations at heightened risk of adverse outcomes. Using data from predominantly older US veterans, we sought to identify important correlates of PIL.

Cross-sectional data were analyzed from the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 4069 US military veterans (Mage = 62.2). Elastic net and relative importance analyses were conducted to evaluate sociodemographic, military, health, and psychosocial variables that were strongly associated with PIL.

Of the 39 variables entered into an elastic net analysis, 10 were identified as significant correlates of PIL. In order of magnitude, these were resilience (18.7% relative variance explained [RVE]), optimism (12.1%), depressive symptoms (11.3%), community integration (10.7%), gratitude (10.2%), loneliness (9.8%), received social support (8.6%), conscientiousness (8.5%), openness to experience (5.4%), and intrinsic religiosity (4.7%).

Several modifiable psychosocial factors emerged as significant correlates of PIL in US military veterans. Interventions designed to target these factors may help increase PIL and mitigate risk for adverse health outcomes in this population.

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) staff in humanitarian settings have limited access to clinical supervision and are at high risk of experiencing burnout. We previously piloted an online, peer-supervision program for MHPSS professionals working with displaced Rohingya (Bangladesh) and Syrian (Turkey and Northwest Syria) communities. Pilot evaluations demonstrated that online, peer-supervision is feasible, low-cost, and acceptable to MHPSS practitioners in humanitarian settings.

This project will determine the impact of online supervision on i) the wellbeing and burnout levels of local MHPSS practitioners, and ii) practitioner technical skills to improve beneficiary perceived service satisfaction, acceptability, and appropriateness.

MHPSS practitioners in two contexts (Bangladesh and Turkey/Northwest Syria) will participate in 90-minute group-based online supervision, fortnightly for six months. Sessions will be run on zoom and will be co-facilitated by MHPSS practitioners and in-country research assistants. A quasi-experimental multiple-baseline design will enable a quantitative comparison of practitioner and beneficiary outcomes between control periods (12-months) and the intervention. Outcomes to be assessed include the Kessler-6, Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8.

A total of 80 MHPSS practitioners will complete 24 monthly online assessments from May 2022. Concurrently, 1920 people receiving MHPSS services will be randomly selected for post-session interviews (24 per practitioner).

This study will determine the impact of an online, peer-supervision program for MHPSS practitioners in humanitarian settings. Results from the baseline assessments, pilot evaluation, and theory of change model will be presented.

No significant relationships.

Health services research (HSR) is affected by a widespread problem related to service terminology including non-commensurability (using different units of analysis for comparisons) and terminological unclarity due to ambiguity and vagueness of terms. The aim of this study was to identify the magnitude of the terminological bias in health and social services research and health economics by applying an international classification system.

This study, that was part of the PECUNIA project, followed an ontoterminology approach (disambiguation of technical and scientific terms using a taxonomy and a glossary of terms). A listing of 56 types of health and social services relevant for mental health was compiled from a systematic review of the literature and feedback provided by 29 experts in six European countries. The disambiguation of terms was performed using an ontology-based classification of services (Description and Evaluation of Services and DirectoriEs – DESDE), and its glossary of terms. The analysis focused on the commensurability and the clarity of definitions according to the reference classification system. Interrater reliability was analysed using κ.

The disambiguation revealed that only 13 terms (23%) of the 56 services selected were accurate. Six terms (11%) were confusing as they did not correspond to services as defined in the reference classification system (non-commensurability bias), 27 (48%) did not include a clear definition of the target population for which the service was intended, and the definition of types of services was unclear in 59% of the terms: 15 were ambiguous and 11 vague. The κ analyses were significant for agreements in unit of analysis and assignment of DESDE codes and very high in definition of target population.

Service terminology is a source of systematic bias in health service research, and certainly in mental healthcare. The magnitude of the problem is substantial. This finding has major implications for the international comparability of resource use in health economics, quality and equality research. The approach presented in this paper contributes to minimise differentiation between services by taking into account key features such as target population, care setting, main activities and type and number of professionals among others. This approach also contributes to support financial incentives for effective health promotion and disease prevention. A detailed analysis of services in terms of cost measurement for economic evaluations reveals the necessity and usefulness of defining services using a coding system and taxonomical criteria rather than by ‘text-based descriptions’.

Barriers to research participation by racial and ethnic minority group members are multi-factorial, stem from historical social injustices and occur at participant, research team, and research process levels. The informed consent procedure is a key component of the research process and represents an opportunity to address these barriers. This manuscript describes the development of the Strengthening Translational Research in Diverse Enrollment (STRIDE) intervention, which aims to improve research participation by individuals from underrepresented groups.

We used a community-engaged approach to develop an integrated, culturally, and literacy-sensitive, multi-component intervention that addresses barriers to research participation during the informed consent process. This approach involved having Community Investigators participate in intervention development activities and using community engagement studios and other methods to get feedback from community members on intervention components.

The STRIDE intervention has three components: a simulation-based training program directed toward clinical study research assistants that emphasizes cultural competency and communication skills for assisting in the informed consent process, an electronic consent (eConsent) framework designed to improve health-related research material comprehension and relevance, and a “storytelling” intervention in which prior research participants from diverse backgrounds share their experiences delivered via video vignettes during the consent process.

The community engaged development approach resulted in a multi-component intervention that addresses known barriers to research participation and can be integrated into the consent process of research studies. Results of an ongoing study will determine its effectiveness at increasing diversity among research participants.

Current treatment approaches for depression center on various forms of psychosocial therapy and the use of antidepressant drugs. The response rates for both of these approaches are similar, with mostly reduction, but not complete remission, of symptoms. Poor adherence to recommended treatment is an issue complicating the management of depression and prevention of recurrent episodes. This study evaluated the efficacy of a novel form of receptive music therapy which can be easily adminstered to out patients.

Enrolled subjects (n=203, average age 49.6 ± 13.1 years, 28.1% male) were randomized into four arms: Music Therapy 1 (MT1), Music Therapy 2 (MT2), Placebo (nature sounds) and waiting-list Control. Subjects listened for 30 minutes, twice daily. Multivariate linear regression models assessed depressive symptom changes over five weeks, based on a composite scale (COMP) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) alone.

On average, a significant, positive change in COMP was observed for MT1 (β=1.44, p=0.030), but not for MT2 (β=1.14, p=0.059) or Placebo (β=0.57, p=0.397). After 15 weeks, study participation was associated with a mean HAM-D score reduction of 60% for 89,1% of the compliant probands.

Newly composed receptive music therapy, as explored in this study, is associated with reduced depressive symptoms and high treatment compliance, and may therefore potentially represent an effective depression treatment alternative or adjunctive therapy to pharmacological and psychosocial approaches.

Neurotoxic effects of alcohol consumption are well-known. There is plenty of literature on frontal lobe impairment on the behavioral and structural brain imaging level. However, only few functional imaging studies investigated altered neural patterns and even less abstinence-related neural recovery. Here, we investigated if frontal lobe activity tends to normalize in patients that remain successfully abstinent.

In a cross-sectional design three patient groups (acute withdrawal, detoxified, abstinent) and healthy controls (each n = 20) performed a phonological and semantical verbal fluency task (VFT) while brain activity was measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

First, for the phonological condition patients in the acute withdrawal phase and also detoxified patients showed less fluency-related frontal lobe activation compared to controls despite equal performance. Second, significant linear trend effects from withdrawal patients over detoxified and abstinent patients up to healthy controls indicated more normal activation patterns in the abstinent group that did not differ from the controls. In the detoxified group brain activation increased with time since detoxification.

Our results support the assumption of an increase in frontal brain activity from alcohol dependency over abstinence up to normal functioning. Longitudinal studies are needed to further elucidate recovery processes in alcohol dependency.