Postpartum depression (PPD) is a multifaceted mental health disorder manifesting as enduring sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion following childbirth. Emerging evidence points to a metabolic dimension in its pathology. Our research examines the causal links between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolites and PPD via Mendelian randomization (MR). A bi-directional MR framework was applied to explore the causative connections between 338 CSF metabolites and PPD. The study harnessed data from 2 targeted genome-wide association studies: one encompassing single nucleotide polymorphism data from mothers diagnosed with PPD, and another concerning CSF metabolite profiles, both centered on European descendants. Instrumental variables from these datasets were meticulously selected to enhance MR analysis' robustness. Our integrated approach provided a profound exploration of the genetic underpinnings influencing CSF metabolites related to PPD. Statistical analyses employed methods like inverse variance weighting, the weighted median, and mode-based estimation to fortify the causal inferences drawn from the associations. PPD was characterized according to diagnostic standards sanctioned by the FinnGen study's clinical expert panels, incorporating insights from leading domain specialists. Our MR investigation pinpointed several CSF metabolites potentially linked to PPD. Notably, metabolites such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate, 3-methoxytyrosine, and argininosuccinate appeared protective, whereas arachidonate, benzoate, and carnitine correlated with heightened risk. The findings demonstrated consistency across diverse MR methodologies, affirming a significant linkage. This investigation underscores the potential of CSF metabolomics in decoding PPD's etiology. Identifying particular metabolites associated with the disorder enhances our understanding of its underlying mechanisms and fosters avenues for future research into tailored therapeutic strategies.

Childhood trauma is a well-established risk factor for poor clinical outcomes in bipolar disorder (BD), yet most studies have relied on cumulative trauma scores, potentially overlooking heterogeneity in trauma exposure and its differential impact on psychopathology.

This study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct subtypes of childhood trauma based on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) among 725 individuals with BD in a Chinese clinical sample. Differences across trauma profiles were examined in relation to demographic features, psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, mania), and suicidal ideation (Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, BSSI).

A four-class solution was identified, and the relationship with mental health outcomes was analyzed. Class 4 group, characterized by the most severe emotional abuse and physical neglect, along with the lowest emotional neglect, reported the highest levels of anxiety (HAMA), depression (HAMD), and suicidal ideation (BSSI). In contrast, manic symptoms (YMRS) were present across all groups but did not differ significantly between trauma profiles. Logistic regression indicated that emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of trauma class membership.

Distinct trauma profiles in BD are differentially associated with symptom severity and suicide risk. These findings highlight the clinical value of moving beyond cumulative trauma scores to identify trauma-specific subtypes. Early identification of high-risk trauma configurations may inform personalized assessment and intervention strategies for individuals with BD.

Combining virtual reality-focused mindfulness (VR-FM) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance cognitive performance, offering new insights for scientific research and clinical applications. We aimed to examine the effects of a single session of VR-FM, a single session of tDCS, and their combination on sustained attention, attention control, and inhibitory control. We conducted a double-blind, controlled, randomized study (N = 107) with five groups: VR-FM or VR-mind wandering, paired with active (2 mA for 20 min) or sham tDCS with the anode over F3 and cathode over F4, and a no-intervention control group. Non-specific skin conductance response (nsSCR) was collected during virtual reality, and cognitive performance was measured with Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and the Emotional Stroop (EST) after intervention. Differences between groups were not statistically significant in cognitive tasks (all p>.05) but we found a main effect of group in nsSCR (F (3, 66) = 4.07, p = .010, η² = 0.156), with significant differences between VR-FM + tDCS active and VR-MW + tDCS sham (p = .014). Single sessions of VR-FM and tDCS did not significantly impact cognitive performance. However, reduced autonomic activation might be associated with mindfulness. Future studies should include several sessions and consider other individual conditions to understand the factors involved.

The rising use of cannabis in the medical field has prompted the revival of the global debate about its psychotropic effects, especially when it comes to schizophrenia, a debilitating mental disorder that afflicts approximately 20 million people around the globe. Although Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is commonly considered a risk factor for psychosis, cannabidiol (CBD) has been studied for its potential therapeutic use. This review aims to clarify the central controversy surrounding the question of whether cannabis worsens schizophrenia symptoms by presenting a selective analysis of the available scientific literature. A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2017 and 2025. A total of 112 records were obtained in the first phase of the research process, and after an intense screening process, eight high-quality studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included based on rigorous quality evaluation (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Review 2 or AMSTAR 2, Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and scale for the quality assessment of narrative review articles (SANRA)). Data were extracted and systematically synthesized across three analytical domains: THC as the cause of schizophrenia, the influence of THC on the course of symptoms, and the potential therapeutic effects of CBD. The results provided strong evidence that the risk of developing schizophrenia was significantly higher with the use of high-THC-content cannabis, particularly when used by patients with family vulnerability and by those who used cannabis regularly during adolescence. THC was also demonstrated to exacerbate not only positive and negative psychotic symptoms but also cognitive disturbances in subjects with established schizophrenia. Conversely, there was evidence for the antipsychotic and neuroprotective properties of CBD and its therapeutic potential. However, clinical evidence for CBD was still limited; most studies were small, and few had long-term follow-up. This review emphasizes the importance of distinguishing the components of cannabis in psychiatric discussions. Although THC has potent schizophrenia liability, CBD is still a novel but promising candidate for treatment. Large controlled clinical trials need to be a priority for future research to determine the therapeutic and mechanistic limits of cannabis in mental health. These implications are very important for the clinical arena, public health policy, and research agenda on the topic of cannabis use and schizophrenia treatment.

By harnessing the enhanced spatial resolution and signal power of high-field 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we assessed the functional involvement of the locus coeruleus (LC), together with the broader threat circuitry, in anxious arousal among individuals with anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sixty-nine individuals with and without anxiety disorders or PTSD completed a modified no (N), predictable (P), and unpredictable (U) (NPU) threat task during a 7T functional MRI scan. Anxious arousal was measured using the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire anxious arousal subscale. Individual data-driven LC segmentations were derived from ultra-high-resolution magnetization transfer contrast scans. We conducted LC functional activation and whole-brain data analyses during the NPU task using both transdiagnostic (Research Domain Criteria-based) and categorical (DSM-5-based) approaches.

Greater LC activation during unpredictable threat was positively correlated with anxious arousal across all participants. In whole-brain analyses, the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex were significantly activated during unpredictable threat, whereas the posterior insula was significantly activated during predictable threat. Greater activation within key structures of the threat circuitry, including the brainstem, the left hippocampus/amygdala, and the insula was positively correlated with anxious arousal across conditions and participants.

This translational and dimensional work advances our understanding of the role of the LC system and threat circuitry in pathological anxiety. Using 7T MRI, this study highlights the functional role of the LC in processing unpredictable threat in association with anxious arousal in individuals with anxiety disorders and PTSD.

Increasing attention on the correlation between pet-ownership and mental health or well-being in general population and those affected by psychiatric and cognitive disorders is currently arising. It has been proposed that emotional attachment to pets moderates the relationship between pet-ownership and mental health. Most data highlight the benefits that pet-owner relationships may lead to the individual. Notwithstanding, there are evidence of presence of some psychological features in pets' owners that may belong to several psychopathological spectra. These features may have important implication for individual well-being, and, in the pet relationship which tends to compensate owners' potential abnormal traits. However, the presence of abnormal traits may, in turn predispose the individual to the worsening of psychopathological features in stressful circumstances, especially when the relationship with the animal is hampered. This review aims to highlight relevant data from the literature on this issue and advance hypotheses for future research and clinical implications.

A narrative review of the available literature on the topic was carried in three main databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science), between September 2024 and December 2024, using the following string: ((pet attachment) OR (pet owner relationship) OR (pet owner personality) AND/OR (mental health) AND/OR (quality of life) AND/OR (autism) AND/OR (separation anxiety)).

Personality traits, such as neuroticism, empathy, and consciousness play in shaping the bond between pets and their owners. While traits like empathy often enhance emotional bonding and quality of life, the literature also acknowledge that they may overlap with psychological distress or disorders, complicating the interpretation of these relationship. Interestingly, even traits typically considered negative such as narcissism, may manifest positively in pet care, further complicating the dynamics of pet attachment. While pet provide emotional security, especially for individuals with anxiety disorder or neuroatypical traits, excessive attachment can introduce emotional vulnerabilities and worsen psychological issue.

This review call for future research to better understand the psychological implications of pet attachment and suggest potential clinical applications for fostering healthy bonds and improving mental health well-being.

The term "Phubbing" has been defined as a behavior in which a person snubs another in a social setting by focusing on their phone instead of having a conversation. Phubbing is a common phenomenon and reduces the quality of social interactions in people, particularly those in adolescence.

We aimed to validate in Italian, the Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP), and Generic Scale of Being Phubbed (GSPB), in order to measure the experiences of phubbing, and being phubbed, through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

We investigated whether the factor structure of GSP and GSBP may be replicated for the Italian sample, through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). For the assessment, we used the Generic Scale of Being Phubbed, the Generic Scale of Phubbing, the Internet Addiction Test, and Brief COPE.

We found that four important factors of phubbing are nomophobia, interpersonal conflict, self-isolation, and acknowledgement of problems, and phubbing behavior is predictive of social disconnectedness.

The GSP and GSBP instruments can be useful in the clinical setting to identify specific psychological dimensions associated with phubbing, such as nomophobia and social isolation.

Prior research suggests that olfactory dysfunction may occur following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to structural injury to the olfactory peripheral or central networks. Olfaction may also be affected in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to traumatic re-experiencing. Given the relevance of both TBI and PTSD to the military and veteran populations, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) would be useful in differentiating TBI from significant PTSD symptom burden in a sample of post-deployed active-duty military and veterans.

A sample of 276 participants with UPSIT data and passing scores on validity measures completed a larger study on neurocognition of predominantly post-deployed veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. TBI history was ascertained by medical records or a self-report questionnaire; PTSD symptoms were measured using the PTSD Checklist-Military version (PCL-M) and the Traumatic Stress scale (ARD-T) of the Personality Assessment Inventory. Those with a history of TBI (+TBI) were compared with those without (-TBI) on total UPSIT score; severity of injury and number of injuries were also evaluated. Furthermore, those with and without significant PTSD symptoms (+PTSD and -PTSD) were compared on UPSIT total scores. Finally, group comparisons were conducted to assess whether PTSD demonstrated a significant effect above and beyond TBI.

History of TBI was associated with lower UPSIT scores (-TBI M = 34.02, +TBI M = 32.76, z = -2.38, p = 0.017, r = 0.14); however, the effect size was small and driven by the difference between moderate/severe TBI and -TBI (moderate/severe M = 31.78). Number of mild TBIs was not associated with UPSIT scores: The presence of PTSD symptoms and symptom clusters were not significantly associated with UPSIT scores. PTSD symptoms showed no additional effects on poorer olfaction scores above and beyond TBI.

Olfactory identification was significantly reduced in those with a history of TBI, suggesting that olfaction may be useful in the assessment of these individuals for potential treatment needs. Veterans with significant PTSD symptoms, however, did not display different olfactory ability compared with those without, regardless of TBI status.

Implementing evidence-based interventions for tobacco use disorder (TUD) in community mental health agencies is critical, given the low adoption rates of these interventions and the high rates of TUD among patients, contributing to the high morbidity and shortened lifespan of this population. Implementation efforts require enhancing organizational preparedness to integrate these evidence-based interventions.

When the Addressing Tobacco Through Organizational Change (ATTOC) model was evaluated in a cluster-randomized trial (with 13 clinics, 610 clients, and 222 staff) and compared with an education-only intervention, ATTOC proved to be better at having more TUD treatment, policies, and staff skills. This paper presents a secondary analysis focusing only on the ATTOC sites, examining whether clinic-level preparedness is associated with increased implementation activities and estimating the combined direct and indirect impact on patient referrals to evidence-based TUD interventions.

Seven sites applied the ATTOC model over 9 months, with the ATTOC Environmental Scan (ES) conducted at baseline and 3, 6, and 9 months to assess the following: (1) the environment inside and outside the building, (2) staff training and personal tobacco use, (3) clinical TUD services and documentation, and (4) tobacco policies. Summary statistics are provided, and generalized linear mixed model analyses for repeated measures were used to assess time trends and relationships among composite preparedness, activities, and number of referrals.

Over the 9-month period, significant improvements were observed in ES composite preparedness (p < 0.001) and individual ES areas (p < 0.001 for each). Eight out of 11 ATTOC Dashboard items showed significant changes, including increased number of patients treated (p = 0.002); tobacco discussions (p = 0.022); provision of educational brochures (p = 0.034); referrals to a Nicotine Anonymous group (p < 0.001), an in-house wellness or tobacco group (p < 0.001), and state quitline (p = 0.012); and documentation in treatment plans (p = 0.008). Both composite preparedness (p = 0.006) and composite activities (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the number of composite referrals.

Significant TUD intervention uptake was found over time through the ATTOC model organizational change intervention and tracking tools.

Previous research, predominantly quantitative, has attributed the excess risk for psychosis among immigrants and ethnic minorities to social adversity, discrimination and structural inequities. Although calls have acknowledged their potential for yielding nuanced insights, qualitative methods focused on first-person narratives have not been used in research into the social determinants of the development of psychosis.

We explored the experiences and socio-environmental contexts of individuals with psychosis from diverse ethno-racial and immigrant backgrounds. We also gathered their perspectives on the causality of psychosis. We conducted in-depth interviews with 24 participants at early intervention services for psychosis in Montreal, Canada.

Through thematic analysis, we identified five themes: "Spaces and societies of oppression"; "Nothing to hold on to"; "Mistreated, invisible or seen in the wrong light"; "Places of freedom, connection and safety"; and "Healing and well-being". Spaces described as oppressive fomented experiences of precarity, isolation and mistreatment. Spaces of freedom, connection and inclusivity enabled healing and well-being. Experiences of precarity, mistreatment and exclusion were more frequent for minoritized individuals. Participants attributed psychosis to multiple factors, many pertaining to social contexts.

Our findings shed light on the processes through which social contexts shape the lives and illness development of individuals from diverse backgrounds. By framing them within particular life stories and places, we gain a fuller, more fine-grained understanding of the social-structural determinants that have been identified in quantitative studies. Our work highlights the need to attend closely to patients' social contexts and narratives and advocate for inclusivity, equity, and connection at the societal level.