Mental health issues among young people are increasingly concerning and affect nursing students. The academic environment is recognised as a source of stress, compounded by the demands of clinical settings during practical training. During clinical placements, students face emotionally challenging situations that may compromise their mental health and academic performance. It is the responsibility of nurse educators to implement strategies that help students develop the necessary skills for managing stress and anxiety, as well as effective coping and communication. A psychoeducational programme designed for this purpose is presented.

To explore the experiences of nursing students in participating in a psychoeducational program and its potential influence on the promotion of their mental health.

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 11 nursing students who completed the psychoeducational programme. Data were analysed through thematic coding and phenomenological reduction.

Key emerging superordinate themes included: My safe space: the group as support and help network; Seeing things differently: reflection and change; Confidence, safety, and self-esteem; Improvement in interpersonal relationships. The psychoeducational programme provided spaces for reflection and emotional support, contributing to a healthier clinical experience. The findings are consistent with previous studies highlighting the importance of early mental health interventions for students.

Implications for practice. Integrating psychoeducational programmes into clinical training may enhance emotional wellbeing and promote mental health among students.

The integration of electronic consent (e-consent) into anaesthetic practice has accelerated since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, offering new opportunities to enhance patient autonomy, documentation fidelity, and clinical efficiency. This review examines the clinical, legal, and ethical dimensions of e-consent, situating it within the statutory and common law frameworks, such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the principles established in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board. It further interrogates the challenges posed by digital exclusion, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the environmental implications of transitioning to digital platforms. The emerging role of artificial intelligence in tailoring and strengthening consent processes is explored, while highlighting the imperative to preserve ethical integrity and legal validity.

Social disconnection is characterized by a tendency among bereaved individuals to assign negative meaning to others' behaviors, perceive themselves as changed in social interactions, and find comfort in withdrawal. It constitutes an important psychosocial pathway in bereavement adaptation. This study validated the Chinese version of Oxford Grief-Social Disconnection Scale (C-OG-SD) and examined its longitudinal predictive validity. A total of 428 bereaved adults (56.54% women) completed measures of grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms at baseline and three months later. Analyses included item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance, reliability, criterion validity, and regression models. C-OG-SD showed a stable three-factor structure, good invariance, and high reliability and validity. Higher social disconnection correlated with more severe grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Younger individuals reported more disconnection. Baseline social disconnection predicted follow-up grief, with Altered Social Self as the strongest predictor. C-OG-SD is a reliable tool, and targeting alterations in social self may enhance intervention outcomes.

Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) improves research quality but is often limited in scale. This study explored the potential for large-scale PPIE using a Web-based approach.

We created an online portal to gather public views on dementia research and a UK-based adaptive platform trial testing repurposed Alzheimer's disease drugs. Participants ranked four anonymized drugs and completed discrete choice experiments on treatment trade-offs. Analyses were stratified by sex, age, and dementia experience.

Among 3250 people across 27 countries (87.4% UK-based), 79.6% expressed positive attitudes toward the trial. Metformin was the most preferred drug, followed by atomoxetine, isosorbide mononitrate, and levetiracetam. Probability of severe side effects was the most influential treatment attribute, followed by probability of mild side effects and type of evidence. Subgroup analyses supported the main findings.

Web-based PPIE can effectively inform dementia research at scale and provides a reusable resource for other studies.

To compare long-term outcomes of patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and heart failure (HF).

This retrospective observational study used the TriNetX global federated research network. Adult patients (≥18 years) discharged with a diagnosis of TTS (ICD-10-CM I51.81) or HF (I50.x) between 2018 and 2022 were identified. Primary outcomes were three-year risk of all-cause death, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke), and acute HF. Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia), malignant arrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest), and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) before and after 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Subgroup analyses were performed by HF phenotype, age (≥65 vs <65 years), and mental health status. The study included 2,240 patients with TTS (mean age 62.6 ± 17.3 years; 73.7% female) and 265,564 patients with HF (69.3 ± 14.7 years; 45.8% female). After PSM, TTS was associated with a lower risk of acute HF (HR 0.622, 95% CI 0.539-0.717), ventricular arrhythmias (HR 0.637, 95% CI 0.441-0.919), malignant arrhythmias (HR 0.656, 95% CI 0.571-0.754), new-onset AF (HR 0.672, 95% CI 0.517-0.875), and myocardial infarction (HR 0.818, 95% CI 0.687-0.974), with no significant differences in the remaining outcomes. Differences were greater when TTS was compared with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

TTS is associated with lower risk of adverse events than HF. Further research is needed on mental health in its pathogenesis and prognosis.

In a Norwegian national cross-sectional survey, we assessed the burden of selected late effects (LEs) by a 95-item questionnaire in tumor-free Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (HLSs) diagnosed at age ≥60 years. Responses were compared to age- and sex-matched controls. A total of 290 older HLSs diagnosed 2000-2021 received the questionnaire, 193 (67%) were included. Median age at survey was 76 years (range 63-92) and median time since diagnosis 7 years (2-23). Compared to controls, HLSs reported significantly higher rates of heart failure (10% vs. 6%), atrial fibrillation (19% vs. 14%), memory problems (48% vs. 37%), other cognitive difficulties (34% vs. 17%) and chronic fatigue (29% vs. 13%). HLSs scored lower on physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and more often reported needing help with basic (P-ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (I-ADL). However, differences were small, only for fatigue and dependence in I-ADL did the difference reach moderate statistical effect size.

COVID-19 has been associated with dysregulated immune responses, with increasing evidence indicating sustained inflammasome activation and subsequent pro-inflammatory cytokine production. This study aimed to characterize the temporal profile of inflammatory markers, particularly interleukin (IL)-1β, in post-COVID-19 patients compared with pre-pandemic healthy controls, using data from the Psychiatric Symptoms for COVID-19 Registry Japan (PSCORE-J).

Blood samples were analyzed from 119 post-COVID-19 patients (median age 45 years) recruited during 2023 and 374 pre-pandemic healthy controls (median age 65 years). For post-COVID-19 patients, samples were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 9 months. Multiple inflammatory markers were assessed, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IFN-β, IP-10, ACE2, and eotaxin. Age- and sex-adjusted analyses were performed on log-transformed IL-1β levels.

IL-1β levels were significantly elevated in post-COVID-19 patients compared with healthy controls across all age groups (under 30s: 0.69 ± 0.33 vs. 0.25 ± 0.03; 30s: 0.70 ± 0.63 vs. 0.26 ± 0.09; 40s: 0.84 ± 0.76 vs. 0.30 ± 0.23; 50s: 0.67 ± 0.65 vs. 0.26 ± 0.10; 60 or over: 0.54 ± 0.30 vs. 0.26 ± 0.23 pg/mL). This elevation was sustained throughout the 9-month follow-up (baseline: 0.500 [0.33-0.890]; 3 months: 0.630 [0.28-1.290]; 9 months: 0.54 [0.29-0.96] pg/mL) compared with controls (0.24 [0.21-0.27] pg/mL). Other inflammatory markers showed either no significant differences or were paradoxically lower in patients.

SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with persistent elevation of IL-1β levels that remains stable over a 9-month period, suggesting sustained inflammasome activation. These findings provide novel insight into post-COVID-19 inflammatory processes and may have important implications for understanding both acute and chronic manifestations of the disease.

Japan Registry of Clinical Trials: jRCT1030220711.

Body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), including hair pulling and skin picking, occupy a clinically complex space at the intersection of medicine and psychiatry. Despite their association with psychological distress, functional impairment, and dermatological consequences, they remain under-recognised in many healthcare settings. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of BFRBs in Paraguayan adults and to examine their relationship with perceived stress. A total of 301 participants completed an online survey, and severity was assessed using the Spanish-adapted Generic Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Scale-8 (GBS-8). At least one self-reported body-focused repetitive behaviour (including subclinical manifestations) was reported by 59.1% of participants, although only 7.3% reported a prior clinical diagnosis. Among individuals endorsing a BFRB, 80.9% had never sought professional consultation. Greater BFRB severity was weakly but significantly associated with higher perceived stress. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure comprising symptom severity and impairment dimensions, and internal consistency was good. These findings highlight both the prevalence and relative invisibility of BFRBs and underscore their relevance within integrated models of care addressing the interdependence of mental and physical health.

BackgroundIntern nursing students are particularly vulnerable to workplace violence in clinical settings, which compromises patient safety and negatively impacts their mental health and professional development.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the prevalence of workplace bullying among intern nursing students and its association with coping styles, providing a foundation for developing targeted interventions.MethodsA total of 358 intern nursing students were selected from a Grade III Class A hospital in Hunan Province via convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general situation questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. The study was grounded in Lazarus and Folkman's transactional stress theory. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. Skewed data were described using the interquartile range, whereas count data were described using composition ratio and rate. Group comparisons were conducted with non-parametric tests, and Spearman correlation was applied. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe mean workplace bullying score was 27.00, and the prevalence of workplace bullying among intern nursing students was 29.3%. The total workplace bullying score was negatively correlated with the positive coping dimension score (p < 0.001) and positively correlated with the negative coping dimension score (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that educational background, feelings towards the nursing major, positive coping dimension score and negative coping dimension score of the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire were associated with workplace bullying among intern nursing students (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe incidence of workplace bullying is high among intern nursing students. Educational background, attitudes towards the nursing major and coping styles show significant associations with the likelihood of experiencing workplace bullying. Given the cross-sectional nature and single-center design, these findings should be considered preliminary and require validation in broader contexts.

This study investigates punding in dementia, its characteristics, treatment options, and outcomes.

In this retrospective hospital-based study of 55 dementia patients, punding severity, cognition, and neuropsychiatric symptoms assessed using Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale, Hindi Mental Status Examination, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory were collected from baseline to week 8 after treatment. Chi-square and independent t-tests were used to compare groups and repeated measures ANOVA was used to investigate the change in rating scale scores on treatment.

The mean age of the patients was 72.8 ± 6.7 years, and 76.4% were of Alzheimer's disease. The frequency of punding in this hospital-based cohort was 61.8%. The mean duration of punding was 4.09 + 2.7 months, and repeated handling of clothes was the prominent characteristic. The patients were treated with low-dose risperidone and SSRI and significant improvement in the severity scores of punding was observed following treatment initiation.

Punding is a prevalent behavior in hospitalized patients with dementia. Rapid improvement in punding behavior was observed with combination pharmacotherapy of low dose SSRI and risperidone in our clinical sample. Further multicentric prospective controlled trials are required to establish treatment efficacy of this combination treatment for punding in dementia.