Currently, the world is facing immediate and unexpected changes every day due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These environmental stimulations have an impact on mental health, particularly in the case of children. Worldwide measures such as quarantine, social and physical distancing, and school closure can potentially take a toll on children’s mental health, in both the short and long terms. Grief, adjustment disorder and acute stress disorder (ASD) are some of the mental health issues that children are prone to suffer during a pandemic, leading to mood disorder, psychosis and even suicidal tendency, if not addressed and treated timely. As the pandemic continues, it is crucial to monitor children’s mental health status. Parents/ caregivers must receive continuous guidance on handling the situation appropriately. Both professionals and families/caregivers must tend to children’s mental health needs to safeguard their overall well-being.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a psychiatric disorder that has become a serious health problem in the past decade. This disorder is characterized by prolonged dysphoric mood, and in more severe condition would result in decreased self-care and even life-threatening action. Serotonin is believed to play a role in the regulation of mood elation in depressive disorders. Decreased levels of serotonin in the hippocampus will cause an increased dopamine in mesolimbic dopamine neuronal cells. An effective and commonly used drug is the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, namely, fluoxetine. However, this agent has so many side effects, one of them is erectile dysfunction. In order to find the better treatment, exploration and discovery of therapeutic modalities need to pursued using natural materials. AIM: This study aimed to explore and evaluate antidepressant effects of cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) extract (CE). METHODS: A total of 30 male Wistar rats were obtained from Eureka Research Laboratory (Palembang, Indonesia). Cinnamon simplisia was obtained from the Institute for Research and Testing of Traditional Medicine, Tawangmangu, Central Java, Indonesia. Rats were induced using chronic mild stress (CMS). CMS was a form of stress induction performed on experimental animals continuously, for 4 weeks. Forced swimming test (FST) was a test conducted to assess mobility in animal model. After induction for 4 weeks, rats were randomly divided into six groups which each contained five rats: Normal control group, CMS group (negative control), CMS + fluoxetin (Fluox 1: mg/kg), CMS + CE 25 mg/kg, the CMS + CE 50 mg/kg, and the CMS + CE 100 mg/kg. Treatment with fluoxetine or CE was given for 14 days intragastrically using gastric sonde. After treatment and FST, organ evacuation was performed and followed by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent examination. RESULTS: This study showed that CE with dose of 25 mg/kg BW to dose 100 mg/k BW could reduce the duration of immobility when compared to the CMS group. Clinically, CE possessed the potential to reduce the duration of immobility and potentially reduce symptoms of depression. Histologically, CE showed the potential to improve serotonin levels in the hippocampus with increasing doses. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha expression in the hippocampus as a marker of inflammation had increased in the CMS group. CE was able to reduce the expression of TNF-alpha compared to the CMS group. CONCLUSION: CE possessed antidepressant efficacy by inhibiting the inflammatory process in the hippocampus so it was able to optimally increase serotonin levels in the hippocampus.

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Selain berdasarkan temuan klinis, penentuan diagnosis Disorders of sex development (DSD) juga didukung oleh ragam pemeriksaan penunjang seperti analisis kromosom, radiologi, dan pemeriksaan laboratorium yang salah satunya berupa pemeriksaan kadar hormon. Pemeriksaan kadar hormon dapat memberikan gambaran fungsi gonadal dan adrenal, yang bermanfaat baik untuk penapisan dan juga penentuan diagnosis DSD. Studi yang bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi profil hormon pasien DSD di Indonesia masih sangat minim, dan studi ini merupakan studi pertama yang meninjau profil hormon DSD di RSUP Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang. Studi ini merupakan studi deskriptif menggunakan data sekunder dari rekam medik pasien DSD yang menjalani pemeriksaan hormon selama periode 2013-2017.  Dari total 173 pasien DSD yang datang berobat ke RSUP Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang selama lima tahun terakhir, hanya 22 (12.72%) pasien yang menjalani pemeriksaan hormon. Ada 13 profil hormon yang diperiksa pada pasien DSD di RSUP Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang dengan hormon testosteron (54.54%) sebagai hormon yang paling sering diperiksa. Pemeriksaan profil hormon sebagai salah satu alat bantu penapisan dan penegakkan diagnosa DSD belum menjadi salah satu pemeriksaan penunjang yang umum dilakukan di RSUP Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang.

Depression is the most common mental disorder nowadays. It was triggered many searches to find out traditional plants that has antidepressant activity, one of which is sweet basil. Sweet basil oil that consist of eugenol inspected by in vivo using depression-induced male Balb/c mice and compared its antidepressant activity with fluoxetine HCl. This study was to compare antidepressant activity of sweet basil oil (Ocimum basilicum) and fluoxetine HCl evaluated from immobility time and serotonin level in plasma. An experimental study, in vivo, has been done in animal house and biomolecular laboratory medical faculty of Sriwijaya university during May until July 2015. Samples of 32 male Balb/c mice that divided into 4 groups was adapted for 10 days. Tail suspension test was done for 14 days, then mice blood was taken for checking depression serotonin level. In day 15th until 28th, mice given with sweet basil oil with gradually dose (P1, P2, and P3) and fluoxetine HCl (P4). Tail suspension test was done once and mice blood was taken for checking after therapy serotonin level. Data analyzed with SPSS 16. All male mice are similar in body weight, immobility time at tail suspension test I, and depression serotonin level. By tail suspension test, there is significant difference before and after therapy in group P1, P2, and P3 (p <0,001), group P4 (p = 0,001). There is no dose suitability between sweet basil oil and fluoxetine HCl based on tail suspension test (p < 0,001). Serotonin level in plasma before and after therapy shows significant difference in all groups (p < 0,001). There is no dose suitability between sweet basil oil and fluoxetine HCl based on serotonin level in plasma (p < 0,001). Antidepressant activity of sweet basil oil and fluoxetine HCl is not similar based on immobility time and serotonin level in plasma.