Patients with schizophrenia, nowadays chronic, frequently disabling mental disorder, get initial treatment after detection of a psychotic episode, seemingly late, potentially preventable stage of illness. As our knowledge about the nature of schizophrenia and other diseases of the spectrum is growing, so are the early interventions becoming more possible, and it is important to conceptualize the clinical, legal and moral issues emerging with new preventive treatments. Every intervention, especially in pre-clinical population, demands a careful risk-benefit assessment and having basic bioethical principles - primacy of patient's welfare, beneficience/non-maleficience, autonomy and justice - in mind. We believe that pharmacological treatments, considering today's drugs safety and effectiveness profiles, should stay reserved for cases with higly probable negative outcomes to patient's wellbeing, and that all other low-risk interventions, like psychosocial treatments, should be considered for reducing the conversion to disorder, if possible, or relieving the distress in vulnerable persons, when such vulnerability gets detected. How to recognize persons at risk before the start of the disorder, without missing the majority of cases or burdening healthy persons with stigma, is another challenge and not only mental health professionals should be included in finding the solutions. The broadest public, and especially the experts that will build the safety-net for the at-risk individuals, should get best possible appropriate education about the schizophrenia in order to stigmatize less and help more.
IntroductionParricide (referring as parental homicide) is a rare event among homicides, yet challenging and intriguing from psychiatric point of view. Still, literature concerning parricide is sparse and most studies concern small or heterogenous samples or anecdotal cases.ObjectiveTo analyze differences in parricide offenders among forensic psychiatric inpatients at the university psychiatric hospital Vrapče's centre for forensic psychiatry.AimsTo test some differences between parricide offenders with regard to specific type of parricide.MethodsAvailable retrograde data of 50 years forensic inpatients (n = 430). We identified parricide cases of matricide and patricide included.ResultsThe analysis included a total of 22 parricide offenders. All parricide offenders were male adults. Matricide was more prevalent then patricide (13 vs. 9). Matricide offenders were in average younger when committed crime, had more prevalence of psychotic disorders and earlier onset of symptoms in comparison with patricide group.ConclusionWe identified differences and similarities between these two parricide offenders groups. It is important to expand research further including different types of motives and family dynamics regarding the type of parricide victim.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
IntroductionBuprenorphine, a partial agonist of mu opioid receptors and an antagonist at kappa opioid receptors, is widely used in the treatment of the opioid addiction, as it reduces cravings and effects of opioid withdrawal, decreases opioid consumption and diminishes rewarding effects of it. In University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, the oldest psychiatric hospital in Croatia, buprenorphine maintenance therapy is a standard and important part of integrative psychiatric treatment offered to opioid drug users.AimsTo show potential benefits of buprenorphine maintenance therapy as a pharmacological agent in psychiatric care for opioid drug users.ObjectivesTo describe series of clinical cases in which the introduction of buprenorphine in therapy of opioid drug users lead to reduced number of their hospitalizations.MethodsClinical cases from University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče Addictions Treatment Department were identified and the course of patients’ treatment was analyzed. Summaries of cases, with the emphasis on protective factors for stabile maintenance, are presented.ResultsAfter switching patients from various opiates to buprenorphine in a controlled in-patient environment, our patients became more functional and their integrative psychiatric treatment could then start. After discharge, an improvement was visible in different dimensions of their lives, and the re-admittance was the exception, since recidives were rare. They continued their treatment actively, in outpatient programmes of our clinic.ConclusionsDrug-seeking behaviour of presented opioid users was avoided by buprenorphine maintenance therapy provided with intermittent psychotherapeutic interventions or usual psychiatric support in aftercare. In our experience, such integrative psychiatric care prevents re-admittances and recidives.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
IntroductionVarious risk factors for development of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been discovered. ACS has numerous consequences, including physical and mental health disturbances.AimTo distinguish mental health consequences and risk factors for ACS.ObjectivesTo explore the interdependence between poor life-style choices (physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption) and development of anxiety or depressive disorders 1 month and 6 months after ACS.MethodsFollow-up study on 120 subjects with ACS, retested after 1 and 6 months. Existence of previous or actual mental disorders were excluded in the first phase.InstrumentsMini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, questionnaire of general sociodemographic data and life-style factors, Acute Stress Disorder Interview and Clinician-administered PTSD Scale. Lipid levels and BMI were tracked.ResultsAfter 1 month 27.5% of the subjects had acute stress disorder (ASD) and 13,8% had major depressive disorder (MDD). After 6 months, 37.5% subjects had PTSD and 27.3% had MDD. Alcohol consumption showed to be predictive for development of MDD in the second phase (P = 0.002; OR = 2.48), and physical inactivity showed to be predictive for development of comorbidity of MDD and ASD in the second phase (P = 0.036; OR = 100.00).ConclusionCardiovascular disorders can cause anxious & depressive disorders in frequent alcohol consumers and physically inactive subjects. Since depression, anxiety, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption cannot only be considered as risk factors for cardiovascular disorders, but also be seen as a consequence of cardiovascular disorders, strategies for primary and secondary prevention of coronary events should include a greater concern for mental health as well.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
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