Background and aims The concept of "Food Addiction" has been based on criteria of Substance Use Disorder. Several studies suggested a relationship between food addiction and eating disorders, but little is known about its extent or role. We aim at exploring if food addiction is coincident with a specific eating disorder (binge eating disorder appears the closest) or it is a separate diagnostic entity that afflicts in comorbidity with eating disorders or other conditions like obesity or even in the general population. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed observational studies with a comparative estimation on rates of subjects affected by binge eating disorder and food addiction. Results Binge eating disorder shows higher comorbidity with food addiction compared to other eating disorders (OR = 1.33, 95% CI, 0.64–2.76; c2 = 4.42; p = 0.44;I2 = 0%), or each eating disorder [anorexia nervosa purging type (OR = 1.93, 95% CI, 0.20–18.92; p = 0.57) and restrictive type (OR = 8.75, 95% CI, 1.08–70.70; p = 0.04)], obese patients (OR = 5.72, 95% CI, 3.25–10.09; p =  < 0.0001) and individuals from the general population (OR = 55.41, 95% CI, 8.16–376.10; c2 = 18.50; p < 0.0001; I2 = 0%)but has decreased prevalence when compared to bulimia nervosa (OR = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.33–2.22; c2 = 0.35; p = 0.74; I2 = 0%). Discussion and conclusions Our data show that the prevalence of food addiction in binge eating disorder is higher than in other eating disorders except in bulimia nervosa. Moreover, it is a separate diagnostic reality and can be detected in people without mental illness and in the general population. Food addiction might have a prognostic value, since in comorbidity, and should be addressed to boost treatment efficacy and patient’s recovery. Level of evidence I: Evidence obtained systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

The therapeutic termination of pregnancy (TToP) is an induced abortion following a diagnosis of medical necessity. TToP is applied to avoid the risk of substantial harm to the mother or in cases of fetal unviability. This type of induced abortion is provided after the second semester of gestation if fetal illness or the pregnancy cause physical danger or pathological mental distress to the mother. Socio-cultural and economic determinants could influence the desire for children and family planning in couples, as well as the use of effective contraception and the choice to perform an induced abortion. Also, pre-existing mental health problems could affect the decision between carrying on a problematic pregnancy or having TToP. Furthermore, the TToP is a reproductive event with an important traumatic burden, but also with an intrinsic therapeutic effect and it can produce different psychological and psychopathological effects on women and couples. The aim of this review is to evaluate what demographic, reproductive and psychopathological determinants are involved in the choice of undergoing a TToP in women. Also, we will examine both positive and negative consequences of this procedure on women’s mental health, underlying which factors are related to a worse outcome in order to provide the best clinical support to vulnerable groups.

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Background: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are efficacious in managing psychotic symptoms in people affected by severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The present study aimed to investigate whether attitude toward treatment and treatment adherence represent predictors of symptoms changes over time.Methods: The STAR Network “Depot Study” was a naturalistic, multicenter, observational, prospective study that enrolled people initiating a LAI without restrictions on diagnosis, clinical severity or setting. Participants from 32 Italian centers were assessed at three time points: baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Psychopathological symptoms, attitude toward medication and treatment adherence were measured using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) and the Kemp's 7-point scale, respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate whether attitude toward medication and treatment adherence independently predicted symptoms changes over time. Analyses were conducted on the overall sample and then stratified according to the baseline severity (BPRS &lt; 41 or BPRS ≥ 41).Results: We included 461 participants of which 276 were males. The majority of participants had received a primary diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (71.80%) and initiated a treatment with a second-generation LAI (69.63%). BPRS, DAI-10, and Kemp's scale scores improved over time. Six linear regressions—conducted considering the outcome and predictors at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up independently—showed that both DAI-10 and Kemp's scale negatively associated with BPRS scores at the three considered time points. Linear mixed-effects models conducted on the overall sample did not show any significant association between attitude toward medication or treatment adherence and changes in psychiatric symptoms over time. However, after stratification according to baseline severity, we found that both DAI-10 and Kemp's scale negatively predicted changes in BPRS scores at 12-month follow-up regardless of baseline severity. The association at 6-month follow-up was confirmed only in the group with moderate or severe symptoms at baseline.Conclusion: Our findings corroborate the importance of improving the quality of relationship between clinicians and patients. Shared decision making and thorough discussions about benefits and side effects may improve the outcome in patients with severe mental disorders.