Irene Caro-Cañizares

Background/Objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric condition associated with substantial emotional and psychosocial burden. Social media platforms provide an opportunity to examine how BD is discussed and emotionally framed outside clinical settings. Although Spanish-language public discourse on BD remains underexplored, this gap is particularly relevant given that linguistic and cultural factors may influence how mental health conditions are expressed, perceived, and communicated. Understanding these differences is essential for developing culturally sensitive public health strategies, improving mental health literacy, and addressing stigma in diverse populations. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using Spanish-language tweets referring to BD posted between 2007 and 2023. After preprocessing, 170,411 unique tweets were analyzed. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was applied to identify dominant thematic domains, and emotional tone was classified using a RoBERTa-based model adapted from Ekman’s basic emotions. Statistical analyses were performed to examine associations between topics, emotional categories, and the presence of clinical terminology. Results: Tweet activity related to BD remained low until 2019, followed by a marked increase peaking in 2020 and remaining elevated thereafter. Topic modeling identified seven main themes, predominantly centered on symptoms, illness-related life crises, social anxiety, help-seeking, and the impact of BD on romantic relationships, while diagnosis- and treatment-related topics were less frequent. Emotional analysis showed a clear predominance of sadness across all topics, accounting for approximately 75% of tweets. Anger, joy, and optimism were present at lower frequencies and varied across thematic domains. Clinical terminology was significantly more common in diagnosis- and treatment-related topics, whereas experiential and affective narratives dominated the remaining themes. Conclusions: Spanish-language discourse on BD on Twitter is largely characterized by emotional expression and lived experience rather than biomedical language. These findings highlight cultural relevance of social media as a complementary source for understanding public perceptions of BD and underscore the importance of culturally and linguistically specific analyses in digital mental health research.

Mental health disorders and substance use during pregnancy have been linked to adverse perinatal outcomes. Early identification may improve maternal and ne

Introduction: Suicidal behaviour in adolescents has increased considerably, so much so that it is the leading cause of death in this population. Associated risk factors include age, gender, or stressful life events, so their in‐depth study is essential for prevention.Objective: The main objective of this study was to study how certain stressful life events of a victimising nature (such as being a victim of abuse or violence) are related to the risk of suicide in adolescents, taking into account gender and the perceived impact of these events by the victims.Method: The sample consisted of 147 people with a mean age of 15.34 years (SD = 1.316), who were administered the Stressful Life Events Scale, the Self‐Injurious Thoughts and Behaviours Scale and an ad hoc semi‐structured interview.Results: The results showed a positive relationship between experiencing these events, perceived impact and suicidal risk, as well as a positive relationship between being a woman, a higher likelihood of being a victim of these events and a higher suicidal risk.Conclusion: It is concluded that being a victim of stressful life events and their impact, as well as being a woman, are related to an increased suicidal risk. Therefore, it is recommended that these aspects be addressed early to reduce this risk.

Suicide stands as one of the leading causes of non-accidental death among adolescents and young adults. The Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model (IMV) of suicidal behavior identifies feelings of defeat and entrapment as pivotal factors in the complex dynamics underlying suicidal behaviors. Additionally, depressive symptomatology plays a crucial role in the development of these behaviors. The aim of this work was to provide a systematic review of the scientific literature on the association of three risk factors—entrapment, defeat, and depressive symptomatology—with suicidal ideation in the adolescent and young adult population and to test a tentative theoretical model. The databases used were PubMed, Web of Science, and ProQuest. Primary studies were selected that examined the role of entrapment, defeat, and depressive symptomatology in suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults (ages 10–35). Additionally, a model based on structural equation modeling was analyzed to assess the relationships between entrapment, defeat, and depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation. Eleven studies met the established inclusion criteria. The results showed defeat and entrapment to be associated with depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation, regardless of the country studied. Additionally, the model indicates that entrapment and defeat lead to depressive symptomatology, which in turn contributes to the occurrence of suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that defeat and entrapment could be universal factors in explaining suicidal behavior in adolescents and young adults. Consequently, the results of this work may contribute to the development of strategies for preventing suicidal ideation in this population.

Background:: Stressful life events (SLEs), impulsivity, aggression, and hostility are known risk factors for suicide. The existence of an "I-A-H Triad" (composed of impulsiveness, aggressiveness and hostility) is proposed as a mediating factor between SLEs and suicide. Method:: Data on 399 deceased people (274 from suicide, 125 from other causes) were collected through psychological autopsy. The Paul Ramsey Life Experience Scale (to collect SLE history), the Barrat Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) were applied, using versions adapted for psychological autopsy. Results:: Comparative analysis of the two groups showed significant differences in the variables of interest (SLE: = 7.280; BDHI: = 4.201; BIS-11: = 3.812; I-A-H Triad: = 4.84). Mediation analysis confirmed the role of the I-A-H Triad in mediation of the presence of SLEs and the type of death. Conclusions:: High levels of impulsivity, aggression, and hostility increase the risk of suicide when a person is faced with SLEs.

The unexpected death of a child, whether due to accident, sudden death syndrome, suicide, or homicide, causes profound parental grief that endures for years. Often, this grief is not fully understood by the social environment, leading parents to feel increasingly misunderstood and isolated. While initial support may be provided, it can become insufficient over time. Therefore, many parents turn to support groups, finding multiple benefits such as validation of their feelings, a safe space to discuss their children and express emotions, strengthening of their social identity, and a platform for reconstructing meaning in their lives. A scoping review was carried on to review the state of knowledge regarding the role that self-help groups can play in case of bereavement due to the unexpected death of a child and regarding the impact on social relationships referred to in these contexts. The search was conducted on 11 databases and grey literature and provided 22 final results. Reviewed studies confirm the impact of this loss, particularly on mothers, and suggest that self-help groups contribute to a more favorable development of the grieving process. Despite the scarcity of research, future studies could leverage newer theoretical models and measurement tools to confirm protective, predictive, and risk factors.

Purpose: Maternal mental health and substance use, referred to as dual pathology, represent significant concerns associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, a prevalence higher than commonly anticipated. Nonetheless, a notable dearth exists ofevidence-based treatment protocols tailored for pregnant women with dual pathology. Methods: A systematic review, adhering to the PRISMA methodology, was conducted. Results: Out of the 57 identified papers deemed potentially relevant, only 2were ultimately included. Given the limited number of studies assessing the efficacy of psychological interventions utilizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for both mental health and substance misuse, and considering the diverse objectives and measures employed, definitive conclusions regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions in this domain prove challenging. Conclusions: Maternal mental health appears to be the proverbial “elephant in the room”. The development of specialized and integrated interventions stands as an imperative to effectively address this pressing issue. As elucidated in the present review, these interventions ought to be grounded in empirical evidence. Furthermore, it is essential that such interventions undergo rigorous evaluation through RCTs to ascertain their efficacy levels. Ultimately, the provision of these interventions by psychology/psychiatric professionals, both within clinical practice and the RCTs themselves, is recommended to facilitate the generalizability of the results to specialized settings.

Aim: Suicidal behavior is a serious public health problem and a major cause of death among adolescents. Three categories of major risk factors have been identified: psychological factors, stressful life events, and personality traits. Severe and objective stressful life events (SLEs), such as childhood mistreatment or abuse, have been clearly associated with higher rates of suicide risk. However, the relationship between suicide risk and adolescents’ perceptions of the SLE impact is not as clear. This paper studies the relationship between SLE impact perception and suicide risk and the possible mediating role of perceived family functioning in this relationship. The need for longer-term or more intense psychological or psychiatric treatment in relation to SLE impact perception is also addressed. Method: One hundred forty-seven adolescents aged 11–17 were consecutively recruited from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Services Department of a general hospital in Madrid, Spain. Self-informed questionnaires were used to assess suicide risk, SLEs, and family functioning. In addition, the clinical records of the participants were consulted to collect information about their treatment histories, including the number of appointments and the duration of follow-up. Results: SLE impact perception correlates significantly with suicide risk, the number of clinical appointments, the duration of treatment, and the perceived level of family functioning. The mediation model of the family functioning perception variable in the relationship between SLE impact perception and suicide risk is significant. The linear regression model of SLE impact perception and family functioning perception on suicide risk is also significant, accounting for 25.7% of the variance. Conclusions: Beyond the clear and proven effect of serious and objective SLEs, the perceived impact of SLEs reported by adolescents is related to an increased risk of suicide and more intense psychological and/or psychiatric follow-up. This relationship is mediated by the perceived level of family functioning. Adolescents’ perceptions of their life experiences and perceived family support may be key determinants of suicide risk prevention.

Aims: The interpersonal theory of suicide (ITPS) provides a theoretical model for suicidal behaviour. It includes two interpersonal variables, thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB). This study tested the relationship between ITPS interpersonal variables and suicide risk (presence/absence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts throughout life) in a clinical sample of Spanish adolescents. We also assessed the potential mediation effect of these variables in the well‐established relationship between stressful life events (SLE) and suicide risk.Methods: We recruited 147 adolescents aged 11–17 from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Services of the Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, Spain). Different questionnaires were administered to assess suicidal behaviour and SLE (SITBI, The Stressful Life Events Scale) and to calculate proxy measures for ITPS interpersonal factors (SDQ, STAXI‐NA, CDI).Results: TB and PB significantly correlated with suicide risk. PB played a mediating role in the relationship between SLE and suicide risk: adolescents reporting SLE were more likely to enact suicide behaviours when they experienced higher PB. Patients scoring higher PB were more likely to receive more intense treatment but tended to abandon intervention promptly.Conclusions: ITPS seems useful for predicting suicide risk in an adolescent clinical sample. The results suggest an important role for PB in the SLE‐suicide risk relationship and may impact the treatment process. Our exploratory findings should be addressed in future studies.