Luigi Attademo

The presence of artificial light at night has emerged as an anthropogenic stressor in recent years. Various sources of light pollution have been shown to affect circadian physiology with serious consequences for metabolic pathways, possibly disrupting pineal melatonin production with multiple adverse health effects. The suppression of melatonin at night may also affect human mental health and contribute to the development or exacerbation of psychiatric disorders in vulnerable individuals. Due to the high burden of circadian disruption in affective disorders, it has been hypothesized that light pollution impacts mental health, mainly affecting mood regulation. Hence, the aim of this review was to critically summarize the evidence on the effects of light pollution on mood symptoms, with a particular focus on the role of circadian rhythms in mediating this relationship. We conducted a narrative review of the literature in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science datasets. After the screening process, eighteen papers were eligible for inclusion. The results clearly indicate a link between light pollution and the development of affective symptoms, with a central role of sleep disturbances in the emergence of mood alterations. Risk perception also represents a crucial topic, possibly modulating the development of affective symptoms in response to light pollution. The results of this review should encourage a multidisciplinary approach to the design of healthier environments, including lighting conditions among the key determinants of human mental health.

Background: This study aimed to investigate personality traits associated with depression in breast cancer women (BCW). Methods: Sample: 236 BCW recently diagnosed (early stages). Tests: SASB-Structural-Analysis of Social-Behavior; IPAT-CDQ-Depression . Statistical analysis: cluster K-Means analysis to explore SASB personality-traits considering the 8 SASB clusters (Cl); CDQ scores dichotomized by 50th percentile cutoff (high/low); Pearson’s chi square test to compare CDQ levels and SASB traits. Results: Cluster analysis results supported two distinguishable SASB personality traits (for all SASB Cl-Scales P < .001) classified as “Love and Autonomy” (62.2%) and “Control and Hate” (37.8%). Patients with Love/Autonomy traits are spontaneous, accept their deepest feelings and desire to be close to other people (Cl1, Cl2, Cl3, Cl4). They show a medium value of self-control and a low tendency to self-abusive and self-critical behaviors (Cl5, Cl6). They pay attention to themselves and to their needs at emotional and physical levels also if may be occasionally engaged in self-destructive behaviors (Cl7, Cl8). Women with Control/Hate traits are not spontaneous and do not always express emotions (C1, Cl2, Cl3, Cl4) and flexibility in their relationship with others (Cl5, Cl6). In stressful situations, they may ignore the option of choices for self-growth and neglect their needs and those of others (Cl7, Cl8). BCWs with Control/Hate traits scored higher in depression ( P <.001) than those with the Love/Autonomy profile. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals should be aware of these personality traits and their association with depression to identify the psychologically most vulnerable BCW and improve the care they provide them. The psychotherapeutic intervention should be planned to face on the personality problems.

A new reality is being observed around the world as the population ages: family caregivers, who are themselves older adults helping their ill older relatives. The aim of this study is to assess the burden of the older family caregiver assisting older patients in his or her end-of-life who are suffering from dementia or cancer. In this context, the elderly person is involved in the dual role of patient and caregiver. In this comparative study, a total of 87 older family caregivers (age ≥ 65 years) completed the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) measurement. The sample was divided into 2 subgroups based on the individuals’ advanced disease: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or cancer. Compared to cancer caregivers, the AD subgroup reported significantly higher scores in the CBI-emotional subscale (P = 0.006), confirmed by the evaluation of the generalized linear model (multivariate). There were no significant differences in the other CBI subscales and overall scores. According to the findings of this study, elderly who help elderly with AD are at a higher risk of experiencing an emotional burden than cancer caregivers. This data could be considered in designing interventions to reduce the caregiver burden of older family caregivers as they provide informal end-of-life care.

Schizoid personality disorder (SZPD) is a Cluster A personality disorder whose essential feature is a lifelong pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression. Although SZPD has been in every edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, empirical research on this disorder is actually limited, due to the fact that SZPD is rarely encountered in clinical settings. In fact, individuals with SZPD rarely present for treatment, as their isolation is often ego-syntonic; therefore, the prevalence of SZPD is not clearly established. Suicide ideation may be a running theme for individuals with SZPD. However, suicidality in SZPD is actually an underestimated topic. Aiming to draw more attention to this underestimated issue, with this paper the authors intend to provide a list of studies on suicidality in individuals with SZPD or traits, in the form of a clinical mini-review. Reported studies show that an underlying SZPD, or the presence of schizoid traits too, appear to be definitely a major risk factor for completed suicide and serious suicide attempts. This maladaptive personality disorder seems to not allow the individual to ask for help and to deny him the comforts of intimacy. Therefore, clinicians should be aware that schizoid traits suchs as solitary lifestyle, loneliness, emotional detachment, and impaired communication ability, are features associated with a vulnerability to suicidal behavior. We recommend the clinical assessment of this symptoms' constellation, in order to address patients with SZPD to most proper treatment.

Background: : Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a cluster A personality disorder affecting 1.0% of the general population, characterised by disturbances in cognition and reality testing dimensions, affected regulation, and interpersonal function. SPD shares similar but attenuated phenomenological, genetic, and neurobiological abnormalities with schizophrenia (SCZ) and is described as part of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Objective: The aim of this work was to identify major neural correlates of SPD.Methods: This is a systematic review conducted according to PRISMA statement. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO - International prospective register of systematic reviews. The review was performed to summarise the most comprehensive and updated evidence on functional neuroimaging and neurophysiology findings obtained through different techniques (DW- MRI, DTI, PET, SPECT, fMRI, MRS, EEG) in individuals with SPD.Results: Of the 52 studies included in this review, 9 were on DW-MRI and DTI, 11 were on PET and SPECT, 11 were on fMRI and MRS, and 21 were on EEG. It was complex to synthesise all the functional abnormalities found in a single, unified, pathogenetic pathway, but a common theme emerged: the dysfunction of brain circuits including striatal, frontal, temporal, limbic regions (and their networks) together with a dysregulation along the dopaminergic pathways.Conclusion: Brain abnormalities in SPD are similar, but less marked, than those found in SCZ. Furthermore, different patterns of functional abnormalities in SPD and SCZ have been found, confirming the previous literature on the ‘presence’ of possible compensatory factors, protecting individuals with SPD from frank psychosis and providing diagnostic specificity.

Contracting COVID-19, being exposed to it, or being affected by societal containment measures can have consequences that are themselves social determinants of health. Preexisting social determinant...