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Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the greatest contemporary challenges. Feelings of fear and uncertainty triggered by this pandemic have had noxious effects on people’s mental health. This seems to have increased during quarantine and there is evidence of an intensification of reward-directed behavior. Nevertheless, there are few studies dealing with pornography consumption during this period. The aim of this manuscript is to contextualize this phenomenon during the pandemic and suggest some clinical recommendations on the matter.

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Abstract Introduction Neuroprogression has been proposed as the pathological rewiring of the brain that takes place in parallel with clinical and neurocognitive deterioration in the course of psychiatric disorders. This study aims to review the biological underpinnings and clinical outcomes related to neuroprogression in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods We performed a systematic review by searching PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for articles published between January 1, 1960, and January 6, 2020. Inclusion criteria were met when articles assessed brain changes, neurocognition, functioning, inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotrophins in patients with PTSD. Narrative review articles, case reports, and preclinical studies were excluded. Results A total of 965 abstracts were identified and 15 articles were included in our systematic review. It seems that for a subset of patients whose symptoms worsen or are maintained at a high intensity there is a progressive change in the frontal lobe, especially the prefrontal cortex, and worsening of both neurocognition (verbal memory and facial recognition) and functioning (physical, psychological, social and environmental). Conclusion Although current findings associate progressive reduction in frontal lobe size with neurocognitive impairment, further research is needed to characterize PTSD as a neuroprogressive disorder.

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Abstract Introduction Physical activity, conceptualized as any bodily movement that results in energy expenditure, and its structured form, exercise, play an important role in public health, preventing and treating a wide range of physical conditions, including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Objective This article aims to provide a brief overview and summary of the evidence on: 1) the preventive effects of physical activity on a wide range of mental disorders; 2) the role of physical activity in promoting the physical health of people with mental disorders; 3) the role of exercise as a strategy to manage mental health symptoms in a range of mental disorders; and 4) the challenges and barriers faced when implementing exercise in clinical practice. Methods This was a narrative review. Results Compelling evidence has demonstrated that physical activity and exercise can also prevent common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders, and have multiple beneficial effects on the physical and mental health of people with a wide range of mental disorders. This body of evidence has been incorporated in national and international guidelines over the last decades, which have recommended the inclusion of physical activity and exercise as therapeutic approaches for mental disorders, mainly for depression and schizophrenia. Nonetheless, implementation into clinical practice has been slow, probably due to barriers associated both with patients and mental health professionals. Conclusion Increases in physical activity levels in populations are likely to reduce the mental health burden. Exercise interventions should be incorporated to the routine care of people with mental disorders due its multiple benefits on physical and mental health outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to overcome patients barriers and enhance adherence and benefits.

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Abstract Objective To evaluate the role of social support in the association between physical activity (PA) in its various domains and depressive symptoms in older adults. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving 399 older adults seen at basic health units in the municipality of Recife, state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Linear regression was implemented using the forward method to assess the association between PA and its domains and depressive symptoms, as well as to test the possible moderating component of social support in this association. Results Of the total sample, 17.6% reported not practicing PA; 6.7% presented depressive symptoms, with a mean score of 1.59 points. A total of 18.6% of the older adults assessed reported not having social support. Older adults who did not practice total, transportation or domestic PA showed increased scores of depressive symptoms when compared to older adults who practiced PA in these domains. Older adults with social support also had fewer depressive symptoms. Practicing domestic, leisure and total PA, and/or having social support, decreased depressive symptoms in older adults. Having social support or practicing PA decreased depressive symptoms in older adults in a similar way. Conclusions Older adults with social support and who practiced PA, especially domestic and total PA, presented the lowest scores of depressive symptoms. The data showed the importance of providing elements to strengthen social support and PA practice in older adults living in poor communities as a strategy to prevent and reduce depressive symptoms.

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Abstract Introduction Occupational burnout in nurses is a barrier to job promotion and achievement of job-related goals, resulting in reduced hospital performance. Objective Considering the importance of the role of compassion in occupational burnout among nurses, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore the burnout levels and their relationships with compassion for others and fear of compassion. Methods This descriptive correlation study was carried out with 216 nurses who were selected using a multistage cluster sampling method and asked to respond to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, a compassion for others scale and Fears of Compassion Scales (FCS), which includes three subscales; fears of compassion for self, compassion for others, and compassion from others. Results The results showed that burnout had a negative correlation with compassion for others, but had positive correlations with fear of compassion for others, fear of compassion from others, and fear of self-compassion. Moreover, the results of regression analysis showed that 21% of burnout variance was explained by compassion for others and 29% of its variance was explained by fears of compassion scales. Conclusion Based on the findings, compassion can be considered as a protective factor in preventing burnout among nurses.

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Abstract Introduction Suicide is a serious public health problem that affects the whole world. This study describes development of the prototype for an mHealth application (app) intended to assist healthcare professionals to identify suicide risk in hospitalized patients and reports on testing of the app by some of these professionals, conducted to confirm its functionality. Method This is applied exploratory research into use of Information Technology within the healthcare field, based on application prototyping for mobile devices. The research was conducted at the Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) from 2017 to 2019. Six healthcare professionals, one data scientist, and three undergraduate students in Biomedical Informatics took part in the study. All research participants signed the free and informed consent form. Results The main findings show that the development team created a prototype named Detect-S, which became a cross-platform application (iOS and Android) offering 16 functions. Conclusion It can be concluded that Detect-S has the potential to be a positive technological instrument that can be tested in a hospital setting to assist healthcare professionals to identify and manage patients with at risk of suicide.

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Abstract Introduction Mental health in training physicians is a growing issue. The aim of this study was to investigate emotional distress in psychiatry residents. Method This web-based survey evaluated 115 (62%) psychiatry residents in training in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul. The DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Adult, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-concise, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were all administered. Linear regression models were estimated with burnout dimensions as dependent variables. Result Positive screening rates were 53% for anxiety, 35.7% for somatization, 16.5% for depression, and 7% for suicidal ideation. Half of the male residents were at risk of alcohol abuse and dependence. Regarding burnout, 60% met criteria for emotional exhaustion, 54.8% for depersonalization, and 33% for low personal accomplishment. The most consistent risk factors were the nature of the relationships with preceptors, relations to the institutions themselves, age, and the quality of relationships with family. Conclusion Besides disconcerting rates of psychiatric symptoms, the study revealed that characteristics of the workplace (i.e., the nature of relationships with preceptors and relations to the institution) can be regarded as potential targets for development of interventions aimed at improving mental health during training periods.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract Introduction Current therapies for social anxiety disorder emphasize taking behavioral action; active engagement of a behavior despite any present fear or anxiety that is associated with the behavior, through use of exposures. However, less is known about the mechanisms of behavioral action. The present study aimed to examine personal value, self-efficacy, and the perceived social acceptability of a social behavior as correlates of behavioral action in a high social anxiety sample. Method The present study utilized vignettes and self-report measures to examine self-efficacy, personal value, and the social acceptability of a social behavior as correlates of behavioral action in a high social anxiety sample (N = 92). Results The findings indicated that self-efficacy, but not personal value or social acceptability, was significantly associated with social anxiety. Additionally, with all variables included in the multiple regression model, social anxiety was significantly associated with behavioral action, while personal value and self-efficacy were associated with behavioral action over and above social anxiety. Discussion The results highlight the potential for self-efficacy and personal value as target mechanisms for increasing engagement with exposures and behavioral experiments in treatments for social anxiety.

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Abstract Introduction A relationship between different types of childhood trauma, parental care, and defensive styles and development of psychiatric symptoms in adulthood is proposed in this study. Understanding the nature of this association is essential to assist psychotherapists who treat patients with a history of past trauma. This study aims to examine the associations between childhood trauma, parental bonding, and defensive styles and current symptoms in adult patients who sought care at an analytical psychotherapy clinic. Methods The sample comprised 197 patients from an analytically oriented psychotherapy clinic. Participants responded to four self-report instruments that assessed, respectively, presence and frequency of several types of early trauma, type of parental attachment, styles of defenses, and current symptoms encompassing a wide variety of psychopathological syndromes. Results Only 5% of patients reported not having experienced any traumatic experience in childhood. Several traumas such as emotional and physical abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect showed positive and significant associations with several dimensions of current symptoms, and also with parental bonding and defensive styles. When analyzed together with the other variables, defensive styles explained the level of psychological suffering caused by the symptoms. Conclusions This study offers additional support for understanding the associations between childhood trauma, parental bonding styles, and defense styles and the psychiatric symptoms of patients in analytically oriented psychotherapy.

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Abstract Introduction Most children/adolescents with disability live in low and middle-income countries and, worldwide, they are more likely to have mental health problems and achieve worse academic performance compared to those with typical development. Objective To assess whether Brazilian children/adolescents with four types of disabilities are more likely to have psychiatric disorders and educational deficits than children/adolescents with typical development. Method A multicenter cross-sectional study involving a school-based probabilistic sample of second to sixth graders (N = 1,674) from public schools in four Brazilian regions. The four types of disabilities (intellectual, visual, hearing, and motor) were assessed using the Ten Questions Questionnaire. Psychiatric disorders were measured with the Schedule for Affective Disorders/Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS-PL), and academic performance was evaluated using the Teste de Desempenho Acadêmico – TDE (the academic performance test). Results A logistic regression model with cluster-robust errors identified the following statistically significant associations with three of the four types of disability (the exception was hearing). Intellectual disability was associated with anxiety (p < 0.01), depression (p < 0.01), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (p < 0.001), school failure (p < 0.01), and poor academic performance (p < 0.01). Visual disability was associated with depression (p < 0.01). Motor disability was marginally associated with ADHD (p = 0.08). Conclusions Presence of disabilities (intellectual, visual, and motor) in children/adolescents was associated with psychiatric disorders, school failure, and academic performance. It is therefore important to identify presence of disabilities and plan and deliver specific interventions and specialized educational care for the needs presented by these children/adolescents. This is particularly important in low and middle-income countries, where these disabilities are frequent among children/adolescents.