Publications by authors named "Esther Bloemhof-Bris"

Violence risk is a major challenge among acute psychiatric inpatients. The study aimed to predict violent behavior risk in an acute psychiatric ward using video recordings from the emergency department. 69 videos of the emergency department recording the first ten minutes following patients' arrivals were included.

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The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is posing additional challenges for mental health workers in an already stressful workplace. This study centres on the psychological effects of the shared traumatic reality on mental health workers, arising from the Israel-Hamas war. One month after exposure to the terrorist attack of 7 October 2023 and the outbreak of war following this event, 147 mental health workers completed questionnaires regarding a variety of variables such as demographics, anxiety symptoms, acute stress symptoms, media-induced secondary trauma, personal resilience, National resilience (NR), and post-traumatic growth (PTG).

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One in five people will likely suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD) during their life. Thirty percent of those with MDD will experience Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), which is characterized by a failure to respond to two adequately administered trials of antidepressants. Esketamine is a rapidly acting intranasal antidepressant.

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Introduction: Chloral hydrate (CH), a medication dating back to 1832, is tranquilizer and sleep promoter still used today. It remains an option for short-term insomnia therapy and sedation before medical procedures, despite its controversial safety profile.

Methods: This study investigated the potential benefits of chloral hydrate addition for increasing sleep duration and reducing agitation and violence in inpatients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).

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A history of sexual trauma (ST) and, especially, of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is common among men and women with mental disorders. The estimated prevalence ranges between one-third to two-thirds of psychiatric patients who have experienced sexual trauma. These survivors are at increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

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Objectives: The mechanism of inflammation of the immune system, for example, such circulatory markers as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV), has been shown in many studies to be associated with schizophrenia. In addition, it has been shown that the cannabidiol component reduces the activation of the acquired immune system. This study examined the differences in the levels of NLR and MPV among schizophrenia patients with cannabis use versus those without.

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Rationale And Objective: At the beginning of vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), information about the effects of the vaccine was not known and hesitancy was observed among the population. The mental health staff members in our center in Israel had to decide whether to get vaccinated or not. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences in demographic characteristics of vaccinated and nonvaccinated mental health care workers (HCWs), and to identify their reasons for or against vaccination.

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Background: Risk factors for severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection include old age, chronic illness, and neurological conditions. In contrast, high vitamin D levels are known to augment immune activity and to reduce the severity of viral infections. Recently, a possible association between the likelihood of COVID-19 infection, COVID-19 severity, and vitamin D blood levels was reported.

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Many psychotic patients are treated with antipsychotic medications during acute agitation and aggressive behavior episodes in an attempt to achieve a rapid calming effect. Those medications include olanzapine, zuclopenthixol acetate, and haloperidol intramuscular administration. This study compared the effectiveness of these injections in reducing the need for restraint during agitated-psychotic episodes that include aggression.

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Background: Weight gain due to antipsychotics is a challenging clinical problem because, to date, no effective pharmacological strategies have been found. Bupropion is often used in people with schizophrenia for smoking cessation and is well tolerated. However, studies on its use as weight loss treatment are scarce.

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