Prodromal symptoms of a first manic episode: a qualitative study to the perspectives of patients with bipolar disorder and their caregivers'.

Background: Diagnosing bipolar disorder (BD) is challenging, and adequate treatment is of major importance to minimalize the consequences of the illness. Early recognition is one way to address this. Although in clinical research the prodromal phase of BD is gaining interest, the perspective of patients with BD and their caregivers on prodromal symptoms is still lacking.

Level of structural integration in people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders - applicability and associations with clinical parameters.

Introduction: The psychic structure of people with psychosis has been the subject of theoretical and qualitative considerations. However, it has not been sufficiently studied quantitatively. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the structural abilities of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective psychosis using the Levels of Structural Integration Axis of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis System (OPD-2-LSIA).

Exploring the Latent Structure and Convergent and Incremental Validity of the Metacognition Assessment Scale - Abbreviated in a Sample of Patients with Non-Affective Psychosis.

Synthetic metacognition is a heterogeneous construct related to psychotic disorders. One important tool to assess this construct is the Metacognition Assessment Scale - Abbreviated (MAS-A). In this study, we investigated the latent structure as well as the interrater reliability and convergent and incremental validity of the MAS-A in a sample of patients with non-affective psychosis.

Measuring Emotional Awareness in Patients With Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorders.

The ability to mentalize (i.e., to form representations of mental states and processes of oneself and others) is often impaired in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Contextualized understanding of depression: A vignette study among the !Xun and Khwe of South Africa.

Colonial misconceptions about the absence of depression and the lack of a psychologization of distress among Africans have long been refuted. However, cultural variation in depression in terms of symptomatic expression, conceptualization, explanatory models, and social responses is widely acknowledged. Insight into the cultural variation of depression is useful for providing appropriate care; however, few studies have explored cultural understandings of depression in African settings.

The challenges of living with bipolar disorder: a qualitative study of the implications for health care and research.

Background: In mental health care, clinical practice is often based on the best available research evidence. However, research findings are difficult to apply to clinical practice, resulting in an implementation gap. To bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, patients' perspectives should be used in health care and research.

A research agenda for bipolar disorder developed from a patients' perspective.

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder is complex. Health care is supported by clinical guidelines, which are highly based on scientific evidence. However, such care does not necessarily correspond to preferred care according to patients.

Comparing patients' perspectives of "good care" in Dutch outpatient psychiatric services with academic perspectives of patient-centred care.

Background: Over the past six decades, the concept of patient-centred care (PCC) has been discussed in health research, policy and practice. However, research on PCC from a patients' perspective is sparse and particularly absent in outpatient psychiatric services.

Aim: to gain insight into what patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD consider "good care" and what this implies for the conceptualisation of PCC.