Autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders: beyond the comorbidity.

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by high rates of comorbidity with other mental disorders, including anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Beyond a mere concept of comorbidity, recent literature is speculating the existence of a neurodevelopmental nature of such mental disorders. The aim of the study is to investigate the distribution of social-phobic, obsessive-compulsive and panic-agoraphobic traits within a sample of individuals with ASD, social anxiety disorder (SAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder (PD).

Obsessive-Compulsive Traits and Problematic Internet Use Are Increased Among Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is There a Role of Obsessive Doubts and Communication Impairment?

Background: The link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the complexity of their differential diagnosis has been vastly investigated. Growing attention has been paid to the presence of problematic Internet use (PIU) in autistic individuals. Studies assessing OCD traits in autistic individuals are scarce and even less take into account the role that this overlap may have on the development and maintenance of PIU.

Improving the physical health of overweight/obese people suffering from severe mental disorders: What is the role of antipsychotic drugs and of lifestyle psychosocial interventions?

People with severe mental disorders experience premature mortality compared with the general population. Several factors contribute to the mortality gap, including the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, poor screening for physical illnesses, difficulties in accessing healthcare facilities, specific clinical features of mental disorders and some pharmacological treatment such as antipsychotic medications with serious metabolic side effects. In the present study, carried out in the framework of the LIFESTYLE trial, a funded nationwide multicentric study, we aimed to assess the impact of different antipsychotics in mediating the effectiveness of psychosocial intervention on healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Exploring the relationship among hikikomori tendencies, autistic traits, computer game use and eating disorder symptoms.

Objective: The hikikomori phenomenon has recently gained growing global interest, and evidences of its association with other psychopathological dimensions are slowly but steadily emerging. We aimed to evaluate the presence and correlates of hikikomori tendencies in an Italian University population, focusing on its relationships with autism spectrum, pathological computer gaming, and eating disorders. In particular, to our knowledge, no study has yet systematically evaluated the latter association, using psychometric instruments tailored to assess eating disorder symptoms.