Publications by authors named "Marco Colizzi"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore the diversity of Feeding and Eating Disorders (FED) by examining how different symptoms and personality issues overlap, proposing that current classifications might not fully capture the complexity of these disorders.
  • Researchers used Latent Profile Analysis on 109 patients, identifying three distinct profiles: low symptoms with no personality issues, high symptoms without dysfunction, and high symptoms with dysfunctional personality traits.
  • Results showed noteworthy differences in BMI, eating disorder severity, and psychiatric diagnoses among these profiles, indicating that the most complex cases suffered the most severe symptoms and related issues, challenging traditional diagnostic categories.
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Objective: To identify the COVID-19 pandemic impact on well-being/mental health, coping strategies, and risk factors in adolescents worldwide.

Method: This study was based on an anonymous online multi-national/multi-language survey in the general population (representative/weighted non-representative samples, 14-17 years of age), measuring change in well-being (World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index [WHO-5]/range = 0-100) and psychopathology (validated composite P-score/range = 0-100), WHO-5 <50 and <29, pre- vs during COVID-19 pandemic (April 26, 2020-June 26, 2022). Coping strategies and 9 a priori- defined individual/cumulative risk factors were measured.

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Despite promise of its supplementation as both monotherapy and add-on treatment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the biobehavioral effects of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in autistic adults have never been explored so far. We discussed the cases of two autistic adults with different degrees of severity (level 1 and level 2) presenting with symptoms of psychic distress, who were treated with ultramicronized-PEA (um-PEA) 600 mg/day monotherapy for a sustained period of 4 months. The level 1 autistic patient showed improved depressive symptoms and social engagement at a 12-week follow-up, in parallel to a tendency toward reduced inflammatory response and enhanced endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling, partially relapsing after um-PEA discontinuation at four months.

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Article Synopsis
  • The COH-FIT study is a large, multi-country survey aimed at identifying factors affecting wellbeing and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, involving a representative sample of 121,066 adults.
  • Researchers analyzed both modifiable (like coping strategies and pre-pandemic stress) and non-modifiable factors (such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status), finding significant negative effects on wellbeing and psychopathology scores during the pandemic.
  • The study identified 15 modifiable and 9 non-modifiable risk factors, alongside 13 modifiable and 3 non-modifiable protective factors, emphasizing the importance of social support and coping strategies in mental health outcomes.
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Article Synopsis
  • There is a lack of comprehensive international studies examining multidimensional mental health and wellbeing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly identifying at-risk groups and effective coping strategies.
  • The COH-FIT survey, conducted from April 2020 to June 2022 in 30 languages, assessed changes in well-being and psychopathology among over 121,000 participants, revealing significant declines in mental health during the pandemic.
  • Key findings indicated that certain demographics, such as young adults and people in low-income countries, were particularly affected, while coping strategies like exercise, internet use, and maintaining social contacts emerged as the most effective for managing stress.
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  • The study investigated the challenges faced by adolescents transitioning to young adulthood in accessing mental health services.
  • It analyzed data from 99 patients aged 16-35 at a mental health clinic in Italy, revealing that many presented with anxiety, affective issues, and insomnia, often as their first contact with adult mental health care.
  • The findings highlight the necessity for specialized facilities and interventions to effectively support this demographic during their transition period.
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Article Synopsis
  • Factitious disorder involves patients intentionally exaggerating or fabricating symptoms to take on the sick role, and depression can be a part of this condition or occur alongside it.!* -
  • A systematic review of literature showed that approximately 30% of people with factitious disorder also experience depression, often linked to past traumatic events and psychosocial issues.!* -
  • Effective treatment for factitious disorder requires a collaborative approach, and it's crucial to screen for depression in these patients due to its high prevalence.!*
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Dandy-Walker complex (DWC) consists of a continuum of brain malformations involving the posterior fossa, often leading to psychiatric manifestations during adulthood. We discussed the case of a young woman with Dandy-Walker variant (DWV) and a comorbid complex neuropsychiatric presentation, who was diagnosed with an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a tic disorder. Afterwards, we conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020-compliant systematic review reappraising all evidence of psychiatric outcomes in adults with DWC.

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While insomnia symptoms may be a risk factor for mental disturbances, few studies evaluated "Insomnia Disorder" and its relationship with perinatal psychopathology. Pregnant women were recruited during their last routine assessment before being hospitalized for delivery during the 3rd trimester at the Gynaecological Unit of the University Hospital of Ferrara and Udine, Italy, from January 2022 to January 2023. Our assessment included baseline evaluation (T0), and evaluations at 1 month (T1) and 3 months (T2) in the postpartum period, with specific questionnaires for insomnia disorder, such as Sleep Condition Indicator, mood and anxiety symptoms and psychosocial functioning, such as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Mood Disorder Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Work and Social Adjustment Scale.

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Objectives: To assess the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms 2 years after the COVID-19 acute phase and to identify biobehavioral risk factors.

Methods: This 2-year prospective study assessed adult individuals with COVID-19 via face-to-face interview and laboratory testing at onset, and via telephone interview at 2-year follow-up. Data collected included COVID-19 severity and management at onset, as well as depression, anxiety, insomnia, cognitive failure, and fatigue at follow-up using standardized assessment tools.

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Psychosocial stressors have been suggested to precipitate psychotic episodes in patients with pre-existing psychosis and otherwise healthy subjects. However, such a risk has never been formally investigated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sixty-nine autistic adolescents hospitalized for psychotic/manic symptoms (PSY) and other mental health issues (NPSY) over a 9-year period were compared with reference to their previous exposure to psychosocial stressors.

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Introduction: Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has been used to reduce the severity of COVID-19 disease and the incidence of new cases. However, a significant proportion of people have shown vaccination hesitancy.

Methods: This study explored psychological factors related to vaccination hesitancy in a sample of Italian COVID-19 patients ( = 54), hospitalized during 2021, after vaccines had been made available and while the vaccination campaign was on-going.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to summarize lessons learned from a multidisciplinary Italian research team that conducted a longitudinal study on COVID-19 patients over three years, focusing on research design and execution during a pandemic.
  • A qualitative research approach was used to gather personal narratives from team members about their experiences, which were later analyzed and organized into ten main themes related to the challenges and methods of conducting research in such health crises.
  • The findings emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary perspective, including patient input, in ensuring research quality and consistency during pandemics, suggesting potential improvements in education, clinical practices, and policies.
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Introduction: The endocannabinoid (eCB) system disruption has been suggested to underpin the development of psychosis, fueling the search for novel, better-tolerated antipsychotic agents that target the eCB system. Among these, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an N-acylethanolamine (AE) with neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, has drawn attention for its antipsychotic potential.

Methods: This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020-compliant systematic review aimed at reappraising all clinical and preclinical studies investigating the biobehavioral role of PEA in psychosis.

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Background: The diathesis-stress paradigm and the cannabinoid-hypothesis have been proposed as possible pathophysiological models of schizophrenia. However, they have historically been studied independently of each other.

Objective: This PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review aimed at reappraising the interplay between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in psychosis- spectrum disorder risk and outcome.

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Article Synopsis
  • * While overall symptoms decreased significantly over 24 months, psychiatric symptoms remained consistently high from the 12 to 24-month mark.
  • * Factors such as experiencing dyspnea at onset and having multiple health conditions may predict ongoing issues with concentration and psychiatric disorders long after recovery.
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The psychoactive properties of cannabis have been known forever. Since 1987, several prospective studies have suggested an increased risk of psychosis among cannabis users, with alternative explanations failing to account for such an effect. A cause-effect relationship has thus been implied.

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Background: Mentalization is the ability to use internal mental states to manage and understand one's own and others' behavior. Inefficient mentalization has been associated to poor neuropsychological outcomes, including substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction. However, studies primarily investigating mentalization in SUD are lacking.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the link between stressful life events and relapses in individuals with first-episode psychosis, aiming to determine if these stressors contribute to relapse occurrences.
  • - Over a 2-year period, 256 participants were monitored, with findings showing that 36% experienced at least one relapse; those facing stressful events had significantly higher rates and lengths of relapse.
  • - Analysis of the data revealed that experiencing stress after the onset of psychosis increased the risk of relapse substantially, indicating a potential causal relationship between stress and psychosis recurrence.
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This study assessed changes in revolving-door (RD) mental health hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 5-year retrospective hospital chart review was performed, collecting revolving-door hospitalization, sociodemographic, and clinical data. Out of 1036 patients, 5.

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Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) encompass a group of complex conditions with onset during the early developmental period. Such disorders are frequently associated with a number of neuropsychiatric features, the most prevalent ones being autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, communication and specific learning disorders, and motor disorders. These conditions are characterized by wide genetic and clinical variability, and although they were previously conceptualized as childhood-limited disorders, NDDs are progressively being recognized as persistent conditions with a potentially relevant impact on the quality of life and overall functioning during adult life.

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