Dutch Validation of the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms Scale (SNS).

Background/objectives: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders are related to impaired social functioning and lower quality of life, making accurate assessment important. To date, most tools for assessing negative symptoms are observational, which can be influenced by the raters' experience and opinion. Self-rating scales, like the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS), could complement observer ratings by adding information from the patient's perspective.

[Discontinuation of psychotropic medication: a critical review of the evidence].

Background: Pharmacotherapy is an effective treatment strategy for psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, many patients discontinue their medication at some point. Evidence-based practices for patients, clinicians, and policymakers to discontinue psychotropic medication properly are therefore important.

The Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Treatment for Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.

Background: The increasing number of studies of immersive virtual reality (VR) interventions for mental disorders call for an examination of the current level of evidence on their effectiveness. The findings may guide scalability and contribute to the advancement and optimization of immersive VR-based interventions for mental disorders.

Methods: A systematic literature search across four databases screened 2443 studies.

Associations between momentary mental states and concurrent social functioning after remission from first episode psychosis: A HAMLETT ecological momentary assessment study.

Background: Symptom severity and social functioning are important outcomes after first episode psychosis (FEP), yet current evidence about associations between them is inconsistent and lacks (subclinical) momentary insights.

Methods: The current Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) study was conducted in 58 people in remission from FEP, as part of the HAMLETT (Handling Antipsychotic Medication: Long-term Evaluation of Targeted Treatment) trial. At baseline, participants were prompted to report momentary mental states and social context 10x/day for eight consecutive days, including psychotic experiences (PEs), motivation/drive and negative affect, that may indicate proxies of (subclinical) psychotic, negative and general affective symptoms, respectively.

Antipsychotic dopamine D affinity and negative symptoms in remitted first episode psychosis patients.

Negative symptoms can be an integral part of schizophrenia spectrum pathology and can be secondary to other psychotic symptoms or caused by antipsychotic medication. As antipsychotic drugs differ in their affinity to dopamine receptors and some antipsychotics have partial agonistic effects, antipsychotic drugs are expected to vary in their ability to cause negative symptoms. The association between negative symptoms and antipsychotic medication divided into partial agonists, or antagonists with high or low D affinity was assessed in 310 remitted first episode psychosis (FEP) patients.

Long-Term Changes in Cognition Among Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Different Durations of Illness: A Meta-Analysis.

In this meta-analysis, we evaluated changes in cognition for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) with different durations of illness (DOIs). Records were identified through searches in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane until December 2021. We used terms related to SSDs, chronicity, course, and recovery.

Psychiatrists effect on positive symptom severity and daily functioning during pharmacotherapy for first-episode psychosis patients.

Clinical outcomes after a first-episode of psychosis (FEP) are heterogeneous. Many patient-related factors such as gender and comorbidity have been studied to predict symptomatic outcomes. However, psychiatrist-related factors such as prescription behaviour and gender have received little attention.

[Influence of the Islam on the perception of mental health problems: patient perspective and implications].

Background: Almost one million Muslims live in the Netherlands, and as first or second-generation migrants, they are at increased risk of developing psychiatric problems. There are barriers for using mental health care, partly due to cultural differences.

Aim: With this essay, we like to contribute to existing knowledge, aiming to improve mental health care to Muslims in the Netherlands.

Exploring the role of clinical and demographic characteristics on the effects of virtual reality cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis: A moderator analysis.

Background: Virtual Reality cognitive behavioral therapy (VR-CBT) has proven to be an effective treatment method for paranoia and anxiety in psychosis. However, it is unknown, which individuals benefit most from VR-CBT. Previous studies examined factors affecting the treatment effect of regular CBTp, including illness duration, paranoia, depression, and pre-therapy avoidance behaviors, but results are inconsistent.

VR-assisted aggression treatment in forensic psychiatry: a qualitative study in patients with severe mental disorders.

Introduction: Improvements in virtual reality (VR) have made it possible to create realistic, virtual settings for behavioral assessment and skills training that cannot otherwise be accessed in a safe way in forensic psychiatric settings. VR interventions are under development but little is known how forensic psychiatric patients with severe mental disorders experience VR-assisted assessments or treatments.

Methods: The present study aimed to help fill this knowledge gap via qualitative interviews with seven patients with severe mental disorders at a high-security forensic psychiatric clinic who had completed the newly revised Virtual Reality Aggression Prevention Training (VRAPT).

Daily-life stress reactivity and recovery following virtual-reality-based cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with a psychotic disorder.

Introduction: Studies have consistently demonstrated increased stress sensitivity in individuals with psychosis. Since stress sensitivity may play a role in the onset and maintenance of psychosis, this could potentially be a promising target for treatment. The current study was the first to investigate whether reactivity to and recovery from daily-life stressors in psychosis change in response to treatment, namely virtual-reality-based cognitive behavioral therapy (VR-CBT).

Evaluating changes in functioning and psychological distress in visitors of the @ease youth mental health walk-in centres.

Background: Highly accessible youth initiatives worldwide aim to prevent worsening of mental health problems, but research into outcomes over time is scarce.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate outcomes and support use in 12- to 15-year-old visitors of the @ease mental health walk-in centres, a Dutch initiative offering free counselling by trained and supervised peers.

Method: Data of 754 visitors, collected 2018-2022, included psychological distress (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation 10 (CORE-10)), social and occupational functioning (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS)), school absenteeism and support use, analysed with change indicators (first to last visit), and mixed models (first three visits).

The associations between daily reports of loneliness and psychotic experiences in the early risk stages for psychosis.

Aim: Bi-directional associations between loneliness and psychotic experiences (PEs) have been reported, but the mechanisms underlying these associations are unknown. This study aims to explore associations between daily reports of loneliness and PEs, and test differences in this association across young adult individuals at different levels of risk for psychosis.

Methods: We analysed 90-day diary data on loneliness and PEs from N = 96 participants (mean age 24.

Long-term Changes in Personal Recovery and Quality of Life Among Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Different Durations of Illness: A Meta-analysis.

Background And Hypothesis: In schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) personal recovery and subjective quality of life (S-QOL) are crucial and show conceptual overlap. There is limited knowledge about how these outcomes change over time. Therefore, we investigated changes in personal recovery or S-QOL for patients with SSD.

Discontinuation of psychotropic medication: a synthesis of evidence across medication classes.

Pharmacotherapy is an effective treatment modality across psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, many patients discontinue their medication at some point. Evidence-based guidance for patients, clinicians, and policymakers on rational discontinuation strategies is vital to enable the best, personalized treatment for any given patient.

Personal recovery in first-episode psychosis: Beyond clinical and functional recovery.

Background: The concept of personal recovery after psychotic illness focuses more on patients' social and existential needs compared to traditional outcome measures including clinical and functional recovery. This research aims to contribute to a broad framework on (personal) recovery and associated factors.

Methods: Data from 203 persons with symptomatic remission of their first-episode psychosis from the ongoing HAMLETT study were analyzed.

Self-stigma, religiosity, and perceived social support in people with recent-onset psychosis in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Associations with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning.

Aims: Most evidence on psychosocial factors in recent-onset psychosis comes from high-income countries in Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA, while these factors are likely to differ under varying sociocultural and economic circumstances. In this study, we aimed to investigate associations of self-stigma, religiosity and perceived social support with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning in an Iranian cohort of people with recent-onset psychosis (i.e.

Financial dissatisfaction in people with psychotic disorders - A short report on its prevalence and correlates in a large naturalistic psychosis cohort.

Psychotic disorders have a strong negative impact on multiple aspects of daily life, including people's financial situation. This exploratory study examines the level of financial dissatisfaction and its correlates in a large cohort of people with psychotic disorders. Data from the first assessments of people with psychotic disorders (n = 5271) who were included in the Pharmacotherapy Monitoring and Outcome Survey (PHAMOUS; 2006-2020), which is conducted in the northern Netherlands, were used.