Association between Mediterranean Diet and Advanced Glycation End Products in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) measured by skin autofluorescence. This cross-sectional study included 1016 healthy students from the University of Split, Croatia. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire.

Sex and gender differences in cancer in individuals with severe mental disorders.

Purpose Of Review: Although cancer incidence is similar between individuals with severe mental disorders (SMD) and the general population (GP), survival rates are lower, particularly in those with schizophrenia. While the scientific and medical communities acknowledge sex differences in cancer mechanisms, including risk factors and cancer types, less is known about sex and gender disparities in incidence, mortality, and care pathways among those with SMD. This review aims to explore these differences in cancer among individuals with SMD.

Physical multimorbidity in psychiatric patients with personality disorders: Insights within the ICD-11 framework.

Objective: Recent research has revealed poor physical health among individuals with personality disorders (PDs). We aimed to compare chronic physical illnesses (CPI) and chronic physical multimorbidity (CPM) prevalence between the general population (GEP) and PD patients, and to explore the relationship between CPM and various aspects of PD, predominantly within the ICD-11 framework.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 126 PD patients and 126 matched controls from the GEP.

Changes in substance use and engagement in gaming/gambling in persons with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes: a community study in two points.

Introduction: External stressors, such as COVID-19 pandemic and earthquake, can cause an increase in substance use and addictive behavior in persons with severe mental illnesses (SMI). We analyzed the changes and predictors of substance use and addictive behavior in SMI during these double disasters in Croatia.

Methods: Questionnaires exploring the presence of substance or behavior addiction disorder, mental ill health [Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised], coping mechanisms, and perceived social support [Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)] were administered among 90 participants with SMI included in the RECOVER-E study in May/June 2020 (first COVID-19 wave, Zagreb earthquake) and in December 2020/January 2021 (second COVID-19 wave, Petrinja earthquake).

Point of care testing in Croatia: a survey of the Working group for point of care testing of the Croatian society of medical biochemistry and laboratory medicine.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate attitudes and routine procedures in point of care testing (POCT) among non-laboratory and laboratory healthcare professionals in Croatia.

Materials And Methods: The Working Group (WG) for POCT of the Croatian society of medical biochemistry and laboratory medicine has designed two anonymous surveys for laboratory staff and non-laboratory staff with a total of 44 questions/statements on POCT (27 questions for non-laboratory staff and 17 for laboratory staff). Surveys were sent to 184 medical biochemistry laboratory (MBL) managers, the Croatian medical chamber and the Croatian chamber of nurses.

MODERATING EFFECT OF BODY HEIGHT ON THE ASSOCIATION OF BODY WEIGHT AND DISABILITY CAUSED BY NON SPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN WOMEN AND MEN.

The aim of the study was testing the hypothesis that body height has a moderating effect on the association of weight and chronic low back pain (LBP) induced disability, and that this moderating effect is different in women and men. We performed a nested cross-sectional analysis using data collected at baseline in a prospective cohort study conducted in 2008-2009 at a special hospital for medical rehabilitation in Croatia. The outcome was the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) score.

The effect of deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation with an H1 coil on hopelessness in patients with major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with an H1 coil as a treatment for hopelessness in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: We conducted a randomised controlled trial in a tertiary psychiatric institution in Croatia, including patients diagnosed with MDD without psychotic symptoms and with clinically relevant hopelessness. High-frequency (18 Hz) rTMS with an H1 coil was administered over four weeks on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Unique contributions of specific neuropsychiatric symptoms to caregiver burden in informal caregivers family members of patients with dementia.

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate how the presence of individual neuropsychiatric symptoms in non-institutionalised patients with dementia is associated with caregiver burden of their informal caregivers, family members.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on a total of 131 pairs of one informal caregiver family member and non-institutionalised patient with dementia in a family medicine practices in a city of Zagreb, Croatia. Caregiver measures included Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) whereas patient measures included Mini mental state examination (MMSE), Barthel index and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q).

International perspective on physician knowledge, attitude and practices related to medical cannabis.

Background: The trends of recreational use of cannabis and use of cannabis for medical indications (i.e. "medical cannabis") have grown in recent years.

Share of and Absolute Costs of Informal Care in Five Subpopulations of Outpatients with Dementia in Croatia: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Background: High heterogeneity exists in estimates of the share of and absolute costs of informal care (IC) for individuals diagnosed with dementia.

Objective: To assess the differences in the share of and absolute costs of IC between subpopulations defined by latent profiles of activities of daily living (ADLs), neuropsychiatric symptoms, and global cognitive functioning.

Methods: We performed a nested cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 2019-2021 at the Zagreb-Zapad Health Center, Zagreb, Croatia, from a sample of patients and their caregivers.

Training in neuropsychiatry: views of early career psychiatrists from across the world.

Background: Training and practice in neuropsychiatry varies across the world. However, little is known about the experiences and opinions of early career psychiatrists (ECPs) across different countries regarding neuropsychiatry.

Aims And Method: To investigate neuropsychiatry training experiences, practices and opinions among ECPs across different countries.

Pursuing personalized medicine for depression by targeting the lateral or medial prefrontal cortex with Deep TMS.

BACKGROUNDMajor depressive disorder (MDD) can benefit from novel interventions and personalization. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS) targeting the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) using the H1 coil was FDA cleared for treatment of MDD. However, recent preliminary data indicate that targeting the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) using the H7 coil might induce outcomes that are as good or even better.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Comparison of Two Treatment Modalities.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two treatment modalities for patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). A total of 100 psychiatric patients diagnosed with BPD participated in this study. Among them, 50 patients were outpatients who attended the Reason and Emotion (RIO) program, and the remaining 50 were inpatients who were treated on psychotherapeutic ward at the same hospital.

Clinical decision-making style preferences of European psychiatrists: Results from the Ambassadors survey in 38 countries.

Background: While shared clinical decision-making (SDM) is the preferred approach to decision-making in mental health care, its implementation in everyday clinical practice is still insufficient. The European Psychiatric Association undertook a study aiming to gather data on the clinical decision-making style preferences of psychiatrists working in Europe.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey involving a sample of 751 psychiatrists and psychiatry specialist trainees from 38 European countries in 2021, using the Clinical Decision-Making Style - Staff questionnaire and a set of questions regarding clinicians' expertise, training, and practice.