A Qualitative Study Comparing the Experiences of the Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification Program with Multi-professional Psychiatric Treatment for Female Outpatients with Mild to Moderate Depression

Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) is a complex eight-week mind-body intervention based on the traditional eight-fold path of classical yoga. MBLM was developed for mental health care, and it combines ethical living, physical yoga, and meditation. In this qualitative study, the subjectively perceived efficacy of MBLM was compared to the perceived efficacy of an individually tailored, multi-professional psychiatric treatment (MPT) in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Twelve patients were interviewed for this study (six for each condition). All qualitative interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. In total, five main themes with associated subthemes emerged from the data: calmness, increased awareness, interpersonal relationships, depressive symptoms, and difficulties within the therapy. Moreover, our study showed significant differences between the two therapy groups. First, the groups differed regarding the frequency with which various topics were addressed by the patients. Second, the perceived effectiveness of both therapies (MBLM vs. MPT) varied according to descriptions of the perceived changes in each participant. The participants in the MBLM program generally appeared to experience a deeper emotional-experiential integration which contrasted with the more cognitive-behavioral processing of the MPT patients. These findings may guide further research and the implementation of similar complementary therapies in psychiatry.

Missed appointments in mental health care clinics: A retrospective study of patients’ profile

Background: Missed appointments (no-shows) are a problem and common in outpatient clinics especially in psychiatric setting.Objective: This study aimed to describe the extent of no-shows in a regular psychiatric outpatient clinic, and to assess associations of missed appointments with patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics and types of services provided.Methods: Data collection from a hospital psychiatric clinic charts was conducted from administrative years 2017-18 and 2018-19, using descriptive analyses.Results: In the administrative year of 2017-18, the no-show rate was 9.5%, adding 10.7% for cancellations, for a total of 20.2%. In 2016-17, rates were 9.7%, with 17.3% cancellations, for a total of 27%. Rates varied from clinical groups (2.5% for borderline personality disorders patients to 30% for young psychotic patients) and by professionals (psychiatrists 5.6%, psychotherapists 23.3%) and for crisis services 21.9%.Conclusions: No-show numbers are comparable to other clinical sites but remain a challenge in delivering seamless and efficient services. A qualitative study will be conducted as a second phase to examine root causes and provide opportunities for service improvement.

A Case of Wernicke Encephalopathy in a Dementia Caregiver: the Need for Nutritional Evaluation in Family Caregivers

Background: We report a case in which a family member caring for her mother with dementia developed Wernicke encephalopathy, which is a neuropsychiatric disorder caused by acute/subacute thiamine deficiency, during the course of care. Case presentation: A 63-year-old woman consulted our psychiatric outpatient clinic complaining of difficulty in providing care. She had started caring for her mother with dementia 6 months previously, during which time she began to feel tired. In addition, a loss of appetite had appeared 2 months prior to her visit, and this had decreased to about 30% of normal from 10 days previously. Neurologically, she experienced mild unsteadiness, but she was fully conscious and had no ocular symptoms. Based on the fact that the store of thiamine in the body is exhausted in about 18 days, the possibility of thiamine deficiency was considered, and her unsteadiness disappeared after an intravenous injection of thiamine. Test results showed her serum thiamine level to be abnormally low, and the patient was diagnosed with Wernicke encephalopathy. Conclusions: The burden of caring for a dementia patient may affect the nutritional status of the family caregiver. Thiamine deficiency should be one of the items considered as a nutritional issue in such caregivers.

Gaining the courage to see and accept oneself: Group-based compassion-focussed therapy as experienced by adolescent girls

Shame and self-stigmatisation are common in adolescents with mental health problems, and can hinder their recovery. Compassion-focussed therapy (CFT) help people address challenging experiences and emotions with courage, wisdom, and care. However, no previous studies have examined whether CFT is helpful for adolescents with mental health problems. The present study aimed to describe lived experiences regarding group-based CFT based on the perspectives of a sample of adolescent girls who were recruited from a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic in Sweden. In-depth interviews were conducted with six girls, aged 15 to 17, using a reflective lifeworld research approach. The results showed that participating in group-based CFT means gaining the courage to see and accept oneself through meeting with peers who are experiencing similar difficulties. When sharing experiences in a group, new perspectives and an acknowledgement that mental and emotional struggle are normal arise, and a sense of inner peace and belonging emerges. Instead of hiding from society, it is possible to participate in everyday life, ask for help, and asserting oneself. CFT can provide a promising method for empowering young people with mental health problems, helping them feel connected with others, and fostering in them the strength to show their true personalities.

Reliability, Criterion and Concurrent Validity of the Farsi Translation of DIVA-5: A Semi-Structured Diagnostic Interview for Adults With ADHD

Objectives: This study evaluated the psychometrics of the Farsi translation of diagnostic interview for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults (DIVA-5) based on DSM-5 criteria. Methods: Referrals to a psychiatric outpatient clinic ( N = 120, 61.7% males, mean age 34.35 ± 9.84 years) presenting for an adult ADHD (AADHD) diagnosis, were evaluated using the structured clinical interviews for DSM-5 (SCID-5 & SCID-5-PD) and the DIVA-5. The participants completed Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Self Report-Screening Version (CAARS-S-SV). Results: According to the SCID-5 and DIVA-5 diagnoses, 55% and 38% of the participants had ADHD, respectively. Diagnostic agreement was 81.66% between DIVA-5/SCID-5 diagnoses, 80% between SCID-5/CAARS-S-SV, and 71.66% between DIVA-5/CAARS-S-SV. Test–retest and inter-rater reliability results for the DIVA-5 were good to excellent. Conclusion: Findings support the validity and reliability of the Farsi translation of DIVA-5 among the Farsi-speaking adult outpatient population.

Dizziness and localized pain are often concurrent in patients with balance or psychological disorders

Background and aimsSymptoms of dizziness and pain are both common complaints and the two symptoms often seem to coincide. When symptoms appear concomitant for sustained periods of time the symptoms might maintain and even exacerbate each other, sometimes leading to psychological distress. In order to evaluate such comorbidity we studied patients referred to a vestibular unit and to a psychiatric outpatient clinic with respectively balance disorders and psychological issues.MethodsConsecutive patients referred to a vestibular unit (n = 49) and a psychiatric outpatient clinic (n = 62) answered the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire and a questionnaire detailing occurrence of dizziness and pain.ResultsThe experience of dizziness and pain often coincided within individuals across both clinical populations, especially if the pain was located to the neck/shoulder or the back (p = 0.006). Patients who reported dizziness had significantly more often pain (p = 0.024); in the head (p = 0.002), neck/shoulders (p = 0.003) and feet (p = 0.043). Moreover, patients who reported dizziness stated significantly higher scoring on emotional (p < 0.001) and functional (p < 0.001) DHI sub-scales. Furthermore, patients who reported an accident in their history suffered significantly more often from dizziness (p = 0.039) and pain (p < 0.001); in the head (p < 0.001), neck/shoulders (p < 0.001) and arms (p = 0.045) and they scored higher on the emotional (p = 0.004) and functional (p = 0.002) DHI sub-scales.ConclusionsThe findings suggest comorbidity to exist between dizziness and neck/shoulder or back pain in patients seeking health care for balance disorders or psychological issues. Patients suffering from dizziness and pain, or with both symptoms, also reported higher emotional and functional strain. Thus, healthcare professionals should consider comorbidity when determining diagnosis and consequent measures.ImplicationsClinicians need to have a broader “receptive scope” in both history and clinical examinations, and ask for all symptoms. Although the patients in this study visited a vestibular unit respectively a psychological clinic, they commonly reported pain conditions when explicitly asked for this symptom. A multimodal approach is thus to favor, especially when the symptoms persist, for the best clinical management.

S242. BEFORE AND AFTER: PATHWAYS TO CARE AND AFTER DISCHARGE AT A NEWLY ESTABLISHED EARLY PSYCHOSIS INPATIENT UNIT

Background The duration from onset of psychotic symptoms to appropriate treatment also includes pathways to adequate care centers. Treatment delays within health care services might influence overall outcome of patients experiencing a first episode psychosis (FEP) negatively. In addition, subsequent postdischarge care is an essential part of maintaining treatment and therefore crucial for relapse prevention. This study aimed to examine pathways to specialized early intervention inpatient care and recommendations relating postdischarge care among patients with FEP at a newly established early psychosis inpatient unit within a general psychiatric service in a general hospital. Methods Data of all patients admitted to the early psychosis inpatient unit of the Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry of the Medical University of Vienna from 01.01.2016 to 31.03. 2017 were analysed. The unit was established in 2014. Diagnoses of FEP include first episode of schizophreniform, acute polymorphic, affective, organic or substance-related psychosis according to ICD-10. Results In the given period a total of 127 patients were admitted, whereof 91 (= 71,7%) were diagnosed with a psychotic disorder at time of discharge. Among them 36 (= 39,6%) patients had a first episode psychosis, including 21 (58,3%) with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis, 10 (27,8%) with affective psychosis, 4 (11,1%) with substance-related psychosis and 1 (2,8%) with organic psychosis as main diagnosis at time of discharge. The mean age of FEP patients was 26.7 years (SD 10,4), with no significant differences concerning sex distribution (52,8% male, 47,2% female). For the majority of FEP patients, namely 23 (63,9%) referral was done through the acute psychiatric outpatient clinic. 4 (11,1%) patients were assigned by the specialized early psychosis outpatient clinic of the same department and 3 (8,3%) by mental health professionals in private practice. The other 5 (13,9%) FEP patients were transferred from either non-psychiatric or psychiatric inpatient units. The largest proportion of FEP patients (91,7%, n = 36) were discharged to secondary care, of those 16 (44,4%) to psychosocial outpatient services. 3 (8,3%) patients were assigned to day-care hospital. Discussion Our results show that shortly after the establishment of an early psychosis inpatient unit within a general psychiatric service most referrals involved the acute psychiatric outpatient clinic. Hence, information on the availability and specialization was communicated adequately within the rest of the psychiatric staff. The comparatively low proportion of referrals from the early psychosis outpatient clinic might be related to the fact that it focusses on clinical high risk states, who might not be in need of inpatient treatment as much as FEP patients. To ensure pathways to specialized early psychosis care without delay raising awareness of early recognition within the psychiatric staff is required. Reported results concerning discharge recommendations imply that in most cases sufficient psychopathological stability for subsequent outpatient care was achieved. Furthermore, the high rate of referrals to secondary care might reflect the mental health service structure with specialized low threshold services in Vienna, Austria.