No abstract

Purpose Obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OC) are associated with greater morbidity and worse prognosis in anorexia nervosa (AN). We assessed the presence of non-eating OC in participants with AN and related them with their psychopathology, personality, and attachment style features. Methods Young women with AN (N = 41, 30 restrictor and 11 binge-purging type) were assessed on the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). These participants with AN and 82 healthy controls (HC) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). The association between Y-BOCS scores and indexes of psychopathology, personality, and attachment were examined. Results AN had significantly higher scores than HC on the EDI-2, SCL-90, TAS-20, ASQ-Need for Approval, and TCI-Harm Avoidance and Self-directedness. The Y-BOCS scores were significantly correlated with ASQ-Need for Approval, TAS-20-Difficulty in Describing Feelings, SCL-90-Phobic Anxiety, and Anxiety, EDI-2-Drive to Thinness, and Asceticism. Need for Approval displayed the strongest correlation with OC symptoms. Difficulty in describing feelings displayed the strongest correlation with compulsive OC symptoms. Conclusions OC traits in AN were primarily associated with measures of insecure attachment rather than to their eating disorder or general psychopathology. Therapeutic approaches to correcting insecure attachment may be considered as a possible approach to treating AN patients with OC. The study supports a new psychopathological perspective for understanding the meaning of OC symptoms in AN. Level of evidence III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case–control analytic studies.

Aim: Early onset of psychopathology is often an index of a more severe clinical course and worse prognosis. This review examined the course of bipolar disorder (BD) with onset in childhood and adolescence, with a focus on persistence of symptoms, severity of illness, comorbidity, and functional impairment. Methods: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo were systematically searched for publications since 1990 reporting on long-term (12 months or longer) assessments of patients with early onset BD. Results: Forty-two relevant publications were identified, which reported on data derived from 15 different patient cohorts, including 7 prospective research psychopathology studies, 4 medical record reviews, 2 follow-ups of clinical trial samples, 1 managed care database, and 1 nationwide registry, for a total of 10,187 patients. The length of follow-ups ranged from 1.0 to 15 years. Diagnostic stability of BD ranged from 73% to 100% over ten years. Recovery rate from an index episode was 81.5–100% and recurrence rate was 35–67%. Suicide attempt cumulative prevalence in five years was 18–20%. Earlier age at the first episode predicted a more severe clinical course. Conclusions: Early onset BD persists over time through adolescence, with homotypic diagnostic continuity over the years, but heterogeneity in the severity of the clinical course. Whether early identification and treatment improves distal prognosis remains to be further investigated.

Purpose Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OC) are associated with greater morbidity and worse prognosis in anorexia nervosa (AN). We assessed the presence of non-eating OC in participants with AN and related them with their psychopathology, personality, and attachment style features. Methods Young women with AN (N = 41, 30 restricter and 11 binge-purging type) were assessed on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Participants with AN and 82 healthy controls (HC) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL- 90), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and were compared to underscore the AN features. Y-BOCS scores were correlated to psychopathology, personality, and attachment features in AN participants. Results AN had significantly higher scores than HC on EDI-2, SCL-90, TAS-20, ASQ-Need for Approval, and TCI-Harm Avoidance and Self-directedness. The Y-BOCS scores were significantly correlated with ASQ-Need for Approval, TAS-20-Difficulty in Describing Feelings, SCL-90-Phobic Anxiety, and Anxiety, EDI-2-Drive to Thinness and Asceticism. Need for Approval displayed the strongest and broadest correlation pattern with OC symptoms. Difficulty in describing feelings displayed the strongest correlation with compulsive OC symptoms. Conclusions OC traits in participants with AN are primarily associated with measures of insecure attachment rather than to their eating and general psychopathology. Therapeutic approaches to correcting insecure attachment may be considered a possible choice to treat OC symptoms in AN. The study suggests a new psychopathological perspective to understand the meaning of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in AN.

High rates of co-occurring depression are commonly reported in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), especially in individuals without intellectual disability (ID). Depression in ASD undermines adaptive behavior and is associated with a higher risk of suicidality. Females with ASD may be particularly vulnerable due to their greater use of camouflaging strategies. Indeed, in comparison to males, ASD is underdiagnosed in females, despite higher rates of internalizing symptoms and suicidality. Trauma exposure may also play a role in the development of depressive symptoms in this population. Moreover, evidence for effective treatments of depression in autistic youth are lacking, with ASD individuals frequently experiencing low efficacy and side effects. We present the case of an adolescent female with previously undiagnosed ASD without ID, admitted for active suicidal plans and a treatment-resistant depression (TRD), occurred after a COVID-19 lockdown in the context of cumulative exposure to stressful life events. Comprehensive clinical assessments performed at intake confirmed severe depression with suicidality. Intensive psychotherapy and different changes in medications were carried out (SSRI, SNRI, SNRI + NaSSA, SNRI + aripiprazole), all of which were ineffective, with persistent suicidal thoughts, often requiring intensive individual monitoring. The patient was finally successfully treated with lithium augmentation of fluoxetine, with no side effects. During hospitalization she was also evaluated by an ASD specialized center, where a diagnosis of ASD was made according to the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) scores, as well as to clinical judgment of a senior psychiatrist. The present case report shows that clinicians should not overlook undiagnosed autism as a possible cause of TRD, especially in females without ID, where higher rates of under diagnosis may be in part related to their greater use of camouflage. It also suggests that ASD underdiagnosis and resulting unmet needs may be involved in vulnerability to stressful experiences, depression, and suicidality. Furthermore, it shows the complexity of providing care to TRD in youth with autism, suggesting that an augmentation therapy with lithium, a commonly recommended therapeutic strategy for refractory depression in typically developing samples, may also be effective in this population.

Psychosis can present a variety of symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, catatonia, thought and speech disorganization, alogia, avolition and general functional decline. Transient psychotic symptoms are not uncommon during development and are not always indicative of psychopathology. Psychosis can be a manifestation of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or occur in the context of a mood disorder, such as major depression or bipolar mania. It can also be due to substance abuse or certain medical conditions, such as the NMDA encephalitis. Most cases of schizophrenia start between 15 and 25 years of age, while an onset under age 13 is rare. Schizophrenia tends to have an insidious onset with many months of subsyndromal and non-specific symptoms prior to the first openly psychotic episode. Repeated use of cannabis in youth increases the risk of psychosis, since the developing brain is especially sensitive to the psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol. As the duration of untreated psychosis predicts worse functional outcomes over time, a prompt recognition and early treatment of psychotic disorders has high clinical relevance. To this end, a close collaboration between paediatricians and child and adolescent neuropsychiatrists is crucial.