BackgroundSmartphones are becoming a daily necessity for most undergraduates in Mainland China. Because the present scenario of problematic smartphone use (PSU) is largely unexplored, in the current study we aimed to estimate the prevalence of PSU and to screen suitable predictors for PSU among Chinese undergraduates in the framework of the stress-coping theory.MethodsA sample of 1062 undergraduate smartphone users was recruited by means of the stratified cluster random sampling strategy between April and May 2015. The Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire was used to identify PSU. We evaluated five candidate risk factors for PSU by using logistic regression analysis while controlling for demographic characteristics and specific features of smartphone use.ResultsThe prevalence of PSU among Chinese undergraduates was estimated to be 21.3%. The risk factors for PSU were majoring in the humanities, high monthly income from the family (≥1500 RMB), serious emotional symptoms, high perceived stress, and perfectionism-related factors (high doubts about actions, high parental expectations).ConclusionsPSU among undergraduates appears to be ubiquitous and thus constitutes a public health issue in Mainland China. Although further longitudinal studies are required to test whether PSU is a transient phenomenon or a chronic and progressive condition, our study successfully identified socio-demographic and psychological risk factors for PSU. These results, obtained from a random and thus representative sample of undergraduates, opens up new avenues in terms of prevention and regulation policies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-016-1083-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Carnitine is essential for the transfer of long-chain fatty acids from the cytosol into mitochondria for subsequent β-oxidation. A lack of carnitine results in impaired energy production from long-chain fatty acids, especially during periods of fasting or stress. Primary carnitine deficiency (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of mitochondrial β-oxidation resulting from defective carnitine transport and is one of the rare treatable etiologies of metabolic cardiomyopathies. Patients affected with the disease may present with acute metabolic decompensation during infancy or with severe cardiomyopathy in childhood. Early recognition of the disease and treatment with L-carnitine may be life-saving. In this review article, the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of PCD are discussed, with a focus on cardiac involvements.

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BackgroundMental illness has brought great economic burden related to misdiagnosis by non-mental health professionals in general hospitals. The aim of this study was to explore non-mental health professionals’ conceptions related to the identification of mental illness and perceived treatments, first aid and prognosis.MethodsIn 2014–2015, we presented 1123 non-mental health professionals from six general hospitals in Hunan Province with one of three vignettes describing a person with schizophrenia, depression, or generalized anxiety disorder. Identification rates, beliefs about various interventions, best methods, and the prognosis with or without treatment were measured.ResultsLess than 60% of the non-mental health professionals could identify the mental disorders correctly. Psychiatrists and psychologists were considered to be the people who would be most helpful in all vignettes. Over 70% of participants identified the correct medication for each vignette. Participants gave higher ratings to lifestyle interventions than to psychological and medical interventions, especially in the depression and generalized anxiety disorder vignettes. For the question about how the person could best be helped, about half of the participants rated listening or talking with the person more highly than accompanying the person to professional help or encouraging the person to visit a psychiatrist or psychologist. Participants believed that, with professional help, the people in the vignettes would fully recover but that problems would probably reoccur and that, without professional help, the people described would get worse.ConclusionsThe beliefs that non-mental health professionals hold about mental disorders are inadequate to provide appropriate help. There is an urgent need for mental health education campaigns to improve non-mental health professionals’ mental health knowledge in mainland China in order to provide better support for mental health service users.