Search Results (2,990)

Stock market investors and traders operate in high-pressure environments marked by volatility, uncertainty, financial risk, and intense performance demands. These conditions lead to substantial psychological distress, increasing vulnerability to psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior. Key psychological risk factors in this population include acute financial loss, chronic stress, impulsivity, perfectionism, and identity fusion with professional performance. Evidence from behavioral psychology and clinical psychiatry indicates elevated rates of mood disorders, anxiety, and burnout in trading environments. Resilience—including emotional regulation, effective stress-coping mechanisms, strong social support, and cognitive flexibility—emerges as a critical protective factor that mitigates suicide risk and promotes adaptive functioning. Strengthening psychological resilience and implementing evidence-based mental-health strategies may help reduce suicide risk and support overall well-being. The medico-legal dimensions of this issue encompass duty of care within high-stress financial workplaces, clinical obligations related to suicide risk assessment and documentation, confidentiality and safety considerations, and questions of foreseeability of suicide in cases involving severe or catastrophic financial loss. Despite growing awareness of mental health challenges in financial professions, the intersection of suicide risk, resilience, and medico-legal responsibilities in this population remains underexplored. Further research is needed to refine assessment frameworks and develop targeted suicide prevention interventions for this at-risk group. Full article

Suicide is a global and public health crisis that impacts people of all ages and backgrounds. The literature supports that individuals with serious mental illness are at a higher risk of suicide compared with those without a serious mental illness. It is also well-documented that individuals are at particularly high risk of suicide immediately post-hospitalization for a psychiatric illness. Our narrative review synthesizes and analyzes the existing literature on this phenomenon, the rates of suicide post-hospitalization, the risk factors for suicide during that time, and the interventions and strategies developed to reduce the rates. Current risk assessments struggle to identify individual patients who are at the highest risk of suicide post-discharge. Research has shifted towards focusing on brief crisis interventions to target this high-risk period. Other interventions in the literature include those that attempt to increase engagement with mental health services and increase institutional resources. We also synthesize literature on the iatrogenic risk of hospitalization, the impact hospitalization itself can have on patients, and their risk of suicide once discharged. Future directions could include further exploration of the impact these interventions have on specific populations, such as those with comorbid psychiatric and substance use conditions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Identifying the factor most strongly associated with patients’ quality of life (QoL) is crucial for establishing treatment goals focused on improved recovery. This study aimed to determine whether sociodemographic factors, negative, or depressive symptoms have the strongest association with QoL. Methods: Inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited. We collected data on sociodemographic factors, asked patients to rate their well-being on a subjective well-being scale, and evaluated their psychopathology using observer-rated psychometric scales (Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), Brief Negative Symptoms Scale (BNSS), and Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) as well as self-rated scales (Self-evaluation Negative Symptoms Scale (SNS). QoL was evaluated using Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Patients were also divided into primary, prominent, and predominant negative symptom groups. We conducted correlation and linear regression analyses to identify which factors were most strongly associated with QoL. Results: In this study, 323 participants were included. The CDSS total score showed the strongest correlation with QoL scores, followed by negative symptoms assessed with the SNS. Positive and negative symptoms, assessed using either the PANSS or the BNSS, showed weak or insignificant correlations with QoL. Among sociodemographic factors, the subjective well-being score, previous history of hospitalization, or suicide attempts had the strongest correlation with QoL. CDSS scores were the variable with the strongest independent association with QoL in regression analysis. Conclusions: Depressive symptom severity showed the strongest and most consistent association with QoL across both correlation and multivariable analyses. These findings are hypothesis-generating and require longitudinal confirmation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescent psychiatric inpatient units play a critical role in the management of severe psychiatric disorders and suicide risk. However, limited evidence exists regarding the clinical and familial factors that simultaneously influence suicidal ideation and treatment outcomes in hospitalized adolescents. This study aimed to identify demographic, diagnostic, and clinical predictors of suicidal ideation and clinical improvement among adolescents hospitalized in a tertiary child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 75 adolescents aged 12–18 years who were hospitalized in a tertiary child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit between November 2023 and June 2025. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records. Clinical improvement was evaluated using the Clinical Global Impression–Improvement (CGI-I) scale. Group comparisons were conducted using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictors of suicidal ideation and clinical improvement. Results: Clinical improvement was evaluated in the full sample of adolescents (n = 75), and longer length of stay was independently associated with clinical improvement during hospitalization. Among adolescents admitted with suicidal ideation (n = 45), major depressive disorder, previous suicide attempt, irritability at admission, and fewer siblings were identified as independent predictors of suicidal ideation. In addition, female adolescents had higher rates of suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury, whereas psychotic disorders were more common among male adolescents. Conclusions: Suicidal ideation in hospitalized adolescents is strongly associated with affective pathology and prior suicidal behavior. Longer inpatient treatment duration appears to facilitate clinical improvement. These findings highlight the importance of early suicide risk stratification and adequate treatment duration in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care. Full article

Background: Suicide prevention strategies in university settings largely rely on detecting explicit suicidal ideation. However, students experiencing severe psychiatric distress may not endorse suicidal thoughts and therefore remain unidentified by ideation-centered screening models. This study aimed to identify and clinically characterize university students with high depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, and elevated impulsivity who deny suicidal ideation in order to examine whether they represent a vulnerable yet overlooked subgroup. Methods: This cross-sectional secondary analysis included 814 undergraduate students from the National Sleep Research Resource (ANSWERS dataset). Participants were classified into three groups based on median splits of depressive symptoms (CES-D), sleep quality (PSQI), impulsivity (UPPS-P), and the presence or absence of suicidal ideation in the past three months: Invisible (high symptoms without ideation), Visible (high symptoms with ideation), and Healthy (low symptoms without ideation). Group differences were examined using ANOVA and chi-square tests. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess independent predictors of suicidal ideation. Results: The Invisible group comprised 11.8% of the sample. Compared with Healthy participants, these individuals showed poorer sleep quality and higher levels of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness (all p < 0.001). Cannabis use was most prevalent in the Invisible group (54.2%), exceeding both Visible and Healthy groups (p < 0.001). In adjusted analyses, depressive symptoms (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08–1.12) and sleep disturbance (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.12) independently predicted suicidal ideation, whereas impulsivity did not. Conclusions: A clinically meaningful subgroup of students experience severe psychological distress without endorsing suicidal ideation yet show behavioral and interpersonal vulnerability. These findings highlight a limitation of ideation-focused screening and support broader, symptom-informed mental health assessment strategies in university populations. Full article

Background: Suicide among emerging adults has become a significant global public health concern. Suicidal ideation is the prerequisite for suicide, and social support is recognized as a key protective factor against suicidal ideation. However, the relationship between the strength and consistency of social support and suicidal ideation among undergraduate students remains unclear. This study synthesized empirical studies to quantify the relationship between social support and suicidal ideation among undergraduate students and determine the different correlations between various sources of social support and suicidal ideation. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Five electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect) were searched for studies published from 2016 to 2025. Eligible studies reported quantitative associations between social support and suicidal ideation among undergraduate students. Correlation coefficients were transformed using Fisher’s z and pooled using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran’s Q and I² statistics. Risk of bias assessments, moderator analysis, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and publication bias assessments were conducted. Results: Fifteen studies with sixteen independent effect sizes and more than 26,000 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed a moderate negative association between social support and suicidal ideation (pooled r = −0.33, 95% CI [−0.40, −0.25]) under a random-effects model. A high heterogeneity was observed among studies (I² = 97%, p < 0.001). There are no studies classified as having a high risk of bias. The standardized sample size demonstrated a significant moderating effect (β = 0.2568, p = 0.0022). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the pooled effect. Subgroup analysis indicated that the strength of the association between social support and suicidal ideation did not differ significantly between Asian and non-Asian studies. No significant publication bias was detected (Egger’s p = 0.19). Narrative synthesis further suggested that family support showed the most consistent protective association compared with friends’ support and support from others. Conclusions: Social support is moderately and consistently associated with reduced suicidal ideation among undergraduate students. These findings highlight social connectedness, particularly family support, as a central interpersonal protective factor and strengthen social support’s role in university suicide prevention initiatives. Full article

Selective inhibition of the tumour-associated carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms IX and XII, which are overexpressed in hypoxic tumours, has emerged as a promising strategy for the development of novel anticancer agents. Among the diverse CA inhibitors reported to date, coumarins have attracted particular attention. These chromenone derivatives, widely distributed in phytochemicals, display a broad range of biological activities and are known to act as suicide inhibitors of CAs. Following the tail approach, we designed a series of hybrid compounds combining a coumarin core with an N-arylthioureido scaffold located at the C-7 position and investigated how structural variations—including substituents on the coumarin and aromatic moieties, tether length, and urea/thiourea isosterism—influence their biological properties (CA inhibition and antiproliferative activity). Substituted coumarins at C-3 and C-4 were efficiently prepared via Pechmann condensation, while the thioureido motif was introduced using various aryl isothiocyanates as key synthetic intermediates. The lead compound, featuring a dimethylated coumarin, a pentyl linker, and an N-(p-tolyl)thioureido residue, inhibited the target enzymes in the low- to mid-nanomolar range (K_i = 6.0 and 49.9 nM, respectively), displaying selectivity indexes (S.I.s) surpassing those of the reference drug acetazolamide (AAZ). Moreover, it exhibited potent antiproliferative activity, with GI₅₀ values in the low micromolar range (1.9–3.5 µM) against both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines. Label-free three-dimensional holotomographic microscopy revealed that this compound triggers slow apoptosis, leading to cell death after approximately 20 h of exposure. Full article

Introduction: Workplace mobbing is a psychosocial risk factor associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Accurate assessment of this phenomenon is essential for both research and applied settings; however, validated brief instruments in Spanish remain limited. The Luxembourg Workplace Mobbing Scale (LWMS) is a short measure with sound psychometric properties that allows efficient evaluation of exposure to workplace mobbing. Objective: Translation and validation of the LWMS into Spanish in adults. Methods: A total of 345 adults (51.3% women) participated, completing a sociodemographic questionnaire and psychological instruments. Statistical analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling and item response theory. Results: The LWMS demonstrated adequate content validity; a unidimensional structure (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.04 [90% CI: 0.001, 0.092], SRMR = 0.02); and reliability (ω = 0.79, H = 0.86 and r_xx = 0.78). In addition, significant associations were found with depressive symptoms (r = 0.37, p = 0.001), generalised anxiety (r = 0.38, p = 0.001), and suicidal ideation (r = 0.27, p = 0.001). Item 2 showed the highest discrimination and information, and the scale proved to be accurate at higher levels of workplace mobbing. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the LWMS shows solid evidence of validity and reliability, supporting its use as a brief and precise instrument for assessing workplace mobbing in adult populations. Its strong psychometric performance and clinical relevance make it suitable for research, screening, and preventive interventions in occupational settings. Full article

Background: Post-psychotic depression (PPD) is an underestimated but clinically significant affective syndrome that occurs during remission from psychosis, particularly in schizophrenia. Material and Methods: This comprehensive review traces the evolution of this concept over five decades of research, starting from its initial differentiation from primary depression and schizoaffective disorders in the 1970s. Relying on more than thirty studies, we analyze historical definitions, biological and psychosocial mechanisms, diagnostic controversies, and therapeutic implications. Results: Research indicates that PPD develops from multiple contributing factors, including psychological insight, autobiographical disturbances, pharmacological influences, and social losses, rather than simply as a byproduct of psychosis or pharmacological treatment. We discuss the persistence of depressive symptoms after acute remission, their role in suicidal tendencies, and the diagnostic challenges arising from the overlap of negative symptoms and demoralization. Despite its exclusion from current diagnostic standards, PPD continues to affect a significant fraction of patients, particularly those with high insight and early onset. Conclusions: Effective treatment requires a multidimensional, phase-specific approach combining antidepressants, atypical antipsychotics such as lurasidone, and psychological interventions targeting identity, self-esteem, and narrative processing. We argue that PPD should be reintroduced as a distinct clinical unit and incorporated into psychiatric guidelines to reduce diagnostic oversights and improve patient outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Psychological pain—also termed psychache or mental pain—has been suggested to constitute a relevant factor in the emergence of suicidal behaviour. Despite conceptual advances, empirical research on interventions specifically designed to alleviate psychological pain in individuals who have attempted suicide remains scarce. The present scoping review maps existing psychological and pharmacological interventions targeting psychological pain, identifies their core components, delineates gaps for future research, and proposes a therapeutic intervention protocol. Methods: Literature was searched through PubMed, PsycInfo, and ClinicalTrials.gov (until October 2025) using combinations of the terms suicide, psychache, psychological pain, intervention, treatment, therapy, pharmacological treatment, and psychotherapy. Both randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials, and literature reviews were included. Results: Evidence indicates that few interventions explicitly target psychological pain. Most suicide-specific therapies indirectly address components of psychological pain—such as unbearable affect, loss of meaning, and social disconnection. Narrative-based, emotion regulation, and acceptance-based therapies appear promising. Emerging pharmacological approaches may relieve psychological pain; however, further evidence is required. Conclusions: Integrating psychological pain as a therapeutic focus—through narrative, tolerance-building, and relational strategies—may enhance post-attempt interventions. Future trials should systematically measure psychological pain and test its role as a mediator of suicidal outcomes. Full article

Aging is a complex physiological process influenced by various factors, including individuals’ mental attitude. This interaction between biological vulnerability and psychological resources characterizes the entire life course; however, in older age, it becomes particularly salient due to the higher prevalence of multimorbidity, frailty, functional decline, and existential transitions (e.g., retirement, bereavement, loss of social roles), which intensify the impact of mental outlook on adaptation and quality of survival. Optimism has gained growing attention in clinical practice as a psychological asset associated with better health. This has also encouraged the incorporation of optimism-enhancing strategies into geriatric care. However, encouraging optimism in older patients, although well intentioned, can create ethical tensions in clinical communication, decision-making, and care planning. Sensitivity should be paid to aspects such as education, cultural background and religion within interactions with older adult patients. Uncritical promotion of optimism can undermine autonomy, foster unrealistic expectations, or place emotional burdens on patients who may already feel vulnerable. The appeal of optimism should therefore be balanced with careful ethical consideration. Full article

A suicide epidemic exists among young U.S. veterans, with risk especially elevated in the first year of transition for the 200,000 servicemembers exiting the military annually. The VA Veteran Sponsorship Initiative (VSI) is a public–private-partnership between federal and community partners that aims to decrease suicides by providing a VA-certified volunteer peer sponsor and connection to community services. Onward Ops is a key community-based national program that enrolls, matches and manages the relationship between servicemembers and sponsors. A prior randomized controlled trial showed that the effectiveness of community interventions can be enhanced when augmented by an Onward Ops sponsor. In preparation for national implementation, we conducted a quasi-experimental, matched-cohort pilot to evaluate the feasibility of an adapted VSI protocol and then assessed effectiveness. The adaptations were executed using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced between April 2021 and April 2023. The formative results supported the feasibility of the adaptations to enable proactive enrollment on military installations and expand data infrastructure, partnerships, peer sponsors, and VA clinical services. We then assessed the effectiveness for outcomes not studied in the original VSI trial for active-duty soldiers who enrolled between April and December 2023. After nearest-neighbor matching, the sample included 551 VSI participants and 551 soldiers transitioning as usual. The point-probability contrast or risk differences from the conditional logistic regression model indicated that the VSI caused a statistically significant increase in VA primary care utilization of 0.198 and a statistically significant decrease in suicide attempts of −0.019, both assessed 10 months post-military discharge. The study demonstrated the utility of public–private-partnerships, peer-sponsorship programs and enhanced VA services to support servicemembers during transition. Full article

Objective: This study examined psychological resilience (PR) as a potential moderator and mediator of the association between borderline personality symptoms (BPS) and suicidal ideation (SI) among university students. Method: A cross-sectional design was used with (N = 257) university students. Moderation and mediation were tested in separate, theory-guided models using the PROCESS macro for SPSS, version 28. The moderation model (Model 1) and the mediation model (Model 4) were estimated with heteroskedasticity-consistent standard errors (HC3). In the adjusted analyses, sex, age, previous psychological consultation, previous psychotropic medication use, and family history of mental illness were entered as covariates. The indirect effect was evaluated using percentile bootstrap confidence intervals based on (5000) resamples. Results: BPS was positively correlated with SI, whereas PR was negatively correlated with both BPS and SI. In the adjusted moderation model, BPS was positively associated with SI (b = 0.118, p < 0.001) and PR was negatively associated with SI (b = −0.204, p = 0.048), but the interaction term was not significant (b = −0.001, p = 0.820) with negligible explained variance (ΔR² = 0.0003). In the adjusted mediation model, BPS was significantly associated with lower PR (a: b = −0.135, p < 0.001), and PR was associated with lower SI while controlling for BPS and the covariates (b: b = −0.216, p = 0.028). The total effect of BPS on SI was significant (c: b = 0.146, p < 0.001), and the direct effect remained significant after including PR (c′: b = 0.117, p < 0.001). The indirect effect was significant (ab = 0.029; 95% bootstrap CI [0.005, 0.061]). Conclusions: Psychological resilience did not moderate the association between BPS and suicidal ideation, but it showed a statistically significant indirect association consistent with the proposed mediation model. Higher BPS were associated with lower resilience, which in turn was associated with higher suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that resilience-related targets may complement interventions addressing core BPS-related risk processes, while the cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions. Full article

Background/Objectives: The attachment framework has been used to understand individuals’ development and the emergence of difficulties in specific contexts and developmental stages. The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ) is a brief self-report measure initially designed to assess adult attachment as a vulnerability factor for the development of depression. The present study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the VASQ in a sample of adolescents living in residential care and to provide preliminary evidence for a revised version of the instrument in this population. Methods: A total of 438 youths, aged 12 to 18 years (M = 15.34), completed the questionnaire. Data were randomly split to conduct independent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: A three-factor model, consisting of two types of insecurity (ambivalent and avoidant) and a proximity-seeking dimension, emerged as the best-fitting solution. This revised structure involved removing several items while maintaining acceptable psychometric properties and meaningful associations with psychological adjustment. Concurrent validity was assessed by examining youth psychological adjustment, and positive correlations emerged as expected. Conclusions: The findings provide preliminary support for a shortened, restructured version of the VASQ for adolescents in residential care. Rather than confirming the original factorial structure, the results highlight the need to consider population-specific adaptations of the instrument. This version may have potential utility in clinical or intervention contexts and underscores the need to train institutional workers to develop competencies tailored to this population. Full article