In recent years, escitalopram (ESC) has been suggested to have different mechanisms of action beyond its well known selective serotonin reuptake inhibition. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of escitalopram on oxidative stress, apoptosis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), and oligodendrocytes number in the brain of chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressed rats. The animals were randomised in four groups (8 in each group): control, stress, stress + ESC 5 and stress + ESC 5/10. ESC was administered for 42 days in a fixed dose (5 mg/kg b.w.) or in an up-titration regimen (21 days ESC 5 mg/kg b.w. then 21 days ESC 10 mg/kg b.w.). Sucrose preference test (SPT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were also performed. ESC improved the percentage of sucrose preference, locomotion and anxiety. ESC5/10 reduced the oxidative damage in the hippocampus and improved the antioxidant defence in the hippocampus and frontal lobe. ESC5/10 lowered caspase 3 activity in the hippocampus. Escitalopram had a modulatory effect on BDNF and the number of oligodendrocytes in the hippocampus and frontal lobe and also improved the MeCP2 expressions. The results confirm the multiple pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and suggest that escitalopram exerts an antidepressant effect via different intricate mechanisms.

(1) Background: Recent research suggests inflammation as a factor involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammatory (SII) index ratios have been studied as peripheral markers of inflammation in bipolar and major depressive disorders. The purpose of this study is to comparatively analyze these inflammatory ratios among manic episodes of bipolar disorder, bipolar depression and unipolar depression. (2) Methods: 182 patients were retrospectively included in the study and divided into three groups: 65 manic patients, 34 patients with bipolar depression, and 83 unipolar depressive patients. White blood cells, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and platelets were retrieved from the patients’ database. NLR, MLR, PLR, and SII index were calculated using these parameters. (3) Results: Patients with manic episodes had elevated NLR (p < 0.001), MLR (p < 0.01), PLR (p < 0.05), and SII index (p < 0.001) compared to unipolar depression and increased NLR (p < 0.05) and SII index (p < 0.05) when compared to bipolar depression. NLR (p < 0.01) and SII index (p < 0.05) were higher in the bipolar depression than unipolar depression. NLR is an independent predictor of the bipolar type of depression in depressive patients. (4) Conclusions: The results confirm the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and suggest the ability of NLR as a marker for the differentiation of bipolar from unipolar depression.

Dementia is a general term for a series of medical conditions that affect the brain and evolve progressively. According to the literature, there are over 200 subtypes and causes of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most common in elderly people. AD is an irreversible progressive neurodegenerative condition that leads to a decline in mental function, enough to disrupt daily life. Thinking skills slowly deteriorate, which, in advanced stages, makes it impossible to perform simple tasks. Besides the change in the quality of life of AD patients and their families, there is a considerable alteration in the quality of life of their caregivers, whose health can be negatively affected by the development of mental and somatic disorders. This article reviews the literature in order to reveal the benefits of applying non-pharmacological interventions such as music and art therapy to improve quality of life. This article also aims to shed light on the impact of this disease on the caregiver’s life. Music and art therapy have produced reliable results in the treatment of patients with AD, and the best effects are related to increased socialization and the maintenance of social status.

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness that ultimately leads to reduced quality of life (QoL). Over the years, QoL has emerged as an important outcome in the treatment of schizophrenia patients, but the role of psychosocial variables in determining QoL is still ambiguous. Therefore, in the present research, demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables were examined for their influence on QoL. Methods: We conducted a prospective and cross-sectional study on a sample of 139 patients with schizophrenia (72.7% females, age 48.17 ± 10.22) attending an outpatient service. QoL was measured using Schizophrenia Quality of Life Revision-4 (SQLR4) and internalised stigma, self-esteem, perceived social support, resilience and coping mechanisms were assessed using a battery of standardized self-report scales. Results: Female patients and those less adherent to treatment had reduced cognition and vitality QoL. The worst QoL in all domains was observed in patients with a younger age at illness onset and with six or more hospitalizations. Regression analysis indicated that reduced self-esteem, perceived social support, a larger number of hospitalization and increased internalised stigma predicted poorer overall QoL and accounted for 44.9% in the variance in SQLSR4 global score (adjusted R² = 0.449, p = 0.046). Conclusions: Routine assessment of internalised stigma, self-esteem and perceived social support, in addition to demographic and clinical variables and addressing possible deficits in these areas through personalized intervention, could improve QoL in schizophrenia patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a global sanitary crisis and, in addition, elicited serious mental health consequences. The utilization of psychiatric hospital-based services acts as an indicator of public mental health. Therefore, this research sought to investigate differences in the numbers and characteristics of inpatient admissions for psychotic and affective disorders at the largest Romanian psychiatric hospital between the period of lockdown (16 March–15 May 2020) and another three corresponding periods: the same year in the pre-lockdown period (16 January–15 March 2020), the immediate post-lockdown period (16 May–15 July 2020), and two years later (16 March–15 May 2022). A retrospective analysis was performed. The study included a total of 6604 patients. Inpatient admissions decreased during lockdown in comparison with the pre-lockdown period and immediate post-lockdown period for psychotic disorders (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) and affective disorders (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). For both psychotic and affective disorders, a decrease in the age of the patients admitted during lockdown, as compared with the pre-lockdown period (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively), was observed. The length of the hospital stay for affective disorders was higher immediately post-lockdown in comparison with the lockdown period (p < 0.001). Collectively, the present findings provide a glimpse of the immediate and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on patients’ access to mental healthcare in the form of hospitalization, and these findings could provide the basis for the development of a different approach to times of crisis.

In the last few years, vitamin D functions have been studied progressively, and along with their main role in regulating calcium homeostasis, the potential function in the nervous system and the link between different psychiatric disorders and vitamin D deficiency have been revealed. The discovery of vitamin D receptors in multiple brain structures, like the hippocampus, led to the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency could be responsible for treatment resistance in psychiatric diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the current knowledge in the literature regarding vitamin D deficiency among individuals afflicted with psychiatric disorders and assess the potential therapeutic benefits of vitamin D supplementation. A systematic search was conducted on the PubMed database for articles published in the last five years (2016–2022) in English, focusing on human subjects. Results show that vitamin D deficiency has implications for numerous psychiatric disorders, affecting mood and behavior through its influence on neurotransmitter release, neurotrophic factors, and neuroprotection. It also plays a role in modulating inflammation, which is often elevated in psychiatric disorders. In conclusion, vitamin D deficiency is prevalent and has far-reaching implications for mental health. This review underscores the importance of exploring the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation in individuals with psychiatric disorders and highlights the need for further research in this complex field.