Through the years, the available psychopharmacological treatments have expanded with numerous new drugs. Besides weight gain, gastro-intestinal problems or Parkinson-like symptoms, ocular adverse effects of psychiatric drugs have been reported. These adverse effects are not common, but can be dangerous for the patient. This review summarises the current knowledge on the risk of raised intraocular pressure and glaucoma entailed by psychopharmacological treatment. Also, it provides updated data for clinicians involved in the treatment of patients with glaucoma or glaucoma risk factors. For this purpose, we performed an extensive literature search in the PubMed database using specific terms. Selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors are the best evidenced as having no association with glaucoma. Antipsychotics, and especially first generation, seem to have no correlation with an increased intraocular pressure and therefore possibly with a risk of glaucoma, although a special attention should be paid when using ziprasidone. Tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and topiramate should be avoided in patients diagnosed with glaucoma or at risk. Clinicians should be aware of the possible psychotropic drug induced glaucoma and monitor at risk patients closely in order to prevent this condition. Irrespective of the psychopharmacological regimen taken into consideration, the glaucoma patient should be under the strict supervision of the ophthalmologist.

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.

Background: Weather a psychological construct or a clinical entity, numerous studies have been focused on the biological link between stress, burnout, and biomarkers. Aim: The purpose of our study was to search the existing literature and summarize the immunological and endocrine alterations found in burnout patients and, also, to provide updated data for clinicians to use. Methods: We performed a literature search in PubMed database using specific terms. Results: The primary focus of the literature seems to be the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which may be affected due to chronic stress, which can be investigated by measuring hormonal responsiveness [corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, prolactin, thyroid hormones]. An important challenge that this field is faced with is the pulsatile and diurnal fluctuation of them, which may not always be considered and the heterogeneity of burnout measurements. Many studies have explored the linking pathways between the immune system and chronic stress, but only a few have specifically evaluated this process for future diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers. Conclusions: Burnout has cumulative effects on our body and stress does not affect us in a singular direction, on the contrary, significant clinical implications are found, not only microscopic, but affective symptoms leading to anxiety and depression.

Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Although the pathogenesis of depression remains far from fully understood, current research suggests a potential role for vitamin D due to its involvement in brain functioning. Moreover, vitamin D supplementation has shown promising results in the treatment of patients with depression. Therefore, the present study aimed to systematically review the available research investigating the association between vitamin D levels and the onset of depression. This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and the protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (registration number: CRD42024515918). A search was performed across PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases, yielding a total of 8,052 potentially eligible articles. After the removal of duplicates and ineligible records, and exclusion based on title and abstract screening, 297 original full-text articles were assessed according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ultimately, 66 articles were included in this systematic review. Most of the included studies employed a cross-sectional design (N = 46). Overall, the data analyzed in this review indicate an association between depression and vitamin D serum levels, particularly in studies using cross-sectional designs. Only a few longitudinal studies demonstrated that lower vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms or major depressive disorder, highlighting an important research gap. However, it remains to be established through future research whether acute or chronic vitamin D supplementation could have a protective effect against the development of depression.

Background and Objectives: The informal caregiver’s contribution to the wellbeing of dementia patients is critical since these individuals become dependent on others for all daily activities. Our goal was to investigate the dynamics of anxiety, depression, burnout, sleep, and their influence on quality of life over a 6-month period in the context of pandemic distress in a sample of informal caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Materials and Methods: For this prospective, longitudinal study, we conducted a 6-month telephonic survey between 2021 and 2022, administering a series of questionnaires at three timepoints (baseline, 3 months and 6 months) to a group of informal caregivers of patients suffering from dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Results: A total of 110 caregivers were included at baseline, out of which 96 continued to the second stage and 78 followed through to the last stage. The majority of the participants were female (most likely the patients’ daughters), around 55 years old, living in urban areas, married, with children, having a high school degree or a higher education degree, and working in jobs that required physical presence; in the best-case scenario, they were sharing their responsibilities with another two–three caregivers. More than half of the 110 participants (50.9%) reported mild to moderate anxiety at baseline, and 27.3% reported significant anxiety, with no changes between the three timepoints, F(2, 154) = 0.551, p = 0.57; 25% reported moderate–severe depression at the start, with no changes between the three timepoints, F(2, 154) = 2.738, p = 0.068; and many reported a decrease in quality of life, poor quality of sleep, and decreased fear of COVID infection. Cynicism, professional effectiveness, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality explained up to 87.8% of the variance in quality of life. Conclusions: Caregivers’ decreased quality of life during the pandemic was explained by their levels of burnout, anxiety, and depression throughout the 6-month period.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a global impact on both mental and physical health. Caregiving has become more difficult during this time due to the quick spread of this respiratory disease, dread of the unknown, congested hospitals, and many restrictions, particularly for people with multiple comorbidities. We aimed to assess the impact of this pandemic on a group of caregivers of patients with dementia and their needs during this time. The study’s findings indicate that females assumed the role of the caregiver more often than men (88.5% of the participants) and scored lower on the life quality scale. The most often issue encountered during the pandemic was difficulty in accessing health care facilities (36%). Participants with a higher education level scored better in the physical (24.67, p = 0.01 and 24.48, p = 0.01) and mental health (20.67, p = 0.002; 19,82, p = 0.008) domains of the life quality test. The fear of COVID questionnaire showed a low level of concern in the category of participants with a high education level. Overall, this pandemic emphasizes the importance of social interaction and the possibilities to improve health care services through telemedicine. Caregivers could benefit from socialization and support programs as well as the early detection of affective disorders.