Patients with severe COVID-19 experience high-stress levels and thus are at risk for developing acute stress disorder (ASD) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study aims to search for correlations between psychiatric response to stress and coping strategies among individuals with acute vs. remitted COVID-19. Ninety subjects with COVID-19 were included in the study, divided into two samples by disease category. Our focus was analysing the perceived stress intensity according to NSESSS and PCL-C-17 scales, and coping strategies with COPE-60. High NSESSS scores were found in 40% of acute patients, and 15.6% of remitted patients had high PCL-C-17 scores fulfilling the criteria for PTSD. We found a negative correlation between stress level and disease category. Acute patients used significantly more engagement and emotion-focused coping methods, but less disengagement types of coping than patients in the remitted phase. Remitted patients under high stress levels are prone to use disengagement and emotion-focused coping strategies. In conclusion, remitted COVID-19 patients experience lower levels of stress and use less emotion-focused strategies, except among those who developed PTSD post-COVID-19 infection, presenting with high-stress levels and using more disengagement and emotion-focused types of coping strategies.

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a prevalent, progressive condition often associated with psychiatric comorbidities such as depression and anxiety, which negatively affect disease progression, treatment adherence, and quality of life. Methods: A narrative review was conducted by searching PubMed and Google Scholar for English-language publications from January 2015 to July 2025. This type of review was selected to allow for a broad and integrative analysis of the current evidence on the association between COPD and psychiatric comorbidities, particularly depression and anxiety. To increase comprehensiveness, the reference lists of the included articles and systematic reviews were manually screened, and data extraction and evaluation were conducted independently by two reviewers. Results: Reported prevalence rates vary widely in COPD patients with depression ranging from 10 to 57% and anxiety from 7 to 50%, largely due to differences in patient populations, diagnostic tools, and disease severity. Identified risk factors include female gender, social isolation, smoking, low BMI, comorbidities, and systemic inflammation. These comorbidities are associated with increased exacerbations, higher hospitalization rates, and poorer clinical outcomes. While inhaled therapies may have limited impact on psychiatric symptoms, antidepressants must be used cautiously. Non-pharmacological interventions, including pulmonary rehabilitation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, physical activity, and social support, demonstrate clear benefits. Conclusions: Effective management of COPD requires integrated approaches that address both pulmonary and psychiatric components. Tailored interventions can improve clinical outcomes and quality of life. This review explores the bidirectional relationship between COPD and psychiatric disorders, aiming to highlight risk factors, diagnostic tools, and both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment strategies.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) represents a significant neuropsychiatric complication that affects between 39% and 52% of stroke survivors, leading to impaired recovery, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. This comprehensive review synthesizes our current knowledge of PSD, encompassing its epidemiology, risk factors, underlying neurochemical mechanisms, and the existing tools for preclinical investigation, including animal models and behavioral analyses. Despite the high prevalence and severe impact of PSD, challenges persist in accurately modeling its complex symptomatology in preclinical settings, underscoring the need for robust and valid animal models to better understand and treat PSD. This review also highlights the multidimensional nature of PSD, where both biological and psychosocial factors interplay to influence its onset and course. Further, we examine the efficacy and limitations of the current animal models in mimicking the human PSD condition, along with behavioral tests used to evaluate depressive-like behaviors in rodents. This review also sets a new precedent by integrating the latest findings across multidisciplinary studies, thereby offering a unique and comprehensive perspective of existing knowledge. Finally, the development of more sophisticated models that closely replicate the clinical features of PSD is crucial in order to advance translational research and facilitate the discovery of future effective therapies.

Background: While depression can be associated with multiple comorbidities, the association between depression and liver injury significantly increases the mortality risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate if moderate alcohol intake affects the rate of clinical relapses in patients treated with antidepressants as monotherapy. Methods: We assessed, over a period of 30 months, the clinical records of 254 patients with depressive disorder, of either gender, without additional pathologies, receiving monotherapy treatment with antidepressants. Thirty-three patients with alcohol abuse, alcoholism or significant cognitive impairment were excluded. The medical and psychiatric history, medication and liver enzyme values were collected and analyzed. Results: Out of the 221 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 78 experienced relapses of depression. The rate of relapse did not correlate with the levels of liver enzymes. Alcohol consumption, as objectified based on GGT levels and the AST/ALT ratio, suggested that men had higher alcohol intake compared to women. Patients treated with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) with elevated AST levels were approximately 9 times more likely to relapse, while the ones with elevated GGT had a 5.34 times higher risk. While GGT levels remained a marker for relapse in men with elevated GGT, ALT and not AST proved to be a better risk indicator for relapses in male patients. Conclusion: The use of SNRIs in depressed male patients with moderate alcohol intake should be carefully considered, as they might be susceptible to higher risks of relapse compared to alternative antidepressant therapies.

Background: Anxiety disorders are prevalent mental health conditions often accompanied by various comorbidities. The association between anxiety and liver disease, as well as fluctuations in blood sugar levels, highlights the importance of carefully evaluating patients with anxiety undergoing antidepressant therapy. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative assessment of liver function and blood glucose levels in patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders while considering potential gender-specific differences. Methods: An analysis was conducted over a 24-month period. This study included 88 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders, with symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization, aged 18 or older, undergoing antidepressant monotherapy, without any additional pathologies. Liver enzymes (AST, ALT, GGT), AST/ALT ratio, and blood glucose levels were measured and compared. Results: While no significant differences were found between antidepressant classes, increased GGT levels were observed in men older than 40 years compared to women of the same age, suggesting that alcohol consumption may be a coping mechanism for anxiety. This gender difference was not observed among young patients. Conclusions: Early detection of alcohol consumption is essential in patients with anxiety disorders in order to prevent alcohol-related liver damage and to adjust the management of both conditions accordingly.

The treatment of acute life-threatening events in patients suffering from chronic pathologies is problematic, as physicians need to consider multisystemic drug effects. Regarding Cerebrolysin, a Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway amplifier and one of the few approved neurotrophic treatments for stroke patients, concerns of excessive Hedgehog pathway activation that could accelerate NAFLD progression to cirrhosis seem valid. We investigated stroke patients treated with Cerebrolysin that presented elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT). We also investigated the efficiency of Cerebrolysin in reversing the neurogenesis inhibition within the hippocampus in a mouse model of NAFLD by evaluating behavior and histological outcomes. NeuN, BrdU and Iba1 positive signals in the cortex and hippocampus of the animals were also observed. Clinically, Cerebrolysin improved AST levels in a majority of stroke patients with hepatic damage. The same treatment in an experimental setup was able to reverse anxiety-like behavior in MCD mice, reducing their freezing time from 333.61 ± 21.81 s in MCD animals to 229.17 ± 26.28 in treated ones. The use of Cerebrolysin did not improve short-term memory nor rescued cell multiplication in the hippocampus after MCD food intake. Understanding the neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects that drugs have on NAFLD patients can significantly contribute to a suitable therapeutic approach.