Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has become a significant public health concern and it profoundly impacts an individual’s quality of life (QOL). This systematic review aimed to assess the QOL among patients with SUD, and to understand the differential impact of SUD on physical, mental, social, and environmental QOL domains, considering a variety of substances and identifying key factors that influence these outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus in January 2023, covering literature published until December 2022. The QOL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) instrument and the brief version of the WHOQOL, identifying the same four domains of QOL (physical, mental, social, and environmental). A total of 19 studies were selected for inclusion in the systematic review, based on individuals’ polysubstance use, and excluding those using only nicotine or alcohol. The analysis included 6079 patients, with only 40.3% women, and a mean age of 36.6 years. The substances most commonly involved in SUD were cocaine (47.1%), alcohol (46.3%), and amphetamine (43.6%), considering most individuals being polysubstance users. The highest variability in QOL scores was observed in the physical domain. Mental disorders were reported in 68.3% of the patients, while long-term use of drugs, criminal history, unemployment, and low levels of education were identified as significant predictors for lower QOL by some of the studies. Similarly, sleep problems and teeth decay were also identified as significant worsening factors for QOL. This systematic review highlights that the WHOQOL survey is widely accepted and applicable for individuals with SUD worldwide. The results suggest a substantial negative impact of SUD on the QOL of affected individuals. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions to address the physical, psychological, social, and environmental dimensions of QOL among individuals with SUD.

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.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces a significant inflammatory response that are amplified by persistent stress. The pathophysiology of mental illnesses is explored in terms of inflammatory processes. Thus, anxious, depressed, or psychotic episodes may occur as a result of metabolic and immunological imbalances, as a direct result of their effect on the central nervous system, or as a side effect of the COVID-19 medication protocols. As such, the primary objective of this research is to establish if the psychological profiles of COVID-19 patients change substantially according to illness severity. The secondary objective is to determine if particular biological inflammatory indicators are associated with anxiety, sadness, psychoticism, and paranoid ideation. A cross-sectional study was performed on 90 hospitalized patients admitted during a 3-month period in the COVID-19 unit. All patients received the COPE-60 and SCL-90R questionnaires. Clinical and paraclinical data were collected and the information was classified according to the severity of COVID-19.The hyper-acute inflammation encountered in patients with severe COVID-19 infection characterized 80.0% of patients using disengagement coping methods, significantly more than patients with mild or moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection severity (p-value = 0.012), respectively, 73.3% severe COVID-19 patients engaging in emotion-focused coping strategies based on the COPE-60 scale (p-value = 0.037). Additionally, it was determined that negative coping mechanisms (disengagement) and emotion-focused methods are independent risk factors for developing psychoticism symptoms following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on the SCL-90 questionnaire (OR = 2.07; CI = 1.44–3.01), respectively (OR = 2.92; CI = 1.44–3.01). Elevated white blood cells and monocytes and inflammatory markers, such as fibrinogen, procalcitonin, IL-6, and D-dimers, were also identified as risk factors for psychoticism symptoms in multivariate analysis. It is particularly important to consider the constant mental-state evaluation in patients with severe COVID-19 that might benefit from early intervention before psychotic symptoms onset.

This cross-sectional analysis aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) among hospitalized patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Romania, utilizing the WHOQOL survey. Conducted from January to December 2023 in the Psychiatry Clinic of the “Pius Brinzeu” Emergency Clinical Hospital in Timisoara, this study engaged 70 participants, adhering to ethical standards outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Employing the WHOQOL-BREF instrument, the research hypothesized that AUD patients would show significantly lower QoL scores across its domains compared to general population norms. The study focused on identifying the QoL domains most impacted by AUD, exploring correlations between QoL scores and AUD background characteristics, and pinpointing intervention areas for patient care improvement. Participants were predominantly males (88.57%) with a middle-aged average of 55.51 years. Educational backgrounds varied, with a notable percentage having attended college (44.29%) or university (17.14%). Regarding marital status, 41.43% were married. Comorbidities were present in 52.86% of the sample, with hypertension being the most common (34.29%). Results showed mean QoL scores in the physical (61.84 ± 16.05), psychological (64.11 ± 17.16), social (60.48 ± 24.85), and environmental (68.44 ± 17.34) domains, revealing a significant diversity in satisfaction levels across these areas. Statistical analyses highlighted marital status as significantly associated with a better QoL in the physical domain, with married, co-habiting, and divorced participants reporting higher scores compared to single ones. In conclusion, while AUD significantly affects the QoL of hospitalized patients in Romania, marital status emerges as a critical factor in mitigating these effects, particularly in the physical domain of QoL. These findings underscore the complexity of AUD’s impact on QoL and the importance of considering sociodemographic factors in patient care practices and interventions. The study contributes valuable insights into the nuanced relationship between AUD and QoL, proposing a foundation for enhancing care outcomes for AUD patients in Romania.

Background: Adjustment to stress requires the involvement of coping strategies. Using maladaptive coping strategies may precipitate the onset or recurrence of psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, the illness itself may alter the coping mechanisms of an individual. This study aims to identify the coping strategies in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) and determine the correlation between coping strategies and clusters of psychiatric symptoms. Material and Methods: Socio-demographic and clinical data were analyzed for 30 inpatients with BD and 30 inpatients with MDD. The SCL-90 questionnaire and COPE inventory were filled in by the participants. Results: Compared to the general population, the patients with BD had lower scores for functional coping strategies and higher scores for one dysfunctional coping strategy. The patients with MDD had lower scores for all active functional and two passive functional coping strategies. By contrast, they presented higher scores on one passive functional and one dysfunctional coping strategy. Positive reinterpretation and growth were negatively correlated with somatization, depression, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, and psychoticism. Behavioral disengagement was positively correlated with depression, anxiety, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychoticism. Substance use was positively correlated with the number of episodes. Distinct coping mechanisms were associated with certain symptom clusters. Conclusions: Although dysfunctional coping strategies may predispose to psychiatric disorders, in our study, they appear to be state-dependent rather than trait-dependent.

Pharmacogenetic markers are current targets for the personalized treatment of psychosis. Limited data exist on COMT and NRG1 polymorphisms in relation to risperidone treatment. This study focuses on the impact of COMT rs4680 and NRG1 (rs35753505, rs3924999) polymorphisms on risperidone treatment in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). This study included 103 subjects with SSD treated with risperidone monotherapy. COMT rs4680, NRG1 rs35753505, and rs3924999 were analyzed by RT-PCR. Participants were evaluated via the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) after six weeks. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. COMT rs4680 genotypes significantly differed in PANSS N scores at admission: AG>AA genotypes (p = 0.03). After six weeks of risperidone, PANSS G improvement was AA>GG (p = 0.05). The PANSS total score was as follows: AA>AG (p = 0.04), AA>GG (p = 0.02). NRG1 rs35753504 genotypes significantly differed across educational levels, with CC>CT (p = 0.02), and regarding the number of episodes, TT>CC, CT>CC (p = 0.01). The PANSS total score after six weeks of treatment showed a better improvement for TT<CT genotypes (p = 0.01). NRG1 rs3924999 genotypes revealed GG<AG (p = 0.02) for PANSS G scores after six weeks, with AG and GG requiring higher doses (p = 0.007, p = 0.02). Overall, our study suggests that the genetic polymorphisms COMT rs4680, NRG1 rs35753505, and rs3924999 significantly impact the treatment response to risperidone in patients with SSD.