Tobacco consumption during pregnancy is a serious public health problem due to its negative effects on fetal development and on pregnant women’s health and well-being. Thus, it is of utmost importance to plan and implement smoking cessation interventions, to prevent the negative impact of this risk factor, namely on children’s health and development. This cross-sectional study aimed at exploring the perceptions and beliefs about the usefulness of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, in a sample of pregnant Portuguese women. The smoking use by pregnant women, as well as the risk factors associated with tobacco smoking during pregnancy, were also analyzed. The sample included 247 pregnant Portuguese women aged between 18–43-years-old (M = 30.30, SD = 5.02): 42.5% never smoked, 18.3% quit smoking before pregnancy, 19.0% quit smoking after getting pregnant and 20.2% were current smokers. The pregnant Portuguese women who smoked during pregnancy (current smokers or who quit smoking after getting pregnant) were mostly single or divorced, with lower education levels, showed a higher prevalence of clinically significant anxiety symptoms, and perceived smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy as less useful when compared to women who never smoked or quit smoking prior pregnancy. Daily or weekly smoking cessation interventions, implemented by health professionals such as doctors, nurses, or psychologists are the ones perceived as the most useful for pregnant women. These findings provide important clues for the planning of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, highlighting the domains that should be carefully monitored by health professionals. Specific strategies should also be used by health professionals to promote smoking cessation considering the demands of pregnancy and postpartum.

Evidence suggests that individuals with infertility are confronted with psychosocial challenges. This has led to a significant number of studies highlighting the subsequent negative effects on mental health. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has already been established as having a beneficial effect on psychological issues related to other health conditions. Since infertility is a relevant stressor, ACT was also expected to have a protective effect on the mental health of individuals with this disease. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies assessing Infertility and ACT. Empirical and quantitative studies were considered when they assessed mental health variables and ACT hexagon model components in patients with infertility. Out of the 137 studies initially identified, six met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The samples were composed of women (three) and couples (three). Since ACT variables appear to be associated with better mental health outcomes, couples with infertility were expected to benefit from intervention addressing ACT components. Implications for future research include the need for a distinction between ACT variables, the use of validated assessment methods and the empirical examination of predictors of changes in ACT variables.

Infertility is a disease with impact on the individuals’ lives which can be perceived as a stress-inducing experience. Higher levels of infertility-related stress have been associated with lower levels of quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine experiential avoidance as a pathway through which infertility-related stress is linked to quality of life in women with fertility problems. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 285 Portuguese women ( M = 35.61; SD = 4.80) who completed a sociodemographic and clinical data sheet, and self-reported measures of infertility-related stress, experiential avoidance, and quality of life. The findings showed that infertility-related stress is positively associated with experiential avoidance and negatively associated with quality of life. Furthermore, experiential avoidance mediated the link between infertility-related stress and quality of life. Given that experiential avoidance may be a pathway leading to a worse adaptation, interventions focused on experiential avoidance may result in higher levels of quality of life in women dealing with fertility problems. Considering that this mechanism is a process underlying psychological inflexibility, which can be targeted by acceptance and commitment therapy, this therapy might be beneficial for women dealing with fertility problems, contributing to an improved quality of life.

Many children are affected by social anxiety disorder (SAD). Pharmacotherapy, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), may be indicated, but a clear understanding of the risks and benefits associated with these pharmacological treatments is needed. This expert review explores the risks and benefits of pharmacotherapy for treating SAD in children. Pharmacotherapy may be considered as a treatment when symptoms are complex or severe or when effective psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is not accessible. We recommend that clinicians collaborate closely with parents, pediatricians, and psychiatrists in the treatment planning process, while monitoring the effects of pharmacotherapy. Future research should prioritize the personalization of treatments.

In this commentary of Lundh’s (2023) article, we point to an individualized process-based approach for the future of psychotherapy. The traditional nomothetic research paradigm is limiting our understanding of processes of change, oversimplifying psychological phenomena, and neglecting individual dynamics. In contrast, a process-based approach calls for ideographic methodologies, departing from the latent-disease paradigm toward process-based interventions. Process-based research promises avenues for enhancing intervention science and a deeper comprehension about psychopathology and therapeutic mechanisms, in a comprehensive, personalized, and holistic manner.

Palliative care aims to alleviate suffering and preserve quality of life when cure is uncertain. Applied to psychiatry, this raises conceptual and ethical challenges due to diagnostic instability, prognostic uncertainty, and the risk of therapeutic resignation. This article critically examines palliative psychiatry and argues that dynamic, process-based and network models may clarify its clinical and ethical foundations.