Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gut–brain interaction (DGBI), characterized, mainly in severe cases, by altered psychological stress reactivity, psychological disorders, and dysfunction of the brain–gut–microbiota axis. Prior studies have highlighted significant physical and emotional impairments in the health-related quality of life of patients with IBS. Resilience is a psychosocial ability that reduces negative emotions while enhancing adaptation to adversities. Resilience is essential for health promotion and stress response. The present study aimed to carry out a review of the literature in multiple databases, using the descriptors “resilience”, “resiliency”, and “irritable bowel syndrome”. The inclusion criteria for obtaining the most relevant papers were research articles on resilience and irritable bowel syndrome written in English, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and involving human subjects. Studies specifically on resilience in IBS were sparse. These results need to be understood in light of these limitations. As resilience appears to be modifiable, it is essential to conduct direct research on resilience-enhancing interventions for people with IBS. The study of the factors involved in successful adaptation must be extended, to possibly yield new interventions that help the patients overcome the difficulties imposed by the disease.

Denis Pavăl, Nicoleta Gherghel-Pavăl, Octavia Oana Căpățînă, Adina Stan, Lajos Raduly, Liviuța Budișan, Ioana Valentina Micluția. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci 2024;22:520-30. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.24.1164

Background and aims. The relationship between negative symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia is not clear, inconsistent findings have been reported by multiple authors and meta analyses. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognition and primary negative symptoms.Methods. 67 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were evaluated using PANSS and the NSA-16 scale. Correlation and regression analyses were used in the present study to investigate the relationship between the primary negative symptoms and cognition.Results. No relationship was found between the PANSS Cognitive factor and Negative factor, but when investigating the relationship of the Cognitive PANSS factor with the negative symptoms evaluated with the NSA-16 scale, it was shown that there is a significant association between cognition and motor retardation.Conclusions. Our study reveals the relative independence of cognitive factor from the global negative domain of the psychopathology, even though the association with motor retardation was clear. These findings also support the need of using appropriate assessment tools in order to gain a more refined understanding of the phenomenology of schizophrenia.

Background and Aims: Anger has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the mechanism underlying this relationship is still unknown. This cross-sectional study explores the possibility that anger mediates the relationship between pain severity and depression in IBS patients. Methods: The sample included 70 consecutively evaluated patients who met Rome III criteria for IBS diagnosis and 55 healthy controls. All participants completed measures of depression, pain, state and trait anger, and anger expression style. Results: Using a mediational model involving a series of linear regressions we found that trait anger and anger expression index partially mediated the association between depression and abdominal pain severity. The IBS patients with significant pain reported higher depressive symptoms; these results could be partially explained by their tendency to experience angry feelings generated by pain. Conclusions: The relation between pain and depression is not a direct and linear one, but works partly through patients’ tendency to become angry and through anger expression style regarding their pain.

Cognitive impairments are a central feature of schizophrenia, encompassing deficits in attention, memory, executive function, and social cognition that significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life. These impairments often emerge early, preceding the onset of psychotic symptoms, and remain persistent over time, contributing to challenges in employment, social relationships, and independent living. Unlike positive symptoms, cognitive deficits are resistant to traditional antipsychotic treatments and strongly predict long-term functional outcomes. The interplay between cognitive deficits and negative symptoms, such as apathy and social withdrawal, creates a cycle of dysfunction that exacerbates social and occupational impairments. Neurobiological mechanisms, including dysfunctions in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin, underlie these deficits, further complicating their management. Cognitive remediation has emerged as a promising intervention, utilizing targeted training to improve cognitive performance and functional outcomes. By addressing cognitive dysfunction alongside pharmacological treatments and comprehensive approaches, cognitive remediation offers hope for enhancing the daily lives of individuals with schizophrenia. This manuscript explores the nature of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, their interaction with other symptoms, long-term implications, and the potential of cognitive remediation as an effective therapeutic strategy.

Objective: To estimate how clinical signs shape whether catatonia is recorded during routine inpatient care and to identify training targets that reduce missed cases. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review at a tertiary psychiatric hospital (July 2019–July 2024). Of 14,907 admissions, 87 had a formal catatonia diagnosis. We screened discharge summaries with 24 terms; 697 encounters with ≥3 terms underwent independent ICD-11 review by two clinicians (third reviewer as needed), yielding 194 additional encounters meeting criteria. We compared patients with a recorded diagnosis with those meeting criteria without a diagnosis and fitted logistic models for diagnostic assignment. Results: At the patient level (first admission), 54 diagnosed and 183 underdiagnosed individuals were included. Hypokinetic signs—negativism, mutism, rigidity, and posturing—were more frequent in diagnosed cases, while grimacing and mannerisms were more frequent among underdiagnosed cases. In adjusted analyses, rigidity and negativism were linked to a higher likelihood of a recorded diagnosis, whereas grimacing signaled missed recognition. Medical complication rates did not differ. The longer unadjusted length of stay in diagnosed patients was not significant after adjustment for age and symptom burden. Conclusions: Clinicians tend to identify hypokinetic catatonia and overlook movement-rich presentations. A one-minute ICD-11 screen and documentation prompts for parakinetic/hyperkinetic signs are pragmatic steps for training programs.