Objective The whole world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflammation response, thought to be associated with severe illness and death, is an important research topic in COVID-19. Inflammation is also an essential condition explored in psychiatric illnesses. Our knowledge about the relationship between the inflammation response and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 is very limited. In this study, the relationship between anxiety and depression levels and inflammation response of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the hospital was examined.Methods 175 patients were included in the study. Sociodemographic Data Form, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied to the patients. To evaluate the inflammation responses, blood sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and IL-6 levels were examined.Results In our study, no relationship was found between anxiety and depression levels and inflammatory responses in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Anxiety and depression levels of women were higher than men, and NLR, ferritin, IL-6 levels were found to be lower than men. Anxiety levels increase with age. There is a positive correlation between NLR and ferritin levels and duration of hospitalization.Conclusion Our study examining the relationship of psychiatric comorbidities with the inflammation response and our increasing literature knowledge, together with studies evaluating the mental effects of COVID-19, suggest that determining the relationship between inflammation responses and psychiatric comorbidities in COVID-19, whose pathophysiology has not been clarified yet, maybe an essential step in interventions on the course of the disease.

Samet Can Demirci, Süreyya Barun, Ahmet Özaslan, Özlem Gülbahar, Tuba Saadet Deveci Bulut, Aysu Duyan Çamurdan, Elvan İşeri. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci 2024;22:473-83. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.23.1149

It is known that the use of psychotropic pharmaceuticals is common in comorbidities seen in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We have very limited knowledge about which psychotropic drugs are prescribed when comorbidities are diagnosed in patients with ASD. It is aimed to determine the profile of psychotropic agents in patients diagnosed with ASD associated with comorbidities between the ages of 0–24 in Turkey over 4 years. Data belonging to ASD in Prescription Information System (PIS) was obtained from the ‘Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency’. A total of 34 066 prescriptions including 45 624 psychotropic drugs were analyzed. A total of psychotropic drugs prescribed for patients with ASD was 75.4%. The following psychotropic drugs were prescribed for the patients with ASD and its comorbidities; risperidone (28.6%), aripiprazole (13.7%), and valproic acid (11.3%) are the most preferred psychotropics. The percentage of pharmaceuticals containing psychotropic active substances in prescriptions with ASD and its comorbidities is 7.5%. This study is the first research in which psychotropics used in ASD were evaluated over a wide period and nationwide. Antipsychotics were most commonly prescribed with the diagnosis of ASD. In the presence of ASD and its comorbidities, risperidone was most frequently prescribed.

Objective: Psychotic disorders, affecting 3–7 per 1000 individuals, significantly impair mental functioning. Although antipsychotic medications represent the mainstay of treatment, prescribing practices can vary based on patient characteristics and across different countries. Currently, national epidemiological data on psychotropic prescribing patterns in Türkiye are lacking, and understanding these variations is crucial for informing treatment guidelines and optimizing patient care. Methods: Data from the Turkish Prescription Information System (PIS) for the year 2019 were analyzed to evaluate antipsychotic prescribing patterns for psychotic disorders. Included were prescriptions for schizophrenia, other specified psychotic disorders not attributable to a substance or known physiological condition, and unspecified psychosis with the same exclusion criteria. Results: Second‐generation antipsychotics (SGAs) constituted 80% of all prescriptions, making them the most frequently prescribed class in Türkiye. This finding is consistent with other national studies. Quetiapine was the most frequently prescribed SGA overall, although prescribing patterns varied by age group. Although SGAs were the most commonly prescribed class, typical antipsychotics or first‐generation antipsychotics (FGAs) remained in use, particularly haloperidol in patients aged ≥80 years. Conclusions: This national study demonstrates the widespread use of SGAs in Türkiye, particularly quetiapine, while also highlighting the continued use of FGAs, especially haloperidol, in older adults. These findings highlight the need for further research on age‐specific prescribing practices and the development of tailored treatment guidelines. Furthermore, international comparisons of prescribing patterns should be conducted to identify potential variations and explore their underlying causes.