Major depressive disorder represents one of the most common psychiatric diagnosis, and was ranked by World Health Organization as the third cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, expecting to become the first cause by 2030. The prevalence of depression is higher in women than in men, once the puberty sets. This may be explained by the hormonal fluctuations, estrogen and progesterone, over a woman's lifespan. Some of the women may experience severe mood symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycles, known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder. In addition, it has been shown that the use of hormonal contraceptives, especially oral contraceptives (OC), may determine an induced depressive disorder. The risk of induced depressive disorder is even higher in women who start an OC treatment during adolescence, mainly because this is the period when the hormonal milieu is developing. Another important period of hormonal fluctuations is after delivery. It is described such as a hormonal ‘withdrawal state’ because in a matter of days postpartum, the hormonal levels decrease down to the levels of a non‑pregnant woman. It is worth to mention that this extreme decreasing of estrogen and progesterone is not enough in order to develop postpartum depression. It has been suggested that postpartum depression may be a consequence to differential activation of estrogen genes. Fortunately, since 2019, Food and Drug Administration approved the first specific hormonal treatment for postpartum depression, represented by brexanolone. The last period of hormonal changes is the transition to menopause, in which depressive symptoms may be determined by day‑to‑day hormonal fluctuations. There is a lot more to explore in this field for future research, regarding if there really is a direct link between the levels of estrogen and progesterone and depressive disorder, and also regarding different hormonal therapies.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) started spreading at the end of 2019 and despite the immediate actions of various governments with strict control, more and more individuals became infected daily. Due to the uncertainty and insecurity that still exists around this pandemic, there is an acute need for information and knowledge of what severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) infection entails. Respiratory and other physical symptoms received most of the medical attention, however, infected patients were also at risk for developing psychiatric and mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Available research reports a so‑called ‘post‑COVID‑19 syndrome’, which refers to new and/or persistent signs and symptoms for over 12 weeks, following SARS. The aim of the present review was to provide a general overview of the psychiatric symptoms developed during SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and their long‑term outcome, highlighting that, through follow‑up with surviving patients it was revealed that some of the psychiatric symptoms of COVID‑19 persisted for a long time after discharge and were also associated with negative effects on global functioning and lower quality of life.

Objective: Rare coexistence of disease or pathology Background: Schizophrenia and anorexia nervosa are challenging mental disorders. In cases in which the cognitive-affective drivers eliciting abnormal eating behaviors strongly influence diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning, it is important to be extremely thorough in differentiating between the phenomenology of delusions, obsessions, and overvalued ideas. Case Report: Here we present an unusual relationship between anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia and also an update on diagnosing them according to the new ICD-11 classification system. The case illustrates a 44-year-old Romanian woman who had met the criteria for eating disorder from the age of 15 to 22 years, subsequently developed a psychotic break, and ultimately had schizophrenia from the age of 22 to 44 years (present time). This case report focuses on the dual diagnosis of a psychotic disorder and an eating disorder, with discussions based on the literature available on the topic. Conclusions: Schizophrenia can be considered a disabling mental disorder, but in association with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, the patient usually requires immediate admission and medical care in a coordinated and sustained manner. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa might manifest in the active phase of psychosis, precede psychosis, or, less commonly, manifest during the residual phase of the illness. Nevertheless, when these 2 disorders are combined, we can assume that the treatment plan is even more difficult to handle, requiring a multi-disciplinary team. Therefore, to provide adequate clinical care, a proper diagnosis must be made. The complex nature of the interrelationship between psychotic disorders and eating disorders requires further research.

The intestinal barrier has recently gained attention as a contributor to the pathophysiology of depression. This narrative review examines the current literature on blood-based markers of intestinal permeability in patients with depression. A structured search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed. Both recent and older studies were included to capture key mechanisms and theoretical foundations. We focused on zonulin, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), LPS-binding protein (LBP), and soluble CD14 (sCD14). While several studies report altered intestinal permeability markers in individuals with depression, results remain inconsistent. Factors such as small sample sizes and variability in measurement procedures complicate interpretation. In some cases, altered biomarker levels were associated with disease severity or response to antidepressant treatment, suggesting a potential role in patient stratification. However, current evidence does not support their routine use in clinical settings. Further research is needed to clarify their value in psychiatric populations. If validated, these markers may help identify inflammation-related depression subtypes and guide more precise treatment strategies.

Background: The present study aimed to explore, for a better understanding, the relationship between dysfunctional coping mechanisms, functionality, and quality of life in patients with major depression, during an acute episode and euthymic phase. 65 patients diagnosed with recurrent major depressive disorder were included in a longitudinal study, during which they were evaluated twice, clinically, for coping mechanisms, and also for different life quality areas. For the first time, all patients were assessed during an acute depressive episode and for the second time after 6 months of euthymia. Coping mechanisms were assessed with the Brief COPE scale, the severity of depression was evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 items, the quality of life with the WHOQOL-Bref, and the functionality with GAF. Results: The coping mechanisms, represented by self-distraction and self-blame, were identified as being significantly correlated with the areas of life quality, mental health, and general environment, for patients having an acute depressive episode. In the euthymic phase of major depression, all dysfunctional coping strategies showed statistically significant associations with the quality-of-life domains and the coping mechanism represented by disengagement was significantly correlated with the global functionality. Conclusions: Regardless of the current mood state, acute depression or euthymic phase, the dysfunctional coping mechanisms influence the level of life quality domains.