The medical profession requires continuous knowledge acquisition, effective communication skills, an appropriate level of empathy, and a personality profile that can support high-quality patient care. (1) The purpose of this study was to research whether there are associations or correlations between personality dimensions, empathy, and the attitudes of medical students regarding the learning of communication skills. (2) We conducted a pilot study with 267 first- and sixth-year medical students from the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences, and Technology of Targu Mures as the subjects. The students were evaluated using the DECAS personality inventory, the Romanian communication skills ability scale, and Toronto empathy scale. (3) Our results showed that regarding the level of empathy (p = 0.09) and positive attitudes related to communication skills (p = 0.52), there were no statistically significant differences between first- and sixth-year medical students. On the other hand, in the case of negative attitudes, it was observed that there was a statistical significance (p = 0.0003). It was also observed that there was a positive association between agreeableness and empathy (OR = 6.12, p < 0.0001) and a negative association between emotional stability and empathy (OR = 0.45, p = 0.01). Correlations were also found between positive attitudes related to communication skills with patients and the personality dimensions of conscientiousness (r = 0.21, p = 0.0004) and agreeableness (r = 0.15, p = 0.01), as well as between negative attitudes related to communication skills with patients and the agreeableness dimension (r = −0.23, p = 0.0001) and emotional stability dimension (r = −0.13, p = 0.02). Furthermore, the two proposed models confirmed the influence that personality and empathy have on attitudes towards learning communication skills. (4) The findings of this study show that both the personality structure and the empathy of a student are linked to their attitudes about communication.

Mental health is shaped by multiple psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual factors. This narrative review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the relationship between spirituality, religiosity, and mental health across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on psychological well-being, coping, resilience, and help-seeking behaviors, while considering both beneficial and potentially adverse associations. A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Studies published between 2000 and 2026 were screened according to predefined eligibility criteria. A total of 52 publications, including quantitative and qualitative studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and narrative reviews, were included. The evidence was synthesized according to three life stages (childhood and adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood), with an additional section examining help-seeking behaviors and access to mental health care across the lifespan. The reviewed evidence identified both beneficial and adverse mental health outcomes in relation to spirituality and religiosity. Beneficial outcomes included lower levels of depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal behaviors, as well as higher levels of resilience, emotional support, and life satisfaction. In contrast, negative religious coping and spiritual struggles were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety, as well as delayed help-seeking behavior. Overall, the findings varied across study designs, populations, and cultural contexts. Spirituality and religiosity can influence mental health in both positive and negative ways throughout life. Understanding these relationships may help support more sensitive and individualized approaches to mental health care.

Introduction: Problematic internet use has been increasingly associated with depression, anxiety and other psychiatric symptoms; however, its impact on attentional functioning has not been thoroughly researched. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Târgu Mureș, Romania, and aimed to examine the associations between problematic internet use, attentional control, and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults, and to determine whether problematic internet use independently predicts attentional control after accounting for emotional symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 224 adults who completed an anonymous online survey between 1 January 2026 and 1 April 2026. Problematic internet use was assessed using the Compulsive Internet Use Scale-14 (CIUS-14), attentional control using the Attentional Control Scale (ACS), depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), and eating disorder risk using the SCOFF questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, internal consistency analyses, Pearson correlations, group comparisons according to the CIUS-14 screening threshold, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Problematic internet use was significantly associated with lower attentional control (r = −0.493, p < 0.001), higher depressive symptoms (r = 0.408, p < 0.001), and higher anxiety symptoms (r = 0.467, p < 0.001). In the regression model, problematic internet use remained the only significant independent predictor of attentional control (B = −0.597, p < 0.001), whereas depressive and anxiety symptoms were not significant after adjustment. Participants above the CIUS-14 screening threshold reported significantly lower attentional control and higher depression and anxiety scores than those below the threshold. Conclusions: Problematic internet use was associated with poorer attentional control and greater emotional symptom severity in Romanian adults. These findings suggest that problematic internet use may be linked to a broader cognitive–emotional vulnerability profile. However, because of the cross-sectional design, self-report measures, convenience sampling, and lack of detailed information on specific online activities, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Longitudinal studies using objective cognitive measures and more detailed assessment of digital behaviors are needed.

Despite the high prevalence of use, evidence for the efficacy of the pharmacological management of aggressive inpatient behaviour is currently lacking. As such, when psychiatric emergencies occur and medications become necessary, medication should be as non-traumatic and non-coercive as possible and client preference should guide choice of type and route of administration of medication. A broad range of pharmacological approaches to manage psychiatric inpatient aggression has been investigated and are described in this chapter. We briefly summarise pertinent systematic reviews and guidelines and recommend general approaches to manage inpatient aggression based on these. Behavioural and pharmacological management of aggression on psychiatric wards ideally involves patients as partners as early in the process as possible.

Background: Stigma toward people with mental illness remains a major barrier to quality care, persisting even among mental health professionals. This study evaluated the effectiveness and feasibility of a structured anti-stigma intervention for psychiatry trainees. Methods: Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up using a knowledge quiz, the Attitudes to Addressing Stigma and Discrimination Scale (ASTAD), and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Feasibility outcomes were also evaluated. Results: Significant improvements were observed across all measures immediately after training, with medium to large effect sizes. Knowledge scores increased post-intervention (+6.68; 95% CI 5.86–7.50) and remained significantly higher at follow-up (+6; 95% CI 4.99–7.01). Total ASTAD scores improved post-intervention (+5; 95% CI 3.26–6.74) but did not maintain at follow-up. OSCE scores increased by 0.95 points (95% CI 0.62–1.28) post-training. The intervention reached 40% of eligible trainees, with high satisfaction and perceived relevance to clinical practice. Participants reported increased awareness of stigma, improved communication skills, and greater confidence in addressing stigma in patient interactions. Experiential learning methods, including role-play and case discussions, were identified as the most impactful components. Barriers to participation included workload, scheduling constraints, and limited institutional support. Participants recommended integrating the intervention into formal training curricula. Conclusions: The intervention was feasible, acceptable, and effective in improving stigma-related knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills among psychiatry trainees. While knowledge gains were sustained, attitudinal and behavioral changes were only partially maintained, highlighting the need for longitudinal integration and ongoing reinforcement.

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has created an unprecedented level of increased connectivity, yet the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these changes remain incompletely understood. This systematic review synthesizes the currently available evidence on neurobiological findings related to problematic internet use, problematic smartphone/social media use, and internet gaming disorder, with a focus on reward processing, attentional control, and emotional regulation. Across the included studies, recurrent findings suggested the involvement of fronto-striatal circuitry, salience- and reward-related regions, and executive-control networks. Alterations in large-scale brain networks, including the default mode, salience, and frontoparietal systems, were also reported, although the evidence base was heterogeneous and consisted largely of cross-sectional studies with modest sample sizes. Overall, the findings support a provisional neurobiological framework linking reward-related processing, inhibitory-control difficulties, and large-scale network alterations, but better-standardized studies are needed to draw conclusions.