33^rd International conference on Mental and Behavioral Health March 23-24, 2021 London, UK

Biography:

Sam Vaknin, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Psychology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia and Professor of Finance and Psychology in CIAPS (Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies).

Abstract:

While the narcissist avoids pain by excluding, devaluing, and discarding others - the autistic patient achieves the same result by withdrawing and by passionately incorporating in his universe only one or two people and one or two subjects of interest. Both narcissists and autistic patients are prone to react with depression to perceived slights and injuries - but Autistic patients are far more at risk of self-harm and suicide. Research Note: Asperger's Disorder (renamed in the DSM V Autistic Spectrum Disorder Level 1) is often misdiagnosed as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), though evident as early as age 3 (while pathological narcissism cannot be safely diagnosed prior to early adolescence). Personality disorders cannot be safely diagnosed prior to early adolescence. Still, though frequently found between the ages of 3 and 6, Asperger's Disorder is often misdiagnosed as a cluster B personality disorder, most often as the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

Biography:

Debbie Cyncynatus is a registered nurse with 29 years of experience in areas of critical care, medical and surgical care, nursing management and hospital administration. She earned her MBA and also a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She is currently working toward a Doctor in Nursing Practice from Capella University. She is skilled in large-scale change, Big 4 consulting, strategic and tactical planning, clinical operations improvement, transformational and thought leadership, process improvement, patient first, hospital leadership and program management with a track record of breakthrough performance.

Abstract:

Background: Inherent to the profession of nursing are specific and unique skill sets that incorporate vigilant monitoring and problem solving in highly dynamic environments, keeping pace with the ever-changing world of technology, and physical endurance while maintaining flexibility - all within the framework of compassionate care. Yet, few studies have focused on nurses caring for patients using the skills, judgment, and emotional stability required when one has sustained a personal loss. Purpose: The aim of this study was (a) to illustrate how nurses negotiate their roles as a grieving individual and one who is a compassionate caregiver, and (b) to examine strategies that may have facilitated or hindered optimal functioning during their time of transition back into the workforce. Methods: A phenomenological qualitative design using thematic analysis was used to analyze and interpret the participants’ experiences. Results: Eight themes were extracted which provided a rich diffusion of data exampled by patterns of role confusion, lack of preparation despite experience, stratified grief, coping mechanisms, spiritual connectedness, making meaning, creating a new normal and compassion in nursing. Implications: This study emphasizes the need to support nurses’ psychological health through strategic programs and policies during times of transition. Subsequently, this theoretical framework may extend to examining other transitions within nursing practice to create insight as nurses adapt to new situations.

Biography:

Yared Alemu is a Founder/CEO of TQIntelligence, a Georgia Tech Health Technology Startup. He is a Moonshot Fellow at the Kravis School of Leadership. He has over 20 years’ experience as a therapist, clinical supervisor, researcher, and administrator in the publicly-funded sector. Dr. Alemu has been part of a state-wide effort to address quality and cost, including chairing the Clinical Directors Working Group for Together Georgia.

Abstract:

ACE is one of the most scientific and inexpensive primary indicators of the severity of trauma. There is no systematic use of ACE in Georgia considering ACE’s scientific and empirical grounding. ACE could be used as one model to understand the consequences of trauma at the clinical and systemic level. California provides a model for quantifying the impacts of ACE; the cost in 2013 was more than $100 billion, spread through its social services, healthcare, and legal services. California is investing in training all its healthcare workers, not just mental health professionals, how to assess and use ACE scores to decide on healthcare services.

The publicly funded mental health and child protective system of care in Georgia serves a patient population that is in the severe end of the psychopathology spectrum and a provider community that is the least experienced. These clinical and workforce issues could be mitigated by technology and best practices that include measurement-based systems; ACE should be part of the initial and updated assessment. The quantification of severity, including the ACE score early in the treatment process, could help to identify highrisk patients and titrate treatment to improve disparities in treatment outcomes and divert patients from unnecessary hospitalizations.

There are signficant consequences for lack of quality affordable mental health services; for example, as the burden of trauma gets exacerbated in low resourced communities, between 2007 and 2017, the rate of suicide for African American youths increased by 73%. This increase in the rate of suicide places them at the same level of suicidality. The causes, in addition to social determinants of health, is likely related to untreated, undertreated, and undiagnosed mental health problems. This practice ecosystem is notable for the least experienced mental health professionals, providing services to the most severe patient population, contributing to the long history of disparities in treatment outcomes and cost overrun. Also, patients in this system of care present for mental health services exhibit multiple and, at times, diagnostically unrelated symptoms, partly due to the interaction between developmental disruption, trauma, and social determinants of health.

Biography:

Gianluca Rosso, MD, Ph.D, Psychiatrist, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino. He’s working at Psychiatric Unit of San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital. He has published over 80 scientific contributions on peer reviewed journals and he attended more than 70 national and international meetings as invited speaker. His research interests have focused on clinical psychiatry and psychopharmacology, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and translational psychiatry. 

Abstract:

Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy (or brief dynamic therapy – BDT) is a time-limited, focused, psychodynamic intervention that derives its principles from psychoanalytic theory. The efficacy of this technique in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) is still a matter of debate, but an increasing number of studies considering BDT both in monotherapy and in addition to medications have been published in recent years. Some findings suggest that BDT is more effective than non-specific supportive psychotherapy and has significant advantages when combined with antidepressants compared to pharmacotherapy alone. In particular, a long-term advantage of BDT in the prevention of relapses/recurrences of MDD has been shown. This could depend on the fact that the primary objective of BDT, which is is to enhance the patient’s insight into repetitive intrapsychic and interpersonal conflicts, is a specific therapeutic factor that keep working even after the end of psychotherapy sessions. Results of the main studies on BDT in MDD, including those considering patients with other psychiatric conditions and concurrent major depression, will be shown and discussed in order to analyze what are the conditions in which this technique can be used most successfully in daily clinical practice.

Biography:

Amanda completed her PhD from The University of York and conducted her postdoctoral studies with the Mental Health and Addictions Research Team in the Health Sciences Department. She is Senior Lecturer, Chartered Forensic Psychologist and the theme lead for the Forensic Mental Health and Addictions Group. She has published more than 40 papers in reputed journals.

Abstract:

The mental health of people incarcerated in prison is recognised as a worldwide public health concern. People residing in prison experience higher levels of mental health problems, self-harm and anti-social violent behaviour than in the general population. Isolation and boredom link to poor mental health and can exacerbate these and other health problems. In the last five years, UK prisons have reported an unprecedented rise in the incidence of violent assaults and self-harm. Alternative research designs are therefore required to assess how interventions can help support people with mental health problems in prison. The costs of such evaluations are large, it would therefore be useful to know whether routinely collected prison data could be used to assess intervention change. Many people who display symptoms of depression, self-harm or violent behaviour report the main immediate cause as being problems in their lives. Problem-solving therapy (PST) has been widely used in the community and improves outcomes of depression and allied constructs such as hopelessness. The simplicity of the skills and the ease of delivery suggests the approach may help people who experience problems in custody. We aim to fill these gaps by using a peer-led problem support mentor scheme has been co-produced in an UK prison to address and support prisoners with mental health, well being, incidence of repeat self-harm and violent behaviour. This unique scheme teaches men to use a systematic approach to solving and addressing problems whilst in custody and upon release into the community.

Biography:

Mustafa Afifi held his MBChB, Masters in Internal Medicine, two post graduate diplomas in Mental Health, and Primary Health Care. Then he had another post graduate Diploma in General Management and finally his terminal degree of DrPH. He also got a Masters in Health Professional Education. He worked as a Consultant Mental Health for the Ministry of Health Headquarter in the UAE. He then joined academia since 2014 because of his interest in life-long learning and cultivating self-directed learning among university students. 

Abstract:

Few articles investigated the COVID-19 impact on Health Care Workers’ mental health in UAE, and mainly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This research focuses on investigating the effect of COVID-19 on workers' mental health in one of Sharjah medical Centers and comparing it with the impact of the pandemic on university students. The sample was captured from one of Sharjah Medical Centres. Fifty healthcare workers were selected consisting of nurses, physicians with different specialties, managers with different positions, and other workers. Besides, 150 students were selected from Jumeira University from different colleges. The tools used were the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) which is a self-administrative questionnaire that consists of 9 questions with four Likert scales that measures depression symptoms. (Kroenke K, 2001). The second was General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) that considered seven items scale for measuring anxiety rated by four points Likert Scale. (Spitzer RL, 2006). The Third questionnaire is the Primary Care Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC-PTSD-5), which is a five items questionnaire that is intended to determine the individual who possibly suffering from PSTD. The answers for these questions containing two possible options as “Yes” or “No”. (Prins A, 2003). Lastly, the fourth questionnaire is the Perceived Stress Scale which is considered the classic measuring stress tool. It helps in recognizing how different conditions impact people’s feelings of stress, it is comprised of ten items that are used to measure the stress level. The ten items scored by using five points Likert Scale each point refers to a different score. (Cohen, 1993). In our results we will display the correlation between these variables each other and the demographic factors as age, sex, profession, etc. We will also compare between students and health care workers mental health profile during the pandemic.