Objective:Oxidative-antioxidant imbalance has been proposed as a biological contributor to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet findings across biomarkers, age groups and assay platforms remain heterogeneous. We synthesised evidence on oxidative damage markers (malondialdehyde [MDA], 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]), global redox indices (total oxidant status [TOS], oxidative stress index [OSI], total antioxidant status [TAS]) and enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], catalase [CAT]). Method:Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched major databases for studies published between 2010 and 2025. Case-control studies and baseline data from trials reporting group means and standard deviations were eligible. Standardised mean differences (Hedges' g) were pooled using random-effects models. Prespecified moderators included age group, medication status and assay or biological matrix. Results:Across fifteen case-control studies, ADHD was associated with a consistent shift towards oxidative imbalance. Oxidative damage was higher in ADHD for MDA (g = 0.32, 95% CI 0.18-0.46), 8-OHdG (g = 0.27, 0.10-0.44), TOS (g = 0.35, 0.20-0.50) and OSI (g = 0.31, 0.16-0.46). Antioxidant capacity was reduced for TAS (sign-inverted g = 0.25, 0.08-0.42) and SOD (sign-inverted g = 0.22, 0.05-0.39), whereas GPx and CAT showed no consistent differences. Heterogeneity was low to moderate, with no evidence of publication bias. Effects were larger in drug-naïve paediatric samples than in adults or treated cohorts. Conclusions:ADHD is associated with a small-to-moderate redox imbalance, most pronounced in untreated paediatric populations. These findings support oxidative-antioxidant dysregulation as a biologically meaningful dimension of ADHD and provide a framework for understanding heterogeneity in psychopharmacological response.
Objective:fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and psychological distress, with a significant impact on quality of life. While cognitive-behavioral therapy has been extensively studied as a psychological intervention for FM, the effectiveness of psychodynamic interventions remains underexplored. This systematic review aims to synthesize the existing literature on psychodynamic interventions for FM, focusing on their impact on clinical and psychological outcomes. Method:a systematic search was conducted across PsycINFO, Cochrane, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. A total of six studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified, investigating different psychodynamic approaches, including Attachment-Based Compassion Therapy, Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy, and shortterm psychodynamic psychotherapy. Results:across these studies, psychodynamic interventions showed potential - but still preliminary - benefits, including reductions in pain severity, anxiety, depression, and psychological distress, alongside improvements in emotional functioning and quality of life. However, substantial heterogeneity across interventions, study designs, and outcome measures, combined with moderate-to-high risk of bias and the small number of available studies, limits the strength of the conclusions. Conclusions:the current evidence does not allow definitive recommendations regarding psychodynamic interventions for FM. Further methodologically rigorous research is needed to clarify the specific efficacy, generalizability, and underlying mechanisms of these interventions.
Objective:in the context of interpersonal violence, traumatic experiences are linked to both the risk of victimization and perpetration. Yet, most studies have examined these roles separately leaving unclear how traumatic experiences in the past and traumatic symptoms in the present may differently contribute to victimization vs perpetration-related problems. This study investigates if the relationships between early traumatic experiences and interpersonal problems typically associated with victim-like and offender-like roles are mediated by trauma symptoms (PTSD, DSO and Dissociation) in women. Method:ninety-eight adult women from the general population (Mage = 33.0, SD = 8.25) completed self-report measures assessing childhood trauma exposure (CTQ-SF), trauma-related symptoms according to ICD-11 criteria (ITQ; PTSD and disturbances in self-organization), dissociative symptoms (DES-II), and interpersonal functioning (IIP-32). Interpersonal risk phenotypes were operationalized as victimization-related (friendly-submissive) and perpetration-related (hostile- dominant) interpersonal problems. An overall childhood trauma severity factor was derived from CTQ clinical subscales using exploratory factor analysis. Two parallel mediation models were tested using bias-corrected bootstrap procedures, controlling for age and marital status. Results:the findings revealed that while dissociation contributes to both victimization-risk and perpetration-risk profiles, PTSD symptoms specifically foster victimization behaviors, whereas DSO symptoms are more strongly associated with perpetration behaviors. Specifically, childhood trauma was indirectly associated with victimization-related interpersonal problems through PTSD symptoms and dissociation, whereas the indirect path through DSO was not significant. Conversely, childhood trauma was indirectly associated with perpetration-related interpersonal problems through DSO symptoms and dissociation, while PTSD did not emerge as a significant mediator. In both models, direct effects of childhood trauma on interpersonal outcomes were non-significant once trauma-related symptoms were included, supporting a full mediation pattern. Conclusions:in conclusion, early adverse experiences, and trauma-related symptoms, appear to make women more vulnerable to victimization/perpetration-like problems. These results clarify distinct trauma-related pathways, underscoring the need for targeted preventive interventions.
Objective:recent years have seen considerable attention to concerns regarding youth access to screens. Many professional bodies and clinicians have advised parents to limit youth access to smartphones and tablets, particularly at young ages. However, little clear evidence has emerged to support this advice. Method:a dataset of 80,878 young adults (mean age: 23.3) was provided by Sapienlabs. Data included childhood age of first access to smartphones and tablets, as well as exposure to adverse childhood events. Relationships with current mental health were tested using OLS regression. Results:results indicated that exposure to adverse childhood events was predictive of mental health difficulties in early adulthood. Age of access to smartphones and tablets was not. Conclusions:advice to parents to avoid earlier access to smartphones and tablets appears to be unwarranted. Moral panic concerns about technology may distract society from more pressing causes of mental health difficulties such as abuse, neglect, and parental mental health.
Objective:theory of mind (ToM) impairment is a well-established feature of schizophrenia; however, the relative contribution of negative symptoms and disorganization remains unclear, particularly in clinically stable outpatients. Moreover, few studies have modeled symptom domains simultaneously while accounting for illness chronicity and antipsychotic exposure. Method:in this cross-sectional case-control study, 52 clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia and 52 healthy controls completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Symptom dimensions were derived from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) using a five-factor framework. Hierarchical regression analyses examined independent predictors of RMET performance within the schizophrenia group. Sensitivity analyses included illness duration, olanzapine-equivalent dose, and alternative disorganization operationalizations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis evaluated discriminative capacity. Results:patients demonstrated significantly lower RMET scores than controls (d = -1.42, p < .001). Within the schizophrenia group, negative symptoms (β = -.33, p = .015) independently predicted RMET performance after controlling for demographic variables and disorganization. This association remained robust after adjusting for illness duration and medication dose. Disorganization showed modest bivariate associations but did not retain independent predictive value in multivariable models. RMET demonstrated good discriminative accuracy (AUC = 0.84), with high specificity at the optimal cut-off. Conclusions:ToM impairment in clinically stable schizophrenia is substantial and appears more strongly linked to negative symptom severity than to disorganization. These findings support routine assessment of social cognition in patients with prominent negative symptoms and highlight the dimensional interplay between motivational deficits and social-cognitive dysfunction.
