BackgroundPublic safety communicators (PSCs, 911 call-takers, dispatchers, and others) play a critical role in Canada's emergency response system, yet they remain largely understudied compared with other public safety professionals (PSP). Although PSCs do not intervene directly at emergency scenes, they are routinely exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events and high operational stress during calls, placing them at elevated risk for post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSIs). This study aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of various PTSIs and suicidal behaviors among Canadian PSCs, (2) compare the prevalence with those reported for other Canadian PSP, and (3) identify associated sociodemographic factors.MethodsThe final analytic sample included 508 PSCs. Participants completed validated screening measures assessing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder, along with questions regarding suicidal behaviors.ResultsNearly half of PSCs (48.6%) screened positive for at least 1 PTSI, exceeding the prevalence observed among other Canadian PSP. Symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder were significantly higher, while alcohol abuse disorder symptoms were comparable to levels observed among other PSP. Suicide attempts were also significantly more frequent in our sample. Being female emerged as the strongest predictor of screening positive for a PTSI, whereas higher educational attainment was associated with reduced odds of both PTSI symptoms and suicidal ideation.ConclusionsThese findings highlight PSCs as a high-risk and overlooked subgroup within public safety. Trauma-informed training, targeted organizational adjustments, and profession-specific support resources are essential to mitigate the significant psychological burden on this workforce and foster long-term occupational well-being.

Twin studies reveal high genetic overlap between anxiety disorders and depression, contributing to the internalising spectrum. Some genetic specificity for fear-based anxiety disorders (fear), distinct from general anxiety and depression (distress), has also emerged. Limited datasets with detailed phenotyping across anxiety disorders have restricted most genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to "any anxiety diagnosis". Additional genome-wide evidence to discern genetic differences between fear and distress is required. We conducted GWAS meta-analyses of fear (panic, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder) and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), measured using brief single-item and detailed symptom-based diagnoses from three datasets. We explored two control group criteria: phenotype-specific (fear/GAD) or broader anxiety/depression screening. We identified one independent genome-wide significant locus and three gene-level associations with fear (up to 35,523 Ncases; 157,447 Ncontrols). Four genome-wide significant loci and three gene-level associations were identified for GAD (up to 60,879 Ncases; 117,064 Ncontrols). The genetic correlation between fear and GAD was significantly different from unity only when excluding a depression-enriched dataset and using phenotype-specific control screening (rg = 0.87; P = 9.32 × 10[-3]). Most complex traits had statistically similar genetic correlations with fear and GAD, including depression. Exceptions included general cognitive ability, educational attainment, and coronary artery disease, showing statistically stronger genetic correlations with fear than GAD, while bipolar disorder type I, anorexia nervosa, and neuroticism displayed the opposite pattern. Our findings partially support a distress-fear genetic distinction, but show stronger evidence for an overarching genetic liability to internalising psychopathology driving comorbidity across anxiety disorders and depression.

Antidepressants rank among the most frequently prescribed medications globally, a trend attributed to their efficacy in managing major depressive disorder, other forms of depressive states, anxiety disorders, and various mental health conditions. Furthermore, antidepressants demonstrate several non-psychotropic pharmacological effects, which broaden their potential applications beyond psychiatry into general medical practice. This article presents essential information regarding the pharmacological spectrum, effectiveness, and safety profiles of diverse antidepressants, with a particular focus on escitalopram, duloxetine, and mirtazapine.

Cannabis use has increased across Europe over the last decade, accompanied by growing availability of high-potency THC products and rising psychiatric presentations. Despite these trends, European countries differ substantially in monitoring systems, clinical preparedness and public health responses. These disparities are especially visible between Western Europe, which has more developed pharmacovigilance systems, diagnostic networks, and addiction psychiatry services, and other regions. Compared with other regions, in Central and Eastern Europe cannabis-related psychiatric complications remain systematically underestimated.

Individuals with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) anxiety or depressive disorder tend to report a lack of agency in social situations. Agency represents one dimension in the interpersonal circumplex model while communion represents the other dimension. In the present study, we mapped six anxiety and depressive disorders examined within the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) onto this model. To this end, we used the structural summary method to reduce Inventory of Interpersonal Problems scores of NESDA Wave 6 participants with a current diagnosis (n = 412) to interpersonal profiles for each of the six examined disorders. The Displacement parameter represents the blend of agency and communion and provided insight into which interpersonal problem theme is most characteristic for a disorder. Amplitude represents the distinctiveness of this theme, and Elevation provides an indication of the level of general interpersonal distress associated with the disorder. Unexpectedly, general interpersonal distress was highest for dysthymia, not major depressive disorder. As expected, however, all disorders (social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, dysthymia, and major depressive disorder) were primarily characterized by a submissive interpersonal style. Additionally, we found greater general interpersonal distress among participants with comorbid anxiety and depression than among participants with depression or anxiety alone. The main finding was that the different anxiety and depressive disorders had comparable interpersonal profiles. This supports the notion that interpersonal style may be a transdiagnostic factor in the emergence and maintenance of these disorders, contributing to interpersonal distress particularly in individuals with comorbid disorders.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in patients (aged 18-86 years, not under treatment, and with no prior diagnosis of GAD) attending an underserved primary care outpatient clinic in Higuerote, Venezuela, between October and December 2023.

Background: Mental illness constitutes one of the greatest worldwide health burdens. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) is becoming increasingly relevant in mental health. Nevertheless, evidence regarding their integrated application remains sparse. This scoping review identified existing evidence on AI-integrated VR in mental health care, including clinical applications, reported outcomes, and future research directions. Methods: The Population, Concept, and Context framework was used as the eligibility criteria. The mental health-related studies considered were original studies that addressed explicit AI integration using VR systems or workflows and had at least one outcome or clinical or implementation finding. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO were searched to retrieve English-language studies published between January 2020 and February 2026. Results: The available evidence is heterogeneous, generally small, and primarily focused on feasibility or predictive modeling. The focus of applications is on the assessment or prediction of anxiety spectrum conditions, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorders, stress, and panic disorder/agoraphobia. Most of the research examines immersive VR with multimodal inputs and machine-learning-based prediction models. However, the field remains largely in an early stage, with a lack of standardization, implementation readiness, safety reporting, and real-world validation. Conclusions: AI-integrated VR can be considered as a promising but emerging field, and further development requires stricter, more clinically based, and implementation-focused studies that can help establish safe, effective, and scalable implementation in mental health care. Furthermore, pragmatic, multicenter research directly investigates whether AI-integrated VR has additional clinical value compared to regular VR or regular care in mental health care.

Women frequently present with chronic bodily pain, gastritis, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, panic symptoms, sleep disturbances, and other persistent physical complaints despite repeated investigations and treatment. Many consult multiple specialists, including physicians, neurologists, gastroenterologists, and gynecologists, before eventually reaching psychiatric services. In some women, hidden emotional distress, dissatisfaction within relationships, emotional loneliness, reduced emotional and physical intimacy, and unresolved psychosexual concerns may contribute significantly to persistent psychosomatic suffering. We describe five married women from diverse sociocultural and religious backgrounds who continued to experience chronic physical symptoms despite repeated medical consultations and largely unremarkable investigations. Most patients initially focused solely on bodily complaints, including body pain, gastritis, dizziness, fatigue, panic symptoms, anxiety, and disturbed sleep. They found it difficult to openly discuss emotional stress, marital dissatisfaction, loneliness, or intimacy-related concerns because of shame, guilt, fear of conflict, dependency, and social pressure. All patients underwent detailed psychiatric assessments, developmental and marital history-taking, supportive interviewing, and couple-based discussions led jointly by male and female psychiatrists. During extended clinical sessions, deeper emotional struggles gradually became clear. Several women described years of feeling emotionally neglected, unheard, disconnected, or dissatisfied in their relationships. Many also struggled to express emotional and sexual needs openly despite significant emotional suffering. In several cases, psychosomatic symptoms worsened during periods of loneliness, emotional conflict, rejection, or impaired communication within marriage. We treated patients with supportive psychotherapy, emotional communication work, psychoeducation, stress-management techniques, couple counseling, sex education, and symptom-targeted medications. During follow-up visits, most patients reported improvement in psychosomatic symptoms, anxiety, sleep, emotional communication, marital functioning, and overall emotional well-being. This case series explored whether hidden emotional and intimacy-related distress may represent possible contributing factors in chronic psychosomatic symptom experiences among some women within specific marital and sociocultural contexts.