Psychiatric emergency (PE) as related to major depressive disorder (MDD) is most commonly understood as the presentation of suicidality or a risk of violence to others. However, MDD-PE can have a wide variety of clinical presentations. The challenges in treating PE arise from the difficulty in fully defining and diagnosing this condition, especially by emergency department and non-psychiatric medical personnel. Additionally, determining the appropriate level of care, as well as resource and other constraints, further complicates the management of MDD-PE. This manuscript reviews the definition, diagnosis, and management of MDD-PE globally, and provides recommendations for clinicians in the context of Hong Kong clinical practice. It reflects the outcomes of a meeting of psychiatrists in Hong Kong convened by the Asian Association of Neuropsychopharmacology. The primary goal of the diagnostic process is to determine a patient's level of risk to themselves and others. The main recommendations include educating clinicians on the diverse presentation of MDD-PE and non-clinical factors that may contribute to risk assessment-emphasizing contextual factors during history-taking. The recommendations also include the stratification of patients into three categories depending on (1) whether hospitalization is warranted and (2) the urgency and intensity of required intervention, with the aim of optimizing resources. Finally, the role of novel interventions, such as fast-acting or non-invasive ones, is discussed.

To determine the effect of hope on functional recovery in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) is prevalent among patients with schizophrenia across countries in Asia. This study aimed to explore the relationships between psychiatric symptoms and APP using network analysis.

Depression and anxiety are global public health challenges among older adults. Square dancing, a popular activity for older Chinese adults, is believed to relieve these disturbances. This study compared the prevalence, severity, and network structures of depression and anxiety among older square dancers versus non-dancers (i.e., those who do not engage in square dancing).

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation (SI) are prevalent and co-occurring among adolescents, serving as critical predictors of suicide. This study aimed to develop a predictive model and nomogram for suicide attempts (SA) in Chinese adolescents with mood disorders exhibiting NSSI and SI.

Adjunctive antidepressant (AD) use is prevalent for the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) in many countries, but there is little information about this practice in Asia. Accordingly, we addressed the prevalence, dosing, and clinical correlates of adjunctive AD use with BD in a large Asian sample.

No research to date has examined cross-cultural differences in the pathways to internet gaming disorder (IGD). The current study aimed to address this limitation by examining the relationships between nationality (Singaporeans vs. Australians), culture orientation, gaming motivations, and IGD.

Rapid cycling (RC) is a special subtype of bipolar disorder (BD). Previous studies have rarely involved the investigation of neurological soft signs (NSS) and emotional intelligence (EI) in rapid cycling patients.

Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative stress and the disruption of antioxidant defenses play an important role in the neurobiology of bipolar disorder (BD). Studies have found that increased oxidative stress may be associated with cell apoptosis and neuronal damage in BD patients. Hence, this study explored the research field related to BD and oxidative stress from a bibliometrics perspective.

The debate about observing total versus free serum valproate levels for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been unresolved for decades. This study was planned to assess the agreement between the total versus free valproate levels and the advantage of one method over the other in TDM.

The effectiveness of isolated resistance training (RT) on cognitive function among older adults with schizophrenia is insufficiently investigated. This study investigated the effectiveness of 12-weeks POWER rehabilitation, a novel RT regimen, on cognitive function among older patients with schizophrenia and frailty.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the global burdens of disease, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. An increasing amount of research indicates that ghrelin regulates mood in patients with MDD. Still, current results are inconsistent, and the mechanisms underlying how ghrelin modulates depressive symptoms are inconclusive, especially in first-episode drug-naïve MDD patients. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship and potential mechanism between ghrelin and first-episode drug-naïve MDD.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with detrimental effects on mental health and psychological well-being. Although multiple studies have shown decreases in mental health-related Emergency Department (ED) presentations early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the medium-term effects on mental health-related ED presentations have remained less clear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the pandemic on mental health ED presentations by comparing observed presentation numbers to predictions from pre-pandemic data.

Suicide and early alcohol use initiation are public health concerns. Previous studies have explored the associations between age of alcohol use initiation and suicidal behaviors, which progresses from ideation to action. Distinguishing between the various associations can help gain a deeper understanding of suicidal behaviors and aid in developing social suicide prevention strategies.