The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth examination of the complex aspects of hereditary and pathological conditions arising based on psychogenetic factors, in particular, the disclosure of elements that determine the causes of their appearance. The following methods were used in the study: analytical, typological approaches, and generalization. It was found that genetic inheritance plays a significant role in the occurrence of autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other pathologies. The study revealed that the presence of a hereditary predisposition significantly increases the risk of developing these disorders in offspring. Genetic variations can affect various aspects of mental functioning and the molecular processes underlying these disorders. However, the important role of environmental factors in interaction with genetics has also been revealed. As part of this study, a plan was developed for a psychotherapist to work with parents raising a child with a mental disorder.

This study aims to investigate the effect of the normalization process after the pandemic on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. During the pandemic period, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and an interview form inquiring sociodemographic characteristics were applied to the participant patients with OCD. During the normalization process, the patients were reevaluated after about 1 year. A significant decrease was found in the patients' FCV-19S and PE-WSUR total scores along with all subscale scores as well as the Y-BOCS scores. The FCV-19S was associated with OCD symptoms both during the pandemic and the normalization period. The final FCV-19S scores of patients with a Y-BOCS score of 12 and under were found to be statistically significantly lower than the others. This study shows that OCD symptom severity and fear of COVID-19 decreased with the normalization process. A decrease in pandemic-related stress and fear of COVID-19 with the normalization process may have positively affected OCD patients.

Although scientific knowledge about bipolar disorder (BD) is readily available and accumulating, there is still a particular need to inform this inquiry with evidence generated in understudied cultures. This study was set up to fulfill this need, focusing on two objectives: ascertaining the levels of hypo(manic) and depressive symptoms ( i.e. , symptom profile) in Saudis with BD and looking at the psychopathological correlates of bipolarity. These objectives were addressed using data from 87 individuals with BD (M age = 30.95, ±9.58 years) and 86 nonclinical persons (M age = 22.20, ±1.29 years). Racing thoughts was the most common hypo(manic) symptom, whereas depressed mood was the most depressive symptom reported. Somatization and hostility psychopathological dimensions appeared to constitute significant independent predictors of bipolarity, independent of depression and hypo(mania). Findings partially replicate previous ones, indicating a cross-cultural resemblance for BD.

The study is devoted to the study of the relationship between stress caused in students by social isolation and the ability to switch tasks as one of the basic functions of attention. The study draws on the theoretical background of The Attentional Control Theory as the most appropriate method to study the factors influencing attention control under the influence of the effects of stress. The experiment includes a sample of 76 Chinese university students who experienced forced social isolation for 6 months. A statistically significant increase in physiological markers of stress was found in both cases, indicating that social isolation leads to an accumulation of stress and an increase in the intensity of stress reactions when students reexperience social stress after isolation. The practical significance lies in changing the approach to coping with the results of social isolation stress in students through changing the method of presenting educational information.

Early childhood adversity may dispose an individual to adopt a rigid and pervasive hypervigilant position toward information coming from others, resulting in high levels of epistemic mistrust (EM), which is supposed to increase the risk of developing psychopathology. A more intrinsic relationship between EM and the development of personality disorders (PDs) is assumed. Although the theory of epistemic trust (ET) is rather novel, it has quickly become widely accepted in the field, despite much empirical evidence. This is the first study investigating the level of ET and associations between ET and PDs among patients with PD, anxiety disorders, and a community sample. Our results demonstrated more severe impairments in ET in patients, and associations found between ET and the severity and types of PDs corroborate the theoretically assumed model. Future research with larger samples and prospective designs is needed to explore further and substantiate the theoretical assumptions about ET.

The main research purpose was to investigate the impact of piano courses on the mental health of the elderly. The sample consisted of 30 individuals. The age range of the participants was from 60 to 70 years. For 6 months, the respondents had piano lessons two times a week. One lesson lasted 2 hours and included the development of playing skills and improvisation techniques. The results confirmed the validity of the proposed learning strategy. The Taylor anxiety scale decreased by 19 points. These results showed a decrease of more than half of its original value. The Beck test for depression decreased by 21.5 points. The result shows a decrease two times. The test on the emotional background (the WAM questionnaire) shows an improvement in Well-Being by 3.3 points. In the group of respondents, Activity increased by 3.3 points, and the Mood factor increased by 3.5 points. The direction of further research should be related to the study of the impact of musical practices on various components of the clinical picture of depression and negative emotional states. The results can find practical implementation in the practice of psychotherapeutic work in reducing anxiety and eliminating depression in the elderly in clinics, hospitals, and other medical institutions.

This study investigates the impact of group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on depression reduction and quality of life improvement among individuals with Parkinson disease. A randomized clinical trial with pretest and posttest measurements involved 90 participants referred to Roozbeh Hospital in Tehran in 2023, who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 45) or a control group (n = 45). The experimental group underwent a 3-month CBT intervention comprising 12 sessions of 90 minutes each. Both groups completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire preintervention and postintervention. Data analysis via multivariate analysis of covariance using SPSS-25 revealed significant improvements in reducing depression and enhancing quality of life in the experimental group compared with the control group (p ≤ 0.01). These findings indicate that CBT is an effective treatment for reducing depression and improving the quality of life of individuals with Parkinson disease, demonstrating its clinical applicability in therapeutic settings.

The polymorphism of dopamine receptor (DRD) and oxytocin (OXT) may be associated with schizophrenia. A case-control study of 248 schizophrenia patients and 236 controls was conducted using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. The results showed that DRD2 rs1800497 was a heterozygote (AG vs. GG: adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-3.25) and DRD3 rs7631540 (TC vs. CC: adjusted OR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.36-1.02) may be associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. In addition, the DRD2 rs1800497 genotype GA showed a reduced risk of schizophrenia in the male subgroup and the late-onset subgroup (>27 years of age). For DRD3 polymorphisms, the rs7631540 TC genotype was associated with schizophrenia in the female subgroup. In OXT polymorphism analysis, rs2740210 codominant CA/AA was a risk factor for schizophrenia in the male and early-onset subgroup (≤27 years old). This study also concluded that OXT rs2740210 codominant CA/AA is associated with schizophrenia.

This study examined the relationship between change in symptom severity and personal recovery in patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Forty-nine outpatients at Mentrum/Arkin, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, were assessed at baseline and 3 years later, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Mental Health Recovery Measure. Correlation coefficients and linear regression analyses were used. Further, the impact of severity of symptoms at baseline on change in personal recovery was evaluated. Results show that change in symptom severity explained 31.8% of the variance of change in personal recovery. Change in depression/anxiety explained 27.3% of the variance of change in personal recovery. Higher affective symptom severity at baseline significantly predicted positive change in personal recovery. In conclusion, besides change in symptom severity, other potential determinants of personal recovery should be addressed in treatment of patients with SMI, for example, self-esteem and social functioning. Treatment of depression/anxiety symptoms may increase personal recovery.

Previous cross-sectional studies have utilized scales to explore potential indications of the moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between stressful life events (SLEs) and mental health. However, there remains a notable dearth of psychometrically driven models in longitudinal resilience research, especially concerning the prognosis of individuals with affective disorders and/or anxiety. This study aimed to investigate whether baseline resilience capacity, measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, could mitigate the impact of SLEs on depressive symptoms assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II among 66 outpatients with depression and/or anxiety disorders during a follow-up period ranging from 4-8 years. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that baseline resilience capacity significantly moderated the effect of SLEs on depressive symptoms at the end point, but neither SLEs nor baseline resilience capacity was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms at the end point after controlling for potential confounders. Patients with higher levels of baseline resilience capacity showed fewer depressive symptoms in response to SLEs. These findings underscore the potential of resilience capacity as a promising target for therapeutic interventions.

The use and perceptions of smartphone-based mental health applications (MH-Apps) in Saudi Arabia require exploration. This study investigated MH-App use among Saudi Arabian healthcare workers (HCWs), including psychiatrists, psychologists, and family medicine physicians. It also assessed HCWs' interest in and willingness to integrate these apps into their practices, as well as their cognitive flexibility and its relationship with their attitudes and app use. This cross-sectional study involved 386 participants recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. The Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS) was used to assess cognitive flexibility. The results showed that 33.2% of HCWs downloaded MH-Apps, with 67.9% considering them somewhat beneficial. However, most had not yet tried them. Only 7% of HCWs strongly agreed that these apps are evidence-based. Concerns about using these apps in their practices were reported by 36.5% of HCWs, with the most common concern being the lack of evidence-based support. The primary reason for downloading MH-Apps for personal use was to improve mental well-being, whereas patient-related use was psychoeducation. Furthermore, 27.5% of HCWs recommended MH-Apps to their patients, with old age, women, and psychiatrists/psychologists more likely to recommend them. Higher CFS scores were more strongly associated with older HCWs, those who had ever recommended MH-Apps, and those who used the apps. Saudi Arabian HCWs should be encouraged to use and recommend MH-Apps, with more evidence-based research needed to address concerns. Further research on cognitive flexibility's implications for clinical practice is also warranted.

Mental health encompasses the ability to cope with important stresses of life and to realize one's abilities in the community, and the COVID-19 pandemic represented a very stressful event for people with mental illnesses. Our aim was to assess mental well-being in people living with different mental disorders, comparing results obtained in 2016 with those observed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-six participants were assessed using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form and classified as "flourishing," "moderately mentally healthy," and "languishing." Overall, a significant increase in the prevalence of "flourishing" and "moderately mentally healthy" subjects and a reduction of "languishing" subjects ( p = 0.003) were observed. However, a significant improvement in well-being ( p = 0.005) was observed only in the schizophrenia spectrum disorder group. Moreover, only subjects that never contracted SARS-CoV-2 showed a significant ( p = 0.019) increase in positive well-being states. Lockdowns may have led caregivers to spend more time with the participants, also increasing treatment adherence, resulting in an improvement of overall well-being in several participants.

This study aimed to determine the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the correlation between mindfulness and psychological resilience. This study was conducted with a total of 119 patients diagnosed with major depression. Data were collected with Personal Information Form, Mindfulness Scale, Emotion Regulation Difficulties Scale, and Psychological Resilience Scale. The study participants reported moderate levels of mindfulness and emotion regulation difficulties, and above-average levels of psychological resilience. It was found that there was a moderately negative correlation between mindfulness and emotion regulation difficulties ( r = -0.553, p < 0.001), as well as between psychological resilience and emotion regulation difficulties ( r = -0.429, p < 0.001). A moderately positive correlation was determined between mindfulness and psychological resilience ( r = 0.344, p < 0.001). Emotion regulation difficulties fully mediated the correlation between mindfulness and psychological resilience. These findings will guide the development of interventions aimed at enhancing mindfulness, emotion regulation skills, and psychological resilience in depression treatment.

This review aimed at summarizing the literature evidence on clinical, cognitive, and neurobiological correlates of impaired timing abilities in schizophrenia (SCZ). Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycInfo by looking at correlates between timing abilities and either symptom severity, cognition, and neurobiological data (imaging and electroencephalography) in individuals with SCZ, without restrictions on study design. A total of 45 articles were selected: associations were identified between impaired timing performance and positive, negative, and disorganization symptoms, as well as with executive functioning, working memory, and attention. Timing impairments were associated with altered motor coordination neural circuits. Despite high methodological and clinical heterogeneity, timing dysfunction may be associated with the symptom severity and cognitive impairments in SCZ. Further studies are needed to clarify the pathophysiology of this association and offer new therapeutic targets.

This study investigates the role of family and social relationships in cases of attempted suicide in China. Studies, mostly analyzing data from developed countries, have indicated that interpersonal relationships are important predictors of suicidal behaviors. This study's data were derived from a case-control study in China. Family relationships included relationships with spouses, parents, and parents-in-law. Poor family and social relationships were significantly associated with increased risk of attempted suicide in women and men. Depression and social support significantly mediated the association between interpersonal relationship and attempted suicide. Poor relationship with spouse was significantly associated with an elevated risk of attempted suicide. Relationship with parents-in-law was also significantly associated with attempted suicide in women, whereas family relationships played a more important role than social relationships in suicidal behaviors, especially in men. The findings imply that suicide prevention in China could be conducted from the perspective of improving family relationships, especially husband/wife and parents/daughters-in-law relationships.

Sexual violence is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but relatively less research has explored whether it is associated with hazardous drinking. PTSD symptoms may indirectly influence the association between sexual violence and hazardous alcohol use. This association may be moderated by gender. The aim of the current study was to cross-sectionally test whether sexual violence is indirectly associated with hazardous drinking through PTSD symptoms and explore whether gender moderates this association. Hypotheses were tested among 631 adults ( Mage = 38, 56% men, 78.6% White) with probable PTSD and hazardous drinking who completed online self-report surveys. Results indicated sexual violence, compared with other trauma types, was associated with more severe hazardous drinking. There was a significant indirect effect of PTSD symptoms in this association. There was no evidence of a moderating effect of gender. PTSD symptoms may drive hazardous drinking among sexual violence survivors. Results also underscore associations between sexual violence and alcohol use, regardless of gender. Future work should continue to investigate these associations prospectively.

Rituals represent a prominent human behavior in different contexts such as daily routines, life cycle stages, and psychopathology, for example, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) where they are referred to as compulsions. OCD compulsions differ from habitual behaviors and stereotypies regarding their formal features: acts repetition, the addition of nonfunctional acts, and attentional focus on basic motor units. This study aims to categorize OCD compulsions based on the motor patterns of acts repetition and inclusion of nonfunctional acts. We analyzed 28 video-recorded OCD compulsions; we adopted a cluster analytic model to identify distinct patterns within the data and determine cluster characteristics. Our findings revealed a moderate negative covariance between nonfunctionality and repetitiveness, indicating that as nonfunctionality increased, repetitiveness decreased. Three distinct clusters in OCD rituals were identified according to the motor pattern: "idiosyncratic rituals," characterized by strong incorporation of nonfunctional acts; "iterative rituals" showing high repetitiveness; and "routines," with minimal repetition and limited inclusion of nonfunctional acts. These motor patterns highlight evolutionarily conserved behavioral strategies aimed at coping with conditions of environmental unpredictability. The findings might allow fine-grained discrimination of ritual compulsions and help target personalized interventions.

The presence of specific craniofacial deviations may be evidence of abnormal early brain development in bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to compare mandibular morphology in patients with BD versus nonpsychiatric controls using panoramic radiography. A total of 215 recorded images, 70 patients with BD and 145 controls, were evaluated. Seven mandibular parameters of the ramus height (RH), condylar height (CH), gonial angle (GA), antegonial angle (AGA), antegonial notch depth (AND), ramal notch depth (RND), and bigonial width (BGW) were measured in a blinded manner. Group analysis was conducted separately for males and females. The univariate comparisons showed increased values in RH, CH, AND, RND, and BGW and decreased values in GA in males with BD compared with male controls. In addition, females with BD had higher RH, CH, RND, and BGW values in comparison to female controls. The differences were statistically significant. Data from multivariate analyses revealed that increases in RH and BGW values in both sexes were significant predictive variables that distinguished patients with BD from controls. Moreover, deeper AND was the most prominent predictor that distinguished male patients with BD from male controls. The identification of subtle changes in mandibular measurements is consistent with the notion of impaired neurodevelopment in BD.

Alexithymia presents a reduced ability to identify, express, and describe one's own emotions. In medical professionals, alexithymia is associated with increased burnout and substance use, as well as reduced altruistic behavior. Our aim was to examine the association between alexithymia and different sociodemographic, psychological, and somatic parameters among medical students. Participants included 186 third- and sixth-year students of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, Serbia. Data were collected through an online survey, composed of 1) a general questionnaire (sociodemographic data, education satisfaction, grade point average, presence of psychological and somatic disorders), 2) Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, 3) Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and 4) Beck Anxiety Inventory. Third-year students had significantly higher rates of alexithymia compared with sixth-year students. Negative correlation was found between alexithymia and educational satisfaction ( r = -0.276**) and alexithymia and grade point average ( r = -0.186*). A positive correlation was found between alexithymia and depression ( r = 0.424**) and alexithymia and anxiety ( r = 0.338**). The negative impact of alexithymia on educational satisfaction and psychological health is pronounced in the population of medical students, indicating a need for preventive programs aimed in medical schools.

Lifetime history of suicide attempts is associated with inflammatory mechanisms, severity of depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma. This cross-sectional study enrolled 54 suicide attempters and 154 nonsuicide attempters. All individuals were assessed through a questionnaire, a structured clinical interview, scales, anthropometric measures, and laboratory biomarkers. Individuals with a history of lifetime suicide attempts showed significant positive correlations regarding soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and severity of depressive symptoms (p = 0.013), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and severity of depressive symptoms (p = 0.04), and absenteeism from work and childhood physical abuse (p = 0.012). Suicide attempters also experienced more childhood trauma (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect) compared with nonsuicide attempters. IL-4 levels were significantly lower in individuals who attempted suicide than in nonsuicidal individuals. Lifetime suicide attempts in major affective disorders were associated with childhood trauma and proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

We aim to study Adverse childhood experiences' (ACEs') association with cognitive decline during adulthood. We reviewed data on subjective cognitive decline (SCD) for those ≥45 years of age. Logistic regression analysis, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval (CI) assessed the association between ACEs and SCD. We analyzed an adult survey (N = 3900, mean age: 60.9 years, male: 46%). The most common ACE reported was household substance abuse (22.4%), followed by parental divorce/separation (20.9%). The prevalence of SCD in those having at least one ACE was higher than those without any (16.5% vs. 8.1%, p < 0.001). SCD positively correlated with the number of ACEs (p < 0.001). The odds of SCD increase in proportion to the increase in the number of ACEs experienced. These findings should be replicated in a larger population while controlling for confounding factors.

This study aimed to investigate anxiety, depression levels, and emotional/behavioral problems of children and adolescents while being treated in the COVID-19 unit. The present study included 50 children who were COVID-19 positive, aged 7-18 years, and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The sociodemographic data form and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version (RCADS-C) were applied to all children, and all families were asked sociodemographic data form, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Parent Version (RCADS-P), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). There was no significant difference between the patient and control groups in terms of anxiety, depression levels, and emotional/behavioral problems. The conduct problems subscale score of SDQ in the patient group was found to be significantly lower than the control group (p = 0.037). Separation anxiety subscale scores of RCADS (p = 0.034) and the rate of accompanying companions (p = 0.01) in the patient group were found to be significantly higher in preadolescents than in adolescents. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that children and adolescents who were COVID-19 positive were not different from healthy children in terms of anxiety and depression levels, and emotional and behavioral problems in the acute period during inpatient treatment.

Volunteers who respond to disasters play a crucial role in disaster management. However, their indirect exposure to traumatic events during their duties can adversely affect their mental health. The aim of the study was to determine the correlation among trauma centrality, coping self-efficacy, and posttraumatic growth and trauma centrality as possible mediator role in this relationship. A total of 112 disaster volunteers participated. The data were collected with a Demographic Form, the Centrality of Events Scale, the Post-Traumatic Growth Scale, and the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale. Disaster volunteers exhibited above average event centrality, high levels of posttraumatic growth, and coping self-efficacy. A positive correlation was identified among trauma centrality, posttraumatic growth, and coping self-efficacy, with trauma centrality playing a full mediating role. This study will be instrumental in better understanding the posttraumatic processes of disaster volunteers and in strengthening coping capacities, guiding the implementation of preventive and protective psychosocial interventions.

The research is based on interpretive phenomenological analysis and the interview method. The sample involved 100 secondary school students from five to nine grades and eight physical education teachers. All participants studied the proposed physical education program in-person for one academic semester, as well as studied the program online for one academic semester. It was found that online learning was viewed unfavorably by 87% of teachers. However, 65% of participants admitted that learning opportunities were limited, and they experienced difficulties with appropriate lesson content, equipment, and space to foster a positive learning environment and a productive working context. In addition, marginalization occurred as parents and students paid more attention to other subject areas except for physical education. The research suggested that the majority of teachers (89%) were looking forward to full-time and face-to-face physical education training because they lacked personal relationships and interaction with their students.

This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and complicated grief among 529 adults residing in a container city, 4 months after the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. Participants were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, the Hamilton Depression Scale, and the Inventory of Complicated Grief. The prevalence rates of probable PTSD, depression, and complicated grief were 21.4%, 15.9%, and 64.7%, respectively. Logistic regression analyses indicated that PTSD was significantly associated with the loss of a loved one, fear of future earthquakes, and decreased perceived life control. Similarly, depression was associated with being trapped under debris, experiencing fear during the earthquake, and reduced perceived life control. These findings suggest that individuals presenting these risk factors warrant closer follow-up for potential psychological issues. Additionally, the impact of fear related to the earthquake and the role of perceived life control emerge as crucial considerations for psychological interventions.

Patients with psychiatric disorders often have foreshortened lives, attributed both to "natural" medical and "unnatural" external causes of death such as suicide, homicide, and accident. Many deaths are foreseeable due to circumstances linked to patients' psychiatric disorders. These can include illness-associated disparities, adverse treatment effects, lack of self-care, and behaviors stemming directly from psychopathological processes. Whereas some of these processes contribute indirectly to patients' causes of death, others are more directly consequential, causing patients to "die from" their psychiatric disorders. Some patients manifest likely fatal trajectories that may lead to "end-stage" psychiatric disorders. Palliative approaches may optimize their quality of life and potentially alter these trajectories, but patients with psychiatric disorders are less likely to receive optimal end-of-life care. Although assuring a "good death" can be challenging, systematic efforts can assist in providing patients with psychiatric disorders deaths with dignity rather than indignity.

As a nonpharmacological method for cognitive rehabilitation, older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may benefit from Baduanjin exercise (BE), a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. This meta-analysis was conducted to determine if BE is effective in enhancing cognitive performance in older adults with MCI. Using a combination of topic phrases and free words, systematic searches were executed in nine databases. Review Manager 5.4 was used to retrieve and statistically evaluate the data. Fourteen randomized controlled studies comprising 994 individuals aged ≥60 years were included in the meta-analysis. BE enhanced the general cognitive performance in individuals with MCI as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 2.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.17, 2.96; p < 0.001). The level of memory decline (Wechsler Memory Scale; SMD = 12.46; 95% CI, 8.36, 16.57; p < 0.001), executive function (Trail Making Test; SMD = -7.08; 95% CI, -11.21, -2.94; p < 0.001), and frailty (Edmonton Frailty Scale; SMD = -0.97; 95% CI, -1.30, -0.64; p < 0.001) were all improved with BE for older adults with MCI. This study presented a therapeutic practice guide for using BE for cognitive rehabilitation in older adults. BE notably improves cognitive function in older adults with MCI and can be an excellent nonpharmaceutical therapy option.

A good physician-patient relationship is essential for the delivery of quality health care and is associated with better health outcomes. This study explored the association between patients' object relations and the physician-patient relationship. Primary care patients (n = 72) and physicians (n = 21) participated in the study. Patients' early memories were obtained prior to their medical visit and were coded with the Social Cognition and Object Relations-Global Method (SCORS-G). Patients and physicians independently rated the quality of the physician-patient encounter. Results indicated that object relations (SCORS-G Cognitive-structural and Self factors) incrementally predicted physician-patient relationship ratings, as rated by the patient, above and beyond psychological distress, somatization, and level of physician training. Patient education, psychological distress, and level of physician training predicted physician ratings of the medical encounter. The authors discuss the discrepancy between physician and patient ratings as they relate to patients' object relations.