Iranian Journal of Psychiatry
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Autumn 2012

Cannabis is one of the most widely abused substances throughout the world. The primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9_THC), produces a myriad of pharmacological effects in animals and humans. Although it is used as a recreational drug, it can potentially lead to dependence and behavioral disturbances and its heavy use may increase the risk for psychotic disorders.Many studies that endeavor to understand the mechanism of action of cannabis concentrate on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids in humans. However, there is limited research on the chronic adverse effects and retention of cannabinoids in human subjects.Cannabis can be detected in body fluids following exposure through active/passive inhalation and exposure through breastfeeding. Cannabis detection is directly dependent on accurate analytical procedures for detection of metabolites and verification of recent use.In this review, an attempt has been made to summarize the properties of cannabis and its derivatives, and to discuss the implications of its use with emphasis on bioavailability, limit of detection, carry over period and passive inhalation, important factors for detection and diagnosis.

The aim of the present study was to compare the broader autism phenotype in Iranian parents of children with autism spectrum disorders and parents of typically developing children. Parents of children with ASD and parents of typically developing children were asked to complete the Persian version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). In the ASD group, families included 204 parents (96 fathers and 108 mothers) of children diagnosed as having autism (Autistic Disorder, or AD) (n=124), Asperger Syndrome (AS) or High Functioning Autism (HFA) (n=48) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) (n=32) by psychiatrists based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4thedition (DSM-IV-TR) criteria. In the control group, 210 (108 fathers and 102 mothers) parents of typically developing children. Parents of typically developing children were selected from four primary schools. Based on family reports, their children did not have any psychiatric problems. Total AQ score and each of the 5 subscales were analyzed using two-way ANOVAs with sex and group as factors. The mean age of ASD fathers was 40.6 years (SD=5.96; range 31-54), and of ASD mothers was 34.7 years (SD=4.55; range 28-45). The mean age of control fathers was 37 years (SD=4.6; range 29-45) and of control mothers was 34.11 years (SD=4.86; range 28-45). Group differences were found in age (p‹0/001). On total AQ, a main effect for group and sex was found. ASD parents scored higher than controls (F(1,410)=77.876, P‹0/001) and males scored higher than females (F(1,410)=23.324, P‹0/001). Also, Group by Sex interaction was significant (F(1,410)=4.986, P‹0/05). Results of MANOVA analysis displayed significant differences between ASD''s subgroups on total AQ and subscales scores (F (15, 1121) = 13.924, p<0.0005; Wilk''s Lambda= 0.624, partial =0.145). Pairwise comparisons between ASD''s subgroups and Normal group showed that mean scores for the Asperger group are significantly more than other groups in total AQ, attention switching and communication subscales (p<0.05). The frequencies of BAP (X^2=52.721 (DF=1), P‹0/001), MAP (X^2=17.133 (DF=1), P‹0/001) and NAP (X^2=12.722 (DF=1), P‹0/001) in ASD parents were significantly more than control parents. The frequencies of Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) (X^2=3.842 (DF=1), P›0/05) and Medium Autism phenotype (MAP) (X^2=0.060 (DF=1), P›0/05) did not significantly differ in ASD fathers and mothers, but the proportion of fathers in Narrow Autism Phenotype(NAP) range was more than mothers (X2=14.344, P‹0/001). Results of the present study revealed that parents of children with ASD scored significantly higher than control parents on total AQ and its subscales and the rates of BAP, MAP and NAP were higher in ASD parents than in controls. In addition, in ASD''s subgroups, the parents of Asperger children scored significantly more than other subgroups (Autism and PDD-nos) and the normal group on total AQ and some subscales.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders which affects married couples frequently.The present study aims to explain the role of family processes, social support and demographic factors in marital satisfaction of women with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In this cross-sectional study, 188 women with MDD were randomly selected among the patients who visited Bozorgmehr Clinic of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The sample selection was carried out through structured psychiatric interviews based on DSM-TV-TR criteria. Data were collected using Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), Family Process Scale (FPS) and Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ).The Mann Whitney U, Multivariate and ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. No relationship was observed between age, educational level, age difference of couples and number of children with family processes and marital satisfaction (p≥0.05). The patients with low educational level reported less social support (p≥0.05).Marital satisfaction and family coherence were lower when the husband had a psychiatric disorder (P≤0.01). The family processes (family coherence, problem-solving skills, communication skills and religious beliefs) and social support positively predicted marital satisfaction, while the husband''s psychiatric disorders negatively predicted marital satisfaction. The findings highlight the significance of family processes, social support and husband''s psychiatric disorders in marital satisfaction of women with MDD.

The study aimed to evaluate the correlation of maladjusted schema and locus of control with OCD, with the emphasis on cognitive approach to OCD. In this study, 273 Iranian participants were selected; of whom,30% were male and 70% were female. Participants’age ranged from 19 to 34 and the mean age for the sample was 23.42(SD=2.46). Participants completed questionnaire batteries including measure of Levenson Locus of Control, Young Schema Scale and Y –bocsOCD Scale. One sample consisted of patients with a primary OCD according to DSM-IV criteria. The other sample selected for this cross-sectional study was university students. Regression statistics item and reliability analysis were calculated with SPSS and LISREL software. Obsessive compulsive disorder was significantly predicted with both schema and powerful others’ locus of control, as these relations were large but association schema with OCDwas larger than the correlation OCD with powerful others (OCD with schema p.v<0.001 β=.47 and OCD with powerful others p.v<0.001 β=.15). The findings of the present study showed that schema and powerful others type of locus of control, were significantly related to both total OCD symptom severity and also to other sub scale of OCD. It is important to mention that schema can significantly predict all symptoms dimension of OCD. Furthermore, the analyses showed that schema was a strong predictor for obsessive thinking.

In human beings, the balance control is a result of an integration of physical and psychological factors and people show different reactions when feel anxious or face stability threatened conditions such as standing on an unstable surface. University students, particularly the female ones, are a group of the society who are prone to face anxieties. The current study focused on the effects of anxiety on balance index in young female university students. A group of 15 female students with a high anxiety score (higher than 42 in Shpielberger Questionnaire) and a group of 15 female students with a low anxiety score (lower than 42 in Shpielberger Questionnaire) were recruited for this study. Using a Biodex stabilometer (Biodex System, USA), the antero-posterior (AP), medio-latral (ML) and the overall dynamic stability index (SI) of the subjects were recorded and compared. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups. Subjects with a high anxiety score showed a stability index higher than those in the low anxiety group (p<0.005), which simply indicate significantly less stability in this group. This study showed that subjects with higher anxiety scores were less stable compared to those subjects with lower anxiety scores.

Chronic arsenic poisoning (Arsenicosis) is a global health risk, and it has been reported to improve the fitness, especially in altitudinal sickness in therapeutic dose. Scarcity of systematic study on psychiatric co-morbidities in Arsenicosis motivated us to conduct this research. The aim of this study was to estimate the co-morbid psychiatric disorders in patients with arsenicosis and to examine whether natural arsenic exposure and toxicity is protective or detrimental for mental health. Out of 1477 arsenicosis patients aged 18 to 65 years, 1169 were finally assessed after excluding those who were disinclined to participate or those who had any organ failure or prior psychiatric disorder in themselves or their first-degree relatives. We applied General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to screen psychiatric symptoms. Finally, 191 patients with BPRS score > 30 were structurally interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). Of the 1169 participants in our study, 18.99 % of the arsenicosis patients had psychiatric ailments. Common psychiatric manifestations were depression (8.47%), mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (4.61%), adjustment disorder in the form of mixed anxiety and depressive reaction, and brief depressive reaction (2.22%), and suicidal attempts (1.53%). Considering the higher prevalence of psychiatric ailments in arsenicosis compared to general population of the same territory, it is necessary to screen psychological disorders in them. Conducting studies with control groups to further evaluate the impact of arsenicosis on mental health is warranted.

We examined the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Obsessive Compulsive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44) in a sample of Kuwait University students. This questionnaire was developed by the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group in order to assess belief domains believed to be crucial in the development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. The Arabic version of the OBQ-44 was developed according to the standard translation and back-translation methods. The Arabic versions of the OBQ-44, the Maudsley Obsessive - Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and Beck Depression Inventory-Revised (BDI-II) were then administered on a sample of 200 Kuwait University students from the faculty of humanities chosen through random cluster sampling. Retest was administered within a 4 week time period. The results of principle component factor analysis with varimax rotation indicated 6 factors which overlapped to a high degree. A 3 factor solution was chosen based on the scree plot and factor loadings which explained 36.12% of the variance. The factors were labeled as responsibility and threat estimation (RT), importance and control of thought (ICT) and perfectionism/Certainty (PC). The reliability coefficient of the three factors and the total score were assessed using three Internal consistency, Test-retest reliability and Split-half reliability. Results showed an acceptable internal consistency for the Arabic version of the OBQ-44. Regarding the validity of OBQ-44, the instrument correlated with the total score of MOCI and most of its subscales. These data support the reliability and validity of the OBQ-44 in a sample of Kuwait University students.

Ocular dryness is a well-recognized adverse side effect of many topical and systemic medications. In psychiatry, patients who have consumed such drugs as lithium carbonate and sodium valproate frequently experience dry eye symptoms. The purpose of this study was to compare tear film stability between patients who use these drugs with those patients who are not on medication. After obtaining informed consent, the tear film break up time (TBUT) test was performed in 96 eyes of 48 subjects. The subjects were placed in to three groups. Participants included two groups of euthymic bipolar disorder patients (16 cases each) with history of pharmacotherapy for more than two years. Patients in each group were taking only one type of mood stabilizer (lithium carbonate or sodium valproate). In addition,16 age-matched bipolar patients who did not take any topical or systemic medications were included in a control group. Values of TBUT were compared between the three groups using the student’s t-test. The mean tear film break up time (TBUT) in test groups were 4.88 seconds± 0.34(lithium group), 4.81 seconds ± 1.60 (valproate group) and 15seconds± 2.0(control group), respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between the first and the second groups in TBUT values, but significant differences were found between the two groups and the control group (P< 0.0001). The results of this study show that lithium carbonate and sodium valproate contribute to decrease of tear film break up time, resulting from dryness of the eyes.