Understanding transitions from psychopathology to well-being is crucial for promoting recovery. Plasticity – the ability to modify brain functioning and mental states – is increasingly recognized as essential because it enables the reorganization of neural and mental processes underlying such transitions. Recently, a network-based approach that operationalizes plasticity, and the ability to transition to well-being, as the inverse of the connectivity strength within the symptom network has been proven effective in predicting both the likelihood and timing of recovery from major depressive disorder. This innovative method to measure plasticity is opening new avenues for timely diagnosis, patient stratification, and targeted, individualized treatment of mental illness. Overall, integrating the assessment of plasticity levels into precision psychiatry holds significant potential for developing novel and effective personalized therapeutic strategies in psychiatry.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes of viral hepatitis. We examined HEV seroprevalence and associations of sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics with HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) seropositivity in the Arab population. A cross-sectional single-centre study was conducted among adults in the Nazareth area during 2022. Blood samples were tested using the Altona Real-Star HEV-RNA and the Wantai IgG assays. Data on sociodemographics, health status, and lifestyle were collected using structured questionnaires.

Overall, 490 individuals (55.9% males) aged 18 − 96 (mean = 53.2, SD = 28.0) were enrolled. HEV IgG seropositivity was estimated at 21.4% (95% CI 17.9–25.3). No samples were HEV-RNA positive. The correlates of HEV IgG seropositivity were older age (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.07, 95% CI 1.04–1.09, P < 0.001) and consuming beef frequently (PR 2.81, 95% CI 1.40–5.63, P = 0.003). No associations were found between Arab religious groups (Muslim, Christian or Druze, representing different socioeconomic status and dietary habits) or pork consumption and HEV IgG seropositivity. In conclusion, HEV seropositivity was high in the Arab population, and assessing HEV in Ruminants, particularly cows, is warranted.

The present study investigated the relationships between maternal characteristics and subjective well-being (life satisfaction and optimism) among overweight Brazilian adult pregnant women. A cross-sectional study utilising baseline data from a randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 330 women were investigated. Maternal characteristics (sociodemographic, obstetric and lifestyle) were obtained through a structured questionnaire. Data on dietary intake were collected through two 24-h dietary recalls, and the usual diet was estimated using the Multiple Source Method. Life satisfaction and optimism were assessed using validated instruments. Both unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were employed to investigate the relationship between maternal characteristics and subjective well-being. Sleep quality was found to be positively associated with life satisfaction. Miscarriage and smoking during pregnancy were negatively associated with this sentiment. Additionally, a positive association was observed between optimism and maternal characteristics such as sleep quality, desired pregnancy and alcohol consumption in the previous 30 d. Furthermore, it was found that the consumption of sugary drinks, dietary fibre and Ca were positively associated with this same feeling. The present study showed that some maternal and food consumption characteristics were associated with subjective well-being among overweight pregnant women. It is, therefore, essential to recognise predictors of maternal mental health given their relevance to the field of public health.

In our ever digitalising society, our engagement with the online world has significant potential to have a negative impact on our mental health. Although the roles of public health and psychiatry are debated, clinicians are in a strategic position to assess usage and intervene, to prevent harms from problematic engagement with the internet.

The current study assessed the views and attitudes of health professionals (HPs) regarding factors associated with energy balance-related health behaviours and weight management in breast cancer survivors (BCS) with overweight and obesity. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 21 HPs (oncologists, dietitians- nutritionists, physical education instructors, mental health professionals, and nurses) from Attica and Thessaly. Thematic analysis was used to analyse and present the data. Four main themes arose from the data: “The patients’ mental health wellbeing”, “Survivors’ interest in diet and exercise”, “Interdisciplinary collaboration in patient’s care”, and “Maintaining normality”. HPs agreed that weight loss in BCS with overweight and obesity is important, but negative mental health wellbeing is a main barrier to behaviour change. For many BCS their cancer diagnosis is a “teachable” moment for weight management, especially for women of younger age, who are more keen to discuss weight management issues. Essential characteristics that determine/facilitate behavioural change include education, commitment for regular communication, personalised intervention, and interdisciplinary collaboration. According to HPs, future weight loss interventions should take into account BCS’s mental health wellbeing and level of motivation and should provide regular support and education.

Research has proven that engaging in active mobility (AM), namely walking and cycling for transportation, significantly enhances physical activity levels, leading to better physical health. It is still unclear whether AM could also offer any mental health benefits. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current knowledge on the relationship between AM and mental health, given its crucial role in public health. The authors searched online databases to isolate primary studies written in English involving an adult sample (16 or over). AM was the exposure factor. Many mental health elements were included as outcomes (depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-efficacy, stress, psychological and subjective well-being, resilience, loneliness and social support, quality of life, mood, life satisfaction and sleep). The results were organised in a narrative summary per each outcome selected, graphical syntheses and an overview of gaps to be further examined. The authors identified a total of 55 papers as relevant. The results show inconsistency in study designs, definition and operationalisation of the variables, approach and methodologies used. A cross-sectional design was the dominant choice, primarily examining data from national public health surveys. Nonetheless, there has been improvement in outcomes of interests, initially mainly the quality of life and affect. Lately, authors have focused on a broader range of mental health-related factors (such as travel satisfaction). The experimental studies showed promising mental health improvements in those who used active modes more than those who used motorised vehicles. It creates a rationale for further research towards implementing a unified theoretical and methodological framework to study the link between AM and mental health. The ultimate goal is to generate solid conclusions that could support building societies and cities through public health promotion and sustainable strategies, like walking and cycling as a means of transport.

Taste preference is a pivotal predictor of nutrient intake, yet its impact on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the association between taste preferences and MCI and the role of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) in this association. The study included older adults, aged 65–90 years, with normal cognitive function at baseline who were enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 2008 to 2018. MCI was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination, and multivariable Cox regression models were applied. Among 6423 participants, 2534 (39·45 %) developed MCI with an incidence rate of 63·12 - per 1000 person-years. Compared with individuals with insipid taste, those preferring sweetness or spiciness had a higher MCI risk, while saltiness was associated with a lower risk. This association was independent of objective dietary patterns and was more pronounced among urban residents preferring sweetness and illiterate participants preferring spiciness. Notably, among sweet-liking individuals, those with one CMD experienced a significant detrimental effect, and those with co-occurring CMD had a higher incidence rate of MCI. Additionally, regional variations were observed: sweetness played a significant role in regions known for sweet cuisine, while the significance of spiciness as a risk factor diminishes in regions where it is commonly preferred. Our findings emphasize the role of subjective taste preferences in protecting cognitive function and highlight regional variations. Target strategies should focus on assisting individuals with CMD to reduce excessive sweetness intake and simultaneously receiving treatment for CMD to safeguard cognitive function.

This study aimed to investigate the causal effect of dietary habits on COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalisation and severity. We used data from a large-scale diet dataset and the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative to estimate causal relationships using Mendelian randomisation. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main analysis. For COVID-19 susceptibility, IVW estimates indicated that milk (OR: 0·82; 95 % CI (0·68, 0·98); P = 0·032), unsalted peanut (OR: 0·53; 95 % CI (0·35, 0·82); P = 0·004), beef (OR: 0·59; 95 % CI (0·41, 0·84); P = 0·004), pork (OR: 0·63; 95 % CI (0·42, 0·93); P = 0·022) and processed meat (OR: 0·76; 95 % CI (0·63, 0·92); P = 0·005) were causally associated with reduced COVID-19 susceptibility, while coffee (OR: 1·23; 95 % CI (1·04, 1·45); P = 0·017) and tea (OR: 1·17; 95 % CI (1·05, 1·31); P = 0·006) were causally associated with increased risk. For COVID-19 hospitalisation, beef (OR: 0·51; 95 % CI (0·26, 0·98); P = 0·042) showed negative correlations, while tea (OR: 1·54; 95 % CI (1·16, 2·04); P = 0·003), dried fruit (OR: 2·08; 95 % CI (1·37, 3·15); P = 0·001) and red wine (OR: 2·35; 95 % CI (1·29, 4·27); P = 0·005) showed positive correlations. For COVID-19 severity, coffee (OR: 2·16; 95 % CI (1·25, 3·76); P = 0·006), dried fruit (OR: 1·98; 95 % CI (1·16, 3·37); P = 0·012) and red wine (OR: 2·84; 95 % CI (1·21, 6·68); P = 0·017) showed an increased risk. These findings were confirmed to be robust through sensitivity analyses. Our findings established a causal relationship between dietary habits and COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalisation and severity.

The human gut microbiota can biosynthesize essential micronutrients such as B-vitamins and is also known for its metabolic cooperative behaviour. The present study characterises such B-vitamin biosynthesizers, their biosynthetic pathways, explores their prevalence and abundance, examines how lifestyle or diet affects them in multiple Indian cohorts and compares it with the Chinese cohort. To achieve this, publicly available faecal metagenome data of healthy individuals from multiple Indian (two urban and three tribal populations) and a Chinese cohort were analysed. The distribution of prevalence and abundance of B-vitamin biosynthesizers showed similar profiles to that of the entire gut community of the Indian cohort, and there were 28 B-vitamin biosynthesizers that had modest or higher prevalence and abundance. The omnivorous diet affected only the prevalence of a few B-vitamin biosynthesizers; however, lifestyle and/or location affected both prevalence and abundance. A comparison with the Chinese cohort showed that fourteen B-vitamin biosynthesizers were significantly more prevalent and abundant in Chinese as compared with Indian samples (False Discovery Rate (FDR) <= 0·05). The metabolic potential of the entire gut community for B-vitamin production showed that within India, the tribal cohort has a higher abundance of B-vitamin biosynthesis pathways as compared with two urban cohorts namely, Bhopal and Kasargod, and comparison with the Chinese cohort revealed a higher abundance in the latter group. Potential metabolic cooperative behaviour of the Indian gut microbiome for biosynthesis of the B-vitamins showed multiple pairs of species showed theoretical complementarity for complete biosynthetic pathways genes of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenate.