Challenges and approaches to tackling mental disorders during the pandemic
According to the World Health Organization, close to 1 billion people are living with a mental disorder, and one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Now, billions of people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is having a further impact on mental health . Participating experts at the symposium pointed out that COVID-19 and mental disorders have a bidirectional relationship; a meta-analysis shows that patients diagnosed with mental health disorders before testing positive for COVID-19 have a higher than average risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality . Another survey reveals that after being infected by COVID-19, more than 50 percent of patients demonstrated at least moderate symptoms of major depression . In the United States, the prevalence of depression symptoms during the pandemic was more than three times higher than before , and in a nationwide survey in China, approximately 35 percent of respondents experienced psychological distress .Experts also noted that due to COVID-19, the number of patients with mental disorders has significantly increased, and the management of their treatment has become more challenging. Increased limitations affecting treatment, including transport controls and the limited number of healthcare workers, have created problems for patients and have also reduced their capacity for compliance. In addition, treatments such as Electroconvulsive Therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and impatient treatment have faced more restrictions due to the pandemic.
Managing bipolar disorder: diagnosis and medication of bipolar depression are the difficulties
Bipolar disorder is a severe mental disorder, and patients with this disorder face a high risk of suicide. If the condition is left untreated, suicide rates may be 20 times higher than in the general population , resulting patient deaths and significant trauma to patients’ families. Bipolar disorder typically consists of both manic and depressive episodes separated by periods of normal mood; the clinical manifestations are complex and diverse. Clinically, the diagnosis rate is low and misdiagnosis and under diagnosis rates are high, and it is not unusual for bipolar disorder to be misdiagnosed as unipolar depression. When it comes to the management of bipolar disorder, experts remarked that correctly distinguishing bipolar depression from unipolar depression is one of the main challenges. Based on their previous clinical experience, physicians can make a comprehensive assessment of a patient by asking about his or her family history of hereditary diseases and mental health problems. For example, patients are asked whether any of their immediate family members have or have had bipolar disorder, have attempted suicide or have other severe mental disorders, in addition to whether the patients had severe depressive symptoms before the age of 25, have developed treatment resistance after taking multiple antidepressants, have experienced manic or hypomanic behaviors in the past, or have experiences such as being hospitalized, arrested or dismissed from their job because of their symptoms. In the treatment of bipolar depression, according to the CANMAT 2018 guidelines, lithium and antipsychotics, including quetiapine, have a higher-level of recommendation based on the clinical effectiveness of these two types of drugs. In the panel discussion session, the participating experts also noted that mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics (such as quetiapine) are given priority for use in treating bipolar disorder patients with comorbid anxiety symptoms.Luye Pharma: building academic platforms in the CNS field to provide support for physicians
The Asia Pacific Psychiatry Symposium is positioned to be forward-looking, practical, and innovative, and acts as an academic platform combining the most up-to-date topics on the frontiers of psychiatry and clinical practice. Compared to previous years, the topics of the 2021 symposium are more closely associated with the needs of mental health services today, with interactive programs such as panel discussion added to address topical issues, difficulties and challenges of concern to psychiatrists. The half-day symposium held online this year generated approximately 6,500 views, covered more countries and regions than previously, and exerted greater influence, attracting a higher level of professional attention. Luye Pharma, the event organizer, has long been working in the central nervous system (CNS) therapeutic area. In addition to offering high-quality and innovative drugs, the company is also committed to providing professional support and services to physicians and patients. Zhou Jun, Vice President of Marketing at Luye Pharma (International), said, "We are glad to see that this academic platform is steadily receiving greater attention from more physicians. Asia Pacific is a starting point for us, and looking ahead, we hope to continue to drive academic exchange covering the CNS therapeutic area for psychiatric professionals in more countries and regions around the world. We look forward to working further with experts and academics in this area to drive the development of clinical treatment for CNS disorders."