Combined Neurocognitive And Metacognitive Rehabilitation In Schizophrenia: Effects On Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 615-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Buonocore ◽  
M. Bosia ◽  
R. Riccaboni ◽  
M. Bechi ◽  
M. Spangaro ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundA Metacognitive Training for Schizophrenia patients (MCT) was developed to target the cognitive biases that characterize the illness. Results suggest positive MCT effects encompassing several aspects of psychopathology and subjective well-being. There are still open questions concerning the effect on different cognitive biases and the interplay between them and both psychopathology and neurocognition. Specifically, the bias against disconfirmatory evidence (BADE) has never been tested in previous trials on MCT. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of MCT combined with a cognitive remediation therapy (CACR) in schizophrenia and its effect on BADE. Moreover, we investigated the relationships between BADE and both neuropsychology and psychopathology, taking into account mutual influences on the degree of improvement.MethodsFifty-seven schizophrenia outpatients were randomly assigned to CACR + control group or MCT+CACR and assessed at baseline and after treatment for psychopathology, neurocognition and BADE.ResultsAfter MCT+CACR patients showed significantly greater improvements on BADE. Although BADE baseline performances correlated with several cognitive domains, no association was found between BADE improvement and neurocognitive nor psychopathological measures.ConclusionsThis study enlightened for the first time the efficacy of MCT+CACR on BADE in schizophrenia, suggesting the importance to develop a more specific intervention tailored on individual needs of patients.

2021 ◽  
pp. 008467242098348
Author(s):  
Jacek Prusak ◽  
Krzysztof Kwapis ◽  
Barbara Pilecka ◽  
Agnieszka Chemperek ◽  
Agnieszka Krawczyk ◽  
...  

The aim of the article is to examine differences in the quality of life (the psychophysical, psychosocial, personal, and metaphysical spheres) as well as gratitude, meaning in life and positive orientation to life between diocesan and religious seminarians and secular students. The influence of religiosity on quality of life and subjective well-being is the subject of numerous studies, but seminarians (i.e. people preparing to be priests) have rarely been included in them. The present research was carried out for the first time with a group of diocesan and religious seminarians in Poland and secular students. The study involved 296 participants—98 diocesan seminarians, 96 religious seminarians and 102 secular students in the control group. Results showed significant differences in the quality of life. Religious and diocesan seminarians scored higher than the control group members in the psychophysical, personal, psychosocial and metaphysical spheres. In addition, in terms of gratitude, and the presence of meaning in life, religious and diocesan seminarians achieved higher scores than the control group but lower scores in searching for the meaning in life. There were no significant differences between diocesan and religious seminarians except that only diocesan seminarians obtained significantly higher scores on positive orientation to life than the control group. Overall, results support the idea that seminarians have higher quality of life and subjective well-being than secular students. Research implications are discussed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Walach ◽  
Stefan Schmidt ◽  
Yvonne-Michelle Bihr ◽  
Susanne Wiesch

We studied the effect of experimenter expectations and different instructions in a balanced placebo design. 157 subjects were randomized into a 2 × 4 factorial design. Two experimenters were led to expect placebos either to produce physiological effects or not (pro- vs. antiplacebo). All subjects except a control group received a caffeine placebo. They were either made to expect coffee, no coffee, or were in a double-blind condition. Dependent measures were blood pressure, heart rate, well-being, and a cognitive task. There was one main effect on the instruction factor (p = 0.03) with the group “told no caffeine” reporting significantly better well-being. There was one main effect on the experimenter factor with subjects instructed by experimenter “proplacebo” having higher systolic blood pressure (p = 0.008). There was one interaction with subjects instructed by experimenter “proplacebo” to receive coffee doing worse in the cognitive task than the rest. Subjects instructed by experimenter “antiplacebo” were significantly less likely to believe the experimental instruction, and that mostly if they had been instructed to receive coffee. Contrary to the literature we could not show an effect of instruction, but there was an effect of experimenters. It is likely, however, that these experimenter effects were not due to experimental manipulations, but to the difference in personalities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-255
Author(s):  
Maria Magdalena Setyaningsih ◽  
Emy Sutiyarsih

Kehamilan remaja adalah kehamilan yang terjadi pada remaja berusia kurang dari 20 tahunan. Kehamilan remaja memberikan banyak kerugian bagi kesehatan, mental dan psikologis, kesejahteraan ekonomi dan peluang karier, kemiskinan dan prospek kehidupan masa depan remaja. Tujuan penelitian mengidentifikasi faktor determinan yang melatarbelakangi terjadinya kehamilan remaja. Jenis penelitian adalah penelitian analitik kategorik jenis survei kuantitatif dengan desain case control. Populasi semua perempuan yang bertempat tinggal di wilayah dusun Wonosari, Sukosari, dan Krajan Pandansari dan pernah/sedang hamil pertama kali pada usia kurang dari 20 tahun. Teknik pengambilan sampel cluster random sampling besar sampel 73. Berdasarkan hasil model akhir analisis multivariat, diketahui bahwa variabel pendidikan, riwayat kehamilan remaja pada keluarga dan usia menikah merupakan variabel yang berhubungan dengan kejadian kehamilan remaja setelah dikontrol oleh variabel akses informasi, responden berpendidikan rendah memiliki peluang 20,8 kali lebih tinggi, responden yang memiliki riwayat kehamilan remaja pada keluarga memiliki peluang 14,9 kali lebih tinggi, responden yang menikah pada usia <20 tahun memiliki peluang 12,1 kali lebih tinggi, responden dengan pemahaman yang kurang baik terkait penggunaan kondom memiliki peluang 5,9 kali lebih tinggi untuk terjadi kehamilan remaja. Oleh karena itu perlu dibangun karakter buiding, sosial karakter suport untuk para ibu remaja dan keluarga sehingga terbangun interaksi yang baik dalam keluarga yang dilandasi dengan pendidikan dan pemahaman yang baik tentang Pendidikan seksualitas. Teen pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs in adolescents aged less than 20 years old. Teen pregnancy provides many disadvantages for health, mental, psychological, economic well-being, career opportunities, poverty, and the future life. The aim of the study was to identify the determinants underlying teen pregnancy incidence. This study was a quantitative study with categorical analytic method. The study design used a case control with two comparison groups. The groups were control group and case group. The population in this study was all women who lived in the Wonosari, Sukosari, and Krajan Pandansari district and had or were pregnant for the first time at the age of less than 20 years old. Seventy three respondents were recruited using cluster sampling technique. The case group consists of women who were or had pregnant for the first time at the age of less than 20 years old and their children are currently aged ≤ 1 years old. The control group consists of women who were pregnant for the first time at the age of > 20 years old. The data was collected using a questionnaire. The findings showed that education, history of teen pregnancy in family and the age of marriage were related to the incidence of teen pregnancy after being controlled by information access. Low-educated respondents had 20.8 times higher chance of experiencing teen pregnancy; respondents with a history of teen pregnancy in the family had 4.9 times higher chance of experiencing teen pregnancy; respondents who were married at the age of < 20 years old had 12.1 times higher chance of experiencing teen pregnancy; respondents with poor understanding of condom use had 5.9 times higher chance of teenage pregnancy. In conclusion, the findings suggest to build good interactions in the family based on education and a good understanding of sex education.


Author(s):  
Consuelo Novoa ◽  
Claudio Bustos ◽  
Vasily Bühring ◽  
Karen Oliva ◽  
Darío Páez ◽  
...  

Being a parent plays an important role in people’s life trajectory and identity. Though the general cultural perception is that having children is a source of subjective well-being, there is evidence that, at least in some societies, the subjective well-being of those who are parents is worse, in some aspects, than that of those who are not. This gap has been the object of interest and controversy. The aim of this study was to compare Chilean adults with and without children in a broad set of well-being indicators, controlling for other sociodemographic variables. A public national probabilistic database was used. The results show that, in terms of positive and negative affect, those who are not parents achieve greater well-being than those who have children. Other results also pointed in that direction. The implications of the social context and gender, which are aspects that pose a burden for the exercise of parenthood in Chile, are discussed.


Author(s):  
Tzofnat Zadok-Gurman ◽  
Ronit Jakobovich ◽  
Eti Dvash ◽  
Keren Zafrani ◽  
Benjamin Rolnik ◽  
...  

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on teachers professional and personal lives. Our primary aim was to assess the effect of a blended Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), an emerging mindfulness and cognitive reframing intervention on teacher’s well-being. Our secondary aims were to assess the effect of IBSR on resilience, burnout, mindfulness, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was a prospective controlled trial with an intervention group (N = 35) and a comparison control group (N = 32). The intervention took place in the Jerusalem District throughout the school year from November 2019 to May 2020. The sessions were conducted in blended learning that included traditional learning (face-to-face) and online learning. Data was analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: IBSR blended intervention enhanced the resilience and improved the subjective and psychological well-being of teachers in spite of the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first lockdown in Israel. Simultaneously the control group suffered from enhanced burnout levels and a decline in psychological and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Implementation of IBSR blended intervention during the school year may benefit teachers’ well-being and ability to flourish, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1114.2-1114
Author(s):  
M. Letaeva ◽  
M. Koroleva ◽  
J. Averkieva ◽  
O. Malyshenko ◽  
T. Raskina

Objectives:to assess the frequency of occurrence of the anxiety-depressive spectrum in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.Methods:A survey was conducted of 44 patients aged from 21 to 57 years (average age - 42.3 ± 6.7 years), who were treated at GAUZ KO OKGVV. All patients had a verified diagnosis of RA and AS according to the ACR criteria and received treatment with basic drugs. The control group consisted of 40 people comparable in age and sex, without concomitant pathology of RA and AS.The depression screening card, the subjective well-being scale, and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) were used to assess and detect anxiety-depressive syndrome. The assessment of the condition is carried out over the last 2 weeks, which corresponds to the temporary diagnostic criterion for depression.The Depression Screening Scale is a 35-item self-questionnaire that assesses 7 categories of signs: sleep and appetite disorders, anxiety, emotional instability, cognitive impairment, loss of self, guilt, and suicidal tendencies. A total score of 65 and above indicates a high likelihood of depression.The Subjective Well-Being Scale is a psychodiagnostic screening tool for measuring the emotional component of subjective well-being or emotional comfort.Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Zigmond A.S., Snaith R.P. was developed for the primary detection of depression and anxiety in a general medical practice. The HADS scale consists of 14 statements with 4 possible answers and includes two parts: anxiety and depression. The sum of points of 8 or more is regarded as “subclinically expressed anxiety / depression”, 11 or more points - “clinically expressed anxiety / depression”.Results:According to the results of the depression screening questionnaire, 34 (77.3%) patients with RA and AS showed signs of depression, while in the control group only 6 (15%) patients tested positive for the presence of depressive disorders. According to the data obtained when assessing the scale of well-being in the main group, 26 (59.1%) patients showed signs of emotional discomfort (the indicator was 80% or more), in the control group - in 6 (15%). Using the hospital scale of anxiety and depression HADS, anxiety-depressive syndrome was detected in 36 (81.8%) patients with RA and AS: 16 (44.4%) patients had anxiety, 20 (55.6%) - depression, of them, subclinically expressed anxiety and depression were observed in 10 (27.7%) and 12 (33.3%) people, respectively. Anxiety-depressive syndrome in the control group, according to the HADS questionnaire, was detected only in 8 (20%) patients, of whom 4 (10%) patients had subclinical anxiety and 4 (10%) had signs of depression. No clinically pronounced anxiety and depression were registered in the control group.Conclusion:In most patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, anxiety-depressive disorders have been identified, which can directly affect both the course of the disease itself and the development of various complications. Timely diagnosis of mental disorders and close cooperation of rheumatologists, psychiatrists and psychologists in the selection of adequate therapy can improve the course and prognosis of the disease.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


Author(s):  
Samuel Browning ◽  
E. Scott Geller

To investigate the impact of writing a gratitude letter on particular mood states, we asked students in two university classes (a research class and a positive psychology class) to complete a 15-item mood assessment survey (MAS) twice a day (once in the morning and once at night). The research students who signed up for one or two pass/fail field-study credits in a research class also completed the MAS twice a day, but they did not write the weekly gratitude letter that was expected from the students in the positive psychology class. Each mood state was averaged per each day for the participants in each group and compared between the Gratitude Group and the Control Group. No group difference occurred for some mood states like “incompetent,” but for the “unmotivated” mood state, a significant difference was found. To investigate the potential effect of weekday, we compared the average mood rating between groups for each day of the week. For the mood state of “unmotivated”, a remarkable dip occurred on Wednesday for the Gratitude group, but not for the Control group. These results indicated that writing a gratitude letter increased the benefactor’s motivation, especially on the day when it was accomplished.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-168
Author(s):  
Stefanus Arista Christanto ◽  
Dea Brenda ◽  
Clara Assisiansi ◽  
Maria Jessica Pangestu ◽  
Ignatia Sarita ◽  
...  

A preliminary study of students of a psychology faculty, revealed the fact that there are some students with low life satisfaction and negative affect during their college life. Low subjective well-being (SWB) was associated with decreased productivity and cognitive flexibility, which are important elements for studying. Previous researchers found a significant correlation between gratitude and SWB. The aim of this study is to enhance student SWB through an intervention of gratitude letter. We use two stages in this study: first a descriptive method (N = 282) to have an accurate description of the level of their SWB. Then, we select 60 students with the lowest SWB to participate in the next stage, a quasi-experimental method with multiple group design, consisting of two experimental group and one control group. Measurements were conducted with modified SLS, SPANE, and GQ6. Data a-nalysis revealed significant differences in gratitude and positive affect level that are differrent in each group. Significant improvement in gratitude and subjective well-being based on the pre-test, post-test 1, post-test 2 were only found in the group that writes and expresses the gratitude letter.


2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Schilling ◽  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Ulf Köther ◽  
Matthias Nagel

Objective: The add-on intervention “metacognitive training for borderline patients (B-MCT)” targets cognitive biases in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We aimed to evaluate acceptance, feasibility, and subjective use of this group intervention. Methods: Forty-eight inpatients with BPD were randomly assigned to 8 sessions of B-MCT versus an active control intervention (progressive muscle relaxation). Subjective use was assessed after 4 weeks. Results: B-MCT yielded significantly superior scores relative to the control group on several parameters, for example, use, fun, recommendation, and subjective improvements in symptomatology and cognitive abilities (e.g., perspective taking). Conclusions: The trial provides preliminary evidence for the acceptance and feasibility of metacognitive training in BPD. However, randomized controlled trials with larger samples and symptomatic outcomes are needed to investigate the specific impact of B-MCT on psychopathology and cognition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72
Author(s):  
Murat Yıldırım

Identifying factors that influence well-being are fruitful for improving the knowledge held about the correlates and predictors of well-being in both practice and theory. This research for the first time aimed to investigate whether irrational happiness beliefs, a newly presented construct, contribute to the affective components of subjective well-being over time. The sample included 103 undergraduate students (88 females and 15 males) whose ages varied from 18 to 29 years (M = 19.39 ±1.62). Participants completed measures of irrational happiness beliefs, positive affect, and negative affect both at Time 1 and Time 2 over three months apart. The findings showed that irrational happiness beliefs were significantly negatively related to positive affect only at Time 1. However, the research failed to provide evidence regarding the value of irrational happiness beliefs in predicting positive and negative affect over time. The results suggest that the impact of irrational happiness beliefs upon well-being may occur momentarily not over time. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed and directions for future studies are provided.


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