Emotional breakthrough and psychedelics: Validation of the Emotional Breakthrough Inventory

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1076-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leor Roseman ◽  
Eline Haijen ◽  
Kelvin Idialu-Ikato ◽  
Mendel Kaelen ◽  
Rosalind Watts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mystical Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Distinct Component ◽  
Psychological Changes ◽  
Before And After ◽  
High Internal Consistency ◽  
Prior Hypothesis ◽  
Experience Questionnaire

Background: Psychedelic therapy is gaining recognition and the nature of the psychedelic experience itself has been found to mediate subsequent long-term psychological changes. Much emphasis has been placed on the occurrence of mystical-type experiences in determining long-term responses to psychedelics yet here we demonstrate the importance of another component, namely: emotional breakthrough. Methods: Three hundred and seventy-nine participants completed online surveys before and after a planned psychedelic experience. Items pertaining to emotional breakthrough were completed one day after the psychedelic experience, as were items comprising the already validated Mystical Experience Questionnaire and the Challenging Experience Questionnaire. Emotional breakthrough, Mystical Experience Questionnaire and Challenging Experience Questionnaire scores were used to predict changes in well-being (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale) in a subsample of 75 participants with low well-being baseline scores (⩽45). Results: Factor analyses revealed six emotional breakthrough items with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha=0.932) and supported our prior hypothesis that emotional breakthrough is a distinct component of the psychedelic experience. Emotional breakthrough scores behaved dose-dependently, and were higher if the psychedelic was taken with therapeutic planning and intent. Emotional breakthrough, Mystical Experience Questionnaire and Challenging Experience Questionnaire scores combined, significantly predicted subsequent changes in well-being ( r=0.45, p=0.0005, n=75), with each scale contributing significant predictive value. Emotional breakthrough and Mystical Experience Questionnaire scores predicted increases in well-being and Challenging Experience Questionnaire scores predicted less increases. Conclusions: Here we validate a six-item ‘Emotional Breakthrough Inventory’. Emotional breakthrough is an important and distinct component of the acute psychedelic experience that appears to be a key mediator of subsequent longer-term psychological changes. Implications for psychedelic therapy are discussed.

Extending the Comfort Zone: Building Resilience in Older People With Long-Term Conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 825-848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Robinson ◽  
Esmée Hanna ◽  
Gary Raine ◽  
Steve Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Ongoing Support

This article examines how a 6-week mental health resilience course for people with long-term conditions (LTCs; diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis) increased perceived resilience of older participants. This article examines how peer support assisted participants to develop resilience, considers gender issues, examines the importance of course activities, and explores how resilience enhances quality of life. A mixed methods approach was used. A before-and-after questionnaire was administered 3 times, including 3-month follow-up. Interviews were held with 24 program participants, aged 45 to 80 years. Diaries were kept by participants over 3 months. Survey findings showed significant gains in perceived resilience, at the end of the course, with no significant drop-off after 3 months. Interview and diary narratives highlighted positive experiences around well-being, condition management, and social engagement. Peer support was key to effective processes. Challenges concern ongoing support in communities, and considering age and gender variables when researching what improved resilience means to older people with LTCs.

scholarly journals A Phase 1, Dose-Ranging Study to Assess Safety and Psychoactive Effects of a Vaporized 5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltryptamine Formulation (GH001) in Healthy Volunteers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Reckweg ◽  
Natasha L. Mason ◽  
Cees van Leeuwen ◽  
Stefan W. Toennes ◽  
Theis H. Terwey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Volunteers ◽  
Dose Escalation ◽  
Mystical Experience ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Onset ◽  
Psychoactive Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experience Questionnaire

5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a tryptamine with ultra-rapid onset and short duration of psychedelic effects. Prospective studies for other tryptamines have suggested beneficial effects on mental health outcomes. In preparation for a study in patients with depression, the present study GH001-HV-101 aimed to assess the impact of four different dose levels of a novel vaporized 5-MeO-DMT formulation (GH001) administered via inhalation as single doses of 2 (N = 4), 6 (N = 6), 12 (N = 4) and 18 mg (N = 4), and in an individualized dose escalation regimen (N = 4) on the safety, tolerability, and the dose-related psychoactive effects in healthy volunteers (N = 22). The psychedelic experience was assessed with a novel Peak Experience Scale (PES), the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), the Ego Dissolution Inventory (EDI), the Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), and the 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire (5D-ASC). Further aims were to assess the impact of 5-MeO-DMT on cognitive functioning, mood, and well-being. Higher doses of 5-MeO-DMT produced significant increments in the intensity of the psychedelic experience ratings as compared to the lowest 2 mg dose on all questionnaires, except the CEQ. Prominent effects were observed following single doses of 6, 12, and 18 mg on PES and MEQ ratings, while maximal effects on PES, MEQ, EDI, and 5D-ASC ratings were observed following individualized dose escalation of 5-MeO-DMT. Measures of cognition, mood, and well-being were not affected by 5-MeO-DMT. Vital signs at 1 and 3 h after administration were not affected and adverse events were generally mild and resolved spontaneously. Individualized dose escalation of 5-MeO-DMT may be preferable over single dose administration for clinical applications that aim to maximize the experience to elicit a strong therapeutic response.

scholarly journals The Well-being of Students in a Welsh Secondary School Before and After a COVID-19 Lockdown

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-51
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Smith ◽  
Arwel James
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Stress ◽  
School Students ◽  
Welsh Language ◽  
Before And After

Background: There has been considerable research on the well-being of secondary school students, most of which focuses on health-related behaviour or mental health issues. The well-being process model provides a framework that examines predictors of positive and negative well-being outcomes. The model has been validated in many studies of workers and university students. The present study examined the model's applicability to secondary school students whose education is conducted through the medium of the Welsh language. COVID-19 has disrupted education and well-being, and the present study presents profiles of well-being before and after the first COVID-19 lockdown in Wales. Aims: The first aim was to examine the applicability of the well-being process model to secondary school students. A second aim was to study students where teaching was in the Welsh language. Finally, the research examined the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown and identified predictors of current well-being after lockdown and the long term implications of COVID-19. Methodology: The research was carried out with the informed consent of the volunteers and approved by the School of Psychology, Cardiff University ethics committee. The participants were 214 students (111 males), and they represented each year group. An online survey was carried out, and the pre-COVID-19 associations between the well-being process predictor variables and outcomes were examined using regression analyses. Predictors of current and long-term well-being post-lockdown were also examined. Results: The data relating to the pre-COVID 19 periods confirmed that positive well-being was predicted by high scores for psychological capital and social support. Daytime sleepiness was negatively associated with positive well-being. Stress at school was predicted by high student stressors, negative coping, social support and low psychological capital scores. Post-lockdown well-being was predicted by psychological capital and negatively associated with academic stress and fear of infection, and the stress of isolation. The longer-term negative impact of COVID-19 was predicted by problem-focused coping, fear of infection, and social isolation. Conclusion: The results confirmed the applicability of the well-being process model to Welsh secondary school students. Lockdown during COVID-19 affected well-being, with the risk of infection and the stress of isolation and academic stress being the major negative influences.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality (VR)-Based Environmental Enrichment in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Mild Dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1103
Author(s):  
Waleed Riaz ◽  
Zain Yar Khan ◽  
Ali Jawaid ◽  
Suleman Shahid
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Mild Dementia ◽  
Error Ratio ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Vr Training ◽  
Input Error

Background: Despite an alarming rise in the global prevalence of dementia, the available modalities for improving cognition and mental wellbeing of dementia patients remain limited. Environmental enrichment is an experimental paradigm that has shown promising anti-depressive and memory-enhancing effects in pre-clinical studies. However, its clinical utility has remained limited due to the lack of effective implementation strategies. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the usability (tolerability and interactivity) of a long-term virtual reality (VR)- based environmental enrichment training program in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia. A secondary objective was to assess the effect of VR-based environmental enrichment on stabilization of cognitive functioning and improvement of mental wellbeing in older adults with MCI and mild dementia. Methods: A total of seven participants (four patients with MCI and three with mild dementia) received biweekly VR-based environmental enrichment over a course of 6 months. The tolerability and interactivity of the participants in the VR training was serially assessed via virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ) and recording of input-error ratio. Cognitive functioning was assessed through Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) before and after the study. Mental wellbeing was assessed through Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale (WEMWBS). Results: VR-based environmental enrichment was well-tolerated by the patients with significant decrease in VRSQ scores (p < 0.01) and input-error ratio (p < 0.001) overtime. VR training was also effective in stabilization of MoCA scores over the course of therapy (non-significant difference in the MoCA scores before and after the therapy) and was associated with a trend (p < 0.1) towards improvement in WEMWBS scores between the first and the last assessments. Qualitative observations by the care-givers further corroborated a noticeable improvement in mental wellbeing of patients. Conclusions: This pilot study shows that VR can be a feasible, tolerable, and potentially effective tool in long-term support of older adults with MCI and mild dementia.

scholarly journals Exploring student perceptions and awareness of social prescribing

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp19X703649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Mulligan ◽  
Daisy Kirtley ◽  
Claudia Santoni ◽  
Joel Chilaka ◽  
Bogdan Chiva Giurca
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Social Prescribing ◽  
Student Views ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Uk ◽  
New Strategies

BackgroundThe importance of social prescribing has been illustrated by the NHS Long Term Plan, as well as the GP Forward View published in 2016. Social prescribing is enabling healthcare professionals to refer patients to a link worker, to co-design a non-clinical social prescription to improve their health and well-being. A lack of awareness of social prescribing has been suggested in the past, although no studies have been formally conducted to date to provide the evidence basis for this statement.AimExploring perceptions, understanding, and awareness of social prescribing among medical students across the UK.MethodStudent views were collected using a survey delivered before and after teaching sessions as part of the NHS England National Social Prescribing Student Champion Scheme. A total of 932 responses were recorded from 27 different medical schools.ResultsPre-session surveys suggested that 91% (n = 848) of medical students have never heard of the concept of social prescribing before the teaching session. Post-session surveys highlighted that 98% (n = 913) of students regarded the concept as useful and relevant to their future careers following teaching on the subject.ConclusionSurvey findings confirm a significant lack of awareness regarding social prescribing among medical students from 27 different medical schools across the UK. New strategies are needed to ensure the doctors of tomorrow are equipped with the necessary tools to achieve the recent outcomes for graduates which highlight the importance of personalised care and social sciences.

scholarly journals Influence of Long-Term Fasting on Blood Redox Status in Humans

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo ◽  
Franziska Grundler ◽  
Nikolaos Goutzourelas ◽  
Fotios Tekos ◽  
Eleni Vassi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Redox Status ◽  
Intermittent Fasting ◽  
Fasting Period ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Before And After

Fasting is increasingly practiced to improve health and general well-being, as well as for its cytoprotective effects. Changes in blood redox status, linked to the development of a variety of metabolic diseases, have been recently documented during calorie restriction and intermittent fasting, but not with long-term fasting (LF). We investigated some parameters of the blood redox profile in 109 subjects before and after a 10-day fasting period. Fasting resulted in a significant reduction in body weight, improved well-being and had a beneficial modulating effect on blood lipids and glucose regulation. We observed that fasting decreased lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in plasma, concomitant with a uric acid elevation, known to be associated with fasting and did not cause gout attacks. Reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase in erythrocytes did not show significant changes. In addition, reduction in body weight, waist circumference, and glucose levels were associated to a reduced lipid peroxidation. Similar results were obtained by grouping subjects on the basis of the changes in their GSH levels, showing that a period of 10 days fasting improves blood redox status regardless of GSH status in the blood.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Loneliness and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cognition and Well-Being in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 240-240
Author(s):  
Justin Barber ◽  
Allison Gibson ◽  
Shoshana Bardach ◽  
Kelly Parsons ◽  
Julia Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Assessment ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Social distancing is necessary to limit the spread of Covid-19. However, many older adults are predisposed to isolation and loneliness despite calls to socially distance. The current study examined loneliness during Covid-19 in relation to cognition and wellbeing in older adults. Data were extracted from a U.S. ADRC longitudinal study of aging database. Cognition was assessed using the NACC UDS 3.0 battery. Measures of well-being include: Short Form Health Survey, Subjective Memory Assessment, and Geriatric Depression Scale. Measurement of loneliness was selected from the NIH ADRC Covid-19 questionnaire. Data were from 115 older adults with normal cognition or MCI with a visit ≤18 months before research stoppage in March 2020 and after resumption in late-June 2020. Cognition and wellbeing are compared before and after onset of pandemic. Isolation due to Covid-19 may have long-term implications. Results of this study will highlight the need for acute assessments and psychosocial interventions.

scholarly journals High dose psilocybin is associated with positive subjective effects in healthy volunteers

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 770-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R Nicholas ◽  
Kelsey M Henriquez ◽  
Michele C Gassman ◽  
Karen M Cooper ◽  
Daniel Muller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mystical Experience ◽  
Subjective Effects ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Composite Scores ◽  
Experience Questionnaire

Aim: The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between escalating higher doses of psilocybin and the potential psilocybin occasioned positive subjective effects. Methods: Healthy participants ( n=12) were given three escalating doses of oral psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg; 0.45 mg/kg; 0.6 mg/kg) or (18.8–36.6 mg; 27.1–54.0 mg; 36.3–59.2 mg) a minimum of four weeks apart in a supervised setting. Blood and urine samples, vital signs, and electrocardiograms were obtained. Subjective effects were assessed using the Mystical Experience Questionnaire and Persisting Effects Questionnaire. Results: There was a significant linear dose-related response in Mystical Experience Questionnaire total score and the transcendence of time and space subscale, but not in the rate of a complete mystical experience. There was also a significant difference between dose 3 compared to dose 1 on the transcendence of time and space subscale, while no dose-related differences were found for Mystical Experience Questionnaire total scores or rate of a mystical experience. Persisting Effects Questionnaire positive composite scores 30 days after completion of the last dose were significantly higher than negative composite scores. Persisting Effects Questionnaire results revealed a moderate increase in sense of well-being or life satisfaction on average that was associated with the maximum Mystical Experience Questionnaire total score. Pharmacokinetic measures were associated with dose but not with Mystical Experience Questionnaire total scores or rate of a mystical experience. Conclusions: High doses of psilocybin elicited subjective effects at least as strong as the lower doses and resulted in positive persisting subjective effects 30 days after, indicating that a complete mystical experience was not a prerequisite for positive outcomes.

scholarly journals Nurturing constructive change that works: a critical theory-informed model for transforming health service psychologists’ views of people with disabilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy O. Gathercoal ◽  
Kathleen A. Gathercoal ◽  
Winston Seegobin ◽  
Sarah Hadley
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transformative Experience ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Objective Observer

We have been developing and refining a disability training exercise for health service psychologists that is ever more effective at encouraging lasting change in the way students regard disabilities and the people who live with those disabilities. Although research suggests that simulation exercises tend to be ineffective at creating long-term attitude change in participants, quantitative and qualitative results indicate our exercise, composed of a simulation followed by debriefing and reflection, helps professionals better understand some of the challenges people with disabilities daily face, and how those challenges can affect their well being. We found this combination is more likely to yield long-term changes than any of these approaches alone. This paper is not principally the description of a pedagogical technique, but instead is an examination of how the combination of simulation, debriefing, and reflective journaling may challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about disabilities, e.g., that disabilities transform individuals into a different kind of human being (with either superhuman powers or as object of pity) instead of seeing these individuals as ordinary people facing extraordinary, and often society-created obstacles. One frequent call of Critical Theorists is to challenge those things we take for granted. Social and cultural structures create specific viewpoints and thus problematizing the apparent is necessary for understanding of, and emancipation from, potentially oppressive social structures. Inspired by this call to render the taken-for-granted as problematic, the exercise we describe creates inversions of performer/audience, professional/student, and scientist/researcher positions. In each of these inversions, the role of the objective observer is denied and the student is invited to engage in his or her own evaluative and potentially transformative experience. Through each of these inversions, different realities can be more readily utilized by thoughtful students to render problematic some of the dominant views about people with disabilities. To make this case, we utilize both qualitative and quantitative methods. The students’ own words, captured in their journals before and after the exercise, are examined in comparison with program goals and features. The weight of the evidence is impressive, indicating that the combination of simulation, debriefing and journaling reflection are effective at creating a space in which change of attitudes does occur.

scholarly journals Association Between Improvement in Baseline Mood and Long-Term Use of a Mindfulness and Meditation App: Observational Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Argus J Athanas ◽  
Jamison M McCorrison ◽  
Susan Smalley ◽  
Jamie Price ◽  
Jim Grady ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional State ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
User Input ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Emotional Transition

BACKGROUND The use of smartphone apps to monitor and deliver health care guidance and interventions has received considerable attention recently, particularly with regard to behavioral disorders, stress relief, negative emotional state, and poor mood in general. Unfortunately, there is little research investigating the long-term and repeated effects of apps meant to impact mood and emotional state. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the effects of both immediate point-of-intervention and long-term use (ie, at least 10 engagements) of a guided meditation and mindfulness smartphone app on users’ emotional states. Data were collected from users of a mobile phone app developed by the company Stop, Breathe & Think (SBT) for achieving emotional wellness. To explore the long-term effects, we assessed changes in the users’ basal emotional state before they completed an activity (eg, a guided meditation). We also assessed the immediate effects of the app on users’ emotional states from preactivity to postactivity. METHODS The SBT app collects information on the emotional state of the user before and after engagement in one or several mediation and mindfulness activities. These activities are recommended and provided by the app based on user input. We considered data on over 120,000 users of the app who collectively engaged in over 5.5 million sessions with the app during an approximate 2-year period. We focused our analysis on users who had at least 10 engagements with the app over an average of 6 months. We explored the changes in the emotional well-being of individuals with different emotional states at the time of their initial engagement with the app using mixed-effects models. In the process, we compared 2 different methods of classifying emotional states: (1) an expert-defined a priori mood classification and (2) an empirically driven cluster-based classification. RESULTS We found that among long-term users of the app, there was an association between the length of use and a positive change in basal emotional state (4% positive mood increase on a 2-point scale every 10 sessions). We also found that individuals who were anxious or depressed tended to have a favorable long-term emotional transition (eg, from a sad emotional state to a happier emotional state) after using the app for an extended period (the odds ratio for achieving a positive emotional state was 3.2 and 6.2 for anxious and depressed individuals, respectively, compared with users with fewer sessions). CONCLUSIONS Our analyses provide evidence for an association between both immediate and long-term use of an app providing guided meditations and improvements in the emotional state.

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