scholarly journals Sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in healthy ceremony attendants: A replication study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim I. van Oorsouw ◽  
Malin V. Uthaug ◽  
Natasha L. Mason ◽  
Nick J. Broers ◽  
Johannes G. Ramaekers
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
First Time ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background and aims There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the psychedelic plant tea, ayahuasca, holds therapeutic potential. Uthaug et al. (2018) demonstrated that a single dose of ayahuasca improved mental health sub-acutely and 4-weeks post-ceremony in healthy participants. The present study aimed to replicate and extend these findings. A first objective was to assess the sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in first-time and experienced users. A second aim was to extend the assessment of altered states of consciousness and how they relate to changes in mental health. Method Ayahuasca ceremony attendants (N = 73) were assessed before, the day after, and four weeks following the ceremony. Results We replicated the reduction in self-reported stress 4-weeks post ceremony, but, in contrast, found no reduction in depression. Also, increased satisfaction with life and awareness the day after the ceremony, and its return to baseline 4 weeks later, were replicated. New findings were: reduced ratings of anxiety and somatization, and increased levels of non-judging 4-weeks post-ceremony. We replicated the relation between altered states of consciousness (e.g., experienced ego dissolution during the ceremony) and mental health outcomes sub-acutely. The effects of ayahuasca did not differ between experienced and first-time users. Conclusion Partly in line with previous findings, ayahuasca produces long-term improvements in affect in non-clinical users. Furthermore, sub-acute mental health ratings are related to the intensity of the psychedelic experience. Although findings replicate and highlight the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, this needs to be confirmed in placebo-controlled studies.

scholarly journals An experience with Holotropic Breathwork is associated with improvement in non-judgement and satisfaction with life while reducing symptoms of stress in a Czech-speaking population

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Holotropic Breathwork ◽  
Observational Design ◽  
Mental Health Effects

Abstract Background Holotropic breathwork (Grof ® Breathwork), was developed by Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof as a ‘non-drug’ alternative technique to evoke altered states of consciousness (ASC). Interestingly, although HBW has been anecdotally reported to evoke experiences and mental health effects corresponding to those of psychedelic substances, the scientific literature on the matter is scarce. Aims The objective of this study was to assess the (sub)acute and long-term effects of HBW on satisfaction with life, and whether these depend on the depth of the experience evoked by the HBW session. Methods A naturalistic observational design was employed in the present study. Between January 2019 and July 2020, 58 Czech-speaking participants who had an experience with HBW were assessed using three separate anonymous online-surveys created and hosted on Qualtrics. Assessments of mindfulness, satisfaction with life, depression, anxiety, and stress were made once prior to (baseline), and two times following (sub-acutely and 4-weeks) the participants’ experience with HBW. The ego dissolution inventory and the 5-dimensional altered states of consciousness scale was used to quantify the HBW experience. Results Despite low ratings of the psychedelic experience (mean range of 0–34% out of 100%), ratings of non-judgement significantly increased sub-acutely following the HBW session and persisted for 4-weeks. Stress-related symptoms significantly decreased while satisfaction with life significantly increased at 4-weeks after HBW. Conclusion An experience with HBW may be associated with improvement in non-judgement, satisfaction with life, and reductions of stress-related symptoms.

scholarly journals Impacts of international labor migration on the mental health and well-being of left-behind children

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Antia ◽  
J Boucsein ◽  
A Deckert ◽  
P Dambach ◽  
J Racaite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Transnational Families ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Labor migration is a challenge for the globalised world due to its long-term effects such as the formation of transnational families with the particularly vulnerable groups of left-behind children (LBC). These families, where family members of migrant workers are 'left-behind' are becoming common practice in many developing countries. In this systematic literature review, we aimed to investigate the impacts of parental labor migration on the mental health and well-being of their LBC. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic literature search in English using PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar for studies, investigating mental health and well-being among LBC who live in transnational families. Case-reports, qualitative studies as well as opinion papers were excluded. We summarized the evidence and additionally compared quantitative results. Results 25 studies were selected for the final analysis. We found that mental health and well-being outcomes of LBC differ across regions and sometimes even within regions. Only studies conducted in South America and South Asia observed purely negative effects. Overall, LBC show abnormal SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) scores and report higher levels of depression and loneliness, than children who do not live in transnational families. Evidence suggests that gender of migrant parent, culture and other transnational family characteristics such as family arrangement, the role of the mother and the role of the father contribute to the well-being and psychological health of LBC. Conclusions International migration of parents has more negative than positive effects (e.g. through remittances) on the mental health and well-being of LBC. However, the effects strongly depend on family arrangements and care giving practices in migrants' sending countries. Key messages Further research utilizing longitudinal data is needed to better explore the complex and long-term effects of parental migration on LBC. Multidimensional family characteristics are crucial and should be better explored when examining the impacts of migratory separation on left-behind children.

How music changes our lives: A qualitative study of the long-term effects of intense musical experiences

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Schäfer ◽  
Mario Smukalla ◽  
Sarah-Ann Oelker
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Starting Point

Intense musical experiences (IMEs) have proven to be of high significance for the people who have them. We investigated the long-term effects of such experiences on people’s way of life and developed a process model: (1) IMEs are characterized by altered states of consciousness, which leads to the experience of harmony and self-realization; (2) IMEs leave people with a strong motivation to attain the same harmony in their daily lives; (3) people develop manifold resources during an IME; (4) IMEs cause long-term changes to occur in people’s personal values, their perception of the meaning of life, social relationships, engagement, activities, and personal development. Results are discussed as they relate to spirituality and altered states of consciousness and conclusions are drawn from the process model that form a starting point for quantitative research. Results suggest that music can indeed change our lives – by making it more fulfilling, spiritual, and harmonious.

scholarly journals In Sickness and in Health: Dyadic Perspectives on Health and Well-Being Among Older Couples

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 648-648
Author(s):  
Courtney Polenick
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract This session will incorporate a variety of dyadic methods to explore the multifaceted ways that older spouses shape their own and their partners’ health and well-being. First, Dr. Karen Lyons will consider the roles of communication, collaborative decision-making, and social support in shaping the mental health of couples managing chronic pain. Her comparative dyadic analysis highlights the value of collaborative illness management in optimizing couples’ mental health. Dr. Courtney Polenick will then describe how chronic condition discordance (i.e., the extent to which two or more conditions have non-overlapping self-management requirements) within individuals and between spouses is linked to perceived control among couples over an8-year period. This study reveals that more complex patterns of chronic conditions within couples have particularly detrimental implications for women’s perceptions of control over their own health and other life domains. Next, Dr. Kira Birditt will examine the long-term effects of spouses’ similar drinking patterns (i.e., concordance). Although drinking concordance may enhance marital satisfaction, she will explain how it can have enduring negative consequences for cardiovascular health among middle-aged men. Dr. Joan Monin will then explain the short-term benefits of laughter for blood pressure among couples during lab-based spousal support interactions. Finally, Dr. Amy Rauer will discuss how spouses react to one another’s health-related support attempts using in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with both members of the couple. Taken together, these studies underscore the importance of evaluating dynamic short-term and long-term health-related influences among couples in middle and later life. Dyadic Research on Health and Illness Across the Adult Lifespan Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

scholarly journals Social media and mental health: Reviewing effects on eudaimonic well-being

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Meier ◽  
Leonard Reinecke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Self Actualization ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Omission Bias ◽  
Health And Well Being

Do social media affect users’ mental health and well-being? By now, considerable research has addressed this highly contested question. Prior studies have investigated the effects of social media use on hedonic well-being (e.g., affect and life satisfaction), psychopathology (e.g., depressive or anxiety symptoms), or psychosocial risk/resilience factors (e.g., loneliness, stress, self-esteem). Yet, public concern over social media effects often centers on more long-term negative outcomes, which may be better captured by indicators of eudaimonic well-being. Indeed, neglecting the eudaimonic side of well-being may have introduced outcome omission bias, since eudaimonia is both conceptually and empirically distinct from other dimensions of mental health and may be uniquely affected by social media use. Specifically, psychology currently theorizes eudaimonic well-being to be best represented by the experiences of (a) meaningfulness, (b) authenticity, and (c) self-actualization. A research synthesis of how social media use relates to these core indicators of eudaimonia is currently missing, however. We thus present a first narrative review that synthesizes both theoretical and empirical links between three key social media uses (i.e., active, passive, and “screen time”) and eudaimonic well-being. The synthesis shows that while there are indeed several plausible theoretical links, the evidence is too scarce and inconsistent to allow definitive conclusions at this time. We instead give recommendations for how the field can close important gaps by investigating whether social media afford or constrain opportunities to find meaning, live authentically, and grow as a person.

The Long-Term Effects of Solitary Confinement From the Perspective of Inmates

2021 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 652-674
Author(s):  
Liat Tayer ◽  
Tomer Einat ◽  
Anat Yaron Antar
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Solitary Confinement ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Mental And Behavioral Disorders

This qualitative study analyzes the effects of solitary confinement on prisoners and the strategies used by them to cope with its difficulties. The findings indicate that solitary confinement is perceived as unfair and as intensifying hostile emotions and physical aggression, and that it is related to a range of long-term physiological, mental, and behavioral disorders. Three strategies are used to cope with the difficulties of solitary confinement: keeping to a ritualistic routine, a religious lifestyle, and physical exercise. We conclude that solitary confinement exacerbates the difficulties of detention and affects prisoners’ health and well-being for short and long terms.

7. Altered states of consciousness

2017 ◽  
pp. 100-116
Author(s):  
Susan Blackmore
Keyword(s):  
Normal State ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Psychoactive Drugs ◽  
Altered States ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Body Experiences ◽  
The World ◽  
Altered State Of Consciousness ◽  
Near Death Experiences

‘Altered states of consciousness’ discusses the states of consciousness during sleep, dreaming, hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, meditation, and after taking psychoactive drugs. Psychologist Charles Tart defines an altered state of consciousness (ASC) as ‘a qualitative alteration in the overall pattern of mental functioning, such that the experiencer feels his consciousness is radically different from the way it functions ordinarily’. This certainly captures the idea of ASCs, but also creates problems, such as knowing what a ‘normal’ state is. In both mystical experiences and long-term meditation, people describe seeing through the illusions of duality and seeing the world as it truly is.

The Cost of Austerity Policies for Public Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 117 (802) ◽  
pp. 310-314
Author(s):  
Aaron Reeves
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Health And Well Being

[S]hort-term policy changes can have long-term effects on the health and well-being of the population.

Perception, Psychedelics, and Social Change

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-151
Author(s):  
Charles Kaiser ◽  
Robert Gold
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Altered States ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Widespread Availability ◽  
Long Term Consequences

If it is true that experiences involving altered states of consciousness have historically been confined to a minute segment of the population (such as shamans, prophets, and even self-actualizers within Maslow's [1] context), and if the psychedelics act as a catalyst for such experiences, then their widespread availability portends significant social consequences. The most profound long term consequences of the increasingly widespread use of psychedelics may not be medical or even psychological in nature, but rather socio-logical. Altered states of consciousness create nothing less than new perceptual configurations which may well spell the end of social institutions based upon modes of perception which are incongruent with new perceptions being attained by increasing numbers of people via the psychedelic experience.

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