scholarly journals A Spectrum of Selves Reinforced in Multilevel Coherence: A Contextual Behavioural Response to the Challenges of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry J. Whitfield
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Traumatic Memories ◽  
Treatment Benefits ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Science Framework

Psychedelic-assisted therapy research for depression and PTSD has been fast tracked in the United States with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) granting breakthrough designations for MDMA (post-traumatic stress disorder) and psilocybin (major depressive disorder). The psychotherapeutic treatments accompanying these psychedelics have not been well-studied and remain controversial. This article reviews the challenges unique to psychedelic-assisted therapy and introduces a newly optimised psychological flexibility model that adapts Contextual Behavioural Science (CBS)/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to those multiple challenges, including ego inflation, traumatic memories, and the perceived presence of entities. A methodology aligned with biological mechanisms, psychological processes and therapeutic contexts may be advantageous for improving outcomes. This model expands ACT by integrating practises and data from psychedelic-assisted therapy research into a Contextual Behavioural Science framework, allowing both fields to inform each other. Psychological flexibility processes are questioned and adapted to a psychedelic context, and interventions that operationalise these processes are considered. The principle through-line of the paper is to consider varied constructs of Self, as understood by these fields, and integrates respective elements of varied self-models, interventions and data into a Spectrum of Selves model for psychedelic-assisted therapy. Secondly the paper examines how to select and retain new self-perspectives and their corresponding behaviours systemically, drawing from evolutionary science principles. A case example of such behavioural reinforcement is provided, as well as a psychedelic integration checklist to guide the practical implementation of such an approach. This method can enable a coherent therapeutic framework with clear operational relationships between (1) problematic behaviour patterns that an individual wishes to address (2) the guided psychedelic experiences of that individual, and (3) the barriers to maintaining any changes, thus increasing theoretical-practical coherence, broadening treatment benefits and reducing relapse in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Research questions for further developing a CBS-consistent psychedelic-assisted therapy are offered.

scholarly journals Inquiry Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Improves Overall Stuttering Experience among Adults Who Stutter: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2187
Author(s):  
Omrit Feldman ◽  
Eran Goldstien ◽  
Benjamin Rolnik ◽  
Ariel B. Ganz ◽  
Shahar Lev-Ari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Adults Who Stutter

Stuttering is a speech disorder that can cause disturbances in the timing and flow of speech. In addition to being a communication disorder, stuttering is often accompanied by a reduction in the quality of life and has impacts on social status, mental well-being, self-acceptance, and the chances of integration into the labor market. The Inquiry Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) program, developed in the United States by Byron Katie in 1986, is the clinical application of “The Work” method (Thework.com) and represents an emerging mindfulness and cognitive-reframing method. IBSR has been demonstrated to improve mental health and well-being in adults and may alleviate psychological and psychosocial symptoms of stuttering. The purpose of this trial was to examine the effect of a 12-week IBSR intervention on the overall stuttering experience and indicators of anxiety, psychological flexibility, and well-being among adults who stutter (AWS). This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial. Participants were randomized to IBSR (n = 28) and control (n = 28) groups. Validated questionnaires of overall stuttering experience (OASES-A), anxiety (STAI), psychological flexibility (PFQ), and satisfaction with life (SWLS) were completed before, after, and one month after the intervention. An intention-to-treat approach was implemented for analysis. Our results show that participants in the IBSR intervention group exhibited a greater improvement in their overall stuttering experience as compared to the control group, as well as in general information on stuttering awareness and perception, reactions to stuttering, communication in daily situations, and quality of life. In addition, we found a greater reduction in anxiety levels and an increase in satisfaction-with-life scores in the IBSR group. These results indicate that IBSR can improve the overall stuttering experience.

scholarly journals Orexin receptor antagonists reverse aberrant dopamine neuron activity and related behaviors in a rodent model of stress-induced psychosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah B. Elam ◽  
Stephanie M. Perez ◽  
Jennifer J. Donegan ◽  
Daniel J. Lodge
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sensorimotor Gating ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dopamine Neuron ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Neuron Population ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Novel Approach

AbstractPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent condition affecting approximately 8% of the United States population and 20% of United States combat veterans. In addition to core symptoms of the disorder, up to 64% of individuals diagnosed with PTSD experience comorbid psychosis. Previous research has demonstrated a positive correlation between symptoms of psychosis and increases in dopamine transmission. We have recently demonstrated projections from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) can regulate dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Specifically, inactivation of the PVT leads to a reversal of aberrant dopamine system function and psychosis-like behavior. The PVT receives dense innervation from orexin containing neurons, therefore, targeting orexin receptors may be a novel approach to restore dopamine neuron activity and alleviate PTSD-associated psychosis. In this study, we induced stress-related pathophysiology in male Sprague Dawley rats using an inescapable foot-shock procedure. We observed a significant increase in VTA dopamine neuron population activity, deficits in sensorimotor gating, and hyperresponsivity to psychomotor stimulants. Administration of selective orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) and orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) antagonists (SB334867 and EMPA, respectively) or the FDA-approved, dual-orexin receptor antagonist, Suvorexant, were found to reverse stress-induced increases in dopamine neuron population activity. However, only Suvorexant and SB334867 were able to reverse deficits in behavioral corelates of psychosis. These results suggest that the orexin system may be a novel pharmacological target for the treatment of comorbid psychosis related to PTSD.

scholarly journals The ACTyourCHANGE study protocol: promoting a healthy lifestyle in patients with obesity with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy—a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Guerrini Usubini ◽  
Roberto Cattivelli ◽  
Emanuele Maria Giusti ◽  
Francesco Vailati Riboni ◽  
Giorgia Varallo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Abstract Background As treatment of choice in promoting psychological flexibility, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was found to be effective in several conditions, and among different populations, including weight management in individuals with obesity. However, the mechanism of action of psychological flexibility is less known. The aim of the present study is, within the context of a brief ACT intervention for behavioral change and behavioral maintenance of a healthy lifestyle in a sample of inpatients with obesity, to explore the effect of each subcomponent of the psychological flexibility model on treatment processes and outcomes. Methods A randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Ninety Italian adult inpatients with obesity attending a rehabilitation program for weight loss will be randomly allocated into three experimental conditions targeting respectively each subcomponent of the psychological flexibility model: group Engage focused on values-oriented behaviors, group Openness focused on acceptance and cognitive defusion, and group Awareness focused on being present and aware of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors at every moment. Weight, BMI (kg/m2), the Psychological General Well-Being Inventory (PGWBI), the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ-45.2), the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Dutch Eating Behaviors Questionnaire (DEBQ), the Brief Values Inventory (BVI), the Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ), the Italian-Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (I-CFQ), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) will be assessed at the beginning (time 0), at the end of psychological intervention (time 1), and after 3 (time 2) and 6 months (time 3) and 9 months (time 4) from discharge. During the following month after discharge, outpatients will be monitored in their adherence to a healthy lifestyle, using a wearable device. To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, mixed between-within 3 (conditions) × 4 (times) repeated measure ANOVAs will be conducted to examine changes from time 0 to time 1, 2, 3, and 4 in means of weight, BMI, and means of scores PGWBI, OQ-45.2, DASS, DERS, DEBQ, AAQ-II, BVI, CAQ, I-CFQ, and FFMQ, between three groups. Discussion This study will contribute to clarify the mechanism of action of each subcomponent of the psychological flexibility model and understand its impact on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT04474509. Registered on July 4, 2020

scholarly journals A Pilot Study Examining the Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as Parent Counseling

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-988
Author(s):  
Denise H. M. Bodden ◽  
Denise Matthijssen
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Parental Psychopathology ◽  
Parenting Behavior ◽  
Parental Competence ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Parent Counseling ◽  
Parent Child

AbstractThere is some scientific evidence to support the applicability and preliminary effects of ACT as a parent intervention but more research is needed. In this pilot research, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is provided as a parent counseling therapy in order to increase psychological flexibility which in turn helps parents to choose attuned parenting behavior, invest in a helpful parent-child relationship, deal with feelings of incompetence, and cope with their own psychopathology. ACT parent counseling is developed for parents of children (3–18 years old) with psychiatric problems. The mean age of the parents (n = 101) was 47.1 years (range = 30–66). A repeated measures design was used including pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up measurements. The main outcomes were ACT measures (psychological flexibility, parental psychological inflexibility, and cognitive fusion). Secondary outcomes included parenting behavior, the quality of the parent-child interaction, parental competence, parental psychopathology, and the satisfaction with the treatment program. This is the first study we know of that showed statistically significant improvements on parental psychological flexibility, parenting behavior (except behavioral control), parent-child relations, parental competence, and parental internalizing psychopathology directly after treatment. At 6-month follow-up, significantly less conflicts, more parental competence, and less parental psychopathology was found. However, the improvements were not clinically significant, as calculated with the RCI. No control group was used in this uncontrolled pilot study but preliminary findings indicate that ACT parent counseling can help parents to increase psychological flexibility in order to choose more flexible and effective parenting behavior.

scholarly journals Face Covered and Six Feet Apart: Behavioral Awareness Predicts Greater Adherence to Public Health Guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8247
Author(s):  
Alyssa Schneider ◽  
Emily B. Kroska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Demographic Correlates ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk ◽  
Predictors Of Adherence ◽  
Close Contacts

The COVID-19 pandemic has deleteriously impacted physical and mental health. Guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 include wearing a face covering in public, limiting close contacts, and physical distancing. In combatting this and future pandemics, it is essential to understand predictors of adherence, such as psychological flexibility. We hypothesized higher psychological flexibility would relate to greater adherence to public health guidelines. Participants (n = 265) were English-reading/speaking adults in the United States and were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Included in the present analyses are data from June (n = 360) and July 2020 (n = 265). Measures included the Comprehensive Assessment of ACT Processes (CompACT), which measured psychological flexibility. Outcome measures included mask-wearing and number of close contacts, which were operationalized categorically (100% mask-wearing in public, ≤10 close contacts in past week). Two logistic regression models examined psychological flexibility and distress as predictors of adherence to mask-wearing and limiting close contacts, while controlling for demographic correlates. Results indicated that greater behavioral awareness predicted greater odds of mask-wearing and limiting close contacts. Psychological flexibility, and behavioral awareness specifically, should be investigated in future research as targets for intervention amidst global disasters.

scholarly journals Application of big data in healthcare: examination of the military experience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Berry
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Vietnam War ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Model Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
System Versus ◽  
Military Systems ◽  
The Military

AbstractHealthcare is fully embracing the promise of Big Data for improving performance and efficiency. Such a paradigm shift, however, brings many unforeseen impacts both positive and negative. Healthcare has largely looked at business models for inspiration to guide model development and practical implementation of Big Data. Business models, however, are limited in their application to healthcare as the two represent a complicated system versus a complex system respectively. Healthcare must, therefore, look toward other examples of complex systems to better gauge the potential impacts of Big Data. Military systems have many similarities with healthcare with a wealth of systems research, as well as practical field experience, from which healthcare can draw. The experience of the United States Military with Big Data during the Vietnam War is a case study with striking parallels to issues described in modern healthcare literature. Core principles can be extracted from this analysis that will need to be considered as healthcare seeks to integrate Big Data into its active operations.

304 The relationship between basic personality, subjective sleep duration, and psychological distress during a military deployment

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A121-A121
Author(s):  
Walter Sowden ◽  
Alexxa Bessey ◽  
Julie Merrill ◽  
Ashlee Mckeon ◽  
Jake Choynowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Medicine Research ◽  
Subjective Sleep ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Introduction Extended, overseas operations (deployments) increase the likelihood that military personnel will experience psychological distress. Reduced sleep during deployments is a key correlate of psychological distress. Thus, it is imperative to identify mechanisms that adaptively modulate the relationship between insufficient sleep and psychological distress. Research has recently connected basic personality traits (i.e., the Big Five: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) to more sleep. The current project aimed to examine the relationship between basic personality traits, subjective sleep duration (SSD), and psychological distress during an operational deployment. Methods 488 soldiers took surveys both prior to and half-way through a nine-month deployment. The pre-deployment survey included the Big Five Index, and three standardized measures of psychological distress commonly used to screen military personnel for anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder; GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-8), and post-traumatic stress (Posttraumatic Symptom Disorder Checklist; PCL-4). The mid-deployment survey included an item from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index measuring SSD and the same psychological distress measures from the pre-deployment survey. General linear models were used to test the interaction between SSD and each basic personality trait on each measure of psychological distress at mid-deployment while accounting for psychological distress at pre-deployment. Results Of the Big Five, conscientiousness was the only trait to significantly moderate the relationship between SSD and anxiety, t = 2.11, p = .035, where higher conscientiousness weakened the relationship. Further only agreeableness attenuated the relationship between depression and SSD, t = 2.10, p = .036. Interestingly, the only Big Five trait that moderated the relationship between SSD and PTS was openness, insomuch that openness strengthened the relationship, t = -1.92, p = .055. Conclusion The relationship between SSD and psychological distress was uniquely impacted by different personality traits. These results reinforce the age-old concept that behavior is the product of a complex, nuanced, and puzzling interaction between the individual and the environment. The current research motivates further research into personality as an adaptive mechanism for optimizing military wellbeing. Support (if any) Support for this study came from the Military Operational Medicine Research Program (MOMRP) of the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

Association Between Intimate Partner Violence Subtypes and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Hazardous Substance Use

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Yalch ◽  
Sloane R. M. Rickman
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common problem for women in the United States and is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as hazardous use of substances like alcohol and drugs. However, not all subtypes of IPV (i.e., physical, sexual, and psychological) are equally predictive of PTSD and hazardous substance use. Although previous research suggests that psychological IPV has the strongest relative effect on PTSD symptoms and substance use, there is less research on IPV subtypes’ cumulative effects. In this study, we examined the relative and cumulative effects of physical, sexual, and psychological IPV on PTSD symptoms and hazardous substance use in a sample of women in the United States recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk ( N = 793) using bootstrapped multiple regression and configural frequency analyses. Results suggest that physical IPV had the most pronounced influence (medium-large effect sizes) on substance use across women, but that the cumulative effects of all three IPV subtypes were most closely associated with diagnostic levels of both PTSD and substance use at the level of groups of women. These findings clarify and extend previous research on the differential effects of IPV subtypes and provide directions for future research and clinical intervention.

scholarly journals Psychosocial Outcomes in Adult Survivors of Retinoblastoma

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (31) ◽  
pp. 3608-3614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Ford ◽  
Joanne F. Chou ◽  
Charles A. Sklar ◽  
Kevin C. Oeffinger ◽  
Danielle Novetsky Friedman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Psychosocial Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fear Of Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Chronic Medical Condition ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic

Purpose Survival rates for individuals diagnosed with retinoblastoma (RB) exceed 95% in the United States; however, little is known about the long-term psychosocial outcomes of these survivors. Patients and Methods Adult RB survivors, diagnosed from 1932 to 1994 and treated in New York, completed a comprehensive questionnaire adapted from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), by mail or telephone. Psychosocial outcomes included psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatization, fear of cancer recurrence, satisfaction with facial appearance, post-traumatic growth, and post-traumatic stress symptoms; noncancer CCSS siblings served as a comparison group. Results A total of 470 RB survivors (53.6% with bilateral RB; 52.1% female) and 2,820 CCSS siblings were 43.3 (standard deviation [SD], 11) years and 33.2 (SD, 8.4) years old at the time of study, respectively. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, RB survivors did not have significantly higher rates of depression, somatization, distress, or anxiety compared with CCSS siblings. Although RB survivors were more likely to report post-traumatic stress symptoms of avoidance and/or hyperarousal (both P < .01), only five (1.1%) of 470 met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Among survivors, having a chronic medical condition did not increase the likelihood of psychological problems. Bilateral RB survivors were more likely than unilateral RB survivors to experience fears of cancer recurrence (P < .01) and worry about their children being diagnosed with RB (P < .01). However, bilateral RB survivors were no more likely to report depression, anxiety, or somatic complaints than unilateral survivors. Conclusion Most RB survivors do not have poorer psychosocial functioning compared with a noncancer sample. In addition, bilateral and unilateral RB survivors seem similar with respect to their psychological symptoms.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document