Early Diagnosis and Counseling in Adolescents With Subclinical Psychotic Symptoms

Psychosis is a condition characterized on current diagnostic tests by impairment and may include severe disturbances of cognition, thinking, behaviour, and emotion. The need for early diagnosis and prevention of psychotic episodes in adolescents challenges traditional models of counselling, diagnosis, and treatment. The aim of the present study is to derive the main themes and psychological manifestations in the first psychotic episode in adolescents and to deepen knowledge and raise questions around the specific experiences of psychotic adolescents in order to help the clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in diagnostic and therapeutic counselling. This thus goes beyond the visible behaviour and the medical model that pays little attention to the causal relationships in psychosis and its unconscious components. Thirty-six adolescents (27 girls) with subclinical and clinical psychotic symptoms and 30 adolescents (16 girls) with neurotic symptoms were interviewed. A clinical approach was used – clinical psychological interview followed by psychotherapeutic work. Findings and statements can be found showing that early psychotic signs may change into a more severe adolescent crisis, as well as indications of the nature of anger towards parents, unstable mood and aggressivity. Leading themes in interviews and psychotherapeutic sessions may relate to feelings of insignificance in the world around them, unclear sexual identification, too close a relationship with their mothers, and anxiety about real or symbolic absence such as their mothers’ working away from home for long periods of time. In 79% of the interviews with adolescents with psychotic symptoms, we see a lack of real symbolic play in childhood. suitable for non-psychotic adolescents, in this case to change in the first psychotic episode.****What does this last sentence mean? The importance of early diagnosis is recognized and the known psychotherapeutic techniques must be used. Keywords: early psychosis, adolescent, positive psychotherapy, counselling

A Life Course Approach to the Prevention of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Indonesia

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has a long-term impact on each life stage and remains worldwide a major public health problem. Eleven experts were invited to participate in a virtual meeting to discuss the present situation and the available intervention to prevent iron deficiency anemia in Indonesia. The experts consisted of obstetric gynecologists, pediatricians, nutritionists, midwives, a clinical psychologist, and an education expert. Existing interventions focus attention on preconception and early childhood stages. Considering the inter-generational effects of IDA, we call attention to expanding strategies to all life stages through integrating political, educational, and nutritional interventions. The experts agreed that health education and nutritional intervention should be started since adolescence. Further research to explore the effectiveness of these interventions would be important for many regions in the world. The outcome of this Indonesian consensus is applicable worldwide.

EMDR therapy with people who have intellectual disabilities: process, adaptations and outcomes

Purpose Emerging evidence indicates that adapted eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) can be useful for people with intellectual disabilities in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the required adaptations are not described in enough detail across the literature, making it difficult for therapists to easily adapt EMDR for people with intellectual disabilities. This paper aims to address this by describing 14 clinical cases, along with outcome data for six people, and the views of five people with intellectual disabilities about EMDR. Design/methodology/approach A total of 14 people with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities and varied experiences of trauma were offered EMDR by one clinical psychologist in a UK NHS setting; nine people completed EMDR therapy, six people provided outcome data with pre-post measures and five people were asked two questions about EMDR therapy. Findings Adaptations are described. The outcome data indicate reductions in symptoms of PTSD following EMDR intervention. EMDR was liked and perceived as useful. Originality/value This paper provides details about adaptations that can be made to the standard EMDR protocol, reports the views of service users about EMDR and adds evidence that EMDR reduces symptoms of PTSD in people who have intellectual disabilities.

The Challenges of Training in Psychology

The training of the clinical psychologist requires the development of competencies in the fields of mental health prevention, health promotion, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness. This training has undergone many changes due to the pandemic, evolution of education, and the translation of clinical practices to an online format. The present proposal focuses on making a review and reflection on the best practices derived from the adaptation of the training of these professionals with a future-oriented look. This chapter seeks to address two critical questions: What practices are necessary for the acquisition of the disciplinary competencies of clinical psychologists? and What didactic strategies were integrated during the COVID-19 pandemic? In the light of the lessons learned from the pandemic, the main tasks to be faced by the clinical psychologist in the face of the new demands of practice that require the creation of programs of psychological intervention and psychosocial support to the community are pointed out.

Individual psychotherapeutic work with teachers as one of the factors in increasing the efficiency of a modern teacher

Львиная доля нашей жизни – это учеба. Учеба в школе, институте, университете… Учеба – это, прежде всего, учителя, каждый из которых наделен своими особенностями. Чьи-то личностные особенности нам помогают адаптироваться, заинтересоваться наукой, понять, кем я хочу быть. Таким учителям мы благодарны всю свою жизнь. Но всегда на долгом пути образования встречаются и те, кто нам не нравится по каким-то причинам. Причинам, которые мы часто и сами осознать не можем. Известный факт, что профессия педагога – одна из наиболее затратных психологически и эмоционально. Хорошему учителю нужно быть зрелым, эмоционально устойчивым, здоровым психически и физически. Если же педагог, помимо своей основной деятельности, занимается также реализацией дополнительных образовательных проектов, уровень энергозатрат возрастает вдвойне. Труд учителя всегда насыщен ситуациями, которые, в итоге, могут привести (и приводят) к выгоранию: эмоциональная загруженность, огромная ответственность, длительное нахождение в состоянии перманентного стресса. В результате перегруженный педагог очень быстро «сгорает» в пламени неврозов, депрессий, психосоматических заболеваний. Таким образом, в школе давно назрела ситуация, где основным клиентом психолога должен быть педагог. Автор настоящей статьи рассматривает попытку реализации психотерапевтической работы с педагогами на базе МАОУ «Гимназии №23 г. Челябинска» в рамках реализации модели проектной школы «Практики будущего» на примере метапредметной области «Урбанистика». В статье представлены теоретические основания и методические указания, касающиеся применения психотерапии на основе метода символдрамы в работе с педагогами. Теоретический материал иллюстрирован примерами из практики автора. В качестве данных для исследования были использованы протоколы сессий. В результате исследования автор приходит к выводу, что целесообразно вводить в штат школ ставку психотерапевта или клинического психолога именно для работы с педагогическим составом. A huge period in person's life is closely associated with studying at school, college, or university. Studying is teachers, each of whom is endowed with their own characteristics. Teacher's personality traits help us to adapt, to become interested in science, to understand who we are to be. We are grateful to teachers all our lives. But there are always those who we do not like for some reasons on the long road of education. The reasons that we often cannot even realize. It is well known that teaching as a profession is one of the most energy-intensive. A good teacher needs to be mature, emotionally resilient, mentally and physically healthy. If a teacher, in addition to their main activity, is also engaged in the implementation of additional educational projects, the energy expenditure becomes even greater. The teacher's work is always full of situations, which, in the end, can (and do) lead to burnout: emotional workload, huge responsibility and permanent stress. As a result, an overworked teacher is likely to burn out in the flame of neuroses, depression, psychosomatic diseases. Thus, the school has a long overdue situation where the main client of a psychologist must be the teacher. After all, professional activity is replete with factors that provoke emotional burnout: high emotional workload, many a number of emotional factors, the daily and hourly need for empathy, sympathy, responsibility for children and their work. As a result, a teacher becomes a hostage to the situation of emotional burnout, a prisoner of the emotional and professional behavior stereotypes. Among the professional illnesses of teachers there are various neuroses, and psychopathic conditions, in addition to a number of psychosomatic disorders. In this regard, an important part of a psychologist's activity at school is psychotherapeutic work with teachers and educators who implement additional educational projects. The author of this article considers an attempt to implement psychotherapeutic work with teachers in the MAEI "Gymnasium № 23 of Chelyabinsk" within the framework implementation of the model project school "Practices of the Future" in the example of the metasubject area "Urban Studies". The article presents theoretical foundations and guidelines for the use of psychotherapy based on the symboldrama method for work with teachers. The theoretical material is illustrated with the examples from the author's practice. Session protocols were used as data for the study. As a result of the study, the author therefore asserts the conclusion that it is advisable to introduce a psychotherapist or a clinical psychologist into the school specifically for working with the teaching staff.

The child with developmental disabilities: The effects on the whole family. What do the families really need from the ‘early intervention’ professional system?

This paper is based on the premise that the current services delivered to children with developmental disabilities and their families in Wales are in need of revision in order to fully support the families to then be able to support their children. Currently services use a medically dominated approach in trying to ‘fix’ these disabled children and are lacking regard for the emotional and psychological impact on the families. The author comes from a position of having worked with these families as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years and shares with the reader things that her lived experiences tell her matter to these families and what families have said matters. There are ‘extra’ demands of looking after a child with developmental needs and in managing oneself in relation to a complex set of professional demands (services). In relation to this, there are a complex array of emotional experiences and dilemmas that parents are often fluctuating between. Six key themes have been developed which potentially form a model to think about some of the dynamics for families in these situations; Denial v acceptance, Guilt v forgiveness, isolation v support, fear v courage and anxious thinking v reimagining the family story. This paper provides the reader with a practical and strength-based model for service delivery to support children with developmental disabilities and their families. The new model of care is about helping families ‘to come to terms with’ a condition that cannot be cured. The new vision is about adaptation, re-framing or seeing from a different perspective, that is, a ‘fulfillment in new dreaming’. Families must adjust physically, psychologically and practically to living with limitations which can be severe and uncertain at times and may not be resolved. Two main principles that should be followed: 1. Caring about what matters. That is to say addressing a child’s developmental disabilities within the broad context of the child and family’s lives. Parents need space to acknowledge and process their feelings without judgement, with professionals and peers who have ‘good’ understanding and empathy. 2. We the people. Health care should become the work of we the people not we the professionals serving the rest of the people. At the heart of it is the orientating ideal that captures what the work is about – well-being of families. The principles of the model being to engage a resource that is largely untapped in our strained healthcare system: the knowledge, wisdom and energy of individuals, families and communities who have a child with developmental disabilities/learning disabilities in their everyday lives. These families are no longer simply consumers of services who respond to requests to ‘fix’ disabled children. The author describes what she is doing to develop services including the development of Early Positive Approaches to support (EPAtS). The author also considers some issues that get in the way of developing this new practice smoothly. Summary A new way of looking at and considering what is important in the professional system supporting children with developmental disabilities and their families.

Presidential Symposium: Stories of Struggle and Resilience: Expert Interdisciplinary Reflections of the Past Year

Are you an ESPO member curious about what the “new normal” means for your future career in the field of aging? Or are you a GSA member interested in hearing from your colleagues about their experiences over the past year? Welcome to the ESPO Presidential Symposium! During this session, speakers will share honest and candid insights about their careers in the field of aging amidst the pandemic, racial discrimination/social unrest, and economic insecurity. Speakers in the ESPO Presidential symposium include: Dr. Thomas K.M Cudjoe, Dr. Candace S. Brown, and Dr. Marnin J. Heisel. Dr. Cudjoe, a physician, will discuss his clinical experience treating older adults with COVID-19, the shift to tele-health, and his research on the impact of social isolation on older adults. Dr. Brown, an academician, will discuss how the new attention to the longstanding issues of social injustice in the U.S. shaped her teaching pedagogy, research, student mentorship, and provide critical context regarding the impact of COVID-19 on Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) professors. Dr. Heisel, a clinical psychologist, will share how his intervention research on resiliency and well-being in older adulthood shifted amidst the “new normal,” as well as how older adults in his clinical practice encountered and coped with difficulties over this past year. As our society confronts social injustice, tackles health implications of COVID-19, and adjusts to a new way of life, we must consider how these factors, together, inform the interdisciplinary stories of struggle and resilience in the field of aging.

COVID-19-associated healthcare worker depression: An increasingly common condition

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the mood of the employees of the ear-nose-throat (ENT) department with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and determine the relationship between the mood and the quality and quantity of the work done. METHODS: A total of 62 healthcare workers (24 males, 38 females; mean age: 34.3±1.1 years; range 24 to 52 years) of our ENT clinic, who have been actively managing COVID-19 patients since April 2020, were included in the study. Those in the study were classified into two groups as nurses (Group 1) and doctors (Group 2). Group 1 consisted of 33 (53.2%) nurses, and Group 2 consisted of 29 (46.8%) doctors. The participants were assessed with a questionnaire by a clinical psychologist, and BDI was conducted to evaluate depressive mood in these individuals. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the groups in thinking they have sufficient knowledge on COVID-19, and the employees in Group 2 were more of the opinion that they did not have sufficient information (p=0.002). A statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of their viewpoint on the precautions against COVID-19 (p=0.001). Group 2 was more inclined to think that the precautions taken were inadequate (p=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of BDI severity, age, and BDI score (p=0.252, p=0.137, p=0.053, respectively). CONCLUSION: Employees of high-risk departments such as ENT may be more prone to a depressed mood. The increased risk of contamination in correlation with the work done can lead to increased BDI scores and depressive mood disorder.

Impact of social isolation during COVID-19 on psychological well-being of the elderly: an Indian survey-based study

Background: Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic the elderly population has started experiencing higher levels of anxiety both because of fear of contracting infection and due to restricted social life. Study was done to assess impact of lockdown on mental health of elderly.Methods: This was a retrospective and observational study. 106 participants were enrolled aged above 60 years. A Google survey form was sent to the participants for filling, accompanied by sessions with a clinical psychologist. The socio-demographic data and various psychological parameters were assessed.Results: Depression was most commonly reported (39.6%). Global satisfaction had a significant and positive correlation with both social security index (p=0.004) and social network scale (p=0.000).Conclusions: The prevalence of anxiety, stress and depression increased during lockdown. Overall satisfaction with life was reduced. Psychological counselling and support should be readily available to elderly. The problem associated with social isolation and lockdown may seem to be acute but can have worse psychological outcomes in long term.