STRESS IN CHILDREN PATHOLOGY: FROM PSYCHOSOMATICS TO MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

During childhood, 3 levels of stress were proposed: positive, tolerable and toxic. The toxic stress produced by the strong, frequent and prolonged activation of the body’s response systems is a generator of behavioral and somatic sequelae. Child abuse is present in all social media in different countries. The absence of basic care has devastating effects on social and cognitive development, as found in institutionalized children. Attachment behavior and fear memory are considered stress-related biological systems. The response to stress is driven by the dynamics of cortisol secretion and its interaction with its cellular receptor. It plays a central role in the response to aggression through the process of methylation, decreased gene expression in the hippocampus and increased response to stress. Stress treatment is variable in efficiency and involves preventive measures (family and community), at school, bullying, psychological counseling, trauma-focused psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, through music.

Compassion: From Its Evolution to a Psychotherapy

The concept, benefits and recommendations for the cultivation of compassion have been recognized in the contemplative traditions for thousands of years. In the last 30 years or so, the study of compassion has revealed it to have major physiological and psychological effects influencing well-being, addressing mental health difficulties, and promoting prosocial behavior. This paper outlines an evolution informed biopsychosocial, multicomponent model to caring behavior and its derivative “compassion” that underpins newer approaches to psychotherapy. The paper explores the origins of caring motives and the nature and biopsychosocial functions of caring-attachment behavior. These include providing a secure base (sources of protection, validation, encouragement and guidance) and safe haven (source of soothing and comfort) for offspring along with physiological regulating functions, which are also central for compassion focused therapy. Second, it suggests that it is the way recent human cognitive competencies give rise to different types of “mind awareness” and “knowing intentionality” that transform basic caring motives into potentials for compassion. While we can care for our gardens and treasured objects, the concept of compassion is only used for sentient beings who can “suffer.” As psychotherapy addresses mental suffering, cultivating the motives and competencies of compassion to self and others can be a central focus for psychotherapy.

Disorganized Attachment Interactions Among Young Adults With Borderline Personality Disorder, Other Diagnoses, and No Diagnosis

Theorists have suggested that attachment disorganization contributes to the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, few studies have directly observed attachment-related interactions with parents. This study used a newly developed attachment-based coding system to examine whether individuals with BPD were more likely to exhibit disorganized interactions with their mothers than those with (a) other diagnoses (anxiety, depressive, or substance use diagnoses) or (b) no diagnosis. Results indicated that participants with BPD had a greater likelihood of disorganized attachment interactions than did both comparison groups. The odds ratio for disorganized attachment among BPD participants was almost 8 times that of participants without BPD. These results underscore the utility of observational assessments to capture the interpersonal features of BPD and highlight the potential value of examining the developmental trajectories of disorganized and controlling attachment behavior in order to identify pathways toward BPD.