Dependent Stress Generation Mediates the Relation Between Poor Cognitive Control and Repetitive Negative Thinking in Emerging Adults

Poor cognitive control has been associated with maladaptive thinking, like rumination and worry, that increase risk for internalizing psychopathology. However, little research has investigated how cognitive control is associated with commonalities between rumination and worry (i.e., repetitive negative thinking; RNT). The current study aimed to investigate how cognitive control predicts engagement in a common component of RNT over time via an indirect mechanism of dependent stress generation in a one-semester longitudinal study of emerging adult college students ( N = 224). Executive functioning task performance and self-reported attentional control (not working memory capacity task performance) prospectively predicted RNT, mediated by dependent stress, but did not predict change in stress or RNT from baseline. These findings suggest that aspects of cognitive control relevant for successful goal pursuit may be involved with maintaining levels of stressful life events and subsequent RNT.

Psychological Health— Te Taha Hinengaro

The Māori model of health and the importance of thoughts and feelings for Māori. Maslow and the need to feel safe. The significance of adverse childhood experiences and the roots of mental ill health in adults. The Dalai Lama on love and compassion. The New Zealand Government’s 2018 Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction and New Zealand’s suicide epidemic. The New Zealand government’s first ‘Wellbeing Budget’ (2019). The role of meditation in pain management (and the author’s personal experience thereof). Maladaptive thinking, rumination, and catastrophizing. The author’s personal experience of depression. Antidepressants, or ‘the drug, doctor’? Author’s experience of acceptance and commitment therapy (accept, choose a valued direction, and take action). Mindfulness and the daily practice of meditation. Another look at work and health, especially the notion of good work. The author’s development of a plan for ‘whole life health’ in his practice, and a patient’s testimony.

Comparing the Effect of Exposure and Response Prevention and Paradoxical Time Table Therapy Techniques on the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Patients

Aims: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Almost about five million Americans are identified with OCD every year. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and paradoxical time table therapy technique on OCD patients. Methods & Materials: This experimental study was an extension of the multi-group pre-test post-test design. The statistical population of the study consisted of all OCD patients referred to private clinics and psychotherapy centers in Tehran in 2018, of whom 45 cases were selected through available sampling randomly assigned to three groups of 15. Patients in the first group received ERP (8 sessions) and patients in the second group received a paradoxical time table technique (4 sessions) individually. In the present study, the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (1997) was used. The data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) using SPSS software. Findings: The results showed the significant effectiveness of ERP and the paradoxical time table technique on the reduction of OCD (P<0.001). Conclusion: Paradoxical time table therapy, as an alternative treatment of response prevention technique, can eliminate maladaptive thinking strategies about anxiety as well as uncompromising threat monitoring in OCD patients.

Turning Towards or Turning Away: A Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Guided Imagery Relaxation in Patients with Acute Depression

Background: Disengaging from maladaptive thinking is an important imperative in the treatment of depression. Mindfulness training is aimed at helping patients acquire relevant skills for this purpose. It remains unclear, however, whether this practice is helpful when patients are acutely depressed. Aims: In order to investigate effects of mindfulness on symptoms and self-regulatory capacities in this group, the current study compared a brief training in mindfulness (n = 19) to guided imagery relaxation (n = 18). Method: Participants were introduced to the respective techniques in a single session, and practised daily over one week. Self-reported severity of symptoms, difficulties in emotion-regulation, attentional control, the ability to decentre, and mindfulness were assessed pre and postintervention, and at a one-week follow-up. Results: Symptoms of depression significantly decreased and self-regulatory functioning significantly increased in both groups, with changes being maintained during follow-up. When controlling for change in depressive symptoms, results showed significantly higher improvements in emotion regulation at follow-up in the mindfulness group. The ability to decentre predicted changes in symptoms from pre to postintervention, while mindfulness skills predicted changes in symptoms during the maintenance phase. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both practices can help to instigate reductions in symptoms and enhance self-regulatory functioning in depression. However, in order to improve emotion regulation above levels explained by reductions in symptoms more intentional mental training seems necessary. Furthermore, while the ability to disengage from negative patterns of thinking seems crucial for initial reduction of symptoms, maintenance of gains might require broader skills in mindfulness.

Metacognitive Therapy: Cognition Applied To Regulating Cognition

The theory and principles of Metacognitive therapy (MCT) are described and data supporting its effects are summarized. MCT does not advocate challenging of negative automatic thoughts or traditional schemas. It proposes the existence of a universal maladaptive thinking style that causes disorder and focuses on helping patients regulate their cognition more adaptively. It aims to reduce worry and rumination and alter problematic patterns of attention and coping. In doing so it targets underlying metacognition that controls thinking and helps patients develop new ways of consciously experiencing inner events. Data from treatment studies suggest that individual MCT techniques and full treatment are highly effective. Further randomized trials are clearly warranted.

Dysfunctional Core Beliefs in Eating Disorders: A Review

Until recently, it was widely accepted that eating-disordered symptoms are caused and maintained by patterns of maladaptive thinking (negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional assumptions) regarding body size, shape, and weight. However, current research and clinical investigations suggest that broader patterns of maladaptive thinking exist in cognitive organization of eating psychopathology and that cognitive therapy for eating disorders might benefit from in-depth consideration of the individual’s cognitive content. For these reasons, research into the impact of core beliefs in eating disorders has increased in recent years. This article provides a review and critique of the existing findings. The main methodological problems of examining core beliefs in eating disorders are discussed, and the conceptual issues that arise in this area are also reviewed. Finally, suggestions for the directions of future research are also made.