How Avatar Customization Affects Fear in a Game-based Digital Exposure Task for Social Anxiety

The treatment of social anxiety through digital exposure therapy is challenging due to the cognitive properties of social anxiety-individuals need to be fully engaged in the task and feel themselves represented in the social situation; however, avatar customization has been shown to increase both engagement and social presence. In this paper, we harness techniques used in commercial games, and investigate how customizing self-representation in a novel digital exposure task for social anxiety influences the experience of social threat. In an online experiment with 200 participants, participants either customized their avatar or were assigned a predefined avatar. Participants then controlled the avatar through a virtual shop, where they had to solve a math problem, while a simulated audience within the virtual world observed them and negatively judged their performance. Our findings show that we can stimulate the fear of evaluation by others in our task, that fear is driven primarily by trait social anxiety, and that this relationship is strengthened for people higher in trait social anxiety. We provide new insights into the effects of customization in a novel therapeutic context, and embed the discussion of avatar customization into related work in social anxiety and human-computer interaction. ?

How do music therapists use songwriting techniques and processes to facilitate self-expression with people who have eating disorders?

<p>This qualitative research explored how music therapists use songwriting to facilitate self-expression with people who have eating disorders. I employed an interpretative approach using an exploratory research method. It involved being reflexive within my songwriting processes to gain a deeper understanding of personal self-expression to inform my music therapy practice as a student. The main data source was based on literature accompanied by a personal journal and some clinical notes. An analysis of data was applied using thematic analysis to develop themes and produce findings. The findings suggested that by utilising songwriting techniques, music therapists can help people who have eating disorders developtheir identity, create a safe environment for people to express themselves, and provide opportunities for letting go of control. This project helped me to develop my songwriting and reflexive skills in a therapeutic context and to facilitate groups with people who have eating disorders. It also helped me to gain a more in-depth understanding of the various songwriting techniques and processes that music therapists use to facilitate self-expression in the context of eating disorders.</p>

How do music therapists use songwriting techniques and processes to facilitate self-expression with people who have eating disorders?

<p>This qualitative research explored how music therapists use songwriting to facilitate self-expression with people who have eating disorders. I employed an interpretative approach using an exploratory research method. It involved being reflexive within my songwriting processes to gain a deeper understanding of personal self-expression to inform my music therapy practice as a student. The main data source was based on literature accompanied by a personal journal and some clinical notes. An analysis of data was applied using thematic analysis to develop themes and produce findings. The findings suggested that by utilising songwriting techniques, music therapists can help people who have eating disorders developtheir identity, create a safe environment for people to express themselves, and provide opportunities for letting go of control. This project helped me to develop my songwriting and reflexive skills in a therapeutic context and to facilitate groups with people who have eating disorders. It also helped me to gain a more in-depth understanding of the various songwriting techniques and processes that music therapists use to facilitate self-expression in the context of eating disorders.</p>

Gene-circuit therapy on the horizon: synthetic biology tools for engineered therapeutics

Therapeutic genome modification requires precise control over the introduced therapeutic functions. Current approaches of gene and cell therapy fail to deliver such command and rely on semi-quantitative methods with limited influence on timing, contextuality and levels of transgene expression, and hence on therapeutic function. Synthetic biology offers new opportunities for quantitative functionality in designing therapeutic systems and their components. Here, we discuss synthetic biology tools in their therapeutic context, with examples of proof-of-principle and clinical applications of engineered synthetic biomolecules and higher-order functional systems, i.e. gene circuits. We also present the prospects of future development towards advanced gene-circuit therapy.

The shallow of your smile: The ethics of expressive vocal deepfakes

Rapid technological advances in artificial intelligence are creating opportunities for real-time algorithmic modulations of a person’s facial and vocal expressions, or “deep- fakes”. These developments raises unprecedented societal and ethical questions which, despite much recent public awareness, are still poorly understood from the point of view of moral psychology. We report here on an experimental ethics study conducted on a sample of N=303 participants (predominantly young, western and educated), who evaluated the acceptability of vignettes describing potential applications of expressive voice transformation technology. We found that vocal deep-fakes were generally well accepted in the population, notably in a therapeutic context and for emotions judged otherwise difficult to control, and surprisingly, even if the user lies to their interlocutors about using them. Unlike other emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, there was no evidence of social dilemma in which one would e.g. accept for others what they resent for themselves. The only real obstacle to the massive deployment of vocal deep-fakes appears to be situations where they are applied to a speaker without their knowing, but even the acceptability of such situations was modulated by individual differences in moral values and attitude towards science-fiction.

Does Psychedelic Therapy Have a Transdiagnostic Action and Prophylactic Potential?

Addressing global mental health is a major 21st-century challenge. Current treatments have recognized limitations; in this context, new ones that are prophylactic and effective across diagnostic boundaries would represent a major advance. The view that there exists a core of transdiagnostic overlap between psychiatric disorders has re-emerged in recent years, and evidence that psychedelic therapy holds promise for a range of psychiatric disorders supports the position that it may be transdiagnostically effective. Here, we propose that psychedelic therapy's core, transdiagnostically relevant action lies in its ability to increase neuronal and mental plasticity, thus enhancing the potential for change, which we consider to be a key to its therapeutic benefits. Moreover, we suggest that enhanced plasticity via psychedelics, combined with a psychotherapeutic approach, can aid healthy adaptability and resilience, which are protective factors for long-term well-being. We present candidate neurological and psychological markers of this plasticity and link them with a predictive processing model of the action of psychedelics. We propose that a model of psychedelic-induced plasticity combined with an adequate therapeutic context has prophylactic and transdiagnostic potential, implying that it could have a broad, positive impact on public health.

Current Perspective on the Therapeutic Preset for Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy

The present narrative review is the first in a series of reviews about the appropriate conduct in substance-assisted psychotherapy (SAPT). It outlines a current perspective onpreconditions and theoretical knowledge that have been identified as valuable in the literaturefor appropriate therapeutic conduct in SAPT. In this context, considerations regarding ethics and the spiritual emphasis of the therapeutic approaches are discussed. Further, current methods, models, and concepts of psychological mechanism of action and therapeutic effects of SAPT are summarized, and similarities between models, approaches, and potential mediators for therapeutic effects are outlined. It is argued that a critical assessment of the literature might indicate that the therapeutic effect of SAPT may be mediated by intra- and interpersonal variables within the therapeutic context rather than specific therapeutic models per se. The review provides a basis for the development and adaptation of future investigations, therapeutic models, training programs for therapists, and those interested in the therapeutic potential of SAPT. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.

Trauma and Mentalization Ability in Older Patients

The topic of trauma and aging has been studied more frequently in the recent past from the perspective of the consequences of early trauma experiences, especially in the context of war experiences. However, trauma can also occur later in life and have lasting consequences into older age. The study presented here assumed that these consequences can also manifest themselves in an impairment of mentalization ability. It examined a sample of patients between 40 and 80 years of age from a psychosomatic clinic ( N = 150) was examined with the Essen Trauma Inventory (ETI) and two mentalization instruments. Results show that, as age increased, stressful events in adulthood correspond with impairment in mentalization ability in old age. Regarding posttraumatic symptomatology, the influence of intrusions increased as age increased. Finally, the results are discussed in a theoretical and therapeutic context.

Re-conceptualising ‘mise en scène’ for online dramatherapy

In this clinical comment, the author will explore how an understanding of mise en scène can be helpful for online dramatherapy practice, particularly for those new to this way of working. The author will reflect upon aspects of mise en scène and reconceptualise them in a therapeutic context. Elements such as the use of props and how they appear on screen, what the client can (or can’t) see in the background and the use of lighting will be examined in terms of the dynamics of the online therapeutic relationship and online therapy space. The author shares their experience of applying mise en scène theory to their own dramatherapy practice and offers reflections upon the symbolic meaning that can be unconsciously expressed through the ‘frame’ of the online therapy screen.