Flow With Nature Treatment for Depression: Participants’ Experiences

This study examined Flow with Nature (FWN) treatment, which is an integrative intervention (rehabilitation) based on eco and environmental psychology, psychotherapeutic theories and professional psychological practice. FWN is intended for depression rehabilitation with the help of social support, nature environments and FWN exercises. Exercises encourage sensing the environment, mindful awareness, psychological processing and focusing on the future. The FWN treatment proceeds in separate stages (horizon, growth and path), which emphasise nature, group (social support) and FWN exercises differently. This study focused on the experiences of the participants in the FWN treatment. Finnish adults who had been diagnosed with clinical depression took part in the FWN treatment (N = 82) and answered feedback questions (by paper, electronic questionnaire or phone discussion). Answers were analysed using theory-based content analysis. Data were collected between spring 2019 and spring 2020. The majority of the participants were women (82%) and on average 44 years old. Content analysis revealed that the participant feedback answers were in agreement with the central theoretical themes of FWN. The participants emphasised the significance of nature, social support and exercises differently. Moreover, the significance of these ingredients differed according to the stages of treatment: in the horizon stage restorative (e.g., fascination) and comprehensive nature experiences (e.g., connectedness with nature), in the growth stage social support (e.g., peer support) and in the path stage environmental self-regulation (e.g., nature as a part of life) were emphasised. These results are in accordance with the objectives of the stages and seem to support the phase-based rationale. The participants’ experiences of the key elements of the intervention, social support and nature environment were experienced mainly positively, which supports their inclusion in future intervention versions. In the future, FWN exercises should be developed to better enable participants’ possibilities for concentration and being present in the moment (mindfulness). Exercises should also be simplified to match the target group’s cognitive abilities.

Association Between Caregiver Depression and Elder Mistreatment—Examining the Moderating Effect of Care Recipient Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Caregiver-Perceived Burden

Objectives To examine the association between caregiver (CG) depression and increase in elder mistreatment and to investigate whether change in care recipient (CR) neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and change in CG-perceived burden influence this association. Methods Using 2-year longitudinal data, we analyzed a consecutive sample of 800 Chinese primary family CGs and their CRs with mild cognitive impairment or mild-to-moderate dementia recruited from the geriatric and neurological departments of 3 Grade-A hospitals in the People’s Republic of China. Participatory dyads were assessed between September 2015 and February 2016 and followed for 2 years. Results CG depression at baseline was associated with a sharper increase in psychological abuse and neglect. For CRs with increased NPS, having a depressed CG predicted a higher level of psychological abuse than for those CRs without NPS. For CGs with decreased burden, the level of depression was associated with a slower increase in neglect than for CGs who remained low burden. Discussion This study showed the differential impact of CG depression on the increase in elder mistreatment depending on the change in CR NPS and CG-perceived burden. The present findings provide valuable insights into the design of a systematic and integrative intervention protocol for elder mistreatment that simultaneously focuses on treating CG depression and perceived burden and CR NPS.

EXPLORING INTERVENTION FOR WIDOWS IN BINGA DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE: A SOCIAL WORK INTEGRATIVE MODEL

This article discusses a social work intervention model that addresses the psychosocial plight of widows in Zimbabwe. The ARTICLE uses a qualitative approach and a phenomenological research design as a basis for one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews that provided the information needed for the formulation of a social work basic care integrative model. The findings of the research indicate that there are gaps in social work interventions that suggest the need for an integrative intervention model to guide social workers in practice in meeting the welfare needs of the widows in Binga District.

Caregiver Depression, Change in the Severity of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, and Subsequent Caregiver Abuse

Objectives: To examine whether caregiver (CG) depression predicts subsequent occurrence of elder abuse and whether change in the severity how care-recipient change in the severity of care recipient (CR) neuropsychiatric symptoms influence this association. Methods: Using two-year longitudinal data, we analyzed a consecutive sample of 800 Chinese family CGs and their CRs with dementia recruited from the geriatric and neurological departments of three Grade-A hospitals in People’s Republic of China (PRC). All the participatory dyads were assessed between September 2015 and February 2016 and followed for two years. Results: CG depression at baseline predicted the subsequent occurrence of physical and psychological abuse and CG neglect. However, change in the severity of CR neuropsychiatric symptoms altered these relationships. Specifically, while unchanged and increased CR neuropsychiatric symptoms heightened the positive effect of CG depression on subsequent abuse, decreased CR neuropsychiatric symptoms protected older adults from abuse by a depressed CG. Conclusion: This study showed the differential impact of CG depression on subsequent occurrence of elder abuse depending on the change in the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms related to the CRs. The present findings provide important insights to the design of a systematic and integrative intervention protocol for elder abuse that simultaneously focuses on treating CG depression and CR neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Familientherapie ist für Jugendliche mit PTBS und Substanzmissbrauch optimal

Die expositionsbasierte, integrative Intervention zur Risikominderung durch Familientherapie (RRFT) beinhaltet die Expositionstherapie, ein Goldstandard-Behandlungsansatz für PTBS, bei dem die traumatischen Ereignisse der Jugendlichen direkt diskutiert werden. Bisher war unklar, ob es möglicherweise unsicher ist, Jugendliche mit PTBS-Symptomen und Substanzkonsum in die Expositionstherapie einzubeziehen, da die Diskussion der Traumaerinnerungen zu einer belastungsbedingten Zunahme des Substanzgebrauchsverhaltens führen könnte.

The Feasibility and Efficacy of a Brief Integrative Treatment for Adults With Depression and/or Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and suitability of a brief integrative intervention, Personalized Integrative Therapy (PI Therapy), for the treatment of adult depression and/or anxiety. In this 6-week, 3-arm, parallel-group, randomized trial, PI Therapy delivered alone or with nutritional supplements (PI Therapy + Supps) was compared to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in 48 adults with depression and/or anxiety. All treatments were delivered as a 1-day workshop plus 6 weeks of reminder phone text messages to reinforce topics and skills covered in the workshop. Affective symptoms decreased significantly and to the same extent in all 3 conditions. At the end of treatment, 33% to 58% of participants reported levels of depressive symptoms in the normal range, and 50% to 58% reported nonclinical levels of anxiety. Compared to CBT and PI Therapy, PI Therapy + Supps was associated with significantly greater improvements in sleep quality. These findings suggest that a brief integrative intervention with or without supplements was comparable to CBT in reducing affective symptoms in adults with depression and/or anxiety. However, sleep quality improved only in the PI Therapy + Supps condition. These findings will require replication with a larger cohort.