Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-V
... First, the emergence of depressive symptoms may lead to reduced motivation to engage in physical activity, resulting in greater physical inactivity, which, in turn, leads to decreased CRF levels [31,32]. Second, depressive symptoms are associated with multiple disturbances, such as sleep disorders (DSM-5) [33] that can disrupt the role of sleep in the restoration and consolidation of physical and cognitive health, contributing to greater physical inactivity and obesity [34], as well as worse cognitive performance [35]. Finally, the psychosocial factors associated with depressive symptoms, such as social isolation, anxiety and negative affect (DSM-5) [33], can disrupt healthy lifestyle behaviors and, thus, have detrimental effects on CRF and cognition. ...
... Second, depressive symptoms are associated with multiple disturbances, such as sleep disorders (DSM-5) [33] that can disrupt the role of sleep in the restoration and consolidation of physical and cognitive health, contributing to greater physical inactivity and obesity [34], as well as worse cognitive performance [35]. Finally, the psychosocial factors associated with depressive symptoms, such as social isolation, anxiety and negative affect (DSM-5) [33], can disrupt healthy lifestyle behaviors and, thus, have detrimental effects on CRF and cognition. ...
... Several mechanisms have been suggested that explain the complex relationship between depressive symptomatology and CRF and their impact on cognitive abilities. For instance, depressive symptoms encompass a lack of motivation, social isolation, anxiety, negative affect, and sleep disorders [33] that have been shown to contribute to greater physical inactivity [32,34]. Our results show that, in fact, depressive symptoms have a detrimental impact on physical well-being, predicting worse CRF in both OA and YA. ...
Background
Aging is commonly associated with emotional, physical, and cognitive changes, with the latter, particularly affecting executive functioning. Further, such changes may interact. For instance, depressive symptomatology is a known risk factor for developing cognitive deficits, especially at older ages. In contrast, an active lifestyle, reflected in high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels, has proven to protect against adverse effects on cognition across the adult lifespan. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between depressive symptomatology, CRF, and cognition during critical developmental stages, namely in young adults (YA), when cognitive abilities are at their peak, and in older adults (OA), when they may start to decline.
Methods
Eighty-one OA with ages between 60 and 89 years (M = 70.46; SD = 7.18) and 77 YA with ages between 18 and 34 years (M = 22.54; SD = 3.72) went through (i) a sociodemographic interview, (ii) an emotional assessment, (iii) a battery of cognitive tests, and (iv) a physical evaluation assessing CRF levels, visceral fat and body-mass index.
Results
Results showed that OA exhibited lower general cognitive performance, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, memory, and CRF. Depressive symptoms and anxiety were not different among groups, with CRF mediating the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in the OA group.
Conclusions
The present study provides valuable insights into the interplay between emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being. Additionally, it calls attention to how lifestyle factors can play a protective role against the adverse effects that depressive symptoms have on cognition, particularly at older ages.
The use of smartphones and accompanying apps has significantly improved communication, but it has also raised concerns about device dependence and overuse. The term "smartphone addiction" was introduced to describe the excessive and dysfunctional use of smartphones, evocative of behavioural addictions. Since smartphones are used for various purposes and are always connected to the Internet, they can significantly affect daily activities. Excessive and problematic smartphone use is associated with poor sleep, fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, and shorter sleep duration. It has been demonstrated that the addictive use of smartphones is commonly accompanied by depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, the lack of sleep is strongly associated with academic underperformance. Therefore, maintaining healthy sleep patterns is essential for young people and improves their academic performance as well as physical and mental health. As "smartphone addiction" becomes a growing challenge in numerous countries, preventive measures need to be implemented, as well as measures to help reduce the consequences of excessive smartphone use.
In recent times, growing concern has arisen regarding the utilization of technology, video games, and the emergence of internet gaming disorder (IGD), particularly among young adolescents. This worry arises from the ambiguity in distinguishing between “normal” and “problematic” video game behavior, despite efforts to establish clear criteria for defining both. The goal of this study is to outline distinct profiles of adolescent video game players and identify variables associated with their gaming practices that correlate with problematic gaming. The study utilizes a substantial sample of adolescents drawn from a representative cross-section of educational institutions in the city of Madrid, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years. In total, 1516 participants (75%) acknowledged engaging in video game activities. The research delves into characterizing prevailing profiles of video game participants within this cohort and scrutinizes the profile that aligns with issues of IGD. In summary, approximately three-quarters of young adolescents participate in video gaming, with males constituting the majority. Typically, participants immerse themselves in action genre games for over three days per week, with males exhibiting a higher frequency than their female counterparts. Elevated gaming frequency correlates with heightened IGD scores, particularly among females. Young adolescents show a preference for game consoles (males) and mobile phones (females) and often play alone at home. Specific factors such as the device used, online mode, company, and gaming location impact the IGD scores. These profiles aim to assist families and educators in recognizing potential risk behaviors and IGD concerns; however, it is crucial to emphasize the necessity for case-specific screening and evaluation before deliberating on such behaviors.
Perinatal mental illness is a term that encompasses prevalent psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and they range from mild anxiety or depression to mania and full-blown psychosis. The estimated worldwide prevalence rate for mental illness is 10% in pregnant women and 13% in postpartum women. Management of mental illness poses a significant challenge during pregnancy, not only because of the deleterious effects the illness may cause on the woman and the fetus but also because of the potential risks that treatment carries with it. In this chapter, we review the most common mental health problems presenting during pregnancy and their management, delving into the different classes of psychotropics, their uses and associated risks during pregnancy.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder hallmarked by challenges in social communication, limited interests, and repetitive, stereotyped movements and behaviors. Numerous research efforts have indicated that individuals with ASD exhibit distinct brain connectivity patterns compared to control groups. However, these investigations, often constrained by small sample sizes, have led to inconsistent results, suggesting both heightened and diminished long-range connectivity within ASD populations. To bolster our analysis and enhance their reliability, we conducted a retrospective study using two different connectivity metrics and employed both traditional statistical methods and machine learning techniques. The concurrent use of statistical analysis and classical machine learning techniques advanced our understanding of model predictions derived from the spectral or connectivity attributes of a subject's EEG signal, while also verifying these predictions. Significantly, the utilization of machine learning methodologies empowered us to identify a unique subgroup of correctly classified children with ASD, defined by the analyzed EEG features. This improved approach is expected to contribute significantly to the existing body of knowledge on ASD and potentially guide personalized treatment strategies.
Research has shown a protective association between social support and depression, depression among stroke patients, and health impacts of depression. Despite this, not much is known about the effect of social support on depression among stroke patients. This review aims to summarize the current research examining the association between social support and depression among stroke patients. A literature search was performed in PubMed to find original peer-reviewed journal articles from 2016 to 12 March 2023 that examined the association between social support and depression among stroke patients. The search terms were depression and “social support” and stroke, which lead to 172 articles. After abstract review, seven observational studies that studied the target association among stroke patients were selected. One additional study was found using PsycINFO as a complementary source with the same search strategy and criteria. Overall, a negative association was found between social support and depression among stroke patients in eight studies, with more social support leading to lower rates of depression post-stroke. The other study did not find a statistically significant association. Overall, the results of recent studies suggest that social support is negatively associated with depression among stroke patients. In most studies, this association was statistically significant. The findings suggest the importance of improving social support perceived by stroke patients in the prevention of depression after the occurrence of stroke.
Background
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has amongst the highest mortality rates and the highest treatment costs of any psychiatric disorder. Recently, interest in non-invasive brain stimulation as a novel treatment for AN has grown. These include repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
Methods
This double-blind, randomised sham-controlled trial will compare the relative acceptability and efficacy of tDCS and rTMS in people with AN. 70 participants will be randomised to active or sham tDCS, or active or sham rTMS treatment (2:1:2:1 ratio) over an 8-week treatment period. Participants will receive treatment as usual across the study duration. The primary outcomes are change on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and treatment acceptability. Secondary outcomes will include change in weight, cognition, mood, interpersonal functioning, and quality of life. Following the 8-week assessment, all participants will have the option of receiving an additional 12 weeks of at-home tDCS. A follow-up assessment will be conducted at 20 weeks post treatment.
Discussion
Research into non-invasive brain stimulation as treatments for AN has potential to improve clinical outcomes for patients by comparing the relative efficacy and acceptability of both treatment modalities in the inpatient and at-home setting (i.e., for at-home tDCS) results from this study will provide important information for informing future larger clinical trials of these treatments for AN.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05788042.
Background
As the number of students with learning disabilities (SwLD) entering higher education (HE) increases, a need arises to improve the services provided to them by understanding their experiences. This scoping review explores the extent and type of evidence on the experiences of SwLD in HE.
Method
The review followed the six stages outlined by Arksey and O’Malley. PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCO, ProQuest, and APA PsycNet were searched for primary data, and studies published between January 2012 and July 2022 were included. The following information was extracted and collated from the included studies: author/s, year, location, objective/aim, study design, materials and methods, and major findings.
Results
The search yielded 3729 titles and abstracts. Their screening resulted in 26 eligible articles. The review of these articles identified three major themes: (a) academic concerns, (b) psychosocial experiences, and (c) support systems and accommodations. The academic concerns included difficulties in areas such as reading, writing, and spelling. The studies on psychosocial experiences showed that SwLD experience stress, anxiety, and lower self-esteem. The studies on support systems and accommodations indicate that they get academic support, technological support, and extra time for examinations from educational institutions.
Conclusion
The SwLD experiences academic and psychosocial challenges during higher studies. However, the existing support systems do not address these challenges, and there is a need for further research in this area.
Background
As no scales are currently available to assess the social-emotional reciprocity (SER) between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents, we aimed to develop a questionnaire for this.
Methods
Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used for content validation. All stages of this study used purposive sampling to choose various groups of experts, mental health professionals, and parents of children with ASD to participate in the development, judgment-quantifying, and pretest stages. Data from 30 parents of children with ASD were gathered for the field test.
Results
Thirty items were retained after content validation. The proportion of consensus regarding the comprehensiveness of the entire questionnaire was 1.00. The scale-level content validity index (CVI) by averaging calculation method and universal agreement calculation method were 0.95 and 0.50, respectively. Following the pretest, a total of 23 questions, on a five-point scale, were retained.
Conclusion
Given the significance of SER between children with ASD and their parents, mental health practitioners should use this questionnaire to understand it to maximize the efficacy of any intervention.
Background: In the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain a considerable challenge for people with HIV, yet not all such disorders can be attributed to HIV alone. This study aimed to: (1) identify factors influencing neurocognitive impairment (NCI) utilizing the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) as per the revised research criteria for HAND; (2) ascertain the moderating role of high homocysteine levels in the association between NCI and HIV; and (3) assess the mediating effect of elevated homocysteine levels on this association.
Methods: We analyzed data from 788 adults (≥45 years) participating in a study on HIV-related comorbidities in underserved Baltimore communities, using NIHTB-CB to gauge neurocognitive performance. Special attention was given to results from the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) test within the executive function domain during causal mediation analysis.
Results: Overall, HIV was not associated with NCI presence. However, HIV was associated with NCI among individuals with homocysteine >14 μmol/L. Furthermore, HIV was both directly and indirectly associated with NCI in DCCS test scores. Notably, the mediating role of elevated homocysteine in DCCS scores was only observable among individuals who had never used cocaine or had used it for ≤ 10 years, suggesting that extended cocaine use may have a substantial influence on cognitive performance.
Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest elevated homocysteine levels may moderate and mediate the association between HIV and neurocognitive impairment.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder which affects a significant proportion of the population, with estimates suggesting that about 1 in 100 children worldwide are affected by ASD. This study introduces a new Deep Neural Network for identifying ASD in children through gait analysis, using features extracted from frames composing video recordings of their walking patterns. The innovative method presented herein is based on imagery and combines gait analysis and deep learning, offering a noninvasive and objective assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders while delivering high accuracy in ASD detection. Our model proposes a bimodal approach based on the concatenation of two distinct Convolutional Neural Networks processing two feature sets extracted from the same videos. The features obtained from the convolutions of both networks are subsequently flattened and merged into a single vector, serving as input for the fully connected layers in the binary classification process. This approach demonstrates the potential for effective ASD detection in children through the combination of gait analysis and deep learning techniques.
Importance
First-line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), ie, trauma-focused therapy, while effective, is limited by low treatment initiation, high dropout, and high treatment refraction.
Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) vs first-line cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in women veterans with PTSD related to military sexual trauma (MST) and the hypothesis that PTSD outcomes would differ between the interventions.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This multisite randomized clinical trial was conducted from December 1, 2015, to April 30, 2022, within 2 VA health care systems located in the southeast and northwest. Women veterans aged 22 to 71 years with MST-related PTSD were enrolled and randomized to TCTSY or CPT.
Interventions
The TCTSY intervention (Hatha-style yoga focusing on interoception and empowerment) consisted of 10 weekly, 60-minute group sessions, and the CPT intervention (cognitive-based therapy targeting modification of negative posttraumatic thoughts) consisted of 12 weekly, 90-minute group sessions.
Main Outcome and Measures
Sociodemographic data were collected via self-report survey. The primary outcome, PTSD symptom severity, was assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Assessments were conducted at baseline, midintervention, 2 weeks post intervention, and 3 months post intervention.
Results
Of 200 women veterans who consented to participate, the intent-to-treat sample comprised 131 participants (mean [SD] age, 48.2 [11.2] years), with 72 randomized to TCTSY and 59 randomized to CPT. Treatment was completed by 47 participants (65.3%) in the TCTSY group and 27 (45.8%) in the CPT group, a 42.6% higher treatment completion rate in the TCTSY group ( P = .03). Both treatment groups improved over time on the CAPS-5 (mean [SD] scores at baseline: 36.73 [8.79] for TCTSY and 35.52 [7.49] for CPT; mean [SD] scores at 3 months: 24.03 [11.55] for TCTSY and 22.15 [13.56]) and the PCL-5 (mean [SD] scores at baseline: 49.62 [12.19] for TCTSY and 48.69 [13.62] for CPT; mean [SD] scores at 3 months: 36.97 [17.74] for TCTSY and 31.76 [12.47]) ( P < .001 for time effects). None of the group effects or group-by-time effects were significant. Equivalence analyses of change scores were not significantly different between the TCTSY and CPT groups, and the two one-sided test intervals fell within the equivalence bounds of plus or minus 10 for CAPS-5 for all follow-up time points.
Conclusions and Relevance
In this comparative effectiveness randomized clinical trial, TCTSY was equivalent to CPT in reducing PTSD symptom severity, with both groups improving significantly. The higher treatment completion rate for TCTSY indicates its higher acceptability as an effective and acceptable PTSD treatment for women veterans with PTSD related to MST that could address current VA PTSD treatment limitations.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02640690
Background
Factors associated with suicide attempts during the antecedent illness trajectory of bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are poorly understood.
Methods
Utilizing the Rochester Epidemiology Project, individuals born after 1985 in Olmsted County, MN, presented with first episode mania (FEM) or psychosis (FEP), subsequently diagnosed with BD or SZ were identified. Patient demographics, suicidal ideation with plan, self-harm, suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations, substance use, and childhood adversities were quantified using the electronic health record. Analyses pooled BD and SZ groups with a transdiagnostic approach given the two diseases were not yet differentiated. Factors associated with suicide attempts were examined using bivariate methods and multivariable logistic regression modeling.
Results
A total of 205 individuals with FEM or FEP (BD = 74, SZ = 131) were included. Suicide attempts were identified in 39 (19%) patients. Those with suicide attempts during antecedent illness trajectory were more likely to be female, victims of domestic violence or bullying behavior, and have higher rates of psychiatric hospitalizations, suicidal ideation with plan and/or self-harm, as well as alcohol, drug, and nicotine use before FEM/FEP onset. Based on multivariable logistic regression, three factors remained independently associated with suicidal attempts: psychiatric hospitalization (OR = 5.84, 95% CI 2.09–16.33, p < 0.001), self-harm (OR = 3.46, 95% CI 1.29–9.30, p = 0.014), and nicotine use (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.17–7.76, p = 0.022).
Conclusion
Suicidal attempts were prevalent during the antecedents of BD and SZ and were associated with several risk factors before FEM/FEP. Their clinical recognition could contribute to improve early prediction and prevention of suicide during the antecedent illness trajectory of BD and SZ.
Insomnia is the most reported sleep disorder in industrialized countries, affecting, in the chronic form, around 10% of the European population. In Italy, such a percentage seems to be even higher. Although insomnia can be an independent disorder, it is frequently described as comorbid condition and may precipitate, exacerbate, or prolong a broad range of physical and mental disorders. Evaluating and targeting insomnia in the Italian clinical practice should be a priority.
The present expert opinions and recommendations represent an update from 2020 and insights from Insomnia Expert Consensus Group, based on systematic reviews according to PRISMA on available options in Italy from January 2020 to March 2023.
We evaluated 28 papers among international guidelines, expert opinions, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis produced during the last 26 months.
Our findings suggest that symptoms of insomnia must be assessed in the Italian clinical practice by evaluating nocturnal and daytime symptoms, comorbid conditions, and lifestyle. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia should be the first option according to availability. The choice of the drug should be based on different factors including type of insomnia, age, comorbidities, and potential side effects. If the choice would be a Z-drug or a short-acting benzodiazepine (in subjects < 65 years old), the use should be in the short term (≤ 4 weeks). Indeed, eszopiclone, as a new option in Italy, may present a different profile and may be used for up to 6 months, also in the elderly. If the choice is melatonin, it should be used melatonin 2 mg prolonged release in adults ≥ 55 years for up to 13 weeks. A new dual orexin antagonist, daridorexant, is available in Italy; it has been shown to be effective in adults and elderly and it can be used for at least 3 months and up to 1 year.
To make early detection of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), caregiver-report instruments remain an efficient and adaptable option for the preliminary assessment. This study aimed to compare the psychometric properties of the Clancy Autism Behavior Scale (CABS) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) as screening tools for ASD by caregivers.
The data were collected from 154 pairs of children and their parents, who sought medical attention for suspected autism at Peking University Sixth Hospital. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, Youden index, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUC) of the CABS and ABC were calculated and compared using recommended cut-off values from initial papers. The optimal cut-off values for CABS and ABC were determined according to the maximum Youden index.
The ABC performed better than the CABS in screening autistic persons. Specifically, the ABC demonstrated higher sensitivity than the CABS in identifying children with ASD, while the CABS exhibited superior specificity compared to the ABC. According to the maximum Youden index, the optimal cut-off value was determined to be 13 for CABS and 62 for ABC.
The ABC exhibits higher sensitivity and overall performance in screening individuals with ASD compared to the CABS. The ABC is more suitable as a screening tool for caregivers in both domestic and clinical settings, while the CABS may be utilized when evaluation time or medical resources are limited due to its shorter completion time and fewer items.
Only a few studies examined the longitudinal pattern of parent–teacher reports on autism severity and comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and yielded conflicting results. The study’s aims were to compare parents and teachers’ perception of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptoms severity in children with ASD, at the start (T1) and end (T2) of the school year, to assess changes in their perception over time and to examine correlations between their reports.
The study included 73 participants, (M = 61), aged 2:10 − 7:6 years (M = 4:10, SD = 1:0), who attended ASD special education classes and were receiving intensive interventions. Parents and teachers completed measures of autism severity and ADHD and anxiety symptoms at T1 and T2.
Teachers, in comparison to parents, rated more severe social-communication impairments and inattention symptoms at T1, but not at T2. A significant improvement in teachers’ ratings of autism and inattention symptoms severity was documented at T2. At both time points, parents reported more severe anxiety symptoms. Significant correlations between parents’ and teachers’ reports were noted for autism severity at T1 and T2, but not for inattention and anxiety symptoms severity.
The study emphasizes the contribution of multiple perspectives for better collaboration between home and school environments. Obtaining accurate information from parents and teachers at the start of the school year may help to identify factors needed for better adjustment at school and to better address difficulties at home.
Background and purpose: The latest 2022 edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) includes updated descriptions and diagnostic rules for "depressive episodes" and " generalised anxiety disorder". The only self- assessment that is consistent with these disorders is the International Depression Questionnaire (IDQ) and the International Anxiety Questionnaire (IAQ). The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the psychometric properties of the IDQ and the IAQ in Iran, focusing on the student population.
Materials and methods: In the form of a descriptive study, 550 students of medical sciences universities in Tehran who were studying in 2023 were selected by convenience sampling and answered the research questions. To evaluate the reliability of these two questionnaires, two methods of internal consistency and test-retest were applied with an interval of two weeks. Their construct validity was assessed in the student sample using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.
Results: According to the results, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the depression and anxiety questionnaires was 0.92 and 0.93 respectively and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.86 and 0.84respectively, which indicates a high internal consistency and retest reliability of the two questionnaires. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that all questions in both questionnaires are related to one factor.
Conclusion: In general, it can be concluded that both questionnaires can be used as a brief measure in clinical and research settings for screening, diagnosingand monitoring the treatment of depression and anxiety in the student population.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder classically characterised by inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. However, emotion-related problems are also common in people with ADHD, although there is disagreement about their relationship with the classical symptoms of ADHD. Here, we investigated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and ADHD-like traits in a non-clinical group of adults.
In a group of 1074 individuals, average age 30.27 years, 656 females, 402 males and 16 who identified as ‘other’, with 76.8% describing themselves as ‘white’, were administered the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) to measure ADHD-like traits and emotion dysregulation, respectively.
The Inattention subscale of the ASRS was significantly correlated with all subscales of the DERS. Similarly, the Hyperactivity/impulsivity subscale was correlated with all subscales of the DERS except for the Lack of emotional awareness. The Lack of emotional clarity and Difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviour subscales of the DERS were significant independent positive predictors of ASRS inattention scores. Non-acceptance of emotional responses, Difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviour, Impulse control difficulties and Lack of emotional clarity subscales of the DERS were significant independent positive predictors of ASRS hyperactivity/impulsivity scores. In other words, as inattention and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms increased in severity, there was a concomitant increase in the severity of most aspects of emotion dysregulation.
The close association between emotion dysregulation and the classical symptoms of ADHD suggests that they may arise from a common dysfunctional substrate and hence treating emotion dysregulation may provide a novel pathway by which to treat the classical symptoms.
The period from childhood to adolescence is critical for mental health promotion, as it is estimated that, worldwide, approximately 10% to 20% of individuals in this age group have mental health problems that may lead to mental disorders that may persist throughout adulthood. Furthermore, recent studies show that mental health problems during childhood and adolescence contribute to a decrease in academic performance and an increase of risk-taking behaviors, self-injury, and suicide, with consequences into adulthood. Thus, preventing mental health problems in children and adolescents is essential to promote positive lifelong outcomes for young people. Schools are a privileged context for creating favorable environments for the implementation of mental health promotion programs, effectively and with long-term benefits. This context allows for an early intervention during the phase of development of socioemotional skills, thus enhancing the results of the programs themselves, contributing to the healthy development of children and youth and to a higher academic achievement of students.
Objective
Although several biologic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors have been linked to postpartum depressive symptoms, studies examining the association between non‐cigarette tobacco products and symptoms of postpartum depression are currently lacking. This study examined the association between hookah use and postpartum depressive symptoms.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study was conducted using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System 2016–2020. Self‐reported data on hookah use in the last 2 years and maternal mental health were captured using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed.
Results
The final study sample consisted of 106 894 participants. Approximately 8.2% of the participants reported postpartum depressive symptoms and 4.1% reported hookah use in the past 2 years. Compared with those without postpartum depressive symptoms, participants with postpartum depressive symptoms were more likely to be hookah users (5.5% vs 4.0%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for confounders, the odds of having postpartum depressive symptoms were significantly higher among participants who used a hookah in the past 2 years compared with non‐users; adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.20 (1.03–1.40); P = 0.022.
Conclusion
In a large, population‐based sample of US women, hookah use in the past 2 years significantly increased the odds of having postpartum depressive symptoms, independent of potential confounders. This finding underscores the need for healthcare providers to communicate effectively about the health risks of hookah use.
Clinical psychologists are compelled to encounter the challenging conditions of psychologically ill clients in their exacerbating journey. They must bear the emotional burden of apprehension, worry, overtiredness, and mental fatigue. The adverse lived experiences of clinical sessions, psychotherapy, and counseling lead to work-related mental stress and emotional exhaustion. Consequently, burnout has been one of the main precursors that mental health professionals are constantly dealing with. The research study aims to explore the lived experiences of burnout among clinical psychologists and identify the coping strategies used by these clinical psychologists in Pakistan. The study uses the qualitative phenomenology method to evaluate the respondents' experiences. The purposive sampling technique was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with six clinical psychologists. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the four themes of lived experiences of burnout and the five themes of coping strategies emerged. Results suggest that clinical psychologists have encountered burnout mainly due to workplace conditions, caregivers' attitudes, a state of helplessness, and societal stereotypes. They cope with burnout because of family-work balance, a support system, religious affiliation, and determined personality traits. The findings contribute new aspects of knowledge about the burnout phenomenon and help shape mental healthcare policies. There remains a need for further rigorous investigation of burnout to establish a formal policy for the mental health of clinical psychologists.
Loss aversion, or the greater sensitivity to losses than equivalent gains, has been shown to vary across individuals, but has yet to be thoroughly examined in relation to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomatology. Examining factors related to decision-making in ADHD has important implications for interventions as well as understanding engagement in risky behavior. Undergraduates ( N = 98; 73% women) completed questionnaires measuring ADHD symptomatology, loss aversion, and gambling preference as well as the Balloon Analog Risk Task. Individuals with high ADHD symptomatology ( n = 50) were less loss averse than those low in symptomatology, even after controlling for individual differences in risk taking and gambling preference. Inattention symptoms were not related to loss aversion after controlling for hyperactivity/impulsivity, risk taking, and gambling preference. Greater hyperactivity/impulsivity was related to less loss aversion, even after covariates were controlled. It is unclear if group differences were the result of reduced sensitivity to losses, increased attraction to gains, or both. Future research should examine if reduced loss aversion in those with high ADHD symptomatology replicates using other decision-making paradigms and whether or not loss aversion mediates the relationship between ADHD and risk-taking behavior.
Youths’ mental health is at a crisis level, with mental health problems doubling in the US since the pandemic began. To compound the mental health crisis, there is a global loneliness epidemic, with emerging adults worldwide experiencing some of the highest rates. One study with two phases examined the influence of social support and loneliness on mental health in US emerging adults during the pandemic, including changes in these relationships over one year. Emerging adults (N = 449) completed online questionnaires via Prolific in May 2020 (Phase 1) and again from January to May 2021 (N = 253; Phase 2). More perceived support was related to reduced loneliness, with family support having the most significant influence. Loneliness mediated the link between perceived support and adverse health outcomes. Higher loneliness predicted more perceived stress and sleep difficulties concurrently and over time. There was a bidirectional relationship between loneliness and depression, such that higher levels of either variable at Time 1 predicted increases in the other over time. Results highlight the detrimental impact of loneliness on emerging adults’ mental health.
The key to addressing college student stress is to understand faculty stress and its link to student stress. The authors aim to draw links between the student and faculty stress culture, from the perspective of clinical psychological science, and with the express purpose of outlining solutions. They discuss (1) epidemiology of student and faculty stress, (2) clinical definition of stress, (3) sources of student stress and student stress culture, (4) sources of faculty stress and faculty stress culture, (5) links between faculty and student stress, (6) maladaptive ways that both faculty and students cope with stress, (7) solutions, inspired from talk therapies, (8) practical tips, and (9) conclusions and future outlook. They also aim to have some fun with this chapter and buck a few traditions—for a strong reason that will become apparent by the finish. This chapter is written for students, faculty, university support staff, and administrators.
Higher learning institutions are expected to churn out knowledge and cater to the mental well-being of their students. Overwhelming evidence suggests that while students attend studies, exposure to stressors interferes with their academic abilities, social adaptability, and mental health. The study analyzed published studies on mental health issues and student stressors together with adjusting strategies to address mental health in higher learning institutions. By adopting the conceptual analysis framework, the results revealed that students face various stressors: academics, relational, anxiety, depression, substance use, economic stressors, mobile phone usage, sexual orientation, and eating disorders in the institutions. The study recommends that higher learning institutions set up wellness and counseling centers equipped with mental health professionals to negate the effect of various stressors on the mental health of first-year university students. The study also recommends emphasis on positive psychology and psychoeducation to change students' perceptions of mental health.
Objective
To review and meta-analyze patterns of attention deficit in primary-school-age children with ADHD measured with the neuropsychological attention network test (ANT).
Methods
Six electronic databases were searched to 5.05.2022. Selection criteria included prospective cohort and intervention studies; ANT used; primary-school-age; diagnosis of ADHD/at high risk.
Results
Seven studies met inclusion criteria ( N = 3,826). Compared with controls, children with ADHD had higher scores for Reaction Time (Hedges’ g = 0.433; 95% CI: 0.135–0.731), Reaction Time Variability (Hedges’ g = 0.334; 95% CI: 0.012–0.657), and Alerting Network (Hedges’ g = 0.235; 95% CI: 0.021–0.449) while children at high risk had higher Alerting Network scores (Hedges’ g = 0.176; 95% CI: 0.003–0.349) and Correctness scores (Hedges’ g = 1.956; 95% CI: 0.020–3.892).
Conclusions
Children with ADHD and at risk of ADHD had different ANT results from children without ADHD only for the alerting network. There were no significant differences for executive and orienting outcomes. Children at risk of ADHD also made more errors (commission and omission) measured with the ANT compared with children without ADHD. Reaction time was longer and reaction time variability higher in children with ADHD than in children without ADHD, and in children at risk of ADHD compared with children without ADHD.
Preregistration
A protocol has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (registration number: CRD42021249768).
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) comprises of mental images that provoke anxiety and fear and are recurrent. Objective: To find the prevalence of OCD symptoms in medical doctors and dentists with respect to gender. Methods: The study design was cross sectional comparative. It was conducted in College of Dentistry, Sharif Medical and Dental College Lahore. All practitioners irrespective of their age and gender were included in the study. Individuals practiced in a clinic or hospital for less than 6 months were excluded from the study. Obsessive compulsive inventory scale was used for data collection. Results: Gender of medical doctors and dentists and the symptom of washing (p=0.335, p=0.760 respectively), obsessing (p=0.131, p=0.476 respectively), checking (p=0.620, p=1.000 respectively) and neutralizing (p=0.294, p=1.000 respectively) was not significantly associated. The association between the symptom of ordering and gender of medical practitioners (p=0.05) was statistically significant. The association between gender of dental practitioners with hoarding (p=0.188), ordering (p=0.713) and doubting (p=1.000) was non-significant. Conclusions: Among the medical practitioners the symptoms of washing, obsessing, checking and neutralizing were higher in males as compared to the females. Among the dental practitioners the symptom of washing, obsessing and neutralizing were more prevalent in males while the symptom of checking was more prevalent in females. The symptoms of hoarding, ordering and doubting were more prevalent in males in comparison to female medical practitioners. Among the dental practitioners where the prevalence of hoarding was higher in the males while that of ordering and doubting was higher in the females.
This retrospective observational study on hospital staff requesting an “application visit” (from 2017 to 2022) at the Occupational Medicine department aimed at comparing a “pre-COVID group” (2017–2019) with a “COVID group” (2020–2022) regarding (a) sociodemographic data (i.e., age, sex, occupation, years of employment at the hospital), (b) rate and type of psychiatric diagnoses in both groups and rate of psychiatric diagnoses per subject, and (c) rate of drug/psychotherapeutic prescriptions. Two hundred and five healthcare workers (F = 73.7%; mean age = 50.7 ± 10.33) were visited. Compared with the pre-COVID group, healthcare workers evaluated during COVID-19 were significantly younger and reported fewer years of employment at the hospital. Although rates of primary psychiatric diagnoses were similar in both samples, an increased number of psychopathologies per subject and associated treatment prescriptions in the COVID group was observed. In the COVID group, 61% had one psychiatric diagnosis, and 28% had 2+ psychiatric diagnoses, compared with 83.8% and 6.7% of pre-COVID. Furthermore, 56.2%/1.9% in pre-COVID and 73%/6% in the COVID group were prescribed drugs/psychotherapy, respectively. The findings of the present study highlighted an increase in both younger workers’ requests and psychiatric comorbidities during the pandemic, representing a burden on the Italian healthcare system. It is thus relevant to address the mental health challenges of healthcare workers accordingly.
Mental health difficulties commonly co-occur with autism, especially in autistic people accessing clinic services, impacting substantially on quality-of-life. Alexithymia (difficulty describing/identifying feelings) and sensory processing differences are prevalent traits in autism that have been associated with depression/anxiety in autistic community samples. However, it is important to better understand interrelationships between these traits in clinical populations to improve identification of service-user needs. In this study, 190 autistic adults (65.3% male), seen in a tertiary autism clinic, completed self-report measures of alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale), sensory processing differences (Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile) and depression/anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Multiple linear regression models and mediation analyses were used to examine associations between alexithymia, sensory processing differences, and depression/anxiety severity. Across the sample, 66.3% of individuals (N = 126) were classified as alexithymic (score ≥ 61). Total alexithymia and difficulty describing/identifying feelings were significantly associated with depression severity (β = 0.30–0.38, highest p < 0.002), and difficulty identifying feelings was significantly associated with anxiety severity (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). Sensory processing differences were also significantly associated with depression severity (β = 0.29, p = 0.002) and anxiety severity across all models (β = 0.34–0.48, highest p < 0.001) Finally, difficulty describing/identifying feelings partially mediated the relationships between sensory processing differences and both depression/anxiety severity. Overall, these results highlight that interventions adapted for and targeting emotional awareness and sensory-related uncertainty may improve mental health outcomes in autistic service-users.
Current evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are efficacious in only part of PTSD patients. Therefore, novel neurobiologically informed approaches are urgently needed. Clinical and translational neuroscience point to altered learning and memory processes as key in (models of) PTSD psychopathology. We extended this notion by clarifying at a meta-level (i) the role of information valence, i.e. neutral versus emotional/fearful, and (ii) comparability, as far as applicable, between clinical and preclinical phenotypes. We hypothesized that cross-species, neutral versus emotional/fearful information processing is, respectively, impaired and enhanced in PTSD. This preregistered meta-analysis involved a literature search on PTSD+Learning/Memory+Behavior, performed in PubMed. First, the effect of information valence was estimated with a random-effects meta-regression. The sources of variation were explored with a random forest-based analysis. The analyses included 92 clinical ( N = 6732 humans) and 182 preclinical ( N = 6834 animals) studies. A general impairment of learning, memory and extinction processes was observed in PTSD patients, regardless of information valence. Impaired neutral learning/memory and fear extinction were also present in animal models of PTSD. Yet, PTSD models enhanced fear/trauma memory in preclinical studies and PTSD impaired emotional memory in patients. Clinical data on fear/trauma memory was limited. Mnemonic phase and valence explained most variation in rodents but not humans. Impaired neutral learning/memory and fear extinction show stable cross-species PTSD phenotypes. These could be targeted for novel PTSD treatments, using information gained from neurobiological animal studies. We argue that apparent cross-species discrepancies in emotional/fearful memory deserve further in-depth study; until then, animal models targeting this phenotype should be applied with utmost care.
Pieces of evidence support the association between sleep disorders and sexual dysfunctions. The main biological link between these two conditions is related to the circadian secretion of testosterone. Indeed, nocturnal testosterone secretion is modulated by the sleep stages, starting to rise at sleep onset and reaching a peak during the first REM sleep cycle. Thus, it is possible to speculate that sleep disorders could adversely affect serum testosterone levels. There is a convergence that sleep loss, especially during the second part of the night, in the early awakening, and wakefulness, reduces its morning circulating concentrations. Considering the clinical relevance of the association between sleep disorders and sexual dysfunctions, this chapter has the ambition to summarize and discuss the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the main sleep disorders occurring in the most common urological and sexual disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea is more likely associated with the development of erectile dysfunction (ED) and nocturia, insomnia disorder is frequently concurrent with ED, and restless legs syndrome may often exhibit premature ejaculation and reduced libido. Emphasis is placed on the early detection of sleep disorders in urological patients in order to provide them with timely treatment for overall health. Although a beneficial effect of continuous positive airway pressure treatment on sexual dysfunctions and quality of life has been also reported, confirmatory studies should be performed for evaluating the influence of sleep on testosterone concentrations over time and the efficacy of treatments. Conversely, caution should be considered in treating patients affected by sleep disorders with testosterone.
Introduction
Current interventions for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are primarily medication, behavioural therapy and parent training. However, research suggests dietary manipulations may provide therapeutic benefit for some. There is accumulating evidence that the gut microbiome may be atypical in ADHD, and therefore, manipulating gut bacteria in such individuals may help alleviate some of the symptoms of this condition. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of supplementation with kefir (a fermented dairy drink) on ADHD symptomatology, sleep, attention and the gut microbiome in children diagnosed with ADHD.
Methods and analysis
A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 70 children aged 8–13 years diagnosed with ADHD. Participants will be recruited throughout the UK, through support groups, community groups, schools, social media and word of mouth. Children will be randomised to consume daily either dairy kefir or a placebo dairy drink for 6 weeks. The primary outcome, ADHD symptomatology, will be measured by The Strengths and Weakness of ADHD-symptoms and Normal-behaviour scale. Secondary outcomes will include gut microbiota composition (using shotgun metagenomic microbiome sequencing), gut symptomatology (The Gastrointestinal Severity Index questionnaire), sleep (using 7-day actigraphy recordings, The Child’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire and Sleep Self Report questionnaire), inattention and impulsivity (with a computerised Go/NoGo test). Assessments will be conducted prior to the intervention and at the end of the intervention. Interaction between time (preintervention/postintervention) and group (probiotic/placebo) is to be analysed using a Mixed Model Analysis of Variances.
Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval for the study was granted by St Mary’s University Ethics Committee. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations to the scientific community and support groups.
Trial registration number
NCT05155696 .
Obesity is the medical condition most frequently observed in people with eating disorders. It often coexists with binge-eating disorder and with some cases of bulimia nervosa, night eating syndrome, and atypical anorexia nervosa. Obesity can precede the onset of eating disorders, sometimes representing a risk factor for their onset, or can be in part the consequence of recurrent binge-eating episodes. Eating disorders and obesity, when they coexist, tend to interact negatively with each other and make treatment more problematic. Weight loss is always contraindicated when obesity coexists with bulimia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa. Still, it is not contraindicated when it coexists with binge-eating disorder or night eating syndrome. However, the weight loss outcome with current treatments is often unsatisfactory. A potential strategy to improve this poor outcome is an integrated treatment combining the new incretin-based medications for the treatment of obesity with enhanced cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) of eating disorders and CBT of obesity.
Problematic alcohol use (PAU), a trait that combines alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems assessed with a questionnaire, is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Here we conducted a large cross-ancestry meta-analysis of PAU in 1,079,947 individuals (European, N = 903,147; African, N = 122,571; Latin American, N = 38,962; East Asian, N = 13,551; and South Asian, N = 1,716 ancestries). We observed a high degree of cross-ancestral similarity in the genetic architecture of PAU and identified 110 independent risk variants in within- and cross-ancestry analyses. Cross-ancestry fine mapping improved the identification of likely causal variants. Prioritizing genes through gene expression and chromatin interaction in brain tissues identified multiple genes associated with PAU. We identified existing medications for potential pharmacological studies by a computational drug repurposing analysis. Cross-ancestry polygenic risk scores showed better performance of association in independent samples than single-ancestry polygenic risk scores. Genetic correlations between PAU and other traits were observed in multiple ancestries, with other substance use traits having the highest correlations. This study advances our knowledge of the genetic etiology of PAU, and these findings may bring possible clinical applicability of genetics insights—together with neuroscience, biology and data science—closer.
Importance
There is a gap in the evidence regarding nature-based interventions (NBIs) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Objective
To systematically review and meta-analyze available evidence on the health-related outcomes in NBIs for children with ASD.
Data Sources
The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, Embase, Emcare, Education Resources Information Center, Global Health, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched from inception until May 2023. Google Scholar and references from included studies were searched for additional studies.
Study Selection
Included studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs), controlled studies, and single-group before-and-after studies that reported health-related outcomes.
Data Extraction and Synthesis
This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to synthesize the data. The findings of studies that were ineligible for meta-analysis were summarized according to the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWIM) reporting guidelines.
Main Outcomes and Measures
The outcomes of interest were health-related outcomes (ie, social functioning, behavioral functioning, emotional functioning, sensory functioning) and the self-reported well-being of children with ASD.
Results
A total of 24 studies with 717 participants (mean age range, 5.3 to 17.8 years; 141 [21.9%] female) were included. A meta-analysis from 13 studies indicated a significant negative moderate association between NBIs and social communication (standardized mean difference [SMD], −0.59; 95% CI, −0.85 to −0.34). For behavioral functioning outcomes, NBIs showed a significant moderate association with reduced hyperactivity (SMD, −0.56; 95% CI, −0.86 to −0.26) and a small to moderate association with reduced irritability (SMD, −0.49; 95% CI, −0.79 to −0.19). For sensory functioning, NBIs were significantly associated with improved inattention and distractibility (SMD, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.60). Significant moderate associations were observed in sensory seeking (SMD, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.33 to 1.22; P < .001; I ² = 0%) and sensory sensitivity (SMD, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.00; P = .01; I ² = 0%). Heterogeneity of the intervention effects was not high, and I ² ranged from 0% to 67%.
Conclusions and Relevance
The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested an association of NBIs in group-based recreational therapy with experiential learning with positive short-term outcomes on sensory, social, and behavioral functioning for children with ASD. Future evidence using robust study design to aid the health and functional trajectories of children with ASD is recommended.
Gender identity refers to the consciousness of being a man, a woman or other condition. Although it is generally congruent with the sex assigned at birth, for some people it is not. If the incongruity is distressing, it is defined as gender dysphoria (GD). Here, we measured whole-genome DNA methylation by the Illumina © Infinium Human Methylation 850k array and reported its correlation with cortical thickness (CTh) in 22 transgender men (TM) experiencing GD versus 25 cisgender men (CM) and 28 cisgender women (CW). With respect to the methylation analysis, TM vs. CW showed significant differences in 35 CpGs, while 2155 CpGs were found when TM vs. CM were compared. With respect to correlation analysis, TM showed differences in methylation of CBLL1 and DLG1 genes that correlated with global and left hemisphere CTh. Both genes were hypomethylated in TM compared to the cisgender groups. Early onset TM showed a positive correlation between CBLL1 and several cortical regions in the frontal (left caudal middle frontal), temporal (right inferior temporal, left fusiform) and parietal cortices (left supramarginal and right paracentral). This is the first study relating CBLL1 methylation with CTh in transgender persons and supports a neurodevelopmental hypothesis of gender identity.
Background
Eating disorders and food ingestion (EDs) are serious mental illnesses with a higher prevalence in young adults, with difficult diagnoses that cause serious morbidity and mortality problems. There is not much information about the risk of positive screening for EDs, specifically, anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) and night eating syndrome (NES) in undergraduate medical interns (UMI) and medical residents (MR) in Mexico.
Aim
To determine the risk of AN, BN and NES and to determine the risk factors of such conditions such as age, body mass index (BMI) and gender of MR and UMI with AN/BN and NES at four private hospitals in northeastern Mexico.
Methods
A cross-sectional, descriptive, non-randomized survey in MR and UMI in four hospitals in Northeastern Mexico was conducted using an electronic questionnaire that included: informed consent signature, SCOFF questionnaire for AN and BN screening, NES questionnaire. Also, a survey on general sociodemographic data of each participant was included. Chi-square test and a logistic regression model were computed for analyses.
Results
The population included a total of 129 MR and UMI. It was observed that 48.8% were positive for AN or BN and 32.6% were positive for the NES. There was no difference between age, sex, BMI, or medical specialty (if they were MR); however, MR from the first year had a higher risk of AN or BN (OR 23.7, 95% CI 1.181–475.266).
Conclusions
There was a higher risk of positive screening for AN or BN and NES in UMI and MR in our population. In the case of MR, those in first year have a higher risk of AN and BN. Timely diagnosis and treatment are mandatory in this population.
Depression is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD) that includes anhedonia and impacts quality of life but is not effectively treated with conventional antidepressants clinically. Vagus nerve stimulation improves treatment-resistant depression in the general population, but research about its antidepressant efficacy in PD is limited. Here, we administered peripheral non-invasive focused ultrasound to hemiparkinsonian (‘PD’) and non-parkinsonian (sham) rats to mimic vagus nerve stimulation and assessed its antidepressant-like efficacy. Following 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion, akinesia-like immobility was assessed in the limb-use asymmetry test, and despair- and anhedonic-like behaviors were evaluated in the forced swim test and sucrose preference test, respectively. After, tyrosine hydroxylase immuno-staining was employed to visualize and quantify dopaminergic degeneration in the substantia nigra pars compacta, ventral tegmental area, and striatum. We found that PD rats exhibited akinesia-like immobility and > 90% reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase immuno-staining ipsilateral to the lesioned side. PD rats also demonstrated anhedonic-like behavior in the sucrose preference test compared to sham rats. No 6-OHDA lesion effect on immobility in the forced swim test limited conclusions about the efficacy of ultrasound on despair-like behavior. However, ultrasound improved anhedonic-like behavior in PD rats and this efficacy was sustained through the end of the 1-week recovery period. The greatest number of animals demonstrating increased sucrose preference was in the PD group receiving ultrasound. Our findings here are the first to posit that peripheral non-invasive focused ultrasound to the celiac plexus may improve anhedonia in PD with further investigation needed to reveal its potential for clinical applicability.
Various manifestations of intergenerational memory transmission have been discussed in many scientific fields. Surprisingly, little attention has been paid to these phenomena in the context of dreams. Yet, the sphere of dreaming seems the most informative illustration of how the tragic past influenced the second and third‐generation descendants of trauma survivors. Based on my talks with two descendants of WWII survivors—a Russian woman and a Polish man—I define “postmemory dreams” as night visions affected by cultural representations of historical events. The theoretical background of my study is Hirsch's concept of postmemory, Hall's continuity hypothesis of dreaming, and anthropological dream research. Postmemory dreams reflect and are shaped by the ethos of remembering and commemorating the war—the ethos often imposed by political forces and propaganda—in which the dreamers live. In the cases of my interviewees, these are the Polish ethos of victimhood and the Russian ethos of heroism.
While spouses of military veterans have not been directly exposed to threats during deployment, they often experience a substantial post‐deployment‐related health burden while living with and caring for a partner with deployment‐related mental health issues. Drawing from in‐depth interviews, this study examined how female spouses of military veterans deal with the psychosocial effects of deployment. We show how these women cope. They keep their family lives going by maintaining hope for the future. We argue that hope is a dynamic practice between reality and possibility, and different forms of hope co‐exist. These range from temporary formulations of present‐centered hope, and permanent hopes directed towards the future. We illustrate how spouses challenge discourses around curative futures and adjust their hopes to maintain a more satisfactory everyday life and a positive horizon towards the future.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.