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The United States (US) spent 201 billion dollars on mental health-related concerns in 2016, ranking mental illness as the leading cause of disability and the single largest source of economic burden worldwide. With mental health-related treatment costs and economic burden only projected to rise, there is an increasing need for cost-inclusive evaluations of mental health interventions in the US. This systematic review evaluated the intervention characteristics and the quality of 9 economic evaluation studies (e.g., cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit) of youth mental health services conducted in the US from 2003 to 2019. Existing evaluations suggest that certain mental health interventions for youth, among the few that have been formally evaluated, may be cost-effective and cost-beneficial. However, intervention characteristics were generally homogenous, a majority of studies did not adhere to the standard of economic evaluations of the CHEERS checklist, and outcome measures were not consistently clinically useful, limiting the utility of such youth mental health economic evaluations to policymakers. By adhering to standards of economic evaluations and diversifying the characteristics of interventions subject to economic evaluations, intervention researchers can increase confidence in conclusions about which youth mental health interventions are cost-effective or cost-beneficial and more meaningfully inform evidence-based mental health policy.

Background Shared-death-experiences (SDEs) and after-death-communication-experiences (ADCEs) are non-ordinary mental experiences related to the death of a known or unknown person. Methods These experiences were investigated by surveying four samples with different cultural backgrounds: Italian, Mexican, Brazilian and Taiwanese people. One-hundred-twenty-one participants reported 146 experiences of this type. Results Among the main characteristics of these experiences, visual, visual-auditory and feeling experiences, which comprised 74% of all experiences, were experienced both in the dream state and a normal state of consciousness. Furthermore, most of these experiences were lived before (47.3%) or after (39%) the death of the person in relationship with the participants. More importantly, these experiences influenced the participants’ death interpretation favoring the belief that death affects only the body, but the consciousness of the deceased persons survives in another reality and sometimes can communicate with relatives and friends still alive in this reality. No substantial differences were observed among the different subsamples. Conclusion As to the origin of SDEs/ADCEs, we discuss that whereas for most of them, in particular those lived after the death of a relative or a friend, we can assume hallucinatory characteristics triggered by emotional needs, for others, for example those related to unknown individuals and/or those experienced before the death of the person still in good health, it is not possible to exclude their anomalous connections and a real encounter with a deceased person.

Children of combat deployed parents are at risk of behavioral problems. Parental emotion socialization (PES) has been theorized to influence children's behaviors; many studies lend support to this theory. However, longitudinal studies examining PES with experimental designs are sparse. In this study, we estimated PES growth trajectories following a parenting intervention and evaluated whether intervention induced improvements in PES predict child outcomes in postdeployed military families. National Guard/Reserve families with at least one deployed parent and a child aged 4-13 years were randomized into an intervention or control group. Data from all 255 2-parent married families, who were primarily Caucasian and middle-class, were analyzed. PES was indicated by self-reported nonsupportive and supportive reactions to children's negative emotions (baseline, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up). Child behaviors were assessed through averaged mother- and father- reports (baseline and 2-year follow-up). Results of latent growth models showed that mothers and fathers assigned to the intervention condition reported greater improvements in nonsupportive PES (steeper negative slopes) over 2 years relative to controls. Both mothers' and fathers' intervention-induced improvements in nonsupportive PES were associated with decreased child internalizing behaviors. Mothers' intervention-induced improvements in nonsupportive PES were associated with decreased child externalizing behaviors. No significant findings were detected for intervention effects on supportive PES growth trajectories. Our findings supported the indirect effects of the intervention on child behaviors through nonsupportive PES over two years. PES is an important, malleable skill that can be targeted in parenting interventions for postdeployed military families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

This book chapter explores the synergy between positive mental health and Yoga and Meditation traditions from India.

This paper delineates the concept of well-being in modern psychological literature, the variety of pathways studied and its relationship with meaning and spirituality. It further discusses the cultural criticism of modern study of well-being and makes a case for insights from non-western cultures to be included in the mainstream literature. It further discusses the various types of happiness as well as pathways towards them, as discussed in the Indian tradition. These ideas have been substantiated by empirical research and some of the results have been presented in this chapter. It further presents a yogic psycho-spiritual model, based on thematic analysis of core yogic texts, which may be utilized in future for well-being interventions.

The application of basic science research to the development and optimization of psychological treatments holds great potential. However, this process of clinical translation is challenging and time-consuming, and the standard route by which it proceeds is inefficient. Adaptive rolling designs, which originated within cancer treatment research, provide an alternative methodology with potential to accelerate development and optimization of psychological treatments. In such designs, multiple treatment options are tested simultaneously, with sequential Bayesian analyses used to remove poorly performing arms. Further, new treatment arms informed by the latest research findings can be introduced into the existing infrastructure as the trial progresses. These features dramatically reduce the sample sizes needed and offer a means for more rapid and efficient clinical translation. This article outlines the utility of such designs to clinical psychological science, focusing on a new variant termed the leapfrog design, and discusses their potential uses to accelerate clinical translation.

A wide variety of effect size indices have been proposed for quantifying the magnitude of treatment effects in single-case designs. Commonly used measures include parametric indices such as the standardized mean difference as well as nonoverlap measures such as the percentage of nonoverlapping data, improvement rate difference, and nonoverlap of all pairs. Currently, little is known about the properties of these indices when applied to behavioral data collected by systematic direct observation, even though systematic direct observation is the most common method for outcome measurement in single-case research. This study uses Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the properties of several widely used single-case effect size measures when applied to systematic direct observation data. Results indicate that the magnitude of the nonoverlap measures and of the standardized mean difference can be strongly influenced by procedural details of the study's design, which is a significant limitation to using these indices as effect sizes for meta-analysis of single-case designs. A less widely used parametric index, the log response ratio, has the advantage of being insensitive to sample size and observation session length, although its magnitude is influenced by the use of partial interval recording. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Theoretical models and empirical research point to negatively biased attention as a maintaining factor in depression. Although preliminary studies suggest experimentally modifying attentional biases (i.e., attentional bias modification; ABM) reduces depression symptoms and depression risk, relatively few rigorous studies with clinical samples have been completed. This clinical trial examines the impact of ABM on a sample of adults (N = 123) with elevated depression severity who also exhibit at least modest levels of negatively biased attention prior to treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned to either active ABM, placebo ABM, or an assessment-only control condition. Individuals assigned to ABM will complete 5 trainings per week (2 in-clinic, 3 brief trainings at-home) during a four-week period. Throughout this four-week period, participants will complete weekly assessments of symptom severity and putative treatment mediators measured across different levels of analysis (e.g., eye tracking, behavioral measures, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging). This article details the rationale and design of the clinical trial, including methodological issues that required more extensive consideration. Our findings may not only point to an easily-accessible, efficacious treatment for depression but may also provide a meaningful test of whether a theoretically important construct, negatively biased attention, maintains depression.

Background Although the COVID-19 pandemic has led to worsening mental health outcomes throughout the Canadian population, its effects have been more acute among already marginalized groups, including people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. This paper examines how heightened fears of contracting the virus, financial impacts, and social isolation contribute to declining mental health among this already vulnerable group. Objective/hypothesis This paper investigates how increases in anxiety, stress, and despair are associated with concerns about getting infected, COVID-19-induced financial hardship, and increased social isolation as a result of adhering to protective measures among people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Methods This study uses original national quota-based online survey data (n=1027) collected in June 2020 from people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Threelogistic regressionmodels investigate the relationship between COVID-19’s effects on finances, concerns about contracting the virus, changes in loneliness and belonging, and measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 and reports of increased anxiety, stress, and despair, net of covariates. Results Models show that increased anxiety, stress, and despair were associated with negative financial effects of COVID-19, greater concerns about contracting COVID-19, increased loneliness, and decreased feelings of belonging. Net of other covariates, increased measures taken to combat COVID-19 was not significantly associated with mental health outcomes. Conclusions Findings address how the global health crisis is contributing to declining mental health status through heightened concerns over contracting the virus, increases in economic insecurity, and growing social isolation, speaking to how health pandemics exacerbate health inequalities.

On average, one person dies by suicide every 40 s. However, extant studies have largely focused on the risk factors for suicidal behaviors, not so much on the formation of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, we attempt to explain how suicidal thoughts arise and persist inside one’s mind using a multifiltering information mechanism called Mindsponge. Bayesian analysis with Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique was run on a dataset of multinational students (N = 268) of an international university in Japan. Item 9 in the PHQ-9 was used to survey suicidal ideation. The associations among four main variables, namely, (i) suicidal ideation, (ii) help-seeking willingness (informal and formal sources), (iii) sense of connectedness, and (iv) information inaccessibility (represented by being international students), were tested in four models. Sense of connectedness is negatively associated with suicidal ideation, but its effect becomes less impactful when interacting with international students. The impact of a sense of connectedness on informal help-seeking willingness (toward family members) among international students is also lessened. Informal help-seeking is negatively associated with suicidal ideation, whereas formal help is positive. The findings support our assumption on three fundamental conditions for preventing suicidal thoughts: (i) a high degree of belongingness, (ii) accessibility to help-related information, and (iii) healthy perceived cultural responses towards mental health. Therefore, systematically coordinated programs are necessary to effectively tackle suicidal ideation.

Obesity is defined as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health” (World Health Organisation, [WHO], 2020). The Body Mass Index (BMI), weight is divided by height squared, is used to screen for obesity: a person ≥30 kg/m2 is ‘obese’; between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2 is ‘overweight’. In 2016, 1.6 billion adults (18 years +), were overweight, of which 650 million were obese. Obesity is a major burden of disease (WHO, 2020) not only in high-income countries, but also in low-income (e.g. Eritrea) and middle income countries (e.g. India) (Malik, Willett & Hu, 2013). Obesity has become a pandemic with projections pointing to 38% of Earth’s population becoming overweight and 20% obese by 2030 (Anekwe et al., 2020). Obesity in the UK is also on the rise: it affects 1 in 4 adults, 1 in 10 children aged 4-5, and 1 in 5 children aged 10-11 (NHS, 2020). 63% of adults and 33% of children leaving primary school are above a healthy weight (Public Health England, [PHE], 2020).Obesity is linked to a number of chronic and debilitating conditions like cardio-metabolic risk (CMR) (i.e. metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease or stroke) and to conditions such as depression which can impact on an individual’s lifecycle. This paper will explore these links and further look at food insecurity and how it could contribute to obesity as well as how socioeconomic inequalities impact on this. It will then seek to evaluate the latest policy of the UK government on ‘Tackling Obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ (UK Government, 2020) with a view to exploring whether this policy is appropriate in addressing food insecurity to prevent obesity. It will then conclude with some recommendations.

About this WorkbookThis is a workbook dedicated to examining your thoughts and feelings. In particular, this workbook uses mindfulness meditation, visualisations, and inquiry to create a self-help platform that can aid anyone in need of healing their inner life. Extensive measures were taken to apply this material to a developmental perspective so that the effect of childhood socialization and its role in cognitive distortions could be central to understanding our life history. Equally so, a great effort was made to collect material from a trauma-informed perspective; one that acknowledges the complex after effects of abuse and neglect. Because both of these concerns relate to unhealthy relationships, a third concern was to address the role of healthy boundaries throughout this work. This is a workbook precisely because emotions need to be experienced, in order to learn from them. Each exercise is meant to be read and then to engage in meditation or writing about feelings. Meditation is literally engaging in the experience of ourselves, turning ourselves into knowledge. Free writing allows us to bypass our consciousness and access our subconscious, emotional mind. While I designed this workbook for my college courses, it is my deepest hope that this resource can be used by anyone who is dealing with their feelings, hard times, or troubling thoughts.

قاد التوسع الحاصل في التعليم الجامعي، إلى ضرورة تقديم خدمات إرشادية في الميادين الأكاديمية والاجتماعية والنفسية. إلا أن هذا التوسع لم يقد إلى تفعيل حقيقي لهذا الخدمات، بسبب عدم وجود الأرضية المناسبة للوعي النفسي والاجتماعي والعلمي بأهمية وفاعلية هذه الخدمات، وبشكل خاص من جانب الأشخاص الذين تتوجه إليهم هذه الخدمة. هذه الخدمات، مما يجعل هذه الخدمة مجرد شكليات مؤسساتية، مشكوك بفاعليتها وتحتاج إلى تقص أدق. وقد هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى استقصاء مدى توفر الوعي النفسي بنوعية وشكل الخدمات النفسية التي يقدمها الإرشاد النفسي و ماهية الإرشاد النفسي، واستقصاء بعض الأسباب الكامنة خلف الإحجام عن تلقي الخدمات الإرشادية، والاتجاهات السائدة في المجتمع والتي يمكن أن تكون من المعوقات التي تقف في طريق تفعيل هذه الخدمة، وذلك من خلال دراسة عبر ثقافية على عينات طلابية عمانية و أردنية ومصرية. وقد توصلت الدراسة إلى وجود تصورات واتجاهات لاعقلانية وغير علمية معيقة، وأسباب تدل على نقص في المعارف المتوفرة حول طبيعة ونوعية الخدمات المقدمة. مما يستدعي في البداية الاهتمام ببنية الوعي النفسي والاجتماعي للأشخاص الذين تتوجه إليهم هذه الخدمة.

This paper discusses the basic understanding of reality behind yoga practice and the essential core of bhakti, jnana and karma yoga pathways and how it can contribute to modern psychology. It goes on to discuss yoga and cultivation of positive mental health. It also emphasizes the need for the therapists to engage in yoga practice themselves while they include insights from yoga in their clinical work.

منذ تأسيس إدارة الجلسة المتمركزة حول الشخص من خلال عالم النفس الأمريكي كارل روجرز1902-1986) Carl R. Rogers ساعد هذا المبدأ في الإرشاد آلاف الناس كما هو مثبت في دراسات إمبيريقية عديدة. فقد تعرف كارل روجرز من ممارسته العلاجية والإرشادية عن طرق إمبيريقية بالكامل من الأسفل للأعلى bottom-up على شروط أو متطلبات بسيطة ولكنها مهمة للإرشاد الناجح. وعليه فإن التحليل الشامل لمشكلة شخص ما أقل أهمية إلى مدى بعيد من الإصغاء المتفهم والدقيق لهذا الشخص، وإظهار الاحترام تجاهه وإجراء محادثة conversationصريحة وحقيقية

The COVID-19 outbreak has simultaneously increased the need for mental health services and decreased their availability. Brief online self-help interventions that can be completed in a single session could be especially helpful in improving access to care during the crisis. However, little is known about the uptake, acceptability, and perceived utility of these interventions outside of clinical trials in which participants are compensated. Here, we describe the development, deployment, acceptability ratings, and pre-post effects of a single-session intervention, the Common Elements Toolbox (COMET), adapted for the COVID-19 crisis to support graduate and professional students. Participants (n = 263), who were not compensated, were randomly assigned to two of three modules: behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and gratitude. Over one week, 263 individuals began and 189 individuals (72%) completed the intervention. Participants reported that the intervention modules were acceptable (93% endorsing), helpful (88%), engaging (86%), applicable to their lives (87%), and could help them manage COVID-related challenges (88%). Participants reported pre- to post-program improvements in secondary control (i.e., the belief that one can control their reactions to objective events; dav=0.36, dz=0.50, p

Objective: To evaluate a lay provider-delivered, brief intervention to reduce problem drinking and related family consequences among men in Kenya. The 5-session intervention combines behavioral activation (BA) and motivational interviewing (MI). It integrates family-related material explicitly and addresses central cultural factors through gender transformative strategies. Method: A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design was used. We initiated treatment with nine men ages 30 to 48 who were fathers and screened positive for problem drinking; the median Alcohol Use Identification Test score was 17 (harmful range). Participants were randomized to staggered start dates. We measured the primary outcome of weekly alcohol consumption four weeks before treatment, during treatment, and four weeks post-treatment using the Timeline Followback measure. Secondary outcomes were assessed using a pre-post assessment (1-month) of men’s depression symptoms, drinking- and family-related problem behavior, involvement with child, time with family, family functioning, relationship quality (child and partner), and harsh treatment of child and partner. Men, partners, and children (ages 8 - 17) reported on family outcomes. Results: Eight men completed treatment. Mixed-effects hurdle model analysis showed that alcohol use, both number of days drinking and amount consumed, significantly decreased during and after treatment. Odds of not drinking were 5.1 times higher post-treatment (95% CI: 3.3-7.9). When men did drink post-treatment, they drank 50% less (95% CI: 0.39-0.65). Wilcoxon signed rank tests demonstrated pre-post improvements in depression symptoms and family-related outcomes. Conclusion: Results provide preliminary evidence that a BA-MI intervention developed for lay providers may reduce alcohol use and improve family outcomes among men in Kenya.

Pharmacological manipulation of memory reconsolidation opens up promising new avenues for anxiety disorder treatment. However, few studies have directly investigated reconsolidation-based approaches in subclinical or clinical populations, leaving optimal means of fear memory reactivation unknown. We conducted a systematic pilot study to assess whether a reconsolidation-based treatment could tackle public speaking anxiety in a subclinical sample (N = 60). As lab studies indicate that duration of reactivation may be important for inducing reconsolidation, we investigated several speech lengths to help inform further translational efforts. Participants underwent a stress-inducing speech task composed of three minutes preparation, and from 0-9 minutes of public speaking, in one minute increments. They then received either 40mg propranolol (n = 40) or placebo (n = 20), double-blind, allocated 4:2 for each speech duration. Participants performed a second speech one week post-treatment, and were followed up with questionnaires one- and three months later. Both self-reported speech distress and questionnaire measures of public speaking anxiety showed clear reductions following treatment. However, propranolol did not reliably outperform placebo, regardless of speech duration at treatment. Physiological responses (heart rate and salivary cortisol) to the public speaking task remained stable from treatment to test. These findings highlight the challenges facing the translation of laboratory research on memory reconsolidation into clinical interventions. Lack of explicit controls for factors beyond duration, such as ‘prediction error’, could explain these null findings, but positive results in clinical interventions are needed to demonstrate that taking such factors into account can deliver the promises of reconsolidation-based therapy. This is a pre-print of an article published in the open access journal Translational Psychiatry https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0857-z

Background. The demand for psychological services outpaces the number of available providers. Waitlists at mental health clinics range from weeks to months in length, and longer wait-times predict less favorable outcomes once treatment begins. There is a need for efficient, sustainable service models that provide faster access to care. Offering interim, low-intensity supports to treatment-seekers may both strengthen clinically-relevant proximal outcomes and prevent clinical deterioration while waiting for longer-term treatment. Thus, we tested the acceptability and short-term effects of a solution-focused single-session consultation (SSC), offered to individuals waiting for therapy at two outpatient mental health clinics. Method. Clients wait-listed for outpatient therapy at either clinic were offered an SSC. Participants self-reported overall psychological distress at baseline and two-week follow-up, along with levels of hopelessness and perceived agency at baseline and post-intervention. Participants also rated the SSC’s acceptability. Results. Of 90 treatment-seeking individuals offered an SSC, 46 (51.11%) scheduled an appointment, and 30 (65.21%) attended the session (M age = 31.2, 72.67% female). SSC recipients reported significant pre- to post-intervention improvements in perceived agency (d_z = 1.11, p < .001) and hopelessness (d_z = 1.43, p < .001). Psychological distress significantly decreased from baseline to follow-up (d_z = .73, p = .002). Participants rated SSC sessions as highly acceptable, useful, and worth recommending to others. Conclusions. A solution-focused single-session consultation was associated with improvements in hopelessness, agency, and psychological distress in treatment-seeking adults. Pending larger-scale controlled trials, the SSC may help prevent clinical deterioration among individuals on therapy wait-lists.

The COVID-19 outbreak and the restrictions that have been enforced by the health authorities are having a profound psychological impact on the population. Many people, including the students, faced forced modifications to their daily lives and this prompted the need for scalable strategies to promote resilience. We designed an online community intervention for psychology students and recent alumni aimed to promote functional coping strategies through openness and cognitive flexibility. This psycho-educational intervention was delivered through a private group on social media (Facebook) and it involved the publication of exercises and quick lectures. Contents were posted regularly and people from the community were invited to share their comments. The posts included stimuli that promote open and flexible reflections on the current situation. The overall aim of this group was a cognitive reframing on the epidemic effects, promoting creative and flexible thinking. We ran a thematic analysis of the interactions, and we collected qualitative feedback at the end of the intervention. The participants’ comments dealt with changes in their perspectives, sharing discomfort, encouragement and support, and building a sense of community. Post-intervention comments were highly satisfied and confirmed the helpfulness of the stimuli to promote flexibility and openness, eventually helping to manage the negative emotions related to the COVID-19 outbreak. This study provides preliminary evidence that an online psycho-educational community stimulating flexibility and openness can help to reframe the negative psychological impact of the outbreak, improving their management.

This commentary outlines a vision for the future intervention in adolescent mental health through the development of peer communities, lead by trained adolescent peers which aims to reduce social isolation and give young people the tools to self manage their own health. Here we recognise that mental distress emerges from real world situations which evoke powerlessness, pressure, stress or fear. The routes to wellbeing will be rooted in real world activities, which return power to young people and promote self-regulation.

Background and Objectives: Individuals experiencing homelessness are frequently discriminated against, such as through reduced employment opportunities and interpersonal rejection, creating a vicious cycle that sustains homelessness. These external conditions of stigma often result in individuals developing an internal sense of self-stigma and intense shame, which can result in negative psychological and behavioral consequences. Psychological intervention may contribute to disrupting this vicious cycle. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been demonstrated to treat shame and self-stigma in other domains, but never homelessness. Methods: We developed a single-session intervention suitable for this population, and tested it within a randomized multiple-baseline Single Case Experimental Design (SCED). Shame and experiential avoidance were measured daily via SMS messages for eighty-nine days in 9 individuals experiencing homelessness. Results: SCED analysis and meta-analysis across participants indicated that the intervention showed significant improvements in experiential avoidance and shame both within and between participants. Limitations: Limitations include a lack of assessment of overt behavior change and the results of single case studies may have limited generalizability. Conclusions: Results demonstrate the efficacy of a brief ACT intervention in reducing shame and experiential avoidance in a homeless population, as well as the general benefits of single case design methodologies when working with populations that are difficult to reach or recruit from.

Anxiety is rising across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, and social distancing mandates preclude in-person mental healthcare. Anxiety is not necessarily pathological; however, increased worrying about COVID-19 shows links to more severe anxiety pathology. Greater perceived control over anxiety has predicted decreased anxiety pathology, including adaptive responses to uncontrollable stressors. Evidence suggests that no-therapist, single-session interventions can strengthen perceived control over emotions like anxiety; similar programs, if designed for the COVID-19 context, could hold substantial public health value. Our registered report will test whether a no-therapist, single-session online intervention adapted for the COVID-19 context can: 1) decrease generalized anxiety and increase perceived control over anxiety, versus a placebo intervention 2) without decreasing social-distancing intentions. We will test these questions using a between-subjects design in a weighted-probability U.S. sample (N=500). Findings will inform whether a highly-scalable intervention can decrease anxiety without yielding unwanted secondary effects.

Recent evidence suggests the results of psychology studies replicate less than half the time. Replies are often then written by the authors of the original studies. This discourse often follows a predictable pattern: highly general claims are made in an original study, the replication produces null results, and the response by the original authors primarily focuses on reasons to disqualify the replication’s results from requiring consideration, rather than acknowledging that the original study’s finding may not in fact be replicable, or that the generality of the original claims may require revision or constraint. I illustrate these points using the example of a recently published trio of original study, failed replication, and response by original authors. I argue that our scientific goals would be better served by efforts to avoid falling into these writing tropes, and to instead move the discourse forward and reinforce the behaviours we want to see in our scientific community, such as the conduction of high-quality replication studies.

Introduction: Loneliness is a critical psychosocial problem that affects mental health and wellbeing of the individuals and communities. This systematic review synthesized the current evidence on the prevalence and correlates of loneliness from empirical studies conducted in India. Methods: Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, eight major databases and additional sources were searched. Studies were evaluated using following criteria: peer-reviewed journal articles, published in English language, presenting any quantitative form of evidence on loneliness, and studies conducted in India among the Indian population. A meta-analysis of the prevalence studies and narrative synthesis of the overall status and factors associated with loneliness were conducted.Results: Among 1290 studies, only 13 met our criteria. All the studies reported a high burden of loneliness among the participants. The pooled prevalence among 3169 participants was 41% (95% confidence interval [CI] 18% - 63%). The burden of loneliness was higher among the elderly participants (44%, 95% CI 5% - 83%) compared to younger participants (24%, 95% CI 22% - 27%). Factors associated with loneliness included aging, family structure, marital status, religious practices, group membership, educational attainment, source and level of income, psychological attributes, and comorbid physical and mental health conditions among the affected individuals. Conclusion: This review identified and evaluated the status and severity of loneliness and its correlates, which may inform future studies examining complex psychopathological and social dynamics associated with loneliness. Lastly, the current evidence necessitates the development of multipronged interventions to address the risk factors and alleviate the burden of loneliness in India.

Rates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) increase sharply across adolescence and remain high in young adulthood. Across 50 years of research, existing interventions for SITBs remain ineffective and inaccessible for many young people in particular need of mental health care. Briefer intervention options may increase access to care. However, many traditional interventions for SITBs take 6 months or more to complete—making it difficult for providers to target SITBs under real-world time constraints. The present review (1) identifies and (2) summarizes evaluations of brief psychosocial interventions for SITBs in young people, ages 10 – 24 years. We conducted searches for randomized and quasi-experimental trials conducted in the past 50 years that evaluated effects of “brief interventions” (i.e. not exceeding 240 minutes, or four 60-minute sessions in total length) on SITBs in young people. 26 articles were identified for inclusion, yielding a total of 23 brief interventions. Across all trials, results are mixed; only six interventions reported any positive intervention effect on at least one SITB outcome, and only one intervention was identified as “probably efficacious” per standard criteria for evidence-based status. While brief interventions for SITBs exist, future research must determine if, how, and when these interventions should be disseminated.

Background: Behavioral activation (BA) is an evidence-based treatment for depression that has been primarily delivered in individual outpatient treatment. Prior research supports a positive participant experience in individual therapy; however, less is known about the patient experience in group therapy, which is common in acute psychiatric settings.Aims: The present study examined the patient experience of Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) delivered in group acute psychiatric treatment.Method: We used thematic analysis to extract themes from feedback surveys administered as part of quality improvement practice at a partial hospital program. Survey questions explored what patients learned, liked, disliked, and thought could be improved in the BATD groups. Three individuals independently coded survey responses and collaboratively developed categories and themes.Results: Themes included several helpful content areas (e.g., value-driven activities, increasing motivation, goal setting, activity scheduling, cognitive-behavioral model, self-monitoring) and learning methods (e.g., group format, experiential exercises, worksheets). Patients also identified unhelpful content (e.g., specific focus on depression and listing activities by mood). There was mixed feedback regarding the repetition of material and balance of lecture versus group participation.Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest a mostly positive patient experience of group-delivered BATD and support the acceptability of group-delivered BATD as a component of short-term intensive treatment.

Individuals diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD) in childhood and adolescence are at risk for increasingly maladaptive and dangerous behaviors, which unchecked, can lead to antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in adulthood. Children with CD, especially those with the callous unemotional subgroup qualifier (“limited prosocial emotions”/DSM‐5), present with a more severe pattern of delinquency, aggression, and antisocial behavior, all markings of prodrome ASPD. Given this recognized diagnostic trajectory, with a pathological course playing out tragically at the individual, familial, and societal level, and lack of effective remediation via current standards of care, we posit an alternate treatment approach; case‐specific compulsory moral habilitation aimed at rectifying the undeveloped affective domain of adolescents and young adults suffering from these disorders. We begin with a brief historical overview of response to mental illness, review CD and ASPD diagnostic criteria and treatment limitations, and posit a unique neurohabilitative approach that focuses on the absent affective moral development of these populations. Next, we invoke a public health safety argument to justify case‐specific compulsory moral habilitation, discuss neurotechnologies to be considered in treatment, and conclude with ethical considerations and suggestions for further research.

BackgroundMindfulness meditation has become a common method for reducing stress, stress-related psychopathology and some physical symptoms. As mindfulness programs become ubiquitous, concerns have been raised about their unknown potential for harm. We estimate multiple indices of harm following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on two primary outcomes: global psychological and physical symptoms. In secondary analyses, we estimate multiple indices of harm on anxiety and depressive symptoms, discomfort in interpersonal relations, paranoid ideation and psychoticism.MethodsIntent-to-treat analyses with multiple imputations for missing data were used on pre- and post-test data from a large, observational dataset (n = 2155) of community health clinic MBSR classes and from MBSR (n = 156) and waitlist control (n = 118) participants from three randomized controlled trials conducted contemporaneous to community classes in the same city by the same health clinic MBSR teachers. We estimate the change in symptoms, proportion of participants with increased symptoms, proportion of participants reporting greater than a 35% increase in symptoms, and for global psychological symptoms, clinically significant harm.ResultsWe find no evidence that MBSR leads to higher rates of harm relative to waitlist control on any primary or secondary outcome. On many indices of harm across multiple outcomes, community MBSR was significantly preventative of harm.ConclusionsEngagement in MBSR is not predictive of increased rates of harm relative to no treatment. Rather, MBSR may be protective against multiple indices of harm. Research characterizing the relatively small proportion of MBSR participants that experience harm remains important.

Objective: Dating violence (DV) is a psychosocial problem which impacts the health and wellbeing of affected individuals. Many studies have reported a high prevalence and various determinants of DV; however, there is a gap of consolidated evidence on this problem. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the current evidence on the prevalence and determinants of DV from systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods: We systematically searched ten major databases and additional sources to retrieve systematic reviews or meta-analyses reporting prevalence or determinants of DV, published as peer-reviewed journal articles in English language till October 13, 2019. We extracted and synthesized the findings, reported the prevalence of DV, and categorized the determinants of DV using the socioecological model. Results: We found 16 eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Most of these studies were conducted in developed countries with a majority of adolescent and young adult participants. Studies reported varying prevalence of physical, sexual, psychological/emotional, and technology-assisted DV ranging from 0.1% to 57.5%, 0.1% to 64.6%, 4.2% to 97%, and 5.8% to 92%, respectively. The determinants of DV at different socioecological levels, including individual behavior, substance abuse, psychiatric conditions, experiencing violence and maltreatment; interpersonal factors like family and peer relationships; community and neighborhood characteristics; patriarchy, culture, and socioeconomic equalities were reported. Conclusions: These findings suggest a high burden of DV among young populations, who are vulnerable to various socioecological determinants of DV. Future research should examine how these factors influence DV and multi-level interventions should be adopted to address the same.

At present, the scientific community has not reached a consensus regarding whether or not people may be become addicted to or compulsive in use of pornography. Even so, a substantial number of people report feeling that their use of pornography is problematic or addictive in nature. Whereas prior works considered self-reported feelings of addiction dimensionally, the present work examined what might lead someone to specifically identify as a pornography addict. Consistent with prior research, pre-registered hypotheses predicted that religiousness, moral disapproval, and pornography use would emerge as consistent predictors of self-identification as a pornography addict. Three samples, involving adult pornography users (Sample 1, N=829, Mage = 33.3; SD = 9.4; Sample 2, N=424, Mage = 33.6; SD = 9.1) and undergraduates (Sample 3, N=231, Mage = 19.3; SD = 1.8), were collected. Across all three samples, male gender, moral incongruence, and pornography use behaviors consistently emerged as predictors of self-identification as a pornography addict. In contrast to prior literature indicating that moral incongruence and religiousness are the best predictors of self-reported feelings of addiction (measured dimensionally), results from all three samples indicated that male gender and pornography use behaviors were the most strongly associated with self-identification as a pornography addict.

Introduction: Diminished motivation (e.g., low drive, curiosity, and engagement in activities) is associated with robust impairment in psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia, yet even the most effective evidence-based interventions rarely effect meaningful change in motivation. Individual Resiliency Training (IRT) is a psychosocial treatment for individuals following a first episode of psychosis, supporting motivation through recovery goal setting and pursuit. The extent to which such an approach might improve motivation over time is unknown.Method: We tested the impact of exposure to IRT modules focused on goal setting and attainment on motivation and functional outcomes among participants in the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode-Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP). In the sample of 404 individuals with a first episode of psychosis receiving treatment across 34 community sites, we ran mixed-effect models with group (exposed to four or more goal-focused IRT sessions vs. Community Care (CC)), time (baseline, six- and 12-month follow-up), and the group-by-time interaction as predictors of motivation, role and social functioning. We also ran these analyses with those exposed to three or fewer goal-focused IRT sessions compared to CC.Results: Controlling for gender, ethnicity, baseline cognition, and total number of outpatient mental health visits, exposure to four or more goal-focused IRT sessions was associated with greater improvements in motivation and role functioning compared to CC; effects were not observed for social functioning. Participants receiving three or fewer goal-focused IRT sessions did not differ from those in CC in these outcomes. Further, sensitivity analysis showed that general exposure to IRT was not associated with differential outcomes.Conclusions: Findings suggest that sufficient focus on recovery goal setting and support in psychosocial intervention for first-episode psychosis may have specific impact on motivation.

This paper provides a primer for researchers seeking an introduction to quantitative narrative research methods. It represents a consensus document of most common practices used by the co-authors. Key elements of conducting narrative research (e.g., asking narrative questions, designing narrative prompts, collecting narratives, coding narratives) are discussed, along with limitations to this approach and future directions.

Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly recognized for their efficacy in clinical settings. Because of the historical and social associations of mindfulness-based interventions with spirituality and religion, individual differences in religiosity are likely to play a role in how people perceive these interventions, and may ultimately impact the acceptability and implementation of mindfulness-based techniques. Mindfulness-based interventions’ religious associations are often left unspecified, but when they are stated, they are typically represented as either 1) secular and neutral to religious concerns, or as 2) religiously influenced. Dichotomously presenting MBIs as either religious or secular can undermine the delivery of these interventions, as can failing to address religion or spirituality altogether. We present theory and research that explicates the likely ways in which religion influences the acceptability of mindfulness-based interventions, and provide recommendations for researchers and interventionists that enable them to respond to religious concerns about mindfulness-based interventions.

The strength of research conclusions must follow from the strength of evidence. In this commentary I raise several issues with a recent paper “Brain structure changes induced by attention bias modification training” (Abend et al. 2019). I follow the paper’s five highlights to discuss; the absence of discussion of negative ABM results, the low power of the study itself. Centrally, I raise the concern that the conclusions rest all their weight on a single statistically significant group x time interaction form brain-wide analysis. Most importantly, this test is not internally consistent following statcheck. The reported result requires checking, and potentially a correction that would shift the results entirely.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) appears to be a promising intervention for the prevention of relapse in major depressive disorder, but its efficacy in patients with current depres- sive symptoms is less clear. Randomized clinical trials of MBCT for adult patients with current depressive symptoms were included (k = 13, N = 1046). Comparison conditions were coded based on whether they were intended to be therapeutic (specific active con- trols) or not (non-specific controls). MBCT was superior to non- specific controls at post-treatment (k = 10, d = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.47, 0.96]), although not at longest follow-up (k = 2, d = 1.47, [−0.71, 3.65], mean follow-up = 5.70 months across all studies with follow-up). MBCT did not differ from other active thera- pies at post-treatment (k = 6, d = 0.002, [−0.43, 0.44]) and longest follow-up (k = 4, d = 0.26, [−0.24, 0.75]). There was some evidence that studies with higher methodological quality showed smaller effects at post-treatment, but no evidence that effects varied by inclusion criterion. The impact of publication bias appeared minimal. MBCT seems to be efficacious for samples with current depressive symptoms at post-treatment, although a limited number of studies tested the long-term effects of this therapy.

IntroductionMajor depression is a prevalent and debilitating disorder, but many sufferers do not receive support or respond to current treatments. The development of easily accessible and low-intensity treatments that have clear cognitive mechanisms of change is indicated. Memory specificity training (MeST) is an intervention for depression that targets deficits in recalling detailed memories of past experiences through repeated practice of autobiographical memory retrieval. This randomised controlled trial will assess the efficacy of an online, computerised version of MeST (c-MeST).Methods and analysisAdults aged 18 and over with a current major depressive episode (MDE) will be recruited and randomised to have access to the seven session, online c-MeST programme for 2 weeks, or to a wait-list control group. The primary outcomes will be diagnostic status of MDE and self-reported depressive symptoms at postintervention. One-month and three-month follow-ups will be collected. Increases in autobiographical memory specificity will be assessed as a mediator of change, as well as other variables thought to contribute to reduced memory specificity, such as rumination and cognitive avoidance.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been granted by the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee to conduct the study (ID: 2017_168). The findings will be disseminated through scholarly publications and workshops and will inform future trials, such as with an active comparator or as an adjunct treatment.Trial registration numberACTRN12618000257268; Pre-results.

Background: As the number of adults living with ASD continues to grow, a lack of resources and lack of available interventions exacerbate their low quality of life, including low levels of education and employment, and high levels of co-morbid anxiety and depression. Here we build upon existing research showing the effectiveness of contemplative interventions on individuals with ASD, to provide a low-cost biofeedback-enhanced training which can be implemented by non-professional staff, and may help autistic individuals grasp abstract contemplative techniques. We hypothesize that the intervention will decrease participants’ anxiety and autism symptoms, and increase their self-awareness, self-determination, and empathy.Method: Fourteen adults with ASD, residing in assisted living, were provided with 16 weekly half-hour contemplative-biofeedback sessions with non-professional trainers, in which they learned to reduce their arousal levels through combined biofeedback and contemplative techniques, and apply those to everyday life. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected pre- and post-intervention, to determine changes in participants’ self-awareness, self-determination, anxiety, autism symptoms, and empathy. Results: Participants were capable of successfully improving their physiological arousal levels on the biofeedback setup, and we found initial indications for gains in all hypothesized domains on the quantitative measures. Qualitative reports by participants and counselors revealed that participants applied the techniques in many real-life situations, and these had far-ranging effects on their emotional regulation, work and social motivation, and self-determination.Conclusions: The study provides proof-of-concept for a low-cost, community-based intervention which can ameliorate the lives of adults with ASD.

Classical conditioning is a quintessential learning process; however, maladaptive forms of conditioning sustain many unhealthy behaviors (e.g., addiction). Mindfulness training is theorized to de-automatize conditioned behavior by decoupling stimulus and response. This study assessed the effect of mindfulness training on conditioned behavior during a classical conditioning task. Findings indicated mindfulness training decreased classically conditioned behavior relative to an active control condition, delaying the onset of first conditioned response and decreasing conditioned response frequency. Thus, mindfulness training may be one method of increasing volitional control over maladaptive conditioned behaviors that contribute to the development and maintenance of clinical disorders.

Anxiety is an emotion characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behavior, such as pacing back and forth, somatic complaints, and rumination. Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being. Fear in human beings may occur in response to a specific stimulus occurring in the present, or in anticipation or expectation of a future threat perceived as a risk to body or life. In psychology, stress is a feeling of strain and pressure. Also this is one type of psychological pain. Cancer as mentioned by Drs. Zaminpira and Niknamian, is an Evolutionary Metabolic Disease (EMHC) which is caused by increasing the amounts of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) through the Butterfly Effect (BE) inside human eukaryotic cells. Therefore; increasing inflammation is a promising factor in the cause of cancer. The aim of this review and meta-analysis is to find the link between the depression, stress, fear and anxiety and the possibility of causing cancer. These emotional states have been observed in cancer patients as well. Anxiety and Fear are the two main emotional states which are the side effects of cancer disease, and also, high amounts of emotional stress and depression have been discussed in this review to raise the possibility in causing cancer.

Empirically supported treatments (or therapies; ESTs) are the gold standard in therapeutic interventions for psychopathology. Based on a set of methodological and statistical criteria, the APA has assigned particular treatment-diagnosis combinations EST status and has further rated their empirical support as Strong, Modest, and/or Controversial. Emerging concerns about the replicability of research findings in clinical psychology highlight the need to critically examine the evidential value of EST research. We therefore conducted a metascientific review of the EST literature, using clinical trials reported in an existing online APA database of ESTs, and a set of novel evidential value metrics (i.e., rates of misreported statistics, statistical power, R-Index, and Bayes Factors). Our analyses indicated that power and replicability estimates were concerningly low across almost all ESTs, and individually, some ESTs scored poorly across multiple metrics, with Strong ESTs failing to continuously outperform their Modest counterparts. Lastly, we found evidence of improvements over time in statistical power within the EST literature, but not for the strength of evidence of EST efficacy. We describe the implications of our findings for practicing psychotherapists and offer recommendations for improving the evidential value of EST research moving forward. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Although digital technology has the potential to address the challenges of access, engagement, and scalability that psycho-social prevention interventions face when trying to reach families of primary school children, existing research on technology-enabled interventions for families remains limited. The aim of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the engagement, acceptability, and initial subjective indicators of emotion regulatory effects during 1-week in-situ deployments of a low-cost, bespoke prototype, which has been designed to support children's in-the-moment emotion regulation. This prototype instantiates a novel intervention model that aims to address the existing limitations by delivering the intervention through an interactive object (a `smart toy') sent home with the child, without any prior training necessary for either the child or their carer. Ten families (altogether 11 children aged 6-10 years) were recruited from three underprivileged communities in the UK, and children were given the toy to keep at home for 7-8 days, after which we interviewed each child and their parent about their experience with the toy. Across all 10 families, participants reported that the toy was incorporated into children's emotion regulation practices and engaged with naturally in moments children wanted to relax or calm down. The data suggest acceptability of the toy from both parents and children, strong engagement and indications of emotion-regulatory effects. More broadly, our findings suggest the potential of a technology-enabled shift in how prevention interventions are designed and delivered: empowering children and parents through `child-led, situated interventions', where participants learn through actionable support directly within family life, as opposed to didactic in-person workshops and a subsequent skills application.

Psychosocial treatments for mood and anxiety disorders are generally effective, however, a number of treated individuals fail to demonstrate clinically-significant change. Consistent with the decades-old aim to identify ‘what works for whom,’ personalized and precision treatments have become a recent area of interest in medicine and psychology. The present study followed the recommendations of Fisher (2015) to employ a personalized modular model of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Employing the algorithms provided by Fernandez, Fisher, and Chi (2017), the present study collected intensive repeated measures data prior to therapy in order to perform person-specific factor analysis and dynamic factor modeling. The results of these analyses were then used to generated personalized modular treatment plans on a person-by-person basis. Thirty-two participants completed therapy. The average number of sessions was 10.38. Hedges g's for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) were 2.33 and 1.62, respectively. The change per unit time was g = .24/session for the HRSD and g = 0.17/session for the HARS. The current open trial provides promising data in support of personalization, modularization, and idiographic research paradigms.

Training in mindfulness has been shown to improve a variety of psychological disorders as well as physical conditions. Additionally, mindfulness training has been shown to reduce risk-taking behaviors following several weeks of training. Reducing risk-taking behaviors is of particular importance in regard to specific mental health problems, such as substance use and eating disorders. Many studies that examine the effects of mindfulness utilize training programs that are several weeks in duration. However, some evidence indicates that brief, single-use mindfulness practices can have substantial effects on changing emotion and cognition in laboratory settings. The present study examined the immediate effects of a brief, single-use mindful body scan practice on risk-taking behavior in a laboratory setting. Participants included 153 undergraduate students at a major university in the southern United States. The experimental design was a randomized trial using an active control group, which engaged in a mind-wandering exercise. Results indicated that there was no significant interaction of condition by time on scores from the state mindfulness measure or the risk-taking task, yet main effects of time were observed for both variables. Findings suggest that the brief mindful body scan practice did not differentially effect mindfulness or risk-taking compared to the mind-wandering control exercise. However, there was a small, significant correlation observed between change in state mindfulness and change in risk-taking for the full sample, suggesting a relationship between the variables of interest, albeit in the opposite direction as expected. Implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.

Despite widespread scientific and popular interest in mindfulness-based interventions, questions regarding the empirical status of these treatments remain. We sought to examine the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for clinical populations on disorder-specific symptoms. To address the question of relative efficacy, we coded the strength of the comparison group into five categories: no treatment, minimal treatment, non-specific active control, specific active control, and evidence-based treatment. A total of 142 non-overlapping samples and 12,005 participants were included. At post-treatment, mindfulness-based interventions were superior to no treatment (d = 0.55), minimal treatment (d = 0.37), non-specific active controls (d = 0.35), and specific active controls (d = 0.23). Mindfulness conditions did not differ from evidence-based treatments (d = -0.004). At follow-up, mindfulness-based interventions were superior to no treatment conditions (d = 0.50), non-specific active controls (d = 0.52), and specific active controls (d = 0.29). Mindfulness conditions did not differ from minimal treatment conditions (d = 0.38) and evidence-based treatments (d = 0.09). Effects on specific disorder subgroups showed the most consistent evidence in support of mindfulness for depression, pain conditions, smoking, and addictive disorders. Results support the notion that mindfulness-based interventions hold promise as evidence-based treatments.

College counseling centers nationwide are having difficulty meeting the increasing demand for services they are seeing. We present an undergraduate positive psychology course taught as outreach and prevention by counseling center therapists as a way to potentially address this demand. During the two primary semesters of the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years, 133 students enrolled in the course and completed pre and post measures. Students evidenced significantly decreased psychological distress, increased psychological well-being, and increased subjective happiness. We discuss the format of this course and its elements as both outreach/prevention and therapeutic interventions to meet the increased demand for services.

Psychological science is in a transitional period: Many findings do not replicate and theories appear not as robust as previously presumed. We suspect that a main reason for theories not appearing as robust is because they are too simple. In this paper, we provide an important step towards this transition in the field of interpersonal relationship research by 1) providing an overarching theoretical framework grounded in existing relationship science, and 2) outlining a novel approach - mobile social physiology – that relies on intelligent technologies like wearable sensors, actuators, and modern analytical methods. At the core of our theoretical principles is co-regulation (one partner’s [statistical] co-dependency on the other partner). Co-regulation has long existed in the literature, but has to date been largely untested. To test the outlined principles, we 3) present a newly programmed app – the Bio-App for Bonding (available on GitHub: https://github.com/co-relab/bioapp). By providing a paradigm shift for relationship research, the field can not only increase the accuracy of measurement and the generalizability of findings, it also allows for moving from the lab to real life situations. We discuss how the mobile social physiology approach is rooted in existing theoretical principles (e.g., Social Baseline and Attachment Theory), extends the concept of co-regulation to allow for specific measurements, and provides a research agenda to develop a model of interpersonal relationships that we hope will stand the test of time.

Because they provide data on responsiveness to experimental manipulation, clinical trials involving mindfulness-based inter- ventions are a source of evidence for the construct validity of self-report measures of mindfulness. Within-group and between- group changes in mindfulness were examined from randomized clinical trials comparing mindfulness interventions to other bona fide treatment comparison conditions or waitlist control conditions. We also examined changes in clinical outcomes and the magnitude of these changes relative to changes in mindfulness. We included 69 published studies representing 55 unique samples (n = 4743). Self-report mindfulness measures showed relatively larger gains in mindfulness intervention conditions vis-à-vis waitlist comparison conditions at both post-treatment (effect size [ES] = 0.52, 95% CI [0.40, 0.64]) and follow-up (ES = 0.52 [0.20, 0.84]), although the effect at follow-up diminished to non-significance in a trim-and-fill analysis intended to account for publication bias (ES = 0.35 [− 0.03, 0.72]). Measures of mindfulness also showed relatively larger gains in mindfulness inter- vention conditions vis-à-vis bona fide comparison conditions, but only at post-treatment (ES = 0.25 [0.11, 0.38], 0.10 [− 0.08, 0.28], at post-treatment and follow-up, respectively). All three conditions (mindfulness, bona fide, waitlist) showed relatively larger improvements on measures of clinical outcomes than measures of mindfulness, with the exception of waitlist conditions for which this effect was no longer significant at follow-up. Taken together, findings provide partial support for the unique respon- siveness of mindfulness self-report measures to interventions that include promotion of mindfulness meditation practice.

In this chapter we describe the psychodynamic approach to antagonism as complementary to a trait perspective. We specifically articulate a psychodynamic model of personality involving self in relation to other with a linking affect, within which antagonism can be understood as variation in self and other. Having articulated the implications of this point of view for a robust and clinically useful model of personality functioning that integrates trait and psychodynamic perspectives, we review the three major stages and prominent techniques of psychodynamic psychotherapy for antagonistic personality.

Background: Despite an exponential growth in research on mindfulness-based interventions, the body of scientific evidence supporting these treatments has been criticized for being of poor methodological quality. Objectives: The current systematic review examined the extent to which mindfulness research demonstrated increased rigor over the past 16 years regarding six methodological features that have been highlighted as areas for improvement. These feature included using active control conditions, larger sample sizes, longer follow-up assessment, treatment fidelity assessment, and reporting of instructor training and intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses. Data sources: We searched PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science in addition to a publically available repository of mindfulness studies. Study eligibility criteria: Randomized clinical trials of mindfulness-based interventions for samples with a clinical disorder or elevated symptoms of a clinical disorder listed on the American Psychological Association’s list of disorders with recognized evidence-based treatment. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Independent raters screened 9,067 titles and abstracts, with 303 full text reviews. Of these, 171 were included, representing 142 non-overlapping samples. Results: Across the 142 studies published between 2000 and 2016, there was no evidence for increases in any study quality indicator, although changes were generally in the direction of improved quality. When restricting the sample to those conducted in Europe and North America (continents with the longest history of scientific research in this area), an increase in reporting of ITT analyses was found. When excluding an early, high-quality study, improvements were seen in sample size, treatment fidelity assessment, and reporting of ITT analyses. Conclusions and implications of key findings: Taken together, the findings suggest modest adoption of the recommendations for methodological improvement voiced repeatedly in the literature. Possible explanations for this and implications for interpreting this body of research and conducting future studies are discussed.