Kimberly L.P. Long, Sandra E. Muroy, Siamak K. Sorooshyari
et al.
Traumatic experiences elicit a wide range of cognitive responses in both humans and animals, leading to diverse outcomes such as enhanced performance, cognitive impairment, or the development of mood and anxiety disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A key challenge in understanding these varied responses is to decipher the underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to individual variability in trauma resilience or susceptibility. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular bases for these differences, focusing on the amygdala and hippocampus—brain regions integral to stress responses. We exposed adult, male rats to an acute, severe stressor and profiled persistent anxiety-like behavior outcomes 7 days later. We investigated the transcriptional signatures in the basolateral amygdala and hippocampal dentate gyrus via bulk RNA sequencing from animals with behavioral outcomes indicative of stress resilience or vulnerability. Our results suggest that the basolateral amygdala and dentate gyrus display distinct transcriptomic changes following acute, severe stress. Furthermore, we identified specific region-dependent genes related to insulin signaling, neural plasticity, and stress responses that correlate with resilient and vulnerable phenotypes. Notably, a larger number of genes separated stress-resilient animals from both control and stress-susceptible animals, underscoring that an active molecular response, particularly in the hippocampus, facilitates protection from the long-term consequences of severe stress. These findings provide novel insight into the mechanisms that engender individual variability in the behavioral responses to stress and offer new targets for the advancement of therapies for stress-induced neuropsychiatric disorders.
Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system
Journaling has been associated with improved psychological recovery in adult intensive care unit patients and lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Its potential role in supporting parents of children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) remains underexplored. The goals of this study were to determine factors that may make parents more prone to screening positive for PTSD, and to assess the potential role of journaling in supporting parental psychological well-being. This study included retrospective chart reviews and follow-up phone interviews with 32 parents of children admitted to the PICU at least 60 days following their stay. Participants completed a PCL-5 PTSD screening, provided demographic data, and shared journaling habits. Associations between PTSD screening results, demographics, use of journaling, and child healthcare factors were analyzed. 43.7% of parents screened positive for PTSD, significantly higher than the prevalence of PTSD in the general U.S. population (6.8%). A significant link was found between positive PTSD screenings and the number of surgeries a child underwent (p = 0.0413). This study highlights the heightened prevalence of positive PTSD screenings among parents of children in the PICU and indicates that journaling is a well-received tool for supporting parents’ psychological well-being.
Marcelo A. Crockett, Vania Martínez, Scarlett Mac-Ginty
The aims of this study are to examine the psychometric properties of the Barriers to Adolescents Seeking Help Scale—brief version (BASH-B) in university students and to examine sociodemographic differences in barriers to help-seeking in students with mental health problems and who are not in treatment. Participants were 1536 university students (Mean age = 19.7 years, 49% women) who completed the BASH-B, psychopathology measures, and sociodemographic information. The analysis included confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, validity based on the relationship with other variables, and bivariate analyses. The two-factor solution (Perceived Need for Autonomy and Help-seeking Fears) had better fit and acceptable internal consistencies for the Fears subscale, but poor for the Autonomy subscale. Among those who screened positive for mental health problems and were not in current treatment (n = 826), the most important help-seeking barriers were self-reliance and economic resources. Significantly higher Autonomy scores were observed in cisgender men and non-indigenous respondents, while higher Fears scores were observed in participants who are trans, non-heterosexual, of middle and low socioeconomic status, those who formerly lived in rural settings, and those with public health insurance. The Chilean version of the BASH-B had mostly adequate psychometric properties in university students, which contributes to the assessment of barriers to help-seeking in this population. The results suggest group differences in barriers to professional help-seeking, which may be useful when developing actions to promote service use.
Galal Banat, Friedrich G. Woermann, Rami Abou Jamra
et al.
Alpha-thalassemia X-linked intellectual disability syndrome (ATRX) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the ATRX gene. It is characterized by distinct dysmorphic features, alpha thalassemia, varying degrees of intellectual disability, and the presence of epilepsy in approximately 30 % of affected individuals. We present the case of a 36-year-old patient with severe intellectual disability and epilepsy due to a hemizygous pathogenic variant, c.736c > T, p. (Arg246Cys), in the ATRX gene. During inpatient treatment, numerous respiratory pauses were detected. Repeated video EEG recordings revealed seizure patterns with a left frontocentral origin and an occasional spread to the bifrontal region and episodes of apnea without an EEG correlate. This case report adds to the current literature, as it shows a co-occurrence of ictal and non-ictal apnea in ATRX syndrome, expanding our understanding of respiratory disturbances in this rare genetic disorder.
Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, Neurophysiology and neuropsychology
Objective To explore the views of social prescribing service providers on the barriers and enablers to recruitment of service users in social prescribing research.Design A qualitative study design, using semi-structured interviews with social prescribing service providers in the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise sector. Data were analysed using Thematic Framework Analysis.Results Ten interviews were conducted with service providers from five different social prescribing services. Three analytical themes were created. (1) What are you talking about?, related to service provider experiences of attempting to engage service users in social prescribing research, specifically confusion about the term social prescribing. (2) You’ve got a friend in me, focused on the positive impact of quality relationships between service providers and service users on recruitment. (3) No, no, no. Not today, reflected the experiences of service providers who reported that service users will often experience fluctuations in their mental and physical health, limiting their capacity to engage with structured research activity. Conclusions Key implications arising from this study is a need for more accessible and person-centred strategies for strengthening recruitment to, and participation in, social prescribing research. Increasing accessibility of research language (and information about participation), providing flexibility in recruitment methods, and conduct of research can also improve recruitment and retention. Service providers are vital for supporting engagement of service users in social prescribing research.
Brett D. M. Jones, Madeha Umer, Mary E. Kittur
et al.
Abstract Background Evidence-based psychotherapies available to treat patients with bipolar disorders (BD) are limited. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may target several common symptoms of BD. We conducted a systematic review on the efficacy of DBT for mood symptoms in patients with BD. The systematic search used key words related to DBT and BD in Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases from 1980 to April 1st, 2022. We included studies that enrolled patients with a BD I or II diagnosis (DSM or ICD), age 12 and older who received a DBT-based intervention. Studies reviewed were clinical trials including observational studies that reported at least one outcome related to BD mood symptoms or severity. We did not exclude based upon psychiatric or physical co-morbidity. Results We screened 848 abstracts and reviewed 28 full texts; 10 publications with 11 studies met our pre-determined eligibility criteria. All but one were feasibility pilot studies and most included participants in all mood states except for mania. The studies provided preliminary evidence suggesting these interventions may be effective for improving several core symptoms of BD. Overall, all the studies consistently supported that DBT-based interventions are feasible and acceptable for patients with BD. Conclusion DBT may be an effective treatment for BD; however, the confidence in this conclusion is limited by the small sample sizes, heterogeneity, and high risk of bias in all published trials. Larger well-designed RCTs are now required to establish the effectiveness of DBT in BD.
Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, Neurophysiology and neuropsychology
Aim and Background: The aim of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of Emotion Focused Therapy on Alexithymia and Internalized Self-Criticism in Neurotic Perfectionist girls.
Methods and Materials: The statistical population consisted of all Neurotic Perfectionist girls in Ahvaz. The research sample consisted of 5 girls that were selected according to the results of the neurotic perfectionism questionnaires (NPQ), using purposeful sampling method. In this research, a single-case experimental design, type of concurrent multiple baseline designs was used. Instruments were Toronto ʼs Alexithymia Scale (1994), Thompson and Zuroff ʼs The Levels of Self-Criticism Scale (LSCS) (2004). The data was collected in three phases of baseline, during intervention, and three month follow-up.
Findings: The findings indicate that the subjects in the treatment phase experienced improvement in Alexithymia (10.58) and Internalized Self-Criticism (21.32), and in the follow-up in regards to Alexithymia (19.41) and Internalized Self-Criticism (51.76). The change index was indicative of meaningful changes (z=1.96 α=0.05).
Conclusions: Therefore, the research findings illustrated that Emotion Focused Therapy reduces Alexithymia and Internalized Self-Criticism in Neurotic Perfectionist girls.
Ajeng Sista Anindya, Christiana Hari Soetjiningsih
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah ada hubungan positif yang signifikan antara kepuasan perkawinan dengan kesejahteraan subjektif pada guru SD perempuan di Kelurahan Kratonan Kecamatan Serengan, Kota Surakarta. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah skala psikologi. Skala yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu skala yang diadaptasi oleh penulis berdasarkan Marriage Satisfacton Scale (α=.941) dan skala kedua yaitu skala kesejahteraan subjektif yang diadaptasi oleh penulis berdasarkan Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-SF) dan Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) (α=.941). Partisipan dalam penelitian ini adalah 59 guru SD perempuan di Kelurahan Kratonan Kecamatan Serengan Kota Surakarta dan menggunakan teknik Purposive Sampling. Pengujian hipotesis dan korelasi antara kepuasan perkawinan dengan kesejahteraan subjektif guru SD perempuan di Kelurahan Kratonan Kecamatan Serengan Kota Surakarta menggunakan uji korelasi Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan adanya hubungan positif yang signifikan antara kepuasan perkawinan dan kesejahteraan subjektif guru SD perempuan di Kelurahan Kratonan Kecamatan Serengan Kota Surakarta (r=.970; p<.05).
This interdisciplinary research, drawing on cognitive psychology and linguistics, extended to middle childhood past research during early childhood or adulthood on thinking aloud prior to written composing. In year 5 of a longitudinal study of typical writing, when cohort 1 was in grade 5 (n = 110 ten year-olds) and cohort 2 in grade 7 (n = 97 twelve year-olds), a cross-sectional study was conducted. Children were first asked to think aloud while they generated ideas and second while they planned their essays to express and defend their opinions on a controversial topic in the region of the United States where they lived. Third, they wrote their essays. Their think-aloud protocols were audio-recorded and later transcribed into writing for analysis. The authors developed and applied rating scales for quality of idea generating and planning in the written transcriptions and quality of opinion expression, opinion defense, organization, and content in the essays children wrote after thinking aloud; total number of words in essays was also counted. Seventh graders scored significantly higher than fifth graders on quality of idea generation but not planning, and higher on all variables rated for quality in the written essays including length. Quality of expressing opinions and defending opinions were uncorrelated in grade 5, but moderately correlated in grade 7. Whether idea generating or planning quality explained unique variance in essays varied with coded written essay variables and grade. Educational applications of results for assessment, assessment-instruction links, instruction in social studies, and theory of mind in persuasive essay writing are discussed.