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A pilot validation study of a new measure of activity in psychosis.
BACKGROUND: Wing and Brown [Wing JK and Brown GW (1970) Institutionalism and schizophrenia: a comparative study of three mental health hospitals 1960-1968. Cambridge University Press, London] demonstrated a clear relationship between activity and clinical improvement, using time budget methodology with people with psychosis. However, existing time budget measures are demanding to complete, and simpler, check-box measures of activity rely on subjective frequency judgements and do not include the full range of activities in which an individual might be involved. We report on a pilot validation of a simplified time budget measure of activity levels for routine use as a measure of change with people with psychosis. METHODS: Forty-two participants living in the local community with a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis were grouped according to length of illness and, within the longer duration group, into high/low activity. All completed the time budget. On a second occasion, 15 participants also completed the subscales of the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) (Br J Psychiatry 157:853-859, 1990) to assess construct validity, and 15 completed the time budget to assess test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The time budget discriminated between duration and activity level groups and showed good inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability. On the SFS, correlations with subscales measuring withdrawal, activities of daily living and employment were found. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that our measure is tapping the activity component of social functioning. A larger scale validation study and investigation of sensitivity to change is underway.
Parenting and mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder: Effects of obsessional symptoms and mood.
BACKGROUND: Maternal mental illness is associated with negative effects on the infant and child. Increased attention has been paid to the effects of specific perinatal disorders on parenting and interactions as an important mechanism of influence. OCD can be a debilitating disorder for the sufferer and those around them. Although OCD is a common perinatal illness, no previous studies have characterized parenting and mother infant interactions in detail for mothers with OCD. METHODS: 37 mothers with postpartum OCD and a 6 month old infant were compared with 37 community control dyads on a variety of measures of psychological distress and parenting. Observed mother-infant interactions were assessed independently. RESULTS: Obsessions and compulsions were reported in both groups, although they did not cause interference in the control group. Mothers with OCD were troubled by their symptoms for a mean of 9.6 hours/day. Mothers with OCD were less confident, reported more marital distress and less social support than healthy peers and were less likely to be breastfeeding. Infant temperament ratings did not differ. Mothers with OCD were rated as less sensitive in interactions than the comparison group, partly attributable to levels of concurrent depression. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal postpartum OCD is a disorder that can affect experiences of parenting and mother-infant interactions although this may not be driven by OCD symptoms. Longitudinal studies are required to assess the trajectory and impact of maternal difficulties as the infant develops.
A pilot randomized controlled trial of time-intensive cognitive-behaviour therapy for postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder: effects on maternal symptoms, mother-infant interactions and attachment.
BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition that perinatal anxiety disorders are both common and potentially serious for mother and child. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be triggered or exacerbated in the postpartum period, with mothers reporting significant effects on parenting tasks. However, there is little evidence concerning their effective treatment or the impact of successful treatment on parenting. METHOD: A total of 34 mothers with OCD and a baby of 6 months old were randomized into either time-intensive cognitive-behaviour therapy (iCBT) or treatment as usual (TAU). iCBT took place after randomization at 6 months postpartum and was completed by 9 months. Maternal symptomatology, sensitivity in mother-infant interactions and parenting were assessed at baseline and reassessed at 12 months postpartum. At 12 months attachment was also assessed using Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure. A healthy control group of mothers and infants (n = 37) underwent the same assessments as a benchmark. RESULTS: iCBT was successful in ameliorating maternal symptoms of OCD (controlled effect size = 1.31-1.90). However, mother-infant interactions were unchanged by treatment and remained less sensitive in both OCD groups than a healthy control group. The distribution of attachment categories was similar across both clinical groups and healthy controls with approximately 72% classified as secure in each group. CONCLUSIONS: iCBT is an effective intervention for postpartum OCD. Sensitive parenting interactions are affected by the presence of postpartum OCD and this is not improved by successful treatment of OCD symptoms. However, the overall attachment bond appears to be unaffected. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore the impact of postpartum OCD as the child develops.
Intensive cognitive-behavioural treatment for women with postnatal obsessive-compulsive disorder: a consecutive case series.
The postnatal period has been identified as a time of increased risk for the development of OCD. Obsessions and compulsions at this time frequently focus on accidental or deliberate harm coming to the infant and may impact on the sufferer's capacities as a parent. Given the similarities in presentation between OCD at this and other times, cognitive-behaviour therapy is likely to be effective, but there is little information on whether or how adaptations of CBT can be made to maximise effectiveness and acceptability for mothers. There are no data on the impact of successful treatment on parenting. Six consecutively referred cases of postnatal OCD were treated using cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) intensively delivered over a two week period. All mothers improved on self-report and clinician-rated measures which were sustained at 3-5 month follow-up. Mothers reported significant benefits in terms of their own symptoms and in parenting in general. The intensive mode of delivery appears to be effective and acceptable for this group. Future work should explore whether particular difficulties in terms of parenting are experienced by this group and whether these persist beyond the remission of the maternal disorder.
A preliminary investigation of the impact of maternal obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder on parenting and children.
Although there is evidence for the intergenerational transmission of anxiety disorders, there is little research in relation to specific parental disorders. This study evaluated three groups of mothers with at least one child aged 7-14, defined in terms of maternal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; n=23), panic disorder (n=18), and healthy controls (n=20). Parental perceptions and symptomatology, general and disorder-specific child symptoms and mother-child interactions were investigated using self-report, informant report and independent assessment. Mothers with OCD and panic disorder expressed high levels of concern about the impact of their anxiety disorder on their parenting. Group differences in terms of child anxiety were subtle rather than clinically significant. In interactions, anxious mothers were less warm and promoting of psychological autonomy than healthy controls, and they exhibited elevated expressed emotion. Overall, the results suggested a mix of effects including trans-diagnostic and disorder-specific issues. Implications for future research are discussed.
“People in my life just play different roles”: A retrospective qualitative study of friendships among young adults who self-harmed during adolescence
Self-harm is a global public health concern presenting increasing rates in recent years, especially among young people. This population seldom access formal help, and typically rely on informal sources of support, mainly friends. The role, importance and meaning of friendships in the context of self-harm remains poorly understood, highlighting the need to explore young people’s lived experiences. In the present study we conducted semi-structured retrospective qualitative interviews, prompted by the Card-sort Task for Self-Harm About Friends (CaTS-AF), to explore the experiences of 11 young adults (M=19.09; SD=0.70; M=2, F=9) who self-harmed during adolescence. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). Three themes were developed which consider 1) the role of friendships in self-harm progression; 2) the role of self-harm in friendship evolution; and 3) the meaning of friendships in the context of adolescents’ self-harm. The first two themes highlight the interdependent nature of friendships and self-harm, where these two experiences influence one another. Furthermore, not only are friendships shaped by self-harm, but they acquire specific meanings, dynamics and expectations within the context of the behaviour. Overall, friends are a key part of adolescents’ self-harm, as sources of both risk and protection. It is essential to further integrate friendships, a developmentally significant aspect of adolescents’ social experiences, into self-harm research and clinical practice.
The Threat of Paper Mills to Biomedical and Social Science Journals: The Case of the Tanu.pro Paper Mill in Mind, Brain, and Education
Fraudulent published papers were once thought to be rare, but in recent years, there has been growing awareness of coordinated activities by for-profit organizations that charge authors a fee to sell articles and submit them to reputable journals. These are known as paper mills. We reflect here on how Mind, Brain and Education suffered from such an attack in 2022 and 2023, discussing what we have learnt from this experience about how paper mills might operate in biomedical and social sciences, how to identify red flags that an article might be fraudulent, and what steps might be taken to prevent such attacks in future.
Brief Report: False Memory Formation in Autism: The Role of Relational Processing at Study.
PURPOSE: Several studies have investigated false memory production in autistic adults, yet it remains unclear whether susceptibility to false memories differs from non-autistic adults and what mechanisms might contribute to any differences. This study examines the mechanisms behind false memory formation in autistic adults using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. METHODS: Participants studied DRM word lists designed to activate a critical word (the 'critical lure). To examine false memory formation and associative processing, participants completed three tasks: a standard recognition test to measure false memory rates, a word stem completion task to assess implicit priming of the critical lure, and a free association task to evaluate explicit associative processing. RESULTS: Autistic individuals showed comparable rates of false memories as non-autistic adults (i.e., falsely reporting having studied the critical lure), were as likely to mention the critical lure on the free association task but showed no tendency to complete word stems with the critical lure when implicitly primed to do so. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that autistic adults may rely less on spontaneous spreading of semantic activation during encoding but are capable of engaging in explicit associative processing when directed. The results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying false memory formation in autism.
Effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy with virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial in Hong Kong
Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common but undertreated mental health condition. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) and virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) are effective treatment approaches for SAD. However, few studies have integrated both, particularly in Chinese communities. This study examines the effectiveness of a 14-week iCBT program that includes VRET, called “Ease Anxiety in Social Event Online” (Ease Online), among Hong Kong adults with SAD. Method: 329 Hong Kong Chinese adults with SAD were randomized into web-based iCBT with VRET (n=117), app-based iCBT with VRET (n=111), or waitlist control (WLC) (n=101) groups. The mean age was 30.49 years old (SD=9.34), with 36% male and 64% female. Assessments were administered at pre-test, post-test, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The primary outcome measure was the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Data were analysed by using linear regression and mixed effects models. Results: Both treatment groups were superior to WLC group on both the primary and secondary measure outcomes. The effects were comparable between the two formats. Improvements were maintained at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. The rate of reliable improvement based on the SPIN was 34% and 40% in the web-based and app-based iCBT groups, respectively, compared to 11% in the WLC group, and 15% and 23% who meet the criteria for remission of social anxiety, compared to 3% in the WLC group. Conclusions: Both web- and app-based ICBT with VRET are effective for Hong Kong Chinese adults with SAD. The programme is an effective treatment approach for Hong Kong Chinese with SAD.
Spectral dataset of natural objects’ reflectance from the Southern cone of South America
Abstract The reflection in natural objects mediates an important fraction of the light reaching animal photoreceptors. Knowledge of the spectral properties of natural objects is increasingly valuable for different research fields. Measured datasets of natural objects’ reflectance can offer insights into fundamental and applied research questions, contributing to investigations from coloration and color vision to color analysis and representation. Thus, datasets of natural objects’ reflectance across different locations are crucial to assessing the universality and variability of physical visual inputs in diverse environments. However, the Southern Hemisphere is notably underrepresented in publicly available datasets of natural objects. To address this gap, we present a spectral dataset of natural objects’ reflectance from the Southern cone of South America, specifically Northwestern Argentina. Our dataset encompasses 532 samples representing diverse natural objects such as barks, flowers, fruits, leaves, plant fruits, stones, and animal specimens, including birds, beetles, and butterflies. By openly sharing this dataset, as a publicly available online resource, we aim to facilitate research across various disciplines, from evolutionary biology to industrial applications.