There has been increasing scientific and clinical interest in studying psychedelic and meditation... more There has been increasing scientific and clinical interest in studying psychedelic and meditation-based interventions in recent years, both in the context of improving mental health and as tools for understanding the mind. Several authors suggest neurophysiological and phenomenological parallels and overlaps between psychedelic and meditative states and suggest synergistic effects of both methods. Both psychedelic-assisted therapy and meditation training in the form of mindfulness-based interventions have been experimentally validated with moderate to large effects as alternative treatments for a variety of mental health problems, including depression, addictions, and anxiety disorders. Both demonstrated significant post-acute and long-term decreases in clinical symptoms and enhancements in well-being in healthy participants, in addition. Postulated shared salutogenic mechanisms, include, among others the ability to alter self-consciousness, present-moment awareness and antidepressa...
Background and aims: Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) is a medical condition that can ... more Background and aims: Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) is a medical condition that can impair social and occupational functioning and lead to severe distress. To date, treatment effectiveness studies of CSBD are under-developed; typically, treatment for CSBD is based on guidelines for substance or other behavioural addictions. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) is an evidence-based treatment for substance addiction aimed at, among other things, reducing craving and negative affect—i.e. processes that are implicated in the maintenance of problematic sexual behaviours. However, to our knowledge no prior research has been published evaluating mindfulness-based intervention in the treatment of CSBD, except two clinical case reports. Therefore, the aim of the current preliminary research was to examine whether MBRP can lead to clinical improvement in CSBD. Methods: Participants were 13 adult males with a diagnosis of CSBD. Before and after the eight-week MBRP intervent...
Background There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on represe... more Background There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on representative samples. Available data from studies on convenient samples show very high rates of probable PTSD compared with relevant estimates in other countries. Objective This study aimed to measure the exposure to self-report traumatic events (PTEs) and to estimate the current rate of prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in accordance with DSM–5 criteria in a population-based sample of Poles. Additionally, the link between PTSD intensity and level of life satisfaction was investigated. Method A representative sample of 1,598 adult Poles was recruited. Probable PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM–5 (PDS–5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was also used. Results The findings showed that 60.3% of Poles had experienced at least one PTE and 31.1% of those who had been exposed to trauma reported symptoms of PTSD. At the level of the...
IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic people experience higher levels of negative emotions, as... more IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic people experience higher levels of negative emotions, as well as face many negative and intense emotions felt by others. Thus, it is important to look for risk and protective factors that allow and help individuals to regulate these negative emotions and adapt to the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.Objectives The main aims of the study were to (i) test how empathic dimensions (perspective taking, empathic concern and personal distress) and emotion regulation abilities were related to intensity of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown in Poland, as well as to (ii) check if emotion regulation difficulties and personal distress predicted slower decrease in depressive symptoms over the two months in which the number of COVID-19 cases declined in Poland.MethodsA total of 792 participants took part in the three-wave panel study. The sample was representative of the Polish population in terms of gender, age, and place of residence. Par...
Purpose: Numerous studies suggest that infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes acute ... more Purpose: Numerous studies suggest that infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 illness, can lead to changes in the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, some individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection may also present the symptoms of neuropsychological disorders. The goals of this literature review is the synthesis of various perspectives and up-to-date scientific knowledge as well as the formulation of initial recommendations for clinical practice. Views: According to current state of knowledge, numerous SARS-CoV-2 infection-specific and nonspecific risk factors exist for brain damage, which might lead to neuropsychological impairments in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. The emerging evidence suggests significant behavioral and cognitive deficits in COVID-19 survivors, which are present in the early phase after recovery and persist for several months. Neuropsychological disturbances can potentially include a...
The main goal of the study was to examine changes in daily functioning of depressed individuals u... more The main goal of the study was to examine changes in daily functioning of depressed individuals undergoing Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Participants who met criteria for clinical depression were randomly assigned to either a training group (N=26) or a control group (N=30, a delayed treatment control). They completed an online diary for 7 days before and after the 8-weeks during which the training group received MBCT. At the end of each day, using 7-point scales, participants described the important events that happened to them that day and rated each event in terms of stressfulness, positivity, and how mindful they were during the event. Descriptions of events were analysed with Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC), a program that provided frequency counts of words in different categories. Multi-level analyses found that after mindfulness training, participants felt more mindful than they did at the pre-test, they perceived events as significantly more positive and le...
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2021
Objective:To propose a set of internationally harmonized procedures and methods for assessing neu... more Objective:To propose a set of internationally harmonized procedures and methods for assessing neurocognitive functions, smell, taste, mental, and psychosocial health, and other factors in adults formally diagnosed with COVID-19 (confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 + WHO definition).Methods:We formed an international and cross-disciplinary NeuroCOVID Neuropsychology Taskforce in April 2020. Seven criteria were used to guide the selection of the recommendations’ methods and procedures: (i) Relevance to all COVID-19 illness stages and longitudinal study design; (ii) Standard, cross-culturally valid or widely available instruments; (iii) Coverage of both direct and indirect causes of COVID-19-associated neurological and psychiatric symptoms; (iv) Control of factors specifically pertinent to COVID-19 that may affect neuropsychological performance; (v) Flexibility of administration (telehealth, computerized, remote/online, face to face); (vi) Harmonization for facilitating international research; (vi...
Given the high COVID-19 mortality, the disease itself may be experienced as a life-threatening an... more Given the high COVID-19 mortality, the disease itself may be experienced as a life-threatening and traumatic event. Therefore, in the article we try to answer three questions that are relevant to public mental health: Should mental health professionals prepare for the increase in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence due to the pandemic? Can we define groups of COVID-19 survivors who are at higher risk of developing PTSD? How can health specialists prepare for it? Given the results of previous research on PTSD in epidemic survivors (e.g. SARS), we suggest that mental health professionals in countries touched by the pandemic should prepare for an increase in the PTSD prevalence in individuals who have had COVID-19. The PTSD risk group includes mainly individuals: from groups at increased risk of complications or who have experienced complications; who were not provided healthcare due to health service overload; experiencing additional mental health problems; healthcare work...
Abstract Objective Studies indicates that dysregulation of emotions plays an important role in th... more Abstract Objective Studies indicates that dysregulation of emotions plays an important role in the etiology of elevated blood pressure (BP). One of the signatures of emotional dysregulation is alexithymia defined as an impaired ability to experience and express emotions. Previous work indicated that primary hypertension (HT) is marked by higher alexithymia, but little research examined the relationship between alexithymia and variability of evaluated BP with 24 h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) in HT patients. Method Fifty-five participants diagnosed with hypertension and a matched group of thirty-nine healthy participants filled in The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), a clinical-demographic questionnaire, and were assessed with 24 h ABPM. Results After removing those with white coat HT, as expected, hypertensive individuals had a higher total score and all three alexithymia subscales. Furthermore, alexithymia was positively correlated with average values of systolic BP. Conclusion These findings provided support for the contention that alexithymia is associated with elevated BP, the higher level of alexithymia the higher systolic BP in 24 h BP measurement. Future studies may examine the causal relationship between alexithymia and HT and evaluate the effectiveness of emotional regulation training interventions to reduce BP in people suffering from primary hypertension.
There has been increasing scientific and clinical interest in studying psychedelic and meditation... more There has been increasing scientific and clinical interest in studying psychedelic and meditation-based interventions in recent years, both in the context of improving mental health and as tools for understanding the mind. Several authors suggest neurophysiological and phenomenological parallels and overlaps between psychedelic and meditative states and suggest synergistic effects of both methods. Both psychedelic-assisted therapy and meditation training in the form of mindfulness-based interventions have been experimentally validated with moderate to large effects as alternative treatments for a variety of mental health problems, including depression, addictions, and anxiety disorders. Both demonstrated significant post-acute and long-term decreases in clinical symptoms and enhancements in well-being in healthy participants, in addition. Postulated shared salutogenic mechanisms, include, among others the ability to alter self-consciousness, present-moment awareness and antidepressa...
Background and aims: Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) is a medical condition that can ... more Background and aims: Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) is a medical condition that can impair social and occupational functioning and lead to severe distress. To date, treatment effectiveness studies of CSBD are under-developed; typically, treatment for CSBD is based on guidelines for substance or other behavioural addictions. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) is an evidence-based treatment for substance addiction aimed at, among other things, reducing craving and negative affect—i.e. processes that are implicated in the maintenance of problematic sexual behaviours. However, to our knowledge no prior research has been published evaluating mindfulness-based intervention in the treatment of CSBD, except two clinical case reports. Therefore, the aim of the current preliminary research was to examine whether MBRP can lead to clinical improvement in CSBD. Methods: Participants were 13 adult males with a diagnosis of CSBD. Before and after the eight-week MBRP intervent...
Background There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on represe... more Background There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on representative samples. Available data from studies on convenient samples show very high rates of probable PTSD compared with relevant estimates in other countries. Objective This study aimed to measure the exposure to self-report traumatic events (PTEs) and to estimate the current rate of prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in accordance with DSM–5 criteria in a population-based sample of Poles. Additionally, the link between PTSD intensity and level of life satisfaction was investigated. Method A representative sample of 1,598 adult Poles was recruited. Probable PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM–5 (PDS–5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was also used. Results The findings showed that 60.3% of Poles had experienced at least one PTE and 31.1% of those who had been exposed to trauma reported symptoms of PTSD. At the level of the...
IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic people experience higher levels of negative emotions, as... more IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic people experience higher levels of negative emotions, as well as face many negative and intense emotions felt by others. Thus, it is important to look for risk and protective factors that allow and help individuals to regulate these negative emotions and adapt to the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.Objectives The main aims of the study were to (i) test how empathic dimensions (perspective taking, empathic concern and personal distress) and emotion regulation abilities were related to intensity of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown in Poland, as well as to (ii) check if emotion regulation difficulties and personal distress predicted slower decrease in depressive symptoms over the two months in which the number of COVID-19 cases declined in Poland.MethodsA total of 792 participants took part in the three-wave panel study. The sample was representative of the Polish population in terms of gender, age, and place of residence. Par...
Purpose: Numerous studies suggest that infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes acute ... more Purpose: Numerous studies suggest that infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 illness, can lead to changes in the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, some individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection may also present the symptoms of neuropsychological disorders. The goals of this literature review is the synthesis of various perspectives and up-to-date scientific knowledge as well as the formulation of initial recommendations for clinical practice. Views: According to current state of knowledge, numerous SARS-CoV-2 infection-specific and nonspecific risk factors exist for brain damage, which might lead to neuropsychological impairments in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. The emerging evidence suggests significant behavioral and cognitive deficits in COVID-19 survivors, which are present in the early phase after recovery and persist for several months. Neuropsychological disturbances can potentially include a...
The main goal of the study was to examine changes in daily functioning of depressed individuals u... more The main goal of the study was to examine changes in daily functioning of depressed individuals undergoing Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Participants who met criteria for clinical depression were randomly assigned to either a training group (N=26) or a control group (N=30, a delayed treatment control). They completed an online diary for 7 days before and after the 8-weeks during which the training group received MBCT. At the end of each day, using 7-point scales, participants described the important events that happened to them that day and rated each event in terms of stressfulness, positivity, and how mindful they were during the event. Descriptions of events were analysed with Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC), a program that provided frequency counts of words in different categories. Multi-level analyses found that after mindfulness training, participants felt more mindful than they did at the pre-test, they perceived events as significantly more positive and le...
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2021
Objective:To propose a set of internationally harmonized procedures and methods for assessing neu... more Objective:To propose a set of internationally harmonized procedures and methods for assessing neurocognitive functions, smell, taste, mental, and psychosocial health, and other factors in adults formally diagnosed with COVID-19 (confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 + WHO definition).Methods:We formed an international and cross-disciplinary NeuroCOVID Neuropsychology Taskforce in April 2020. Seven criteria were used to guide the selection of the recommendations’ methods and procedures: (i) Relevance to all COVID-19 illness stages and longitudinal study design; (ii) Standard, cross-culturally valid or widely available instruments; (iii) Coverage of both direct and indirect causes of COVID-19-associated neurological and psychiatric symptoms; (iv) Control of factors specifically pertinent to COVID-19 that may affect neuropsychological performance; (v) Flexibility of administration (telehealth, computerized, remote/online, face to face); (vi) Harmonization for facilitating international research; (vi...
Given the high COVID-19 mortality, the disease itself may be experienced as a life-threatening an... more Given the high COVID-19 mortality, the disease itself may be experienced as a life-threatening and traumatic event. Therefore, in the article we try to answer three questions that are relevant to public mental health: Should mental health professionals prepare for the increase in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence due to the pandemic? Can we define groups of COVID-19 survivors who are at higher risk of developing PTSD? How can health specialists prepare for it? Given the results of previous research on PTSD in epidemic survivors (e.g. SARS), we suggest that mental health professionals in countries touched by the pandemic should prepare for an increase in the PTSD prevalence in individuals who have had COVID-19. The PTSD risk group includes mainly individuals: from groups at increased risk of complications or who have experienced complications; who were not provided healthcare due to health service overload; experiencing additional mental health problems; healthcare work...
Abstract Objective Studies indicates that dysregulation of emotions plays an important role in th... more Abstract Objective Studies indicates that dysregulation of emotions plays an important role in the etiology of elevated blood pressure (BP). One of the signatures of emotional dysregulation is alexithymia defined as an impaired ability to experience and express emotions. Previous work indicated that primary hypertension (HT) is marked by higher alexithymia, but little research examined the relationship between alexithymia and variability of evaluated BP with 24 h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) in HT patients. Method Fifty-five participants diagnosed with hypertension and a matched group of thirty-nine healthy participants filled in The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), a clinical-demographic questionnaire, and were assessed with 24 h ABPM. Results After removing those with white coat HT, as expected, hypertensive individuals had a higher total score and all three alexithymia subscales. Furthermore, alexithymia was positively correlated with average values of systolic BP. Conclusion These findings provided support for the contention that alexithymia is associated with elevated BP, the higher level of alexithymia the higher systolic BP in 24 h BP measurement. Future studies may examine the causal relationship between alexithymia and HT and evaluate the effectiveness of emotional regulation training interventions to reduce BP in people suffering from primary hypertension.
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