Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease最新文献

Abstract: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, significantly impairing quality of life and psychological well-being. Well-being therapy (WBT) is a brief psychotherapeutic intervention aimed at increasing well-being and optimizing functioning, which has proven effective in treating various conditions involving pain and psychological or psychiatric symptoms. We describe a case study of a 22-year-old university student experiencing FMS, highlighting the far-reaching effects of the condition on her quality of life. After eight sessions of WBT, there was a marked improvement in subjective well-being and euthymia, as well as a decrease in pain perception, improved ability to manage stress, reduced allostatic overload despite the presence of stressors, improved social relationships, and increased self-efficacy. The positive effects of WBT continued at 3-month follow-up, suggesting that WBT may represent a short-term effective intervention for patients with FMS.

Abstract: Despite abundant literature on personality and stigma, the role of disability type in this relationship has remained unaddressed. In the current study, we examined whether the relationship between observers' openness to experience and agreeableness on the one hand, and social distance on the other, was moderated by the target person's type of disability (psychiatric vs. physical). One hundred thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to complete a social distance questionnaire referring to a vignette of a person in three conditions (physical disability, psychiatric disability, and control). A main effect of openness on social distance was found. Additionally, we found an interaction effect of agreeableness and the type of disability. Namely, the relationship between agreeableness and social distance was significant only in the physical disability condition but not in the other two conditions. To conclude, the current study emphasizes the role of personality traits in social distance toward individuals with disabilities.

Abstract: Individuals affected by schizophrenia often relay frustration that persons in their life are unable to understand their symptoms. We sought to examine whether a brief virtual reality (VR) experience for students in an undergraduate psychopathology course entailing simulated hallucinations could increase empathy, decrease negative affect, and positively affect attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. After the unit on schizophrenia, 41 participants engaged in a VR experience with simulated auditory and visual hallucinations. We sought to maximize fidelity and immersion by incorporating the actual classroom and course instructor into the virtual world. By collecting data at multiple points, we were able to isolate the impact of the simulation on affect and attitudes. Participants experienced an increase in empathy and favorable attitudes toward individuals with schizophrenia and reported the simulation to be highly educational. The favorable results are notable given the brevity of the simulation and the absence of any explicit (declarative) knowledge being conveyed.

Abstract: The relevance of the research subject is to explore the neurotic disorders that arise in people affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war and who witness violence and war crimes. The purpose of the research is to reflect the specific features of the mental reaction of children and adults to military actions as an example of global social stress. Bibliographic, bibliosemantic, and statistical research methods were used in the research. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of patients with prolonged depression and schizophrenia has increased, and neurotic disorders has become more severe and acute. Particular attention should be devoted to assistance to military personnel who have been in the combat zone for a long time and former military prisoners of war. Attention should be devoted to the psyche, emotionality, and behavior of people with labile and unformed nervous systems-children, adolescents, pregnant women, and people of retirement age.

Abstract: Defense mechanisms (DMs) are strategies used by the individuals to protect the ego. Therefore, compulsive behaviors in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be recognized as DMs. We analyzed how DMs changed in a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for OCD. This was a quasi-experimental study with 92 OCD patients (aged 18-60 years). We used the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview to confirm OCD diagnosis, and we assessed the DMs with the Defense Style Questionnaire at three time points. Through a latent change score modeling, we found that the mature mechanism presented a constant change during the therapy. This mechanism increased in average 0.37 points at each measured moment of CBT, showing a linear trajectory. Neurotic and immature mechanisms showed no significant changes during therapy. The increased use of the mature mechanism can be an indicator of improvement in OCD treatment, showing that patients intensified their more adaptive responses to conflicts.

Abstract: To our knowledge, this is the first study that specifically aims to assess the readability and quality of online information about schizophrenia. The analysis is performed on 93 of 195 websites that appeared in an advanced Google search of the term "schizophrenia" performed on a single day. The websites were categorized as commercial, nonprofit, professional, and government. The websites were evaluated using the Health on the Net Foundation (HON) code certificate, DISCERN tool, and Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ) benchmark criteria for quality and the Flesch Reading Ease Formula, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) Formula, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Gunning Fog indices for readability. A total of 21.5% of all websites had a HON code certificate, 50.5% were accepted as high quality ( JAMA score ≥3), and 25.8% reached the recommended readability level (FKGL ≤8). Only three websites scored at a fifth- to sixth-grade reading level. Commercial and government websites had significantly lower DISCERN scores. Commercial websites had significantly lower Flesch Reading Ease Score and FKGL score than nonprofit websites. In conclusion, the current findings indicate that the quality of online information on schizophrenia is generally acceptable, but the readability is insufficient. Website creators, physicians, and health authorities should be more sensitive to the readability of online information about schizophrenia, considering the poor cognitive capacity of the patients and the unique nature of the disease.

Abstract: A powerful correlation exists between the equilibrium of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and heart rate variability (HRV). Thus, HRV is useful as a physiological index of both physical and emotional health; autonomic nervous system dysregulation, with a sympathetic predominance and a low HRV, has been associated with a variety of physical (cardiovascular, neurological) and psychiatric disorders. We used a validated algorithm of measuring the HRV (noninvasive, 2-minute approach) in new psychiatric outpatients in first author's private practice. The subjects had an initial measurement, followed by a 20-minute consultation with minimal supportive psychotherapy, followed by an exit measurement. The initial study spanned the "COVID months"; to control for this variable, an identical study was performed in 2023. There was a highly significant decrease in the sympathetic predominance in the test groups; no such trend was found in the control groups. A short psychiatry consultation may be sufficient to decrease patients' sympathetic hyperactivity and improve their well-being.

Abstract: The associations between social support and stress with internalizing symptoms (depressive symptoms and hopelessness) and hazardous drinking were tested in an inpatient sample of suicidal military personnel. Baseline data from a randomized clinical trial were analyzed. Different sources of support and stressors in the social context of military personnel were differentially linked to internalizing symptoms and hazardous drinking. In the full sample ( n = 192), family and nonfamily support were both inversely associated with internalizing symptoms but not hazardous drinking. Family stress was positively associated with internalizing symptoms. In a subsample of service members who had a history of deployment ( n = 98), postdeployment social support was protective against internalizing symptoms, whereas deployment harassment was associated with increased odds of hazardous drinking. Results underscore the need for assessment of various dimensions of social support and stress to guide case formulation and optimize strategies to support patients' mental well-being and adaptive coping.

Abstract: Narcissistic trauma can lead to disruption of the personality functioning system. Therefore, it is important to study the persons who have it, their traits, the sphere of relationships, and strategies of social adaptation. The research aims to study narcissism indicators among individuals with narcissistic trauma diagnosed during a therapeutic conversation to identify its connection with loneliness, life satisfaction, and communication style. The empirical research involved 32 people who sought psychotherapeutic help. All participants provided written consent to participate in the research. A clinical methodology was used to identify the degree of personal narcissism-the Narcissism Assessment Test. The study of the dominant style of social interaction revealed the dominance of two opposite styles: straightforward-aggressive and responsible-generous. Thus, narcissistic trauma is likely to lead to dysfunction of the self-system, and the ability to enjoy life and communication. The data obtained can be useful for both theoretical psychologists and psychotherapists.