ABSTRACT
AIMS: The present study aimed to explore the effects of a guided self-help mindfulness intervention on psychological resilience and job burnout among psychiatric nurses. BACKGROUND: Psychiatric nurses work in challenging and potentially high stress settings. Mindfulness interventions can improve psychological resilience and reduce job burnout of nurses. However, face-to-face delivery of mindfulness interventions may be inconvenient for individuals. Guided self-help interventions may be more accessible. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted from January to August 2022. One hundred and eighteen psychiatric nurses were randomized into the intervention and control groups. The individuals in the intervention group received an 8-week guided self-help mindfulness intervention, while the individuals in the control group received a psycho-educational brochure. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey were used to evaluate the levels of mindfulness, psychological resilience and job burnout, respectively. RESULTS: After an 8-week intervention, compared with the control group, the levels of mindfulness and psychological resilience were higher, while the level of job burnout was lower in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: The guided self-help mindfulness intervention can improve psychological resilience and reduce job burnout among psychiatric nurses.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of extensive neurodevelopmental disorders for which few efficacious drugs are available. Sodium selenite (Se), the most common inorganic form of selenium given to humans and animals, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects in several psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, the effect of Se on ASD is unclear. METHODS: Using the BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) mouse model of ASD, we investigated the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanism of action of Se on ASD. BTBR mice were randomly divided into four groups: BTBR, BTBR+Se, BTBR+Se+ML385, and BTBR+Se+RSL3. The normal control group was composed of C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Se, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) inhibitors were administered separately for 28 days using oral gavage. After 28 days, social behavior, ferroptosis indices, and gene and protein expression levels for components of the Nrf2/GPx4 pathway were assessed to explore the correlation between Se levels and ASD. RESULTS: We demonstrated that Se significantly mitigated impairments in learning and memory, improved social functions, reduced repetitive behaviors, and inhibited ferroptosis in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. We also found that the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway was a target for Se. Treatment with Se increased levels of Nrf2 and GPX4. The Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 reduced the effect of Se on ferroptosis and abnormal behaviors in BTBR mice. In addition, the GPx4 inhibitor RSL3 revealed similar efficacy to ML385 CONCLUSION: We determined that Se exhibited a beneficial effect on autism-relevant behaviors and inhibited ferroptosis in the BTBR mouse model of ASD, possibly through modulation of the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway.