Non-fear emotions in changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms during treatment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not only associated with fear but also with other emotions. The present study aimed to examine if changes in shame, guilt, anger, and disgust predicted changes in PTSD symptoms during treatment, while also testing if PTSD symptoms, in turn, predicted changes in these emotions. METHODS: Participants (N = 155) with childhood-related PTSD received a maximum of 12 sessions of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or imagery rescripting. The data was analyzed using Granger causality models across 12 treatment sessions and 6 assessment sessions (up until one year after the start of treatment). Differences between the two treatments were explored. RESULTS: Across treatment sessions, shame, and disgust showed a reciprocal relationship with PTSD symptoms, while changes in guilt preceded PTSD symptoms. Across assessments, anger was reciprocally related to PTSD, suggesting that anger might play a more important role in the longer term. LIMITATIONS: The individual emotion items were not yet validated, and the CAPS was not administered at all assessments. CONCLUSIONS: These findings partly differ from earlier studies that suggested a unidirectional relationship in which changes in emotions preceded changes in PTSD symptoms during treatment. This is in line with the idea that non-fear emotions do play an important role in the treatment of PTSD and constitute an important focus of treatment and further research.

Effectiveness of mind-body medicine for Hwa-Byung (a Korean cultural diagnosis of suppressed anger): A systematic review of interventional studies.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review analysed the effectiveness of mind-body modalities (MBMs) in Hwa-byung (HB). METHODS: Ten electronic databases were searched. Intervention studies using MBMs for individuals with HB, published up to July 2023, were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane RoB and ROBINS-I tools. Meta-analysis of continuous variables was presented as mean differences (MDs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Nine studies including five randomized controlled clinical trials, were included. The MBM types were meditation, relaxation, biofield therapy, art therapy, and forest-based MBM, and comprehensive HB programs. Most studies used an MBM group, with 5-6 sessions delivered during an average of 4-5 weeks. As a result of the meta-analysis, art therapy showed a statistically significantly better effect on improving the Hwa-Byung Scale (HB-S) score compared to the waitlist control (MD = -7.74; 95% CI = -9.81 to -5.66). In the before-and-after comparison, MBMs were frequently reported to have significant benefits for improving the HB-S total score (7/7, 100%), depressive mood (4/5, 80%), and state anxiety (6/8, 75%). Some methodological flaws were identified in the included studies, including the reliability of diagnosis, non-implementation of assessor blinding, and inappropriate control groups. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified potentially promising MBMs that were not previously recommended in the current HB clinical practice guidelines. In the future, high-quality clinical studies that include the use of standardized HB diagnostic criteria, homogeneous interventions, appropriate control groups, standard assessment tools such as the HB-S, and assessor blinding are needed.

Effects of oral isotretinoin treatment for acne vulgaris patients on anger responses and the relationship with temperament.

OBJECTIVE: Isotretinoin is the only medication against all the factors involved in acne vulgaris pathogenesis. The aim of our study was to verify whether patients with acne vulgaris receiving isotretinoin therapy exhibit elevated anger levels and to observe the correlation between age, temperament traits, and anger. METHODS: The study group comprised a sum of 100 cases, involving 50 individuals with acne vulgaris-required high-dose retinol therapy and 50 controls who did not start any medication. RESULTS: Our study showed that anger levels increased with drug use. A positive correlation between cyclothymic temperament, the anxiety-related behavior subdimension, and the introvert and passive-aggressive subdimension of interpersonal anger reactions has been recognized. In addition, a positive one was observed between hyperthymic temperament and the introvert subdimension, which is one of the anger-related thoughts and interpersonal anger reactions. CONCLUSION: This study elucidates anger dimensions such as anger-related thoughts, behaviors, and reactions in individuals who received retinol treatment for acne vulgaris. In addition to anger and its dimensions, temperament was also investigated. Although several studies have investigated the relationship between acne vulgaris and psychiatric symptoms, to the best of our knowledge, no research has been reported in the English-language literature regarding the relationship between anger dimensions and temperament after retinol treatment that might make our study an original and valuable contribution to the literature.

The folk psychiatry model: Developing a measure of lay perceptions of PTSD.

Whereas existing data verify the importance of support networks in facilitating resilience following trauma, the sociocultural perceptions of posttrauma difficulties that provide context for these interactions remain largely unexplored. Folk psychiatry models propose that lay explanations of mental illness can be quantified along distinct moralizing, medicalizing, and psychologizing dimensions. The current project aimed to develop a trauma-specific measure capturing lay explanations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on this framework. Data were collected from three samples of Mechanical Turk respondents (N1 = 367; N2 = 365; N3 = 401) as well as an independent sample of university students (N4 = 311). Factor analysis of the final, 13-item Folk Psychiatry Measure-PTSD (FPM-P) indicated close fit of a correlated three-factor model in MTurk and student respondents. Across samples, moralizing beliefs about PTSD (e.g., people with PTSD lack a moral compass) evidenced moderate-to-strong correlations with general attitudes toward those with mental illness, including positive associations with authoritarianism, social restrictiveness, blame, anger, and perceived dangerousness. Negative associations with benevolence and support for community-based care were also noted. Medicalizing beliefs (e.g., PTSD is caused by a chemical imbalance) demonstrated more modest associations with negative attitudes, as noted through weak correlations with increased authoritarianism, anger, and lower benevolence toward those experiencing psychological difficulties. Finally, psychologizing explanations (e.g., people with poor relationships and low social support are at greater risk of developing PTSD) evidenced weak but positive associations with benevolence and pity for those with mental health concerns. Implications and cultural-based nuances of the scale are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Characteristics of attentional bias in meditators: An ERP study.

Attentional bias is closely related to individual mental health. To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation on attentional bias, we use the dot-probe task to measure and compare the attentional bias of 16 Shaolin monks with meditation experience (meditator group) and 18 ordinary people without meditation experience (control group). The results were as follows: (1) The control group showed attentional bias to anger stimuli, while the meditator group did not show attentional bias; (2) The P1 amplitude induced by emotion stimuli was significantly less in the meditator group than in the control group; (3) When the control group observed angry-neutral faces, the P2 amplitude was greater than when they saw neutral-neutral faces. In comparison, there was no significant difference in P2 amplitude when the meditator group viewed faces with different emotions. This leads us to contend that people highly practiced in meditation can reduce their attentional bias to negative information, and show the cognitive characteristics of "impartial" treatment to external information.

Metaphor, magic, and mental disorder: Poetics and ontology in Mexican (Purépecha) curanderismo.

This article offers an epistemological, poetic, and ontological reading of the ways of knowing regarding mental disorders that are characteristic of the traditional healers (curanderas and curanderos) of an Indigenous group in Mexico. The study is based on ethnographic interviews with traditional Purépecha (Tarascan) healers in rural Michoacan. Interviews focused on local conceptions of emotional and mental illness, especially Nervios, Susto, and Locura (nerves, fright, and madness). We discuss the conceptual structure of these Indigenous illness notions, the nature of the associated imagery and notions of the soul, as well as the general sense of meaningfulness and reality implicit in Purépecha curanderismo. The highly metaphorical modes of understanding characteristic of these healers defy analysis in purely structuralist terms. They do, however, have strong affinities with the Renaissance "episteme" or implicit framework of understanding described in The Order of Things, Michel Foucault's classic study of modes of knowing and experiences of reality in Western thought-a work profoundly influenced by Heidegger's interest in the historical and cultural constitution of what Heidegger termed "Being." After examining the individual illness concepts, we explore both the poetic and the ontological dimension (the foundational sense of reality or of Being) that they involve, with special emphasis on supernatural concerns.

LSD, madness and healing: Mystical experiences as possible link between psychosis model and therapy model.

BACKGROUND: For a century, psychedelics have been investigated as models of psychosis for demonstrating phenomenological similarities with psychotic experiences and as therapeutic models for treating depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. This study sought to explore this paradoxical relationship connecting key parameters of the psychotic experience, psychotherapy, and psychedelic experience. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 24 healthy volunteers received 50 µg d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or inactive placebo. Psychotic experience was assessed by aberrant salience (Aberrant Salience Inventory, ASI), therapeutic potential by suggestibility (Creative Imagination Scale, CIS) and mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, FFMQ; Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, MAAS; Experiences Questionnaire, EQ), and psychedelic experience by four questionnaires (Altered State of Consciousness Questionnaire, ASC; Mystical Experiences Questionnaire, MEQ; Challenging Experiences Questionnaire, CEQ; Ego-Dissolution Inventory, EDI). Relationships between LSD-induced effects were examined. RESULTS: LSD induced psychedelic experiences, including alteration of consciousness, mystical experiences, ego-dissolution, and mildly challenging experiences, increased aberrant salience and suggestibility, but not mindfulness. LSD-induced aberrant salience correlated highly with complex imagery, mystical experiences, and ego-dissolution. LSD-induced suggestibility correlated with no other effects. Individual mindfulness changes correlated with aspects of aberrant salience and psychedelic experience. CONCLUSIONS: The LSD state resembles a psychotic experience and offers a tool for healing. The link between psychosis model and therapeutic model seems to lie in mystical experiences. The results point to the importance of meaning attribution for the LSD psychosis model and indicate that psychedelic-assisted therapy might benefit from therapeutic suggestions fostering mystical experiences.

Percepção sobre o cuidado à perda gestacional: estudo qualitativo com casais brasileiros / Perceptions on pregnancy loss care: a qualitative study with brazilian couples / Percepción sobre la atención a la pérdida del embarazo: estudio cualitativo con parejas brasileñas

Este artigo analisou a percepção e os sentimentos de casais sobre o atendimento recebido nos serviços de saúde acessados em função de perda gestacional (óbito fetal ante e intraparto). O convite para a pesquisa foi divulgado em mídias sociais (Instagram e Facebook). Dos 66 casais que contataram a equipe, 12 participaram do estudo, cuja coleta de dados ocorreu em 2018. Os casais responderam conjuntamente a uma ficha de dados sociodemográficos e uma entrevista semiestruturada, realizada presencialmente (n=4) ou por videochamada (n=8). Os dados foram gravados em áudio e posteriormente transcritos. A Análise Temática indutiva das entrevistas identificou cinco temas: sentimento de impotência, iatrogenia vivida nos serviços, falta de cuidado em saúde mental, não reconhecimento da perda como evento com consequências emocionais negativas, e características do bom atendimento. Os achados demonstraram situações de violência, comunicação deficitária, desvalorização das perdas precoces, falta de suporte para contato com o bebê falecido e rotinas pouco humanizadas, especialmente durante a internação após a perda. Para aprimorar a assistência às famílias enlutadas, sugere-se qualificação profissional, ampliação da visibilidade do tema entre diferentes atores e reorganização dos serviços, considerando uma diretriz clínica para atenção ao luto perinatal, com destaque para o fortalecimento da inserção de equipes de saúde mental no contexto hospitalar.(AU)

This study analyzed couples' perceptions and feelings about pregnancy loss care (ante and intrapartum fetal death). A research invitation was published on social media (Instagram and Facebook) and data collection took place in 2018. Of the 66 couples who contacted the research team, 12 participated in the study by filling a sociodemographic questionnaire and answering a semi-structured interview in person (n=04) or by video call (n=08). All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and examined by Inductive Thematic Analysis, which identified five themes: feelings of impotence, iatrogenic experiences in health services, lack of mental health care, not recognizing pregnancy loss as an emotionally overwhelming event, and aspects of good healthcare. Analysis showed experiences of violence, poor communication, devaluation of early losses, lack of support for contact with the deceased baby, and dehumanizing routines, especially during hospitalization after loss. Professional qualification, extended pregnancy loss visibility among different stakeholders, and reorganization of health services are needed to improve the care offered to grieving families, considering a clinical guideline for perinatal grief care with emphasis on strengthening the insertion of mental health teams in the hospital context.(AU)

Este estudio analizó las percepciones y sentimientos de parejas sobre la atención recibida en los servicios de salud a los que accedieron debido a la pérdida del embarazo (muerte fetal ante e intraparto). La invitación al estudio se publicó en las redes sociales (Instagram y Facebook). De las 66 parejas que se contactaron con el equipo, 12 participaron en el estudio, cuya recolección de datos se realizó en 2018. Las parejas respondieron un formulario de datos sociodemográficos y realizaron una entrevista semiestructurada presencialmente (n=4) o por videollamada (n=08). Los datos se grabaron en audio para su posterior transcripción. El análisis temático inductivo identificó cinco temas: Sentimiento de impotencia, experiencias iatrogénicas en los servicios, falta de atención a la salud mental, falta de reconocimiento de la pérdida como un evento con consecuencias emocionales negativas y características de buena atención. Los hallazgos evidenciaron situaciones de violencia, comunicación deficiente, desvalorización de las pérdidas tempranas, falta de apoyo para el contacto con el bebé fallecido y rutinas poco humanizadas, especialmente durante la hospitalización tras la pérdida. Para mejorar la atención a las familias en duelo, se sugiere capacitación profesional, ampliación de la visibilidad del tema entre los diferentes actores y reorganización de los servicios, teniendo en cuenta una guía clínica para la atención del duelo perinatal, enfocada en fortalecer la inserción de los equipos de salud mental en el contexto hospitalario.(AU)

Relatos da pandemia: ser mulher e mãe em tempos de covid-19 / Pandemic reports: being a woman and mother in covid-19 times / Relatos de la pandemia: ser mujer y madre en tiempos del covid-19

Partindo da pergunta "Como tem sido ser mulher e mãe em tempos de pandemia?", o presente estudo convidou mulheres que são mães, em redes sociais virtuais, a partilhar um relato de suas experiências com a readaptação parental em função do distanciamento social causado pela pandemia de covid-19. O objetivo foi refletir sobre a experiência de ser mulher e mãe em tempos de covid-19 e distanciamento social, apontando algumas ressonâncias do cenário pandêmico na subjetividade dessas mulheres. O estudo teve como base o referencial psicanalítico, tanto na construção da pesquisa e análise dos relatos quanto na sua discussão. A análise dos cerca de 340 relatos coletados, os quais variaram de uma breve frase a longos parágrafos, apontou para uma série de questionamentos, pontos de análise e reflexões. A pandemia, e o decorrente distanciamento social, parece ter colocado uma lente de aumento sobre as angústias das mulheres que são mães, evidenciando sentimentos e sofrimentos sempre presentes. Destacaram-se, nos relatos, a sobrecarga das mulheres com as tarefas de cuidado dos filhos e da casa, a culpa, a solidão, a exaustão, e o sentimento de que não havia espaço nesse contexto para "ser mulher", sendo isso entendido especialmente a questões estéticas e de vaidade.(AU)

Starting from the question "How does it feel to be a woman and a mother in pandemic times?", this study invited women who are mothers, in virtual social networks, to share their experiences regarding parental adaptations due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to reflect on the experience of being a woman and a mother in the context of COVID-19 and of social distancing, pointing out some resonances of the pandemic scenario in the subjectivity of these women. The study was based on the psychoanalytical framework, both in the construction of the research and analysis of the reports and in their discussion. The analysis of about 340 collected reports, which ranged from a brief sentence to long paragraphs, pointed to a series of questions, analysis topics, and reflections. The pandemic, and the resulting social distancing, seems to have placed a magnifying glass over the anguish of women who are mothers, showing ever-present feelings and suffering. The reports highlighted women's overload with child and house care tasks, the guilt, loneliness, exhaustion, and the feeling that there was no space in this context to "be a woman," and it extends to aesthetic and vanity related questions especially.(AU)

A partir de la pregunta "¿cómo te sientes siendo mujer y madre en tiempos de pandemia?", este estudio invitó por las redes sociales a mujeres que son madres a compartir un relato de sus experiencias sobre la readaptación parental en función del distanciamiento social causado por la pandemia del covid-19. Su objetivo fue reflexionar sobre la experiencia de ser mujer y madre en tiempos del covid-19 y el distanciamiento social, señalando algunas resonancias del escenario pandémico en la subjetividad de estas mujeres. Este estudio se basó en el marco psicoanalítico, tanto en la construcción de la investigación y análisis de los informes como en su discusión. El análisis de los casi 340 relatos, que variaron de una pequeña frase a largos párrafos, generó en las investigadoras una serie de cuestionamientos y reflexiones. La pandemia y el consecuente distanciamiento social parece haber agrandado las angustias de las mujeres que son madres, evidenciando sentimientos y sufrimientos siempre presentes. En los relatos destacan la sobrecarga de las mujeres con las tareas de cuidado de los hijos y del hogar, la culpa, la soledad, el cansancio, así como el sentimiento de que no hay espacio em este contexto para "ser mujer", relacionado principalmente a cuestiones estéticas y de vanidad.(AU)

Orientação a pais por chamadas de áudio durante a pandemia de covid-19 / Support for parents via audio calls during the covid-19 pandemic / Orientación de los padres mediante llamadas de audio durante la pandemia de covid-19

O distanciamento social ocasionado pela pandemia de Covid-19 levou a profundas mudanças na rotina das famílias com crianças pequenas, aumentando o estresse no ambiente doméstico. Este estudo analisou a experiência de planejamento e implementação de um projeto de extensão universitária que ofereceu orientação a pais com filhos de 0 a 11 anos por meio de chamadas de áudio durante a pandemia. O protocolo de atendimento foi desenvolvido para atender às necessidades de famílias de baixa renda e listava problemas específicos relacionados ao confinamento em casa e ao fechamento das escolas seguidos por uma variedade de estratégias de enfrentamento. A análise de 223 queixas relatadas pelos usuários em 130 ligações revelou que 94% dos problemas referidos pelos pais foram contemplados pelo protocolo de atendimento e estavam relacionados aos problemas externalizantes (39%) ou internalizantes (26%) das crianças ou ao declínio do bem-estar subjetivo dos pais (29%). Serviços de apoio devem orientar os pais quanto ao uso de práticas responsivas e assertivas que promovam o bem-estar emocional da criança e estabeleçam expectativas comportamentais em contextos estressantes. A diminuição dos conflitos entre pais e filhos resultante do uso dessas estratégias tende a reduzir o sofrimento dos pais, aumentando sua sensação de bem-estar subjetivo. Recomenda-se ampla divulgação dessas iniciativas e seguimento dos casos.(AU)

The social distancing the COVID-19 pandemic entailed has led to profound changes in the routine of families with young children, increasing stress in the home environment. This study analyzed the experience of planning and implementing a university extension program that offered support to parents with children from 0 to 11 years old via audio calls during the COVID-19 pandemic. The service protocol was developed to meet the needs of low-income families and listed specific problems related to home confinement and school closure followed by a variety of coping strategies. The analysis of 223 complaints reported by users in 130 calls revealed that 94% of the problems reported by parents were addressed by the protocol and were related to children's externalizing (39%) or internalizing (26%) problems or to the decline in parents' subjective well-being (29%). Support services should guide parents on the use of responsive and assertive practices that promote the child's emotional well-being and set behavioral expectations in stressful contexts. The reduction in conflicts between parents and children resulting from the use of these strategies tends to reduce parents' suffering, increasing their sense of subjective well-being. Wide dissemination of these initiatives and case follow-up are recommended.(AU)

La distancia social causada por la pandemia de COVID-19 condujo a cambios profundos en la rutina de las familias con niños pequeños, aumentando el estrés en el entorno del hogar. Este estudio analizó la experiencia de planificar e implementar un proyecto de extensión universitaria que ofreció orientación a los padres con niños de cero a 11 años a través de llamadas de audio durante la pandemia COVID-19. El protocolo de atención se desarrolló para satisfacer las necesidades de las familias de bajos ingresos y enumeró problemas específicos relacionados con el confinamiento en el hogar y el cierre de la escuela, seguido de una variedad de estrategias de afrontamiento. El análisis de 223 quejas informadas por los usuarios en 130 llamadas reveló que el 94% de los problemas informados por los padres fueron abordados por el protocolo de atención y estaban relacionados con los problemas de externalización (39%) o internalización (26%) de los niños o la disminución del bienestar subjetivo de los padres (29%). Los servicios de apoyo deberían aconsejar a los padres sobre el uso de prácticas receptivas y asertivas que promuevan el bienestar emocional del niño y establezcan expectativas de comportamiento en contextos estresantes. La reducción de los conflictos entre padres e hijos como resultado del uso de estas estrategias tiende a reducir el sufrimiento de los padres, aumentando su sensación de bienestar subjetivo. Se recomienda una amplia difusión de estas iniciativas y seguimiento de casos.(AU)

Percepções de familiares sobre uma rede de cuidados de saúde mental infantojuvenil / Family perceptions about a children's mental health network / Percepciones familiares sobre una red de atención de salud mental infantojuvenil

Este artigo pretende conhecer como a rede de cuidados em saúde tem se operacionalizado a partir da percepção de familiares de crianças com demanda de cuidado em saúde mental (SM). Foram realizados dois grupos focais, um com familiares da Atenção Básica (AB) e outro com familiares do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSij), totalizando 15 participantes. Seguiu-se com a análise lexical do tipo classificação hierárquica descendente, com o auxílio do software R Interface, a fim de análises multidimensionais de textos e questionários (IRaMuTeQ), resultando em cinco classes: A Pílula Mágica; Forças e Fraquezas dos serviços; Procurando por ajuda; Aceitando o diagnóstico da criança e Onde procurei ajuda. Os resultados apontam para dificuldades presentes na AB em identificar e manejar situações de Saúde Mental Infantojuvenil (SMIJ), por meio de uma lógica ainda medicalizante. Ressalta-se que a escola é apresentada como lugar de destaque na produção da demanda por cuidado e a família ainda é pouco convocada à construção das ações. Conclui-se, então, que avanços ainda são necessários para operacionalização de um cuidado pautado nas diretrizes da política de SMIJ.(AU)

This article aims to know how the healthcare network has been operationalized from the perception of family members of children with demand for mental health care (MH). Two focus groups were held, one with family members from Primary Care (PC) and the other with family members from the Child Psychosocial Care Center (CAPSij), totaling 15 participants. A lexical analysis of the descending hierarchical classification type was performed with the help of the software R Interface for multidimensional analyzes of texts and questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ), resulting in five classes: The Magic Pill; Strengths and Weaknesses of services; Looking for help; Accepting the child's diagnosis; and Where did I look for help. The results point to difficulties present in PC in identifying and managing situations of mental health in children and adolescents (MHCA), with a medicalization logic. Note that the school is presented as a prominent place in producing the demand for care, and the family is still not very much involved in the actions. It is, thus, concluded that advances are still needed for operationalization of care guided by MHCA policy guidelines.(AU)

Este artículo tuvo por objetivo conocer cómo opera una red asistencial a partir de la percepción de familiares de niños con demanda de atención en salud mental (SM). Se realizaron dos grupos focales, uno con familiares de Atención Primaria (AP) y otro con familiares del Centro de Atención Psicosocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSij), totalizando 15 participantes. Se realizó análisis léxico del tipo clasificación jerárquica descendente con la ayuda del software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ), lo que resultó en cinco clases: "La píldora mágica"; "Fortalezas y debilidades de los servicios"; "En busca de ayuda"; "Aceptar el diagnóstico del niño" y "¿Dónde busqué ayuda?". Los resultados apuntan las dificultades presentes en AP para identificar y manejar situaciones de salud mental infantojuvenil (SMIJ) mediante una lógica aún medicalizante. La escuela tiene un lugar destacado en la producción de la demanda de cuidados y la familia aún no está muy involucrada en la construcción de acciones. Se concluye que se necesitan avances para ofertar una atención guiada por lineamientos de la política del SMIJ.(AU)

Relations of perceived injustice to psycho-spiritual outcomes in advanced lung and prostate cancer: Examining the role of acceptance and meaning making.

OBJECTIVE: Many advanced cancer patients struggle with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and anger toward God and illness-related stressors. Patients may perceive their illness as an injustice (i.e., appraise their illness as unfair, severe, and irreparable or blame others for their illness), which may be a risk factor for poor psychological and spiritual outcomes. This study examined relations between cancer-related perceived injustice and psycho-spiritual outcomes as well as potential mediators of these relationships. METHODS: Advanced lung (n = 102) and prostate (n = 99) cancer patients completed a one-time survey. Using path analyses, we examined a parallel mediation model including the direct effects of perceived injustice on psycho-spiritual outcomes (i.e., anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger about cancer, anger towards God) and the indirect effects of perceived injustice on psycho-spiritual outcomes through two parallel mediators: meaning making and acceptance of cancer. We then explored whether these relations differed by cancer type. RESULTS: Path analyses indicated that perceived injustice was directly and indirectly-through acceptance of cancer but not meaning making-associated with psycho-spiritual outcomes. Results did not differ between lung and prostate cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced cancer patients with greater perceived injustice are at higher risk for poor psycho-spiritual outcomes. Acceptance of cancer, but not meaning making, explained relationships between cancer-related perceived injustice and psycho-spiritual outcomes. Findings support testing acceptance-based interventions to address perceived injustice in advanced cancer patients.

Religious and Spiritual Implications in Functional Anger.

The topic of spirituality has been of interest for many years in the helping professions ( Matise et al., 2018; Pargament, 2011). Another level of interest is how spirituality may be connected to anger that is culturally informed ( Subarimaniam et al., 2020). This writing approaches the topic of functional anger as impacted by the religious and spiritual beliefs with case vignettes pertinent to students, pastoral counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychotherapists, and other helping professionals.

Higher frequency of mantram repetition practice is associated with enhanced clinical benefits among United States Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: There is increasing support for the use of meditation-based treatments for US military Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Mantram Repetition Program (MRP), which is a portable meditative practice that features mindful repetition of a sacred phrase, is associated with significant reductions in PTSD symptom severity. Although regular practice is emphasized in meditation-based interventions, associations between frequency of practice and clinical outcomes are often not reported. Objectives: This study will examine whether the frequency of mantram repetition is associated with greater improvements in clinical outcomes. Methods: Veterans with PTSD participating in MRP (N = 160; combined experimental groups from two randomized controlled trials). Participants completed pre- and post-treatment self-report measures of anger and well-being and a clinician-administered interview of PTSD severity (CAPS-IV-TR). Veterans also reported average daily mantram repetition practice at post-treatment. We conducted a series of hierarchal multiple regression analyses. Results: When controlling for race/ethnicity and pre-treatment severity, higher frequency of mantram repetition practice was associated with significantly greater improvements (small effect sizes) in PTSD symptom severity (F(3,128) = 6.60, p < .001, ß = .21, p = .007), trait anger (F(3,128) = 31.23, p < .001, ß = .25, p < .001), state anger (F(3,110) = 17.62, p < .001, ß = .16, p = .04), mental health well-being (F(3,128) = 28.38, p < .001, ß = .14, p = .04), and spiritual well-being (F(3,127) = 13.15, p < .001, ß = .23, p = .003), but not physical health well-being. Conclusions: Higher frequency of mantram repetition practice appears to have beneficial effects on clinical outcomes for Veterans with PTSD. Strategies that promote skills practice may be an important target for improving clinical outcomes for meditation-based interventions. HIGHLIGHTS: Higher frequency of meditation practice during Mantram Repetition Program was associated with greater reductions in PTSD symptoms and anger as well as improvements in well-being.Strategies to promote at-home meditation practice may optimize the benefits of MRP.

The Applicability of Virtual Reality-Based Training for Controlling Anger in Aggressive Individuals.

Because a failure of anger control leads to emotional and social problems, appropriate anger management may be important for social well-being. Virtual reality (VR) may potentially be effectively utilized in anger management, and this study aimed to verify the applicability of the VR-based anger control training program. The data obtained by having 60 young male participants divided into 2 groups, the high aggression group and the low aggression group, based on their Aggression Questionnaire scores to execute this program were analyzed. The program consisted of "Anger Exposure Training" for provoking anger and facilitating anger control and "Mindfulness Training" for providing the meditation experience for controlling anger. The anger scores and comfort scores obtained from these tasks, respectively, were analyzed for differences between the groups and between the experimental conditions. The anger regulation and comfort enhancement rates were analyzed for correlations with psychological variables. In Anger Exposure Training, the anger scores in angry expression were reduced in managed expression of anger in both groups. In Mindfulness Training, meditation increased comfort score as well in both groups, and the comfort enhancement rates were negatively correlated with the levels of self-differentiation and open communication with mother only in the high aggression group. These results indicate that the VR environments can provide an effective means of trainings for managing anger. Therefore, further research on the effectiveness of the VR-based anger control training program is worthy conducting in individuals who express excessive aggression.

Interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness: Examining the mediating roles of anger rumination and state anger.

Measuring mindfulness without accounting for specific contexts may lead to controversial results. This study attempted to examine whether the newly proposed construct of interpersonal mindfulness, mindfulness as it happens within the interpersonal context, was connected to forgiveness and the mechanisms behind this connection. Data were collected from 312 participants using measures of interpersonal mindfulness, trait mindfulness, anger rumination, state anger, self-reported forgiveness, and forgiving behavior. Results showed that interpersonal mindfulness was significantly associated with both self-reported forgiveness and forgiving behavior even while accounting for trait mindfulness. Mediation analysis revealed that anger rumination and state anger could mediate this link separately and sequentially, but only when trait mindfulness was uncontrolled. When controlling for trait mindfulness, the mediating role of state anger remained significant, but neither anger rumination nor the serial combination did. An alternative model was also supported, showing that after controlling for interpersonal mindfulness, trait mindfulness was indirectly associated with forgiveness through anger rumination and the serial mediating effect of anger rumination and state anger, but not state anger. These findings suggest that interpersonal mindfulness is more suitable for predicting interpersonal forgiveness than trait mindfulness. State anger may operate as a proximal mechanism in explaining how mindfulness relates to interpersonal forgiveness, whereas anger rumination may operate at a more distal level.

Powerful Stress Relieving Medicinal Plants for Anger, Anxiety, Depression, and Stress During Global Pandemic.

Consideration and improvement for anxiety and depression are important during a global pandemic. Appropriate healthcare can be obtained by paying more attention to traditional medicinal sciences. The adverse effects of stress with various symptoms can be managed by introducing plants that boost mental health. The most relevant psychological reactions in the general population related to the global pandemic are pervasive anxiety, frustration and boredom, specific and uncontrolled fear, disabling loneliness, significant lifestyle changes, and psychiatric conditions. Ginseng, chamomile, passionflower, herbal tea, lavender, saffron, kava, rose, cardamom, Chinese date, and some chief formula like yokukansan, Dan-zhi-xiao-yao-san, so-ochim-tang-gamiband, and saikokaryukotsuboreito are notable herbal treatments for mental health problems. The most common medicinal plants that have been used in Iran for the cure of stress and anxiety are Viper's-buglosses, Dracocephalum, valerian, chamomile, common hop, hawthorns, and lavender. Medicinal plants and herbs can be used for the treatment and alleviation of the negative effects of stress, anger, and depression during the global pandemic.

The Effects of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback on HRV Reactivity and Recovery During and After Anger Recall Task for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) often experience anger events before cardiovascular events. Anger is a psychological risk factor and causes underlying psychophysiological mechanisms to lose balance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The heart rate variability (HRV) was the common index for ANS regulation. It has been confirmed that heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) restored ANS balance in patients with CAD during the resting state. However, the effects of HRV-BF during and after the anger event remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the effects of HRV-BF on ANS reactivity and recovery during the anger recall task in patients with CAD. This study was a randomized control trial with a wait-list control group design, with forty patients in the HRV-BF group (for six sessions) and 44 patients in the control group. All patients received five stages of an anger recall task, including baseline, neutral recall task, neutral recovery, anger recall task, and anger recovery. HRV reactivity in the HRV-BF group at the post-test was lower than that in the control group. HRV recovery at the post-test in the HRV-BF group was higher than that in the control group. The HRV-BF reduced ANS reactivity during anger events and increased ANS recovery after anger events for CAD patients. The possible mechanisms of HRV-BF may increase total HRV, ANS regulation, and baroreflex activation at anger events for patients with CAD, and may be a suitable program for cardiac rehabilitation.

The Role of Psychological Factors in Judo: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Psychological parameters are relevant in the practice of judo. Previous studies have shown that parameters such as anxiety or motivation can have a negative or positive impact on the athlete's performance and general well-being, depending on the athlete's perception. This systematic review aimed to summarize the studies examining the influence of various psychological parameters on well-being and performance in judo athletes; (2) Methods: We followed preferred reporting elements for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We searched the Web of Science database for studies that explained the role of these parameters in elite athletes. Of the 286 articles initially identified, 17 met our eligibility criteria and were included in the review. In total, we analyzed data from 721 judo athletes; (3) Results: The studies found have demonstrated the impact of various psychological parameters during high-level performance and how these parameters can influence and lead an athlete to win or lose a competition. The feelings of tension, anger, anxiety, and nervousness were significantly increased in athletes who were facing defeat, while a decrease in the same segments and an increase in motivation among athletes who were experiencing better performance was observed. Further research under standardized conditions is needed to better understand the effects of these parameters on judo athletes; (4) Conclusions: Considering the athlete's psychological state can affect performance, and it is therefore important to monitor and train these factors.

Anti-anger Effects of Herbal Medicine: A Mini-Review of Rat Studies.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the available data on the anti-anger effects of herbal medicines (HMs) as well as their underlying mechanisms in rat models. METHODS: From 6 electronic databases [PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), and Research Information Sharing Service (RISS)], relevant animal experiments were searched by using "anger," "rats," and "animal" as search keywords. The last search was conducted on November 22, 2019, and all experiments involving rat models of anger and treatment using HMs published until the date of the search were considered. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies with 16 kinds of HMs were included. Most studies have used the "tail irritating method" and "social isolation and resident intruder" method to establish anger models. According to the included studies, the therapeutic mechanisms of HMs for anger regulation and important herbs by their frequency and/or preclinical evidence mainly incladed regulation of hemorheology (Bupleuri Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Glycyrrhizae Radix), regulation of sex hormones (Bupleuri Radix, Cyperi Rhizoma, and Paeoniae Radix Alba), regulation of neurotransmitters (Cyperi Rhizoma), regulation of anger-related genes (Bupleuri Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, and Paeoniae Radix Alba), and other effects. Overall, Liver (Gan) qi-smoothing herbs including Bupleuri Radix and Cyperi Rhizoma were the most frequently used. CONCLUSIONS: This review found the frequent methods to establish an anger model, and major mechanisms of anti-anger effects of HMs. Interestingly, some Liver qi-smoothing herbs have been frequently used to investigate the anti-anger effects of HM. These findings provide insight into the role and relevance of HMs in the field of anger management.