The mind possessed: well-being, personality, and cognitive characteristics of individuals regularly experiencing religious possession

Objective: To further our understanding of religious possession experiences by focusing on personality, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes. Methods: Data collection was undertaken at Umbanda sessions in Brazilian cities. Participants were mediums who regularly experienced possession (n=334) or those who attended the same rituals but had never been possessed (n=54). Results: We found that mediums were not significantly different across variables from the control group, except for anxiety, which was lower among mediums. Correlational and regression analysis showed that the level of meaningfulness attributed to possession and fusion with the spiritual entity were strongly positively correlated with most quality-of-life dimensions, and negatively with anxiety; in addition, level of meaningfulness predicted lower anxiety, and psychological quality of life was predicted by level of fusion and meaningfulness. Contrary to expectations, there were no detrimental effects of a lower level of bodily control over the possession experience. Conclusion: Together, these results suggest that individuals regularly experiencing possession within a religious context are psychologically similar to those who attend the same rituals without experiencing possession, and that the way they appraise their experiences as meaningful, as well as the level of spiritual fusion, are predictors of well-being.

The mind possessed: well-being, personality, and cognitive characteristics of individuals regularly experiencing religious possession.

OBJECTIVE: To further our understanding of religious possession experiences by focusing on personality, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes. METHODS: Data collection was undertaken at Umbanda sessions in Brazilian cities. Participants were mediums who regularly experienced possession (n=334) or those who attended the same rituals but had never been possessed (n=54). RESULTS: We found that mediums were not significantly different across variables from the control group, except for anxiety, which was lower among mediums. Correlational and regression analysis showed that the level of meaningfulness attributed to possession and fusion with the spiritual entity were strongly positively correlated with most quality-of-life dimensions, and negatively with anxiety; in addition, level of meaningfulness predicted lower anxiety, and psychological quality of life was predicted by level of fusion and meaningfulness. Contrary to expectations, there were no detrimental effects of a lower level of bodily control over the possession experience. CONCLUSION: Together, these results suggest that individuals regularly experiencing possession within a religious context are psychologically similar to those who attend the same rituals without experiencing possession, and that the way they appraise their experiences as meaningful, as well as the level of spiritual fusion, are predictors of well-being.

A dimensional measure of schizotypy: cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences short version for Brazilian Portuguese (O-LIFE-S)

Abstract Introduction The Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE) is a widely-used scale, and the first to include a dimensional approach to understanding schizotypy. Objective To adapt the short version of the O-LIFE (O-LIFE-S) into Brazilian Portuguese. Method a) Two independent bilingual professionals translated the original instrument into Brazilian Portuguese; b) a third bilingual professional summarized the two translations; c) a fourth bilingual expert translated the Portuguese version back into English; d) this back-translation was adjusted by a committee of psychology experts; e) a pilot study was conducted with 10 participants from the general population. Results O-LIFE-S was considered ready to be used in a formal validation study in Brazil. Conclusion The scale appears to cover the dimensional approach to schizotypy. However, a future validation study needs to be conducted to determine the internal consistency and reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the O-LIFE-S .

A dimensional measure of schizotypy: cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences short version for Brazilian Portuguese (O-LIFE-S).

INTRODUCTION: The Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE) is a widely-used scale, and the first to include a dimensional approach to understanding schizotypy. OBJECTIVE: To adapt the short version of the O-LIFE (O-LIFE-S) into Brazilian Portuguese. METHOD: a) Two independent bilingual professionals translated the original instrument into Brazilian Portuguese; b) a third bilingual professional summarized the two translations; c) a fourth bilingual expert translated the Portuguese version back into English; d) this back-translation was adjusted by a committee of psychology experts; e) a pilot study was conducted with 10 participants from the general population. RESULTS: O-LIFE-S was considered ready to be used in a formal validation study in Brazil. CONCLUSION: The scale appears to cover the dimensional approach to schizotypy. However, a future validation study needs to be conducted to determine the internal consistency and reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the O-LIFE-S .

[Escherichia coli productora de betalactamasas de espectro extendido como agente causal de gangrena de Fournier de origen urogenital asociada a mayor mortalidad]. / Escherichia coli producer of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases as causative agent of Fournier gangrene of urogenital origin associated with higher mortality.

ANTECEDENTES: La gangrena de Fournier (GF) es una fascitis necrotizante que pone en peligro la vida del paciente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la etiología y el impacto del agente aislado en el cultivo de la herida y de orina. MÉTODO: Se llevó a cabo un análisis retrospectivo de una cohorte de 66 pacientes con GF de origen urogenital. Los valores cualitativos medidos se expresaron como frecuencia y porcentaje, y se compararon con la prueba de ji al cuadrado y la prueba de Fisher. La diferencia se consideró estadísticamente significativa con p < 0.05. RESULTADOS: Los pacientes que murieron presentaban con mayor frecuencia cultivos de orina y herida positivos para Escherichia coli productora de betalactamasas de espectro extendido (BLEE): orina, sobrevivientes 14.5% vs. muertes 44.4%; herida, sobrevivientes 20.8% vs. muertes 66.6% (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONES: Durante la valoración integral del paciente con GF es fundamental realizar cultivos de orina y de herida con el fin de iniciar el manejo antibiótico dirigido de manera temprana. Los pacientes con GF que mueren presentan mayor número de cultivos positivos para E. coli BLEE. BACKGROUND: Fournier gangrene (FG) is a necrotizing fasciitis that endangers the patient's life. The objective of this study was to determine the etiology and impact of the agent isolated on wound and urine culture. METHOD: We performed a retrospective analysis within a cohort of 66 patients with FG of urogenital origin. The measured qualitative values were expressed as frequency and Percentage and compared with the chi square test and Fisher's test. The difference was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Patients who died had more frequent cultures of urine and wound positive for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli: urine, survivors 14.5% vs. deaths 44.4%; wound, 20.8% vs. 66.6% (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the integral evaluation of the patient with FG it is essential to perform the urine and surgical wound cultures in order to initiate the antibiotic management directed at an early stage. Patients with GF who die present a greater number of cultures positive for E. coli ESBL.

Relevancia del antecedente de absceso perirrenal en pacientes sometidos a nefrectomía simple retroperitoneal / Relevance of Perirenal Abscess in Patients undergoing Retroperitoneal Simple Nephrectomy

Las infecciones supurativas del riñón y del espacio perinefrítico son poco comunes, sin embargo, se asocian a una morbimortalidad elevada, afectando a ambos sexos por igual excepto los casos de absceso cortical que es 3 veces más común en el hombre que en la mujer. La incidencia se incrementa con la edad y habitualmente se asocia a uropatía obstructiva. Los abscesos renales representan 0,2% de todos los abscesos intraabdominales, de los cuales el 10% de los abscesos corticales rompen a través de la cápsula formando un absceso perinefrítico, el cual es difícil de manejar y conlleva un peor pronóstico, con una alta mortalidad a pesar de tratamiento quirúrgico oportuno

Supurative infections of the kidney and perinephritic space are rare, however, are associated with high morbidity and mortality, affecting both sexes equally except for cases of cortical abscess which is 3 times more common in men than in women. The incidence increases with age and is usually associated with obstructive uropathy. Renal abscesses represent 0.2% of all abscesses. intraabdominal, of which 10% of cortical abscesses break through the capsule forming a Perinephritic abscess, which is difficult to manage and leads to a worse prognosis, with high mortality despite prompt surgical treatment.

How to tell a happy from an unhappy schizotype: personality factors and mental health outcomes in individuals with psychotic experiences

Objective: It is unclear why some individuals reporting psychotic experiences have balanced lives while others go on to develop mental health problems. The objective of this study was to test if the personality traits of harm avoidance, self-directedness, and self-transcendence can be used as criteria to differentiate healthy from unhealthy schizotypal individuals. Methods: We interviewed 115 participants who reported a high frequency of psychotic experiences. The instruments used were the Temperament and Character Inventory (140), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences. Results: Harm avoidance predicted cognitive disorganization (β = 0.319; t = 2.94), while novelty seeking predicted bipolar disorder (β = 0.136, Exp [β] = 1.146) and impulsive non-conformity (β = 0.322; t = 3.55). Self-directedness predicted an overall decrease in schizotypy, most of all in cognitive disorganization (β = -0.356; t = -2.95) and in impulsive non-conformity (β = -0.313; t = -2.83). Finally, self-transcendence predicted unusual experiences (β = 0.256; t = 2.32). Conclusion: Personality features are important criteria to distinguish between pathology and mental health in individuals presenting high levels of anomalous experiences (AEs). While self-directedness is a protective factor, both harm avoidance and novelty seeking were predictors of negative mental health outcomes. We suggest that the impact of AEs on mental health is moderated by personality factors.

Self-Directedness Predicts Quality of Life in Individuals with Psychotic Experiences: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study.

There is a high prevalence of psychotic-like experiences in nonclinical patient cohorts from Brazil. This study aimed to test whether personality dimensions, as well as schizotypy, are important predictors of quality of life (QoL) in individuals with psychotic experiences (PE). METHOD: 115 participants were recruited from Spiritist Centers in Brazil. At the 1-year follow up, 90 participants (78%) were reassessed. Instruments were the SCID-I (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV), TCI-R 140 (Revised Temperament and Character Inventory), OLIFE-R (Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences), and WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization QoL Instrument). RESULTS: Mean age (±SD) was 36.8 (±12.5) years; 70% were female. Participants reported 74.4% of PE at time 1 and 72.3% at time 2. At time 1, temperament and character explained 47% of the psychological QoL variance; self-directedness was the strongest predictor of higher QoL, while harm avoidance and introverted anhedonia predicted worse QoL. At the 1-year follow-up, self-directedness remained the most important predictor of psychological QoL. CONCLUSION: Individuals reporting PE can show psychological QoL when they are high on self-directedness. Those with high levels of introverted anhedonia and cognitive disorganization can have a lower QoL and may be at risk for mental health problems.

How to tell a happy from an unhappy schizotype: personality factors and mental health outcomes in individuals with psychotic experiences.

OBJECTIVE:: It is unclear why some individuals reporting psychotic experiences have balanced lives while others go on to develop mental health problems. The objective of this study was to test if the personality traits of harm avoidance, self-directedness, and self-transcendence can be used as criteria to differentiate healthy from unhealthy schizotypal individuals. METHODS:: We interviewed 115 participants who reported a high frequency of psychotic experiences. The instruments used were the Temperament and Character Inventory (140), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences. RESULTS:: Harm avoidance predicted cognitive disorganization (ß = 0.319; t = 2.94), while novelty seeking predicted bipolar disorder (ß = 0.136, Exp [ß] = 1.146) and impulsive non-conformity (ß = 0.322; t = 3.55). Self-directedness predicted an overall decrease in schizotypy, most of all in cognitive disorganization (ß = -0.356; t = -2.95) and in impulsive non-conformity (ß = -0.313; t = -2.83). Finally, self-transcendence predicted unusual experiences (ß = 0.256; t = 2.32). CONCLUSION:: Personality features are important criteria to distinguish between pathology and mental health in individuals presenting high levels of anomalous experiences (AEs). While self-directedness is a protective factor, both harm avoidance and novelty seeking were predictors of negative mental health outcomes. We suggest that the impact of AEs on mental health is moderated by personality factors.

Can the DSM-5 differentiate between nonpathological possession and dissociative identity disorder? A case study from an Afro-Brazilian religion.

The aim of this article is to examine whether the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), are able to differentiate between nonpathological religious possession and dissociative identity disorder (DID). We use the case study of an individual who leads an Afro-Brazilian religious group (Umbanda), focusing on her personal development and possession experiences from early childhood to the present, spanning a period of more than 40 years, and examine these data following DSM-5 criteria for DID (300.14). Her experiences of possession can be broken into 2 distinct stages. In the 1st stage (childhood and early adulthood), she displayed intrusive thoughts and a lack of control over possession states, which were associated with a heightened state of anxiety, loneliness, amnesia, and family conflict (meeting all 5 criteria for DID). In the 2nd stage (late 20s up to the present), she regularly experienced possession states but felt in control of their onset and found them religiously meaningful. In this 2nd stage, she only fulfilled 3 criteria for DID. We question the accuracy of diagnosing this individual with DID in her earlier life and suggest that the DSM-5 criteria fail to address the ambiguity of affect surrounding possession experiences (positive at the individual level, negative at the interpersonal level) and lack a clearer acknowledgment of the prevalence of possession and other unusual experiences in general populations.