Bridging the brain-mind divide in psychiatric education: The neuro-bio-psycho-social formulation.

Psychiatrists of the future need to have a strong working knowledge of the organ they work with-the brain. Neuropsychiatry is now more than a paradigm. Systems-level behavioral neuroscience, while still evolving, is mature enough to provide circuit-based foundation. Cellular and molecular neuroscience is starting to yield further mechanistic understanding. It is important to integrate such approaches into an evidence-based, bio-psycho-social formulation, with increasing implications for disease taxonomy, diagnosis and treatment.

Effect of a metacognitive training program of mentalist skills / Efecto de un programa de entrenamiento metacognitivo en habilidades mentalistas

Background: Recent researches in Theory of Mind (ToM) relate its development to the development of the metacognitive skills 'planning' 'regulation' and acquisition of 'predictive and causal reasoning.' These studies reveal the importance of metacognitive training in the development of mentalist skills. Method: In the present work, the effects of training were compared in 20 children, aged between 4 and 5 years. Results: Significant within-group differences in the skills of belief attribution and memory attribution were found and a tendency towards significance in the skills of behavior prediction. Significant between-group differences were found in belief attribution, prediction, and memory. Conclusions: Mentalist skills training improve attribution, prediction and memory skills in ToM tasks (AU)

Antecedentes: recientes investigaciones en Teoría de la Mente (ToM) relacionan su desarrollo con el desarrollo de habilidades metacognitivas de 'planificación', de 'regulación', así como con la adquisición del 'razonamiento predictivo y causal'. Dichos estudios señalan la importancia que tiene el entrenamiento metacognitivo en el desarrollo de habilidades mentalistas. Método: en el presente trabajo participaron 20 niños de 4 y 5 años con objeto de comparar los efectos del entrenamiento. Resultados: se han encontrado diferencias significativas «intragrupo» en habilidades de atribución de creencia, de memoria y tendencia a la significación en habilidades de predicción del comportamiento. Asimismo se han hallado diferencias significativas «intergrupo» en atribución de creencia, predicción y memoria. Conclusiones: el entrenamiento en habilidades mentalistas parece incrementar las habilidades de atribución, predicción y memoria en tareas de Teoría de la Mente (AU)

Medical and psychology students' knowledge of and attitudes towards mindfulness as a clinical intervention.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness is a technique for training people to pay full attention and to fully accept the reality of what they are paying attention to. The clinical efficacy of mindfulness has been increasingly demonstrated during the last two decades. Very little research, however, has been undertaken on health professionals' and students of health professions' knowledge of and attitudes towards mindfulness. These may affect the current and future level of use of a technique that offers important clinical advantages. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare knowledge of and attitudes towards mindfulness of medical students without exposure to it in their training with psychology students without exposure and with medical students with exposure to mindfulness in their training. METHODS: A total of 91 medical students from Monash University, 49 medical students from Deakin University, and 31 psychology students from Deakin University were given a questionnaire that elicited quantitative and qualitative responses about level of knowledge of mindfulness and willingness to administer or recommend it to their future patients. RESULTS: Psychology students without exposure to mindfulness in their training have a greater knowledge of it and are more likely to administer it or recommend it than are medical students without exposure to it in their training. Medical students with exposure to mindfulness in their course have a greater knowledge of it and are more likely to administer it or recommend it than are medical students without exposure. Knowledge of mindfulness is positively correlated with students' willingness to use or recommend it. CONCLUSIONS: Possible implications of the findings of this study are that if future doctors are routinely instructed in mindfulness as a clinical intervention they may be more likely to form a more positive attitude towards it, that is more consistent with that of nonmedical health professions such as psychologists, and that they therefore may be more likely to administer it or refer its use. The inclusion of mindfulness exposure in medical courses, and possibly also in psychology courses, may help mindfulness fulfill its clinical potential, and increasingly benefit patients who are suffering from a range of clinical conditions.

Some useful insights for graduate students beginning their research in physiological psychology: anecdotes and attitudes.

This paper is based on my experiences in 40 years of research in behavioral neuroscience. It is aimed at giving help to beginning graduate students with advice for how to do their research.

Preparación psicofísica para el parto: seguridad y satisfacción a las gestantes / Psychophysical preparation for labor: safety and satisfaction for pregnant women

Fundamento: el trabajo de parto es un reto fisiológico y psicológico para las mujeres. El momento en que el parto se hace inminente puede ser de emociones conflictivas, el miedo y la aprehensión pueden coincidir con la excitación y la felicidad. Objetivo: determinar la seguridad y satisfacción de las gestantes al recibir el curso básico sobre la preparación psicofísica para el parto. Métodos: estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y prospectivo realizado en el Hogar Materno Área II, con el universo de 113 embarazadas ingresadas en el período de febrero 2008 a mayo 2009, las cuales recibieron el curso básico sobre preparación psicofísica para el parto. Se analizaron las variables: edad gestacional, paridad, conocimientos previos sobre psicoprofilaxis y conocimientos alcanzados después de finalizada las sesiones, grado de seguridad y satisfacción de las embarazadas durante la labor del parto. Resultados: predominó la edad gestacional de 29-35 semanas (48,6 por ciento), el nivel de escolaridad de pre-universitario (47,8 por ciento). Al iniciar el curso no tenía conocimientos el 68,5 por ciento; al finalizar el curso refirió haberse capacitado el 87,7 por ciento; después del parto, 96,4 por ciento se sienten seguras y satisfechas de haber recibido clases. Conclusiones: el curso de preparación psicofísica para el parto brindó seguridad y satisfacción a la gestante durante el embarazo y el parto(AU)

Background: labor is a physiological and psychological challenge for women. When delivery is imminent, conflicting emotions may appear: fear and apprehension can coincide with the excitement and happiness. Objective: to determine the safety and satisfaction levels of pregnant women after they receive the basic course on psycho-physical preparation for childbirth. Methods: a descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study was conducted in the Area II Maternity Home. It included the universe of 113 patients admitted from February 2008 to May 2009, which received the basic course on psycho-physical preparation for childbirth. The fallowing variables were analyzed: gestational age, parity, knowledge and expertise on psychoprofilaxis before and after the sessions and safety and satisfaction levels of pregnant women during labor and delivery. Results: Gestational age from 29 to 35 weeks (48, 6 percent) and high school academic degree (47,8 percent) predominated. Before the course was delivered, 68.5 percent of women had no previous knowledge on the topic. After the course 87, 7 percent of them referred to have been trained. After delivery, 96, 4 percent felt safe and satisfied to have received it. Conclusions: Psychophysical preparation for childbirth provided safety and satisfaction to the mother during pregnancy and childbirth(AU)