Does self-compassion protect adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury from developing borderline features? A two-wave longitudinal study.

Background: Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental stage for the onset of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and borderline features, which are related psychological phenomena. Self-compassion reflects a sensitivity to own suffering and a motivation to relieve it, consisting of a more positive and beneficial self-to-self relationship. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of self-compassion between borderline features at baseline and six months with a sample of adolescents with a history of NSSI.Methods: At assessment wave one, participants were 139 Portuguese adolescents with an NSSI history (mean age = 15.52 years, SD = 0.87). Of these, 87 were re-assessed six months later (mean age = 15.46 years, SD = 0.86). Data were analysed through SPSS and PROCESS Macro.Results: The moderation model explained 56% of borderline features six months later, and the interaction between initial borderline features and the low and medium levels of self-compassion was significant. Youth with lower initial borderline features presented higher borderline features six months later if they had low self-compassion.Conclusions: These findings suggest that among adolescents with a history of NSSI, those with lower levels of self-compassion tend to exhibit higher borderline features in six-month when compared to their peers with higher levels of self-compassion. This observation emphasises the potential beneficial effect of self-compassion within this population.

BI-REAL: A 12-session DBT skills group intervention adapted for bipolar disorder - A feasibility randomised pilot trial.

International guidelines endorse psychological treatment for Bipolar Disorder (BD); however, the absence of a recognised gold-standard intervention requires further research. A Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills group intervention with 12 sessions was developed. This pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes variance of Bi-REAL - Respond Effectively, Assertively, and Live mindfully, tailored for individuals with BD, in preparation for a future RCT. METHODS: 52 participants (female = 62.7 %; mean age = 43.2 ± 11.1) with BD were randomised by blocks to either the experimental group (EG; n = 26; Bi-REAL + Treatment as Usual, TAU) receiving 12 weekly 90-minutes sessions, or the control group (CG; n = 26, TAU). Feasibility and acceptability were assessed with a multimethod approach (qualitative interviews, semi-structured clinical interviews and a battery of self-report questionnaires - candidate main outcomes Bipolar Recovery Questionnaire (BRQ) and brief Quality of Life for Bipolar Disorder (QoL.BD)). All participants were evaluated at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1) and 3-month follow-up (T2). RESULTS: Acceptability was supported by participants' positive feedback and ratings of the sessions and programme overall, as well as the treatment attendance (86.25 % of sessions attended). The trial overall retention rate was 74.5 %, with CG having a higher dropout rate across the 3-timepoints (42.31 %). A significant Time × Group interaction effect was found for BRQ and QoL.BD favouring the intervention group (p < .05). LIMITATIONS: The assessors were not blind at T1 (only at T2). Recruitment plan was impacted due to COVID-19 restrictions and replication is questionable. High attrition rates in the CG. CONCLUSIONS: The acceptability of Bi-REAL was sustained, and subsequent feasibility testing will be necessary to establish whether the retention rates of the overall trial improve and if feasibility is confirmed, before progressing to a definitive trial.

Validation of the Bipolar Recovery Questionnaire for the Portuguese Population: Recovery and Predictors in People with Bipolar Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: The paradigm in mental health care is progressively moving towards a recovery-focused perspective. Thus, there is a need for validated instruments to measure recovery in bipolar disorder (BD). The Bipolar Recovery Questionnaire (BRQ) is the most used instrument to assess it. The aim of this study was to translate and perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the BRQ to European Portuguese (PT-PT) and to explore further associations of recovery with sociodemographic and emotional regulation, as well as recovery predictors to inform future research and clinical practice. METHODS: The BRQ was forward-translated and back-translated until a consensus version was found, and a test-retest design was used to assess temporal stability. Participants were recruited in public hospitals and organizations supporting people with BD, either referred by their psychiatrists or psychologists or through self-referral. Eighty-eight individuals diagnosed with BD were recruited to complete a battery of Portuguese-validated self-report questionnaires to assess recovery (BRQ), clinical mood symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale), well-being (brief Quality of Life for Bipolar Disorder; Satisfaction with Life Scale) and emotion regulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale). RESULTS: The BRQ showed excellent internal consistency with a Cronbach alpha of 0.92, and test-retest exhibited good reliability (r = 0.88). Construct validity was confirmed through/by positive and moderate correlations with quality of life (QoL; r = 0.58) and positive affect (r = 0.52), and negative moderate correlations with depression (r = -0.64), and negative affect (r = -0.55). Both satisfaction with life (ß = 0.38, p = 0.010) and recovery (ß = 0.34, p = 0.022) impacted quality of life, supporting the BRQ's incremental validity. Depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation accounted for 51% of its variance. CONCLUSION: The BRQ is a valid and reliable instrument to measure recovery in people with BD in the Portuguese population and is suitable for both clinical and research contexts.

Flavonoids as Insecticides in Crop Protection-A Review of Current Research and Future Prospects.

Pesticide overuse in agricultural systems has resulted in the development of pest resistance, the impoverishment of soil microbiota, water pollution, and several human health issues. Nonetheless, farmers still depend heavily on these agrochemicals for economically viable production, given the high frequency at which crops are affected by pests. Phytopathogenic insects are considered the most destructive pests on crops. Botanical pesticides have gained attention as potential biopesticides and complements to traditional pesticides, owing to their biodegradability and low toxicity. Plant-based extracts are abundant in a wide variety of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, a class of polyphenols that have been extensively studied for this purpose because of their involvement in plant defense responses. The present review offers a comprehensive review of current research on the potential of flavonoids as insecticides for crop protection, addressing the modes and possible mechanisms of action underlying their bioactivity. The structure-activity relationship is also discussed. It also addresses challenges associated with their application in pest and disease management and suggests alternatives to overcome these issues.

Ruminative response scale for eating disorders: bifactor model and measurement invariance in a Portuguese community sample.

The Ruminative Response Scale for Eating Disorders (RRS-ED) measures ruminative thought content specifically related to eating disordered themes, assessing two domains of rumination, brooding and reflection. This study aims to examine the factor structure of the RRS-ED in a Portuguese community sample, using correlated two-factor models, unifactorial and bifactor models and test for invariance across sex. A sample of 535 adults (179 male; 356 female) filled out the RRS-ED. A subsample (n=347) answered additional measures of repetitive negative thinking and eating psychopathology. The bifactor model of the RRS-ED provided the best fit, demonstrating a reliable general rumination factor. Also, the bifactor model of the RRS-ED was invariant across sex. RRS-ED showed moderate to strong correlations with negative perseverative thinking and eating psychopathology. Both domain-specific factors of RRS-ED were associated with higher levels of eating psychopathology. Findings indicate that RRS-ED is a reliable and valid measure to assess the ruminative response from the general population in Portugal, showing initial evidence that supports the use of a total score of RRS-ED as an overall measure of rumination, while specific factor scores should be reported with caution. Future studies are needed to replicate the findings and further corroborate the unidimensionality of the RRS-ED.

Online Compassion Focused Therapy for overeating: Feasibility and acceptability pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aims to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of online Compassion Focused Therapy for overeating (CFT-OE). METHOD: Eighteen Portuguese women seeking treatment for overeating were enrolled in this study, and 15 participants completed the CFT-OE. This was a single-arm study. Participants were assessed at pre- and post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. All participants completed measures assessing binge eating, cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, general eating psychopathology, general and body shame, self-criticism, self-compassion, and fears of self-compassion. RESULTS: The treatment attrition rate was 16.7%, which is relatively low compared to other similar online interventions. Participants gave positive feedback on the program and indicated they would recommend it to people with similar difficulties. CFT-OE improved self-compassion and reduced eating psychopathology symptoms, general and body shame, self-criticism, and fears of self-compassion. Clinical significance analysis showed that the majority of participants were classified as in recovery in all measures at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: Preliminary results suggest that the online CFT-OE program is an acceptable and feasible intervention. Results also suggest that CFT-OE is beneficial for the treatment of women with difficulties with overeating. A future randomized controlled trial is necessary to establish the effectiveness of the CFT-OE. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study indicates that online CFT-OE is a feasible and adequate intervention for women who struggle with overeating. This therapy showed promising results in reducing eating disorder symptoms, shame, and self-criticism and improving self-compassion. As an online intervention, CFT-OE may be more accessible and offer an alternative to in-person therapy.

Corrigendum: Efficacy of an ACT and compassion-based ehealth program for self-management of chronic pain (iACTwithPain): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.630766.].

A Two-Step Approach to Orange Peel Waste Valorization: Consecutive Extraction of Pectin and Hesperidin.

Citrus consumption translates into large amounts of residue, the disposal of which is associated with environmental issues and high costs. Current trends in citrus waste focus on the extraction of highly valued bioactive compounds via single-compound extraction. There is a lack of knowledge on how these methodologies can be introduced into extraction schemes of bioactive compounds, maximizing the residue potential and reducing its amount. The present work aimed to address this issue by designing a consecutive extraction of pectin and hesperidin from orange peel waste. A novel method for extraction and precipitation of hesperidin with an eco-friendly approach is also presented. After neutral pretreatment, pectin extraction was conducted under acidic conditions, followed by hesperidin extraction with a drastic pH change. Pectin had a high AUA content (66.20 ± 1.25%), meeting the criteria for use in the food industry. The best-tested conditions for hesperidin extraction (30 min, 70 °C, 1:10 (w/v)) provided a yield of 1% and a purity of 84%. The designed extraction scheme shows the potential of citrus waste as a source of bioactive compounds of good quality and high interest in the food industry while following the principles of green chemistry and circular economy.

Chickpeas' and Lentils' Soaking and Cooking Wastewaters Repurposed for Growing Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Legumes processing involves large amounts of water to remove anti-nutrients, reduce uncomfortable effects, and improve organoleptic characteristics. This procedure generates waste and high levels of environmental pollution. This work aims to evaluate the galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) and general carbohydrate composition of legume wastewaters and assess their potential for growing lactic acid bacteria. Legume wastewater extracts were produced by soaking and/or cooking the dry seeds of chickpeas and lentils in distilled water and analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection. GOS were present in all extracts, which was also confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). C-BW extract, produced by cooking chickpeas without soaking, provided the highest extraction yield of 3% (g/100 g dry seeds). Lentil extracts were the richest source of GOS with degree of polymerization ≥ 5 (0.4%). Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114 was able to grow in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) broth prepared by replacing the glucose naturally present in the medium with chickpeas' and lentils' extracts. Bacteria were able to consume the mono and disaccharides present in the media with extracts, as demonstrated by HPLC and FTIR. These results provide support for the revalorisation of chickpeas' and lentils' wastewater, being also a sustainable way to purify GOS by removing mono and disaccharides from the mixtures.

BOHEMIA a cluster randomized trial to assess the impact of an endectocide-based one health approach to malaria in Mozambique: baseline demographics and key malaria indicators

Many geographical areas of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural settings, lack complete and up-to-date demographic data, posing a challenge for implementation and evaluation of public health interventions and carrying out large-scale health research. A demographic survey was completed in Mopeia district, located in the Zambezia province in Mozambique, to inform the Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa (BOHEMIA) cluster randomized clinical trial, which tested ivermectin mass drug administration to humans and/or livestock as a potential novel strategy to decrease malaria transmission. Methods: The demographic survey was a prospective descriptive study, which collected data of all the households in the district that accepted to participate. Households were mapped through geolocation and identified with a unique identification number. Basic demographic data of the household members was collected and each person received a permanent identification number for the study. Results: 25,550 households were mapped and underwent the demographic survey, and 131,818 individuals were registered in the district. The average household size was 5 members and 76.9% of households identified a male household head. Housing conditions are often substandard with low access to improved water systems and electricity. The reported coverage of malaria interventions was 71.1% for indoor residual spraying and 54.1% for universal coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets. The median age of the population was 15 years old. There were 910 deaths in the previous 12 months reported, and 43.9% were of children less than 5 years of age. Conclusions: The study showed that the district had good coverage of vector control tools against malaria but sub-optimal living conditions and poor access to basic services. The majority of households are led by males and Mopeia Sede/Cuacua is the most populated locality in the district. The population of Mopeia is young (< 15 years) and there is a high childhood mortality. The results of this survey were crucial as they provided the household and population profiles and allowed the design and implementation of the cluster randomized clinical trial. Trial registration NCT04966702.

Spectrochemical analysis of seasonal and sexual variation of antioxidants in Corema album (L.) D. Don leaf extracts.

Bioactive phytoconstituents have been increasingly investigated for their potential human health benefits. Corema album (L.) D. Don, an Ericaceae, reportedly has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Aiming at enhancing its nutraceutical potential, we performed a spectrochemical analysis of hydroethanolic extracts from C. album leaves. We report on changes in the antioxidant activity of the extracts, as well as in the accumulation of key phytoconstituents (namely phenolic compounds), in female and male samples, throughout three harvesting seasons (February, July, and October). For each extract, the antioxidant activity was assessed by different spectrophotometric methods. Simultaneously, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and high-performance liquid chromatography - electrospray ionisation - quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS), were used to identify and monitor variations in the composition of phenolic compounds in the extracts. The main compounds identified were epicatechin, laricitrin-O-hexoside isomers, and myricetin-O-hexoside isomers. Significant differences were found in the composition and relative abundance of the compounds of interest, according to sex and season. Overall, a trend was observed whereby phenolic content and antioxidant activities were higher in males and increased between the earlier and the latest harvests. Based on these results, we may conclude that late summer or early autumn harvests are preferable when aiming at the highest yearly content of bioactive compounds. Additionally, it should be considered that extracts from male individuals typically display higher antioxidant activities. Ultimately, our understanding of C. album in the context of nutraceutical applications is benefited from the quantitative and qualitative portrait provided here, thus promoting its relevance as a source of bioactive compounds.

Neurophysiological and psychosocial mechanisms of fibromyalgia: A comprehensive review and call for an integrative model.

Research into the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms involved in fibromyalgia has progressed remarkably in recent years. Despite this, current accounts of fibromyalgia fail to capture the complex, dynamic, and mutual crosstalk between neurophysiological and psychosocial domains. We conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature in order to: a) synthesize current knowledge on fibromyalgia; b) explore and highlight multi-level links and pathways between different systems; and c) build bridges connecting disparate perspectives. An extensive panel of international experts in neurophysiological and psychosocial aspects of fibromyalgia discussed the collected evidence and progressively refined and conceptualized its interpretation. This work constitutes an essential step towards the development of a model capable of integrating the main factors implicated in fibromyalgia into a single, unified construct which appears indispensable to foster the understanding, assessment, and intervention for fibromyalgia.

The Clinical Interview for Borderline Personality Disorder for Adolescents (CI-BOR-A): Development, acceptability and expert panel evaluation.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder with marked impulsivity, instability, emotional dysregulation and self-harm. These features tend to develop over time and can be identified in adolescence. Early diagnosis is the first step to prevent the development of these features to a personality disorder. The purpose of this study was to develop the Clinical Interview for BPD for Adolescents (CI-BOR-A), a new instrument based on a sound clinical interview for BPD in youth (CI-BPD). We tested its acceptability with 43 adolescents and its content validity with the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of 23 experts in mental health. The CI-BOR-A is a hybrid semi-structured interview that considers both categorical and dimensional approaches of personality disorders of DSM-5-TR, including 16 items, decision tables for diagnosis, and an appendix to explore self-harm history further. Adolescents accepted the interview, and none refused to complete the assessment. The expert panel considered the interview relevant, clear, accurate and complete. Important feedback was provided in terms of structure and content to improve the CI-BOR-A quality. In general, the CI-BOR-A is a rigorous interview to assess BPD in adolescents and adds an important contribution to early detection in clinical and community settings.

Phenolics Profiling by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn of the Scientific Unknown Polygonum hydropiperoides Michx. and Its Antioxidant and Anti-Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Activities.

Polygonum hydropiperoides Michx. is an Asian native plant species that is also widely distributed in the Americas. Despite its traditional uses, P. hydropiperoides is scarcely scientifically exploited. This study aimed to chemically characterize and investigate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of hexane (HE-Ph), ethyl acetate (EAE-Ph), and ethanolic (EE-Ph) extracts from aerial parts of P. hydropiperoides. The chemical characterization was performed through HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn. The antioxidant activity was assessed by the phosphomolybdenum reducing power, nitric oxide inhibition, and the ß-carotene bleaching assays. The antibacterial activity was determined by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration followed by the classification of the antibacterial effect. Chemical characterization revealed the expressive presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids in EAE-Ph. An increased antioxidant capacity was revealed in EAE-Ph. Regarding antibacterial activity, EAE-Ph showed weak to moderate property against 13 strains tested with MIC values ranging from 625 to 5000 µg/mL, with bactericidal or bacteriostatic effects. Glucogallin and gallic acid stand out as the most relevant bioactive compounds. These results suggest that P. hydropiperoides is a natural source of active substances, supporting this species' traditional use.

Promoting a compassionate motivation in detained youth: A secondary analysis of a controlled trial with the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.

This study aims to assess the efficacy of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP in promoting a compassionate motivation among male detained youth, also testing its role as a potential mechanism of change on the reduction of psychopathic traits. A treatment group (n = 58) and a control group (n = 61) answered a set of self-report measures on psychopathic traits, shame, fears of compassion, social safeness, self-compassion, and compassion for others at three timepoints: baseline, posttreatment, and 6 months' follow-up. Treatment participants attended the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP. Controls received the treatment as usual delivered at juvenile detention facilities. The treatment effects were tested with latent growth curve models. At baseline, no significant differences between groups were found. Results from latent growth curve models showed that condition was a significant predictor of change over time observed in all outcome measures, even after controlling for psychopathic traits scores. When compared with the control group, the treatment group showed a significant decrease on shame and fears of compassion and a significant increase on social safeness, self-compassion, and compassion for others over time (medium-to-large effect sizes; growth modeling analysis d ranging from .57 to .96). It was also observed that increases in self-compassion and, in some cases, decreases in fears of receiving compassion, were crucial to the decrease of psychopathic traits. These findings suggest that the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP is a promising approach to promote a compassionate motivation in these youth, strengthening their rehabilitation odds. Increasing self-compassion and decreasing fears of receiving compassion should be considered when designing intervention programs for detained youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion regulation and the salience network: a hypothetical integrative model of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and other symptoms, and has a substantial socioeconomic impact. Current biomedical and psychosocial treatments are unsatisfactory for many patients, and treatment progress has been hindered by the lack of a clear understanding of the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia. We present here a model of fibromyalgia that integrates current psychosocial and neurophysiological observations. We propose that an imbalance in emotion regulation, reflected by an overactive 'threat' system and underactive 'soothing' system, might keep the 'salience network' (also known as the midcingulo-insular network) in continuous alert mode, and this hyperactivation, in conjunction with other mechanisms, contributes to fibromyalgia. This proposed integrative model, which we term the Fibromyalgia: Imbalance of Threat and Soothing Systems (FITSS) model, should be viewed as a working hypothesis with limited supporting evidence available. We hope, however, that this model will shed new light on existing psychosocial and biological observations, and inspire future research to address the many gaps in our knowledge about fibromyalgia, ultimately stimulating the development of novel therapeutic interventions.

A neural network underlying cognitive strategies related to eating, weight and body image concerns.

Concerns about food intake, weight and body shape can trigger negatively loaded emotions, which may prompt the use of cognitive strategies to regulate these emotional states. A novel fMRI task was developed to assess the neurobehavioral correlates of cognitive strategies related to eating, weight and body image concerns, such as self-criticism, avoidance, rumination, and self-reassurance. Fourteen healthy females were presented audio sentences referring to these conditions and instructed to repeat these internally while engaging their thoughts with the content of food or body images. Participants were asked to report the elicited emotion and rate their performance. All cognitive strategies recruited a network including the inferior and superior frontal gyri, orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and dorsal striatum. These brain regions are involved in emotional, reward and inhibitory control processing. Representational similarity analysis revealed distinct patterns of neural responses for each cognitive strategy. Additionally, self-report measures showed that self-criticism was positively associated with superior frontal gyrus (SFG) activation. Self-compassion scores were negatively correlated with activations in the insula and right putamen, while self-reassurance scores were negatively associated with activity in the orbitofrontal cortex. These findings identify a neural network underlying cognitive strategies related to eating, weight and body image concerns, where neurobehavioral correlation patterns depend on the cognitive strategy.

Usability Study of the iACTwithPain Platform: An Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion-Based Intervention for Chronic Pain.

Background: This pilot study aims to test the usability of the iACTwithPain platform, an online ACT-based intervention for people with chronic pain, to obtain information on which intervention and usability aspects need improvement and on expected retention rates. Methods: Seventy-three Portuguese women with chronic pain were invited to complete the first three sessions of the iACTwithPain intervention assess their quality, usefulness and the platform's usability. Twenty-one accepted the invitation. Additionally, eight healthcare professionals working with chronic medical conditions assessed the platform and the intervention from a practitioner's point of view. Results: This study presented a considerable attrition rate (71.43%) among chronic pain participants, with six completers. There were no significant differences in demographic or clinical variables between dropouts and completers except for completed education (participants who dropped out presented less education than completers). Reasons for dropout were related to difficult personal events occurring during the time of the intervention, lack of time, or having forgotten. There seemed to be an overall satisfaction with both the intervention, its contents and form of presentation of information, and the platform, concerning its design, appearance, and usability. Real image videos were preferred over animations or audio by chronic pain participants. Healthcare professionals emphasized the appealing and dynamic aspects of the animation format. Conclusion: This study informs the ongoing improvement of the iACTwithPain platform and provides valuable information on aspects researchers should consider while developing online psychological interventions for chronic pain. Further implications are discussed.