A Theory of Goal Maintenance: A Distinct and Vivid Pre-Goal Self Predicts Post-Goal Maintenance Motivation

I develop and test a theory of goal maintenance which posits that individuals who achieve a life-changing goal – such as getting out of debt, becoming sober, or losing a substantial amount of weight – are more likely to maintain the progress achieved during goal pursuit if they psychologically distance themselves from the pre-goal self and routinely engage in activities that activate memories of the past, less flattering self. This theory of goal maintenance builds on prior research in identity appraisal (Wilson & Ross, 2001), vividness and intertemporal choice (Hershfield et al., 2011), and self-discrepancy (Higgins, 1987), as it relates intertemporal discrepancies in self-state representation to motivation and behavior. I applied this theory of goal maintenance to weight loss maintenance. Through a series of six studies, I provide evidence that goal maintenance is a distinct psychological phenomenon from goal pursuit along the dimensions of past self salience and psychological distance; and I also show that activating memories of a past, overweight self and feeling more psychologically distant from this self lead to implicit goal maintenance behavior, such as a higher willingness to pay for healthy versus unhealthy items and greater interest in learning about healthy behaviors and topics. Additionally, I provide evidence across studies that past self salience is more associated with a prevention regulatory focus (i.e. preventing unhealthy behaviors) whereas psychological distance is more associated with a promotion regulatory focus (i.e. promoting healthy behaviors). Further, a longitudinal study of a small sample of individuals examined whether the positive effects of salience and psychological distance on weight maintenance behaviors may persist over time and outside of a laboratory environment

Maintenance of Mental Health during present situation of COVID-19 Pandemic

Pandemic COVID 19 has affected our life in many ways. It has affected all dimensions of health (physical, mental, social, emotional, vocational, socio-economic dimensions) in one or other way. Maintenance of mental health is an essential component which demands more efforts from inner self of an individual as compare to any other person from outside. Detailed study of our Ayurvedic scriptures revealed that our Acharya were well aware of this concept and were very much concerned about mental health status of an individual to keep them healthy throughout life. There is a wide description of ways, activities, life style, diet as well as medications and herbs for an individual to stay mentally fit. Thus, in this paper we are going to review the texts in a very practical way that can be adopted in today’s life to maintain healthy mental state

The impact of positive psychological interventions on well-being in healthy elderly people

This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of Positive Psychological Interventions (PPIs) on well-being in healthy older adults. Systematic review of PPIs obtained from three electronic databases (PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science) was undertaken. Inclusion criteria were: that they were positive psychology intervention, included measurement of well-being, participants were aged over 60 years, and the studies were in English. The Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines dimensions of quality control, randomization, comparability, follow-up rate, dropout, blinding assessors are used to rate the quality of studies by two reviewers independently. The RE-AIM (Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) for evaluation of PPIs effectiveness was also applied. The final review included eight articles, each describing a positive psychological intervention study. The reminiscence interventions were the most prevalent type of PPIs to promote and maintain well-being in later life. Only two studies were rated as high quality, four were of moderate-quality and two were of low-quality. Overall results indicated that efficacy criteria (89%), reach criteria (85%), adoption criteria (73%), implementation criteria (67%), and maintenance criteria (4%) across a variety of RE-AIM dimensions. Directions for future positive psychological research related to RE-AIM, and implications for decision-making, are described

An Extension Application of the RE-AIM Evaluation Framework

RE-AIM is an evaluation framework that has been widely used by public health professionals for over 15 years and is well documented in public health literature. RE-AIM evaluates health promotion programs on five dimensions—reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Although some Extension professionals have used the framework, it has been undocumented in Extension literature. To encourage wider use of RE-AIM in Extension, we briefly describe the framework and present an application of it to a two-state, grant-funded 4-H Healthy Living program. We conclude by identifying benefits of more widespread use of RE-AIM within Extension

Psychopathological Dimensions in Substance Abusers with and without HIV/AIDS and Healthy Matched Group

Abstract Background: Inattention to symptoms of mental disorders and substance abuse in patients with HIV/AIDS and other at-risk groups, may lead to irreversible damages. The purpose of this study was to compare the psychopathological dimensions in substance abusers with and without HIV/AIDS and healthy matched groups. Methods: In a cross-sectional and analytical study, selected samples (by available, consecutive, and objective methods) were 43 HIV-positive substance abusers, 49 HIV negative substance abusers under methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) in the counseling clinic of Behavioral Diseases and Addiction Abandonment, and 45 ordinary individuals. All of them were evaluated by matched confounding variables via Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Findings: Results indicated a significant difference between these groups in the Global Severity Index (GSI), Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI), and Positive Symptom Total (PST) (P < 0.001). Two by two the comparison of the three groups from psychopathological dimensions revealed that substance abusers with HIV/AIDS persistently suffer more mental problems in all dimensions compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.05). In addition, in comparison with HIV negative substance abusers, they also suffer more mental problems in other dimensions, including somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, phobia, and psychoticism (P < 0.05). Yet, the difference in paranoid ideation, hostility, and obsessive-compulsive cases was insignificant. Two by two, the comparison between healthy individuals and substance abusers without HIV/AIDS showed higher levels of depression and psychoticism in substance abusers (P < 0.05), but no difference in other dimensions. Conclusion: Comorbidity of substance abuse and HIV diagnosis intensify mental disorder symptoms. Moreover, lack of prevention and implementation of appropriate psychological and psychiatric interventions after substance abuse and HIV lead to extended establishment of mental disorder symptoms. Keywords: Substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, Psychopathology, SCL-90-

Swasthasya Swasthya Rakshanam through Swastha Chatushka

The first and foremost prime aim of Ayurveda is to preservation of positive health in a healthy person.[1] The Sutrasthana lies as the Madhusancaya of the Samhita. This nectar of knowledge has been stored by Acharya Charaka in very beautiful way i.e., Chatushka methodology. The Swastha Chatushka implying Swasthya of Swastha includes the four chapters (1)Matrashiteeya, (2)Tasyashiteeya, (3)Navegandharaneeya, (4)Indriyopakramaneeya, those which deals with different levels of maintenance of health. The Swastha Chatushka stands in 2nd position among the 7 Chatushkas, but it solely elucidates about Swasthya Rakshanam of Swastha Purush among Sapta Chatushka. The concepts which are described in Swastha Chatushka like Matrayukta Ahara, Swasthavritta, Rutucharya Paripalan,, Sadvritta, can be considered as a actions (Karya) which help in maintenance of health in healthy person by balancing Tridoshas, Dhatus, Malas, and contexts of Adharaneeya Vega, Dharaneeya Vega, Hetu Chatushtaya can be considered as responsible causative factors (Karana) for either Swasthya Samrakshana or manifestation of diseases if not followed in the prescribed manner. Swastha Chatushka mainly explores such important principles which should be properly adopted to maintain all dimensions of health. Thus, Swastha Chatushka can be considered as a unique holistic principle of preservation of positive health and life

Critical analysis of a Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention Program

Critical analysis of a Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention ProgramThe studies involving the development of occupational diseases and accidents at work prevention programs have delimited two facts. One of them is that the program must be linked to the general organization politics. The other fact is that the diagnosis and the intervention about the organizational culture are necessary for the program to reach its goals. This research have aimed to evaluate an ergonomic intervention called Legislature Court, – Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders Program – developed, during one year, at the in Santa Catarina, compounded by 61 work environments. The demand have come from the institution direction, which have noticed the growing rise of Musculoskeletal Disorders. Thus, the direction have hired two professionals from the Ergonomics area (phychologist and physiotherapist) for contributing to the team organization which would be formed by the institutions´employess. The PMDP have initially aimed: to investigate the diseases demand and to evaluate the professionals, able to participate in the multidisciplinary team which would develop the PMDP. The program have gathered diagnosis strategies and interventions highlighted by ergonomics, work psychology and physiotherapy. The strategies were brought in two dimensions: the organizational and the individual. On the individual dimension there were performed physical activities on the work environment, followed by discussions about body conscious, in 14 place of the institution, visitations for understanding the work conditions, followed by discussions about the furniture adequacy and body posture; and three groups of preventive activities. On the organizational dimension it was planned for the multidisciplinary team to integrate the department in charge of the maintenance of the building and the health department. For the critical analysis of the program’s results, the data were collected by: : a) historical rescue of the PMDP; b) surveys with the employees who partipated in the multidisciplinary team; c) questionnaires in a stratified pre-sample of the activities´particpants. The critical analysis of the program´s results, can be initially understood, by the political aspect, due to the fact that the multidisciplinary team was built aiming the self-management, facing the human relations´ institutionalization, which permeates the politics adopted by the Intitution. However, the team didn´t reflect about the politics ´attitude and how it was against the whole organization politics. The team professional project was intervening on the Musculoskeletal Disorders prevention. This made them to be recognized as references on Ergonomics and Health. However, the team wasn´t recognized by the institution’s direction, who didn’t have a commitment with the PMDP. To conclude, the result’s criticism shows the comprehension a team must have about its own politics, about its organization politics and how it can determine a Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention Program and its limits

Dopamine and the development of executive dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders.

Persons with autism regularly exhibit executive dysfunction (ED), including problems with deliberate goal-directed behavior, planning, and flexible responding in changing environments. Indeed, this array of deficits is sufficiently prominent to have prompted a theory that executive dysfunction is at the heart of these disorders. A more detailed examination of these behaviors reveals, however, that some aspects of executive function remain developmentaly appropriate. In particular, while people with autism often have difficulty with tasks requiring cognitive flexibility, their fundamental cognitive control capabilities, such as those involved in inhibiting an inappropriate but relatively automatic response, show no significant impairment on many tasks. In this article, an existing computational model of the prefrontal cortex and its role in executive control is shown to explain this dichotomous pattern of behavior by positing abnormalities in the dopamine-based modulation of frontal systems in individuals with autism. This model offers excellent qualitative and quantitative fits to performance on standard tests of cognitive control and cognitive flexibility in this clinical population. By simulating the development of the prefrontal cortex, the computational model also offers a potential explanation for an observed lack of executive dysfunction early in life

From evidence-based research to practice-based evidence : disseminating a web-based computer-tailored workplace sitting intervention through a health promotion organisation

Prolonged sitting has been linked to adverse health outcomes; therefore, we developed and examined a web-based, computer-tailored workplace sitting intervention. As we had previously shown good effectiveness, the next stage was to conduct a dissemination study. This study reports on the dissemination efforts of a health promotion organisation, associated costs, reach achieved, and attributes of the website users. The organisation systematically registered all the time and resources invested to promote the intervention. Website usage statistics (reach) and descriptive statistics (website users' attributes) were also assessed. Online strategies (promotion on their homepage; sending e-mails, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posts to professional partners) were the main dissemination methods. The total time investment was 25.6 h, which cost approximately 845 EUR in salaries. After sixteen months, 1599 adults had visited the website and 1500 (93.8%) completed the survey to receive personalized sitting advice. This sample was 38.3 +/- 11.0 years, mainly female (76.9%), college/university educated (89.0%), highly sedentary (88.5% sat >8 h/day) and intending to change (93.0%) their sitting. Given the small time and money investment, these outcomes are positive and indicate the potential for wide-scale dissemination. However, more efforts are needed to reach men, non-college/university educated employees, and those not intending behavioural change