Mindfulness and Well-Being

Mindfulness practices, including sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga, and qigong, have been used to promote mental health and physical well-being in general populations. Mindfulness practices are also being incorporated into therapies used to treat mental illness, and to promote mental health and well-being (Carmody & Baer, 2007; Miller et al., 1995; Reibel et al., 2001). This study attempts to determine if there is an association between mindfulness practices, levels of measured mindfulness, and physical and psychological well-being. These variables were examined in a sample of 25 adults from a large Midwestern city who were predominately female, in their 50s and 60s, and who practiced various forms of mindfulness such as sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga, or qigong for an average of 6 hours per week. Results of this study indicate that an increased mindfulness history is associated with increased emotional functioning and emotional well-being. Specifically, it suggests that the longer someone has had a mindfulness practice, the healthier they are in terms of emotional functioning and well-being. Emotional functioning is defined by the extent to which emotional problems affect the amount and quality of work, the amount and quality of other activities, and how much one has accomplished within the past 4 weeks. Emotional well-being is defined by how much time someone has felt nervousness, cheerfulness, calmness, peace, sadness, and happiness within the past 4 weeks. Overall, this study suggests that mindfulness practices are relevant to clinical social work practice since social work serves populations that struggle with psychological problems and with social and occupational functioning

Mindfulness and Well-Being

Mindfulness practices, including sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga, and qigong, have been used to promote mental health and physical well-being in general populations. Mindfulness practices are also being incorporated into therapies used to treat mental illness, and to promote mental health and well-being (Carmody & Baer, 2007; Miller et al., 1995; Reibel et al., 2001). This study attempts to determine if there is an association between mindfulness practices, levels of measured mindfulness, and physical and psychological well-being. These variables were examined in a sample of 25 adults from a large Midwestern city who were predominately female, in their 50s and 60s, and who practiced various forms of mindfulness such as sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga, or qigong for an average of 6 hours per week. Results of this study indicate that an increased mindfulness history is associated with increased emotional functioning and emotional well-being. Specifically, it suggests that the longer someone has had a mindfulness practice, the healthier they are in terms of emotional functioning and well-being. Emotional functioning is defined by the extent to which emotional problems affect the amount and quality of work, the amount and quality of other activities, and how much one has accomplished within the past 4 weeks. Emotional well-being is defined by how much time someone has felt nervousness, cheerfulness, calmness, peace, sadness, and happiness within the past 4 weeks. Overall, this study suggests that mindfulness practices are relevant to clinical social work practice since social work serves populations that struggle with psychological problems and with social and occupational functioning

Effectiveness of the AS03-Adjuvanted Vaccine against Pandemic Influenza Virus A/(H1N1) 2009 – A Comparison of Two Methods; Germany, 2009/10

During the autumn wave of the pandemic influenza virus A/(H1N1) 2009 (pIV) the German population was offered an AS03-adjuvanted vaccine. The authors compared results of two methods calculating the effectiveness of the vaccine (VE). The test-negative case-control method used data from virologic surveillance including influenza-positive and negative patients. An innovative case-series methodology explored data from all nationally reported laboratory-confirmed influenza cases. The proportion of reported cases occurring in vaccinees during an assumed unprotected phase after vaccination was compared with that occurring in vaccinees during their assumed protected phase. The test-negative case-control method included 1,749 pIV cases and 2,087 influenza test-negative individuals of whom 6 (0.3%) and 36 (1.7%), respectively, were vaccinated. The case series method included data from 73,280 cases. VE in the two methods was 79% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 35–93%; P = 0.007) and 87% (95% CI = 78–92%; P<0.001) for individuals less than 14 years of age and 70% (95% CI = −45%–94%, P = 0.13) and 74% (95% CI = 64–82%; P<0.001) for individuals above the age of 14. Both methods yielded similar VE in both age groups; and VE for the younger age group seemed to be higher

Enduring Effects of Paternal Deprivation in California Mice (Peromyscus californicus): Behavioral Dysfunction and Sex-Dependent Alterations in Hippocampal New Cell Survival

Partial funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.Early-life experiences with caregivers can significantly affect offspring development in human and non-human animals. While much of our knowledge of parent-offspring relationships stem from mother-offspring interactions, increasing evidence suggests interactions with the father are equally as important and can prevent social, behavioral, and neurological impairments that may appear early in life and have enduring consequences in adulthood. In the present study, we utilized the monogamous and biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). California mouse fathers provide extensive offspring care and are essential for offspring survival. Non-sibling virgin male and female mice were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups following the birth of their first litter: (1) biparental care: mate pairs remained with their offspring until weaning; or (2) paternal deprivation (PD): paternal males were permanently removed from their home cage on postnatal day (PND) 1. We assessed neonatal mortality rates, body weight, survival of adult born cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and anxiety-like and passive stress-coping behaviors in male and female young adult offspring. While all biparentally-reared mice survived to weaning, PD resulted in a ~35% reduction in survival of offspring. Despite this reduction in survival to weaning, biparentally-reared and PD mice did not differ in body weight at weaning or into young adulthood. A sex-dependent effect of PD was observed on new cell survival in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, such that PD reduced cell survival in female, but not male, mice. While PD did not alter classic measures of anxiety-like behavior during the elevated plus maze task, exploratory behavior was reduced in PD mice. This observation was irrespective of sex. Additionally, PD increased some passive stresscoping behaviors (i.e., percent time spent immobile) during the forced swim task—an effect that was also not sex-dependent. Together, these findings demonstrate that, in a species where paternal care is not only important for offspring survival, PD can also contribute to altered structural and functional neuroplasticity of the hippocampus. The mechanisms contributing to the observed sex-dependent alterations in new cell survival in the dentate gyrus should be further investigated

Medical family therapists working in nonacademic medical settings: A phenomenological study

Medical family therapy has been heralded as the next frontier for the field of marriage and family therapy. Little research has been conducted on the experiences of family therapists collaborating with health care providers, and much of the existing literature has come from collaborative experiences in academic medical settings. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews and qualitative research methodology from phenomenological and life history traditions, this exploratory study elicited the heretofore unheard voices of medical family therapists working in non-academic medical settings. Thirteen participants were included in the study and reported on how they became involved in work in medical settings and on what significant personal or professional experiences influenced their decision to collaborate. Other areas addressed by study participants include: what they found most enjoyable and most challenging about this work, how they were paid, unique aspects of collaboration in rural settings, and gender issues in collaboration. Study participants offered metaphors that captured the essence of their experience, and suggested what to do and not to do to facilitate successful collaboration with health care providers. Ethical issues in collaboration, particularly the negotiation of dual relationships in light of frequent requests from medical providers for therapy, are also discussed. The roles of the medical family therapists in this study were compared with the roles of family medicine residency behavioral scientists. Implications of the findings in this study are offered. Recommendations regarding sensitive treatment of ethical issues, further research, and training are also made

Clients\u27 perceptions of pivotal moments in couples therapy: A qualitative study on change in therapy

Few qualitative process research studies have been conducted on change processes in couples therapy, and even fewer have focused on the clients\u27 perceptions of change processes. None have focused specifically on sudden change processes, such as pivotal moments. In this qualitative study, three couples shared their perceptions of pivotal moments in marital therapy. Therapy sessions were videotaped, and data were collected immediately after each session via post session questionnaires and again after therapy was completed via two interviews, the first of which utilized a revised version of Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) (Elliot, 1984) with both spouses present. In the second interview, the therapist was also present, and initial findings were presented to the couple for further feedback and clarification. The accounts of their pivotal moments were analyzed using grounded theory methodology (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), particularly the constant comparative method. The researcher used videotapes and transcripts of each therapy session and both interviews in the analysis, along with client and therapist self-report from each session in the analysis. Findings from this study were: pivotal moments do exist; they averaged about one per session, although they occurred in sessions in which other pivotal moments occurred; spouses to a large degree did not identify similar pivotal moments or when they did, did not give similar accounts for what made it pivotal; the therapist did not identify the same pivotal moments as did the spouses, and yet this did not seem to impede the progress of therapy; the topics being discussed at the time pivotal moments occurred were related to presenting problems; the topic being discussed during a pivotal moment was likely to have been discussed in previous and subsequent sessions; non-pivotal factors, such as therapist characteristics and the use of practical suggestions, were prerequisite for the occurrence of pivotal moments; the pivotal moments were associated with specific discourses or events in therapy; and the change associated with the pivotal moments tended to be cognitive in nature, rather than emotional or behavioral. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed

MRSA in Sachsen-Anhalt

Der direkte MRSA-Nachweis in Blut oder Liquor ist seit 2009 gemäß IfSG meldepflichtig und dient der epidemiologischen Beurteilung invasiver MRSA-Infektionen. Nach deutlicher Zunahme war MRSA in den letzten Jahren in Europa und seit 2012 in Deutschland rückläufig. Entgegen dem deutschlandweiten Trend waren die Meldeinzidenzen für Sachsen-Anhalt (mit Ausnahme des Jahres 2014) ansteigend und lagen deutlich über dem bundesweiten Durchschnitt. Zur epidemiologischen Beurteilung von MRSA in Sachsen-Anhalt wurde eine Studie im Rahmen des Hygienenetzwerks Sachsen-Anhalt (HYSA) durchgeführt. Diese hatte die Zielstellung, verfügbare Daten zu MRSA in Sachsen-Anhalt in Bezug auf demografische Merkmale, regionale Verteilung und das Vorkommen von MRSA-Stämmen zu erfassen. Die Daten wurden deskriptiv mit Gesamtdeutschland (soweit verfügbar) verglichen. Die Ergebnisse der Studie werden im Epidemiologischen Bulletin 13/2019 vorgestellt.Peer Reviewe

The Therapist\u27s Notebook for Integrating Spirituality in Counseling I: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Use in Psychotherapy

Learn to initiate the integration of your clients’ spirituality as an effective practical intervention. A client’s spiritual and religious beliefs can be an effective springboard for productive therapy. How can a therapist sensitively prepare for the task? The Therapist’s Notebook for Integrating Spirituality in Counseling is the first volume of a comprehensive two-volume resource that provides practical interventions from a wide range of backgrounds and theoretical perspectives. This volume helps prepare clinicians to undertake and initiate the integration of spirituality in therapy with clients and provides easy-to-follow examples. The book provides a helpful starting point to address a broad range of topics and problems. The chapters of The Therapist’s Notebook for Integrating Spirituality in Counseling are grouped into five sections: Therapist Preparation and Professional Development; Assessment of Spirituality; Integrating Spirituality in Couples Therapy; Specific Techniques and/or Topics Used in Integrating Spirituality; and Use of Scripture, Prayer, and Other Spiritual Practices. Designed to be clinician-friendly, each chapter also includes sections on resources where counselors can learn more about the topic or technique used in the chapter—as well as suggested books, articles, chapters, videos, and Web sites to recommend to clients. Each chapter utilizes similar formatting to remain clear and easy-to-follow that includes objectives, rationale for use, instructions, brief vignette, suggestions for follow-up, contraindications, references, professional readings and resources, and bibliotherapy sources for the client.https://opus.govst.edu/faculty_books/1040/thumbnail.jp

The Therapist\u27s Notebook for Integrating Spirituality in Counseling II: More Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Use in Psychotherapy

More activities to tap into the strength of your clients’ spiritual beliefs to achieve therapeutic goals. The Therapist’s Notebook for Integrating Spirituality in Counseling II is the second volume of a comprehensive two-volume resource that provides practical interventions from respected experts from a wide range of backgrounds and theoretical perspectives. This volume includes several practical strategies and techniques to easily incorporate spirituality into psychotherapy. You’ll find in-session activities, homework assignments, and client and therapist handouts that utilize a variety of therapeutic models and techniques and address a broad range of topics and problems.https://opus.govst.edu/faculty_books/1041/thumbnail.jp