Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy—Taking it Further (MBCT-TiF) compared to Ongoing Mindfulness Practice (OMP) in the promotion of well-being and mental health: a randomised controlled trial with graduates of MBCT and MBSR

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy-Taking it Further (MBCT-TiF), as an adapted programme for graduates of MBCT and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBCT-TiF sits within a global mental health approach, which aims to help shift a wider distribution of the population towards mental well-being and away from mental ill health using a family of MBCT curricula. The primary hypothesis was that MBCT-TiF, compared to Ongoing Mindfulness Practice (OMP), would help MBCT/MBSR graduates improve their mental well-being. Method A parallel RCT with repeated measures was conducted. 164 graduates of MBCT/MBSR were randomly assigned (1:1) to either MBCT-TiF or OMP. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05154266). Results Of the 164 graduates recruited, 83 were randomly assigned to MBCT-TiF and 81 to OMP. MBCT-TiF was significantly more effective than OMP at improving mental well-being, with large effects post-intervention (B = 6.25; 95% CI = [4.20, 8.29]; Cohen's d = 0.78). No serious adverse effects were reported. Conclusions The findings support MBCT-TiF, in the context of the proposed global mental health approach, to help MBCT/MBSR graduates sustain mental health benefits and experience further gains in mental well-being after completing an introductory MBCT/MBSR programme. Future work should consider mechanisms and longer follow-up measurements

Pathways to mental well-being for graduates of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): a mediation analysis of an RCT

Objective To explore mediated effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy-“Taking it Further” (MBCT-TiF) on mental well-being through changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, and decentering. Method A secondary analysis of an RCT using simple mediation, with 164 graduates of MBCT and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), was implemented whereby MBCT-TiF (vs ongoing mindfulness practice; OMP) was the independent variable; changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, and decentering during the intervention were the mediators; and mental well-being at post-intervention, whilst controlling for baseline, was the dependent variable. Secondary outcomes included psychological quality of life, depression, and anxiety. Results Compared to OMP, MBCT-TiF experienced significant improvements in mental well-being through changes in all three mediators (mindfulness: ab = 0.11 [0.03, 0.25]; decentering: ab = 0.16 [0.05, 0.33]; self-compassion: ab = 0.07 [0.01, 0.18]). A similar pattern was demonstrated for depression, but only mindfulness and decentering mediated effects on psychological quality of life and anxiety. Conclusion The findings provide preliminary support for all three mediators in driving change in mental well-being in a sample of MBCT/MBSR graduates. Future work must be theory-driven and powered to test all mediators in parallel and alongside other potential mediators (e.g., equanimity) to further understand independent contributions and interacting effects. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05154266

The state- and trait-level effects and candidate mechanisms of four Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT practices: two exploratory studies

Objectives The primary aim was to explore state- and trait-level effects and candidate mechanisms of four Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practices. Method One hundred sixty adults self-selected from the general population were randomized to one of four mindfulness practices: body scan, mindful movement, breath and body, and befriending. Study 1 explored state-level self-compassion, mindfulness, decentering (mechanisms), and pleasantness of thoughts, emotions, and body sensations at multiple time points using two single mindfulness sessions. Study 2 explored trait-level self-compassion, mindfulness, decentering, interoceptive awareness, attentional control (mechanisms), anxiety, depression, and psychological quality of life pre-post 2 weeks of daily practice. Results In study 1, state-level effects were demonstrated in all candidate mechanisms and outcomes within the whole sample across time points (d = 0.27 to 0.86), except for state decentering. After controlling for pre-scores and additional covariates, no between-group effects were found (p = 0.050 to 0.973). In study 2, trait-level effects were demonstrated in psychological quality of life and most candidate mechanisms within the whole sample (d = 0.26 to 0.64) but no between-group effects were found (p = 0.080 to 0.805). Within the whole sample, after controlling for pre-scores, changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, decentering, and interoceptive awareness (i.e. body listening) were associated with improvements in psychological quality of life (r = 0.23 to 0.40) and self-led mindfulness practice (r = 0.18 to 0.23). Conclusions Future research should test the generated hypotheses using well-designed, adequately powered, and theory-driven studies that address universal and specific mechanisms in different populations and contexts. Pre-registration This study is not pre-registered

Can an aerobic exercise programme improve the response of the growth hormone in fibromyalgia patients? a randomised controlled trial

Downgrade alterations in the growth hormone (GH) might be involved in the development of some of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) symptoms. Our aim was to assess the effects of an aerobic exercise programme on the GH levels in patients with FMS. A randomised controlled trial was developed. Sixty-four Spanish women with FMS were randomly assigned to the experimental arm (n = 33) and treated with a 16-week group physical exercise programme based on low impact aerobic dance (three weekly sessions, one-hour each), or to the treatment-as-usual (TAU) control arm (n = 31). The primary outcome was the GH response to acute exercise. Secondary outcomes were GH basal, sensitivity to pain, body composition, aerobic capacity, and quality of life. The ANCOVA results showed a moderate effect of treatment improving the GH response to acute exercise. Other effects were substantial for aerobic capacity, quality of life, and body composition. Pre-intervention GH response to acute exercise was related to improvements in aerobic capacity and quality of life. An aerobic exercise programme may improve the response of the GH, aerobic capacity, body composition, and quality of life in women with FMS. The normalization of neuro-hormonal patterns involving the GH might be key for improving some FMS symptoms

Perceived Stress Latent Factors and the Burnout Subtypes: A Structural Model in Dental Students

Background: Students of health-professions suffer high levels of stress and burnout. the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between perceived stress latent factors ('tenseness' and 'frustration') and the features ('overload', 'lack of development' and 'neglect') of the three burnout subtypes ('frenetic', 'under-challenged' and 'worn-out', respectively), in a sample of Spanish dental students.Methods: the study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of Spanish dental students (n = 314) completed the 'Perceived Stress Questionnaire' and the 'Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire Student Survey'. the associations among variables were observed by means of structural equation modelling using the unweighted least squares method from polychoric correlations.Results: Strong associations among perceived stress factors and the burnout characteristics were observed, although a distinct pattern of relations was observed for each burnout subtype. the 'overload' was moderately and positively associated with both 'tenseness' (0.45), and 'frustration' (0.38) dimensions of perceived stress; the 'lack of development' was positively associated with the 'frustration' dimension (0.72), but negatively associated with 'tenseness' (-0.69); the 'neglect' showed a weaker positive associated with 'frustration' (0.41), and a small negative association with 'tenseness' (-0.20). the model was a very good fit to the data (GFI = 0.96; RSMR = 0.07; AGFI = 0.96; NFI = 0.95; RFI = 0.95).Conclusions: the stress factors of 'frustration' and 'tenseness' seems to be related in a distinct way to the burnout subtypes in Spanish dental students. This finding suggests that intervention programs specifically tailored to these subtypes may be a promising future direction.Research Network on Preventative Activities and Health Promotion, Aragon Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Health and Sports (University of Zaragoza)Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (University of Santiago de Compostela)Fac Hlth & Sport Sci, Huesca, SpainUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Prevent Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Bristol, Sch Social & Community Med, Bristol, Avon, EnglandUniv New S Wales, Ctr Res Excellence Mental Hlth & Sustance Use, Sidney, BC, CanadaUniv Balearic Isl, Inst Univ Invest Ciencies Salut IUNICS, Mallorca, SpainUniv Zaragoza, Miguel Servet Univ Hosp, Zaragoza, SpainPrimary Care Prevent & Hlth Promot Res Network Re, Zaragoza, SpainUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Prevent Med, São Paulo, BrazilResearch Network on Preventative Activities and Health Promotion, Aragon Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Health and Sports (University of Zaragoza): RD06/0018/0017Web of Scienc

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) Scale in Chilean Adolescents and Its Association with School-Related Outcomes and Substance Use.

School membership appears to be an important factor in explaining the relationship between students and schools, including school staff. School membership is associated with several school-related outcomes, such as academic performance and expectations. Most studies on school membership have been conducted in developed countries. The Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale (18 items: 13 positively worded items, 5 negatively worded items) has been widely used to measure this construct, but no studies regarding its validity and reliability have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. This study investigates the psychometric properties, factor structure and reliability of this scale in a sample of 1250 early adolescents in Chile. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide evidence of an excellent fit for a one-factor solution after removing the negatively worded items. The internal consistency of this new abbreviated version was 0.92. The association analyses demonstrated that high school membership was associated with better academic performance, stronger school bonding, a reduced likelihood of school misbehavior, and reduced likelihood of substance use. Analyses showed support for the reliability and validity of the PSSM among Chilean adolescents

Mental health among children and adolescents: Construct validity, reliability, and parent-adolescent agreement on the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire' in Chile.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a screening tool used to measure psychological functioning among children and adolescents. It has been extensively used worldwide, but its psychometric properties, such as internal structure and reliability, seem to vary across countries. This is the first study exploring the construct validity and reliability of the Spanish version of SDQ among early adolescents (self-reported) and their parents in Latin America. A total of 1,284 early adolescents (9-15 years) and their parents answered the SDQ. We also collected demographic variables. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the latent structure of the SDQ. We also used the multitrait-multimethod analysis to separate the true variance on the constructs from variance resulting from measurement methods (self-report vs. parent report), and evaluated the agreement between adolescents and their parents. We found that the original five-factor model was a good solution and the resulting sub-scales had good internal consistency. We also found that the self-reported and parental versions of SDQ provide different information, which are complementary and provide a better picture of the emotional, social, and conduct problems of adolescents. We have added evidence for the construct validity and reliability of the Spanish self-reported and parental SDQ versions in a Chilean sample

Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: a meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials

Deliberate control of the breath (breathwork) has recently received an unprecedented surge in public interest and breathing techniques have therapeutic potential to improve mental health. Our meta-analysis primarily aimed to evaluate the efficacy of breathwork through examining whether, and to what extent, breathwork interventions were associated with lower levels of self-reported/subjective stress compared to non-breathwork controls. We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN up to February 2022, initially identifying 1325 results. The primary outcome self-reported/subjective stress included 12 randomised-controlled trials (k = 12) with a total of 785 adult participants. Most studies were deemed as being at moderate risk of bias. The random-effects analysis yielded a significant small-to-medium mean effect size, g = − 0.35 [95% CI − 0.55, − 0.14], z = 3.32, p = 0.0009, showing breathwork was associated with lower levels of stress than control conditions. Heterogeneity was intermediate and approaching significance, χ211 = 19, p = 0.06, I2 = 42%. Meta-analyses for secondary outcomes of self-reported/subjective anxiety (k = 20) and depressive symptoms (k = 18) showed similar significant effect sizes: g = − 0.32, p < 0.0001, and g = − 0.40, p < 0.0001, respectively. Heterogeneity was moderate and significant for both. Overall, results showed that breathwork may be effective for improving stress and mental health. However, we urge caution and advocate for nuanced research approaches with low risk-of-bias study designs to avoid a miscalibration between hype and evidence

An Updated Portrait of the Portuguese Web

This study presents an updated characterization of the Portuguese Web derived from a crawl of 48 million contents belonging to all media types (2.5 TB of data), performed in March, 2008. The resulting data was analyzed to characterize contents, sites and domains. This study was performed within the scope of the Portuguese Web Archive.POSC/EU, UMI

Mindfulness-Based Programs: Why, When, and How to Adapt?

This paper provides a framework for understanding why, when and how to adapt mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) to specific populations and contexts, based on research that developed and adapted multiple MBPs. In doing so, we hope to support teachers, researchers and innovators who are considering adapting an MBP to ensure that changes made are necessary, acceptable, effective, cost-effective, and implementable. Specific questions for reflection are provided such as (1) Why is an adaptation needed? (2) Does the theoretical premise underpinning mainstream MBPs extend to the population you are considering? (3) Do the benefits of the proposed adaptation outweigh the time and costs involved to all in research and implementation? (4) Is there already an evidenced-based approach to address this issue in the population or context? Fundamental knowledge that is important for the adaptation team to have includes the following: (1) essential ingredients of MBPs, (2) etiology of the target health outcome, (3) existing interventions that work for the health outcome, population, and context, (4) delivery systems and settings, and (5) culture, values, and communication patterns of the target population. A series of steps to follow for adaptations is provided, as are case examples. Adapting MBPs happens not only by researchers, but also by MBP teachers and developers, who endeavor to best serve the populations and contexts they work within. We hope that these recommendations for best practice provide a practical framework for skilfully understanding why, when, and how to adapt MBPs; and that this careful approach to adaptation maximizes MBP safety and efficacy