Cognitive behavioral group treatment for low self-esteem in psychosis: a proof of concept study

Abstract Background Patients with a psychotic disorder often suffer from low self-esteem, which has been related to higher suicidal risk, poor quality of life and, the maintenance of psychotic and depression symptoms. However, intervention studies are scarce and reported interventions concern individual therapies provided by highly educated psychologists. Both the individual setting and the required qualifications of the therapist may contribute to a low level of availability of an intervention. Therefore we aimed to investigate the efficacy of an easily accessible psychological group treatment targeting self-esteem in patients with a psychotic disorder. Methods Thirty patients with a psychotic disorder were included in this pilot study. All participants received nine weekly group sessions of 90 min. The therapy was offered in groups of six to eight patients and was provided by a psychiatry nurse and a graduate psychologist. To assess self-esteem the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and the Self-Esteem Rating Scale were used, to measure depression symptoms the Beck Depression Inventory-II was administered. Questionnaires were completed at baseline and post-treatment. Results Twenty-seven patients (90%) completed treatment. At post-treatment, self-esteem was significantly increased and depression symptoms were significantly decreased compared to baseline. Discussion This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and treatment potential of a self-esteem group treatment provided by a psychiatry nurse and graduate psychologist in a patient population that receives little psychological treatment. Results suggest that this easily accessible intervention may be effective in improving self-esteem and reducing depression symptoms

Soil biodiversity, biological indicators and soil ecosystem services - an overview of European approaches

peer-reviewedSoil biota are essential for many soil processes and functions, yet there is an increasing pressure on soil biodiversity and soil degradation remains a pertinent issue. Therefore, the sustainable management of soils requires soil monitoring, including biological indicators able to relate land use and management to soil functioning and ecosystem services. Since the 1990’s, biological soil parameters have been assessed in an increasing number of field trials and monitoring programmes across Europe. The development and effective use of meaningful and widely applicable bio-indicators however, continues to be a challenging tasks. This paper aims to provide an overview of current knowledge in relation to soil biodiversity characterization and assessment. Examples of European monitoring approaches and soil biodiversity indicators are presented, and the value of soil biodiversity databases for developing a better understanding of the relations between soil management and ecosystem functions and services is discussed. We conclude that integration of monitoring approaches and data sets, together with state-of-the art ecological expertise, offers good opportunities for advancing ecological theory as well as application of such knowledge by decision makers

Soil biodiversity monitoring in Europe; linking biological indicators to soil ecosystem services

International audienc

Serum markers associated with disease activity in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica

Objective. To compare multiple serum markers for their ability to detect active disease in patients with GCA and in those with PMR. Methods. Twenty-six markers related to immune cells that may be involved in GCA and PMR were determined by ELISA and multiplex assay in the serum of 24 newly diagnosed, untreated GCA/PMR patients, 14 corticosteroid (CS)-treated GCA/PMR patients in remission and 13 healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic analysis with area under the curve and Spearman's correlation coefficients were performed. Results. Serum B-cell activating factor (BAFF), CXCL9 and IL-6 were increased in newly diagnosed GCA and PMR patients. Serum CCL2, CCL11, IL-10 and sIL-2R were modulated in GCA patients only and CXCL10 in PMR patients only. BAFF, CXCL9 and IL-6 accurately distinguished newly diagnosed GCA and PMR patients from healthy controls, as shown by area under the curve> 0.80. Upon CS-induced remission, serum BAFF and IL-6 decreased significantly in both GCA and PMR patients, whereas CXCL9 remained high. Serum BAFF and IL-6 correlated strongly with ESR and CRP in GCA and PMR patients. Conclusion. Among the serum markers tested, BAFF and IL-6 showed the strongest association with disease activity in both GCA and PMR patients. The diagnostic value of these markers should be evaluated in larger, longitudinal studies with GCA and PMR patients, and in patients with infections or other inflammatory conditions