Effectiveness of traditional meditation retreats: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of studies are investigating traditional meditation retreats. Very little, however, is known about their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of meditation retreats on improving psychological outcomes in general population. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of studies published in journals or as dissertations in PSYCINFO, PUBMED, CINAHL or Web of Science from the first available date until October 22, 2016. REVIEW METHODS: A total of 20 papers (21 studies, N = 2912) were included. RESULTS: Effect-size estimates of outcomes combined suggested that traditional meditation retreats are moderately effective in pre-post analyses (n = 19; Hedge's g = 0.45; 95% CI [0.35, 0.54], p < 0.00001) and in analyses comparing retreats to controls (n = 14; Hedge's g = 0.49; 95% CI [0.36, 0.61], p < 0.00001). Results were maintained at follow-up. No differences were observed between meditation styles. Results suggested large effects on measures of anxiety, depression and stress, and moderate effects on measures of emotional regulation and quality of life. As to potential mechanisms of actions, results showed large effects on measures of mindfulness and compassion, and moderate effects on measures of acceptance. In addition, changes in mindfulness levels strongly moderated clinical effect sizes. However, heterogeneity was significant among trials, probably due to differences in study designs, types and duration of the retreats and assessed outcomes, limiting therefore the implications of the results. CONCLUSION: Meditation retreats are moderately to largely effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress and in ameliorating the quality of life of participants

Children and youth perceive smoking messages in an unbranded advertisement from a NIKE marketing campaign: a cluster randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>How youth perceive marketing messages in sports is poorly understood. We evaluated whether youth perceive that the imagery of a specific sports marketing advertisement contained smoking-related messages.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty grade 7 to 11 classes (397 students) from two high schools in Montréal, Canada were recruited to participate in a cluster randomised single-blind controlled trial. Classes were randomly allocated to either a NIKE advertisement containing the phrase 'LIGHT IT UP' (n = 205) or to a neutral advertisement with smoking imagery reduced and the phrase replaced by 'GO FOR IT' (n = 192). The NIKE logo was removed from both advertisements. Students responded in class to a questionnaire asking open-ended questions about their perception of the messages in the ad. Reports relating to the appearance and text of the ad, and the product being promoted were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Relative to the neutral ad, more students reported that the phrase 'LIGHT IT UP' was smoking-related (37.6% vs. 0.5%) and that other parts of the ad resembled smoking-related products (50.7% vs. 10.4%). The relative risk of students reporting that the NIKE ad promoted cigarettes was 4.41 (95% confidence interval: 2.64-7.36; P < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The unbranded imagery of an advertisement in a specific campaign aimed at promoting NIKE hockey products appears to have contained smoking-related messages. This particular marketing campaign may have promoted smoking. This suggests that the regulation of marketing to youth may need to be more tightly controlled.</p

Motivational interventions may have greater sustained impact if they trained imagery-based self-management.

McCambridge & Rollnick [1] argue that increased benefits\ud from brief motivational interventions (MIs) for alcohol\ud abuse may be obtained if they addressed patients’ con-\ud cerns more directly, especially in severe dependence\ud and primary care. We agree, but take the idea a step\ud further.\ud Recent research on comorbidity has illustrated the\ud power of simultaneously addressing multiple issues in\ud an integrated manner, especially when these changes\ud have synergistic effects (as typically occurs with psycho-\ud sis and substance use [2]). Integrated MI for comorbidity\ud can even be used productively in a single-session format\ud [3]. This idea may have wider application. Recent work\ud in remote Indigenous Australian communities has\ud highlighted the benefits of a broad-ranging discussion\ud of key relationships, activities and resources that\ud confer strength, as well as aspects that worry them or\ud cause dissatisfaction [4]. If excessive drinking is present,\ud its impact on other life areas is reviewed, as in standard\ud MI. However, it is considered alongside other highly\ud valued goals. While the approach has demonstrated\ud effects on both alcohol use and mental health [5], its\ud impact is restricted only by the range of goals that are\ud selected..

Rating scales: numeric values may change the meaning of scale labels

Unter der Fragestellung, inwieweit die Ergebnisse bei Befragungen von der Skalierung und den numerischen Werten der Skalierung abhängig sind, wurden Vergleichsbefragungen zum Lebenserfolg durchgeführt (Fragestellung: 'Wie erfolgreich waren Sie bisher in Ihrem Leben?'). Bei der ersten Versuchsanordnung wurde die Skalierung von 0 ('überhaupt nicht erfolgreich') bis 10 ('außerordentlich erfolgreich') gewählt, bei der zweiten Anordnung wurde die Skalierung von -5 bis +5 gewählt. Es stellte sich heraus, daß im ersten Fall 34 Prozent der Befragten einen Wert zwischen 0 und 5 wählten, während im zweiten Fall lediglich 13 Prozent den äquivalenten Werten - also im Bereich -5 bis 0 - zustimmten. Es zeigte sich damit, daß numerische Werte die Interpretation von Skalierungen subjektiv beeinflussen. (psz)'Three experiments indicate that the numeric values provided as part of a rating scale may influence resprondents' interpretation of a endpoint labels. In experiment 1, a representative sample of German adults rated their success in life along an 11-point rating scale, with the endpoints labeled 'not at all successful' and 'extremely successful'. When the numeric values ranged from 0 ('not at all successful') to 10 ('extremely successful'), 34 percent of the respondents endorsed values between 0 and 5. However, only 13 percent endorsed formally equivalent values between -5 and 0, when the scale ranged from -5 ('not at all successful') to +5 ('extremely successful'). Experiment 2 provided an extended conceptual replication of this finding, and experiment 3 demonstrates that recipients of a respondent's report draw different inferences from formally equivalent, but numerically different values. In combination, the findings indicate that respondents use the numeric values to disambiguate the meaning of scale labels, resulting in different interpretations and, accordingly, different subjective scale anchors.' (author's abstract

Greater fruit selection following an appearance-based compared with a health-based health promotion poster

Background: This study investigated the impact of an appearance-based compared to a traditional health-based public health message for healthy eating. Methods: 166 British University students (41 male; aged 20.6±1.9 years) were randomized to view either an appearance-based (n=82) or a health-based (n=84) fruit promotion poster. Intentions to consume fruit and immediate fruit selection (laboratory observation) were assessed immediately after poster-viewing and subsequent self-report fruit consumption was assessed 3 days later. Results: Intentions to consume fruit were not predicted by poster type (β=0.03, p=0.74), but were associated with fruit-based liking, past consumption, attitudes, and social norms (smallest β=0.16, p=0.04). Immediate fruit selection was greater following the appearance-based compared to the health-based poster (β=-0.24, p<0.01), and this effect remained when controlling for participant characteristics (β=-0.21, p<0.01). Subsequent fruit consumption was greater following the appearance-based compared to the health-based poster (β=-0.22, p=0.03), but this effect became non-significant on consideration of participant characteristics (β=-0.15, p=0.13), and was instead associated with fruit-based liking and past consumption (smallest β=0.24, p=0.03). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the clear value of an appearance-based compared to a health-based health promotion poster for increasing fruit selection. A distinction between outcome measures, and the value of a behavioural measure is also demonstrated

Attachment and eating: A meta-analytic review of the relevance of attachment for unhealthy and healthy eating behaviors in the general population

Attachment relationships play an important role in people's wellbeing and affliction with physical and mental illnesses, including eating disorders. Seven reviews from the clinical field have consistently shown that higher attachment insecurity—failure to form trusting and reliable relationships with others—systematically characterized individuals with eating disorders. Nevertheless, to date, it is unclear whether (and if so how) these findings apply to the population at large. Consequently, the objective of the present meta-analysis is to quantify the relationship between attachment and unhealthy and healthy eating in the general population. Data from 70 studies and 19,470 participants were converted into r effect sizes and analysed. Results showed that higher attachment insecurity (r = 0.266), anxiety (r = 0.271), avoidance (r = 0.119), and fearfulness (r = 0.184) was significantly associated with more unhealthy eating behaviors, ps = 0.000; conversely, higher attachment security correlated with lower unhealthy eating behaviors (r = −0.184, p = 0.000). This relationship did not vary across type of unhealthy eating behavior (i.e., binge eating, bulimic symptoms, dieting, emotional eating, and unhealthy food consumption). The little exploratory evidence concerning healthy eating and attachment was inconclusive with one exception—healthy eating was associated with lower attachment avoidance (r = −0.211, p = 0.000). Our results extend previous meta-analytic findings to show that lack of trusting and reliable relationships does not only set apart eating disordered individuals from controls, but also characterize unhealthy eating behaviors in the general population. More evidence is needed to determine how attachment and healthy eating are linked and assess potential mechanisms influencing the attachment–eating relationship

Computergesteuerte Sprachwiedergabe in der experimentellen Umfrageforschung

'Der Beitrag berichtet über die Verwendung computergesteuerter Sprachwiedergabe in der experimentellen Umfrageforschung. In einer Studie zum Verständnis und zur Verständlichkeit standardisierter Interviewfragen bei älteren Personen werden Interviewfragen über einen PC akustisch dargeboten, und die Antworten wurden von den Befragten über einen berührungsempfindlichen Bildschirm eingegeben. Am Beispiel dieser Studie werden die Funktionsweise und Einsatzmöglichkeiten computergesteuerter Sprachwiedergabe dargestellt. Die verwendete Konfiguration ermöglicht eine 'intelligente', d. h. dynamische und bedingungsabhängige Interaktion mit den befragten Personen und weist eine hohe Äquivalenz zu face-to-face-Interviews auf.' (Autorenreferat)'The paper reports about the use of computerized speech presentation in experimental survey research. Survey questions are presented by PC to examine the comprehension and comprehensibility of standardized interview questions in the elderly. Using this study as an example, functions and advantages of computerized speech presentation are discussed. The reported configuration facilitates an 'intelligent', i. e. dynamic and conditional interaction with the respondents and offers high equivalence to face-to-face interviews.' (author's abstract)

Der Einfluß von Rangordnungsaufgaben auf nachfolgende Denkprozesse: zur Aktivierung prozeduraler Sets

'Der Einfluß der Richtung von Rangordnungsaufgaben auf nachfolgende Aufgaben wurde untersucht. Vpn rangordneten Studienfächer nach der Zahl der Studierenden vom 'größten' zum 'kleinsten' oder vom 'kleinsten' zum 'größten' Fach. Es wurde vermutet, daß die erstgenannte Richtung eine Aufmerksamkeitsfokusierung auf 'kleiner', aber die zweitgenannte Richtung eine Fokusierung auf 'größer' indiziert. Konsistent damit beeinflußte die Richtung der Rangordnung nachfolgende Schätzungen sowie die Reihenfolge des Abrufs von Material aus dem Gedächtnis.' (Autorenreferat)'The impact of the direction of rank-ordering on subsequent estimation tasks and the selection of exemplars from a category is explored. Respondents rank-ordered five university majors according to their enrollment, proceeding either from the largest to the smallest, or from the smallest to the largest major. It was assumed, that rank-ordering from the largest to the smallest would induce a set that focuses attention on 'what's smaller?', whereas rank-ordering from the smallest to the largest would focus attention on 'what's larger?'. Following the ranking task, respondents wrote down five universities as they came to mind. In line with the hypothesis, respondents who rank-ordered majors from the largest to the smallest began their listing of universities with smaller universities, proceeding to larger ones, than respondents who began the ranking task with the smallest major.' (author's abstract

Sensory imagery in craving: From cognitive psychology to new treatments for addiction

Sensory imagery is a powerful tool for inducing craving because it is a key component of the cognitive system that underpins human motivation. The role of sensory imagery in motivation is explained by Elaborated Intrusion (EI) theory. Imagery plays an important role in motivation because it conveys the emotional qualities of the desired event, mimicking anticipated pleasure or relief, and continual elaboration of the imagery ensures that the target stays in mind. We argue that craving is a conscious state, intervening between unconscious triggers and consumption, and summarise evidence that interfering with sensory imagery can weaken cravings. We argue that treatments for addiction can be enhanced by the application of EI theory to maintain motivation, and assist in the management of craving in high-risk situations

MMP-13 binds to platelet receptors αIIbβ3 and GPVI and impairs aggregation and thrombus formation.

BACKGROUND: Acute thrombotic syndromes lead to atherosclerotic plaque rupture with subsequent thrombus formation, myocardial infarction and stroke. Following rupture, flowing blood is exposed to plaque components, including collagen, which triggers platelet activation and aggregation. However, plaque rupture releases other components into the surrounding vessel which have the potential to influence platelet function and thrombus formation. OBJECTIVES: Here we sought to elucidate whether matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), a collagenolytic metalloproteinase up-regulated in atherothrombotic and inflammatory conditions, affects platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. RESULTS: We demonstrate that MMP-13 is able to bind to platelet receptors alphaIIbbeta3 (αIIbβ3) and platelet glycoprotein (GP)VI. The interactions between MMP-13, GPVI and αIIbβ3 are sufficient to significantly inhibit washed platelet aggregation and decrease thrombus formation on fibrillar collagen. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate a role for MMP-13 in the inhibition of both platelet aggregation and thrombus formation in whole flowing blood, and may provide new avenues of research into the mechanisms underlying the subtle role of MMP-13 in atherothrombotic pathologies