How cult leader Charles Manson was able to manipulate his ‘family’ to commit murder

On the occasion of Charles Manson's death, this blog analysed the coercive control exerted by Manson on his followers which resulted in them committing numerous murders upon his instructions but without him being present when they occurred. Factors including Manson's charisma, optimism bias, drug-induced altered states of consciousness, and the promise of a revolution in which the followers would hold privileged status were considered

Domestic abuse : even the judges are getting it wrong

A judge in a recent court case involving domestic abuse stated that the victim of abuse had not been vulnerable because of her university education and circle of supportive friends. The authors comment on the nature of coercive control, and the lack of understanding about the universal vulnerability to domestic abuse, which is not mitigated by education or social support

‘Putting themselves out there’ into the unknown : dance movement psychotherapy as perceived by five educators and three pupils

The introduction of dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) to a mainstream secondary school in the United Kingdom was explored from the perspectives of some educators (n = 5) and pupil-clients (n = 3) to discover perceptions of, and influences on the process of establishing a DMP practice to support pupils within this setting. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using constructivist grounded theory by an ethnographically situated therapist-researcher. Two polarities of themes emerged: constraints, normative inhibitions and expectations, versus empowerment, novel perceptions and awareness. These polarities were evident at two levels of process: school structures and community mind-set and individual engagement with DMP. The results highlight inherent dynamics in positioning of therapeutic provision within a school environment, amplified in unconventional, creative and embodied forms of intervention. An awareness of the tension between these opposites may be useful for dance movement psychotherapists in setting themselves within mainstream education

A mixed methods evaluation of a mindfulness-based stress reduction course for people with Parkinson's disease

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course (MBSR) on people with Parkinson's disease who experienced depression, anxiety, stress or difficulty coping with Parkinson's. Methods Thirteen participants were recruited and six completed the full MBSR course. Data were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance and thematic analysis. Results There were significant improvements in levels of depression, anxiety and stress at weeks eight and sixteen, as measured by the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, short version (DASS-21). Themes of ‘mindfulness as challenging’ and ‘mindfulness as life-enhancing’ were identified from follow-up questionnaire responses. All participants reported they would recommend MBSR to other people with Parkinson's. Conclusion This study supports previous preliminary findings that mindfulness-based interventions could benefit people with Parkinson's experiencing non-motor symptoms. Further research using larger sample sizes, a control group, and a longer follow-up period is required

Understanding the psychosocial needs of breast cancer survivors in the United Arab Emirates: a qualitative study

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United Arab Emirates; yet there is little known about the psychosocial concerns of the survivors. Research shows that meeting the psychosocial needs significantly contributes to cancer survivor’s wellbeing and potentially elevates the quality of the patient’s life. Therefore the study aims to understand the psychosocial needs of breast cancer survivors through a qualitative approach. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi structured in-depth interviews among ten breast cancer survivors. The recorded texts were coded and salient themes were generated using an inductive approach. Thematic analysis of the interviews was done observing for meaning, repeating phrases and keywords. Results: Analysis yielded three major themes which included survivors’ living experience with breast cancer, concerns of breast cancer survivors and the survivors’ expectations of healthcare delivery or support needed. The breast cancer survivors had psychosocial concerns that are not well understood and addressed by the healthcare. The experiences, concerns and expectations differ from individuals and through the continuum of survivorship. Conclusion: Understanding the unmet psychosocial concerns of the cancer survivors is essential to design a structured survivorship program and offer timely and effective interventions. This would improve survivorship care in the country and offers opportunities to redesign cancer services towards patient-centred care

Reflections on offering a therapeutic creative arts intervention with cult survivors : a collective biography

A new, evidence-based, multimodal, and creative psychological therapy, Arts for the Blues, was piloted with survivors of cultic abuse in a workshop within a conference setting. The five facilitators, who occupied diverse roles and perspectives within the workshop and research project, reflected on their experiences of introducing this novel intervention to the cult-survivor population. In this underreported territory of using structured, arts-based, psychological therapy with those who have survived cultic abuse, the authors used a process of collective biography to compile a firstperson, combined narrative based on those reflections. This approach allows for a visceral insight into the dynamics and obstacles encountered, and the countertransference responses of the facilitators. This reflexive process shined a light into aspects of research and practice that were not all visible to the individual researchers previously, with implications for research ethics, psychological therapy, and creative arts within the cult-survivor field