Development of salutogenetic factors in mental health - Antonovsky’s sense of coherence and Bandura’s self-efficacy related to Derogatis’ symptom check list (SCL-90-R)

Background: The paper analyses how resilience factors and mental health problems interrelate in a 3-year-longitudinal study with 16–19 year olds. Methods: Resilience was measured with a 13-item short version of the Life-Orientation-Scale by Antonovsky (sense-of-coherence, SOC) and a 10-item self-efficacy-scale (SWE) by Jerusalem and Schwarzer. Mental health problems were measured with Derogatis Symptom Check list (SCL-90-R). The data set included 155 participants and was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) designed to examine mutual influence in longitudinal data with Mplus software. Results: The descriptive data analysis indicates (1) negative correlations between SOC and SCL-90-R at both age 16 and 19 in all subscales but somatization and likewise (2) between self-efficacy and SCL-90-R. (3) SOC correlates positively with SWE at age 16 and 19. Results of SEM analysis were based on the assumption of two latent variables at two points in time: resilience as measured with mean SOC and mean self-efficacy scores and health problems measured with sub scale scores of SCL-90-R – both at ages 16 and 19. The first SEM model included all possible paths between the two latent variables across time. We found (4) that resilience influences mental health problems cross-sectionally at age 16 and at age 19 but not across time. (5) Both resilience and mental health problems influenced their own development over time. A respecified SEM model included only significant paths. (6) Resilience at age 16 significantly influences health problems at age 16 as well as resilience at age 19. Health problems at age 16 influence those at age 19 and resilience at age 19 influences health problems at age 19. Conclusion: (a) SOC and self-efficacy instruments measure similar phenomena. (b) Since an influence of resilience on mental health problems and vice versa over time could not be shown there must be additional factors important to development. (c) SOC and self-efficacy are both very stable at 16 and 19 years. This refutes Antonovsky’s assumption that SOC achieves stability first around the age of 30. SOC and self-efficacy are protective factors but they seem to form in (early) childhood

Incremental validity of sense of coherence, neuroticism, extraversion, and general self-efficacy: longitudinal prediction of substance use frequency and mental health

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the importance of sense of coherence (SOC), neuroticism (N), extraversion (E), and general self-efficacy (GSE) for health, yet the unique utility of these overlapping constructs remains uncertain. The present research aims at exploring incremental validity when predicting (1) substance use specifically and (2) mental health generally among adolescents. Methods: A prospective and longitudinal design was used to predict (1) initial substance use nine years into the future and (2) mental health one year and four years into the future. Participants were 318 adolescents (age 14 to 15 at the beginning of the study). Results: Structural equation modeling revealed (1) that SOC had long-term incremental validity over N, E, and GSE for tobacco use and alcohol use, whereas cannabis use was predicted by E and GSE; and (2) that long-term mental health after four years was only predicted by SOC. Conclusions: Two studies provide further evidence for the importance of considering salutogenic factors when forecasting mental health and health-related behavior beyond classical constructs such as N, E, and GSE. Differences in criterion validity reveal that SOC cannot be equated with reversed neuroticism

Sense of coherence and substance use: examining mutual influences

Sense of coherence (SOC) is conceptualized as a mutable orientation to life, but has often been found a stable attribute of individual differences. While several studies have documented the relationship between SOC and substance use, nothing is known about mutual influences between both variables over time in adolescence. The present study examines whether changes in SOC predict changes in substance use, or whether changes in substance use predict changes in SOC. A longitudinal cross-lagged panel design was used to inspect SOC and self-reported frequency of substance use of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis over the course of ten years. Participants were 318 German adolescents aged 14-15 at the beginning of the study. Structural equation modeling indicated a single significant negative path from SOC to later cannabis use as well as one significant positive path from cannabis use to SOC. Despite a general association - high SOC corresponds to less substance use - SOC overall develops independently from substance use

Positive psychology in the investigation of psychedelics and entactogens: A critical review

RATIONALE: We reviewed the concepts and empirical findings in studies with psychedelics and entactogens related to positive psychology - the study of healthy human functioning, well-being and eudaemonia. It is an unresolved question how beneficial effects of psychedelics and entactogens are related to the potential risks of these substances - particularly in non-clinical settings. METHODS: We searched in PubMed, PsychINFO and the Cochrane Library for controlled clinical and epidemiological studies which applied concepts from positive psychology. We included N = 77 eligible studies with 9876 participants published before November 1st, 2017: (1) quantitative studies (N = 54), (2) preliminary or exploratory studies and reviews not including meta-analyses (N = 17), and (3) studies evidencing primarily negative results (N = 6). RESULTS: Positive psychology concepts have been applied for measuring effects of clinical trials, recreational and ceremonial use of psychedelics and entactogens. Psychedelics and entactogens were shown to produce acute and long-term effects on mood, well-being, prosocial behaviours, empathy, cognitive flexibility, creativity, personality factors like openness, value orientations, nature-relatedness, spirituality, self-transcendence and mindfulness-related capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: There is preliminary evidence for beneficial effects of psychedelics and entactogens on measures of positive psychology in clinical and healthy populations, however their sustainability remains largely unresolved. The reported results must be considered preliminary due to methodological restrictions. Since longitudinal data on both positive and adverse effects of psychedelics are lacking, more rigorous and standardized measures from positive psychology should be applied in less biased populations with prospective longitudinal designs to carefully assess the benefit-risk-ratio. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Psychedelics: New Doors, Altered Perceptions'

Decreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness

Altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced e.g. during psychedelic-augmented therapy, show great potential to treat highly prevalent mental health disorders like depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, such treatment approaches are not widely accessible due to legal, medical, and financial limitations. In this study, we explore the potential of circular breathwork to serve as a non-pharmacological and hence more easily accessible alternative to engage similar therapeutic processes. Scientific studies investigating the effects of breathwork on mental health are only just emerging and the underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we aim to address these questions by for the first time tracking physiological and experiential dynamics throughout the time course of a breathwork session, comparing two popular forms of breathwork: Holotropic Breathwork® and Consciously-Connected breathwork. We show that a reduction in end-tidal CO2 pressure due to deliberate hyperventilation is instrumental in catalyzing ASCs during breathwork. The ASCs evoked by breathwork were comparable to those produced by psychedelics, and their depth predicted psychological and physiological follow-on effects, including improved well-being and a reduction of depressive symptoms. Further analysis showed that different breathwork traditions impacted physiological markers as well as experiential and psychological outcomes in a similar way. Our findings identify physiological boundary conditions in which ASCs can arise in a non-pharmacological context, offering insights into the functional mechanisms of breathwork as well as its potential as a psychotherapeutic tool

Comparing Mental Health across Distinct Groups of Users of Psychedelics, MDMA, Psychostimulants, and Cannabis

Differences in mental health (MH) of users of distinct psychoactive substances have been shown. Both substance use (SU) and MH in users are influenced by stressful life events. This study compared MH parameters in distinct groups of substance users and evaluated the impact of stress factors on these outcomes. Data stem from the longitudinal Swiss Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF) involving 4,475 young adult men. Distinct groups were created for the past 12 months’ use of psychedelics, MDMA, psychostimulants, and cannabis. MH measurements (depressive symptoms, overall MH, perceived stress, life satisfaction) were used as outcome variables, while indicators of past family functioning and stressful life events served as covariates. The MH of psychedelics users was not significantly different from the no-drug-use group, whereas poorer MH was found in the other SU groups. Observed effects were influenced by the tested stress factors. The absence of association between use of psychedelics and worsening of MH deserves further investigation in male and female samples. Stressful life experiences must be considered when assessing the MH of users of illicit substances. These findings suggest that some men practice SU as self-medication to cope with life adversity