Cognitive behaviour therapy
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Designing new approaches to delivering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) requires an understanding of the key components. This study aimed to establish an expert consensus on the effective components of CBT for depressed adults. An international panel of 120 CBT experts was invited to participate in a modified Delphi study. ⋯ Five of the twelve components identified were generic therapeutic competences rather than specific CBT items. There was less agreement about the effectiveness of cognitive components of CBT. This is an important first step in the development of novel approaches to delivering CBT that may increase access to treatment for patients.
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Comparative Study
Better with age? A comparison of geriatric and non-geriatric trauma patients' psychological outcomes 6 months post-injury.
This is the first study to compare both physical and psychological outcomes in geriatric and non-geriatric patients (n = 268) at baseline and 6 months post-trauma. Demographic, clinical, and psychological data, including screens for alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were collected from 67 geriatric patients (70.7 ± 8.0 years) and 201 non-geriatric patients (40.2 ± 12.8 years) admitted to a Level I trauma center for ≥ 24 h. Geriatric patients were significantly less likely to screen positive for alcohol use at baseline, and depression, PTSS, and alcohol use at follow-up. ⋯ There was no significant difference in injury severity, resilience, or pre-trauma psychological status between the two groups. Results indicate that geriatric trauma patients fare better than their younger counterparts at 6 months post-trauma on measures of alcohol use, depression, and PTSS. Screenings and interventions for both age groups could improve psychological health post-trauma, but younger patients may require additional attention.
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Loneliness is a common psychological experience affecting a significant minority of the general population. Loneliness may in part be related to the existence of dysfunctional cognitive evaluations. To date, however, loneliness has yet to be explicitly assessed within a cognitive-behavioural theoretical framework. ⋯ Several dysfunctional ("Demandingness", "Catastrophising" and "Self-Downing" beliefs) and functional ("Preferences" and "Self-Acceptance" beliefs) cognitions were directly and indirectly associated with loneliness. These results highlight that cognitions and loneliness are meaningfully related, and indicate that cognitive-behavioural models may be useful in understanding loneliness. More specifically, current results suggest that REBT may offer a viable psychotherapeutic approach to treating loneliness.
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Pain problems are of significant public health concern, and with opioid-related problems and death due to overdose at an all-time high, there is significant public health importance to identify risk factors that link instances of pain to opioid misuse among persons with pain whether or not they have been prescribed opioids for pain management. Severe pain and pain-related problems have been associated with increased risk for opioid misuse, and recent research indicates that pain-related anxiety (worry about the negative consequences of pain) may contribute to a more debilitating pain experience. Additionally, pain-related anxiety has previously been linked to substance use motives and dependence for cannabis and tobacco. ⋯ The current study examined the relationship between pain-related anxiety and self-reported opioid misuse (addiction, prescription denial, family concerns, detox) in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of young adults (N = 256, M age = 22.84) reporting moderate to severe bodily pain over the previous four weeks. Results indicated that pain-related anxiety was significantly related to several indicators of opioid misuse as well as an increased number of opioid-related problems. Findings from the current study suggest that targeting pain-related anxiety may be one therapeutic strategy to reduce opioid misuse.
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Clinical Trial
Group acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for bipolar disorder and co-existing anxiety - an open pilot study.
Previous studies have supported acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for reducing impairment related to various chronic conditions. ACT may possibly be beneficial for bipolar disorder (BD) with co-existing anxiety, which is associated with a poorer treatment outcome. Efforts are needed to identify suitable psychological interventions for BD and co-existing anxiety. ⋯ A limitation is that the trial is uncontrolled. The results suggest that ACT has the potential to be an effective treatment for BD patients with co-existing anxiety. Further randomized studies are warranted.