Description and Impact of Encounters With Deceased Partners or Spouses.

This study investigates perceived interactions with the deceased, a phenomenon reported across societies, with 30-34% of individuals likely experiencing at least one ADC in their lifetime. Despite this prevalence, studies examining the impact of ADCs' on those who have lost partners are limited. We present data from 70 individuals reporting partner ADCs via an online survey.

Psychological Aspects of Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Associated psychological symptoms include stress, adjustment difficulties, anxiety, depression, impaired cognitive function, sleep disturbances, altered body image, sexual dysfunction, and diminished overall well-being. Distress screening and assessment identifies women who will benefit from therapeutic interventions.

Detecting biomarkers associated with antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal syndromes by using machine learning techniques.

Background: Antipsychotic-associated extrapyramidal syndromes (EPS) are a common side effect that may result in discontinuation of treatment. Although some clinical features of individuals who develop specific EPSs are well defined, no specific laboratory parameter has been identified to predict the risk of developing EPS.

Methods: Three hundred and ninety hospitalizations of patients under antipsychotic medication were evaluated.

Treatment Decision Regret in Patients Who Develop Periprosthetic Joint Infection and Require Two-Stage Revision Surgery.

Background: The decision to proceed with total joint arthroplasty (TJA) can be complex and requires an assessment of potential risks of surgery. Patients who experience the potentially devastating complication of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) may have a poor outcome and wish they had never elected to have surgery. No study has examined decision regret related to the choice to pursue TJA in patients who develop PJI.

Can Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio Be a Useful Criterion for Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome in the Absence of Leukocytosis?

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare but severe side effect of antipsychotic medication. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple marker used to measure systemic inflammation. In this case report we explore the relationship of inflammation in the etiology of NMS.

Punishment on Pause: Preliminary Evidence That Mindfulness Training Modifies Neural Responses in a Reactive Aggression Task.

Reactive aggression, a hostile retaliatory response to perceived threat, has been attributed to failures in emotion regulation. Interventions for reactive aggression have largely focused on cognitive control training, which target top-down emotion regulation mechanisms to inhibit aggressive impulses. Recent theory suggests that mindfulness training (MT) improves emotion regulation both top-down and bottom-up neural mechanisms and has thus been proposed as an alternative treatment for aggression.

Factors Moderating the Impact of After Death Communications on Beliefs and Spirituality.

After death communications(ADCs) are defined as perceived spontaneous contacts with living individuals by the deceased. This research presents on a subset of data from a recent large international survey of individuals who experienced ADCs and provided systematic information regarding these experiences. In our research we explore the impact of having an ADC on reported spirituality, religiosity, beliefs and attitudes about death and dying and also explore the moderating factors of this impact.

Medical Stress and Fear of Death and Dying in a Medical Patient Population.

We explored the relationship between medical illness-related stress and fear of death and dying in a population of individuals with self-reported medical illnesses. Medically ill participants identified their level of stress related to their medical condition, their level of fear of death and dying, and what treatments they would most prefer for addressing any fear of death and dying as well as their medical illness-related stress. Participants' medical illness-related stress levels were high with an average endorsed score of 7.

"Moving Away From Cancer" Prospective Exercise Trial for Female Rural Cancer Survivors: How Can We Step It Up?

Purpose: This prospective trial's objective was to determine feasibility and outcomes of an exercise-based intervention for rural overweight/obese female cancer survivors.

Materials And Methods: Survivors of endometrial, breast, or ovarian cancer enrolled in a 6-month program of increased aerobic activity (30 minutes daily walking) and strength-training exercises using exercise bands (THERABAND; Akron, OH) with personalized telephone motivational coaching. Baseline demographics, anthropomorphic measurements, quality of life (QOL), fitness, and readiness to adopt exercise changes were assessed; daily steps, band use, and follow-up measurements were assessed at 3 and 6 months.

A Professional Development Course Improves Unprofessional Physician Behavior.

Background: In 2008 The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert that further defined "behaviors that undermine a culture of safety," stating that "intimidating and disruptive behaviors" can result in medical errors that affect patient care and safety. The American College of Physician Executives found that more than 95% of respondents encountered "disturbing . .

Mindfulness for healthcare providers fosters professional quality of life and mindful attention among emergency medical technicians.

Objective: Emergency medical service (EMS) providers are systematically subjected to intense stimuli in their work that may result in distress and emotional suffering. While it is known that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) helps to foster well-being in healthcare workers, the effectiveness of MBSR among EMS providers is less understood. We explored the impact of a modified version of MBSR for healthcare workers called Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers (MHP) on reducing distress and promoting wellbeing in EMS providers.

Impact of Coping and Communication Skills Program on Physician Burnout, Quality of Life, and Emotional Flooding.

Background: Physician behaviors that undermine a culture of safety have gained increasing attention as health-care organizations strive to create a culture of safety and reduce medical errors. We developed, implemented, and assessed a course to teach physicians skills regarding effective coping and interpersonal communication skills and present our results regarding outcomes.

Methods: We examined a professional development program specifically designed to address unprofessional or distressed behaviors of physicians, and we evaluated the impact on burnout, quality of life, and emotional flooding scores of the physicians.

Interpersonal Circumplex Profiles Of Persistent Depression: Goals, Self-Efficacy, Problems, And Effects Of Group Therapy.

Objectives: We assessed severely and persistently depressed patients' interpersonal self-efficacy, problems, and goals, plus changes in interpersonal functioning and depression during 20 weeks of group therapy.

Method: Outpatients (32 female, 26 male, mean age = 45 years) completed interpersonal circumplex measures of goals, efficacy, and problems before completing 20 weeks of manualized group therapy, during which we regularly assessed depression and interpersonal style.

Results: Compared to normative samples, patients lacked interpersonal agency, including less self-efficacy for expressive/assertive actions; stronger motives to avoid conflict, scorn, and humiliation; and more problems with being too submissive, inhibited, and accommodating.

Attitudes towards potentially carrying the FMR1 premutation: before vs after testing of non-carrier females with diminished ovarian reserve.

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) and premature ovarian failure are associated with elevated FMR1 CGG repeat alleles. We assessed pretest attitudes about potentially carrying the FMR1 premutation (FXP) (>55 CGG repeats) among reproductive age women compared with attitudes after learning their non-carrier status. Ninety-two women with DOR, regular menses and no family history of Fragile X Syndrome underwent FMR1 testing and completed attitudinal questionnaires before (T1) and 3 months after learning the test results (T2).

Nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior and depressive symptoms: a meta-analytic review of the literature.

Research on nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior and its associated characteristics has increased in recent years. In the present article, the authors review the literature on the relation between nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior and depressive symptoms. There was a moderate, positive relation between nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior and depressive symptoms (r =.

Topiramate for the treatment of cocaine addiction: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: No medication has been established as an efficacious treatment for cocaine dependence. We hypothesized that dual modulation of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system by topiramate-a glutamate receptor antagonist and γ-aminobutyric acid receptor agonist-would result in efficacious treatment for cocaine dependence compared with placebo.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of topiramate vs placebo as a treatment for cocaine dependence.

Methodological review of treatments for nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior.

Research on nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior has increased in recent years. In the present article, the authors conducted a methodological review of empirical studies that evaluated a treatment for nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior. The authors reviewed several characteristics of the extant studies, including the participants, research designs, treatments evaluated, assessment of nonparaphilic hypersexual behavior, and outcomes.

Depressive symptoms moderate treatment response to brief intervention for prevention of alcohol exposed pregnancy.

The previously published randomized controlled trial, EARLY, tested the efficacy of a motivational interviewing (MI) plus feedback condition against a video information (VI) condition and an informational brochure (IB) condition in reducing drinking and/or increasing contraception effectiveness, and found that drinking and rates of effective contraception improved in all conditions. In this reanalysis of the data from EARLY, potential moderating effects of depressive, global distress, and anxiety symptoms in response to the three brief interventions to reduce alcohol exposed pregnancy risk were examined. Women with higher levels of depression at baseline reported greater improvements in the MI plus feedback condition versus the VI and IB conditions with depression moderating both drinking and contraceptive effectiveness.

Preconceptional motivational interviewing interventions to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancy risk.

Alcohol exposed pregnancy (AEP) is a leading cause of preventable birth defects. While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that multi-session motivational interviewing-based interventions reduce AEP risk, a one-session intervention could facilitate broader implementation. The purposes of this study were to: (1) test a one-session motivational AEP prevention intervention for community women and (2) compare outcomes to previous RCTs.