Publications by authors named "Stefan Hofmann"

Background: Recurrent symptom-relevant negative autobiographical memories are common in patients with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, even among those without a trauma-related diagnosis. Recurrent negative autobiographical memories may also contribute to distress in non-clinical populations.

Methods: To examine the prevalence of recurrent negative autobiographical memories and associated psychological features, we recruited a student sample ( = 101) and a treatment-seeking sample of patients with emotional disorders ( = 123).

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It is established that reverse hydroxamate analogs of fosmidomycin inhibit the growth of by inhibiting 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), the second enzyme of the non-mevalonate pathway, which is absent in humans. Recent biochemical studies have demonstrated that novel reverse fosmidomycin analogs with phenylalkyl substituents at the hydroxamate nitrogen exhibit inhibitory activities against DXR at the nanomolar level. Moreover, crystallographic analyses have revealed that the phenyl moiety of the -phenylpropyl substituent is accommodated in a previously unidentified subpocket within the active site of DXR.

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Background: This paper reports on the outcomes of a proof-of-principle study for the Exposure Therapy Consortium, a global network of researchers and clinicians who work to improve the effectiveness and uptake of exposure therapy. The study aimed to test the feasibility of the consortium's big-team science approach and test the hypothesis that adding post-exposure processing focused on enhancing threat reappraisal would enhance the efficacy of a one-session large-group interoceptive exposure therapy protocol for reducing anxiety sensitivity.

Methods: The study involved a multi-site cluster-randomized controlled trial comparing exposure with post-processing (ENHANCED), exposure without post-processing (STANDARD), and a stress management intervention (CONTROL) in students with elevated anxiety sensitivity.

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Background: Process-based therapy (PBT) is a new framework to intervention planning, based on the use of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data and dynamic and idiographic network analyses. Support for its applicability has been reported from a single-case studies. Here, we examine the feasibility and effectiveness of PBT in a larger clinical sample.

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Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies typically rely on between-person analyses. To examine individual differences in functional connectivity, we used Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation and its subgrouping function to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 54 participants who were suppressing imagined future threat. A two-stage random-effects meta-analytic approach was employed to examine individual differences.

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Objective: To investigate the role of decentering as a mediator of the effect of mindfulness/mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on emotional distress, we conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.

Method: In Study 1, a total of 998 participants with high emotional distress were included. Mindfulness, decentering, anxiety, and depression were measured at baseline.

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Article Synopsis
  • Emotional disorders like depression and anxiety have similar causes and treatment approaches, prompting researchers to explore their shared characteristics.
  • The study plans to monitor at least 200 patients undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy across two clinics in Germany, assessing various transdiagnostic markers.
  • Findings aim to identify key markers that predict treatment outcomes and to understand patient groups that may struggle to benefit from therapy.
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Background: This study developed the Japanese version of the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale (J-AICS), examined its reliability and validity, and explored the associations between its factors (compete, unique, responsibility, advice, and harmony) along with variables related to mental health in the Japanese population.

Methods: We recruited 476 Japanese participants from the general population. Participants completed the J-AICS along with questionnaires pertaining to culture and mental health.

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Article Synopsis
  • This article talks about a new way of doing therapy called process-based therapy (PBT) and how it helps improve existing treatments, especially acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
  • It explains how PBT can make ACT more flexible by adding new ideas that aren't usually part of it, like dealing with emotions and relationships.
  • The article also shares a real-life example of using these methods in therapy and discusses how ACT might change and grow in the future with PBT.
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Unlabelled: This review compared the efficacy of personalized psychological interventions to standardized interventions for adolescents. We conducted a scoping review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared personalized interventions with standardized interventions in adolescents. Data was analyzed using Bayesian multilevel random effects meta-analysis.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected not only individual lives but also the world and global systems, both natural and human-made. Besides millions of deaths and environmental challenges, the rapid spread of the infection and its very high socioeconomic impact have affected healthcare, economic status and wealth, and mental health across the globe. To better appreciate the pandemic's influence, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are needed.

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Background: Clinical data are usually analyzed with the assumption that knowledge gathered from group averages applies to the individual. Doing so potentially obscures patients with meaningfully different trajectories of therapeutic change. Needed are "idionomic" methods that first examine idiographic patterns before nomothetic generalizations are made.

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Background: The science and practice of psychopathology and psychological intervention of today is more like an island archipelago than it is a single land mass, and connections between different traditions are both limited and fraught with misunderstanding.

Method: Our analysis and solution to the problem is process-based therapy (PBT). PBT defines psychopathology as failed adaptation processes to a given context.

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Improving mindfulness is an important treatment target for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). However, less is known about how different treatments impact specific aspects of mindfulness. In a clinical trial (Simon et al.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined how changes in processes targeted by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioral Activation Therapy for Depression (BATD) relate to changes in pain intensity and mood in patients with chronic low back pain and depression.
  • Using data from 82 patients, the research highlighted individual variations in how therapy outcomes combined with psychological processes affected patients, regardless of the treatment group they were in.
  • The results indicate that tailoring psychological therapies to individual needs may enhance treatment effectiveness for those suffering from both chronic pain and depressive symptoms.
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Introduction: Positive sexuality, defined as the happiness and fulfillment individuals derive from their sexual experiences, expressions, and behaviors, has been linked to relationship satisfaction and health. However, the intricate associations between positive sexuality and relationship functioning and health indicators have rarely been explored from a network perspective. This approach, by analyzing the interconnections among these factors within a broader system, can offer insights into complex dynamics and identify key variables for targeted interventions.

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Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent mental health issue characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that can cause significant life impairment. Despite cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) being the most effective treatment, some individuals experience insufficient symptom reduction or relapse.

Areas Covered: This special report explores the potential of mindfulness-based interventions as complementary treatments for OCD, examining the specific techniques used and their practical application.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients often seek help for mental disorders due to intense emotional experiences, but studying these feelings scientifically is challenging.
  • The text discusses using consciousness research techniques, particularly metacognition and confidence ratings, to better understand these subjective states in both humans and animals.
  • The goal is to create new scientific methods for examining emotional experiences and enhancing psychological resilience.
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Article Synopsis
  • The Exposure Therapy Consortium (ETC) was created to improve how exposure therapy works and to help people understand it better.
  • The article talks about how the ETC is organized and what they are doing to support researchers and doctors.
  • It also mentions how these teams can work together to find new ways to help more people access and use exposure therapy.
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In this article, the authors critically evaluate contemporary models of psychopathology and therapies, underscoring the limitations of traditional symptom-based classification approaches in mental health. The authors introduce a paradigm shift in the field, toward a process-oriented and dynamic systems approach to psychotherapy that offers deeper insights into the complex interplay of symptoms and individual experiences in psychopathology. These approaches offer a more personalized and effective understanding and treatment of mental health issues, moving beyond static and 1-dimensional views.

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Although psychological treatments are broadly recognized as evidence-based interventions for various mental disorders, challenges remain. For example, a substantial proportion of patients receiving such treatments do not fully recover, and many obstacles hinder the dissemination, implementation, and training of psychological treatments. These problems require those in our field to rethink some of our basic models of mental disorders and their treatments, and question how research and practice in clinical psychology should progress.

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Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether attentional control serves as a mediator for mindfulness-based interventions for emotional distress, utilizing a randomized waitlist (WL)-controlled design.

Methods: A total of 498 participants with high emotional distress was recruited online and randomly assigned to a 49-day online Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED) group (N = 249) or a WL control group (N = 249). Levels of attentional control, anxiety and depression were assessed at baseline (T0), Week 3 (T3), Week 5 (T5) and Week 7 (postintervention, T7).

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Reverse analogs of the phosphonohydroxamic acid antibiotic fosmidomycin are potent inhibitors of the nonmevalonate isoprenoid biosynthesis enzyme 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR, IspC) of . Some novel analogs with large phenylalkyl substituents at the hydroxamic acid nitrogen exhibit nanomolar DXR inhibition and potent growth inhibition of parasites coupled with good parasite selectivity. X-ray crystallographic studies demonstrated that the -phenylpropyl substituent of the newly developed lead compound is accommodated in a subpocket within the DXR catalytic domain but does not reach the NADPH binding pocket of the -terminal domain.

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