Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-09-29eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2561668
Fauzia Nazam, Ishrat Munawar
{"title":"Trauma reflections: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of pellet-gun victims' experiences in Kashmir.","authors":"Fauzia Nazam, Ishrat Munawar","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2561668","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2561668","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores the lived experiences of pellet gun victimization among individuals in Kashmir using a phenomenological approach. Ten participants directly exposed to pellet gun violence were interviewed. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used for data analysis. Physical injuries led to severe emotional dysregulation, including irritability, aggression, and frustration. Victims reported disrupted eating patterns and psychological trauma. Their self-identity was deeply affected, marked by role reversal, temporal disconnection, guilt, and worthlessness. Economic struggles emerged as a major challenge. Academically, vision loss and trauma-induced distress resulted in diminished motivation and uncertainty about continuing education. Socially, many victims faced victim-blaming, though parental support served as a crucial resilience factor. Spiritual beliefs and religious practices, like prayer, helped individuals cope, avoid self-harm, and stay resilient during hardship. The study highlights the need for trauma-informed interventions, social inclusion programs, and faith-based approaches to support survivors of pellet gun.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2561668"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12536716/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-09-13eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2555229
Genevieve Belleville, Jessica Lebel
{"title":"An exploratory study of patient preference-based sequential CBT intervention for PTSD, insomnia and nightmares after sexual assault.","authors":"Genevieve Belleville, Jessica Lebel","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2555229","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2555229","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual assaults have multiple-interrelated consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, insomnia and recurrent nightmares. Although these symptoms may co-vary, they often require distinct clinical attention. Treating each disorder in a sequential way may be beneficial, but no evidence supports the choice of one sequence over another. Allowing participants to choose the order of treatment may increase engagement and reduce attrition. This study explores the efficacy of a sequential intervention combining three cognitive-behaviour treatment (CBT) protocols (for PTSD, insomnia and recurrent nightmares) allowing participants to choose the order. The aims of the study were to document the overall intervention efficacy and to evaluate the differential outcome of the chosen sequences. Fourteen participants suffering from PTSD, comorbid insomnia disorder and recurrent nightmares were recruited. Results showed decreases in PTSD, insomnia, depression and anxiety symptoms and nightmare distress after the intervention. Participants targeting PTSD first did not seem to benefit more from the intervention than those targeting sleep difficulties first. All participants who completed the intervention were in PTSD remission at post-treatment, and 90% at 12-month follow-up. These exploratory findings support the feasibility of sequentially addressing PTSD, insomnia and nightmares, and provide evidence for selecting treatment sequence according to patient preferences.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2555229"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12536719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-08-22eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2550308
Petra Becker, A Birgitta Gunnarsson, Mikael Rask, Jalal Safipour
{"title":"On the way to becoming like anyone else. The experiences of being involved in their care - an interview study with adult patients with ADHD.","authors":"Petra Becker, A Birgitta Gunnarsson, Mikael Rask, Jalal Safipour","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2550308","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2550308","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adults with ADHD face many challenges in their daily lives. Daily life can be made easier by learning from others or developing one's own strategies. The healthcare services can provide information and interventions, but we know little about what the adults with ADHD themselves say they need, and in which ways they are involved in their care. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences adults with ADHD have of being involved in their care. Fifteen semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted. The data were analyzed with qualitative latent content analysis that revealed one major theme: \"Becoming someone like anyone else\" and three sub-themes \"Being connected\", \"Finding a place in companionship\" and \"Pathways to participation in care\". The findings of this study emphasize that adults with ADHD express a desire to be involved in the care and treatment for their ADHD if a sense of security and their information needs are met. This involvement becomes part of what leads them towards a more self-sufficient state where they can feel like anyone else and gain more strategies to manage their daily lives.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2550308"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12536718/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-08-22eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2539201
Monika Lohani, Jamie S Elsey, Sam Dutton, Lynne Zummo
{"title":"Climate change and daily wellbeing: The role of environmental, governmental, and commute-related stressors.","authors":"Monika Lohani, Jamie S Elsey, Sam Dutton, Lynne Zummo","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2539201","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2539201","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While the effect of climate change on the environment, economy, and chronic health is increasingly evident, its impact on everyday wellbeing remains relatively less understood. This study investigated how environmental, governmental, and commute-related stressors relate to everyday wellbeing. We hypothesized that the presence of these daily stressors would be linked to experiences of higher negative affect. To capture individuals' daily experiences in an ecologically valid manner, experience sampling methodology was adopted. Over the course of a day, participants were randomly prompted once within every hour (a total of 10 prompts) to report their negative affect and encounters with specified daily stressors. The environmental, governmental, and commute-related stressors were linked to higher negative affect. Environmental stressors were uniquely associated with worse daily wellbeing after accounting for health stressors. Environmental stressors also interacted with other governmental stressors. Particularly, the experience of both environmental and governmental stressors was cumulatively associated with significantly higher negative affect, compared to either one of these stressors being absent. These findings highlight the connection between environmental stressors with governmental and health stressors and the daily toll these stressors can have on individuals' everyday wellbeing. This work emphasizes the importance of addressing complex stressors relevant to climate change vulnerabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2539201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12536717/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-08-07eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2541697
Debora Meneo, Elisabetta Baldi, Fee Benz, Matteo A Fabris
{"title":"A biopsychosocial approach to sleep health during puberty: Individual and contextual aspects and the role of gender differences. A narrative review.","authors":"Debora Meneo, Elisabetta Baldi, Fee Benz, Matteo A Fabris","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2541697","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2541697","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Puberty is a period of rapid physical, psychological, and social development marked by significant hormonal shifts and brain reorganization. These changes influence various aspects of early adolescents' lives, including sleep patterns. Sleep is essential for healthy development, impacting cognitive functions, psychological well-being, and physical health. During puberty, sleep-wake regulation undergoes substantial modifications, often leading to changes in subjective sleep quality, daytime alertness, sleep timing, efficiency, duration, and sleep-related behaviours. This review aims to examine the intricacies of sleep during puberty, taking a biopsychosocial approach to the factors at different levels that affect sleep health changes, including individual-level (hormonal, neurocognitive, and psychological), contextual-level (school, family, peers, and social media use), and cultural and environmental-level (social roles, socio-economic factors and cultural aspects), with a focus on the differences observed between boys and girls. Clinical implications for promoting sleep health and treating sleep difficulties in puberty will be discussed. Understanding the different factors affecting sleep health in puberty and the sex-specific sleep patterns is crucial for addressing the unique needs of pubertal girls and boys and promoting their overall well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2541697"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-07-22eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2535626
Yocheved L Rabinowitz, Brian Yim, J Christopher Muran
{"title":"Termination of psychotherapy: a systematic review.","authors":"Yocheved L Rabinowitz, Brian Yim, J Christopher Muran","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2535626","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2535626","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper provides a systematic review of literature on the termination phase of adult individual psychotherapy, adhering meticulously to the PRISMA guidelines. The review was carried out independently by two researchers. The initial search results yielded 1809 articles, although after exclusion criteria, 48 articles were identified. Backward citation added 19 relevant articles, resulting in the retrieval of 67 articles. Data of the retrieved articles were extracted and reported, covering various themes and ideas such as reasons for termination, types of terminations, the initiation of termination, duration of therapy, termination criteria, termination discussion, the termination period, patients' feelings at termination, therapists' feelings at termination, processing termination, successful or unsuccessful terminations and post-termination contact. The synthesis of this empirically based data serves as a valuable resource for both researchers and clinicians, facilitating easy access to important information.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2535626"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442594/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of guided meditations and mindfulness on blood pressure regulation: analyzing the physiological impact of mental health techniques on cardiac biomarkers.","authors":"Gayathri Gururamalingam, Taruna Ramnath, Namita Ruhela, Rohit Jain","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2535718","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2535718","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypertension is a significant preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality globally, affecting 31.1% of the adult population in 2010. The prevalence of hypertension is rising due to aging and lifestyle factors such as poor diets and insufficient physical activity. Conventional therapy modalities often encompass physical or pharmacological measures; nevertheless, the mental practice of meditation has been employed for centuries to reduce cardiovascular risk. However, the scientific revitalization of this technique has previously prompted doubts over its legitimacy. This paper examines the effects of guided meditations and mindfulness techniques on blood pressure regulation and their potential to enhance cardiac biomarkers, including heart rate variability, cortisol levels, and inflammatory markers, through a review of existing literature and empirical studies. The findings suggest that mindfulness and guided meditation may serve as promising, non-pharmacological complements to traditional hypertension and cardiovascular disease treatments, though further research is needed to strengthen these conclusions.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2535718"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442586/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-07-12eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2531753
Ashleen Lee, Aminata Shamit Koroma, Joshua A Duncan, Abdulai Jawo Bah, Mohamed Tabita Kamara, Eliza Kleban, Christa Lolley, Kristin Kohlmann, Jumeika Lopez-Arteaga, Kevin Stephenson, Mark J Manary
{"title":"Development of a cognitive behavioral therapy intervention among pregnant women in Pujehun District, Sierra Leone.","authors":"Ashleen Lee, Aminata Shamit Koroma, Joshua A Duncan, Abdulai Jawo Bah, Mohamed Tabita Kamara, Eliza Kleban, Christa Lolley, Kristin Kohlmann, Jumeika Lopez-Arteaga, Kevin Stephenson, Mark J Manary","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2531753","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2531753","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In rural, poor, largely illiterate Pujehun District of Sierra Leone there were no interventions available for perinatal depression (PND). To address this need, Project Peanut Butter established a counseling service. This process included selection and training of counselors and the creation, initiation and implementation of a standardized curriculum for counseling services. The screening tool was an adapted Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (aPHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is validated and used worldwide. aPHQ-9 scores range from 0 to 27, with a score ≥ 9 used to define eligibility for counseling. The screening tool is administered by a counselor. A culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) curriculum was developed, designed to mitigate the adverse consequences of dysphoria and empower participants to constructively reintegrate into their families and communities. All communication with the illiterate participants utilized pictures and verbal idioms. Counseling was largely delivered individually, and consisted of six 45-minute sessions. Sustained counseling participation was 92%, as defined by attending multiple sessions. This model serves as a replicable framework for similar initiatives in high illiteracy contexts, with the goal of ameliorating PND. A randomized controlled trial is underway to assess the impact of CBT within a broader nutritional intervention study.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2531753"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442587/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-06-12eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2515432
Debra L Franko, Christine Civiletto, Kellianne Carfi, Megan O'Hara
{"title":"Supporting college student mental health: A university-wide partnership.","authors":"Debra L Franko, Christine Civiletto, Kellianne Carfi, Megan O'Hara","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2515432","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2515432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In a unique partnership, the Office of Student Life (which oversees counseling and wellness services) joined with the Office of the Provost (which oversees academic programs and faculty) to create a robust response to student mental health concerns by involving faculty in this effort. This approach included written guidelines and comprehensive training for faculty in a multilayered approach. The training program resulted in positive post-workshop responses from faculty who reported greater comfort in dealing with student concerns and increased awareness of resources. Partnerships between the academic side of a university and the student services side can bolster other campus resources to support college student mental health.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2515432"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442584/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2025-06-06eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2025.2515429
Karen A Patte, Negin A Riazi, Jessica Goddard, Valerie Michaelson
{"title":"'Kids have really no way to access support, especially without their parents knowing': a qualitative study of access to mental health support among adolescents.","authors":"Karen A Patte, Negin A Riazi, Jessica Goddard, Valerie Michaelson","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2515429","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2025.2515429","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We explored adolescents' perceived barriers and facilitators to accessing formal and informal mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic response. In this qualitative descriptive study, 30 semi-structured online interviews were conducted between June and August 2021 with adolescents (13-18 years old, 53.3% girls) living in Canada and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed: 1) perceptions of others being unable to understand and/or help them, 2) discomfort disclosing concerns to a potential helper, 3) concerns about parents and/or peers finding out due to questioned privacy and confidentiality, particularly in the school context, and 4) perceptions about their capacity to access formal support. Themes were related to participants' perceptions of parent/guardian and peer beliefs regarding mental health and help seeking. Parents were experienced as gatekeepers to adolescents' access to mental health services and resources. This study highlights the importance of considering adolescent development in accessibility, particularly their increasing autonomy. Despite schools often being regarded as the ideal location to first connect youth with mental health services, adolescents continue to experience many barriers to seeking and accessing help within this context. Results have implications for improving access to mental health support for adolescents beyond the pandemic, both within and outside of schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"2515429"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12443008/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}