{"title":"A Service Based Evaluation of Compassion Focused Group Therapy Within a Community Mental Health Team Setting","authors":"Becky Dafters, C. Irons, Sarah Mackintosh","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2204048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2204048","url":null,"abstract":"The current paper explores the impact of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) when delivered in a group setting to people with a range of diagnoses presenting to a Community Mental Health Team. In total five groups of 14 to 18 sessions were run with an average of five participants completing each group. A range of self-report measures examining global psychological distress, self-criticism, depression, anxiety and stress, emotion regulation, social comparison, shame and compassionate attributes and skills were administered pre and post group. Results indicate overall reductions in psychological distress, depression, anxiety and stress and suggest improved emotion regulation and improved perception of social rank and how others may see them following completion of the group. In addition participants appeared to rate themselves as more compassionate towards themselves and more accepting of compassion from others following the group, according to the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales. These results appear to be generally in keeping with the findings of other similar studies examining the effectiveness of CFT groups with trans-diagnostic populations thus adding to the evidence base in this area, however larger, more robust trials including a control group for comparison would be beneficial.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48125210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Young Adult’s Mental Health Literacy in Relation to Depression and Their Attitudes Towards Complementary Medicine Practice","authors":"N. Foroughi, P. Hay, C. Smith, Laura Douglass","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2204047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2204047","url":null,"abstract":"Depression and mental health-related issues are increasingly prevalent in young adolescents and adults and so is the use of Complementary Therapies (CTs) to treat depression. Systematic reviews have found that, of all CTs, acupuncture, exercise, and the herbal remedy St John’s Wort have the greatest amount of evidence for efficacy in treating depression. We aimed to assess Mental Health Literacy (MHL) levels in the treatment of depression and Complementary Therapy’s (CT) usage in adolescents and adults. Surveys were distributed to a pre-existing cohort of community women; and a group of young athletes and university students (n = 156, aged ≥16 years). Participant’s level of MHL and the CT’s usage for their personal health was assessed. MHL regarding the identification of depressive symptoms was low, particularly in males aged under 35 years. The majority (59%) of participants utilized CTs 12 months prior to survey completion. Evidence-based professional services were perceived more helpful than self-help methods in treating depressive symptoms. Our findings support previous research indicating high levels of use of CTs. Whilst there was a favorable regard for professional services, greater education regarding the identification of depressive symptoms in young men is needed to improve the MHL in this population.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46682093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hypnotic Regression as an Autoethnographic Modality for Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences as Proposed Effectors of Chronic Adult Obesity - Selected Case Studies","authors":"P. A. Entwistle","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203046","url":null,"abstract":"Much has been written about the aetiological role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the development of chronic adult physical and emotional health problems but current screening methods utilising questionnaires and formal interviewing often fail to show consensus across populations and surveys. This paper proposes that hypnotic regression might provide an alternative approach to ACE screening through its facility in revealing unsuspected and seemingly minor ACEs, which nevertheless can go on to have long term implications for individuals’ adult health. In this study seven female participants with intractable overweight volunteered to participate in a series of hypnosis sessions designed to explore for possible covert childhood or early adulthood traumatic experiences which might have contributed towards their adult obesity problems. During their hypnosis sessions all participants were seemingly able to recall and to recount, narratives of long-forgotten but intensely painful childhood experiences, traumas and family disharmony, which appeared to have provoked life-changing decisions regarding their weight, body image or eating habits, and which may then have contributed to their developing refractory obesity later in their adult life. This study suggests that current decisions limiting the range of what constitutes ACEs may account for the differing results of previous ACEs surveys and that hypnosis might prove to be a useful tool in screening for otherwise unrecognised ACEs, thus helping to improve the specificity and sensitivity of current ACE screening programmes.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48619166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Qualitative Study Exploring the Impact the Self-Compassion App Has on Levels of Compassion, Self-Criticism, and Wellbeing","authors":"E. Beaumont, S. McAndrew, C. Irons","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203045","url":null,"abstract":"Self-guided, smartphone apps may be helpful in reducing symptoms associated with psychological distress and may boost wellbeing, and levels of compassion. To our knowledge this is the first study to examine the impact a 28-day app based on Compassion Focused Therapy and Compassionate Mind Training has on participant’s levels of compassion, wellbeing, and self-criticism. The Self-Compassion App includes exercises, meditations, quotes, a daily wisdom, and audios, all of which aim to help individuals develop compassion for themselves, experience compassion from others, and be more compassionate to other people. The aim of the study was to explore participants’ experiences of the app, including ease of use, preferred sessions, barriers, as well as perceived impact on well-being, self-compassion, and self-criticism. Nine members of staff and eight students from The University of Salford took part in two focus groups; one for staff and one for students approximately four-six weeks after use of the app. The analysis highlighted eight themes: (1) Thinking of my experiences differently (2) Soothing the threat: Managing the three systems (3) Stop, reflect, and befriend the self-critic (4) Looking after me: The therapist within (5) Fears, Blocks, and Resistances (6) Looking back at the good things in life (7) Gender of Therapist (8) An ap(p)t App. Following use of the app, participants reported that they were more supportive of themselves, connected with their compassionate self, befriended their inner critic, experienced gratitude, and in times of personal struggles, reminded themselves that the present moment was an opportunity for compassion to be applied. The COVID-19 pandemic had, and continues to have, a negative impact on the mental health of many people. Therefore considering interventions that utilise technology with the aim of boosting wellbeing, levels of compassion, and reducing self-criticism is imperative.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48228199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Renu Mittal, D. Taneja, R. Manchanda, A. Khurana, A. Mukherjee, N. Kalra, R. Bala, Nidhi Mahajan, Gurudev Choubey, Ravi Kumar Sadarla, B. S. Rawat, Ashish P. Shivadikar, D. Gilla, A. Prusty, M. Sarangi, Padmalaya Rath, Madhumita Sadhukhan
{"title":"Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Response to Homeopathic Treatment of Psoriasis","authors":"Renu Mittal, D. Taneja, R. Manchanda, A. Khurana, A. Mukherjee, N. Kalra, R. Bala, Nidhi Mahajan, Gurudev Choubey, Ravi Kumar Sadarla, B. S. Rawat, Ashish P. Shivadikar, D. Gilla, A. Prusty, M. Sarangi, Padmalaya Rath, Madhumita Sadhukhan","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203044","url":null,"abstract":"Patients with psoriasis commonly opt for homeopathic treatment. However, no study has assessed the response to homeopathic treatment by using standardized disease-specific scales, and the findings are based on clinical assessments only. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response to the individualized homeopathic treatment of psoriasis with respect to changes in disease severity and quality of life based on Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) scales, respectively. A multicentric study was conducted using a pragmatic model. The study participants were regularly followed up for 1 year. Subsequently, participants completing the 1-year follow-up were included in a long-term assessment for further 2 years. Three monthly assessments were made by using PASI, PDI, and Visual Analog scales for patient and physician general assessment. Data were analyzed to identify treatment effects and variables affecting treatment. In total, 384 patients were enrolled, out of whom 254 participants completed 1 year of treatment. Of these, 84 participants continued treatment for an additional 12 months. A significant reduction was observed in the scores of PASI (10.96 ± 10.67 at baseline to 4.24 ± 5.10 at 12 months, p = 0.000), PDI (10.19 ± 9.11 to 3.91 ± 4.44, p = 0.000), and patient and physician global assessment scales. Regarding PASI response at 12 and 24 months, PASI 75–89 was reported in 66 and 14 participants, whereas PASI 90–100 was reported in 29 and 17 participants, respectively. Baseline severity of psoriasis considerably affected treatment response, whereas age, gender, and duration of psoriasis did not. Furthermore, the severity of psoriasis and quality of life improved considerably with regular homeopathic treatment.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43422636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Obm Integrative and Complementary Medicine Editorial Office
{"title":"An Interview with Dr. Sok Cheon Pak","authors":"Obm Integrative and Complementary Medicine Editorial Office","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203043","url":null,"abstract":"Interview with Dr. Sok Cheon Pak. Dr Pak as a physiologist currently leads and guides research into nutraceuticals to provide relevant and impactful clinical applications. The best example is the rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC). RBAC is a functional food produced from hydrolysed rice bran denatured with shiitake mushroom enzymes. RBAC demonstrates strong immunomodulatory properties, particularly for enhancing the natural killer cell activity. Additionally, RBAC is a potent antiproliferative food supplement with strong evidence showing that it can arrest tumour proliferation. Dr Pak has recently published a book on RBAC.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47313948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is There Evidence of Toxicity in Long-Term Photobiomodulation?","authors":"G. Litscher","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203042","url":null,"abstract":"This editorial briefly discusses the issue of potential toxicity in the case of long-term photobiomodulation (PBM). Scientific articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were included in a heterogeneous search. There have been very few studies on the long-term effects of PBM, as well as its potential toxicity. There is no evidence that PBM is toxic when used at therapeutic or imaging doses. There are no such concerns with intracranial PBM application (e.g., optical fiber) in either animal or human experiments.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48294194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Do Long Term Oral Pain Killers Enhance Pain and Promote Chronic Pain?","authors":"J. D. Adams","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203032","url":null,"abstract":"Oral pain medicines are routinely used to treat pain and chronic pain. Recent evidence shows that many of these medicines actually increase chronic pain when used over several weeks. Patients should be encouraged to find alternative pain treatments and avoid oral medicines for pain.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45663668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liangzhong Jiang, L. Xie, Jiao He, Juanxue Kang, Wei Wang, Jiaqiang Wang
{"title":"Removal of As(III) from Water by Cellulase Templated TiO2: A Photocatalytic Oxidation Conjugated Adsorption Process","authors":"Liangzhong Jiang, L. Xie, Jiao He, Juanxue Kang, Wei Wang, Jiaqiang Wang","doi":"10.21926/cr.2203025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/cr.2203025","url":null,"abstract":"TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared using cellulase as a biotemplate through a hydrothermal process. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized based on physicochemical techniques and was used to remove As(III) from contaminated water. The cellulase templated TiO2 photocatalyst (TiO2-cellulase) had a large specific surface area, which reached 166.6 m2·g–1. It also had a strong oxidation ability and, thus, behaved well in both photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) and dark adsorption. The pH of the solution had a negligible effect on the removal rate. TiO2-cellulase had a higher photocatalytic removal rate of As(III) than commercial Degussa P25 TiO2.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47482786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales (CEAS) in the UK General Population","authors":"S. Lindsey, S. Hiskey, C. Irons, L. Andrews","doi":"10.21926/obm.icm.2203039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2203039","url":null,"abstract":"Research has shown that compassion – whether to others, from others or to oneself – can be associated with improved well-being and mental health. Most measures to date focus on one of these flows of compassion, with only one recently published scale tracking all three. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the psychometric properties of The Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales (CEAS) in a UK sample. The secondary aims were to investigate the level of compassion, as measured by the CEAS, in this population and its relationship to psychological distress and positive affect. This study employed a quantitative methodology with a longitudinal design, using an online questionnaire to collect data. 315 participants completed the CEAS alongside a number of self-report questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the factor structure of the CEAS. The CEAS was found to have good psychometric properties as assessed by a number of statistical analyses of validity and reliability. With the removal of four items, a three factor model of compassion towards self, others and receiving compassion was found to be the best fitting model in this sample. In addition, three separate two factor models (to assess the structure of engagement and action) for each flow of compassion were conducted and found to produce good fit. On the whole, the three CEAS subscales were found to have good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Moderate positive correlations between each subscale confirmed convergent validity. Overall, the general population reported higher levels of giving compassion to others than receiving compassion or being self-compassionate. Self-compassion was found to be the strongest predictor of psychological distress and positive affect. The CEAS is a psychometrically robust measure of compassion which can be used in research and clinical practice. Attention is likely needed to a single item relating to distress tolerance, with further study needed to explore the extent to which this construct might differ in clinical and non-clinical populations.","PeriodicalId":74333,"journal":{"name":"OBM integrative and complimentary medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46139941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}