The widespread prevalence of depression throughout the world, across a variety of demographics, stresses the importance of examining different ways of coping with the affliction. This paper provides a background of different theories of coping with depression and it reviews how therapeutic songwriting, a form of active music therapy, can work as a highly effective method of coping with depression. The review indicates that therapeutic songwriting can be a successful coping mechanism through its positive influence as a primary and secondary control engagement coping strategy. Furthermore, songwriting acts as an adaptive distractor and emotion regulator, and has a positive impact on self-esteem and subsequently self-compassion. Additional benefits of therapeutic songwriting are discussed such as its time effectiveness and its ability to act as a therapy motivator and a psychoeducational tool. The findings indicate a need for future research to examine original therapeutic songwriting, in which the therapy-participant creates both original music and lyrics with the guidance of the therapist, as a potentially successful treatment for depression.

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is associated with negative health outcomes and high relapse rates and group psychoeducation (PE) is recognised as an effective intervention when used in conjunction with pharmacological treatment. Unhealthy beliefs and attitudes have not been measured or related to outcomes in group PE and the mechanism for how PE exerts its effect are unidentified. Aims: (a). An adapted group psychoeducation intervention will change (improve) unhealthy personal beliefs about illness and attitudes towards medication when compared to a treatment as usual group. (b). Changes in unhealthy personal beliefs and attitudes will be maintained overtime (a 12 month follow up period). (c). People who subsequently relapse compared to those who do not relapse, will have less improvement in their unhealthy personal beliefs about illness and attitudes towards medication from PE. (d). An evaluation of the efficacy of psychoeducation in a systematic review for bipolar disorder in preventing relapse and other outcomes will identify factors that relate to clinical outcomes. Methods: A 10 session PE intervention was adapted and 38 participants with bipolar disorder I or II (using DSM-IV criteria) were recruited from a Specialist Affective Disorders Service. A waiting list assessment time was used as a parallel group control and a longitudinal study took place over a 12 month follow up period in all participants once they had received the intervention. A mirror image study reviewed case notes to identify relapse 12 month pre versus post intervention. Assessments measuring, beliefs and attitudes, mood symptoms and satisfaction where carried out, 8 weeks prior to intervention (waiting list), pre intervention, and 6 and 12 months post intervention. Results Summary: The waiting list control comparison showed significant improvement in attitudes measured by the Personal Beliefs about Illness Questionnaire (PBIQ) and Drug attitude Inventory (DAI) and symptoms and functioning. Beliefs on all domains of the PBIQ improved significantly (p<0.001) as did attitudes toward medication (p<0.001) there were also small but significant improvements in mood symptoms. In all participants (n=38) improvements were maintained over the 12 month follow up period. Nine people relapsed in the 12 months after the intervention compared with 22 before (p<0.002) and relapsers improved significantly less than non-relapsers following PE on the PBIQ (p=0.012) and the DAI (p=0.046). Conclusions: A group PE intervention reduced unhealthy personal beliefs and attitudes, both manic and depressive relapse and improved functioning. Improvements are maintained over time except adherence which remained unchanged. The amount of improvement in the PBIQ and DAI is related to relapse with non relapsers improving more than relapsers. The systematic review provides reasonable evidence that psychoeducation is at least modestly effective in preventing relapse in bipolar disorder, with the strongest evidence for reducing overall and manic relapse.

The researcher examined the effectiveness of a near-death experience (NDE) learning module on reducing distressing aspects and enhancing a growth aspect of grief among bereaved adults. Participants were 22 females and 2 males; 2 identified as African American, 3 as Asian, 2 as Latina/o, and 17 as White; aged 20 to 71 years with mean age 35.3 years. In this experimental design, the researcher randomly assigned 12 participants to the experimental group and 12 participants to the waitlist no treatment control group. Participants in the experimental group received the NDE learning module intervention, which consisted of 3 sessions over consecutive weeks. Six research questions were explored. A two-factor repeated measures analysis of variance was performed on five dependent variables to determine if the two groups performed differently across time according to the pretest and posttest results of the Despair, Panic Behavior, Personal Growth, Detachment, and Disorganization subscales of the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC). A one-way analysis of covariance was performed on one dependent variable to determine if the groups were statistically different according to the posttest results of the Blame and Anger subscale of the HGRC. Additionally, univariate eta squared was hand calculated to determine practical significance. Findings indicated that bereaved adults who participated in the NDE learning module showed small effect size for interaction on Panic Behavior (&#951;2 = .05) and Personal Growth (&#951;2 = .05), large effect size for interaction on Detachment (&#951;2 = .15), large effect size for treatment type on Blame and Anger (&#951;2 = .15), and negligible effect size for interaction on Despair (&#951;2 < .01) and Disorganization (&#951;2 < .01). Although no statistically significant results were found for any of the dependent variables (p > .05), effect size findings indicated modest to substantial benefits of the NDE learning module intervention for bereaved adults in the form of decreased panic behavior, blame and anger, and detachment, and increased personal growth. Implications for further research beyond this initial investigation are discussed.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an applied mental health course in a university setting in reducing distress and symptoms of depression and increasing levels of psychological flexibility. As university psychological services are unable to meet the need of their students, other methods of treatment must be explored. Participants in the study are comprised of those who chose to enroll in a student development course aimed at increasing psychological flexibility and introducing basic psychoeducation as well as various university students who elected to participate. Depressive symptoms and psychological flexibility were measured pre-, mid-, and twice post-test in both the experimental and control groups. Split-plot Analysis of Variance and Covariance were conducted to explore outcomes. Results suggest that the psychoeducational course effectively reduces symptoms of depression and levels of psychological flexibility were increased for participants within the course. However, levels of distress were not significantly affected by the course. Further research to increase generalizability and affirm results is necessary.

When children return home from residential treatment for behavioral challenges, continuity of care is clinically advised and empirically supported. If parents lack the skills to support this transition, a child’s treatment gains may be at risk. Parenting difficulties can initiate oppositional and avoidant behaviors in children, and if sustained, damage the parent-child relationship, leading to poor child outcomes. Offering parent training during a child’s residential treatment may increase parent self-efficacy and use of the training in support of a child’s transition home. A Northeastern US Residential Treatment Program (RTP) annually provides short-term residential treatment for children (ages 6-18), and therapeutic supports to the parents of these children during their milieu care. RTP’s new online parenting program was evaluated across three separate but related studies, exploring in Phase 1) perceived barriers to online program usability, Phase 2) how video dosage was associated with changes in parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress, and Phase 3) through the lens of family routines, what were the longer-term effects of the online program. Results from Phase 1 suggested that parents with lower technology familiarity may need ongoing support to successfully complete online training; adding digital prompts helped parents to autonomously navigate the online program. Phase 2 results indicated that parenting self-efficacy increased minimally while children were away, and decreased when children returned home; an inverse effect was found for parenting stress. Phase 3 revealed limited application of the online parent training in post-residential family routines; parent training was shared internationally within parenting social networks, though virtually no videos were watched once children had transitioned home. Similar parenting programs using the Fogg Behavior Model may consider nudging parents during natural surges in parent motivation to prolong recently initiated therapeutic benefits during post-residential home aftercare.

No description available.

No description available.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that specialized clinical services targeted toward individuals early in the course of a psychotic illness may be effective in reducing both the clinical and economic burden associated with these illnesses. Unfortunately, the United States has lagged behind other countries in the delivery of specialized, multi-component care to individuals early in the course of a psychotic illness. A key factor contributing to this lag is the limited available data demonstrating the clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of early intervention for psychosis among individuals served by the American mental health system. Thus, the goal of this study is to present clinical and cost outcome data with regard to a first-episode psychosis treatment center within the American mental health system: the Early Psychosis Intervention Center (EPICENTER). METHODS: Sixty-eight consecutively enrolled individuals with first-episode psychosis completed assessments of symptomatology, social functioning, educational/vocational functioning, cognitive functioning, substance use, and service utilization upon enrollment in EPICENTER and after 6 months of EPICENTER care. All participants were provided with access to a multi-component treatment package comprised of cognitive behavioral therapy, family psychoeducation, and metacognitive remediation. RESULTS: Over the first 6 months of EPICENTER care, participants experienced improvements in symptomatology, social functioning, educational/vocational functioning, cognitive functioning, and substance abuse. The average cost of care during the first 6 months of EPICENTER participation was lower than the average cost during the 6-months prior to joining EPICENTER. These savings occurred despite the additional costs associated with the receipt of EPICENTER care and were driven primarily by reductions in the utilization of inpatient psychiatric services and contacts with the legal system. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that multi-component interventions for first-episode psychosis provided in the US mental health system may be both clinically-beneficial and cost-effective. Although additional research is needed, these findings provide preliminary support for the growing delivery of specialized multi-component interventions for first-episode psychosis within the United States. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01570972; Date of Trial Registration: November 7, 2011

Men's adherence to restrictive emotionality, a traditional masculine norm, has frequently been linked to higher rates of psychological distress and other negative mental health outcomes. Masculinity researchers have recently begun to study how the effects associated with restrictive emotionality might be related to how men regulate their emotions. Limited findings suggest that restrictive emotionality may be related to non-acceptance of emotion. However, these studies have not examined how acceptance affects the relationship between restrictive emotionality and distress. Further, no published studies have attempted to manipulate levels of men's emotional acceptance in service of reducing restrictive emotionality and distress. The current study tested whether a brief psychoeducational intervention could promote acceptance in men and thus reduce their restrictive emotionality and distress. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental condition teaching emotional acceptance, or a control condition teaching time management skills. Both conditions consisted of audio recordings that described how these approaches benefit coping with stressful situations, as well as prompts asking participants to write about how this information could relate to their lives. The study also investigated baseline interrelationships between restrictive emotionality, fear of emotion, emotional acceptance, and distress using pretest self-report data. Moderation analyses were conducted to determine whether emotional acceptance might serve as a buffer against the effects of restrictive emotionality on psychological distress. Self-report measures at pretest and at one-week follow-up assessed acceptance, fear of emotion, restrictive emotionality, emotional non-acceptance, and distress. Performance-based measures, including a semantic decision task and a scrambled sentences test, were also used to assess for differences by condition. Contrary to hypotheses, no effect of condition was evident in analyses of self-report or performance-based measures. Self-report data demonstrated a main effect of time, such that distress, emotional non-acceptance, and fear of emotion decreased across conditions from pretest to follow up, while acceptance increased. Restrictive emotionality scores remained unchanged. As predicted, significant intercorrelations were found among fear of emotion, emotional non-acceptance, distress, and emotional acceptance with the exception of restrictive emotionality, which was associated only with greater distress. Finally, the hypothesis that emotional acceptance would moderate the relationship between restrictive emotionality and psychological distress was not supported. / text

To suffer from bipolar disorder can cause significant distress. Bipolar disorder causes severe shifts in mood. The person can, apart from having a normal mood, experience depressive episodes or a highly elevated mood – hypomania or mania. Psychoeducation as a complement to medicine treatment can help persons manage their disorder and reduce severe changes in mood. Little is known about psychoeducation programs in the country as a whole. Knowledge about these programs can be useful for evaluation and can contribute to valuable insights. The aim of this study was to survey the setup and content of psychoeducation programs for people with bipolar disorder in outpatient care in the country. To accomplish this a cross-sectional study was made through a web-based questionnaire sent to staff involved in outpatient psychoeducation. The Swedish National Quality Register for Bipolar Disorder – BipoläR contributed with contact information to the outpatient clinics. All 234 clinics involved were linked to BipoläR, 56 answers were returned resulting in the following information: Most of the psychoeducation programs were group-based. The major part used programs designed by themselves. Nurses were the most frequently staff involved. The mean amount of time for education delivery was 12 hours. The psychoeducation content was rich in important aspects related to the disorder. The programs were delivered through lectures and discussion. The conclusion of this study was the emphasis on group-based programs developed at the clinics, the quality content of programs and the possible need for more evidence-based programs. / Bipolär sjukdom kan vara svår att leva med då den medför stora variationer i personens sinnesstämning. Ett sätt att underlätta kan vara medverkan i patientutbildningsprogram som tillägg till medicinsk behandling. Detta kan bidra till ökad förståelse för sjukdomen och dess individuella uttryck och därmed göra den mer hanterbar. På flera öppenvårdsmottagningar för personer med bipolär sjukdom runt om i Sverige bedrivs patientutbildning. Någon sammanhållen beskrivning av utbildningarna finns inte. I samråd med personal hos Nationellt kvalitetsregister för personer med bipolär affektiv sjukdom (BipoläR) bedömdes dessa utbildningar vara intressanta att undersöka. Forskning har påvisat att patientutbildningsprogram har positiva effekter för att motverka depression, hypomani och mani vid bipolär sjukdom. Programmen kan se olika ut men utbildning i grupp verkar generellt ge bättre utfall än individuell utbildning. Det är oklart hur utbildningarna i landet ser ut och vi har därför valt att i denna studie kartlägga upplägg och innehåll i dessa utbildningar. Specialistsjuksköterskan i psykiatrisk vård ansvarar bland annat för att stödja patienter och deras anhöriga till lärande och beslutsfattande genom undervisning. Patientutbildning för personer med bipolär sjukdom ligger inom psykiatrisjuksköterskans kompetensområde och sjuksköterskan kan vara en lämplig förmedlare av sådan utbildning. En kartläggning av patientutbildningsprogrammen kan utgöra grund för utvärdering och därmed bidra till utveckling av det psykiatriska vårdandet. Syftet med denna undersökning var att kartlägga upplägg och innehåll i patientutbildningar för personer med bipolär sjukdom inom den psykiatriska öppenvården runt om i landet. Detta gjordes via en webbenkätundersökning riktad till personal involverade i patientutbildning på öppenvårdsmottagningar anslutna till BipoläR. Resultatet visade att de flesta utbildningar var grupputbildningar. Största delen av mottagningarna använde sig av egenutformade utbildningsprogram. Sjuksköterskor var den personalkategori som oftast gav patientutbildning, följt av läkare och psykologer. Utbildningarna hade ett medelvärde på 12 timmars utbildningstid. Erfarenhetsutbytet i utbildningarna sågs som ett värdefullt inslag. Studiens slutsatser var att enkätsvaren tyder på att det i landet fanns en övervikt av gruppbaserade utbildningsprogram för personer med bipolär sjukdom. De flesta mottagningar utformade sina egna program. Utbildningarna var innehållsmässigt rika på viktiga ämnen relaterade till olika aspekter av bipolär sjukdom. De verkade i genomsnitt även vara tidsmässigt tillräckligt långa för att kunna förmedla sitt innehåll. Sjuksköterskor var den personalkategori som oftast var involverad i patientutbildningarna och kunde därmed ge ett betydande bidrag i dessa. Det kan vara värdefullt med en tydligare evidensbas i utbildningarna.