Research SquareJune 7, 2026Yaohua Guo, Fengping Zheng, Hui Yin et al.
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Abstract Purpose This study aimed to identify the latent profiles of self-transcendence in lung cancer patients and examine the relationship between these memberships and QoL. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and September 2025, recruiting 318 lung cancer patients via convenience sampling at a teaching hospital in Sichuan Province, China. Data were collected by using...
Abstract Objectives: To examine exploratory autonomic and gut microbiome correlates associated with an online mindfulness- and compassion-based intervention for parental burnout. Methods: This exploratory secondary analysis used data from a three-arm randomized clinical trial conducted in Chile. The parent trial included 595 women with at least one child who teleworked at least one day per...
Research SquareJune 5, 2026Ronald Blackburn, Julia Brodska
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Abstract Background Individual therapeutic and somatic modalities—including mindfulness meditation, breathwork, structured movement, sound therapy, and heart coherence training—have each been independently associated with reductions in perceived stress, improvements in sleep quality, and shifts in quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) indices of neural regulation. Whether concurrent...
Abstract Background Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a clinically distinguishable bereavement-related condition characterized by persistent yearning, identity disruption, and impaired functioning, formalized in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 (6L72) and empirically distinguishable from but frequently co-occurring with major depressive disorder. Approximately 7 to 10 percent of bereaved adults meet...
Abstract Objectives Research on interventions designed to increase posttraumatic growth (PTG) among interpersonal trauma survivors is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a six-week trauma-informed meditation intervention on PTG. Additionally, we examined posttraumatic stress (PTS), and analyzed the variables of dispositional mindfulness, hope, spirituality, and...
Abstract Practice‑based frameworks aimed at fostering inner transformation, emotional regulation, and self‑awareness are increasingly proposed as pathways for personal and societal development. However, large‑scale empirical evaluations remain limited, and existing scientific investigations focus predominantly on mindfulness‑ and meditation‑based interventions. Here, we introduce a...
Abstract Ketamine and esketamine are increasingly used as rapid-acting antidepressants, yet concerns remain regarding potential structural neurotoxicity, particularly with chronic or high-dose exposure. Despite expanding clinical use, no comprehensive systematic review has integrated neurotoxicity evidence across preclinical and human studies while formally evaluating methodological quality....
Abstract Background Psychedelic consumption in naturalistic settings is rising, and a significant minority of users experience extended psychological difficulties. Yet, research exploring these challenges remains limited. Despite widespread endorsement of integration practices, little is known about how therapists approach integration for heterogeneous extended difficulties. Methods Nineteen...
Abstract Paradoxically, psychedelics have long been used as models of both psychosis and therapy. After proposing mystical experiences as a link between these models for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), we aimed to extend and refine this framework for N,N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). In a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study, 25 healthy participants received DMT (60mg)...
As the cultural, scientific, and legal landscape surrounding psychedelics continues to shift toward greater access and acceptability, it is likely that increasing numbers of women of reproductive age may be exposed to these substances. Despite this, the evidence on antenatal exposure has not been systematically reviewed. To synthesize the human literature on child and maternal outcomes...
Research SquareMay 18, 2026Samuel M. DiCecco, Emma E Smith, Kira L. Sturgess et al.
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Abstract Rationale: Fast-acting edible cannabis products are marketed as producing quicker effects than standard edibles, but whether faster absorption translates into earlier cognitive impairment due to cannabis intoxication is unclear. Objectives : We compared fast-acting, standard, and placebo edibles in a double-blind, within-subject crossover study of 20 adult individuals who frequently...
Abstract Background As interest in psychedelics grows, concerns remain about ethical use and the documentation of adverse psychological effects. Use is increasing, yet long-term challenges - particularly among adolescents and young adults - are under-researched. This group is especially vulnerable, highlighting the need to understand how psychedelic-related challenges are experienced in...
Abstract Complex systems share a common failure mode: the breakdown of balance between integration and differentiation. This paper introduces the Dynamic Existence Threshold (DET), characterizing system state via integration (\((I)\)) and differentiation (\((D)\)) in a phase space where healthy function occupies a central balance zone. The DET predicts that critical events correspond to exits...
Research SquareMay 11, 2026Chloë K Walters, Sarentha Chetty, Thankhoe A Rants’o et al.
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Abstract Background: Conventional pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been found to provide limited benefit in a subset of patients. Psilocybin‑assisted therapy has emerged as a promising modality due to its rapid‑acting antidepressant effects and favourable tolerability profile shown in early trials. Despite growing research interest in psilocybin‑assisted therapy the...
Abstract Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on premenstrual symptom severity, pre-pregnancy fear of childbirth, and psychological well-being in women experiencing Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted with 126 women experiencing PMS between June 2023 and November 2025...
Research SquareMay 11, 2026Xiaoming Yang, Jian Lyu, Jubo Wang et al.
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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a critical prodromal stage of progressive cognitive decline. As a core cognitive brain network, the default mode network (DMN) exhibits structural alterations in MCI that are closely associated with cognitive impairment. Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4), the strongest genetic risk factor for pathological cognitive decline, has been shown to disrupt the structural...
Research SquareApril 30, 2026Su-gyeong Lee, Jang-won Seo
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Abstract Compassion is an emotional state experienced in response to witnessing the suffering of others, accompanied by an internal motivation to help. When directed toward the self, it is referred to as self-compassion. Previous research suggests that compassion and self-compassion are closely related to mindfulness and empathy, contributing to reductions in anxiety and depression and to the...
Research SquareApril 28, 2026Jol Milton Chirinos, Alba Lucia Laurentz, Verónika Alarcón et al.
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Abstract Background Emotional metacognition, defined as the ability to monitor, interpret, and regulate emotional experiences, has become increasingly relevant in higher education research. Within the framework of enactive emotional cognition, emotions are understood as processes that emerge through continuous interaction between students and their academic environments. This study examined...
Polysubstance use involving psychostimulants and opioids is increasingly prevalent and associated with elevated overdose risk, relapse vulnerability, and poor treatment outcomes. However, the neurobehavioral consequences of opioid-stimulant use remain poorly understood. We evaluated whether repeated methamphetamine-fentanyl polysubstance treatment disrupts social preference during withdrawal,...
Abstract The study aimed to examine the effect of mindfulness practice on occupational stress and quality of work life among secondary school teachers in Bangalore city. A pre-test post-test control group design was used and participants were assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). Participants completed the Occupational Stress Index (OSI) and Work-Related Quality of Life...
Abstract The study aimed to examine the effect of mindfulness practice on occupational stress and quality of work life among secondary school teachers in Bangalore city. A pre-test post-test control group design was used and participants were assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). Participants completed the Occupational Stress Index (OSI) and Work-Related Quality of Life...
As psychedelic use increases and integrates with mainstream medicine, understanding the prevalence and nature of postpsychedelic adverse outcomes is critical. We investigated extended difficulties after psychedelic use via the Global Psychedelic Survey (GPS) 2025, which is a multilingual online survey of people who have used psychedelics. Data on the prevalence, characteristics, and...
Abstract Increasing multiculturalism and globalization have increased the discrepancies between sociallyshared norms and personal values. This study investigated whether Cultural Estrangement (CE) and self-esteem (SE) interact to influence functional connectivity (FC) in the default mode network (DMN). In total, 170 healthy Japanese adults (18–70 years) were recruited, 70 of whom completed the...
Research SquareApril 1, 2026Simay Selek, Russell W Chan, Funda Yildirim
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Abstract Meditation is increasingly recognized as a structured form of mental training that can induce plastic changes in neural systems supporting attention, cognitive control, and affect regulation. Although prior work links meditation to improved executive functioning, few studies have examined attentional performance under simultaneous cognitive conflict and emotional distraction. This...