Open Mind
November 19, 2025
Samantha Wang, Paul McKee, Sizhe Chen et al.
preprint
In this project, we will analyze dream reports and mental health measures from a cross-cultural survey conducted in the United States and Argentina. Participants provided free-text dream reports, responses to nightmare and dream-related items (e.g., nightmare frequency, dream intensity, emotional tone), and completed standardized mental health questionnaires: the Patient Health Questionnaire...
Research Square
November 19, 2025
Elisa Puvia, Luca Simione, Nima Gholizadeh et al.
preprint
Abstract Terror Management Theory posits that awareness of mortality typically elicits defensive responses, yet emerging evidence suggests that meditation may promote adaptive outcomes. This study examined whether long-term Sufi meditation—a contemplative practice emphasizing direct engagement with death—is associated with reduced existential defensiveness and altered prosocial orientation...
Neurochemistry International
November 19, 2025
Zhaoliang Gu, Ruixue Song, Guoqiang Liu et al.
3 citations
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychological disorder that is induced by traumatic events. The pathophysiological mechanism of PTSD involves complex neurobiological processes. However, the underlying mechanism is not clear, leading to lack of effective therapeutic interventions. Mice were exposed to the electric foot shocks using the contextual fear memory paradigm. A...
Research Square
November 18, 2025
Guy W. Fincham, Edward Caddye, Amy Kartar et al.
preprint
Abstract Breathwork which increases ventilatory rate or depth represents an accessible nonpharmacological modality for potentially inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs). Despite gaining traction as a therapeutic tool, empirical research remains limited, hence we conducted the first randomised-controlled trial (NCT06916312) on breathwork and ASCs. We examined the effects of a single...
BMC Psychology
November 16, 2025
Tayebeh Rakhshani, Afrooz Bagherfard, Amirhossein Kamyab et al.
1 citation
Abstract Background Women’s increasing workforce participation has led to stress, anxiety, and strained parent-child relationships, highlighting the need for effective interventions. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a promising yet underutilized approach to improving psychological well-being and parenting quality. This study examines its impact on self-compassion and parent-child...
Psychiatry Research
November 16, 2025
Xue-Song, Ying-Yan Xu, Hua-Ping Xiong et al.
2 citations
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major global health issue. Although esketamine shows promise for PPD, its preventive effect in cesarean patients with prenatal depression remains unclear. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effect of perioperative esketamine treatment on PPD incidence in this high-risk population. This dual-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial...
Neuropharmacology
November 15, 2025
Alexia L Zylko, Ryan J. Rakoczy, Brianna F Roberts et al.
4 citations
Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound in "magic" mushrooms, has promise as a novel treatment for psychiatric disorders, many of which are more prevalent in females and have onsets during adolescence. However, there is a lack of research about how factors such as sex and age affect responses to psilocybin, as well as potential safety concerns with developmental exposure. The primary objectives of...
Molecular Psychiatry
November 14, 2025
Núria Nadal‐gratacós, Pol Puigseslloses, Laura Hernández‐guzmán et al.
Psychedelics have garnered significant interest for their therapeutic potential in mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While research has primarily focused on well-studied psychedelics, phenethylamine derivatives have also gathered interest for their potential therapeutic applications. Thus, this study aims to investigate the pharmacological...
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology
November 13, 2025
Yu-Chih Shen, Chien-Chen Hung
This case report describes the clinical response and safety of intranasal esketamine (Spravato®) in a 61-year-old female with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a history of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) poor response, and structural brain abnormalities secondary to left frontal lobe tissue loss from traumatic brain injury in 2008. Despite multiple antidepressant trials, atypical...
Brain Research Bulletin
November 13, 2025
Xiang Liu, Ziyi Hua, Yongqiang Shu et al.
1 citation
This study aims to explore the relationship between the antidepressant effects of drugs (esketamine combined with sertraline) and brain function changes in patients with major depressive disorder. A total of 27 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 27 healthy individuals were included in the study. All MDD patients received a 2-week course of intravenous esketamine infusion (0.25...