Mindfulness has gained prominence as an effective tool for managing stress and preventing depression. However, many workers in Japan find it challenging to commit to lengthy mindfulness sessions. This study addressed this issue by developing a six-session online mindfulness program tailored to Japanese workers, which emphasizes decentering (the ability to view thoughts and emotions as separate...
Clinical trials using full doses of psychedelics have provided preliminary evidence supporting their safety and efficacy in treating a variety of physical and psychological conditions. Anecdotal reports indicate that even very small amounts of these substances may provide therapeutic benefits, though robust clinical studies are still needed. This chapter reviews the current experimental studies...
Patients with a life-threatening disease (LTD) sometimes suffer from end-of-life distress (EOLD) which refers to the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering related to chronic illness and the possibility of death. Palliative care interventions seek to improve the quality of life of patients with EOLD and their significant others. Currently, a range of psychological and...
A three-item Peak Experience Scale (PES) was developed to rapidly evaluate the strength of the psychoactive experience, and to guide the dosing regimen, of the psychedelic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT; mebufotenin). This paper aims to compare the PES with a range of established questionnaires designed to evaluate the psychedelic experience. Data were gathered from three separate...
Adolescence is marked by major puberty-induced changes including increased reactivity to stress and a peak incidence of mental disorders. The implementation of early interventions during this developmental period is essential to prevent mental disorders. In this clinical trial, we examined the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on internalizing symptoms, affects, and...
With the use of ketamine, Glutamate (Glu) system has gradually become the focus of antidepressant effects. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), as one of the major ionic glutamate receptors, plays a dominant role in antidepressant effects, especially in synaptic plasticity. Few studies have been conducted on changes of NMDAR-related indicators and inflammatory cytokines in major depressive...
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) presents as a widespread medical issue which severely affects personal health status while generating substantial economic expenses. Traditional treatment methods often have limited efficacy, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapies such as yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). This study aims to compare the efficacy of Sphinx pose yoga...
Meditation has gained increasing recognition as a simple, cost-effective, and non-invasive therapeutic approach for older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate its effectiveness on this population. A comprehensive search across nine databases was performed from inception...
Agitation, a significant psychiatric issue often linked to conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, invariably pose challenges in emergency settings. Acute agitation occurs in 2.6 % of emergency cases and up to 12.2 % among patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. With limited available options for effective management of acute agitation, ketamine is...
While neuropsychological effects of conventional antidepressants are well-documented, more research is needed for rapid-acting antidepressants. This study examines the effects of esketamine on emotion processing and cognitive functioning, both acutely and sub-chronically. Eighteen treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients received repeated intravenous esketamine infusions. Mood state was...