The health impact of residential retreats: a systematic review

The feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the multimodal, community-based LoveYourBrain Retreat program for people with traumatic brain injury and caregivers

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the LoveYourBrain Retreat program using a pre-post, retrospective, concurrent triangulation mixed methods study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 5-day, multimodal, residential Retreat intervention was designed to improve quality of life among traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors and caregivers through mindfulness, movement, nutrition, art, and community-building. Eligibility included being a TBI survivor (>2 years post-injury) or caregiver, 18+ years old, independently mobile, able to communicate verbally, and a first-time participant. Self-reported quantitative and qualitative data were collected via electronic surveys pre- and post-retreat, analyzed separately, then combined. Paired t-tests assessed mean differences in scores on Quality of Life After Brain Injury Overall scale (QOLIBRI-OS) and NIH TBI/Neuro-QOL Resilience, Cognition, Positive Affect/Wellbeing, and Emotional/Behavioral Dysregulation scales. We assessed feasibility using sample characteristics and program frequency and retention, and acceptability using quality ratings. Content analysis explored perceived benefits and improvements.

RESULTS

68 People-53 with TBI and 15 caregivers-participated in one of three LoveYourBrain Retreats. Significant improvements were found in QOLIBRI-OS (6.91, 95%CI 1.88-11.94), Resilience (2.14, 95%CI 0.50-3.78), Cognition (2.81, 95%CI 0.79-4.83), and Emotional/Behavioral Dysregulation (2.84, 95%CI 0.14-5.54) among TBI survivors (n = 41). Mean satisfaction was 9.6/10 (SD = 0.64). Content analysis revealed community connection, reframing TBI experience, self-regulation, and self-care themes.

CONCLUSIONS

The LoveYourBrain Retreat is feasible, acceptable, and may be effective complementary rehabilitation to improve QOL among TBI survivors.

Multi-omics in stress and health research: study designs that will drive the field forward

Despite decades of stress research, there still exist substantial gaps in our understanding of how social, environmental, and biological factors interact and combine with developmental stressor exposures, cognitive appraisals of stressors, and psychosocial coping processes to shape individuals' stress reactivity, health, and disease risk. Relatively new biological profiling approaches, called multi-omics, are helping address these issues by enabling researchers to quantify thousands of molecules from a single blood or tissue sample, thus providing a panoramic snapshot of the molecular processes occurring in an organism from a systems perspective. In this review, we summarize two types of research designs for which multi-omics approaches are best suited, and describe how these approaches can help advance our understanding of stress processes and the development, prevention, and treatment of stress-related pathologies. We first discuss incorporating multi-omics approaches into theory-rich, intensive longitudinal study designs to characterize, in high-resolution, the transition to stress-related multisystem dysfunction and disease throughout development. Next, we discuss how multi-omics approaches should be incorporated into intervention research to better understand the transition from stress-related dysfunction back to health, which can help inform novel precision medicine approaches to managing stress and fostering biopsychosocial resilience. Throughout, we provide concrete recommendations for types of studies that will help advance stress research, and translate multi-omics data into better health and health care.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Crohn's Disease

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a growing entity within inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CAM includes mind-based therapies, body-based therapies, supplements, vitamins, and probiotics. Limitations currently exist for health care providers as it pertains to IBD and CAM that stem from knowledge gaps, conflicting reports, limited oversight, and a lack of well-organized clinical data. Even without well-described data, patients are turning to these forms of therapy at increasing rates. It is imperative that the ongoing review of CAM therapies is performed, and future trials are performed to better understand efficacy as well as adverse effects related to these therapies.

COVID-19 Outbreak Challenges in Indian Migrant Pregnant and Lactating Mothers: Learnt Lesson Demands Phronesis and Hierarchical Strategies for Such Future Pandemics

INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been found to influence almost all sectors starting from socio-religious to educational and environmental levels. However, the systematically planned or unplanned implementation of sudden lockdown across the globe, including India, has pushed the migrant workers into huge troubles. Without savings and transport systems, food security and other problems pushed migrant workers to walk to home from working places covering over 1000 km. Walking under the hot sun with heavy luggage and child in the womb or arm has affected the lactating mothers or pregnant women the most. The objective of this review article was to analyse the problems faced especially by the women migrant workers in India in order to point out and to adapt future strategies for their protection.

METHODS

All published relevant literature from scientific sources and reputed news channels are considered to write the current review.

RESULTS

Tremendous adverse effects of COVID-19 have been observed at social/cultural/religious/economic levels and other sectors of the society albeit its huge progressive but temporary effects are also observed on environment. The environment is self-regenerating, while the economy is pushed to an unseen manner. This is because many countries including India have adopted social lockdowns as a measure of prevention against the highly contagious disease. The results of lockdowns are encourageable as far as the reduced infection and death rate is concerned. For example, India being the second largest populous country with less advanced healthcare system is enjoying a comparatively low rate of death in COVID-19. However, sudden lockdowns followed by shutdowns mediated by industrial closure have pushed many migrant workers to walk to home by passing over even >1000 kilometres of distance on barefoot. Without transport systems, proper food and medications, many migrant workers faced un-imaginary difficulties, and some of them have also died on the way. Pregnant women and lactating mothers were also in the list and found to face unseen problems while migrating to their home from their working places with a load of child in the womb or on arm. So, phronesis of such problems and hierarchical strategies are suggested.

CONCLUSION

Since such zoonotic pandemics cannot be avoided in the near future, solid future strategies must be adopted by different nations especially under developed and poor countries to tackle the problem of the migrant workers including the pregnant women and the lactating mothers.

Core policies disparity response to COVID-19 among BRICS countries

Objective

To provide experience for formulating prevention and control policies, this study analyzed the effectiveness of the Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) prevention and control policies, and evaluated health equity and epidemic cooperation among BRICS countries.

Methods

This study summarized the pandemic prevention and control policies in BRICS countries and evaluated the effectiveness of those policies by extracting COVID-19 related data from official websites.

Result

As of May 4, 2021, responding to COVID-19. China adopted containment strategies. China’s total confirmed cases (102,560) were stable, without a second pandemic peak, and the total deaths per million (3.37) were much lower than others. India and South Africa who adopted intermediate strategies have similar pandemic curves, total confirmed cases in India (20,664,979) surpassed South Africa (1,586,148) as the highest in five countries, but total deaths per million (163.90) lower than South Africa (919.11). Brazil and Russia adopted mitigation strategies. Total confirmed cases in Brazil (14,856,888) and Russia (4,784,497) continued to increase, and Brazil’s total deaths per million (1,936.34) is higher than Russia (751.50) and other countries.

Conclusion

This study shows BRICS countries implemented different epidemic interventions. Containment strategy is more effective than intermediate strategy and mitigation strategy in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Especially when a strict containment strategy is implemented in an early stage, but premature relaxation of restrictions may lead to rebounding. It is a good choice to combat COVID-19 by improving the inclusiveness of intervention policies, deepening BRICS epidemic cooperation, and increasing health equities.

Environmental perspectives of COVID-19 outbreaks: A review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began in December 2019 in China and has led to a global public health emergency. Previously, it was known as 2019-nCoV and caused disease mainly through respiratory pathways. The COVID-19 outbreak is ranked third globally as the most highly pathogenic disease of the twenty-first century, after the outbreak of SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2002 and 2012, respectively. Clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic methodology have been demonstrated in some observational studies. No systematic reviews on COVID-19 have been published regarding the integration of COVID-19 outbreaks (monitoring, fate and treatment) with environmental and human health perspectives. Accordingly, this review systematically addresses environmental aspects of COVID-19 outbreak such as the origin of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological characteristics, diagnostic methodology, treatment options and technological advancement for the prevention of COVID-19 outbreaks. Finally, we integrate COVID-19 outbreaks (monitoring, fate and treatment) with environmental and human health perspectives. We believe that this review will help to understand the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a multipurpose document, not only for the scientific community but also for global citizens. Countries should adopt emergency preparedness such as prepare human resources, infrastructure and facilities to treat severe COVID-19 as the virus spreads rapidly globally.

Psychological distress and the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK dentists during a national lockdown

Introduction Dentists are known to function under stressful conditions. It is important to monitor, examine and understand the psychological effects the unprecedented challenge of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had.Aims To compare levels of psychological distress in UK dentists, before and during the pandemic, to determine if this was affected.Materials and methods An online survey collected demographic data, levels of psychological distress (GP-CORE) and experiences from UK dentists during the 'national lockdown' period of the pandemic. Statistical and thematic analyses were performed and data compared with previous research.Results Psychological distress was lower in UK dentists during the national lockdown period when compared to previous research using the same measure. GDPs, those in England and those with mixed commitment reported the highest levels of psychological distress. Most dentists had been affected by the pandemic. Some who were remotely working during this time valued the time away from the profession, relishing the absence of regulatory and contractual stressors, and used lockdown as an opportunity to re-evaluate their lives and careers. Others found the conditions stressful with some previously acknowledged stressors remaining and novel stressors introduced.Conclusions We argue that the altered balance of stressors and the resulting reduced psychological distress is further evidence of the need for reform of the profession to improve working lives. Given the importance of mental health and wellbeing, it is vital that monitoring continues.

Effect of a One-Week Spiritual Retreat on Brain Functional Connectivity: A Preliminary Study

Background: Many individuals participate in spiritual retreats to enhance their sense of spirituality or to improve their overall mental and spiritual well-being. We are not aware of any studies specifically evaluating changes in functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in individuals undergoing an intense spiritual retreat program. The goal of this study was to determine whether such changes occur as a result of participating in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Methods: We conducted psychological and spiritual measures in conjunction with functional connectivity analysis of fMRI in 14 individuals prior to and following shortly after their participation in a one-week spiritual retreat. Results: Significant changes in functional connectivity were observed after the retreat program, compared to baseline evaluation, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex, pallidum, superior frontal lobe, superior parietal lobe, superior and inferior temporal lobe, and the cerebellum. Significant changes in a variety of psychological and spiritual measures were identified as result of participation in the retreat. Conclusion: Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that this intensive spiritual retreat resulted in significant changes in brain functional connectivity, and warrants further investigation to evaluate the physiological, psychological, and spiritual impact of these changes.

Taking care of the researcher -a nature and art-related activity retreat: Sharing natural space puts humanity into perspective

BACKGROUND

There has been an insufficient amount of studies that examine how academic working life of researchers can be supported.

OBJECTIVE

We examine the use of a nature and art-related activity retreat designed for researchers. The purpose was to evaluate if and how researchers perceived different workshop experiences set in nature as meaningful and important with regards to their self-care.

METHODS

A mixed group of six researchers from Sweden, Finland, and the United States met for a three-day retreat consisting of self-selected nature and art-related activities. From data constituted from participant reflections, a focus group interview, a three months follow-up questionnaire, and an analysis of the workshops undertaken, three major themes were identified: "Sharing and connection", "Embodiment" and "Nature".

RESULTS

Analysis of the workshop-style exercises did not show significant variance in reported meaningfulness and usefulness related to the activity itself. However, there was a strong correlation between perceived value and shared experience where the sharing of the natural space was felt to put humanity into perspective.

CONCLUSION

Organizing and systematizing health preventive retreats for researchers in academia may be an important part of the sustainabile academic community in which the researcher needs to be better taken care of in a more embodied way. Although this study was conducted prior to COVID-19, such retreats and potentially also online versions, could be useful for managing the pandemic and afterwards, in our new "normal".

Greater Engagement with Health Information Is Associated with Adoption and Maintenance of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours in People with MS

Health communication offers an important means for patients to make informed decisions for illness self-management. We assessed how the level of engagement with selected health information at baseline is associated with the adoption and maintenance of lifestyle behaviours at a 5-year follow-up in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Non-engagers were compared to engagers of information delivered online and print (medium), and with engagers who additionally attended a live-in workshop (high). Engagement was assessed against lifestyle behaviours by log-binomial regression. Information engagers had higher education, and were less likely to have severe disability, clinically significant fatigue, or obesity. Medium and high baseline engagement was associated with adopting healthy behaviours for omega 3 supplementation (RR = 1.70; 95%CI: 1.02–2.84), physical activity (RR = 2.16; 95%CI: 1.03–4.55), and dairy non-consumption (RR = 3.98; 95%CI: 1.85–8.56) at 5 years; associations were stronger among high engagers. Only high baseline engagement was associated with maintaining behaviours from baseline to 5 years, specifically for omega-3 (RR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.06–1.49) and vitamin D supplementation (RR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.04–1.54) and dairy non-consumption (RR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.03–2.10). Health communication that includes face-to-face information delivery and practical tools for implementation in daily living may be optimal for adopting and maintaining lifestyle behaviours in people with MS.

Inter nation social lockdown versus medical care against COVID-19, a mild environmental insight with special reference to India

Infection by coronavirus (CoV-19) has led to emergence of a pandemic called as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) that has so far affected about 210 countries. The dynamic data indicate that the pandemic by CoV-19 so far has infected 2,403,963 individuals, and among these 624,698 have recovered while, it has been fatal for 165,229. Without much experience, currently, the medicines that are clinically being evaluated for COVID-19 include chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, tocilizumab, lopinavir, ritonavir, tocilizumab and corticosteroids. Therefore, countries such as Italy, USA, Spain and France with the most advanced health care system are partially successful to control CoV-19 infection. India being the 2nd largest populous country, where, the healthcare system is underdeveloped, major portion of population follow unhygienic lifestyle, is able to restrict the rate of both infection and death of its citizens from COVID-19. India has followed an early and a very strict social distancing by lockdown and has issued advisory to clean hands regularly by soap and/or by alcohol based sterilizers. Rolling data on the global index of the CoV infection is 13,306, and the index of some countries such as USA (66,148), Italy (175,055), Spain (210,126), France (83,363) and Switzerland (262,122) is high. The index of India has remained very low (161) so far, mainly due to early implementation of social lockdown, social distancing, and sanitizing hands. However, articles on social lockdown as a preventive measure against COVID-19 in PubMed are scanty. It has been observed that social lockdown has also drastic impacts on the environment especially on reduction of NO2 and CO2 emission. Slow infection rate under strict social distancing will offer time to researchers to come up with exact medicines/vaccines against CoV-19. Therefore, it is concluded that stringent social distancing via lockdown is highly important to control COVID-19 and also to contribute for self-regeneration of nature.

Psychosocial Effects of a Holistic Ayurvedic Approach to Well-being in Health and Wellness Courses

Background

As individuals are increasingly attending health and wellness courses outside of the conventional medical system, there is a need to obtain objective data on the effects of those programs on well-being.

Methods

In total, 154 men and women (mean age 54.7 years; range 25–83) participated in 3 different holistic wellness programs based on Ayurvedic Medicine principles (Seduction of Spirit, Journey into Healing, and Perfect Health) or a vacation control group. Psychosocial outcomes included spirituality (Delaney Spirituality Scale), mindful awareness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire), mood (Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression), and anxiety (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System Anxiety Scale).

Results

Participants in the Seduction of Spirit (P < .004), Journey into Healing (P < .05), and Perfect Health (P < .004) courses showed significant increases in spirituality as compared to vacation controls. Participants in Seduction of Spirit (P < .007) also showed significant increases in mindfulness as compared to vacation controls. Participants in the Seduction of Spirit (P < .001) and Journey into Healing (P < .05) courses showed significant decreases in depressed mood as compared to those in the Perfect Health and vacation control groups. All study participants showed similar increases in psychological flexibility (P < .01) and decreases in anxiety (P < .01).

Conclusion

Participation in wellness courses that incorporate a mind–body–spirit approach to health improves multiple domains of psychosocial well-being, which persists even after course participation.

Residential meditation retreats: their role in contemplative practice and significance for psychological research

Contemporary investigations of mindfulness and meditation have predominately emphasized the short-term effects of brief inductions or standardized, multi-week interventions in people with little to no prior meditation experience. Considerably less is known about the effects of continued or intensive meditation practice as proficiency and expertise are acquired over time. In this article, we describe the form and function of residential retreats, an understudied class of meditation intervention that holds promise for bridging this gap in the empirical literature. We outline a number of design features that distinguish retreats from other meditation-based interventions, and highlight their utility for informing functional and developmental perspectives on meditation, cognition, health, and well-being.