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Williamson ES, Arentsen TJ, Roper BL, Pedersen HA, Shultz LA, Crouse EM. The Importance of the Morel Emotional Numbing Test Instructions: A Diagnosis Threat Induction Study. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 39:35-50. [PMID: 37449530 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Marketed as a validity test that detects feigning of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Morel Emotional Numbing Test for PTSD (MENT) instructs examinees that PTSD may negatively affect performance on the measure. This study explored the potential that MENT performance depends on inclusion of "PTSD" in its instructions and the nature of the MENT as a performance validity versus a symptom validity test (PVT/SVT). METHOD 358 participants completed the MENT as a part of a clinical neuropsychological evaluation. Participants were either administered the MENT with the standard instructions (SIs) that referenced "PTSD" or revised instructions (RIs) that did not. Others were administered instructions that referenced "ADHD" rather than PTSD (AI). Comparisons were conducted on those who presented with concerns for potential traumatic-stress related symptoms (SI vs. RI-1) or attention deficit (AI vs. RI-2). RESULTS Participants in either the SI or AI condition produced more MENT errors than those in their respective RI conditions. The relationship between MENT errors and other S/PVTs was significantly stronger in the SI: RI-1 comparison, such that errors correlated with self-reported trauma-related symptoms in the SI but not RI-1 condition. MENT failure also predicted PVT failure at nearly four times the rate of SVT failure. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that the MENT relies on overt reference to PTSD in its instructions, which is linked to the growing body of literature on "diagnosis threat" effects. The MENT may be considered a measure of suggestibility. Ethical considerations are discussed, as are the construct(s) measured by PVTs versus SVTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Williamson
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Timothy J Arentsen
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Brad L Roper
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Heather A Pedersen
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Laura A Shultz
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ellen M Crouse
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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Endhoven B, De Cort K, Matthijssen SJMA, de Jongh A, van Minnen A, Duits P, Schruers KRJ, van Dis EAM, Krypotos AM, Gerritsen L, Engelhard IM. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy or supportive counseling prior to exposure therapy in patients with panic disorder: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial (IMPROVE). BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:157. [PMID: 36918861 PMCID: PMC10011792 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04320-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure-based therapy is the treatment of choice for anxiety disorders, but many patients do not benefit sufficiently from it. Distressing images of threat related to the future or past may maintain the anxiety symptomatology or impede exposure therapy. An intervention that targets threat-related imagery is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. The main goal of this multicenter randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether EMDR therapy plus exposure therapy, relative to supportive counseling plus exposure therapy, improves treatment efficacy, tolerability, and adherence in patients with panic disorder. In addition, we will examine potential predictors of optimal treatment allocation, mechanisms of change as well as the long term effects of treatment. Finally, we will assess cost-effectiveness. METHODS A multicenter randomized controlled trial mixed design will be conducted. Participants will be 50 patients, aged ≥ 18, diagnosed with a panic disorder. They will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: EMDR therapy (i.e., flashforward strategy) or supportive counseling (each consisting of four weekly sessions of 90 min each) prior to exposure therapy (consisting of eight weekly sessions of 90 min each). Assessments will be made pre-treatment (T1), between-treatments (T2), post-treatment (T3), one month post-treatment (FU1) and six months post-treatment (FU2) by an assessor blind to treatment condition. The primary outcome measure is severity of panic-related symptoms. Secondary outcome measures are: tolerability of exposure therapy (initial avoidance, willingness to start exposure therapy, considered drop-out; no-show and drop-out), related symptomatology (generalized anxiety, depression), and functional impairment. DISCUSSION The primary goals of this research are to compare the efficacy, tolerability, and adherence of EMDR therapy plus exposure therapy and supportive counseling plus exposure therapy and to identify predictors, moderators, and mediators for treatment success. This multi-center research aims to make a significant contribution to our understanding as to how treatment for patients with anxiety disorders can be optimized, and elucidate who can benefit most from this novel approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN-ISRCTN29668369: Improving anxiety treatment by modifying emotional memories before real-life exposure. Registered 27 June 2022-retrospectively registered. ISRCTN-ISRCTN29668369.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Endhoven
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Altrecht Academic Anxiety Center, Nieuwe, Houtenseweg 12, 3524 SH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Klara De Cort
- Academic Anxiety Center, Mondriaan/PsyQ, Oranjeplein 10, 6624 KD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Suzy J M A Matthijssen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Altrecht Academic Anxiety Center, Nieuwe, Houtenseweg 12, 3524 SH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ad de Jongh
- PSYTREC, Professor Bronkhorstlaan 2, 3723 MB, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam), Gustav Mahlerlaan 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Agnes van Minnen
- PSYTREC, Professor Bronkhorstlaan 2, 3723 MB, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, PO Box 9104, 6500HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Puck Duits
- Altrecht Academic Anxiety Center, Nieuwe, Houtenseweg 12, 3524 SH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Koen R J Schruers
- Academic Anxiety Center, Mondriaan/PsyQ, Oranjeplein 10, 6624 KD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Research Group Health Psychology, PO Box 3726, 3000, Leuven, KU, Belgium
| | - Eva A M van Dis
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Angelos M Krypotos
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Research Group Health Psychology, PO Box 3726, 3000, Leuven, KU, Belgium
| | - Lotte Gerritsen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Iris M Engelhard
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Altrecht Academic Anxiety Center, Nieuwe, Houtenseweg 12, 3524 SH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Akintola T, Chung J, Atlas L. The Effects of Expectations and Worries on the Experience of COVID-19 Symptoms. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.01.26.23284911. [PMID: 36789412 PMCID: PMC9928146 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.23284911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to have profound effects on both mental and physical health. Distress and widespread uncertainty about global events and personal risk are associated with increased worry and negative expectations that impact physical health. Thus, the current pandemic poses a possibility for the experience of nocebo effects. Objective To evaluate the likelihood of nocebo-induced COVID-19 symptoms in a US sample. Methods An online study on the mental health impact of COVID-19 asked participants to complete a set of biweekly surveys over a 6-month period between April 2020 and May 2021. We focus on responses from 3,027 individuals who reported never testing positive for COVID-19. We assessed the association between two types of worry and self-reported symptoms of COVID-19. We used multi-level models to examine variations across and within participants over time. We further investigated the effects of pre-existing health conditions and mental health status. Results There was a positive association between symptoms and both general (b= 2.56, p<0.01) and personal worry (b=2.77, p<0.01). However, worry reported at one timepoint was not specifically associated with symptoms reported two weeks later (p = 0.63, p=0.56). We also found that a greater number of prior clinical comorbidities and greater mental health burden were significant predictors of symptom reporting. Conclusions These results suggest that increased worries during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with greater symptoms. Further studies investigating worry and symptoms in populations with confirmed negative COVID-19 tests or isolated populations will be needed to isolate the occurrence of true nocebo effects during the pandemic.
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Chronic pain concepts of pediatricians: a qualitative survey. Pain Rep 2023; 8:e1060. [PMID: 36699994 PMCID: PMC9845015 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic pain is a prevalent, yet underrecognized, condition in children and adolescents. A biopsychosocial framework has been widely adopted over the past decades and resulted in a new pain classification in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision (ICD-11). Nevertheless, little is known about pediatricians' pain concepts. Objectives We explored pain concepts of Swiss pediatricians by means of a qualitative analysis. Method A cross-sectional online survey was sent to clinically active Swiss pediatricians registered with the Swiss Society for Pediatrics. A case vignette of a girl with chronic musculoskeletal pain was presented and pediatricians were asked (1) what they think caused the pain, and (2) how they would explain the pain to the patient and their family. Structuring content analysis was applied to describe major themes within the answers. Results The following main categories emerged: psychological factors, biological factors, unclear etiology, social context, disorder specific, and multifactorial. Most pediatricians reported the belief that psychological factors explained the pain. However, when explaining the pain to the patient, biological factors were reported most often. Conclusion There is a discrepancy between pediatricians' conviction that chronic pain is mostly explained by psychological factors and their exploratory model towards patients that focuses on biological factors. Promoting the biopsychosocial framework of chronic pain is key to ensure timely and effective treatment. The new pain classification in the ICD-11 has the potential to increase the use of the biopsychosocial model.
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Avoiding nocebo and other undesirable effects in chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy: An invitation to reflect. Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2022; 62:102677. [PMID: 36368170 DOI: 10.1016/j.msksp.2022.102677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While the placebo effect is increasingly recognised as a contributor to treatment effects in clinical practice, the nocebo and other undesirable effects are less well explored and likely underestimated. In the chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy professions, some aspects of historical models of care may arguably increase the risk of nocebo effects. PURPOSE In this masterclass article, clinicians, researchers, and educators are invited to reflect on such possibilities, in an attempt to stimulate research and raise awareness for the mitigation of such undesirable effects. IMPLICATIONS This masterclass briefly introduces the nocebo effect and its underlying mechanisms. It then traces the historical development of chiropractic, osteopathy, and physiotherapy, arguing that there was and continues to be an excessive focus on the patient's body. Next, aspects of clinical practice, including communication, the therapeutic relationship, clinical rituals, and the wider social and economic context of practice are examined for their potential to generate nocebo and other undesirable effects. To aid reflection, a model to reflect on clinical practice and individual professions through the 'prism' of nocebo and other undesirable effects is introduced and illustrated. Finally, steps are proposed for how researchers, educators, and practitioners can maximise positive and minimise negative clinical context.
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Blease C. Sharing online clinical notes with patients: implications for nocebo effects and health equity. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2022; 49:medethics-2022-108413. [PMID: 35918134 DOI: 10.1136/jme-2022-108413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Patients in around 20 countries worldwide are now offered online access to at least some of their medical records. Access includes test results, medication lists, referral information, and/or the very words written by clinicians (so-called 'open notes'). In this paper, I discuss the possibility of one unintended negative consequence of patient access to their clinical notes-the potential to increase 'nocebo effects'. A growing body of research shows that nocebo effects arise by engaging perceptual and cognitive processes that influence negative expectancies, and as a consequence, adverse health effects. Studies show that increased awareness about the side effects of medications, the framing of information and the socioemotional context of care can increase the risk of nocebo effects. Connecting research into the nocebo effect with open notes provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that patient access to clinical notes might be a forum for facilitating unwanted nocebo effects. Furthermore, current findings indicate that we might expect to see systematic differences in how nocebo effects are experienced among different patient populations. The ethical implications of the tension between transparency and the potential for harm are discussed, with an emphasis on what open notes might mean for justice and equity in clinical care for a range of already marginalised patient populations. I argue that to resolve these challenges does not thereby justify 'closed notes', and conclude with suggestions for how health systems and clinicians might adapt to this innovation to reduce the risk of potential nocebo effects arising via this novel route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Blease
- Division of General Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Koechlin H, Kossowsky J, Lam TL, Barthel J, Gaab J, Berde CB, Schwarzer G, Linde K, Meissner K, Locher C. Nonpharmacological Interventions for Pediatric Migraine: A Network Meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2021; 147:peds.2019-4107. [PMID: 33688031 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-4107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Migraine is a common neurologic disorder in children and adolescents. However, a comparison of multiple nonpharmacological treatments is lacking. OBJECTIVE To examine whether nonpharmacological treatments are more effective than waiting list and whether there are differences between interventions regarding efficacy. DATA SOURCES Systematic review and network meta-analysis of studies in Medline, Cochrane, Embase, and PsycINFO published through August 5, 2019. STUDY SELECTION Randomized controlled trials of nonpharmacological treatments in children and adolescents diagnosed with episodic migraine. DATA EXTRACTION Effect sizes, calculated as standardized mean differences (SMDs) for the primary outcome efficacy, were assessed in a random-effects model. RESULTS Twelve studies (N = 576) were included. When interventions were classified into groups on the basis of similarity of treatment components, self-administered treatments, biofeedback, relaxation, psychological treatments, and psychological placebos were significantly more effective than waiting list with effect sizes ranging between SMD = 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.09 to 2.19) for long-term psychological placebos to SMD = 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 0.26 to 2.62) for short-term self-administered treatments. However, when all interventions were examined individually (ie, 1 node per intervention), none were significantly more effective compared with waiting list, mainly because of lack of statistical power. LIMITATIONS Because of our focus on pediatric migraine, only a small number of studies could be included. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that components of nonpharmacological interventions are effective in treating pediatric migraine. Some effects have to be interpreted carefully because they are based on small studies. Future researchers should identify factors associated with individual responses in large, multicentered studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Koechlin
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Contributed equally as co-first authors
| | - Joe Kossowsky
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Contributed equally as co-first authors
| | - Thanh Lan Lam
- Institute of Medical Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Jens Gaab
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Charles B Berde
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Guido Schwarzer
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany
| | - Klaus Linde
- Institute of General Practice and Health Services Research, School of Medicine, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Meissner
- Institute of Medical Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany
| | - Cosima Locher
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; .,Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom; and.,Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Fountoulakis KN, Tohen M. Interpreting the Findings of a Meta-analysis of Psychosocial Interventions in Bipolar Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry 2021; 78:447-448. [PMID: 33533875 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.4412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos N Fountoulakis
- Third Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mauricio Tohen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque
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Amanzio M, Cipriani GE, Bartoli M. How do nocebo effects in placebo groups of randomized controlled trials provide a possible explicative framework for the COVID-19 pandemic? Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2021; 14:439-444. [PMID: 33682603 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2021.1900728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are useful to study the role of individual and contextual factors in which therapies vs placebos are administered and to provide an important perspective for understanding the phenomenon of nocebo-related risks.Areas covered: The results of nocebo effects in RCT placebo groups, measured in terms of adverse events (AEs) and dropouts, will be presented as an explicative framework for the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are the only RCTs routinely conducted during the pandemic. Information about efficacy and safety of different vaccines represents a fertile ground for nocebo phenomena. Individual and contextual factors will be emphasized in order to understand the presence of a refusal of immunization associated with a specific vaccine considered less effective and safe. Critical aspects and some guidelines will be presented in order to counteract the nocebo effects and to improve adherence to drug treatments and the vaccination campaign.Expert opinion: The nocebo effect could explain the presence of strong resistance in European countries to immunization with a vaccine perceived as less effective, compared to others. Increased awareness of the nocebo effect would be relevant as it could lead to a greater participation in the vaccination campaign and in protecting individuals against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Lin CH. Nocebo effects from COVID-19 and vaccination Hesitancy: The question of to be or not to be vaccinated. TAIWANESE JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/tpsy.tpsy_33_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Troisi A. Fear of Covid-19: Insights from Evolutionary Behavioral Science. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2020; 17:72-75. [PMID: 34908971 PMCID: PMC8629040 DOI: 10.36131/cn20200207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fear of infectious disease is substantially different from that evoked by other medical conditions. Such a difference depends on psychological and behavioral adaptations shaped by natural selection throughout the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens. Selective pressures have favored the evolution of a behavioral immune system that is separate from, and complementary to, the physiological immune system. The two systems interact in a complex way. The psychological mechanisms (i.e. disgust and fear) involved in the behavioral immune system impact also on aspects that pertain to social psychology (i.e. xenophobia, conformism, and authoritarianism). Acknowledging the existence of psychological and behavioral adaptations to avoid infection has important implications for public health programs, including the necessity of fighting stigma and the dubious utility of trauma debriefing for healthcare workers facing the COVID-19 emergency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Troisi
- International Medical School, University of Rome Tor Vergata
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12
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Gerger H, Nascimento AF, Locher C, Gaab J, Trachsel M. What are the Key Characteristics of a 'Good' Psychotherapy? Calling for Ethical Patient Involvement. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:406. [PMID: 32581856 PMCID: PMC7292227 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The evidence-based practice movement clearly defines the relevant components of a good treatment. In the present article, we elaborate on how the active involvement of patients within psychotherapy can and should be increased in order to respect ethical considerations. Our arguments complement the requirements of evidence-based practice, and are independent of the actual psychotherapeutic treatment approach being used. METHOD Theoretical and ethical analysis. RESULTS In order to respect patient autonomy, psychotherapy needs to be transparent and honest when it comes to disclosing the relevant factors for promoting therapeutic change. It has been argued that ethical informed consent needs to include empirically supported patient information. In this paper we go one step further: we outline that fully respecting ethical considerations in psychotherapeutic treatment necessarily calls for acknowledging and strengthening the active role of patients in the course of psychotherapy. Accordingly, patients need not only to be informed openly and transparently about the planned treatment, the treatment rationale, and the expected prognosis of improvement in the course of psychotherapy, but they also need to be actively involved in the decision-making process and during the entire process of psychotherapeutic treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our arguments support the tendency that can be observed in health care in recent years towards more active patient involvement across different health-care domains, but also in clinical research. This article offers an ethical perspective on the question what defines a 'good psychotherapy', which, hopefully, will help to leave behind some of the ongoing psychotherapy debates and move the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Gerger
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Antje Frey Nascimento
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cosima Locher
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.,Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jens Gaab
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Trachsel
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Clinical Ethics Unit, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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