Psychological flexibility and attitudes toward evidence-based interventions by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

Exploring the Potential Utility of Psychedelic Therapy for Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an aggressive, terminal neurodegenerative disease that causes death of motor neurons and has an average survival time of 3-4 years. ALS is the most common motor neuron degenerative disease and is increasing in prevalence. There is a pressing need for more effective ALS treatments as available pharmacotherapies do not reverse disease progression or provide substantial clinical benefit. Furthermore, despite psychological distress being highly prevalent in ALS patients, psychological treatments remain understudied. Psychedelics (i.e., serotonergic psychedelics and related compounds like ketamine) have seen a resurgence of research into therapeutic applications for treating a multitude of neuropsychiatric conditions, including psychiatric and existential distress in life-threatening illnesses. Methods: We conducted a narrative review to examine the potential of psychedelic assisted-psychotherapy (PAP) to alleviate psychiatric and psychospiritual distress in ALS. We also discussed the safety of using psychedelics in this population and proposed putative neurobiological mechanisms that may therapeutically intervene on ALS neuropathology. Results: PAP has the potential to treat psychological dimensions and may also intervene on neuropathological dimensions of ALS. Robust improvements in psychiatric and psychospiritual distress from PAP in other populations provide a strong rationale for utilizing this therapy to treat ALS-related psychiatric and existential distress. Furthermore, relevant neuroprotective properties of psychedelics warrant future preclinical trials to investigate this area in ALS models. Conclusion: PAP has the potential to serve as an effective treatment in ALS. Given the lack of effective treatment options, researchers should rigorously explore this therapy for ALS in future trials.

Influence of Parental Psychological Flexibility on Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Coping Style

Background: Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy hinders the establishment of immune barrier in children. Psychological flexibility may be a key contributing factor to pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and self-efficacy and coping style play an important role in the relationship, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on parents from June 2021 to July 2021. A total of 382 parents were recruited for an online-investigation. Serial mediation models were used to examine whether self-efficacy and coping style mediated in the psychological flexibility-pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy linkage.

Result: Psychological flexibility was negatively related to pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (r = −0.198, P < 0.001). Coping styles rather than self-efficacy played a mediating role independently (95% CI: −0.263 to −0.058). Serial mediation analyses indicated that self-efficacy and coping style co-play a serial mediating role in the association of psychological flexibility and pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (95% CI: −0.037 to −0.001).

Conclusion: The present study showed that high psychological flexibility, high self-efficacy, and positive coping style were conducive to the lower pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.