Mental State Research Articles

Investigating the Impact of Social Communication Deficiencies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on Their Parents' Depression and Anxiety Levels

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) significantly impacts individuals' social communication abilities, affecting both the diagnosed children and their families, especially the mental health of their parents. While existing literature has focused on the direct implications for individuals with ASD, the psychological toll on caregivers is often overlooked. This study explores the relationship between children's social communication challenges due to ASD and the subsequent mental health outcomes in their parents, specifically depression and anxiety levels. Using a correlational design, the research involved 400 parents of children with ASD aged 4-18 from various urban centers in Turkey. Data were collected using the Social Communication Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory to assess children's social communication deficits and parents' psychological states. Spearman’s correlation coefficients and subgroup analyses evaluated the relationships between the severity of children's social communication problems and parental depression and anxiety levels. The findings revealed a strong correlation between the severity of social communication deficiencies in children with ASD and heightened levels of depression and anxiety among their parents. Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed significant negative correlations, with r=-0.218 for depression and r=-0.263 for anxiety. Parents of children with more severe communication deficits reported higher psychological distress. This pattern was consistent across different demographic subgroups. The study's unique contribution lies in its quantitative confirmation of these relationships within a Turkish urban population, underscoring the need for holistic, family-centered approaches in ASD management.

The application effect of preventive nursing intervention in patients with traumatic flail chest: A retrospective study.

This retrospective study explores the intervention effect of preventive nursing on participants with traumatic flail chest caused by multiple rib fractures. In this study, 92 patients with multiple rib fractures from a certain hospital from July 2020 to June 2022 were chosen as the research subjects. They were divided into research group and a control group according to different nursing methods. The control group received routine care. The research group received preventive care on the basis of the control group. Then, questionnaire survey was collected to evaluate the quality of life, pain degree, psychological state, complications, and lung function recovery of patients before and after nursing. In the quality of life score, before nursing, the scores of the research group and the control group were between 52 and 69, and the difference among the participants in the experiment did not possess statistical significance (P > .05). After nursing, the scores of the research group were markedly superior to the control group, and all scores possessed statistical significance (P < .05). In the pain score, the pain scores of the research group and the control group before preventive nursing were 7.87 ± 0.86 and 7.68 ± 0.75, respectively, and the difference among the participants in the experiment did not possess statistical significance (P > .05). After 6 months of nursing, the pain scores of the participants in the experiment were 2.84 ± 0.69 and 3.04 ± 0.72, respectively. The difference among the participants in the experiment possessed statistical significance (P < .05). In the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the psychological state scores of the experimental group and the control group before intervention nursing were 52.87 ± 4.97 and 51.74 ± 4.56, respectively, and the scores after intervention nursing were 22.68 ± 4.69 and 36.87 ± 5.21, respectively. The difference among the participants in the experiment possessed statistical significance (P < .05). Preventive nursing interventions can improve long-term quality of life, significantly alleviate postoperative pain, decrease the incidence of postoperative complications, as well as enhance nursing satisfaction in patients with traumatic flail chest.

Transcending Ibn Rushd’s methods of reasoning

ABSTRACT Ibn Rushd presents different methods of reasoning. Each method differs in terms of its construction, level of assent, and the cognitive state it ultimately produces. Despite these technical variations, notable authors suggest that they are all equally valid and sound. I analyse this claim, and argue that although demonstrative and dialectical arguments are both valid and sound, there is a theoretical discrepancy between the two. Subsequently, I explore how underscoring this issue would motivate a non-classical/many-valued logic and a plurality of truth in being able to make sense of the theoretical discrepancy.

Тенденции исследований в психологии семьи: от неблагополучия к жизнеспособности

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;A special issue of the journal "Social Psychology of the Modern Family" is devoted to the research of the modern family in the context of socio-psychological knowledge. The issue reflects trends, the general state and problems of family psychology, highlights a number of fundamental socio-psychological problems of the family that underlie its dynamic development in modern society, and identifies further research prospects in this area.&lt;/p&gt;

Signal detection analysis of affective prosody recognition in forensic inpatients who have committed sexual offenses

ABSTRACT Socio-affective functioning, or the way we interact and relate to others, is one of the four dynamic sexual recidivism risk domains. Accurately recognizing emotions enables the inference of mental and affective states supporting social adaptation. As little attention has been paid to affective prosody recognition in forensic inpatients who have committed sexual offenses (FICSOs), this study assessed the accuracy and sensitivity scores of 111 male participants assigned into three groups: FICSOs (n = 35), forensic inpatients who have committed non-sexual offenses (FICNSOs, n = 26) and community members (CoM, n = 50). Collected data also include response bias, emotion labeling reflection time, task easiness and task easiness reflection time. Using non-parametric group comparisons (Kruskal–Wallis H and Mann–Whitney U), results highlight, overall, a pervasive impairment of affective prosody recognition in FICSOs and FICNSOs compared to CoM. However, there was no difference in disgust sensitivity scores between FICSOs and CoM. FICSOs and FICNSOs took significantly longer than CoM to select an emotional label, especially for happiness. In addition, a metacognitive impairment was found in FICSOs and FICNSOs as they found the task significantly easier than CoM while being less sensitive.

Mind-body medicine and altered states of consciousness in Homo

The mind-body relationship has long been a subject of inquiry from both philosophical and scientific perspectives. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato posited dualistic models, where the mind and body are distinct substances. In contrast, modern approaches in Mind-Body Medicine (MBM) offer integrative models that emphasize the interconnectedness of mental and physical states and the proactive role of the patient in their own healing process. This review examines the evolutionary roots of altered states of consciousness (ASC) as a precursor to current MBM techniques. By tracing ASC to early hominins and their cognitive development, it posits that the ability to enter various ASC—such as those used in rituals, meditation, and other mind-body practices—provided evolutionary advantages, influencing both individual fitness and social cohesion. Moreover, this review discusses tonic immobility in animals as a survival mechanism and explores parallels in human and non-human primate behaviors involving ASC. Additionally, neurochemical pathways that govern ASC, such as serotonergic and dopaminergic regulation, are explored for their roles in promoting social behaviors, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation. Furthermore, the role of the default mode network is investigated in relation to psychotropic and mood altering substances and altered states of consciousness. This integrated perspective offers new insights into the origins of MBM and underscores the significance of ASC in both evolutionary and contemporary contexts.

Association of glymphatic system dysfunction with cognitive impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy.

To explore the relationship between glymphatic dysfunction and cognitive impairment in unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This study retrospectively included 38 patients with unilateral TLE and 26 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs). The diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index, choroid plexus volume (CPV), and cognitive assessment were obtained for each participant. Neuropsychological test batteries included Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Minimum Mental State Examination, Arithmetic Test (AT), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Digit Span Test (DST), Boston Naming Test, Block design, Phonological Fluency Test (PFT), and Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF). Compared to HCs, TLE patients had lower scores of MoCA, AT, DSST, DST, Block design, PFT and SVF (all p < 0.05) and lower values of mean DTI-ALPS index (1.491 ± 0.142 vs. 1.642 ± 0.123, p < 0.001). Significantly lower DTI-ALPS index values were observed in the ipsilateral hemisphere than in the contralateral hemisphere (1.466 ± 0.129 vs. 1.517 ± 0.175, p = 0.013) for patients with unilateral TLE. Correlation analyses found that SVF performance was significantly or borderline significantly associated with glymphatic function (FDR-corrected p < 0.05 for all DTI-ALPS index and FDR-corrected p = 0.057 for CPV) in TLE patients. Linear regression analyses showed that increased CPV and decreased DTI-ALPS index were independent risk factors for semantic fluency impairment (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, mediation analyses found the mediator role of the mean DTI-ALPS index in the relationship between choroid plexus enlargement and semantic fluency impairment (indirect effect: β = -0.182, 95%CI = -0.486 to -0.037). These findings reveal the important role of the DTI-ALPS index and CPV in SVF performance in unilateral TLE. Decreased DTI-ALPS index and increased CPV are the independent risk factors for semantic fluency impairment. The DTI-ALPS index may fully mediate the relationship between CP enlargement and SVF performance. These insights provide a radiological foundation for further investigations into the mechanism of the glymphatic system in TLE pathophysiology.

Yoga fitness with middle-aged women: benefits for physical and mental health

Physical education of adults is important for maintaining their health. The choice of directions for the use of means of physical education should be based on the prevailing needs for motor activity of persons of mature age. The goal is to develop and experimentally substantiate the methodology of yoga classes for women aged 21-35. Participants Women 21-35 years old. Methods. Psychodiagnostics, movement testing, pedagogical experiment. Intervention. The method of yoga classes with middle-aged women has been developed and tested. The peculiarity of the proposed method is connected with the systematic use of original sets of yoga gymnastics exercises. The developed complexes were applied taking into account the successive increase in exposure and were used in accordance with the solution of specific training tasks. The results. The effectiveness of the proposed format of using yogic gymnastics exercises to improve indicators of the physical and psychological state of middle-aged women has been established. The improvement of performance characteristics, the cardiorespiratory system and the normalization of the psychological state of the participants under the influence of the applied sets of exercises were recorded. Discussion. Systematic yoga classes in the format of using developed sets of exercises were to determine their effectiveness in improving physical conditions and improving the psychological state of middle- aged women. The selected physical exercises belonged to the field of mental fitness and were stato-dynamic in nature. Accordingly, the mild effect of the classes on women who do not regularly engage in fitness should be related to the improvement of physical conditions, and meditative practices were associated with expectations regarding the normalization of the psychological state of the participants. The obtained results confirmed the stated expectations and do not contradict the results of similar studies. Conclusions. The established features of building effective yoga classes with middle-aged women allow us to recommend this type of fitness as an affordable means of improving the health of this contingent of people. The obtained results contribute to the further search for possibilities of detailing the program of yoga classes with middle-aged women in order to expand the range of tasks of physical education of this continent of people.

A WeChat platform program (WCPP) for full-process management of patients with cardiac valve interventional surgery based on psycho-cardiology: protocol of a mixed-method study

BackgroundValvular heart disease is the third most common cardiovascular disease; it significantly diminishes patients’ quality of life and imposes burdens on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. In recent years, psycho-cardiology has emerged as a prominent field in which to explore the link between mental illness and heart disease. This mixed-method study aims to assess the effectiveness of the WCPP, which includes hospital-to-home transitional care, remote intelligent monitoring, and decision aids, in improving the physical and mental health of patients.MethodsA mixed-method study was conducted at a cardiac valve interventional surgery (CVIS) center in Southwest China. A total of 154 CVIS patients participated, with the intervention group receiving the WCPP and the control group following the traditional CVIS management program. Both groups were followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome is measured via the Chinese version of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The Secondary outcomes included the 6-min walk test (6MWT), modified Barthel index (MBI), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), patient satisfaction, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Additionally, qualitative research will assess the psychological state and experiences of the patients.DiscussionOur study is one of the few involving patients with CVIS and the first to apply psycho-cardiology through a full-process management platform. The study population is predominantly from Southwest China and includes a diverse range of demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Upon completion, this study will provide valuable insights into the use of a remote, full-process management platform for CVIS patients.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2400081052. Registered on 21 February 2024. The trial complies with the SPIRIT and CONSORT guidelines.

The Pathophysiology and Biomarkers of Delirium.

Delirium is a major disturbance in the mental state characterized by fluctuations in arousal, deficits in attention, distorted perception, and disruptions in memory and cognitive processing. Delirium affects approximately 18% to 25% of hospital inpatients, with even higher rates observed during critical illness. To develop therapies to shorten the duration and limit the adverse effects of delirium, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying its presentation. Neuroimaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, functional MRI, and near-infrared spectroscopy point to global atrophy, white matter changes, and disruptions in cerebral blood flow, oxygenation, metabolism, and connectivity as key correlates of delirium pathogenesis. Electroencephalography demonstrates generalized slowing of normal background activity, with pathologic decreases in variability of oscillatory patterns and disruptions in functional connectivity among specific brain regions. Elevated serum biomarkers of inflammation, including interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and S100B, suggest a role of dysregulated inflammatory processes and cellular metabolism, particularly in perioperative and sepsis-related delirium. Emerging animal models that can mimic delirium-like clinical states will reveal further insights into delirium pathophysiology. The combination of clinical and basic science methods of exploring delirium shows great promise in elucidating its underlying mechanisms and revealing potential therapeutic targets.

The influence of care types on the development of orphans--An empirical study from China.

Care typess is considered the cornerstone of orphan's happiness and health. In 2022, China had more than 190,000 orphans in different types of care. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between care types and development of orphans in China. We conducted an empirical study using cross-sectional survey data related to orphans from LZ City, Sichuan Province, China, in 2020. The data sample consists of 320 valid samples of orphans and their families, including 166 boys and 154 girls. The study conducted multiple linear regression model to analyze the relationship between care types and other family variables and the development of orphans. The results indicate that compared with other care types, grandparent care has a significant positive impact on the overall development and psychological status of orphans, with this impact being moderated by the social participation of guardians. The higher the social participation of guardians, the greater the positive impact of grandparent care on the development of orphans. Further analysis, grouped by sex and age, revealed that the effects of care types on orphan development are influenced by the gender and age of orphans. Specifically, girls and younger orphans tend to exhibit better development in a grandparent care family. The research results of this study provide an empirical basis for the government to formulate policies, and for the government, society and family to jointly ensure the better development of orphans.

Patients with temporomandibular disorders and chronic pain of myofascial origin display reduced alpha power density and altered small-world properties of brain networks

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is one of the most common symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Although its pathophysiology is still a challenge, TMD has been associated with changes in central nervous system activity related to pain modulatory capacity. OBJECTIVE: To assess the cortical activity of patients with temporomandibular disorders and chronic pain of myofascial origin using quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) in different mental states. METHOD: This study consists of a cross-sectional study. Individuals with TMD and chronic pain and healthy controls were evaluated using qEEG in four consecutive conditions, all with closed eyes: 1) initial resting condition; 2) non-painful motor imagery task of hand movement; 3) painful motor imagery task of clenching the teeth; 4) final resting condition. RESULTS: Participants with TMD and chronic pain overall presented decreased alpha power density during baseline at rest, non-painful and painful motor imagery tasks when compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, functional brain connectivity was distinct between groups, with TMD and chronic pain showing lower small-world values for the delta (all conditions), theta (painful and non-painful motor imagery task), and alpha bands (painful motor imagery task), and an increase in the beta band (all conditions). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TMD and chronic pain could be associated with maladaptive plasticity in the brain, which may correspond to a reduced ability to modify brain activity during different mental tasks, including painful and non-painful motor imagery.

Trails, traits, and mental states: Psychological differences between competitive and recreational sub-ultra and ultramarathon runners

Psychological trait differences between ultrarunners (completing more than a standard 42.195 km marathon) and sub-ultrarunners (≤42.195 km) have been assumed, but not robustly examined. The current study investigated trait differences between competitive and recreational runners at sub-ultra and ultramarathon distances. Six hundred and eleven participants (334 recreational, 400 sub-ultrarunner) completed an online, anonymous survey assessing five traits: mental toughness (MT), grit, motivation, general self-efficacy (GSE), and personality. Bayesian ANOVAs indicated at least moderate evidence for differences within Distance for grit-perseverance of effort (PE) and intrinsic motivation (IM), such that ultrarunners scored higher than sub-ultrarunners. Similarly, we observed at least moderate evidence that competitive runners scored higher than recreational runners on overall grit, grit-PE, GSE, IM, and extrinsic motivation (EM). Interaction effects provided moderate evidence for greater MT and overall grit in competitive ultrarunners. Evidence for other differences were anecdotal or favoured the null hypothesis. This study represents a novel investigation into the psychological makeup of runners. We suggest that aspects of motivation, grit, and self-efficacy, but not personality, may differentiate competitive from recreational runners, and ultrarunners from sub-ultrarunners. The identification of these trait differences may benefit runners and coaches wanting to progress in distance or competition level, with broader application to workplace or academic contexts. Further research is needed to develop a clearer conceptualisation of mental toughness, and build upon the novel findings of this study, particularly given the paucity of literature that exists within this context.

Configuration of accident trajectories after a rehabilitation programme: on the sharp edge between reintegration and socio-professional exclusion

Purpose To analyse the factors influencing the configuration of accident trajectories from de perspective of patients and assess the role of rehabilitation in managing pain and functional limitations autonomously. Material and methods Using a qualitative, longitudinal, interdisciplinary approach, we conducted two comprehensive interviews (one year apart) with patients experiencing chronic pain and functional limitations following orthopaedic trauma. Thematic analysis was conducted utilising MaxQDA® software to systematically analyse the data. Results Twenty-four patients participated (4 ♀; 20 ♂; 44.9 ± 10.6, min. 19; max. 63.5 yo; 1.0 ± 4.0 years duration; pain 4.6 (1.8) severity subscale (0-10) [mean (SD)]). Through reconstruction their experiences we identified three types of accident trajectories: socio-professional reintegration, ongoing reintegration, and exclusion. Factors influencing these trajectories included physical and psychological health status, occupational status, private and social context, and insurance and therapeutic aspects. Patients’ perceptions and socio-demographic characteristics also contributed to trajectories specificities. Conclusion Understanding the factors that influence accident trajectories links individual and social dimensions, offering an overall comprehension of patients’ situations and structural constraints. This understanding enables the factors influencing trajectories to be considered during rehabilitation, thereby promoting the patient’s socio-professional reintegration through targeted interventions.

Carry-forward effect: providing proactive scaffolding to learning processes

ABSTRACT Multimodal data enables us to capture the cognitive and affective states of students to provide a holistic understanding of learning processes in a wide variety of contexts. With the use of sensing technology, we can capture learners' states in near real-time and support learning. Moreover, multimodal data allows us to obtain early predictions of learning performance, and support learning in a timely manner. In this contribution, we utilise the notion of ‘carry forward effect’, an inferential and predictive modelling approach that utilises multimodal data measurements detrimental to learning performance to provide timely feedback suggestions. Carry forward effect can provide a way to prioritise conflicting feedback suggestions in a multimodal data-based scaffolding tool. We showcase the empirical proof of the carry forward effect with the use of three different learning scenarios: game-based learning, individual debugging, and collaborative debugging.

Emotion Classification from Speech Waveform Using Machine Learning and Deep Learning Techniques

Emotions play a key role in determining the human mental state and indirectly express an individual’s well- being. A speech emotion recognition system can extract a person’s emotions from his/her speech inputs. There are some universal emotions such as anger, disgust, fear, happiness, pleasantness, sadness and neutral. These emotions are of significance especially in a situation like the Covid pandemic, when the aged or sick are vulnerable to depression. In the current paper, we examined various classification models with finite computational strength and resources in order to determine the emotion of a person from his/her speech. Speech prosodic features like pitch, loudness, and tone of speech, and work spectral features such as Mel Frequency Capstral Coefficients (MFCCs) of the voice were used to analyze the emotions of a person. Although sequence to sequence state of the art models for speech detection that offer high levels of accuracy and precision are currently in use, the computational needs of such approaches are high and inefficient. Therefore, in this work, we emphasised analysis and comparison of different classification algorithms such as multi layer perceptron, decision tree, support vector machine, and deep neural networks such as convolutional neural network and long short term memory. Given an audio file, the emotions that were exhibited by the speaker were recognized using machine learning and deep learning techniques. A comparative study was performed to identify the most appropriate algorithms that could be used to recognize emotions. Based on the experiment results, the MLP classifier and convolutional neural network model offered better accuracy with smaller variations when compared with other models used for the study.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers of a Field Hospital in UN Peacekeeping Mission

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected the healthcare system worldwide as well as the psychological state of all. The objective of the current study was to assess the psychological conditions of the healthcare workers in Enhanced Level 1+ Hospital, Bouar, Central African Republic (CAR). This assessment can help in the guideline development and implication psychological interventions which in turn can improve the quality of life, working environment and decision-making capabilities of health care workers during widespread pandemic. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 medical personnel working in Enhanced Level 1+ Hospital, Bouar, Central African Republic. The study was performed from June 2022 to August 2022. Assessment of psychological status of military healthcare providers was done by analyzing the results derived from the Mental health survey, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Hospital records were analyzed to assess the changes in workload. Results: The working hour increased significantly from Pre Covid to Post Covid period (1920±34.1 hours/week to 2120±67.3 hours/week) although the number of weekly patients in OPD and Emergency decreased slightly from 51.9 to 40.6. Elevated mental stress was observed during outbreak (average PSS-10 score in June 22 was 20.4 which reduced to 9.7 in August). The same pattern was observed in case of GAD-7 score (15.6 to 10.8) and PHQ-9 score (12.4 to 6.1). The percentage of concerns regarding Covid19 was high during the outbreak, 37/40 (92.5%), which decreased after wards to 18/40 (45%). Conclusion: The UN field hospitals are inadequate to support mass outbreak like COVID 19 in the context of both staff and medical supplies. During Covid 19 outbreak, sharp rise of workload and difficulties in restocking of essential medical items played a vital role in the mental state of the medical professionals. The field hospitals in UN peacekeeping missions require intensive effort especially on disaster and epidemic management during pre-deployment training. Moreover, reconsidering distribution of human resources in field hospitals is also required. Bangladesh Armed Forces Med J Vol 57 No (1) June 2024, pp 35-42

Knowledge and attitudes about dementia of primary care physicians in Southern Brazil

BackgroundPrimary Care Physicians have a central role in assisting individuals with dementia and evaluating their preparedness to care these patients is fundamental. Our aim is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes regarding dementia of the Primary Care Physicians (PCP) in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, Southern Brazil.MethodsWe collected sociodemographic data, volume of patients with dementia treated/referred and perception of difficulties in caring for these patients. A previously validated questionnaire was sent: "Quiz on Knowledge and Attitudes in Dementia".ResultsFrom March/2022 to June/2023, 296 PCP responded to the questionnaire. They were mostly women (52.7%, 156), with a median [IQR] age of 35 [29–44] years, mostly were White (82.1%, 243) and had 7 (4–16) years of experience as a physician. Less than half of the physicians performed cognitive screening (43.9%) and Mini Mental State Examination was the most screening (63.5%) test used. The mean percentage of correct answers in the Knowledge Quiz was 46.4%. In the attitude quiz, we identified 3 factors: 1) frankly positive attitudes; 2) perceive primary care as important but have a pessimistic attitude towards them; 3) see primary care as important for patient care.ConclusionKnowledge about dementia is low among PCP in RS; however, most have positive attitudes towards these patients or think primary care is important to these patient's care.

Tunisian Adolescents at CHR for Psychosis: A Pilot Study of Cognitive Remediation in a LMIC.

Clinical high risk (CHR) youth are known to exhibit cognitive deficits at similar levels to their more severally ill counter parts. Cognitive training (CT) programs offer a promising method for early intervention and the prevention of further cognitive decline in this vulnerable population. However, there are few structured CT intervention programs addressing the needs of CHR youth in LMICs of the Middle East. We conducted a study in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Razi University Hospital. Patients were assessed by trained raters with the "Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States" to confirm their CHR status. Cognitive Training (CT) was combined with the Neuropsychological Educational Approach to Remediation (CT-NEAR) as part of a social rehabilitation program. We enrolled 25 CHR patients and examined several domains of cognitive functioning and evaluated daily functioning prior to starting the intervention and after completion. There were 20 patients who completed the study. The CT-NEAR group (n = 10) completed an average number 28.33 sessions over 12 weeks, which were matched for therapist time with the TAU group (n = 10). We found statistically significant improvements in CT-NEAR versus TAU in several cognitive domains; such as cognitive flexibility, memory-short and long-term, and verbal fluency. Also, CT-NEAR versus TAU patients improved in global functioning. Our findings indicate that cognitive remediation versus TAU for Tunisian CHR youth is feasible and effective especially in improving cognitive functioning when delivered in a social rehabilitation context (Bridging Group) and extends to global level of functioning.

The effects of dog sport on the psychological conditions of humans: A brief review

AbstractBackgroundThese days the popularity of dog sports is dynamically increasing. Dog sports are sports, in which dogs participate [1]. Currently, agility is the most well-known dog sport which also has the largest number of both competitive and hobby-level participants [8]. Although some people still only view agility as a hobby, there are an increasing number of dog handlers who consider it a serious sport and even select their dogs to be able to compete and achieve the best possible results in agility events [2].PurposeThe purpose of our study was to collect and summarise previous findings that focused on the psychological aspects of agility.MethodWe searched the scientific databases based on keywords and only those studies were selected that met the following criteria: (1) empirical research, (2) participants actively competing in dog sports, (3) results describing a psychological aspect that is relevant in dog sport and (4) the research was published after 2010.ResultsAfter reviewing the available literature we concluded that the effects of the following psychological characteristics have already been studied in the case of agility: the motivation behind participation, interpersonal communication and satisfaction with life, forms of portraying love, effects on relationships, perception of injury prevention and the influence of environmental factors on the competition experience.ConclusionBased on our literature review we can conclude that participating in agility can have a positive influence on the handlers' mental state.