by Clare Northover  , Jack Deacon  , John King  and Chris Irons

Received: 21 September 2021;  Published: 21 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104056

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and feasibility of a newly designed online self-compassion training programme for the general public. Two hundred and forty-nine participants were randomly assigned to have either immediate or delayed access to a four-week online self-compassion training programme. This programme was based on Compassionate Mind Training and was made up of psychoeducational sessions and in-between session practices and readings. Out of the 179 participants who completed the pre-interve [...]

by Megan Sweeney  and Harold Kraft

Received: 29 September 2021;  Published: 17 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104055

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a highly debilitating chronic pain condition characterized by continuous regional pain disproportionate to duration and intensity of the initial damaging stimulus. In CRPS, abnormal perception, transmission, and modulation of pain by nerve cells and the autonomic nervous system induces extreme increases in perceived pain that may be accompanied by swelling, temperature sensitivity, color fluctuations, and/or skin changes. CRPS most commonly affects the extremities but may sp [...]

by Julian Gross  , Karin Matko  , Jill Vennemann  and Holger Bringmann

Received: 31 July 2021;  Published: 14 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104054

Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) is a complex eight-week mind-body intervention based on the traditional eight-fold path of classical yoga. MBLM was developed for mental health care, and it combines ethical living, physical yoga, and meditation. In this qualitative study, the subjectively perceived efficacy of MBLM was compared to the perceived efficacy of an individually tailored, multi-professional psychiatric treatment (MPT) in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Twelve patients were interviewed for t [...]

by Emily Beitzell  , Purnaja Podduturi  , Megan Hook  , Amelia Jones  , Haley McKeen  and Miriam Liss

Received: 03 October 2021;  Published: 01 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104053

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a global mental health crisis and many individuals have obsessive thoughts and worry about COVID-19 which may, both directly and indirectly, relate to more general anxiety. This study explored anxiety sensitivity and mindful awareness as mediators in the relationship between COVID-19 obsession and general anxiety. College student participants (N = 172) completed the Obsession with COVID-19 scale, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the awareness subscale of the Five Facto [...]

by Karolina Bryl  and Jacelyn Biondo

Received: 25 August 2021;  Published: 26 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104052

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is a strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that uses dance and movement as the primary form of communication, while emphasizing the movement relationship in addition to verbal dialogue. Positive and negative symptomatology of a diagnosis on the schizophrenia spectrum often disrupt organized thinking, orientation to reality, overall functioning, communication, and healthy relationships. Therefore, a body-based psychotherapeutic approach can be a pragmatic way to support, join, and pr [...]

by Cathryn Duchette  , Danilo V Tolusso  , Whitley J Stone  , Maire M Blankenship  and Rachel A Tinius

Received: 23 June 2021;  Published: 25 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104051

Studies have demonstrated that new and expectant mothers experience increased levels of stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though prenatal yoga is an effective mode of improving mental health during pregnancy, no research has evaluated its effect on mental health during times of extreme stress, such as a global pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a single session and a 10-week prenatal yoga intervention on the mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandem [...]

by Jack Deacon  , Clare Northover  , John King  and Chris Irons

Received: 21 September 2021;  Published: 23 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104050

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) has increasingly been shown to have a positive impact for people experiencing a range of difficulties, and online self-help formats could provide a way of increasing its accessibility and scalability. This study explored adult participants’ subjective experiences of engaging with online self-compassion training drawn from Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) and CFT. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants who had completed online self-compassion training, and th [...]

by Holly Hazlett-Stevens

Received: 26 July 2021;  Published: 23 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104049

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based health education program for medical patients with a variety of chronic conditions. MBSR also benefits health care providers themselves, decreasing work-related stress and preventing burnout. The objectives of this study were to describe an abbreviated MBSR curriculum developed for health care providers and to present initial program evaluation data assessing acceptability and outcomes. This program was implemented outside the research context with an o [...]

by Daphne Owens  and Gerald H Tomkin

Received: 18 August 2021;  Published: 22 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104048

Obesity and Diabetes are leading causes of cardiovascular disease and mortality. They are closely linked because of insulin resistance. Hypertension and dyslipidaemia together with poor exercise drive atherosclerosis. Early treatment of blood sugar, dyslipidaemia and hypertension reverse the atherosclerosis process. Bariatric surgery and low calorie diets have in recent years been shown to reverse or improve blood sugars lipids and blood pressure. The risk of premature myocardial infarction and death should no long [...]

by Dorothy Greene

Received: 17 July 2021;  Published: 16 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104047

Yoga is increasingly becoming a strategy for wellness in the United States. A 2016 survey found that nearly 37 million Americans practice yoga and an additional 12 million say they intend to try it in the coming year. Yoga is also being studied as an intervention for a number of physical and behavioral health disorders. This short report examines yoga’s utility as a treatment or adjunctive tool for addiction recovery. Because addiction is characterized as a biopsychosocial-spiritual disorder and yoga is a holistic [...]