Arch et al. (2014) demonstrated that brief self-compassion meditation training (SCT) dampened sympathetic (salivary alpha-amylase) and subjective anxiety responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), relative to attention and no-instruction control conditions. The present study examined baseline predictors and moderators of these SCT intervention effects. Baseline characteristics included t...

BACKGROUND The presence of cognitive and structural deficits in euthymic elderly depressed patients remains a matter of debate. Integrative aetiological models assessing concomitantly these parameters as well as markers of psychological vulnerability such as persistent personality traits, are still lacking for this age group. METHODS Cross-sectional comparisons of 38 elderly remitted patients...

BACKGROUND Biological markers of vulnerability for current or future risk of suicide in adolescents could be important adjuncts to the treatment and prevention of this phenomenon. DATA SOURCES We conducted a PubMed search of all English-language articles published between January 1990 and June 2011 using the following search terms: ("hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal" OR "HPA") AND ("adolescence...

Schizotypy is regarded as a trait vulnerability for psychotic disorders, yet alone is insufficient for development of a diagnosable disorder. Additional symptoms and psychological distress are necessary for help seeking and transition from an at risk mental state to a clinical diagnosis. The present study investigated the interaction between trait schizotypy, state auditory verbal hallucination...

Patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This syndrome, defined and diagnosed by psychological and behavioral features, is associated with symptoms such as anxiety and anger with an increase of arousal and vigilance, as well as flashbacks and nightmares. Many of these features and symptoms observed in PTSD may be in part the result of alt...

BACKGROUND Psychiatric problems and cocaine use are associated with heightened vulnerability for HIV and Hepatitis C infections. Little is known regarding the relationship between psychiatric symptoms, psychiatric diagnoses and injection risk behaviors among cocaine users. We examined the association between psychological distress and injection material sharing among cocaine users, while accoun...

INTRODUCTION Cognitive failures are errors in normal everyday functioning. Individuals with psychological disorders may possess heightened vulnerability. We sought to review the literature on cognitive failures in psychological disorders to determine the nature of this association, and whether failures relate to neuropsychological performance. We also examine the relationship between cognitive ...

BACKGROUND Somatic symptoms often co-occur with psychological symptoms but this overlap is poorly understood. Some aspects of this overlap differ in the South Asian context, but it is not clear whether this is a reporting effect or an underlying difference in experienced illness. METHODS Home interviews were administered to 4,024 twins randomly selected from a population-based twin register i...