Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Allison Lamont
Auckland Memory Clinic, Auckland, New Zealand
Keynote: Stress, information overload and memory- A troublesome trio
Time : 09:30-10:15
Biography:
Allison Lamont PhD(Psychology), MA(Hons), CPsychol, MNZPsS, MNZAC, completed a PhD at Massey University, New Zealand, in 2008. This comprised a longitudinal study of memory across the adult lifespan. She is a Director and Clinician at the Auckland Memory Clinic in New Zealand, working primarily with memory testing and the amelioration of memory loss. She has authored and co-authored several books on memory and is co-founder of Brainfit® and the Memory Foundation. She has a particular interest in the way increasing stresses and demands of the workplace impact on memory function.
Abstract:
Impaired memory functioning, normally associated with the late-middle age and older demographic, is now reported by emergency first responders and people aged between 38 and 52 years engaged in high stress corporate or professional careers. Clinical test results of this population typically reflect high average to superior memory ability, showing no significant correlation with individual, day-to-day experiences of diminished work functioning. Clients, both in clinical and workplace environments, report fearing severe memory loss or even early-onset neurodegenerative disease. The stress and anxiety generated by such fears, the loss of memory and decision-making confidence, combined with information overload endemic during the peak of a demanding career, intertwine to affect functioning both in the workplace and other facets of an individual’s life. To address these deficiencies, an interactive programme combining stress management, efficient brain processing and memory skills enhancement has been delivered one-on-one or in workplace seminars. Qualitative analysis of outcomes indicates increased control over stress, enhanced information processing and a return to memory accuracy. To facilitate access to the programme a comprehensive training academy is producing graduates able to deliver the research-based programme in a variety of settings.
Keynote Forum
Richelle J. Schaefer
University of Mannheim, Germany
Keynote: Initial Quality Assessment of a University Developed Mental Health App for Exposure Therapy
Biography:
Richelle has completed her postgradual training in clinical psychotherapy at the University of Mannheim and is now completing her doctoral work. She has her own private practice and also works as a freelancer for various online psychotherapy companies.
Abstract:
Purpose: There has been a substantial increase in the use of smartphone applications (apps) to monitor, evaluate and manage mental health symptoms (Research Guidance, 2017). While many treatments could benefit from the incorporation of mental health apps, exposure therapy could particularly benefit from real-time data collection to help counteract patients’ retrospective recall biases. This small-scale study (n = 16) assessed a university developed mental health app called ETMOS by evaluating its perceived usefulness in planning, implementing and evaluating exposure therapy.
Methods: Six psychotherapists and 10 patients were recruited from two outpatient clinics at the Center for Psychological Psychotherapists (CPP) in Mannheim. After using ETMOS for one week, participants evaluated its engagement, functionality, aesthetics and information quality, as well as its subjective quality by filling out the German end-user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS-G). All items were rated on a 5-point scale (1 = inadequate to 5 = excellent).
Results: Participants rated ETMOS with an above average rating on the aesthetics, functionality and information subscales (3.76, 4.04 and 4.09, respectively) and with an average rating on the engagement subscale (3.27). Overall, ETMOS had an above average total score (3.78, SD = 0.29) and received 3.6 out of 5 stars on the subjective quality subscale. Additional analyses showed that uMARS scores were not related to frequency of use or participants’ age.
Conclusions: This study gained valuable information regarding the user friendliness and clinical applicability of ETMOS. Future research should assess its influence on long-term therapeutic outcomes.
- Positive Psychology and Wellbeing | Psychiatry and Psychology | Clinical Psychology | Neuropsychiatry | Anxiety and Depression | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Managing Stress | Bipolar and Schizophrenia
Location: Meeting Room
Chair
Allison Lamont
Auckland Memory Clinic, New Zealand
Session Introduction
Surabhi Mitra
Lata Mangeshkar Hospital, Maharashtra, India
Title: Prevalence and Severity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Burn Patients
Biography:
Surabhi Mitra is from Department of Psychiatry; NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences, Lata Mangeshkar Hospital, Nagpur-440019, Maharashtra, India and research interest includes burn, Stress. Her recent study is on entitled Prevalence and Severity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Burn Patients
Abstract:
Introduction/Background: Cosmetic disfigurement after burns is not uncommon. Such suffering can be traumatic with physical, social and psychological consequences. These patients are at a significant risk of developing PTSD {Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). These patients are often otherwise healthy and productive, and such injuries may have profound effect on their lives. The resulting disability makes life challenging in a world where physical ability is the ‘norm’. This study aims at finding prevalence and severity of PTSD in such patients as per various components of cosmetic disfigurement post burns.
Methodology/materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over 6 months in which sample collection of every consenting follow-up patient across three tertiary care hospitals in Central India was taken. 84 burn patients were assessed using Clinician-administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) for (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5) DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association (APA) DSM-5 Severity of PTSD scale, DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorders, semi-structured socio-demographic proforma and brief information questionnaire for details of burns.
Results: Out of 93 patients of burns who were interviewed, 9 dropped out. In the final 84 assessed, there were 26 females (30.95%) and 58 males (69.05%). 7 females (23.07%) and 24 males (41.37%) had PTSD. Overall prevalence was 36.90%. Prevalence and severity of PTSD was found to be higher in those with facial burns and disfigurement, those without any pre- or post-psychiatric consultations, higher percentage of surface area burns and being non-functional post-burns. Substance use had considerably decreased post-burns.
Conclusion: In these patients a proper protocol is needed to detect PTSD at its earliest stage, so that it can be effectively treated to avoid its undesirable consequences.
Kwarteng Yeboah
Kumasi South Hospital, Ghana
Title: Perceptions and Beliefs about Mental Illness (Schizophrenia) among people in Ashanti communities and it awareness
Biography:
Kwarteng Yeboah who was a student in Astrakhans state university (ÐГУ), he received Dip.in Mental Health Nursing. He has worked as a Campaign Manager for Showers of Blessing Savings and Loans before proceeding to Study Mental Health at Ankarful Psychiatric Training Collage. He has also worked as chief Coordinator in Ghana Methodist Students Union. after he completed his diploma in psychiatric nursing , he also worked with several hospitals and NGO foundation as health service provider, in Ghana, Ankaful psychiatric hospital for two year, ST Patrice hospital two years and finally settled in Kumasi south hospital as psychiatric nurse and now he completed his BSc in psychology in Russia and working as mental health nurse and serve a counselor to Bibiani municipal hospital and it communities
Abstract:
Concept of mental illness like schizophrenia is increasing and is particularly severe for people living in rural communities. Ghana adopted a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) for persons with mental illness to address the problem comprehensively. However, negative attitudes towards the mentally ill, stigmatization and discrimination constitute a serious barrier to CBR. The objective of the study was to assess societal beliefs and perceptions about people with schizophrenia, among the adult population in a rural community (Offinso, Obuasi and Nkawie other communities in the Ashanti Region. The study used a mixed method where both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed. A sample size was determined using a systematic approach. The respondents held fairly positive views about the mentally ill, despite a few negative authoritarian surroundingly restrictive attitudes and views. Though participants appeared to be knowledgeable about the possible physical, social and environmental causes
of mental illness such as accidents and genetic factors, 96% of all participants thought mental illness could be due to witchcraft/evil spirits, and 60% felt that it could be a consequence of divine punishment. This is an indication that stigma and discrimination against the mentally ill were still widespread among the respondents. The widespread belief in supernatural causes is likely to act as a barrier to designing effective anti-stigma educational programs and as a result frustrating the implementation of CBR. There is a need in the Ashanti Region and elsewhere to develop strategies to change stigma attached to mental illness at both the rural and urban community levels. This paper is one of the first to report to be made on attitudinal research on mental illness in the Ashanti Region by selected areas and the places are offinso municipal, Obuasi municipal and Nkawie district and other communities.
Alma Karimi
University of Pennsylvania, USA
Title: The Efficacy of training Life Expectancy and Effective coping styles With Negative Emotions on Mental Health of Cardiac Surgical Patients
Biography:
Alma Karimi is an Afghan and completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Isfahan Azad University as she was the Top Student of Isfahan Azad University in 2017, again she was the top Student of Isfahan Azad University in 2018, soon after that she was a Top Member of Psychology Association of Isfahan Azad University from 2015 to 2019, also a former member of the Iranian Young Researchers and Elite Club in Iran
Abstract:
Background and Aims: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in the world and mental pressure is the cause of many negative emotions. Surgery is one of these stressful situations and coping styls and life expectanc affect on persons mental and physical efficacy. The present study aims to determine the effectiveness of training life expectancy and effective coping styles to deal with negative emotions on the mental health of the cardiac surgery patients of AL Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran in 2020
Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 32 candidate patients for coronary artery bypass surgery referring to this center were selected using convenience sampling method. They were then randomly included into two 16-member groups, named experimental and control groups. Some stress management, anger management, and hopefulness training courses were held individually for 7 sessions. Before and after the intervention, the patients of both groups answered the questionnaires including the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (by Lazarus & Folkman), Snyder’s Hope Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12).
Findings: Data analysis showed there is a significant difference between the average of general health in the experimental and control groups after training. Investigating the subscales of coping 3strategies in the experimental and control groups after training showed that there is a significant difference between direct coping, planned problem solving, and positive reappraisal in the two groups.
Discussion and Conclusions: In patients with coronary heart disease, high stress, and negative emotions (anger, anxiety, depression) who are also candidate for coronary artery bypass surgery, training life expectancy and efficient coping styles would be effective in improving their mental health.
Biography:
Hideya Kodama is a Gynecologist and promoted to a Professor of the Department of Maternity Child Nursing at Akita University Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine in 1997. At the Doctorial course of the university, he studied about Nursing Science about a circadian rhyme, including a sleep-wake cycle, a melatonin rhythm, heart rate variability (HRV) and a body thermal rhythm. His research subjects include infants, pregnant women, adolescent girls and visiting nurses. Recently, he published two articles regarding an HRV biofeedback intervention for mental health problems of the pregnant women, regarding severe prenatal childbirth fear and psychological stress during the early postpartum period.
Abstract:
Most pregnant women are excited at the prospect of seeing their newborn children as the due date approaches, but many women become increasingly anxious about the delivery. Anxiety levels vary among women. Some women experience negligible anxiety, whereas some experience severe anxiety that can affect daily life. The women who have excessive childbirth fear will spend uneasy days with severe anxiety. Such anxiety not only lowers their quality of life but also increases birth-related risks, such as emergency cesarean section, prolonged labor, and postnatal depression. Consequently, in some cases, active counseling is provided to women with childbirth fear. However, there are some issues regarding whether actual intervention is performed or not. First, anxiety is usually a beneficial reaction and an inherent part of our fundamental self-preservation instinct. Therefore, the need for clinical intervention depends on whether the childbirth fear is causing severe anxiety in real life. Second, most women who experience significant childbirth fear are considered “low risk,” as they lack any specific risk factors, such as a traumatic past delivery, a psychiatric history, and medical/obstetric complications. Provably, childbirth fear in such women is rarely related to birth-related risks, and rarely manifests into severe anxiety. Therefore, immediate counseling may be an excessive intervention in many cases. The heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback is a technique in which the subject observes both respiratory and heart rates on a monitor, in order to try to synchronize the two curves until a sinusoidal pattern is obtained. When the pattern is obtained, the subject can maximize respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and become more resilient physically and emotionally. HRV biofeedback has been used as a complementary therapy in the treatment of various psychiatric diseases that are linked closely to psychological stress. As HRV biofeedback is simple and safe and involves almost no physical stress, several recent studies have considered its application for the treatment of daily anxiety in healthy individuals. Therefore, HRV biofeedback can be used for women with childbirth fear. In my contribution to this conference, he would like to talk about our clinical research regarding one of the mental health problems of pregnant women, prenatal childbirth fear. HRV biofeedback appeared to be effective intervention for lowering childbirth fear and perhaps improving their well-being. Considering the ease, safety, and high compliance associated with HRV biofeedback, it is recommended as a primary intervention for women with prenatal childbirth fear.
Celia Islam
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Washington, D.C.
Title: Using Passive Sensing Data and Mobile Health to Improve Psychological Treatment for Depressed Adolescent Mothers in Rural Nepal
Biography:
Celia Islam is a fourth year medical student at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her undergraduate studies in Sociology at the George Washington University, where she graduated magna cum laude with special honors. She is currently a research intern in the Global Mental Health Lab of the GW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences under Dr. Brandon Kohrt, MD, PhD. She is hoping to pursue a career in psychiatry.
Abstract:
In Nepal, postpartum depression affects 1 out of 10 women, and suicide is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. Passive sensing technology is a way to collect data on the behaviors and activities of depressed mothers in order to better tailor psychological treatment and improve outcomes for postpartum depression. This study investigated (a) the feasibility and acceptability of wearable digital sensors with adolescent mothers and their families in rural Nepal and (b) the feasibility and utility of implementing this data into a phonebased application used by non-specialists to provide personalized psychological treatment. This study used a mobile phone and Bluetooth device to generate passive sensing data on aspects of a mother’s life, such as amount of time spent with and away from the baby, movements and activities both inside and outside of the house, social interactions experienced, and physical activity. We then interviewed both depressed and non-depressed adolescent mothers who used these wearable digital devices and analyzed the ethicality, safety, social acceptability, utility, and feasibility of these technologies. This data was then used to develop StandStrong, a platform that collects passive sensing data to implement personalized depression treatment. Our results showed that both depressed and non-depressed mothers found it acceptable and feasible to collect passive sensing data. Depressed and non-depressed mothers expressed utility in having knowledge of their own movements and activities, as well as having information about their proximity to and interactions with their child. The non-specialized community counselors expressed utility in using the data collected from the wearable digital sensors to encourage behavioral changes during sessions and also to track the progress of patients between sessions. Barriers to using wearable digital devices included difficulty carrying the phone around throughout the day, privacy concerns, fear of loss or damage to the device, and concern about possible adverse health effects of the device. In summary, it is feasible and acceptable to use passive sensing data to tailor psychological treatment for depressed adolescent mothers in low-resource settings. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of mobile health technology in improving treatment and outcomes for postpartum depression in rural areas
Saajan H. Bhakta
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, USA
Title: Cultural Exploration of the National Institutes of Health Neuropsychological Cognition Battery Assessments in India
Biography:
Saajan Bhakta completed his PhD in International Psychology at the age of 25 years from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Saajan has traveled to, worked in, and studied in over 20 different countries. In 2010, Saajan founded a nonprofit organization, PovSolve. PovSolve is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization making positive change by raising money and creating awareness for human suffering around the world. Saajan’s nonprofit has supported the construction of a school in rural Africa, helped thousands of poor through food services and medical procedures in India, and is currently focused on orphan efforts in South America.
Abstract:
Cross-cultural exploration and adaptation of psychological tests and assessments is critical in order to ensure that what is aimed to be measured is accurately being measured by using a reliable and valid method or instrument. This research study conducted a qualitative cultural exploration of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery assessments for India as an initial step for future adaptation and validation research. The purpose of this study was to explore the NIH’s Cognition Toolbox within the culture of India and to explore the experiences of individuals of Indian decent living in India who took the NIH Toolbox cognition battery assessments. The assessments were developed in the United States, so they required cultural exploration in India before they are used across this different culture. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, the study included a sample of 30 participants across Mumbai, Surat, and Derod in India. Five themes emerged from the data: contentedness, lack of relatability, recommendations for change, the rural Indian lifestyle, and the variable of education. The most common code was “satisfied.” While this research does indicate that these assessments are understandable for the sample, many participants made recommendations to change images and storylines to be better fit for the Indian culture. They focused on Indian food, Indian clothing, Indian festivals, family, and religion in India. The findings from this study can be used to inform future adaptation and validation research in India.
Isabella Mutschler
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Title: Insular volume reductions in patients with major depressive disorder
Biography:
Isabella Mutschler is from Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Her research study is on Depressive Disorder, Stress, and Anxiety.
Abstract:
Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental disorders. Converging evidence suggests that the insula plays an important role in the pathophysiology of MDD. Little is known regarding in which insula subregion volume alterations occur in patients with MDD.
Methods: We analyzed voxel-based morphometry in T1-weighted MRI scans of unmedicated DSM-IV MDD patients (n=26) and in age, education, and sex matched healthy controls (HC, n=26). Furthermore, we performed a quantitative meta-analysis across 14 structural MRI MDD studies by applying the anatomical likelihood estimation technique to identify concordant volume reductions in MDD in the insula cortex.
Results: We found significantly reduced grey matter volumes (GMV) in patients with MDD compared to HCs in the left mid-insula and in the right and left caudate nucleus. The left mid-insular volume reduction in our sample was consistent with the coordinate-based meta-analysis results.
Limitations: The small number of MRI studies investigating heterogeneous MDD samples included in the meta-analysis may have resulted in low statistical power.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the role of the mid-insula in the psychopathology of MDD. The mid-insula subregion might be associated with reduced interoceptive abilities in patients with MDD that is the ability to process information of “how the body feels”. In addition, the caudate nucleus has been described as being part of a network that mediates emotional and motivational processes which seems to be affected in MDD
Andrea Kovesdi
Karoli Gaspar Reformed University, Hungary
Title: Examination of projective contents in COVID 19 period among parents and their children
Biography:
Andrea Kovesdi is student from Károli Gaspar Reformed University, Resilient Development Positive Research Group, Hungary. Her recent research on Examination of projective contents in COVID 19 period among parents and their children
Abstract:
We interpret the spring period of COVID 19 pandemic as a stressful living condition in our study. During the stressful period, we have to react to a number of unexpected events, our usual solutions do not work, and new strategies have to be developed instead. In this situation, individual responses to stress, self-effective behavior, and the nature of fears are crucial in finding adaptive solutions. The ability of resilience may be activated by stressful conditions in some individuals. Resilience is a particularly topical issue in terms of survival and recovery during the COVID-19 period. In the first part of the analysis, we examined the relationships between resilience, self-efficacy, and perceived stress, while in the second part, we analyzed the projective contents of subjects based on the coded responses of the metamorphosis test. We asked questions like; In what words would you describe the last month? .... why? or what are you afraid of? .... why do you do everything? .. etc. Families in Budapest, both in the countryside and their children aged 11-18 completed the test package. Psychohimetric devices included in the study; CD-RISK, Bandura Self-Efficiency, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and Metamorphosis Test Selected Questions.
Based on our results, it can be said that a group of parents described the spring period of COVID 19 with the words “variable” and “uncertain”, while their children typically marked the same period with the words “monotonous” and “satisfied”. The phrase “most important in my life ....” was most often supplemented by the words “safety” for parents, while their children added the words “performance” and “friends”. The words “family” and “health” were mentioned equally often by parents and children on this issue. Parents added the word “for safety” to the phrase “I will do everything .....” and children added the word “for the purpose”. Both groups do their best for “happiness,” there is no difference between the groups in this. Both groups are “afraid ......” of “losing health,” however, in the group of children, “fear of death” appears twice as often. There is a positive correlation between the fear of death of the parent and the child. The parent is either afraid of losing health or dying, in all cases showing a positive correlation with the child’s fear of death.
Overall, based on the results, it can be said that in the spring period of COVID 19, during the restrictions, children would do everything for their goals and friends are the most important. Their parents, on the other hand, do their best for safety. A remarkable result is the high fear of death among children compared to parents - while in the first wave the elderly were in imminent danger to life - which can be traced back to parents ’unconscious and semi-conscious fears, presumably reflected in family space due in part to isolation. However, further studies are needed to confirm this. Outlook: In the second and possible third waves of the COVID 19 pandemic, it is recommended to develop alternatives for.