Integrated flotation therapy for emotional regulation during the viral recovery period: Applying “form and spirit co-nourishing” in Chinese medicine

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of flotation therapy combined with psychological resilience training in improving emotional regulation and sleep quality in patients recovering from viral infections and to assess the application of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)theory of“form and spirit co-nourishing”in modern healthcare interventions.Methods:A total of 20 patients recovering from viral infections with anxiety and sleep disturbances were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=10)and the control group(n=10).The experimental group received a combination of resilience training,targeting five key areas:physiological regulation,cognitive restructuring,emotional management,self-efficacy,and social support,alongside flotation therapy,with 45-min weekly sessions.The control group received conventional medical treatment.Anxiety levels were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale,while sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,both before and after the intervention.Results:Compared with intervention before,the resilience level of the experimental group significantly increased after the intervention(P<0.001),while no notable changes were detected in the control group(P>0.05);the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower anxiety level and sleep disorder level and higher resilience level compared to the control group after the intervention(all P<0.001).Conclusion:The combined use of flotation therapy and resilience training,grounded in the TCM principle of“form and spirit co-nourishing,”significantly improves emotional regulation and sleep quality in patients recovering from viral infections.This integrative approach supports both physical and psychological healing,aligning with the TCM holistic treatment model,and offers a promising avenue for modern mental health interventions.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Symptoms, Anger Control and Emotional Regulation of Bully Children

The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy in clinical symptoms, anger control and emotional regulation of bully children. This research is a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design with a nonequivalent control group. The research sample comprises 24 bully children who were purposefully selected from among the students who had responded positively to the researcher’s call. The participants were randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups. Group therapy intervention was conducted on the experimental group during ten sessions. The tools applied in this study consisted of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire by Garnefski et al., State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory by Spielberger and Bullying Scale by Illinois, Espelage and Holt and the subjects answered to their questions in the stage of pretest and posttest. In this research, the data was analyzed based on the analysis of covariance test and with the aid of SPSS software. The findings demonstrated that dialectical behavior therapy has a significant impact on clinical symptoms, anger control and its components and emotional regulation and its components (P < 0.01).

Application of rational emotive behavior therapy in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy

Objective:This study aimed to explore the effects of our rational emotive behavior therapy(REBT)program on symptoms,anxiety,depression,and sleep state in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)undergoing chemotherapy.Methods:From October 2020 to May 2021,fifty-six patients with CRC in a hospital in the Hunan Province were randomly divided into an intervention group(n=28)and a control group(n=28).The patients in the intervention group completed a 6-week REBT program based on routine nursing care,including four courses:1)establish a relationship and formulate health files;2)group communications and study symptom management;3)continuously provide health knowledge and strengthen healthy behavior;and 4)review the treatment and summary.The control group maintained routine nursing care.The simplified Chinese version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form(MSASeSFeSC),the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS),and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scale were used to investigate and compare the intervention effects of the two groups at baseline(T1,before the intervention),four weeks(T2),and six weeks(T3)after the intervention.Results:The intervention group was significantly improved in symptoms,anxiety,depression,and sleep state,compared with the control group.At T2,MSASeSFeSC(24.43±4.26 vs.28.07±3.91),symptom distress(17.29±4.04 vs.19.39±3.59),symptom frequency(7.14±1.51 vs.8.68±1.42),HADS(13.68±3.38 vs.15.86±3.79),anxiety(3.89±1.85 vs.5.18±2.18),and depression(9.79±2.06 vs.10.68±2.23),showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).At T3,MSASeSFeSC(23.89±3.54 vs.30.14±3.94),symptom distress(17.61±3.52 vs.21.32±3.57),symptom frequency(6.29±1.49 vs.8.82±1.47),HADS(11.82±2.57 vs.16.29±3.13),anxiety(3.21±1.64 vs.5.61±1.77),and depression(8.61±1.52 vs.10.68±1.81),showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).The sleep state of the intervention group was better than the control group at T3,with decreased score of PSQI[4.00(3.00,8.00)vs.9.00(7.00,12.50),Z=-3.706,P<0.001].Conclusion:The 6-week REBT program can effectively improve the symptom,anxiety,depression,and sleep state of patients with CRC undergoing chemotherapy,which could as a care plan for patients with CRC who are repeatedly admitted to the hospital for chemotherapy.

Empathetic nursing with mindful cognitive therapy for fatigue,depression,and negative emotions in leukemia patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Leukemia is a broad term for blood cell cancer.Leukemia is divided into acute or chronic,depending on cell differentiation.Leukemia patients are prone to adverse reactions during chemotherapy,such as anxiety,depression,and even suicide,affecting prognosis.As a nursing model developed by three well-known cognitive psychologists,empathetic nursing with mindfulness cognitive therapy(ENMCT)can effectively reduce anxiety and depression and improve the quality of life in patients with chronic disease.AIM To explore the effect of ENMCT on cancer-induced fatigue,hope level,and negative emotions in patients with long-term leukemia chemotherapy.METHODS A total of 103 patients with long-term leukemia chemotherapy diagnosed and treated in our hospital from July 2017 to October 2019 were enrolled and randomly assigned to observation and control groups using the random number table approach.Fifty-one patients in the control group received routine nursing,while 52 patients in the observation group received empathic nursing with mindfulness cognitive therapy.After three months of nursing care,cancerinduced fatigue was measured with the Piper Fatigue Scale(PFS),hope level with the Herth Hope Index(HHI),and negative emotion with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)/Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD).Self-management(Chinese Strategies Used by People to Promote Health)was also recorded.RESULTS The observation group’s total scores in behavior,cognition,emotion,feeling,and PFS were lower than the control group after the intervention(P<0.05).Keeping close contact with others,the attitude of taking positive actions,the attitude toward reality and future,and the total HHI score were higher in the observation group than the control group(P<0.05).The observation group’s HAMA and HAMD scores were lower than the control group(P<0.05).The observation group’s positive attitude,self-decision,and self-relief scores were greater than the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Empathetic nursing with cognitive mindfulness therapy is beneficial in improving cancer-related fatigue,negative emotions,expectation level,and self-management ability in patients with longterm leukemia chemotherapy.

Introduction on the Emotion-Will Overcoming Therapy (EWOT): A Novel Alternative Approach of Psychological Treatment from Chinese Medicine

Emotional disorders and mental illnesses constitute a significant part of diseases. In Chinese medicine, emotional disorders and mental illnesses are classified as emotion-will (Qing Zhi) disorders. Emotion-will, i.e. seven emotions (Qi Qing: happiness, anger, anxiety, pensiveness, sorrow, fear, and fright) and five wills (Wu Zhi: happiness, anger, thinking, sorrow, and fear), play a basic role in the onset, progress and prognosis of almost all diseases, not only the mental illnesses. The emotion-will overcoming therapy (EWOT) is defined as a psychological approach that a therapist employs single or multiple emotions to overcome and eliminate patients’ abnormal morbid emotions and to heal mind-body disorders derived from the abnormality. EWOT lays a foundation for the philosophical foundation of Chinese medicine, i.e. Yin and Yang, and five elements, which is believed to be the most commonly utilized and effective modality in dealing with mental illnesses. This essay covers the origin and development, underlying mechanism, clinical application, basic researches of emotion-will system and EWOT and the comparison with conventional therapies. Thus, EWOT could draw more attention in the field of psychology and spread in clinical practice.

Toward a Synergistic Version of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Enhanced Efficacy through the Body and Emotion

A number of prominent solution-focused brief therapists have expressed the view that, to its detriment, this school of therapy tends to downplay emotion. Accordingly, we contend that, given that emotion is a primal binding force, the bonding component of the crucially important therapeutic alliance risks being compromised in the current practice of this approach. We further argue that the prioritization of the depiction of actions that accompany the emotion expressed by the client over the actual participation in this emotion by the therapist tends to superficialize therapeutic communication. This is especially likely to happen when the therapist lapses into a formulaic, action-soliciting interrogatory mode in response to the emotion expressed by the client. In addition, we claim that the incorporation of emotion- and body-based approaches into the solution-focused canon could remedy the affective lacuna referred to above. We note, however, that such a modification would most likely face stiff resistance from some of the gatekeepers of solution-faced therapy, in particular those who subscribe to the “surface-only” descriptive approach advocated by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. And yet, the effectiveness of depth-oriented therapies, such as sensorimotor psychotherapy and somatic experiencing, is supported by neurophysiological considerations. Finally, we suggest that these therapies, and even creativogenic elements of psychoanalysis, can actually synergize solution-focused brief therapy through the generation of affect-laden images, sensations and thoughts that lend themselves to the realization of outcomes desired by the client, which is the raison d’etre of solution-focused brief therapy. This paper pleads for the incorporation of the above-noted depth approaches into solution-focused brief therapy with a view to augmenting its effectiveness through a stronger therapeutic bond owing to an increased emotional engagement on the part of the therapist.

From Eating to Emotional Eating

Feeding and eating disorders are common in children, and may begin in infancy, in infants who nurse or are bottle-fed. The challenges and difficulties involved in feeding and eating are diverse and characterized differently at each developmental stage. There may be a continuum between the lack of parental sensitivity in feeding infants and children and eating disorders in adolescence. In other cases, eating disorders, such as emotional eating in adolescence, are a response to environmental-familial complexity and may have genetic components without a primary source in the early stages of development. In the case described in this article, Dalia was treated for about a year for emotional eating, which resulted in excess weight. Other aspects of emotional, social, and interpersonal issues were discussed. Treatment of the symptom was not achieved but due to the therapeutic flexibility and willingness to switch between therapeutic approaches, other important goals were achieved. Treatment using positive psychology with emphasis on empowerment may be beneficial to adolescents while personality is shaped as compared with cognitive-behavioral therapy that requires a long-term commitment.

An empirical study of the effects of a speaking anxiety reduction model developed from the rational emotive behavioral therapy

Thirty-two Chinese EFL learners took part in a true experiment on the effects of a Speaking Anxiety Reduction Model （SARM） developed from the Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy （REBT）. The participants were randomly assigned to the treatment and the control group. Both groups received a pre- and post- test of their Speaking Anxiety （SA）, Speaking State Anxiety （SAstate） as well as speaking performance. Those involved in the treatment group also received a treatment with the SARM between the tests. The results showed that, with the effects of Language Achievement （LA） being controlled： （1） the SARM could significantly reduce the SA, SAstate, and increase the total number of words in Communication Units （CUs）; and （2） the effects of the SARM did not differ significantly in terms of gender.

The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on negative emotions in nursing students:a meta-analysis

Background:Recently,cognitive behavioral therapy interventions have been extensively applied in the field of nursing education.However,no consensus has been reached on whether these interventions can reduce negative emotions in nursing students.Objective:This meta-analysis was designed to systematically discuss the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy interventions on levels of anxiety,fear of denial,social avoidance and social distress for nursing students.Methods:The following Chinese and English databases were searched for relevant articles:PubMed,Embase,Cochrane library,Web of Science,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wangfang Database,VIP Database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database.The search encompassed the establishment of these databases up until May 2021.Two reviewers separately entered the data into Review Manager Software 5.3.Results:A total of 6 studies were reviewed.It was found that cognitive behavioral therapy interventions significantly lowered levels of anxiety(SMD=−0.98,95%CI:−1.46 to−0.50,P<0.001),fear of denial(MD=−3.22,95%CI:−5.60 to−0.84,P<0.01),social avoidance(MD=−1.74,95%CI:−2.32 to−1.16,P<0.001),and social distress(MD=−2.15,95%CI:−2.81 to−1.49,P<0.001)in nursing students.Conclusion:Cognitive behavioral therapy could effectively decrease anxiety,fear of negation,and social negative emotions of nursing students as well as enhance their mental health level.However,more studies are needed to verify whether internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy has an impact on nursing students’negative emotions.

Research on the Therapeutic Effect of Sandplay Intervention on Emotional and Behavioral Problems of a Primary School Student

With the aim to explore the therapeutic effect of sandplay therapy on children with emotional and behavioral problems,in this study,a primary school student with emotional and behavioral problems was selected as the research object undergoing 12 times sandplay intervention,combining the methods of observation,interview,and questionnaire.It turns out that:(1)The traumatic theme indicates an overall downward trend in the process of intervention,while the cure theme indicates an overall upward trend.(2)The results of“strengths and difficulties questionnaire”were found to be consistent with the results of descriptive evaluation before and after sandplay intervention.(3)Based on the interview,sandplay,and questionnaire analysis,it is found that sandplay therapy shows a better therapeutic effect on children with emotional and behavioral problems.

The Application and Development of Music Therapy in Rehabilitation Medicine

Music therapy,as an ancient and continually evolving therapeutic approach,has demonstrated unique effects and extensive potential applications in the field of rehabilitation medicine.This paper first explores the physiological and psychological impacts of music and theoretical models of its therapeutic mechanisms.It further details the specific applications of music therapy in neurological rehabilitation,motor function recovery,psychological and emotional adjustment,and chronic disease and pain management.The article also investigates the prospects of integrating music therapy with modern technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and policy support in advancing this field.Through comprehensive analysis,the paper identifies future development directions and research needs for music therapy in rehabilitation medicine.

Exploring the interaction between the gut microbiota and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A signaling pathway:a potential therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases

The interaction between the gut microbiota and cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)-protein kinase A(PKA)signaling pathway in the host's central nervous system plays a crucial role in neurological diseases and enhances communication along the gut–brain axis.The gut microbiota influences the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway through its metabolites,which activates the vagus nerve and modulates the immune and neuroendocrine systems.Conversely,alterations in the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway can affect the composition of the gut microbiota,creating a dynamic network of microbial-host interactions.This reciprocal regulation affects neurodevelopment,neurotransmitter control,and behavioral traits,thus playing a role in the modulation of neurological diseases.The coordinated activity of the gut microbiota and the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway regulates processes such as amyloid-β protein aggregation,mitochondrial dysfunction,abnormal energy metabolism,microglial activation,oxidative stress,and neurotransmitter release,which collectively influence the onset and progression of neurological diseases.This study explores the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway,along with its implications for potential therapeutic interventions in neurological diseases.Recent pharmacological research has shown that restoring the balance between gut flora and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway may improve outcomes in neurodegenerative diseases and emotional disorders.This can be achieved through various methods such as dietary modifications,probiotic supplements,Chinese herbal extracts,combinations of Chinese herbs,and innovative dosage forms.These findings suggest that regulating the gut microbiota and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway may provide valuable evidence for developing novel therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases.

Evaluating “Cosmetic Therapy” by Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

This study examined the effect of cosmetic therapy on frontal lobe activation as revealed by topographic near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We evaluated emotional responses to a photograph of a face with/without makeup by 22 healthy female volunteers (mean age, 52 ± 10.5 years). The results of the first-round analysis showed a significant increase of oxy-Hb in the frontal lobe area when the subject looked at a photograph of herself made up as compared to not made up. In a later round of analysis, we divided the subjects into 2 groups having contrasting scores on the Profile of Mood States-Short Form Japanese version. One group was classed as “high vigor” (a common standard pattern) and the other as “low vigor” (depression-tendency pattern). The made-up/not made-up difference did not have any effect on the oxy-Hb level in the frontal lobe in the high vigor group. In contrast, makeup produced a significant increase in the oxy-Hb level over a wide frontal area in the low vigor group, which indicated widespread frontal lobe activation. This result indicates a beneficial effect of cosmetic therapy on the brain function of patients with depression and/ or dementia.

Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training Combined with Emotion Nursing of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Motor Function and Quality of Life in Patients with Cerebral Stroke Complicated with Hemiplegia

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of progressive muscle relaxation training combined with emotion nursing of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) on the motor function and quality of life in patients with cerebral stroke complicated with hemiplegia. METHODS: A total of 100 cases of patients with cerebral stroke complicated with hemiplegia who were admitted to Rehabilitation Medicine Department of Suzhou Municipal Hospital from May 2016 to May 2017 were selected and randomly divided into study group(50 cases) and control group(50 cases), and they were nursed for 1 month. Control group was given routine nursing, and study group was given progressive muscle relaxation training combined with TCM emotion nursing on the basis of routine nursing. The scores of all items were obtained by nurses through questionnaires, and the motor function and quality of life were analyzed and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: After nursing, the scores of muscle strength, Barthel index(BI) and Fugl-Meyer motor function scales in study group were higher than those in control group(P < 0.05). The facing scores of coping style in study group were higher than those in control group, and the avoidance score and yielding score were lower than those in control group(P < 0.05). The scores of depression and anxiety in study group were lower than those in control group(P < 0.05). The scores of items in SF-36 life scale in study group were higher than those in control group(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Progressive muscle relaxation training combined with TCM emotion nursing is conducive to the recovery of motor function and improvement of quality of life in patients with cerebral stroke complicated with hemiplegia.

Application of five-element music therapy in pain coping skills training in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Objective:The objective of this study is to assess the application effect of five elements music therapy introduced in the pain coping skills training of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Materials and Methods:Totally,80 patients with KOA were selected and randomly divided into the experimental group(39 cases)and the control group(41 cases).The control group was only given routine nursing measures,and the experimental group was additionally treated with five-element music therapy on the basis of the control group,twice a day,28 days in total.The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC)was used to evaluate the functional status of the knee joint of the two groups.The clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated by Guiding Principles for Clinical Research of New Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.Results:WOMAC score statistically significantly decreased in the experimental group(35.92±9.48 vs.16.17±5.43,P<0.01)and the control group(36.73±6.42 vs.22.53±7.51,P<0.01)after 28 days of intervention when compared with that before intervention;WOMAC score in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group after 28 days of intervention(16.17±5.43 vs.22.53±7.51,P<0.01).The total effective rate of the experimental group was statistically higher than that of the control group(82.0%vs.51.2%,χ2=11.97,P=0.003).Conclusion:The combination of five-element music therapy and routine nursing measures has better effect in relieving pain and bad emotions of patients with KOA when compared with routine nursing measures alone.

Rational-emotive behavioral intervention helped patients with cancer and their caregivers to manage psychological distress and anxiety symptoms

There is a dearth of evidence-based data on how psychological distress and death anxiety symptoms experienced by cancer patients and caregivers are treated in developing regions. This article sheds light on the report of the findings from a 2016 study that revealed a rational-emotive behavioral intervention helped a select group of cancer patients and their family caregivers to manage problematic assumptions, psychological distress, and death anxiety symptoms in Nigeria.Based on my experience as a co-investigator and corresponding author of this previous study, I addressed the challenges of conducting such a study and the implications for future research in this article. This article encourages future researchers to replicate the study and endeavor to overcome the limitations of the previous study. Funders were also encouraged to ensure increased access to funds for conducting similar studies with cancer patients and their family caregivers in developing countries and other parts of the world.

Threat perception predicts cognitive behavioral therapy outcomes in anxious children

Objective: Anxiety disorders of childhood are prevalent, debilitating conditions that do not always respond to existing treatments. Attentional biases towards threatening stimuli have been reported in anxious children and hypothesized to interfere with treatment response. Therefore, we examined such biases in children with anxiety disorders in relation to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outcomes. Method: Thirty-eight children diagnosed with anxiety disorders in a specialized clinic (21 girls and 17 boys;age = 10.50 ± 1.11 years) and 36 unaffected community controls (19 girls and 17 boys;age = 10.20 ± 1.07 years) participated. Participants completed standardized questionnaire measures of anxiety and a probe position task (PPT) with facial cues. This task often reveals a response slowing effect related to threatening faces in vulnerable individuals. Children with anxiety disorders repeated these measures after completing CBT. Results: Groups did not differ in performance on the PPT, but angry/calm incongruent difference scores were significantly associated with self-reports of social anxiety and state anxiety. When controlling for pre-CBT anxiety levels, incongruent difference scores involving angry faces predicted post-CBT anxiety disorders index scores on the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children. PPT scores did not change significantly with CBT. Conclusions: Attentional bias towards threat on the PPT task may predict response to CBT and appears linked to social anxiety. Interventions to ameliorate this bias merit further study, as they might improve treatment outcomes for anxious, especially socially anxious, children.

Integrative therapy for personality disorders: Experiences in developing integrative approaches for treatment-refractory personality-disordered clients

Personality Disordered (herein referred to as PD) clients are challenging to statutory mental healthcare programmes. They can be difficult to diagnose: their disorders can be obscured by second-order problems such as anxiety and depression, caused by PD cognitive processes. Treatment-as-usual (the predominant model of psychiatric intervention) for PD clients in crisis tends to focus on these second-order presentations, but provide no means of identifying underlying PD. The purpose of this paper is to describe how heuristic methods of diagnosis can be used to reframe the client’s distress in the context of personality disorders (according to DSM-IV criteria), and how subsequent application of integrative therapies can break their cycle of recidivism. Method: Two case studies of treatment-refractory individuals with cyclical patterns of crisis-point service engagement for self-harm or psychotic depression where heuristic/ integrative therapies were used. Results: The use of integrative therapies in the case studies presented resulted in a marked change in recidivism and quality of life for each client, as measured by a significant reduction in presentation of symptoms and hypervigilance. Discussion: By understanding the maladaptive cognitive-behavioural processes of PD clients, they can be modified to reduce the client’s self-defeating behavioural patterns, breaking the cycle of recidivism. However, a new diagnostic strategy must first be formulated that looks at the clients past use of mental health services to detect underlying PD.