Mental health in the virtual world:Challenges and opportunities in the metaverse era

Current rates of mental illness are worrisome.Mental illness mainly affects females and younger age groups.The use of the internet to deliver mental health care has been growing since 2020 and includes the implementation of novel mental health treatments using virtual reality,augmented reality,and artificial intelligence.A new three dimensional digital environment,known as the metaverse,has emerged as the next version of the Internet.Artificial intelligence,augmented reality,and virtual reality will create fully immersive,experiential,and interactive online environments in the metaverse.People will use a unique avatar to do anything they do in their“real”lives,including seeking and receiving mental health care.In this opinion review,we reflect on how the metaverse could reshape how we deliver mental health treatment,its opportunities,and its challenges.

Tourism versus nature conservation: reconciliation of common interests and objectives——an analysis through Picos de Europa National Park

Nature tourism and particularly tourism in national parks have acquired significant importance in contemporary societies. Post-Fordist consumers have reevaluated the meanings of ‘nature' and ‘natural spaces' and now avoid standardization to seek singularity. Tourism in national parks is a consequence of this tendency and has both positive and negative aspects. The purpose of this sociological research is to describe the most relevant conflicts in the Picos de Europa National Park(Spain) involving the park's conservation, local economic development,and tourism. Seven in-depth interviews and three focus groups were addressed to key local stakeholders.In this research were identified three chief areas of existing or potential inter-related conflicts and the main actors interacting with them. The first is on population, particularly, the negative consequences of depopulations on the local socio-economic development and the environment. A second source of conflicts identified is caused by the difficult conciliation between commercial exploitation and conservation of the protected natural area. More precisely, this specific form of tourism positively contributes to the economy of local communities whilst problems can arise for the conservation goals of National Parks. Thirdly, in this research is also analyzed the institutional governance and the inter and intra-governmental conflicts as well as with the Park's management body. These findings provide important information for the improved management of tourism and conflicting interests in natural parks.

Binge eating and psychostimulant addiction

Many of the various factors,characteristics,and variables involved in the addictive process can determine an individual’s vulnerability to develop drug addiction.Hedonic eating,based on pleasure rather than energy needs,modulates the same reward circuits,as do drugs of abuse.According to the last report of the World Health Organization,the worldwide obesity rate has more than doubled since 1980,reaching especially critical levels in children and young people,who are overexposed to high-fat,high-sugar,energy-dense foods.Over the past few decades,there has been an increase in the number of studies focused on how eating disorders can lead to the development of drug addiction and on the comorbidity that exists between the two disorders.Herein,we review the most recent research on the subject,focusing especially on animal models of binge eating disorders and drug addiction.The complex profile of patients with substance use and binge eating disorders requires an integrated response to dually diagnosed patients.Nutritional patterns should be considered an important variable in the treatment of substance use disorders,and future studies need to focus on specific treatments and interventions in individuals who show a special vulnerability to shift from one addiction to the other.

Contemplative sciences:A future beyond mindfulness

Mindfulness is a psychological technique based on Eastern meditative practices that was developed in the late 1970s by Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts.Initially,there was a debate over whether it should be considered a scientific technique or labelled as part of the“new wave”practices.Today,mindfulness is omnipresent in modern societies but has suffered from merchandising and banalization,which has been strongly criticized.Despite some limitations regarding methodological aspects of mindfulness research,it is considered effective for treating many physical and psychological disorders,and even it is recommended in clinical guidelines such the British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.During the last 2500 years,mindfulness practices have moved from Northern India across most of Asia,but their mixing with Western science and culture at the end of the 20^(th)century is considered a key event in recent history.For the first time in human history,due to globalization,the wisdom of all contemplative traditions can be shared with all human beings and assessed by science.Mindfulness practices,yoga included,are giving birth to a new field of knowledge,contemplative sciences,which go beyond mindfulness and is devoted to helping humanity to reach higher levels of happiness and mental peace.