Álvaro I. Langer

Applying mindfulness therapy in a group of psychotic individuals: a controlled study.

BACKGROUND There are already several existing studies that show the effectiveness of mindfulness-based approaches in varying types of disorders. Only a few studies, however, have analyzed the effectiveness of this intervention in psychosis, and without finding, up to now, significant differences from the control group. AIMS The aim of this study is two-fold: to replicate previous studies, and to focus on analyzing the feasibility and effectiveness of applying mindfulness in a group of people with psychosis. METHOD Eighteen patients with psychosis were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 1-hour sessions of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), while the control group was relegated to a waiting list to receive MBCT therapy. RESULTS The experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group in their ability to respond mindfully to stressful internal events. CONCLUSIONS Both the usefulness and effectiveness of implementing a mindfulness-based program have been replicated in a controlled manner in patients with psychosis.

Quality of hallucinatory experiences: differences between a clinical and a non‐clinical sample

In this study, we asked people from two samples (a clinical one, consisting of patients with schizophrenia, and a non-clinical one, including university students) to complete the Revised Hallucination Scale (RHS) as a self-questionnaire. When the participants responded positively to an item, they were encouraged to provide further detailed descriptions (i.e., examples of their own experiences) concerning that item. We found that the kinds of descriptions provided by the two groups were very different. We suggest that it is not advisable to explore the presence of hallucinations in non-clinical samples using research protocols based exclusively on yes-or-no answers to questionnaires like the RHS. Hallucinatory or hallucinatory-like experiences cannot be reliably and validly assessed without a precise characterization of the phenomenal quality of the experience.

Effect of a Mindfulness Program on Stress, Anxiety and Depression in University Students

Two of the problems that currently affect a large proportion of university students are high levels of anxiety and stress experienced in different situations, which are particularly high during the first years of their degree and during exam periods. The present study aims to investigate whether mindfulness training can bring about significant changes in the manifestations of depression, anxiety, and stress of students when compared to another group undergoing a physical activity program and a control group. The sample consisted of 125 students from the Bachelor of Education Program. The measuring instrument used was the Abbreviated Scale of Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21). The results indicate that the effects of reducing the identified variables were higher for the mindfulness group than for the physical education group and for the control group F(2) = 5.91, p = .004, η2 = .106. The total scores for all variables related to the mindfulness group decreased significantly, including an important stress reduction t(29) = 2.95, p = .006, d = .667. Mindfulness exercises and some individual relaxing exercises involving Physical Education could help to reduce manifestations of stress and anxiety caused by exams in students.

Analysis of the multidimensionality of hallucination-like experiences in clinical and nonclinical Spanish samples and their relation to clinical symptoms: Implications for the model of continuity

Numerous studies have found that hallucinatory experiences occur in the general population. But to date, few studies have been conducted to compare clinical and nonclinical groups across a broad array of clinical symptoms that may co-occur with hallucinations. Likewise, hallucination-like experiences are measured as a multidimensional construct, with clinical and subclinical components related to vivid daydreams, intrusive thoughts, perceptual disturbance, and clinical hallucinatory experiences. Nevertheless, these individual subcomponents have not been examined across a broad spectrum of clinically disordered and nonclinical groups. The goal of the present study was to analyze the differences and similarities in the distribution of responses to hallucination-like experience in clinical and nonclinical populations and to determine the relation of these hallucination-like experiences with various clinical symptoms. These groups included patients with schizophrenia, non-psychotic clinically disordered patients, and a group of individuals with no psychiatric diagnoses. The results revealed that hallucination-like experiences are related to various clinical symptoms across diverse groups of individuals. Regression analysis found that the Psychoticism dimension of the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R) was the most important predictor of hallucination-like experiences. Additionally, increased auditory and visual hallucination was the only subcomponent that differentiated schizophrenic patients from other groups. This distribution of responses in the dimensions of hallucination-like experiences suggests that not all the dimensions are characteristic of people hearing voices. Vivid daydreams, intrusive thoughts, and auditory distortions and visual perceptual distortions may represent a state of general vulnerability that does not denote a specific risk for clinical hallucinations. Overall, these results support the notion that hallucination-like experiences are closer to a quasi-continuum approach and that total scores on these scales explain a state of vulnerability to general perceptual disturbance.

Early Detection of Drug Use and Bullying in Secondary School Children by Using a Three-Dimensional Simulation Program

The current study analyzes the psychometric properties of an innovative three-dimensional (3D) simulation program, entitled Mii-School (MS), designed for the early detection of drug use and bullying in Secondary School children. This computer program showed adequate reliability and construct validity. The factorial structure, as well as the explanatory weight of the different factors, is presented. In addition, the results of a parallel version in paper and pencil format are also presented and compared with those of the computerized version (i.e., MS). There was a statistically significant difference between the two formats in the total (i.e., combined) sore of risk. When drug use and bullying were separately analyzed, differences were found only with regard to drug use. The relevance of these results as well as the suitability of this type of 3D instrument for the early detection of risky behaviors in young people are discussed.

Hallucinations and Related Perceptual Disturbance in a Non-Clinical Spanish Population

Background: Several studies have suggested the continuity of psychotic symptoms between the general population and clinical samples, and have shown that, in fact, the predisposition to hallucinations is a multi-dimensional construct. However, there is no agreement concerning the number of factors comprising it or the significance of psychotic-like experiences. An examination of the beliefs associated with these experiences could increase knowledge of the continuity of hallucinations. Aims: The purpose of this work was to analyze the structure of the Revized Hallucination Scale (RHS), applied to a sample of Spanish university students to find out the meaning for the participants and their associated beliefs on each item. Methods: The RHS was administered to a total of 265 participants. Along with the frequency of each experience, participants were asked to provide an example of each situation described and to what they attributed it. Results: The results emphasized the presence of four factors that are variously made up of six types of beliefs: personal difficulties; psychological explanations; dreamlike experiences; vivid thoughts; perceptive distortions; and personal desires. Conclusions: The relevance of these results with regard to the differences that might exist in hallucinations in clinical and normal populations is discussed.

Interpretation, emotional reactions and daily life implications of hallucination-like experiences in clinical and nonclinical populations.

BACKGROUND Research on Hallucination-Like Experiences (HLEs) has not yet explored whether people without psychosis who have HLEs attribute the same level of significance to them. This significance includes whether or not the HLEs elicit similar emotional reactions in people with and without psychosis, or if the HLEs occur in same context between the two groups. The objective of this study was to compare the characteristics of these experiences in a non-clinical group and a clinical group of patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. METHOD Both groups were evaluated to determine the prevalence of HLEs. After the evaluation, they were interviewed about the characteristics of these experiences. RESULTS Both groups sought to actively eliminate the HLEs, could identify the presence of a trigger factor, and experienced little perceived control. However, HLEs elicited more anxiety, discomfort and interference in daily life in the clinical group than in the non-clinical group. Furthermore, the clinical group members defined their hallucinations more negatively and were reported to have experienced them under stressful events. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the two experiences are not entirely equivalent, especially when taking into account the emotional reaction produced by these experiences and the meaning people attach to them.

Fundamentos y Controversias en la Diferenciación entre Alucinaciones en Población Clínica y Normal

Resumen. En la actualidad las alucinaciones son un sintoma primordial en Psicopatologia. De hecho, cierto tipo de ellas, pueden ser sufi cientes para el diagnostico de trastornos graves como la esquizofrenia. Igualmente, pueden estar presentes en diversas entidades como la demencia, depresion, trastornos de personalidad, etc. Sin embargo, a pesar de su relevancia, tambien presentan una serie de difi cultades que tienen que ver tanto con su signifi cado como con la etiologia de las mismas. Asimismo, en los ultimos anos han cobrado gran relevancia los estudios que analizan la continuidad de este tipo de experiencias entre la poblacion sin un diagnostico psicopatologico y la poblacion clinica. De este modo, el objetivo del presente trabajo va encaminado a determinar cuales son las principales aportaciones que se han hecho en los ultimos anos en este terreno y tambien cuales son los principales problemas y conclusiones que se pueden sacar hasta el momento. Asi, cuestiones fundamentales como ?es escuchar voces patognomonico de un trastorno mental?, ?tener un sintoma “psicotico” es la antesala a desarrollar un desorden clinico?, ?las alucinaciones no auditivas siguen el mismo mecanismo que las auditivas?, ?estamos hablando del mismo fenomeno alucinatorio en pacientes que en no pacientes, es decir, son comparables?, son aspectos centrales en la literatura actual que requieren una revision. Palabras Clave: Alucinaciones, continuidad, factores psicologicos, escuchar voces