Topic Review
Mindsponge Mechanism
The mindsponge mechanism (mindsponge framework, mindsponge concept, or mindsponge process) provides a way to explain how and why an individual observes and ejects cultural values conditional on the external setting. The term “mindsponge” derives from the metaphor that the mind is analogized to a sponge that squeezes out unsuitable values and absorbs new ones compatible with its core value. Thanks to the complexity and well-structuring, the mechanism has been used to develop various concepts in multiple disciplines. One such concept is "cultural additivity" (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-018-0189-2). Recently, the mindsponge mechanism has been developed into mindsponge theory based on various evidence from natural sciences.
  • 3.1K
  • 01 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Mental Health and Wellbeing
This  is a comparative study that explores  Indigenous communities, rural poverty, and mental health and well-being in Australia and Canada. It draws upon a person-centred approach  as described by Carl Rogers' humanistic psychology framework. Hence, the role of women within these communities and their strength  in support of the well-being of their families is also examined. Themes that emerge within a humanistic theoretical framework will be highlighted. Examination of current data is provided and existing research findings are compared where relevant to indigenous populations.  
  • 1.1K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Negative Emotions in Career Decision-Making
Within the context of career counseling, clients often regard negatives feelings toward vocational options as inconsequential. Regrettably, by doing so, they discount the significance of the affect and overlook an important source of information. In the following study, Puffer and Pence investigated college students' negative emotional reactions to self- or computer reported occupations and the rationales for the selection of the negative affect. Their findings reveal how negative emotionality can be adaptive and feasibly assist career decision-makers.   
  • 774
  • 02 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Utility of Chinese Versions of Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination
Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination (ACE) is a cognitive screening tool that has developed through three stages: ACE, ACE-Revised (ACE-R), and ACE-Ⅲ. In addition, mini-Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (M-ACE) and ACE mobile are the additional versions that is derived from ACE-III. ACE and its related versions show better performance than Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in detecting mild cognitive impairment in different neurological disorders. It has been translated into numerous languages, including Chinese.
  • 572
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Social Cognition in Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a major psychiatric disorder. It is characterized by the disruption of various mental processes, including the perception of reality, emotions and cognition. Cognitive impairment, especially social cognition (SC), is gaining attention and is considered by some psychiatrists as the core feature of SZ. Cognition has two branches: neurocognition (NC) and SC. NC includes mental abilities such as working memory, learning and memory, attention, processing speed, reasoning and problem solving. SC refers broadly to the high mental processes involved with perception, storage and the use of social information that helps everyone to make sense of themselves and others. Increasing evidence highlights that SC is also a direct predictor of functional outcomes, particularly of community and social functioning such as to fulfil basic social roles and being involved in social relationships. NC and SC are interlinked. Indeed, SC may act as a mediator between basic neurocognition and daily life functioning.
  • 549
  • 29 Jul 2021
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Anxiety, Depression, and Other Emotional Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review of the Risk Factors and Risk Groups
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of our lives, including mental health. Identifying risk factors and risk groups associated with anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic is highly relevant. This narrative review aims to summarize the evidence to date on risk factors for emotional disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to identify the risk groups of people in need of early psychiatric and psychological assistance, point out the controversial data on the influence of risk factors on emotional disorders in COVID-19, and finally offer recommendations for alleviating symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders in such people. According to the current literature, being under the age of 40, being female, having contact with a COVID-infected person, and watching the news about COVID-19 for more than 3 h a day all increase the likelihood of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Healthcare workers, particularly nurses, working in the COVID-19 hot zone suffer more from sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression. It is also noted that people with a previous psychiatric history, in addition to increased risks of anxiety and depression, have an increased risk of relapse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The same is true for people who have had episodes of substance abuse in the past. Aside from socioeconomic factors, the mental wellbeing of those who have had COVID-19 is also impacted by biological factors (using anti-COVID-19 drugs, COVID-19-associated immunothrombosis and venous thromboembolism, interferon-gamma-related cytokine storm, etc.), resulting in a wide range of acute and long-term cognitive disorders. During the restricted resource time, the aforementioned risk groups should be prioritized for prevention, early identification, and proper treatment of potential emotional disorders. The risk factors that were found in this narrative review, as well as how they interact and change over time, will help understand why some studies of at-risk groups do not agree with each other, justify new preventive measures, and strengthen existing programs to keep people’s mental health in check during this pandemic and other emergencies.
  • 540
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Major Depression
The term Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) identifies a set of psychotherapeutic techniques-rooted in the Freudian theoretical model that developed over time newer and specific methodological approaches, progressively departing from classical long-term models.
  • 494
  • 30 Sep 2022
Topic Review
AIM Classification System
The rationale of an Advanced Integrative Model and an Advanced Integrative Approach is presented. In the context of Allopathic Medicine, this model introduces the evaluation, clinical exploration, diagnosis, and treatment of concomitant medical problems to the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. 
  • 475
  • 22 Jun 2021
Topic Review
MDD and Peripheral Biomarkers
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental illness and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite a range of effective treatments, more than 30% of patients do not achieve remission as a result of conventional therapy. In these circumstances the identification of novel drug targets and pathogenic factors becomes essential for selecting more efficacious and personalized treatment. Increasing evidence has implicated the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of depression, revealing potential new pathways and treatment options. Moreover, convergent evidence indicates that MDD is related to disturbed neurogenesis and suggests a possible role of neurotrophic factors in recovery of function in patients. Although the influence of antidepressants on inflammatory cytokines balance was widely reported in various studies, the exact correlation between drugs used and specific cytokines and neurotrophins serum levels often remains inconsistent. Available data suggest anti-inflammatory properties of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin and noradrenaline inhibitors (SNRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) as a possible additional mechanism of reduction of depressive symptoms.
  • 418
  • 25 May 2021