No abstract

Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the convergent and divergent validity, reliability, utility, and treatment sensitivity of a newly translated German version of the Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire (SMQ). The SMQ is a 16-item instrument measuring mindful awareness of distressing thoughts, images, and perceptions, developed originally within the mindfulness for psychosis field. Methods Overall, three studies were conducted, comprising (1) a non-clinical sample of n = 848 (638 community sample and 210 meditators); (2) a clinical sample of n = 213 (106 schizophrenia and 107 depression); and (3) a clinical sample with n = 122 participants with emotional disorders within a randomized controlled study, of which 30 participants were also included in study 2. To assess convergent validity, participants completed the SMQ, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI), and Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences (CHIME). To measure divergent validity, participants completed the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaires (BEAQ), and Anxiety Sensitivity Index 3 (ASI-3). Results Mean internal consistency (α = 0.89) and convergent (r = 0.66 to 0.73) and divergent validity (r = − 0.09 to − 0.50) were established and sensitivity to change over time following treatment (d = 0.86) was shown. For the clinical sample, a single-factor structure is suggested by principal component analysis. Conclusions Results provide first evidence for the utility of the German version of the SMQ for clinical practice and research in healthy individuals, meditators, and clinical groups. Further research is needed to examine the underlying construct of mindfulness.

No abstract

Zusammenfassung. Für den deutschsprachigen Raum stehen derzeit kaum evaluierte Instrumente zur Erfassung traumatischer Ereignisse in der Kindheit und Jugend zur Verfügung. Während das strukturierte klinische Interview für DSM-IV das Vorliegen einer Traumatisierung in der Kindheit und Jugend mittels eines binären Items erfasst, wird mit dem „Early Trauma Inventory” (ETI; Bremner, Vermetten & Mazure, 2000 ) ein breites Spektrum traumatischer Ereignisse erhoben. Beim ETI handelt es sich um ein halbstandardisiertes klinisches Interview mit den Skalen „Emotionale Erfahrungen”, „Erzieherische/Körperliche Bestrafung”, „Sexuelle Erlebnisse” und „Generelle Traumata”. An einer Stichprobe von 230 Probanden wurden die Reliabilität und Validität der deutschen Übersetzung überprüft. Es konnten gute Reliabilitätskoeffizienten gefunden werden sowie hohe bis moderate Korrelationen zwischen dem ETI und einem Fragebogen zur Erfassung traumatischer Erfahrungen in der Kindheit (CTQ). Niedrigere Korrelationskoeffizienten fanden sich zwischen dem ETI und entfernt assoziierten Konstrukten, wie z.B. Depressivität. Insgesamt sprechen die Ergebnisse für eine zufriedenstellende psychometrische Qualität des ETI.

Previous research indicates a strong association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychopathology, and linguistic indices, but most studies have only compared one traumatic and one neutral life event. Referring to the Dual Representation Theory for PTSD we investigated the narrative representation of two negative life events, with and without current emotional impact in a non-clinical population. Twenty-five subjects wrote detailed narratives of the two types of life events. Lexical categories were coded and compared between the different scripts. Life events with current emotional impact were characterised by a greater use of emotional words, especially secondary emotionally words. Proprioceptive words were more often used and there were more errors when present tense was employed. Additionally, a greater number of sentences were found in these scripts. Our data suggest that in healthy subjects a relationship exists between narrative peculiarities and the current emotional impact of autobiographical memory shaped by negative life events.

The emotional Stroop task is a widely used method for investigating attentional bias towards stimuli due to mood or affect. In general, standardized stimuli are used, which might not be appropriate when investigating individual contextual frameworks. It was investigated whether words chosen to be related to individuals' personal life events would produce more pronounced Stroop interference (as an indicator of attentional bias) than stimuli without any personal relevance. Twenty-six nonclinical subjects, 20 female and 6 male, participated in the study. Mean age was 36.1 yr. (SD = 18.1). All were recruited by means of local advertising. Stimulus material consisted of four word types: personal words related to negative life events with and without current personal relevance, and negative and neutral words without any personal relevance. Words were presented in three blocks. Analysis of variance showed main effects for word type and blocks, with slower reactions in the personally relevant conditions than in the negative, or neutral conditions, and in response to the first blocks as opposed to the last. These findings indicate that regardless of the word valence, personally relevant stimuli evoke more pronounced Stroop interference than do stimuli without personal relevance.

Zusammenfassung: Der emotionale Stroop Test ist ein in der Forschung häufig eingesetztes Verfahren, um Interferenzeffekte durch emotionale oder krankheitsrelevante Stimuli zu untersuchen. So konnte gezeigt werden, dass Patienten mit Alkoholabhängigkeit verlangsamte Reaktionszeiten auf alkoholspezifische Reize aufweisen. Inwieweit dieser Effekt bei Wiederholungsmessungen stabil ist, wurde bisher weniger intensiv untersucht. Dies ist insofern erstaunlich, als dass sowohl Theorien existieren, die eine Normalisierung der Reaktionszeiten nahe legen (Habituation), als auch Konzepte, die gleich bleibende oder zunehmend verlangsamte Reaktionszeiten erwarten lassen (Sensitivierung), möglicherweise assoziiert mit verstärktem oder neu entstehendem Craving. In dieser Studie wurden 20 Patienten mit Alkoholabhängigkeit nach abgeschlossenem Alkoholentzug mit einem Stroop Test untersucht, in dem u. a. individuell bedeutsame alkoholbezogene Wörter präsentiert wurden. Zunächst konnten frühere Befunde einer verstärkten Interferenz durch alkoholassoziierte Wörter repliziert werden. Weiterhin konnte gezeigt werden, dass Patienten mit einer Alkoholerkrankung an diese Stimuli habituieren. In weiteren Studien sollte untersucht werden, inwieweit dieser Habituationseffekt auch auf physiologischer Ebene nachweisbar ist.

Brain mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) mediate effects of aldosterone in relation to salt homeostasis, and of glucocorticoid stress hormones corticosteroids in the context of stress adaptation. Brain stem MRs respond to aldosterone, while forebrain MRs mediate rapid and delayed MR-mediated glucocorticoids effects in conjunction with the glucocorticoid receptor. MR-mediated effects depend on gender, genetic variations and environmental influences. Disturbed MR activity by chronic stress or in certain (endocrine) diseases can cause deleterious effects on affective state, cognitive and behavioural function in susceptible individuals. High MR activation may have protective effects in healthy individuals, whereas dysregulated high MR activity during a stress response would require treatment with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). Here, we discuss recent pharmacological and genetic developments, from the molecular underpinnings of MR signaling and function, to pharmacological interventions in the clinic. Improved understanding of MR dependent pathways will help to improve glucocorticoid therapy, unwanted side effects and psychiatric symptoms.