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Most of the policy debate surrounding the actions needed to mitigate and adapt to anthropogenic climate change has been framed by observations of the past 150 years as well as climate and sea-level projections for the twenty-first century. The focus on this 250-year window, however, obscures some of the most profound problems associated with climate change. Here, we argue that the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, a period during which the overwhelming majority of human-caused carbon emissions are likely to occur, need to be placed into a long-term context that includes the past 20 millennia, when the last Ice Age ended and human civilization developed, and the next ten millennia, over which time the projected impacts of anthropogenic climate change will grow and persist. This long-term perspective illustrates that policy decisions made in the next few years to decades will have profound impacts on global climate, ecosystems and human societies — not just for this century, but for the next ten millennia and beyond.
Defending Mother Earth brings together important Native voices to addres urgent issues of environmental devastation affecting indigenous peoples thorugh the Americas. These essays documenta range of problems, including the devastating effects of mining, nuclear power facilities, toxic waste dumps, and water pollution.As the contributors demonstrate, the struggles to stop these threats are intimately tied to the assertion of American Indian swovereignty and the affirmation of Native culture: the Earth is, indeed, Mother to all these nations. In his concluding reflection, George Tinker argues that the affirmation of Indian spiritual values, epecially the attitude twoard the Earth, may hold out a key to the survival of the planet, and all its peoples.
Defending Mother Earth brings together important Native voices to addres urgent issues of environmental devastation affecting indigenous peoples thorugh the Americas. These essays documenta range of problems, including the devastating effects of mining, nuclear power facilities, toxic waste dumps, and water pollution.As the contributors demonstrate, the struggles to stop these threats are intimately tied to the assertion of American Indian swovereignty and the affirmation of Native culture: the Earth is, indeed, Mother to all these nations. In his concluding reflection, George Tinker argues that the affirmation of Indian spiritual values, epecially the attitude twoard the Earth, may hold out a key to the survival of the planet, and all its peoples.
BACKGROUND:Individuals with a history of recurrent depression have a high risk of repeated depressive relapse/recurrence. Maintenance antidepressant medication (m-ADM) for at least 2 years is the current recommended treatment, but many individuals are interested in alternatives to m-ADM. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to reduce the risk of relapse/recurrence compared with usual care but has not yet been compared with m-ADM in a definitive trial.
OBJECTIVES:
To establish whether MBCT with support to taper and/or discontinue antidepressant medication (MBCT-TS) is superior to and more cost-effective than an approach of m-ADM in a primary care setting for patients with a history of recurrent depression followed up over a 2-year period in terms of preventing depressive relapse/recurrence. Secondary aims examined MBCT's acceptability and mechanism of action.
DESIGN:
Single-blind, parallel, individual randomised controlled trial.
SETTING:
UK general practices.
PARTICIPANTS:
Adult patients with a diagnosis of recurrent depression and who were taking m-ADM.
INTERVENTIONS:
Participants were randomised to MBCT-TS or m-ADM with stratification by centre and symptomatic status. Outcome data were collected blind to treatment allocation and the primary analysis was based on the principle of intention to treat. Process studies using quantitative and qualitative methods examined MBCT's acceptability and mechanism of action.
MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES:
The primary outcome measure was time to relapse/recurrence of depression. At each follow-up the following secondary outcomes were recorded: number of depression-free days, residual depressive symptoms, quality of life, health-related quality of life and psychiatric and medical comorbidities.
RESULTS:
In total, 212 patients were randomised to MBCT-TS and 212 to m-ADM. The primary analysis did not find any evidence that MBCT-TS was superior to m-ADM in terms of the primary outcome of time to depressive relapse/recurrence over 24 months [hazard ratio (HR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67 to 1.18] or for any of the secondary outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analysis did not support the hypothesis that MBCT-TS is more cost-effective than m-ADM in terms of either relapse/recurrence or quality-adjusted life-years. In planned subgroup analyses, a significant interaction was found between treatment group and reported childhood abuse (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.38), with delayed time to relapse/recurrence for MBCT-TS participants with a more abusive childhood compared with those with a less abusive history. Although changes in mindfulness were specific to MBCT (and not m-ADM), they did not predict outcome in terms of relapse/recurrence at 24 months. In terms of acceptability, the qualitative analyses suggest that many people have views about (dis)/continuing their ADM, which can serve as a facilitator or a barrier to taking part in a trial that requires either continuation for 2 years or discontinuation.
CONCLUSIONS:
There is no support for the hypothesis that MBCT-TS is superior to m-ADM in preventing depressive relapse/recurrence among individuals at risk for depressive relapse/recurrence. Both treatments appear to confer protection against relapse/recurrence. There is an indication that MBCT may be most indicated for individuals at greatest risk of relapse/recurrence. It is important to characterise those most at risk and carefully establish if and why MBCT may be most indicated for this group.
CONTEXT:Current therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI) include pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and cognitive rehabilitation. Unfortunately, psychological and emotional issues regularly go untreated in individuals with TBI even after they receive treatment for physical, behavioral, and cognitive issues. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may offer new rehabilitation opportunities for individuals with TBI.
OBJECTIVE:
To demonstrate the efficacy of MBCT in the treatment of clinically diagnosed depression in a TBI population.
DESIGN:
The research team measured depression, pain frequency and intensity, energy levels, health status, and function preintervention and postintervention.
SETTING:
The research team conducted the study at the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Ontario, Canada.
PARTICIPANTS:
The research team recruited 23 participants from two sources: (1) the brain injury program at the hospital and (2) the local head-injury association. Twenty participants completed the study.
INTERVENTION:
The intervention was 8 weeks in length, with a 90-minute MBCT session once a week. The research team based the specific content of the study's intervention on a combination of Kabat-Zinn's manualized mindfulness-based stress reduction program and Segal and colleague's manual for MBCT.
OUTCOME MEASURES:
The research team determined statistical significance using paired t-tests for continuous outcomes and the McNemar chi-square test for dichotomous categorical outcomes. They also calculated effect sizes for all depression measures.
RESULTS:
Postintervention, the study found that MBCT significantly reduced (P < .050) depression symptoms on all scales compared to baseline. The study demonstrated medium to large effect sizes for each depression measure. Participants indicated reduced pain intensity (P = .033) and increased energy levels (P = .004). No significant changes occurred in anxiety symptoms, pain frequency, and level of functioning postintervention.
CONCLUSION:
MBCT was efficacious in reducing depression in the TBI population, providing ample rationale for further research with more robust designs. This study marks an important step toward the development and provision of MBCT on a wider scale to support the rehabilitation efforts of people who have depression symptoms following TBI.
CONTEXT:Current therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI) include pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and cognitive rehabilitation. Unfortunately, psychological and emotional issues regularly go untreated in individuals with TBI even after they receive treatment for physical, behavioral, and cognitive issues. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may offer new rehabilitation opportunities for individuals with TBI.
OBJECTIVE:
To demonstrate the efficacy of MBCT in the treatment of clinically diagnosed depression in a TBI population.
DESIGN:
The research team measured depression, pain frequency and intensity, energy levels, health status, and function preintervention and postintervention.
SETTING:
The research team conducted the study at the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Ontario, Canada.
PARTICIPANTS:
The research team recruited 23 participants from two sources: (1) the brain injury program at the hospital and (2) the local head-injury association. Twenty participants completed the study.
INTERVENTION:
The intervention was 8 weeks in length, with a 90-minute MBCT session once a week. The research team based the specific content of the study's intervention on a combination of Kabat-Zinn's manualized mindfulness-based stress reduction program and Segal and colleague's manual for MBCT.
OUTCOME MEASURES:
The research team determined statistical significance using paired t-tests for continuous outcomes and the McNemar chi-square test for dichotomous categorical outcomes. They also calculated effect sizes for all depression measures.
RESULTS:
Postintervention, the study found that MBCT significantly reduced (P < .050) depression symptoms on all scales compared to baseline. The study demonstrated medium to large effect sizes for each depression measure. Participants indicated reduced pain intensity (P = .033) and increased energy levels (P = .004). No significant changes occurred in anxiety symptoms, pain frequency, and level of functioning postintervention.
CONCLUSION:
MBCT was efficacious in reducing depression in the TBI population, providing ample rationale for further research with more robust designs. This study marks an important step toward the development and provision of MBCT on a wider scale to support the rehabilitation efforts of people who have depression symptoms following TBI.
Mindfulness (tendency to attend to present experience without expectation or judgment) is generally considered to be an adaptive way of responding to emotional experience. Anxiety sensitivity can be conceptualized as a maladaptive response (fear) to arousal-related somatic sensations commonly associated with anxiety. Emotion regulation strategies are learned in the context of early attachment relationships, and adult attachment styles have been linked to both mindfulness and anxiety sensitivity. This study examined whether mindfulness facets (observe, describe, act with awareness, accept without judgment) would mediate associations between attachment and the dimensions of anxiety sensitivity (physical, social, cognitive concerns). Multiple mediation analyses showed that observe mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and physical concerns, and accept mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and social concerns. Accept, aware, and observe each mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and cognitive concerns. Only accept mediated the association between attachment avoidance and the three anxiety sensitivity dimensions. Findings suggest the importance of measuring mindfulness as a multidimensional construct, and the value of assessing attachment style and incorporating mindfulness elements in interventions designed to reduce anxiety sensitivity.
Mindfulness (tendency to attend to present experience without expectation or judgment) is generally considered to be an adaptive way of responding to emotional experience. Anxiety sensitivity can be conceptualized as a maladaptive response (fear) to arousal-related somatic sensations commonly associated with anxiety. Emotion regulation strategies are learned in the context of early attachment relationships, and adult attachment styles have been linked to both mindfulness and anxiety sensitivity. This study examined whether mindfulness facets (observe, describe, act with awareness, accept without judgment) would mediate associations between attachment and the dimensions of anxiety sensitivity (physical, social, cognitive concerns). Multiple mediation analyses showed that observe mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and physical concerns, and accept mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and social concerns. Accept, aware, and observe each mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and cognitive concerns. Only accept mediated the association between attachment avoidance and the three anxiety sensitivity dimensions. Findings suggest the importance of measuring mindfulness as a multidimensional construct, and the value of assessing attachment style and incorporating mindfulness elements in interventions designed to reduce anxiety sensitivity.
Focusing on the interdependence between human, animal, and machine, posthumanism redefines the meaning of the human being previously assumed in knowledge production. This movement challenges some of the most foundational concepts in educational theory and has implications within educational research, curriculum design and pedagogical interactions. In this volume, a group of international contributors use posthumanist theory to present new modes of institutional collaboration and pedagogical practice. They position posthumanism as a comprehensive theoretical project with connections to philosophy, animal studies, environmentalism, feminism, biology, queer theory and cognition. Researchers and scholars in curriculum studies and philosophy of education will benefit from the new research agendas presented by posthumanism.
Focusing on the interdependence between human, animal, and machine, posthumanism redefines the meaning of the human being previously assumed in knowledge production. This movement challenges some of the most foundational concepts in educational theory and has implications within educational research, curriculum design and pedagogical interactions. In this volume, a group of international contributors use posthumanist theory to present new modes of institutional collaboration and pedagogical practice. They position posthumanism as a comprehensive theoretical project with connections to philosophy, animal studies, environmentalism, feminism, biology, queer theory and cognition. Researchers and scholars in curriculum studies and philosophy of education will benefit from the new research agendas presented by posthumanism.
OBJECTIVE: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders among children and youths. There is growing interest in intervention options for anxiety. Yoga is widely used in clinical, school, and community settings, but consolidated sources outlining its effectiveness in reducing anxiety are limited. METHOD: This systematic review examined the evidence base (1990-2014) for yoga interventions addressing anxiety among children and adolescents (ages 3-18 yr). RESULTS: We identified 2,147 references and found 80 articles that were eligible for full-text review. The final analysis included 16: 6 randomized controlled trials, 2 nonrandomized preintervention-postintervention control-group designs, 7 uncontrolled preintervention-postintervention studies, and 1 case study. CONCLUSION: Nearly all studies indicated reduced anxiety after a yoga intervention. However, because of the wide variety of study populations, limitations in some study designs, and variable outcome measures, further research is needed to enhance the ability to generalize and apply yoga to reduce anxiety.
OBJECTIVE: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders among children and youths. There is growing interest in intervention options for anxiety. Yoga is widely used in clinical, school, and community settings, but consolidated sources outlining its effectiveness in reducing anxiety are limited. METHOD: This systematic review examined the evidence base (1990-2014) for yoga interventions addressing anxiety among children and adolescents (ages 3-18 yr). RESULTS: We identified 2,147 references and found 80 articles that were eligible for full-text review. The final analysis included 16: 6 randomized controlled trials, 2 nonrandomized preintervention-postintervention control-group designs, 7 uncontrolled preintervention-postintervention studies, and 1 case study. CONCLUSION: Nearly all studies indicated reduced anxiety after a yoga intervention. However, because of the wide variety of study populations, limitations in some study designs, and variable outcome measures, further research is needed to enhance the ability to generalize and apply yoga to reduce anxiety.
OBJECTIVE: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders among children and youths. There is growing interest in intervention options for anxiety. Yoga is widely used in clinical, school, and community settings, but consolidated sources outlining its effectiveness in reducing anxiety are limited.METHOD: This systematic review examined the evidence base (1990-2014) for yoga interventions addressing anxiety among children and adolescents (ages 3-18 yr).
RESULTS: We identified 2,147 references and found 80 articles that were eligible for full-text review. The final analysis included 16: 6 randomized controlled trials, 2 nonrandomized preintervention-postintervention control-group designs, 7 uncontrolled preintervention-postintervention studies, and 1 case study.
CONCLUSION: Nearly all studies indicated reduced anxiety after a yoga intervention. However, because of the wide variety of study populations, limitations in some study designs, and variable outcome measures, further research is needed to enhance the ability to generalize and apply yoga to reduce anxiety.
OBJECTIVE: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders among children and youths. There is growing interest in intervention options for anxiety. Yoga is widely used in clinical, school, and community settings, but consolidated sources outlining its effectiveness in reducing anxiety are limited. METHOD: This systematic review examined the evidence base (1990-2014) for yoga interventions addressing anxiety among children and adolescents (ages 3-18 yr). RESULTS: We identified 2,147 references and found 80 articles that were eligible for full-text review. The final analysis included 16: 6 randomized controlled trials, 2 nonrandomized preintervention-postintervention control-group designs, 7 uncontrolled preintervention-postintervention studies, and 1 case study. CONCLUSION: Nearly all studies indicated reduced anxiety after a yoga intervention. However, because of the wide variety of study populations, limitations in some study designs, and variable outcome measures, further research is needed to enhance the ability to generalize and apply yoga to reduce anxiety.