Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are becoming increasingly acceptable to the general public and are increasingly used around the world. The international rise in focus on CAM and the increased incorporation of CAM into medical curricula make it important to gain insight into the knowledge and attitudes of medical students about CAM and its integration in the medical curriculum. Materials and Methods: In this present study, we attempt to investigate the Cerrahpasa medical faculty students' knowledge, attitude and practices of the students on CAM. The study used a primary cross-sectional data collection from students of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, in 2012-2013 academic years. Results: Students' knowledge of CAM between classes was also compared. There were also statistically significant differences about the knowledge of those methods (acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, reiki, prayer, meditation massage, dietary, spa). Prayer was the most known modality in all medical classes' students (first year students: 254, sixth year students: 192). The students who participated in the study stated that 433 (% 59.4) have some knowledge about the acupuncture (first year students: 229, sixth year students: 204). Acupressure was found to be at least known methods for CAM (first year students: 313, sixth year students: 282). Conclusion: Medical students in our faculty had limited knowledge about CAM therapies. Medical students also have an understanding of the importance of CAM education in the medical curriculum, specifically how it will positively influence professional attitude and stimulate the doctor-patient relationship.
Zotero Collections:
Presents a nine-step model for teaching character, designed to integrate academic, social, and emotional learning; anticipate problems; and hold students to high standards.
Presents a nine-step model for teaching character, designed to integrate academic, social, and emotional learning; anticipate problems; and hold students to high standards.
This study investigated the effect of a social and emotional learning skills curriculum, the "You Can Do It! Early Childhood Education Program" (YCDI), on the social-emotional development, well-being, and academic achievement of 99 preparatory and grade 1 students attending a Catholic school in Melbourne, Australia. One preparatory and one grade 1 class were randomly chosen to receive structured lessons in YCDI, delivered by their classroom teachers over a period of 10 weeks, while the remaining preparatory and grade 1 class served as the control group. The lessons were designed to teach young children confidence, persistence, organisation and emotional resilience. The educational program consisted of explicit, direct instruction lessons drawn from the YCDI Early Childhood Curriculum taught three times a week, supported by a variety of additional social and emotional teaching practices. The results indicated that YCDI had a statistically significant positive effect on levels of social-emotional competence and well-being for the preparatory and grade 1 students, a reduction in problem behaviours (externalising, internalising, and hyperactivity problems) for the grade 1 students, and an increase in reading achievement (decoding text) for the lower achieving grade 1 students. These findings are discussed with regard to issues concerning the role of explicit instruction in social and emotional learning for the early years.
BackgroundCognitive problems frequently occur in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and profoundly affect their quality of life. So far, the best cognitive treatment options for MS patients are a matter of debate. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of two promising non-pharmacological treatments: cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Furthermore, this study aims to gain additional knowledge about the aetiology of cognitive problems among MS patients, since this may help to develop and guide effective cognitive treatments.
Methods/design
In a dual-centre, single-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT), 120 MS patients will be randomised into one of three parallel groups: CRT, MBCT or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). Both CRT and MBCT consist of a structured 9-week program. ETAU consists of one appointment with an MS specialist nurse. Measurements will be performed at baseline, post-intervention and 6 months after the interventions. The primary outcome measure is the level of subjective cognitive complaints. Secondary outcome measures are objective cognitive function, functional brain network measures (using magnetoencephalography), psychological symptoms, well-being, quality of life and daily life functioning.
Discussion
To our knowledge, this will be the first RCT that investigates the effect of MBCT on cognitive function among MS patients. In addition, studying the effect of CRT on cognitive function may provide direction to the contradictory evidence that is currently available. This study will also provide information on changes in functional brain networks in relation to cognitive function. To conclude, this study may help to understand and treat cognitive problems among MS patients.
Social epistemology is a broad set of approaches to the study of knowledge and to gain information about the social dimensions. This intellectual movement of wide cross-disciplinary sources reconstructs the problems of epistemology when knowledge is considered to be intrinsically social. In the first chapter, "Social Epistemology and Social Learning," Olivia Saracho and Bernard Spodek discuss the social and historical contexts in which different forms of knowledge are formulated based on the perspective of social epistemology. They also discuss the emergence of social epistemology, which guides researchers to investigate social phenomena in laboratory and field settings. Social factors "external" to the appropriate business of science have a major impact in the social studies researchers' historical case studies. Thus, social studies researchers may be considered social epistemologists, because (a) they focus on knowledge of social influences and (b) they infer epistemologically significant conclusions from their sociological or anthropological research. In addition, analyses indicate that studies of scientific paradigms are basically a struggle for political power rather than reflecting reliable epistemic merit. Social studies researchers focus on knowledge of social influences on knowledge, which is analogous to the knowledge of the social epistemologists. They also use their sociological or anthropological research to infer epistemologically significant conclusions. Contents include: (1) Introduction--Social Learning in the Early Childhood Years (Olivia N. Saracho and Bernard Spodek); (2) Social Epistemology and Social Learning (Olivia N. Saracho and Bernard Spodek); (3) Social Dynamics of Early Childhood Classrooms: Considerations and Implications for Teachers (Kathleen Cranley Gallagher, Kimberly Dadisman, Thomas W. Farmer, Laura Huss, and Bryan C. Hutchins); (4) The Development of Social Identity and Intergroup Attitudes in Young Children (Kurt Kowalski); (5) The Development of Ethnic Prejudice in Early Childhood: Theories and Research (Drew Nesdale); (6) Executive Function, Behavioral Self-Regulation, and Social-Emotional Competence: Links to School Readiness (Megan M. McClelland, Claire E. Cameron, Shannon B. Wanless, and Amy Murray); (7) Capital at Home and at School as Determinants of Child Social Adjustment (Toby L. Parcel); (8) Parenting and Schooling Influences on Early Self-Regulation Development (Abigail M. Jewkes and Frederick J. Morrison); (9) Positive Parent-Provider Relationships: A Key to Healthy Parent-Child Relationships (Angela M. Tomlin); (10) Promoting School Readiness in Foster Children (Katherine C. Pears, Philip A. Fisher, Cynthia V. Heywood, and Kimberly D. Bronz); (11) Teaching History and Social Studies to Young Children (Gary Fertig); (12) Play as Group Improvisation: A Social Semiotic, Multimodal Perspective on Play and Literacy (Stacy L. DeZutter); (13) Social Aspects in Language and Literacy Learning: Progress, Problems, and Interventions (Adriana G. Bus, Maria T. de Jong, and Marinus H. Van IJzendoorn); (14) If You're Not Like Me Can We Play? Peer Groups in Preschool (Carollee Howes and Linda Lee); (15) Social Life of Young Children: Co-construction of Shared Meanings and Togetherness, Humour and Conflicts in Child Care Centers (Elly Singer and Dorian de Haan); and (16) Social Learning as the Basis for Early Childhood Education (Olivia N. Saracho and Bernard Spodek)
Contemplative practices like meditation and mindfulness have recently gained increased acceptance in science and clinical practice, although a number of issues related to their phenomenology and to experimental designs still remain.
Participants in the dialogue between science and Buddhism have long modeled their discussion primarily on the idea of convergence, the premise that the most significant comparisons are those that reveal common ground. This is by no means the only model for comparative discussion, and I would argue that in the case of Buddhism and science it is deeply flawed. Instead, another model—one based on mutual challenge, in which the two sides are able to shed light on each other precisely because of their differences—offers what I see as a more potentially fruitful alternative.
Zotero Collections:
Participants in the dialogue between science and Buddhism have long modeled their discussion primarily on the idea of convergence, the premise that the most significant comparisons are those that reveal common ground. This is by no means the only model for comparative discussion, and I would argue that in the case of Buddhism and science it is deeply flawed. Instead, another model—one based on mutual challenge, in which the two sides are able to shed light on each other precisely because of their differences—offers what I see as a more potentially fruitful alternative.
Zotero Collections:
This article discusses the non-academic, social-emotional factors that contribute to student academic achievement, including the cognitive-behavioral characteristics of underachieving students and those with learning disabilities; the "You Can Do It! Education" (YCDI) theory of achievement; derivative research on social-emotional capabilities, called the Five Foundations (Academic Confidence, Work Persistence, Work Organization, Getting Along, Emotional Resilience) that, when delayed, produce achievement problems; and recommendations for developing students' social-emotional competence. The research reviewed demonstrates that the Five Foundations and associated Habits of the Mind can be taught to young people, producing increased effort with schoolwork and better achievement.
Zotero Collections:
This book discusses the theory and practice of labyrinth creation and use. From issues of design and cost, to how a labyrinth may be used as a university-wide resource and also be used for outreach to the wider community, it covers labyrinth use: • Within disciplines, such as initiatives to deepen reflection and explore contemplative approaches to learning• In wider university contexts, such as counselling; chaplaincy; learning and educational development; widening participation and student transition• Across the whole university, and reaching out to the wider community of which the university is a part, from the labyrinth as a conference resource (as well as topic), to festival contributions. Learning with the Labyrinth seeks to illustrate, inspire and share ideas that can be taken further by the reader.
Objective: This study investigated the association between mindfulness, other resilience resources, and several measures of health in 124 urban firefighters. Method: Participants completed health measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems and measures of resilience resources including mindfulness, optimism, personal mastery, and social support. The Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003) was used to assess mindfulness. Participants also completed measures of firefighter stress, number of calls, and years as a firefighter as control variables. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted with the health measures as the dependent variables with 3 levels of independent variables: (a) demographic characteristics, (b) firefighter variables, and (c) resilience resources. Results: The results showed that mindfulness was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems when controlling for the other study variables. Personal mastery and social support were also related to fewer depressive symptoms, firefighter stress was related to more PTSD symptoms and alcohol problems, and years as a firefighter were related to fewer alcohol problems. Conclusions: Mindfulness may be important to consider and include in models of stress, coping, and resilience in firefighters. Future studies should examine the prospective relationship between mindfulness and health in firefighters and others in high-stress occupations.
Objectives: The objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of two mind-body interventions: mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive-behavioral stress reduction (CBSR). Subjects: Fifty ( 50) subjects were recruited from the community and took part in MBSR (n = 36) and CBSR (n = 14) courses. Participants self-selected into MBSR or CBSR courses taught at different times. There were no initial differences between the MBSR and CBSR subjects on demographics, including age, gender, education, and income. Intervention: MBSR was an 8-week course using meditation, gentle yoga, and body scanning exercises to increase mindfulness. CBSR was an 8-week course using cognitive and behavioral techniques to change thinking and reduce distress. Design: Perceived stress, depression, psychological well-being, neuroticism, binge eating, energy, pain, and mindfulness were assessed before and after each course. Pre-post scores for each intervention were compared by using paired t tests. Pre-post scores across interventions were compared by using a general linear model with repeated measures. Settings/Locations: Weekly meetings for both courses were held in a large room on a university medical center campus. Results: MBSR subjects improved on all eight outcomes, with all of the differences being significant. CBSR subjects improved on six of eight outcomes, with significant improvements on well-being, perceived stress, and depression. Multivariate analyses showed that the MBSR subjects had better outcomes across all variables, when compared with the CBSR subjects. Univariate analyses showed that MBSR subjects had better outcomes with regard to mindfulness, energy, pain, and a trend for binge eating. Conclusions: While MBSR and CBSR may both be effective in reducing perceived stress and depression, MBSR may be more effective in increasing mindfulness and energy and reducing pain. Future studies should continue to examine the differential effects of cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based interventions and attempt to explain the reasons for the differences.
OBJECTIVES:The objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of two mind-body interventions: mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive-behavioral stress reduction (CBSR).
SUBJECTS:
Fifty (50) subjects were recruited from the community and took part in MBSR (n = 36) and CBSR (n = 14) courses. Participants self-selected into MBSR or CBSR courses taught at different times. There were no initial differences between the MBSR and CBSR subjects on demographics, including age, gender, education, and income.
INTERVENTION:
MBSR was an 8-week course using meditation, gentle yoga, and body scanning exercises to increase mindfulness. CBSR was an 8-week course using cognitive and behavioral techniques to change thinking and reduce distress.
DESIGN:
Perceived stress, depression, psychological well-being, neuroticism, binge eating, energy, pain, and mindfulness were assessed before and after each course. Pre-post scores for each intervention were compared by using paired t tests. Pre-post scores across interventions were compared by using a general linear model with repeated measures. SETTINGS/LOCATIONS: Weekly meetings for both courses were held in a large room on a university medical center campus.
RESULTS:
MBSR subjects improved on all eight outcomes, with all of the differences being significant. CBSR subjects improved on six of eight outcomes, with significant improvements on well-being, perceived stress, and depression. Multivariate analyses showed that the MBSR subjects had better outcomes across all variables, when compared with the CBSR subjects. Univariate analyses showed that MBSR subjects had better outcomes with regard to mindfulness, energy, pain, and a trend for binge eating.
CONCLUSIONS:
While MBSR and CBSR may both be effective in reducing perceived stress and depression, MBSR may be more effective in increasing mindfulness and energy and reducing pain. Future studies should continue to examine the differential effects of cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based interventions and attempt to explain the reasons for the differences.
Pages |