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Using two modes of intervention delivery, the present study compared the effects of a cognitive defusion strategy with a thought distraction strategy on the emotional discomfort and believability of negative self-referential thoughts. One mode of intervention delivery consisted of a clinical rationale and training (i.e., Partial condition). The other mode contained a condition-specific experiential exercise with the negative self-referential thought in addition to the clinical rationale and training (i.e., Full condition). Nonclinical undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of five protocols: Partial-Defusion, Full-Defusion, Partial-Distraction, Full-Distraction, and a distraction-based experimental control task. The Full-Defusion condition reduced the emotional discomfort and believability of negative self-referential thoughts significantly more than other comparison conditions. The positive results of the Full-Defusion condition were also found among participants with elevated depressive symptoms.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic rheumatic disease associated with pain, stiffness, and psychosocial difficulties. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the impact of a yoga intervention on pain and morning stiffness in an adolescent female with JIA. A secondary aim was to assess the impact of this intervention on self-efficacy, mindfulness, health-related quality of life, and disease activity. A 17-y-old female with JIA participated in 3 yoga groups and home yoga practice with a digital video disc. She engaged in daily self-monitoring of pain and stiffness and completed questionnaires assessing psychosocial functioning and disease activity at pre- and postintervention, and psychosocial functioning at 3-mo follow-up. Primary outcomes were evaluated using quasi-experimental single-case design structure (ie, ABAB), with emphasis on the report of means. Results suggested that yoga reduced pain intensity, stiffness intensity, and duration of morning stiffness. Outcomes for disease activity also suggested improvements. Modest changes were revealed on psychosocial outcome measures, however not consistently in the direction of hypotheses. Anecdotal reports from the participant indicated acceptability of the intervention and improvements in pain and stiffness attributed to engaging in the yoga intervention. More research is warranted to further explore the impact of yoga for youth with JIA as an adjunctive component of multidisciplinary treatment targeting pain, stiffness, disease activity, and psychosocial factors.