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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health
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Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 December 2023) | Viewed by 24287

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Blerida Banushi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Genetics and Genomic (GGM) Department, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
Interests: mental health; breathwork; meditation; psychedelic therapies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mental illness is the pandemic of the 21st century and among the top-ten leading causes of burden worldwide. Depression alone is expected to be the number one global disease burden by 2030.

While mental health conditions are increasing worldwide, a large proportion of those affected do not receive treatment or face treatment discontinuation, side effects and overall failure. The current model for mental health is facing a paradigmatic crisis and lacking novel psychiatric treatments. There is, therefore, an urgent call for radical change in the paradigm of mental health, and treatment therapies to include integrative strategies and novel delivery methods.

Complementary and alternative medicine consists of a range of cost-effective “group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine”.

Many people sufferning mental health seek complementary or alternative medicine but knowledge of the evidence base for these therapies is often lacking among healthcare providers.

This open access Special Issue will provide up-to date research and review articles on the current recommendations for complementary therapies in the treatment of a wide range of mental-health disorders.

Topics include, but are not limited to, approaches for mental disorders using:

  • Alternative medical systems, such as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies.
  • Mind–body interventions, such as breathwork, biofeedback, mindfullness, meditation and hypnosis.
  • Physical modalities, such as exercise, yoga, massage and chiropractic care.
  • Energy medicine.
  • Herbal therapies.
  • Music therapy.
  • Bright-light therapy.

Dr. Blerida Banushi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mental health
  • mental-health disorders
  • anxiety disorders
  • mood disorders
  • eating disorders
  • trauma-related disorders
  • personality disorders
  • substance-abuse disorders
  • psychotic disorders
  • complementary and alternative therapies
  • psychedelic-assisted therapies
  • yoga
  • breathwork
  • meditation
  • mindfulness
  • exercise
  • hypnosis
  • music therapy

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3745 KiB  
Article
Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation
by Bassam Abomoelak, Ray Prather, Samani U. Pragya, Samani C. Pragya, Neelam D. Mehta, Parvin Uddin, Pushya Veeramachaneni, Naina Mehta, Amanda Young, Saumya Kapoor and Devendra Mehta
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(8), 1214; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13081214 - 17 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1120
Abstract
The impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we performed [...] Read more.
The impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we performed correlation analyses to investigate the presence of any relationships in the changes in cognitive performance and DNA methylation in a group of college students practicing Preksha Dhyāna (N = 34). Nine factors of cognitive performance were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks postintervention timepoints in the participants. Statistically significant improvements were observed in six of the nine assessments, which were predominantly relating to memory and affect. Using Illumina 850 K microarray technology, 470 differentially methylated sites (DMS) were identified between the two timepoints (baseline and 8 weeks), using a threshold of p-value < 0.05 and methylation levels beyond −3% to 3% at every site. Correlation analysis between the changes in performance on each of the nine assessments and every DMS unveiled statistically significant positive and negative relationships at several of these sites. The identified DMS were in proximity of essential genes involved in signaling and other important metabolic processes. Interestingly, we identified a set of sites that can be considered as biomarkers for Preksha meditation improvements at the genome level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health)
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10 pages, 516 KiB  
Article
Heat-Killed L. helveticus Enhances Positive Mood States: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
by Natsumi Mutoh, Izumi Kakiuchi, Kumiko Kato, Chendong Xu, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Masayo Ayukawa, Kyoko Kiyosawa, Kazumi Igarashi, Miyuki Tanaka, Masahiko Nakamura and Mitsunaga Miyasaka
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(6), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13060973 - 20 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1173
Abstract
When mood states are impaired, daily life is severely disrupted. To maintain a specific mood state, both positive and negative moods must be controlled; however, methods to maintain a positive mood have not been fully established. Previous studies have suggested that heat-killed L. [...] Read more.
When mood states are impaired, daily life is severely disrupted. To maintain a specific mood state, both positive and negative moods must be controlled; however, methods to maintain a positive mood have not been fully established. Previous studies have suggested that heat-killed L. helveticus MCC1848 has the potential to improve positive moods. This study aimed to test the efficacy of heat-killed L. helveticus MCC1848 in maintaining and improving a positive mood with PANAS, a questionnaire specifically designed to assess positive and negative mood, as the primary endpoint. Healthy Japanese nursing students (n = 46) were randomized to receive heat-killed L. helveticus MCC1848 (5 billion/day) or placebo powder for four weeks. Mood state was assessed before and two and four weeks after the intervention began; ingestion of heat-killed L. helveticus MCC1848 significantly improved PANAS ‘Positive Affect’ compared to the placebo. These results indicate that heat-killed L. helveticus MCC1848 is effective in enhancing positive mood. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health)
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Review

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17 pages, 1990 KiB  
Review
Exploring the Relationship between Mood Disorders and Coexisting Health Conditions: The Focus on Nutraceuticals
by Agnieszka Mechlińska, Mariusz S. Wiglusz, Jakub Słupski, Adam Włodarczyk and Wiesław J. Cubała
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(9), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13091262 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1880
Abstract
Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are the leading causes of global disability. Approximately 50% of patients fail to attain remission, prompting a pronounced focus on the significance of dietary patterns and specific nutrients within the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The connection between [...] Read more.
Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are the leading causes of global disability. Approximately 50% of patients fail to attain remission, prompting a pronounced focus on the significance of dietary patterns and specific nutrients within the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The connection between chronic diseases and mood disorders follows a bidirectional pattern: physical ailments are interrelated with affective disorders, and, concurrently, mood symptoms often precede chronic diseases and have the potential to worsen their prognosis. Nutraceuticals affect factors that could potentially impact the onset of mood disorders: monoamines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and sleep quality. Furthermore, mood disorders rarely manifest in isolation. Typically, such patients concurrently experience other mental disorders or somatic comorbidities: obesity, hypertension, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), etc., where providing nutritional support is also pertinent. To optimize the therapeutic approach for individuals with mood disorders, incorporating nutritional support may not solely ameliorate symptoms stemming directly from the mental condition, but also indirectly through interventions targeting comorbidities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health)
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22 pages, 6893 KiB  
Review
Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review
by Blerida Banushi, Madeline Brendle, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Tara Murphy, Claire Moore, Johannes Egberts and Reid Robison
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020256 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 12553
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders, but they are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Dysfunctional breathing is a hallmark of anxiety disorders; however, mainstays of treatments do not tackle breathing in patients suffering anxiety. This scoping review [...] Read more.
Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders, but they are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Dysfunctional breathing is a hallmark of anxiety disorders; however, mainstays of treatments do not tackle breathing in patients suffering anxiety. This scoping review aims to identify the nature and extent of the available research literature on the efficacy of breathwork interventions for adults with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders using the DSM-5 classification system. Using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, a search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus was conducted using terms related to anxiety disorders and breathwork interventions. Only clinical studies using breathwork (without the combination of other interventions) and performed on adult patients diagnosed with an anxiety disorder using the DSM-5 classification system were included. From 1081 articles identified across three databases, sixteen were included for the review. A range of breathwork interventions yielded significant improvements in anxiety symptoms in patients clinically diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The results around the role of hyperventilation in treatment of anxiety were contradictory in few of the examined studies. This evidence-based review supports the clinical utility of breathwork interventions and discusses effective treatment options and protocols that are feasible and accessible to patients suffering anxiety. Current gaps in knowledge for future research directions have also been identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health)
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Other

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52 pages, 3236 KiB  
Systematic Review
Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Conceptual Framework of Implementation Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review of the Published Literature
by Tanya G. K. Bentley, Gina D’Andrea-Penna, Marina Rakic, Nick Arce, Michelle LaFaille, Rachel Berman, Katie Cooley and Preston Sprimont
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1612; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121612 - 21 Nov 2023
Viewed by 6329
Abstract
Anxiety and stress plague populations worldwide. Voluntary regulated breathing practices offer a tool to address this epidemic. We examined peer-reviewed published literature to understand effective approaches to and implementation of these practices. PubMed and ScienceDirect were searched to identify clinical trials evaluating isolated [...] Read more.
Anxiety and stress plague populations worldwide. Voluntary regulated breathing practices offer a tool to address this epidemic. We examined peer-reviewed published literature to understand effective approaches to and implementation of these practices. PubMed and ScienceDirect were searched to identify clinical trials evaluating isolated breathing-based interventions with psychometric stress/anxiety outcomes. Two independent reviewers conducted all screening and data extraction. Of 2904 unique articles, 731 abstracts, and 181 full texts screened, 58 met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-four of the studies’ 72 interventions were effective. Components of effective and ineffective interventions were evaluated to develop a conceptual framework of factors associated with stress/anxiety reduction effectiveness. Effective breath practices avoided fast-only breath paces and sessions <5 min, while including human-guided training, multiple sessions, and long-term practice. Population, other breath paces, session duration ≥5 min, and group versus individual or at-home practices were not associated with effectiveness. Analysis of interventions that did not fit this framework revealed that extensive standing, interruptions, involuntary diaphragmatic obstruction, and inadequate training for highly technical practices may render otherwise promising interventions ineffective. Following this evidence-based framework can help maximize the stress/anxiety reduction benefits of breathing practices. Future research is warranted to further refine this easily accessible intervention for stress/anxiety relief. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health)
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