Search

Routinely prescribed psychological therapies for depression are not always effective. Arts therapies, particularly Dance Movement Psychotherapy, may offer additional therapeutic mechanisms for depression. Therefore, client-reported helpful factors from various therapy types, along with client preferences, are key in devising new therapeutic interventions. We present a framework for a new pluralistic "meta-approach" of therapy for depression, based on an interdisciplinary thematic synthesis (Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. "BMC Medical Research Methodology," 8[1], 45) of active ingredients from both talking therapies and creative approaches. Lastly, we offer an illustrative group therapy workshop based on this approach, to be piloted with clients and practitioners within an NHS mental health service. Further research is required to evaluate this pilot and to devise a full treatment for trialling within the service.

This study analyzes the increasing prevalence of skin of color publications in the PubMed database from 1945 to July 2023. The volume of publications has significantly risen, with a peak observed in 2021, reflecting a sixfold increase in recent years. The study categorizes the type of research among skin of color publications, highlighting the importance of inclusive research to inform future standards of care for patients of all skin tones. [Extracted from the article]

The study compared disease-specific survival rates between primary penile melanoma (PPM) and melanoma in other cutaneous sites using the SEER database. PPM patients had higher rates of regional and distant stages of disease, tumor ulceration, and thicker Breslow depths compared to other sites. Univariate analysis showed that PPM had significantly poorer disease-specific survival rates, with a multivariate analysis indicating a higher risk of disease-specific mortality for PPM patients. The study highlights the need for early detection and education on melanoma in atypical sites to improve outcomes for PPM patients. [Extracted from the article]

In her review of James I. Porter's new book on Homer (May 6), Barbara Graziosi comments on my late father, Jasper Griffin. Professor Graziosi sums him up as 'an expansive [...]

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer, but the utilization of palliative care (PC) in patients with this cancer has not previously been investigated in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: Patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma (2004-2017) were identified within the NCDB. Cross tabulations with Chi-square analysis were performed to evaluate frequencies of palliative care use by patient, facility, and tumor characteristics. Multivariate logistic binary regression was performed to evaluate relationships between patient, treatment facility, and tumor characteristics and the use of palliative care. Results: A total of 7498 patients were analyzed with 2.8% of patients diagnosed having any form of palliative care utilization. Of this group, 53.37% received PC within the first 12 months after diagnosis. Of the 2.8% of patients receiving PC the most common forms of PC utilized were non-curative symptom-directed surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, or a combination of these modalities (56.7%). Palliative care usage was increased in patients with greater tumor diameter, tumors in the bones of the midline, or stage IV tumors. Palliative care usage was decreased in patients living within 25-49 miles of their treatment facility, those living in pacific states, those with chondroblastic osteosarcoma, or those with private insurance. Conclusion: Palliative care use in patients with osteosarcoma increases with tumor stage, tumor size, or more proximal tumors, but overall utilization remains markedly low. Future studies should further define these patterns of care and help expand the utilization of PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative practice differs widely across the contexts of artistic performance and therapy. In this article the authors describe a novel example of how the otherwise separate fields of choreographic practices and dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) have fed into each other. More specifically, the article outlines (1) how research into the effectiveness of DMP for depression has been used to create an interdisciplinary performance and (2) how the creative process has informed the development of therapeutic work. The performance was originally intended to disseminate quantitative findings from a study in DMP, but, as it developed, the resonances between artistic and therapeutic practice became the key focus and led to the artists contributing to the principles of a new creative therapy. The performance toured internationally and the new therapy model 'Arts for the Blues' has been piloted in the NHS, charities and schools in the north-west of England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues concerning how plagiarism has been represented in literature are examined. Topics include definitions of plagiarism, according to such scholars as 18th-century writer Samuel Johnson; representations of plagiarism in such works as 'Les Liaisons dangereuses' and 'Cyrano de Bergerac'; and a song called 'Lobachevsky,' which concerns plagiarism.