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As a proposed mediator between stigma-related stressors and negative mental health outcomes, HIV-related shame has been predictive of increased rates of substance use and difficulties adhering to antiretroviral treatment among people with HIV. These downstream manifestations have ultimately impeded progress toward national goals to End the HIV Epidemic, in part due to limited success of conventional psychotherapies in addressing HIV-related shame. In a pilot clinical trial (N = 12), receipt of psilocybin-assisted group therapy was associated with a large pre-post decrease in HIV-related shame as measured by the HIV and Abuse Related Shame Inventory, with a median (IQR) change of - 5.5 (- 6.5, - 3.5) points from baseline to 3-months follow-up (Z = - 2.6, p = 0.009, r = - 0.75). A paradoxical exacerbation of sexual abuse-related shame experienced by two participants following receipt of psilocybin raises critical questions regarding the use of psilocybin therapy among patients with trauma. These preliminary findings carry potential significance for the future of HIV care.

BackgroundHealth behavior interventions, especially those that promote improved diet and physical activity, are increasingly directed toward cancer survivors given their burgeoning numbers and high risk for comorbidity and functional decline. However, for health behavior interventions to achieve maximal public health impact, sustainability at both the individual and organizational levels is crucial. The current study aimed to assess the individual and organizational sustainability of the Harvest for Health mentored vegetable gardening intervention among cancer survivors.MethodsTelephone surveys were conducted among 100 cancer survivors (mean age 63 years; primarily breast cancer) completing one-of-two Harvest for Health feasibility trials. Surveys ascertained whether participants continued gardening, and if so, whether they had expanded their gardens. Additionally, surveys were emailed to 23 stakeholders (Cooperative Extension county agents, cancer support group leaders, and healthcare representatives) who were asked to rate the intervention's ability to generate sustained service and produce benefits over time using the eight-domain Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT).ResultsThe survey among cancer survivors (91.9% response rate) indicated that 85.7% continued gardening throughout the 12 months following intervention completion; 47.3% expanded their gardens beyond the space of the original intervention. Moreover, 5.5% of cancer survivors enrolled in the certification program to become Extension Master Gardeners. The survey among stakeholders generated a similar response rate (i.e., 91.3%) and favorable scores. Of the possible maximum of 7 points on the PSAT, the gardening intervention's "Overall Capacity for Sustainability" scored 5.7 (81.4% of the maximum score), with subscales for "Funding Stability" scoring the lowest though still favorably (5.0) and "Program Evaluation" scoring the highest (6.3).ConclusionsData support the sustainability capacity of the Harvest for Health vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors. Indeed, few interventions have proven as durable in terms of individual sustainability. Furthermore, Harvest for Health's overall organizational score of 5.7 on the PSAT is considered strong when compared to a previous review of over 250 programs, where the mean overall organizational PSAT score was 4.84. Thus, solutions for long-term funding are currently being explored to support this strong, holistic program that is directed toward this vulnerable and growing population.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02150148.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and cardiometabolic diseases. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2005-2014), the present study examined the associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and two types of cardiometabolic disease: heart disease and diabetes. Respondents who reported having tried a classic psychedelic at least once in their lifetime had lower odds of heart disease in the past year (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.77 (0.65-0.92), p = .006) and lower odds of diabetes in the past year (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.88 (0.78-0.99), p = .036). Classic psychedelic use might be beneficial for cardiometabolic health, but more research is needed to investigate potential causal pathways of classic psychedelics on cardiometabolic diseases.

AbstractIn this review, we discuss psychedelics’ acute subjective and persisting therapeutic effects, outline the science of positive emotions, and highlight the value in considering distinct positive emotions in psychedelic science. Psychedelics produce a wide variety of acute subjective effects (i.e. the ‘trip’), including positive emotions and affective states such as awe and joy. However, despite a rich literature on distinct emotions and their different correlates and sequelae, distinct emotions in psychedelic science remain understudied. Insofar as psychedelics’ acute subjective effects may play a role in their downstream therapeutic effects (e.g. decreased depression, anxiety, and substance misuse), considering the role of distinct positive emotions in psychedelic experiences has the potential to yield more precise statements about psychedelic-related subjective processes and outcomes. We propose here that understanding the role of positive emotions within the context of psychedelic experiences could help elucidate the connection between psychedelics’ acute subjective effects and therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physicians report a number of barriers to obesity counseling, among them low perceived competence in the ability to counsel. While there is increasing recognition of the need for resident training on counseling, implementation requires residency programs to have the necessary curricula and tools to evaluate training effectiveness. This study's objective was to describe the development and psychometric testing of the Perceived Competence for Obesity Counseling (PCOC) scale. Items were generated based on constructs from the 5A's counseling framework, review of the obesity literature, and expert opinion. The 20-item scale was piloted among 74 resident physicians. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the number and nature of factors in the scale. Pearson's correlation was used to assess scale validity of the total scores and sub-scale scores association with residents' overall confidence in counseling and outcome expectancy for obesity counseling. Analyses suggested a 3-factor solution. After the removal of cross loading items, eighteen items were retained; eleven items loaded on the first factor, four items on the second factor, and three on the third factor. Cronbach's alpha for the 18-item PCOC scale was 0.95 indicating internal consistency. The PCOC scale was significantly correlated with resident's overall confidence in counseling (r = 0.60, p < 0.01) and outcome expectancy for obesity counseling (r = 0.41, p < 0.01). This pilot study suggests PCOC holds promise as a valid and reliable measure of resident's perceived competence for obesity counseling. Future studies are needed to assess the scale's association with counseling skills.

The current study utilized the intersectionality framework to explore whether smoking outcome expectancies (i.e., cognitions about the anticipated effects of smoking) were predicted by gender and ethnicity, and the gender-by-ethnicity interaction. In a cross-sectional design, daily smokers from the general community (32.2% women; non-Hispanic African American [n = 175], non-Hispanic White [n = 109], or Hispanic [n = 26]) completed self-report measures on smoking expectancies and other co-factors. Results showed that women reported greater negative reinforcement (i.e., anticipated smoking-induced negative affect reduction) and weight control (i.e., anticipated smoking-induced appetite/weight suppression) expectancies than men. Hispanic (vs. African American or White) smokers endorsed greater negative reinforcement expectancies. A gender-by-ethnicity interaction was found for weight control expectancies, such that White women reported greater weight control expectancies than White men, but no gender differences among African American and Hispanic smokers were found. These findings suggest that gender, ethnicity, and their intersectionality should be considered in research on cognitive mechanisms that may contribute to tobacco-related health disparities.

IntroductionMost cigarette smoking cessation research has aimed to clarify characteristics associated with initial and sustained abstinence, with less attention paid to predictors of gaining abstinence following an initial failure.MethodsThe current investigation explored pre-treatment demographic, smoking, and psychiatric characteristics related to gaining abstinence among smokers who failed to attain initial abstinence. Participants were 809 individuals enrolled in extended, 52-week, smoking cessation interventions. Of these, 287 (62.4%) failed to achieve initial abstinence. Gaining abstinence following initial abstinence failure was defined as achieving seven-day point prevalent abstinence at any post-initial abstinence assessment.ResultsThose who gained abstinence (Gainers) were more likely to have a live-in partner (χ(2)(1, N=283)=3.8, p=.05, Cramér's V=.12), identify as Hispanic (χ(2)(1, N=281)=7.8, p

IntroductionAlthough the early time course of smoking withdrawal effects has been characterized, the clinical significance of early withdrawal symptoms and their predictors are unknown. This study evaluated the relationships of early smoking withdrawal effects with quit attempt outcomes and the rate of nicotine metabolism.MethodsEleven treatment-seeking smokers abstained from smoking for 4 hr in the laboratory before a quit attempt. Withdrawal measures included heart rate, sustained attention, and self-report. Following baseline assessment, withdrawal measures were administered every 30 min. At the conclusion of the 4-hr early withdrawal session, participants received a brief smoking cessation intervention and then returned 1 week and 12 weeks later for outcome assessments that included biochemically confirmed smoking abstinence, cigarettes smoked in the past 24hr, and self-reported withdrawal symptoms. The rate of nicotine metabolism was estimated at intake with the nicotine metabolite ratio (trans-3'-hydroxycotinine/cotinine) measured in saliva.ResultsGreater self-reported negative affect and concentration difficulty during early withdrawal, most notably anxiety, were related with poorer quit attempt outcomes. There was some indication that although a faster increase in craving and greater hunger during early withdrawal were associated with more favorable outcomes, a greater decrease in heart rate during this time was associated with poorer outcomes. Faster nicotine metabolism was related to a faster increase in anxiety but a slower increase in craving during early withdrawal.ConclusionsThese findings lend support to the clinical significance of early smoking withdrawal effects. The rate of nicotine metabolism may be a useful predictor of early withdrawal symptoms.

Research has documented tobacco-related health disparities by race and gender. Prior research, however, has not examined expectancies about the smoking cessation process (i.e., abstinence-related expectancies) as potential contributors to tobacco-related disparities in special populations. This cross-sectional study compared abstinence-related expectancies between American Indian (n = 87), African American (n = 151), and White (n = 185) smokers, and between women (n = 231) and men (n = 270) smokers. Abstinence-related expectancies also were examined as mediators of race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self efficacy. Results indicated that American Indians and African Americans were less likely than Whites to expect withdrawal effects, and more likely to expect that quitting would be unproblematic. African Americans also were less likely than Whites to expect smoking cessation interventions to be effective. Compared with men, women were more likely to expect withdrawal effects and weight gain. These expectancy differences mediated race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Findings emphasize potential mechanisms underlying tobacco-related health disparities among American Indians, African Americans, and women and suggest a number of specific approaches for targeting tobacco dependence interventions to these populations.

Drug-involved smokers may be less motivated to quit smoking because they expect smoking cessation to occasion adverse outcomes (e.g., exacerbation of drug use). Non-treatment-seeking adult smokers from the community (N=507) reported drug involvement, expectancies for smoking abstinence via the Smoking Abstinence Questionnaire (SAQ), and motivation to quit smoking (desire to quit and abstinence goal). Mediation analyses evaluated the indirect effects of binge drinking, marijuana, cocaine, other stimulant, opiate, and barbiturate/other sedative involvement on motivation to quit smoking through the SAQ Adverse Outcomes scale. Adverse outcomes expectancies accounted for a reduced desire to quit smoking and a lower likelihood of endorsing a goal of complete smoking abstinence among those involved with binge drinking, marijuana, cocaine, other stimulants, opiates, and barbiturates/other sedatives. Drug-involved smokers' greater expectancies for adverse outcomes upon quitting smoking may deter smoking quit attempts. Interventions are encouraged to counteract the notion that smoking cessation jeopardizes sobriety.

Background: Previous research has proposed that there may be potential synergies between psychedelic and meditation interventions, but there are still knowledge gaps that merit further investigation. Methods: Using a longitudinal observational research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult population with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity (N = 9732), we investigated potential associations between self-reported psychedelic use and meditation practice. Results: The follow-up survey was completed by 7667 respondents (79% retention rate), with 100 respondents reporting psychedelic use during the 2-month study period (1.3% of follow-up respondents). In covariate-adjusted regression models, psychedelic use during the study period was associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness meditation practice in the past week (B = 0.40, p = 0.004). Among those who reported psychedelic use during the study period, covariate-adjusted regression models revealed that the subjective experience of insight during respondents' most intense psychedelic experience in that period was also associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week (B = 0.42, p = 0.021; B = 0.38, p = 0.017). Notably, more days of loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week at baseline was associated with less severe subjective feelings of death or dying during respondents' most intense psychedelic experience in the study period (B = −0.29, p = 0.037). Conclusions: Psychedelic use might lead to greater engagement with meditation practices such as mindfulness meditation, while meditation practices such as loving-kindness or compassion medication might buffer against certain challenging experiences associated with psychedelic use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite common depictions in the media, there is little scientific evidence on microdosing psychedelic drugs. We assessed awareness, prevalence, and dosing practices of microdosing psychedelic drugs among young adults 18–22 years old from Southern California (2018–2019). We examined whether sociodemographic factors, personality traits, mental health, or other substance use behaviors were correlated with having ever microdosed. Among 2,396 participants, 293 (12%) had heard of microdosing and 74 (3%) ever microdosed. Among those who had heard of microdosing, 79% correctly defined microdosing as taking an amount of a psychedelic much lower than a standard dose, whereas 15% misperceived microdosing as a standard psychedelic dose. Psilocybin was the most common drug ever microdosed (70%), followed by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD, 57%). Among those who ever microdosed, ~18% reported using psychoactive doses far higher than would be generally considered a microdose. White race, male/masculine gender identity, bisexual identity, past 6-month other drug use, greater attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, mindfulness, and sensation-seeking were positively associated with having ever microdosed in multivariable models. Young adult microdosing merits further attention from scientific and public health professionals to help prevent misperceptions and potential adverse consequences as well as explore its potential therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To compare the concurrent and predictive validities of two subsets of DSM-IV criteria for nicotine dependence (tolerance and withdrawal; withdrawal; difficulty controlling use; and use despite harm) to the concurrent and predictive validity of the full DSM-IV criteria. DESIGN: Analysis of baseline and outcome data from three randomized clinical trials of cigarette smoking treatment. SETTING: San Francisco, California. PARTICIPANTS: Two samples of cigarette smokers (n = 810 and 322), differing with regard to baseline characteristics and treatment received, derived from three randomized clinical trials. MEASUREMENTS: DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria were measured at baseline with a computerized version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (DIS-IV). Additional baseline measures included the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), number of cigarettes smoked per day, breath carbon monoxide (CO) level, the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS), the Michigan Nicotine Reinforcement Questionnaire (M-NRQ) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Seven-day point-prevalence abstinence was assessed at week 12. FINDINGS: Full DSM-IV criteria displayed greater concurrent validity than either of the two subsets of criteria. However, DSM-IV symptoms accounted for only a nominal amount of the variance in baseline smoking-related characteristics and were unrelated to smoking abstinence at week 12. Cigarettes smoked per day was the only significant predictor of abstinence at week 12. CONCLUSIONS: Although the findings do not provide a compelling alternative to the full set of DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria, its poor psychometric properties and low predictive power limit its clinical and research utility.

Background: Whereas findings from case reports and cross-sectional studies suggest that naturalistic psychedelic use may be associated with unusual visual experiences that occur after the acute pharmacological effects have subsided, such findings need to be replicated in longitudinal studies to better understand potential cause-and-effect relationships. Aims: To investigate longitudinal associations between naturalistic psychedelic use and unusual visual experiences. Methods: Using a longitudinal observational research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult populations with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity (N = 9732), we investigated the relationship between psychedelic use during the 2-month study period and changes in past-week unusual visual experiences. Results: The follow-up survey was completed by 79% of respondents (n = 7667), with 100 respondents reporting psychedelic use during the 2-month study period (1.3% of those who responded at follow-up). In covariate-adjusted regression models, the results showed that, as hypothesized, psychedelic use during the 2-month study period was associated with greater increases in unusual visual experiences. Notably, there was an interaction between lifetime psychedelic use and psychedelic use during the study period on unusual visual experiences such that those who used psychedelics for the first time reported greater increases in unusual visual experiences. Conclusions: Psychedelic use may elicit unusual visual experiences that occur after the acute pharmacological effects have subsided, especially among those who have not used psychedelics previously. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to further elucidate these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]