British Psychological Society

Psychiatric comorbidities, especially depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, are highly prevalent among patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Nevertheless, the ways in which psychological factors are associated with suicide risk in this population remain insufficiently understood. This study examined whether depression statistically mediates the association between anxiety and suicidal ideation among adults with IBS, within a gut–brain axis framework. A cross‑sectional study was conducted among 280 adults with IBS diagnosed according to the Rome IV criteria. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were assessed using validated Persian versions of the Beck Depression Inventory‑II (BDI‑II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‑SEM) was used to estimate direct and indirect associations, with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Model quality was evaluated using factor loadings, composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE), heterotrait–monotrait ratio (HTMT), variance inflation factors (VIF), and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR). In additional sensitivity analyses, age, sex, IBS subtype, and previous psychiatric diagnosis were included as covariates predicting depression and suicidal ideation to assess the robustness of the main structural paths. Clinically significant depression, anxiety, and high suicide risk were observed in 41.1

Background . The demand for high-quality professional mental health services in the field of ageing is growing. However, not much is known about the pathways to education and training in ageing psychology across Europe and how this affects attitudes towards work with older adults. The present research examines in what ways attitudes toward older clients are associated with geropsychological training in three European regions (Western, Southern, and Central-Eastern). Methods. Using a snowball sampling strategy, 371 psychologists (mean age 44,8, 87,3% female) from 10 European countries participated in the survey. The self-report data on educational background and specialised training in the field of ageing and geropsychology, as well as positive and negative attitudes toward older adults, were collected. Results . The results suggest notable cross-country variability in the proportion of psychologists who had received theoretical and practical training in geropsychology, with the lowest rates in Central-Eastern Europe (i.e., Czechia, Croatia, Lithuania). Notably, across all countries, professional psychologists who received specialised training in the field of ageing expressed less negative and more positive attitudes toward older clients. Conclusions . Findings need to be interpreted with caution as the samples are not representative of the respective countries. However, it is suggested that more geropsychological education and training may eventually contribute to a better professional attitude towards clients among professional psychologists working in the field of ageing.

Suicidal ideation is a serious mental health concern among medical students, often associated with the academic pressures and psychological challenges of medical education. The present study aimed to compare the prevalence and severity of suicidal ideation between students in the basic sciences and those in clinical training. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among 204 medical students. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI). Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS version 22, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The mean age of participants was 22.7 ± 3.6 years; 57.8

The present case study examines the impact of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) on critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and purposeful decision-making in two female undergraduate students diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and anxiety disorder. Participant A.D. (19 years old), diagnosed with BPD and currently engaged in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a primary intervention, and Participant M.P. (20 years old), diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with prior CBT experience, required and participated in a structured NLP intervention implemented as a complementary approach. The NLP intervention was conducted for a period of 10 weeks, consisting of one weekly session lasting one hour. The NLP techniques used, included Anchoring, Reframing, Future Pacing and the Meta Model for linguistic and cognitive restructuring. The results were assessed using qualitative methods, semi-structured interviews with the purpose to explore changes in reflective thinking, emotional regulation, and purposeful decision-making. A thematic analysis of participant responses was performed and that revealed significant improvements in cognitive flexibility, including increased ability to challenge using on target questions automatic thoughts, developing metacognition ability and reduce cognitive distortions. Participants also demonstrated enhanced emotional awareness and self-regulation, and a higher capacity for intentional, purposeful decision-making in both academic and social contexts. Clinically, relevant changes were observed in the specific areas, including reduced avoidance and procrastinated behaviors, improved tolerance of anxiety-provoking situations or events, and decreased reactivity to maladaptive thought patterns leading self-harm and withdrawal. These findings suggest that NLP, particularly through the application of the Meta Model, Reframing, Anchoring and Future Pacing, may serve as a valuable adjunctive intervention for enhancing cognitive-emotional functioning and purposeful decision-making in young adults with BPD and anxiety disorders. Further research with larger samples as well as quantitative methods for assessing the outcomes is recommended to establish the efficacy and generalizability of these results.