One Generic Mental Illness: A Principle-Based Psycho-Spiritual Explanation of General Factor p and Its Application to Spiritually Informed Clinical Practice

Year 2021, , 7 - 26, 15.06.2021

Thomas M. Kelley William F. Pettit Jr. Judith Sedgeman Jack Pransky

https://doi.org/10.37898/spc.2021.6.2.132

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Multiple forms of psychopathology appear to have one common liability typically referred to as general factor p (or p). The possibility of a general factor of psychopathology begs several questions. If something substantive exists that accounts for patterns of co- morbidity across myriad forms of psychopathology, what exactly is it? If higher levels of this factor account for more severe and sustained psychological ill-heath, what explains it and its developmental progression? If this factor exists, does it account for varying levels of mental health and the apparent decline in mental health from childhood to mid-life? Does this factor have a common prevention and remediation? The authors offer a possible answer, a new psycho-spiritual explanation of general factor p grounded in understanding the way people’s psychological life experiences are created via three universal Principles—Mind, Consciousness and Thought. Given this understanding of p, we propose a process from p to psychopathology. Then we offer a prevention and remediation for the ill-effects of our view of p which we call factor U. Factor U describes people’s awareness and sufficient insight-based understanding of the way these three Principles manifest within everyone. Finally, we apply our view of p to clinical practice emphasizing empirically supported mental health education grounded in factor U for preventing and remediating the ill-effects of p, thus reducing psychopathology and its symptoms, and naturally restoring a state of innate mental well-being.

Keywords

General Factor p, Universal Mind, Consciousness and Thought, Innate mental well-being, Mental health education

References

• Abramoweitz, J. S., Whiteside, S., Lynam, D., & Kelsey, S. (2003). Is thought-action fusion speci c to obsessive-compulsive disorder? A mediating role of negative affect. Behavior Research Therapy, 41(9), 1069-1079, DOI: 10.1037/1064-1297.11.3.210
• Banerjee, K., Howard, M., Mansheim, K., & Beattie M. (2007). Comparison of health realization and 12-step treatment in women’s residential substance abuse treatment programs. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 33, 207-215. DOI: 10.1080/00952990601174758
• Banks, S. (1998). The missing link. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing.
• Banks, S. (2001). The enlightened gardener. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing.
• Banks, S. (2005). The enlightened gardener revisited. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing.
• Brosschot, J. F., Gerin, W., & Thayer, J. F. (2006). The perseverative cognition hypothesis: A review of worry, prolonged stress-related physiological activation, and health. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 60(2), 113-124. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.06.074
• Carver, C. S., Johnson, S. L., & Timpano, K. R. (2017). Toward a functional view of the p factor in psychopathology. Clinical Psychological Science, 5(5), 880-889, DOI: 10.1177/2167702617710037
• Caspi, A., Houts, R. M., & Ambler, A. (2020). Longitudinal assessment of mental health disorders and comorbidities across 4 decades among participants in the Dunedin Birth Cohort Study. Jama Network Open, 3(4), DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3221
• Caspi, A., Houts, R. M., Belsky, D. W., Goldman-Mellor, S. J., Harrington, M., & Mof t, T. E. (2014). The p-factor: One general psychopathology factor in the structure of psychiatric disorders? Clinical Psychological Science, 2014, 2, 119-137, DOI: 10.1177/2167702613497473
• Caspi, A, & Mof t, T. E. (2018). All for one and one for all: Mental disorders in one dimension. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(9), 831-844, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17121383
• Deary, I. J. (2019). Intelligence, a very short introduction. Oxford, England: Oxford University.
• Dinan, G. D., & Cryan, J. F. (2012). Regulation of the stress response by the gut microbiota: Implications for psychoneuroendocrinology. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37(9), 1368-1378. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.03.007
• Ehring, T., Frank, S., & Ehlers, A. (2008). The role of rumination and reduced concreteness in the maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression following trauma. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 32, 488–506, DOI: 10.1007/s10608-006-9089-7
• El-Mokadem, J., DiMarko, K., Kelley, T. M., & Duf eld, L. (2020). Three Principles/Innate Health: The ef cacy of a new psycho-spiritual mental health education intervention for people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, DOI: 10.1037/scp0000232
• Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., et al., (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258, DOI: 10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8
• Glusegkoff, K., Jokela, M., & Rosenstrom, T. (2019). The general psychopathology factor: Structural stability and generalizability to within-individual changes. Frontiers in Psychiatry, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00594
• Goddard, N. (2005). The Neville reader. Camarillo, CA: DeVoss.
• Sedgeman, J. A. (1998). Re ections on the study of principles. Unpublished Manuscript. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University School of Medicine.
• Sedgeman, J. A., & Sarwari, A. (2006). The effect of a health realization/innate health psycho- education seminar on stress and anxiety in HIV-positive patients. Medical Science Monitor,12(10), 397-399, PMID: 17006397.
• Selzam, S., Coleman, J.R.I., Caspi, A. et al. (2018). A polygenic p factor for major psychiatric disorders. Translational Psychiatry 8, 205, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0217-4
• Singh, K., Bassi, M., Junnarkar, M., & Negri, L. (2015). Mental health and psychosocial functioning in adolescence: An investigation among Indian students from Delhi. Journal of Adolescence, 39, 59–69, DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.12.008
• Suldo, S. M., & Shaffer, E. J. (2008). Looking beyond psychopathology: The duel- factor model of mental health in youth. School Psychology Review, 37, 52-68, DOI: 10.1080/02796015.2008.12087908
• Tackett, J. L., Lilienfeld, S. O., Patrick, C. J, et al. (2017). It’s time to broaden the replicability conversation: Thoughts for and from clinical psychological science. Perspective Psychological Science, 12, 742–756, DOI: 10.1177/1745691617690042
• Teasdale. J. D., Scott, J., Moore, R. G., Hayhurst, H., Pope, M., & Paykel, E. S. (2001). How does cognitive therapy prevent relapse in residual depression? Evidence from a controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(3), 347-357, DOI: 10.1037//0022- 006x.69.33347
• Verkuil, B., Brosschot, J. F., Meerman, E. E., & Thayer, J. F. (2012). Effects of momentary assessed stressful events and worry episodes on somatic health complaints. Psychological Health, 27, 141–158, DOI: 10.1080/08870441003653470
• Watkins, E. R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163-206, DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.163
• Zawadzki, M. J., Graham, J. E., & Gerin, W. (2013). Rumination and anxiety mediate the effect of loneliness on depressed mood and sleep quality in college students. Health Psychology, 32(2), 212–222, DOI:10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.163