Will the establishment of a new former rebel-led government in restive Mindanao, Philippines provide a catalyst for political change in the region? After decades of protracted war the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim insurgent group in Mindanao, has taken the reins of authority in the region as a consequence of a political settlement with the government of the Philippines. A new political entity, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), was established in March 2019 after the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) during the January and February 2019 plebiscites. The BOL is the foundational instrument creating the BARMM specifying its territories, structure of government, and power- and wealth-sharing arrangements with the central government to realize the Muslim Filipinos' aspirations for self-determination and pursue their social, political, economic and cultural development within the Philippines constitutional framework. As an integral part of a comprehensive peace settlement, the BARMM is meant to correct a 'failed experiment', the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that was a creation of past peace agreement in 1989 with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the first Muslim secessionist group that waged war against the government in the '70s.

Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by an accumulation of possessions owing to acquisition behaviors or absence of discarding, resulting in clutter severe enough to cause emotional distress, impair functioning, and preclude the use of living spaces for their intended purposes. HD is associated with significant psychiatric and physical health comorbidities. Evidence demonstrates an increased cardiovascular response, high prevalence of heart disease, and sudden cardiac death in patients with HD and yet treatment outcomes for patients with comorbid cardiovascular diseases remain unreported. A psychology referral was made for a patient with heart failure (HF) who underwent a structured clinical interview within their domicile and met criteria for adolescent‑onset HD (27‑year history). Treatment outcomes for this case are described, as well as the cognitive‑behavioral therapy (CBT) modifications required for the patient, living in squalor and facing eviction. Results demonstrated modest improvements in HD symptoms from pretreatment to posttreatment. To ensure HF patients are involved in sorting/discarding tasks during CBT, modifications are necessary to compensate for high fatigability and dizziness to reduce the risk for serious adverse events including syncope and falls.

Background and objectives The adverse impacts of climate change on mental health is a burgeoning area, although findings are inconsistent. The emerging concept of eco-anxiety represents distress in relation to climate change and may be related to mental health. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between ecoanxiety with validated mental health outcomes, specifically psychological distress and symptoms of major affective disorders.

Design Systematic review.

Methods EBSCO, ProQuest, and Web of Science databases were searched to February 2024 for studies of adult samples quantifying eco-anxiety (exposure, i.e. fear, worry or anxiety in relation to climate change) and symptoms of psychological distress and major afective disorders (outcomes), as assessed by validated measures.

Results Full text review of 83 studies was performed, and K=35 studies were included in the review (N=45 667, 61% female, M_age 31.2 years). Consistently, eco-anxiety showed small to large positive correlations with mental health outcomes of psychological distress, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress symptoms. However, Results regarding post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and pathological worry were mixed. Stronger associations were observed where eco-anxiety was operationalised as‘anxiety’ rather than‘worry’

Conclusions Findings underscore that eco-anxiety is related to psychological burden. Greater consideration of ecoanxiety in assessment and treatment is needed in clinical practice and further policy development is warranted at the intersection of climate and health to address the mental health challenges posed by climate change.

The death penalty is a highly contentious issue among Philippine policymakers and the public. The Philippines is the first country to abolish the death penalty in Asia, through the 1987 Philippine Constitution and later through Republic Act No. 9346 in 2006. Yet, debates on whether capital punishment be reinstated persists, particularly in times when there is perceived worsening of crime situation. In recent years, calls for its revival has been linked to fears and anxieties over the perceived proliferation of illicit drugs and its social impacts. This has led to various legislative proposals to restore the death sentence in the criminal justice system.