by Veronica L. Martinez-Marignac  , Jose Luis Favant  , Leonel Mondragon  and Gloria Oertlin

Received: 17 December 2025;  Published: 21 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602019

ESSIAC tea is a traditional multi-herb infusion or decoction widely used by cancer patients as a complementary therapy. Originally employed in traditional Ojibwa medicine, it was later reformulated by a Canadian nurse. The classic ESSIAC infusion contains four main botanicals: burdock root (Arctium lappa), Turkish rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), and slippery elm bark (Ulmus rubra). Commercial variations (e.g., FlorEssence® and Genuine ESSIAC™) expand this list to include blessed this [...]

by Keith Tudor  and Maria Haenga-Collins

Received: 20 November 2025;  Published: 18 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602018

Positive mental health frameworks in Aotearoa New Zealand have largely been shaped by Western individualist assumptions and have given limited attention to Indigenous and bicultural understandings of wellbeing. This article examines positive mental health and its promotion in Aotearoa New Zealand, through a bicultural lens grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It reports on two cross-cultural mental health searches and discusses several models of health from te Ao Māori (the Māori world). Based on the view that positiv [...]

by Xiaying Wang  , Xiaoying Lv  , Kushal Malla  , Bingjun Chen  , Saroj Pradhan  , Ralf Bauder  , Yiming Li  and Michael Furian

Received: 24 November 2025;  Published: 18 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602017

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is often applied in isolated TCM practices, making rigorous research and standardized real-world data collection challenging. The purpose of this study was to implement the general consent (GC) in TCM practices, investigate the issue and the acceptance rate of the GC, and the influencing demographic factors. GC forms were distributed to patients before appointments and collected during their first visits. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate demographic facto [...]

by Katherine Lucre  , Neil Clapton  , Paul Gilbert  , Chris Jones  and Alex Copello

Received: 11 October 2025;  Published: 12 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602016

Individuals who have early attachment trauma can be fearful and resistant to caring behaviour from others and for themselves. This is partly because stimulation of the caring motivational system ignites trauma attachment memory. As a consequence, these individuals are unable to access care-attachment systems, supported by neurobiological processes involving the vagus nerve, oxytocin, and the frontal cortex, for modulating threats and regulating interpersonal distress. This paper outlines a Compassion Focused Group [...]

by Carolyn R. Ahlers-Schmidt  , Jessica Provines  , Marci Young  and Ashley Hervey

Received: 01 October 2025;  Published: 05 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602015

Perinatal mental health challenges are the number one complication of pregnancy and childbearing. Despite the growing need, substantial barriers to addressing perinatal mental health exist, including lack of infrastructure, policies, and workforce. Baby Talk, a free prenatal education program, sought to address this growing need through a brief intervention for those with a positive screening. Baby Talk partnered with a local suicide prevention program to develop a tool to enhance access to care and to support emot [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 19 April 2026;  Published: 20 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602014

The International Exchange of Professionals – Thematic Event in Medicine 2026, held in Athens, was a high-level interdisciplinary forum for clinical medicine, biomedical research, and translational innovation. Conducted at the Radisson Blu Park Hotel, the congress brought together more than 300 international experts from over 40 countries. It was organized under the auspices of the World High Technology Society in cooperation with BIT Group Global and the Shenzhen International Talent Exchange Center. The program i [...]

by Kamesha Spates  , Siobhán Hicks  , Bethanie Mauerman  and Na’Tasha Evans

Received: 14 September 2025;  Published: 07 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2602013

Studies show Black women exhibit distinct depression symptoms and treatment experiences compared to other groups, often facing underdiagnosis and inadequate care. Unfortunately, knowledge about Black women with depression has been underexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of Black women’s experiences living with clinical depression. To address this objective, we conducted a survey among 28 Black women aged 18 years and older (mean age = 35) residing in the United States, [...]

by Stephanie Bryan  , Maryellen Hamilton  and Danielle Zimny

Received: 22 October 2025;  Published: 30 March 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2601012

In 2025, college students are reportedly more anxious and strained than any previous generation of young people, while they are also the first to have grown up entirely immersed in social media. This research explores social media use patterns and their relationship with academic, emotional, health-related and social well-being among college students. A total of 111 college students from an East Coast university self-selected to complete a one-time assessment anonymously through Qualtrics. A mixed-methods, explorat [...]

by Sierra Coffey  , Kaela Beauvoir Farrise  and Erica E. Coates

Received: 10 October 2025;  Published: 13 March 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2601011

Although methods of ethnic-racial socialization have been studied in the past, welcoming in a new digital age has affected how parents engage with their children on topics such as race and culture. While media can be an engaging way to expose young children to race and culture, the underrepresentation of Black youth in media in the United States has posed a dilemma for Black parents about the best way of using media to socialize their young children. To understand how Black mothers expose their children to ideas ab [...]

by Elif Özgen

Received: 14 October 2025;  Published: 02 March 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2601010

Throughout human history, movement has functioned not only as a physical activity but also as a ritual, considered a healing practice linked to meaning-making and social balance. Bodily performances and ritual-based practices—such as folk dances and mystical rituals—have historically supported the physical and emotional integrity of individuals. This paper examines the historical continuity of movement-based performative practices in Turkish health culture through religious and mystical rituals, folk dances, and mu [...]