Associations of anxiety and depression with prognosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The associations between anxiety, depression, and the prognosis of COPD remain uncertain. The present study aims to investigate the associations of anxiety and depression with 30-day readmission rates and acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Four databases were searched to identify relevant studies published before 13 March 2024. Studies that report on the impact of anxiety and depression on the prognosis of AECOPD were included. The pooled effect size and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random effects model. The primary outcomes were 30-day readmission and AECOPD within the first year after discharge in COPD patients. Of the 5,955 studies screened, 14 studies were included in the analysis. Patients with anxiety had a higher risk of AECOPD within the first year after discharge compared to those without anxiety (HR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.28-3.45, p = 0.003). Patients with depression also had a higher risk of AECOPD within the first year after discharge (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10-1.69, p = 0.004). Similar results were observed in the associations of anxiety and depression with 30-day readmission. Our results suggested that anxiety and depression were associated with an increased risk of 30-day readmission and AECOPD in patients with COPD.

Emotional vs. social loneliness and prolonged grief: a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model

Background: Bereavement following death, with loneliness as a prominent feature, can result in enduring stress and compromised health.Objective: Building on Weiss's ([1973]. Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. MIT Press) proposal of two distinct types of loneliness, this study investigated within-person associations between emotional loneliness (EL) and prolonged grief symptoms (PGS) (aim 1), as well as social loneliness (SL) and PGS (aim 2) over four years following spousal loss. Additionally, we examined the impact of gender, age, and education on the main factors.Methods: We used random-intercept cross-lagged panel modelling (RI-CLPM) to analyse self-reported data from 338 Danish spousal-bereaved adults (58% female; mean age = 72.1; range 65-81 years) on EL and SL (single-item questions) and PGS (Inventory of Complicated Grief, short version) at 6, 13, 18, and 48 months post-loss.Results: We found (1) within-person associations between EL and PGS; (2) no within-person associations between SL and PGS. In our model, PGS predicted EL over time, with no reciprocal effect. In contrast, PGS and SL were unrelated. Age did not link with EL, SL, or PGS. More years of education were associated with less EL and SL, but not with PGS. Gender influenced the association between SL and PGS.Conclusions: This study enhances our understanding of longitudinal, within-person associations between EL, SL, and PGS. Consistent with Weiss's (1973) relational theory of loneliness in widowhood, results highlight the unique role of EL. While replication is needed due to limitations like single-item measures and varying intervals, these findings emphasize EL's importance in widowhood and offer a basis for better understanding and addressing PGS. Monitoring the relationship between loneliness and grief may help healthcare providers offer timely, targeted interventions.

Parents' wellbeing: perceptions of happiness and challenges in parenthood in Latin America

INTRODUCTION

Traditional research on parenthood and wellbeing often employs a positivist perspective and focuses on non-LA samples -limiting our knowledge and understanding of the influence of cultural components such as Machismo and Marianismo, have in parents' wellbeing. This study explored how Latin American (LA) parents' wellbeing is influenced by parenthood in a culture strongly influenced by such gender-based perspectives.

METHODS

An interpretative perspective was employed to qualitatively explore fifteen LA parents' lived experiences and data were analysed via Thematic Analysis. The American Psychological Association's Journal Article Reporting Standards for Qualitative Research (JARS-Qual), was followed to compile this paper.

RESULTS

Results showed that socio-economic factors such as crime, violence, and economic inequality, negatively influence parents' wellbeing -emotions experienced and life satisfaction.

DISCUSSION

Parents find joy in sharing own personal experiences with their children and passing on gender-based models. However, parents perceive family pressure as a "burden" when expected to follow principles of Machismo/Marianismo. Similar to Asian, but unlike European parents, LA parents experience a mixture of positive and negative emotions whilst parenting -shaped by Machismo and Marianismo. This study makes a unique contribution by uncovering the unique influence of LA socio-economic challenges and cultural impositions and expectations and its influence on parental wellbeing.

Test anxiety, emotional regulation and academic performance among medical students: a qualitative study

Medical school can be a difficult and emotionally turbulent experience for students. Test anxiety is very common among medical students and may impact their academic performance. However, there is a lack of qualitative studies on test anxiety and emotion regulation in relation to the academic performance of medical students. This study aims to examine the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance among medical students, exploring the role of emotion regulation and coping strategies in managing test anxiety during examinations. The study involved 22 medical students from one Saudi medical school who participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcribed data, resulting in the identification of four key themes. The emerging themes are test anxiety, academic performance, emotion regulation, and other coping strategies. Students' anxiety can vary from a source of motivation to a severe obstacle. It impacts their theoretical understanding, practical abilities, and the evaluation criteria used to assess academic achievement. However, some students use both adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Promoting emotion regulation and various coping mechanisms to address test anxiety in medical students is essential to enhance their academic performance and prepare them for future healthcare professions.

Is lean mass quantity or quality the determinant of maximal fat oxidation capacity? The potential mediating role of cardiorespiratory fitness

BACKGROUND

Impaired fat oxidation is linked to cardiometabolic risk. Maximal fat oxidation rate (MFO) reflects metabolic flexibility and is influenced by lean mass, muscle strength, muscle quality - defined as the ratio of strength to mass - and cardiorespiratory fitness. The relationship between these factors and fat oxidation is not fully understood. The aim is to analyze the associations of lean-mass, muscle strength and quality with fat oxidation parameters in young adults, considering the mediating role of VO2max.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study. Eighty-one adults (50 males, 31 females; age 22.8 ± 4.4, BMI 25.70 ± 5.75, lean-mass 54.19 ± 8.78, fat-mass 18.66 ± 11.32) Body composition assessment by bioimpedance determine fat and lean-mass. Indirect calorimetry at rest and exercise was used for the calculation of fat oxidation. An incremental exercise protocol in a cycle ergometer with two consecutive phases was performed. The first to determine MFO consisted of 3 min steps of 15W increments with a cadence of 60rpm. The test was stopped when RQ ≥ 1. After 5 min rest, a phase to detect VO2max began with steps of 15W/min until exhaustion. Muscular strength was assessed by handgrip dynamometry and the standing longitudinal jump test. A strength cluster was calculated with handgrip and long jump adjusted by sex and age. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and mediation analyses.

RESULTS

Total lean-mass and leg lean-mass were not associated with MFO. Long jump, relativized by lean-mass and by leg lean-mass have a standardized indirect effect on MFO of 0.50, CI: 0.32-0.70, on MFO/lean-mass 0.43, CI:0.27-0.60 and MFO/leg lean-mass 0.44, CI: 0.30-0.06, which VO2max mediated, VO2max/lean-mass and VO2max/leg lean-mass, respectively (all p < 0.01). The handgrip/arm lean-mass had an indirect effect of 0.25 (CI: 0.12-0.38) on MFO/leg lean-mass, with VO2max/leg lean-mass as the mediator (p < 0.01). The Cluster/lean-mass and Cluster/Extremities lean-mass have a standardized indirect effect on MFO/lean-mass (0.34, CI: 0.20-0.48) and MFO/leg lean-mass (0.44, CI: 0.28-0.60), mediated by VO2max/lean-mass and VO2max/leg lean-mass (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Muscular strength and quality have an indirect effect on MFO mediated by VO2max. These findings suggest the importance of muscle quality on MFO.

MBSR effects on positive psychological traits and experiential avoidance in head and neck cancer: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Data on the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) positive psychological traits and experiential avoidance (EA) among cancer patients are lacking.Objective: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to: (1) compare the efficacy between MBSR and treatment-as-usual (TAU) control groups in increasing posttraumatic growth (PTG), hope, and optimism and reducing EA across time measurements (T0, T1, and T2) among head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and (2) evaluate the mediation effects of hope, optimism, and EA on the relationship between MBSR and PTG.Methods: A total of 80 HNC participants were randomized to MBSR (n = 40) and TAU (n = 40) groups with the researchers and data analyst blinded, and the group allocation of the participants was concealed. A one-hour MBSR session was conducted once a week, with 45 minutes of home assignments, for six weeks in the MBSR group. The outcomes across time measurements were compared using a mixed linear model following intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Mediation effects of hope, optimism, and EA on the relationship between MBSR and PTG were assessed with PROCESS.Results: MBSR significantly increased the degree of optimism from T0 to T1 (mean difference = 1.825, 95% CI = 0.907-2.743, SE = 0.381, p < .001) with a medium effect size (d = 0.563) and from T1 to T2 (mean difference = 1.650, 95% CI = 0.829-2.470, SE = 0.328, p < .001) with a medium effect size (d = 0.630). Initially, MBSR did not increase the degree of hope from T0 to T1 (p = .677), but it significantly increased hope from T1 to T2 (mean difference = 2.524, 95% CI = 1.676-3.373, SE = 0.340, p < .001) with a medium effect size (d = 0.735). Conversely, MBSR did not sustain the changes in the degree of PTG and EA beyond T1. EA partially mediated the relationship between MBSR and PTG, but not hope and optimism.Conclusion: MBSR can be recommended as part of the treatment regimen for HNC patients.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04800419.

Childhood abuse and neglect and adult body attitude

Background: The body is the medium through which humans experience the world, and the body is key to most suffering, healing, and clinical mental diagnoses. Body attitude refers to the affective, cognitive, and behavioural aspects of embodiment, which typically is more negative in clinical samples.Objective: We examine how adult body attitude is associated with self-reported childhood abuse and neglect. We hypothesised that child sexual abuse is associated stronger with a negative adult body attitude than emotional or physical abuse/neglect would. Second, we expected that the association between body attitude and childhood sexual abuse was gender equivalent. Third, we expected a more positive body attitude in men than women after childhood physical abuse/neglect or emotional abuse/neglect.Method: Body attitude was measured with the Dresden Body Image Questionnaire (DBIQ-NL) and the severity and type of childhood trauma with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) in 749 Dutch adults aged 18-77. We fit multiple regression models and focused on childhood abuse and neglect with moderate to severe intensity.Results: Childhood sexual abuse (∼15%), physical neglect (∼14%), emotional abuse (∼20%) and emotional neglect (∼30%) are associated with a more negative body attitude, while childhood physical abuse (moderate/severe, ∼6%) associated with a slightly more positive adult body attitude. Body attitude associations with childhood abuse/neglect were similar for both genders (no moderation).Conclusion: Child maltreatment seems to precede the development of a more negative adult body attitude and more negative body experiences compared to individuals without child maltreatment.

Exposure to warfare and demoralization: acute stress symptoms and disengaged coping as a mediators

Background: Demoralization in the face of adversity is a common existential state. However, it has not been examined in reaction to warfare, and the mediators between the extent of exposure to war and demoralization in this context are also unknown.Objective: This study explored the associations of indirect exposure to war, acute stress symptoms, disengaged coping, and demoralization. Additionally, it examined the serial mediation of acute stress symptoms and disengaged coping in the relationship between indirect exposure to war and demoralization.Method: The survey was conducted 4 weeks after the 7 October war broke out and included 393 Israeli citizens (women and men, Jews and Arabs) indirectly affected by the threatening situation in Israel. Questionnaires measured acute stress symptoms, disengaged coping, and demoralization. War-related exposure and demographic data were collected.Results: The analysis revealed that the higher the indirect exposure to war, the higher the acute stress symptoms, use of disengaged coping, and demoralization. Additionally, individuals with acute stress disorder had higher demoralization. The serial mediation model showed partial mediation: acute stress symptoms and the use of disengaged coping mediated the relationships between indirect exposure to war and demoralization (although the direct association between the extent of exposure and demoralization remained significant).Conclusions: In the face of traumatic events, such as warfare, professionals should identify individuals with high levels of acute stress symptoms and provide help to reduce the use of disengaged coping and long-term negative consequences such as demoralization.

Understanding the Unmet Needs, Experiences, and Perspectives of COPD Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) poses significant challenges, not only to patients but also to their caregivers, who often experience substantial unmet needs, stress, and emotional burdens. This scoping review synthesizes existing literature to understand the experiences, perspectives, and challenges faced by caregivers of COPD patients. A comprehensive search of multiple databases was conducted, focusing on studies addressing unmet needs, psychological experiences, and the day-to-day realities of caregivers. The review reveals that COPD caregivers frequently encounter inadequate support, insufficient information, and heightened emotional and physical strain. These factors contribute to negative mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and caregiver burnout. Moreover, the review highlights the disparity in care and support services across different healthcare settings, with a particular emphasis on the need for targeted interventions that address the unique challenges of COPD caregiving. The findings underscore the importance of integrating caregivers' needs into COPD management plans and the development of policies that recognize and support their role. The review concludes with recommendations for future research to fill existing gaps in the literature and for healthcare providers to implement strategies that enhance caregiver well-being, thereby improving overall patient care.

Development of a dyadic mindfulness self-compassion intervention for patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers: A multi-method study

Objective

Lung cancer and its prolonged treatment are profoundly unsettling for patients and their family caregivers, and developing dyadic measures to alleviate their negative affectivity is pivotal. This study aimed to develop a complex intervention to alleviate dyadic psychological stress among patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers.

Methods

A stepwise multi-method study was conducted following the Medical Research Council framework. Three phases were adopted, namely: (1) a preparation phase, a systematic review was conducted to identify the evidence base, (2) a development phase, empirical data from a quantitative study and a qualitative study were integrated to identify effective components, and (3) a modification phase, an online Delphi survey was carried out to refine the intervention.

Results

The dyadic Mindfulness Self-Compassion intervention developed in this study consists of six weekly sessions. The key components of the intervention include: (1) getting along with cancer (introductory session targets illness perception), (2) practising mindful awareness (core session for mindfulness), (3) defining dyadic relationships and introducing self-compassion (core session for self-compassion), (4) promoting dyadic communication (maintenance session targets communication skills), (5) promoting dyadic coping (maintenance session targets coping skills), and (6) a summary session reviewing the rewards and challenges of dyadic adaptation named embracing the future.

Conclusions

An evidence-based, theory-driven, and culturally appropriate dyadic Mindfulness Self-Compassion intervention was developed for patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers. Future studies are warranted to pilot and evaluate the usability, feasibility, acceptability, satisfaction, and effectiveness of this complex intervention.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrial.gov NCT04795700.

"The doctors and nurses looked like aliens': a qualitative study on the subjective hospitalization experiences of severe COVID-19 patients in Slovakia"

Due to the need to hospitalize a large number of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, the psychological conditions of hospitalized patients were often overlooked. This study focuses on the qualitative analysis of the subjective experiences of patients with a severe COVID-19 disease in Slovakia during hospitalization. A total of 27 Slovak participants (11 men and 16 women, mean age 57.10 years) who were hospitalized with severe COVID-19 disease were interviewed about their subjective experiences during hospitalization. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The main themes included negative emotions such as distress, discomfort with the illness, discomfort with the medical environment and helplessness. The main sources of distress were the sense of isolation, witnessing the death of another patient, own death concerns, and concerns for others. Sources and strategies used by patients to improve their mental state included interpersonal resources such as contact with relatives and friends, instrumental support from them, mutual help among patients and professional psychological support. Interpersonal resources included optimism, hope, religion and spirituality, recollection of significant others, and reconciliation with the possibility of death. The results have implications for medical staff as they help them to understand the psychological state of COVID-19 patients during hospitalization and can inform psychological interventions to improve hospital care for these patients.

Perceived social support, emotional self-disclosure, and posttraumatic growth in children following a typhoon: a three-wave cross-lagged study

Objective: We aimed to elucidate the temporal relationship between perceived social support, emotional self-disclosure and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in children.Method: The super typhoon Lekima occurred on August 10, 2019, in China. Three waves of self-report questionnaires were administered to children at 3 months (T1, N = 1596), 15 months (T2, N = 1072), and 27 months (T3, N = 483) following the typhoon. The main analysis was based on data from 351 children who completed all three waves of assessment. We constructed cross-lagged panel models to examine temporal associations between perceived social support, emotional self-disclosure, and posttraumatic growth.Results: Controlling for trauma exposure, age, gender, monthly income of family and parental marital status, results revealed that perceived social support at T1 and T2 was longitudinally related to emotional self-disclosure and PTG at T2 and T3. Emotional self-disclosure at T1 and T2 positively connected with perceived social support and PTG at T2 and T3. However, PTG did not relate to subsequent perceived social support. Mediation analyses revealed that perceived social support at T1 was positively connected with PTG at T3 through emotional self-disclosure at T2, and that emotional self-disclosure at T1 was positively connected with PTG at T3 through perceived social support at T2.Conclusions: These results demonstrated that perceived social support and emotional self-disclosure were mutually reinforcing, and both could facilitate PTG among children. Post-disaster psychological interventions could work to enrich social support resources and encourage children's emotional self-disclosure.

Low neuroticism as an indicator of resilience: a longitudinal study of Danish soldiers before, during and after deployment

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and debilitating condition among military veterans. Exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) may lead to PTSD and PTE sensitivity may be influenced by the personality trait neuroticism.Objective: The current investigation aims to test whether exposure to PTEs during deployment is associated with changes in PTSD symptoms, and whether individual levels of neuroticism are related to resilience or sensitivity to such exposures.Methods: The study sample included 701 Danish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. PTSD symptoms were measured pre-, peri- and post-deployment (T1-T3) with the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version. PTSD symptom load was modelled in a mixed linear model along with an extensive list of covariates. Interactions between time, exposure, and neuroticism were tested in order to assess whether neuroticism moderated the effect of PTEs upon PTSD symptoms.Results: On average, PTSD symptoms decreased from T1 through T3. Factors associated with higher PTSD symptom levels included number of past trauma, neuroticism, and low age at deployment. Interaction analyses showed that individuals with low and medium neuroticism levels displayed no significant change in PTSD symptoms, and individuals with high neuroticism displayed a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms. These changes were consistent across levels of perceived exposure to danger and combat and witnessing the consequences of war.Conclusions: Results indicate that low levels of neuroticism appear to be related to resilience. Individuals with high levels of neuroticism displayed elevated PTSD symptoms across all time points, but contrary to expectations, they reported a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms from pre- to post-deployment.

Reciprocal causation relationship between rumination thinking and sleep quality: a resting-state fMRI study

Rumination thinking is a type of negative repetitive thinking, a tendency to constantly focus on the causes, consequences and other aspects of negative events, which has implications for a variety of psychiatric disorders. Previous studies have confirmed a strong association between rumination thinking and poor sleep or insomnia, but the direction of causality between the two is not entirely clear. This study examined the relationship between rumination thinking and sleep quality using a longitudinal approach and resting-state functional MRI data. Participants were 373 university students (males: n = 84, 18.67 ± 0.76 years old) who completed questionnaires at two time points (T1 and T2) and had resting-state MRI data collected. The results of the cross-lagged model analysis revealed a bidirectional causal relationship between rumination thinking and sleep quality. Additionally, the functional connectivity (FC) of the precuneus and lingual gyrus was found to be negatively correlated with rumination thinking and sleep quality. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that rumination thinking at T1 fully mediated the relationship between FC of the precuneus-lingual and sleep quality at T2. These findings suggest that rumination thinking and sleep quality are causally related in a bidirectional manner and that the FC of the precuneus and lingual gyrus may serve as the neural basis for rumination thinking to predict sleep quality. Overall, this study provides new insights for enhancing sleep quality and promoting overall health.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-025-10223-3.

Mindful moms: acceptability and impact of co-designed and digitally delivered video meditations for pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder

INTRODUCTION

Perinatal opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a public health epidemic. Stress, anxiety and depression are disproportionately high among this population and are associated with poor recovery outcomes. Mindfulness interventions show promise for supporting recovery for women. This paper reports results of a pilot study to evaluate initial efficacy and acceptability of digitally delivered mindfulness meditation videos to reduce stress and promote mindfulness among women in recovery.

METHODS

Women with lived experience of OUD were recruited from three outpatient programs that provided care to pregnant and parenting women with a history of opioid use in rural northern New England (2 maternity care settings that offered buprenorphine as part of their service menu and 1 academic substance use treatment setting). In a pre-post study design, participants were randomly assigned to receive four of 16 short meditation videos, each delivered by email in a survey link over a 2-week period (2 per week) Videos were co-designed in earlier work with representative end-users, guided by evidence-based mindfulness interventions. Assessment included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. Participants rated each video on usefulness, enjoyability, ability to lower anxiety, and intention to use in the future. Participants also provided open-ended feedback about the videos. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and generalized linear modeling.

RESULTS

A total of 20 women, ages 24-36 years, completed the pilot study. Most participants (95%) were white and non-Hispanic, reflecting the rural region. Marginal mean perceived stress scores decreased significantly from 21.49 to 19.85 [p = 0.05, d = 0.43] and mean mindfulness scores increased significantly from 3.47 to 3.76 [p = 0.04, d = 0.45]. Overall, the meditation videos were rated as highly acceptable and useful and a majority (80%) indicated intention to use the meditations in the future.

CONCLUSION

Digitally delivered meditation videos were highly acceptable and useful to participants and the low dose intervention reduced stress and improved mindfulness. Findings inform directions for future research with larger samples to evaluate the effectiveness of this accessible digital intervention to support women in recovery and strategies for broadly implementing the intervention.

International study of the perceived stress and psychological impact of the 7 October attacks on Holocaust survivors

Objective: The terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023 in southern Israel had a significant impact on the mental health of Holocaust Survivors (HS), who are considered to be particularly vulnerable to traumatic events. The aim of the study was to assess the severity of perceived stress and the psychological impact of the 7 October attacks on HS.Methods: The study was conducted from 30 October to 15 December 2023 among HS who were contacted through HS support organisations (OSE, Aloumim). They completed a questionnaire consisting of four sections: socio-demographic data and experiences during the Holocaust, assessment of psychological stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), feelings of isolation, health consequences, and reactions to the 7 October attacks.Results: 171 HS completed the questionnaire with 61 males (35.7%) with a mean age of 86.6+/-4.4 years (min 79-max 97). 59.6%, lived outside Israel, mainly in France. The mean score on the PSS-10 was 17.7 +/-6.0 on a scale of 5 to 40. The average PSS 10 score is not significantly higher in cases of age ≤90 years (18.0 ± 6.0 vs 15.7 ± 6.4, NS), or for those living in Israel (17.2 ± 5.3 vs 18.1 ± 6.6, NS). About a quarter reported feelings of isolation or loneliness following the attacks. The impact of the 7 October attacks was particularly significant among those living outside Israel. Approximately two-thirds felt that the events had rekindled memories of their Holocaust experiences, and nearly one-third observed a decline in their health since the attacks. Among survivors living outside Israel, 86.6% expressed concern about the future safety and identity of their children and grandchildren as Jews.Conclusion: Identifying Holocaust survivors (HS) who are experiencing psychological distress is crucial to providing them with appropriate therapy.

The mechanism of a 16-Week Baduanjin intervention in altering neural inhibition responses to food cues in healthy adults - an ERP study

The positive impact of exercise on inhibitory control has been validated in numerous studies; however, few studies have explored the effect of long-term exercise on food-related inhibitory control. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of long-term exercise on the inhibitory response to food cues and the underlying neural mechanism. We recruited 51 healthy participants who were pseudo randomly divided into an exercise group and a non-exercise group, body mass index (BMI), age and sex. The exercise group underwent 16 weeks of Baduanjin intervention at a frequency of 3 days/week for 60 min/session. The assessment consisted of a personal information questionnaire, a hunger questionnaire and Go/NoGo tasks. The electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded as the participants performed the Go/NoGo task. Only EEG data for the NoGo stimuli were analysed. The participants were asked to complete the entire procedure at baseline and within 1 week after the end of the exercise. There were 26 participants in the exercise group (age: 18.90 ± 0.49; number of females (%): 23 (88.46%); BMI: 21.79 ± 4.40) and 25 participants in the control group (age: 19.19 ± 0.63; number of females (%):20 (80.00%); BMI: 21.26 ± 3.36).A significant interaction effect of group and time on NoGo accuracy and N2/P2/P3 amplitudes was observed. Specifically, 16 weeks of Baduanjin exercise significantly increased NoGo accuracy, decreased the N2 amplitude and increased the P2/P3 amplitudes for food-related NoGo stimuli. We speculated that exercise may improve inhibitory control by reasonably regulating the allocation of attentional resources and improving the strategic orientation of attention.

Examining attentional avoidance in post-traumatic stress disorder: an exploratory 'Face in the Crowd' paradigm using eye-tracking

Background: Maladaptive patterns of attention to emotional stimuli are a clinical feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using eye-tracking-based methodology, research points out the presence of sustained attention to threatening stimuli in individuals with PTSD. However, most eye-tracking studies in this field used free-viewing tasks on negative stimuli.Methods: PTSD patients (n = 38), trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHC; n = 30), and non-trauma-exposed healthy controls (HC; n = 33) performed a Face in the Crowd (FiC) task. The FiC task was chosen to explore specific responses to emotional stimuli within a competitive visual environment, thus providing insights into visual search patterns. Both reaction time and gaze patterns (dwell time, scanpath length, first fixation duration, and latency) were recorded.Results: Individuals with a provisional PTSD diagnosis presented decreased dwell time on both positive and negative targets in comparison with HC and TEHC, as well as shorter scanpath length for all matrixes when no targets were present. No evidence of attentional bias was observed in the TEHC group based on reaction times or eye-tracking measures in response to positive, negative, or neutral cues.Discussion: We found an attentional avoidance pattern among PTSD patients, along with indexes of lowered perceptual threshold for all emotional information. This study allows raising the question of cognitive load on the emergence of differential attentional strategies presented by PTSD participants. We discuss the generalization of fear processes across different emotional stimuli and underscore the need for incorporating a variety of emotional stimuli in PTSD research.

Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress

BACKGROUND

Transgender women experience a high incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. The well-documented risk factors contributing to IPV include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), low self-esteem, and the minority stress experienced by LGBT individuals. The object of the present study was to examine how ACEs influence IPV in adulthood, and to explore the chain mediating function of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress.

METHODS

In February 2022, we recruited 264 transgender women through snowball sampling in Shenyang, China. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing background characteristics, ACEs, IPV in adulthood, self-esteem and LGBT minority stress. Relationships among study variables were examined through variance and correlation analyses. A chain mediation model was tested using PROCESS.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation among the four variables. ACEs positively predicted IPV in adulthood (r = 0.449, p < 0.001). The sequential mediation model demonstrated that self-esteem (the estimated effect = 0.0708, 95%CI: 0.0152-0.1327) and minority stress (the estimated effect = 0.0404, 95%CI: 0016-0.0847) had the potential to mediate the connection between ACEs and IPV respectively. Additionally, the combined mediating influence of self-esteem and minority stress (the estimated effect = 0.0298, 95%CI: 0.0105-0.0591) similarly exerted such an effect. In summary, the mediating effect accounts for 34.59% of the overall effect size.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, the findings underscore the high prevalence of IPV among Chinese transgender women, highlighting the need for additional attention from violence service providers and other healthcare professionals on ACEs, low self-esteem, and minority stress, as these factors may place this population at risk for IPV.

Maladaptive appraisals and posttraumatic stress reactions in young terror survivors across 8 years: a random intercepts cross-lagged analysis

Background: Though there is substantial support for the importance of maladaptive appraisals for the development of posttraumatic stress reactions (PTSR), little is known about the long-term temporal relationship between maladaptive appraisals and PTSR beyond the first year after a traumatic event.Objective: We aimed to investigate three research questions: (1) Does the level of maladaptive appraisals change over time? (2) Are maladaptive appraisals and PTSR concurrently related to each other in the long term? (3) What is the direction of the temporal relationship between maladaptive appraisals and PTSR?Method: The participants were young survivors after the terror attack at Utøya island in Norway in 2011. We included data measured at 14-15 months, 30-32 months, and 102-108 months post trauma. The participants (N = 315) were all younger than 25 years at the time of the attack (mean age was 18.4, SD = 2.3), and 48.3% were female. The aims were investigated using correlations, paired t-tests, random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM), and cross-lagged panel models (CLPM).Results: We found a significant decrease in PTSR severity from 14-15 months to 30-32 months, and there was a significant increase in the mean level of maladaptive appraisals from 30-32 months to 102-108 months post trauma. Maladaptive appraisals and PTSR were highly associated across the three time points. Stable individual differences seem to account for most of the longitudinal relationship between maladaptive appraisals and PTSR, and we did not find clear indications of a direction of the temporal relationship between the variables.Conclusions: Our results indicate that the level of maladaptive appraisals can be quite stable once established, that they remain associated with PTSR, and that the long-term relationship between maladaptive appraisals and PTSR in the years following a trauma may best be explained by stable individual differences.

Effects of congruent and incongruent appetitive and aversive well-being comparisons on depression, post-traumatic stress, and self-esteem

Background: People compare their current well-being to different comparison standards (e.g. social or temporal comparisons). These standards are considered as aversive if perceived as threatening to self-motives or appetitive if perceived as consistent with self-motives. However, it remains unknown whether the congruence (vs. incongruence) of aversive and appetitive well-being comparisons (high levels of both vs. preponderance of aversive comparisons over appetitive comparisons) is differentially related to symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-esteem.Methods: We conducted response surface analysis (RSA) on data from a study with two-timepoints three months apart (N = 921). RSA tests whether the degree of (in-)congruence of two variables is positively or negatively related to an outcome variable. Here, baseline aversive and appetitive well-being comparisons (comparison frequency, discrepancy, and affective impact) served as the two predictor variables, while depression, PTSD, and self-esteem three months later served as outcomes.Results: Findings partially confirmed our hypotheses. Congruently high (vs. low) levels of aversive and appetitive comparison frequency and discrepancy predicted more depressive/PTSD symptoms and lower self-esteem. Some evidence indicated more pronounced depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem (but not PTSD) for the preponderance of aversive over appetitive comparisons.Conclusions: The effects of congruent and incongruent aversive and appetitive comparisons as well as a potentially more crucial role of aversive than appetitive well-being comparisons in depression and self-esteem align with comparison theory.

"From my life, she will never be gone, even though she is no longer here" - a single case interpretative phenomenological analysis on spousal loss and resilience

Older people often face drastic life events, such as spousal loss, that profoundly affect their daily lives. Consequently, resilience-how one navigates life's changes to avoid further adverse outcomes-is increasingly relevant in ageing studies. Although understanding older adults' resilience is key to preventing adverse outcomes, the complexity of loss-related events and everyday resilience in later life is underexplored from a process-based perspective. This study employs an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) case study of one individual to investigate resilience in response to spousal loss from a process-based perspective. Four interviews were conducted with this one participant and data was analysed following IPA guidelines. Findings indicate how resilience, in this case, resembles a process of continuous adaptation and renewal or "bouncing forward", in the face of diverse adversities, as written by Bourbeau. This study enriches our understanding of the process-based perspective on resilience, which is essential for concretely defining resilience and its practical application.

Family size and cardiovascular disease incidence: a population-level association study

AIM

To investigate the population-level association between family size and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, focusing on broad patterns rather than causal mechanisms or individual-level effects.

METHODS

Population level correlations of family size to CVD incidence were analyzed with scatter plots, simple regression, partial correlation and multivariate regression separately. Aging, economic affluence, obesity and urbanization were incorporated in models as potential confounders.

RESULTS

Globally, family size negatively correlated to CVD incidence rate. This relationship remained in partial correlation analyses when controlling for confounders. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that family size may be the most significant predictor of CVD incidence.

CONCLUSIONS

Large family size is significantly associated with lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, potentially due to biological, psychological, and social factors. However, as the data are cross-sectional, this relationship should be interpreted as correlational rather than causal. The association appears more pronounced in developing countries, where contextual factors may amplify its effects.

Heterogeneity in racist events and posttraumatic mental health among Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) first responders

Background: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) first responders in Canada report experiencing racism and an increased risk of trauma-related mental health symptoms.Objective: Using a BIPOC first responder sample in Canada, the present study examined subgroups of BIPOC first responders based on the frequency of different types of racist events, and their relations with mental health symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptom clusters of intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood [NACM], and alterations in arousal and reactivity [AAR]; depression severity; anxiety severity).Method: The sample included 196 BIPOC first responders who reported more than one traumatic experience (Mage = 35.30; 71.4% men).Results: Latent profile analyses indicated a best-fitting 3-profile solution: Low (Profile 1), Moderate (Profile 2), and High (Profile 3) Frequency of Racist Events. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that BIPOC first responders reporting more frequent racist events endorsed greater depression severity, anxiety severity, and PTSD's NACM symptom severity.Conclusions: Findings improve our understanding of subgroups of BIPOC first responders based on the frequency and types of racist events they experience. Results highlight the need to incorporate assessments of racism-related experiences into therapeutic work, and to target depression, anxiety, and NACM symptoms among those who encounter more racist events.

Using explainable machine learning to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment, positive psychological traits, and CPTSD symptoms

Background: The functional impairment resulting from CPTSD symptoms is enduring and far-reaching. Existing research has found that CPTSD symptoms are closely associated with childhood maltreatment; however, researchers debate whether CPTSD symptoms are predominantly influenced by a specific type of childhood maltreatment or the combined influence of multiple maltreatment types.Objective: (1) Examines the impact of childhood maltreatment on CPTSD symptoms, specifically exploring whether specific types of maltreatment or the cumulative exposure to multiple types of maltreatment play a predominant role. (2) Investigates the role of positive psychological traits in this relationship, assessing whether these traits serve as protective factors or are outcomes of the negative psychological consequences of maltreatment.Methods: A sample of 1894 adolescents (Mage = 13.88; SD = 1.00) from a chronically impoverished rural area in China completed the International Trauma Questionnaire - Child and Adolescent Version for CPTSD symptoms, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form for childhood maltreatment types. Positive psychological traits, including mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude, were measured using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form, and the Gratitude Questionnaire. We addressed the research question using explainable machine learning methods, with SHAP enhancing model interpretability.Results: The findings indicate that emotional abuse is the most effective predictor of CPTSD symptoms, with individuals who experienced emotional abuse showing higher rates of other forms of maltreatment. Among positive psychological traits, mindfulness contributes the most, followed by self-compassion, while gratitude shows no significant association with CPTSD symptoms. Additionally, individuals with poor positive psychological traits are more likely to have experienced maltreatment, whereas those with higher positive traits are less exposed to abuse.Conclusions: Emotional abuse and low levels of positive psychological traits are strongly associated with CPTSD symptoms in adolescents from impoverished areas, with positive traits showing limited buffering effects against maltreatment.

The impact of patient grit, resilience, and ability to cope with stress on outcomes following total joint arthroplasty

Objectives

With mental health gaining prominence in medical research, understanding the impact of emotional and psychological factors on surgical outcomes is increasingly important. This study evaluates whether patients' coping skills, resilience, and grit influence outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), readmissions, pain, and function following total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

Methods

This retrospective review included 50 patients who completed validated preoperative assessments measuring grit, resilience, and coping strategies. Additional data were drawn from the WHO Well-being Index, SF-8 Health Survey, and FORCE-TJR database. Postoperative hospital metrics and patient-reported outcomes were collected and analyzed at the 12-month follow-up to evaluate correlations between preoperative psychological metrics and surgical outcomes.

Results

Preoperative coping and grit scores demonstrated limited associations with clinical and patient-reported outcomes following TJA. Statistically significant correlations included SF-8 scores with 12-month quality of life (p = 0.017), activities of daily living (p = 0.002), and pain (p = 0.027). Higher STRESS scores were negatively correlated with quality of life (p = 0.015). While most associations were not significant, a trend toward significance was noted between grit and pain at 12 months postoperatively (p = 0.09).

Conclusion

Psychological factors such as coping and grit did not consistently correlate with postoperative outcomes in this cohort. However, preoperative quality of life and stress demonstrated significant correlations with patient reported outcomes at one year postoperatively. These findings underscore the need for targeted preoperative psychological interventions to optimize recovery. Future research should focus on refining assessment tools and exploring their predictive validity in larger cohorts.

Level of evidence

III.

Mental imagery abilities in different modalities moderate the efficacy of cognitive bias modification for interpretation bias in social anxiety

OBJECTIVES

Cognitive bias modification for interpretation bias (CBM-I) is an effective low-intensity intervention that targets interpretation biases associated with the development and maintenance of social anxiety. Few studies to-date have examined the extent to which individual mental imagery ability affects the efficacy of CBM-I.

METHODS

A total of 666 individuals were screened. Seventy-two participants with high levels of social anxiety and elevated baseline interpretation bias were randomly assigned to either CBM-I (n = 36) or control groups (n = 36). They completed 5-day internet-delivered training in modifying their interpretation bias associated with ambiguous social scenarios (CBM-I) or reading neutral text passages (control).

RESULTS

Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that participants in the CBM-I group had a significant reduction in their interpretation bias compared to the controls. They had a reduction of 11 %-18 % on the social anxiety measures. Participants' mental imagery ability was significantly associated with the reduction of interpretation bias and social anxiety symptoms in the CBM-I group. Specifically, participants with higher mental imagery ability in emotional feelings benefited the most from the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

CBM-I is an efficacious intervention for modulating social anxiety-related biases and symptoms. Mental imagery ability facilitated the efficacy of CBM-I.

Comparison between young children's and college students' cooperative success in an online Stag Hunt: Do prior training, sex, relationship, and nature of communication matter?

Cooperation is an important feature of human lives and society. Understanding the underlying social-contextual factors of differences in cooperative success across different ages is therefore crucial for understanding human development. The Stag Hunt is a widely used paradigm for studying cooperation. However, results of previous studies with young children and college students playing the Stag Hunt are difficult to compare because of methodological differences. The main goal of the current study was to compare cooperative success between children (136 dyads, M = 8.1 years) and college students (113 dyads, M = 22.8 years) using an online version of a coordination game, the Stag Hunt, with 10 trials, including versions with and without prior training on the reward structure. College students showed better abilities to cooperate compared to children. In addition, prior training improved overall cooperation, but the effect of training declined over the trials, while untrained college students, but not children, gradually learned to cooperate. Players' sex and relationship type did not affect cooperation. The nature of communication during the game, however, played an important role in the cooperative success of both children and students, with communication about the reward structure improving cooperation and competitive expressions hindering it. Finally, communication unrelated to the game did not affect cooperative success in children and college students. The current study therefore highlights the importance of age, prior knowledge, and nature of the communication in coordination processes. Future research should take these into account when designing tasks and interpreting the results.

Combined association of social isolation and loneliness with frailty onset among independent older adults: A JAGES cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Social isolation and loneliness each have negatively affect various health outcomes. No studies have examined the combined association of social isolation and loneliness on frailty onset. This study aimed to investigate both the objective and subjective aspects of isolation by evaluating social isolation and loneliness and to determine their interaction effects on frailty onset.

METHODS

This cohort study used data from the 2019 and 2022 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The eligible participants were independent older adults aged ≥65 years without frailty in 2019. The outcome variable was frailty onset in 2022. The exposure variables were social isolation and loneliness in 2019. Risk ratios (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using modified Poisson regression models, with potential confounders as covariates. Moreover, a multiplicative scale and relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) was used to assess the interaction.

RESULTS

The analysis included 8440 participants (mean age: 73.2 [standard deviation, 5.5] years). During the follow-up, 15.1 % of participants experienced frailty onset. After adjusting for all covariates, the "severe isolation" & "severe loneliness" group had the highest risk of frailty onset (RR = 2.09 [95 % CI: 1.60-2.73]) compared to "no isolation" & "no loneliness" group. However, there were no significant multiplicative and additive interaction between social isolation and loneliness on frailty onset (multiplicative scale: 0.75 [95 % CI: 0.50-1.11]; RERI:0.29 [95 % CI:1.02-0.44]).

DISCUSSION

These findings highlight the importance of considering social factors such as interaction with others and loneliness, to prevent frailty.

Validating the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS-21) across Germany, Ghana, India, and New Zealand using Rasch methodology

Psychological distress is widespread globally, affects both mental and physical health, and has been significantly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reliable and valid instruments to assess psychological distress are needed so that interventions to address this condition can be directed and evaluated. We evaluated the psychometric statistics of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) using the Rasch method and a population survey sample dataset from four nations. To meet the requirements of the Rasch model, we randomly selected 500 participants (at least 110 from each country) from a total sample of 1822 individuals from Germany (n = 475), Ghana (n = 523), India (n = 411), and New Zealand (n = 413). Minor testlet modifications were necessary to achieve a satisfactory model fit for the depression (χ2 (30) = 40.32, p = 0.099), anxiety (χ2 (32) = 31.22, p = 0.510), and stress (χ2 (20) = 29.64, p = 0.076) subscales, and the full-scale (χ2 (18) = 23.93, p = 0.16). The scales were strictly unidimensional with acceptable reliability reflected by Person Separation Index (PSI) values of 0.86 for depression, 0.74 for anxiety, 0.82 for stress, and 0.87 for the total scale. The scales' items showed invariance across the countries and sociodemographic factors. The scales also demonstrated convergent, structural, and external validities. The study supported the reliability and validity of the DASS-21 for assessing psychological distress in four countries. Rasch model algorithms developed in this study enable conversion of the ordinal DASS-21 scale and its subscale scores to interval-level scores, which increases the precision of measurement. Future studies should apply Rasch methodology to the DASS-21 in various cultural contexts, incorporating subgroup analyses.

Bidirectional relationship between gaming disorder, internalizing psychopathology, psychological distress, and well-being: A systematic review with meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

There is a lack of a synthesis of longitudinal studies that clarify the relationship between gaming disorder (GD) symptoms and mental health. To address this gap, we undertook a systematic review with meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. The study protocol was preregistered online on PROSPERO (CRD42023407665). We included studies analyzing the association between GD or problematic/pathological videogame use, and internalizing psychopathology (depression and anxiety), psychological distress (loneliness and stress), and well-being (life satisfaction, quality of life, and well-being). Research articles were searched in PsycInfo, PsycArticles, PubMed, and Web of Science up until December 29, 2022.30 articles were considered for meta-analysis (N = 28,782). Effect sizes (partial correlation) were pooled using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses excluded studies rated as "poor" - using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational cohort studies - and Chinese studies. The associations between GD and subsequent depression, emotional mixed symptoms (i.e., a combination of internalizing symptoms) and life satisfaction were statistically significant. GD was not associated with subsequent anxiety. On the other hand, depression, anxiety, emotional mixed symptoms, life satisfaction and loneliness were significantly associated with subsequent GD. Overall, sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the main results. In conclusion, this study found reciprocal longitudinal associations between GD and depression, life satisfaction, and emotional mixed symptoms, an effect of anxiety on GD (but not the inverse), and of loneliness on GD. However, the causal nature and practical relevance remain uncertain because effect sizes were small - or medium, depending on effect size guidelines - and based on observational studies.

An exploratory psychometric network analysis of depression scales in a sample of adolescents

BACKGROUND

There is heterogeneity in existing depression scales, which may lead to measurement bias. This study aimed to investigate the clustering of depressive symptoms in adolescents, including central symptoms as well as similarities and differences among four commonly used depression scales. Additionally, the study examined gender differences in network structures to explore the suitability of these scales.

METHODS

This study performed an exploratory psychometric network analysis of depression in 620 Chinese adolescents aged 15-17 years using R, which included four depression scales. The mean age of the adolescents was 15.95 ± 0.66 years. Among them, 279 (45.0 %) were boys, 316 (51.0 %) were girls, and 25 (4.0 %) did not report gender.

RESULTS

The network analysis revealed seven distinct symptom clusters among adolescents with depressive symptoms, including "Negative Emotions and Pessimism", "Loss of Positive Emotions", "Interpersonal Issues", "Retardation and Attention Issues", "Fear and Decision-making Difficulties", "Irritability or Stress" and "Low Self-esteem and Self-efficacy". These clusters varied in item distribution across the different scales. Moreover, network comparisons indicated notable gender differences in the structure of depressive symptom networks. Girls exhibited stronger associations between depressive symptoms, particularly concentrating core symptoms in clusters related to "Interpersonal Issues" and "Low Self-esteem and Self-efficacy".

CONCLUSION

Heterogeneity among depression scales may bias detection and identification in adolescents. Selecting appropriate scales based on participant characteristics and symptom clusters is essential. Furthermore, future screening and interventions should account for gender differences.

Longitudinal association between perceived economic stress and adolescents' depression in rural China: the mediating roles of hope trajectories

BACKGROUND

Family economic hardship is a risk factor for adolescents' depression. However, research on this topic is limited in its focus on objective economic conditions, and less is known about whether and how perceived economic stress is associated with adolescents' depression. This study explored the longitudinal relationship between perceived economic stress and depression and examined the extent to which heterogeneous developmental trajectories of hope explained the aforementioned relation in Chinese rural adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 2823 Chinese rural adolescents (56.0 % boys; Mage (T1) = 13.48 ± 0.50 years) participated in five assessments conducted at approximately six-month intervals over three years. Perceived economic stress was assessed at Time 1, hope was measured from Time 1 to Time 4, and depression was evaluated at Time 1 and Time 5.

RESULTS

The trajectories of hope were divided into three subgroups: "high-stable" (33.2 %), "moderate-decreasing" (41.9 %), and "low-decreasing" (24.9 %). Perceived economic stress was longitudinally and positively associated with depression, and this association was mediated by heterogeneous developmental trajectories of hope. Specifically, the mediation effect of low-decreasing and moderate-decreasing groups between perceived economic stress and depression was stronger than that of high-stable group, and there was no significant difference in the mediation effect between low-decreasing and moderate-decreasing groups.

LIMITATIONS

This study was limited by the nonrandomized sampling, the self-reporting method, and the relatively short observation period.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate the long-term detrimental impact of perceived economic stress on depression among Chinese rural adolescents and underscore the importance of fostering hope in adolescents' intervention programs.

The impact of cognitive bias modification of interpretation on hostile attribution bias, reactive aggression and neural mechanisms

Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB) has been demonstrated to exert adverse impacts on reactive aggression (RA). Consequently, it is essential to investigate its prevention strategies and the brain-level alterations induced by these strategies. Cognitive Bias Modification of Interpretation (CBMI) has exhibited potential in modifying HAB. The current objective of this research is to explore its influence on individuals' hostile attributions bias and reactive aggression, and conduct an exploratory study on the underlying brain change mechanisms associated with behavioral alterations. The college students with high HAB and aggression levels were randomly assigned to a trained group and a control group. The trained group participated in a one-month-long CBM-I program, whereas the control group completed one-month-long reading tasks. The results indicated significant HAB and reactive aggression reductions within the trained group. In the trained group, the resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) and the calcarine exhibited a remarkable increase, and this augmentation was positively correlated with the decrease in HAB. In contrast, no significant changes were detected in the control group after training. Our results suggest that the CBM-I has an effect on ameliorating individuals' hostile attributions bias and reactive aggression and has exploratorily uncovered the corresponding changes at the brain level.

Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates Self-Esteem Reactivity to Daily Stressor Exposure: Evidence From a Daily Diary Approach

Research on self-esteem reactivity has demonstrated that self-esteem fluctuates in response to daily stressor exposure, and the strength of this relationship varies between individuals. Drawing upon the positive link between objective socioeconomic status (SES) and self-esteem, how subjective SES influences self-esteem reactivity to daily stressor exposure was explored. Using a 7-day daily diary study, the current study (Nparticipants = 243, Ndays = 1651) adopted a multilevel analysis to demonstrate that subjective SES attenuated the within-person association between daily stressor exposure and daily self-esteem, even after controlling for demographics and objective indicators of SES. The interactions were also consistent across social stressors and non-social stressors. The findings provide evidence supporting the protective role of subjective SES in self-esteem reactivity to daily stressor exposure.

From Strength-Based Parenting to Subjective Well-Being of College Students: A Chain Mediating Role of Personal Growth Initiative and Strengths Use

Previous research demonstrated a positive relationship between strength-based parenting (SBP) and subjective well-being (SWB). However, the underlying mechanisms still need further research. Based on the social cognitive theory and developmental assets framework, we investigated the influence of SBP on college students' SWB through the mediating role of personal growth initiative (PGI) and strengths use. A total of 621 Chinese college students were recruited. Participants completed self-report scales about the SBP, PGI, strengths use and SWB. The results showed that SBP had a positive impact on college students' SWB. On the one hand, PGI and strengths use mediated the above relationship respectively. On the other hand, SBP influenced SWB through the chain mediating effect of PGI and strengths use. The findings indicate that exploring the relationship between SBP and SWB has positive implications for family education and youth development.

Academic Encouragement and Academic Wellbeing: Mediating Roles of Grit and Hope

Academic encouragement provides opportunities for individuals to achieve their educational objectives and influences both academic satisfaction and academic self-efficacy of individuals. In this study, academic self-efficacy and academic satisfaction constitute academic wellbeing. There is a gap in the literature on which concepts of academic encouragement predict academic wellbeing. This demonstrates the originality of the research. In this direction, there are two main purposes in this study. The first of these aims is to adapt the Academic Encouragement Scale to Turkish culture. The second aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between academic encouragement, hope, grit, and academic wellbeing. Based on these two purposes, data were collected from 731 Turkish participants using the Academic Encouragement Scale, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Academic Satisfaction Scale, Dispositional Hope Scale, and Short Grit Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed that the two-factor structure of the original scale was preserved in Turkish culture. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that grit and hope played a mediating role in the relationship between academic encouragement and academic wellbeing. The bootstrapping analysis results confirmed the importance of indirect effects. In this context, some pedagogical implications were discussed at the end of the study, and suggestions were provided accordingly.

A Pre-Registered Examination of the Relationship Between Psychopathy, Boredom-Proneness, and University-Level Cheating

Academic cheating is a prevalent problem in all educational institutions. Finding solutions for cheating requires an understanding of who is more likely to engage in these behaviors. In this pre-registered study (including an a priori power analysis), we investigated the relationship between the four facets of psychopathy, boredom-proneness, and academic cheating in undergraduate university students (N = 161) while controlling for demographic factors (age, sex, and socioeconomic status) and attitudes supportive of cheating. Students were asked whether they had cheated in the fall 2021 term (yes/no) and about the different types of cheating behaviors they engaged in. Overall, 57% of students admitted to cheating, with online cheating being the most frequently reported behavior. Participants scoring higher on the antisocial facet of psychopathy and endorsing more positive attitudes towards cheating were more likely to report cheating in fall 2021 and engaged in a higher number of different types of cheating behaviors. Those scoring lower on the affective facet of psychopathy (i.e., more emotional) were also more likely to engage in a higher number of cheating behaviors. Boredom-proneness was correlated to both cheating outcomes in the bivariate analyses, but this effect disappeared once controlling for psychopathy and other known correlates. Understanding the features of students who engage in cheating behaviors allows for a critical examination of the potential effectiveness of anti-cheating policies and the development of more preventative classroom practices.

Observed reaching speed signals stimulus value and informs foraging

Optimal foraging requires agents to strike a balance between potential costs and rewards of interacting with stimuli in the environment. Research on human and animal foraging shows that the value an agent assigns to a stimulus is correlated with the speed of their reaching movement towards that stimulus (Shadmehr et al., 2019). Humans and other animals learn about the value of stimuli in their environment by observing others acting (Pyke, 1984; Boyd, Richerson & Henrich, 2011). Considering that humans are able to derive specific mental states such as intentions, emotions or confidence from specific movement parameters (Becchio et al., 2012), we aimed to investigate whether observers can use an actor's movement speed to: 1) infer the value of a foraging stimulus; and 2) use such cues to inform their own foraging behavior. The current study first replicated the effect of stimulus value on reaching movements in a novel foraging task (Exp. 1, N = 34). In three further experiments, we demonstrate that, depending on the speed by which an actor reaches for stimuli, observers infer the value of these stimuli (Exp. 2, N = 54), express foraging preferences (Exp. 3, N = 54), and invest time and effort to forage (Exp. 4, N = 105). This demonstrates that observers optimize their own explore-exploit decisions by inferring the value of a stimulus from the manner by which an actor approaches it, highlighting the fundamental role that action understanding plays in successful foraging.

The moderating role of trait impulsivity on reward sensitivity and alcohol craving

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of negative consequences for young adults due to their disproportionately high rates of alcohol use. Alcohol craving (i.e., the strong desire to consume alcohol) is related to increased use for clinical populations, but scant research has examined craving and its associated factors among young adults. Reward sensitivity (i.e., the desire to obtain appetitive stimuli) and impulsivity (i.e., rash action without considering the consequences) have been independently linked to alcohol craving, but few studies examine how these factors interact with alcohol craving among young adults. Consequently, the current study sought to examine these associations via five moderation models using one of the five facets of impulsivity (i.e., positive and negative urgency, perseverance, premeditation, and sensation seeking) as the variable moderating the relationship between reward sensitivity and craving.

METHODS

Two hundred and ninety-one college students completed an online survey regarding their use of alcohol, trait impulsivity, reward sensitivity, and alcohol craving.

RESULTS

There was a significant negative interaction between levels of reward sensitivity and negative urgency. The negative associations were significant at one SD above mean levels of negative urgency.

CONCLUSION

Individuals who experienced lower levels of reward sensitivity had increased craving when they also experienced greater levels of negative urgency. Young adults who experience a combination of low reward sensitivity and heightened negative urgency may be at the greatest risk for alcohol craving.

Implicit Theories of Emotional Intelligence and Students' Emotional and Academic Outcomes

In this study, we addressed the relevance of implicit theories of emotional intelligence (ITEI) to students' emotional and academic outcomes throughout secondary school. During a three-wave longitudinal survey (10th-12th grades), 222 students, ages 14-18 years old at the first round of data collection (Mage = 15.4, SD = 0.63) and mostly female (58.6%), completed questionnaires on ITEI, emotional intelligence (EI; ability and trait), and emotions towards school. The results provided evidence for the relation of ITEI with EI (ability and trait) in the following year and their extended link with students' emotions towards school and academic achievement (Portuguese academic grade) at the end of secondary school. In addition, ability and trait EI mediated the link of entity ITEI and negative emotions and achievement. The findings suggest the importance of fostering more dynamic ITEI among students as a mean for enhancing emotional and academic outcomes.

Human behaviour through a LENS: How linguistic content triggers emotions and norms and determines strategy choices

A growing body of experimental research provides evidence that linguistic frames influence human behaviour in economic games, beyond the economic consequences of the available actions. This article proposes a novel framework that moves beyond traditional outcome-based preference models. According to the LENS model, the Linguistic description of the decision problem triggers Emotional responses and suggests potential Norms of behaviour, which then interact to shape an individual's Strategic choice. The article reviews experimental evidence that supports each path of the LENS model. Furthermore, it identifies several critical research questions that arise from this model, pointing towards avenues for future inquiry.

Long-term impact evaluation of early childhood conditions When only short-term outcomes are available

Over the past two decades, socio-economic research has highlighted and empirically demonstrated the importance of investing in early childhood development for long-term life outcomes. In response, governments and foundations have increasingly allocated resources to preschool initiatives, promoting formal childcare, encouraging access to libraries and playrooms, and facilitating parent-child activities aimed at enhancing parenting skills. While the short-term effects of many of these policies are frequently assessed, evaluating their long-term impact remains challenging due to high costs and logistical complexities. How can meaningful insights into long-term effects be derived when only short-term outcomes are available? Adopting the "surrogacy" framework proposed by Athey et al. (2024) and using data from the Millennium Cohort Study (UK), we predict long-term outcomes assuming only short-term outcomes are available, and compare them with the actual ones. This analysis introduces a valuable tool for policymakers and program evaluators, helping to identify key outcome variables for impact assessment and the prediction of long-term effects.

Lockdown Stories: A Qualitative Assessment and Comprehensive Taxonomy of Career Resources

Career resources are receiving increasing attention in the context of career development. This paper utilizes M. E. Ford's (1992) ten components of effective functioning to provide a comprehensive typology of factors likely to act as career resources and test this proposition in a context of career shock with a narrative design. In the weeks following the first COVID-19 lockdown, 42 participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their well-being, perceived employability, and emotional anticipation of their career future, as well as to write three stories about their experience with the lockdown. M. E. Ford's categories were used to identify and code the resources and obstacles mentioned in the stories. Results show the relevance of such a taxonomy to classify both career resources and obstacles. Additionally, the type of story (general story, positive or negative story) in which career resources and obstacles were mentioned played a significant role in their association with the quantitative measures. Conceptual and practical implications are discussed.

Self-Efficacy and Well-Being in Professionals Working in Intimate Partner Violence: Recovery Experiences and Burnout as Associated Variables

The negative consequences of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are observed not only in the victims but also in the professionals who work in this field. Self-efficacy has been observed as a significant variable in the perception of work efficiency and general well-being, and in coping with work-related stress and burnout syndrome. Thus, we performed a correlational study (N = 200) to examine the mediating role of recovery experiences and emotional exhaustion in the relationship between self-efficacy and psychological well-being in these professionals. The mediating analyses revealed that self-efficacy was related to higher levels of well-being through its effects on the increase in recovery experiences and the decrease in burnout levels. These findings emphasize the need to develop intervention programs aimed at improving self-efficacy these professionals. This is necessary to improve their employment situations, increase their health, and optimize both institutional resources and the quality of the services offered.

Coaching to Develop Emotional Intelligence and Decrease Work-Family Conflict: An Application of the Work-Home Resources Model

Research on emotional intelligence has provided robust support for its importance for job performance and leadership success. More recently, research is turning to understand the impact emotional intelligence has on personal success and physical and mental well-being. Thus, the current study examines emotional intelligence from a Work-Home Resources perspective, exploring what components within the Emotional Quotient model of emotional intelligence can serve as a buffer for work-family conflict. Additionally, this study examines if the contextual resource of EI executive coaching can serve as a method of modifying the personal resource of emotional intelligence. As leaders and practitioners are increasingly focusing attention on employee development of emotional intelligence competencies, our study examines EI executive coaching as a method to increase emotional intelligence, not only for performance improvement, but also for personal well-being. Using a diverse sample of employees and leaders measured at two time points, the current study found that emotional intelligence is negatively related to work-family conflict. Further, an increase in specific dimensions of emotional intelligence through EI executive coaching is related to a decrease in work-family conflict. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Decision Making in Moral Judgment Context is Modulated by Individual Metacognition

Metacognition refers to the human capacity to access and monitor one's own mental states. Recent research suggests that this capacity expands to the social world, e.g., when individuals explicitly share their cognitive processes with others. Additionally, metacognition is also linked to cognitive flexibility, and the latter to ideologically radical behaviors. Indeed, the absence of control over one's own mental activity could be at the base of different phenomena linked to social cognition. We investigate the metacognitive capacity of individuals in relation to the radicality with which they make a moral choice (utilitarian vs. deontological). For this purpose, 76 participants were submitted to 24 hypothetical situations, with the aim of evaluating the consistency (i.e., the radicality) of their moral choices. Then, in an independent experimental session, we evaluated the participants' metacognitive efficiency. We managed to demonstrate that individual metacognition scores are correlated with the radicality of a moral choice. We discussed the impact and relevance of metacognition in ecological contexts, particularly where subjective evaluation of the environment involves individual choices with social consequences.

Facial Reactivity to Emotional Stimuli is Related to Empathic Concern, Empathic Distress, and Depressive Symptoms in Social Work Students

Helping professionals are exposed daily to the emotional burden of their vulnerable clients and are at risk of unconscious emotional contagion that may lead to stress and emotional distress. Being aware of their own susceptibility to emotional contagion, however, can improve their well-being. This study aimed to propose an objective measure of emotional contagion, complementary to the Emotional Contagion Scale, and to evaluate its construct and predictive validity. To do so, we turned to FACET, an automatic facial coding software using the Facial Action Coding System, to measure participants' facial expressions as they watched movie clips eliciting specific emotional responses. Results show that both tools to measure emotional contagion (objective and self-reported) are complementary, but they do not measure the same psychosocial constructs. Also, the new objective measure of emotional contagion seems to predict emotional empathy and the risk of developing depressive symptoms among this study's participants.

Intelligence, brain structure, dendrites, and genes: Genetic, epigenetic and the underlying of the quadruple helix complexity

Intelligence can be referred to as the mental ability to learn, comprehend abstract concepts, and solve complex problems. Twin and adoption studies have provided insights into the influence of the familial environment and highlighted the importance of heritability in the development of cognition. Detecting the relative contribution of brain areas, neuronal structures, and connectomes has brought some understanding on how various brain areas, white/gray matter structures and neuronal connectivity process information and contribute to intelligence. Using histological, anatomical, electrophysiological, neuropsychological, neuro-imaging and molecular biology methods, several key concepts have emerged: 1) the parietofrontal-hippocampal integrations probably constitute a substrate for smart behavior, 2) neuronal activity results in structural plasticity of dendritic branches responsible for information transfer, critical for learning and memory, 3) intelligent people process information efficiently, 4) the environment triggers mnemonic epigenomic programs (via dynamic regulation of chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, loop interruption/formation and histone modification) conferring cognitive phenotypes throughout life, and 5) single/double DNA breaks are prominent in human brain disorders associated with cognitive impairment including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Along with these observations, molecular/cellular/biological studies have identified sets of specific genes associated with higher scores on intelligence tests. Interestingly, many of these genes are associated with dendritogenesis. Because dendrite structure/function is involved in cognition, the control of dendrite genesis/maintenance may be critical for understanding the landscape of general/specific cognitive ability and new pathways for therapeutic approaches.

Unpacking the link between hormonal fluctuations and risk-taking: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Previous studies have suggested that hormonal fluctuations, specifically in testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol, may impact reward-related brain functioning and risk-taking behaviors. However, findings in this area have been inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. The current study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of both endogenous and exogenous testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol on risk-taking behaviors, as well as identify potential moderators of these effects. This meta-analysis systematically reviewed studies published up to February 20, 2025, encompassing both correlational and experimental designs. After screening 2544 records, 98 studies met inclusion criteria, yielding 162 effect sizes involving 8676 participants for testosterone, 55 effect sizes from 2510 participants for estradiol, and 66 effect sizes from 3933 participants for cortisol. Using the random-effects Bayesian meta-analytic models, our results showed that both testosterone and estradiol had a significant, albeit modest, effect on increasing risk-taking behaviors (testosterone: Hedge's g = 0.22; 95 % CrI [0.14, 0.30]; estradiol: Hedge's g = 0.20; 95 % CrI [0.03, 0.37]). However, cortisol was not associated with changes in risk-taking (Hedge's g = -0.04; 95 % CrI [-0.17, 0.09]). Further analysis indicated that the effects of testosterone were moderated by the study design (experimental vs. correlational), the behavior type (sensation seeking vs. risk-taking vs. impulsivity), the measurement type of risky behavior (self-report vs. behavioral) and the measurement type of hormone (saliva vs. serum), but these moderators had no significant impact on the estradiol effect. Despite the potential for publication bias, no evidence of selective reporting (e.g. p-hacking) was found in the p-curve analysis. In summary, testosterone and estradiol may influence risk-taking behaviors, although further randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm these findings.