Recent Advances in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-ED)

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Eating disorders require more effective therapies than are currently available. While cognitive behavioural therapy for eating disorders (CBT-ED) has the most evidence to support its effectiveness, it requires substantial improvement in order to enhance its reach and outcomes, and to reduce relapse rates. Recent years have seen a number of noteworthy developments in CBT-ED, which are summarised in this paper.

RECENT FINDINGS

The key advances identified here include: improvements in the efficiency and availability of CBT-ED; expansion of applicability to younger cases across durations of eating disorder; and new methodologies. There have been important recent advances in the field of CBT-ED. However, it is important to stress that there remain gaps in our evidence base and clinical skills, and suggestions are made for future research and clinical directions.

Time-dependent dual mode of action of COX-2 inhibition on mouse serum corticosterone levels

To elucidate the effect of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition on corticosterone release, mice were divided into a group receiving NS398, a selective COX-2 inhibitor at a dose of 3 mg/kg for seven days, and a group receiving NS398 for fourteen days. After this time, the mice were sacrificed, and blood serum was collected. An ELISA protocol was used to analyze serum corticosterone levels. Short-term COX-2 inhibition increased corticosterone levels, while long-term inhibition lowered them. The exact schedule of experiments was repeated after the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Escherichia coli challenge in mice to check the influence of stress stimuli on the tested parameters. In this case, we observed increases in corticosterone levels, significant in a seven-day pattern. These results indicate that corticosterone levels are regulated through a COX-2-dependent mechanism in mice.

Mindfulness and time perception: A systematic integrative review

Several recent studies have explored the relationships between mindfulness and time perception, an area of research that has become increasingly popular in the last 10-15 years. In this article, we present a systematic integrative review of the evidence on this subject. We also integrate the field's findings into a conceptual framework which considers the multifaceted nature of both mindfulness, and time perception research. To identify the relevant literature, we searched the following databases using relevant keywords: PsycINFO; Medline; EBSCO Host Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; and Web of Science. These searches were last performed on the 4th of May 2022, and additional hand searches were also conducted. To be included, articles had to be in English and contain original data about the potential relationship(s) between mindfulness and time perception. Articles which did not present usable data about the relationship(s) between the variables of interest were excluded. In total, 47 research articles were included in the review (combined sample size of ∼5800 participants). Risks of bias in the selected studies were evaluated using two separate assessment tools designed for this purpose. Through an integrative narrative synthesis, this article reviews how mindfulness may relate to time perception for various reference frames, and for various time perception measures and methods. It also provides new insights by exploring how a wide range of findings can be integrated into a coherent whole, in light of some relevant time perception models and mindfulness theories. Altogether, the reviewed data suggest the existence of complex and multifaceted relationships between mindfulness and time perception, highlighting the importance of considering many factors when planning research or interpreting data in this field. Limitations of the current review include the scarceness of data for certain categories of findings, and the relatively low prevalence of studies with a randomized controlled design in the source literature. This research was partly funded by a grant from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

The influence of gender-specific factors influencing severe anxiety in psychotic major depression: role of thyroid hormones and depression severity

BACKGROUND

Psychotic major depression (PMD) is characterized by major depressive disorder (MDD) accompanied by delusions or hallucinations. While the prevalence of PMD and its association with anxiety have been studied, gender-specific differences and the role of thyroid hormones in PMD-related anxiety remain less explored.

METHODS

A total of 1718 first-episode and drug-naïve MDD patients was assessed for the presence of PMD and severe anxiety. Clinical assessments, including Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) scale, were conducted to assess depression, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, and clinical severity, respectively. Blood samples were collected to measure thyroid function parameters.

RESULTS

The prevalence of severe anxiety was higher in PMD patients compared to non-psychotic MDD patients (71.3% vs. 5.3%). No significant gender differences were observed in the prevalence of severe anxiety among PMD patients. However, elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and increased depression severity (HAMD scores) were identified as independent risk factors for severe anxiety in female PMD patients. In contrast, no significant risk factors were found in male PMD patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUCROC) analysis revealed that the HAMD score and TSH level showed acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing between female PMD patients with and without severe anxiety.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the heightened prevalence of severe anxiety in PMD patients, with TSH levels and depression severity emerging as gender-specific risk factors for anxiety in females. These findings suggest the importance of thyroid hormone assessment and tailored interventions for managing anxiety in female PMD patients.

Association of Phubbing Behavior and Fear of Missing Out: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Phubbing, a pervasive social behavior linked to smartphone usage, involves users neglecting their conversation partners to engage with their phones. Despite consistent exploration of its association with the concept of fear of missing out (FOMO), findings in the existing literature exhibit notable inconsistency. To address this gap, this study employs a systematic review and meta-analysis to scrutinize the intricate relationship between phubbing behavior and FOMO. A comprehensive systematic review, spanning up to December 10, 2023, encompassed databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The resulting dataset comprised 27 eligible studies, incorporating insights from 20,415 participants across 15 countries. Rigorous evaluation of study quality was executed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale, while statistical analyses were meticulously conducted using R Studio. Revealing a robust positive association, phubbing behavior was significantly linked to FOMO (effect size[ES] = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.49, I2: 97.5%, τ2: 0.05). Correcting for detected publication bias using the Trim and Fill method, an additional 16 studies were included, fortifying the robustness of the findings. Moderation analysis uncovered significant influences of location (p < 0.01), income level (p < 0.01), sampling method (p < 0.01), phubbing scale (p < 0.01), and FOMO scale and type (p < 0.01) on the estimated relationship. Univariate meta-regression highlighted the substantial impact of sample size (R2 = 11.81%, p < 0.01), while multivariate meta-regression illuminated the combined effects of publication year, study quality score, sample size, mean age, and female proportion on the estimated relationship (k = 19, R2 = 52.85%, I2 = 93.78%, p < 0.05). Furthermore, post hoc influential analysis, conducted through the leave-one-out method, offered additional depth to the examination.

Sensorimotor regulation of facial expression - An untouched frontier

Facial expression is a critical form of nonverbal social communication which promotes emotional exchange and affiliation among humans. Facial expressions are generated via precise contraction of the facial muscles, guided by sensory feedback. While the neural pathways underlying facial motor control are well characterized in humans and primates, it remains unknown how tactile and proprioceptive information reaches these pathways to guide facial muscle contraction. Thus, despite the importance of facial expressions for social functioning, little is known about how they are generated as a unique sensorimotor behavior. In this review, we highlight current knowledge about sensory feedback from the face and how it is distinct from other body regions. We describe connectivity between the facial sensory and motor brain systems, and call attention to the other brain systems which influence facial expression behavior, including vision, gustation, emotion, and interoception. Finally, we petition for more research on the sensory basis of facial expressions, asserting that incomplete understanding of sensorimotor mechanisms is a barrier to addressing atypical facial expressivity in clinical populations.

Differentiating the DF effect in episodic memory: evaluating the contribution of the procedures of collaborative memory

Existing research has demonstrated a significant directed forgetting (DF) effect in memory. However, it remains unclear whether this phenomenon would occur in the context of interpersonal collaboration. Additionally, the contribution of emotional valence to the DF effect in item memory and source memory (which are subtypes of episodic memory) also needs to be explored. To address these issues, we conducted two experiments that combined the collaborative memory paradigm with the item-method procedure of DF. In both experiments, positive, neutral, or negative words were presented as stimuli, each followed by an R/F cue during encoding. We conducted two recalls, labeled Recall 1 and Recall 2, which consisted of both memory tasks. Recall 1 was performed either individually or collaboratively, whereas Recall 2 was done individually. Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 adopted the free-flowing procedure and the turn-taking procedure of collaborative memory, respectively. We obtained three implications from our current findings. (a) The occurrence of the DF effect in item memory was found regardless of the procedure of collaborative memory, and it was insensitive to the emotional valence of words or to whether participants had collaborated or not. These patterns demonstrate that both the mechanisms of elaborative rehearsal and active suppression/encoding blocking were engaged across words of different emotional valences and in nominal and collaborative circumstances. (b) In source memory, the DF effect showed different patterns in ongoing and post-collaborative memory, which underpins the dual-process models. (c) The amplitude of the DF effect was sensitive to the interaction of emotional valence by the status of collaboration, and the impact of collaboration differed between the two experiments, offering telling evidence of different aspects of the retrieval strategy disruption hypothesis (RSDH). Directions for identifying more influential factors are put forward.

The Future-oriented Repetitive Thought (FoRT) scale: Validation in Chinese samples and application in the schizophrenia spectrum

BACKGROUND

Repetitive thoughts are usually associated with psychopathology. The Future-oriented Repetitive Thought (FoRT) Scale is a measure designed to capture frequency of repetitive thought about positive and negative future events. However, the validity of the scale in Chinese population and its application in the schizophrenia spectrum have not been examined.

METHODS

The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the FoRT scale and to apply it to the schizophrenia spectrum. In Study 1, three samples (total N = 1875) of university students were recruited for exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and validity test, respectively. In Study 2, we identified subsamples with high schizotypal traits (N = 89) and low schizotypal traits (N = 89), and recruited 36 inpatients with schizophrenia and 41 matched healthy controls.

RESULTS

The three-factor (pessimistic repetitive future thinking, repetitive thinking about future goals, and positive indulging about the future) structure of the FoRT scale with one item deleted, fitted the Chinese samples. And the scale could distinguish patients with schizophrenia and individuals with high schizotypal traits from controls.

CONCLUSION

These findings support that the Chinese version of the FoRT scale is a valid tool and provide evidence for the potential applications in the schizophrenia spectrum.

Neural underpinnings of individual differences in emotion regulation: A systematic review

This review synthesises individual differences in neural processes related to emotion regulation (ER). It comprises individual differences in self-reported and physiological regulation success, self-reported ER-related traits, and demographic variables, to assess their correlation with brain activation during ER tasks. Considering region-of-interest (ROI) and whole-brain analyses, the review incorporated data from 52 functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Results can be summarized as follows: (1) Self-reported regulation success (assessed by emotional state ratings after regulation) and self-reported ER-related traits (assessed by questionnaires) correlated with brain activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex. (2) Amygdala activation correlated with ER-related traits only in ROI analyses, while it was associated with regulation success in whole-brain analyses. (3) For demographic and physiological measures, there was no systematic overlap in effects reported across studies. In showing that individual differences in regulation success and ER-related traits can be traced back to differences in the neural activity of brain regions associated with emotional reactivity (amygdala) and cognitive control (lateral prefrontal cortex), our findings can inform prospective personalised intervention models.

The mediating effects of moral disengagement and aggressive humor style: Dark Triad traits and schadenfreude

Background

While schadenfreude is commonly experienced in interpersonal relationships, it is generally considered immoral. Although previous research has explored the factors relating to schadenfreude, including certain personality traits, moral disengagement, and humor styles, our understanding of these factors remains limited. The present study examined the mediating effects of moral disengagement and aggressive humor style in the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and schadenfreude.

Methods

In this study, a sample of 693 Iranian students (69.4% female), was recruited using a convenient sampling method, consisting of 330 undergraduate, 230 graduate, and 133 Ph.D. students. The trait schadenfreude scale, the short Dark Triad, the moral disengagement scale, and the aggressive humor style scale were measured through an online survey.

Results

The study found that Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy were positively related to schadenfreude, aggressive humor style, and moral disengagement. Additionally, aggressive humor style and moral disengagement mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy with schadenfreude.

Conclusion

This study provides insights into the complex relationships between Dark Triad traits, moral disengagement, aggressive humor style, and schadenfreude. The findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of Dark Triad traits may be more likely to experience pleasure from others' misfortunes. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of moral disengagement and aggressive humor style as potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between Dark Triad traits and schadenfreude. Further research should be done to explore the motivational factors influencing schadenfreude in specific settings, thereby elucidating these connections.

Factors Associated with Mental Illness in a Primary Healthcare Setting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Mental health conditions are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a 13% rise within the last decade. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with mental illness in patients presenting to a primary healthcare center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

METHODS

Data were extracted from the electronic health records of 46 primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from March 2022 to March 2023. A total of 2418 age-matched mental health cases and controls were evaluated. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the distribution and association of relevant risk factors. A total of 1209 cases were age-matched to 1209 controls presenting to a primary clinic.

RESULTS

The odds of mental illness in females were 2.2 times that of males. Clinical conditions associated with mental illness were stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Neurodegenerative disorders were also associated with mental illness.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary clinics in the KSA can serve as focal points in removing the barriers to mental healthcare. There is an urgent need to spread awareness, remove the stigma, and provide appropriate care and referrals for mental health conditions in the KSA.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in cultural context II: a comparison of the links between ADHD symptoms and waiting-related responses in Hong Kong and UK

The concept of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered to have cross-cultural validity, but direct comparisons of its psychological characteristics across cultures are limited. This study investigates whether preschool children's ADHD symptoms expressed in two cultures with different views about child behaviour and parenting, Hong Kong and the UK, show the same pattern of associations with their waiting-related abilities and reactions, an important marker of early self-regulation. A community sample of 112 preschoolers (mean age = 46.22 months; 55 from UK, 57 from HK) completed three tasks measuring different waiting elements - waiting for rewards, choosing the amount of time to wait, and having to wait unexpectedly when a task is interrupted. Participants' waiting-related behavioural and emotional reactions were coded. Parents rated their children's ADHD symptoms and delay aversion. Our findings revealed that the associations between ADHD symptoms and waiting-related responses were comparable in both UK and HK samples. This suggests that the core psychological characteristics of ADHD, particularly in relation to waiting behaviours, may exhibit similarity across cultural contexts. Future research can extend this cross-cultural analysis to other ADHD-related psychological domains and explore additional cultural settings.

Facial mimicry interference reduces working memory accuracy for facial emotion expressions

Facial mimicry, the tendency to imitate facial expressions of other individuals, has been shown to play a critical role in the processing of emotion expressions. At the same time, there is evidence suggesting that its role might change when the cognitive demands of the situation increase. In such situations, understanding another person is dependent on working memory. However, whether facial mimicry influences working memory representations for facial emotion expressions is not fully understood. In the present study, we experimentally interfered with facial mimicry by using established behavioral procedures, and investigated how this interference influenced working memory recall for facial emotion expressions. Healthy, young adults (N = 36) performed an emotion expression n-back paradigm with two levels of working memory load, low (1-back) and high (2-back), and three levels of mimicry interference: high, low, and no interference. Results showed that, after controlling for block order and individual differences in the perceived valence and arousal of the stimuli, the high level of mimicry interference impaired accuracy when working memory load was low (1-back) but, unexpectedly, not when load was high (2-back). Working memory load had a detrimental effect on performance in all three mimicry conditions. We conclude that facial mimicry might support working memory for emotion expressions when task load is low, but that the supporting effect possibly is reduced when the task becomes more cognitively challenging.

Exploring age-related differences in metacognitive self-regulation: the influence of motivational factors in secondary school students

Introduction

Metacognitive self-regulation is a crucial factor that promotes students' learning and achievement. However, the evidence regarding age differences in metacognitive skills is rather mixed, with some evidence pointing toward further refinement and development and other evidence suggesting declining levels. Academic motivation, an important antecedent of metacognitive self-regulation, has also been reported to decline steeply in adolescence. Hence, this raises the question whether there are any age-related differences in academic motivation and metacognitive self-regulation of adolescents and whether age differences in academic motivation drive decreases in metacognitive self-regulation.

Method

A large sample size of 1,027 Greek adolescents (ages 12-16, M age = 13.95, SD = 0.78) was utilized in the present study. Multigroup measurement invariance analyses were deployed to compare the latent means of motivational factors (self-efficacy, task value, mastery, and performance goals) and metacognitive self-regulation across age groups. Cholesky decomposition was applied to test the independent contribution of motivational factors to and the indirect effects of age on metacognitive self-regulation.

Results

Invariance analyses revealed scalar invariance for metacognitive self-regulation, language self-efficacy, mastery and performance goal orientations and partially scalar invariance for task value. Older adolescents scored lower on metacognitive self-regulation, mastery and performance goals, and self-efficacy. Older students scored lower on metacognitive self-regulation via indirect effects through Cholesky decomposed motivational factors.

Discussion

Self-efficacy, mastery and performance goals, and task value are similarly understood across adolescents in different age groups. Decreased mastery and performance goals and task value can lead to reduced metacognitive self-regulation in adolescents. The implications of the findings underscore the key role of making students more engaged with lessons' content in order to promote greater academic motivation and prevent decreases in metacognitive self-regulation.

Effectiveness of a modified behavioural activation treatment training program for primary medical staff to manage depressive symptoms among rural elderly in Hunan Province, China: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Depression is a major global health problem, with high prevalence rates of depressive symptoms observed among the elderly population in China, particularly exacerbating in rural areas. Due to a lack of professional mental health training and inadequate psychotherapy capacity within primary medical staff, rural elderly individuals grappling with depressive symptoms often encounter challenges in receiving timely diagnosis and treatment. In this landscape, the modified behavioural activation treatment (MBAT) emerges as a promising approach due to its practicality, ease of therapist training and application, patient acceptability, and broad applicability. However, existing evidence for MBAT mainly hails from developed countries, leaving a gap in its adaptation and implementation within rural China. This study aims to develop an MBAT training programme for primary medical staff to manage depressive symptoms among rural elderly and evaluate its effectiveness.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in 10 randomly selected township hospitals in Lengshuijiang and Lianyuan, Hunan Province. We aim to recruit 150 participants, with 5 township hospitals selected for each group, each consisting of 15 participants. The intervention group will implement the MBAT training programme, while the control group will receive usual care training programme. Depressive symptoms, psychosocial functioning, quality of life and satisfaction will be measured at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Effectiveness will be assessed using linear or generalised linear mixed models.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has obtained approval from the Institutional Review Board of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Centre South University (No.: 2022-S261). Results will be disseminated through publication in international peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2300074544.

Major depression symptom severity associations with willingness to exert effort and patch foraging strategy

Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) can experience reduced motivation and cognitive function, leading to challenges with goal-directed behavior. When selecting goals, people maximize 'expected value' by selecting actions that maximize potential reward while minimizing associated costs, including effort 'costs' and the opportunity cost of time. In MDD, differential weighing of costs and benefits are theorized mechanisms underlying changes in goal-directed cognition and may contribute to symptom heterogeneity. We used the Effort Foraging Task to quantify cognitive and physical effort costs, and patch leaving thresholds in low effort conditions (hypothesized to reflect perceived opportunity cost of time) and investigated their shared versus distinct relationships to clinical features in participants with MDD (N=52, 43 in-episode) and comparisons (N=27). Contrary to our predictions, none of the decision-making measures differed with MDD diagnosis. However, each of the measures were related to symptom severity, over and above effects of ability (i.e., performance). Greater anxiety symptoms were selectively associated with lower cognitive effort cost (i.e. greater willingness to exert effort). Anhedonia symptoms were associated with increased physical effort costs. Finally, greater physical anergia was related to decreased patch leaving thresholds. Markers of effort-based decision-making may inform understanding of MDD heterogeneity. Increased willingness to exert cognitive effort may contribute to anxiety symptoms such as rumination and worry. The association of decreased leaving thresholds with symptom severity is consistent with reward rate-based accounts of reduced vigor in MDD. Future research should address subtypes of depression with or without anxiety, which may relate differentially to cognitive effort decisions.

Aspects of acceptance: building a shared conceptual understanding

Many contemplatives, scientists, and clinicians have pointed to the value of responding to life's difficulties by accepting experiences as they are. A growing body of research also suggests that acceptance contributes to effective coping with adversity, reduced stress, and improved emotional well-being. Yet within the scientific literature, there is little consensus on what acceptance means or how it should be measured. This makes it nearly impossible to synthesize empirical work on acceptance into a cohesive scientific understanding. Our goal in this paper is to clarify four facets of acceptance that are commonly referenced in research: acknowledging, allowing, non-judging, and non-attachment. We do not propose a specific definition of acceptance or even a set of privileged facets that must be included in future frameworks. We instead offer a vocabulary to facilitate productive communication among researchers that will, in turn, enable a more definitive scientific understanding of this important construct to emerge. After defining and explaining these aspects of acceptance, we further clarify these constructs in two ways. First, we illustrate how the four aspects are dissociable from one another. Second, we analyze their correspondence to related constructs from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Finally, we provide a concept worksheet that scholars can utilize to precisely operationalize acceptance in their own work.

Presurgical structural imaging and clinical outcome in combined bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-nucleus accumbens deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression

Background

Structural imaging holds great potential for precise targeting and stimulation for deep brain stimulation (DBS). The anatomical information it provides may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of DBS in treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Aims

The primary aim is to identify preoperative imaging biomarkers that correlate with the efficacy of DBS in patients with TRD.

Methods

Preoperative imaging parameters were estimated and correlated with the 6-month clinical outcome of patients with TRD receiving combined bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)-nucleus accumbens (NAc) DBS. White matter (WM) properties were extracted and compared between the response/non-response and remission/non-remission groups. Structural connectome was constructed and analysed using graph theory. Distances of the volume of activated tissue (VAT) to the main modulating tracts were also estimated to evaluate the correlations.

Results

Differences in fibre bundle properties of tracts, including superior thalamic radiation and reticulospinal tract, were observed between the remission and non-remission groups. Distance of the centre of the VAT to tracts connecting the ventral tegmental area and the anterior limb of internal capsule on the left side varied between the remission and non-remission groups (p=0.010, t=3.07). The normalised clustering coefficient (γ) and the small-world property (σ) in graph analysis correlated with the symptom improvement after the correction of age.

Conclusions

Presurgical structural alterations in WM tracts connecting the frontal area with subcortical regions, as well as the distance of the VAT to the modulating tracts, may influence the clinical outcome of BNST-NAc DBS. These findings provide potential imaging biomarkers for the DBS treatment for patients with TRD.

Facilitation or hindrance? The impact of downward social comparison on adversarial growth

Introduction

While adversity can bring great challenges to individuals' life and work, many people also find ways to make positive changes and adapt to these difficult circumstances. Individuals tend to make social comparisons more frequently and intensely when faced with adversity or high stress. The study attempts to examine the influence mechanism of downward social comparison on individual adversarial growth.

Methods

By collecting data from 353 Chinese who have experienced adversities in the past 3 years, the study validates the dual mediating model of gratitude and self-acceptance and explores the moderating effect of interpersonal sensitivity.

Results

The findings indicate that: downward social comparison can increase the occurrence of adversarial growth by enhancing individuals' self-acceptance and gratitude. Compared to individuals with low interpersonal sensitivity, individuals with high interpersonal sensitivity are more likely to facilitate the occurrence of adversarial growth through self-acceptance and gratitude due to downward social comparison.

Discussion

In the face of adversity, individuals can regain self-confidence and respond positively by comparing themselves to people in worse situations than themselves. In particular, individuals with higher interpersonal sensitivity are more likely to benefit from downward social comparisons and grow from adversity.

Associations between lyric and musical depth in Chinese songs: Evidence from computational modeling

Musical depth, which encompasses the intellectual and emotional complexity of music, is a robust dimension that influences music preference. However, there remains a dearth of research exploring the relationship between lyrics and musical depth. This study addressed this gap by analyzing linguistic inquiry and word count-based lyric features extracted from a comprehensive dataset of 2372 Chinese songs. Correlation analysis and machine learning techniques revealed compelling connections between musical depth and various lyric features, such as the usage frequency of emotion words, time words, and insight words. To further investigate these relationships, prediction models for musical depth were constructed using a combination of audio and lyric features as inputs. The results demonstrated that the random forest regressions (RFR) that integrated both audio and lyric features yielded superior prediction performance compared to those relying solely on lyric inputs. Notably, when assessing the feature importance to interpret the RFR models, it became evident that audio features played a decisive role in predicting musical depth. This finding highlights the paramount significance of melody over lyrics in effectively conveying the intricacies of musical depth.

[Association between self-control and co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity during adolescence and early adulthood: A ten-year prospective cohort study based on national surveys]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association between self-control and the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity from adolescence to early adulthood in the Chinese population, and to provide a scientific basis for personalized interventions targeting individuals with different risks in the future.

METHODS

From a prospective cohort study that lasted for 10 years: The China family panel studies (CFPS), a total of 608 children and adolescents meeting the following inclusion and exclusion criteria were included as study subjects: (1) Aged 10 to 19 years, at normal weight according to Chinese standards, and without depressive symptom in 2010; (2) Had self-control scores, and with at least two measurements of depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI) between 2010 and 2020; (3) The only one or the youngest child and adolescent from each family. The co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity was defined in three ways: Both of the average level of standardized scores of depressive symptoms and BMI Z-scores across multiple measurements over time were at a high level, or both of the trajectories of depressive symptoms and BMI over time based on the latent classification trajectory model (LCTM) belonging to the "risk-type", or individuals had depressive symptoms and overweight/obesity at the last follow-up survey. The multinomial Logistic regression model was used to examine the association between standardized scores of self-control and the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity.

RESULTS

The score of self-control was associated with the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity when using healthy individuals as the reference group after adjusting for age (years), gender (male/female), area (urban/rural), weekly physical activity duration (high/low), parental education level (college or above/high school or below), parental weight status (overweight or obese or not), and parental depressive symptoms (with depressive symptoms or not), regardless of the definition of the risk population. Specifically, the risk of co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity was reduced by 33% (95%CI: 14% to 48%, based on the average level across multiple measurements over time) to 78% (95%CI: 6% to 95%, based on the joint trajectories of depressive symptoms and BMI over time) per 1-standard deviation (1-SD) increase in self-control score. In addition, the risk of depressive-symptom-dominant and overweight-or-obesity-dominant was reduced by 25% (95%CI: 4% to 42%, only based on the average level across multiple measurements over time) and 21% (95%CI: 1% to 37%, only based on the joint trajectories of depressive symptoms and BMI over time) per 1-SD increase in self-control score, respectively. The results from sensitivity analysis that defined individuals' weight status according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards were consistent with our main findings.

CONCLUSION

Individuals with higher self-control scores from adolescence to early adulthood have a lower risk of co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity, suggesting that personalized interventions for co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity can be carried out based on self-control scores in the future.

Relationships between Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Diet Composition, Dietary Patterns and Eating Behaviors

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a disorder between gynecology and psychiatry which includes cognitive, affective, and somatic symptoms from mild to severe. The most severe form of PMS is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and it is considered a form of depressive disorder. An association between diet composition and the occurrence of PMS and its severity have been suggested. As such, this manuscript discusses the relationships between diet composition, dietary patterns and eating behaviors, and PMS. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched for related studies up to 18 January 2024. A text search with the following keywords singly or in combination was conducted: "Premenstrual syndrome", "Nutrition", "Diet composition", "Dietary patterns", and "Eating behaviors". Studies published so far showed that low intake of simple carbohydrates, fats, salt, and alcohol, and high of fresh, unprocessed foods rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent the onset of PMS and reduce the severity of its symptoms. However, further studies are needed to formulate definitive recommendations for the use of vitamins, micronutrients and other dietary ingredients supplementation in women with PMS to improve functioning, overall well-being, and physical health. Large, randomized, double-blind clinical trials across diverse populations are necessary to formulate clear recommendations for supplementation in women with PMS.

Anxious and depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in a cohort of people who recently attempted suicide: A network analysis

BACKGROUND

Suicide is an international health concern with immeasurable impact from the perspective of human and social suffering. Prior suicide attempts, anxious and depressive symptoms, and relatively lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are among the most replicated risk factors for suicide. Our goal was to visualize the distribution of these features and their interconnections with use of a network analysis approach in individuals who recently attempted suicide.

METHODS

Individuals with a recent suicide attempt were recruited from nine University Hospitals across Spain as part of the SURVIVE cohort study. Anxious and depressive symptoms, and perceived HRQoL were included in the network analysis. Network structures were estimated with the EBICglasso model. Centrality measures and bridge symptoms connecting communities were explored. Subnetworks comparing younger and older individuals, and women and men were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 1106 individuals with a recent suicide attempt were included. Depressed mood was the symptom with the greatest influence in the overall network, followed by anxiety symptoms such as feeling nervous, worrying, restless, and having difficulties to relax. Perceived general health was associated with increased suicidal ideation in the whole sample. Older people showed a specific connection between perceived general health and depressed mood.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design does not allow determination of established causality.

CONCLUSIONS

Depressed mood was the core network's symptom and, therefore, an important target in the management and prevention of suicide. HRQoL had more influence on the network of older populations, in which it should be a primary focus.

Continuance intention and digital health resources from the perspective of elaboration likelihood model and DART model: a structural equation modeling analysis

Background

Internet hospitals, online health communities, and other digital health APPs have brought many changes to people's lives. However, digital health resources are experiencing low continuance intention due to many factors, including information security, service quality, and personal characteristics of users.

Methods

We used cross-sectional surveys and structural equation modeling analysis to explore factors influencing user willingness to continue using digital health resources.

Results

Information quality (β = 0.31, p < 0.05), service quality (β = 0.19, p < 0.05), platform reputation (β = 0.34, p < 0.05), and emotional support (β = 0.23, p < 0.05) have significant positive effects on user value co-creation behavior. Additionally, user trust and perceived usefulness could mediate the association between user value co-creation behavior and continuance intention, with mediation effects of 0.143 and 0.125, respectively. User involvement can positively moderate the association between user value co-creation behavior and user trust (β = 0.151, t = 2.480, p < 0.001). Also, user involvement can positively moderate the association between value co-creation behavior and perceived usefulness (β = 0.103, t = 3.377, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The keys to solving the problem of low continuance intention are improving the quality and service level of digital health resources, and promoting users' value co-creation behavior. Meanwhile, enterprises should build a good reputation, create a positive communication atmosphere in the community, and enhance user participation and sense of belonging.

Examining Indirect and Direct Effects of Risk and Resilience on the Relation Between Perceived Discrimination and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Ethnic Minority American Women

Direct relationships between perceived discrimination and eating pathology in ethnic minorities are well-documented. However, theoretical work examining unique risk and resilience factors that strengthen or weaken the relation between these constructs in ethnic minorities is lacking. The current study aims to address this gap by incorporating stress-process and tripartite frameworks to examine social and personal resources as they relate to perceived discrimination and eating pathology. In a sample of Black, Asian, and Latine women (N = 296, M age = 30.82), social support did not mediate the relationship between perceived discrimination and eating pathology. A significant interaction effect was observed for thin-ideal internalization strengthening the relation between perceived discrimination and negative emotional eating. Thin-ideal internalization moderated the relation between perceived discrimination and negative emotional eating in Latine Women, and disordered eating in Black Women. Overall, findings suggest ethnic minority Women have both personal and social resources that may influence the strength of effect on the relation between perceived discrimination on eating pathology.

The relationship between mental health literacy and professional psychological help-seeking behavior among Chinese college students: mediating roles of perceived social support and psychological help-seeking stigma

Introduction

Mental health literacy is viewed as a significant factor that may facilitate an individual's pursuit of professional psychological assistance. However, it is important to explore further influencing factors that might underlie this association. This study, employing the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), aims to examine the relationship between mental health literacy and the behavior of seeking professional psychological help, with a focus on the potential mediating roles of perceived stigma and social support in this context.

Methods

We surveyed 911 college students in seven regions of China (406 males and 505 females, aged between 19 and 25 years old; M age = 19.65, SD = 1.41) utilizing self-report measures, including the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire, Professional Psychological Help-Seeking Behavior Scale, Professional Psychological Help-Seeking Stigma Scale, and Perceived Social Support Scale. A chain mediation model was developed to analyze the interconnections between mental health literacy, stigma related to seeking psychological help, perceived social support, and professional psychological help-seeking behaviors.

Results

The mediation effect analysis indicates that: (1) mental health literacy significantly positively correlates with professional psychological help-seeking behaviors; (2) both perceived social support and professional psychological help-seeking stigma significantly mediate the relationship between mental health literacy and professional psychological help-seeking behavior; (3) perceived social support and the stigma associated with seeking professional psychological help play a chained mediating effect between mental health literacy and the behavior of seeking professional psychological help.

Discussion

This study found that mental health literacy indirectly facilitates professional psychological help-seeking behaviors by enhancing the perception of social support and reducing the stigma associated with seeking such help. These findings help in understanding how improving mental health literacy and perceived social support while reducing stigma can increase the likelihood of individuals seeking professional psychological assistance. The results are significant for enhancing the utilization of mental health services and implementing mental health education programs in universities.

Physiotherapists Lack Knowledge in Mental Health: A Survey of Knowledge and Attitudes of Physical Therapists About Their Role in Mental Health

Purpose

As the number of mental illnesses increases, there is a need to manage it holistically within a multidisciplinary team. The majority of patients with physical disabilities suffer from mental health problems, and physiotherapy can play a role in improving their lifestyle. This study aimed to determine physiotherapists' self-reported knowledge and attitudes regarding their role in treating patients with mental health disorders.

Methods

This study adopted a descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective observational survey design. The sample consisted of 208 physical therapists.

Results

The majority of the participants, (48%) had a positive attitude score, with (40%) having a neutral attitude and (12%) having a negative attitude toward treating patients with mental health issues. Most respondents (86%) reported that they need more information regarding patients with mental health disorders and physiotherapists' management of their physical health issues.

Conclusion

Many physiotherapists lack knowledge and hold a neutral to negative attitude towards treating patients with mental disorders. This highlights the need for more training to fill the gap in knowledge and guide physiotherapists to build upon their positive attitude towards treating patients with mental disorders.

An ecological assessment of decision-making under risk and ambiguity through the virtual serious game Kalliste Decision Task

Traditional methods for evaluating decision-making provide valuable insights yet may fall short in capturing the complexity of this cognitive capacity, often providing insufficient for the multifaceted nature of decisions. The Kalliste Decision Task (KDT) is introduced as a comprehensive, ecologically valid tool aimed at bridging this gap, offering a holistic perspective on decision-making. In our study, 81 participants completed KDT alongside established tasks and questionnaires, including the Mixed Gamble Task (MGT), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and Stimulating & Instrumental Risk Questionnaire (S&IRQ). They also completed the User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire (USEQ). The results showed excellent usability, with high USEQ scores, highlighting the user-friendliness of KDT. Importantly, KDT outcomes showed significant correlations with classical decision-making variables, shedding light on participants' risk attitudes (S&IRQ), rule-based decision-making (MGT), and performance in ambiguous contexts (IGT). Moreover, hierarchical clustering analysis of KDT scores categorized participants into three distinct profiles, revealing significant differences between them on classical measures. The findings highlight KDT as a valuable tool for assessing decision-making, addressing limitations of traditional methods, and offering a comprehensive, ecologically valid approach that aligns with the complexity and heterogeneity of real-world decision-making, advancing research and providing insights for understanding and assessing decision-making across multiple domains.

Field experiment on the effect of musical street performance/busking on public space perception as mediated by street audience experience

Street performance or busking is common in public spaces. The literature highlights two psychological issues: the effect of street performance on public space perception and the complexity of the appreciation of street performance, regarded as street audience experience (SAE). The present study aims at verifying the effect of street performance on public space perception, while examining SAE as a mediator of this effect. We conducted a between-subjects field experiment (a quasi-experiment; N = 292) in Hong Kong. Participants assessed a public space without (control) or with (experimental) musical busking on essentialism, anti-essentialism, sonic restorativeness, and overall liking. In the experimental condition, unengaged passersby and engaged audience further evaluated SAE factors of emotion, intellect, novelty, place, interaction, and technique, and outcomes of overall satisfaction and donation worth. The public space with busking was perceived as significantly more sonically restorative. Engaged audience perceived the space as significantly more essentialist, anti-essentialist, sonically restorative, and likeable. Engaged audience also experienced more positive SAE and outcome variables. SAE fully mediated the effects of street performance on public space perception and outcome variables, respectively. These findings support the positive impact of street performance, which may enhance city inhabitants' well-being.

Mental health help-seeking intentions & coping strategies of Chinese international students in the United States

BACKGROUND

Chinese international students (CIS) in the United States may face unique mental health challenges that are often overlooked in discussions about mainstream college student needs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the predictors of mental health (MH) professional help-seeking intentions among CIS at a large public Midwestern university, as well as the obstacles that hinder their use of professional MH services.

METHODS

The study used quantitative and qualitative approaches to gather data on CIS' help-seeking attitudes. Quantitative analysis focused on the association between specific factors and help-seeking intentions. Qualitative coding of open-ended questions provided additional insights into obstacles and suggestions for improving mental health support.

RESULTS

The study identified several factors influencing the mental health help-seeking intentions of Chinese international students. Two primary negative predictors were a preference for emotional self-control and concerns about the questionable quality of treatment. Conversely, having previous experience with professional mental health services, both in China and the United States, was found to be a positive predictor of help-seeking intentions. Additionally, qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed further obstacles to seeking help and provided useful suggestions for enhancing mental health support for Chinese international students in college settings.

CONCLUSIONS

The study identifies key factors that influence CIS' attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services. Understanding these factors can help in developing strategies to better support the mental health of CIS in college settings.

LIMITATIONS

Several limitations must be acknowledged in this study. The cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences from the data. Additionally, the sample may not be fully representative of the broader population of Chinese international students, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Self-reported data may also introduce response biases. Future research should consider longitudinal approaches and a more diverse sample to validate and expand on these findings.

Chronic Pain Resilience Across Clinical Populations: A Concept Analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain resilience is a concept that is frequently used in research but lacks theoretical clarity. Understanding chronic pain resilience is germane to developing interventions to improve it and the overall quality of life among individuals with chronic pain.

AIMS

To uncover and clarify the unique characteristics of the concept of chronic pain resilience.

DESIGN

A concept analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary method.

METHODS

Full-text articles published after 2000 in English were used to inform the concept analysis. Scopus, PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text were utilized for literature searches. Rodgers' evolutionary approach was used to clarify the attributes, antecedents, and consequences.

RESULTS

The search yielded 31 articles that were used in the analysis. The key attributes of chronic pain resilience included engagement in meaningful activities despite pain, maintaining positive psychological homeostasis, buffering against negative mental outcomes, seeking support, and self-empowerment. After considering surrogate terms, antecedents, attributes, and consequences, chronic pain resilience may be defined as the development of the capacity to successfully adapt to chronic pain. This adaptation results in a move toward optimal social, physical, mental, and behavioral functioning by balancing negative and positive psychosocial factors, despite the additional challenges brought about by living with chronic pain.

Interventions to decrease health students' stigma toward schizophrenia: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is heavily stigmatized among health professionals. Given that health professional students are future members of the workforce and will provide care for people with schizophrenia, it is essential to implement interventions aimed at reducing stigma among this group.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesize existing literature on interventions to decrease schizophrenia stigma among health professional students, and to determine the possible gaps in the literature.

DESIGN

Nine electronic databases and gray literature were searched, including PubMed, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, and Google on 5 May 2023. Two researchers independently conducted data screening, data extraction, and assessed study risks. A most updated search was also done on 22 May 2024. The Cochrane risk of bias tool version 2 for randomized trials and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies were used to assess the studies' risk of bias. Data synthesis and analysis were conducted by two reviewers using a narrative approach. Reporting adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.

RESULTS

This review included twenty-one studies with 2520 health professional students. The majority of included studies were non-randomized controlled trials (38 %) and pre-post studies (52 %). Most of the included studies were conducted in the United States (24 %). The participants in ten (48 %) studies were medical students. The number of intervention sessions ranged from one to 13, with an average of three. Seven (33 %) studies had an intervention duration of less than four weeks and 16 (76 %) studies had no follow-up. Various scales were used to assess the outcomes of schizophrenia stigma. Only two studies (10 %) indicated the intervention's ineffectiveness, with the majority of interventions led by psychiatry department faculty and individuals with schizophrenia.

CONCLUSIONS

Most studies (90 %) utilized various approaches, including face-to-face or online education, direct contact with individuals with schizophrenia, or a combination thereof, to diminish stigma among health professional students. However, none addressed cultural and empathy factors in their intervention designs, and the included studies lacked theoretical guidance. The review only comprised English quantitative studies with significant heterogeneity, with 17 studies (81 %) displaying serious or high risk of bias, limiting comprehensive discussions. These findings offer valuable insights for future systematic review. Tweetable abstract Studies on reducing health professional students' schizophrenia stigma need to address cultural and empathy factors.

Positive sexuality, relationship satisfaction, and health: a network analysis

Introduction

Positive sexuality, defined as the happiness and fulfillment individuals derive from their sexual experiences, expressions, and behaviors, has been linked to relationship satisfaction and health. However, the intricate associations between positive sexuality and relationship functioning and health indicators have rarely been explored from a network perspective. This approach, by analyzing the interconnections among these factors within a broader system, can offer insights into complex dynamics and identify key variables for targeted interventions.

Methods

The present study applied network analysis to uncover interconnections between positive sexuality, relationship satisfaction, and health indicators, highlight the most relevant variables and explore potential gender-based differences in a sample of 992 partnered individuals (51% women, aged 18-71 years). Networks were estimated via Gaussian Graphical Models, and network comparison test was used to compare men and women.

Results

Results indicated that variables related to positive sexuality were more highly interconnected than the rest of the network. There were small-to-negligible connections between positive sexuality and relationship satisfaction variables, both of which had negligible or no connections with health. The network was globally invariant across gender, though a few connections were gender-specific. The most important variables, regardless of gender, related to pleasurable feelings during sexual intercourse.

Discussion

The findings underscore the importance of enhancing positive sexual experiences within intimate relationships and have implications for research and clinical practice in positive sexuality.

A Review on Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening by Artificial Intelligence Methods

PURPOSE

With the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the importance of early screening and diagnosis has been subject to considerable discussion. Given the subtle differences between ASD children and typically developing children during the early stages of development, it is imperative to investigate the utilization of automatic recognition methods powered by artificial intelligence. We aim to summarize the research work on this topic and sort out the markers that can be used for identification.

METHODS

We searched the papers published in the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, and EBSCO databases from 1st January 2013 to 13th November 2023, and 43 articles were included.

RESULTS

These articles mainly divided recognition markers into five categories: gaze behaviors, facial expressions, motor movements, voice features, and task performance. Based on the above markers, the accuracy of artificial intelligence screening ranged from 62.13 to 100%, the sensitivity ranged from 69.67 to 100%, the specificity ranged from 54 to 100%.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, artificial intelligence recognition holds promise as a tool for identifying children with ASD. However, it still needs to continually enhance the screening model and improve accuracy through multimodal screening, thereby facilitating timely intervention and treatment.

Comparison of trait and state mind wandering among schizotypal, subclinically depressed, and control individuals

BACKGROUND

Mind wandering is a common phenomenon in daily life. However, the manifestations and cognitive correlates of mind wandering in different subclinical populations remain unclear. In this study, these aspects were examined in individuals with schizotypal traits and individuals with depressive symptoms, i.e., subclinical populations of patients with schizophrenia and depression.

METHODS

Forty-two individuals with schizotypal traits, 42 individuals with subclinical depression, and 42 controls were recruited to complete a mind wandering thought sampling task (state level) and a mind wandering questionnaire (trait level). Measures of rumination and cognitive functions (attention, inhibition, and working memory) were also completed by participants.

RESULTS

Both subclinical groups exhibited more state and trait mind wandering than did the control group. Furthermore, individuals with schizotypal traits demonstrated more trait mind wandering than individuals with subclinical depression. Rumination, sustained attention, and working memory were associated with mind wandering. In addition, mind wandering in individuals with subclinical depression can be accounted for by rumination or attention, while mind wandering in individuals with high schizotypal traits cannot be accounted for by rumination, attention, or working memory.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that individuals with high schizotypal traits and subclinical depression have different patterns of mind wandering and mechanisms. These findings have implications for understanding the unique profile of mind wandering in subclinical individuals.

Effort-cost decision-making associated with negative symptoms in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Motivational deficits and reduced goal-directed behavior for external rewards have long been considered an important features of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). Negative symptoms have also a high prevalence in bipolar disorder (BP). We used a transdiagnostic approach in order to examine association between negative symptoms and effort allocation for monetary rewards. 41 patients with SCZ and 34 patients with BP were enrolled in the study along with 41 healthy controls (HC). Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT) was used to measure subjects' effort allocation for monetary rewards. Generalized estimating equation models were used to analyze EEfRT choice behavior. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). SCZ and BP groups expended lower effort to obtain a monetary rewards compared to HC. Severity of negative symptoms was negatively correlated with EEfRT performance in both diagnostic groups. Each diagnostic group showed lower effort allocation for monetary rewards compared to HC suggesting reduced motivation for monetary rewards. In addition, our results suggest that abnormal effort-based decision-making might be a transdiagnostic factor underlying negative symptoms.

Social Activity in Schizotypy: Measuring Frequency and Enjoyment of Social Events

Improving social functioning deficits-a core characteristic of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders-is often listed by patients as a key recovery goal. Evidence suggests that social deficits also extend to people with schizotypy, a group at heightened risk for psychotic and other psychopathological disorders. One challenge of social functioning research in schizotypy is understanding whether social deficits arise from receiving less pleasure from social activities or from participating less in high-pleasure activities. However, limited information exists on what constitutes highly pleasurable, common social activities. In this study, 357 college students rated the frequency and enjoyment of 38 social activities. Our aims were to categorize activities based on their frequency and enjoyment, and whether these correlated with validated social functioning and schizotypy measures. We found that social activities could be characterized based on their frequency and enjoyment and created a frequency-enjoyment matrix that could be useful for future studies. Activities were correlated with social functioning, generally reaching a small effect size level, with increasing frequency and enjoyment showing associations with greater social functioning. Further, negative and disorganized-but not positive-traits were associated with less engagement and pleasure. Although follow-up studies in community samples are needed, our findings have the potential to help researchers and clinicians better understand which activities participants are more likely to engage in and derive pleasure from. The findings may also illustrate the extent to which social deficits may be due to less engagement or less pleasure from social activities, as well as which aspects of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders are associated with these facets of social functioning.

Bayesian estimation of group event-related potential components (BEGEP): testing a model for synthetic and real datasets

Objective.The spatial resolution of event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded on the head surface is quite low, since the sensors located on the scalp register mixtures of signals from several cortical sources. Bayesian models for multi-channel ERPs obtained from a group of subjects under multiple task conditions can aid in recovering signals from these sources.Approach.This study introduces a novel model that captures several important characteristics of ERP, including person-to-person variability in the magnitude and latency of source signals. Furthermore, the model takes into account that ERP noise, the main source of which is the background electroencephalogram, has the following properties: it is spatially correlated, spatially heterogeneous, and varies over time and from person to person. Bayesian inference algorithms have been developed to estimate the parameters of this model, and their performance has been evaluated through extensive experiments using synthetic data and real ERPs records in a large number of subjects (N= 351).Main results.The signal estimates obtained using these algorithms were compared with the results of the analysis of ERPs by conventional methods. This comparison showed that the use of this model is suitable for the analysis of ERPs and helps to reveal some features of source signals that are difficult to observe in their mixture signals recorded on the scalp.Significance.This study shown that the proposed method is a potentially useful tool for analyzing ERPs collected from groups of subjects in various cognitive neuroscience experiments.

A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Well Parent Japan in routine care in Japan: The training and nurturing support for mothers (TRANSFORM) study

BACKGROUND

Well Parent Japan (WPJ) is a new hybrid group parent training programme combining sessions to improve mothers' psychological well-being with a culturally adapted version of the New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP). This study investigates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of WPJ against treatment as usual (TAU) within Japanese child mental health services.

METHODS

TRANSFORM was a pragmatic multi-site randomised controlled trial (RCT) with two parallel arms. Altogether 124 mothers of 6-12-year-old children with DSM-5 ADHD were randomised to WPJ (n = 65) or TAU (n = 59). Participants were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and three-month follow-up. The primary outcome was parent-domain stress following intervention. Secondary outcomes included maternal reports of child-domain stress, parenting practices, parenting efficacy, mood, family strain, child behaviour and impairment. Objective measures of the parent-child relationship were collected at baseline and post-treatment. Data analysis was intention to treat (ITT) with treatment effects quantified through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via multilevel modelling. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) assessed WPJ's cost-effectiveness.

RESULTS

WPJ was superior to TAU in reducing parent-domain stress post-treatment (adjusted mean difference = 5.05, 95% CI 0.33 to 9.81, p = .036) and at follow-up (adjusted mean difference 4.82, 95% CI 0.09 to 9.55, p = .046). Significant WPJ intervention effects were also observed for parenting practices, parenting efficacy and family strain. WPJ and TAU were not significantly different post-intervention or at follow-up for the other secondary outcomes. The incremental cost of WPJ was 34,202 JPY (315.81 USD). The probability that WPJ is cost-effective is 74% at 10,000 JPY (USD 108.30) per one-point improvement in parenting stress, 92% at 20,000 JPY (216.60 USD). The programme was delivered with high fidelity and excellent retention.

CONCLUSIONS

WPJ can be delivered in routine clinical care at modest cost with positive effects on self-reported well-being of the mothers, parenting practices and family coping. WPJ is a promising addition to psychosocial interventions for ADHD in Japan.

Psychometric Testing of the Thai Version of Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory Version 4c in Patients With Stroke

BACKGROUND

Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory version 4c is a non-disease-specific self-care measure used in individuals with multiple chronic conditions. This instrument may be applied to patients with specific diseases such as stroke.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Thai version of the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory version 4c in patients with stroke.

METHODS

This multicenter, cross-sectional study adhered to the COSMIN (Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments) guidelines and enrolled patients with stroke from 16 primary care centers in southern Thailand. Structural validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability using Cronbach α coefficient and global reliability index, and test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

The final analysis included a total of 350 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 2-factor Self-Care Maintenance scale structure, although the item allocation to the dimensions differed from that of the original model. The Self-Care Monitoring scale demonstrated a 1-factor structure with permitted residual covariance. The Self-Care Management scale maintained a 2-factor structure, similar to that of the original model. Simultaneous confirmatory factor analysis of the combined items supported the general model with the 3 scales. The Self-Care Maintenance scale exhibited marginally adequate α (0.68) and ω (0.66) coefficients, and an adequate composite reliability index (0.79). The other 2 scales demonstrated adequate α (range, 0.79-0.86), ω (range, 0.75-0.86), and composite reliability (range, 0.83-0.86) indices. Intraclass correlation coefficients showed adequate test-retest reliability for all scales (range, 0.76-0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

The generic self-care measure, Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory version 4c, demonstrated strong psychometric properties in patients with stroke. This instrument may be a valuable tool for assessing stroke self-care in Thailand.

The Interrelationships Between Cognitive Biases for Pain: An Experimental Study

Contemporary pain models highlight cognitive-processing biases (ie, attention bias [AB], interpretation bias [IB], and memory bias [MB]) as key processes that contribute to poor pain outcomes. However, existing research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the presence and impact of these biases on pain outcomes. Recognizing the need to explore these biases simultaneously, contemporary pain models suggest that cognitive biases (CBs) are interrelated, and may have a combined impact upon pain problems. The current study aims to investigate the interrelationships between CBs using the PainAIM paradigm, a novel approach enabling simultaneous evaluation of pain-related AB, IB, and MB using cues signaling actual pain rather than symbolic information. We hypothesized the presence and positive associations of biases for pain-related cues and the predictive value of combined AB and IB for poor pain outcomes. Eighty-four healthy participants completed the PainAIM paradigm, followed by a cold pressor task probing pain experience and pain-related task interference. The results indicated an inverse relationship between AB and IB for ambiguous pain cues. In addition, there was a positive association between participants' AB for ambiguous pain and their MB for the same cues. Contrary to our hypotheses, CB indices did not predict experimental pain outcomes. These findings provide support for the interrelationships between pain-related CBs. However, future research on the temporal order of CBs and their combined impact on pain outcomes is needed. By overcoming the limitations associated with traditional paradigms, the PainAIM paradigm offers a promising research tool for the further study of combined CBs in the context of pain. PERSPECTIVE: The current study provides insight into the associations between pain-related CBs (AB, IB, and MB) using ecologically valid (ambiguous) pain cues. The results indicated an inverse association between pain-related AB and IB, while a positive association was found between AB and MB. CBs did however not predict experimental pain outcomes.

The role of attention in the effect of facial attractiveness on time perception

Recent research has indicated that attractive faces often cause a dilation of our time perception thus affecting physical and mental health, and speculates that this could be relevant to the fact that attractive faces capture people's attention. Nevertheless, there was no direct experimental data to support this speculation. The present work was designed to illustrate how attention affects time perception of facial attractiveness. It utilized two experiments to investigate this phenomenon. In Experiment 1, perception of timing and attention bias were assessed using a temporal reproduction task and a dot-probe task. Increased attention bias was found to mediate the time dilation effect of facial attractiveness. Experiment 2 adopted dual-task paradigm, combining a temporal reproduction task and attractiveness rating task, to manipulate attention allocation. The findings suggested that allocating more attention to the task requiring timing enhanced the time dilation effect caused by the faces. Results of Experiments 1 and 2 converge to show that attention plays an essential role in the effects of facial attractiveness on time perception.

More organized white matter is associated with positivity bias in older adults

On average, healthy older adults prefer positive over neutral or negative stimuli. This positivity bias is related to memory and attention processes and is linked to the function and structure of several interconnected brain areas. However, the relationship between the positivity bias and white matter integrity remains elusive. The present study examines how white matter organization relates to the degree of the positivity bias among older adults. We collected imaging and behavioral data from 25 individuals (12 females, 13 males, and a mean age of 77.32). Based on a functional memory task, we calculated a Pos-Neg score, reflecting the memory for positively valenced information over negative information, and a Pos-Neu score, reflecting the memory for positively valenced information over neutral information. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were processed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. We performed two non-parametric permutation tests to correlate whole brain white matter integrity and the Pos-Neg and Pos-Neu scores while controlling for age, sex, and years of education. We observed a statistically significant positive association between the Pos-Neu score and white matter integrity in multiple brain connections, mostly frontal. The results did not remain significant when including verbal episodic memory as an additional covariate. Our study indicates that the positivity bias in memory in older adults is associated with more organized white matter in the connections of the frontal brain. While these frontal areas are critical for memory and executive processes and have been related to pathological aging, more extensive studies are needed to fully understand their role in the positivity bias and the potential for therapeutic interventions.

The mediating role of hostile attribution bias in social exclusion affecting aggressive behavior

Aggression is one of the public social issues affecting campus harmony and stability, and social exclusion is an important interpersonal contextual factor among many factors affecting aggression. However, studies examining the influence of social exclusion on aggression and its mediating mechanism are not systematic enough. Based on the general aggression model (GAM), we intend to explore the role of hostile attribution bias (HAB) in both trait and state levels of social exclusion, which leads to aggression through a combination of questionnaire and experimental methods. Study 1 surveyed 388 current high school students (Mage = 16.09, SD = 1.01) and found that HAB mediates the relationship between long-term social exclusion (trait level) and aggression tendency. Study 2 experimented with 181 high school students (Mage = 16.95, SD = 1.13) to examine whether short-term social exclusion (state level) after initiating the Cyberball paradigm could still influence aggressive behavior through the mediating role of HAB. Results found that the mediating role of HAB still holds. The findings of the study further enrich the GAM and have important implications for a more targeted approach to aggression prevention and intervention.

Nursing students' personality (Temperament and Character), burnout symptoms, and health and well-being

Background

About 9 million nurses will be needed by 2030. To face these unprecedented times, governments/institutions focus on educating as many nursing students as possible. This strategy is clouded by burnout and lack of both health and well-being among students and by the fact that personality is one of the major determinants of these health outcomes. Nevertheless, recent findings show that personality is a complex adaptive system (i,e., nonlinear) and that combinations of people's temperament and character traits (i.e., joint personality networks) might provide further information to understand its development, academic burnout, and lack of health and well-being.

Aims

Our aims were to investigate the linear relationship between nursing students' personality, burnout, health, and well-being; investigate the linear mediational effects of personality and burnout on health and well-being; and investigate differences in these health outcomes between/within students with distinct joint personality networks (i.e., nonlinear relationships).

Method

Swedish nursing students (189 women, 29 men) responded to the Temperament and Character Inventory, The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey for Students, and the Public Health Surveillance Well-Being Scale. We conducted correlation analyses and Structural Equation Modeling and, for the nonlinear relationships, Latent Profile Analysis and Latent Class Analysis for clustering and then Analyses of Variance for differences in health outcomes between/within students with distinct personality networks. This study was not pre-registered.

Results

High levels of health and well-being and low burnout symptoms (low Emotional Exhaustion, low Cynicism, and high Academic Efficacy) were associated with low Harm Avoidance and high Self-Directedness. Some personality traits were associated with specific health outcomes (e.g., high Self-Transcendence-high Emotional Exhaustion and high Persistence-high Academic Efficacy) and their effects on health and well-being were mediated by specific burnout symptoms. Cynicism and Emotional Exhaustion predicted low levels of health and well-being, Academic Efficacy predicted high levels, and Cynicism lead both directly and indirectly to low levels of health and well-being through Emotional Exhaustion. We found two joint personality networks: students with an Organized/Reliable combination who reported being less emotionally exhausted by their studies, less cynical towards education, higher self-efficacy regarding their academic work/skills, and better health and well-being compared to nursing students with an Emotional/Unreliable combination.

Conclusions

The coherence of temperament-character, rather than single traits, seems to determine students' health outcomes. Thus, nursing education might need to focus on helping students to develop professional skills and health-related abilities (e.g., self-acceptance and spiritual-acceptance), by supporting self-awareness.

Symptom patterns of comorbid depression and anxiety among older adults in China and their predictors

Comorbid depression and anxiety causes serious psychological and physiological damage for older people. This study aimed to identify heterogeneous classes of comorbid depression and anxiety (CDA) among older people in China and to ascertain predictors of latent class membership. Cross-sectional data of 10,919 cases were extracted from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify symptom patterns of comorbid depression (measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and anxiety (measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale). Multinomial logistic regressions following bivariate analyses were used to explore the relationship between the derived classes and individual- and social-level factors. Four patterns of CDA were identified: low symptoms of depression and anxiety (30.52%; n = 3333), mild depression only (53.26%; n = 5815), moderate depression and anxiety (13.82%; n = 1509), and severe depression and anxiety (2.40%; n = 262). Older people who are male, suffer from multimorbidity, and lack a healthy lifestyle are more likely to have problematic symptom profiles. While intimate relationships with partners and children significantly predicted CDA patterns, the effects of sibling relationships, daily life, and emotional support from the community were insignificant. LPA identified four distinct CDA patterns among a representative sample of older Chinese people. While restless sleep, lack of positive emotions, uselessness, and weak concentration are salient across all profiles, "difficult to relax" is prominent in profiles high in anxiety. In addition to individual-level variables, social-level factors, especially intimate relationships with partners and children rather than general links to siblings or the community, have unneglectable impacts on whether and to what extent older Chinese adults suffer from CDA in the cultural context of relationism, patriarchy, and filial piety.

A Psychological Examination of the Status Syndrome and Its Application for Promoting Well-Being

The status syndrome proposed by Marmot is located at the closest level of influence within the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework, connecting the body's response to the mental states that arise from the subjective experience of social status. Marmot defines these psychological states through concepts of autonomy and social integration articulated in the Capability Approach (CA). These elements are further explored and expanded upon with the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), an empirically based framework with an extensive tradition of practical application. This lays the groundwork not only for understanding what makes a social environment conducive to well-being but also for shedding light on ways to promote it. The article goes beyond theoretical discussions by introducing a structured model based on the principles of the SDT for health promotion interventions. The model emphasizes the importance of providing a supportive atmosphere and is organized into four distinct phases aimed at aligning interventions with individual motivations, and cultural contexts. Ultimately, the goal is to engage individuals to actively participate in their own well-being while addressing the complexities associated with social inequalities in developed societies.

Introduction and reflections on the comparative physiology of sleep and circadian rhythms

Circadian rhythms and the sleep/wake cycle allows us, and most life on Earth, to function optimally in a dynamic world, adjusting all aspects of biology to the varied and complex demands imposed by the 24-hour rotation of the Earth upon its axis. A key element in understanding these rhythms, and the success of the field in general, has been because researchers have adopted a comparative approach. Across all taxa, fundamental questions relating to the generation and regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms have been address using biochemical, molecular, cellular, system and computer modelling techniques. Furthermore, findings have been placed into an ecological and evolutionary context. By addressing both the "How" - mechanistic, and "Why" - evolutionary questions in parallel, the field has achieved remarkable successes, including how circadian rhythms are generated and regulated by light. Yet many key questions remain. In this special issue on the Comparative Physiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Journal of Comparative Physiology, important new discoveries are detailed. These findings illustrate the power of comparative physiology to address novel questions and demonstrate that sleep and circadian physiology are embedded within the biological framework of an organism.

Exploring the role of fear of missing out in coping and risk-taking among alcohol use disorder and general young adult populations

A high level of fear of missing out (FOMO) is related to many adverse emotions and behaviors, including stress, maladaptive coping, risk-taking, and alcohol consumption. However, previous research on FOMO has not considered particularly vulnerable cohorts like individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this project, we have conducted two preliminary studies (N1 = 356; N2 = 66) investigating the role of FOMO in alcohol-related coping strategy in a general population of young adults as well as a clinical sample of AUD patients. Results showed that FOMO is a positive predictor of alcohol coping in both studied samples, and it is a positive predictor of health risk-taking among people with AUD. The study identifies high FOMO as a risk factor for adopting maladaptive coping strategies, specifically alcohol coping.

Rumination, psychological capital and academic procrastination among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Academic procrastination is common among college students, which affects their learning status and even their physical and mental health. Rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination are closely related, but for nursing students, there are few studies reporting on their levels and relationships.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination among nursing students, and examine the mediating role of psychological capital in rumination and academic procrastination.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The study sampled three medical colleges in Sichuan Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sampling method was used to select 556 nursing students from April to June 2023.

METHODS

556 nursing students were asked to complete questionnaires regarding social-demographic information, rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation model were used in this study.

RESULTS

The scores of rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination among nursing students were 46.08 ± 13.61, 108.28 ± 19.50 and 55.32 ± 12.30, respectively. Additionally, structural equation modeling showed that psychological capital mediated the relationship between rumination and academic procrastination with the partial mediating effect of 0.425.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that nursing students exhibit moderate levels of rumination, psychological capital and academic procrastination. Moreover, rumination can not only directly affect academic procrastination, but also indirectly through psychological capital. Nursing educators should strengthen their attention to the mental health and learning status of nursing students, take measures to help them adapt to campus life, alleviate rumination, enrich psychological capital, and reduce the risk of academic procrastination.