Early maladaptive schemas and COVID-19 anxiety: The mediational role of mistrustfulness and vulnerability to harm and illness

Drunkorexia Among a Sample of Lebanese Adults: The Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas

Background: Drunkorexia is a food and alcohol disturbance described as being a range of disordered and compensatory eating behaviors that co-occur with excessive alcohol consumption. The remarkable correlation, highlighted in the literature, between dysfunctional cognitions and both eating disorders and substance use disorders is able to emphasize that cognitive phenomena can be an intrapersonal factor linked to drunkorexia disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and drunkorexia among a sample of Lebanese adults.Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study across all the Lebanese governorates (September-December 2020; N = 258). The Drunkorexia Motives and Behaviors Scales, Drunkorexia Fails Scale, Drunkorexia during an Alcohol Consumption Event Scale, and Post-Drinking Compensation Scale were used to assess drunkorexia, whereas the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form three was used to measure EMSs.Results: Emotional deprivation and subjugation were significantly associated with more drunkorexia motives, whereas emotional inhibition was significantly associated with less drunkorexia motives. Failure was significantly associated with more drunkorexia behaviors. Abandonment and mistrust were significantly associated with more drunkorexia fails, whereas unrelenting standards was significantly associated with less drunkorexia fails. Subjugation was significantly associated with more drunkorexia during alcohol consumption on events. Social isolation was significantly associated with more post-drinking compensation, whereas unrelenting standards was significantly associated with less post-drinking compensation.Conclusion: Our findings showed that drunkorexia is positively associated with EMSs, delineating as well the specific relationships between dysfunctional cognitive schemas and drunkorexia's maladaptive behavioral aspects. They support the hypothesis that EMSs might play an important role in drunkorexia's development and perpetuation. This study could therefore serve healthcare professionals for the cognitive approach of patients with concomitant alcohol misuse and eating disorders while emphasizing the value of cognitive-behavioral interventions-namely schema therapy.

The relationship between maladaptive health beliefs, pandemic-related stress, and health anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Research has demonstrated that people experience specific distress and anxiety regarding COVID-19. This distress may consist of interconnected symptom categories corresponding to a COVID stress syndrome. Susceptibility to COVID stress syndrome may be related to one's maladaptive health beliefs; however, no research has investigated the association between maladaptive health beliefs and COVID stress. The present study explored the impact of health beliefs on COVID stress, health anxiety, and associated psychological constructs.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

This cross-sectional survey study included 221 adults (M age = 20.59, SD = 2.28). Participants completed an online survey including demographic questionnaires and self-report measures of health beliefs, COVID stress, health anxiety, and related psychological constructs.

RESULTS

Health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, state/trait anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and depression accounted for significant variance in COVID stress (F(6, 214) = 11.18, R2 = .24, p < .001). Health beliefs (i.e., perceived likelihood of illness, medical service inadequacy, and difficulty coping) were associated with greater COVID stress, although health beliefs were not found to mediate the relationship between health anxiety and COVID stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Health beliefs were associated with greater COVID stress, although health beliefs did not mediate the relationship between health anxiety and COVID stress. The relationship between health anxiety and COVID stress may be better explained by other COVID-related cognitions (e.g., vaccine efficacy, dangerousness of COVID-19). The findings highlight the importance of peoples' health beliefs during the pandemic. Given anxiety's influence on peoples' behavioural responses to the pandemic, further research should identify COVID-specific cognitions for prevention of COVID stress and health anxiety.

Dialectical Core Schemas Mediate the Relationships Between Dissociative Experiences and Symptomatology in a Community Sample

BACKGROUND

Maladaptive cognitions about the self and others are associated with a wide array of dysfunctional responses and psychopathological symptoms in non-clinical and clinical samples. Dissociative experiences (e.g., depersonalization and derealization) as a coping response to stressful situations lie on a continuum from healthy to unhealthy but are generally elevated in individuals experiencing mental illness. However, the extent to which Dialectical Core Schemas explain the relationship between dissociative experiences and symptomatology is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of Dialectical Core Schemas on the relationship between dissociative experiences and symptomatology.

METHODS

A community sample of 179 participants were recruited (M_age = 21.2 years, SD = 8.2). Data were gathered through self-report questionnaires using a cross-sectional design.

RESULTS

Maladaptive core schemas about self and others correlated positively with all dissociative experiences (e.g., depersonalization/derealization, amnesia), while adaptive core schemas about the self correlated negatively with depersonalization/derealization and distractibility. Maladaptive core schemas mediated the relationship between dissociative experiences and symptomatology.

CONCLUSIONS

The relationships between dissociative experiences and symptomatology are bi-directional. Exploring the mediating factors may help clinicians and researchers better understand how to enhance case conceptualization and clinical decision-making.

A confirmatory factor analysis of a cognitive model of COVID-19 related anxiety and depression

The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant, with many regions across the globe reporting significant increases in anxiety, depression, trauma, and insomnia. This study aims to validate a potential cognitive model of maintenance factors of COVID-19 related distress by examining psychological predictors of distress, and their goodness-of-fit as a coherent model. Participants from the general population (n = 555) were recruited using a cross-sectional on-line survey design, assessing Demographic factors, Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness, COVID-19 related distress, Trauma Cognitions related to COVID-19, Rumination, Safety Behaviours, Personality Factors, and Mental Effort related to COVID-19. A series of stepwise linear regressions found that components of the model were significant and accounted for a large percentage of variance when examining Covid-19 related distress (R² = 0.447 Covid Stress Scale), Anxiety (R² = 0.536 DASS-Anxiety Subscale) and Depression (R² = 0.596 Depression DASS-subscale). In a confirmatory factor analysis, Loneliness, Post-Traumatic Cognitions about Self, Post-Traumatic Cognitions about the World, Emotional Stability, and Mental Effort related to COVID-19 loaded onto a single factor. The final model showed adequate fit (CFI = 0.990, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.053 (0.027-0.080), GFI = 0.986, SRMR = 0.0216, χ2 = 23.087, p = .006). The results highlight the importance of cognitive factors, such as post-traumatic cognitions, rumination, and mental effort in maintaining COVID-19 related distress.

Effects of Cognitive Appraisals on Perceived Self-Efficacy and Distress during the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Empirical Analysis Based on Structural Equation Modeling

During the COVID-19 lockdown, individuals and households had to responsibly manage the difficulties and problems caused by the restrictions on their mobility, such as the interruptions to work schedules, insecure food supplies, and the procurement of services and health care. The perceptions of risk as well as the fear of disease were strongly linked to worry, defined as a sequence of thoughts that evoke negative emotions and elevated levels of anxiety and distress. This study evaluated how different cognitive appraisals of an individual's sources of worry could influence their perceived self-efficacy and directly or indirectly moderate their perceived general distress. A sample of 544 participants completed a survey that included questions based on the generalized self-efficacy scale, the sources of concern during the epidemic, the cognitive appraisal scale in emergency, and perceived discomfort. Subsequently, a structural-equation-modeling (SEM) analysis was performed to test the moderating role of cognitive appraisals and perceived self-efficacy on participants' overall distress during a lockdown. Overall, the model reported acceptable fit values and confirmed the hypotheses of the study. An individual's worries activated either a dysfunctional threat appraisal, which prompted a fear-and-closure response that then increased their overall state of distress; or two other functional appraisals (i.e., adaptive or supportive) that contributed to significantly improving the individual's self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy was shown to be associated with lower levels of perceived distress. For the purposes of prevention and distress containment, it would be appropriate to promote psycho-educational interventions that promote the adoption of appraisal strategies that are functional and beneficial for perceived self-efficacy.

Path analysis from COVID-19 perceptions to psychological health: The roles of critical distance and mastery

OBJECTIVE

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was previously associated with psychopathological symptoms. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unexplored. Previous studies suggested associations between metacognitive abilities (e.g., mastery) and symptomatology, which may have impacts on COVID-19 perceptions. This study aims to explore, using path analysis, the mediational role of Critical Distance (differentiation and decentration abilities) and Mastery on the relationships between COVID-19 perceptions and psychological well-being and distress.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional design, 227 participants (M = 34.21, SD = 10.9) filled self-report questionnaires.

RESULTS

Metacognitive abilities were negatively correlated with psychopathological symptoms. Both Critical Distance and Mastery mediated the path from COVID-19 perceived severity and anxiety to psychological distress and well-being. Critical Distance seems to augment Mastery which tends to increase psychological well-being and limited psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Metacognition seems to play a mediational role on the relationship between COVID-19 perceptions and mental health. Clinical psychologists and psychotherapists may enhance psychological interventions regarding COVID-19 psychopathological symptomatology by working on metacognitive Critical Distance and Mastery abilities.

Motivations of Human Helping Behavior towards Dogs

Human–dog interactions have a positive effect on human sociality and health. The relationship with dogs helps humans to cope with stress during an emotionally challenging period, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, a growing global interest in pets has been registered, including the volunteering for shelter/stray dog protection. However, a considerable increase of human dysfunctional interventions toward dogs has been observed in Southern Italy. In this study, we investigated the psychological characteristics of humans volunteering at animal shelter or engaged in stray dog protection. The effect of psychological training and education about dog ethological needs on volunteers’ helping behavior was also analyzed. We report that the intervention can improve volunteers’ physiological features and, consequently, may enhance human management and dog welfare.

Minding my brain: Fourteen neuroscience-based principles to enhance psychotherapy responsiveness

Intersections between psychotherapy and neurosciences are at its dawn. The quest to understand the neural underpinnings of psychological processes has led several generations of scientists to explore neural correlates between mind, brain, and behavior. Neuroscience methods and research has given psychology new perspectives and insights about the structure and function of complex neural pathways, that underly human functioning (cognition, emotion, motivation, and interpersonal behavior). By translating neuroscientific findings into psychotherapeutic principles of change, it is possible to promote responsiveness towards brain dysfunction that underlies patients' psychological malfunctioning. In psychotherapy, responsiveness is a core aspect of the therapeutic change process, especially to adapt psychological interventions to patients' motivational stages and preferences, coping styles, neurobehavioral modes, and emotional needs. Within a transtheoretical and translational approach, contemporary neuroscientific findings are revised, discussed, and used to attempt to build-on fourteen theoretical brain-based principles that may be applied to psychotherapy. Translating these empirical findings into practical principles, clinical strategies and tasks is expected to enhance psychotherapy responsiveness grounded on a science-based knowledge of brain functioning.