Self-Evaluation and Depressive Symptoms: A Latent Variable Analysis of Self-esteem, Shame-proneness, and Self-criticism

Associations between person-environment fit and mental health - results from the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study

Within occupational settings, mental health of employees can be affected by complex interactions between individuals and their work environment. The aim of this cross-sectional analysis was to investigate the association between person-environment fit and mental health in employees. Data of n = 568 participants from the LIFE adult cohort study was analysed, including socio-demographic characteristics, three dimensions of person-environment fit (P-E fit), symptoms of depression and anxiety. Assessment took place between 2017 and 2021. Statistical analysis included descriptive analyses as well as generalized linear regression models adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, and job status. Correlational analysis revealed significant associations between age, marital status, SES, employment status, symptoms of depression and anxiety and P-E fit. According to regression models, greater perceived fit between person and organization was associated with lower depression scores and lower symptoms of anxiety. Higher perceived fit between demands and abilities was significantly related to lower severity of depression and anxiety. Similarly, participants reporting a higher fit between needs and supplies, exhibited less symptom severity regarding depression and anxiety. These results underline the importance of person-environment fit regarding mental health. Finding ways to obtain an optimal balance should not only be recognized as an important factor for health and well-being, but might also be beneficial for organizations and employers in the long-term.

The role of shame in functional and epileptic seizures

BACKGROUND

Shame, a complex social emotion, may play a clinically important role in seizure disorders. Therefore, this study examined levels of shame aversion & shame proneness and their relationship with various mental health difficulties (MHDs), and seizure frequency & severity in people with functional seizures (PWFS) and epilepsy (PWE).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, PWFS (N = 68) and PWE (N = 70) were recruited through a neurology clinic and charities, completed online self-reported measures of shame proneness & aversion, seizure frequency & severity, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and perceived socioeconomic status (PSS). Data analyses involved t-tests, correlations, and moderated regression analyses.

RESULTS

Both PWFS and PWE showed high and equivalent levels of shame aversion & proneness; mean levels of these measures were more than a standard deviation higher in PWFS and PWE, than in non-clinical populations of previous studies. Both groups had clinically high levels of depression and somatic symptoms, but not anxiety, with PWFS having significantly higher levels than PWE. Shame aversion predicted anxiety and depression in both groups, even after controlling for PSS, age, and gender. Interestingly, PSS, a demographic control variable, significantly predicted depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and seizure frequency in both groups.

CONCLUSION

We observed high levels of shame and MHDs in PWFS and PWE. Shame aversion predicted anxiety and depression in both groups, even after controlling for demographic variables. Our findings underline the significant role of shame in people with seizures, despite the differences between PWFS and PWE being smaller than expected.

A compassion-based treatment for couples with the female partner suffering from current depressive disorder: A randomized-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that depression and interpersonal relationships are interdependently connected and that including the intimate partner in treatment for depression has beneficial effects. Given evidence that compassion is both an interpersonal quality and a promising treatment target, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of a compassion-based, contemplative treatment for couples employing a multi-method approach for evaluation.

METHODS

In a pre-post-follow-up design, n = 53 different-sex couples including women with current depression were randomly assigned to a 10-week-long CBCT®-fC (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training/intervention for couples) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition. Multi-level linear regression models and post-hoc contrasts were calculated to determine changes in depressive symptoms, mindfulness and self-compassion, interpersonal functioning and neuroendocrine markers collected during a partnership appreciation task (PAT) in the laboratory before and after CBCT-fC treatment.

RESULTS

While CBCT-fC led to a comparable decrease of depressive symptoms as TAU, the training specifically increased self-compassion and mindfulness versus TAU. Interestingly, interpersonal functioning did not improve, which was also reflected in participants' preferred self-focus in-between-session practices, instead of practices with interpersonal focus. There were no group-specific changes in psychobiological stress-marker reactivity.

CONCLUSIONS

CBCT-fC was effective in decreasing current depressive symptomatology and increasing mindfulness, and self-compassion. Especially the motivation to participate, such as improving interpersonal functioning, should be addressed and intrinsic motives of the partners to be involved. In highly burdened individuals, self-regulation may need to be improved before co-regulation can be addressed, which would requiring longer treatments. Facilitating factors for engaging in the practice between-sessions seem meaningful.

Subjective social status and functional and mobility impairments among older adults: life satisfaction and depression as mediators and moderators

BACKGROUND

While functional and mobility impairments (FMIs) have garnered the attention of health researchers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), including India, research has yet to explore whether and to what extent the perception of one's social status is associated with FMIs. We fill this gap in the literature by examining (1) the association between subjective social status (SSS) and FMIs among older adults in India and (2) whether this association between SSS and FMIs is mediated and moderated by life satisfaction and depression.

METHODS

Data come from the 2017-18 wave 1 of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) with a sample of 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. FMIs were assessed using established scales on impairments in activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and mobility. SSS was assessed using the Macarthur scale. Life satisfaction was measured using responses to five statements gauging respondent's overall satisfaction with life. Depression was calculated using the shortened version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF). Multivariable regression was employed to examine the association between variables, and the interaction terms and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method were used separately to test the mediation and moderation effects.

RESULTS

39.11% of the sample had a low SSS, 8.26% were depressed, and 32.07% reported low life satisfaction. A total of 8.74%, 10.91%, and 8.45% of the study population reported at least one impairment in ADL, IADL, and mobility, respectively. Older adults in the higher SSS group were less likely to have ADL impairment (beta: -0.017, CI: -0.030, -0.0032) and mobility impairment (beta: -0.044, CI: -0.076, -0.013). Depression moderated the association between SSS and mobility impairment (p-value: 0.025), and life satisfaction moderated the association between SSS and ADL impairments (p-value: 0.041) and SSS and IADL impairments (p-value: 0.037). Depression mediated 20.28%, 31.88%, and 18.39% of the associations of SSS with ADL, IADL, and mobility impairments, respectively. Similarly, life satisfaction mediated 23.24%, 52.69%, and 27.22% of the associations of SSS with ADL, IADL, and mobility impairments.

CONCLUSIONS

That SSS is associated with FMIs among older Indians, even after considering their objective socioeconomic status (SES), suggests that the use of SSS is relevant to the study of health inequalities in India. The finding that life satisfaction and depression mediate and moderate this association is crucial in pinpointing those older Indians at risk of the functional and mobility-related repercussions of lower SSS.

How social media usage affects psychological and subjective well-being: testing a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

A growing body of literature demonstrates that social media usage has witnessed a rapid increase in higher education and is almost ubiquitous among young people. The underlying mechanisms as to how social media usage by university students affects their well-being are unclear. Moreover, current research has produced conflicting evidence concerning the potential effects of social media on individuals' overall well-being with some reporting negative outcomes while others revealing beneficial results.

METHODS

To address the research gap, the present research made an attempt to investigate the crucial role of social media in affecting students' psychological (PWB) and subjective well-being (SWB) by testing the mediating role of self-esteem and online social support and the moderation effect of cyberbullying. The data in the study were obtained from a sample of 1,004 college students (483 females and 521 males, Mage = 23.78, SD = 4.06) enrolled at 135 Chinese universities. AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 26.0 as well as the Process macro were utilized for analyzing data and testing the moderated mediation model.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that social media usage by university students was positively associated with their PWB and SWB through self-esteem and online social support, and cyberbullying played a moderating role in the first phase of the mediation process such that the indirect associations were weak with cyberbullying reaching high levels.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the importance of discerning the mechanisms moderating the mediated paths linking social media usage by young adults to their PWB and SWB. The results also underline the importance of implementing measures and interventions to alleviate the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on young adults' PWB and SWB.

The value of motherhood and psychological distress among infertile women: The mediating role of coping strategies

Introduction

The present study investigated psychological distress and coping strategies among infertile women during the COVID-19 pandemic using a multi-dimensional model of infertility-related stress. We explored the associations between individual (i.e., age) and situational characteristics related to infertility (i.e., duration of infertility, cause of infertility, number of lost pregnancies, and assisted reproductive techniques [ART] status), and perceived-infertility-related factors (i.e., the perceived importance of motherhood).

Methods

Our total sample consisted of 193 women aged 20 to 46 (M= 33.23, SD = 4.58), out of which 102 were undergoing ART procedures (M = 33.60, SD = 4.23), and 91 were not (M= 32.81, SD = 4.94). Participants filled in questionnaires measuring psychological distress, coping strategies, and the importance of motherhood.

Results

Correlation analyses suggested that the importance of motherhood was positively associated with psychological distress and negative coping strategies. Mediation analysis results indicated that both in the overall sample and in the sample of women undergoing ART procedures, the negative self-perception fully mediated the link between the importance of motherhood on psychological distress. In the non-ART sample, we found a significant mediation effect of denial on the link between the importance of motherhood and psychological distress.

Discussion

We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the present findings, focusing on the mental health-related consequences of the social stigma of infertility heightened by the pressure of parenthood.

Reliability and Validity of the Self-Rating Scale as a Measure of Self-Criticism

The Self-Rating Scale (SRS; Hooley et al., 2010), a widely used measure of self-criticism in self-injury research, did not utilize conventional test development methods and has limited psychometric data. We examined the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity of the SRS. Participants were 295 psychology undergraduate students. The SRS demonstrated good internal consistency (α = .93), adequate test-retest reliability (r = .76), and satisfactory convergent validity with other measures of self-criticism. Convergent validity was also adequate for expected dimensions of perfectionism (socially prescribed, self-oriented, concerns about mistakes, and doubts about actions), depressive symptoms, and negative and positive affect. The SRS demonstrated adequate discriminant validity with expected constructs of perfectionism (other-oriented, personal standards, and organizational perfectionism). Although the SRS appears to be a psychometrically sound measure of self-criticism, high correlations with depression and perfectionism raise questions regarding the overlap of these constructs.

Cognitive-behavioral group therapy in major depressive disorder with focus on self-esteem and optimism: an interventional study

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder is a common psychological condition that can lead to negative individual and social consequences, the management of which is very important in treating the patients. The present study aimed to determine the effect of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on self-esteem and optimism in patients with major depressive disorder.

METHODS

This is a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial in which a total of 64 patients with major depressive disorder were recruited using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two groups of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) and Treatment-As-Usual (TAU). Data collection tools consisted of a demographic questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). In the pretest stage, participants in both groups completed the above questionnaires before the intervention. Patients in the CBGT group received eight 90-min sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy during four weeks (two sessions a week). Then participants re-completed RSES and LOT-R immediately, three months, and six months after the intervention. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 16.0 using chi-squared test, independent-samples t-test, and repeated measures Analysis of Variance. The significance level (p-value) was considered to be less than 0.05.

RESULTS

It was indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of self-esteem and optimism between the two groups immediately, three months, and six months after the intervention (p < .05). The mean scores of self-esteem and optimism in the CBGT group increased significantly after the intervention compared to before it, although these scores gradually decreased over the three measurement time points after the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Based upon the results, it was concluded that the level of optimism and self-esteem increased significantly in the CBGT group after the intervention, although the levels of the above variables dropped again in the long run after the intervention due to the discontinuity of CBGT sessions. Therefore, it is necessary to take particular measures to regularly hold the sessions of CBGT for patients with major depressive disorder.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

IRCT20140212016564N15 , The date of registration: 20-09-2021, Retrospectively registered.

Functional activation of insula and dorsal anterior cingulate for conflict control against larger monetary loss in young adults with subthreshold depression: a preliminary study

Subthreshold depression (StD) is associated with higher risk of later developing major depressive disorder (MDD). Deficits of goal-directed behaviors regarding the motional, motivational, and conflict control are found in MDD. The current study examined neural underpinning of conflict control against monetary punishment in StD compared to MDD and healthy controls (HC). Seventy-one participants (HC, n = 27; StD, n = 21; MDD, n = 23) in their mid-20's completed self-reports. Preprocessing of functional magnetic resonance imaging acquired for the Simon task against larger or smaller monetary punishment was conducted using ENIGMA HALFpipe version 1.2.1. Neural correlates of conflict control against monetary punishment that could vary with either diagnosis or PHQ-9 total score were examined using a general linear model of FSL. Simon effect was effective for reaction time and accuracy in every subgroup of diagnosis and regardless of the size of monetary punishment. Conflict control against larger monetary loss was associated with higher functional activation of left insula in StD than HC and MDD. StD showed lower functional activation of left dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) than MDD for conflict control against larger monetary loss. For conflict control against smaller monetary loss, StD demonstrated higher functional activation of left paracentral lobule and right putamen compared to HC. Directed acyclic graphs showed directional associations from suicidal ideation, sadness, and concentration difficulty to functional activation of paracentral lobule, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and thalamus for conflict control against monetary loss. Differential functional activation of insula and dACC for conflict control against larger monetary loss could be a brain phenotype of StD. Item-level depressive symptoms of suicidal ideation, sadness, and concentration difficulty could be reflected in the conflict control-related functional activation of paracentral lobule (against smaller monetary loss), vmPFC and thalamus (against larger monetary loss), respectively.

A systematic review of self-report measures of generalized shame

OBJECTIVE

Shame is a transdiagnostic emotion of strong clinical and research interest. Yet, there is a lack of consensus on the definition and varying methods employed across self-report measures, potentially affecting our ability to accurately study shame and examine whether clinical interventions to alter shame are effective. This paper offers a systematic review of self-report measures of generalized shame.

METHODS

PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science were searched. Studies were included when they were available in English and the primary aim was to evaluate measurement properties of scales or subscales designed to measure generalized shame in adults.

RESULTS

Thirty-six papers examining 19 scales were identified, with measures of trait shame more common than state shame. Construct validity, internal consistency, and structural validity were relative strengths. Development and content validity studies were lacking and suffered from low methodological quality.

CONCLUSIONS

All measures evaluated needed additional research to meet criteria for recommended use.

The effect of sexual self-schemas and sexual embarrassment of nursing students on the attitudes and beliefs of students related to sexual health

AIM

Sexual health needs are one of the holistic care needs. Nurses need to help individuals identify and meet these needs. However, sometimes their perception of sexuality can affect their attitudes towards care. The aim of this study determine the effect of sexual self-schema and sexual embarrassment on attitudes and beliefs related to sexual health in nursing students.

BACKGROUND

The sexual self-schema, which emphasizes the cognitive aspect of sexuality, is defined as cognitive generalizations that a person does for her/his own sexuality. Sexual self-schemas are known to affect individuals' feelings, beliefs and attitudes towards sexuality. Those with a positive sexual self-schema experience less embarrassment and more positive attitudes towards sexuality. Those with a negative sexual self-schema experience more sexual embarrassment. Those who experience sexual embarrassment have an avoidance of sexual interaction and talking about sexual issues. Nurses and student nurses have embarrassed to talk about sexuality with their patients. It is thought that sexual attitudes and beliefs are effective on this situation.

DESIGN

This study was conducted in a cross-sectional descriptive type. Structural equality model was established to test the hypotheses of the research. In the model, the direct effects of the sexual self-schema and the sexual embarrassment on sexual attitudes and beliefs were examined. In addition, the mediating effect of sexual embarrassment between sexual schemas and sexual attitudes and beliefs is also included in the model.

METHODS

The study population was the students who attended to and conducted clinical practice at the second, third and fourth study year at a Faculty of Health Sciences. For data collection, the Introductory Information Form which questioned socio-demographic characteristics of individuals, Sexual Self-Schema Scale (SSS), Sexual Embarrassment Scale (SES), and Sexual Attitudes and Beliefs Survey for Sexual Health (SABS) were used. The data were collected online with voluntary participation.

RESULTS

Students' average scale scores were: SSS: 121.57 ± 21.23, SES: 12.16 ± 5.74 and SABS: 35.62 ± 7.53. It was also found that sexual self-schemas and sexual embarrassment effected sexual attitudes and beliefs.

CONCLUSION

It could be recommended that these results be tested with different studies, that the course content on sexual issues be reviewed be addressed in a broader context.