Distortions in time perception during collective trauma: Insights from a national longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Exploring the interplay between addiction and time perception: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prior studies have investigated the immediate impacts of substances on temporal perception, the impact of temporal outlook, and the consequences of modified temporal perception on addictive behaviors. These inquiries have provided valuable perspectives on the intricate associations between addiction and time perception, enriching the groundwork for forthcoming research and therapeutic strategies. This comprehensive review aims to further explore intricate correlation among diverse addictive substances-namely alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, opioids-and non-substance addictions such as internet gaming, elucidating their influence on temporal perception. Adhering to the PICOS method and adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed and critically evaluated all existing research concerning temporal perception in individuals with substance and non-substance use disorders. Specifically, our analyses involved 31 pertinent articles encompassing six unique groups-alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, stimulants, opioids, and internet-related addictions-sourced from a pool of 551 papers. The findings revealed differences in time perception between addicts and control groups, as indicated by medium to large effect sizes (Hedge's g = 0.8, p < 0.001). However, the nature of these differences-whether they predominantly involve time overestimation or underestimation-is not yet definitively clear. This variability underscores the complexity of the relationship between addiction and temporal perception, paving the way for further research to unravel these intricate dynamics.

Differences in the Temporal Extension of Self-Continuity Over the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined whether the average levels and the temporal extension of self-continuity varied over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three demographically matched adult life-span samples (n = 223 each) were gathered in the U.S. in fall 2016, summer 2020, and winter 2022/23. Participants rated their self-continuity 1/5/10 years into the past and future. Multi-level analyses examined the effects of temporal distance, past/future direction, and assessment time while controlling for demographics. Average self-continuity did not vary across assessments, but the tendency to report lower self-continuity for more distant times was weaker during the pandemic, and the tendency to report lower self-continuity for past versus future was weaker during and after the pandemic. Discussion focuses on the role of slowed time perception during the pandemic and the possibility that mid- and post-pandemic reports of past self-continuity were elevated by nostalgic self-reflection, coupled with increased uncertainty about the future.

The relationship between specific auditory hallucinations and acute PTSD vs. complex PTSD following direct and indirect exposure to the October 7 events in Israel

This preliminary study examines the link between war-related auditory (pseudo)hallucinations and symptoms of acute ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) amidst ongoing conflict, with a specific focus on CPTSD. The research, which analyzed data from 2028 Israeli residents following the traumatic events of October 7, 2023, investigated the perception of non-existent sirens and their association with acute PTSD and CPTSD symptoms. The findings reveal that (pseudo)hallucinations were more prevalent among individuals with acute CPTSD symptoms compared to those with PTSD symptoms alone. Additionally, auditory (pseudo)hallucinations were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of CPTSD versus PTSD. These results were consistent for those directly and indirectly exposed individuals to the October 7 attack. Despite its cross-sectional nature, the study provides valuable insights into trauma-related auditory (pseudo)hallucinations in wartime contexts.

PTSD, depression, and anxiety after the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel: a nationwide prospective study

Background

The magnitude of the Oct 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel was without precedent. More than 1300 civilians were murdered, and 240 civilians were kidnapped and taken hostage. In this national cohort study, for which baseline outcome data were established before the attacks, a prospective assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was conducted one month after the attack.

Methods

A representative sample of 710 Israeli adults (362 female, 51.1%), Jews (557, 79.9%) and Arabs (153, 20.1%), aged 18-85 years (mean = 41.01, SD = 13.72) completed the study at two timepoints: T1, on Aug 20-30, 2023 (6-7 weeks before the attack) and T2, on Nov 9-19, 2023 (5-6 weeks after the attack). 30 (4.2%) of the 710 participants had direct exposure to the attack, and 131 (18.5%) had loved ones who were murdered, kidnapped, or injured during the attack.

Findings

Probable PTSD prevalence almost doubled from 16.2% at T1 to 29.8% at T2 (p < 0.0001), with the prevalence of probable GAD and depression also increasing from 24.9% at T1 to 42.7% at T2, and from 31.3% at T1 to 44.8% at T2, respectively. Direct exposure to the attack was found to contribute to probable PTSD (OR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.48-6.65) and probable depression (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.02-4.87) at T2.

Interpretation

Our study suggests a broad and significant impact of the Oct 7, 2023 attack on the mental health of the Israeli population. The findings underscore the need to provide rapid, nationwide assessments and triage for interventions to address the mental health needs of Jewish and Arab citizens.

Funding

Not applicable.

The promotive and protective effects of parents' perceived changes during the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional well-being among U.S. households with young children: an investigation of family resilience processes

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic may constitute a traumatic event for families with young children due to its acute onset, the unpredictable and ubiquitous nature, and the highly distressing disruptions it caused in family lives. Despite the prevalent challenges such as material hardships, child care disruptions, and social isolation, some families evinced remarkable resilience in the face of this potentially traumatic event. This study examined domains of changes perceived by parents of young children that were consistent with the post-traumatic growth (PTG) model as factors that facilitate family resilience processes.

Methods

This study drew data from the RAPID project, a large ongoing national study that used frequent online surveys to examine the pandemic impact on U.S. households with young children. A subsample of 669 families was leveraged for the current investigation, including 8.07% Black, 9.57% Latino(a), 74.44% non-Latino(a) White families, and 7.92% households of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. In this subsample, 26.36% were below 200% federal poverty level.

Results

Approximately half of the parents reported moderate-to-large degrees of changes during the pandemic, and the most prevalent domain of change was appreciation of life, followed by personal strengths, new possibilities, improved relationships, and spiritual growth. Black and Latino(a) parents reported more changes in all five domains than White parents and more spiritual growth than parents of the other racial/ethnic groups. Moreover, parent-reported improved relationships were found to indirectly reduce young children's overall fussiness/defiance and fear/anxiety symptoms through reducing parents' emotional distress. Perceived changes in the new possibilities, personal strengths, and appreciation of life domains were found to serve as protective factors that buffered the indirect impacts of material hardship mean levels on child behavioral symptoms via mitigating parents' emotional distress.

Discussion

These findings shed light on resilience processes of a family system in a large-scale, disruptive, and stressful socio-historical event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The five PTG domains could inform therapeutic and intervention practices in the face of future similar events. Importantly, these findings and the evinced family resilience should not negate the urgent needs of policy and program efforts to address material hardships, financial instabilities, and race/ethnicity-based structural inequalities for families of young children.

Chronic Pain and Pain Management in Older Adults: Protocol and Pilot Results

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain occurs in 30% of older adults. This prevalence rate is expected to increase, given the growth in the older adult population and the associated growth of chronic conditions contributing to pain. No population-based studies have provided detailed, longitudinal information on the experience of chronic pain in older adults; the pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies that older adults use to manage their chronic pain; and the effect of chronic pain on patient-reported outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

This article aims to describe the protocol for a population-based, longitudinal study focused on understanding the experience of chronic pain in older adults. The objectives are to determine the prevalence and characteristics of chronic pain; identify the pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain treatments used; evaluate for longitudinal differences in biopsychosocial factors; and examine how pain types and pain trajectories affect important patient-reported outcomes. Also included are the results of a pilot study.

METHODS

A population-based sample of approximately 1,888 older adults will be recruited from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago's AmeriSpeak Panel to complete surveys at three waves: enrollment (Wave 1), 6 months (Wave 2), and 12 months (Wave 3). To determine the feasibility, a pilot test of the enrollment survey was conducted among 123 older adults.

RESULTS

In the pilot study, older adults with chronic pain reported a range of pain conditions, with osteoarthritis being the most common. Participants reported an array of pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain strategies. Compared to participants without chronic pain, those with chronic pain reported lower physical and cognitive function and poorer quality of life. Data collection for the primary, longitudinal study is ongoing.

DISCUSSION

This project will be the first longitudinal population-based study to examine the experience and overall effect of chronic pain in older adults. Pilot study results provide evidence of the feasibility of study methods. Ultimately, this work will inform the development of tailored interventions for older patients targeted to decrease pain and improve function and quality of life.

Childhood trauma and problematic internet use: A meta-analysis based on students in mainland China

Background

In recent years, the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use has been widely studied by scholars, but the research conclusions on the relationship between them are not consistent. Some studies report that childhood trauma and problematic Internet use are significantly correlated. However, others believe that there is a weak correlation between them. So the relationship between them needs to be studied further. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use, and the effects of some moderating variables on both for students in Mainland China.

Methods

This study followed the requirements of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement for literature screening. We searched the related studies on childhood trauma and problematic Internet use in Mainland China from January 2009 to November 2022 from CNKI, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP), Baidu scholar, ProQuest dissertations, SAGE Online Journals, Elsevier SDOL, Taylor &amp; Francis, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Medline, Scopus Database, PubMed Central, Embase, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CMA 3.0 was used to analyse the overall effect and test the moderating effect.

Results

Among the papers included in the meta-analysis in this study, 31 papers reflected the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use, involving 52,503 subjects, and the sample size ranged from 388 to 16,130. This relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use can be considered as a moderate correlation (r = 0.281, 95%CI[0.221, 0.338], p &lt; 0.001). The results showed that the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was affected by different problematic Internet use measures. Meanwhile, meta-regression demonstrated that the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was moderated by survey’s year. Specifically, the correlation coefficient between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use also increases with increasing year. However, the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was not affected by the region, grade, childhood trauma measures, publication source.

Conclusion

Childhood trauma is closely related to problematic Internet use. In order to reduce problematic Internet use, corresponding prevention and intervention measures should be taken.

Effects of COVID-19 event intensity on college students' health lifestyles: time perspective mediating model and its gender difference

The pandemic of COVID-19 had not only led to healthy-damage behaviors, but also raised people's attention to health and generated health-promoting behaviors. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying how the perception of COVID-19 intensity affects health behaviors. The present study investigated the mediating effect of DBTP between event intensity and health behaviors and the moderating role of gender in this relation. Nine hundred and twenty-four Chinese college students (348 males and 576 females) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including COVID-19 Event Intensity Scale, Chinese version of Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and Healthy Lifestyle Scale. Moderated mediation analysis was performed using conditional process analysis. The results showed that COVID-19 intensity had a positive predictive effect on college students' health behaviors. DBTP played a partial mediating role in the relationship between COVID-19 intensity and health behaviors for male and not female. In female group, COVID-19 intensity and DBTP was significantly linked with health behaviour; however, COVID-19 intensity and DBTP were not significantly linked. The findings indicated that COVID-19 intensity perceived by college students could increase their health behaviors, and intervention focus on BTP may contribute to health behaviors only in male. Practical implications were discussed in this academic research.

Effect of Yoga involvement on mental health in times of crisis: A cross-sectional study

Background

Yoga involvement can be understood as a degree of immersion in the philosophical/spiritual teachings of Yoga. Previous research has shown a positive association between Yoga involvement and mental health. This study further investigates the effect of Yoga involvement on several parameters of psychological well-being and distress amidst a global crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A total sample of 246 participants (216 females; 118 Yoga versus 128 age-matched Pilates practitioners) were included in the study. Via an online-survey the following questionnaires were completed: the WHO-Five Well-Being Index, the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being short version, the Leipzig Short Scale of Sense of Coherence, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Yoga Immersion Scale which was adapted for the control group to Pilates Immersion Scale.

Results

When controlling for occupation and psychiatric disorder, involvement in general was higher for Yoga practitioners than for Pilates controls. Furthermore, Yoga practice was associated with increased religious/spiritual well-being and decreased sense of coherence, but neither with psychological well-being nor with psychological distress. Involvement, in general, positively predicted psychological well-being, religious/spiritual well-being and sense of coherence, but there was no connection with psychological distress. Lastly, involvement mediated the positive relationship between Yoga practice and religious/spiritual well-being and suppressed the negative effect of Yoga practice on sense of coherence.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that involvement in a certain relaxation practice has a positive impact and might be a key component in understanding Yoga's influence on mental health. Further randomized controlled research, including clinical groups, is necessary to explain how involvement changes and how it effects well-being more specifically.

Future self-imagery of young people in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory mixed methods analysis

Global restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly limited the capacity to plan for the future. Little is known about young people's future self-images and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have had upon them. Given evidence that the ability to imagine a positive future can be protective for mental health, research into the impact of the pandemic on future self-imagery is needed. In two studies, we therefore explored the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for future self-imagery in an unselected sample of young people in Sweden, specifically: (a) how content and characteristics of future self-images changed from before to during the pandemic, and (b) how such change was related to trauma history, intrusive memories of COVID-19 media footage, past time perspective and optimism (assessed with questionnaires/intrusive memory diary). Future self-images before and during the pandemic were assessed using the 'I Will Be' task (N Study1=74; N Study2=99). A mixed methods design, combining quantitative analysis, qualitative content coding and thematic analysis was used. Exploratory results of Study 1 indicated that future images were rated as less positive during than before the pandemic and that this reduction was less pronounced in people with higher optimism. Results were replicated in an independent sample (Study 2, collected later during the pandemic). In conclusion, whilst the findings are preliminary and emerged from an unselected sample, they prompt the suggestion that brief, novel interventions which aim to bolster positive future imagery may hold promise as a scalable means by which to enhance mental health for young people in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-04100-z.

Effect of Electronic Outreach Using Patient Portal Messages on Well Child Care Visit Completion: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Outreach messages to patients overdue for well child care (WCC) can be delivered different ways (ie, telephone calls and text messages). Use of electronic health record patient portals is increasingly common but their effectiveness is uncertain.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of patient portal outreach messages, with and without the date of the last WCC, on the scheduling and completion of WCC visits and completion of vaccinations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

An intention-to-treat, multigroup, randomized clinical trial was conducted at 3 academic primary care practices from July 30 to October 4, 2021. The population included predominantly non-Hispanic Black, low-income children (age, 6-17 years) whose parent had an active portal account.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants were randomized to the standard message, tailored message, or no message (control) group. Two messages were delivered to those in the message groups.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Outcomes included WCC visit scheduled within 2 weeks of the first intervention message, WCC visit completed within 8 weeks (primary outcome), and receipt of COVID-19 vaccine within 8 weeks.

RESULTS

Nine hundred forty-five patients participated (mean [SD] age, 9.9 [3.3] years, 493 [52.2%] girls, 590 [62.4%] non-Hispanic Black, 807 [85.4%] publicly insured). Scheduling rates were 18.4% in the standard message group (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.97; 95% CI, 1.32-2.84) and 14.9% in the tailored message group (aRR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.02-2.34) compared with the control group (9.5%). Well child care visit completion rates were 24.1% in the standard message group (aRR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.38-2.60) and 19.4% in the tailored message group (aRR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.06-2.13) compared with the control group (12.7%). Among eligible children, rates of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine were 16.7% in the standard message group compared with 4.8% in the tailored message (aRR, 3.41; 95% CI, 1.14-9.58) and 3.7% in the control groups (aRR, 4.84; 95% CI, 1.44-15.12).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this randomized clinical trial, outreach messages delivered via electronic health record patient portals increased the rates of scheduling and completing WCC visits and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, providing a useful tool to help restore WCC in populations whose care was delayed during the pandemic.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04994691.