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Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2023The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of hardiness on the perceived military performance of reservists, i.e., young people who have full-time jobs in a...
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of hardiness on the perceived military performance of reservists, i.e., young people who have full-time jobs in a civilian sector and perform military training as a part of their civic duty. We proposed the conceptual model with conditional indirect effects of the hardiness on personal military performance, where mediated moderation effects are observed from personality traits and variables important for military service: team cohesion, perceived stress, and psychological resilience. The final dataset was comprised of 384 self-reported paper-pencil questionnaires filled out by reserve soldiers, and PROCESS Macro 3.5 Model 7 and Model 14 were used for the analysis. The results revealed that perceived stress (Model 1) and psychological resilience (Model 2) have a statistically significant moderate mediating effect on the interlink between hardiness and performance when personality traits and team cohesion are taken into consideration. The change in R is statistically significant and explains how perceived stress and psychological resilience affect individuals. When psychological hardiness is low, the level of perceived stress has a statistically significant moderating effect, i.e., it reduces the effect of hardiness on performance. When comparing the effects of perceived stress and psychological resilience, the latter has a stronger moderating effect on performance. Specifically, the moderating effect of resilience was more evident in Model 2 (66.9% variance, r = 0.818) for the military performance of the reservists than the perceived stress in Model 1 (52.5% variance, r = 0.724). This means that resilience increases the accountability of Model 2 compared to Model 1 by 14.4%. We conclude that resilience training could statistically significantly increase the military performance of reserve soldiers as a tactical population.
PubMed: 37174765
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11091224 -
Child Abuse & Neglect Jan 2023Little is known about the causal pathways through which domestic violence affects children's internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviours over time, and the...
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the causal pathways through which domestic violence affects children's internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviours over time, and the role that risk and protective factors play in mediating and moderating direct effects.
OBJECTIVE
We explored how different risk and protective factors affect children's psychopathology in the context of domestic violence. We focused on the mother and child bond and explored if this moderates or mediates the effect of domestic violence on children's internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviours.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
A prospective longitudinal nationally representative study of children in Scotland aged 6 to 13 years (N:2554).
METHODS
Multivariate logit models, moderation and mediation analysis.
RESULTS
Domestic violence exposure predicted higher internalising and externalising behaviours and lower prosocial skills (e.g. OR2.17, 95%CI 1.15-4.08 for externalising symptoms). Children with a strong mother-child bond had lower odds of internalising and externalising symptoms, and were more likely to manifest prosocial skills (OR4.14, 95%CI 3.09-5.55). We found evidence that the mother-child relationship both moderated and mediated the effect that domestic violence exposure had on children's internalising, externalising and prosocial scores. The mediation effect was strongest for prosocial behaviours, and strongest in cases where the abuse was less intense.
CONCLUSIONS
We show how domestic violence directly and indirectly affects children, via the mother-child relationship. We propose a model which could explain how the mother-child bond both mediates and moderates the effect of domestic violence on children's psychopathology. Our findings suggest mothers need support to in turn support children in the context of domestic violence.
Topics: Female; Child; Humans; Prospective Studies; Protective Factors; Longitudinal Studies; Domestic Violence; Child Behavior Disorders
PubMed: 36527984
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105991 -
Mindfulness 2022The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a dramatic rise in symptoms of depression and anxiety. Dispositional mindfulness (DM) and self-compassion (SC) have...
OBJECTIVES
The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a dramatic rise in symptoms of depression and anxiety. Dispositional mindfulness (DM) and self-compassion (SC) have consistently been associated with psychological disorder symptoms and appear to buffer the effects of stress on depression and anxiety.
METHODS
Across two studies ( = 888), we examined direct and indirect (moderation) relationships of DM, SC, COVID-19-related stress, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. We also examined the differential effects of several DM measures (FFMQ-15; FFMQ-39; MAAS) in the relationships of COVID-19 stress and psychological disorder symptoms. We recruited participants (Study 1 = 350; 42.2% cis women; Study 2 = 538; 44.3% cis women) online (MTurk) and examined associations of DM, SC, and COVID-19 stress, and emotional impact, and the moderating effect of DM and SC in the relationships of COVID-19-related fears, stress, emotional impacts, and psychological disorder symptoms.
RESULTS
DM and SC were moderately and negatively correlated with COVID-19 fears and stress (correlations ranging = - .14 to = - .42) across studies. Study 1 moderation analyses demonstrated SC, but not DM (FFMQ-15), significantly moderated relationships of COVID-19 fears and emotional impacts with symptoms. Study 2 analyses demonstrated the FFMQ-39, but not the MAAS, significantly moderated relationships of COVID-19 stress and psychological disorder symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
These results support the potential protective roles of DM and SC in disrupting pathological trajectories related to naturally elevated pandemic stress. Results also demonstrate the differential associations of several DM measures with COVID-19 stress. Future research should replicate such findings with more diverse samples and using various measures of self-compassion and risk metrics.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-02008-0.
PubMed: 36312006
DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-02008-0 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023Childhood maltreatment has been identified as a risk factor for depressive symptoms. Social anxiety is closely associated with depression. Physical activity has been...
BACKGROUND
Childhood maltreatment has been identified as a risk factor for depressive symptoms. Social anxiety is closely associated with depression. Physical activity has been regarded as an underlying protective factor. Little is known about the complex relations among these factors in Chinese middle school students. This study aimed to explore whether social anxiety mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms and investigate whether physical activity moderated the indirect or direct effect of the mediation model.
METHODS
A total of 1,570 middle school students were recruited and measured for childhood maltreatment (measured by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form Chinese version), social anxiety (as the mediator, measured by the Chinese simplified version of Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents), depressive symptoms (measured by the Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21), physical activity (as the moderator), and covariates such as age, sex, and nationality. The proposed relationships were tested using mediation and moderated mediation models.
RESULTS
Emotional abuse was directly associated with depression, and the association between emotional abuse and depression was partially mediated by social anxiety. The associations between emotional abuse with depression and with social anxiety were moderated by physical activity.
CONCLUSION
This study revealed the mediating role of social anxiety and the moderating role of physical activity between emotional abuse and depression, which emphasizes the potential benefits of sufficient physical activity to reduce social anxiety and depressive symptoms, and more intervention studies should be conducted to explore the direct influence of sufficient physical activity in the future.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Depression; Emotional Abuse; Anxiety
PubMed: 37441642
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1138813 -
Acta Dermato-venereologica May 2017Studies demonstrating the negative impact of paediatric psoriasis on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are accumulating, but little is known about moderators of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Studies demonstrating the negative impact of paediatric psoriasis on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are accumulating, but little is known about moderators of HRQOL. The objectives of this review were to summarize studies on HRQOL in paediatric psoriasis and to explore the potential moderating influences of demographic and clinical variables. Searches were conducted by 2 independent researchers in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus for papers published between 1995 (the date the first dermatology-specific HRQOL-instrument for children was introduced) and 2016. Eligible studies were required to report HRQOL data for children and/or adolescents with psoriasis (4-18 years) using validated HRQOL questionnaires. Seven-teen eligible studies (number of patients=1,185) were identified. Moderation analyses revealed that study samples with a higher percentage of girls were associated with better HRQOL (β = 0.19), while a higher mean age of onset (β = 0.83) and study quality (β = 0.28) were associated with lower HRQOL (all p<0.05). Several papers did not provide the information necessary for exploring between-study differences, thus the moderation analysis results should be interpreted with caution. In conclusion, children and adolescents with psoriasis experience moderate impairment of HRQOL. Certain demographic characteristics (e.g. sex) and clinical characteristics (e.g. age at onset) appear to moderate this impact.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Age Factors; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; Cost of Illness; Female; Humans; Male; Predictive Value of Tests; Psoriasis; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 27983745
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-2600 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023Based on the integrated theoretical model of the development and maintenance of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gender role theory, this study investigated the...
OBJECTIVE
Based on the integrated theoretical model of the development and maintenance of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gender role theory, this study investigated the longitudinal impact of the need for uniqueness on NSSI among adolescents, and the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of gender.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 1,166 middle school students ( = 13.04, = 0.78, range = 11-16) from a city in central China was recruited to complete the Need for Uniqueness Scale, Depression Scale, and Adolescent Self-Injury Questionnaire at two waves. The participants included 475 boys and 457 girls.
METHODS
Convenience sampling was used, and a longitudinal study (2 time points with a 6-month interval) was conducted to test our hypotheses. SPSS 25.0 was used to evaluate reliability, and to calculate descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. PROCESS version 3 was used to test longitudinal relationships among the need for uniqueness, depression and NSSI, and construct a moderated mediation model.
RESULTS
Results revealed that T1 need for uniqueness in adolescents was significantly positively associated with T2 NSSI and T2 depression, and T2 depression was significantly positively associated with T2 NSSI. After controlling for gender, T1 need for uniqueness positively predicted T2 NSSI. Furthermore, the mediation analysis demonstrated that the pathway linking T1 need for uniqueness to T2 NSSI through T2 depression was statistically significant. Moreover, gender moderated the indirect effect from T2 depression to T2 NSSI in the association between T1 need for uniqueness and T2 NSSI. Compared to boys in the same situation, girls who are susceptible to depression were more likely to commit NSSI.
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated that the need for uniqueness in adolescents longitudinally predicts NSSI through the mediating role of depression and gender moderates the indirect effect from depression to NSSI. The current study not only suggests that the need for uniqueness is a risk factor for NSSI among adolescents, but also provides an empirical basis for the prevention and intervention of NSSI.
Topics: Male; Adolescent; Female; Humans; Infant; Suicide, Attempted; Depression; Longitudinal Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Self-Injurious Behavior
PubMed: 37771826
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1198483 -
Preventive Medicine Feb 2022Physically-active adults are more likely to consume alcohol, but this association may vary if adults also use other substances (i.e., tobacco and/or cannabis), which...
Physically-active adults are more likely to consume alcohol, but this association may vary if adults also use other substances (i.e., tobacco and/or cannabis), which could increase substance-use related harms. This study examined whether tobacco and/or cannabis use moderated the associations between physical activity, odds of drinking and alcohol drinks/week. We used cross-sectional 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (United States of America). Physical activity was assessed using device-based and self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity hours/week. Individuals were categorized into one of four (poly)substance use categories, no tobacco/no cannabis, tobacco, cannabis, or tobacco/cannabis use. Regression models examined substance use as a moderator of the association between physical activity and the odds of drinking versus not drinking and alcohol drinks/week among light/moderate/heavy drinkers (≥12 drinks/year). Using cannabis or tobacco weakened the significant positive associations between total physical activity and self-reported recreational MVPA hours/week on odds of drinking (ORs = 0.978 and 0.967, respectively), such that the effect was negative or null when using cannabis or tobacco, respectively. Greater total physical activity and device-based MVPA hours/week was associated with consuming greater drinks/week (IRRs = 1.003 and 1.035, respectively). Using tobacco weakened the association between device-based MVPA and alcohol drinks/week (IRR = 0.934, 95% CI: [0.888, 0.982]). Cannabis and tobacco use weakened the association between physical activity and alcohol use. The positive association between physical activity and alcohol use may be limited to single substance users of alcohol and could reflect shared reasons for engaging in these behaviors, such as stress management or social motives.
Topics: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Cannabis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Humans; Longevity; Nutrition Surveys; Substance-Related Disorders; Nicotiana; Tobacco Use; United States
PubMed: 34954238
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106931 -
JMIR Formative Research Aug 2022COVID-19 restrictions severely curtailed empirical endeavors that involved in-person interaction, such as usability testing sessions for technology development....
BACKGROUND
COVID-19 restrictions severely curtailed empirical endeavors that involved in-person interaction, such as usability testing sessions for technology development. Researchers and developers found themselves using web-based moderation for usability testing. Skilled remote moderators and observers are fundamental in this approach. However, to date, more empirical work is needed that captures the perceptions and support needs of moderators and observers in testing situations.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to identify remote moderator and observer participant experiences and their use of certain tools to capture feedback of users as they interact with the web browser application.
METHODS
This research is part of a broader study on an educational web browser application for nursing students to learn perspective taking and enhance their perceptual understanding of a dialogue partner's thoughts and feelings. The broader study used a quantitative and think-aloud qualitative problem-discovery usability study design. This case study explored written accounts of the remote moderator and observer participants regarding their roles, experiences, and reactions to the testing protocol and their suggestions for improved techniques and strategies for conducting remote usability testing. Content analysis was used to analyze participants' experiences in the usability testing sessions.
RESULTS
We collected data from 1 remote moderator and 2 remote observers. Five themes were identified: dealing with personal stressors, dealing with user anxiety, maintaining social presence, ethical response to the study protocol, and communication during sessions. The participants offered recommendations for the design of future remote testing activities as well as evidence-informed training materials for usability project personnel.
CONCLUSIONS
This study's findings contribute to a growing body of endeavors to understand human-computer interaction and its impact on remote moderator and observer roles. As technology rapidly advances, more remote usability testing will occur where the knowledge gleaned in this study can have an impact. Recommendations based on moderator and observer participant perspectives identify the need for more evidence-informed training materials for their roles that focus on web-based interpersonal communication skills, execution of user testing protocols, troubleshooting technology and test user issues, proficiency in web conferencing platforms, behavior analysis and feedback technologies, and time management.
PubMed: 35921138
DOI: 10.2196/35319 -
Aging & Mental Health Feb 2022It is increasingly recommended that hypothesis-generating studies be conducted after initial RCTs in order to identify moderators of differential treatment efficacy on...
It is increasingly recommended that hypothesis-generating studies be conducted after initial RCTs in order to identify moderators of differential treatment efficacy on individual outcomes. Such analyses are important because they help clarify the best inclusion and exclusion criteria or choice of stratification for maximizing power in subsequent RCTs, reduce the chances of discarding interventions that may appear to lack efficacy when only average treatment effects are taken into consideration, and facilitate the matching of individual clients to treatment alternatives. We identified predictors and moderators of treatment-related change in psychological distress among custodial grandmothers ( = 343) assigned within a prior RCT to behavior parent training (BPT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), or information only control (IOC) conditions. Latent change scores in psychological distress were estimated for each grandmother across pre-test to post-test and pre-test to six months, as indicated by self-reported and clinical ratings of depression and anxiety symptoms. These estimates served as outcomes in classification and regression tree analyses conducted separately within the CBT and BPT conditions to identify predictors of treatment efficacy. Matched groups based upon identified predictors were then formed across all RCT conditions, and Predictor × RCT Condition interactions were computed to test for moderation of differential treatment efficacy. Grandmother age was the only predictor and moderator of BPT efficacy at both measurement points, whereas multifaceted predictors and moderators emerged for CBT which varied by time since treatment.
Topics: Anxiety; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Grandparents; Humans; Psychological Distress; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33393377
DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2020.1857688 -
Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) Oct 2022Although scholars and practitioners have highlighted the significance of students' attitudes for their future employment, few empirical examinations have attempted to...
Although scholars and practitioners have highlighted the significance of students' attitudes for their future employment, few empirical examinations have attempted to determine the potential association between students' future orientation and their perceived employability. Thus, drawing on career construction theory, we test the positive effect of students' future orientation on their perceived employability by exploring the mediator of problem-based learning and the moderators of job market knowledge and proactive personality. Collecting our data via a time-lagged design (N = 368), we have found that the positive association between future orientation and employability is mediated by problem-based learning. Our moderation analyses further revealed that job market knowledge positively moderates the relationship between future orientation and problem-based learning and that students' proactive personality positively moderates the relationship between problem-based learning and perceived employability.
PubMed: 36254214
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03769-6