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European Journal of Investigation in... Sep 2023This study responds to the need to explore psychological predictors of COVID-19-related anxiety in vulnerable groups. An anonymous voluntary online survey was conducted...
This study responds to the need to explore psychological predictors of COVID-19-related anxiety in vulnerable groups. An anonymous voluntary online survey was conducted ( = 520) with (a) working parents with young children (0-12 y.o.), (b) people with chronic physical conditions, (c) people with multiple vulnerability characteristics and (d) a control group (no self-reported vulnerability) in 2022. Findings showed that perceived stress of the parents and trait anxiety of the chronic sufferers were single weak positive predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. However, both psychological factors had a stronger effect on the pandemic-related anxiety for the group with multiple vulnerabilities. In the control group, trait resilience and optimistic expectations (combined with perceived stress) were moderate negative predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. The findings emphasize the importance of perceptions, expectations, trait anxiety as well as the need for intersectional research of vulnerability from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, they highlight the necessity of group-specific policies and interventions aimed both at handling the negative psychological tendencies of the vulnerable groups and at strengthening the positive tendencies of non-vulnerable groups, rather than tackling only emergent anxiety conditions in crisis times.
PubMed: 37754471
DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe13090132 -
JAMA Network Open Feb 2024
Topics: Humans; Pessimism; Prognosis; Neonatologists; Depression; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38393732
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0525 -
Behaviour Research and Therapy Sep 2023Rumination and worry, forms of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), are implicated in the onset, maintenance, severity, and relapse risk of depression and anxiety... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Managing Rumination and worry: A randomised controlled trial of an internet intervention targeting repetitive negative thinking delivered with and without clinician guidance.
BACKGROUND
Rumination and worry, forms of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), are implicated in the onset, maintenance, severity, and relapse risk of depression and anxiety disorders. This randomised controlled trial evaluated an internet intervention targeting both rumination and worry in adults compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU) and compared treatment effects and adherence when delivered with and without clinician guidance.
METHODS
Adults (N = 137) with elevated RNT were randomly allocated to a 3-lesson clinician guided (n = 45) or self-help (n = 47) online program delivered over 6 weeks, or a TAU control group which waited 18 weeks to receive the program (n = 45). The clinician guided group received semi-structured phone support after each lesson. All three groups continued any pre-trial TAU. RNT, anxiety, depression, and psychological distress were assessed at baseline, post-treatment (week 7), and 3-month follow-up.
RESULTS
Intention-to-treat linear mixed models showed that participants in the self-help and clinician guided groups had significantly lower RNT, anxiety, depression, and distress at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up compared to TAU. Treatment effects were significantly larger in the clinician guided group compared to self-help (between-group gs = 0.41-0.97). No significant between-group differences were found in adherence/program completion (guided: 76%; self-guided: 79%) or treatment satisfaction (1-5 scale: guided: M = 4.17, SD = 1.20; self-guided: M = 3.89, SD = 0.93). Total time spent on clinician guidance was M = 48.64 min (SD = 21.28).
CONCLUSION
This brief online intervention for RNT is acceptable and efficacious in reducing RNT, anxiety, depression, and distress in both clinician guided and self-help formats. The program appeared most effective when delivered with clinician guidance. Larger definitive trials comparing guided and self-guided programs are needed. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registration number: ACTRN12620000959976.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Internet-Based Intervention; Pessimism; Australia; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders
PubMed: 37595354
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104378 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Dec 2023Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a key transdiagnostic mechanism underpinning depression and anxiety. Using "just-in-time adaptive interventions" via smartphones... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
A Personalized, Transdiagnostic Smartphone Intervention (Mello) Targeting Repetitive Negative Thinking in Young People With Depression and Anxiety: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
BACKGROUND
Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a key transdiagnostic mechanism underpinning depression and anxiety. Using "just-in-time adaptive interventions" via smartphones may disrupt RNT in real time, providing targeted and personalized intervention.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary clinical outcomes and mechanisms of Mello-a fully automated, personalized, transdiagnostic, and mechanistic smartphone intervention targeting RNT in young people with depression and anxiety.
METHODS
Participants with heightened depression, anxiety, and RNT were recruited via social media and randomized to receive Mello or a nonactive control over a 6-week intervention period. Assessments were completed via Zoom sessions at baseline and at 3 and 6 weeks after baseline.
RESULTS
The findings supported feasibility and acceptability, with high rates of recruitment (N=55), uptake (55/64, 86% of eligible participants), and retention (52/55, 95% at 6 weeks). Engagement was high, with 90% (26/29) and 59% (17/29) of the participants in the Mello condition still using the app during the third and sixth weeks, respectively. Greater reductions in depression (Cohen d=0.50), anxiety (Cohen d=0.61), and RNT (Cohen d=0.87) were observed for Mello users versus controls. Mediation analyses suggested that changes in depression and anxiety were accounted for by changes in RNT.
CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that mechanistic, targeted, and real-time technology-based solutions may provide scalable and effective interventions that advance the treatment of youth mental ill health.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621001701819; http://tinyurl.com/4d3jfj9f.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Smartphone; Depression; Pessimism; Pilot Projects; Australia; Anxiety
PubMed: 38090786
DOI: 10.2196/47860 -
The Linacre Quarterly Feb 2024Dying in the United States is characterized as: medicalized, depersonalized, high technology, fragmented with frequent transitions among care settings, burdensome to...
Dying in the United States is characterized as: medicalized, depersonalized, high technology, fragmented with frequent transitions among care settings, burdensome to patients and families, driven by efficiency and effectiveness, and lacking in key areas, for example, access to palliative care and adequate pain and symptom treatment. Patients and families are often left with a choice of two extremes: vitalism or utilitarian pessimism (utilitarianism). The Catholic Church, however, rejects both of these extremes, and Catholic social teaching (CST) at end of life focuses on ordinary-extraordinary treatments/means, a culture of life and human dignity, accompaniment and community, and caring for whole persons through the end of life. The Catholic tradition of ordinary-extraordinary means is helpful to guide complex end-of-life decisions, regardless of one's religious beliefs, and offers a middle ground between vitalism and utilitarianism that can inform end-of-life care and decision-making for all patients in Catholic health care. While it does not provide answers, it offers guidance and enables conversations that are crucial for the dying and their families to make autonomous, informed decisions about end-of-life care. It provides an opportunity for the dying to let the care team, loved ones, and decision-makers know what a life with meaning, purpose, and passion is for them-and how they want to live and die. This article will summarize the problem, describe end-of-life Catholic teaching, and discuss how it offers a middle-ground. Arguments for and against vitalism and utilitarianism will be explored, including a discussion of CST's response to those receiving care in Catholic health care facilities who are outside the Catholic tradition and do not believe in the teaching. The last section describes a model of collaborative partnership where local parishes and Catholic health care come together to tackle the challenges of caring for and ministering to the seriously ill and those facing death.
PubMed: 38304889
DOI: 10.1177/00243639221141230 -
Appetite Mar 2024The food price inflation in 2022 has put considerable pressure on some consumers, leading to changes in their food choice and consumption behavior. To gain a better...
The food price inflation in 2022 has put considerable pressure on some consumers, leading to changes in their food choice and consumption behavior. To gain a better understanding of consumers' responses to rising food prices, we conducted an online survey among 1000 consumers in Germany, in which they were asked to self-report the extent of their changes during a period from the beginning of 2022 to November 2022. A principal component analysis was conducted to summarize the queried items into three factors, which were subsequently used for a cluster analysis. The emerging clusters were characterized in terms of sociodemographic as well as psychographic variables, namely locus of control, life satisfaction, optimism, pessimism, human values, and food values. The segment that appears to be most affected by rising food prices consists of about 28% of the sample's respondents and is characterized by a strong engagement in saving behaviors. These consumers are less satisfied with their lives and more pessimistic, corresponding to their lower incomes and lower likelihood to be fully employed. Communication and policy measures need to be designed in a way that these consumers regain stability and become more confident about the future.
Topics: Humans; Consumer Behavior; Food; Food Preferences; Surveys and Questionnaires; Germany
PubMed: 38154572
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107192 -
Journal of the American Geriatrics... Aug 2023Older adults experiencing chronic homelessness (i.e., prolonged homelessness and a disabling condition) have low rates of advance care planning (ACP) despite high rates...
BACKGROUND
Older adults experiencing chronic homelessness (i.e., prolonged homelessness and a disabling condition) have low rates of advance care planning (ACP) despite high rates of morbidity and mortality. Rehousing of homeless-experienced individuals into permanent supportive housing (PSH) may present an opportunity to introduce ACP; but this is unknown. Therefore, we explored staff and resident perceptions of conducting ACP in PSH.
METHODS
We conducted semi-structured interviews with PSH staff (n = 13) and tenants (PSH residents) (n = 26) in San Francisco. We used the capability (C), opportunity (O), motivation (M), behavior (COM-B) framework within the Behavior Change Wheel model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to inform interviews, categorize themes, and guide qualitative thematic analysis.
RESULTS
The mean age of PSH residents was 67 (SD = 6.1) years and 52% were women. Of staff, 69% were women. Important COM-B barriers included ACP complexity (C), complicated relationship dynamics (O), resource limitations (O), pessimism (M), variable staff confidence (M), and competing priorities (M). Facilitators included easy-to-use documents/videos, including the PREPARE for Your Care program (C), stability with housing (O), exposure to health crises (O), potential for strong relationships (O), and belief that ACP is impactful (M). Recommendations included adapting materials to the PSH setting, providing staff trainings/scripts, and using optional one-on-one or group sessions.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified behavioral determinants related to ACP for formerly chronically homeless older adults in PSH. Future interventions should include using easy-to-use ACP materials and developing resources to educate PSH residents, train staff, and model ACP in groups or one-on-one sessions.
Topics: Humans; Female; Aged; Male; Housing; Ill-Housed Persons; Advance Care Planning; San Francisco
PubMed: 36928791
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18314 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023This study aimed to investigate profiles of personality evaluated by temperament and character dimensions (TCI) in 638 adult and older adult patients (CP) who had...
INTRODUCTION
This study aimed to investigate profiles of personality evaluated by temperament and character dimensions (TCI) in 638 adult and older adult patients (CP) who had recently been diagnosed with breast, colon, lung, and other kinds of cancer (female and male subjects were assessed). Tests: Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Statistical analysis: cluster K-means analysis for personality traits.
RESULTS
Two different personality profiles emerged: "Low self-determination and pessimism" (Profile 1) and "Self-determination and self-caring (medium)" (Profile 2). The following significant differences were observed in the TCI dimensions between the two profiles: Temperament-Novelty-Seeking (NS) ( < 0.001); Harm-Avoidance (HA) ( < 0.001); Reward-Dependence (RD) ( < 0.001); Persistence (PS) ( < 0.001); Character-Self-Directness (SD) ( < 0.001); Cooperativeness (C) ( > 0.001); Self-Transcendence (ST) ( < 0.001). No differences in the two profiles were found between adult and elderly patients. Profile 1 - "Low self-determination and pessimism": Patients with this profile present low resistance to frustration, poor search for novelty and solutions (NS), anxiety and pessimism (medium HA), high social attachment and dependence on the approval of others (medium-high RD), and low self-determination (PS) as temperament dimensions; and medium-low self-direction, low autonomy and ability to adapt (SD-medium-low), medium cooperativeness (C), and low self-transcendence (ST) as character dimensions. Profile 2 - "Self-determination and self-caring (medium)": Patients with this profile have resistance to frustration, ability to search for novelty and solutions (medium-NS), low anxiety and pessimism (HA), low social attachment and dependence on approval (medium-low-RD), and determination (medium-high PS) as dimensions of temperament; and autonomy and capacity for adaptation and self-direction (SD), capacity for cooperation (high-CO), and self-transcendence (medium-high-ST) as character dimensions.
CONCLUSION
Personality screening allows a better understanding of the difficulties of the individual patient and the planning of targeted psychotherapeutic interventions that promote quality of life and good adaptation to the disease course.
PubMed: 38288360
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1289093 -
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science Dec 2023Although the oncogenic roles of regulator of G protein signaling 20 (RGS20) and its upstream microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported, their involvement in hepatocellular...
Although the oncogenic roles of regulator of G protein signaling 20 (RGS20) and its upstream microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported, their involvement in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unexplored. We utilized the starBase, miRDB, TargetScan, and mirDIP databases, along with a dual-luciferase reporter assay and cDNA chip analysis to identify miRNAs targeting RGS20. miR-204-5p was selected for further experiments to confirm its direct targeting and downregulation of the RGS20 expression. To study the miR-204-5p/RGS20 axis in HCC, RGS20 and miR-204-5p were increased in PLC/PRF/5/Hep3B cells, and the viability, hyperplasia, apoptosis, cell cycle, and invasion/migration of the cells were assessed. RGS20 exhibited optimism, while miR-204-5p exhibited pessimism in tumors. miR-204-5p directly targeted RGS20 and downregulated its expression, whereas high RGS20 expression indicated a poor prognosis. Transfection of miR-204-5p inhibited the hyperplasia, migration, and invasion of HCC cells, but promoted apoptosis and influenced the levels of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), cyclin E1, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bax, and cleaved caspase-3/8. These effects were reversed by overexpression of RGS20. We recognized miR-204-5p as an upstream regulator targeting RGS20, thereby inhibiting HCC progression by downregulating RGS20 expression. RGS20 may prove to be a potential target for HCC treatment, and miR-204-5p might seem like to be a potential miRNA in gene therapy.
PubMed: 38093845
DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00114 -
Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.) Feb 2024The purpose of this study was to test the effects of causal explanations, information about treatability, and type of psychiatric diagnosis on how the public reacts to...
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to test the effects of causal explanations, information about treatability, and type of psychiatric diagnosis on how the public reacts to an individual described as having a specific mental illness versus subclinical distress.
METHODS
A 5 (mental health condition) × 2 (treatability) × 4 (causal explanation) vignette experiment was embedded in an online survey, followed by assessments of prognostic optimism and desire to maintain social distance from the vignette character. Data were collected, in late 2022, from a probability sample (N=1,607) representative of the U.S. adult population. Ordinary least-squares regression was used to estimate the effects of the experimental conditions, covariates, and interactions on respondents' desire for social distance and their prognostic optimism.
RESULTS
Attribution of mental illness to a genetic predisposition (vs. no attribution) significantly (p<0.001) predicted unwillingness to socially interact with the vignette character, regardless of the character's psychiatric diagnosis. Describing the illness as treatable with medication or psychotherapy (vs. no treatability information) also reduced willingness to socially interact, yet it also increased optimism for recovery. Desire for social distance and prognostic pessimism were greater for alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, or schizophrenia compared with major depression or subclinical distress.
CONCLUSIONS
Attributing mental illness solely to genetics predicts social rejection of people diagnosed as having psychiatric disorders. Efforts to reduce stigma, increase social acceptance, and protect the mental health of individuals diagnosed as having a mental illness should include not framing mental illness exclusively in genetic terms.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Mental Disorders; Social Stigma; Schizophrenia; Social Perception; Mental Health; Stereotyping
PubMed: 37554002
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230169