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International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2023A crucial aspect of human development is sexuality which has implications for health, particularly in adolescence, since unfavorable sexual experiences may result in... (Review)
Review
A crucial aspect of human development is sexuality which has implications for health, particularly in adolescence, since unfavorable sexual experiences may result in physical and mental problems. Sexuality education interventions (SEI) are one of the most used actions to promote sexual health in adolescents. Nevertheless, there is variability across their components; therefore, key elements for an effective SEI targeted at adolescents (A-SEI) are not well known. Based on this background, this study aims to identify the shared components of successful A-SEI through a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT). This study followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement. A search was conducted in CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science between November and December 2021. A total of 21 studies passed the inclusion test after the review of 8318 reports. A total of 18 A-SEIs were identified in these studies. The components analyzed were the intervention's approach, dose, type of intervention, theoretical framework, facilitators' training, and intervention methodology. The results established that components that should be present in the design of an effective A-SEI are behavior change theoretical models, the use of participatory methodology, be targeted at mixed-sex groups, facilitators' training, and at least ten hours of weekly intervention.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Sex Education; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36901181
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054170 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) often encounter difficulties with narrative skills. Yet, there is a lack of research focusing on how to... (Review)
Review
Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) often encounter difficulties with narrative skills. Yet, there is a lack of research focusing on how to assess these skills in this population. This study offers an overview of the tools used for assessing oral narrative skills in children and adolescents with ID, addressing key questions about common assessment tools, their characteristics, and reported evidence. A systematic review was conducted of the literature published between 2010 and 2023 in the PsycINFO, ERIC, Education, and Psychology databases. An initial 1176 studies were reviewed by abstract, of which 485 were read in full text, leading to the selection and analysis of 22 studies. Most of the identified tools involve analyzing language samples obtained using wordless picture story books. Three common tools are emphasized. Studies have primarily identified inter-rater reliability and test-criterion evidence for validity. The main tools and their characteristics are discussed in depth to aid readers in discerning suitable options for research or practical applications. The importance of reporting diverse sources of evidence for validity and reliability within this population is highlighted.
PubMed: 38667104
DOI: 10.3390/bs14040308 -
Research in Psychotherapy (Milano) Jul 2023Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been found to be an efficacious treatment for disorders characterized by high levels of emotional instability. In view of the...
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been found to be an efficacious treatment for disorders characterized by high levels of emotional instability. In view of the multifaceted applications of DBT and the extent to which mental disorders can incapacitate cognitive functions, the current systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of DBT in strengthening cognitive functions across various mental health conditions. Original research studies employing both experimental and quasi-experimental designs were included in the review. The literature search was done using different electronic databases, from the first available literature until June 2022, that covered an approximate period of ten years. Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to assess the methodological rigor of the studies. Twelve studies conducted on adolescents with emotional dysregulation, and adults with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and multiple sclerosis were selected. Results indicate that DBT has the potential to improve key cognitive functions such as attention, memory, fluency, response inhibition, planning, set shifting, tolerance for delayed rewards and time perception, as assessed by neuropsychological tests, self-report of cognitive functions, and neuroimaging techniques. Considering the review's findings that showcase the effectiveness of DBT in fostering improvements in cognitive functions, DBT may possibly be chosen as a preferred treatment to ensure that patients reach optimal levels of cognitive functioning. Limitations include lack of sufficient studies encompassing all the common mental health conditions, usage of neuroimaging techniques as only an indirect measure of cognitive functioning and nuances related to the quality of individual studies.
PubMed: 37401476
DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2023.662 -
Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2012) May 2024Psychometrical evaluation of persons of diverse contexts and different populations, including general or clinical. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Psychometrical evaluation of persons of diverse contexts and different populations, including general or clinical.
OBJECTIVE
This review study aimed to evaluate the psychometrics quality of resilience scales.
METHODS
International and Iranian databases were searched with MESH terms, including "psychometric", "validity", "reliability", "Connor-Davidson resilience scale", "Resilience scale", for published articles up to 1 February 2023. For each of the selected studies, the risk of bias was evaluated using the COSMIN Risk of Bias Checklist. Then the COSMIN checklist was used to evaluate the entire text of the article for methodological quality.
RESULTS
Considering the inclusion criteria, 80 documents were evaluated. According to the COSMIN's criteria for evaluating the risk of bias, the current study findings revealed the included studies' limitations in assessing the three versions of CD-RISC cross-cultural and content validity as well as their stability (e.g. conducting test re-test), whereas the majority of psychometric studies of CD-RISC-25, and CD-RISC-2 rated as very good or adequate in terms of structural validity. In terms of quality assessment of the included studies, the current study indicated that investigating the structural validity of the CD-RISC was mainly done based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis was absent.
CONCLUSION
The general result indicates the acceptability of the quality of the studies. However, concerns for measurement properties such as responsiveness and criterion validity as well as the standard error of measurement have been neglected.
PubMed: 38694299
DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000001968 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022Counterproductive academic behaviors (CAB) are a complex phenomenon that affects academic institutions in multiple geographical areas with different cultures, values,...
Counterproductive academic behaviors (CAB) are a complex phenomenon that affects academic institutions in multiple geographical areas with different cultures, values, and social norms. The high incidence of CAB causes problems of critical importance that transcend the educational domain. The current study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the CAB consequences by focusing on its impact on academic performance (AP). For this purpose, a meta-analysis was conducted in order to examine the relationship between CAB, its facets, and AP. The results show that overall CAB and students' performance are negatively related with a true effect size of ρ = -0.40 ( = 231, = 127,269). Particularly, absenteeism appeared to be the facet most strongly related to AP (ρ = -0.48, = 117, = 69,453). A meta-analytic path analysis model was carried out in order to test the predictive validity of CAB, students' personality characteristics, and intelligence on AP. Results show that conscientiousness and cognitive intelligence have a negative relationship with CAB (β = -0.28 and β = -0.20, respectively), and that conscientiousness, openness to experience, intelligence, and CAB can explain 58% of AP true variance. Meta-analyses of moderator variables and hierarchical meta-analyses are also presented. The implications for research and practice are discussed at the end.
PubMed: 35719594
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.893775 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research Oct 2023There is an unmet need for effective short-term therapeutic techniques to reduce clinical symptoms associated with prospective-, as well as retrospective aversive mental... (Review)
Review
There is an unmet need for effective short-term therapeutic techniques to reduce clinical symptoms associated with prospective-, as well as retrospective aversive mental images across mental disorders. We investigated the efficacy of imagery rescripting (IR) as a short-term intervention across clinical disorders, as the literature suggests that this technique could be a promising intervention to reduce psychopathology by altering intrusive mental images. A systematic literature review identified 23 trials including 805 adult patients, out of which 15 trials were designed as randomized controlled trials (RCT) including patients with the following diagnoses: Social anxiety disorder (SAD), Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD), Bulimia Nervosa, Borderline Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, nightmare disorder, test anxiety, health anxiety, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Most studies (14) comprised of one treatment session. Effect size estimates indicate that IR is highly effective in reducing clinical symptoms associated with mental images from pre-, to post-treatment (g = 1.09, 95% CI = [0.64; 1.53]), as well as from pre-treatment to follow-up (g = 1.90, 95% CI = [1.02; 2.77]). Comparing the IR intervention to a passive control group showed large effect sizes at post-treatment (g = -0.99; 95% CI = [-1.79; -0.20]), however, comparing IR to an active control group resulted in a small effect (g = -0.05; 95% CI = [-0.43; 0.33]). Lastly, large effects of IR were found for the SAD and PTSD subgroups, for comorbid symptoms of depression. In summary, our results indicate that IR is a promising short-term therapeutic technique for clinical symptoms associated with aversive prospective-, and retrospective mental images.
PubMed: 37738780
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.09.010 -
Translational Psychiatry Sep 2022Predominant affective temperament may affect adherence to prescribed pharmacotherapeutic interventions, warranting systematic review and meta-analysis. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Predominant affective temperament may affect adherence to prescribed pharmacotherapeutic interventions, warranting systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
The Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and OVID MedLine databases were inquired since inception up to 31st of March 2022 for records of any study design documenting quantitative evidence about affective temperaments as measured by the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego (TEMPS-A) questionnaire and treatment adherence measured by the means of major rating scales on the matter. People with low vs. high levels of treatment adherence, matched for otherwise clinically relevant variables, were deemed as cases and controls, respectively, using standardized mean differences (SMDs) in pertinent scores under random-effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Nine studies encompassing 1138 subjects pointed towards significantly higher cyclothymic (SMD = -0.872; CI: [-1.51 to -0.24]; p = 0.007), irritable (SMD = -0.773; CI: [-1.17 to -0.37]; p < 0.001) and depressive (SMD = -0.758; CI: [-1.38 to -0.14]; p = 0.017) TEMPS-A scores both for psychiatric and nonpsychiatric samples with poorer adherence.
LIMITATIONS
Intrinsic limitations of the present report include the heterogeneity of the operational definitions documented across different primary studies, which nonetheless reported on the sole medication-treatment adherence, thus limiting the generalizability of the present findings based on a handful of comparisons.
CONCLUSIONS
Though further primary studies need to systematically account for different clinical and psychosocial moderators across different clinical populations and operational definitions, cyclothymic, depressive, and irritable temperament scores may nonetheless predict treatment adherence and, thus, overall treatment outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Irritable Mood; Personality Inventory; Surveys and Questionnaires; Temperament; Treatment Adherence and Compliance
PubMed: 36056016
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02129-z -
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Apr 2021There is sufficient meta-analytic evidence that antenatal interventions for women at risk (selective prevention) or for women with severe psychological symptoms... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
There is sufficient meta-analytic evidence that antenatal interventions for women at risk (selective prevention) or for women with severe psychological symptoms (indicated prevention) are effective in reducing postpartum distress. However, women without risk or severe psychological symptoms might also experience distress. This meta-analysis focused on the effectiveness of preventive psychological interventions offered to universal populations of pregnant women on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general stress. Paternal and infant outcomes were also included.
METHOD
We included 12 universal prevention studies in the meta-analysis, incorporating a total of 2559 pregnant women.
RESULTS
Overall, ten studies included depression as an outcome measure, five studies included stress, and four studies anxiety. There was a moderate effect of preventive interventions implemented during pregnancy on the combined measure of maternal distress (d = .52), on depressive symptoms (d = .50), and on stress (d = .52). The effect on anxiety (d = .30) was smaller. The effects were not associated with intervention timing, intervention type, intervention delivery mode, timing of post-test, and methodological quality. The number of studies including partner and/or infant outcomes was too low to assess their effectiveness.
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis suggests that universal prevention during pregnancy is effective on decreasing symptoms of maternal distress compared to routine care, at least with regard to depression. While promising, the results with regard to anxiety and stress are based on a considerably lower number of studies, and should thus be interpreted with caution. More research is needed on preventing other types of maternal distress beyond depression. Furthermore, there is a lack of research with regard to paternal distress. Also, given the large variety in interventions, more research is needed on which elements of universal prevention work. Finally, as maternal distress symptoms can affect infant development, it is important to investigate whether the positive effects of the preventive interventions extend from mother to infant.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER
International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) registration number: CRD42018098861.
Topics: Anxiety; Depression; Female; Humans; Mothers; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Psychological Distress; Psychosocial Intervention; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Stress, Psychological; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33794828
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-021-03752-2