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Anxiety, Stress, and Coping May 2024Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disturbance are highly comorbid and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is associated with both sleep disturbance and PTSD....
BACKGROUND
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disturbance are highly comorbid and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is associated with both sleep disturbance and PTSD. However, few studies have examined the association between RNT and sleep disturbance in individuals exposed to trauma, with and without PTSD.
METHOD
Associations between trait-level and trauma-related RNT, insomnia, and sleep quality were investigated in a trauma-exposed MTurk ( = 342) sample. Additionally, PTSD symptom severity was tested as a moderator of the associations between RNT and insomnia and sleep quality.
RESULTS
Trait-level RNT predicted poorer sleep quality and greater insomnia, regardless of PTSD severity. Trauma-related RNT was also associated with greater insomnia, though the effect was moderated by PTSD severity such that it was significant for participants with low and moderate, but not severe, PTSD. Both trait- and trauma-related RNT were associated with several specific aspects of sleep quality, including: sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction, use of sleep medications, sleep onset latency, and subjective sleep quality.
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates significant associations linking RNT with insomnia and sleep disturbance in trauma-exposed individuals. Clinically, results suggest that it may be helpful to target both general and trauma-related RNT in sleep interventions for trauma-exposed individuals with insomnia.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sleep Quality; Pessimism; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Comorbidity
PubMed: 38425171
DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2024.2324266 -
Human Brain Mapping Feb 2024Internalizing symptoms such as elevated stress and sustained negative affect can be important warning signs for developing mental disorders. A recent theoretical...
Internalizing symptoms such as elevated stress and sustained negative affect can be important warning signs for developing mental disorders. A recent theoretical framework suggests a complex interplay of empathy, theory of mind (ToM), and negative thinking processes as a crucial risk combination for internalizing symptoms. To disentangle these relationships, this study utilizes neural, behavioral, and self-report data to examine how the interplay between empathy, ToM, and negative thinking processes relates to stress and negative affect. We reanalyzed the baseline data of N = 302 healthy participants (57% female, M = 40.52, SD = 9.30) who participated in a large-scale mental training study, the ReSource project. Empathy and ToM were assessed using a validated fMRI paradigm featuring naturalistic video stimuli and via self-report. Additional self-report scales were employed to measure internalizing symptoms (perceived stress, negative affect) and negative thinking processes (rumination and self-blame). Our results revealed linear associations of self-reported ToM and empathic distress with stress and negative affect. Also, both lower and higher, compared to average, activation in the anterior insula during empathic processing and in the middle temporal gyrus during ToM performance was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms. These associations were dependent on rumination and self-blame. Our findings indicate specific risk constellations for internalizing symptoms. Especially people with lower self-reported ToM and higher empathic distress may be at risk for more internalizing symptoms. Quadratic associations of empathy- and ToM-related brain activation with internalizing symptoms depended on negative thinking processes, suggesting differential effects of cognitive and affective functioning on internalizing symptoms. Using a multi-method approach, these findings advance current research by shedding light on which complex risk combinations of cognitive and affective functioning are relevant for internalizing symptoms.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adult; Child; Male; Empathy; Theory of Mind; Pessimism; Brain; Risk Factors
PubMed: 38401139
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26576 -
JAMA Network Open Feb 2024
Topics: Humans; Pessimism; Prognosis; Neonatologists; Depression; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38393732
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0525 -
JAMA Network Open Feb 2024In the neonatal intensive care unit, there is a lack of understanding about how best to communicate the prognosis of a serious complication to parents. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
IMPORTANCE
In the neonatal intensive care unit, there is a lack of understanding about how best to communicate the prognosis of a serious complication to parents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine parental preferences and the effects of optimistic vs pessimistic message framing when providing prognostic information about a serious complication.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This crossover randomized clinical trial was conducted at a single German university medical center between June and October 2021. Eligible participants were parents of surviving preterm infants with a birth weight under 1500 g. Data were analyzed between October 2021 and August 2022.
INTERVENTIONS
Alternating exposure to 2 scripted video vignettes showing a standardized conversation between a neonatologist and parents, portrayed by professional actors, about the prognosis of a hypothetical very preterm infant with severe intraventricular hemorrhage. The video vignettes differed in the framing of identical numerical outcome estimates as either probability of survival and probability of nonimpairment (optimistic framing) or a risk of death and impaired survival (pessimistic framing).
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary outcome was preference odds (ratio of preference for optimistic vs pessimistic framing). Secondary outcomes included state anxiety, perceptions of communication, and recall of numerical estimates.
RESULTS
Of 220 enrolled parents (142 [64.5%] mothers; mean [SD] age: mothers, 39.1 [5.6] years; fathers, 42.7 [6.9] years), 196 (89.1%) preferred optimistic and 24 (10.1%) preferred pessimistic framing (preference odds, 11.0; 95% CI, 6.28-19.10; P < .001). Preference for optimistic framing was more pronounced when presented second than when presented first (preference odds, 5.41; 95% CI, 1.77-16.48; P = .003). State anxiety scores were similar in both groups at baseline (mean difference, -0.34; -1.18 to 0.49; P = .42) and increased equally after the first video (mean difference, -0.55; 95% CI, -1.79 to 0.69; P = .39). After the second video, state anxiety scores decreased when optimistic framing followed pessimistic framing but remained unchanged when pessimistic framing followed optimistic framing (mean difference, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.91 to 3.39; P < .001). With optimistic framing, participants recalled numerical estimates more accurately for survival (odds ratio, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.64-9.79; P = .002) but not for impairment (odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.63; P = .16).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
When given prognostic information about a serious complication, parents of very preterm infants may prefer optimistic framing. Optimistic framing may lead to more realistic expectations for survival, but not for impairment.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00024466.
Topics: Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; Parents; Prognosis; Communication; Optimism; Pessimism; Cross-Over Studies; Adult; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38393728
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0105 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Feb 2024The use of eHealth technology in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a promising approach to enhance patient outcomes since adherence to healthy lifestyles and risk factor...
BACKGROUND
The use of eHealth technology in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a promising approach to enhance patient outcomes since adherence to healthy lifestyles and risk factor management during phase III CR maintenance is often poorly supported. However, patients' needs and expectations have not been extensively analyzed to inform the design of such eHealth solutions.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to provide a detailed patient perspective on the most important functionalities to include in an eHealth solution to assist them in phase III CR maintenance.
METHODS
A guided survey as part of a Living Lab approach was conducted in Germany (n=49) and Spain (n=30) involving women (16/79, 20%) and men (63/79, 80%) with coronary artery disease (mean age 57 years, SD 9 years) participating in a structured center-based CR program. The survey covered patients' perceived importance of different CR components in general, current usage of technology/technical devices, and helpfulness of the potential features of eHealth in CR. Questionnaires were used to identify personality traits (psychological flexibility, optimism/pessimism, positive/negative affect), potentially predisposing patients to acceptance of an app/monitoring devices.
RESULTS
All the patients in this study owned a smartphone, while 30%-40% used smartwatches and fitness trackers. Patients expressed the need for an eHealth platform that is user-friendly, personalized, and easily accessible, and 71% (56/79) of the patients believed that technology could help them to maintain health goals after CR. Among the offered components, support for regular physical exercise, including updated schedules and progress documentation, was rated the highest. In addition, patients rated the availability of information on diagnosis, current medication, test results, and risk scores as (very) useful. Of note, for each item, except smoking cessation, 35%-50% of the patients indicated a high need for support to achieve their long-term health goals, suggesting the need for individualized care. No major differences were detected between Spanish and German patients (all P>.05) and only younger age (P=.03) but not sex, education level, or personality traits (all P>.05) were associated with the acceptance of eHealth components.
CONCLUSIONS
The patient perspectives collected in this study indicate high acceptance of personalized user-friendly eHealth platforms with remote monitoring to improve adherence to healthy lifestyles among patients with coronary artery disease during phase III CR maintenance. The identified patient needs comprise support in physical exercise, including regular updates on personalized training recommendations. Availability of diagnoses, laboratory results, and medications, as part of a mobile electronic health record were also rated as very useful.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05461729; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05461729.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Cardiac Rehabilitation; Coronary Artery Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Germany; Motivation; Spain; Telemedicine; Aged
PubMed: 38386376
DOI: 10.2196/53991 -
Psychiatry Research Apr 2024Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic symptom observed across mood and anxiety disorders and is characterized by frequent, distressing thoughts that...
Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic symptom observed across mood and anxiety disorders and is characterized by frequent, distressing thoughts that are perceived as uncontrollable. Specific forms of RNT have been linked to increased suicide risk. However, most work examining links between RNT and suicide has been conducted within specific disorders and subtypes of RNT (e.g., rumination in individuals with depression). The present study aimed to investigate associations between transdiagnostic RNT and suicidal ideation. We hypothesized RNT would be associated with suicide risk beyond disorder-specific clinical symptoms. Fifty-four participants with mood, anxiety, and/or traumatic stress disorders completed an interview assessing suicidal risk (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)) and self-report questionnaires assessing transdiagnostic RNT, depression, and anxiety. Based on C-SSRS, we divided participants into high or low suicide risk groups. We analyzed the relationship between suicidal risk group and RNT and found that RNT was uniquely associated with suicidal risk group, controlling for depression and anxiety severity. Our results suggest including assessments of RNT may have clinical utility for understanding the degree of suicide risk in individuals and point to the potential utility of including clinical interventions to target this symptom for those at high risk of suicide.
Topics: Humans; Pessimism; Suicidal Ideation; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Risk Factors
PubMed: 38367453
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115787 -
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare... 2024Cognitive biases reveal underlying affective state by indicating optimism and pessimism. This methodology may permit assessment of positive welfare in animals that have...
Cognitive biases reveal underlying affective state by indicating optimism and pessimism. This methodology may permit assessment of positive welfare in animals that have few validated positive welfare indicators, such as bears. Our goal was to validate a judgment bias test for assessing optimism in brown bears, using a touchscreen. After training the bears on a conditional discrimination, we compared responses to an ambiguous stimulus in a 2 × 2 nested design involving four experimental conditions representing presence or absence of a behind-the-scenes tour and presence or absence of a keeper training session with food reinforcement. We recorded bears' behavior during the conditions as a measure of convergent validity. Testing revealed the possibility of pessimism in the absence of reinforcement in one bear. More frustration behaviors were also observed during the no food reinforcement conditions. This is the first experimental demonstration of brown bears using a touchscreen and one of only three reports in which bears have been reported to perform a conditional discrimination. This method of assessing underlying affective state shows promise for the future.
Topics: Ursidae; Animals; Reinforcement, Psychology; Judgment; Male; Female; Animal Welfare; Behavior, Animal; Optimism; Pessimism
PubMed: 38363302
DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2024.2315042 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2024The mood index [Formula: see text] was used to describe evaluator attitudes regarding the progress of a project that formed the basis of a construction period prediction...
The mood index [Formula: see text] was used to describe evaluator attitudes regarding the progress of a project that formed the basis of a construction period prediction model. The degrees of pessimism [Formula: see text] and optimism [Formula: see text] were introduced, and an analysis model was established using [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to predict the construction period and completion probability Firstly, the absolute construction period of each process of tunnel No. 2 can be obtained according to the measured daily average footage of each process of tunnel No. 1. Secondly, the probability of the stoppage caused by different factors can be obtained after the statistical analysis of the factors responsible for the stoppage of tunnel No. 1. Finally, the expected construction period and completion probability of tunnel No. 2 under different pessimism and optimism conditions are obtained by using the progress risk analysis theory of emotional models and the program evaluation and review technique method. An engineering application showed that the expected construction period increased, and the completion probability decreased considerably with increasing pessimism; the opposite trend occurred as optimism increased. During the process of risk management and control, the prediction model can be used to perform precise quantitative analysis of the expected construction period and completion probability, reduce the blindness of construction management, control decisions of complex giant tunnel projects, and provide a more accurate basis for decision makers to judge risks. The findings of this study can be applied to hydraulic tunnels and can provide a reference for traffic tunnels, railway tunnels, and other similar projects.
Topics: Drinking; Probability; Risk Assessment; Text Messaging; Affect
PubMed: 38361119
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54261-z -
Psychology and Aging Feb 2024Research across a number of different areas in psychology has long shown that optimism and pessimism are predictive of a number of important future life outcomes....
Research across a number of different areas in psychology has long shown that optimism and pessimism are predictive of a number of important future life outcomes. Despite a vast literature on the correlates and consequences, we know very little about how optimism and pessimism change across adulthood and old age and the sociodemographic factors that are associated with individual differences in such trajectories. In the present study, we conducted (parallel) analyses of standard items from the Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985) in three comprehensive data sets: Two-wave data from both the Berlin Aging Study II (N = 1,423, aged 60-88; M = 70.4, SD = 3.70) and the Midlife in the U.S. Study (N = 1,810 aged 60-84; M = 69.12, SD = 6.47) as well as cross-sectional data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement (N = 17,087, aged 60-99; M = 70.19, SD = 7.53). Using latent change-regression models and locally weighted smoothing curves revealed that optimism is on average very stable after age 60, with some evidence in Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement of lowered optimism in very old age. Consistent across the three independent studies, pessimism evinced on average modest increases, ranging between .25 and .50 SD per 10 years of age. Of the sociodemographic factors examined, higher levels of education revealed the most consistent associations with lower pessimism, whereas gender evinced more study-specific findings. We take our results to demonstrate that age-related trajectories and correlates thereof differ for optimism and pessimism. Older adults appear to preserve into older ages those levels of optimistic expectations they have had at 60 years of age and show only modest increases in pessimism. We discuss possible reasons for these findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Humans; Aged; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pessimism; Aging; Educational Status; Individuality
PubMed: 38358694
DOI: 10.1037/pag0000789 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2024The idea of artificially created social robots has a long tradition. Today, attitudes towards robots play a central role in the field of healthcare. Our research aimed...
The idea of artificially created social robots has a long tradition. Today, attitudes towards robots play a central role in the field of healthcare. Our research aimed to develop a scale to measure attitudes towards robots. The survey consisted of nine questions on attitudes towards robots, sociodemographic questions, the SWOP-K9, measuring self-efficacy, optimism, and pessimism, and the BFI-10, measuring personality dimensions. Structural relations between the items were detected using principal components analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation. Correlations and Analysis of Variance were used for external validation. In total, 214 participants (56.1% female, mean age: 30.8 ± 14.4 years) completed the survey. The PCA found two main components, "Robot as a helper and assistant" (RoHeA) and "Robot as an equal partner" (RoEqP), with four items each explaining 53.2% and 17.5% of the variance with a Cronbach's α of 0.915 and 0.768. In the personality traits, "Conscientiousness" correlated weakly with both subscales and "Extraversion" correlated with RoHeA, while none the subscales of the SWOP-K9 significantly correlated with RoEqP or RoHeA. Male participants scored significantly higher than female participants. Our survey yielded a stable and convergent two-factor instrument that exhibited convincing validity and complements other findings in the field. The ASRS can easily be used to describe attitudes towards social robots in human society. Further research, however, should be carried out to investigate the discriminant and convergent validity of the ASRS.
PubMed: 38338172
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12030286