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Child Abuse & Neglect Jun 2024University students report high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can lead to severe mental health problems. Understanding how ACEs impact well-being...
BACKGROUND
University students report high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can lead to severe mental health problems. Understanding how ACEs impact well-being in this population is essential, yet research to date is limited.
OBJECTIVE
To explore ACE patterns and their association with lower well-being in university students.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
1023 Spanish students (71.6 % female) aged between 18 and 64 years old (M = 20.10, SD = 3.93) completed a self-report questionnaire.
METHODS
This study used a cross-sectional design. The ACE International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale were used to assess, respectively, childhood adversities and mental well-being. Latent Class Analysis and regression modeling were conducted to analyze the link between ACEs and lower mental well-being, considering the covariates of age, country of origin, sexual orientation, and mental illness.
RESULTS
Four ACE classes were identified: Low ACEs (49.5 %), Dysfunctional Household (12.3 %), Household and Peer Abuse (31.0 %), and High ACEs (7.2 %). The regression analysis (F(3, 1007) = 19.2, p < .001, R = 0.054) successfully predicted well-being scores based on ACE classes. When compared with the Low ACE class, all other classes exhibited lower levels of well-being. Age, sexual orientation, and mental illness were also related to lower well-being, with mental illness having the strongest negative effect (β = -0.635, t(1015) = -6.49, p < .001).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings underscore the relationship between childhood adversity and mental health, offering insights for future prevention efforts and enriching our understanding of ACEs and their impact on well-being.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Students; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Young Adult; Universities; Adolescent; Adult; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Spain; Surveys and Questionnaires; Mental Disorders
PubMed: 38555713
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106770 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research May 2024Previous research has found that childhood maltreatment predicts increased risk for violence and partner violence and there is some evidence for poorer executive...
BACKGROUND
Previous research has found that childhood maltreatment predicts increased risk for violence and partner violence and there is some evidence for poorer executive functioning and low self-esteem. To date, there have been no longitudinal studies that have examined the extent to which executive functioning and self-esteem play a role in the relationship between child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration.
METHODS
This study aims to fill this gap by utilizing data from a prospective longitudinal study of children with documented court cases of abuse and neglect (ages 0-11 years) from a metropolitan county area in the Midwest (during the years 1967-1971) and demographically matched controls. Both maltreated individuals and matched controls were followed up and assessed over several waves of the study in young and middle adulthood. At mean age 39 years, inhibition and cognitive control were evaluated, while cognitive flexibility and nonverbal reasoning were assessed at mean age 41. Self-esteem was also assessed at mean age 41. Physical IPV perpetration was evaluated at age 47 using two different scoring strategies in separate models: the number of acts and variety of acts, ensuring avoidance of potential score skewness.
RESULTS
Childhood maltreatment predicted lower executive functioning and self-esteem, and both independently predicted intimate partner violence perpetration. Lower executive functioning and self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and physical IPV perpetration in midlife, irrespective of the scoring method.
CONCLUSION
Findings suggest that executive functioning and self-esteem play a role in the cycle of violence. Implications and suggestions for future directions are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adult; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Longitudinal Studies; Intimate Partner Violence; Violence; Child Abuse
PubMed: 38554623
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.015 -
JMIR Research Protocols Mar 2024Mental health conditions have become a substantial cause of disability worldwide, resulting in economic burden and strain on the public health system. Incorporating...
Design of a Remote Multiparametric Tool to Assess Mental Well-Being and Distress in Young People (mHealth Methods in Mental Health Research Project): Protocol for an Observational Study.
BACKGROUND
Mental health conditions have become a substantial cause of disability worldwide, resulting in economic burden and strain on the public health system. Incorporating cognitive and physiological biomarkers using noninvasive sensors combined with self-reported questionnaires can provide a more accurate characterization of the individual's well-being. Biomarkers such as heart rate variability or those extracted from the electrodermal activity signal are commonly considered as indices of autonomic nervous system functioning, providing objective indicators of stress response. A model combining a set of these biomarkers can constitute a comprehensive tool to remotely assess mental well-being and distress.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to design and validate a remote multiparametric tool, including physiological and cognitive variables, to objectively assess mental well-being and distress.
METHODS
This ongoing observational study pursues to enroll 60 young participants (aged 18-34 years) in 3 groups, including participants with high mental well-being, participants with mild to moderate psychological distress, and participants diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorder. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are being evaluated through a web-based questionnaire, and for those with a mental health condition, the criteria are identified by psychologists. The assessment consists of collecting mental health self-reported measures and physiological data during a baseline state, the Stroop Color and Word Test as a stress-inducing stage, and a final recovery period. Several variables related to heart rate variability, pulse arrival time, breathing, electrodermal activity, and peripheral temperature are collected using medical and wearable devices. A second assessment is carried out after 1 month. The assessment tool will be developed using self-reported questionnaires assessing well-being (short version of Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) as the reference. We will perform correlation and principal component analysis to reduce the number of variables, followed by the calculation of multiple regression models. Test-retest reliability, known-group validity, and predictive validity will be assessed.
RESULTS
Participant recruitment is being carried out on a university campus and in mental health services. Recruitment commenced in October 2022 and is expected to be completed by June 2024. As of July 2023, we have recruited 41 participants. Most participants correspond to the group with mild to moderate psychological distress (n=20, 49%), followed by the high mental well-being group (n=13, 32%) and those diagnosed with a mental health condition (n=8, 20%). Data preprocessing is currently ongoing, and publication of the first results is expected by September 2024.
CONCLUSIONS
This study will establish an initial framework for a comprehensive mental health assessment tool, taking measurements from sophisticated devices, with the goal of progressing toward a remotely accessible and objectively measured approach that maintains an acceptable level of accuracy in clinical practice and epidemiological studies.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
OSF Registries N3GCH; https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/N3GCH.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)
DERR1-10.2196/51298.
PubMed: 38551647
DOI: 10.2196/51298 -
British Journal of Pain Apr 2024Fibromyalgia (FM) is a disorder characterized by chronic pain, with significant medical, psychological, and socio-economic implications. Although there is limited...
INTRODUCTION
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a disorder characterized by chronic pain, with significant medical, psychological, and socio-economic implications. Although there is limited evidence, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown to be effective in improving FM symptoms. An alternative to enhance CBT effectiveness is to incorporate digital therapeutics (DTx).
AIM
We conducted a pilot study to investigate whether the addition of a DTx intervention () to cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) can reduce pain perception and associated symptoms in patients with FM.
METHOD
Ten patients with FM were initially recruited from a public hospital in Barcelona. The treatment consisted of 6 weeks of group sessions and 16 weeks of CBGT. Measures of catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and coping were recorded before, during, and after the protocol. In the DTx sessions, pain intensity was recorded before and after each session.
RESULTS
The program (DTx and CBGT) showed a significant improvement in pain-related self-efficacy and relaxation measures. Improvement in pain perception was observed only after the DTx intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides preliminary results regarding the added value of DTx () as part of a CBGT for FM. The use of the program has facilitated a significant reduction in pain perception in each of the sessions, which provides further evidence of how this technology can be beneficial for improving FM treatments.
PubMed: 38545496
DOI: 10.1177/20494637231210391 -
Biomolecules Mar 2024Brain models present a viewpoint on the fundamental structural components of the brain and their mutual organization, generally relative to a particular concept of the...
Brain models present a viewpoint on the fundamental structural components of the brain and their mutual organization, generally relative to a particular concept of the brain axis. A model may be based on adult brain structure or on developmental morphogenetic aspects. Brain models usually have functional implications, depending on which functional properties derive from the postulated organization. This essay examines the present scenario about brain models, emphasizing the contrast between columnar or other longitudinal models and transverse subdivisional neuromeric models. In each case, the main functional implications and apparent problems are explored and commented. Particular attention is given to the modern molecularly based 'prosomeric model', which postulates a set of 20 transverse prosomeres as the developmental units that serve to construct all the cerebral parts and the particular typology of many different neuronal populations within the forebrain and the hindbrain, plus a number of additional spinal cord units. These metameric developmental units (serially repeated, but with unique molecular profiles) confer to this model remarkable functional properties based mainly on its multiplicity and modularity. Many important brain functions can be decomposed into subfunctions attended to by combined sets of neuronal elements derived from different neuromeres. Each neuromere may participate in multiple functions. Most aspects related to creation of precise order in neural connections (axonal navigation and synaptogenesis) and function is due to the influence of neuromeric anteroposterior and dorsoventral positional information. Research on neuromeric functionality aspects is increasing significantly in recent times.
Topics: Brain; Prosencephalon; Neurons; Morphogenesis; Spinal Cord
PubMed: 38540751
DOI: 10.3390/biom14030331 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024This study investigates the relationship between body image, eating disorders, psychological characteristics, and mood and anxiety symptoms in Chilean youth, with...
This study investigates the relationship between body image, eating disorders, psychological characteristics, and mood and anxiety symptoms in Chilean youth, with nutritional status, particularly overweight and obesity. With a sample of 1001 participants from five regions of Chile, aged 15 to 23 years. The Eating Disorder Inventory 3 (EDI-3), the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire Appearance Scales (MBSRQ_AS), and the Symptom Inventory Derogatis Revised (SCL90-R) and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used to analyze these variables. A model including nine exogenous (independent) variables and ten endogenous variables, based on a literature review, was evaluated by path analysis. The results show a significant association between factors such as sex, family history of overweight, self-classification by weight, and body dissatisfaction with body mass index (BMI). Eating behaviors such as overeating, and lack of appetite were also found to be influenced by interpersonal sensitivity, overweight preoccupation, and drive for thinness. The study underscores the importance of promoting a positive body image and addressing overweight/obesity from a combined health psychology and public health perspective, highlighting the need for interventions that consider nutritional status, and in particular overweight and obesity, as a phenomenon with multifactorial causes and maintainers.
PubMed: 38540456
DOI: 10.3390/bs14030154 -
Brain Sciences Feb 2024Serum biomarkers, such as Neurofilament Light (NF-L), Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase (UCH-L1), and Total-tau (T-Tau) have been...
INTRODUCTION
Serum biomarkers, such as Neurofilament Light (NF-L), Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase (UCH-L1), and Total-tau (T-Tau) have been proposed for outcome prediction in the acute phase of severe traumatic brain injury, but they have been less investigated in patients with prolonged DoC (p-DoC).
METHODS
We enrolled 25 p-DoC patients according to the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). We identified different time points: injury onset (t), first blood sampling at admission in Neurorehabilitation (t), and second blood sampling at discharge (t). Patients were split into improved (improved level of consciousness from t to t) and not-improved (unchanged or worsened level of consciousness from t to t).
RESULTS
All biomarker levels decreased over time, even though each biomarker reveals typical features. Serum GFAP showed a weak correlation between t and t ( = 0.001), while no correlation was observed for serum NF-L ( = 0.955), UCH-L1 ( = 0.693), and T-Tau ( = 0.535) between t and t. Improved patients showed a significant decrease in the level of NF-L ( = 0.0001), UCH-L1 ( = 0.001), and T-Tau ( = 0.002), but not for serum GFAP ( = 0.283). No significant statistical differences were observed in the not-improved group.
CONCLUSIONS
A significant correlation was found between the level of consciousness improvement and decreased NF-L, UCH-L1, and T-Tau levels. Future studies on the association of serum biomarkers with neurophysiological and neuroimaging prognostic indicators are recommended.
PubMed: 38539627
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14030239 -
Journal of Surgical Case Reports Mar 2024This study presented a pioneering investigation of the changes in the magnetic resonance imaging images of pectoralis major muscle (PMM) tendon rupture. In all, 26 men...
This study presented a pioneering investigation of the changes in the magnetic resonance imaging images of pectoralis major muscle (PMM) tendon rupture. In all, 26 men were evaluated with acute total PMM rupture (<3 months since injury) with a mean age of 37.3 years (SD = 9.7 years) and 10 control patients with a mean age of 32.6 years (SD = 4.2 years). The evaluation of the tendon PMM injuries was based on the magnetic resonance imaging exam and the histological analysis. The magnetic resonance imaging of the surgically showed two (7.1%) contralateral sides were normal, 16 (57.1%) showed superior tendinopathy, and 10 (35.7%) had total tendinopathy. Inferior tendinopathy was not observed. The tendon histology revealed degenerative changes in 16 (66.7%) fragments, with 12 (50.0%) considered as mild (<25%), and four considered as (16.7%) high (>50.0%) tendinopathy. Total acute rupture of the PMM tendon among weightlifters might be associated with tendinous degeneration prior to injury.
PubMed: 38524673
DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjae126 -
Sleep Medicine Clinics Dec 2023There is an increased risk of becoming pregnant through fertility treatments using assisted reproductive technology (ART) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this... (Review)
Review
There is an increased risk of becoming pregnant through fertility treatments using assisted reproductive technology (ART) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this review is to gather comprehensive data from the existing literature on the potential risks of fertility management during the pandemic period, and outline strategies to mitigate them, with a focus on the hormonal and surgical procedures of ART. A comprehensive search of the scientific literature on COVID-19 in relation to fertility was conducted in the PubMed database using the keywords "coronavirus," "COVID-19," "SARS-CoV-2" and "pregnancy," "fertility," "urogenital system," "vertical transmission," "assisted human reproduction," "controlled ovarian stimulation," "oocyte retrieval," "in vitro fertilization," "hormones," "surgical procedures," "embryos," "oocytes," "sperm," "semen," "ovary," "testis," "ACE-2 receptor," "immunology," "cytokine storm," and "coagulation," from January 2020-July 2022. Published data on pregnancy and COVID-19, and the interaction of the urogenital system and SARS-CoV-2 is reported. The immunologic and prothrombotic profiles of patients with COVID-19, and their increased risks from controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and ART surgeries, and how these procedures could facilitate COVID-19 and/or contribute to the severity of the disease by enhancing the cytokine storm are summarized. Strategies to prevent complications during COS that could increase the risks of the disease in pre-symptomatic patients are considered. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on pre-symptomatic infertile patients presents a challenge to find ways to avoid the increased hormonal, immunologic, and prothrombotic risks presented by the use of COS in ART protocols during the COVID-19 outbreak. Safe ART procedures and recommendations are highlighted.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; COVID-19; Cytokine Release Syndrome; SARS-CoV-2; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
PubMed: 38501521
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2023.06.012 -
Journal of Surgical Case Reports Mar 2024To compare outcomes between autologous fascia lata and autologous hamstring grafts for chronic pectoralis major muscle (PMM) rupture repair, and perform histological,...
To compare outcomes between autologous fascia lata and autologous hamstring grafts for chronic pectoralis major muscle (PMM) rupture repair, and perform histological, and imaging analyses. Forty male patients with chronic PMM ruptures (time since injury ranging from >3 months to 5 years) and a mean age of 37.3 years (SD = 9.7 years) were evaluated. One group (20 patients) received an autologous semitendinosus graft, and another group (20 patients) received an autologous fascia lata graft for PMM reconstruction. These patients with fascia lata grafts by Bak criterium 60% of the patients presented excellent results, 20% presented good results, 15% presented fair results, and 5% presented poor results. In the hamstring group 65% of the patients presented excellent results, 30% presented good results, and 5% presented fair results. In this comparative study, no difference was observed regarding the functional result, image, and histology between groups.
PubMed: 38495048
DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjae093