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American Journal of Men's Health 2024Being a man has been recognized as a salient risk factor for suicide. Adopting uncompromised masculine perceptions (i.e., conforming to the masculine gender role norms)...
Being a man has been recognized as a salient risk factor for suicide. Adopting uncompromised masculine perceptions (i.e., conforming to the masculine gender role norms) may restrict emotional expressiveness in men, which, in turn, may contribute to depression and somatization symptoms. We examined the moderating role of psychological flexibility and alexithymia in the relationship of masculinity with depression and somatization symptoms. A sample of 119 men completed measures of masculinity, alexithymia (difficulty identifying and delivering subjective feelings), psychological flexibility, depression, and somatization symptoms in a cross-sectional design study. Psychological flexibility levels moderated the relationship between masculinity and depression symptoms: Masculinity contributed as positively associated with depression symptoms when psychological flexibility was low, but no such association was found at moderate or high levels of psychological flexibility. As a cognitive factor promoting adaptive emotional regulation, psychological flexibility might reduce depression symptoms among inflexible masculine men. Clinical implications relate to diagnosing at-risk subgroups and their treatment.
Topics: Humans; Male; Masculinity; Israel; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Adaptation, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Affective Symptoms
PubMed: 38794957
DOI: 10.1177/15579883241253820 -
European Journal of Investigation in... May 2024Recent studies have revealed increasingly worse and more complex mental health conditions in young people, which is reflected in a growing trend in emergency room (ER)...
Recent studies have revealed increasingly worse and more complex mental health conditions in young people, which is reflected in a growing trend in emergency room (ER) visits for acute psychopathological symptoms (APSs). This phenomenon has become exacerbated in recent decades, with a peak in the post-pandemic period. To better characterize the phenomenon, we investigated the change in the rate and type of ER counseling requests provided at the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit of the University Hospital of Bari, Italy over the period between 2019 and 2023 for subjects younger than 18 years old. For this purpose, we retrospectively analyzed a total number of 1073 urgent consultation reports retrieved through the reporting computerized operating system of our hospital. The distribution of the counseling requests provided for APSs and, among these, the distribution of the numbers of APSs and of the male: female ratio were significantly different over the years, with an increasing linear trend identified for APSs ( = 3.095 × 10), the average number of APSs ( = 3.598 × 10), and female gender prevalence ( = 0.03908), as well as for the patients with a history of psychotropic drug assumption ( = 0.0006319). A significant change in the number of urgent counseling requests received for eating disorders ( = 0.0007408), depression ( = 7.92 × 10), somatization ( = 4.03 × 10), self-harm (SA) ( = 1.358 × 10), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) ( = 8.965 × 10) was found, with a significant increasing trend for anxiety ( = 0.0444), depression ( = 8.06 × 10), somatization ( = 0.004616), SA ( = 3.998 × 10), and NSSI ( = 5.074 × 10). The findings of our study support the hypothesis of an alarming progressive worsening of the mental health of children and adolescents, with an overlapping effect of the pandemic exacerbating the process.
PubMed: 38785580
DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe14050082 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Few studies have evaluated the psychological distress of COVID-19 in kidney transplantation and the psychological impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on kidney...
INTRODUCTION
Few studies have evaluated the psychological distress of COVID-19 in kidney transplantation and the psychological impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on kidney transplant recipients is not yet well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the change in symptom burden and health-related quality of life in the two years after initial assessment, by outlining the change over time of symptoms at 12 and 24 months of follow-up.
METHODS
This is a follow-up study. We performed a study published in 2021 (phase 1 of COVID-19); of the 89 kidney transplant recipients evaluated in this study, 60 completed the 12 months follow-up (March 2021 June 2021, phase 2 of COVID-19) and 57 completed the 24 months follow-up (March 2022 June 2022, post COVID-19). The same tools as in previous study were administered: the questionnaire on emotional state and psychophysical well-being during COVID-19, the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) to provide a simple and rapid quantification of the psychological and somatic symptoms and the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36) was used to assess health-related quality of life.
RESULTS
Compared to the first and second phase of COVID-19, the mean score of quality of life variables were higher in the post COVID-19 phase; thus the recipients physical health, mental health and their perception of their general health improved. Regarding the psychopathology variables the levels of Anxiety, Depression and Phobia in the Post COVID-19 phase decreased, while the Somatization score was higher. Lastly, burden of COVID-19 scores in the third phase, significantly decreased.
DISCUSSION
Our study highlights a significant association between mental health and the burden of COVID-19 pandemic in kidney transplant recipients. This study showed, a significant worsening, over time, of some specific symptoms, such as somatization and phobias. However, the results showed that depressive symptoms improved during the study period. Long-term monitoring of kidney transplant recipients therefore remains fundamental. These results confirmed the need to provide integrated multidisciplinary services to adequately address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the most vulnerable subjects.
PubMed: 38751418
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1338934 -
Computational and Structural... Dec 2024Youth with functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD) often perceive themselves as having limited capabilities, which may not align with clinical evaluations. This...
Youth with functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD) often perceive themselves as having limited capabilities, which may not align with clinical evaluations. This study assessed the disparities between clinician evaluations and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) regarding pain, motor function, and learning difficulties in youth with FNSD. Sixty-two youths with FNSD participated in this study, all of whom reported experiencing pain, motor problems, and/or learning difficulties. Clinicians also assessed these domains, resulting in a two-by-two categorization matrix: (1) : child and clinician report "problems"; (2) : child and clinician report "no problems"; (3) child reports "problems" while the clinician does not; and (4) clinician reports "problems" while the child does not. Agreement/disagreement differences were analyzed. No significant differences in prevalence were observed between the evaluators regarding pain (clinician-85%, child-88%), motor (clinician-98%, child-95%), or learning problems (clinician-69%, child-61%). More than 80% of the children and clinicians report pain and motor disorders. Instances in which children and clinicians reported learning problems (40.3%) exceeded cases in which both reported no problems (9.6%) or only the child reported problems (20.9%). Overall, the agreement between pain and motor function assessments was high (>90%), whereas that concerning learning difficulties was moderate (49.9%). Disagreement in pain/motor assessments was minimal (<5%), whereas for learning difficulties, disagreement rates were high (>20%). In conclusion, a significant concordance exists between PROMs and clinician assessments of pain and motor problems. However, the higher frequency of disagreements regarding learning difficulties emphasizes the importance of incorporating patient and clinician evaluations in pediatric FNSD treatment.
PubMed: 38741721
DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.045 -
Nutrients Apr 2024(1) Background: The literature regarding orthorexia nervosa (ON) has well documented the association with other mental disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive and eating... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
(1) Background: The literature regarding orthorexia nervosa (ON) has well documented the association with other mental disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive and eating disorders. However, the research has not taken into account stress-related behavior and the conduction of physical activity (PA), both structured and unstructured. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 165 students of the University of Parma (92 females and 74 males) aged between 18 and 49 years old (mean = 24.62 ± 4.81) were consecutively recruited. The ORTO-15 questionnaire was used to divide the total sample into a group without orthorexia (score > 40) and a group with orthorexia (score < 40). All subjects completed the P Stress Questionnaire, and specific items were extrapolated from the Eating Habits Structured Interview (EHSI) to investigate lifestyle, including structured and unstructured PA. (3) Results: Subjects with orthorexia represented 83% of the total sample and reported higher levels of stress-related risk behaviors (i.e., sense of responsibility (t = -1.99, = 0.02), precision (t = -1.99, = 0.03), stress disorders (t = -1.38, = 0.05), reduced spare time (t = -1.97, = 0.03), and hyperactivity (t = -1.68, = 0.04)) and a higher frequency of PA (i.e., hours spent training in structured PA, daily (t = -1.68, = 0.05), weekly (t = -1.91, = 0.03), and monthly (t = -1.91, = 0.03), the tendency to carry out physical exercise even if tired (t = -1.97, = 0.02), and to adhere to unstructured PA (i.e., moving on foot or by bike rather than using transport (t = 1.27, = 0.04)). (4) Conclusions: The results confirmed the presence of hyperactivity at a motor and behavioral level in people with orthorexia. Further studies are necessary to highlight the causality between ON, stress, and physical activity but it may be possible to hypothesize that "obsessive" physical exercise may not generate the benefits generally known by the literature.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Exercise; Adult; Students; Young Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Universities; Stress, Psychological; Adolescent; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Case-Control Studies; Feeding Behavior; Life Style; Surveys and Questionnaires; Middle Aged; Health Behavior
PubMed: 38732586
DOI: 10.3390/nu16091340 -
Epilepsy & Behavior Reports 2024This study compared overall and specific aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and self-report of somatic, anxiety, and depressive symptoms between employed...
This study compared overall and specific aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and self-report of somatic, anxiety, and depressive symptoms between employed (n = 71) and unemployed (n = 48) patients with epilepsy (PWE). The Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE-89) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) were examined. The unemployed group reported significantly worse overall HRQOL including aspects of HRQOL related to epilepsy, physical health, mental health, and cognitive function. Among these four, physical health related HRQOL revealed the most difference between groups. While there were no differences between the groups in the level of social support and social isolation, the unemployed group reported worse social function with respect to work and driving. The unemployed group reported significantly greater somatic symptoms, but not anxiety and depressive symptoms. When specifically examining the subscales of the Somatic Concerns scale, conversion and health concerns, but not somatization, were greater in the unemployed group. Among the Depression subscales, the unemployed group reported greater physiologically manifested depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that along with optimizing seizure control, identifying and addressing presence of physical limitations, dysfunction, and somatic symptoms are also of importance in the care of PWE, particularly for those who are unemployed.
PubMed: 38708365
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2024.100663 -
Acta Psychologica Jun 2024Studies have shown that Trait Emotional Awareness (TEA) - the ability to recognize one's emotions - and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) are both negatively associated with...
Studies have shown that Trait Emotional Awareness (TEA) - the ability to recognize one's emotions - and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) are both negatively associated with psychological disorders. Although these studies imply that TEA is related to HRV and may explain the association between HRV and psychological disorders, there is limited research investigating this implication. Such investigation is essential to illuminate the psychophysiological processes linked to psychological disorders. The present study aims to investigate a) the association between TEA and HRV, b) the association between HRV and psychological disorders, and c) whether TEA explains the association between HRV and psychological disorders. A sample of 41 German students completed self-report questionnaires as indicators of psychological disorders, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; Snaith & Zigmond, 1983) for anxiousness and depressiveness, as well as the somatization scale of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL; Derogatis et al., 1976) for physical complaints. HRV was measured at baseline (resting HRV) and during exposure to a fear-provoking movie clip (reactive HRV). As hypothesized, a) TEA showed a positive association with reactive HRV, b) HRV showed negative associations with anxiousness and physical complaints, and c) TEA explained the relationships between reactive HRV and anxiousness, as well as physical complaints. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find any association between HRV and depressiveness. We discussed the contribution of TEA to psychophysiological health, limited generalizability of the current study, and direct future research to explore the underlying mechanisms linking TEA to health.
Topics: Humans; Heart Rate; Male; Female; Adult; Awareness; Emotions; Young Adult; Anxiety; Depression; Adolescent
PubMed: 38677024
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104252 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Apr 2024: Parents of children with chronic conditions face challenges that go beyond basic care and parenting responsibilities. Parents' experiences can be influenced by...
A Study on the Sense of Parental Competence, Health Locus of Control and Levels of Anxiety, Depression and Somatization in Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Evidence on a Possible Relationship.
: Parents of children with chronic conditions face challenges that go beyond basic care and parenting responsibilities. Parents' experiences can be influenced by perceived stress, emotional experiences, feelings of helplessness, low sense of self-efficacy, anxiety and depression, reducing their quality of life. It is therefore not surprising that parents of children with chronic illnesses are more likely to experience stress, anxiety and depression than parents of healthy children. A prevalent chronic condition is type 1 diabetes. : Parents (31 with children with type 1 diabetes diagnosis and 71 with children without chronic illness) were recruited to complete the measures of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), the Parent Health Locus of Control (PHLOC) and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC). : Significant differences in depression and internal locus of control were found; there was a positive correlation between internal LOC and efficacy in both samples; furthermore, there was a negative correlation between somatization and satisfaction in the experimental group. : The ongoing experiences and challenges faced daily make parents perceive themselves as capable. Active involvement in supporting and managing the needs of child with type 1 diabetes could be a source of empowerment for the parent, contributing to the maintenance of their sense of competence. It is important, therefore, to consider the well-being and perception of the parent at a personal level, regardless of the child's situation.
PubMed: 38673532
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13082259 -
Scandinavian Journal of Pain Jan 2024Although the relationship between traumatic experiences (TEs) and psychosomatic manifestations (pain, somatization, somatosensory amplification [SSA], and alexithymia)...
OBJECTIVES
Although the relationship between traumatic experiences (TEs) and psychosomatic manifestations (pain, somatization, somatosensory amplification [SSA], and alexithymia) has been widely described, very few studies have investigated how these variables correlate with each other and with a history of TEs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how current psychosomatic manifestations are correlated with major and minor adult- and childhood TEs.
METHODS
One hundred and forty-six patients (91 with pain) from the Pisa Gift Institute for Integrative Medicine Psychosomatics Lab., Italy, were assessed for pain, history of TEs (divided into major and minor based on whether or not they meet the DSM-5 Criterion A for post-traumatic stress disorder), alexithymia, somatization, and SSA.
RESULTS
TEs were positively correlated with age, the sensorial dimension and intensity of pain, somatization, psychopathology index, SSA, and alexithymia. Using the somatization score (controlled for age) as a covariate, the previous correlations between psychosomatic dimensions and TEs lost their statistical significance: SSA (total TEs: from = 0.30, = 0.000 to = -0.04, = 0.652); alexithymia (total TEs: from = 0.28, = 0.001 to = 0.04, = 0.663); sensorial dimension of pain (total TEs: from = 0.30, = 0.015 to = 0.12, = 0.373); and pain intensity (total TEs: from = 0.38, = 0.004 to = -0.15, = 0.317). Interestingly, the tendency to report more intense pain was mainly predicted by minor TEs in childhood ( = 0.28; = 0.030).
CONCLUSIONS
The number of lifetime TEs is positively correlated with the sensorial dimension and intensity of pain but not its affective and cognitive dimensions. However, the former relationship depends on the presence of somatization. The intensity of pain is associated with minor rather than major TEs, especially when they occur in childhood.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Affective Symptoms; Adult; Middle Aged; Somatoform Disorders; Psychophysiologic Disorders; Pain; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Young Adult; Aged; Italy
PubMed: 38661113
DOI: 10.1515/sjpain-2023-0102 -
World Journal of Psychiatry Apr 2024Bronchial asthma is closely related to the occurrence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, which can easily have adverse effects on children's...
BACKGROUND
Bronchial asthma is closely related to the occurrence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, which can easily have adverse effects on children's learning and social interactions. Studies have shown that childhood asthma can increase the risk of ADHD and the core symptoms of ADHD. Compared with children with ADHD alone, children with asthma and ADHD are more likely to show high levels of hyperactivity, hyperactive-impulsive and other externalizing behaviors and anxiety in clinical practice and have more symptoms of somatization and emotional internalization.
AIM
To explore the relationship between ADHD in children and bronchial asthma and to analyze its influencing factors.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Dongying People's Hospital from September 2018 to August 2023. Children diagnosed with ADHD at this hospital were selected as the ADHD group, while healthy children without ADHD who underwent physical examinations during the same period served as the control group. Clinical and parental data were collected for all participating children, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for comorbid asthma in children with ADHD.
RESULTS
Significant differences were detected between the ADHD group and the control group in terms of family history of asthma and allergic diseases, maternal complications during pregnancy, maternal use of asthma and allergy medications during pregnancy, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and parental relationship status ( < 0.05). Out of the 183 children in the ADHD group, 25 had comorbid asthma, resulting in a comorbidity rate of 13.66% (25/183), compared to the comorbidity rate of 2.91% (16/549) among the 549 children in the control group. The difference in the asthma comorbidity rate between the two groups was statistically significant ( < 0.05). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that family history of asthma and allergic diseases, maternal complications during pregnancy, maternal use of asthma and allergy medications during pregnancy, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and parental relationship status are independent risk factors increasing the risk of comorbid asthma in children with ADHD ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Children with ADHD were more likely to have comorbid asthma than healthy control children were. A family history of asthma, adverse maternal factors during pregnancy, and parental relationship status were identified as risk factors influencing the comorbidity of asthma in children with ADHD. Clinically, targeted interventions based on these factors can be implemented to reduce the risk of comorbid asthma. This information is relevant for results sections of abstracts in scientific articles.
PubMed: 38659605
DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i4.513