BMC Psychology最新文献

Background: The increasing demand for psychotherapy and limited access to specialists underscore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health care. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the AI-powered Friend chatbot in providing psychological support during crisis situations, compared to traditional psychotherapy.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 104 women diagnosed with anxiety disorders in active war zones. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group used the Friend chatbot for daily support, while the control group received 60-minute psychotherapy sessions three times a week. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory. T-tests were used to analyze the results.

Results: Both groups showed significant reductions in anxiety levels. The control group receiving traditional therapy had a 45% reduction on the Hamilton scale and a 50% reduction on the Beck scale, compared to 30% and 35% reductions in the chatbot group. While the chatbot provided accessible, immediate support, traditional therapy proved more effective due to the emotional depth and adaptability provided by human therapists. The chatbot was particularly beneficial in crisis settings where access to therapists was limited, proving its value in scalability and availability. However, its emotional engagement was notably lower compared to in-person therapy.

Conclusions: The Friend chatbot offers a scalable, cost-effective solution for psychological support, particularly in crisis situations where traditional therapy may not be accessible. Although traditional therapy remains more effective in reducing anxiety, a hybrid model combining AI support with human interaction could optimize mental health care, especially in underserved areas or during emergencies. Further research is needed to improve AI's emotional responsiveness and adaptability.

In second language acquisition research, the psychological factors associated with language learning have been a prominent focus. The affective turn in and introduction of positive psychology in this field have further boosted research on the roles of positive learner psychological factors (e.g. motivation) in performance (e.g. engagement). However, the theoretical lens for investigating these variables requires further clarification, and the roles of some variables (e.g. boredom) in language learning have been under-researched. Guided by this background, this study aims to explore the complex relationships between learners' basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation, boredom and behavioural engagement among 687 Chinese senior high school EFL learners from the perspective of self-determination theory (SDT). Quantitative data collection and analysis revealed that students' basic psychological needs directly predicted behavioural engagement. Basic psychological needs also indirectly predicted behavioural engagement through the simple mediation of boredom and the chain mediation of self-determined motivation and boredom. However, the simple mediation of self-determined motivation in the relationship between basic psychological needs and behavioural engagement was non-significant. The findings enrich the application of SDT in the language learning engagement research, providing valuable implications for teachers and educators.

Internet usage has become an inevitable part of daily life. Adolescents who are developmentally vulnerable due to family dynamics or who suffer psychological distress are at greater risk of problematic Internet use. This study aims to reveal the intricate psychological pathways linking family social support to problematic Internet use among adolescents and the mediating roles of hostility and depression. The study uses serial mediation analyses and Hayes PROCESS macro to examine a large sample of 2,047 adolescents (1,182 females and 865 males). Results revealed a significant negative association between family social support and problematic Internet use. Both hostility and depression were found to be critical mediators, functioning independently and sequentially in the relationship between family social support and problematic Internet use. The findings highlight the protective role of family social support against problematic Internet use among adolescents by reducing hostility and depressive symptoms. This investigation contributes to the extant literature by elucidating the psychological mechanisms underlying problematic Internet use. It suggests that interventions targeting family support systems, feelings of hostility, and depression may effectively mitigate problematic Internet use among adolescent populations.

Background: Childhood subjective socioeconomic status (operational definition of harshness) and unpredictability significantly influence life history strategies and subsequent psychological and behavioral patterns. Existing research on Chinese populations has been limited by inconsistent metrics and inadequate measurement items. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Chinese versions of the Childhood Perceived Poverty and Wealth Questionnaire (C-CPPWQ) and the Childhood Perceived Unpredictability Questionnaire (C-CPUQ), addressing cultural differences and expanding measurement subjects.

Methods: We conducted Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with 493 students and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 1217 students to validate the factor structures. Concurrent validity was assessed using correlations with life history strategies (Mini-K) and childhood trauma (CTQ-SF) and reliability were also evaluated.

Results: The C-CPPWQ's two-factor model (perceived wealth and perceived poverty) demonstrated good fit (CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.08) and strong internal consistency (alpha = 0.90), with significant correlations with Mini-K (r = -0.28, p < 0.001) and childhood trauma (r = 0.29, p < 0.001). The C-CPUQ's three-factor model (Unpredictability of Parenting, Unpredictability of External Environment, and Unpredictability of Daily Happening) also showed a good fit (CFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.95; SRMR = 0.04; RMSEA = 0.07) and high reliability (alpha = 0.95), with significant correlations with Mini-K (r = -0.39, p < 0.001) and childhood trauma (r = 0.72, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The newly adapted 14-item C-CPPWQ and 16-item C-CPUQ for Chinese contexts exhibit satisfactory psychometric properties, making them valuable tools for researching and evaluating childhood adversity.

Gender differences in interoceptive awareness-awareness of internal bodily signals such as heartbeat perception-have been suggested, with some findings indicating behaviourally reduced but subjectively enhanced awareness in women, though these findings are still contentious. This study aimed to comprehensively examine gender differences in three aspects of interoceptive awareness: behavioural accuracy, subjective confidence, and relationship between them (i.e., metacognition). We used a modified heartbeat counting task that prohibited estimation strategies and increased the number of trials up to 20. Using data from 74 healthy young adults (39 women and 35 men), we evaluated gender differences and practice effects for each measure via Bayesian linear mixed models, controlling for individual heart rate and trial duration on a trial-by-trial basis. Contrary to previous research, the results revealed no reduced interoceptive accuracy in women; instead, higher interoceptive accuracy score was associated with shorter trial durations and lower heart rates regardless of gender. Moreover, women exhibited underconfidence about their performance, and therefore lower metacognition scores, compared to men. Trial repetitions moderated women's lowered metacognition but did not affect accuracy or confidence. These findings highlight potential physiological and psychological confounding factors in the heartbeat counting task, such as heart rate and reporting style, and emphasise several cautions for studying gender differences in interoceptive awareness.

Background: Numerous studies have reported that a majority of colorectal cancer patients in China have low levels of physical activity. Early identification of relevant factors is beneficial for formulating physical activity interventions. This study aimed to describe the status of physical activity in colorectal cancer patients and determine psychosocial predictors of low levels of physical activity.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 230 hospitalized patients with colorectal cancer in a tertiary hospital in Hubei Province. The research utilized a self-designed general information questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) as assessment tools. SPSS 25.0 was used for descriptive statistical analysis, Chi-squared test, Student's t-test, and binary logistic regression analysis.

Results: The prevalence of low physical activity among colorectal cancer patients was 52.5%. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that monthly per capita household income of 3000-5000 yuan (OR = 0.274, 95% CI: 0.080-0.942), monthly per capita household income > 5000 yuan (OR = 0.191, 95% CI: 0.037-0.992), duration of diagnosis between 7 and 12 months (OR = 0.132, 95% CI: 0.030-0.587), social support score (OR = 0.802, 95% CI: 0.679-0.947), illness perception score (OR = 1.136, 95% CI: 1.019-1.266), and posttraumatic growth scores (OR = 0.915, 95% CI: 0.847-0.989) were independent predictors of physical activity in colorectal cancer patients.

Conclusions: Overall, colorectal cancer patients in China have low levels of physical activity. These findings may provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals to identify individuals with low levels of physical activity and to develop effective intervention strategies. In future clinical practice, healthcare providers can promote physical activity in colorectal cancer patients through interventions aimed at enhancing social interactions, improving proper knowledge and understanding of the disease, and fostering posttraumatic growth.

Background: This study aimed to determine the effect of surgical nurses' internet addiction on their malpractice tendencies.

Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study included 1051 nurses working in the surgical awards of 10 hospitals in Istanbul. Data were collected using a descriptive characteristics form, the Internet Addiction Scale, and the Malpractice Tendency Scale. An increase in the score on the internet addiction scale indicates that internet addiction increases. In contrast, an increase in the score on the malpractice tendency scale indicates that malpractice tendency decreases. Data were analyzed using independent groups t-test, one-way ANOVA test, Pearson correlation and linear regression analyzes with IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0 software.

Results: A weak negative correlation was found between the surgical nurses' total scores on the Internet Addiction Scale and Malpractice Tendency Scale (r=-0.422 p < 0.001). Internet addiction total score was also negatively correlated with malpractice tendency subscale scores for medication and transfusion administration safety (r=-0.450 p < 0.001); infection prevention (r=-0.416 p < 0.001); patient monitoring, device, and material safety (r=-0.321 p < 0.001); fall prevention (r=-0.325 p < 0.001), and communication (r=-0.332 p ≤ 0.001). In linear regression analysis, an increase in internet addiction overall and in the lack of control subscale was associated with greater malpractice tendency (ß=-0.422 and ß=-0.243, respectively). Internet addiction explained a total of 17.7% of the total change in malpractice tendency (R² = 0.177).

Conclusion: Surgical nurses showed increased malpractice tendency as their internet addiction level increased. This relationship was seen in all domains of malpractice, including medication and transfusion administration safety, infection and fall prevention, communication, and patient monitoring, device, and material safety. It is recommended that in-service training be planned for conscious internet use to limit the time nurses spend on the internet during working hours.

Background: Child maltreatment exerts lasting effects on emotion regulation, which in turn accounts for adult's risk for psychopathology such as depression. In this vulnerable population, deficits in emotion regulation of negative affect are well established and include reliance on emotional suppression and rumination strategies. In contrast, alterations in the regulation of positive affect associated with child maltreatment history are less understood. We examined the role of positive rumination and dampening of positive affect, two emotion regulation strategies that may be impaired by the experience of child maltreatment and are associated with depression risk. We hypothesized that alterations in positive rumination and dampening would explain the association between women's childmaltreatment history and heightened risk for current depressive symptoms. To determine if positive affect regulation accounts for unique variance between child maltreatment history and depression risk we controlled for brooding rumination.

Methods: Undergraduate women (n = 122) completed surveys on child maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and their tendency to dampen or engage in positive rumination in response to positive affect, reflecting cross-sectional data. The PROCESS macro, model 4 was run in SPSS to examine the extent to which emotion regulation strategies accounted for the association between child maltreatment history and current depressive symptoms.

Results: Child maltreatment history was associated with a higher tendency to dampen positive affect but was not linked with positive rumination. Dampening partially explained the link between child maltreatment and women's current depressive symptoms. Dampening and brooding rumination each accounted for unique variance in the association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Results suggest that emotion suppression strategies among child maltreatment survivors may also extend to positive affect, with impairments in specific regulation strategies. Currently dysphoric women with a history of child maltreatment tend to dampen their positive moods and reactions to events as well as ruminate on their dysphoric moods, both tendencies accounted for unique variance in current depression risk. Longitudinal research is warranted to clarify the role of alterations in positive emotion regulations strategies in understanding how child maltreatment fosters risk for psychopathology such as depression.

Background: Anxiety in patients undergoing colonoscopy may also result in adverse effects, including altered vital signs such as elevated heart rate and blood pressure, exacerbation of symptoms like bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort, a decline in cooperation and satisfaction, and even colonoscopy failure. However, limited studies have explored the level of anxiety, factors that influence it, and its specific causes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, recruiting 825 patients undergoing colonoscopy in Hunan Province between January and July 2023 using stratified sampling. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a self-designed demographic characteristics questionnaire, and a colonoscopy patient anxiety influencing factor questionnaire were used. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 26) using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and multiple regression analysis tests.

Results: The final study included 825 participants, of whom 19.8% exhibited mild anxiety, 37.0% exhibited moderate anxiety, and 43.2% exhibited severe anxiety. The results indicated that insomnia (β=-0.080, p = 0.013), no comorbidities (β=-0.147, p < 0.001), not smoking or drinking (β=-0.158, p < 0.001), and poor health (moderate: β=-0.183, p < 0.001; poor: β=-0.164, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with anxiety levels. In contrast, marital status (β = 0.177, p < 0.001), education level (β = 0.204, p < 0.001), age (β = 0.114, p = 0.007), medical insurance (Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Residents β = 0.204, p < 0.001; Commercial medical insurance: β = 0.112, p < 0.001), care provided by relatives (β = 0.102, p = 0.002), diarrhoea (β = 0.089, p = 0.005), occupation (farmers: β = 0.099, p = 0.009; self-employed: β = 0.082, p = 0.014), and paternal upbringing (β = 0.067, p = 0.034) were positively correlated with anxiety. Several factors had a greater impact on the anxiety level of the patients: education level (β = 0.204), health status (moderate: β=-0.183; not good: β=-0.164), and marital status (β = 0.177). It probably because higher education levels may increase awareness of potential risks associated with colonoscopy, contributing to greater anxiety. The five common reasons for anxiety included the presence of bloody faeces, enemas, need for further treatment, lack of timely feedback from the physician, lack of an accurate diagnosis.

Conclusion: The level of anxiety experienced by patients during the colonoscopy phase was more severe and should be alleviated with targeted interventions based on the cause of anxiety, such as pre-procedural counseling, patient education materials, and enhanced communication with healthcare providers.