BMC Psychology最新文献

Introduction: Ambulance staff play a crucial role in responding to mental health crises. However, negative regard toward patients with mental health conditions can hinder care. The Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS) assesses regards or attitudes but has not previously been validated for educated ambulance staff and has never been translated into Norwegian. This study aims to translate the instrument into Norwegian, test it on a population of ambulance staff, explore the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version, and measure regard for patients with psychosis.

Method: The MCRS is an 11-item instrument with a Likert scale of 1-6. Possible sum scores range from 11 to 66 (higher score = more positive regards). We chose "psychosis" as the condition to investigate. Translation followed eight steps: (1) preparation, (2) forward translation, (3) backward translation, (4) first expert panel review, (5) harmonisation, (6) cognitive debriefing, (7) second expert panel review, and (8) writing of the final version. The instrument was tested and re-tested regarding the condition "psychosis" on a representative sample of 114 Norwegian ambulance staff in 2023, with a temporal gap of one month. We explored item scores and distribution, as well as floor and ceiling effects. We tested the internal consistency of the items using Cronbach's Alpha and consistency in answers over time (test and re-test) using the Paired Sample-T test. We used factor analyses to explore the inter-item relationships of the items.

Results: The 114 participants had a mean sum score of 47, which is mid-range. The scale has a ceiling effect on five items, which was not described in detail earlier. Two items regarding the monetary spending on patients with the given condition had the largest ceiling effects. However, the Norwegian translation showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.82) and is reliable over time. Test and re-test showed no significant differences in the scale's total score (Paired sample T-test, p > 0.05). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the scale should be used as a one-dimensional instrument in a Norwegian setting in ambulance staff populations.

Conclusion: The Norwegian translation of the MCRS is a reliable instrument for ambulance staff measuring medical condition regards. However, the ceiling effect limits the ability to discern differences among high-scoring individuals. Ambulance staff's regard for patients with psychosis is medium positive (mid-range level), but slightly more positive than what is reported in the international literature regarding patients with mental health issues.

Background: Loneliness is a common emotional experience among international students that can affect their mental health, cultural adaptation, and academic development. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between a sense of power and loneliness among international students, and to examine the mediating role of loneliness stigma and perceived discrimination.

Methods: The study used the generalized sense of power scale, experiences with discrimination scale, stigma loneliness scale (SLS), and UCLA loneliness scale-6 (ULS -6) for 529 international students in China. The study conducted descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and chain mediation model test on the obtained data using SPSS 20.0 and PROCESS v4.0.

Results: The sense of power was significantly negatively related to perceived discrimination, and loneliness stigma, with the result that loneliness, and perceived discrimination, loneliness stigma, and loneliness were significantly positively related. The sense of power can directly affect international students' loneliness (β = -0.167, t = -4.298, p < 0.01), or indirectly affect loneliness through three paths: the mediating role of perceived discrimination, the mediating role of loneliness stigma, and the chain mediating role of perceived discrimination and loneliness stigma. The total indirect effect value was -0.234, and the indirect effect values for each pathway were -0.153, -0.059, and -0.022, respectively.

Conclusion: A sense of power can directly affect loneliness in international students and indirectly by reducing perceived discrimination and loneliness stigma. The results of this study contributed to a better understanding of the relationship between a sense of power and loneliness and its mechanism, providing a reference for carrying on mental health education work for international students.

Background: The more rapid adoption of the Internet in education settings has raised concerns about its impact on adolescents who may suffer from cyberbullying victimization. As a negative life experience, cyberbullying victimization can adversely affect adolescents' mental health. Particularly, it can lead to more adolescents developing depression. Based on this, we developed and tested a moderated mediation model to examine whether approach and avoidance coping strategies mediate the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and depression, and whether this mediating process was moderated by face consciousness.

Method: This study used a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 1,586 middle school students from northwestern China, including 782 females (mean age 13.76 ± 1.03 years; age range 12-16). Participants completed an anonymous paper-and-pencil survey that assessed their experiences with cyberbullying victimization, approach and avoidance coping strategies, face consciousness, and depressive symptoms.

Result: The findings revealed that cyberbullying victimization (Beta = 0.37, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001) was significantly positively correlated with depression in adolescents. The avoidance coping strategies (Effect = 0.16, p < 0.001), rather than approach coping strategies, mediate the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and depression. Additionally, face consciousness (Beta = 0.05, t = 2.28, p = 0.009) moderated the mediation: as face consciousness increased, the impact of avoidance coping strategies on depression became stronger.

Conclusion: These findings provide valuable insights into how and when cyberbullying affects adolescent depression, offering potential guidance for prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing the impact of cyberbullying on depressive symptoms in this vulnerable population.

Background: The psychological resilience of university students majoring in long-term-care (LTC)-related disciplines is crucial for workforce retention and effective care provision in this field. This study aims to investigate the differences in levels of psychological resilience among these students in Taiwan.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 258 participants selected via stratified random sampling from 23 universities across Taiwan from November 2021 to November 2022, representing a diverse educational context. The research instrument used was the Resilience Scale for Adults, a validated psychological resilience questionnaire. The independent variables included participants' demographic data, while the dependent variables encompassed five dimensions of resilience: personal strength, family cohesion, social resources, social skills, future organizational style, and total resilience score. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis.

Results: Participants with LTC work experience and leadership roles in campus clubs demonstrated significantly higher scores in personal strength (LTC: t = 2.04, p = 0.04, d = 0.29; leadership: t = 2.89, p = 0.01, d = 0.45), social resources (leadership: t = 2.47, p = 0.01, d = 0.34), social skills (leadership: t = 4.51, p = 0.01, d = 0.62), and future organizational style (LTC: t = 2.72, p = 0.01, d = 0.39). Higher academic performance was linked to greater personal strength, social resources, future organizational style, and total resilience (F = 4.69-3.12, p < 0.05). Regression analysis confirmed the predictive value of leadership experience and LTC work on various resilience dimensions. These results underscore the importance of practical exposure and extracurricular engagement in fostering resilience.

Conclusion: Students engaged in club activities, leadership roles, and LTC work displayed higher psychological resilience. Educational institutions should foster club participation, leadership experiences, and partnerships with workplaces to enhance student resilience and professional readiness.

Background: Issues related to sport teaching at different educational stages is a subject of wide interest. Teaching Games for Understanding has been established as the most effective way to teach students the elements related to the field of sport. The objectives of this study were (a) to examine the impact of the Teaching Games for Understanding model on decision-making in sports education and (b) to compare the effect of the interventions analysed according to educational stage.

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published before August 2024 was conducted. A total of 4937 scientific studies were obtained. The quantitative synthesis consisted of 25 scientific articles (n = 1692). The studies were analyzed using three-level random effects models with variance estimation. Results were calculated as raw mean differences and Hedges' g effect sizes.

Results: This model is suitable for decision-making in sports education (g = 0.82; CI 95% = [0.55; 1.09]). This pedagogical model was also found to be effective for working on decision-making in primary education (g = 0.6108; CI 95% = [0.3587; 0.8628]), secondary education (g = 0.7523; CI 95% = [0.2348; 1.2706]) and higher education (g = 0.8803 [CI 95% = 0.2851 to 1.4855]).

Conclusions: Teaching games for understanding effectively addresses decision-making during sports learning. In addition, this pedagogical model is effective for facilitating decision-making according to the role and the moment of the game. The use of this model enables effective technical-tactical learning to solve various problematic actions in real game situations.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify social isolation latent profiles and analyze the specific mechanisms in which social support, resilience, and posttraumatic growth associated social isolation from the perspective of positive psychology. Suggestions were offered to improve the mental health status of postoperative enterostomy patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. From December 2022 to September 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 303 enterostomy patients from three hospitals in Guangzhou. A paper questionnaire was used to investigate their levels of social support, resilience, posttraumatic growth, and social isolation. T-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Analysis, Latent Profile Analysis and Conditional Process Analysis were used to analyze the correlation between variables.

Results: (1) Education level, occupation, family monthly income per capita and times of changing enterostomy bag per week were significantly associated with social isolation. (2) Social isolation of patients included low alienation-fluctuation group (Class 1, 13.9%), medium group (Class 2, 64.0%), high alienation-low meaning group (Class 3, 22.1%). (3) Social isolation was negatively correlated with social support, resilience, and posttraumatic growth (P < 0.001). (4) Resilience played a mediating role in the association between social support and social isolation. (5) The second half path of the mediation model was moderated by posttraumatic growth.

Conclusions: Clinical staff, community personnel and family members should pay attention to the potential differences in social isolation experienced by patients. Suitable psychological strategies should be employed to enhance resilience, promote posttraumatic growth, for improving the patients' mental health levels and help them return to society.

Background: Rural older adults experience a high burden of depressive symptoms and significant barriers to accessing mental health services. The Modified Behavioral Activation Treatment (MBAT) has been verified to be effective among rural older adults in China. Due to its structured format and skill-based learning, it is well suited for digital-based delivery. However, only a few studies were from developed countries, and the evidence to support its application in rural China still needs to be provided. Thus, based on the fact that digital health technology has the potential to address the shortage of healthcare resources and the constraints of community mental health services in rural China, the effectiveness of the digital MBAT (D-MBAT) program among rural older adults is worth further evaluation.

Methods: A multi-center randomized controlled trial will be conducted among 216 rural older adults from Huayuan County and Fenghuang County in Western Hunan. The intervention group will receive the D-MBAT program, while the control group will receive routine care. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, social health, quality of life, and satisfaction will be measured at baseline, one-month, and three-month follow-ups to evaluate the digital MBAT program's effectiveness.

Discussion: Existing digital psychological intervention strategies seldom take into account the needs and preferences of the older adults in low-resource rural areas. Thus, this study aims to develop a D-MBAT program based on person-centered and community-engaged approach to maximize the mental health service of rural older adults with depressive symptoms.A successful D-MBAT program would be a feasible and scalable approach to the management of prevalent mental health conditions of rural older adults in resource-limited Western Hunan.

Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2400091193. Registered on 23 October 2024.

Background: Traditional cognitive assessments, often reliant on paper-and-pencil tests and professional evaluators, suffer from subjectivity and limited result discrimination. This study introduces the Baguan Online Cognitive Assessment System (BOCAS), a tablet-based system that evaluates both general cognitive ability (GCA) and domain-specific functions across six domains: sensory-motor skills, processing speed, sustained attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and spatial ability.

Methods: BOCAS was validated with 151 healthy Chinese adults aged 18-40. Reliability was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to validate the model. The GCA score was correlated with the Raven IQ test and self-reported cognitive flexibility, and its relationship with negative emotions (depression and anxiety) was examined.

Results: BOCAS showed satisfactory reliability, with internal consistency ranging from 0.712 to 0.846 and test-retest reliability from 0.56 to 0.71. Factor analysis revealed a common factor explaining 40% of the variance, and CFA indicated a good model fit (χ²/df = 1.81; CFI = 0.932). The GCA score strongly correlated with the Raven IQ test (r = 0.58) and was related to self-reported cognitive flexibility and negative emotions.

Conclusion: BOCAS offers a digital solution for cognitive assessment, providing automated, remote, and precise evaluations. It demonstrates reliability, validity, and potential for use in clinical and research settings.

Background: Cognitive bias plays a crucial role in the onset and persistence of depression. Research has established a link between personality traits and cognitive bias; however, most of them focused on the general population, overlooking individuals with depression. We aim to explore the relationship between personality and cognitive bias in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and compare the results with healthy controls (HCs) to identify potential patterns.

Methods: The study included 124 patients with MDD and 123 HCs recruited from the Zhumadian Psychiatric Hospital in Henan, China, using the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) to measure personality traits and the Cognitive Bias Questionnaire (CBQ) to measure cognitive biases. Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were employed to investigate the correlations and predictive powers.

Results: Traits related to neuroticism or extraversion were associated with biased responses. After controlling for sociodemographic and clinical information, neuroticism traits were found to have a significant independent effect in the MDD group. Also, the significance of Privateness in the MDD group merits more extensive exploration. Although consistent correlation patterns were found in both groups, neuroticism traits were more significant and independent in predicting biased cognitive processing in the MDD group, indicating the importance of neuroticism in the depressive context.

Conclusions: The present study provides insights into the connection between personality and cognitive bias from a clinical perspective, potentially enhancing clinical diagnosis and treatment modalities.

Background: This study examined how university students' social media use is related to their mental health (subjective well-being [SWB] and loneliness) and perceived physical health. A cognitive bias model and a social network mediation model were used to compare social capital formed via face-to-face and online communication, considering the effects of personality traits (i.e., social skills, generalized trust, and social tolerance).

Methods: We conducted a self-report survey with 409 university students in Japan from August to September 2022. Four patterns of social media use were analyzed: (1) Twitter only, (2) LINE + Twitter, (3) Instagram + Twitter, and (4) Discord + Twitter. Relationships between the variables were investigated with a structural equation modeling analysis using SmartPLS 4.0.

Results: Overall, regardless of social media use patterns, personality traits had positive direct effects on mental health and also had positive effects on social capital via face-to-face (FTF) communication, which had mediating effects on the improvement of mental health. FTF social capital had a positive relationship with online social capital, which did not have relationships with mental or perceived physical health. Additionally, perceived physical health decreased loneliness but was not associated with SWB. Social media use negatively affected perceived physical health but had no effect on SWB or loneliness. Finally, different relationships between personality traits and social media use, FTF social capital and SWB, social media use and perceived physical health were observed among the four patterns of social media use.

Conclusion: This study has implications for improving the health of young adults in the "mobile x social era." In particular, we provide suggestions to help young adults improve their mental health.