BMC Psychology最新文献

Background: Suicidal ideation may be a warning sign for suicide and previous work has indicated a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Job loss and job insecurity are potential risk factors for suicidal ideation, but their importance during the pandemic, and the role of organizational changes for suicidal ideation, is unclear. This study examined the association between various experiences associated with job loss and job insecurity during the pandemic and thoughts of suicide/self-harm in Sweden.

Methods: The study sample was drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). Auxiliary data collections in February 2021 and 2022 assessed exposure to job loss/unemployment, furlough, workplace downsizing, or increased job insecurity versus stable employment and thoughts of suicide or self-harm (PHQ-9) during the pandemic. The analyses were based on 1558 individuals (2 349 observations) participating in either or both waves and who had been working before the pandemic. Logistic regression models with cluster-robust standard errors were fitted, including sociodemographic factors and prior mental health problems to control for potential confounding. Measures of personality based on a brief version of the Big-Five personality inventory were also added.

Results: The results indicated an association between all experiences, except furlough, and thoughts of suicide/self-harm, when adjusting for sex, age, civil status, socioeconomic status and prior mental health (job loss odds ratio (OR) = 3.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.79-7.63, downsizing OR = 2.41, CI 1.24-4.70, job insecurity OR = 2.77, CI 1.15-6.67). The associations for job loss and insecurity were attenuated by adjustment for personality, although it remained statistically significant for downsizing.

Conclusions: The results suggested a higher risk of suicidal ideation connected with loss of employment and survival of a downsizing, but not a forced reduction in working times/pay during the COVID-19 pandemic. The association for subjective job insecurity was less robust and may be partly explained by personality.

Objectives: In the present era, parents frequently stigmatize themselves for their children's negative behaviors and inadequate social skills. Parents' self-stigma (PSS) may lead to a decrease in parental self-efficacy and quality of marital and family life. In light of these reasons, the principal objective of this study to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the PSS Scale (PSSS) as developed by Eaton et al. (2019) and to investigate the indirect effect that parenting stress has on the relationship between PSS and parental self-efficacy.

Methods: We collected data from a total of 1,118 parents via random sampling, with the first part of the study involving 645 participants (M_age = 32.64 ± 7.28) and the second part of the study involving 473 participants (M_age = 27.43 ± 9.87). In the first part of the study, we employed structural equation modeling for the confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson's correlation coefficient for the criterion-related validity, average variance extracted, and composite reliability analyses. Moreover, we calculated Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and Guttman split-half coefficients for the reliability analyses. In the second part of the study, we utilized Hayes' bootstrapping method to assess the indirect effect of parenting stress on the relationship between PSS and parental self-efficacy.

Results: The first part of the study confirms the PSSS's 11-item, 3-factor structure, showing the Turkish form to have acceptable goodness-of-fit indices, and found Cronbach's alpha for the PSSS to be 0.89. Furthermore, the first part of the study demonstrates a significant negative correlation between marital life satisfaction and PSS. Meanwhile, the second part of the study has determined PSS to be positively related to parenting stress and negatively related to parental self-efficacy. The second part of the study also indicates parenting stress to have an indirect effect on the association between PSS and parental self-efficacy.

Conclusions: The study indicates the Turkish version of the PSSS to be a valid and reliable instrument in Turkish culture for measuring parents' PSS levels regarding their children, with higher scores indicating greater PSS. The scale can be effectively used in both research and clinical settings. The study also suggests parental stress to have a possible impact on the association between PSS and parental self-efficacy. Furthermore, addressing the variables of PSS and parenting stress in family-focused interviews and therapeutic interventions may contribute to increasing parental self-efficacy.

Background: Although extant literature has investigated the impacts of social sites on employees' job performance in different sectors, scholars have given little attention to teachers' job performance (TJoP) in higher educational institutes.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the direct and mediating impact of social media use (SMU) on TJoP. Based on social cognitive theory, this study proposed a model that consists of six hypotheses.

Methodology: To empirically test the model, we develop a survey link to collect data from respondents working in universities in Jiangsu province, China. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4 has been used for analyzing 454 respondents.

Results: Research findings demonstrate the significant effects of SMU on TJoP, well-being, and social media addiction (SMAdd). In addition, teachers' well-being and SMAdd have a positive and negative significant effect, respectively, on TJoP. Moreover, this research evidenced a significant partial mediation of teachers' well-being and SMAdd.

Conclusion: This study points out the key role of SMU in the direct and indirect influences of TJoP through well-being and SMAdd. Further, it brings into view the urgency of higher education to prudently consider the implications of SMU on performance and general well-being among its faculty.

Background: This study assessed the relationship between social media use and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). We calculated the prevalence of BDD in our sample and explored factors that may be associated with BDD. Various factors that we explored include sociodemographic characteristics, body image perceptions, and specific social media platforms used. The key focus of our study is understanding the impact of social media on mental health, specifically in the context of BDD.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional online survey that included the standardized Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (BDDQ). Data on social media use were collected through self-reported usage patterns. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify associations.

Results: Increased overall social media use was associated with BDD (p = 0.030). The prevalence of BDD in our sample was 1.8%. Age, being single and being a student were associated with BDD, with p values of 0.004, 0.023, and < 0.001, respectively. BDD was associated with comparing one's body image with that of people on social media (p = 0.001). BDD was associated with judging other people based on their appearance (p < 0.001). Using social media in the fields of celebrities (p = 0.020), fashion (p = 0.025), music and songs (p < 0.001) were associated with BDD.

Conclusions: Increased social media use is associated with BDD, but different patterns of social media use may affect this relationship, indicating the need for further research in this field.

Background and aim: Dog ownership has been suggested as an intervention to increase physical activity and improve mental health, but few studies have investigated the relationships between dog ownership, physical activity, and mental health outcomes together. This study aimed to (1) investigate whether dog ownership, CA-related physical activity, and non-CA-related physical activity were explanatory variables for the relationships between CA ownership, depression, and anxiety via loneliness and (2) examine whether the relationships between these variables differed for older adult CA owners compared to younger adult CA owners.

Method: Participants were Australian CA owners from the community (N = 588, 76.3% female) aged 18-84 years (M = 55.34, SD = 14.90). A cross-sectional design and online/phone survey methodology were used.

Results: Path analysis showed that dog owners (compared to owners of other CA types) engaged in higher levels of both CA-related and non-CA-related physical activity, but only non-CA-related physical activity was associated with mental health outcomes. Multigroup moderation analysis showed that older adult and younger adult CA owners experienced similar moderate levels of loneliness, while in younger adults this moderate loneliness was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety as compared to older adults.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate people who choose to own dogs over other CA types engage in more active lifestyles, but it is the physical activity they perform independently of their dog that is associated with less loneliness and greater mental health. Members of the public should not be universally encouraged by health or other professionals to own a dog to support their mental health based on a belief that dog ownership leads to beneficial physical activity.

Background: Resilience is a crucial factor in students' mental health, playing an important role in their successful adaptation to the academic environment. However, there is a lack of understanding about resilience and its associated factors in students from different undergraduate courses. This study aimed to describe the resilience profile of undergraduate students from various courses in Brazil and identify sociodemographic, economic, and academic factors associated with resilience.

Methods: This study has data from a cross-sectional multicenter study involving undergraduate students from eight Federal Institutions of Higher Education in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The dependent variable was resilience, measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) 10-item version, with sociodemographic, economic, and academic factors considered independent variables. Data was collected virtually via a self-administered questionnaire between October 2021 and February 2022 (during the covid-19 pandemic). Independent samples t-tests and ANOVAs were conducted to compare resilience scores between independent variables, and Tukey's post-hoc test was performed when necessary. Multiple linear regression was performed to create three models.

Results: 8,650 undergraduate students were included in this study. The average score on the resilience scale was 19.86 ± 8.15, with a normal distribution. The respondents ranged from 18 to 71 years old, averaging 23.9 ± 6.33. Being female, not having a religious belief, having low per capita family income, having had a decrease in the family income, not being heterosexual, or having the head of the family with a low education level were the main factors associated, individually, with low resilience scores in the sociodemographic and economic multiple linear regression model constructed. Being from linguistics, letters and arts courses, being enrolled in fewer subjects, or being from UFMG were the main factors associated, individually, with low resilience scores in the academic multiple linear regression model constructed.

Conclusions: The study's findings revealed that sociodemographic, economic, and academic variables were significantly associated with resilience scores in undergraduates from Minas Gerais during the covid-19 pandemic. These findings can help universities develop target strategies to promote students' resilience and reduce the risk of poor mental health among this population.

Background: Bullying and victimization have been studied in many contexts and classified as peer victimization in school settings and parental or sibling victimization within family settings. Yet, current research is scarce on whether victimization occurring within family settings is specific to parental or sibling victimization. Thus, the current study aims to develop a scale assessing victimization conducted by relatives and provide support for its psychometric properties.

Methods: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were collected from university students (1622 and 1045 students, respectively) and participants responded to questionnaires via an online survey.

Results: EFA and CFA results demonstrated the unidimensionality of the Relative Victimization Scale (RVS) consisting of eight items. In terms of convergent validity, RVS scores were correlated with the scores on parental, sibling, and peer victimization scales and several psychological health outcomes including depression, anxiety, social anxiety, perceived stress, loneliness, negative and positive affect, life satisfaction, and resilience. Moreover, RVS explained a significant amount of variance beyond the contribution of parental, sibling, and peer victimization in those psychological health outcomes for the support of incremental validity.

Conclusions: The findings of the study indicated the potential utility of the RVS in assessing the experience of relative victimization through offering support for internal consistency reliability and construct, longitudinal predictive, and incremental validity.

Background: In the context of a gradual increase in aging, improving the mental health of the elderly is particularly vital for coping with aging. Leveraging data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies, this study rigorously examines the influence of short video on the mental health of the elderly.

Methods: We use a multiple linear regression model to investigate the influence of short video usage on the mental health of the elderly. To address endogeneity concerns, this study employs two-stage least squares and propensity score matching to estimate the impact of short video usage on the mental health of the elderly.

Results: The empirical analysis reveals a substantive and statistically significant enhancement in the mental health of elderly people attributable to the use of short videos. To ensure the reliability and robustness of our estimations, a comprehensive battery of robustness tests is conducted, all of which consistently support the conclusion of a positive association between short video usage and improved mental health among the elderly. Furthermore, the results of the heterogeneity analysis suggest that short videos have less of an impact on elderly males and individuals with higher levels of education. The results of the mechanism analysis indicate that the use of short videos can enhance the mental health of elderly individuals by positively impacting the intergenerational relationships between them and their children, as well as their leisure consumption habits.

Conclusions: This study can provide policy inspiration for the government to improve the mental health of the elderly and achieve active aging.

Background: Enough is known about self-regulation to establish it as a priority target for education and intervention efforts beginning in early childhood, yet not enough to meaningfully and reliably alter developmental trajectories. Rather than resigning our aspirations, we need more nuanced and integrative understanding of self-regulation abilities and change.

Methods: Launching in 2024, SPROUTS is a 3-year longitudinal study of early self-regulation, beginning in the pre-school period (3-5 years old at Wave 1) with retrospective data back to birth and annual data collection across the transition to school period (ages 5-7 years at Wave 3). Data will be collected on children's self-regulation, related abilities, outcomes, as well as prior and current contexts. One nested study within each Wave-that contributes complementary insights via supplementary and in-depth methods and data-will enable further exploration of contemporary issues related to self-regulation.

Discussion: Insights generated can potentiate more effective intervention and education efforts by: improving intervention cost-benefit ratios; identifying likely mechanisms of change; easing burdens of unhealthy and antisocial behaviours associated with low self-regulation; and, most importantly, contributing to giving children the best early start to life. These benefits are timely in the context of intense policy and educational interest in fostering children's self-regulation.

Trial registration: Open Science Framework: osf.io/maqdg. Date of registration: 26 Sep 2024.