BMC Psychology最新文献

Background: With the ever-increasing use of smartphones, the reciprocal impact of mental disorders and smartphone overuse has become a novel challenge. This study investigated the association between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and smartphone addiction (SA) in a large sample of Iranian public sector employees.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis was conducted based on the baseline data of the Employees' Health Cohort Study of Iran (EHCSIR). The 33-item Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) was administered to measure smartphone addiction. The Persian version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) was used to identify lifetime OCD in the baseline assessment. Multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the association of OCD with SA and the six dimensions of SAS after adjusting for sociodemographic and job-related variables.

Results: Of the 3,945 participants (mean age = 42.9 years, female = 64.3%), 438 subjects (11.1%) were smartphone-addicted. The prevalence of lifetime OCD was 2.5%. Lifetime OCD was significantly associated with smartphone addiction (OR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.44-3.58). In addition, lifetime OCD was associated with five dimensions of SAS: daily life disturbance (p-value < 0.05), positive anticipation (p < .05), withdrawal (p < .01), cyberspace-oriented relationship (p < .01), and overuse (p < .01).

Conclusions: OCD was associated with a higher likelihood of smartphone addiction and several dimensions of problematic smartphone use. These findings highlight the relevance of psychiatric disorders in shaping digital behavior and may inform interventions targeting mental health in the workplace. Given the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data, causality cannot be inferred and reporting bias may exist. Future studies incorporating objective usage measures and considering additional psychological factors (e.g., stress, impulsivity) are warranted.

Background: Child sexual abuse perpetrators (CSAPs) differ from the usual criminal stereotype in terms of their modus operandi. This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence, their expectational trust (i.e., expectational benevolence/malevolence), and awareness of the CSAPs' characteristics and grooming methods.

Method: This study employed a correlational, cross-sectional research design within a quantitative framework. In this correlational study, 1137 senior pre-service teachers enrolled in the faculty of education.

Results: According to the findings, emotional intelligence predicted awareness of CSAPs. Besides, in the relationship between emotional intelligence and awareness of CSAPs, expectational malevolence played a mediating role. Namely, individuals with high emotional intelligence can more easily sense the expectational malevolence of the other party and know more about the characteristics of CSAPs.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of emotional intelligence and expectational malevolence in enhancing individuals' awareness and grooming strategies of CSAPs. These psychological capacities may serve as foundational elements in the training of future professionals.

Background: Adolescence is a formative yet vulnerable developmental period, marked by heightened emotional volatility and risk for depression and anxiety. Meaning in life (MiL)-the sense that one's existence is purposeful, significant, and coherent-has been proposed as a key psychological resource, but its mechanisms affecting mental health in non-Western youth remain under-examined. This study investigated associations between MiL and psychological outcomes, and tested whether life satisfaction and resilience mediated these relationships.

Methods: Data in this study were drawn from the Guangdong Adolescents Mental Health Survey conducted between September and December 2023, which included 5,759 adolescents. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships among the research variables. Mediation analysis was employed to examine the mechanism through which MiL influences mental health.

Results: The presence of meaning was strongly associated with lower depression and anxiety and higher life satisfaction and resilience. Mediation analyses showed that life satisfaction and resilience partially accounted for these effects, with life satisfaction emerging as the dominant pathway. In contrast, search for meaning exhibited mixed associations, predicting greater distress once indirect effects were controlled, suggesting that existential exploration may entail short-term costs during identity formation.

Conclusions: Meaning in life functions as both a stabilising and developmental force in adolescent mental health-buffering distress through satisfaction and resilience while reflecting normative struggles for identity and coherence. Cultivating meaning may thus represent a culturally adaptable, evidence-based avenue for youth mental-health promotion in China.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the depression status of the MSM population, explore the depression characteristics associated with different HIV statuses within this group, and determine the key factors influencing depression in this population.

Study design: This was a cross-sectional web-based survey.

Methods: This study was conducted through a web-based comprehensive HIV service platform for the MSM population. The questionnaire included basic socio-demographic information of the respondents, HIV-related information and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). A decision tree model combined with logistic regression was used to assess the factors influencing depression in the MSM population.

Results: Among the 1070 MSM in this study, the depression prevalence was 28.9%, the overall HIV prevalence among MSM was 3.4%, the depression prevalence among HIV-positive MSM was 44.4%, and that among HIV-negative MSM was 26.3%. Decision tree modelling combined with logistic regression analysis showed that marital status, age and employment status were the factors significantly influencing depression in the MSM population.

Conclusions: The prevalence of depression is high in the MSM population. Marital status, age and employment status are influential factors for depression in the MSM population. Decision tree modelling combined with logistic regression could be considered as an assessment tool for the relationship between HIV infection and depression and their correlates in the MSM population.

This study aimed to examine how athletes' perceptions of supportive and controlling coaching behaviours influence their perceived performance through the mediating effects of psychological safety, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience. Unlike previous work, this study integrates these three psychological factors into a single structural model, offering a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking coaching behaviours to performance perceptions. Data were collected from 369 Turkish athletes representing different sports and competitive levels using validated self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to analyse the direct and indirect relationships among variables. The results revealed that supportive coaching behaviours positively predicted perceived performance through increased psychological safety, self-efficacy, and resilience, whereas controlling coaching behaviours had the opposite effect. Among the mediators, self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictor of performance perception. These findings provide novel evidence that psychological safety and resilience strengthen this relationship by fostering adaptive and confident athlete functioning. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the integrative role of psychological resources within the frameworks of self-determination and social cognitive theories. Practically, it underscores the importance of supportive coaching practices that enhance psychological resources essential for sustained motivation, well-being, and optimal performance.

In Türkiye, earthquakes have painfully reminded us in the recent past, and as a result, earthquake anxiety is widespread. Determining the impact of earthquake resilience (ER), which is thought to alleviate this situation, on earthquake anxiety (EA) and understanding the moderating role of being female and male in this relationship is important for improving preparedness for earthquakes. The aim of this study is to examine the moderating role of gender in the effect of individuals' ER on EA. The study was conducted within Turkish society after the earthquake that left deep scars on February 6, 2023. 582 participants (55% of whom were female) included in the sample completed a demographic information form, an online survey on earthquake resilience, and earthquake anxiety. The results showed a significant but weak negative relationship between ER and EA, with resilience increasing as anxiety decreased. Neither earthquake resilience nor gender had an effect on earthquake anxiety. More importantly, gender did not have any moderating role in the effect of ER on EA. These results may be an important guide for conducting research with different subtypes of earthquake resilience that may be effective for earthquake anxiety.

Introduction: Psilocybin may effectively treat psychological distress in cancer patients. A meta-analysis assessed its safety and effectiveness in this context.

Methods: A comprehensive search across six databases (Scopus, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science) was conducted to identify studies on psilocybin's effects on mental health in cancer patients up to November 2024. Both randomized and non-randomized trials were included, assessing anxiety, depression, and other mental outcomes at short-term (2-5 weeks) and long-term (6 months) follow-ups. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane tools, and statistical analyses were performed with Stata version 17.

Results: In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), psilocybin significantly reduced depressive symptoms, with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (standardized mean difference [SMD] = - 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: - 3.99 to - 1.76, p < 0.001) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale (HADS-D) (SMD = - 2.97, 95% CI: - 3.60 to - 2.33, p < 0.001) showing strong effects. Anxiety outcomes were mixed: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) was not significant (SMD = - 3.63, p = 0.11), while the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) also showed inconsistent results. Short-term analyses (2-5 weeks) revealed significant improvements in the BDI (SMD = - 1.17), HADS-D (SMD = - 1.58), and HADS-A (SMD = - 1.99), all p < 0.001. Long-term analyses (6 months) demonstrated sustained benefits on the BDI (SMD = - 2.60, p = 0.04) and HADS-D (SMD = - 3.56, p = 0.01). Measures of quality of life (QOL) and spiritual well-being using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) scale also improved significantly after psilocybin treatment.

Conclusion: Psilocybin may reduce depressive symptoms in cancer patients, with mixed effects on anxiety and time-dependent improvements in spiritual well-being and (in single-arm data) quality of life. Given the small number of studies, high heterogeneity, challenges with blinding/expectancy, and frequent co-intervention with psychotherapy, these findings are preliminary. Larger, rigorously blinded trials are needed to determine clinical effectiveness and safety.