International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology最新文献

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate sexual communication as a mechanism involved in the link between emotion regulation and sexual functioning in a sample of adult women, also testing the moderating role of relationship status and age in this association.

Method

1344 sexually active cisgender women (aged 18–57, M = 27.34; SD= 6.484) were recruited from March 30, 2021, to April 12, 2021, through an online survey. From the initial sample, 1280 women were retained and included in the analysis. Participants were asked to respond to three self-report questionnaires: the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Communication subscale of the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).

Results

We found that sexual communication mediated the link between emotion regulation abilities and female sexual functioning. Moreover, we found that age, but not relationship status, moderated the association between emotion regulation and sexual communication, so that older women with difficulties in emotion regulation processes showed worse sexual communication abilities as compared to younger women.

Conclusions

According to this study's results, clinicians and sexual therapists should carefully consider emotion regulation abilities and sexual communication as crucial factors in promoting women's sexual well-being.

Background

Transcranial magnetic stimulation-electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) is a powerful technique to study the neuropathology and biomarkers of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study investigated cortical activity and its relationship with clinical symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in MDD patients by indexing TMS-EEG biomarkers in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Methods

133 patients with MDD and 76 healthy individuals participated in this study. Single-pulse TMS was performed on the left DLPFC to obtain TMS-evoked potential (TEP) indices. TMS-EEG waveforms and components were determined by global mean field amplitude. We used the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) to measure participants’ cognitive function.

Results

Patients with MDD had a lower excitatory P180 index compared to healthy controls, and P180 amplitude was negatively correlated with the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with MDD. In the MDD group, P30 amplitude was negatively associated with RBANS Visuospatial/ Constructional index and total score.

Conclusions

TMS-EEG findings suggest that abnormal cortical excitation and inhibition induced by TMS on the DLPFC are associated with the severity of clinical symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in patients with MDD. P180 and P30 have the potential to serve as neurophysiological biomarkers of clinical symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in MDD patients, respectively.

Background/Objective

Socioeconomic disparities in mental health are well-established. Previous research suggests that relative income rank is associated with depressive symptoms above and beyond absolute income. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of income rank for future depressive symptoms while accounting for absolute income. Exploring potential reverse pathways from depressive symptoms to income rank was a secondary objective.

Method

A two-wave cross-lagged panel design with a 5-year follow-up was used to analyze data for income rank, absolute income, and two dimensions of depressive symptoms (i.e., cognitive-affective and somatic symptoms) from initially 4,201 employees. Income rank was calculated for reference groups, based on the same gender, the same 5-year age band, and the same occupational skill level.

Results

Lower income rank at baseline predicted a higher severity of cognitive-affective depressive symptoms at five-year follow-up, even after adjusting for absolute income. In contrast, income rank did not demonstrate a significant unique longitudinal association with somatic depressive symptoms when simultaneously taking absolute income into account. There was no evidence for the assumption that depressive symptoms are predictive for future income rank (i.e., reverse pathway).

Conclusions

Cognitive-affective symptoms of depression might be particularly responsive to social comparisons and a relatively low social rank.

The present study aimed to investigate the interplay between adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among adult female victims of sexual assault)SA(. While prior research has established the link between insecure attachment style and PTS, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The potential role of perceived social support as a mediator in this relationship has been largely neglected and there is a dearth of studies investigating this mediation among victims of SA. The present study sought to address this gap in literature. Two hundred twenty-six women who have endured SA completed self-report measures of attachment style, perceived social support, and PTS, using an online survey. The results confirmed the anticipated pattern, showing a positive correlation between insecure attachment styles and PTS, as well as a negative correlation with perceived social support. A mediation analysis indicated that perceived social support may be a mechanism linking attachment styles to PTS. Following SA, insecurely attached women, especially those with avoidant attachment, have difficulties relying on and utilizing support from their environment, which may render them more susceptible to PTS. Nevertheless, the mediation was partial, indicating that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance independently contribute to the development and maintenance of PTS.

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a brief screening instrument (F-SozU K-3) for the measurement of perceived social support in large scale surveys by shortening a well-established German questionnaire (F-SozU K-6).

Method

First, a brief three-item version of the F-SozU was developed based on a representative sample of N = 2482 respondents using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Second, the newly developed brief three-item questionnaire was evaluated and standardized in an independent second representative population sample (N = 2501).

Results

A suitable three-item solution with a good internal consistency (α = 0.89, ω = 0.89) was identified. Full invariance across sex and partnership was established. Construct validity of the brief three-item form was established. Younger age, female sex, partnership status, and current employment were positively associated with higher social support scores. Norm values for the general sample and separately for sex and partnership status were reported.

Conclusions

The newly developed F-SozU K-3 is a reliable and valid screening instrument. It can be used as an economical alternative to previous longer instruments, especially in large scale surveys.

Background

Bystander behaviors can be an important key for preventing all forms of violence against women. Identifying their facilitators and barriers becomes a priority. The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of the previous experiences of women (as sexual harassment victim or bystander) on their perceived responsibility to intervene as bystander in a case of workplace sexual harassment and to determine the possible mediating role of certain attitudinal and evaluative factors.

Method

A non-probability convenience sample of 633 Spanish women answered a sociodemographic data questionnaire, a victimization questionnaire designed ad hoc, and the Questionnaire of Intention to Help in VAW Cases.

Results

The results obtained indicate that previous victimization experiences as a victim or witness of sexual harassment impact the responsibility to intervene, mediated by the acceptance of sexual harassment myths and the perceived severity of workplace sexual harassment.

Conclusions

These results may help to understand how to design prevention programs and which key variables to incorporate.

Background

Anxiety and depression symptomatology has increased in the child and adolescent population. Internet-delivered psychological treatments (IDPT) can help to reduce this symptomatology, attending to the largest possible population.

Aim

To conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis of IDPT to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adolescents.

Methods

The search for studies was conducted in SCOPUS, PsycINFO, PSICODOC, PsycARTICLES and Medline, between 2000 and 2022, in December 2022. Studies were selected if they were conducted with a sample of children and/or adolescents with previous symptoms of anxiety and depression, had applied IDPT, and included at least two comparative groups with pretest-posttest measures. Network meta-analyses were separately performed for anxiety and depression outcomes. Publication bias was analyzed using Egger's test and funnel plots, and mixed-effects meta-regression models were applied to account for heterogeneity.

Results

37 studies were included in the meta-analysis, providing a total of 74 comparative groups. IDPT exhibited low-to-moderate, statistically significant average effect sizes when compared to both inactive and active controls. No statistical significance was found when IDPT was compared with other types of interventions.

Discussion

IDPT is recommended to reduce anxiety and depression symptomatology in children and adolescents, but more studies are needed which compare treatments with other types of interventions, such as face-to-face therapy.

Background

Psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, and somatization, are among the most important predictors for women's sexual function (i.e., arousal, desire, lubrication, pain, and satisfaction) and sexual distress. These associations have largely been studied at the construct level, with little research examining which specific symptoms might be most important for maintaining links between psychological difficulties and domains of sexual function. The present research sought to establish and characterize networks of women's psychological symptoms, sexual function, and sexual distress, and identify potential bridge symptoms that connect them.

Methods

In a cross–sectional study, 725 women reported on their sexual function, sexual distress, and depressive, anxiety, and somatization symptoms. A series of network analyses was used to identify central symptoms and connections between psychological symptoms, sexual function domains, and sexual distress.

Results

Across the modeled networks, sexual distress and pain during sex were consistent bridges between other sexual function domains and psychological symptoms.

Discussion

Overall, our models revealed sexual distress as an important potential mediator between sexual function problems and psychological symptoms that might contribute to the development and maintenance of comorbid sexual function and psychological problems.

Introduction

Sexual distress related to sexual function (SDRSF) is pivotal in diagnosing sexual dysfunction. However, there is a lack of theoretical models for its comprehension and of knowledge concerning how to address it in clinical practice.

Aim

To contribute to theory building and clinical practice about SDRSF by collecting clinicians' accounts, aiming to inform a preliminary framework to study and intervene in SDRSF.

Method

Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data from 16 semi-structured interviews with clinical sexologists. Results: Three main themes were created: (1) Burning from the inside, (2) Wicked games, and (3) Running up that hill. Participants revealed a multidimensional understanding of SDRSF in clinical settings that integrates individual, sociocultural, interpersonal and situational factors. This underscores the interconnected nature of SDRSF, revealing its links to different facets of overall distress in clinical settings. We present a preliminary framework that may be analytically generalized to enhance the comprehension of the specificities of SDRSF.

Conclusion

These insights frame a comprehensive conceptualization of SDRSF in clinical settings that goes beyond sexual activity and implies that interpersonal and societal factors need to be considered in research and intervention in this field.

Background/Objective

This study aimed to investigate the within-person and between-person effects of religious variables on mental health and vice versa.

Method

Using a large sample of adults residing in Germany from the GESIS Panel study (N = 8146), the random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used. Data on six dimensions of religion (i.e., membership in a religious community; attendance at a place of worship; frequency of prayers; importance of religion in life; and participation in a religious organization) and three indicators of mental health (i.e., depression symptoms, happiness, and life satisfaction) were collected.

Results

The findings revealed that there is almost no evidence of lagged effects of religion on mental health and limited evidence regarding the role of mental health in influencing the dimensions of religion. Moreover, at the between-person level, there was some evidence of significant covariance between the trait-like components, indicating stable, trait-like differences between persons on religion and mental health.

Conclusions

The beneficial effect of religion on mental health may have been exaggerated in previous research.