Psychiatry-Interpersonal and Biological Processes最新文献

Background: Soldiers are resilient to just war events, such as killing enemy combatants and life-threatening experiences, but these same soldiers appear to struggle with unjust war events, such as killing a noncombatant or being unable to help civilian women and children in need. This study is the first to examine how just and unjust war experiences are associated with clinical health service outcomes. Methods: Two samples of soldiers in different stages of readjustment from deployment were drawn from a longitudinal, survey-based study of a US Army brigade. Measures included items related to combat events, mental health utilization, perceived mental health need, PTSD, depression, and functional impairment. Results: After controlling for other kinds of combat events, just war events (i.e., life-threatening events and killing enemy combatants) predicted outcomes in soldiers who are less than three months post-deployment, but only predicted 2 of 26 outcomes in soldiers one year post deployment. In contrast, unjust war events were found to be robust predictors of short-term and long-term outcomes related to mental health need and utilization, even after controlling for exposure to other combat events. Conclusions: The results extend previous longitudinal research that suggests that exposure to unjust war events carry a heavier long-term mental health burden than other types of events. Additionally, Soldiers exposed to unjust war events had an unmet need for care one year post deployment that was not directly tied to PTSD or depression. The results question the emphasis on life-threat within mental health pathogenesis models.

Background: Despite studies evaluating the insertion of technology and the use of smartphones in the mental health and learning of medical students, few have investigated these outcomes longitudinally. This study aims to investigate the association between smartphone use and digital addiction with mental health, quality of life, learning, and academic motivation of medical students. Methods: This is a longitudinal study conducted between 2016 and 2018. Socio-demographics, smartphone use, digital dependence (Internet Addiction Test), surface and deep learning approach (Biggs), motivation (Academic Motivation Scale), evaluation of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS- 21) and Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) were assessed. Adjusted regression models were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 269 students were included(51.4% of the total). In the two-year follow-up, despite an increase in the frequency of smartphone use in general and also in the classroom for non-educational activities, no increase in digital dependence was found. In the adjusted models, the frequency of smartphone use and digital dependence were predictors of lower academic motivation and greater surface learning after two years of follow up. However, only digital dependence was a predictor of worse mental health (anxiety, depression, and stress) and worse quality of life. Conclusion: Greater use of smartphones and high addiction scores were associated with worse educational outcomes. Digital dependence was another marker of outcomes in mental health and quality of life. It is important that educators are aware of these negative effects and can guide students on the proper and safe use of these devices.

Objective: Mothers of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for depressive symptoms. This study investigated whether anxiety symptoms mediate the relationships between hopelessness and depressive symptoms in mothers with newborn infants admitted to the NICU.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the NICU of a university hospital in Turkey between October 2021 and March 2022. A total of 100 mothers whose infants were hospitalized in the NICU participated in the study. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Data Form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). Linear regression analysis was used to examine the effect of demographic characteristics on scale scores. In order to test whether the anxiety score has a mediating role in the relationship between hopelessness and depression, the analysis was made based on the bootstrap method and the Maximum Likelihood method.Results: Levels of the depression, anxiety and hopelessness levels of the NICU mothers were not affected by the demographic variables of the parent and the infant. Hopelessness was found to predict depressive symptoms (β = 0.476; p < .050). In addition, according to the mediator variable analysis results, it was found that anxiety had a mediating role between the level of hopelessness and depressive symptoms (β = 0.596; p < .050). Accordingly, hopelessness explains 52.5% of the change in depression along with anxiety.Conclusion: Our study detailed the specific process of depressive symptoms caused by hopelessness in NICU mothers.

Objective: This cross-sectional study examined the levels of self-stigma, hope, and family functioning among Chinese people with mental illness (MI). We also investigated the mediating role of family functioning in the relationship between self-stigma and hope. Method: Three-hundred thirty participants with MI (M_age = 42.73, SD = 14.11, 52.09% female, 61.74% schizophrenia) were surveyed. Hayes' PROCESS macro analysis (Model 4) was performed to verify the mediating effect. Results: The analysis revealed that 43.1% of the respondents had a high level of self-stigma, 68.5% indicated a low/moderate level of hope, and 54% had moderate/severe impairment in family functioning. This supports the partial mediating effect of family functioning on the relationship between self-stigma and hope. Conclusions: The self-stigmatizing experiences of Chinese people with MI adversely impair normal family functioning and reduce hope, limiting recovery prospects. Relevant results highlight the influence of the family environment on the psychological mechanisms of PMI. Limitations and future research directions are addressed.

Introduction: Phantom vibration syndrome (PVS) and phantom ringing syndrome (PRS) is a false sensation of phone vibration and ringing when it is not. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of PVS/PRS among medical students and to determine factors including level of smartphone usage associated with the development of phantom sensations.

Methods: Using cross-sectional analytical design, sociodemographic details, information on phantom sensations and phone usage among medical students in our institution in Puducherry, India, was obtained. Stratified random sampling strategy was incorporated to achieve a sample size of 369. Also, overuse of phone was assessed using Smartphone Addiction scale - short version (SAS-SV). Prevalence of PVS and PRS was summarized as a proportion with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Prevalence ratio for the factors associated with the phantom syndrome (PVS/PRS) was estimated using log-binomial regression.

Results: Using data from 383 students, the prevalence of phantom syndrome (PVS/PRS) was 44.9% (39.9-50.0%). PVS was more prevalent than PRS (27.9% vs 21.2%). There was a significant difference in SAS-SV scores between those with the phantom syndrome and those without. Students who stay in hostel (aPR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.46 to 2.43), self-reported overuse of phone (aPR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.56 to 2.45) and higher smartphone addiction score (aPR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.53) were found to be significant determinants to have PVS/PRS.

Conclusion: Overall, one in two medical students had either PVS or PRS in our institution, Puducherry. Higher smartphone usage was a significant predictor of the presence of PVS/PRS.

Objective: Dissociative symptoms are considered risk factors for suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this study, the relationship between suicidal behaviors and NSSI with dissociative symptoms in adolescents with a history of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) was investigated. Methods: A total of 100 adolescents with a history of CSA were evaluated with a detailed forensic psychiatric interview. Dissociative symptoms were measured with the self-report Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) and the parent-reported Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC). Results: While dissociative symptoms did not differ between adolescents with and without suicide attempts (CDC; p = .068 and A-DES; p = .060), they were significantly higher in adolescents with non-suicidal self-harming behavior (CDC; p < .001 and A-DES; p = .001). Suicide attempts and NSSI were more common in those who reported genital touching as a type of sexual abuse (respectively, p = .003; p = .048). In regression analysis; history of psychiatric treatment (OR = 9.09 [95% CI = 1.52, 54.29]) and NSSI (OR = 8.18 [95% CI = 2.01, 33.23]) were independently associated with suicide attempts. In addition, parent-reported dissociative symptoms (CDC scores) (OR = 1.27 [95% CI = 1.06, 1.53] and suicide attempt (OR = 8.09 [95%CI = 1.96,33.42] showed independent association with NSSI. Conclusions: Dissociative symptoms may be predictive factors for NSSI and should be considered in risk assessment of adolescents with a history of CSA.

Objective: Relying on anthropomorphism research, Illness Personification Theory (ILL-PERF) posits that individuals living with a chronic illness ascribe human-like characteristics to their illness. Herein we examine the personification of chronic pain using a new measure: the Ben-Gurion University Illness Personification Scale (BGU-IPS). Method: Three samples of chronic pain patients (Sample 1 and 2 are distinct samples sharing similar characteristics, collected in the context of a cross-sectional design, Ns = 259, 263; Sample 3: a 2-waves longitudinal, N =163) completed the 12-item BGU-IPS, and measures of pain and related factors. Results: An orthogonal, two-factor structure was revealed for the BGU-IPS pertaining to negative vs. positive personifications. Negative personification was associated with pain intensity and illness-related distress (e.g., depression and low adjustment to pain). Positive personification was correlated with hope, pain-related sense of control, and low depression. However, positive personification also augmented the associations between negative personification and several risk factors. Conclusions: Pain personification, particularly as assessed via the BGU-IPS, plays a major role in (mal)adaptation to chronic pain.

Objective: The purpose was to examine five types of adversity and their associations with separating from military service among a nationally representative sample of U.S. National Guard and Reserve (NGR) service members.

Methods: Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between separating from the service and adversities, and demographic differences in adversities experienced among those who had separated from the service and those who stayed in the service.

Results: Those who left the military were more likely to report financial (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.01-2.70) and healthcare access problems (OR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.10-4.46). Among those who left the military, female service members were more likely to experience interpersonal adversity (OR = 4.28, 95% CI = 1.15-15.87), and Army and Marine service members were more likely to experience job-employment adversity (OR = 4.92, 95% CI = 1.50-16.12) and financial adversity (OR = 6.46, 95% CI = 1.22-34.33).

Conclusion: Separating service members experience financial adversity and challenges with healthcare access. Interpersonal difficulties are particularly experienced by female service members, and job/employment difficulties experienced by Army and Marine veterans. Continued efforts are needed to facilitate service delivery for NGR separating service members who need them.