Journal of Health Psychology最新文献

Extant literature has consistently documented the adverse impact of fear of COVID-19 on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people living with HIV (PLWHIV), as they are more prone to being infected with this deadly disease than the normal population. However, studies on the mechanism that could mitigate this adverse impact are lacking. We investigated whether self-compassion could buffer the negative impact of fear of COVID-19 on HRQoL among PLWHIV. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, 241 outpatients (41.5% male, 58.5% female) from two Nigerian healthcare facilities were conveniently sampled. Results showed that heightened fear of COVID-19 was associated with poorer HRQoL across four domains. Unexpectedly, self-compassion neither predicted HRQoL nor buffered the impact of fear of COVID-19 on HRQoL. Practical interventions should prioritize reducing fear of COVID-19 and addressing broader psycho-social factors to enhance HRQoL in this vulnerable population.

Current literature on tobacco dependence often overlooks the nuanced interplay between individual and psychosocial factors over time. This study employed Random Intercept-Latent Transition Analysis to examine the progression of tobacco dependence among established smokers, focusing on how demographic variables and psychosocial influences impact transitions between dependence levels. Data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study across three waves (n = 12,823; 45.3% female) were analyzed. Four latent classes were identified: Stable Low Dependence, Increasing Dependence, Worsening Dependence, and Stable High Dependence. Younger individuals and Hispanic populations were more likely to progress to higher dependence levels, with family and peer influences linked to worsening dependence. These findings highlight the need for personalized, culturally sensitive interventions that address specific stages of tobacco dependence, informing more effective tobacco control strategies that consider both individual and contextual factors.

This study aimed to evaluate the experiences of women with familial breast cancer history (FBCH) to understand their emotions and reactions. A qualitative approach was used relying on the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 women attending a Medical Imaging Center with FBCH and a high risk (over 25%) according to the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk assessment model. Theoretical concept derived from the subset of the seven main research questions resulted in 30 subcategories with 10 categories, which were categorized into two core concepts, "adaptive responses" and "maladaptive responses." Based on the findings, in screening target women, physicians and other healthcare professionals should consider referrals not only to genetic and medical imaging services but also to psychological services as supportive measures to preserve the quality of life of these individuals.

The present study examined the relationship between self-objectification and depressive symptoms among young Chinese women (N = 324), and investigated the roles of appearance comparison on social networking sites (SNS) and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in this relationship. The results showed that self-objectification was associated with depressive symptoms, and the relationship was mediated by appearance comparison on SNS. The study also found that regulatory emotional self-efficacy moderated the indirect relationship between self-objectification and depressive symptoms via appearance comparison on SNS. These findings suggest that regulatory emotional self-efficacy plays a buffering role between appearance comparison on SNS and depressive symptoms. Based on our results, interventions that address young Chinese women' depressive symptoms could include reducing self-objectification, decreasing appearance comparison on SNS, and improving regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Our research provides new insights into the interactions between self-objectification and the risk to women's mental health.

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of fear of death in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality in earthquake survivors. Participants were 190 voluntary earthquake survivors (n_men = 64, n_women = 123, three of them not specified) aged between 18 and 64 years. Data collection tools were the Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Basic Scale on Insomnia Complaints/Quality of Sleep, and sociodemographic information form. Data were analyzed via correlation and mediation analyses. Significant positive correlations were found between intolerance of uncertainty and poor sleep quality, intolerance of uncertainty and fear of death, and fear of death and poor sleep quality. Fear of death had no mediating role in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality. Given that intolerance of uncertainty and fear of death are related to sleep quality, it is critical to consider these variables in sleep quality intervention programs for earthquake survivors.

This study developed and validated the Pregnancy Coping Scale (PCS) for women in Pakistan. Fifty-two items were generated from a literature review and interviews with 20 pregnant women. Six psychologists evaluated the content validity. Construct validity was evaluated with 230 pregnant women aged 18-40 recruited from government and private hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Principal component analysis produced 35 items across seven factors, with Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.52 to 0.72. Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated in a subsample of 140 participants who completed the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory (Nu-PCI). A correlational analysis indicated convergence with four Nu-PCI subscales; the remaining subscales supported discriminant validity. The PCS demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity for assessing pregnancy coping in a collectivistic culture.

Stress around COVID-19 among university students is associated with higher physical symptom burden and worse overall health status. This study examined whether RNT and trait forgiveness mediate the link between perceived stress and health outcomes among Chinese university students. A total of 1342 students participated in a survey during the middle of the semester that assessed perceived stress, RNT, trait forgiveness, and various health outcomes. Results revealed significant mediating effects of both RNT and trait forgiveness on the relationship between perceived stress and health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and physical health. Moreover, the interplay between RNT and trait forgiveness mediated this association. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the interactions among perceived stress, RNT, trait forgiveness, and health outcomes, highlighting the importance of addressing stress and RNT to enhance forgiveness and overall well-being in university students.

This study examined the illness perceptions held by individuals living with endometriosis, and their associations with psychological distress and chronic pain, over time. At baseline, 408 participants provided demographic and clinical information and completed measures of illness perceptions, anxiety and depression, and pain. One-year later, 283 of these participants completed the same measures again. Results showed that participants held largely negative perceptions of their endometriosis, perceiving adverse consequences, enduring timeline, and negative emotional representations of their condition. Additionally, participants felt a lack of personal control over the condition. Multiple regression analyses (controlling for demographics, clinical factors, and baseline levels of the outcome variables) showed that illness perceptions do not predict anxiety and depression at 12-month follow-up. However, the perception of illness timeline did significantly predict pain intensity at follow-up.

Honest communication between patients and doctors is essential for providing quality healthcare. The present study tested a sample of 158 younger and 149 older adults and assessed how often they lied to their doctor about their health behaviors (exercise, food/diet, alcohol use, illicit drug use, cigarette smoking). We also assessed perceptions of two communication strategies where patients reported their health concerns verbally to their doctor (direct communication) or by writing down their concerns before seeing the doctor (indirect communication). Lying to one's doctor was common across adults, but younger adults were more likely to lie about drug use and cigarette smoking compared with older adults. Younger adults also showed a stronger preference for indirect communication and reported that this communication method would make them more honest with their doctor during a routine check-up. These results offer insight into enhancing honesty between patients and doctors.

Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19, it is important to understand factors that may underlie Black American emerging adults' adherence to safety guidelines that could potentially reduce spread of illness and hospitalization. The current study examined how COVID-19 worry about mental health (CWMH) and COVID-19 worry about physical health (CWPH) predicted use of face masks, and whether perceived discrimination moderated these relations. The sample included 164 Black American emerging adults, age 18-25 (M = 8.82, SD = 2.06). Findings indicated that perceived discrimination was a moderator, such that at higher levels of discrimination, CWMH predicted use of face masks, but this relation was not significant at lower levels of discrimination. CWPH did not predict use of face masks, and perceived discrimination was not a moderator of this relation. Overall, considering the role of race-related experiences and CWMH is important for understanding the use of face masks among Black Americans.