Journal of Health Psychology最新文献

The COVID-19 pandemic brought different challenges to different populations. A less explored group was university students who generally suffered low mortality rates compared to other populations. Yet, they were affected by the psychological impact of lockdowns and limited access to education and socialization. This paper focuses on Slovakia, one of the least vaccinated EU countries. In November 2021 we conducted eight focus groups with 51 university students (45 women; 6 men; M = 23.67; SD = 3.43) and analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Our results identified the development of prevailing themes associated with COVID-19. Initially, COVID-19 was perceived as unreal but brought certain secondary benefits. We also identified themes of exaggerated disease, conspiracy, resignation, frustration, or adaptation to the disease. We divided the students into three groups based on their COVID-19 vaccine stance: accepting, hesitant, and rejecting. Insights from these groups could guide better communication strategies in the future.

Emotional awareness (EA) is thought to facilitate psychological health by aiding emotion regulation in oneself and garnering social support from others. This study tested these potential relationships within a one-year longitudinal study of 460 women (age 23-91 years, mean 56.4 years) recently diagnosed with breast cancer (i.e., within four months). The women completed measures of emotional awareness, social support, social stress, affective symptoms, and well-being. Linear models tested EA as a moderator of social support and stress on affective symptoms and well-being. In those with higher EA, low social support was associated with greater depression and lower optimism. There was some evidence that higher EA predicted greater depression at baseline but lower depression at nine-month follow-up. These results support the idea that EA increases sensitivity to available social support and facilitates emotional adjustment over time, suggesting that assessment of EA could help guide clinicians in identifying those at greatest risk of adverse mental health outcomes in this population.

Whilst 'brain fog' is mostly considered a biological problem little is understood about an individual's experience. This qualitative study explored women's experiences of brain fog focusing on those at the start (aged 18-25; n = 10) and end (aged 45-60; n = 10) of their reproductive journey. Descriptive thematic analysis described three themes: (i) 'daily disruptions' describing cognitive dysfunctions and the main triggers; (ii) 'the cycle of impact' with a focus on women's emotional experiences and how these can exacerbate brain fog; (iii) 'taking control' highlighting the use of self-care, physical prompts and Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) to manage brain fog. Transcending these themes was the notion of 'crisis of identity' illustrating the negative impact of brain fog on the women's sense of self with some older women describing acceptance and finding it less challenging. Brain fog is much more than a biological phenomenon and has broader implications for a woman's sense of self.

This study evaluates the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Work-Related Stress Scale (WRSS) among search and rescue workers who responded to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Data were collected from 275 workers between January and April 2024 using the Personal Information Form and the Turkish version of the WRSS. Language, content, and construct validity were assessed, and reliability was determined using item-total correlation, Cronbach's alpha, split-half, and test-retest methods. The scale demonstrated strong content validity with a CVI range of 0.9-1.0 and a mean CVI of 0.98. Exploratory factor analysis yielded factor loadings from 0.469 to 0.932, resulting in four factors that explained 75.3% of the variance. The reliability coefficients for the sub-dimensions ranged from 0.833 to 0.900, with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.913. These results indicate that the Turkish WRSS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing stress among search and rescue workers.

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the subgroups of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among young and middle-aged cancer patients in China and to explore influencing factors. A total of 378 young and middle-aged cancer patients aged 18-60 were selected for the study at a hospital in Shanghai, China. Latent profile analysis identified four categories of PTG among young and middle-aged cancer patients: the "predicament group" (5.9%), the "struggle group" (36.8%), the "limited growth group" (44.1%) and the "remarkable growth group" (13.2%). Age, gender, time since diagnosis, cancer site, primary/recurrence, and meaning in life significantly influenced the distribution of PTG in young and middle-aged cancer patients. Targeted interventions should be developed to enhance the level of PTG among this population, considering the specific characteristics and influencing factors within each profile.

Research suggests that preventive healthcare needs are high among U.S. refugees from Myanmar; yet no studies have examined healthcare patterns among U.S. Rohingya refugees. We examined participation in preventive cancer screening, healthcare access barriers, and facilitators in a community-based sample of 308 Rohingya refugees in Chicago, Illinois. Descriptives were conducted for the participation rates to preventive cancer screenings, indicated by age and gender. Chi-square tests were used to examine gender differences in barriers and facilitators in healthcare. Participants reported low participation in preventive screenings (e.g. 89.2% never received a Papanicolaou (pap) test). Healthcare access barriers were observed: 82.8% uninsured, 81.2% not knowing where to go for healthcare needs, and 55.1% needed interpretation, with men less likely to have had a doctor's visit in the past year or a regular provider. Findings highlight the urgent need to further develop or tailor interventions to address the healthcare needs for resettled Rohingya refugees.

Venous leg ulcers have impact on people's lives far beyond that of a skin lesion but these impacts have not been explored from an Indigenous perspective. We used a Māori-centered narrative approach to interview 13 Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand with venous leg ulcers. Data analysis was informed by a reflexive thematic approach and four themes were identified: Ko waewae ahau (I wear the leg); Ngā mea hōhā (annoying things); Ka tangi te ngākau (heartfelt grief); and Mamae (pain, sore, hurt). Recognizing patients' expertise in their condition, the inclusion of whānau (family) in care planning and provision, while providing consistent advice and resource access, would all enhance the experience of venous ulcer management. Training in venous leg ulcer care needs to move beyond a focus on the leg and toward a more holistic approach that encompasses a broader understanding of patient experiences and cultural contexts when managing venous ulcers.

This study evaluated the hypothesis that positive emotions attenuate associations between negative emotions with adaptive coping and adherence, as well as explored evidence of the hypothesis of an indirect effect association between adaptive coping and adherence via positive emotions. The sample was 202 gbMSM with HIV who use substances (mean age [standard deviation] = 47.15 [12.26]; 34% Black, 14% Hispanic, and ≥50% with annual income ≤$20,000). Positive emotions were a moderator: negative emotions were not associated with approach coping at low positive emotions but were associated with more adaptive coping at high positive emotions (b = 0.32, p = 0.01). There was also an indirect effect association between adaptive coping with better adherence via high positive emotions (indirect effect: 0.29, 95% Confidence Interval = 0.004-0.39). Findings support the likely benefit of experiencing positive emotions, and investment in intensive longitudinal studies on how emotions, coping, and health behaviors are related to inform behavioral intervention development.

Neck dystonia is a neurological condition, characterised by involuntary movements of the neck muscles, causing twisted head positions and often pain and head tremor. Ten participants with neck dystonia were interviewed and the data was analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. Three themes were constructed: (1) dismissed by others for having an unfamiliar condition; (2) negotiating a new social identity; and (3) managing the stigma of a visible condition. It is proposed that psychological support could benefit people with neck dystonia who experience difficulties arising from identity management and stigma. Systemic interventions, such as education campaigns, are also proposed to help address stigmatising attitudes.

The mental state of terror is a dysphoric emotion, feeling of dread and sudden realisation that the outcomes of one's life events can take an extremely negative turn. The state represents the acute stage of fear, anxiety and trauma and generally occurs in mental disorders, such as trauma- and stress-related disorders, but it can also manifest in healthy individuals as the initial trigger response, the point of mental dysregulation. The mental state of terror can be specified with the following parameters: (1) perceived loss of safety, (2) unpredictability and uncertainty, (3) intense consequent emotional reaction, (4) hypersensitivity to the trigger stimuli, and consequentially, (5) the outcome that can be either negative, such as resulting in developing a mental disorder, or positive, such as developing post-traumatic growth and resilience. Behavioural biases are also a for factor the development of the mental state of terror. The aim of this theoretical contribution is to define the mental state of terror in terms of cognitive factors, such as exposure to traumatic events and uncertainty of the environment for understanding the development of mental disorders within stress and trauma domains; highlight the importance of psychological resilience and social support.