Health Psychology Open最新文献

Therapeutic psychedelic administration and contact with nature have been associated with the same psychological mechanisms: decreased rumination and negative affect, enhanced psychological connectedness and mindfulness-related capacities, and heightened states of awe and transcendent experiences, all processes linked to improvements in mental health amongst clinical and healthy populations. Nature-based settings can have inherently psychologically soothing properties which may complement all stages of psychedelic therapy (mainly preparation and integration) whilst potentiating increases in nature relatedness, with associated psychological benefits. Maximising enhancement of nature relatedness through therapeutic psychedelic administration may constitute an independent and complementary pathway towards improvements in mental health that can be elicited by psychedelics.

The use of various forms of contraception in Ghana gained prominence after the government resorted to investing more in family planning programs when maternal mortality was declared an emergency in the country. In Ghana, the intention to use and actual usage of contraceptives is influenced by many factors, which may lead to non-usage or discontinuation. This quantitative study was conducted to determine risk and protective factors impacting on the intention and usage of contraceptives. Survey data from the Ghana 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) (n = 9396) was used. A sub-sample of 7661 women in their reproductive age were included in this study, who reported being sexually active within the last year. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the association between a broad range of risk and protective factors including religion, early sexual intercourse, frequency of sex, number of lifetime sexual partners with intention to use contraception. We controlled for income, educational attainment, and age. Overall (n = 3661; 47.8%) reported no intention of contraception use. Logistic regression analysis revealed that no formal education (OR = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.29-1.72; p < 0.001), and primary school as highest educational level (OR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.04-1.25; p < 0.001), Islamic religion (OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.90; p < 0.001), not currently employed (OR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.34-1.69; p < 0.001), husband opposing contraception use (OR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.42-3.46; p < 0.001), and currently pregnant (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.09-1.54; p < 0.001) were also positively associated with no intention of use. Engaging religious leaders for advocacy in the community was identified as an approach to address barriers and increase awareness on contraceptive use. Targeted family planning programs should intensify public education on safe sex behaviors.

In Vietnam, little is elucidated in scientific literatures about the mental health of caregivers of people with cancer. We conducted a cross-sectional study to report the situation and correlates of self-reported psychological distress among caregivers of cancer patients in Vietnam in 2019. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed. A total of 16.5% of the study participants had psychological distress. Respondent's mean score of negative emotion was 7.6 ± 2. Educational level and type of support were significantly associated with having psychological distress among caregivers. Gender, occupation, financial difficulty, treatment belief and social support significantly correlated to psychological distress level of caregivers.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between stress and unhealthy eating among undergraduate students, considering the moderation effects of BMI, eating style, and nationality. A total of 748 Italian and French students completed self-report measures of academic stress, emotional eating, restrained eating, BMI, and unhealthy eating intake. Results showed that academic stress increased unhealthy food consumption in Italian students, whereas it reduced junk food consumption in French students. Negative emotional eating and BMI moderated, respectively, the impact of academic stress on sweet food intake and snacking. Finally, no clear support was found for the moderation role of restrained eating.

Aside the direct effect of the COVID-19 on infected patients, this infectious disease outbreak has various psychological consequences. These mental health repercussions pertain to the general population of uninfected individuals, and particularly families of isolated or deceased COVID-19 patients. This aspect is of substantial interest amid sub-Saharan African communities, considering the key place and cultural significance of mourning and funerals in these settings. In this commentary, we discuss on the issue of psychological and social support of COVID-19 patients' families, by taking into account some sub-Saharan African cultural considerations.

This study investigated correlates of eating disorder (ED) psychopathology among adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A total of 282 males (n = 112) and females (n = 170) with T1D (18-79 years) participated. Overall, psychological aspects (i.e. illness perceptions, coping strategies, insulin beliefs, anxiety, and depression) were associated with ED psychopathology. Associations were generally stronger among females than males. In a regression model, age, BMI, personal control, and anxiety explained 51% of the variance in ED psychopathology among females, whereas BMI, personal control, and anxiety explained 47% of the variance among males. Greater clinical awareness of health psychological aspects may contribute to reduce the risk of developing ED.

Previous studies have shown that certain personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness influence dietary choices. Pregnancy is a unique period in a woman's life during which most women are highly intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to start a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Yet, an adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables remains a challenge for many women. The present study investigates the relationships between personality traits and fish, dairy, fruit, and vegetable intake. Data was collected from 602 pregnant women and analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analyses in order to examine predictive relationships between the variables of interest. The results demonstrated that high scores in openness to experience, older maternal age, higher income, and educational attainment were positively associated with increased fish, vegetable, and fruit intake. These findings have important implications for interventions that seek to improve eating behaviors of pregnant women, thereby increasing the health of their pregnancies.

The study has investigated the self-rated psychological health of hypertensive patients in Palestine. To that end, a stratified random sample of 502 hypertensive patients (aged ⩾ 18 years) was asked to complete a validated Arabic version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). After collection, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. In this study, it was found the mean scores for GHQ were statistically higher for females than males (p < 0.05). The females were found to be 1.701 (95% CI = 1.025-2.823) times more at risk of psychological disorders compared to males. In conclusion, improvement of social determinants of hypertensive patients can make a difference in their psychological/mental health.

We conducted a cross-sectional study in four provinces located in four different geographical areas in Vietnam to examine the prevalence and associated factors of depression and suicide ideation among school students aged 13-17. A sample of 6407 students from secondary school and high school participated in our survey to complete self-reported questionnaires. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). Suicidal ideation and associated factors were measured by the Global School Student Health Survey (GSHS) questionnaire. We found that 31.7% of students had depressive symptoms, and 11% reported suicidal ideation during the last year. Female students and older students were more at risk of experiencing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation than male students and younger students. Bullying, violence, smoking, and alcohol consumption appear as risk factors, while a good relationship with parents/guardians may protect school students from having depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress coping style in a group of 265 students, using Goleman's Theory of Emotional Intelligence. Findings indicated highest mean value of emotional intelligence for motivation and empathy. Majority students showed active problem and emotional coping behavior; however, a strong, positive correlation between emotional intelligence and stress coping style was found for the domains associated with Active Emotional and Problem Coping (α ⩽ 0.05). It revealed that students are efficient in utilizing stress coping strategies and recommended that professors should provide guidance to students regarding emotional intelligence and stress coping styles.