Applied psychology. Health and well-being最新文献

Demystifying machine learning (ML) approaches through the synergy of psychology and artificial intelligence can achieve a balance between predictive and explanatory power in model development while enhancing rigor in validation and reporting standards. Accordingly, this study aimed to bridge this research gap by developing a subjective well-being (SWB) prediction model on Weibo, serving as a psychological assessment instrument and explaining the model construction based on psychological knowledge. The model establishment involved the collection of SWB scores and posts from 1,427 valid Weibo users. Multiple machine learning algorithms were employed to train the model and fine-tune its parameters. The optimal model was selected by comparing its criterion validity and split-half reliability performance. Furthermore, SHAP values were calculated to rank the importance of features, which were then used for model interpretation. The criterion validity for the three dimensions of SWB ranged from 0.50 to 0.52 (P < 0.001), and the split-half reliability ranged from 0.94 to 0.96 (P < 0.001). The identified relevant features were related to four main aspects: cultural values, emotions, morality, and time and space. This study expands the application scope of SWB-related psychological theories from a data-driven perspective and provides a theoretical reference for further well-being prediction.

Life satisfaction is vital for older adults' well-being, impacting various life aspects. It is dynamic, necessitating nuanced approaches to capture its trajectories accurately. This study aimed to explore the diverse trajectories and predictors of life satisfaction among older adults in China using longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Latent class growth modeling and growth mixture modeling were employed to identify distinct trajectories of life satisfaction. Machine learning (ML) models were developed to predict different trajectories and identify important predictors of different trajectories. Four distinct trajectories of life satisfaction were identified, showcasing nuanced patterns of life satisfaction that changed over time. ML models, especially random forest, effectively predicted these trajectories. Emotional experiences (particularly the frequency of happiness and loneliness), body mass index, and self-report health emerged as significant predictors of different life satisfaction trajectories. Our finding revealed the importance of focusing on individuals or groups with consistently low life satisfaction and paying more attention to mental and physical health predictors. Our models might guide future targeted preventative treatments.

This study investigated whether stress and positive anticipations about tomorrow are associated with emotional experiences the following day, mediated by the preceding night's sleep. Data were from 141 full-time nurses, utilizing a 14-day ecological momentary assessment combined with actigraphy sleep monitoring. Each evening, participants rated the anticipated pleasantness or stressfulness of the following day. Each morning, participants reported on their previous night's sleep. Additionally, participants reported their momentary positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) three times per day, with daily averages computed. Multilevel mediation models, adjusted for sociodemographics, work shift, workday, and previous day's affect, revealed that days following more stress anticipations were associated with reduced PA and increased NA. Conversely, days following more pleasantness anticipations were associated with increased PA and decreased NA. These within-person associations were mediated by self-reported time-in-bed, sufficiency, and quality, such that less stressful and more pleasant anticipations were associated with better sleep, and better sleep was subsequently associated with increased PA and decreased NA. No mediation was found by the actigraphy sleep parameters. Findings suggest that emotional states may covary not only with present stimuli but also with anticipation of future events and subjective sleep recovery in the context of those anticipations.

Research suggests that placebos administered without deception (i.e. non-deceptive placebos) may provide an effective and low-effort intervention to manage stress and improve mental health. However, whether non-deceptive placebos administered remotely online can manage distress for people at risk for developing high levels of affective symptoms remains unclear. Volunteers experiencing prolonged stress from the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited into a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a non-deceptive placebo intervention administered remotely online on affective outcomes. COVID-related stress, overall stress, anxiety, and depression were assessed at baseline, midpoint, and endpoint. Compared with the control group, participants in the non-deceptive placebo group reported significant reductions from baseline in all primary affective outcomes after 2 weeks. Additionally, participants in the non-deceptive placebo group found the intervention feasible, acceptable, and appropriate for the context. Non-deceptive placebos, even when administered remotely online, offer an alternative and effective way to help people manage prolonged stress. Future large-scale studies are needed to determine if non-deceptive placebos can be effective across different prolonged stress situations and for clinical populations.

Although positive attitudes toward own aging (ATOA) have been shown to be associated with higher levels of quality of life (QoL) among older adults, the potential interrelationship between ATOA and QoL has not been fully explored. A sample of 2129 older adults aged 60 and above who participated in the three waves of the Chinese longitudinal healthy longevity survey was used. QoL was measured using three indicators, including self-rated health, loneliness, and life satisfaction. The cross-lagged analysis results showed that the bidirectional association between ATOA and QoL was not significant, while positive ATOA predicted better self-rated health, higher life satisfaction, and less loneliness. And there are no gender or age differences in the above relationships. In addition, economic status, sleep quality, and activity participation were common influences on self-rated health, life satisfaction, and loneliness, as well as important factors affecting ATOA. Several variables, such as demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and health status, also influenced QoL and ATOA. Measures to promote positive ATOA can help improve QoL. In addition, emphasis should be placed on improving economic status, sleep quality, and activity participation levels to enhance QoL and ATOA in older adults, with appropriate interventions targeting other factors affecting QoL and ATOA.

The relative efficacy of various mind-body exercises in the treatment of depressive symptoms remains uncertain. We examined the optimal modalities (Tai Chi, qigong, yoga) and dose of mind-body exercise to improve depressive symptoms in adults. A systematic search of six electronic databases for randomized controlled trials on the relationship between exercise and depression was carried out, encompassing data from their inception up to November 2023. Pairwise analyses, network analyses and dose-response meta-analyses using random-effects models were performed to analyse the effect of exercise on depression. Forty studies were included. Results showed that Yoga [standardised mean difference (SMD) = -0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): (-0.76, -0.35)] was the most effective form of exercise for improving depressive symptoms, followed by Qigong (SMD = -0.52; 95%CI: -0.92, -0.11) and Tai Chi exercise (SMD = -0.42; 95%CI: -0.71, -0.13). In addition, a non-linear dose-response relationship was found between overall mind-body exercise dose and depression levels and a significant response was observed after 260 METs-min. Our study examined the effectiveness of different types of mind-body exercise in improving depression and found that yoga may be the most effective adjunctive intervention. There was a non-linear dose-response relationship between total exercise and depression levels. However, caution should be exercised in interpreting and applying these results.

Children's mental health status (MHS) is frequently influenced by their primary carers (PCs), underscoring the significance of monitoring disparities longitudinally. This research investigated the association between socio-demographic clusters and mental health trajectories among children and their PCs over time. Data from waves 6-9c2 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) were analyzed using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify four socio-demographic classes among children aged 10-11 years at wave 6. Multinomial logistic regression and predictive marginal analysis explored associations between classes and mental health outcomes. PCs in Class 4 (disadvantaged and separated families with indigenous children) exhibited higher odds of borderline and abnormal MHS compared to Class 1 (prosperous and stable working families) across all waves. However, while MHS of PCs' impacted children consistently, the association with socio-demographic classes was significant only in wave 6. Class 4 children had elevated risks of mental illness compared to Class 1, while Class 3, characterized by educated working mothers, had lower risks. Reducing mental health risks entails addressing socio-economic disparities, supporting stable family structures, and offering tailored interventions like counseling and co-parenting support. Longitudinal monitoring and culturally sensitive approaches are crucial for promoting mental well-being across diverse groups.

Obese people are mostly unable to maintain successful weight loss after the end of a dietary change. One reason is that conventional weight reduction concepts neglect physiological hunger and satiety perception, leading to a relapse to previous eating habits on the long run. We examined the long-term efficacy of a psychological smartphone weight loss program, which avoids any dietary instructions and aims at relearning of satiety perception. Parameters of body weight alterations and psychological features, for example, satiety perception, food cravings, and emotional eating, were explored in a nonrandomized experimental study comprising 75 obese participants. Measurements occurred at baseline, two times during program application, as well as at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Participants displayed significant weight loss during the entire study period (p = .029) and showed an improved body composition at the 6-month follow-up (p = .018). These effects were associated with increased satiety perception, as well as reduced food cravings, and emotional eating habits. Notably, all improvements in measured parameters significantly sustained between the end of the program and the 12-month follow-up (p < .005 for all). Psychological relearning of satiety perception may outclass dietary approaches in terms of long-term efficiency.

Misrepresentation of peer behavior has often been observed in college students and may lead to over-expression of alcohol consumption and under-expression of studying. While social norm feedback approaches have had mixed success in addressing these misrepresentations and altering behavior, they may have been too unspecific to be effective and did not directly assess individual perception accuracy. We thus investigated how specific, one-time feedback on the behavioral distribution of alcohol consumption or study time of a clearly defined, individually-adjusted social circle would affect the respective norm estimations and behavior of a class of Psychology students (n = 89 in January) across their first year of study. Students overestimated alcohol consumption and partially underestimated studying norms. While social circle feedback on alcohol consumption did not clearly affect both individual estimation accuracy and alcohol consumption, feedback on peers' studying time increased studying with no clear effect on estimation accuracy. This indicates that social circle norm feedback may be suitable to evoke behavioral effects. The correction of the detected inaccuracies did not appear to be a precondition for the feedback to be effective.

Exposure to nature can enhance mental well-being, making nature-based interventions promising for the treatment and prevention of mental health problems like depression. Given the decreased self-focus and sense of self-diminishment associated with awe, the present study investigated the impact of exposure to awe-evoking nature on two key risk and maintenance factors of depression-repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and dampening of positive feelings-and on subjective happiness. In a randomized controlled trial, we tested the effects of exposure to awe-evoking nature clips through a 1-week intervention, consisting of watching a 1-min clip on a daily basis of either awe-evoking (n high awe = 108) or more mundane nature scenes (n low awe = 105). Before, immediately after (post-intervention) and 1 week after the intervention (follow-up), participants completed self-report scales probing RNT, dampening, and subjective happiness. Results indicated significant decreases in these outcomes at post-intervention and follow-up in both groups. We discuss study limitations, touch upon future research ideas, and reflect upon the role of nature for clinical applications.