8383 research outputs found
Sort by
Depression and looming cognitive style: Examining the mediating effect of perceived control
Get PDFBackground
Individuals with a looming cognitive style (LCS) bias display a tendency to interpret threat representations as rapidly approaching and rising in risk. The present study is the first to investigate whether the relationship between LCS and depression is mediated by perceived control (over evading threats).
Methods
After completing mood questionnaires, participants recorded future-self threats (feared possible selves) and rated their threat representations on a measure of perceived control. LCS was measured using an adapted version of the looming maladaptive style questionnaire. In total 74 participants were recruited through university research participation.
Results
Perceived control was significantly related to depression (r = -.3, p = .011) and LCS (r =-.27, p = .019) but not to anxiety (r =-.14, p = .223). Mediation analyses revealed that control mediated the relationship between depression and LCS, when anxiety was entered as a covariate 95 % CI [.03, .79].
Limitations
The present study used a measure of symptom severity rather than clinical diagnoses of anxiety and depression. Also, the sample consisted of 81 % female and 100 % university students which limits the generalisability of the findings. Finally, the cross-sectional study design does not imply causation.
Conclusion
The present study provided evidence for a potential mechanism through which LCS maintains depression. The analyses have important implications for interventions designed to prevent depression comorbidity. Future studies should apply longitudinal methods to investigate how changes in perceived control influences depression
Perfectionism and performance in sport: Exploring non-linear relationships with track and field athletes
Get PDFThe relationship between perfectionism - perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns - and athletic performance is contested and inconsistent. The present study explored the possibility that one explanation for this inconsistency is the assumption that the relationship is linear. In two samples, we tested alternative non-linear relationships between perfectionism and real-world competitive athletic performance. Sample one comprised 165 Swedish track and field athletes (57 % competing in female category, 42 % in male category; M = 16.93 years) and sample two comprised 157 British track and field athletes (55 % competing in female category, 43 % in male category; M = 18.42 years). Testing for linear and non-linear relationships, we found a quadratic effect whereby higher perfectionistic strivings had both positive increasing (i.e., U-shape; sample 1) and positive decreasing (i.e., inverted U-shape; sample 2) relationships with performance. We conclude that there may be circumstances when perfectionistic strivings contribute to better and worse sport performance, and that this relationship can be curvilinear. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
UK Universities Letting Mothers Down: The Experiences of Breastfeeding Mothers in UK Universities
Get PDFThe research underscores the pivotal role of gendered norms in the workplace and highlights the failure of university EDIs and the Athena Swan agenda to recognise breastfeeding as an essential element contributing to gender inequality. Breastfeeding issues are investigated through the lens of workplace culture, revealing deficiencies in institutional practices and in the realm of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) concerning the provision of work-life balance for breastfeeding mothers. This empirical investigation draws on data gathered from 35 university websites and semi-structured interviews involving 20 mothers employed in UK HEIs. The participant pool comprises eighteen academics and two professional services staff members representing 17 universities. Thematic analysis was employed to record, transcribe, and scrutinise the interview data. The findings indicate a noticeable absence of breastfeeding information and support across universities, underscored by inconsistencies in the location and specificity of information on university websites. The interview data reveal that mothers lacked sufficient information and resources pertaining to breastfeeding. Furthermore, universities do not acknowledge breastfeeding as a fundamental facet of EDI or Athena Swan plans. Notably, the study observes that the COVID-19 lockdown afforded mothers a unique opportunity to breastfeed for extended durations due to the flexibility of working from home
Emotionally based school avoidance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic: Neurodiversity, agency and belonging in school
Get PDFLockdowns at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to extended school closures globally, and in many countries school attendance has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In England, education leaders have expressed concern both about increased anxiety among pupils and chronic absenteeism post-pandemic, against a backdrop of over a decade of increasing mental health need among children and young people. This article presents a narrative review with the aims of (a) conceptualising emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), and (b) identifying strategies for supporting children and young people experiencing psychological barriers to attending school. The underlying reasons for school being experienced as a hostile environment by a minority of pupils are explored, with research findings specifically relating to the school experiences of neurodivergent pupils in mainstream settings included as an illustrative example. The psychological constructs of belongingness and agency are discussed as potential mechanisms of change. Finally, psychologically-informed strategies to address EBSA are reviewed, drawing on the multiple systems of support framework. To reduce absenteeism in pupils experiencing EBSA, and thus avoid exacerbating educational inequalities in disadvantaged groups, it is essential to understand psychological barriers to school attendance and to work collaboratively and compassionately with pupils and families towards solutions
Supporting physical activity through co-production in people with severe mental ill health (SPACES): protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial
Get PDFBackground: Severe mental ill health (SMI) includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder and is associated with premature deaths when compared to people without SMI. Over 70% of those deaths are attributed to preventable health conditions, which have the potential to be positively affected by the adoption of healthy behaviours, such as physical activity. People with SMI are generally less active than those without and face unique barriers to being physically active. Physical activity interventions for those with SMI demonstrate promise, however, there are important questions remaining about the potential feasibility and acceptability of a physical activity intervention embedded within existing NHS pathways. Method: This is a two-arm multi-site randomised controlled feasibility trial, assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a co-produced physical activity intervention for a full-scale trial across geographically dispersed NHS mental health trusts in England. Participants will be randomly allocated via block, 1:1 randomisation, into either the intervention arm or the usual care arm. The usual care arm will continue to receive usual care throughout the trial, whilst the intervention arm will receive usual care plus the offer of a weekly, 18-week, physical activity intervention comprising walking and indoor activity sessions and community taster sessions. Another main component of the intervention includes one-to-one support. The primary outcome is to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and to scale it up to a full-scale trial, using a short proforma provided to all intervention participants at follow-up, qualitative interviews with approximately 15 intervention participants and 5 interventions delivery staff, and data on intervention uptake, attendance, and attrition. Usual care data will also include recruitment and follow-up retention. Secondary outcome measures include physical activity and sedentary behaviours, body mass index, depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, healthcare resource use, and adverse events. Outcome measures will be taken at baseline, three, and six-months post randomisation. Discussion: This study will determine if the physical activity intervention is feasible and acceptable to both participants receiving the intervention and NHS staff who deliver it. Results will inform the design of a larger randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical and cost effectiveness of the intervention. Trial registration: ISRCTN: ISRCTN83877229. Registered on 09.09.2022
Perfectionism, Feelings of Not Mattering, and Suicide Ideation: An Integrated Test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model and the Existential Model of Perfectionism
Get PDFThe Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) and the Existential Model of Perfectionism and Depressive Symptoms (EMPDS) are promising models of perfectionism and psychopathology. However, research examining suicide ideation within the PSDM is scarce, and no research has examined suicide ideation as an outcome in the EMPDS. Moreover, tests of the PSDM and EMPDS have been conducted separately and most research has examined the PSDM and EMPDS using cross-sectional or two-wave longitudinal designs, which do not provide a satisfactory test of mediation. In the current study, we addressed these limitations by testing whether perfectionism confers vulnerability to suicide ideation via feelings of mattering and anti-mattering (from the PSDM) and via difficulty accepting the past (from the EMPDS) in a three-wave longitudinal design in two independent samples of undergraduate students and community adults. Participants completed measures on three occasions over six weeks. Findings revealed that socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted suicide ideation via difficulty accepting the past in both samples. In addition, in the undergraduate sample only, socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted higher suicide ideation via anti-mattering, and self-oriented perfectionism indirectly predicted higher suicide ideation via mattering. Based on our findings, we advocate for future research to include suicide ideation in the PSDM and EMPDS, to integrate explanatory models, and to examine a mattering-specific EMPDS.
Keywords: Perfectionism, mattering, anti-mattering, accepting the past, suicide, longitudinal
Five unsolved issues concerning burnout in athletes: An expert perspective
Get PDFIntroduction: Concern about mental health is an increasingly relevant topic in high-performance sport. In this regard, because burnout can be harmful to both the health and performance of athletes, it is of particular importance. Although a great deal of time and effort has been dedicated to the study of athlete burnout, there are still issues that require further work. Therefore, in the present paper, we aim to highlight what, in our perspective, are the most important unsolved issues regarding burnout in athletes. Methods: We brought together expert athlete burnout scholars to offer their perspectives on five unresolved issues in this research area. Results: We describe the following five issues that require further research attention: (i) burnout as a syndrome, (ii) the negative consequences of burnout, (iii) the role of recovery in burnout, (iv) the importance of the social environment, and (v) developing effective interventions to reduce/prevent burnout. Conclusion: Our commentary provides suggestions for future research to help solve these problems, advance our understanding of athlete burnout, and ultimately safeguard the mental health of athletes
Why do children lack flexibility when making tools? The role of social learning in innovation
Get PDFLifestyle modification interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities: systematic review and meta‐analysis at intervention and component levels
Get PDFBackground:
Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are susceptible to multiple health risk behaviours such as alcohol consumption, smoking, low physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and poor diet. Lifestyle modification interventions can prevent or reduce negative health consequences caused by these behaviours. We aim to determine the effectiveness of lifestyle modification interventions and their components in targeting health risk behaviours in adults with IDs.
Methods:
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Electronic databases, clinical trial registries, grey literature, and citations of systematic reviews and included studies were searched in January 2021 (updated February 2022). Randomised controlled trials and non-randomised controlled trials targeting alcohol consumption, smoking, low physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and poor diet in adults (aged≥18 years) with ID were included. Meta-analysis was conducted at the intervention-level (pairwise and network meta-analysis) and the component-level (component network meta-analysis). Studies were coded using Michie’s 19-item theory coding scheme and 94-item behaviour change taxonomies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (RoB Version 2) for RCTs and Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool for non-RCTs. The study involved a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group, including people with lived experience, who contributed extensively by shaping the methodology, providing valuable insights in interpreting results, and organising of dissemination events.
Results:
Our literature search identified 12,180 articles, of which 80 studies with 4,805 participants were included in the review. The complexity of lifestyle modification intervention was dismantled by identifying six core components that influenced outcomes. Interventions targeting single or multiple health risk behaviours could have a single or combination of multiple core-components. Interventions (2 RCTS; 4 non-RCTs; 228 participants) targeting alcohol consumption and smoking behaviour were effective but based on limited evidence. Similarly, interventions targeting low physical activity only (16 RCTs; 17 non-RCTs; 1413 participants) or multiple behaviours (low physical activity only, sedentary behaviours, and poor diet) (17 RCTs; 24 non-RCTs; 3164 participants) yielded mixed effectiveness in outcomes. Most interventions targeting low physical activity only and multiple behaviours generated positive effects on various outcomes, while some interventions led to no change or worsened outcomes which could be attributed to the presence of a single core component or a combination of similar core components in interventions. The intervention-level meta-analysis for weight management outcomes showed that none of the interventions were associated with a statistically significant change in outcomes when compared to treatment-as-usual. Interventions with core-components combination of energy deficit diet, aerobic exercise and behaviour change techniques showed the highest weight loss (MD=-3.61,95% CrI -9.68 – 1.95) and those with core-components combination dietary advice and aerobic exercise showed a weight gain (MD 0.94, 95% CrI -3.93 to 4.91). Similar findings were found with the components network meta-analysis for which additional components were identified. Studies had a high and moderate risk of bias. Various theories and behaviour change techniques were used in intervention development and adaptation.
Conclusion:
Our systematic review is the first to comprehensively explore lifestyle modification interventions targeting a range of single and multiple health risk behaviours in adults with ID, co-produced with people with lived experience. It has practical implications for future research as it highlights the importance of mixed-methods research in understanding lifestyle modification interventions and the need for population-specific improvements in the field (e.g., tailored interventions, development of evaluation instruments or tools, use of rigorous research methodologies, and comprehensive reporting frameworks). Wide dissemination of related knowledge and the involvement of PPI groups, including people with lived experience, will help future researchers design interventions that consider the unique needs, desires, and abilities of people with ID.
Keywords:
Intellectual disability; Lifestyle interventions; Systematic review; Network meta-analysis; Component network meta-analysis; Patient and Public Involvemen