Self-report Bias Research Articles

The benefits of self-esteem: Reply to Krueger et al. (2022) and Brummelman (2022).

Krueger et al. (2022) argue that our review (Orth & Robins, 2022) finds benefits of self-esteem primarily for subjective outcomes and largely fails to demonstrate any "objective" benefits. We disagree with this portrayal of the findings and highlight research that provides evidence for the benefits of self-esteem using objective measures. We also address Krueger et al.'s claim that positivity bias in self-reports can account for the effects of self-esteem on subjectively assessed life outcomes, and explain how the statistical analyses used to document these effects substantially control for this bias. We maintain that there is now a large body of evidence from meta-analyses and large-scale longitudinal studies demonstrating that high self-esteem has adaptive consequences for social relationships, school, work, mental health, physical health, and antisocial behavior. Brummelman (2022) presents a compelling theoretical framework that can guide the design of interventions to improve children's self-esteem. We agree with his concerns about the need for randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of self-esteem interventions and the importance of ensuring that children's self-esteem can be raised without causing them to become narcissistic. The research reviewed in our article indicates that high self-esteem is adaptive for children, adolescents, and adults, suggesting that well-designed and effective self-esteem interventions might be beneficial for individuals of all ages. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Is Data for Health–Funded Research Reliable and Useful? Self-Reporting Bias Red Herring in Birth Registration Completeness Evaluation

Is Data for Health–Funded Research Reliable and Useful? Self-Reporting Bias Red Herring in Birth Registration Completeness Evaluation

Using Individual Assessments as a Tool for Formative Feedback on Emotional Intelligence Training Programs in Healthcare Learners.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a skillset that influences and impacts an individual's ability to create, foster, and maintain strong relationships. In healthcare settings optimal patient centered care exists when teamwork, critical thinking, selfless service, integrity, and emotional intelligence are effectively practiced. While various methods exist to teach EI in the preprofessional and professional settings, the assessment of the efficacy of these types of training remains elusive. We propose a novel use of EI assessments to determine the effectiveness of EI programs and suggest that the information obtained can help shape and improve future EI education. Volunteer participants involved in the 2020-2021 Feagin Leadership Program (FLP) at Duke University were recruited for this study. FLP is a one year program that aims to train healthcare leadership skills, with a special emphasis on EI. It is comprised of various stages of healthcare learners with a desire to improve their healthcare leadership skills. All participants took both an EI self-assessment (SSEIT) and EI ability assessment (MSCEIT) both before and after a dedicated 5-hour EI educational session. Individuals must have completed both a pre- and post-test for at least one assessment to be included in the study. Apart from standard descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon sign rank tests were utilized to determine the effectiveness of the educational session by comparing pre- and post-tests within each assessment. A Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to compare the results of the SSEIT and MSCEIT. A total of 32 FLP scholars initially participated in which 18 completed all assessments. Average age was 29 years old and consisted of medical students (n = 16), residents (n = 7), fellows (n = 7), advanced practice provider (n = 1) and a researcher (n = 1). Group analysis of the SSEIT pre and post scores were 131 (±13, range 98-149) and 136(± 13, 106-105), respectively which were statistically significant. Pre and post MSCEIT scores were 102 (±20, range 32-141) and 103 (±12, range 80-121), which were not significant. The EI branches with the highest score on each test was Managing Own Emotions and Understanding Emotions for the SSEIT and MSCEIT respectively while Perceiving Emotions was the lowest for both assessments. Comparison of the SSEIT and MSCEIT demonstrated a moderate correlation that was statistically significant. In our study participants felt their EI improved following the EI educational session, however this did not appear translate into their actual ability. This could be a function of self-report bias or a limitation of the EI assessments. More studies in this space are needed to make this determination. Additionally, the strengths of this specific program were within the strategic use of emotions therefore in the future more attention should be placed on experiential use of emotions, specifically perceiving emotions. As EI education and training becomes more prevalent it is important to not only accurately assess an individual's EI ability but also the effectiveness of the education being presented. We propose that EI assessments can be utilized as a tool to measure the effectiveness of EI education and receive formative programmatic feedback.

Mean corrected generalized estimating equations for longitudinal binary outcomes with report bias.

Cocaine addiction is an important public health problem worldwide. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a counseling intervention for supporting cocaine-dependent individuals through recovery and relapse prevention. It may reduce patients' cocaine uses by improving their motivations and enabling them to recognize risky situations. To study the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on cocaine dependence, the self-reported cocaine use with urine test data were collected at the Primary Care Center of Yale-New Haven Hospital. Its outcomes are binary, including both the daily self-reported drug uses and weekly urine test results. To date, the generalized estimating equations are widely used to analyze binary data with repeated measures. However, due to the existence of significant self-report bias in the self-reported cocaine use with urine test data, a direct application of the generalized estimating equations approach may not be valid. In this paper, we proposed a novel mean corrected generalized estimating equations approach for analyzing longitudinal binary outcomes subject to reporting bias. The mean corrected generalized estimating equations can provide consistently and asymptotically normally distributed estimators under true contamination probabilities. In the self-reported cocaine use with urine test study, accurate weekly urine test results are used to detect contamination. The superior performances of the proposed method are illustrated by both simulation studies and real data analysis.

Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap) Meets Multitrait-Multimethod Analysis: Is PsyCap a Robust Predictor of Well-Being and Performance Controlling for Self-Report Bias?

A growing body of evidence suggests positive psychological capital (PsyCap) strongly predicts well-being and performance at work. However, most of this empirical research has used self-report survey designs, increasing the possibility of self-report and mono-method bias. The current study used a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) research design and condition-based regression analysis to examine the effect of PsyCap on job well-being and work role performance beyond self-report bias. Findings from 416 full-time employees within 208 coworker pairs showed that self-reported and informant-reported PsyCap were predictive of job well-being and work role performance. However, multitrait-multimethod analyses showed monomethod measures may inflate the strength of association between PsyCap and work outcomes. Implications for future applied positive psychology research controlling for self-report and monomethod bias with multiple data sources are discussed.

Screening for bipolar disorder in a tertiary mental health centre using EarlyDetect: A machine learning-based pilot study

• Bipolar disorder (BD) detection accuracy can be enhanced using self-report composite measures. • Core symptoms of BD and family history of BD predicts BD. • BD classification remains accurate using as few as 5-10 questions. • Machine-learning approach is effective to enhance BD detection and superior to MDQ. : Bipolar disorder (BD) is a prevalent mental health illness with a direct impact on patient's well-being. Self-report-based BD screening questionnaires such as the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is economical and clinically validated. We use a machine-learning approach to test whether utilizing our composite screening application - EarlyDetect (ED), designed for assessing an array of mental health illness, can enhance bipolar disorder screening over MDQ. : This was a retrospective, naturalistic study at a tertiary mental health centre in western Canada. Participants ( n = 955; 56.4% female; mean age 35.4; 18.7% BD) completed ED and underwent a clinical interview with a blinded psychiatrist for diagnostic accuracy. Elastic net and leave-one-out cross-validation was used to make more confident predictions at an individual level. : Using composite scoring, the balanced accuracy of our tool was 80.6%, with a sensitivity of 73.7% and a specificity of 87.5%. Compared with the MDQ original scoring method, the fully composite ED model improved balanced accuracy by 6.9%, sensitivity by 14.5%, while maintaining specificity. : Patients were assessed using clinical psychiatric evaluations, which are subjective. There is also the potential for self-reporting bias. BD subtypes were not differentiated. The cross-sectional design of this study rules out conclusions of causality. : Our results show improved BD detection accuracy using composite measures.

Job Characteristics, Well-Being and Physical Activity: A Field Study Using a Consumer Fitness Tracker.

The relation between job characteristics and health is one of the most important fields of research within work and organizational psychology. Another prominent variable influencing health is physical activity. The physical activity mediated Demand-Control (pamDC) model (Häusser & Mojzisch, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2017.1303759) combines these health indicators in a new theoretical framework. Based on the pamDC model the current study aims to clarify the role of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in the interplay of job demands, job control and well-being. We expect physical activity to partially mediate the impact of job characteristics on health. To avoid self-report bias considering physical activity we used a consumer fitness tracker to collect additional data. In total, 104 white-collar workers participated in the study. The results show that job control and job demands could predict well-being in cross-sectional analyses. In longitudinal analyses, this was only the case for job demands. Regarding the proposed mediating effect of LTPA between job characteristics and health, we could not detect a significant mediation in our sample. This was true for both self-reported and objective data on physical activity. This study provides a first step in validating the pamDC model and has implications for future research.

Relationship between negative stereotypes toward aging and multidimensional variables in older people living in two different social environments

BackgroundAgeism is studied extensively in community-dwelling older adults, but remains poorly understood in institutionalized older adults. Here, we compared the physical, psychological, and social variables associated with self-reported age-based biases in community-dwelling older adults and in those living in nursing homes (NHs). Material and methodsParticipants (n = 272) in this descriptive cross-sectional study lived in NHs (n = 126) or in their homes (n = 146), were 60 years or older, and had no cognitive or serious functional impairments. Those in NHs had been institutionalized for at least six months. The dependent variable was negative stereotypes toward aging (CENVE). We developed generalized linear models (GLMs) by place of residence and sex following the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment´s (CGA) methodology. ResultsThere is a statistically significant relationship between negative stereotypes of aging and different multidimensional variables. These variables differ between institutionalized and non-institutionalized adults and between men and women. While some variables are non-modifiable (age and sex) others are potentially modifiable (educational level, participation in activities, length of NH stay, hand strength, autonomy, and depression). ConclusionsThis study compared, for the first time, levels of ageism in older people living in two different social environments. Because most of the significant variables are modifiable in both environments, our results provide a framework to combat this type of discrimination. Promising strategies include anti-ageism policies and laws, educational interventions, and increased intergenerational contact.

Ostracism, Psychological Capital, Perceived Social Support and Depression among Economically Disadvantaged Youths: A Moderated Mediation Model

Mental health promotion of economically disadvantaged youths is a popular issue in current China. Economically disadvantaged youths are at greater risk of depression. Ostracism may be an important predictor of depression for them. However, no consensus has been reached on the underlying mechanism between ostracism and depression. A total of 1207 economically disadvantaged youths were recruited from six universities in China. These youths were asked to complete questionnaires measuring depression, ostracism, psychological capital, and perceived social support. A moderated mediation model was examined by using IBM SPSS STATISTICS 27macro program PROCESS version 3.5, in which psychological capital was a mediating variable, and perceived social support was a moderating variable. Lack of causal inferences and self-report bias due to the cross-sectional and self-report survey need to be considered when interpreting results. The results revealed that ostracism was positively associated with depression among economically disadvantaged youths. Psychological capital partially mediated the association. Perceived social support moderated the indirect association between ostracism and depression via psychological capital among economically disadvantaged females. Training and intentional practice of psychological capital could be the core to develop the depression interventions targeting economically disadvantaged youths with experience of ostracism. Gender and perceived social support need to be considered in developing the interventions.

Practical Applications of Weak Supervision and Black–Litterman for Automated ESG Portfolio Construction

In Weak Supervision and Black–Litterman for Automated ESG Portfolio Construction, published in the Summer 2021 issue of The Journal of Financial Data Science, Alik Sokolov of SR.ai, and Kyle Caverly, Jonathan Mostovoy, Talal Fahoum, and Luis Seco of the University of Toronto’s RiskLab demonstrate the use of machine learning signals for ESG risk in portfolio optimization. The signals are created by a state-of-the-art natural language processing model applied to news articles from The New York Times. The authors demonstrate that the system achieves high accuracy across the ESG categories. They use the Black–Litterman model to combine the signals with a market-weight portfolio to find optimal portfolio weights that reflect the ESG risks. The resulting portfolio outperforms an otherwise equal non-ESG portfolio on a risk-adjusted basis. The approach is promising in that it avoids self-reported biases in the ESG data. Moreover, the results do not imply that risk-adjusted returns must be sacrificed in order to achieve ESG objectives. This area of research is particularly important as interest in ESG investing continues to grow.

Smartphone non-users experience disproportionately higher psychological distress than their counterparts: Mediations via psychosocial resources in a large sample of college students in China

BackgroundDespite growing adoption of digital technologies, the gap between users and non-users (aka digital divide) persists. It is imperative to determine whether and how such a gap can lead to disparities in mental health outcomes among populations. However, few empirical studies have explored the effect of smartphone non-use on psychological well-being. MethodsA large-scale cross-sectional survey was conducted among 26,951 college students in Shaanxi Province, China. Levels of depression and loneliness were first compared between smartphone non-users and their user counterparts. Based on the Conservation of Resources theory, structural equation modeling was then used to test the mediating roles of social support, quality of peer relationship, and self-esteem. ResultsAround 56.8% of smartphone non-users had probable depression and they reported significantly higher depressive symptoms (Cohen's d = 0.52) and loneliness (Cohen's d = 0.30) than users. The hypothesized mediation model was well supported with good model fit. Lower levels of social support, quality of peer relationship, and self-esteem fully mediated the total effect of smartphone non-use status on loneliness and explained 69.4% of the total effect on depression. LimitationsFindings might be subject to self-reporting bias and limitations due to a cross-sectional design. ConclusionsThe study adds new evidence that the minority group of smartphone non-users exhibited disproportionately greater psychological distress than users resulting from lower supportive social relationships and positive sense of self. The findings inform the future investigation into digital divide in smartphone use/access and its negative impact on population's psychological well-being.

Examining PERMA+4 and work role performance beyond self-report bias: insights from multitrait-multimethod analyses

ABSTRACT Self-report and monomethod bias threaten the validity of positive work and organizations research. The current study used multitrait-multimethod analyses to examine the relationship between PERMA+4 and work role performance (adaptivity, proactivity, and proficiency) beyond self-report and monomethod bias. Findings from 221 coworker pairs demonstrated convergence between self-reported and collateral-reported PERMA+4 (r > .85) and work role performance (r > .85). A multitrait-multimethod matrix showed that monomethod trait interrelationships were systematically higher than heteromethod trait interrelationships with inflated correlations ranging from .07 to .20. Monomethod parameter estimates and coefficients of determination were generally higher than in bias corrected self-reports, knowledgeable collateral-reports, and heteromethod parameter estimates. The results provide support for the validity of the relationship between PERMA+4 and work role performance, but also suggest the importance of including procedural design and statistical control methods in positive work and organizations surveys to correct for self-report and monomethod bias.

Psychological distress in young Australian women by area of residence: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

Background: The association between psychological distress and area of residence has been extensively discussed and debated. However, the focus has been largely on men and area of residence is often dichotomised to urban and rural. The aim of this study is to examine the association between psychological distress and area of residence in young Australian women using a broader geographical measure.Methods: Data were from 8961 women aged 19–26 in the 1989–95 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health in 2015. The association between area of residence (measured by the Modified Monash Model) and psychological distress (measured by the K10), adjusted for demographic factors, indicators of socioeconomic position and health behaviour characteristics, was analysed using logistic regression.Results: Women in regional centres had lower odds of high to very high psychological distress compared with women in metropolitan areas (adjusted odds ratio 0.73 (95% confidence interval 0.60–0.89)). Women living in large rural towns, medium rural towns and small rural towns/remote/very remote communities had similar levels of psychological distress as women living in metropolitan areas.Limitations: ALSWH uses self-report questionnaires which may introduce potential self-report bias. The small sample size in areas outside of metropolitan areas resulted in the need to collapse small rural towns, remote communities and very remote communities into one category.Conclusions: The subtle regional differences in levels of psychological distress in young women in Australia highlights the importance of the link between health and where people live and suggests further work is required to understand the regional differences and encourage location specific mental health services.

Factors Affecting Organisational Learning: The Case of a Medical Centre

Despite many studies that examined the relationship between organisational learning and organisational culture, none examined whether the levels of learning differ within a given organisation and if so, what factors lead to this difference. This article is based upon a study on organisational learning and investigates the relationship among organisational learning, culture and structure. Quantitative research was conduct on organisational learning practices in 17 medical departments of a large hospital in Israel. Three main categories of variables were examined: mapping the learning mechanisms, characterising the organisational culture and examining the organisational structure of various departments. Organisational learning was measured by means of a set of organisational learning mechanisms used in each medical department. Because data were collected from individuals, it was necessary to control and overcome self-report and common method bias. Reverse scoring of items, the use of variation in wording of items and guaranteeing anonymity to respondents helped control common method bias. As expected, it was found that those departments do differ one from the others by the extent to which organisational learning mechanisms are systematically used. The article further presents and discusses the effects of some structural and cultural factors upon levels of organisational learning on those departments. Both the method and the results of this research differ from previous studies of organisational learning; thus, the article sheds a new light on the concept of organisational learning. The study points to the importance and need of organisations to adopt a culture that encourages use of these organisational learning mechanisms to create effective and ongoing organisational learning. Increasing awareness among hospital departments of organisational learning as an essential process for coping with environmental change is also an important practical contribution.

Relationship Between Adult Separation Anxiety and Attachment Styles and Vaginismus

BackgroundVaginismus has an unknown etiology, is comorbid with anxiety, and is the most common sexual dysfunction in sexual dysfunction outpatient clinics in Turkey. AimThis study aimed to determine the frequency of adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) and styles of attachment in patients with vaginismus and to investigate its relationship with female sexual dysfunction. MethodsSixty women with vaginismus and 60 healthy controls were compared using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA-27). OutcomesWe report the results of the questionnaires with their implication on the etiology of vaginismus. ResultsSeparation anxiety and fearful and dismissive avoidance attachment style in the vaginismus group were significantly higher than in the control group. Both total FSFI scores and arousal, pain, and satisfaction subscale scores were higher in the control group. Clinical ImplicationsASAD should be evaluated and addressed separately, when necessary, in the treatment of vaginismus. Strengths & LimitationsThe relationship between ASAD and vaginismus has been shown for the first time. Study limitations included the assessment of factors influencing the study results based on self-reporting and possible recall bias. ConclusionAttachment and comorbidity research in vaginismus needs to shift from just reporting disturbances, to identify various clinical variables, such as the severity of the vaginismus, response to therapy, and differences in therapeutic modalities, in terms of outcome. Unlubilgin E, Tetik S, Aksoy I, et al. Relationship Between Adult Separation Anxiety and Attachment Styles and Vaginismus. J Sex Med 2021;18:1752–1758.

Efficacy and safety of topiramate for reducing impulsivity: A transdiagnostic systematic review and meta-analysis of a common clinical use.

Impulsivity is an important transdiagnostic feature of many psychiatric disorders, as well as a marker of poorer outcome. Topiramate is broadly used for reducing impulsivity in various neuropsychiatric disorders, but no systematic review or meta-analysis has ever explored whether evidence supports this clinical use. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, using PubMed, PsycInfo and Cochrane databases. We included all studies assessing the efficacy of topiramate in adults with high levels of impulsivity, based on either psychometric or neuropsychological measures. Seven articles were included, involving 578 participants. Important heterogeneity in designs and quality features was observed. Topiramate lowered impulsivity levels in two of the studies that used the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) (401 participants) and in one of the studies that used neuropsychological measures (63 participants). Four other studies found no effect of topiramate on impulsivity. A larger reduction in the BIS-11 overall score, with a mean difference of 2.57 (95% confidence interval -4.12 to -1.02), was found in the topiramate group than the placebo group using a random effects model. However, one study accounted for the major part (85.5%) of it, and most included studies presented a high risk of bias. The use of a self-assessment scale induced an additional risk of self-report bias. No clear-cut evidence was found for a transdiagnostic effectiveness of topiramate in reducing impulsivity levels. However, encouraging results were found in some specific disorders.

P–484 Progesterone supplementation in modified natural frozen embryo transfer (mNC-FET) does not cause mental health adverse effects - A sub-study of a multicenter RCT

Abstract Study question Do women undergoing mNC-FET with progesterone supplementation experience mental health adverse effects at a greater rate compared to a control group. Summary answer Progesterone supplementation does not affect mental wellbeing in women undergoing mNC-FET. What is known already Women and men undergoing assisted reproductive treatment more likely to experience stress and other adverse psychological effects than the background population. Various factors such as parental age, cause of infertility and treatment method have been shown to affect patient well-being. Progesterone supplementation is known to cause various physical adverse effects, yet few studies have investigated the potential mental health adverse effects of progesterone supplementation in FET. Study design, size, duration This is a sub-study of an ongoing RCT investigating the effect of luteal phase progesterone supplementation in mNC-FET. The aim is to investigate possible mental health adverse effects of progesterone. From 2019–2021 a total of 164 women were included (n = 84 and n = 82 in the progesterone and control group, respectively). The health and wellbeing self-reporting survey was fulfilled after randomization on hCG trigger + 11 days. Participants/materials, setting, methods A validated, electronic questionnaire in Danish was used to measure mental wellbeing in women aged 18–41 years undergoing mNC-FET with and without use of progesterone supplementation in the luteal phase at seven Danish public hospitals. Women were randomized to either progesterone treatment or no progesterone by a computerized randomization algorithm with minimization for female age > =37 years, previous oocyte retrievals and previous FET. Comparisons of survey responses were performed by chi-square tests. Main results and the role of chance The survey response rate was 68%. We observed no significant differences in any of the three items between the progesterone group and the control group. On the first item “to which degree have you felt sensitive due to treatment”, 56% and 52% responded “to a large degree” or “to some degree” sensitive in the progesterone vs. control group, while 25% and 34% vs. 19% and 13% responded “to a lesser extent” or “not at all” sensitive in progesterone vs. controls (P = 0.35). On the second item, “to which degree have you felt aggressive due to treatment”, 10% and 9% responded “to a large degree” or “to some degree”, 29% and 22% answered “to a lesser degree” and 62% and 70% responded “not at all” in the progesterone vs control group (P = 0.57). On the third item “to which degree have you cried unexpectedly due to treatment” 25% and 18% responded “to a large degree” or “to some degree” in the progesterone vs control group, 20% and 27% answered “to a lesser extent”, while 55% in both groups answered “not at all” (P = 0.44). Limitations, reasons for caution In a self-reported survey selection bias, due to a less than 100% response rate, and reporting bias cannot be excluded. However with the possibility to answer the survey online at leisure, the risk of reporting bias is minimized. Wider implications of the findings: A large concern for clinicians working with ART is patient wellbeing. Our study suggests that luteal phase support does not cause extra emotional distress, though further research is needed. Trial registration number NCT03795220

OMG, I Have to Tweet that! A Study of Factors that Influence Tweet Rates

Many studies have shown that social data such as tweets are a rich source of information about the real-world including, for example, insights into health trends. A key limitation when analyzing Twitter data, however, is that it depends on people self-reporting their own behaviors and observations. In this paper, we present a large-scale quantitative analysis of some of the factors that influence self-reporting bias. In our study, we compare a year of tweets about weather events to ground-truth knowledge about actual weather occurrences. For each weather event we calculate how extreme, how expected, and how big a change the event represents. We calculate the extent to which these factors can explain the daily variations in tweet rates about weather events. We find that we can build global models that take into account basic weather information, together with extremeness, expectation and change calculations to account for over 40% of the variability in tweet rates. We build location-specific (i.e., a model per each metropolitan area) models that account for an average of 70% of the variability in tweet rates.

StrokeWatch: An Instrument for Objective Standardized Real-Time Measurement of Door-to-Needle Times in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment

ObjectivesMonitoring critical time intervals in acute ischemic stroke treatment delivers metrics for quality of performance – the door-to-needle time being well-established. To resolve the conflict of self-reporting bias a “StrokeWatch” was designed – an instrument for objective standardized real-time measurement of procedural times. Materials and methodsAn observational, monocentric analysis of patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke between January 2018 and September 2019 was performed based on an ongoing investigator-initiated, prospective, and blinded endpoint registry. Patient data and treatment intervals before and after introduction of "StrokeWatch" were compared. Results“StrokeWatch” was designed as a mobile board equipped with three digital stopwatches tracking door-to-needle, door-to-groin, and door-to-recanalization intervals as well as a form for standardized documentation. 118 patients before introduction of “StrokeWatch” (subgroup A) and 53 patients after introduction of “StrokeWatch” (subgroup B) were compared. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, procedural times, or clinical outcome. A non-significant increase in patients with door-to-needle intervals of 60 min or faster (93.2 vs 98.1%, p = 0.243) and good functional outcome (mRS d90 ≤ 2, 47.5 vs 58.5%, p = 0.218) as well as a significant increase in reports of delayed arrival of intra-hospital patient transport service (0.8 vs 13.2%, p = 0.001) were observed in subgroup B. ConclusionsThe implementation of StrokeWatch for objective standardized real-time measurement of door-to-needle times is feasible in a real-life setting without negative impact on procedural times or outcome. It helped to reassure a high-quality treatment standard and reveal factors associated with procedural delays.

The Impact of Mental Health and Stress Concerns on Relationship and Sexuality Amidst the COVID-19 Lockdown

BackgroundSince January 23, 2020, the Chinese government has imposed restrictive measures including self-isolation, travel restrictions and lockdown of Wuhan city in order to prevent the incoming waves of COVID-19 outbreak in the country. However, the impact of mental health and stress concerns on relationship and sexuality amidst the COVID-19 lockdown was currently unclear.AimThe cross-sectional study was designed to determine the changes in health, relationship and sexuality among the Chinese couples who lived together amid the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic in China.MethodsParticipants of Chinese nationality aged ≥18 years were asked to complete a self-administered online questionnaire regarding sexuality behaviour and impact of event scale (IES) in March 2020. Nonrandom sampling was used for participant recruitment. Also assessed were sociodemographic data including sex, age, employment, region, sexual dysfunction, and whether participants tested positive for COVID-19.OutcomesIES score, frequency of sexual intercourse per week, quality of usual sex life, emotional bonding and duration of relationship were measured.ResultsA total of 1,139 participants (ie, 735 males and 404 females) were included in the study. Mean age and IES of participants was 33.6 ± 9.5 years and 27.4 ± 8.6, respectively. Being male was significantly associated with increased frequency of sexual intercourse amid the COVID-19 pandemic (P = .012). Also, participants with an IES score <26 were more likely to report that they had increased frequency of sexual intercourse per week (P < .001) and the COVID-19 pandemic had positively affected the quality of their usual sex lives (P < .001). On the other hand, participants with IES score ≥26 were more likely to report that the COVID-19 pandemic had positively affected their emotional bonding (P < .001).Clinical implicationsFrequency of sexual intercourse and quality of sex life in participants who experienced high stressful impact were more likely to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.Strengths and limitationsThis was one of the first studies to assess sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chinese adults. Since participants were asked to self-report their sexual behavior, this potentially introduced self-reporting and recall bias into our findings.ConclusionsOur study reported that despite the moderate-to-severe stressful impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority reported no significant changes in the frequency of their sexual intercourse per week, quality of their usual sexual lives and emotional bonding. Zhang Y, Wen C, Zhang Y, et al. The Impact of Mental Health and Stress Concerns on Relationship and Sexuality Amidst the COVID-19 Lockdown. J Sex Med 2021;18:1843–1850.