Postmenopausal Research Articles

‘People of the barracks’: Meta-beliefs of a migrant community in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Literature discussing contents of meta-beliefs, or beliefs about other beliefs, and what effects they have on intergroup relationships, specifically among disadvantaged groups are rare. Our study aims to explore meta-beliefs among the resettled Sambas Madurese community, in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, who were affected by the 1999 Sambas Conflict. We adopted an ethnographic approach, with a three-month live-in duration, conducting interviews, casual conversations, and taking part in community activities. Our findings reveal two important contents of meta-belief held by the Sambas Madurese migrants: ‘people of the barracks’, and ‘evil and criminal’. As a disadvantaged group, the Sambas Madurese resort to more covert and subtle forms of resistance, mainly through reappropriation and daily life changes to disprove meta-beliefs. Here, reappropriation of those negative meta-beliefs, mainly linked to moral superiority, is employed. It is observed that the contents of meta-belief go beyond cognitive aspects, including strong emotive components and behavioral responses. Our study hopes to contribute to a discussion on intergroup relationships among host and disadvantaged migrant communities from ethnic conflict backgrounds.

Stay Abreast of Donor Life Changes

Stay Abreast of Donor Life Changes

Redefining adjustment after acquired brain injury.

Adjusting to life changes posed by an acquired brain injury (ABI) can be challenging for both individuals with ABI and their families. The current study explores the experience of adjustment, incorporating similarities and differences in this process as reported by the family members and individuals with ABI. Thirty-nine participants, recruited from a regional brain injury charity group, took part in semi-structured interviews (20/39 individuals with ABI, 19/39 relatives). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three main categories of adjustment were developed: adjusted to life after ABI, partially adjusted to life after ABI and not adjusted to life after ABI. However, it is the complexity of experiences within these main categories which uncovers the diversity in individual experience. Of specific interest are adjustment as best case and resigned adjustment responses which indicate a level of burden for the person experiencing these feelings of adjustment. The categories of grateful acceptance and resigned acceptance were specific to relatives and show the need to look beyond the individual with ABI to identify where support may be required for a family as a whole. On the basis of these findings, we offer an inclusive, family-oriented conceptualization of adjustment to brain-injury.

Multiomic profiling reveals timing of menopause predicts prefrontal cortex aging and cognitive function.

A new case of dementia is diagnosed every 3 s. Beyond age, risk prediction of dementia is challenging. There is growing evidence of underlying processes that connect aging across organ systems and may provide insight for early detection, and there is a need to identify early biomarkers at an age when action can be taken to mitigate cognitive decline. We hypothesized that timing of menopause, a marker of ovarian aging, predicts brain age decades later. We used 2086 subjects with multiple "omics" measurements from post-mortem brain samples. Age at menopause (AAM) is positively correlated with cognitive function and negatively correlated with pre-frontal cortex aging acceleration (calculated as estimated biological age from DNA methylation minus chronological age). Genetic correlations showed that at least part of these associations is derived from shared heritability. To dissect the mechanism linking AAM to cognitive decline, we turned to transcriptomic data which confirmed that later AAM was associated with gene expression in pre-frontal cortex consistent with better cognition, and among those who reached menopause naturally, decreased gene expression of pathways implicated in aging. Those with surgical menopause displayed different molecular changes, including perturbed nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) activity, validated by metabolomics. Bile acid metabolism was perturbed in both groups, although different bile acid ratios were associated with AAM in each. Together, our data suggest that AAM is predictive of brain aging and cognition, with potential mediation by the gut, although through different mechanisms depending on the type of menopause.

Association of premature natural and surgical menopause with incidence of depression requiring hospitalization: A prospective cohort study

Association of premature natural and surgical menopause with incidence of depression requiring hospitalization: A prospective cohort study

Reduction of Noise Levels During Caesarean Births Through Audiovisual Feedback is Associated With Lower Stress Levels for Patients.

Noise reduction during surgical procedures leads to improved surgical performance and results. The caesarean birth (CB) is an exceptional operation and a life changing experience. Through the introduction of staff education and implementation of audiovisual feedback, we intended to reduce noise, and subsequently reduce surgical complications and increase the well-being of patients and staff. During Phase I, blinded baseline measurements of noise were conducted. Phase II started after staff education and structured questionnaires on subjective noise and stress were added, and in Phase III audiovisual feedback was introduced. Mean and peak noise levels over the time of the procedure were obtained in A-weighted decibels (dB(A)). Kruskal-Wallis H tests were performed to evaluate the impact of interventions on noise levels. Questionnaires were evaluated using descriptive statistics; stress-scores were compared using independent sample t-tests. Ninety planned CBs were included. Median noise levels were 62.85 dB(A) at baseline. They decreased significantly to 60.60 dB(A) (Phase II) and 59.25 dB(A) (Phase III), respectively. This reduction of 3.6 dB(A) leads to a subjective noise reduction of around 20%. Significant differences for A-weighted and peak noise levels during actual surgery were found after combining staff education with audiovisual feedback. In Phase III, staff reported less stressful noise. Stress also decreased significantly in the patient group. Beeping machines and telephones were identified as the most stressful sources of noise. We show that noise reduction during CB is both necessary and possible. Diminished subjective perception of noise and stress are positive impacts of this intervention. Staff education and audiovisual feedback can help to provide a calm and lower stress environment for patients and staff during caesarean births.

성인학습자의 대학 교육 만족도가 삶의 변화에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze whether the educational satisfaction of adult learners participating in adult learning degree programs in Korean universities affects life changes as a learning outcome. To this end, data from 170 adult learners enrolled in universities in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Chungnam from September to October 2024 were used, and regression analysis was conducted as a research method. The results of the study showed that, first, adult learners' educational satisfaction with university degree programs was relatively high with an average of 4.09 points (standard deviation .477). Second, educational satisfaction was found to be an influential factor in affecting life changes as a learning outcome, with the effects being in the terms of social life changes, physical domain changes, family life changes, and career and employment changes. Based on these findings, suggestions were made to expand customized university education programs for adult learners, establish a flexible learning environment for adult learners in universities, provide learning counseling and active feedback from faculty,and strengthen career-related education programs., It is also recommended to introduce an objective and fair evaluation system for adult learners’ academic achievements, so that educational satisfaction can be directly linked to learning outcomes.

GERONTOMOTRICIDADE:A PRÁTICA DA ATIVIDADE FÍSICA PARA UM ENVELHECIMENTO SAUDÁVEL

Aging is a phenomenon already identified in the last century, being called countless times as a misfortune, which resulted in some discussions, because if the years of life were prolonged, we should also foresee that there were no limitations in the quality of life, given that Aging is one of the greatest feats of modern humanity. Given this, the general objective of this study is to relate the practice of Gerontomotricity in the process of encouraging physical activity with a focus on the healthy aging process. To that end. we list the following specific objectives: identify the main changes resulting from the aging process that directly affect the functional autonomy of the elderly; evaluate the intervention of physical activity on the psychomotricity of the elderly and relate the benefits of the activities developed by the Gerontomotricity program in implementing a healthy aging process. The research is a literature review with a descriptive aspect and a qualitative approach. In the review, the following inclusion/exclusion factors were considered: articles published between 2020 and 2024 and that worked on the topic: Gerontomotricity and/or physical activities for the elderly. The research data revealed that active elderly people have less impaired motor skills, which results in healthy aging, with a great improvement in the ability to carry out their daily activities alone, which significantly reflects on the daily activities of the elderly. It is concluded, therefore, that the practice of continuous physical activities generates a noticeable improvement in the quality of life of the elderly, as it is combined with a set of methods with the objective of evaluating and determining the most recommended exercises for each individual, considering them. If all its particularities and aiming to meet the needs arising from the changes caused by the aging process, it results in significant changes in life, in the elderly gaining autonomy and coexistence with others.

Socio-demographic and clinical predictors of post-acute, mid-and long-term psychological sequelae of COVID-19: a two-year cross-sectional investigation on 1317 patients at the University Hospital of Verona

BackgroundThe present paper focuses on socio-demographics, clinical variables, and the distance from the infection in predicting the long-term psycho-social consequences of COVID-19.MethodsPatients were screened with a cross-sectional design at the Psychological Service of the University Hospital of Verona (Italy) at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after their SARS-CoV-2 infection. The assessment was part of the Horizon 2020-funded ORCHESTRA Project and included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and ad-hoc questions measuring pre-post COVID-19 changes on psycho-social dimensions (sleep quality, nutrition, level of autonomy, work, social relationships, emotional wellbeing).ResultsBetween June 2021 and June 2023, we evaluated 1317 patients (mean age 56.6 ± 14.8 years; 48% male): 35% at three months, 40% at 6, 20% at 12, and 5% at 18 months after the infection. Thirty-five percent were hospitalized due to COVID-19. Overall, 16% reported some form of clinically significant mental distress following the infection (HADS-TOT), with 13% and 6%, respectively, experiencing anxiety (HADS-Anxiety) and depressive symptoms (HADS-Depression). Four percent testified post-traumatic symptoms. The SF-36 scale revealed that 16% and 17% of subjects had physical or psychological deterioration in quality of life, respectively. The regression analyses showed that females experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to males, along with worse mental and physical quality of life and pre-post infection changes in nearly all the investigated psycho-social dimensions. Younger people felt more anxiety and had a reduced mental quality of life than their older counterparts, who, in turn, had poorer scores in terms of autonomy and physical functioning. Hospitalized patients had lower levels of self-sufficiency, social relationships, and work than non-hospitalized people. The latter were more anxious and reported a lower physical quality of life. Finally, patients evaluated for the first time at 12- and 18 months showed a more significant impairment in mental and physical quality of life than those assessed at three months.ConclusionsOur data show that COVID-19 psychological sequelae tend to persist over time, still needing clinical attention and intervention planning, especially for females.

Perspective of Fulfilling The Social Needs of Children Affected to The Mountain Semeru Eruption: Qualitative Study

Indonesia is an archipelagic country located at the confluence of four tectonic plates and there are volcanic arcs along the islands of Sumatra-Java-Nusa Tenggara-Sulawesi. This condition causes Indonesia to be in a condition prone to natural disasters, especially volcanic eruptions. Disasters have a more serious impact on vulnerable groups. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect research data. Researchers collected demographic data at the research stage and then conducted direct interviews with research informants through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussion. A total of 24 participants were involved in this study which were taken using purposive sampling. The research was conducted on preschool and school aged children (3-12 years) who were affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency, Indonesia. The Mount Semeru eruption disaster resulted in psychological problems in children because peer separation, behavior, and borderline personality disorder have been widely reported in volcanic eruption disasters. Good social support is an important aspect in the process of recovering children after a disaster. Rapid life changes encourage parents to adapt immediately to meet the needs of children.

Three-dimensional trust: disentangling trust relations in the context of converted asylum seekers

ABSTRACT Forced migration always involves dramatic life changes, but with converted asylum seekers, these changes become especially devastating. Conversion entails building relationships with local religious groups while former social ties usually get severed. Typically, forced migrants seek support from friends, family and relatives. For converted asylum seekers, these bases of security often turn into sources of psychological violence and threats. We examine how converted asylum seekers and members of the congregations they join experience and make sense of trust. We have interviewed representatives of both groups to understand the role of trust in their relationships and in relation to other actors involved in the asylum process. Methodologically, we test Frederiksen’s distinction between three dimensions of trust (relations, objects and situations) on an empirical case and develop this analytical tool further. The findings emphasize the complex and dynamic role that proximity, affects and temporality play in relation to trust. Theoretically, we offer a definition of trust that emphasizes affects and ascribed moral agency instead of belief in the good will of another toward oneself.

Comprehensive assessment of factors affecting the operational reliability of low-voltage asynchronous electric motors of a coal mining complex

THE RELEVANCE of this study lies in solving the problem of reliable functioning of elements of energy systems and ensuring their effective operation during open-pit mining. The paper presents a methodological approach that allows us to assess the level of reliability of low-voltage asynchronous electric motors in a coal mine with complex mining, geological and climatic conditions of production. THE PURPOSE of the work is to quantify the operational factors affecting the service life of an asynchronous electric motor with a short-circuited rotor. Attention is focused on how influencing factors, different in physical basis, among which electrical parameters are highlighted – the coefficient of voltage asymmetry in the reverse sequence, the coefficients of harmonic voltage components and environmental parameters – temperature, air humidity and dustiness, affect the dynamics of changes in the service life of an asynchronous electric motor. Asynchronous electric motors used at one of the enterprises of JSC SUEK in the Trans-Baikal Territory are considered as an object of research. METHODS. The main tool for the implementation of research tasks is computer modeling based on the Matlab software package. RESULTS. The studies were performed on an asynchronous electric motor with a short-circuited rotor with Ph = 3 kW, rated speed 1500 rpm. The simulation of the operating mode of the electric motor under study was performed by changing the experimental parameters: the values of the total coefficient of harmonic voltage components (KU) – from 4 to 12% with a range of 2%; the values of the voltage asymmetry coefficient in the reverse sequence (K2U) – from 0 to 4% with a range of 1%; the ambient temperature (∆Tокr) – from -30°C to +30°C with a range of 10°C; air humidity values (Vc) – 20% and 60%; dust thermal conductivity coefficient values (Kт) – 0,12 and 0,28. Based on the obtained research results, diagrams are constructed that clearly illustrate the dynamics of changes in the service life of an asynchronous electric motor depending on the combination of influencing factors. CONCLUSION. The trends in solving the issues of reliable functioning of a coal mining enterprise with the presence of asynchronous electric motors and ensuring their efficient operation are the most priority, mainly focused on maintaining the stability of technological processes and maintaining the production volumes of a coal mining enterprise. The stability of the electric motor to certain influencing factors is estimated and their critical values are established. Recommendations on the use of asynchronous electric motors are formulated, taking into account their operating conditions.

Pengaruh Perceived Public Stigma terhadap Sikap Mencari Bantuan Profesional Psikologis pada Mahasiswa

Students are a group that is vulnerable to experiencing mental health problems. This is because they are in a transition period towards adulthood which is one of the most stressful times in human life. However, not all students are able to face all changes in life so that every human being needs a coping to deal with the problems they experience. One of the best coping to do is to seek professional psychological help. In this study, the influence of perceived public stigma to attitudes towards professional help seeking will be tested. This research method is quantitative with a linear regression research design. The subjects in this study were 115 students of Padang State University who had psychological problems. The research data were analyzed using SPSS 25 with a simple linear regression hypothesis test. The results of this study are that there is a significant influence of perceived public stigma on the attitude of seeking professional psychological help (F = 21.573; sig = 0.000) with an influence of 16% (R Square = 0.16).

A global research agenda for understanding the role of alcohol consumption in older women’s lives

Abstract Background The alcohol industry has targeted women for profit and resisted global efforts to address the impact of alcohol on women’s health. Scholars have called for research that moves beyond individual determinants of alcohol consumption in women, to investigate the range of social, environmental, and commercial factors that may contribute to women’s alcohol attitudes, risk/benefit perceptions, and consumption behaviours. While qualitative research has explored younger and midlife women’s perspectives on alcohol consumption, there is a notable lack of research focusing on older women. Methods This study investigated the factors that influence how older Australian women drinkers conceptualised the role of alcohol in their lives, using data collected from an online qualitative survey with n = 144 women aged 60-88 years. Qualitative responses were analysed using a ‘Big Q’ reflexive approach to thematic analysis. Results Participants perceived alcohol consumption as a socially accepted and normalised activity within Australian culture. For some women, alcohol served as a coping mechanism for life changes, such as retirement, and for managing stressful situations. Alcohol also formed part of daily routines and rituals, such as having wine with dinner. Participants had personal expectancies regarding ‘responsible drinking’, often aligning with alcohol industry messaging and resulting in a reduced perception of alcohol-related risks. Conclusions This research provides global lessons for future public health research examining the factors that may shape older women’s alcohol consumption beliefs and behaviours. The authors consider the unique needs and potential vulnerabilities of older women drinkers, and how these may be potentially exploited by the alcohol industry. Further public health research and policy attention should focus on the impact of alcohol industry messaging on older women’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours about alcohol risks and harms. Key messages • This research highlights the role of alcohol in older women’s lives, urging further public health research and policy attention to prevent alcohol-related harms in older women. • Older women’s perceptions of responsible alcohol consumption mirror the ambiguous messaging employed by the alcohol industry, highlighting the necessity for targeted interventions.

Exploring adult hearing aid user experiences: meaning extraction methods, content patterns, and associations with demographic and outcome variables

Objective Employing automated language analysis, specifically Meaning Extraction Method (MEM) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to identify key factors in open-text responses about hearing aid experiences. Design Exploratory, cross-sectional design, using an online questionnaire. Responses to a single open-ended question were analysed using MEM, PCA, regression, and correlation analyses. Study sample Participants (n = 538) included adult hearing aid users sampled from the Hearing Tracker website community and Lexie Hearing user databases in the United States. Results The MEM-derived items revealed six factors related to hearing aid experiences: (1) life change, (2) social situation, (3) quality of life, (4) impact and speech understanding, (5) communication and interaction, and (6) music and environmental sounds. IOI-HA item 3 had the most statistically significant correlations with PCA factors. Quantile regression revealed that factors one and two significantly predicted the IOI-HA total score. Positive correlations were observed between self-reported hearing difficulty and factors one, four, and five, as well as between factor one and general health and factor two and physical activity. Conclusion Natural language analysis of open-ended textual responses can offer valuable insights into hearing aid users’ experiences. Future studies should aim to refine this methodology to enhance clinical relevance and generalisability.

REVEALING POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH, IDENTITY AND GLOBAL INFLUENCE IN DEMI LOVATO: DANCING WITH THE DEVIL DOCUMENTARY

As a singer and an actress, Demi Lovato has fame which can influence her fans globally. Further, with the mental health, addiction, and trauma issues, she gains positive changes in her life that affect and encourage her fans as well. The object of this study is Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil documentary series. This study reveals Lovato’s posttraumatic growth that influences her identity and global influence. The narratives, captured clips, posts, and previous research are used as the data in this study. This study uses the theory of posttraumatic growth and new media for data interpretation. The findings show that Lovato’s posttraumatic growth consists of five domains: personal strength, relations to others, new possibilities, appreciation of life, and spiritual and existential changes. Moreover, her posttraumatic growth also leads her to discover her identity as a non–binary person and bring positive impacts to her fans around the world and the non-binary community. Therefore, as a new media form, the Dancing with the Devil documentary series successfully delivers Lovato’s stories and struggles to people worldwide, especially her fans.

The influence of interaction and student characteristics in canine-assisted interventions

ABSTRACT Students in higher education face a multitude of life changes and challenges. In order to promote their mental health, the use of canine-assisted interventions (CAI) has gained increasing attention, yet one area that remains insufficiently studied is the influencing characteristics that may lead to the positive effects of CAIs. This study is a follow-up study to a previously published study, aiming to investigate qualitatively the factors that may influence the change in well-being during a CAI. In the present study, 27 students participated in a 15-min CAI in which they interacted freely with a dog. Using the Basler Befindlichkeitsskala, their well-being was assessed. Participants reported personal characteristics and evaluated the intervention to identify possible influencing characteristics. Additionally, the intervention process was videotaped and analysed. Results showed greater positive effects on well-being for students who did not own a dog, for whom the intervention was delivered by more experienced dog-human teams, and for whom the intervention was characterised by a high interaction intensity with a high proportion of ‘petting the dog’ while showing low interaction with the handler. Implications for the use of CAIs are discussed.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Status of Pregnant Women: A Single-Center Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced people to make major life changes, and there is concern that depressive tendencies have increased in pregnant women during the pandemic. This study used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), administered in the second trimester, to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of Japanese women during pregnancy and to provide early intervention. The study included 1,320 pregnant women (663 pre-COVID-19 and 657 during COVID-19) with similar background characteristics and compared the results for the COVID-19 period (September 2020-August 2021) and control period (September 2018-August 2019). Women treated for psychiatric disorders were excluded. The EPDS cutoff score was 13. The median EPDS scores were 3 (1-6) points during the control period and 3 (1-5) points during the pandemic (p = 0.166) for the control and pandemic periods. Fourteen patients (2.1%) during the control period and 20 (3.0%) during the pandemic scored ≥13 points; however, the difference was not significant (odds ratio, 1.455; 95% confidence interval: 0.692-3.143). COVID-19 did not change mid-pregnancy EPDS scores at a single Japanese center.

Dialogue and tension within the self: The case of a humanitarian psychologist

This study addresses the importance of considering the self as a tensional, rather than homeostatic entity. We adopt a dialogical self perspective, which conceives it as a construct marked by the interaction between I-positions, and the notion of tensegrity, according to which tension is structuring the functioning of the self. This study’s objective is to analyze the interactions between the I-positions that constitute the self of a psychologist working in a humanitarian institution, considering life changes this person faced when choosing to work as a humanitarian. We present an instrumental case study. Data collection methods included logs, mission notes, media interviews, sociodemographic questionnaires, and a narrative interview. Our findings revealed a central role of I-positions such as “I as humanitarian,” “I as psychologist,” and “I as caregiver” in shaping the participant’s self, alongside the influence of positions related to family and self-care, like “I as daughter” and “I as a cared-for person.” The participant encountered conflicting decisions, highlighting the coexistence of tensions between different I-positions. This suggests that humanitarian work involves dynamic processes of adaptation, challenging the harmony of the self. Through this study, we aim to contribute insights that expand our understanding of conflicting aspects of identity.

Supporting young people through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a multi-site qualitative longitudinal study

BackgroundThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, youth have experienced substantial stress due to abrupt changes in education, finances, and social life, compounding pre-existing stressors. With youth (ages 15–26) often at critical points in development, they are vulnerable to long-term mental health challenges brought on by pandemic trauma.MethodsTo identify youth experiences throughout the pandemic and examine changes over time, we conducted semi-structured interviews among n = 141 youth in two Canadian provinces (Ontario and British Columbia) and across the country of Ireland at three time points over the course of more than one year (August 2020-October 2021). We conducted a qualitative longitudinal analysis using an inductive content approach.ResultsCategories identified were (1) coping with hardship; (2) opportunities for growth; (3) adapting to new ways of accessing services; (4) mixed views on the pandemic: attitudes, behaviour, and perception of policy response; (5) navigating COVID-19 information; (6) transitioning to life after the pandemic; and (7) youth-led recommendations for government and service response. The findings also reveal trends in health and wellness in accordance with prolonged periods of lockdown, changes in weather, and return to normalcy after the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Key recommendations from youth include incorporating youth voice into decision making, communicating public health information effectively to youth, enhancing service delivery post-pandemic, and planning for future pandemics.ConclusionsThese results provide insights into the extensive longitudinal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people across three geographical locations. Actively involving youth in decision making roles for future pandemics or public health emergencies is critical.