Close Interpersonal Relationships Research Articles

Emotional atypical arousal ratings for unpleasant stimuli in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, including alteration in emotional processing and recognition of emotions. We explored the effects of PD on the emotional behavioral ratings using a battery of affective visual stimuli selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Twenty-two patients diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 22 healthy controls (HC), matched by age, gender, and education, were enrolled in the study. Following a clinical assessment, each participant was asked to evaluate the arousal and valence of affective visual stimuli, and response time was recorded. Disease-specific measures including the MDS Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS UPDRS) and the Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS) were also collected. PD patients exhibited higher arousal responses compared to HC for negative/unpleasant pictures (scoring 7.32 ± 0.88 vs 5.43 ± 2.06, p < 0.001). The arousal response to negative/unpleasant pictures was correlated with measures of non-motor burden in PD (MDS UPDRS I and NMSS, rho = 0.480 and p = 0.023, rho = 0.533 and p = 0.010, respectively). Impaired emotional processing characterizes PD patients with mild disease and is related to the non-motor symptom burden. Given the importance of emotional processing for the development and maintenance of close interpersonal relationship and for coping with specific medical situations, it is crucial to direct PD patients towards therapeutic interventions focused on the recognition and processing of emotions.

Toward a culturally sensitive application of emotionally focused couples therapy: A qualitative study of therapists' experience using EFT in Spanish-speaking countries/cultures.

The purpose of the current study was to identify specific ways Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT; S. Johnson) could be adapted to better meet the needs of clients in Spanish-speaking countries throughout Europe and the Americas. The results were drawn from responses to a qualitative questionnaire regarding the experiences of learning and applying EFT; 103 therapists in 12 different countries where Spanish is spoken responded to the survey. Overall, the results suggest that the therapists surveyed consider EFT to be a "good fit" for many Spanish-speaking clients because of its focus on emotion, attachment theory, close interpersonal relationships, and model-specific interventions that match cultural values. Participants suggested a few culture-specific modifications regarding how to access and process emotion with men in therapy, translation of key EFT concepts and phrases into Spanish, and navigating the intersection of two cultural values (respeto and personalismo). Fewer modifications were suggested by therapists as they discussed application of the model than while learning it.

Psychosocial conditions during school-age as determinants of long-term labour market attachment: a study of the Northern Swedish Cohort from the 1980s to the 2020s

BackgroundThis study, conducted on a Swedish population cohort, explores how internalized (depressive and functional somatic) and externalized (smoking, drinking, truancy, vandalism, delinquency) mental health symptoms, as well as close interpersonal relations (family climate and school connectedness) reported during adolescence, influence the work-life course up to late midlife.MethodsWe examined repeated measurements of labour market status from age 16 to 56 using sequence analyses. We identified five different labour market attachment (LMA16-56) trajectories, namely ‘strong,’ ‘early intermediate,’ ‘early weak,’ ‘late weak,’ and ‘constantly weak.’ Multinomial logistic regressions were employed to relate each of the nine determinants to the identified trajectories.ResultsWhen compared to the risk of ‘strong’ LMA16-56, adversity in all conditions, except for vandalism, entailed a higher risk of the ‘constantly weak’ trajectory. Moreover, all conditions, except for functional somatic symptoms, entailed a higher risk of the ‘late weak’ LMA16-56. The risk of the ‘early intermediate’ LMA16-56 was non-significant across all the conditions.ConclusionsThis study contributes to existing knowledge through its novel exploration of labour market attachment and the revelation of the significance of proximal interpersonal relationships in attachment outcomes. Additionally, the study reaffirms the importance of externalizing behaviour, while suggesting that internalized symptoms in adolescence might have a less influential, though not negligible, role. These results underscore the importance of addressing acting out behaviour and nurturing human relationships during compulsory basic education, when the entire age group is still within reach. This approach aims not only to reduce frictions in the school-to-work transition but also to prevent midlife labour market attachment problems that may arise with delayed intervention.

Utilizing dyadic and triadic family interviews to better understand the integrated care needs of older adults: Examples from a Canadian study exploring the needs of older adults at risk of admission to long-term care facilities.

Background and purpose: In family sciences, the scientific study of families and close interpersonal relationships, dyadic and triadic interviewing is utilized to gain a more complete understanding of the experiences of families, as well as individuals within families. Family-based methods have been more commonly used in pediatric research, yet they have great utility in older adult integrated care research as well, particularly when older adults experience a decline in their health and family members become more involved in their care. The aim of this presentation is to describe the use of dyadic and triadic interviews as a research method when the research focuses the lives of older adults. &#x0D; Methods: A Canadian study exploring the needs of older adults at risk of admission to long-term care facilities illustrates the use of family-based research methods in an older adult population. In this qualitative study, older adults and their family members were interviewed as individuals, dyads, and triads. &#x0D; Results: Data was collected from 24 participants using family-based methods. The data was analyzed in multiple ways so that the experiences of individuals and groups were more fully understood. Overall, the main problem experienced by at-risk older adults and their family members was uncovered, including breakdowns related to an integrated healthcare system. &#x0D; Conclusion: Reflections on the use of family-based methods with older adults will be presented, including how this data informed integrated care planning in this context. Further, this presentation will highlight how this method compares with focus groups, how and why dyadic and triadic interview data might be analyzed, and how this data can provide robust information to lead to a more informed integrated healthcare system.

‘It just feels really nice when people call me by my name’: accounts of gender euphoria among Australian trans young people and their parents

ABSTRACT Gender euphoria refers to positive internal feelings of joy related to gender, and external affirmation when recognized as one’s gender. Euphoria can be an important counter to experiences of gender dysphoria for many trans people. Due to an often damage-centred approach to understanding trans people’s lives, gender euphoria remains an under-researched topic, particularly with trans young people. This paper aims to address this gap by exploring the experiences of pre-pubertal trans young people and their families at the beginning of, or who were waiting to access, gender-affirming medical care, and how this relates to their sense of self, relationships with others, and views about the future. As part of the first wave of the Australian iteration of an international longitudinal study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 families (comprising 12 trans young people, 16 parents, and 2 siblings). The themes developed emphasized that gender euphoria can arise as a product of self-understanding, receiving affirming medical care, close interpersonal relationships, and interactions with people in the broader community. While gender euphoria can be normative in its enactment, it also highlights the unique aspects of being trans, helping with feelings of safety, comfort, and the hope and promise of an imagined future.

The rise of depression and the risk of suicide: Understanding dysphoria in modern society

Abstract Problem Depression is on the rise and can result in the intense despair that underlies suicide risk. Description of the Problem Modern society has changed in ways that disrupt personal life, reduce lasting values, and create a disconnect from close interpersonal relations. It is important to understand the prevalence of despair and the high rates of death by suicide. Results A comprehensive scoping review identified five relevant factors that play a role in the rise of distress and despair across society. First, many people rely on alcohol or drugs to temporarily suppress emotional reactions. Drug abuse has become commonplace. Further, the over-use of antidepressant medications may result in the social and emotional causes of depression remaining untreated. Second, prescription pills and guns are the most common methods used in a suicidal act and both are commonplace throughout the U.S. Third, many adults struggle with occupational stress and chronic financial worries. In addition, many adults feel their job is repetitive and mundane, providing a source of income but little benefit to person or society. Fourth, many people experience pervasive feelings of loneliness and social isolation, often feeling disconnected from family and friends. Some aspects of social isolation may be related to an excessive use of technology that has changed social interactions in ways that are not helpful. Fifth, many people have been losing hope or lack meaning in life. As society becomes filled with interpersonal conflict, political strife, and suppressed hatred, feelings of hopelessness can grow. Some people have reached a level of fatigue over the assorted crises facing the world today. Lessons The rising suicide rates are not a time-limited epidemic, but despair has become endemic to modern society, quietly undermining the emotional lives of many people. Societal changes can promote positive mental health by addressing each of these five factors. Key messages • Mental Health professionals can promote non-pharmacological means of managing stress and depression. • All fields can encourage supportive and compassionate bonds when confronted with people in distress.

ON THE NATIONAL-CULTURAL SEMANTICS OF THE VALUE ‘YOU SHAN’ (৻ழ) IN CHINESE

The article examines the national-cultural semantics of ‘You Shan’ (৻ழ) in Chinese from the perspective of linguoculturology reflected in etymology, dictionary and periodicals. Authoritative Chinese dictionaries and the main corpora of the Chinese language (the Chinese language corpus of the State Commission on Language and Writing, the BCC corpus, the National press index database) served as the research material. The analysis made it possible to conclude that ‘You Shan’ is a traditional virtue and one of the main socialist values in China. It has rich semantics including such elements as friendship, mutual assistance, auspiciousness, sincerity, etc. The semantic realm of ‘You Shan’ is continuously expanding, from the most elementary relations between people to relations between nations and countries. The subject of ‘You Shan’ can be people and animals, and the applicable objects can be animals, the environment, and even things. ‘You Shan’ plays a positive role in the formation of national or personal image, and promotes close interpersonal relationships and social harmony. However, according to the principle of the ‘golden mean’ in ancient Chinese philosophy, to be too friendly is not advocated. Sometimes, ‘You Shan’ is regarded as a disguise for dominance and personal goals, which is negatively evaluated since sincerity is included in its original meaning.

Moral Improvement of Self, Social Relations, and Society.

There is always room for moral improvement. However, very few prior reviews have focused on the phenomenon of moral improvement of self, social relations, or society. We first consider prevailing notions of the self-concept by highlighting the niche of theory and research that identifies an improving self as a possible identity and basis of motivation to act better and to be better. Second, we discuss moral improvement in the context of social relations, especially the close interpersonal relations that should most facilitate moral improvement. Third, we examine the moral improvement of society, focusing on the factors that facilitate or inhibit caring about potential immorality despite the fact that issues such as inequality, discrimination, and the climate crisis seem to be morally distant and impersonal. Finally, we discuss future directions for theory, research, and application.

Interpersonal relationships and communication in romantic relationships vs digitization of life

The digitization of life turned out to be both necessary and salutary for maintaining the continuity of functioning of societies and individuals during the pandemic. Meetings with people were mostly held remotely, as were medical and legal consultations or shopping. And although tools for online communication were known before 2020, their heyday and widespread use fell on the years of the pandemic crisis. Today, digitization is largely associated with all spheres of human life, including those that relate to the creation of close interpersonal relationships. The aim of the article is to present the conclusions of scientific considerations on the psychological aspects of interpersonal communication in romantic relationships in the context of the digitization of life. Models and dimensions of communication in romantic relationships and their importance for human functioning are presented. Some psychological aspects of interpersonal communication at three stages of a romantic relationship are discussed, i.e. creating a new, close relationship in the network, duration of the relationship in the digital reality and ending the romantic relationship.

Interpersonal dynamics of fame: celebrity discourses in commercial music artist’s romantic relationships

ABSTRACT Commercial music artists seek celebrity capital, which has central value in the music industry and broader society. Previous literature suggests that besides advantages, fame is connected to interpersonal issues in close relationships. The marginalised celebrity discourses emerging from well-known artists’ close interpersonal relationships are examined to better understand the interpersonal dynamics of fame. Relational dialectics theory is applied to study celebrity discourses in the romantic relationships of 11 Finnish music artists. Contrapuntal analysis of the data indicates that fame emerges as competing celebrity discourses privileging separateness, closedness, asymmetry, publicity and inauthenticity. The discursive interplays illuminate the dominating celebrity persona, increased mistrust, social and emotional distance, and asymmetrical power dynamics in artists’ romantic relationships. These meaning-systems are linked to decreased self-disclosure and increased social distance, which are negatively connected to relationship formation and maintenance. The dominant perception of fame as harmful for relationships challenges the popular perceptions of fame as worth pursuing. Increased awareness of the interpersonal dynamics of fame can help individuals in managing the fame-related tensions in close interpersonal relationships, which are known as vital for well-being. The research adds to the understanding of the relational production of fame and introduces the interpersonal communication perspective on celebrity studies.

Interpersonal transmission of ROCD symptoms and susceptibility to infidelity in romantic relationships

Relationship obsessive–compulsive disorder (ROCD) is a disabling presentation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) centering on close interpersonal relationships. Previous studies focused on the personal consequences of ROCD symptoms. Yet, studies investigating the consequences of ROCD symptoms on one's partner are scarce. In this study, we assessed whether exposure to romantic partners' elevated ROCD symptoms would heighten participants' ROCD symptoms and would increase participants' evaluation of their own and their partners' susceptibility to infidelity. Heterosexual couples (Ncouples = 50; Mage = 25.8) completed self-report questionnaires. One randomly selected partner of each romantic dyad was then randomly allocated to being exposed to information suggesting their partner has low (low-exposure) or high (high-exposure) levels of ROCD symptoms. Results indicated that participants in the high-exposure group showed higher ROCD symptoms than participants in the low-exposure group. Exposure to allegedly elevated levels of partners' ROCD symptoms also led participants to evaluate their own and their partners' susceptibility to infidelity as higher than participants in the low-exposure group, particularly among participants with pre-existing ROCD symptoms. These results illustrate a ‘contagious’ effect of unmediated exposure to partners' ROCD symptoms and its potentially unfavorable consequences. Clinical implications regarding partner involvement in the treatment of ROCD are discussed.

Self-esteem and unconditional acceptance of oneself, in HIV positive people

The present work entitled "Self-esteem and unconditional acceptance of oneself, in seropositive people", highlights the problem of real states, which seropositive people face, to situations and intercessions related to self-esteem. This followed the behavior of HIV positive people, attitudes towards other people or vis-à-vis their own lives. Self-esteem is an element of the self and refers to affective living, to the emotions that the individual experiences when referring to himself. It is a make-up of the cognitive scheme relating to oneself. The idea that self-esteem is one of the factors that are associated with mental health is an integral part of psychology. The level of self can influence the habits and manifestations of the individual, so in the case of a low level the person gives up a succession of attractive goals, such as establishing close interpersonal relationships, choosing desired professions or living a pleasant life full of accomplishments and satisfactions. A low self-esteem can turn a healthy and intelligent person into a powerless person. The transition from a healthy and high self-esteem to a low self-esteem can be achieved by triggering strong mechanisms, in critical situations such as in the case of the presented theme, the establishment of a positive serodiagnostic. This fact causes the person to adopt ub devaluation behavior. The work being focused on self-esteem is designed so as to highlight the main aspects of the subject, so it is structured on chapters as follows in those presented below.

Separation-Individuation in Patterns in Turkey: An Investigation of Developmental, Gender and Contextual Differences

IntroductionThere is still a paucity of studies exploring the impacts of teenage employment on mental health and development. In many developing countries, youths participate intensively in the teenage labor force. The involvement of adolescent in the world of work would promote the development of responsibility and prepare the young person to function more effectively in adult roles.ObjectivesThe purposes of the present study were to examine the adolescent separation-individuation among an understudied and vulnerable population; and to examine the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA) for revealing the differentiation working male group from student male group.MethodsParticipants completed the SITA. The group of study 1 consisted of 618 high school and 252 university students between the ages of 14 and 24, 489 of which were girls and 381 were boys. In Study 2, participants were 269 male adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17, 141 of which were full-time worker and 128 high school students. In study 1, these results were consistent with the rapprochement subphase of the separation-individuation process in adolescence -the striking desires for intimacy and independence.ResultsOur results support the gender specific patterns of identity formation and the argument that connectedness in close relationships plays a central role in the female identity development. Interestingly, there were no significant gender differences in the tendency to view close interpersonal relationships as threatening to their sense of independence and selfhood, and to deny or avoid dependency needs. The reason for this might be the cultural differences between the individualistic and collectivistic cultures. In study 2, working males could be distinguished from student counterparts by their increased tendency to seek close interpersonal ties with caretakers. The finding also suggested that student males reflected characteristics of the traditional view of adolescents’ independence striving. Across both studies it was found that the traditional Turkish child-rearing patterns have been characterized by an emphasis on interpersonal relationships and close ties with family than individualistic culturesConclusionsOur results revealed that the subscales of SITA –especially dependency denial, rejection expectancy, nurturance seeking, engulfment anxiety, and teacher enmeshment- can help clinicians for assessing the adolescent separation-individuation process in a reliable way. We suggested that adolescent employment would lead to the difficulties in developing bonds with parents because of the adolescents’ long work hours, the early involvement with the world of work would lead to the withdrawal from the more dependent, preadultlike student role, and student adolescents would reflect characteristics of the traditional view of adolescents’ independence striving.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Latent profiles for mental health in older people from Concepción, Chile.

IntroductionAging is a demographic global trend and a challenge for public mental health; however, gaps persist for a comprehensive definition of mental health, risk, protective factors, and processes involved, which represent a greater problem in middle-income countries, where evidence is scarce.ObjectivesTo identify combined mental health profiles in older adults, based on self-report of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perception of well-being, and to identify risk and protective variables for each of the groups, based on a sample of older adults attending primary health care (PHC) centers in the Province of Concepción, Chile.MethodsA convenience sample of 573 adults of both sexes, over 65 years, autonomous, attending PHC centers in the Province of Concepción, Chile, answered a set of instruments assessing anxiety symptoms (SCL-90), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and perception of well-being (Pemberton Happiness Index) and eventually associated variables that included sociodemographic and living arrangements, social participation, threatening life events (LTE), loneliness (ULS-3), and social support (MSPSS). Latent profile mixture analysis was used to identify groups of adults with similar mental health, and pertinence in each group was explained using random forests. The relationship between predictors and latent profiles were analyzed with multinomial regression.ResultsA solution of 4 groups with distinctive mental health profiles was determined: Group 1 (28%) with high depressive symptoms, high anxiety, and low well-being; Group 2 (32%) with moderate depressive symptoms, high anxiety and moderate well-being; Group 3 (24%) with moderate depressive symptoms, low anxiety and moderate well-being and; Group 4 (15%) characterized by individuals with low anxious or depressive symptoms, high well-being, and absence of mental disorder.Using random forests, this model predicts 63% variance between groups. A large number of variables were found to significantly predict membership in one of the 4 groups. Specifically: gender, satisfaction with living arrangement, economic crisis, own disease, and death or illness of friend, perception of general health, intimate, relational and collective loneliness, social support from family and significant others, and social support from friends.ConclusionsThe 4-group classification is a parsimonious solution where group 1 characterize people with poor mental health; groups 2 and 3 languishing with high and low anxiety respectively; and group 4 healthy and flourishing. Overall, these groups highlight the role of close interpersonal relationships or primary ties, both in terms of intimacy versus loneliness/isolation and in satisfaction with living arrangements for the elderly. The importance of these psychosocial predictors on combined mental health in the elderly further the need to understand their role and mechanisms to design promotion and prevention strategies.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Brand relationships in wireless mobile environments: The mediating role of apps

AbstractBrands use branded mobile apps to interact with users and to develop brand relationships in wireless mobile environments. These apps collect data about users and app usage, which are potentially helpful for brand relationship research. We aim to contribute to understanding the user–brand relationship (UBR) measurement mediated by branded apps, an area with very limited research, with a focus on leveraging these apps as a gauging context to measure the UBR strength. We propose a data‐driven model to measure the UBR strength that combines metrics computed by using branded app data with close interpersonal relationship indicators. We conducted a computer simulation to test the proposed model. Our findings show that app usage time is the metric that most affects UBR strength measurement. The results suggest that time is essential for developing brand relationships in wireless mobile environments, much like in interpersonal relationships. The proposed model can be supplemented with other metrics to study new attributes associated with the UBR that might emerge in these environments.

Phenomenological Empathy and the Professional Role in Recovery-Oriented Practice

This paper aims to show how a phenomenological theory of empathy can be used to achieve a close interpersonal relationship that serves to support shared decision making and recovery from mental health problems. This framework can also be seen as a way to maintain a professional distance in such relationships. First, the paper briefly describes the basics of shared decision making and recovery-oriented practice. Second, the paper presents the notion of second-person perspectivity, the “we-relation”, and the phenomenological term epoché as a background to discussing the possibility of performing a specific kind of epoché, which actively brackets taken-for-granted presuppositions and notions and instead facilitates a focus on the meaning of the other’s experience: a special kind of intentionality directed toward the other’s intentionality. Third, the paper notes that the aim of actively assuming an empathic attitude paves the way for a passive ethnographic epoché that allows for an exploration of the other’s personal world, which constitutes the context for meaning. In this way, we can increase the possibilities of developing a professional “we-relation” and minimizing the risk of emotional contagion. This is a skill that can be learned through training, and that can increase the possibility of developing a deeper interpersonal understanding that will be of value to recovery-oriented practice.

Factors promoting alliance quality: Differentiation of therapeutic alliance according to the formal aspects of the psychotherapeutic process and demographic variables

Background and ObjectivesThe study's main aim was to determine which formal aspects of psychotherapy (therapist's work experience, number of sessions held, frequency of meetings, length of sessions) contributed to the quality of the therapeutic (working) alliance. The alliance was also analyzed for demographic variables. MethodsThe sample consisted of 428 participants, and the working alliance was evaluated in 262 psychotherapist–patient dyads. To assess its quality, the author used the full version of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). ResultsThe analyzes led to several conclusions. Their results indicate that the quality of working alliance increases if psychotherapy is conducted by an experienced specialist, if the frequency of sessions is high, and if the sessions are longer. They do not, however, pinpoint the demographic markers of therapeutic alliance quality. ConclusionThe formal aspects of the psychotherapeutic process influence the quality of the working alliance. Alliance develops to an equal degree in people of different ages and with diverse levels of education, regardless of the presence or absence of close interpersonal relationships in their lives.

Value of Self-Disclosure to Parents and Peers During Adolescence.

Self-disclosure is a crucial part of developing close interpersonal relationships during adolescence. In particular, sharing information with a greater depth of intimacy is thought to strengthen social bonds and thus support mental health. The current study investigated the value for different depths of self-disclosures to close others (mothers and best friends) during adolescence and its association with mental health and well-being. Fifty-four girls (11.0-15.9 years) completed a forced-choice monetary paradigm to assess value for self-disclosures and questionnaires on mental health. Participants significantly valued (i.e., forfeited monetary reward) for disclosures to both mothers and best friends, although intimate disclosures were more "costly" than superficial disclosures. Greater value for intimate self-disclosures to mothers was also associated with better mental health and well-being.

Qualitative Analyses of e-Learning Implementation and Hybrid Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic at Spanish Universities

During the COVID-19 pandemic over the academic year 2020–2021, many universities and faculties had to deal with hybrid teaching by combining face-to-face and virtual teaching approaches. The main objective herein considered was to analyze the perceptions of students and teachers from Spanish universities regarding how e-learning has actually been adopted before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown. We also wished to know their opinions about the usefulness and applicability of the e-learning and hybrid teaching methodologies regarding their impacts on the teaching–learning process in the university context. A thematic analysis was performed using three discussion groups (two made up of four teachers each, and another comprising five teachers with university management posts). Seventy-nine open questionnaires completed by students were also analyzed. The participants were from eight different Spanish universities: six public and two private. The obtained results revealed a preference for face-to-face teaching over virtual teaching, and the advantages offered by closer interpersonal relationships were stressed. However, the participants also indicated the potential of the e-learning and hybrid teaching methodologies, which they believed complemented one another and reinforced learning personalization. Thus, a specific need for training in the e-learning methodology and hybrid teaching format was apparent.

Moving toward Radical Love in Organizing Spaces

Moving toward Radical Love in Organizing Spaces