Decrease In Negative Affect Research Articles

Intervention to Improve Well-Being, Nutrition, and Physical Activity in Adults: Experimental Study.

Mindfulness improves well-being, improves emotional regulation, reduces impulses to eat, and is linked to increased physical activity. Mindfulness interventions usually focus on 1 aspect but do not offer an approach to holistically improving lifestyle. This study aims to address this gap by designing and evaluating a holistic mindfulness intervention. Committing to a 12-week intervention with 2-hour sessions without knowing whether you will enjoy it can be a hindrance for someone completely unfamiliar with mindfulness. For this reason, we decided to design a mindfulness intervention with short sessions over a reduced number of weeks. The aim is to enable novices to discover different aspects of mindfulness while at the same time offering a satisfactory practice for people who are already practicing mindfulness. We designed and evaluated a web-based mindfulness intervention in 5 sessions of 5 to 10 minutes each on well-being, diet, and physical activity to support a healthier lifestyle. The first 2 sessions focus on formal mindfulness meditation to enable novices to discover mindfulness and its main principles. Then there are 2 sessions about food. The first session about food aims to develop a sense of satisfaction with the food we eat and to focus our attention on new sensations. The second session about food aims to develop the ability to resist the lure of unhealthy foods. Finally, there is a session on physical activity. The aim is to develop a particular awareness of the body during movement, to increase satisfaction with physical activity, and to develop regular exercise. In total, 32 participants completed the intervention. After the intervention, we observed decreases in negative affect, anxiety, and emotional distress, and an increase in dispositional mindfulness. There was no effect on reported healthy eating habits and physical activity habits. Few participants repeated the exercises as recommended. The majority of our participants were new to mindfulness. The majority of our participants reported being satisfied with the different sessions. A few minor difficulties were mentioned, mainly related to the environment in which the participants carried out the sessions. Only 1 session was less satisfactory for one-third of the participants. The session on resistance to unhealthy foods was formulated too strictly and the idea of banning certain foods was a hindrance for one-third of the participants. A reformulation is needed. The mindfulness exercises were well accepted and promoted a state of mindfulness. It would be interesting to provide easier technical access to the exercises via a mobile app so that they can be repeated easily.

Improving resilience and mental well-being among refugees residing at asylum centers in the Netherlands: A pre-post feasibility study

BackgroundFew studies have explored the effects of mental health and psychosocial support programs among refugees residing at asylum centers. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a positive psychology intervention called BAMBOO among refugees temporarily residing at asylum centers in the Netherlands. MethodData was collected at 35 asylum centers from 243 participants who completed five weekly two-hour sessions. Pre- and post-changes in resilience, happiness, and positive and negative affect were assessed using a one-group pretest–posttest design. Also, program fidelity, participant satisfaction, and program activity suitability were evaluated. ResultsCompleter and intention-to-treat analyses revealed a significant medium increase in resilience, a large increase in happiness, a small increase in positive affect, and a medium decrease in negative affect. Reliable change indices showed a positive change in 24 % of the participants on resilience and 13 % on positive and negative affect, respectively. Participant retention was 80 %. Moreover, participant satisfaction was high. Also, a substantial proportion of participants evaluated reading and writing-based activities as less suitable in comparison to activities based on verbal and creative expression, physical movement, and meditation/prayer. ConclusionsFindings showed significant increases in scores from pre- to post-assessment on resilience, happiness, and positive affect and a decrease in negative affect. Since the study design limits the ability to attribute causation, future controlled studies should be conducted to stablish stronger evidence regarding the program's effects. Additionally, the program could benefit from further adaptation to enhance its cultural sensitivity. Trial registration number: ISRCTN18019972

I can feel my heartbeat: The relationship between interoceptive abilities and emotional states during stress and recovery in healthy adolescents.

The goal of the current study was to investigate the differential effects of three interoception dimensions on psychophysiological stress responses (reactivity and recovery) in adolescents. A total of 102 adolescents (Mage = 14.10 years, SDage = 0.63; 50 males) completed the heartbeat counting task with adapted instructions to assess interoceptive accuracy, sensibility, and awareness. During a follow-up session, participants underwent a standardized stressful task, throughout which measures of negative affect and respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) were collected. Results from multilevel models indicated that adolescents with higher interoceptive accuracy reported less pronounced increases in negative affect during stress induction, and subsequently experienced a less steep decrease in negative affect during recovery, compared to those with lower accuracy. Regarding RSA, adolescents with higher interoceptive accuracy exhibited greater decreases in RSA from baseline to stress, while those with higher interoceptive awareness maintained higher RSA levels throughout the experiment. In contrast, individuals with higher interoceptive sensibility exhibited lower levels of RSA during the experiment. These findings add to the limited literature on interoception in adolescents by illuminating its role in emotional experiences, stress responses, and recovery processes. Our study suggests that examining distinct dimensions of interoception, along with physiological measures during stress and recovery, is crucial for understanding its beneficial or adverse effects in adolescence. The complexity and potential significance of interoceptive dimensions extend beyond their correlations with traditional self-report measures, warranting further investigation to clarify their implications and underlying mechanisms.

Enhancing College Students’ Well-Being through an Online Mindfulness Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT Background Mental health challenges continue to be on the rise with college students. The COVID-19 pandemic further accentuated these challenges. Thus, consideration could be given to exploring various strategies to support the well-being of students. Purpose This study examined the effects of an online mindfulness intervention in an academic course measuring the well-being in a two-group pretest and posttest study design. Methods Participants included (N = 40) undergraduate students ages 18–23. The experimental group consisted of participants in an online health course with a mindfulness component. The control group enrolled in an identical health course without a mindfulness component. Results The results indicated greater statistically significant increases in the experimental group’s well-being, mindfulness and positive affect, as well as a decrease in negative affect compared to the control group. Discussion This study offers insight into the potential effectiveness of online mindfulness interventions embedded in academic courses for benefiting students’ well-being. This is especially relevant as it was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic when focus on well-being was paramount. Translation to Health Education Practice Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) play an important role in enhancing well-being in the college student population through the needs assessment, implementation, evaluation, research and usage of findings.

The Effectiveness of Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) for Undergraduate Students

The study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of face-toface, group-based Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) for undergraduate students. Following a 12-week CMT intervention, a cohort of undergraduate students in the CMT group (n = 45) and their counterparts in the passive control group (n = 21) were asked to fill out assessments before, during, immediately after, and three months following the completion of the intervention. These measures encompassed a range of factors, including self-compassion, negative affect, various forms of positive affect, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and dysfunctional attitudes. Compared with the control group, participants belonging to the CMT group showed significant increases in self-compassion and self-warmth, along with decreases in negative affect, self-coldness, dysfunctional attitudes, depression, and stress. However, mediation analyses, when applied within longitudinal models, did not establish the significance of self-compassion, self-coldness, or self-warmth as mediators in the context of the CMT's impact on negative affect and soothing positive affect. The results support the effectiveness of a 12-week, group-based, face-to-face CMT for undergraduate students. Yet, they also cast doubt on selfcompassion as the primary mechanism driving these changes, given the absence of supporting longitudinal evidence.

Trajectories of negative affect prior to and following disordered eating behaviors among women with eating disorder pathology: An examination of the role of state-interoception

ObjectiveAffect regulation theories of eating disorders (ED) posit that negative affect increases in the hours before and decreases following disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in daily life, yet findings from studies assessing affective changes post-DEBs are mixed. This inconsistency may be due to the previously unassessed role of other transdiagnostic processes in these associations, such as interoception (the ability to sense and integrate information from bodily sensations). To address this research gap, the present study examined whether different interoception dimensions moderated negative affect trajectories surrounding DEBs in the natural environment. Method150 women with ED pathology (Mage = 21.0, SD = 4.1) completed 4 surveys targeting affect and DEBs each day for a 10-day ecological momentary assessment period. Polynomial multilevel models examined negative affect trajectories pre- and post-DEBs (dietary restriction, overeating, loss of control eating), and whether these trajectories varied based on daily interoception dimensions (not distracting, self-regulation, body listening and trust). ResultsNegative affect increased prior to loss of control eating—but not dietary restriction or overeating—and decreased following all DEBs. Further, the magnitude of the decrease in negative affect that emerged post-dietary restriction decreased in strength as daily “not distracting” interoception increased. The other interoception dimensions did not moderate negative affect trajectories surrounding DEBs. ConclusionsAllowing oneself to experience (vs. distract from) uncomfortable bodily sensations may weaken affect dysregulation processes that follow dietary restriction in daily life and are theorized to maintain DEBs. These results provide insight that may strengthen EDs theories, research, and inform interoception-focused interventions.

Lifetime stressor exposure is associated with greater rewarding effects of stress-related eating

Acute stressors tend to shift preferences toward comfort foods, yet they do not ubiquitously increase the amount of food consumed. Moreover, although many individuals eat more under stress, others eat less or show no change. Although the precise mechanisms explaining this variability in stress-related eating are unknown, they may be driven by individual differences in the rewarding effects of comfort eating, which are enhanced by greater lifetime stressor exposure. To investigate this possibility, we examined whether differences in lifetime stressor exposure predicted reductions in negative affect following snacking (i.e., negative reinforcement) and if this effect was specific to stress-related snacking or snacking in general. Participants were 26 women (23 % non-White) between 20 and 45 years old (M = 31), with a mean body mass index of 26, who completed three laboratory visits. Participants completed an assessment of lifetime stressor exposure (i.e., STRAIN) on the first visit and, on two subsequent laboratory visits in counterbalanced order, were given snacks after an acute social stress task (i.e., TSST) or rest period. Greater lifetime stressor exposure was related to greater post-ingestive decreases in negative affect following the acute social stressor but not following the rest period. If stress-related eating is more comforting for women with greater lifetime stressors and contributes to a stronger stress-eating association, then this may inform obesity-related clinical treatments that target behaviors and cognitions related to reward-based learning.

Virtual Reality-Based Simulated Hallucinations to Enhance Empathy Toward Individuals With Schizophrenia.

Individuals affected by schizophrenia often relay frustration that persons in their life are unable to understand their symptoms. We sought to examine whether a brief virtual reality (VR) experience for students in an undergraduate psychopathology course entailing simulated hallucinations could increase empathy, decrease negative affect, and positively affect attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. After the unit on schizophrenia, 41 participants engaged in a VR experience with simulated auditory and visual hallucinations. We sought to maximize fidelity and immersion by incorporating the actual classroom and course instructor into the virtual world. By collecting data at multiple points, we were able to isolate the impact of the simulation on affect and attitudes. Participants experienced an increase in empathy and favorable attitudes toward individuals with schizophrenia and reported the simulation to be highly educational. The favorable results are notable given the brevity of the simulation and the absence of any explicit (declarative) knowledge being conveyed.

Evaluation of a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Program for Military Personnel Receiving Inpatient Treatment for a Substance Use Disorder

This study aimed to evaluate a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program delivered in an inpatient treatment setting serving military personnel. This recreational therapy (RT) program assessed the impact of a single session (60-minute) HIIT program on participant affect and state-anxiety. Using a single-group pretest-posttest design, 58 data sets were collected from participants (N = 20). Results indicated an increase in positive affect (z = -.6.52, p < .001), a decrease in negative affect (z = -2.64, p < .01), and a significant reduction in anxiety, t (57) = 1.99, p = .05 following the intervention. The program also resulted in a significant elevation in heart rate, t (57) = -25.89, p < .001 with most participants reaching moderate to high intensity physical activity levels. On a scale of 1–10, participants rated their likelihood of participating in HIIT post-discharge at 6.28 (SD = 2.43). Additional qualitative data provides valuable insight on the perceived benefits to participants and offers suggestions for future program development and research in this area.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES PROGRAM IN AN OUTPATIENT SETTING (HELPOUT)

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Substance use disorder is a major public health concern and is associated with elevated rates of physical illnesses. It is known that exercise is safe in a substance use population, with engagement in exercise being reported to increase periods of abstinence, metabolic health, and physical capacity. There is little evidence exploring the willingness and capacity of a substance use patient to perform exercise. This study explores the physical activity habits and preferences of substance use patients, their capacity to perform exercise and the impact of acute exercise on psychological outcomes. METHODS Participants accessing opioid maintenance therapy were recruited from drug and alcohol clinics in metropolitan Sydney. 98 participants completed questionnaires assessing recent exercise and diet, quality of life, and anthropometry. Of these, 22 participants also completed fitness testing with changes in mood assessed acutely. RESULTS 46% of participants reported planned physical activity however only 32% met ACSM guidelines. Higher levels of perceived physical health and quality of life had a notable positive association with volume of planned exercise completed. 95% of the cohort were interested in participating in an exercise program, with a lack of motivation and having an injury being the primary barriers to participation. 19.6% reported levels of extreme pain compared to 6.4% of the Australian population. Exercise capacity varied, with average performance in upper body endurance and hand grip strength assessments, but poor capacity in lower limb strength, balance and functional capacity. An acute bout of exercise lead to an increase in positive affect (p<0.001) and a decrease in negative affect (p=0.011). CONCLUSIONS Exercise therapy has the potential to offer numerous benefits to patients seeking treatment for opioid use disorder, with planned physical activity correlation with improved physical and mental health outcomes. Clinical support from exercise physiologists is needed to assist in overcoming barriers to exercise and managing comorbid medical conditions.

Winners and losers: Emotional shifts across elections are conveyed by a politician's smile.

The human smile can convey both rewarding and affiliative social intent and thus has significant utility in politics, where the ability to bond with and reassure voters is vital to electoral success. We examine experimental evidence from the 2019 UK general election to investigate the influence of a politician's reward or affiliative smile on voter emotions. It was hypothesised that the winner's affiliative smile would engender positive affect across all partisan groups compared to the winner's reward smile display. Participants from a nationally representative sample were shown campaign footage containing both types of smiles from the leaders of the main competing political parties both before and after the election. Increases in happiness and affinity were revealed across all partisan groups when shown footage of the eventual winner's affiliative smile; at the same time, supporters of losing parties indicated a decrease in negative affect. Affinity has been shown to increase civic engagement. Thus, we conclude that affiliative smiles displayed by leading candidates during the campaign likely acted as a mechanism to align voter behaviour with the dominant political message.

An Exploration of Resilience and Positive Affect among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Observational Study.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the variation in resilience and emotional state scores in nursing students throughout the four years of training for the nursing degree. This is a longitudinal observational study of a paired and prospective cohort of 176 nursing students who enrolled in the first year of a bachelor's degree in 2019. The study followed up with the students in 2022 and examined several sociodemographic factors, including sex, marital status, date of birth, living arrangements and occupation. Additionally, the study investigated changes in negative affect, positive affect, and resilience. A total of 176 students participated in the study. The study found that resilience increased from 68.24 ± 10.59 to 70.87 ± 9.06 (p < 0.001), positive affect increased from 28.16 ± 4.59 to 33.08 ± 8.00 (p < 0.001), and the negative affect score decreased from 25.27 ± 5.12 to 21.81 ± 7.85 (p < 0.001). The study also found that married individuals experienced an increase in negative affect (p = 0.03) compared to singles or those in open relationships. Furthermore, the change in resilience was greater in men than in women (p = 0.01). Throughout their four-year training, nursing students experience an increase in resilience and positive affect, as well as a decrease in negative affect.

Changes in positive and negative affect in psychotherapy for depression and anxiety.

Positive and negative affect play critical roles in depression and anxiety treatment, but the dynamic processes of how affect changes over treatment in relation to changes in symptoms is unclear. The study goal was to examine relationships among changes in positive and negative affect with changes in depression and anxiety symptoms. This secondary analysis used a combined sample (N = 196) of two trials (Craske et al., 2019, 2023) comparing positive affect treatment (PAT) to negative affect treatment. Longitudinal cross-lag panel models explored whether changes in positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule; Watson et al., 1988) predicted subsequent changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), whether symptoms predicted subsequent changes in affect, and whether treatment condition moderated these relationships. Increases in positive affect predicted subsequent decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms, regardless of treatment condition. Symptoms did not reciprocally predict changes in positive affect. For individuals in PAT, decreases in negative affect predicted subsequent decreases in symptoms. Moreover, decreases in symptoms predicted subsequent decreases in negative affect, regardless of treatment condition. Results did not support a reciprocal relationship between positive affect and symptoms of depression and anxiety since positive affect predicted depression and anxiety symptoms but not vice versa. Results supported a reciprocal relationship between negative affect and symptoms of depression and anxiety since negative affect predicted depression and anxiety symptoms in PAT, and depression and anxiety symptoms predicted negative affect in both treatment conditions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effectiveness of "Kancani": An REBT-Based Web Application on Junior High Students' Subjective Well-Being

Abstract. The high prevalence of mental health issues among Indonesian adolescent students signifies persistently low levels of subjective well-being. Junior high school students tend to engage in negative thinking and experience a decline in positive feelings, contributing to mental health issues, as well as low life satisfaction. To address this, enhancing socio-emotional abilities such as emotion regulation, especially in dealing with irrational thoughts as the root of the problem, becomes crucial. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Kancani" web app, which implements Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)-based interventions on the subjective well-being of junior high school adolescents. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed with 22 junior high school participants aged 12-15 who received the intervention for 2 weeks. The research instruments used were a 25-item Subjective Well-Being scale measuring positive affect (a = 0.861), negative affect (a = 0.861), and life satisfaction (a = 0.828). Data were tested using the paired samples t-test technique. Data were analyzed using paired samples t-test showed that the Kancani web app, with REBT-based interventions, effectively increased the subjective well-being of junior high school students, particularly in the aspects of positive affect and life satisfaction (p = 0.004 &lt; 0.05), although not significantly in reducing negative affect (p = 0.104 &gt; 0.05). Nevertheless, the improvement in the subjective well-being of students after the intervention is still reflected in the descriptive analysis of the mean differences, indicating an increase in positive affect and life satisfaction, as well as a decrease in negative affect.

An attachment-based pilot program to promote adolescent adjustment to parental divorce

The study aimed to assess the impact of an attachment-based intervention on adolescent adaptation to parental divorce. The Adolescent Adjustment Pilot Program to Parental Divorce (AAPPD) employed an experimental group format, targeting improvements in various adaptation indicators (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect). The sample comprised 30 Chilean adolescents aged 12 to 16 (M = 13.6, SD = 1.35), with 60% females and 40% males. After the intervention, the adolescents showed a decrease in negative affect at 6 and 12 months. However, no differences were identified in other dimensions of subjective well-being considered as indicators of divorce adaptation. The findings prompt discussion on theoretical and clinical implications.

Home-based walking intervention for middle-aged migrant women using 360-degree virtual videos and a wearable activity tracker: A mixed-methods pilot study

Purpose: To sustain behavior change, an intervention strategy that considers the contribution of affect to daily physical activity behavior regulation is needed. Although virtual reality-based physical activity interventions have the potential to improve emotional status, interventions using virtual reality videos in a free-living environment are lacking. This pilot study assessed the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a home-based intervention using 360-degree virtual videos and wearable activity trackers to improve mood and physical activity. Methods: A one-group pilot study of 12 middle-aged migrant women asked participants to watch virtual reality videos and perform moderate-intensity walking 5 days per week for 4 weeks, then complete surveys and focus group interviews. The intervention’s feasibility and preliminary efficacy were assessed by examining recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability, mood, physical activity, and exercise self-efficacy. Results: A word-of-mouth approach was effective for recruiting participants. Although the weekly intervention adherence rate ranged from 53.5% to 83.5%, retention (92.3%) and acceptability (91.7%) were high. Participants were satisfied with the “visual status indicators,” “sense of accomplishment and confidence,” “emotional engagement and sense of presence,” “joy from exercise,” “external motivation through supervision,” “easy to control virtual reality device,” and “extra benefits” of the intervention. Participants had significant decreases in negative affect (p=.016). Positive affect, physical activity, and exercise self-efficacy showed trends toward improvement. Conclusion: This home-based intervention employing virtual reality videos and Fitbit activity trackers is feasible and shows preliminary efficacy in improving mood. Further research is warranted to evaluate its effectiveness in a more rigorous randomized controlled trial.

Project Soothe: A pilot study evaluating the mood effects of soothing images collected using a citizen science approach

Background Mentally-generated soothing imagery is a therapeutic technique to support mental wellbeing, but some individuals may require support using externally presented stimuli. Project Soothe was launched to collect soothing images using a citizen science approach. This online pilot study evaluated the first 575 soothing images collected, examining: 1) if the images were perceived to be soothing; 2) if viewing the images had a positive impact on mood; and 3) if mood effects were influenced by individual differences in age, gender and depressive symptoms. Methods We recruited 1152 participants (13 – 79 years, M = 35.62, SD = 14.60; 77% female). Participants were randomly allocated to one of 23 sets, each containing 25 images (n = 50 per set) and asked to rate their emotional response (soothed, excited, and anxious) to each image. Participants also reported their mood states pre- and post-viewing the images (using the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule – Short Form). Results Project Soothe images were rated to be significantly more soothing than anxiety- or excitement-inducing. Further, viewing 25 images was significantly associated with an increase in positive affect and decrease in negative affect. These effects were associated with age and depressive symptoms, with older individuals and those with lower depressive symptoms being associated with more positive changes in mood. Conclusions This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that these soothing images can promote positive mood changes. Further work can now replicate these findings in larger-scale studies with comparison groups and extended outcome variables. The images and associated data have been made available in a data repository (OSF) as a free resource for researchers and practitioners. It is hoped that these images can be developed into useful therapeutic resources.

An Inquiry‐based Approach to Understanding Well‐being and Smartphone Usage: Constructing Research with Adolescent Students

AbstractInquiry can be an effective educational strategy for building critical thinking and student agency, but it is also a catalyst for scientific research. This study built upon a foundation of inquiry as 25 adolescents participated in a nine‐week guided inquiry curriculum focused on smartphones and digital responsibility. As participants developed personally meaningful inquiries and designed investigations into smartphone usage, they became co‐researchers who conducted their own research studies at a large museum. The study examines to what extent participants show changes in their (1) sense of well‐being; (2) awareness of personal smartphone usage. Pre‐ and post‐intervention data compared participants' personal awareness of smartphone usage and investigated participants' well‐being. Results showed significant increases in positive affect and smartphone awareness, with significant decreases in negative affect. This study provides important insights for teachers and researchers by highlighting the positive educational impacts of two‐way dialogue between research and education.

Traumatic losses permeate daily emotional experiences: roles of daily uplifts and subjective age.

Daily emotional experiences may vary depending on a stressor's intensity or source. The present study aimed to examine the interaction between traumatic loss, daily uplifts, and daily subjective age predicting daily negative affect. Results from a 14-day daily diary study of 440 US adults aged 50-85 showed that daily increases in uplifts were associated with decreases in negative affect, especially for those who reported a traumatic loss when they also experienced increases in subjective age. Based on our study, daily events and perceptions can have a considerable impact on daily functioning and may serve as important mechanisms after a traumatic loss. Although traumatic losses may impact individuals differently, incorporating daily uplifts, based on available resources and capacities, may foster daily emotional well-being.

Walking in nature may improve affect but not cognition.

Beneficial effects of natural environments on affect have been consistently reported, but effects on cognition have been less consistent. We examined affect and cognitive performance in the domains of attention, working memory, executive function, and recall and recognition memory in a sample of 188 undergraduate participants who completed a walk in one of three environments: an outdoor nature environment, an outdoor urban environment, or an indoor (treadmill) environment. Supporting the hypotheses, the outdoor nature environment resulted in the greatest increase in positive affect and decrease in negative affect from pre-to post-walk. However, there were no effects of location on any cognitive measure. These results suggest that cognitive effects do not always occur in tandem with affective benefits. Possible explanations, including prior frequent exposure to nature in our participants and extremity of the natural environment, are discussed.