Difficulties In Psychosocial Functioning Research Articles

Funkcjonowanie świetlic socjoterapeutycznych w czasie pandemii COVID-19 w Gdańsku, Poznaniu i Katowicach

Socio-therapeutic day-care facilities are specifically dedicated to the conduct of socio-therapeutic activities for children and adolescents from high-risk groups and those displaying difficulties in psycho-social functioning. During the pandemic, socio-therapeutic day facilities continued to aid their clients. The aim of this analysis is to describe the operation of socio-therapeutic day care facilities in Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań. The data collection method for this project is a semi-structured telephone interview, while data is examined via a template analysis. The analyses concerned 30 socio-therapeutic day care facilities in Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań. The data collected shows that socio-therapeutic day facilities could be an important source of support for the participants and their families. Elements of socio-therapeutic work were retained in contact with the clients to the highest possible degree via online communication. Online meetings enabled discussion of current difficulties, emotional respite and support. Topics discussed included those supporting health-promoting behavior in an epidemiological emergency. Many of the activities went beyond group work and were mainly supportive or crisis intervention. Staff members contacted parents, helped with children’s homework and even donated food parcels.

Narcystyczna rywalizacja a trudności w psychospołecznym funkcjonowaniu młodych dorosłych

Introduction: Narcissism is a phenomenon that relates to both healthy and proper human functioning as well as to the area of psychopathology. This phenomenon is perceived in many different planes and perspectives. The article adopts the understanding of narcissism in the NARC model – Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept. Research Aim: The aim of the research was to check how narcissism (as defined by the NARC model), in the form of competition and admiration strategies, is associated with difficulties in psychosocial functioning and behavior of young adults. Method: The following study used: the NARQ-PL questionnaire in the Polish adaptation of Rogoz et al. (2016) and a questionnaire of their own authorship. Results: The obtained research results and statistical analyzes confirm that there is a relationship between narcissistic rivalry and selected behavioral difficulties in young adults. Conclusions: The presented research results are a strong premise for in-depth research on the relationship between individual dimensions of narcissism and behavioral difficulties in young adult Poles.

The Correlations Among Severity of Depression, Level of Observed Expressed Emotions, Perceived Social Support and Psychosocial Functioning in Patients with Unipolar Depression

Abstract The aims of the study were to examine the correlations among severity of depression, level of psychosocial functioning, level of observed expressed emotions and perceived social support in patients diagnosed with unipolar depression. The sample included 61 patients. The following study instruments were applied: the Beck Depression Inventory II, the Functioning Assessment Short Test, the Level of Expressed Emotion scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Descriptive statistics of the sample have shown the mean age of 42.39years (SD=13.387), moderate severity of depression (AS=22.7, SD=11.984), moderate level of observed expressed emotions (AS=74.70, SD=17.959), moderate level of psychosocial difficulties (AS=26.33, SD=17.207) and high level of perceived social support (AS=5.24, SD=1.395). There were significant positive correlations between severity of depression and psychosocial difficulties (r=0.69) and perceived social support (r=−0.42), as well as between psychosocial difficulties and both levels of observed expressed emotions (r=0.31) and perceived social support (r=− 0.53). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that 47.1% of the psychosocial functioning variance can be predicted by severity of depressive symptoms, and perceived social support explained the additional 7% of variance. The level of observed expressed emotion didn’t show an additional explanation of the psychosocial functioning variance. Our research showed that the severity of depressive symptoms and perceived social support predict difficulties in psychosocial functioning, while the level of observed expressed emotion was not an important predictor.

A longitudinal analysis of the role of potentially morally injurious events on COVID-19-related psychosocial functioning among healthcare providers.

Medical leaders have warned of the potential public health burden of a “parallel pandemic” faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These individuals may have experienced scenarios in which their moral code was violated resulting in potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs). In the present study, hierarchical linear modeling was utilized to examine the role of PMIEs on COVID-19 pandemic-related difficulties in psychosocial functioning among 211 healthcare providers (83% female, 89% White, and an average of 11.30 years in their healthcare profession [9.31]) over a 10-month span (May 2020 –March 2021). Reported exposure to PMIEs was associated with statistically significant poorer self-reported psychosocial functioning at baseline and over the course of 10-months of data collection. Within exploratory examinations of PMIE type, perceptions of transgressions by self or others (e.g., “I acted in ways that violated my own moral code or values”), but not perceived betrayal (e.g., “I feel betrayed by leaders who I once trusted”), was associated with poorer COVID-19 related psychosocial functioning (e.g., feeling connected to others, relationship with spouse or partner). Findings from this study speak to the importance of investing in intervention and prevention efforts to mitigate the consequences of exposure to PMIEs among healthcare providers. Interventions for healthcare providers targeting psychosocial functioning in the context of moral injury is an important area for future research.

Difficulties in psychosocial functioning due to current depressive symptoms: What can C-Reactive protein tell us?

BackgroundMultiple empirical studies and meta-analyses have examined how inflammation may be associated with various aspects of major depression, with older adults being particularly at risk for the effects of inflammation-related depression. Despite this wide area of research, no study has examined how depression-related inflammation impacts psychosocial functioning. MethodsData from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, years 2007–2008, were utilized to examine whether adults over the age of 40 experienced difficulty in their work, taking care of things at home, or getting along with other people due to current depressive symptoms through a logistic regression analysis. We selected C-reactive protein (CRP), a common marker of immune system activation, as our primary predictor of interest while controlling for relevant covariates. ResultsGreater CRP was positively associated with a greater risk for individuals experiencing difficulties in psychosocial functioning due to depressive symptoms. While current number and severity of depressive symptoms was also found to be significant in the model, comparison of effect sizes identified that CRP appears to be a more relevant marker for experiencing difficulty than a number of relevant biopsychosocial covariates. ConclusionInflammation as measured by CRP may be a helpful tool in understanding how depressive symptoms are associated with an individual's ability to successfully navigate their social environment. Results here demonstrate the emerging utility of CRP in helping to assess the risk for negative outcomes in those experiencing depressive symptoms, especially as it pertains to older adults.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Conduct Problems: The Role of Self-Control Demands.

We tested within- and between-person effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on conduct problems and alcohol intoxication via self-control demands using multilevel structural equation modeling in a longitudinal burst-design study of 251 U.S. veterans who participated in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We theorized that experiencing PTSD symptoms engenders efforts to regulate mood, control thoughts, and inhibit or control behavior that is taxing to the individual (i.e., it places demands on self-control) and hypothesized that this process results in subsequent deficits in regulatory control that manifest in heightened intoxication and conduct problems associated with PTSD. At the within-person level, daytime PTSD symptoms, IRR = 1.09, and self-control demands, IRR = 1.12, exhibited within-person associations with nighttime conduct problems over and above nighttime intoxication. Consistent with our hypothesis, daytime increases in self-control demands mediated the associations between daytime PTSD symptoms and subsequent nighttime conduct problems. The indirect effect between daytime PTSD symptoms and nighttime intoxication via self-control demands was nonsignificant. At the between-person level, self-control demands mediated the associations between PTSD symptoms and conduct problems; however, the expected between-person associations with intoxication were nonsignificant. Drinking behavior is related to but cannot fully account for various difficulties in psychosocial functioning associated with PTSD. The present results suggest that dysregulated behavior may, ironically, stem from individuals' concerted efforts to control and manage overwhelming symptoms. Self-control demands may be a common factor that accounts for a broad range of functional impairments associated with PTSD.

Proxy WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 Is Clinically Useful for Assessing Psychosocial Functioning in Severe Mental Illness.

AimsThis study explores how well the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) assesses problems with psychosocial functioning in patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Further, we assessed the relationships between psychosocial functioning and psychopathology, medication side effects, treatment setting, and quality of life.MethodsWe performed an observational, cross-sectional study on the island of Curaçao to assess psychosocial functioning in 77 patients with SMI; they mainly had psychotic disorders. We interviewed their healthcare providers using the proxy version of the WHODAS 2.0. In addition, patients were examined for psychiatric symptoms, medication side effects (including drug-induced movement disorders), and quality of life. Associations were examined with Spearman's rank correlation (ρ).ResultsDifficulties in psychosocial functioning were reported by patients with SMI in the WHODAS 2.0 domains of understanding and communicating [mean (M)=34.5, standard deviation (SD)=18.6), participation in society (M=25.5, SD=15.6), and getting along with people (M=24.1, SD=16.1)]. Notably, outpatients had more problems participating in society than inpatients (M=33.6, SD=18.5 versus M=23.2, SD=14.1, p=0.03). A positive correlation was observed between drug-induced parkinsonism and the WHODAS 2.0 total score (ρ =0.30; p=0.02), as well as with various subscales, getting around, and household activities.ConclusionThe proxy version of the WHODAS 2.0 is clinically useful for patients with severe mental illness. The highest scores on the WHODAS 2.0 were found in domains related to interactions with other people and to participation in society. Inpatient status appeared to aid participation in society; this might be due to living in the sheltered clinic environment and its associated daily activities. We further found that drug-induced parkinsonism was associated with a broad spectrum of psychosocial disabilities.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02713672; retrospectively registered in February 2016

A comprehensive assessment of personality traits and psychosocial functioning in parents with bipolar disorder and their intimate partners

BackgroundIndividuals with bipolar disorder (BD) often possess maladaptive traits and present with various difficulties in psychosocial functioning. However, little is known about the intimate partners of adults with bipolar disorder (BD) and how mental illnesses other than BD within couples may further complicate the picture. Such knowledge is needed to inform both couple and family interventions.MethodsParticipants were parents whose children were enrolled in a prospective study: 55 with BD and their partners, and 47 healthy control couples. All completed diagnostic interviews, and questionnaires describing personality traits, negative life events, coping skills, social support, marital adjustment and inter-partner verbal aggression. Parents with BD and healthy control parents were compared, as were the intimate partners. A series of exploratory analyses focused on the average measures within couples, with and without BD, and took account of comorbid personality disorders among those with BD and major depressive disorder among their partners.ResultsIntimate partners of adults with BD, relative to healthy control partners, presented with more mental disorders, higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, more emotion-focused coping, smaller social networks, less satisfaction with their social networks, and little, satisfying social contact. Additionally, they reported less consensus and satisfaction in their marital relationships, and engaged in more verbal aggression towards their partners. Participants with BD showed similar, more extreme, characteristics. Marital distress and verbal aggression were greatest among couples with an adult having BD and a comorbid personality disorder or a partner with major depressive disorder.ConclusionThis study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that both parents with BD and their intimate partners exhibit high levels of mental illness, maladaptive personality traits and psychosocial difficulties, thus limiting their partners’ ability to provide support and stability in the these high risk families. Moreover, mental illnesses other than BD may contribute to marital problems within couples. Some statistical analyses, particularly those involving comorbid conditions, were under-powered in this study. As clinical implications, the current study suggests that both individuals with BD and their partners could benefit from interventions aimed at lowering emotionality and verbal aggression, and increasing social support and effective coping skills.

“Theodora” Way Station: How The Psychological Concept of Life Script Mirrors Neurocognitive Memory of the Future

This article illustrates the relationship between the contemporary understanding of the human capacity for prospection—the representation of possible futures—and the notion of life scripts. Prospection is viewed as a vehicle for transgenerational trauma transmission and as a means of organizing and predicting future experience in line with “memories of the future” based on clients’ historical experience. The authors argue that episcript content and its effects constitute the scene, and the process of scene construction relates to family-specific behaviors. The semantic scaffolding that guides the transmission is related to difficulties in psychosocial functioning. The template representation of the future in the long-term memory of people who are yet to receive the episcript may be represented by a neural network showing minimal activity, which can be compared to an empty station waiting for a train, the train in this instance symbolizing the episcript.

Bridging the Gap: Patient Experiences Following Transfer of Care from a Pediatric Obesity Management Program to an Adult Bariatric Surgery Program

Introduction: Obesity rates are increasing to epidemic proportions across the lifespan. However, young adults (18 to 24 years old) experience unique difficulties in psychosocial functioning compared to other age groups. These difficulties result in significant physical and mental health complications during the transition process from pediatric to adult care hospitals. Objectives: (1) To identify themes regarding the experiences of obese young adults (18–24) transferring their care from a pediatric obesity management program to an adult bariatric surgery program; (2) to identify the transition difficulties of these young adults upon transfer; and (3) to understand how developmental needs within this population impact experiences of the transition process. Method: In-depth, semistructured individual interviews were conducted on seven young adult bariatric patients who had transitioned their obesity management care from the pediatric to adult healthcare system. Analysis of interviews used a constant compara...

Emotional reactivity to social stimuli in patients with eating disorders

Patients with eating disorders often display a wide range of difficulties in psychosocial functioning. Most of the studies on this subject have focused on theory of mind; however, little is known about the subjective emotional reactivity of patients to social situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patients' perceptions of their own emotions when viewing pictures with social content. Emotional reactivity was assessed in 85 women (29 with anorexia nervosa, 28 with bulimia nervosa, and 28 healthy controls) by using 30 images from the International Affective Picture System. Images were divided into categories based on its social content and its emotional valence. The emotional response was evaluated through the Self-Assessment Manikin. Patients with bulimia nervosa presented higher arousal and lower control when viewing images with social content of pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral valence. Patients with anorexia nervosa reported higher arousal and lower control only for social images with neutral valence. There were no differences between groups for the control images. The finding of specific differences in emotional reactivity to pictures with social content contributes to a more accurate understanding of the difficulties of patients in social situations.

Psychosocial aspects of strabismus

Binocular vision is characterized by a harmonious relation between sensory and motor systems of both eyes. This relation enables directing visual axes toward the observed object simultaneously, fusing images from two eyes, and the sense of three-dimensionality. Motility and binocular vision disorders occur in manifest and latent strabismus. The irregular position of eyes in strabismus is perceived by most people as an esthetic defect. Also, psychosocial consequences and the importance of treating strabismus are very superficially explained in this context. Bearing in mind the results of recent researches, which indicate that individuals of all ages with strabismus face different difficulties in psychosocial functioning, we believe that this issue in our surroundings should be dealt with. Strabismus leads to forming prejudices which usually have a negative impact on socialization and employment opportunities.Timely treatment of strabismus has a positive influence on the functionality of binocular vision, building self-esteem and self-satisfaction, being accepted by typically developing population, the quality and quantity of social interaction. The aim of this paper is to present the relation between strabismus and psychosocial reactions with regard to the available literature.

Who participates in caregiver-focused care management intervention for dementia in the community? Results from BHL PACE/PACENET Telehealth Education Program

Informal caregivers (CGs) of patients with dementia are at risk for experiencing chronic stress, difficulties in psychosocial functioning, and declining emotional and physical health. These, in turn, are associated with negative care-recipient outcomes such as nursing home placement, morbidity, and mortality. CG-based interventions that incorporate psycho-education and support have been shown to improve outcomes for patients with dementia and their family CGs. However, recruiting CGs for CG-focused clinical trials is challenging and acceptance of the offered intervention is often low.

Comparison of opiate-primary treatment seekers with and without alcohol use disorder

Many persons seeking opiate treatment present with complex clinical challenges, which may be exacerbated by alcohol misuse. This report details secondary data analyses aggregating treatment-seeking samples across 10 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network treatment trials to examine alcohol-related characteristics of opiate-primary (OP) clients and compare broad pretreatment characteristics of those with and without an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Analysis of this aggregate OP client sample ( n = 1,396) indicated that 38% had comorbid AUD and that a history of alcohol treatment episodes and recent alcohol problems were common. Further, comparisons of OP clients with and without AUD revealed the former were more likely to have had a history of pervasive difficulties in psychosocial functioning. Findings suggest the need for detection of and intervention for alcohol misuse at the outset of opiate treatment and support for the practice of availing medical, psychological, case management, and other support services.

Post-traumatic stress, depression, and community integration a long time after whiplash injury.

Psychological factors such as post-traumatic stress and depression may play an important role in the recovery after whiplash injuries. Difficulties in psychosocial functioning with limitations in everyday life may dominate for some time after the injury. Our study therefore investigates the relationships between pain, post-traumatic stress, depression, and community integration. A set of questionnaires was answered by 191 persons (88 men, 103 women) five years after a whiplash injury to assess pain intensity (visual analogue scale, VAS), whiplash-related symptoms, post-traumatic stress (impact of event scale, IES), depression (Beck depression inventory, BDI-II), community integration (community integration questionnaire, CIQ), life satisfaction (LiSat-11). One or more depressive symptoms were reported by 74% of persons; 22% reported scores that were classified as mild to severe depression. The presence of at least one post-traumatic symptom was reported by 70% of persons, and 38% reported mild to severe stress. Total scores of community integration for women were statistically significantly higher than for men. The total VAS score was correlated positively to the IES (r=0.456, P<0.456), the BDI (r=0.646, P<0.001), and negatively to the CIQ (r=−0.300, P<0.001). These results highlight the view that a significant proportion of people experience both pain and psychological difficulties for a long time after a whiplash injury. These findings should be taken into consideration in the management of subjects with chronic whiplash symptoms and may support a multi-professional rehabilitation model that integrates physical, psychological, and psychosocial factors.

Review of pharmacotherapy options for the treatment of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and ADHD‐like symptoms in children and adolescents with developmental disorders

Developmental disorders such as subaverage intelligence, pervasive developmental disorders, and genetic syndromes are frequently associated with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-like symptoms. While there are not pharmacological cures for these developmental disorders, coinciding ADHD and ADHD-like symptoms that contribute to difficulties in psychosocial functioning are frequently able to be addressed by pharmacotherapy. This article reviews what is known about the efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of children and adolescents suffering from developmental disorders and comorbid ADHD/ADHD-like symptoms.

Insight, Global Functioning and Psychopathology Amongst In-patient Clients with Schizophrenia

To explore whether cognitive impairment and global functioning can predict the degree of insight into illness as well as whether insight is mediated by specific symptom dimensions of psychopathology in schizophrenia. A dimensional/cross sectional approach was used. A mixed group of clients (n = 36) were assessed as part of a routine clinical evaluation. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was used as a measure of intellectual performance, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was used as a measure of general psychopathology while the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale assessed clients' psychosocial functioning; insight was assessed with the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ). The correlation matrix of all outcome variables was examined; confounding effects of illness duration were tested by partial correlation analyses. GAF correlated with insight (rho = 0.41, P = 0.01) and the interpersonal sensitivity dimension of BSI (rho = -0.38, P = 0.03. Insight correlated positively with the anxiety (rho = 0.38, P = 0.03) and psychoticism (rho = 0.36, P = 0.04) dimensions of BSI. Our results suggest that insight is part of the phenomenology in schizophrenia, not being determined by neurocognitive disturbances. Improved insight was associated with more frequent psychotic symptoms endorsement, higher levels of anxiety and less severe psychopathological symptoms and difficulties in psychosocial functioning; clients with more pronounced difficulties in their personal and social interactions exhibited worse psychosocial functioning and more severe psychopathological symptoms.

An Interpersonal Perspective on Depression: The Role of Marital Adjustment, Conflict Communication, Attributions, and Attachment Within a Clinical Sample

Previous studies have focused on the difficulties in psychosocial functioning in depressed persons, underscoring the distress experienced by both spouses. We selected conflict communication, attribution, and attachment as important domains of depression in the context of marital adjustment, and we analyzed two hypotheses in one single study. First, we analyzed whether a clinical sample of couples with a depressed patient would differ significantly from a control group on these variables. Second, we explored to what degree these variables mediate/moderate the relationship between depressive symptoms and marital adjustment. The perspectives of both spouses were taken into account, as well as gender differences. In total, 69 clinical and 69 control couples were recruited, and a series of multivariate analyses of variance and regression analyses were conducted to test both hypotheses. Results indicated that both patients and their partners reported less marital adjustment associated with more negative perceptions on conflict communication, causal attributions, and insecure attachment. In addition, conflict communication and causal attributions were significant mediators of the association between depressive symptoms and marital adjustment for both depressed men and women, and causal attributions also moderated this link. Ambivalent attachment was a significant mediator only for the female identified patients. Several sex differences and clinical implications are discussed.

The Broader Context of Relational Aggression in Adolescent Romantic Relationships: Predictions from Peer Pressure and Links to Psychosocial Functioning

The broader context of relational aggression in adolescent romantic relationships was assessed by considering the ways such aggression emerged from prior experiences of peer pressure and was linked to concurrent difficulties in psychosocial functioning. Longitudinal, multi-reporter data were obtained from 97 adolescents and their best friends at age 15 and from adolescents and their romantic partners at age 18. Teens' relational aggression and romantic partners' victimization were predicted from levels of best friends' pressuring behaviors toward teens in an observed interaction as well as from best friends' ratings of how much pressure teens experienced from their peer group. Romantic partner relational aggression and teen victimization were predicted by pressure from teens' peer group only. Adolescents' romantic relational aggression and victimization were also associated with elevated levels of depressive symptoms and increased alcohol use. Results are discussed in terms of the connection of relational aggression in romantic relationships to the broader task of establishing autonomy with peers in psychosocial development.

Psychological factors affecting pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Psychological factors affecting pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, intervention and other therapeutic resources are reviewed. Children with inflammatory bowel disease are at risk for more difficulties in psychosocial functioning than healthy children, particularly depression, anxiety and social difficulties. Psychosocial difficulties are generally similar to those found in other pediatric chronic illnesses and are clinically significant in only a subset of those with inflammatory bowel disease. Conflicting results have been reported for the areas of family dysfunction and body image, and few studies have been published in the areas of stress/coping and eating disorders. One pilot study suggests psychotherapy is effective for depressed adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. The scant existing research limits conclusions about which children are most at risk for experiencing problems. Future research should investigate a range of psychosocial outcomes and risk factors for developing problems. Prevention and intervention strategies aimed at improving psychosocial functioning in children with inflammatory bowel disease should be developed and evaluated.