Maladaptive Ways Research Articles

Effects of Automation Exposure and Non-Driving Related Tasks on Manual Driving Performance after Takeover of Manual Control

Prolonged exposure to an automated driving system (ADS) can lead drivers to acclimate to the ADS in maladaptive ways. For example, exposure to a conditional ADS that maintained a time headway of 0.3 s resulted in drivers adopting smaller time headways postautomation, which is attributed to behavioral adaptation. The current study investigated whether drivers adapt to an ADS’ performance over time and if this adaptation differs based on the duration of automation exposure (15 or 25 min) and the task performed during the automation (NDRT or driving-related task). A greater exposure to the automation did not lead drivers to adopt smaller time headways. Surprisingly, drivers who provided a higher evaluation of the automation adopted smaller time headways post-automation than drivers who provided a lower evaluation. Future research should explore the relationship between trust in ADS and driving behavior to guide the development of safer ADSs.

Stories of transition: U.S. Veterans’ narratives of transition to civilian life and the important role of identity

Introduction: To date, investigations of Veterans’ transition to civilian life after military service have tended to focus on the experiences of those with mental or physical health difficulties or on employment challenges and homelessness. This study aimed to gain a deep understanding of Veterans’ transition to civilian life, the challenges they face, and the adap-tive and maladaptive ways in which they manage them. Methods: A narrative approach was used to afford the Veterans an opportunity to share their experiences through their transition story. Six male Veterans residing in the Chicagoland area who had left the military between 1 and 12 years earlier were interviewed using a narrative approach. Results: Narrative analysis led to the emergence of three master narratives: narratives of the challenges, narratives of readiness, and narratives of continued military values. The narratives the Veterans shared highlighted not only the importance of practical readiness for transition but also the need for a fundamental addition to how Veteran transition is considered that includes psychological considerations of the impact on identity and the potential for existential crisis. Discussion: Appraising transition only in terms of measurable factors such as employment, living conditions, and health likely over-looks those experiencing psychological challenges and sub-clinical mental health difficulties. The proposed fundamen-tal addition has implications for work with Veterans in various health care settings and for existing transition programs, including a consideration of the role of identity.

Piezo channels modulate human lung fibroblast function.

Bronchial airways and lung parenchyma undergo both static and dynamic stretch in response to normal breathing as well as in the context of insults such as mechanical ventilation (MV) or in diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which lead to airway remodeling involving increased extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Here, the role of fibroblasts is critical, but the relationship between stretch- and fibroblast-induced ECM remodeling under these conditions is not well-explored. Piezo (PZ) channels play a role in mechanotransduction in many cell and organ systems, but their role in mechanical stretch-induced airway remodeling is not known. To explore this, we exposed human lung fibroblasts to 10% static stretch on a background of 5% oscillations for 48 h, with no static stretch considered controls. Collagen I, fibronectin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and Piezo 1 (PZ1) expression was determined in the presence or absence of Yoda1 (PZ1 agonist) or GsMTx4 (PZ1 inhibitor). Collagen I, fibronectin, and α-SMA expression was increased by stretch and Yoda1, whereas pretreatment with GsMTx4 or knockdown of PZ1 by siRNA blunted this effect. Acute stretch in the presence and absence of Yoda1 demonstrated activation of the ERK pathway but not Smad. Measurement of [Ca2+]i responses to histamine showed significantly greater responses following stretch, effects that were blunted by knockdown of PZ1. Our findings identify an essential role for PZ1 in mechanical stretch-induced production of ECM mediated by ERK phosphorylation and Ca2+ influx in lung fibroblasts. Targeting PZ channels in fibroblasts may constitute a novel approach to ameliorate airway remodeling by decreasing ECM deposition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The lung is an inherently mechanosensitive organ that can respond to mechanical forces in adaptive or maladaptive ways, including via remodeling resulting in increased fibrosis. We explored the mechanisms that link mechanical forces to remodeling using human lung fibroblasts. We found that mechanosensitive Piezo channels increase with stretch and mediate extracellular matrix formation and the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition that occurs with stretch. Our data highlight the importance of Piezo channels in lung mechanotransduction toward remodeling.

Internet addiction among adults: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Human beings generally feel stressed at some point in life. Internet addiction disorder is increasingly gaining attention as individuals use the internet excessively as a maladaptive way to cope with daily life stress. Objective: The paper aims to find out the level of internet addiction with respect to gender, age groups, and family type, to determine the difference (if any) between males and females with respect to internet addiction, the difference (if any) in internet addiction with respect to age groups, and the difference (if any) between nuclear and joint family types with respect to internet addiction. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 140 participants (71 male and 69 female) from Kolkata, West Bengal. Findings: It shows a statistically significant difference in internet addiction mean scores between males and females. It also indicates that participants under 25 years of age have higher mean scores than those over 25 years. The next part reveals that individuals in nuclear families have higher mean scores than those in joint families, regardless of gender and age group, and finally indicates a statistically significant interaction effect of age group with gender and family type. Conclusion: Gender significantly affects internet addiction mean scores, with females under 25 in nuclear families being more addicted than their counterparts.

Explosive and Harmful Impulses: A Subset of Child and Adolescent-to-Parent Violence and Abuse.

"Filial harm" refers to harms experienced by a parent and caused by their child, with increasing umbrella terminology developing to capture all forms of harm despite differing experiences and contexts. In this paper, based on a Glaserian Grounded Theory study underpinned by participatory research principles, this work utilized diaries and interactive interviews with 34 parents and arts-based workshops with 21 children to develop a new terminology and approach to child and adolescent-to-parent violence and abuse when harm does not have a clear intent. Explosive and harmful impulses refer to preadolescents experiencing proactive, reactive, affective, and relational harms and needs. These specific forms of filial harm are based upon underlying needs, and the maladaptive ways children may attempt to meet their needs result in filial harm as an unintended consequence rather than being a form of harm with intent. Using an approach that captures subsections of filial harm, there is opportunity to better represent the nuance of individual family experiences and could provide more appropriate language and interventions that better represent the language used by families themselves. Future interventions, support pathways, and research with families living with explosive and harmful impulses could use the provided framework to understand why children are attempting to meet their needs in harmful ways and to consider less harmful methods of support.

Establishing markers of avoidant behavior in the context of developing sustainable behavior

Avoidance belongs to the category of maladaptive ways of situational interactions and is the most dangerous in terms of coping strategies. The purpose of the article is to present the results of the empirical establishment of avoidance markers, with the help of which it is possible to identify the orientation of the personality towards the manifestation of this behavioural strategy. The authors have developed an original verbal technique based on the type of peculiar semantic differential of personality traits containing nine bipolar scales for the study of avoidance. The approved and well-known tests from the conjugate areas of meaning regulation of behaviour were combined in the test battery to find markers of avoidant behaviour: the Life-Purpose Orientations Test by D. A. Leontiev and the Tolerance-intolerance of Ambiguity New Questionnaire by T. V. Kornilova. As a result of correlation analysis on a sample of 282 people at the level of statistical significance p =,05, the following markers of avoidance were established: «process» and «locus of control – Self» according to the Life-Purpose Orientations Test by D. A. Leontiev, as well as «tolerance to uncertainty» according to the Tolerance-intolerance of ambiguity new questionnaire by T. V. Kornilova. The use of these markers allows for the low-cost establishment of personal portraits of the strategy of avoiding behavior.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (BMDS-16)

Introduction and objective: Daydreaming is a common mental experience in which one gets immersed in stories, narratives, images, and fantasies, imagining them as they were real, although knowing they are unreal. Maladaptive daydreaming is characterised by an excessive and compulsive involvement on fantasy which in severe cases replaces human interaction and impairs academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning. It can be measured using the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) which has been translated into 39 languages but validated only in eight. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of this instrument (BMDS-16). Materials and methods: A total of 2,682 Brazilian adults (78% women; Mage = 26.6 years, standard deviation, SD = 7.0) participated in the study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a three-factor structure of BMDS-16 with satisfactory reliability indices. Results: Maladaptive daydreaming had positive but weak correlations with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and dissociative experiences. As a result of the latent profile analysis, a cut-off score of 63 for maladaptive daydreaming was suggested. Based on this cut-off score, 18.6% of our sample could be considered maladaptive daydreamers. The general reliability of the scale was good (McDonald’s ω = 0.93; Cronbach’s α = 0.90). Conclusions: Overall, BMDS-16 demonstrated sound psychometric properties and applicability for general use to assess maladaptive daydreaming. The daydreaming tendency should be carefully examined in people with scores above 63, who may use fantasy in a maladaptive way, causing impairment in daily functioning and potentially conflicting with treatment.

Exploring the psychosocial characteristics of women with gambling disorder through a qualitative study.

Gambling disorder is a behavioral addiction that has been primarily male, but in the last few years, the age of onset has been equated between the sexes. The profile of female gamblers could be different from that of men. Consequently, this study analyzes the testimonies of women with gambling disorder to determine their specific characteristics (gambling motives, gambling preferences, and associated pathologies). The sample comprises 18 women with gambling disorder aged between 30 and 68. Three discussion groups were held, and a "blind" inductive process was carried out to extract categories. The Atlas.Ti 22.0 program was used to recode and analyze the data. Results show that women may start gambling due to abuse suffered in childhood, and often family members initiate women into gambling. Likewise, the onset of gambling could be a maladaptive way to manage negative emotions. Also highlighted is the predominance of feelings of social stigmatization, which can be reflected in women's choice of games where they are not visible. Comorbidity with other disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and the use of other substances are noteworthy. The factors explaining why female gamblers do not seek treatment compared to male gamblers are analyzed. More studies on women's experience with gambling are needed to address the specific characteristics of gambling disorder in women.

The relationship between perseverative thinking, proactive control, and inhibition in psychological distress: a study in a women’s cohort

Cognitive control is a core feature of several mental disorders. A recent account poses that health problems may derive from proactive forms of cognitive control that maintain stress representation over time. The working hypothesis of the present study is that psychological distress is caused by the tendency to select a particular maladaptive self-regulation strategy over time, namely perseverative thinking, rather than by transient stimulus–response patterns. To test this hypothesis, we asked 84 women to carry out a battery of standardized questionnaires regarding their tendency to undertake perseverative thinking and their level of psychological distress, followed by cognitive tasks measuring the tendency to use proactive versus reactive control modality and disinhibition. Through a series of mediation analyses, we demonstrate that the tendency to use proactive control correlates with psychological distress and that this relation is mediated by perseverative thinking. Moreover, we show that the relation between low inhibitory control and psychological stress is more strongly mediated by perseverative thinking than impulsiveness, a classical construct that focuses on more transient reactions to stimuli. The present results underline the importance of considering psychological distress as the consequence of a maladaptive way of applying control over time, rather than the result of a general deficit in cognitive control abilities.

Emotional eating – A response to or one of the causes of paranoia-like thoughts? The bidirectional mediating role of avoidant coping

Paranoia-like thoughts have been found to be associated with maladaptive emotion-focused and avoidant coping strategies. Avoidant coping aim to disconnect from a perceived stressor or to reduce tension indirectly, such as through increased substance use or overeating. Maladaptive coping has also been linked to disturbed eating patterns. However, little is known about eating behaviors related to paranoia-like thoughts, as a potential response to negative emotions and maladaptive ways of coping with them. Hence, a total of 362 people (70.2% women) from a non-clinical sample participated in an online correlation study to investigate whether there was a significant relationship between paranoia-like thoughts (R-GPTS) and eating behavior (TFEQ-13), as well as to investigate whether coping strategies (BRIEF-COPE) mediate this potential association. The results revealed that paranoia-like thoughts correlate with both emotional and uncontrolled eating, but not with cognitive restraint of eating. Moreover, mediation analysis showed that avoidant coping mediates the relationship between paranoia-like thoughts and emotional eating, when both paranoia-like thoughts were a predictor of emotional eating, and emotional eating was a predictor of paranoia-like thoughts. Therefore, our results indicate a bidirectional link between paranoia-like thoughts and emotional eating, and also highlight the important role of avoidant coping in this relationship.

Coping strategies and belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy beliefs have been related to aversive emotional experiences often accompanying major world events and have also been linked to maladaptive ways of coping with stress. In this research, we examined how different coping strategies (i.e. self-sufficient, social-support, avoidance and religious) predicted the adoption of COVID-19 conspiracy theories. In two studies (Study 1, n = 1000 and Study 2, n = 616) conducted among Polish participants, we found that avoidance and religious coping were positively linked to COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. In Study 1, conspiracy beliefs also mediated the positive relationships between avoidance and religious coping and adherence to safety and self-isolation guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 2 additionally showed that the relationship between fear, induced by reading threatening news on COVID-19, and conspiracy beliefs was the strongest among those high in avoidance coping. These studies highlight the role of coping strategies in the adoption of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs.

Role of personality, health beliefs and fear of COVID-19 in engagement of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors among Egyptians during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSocial distancing and hand hygiene were highly recommended by WHO as an effective preventive strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. However, people differ in their adherence to safety recommendations and may respond in maladaptive ways but the origins of these differences are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between, personality traits, health beliefs, and adaptive or maladaptive behaviors.MethodsThe sample consisted of 1002 Egyptian adults who answered an online survey, which included: the health belief model, Big Five Personality Inventory, and Fear of COVID-19 Scale.ResultsThe results showed that females and workers in the medical field were more adherent to adaptive behaviors, while highly educated, and young adults were more liable to maladaptive behaviors. Conscientiousness as a personality trait was directly proportionate with practicing of adaptive behaviors among Egyptians, while higher openness trait was a risk factor for practicing maladaptive behaviors. High perceived hand hygiene and social distance barriers were significant risk factors that decrease the practicing of adaptive behaviors. There was a significant positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and practicing adaptive behaviors.ConclusionsPersonality traits play an important role in adaptive or maladaptive behavior towards the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings might help in planning prevention programs in the future.

Understanding of Work Stress and Need for Interventions in Employees: A Qualitative Study

In today’s time of excessive workload, maladaptive ways to deal with day-to-day situations weather personal or professional, majority of people from all stands of life are victim of stress. This makes it important to understand the individual perception of stress in individual’s life. Hence this study focuses on the perception of stress among the 3rd and 4th class employees and the readiness of employees for an intervention for stress management at workplace. The data was collected through a Semi structured interview on 30 participants. Thematic analysis was adopted for the analysis. On analyzing the data various codes were drawn. The themes were made through inductive analysis of the data. The themes were derived which were ‘Nature of stressor, ‘Reinforcement’, ‘Relationships’,‘Active and Passive dealing’, ‘Personal and organizational’. It can be concluded that the effectiveness of the intervention is higher at the early stage of the working in comparison to the employees at a much later stage of. At the initial stage when you are more vulnerable and armature to deal with the situations you need the skills and training from the workshop. As it is seen with much researches that with time employees automatically learn the skills over time. Thereadiness of the employees found out to be the key factor behind the success or failure of any intervention.

Dynamics of parenting and children’s coping: Bidirectional effects between parent motivational support and children’s academic coping during late childhood and early adolescence

The present study examined the interconnections between parental motivational support and children’s academic coping as a bidirectional system, with each social partner shaping changes in the other, using a two-wave sample of 1,020 students in grades three through six, aged 8–13, measured at the beginning and end of one school year in a school district in the northeastern United States. Using a motivational model of academic coping that specified both core ways of coping and a set of interpersonal motivational resources that parents can offer their children, cross-lagged panel path models examined whether initial levels of parent support (a combination of involvement, structure, and autonomy support) predicted changes in both children’s total coping profile and their individual adaptive and maladaptive ways of coping, while simultaneously investigating whether children’s coping profile and individual ways predicted changes in parenting. Results for children’s total coping profile and individual adaptive ways supported hypotheses about reciprocal effects, whereas findings for individual maladaptive ways of coping were more differentiated: Parenting predicted changes in coping for all maladaptive ways except rumination, but only concealment, self-pity, and projection predicted changes in parenting. Results did not differ by grade or gender. Potential avenues for future research, limitations, and implications for parenting practice were discussed.

Emotion in the mind's eye: Imagination for adaptive cognition.

In a complex world, we are constantly faced with environmental stimuli that shape our moment-to-moment experiences. But just as rich and complex as the external world is the internal milieu-our imagination. Imagination offers a powerful vehicle for playing out hypothetical experiences in the mind's eye. It allows us to mentally time travel to behold what the future might bring, including our greatest desires or fears. Indeed, imagined experiences tend to be emotion-laden. How and why are humans capable of this remarkable feat? Based on psychological findings, we highlight the importance of imagination for emotional aspects of cognition and behavior, namely in the generation and regulation of emotions. Based on recent cognitive neuroscience work, we identify putative neural networks that are most critical for emotional imagination, with a major focus on the default mode network. Finally, we briefly highlight the possible functional implications of individual differences in imagination. Overall, we hope to address why humans have the capacity to simulate hypothetical emotional experiences and how this ability can be harnessed in adaptive (and sometimes maladaptive) ways. We end by discussing open questions.

Predictors of alcohol and substance use among people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): findings from the NESARC-III study

PurposeThe self-medication hypothesis suggests people may develop Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Non-Alcohol Substance Use Disorder (NA-SUD) following PTSD as a maladaptive way of coping with PTSD symptoms. Given that an accumulation of trauma experiences and interpersonal trauma increase the likelihood and severity of PTSD, we sought to determine whether the number and type of traumas additionally predict AUD and NA-SUD following PTSD.MethodsWe analysed data from 36,309 adult participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) study (M = 45.63 years, SD = 17.53, 56.3% female) who were administered semi-structured diagnostic interviews of trauma exposure and PTSD, AUD and NA-SUD symptoms.ResultsIndividuals with PTSD were more likely to have an AUD or NA-SUD than those without PTSD. Endorsement of a greater number of traumas was associated with greater odds of having PTSD, AUD, or NA-SUD. Experience of interpersonal trauma was related to greater odds of having PTSD and subsequent AUD or NA-SUD than not experiencing interpersonal trauma. Multiple experiences of interpersonal trauma compared to one interpersonal trauma exposure also increased the odds of having PTSD followed by AUD or NA-SUD.ConclusionsInterpersonal trauma and multiple experiences of interpersonal trauma may result in individuals turning to alcohol and substances as a way to alleviate intolerable PTSD symptomology, aligning with the self-medication hypothesis. Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring services and support for interpersonal trauma survivors and for those who have experienced multiple traumas given their increased for unfavourable outcomes.

Gambaran Tingkat Stres dan Mekanisme Koping Pegawai Konfirmasi Covid-19 di Rumah Sakit Panti Rahayu Gunungkidul Yogyakarta

Backgroud: Covid-19 disease is a disease that attacks the respiratory tract with mild symptoms, without symptoms, until severe acute respiratory syndrome occurs. Covid-19 transmission occurs through droplets in the form of patient saliva, mucus and sputum. The Covid-19 pandemic is causing mental health problems in both people who are infected, not infected or not known to be infected. The results of the preliminary study found that 9 employees at Panti Rahayu Hospital with positive confirmation of Covid-19 experienced variations in length of stay, stress levels, and coping mechanisms. 
 Aim:This study aims to obtain an overview of the stress level and coping mechanisms of employees for confirmation of Covid-19. 
 Method: The research method used is mix methods by combining quantitative and qualitative descriptive research. The study population was all employees of Covid-19 confirmation with a total sampling of 15 respondents. Collecting data using a survey method, by questionnaire and structured interviews. The stress level was measured by using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire and the coping mechanism was measured by the ways of coping quesionare (revised). 
 Result: The results showed that the number of employees confirming Covid -19 with mild stress levels was 6 respondents (40%), moderate stress was 2 respondents (13%) and severe stress was 7 people (47%). The adaptive coping mechanism used was 11 respondents (73%) and 4 respondents in a maladaptive way (37%). With the chi-square test, there is a significant relationship between stress levels and the coping mechanism of Covid-19 confirmation employees with a p value of 0.044 (α: 0.05). 
 Conclusions: The lower the stress level, the coping mechanism used tends to be adaptive, while those who experience severe stress levels tend to use the maladaptive coping mechanism.
 Keywords: stress level, coping mechanism, Covid-19

A Methylome-Based Signature of Stress: Association With Accelerated Epigenetic Aging and Alcohol Use

Epigenetic mechanisms have been suggested to be located at the interface between the genetic and the environmental levels. In animal as well as human studies, epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed to dynamically adjust to environmental challenges such as stress in an adaptive or maladaptive way [cf. (1,2)] and thus to contribute to resilience or risk, respectively, toward stress-related disorders as well as substance abuse disorders, which are inherently tied to stress-related disorders.

THE PAINS OF PARAMILITARISM: The Latent Criminogenic Effects of Exposure to Paramilitary Violence Among Young Men in a Post-Conflict Society

Purpose: Whilst most people who experience adversity recover, there is a cumulative body of evidence that illustrates that the effects can be long lasting, and can even become debilitating over time. Links have been made between traumatic distress, mental health disorders and disturbances in behavioural and emotional regulatory systems that may in context elevate the risk of offending. Despite the burgeoning evidence around the criminogenic effects of adversity, few studies have examined the traumatic effects of paramilitary related adversity in the context of post-conflict Northern Ireland. Methods: With reference to DSM-V PTSD diagnostic clusters, the aim of this study was to explore the latent impact of adversity and latent trauma among justice involved young men and identify potential criminogenic effects of exposure to paramilitary related adversity. Results and conclusions: This study found that across the sample, young men had self-reported to have experienced significant adversity, including violent victimisation. Exposure to paramilitary adversity often began during early adolescence. The participants described symptoms that were consistent with clinically diagnosable disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Despite this, there appears to be a paucity of trauma screening and assessment, and few supports that victim could benefit from. In the absence of appropriate and evidence-based supports, many young men appear to find other (and more maladaptive) ways to cope. This exacerbates the risk of interfacing with the justice system and may even contribute towards a deterioration in wider psycho-social outcomes. Implications for practice are discussed.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Suicidal Behaviour.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Suicidal Behaviour.