Negative Psychological Health Outcomes Research Articles

Neuroinflammation Profiling of Brain Cytokines Following Repeated Blast Exposure.

Due to use of explosive devices and heavy weapons systems in modern conflicts, the effect of BW on the brain and body is of increasing concern. These exposures have been commonly linked with neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders in veteran populations. A likely neurobiological link between exposure to blasts and the development of neurobehavioral disorders, such as depression and PTSD, could be neuroinflammation triggered by the blast wave. In this study, we exposed rats to single or repeated BW (up to four exposures-one per day) at varied intensities (13, 16, and 19 psi) to mimic the types of blast exposures that service members may experience in training and combat. We then measured a panel of neuroinflammatory markers in the brain tissue with a multiplex cytokine/chemokine assay to understand the pathophysiological process(es) associated with single and repeated blast exposures. We found that single and repeated blast exposures promoted neuroinflammatory changes in the brain that are similar to those characterized in several neurological disorders; these effects were most robust after 13 and 16 psi single and repeated blast exposures, and they exceeded those recorded after 19 psi repeated blast exposures. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-10 were changed by 13 and 16 psi single and repeated blast exposures. In conclusion, based upon the growing prominence of negative psychological health outcomes in veterans and soldiers with a history of blast exposures, identifying the molecular etiology of these disorders, such as blast-induced neuroinflammation, is necessary for rationally establishing countermeasures and treatment regimens.

The self-reported impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological health of U.S. Air Force cyber personnel

ABSTRACT U.S. Air Force cyber personnel were faced with changes in their workplace, fitness routines, and personal lives during the COVID19 pandemic. Adjusting to COVID-19-related requirements likely increased the stress of already stressful jobs for military members and their families, which could have resounding impacts on emotional, social, and physical well-being. Therefore, it is important to evaluate psychological health outcomes and self-perceived impacts of the changes presented to cyber personnel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online occupational health assessment that included demographics, standardized measures of burnout, psychological distress, and work role strain; health behaviors; and perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was administered to 1488 cyber personnel. Thirty-two negative themes and 13 positive themes were created from qualitative coding for “How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you as an individual?” Of the themes created, 966 (68.5%) reported at least one negative impact and 440 (31.2%) reported at least one positive impact. Top-reported negative impacts were limited face-to-face interactions and loss of personal activities. Negative impacts were associated with negative psychological health outcomes (e.g., psychological distress, exhaustion, cynicism) and work role strain. Action-oriented recommendations are given in the event of another pandemic.

The Relationship Between Experiences of Pain Among Youth With Obesity and Health-Related Quality of Life: The Role of Functional Limitation, Sleep, and Depressive Symptoms.

Background: Pediatric obesity is a growing concern in the United States and has been linked to negative psychological health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and decreased quality of life. Obesity is a complex disease that is influenced by several environmental and social factors that are often out of an individuals' control. The etiology of pain in youth with obesity is not well understood. There are likely many factors that overlap and influence each other, including those related to functional limitation, sleep quality, and psychological health that exacerbate symptoms as a whole. Methods: This study examined the relationship between obesity level (BMI z-score) and youth self reports of: pain, functional limitation, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Ninety-eight patients completed validated surveys of pain, pain burden, functional disability, sleep, depression, and HRQoL as standard of care during their initial visit in Weight Management Program at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Indirect effects of pain measures (pain scores and pain burden) on HRQoL through functional limitation, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms, respectively, were tested using bootstrapping according to Hayes.34 Results: Significant indirect effects and full mediation for both models were found. Conclusions: This study uniquely contributes to existing research through the discovery of the serial mediating effects of these variables in the relationship between youth pain and HRQoL. Although these variables have been studied independently as influential in this relationship in past research, this is the first study to examine how they interact through serial mediation models.

Associations of body image with depressive symptoms and PTG among breast cancer patients: The mediating role of social support.

BackgroundCancer diagnosis and treatment usually trigger positive and negative psychological health outcomes. Social support is a coping resource for psychological health outcomes. However, little research is available on the relationships between social support, body image, and overall psychological health outcomes in breast cancer (BC) patients. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic growth (PTG) and examine the mediating roles of social support between body image and depressive symptoms and PTG among BC patients, respectively.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in the Northeast China from December 2015 to August 2017. All the participants were diagnosed with BC and underwent surgery. This study was conducted with 405 BC patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, Post Traumatic Growth Inventory, Body Image Scale, and Perceived Social Support Scale. The associations of social support, body image with depressive symptoms, and PTG were examined by hierarchical linear regression analysis. Asymptotic and resampling strategies were used to explore the mediating role of social support.ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms was 88.1%, and 67.2% of the patients had moderate-high PTG, 52.84% of the patients had body concerns, and 264 (65.19%) patients had high-level social support. Body image was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.445, P < 0.001) and social support was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β = −0.219, P < 0.001). Body image was negatively associated with PTG (β = −0.095, P = 0.023), whereas social support was positively associated with PTG (β = 0.533, P < 0.001). Social support significantly mediated the associations among body image, depressive symptoms (effect size = 0.057), and PTG (effect size = −0.304), respectively.ConclusionsSocial support played mediating role in the relationships between body image and depressive symptoms and PTG. The interventions based on social support and body image should be included in psychological health prevention.

Circadian, light, and sleep skills program: Efficacy of a brief educational intervention for improving sleep and psychological health at sea

ObjectivesMilitary service poses unique threats to sleep and circadian health, and the shipboard environment presents further challenges. Disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms are linked to myriad health and safety issues that compromise readiness, including negative psychological health outcomes. Thus, one advantage of mitigating sleep problems includes the possibility of also enhancing mental health. ProceduresWe evaluated the efficacy of the Circadian, Light, and Sleep Skills program for shipboard military personnel for improving sleep, and examined the impact of sleep on mental health in participating sailors. Questionnaires were administered to US sailors (N = 150) assigned to three ships (one control, two intervention) before the program (T1), immediately afterward (T2), and 2-4 months later, after a period at sea (T3). Outcomes included motivation to improve sleep; sleep and circadian knowledge; frequency of sleep-promoting behaviors; sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index); and mental health symptoms. Satisfaction with specific program elements and perceived relevance were also examined. Main findingsSleep and circadian knowledge, frequency of sleep-promoting behaviors, and sleep quality improved from T1 to T3 in the intervention versus control group. Sleep quality also mediated the effects of the underway (at sea) period on mental health. The intervention was well received, with high satisfaction and perceived relevance ratings. Principal conclusionsA brief 30-min intervention before an underway period improved sleep, circadian, and psychological health outcomes in shipboard sailors, even months later. Broader dissemination of this program may provide significant positive impact with minimal investment of resources.

A Good App Is Hard to Find: Examining Differences in Racialized Sexual Discrimination across Online Intimate Partner-Seeking Venues.

Young sexual minority Black men (YSMBM) report widespread instances of Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD) when seeking intimate partners online. RSD is associated with negative psychological health outcomes; however, little is known about the differences between virtual environments, and whether users are exposed to differential types/frequencies of RSD across different virtual environments. Using data from a cross-sectional web survey of YSMBM (N = 548), a multivariate Kruskal–Wallis test was conducted comparing those who primarily used Jack’d and those who primarily used Grindr to meet intimate partners; the frequency with which these two groups encountered six RSD domains was compared. Men who primarily used Grindr reported more frequent instances of White superiority and rejection from White men compared with men who primarily used Jack’d. Men who primarily used Jack’d reported more frequent instances of physical objectification from Black men compared with men who primarily used Grindr. RSD may manifest differentially based on the specific venue that YSMBM use. Such differences may reflect the sociodemographic makeup of these spaces, as well as differences in acceptability/normalization of different forms of RSD. These findings have implications for the development of anti-RSD initiatives that target the specific sociocultural norms that are unique to different virtual environments.

Forced sex and its predictors among students attending university: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundForced sex is associated with negative psychological health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of forced sex and its predictors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed on 800 students of a university in USA using a random sampling method. Reproductive health electronic questionnaire was used for data collection. Due to the sensitive nature of the questionnaires and for anonymity, Qualtrics software was used. To estimate the extent of the effect of each of the independent variables (knowledge, attitude, as well as socio-demographic characteristics) on the dependent variable (forced sex), multivariate logistic regression was used.ResultsAbout one-fifth of students (16.9%) had experienced forced sex. The variables of gender, knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and sexual attitude were among the predictors of forced sex. This kind of sexual relationship was more likely to occur in girls than in boys (OR = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.20 to 1.71). Further, the chance of forced sex significantly increased with growing knowledge of STD (OR = 1.41, 95%CI: 1.61 to 1.71), and sexual attitude (OR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.04 to 1.21).ConclusionConsidering the impact of gender, knowledge about STD, and sexual attitude on forced sex, educational interventions among the youth especially girls are required to provide complete and proper information about sexual and reproductive health and rights and correct the sexual attitudes of the youth.

The Effect of Individual Musculoskeletal Conditions on Depression: Updated Insights From an Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Few longitudinal studies have systematically investigated whether or how individual musculoskeletal conditions (IMCs) convey risks for negative psychological health outcomes, and approaches to assess such risk in the older population are lacking. In this Irish nationally representative longitudinal prospective study of 6,715 individuals aged 50 and above, machine learning algorithms and various models, including mediation models, were employed to elaborate the underlying mechanisms of IMCs leading to depression and to develop an IMC-induced negative psychological risk (IMCPR) classification approach. Resultantly, arthritis [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.233 (1.700–2.927)], osteoporosis [1.681 (1.133–2.421)], and musculoskeletal chronic pain [MCP, 2.404 (1.838–3.151)] were found to increase the risk of depression after 2 years, while fracture and joint replacement did not. Interestingly, mediation models further demonstrated that arthritis per se did not increase the risk of depression; such risk was augmented only when arthritis-induced restrictions of activities (ARA) existed [proportion of mediation: 316.3% (ARA of usual), 213.3% (ARA of social and leisure), and 251.3% (ARA of sleep)]. The random forest algorithm attested that osteoarthritis, not rheumatoid arthritis, contributed the most to depressive symptoms. Moreover, bone mineral density was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Systemic pain contributed the most to the increased risk of depression, followed by back, knee, hip, and foot pain (mean Gini-Index: 3.778, 2.442, 1.980, 1.438, and 0.879, respectively). Based on the aforementioned findings, the IMCPR classification approach was developed using an interpretable machine learning model, which stratifies participants into three grades. Among the IMCPR grades, patients with a grade of “severe” had higher odds of depression than those with a “mild” [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 4.055 (2.907–5.498)] or “moderate” [3.584 (2.101–5.883)] grade. Females with a “severe” grade had higher odds of depression by 334.0% relative to those with a “mild” grade, while males had a relative risk of 258.4%. In conclusion, the present data provide systematic insights into the IMC-induced depression risk and updated the related clinical knowledge. Furthermore, the IMCPR classification approach could be used as an effective tool to evaluate this risk.

Web-Based Delivery of the Caregiving Essentials Course for Informal Caregivers of Older Adults in Ontario: Mixed Methods Evaluation Study.

BackgroundMany informal caregivers of older adults have limited time because of the number of responsibilities that their caregiving role entails. This population often experiences high levels of burden due to the stressful nature of their work and are vulnerable to developing negative psychological health outcomes. Easily accessible and flexible knowledge interventions are needed to alleviate the burden and stress experienced by this group.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the acceptability of the web-based delivery of the Caregiving Essentials course for informal caregivers of older adults. Both the strengths and limitations of using a web-based platform to provide information and resources were explored to see whether the method of delivery enhanced or hindered the overall course experience for participants.MethodsA mixed methodology of web-based pre- (n=111) and postcourse surveys (n=39) and telephone interviews (n=26) was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from participants. Individual interviews were also conducted with key stakeholders (n=6), and a focus group was conducted with nursing students (n=5) who were involved in the project.ResultsThe web-based delivery of the course provided participants with greater accessibility to the course because it allowed them to work independently through the modules at their own pace wherever and whenever. The discussion boards were also identified as a major strength because of the opportunity for social interaction and the sense of community that many felt through sharing their experiences. Some barriers to participation included age-related factors, issues with navigating aspects of the course, and concerns about privacy and anonymity. Some key suggestions included more engaging methods of web-based communication and the reorganization of the module content to reduce the amount of text and streamline information.ConclusionsThe web-based delivery of Caregiving Essentials appeared to enhance the overall course experience by increasing accessibility and allowing participants to interact with the learning materials and other caregivers. The findings from this evaluation can be used to create and improve the web-based delivery of both the current and emerging interventions for caregivers.

Spanish validation of the short-form of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire (AFQ-Y8) with children and adolescents.

The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth-Short Form (AFQ-Y8) was designed to measure psychological inflexibility in children and adolescents. However, it has not yet been validated to the Spanish population. The present study examines the factorial structure, internal consistency, convergent and incremental validity, and measurement invariance between children and adolescents, male and female, and male and female across age of the AFQ-Y8 with 982 students from Spain (children = 459, adolescents = 523). The results confirmed, in both children and adolescents, a unifactorial structure of general psychological inflexibility. AFQ-Y8 was positively related to negative psychological health outcomes, and negatively related to positive psychological health outcomes and acceptance-related skills, such as mindfulness. In addition, psychological inflexibility showed incremental validity in the explanation of negative psychological health over mindfulness. Measurement invariance across age and gender groups was supported, suggesting that the scores in the AFQ-Y8 are comparable between children and adolescents, and between males and females. In conclusion, results show that the Spanish version of the AFQ-Y8 is a reliable and valid measure of psychological inflexibility in children and adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

An Exploration of Sexual Assault Survivors' Discourse Online on Help-Seeking.

Although sexual assault is associated with significant negative psychological health outcomes, few survivors seek support from formal providers. This study explored the barriers to accessing and benefitting from services for sexual assault, as disclosed in narrative posts on social media, using qualitative methodology. Of the 1,179 narratives posted to the subreddit'r/rapecounseling' that were reviewed, 81 data extracts from 52 women were included in this study based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Six themes were identified that prevented survivors from accessing or benefitting from help. Internal barriers included feeling overwhelmed and avoidance-based coping. External barriers included availability of services, suitability of services, and therapist-caused harms. Stigma was the only barrier that was experienced both internally and externally. These findings suggest a need for more supportive mental health services.

Wanting to Be Happy but Not Knowing How: Poor Attentional Control and Emotion-Regulation Abilities Mediate the Association Between Valuing Happiness and Depression

Recent studies suggest that valuing happiness is associated with negative psychological health outcomes, including increased depression, in US samples. We aimed to replicate these associations in two studies at a UK university (Nstudy one = 151, and Nstudy two = 299). Importantly, we also investigated the role of emotional attentional control and habitual emotion regulation in the relationship between valuing happiness and depression. In both studies, we found that valuing happiness was related to increased depression, confirming the link between valuing happiness and depression in a Western country outside of the USA. Moreover, our findings indicated that the relationship between valuing happiness and depression was strongest in British, rather than non-British participants or participants of dual nationality. Further, our findings revealed that valuing happiness and depression were indirectly associated via the ability to control attention in emotional situations, perceived ability to savor positive experiences, and the extent to which positive emotions feel intrusive. Specifically, increased valuing happiness was associated with lower emotion attention control and lower savoring of positive experiences, which in turn was related to depressive symptoms. These results show that the impaired ability to respond adaptively to emotional situations and to enjoy positive events may underlie the paradoxical relationship between valuing happiness and low well-being.

Discrimination, mental health and academic performance among underrepresented college students: the role of extracurricular activities at predominantly white institutions

In this study, we explored the potential of extracurricular activity involvement (ECAI) among underrepresented college students to counter and protect against the noxious effects of perceived discrimination on academic performance. Students (N = 340; 68.5% female), were eligible to participate if they identified as a member of a historically underrepresented racial or ethnic group, as first-generation college students, and/or if their families were economically disadvantaged. Data were collected over three time points during students’ first two academic years attending a predominantly white institution. We explored the potential association between ECAI and grade point average (GPA) in the context of students’ experiences of discrimination by testing depressive symptoms as a mediator and ECAI as a compensatory factor. Bootstrapped confidence intervals of the standardized indirect effect indicated that discrimination at time one indirectly predicted lower GPAs at time three via greater depressive symptoms, while ECAI at time one acted conversely and indirectly predicted higher GPAs at time three via fewer depressive symptoms. These results suggest that promoting ECAI may be an effective strategy to facilitate academic success by countering negative psychological health outcomes stemming from underrepresented students’ experiences of discrimination.

Disclosure and Stigma of a Positive HIV-Serostatus: A Two-Step Cluster Analysis of the HIV Disclosure Scale.

Despite national efforts to improve the public's education about an HIV diagnosis, stigma still plays a significant role in how persons living with HIV (PLH) decide to disclose their serostatus to friends, family, or healthcare workers. Disclosure can be related to both positive and negative psychological health outcomes, including rates of depression and perceived social support. Researchers often assess disclosure patterns in PLH due to its association with important health implications; however, to date, there are no empirically validated measures of HIV-serostatus disclosure. The HIV Disclosure Scale (HDS) was created to assess various aspects of the disclosure process and has been utilized in several studies as an adequate measurement of HIV-serostatus disclosure despite no available psychometric data. This study aims to uncover constructs measured by the HDS using exploratory two-step cluster analysis to provide an initial analysis of the psychometric properties of this scale.

Exploring the psychological health of emergency dispatch centre operatives: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

BackgroundThe study objective was to investigate and synthesize available evidence relating to the psychological health of Emergency Dispatch Centre (EDC) operatives, and to identify key stressors experienced by EDC operatives.MethodsEight electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, The Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and Google Scholar) were searched. All study designs were included, and no date limits were set. Studies were included if they were published in English, and explored the psychological health of any EDC operatives, across fire, police, and emergency medical services. Studies were excluded if they related solely to other emergency workers, such as police officers or paramedics. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using checklists adapted from the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A narrative synthesis was conducted, using thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 16 articles were included in the review. Two overarching themes were identified during the narrative synthesis: ‘Organisational and Operational Factors’ and ‘Interactions with Others’. Stressors identified included being exposed to traumatic calls, lacking control over high workload, and working in under-resourced and pressured environments. Lack of support from management and providing an emotionally demanding service were additional sources of stress. Peer support and social support from friends and family were helpful in managing work-related stress.DiscussionEDC operatives experience stress as a result of their work, which appears to be related to negative psychological health outcomes. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this stress, and the potential for workplace interventions to alleviate the negative impacts on psychological health.PROSPERO Registration NumberCRD42014010806.

Effects of a randomized exercise trial on physical activity, psychological distress and quality of life in older adults.

Evidence suggests improvements in positive psychological health indices (e.g., self-esteem) may explain the relationship between physical activity and quality of life (QoL) in older adults. Less is known about the role of reductions in negative psychological health indices (e.g., depression). The present study examined the effects of changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and psychological distress on change in QoL in older adults enrolled in an exercise program. Older adults (N=247, Mage=65.68±4.59) participated in a six-month randomized exercise trial. Participants wore accelerometers and completed questionnaires to measure MVPA, psychological health, and QoL at baseline and post-intervention. Psychological distress was modeled as a latent factor comprised of anxiety, depression, sleep dysfunction, and stress. Structural models were used to examine the effects of changes in MVPA and distress on change in QoL. Increases in MVPA predicted reductions in distress from baseline to post-intervention (B=-0.10, p=0.05). In turn, reductions in distress predicted increases in QoL (B=-0.51, p=0.001). The indirect effect of MVPA on QoL through distress was also significant (p=0.05; 90% CI=0.005, 0.125). Findings extend previous research on the mediators of the MVPA-QoL relationship in older adults, suggesting reductions in negative psychological health outcomes may also mediate this pathway.

Emotional versus cognitive rumination: are they differentially affecting long-term psychological health? The impact of stressors and personality in dental students.

In the process of recovery from work, rumination is considered as an important mediating variable in the relationship between work demands and psychological health outcomes. Past research differentiated affective rumination from problem-solving pondering. The aim of the present study was to test a moderated mediation model for these two distinct ruminative states and to show how personality (i.e. neuroticism and conscientiousness) can alter the mediating effect. The present study is based on 119 surveys from dental students with a time lag of 6 months. Participants filled out questionnaires assessing specific study-relevant performance demands, rumination and personality and a screening measure for psychological health status. Neuroticism was found to moderate the demand-affective rumination association, but conscientiousness did not moderate the demand-problem-solving pondering association. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that affective rumination mediates the impact of demands on psychological health only for individuals low in neuroticism. Findings are discussed regarding potential interventions for dental students to prevent negative psychological health outcomes due to increased work-related demands in the long term.

Consequences of being accused of workplace bullying: an exploratory study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of accused bullies in terms of their experiences of fairness in the manner in which the complaint against them was managed, and examine the subsequent health and career ramifications of being accused of workplace bullying.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study was carried out through a mixed methodology: 30 managers who had been accused of workplace bullying completed a survey about their experiences, and 24 of these participants were interviewed. A thematic analysis of the interview data was undertaken.FindingsA number of themes emerged from the analysis including negative psychological health outcomes for accused bullies in terms of depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, and suicidal ideation. Other dominant themes were the poor perceptions of justice in the way in which the investigations were carried out, negative career consequences, and exit from the organization, whether the accusations of bullying were substantiated or not. Loss of confidence in the participants' managerial abilities and roles also emerged as a significant ramification for a number of the accused bullies.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the methodological limitations of such exploratory research, this study highlights the importance of organizations adhering to the principles of organizational justice when addressing workplace bullying complaints, including recognising the potential health consequences of a bullying investigation for the accused perpetrators as well as for the bullying victims.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies that examine workplace bullying from the perception of the accused bully and, as such, breaks a long tradition of workplace bullying research being informed only through victims' accounts of workplace bullying,

Workplace Heterosexism and Adjustment Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals: The Role of Unsupportive Social Interactions.

This study examined the relationships between workplace heterosexism, unsupportive social interactions (negative responses from others concerning one's experience of heterosexism), and adjustment among 97 employed lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Results revealed that heterosexism and unsupportive social interactions were each related to negative psychological health outcomes. After controlling for outness and involvement in the LGB community, responses characterized by blaming were found to moderate the relationship between heterosexism and both depression and distress. Contrary to predictions, results suggested that at low levels of blaming there was a positive relationship between heterosexism and both depression and distress. It may be possible that at low levels of blaming, the salient stressor was heterosexism, whereas at high levels of blaming, the salient stressor was the blaming itself.