Recent Experience Research Articles

Trauma in the American asylum process: Experiences of immigrant families under the migrant protection protocols.

Latinx asylum-seeking families report posttraumatic distress that is 161-204% higher than in nonimmigrants, with adverse consequences for health and well-being. Recent U.S. policies have further embedded trauma in the asylum-seeking process by forcing families to remain in Mexico, enduring dire living conditions in tent encampments near the border while awaiting processing. These families are now entering the United States in large numbers. This article sheds light on their recent experiences and mental health needs, using a mixed methods-grounded theory design, presenting quantitative and qualitative data to describe the experiences of six asylum-seeking families who waited for 1-2 years in the refugee camp in Mexico. Quantitative data was obtained from the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire while qualitative interviews provided insight into reasons for migration and trauma at different stages of the migration process. All participants experienced multiple traumas and endorsed trauma related symptoms. Important themes of psychological distress and trauma emerged, including unending suffering, hunger, and worry for the safety of their children while living in the refugee camp. Asylum-seeking families experienced substantial distress and trauma secondary to their stay in Mexico and COVID-19. Families arriving to the United States have experienced significant trauma, separation, and loss before and during their journey. Interactions with an unprepared and overwhelmed immigration system further compromises their psychological well-being. It is imperative that first-person narratives inform policy that addresses their complex needs and protects their human rights. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamic processes in behavioral activation therapy for anhedonic adolescents: Modeling common and patient-specific relations.

Behavioral activation (BA) is a brief intervention for depression encouraging gradual and systematic re-engagement with rewarding activities and behaviors. Given this treatment focus, BA may be particularly beneficial for adolescents with prominent anhedonia, a predictor of poor treatment response and common residual symptom. We applied group iterative multiple model estimation (GIMME) to ecological momentary assessment (EMA) treatment data to investigate common and person-specific processes during BA for anhedonic adolescents. Thirty-nine adolescents (Mage = 15.7 years old, 67% female, 81% White) with elevated anhedonia (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale) were enrolled in a 12-week BA trial, with weekly anhedonia assessments. EMA surveys were triggered every other week (2-3 surveys per day) throughout treatment assessing current positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), engagement in pleasurable activities and social interactions, anticipatory pleasure, rumination, and recent pleasurable and stressful experiences. A multilevel model revealed significant decreases in anhedonia, t(25.5) = -4.76, p < .001, over the 12-week trial. GIMME results indicated substantial heterogeneity in variable networks across patients. PA was the variable with the greatest number (22% of all paths vs. 11% for NA) of predictive paths to other symptoms (i.e., highest out-degree). Higher PA (but not NA) out-degree was associated with greater anhedonia improvement, t(25.8) = -2.22, p = .035. Results revealed substantial heterogeneity in variable relations across patients, which may obscure the search for common processes of change in BA. PA may be a particularly important treatment target for anhedonic adolescents in BA. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Occurrent beliefs about emotions predict emotion regulation in everyday life.

Whether and how people regulate their negative emotions matters a great deal. However, it is not yet clear why people regulate as they do. One promising idea is that people's beliefs shape their emotion regulation choices, and initial evidence indicates that individuals' dispositional beliefs about emotions are indeed associated with general patterns of emotion regulation. The present study extends prior work on emotion beliefs to better understand how occurrent (i.e., momentary) beliefs about helpfulness, controllability, and justification of specific emotions shape whether and how people regulate negative emotions in everyday life. Participants (N = 143; U.S. community college students recruited in 2022; 76% female; age = 18-60) completed a 7-day experience-sampling protocol in which they were pinged three times per day to describe their most recent negative experiences and answer questions about their emotions, occurrent beliefs about emotions, and emotion regulation. With respect to whether people regulate their emotions, results reveal that people regulate their emotions more when they perceive them to be less helpful. Exploratory analyses additionally show that people regulate negative emotions more when they perceive them to be more controllable and when emotional intensity is relatively high. In terms of how people regulate their emotions, people are more likely to use reappraisal when emotions are seen as more helpful, more controllable, and less justified; and more likely to use distraction when emotions are seen as less helpful and more justified. These findings contribute to a more fine-grained understanding of how beliefs shape emotion regulation in everyday life.respect to whether people regulate their emotions, results reveal that people regulate their emotions more when they perceive them to be less helpful. Exploratory analyses additionally show that people regulate negative emotions more when they perceive them to be more controllable and when emotional intensity is relatively high. In terms of how people regulate their emotions, people are more likely to use reappraisal when emotions are seen as more helpful, more controllable, and less justified; and more likely to use distraction when emotions are seen as less helpful and more justified. These findings contribute to a more fine-grained understanding of how beliefs shape emotion regulation (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The relationship between bullying victimization and impairment in personality functioning in a clinical adolescent sample.

Problematic interpersonal relationships may represent both, a risk factor for the development or trigger of personality disorder (PD) symptoms and its consequences. Since peer relationships become more and more important in adolescence, the current study explores the cross-sectional association between recent bullying experiences and levels of impairment in personality functioning according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD; Criterion A) in help-seeking adolescents (N = 493). Logistic and multiple regression analyses revealed that patients who were frequently bullied in the past 3 months (i.e., at least once a week) were more likely to reach the diagnostic threshold for PD according to the AMPD (OR = 1.71, p = .025) and showed higher levels of impairment in identity (β = .41, p < .001), empathy (β = .26, p = .002), and intimacy (β = .30, p = .001), but not self-direction, compared to patients who did not report any bullying experiences. Occasional bullying in the past 3 months (i.e., every few weeks) was neither associated with a greater likelihood to reach the diagnostic threshold for PD nor with greater impairments in identity, self-direction, empathy, or intimacy compared to no bullying. While the current study provides support for a correlation between bullying experiences and personality dysfunction (particularly in the elements identity and intimacy), longitudinal research is needed to clarify whether experiences of bullying cause or trigger personality dysfunction or/and vice versa. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Recent Stressful Experiences and Electronic Nicotine Product Use Among Young Adults

Background and Objective: The goal of the current study was to examine how specific recent stressors are related to electronic nicotine product use among young adults. Despite increases in electronic nicotine product use among adults, stressors shaping the use of these products remain largely unknown. The current study examined the types and average severity of stressors endorsed between young adults with past 30-day electronic nicotine product use and young adults with no lifetime use, as well as the association between frequency of recent electronic nicotine product use and average severity of stressors. Methods: 175 current electronic nicotine product users and 333 lifetime abstainers of electronic nicotine products and cigarettes reported recent stressful experiences that occurred in the past six months, as well as lifetime and past 30-day substance use. Chi-square, independent samples t-test, and regression analyses were performed. Results: There were no significant group differences in the primary type of stressor experienced (p = 0.320) or average stress of the three recent stressful experiences reported (p = 0.246). There was no significant relationship between electronic nicotine product use and average stress of the three recent stressful experiences, controlling for demographic and substance use covariates (p = 0.150). Both current electronic nicotine product users and lifetime abstainers endorsed school, family, and romantic relationship stressors most frequently as their top stressors. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine group differences in specific stressor categories and perceived stress between current electronic nicotine product users and lifetime abstainers of these products. Given the novel assessment of stressor types, the current study provides a critical starting point for research on this timely topic. In addition, due to the high overlap between stress and nicotine use, future studies should investigate different populations of electronic nicotine product users and other methods to assess stressful experiences.

Recent test experiences with applying multiple unshrouded impellers in a single-shaft compressor

The use of unshrouded impellers to increase the pressure ratio and volume reduction achieved in low mole weight, single-shaft compressor applications is discussed. The aerodynamic and mechanical implications of using multiple unshrouded impellers in series is also addressed. Test results will show that with proper management of impeller tip gaps good aerodynamic performance can be achieved with three unshrouded impellers in a single process section. The development effort also leveraged a knowledge-based impeller design system to provide new impeller designs that were optimized as a function of Mach number to provide a 30% axially shorter section without compromising aerodynamic performance. The shorter axial stages in the first section pushed the rotor natural frequency 20% higher, enabling faster rotor tip speeds. Test results from a single-stage test rig and from a full-size prototype testing are provided and generally show good agreement.

Urban warfare in the middle East: the battle of Mosul and the operations in Syria

ABSTRACT A change in modern warfare concerns the battlefield and the increasing urbanisation of conflicts. The article analyses the reason and consequences of conflict urbanisation comparing recent experiences, the American experience in the Battle of Mosul and the Russian experience in Syria. Through this comparative study, the essay’s goal is to emphasize the centrality of the concept of battle and attrition in modern warfare and to extrapolate some lessons learned in order to identify both elements of continuity and novelty in modern urban contexts. The conclusions highlight similarities of the two approaches, difficulties, and trends in current scenarios.

Learning from reflection – good practice in handover with neurodiverse clients

This article details the reflection process that arose as a result of our recent experiences with client handover within a national, specialist, adult neurodevelopmental psychology service, following one clinician leaving the service. The departing clinician and the team used this ‘learningfrom experience’ opportunity to collectively reflect on handover with neurodiverse clients, thinking about what went well with the whole process, what could have been done differently and to consider the adaptations that this population may require in order to make handovers as smooth as possible. We have summarised the learning points from these reflections into ‘good practice guidance’ for our own service. Literature on best handover practice is limited, especially with respect to neurodiversity, and given the increasing number of neurodiverse clients accessing local or secondary care services, we are sharing our first-hand experiences in the hope that this may be relevant, helpful and/or stimulate discussion for other services experiencing similar situations.

Emotional experiences and psychological well-being in 51 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges to psychological well-being, but how can we predict when people suffer or cope during sustained stress? Here, we test the prediction that specific types of momentary emotional experiences are differently linked to psychological well-being during the pandemic. Study 1 used survey data collected from 24,221 participants in 51 countries during the COVID-19 outbreak. We show that, across countries, well-being is linked to individuals' recent emotional experiences, including calm, hope, anxiety, loneliness, and sadness. Consistent results are found in two age, sex, and ethnicity-representative samples in the United Kingdom (n = 971) and the United States (n = 961) with preregistered analyses (Study 2). A prospective 30-day daily diary study conducted in the United Kingdom (n = 110) confirms the key role of these five emotions and demonstrates that emotional experiences precede changes in well-being (Study 3). Our findings highlight differential relationships between specific types of momentary emotional experiences and well-being and point to the cultivation of calm and hope as candidate routes for well-being interventions during periods of sustained stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationships Between Recent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Somatic Symptoms in Adolescence

Relationships Between Recent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Somatic Symptoms in Adolescence

Bringing experiences of healthcare in custody into quality improvement.

Patient experience is an essential component of safe and high-quality healthcare, yet rarely examined in the context of carceral settings. This article describes a project undertaken by the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General to collect evidence and perspectives on how to bring patient experiences of healthcare services delivered in provincial correctional facilities into ongoing quality improvement work. We first conducted a scoping review and jurisdictional scan to learn from existing processes and experiences. We then engaged frontline healthcare providers delivering services in custody and people with recent experience of incarceration regarding priority measures and processes for data collection and mechanisms for implementing evidence-based change. This article describes methods used to engage stakeholders, including a survey and focus groups, as well as key lessons learned. This work is relevant to readers experiencing barriers to patient engagement, interested in collaborative research processes, and developing services for people who have experienced incarceration.

Geographic disparities in access to liver transplant for advanced cirrhosis: Time to ring the alarm!

Decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer are major risk factors for mortality worldwide. Liver transplantation (LT), both live-donor LT or deceased-donor LT, are lifesaving, but there are several barriers toward equitable access. These barriers are exacerbated in the setting of critical illness or acute-on-chronic liver failure. Rates of LT vary widely worldwide but are lowest in lower-income countries owing to lack of resources, infrastructure, late disease presentation, and limited donor awareness. A recent experience by the Chronic Liver Disease Evolution and Registry for Events and Decompensation consortium defined these barriers toward LT as critical in determining overall survival in hospitalized cirrhosis patients. A major focus should be on appropriate, affordable, and early cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer care to prevent the need for LT. Live-donor LT is predominant across Asian countries, whereas deceased-donor LT is more common in Western countries; both approaches have unique challenges that add to the access disparities. There are many challenges toward equitable access but uniform definitions of acute-on-chronic liver failure, improving transplant expertise, enhancing availability of resources and encouraging knowledge between centers, and preventing disease progression are critical to reduce LT disparities.

National Housing Policies and Gender Issues: Reflections on Argentina’s ‘Habitar en Igualdad’ Program

Social rights are not easily given as they are built through processes of struggle, mostly led by organized collectives and social movements in situations of vulnerability or imminent loss of rights and lives. The right to housing is included in this category of social rights that needed to be achieved based on demands, especially in Latin America. This article aims to reflect on public policies and gender issues in Argentina, based on the analysis of the interministerial program ‘Habitar en Igualdad’. To this end, we base our discussions on Cortés, Montaner and Muxí, Rolnik, Kern, and on Judith Butler’s debates about body controls and the precarious lives of the LGBTQIA+ population. The methodology adopted was descriptive, according to Serra and to Gil. As a result, we found a difficulty in continuing public policies dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ population, as well as an erasure of this population group in housing policies, in the face of constant harassment from neoliberal and far-right governments. Therefore, publicizing and encouraging recent inclusive experiences of sexual dissent can be a further step in promoting social rights.

“So that’s why I found PrEP to be safest way to protect yourself”: exploring IPV experiences and impact on HIV prevention among pregnant and postpartum women in Cape Town, South Africa

Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs at alarmingly high rates towards pregnant women in South Africa. Experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual IPV in pregnancy can adversely impact the health and safety of mother and fetus. Furthermore, IPV is associated with increased risk of HIV, exacerbating the public health impact of violence among pregnant women in this HIV endemic setting. In-depth understanding of cultural and contextual drivers of experiences of IPV is a critical precursor to development of interventions effectively addressing this issue among pregnant women in South Africa. The present study examines factors contributing to IPV among pregnant women to identify potential points of intervention. We conducted twenty in-depth interviews with postpartum women who used oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in pregnancy and reported recent experiences of IPV and/or ongoing alcohol use in a township near Cape Town, South Africa that experiences a heavy burden of both HIV and IPV. Interpretive thematic analysis was used. Several patterns of IPV during pregnancy were identified and violence was frequently described as co-occurring with male partner alcohol use. A majority of women referenced oral PrEP as their preferred method for HIV prevention, highlighting the agency and discretion it provided as beneficial attributes for women experiencing IPV. Fear of judgement from peers for remaining with an abusive partner and a lack of clear community messaging around IPV were identified as barriers to disclosure and support-seeking. Addressing the lack of social support received by women experiencing IPV during pregnancy in South Africa is essential to comprehensive IPV programming.

Managing Colorectal Cancer from Ethology to Interdisciplinary Treatment: The Gains and Challenges of Modern Medicine.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, which has become a serious threat to human health worldwide. This article exhaustively reviews colorectal cancer's incidence and relevance, carcinogenesis molecular pathways, up-to-date treatment opportunities, prophylaxis, and screening program achievements, with attention paid to its regional variations and changes over time. This paper provides a concise overview of known CRC risk factors, including familial, hereditary, and environmental lifestyle-related risk factors. The authors take a closer look into CRC's molecular genetic pathways and the role of specific enzymes involved in carcinogenesis. Moreover, the role of the general practitioner and multidisciplinary approach in CRC treatment is summarized and highlighted based on recent recommendations and experience. This article gives a clear understanding and review of the gains and challenges of modern medicine towards CRC. The authors believe that understanding the current patterns of CRC and its revolution is imperative to the prospects of reducing its burden through cancer prevention and cancer-adjusted treatment.

Function follows Form or Form follows Function – The Legal Nature of CBDC

Abstract 211Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is often described as the future of money, pictured to function as a new, widely adopted means of payment. Whilst economic and public law implications of CBDC issuance have received close scrutiny, private law issues – especially the question of CBDC’s legal nature – have received little attention. This is surprising, given that the function of money as a means of payment is primarily shaped by the private law framework. So far, this framework is tailored to money’s specific forms of appearance, either as (tangible) property or as (intangible) claims against financial intermediaries. Early research has sought to simply classify CBDC within this dichotomy, according to its design respectively being token or account based. Assuming a German private law point of view, this paper will put such classification to the test as regards the intended “European CBDC”, the digital euro. It will show that the focus on token versus account is misguided and ultimately unhelpful, as the digital euro would in neither form fit within the existing legal framework. Drawing on the discussions surrounding the legal nature of cryptocurrencies and cryptoassets, as well as the recent experience with the dematerialisation of securities, it will be argued that the envisioned dematerialisation of cash offers the opportunity to re-think the legal nature of such new money, based not on its form, but on its function as a circulating means of payment. Putting function before form allows technology-neutral answers to related issues, such as the legal assessment of CBDC transfer, ultimately equipping private law for the future of money.

Daily dose-response from short-term monocular deprivation in adult humans.

Short-term monocular deprivation (MD) shifts sensory eye balance in favour of the previously deprived eye. The effect of MD on eye balance is significant but brief in adult humans. Recently, researchers and clinicians have attempted to implement MD in clinical settings for adults with impaired binocular vision. Although the effect of MD has been studied in detail in single-session protocols, what is not known is whether the effect of MD on eye balance deteriorates after repeated periods of MD (termed 'perceptual deterioration'). An answer to this question is relevant for two reasons. Firstly, the effect of MD (i.e., dose-response) should not decrease with repeated use if MD is to be used therapeutically (e.g., daily for weeks). Second, it bears upon the question of whether the neural basis of the effects of MD and contrast adaptation, a closely related phenomenon, is the same. The sensory change from contrast adaptation depends on recent experience. If the observer has recently experienced the same adaptation multiple times for consecutive days, then the adaptation effect will be smaller because contrast adaptation exhibits perceptual deterioration, so it is of interest to know if the effects of MD follow suit. This study measured the effect of 2-h MD for seven consecutive days on binocular balance of 15 normally sighted adults. We found that the shift in eye balance from MD stayed consistent, showing no signs of deterioration after subjects experienced multiple periods of MD. This finding shows no loss of effectiveness of repeated daily doses of MD if used therapeutically to rebalance binocular vision in otherwise normal individuals. Furthermore, ocular dominance plasticity, which is the basis of the effects of short-term MD, does not seem to share the property of 'perceptual deterioration' with contrast adaptation, suggesting different neural bases for these two related phenomena.

The additive and cumulative effects of dual victimization on crime from a general strain theory perspective

ABSTRACT This study tested hypotheses from general strain theory regarding the additive and cumulative effects of direct and vicarious victimization on criminal coping among serious adolescent offenders transitioning into adulthood. Focus was placed on dual victimization, as a clustering of direct and vicarious victimization within a designated time period, and repeat dual victimization, an accumulated strain. Negative binomial regression models (NBRM) were conducted to examine the relationship between dual victimization, repeated dual victimization, and delinquency/crime using data from the Pathways to Desistance study. The risk of offending was greater among those who experienced dual victimization (versus no victimization) than those who experienced direct or vicarious victimization only. A cumulative effect of dual victimization on offending was not found, with more recent dual victimization experiences emerging as more consequential.

Longitudinal predictors of online dating aggression: Similarities and differences between control and intrusiveness

Technological advances have led to dating aggression being perpetrated online, with online control and online intrusiveness (repeated attempts to gain access to one’s partner after an argument) being two of the most prevalent forms. Previous studies have made headway in terms of identifying the correlates of online control, but longitudinal studies are still scarce. Furthermore, the predictors of online intrusiveness are yet unknown. The present study aimed to explore the cognitive and emotional predictors of these two types of online dating aggression. The role of moral disengagement (MD), anger dysregulation and online jealousy were analysed. A total of 467 Spanish adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years (M = 14.03, SD = 1.41, 57.2% girls) with recent romantic experience participated in a longitudinal study with two time points (W1, W2) separated by a four-month interval. The results revealed that, although all variables were correlated, predictors varied in accordance with the specific form of online aggression analysed. Online control aggression at W2 was predicted by previous involvement in online control and online intrusiveness aggression, high levels of anger dysregulation (W1) and online jealousy (W1). In contrast, online intrusiveness aggression at W2 was predicted by prior involvement in the same form of online aggression and poor anger regulation (W1). Moral disengagement lost its predictive value when emotional variables were incorporated. The results highlight the multidimensional nature of online dating aggression in adolescent couples and suggest that, although the strong link between online control and intrusiveness should be taken into consideration, the two forms of aggression should be explored independently.

Real-world analyses of mortality risk after androgen deprivation therapy initiation in Black vs. White patients with prostate cancer.

84 Background: 2 studies found significantly longer overall survival in Black vs. White patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa): a 2019 meta-analysis of 9 phase III trials and a 2020 registry study. Our real-world data study compared all-cause mortality risk for Black vs. White PCa patients. Compared to the prior studies, our study encompasses a broader scope and is not exclusive to men with castration-resistant PCa. Methods: Data were collected from the Decision Resources Group Real World Evidence repository, which links medical and prescription claims, and US Electronic Healthcare Records. The analysis set included PCa patients who received ≥1 androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) injection between 1991-2020. Cox regression was used to compare all-cause mortality rates between White and Black patients. Multivariable regression model accounted for the following variables: baseline metastasis, BMI, oncology vs. urology setting, antagonist vs. agonist, personal major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) history, tobacco history, baseline PSA (&gt;4 vs. ≤4 ng/mL), race (White vs. Black), statin use, increasing age per year, ethnicity (non-Hispanic vs. Hispanic), increasing ADT exposure per year, diabetes, hypertension, and family MACE history. Results: 44,439 patients were included for the all-patient analyses. 34,762 patients were included in the Black vs White analyses: 5,817 and 28,945 were Black and White, respectively. Overall, mortality risk was 2.6% and 17% at 1 and 4 years after ADT initiation, respectively. Mortality risk after ADT initiation was 1.6% and 2.6% at 1 year and 11.7% and 18.1% at 4 years for Black and White patients, respectively. Both unadjusted (HR=1.66, 95% CI 1.53-1.80, p&lt;0.05) and adjusted (HR=1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.52, p&lt;0.05) mortality risks were higher for White vs. Black patients. Conclusions: All-cause mortality incidence was higher in White vs. Black patients. Adding to the body of evidence, our research also reveals that Black race is associated with a protective effect on survival for all-cause mortality in men undergoing ADT. Potential hypotheses for higher mortality in White vs. Black patients include survival bias to MACE (i.e., Black patients may have died from PCa before having MACE), survival bias to be diagnosed with PCa (i.e., Black patients may have higher rate of CV death and kidney failure prior to PCa diagnosis), and protective effects of higher BMI in Black patients against cancer cachexia. The large size (~45,000 patients from a database with &gt;300 million patients), long follow-up (10 years for some patients), recent clinical experience (99% from 2010-2020), and diversity of the dataset give weight to the results being an accurate representation of current clinical experience. Future studies should confirm our findings that White PCa patients have higher mortality risk and investigate the above hypotheses.