Self-report Study Research Articles

The effects of commitment and trust on the relationship between service quality and university brand loyalty in time of crisis

ABSTRACT Existing literature on university brand loyalty (UBL) has less focused on a marketing-oriented perspective, or relationship marketing, and its impact on testing UBL. The aim of this study is to identity the roles and impacts of trust and commitment, which are main factors that create a relationship, in the relationship between university service quality, student satisfaction (SAT), and UBL and discuss its implications for university approaches of the marketing-oriented perspective. A self-report study was conducted with a total sample of 301 undergraduate students from four universities in the USA. PLS-SEM and path analysis were employed to test each hypothetical relationship. This study identified that trust and commitment play important roles as mediators in the relationship between SAT and UBL. Therefore, the findings support contributions of this study by offering implications that universities need to focus on building and maintaining the quality of relationship with students.

The selective child welfare funnel. Children's exposure to violence and CWS investigations in Sweden

BackgroundResearch indicates that child welfare services reach out to children exposed to violence unequally depending on the child's social background, living conditions and violence type. ObjectiveBased on the notion of selective recognition of vulnerability and risk, this study explores which children CWS pursue to a complete child welfare investigation. Participants and settingA register was set up including all children (n = 1764) between 7 and 12 years that were investigated for suspected exposure to violence by CWS in the municipality of the City of Stockholm, Sweden, in 2019. MethodsThis cohort was systematically compared to demographic data and national self-report prevalence studies to explore possible biases regarding which children CWS investigates. Descriptive analysis, cluster analysis and logistic regressions were used. ResultsThe results confirm previous research that children exposed to violence have reduced access to material resources and inferior living conditions compared to non-exposed children. Physical abuse is more prevalent among boys of foreign backgrounds in stable, two-parent families residing in higher-status suburbs. Conversely, neglect is more common among children of Swedish backgrounds in low-income, single-parent households living in low-status suburbs. In comparison with self-reported prevalence studies, sexual and psychological abuse seem underrepresented in the study group, while neglect and violence in the family are relatively more frequently investigated compared to self-reported prevalence studies. ConclusionsThe results indicate that CWS should develop its methods to reach certain vulnerable groups that are underrepresented for safeguarding and support, for example, girls exposed to sexual abuse.

Self-concept and job performance: the mediating role of resilience

PurposeOrganizations in today's changing environment face significant challenges, requiring continual innovation. Understanding oneself from the employee's perspective is paramount, especially in organizations and businesses, transforming all levels, accommodating new work paradigms and adapting to the post-pandemic business world. The authors examine the employees' critical dimensions, self-concept and resilience through self-reported studies to ascertain the impact on their performance in the organization. Self-concept, a multidimensional knowledge structure, implies the individual's description and examination, including psychological characteristics, attributes and skills. On the other hand, resilience is adapting appropriately to adversity, challenges and stressful situations and emerging unscathed. Resilience additionally leads to profound personal growth and acceptance of reality. It also endows the individual's sense of identity over time. It provides insights into work behavior and outcomes and fosters a positive psychological perspective to improve performance. Job performance is an observable individual performance that adds value and enables organizational goal achievement. To sum job performance is an achievement-related behavior. The research study examines the relationship between employee self-concept, resilience and performance elements (task, contextual and counterproductive work behavior).Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional data were collected from 224 employees from the retail sector to test the hypotheses among self-concept, employee performance elements and resilience. SPSS 21.0 was used, and the authors conducted reliability, correlation and regression analysis using statistical tools to analyze the mediating effect.FindingsSelf-concept and employee performance elements have significant relationships. The mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between self-concept and counterproductive work behavior and self-concept and contextual performance is significant. In contrast, resilience does not impact the relationship between self-concept and task performance.Originality/valueThe authors examined a framework of untested variables, namely self-concept and the different factors of performance (task, contextual and counterproductive behavior). The authors investigated the mediating effect of resilience in the model, which was not previously explored.

Risk factors of disordered eating in adolescent girls from a community sample: a multidimensional approach.

Eating disorders (ED) are severe, chronic, and complex in nature mental illnesses that are difficult to treat. One of the ways to stave off EDs is by screening among adolescents to preempt the development of clinical forms of ED in risk groups. 1) to investigate the prevalence of ED risk among adolescent girls and compare subgroups at high and low risk of ED; 2) to investigate using a multidimensional approach those variables that can interact with temperament and character traits to predict ED symptomatology. The cross-sectional observational self-report study of a community sample of adolescent girls 1217 years old (n=298; M=14.771.13) was carried out in the city of Ryazan, Russia. The Russian versions of Eating Attitudes Test and Cloningers Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised were used. In addition, an original questionnaire (Risk Factors of Eating Disorders) was developed. Regression models (to test for significant moderation) and path analysis (to test for significant mediations) were used. Girls at risk of developing EDs are characterized by a heightened level of concern about weight and dissatisfaction with their body, tend to suffer from low self-directedness, higher novelty seeking and tendency to higher harm avoidance, display high alexithymia, experience self-distrust, negative emotionality and are dissatisfied with family relationships. They also suffer from low self-esteem and tend to be perfectionism and engage in risk behavior. Significant moderating effects were uncovered between the following ED risk factors: (1) self-distrust/risk behavior and BMI; (2) alexithymia/negative emotionality/self-esteem and cooperativeness; and (3) negative emotionality/risk behavior and self-transcendence. Family relationship dissatisfaction mediates the association between self-directedness/cooperativeness/self-transcendence and disordered eating. There are various mutual influences between the numerous ED risk and prevention factors, which all together determine the paths between the predictors and final outcome.

Students Know Best: Modeling the Influence of Self-Reported Proficiency, TOEIC Scores, Gender, and Study Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety

Understanding how second language proficiency and other key learner characteristics relate to language learning anxiety subcomponents can help inform the type and quantity of content instructors approach foreign language (FL) students with when teaching English. This study seeks to understand how FL proficiency (i.e., TOEIC reading, TOEIC listening, and self-reported), FL study experience, and gender influence levels of foreign language classroom anxiety and second language writing anxiety. To accomplish the research goals, 245 students completed a questionnaire measuring foreign language classroom anxiety and second language writing anxiety. Three hierarchical linear regressions were used to test the study’s models, and structural equation modeling was used to confirm and illustrate the observed relationships. Overall, self-reported FL proficiency was a stronger predictor of anxiety than actual FL proficiency. Findings further indicate that FL listening and self-reported proficiency significantly negatively correlate with FL speaking anxiety but not writing anxiety. Only FL reading proficiency significantly influenced FL writing anxiety; however, this relationship disappeared when self-reported FL proficiency was added to the model. Further, differences in how FL proficiency influences FL anxiety when controlling for years of experience studying EFL and gender are discussed. Recommendations on how instructors can approach language instruction to assist highly anxious students in the EFL context are also discussed.

The Association between Fibromyalgia, Hypermobility and Neurodivergence Extends To Families: Brief Report

Objectives: Fibromyalgia is associated with symptomatic hypermobility. People with these conditions have a higher prevalence of neurodivergent conditions. Many fibromyalgia patients with hypermobility also report similar symptoms within their family. This study explores the presence of diagnosed disorders among close relatives of patients presenting with fibromyalgia and hypermobility. Methods: All patients presenting with both fibromyalgia and hypermobility to the rheumatology clinic were invited to participate. Each of these participants reported all confirmed diagnoses of any of neurodivergence, fibromyalgia or hypermobility among their first- and second-degree relatives. Participants were invited to prepare a family tree detailing these diagnoses. We calculated the incidence of each of neurodivergence, fibromyalgia and hypermobility within these relatives and compared them to the incidence derived from families of case-control patients with osteoarthritis. Results: Among 13 index patients (all female, median age 38 years), 9 had a diagnosed neurodivergent condition (69%). Among their 163 relatives, 68 (42%) had a diagnosed neurodivergent condition, compared to 4.7% among case-control relatives (p>0.00001). The incidence of diagnosed hypermobility and fibromyalgia in relatives of index cases was 36% and 22%, compared to 8% and 4% in case-control relatives (p=0.00001, p=0.00012). Conclusion: This self-reported small case-control study confirms the association of fibromyalgia, hypermobility and neurodivergence, and suggests that close relatives also exhibit this association. Females are disproportionately overrepresented within pain populations, in contrast to neurodivergence in other settings where males predominate, perhaps due to underdiagnosis in females. Gene clustering may contribute to these associations, which extend into the community.

Adherence to 24-hr Activity Guidelines and Quality of Life in Singapore Children: A Self-Reported Survey Study

There are limited data on how the lifestyle behaviours of school-aged children in Singapore fare against the Singapore Integrated 24-hr Activity Guidelines. One hundred and thirty-eight children ages 9 to 13 years self-reported their recreational screen time, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), night-time sleep duration, and health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in a survey package. Their lifestyle behaviours were then benchmarked against the Singapore Integrated 24-hr Activity Guidelines recommendations, specifically, (i) at least 1 hr/day of MVPA, (ii) no more than 2 hr/day of recreational screen time, and 7-9 hr/day of sleep. Association between the number of guideline recommendations met and HRQoL z-scores were explored. Of the 138 children, 6.5% met all three guideline recommendations while 29.0% did not meet any guideline recommendations. MVPA guideline recommendation was least adhered to followed by recreational screen time and sleep. The number of guideline recommendations met was significantly associated with children’s HRQoL, with an increase of 0.289 in HRQoL z-score (5.9%) for every additional guideline met. The 24-hr activity behaviours of Singapore children was sub-optimal in which the proportion of children who did not meet any guideline recommendations is higher than those who met all guideline recommendations. Nonetheless, larger cohort studies are needed to establish its prevalence. Greater dissemination of the guidelines and ameliorative programs targeted at different groups of children should be made to help support children in adopting healthy lifestyle habits.

P36 A cross-sectional patient survey in a tertiary hidradenitis suppurativa clinic

Abstract Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects approximately 0.8% of the UK population. A survey was carried out among patients attending a tertiary HS clinic with the aim of better understanding the management of HS in primary care, and identifying the prevalence of associated risk factors. A total of 212 of the 552 patients (38.4%) invited chose to participate. The length of time patients had experienced symptoms before consulting their general practitioner (GP) was variable with 33.8% (n = 63) of participants reporting symptoms for 3–10 years and 26.3% (n = 49) experiencing symptoms for > 10 years. The majority of patients were given a diagnosis in secondary care (n = 103; 55.4%) and 28.5% (n = 53) by their GP. In primary care, treatments prescribed included topical treatment and antimicrobial washes (n = 107; 65.2%). Just over half (n = 84; 51.2%) were prescribed short and extended courses of antibiotics. Looking at lifestyle factors, 31.5% (n = 52) were current and 27.9% ex-smokers (n = 46). The majority (n = 108; 65.5%) identified themselves as being overweight, with 67.8% (n = 112) wanting to lose weight. Almost a third of patients (n = 107; 64.5%) did not carry out exercise regularly (defined as cardiovascular exercise three times weekly). Eighty per cent (n = 132) of patients reported that they had not received any psychological support for HS, either from primary or from secondary care. This study highlights that only a small proportion of patients with HS were diagnosed by their GP, with the majority receiving a diagnosis from their secondary care physician. A self-reported lack of confidence by GPs in diagnosing HS has historically been highlighted. Despite this lack of confidence, this study demonstrates good adherence to existing UK recommendations for the initial treatment of HS when the diagnosis is made. The negative effects of lifestyle factors on HS, such as smoking and obesity, are well recognized. Despite this, over half of patients in this study who were current smokers had not been offered referral to a smoking cessation service. This study underscores the need to screen for depression and anxiety in patients with HS and improve access to psychology services. This patient self-reported study gives an insight into the importance of providing holistic care for patients with HS. As GPs gain confidence in the diagnosis and initial management of HS, an awareness of associated lifestyle changes and comorbidities can further enhance the holistic care of patients with HS in primary care.

Can a Mother's Parenting Style Predict Adolescent Oral Hygiene Behavior? A Self-Reported Cross-Sectional Study.

Adolescent oral hygiene behavior plays a crucial role into adulthood and still requires attention from parents, especially mothers. Parenting done by the mother will directly affect the child's life, including the child's oral hygiene behavior. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the mother's parenting style in predicting adolescent oral hygiene behavior. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional approach was used to examine the role of parenting style on their teenage child's oral hygiene behavior. The instruments used were (1) a parenting style measuring instrument to measure supportive and nonsupportive parenting styles of mothers (parent as social context questionnaire) and (2) a self-structured oral hygiene behavior measuring instrument based on the theory of planned behavior. The population of this study were students at SMP PGRI Depok and SMP Negeri 11 Depok, West Java, aged between 12 and 14 years. The sampling technique used total sampling on SMP PGRI students and multistage random sampling on students at SMP Negeri 11 Depok with a total sample of 230 students. Data analysis was done using multiple linear regression test. Statistical regression tests showed that nonsupportive parenting style did not predict adolescent oral hygiene behavior (p = 0.567), while supportive parenting style did predict adolescent oral hygiene behavior (p = 0.000). Supportive parenting style predicts 31.2% of adolescent oral hygiene behavior. Mother's supportive parenting style plays a role in predicting adolescent oral hygiene, and the mother's nonsupportive parenting style does not play a role in predicting adolescent oral hygiene behavior.

University campus breastfeeding, knowledge, and perceptions of support: An exploratory study.

Breastfeeding is often considered principally a biological issue but success is impacted by the socio-ecological environment of the lactating parent. Identifying current attitudes towards breastfeeding is essential in the effort toward normalizing breastfeeding in communities, including university campuses. The study explored campus community knowledge, awareness, and attitudes about breastfeeding, including available resources and applicable laws on two university campuses in the southern United States. This cross-sectional, self-reporting study utilized the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale and an adaptation of the Breastfeeding Behavior Questionnaire to survey a convenience sample. Results revealed decreased awareness of protective laws, availability of private lactation space, and insufficient public appreciation of breastfeeding's unique advantages to both lactating parent and infant as barriers to breastfeeding. These findings will help develop additional breastfeeding strategies to improve university campus community breastfeeding initiatives.

Analysis of neurological disorders in people who had COVID-19 in Brazil

Introduction: After coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) infection, many patients have residual and persistent neurological symptoms. The severity and extent of these symptoms is still unknown Methods: Over 1 year, a virtual questionnaire was applied, using Google Forms, to people who had confirmed COVID-19 infection in Brazil, analyzing the neurological symptoms that persisted after infection, their duration and the relationship between them and the severity of the acute infection. Findings: Out of 1194 people who answered the questionnaire, 947 (79.5%) were eligible for symptoms analysis. Among these patients, 6.8% needed hospitalization (39.2% of them required oxygen therapy and 26.6% needed orotracheal intubation). The incidence of symptoms were headache (65,8%), smell disfunction (59,6%), taste disfunction (51,8%), muscle weakness (51,8%), memory impairment (42,8%), dizziness (37,7%), mental confusion (22,4%), difficulty walking (20%), and visual changes (9,1%). In most cases, symptoms improved within a month, despite a significant percentage of patients persisting with symptoms for several months. However, memory impairment was significantly more persistent, with 39.7% of the patients having it for more than a year. And this was frequent even in those who did not need hospitalization in the acute phase of the disease, with 24.2% of all nonhospitalized patients having this complain for more than 6 months. Interpretation: Many COVID-19 patients have persistent neurological symptoms after the acute infection has ended. In some cases the symptoms can last a long time. Despite being a self-reported study, it is very likely that there is a significant functional impact in this population and it is clear that we need to research effective therapeutic strategies for these conditions.

Subjective cognitive decline across ethnoracial groups in the A4 study.

The associations between subjective cognitive decline (SCD),cognition,and amyloid were explored across diverse participants in the A4 study. Five thousand one hundred and fifty-one non-Hispanic White, 262 non-Hispanic Black, 179 Hispanic-White, and 225 Asian participants completed the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC),self- and study partner-reported Cognitive Function Index (CFI). A subsample underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (18 F-florbetapir) (N=4384). We examined self-reported CFI, PACC, amyloid, and study partner-reported CFI by ethnoracial group. The associations between PACC-CFI and amyloid-CFI were moderated by race. The relationships were weaker or non-significant in non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic White groups. Depression and anxiety scores were stronger predictors of CFI in these groups. Despite group differences in the types of study partners, self- and study partner-CFI were congruent across groups. SCD may not uniformly relate to cognition or AD biomarkers in different ethnoracial groups. Nonetheless, self- and study partner-SCD were congruent despite differences in study partner type. Highlights Association between SCD and objective cognition was moderated by ethnoracial group. Association between SCD and amyloid was moderated by ethnoracial group. Depression and anxiety were stronger predictors of SCD in Black and Hispanic groups. Study-partner and self-reported SCD are congruent across groups. Study-partner report was consistent despite difference in study partner types.

Profiling post-COVID-19 condition across different variants of SARS-CoV-2: a prospective longitudinal study in unvaccinated wild-type, unvaccinated alpha-variant, and vaccinated delta-variant populations

Self-reported symptom studies rapidly increased understanding of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic and enabled monitoring of long-term effects of COVID-19 outside hospital settings. Post-COVID-19 condition presents as heterogeneous profiles, which need characterisation to enable personalised patient care. We aimed to describe post-COVID-19 condition profiles by viral variant and vaccination status. In this prospective longitudinal cohort study, we analysed data from UK-based adults (aged 18-100 years) who regularly provided health reports via the Covid Symptom Study smartphone app between March 24, 2020, and Dec 8, 2021. We included participants who reported feeling physically normal for at least 30 days before testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 who subsequently developed long COVID (ie, symptoms lasting longer than 28 days from the date of the initial positive test). We separately defined post-COVID-19 condition as symptoms that persisted for at least 84 days after the initial positive test. We did unsupervised clustering analysis of time-series data to identify distinct symptom profiles for vaccinated and unvaccinated people with post-COVID-19 condition after infection with the wild-type, alpha (B.1.1.7), or delta (B.1.617.2 and AY.x) variants of SARS-CoV-2. Clusters were then characterised on the basis of symptom prevalence, duration, demography, and previous comorbidities. We also used an additional testing sample with additional data from the Covid Symptom Study Biobank (collected between October, 2020, and April, 2021) to investigate the effects of the identified symptom clusters of post-COVID-19 condition on the lives of affected people. We included 9804 people from the COVID Symptom Study with long COVID, 1513 (15%) of whom developed post-COVID-19 condition. Sample sizes were sufficient only for analyses of the unvaccinated wild-type, unvaccinated alpha variant, and vaccinated delta variant groups. We identified distinct profiles of symptoms for post-COVID-19 condition within and across variants: four endotypes were identified for infections due to the wild-type variant (in unvaccinated people), seven for the alpha variant (in unvaccinated people), and five for the delta variant (in vaccinated people). Across all variants, we identified a cardiorespiratory cluster of symptoms, a central neurological cluster, and a multi-organ systemic inflammatory cluster. These three main clusers were confirmed in a testing sample. Gastrointestinal symptoms clustered in no more than two specific phenotypes per viral variant. Our unsupervised analysis identified different profiles of post-COVID-19 condition, characterised by differing symptom combinations, durations, and functional outcomes. Our classification could be useful for understanding the distinct mechanisms of post-COVID-19 condition, as well as for identification of subgroups of individuals who might be at risk of prolonged debilitation. UK Government Department of Health and Social Care, Chronic Disease Research Foundation, The Wellcome Trust, UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK Research and Innovation London Medical Imaging & Artificial Intelligence Centre for Value-Based Healthcare, UK National Institute for Health Research, UK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, UK Alzheimer's Society, and ZOE.

Misconduct in Biomedical Research: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

This study aimed to assess the nature and prevalence of misconduct in self and nonself-reported biomedical research. A detailed review of previously conducted studies was conducted through PubMed Central, PubMed, and Google Scholar using MeSH terms: "scientific misconduct," "Publications," "plagiarism," and "authorship," and keywords: scientific misconduct, gift authorship, ghost authorship, and duplicate publication. MeSH terms and keywords were searched in combinations using Boolean operators "AND" and "OR." Of 7771 articles that appeared in the search, 107 were selected for inspection. The articles were screened for their quality and inclusion criteria. Finally, 16 articles were selected for meta-analysis. Data analysis was conducted using an Open-Source, Open Meta Analyst, statistical software using the package "metaphor." Plagiarism, data fabrication, and falsification were prevalent in most articles reviewed. The prevalence of research misconduct for plagiarism was 4.2% for self-reported and 27.9% for nonself-reported studies. Data fabrication was 4.5% in self-reported and 21.7% in nonself-reported studies. Data falsification was 9.7% in self-reported and 33.4% in nonself-reported studies, with significant heterogeneity. This meta-analysis gives a pooled estimate of the misconduct in research done in biomedical fields such as medicine, dental, pharmacy, and others across the world. We found that there is an alarming rate of misconduct in recent nonself-reported studies, and they were higher than that in the self-reported studies.

A systematic review of meaningful work unifying 20 years of theoretical and substantive contributions (2000–2020)

PurposeMeaningful work is gaining importance in the core domains of human resources research. However, there is confusion regarding what constitutes meaningful work and its determinants and outcomes. Earlier studies have conflated conceptual and empirical arguments. Hence, researchers lack clear insights into factors related to employees' experiences of meaningfulness. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned issue.Design/methodology/approachThe authorsconducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 88 studies (2000–2020) meeting relevant criteria to identify dominant trends and significant gaps in the authors’ understanding of meaningful work.FindingsThis review identified six aspects to conceptualize meaningful work. At the same time, the authors highlighted the dominant theory and the instrument used to explain and measure meaningful work. Based on the same, the authors identified different groups of individual and organizational-level determinants and outcomes of finding meaning in work. The analysis also indicates that the comprehension of meaningful work was restricted because most data were obtained from the USA, Europe and certain regions of Asia. During this assessment, the authors observed that several studies emphasized individual-level effects, self-reporting and cross-sectional studies, which restricted the ability to make causal inferences.Originality/valueThis study extends earlier works where the authors stock-take existing research for the past 20 years and build on past trajectories to enrich the authors’ understanding of meaningful work. Unlike earlier works that focused on a specific domain, such as human resource development, this work differentiates by taking an integrated framework-based approach leveraging the antecedents, decisions and outcomes (ADO) and the theories, contexts and method (TCM) framework to consolidate and advance knowledge in the field thoroughly.

Increasing employer willingness to hire people with disability: the perspective of disability employment service providers

PurposeThis study aims to investigate which factors are associated with the willingness of employers to hire people with disability from the perspective of disability employment service providers. We also identify social marketing approaches that disability employment service providers consider to be most effective in increasing employer willingness to hire people with disability.Design/methodology/approachUsing the framework of the theory of planned behavior, this study examines the association of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control with employer willingness to hire people with disability. The authors do this from the perspective of disability employment service providers, who are responsible for matching people with disability with suitable employment opportunities. The authors used a qualitative approach to data collection and conducted 30 in-depth interviews. Data analysis included deductive and inductive coding to develop the themes and subthemes.FindingsAttitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were all perceived to influence employers’ willingness to hire people with disability. However, the importance of each construct was perceived to differ by location and organization type. Three key social marketing approaches were perceived to be most effective in increasing employer willingness to hire people with disability: educational, relational and interactive. The educational intervention attempts to increase employers’ knowledge about disability, the relational approach aims to develop relationships within the community to strengthen relationships with employers and the interactive approach involves direct contact between employers and people with disability.Originality/valueTheoretically, this study reveals perceived heterogeneity in terms of the theoretical constructs that are employer hiring decisions. Practically, results help disability employment service providers design social marketing strategies that are effective in reducing barriers and increasing employment for people with disability. Methodologically, this study adds a new perspective on employer willingness to hire people with disability – that of disability employment service providers – which avoids the social desirability bias found in many self-reported studies of employer attitudes and behavior.

A study on the attitude of Polish psychotherapists towards online therapy - Polish adaptation of the UTAUT-T (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology - Therapist version) and verification of the UTAUT-T model.

The aim of the study was to verify the psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology - Therapist version (UTAUT-T) and to verify the UTAUT-T model in a group of Polish psychotherapists. A total of 434 people aged 27-66 (M = 40.78; SD = 7.70), including 337 women and 58 men, took part in an online self-report study, which involved completing three questionnaires: UTAUT-T, the short IPIP-BFM-20 Questionnaire for measuring the Big Five, the Technology Readiness Index (TRI 2.0), as well as answers to questions about the use of digital technologies at work. The following analyses were carried out: confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis using Cronbach's alpha, and theoretical validity analysis - an analysis of the correlation between the subscales of the UTAUT-T instrument and questionnaires enabling the measurement of dimensions which had been indicated in previous research results as related to the acceptance of technology. The conducted analyses showed that the factor structure of the Polish version of UTAUT-T is the same as of the original tool, and the UTAUT-T model was confirmed in the group of Polish psychotherapists. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for individual subscales ranged from 0.57 to 0.97. The theoretical validity analysis confirmed the expected correlations between most dimensions of technology acceptance and technology readiness. In addition, there were single very weak correlations observed between technology acceptance and personality traits. The psychometric properties of the Polish version of UTAUT-T show satisfactory values. The scale can be used to conduct further research. The UTAUT-T model can be utilized to predict the actual use of new technologies by Polish psychotherapists.

The riddle of deliberate self-harm: Physiological and subjective effects of self-cutting cues in patients with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls.

Self-harming behavior is a core symptom of borderline personality disorder. Self-report studies show a correlation between a lack of self-reported negative feelings toward self-cutting cues and the likelihood of future self-destructive behavior. Despite these findings, there has so far been insufficient investigation into the implicit emotional processes evoked by this stimulus type. Forty patients with borderline personality disorder and 35 healthy controls between 20 and 50 years of age were confronted with pictures of self-cutting cues and affective reference pictures. A startle reflex paradigm was used for measuring implicit emotional responses, and the Self-Assessment Manikin was used for subjective responses. In line with previous studies, the patients rated the self-cutting pictures significantly less negatively than healthy individuals. On the physiological level, a significant startle inhibition was observed, indicating an activation of the behavioral approach system. A more detailed analysis showed that this startle inhibition effect was specific to scary pictures, whereas no such effect was observed for bloody wounds and self-cutting instruments. For pleasant standard pictures, in contrast, no startle reflex inhibition and no increase in emotional arousal parameters were found. The data replicate the findings of previous studies, demonstrating a generally diminished emotional reactivity to pleasant stimuli in patients with borderline personality disorder. In addition, a physiological approach reaction to self-cutting pictures was found, especially for the scary pictures. These results might indicate a positive identification with the long-lasting consequences of self-cutting behavior in the patients. Implications for therapy are discussed.

The structure of adolescent mental health problems: The role of effortful control and school safety.

Adolescent mental health problems are widespread; however, there are still very few data on risk and protective factors for general and specific psychopathology. This study examined the structure of common mental health problems in Russian adolescents and the associations of temperamental effortful control and perceived school safety to the latent factors of adolescent mental health, taking age and gender into account. Data were collected on 1850 adolescents (53% female) aged 12-18 using the self-report Eurasian Child Mental Health Study questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the abbreviated Effortful Control scale of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the structure of common mental health problems and to examine the associations with age, effortful control, and school safety. The five-correlated-factors model comprising internalizing, body dissatisfaction, psychosomatics, externalizing, and substance use, and the bifactor-(S-1) models with internalizing and externalizing as reference domains and four specific factors showed an adequate fit to the data and sufficient reliability and validity. Analyses established full metric invariance of these models across gender. Effortful control showed a general association with adolescent mental health problems and a specific association with externalizing problems. School safety showed specific negative associations with externalizing and substance use and with girls' internalizing problems. These findings provide a strong basis for further cross-cultural research into the structure and determinants of adolescent mental health and highlight the need for effective interventions.

Sleep impairments in refugees diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder: a polysomnographic and self-report study

ABSTRACT Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the clinical manifestation of traumatic events and is associated with sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances, if left untreated, may perpetuate or even worsen symptoms of PTSD. Previous studies of other PTSD populations show a higher incidence of sleep impairments and sleep disorders compared to healthy controls (HCs); however, this has never been investigated in trauma-affected refugees diagnosed with PTSD. Objectives: To examine subjective sleep quality, measure sleep architecture, and identify latent sleep disorders in refugees diagnosed with PTSD compared to HCs. Method: This comparative study included 20 trauma-affected refugees diagnosed with PTSD and 20 HC matched on age, sex, and body mass index. All participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing sleep quality, insomnia severity, and disturbing nocturnal behaviour, and all took part in a one-night polysomnography (PSG) assessment. Results: Patients reported significantly poorer subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency compared to HCs. Subjective reports on hours spent in bed were not significantly different between patients and HCs. Patients reported significantly higher nightmare frequency and severity compared to HCs. PSG measures showed that patients had significantly reduced sleep efficiency, more awakenings, and longer REM sleep latency, and spent more time awake, whereas there was no significant differences regarding total time in bed, total sleep time, or sleep latency. The prevalence of sleep disorders was equal between groups. Conclusions: The study identified significant impairments in several sleep domains, with a preponderance of disturbed regulation of sleep resulting in awakenings. These results indicate a need for more focus on hyperarousal and nightmares as key elements of disturbed sleep in PTSD. Furthermore, the study identified a discrepancy between subjective and objective measures concerning total sleep time, raising questions regarding the causes of ‘sleep state misperception’. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03535636.. Trial registration: Sleep Impairments in Refugees Diagnosed with PTSD (PSG-PTSD). URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03535636. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03535636. Date of registration: 24/05/2018.