Social Psychological Functioning Research Articles

Preliminary Evaluation of Translated and Culturally Adapted Internet-Delivered Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: Multicenter, Single-Arm Trial in Japan.

Internet-delivered cognitive therapy for social anxiety disorder (iCT-SAD), which is a therapist-guided modular web-based treatment, has shown strong efficacy and acceptability in English-language randomized controlled trials in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. However, it is not yet known whether iCT-SAD can retain its efficacy following linguistic translation and cultural adaptation of treatment contents and implementation in other countries such as Japan. This study aimed to examine the preliminary efficacy and acceptability of the translated and culturally adapted iCT-SAD in Japanese clinical settings. This multicenter, single-arm trial recruited 15 participants with social anxiety disorder. At the time of recruitment, participants were receiving usual psychiatric care but had not shown improvement in their social anxiety and required additional treatment. iCT-SAD was provided in combination with usual psychiatric care for 14 weeks (treatment phase) and for a subsequent 3-month follow-up phase that included up to 3 booster sessions. The primary outcome measure was the self-report version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. The secondary outcome measures examined social anxiety-related psychological processes, taijin kyofusho (the fear of offending others), depression, generalized anxiety, and general functioning. The assessment points for the outcome measures were baseline (week 0), midtreatment (week 8), posttreatment (week 15; primary assessment point), and follow-up (week 26). Acceptability was measured using the dropout rate from the treatment, the level of engagement with the program (the rate of module completion), and participants' feedback about their experience with the iCT-SAD. Evaluation of the outcome measures data showed that iCT-SAD led to significant improvements in social anxiety symptoms during the treatment phase (P<.001; Cohen d=3.66), and these improvements were maintained during the follow-up phase. Similar results were observed for the secondary outcome measures. At the end of the treatment phase, 80% (12/15) of participants demonstrated reliable improvement, and 60% (9/15) of participants demonstrated remission from social anxiety. Moreover, 7% (1/15) of participants dropped out during treatment, and 7% (1/15) of participants declined to undergo the follow-up phase after completing the treatment. No serious adverse events occurred. On average, participants completed 94% of the modules released to them. Participant feedback was positive and highlighted areas of strength in treatment, and it included further suggestions to improve suitability for Japanese settings. Translated and culturally adapted iCT-SAD demonstrated promising initial efficacy and acceptability for Japanese clients with social anxiety disorder. A randomized controlled trial is required to examine this more robustly.

Associations between social COVID-19 exposure and psychological functioning.

The negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health have been widely reported, but less is known about how the impact of COVID-19 on others in one's social circle shapes these high distress levels. This study examines associations between social COVID-19 exposure-knowing someone who had a COVID-19 infection-and psychological functioning, as well as whether socio-demographic factors moderate these relationships. In June 2020, respondents (N = 343) from clinics in Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. reported whether they had social COVID-19 exposure, anxiety, depression, and stress, and other COVID-19-related concerns. Social COVID-19 exposure was associated with increased anxiety, stress, and concerns about a family member getting sick, and concerns about drinking and substance use. Several associations between exposure and psychological functioning were stronger in women, younger people, and people with lower income, implying these groups face elevated psychological risks due to the pandemic, and should be prioritized in mental health recovery efforts.

Hot Yoga Leads to Greater Well-being: A Six-week Experience-sampling RCT in Healthy Adults.

Practicing hot yoga may bring significant psychological benefits, but it is largely unstudied. We examined the effects of hot yoga on multifaceted well-being indicators with 290 healthy yoga-naïve volunteers partaking in a six-week randomized controlled trial. Participants completed questionnaires pre- and post-intervention, and reported their emotional experiences four times per day throughout an experience-sampling study. Results revealed that the hot yoga group (n = 137) improved their well-being from pre- to post-treatment, comparing to the wait-list control group (n = 153). These improvements included life satisfaction, general health, mindfulness, peace of mind, and eudaimonic well-being (ΔR2 ranging from .01 to .08)-but not flourishing, which describes major aspects of social-psychological functioning. Multilevel analyses demonstrated that momentary positive emotional experiences increased significantly throughout the trial in the yoga group only (conditional R2 = .68), particularly when attending a yoga class (conditional R2 = .50). Interestingly, this increase in momentary positive emotion explained the improvement in post-intervention mindfulness, peace of mind, and general health by 21%, 31%, and 11%, respectively. Finally, the benefits of hot yoga were more notable in individuals with lower levels of baseline eudaimonic well-being (conditional R2 = .45), flourishing (conditional R2 = .61), and mental well-being (conditional R2 = .65), even after ruling out any possible ceiling effects. To sum up, this study demonstrated multiple psychological benefits of hot yoga and its potential to be an effective positive psychology intervention. Future research-especially considering an active control group-is warranted.

Social support profiles associations with adolescents' psychological and academic functioning

Social support is empirically linked to improved adolescent psychological and academic functioning. This study explored typologies characterized by family, peer, and school support among students in early (Grade 7; n = 27,399) and late (Grade 11; n = 27,984) adolescence. We assessed how each latent profile related to key aspects of psychological and academic functioning and the moderation of gender in these associations. Three convergent profiles (i.e., High, Moderate, and Low Support) and two divergent profiles (i.e., Minimum Peer Support and Minimum Family Support) were found in both grade levels, with psychological and academic functioning differentiated by the profiles. The Minimum Peer Support and Minimum Family Support profiles showed the lowest functioning in all domains across grade levels. The High Support profile showed the highest psychological health and academic performance. Gender moderation was observed in the associations between social support profiles and psychological functioning and was more prominent among 7th graders than 11th graders. Findings suggest that social support's impact is determined by combinations of various support sources, age, and gender. The social support profiles and their associations with students' characteristics and outcomes may inform practitioners in supporting vulnerable groups and planning interventions.

Вплив соціальних мереж на психологічне функціонування особистості: до постановки проблеми

Nowadays, psychology has entered a new era of its development. This is directly related to a phenomenon of cyberspace, the space in which the digital dimension of modern human life is manifested. Within the context of the development of new technologies around the world, cyberpsychology has emerged. It aims to understand the psychological processes associated with all aspects and features of human behavior in cyberspace. Cyberpsychology is faced with many challenges, and the impact of social media on mental health and psychological well-being is among them. The article attempts to investigate the influence of social networks on psychological functioning of an individual. While some researchers emphasize the positive impact of social networks on psychological well-being, others are focused on the dangers of cyberspace. Recent study suggests that long-term use of social networking sites may be associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and low self-esteem. As far as social networks are a relatively new phenomenon, the potential link between their use and mental health and psychological well-being has not yet been properly explored, and the scientific community has not yet been able to fully interpret the results and reach a definite conclusion. The relationship between the use of social networks and psychological functioning is not that simple and unambiguous; it depends on many factors, such as the way to use it, communication patterns, emotional state, comorbidities, self-awareness, motivation, values, attitudes, and preferences. Today, we cannot avoid cyberspace, thus, the health and well-being of both the individual and society depend on our ability to interact effectively within it.

Interests, Motives, and Psychological Burdens in Times of Crisis and Lockdown: Google Trends Analysis to Inform Policy Makers.

BackgroundIn the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government and the 16 German federal states implemented a variety of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to decelerate the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and thus prevent a collapse of the health care system. These measures comprised, among others, social distancing, the temporary closure of shops and schools, and a ban of large public gatherings and meetings with people not living in the same household.ObjectiveIt is fair to assume that the issued NPIs have heavily affected social life and psychological functioning. We therefore aimed to examine possible effects of this lockdown in conjunction with daily new infections and the state of the national economy on people’s interests, motives, and other psychological states.MethodsWe derived 249 keywords from the Google Trends database, tapping into 27 empirically and rationally selected psychological domains. To overcome issues with reliability and specificity of individual indicator variables, broad factors were derived by means of time series factor analysis. All domains were subjected to a change point analysis and time series regression analysis with infection rates, NPIs, and the state of the economy as predictors. All keywords and analyses were preregistered prior to analysis.ResultsWith the pandemic arriving in Germany, significant increases in people’s search interests were observed in virtually all domains. Although most of the changes were short-lasting, each had a distinguishable onset during the lockdown period. Regression analysis of the Google Trends data confirmed pronounced autoregressive effects for the investigated variables, while forecasting by means of the tested predictors (ie, daily new infections, NPIs, and the state of economy) was moderate at best.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that people’s interests, motives, and psychological states are heavily affected in times of crisis and lockdown. Specifically, disease- and virus-related domains (eg, pandemic disease, symptoms) peaked early, whereas personal health strategies (eg, masks, homeschooling) peaked later during the lockdown. Domains addressing social life and psychosocial functioning showed long-term increases in public interest. Renovation was the only domain to show a decrease in search interest with the onset of the lockdown. As changes in search behavior are consistent over multiple domains, a Google Trends analysis may provide information for policy makers on how to adapt and develop intervention, information, and prevention strategies, especially when NPIs are in effect.

Assessing social-psychological functioning between Malaysian and Indonesian undergraduates: a Rasch model analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the Flourishing Scale (FS) by employing samples of Malaysian and Indonesian undergraduates. In addition, the present study seeks to identify aspects of the social-psychological functioning that were perceived differently by both samples.Design/methodology/approachThe present study employs the descriptive design to provide descriptions about psychometric properties of the FS. In total, 351 first-year undergraduates were employed as samples of the study. The authors employed the Rasch measurement model framework using the quantitative approach to analyze the data.FindingsGenerally, the results showed that the FS demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties for both samples. However, the Malaysian and Indonesian samples differ significantly in half of the social-psychological functioning aspects.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation of the study was the relatively small sample size students in one higher education institution in each country. In addition, in both countries, the undergraduates demonstrated obligatory roles toward their lecturers. Therefore, their response might not be truthful and only respond as requested.Originality/valueWhilst social psychological functioning has been identified as important aspects of well-being, the construct has yet to be studied in the eastern culture in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The association between psychological functioning and social support and social constraint after cancer diagnosis: a 30-day daily diary study

This study evaluated one positive and one negative aspect of social functioning (social support and social constraint, respectively) to increase understanding of its relation to psychological functioning (distress and wellbeing) after cancer diagnosis. Participants in this longitudinal study were recently diagnosed, predominately late stage, first primary cancer survivors (n = 48). Data collection involved a 30-day period of daily assessment. Data were analyzed using multilevel linear models. As in prior studies, none of the variables changed significantly over time (ps = .07 to .99). Based on the intraclass correlation coefficient, 51 to 75% of the variance in the daily assessment data are attributable to between-person differences. There was a positive relationship between social constraint and both general and cancer-specific distress (ps < .05) and between social support and cancer-specific wellbeing (ps < .001). In prospective models, higher than average general distress predicted higher social support the next day (p = .004) and higher than average cancer-specific wellbeing predicted more social constraint the next day (p = .01). The findings lend some support to the interdependence of social functioning and psychological functioning after cancer diagnosis.

The age of cyberpsychology: An overview.

This article serves as an overview and introduction to the discipline of cyberpsychology. Research and scholarship on the interaction of technology and human behavior through the lens of psychology has exploded, and relatedly the field of cyberpsychology. The internet has transformed social interactions, communication patterns, and even our identities. Research literature and presentations in the area of cyberpsychology have primarily attended to personality variables, perceptual processes, emotional functioning, and behavioral responses. Five major areas identified in the literature as especially relevant to the field are examined, including online behavior and personality; social media use and psychological functioning; games and gaming; telepsychology; and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and applications. In addition, future directions in cyberpsychology as it relates to ethics, clinical work, age and disability, education and training, and research are discussed. As the field of cyberpsychology is relatively in its infancy, psychologists are well positioned to inform this innovative discipline through interdisciplinary collaborations.

The validity and reliability of the Farsi version of the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure (F-BEECOM) among Iranian male and female students

Body-, eating-, and exercise-related social comparison tendencies are implicated in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating among Western women. To date, no published study examines eating- and exercise-related comparisons in a male or non-Western sample. The current series of studies fills these gaps in the literature by translating and validating the existing measure of these comparisons (the 18-item Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure [BEECOM]) in samples of Iranian men and women. In Studies 1 and 2, female (n = 284) and male (n = 302) participants completed the translated Farsi BEECOM. Scores were analyzed by exploratory factor analyses (EFA) revealing two different three factor, 15-item scale structures for men and women. In Studies 3 and 4, participants (female n = 384; male n = 253) completed measures of social comparison and psychological functioning in one session. These data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and Pearson correlations. Each CFA yielded adequately fitting models. Results support the use of two different 15-item Farsi BEECOM measures with women and men and highlight unique gender differences in social comparison tendencies. The resulting F-BEECOM demonstrates strong psychometric properties and will be a useful research tool in Iranian women and men.

Study Of The Functioning Level In People Having Psychosocial Disabilities

Introduction: Mental health is state of wellbeing in which as individual realizes in his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community (WHO, 2004). Schizophrenia is a significantly disabling disease that affects social family psychological, vocational and occupational functioning (Lyngdoth, L. et al, 2016). Depressive disorders often start at a young age; they reduce people’s functioning and often are recurring (Marcus et al., 2012). Studies have shown decreased functioning ability in people having mental illness in Nepal. This study was done to explore the impact of mental illness in their daily functioning abilities. &#x0D; Material And Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 people suffering from mental illness (psychosocial disabilities) for more than six months. Mental health social workers who were facilitating mental health self-help group of treatment seeking mental health patients in the health facilities were trained and supervised during data collection. Selected participants were informed about research objectives and received consent for the study. Nepali adopted WHO-DAS-2 (Thapa et al, 2005) was used to collect both demographic and functioning abilities of research participants. Data were analysed using SPSS 20th version mainly for descriptive statistics. &#x0D; Results: Participants' age ranged from 18-60 years with mean age 29.53 (SD±10.8), with gender distribution 58.3% female and 41.7% male. People with psychosocial disabilities experienced in an average 9.45 days difficulty, average 6.95 days they couldn't do daily work and minimized work for average 3.55 days in the month. Female with mental health problems experienced more difficulties in daily life functioning (S1-S12 items in WHO-DAS) where moderate to severe level difficulties observed than male with mental health problems. Emotional effect due to health problems, talking with unknown people, difficulties in friendship area and doing daily activities were affected significantly statistically (p=0.01, 0.05, 0.04 and 0.02). Ethnicity and gender is significantly correlated with total affected days (r=.221, -.180 p= 0.05, table 3). Gender and total affected working days is correlated but not significant statistically. &#x0D; Conclusion: Level of functioning is affected significantly in people having psychosocial disabilities; impairment is higher in female, people suffering with severe form of mental illness. Findings indicate need of awareness in mental health. Further research is necessary in larger and representative population including care-taker of mentally ill person.

Measuring Social-Psychological Functioning Among Malaysian Pre-Service Teachers

Measuring Social-Psychological Functioning Among Malaysian Pre-Service Teachers

Factor Structure of Urdu Version of the Flourishing Scale.

Background: A great deal of research has been carried out on the assessment of the eudaimonic perspective of psychological well-being and the hedonic perspective of subjective well-being. The Flourishing Scale (FS) has been extensively used in research and practice, as it assesses the fundamental aspects of social psychological functioning. Nevertheless, the psychometric properties of Urdu versions of eudaimonic measures, such as the FS, have not yet been ascertained. The translation and validation of the FS in the Urdu language was not available, and hence this study was planned with the aim to validate the Urdu version of the FS.Methods: We assessed the psychometric properties of the FS in a sample of adults aged 18 years and above in Pakistan (N = 130) using exploratory factor analysis based on principal component analysis with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis.Results: The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional nature of the 8-item FS. We assessed that the Urdu version of the FS showed a high internal consistency reliability (α = 0.914) with a significant intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), p < 0.001). In our study, the Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin value was 0.915 with a chi-square test value (χ2) of 637.687, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (df = 28, p < 0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) at test–retest for all domains were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and showed excellent agreement for all the items. The revised confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good-fit model, but with item 8—“People respect me”—removed due to its lower factor loading.Conclusions: The findings suggest that the FS is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing social psychological functioning among adults in Pakistan. Therefore, the validated Urdu version of the FS may be used in future studies of well-being in clinical psychology and positive psychology.

Use of Multiple Social Media Platforms in Relation to Psychological Functioning in Emerging Adults

The current study examined relationships between different types of social media platforms used and psychological functioning in a diverse, national U.S. sample of emerging adults (18–22 years). Participants completed surveys online in the spring of 2014. Findings from a path analysis model suggested that individuals who used a higher number of different social media platforms reported more anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, total alcohol consumption, and drug use. Facebook use was associated uniquely with depressive symptoms and Snapchat use with substance use. Neither Instagram use nor Twitter use was associated with any measures of psychological functioning. Gender differences also were not observed. Findings highlight the importance of considering the number of different social media platforms used, as well as the specific platform itself, when conceptualizing the relationship between social media use and psychological functioning in emerging adults.

Indirect health-related social control and psychological functioning in Singaporeans with diabetes

We examined indirect health-related social control and the underlying mechanisms of its association with psychological functioning in patients with type 2 diabetes. Singaporean late middle-aged and older adults (N = 199) completed questionnaires measuring indirect social control, self-efficacy, internal diabetes locus of control, and psychological functioning. We used a bootstrapping approach and structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results showed that indirect social control was associated with diabetes-related emotional distress and depressive symptoms via the mediator of internal diabetes locus of control, but self-efficacy did not mediate this relationship. More specifically, indirect social control was positively associated with higher internal diabetes locus of control, which, in turn, had a negative impact on diabetes-related emotional distress and depressive symptoms.

Happiness in active and retired athletes

Elite athletes lead exceedingly complicated lives. When living under conditions of high demand and allostatic load, happiness may be seriously endangered. Even though many athletes initially feel relief after finishing their athletic career, some of them still suffer depressed mood. The aim of the study was to assess the level of happiness and the differences in happiness profile between active and retired elite athletes. Also, the sport discipline and social support were taken into consideration as factors influencing athletes’ happiness – a construct that reflects people’s subjective and global evaluations of their lives. 110 active and retired elite athletes from Poland filled in three psychological questionnaires, which reflect subjective happiness: the Flourishing Scale (FS) to assess core aspects of social-psychological functioning, The Emotional Wellness Scale (EWS) to assess the affective component of happiness and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) to assess the judgmental component of subjective well-being. No significant differences were found neither between active and retired athletes, nor between individual and team sport. However, we found significant influence of social support on both retired and active athletes’ happiness. These findings have implications for how well athletes cope with stress which, in turn, could shed light on the development of factors that may provide a buffer against adversity and build resilience.

The Impact of Teen Court on Rural Adolescents: Improved Social Relationships, Psychological Functioning, and School Experiences.

Teen Court is a prevention program aimed at diverting first time juvenile offenders from the traditional juvenile justice system and reintegrating them into the community. Few studies have examined if Teen Court impacts adolescent functioning. We examined how Teen Court participation impacted psychosocial functioning, social relationships, and school experiences in a sample of 392 rural Teen Court participants relative to two comparison samples, one from the same county as Teen Court (n=4276) and one from a neighboring county (n=3584). We found that Teen Court has the potential to decrease internalizing symptoms, externalizing behavior, violent behavior, parent-adolescent conflict, and delinquent friends, and increase self-esteem and school satisfaction.

Psychological characteristics of Italian gender dysphoric adolescents: a case-control study.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is associated with clinically significant distress and impairment in social, scholastic, and other important areas of functioning, especially when early onset is reported. The aim of the present study is to assess the psychopathological features associated with GD in adolescence, comparing a group of gender dysphoric adolescents (GDs) with a group of non-referred adolescents (NRs), in terms of body uneasiness, suicide risk, psychological functioning, and intensity of GD. A sample of 46 adolescents with GD and 46 age-matched NRs was evaluated (mean ± SD age = 16.00 ± 1.49 and 16.59 ± 1.11 respectively, p > 0.05). Subjects were asked to complete the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT) to explore body uneasiness, the Youth Self Report (YSR) to measure psychological functioning, the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale (MAST) for suicide risk, and the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA) for GD assessment. Adolescents with GD reported significantly higher levels of body uneasiness (BUT-GSI, F = 380.13, p < 0.0001), as well as a worse psychological functioning (YSR, F = 13.06 and p < 0.0001 for "total problem scale" and F = 12.53, p = 0.001 for "internalizing" scale) as compared to NRs. When YSR subscales were considered, GDs showed significantly higher scores in the "withdrawal/depression", "anxiety/depression", and "social problems" (all p < 0.0001). In addition, GDs showed significantly higher levels in the "attraction to death" and "repulsion by life" scales and lower scores in the "attraction to life" scale (all p < 0.0001). Finally, GIDYQ-AA score was significantly lower (meaning a higher level of gender dysphoria symptoms) in GDs vs. NRs (p < 0.0001). GD adolescents reported significantly higher body dissatisfaction and suicidal risk compared to NRs. In addition, results confirmed a significant impairment in social psychological functioning in adolescents with GD.

Evolving the service model for child and adolescent mental health services

A new model for a community mental health service for children and young people aged 0-18 years is described. This has been formulated after multi-level consultation including extensive user/carer involvement. The proposed model is multidisciplinary and integrated with multiagency provision, with smooth access onto and through care pathways. This model brings voluntary and statutory agencies into an integrated collaboration. It reinforces that social and emotional development and psychological functioning is everybody’s business and creates conditions where a child’s needs can be addressed on a day-to-day basis rather than through a “clinic-based model”.

Social Presence Diminishes Contagious Yawning in the Laboratory.

Contagious yawning may be a useful measure of social psychological functioning, and thus it is important to evaluate the variables influencing its expression in laboratory settings. Previous research has documented that humans yawn less frequently in crowded environments and when under direct observation, but the impact of social presence on contagious yawning remains unknown. Here we present the first study to systematically alter the degree of social presence experienced by participants in the laboratory to determine its effect on contagious yawning frequency. Our results demonstrate that both implied and actual social presence significantly diminish yawn contagion in comparison to a control condition, indicating a key social component to contagious yawning. These findings provide a framework for pursuing additional research investigating the social factors influencing contagious yawning, while also offering applications for measuring this response in laboratory settings.