Symptom Checklist-90-Revised Research Articles

Psychological symptomatology in a prison population: an exploratory study of age, psychopathological history and time in prison.

Objectives Identify psychological symptoms relating to age, psychopathological history and time in prison in women and men incarcerated in a prison.Material and method Cross-sectional study. The sample was made up of 100 inmates, 50 men and 50 women and the symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) was used to assess psychopathological symptoms.Results This study shows that inmates with a psychopathological history prior to entry to prison, younger inmates (18-29 years) and inmates who have been a short time in prison present more psychopathological symptoms.Discussion The results found suggest the implementation of a protocol for psychological care of prisoners in general, but highlights a particular interest in the care of cases with people with a psychopathological history prior to entering prison, in those who are younger and those who have been in prison for a short time.

Comparison of psychological symptoms and cognitive functions in patients under maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine, current opioid users and healthy subjects.

Methadone and buprenorphine can affect the psychological symptoms and cognitive functioning of substance users. This study aimed to compare psychological symptoms and neuropsychological functioning in methadone maintenance patients (MMP), buprenorphine maintenance patients (BMP), current opioid users, and healthy subjects. One hundred and twenty participants (30 in each group) matched for age, sex, and education completed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and a battery of neuropsychological tests including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV), and Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT) assessing executive functioning, working memory, and attention, respectively. Overall, opioid users showed more severe psychological symptoms compared to healthy subjects. MMP and BMP had intermediate scores in SCL-90-R subscales; however, BMP had fewer severe symptoms compared to the MMP group. In terms of cognitive functioning, healthy subjects and current users demonstrated the best and the worst performance, respectively. Also, BMP outperforms MMP on executive functions and attention. However, the MMP had a better performance in WMS (visual memory). Patients receiving maintenance treatment had fewer psychological symptoms and better cognitive performance compared to opioid users. BMP had a better profile in all psychological symptoms and better performance in executive functions and selective attention compared to the MMP suggesting buprenorphine may be a better choice for the treatment of opioid-dependent patients.

Alteration in the psychologic status and family environment of pregnant women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ObjectiveTo compare mental distress and COVID‐19‐related family environment changes among pregnant women before and during the pandemic.MethodsIn a survey‐based study in Lishui City, Zhejiang, China, pregnant women were recruited before (March–December, 2019; n = 2657) and during (January–August, 2020; n = 689) the COVID‐19 pandemic. They completed the Symptom Check List‐90 Revised (SCL90‐R) questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and were asked about their families via the Family Environment Scale (FES).ResultsHigher SCL90‐R scores of somatization (P = 0.003), depression (P = 0.043), anxiety (P = 0.041), hostility (P = 0.009), and others (P = 0.025) were reported by women during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Sleep disorder also occurred more frequently among pregnant women during the pandemic (P = 0.002). Social environmental characteristics of families showed impaired family cohesion, and increased levels of conflict and independence during the pandemic (all P < 0.05). The FES score for family cohesion was negatively related with obsessive–compulsive, depression, anxiety, and hostility symptoms, whereas that for conflict was positively related with these symptoms (all P < 0.001).ConclusionThe mental health, sleep, and family environment of pregnant women was impaired during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Potential protective factors including increased social support might help to mitigate long‐lasting negative consequences.

Potential Factors for Psychological Symptoms at Three Months in Patients with Young Ischemic Stroke.

Objective Psychological status plays a vital role in the recovery in young ischemic stroke patients. However, few reports on the psychological symptoms in Chinese young ischemic stroke patients have been published. In the present study, we aimed to outline the psychological status of young ischemic stroke patients and its risk factors at three months after their stroke. Methods 364 patients with young ischemic stroke and 384 age-matched healthy controls were consecutively recruited from our study hospitals of the mainland of China between June 2018 and November 2020. Social demographic and clinical data were collected from all enrolled participants in the acute stage of their stroke, and their psychological variables were assessed via the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) at three-month timepoint after their stroke. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to identify the independent factors for psychological variables in patients. Results Compared with healthy controls, patients with young ischemic stroke had significantly higher total score of SCL-90-R and all subscale total scores (p < 0.01 or 0.05). 22.3% (81/364 cases) in young ischemic stroke patients had psychological abnormalities. Compared with young ischemic stroke patients without psychological symptoms (n = 283), patients with psychological symptoms (n = 81) had higher rate of married status (p = 0.03), rate of hypertension (p = 0.01), infarct size (p = 0.01), and the family dysfunction (p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the family dysfunction (odds ratio [OR], 2.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.71 to 3.54, p < 0.01), having hypertension (OR, 3.27, 95% CI: 1.92 to 4.27, p = 0.02), and ≥20mm3 infarct size (OR, 2.39, 95% CI: 1.53 to 3.45, p < 0.01) were independent factors for having psychological abnormalities in patients with young ischemic stroke at three months after their stroke. Single (OR, 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.54, p = 0.01), poor family function (OR, 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.45, p = 0.03), and ≥20mm3 infarct size (OR, 1.74, 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.13, p = 0.02) were independent factors for having depression in patents with psychological symptoms. The family dysfunction (OR, 2.32, 95% CI: 1.51 to 2.80, p < 0.01) and hypertension (OR, 2.41, 95% CI: 1.54 to 3.46, p = 0.03) were independent factors for emerging somatization and anxiety in patients with psychological symptoms, respectively. Conclusions At three months after their stroke, young ischemic stroke patients had psychological problems and risk factors for developing them.

Problematic internet use: The effect of comorbid psychopathology on treatment outcomes

Problematic Internet use (PIU) behaviours involve one's maladaptive Internet use and have been often described as secondary manifestations of pre-existing psychopathology. Furthermore, different profiles of PIU sufferers have been proposed. However, little is known of the impact these may be having on treatment responses. Thus, this study aims to investigate the psychopathological profiles of those who seek treatment for PIU within a specialised public outpatient unit and whether these influence treatment outcomes. This research utilised 203 treatment seekers of the Specialized Department of Problematic Internet Use (SD-PIU) of the Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, in Greece (mean age = 26.02; SD = 7.9). To assess psychopathology, the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) was used. Treatment responses were reported either as completed, continued, or drop out. A Latent Class/Profiling-Analysis (LCA) was performed, guided by variations across the SCL-90-R psychopathologies. It indicated two naturally occurring profiles of comorbid psychological symptoms; 66% were classified as the “High Comorbidity” (HC) and 34% as the “Low Comorbidity” (LC) profile. Regarding treatment outcomes, LC patients presented with significantly lower dropout rates and higher levels of completion. The present study poses imperative clinical implications regarding the necessity of specialized treatment planning based on the different PIU treatment seekers psychopathological comorbidities.

The Role of Psychological Disorders’ Symptoms and Emotion Regulation Strategies in Predicting Internet Addiction among Students of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences

Abstract Introduction: Although the Internet is a very important tool for new information in today’s life, it is largely addictive. The present study aims to investigate the role of psychological disorders and emotion regulation strategies in predicting Internet addiction among students. Method: This descriptive-correlational study is performed on 254 students of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, who are selected through multistage cluster sampling method. Participants respond to the Demographic Information Questionnaire, Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Derogatis & et al., Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and Garnefski & Kraaij Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The obtained data are analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Results: The results of correlation analysis show that there is a significant relationship between the symptoms of psychological disorders and emotion regulation strategies with internet addiction (p <0.001). The results of multiple regression analysis indicate that the symptoms of psychological disorders and emotion regulation strategies significantly predict 39.7% of the variance of Internet addiction (p <0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, paying attention to the symptoms of psychological disorders and difficulty in regulating emotion in preventive and therapeutic program can be effective in reducing pathological use of the Internet.

Facial Emotion Recognition Predicts Alexithymia Using Machine Learning.

Objective Alexithymia, as a fundamental notion in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders, is characterized by deficits in emotional processing and, consequently, difficulties in emotion recognition. Traditional tools for assessing alexithymia, which include interviews and self-report measures, have led to inconsistent results due to some limitations as insufficient insight. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to propose a new screening tool that utilizes machine learning models based on the scores of facial emotion recognition task. Method In a cross-sectional study, 55 students of the University of Tabriz were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and their scores in the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Then, they completed the somatization subscale of Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the facial emotion recognition (FER) task. Afterwards, support vector machine (SVM) and feedforward neural network (FNN) classifiers were implemented using K-fold cross validation to predict alexithymia, and the model performance was assessed with the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-measure. Results The models yielded an accuracy range of 72.7–81.8% after feature selection and optimization. Our results suggested that ML models were able to accurately distinguish alexithymia and determine the most informative items for predicting alexithymia. Conclusion Our results show that machine learning models using FER task, SCL-90-R, BDI-II, and BAI could successfully diagnose alexithymia and also represent the most influential factors of predicting it and can be used as a clinical instrument to help clinicians in diagnosis process and earlier detection of the disorder.

Руминативное мышление как когнитивный фактор хронификации депрессии: определение понятия и валидность инструментария

Despite large amount of empirical evidence in support of rumination as a risk factor of depression onset and chronification, theoretical foundations of ruminative thinking are still being discussed. This includes the issue of so-called constructive, or reflec¬tive, ruminations. Objective: This study gives a theoretical review of different views on rumination, empirically tests the idea of constructive and non-constructive rumi¬native thinking, and tests the validity of the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS, Rus sian version) [38]. Study design: We conducted a factor analysis of adapted RRS, as well as an intercorrelational analysis of this scale, Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-r), and the COPE Inventory; hypotheses were tested in a general population group (n=476) and two clinical groups (patients with depressive disorders, n=53, and patients with different diagnoses with recent suicide attempts, n=41). Results: Our theoretical review examines ruminative thinking as a dysfunctional coping strategy (E. Watkins) from the perspective of the structural-dynamic model of thinking in the course of creative problem-solving (V. Zaretsky, A. Kholmogorova). Rumination is conceptualized as getting stuck «in a loop» at certain levels of organization of cognitive processes, which substitutes motivation focus on actual problem solving. The resulting four-factor structure of RRS has good psychometric properties and strong correla¬tions with different psychopathological symptoms and dysfunctional coping strategies (namely, psychological and behavioral avoidance and venting negative emotions); these correlations are found in all resulting factors but one, which implies that it may have a special status. Conclusion: The Russian version of RRS shows good preliminary psychometric characteristics and is viable for practical purposes. The idea of construc¬tive rumination discussed in literature has not been confirmed empirically. ¬

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Psychological Intervention to Improve Satisfaction for Patients with Depression Undergoing TKA: A 2-Year Follow-up.

The overall satisfaction of patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is approximately 80%, and current studies have demonstrated that patients with depression may have lower patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether perioperative psychological intervention in patients with depression improves the clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing TKA. Six hundred patients who underwent primary TKA from May 2016 to January 2018 were prospectively screened for eligibility. A preoperative psychological evaluation was conducted by a psychiatrist to evaluate each patient's psychological status. Patients who were diagnosed with depression were randomly divided into 2 groups: the intervention group (patients received psychological interventions that were administered by a psychiatrist at the first visit before surgery and from then on) and the control group (patients received routine TKA care without psychological interventions). The primary outcome was patient satisfaction at 6 months postoperatively. The secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction at 2 years postoperatively as well as the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, and range of motion at 6 months and 2 years postoperatively. Fifty-three patients with depression were identified. Fifty-one patients were enrolled in the randomized controlled trial. Two patients were lost to follow-up at 6 months after surgery. Therefore, 49 patients (25 in the intervention group and 24 in the control group) remained in the final analysis. At 6 months postoperatively, statistical differences in patient satisfaction were identified between the 2 groups (88.0% in the intervention group compared with 62.5% in the control group; odds ratio = 4.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 18.99). There was a significant improvement in the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) score (the reduction rate was 51.97% in the intervention group compared with 17.35% in the control group) and the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) subscore for depression (the reduction rate was 44.66% in the intervention group compared with 15.73% in the control group). The clinical outcomes, including the WOMAC scores, the HSS scores, and maximal range of motion, in the intervention group had improved significantly more compared with those in the control group. Psychological interventions during the perioperative period can improve patient satisfaction in patients with depression who undergo TKA. Therefore, psychological intervention and management may be beneficial for patients with depression who are planning to undergo TKA. Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Dynamics of psychoemotional characteristics in patients with coronary heart disease after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Russian sampling specifics

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is known to be one of the most important surgical methods for treating coronary heart disease (CHD) which significantly reduces mortality and improves the quality of life of patients. In most cases, surgical intervention is a serious lifethreatening event and also a strong stress factor that affects the patients mental state. For this reason, there is an urgent need for psychological support for patients with CHD who are preparing for CABG. Therefore, when developing rehabilitation programmes and optimising psychodiagnostic and psychocorrectional measures, it is very important to study the psychoemotional characteristics of patients with CHD prior to CABG surgery. The objective of the present research was to study the dynamics of psychoemotional characteristics (including manifestations of asthenia, anxiety and psychopathological symptoms) in the patients with CHD during their stay in the cardiology hospital prior to CABG surgery. The study used a clinical-psychological method and an experimentalpsychological method, including the Scale of Asthenic State (SAS), Integrative Anxiety Test (IAT), Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the Big Five Personality Test. A comparative study of the asthenic state in the patients with CHD before and after myocardial revascularisation during inpatient treatment revealed the presence of a more pronounced asthenic component in the postoperative period as compared with the results obtained at the preoperative stage. The patients with CHD prior to CABG during inpatient treatment had a higher level of anxiety as compared with the postoperative stage, especially regarding the general level of state anxiety, including emotional discomfort and social defence reactions. In the postoperative period, a higher rate of the asthenic component was observed in the structure of state anxiety. A comparative study of the severity of psychopathological symptoms in the patients with CHD prior to CABG surgery and during the postoperative period recorded more intense manifestations of anxiety, obsessiveness and compulsiveness as well as paranoid tendencies before the operation. In the structure of personal characteristics of the patients with CHD during their stay in the cardiology hospital prior to CABG surgery, the lowest indicators, on average, were Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. The results obtained are crucial for planning psychological intervention for patients with CHD.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Psychiatric Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Female Dermatological Patients.

PurposeTo examine the relationships of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) with psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in dermatological patients.Patients and MethodsA total of 154 female patients with dermatological disease underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment that included the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination-Self Report (BDDE-SR), Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and Skindex-29. Dermatological disease was categorized as follows: inflammatory dermatoses (reference category), isolated lesions, and unclassified dermatoses. The BDDE-SR and SCL-90-R scores were used to evaluate BDD and psychiatric symptoms, respectively. Dermatological quality of life was measured with the Skindex-29.ResultsThe BDDE-SR score was significantly associated with the SCL-90-R and Skindex-29 total and subscores, even after controlling for age, body mass index, and dermatological diagnosis. The variables that contributed most to the BDDE-SR score were the SCL-90-R depression score and Skindex-29 emotion scores. Additional analyses revealed that the BDDE-SR score was higher in participants with unclassified dermatoses, but neither the SCL-90-R score nor Skindex-29 score was related to any dermatological diagnosis.ConclusionThe BDD symptoms were especially prominent in the unclassified dermatoses group and were highly related to psychiatric symptoms and a poor quality of life in our dermatological patients. Further research including studies involving psychiatric interviews to confirm the BDD diagnosis and symptoms will improve our understanding of BDD in dermatological patients.

Effectiveness of a university counseling intervention based on a psychodynamic approach.

The study examined the effectiveness of a brief psychodynamic counseling intervention on psychological distress and general life satisfaction in a sample of 124 students by comparing pre- and posttreatment data. The authors also tested the moderating role of pretreatment attachment styles. Results showed that most participants (57%) can be classified as a nonclinical population, whereas only a minority of participants belong to a clinical population (17%) and a subclinical population (26%) according to the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R). Psychodynamic counseling intervention was shown to be associated with a decrease in the Global Severity Index and the anxiety and depression subscales of the SCL-90-R. Clinical effectiveness was greater for participants belonging to the clinical group. General life satisfaction increased significantly for all students. The authors found no moderation effect of attachment styles. Brief psychodynamic counseling intervention was associated with a reduction of psychological distress and an increase in life satisfaction.

Assessing psychopathology in bariatric surgery candidates: discriminant validity of the SCL-90-R and SCL-K-9 in a large sample of patients

PurposePre-surgical psychosocial evaluation of bariatric surgery (BS) patients should identify psychiatric issues that could worsen after surgery and those requiring additional ongoing intervention. In this view, the use of reliable, appropriate and concise evaluating instruments is of critical importance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical utility of both the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and its brief unidimensional version, the so-called Symptom-Checklist-K-9 (SCL-K-9) in detecting the presence of psychiatric disorders among bariatric surgery (BS) candidates.MethodsSeven-hundred-and-ninety-eight BS candidates (563 women and 235 men; mean age: 44.15 ± 11.45) were enrolled in the present study. All participants underwent a full psychiatric interview and were administered the SCL-90-R.ResultsThree-hundred-and-sixty-two patients (45.4%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of at least one psychiatric disorder and ninety-nine patients (12.4%) had psychiatric comorbidities. In the current sample, 219 patients (27.4%) met the criteria for binge eating disorders (BED), 158 (19.8%) met the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), and 67 (8.4%) met both criteria. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves procedure showed that both the SCL-90-R and the SCL-K-9 satisfactorily categorize patients with any psychiatric disorder, both BED and MDD (area under the ROC curve ≥ 0.70, p < 0.001).ConclusionOur results suggest that the SCL-90-R and the SCL-K-9 may represent first-level screening tests identifying at-risk patients, eligible for a more expensive or time-consuming clinical assessment.Level of evidenceLevel V, cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Subjective cognitive decline in diabetes: Associations with psychological, sleep, and diabetes-related factors.

To determine whether psychological, sleep, and diabetes-related factors were associated with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A secondary analysis with a cross-sectional, correlational design. Data from two parent studies were combined. A total of 105 adults with diabetes were recruited from a Midwestern city in the United States from September 2013-March 2014 and September 2016-September 2017. Subjective cognitive decline was measured with the psychological-cognitive symptom subscale of the Diabetes Symptom Checklist-Revised. Psychological factors (diabetes distress, fatigue, and depressive symptoms) and sleep were measured using the Diabetes Distress Scale and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Diabetes-related factors were measured with body mass index and glycaemia control. Quantile regression was used to examine the associations. The mean age of the participants was 58.10 (SD 7.92) years and 58.1% were women. The participants' mean psychological-cognitive symptom score was 1.41 (SD 1.13). After controlling for age and gender, sleep disturbance, sleep-related impairment, and body mass index were associated with SCD in lower cognitive symptom quantile groups (5th to 30th percentiles). In contrast, fatigue and depressive symptoms were more strongly associated with SCD in higher quantile groups (70th to 95th percentiles). In adults with T2D, SCD was differentially associated with psychological, sleep, and diabetes-related factors depending on cognitive symptom percentiles. Adults with T2D require regular screening for SCD. If they complain of cognitive symptoms at clinical visits, different underlying factors should be assessed according to their symptom severity. Findings from this study provided evidence for early identification of SCD and its influencing factors, which may help to develop nursing interventions to recognize and/or delay the onset of cognitive impairment in adults with T2D.

The association between demographic characteristics, personality, and mental health of bus drivers in China: A structural equation model

BackgroundThe psychological status of drivers is related to adverse driving behaviors. Although there are several studies on the mental health and traffic accidents among bus drivers, related studies on the association between mental health and individual characteristics are scarce. MethodsOur report is on a cross-sectional study of bus drivers that took place between October 2014 and May 2016. A total of 596 bus drivers who worked for transportation companies and underwent occupational physical examinations at The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region workers' Hospital during the study period were included. Demographic characteristics were collected by a self-designed demographic questionnaire. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to evaluate the personality and mental health of bus drivers, and the results of the scales were compared with Chinese norms. The structural equation model was used to analyze the correlation among demographic characteristics, personality characteristics, and mental health. ResultsExcept for the lie dimension, the average scores of the driver's personality dimension were higher than the Chinese norm, and the means of somatization and phobia scores of bus drivers were also higher; obsessions-compulsions, interpersonal sensitivity, and depression scores were lower than those for the Chinese norms. The structural equations modeling revealed that the total effects coefficient of demographic characteristics on mental health was 0.68, and that of personality was 0.60. There were direct influences between demographic characteristics and personality characteristics, demographic characteristics and mental health, and personality characteristics and mental health; the standardized path coefficients were 0.60, 0.50, and 0.30, respectively. Smoking, drinking, and neuroticism were the main factors affecting the mental health of bus drivers; and the standardized path coefficients were 0.56, 0.54, and 0.90 respectively. ConclusionsIn this study, bus drivers were significantly more extroverted, psychotic, and neurotic than the general population; and they were more likely to suffer from somatization and phobia. The mental health of bus drivers was associated with some demographic and personality characteristics in the study. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the selection of bus drivers and intervention measures for drivers with high-risk driving tendencies, which is conducive to better guide road traffic safety construction and reduce the occurrence of road traffic injuries.

The Impact of Coping Strategies and Perceived Family Support on Depressive and Anxious Symptomatology During the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Lockdown.

The coronavirus pandemic represents a severe global crisis, affecting physical, and psychological health. Lockdown rules imposed to counteract the rapid growth of COVID-19, mainly social restrictions, have represented a risk factor for developing depressive and anxious symptoms. The research aims are to explore the effect of coping strategies and perceived social support on depressive and anxious symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-six healthy people (46 males, mean age = 39.3; SD = 16.6) completed through on-line platform: Socio-demographic questionnaire, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), 3 weeks after the imposition of lockdown restrictions. SCL-90-R Depression scores showed significant positive correlation with CISS Emotion (r = 0.85; p = 0.001) and Avoidant (r = 0.34; p = 0.018), a significant negative correlation with MSPSS Family support (r = −0.43; p = 0.003). SCL-90-R Anxiety scores showed a significant positive correlation with CISS Emotion (r = 0.72; p = 0.001) and Avoidant (r = 0.35; p = 0.016). No significant correlations between both CISS Emotion and Avoidant scales with social support emerged. Two Multiple Linear Regression analysis were performed using, respectively, SCL-90-R Depression and Anxiety scores as dependent variables, and the CISS and MSPSS scales, age, and gender as predictors. The first regression model (R2 = 0.78; adjusted R2 = 0.75) revealed CISS Emotion (β = 0.83; p = 0.001) and MSPSS Family support (β = −0.24; p = 0.004) had a predictive effect on SCL-90-R Depression scores. The second regression model (R2 = 0.52; adjusted R2 = 0.472) revealed that only CISS Emotion (β = 0.71; p = 0.001) predicted the SCL-90-R Anxiety scores. In conclusion, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, coping focus on emotions seemed to increase anxious and depressive symptoms, probably due to the uncontrollable nature of the stressful event and the high emotional response. Family support which reduces the sense of loneliness had an exclusive role in mitigating depressive symptoms. These results highlight the importance of promoting psychological strategies to improve emotional regulation skills, reducing isolation from family, to prevent mood symptomatology in healthy citizens during large-scale health crises.

Social Intelligence and Psychological Distress: Subjective and Psychological Well-Being as Mediators.

The strength named “social intelligence” in the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues represents emotional, personal, and social intelligences, which are considered “hot intelligences”. This work contributed to the study of the mechanisms of influence of social intelligence on mental health. A multiple mediation model was proposed to quantify the direct effect of social intelligence on psychopathological symptoms, as well as its indirect effect through its impact on components of subjective and psychological well-being. This study involved 1407 university students who completed the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWBS), and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Social intelligence was found to be significantly associated with life satisfaction (a = 0.33, p < 0.001), positive affect (a = 0.42, p < 0.001), and negative affect (a = −0.21, p < 0.001), transmitting significant indirect effects on psychopathological symptomatology through these components of subjective well-being. Likewise, social intelligence was positively and significantly related to psychological well-being (a-paths ranged from 0.31 to 0.43, p < 0.001), exerting significant and negative indirect effects on psychological distress through the dimension of positive relations with other people. These results could be useful in order to expand the explanatory models of the influence of social intelligence on mental health and to design interventions based on this strength for the promotion of well-being and the reduction in psychological distress.

A variation in the infant oxytocin receptor gene modulates infant hippocampal volumes in association with sex and prenatal maternal anxiety

Genetic variants in the oxytocin receptor (OTR) have been linked to distinct social phenotypes, psychiatric disorders and brain volume alterations in adults. However, to date, it is unknown how OTR genotype shapes prenatal brain development and whether it interacts with maternal prenatal environmental risk factors on infant brain volumes.In 105 Finnish mother-infant dyads (44 female, 11–54 days old), the association of offspring OTR genotype rs53576 and its interaction with prenatal maternal anxiety (revised Symptom Checklist 90, gestational weeks 14, 24, 34) on infant bilateral amygdalar, hippocampal and caudate volumes were probed.A sex-specific main effect of rs53576 on infant left hippocampal volumes was observed. In boys compared to girls, left hippocampal volumes were significantly larger in GG-homozygotes compared to A-allele carriers. Furthermore, genotype rs53576 and prenatal maternal anxiety significantly interacted on right hippocampal volumes irrespective of sex. Higher maternal anxiety was associated both with larger hippocampal volumes in A-allele carriers than GG-homozygotes, and, though statistically weak, also with smaller right caudate volumes in GG-homozygotes than A-allele carriers.Our study results suggest that OTR genotype enhances hippocampal neurogenesis in male GG-homozygotes. Further, prenatal maternal anxiety might induce brain alterations that render GG-homozygotes compared to A-allele carriers more vulnerable to depression.

Self-Reported Cognitive Functions Predict the Trajectory of Paranoid Ideation Over a 15-Year Prospective Follow-Up

BackgroundThis study investigated whether self-reported cognitive functions (i.e. task orientation, distractibility, persistence, flexibility, and perseverance) predict the trajectory of paranoid ideation over a 15-year prospective follow-up in adulthood.MethodsThe participants came from the population-based Young Finns study (N = 1210‒1213). Paranoid ideation was assessed with the Paranoid Ideation Scale of the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R) in 1997, 2001, 2007, and 2012. Self-reported cognitive functions were evaluated in 1997 with the Task orientation, Distractibility, Persistence, and Flexibility scales of the DOTS-R (the Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey) and the Perseverance scale of the FCB-TI (the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour – Temperament Inventory). The data was analyzed using growth curve models that were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic factors in childhood and adulthood.ResultsLow self-reported task orientation, low persistence, high distractibility, low flexibility, and high perseverance predicted higher level of paranoid ideation over the 15-year follow-up.ConclusionsSelf-reported cognitive functions seem to predict paranoid ideation over a long-term follow-up. Promoting cognitive functions in early interventions may have long-term protective influences against the development of paranoid ideation in non-clinical populations.

Effects of a home-based exercise program on mental health for caregivers of relatives with dementia: a randomized controlled trial.

This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based physical exercise program on participants' mental health: psychological symptoms, depression, and burden of female informal caregivers. In a randomized controlled trial, a sample of 48 female informal primary caregivers completed the entire study, 25 were randomly allocated to the intervention group (IG), and 23 participants to the control group (CG). Participants in the IG performed two 60-minute-long physical exercise sessions per week (36 weeks) that were supervised by a personal trainer at caregivers' home during 9 months. The CG continued their habitual leisure-time activities. Subjective burden was assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview. The risk of depression was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form 15-item version, and psychological symptoms were evaluated by the Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). All participants were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the intervention. A promising positive impact of the intervention on caregivers' subjective burden and risk of depression was found in the IG. In addition, no significant between-group differences were found in any of nine subscales scores of the SCL-90-R. Finally, care recipients' level of functional independence and area of residence were found to be predictors of the promising positive impact on caregivers' subjective burden and risk of depression. The present home-based physical exercise intervention that was individually implemented has shown promising results to reduce subjective burden and risk of depression in female caregivers of relatives with dementia. However, future research efforts should elucidate both the particular dose of physical exercise and the particular duration of the intervention that are required to obtain the expected significant positive impact. Finally, future inclusion of psychological approaches, besides physical exercise, might help reduce female caregivers' psychological symptoms.