Background: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) aim to increase access to mental healthcare for people who would otherwise not access it. Accordingly, the design and development of DMHIs may particularly benefit from engaging people with lived experience (PwLE). Methods: A scoping review involving systematic database searches identified and synthesised original research reporting PwLE engagement in the design and development of DMHIs (published January 2000– April 2024). Articles were independently title/abstract screened by two authors, and full-text screened by one author. Included article data were extracted, independently checked, and descriptively synthesised. Results: Twenty-nine studies were included, published 2012–2024, in high-income countries. Engagement was mostly via ‘consultation’ level activities (e.g., focus groups), followed by ‘involvement’ or ‘collaboration’. In almost half of studies, engagement spanned multiple engagement levels across the different development stages. Reported impacts included changes to content, design, and delivery (e.g., revised language). Authors credited engagement with improved DMHI relevance, acceptability, and inclusivity, while noted challenges include limited diversity among engaged PwLE and resource demands. For reported DMHI outcomes, studies reported positive findings related to use, and attitudes towards using DMHIs. However, reported findings were more mixed for mental health outcomes (e.g., symptom improvement). Additionally, it was not possible to directly link outcomes to PwLE engagement. Conclusions: Review findings highlight the increasing but predominantly consultative engagement of PwLE in developing DMHIs. Future research directions include more transparent and consistent reporting of engagement, deliberative decision-making around engagement levels/types, and more rigorous evaluation of engagement to investigate its association with DMHI outcomes.
Simran Sandhu, Akanksha Singh, Koustub R. Bagul
et al.
Background:
Suicidality is a major public health concern, particularly among individuals with Major depressive disorder (MDD). While perfectionism, self-esteem, and body image dissatisfaction have each been linked to suicidality, their combined effects remain underexplored.
Aim:
The study assessed whether self-esteem and body image dissatisfaction mediate the link between perfectionism and suicidality in depressed young adults.
Materials and Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 80 young adults (aged 18–35) diagnosed with MDD at a tertiary care center in India. Participants were assessed using validated scales. Correlational analyses, multiple regression, and serial mediation were employed to evaluate direct and indirect relationships.
Results:
Perfectionism correlated positively with body image concern (r = 0.68) and suicidality (r = 0.69) and negatively with self-esteem (r = –0.69). Self-esteem was negatively associated with body image concern (r = –0.72) and suicidality (r = –0.51). Body image concern positively correlated with suicidality (r = 0.59). Perfectionism (B = 0.5523, P = 0.001) and body image concern (B = 0.2633, P = 0.041) significantly predicted suicidality. Mediation analysis showed a significant total (c = 0.0649) and direct (c’ =0.0333) effect of perfectionism on suicidality. The hypothesized mediation pathway was not significant, but the reverse pathway (perfectionism → self-esteem → body image → suicidality) was statistically significant (effect size = 0.0101).
Conclusion:
Perfectionism was associated with increased suicidality, with body image dissatisfaction acting as a key mediating factor. While self-esteem did not directly mediate this link, it may influence suicidality indirectly through its impact on body image.
Diana Bogdanova,1 Michael Maes,2– 8 Drozdstoj Stoyanov6– 8 1Clinical Psychologist at Center for Psychological Support – PSY HEALTH, Sofia, Bulgaria; 2Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; 5Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Korea; 6Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; 7Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; 8Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU – PLOVDIV – (SRIPD- MUP), Creation of a Network of Research Higher Schools, National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability, European Union– NextGenerationEU, Plovdiv, BulgariaCorrespondence: Diana Bogdanova, Clinical psychologist at Center for Psychological Support – PSY HEALTH, Sofia, Bulgaria, Email bogdanovadidi@gmail.comAbstract: Diabetes, dopamine, attachment style disorders, and hypomania share complex interrelations involving neuroinflammation, dysfunction in brain networks (DMN, CEN, SAL), and emotional regulation. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes induce cognitive and structural changes in the brain through mechanisms such as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. These processes can affect the dopaminergic system, which plays a pivotal role in motivation, emotional regulation, and the manifestation of hypomania. Dopamine is directly linked to attachment styles, with disturbances in this system increasing vulnerability to emotional disorders, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Hypomania, a hallmark of the bipolar spectrum, is associated with dopaminergic imbalances, often observed in diabetes.Keywords: diabetes – type 1 and type 2, dopamine, attachment style, hypomania, mania, bipolar disorder
Xue Du,1,2 Qi Dong,1,2 Le Sun,1,2 Xiaoyi Chen,1,2 Jun Jiang3 1College of Educational Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xue Du, Tel +86-23-65910354, Email 714789425@qq.com; duxue@cqnu.edu.cnBackground: It is well known that parents play an important role in the family, particularly the mental health literacy of parents is essential for the growth and development of children. As the parents of children with special needs, they are facing more difficulties and psychological pressure, resulted in more mental health problems.Purpose: The current study examined the effect of social support on mental health literacy, and its underlying mechanisms regarding the mediating role of coping styles and moderating role of social comparison.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 165 parents of children with special needs (22– 67 years old, M=37.72, SD=8.78) participated in the study. The general information questionnaire, Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), Social Support Rating Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Comparison Orientation Scale were used.Results: We found that objective support positively predicted the mental health literacy, positive coping style played a mediating role between objective support and mental health literacy. In addition, the relationship between objective support and positive coping styles was moderated by social comparisons; for lower levels of opinion social comparison, the effect of objective support on positive coping styles was significantly stronger.Conclusion: We revealed the underlying mechanisms between social support and mental health literacy. The present study has profound implications for mental health literacy services for parents who have children with special needs.Keywords: parents of children with special needs, social support, mental health literacy, coping styles, social comparison orientation
Rudo R. Marozva, Emmerentia N. Barkhuizen, Masase E. Mageza-Mokhethi
Orientation: South African higher education institutions (HEIs) face significant challenges in attracting and retaining younger-generation academics. This results in a critical shortage of a talented pool of scholars required for succession and the sustainability of HEIs over the longer term.
Research purpose: This study aimed to explore the factors affecting the retention of millennial academics in South Africa.
Motivation for the study: The retention of millennial academics is essential to the success of HEIs. Research on the factors affecting the retention of this cohort of academics is scarce despite their growing importance in sustainable HEI practice.
Research approach/design and method: The study adopted a cross-sectional qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews to collect the data. The sample included 14 millennial academics representing various public HEIs in South Africa. Thematic analyses were applied to analyse the data.
Main findings: The findings showed that five factors should be considered to retain millennial academics: career and growth opportunities, work environment, rewards, leadership and work–life balance.
Practical/managerial implications: The study concluded that an integrated talent retention strategy should be developed that, at a minimum include opportunities for career development, employee growth, healthy employee–employer relationships, employee support and market-related compensation to retain millennial academics.
Contribution/value-add: This research contributes to the limited knowledge of the factors affecting the retention of millennial academics.
Hamood Mohammed Al-Hattami, Ahmad Samed Al-Adwan, Abdulwahid Ahmed Hashed Abdullah
et al.
One of the highly acclaimed innovations is the mobile wallet. Mobile wallets ensure that customers can make purchases even if they forget their wallets at home. The use of these wallets has increased significantly with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic as a preventive measure. However, with COVID-19 restrictions lifted and adaptation to the pandemic, customers are no longer forced to use mobile wallets. That is, things have returned to normal as before the pandemic, where the customer is left free to choose the method of payment. In this regard, businesses need to retain their customers and make sure that those customers will reuse their own mobile wallets even during this period (post-COVID-19). Hence, it is critical to explore customer loyalty determinants toward mobile wallet services in such a period. Therefore, using the Indian context, this paper sought to explore the determinants of customer loyalty toward mobile wallet services post-COVID-19. This study also investigated the role of trust as a moderator. Based on a sample size of 243 customers in India, the relationships in the proposed model were tested using SmartPLS statistical technology. The results revealed that service quality, privacy and security, and trust are the key determinants in gaining customer loyalty toward mobile wallets. Yet, the results did not support perceived usefulness and ease of use as determinants of customer loyalty. As for trust as a moderator, the results supported only one of the four proposed hypotheses. Specifically, the results supported that “trust has a significant moderating impact on the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty”. The results offer a more precise comprehension of the relationships between customer loyalty and customer loyalty determinants in post-COVID-19 and enable managers to make better management decisions.
Feriha Fatima Khidri,1,2 Hina Riaz,2,3 Urooj Bhatti,3 Kamran Ali Shahani,4 Faiza Kamran Ali,5 Sadia Effendi,6 Keenjhar Rani,3 Muhammad Nadeem Chohan7 1Department of Biochemistry, Bilawal Medical College, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan; 2Medical Research Centre, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan; 3Department of Physiology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan; 4Department of Pediatrics, Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur Mir’s, Pakistan; 5Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur Mir’s, Pakistan; 6Department of Anatomy, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan; 7Department of Pediatrics, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, PakistanCorrespondence: Feriha Fatima Khidri, Department of Biochemistry, Bilawal Medical College, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan, Email feriha.fatima@lumhs.edu.pkObjective: To find out the association of physical activity, dietary habits and factors associated with depression among medical students of Sindh, Pakistan, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August, 2020, on medical students from three medical institutions of Sindh, Pakistan. The study comprised three structured questionnaires related to demographic details, physical activity, dietary and sleep habits, COVID-19 pandemic-associated factors and patient health questionnaire, PHQ-9. A total of 864 students completed the questionnaires and participated in the study. The data was analysed on SPSS version 23.Results: Our study showed that 244 (28.2%) medical students had mild depression, 192 (22.2%) had moderate depression, 80 (9.3%) had moderately severe depression and 80 (9.3%) had severe depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of 864 students, 268 (31%) had no depression. Socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), chronic disease/comorbidity, addiction and non-medical prescription drug use were found to be statistically significant predictors of depression among medical students. On multilogistic regression analysis, physical activity, social media/app use and sleeping habits during COVID-19 were associated with depression (p-value < 0.05).Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected physical activity and sleeping habits in association with depression among medical students. Promoting healthy eating habits, adequate physical activity, and a healthy lifestyle, particularly among students during lockdowns, is a critical component of coping with mental stress and depression. The findings of this study will aid in future research and campaign design in preparation for future pandemics and lockdowns.Keywords: COVID-19, depression, dietary habits, physical activity
Ebrahim Eskandarifard, Hadi Nobari, Filipe Manuel Clemente
et al.
Abstract Objectives The aims of this study were to analyze the relationships between minutes of play (MP) and maturity status, fitness, and hormonal levels and to explain how those measures influence the time of play. Methods Twenty-six youth soccer players U15 participated in this study over a full-season period. Anthropometric measures, maturity status, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor and physical levels such as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), fatigue index, countermovement jump (CMJ) performance were collected. At the end-season, players were assessed in 6 different tests over four days. Results VO2max largely correlated with GH (r = 0.57) and CMJ (r = 0.51). Also, GH largely correlated with CMJ (r = 0.55). MP had moderate correlations with VO2max (r = 0.44) and CMJ (r = 0.42). Multiple linear regression with maturation, physical fitness and hormonal levels explained R2 of 0.62 of the MP (F (8, 17) = 3.47, p = 0.015). Although each independent variable alone was not able to determine the playing time, when using the interactions, the model significantly explained the MP. Conclusions The combination of maturity status, physical fitness, and hormonal levels seem to play a determinant role in explaining the match participation in youth soccer players.
Background: Back pain has a high global prevalence and carries a substantial risk for chronification. Biopsychosocial factors are assumed to be critical in the transition from acute to chronic back pain. Digital interventions are a promising tool to educate patients about their complaints. Thus, providing patients with an explanatory model regarding their individual risk factors in the early stage of their complaints via the internet might thus be a valuable approach in treatment. Objectives: The objectives of the present online study are to investigate the influence of a personalized psychoeducational intervention on self-efficacy and functioning and to examine biopsychosocial risk factors for symptom chronification. The intervention is based on a current model summarizing the empirical knowledge on relevant factors for persistent somatic symptoms, which has not been studied in back pain patients yet. Methods: An observational cohort of patients with acute and subacute back pain (N = 564) will be asked about biopsychosocial risk factors via online survey at baseline, 4-week, and 12-week follow-up. Within this cohort, a randomly selected group of 132 participants (intervention group) with psychological burden (MCS-12 score of the SF-12 ≤ 50) and relevant somatic symptom intensity and interference (mean sum score of two numeric rating scales ≥5) and no prior psychotherapeutic treatment will be offered a personalized explanatory model in the form of an animated psychoeducational video. The video will be personalized in terms of participants' individual symptom profile and will be made accessible to watch online for 7 days. Participants will be compared to a control group receiving no treatment regarding change in pain-specific self-efficacy after 1 month as primary outcome, and change in functioning after 1 and 3 months, respectively, as secondary outcomes. Acceptance and usefulness of the intervention will be evaluated using the number of video views and a numeric rating scale. Discussion: This is the first investigation of a personalized, video-animated online psychoeducation based on patients' individual risk factors for the chronification of back pain and the first systematic evaluation of the risk factors included in a comprehensive aetiological model on persistent somatic symptoms in back pain patients. This way, this study contributes to the understanding of cross-disorder psychopathological factors and a stronger consideration of biopsychosocial factors in the treatment of persistent somatic symptoms. If proven effective, the internet-based intervention will make an important contribution to the early treatment of back pain. Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Local Psychological Ethics Committee (LPEK) at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Trial registration: The study was registered at the German Clinical Trials Register in December 2021 (registration trial number: DRKS00025445).
У статті розглядаються основні функції Державної служби України з надзвичайних ситуацій, визначається важливість професійної діяльності та функціональних обов’язків психологів цієї служби. Акцентується увага на специфічність функцій, які ними виконуються в умовах війни в Україні, що почалася 24 лютого 2022 року. Розглядаються основні функції, що виконує взагалі ДСНС, та безпосередня робота психологів служби. Детально визначається коло суб’єктів діяльності, на яких і направлена специфічна робота психолога ДСНС, таких як: персонал ДСНС; потерпілих від наслідків надзвичайних ситуацій; людей, яким завдано матеріальної шкоди; люди, які втратили близьких; свідки негативної психологічно травмуючої дії надзвичайної ситуації; так звані спостерігачі. Крім того, було проаналізовано дослідження вітчизняних вчених в цієї області, в ході якого встановлена актуальність та важливість вибраної теми. Розглянуто повний процес психологічного забезпечення професійної підготовки персоналу ДСНС та значення психологічної служби у супроводженні повсякденної роботи співробітників ДСНС. Визначено основи професійно-психологічного відбору персоналу та діяльності по створенню науково-методичних комплексів безпосереднього забезпечення роботи психологічної служби ДСНС, в умовах надзвичайних ситуацій, в тому числі воєнного характеру. Звернута увага на специфічність функцій, що виконуються психологами ДСНС, під час військових дій та особливостях корекційної роботи з особовим складом після ліквідації надзвичайних ситуацій військового характеру. Визначено вплив екстремальних умов війни на психологічні функції працівників ДСНС та на їхній соматичний функціонал, в основному на той, що іннервує м'язи тіла, забезпечує сенсорні і моторні функції організму. Розглядаються особливості роботи психолога ДСНС на місці ліквідації надзвичайної ситуації та професійні принципи надання екстреної психологічної допомоги. Визначається важливість актуалізації адаптивних та компенсаторних ресурсів особистості, мобілізації психологічного потенціалу для подолання негативних наслідків надзвичайних обставин, як на людей, що були під психологічно негативним впливом наслідків надзвичайної ситуації так і психолога ДСНС безпосередньо.
Hera Siddiqui, Ajita Rattani, Nikki K. Woods
et al.
Childhood and adolescent obesity is a serious health problem that is on the rise at the global level. Earlier, certain diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease affected only adults, but now they are being detected in young children as well. Several studies based on machine learning have been proposed to develop obesity prediction models or to determine key determinants of obesity for designing intervention tools. Despite having a rich and diverse set of literature on obesity prediction models, obesity rates are at an all-time high for both children and adolescents. There is a need of proper understanding and critical analysis of existing machine learning models in order to design effective strategies for curbing obesity at childhood and adolescent level. This paper surveys the growing body of recent literature on machine and deep learning models for obesity prediction by providing a coherent view (critical analysis) of the limitations of the existing systems. The taxonomy of the existing literature on obesity prediction into methods used, predicted outcome, factors used, type of datasets, and the associated purpose, is discussed for analysis of the state-of-the-art. This analysis revealed that a) prediction-focused models do not use variables from as many domains as predictor-focused models do, b) very few studies proposed gender-specific and race-specific obesity prediction models, c) lack of large-scale multimodal datasets and d) existing predictor-focused models obtain an accuracy range of [53.7%, 96%] with an optimum set of predictors. Further, computer vision-based methods for obesity prediction and interpretable techniques for understanding the outcome of the models are discussed as well. In addition, we have also identified novel research directions. The overall aim is to advance the state-of-the-art and improve the quality of discourse in this field.
Ankit Dangi, Kaushik Chatterjee, Manjur Shah Banwa
et al.
Fifty million people are affected with dementia worldwide with Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounting for 70%–80% of these cases. In India alone, 4.1 million people suffered from dementia in 2015. To date, there are no definitive treatment options for AD and the overall treatment gap in India stands at 90%. Attempts have been made to define AD biologically. This has been made possible due to advances in the identification of biomarkers that indicate the neuropathological changes responsible for AD. Identification of these biomarkers has implications for disease staging, prognostication, and identifying drug targets. Here, we summarize the advances in the field of biomarkers in AD.
Orientation: When opening any newspaper across the globe, the dominant narrative appears to be a driving obsessive preoccupation with how leaders consciously and often unconsciously create a working environment that serves their personal interests, fears and desires. This treacherous preoccupation inevitably influences a person’s leadership style and leadership agenda and therefore stands in direct opposition to what come to be known as servant leadership.
Research purpose: The purpose of this article was to validate the 7-item servant leadership questionnaire (SLQ7) within the South African context.
Motivation for the study: Owing to the emergence of the notion of servant leadership in South Africa, there exists a need for a valid measure of servant leadership in an organisational setting. Many leadership instruments developed in foreign countries (also the SLQ) are merely used by leadership scholars without assessing its transferability to that specific context, and this poses scientific and ethical challenges.
Research approach/design and method: A convenience sample of 1764 respondents, employed in both private and public sectors (employed in 31 different organisations), relatively well representative of the South African workforce in general, was used for this study.
Main findings: An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis yielded a one-factor solution of servant leadership that has acceptable psychometric and fit properties. The instrument was further found to have adequate convergent validity (compared with cognate leadership and organisational behaviour constructs).
Practical/managerial implications: The SLQ7 version was found to be suitable for use across different samples, including the private and public sectors, and could be used with confidence within the South African context.
Contribution/valu e-add: This study’s contribution to science, practice and the community is based on the importance of the servant leadership construct when leading people, specifically in the South African (and African) context. The study confirms the servant leadership scale as a valid and reliable measuring instrument in the South African context and, determines how servant leadership impacts organisational behaviour within the South African and African context.
A vulnerabilidade a assaltos pode transformar a relação do trabalhador com o trabalho. O objetivo desta pesquisa
foi caracterizar as consequências organizacionais e comportamentais do assalto no local de trabalho na percepção
dos trabalhadores vitimizados. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com setes trabalhadores. Os dados
foram analisados por meio de análise de conteúdo, em dois eixos: consequências organizacionais e consequências
comportamentais. A instalação de câmeras de monitoramento, a gestão do dinheiro no caixa e o cuidado ao fechar e
sair da empresa foram as principais consequências organizacionais. Atenção intensificada, desinteresse ocupacional,
alteração emocional e comportamento religioso foram as principais consequências comportamentais identificadas.
Conclui-se que a experiência de assalto pode ressignificar o trabalho, havendo necessidade de novas pesquisas que
viabilizem explicar e criar condições para que esse tipo de sofrimento seja acolhido e manejado nas organizações e
locais de cuidado à saúde do trabalhador
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk pengembangan kemampuan berfikir kritis mahasiswa dengan menggunakan metode debat yang ditinjau dari gaya belajar mahasiswa. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada 58 mahasiswa STKIP PGRI Lamongan yang menempuh mata kuliah pendidikan ilmu sosial. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan angket dan tes kemampuan berfikir kritis. Analisis menggunakan analisis deskriptif dan ANOVA dua jalur dengan menggunakan metode statistik parametrik. Hal ini dilakukan karena berdasarkan uji statistik, distribusi data penelitian normal dan homogen. Subyek penelitian sebanyak 58 mahasiswa yang diambil dari dua kelas yang memiliki kemampuan relatif sama. Hal ini berdasarkan hasil perhitungan nilai pretest dengan menggunakan uji t (t-test) diperoleh hasil bahwa t hitung = 0,537 < t tabel = 1.955 pada taraf signifikan 0,471 > 0,05, artinya tidak ada perbedaan signifikan nilai pretest keterampilan berfikir kritis mahasiswa antara kelompok mahasiswa kelas eksperimen dengan kelompok mahasiswa kelas kontrol sebelum diberikan treatment. Hasil analisis data posttest menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata nilai keterampilan berfikir kritis kelompok mahasiswa yang dibelajarkan dengan metode debat adalah 41.43 dengan standard deviasi sebesar 7.045. Berdasarkan hasil analisis dapat diketahui bahwa ada perbedaan keterampilan berfikir kritis antara yang memiliki gaya belajar visual, auditori dan kinestetik. hasil kedua menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada interaksi metode pembelajaran dengan gaya belajar terhadap keterampilan berfikir kritis mahasiswa. Hal ini didasarkan F hitung 0,599 dengan probabilitas 0,553
This paper intends to review with the student's learning style dimensions of divergent and convergent. Both interact with the methods of debate and methods of discussion. Differences in learning styles impact on student learning, student learning outcomes specify a maximum learning. Therefore, teachers need to understand the learning style that is owned by the students, before applying the learning method that will be chosen. This paper concludes convergent learning style has a stronger interaction with the method of debate while the divergent learning style has a stronger interaction with the method of discussion