Health Psychology Research

Advances in Autism: a bibliometric analysis
Chowdhury M, Gould M and Ganti L
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of AI treatment research for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from 2007 to 2023, focusing on global contributions across countries, institutions, authors, and keywords. The United States leads with 164 documents and 4988 citations, highlighting its central role in advancing AI technologies for ASD therapies, followed by significant contributions from China (90 documents, 1190 citations) and India (65 documents, 564 citations). Institutions like Stanford University and McGill University demonstrate substantial research output, while authors such as Dennis Wall are prominent with contributions that make diagnosing Autism much more efficient with the use of AI. Keywords like "Machine learning", "Autism spectrum disorder", and "Children" dominate, reflecting ongoing efforts to leverage technology for ASD interventions. Overall, this analysis underscores a dynamic global effort to enhance ASD treatment methodologies through collaborative research and technological innovations.
substance use and recidivism of intimate partner violence in Peru: A cross-sectional study
Roman-Lazarte V, Moncada-Mapelli E, Galeas-Torre MK, Roman LA and Marcelo-Armas ML
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) carries significant global burden, with approximately 27% of women who have ever had a partner experiencing IPV. Additionally, substance use (alcohol and drugs) is often associated with aggressive attitudes and serves as a risk factor for IPV.
Psychological and neuropsychological clinical impact in brain cancer patients and evidence-based psychological intervention: a systematic review of the literature
Caponnetto P, Schilirò G, Maglia M, Prezzavento GC, Baeken C and Quattropani MC
Cancer patients may suffer from psychological disorders related to their health condition. Various medical, surgical, and interventional procedures, alongside the distinct tumor localization, have been linked to an elevated predisposition towards psychological disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive impairments.
Influence of mothers' stress on their infants' stress level: A preliminary study
Ikeda S and Mitsuishi H
In a previous study, mothers' stress was demonstrated to affect the stress of their infants. However, stress is a multi-layered concept, and there is a lack of studies on the type of stress that influences infant stress.
Breaking the Silence: Exploring Peritraumatic Distress and Negative Emotions in Male and Female Physical Domestic Violence Victims
Caponnetto P, Lenzo V, Sardella A, Prezzavento GC, Casu M and Quattropani MC
Domestic violence is a widespread problem affecting individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Peritraumatic distress is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems among victims, but research on men's experiences is limited.
Brief Coping Scale TCS-9: Optimising the Assessment of Coping Strategies. The case of Health Care Workers
Puri BK, Miari A and Theodoratou M
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the focus on mental health, particularly on the coping strategies of healthcare workers who have faced unparalleled stress due to their pivotal role in addressing health disparities and determinants of health. Constantly operating in high-risk environments and managing the surge of critically ill patients, these professionals' psychological resilience has been sternly tested, necessitating robust assessment tools.
Exploration of the Motivational Factors that Influence the Maintenance of Health
Choudry M and Ganti L
This study aims to identify motivators influencing individuals' commitment to maintaining positive health trajectories across different demographics. The primary objective is to leverage this knowledge to enhance patient-physician relationships and improve the quality of care.
Digital technology and mental health: Chinese university students' perspectives on the impact of social media
Zhang C
To address the growing concerns about mental health issues among Chinese university students, our study investigates the impact of social media on their mental health. This study intends to shed light on how these students' use of social media platforms contributes to these mental health issues, given that it has been estimated that up to 30% of university students in China suffer from mental health issues.
Psychological Distress Among High School Students in Bangkok Thailand
Thanachoksawang C, Arphorn S, Jarupat Maruo S, Punneng S, Ishimaru T and Bangkadanara G
This study investigated psychological distress among high school students in Thailand.A sample of 8,345 students from thirty-five Bangkok schools voluntarily participated, responding to a questionnaire and undergoing stress assessments. Socio-demographic factors including grade level, school scale, hometown, parental marital status, presence of siblings, gender, health conditions, online classes, and family monthly income were analyzed.
Reflective functioning mediates the relationship between insecure adult attachment and the severity of prolonged grief symptoms
Giunta S, Mannino G, Sideli L, Quattropani MC and Lenzo V
This study aimed to investigate the mediation role of reflective functioning (i.e., certainty and uncertainty about mental states) in the relationship between insecure attachment (i.e., attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety ) and the severity of prolonged grief symptoms.
Research on metacognitive strategies of children's self-regulated learning
Narengaowa and Tungalag O
Learning involves numerous self-regulatory processes, and self-regulated learning includes a few metacognitive strategies. Metacognitive skills start to develop at a very young age, though preschool children face some challenges while using metacognitive strategies.
Immediate shock and residual stress: Unmasking the dual dynamics of covid-19 on the mental health of health professionals in China
Duan S
The pandemic of 2019 has created large scale disruption around the globe. It has posed extraordinary hurdles for Chinese health workers, affecting their mental health with respect to situations in the present as well as the future. Recognising the dynamic features of these mental health issues among health professionals is critical for developing effective support systems.
Effects of distant biofield energy healing on adults associated with psychological and mental health-related symptoms: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study
Trivedi MK, Branton A, Trivedi D, Mondal S and Jana S
In recent years, popularity of Biofield energy healing therapy has increased tremendously parallel to conventional therapy. However, due to insufficient scientific studies on biofield therapies, authors planned this clinical trial to examine the safety and effectiveness of biofield therapy in treating symptoms of psychological and mental health and to explore parameters for its effectiveness.
Virtual Reality as an Innovative Tool for Eating Disorders Psychological Treatment
Fakhrou A, Avincola G, Farruggio G, Verduzzo I and Caponnetto P
This review aims to examine scientific evidence, therapeutic approaches, and outcomes achieved through the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in the context of Eating Disorders.
Health-related quality of life in hemato-oncology patients: role of informativeness and doctor-patient communication
Sremić S, Brajković L and Kopilaš V
The patient's information about the disease and doctor-patient communication are both constructs whose importance is emphasized in the theory, but much less frequently researched and used in the practice.
The effectiveness of Dragon Boat racing on body image and traumatic symptoms of breast cancer patients
Fioretti C, Coppola S, Boscaino S, Celia G, Vastola R and Cozzolino M
The present study investigated the effectiveness of a Dragon Boat training program in women with breast cancer body image and traumatic distress processing.
Emotional - Behavioral Difficulties and Prosocial Behaviour among Vietnamese Adolescents: the Role of Social Support
Thi Thuy N
In recent decades, a high prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents has been reported worldwide. In Vietnam, mental health problems such as emotional and behavioural difficulties are relatively common in the adolescent age group.
A Comparison between the Effectiveness of computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation Training and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Dialysis Patients' Executive Functions
Firouzan F, Sadeghi-Firouzabadi V, Nejati V, Fathabadi J and Firouzan A
Executive function impairments are among the most common dialysis side effects. The present study aims to compare the efficiency of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation Training (cCRT) on dialysis patients' executive functions.
Do social support and self- efficacy play a significant role in substance use relapse?
Al-Ziadat MA
This study aims to investigate if social support and self-efficacy play a significant role in substance use relapse. To this end, 197 substance users responded to the modified measures of social support and self-efficacy questionnaire. The participants reported moderate levels of social support and self-efficacy. In addition, the results indicated that there are gender differences in social support level in favour of males and there were differences in social support level in the duration of substance use between less than one year and one year- less than two years also between one year- less than two years and ten years and more in favour of one year- less than two years. Furthermore, the results revealed differences in self-efficacy levels in accordance with substance use status in favour of those without relapse. But there was no difference in self-efficacy level with regard to gender or duration of substance use. Moreover, the findings indicate that self-efficacy and duration of substance use play a significant role in substance use relapse but this is not the case with social support. It was concluded that giving more attention to female social support and to the self-efficacy among substance users are needed.
Body dysmorphic disorder and psychotherapeutic interventions: a systematic literature review
Caponnetto P, Caramazza M, Caci G, Signorelli MS, Petralia A and Quattropani MC
Body dysmorphism disorder (BDD) is a disabling mental disorder characterized by an anxious preoccupation with a perceived defect in physical appearance.
Cancer caregivers are primarily motivated by love and sense of duty
Gupta A, Hurley C, Mangal R, Daniel A and Ganti L
Cancer is a debilitating disease for which patients often need caretakers to help them live their lives and complete basic activities. This study aims to characterize the burden of the caretaker. A 14-question survey was sent out to randomly selected United States cancer caretakers to analyze the social, emotional, and physical burden of their caretaking. The results show that a majority of caretakers are direct family to the patient (69.5%). The patients' cancers are often in early stages with about 54.5% having stage 1 cancer and 22.5% having stage 2 cancer while only 8.5% had stage 3 cancer and 17.8% had stage 4 cancer. When asked about their motivation, caretakers most often do it because of love (58.82%) with family responsibilities/duty being the second highest reason (35.56%). When asked about their biggest burden, many caretakers said that grief was the biggest issue (30.50%) with mental health issues also being troublesome (28%). 75.6% of respondents said that being a cancer caretaker has negatively impacted their mental health from either anxiety (37.29%), depression (33.9%), or other conditions (4.41%). When asked about the negative impacts of being a caregiver, 43.5% stated they faced high financial costs to give care, and 35% stated they met a lack of social support or lost friends. In comparison, 33% stated they had negative physical impacts. The number of participants who face overwhelming or high stress nearly quintupled from baseline, from 13% to 59.5%. This cross-sectional survey of US adults demonstrates that there are clear negative impacts on cancer caregivers on their physical, financial, social, and mental health. These data underscore the importance of taking care of patients' caregivers.
Investigating the Relationship Between Clinical Characteristics, Mental Health, and Vascular Function in Minor Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Patients
Mitranun W, Mitarnun W, Peepathum P, Wandee A, Mitarnun W, Pangwong W and Senakham T
Over the past decade, there has been extensive research exploring the relationship between vascular health and mental well-being, encompassing aspects such as mood and cognition. However, there is a notable gap in research focusing on the mental and vascular conditions of minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients, particularly within the Thai population.
Prevalence and Associated Factors Related to Tobacco Consumption Among University Students in Malaysia
Chow CY, Hasan MZ and Kamil AA
Tobacco consumption is one of the major public health concerns worldwide. Moreover, alternative tobacco and nicotine products (ATNPs) are growing in popularity, especially among young adults in the past decade. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated sociodemographic factors of tobacco consumption among university students. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 338 university students of a private Malaysian university from March to April 2021. Data was collected using a self-administered online questionnaire with items including sociodemographic information, user status of tobacco consumption and types of tobacco product used. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS version 26.0 to analyse the data. The prevalence of tobacco consumption in this study was 8.6% and the main tobacco product used was manufactured cigarettes. In Pearson's chi square test and Fisher's exact test, current use of tobacco was significantly associated with nationality, ethnicity, religion, school, current level of education and parents, siblings and friends use of tobacco (<0.05). In simple and multiple logistic regression analysis, being non-Malaysian, Indian, Muslim, year 4 student and having parents or siblings who used tobacco, all had statistically significant associations with the current use of tobacco (<0.05). Findings of this study showed that the use of tobacco among university students is concerning and warrants the need to develop and implement a strategic anti-tobacco program to limit this behaviour among university students.
DNA metabarcoding technology for the identification of the fecal microbiome in patients with chronic stress
Pérez Urruchi AE, Ramírez Elizalde LE, Zapata Cornejo FM, Matalinares Calvet ML, Baylon Cuba MV and Fabian Dominguez F
In the latest research, the concept of stress is associated with the deregulation of several biological systems sensitive to stress, such as the immune system, the microbiome, the endocrine system and neuroanatomical substrates. The objective of the research was to identify the fecal microbiome in patients diagnosed with chronic stress and in healthy patients through a metabarcoding analysis. The methodology used fecal samples collected from 20 patients with stress and 20 healthy patients. For the diagnosis of stress, psychological tools previously validated by external researchers were used. For metabarcoding analysis, metagenomic DNA extraction was performed from the fecal samples. Next Generation Illumina genetic sequencing targeting the 16S rDNA gene was then performed, followed by bioinformatic analysis using QUIME II software. The results, at the psychological test level, 20 people with chronic stress were diagnosed, on the other hand, at the metabarcoding level, specifically at the Gender level, the Asteroleplasma bacteria present only in the 20 healthy patients was molecularly identified. On the other hand, the bacteria Alistipes and Bifidobacterium were identified with greater predominance in the 20 patients with stress. Concluding, the bacteria Alistipes and Bifidobacterium are candidates as possible markers of the intestinal microbiome in patients with chronic stress, and the bacteria Asteroleplasma are candidates as a bacterial marker of the intestinal microbiome in healthy people. Finally, the identification of the microbiome in patients with stress opens a new path to understanding stress and its relationship to dysregulation with the microbiome.
The use of ecological momentary assessment for family caregivers of adults with chronic conditions: A systematic review
Han A, Malone LA, Lee HY, Gong J, Henry R, Zhu X and Yuen HK
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) as a real-time data collection method can provide insight into the daily experiences of family caregivers.
Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
Pischos C, Politis A, Sfikakis P and Papageorgiou C
Νocebo Effect is known to induce adverse symptoms after negative expectations which can be manifested on a physical and psychological level. As 6th year medical students often face a wide range of clinical challenges and may be prone to negative expectations or beliefs affecting their pre-clinical and clinical success, we want to investigate how they are affected by the Nocebo Effect.
Mental Disorders and Mental Health Promotion in Police Officers
Santre S
The number of police officers suffering from mental illnesses is becoming a significant public health concern. Police officers are more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. The use of effective mental health promotion programs can assist in reducing police officers' psychological problems. In this paper author reviews existing literature on mental disorders and mental health promotion among police officers. This review emphasizes the importance of mental health promotion and programs in improving police officers' well-being and decreasing mental disorders. The prevalence of mental disorders, risk factors, and negative consequences are explained. Furthermore, examples of programs or interventions to promote mental health, and recommendations for further study are presented. Therefore, this review could be useful in developing intervention program to support police officers' health.
Physical and Psychological Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers, Including End of Life Care Providers
Shastri T, Gawri K, Rodriguez E and Dawar R
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused unprecedented distress in the community but has also resulted in significant physical and psychological exhaustion among healthcare workers (HCWs). This exhaustion could potentially lead to serious effects on our healthcare system.
Prevalence of Depression and Burnout among Family Medicine Residents in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia
AlNahedh A, BinRusayyis A, Al-Tannir M and AlFayyad I
The mental health of healthcare workers, particularly family medicine residents, is an area of growing concern, more so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. High levels of burnout and depression among these professionals can affect their well-being and patients' quality of care.
Exploring the Psychological Side of Fentanyl: A Scoping Review to Disclose the Psychosocial Dimensions of Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl Users
Caponnetto P, Triscari S, Prezzavento GC, Farrugio G, Farrauto C, Lanzafame S, Schilirò G, Uccelli E, Vitale NM, Fakhrou A, Nagi K and Concerto C
Fentanyl is a powerful opioid. The abuse and overdoses related to Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) have become more prevalent. The majority of clinical studies on fentanyl have focused on its medical and biological aspects, particularly its addictive properties. Few studies have delved into the psychological aspects of illicit fentanyl use, and there is currently no comprehensive review providing a structured psycho-social profile of the population groups most vulnerable to its effects. The goal of this Scoping Review was to construct a psychological and social profile of individuals at risk of using illicit fentanyl. This profile will serve as a guiding force for shaping behavioral policies and public health prevention efforts necessary to face the recent pandemic.