Maternal separation during lactation affects recognition memory, emotional behaviors, hippocampus and gut microbiota composition in C57BL6J adolescent female mice.

BACKGROUND: Maternal separation (MS) in rodents is a paradigm of early life events that affects neurological development in depression. Adolescence is a time of dramatic increases in psychological vulnerability, and being female is a depression risk factor. However, data on whether different MS scenarios affect behavioral deficits and the potential mechanisms in adolescent female mice are limited. METHODS: C57BL/6 J female pups were exposed to different MS (no MS, NMS; MS for 15 min/day, MS15; or 180 min/day, MS180) from postnatal day (PND)1 to PND21 and subjected for behavioral tests during adolescence. Behavioural tests, specifically the open field test (OFT), novel object recognition test (NOR) test and tail suspension test (TST), were performed. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines, hippocampal neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and gut microbiota were also assessed. RESULTS: The results showed that MS180 induced emotional behavioral deficits and object recognition memory impairment; however, MS15 promoted object recognition memory in adolescent females. MS180 decreased hippocampal neurogenesis of adolescent females, induced an increase in microgliosis, and increased certain inflammatory factors in the hippocampus, including TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. Furthermore, different MS altered gut microbiota diversity, and alpha diversity in the Shannon index was negatively correlated with the peripheral inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. Species difference analysis showed that the gut microbiota composition of the phyla Desulfobacterota and Proteobacteria was affected by the MS. LIMITATIONS: The sex differences in adolescent animal and causality of hippocampal neurogenesis and gut microbiota under different MS need to be further analyzed in depression. CONCLUSION: This study indicates different MS affect recognition memory and emotional behaviors in adolescent females, and gut microbiota-neuroinflammation and hippocampal neurogenesis may be a potential site of early neurodevelopmental impairment in depression.

Correlación entre acoso, ciberacoso y trastornos emocionales en estudiantes de colegios públicos de Floridablanca / Correlation between bullying, cyberbullying, and emotional disorders in schoolchildren from public schools in Floridablanca

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la relación entre la presencia de trastornos emocionales y el acoso escolar en los estudiantes de sexto a noveno grado de las instituciones educativas públicas de la ciudad de Floridablanca (Colombia). El diseño del estudio fue cuantitativo correlacional. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron la prueba de tamizaje cyberbullying y el Sistema de Evaluación de Niños y Adolescentes (SENA). Se evaluaron 76 menores que cumplen el rol de víctima o agresor, y los resultados obtenidos indicaron que un alto porcentaje de los involucrados en el acoso escolar como víctimas o agresores cara a cara o en línea presentan desajustes emocionales. Los datos descriptivos muestran que en Floridablanca (Colombia) aún hay fracciones de acoso escolar por debajo de la prevalencia internacional; sin embargo, existe una alta proporción de estudiantes en riesgo de asumir algún rol en el acoso escolar. Se concluyó que la Psicología es una disciplina científica que aporta herramientas para abordar los trastornos emocionales adscritos al acoso escolar. Que deben recibir tratamiento psicológico todos los involucrados en el acoso escolar en cualquiera de sus roles. Esta investigación puede considerarse como insumo para futuros trabajos que pretendan formular acciones de intervención para el acoso escolar y el trabajo de los trastornos emocionales qu e genera este problema.

Abstract The main goal for this research was to analyze the relationship between emotional disorders and bullying in schoolchildren. Participants were recruited from sixth to ninth grade in public schools from Floridablanca, Colombia. The design method was quantitative and correlational. We administered an online test called Cyberbullying to detect students involved in bullying and cyberbullying and emotional disorders were assessed using the test Sistema de Evaluación de Niños y Adolescentes (SENA). Participants were 76 schoolchildren with high scores as victims and/or aggressors. Results show a high percentage of schoolchildren involved in bullying and cyberbullying either as victims and/or aggressors that are suffering from emotional problems. Descriptive data also shows that Floridablanca still maintains a lower prevalence of bullying compared to international standards, but there's a high risk for children getting involved in these behaviors. This research can be taken as an input for future work that intends to formulate intervention actions, both for school acoso and for the work of the emotional disorders that this problem generates.

Estrategias de afrontamiento en adultos jóvenes con duelo por finalización de la relación de pareja / Coping strategies in people grieving duel to the end of a relationship

Resumen El duelo por finalización de una relación de pareja puede ser una experiencia que genera diferentes afectaciones, y para lidiar con ello, las personas utilizan diversos recursos de afrontamiento. El presente estudió buscó identificar las diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento que utilizan las personas en duelo de pareja en general y según el tiempo de finalización del vínculo. Esta investigación, de enfoque cuantitativo, alcance descriptivo no experimental y de corte transversal, fue realizada con 172 participantes, elegidos en un muestro a conveniencia. Se evidenció en los resultados que las estrategias que presentaron menor uso fueron la búsqueda de solución de problemas y la reevaluación positiva, y las más utilizadas fueron la búsqueda de apoyo social, la espera, religión, evitación emocional, el apoyo profesional, la reacción agresiva, la evitación cognitiva y la expresión de dificultad de afrontamiento. A nivel del tiempo de la finalización de la relación, se encontró mayor uso de la evitación emocional, reacción agresiva, evitación cognitiva y el apoyo profesional en aquellos con 6 meses de duelo, y menor uso de la reevaluación positiva, búsqueda de apoyo social, solución de problemas, negación, expresión de la dificultad de afrontamiento y autonomía en este periodo de tiempo. En conclusión, se identificó que las estrategias para afrontar el duelo en pareja varían conforme avanza el tiempo de la finalización del vínculo.

Abstract Grieving duel to the end of a relationship can be an experience that generates different effects and, to deal with it, people use various coping resources. The present study sought to identify the different coping strategies used by bereaved couples in general and according to the time the relationship ended. This research with a quantitative approach, non-experimental and cross-sectional descriptive scope, was carried out with 172 subjects chosen in a convenience sample. The results showed that the strategies that were least used were the search for problem solutions and positive reappraisal and the most used were the search for social support, waiting, religion, emotional avoidance, professional support, aggressive reaction, cognitive avoidance and the expression of coping difficulty. At the time of the end of the relationship, greater use of emotional avoidance, aggressive reaction, cognitive avoidance and professional support was found in those with 6 months of grief and less use of positive reappraisal, search for social support, solution of problems, denial, expression of coping difficulty and autonomy in this period of time. In conclusion, it was identified that the strategies for coping with grief as a couple vary as the time of the end of the relationship progresses.

Psychometric Properties of the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) in a sample of Colombian children and adolescents / Propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de Agresión (AQ) en una muestra de niños y adolescentes colombianos

Abstract Objective: To establish the psychometric properties of the aggression questionnaire (AQ) in a sample of Colombian children and adolescents. Method: The AQ was submitted to the judgment of seven experts in order to verify and adjust the clarity of the items taking into account the characteristics of the Colombian population. Following this analysis and adjustment of items, the instrument was applied to a sample of 892 participants between 10 and 23 years of age. For validity, evidence of internal structure was taken into account through confirmatory factor analysis and evidence based on the relationship with other variables. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis showed two models, one of factorial correlation and the other of second order indicating a model fit. Likewise, internal consistency was calculated by means of the Omega index, which showed precision in the measures for each factor in each of the models. The analysis suggested the elimination of four items. Conclusions: The first-order model was chosen because the empirical evidence shows that it satisfactorily operationalises the theoretical model of aggressive behaviour with which the instrument was constructed, assuming that the four subscales are necessary as a whole, but by themselves are not sufficient to assess aggressive behaviour by means of its items.

Resumen Objetivo: Establecer las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario de agresión (CA) en una muestra de niños y adolescentes colombianos. Método: El AQ fue sometido al juicio de siete expertos con el fin de verificar y ajustar la claridad de los ítems teniendo en cuenta las características de la población colombiana. Luego de este análisis y ajuste de ítems, se aplicó el instrumento a una muestra de 892 participantes entre 10 y 23 años de edad. Para la validez se tuvo en cuenta la evidencia de la estructura interna a través del análisis factorial confirmatorio y la evidencia basada en la relación con otras variables. Resultados: El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró dos modelos, uno de correlación factorial y otro de segundo orden indicando un ajuste del modelo. Asimismo, se calculó la consistencia interna mediante el índice Omega, que mostró precisión en las medidas para cada factor en cada uno de los modelos. El análisis sugirió la eliminación de cuatro ítems. Conclusiones: Se eligió el modelo de primer orden porque la evidencia empírica muestra que operacionaliza satisfactoriamente el modelo teórico de conducta agresiva con el que se construyó el instrumento, asumiendo que las cuatro subescalas son necesarias en su conjunto, pero por sí solas no son suficientes para evaluar la conducta agresiva por medio de sus ítems.

Longitudinal relationship between adolescent emotional self-regulation and prosocial behavior toward powerful people: Disentangling between-person differences from within-person effects.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the longitudinal effects between adolescent emotional self-regulation and prosocial behavior toward powerful people (i.e., actions aimed at benefiting or supporting individuals who hold significant influence or authority within a group or society), based on the perspective of positive socialization cycle. METHODS: We recruited 543 Chinese adolescents (284 girls, M age at Time 1 = 11.27 years) and collected three waves of data over 3 years, each approximately 1 year apart (n Time 2 = 449, n Time 3 = 417). Traditional cross-lagged panel model was conducted to test the longitudinal relationship between emotional self-regulation and prosocial behavior toward powerful people. Then, a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was performed to disentangle the between-person differences from the within-person predictive processes. RESULTS: The results showed that, emotional self-regulation in the previous year was positively associated with prosocial behavior toward powerful people in the next year, whereas earlier prosocial behavior toward powerful people was not predictive of subsequent emotional self-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings advocate the domain-specific nature of self-regulation and prosocial behavior and deepen our understanding of the relationship between the two from the culture-specific perspective. This study also highlights the value of emotional self-regulation intervention as a viable way to promote adolescent prosocial development. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.

Skin conductance response and habituation to emotional facial expressions and words.

Skin conductance response (SCR) serves as a dependable marker of sympathetic activation used to measure emotional arousal. This study investigates the impact of presentation modality (face or word) on the degree of emotional discrimination elicited by SCR. Facial expressions or words associated with six basic emotions-anger, happiness, disgust, fear, sadness, and surprise-were studied among 102 participants. The amplitude of SCR was accurately predicted by subjective arousal ratings of these stimuli, but not by valence ratings. The habituation process to emotional and neutral stimuli across six successive presentations was characterized by an exponential decay function, capturing the rate at which SCR response diminishes in relation to the preceding trial of the same stimulus. Through the subtraction of the response to neutral stimuli from the emotion-evoked SCR, it was demonstrated that the initial presentation of each emotion elicits a substantial response, particularly attributable to the emotional content. Notably, the initial emotional response to faces expressing happiness, disgust, and sadness surpassed that of words conveying the same emotions. The results indicate that different emotional responses can be quantified using a simple electrical instrument.

Repairing with a warm heart: How medical practitioners cultivate affective relationships with clients.

Healthcare providers are often advised to manage emotions to adhere to professional feeling rules and avoid deep affection for clients, but there are situations where this would not apply. We offer an atypical case of a cleft lip and palate (CLP) treatment program where affectionate medical provider-patient relationships are encouraged. Participant observation in a CLP department, in-depth interviews with the medical team, and public online content from the official WeChat account of the department showed that a meaningful bond was formed through a contextual concordance of moral consideration and professionalism across the organization. Medical practitioners have developed and justified such emotional work at the individual, professional, and organizational levels through three concordant micro-processes: developing the moral deservingness of the patient, instilling moral fulfillment into professionalism, and establishing moral consensus among medical professionals. This study enhances our current understanding of emotional work in healthcare by recognizing the moral consideration of patients and its influence on medical practices and by highlighting the complexities and dynamics of different feeling rules.

Effectiveness of Emotional-Focused Coping on Heart-Focused Anxiety in Patients Prior to Cardiac Catheterization.

BACKGROUND: Heart-focused anxiety involves a concentration on and a fear of cardiacrelated feelings and their anticipated negative outcomes (such as a life-threatening arrhythmia or abrupt cardiac death). It results in continuing concerns about heart function, avoiding activities that are thought to cause cardiac symptoms, and frequent behavior of requesting assistance in medical settings. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of Emotional-Focused Coping on Heart-Focused Anxiety in Patients Prior to Cardiac Catheterization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study using (pretest and posttest design with a control group). A purposive sampling technique was used to gather the study information from 120 patients prior to cardiac catheterization by using the beck anxiety inventory scale. The study is conducted in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Government, Al-Najaf Center for Cardiac Surgery and Trans-Catheter Therapy. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference is found in participant's anxiety level prior to cardiac catheterization between the first measure before applying the coping techniques and the second measure after the application of coping strategies (Mean difference =13.500, P <0.0005). CONCLUSION: The emotional focused coping strategies are proving as easy interventions to apply and effective in terms of reducing the level of heart-focused anxiety prior to cardiac catheterization.

Longitudinal association of stress with mental health in the context of COVID-19: The mediating role of psychological flexibility and emotional schemas.

Stress is a known contributor to psychosocial pathological conditions and reduction of well-being. The literature has highlighted the role of emotional schemas and psychological flexibility as psychological processes underlying this relationship in the short term. This two-wave longitudinal study analyses the mediating role of psychological flexibility and emotional schemas in the relationship between stress responses to COVID-19-related events and mental health 6 months later. Two hundred and seventy-six individuals were included in this study, completing measures of stress responses, emotional schemas, psychological flexibility and positive and negative mental health. Negative evaluation of emotions was a significant mediator in the longitudinal relationship between stress responses and negative mental health. Valued action and openness to experience mediate the longitudinal relationship between stress responses and positive mental health. This study underscores the importance of the different dimensions of psychological processes, suggesting that over time, more maladaptive psychological processes play a significant role in elucidating the relationship between stress responses and negative mental health. Similarly, it suggests that more adaptive processes may help explain the relationship between stress responses and positive mental health. This contributes to a better understanding of the stability of these processes, which is important for determining which intervention targets should be prioritised.

Atypical prefrontal neural activity during an emotional interference control task in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is typically characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, which may be associated with a failure to naturally orient to social stimuli, particularly in recognizing and responding to facial emotions. As most previous studies have used nonsocial stimuli to investigate inhibitory control in children and adults with ASD, little is known about the behavioral and neural activation patterns of emotional inhibitory control in adolescent with ASD. Functional neuroimaging studies have underscored the key role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in inhibitory control and emotional face processing. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether adolescent with ASD exhibited altered PFC processing during an emotional Flanker task by using non-invasive functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty-one adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 26 typically developing (TD) adolescents aged 13-16 years were recruited. All participants underwent an emotional Flanker task, which required to decide whether the centrally positioned facial emotion is consistent with the laterally positioned facial emotion. TD adolescents exhibited larger RT and mean O2Hb level in the incongruent condition than the congruent condition, evoking cortical activations primarily in right PFC regions in response to the emotional Flanker effect. In contrast, ASD adolescents failed to exhibit the processing advantage for congruent versus incongruent emotional face in terms of RT, but showed cortical activations primarily in left PFC regions in response to the emotional Flanker effect. These findings suggest that adolescents with ASD rely on different neural strategies to mobilize PFC neural resources to address the difficulties they experience when inhibiting the emotional face.

Distinct prefrontal cortex alterations in confirmed and suspected depression individuals with different perceived stress during an emotional autobiographical memory task: One fNIRS investigation.

BACKGROUND: Previous research showed that perceived stress was strongly linked to depression, little is known about the underlying neurological mechanism of different depression subtypes with different perceived stress, and there is currently no classification of stress-based subtypes of depression. This study aimed at using fNIRS to uncover the neuromechanism of confirmed and suspected depression with different perceived stress, hence providing neurobiological evidence for the classification of stress-based depression subtypes. It is a significant target for effective depression treatment. METHOD: The study included 551 young adults: 256 healthy control individuals, 62 confirmed depression patients, and 233 suspected depression participants. A 53-channel fNIRS imaging system was used to gather the average oxyhemoglobin level in the PFC during EAMT. RESULTS: Compared with HC, confirmed and suspected depression group show significant lower hemodynamic activation in right frontal lobe of frame under high loss of control. Confirmed depression with high sense of tension had higher activation than with high loss of control in right dlPFC, while for suspected depression, the activation with high sense of tension was lower than with high loss of control in left broca's area (BA) and front polar cortex (FPC). CONCLUSION: All perceived stresses were not equal in their impacts on different depression types. The confirmed and suspected depression were two different depression subtypes sharing distinct activation pattern under different perceived stress in PFC, which may be an important target for stress-linked psychopathology. Depression can be further classified precisely based on stress. fNIRS can provide neuroimaging evidence for classification of stress-based depression subtypes.

"It's someone who means a lot to me, and who means even more to mom": Children's views on the romantic partners of their polyamorous parents.

Polyamory is a relationship style that allows individuals to develop multiple romantic relationships simultaneously. Although studies show that many polyamorous people have children, very little is known about the experiences of children growing up in such a family context. Based on 18 semi-structured interviews with Canadian children living with polyamorous parents, we examined the level of emotional closeness they felt towards their parents' romantic partners, and what these adults meant to them. We found that these children generally appreciated their parents' partners. These adults were seen by our participants as someone who contributed positively to their lives. More specifically, the participating children -especially pre-teens and younger children- described their parents' romantic partners as adults: 1) to have fun with, 2) who contributed to their material well-being, 3) who took care of them, and 4) who, through their own children, contributed to expanding their circle of friends. Finally, some children - mainly teenagers and pre-teens- talked about these adults primarily as people who contributed positively to their parents' lives. Overall, this study makes an important contribution to the literature on family diversity.

Le polyamour est un mode relationnel qui permet aux personnes impliquées de développer plusieurs relations amoureuses simultanément. Quoique des études montrent que bon nombre de personnes polyamoureuses ont de enfants, on en sait très peu sur le vécu des enfants qui grandissent dans un tel contexte familial. À partir de 18 entrevues semi-dirigées menées auprès d'enfants de parents polyamoureux canadiens, nous examinons le niveau de proximité affective qu'ils ressentent à l'égard des partenaires amoureux de leurs parents et ce que ces adultes représentent pour eux. Nous constatons que les enfants interviewés apprécient généralement les partenaires de leurs parents. Ces derniers sont considérés par ces enfants comme des personnes ressources qui contribuent de façon positive à leur vie. Plus précisément, les participants ­particulièrement les préadolescent·e·s et les jeunes enfants ­ décrivent les partenaires amoureux de leurs parents comme des adultes: 1) avec qui avoir du plaisir, 2) qui contribuent matériellement à leur bien-être, 3) qui prennent soin d'eux, et 4) qui, grâce à leurs propres enfants, contribuent à élargir le cercle d'ami·e·s. Enfin, quelques enfants ­principalement les adolescent·e·s et préadolescent·e·s­ parlent de ces adultes avant tout comme des personnes qui contribuent de façon positive à la vie de leurs parents. Au final, cette étude contribue de façon significative à la littérature sur la diversité familiale.

How social desirability impacts life satisfaction among Chinese youth: mediators of mental toughness and emotional intelligence.

Social desirability has been recognized as a predictor of life satisfaction but it has yet to know the mechanism of this effect. This research aimed to explore the relationship between social desirability and life satisfaction, as well as the mediation effects of mental toughness and emotional intelligence. In Sample 1, we asked 1200 youths (12-24 years old) to complete an online questionnaire measuring social desirability, life satisfaction, mental toughness, and emotional intelligence. Results indicated that social desirability had a direct positive effect on youth's life satisfaction. In addition, mental toughness and emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between social desirability and life satisfaction, showing a chain role of mental toughness and emotional intelligence. A second sample (n = 750) was then used to verify the above findings, and similar results were found. These findings are consistent with our hypotheses, revealing the mechanisms of social desirability in relation to life satisfaction and the important role of mental toughness and emotional intelligence.

Can positive emotional writing improve the emotional health level of international medical students? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common psychological issues among international medical students in universities, which have serious negative impacts on their learning and life. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of positive emotional writing in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as enhancing subjective well-being among this population. METHOD: This study was conducted at an international college of a comprehensive university in central China. A total of ninety-two participants who met the inclusion criteria were recruited to participate in a single-blind randomized controlled trial, in which participants were not aware that there was an experimental group and a control group. Participants in control received daily psychological care weekly for 8 weeks (n = 46). Correspondingly, participants in experimental group received the positive emotional writing intervention on the basis of daily psychological care. Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and General Well-being Scale (GWB) were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Data from 89 students who completed the entire study (experimental group, n = 44; control group, n = 45) were analyzed. RESULTS: After the intervention, the scores of SDS and SAS in the experimental group significantly decreased, while the subjective well-being score significantly increased. Although the SAS score of the control group after intervention was significantly lower than before, the decrease in SDS and SAS scores, as well as the increase in GWB score, were significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that positive emotional writing can effectively reduce the depression and anxiety of international medical students, and significantly enhance their subjective well-being, providing ideas for management to solve the psychological problems of international medical students. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2400087815. Registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.

Emotion processes in voice-hearers: Understanding differences in emotional reactivity, emotion regulation and alexithymia.

OBJECTIVES: Disrupted emotion processes are commonly linked to the onset and maintenance of auditory verbal hallucinations. However, a comprehensive approach using an extended emotion model has not previously been applied to voice-hearers to distinguish impairments in emotion processes from non-clinical populations. The present study hypothesised voice-hearers, as compared to controls, would have (1) higher reactivity to negative emotions and lower reactivity to positive emotions, (2) more difficulties regulating negative and positive emotions, (3) more maladaptive strategy use, and (4) higher alexithymia. METHOD: T-tests tested these hypotheses, comparing self-report measures of emotional reactivity, emotion regulation and alexithymia in voice-hearers (n = 50) to controls (n = 53). RESULTS: There were no group differences in emotional reactivity to positive or negative emotions. Compared to controls, voice-hearers showed difficulties in both positive and negative emotion regulation, were more likely to use expressive suppression, and were more likely to be alexithymic. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may help researchers and clinicians identify difficulties in voice-hearers' emotion processing, providing better direction for case formulation and treatment.

The immediate and lasting effects of imagery rescripting and their associations with imagery tendency in young adults with childhood maltreatment history: An ERP study.

The effectiveness of imagery rescripting (IR) in reducing psychological symptoms associated with aversive memories has been confirmed across various disorders. To better understand the neural mechanisms underlying IR, we assessed the immediate and lasting effects and their associations with imagery tendency by using unpleasant pictures depicting child maltreatment within a population with childhood maltreatment (CM) history. Participants (n = 68) were instructed to engage in two experimental phases while electroencephalogram was recorded. In the rescripting phase, participants viewed neutral or unpleasant pictures and then either imagined the same pictures or rescripted unpleasant ones to assess immediate effect. In the re-exposure phase, participants passively viewed all pictures without instruction to assess lasting effect. Participants rated their subjective valence and imagery vividness in the rescripting phase or intensity of negative feelings in the re-exposure phase. IR led to an attenuation of the late positive potential (LPP) amplitude in the late time window (2000-6000 ms at parietal-occipital electrodes) and a decrease in self-reported unpleasantness during the rescripting phase. After 5-min interval, unpleasant pictures with rescripted history elicited smaller LPP (400-1500 ms at centro-parietal electrodes) and negative feelings than those with imagery history in the re-exposure phase. The higher habitual use of imagery was associated with a greater reduction in late LPP during the rescripting phase and full-time range LPP during the re-exposure phase. The current findings suggest that IR has an immediate effect and a lasting effect on subjective and neural response in the CM population. Individuals with higher imagery tendency are likely to profit more from IR.

Spiritual and Emotional Care Among Clergy as First Responder-Victims in Puerto Rico: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study.

A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted to explore the experiences of church leaders (10 priests, pastors, and pastors' wives) who provided disaster spiritual/emotional care (DSEC) to the island of Puerto Rico during a period of intense and repeated crises from 2017 to 2022. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed. Findings indicated that the participants engaged in psychological, social, and religious coping strategies to actively cope with the stress and trauma of being first responder rescuer/victims. Regional, cultural and contextual factors are considered in an effort to understand and enhance services to populations where disaster is the new normal.

Adolescents' meaning making of salient emotional experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: This mixed-method longitudinal study examined American adolescents' meaning making of salient COVID-19 pandemic events. METHOD: Within phone interviews, adolescents (N = 124, Mage = 15.76 years; 46% Latine) narrated their most emotionally impactful pandemic experience at two time points ~30 days apart between July 2020 and March 2021. Narratives were coded for (1) content (i.e., event-type, relation to the pandemic, and the valence of the event [positive or negative]), (2) linguistic markers of subjective event processing (internal state language such as positive emotion, negative emotion, and cognition words), (3) narrative meaning-making, and (4) the outcome of adolescents' meaning-making (i.e., their "meanings made"). RESULTS: About 30% of adolescents spontaneously made meaning of their experience. Negative emotion words within narratives at time 1 positively predicted meaning making at time 2. Meaning making at time 1 predicted increased use of cognition words at time 2. Meaning making themes included: recognizing the threat of COVID-19, coping with a pandemic, and shifts in perspectives. DISCUSSION: Salient emotional experiences that occur during adolescence are likely to be remembered and contribute to one's life story. This work provides a window into how the COVID-19 pandemic may have shaped adolescent development in the United States.

Shaping minds and hearts in medical education: Embedding and implementing a personal and professional development curriculum.

This paper explores personal and professional development (PPD) as a key learning domain for the future of medical education and person-centered care. Guided by existing curriculum development models and lessons learned in practice, scenarios from academic and clinical learning environments will guide a theory-driven discussion of concepts and competencies that humanize the practice of medicine, such as emotional intelligence, professional identity formation, lifelong learning and inclusive practice. Factors contributing to contemporary curriculum implementation will be informed by a case study of a PPD program delivered to post-graduate medical students in Australia and propose an action-focused series of next steps to connect past, current and future directions for medical schools and graduates. Through reflections on iterative stages of program development and the incorporation of emerging concepts in PPD, this paper advocates for the true valuing of personal growth and professional development in medical education. If future doctors are to graduate as compassionate, socially informed, and critically reflective practitioners, they need dedicated PPD learning, opportunities to practice and active encouragement to remain curious towards and beyond their own experience.

Understanding the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and neglect and psychological distress in pregnant women: the role of prenatal attachment.

BACKGROUND: Childhood abuse and neglect pose important risk factors for the development of psychopathology during pregnancy. However, only a few studies have assessed the effects of a specific type of abuse during the perinatal period, namely, psychological maltreatment, which includes emotional abuse and neglect. These studies have found that women who have experienced psychological maltreatment exhibit higher levels of antenatal depressive symptoms and greater difficulties forming attachment with their babies than women who have not experienced this kind of adversity. The aim of this study was to examine how emotional abuse and neglect experiences may favor the occurrence of psychological distress in pregnant women, and whether prenatal attachment might explain this association. METHODS: Participants comprised 128 Italian pregnant women ranging in age from 21 to 46 years (Mage = 33.4; SD = 6.10). Women responded to the following self-report instruments: CECA.Q and CTQ-SF, for the assessment of psychological maltreatment experiences; MAAS, for the evaluation of prenatal attachment; and PAMA, for the assessment of perinatal psychological distress. RESULTS: Pearson correlations revealed a positive association between childhood neglect and perinatal psychological distress and a negative association between childhood neglect and prenatal attachment scores. No significant correlations were found for emotional abuse. Perinatal psychological distress was negatively associated with prenatal attachment. Mediation analyses showed significant associations between childhood neglect and the dimensions of perinatal affectivity and prenatal maternal attachment. Prenatal maternal attachment mediated the relationship between neglect and perinatal psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The transition to motherhood is a sensitive period, particularly for women who have experienced abuse and neglect during childhood. These experiences may negatively impact a woman's disposition to emotionally and behaviorally engage in the formation of a bond with their unborn baby. These results may have important prevention and clinical implications and thus warrant further exploration.