Behavioral evidence of impaired self-referential processing in patients with affective disorders and first-episode schizophrenia.

Despite the critical role of self-disturbance in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, its diverse behavioral manifestations remain poorly understood. This investigation aimed to elucidate unique patterns of self-referential processing in affective disorders and first-episode schizophrenia. A total of 156 participants (41 first-episode schizophrenia [SZ], 33 bipolar disorder [BD], 44 major depressive disorder [MDD], and 38 healthy controls [HC]) engaged in a self-referential effect (SRE) task, assessing trait adjectives for self-descriptiveness, applicability to mother, or others, followed by an unexpected recognition test. All groups displayed preferential self- and mother-referential processing with no significant differences in recognition scores. However, MDD patients showed significantly enhanced self-referential recognition scores and increased bias compared to HC, first-episode SZ, and BD. The present study provides empirical evidence for increased self-focus in MDD and demonstrates that first-episode SZ and BD patients maintain intact self-referential processing abilities. These findings refine our understanding of self-referential processing impairments across psychiatric conditions, suggesting that it could serve as a supplementary measure for assessing treatment response in first-episode SZ and potentially function as a discriminative diagnostic criterion between MDD and BD.

Association between video gaming time and cognitive functions: A cross-sectional study of Chinese children and adolescents.

This study sought to explore relationships between video gaming time and cognitive functioning in children and adolescents to provide a scientific reference for a reasonable time range of game use. A total of 649 participants aged 6-18 years were recruited through an online survey using convenience sampling. We used a combination of multiple linear regression models, smoothing splines, piecewise linear regression models, and log-likelihood ratio tests to comprehensively analyze the linear and nonlinear relationships between video gaming time and cognitive functions. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using the digit symbol test, spatial span back test, Stroop task, and Wisconsin card sorting test. Facial and voice emotion recognition tests were used to evaluate social cognitive functioning. Video gaming time had a saturation effect on improving correct answers to the digit symbol test, which means that performance did not increase with increasing video gaming time when the video gaming duration reached 20 h/week (adjusted ß = -0.58; 95% CI: -1.22, 0.05). Furthermore, both the relationship between video gaming time and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the facial emotion recognition score showed a threshold effect. The completed categories of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test began to decline after 17 h/week of playtime, and a decline in facial emotion recognition occurred after playing video games for over 20 h/week. These results suggest that children and adolescents should restrict their video gaming time to within a certain range, which could help reduce the negative effects of video games and retain their positive effects.

Differences of medically unexplained symptoms among patients of different ages and sexes in the psychological clinic of a general hospital and the influencing factors of MUS: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: To analyse differences in sex, age, depression, insomnia, psychological stress, resilience, and perceived social support among patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in a psychological clinic of a general hospital, and to explore the influencing factors of MUS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Seven hundred forty-six first-time patients were assessed with the integrated psychosomatic comprehensive evaluation system (IPS) to evaluate their MUS, depression, insomnia, psychological stress, resilience, and perceived social support. The psychological characteristics were compared with regard to sex and age group (<25 years, low age group; 26-44 years, middle age group; >45 years, high age group). The relationships between age and MUS were explored, and how psychological stress affects MUS was analyzed using the mediator effect model. Results: Different age groups had significant differences in sex, MUS, depression, psychological stress, resilience, and perceived social support. In further pairwise comparison, no significant difference existed in depression, psychological stress, resilience and perceived social support in the middle and low age groups, depression and psychological stress were higher than those in the high age group, resilience and perceived social support were lower than those of the high age group. MUS were higher in the middle age group than in the low age group. No significant difference existed between the two groups and the high age group. Age, severity of MUS, and perceived social support were significantly different between the sexes. Differences in MUS between men and women in different age groups were analyzed using two-factor analysis of variance. It revealed no interaction between sex and different age groups on MUS. The main effect analysis showed that the effects of different age groups on MUS were statistically significant. Based on pairwise comparative analysis, the MUS score in the low age group was lower than that in the middle age group. To clarify a nonlinear relationship between age and MUS, threshold effect analysis was conducted. The results indicated that the piecewise linear regression model could better depict the relationship between age and MUS. The inflection point was at the age of 60 years. Before the age of 60 years, MUS increased with age. No significant correlation existed between age and MUS after the age of 60 years. To understand the influencing factors of MUS, the intermediary effect model was analyzed using MUS as the dependent variable, psychological stress as the independent variable, resilience as mediator variable M1, perceived social support as mediator variable M2, and depression as mediator variable M3. Resilience, perceived social support, and depression had significant mediator effects on the effects of psychological stress on MUS with a total indirect effect of 69.81%. Conclusion: The middle age group had greater MUS than the low age group. Before the age of 60 years, MUS increased with increasing age. Women had more severe MUS than men. Resilience, perceived social support, and depression had significant mediating effects on the effects of perceived stress on MUS. These findings suggest that clinicians should make more comprehensive and detailed evaluations and timely intervention for middle-aged and female patients. Improving psychological resilience and social support can reduce the impact of psychological stress on MUS. Therefore, psychotherapy and multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment are very important for patients is very important for patients.

Development and Internal Validation of a Model for Predicting Internet Gaming Disorder Risk in Adolescents and Children.

Background: The high prevalence of Internet gaming disorder among children and adolescents and its severe psychological, health, and social consequences have become a public emergency. A high efficiency and cost-effective early recognition method are urgently needed. Objective: We aim to develop and internally validate a nomogram model for predicting Internet gaming disorder (IGD) risk in Chinese adolescents and children. Methods: Through an online survey, 780 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years who participated in the survey from June to August 2021 were selected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model was used to filter the factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to establish the prediction model and generate nomograms and a website calculator. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model's discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. Bootstrapping validation was used to verify the model internally. Results: Male sex and experience of game consumption were the two most important predictors. Both models exhibited good discrimination, with an area under the curve >0.80. The calibration plots were both close to the diagonal line (45°). Decision curve analyses revealed that two nomograms were clinically useful when the threshold probability for the intervention was set to 5-75%. Conclusion: Two prediction models appear to be reliable tools for Internet gaming disorder screening in children and adolescents, which can also help clinicians to personalize treatment plans. Moreover, from the standpoint of simplification and cost, Model 2 appears to be a better alternative.

Effect of Alexithymia on Internet Addiction Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Metacognition Beliefs.

Background: Previous studies have found that alexithymia plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Internet addiction. However, the effect of alexithymia on both metacognition and Internet addiction has yet to be examined. Methods: The Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Metacognition Questionnaire, and Internet Addiction Test were used to assess a sample of 356 college students. A parallel mediator effect analysis was applied to test the hypothesis that metacognition mediates the relationship between alexithymia and Internet addiction. Results: The parallel multiple mediator models showed that alexithymia predicted the five dimensions of metacognition and Internet addiction, and that three dimensions-cognitive confidence, positive beliefs about worry, and the need to control thoughts-partially mediated this relationship. Conclusion: Alexithymia could directly and indirectly predict Internet addiction via metacognition.