Disentangling Stereotypes towards Older Age Groups: Evidence from Factorial Survey Experiments in China and the USA.

INTRODUCTION: Older adults are usually perceived as warmer but less competent than younger adults. This study examined how these stereotypes are related to domain-specific attributes and how individuals' values may moderate the association. METHODS: We recruited 560 Chinese participants (mean age [SD]: 23.14 ± 7.08 years old, ranging from 18 to 60 years old) and 479 American participants (mean age [SD]: 31.37 ± 7.19 years old, ranging from 18 to 57 years old). Participants rated perceived warmth and competence of older adults based on vignettes with varying descriptions of specific domains (i.e., three relational domains: number of friends, family relationship quality, and engagement in neighbourhood activities; and three individualistic domains: income, depression, and memory) and personal attributes (i.e., gender, age, and independence). RESULTS: Firstly, the results showed that relational domains predict warmth, whereas individualistic domains predict competence in both samples from China and the USA. Secondly, in both samples, people with higher communal values attributed more relevance to relational domains on judgement of warmth. Lastly, only in the US sample did people with higher agentic values attribute more relevance to individualistic domains on judgement of competence. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The study revealed that personal values, when determined relatively, contribute to stereotypes of older adults in the two independent samples.

Assessing the Influence of Patient Empowerment Gained Through Mental Health Apps on Patient Trust in the Health Care Provider and Patient Compliance With the Recommended Treatment: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: In chronic mental illness, noncompliance with treatment significantly worsens the illness course and outcomes for patients. Considering that nearly 1 billion people worldwide experience mental health issues, including 1 of 5 Canadians in any given year, finding tools to lower noncompliance in these populations is critical for health care systems. A promising avenue is apps that make mental health services more accessible to patients. However, little is known regarding the impact of the empowerment gained from mental health apps on patient compliance with recommended treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of patient empowerment gained through mental health apps on patient trust in the health care provider and patient compliance with the recommended treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in Canada. Eligible participants were Canadian adults diagnosed with chronic mental health disorders who were using at least one of the following apps: Dialogue, MindBeacon, Deprexis, Ginger, Talkspace, BetterHelp, MindStrong, Mindshift, Bloom, Headspace, and Calm. A total of 347 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using partial least-squares structural equation modeling. Trust in the health care provider and patient compliance were measured with multiple-item scales adapted from existing scales. Patient empowerment was conceived and measured as a higher-order construct encompassing the following 2 dimensions: patient process and patient outcome. All the items contributing to the constructs in the model were measured with 7-point Likert scales. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were assessed, and the path coefficients of the structural model were estimated. RESULTS: The results clearly show that patient empowerment gained through mental health apps positively influenced patient trust in the health care provider (ß=.306; P<.001). Patient trust in the health care provider had a positive effect on patient compliance (ß=.725; P<.001). The direct relationship between patient empowerment and patient compliance was not significant (ß=.061, P=.23). Interestingly, the data highlight that the effect of patient empowerment on patient compliance was fully mediated by trust in the health care provider (ß=.222; P<.001). The results show that patient empowerment gained through the mental health app involves 2 dimensions: a process and an outcome. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that for individuals living with mental health disorders, empowerment gained through mental health apps enhances trust in the health care provider. It reveals that patient empowerment impacts patient compliance but only through the full mediating effect of patient trust in the health care provider, indicating that patient trust is a critical variable to enhance patient compliance. Hence, our results confirm that health care systems could encourage the use of mental health apps to favor a climate that facilitates patients' trust in health care provider recommendations, possibly leading to better compliance with the recommended treatment.

Perceptions and Attitudes Related to Driving after Cannabis Use in Canadian and US Adults.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the risk perceptions related to driving after cannabis use (DACU) among Canadian and US adults who used cannabis in the past six months. METHODS: Perceptions of danger, normative beliefs, perceived likelihood of negative consequences, and other driving-related variables were collected via online surveys in Canadian (n = 158; 50.0% female, 84.8% White, mean age = 32.73 years [SD = 10.61]) and US participants (n = 678; 50.9% female, 73.6% White, mean age = 33.85 years [SD = 10.12]). Driving cognitions and DACU quantity/frequency were compared between samples using univariate analyses of variance, and Spearman's (ρ) correlations were performed to examine associations between driving cognitions and DACU quantity/frequency. RESULTS: The two samples did not significantly differ in self-reported level of cannabis use, lifetime quantity of DACU, or the number of times they drove within two hours of cannabis use in the past three months (Ps > .12). Compared to US participants, Canadians perceived driving within two hours of cannabis use as more dangerous (P < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.013) and reported more of their friends would disapprove of DACU (P = 0.03, ηp2 = 0.006). There were no differences in the number of friends who would refuse to ride with a driver who had used cannabis (P = 0.15) or the perceived likelihood of negative consequences (Ps > 0.07). More favorable perceptions were significantly correlated with greater lifetime DACU and driving within two hours of use (ρ = 0.25-0.53, Ps < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal differences in distal risk factors for DACU between Canada and the US and may inform prevention efforts focusing on perceptions of risk and social acceptance of DACU.