The moderating role of early-life parental adverse and positive factors in the genetic and environmental contributions to objectively assessed sleep duration in middle childhood.

Early-life positive and adverse parental factors, such as positive parent personality and parental stress, affect the environmental context in which children develop and may influence individual differences in children's sleep health. This study examined the moderating role of early-life parental factors in the heritability (i.e., the extent to which individual differences are due to genetic influences) of objectively assessed childhood sleep duration. A total of 351 families from the Arizona Twin Project were studied. Primary caregivers (95% mothers) reported on multiple dimensions of stress and facets of their own personality when the twins were 12 months old. Seven years later (Mage = 8.43 years, SD = 0.68), families completed a home visit, and twins (51% female; 57% White, 29% Hispanic; 30% monozygotic, 39% same-sex dizygotic, 31% other-sex dizygotic) wore actigraph watches to assess their sleep, with caregivers completing similar assessments on their personality attributes and stress. Early-life positive parent personality moderated the heritability of sleep duration (Δ-2LL [-2 log likelihood] = 2.54, Δdf = 2, p = .28), such that as positive parent personality increased, the heritability of duration decreased. Early-life parental stress also moderated the genetic contribution to sleep duration (Δ-2LL = 2.02, Δdf = 2, p = .36), such that as stress increased, the heritability of duration increased. Concurrent positive parent personality and parental stress composites showed similar patterns of findings. Results highlight the likely contribution of parent positive traits and adverse experiences to the etiology of children's sleep health, with genetic influences on children's sleep more prominent in "riskier" environments. Understanding how genetics and environments work together to influence the etiology of sleep may inform prevention programs.

Are Physical and Depressive Symptoms Different Between Women and Men With Heart Failure?: An Exploration Using Two Analytic Techniques.

BACKGROUND: Adults with heart failure (HF) experience a constellation of symptoms; however, understanding of gender differences in HF symptoms remain elusive. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are gender differences in physical and depressive symptoms and symptom patterns in HF using 2 different analytic techniques. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of combined data from 6 studies of adults with HF. Physical symptoms were measured with the HF Somatic Perception Scale, and depressive symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. First, we performed propensity matching with the nearest neighbor to examine the average treatment effect for HF Somatic Perception Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in the matched sample of women and men. Next, we used the entire data set in a latent class mixture model to determine patterns of symptoms. Finally, we calculated predictors of class membership with multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: The sample (n = 524, 86.5% systolic HF) was 37% women with a mean age of 58.3 ± 13.9 years and mean number of years with HF of 6.9 ± 6.9. Three hundred sixty-six participants were matched on propensity scores; there were no significant gender differences in symptom scores between matched women (n = 183) and men (n = 183). Among all 524 participants, 4 distinct latent classes of symptom patterns indicate that many patients with HF are fatigued, some have more depressive symptoms, and others have significantly more edema or cough. Gender did not predict membership to any symptom pattern. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant gender differences in sociodemographics, health behaviors, and clinical characteristics, but not HF symptoms or symptom patterns, using either analytic technique.

Using a Virtual Platform for Conducting Grandfamily Research.

BACKGROUND: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our research team quickly pivoted from planned face-to-face interaction with participants to virtual interactions. During this transition, we discovered invaluable new practices for conducting research remotely, including collecting physiological data. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe the methodological challenges we encountered when conducting this research virtually with grandparent-grandchild dyads and describe the strategies we developed to overcome those challenges. Of primary focus were procedures for finger-stick blood sample collection. Of secondary focus were procedures for conducting virtual-based research with older adults and across multiple generations. METHODS: During an observational study utilizing a virtual platform with 11 grandparent-grandchild dyads (mean age: 64.2 ± 5.0 years for grandparents and 9.3 ± 1.9 years for grandchildren), we documented lessons learned (based on the discussion within our team and feedback we have received from participants) that could be applicable for other, similar research endeavors. RESULTS: We found several challenges in collecting blood samples, including staff were unfamiliar with providing online instruction and participants needed to develop familiarity with the blood sample collection process (without having in-person assistance), and we had to develop methods for delivering blood sample collection kits to participants safely. We also found that it took longer than expected to run procedures-a challenge that might be encountered when conducting any type of dyadic research utilizing a virtual platform-particularly involving older adults and across multiple generations. In addition, it was challenging to keep child participants engaged in the virtual interactions. We document how we employed targeted strategies to overcome those obstacles. Recommendations for strategies from our team include to provide comprehensive and clear instruction/materials on blood sampling procedure, offer generous support throughout the blood collection process, be prepared to divide study visits into more than one session as needed, proactively anticipate potential roadblocks, and carefully consider the participants' developmental stages and attention span. DISCUSSION: The insights we gained will help inform future research with grandparent-grandchild dyads in remote or rural populations utilizing virtual platforms.

Pediatric recurring pain in the community: the role of children's sleep and internalizing symptoms.

Associations between poor sleep and pain may be amplified for children who also have depressive or anxious symptoms. This study examined associations between child sleep at eight years and recurrent pain at nine years along with the moderating role of internalizing symptoms. Families were from a community-based, ongoing longitudinal study (N = 632 children). At eight and nine years, twins (49.2% female, 56.7% non-Latinx European American, 28.8% Latinx) and caregivers participated in assessments focused on child sleep and pain, respectively. Approximately 53% of children had pain in at least one location at least monthly. Internalizing symptoms at age eight were positively associated with number of pain sites at age nine. Lower sleep efficiencies were associated with more pain sites for children with higher levels of internalizing symptoms. Later midpoint times were associated with more pain sites for children with lower levels of internalizing symptoms. Interventions focused on improving children's pain outcomes may consider targeting sleep behaviors and mental health.

Children's sleep, impulsivity, and anger: shared genetic etiology and implications for developmental psychopathology.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has established links between poor sleep and problems in emotion regulation. Impulsivity and anger/frustration are core features of child psychopathology. Further, sleep problems are commonly associated with psychopathology. This study examined shared and unique genetic and environmental influences on sleep, impulsivity, and anger/frustration in the middle childhood period with potential ramifications for psychopathology. METHODS: Families (29.9% monozygotic, 38.6% same-sex dizygotic, 31.5% opposite-sex dizygotic) from a longitudinal twin study participated (N = 613 twins). Twins (Mage  = 8.37, SD = 0.66; 49% female; 58% non-Latinx European American, 30% Latinx) wore actigraph watches for seven days to assess sleep. Primary caregivers (95.3% mothers) completed standardized questionnaires to assess twins' temperament (impulsivity, anger/frustration). RESULTS: Univariate ACE twin structural equation models indicated strong genetic influences (76%) on impulsivity, whereas the largest proportion of variance in anger/frustration was attributed to the shared environment (56%). Bivariate model fitting indicated that sleep-impulsivity and sleep-anger/frustration associations in children are genetic; thus, a mutual underlying genetic factor likely contributes to the commonality in these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Given evidence that sleep problems, impulsivity, and anger/frustration are mechanisms associated with psychopathology, our findings suggest a genetic commonality and the need to focus on shared and unique risk factors when understanding etiology. Early intervention and prevention efforts should target both sleep problems and high levels of impulsivity and anger/frustration in children, which may have implications for later psychopathology.

Children's physical pain: relations with maternal and paternal pain and prediction from maternal depressive symptoms and hope during infancy.

Chronic pain is common in children and increases their risk for developing a chronic pain condition in adulthood, yet relatively little is known about early parental psychosocial factors that predict the development of chronic pain in childhood. We examined the extent to which chronic pain frequency in a community sample of 6-year-old children was related to frequency of chronic pain in their parents, and was prospectively predicted by early maternal risk (i.e., depressive symptoms) and promotive (i.e., hope) factors. Fifty primary caregivers (94% mothers) of 6-year-old twin children who were enrolled in a larger study during children's infancy were randomly selected to complete a telephone interview regarding their own, their partner's, and their children's pain symptoms and functioning. Pain symptom scores were derived by summing the number of seven possible body areas that were painful at least monthly during the prior 6 months. Pain symptoms at three or more sites were coded as multisite pain. Prior maternal depressive symptoms and hope were assessed when children were aged 12-months. Pain symptom scores were positively correlated within families, and risk of child pain increased in a dose-response fashion according to whether neither, one, or both parents experienced multisite pain. Maternal hope but not depressive symptoms prospectively predicted fewer painful body regions in children five years later. Findings suggest that pain runs in families and pain in childhood may be influenced by early maternal psychosocial factors. Future research should focus on how parents' own health and psychological attributes influence risk for children's chronic pain.

Family Strain Predicts Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in Middle-aged Adults: Hope Mediates and Self-compassion Moderates the Relation.

INTRODUCTION: Interpersonal strain is linked with depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. One possible mechanism accounting for this relation is a reduction in hope, defined as the belief in one's capacity both to reach and to generate a variety of ways to obtain goals. The strength of the strain-depressive symptoms relation is not uniform across individuals, however, pointing to the likelihood that individual differences in the ability to successfully navigate relationship strain play a role in mitigating its negative effects. One potential moderator of the strain - depressive symptoms relation is self-compassion, which encompasses the capacity to respond to one's own negative thoughts and experiences in a kind and nonjudgmental way. Although theory and empirical evidence suggest that self-compassion is protective against the impact of stress on mental health outcomes, little research has investigated how self-compassion operates in the context of relationship strain. In addition, few studies have examined psychological mechanisms by which self-compassion protects against mental health outcomes, depression in particular. Thus, this study examined 1) the extent to which hope mediates the relation between family strain and depressive symptoms, and 2) whether these indirect effects are conditional on self-compassion in a community sample of middle-aged adults. METHODS: Self-reported family strain, self-compassion, hope, and depressive symptoms were assessed in a community sample of 762 middle-aged adults aged 40-65. Follow-up measures of depressive symptoms were assessed approximately 20 months later. RESULTS: Results from structural equation models indicated that hope mediated the relation between family strain and depressive symptoms and the indirect effect was conditional on levels of self-compassion. For individuals high versus low in self-compassion, strain-related declines in hope predicted smaller increases in depressive symptoms. DISCUSSION: Taken together, the findings suggest that family strain may lead individuals to experience less hope and subsequent increases in depressive symptoms. However, a self-compassionate attitude may serve as a resilience resource, weakening the hope - depressive symptoms relation, a finding that holds promise for future research on the development and refinement of self-compassion interventions.

Interleukin-6 and Depressive Mood Symptoms: Mediators of the Association Between Childhood Abuse and Cognitive Performance in Middle-Aged Adults.

Background: Childhood abuse is a risk factor for the development of cognitive deficits in adulthood, a relation that is likely mediated by stress-sensitive psychological and physiological indicators. Purpose: To evaluate whether the link between exposure to childhood abuse and cognitive function in middle adulthood is mediated by interleukin-6 (IL-6), metabolic risk, and depressive mood symptoms. Methods: Participants were 770 adults aged 40-65 recruited from the community, who completed the following: (i) a questionnaire assessing exposure to abuse prior to age 18, (ii) a phone interview assessing current depressive mood symptoms, and (iii) a home visit that included blood sampling for evaluation of IL-6 and assessment of metabolic risk indices. A follow-up telephone assessment evaluating cognitive function was completed by 555 of the participants. Structural equation modeling was used to test study hypotheses. Results: Childhood abuse predicted higher levels of IL-6, depressive mood symptoms, and metabolic risk scores (p < .05). The relation between childhood abuse and poorer cognitive performance was mediated by IL-6 (p = .046) and depressive mood symptoms (p = .023), but not metabolic risk. IL-6 and depressive mood symptoms significantly mediated the relation between childhood abuse and adult cognitive function. Conclusions: Exposure to early abuse conveys enduring physiological and psychological effects, which may contribute to cognitive deficits that are evident by middle adulthood. Increased vulnerability for cognitive decline among adults with a history of early trauma and the mediating roles of IL-6 and depressive mood symptoms point to the potential value of interventions that address inflammation or depression, singly or together, to prevent cognitive decline in this at-risk population.

Arizona Twin Project: Specificity in Risk and Resilience for Developmental Psychopathology and Health.

The Arizona Twin Project is an ongoing longitudinal study designed to elucidate gene-environment interplay underlying the development of risk and resilience to common mental and physical health problems during infancy, childhood and adolescence. Specificity of risk is carefully examined across mental and physical health and how these influences vary across socioeconomic and sociocultural environments. Participants are a sample of approximately 700 twins (31% Latinx) recruited from birth records in the state of Arizona, USA. Twins are 32% monozygotic twins, 36% same-sex dizygotic (DZ), 32% opposite-sex DZ, currently 10-11 years of age. Primary caregivers were interviewed on twins' development and early physical and social environments when twins were 1, 2 and 5 years of age. In-depth objective measurement commenced in middle childhood, with in-person assessments at 8-11 years of age, with plans to continue to follow the sample across adolescence. Middle childhood measures focus on children's physical and mental health, including diurnal cortisol, actigraphy-based measures of sleep and activity, cold pressor task assessing acute pain, and reaction time tasks assessing executive functioning. Preliminary findings illustrate that objective assessments of children's health are highly heritable, but they do not always share genetic etiology with more commonly used subjective assessments. Exposure to early adversity moderates genetic influences on both executive functioning and health, with higher heritability typically seen under adverse conditions. Future directions include an examination of how pubertal stage affects genetic and environmental influences on diurnal cortisol, sleep, chronic pain, and mental health.

Relations between adaptive and maladaptive pain cognitions and within-day pain exacerbations in individuals with fibromyalgia.

The objectives of this study were to assess within-person hypotheses regarding temporal cognition-pain associations: (1) do morning pain flares predict changes in two afternoon adaptive and maladaptive pain-related cognitions, and (2) do these changes in afternoon cognitions predict changes in end-of-day pain reports, which in turn, carry over to predict next morning pain in individuals with fibromyalgia. Two hundred twenty individuals with fibromyalgia completed electronic assessments of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and pain coping efficacy three times a day for three weeks. Multilevel structural equation modeling established that afternoon catastrophizing and coping efficacy were parallel mediators linking late morning with end-of-day pain reports (controlling for afternoon pain), in line with prediction. Catastrophizing was a stronger mediator than coping efficacy. Moreover, afternoon cognitions and end-of-day pain reports served as sequential mediators of the relation between same-day and next-day morning pain. These findings align with assertions of cognitive-behavioral theories of pain that pain flares predict changes in pain both adaptive and maladaptive cognitions, which in turn, predict further changes in pain.

The Psychosocial Context of Financial Stress: Implications for Inflammation and Psychological Health.

OBJECTIVE: Psychological distress may contribute to chronic activation of acute-phase inflammation. The current study investigated how financial stressors influence psychosocial functioning and inflammation. This study examined a) the direct relations between financial stress and inflammation; b) whether the relationships between financial stress and inflammation are mediated in part by negative interpersonal events, psychological distress, and psychological well-being; and c) whether social standing in one's community moderates the relations between financial stress and psychological distress, psychological well-being, and markers of inflammation (interleukin-6 [IL-6] and C-reactive protein). METHODS: Stressful financial and interpersonal events over the previous year, perceived social status, indices of psychological well-being and distress, and levels of IL-6 and C-reactive protein were assessed in a community sample of 680 middle-aged adults (ages 40-65 years). RESULTS: Structural equation modeling analyses revealed significant relations among financial stress, interpersonal stress, and psychological distress and well-being, and complex relationships between these variables and inflammatory markers. Psychological well-being mediated the association between financial stress and IL-6 ([mediation] ab = 0.012, standard error [SE] = 0.006, p = .048). Furthermore, individuals with higher perceived social standing within their communities exhibited a stronger relation between negative financial events and both interpersonal stressors (interaction B = 0.067, SE = 0.017, p < .001) and C-reactive protein (interaction B = 0.051, SE = 0.026, p = .050). CONCLUSIONS: Financial stress demonstrates complex relations with inflammation, due partly to psychological well-being and social perceptions. Findings are discussed with regard to the social context of stress and physiological factors pertinent to stress adaptation and inflammation.

Cortisol Profile Mediates the Relation Between Childhood Neglect and Pain and Emotional Symptoms among Patients with Fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: The relation between childhood trauma and chronic pain and emotional symptoms in adulthood has been well-documented, although physiological mechanisms mediating this link have not been elaborated. PURPOSE: This study examined the mediating role of cortisol profile in the linkage between childhood maltreatment and pain and emotional symptoms in individuals with fibromyalgia (FM). METHODS: One hundred seventy-nine adults with FM first provided retrospective self-reports of childhood maltreatment, then attended a standardized session during which cortisol was sampled across 1.5 hours and, subsequently, completed assessments of daily pain, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Latent growth curve modeling estimated the hypothesized mediation models. RESULTS: Childhood neglect predicted a flattened cortisol profile, which, in turn, predicted elevated daily pain and emotional symptoms. The cortisol profile partially mediated the neglect-symptom relation. CONCLUSIONS: Early maltreatment may exert enduring effects on endocrine regulation that contributes to pain and emotional symptoms in adults with chronic pain.

Psychosocial Vulnerability, Resilience Resources, and Coping with Infertility: A Longitudinal Model of Adjustment to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: The infertility associated with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) presents significant emotional challenges requiring psychosocial adjustment. Few investigations have explored the longitudinal process of adaptation to POI. PURPOSE: This longitudinal investigation tests a model of adjustment to POI that includes separate psychosocial vulnerability and resilience resource factors. METHODS: Among 102 women with POI, personal attributes reflective of vulnerability and resilience were assessed at baseline. Coping strategies were assessed 4 months later and measures of distress and well-being 12 months later. RESULTS: As hypothesized, confirmatory factor analysis yielded separate, inversely correlated vulnerability and resilience resource factors at baseline, and distress and well-being factors at 12 months. Contrary to predictions, maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies were not bi-factorial. Moreover, a single stand-alone strategy, avoidance (i.e., refusing to acknowledge stress), mediated the association between baseline vulnerability and 12-month distress. CONCLUSIONS: For women with POI, interventional studies targeted to reduce avoidance are indicated.

Understanding and Promoting Resiliency in Patients with Chronic Headache.

Even among patients with the same type and severity of headache, there is considerable variability in functional outcomes. Some individuals are resilient, able to thrive despite pain, whereas others find that pain is an overwhelming burden that comes to define their lives. A substantial body of evidence suggests that patients' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral coping responses to their pain play a significant role in determining their long-term health. Resilient pain responses, which are shaped by both qualities of the individual and his/her social environment, can be learned and thus hold promise as targets for treatment. We draw on recent empirical findings that identify which pain beliefs, appraisals, and behaviors in response to pain are key to resilient and non-resilient coping among patients with chronic headache. We discuss how pain self-efficacy and pain acceptance set the stage for adaptive behaviors that have been linked to sustained well-being and good quality of life. We then describe psychosocial and behavioral interventions that show promise in promoting resilience among headache patients and conclude by considering areas ripe for further inquiry.

Linking childhood abuse and hypertension: sleep disturbance and inflammation as mediators.

The indirect association of childhood abuse with prevalent hypertension in adulthood through sleep disturbance and pro-inflammatory biomarkers was investigated in 589 community-dwelling, middle-aged adults. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and self-reported current sleep disturbance and medical diagnoses including hypertension. Blood pressure was taken and blood samples were analyzed for C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen. Hypertension was present in 41.3 % of the sample. In the full multiple mediation model, tested using structural equation modeling, all hypothesized pathways were significant (p's < 0.05). Childhood abuse was significantly related to both body mass index and sleep disturbance, which, both in turn, were significantly associated with inflammation, which was subsequently associated with hypertension status. The model demonstrated good fit [χ(2) (122) = 352.0, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.918, RMSEA = 0.057] and the indirect effect of all mediators was significant (indirect effect: 0.02, 95 % CI 0.005-0.03, p = 0.001). Sleep disturbance, body mass, and inflammation may be independent, intermediate steps between childhood abuse and subsequent hypertension that may be amenable to biobehavioral interventions.

Daily social enjoyment interrupts the cycle of same-day and next-day fatigue in women with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a debilitating symptom of fibromyalgia (FM) that has limited treatment options. Some evidence, however, has linked positive social engagement with reduced within-day fatigue. PURPOSE: This study elaborated longitudinal within-day and across-day relations between FM fatigue and social enjoyment. METHODS: One hundred seventy-six women with FM completed 21-day automated diaries assessing morning and end-of-day fatigue, and both afternoon social enjoyment and stress within two social domains: non-spousal and spousal. RESULTS: In the non-spousal domain, analysis supported a mediational path from lower morning fatigue to higher afternoon social enjoyment, which predicted lower end-of-day fatigue, and subsequently, lower next-morning fatigue. Enjoyment exerted a greater impact on within-day fatigue than did stress. Patterns in the spousal domain were similar, but the mediated path was nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Positive social engagement offers relief from FM fatigue that carries over across days and may provide an additional target to enhance the effectiveness of current interventions.

Stress-related clinical pain and mood in women with chronic pain: moderating effects of depression and positive mood induction.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain with comorbid depression is characterized by poor mood regulation and stress-related pain. PURPOSE: This study aims to compare depressed and non-depressed pain patients in mood and pain stress reactivity and recovery, and test whether a post-stress positive mood induction moderates pain recovery. METHODS: Women with fibromyalgia and/or osteoarthritis (N = 110) underwent interpersonal stress and were then randomly assigned by pain condition and depression status, assessed via the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, to positive versus neutral mood induction. RESULTS: Depression did not predict stress-related reactivity in despondency, joviality, or clinical pain. However, depression × mood condition predicted recovery in joviality and clinical pain; depressed women recovered only in the positive mood condition, whereas non-depressed women recovered in both mood conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Depression does not alter pain and mood stress reactivity, but does impair recovery. Boosting post-stress jovial mood ameliorates pain recovery deficits in depressed patients, a finding relevant to chronic pain interventions.

Obstetrical and neonatal complications, prematurity, and childhood effortful control development: A longitudinal twin study.

Premature infants may be at risk for lower effortful control, and subsequent lower academic achievement, peer competence, and emotional and physical wellness throughout the lifespan. However, because prematurity is related to obstetrical and neonatal complications, it is unclear what may drive the effect. Effortful control also has a strong heritable component; therefore, environmental factors during pregnancy and the neonatal period may interact with genetic factors to predict effortful control development. In this study, we aimed to dissect the influences of genetics, prematurity, and neonatal and obstetrical complications on the development of effortful control from 12 months to 10 years using a twin cohort. This study used data from the Arizona Twin Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of approximately 350 pairs of twins. Twins were primarily Hispanic/Latinx (23.8%-27.1%) and non-Hispanic/Latinx White (53.2%-57.8%), and families ranged in socioeconomic status with around one third falling below or near the poverty line. Of the twins, 62.6% were born prematurely. Effortful control was assessed via parent report at six waves. There was not a significant relationship between gestational age and effortful control regardless of whether obstetrical and neonatal complications were controlled for. Biometric twin modeling revealed that the attentional focusing subdomain of effortful control was highly heritable. Gestational age did not moderate genetic and environmental estimates. Our findings help inform the risk assessment of prematurity and provide evidence for the differing etiology of each subdomain of effortful control and the strong role of genetics in effortful control development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An online mindfulness intervention targeting socioemotional regulation in fibromyalgia: results of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) experience pain as well as deficits in positive affect and social relations that are not explicitly addressed in most behavioral treatments. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of a 12-module online intervention targeting socioemotional regulation via mindful awareness/acceptance (MSER) with those of an attention-control treatment, healthy lifestyle tips (HT). METHODS: Seventy-nine FM patients were randomly assigned to MSER or HT, with outcomes assessed via online diary reports of pain, coping efficacy, affect, and social relations. Multilevel analyses revealed greater improvements in social functioning, positive affect, and coping efficacy for pain and stress (all ps < .05) in MSER versus HT across the 6-week trial. CONCLUSIONS: FM patients experience increases in self-efficacy for coping with pain and positive engagement in relationships, marginal increases in positive affect, and decreases in relationship stress from an automated online intervention that targets socioemotional regulation skills. Findings highlight the potential utility of widely accessible, low-cost intervention methods for fibromyalgia (Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT01748786).

Self-compassion and pain disability in adults with chronic pain: The mediating role of future self-identification and self-efficacy.

Pain disability is a primary target of treatment for chronic pain. Self-compassion shows promise as an intervention to reduce pain disability, but mechanisms linking self-compassion with less pain disability remain to be identified. This study examined two potential mechanisms, health self-efficacy and future self-identification (FSI), as parallel mediators of the relation between self-compassion and pain disability. Adults (N = 188; Mage = 40.34, SD = 11.53; 70.9% female) screened for chronic pain were recruited through online convenience sampling. Participants completed self-report measures of demographics, health status, and primary study variables. Self-compassion was positively associated with FSI and self-efficacy, but only self-efficacy was found to mediate the negative relation between self-compassion and pain disability, such that self-compassion was associated with higher self-efficacy, which was associated with less pain disability. Future experimental and longitudinal studies can establish whether the negative relation between self-compassion and pain disability is causal and mediated via health self-efficacy.