Natural language sentiment as an indicator of depression and anxiety symptoms: a longitudinal mixed methods study1.

The study tested how the use of positive- (e.g. beautiful) and negative-valenced (e.g. horrible) words in natural language and its change in time affects the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms among depressed and non-depressed individuals. This longitudinal mixed methods study (N = 40 participants, n = 1440 narratives) with three measurements within a year showed that at the between-person level the use of negative-valenced words was strongly associated with the increase in anxiety and depression symptoms over time while the use of positive-valenced words was slightly associated with the decrease in anxiety and depression symptom. These effects were not supported for within-person level (i.e. changes in word usage). No significant differences were observed in the effects between depressed and non-depressed groups. Summing up, the overall use of positive- and negative-valenced words (particularly negative-valenced words) had a stronger effect on the severity of psychopathological symptoms than their change over time. The results were discussed in the context of natural language processing and its application in diagnosing depression and anxiety symptoms.

The Role of Anger Expression in Unmet Expectations and Depressive Symptoms.

Background and Objectives. Depression is associated with unmet relational expectations, but little is known about how both partners experience meeting expectations and how this relates to anger expression and depressive symptoms. The aim of study 1 was to explore the role of anger expression in explaining the link between relational expectations and depression using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model. Additionally, social expectations beyond romantic relationships are associated with societal demands. Study 2 is aimed at investigating the role of anger expression in the relationship between internalized social demands (i.e., outer self-awareness) and depressive symptoms. Design and Methods. Online self-report data were collected from N = 194 romantic partners (97 dyads) in study 1 and N = 407 individuals in study 2. Results. In study 1, unmet expectations were associated with both actor and partner effects on depressive symptoms and anger expression. In particular, inwardly directed anger was linked to depressive symptoms in the case of the individual experiencing unmet expectations, whereas outwardly directed anger predicted such symptoms in the case of the partner's unmet expectations. In study 2, there was a positive association between outer self-awareness and directing anger inwards and outwards, which was linked to higher depressive symptoms. Furthermore, while directing anger inwards seemed to be a universal mechanism underlying the association, the interpersonal mechanism (i.e., directing anger outwards) was found to be dependent on gender.

Self-selection biases in psychological studies: Personality and affective disorders are prevalent among participants.

Respondents select the type of psychological studies that they want to participate in consistence with their needs and individual characteristics, which creates an unintentional self-selection bias. The question remains whether participants attracted by psychological studies may have more psychological dysfunctions related to personality and affective disorders compared to the general population. We investigated (N = 947; 62% women) whether the type of the invitation (to talk about recent critical or regular life events) or the source of the data (either face-to-face or online) attracts people with different psychopathology. Most importantly, participants who alone applied to take part in paid psychological studies had more symptoms of personality disorders than those who had never before applied to take part in psychological studies. The current results strongly translate into a recommendation for either the modification of recruitment strategies or much greater caution when generalizing results for this methodological reason.

Predictors of depressive symptoms among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with respiratory problems.

COVID-19 patients and survivors quite often experience depressive symptoms, which can increase risk for lower immune system response and poorer recovery. Vulnerability to depressive symptoms may be elevated in those patients who have the most severe COVID-19 course of illness, that is, patients who require supplementary oxygen therapy or even intubation. The current study involved a unique sample of patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and who required respiratory support (N = 34, 10 women) in which we investigated depressive symptoms as well as psychopathological personality traits (PID5) as predictors. The majority of patients (76.5%) presented some degree of depressive symptoms. Although we expected severe levels of depressive symptoms to be most prevalent, more patients showed rather moderate levels. At the same time, Negative Affectivity was most predictive of depressive symptoms. We suggest that medical care for patients with greater emotional sensitivity and vulnerability to stress be supplemented with psychological support in order to address depressive symptoms and foster recovery.

Leaving without a word: Ghosting and the Dark Triad traits.

Researchers have extensively explored the early and middle stages of romantic and sexual relationships for those high on the Dark Triad traits (i.e., psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) but they have generally missed the termination stage of relationships. In this study we examined (N = 341) the role these traits play in one termination strategy, ghosting. Ghosting is when a person discontinues a relationship through silence; it is considered an indirect form of relationship termination. We found that (1) those who reported ghosting someone in the past (vs. those who did not) found ghosting to be acceptable and were more Machiavellian and psychopathic, (2) ghosting was most acceptable in the short-term (vs. long-term) context especially for those who had previously ghosted someone, and (3) those high in the Dark Triad traits rated ghosting more acceptable to terminate short-term relationships, but not long-term ones. We also found that the correlations between acceptability and ghosting short-term partners and the Dark Triad traits was localized to narcissistic men with a similar-yet-weak effect for psychopathy. Results are discussed in relation to how ghosting may be primarily committed by people who are interested in casual sex where investment is low and may be part of the fast life history strategies linked to the Dark Triad traits.

Is self-determination good for your effectiveness? A study of factors which influence performance within self-determination theory.

Despite the vast body of studies within self-determination theory, the impact of factors which influence performance in experimental paradigm is still underresearched. The aim of the two studies presented in this paper was to investigate the impact of basic psychological needs on performance with the simultaneous presence of external incentives. Study 1 tested whether the satisfaction of competence and relatedness during task performance (while external incentives were present) can impact individual's performance. Study 2, on the other hand, investigated whether the basic psychological needs and provision of external incentives can impact an individual's performance. Moreover, in both studies the mechanisms behind the need-performance relationship was checked. Our results showed that out of the three basic needs, competence had the strongest positive impact on performance, which was partially mediated by the subjective evaluation of the levels of difficulty and intrinsic motivation. The weak relationship between relatedness and task performance was fully mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation.

Defense Mechanisms and Borderline Personality Organization Among COVID-19 Believers and Non-believers During Complete Lock-Down.

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a specific social perception of the pandemic-believing or not in COVID-19-predicts borderline personality organizations and whether this relationship is mediated by more primitive maladaptive mechanisms-splitting, denial, and dissociation. The online study included 720 organization aged 25-45. Participants were diverse in terms of place of residence, being in a relationship, and education level. Approximately 30% of the general population reported not believing in the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-believers scored slightly higher on borderline symptoms and used more maladaptive defense mechanisms than believers. Individuals who deny COVID-19 are more likely to show characteristics of borderline personality organization. Splitting is an important mechanism in this relationship.

The Polish adaptation of the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ). / Polska adaptacja Kwestionariusza Ujawnienia Traumy (DTQ).

OBJECTIVES: Trauma disclosure is one of the key concepts of the social-interpersonal model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to present the Polish adaptation of the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ). METHODS: The study was conducted among 120 participants (51 females and 69 males) aged 18-58 years (M = 34.52; SD = 9.95). The reliability of the DTQ was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients. The validity of the DTQ compared to the scores acquired with the PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire (SAQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87 for reluctance to talk subscale, 0.74 for urge to talk subscale, 0.85 for emotional reactions subscale, and 0.85 for the total DTQ questionnaire score. The intraclass correlation coefficients were high: 0.83 for reluctance to talk, 0.71 for urge to talk, 0.77 for emotional reactions, and 0.76 for the total DTQ questionnaire score. The factorial structure of the DTQ was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. The DTQ subscale scores correlated positively with the severity of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms, as well as the lack of social acknowledgement, as expected. CONCLUSIONS: The observed empirical results confirmed the satisfactory psychometric properties of the DTQ. This inventory may be useful for a broader understanding of how trauma disclosure is related to the social context of dealing with traumatic events.

Gender as a moderator between Present-Hedonistic time perspective and depressive symptoms or stress during COVID-19 lock-down.

Although numerous studies have addressed the impact of the COVID-19 lock-downs on psychological distress, scarce data is available relating to the role of Present-Hedonistic (PH) time perspective and gender differences in the development of depressive symptoms and stress during the period of strict social distancing. We hypothesized that gender would moderate the relationship between PH and depressiveness or stress levels, such that PH would negatively correlate with psychological distress in women but correlate positively in men. The present study was online and questionnaire-based. N = 230 participants aged 15-73 from the general population took part in the study. The results of moderation analysis allowed for full acceptance of the hypothesis for depression as a factor, but for stress the hypothesis was only partially confirmed, since the relationship between PH time perspective and stress was not significant for men (although it was positive, as expected). The findings are pioneering in terms of including PH time perspective in predicting psychological distress during the COVID-19 lock-down and have potentially significant implications for practicing clinicians, who could include the development of more adaptive time perspectives and balance them in their therapeutic work with people experiencing lock-down-related distress.

Search for a curvilinear relationship between the sense of coherence and the intensity of PTSD in MVA survivors.

The relationship between the sense of coherence (SOC) and the intensity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined in order to determine its nature and to resolve the inconsistencies between (1) a growing body of empirical research that indicates a linear relationship between these variables, and (2) the schema-based theories of PTSD that suggest a curvilinear relationship between cognitions and the intensity of PTSD. In this cross-sectional study an attempt was also made to identify some psychological factors that moderate this relationship. Participants were a sample of 1132 motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors. The results showed that gender and temperamental predisposition to PTSD constituted moderator variables of the relationship between SOC and the intensity of PTSD. This supported both the empirical evidence on the linear and negative relationship between SOC and the intensity of PTSD and the theories that postulated the curvilinear relationship.