College from home during COVID-19: A mixed-methods study of heterogeneous experiences.

This mixed-method study examined the experiences of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic through surveys, experience sampling data collected over two academic quarters (Spring 2019 n1 = 253; Spring 2020 n2 = 147), and semi-structured interviews with 27 undergraduate students. There were no marked changes in mean levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, or loneliness between 2019 and 2020, or over the course of the Spring 2020 term. Students in both the 2019 and 2020 cohort who indicated psychosocial vulnerability at the initial assessment showed worse psychosocial functioning throughout the entire Spring term relative to other students. However, rates of distress increased faster in 2020 than in 2019 for these individuals. Across individuals, homogeneity of variance tests and multi-level models revealed significant heterogeneity, suggesting the need to examine not just means but the variations in individuals' experiences. Thematic analysis of interviews characterizes these varied experiences, describing the contexts for students' challenges and strategies. This analysis highlights the interweaving of psychosocial and academic distress: Challenges such as isolation from peers, lack of interactivity with instructors, and difficulty adjusting to family needs had both an emotional and academic toll. Strategies for adjusting to this new context included initiating remote study and hangout sessions with peers, as well as self-learning. In these and other strategies, students used technologies in different ways and for different purposes than they had previously. Supporting qualitative insight about adaptive responses were quantitative findings that students who used more problem-focused forms of coping reported fewer mental health symptoms over the course of the pandemic, even though they perceived their stress as more severe. These findings underline the need for interventions oriented towards problem-focused coping and suggest opportunities for peer role modeling.

Enhancing relationships through technology: directions in parenting, caregiving, romantic partnerships, and clinical practice
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Media coverage of research on phones and social media over the last decade has prompted widespread concern and one-size-fits-all guidance to limit screen time. Recognizing the limitations of screen time as a metric, researchers are now studying technology use in terms of affordances, individual differences, and longitudinal patterns. The current review examines technology use by parents, caregivers, couples, and clinicians. Individuals in these roles navigate risks, such as privacy violations, with benefits such as improved communication, empathy, and progress toward shared goals. Successful approaches vary by relationship type but have commonalities such as engaging with the technologies used by the other person to open up sensitive conversations, negotiate conflict, and illuminate patterns that would otherwise be hard to detect. To enhance relationships, some individuals depart from the intended use of technologies, for example, adapting connected devices for emotional communication or drawing on games to cope with social anxiety. One promising way in which individuals adapt technology to improve communication involves sharing technologies that were designed for personal use. This review highlights the importance of context, motivation, and the nuances of use to understand how technologies can be optimally used in personal and clinical relationships.
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Durante la última década, la cobertura mediática de la investigación sobre teléfonos celulares y redes sociales ha generado una gran preocupación y el consejo uniforme de limitar el tiempo de uso de la pantalla. Al reconocer las limitaciones que tiene la medición solo del tiempo de pantalla, los investigadores ahora están estudiando el empleo de la tecnología en términos de accesibilidad, diferencias individuales y patrones longitudinales. Esta revisión examina la utilización de la tecnología por parte de padres, cuidadores, parejas y clínicos. En estos roles las personas se desenvuelven con riesgos (violaciones de la privacidad), y con beneficios (mejor comunicación, mayor empatía y mayor progreso hacia objetivos comunes). Los puntos comunes de una práctica exitosa, además de la variabilidad del tipo de relación, se basan en la adopción de las tecnologías utilizadas por el otro para iniciar conversaciones sensibles, negociar conflictos y resaltar modelos de funcionamiento que de otro modo hubieran sido difíciles de identificar. Para mejorar las relaciones, algunas personas se apartan del uso previsto de las tecnologías, por ejemplo, adaptando los dispositivos conectados para una comunicación emocional o recurriendo a juegos para enfrentar la ansiedad social. Es alentador observar cómo las personas se apropian de estas tecnologías originalmente diseñadas para uso personal y las comparten, con el objetivo de mejorar la comunicación. En esta revisión se destaca la importancia del contexto, la motivación y los matices del empleo de las tecnologías para comprender cómo se pueden utilizar de manera óptima en las relaciones personales y clínicas.

Ces dix dernières années, la couverture médiatique de la recherche sur les téléphones portables et les réseaux sociaux a suscité une inquiétude généralisée et la diffusion de conseils uniformisés sur la limitation du temps d'écran. La mesure du temps passé devant l'écran ayant depuis été reconnue comme une donnée limitée, les chercheurs étudient aujourd'hui l'utilisation de la technologie en termes d'accessibilité, de différences individuelles et de modèles longitudinaux. Cet article examine l'usage qu'en font les parents, les soignants, les couples et les médecins. Ces utilisateurs font face à des risques, tels que la violation de la vie privée, mais profitent aussi d'une amélioration dans la communication, une plus grande empathie et progressent vers des objectifs communs. Les points communs d'une pratique réussie, hors variabilité relationnelle, reposent sur l'adoption des technologies utilisées par l'autre pour engager des échanges sensibles, négocier des conflits et mettre en lumière des schémas de fonctionnement qui auraient été difficiles à identifier autrement. Pour améliorer leurs relations aux autres, certains détournent ces outils technologiques, par exemple en se servant d'appareils connectés pour une communication émotionnelle ou en ayant recours à des jeux pour gérer leur anxiété sociale. Il est encourageant de constater que les individus s'approprient ces technologies conçues initialement pour un usage personnel et les partagent dans le but d'améliorer leur communication. Cette étude souligne l'importance du contexte, de la motivation et des nuances d'utilisation pour comprendre comment les technologies peuvent être utilisées de manière optimale dans les relations personnelles et cliniques.

Application of N-of-1 Experiments to Test the Efficacy of Inactivity Alert Features in Fitness Trackers to Increase Breaks from Sitting in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Frequent breaks from sitting could improve health. Many commercially available fitness trackers deliver vibration alerts that could be used to cue sitting breaks. As a potentially pragmatic approach to promote frequent breaks from sitting, we tested the efficacy of inactivity alerts among obese older adults, a highly sedentary population. METHODS: We conducted 10 sequential N-of-1 (single-case) experimental ABA trials. Participants (mean age = 68, mean BMI = 35) were monitored for a baseline phase ("A1") followed by an intervention phase ("B"). The intervention was then removed and participants were monitored to test an experimental effect (reversal "A2" phase). Total time in the study was limited to 25 days. During the intervention phase ("B"), participants used fitness trackers to stand up or move every time they received an alert (every 15 or 20 minutes of inactivity). Participants wore activPAL devices to measure breaks from sitting each day. Randomization tests were used to determine whether the number of breaks was significantly higher during the "B" phase than the two "A" phases. RESULTS: Breaks were higher by 7.2 breaks per day during the "B" phase compared to the mean of the "A" phases. Seven out of 10 participants had more sitting breaks during the intervention phase which subsequently decreased during the reversal "A2" phase (combined p-value < .05). CONCLUSION: Inactivity alert features within commercially available devices are efficacious for promoting modest improvements in breaks from sitting among older adults with obesity and could be a simple health-promoting strategy in this population.

Mobile, Social, and Wearable Computing and the Evolution of Psychological Practice.

Psychological assessment and intervention are extending from the clinic into daily life. Multiple forces are at play: Advances in mobile technology, constrained clinical care, and consumer demand for contextualized, nonstigmatizing, and low-cost alternatives are beginning to change the face of psychological assessment and interventions. Mobile, social, and wearable technologies are now enabling individuals to measure themselves and to integrate myriad forms of help and entertainment. The massive data sets generated by self-tracking of mood and passive sensing of voice, activity, and physiology may eventually reorganize taxonomies of mental health concerns. Compelling mobile therapies will also emerge, involving contextually appropriate, entertaining, and dynamic feedback to provide help in the context of daily life. The efficacy of such applications will be tested through citizen science as well as clinical trials. This article reviews technical advances that can be applied to enhance assessment and intervention and dramatically increase access to psychotherapy. It is recommended that, in addition to exploring clinically oriented products, practitioners should support patients' use of direct-to-consumer applications in ways that align with therapeutic objectives.

Mobile therapy: case study evaluations of a cell phone application for emotional self-awareness.

BACKGROUND: Emotional awareness and self-regulation are important skills for improving mental health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy can teach these skills but is not widely available. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory study examined the potential of mobile phone technologies to broaden access to cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and to provide in-the-moment support. METHODS: We developed a mobile phone application with touch screen scales for mood reporting and therapeutic exercises for cognitive reappraisal (ie, examination of maladaptive interpretations) and physical relaxation. The application was deployed in a one-month field study with eight individuals who had reported significant stress during an employee health assessment. Participants were prompted via their mobile phones to report their moods several times a day on a Mood Map-a translation of the circumplex model of emotion-and a series of single-dimension mood scales. Using the prototype, participants could also activate mobile therapies as needed. During weekly open-ended interviews, participants discussed their use of the device and responded to longitudinal views of their data. Analyses included a thematic review of interview narratives, assessment of mood changes over the course of the study and the diurnal cycle, and interrogation of this mobile data based on stressful incidents reported in interviews. RESULTS: Five case studies illustrate participants' use of the mobile phone application to increase self-awareness and to cope with stress. One example is a participant who had been coping with longstanding marital conflict. After reflecting on his mood data, particularly a drop in energy each evening, the participant began practicing relaxation therapies on the phone before entering his house, applying cognitive reappraisal techniques to cope with stressful family interactions, and talking more openly with his wife. His mean anger, anxiety and sadness ratings all were lower in the second half of the field study than in the first (P

To track or not to track: user reactions to concepts in longitudinal health monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Advances in ubiquitous computing, smart homes, and sensor technologies enable novel, longitudinal health monitoring applications in the home. Many home monitoring technologies have been proposed to detect health crises, support aging-in-place, and improve medical care. Health professionals and potential end users in the lay public, however, sometimes question whether home health monitoring is justified given the cost and potential invasion of privacy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to elicit specific feedback from health professionals and laypeople about how they might use longitudinal health monitoring data for proactive health and well-being. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 8 health professionals and 26 laypeople. Participants were asked to evaluate mock data visualization displays that could be generated by novel home monitoring systems. The mock displays were used to elicit reactions to longitudinal monitoring in the home setting as well as what behaviors, events, and physiological indicators people were interested in tracking. RESULTS: Based on the qualitative data provided by the interviews, lists of benefits of and concerns about health tracking from the perspectives of the practitioners and laypeople were compiled. Variables of particular interest to the interviewees, as well as their specific ideas for applications of collected data, were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Based upon these interviews, we recommend that ubiquitous "monitoring" systems may be more readily adopted if they are developed as tools for personalized, longitudinal self-investigation that help end users learn about the conditions and variables that impact their social, cognitive, and physical health.

Alternative treatments for depression: empirical support and relevance to women.

BACKGROUND: This article is a critical review of the efficacy of selected alternative treatments for unipolar depression including exercise, stress management techniques, acupuncture, St. John's wort, bright light, and sleep deprivation. Issues related to women across the life span, including pregnancy and lactation, are highlighted. DATA SOURCES: Evidence of efficacy is based on randomized controlled trials. A distinction is made between studies that address depressive symptoms and studies that address depressive disorders. The review emphasizes issues related to effectiveness, such as treatment availability, acceptability, safety, and cost and issues relevant to women. DATA SYNTHESIS: Exercise, stress reduction methods, bright light exposure, and sleep deprivation hold greater promise as adjuncts to conventional treatment than as monotherapies for major depression. The evidence to date is not sufficiently compelling to suggest the use of St. John's wort in favor of or as an alternative to existing U.S. Food and Drug Administration-regulated compounds. Initial evidence suggests that acupuncture might be an effective alternative monotherapy for major depression, single episode. CONCLUSION: This review indicates that some unconventional treatments hold promise as alternative or complementary treatments for unipolar depression in women and have the potential to contribute to its long-term management. Additional research is needed before further recommendations can be made, and there is an urgent need to carefully document and report the frequency of minor and major side effects.

A room with a cue: personality judgments based on offices and bedrooms.

The authors articulate a model specifying links between (a) individuals and the physical environments they occupy and (b) the environments and observers' impressions of the occupants. Two studies examined the basic phenomena underlying this model: Interobserver consensus, observer accuracy, cue utilization, and cue validity. Observer ratings based purely on offices or bedrooms were compared with self- and peer ratings of occupants and with physical features of the environments. Findings, which varied slightly across contexts and traits, suggest that (a) personal environments elicit similar impressions from independent observers, (b) observer impressions show some accuracy, (c) observers rely on valid cues in the rooms to form impressions of occupants, and (d) sex and race stereotypes partially mediate observer consensus and accuracy. Consensus and accuracy correlations were generally stronger than those found in zero-acquaintance research.