Making it relevant: A codesign and cultural acceptability study of Be Real's BodyKind Ireland body image programme for older adolescents.

Body image is an established public health concern and there is a pressing need for evidence-informed universal programmes for older adolescents. To ensure high standard, quality programmes, there have been calls to adapt existing programmes to different contexts in ways that ensure materials are relevant, but still aligned with their theoretical foundations. This study outlines the cultural adaptation of the BodyKind programme in Ireland, which was initially developed in the USA, to address an unmet need to provide an inclusive, strengths-focused, school-based body image intervention for older adolescents. After receiving BodyKind, codesign workshops were conducted with 12 adolescents aged 15-16 years, who provided feedback and designed content (examples/scenarios) to increase the programme's relevance for adolescents. Feedback on cultural appropriateness of programme materials were obtained via interviews with six female post-primary teachers and one mental health clinician. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. BodyKind was perceived as highly acceptable by stakeholders who offered suggestions for programme refinement. Themes included 1.) Programme acceptability, 2.) Implementation considerations, 3.) Programme refinement. This study used multi-stakeholder feedback to engage in cultural adaptation of BodyKind prior to further evaluation, thereby informing efforts to implement sustainable and scalable programmes in schools.

Socioecological Risk and Protective Factors for Sexual Victimization in Post-Secondary Students in Ireland: A Brief Report.

Although numerous predictors of sexual violence (SV) have been identified, there is a need to further explore protective factors and examine the nature and strength of associations between predictors and SV outcomes using a hierarchical predictive model. Cross-sectional data from the My World Survey Post-Second Level (2019) in Ireland were used. The sample contained 8, 288 post-secondary students, 69% female, aged 18 to 25 years (M = 20.25, SD = 1.85). Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of two SV outcomes (i.e., forced/pressured to have sex and being touched in a sexual manner without consent) across societal, community, relationship, and individual levels. Approximately 25% of females and 10% of males reported being forced/pressured to have sex, whereas 55% of females and 23% of males reported being touched in a sexual manner without consent. Key predictors of SV in multivariate analyses included being female and experiencing violence in a romantic relationship, whereas discrimination, living on campus or in rented accommodation (compared with living at home) were also significant predictors of both SV outcomes. Parental conflict, sexual initiation, depressive symptoms, older age, and an avoidant coping style significantly predicted being forced/pressured to have sex, whereas being bullied and engaging in problem drinking were unique predictors of being touched sexually without consent. Findings highlight the importance of considering salient risk and protective factors at the individual, relationship, community and societal level to predict SV and effectively guide the delivery of interventions and support services for post-secondary students affected by SV.

Protocol of a cluster randomised trial of BodyKind: a school-based body image programme for adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Poor body image is prevalent among adolescents and associated with several negative outcomes for their physical and psychological health. There is a pressing need to address this growing public health concern, yet there are few evidence-informed universal programmes for older adolescents that address contemporary body image concerns (i.e., social media). BodyKind is a four lesson, school-based, teacher led, universal body image programme that incorporates empirically supported principles of cognitive dissonance, self-compassion, compassion for others and social activism, to support positive body image development. Building on previous pilot trials in the USA, this paper outlines the protocol for a cluster randomised control trial (cRCT) and implementation evaluation of the BodyKind programme which was culturally adapted for the Irish cultural context. METHODS: We aim to recruit 600 students aged 15-17 years in Transition Year (4th year) across 26 second-level schools in Ireland. Using minimisation, schools will be randomly assigned to receive BodyKind (intervention condition, n=300) or classes as usual (waitlist control, n=300). Teachers in intervention groups will receive training and deliver the programme to students over four weeks, at a rate of one lesson per week. Primary outcomes of body appreciation, body dissatisfaction and psychological wellbeing and secondary outcomes of self-compassion, compassion for others, body ideal internalisation, social justice motives and appearance-based social media use will be assessed at pre-, post- and 2 month follow up. Mediation and moderation analyses will be conducted to identify how and for whom the intervention works best. An implementation evaluation will assess the quality of programme implementation across schools and how this may influence intervention outcomes. Waitlist control schools will receive the programme after the 2-month follow up. CONCLUSION: This study will be the first to implement a cRCT and an implementation evaluation to assess the impact of this multicomponent school-based body image programme designed to support healthy body image development. If shown to be effective, BodyKind will have the potential to improve adolescent body image and wellbeing and inform efforts to implement sustainable and scalable programmes in schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was retrospectively registered on 10/10/2023 on ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06076993 .

Quality Appraisal of Research Reporting for Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Studies in Humans: Proposed Checklist for "Transparent Reporting for Essential oil and Aroma Therapeutic Studies".

Introduction: Reporting of aromatherapy-focused research often lacks sufficient quality and detail for replication and subsequent application of results. To our knowledge currently, no quality appraisal tool exists for aromatherapy research reporting. To address this gap, the Aromatic Research Quality Appraisal Taskforce (ARQAT) composed of aromatherapy professionals with varied expert backgrounds came together. Presented here is the Transparent Reporting for Essential oil and Aroma Therapeutic Studies (TREATS) checklist, which is a result of this collaborative effort. Methods: Creation of TREATS followed a three-stage process, including determination of interest/need, development, and dissemination. The shortcomings of existing aromatherapy research reporting quality were evaluated and responses to address these shortcomings were used to create checklist items that were then grouped into sections. Items for each section were brain-stormed with reference to the aromatherapy literature and ARQAT's expert knowledge, and the development of each section followed an iterative process until agreement was reached. An explanatory document was also created to assist more accurate use of the tool; it and the checklist were reviewed by a group of aromatherapy experts. Results: The TREATS checklist with 38 items in four sections was developed along with the explanatory document. The ARQAT and a global group of aromatherapy experts reviewed the TREATS. Their results and comments assisted development of the current version. The TREATS identifies key components of research involving essential oils, their application, and olfactory considerations that ARQAT considers the minimum necessary for high-quality aromatherapy research. Conclusion: The TREATS, explanatory document, and associated website (www.arqat.org) contribute to thorough aromatherapy research critique. The TREATS checklist aids appraisal of quality and can be used with any study design. It lays the foundation for the future development of aromatic research reporting guidelines.

Mental, physical and sexual health in sexual minority third-level students: Findings from My World Survey 2.

AIMS: Sexual minority youth experience health disparities across mental, physical and sexual domains. However, little is known about the extent to which mental health overlaps with sexual and physical health to compound health problems among sexual minority youth. This study examined risky health behaviours, adverse health outcomes, and their overlap across mental, physical and sexual domains, in lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning (LGBQ) and heterosexual third-level students in Ireland. METHOD: Cross-sectional data from the My World Survey 2-Post Second Level (MWS2-PSL) were used. Analyses were conducted on data from N = 7950 18-25-year-old students, of which 6204 (78%) identified as heterosexual, 910 (11.4%) bisexual, 412 (5.2%) lesbian/gay and 424 (5.3%) questioning. Risky health behaviours (e.g., self-harm), adverse outcomes (e.g., mental health difficulties, physical health conditions) and their overlap across mental, physical and sexual domains were compared across heterosexual and LGBQ students using Chi-square tests. Clustering of health behaviours/outcomes within and between domains were examined. RESULTS: LGBQ students were more likely to exhibit a greater number of risky mental and sexual health behaviours and outcomes. Sexual, physical and mental health behaviours and outcomes overlapped to a greater extent in LGBQ versus heterosexual students. Distinct health outcomes were observed across sexual minority subgroups (e.g., bisexual women reported greater mental health difficulties). CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrate health inequalities experienced by LGBQ students, particularly across mental and sexual domains. Holistic integrated approaches that consider multiple health domains simultaneously and the distinct health needs of sexual minority subgroups are needed to promote greater health equity.

A cluster analysis of health behaviours and their relationship to mental health difficulties, life satisfaction and functioning in adolescents.

Research has documented relationships between individual health behaviours and mental health, but few studies have examined patterns of health behaviours (i.e., health lifestyles) and mental health outcomes. This study investigated the relationship between health lifestyles and mental health and psychological wellbeing in adolescents. Data from the My World Survey 2 - Second Level (MWS2-SL), a random national sample of 9493 adolescents (44.2% male) aged 12-18 years (M = 14.8, SD = 1.66) in second level education in Ireland were used. TwoStep cluster analysis identified clustering of health behaviours (sleep, alcohol use, cannabis use, social media use, sport and hobby participation). ANOVA and Chi Square tests identified potential differences in demographic characteristics (age, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity) and psychological outcomes (anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, daily functioning) across clusters. Three clusters were identified; 1. Low (22.0%), 2. Moderate-high (41.5%) and 3. High (36.5%), health promoting. The 'Low' health-promoting cluster, characterised by high alcohol, cannabis and social media use, moderate sport and hobby participation, and low sleep duration, demonstrated the highest levels of anxiety and depression and the lowest levels of life satisfaction, self-esteem and daily functioning. The 'High' health-promoting cluster reported the most favourable psychological outcomes. Cluster 1 were more likely to be older and male, Cluster 3 were more likely to be younger and female. Findings demonstrate the potential for health promotive lifestyles to mitigate mental health difficulties and promote life satisfaction and daily functioning in adolescents. Health lifestyles represent important indicators of mental health and targets for prevention/promotion efforts.

An International Study of Correlates of Women's Positive Body Image.

Positive body image (PBI) has received attention in the recent research literature. Despite this, its role in daily functioning in different cultural contexts, particularly its potential relationship with academic outcomes, is still lacking. This study aimed to offer an international perspective on the association between PBI and body mass index (BMI), perceived academic achievement, and educational aspirations, as well as the mediating role of self-esteem. A cross-national study was conducted in eight European countries with a total of 2653 female university students. Participants completed an online survey measuring PBI (conceptualized as body appreciation), self-esteem, perceived academic achievement and aspirations, and body mass index (BMI). Results revealed differences in PBI between countries (low magnitude). PBI correlated negatively with BMI in all national groups (low-to-moderate magnitude). Mediation analysis showed that self-esteem mediated the association between PBI and academic variables. Findings from this study suggest that building students' self-esteem and PBI can be a suitable way to boost academic success.

Differential distribution of cholesterol pools across arteries under high-cholesterol diet.

Excessive cholesterol constitutes a major risk factor for vascular disease. Within cells, cholesterol is distributed in detergent-sensitive and detergent-resistant fractions, with the largest amount of cholesterol residing in cellular membranes. We set out to determine whether various arteries differ in their ability to accumulate esterified and non-esterified cholesterol in detergent-sensitive versus detergent-resistant fractions throughout the course of a high-cholesterol diet. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on 2 % cholesterol diet while a control group was receiving iso-caloric standard chow. Liver, aorta, and pulmonary, mesenteric, and cerebral arteries were collected at 2-6, 8-12, 14-18, and 20-24 weeks from the start of high-cholesterol diet. After fraction separation, esterified and free non-esterified cholesterol levels were measured. In all arteries, largest cholesterol amounts were present in detergent-sensitive fractions in the non-esterified form. Overall, cholesterol in aorta and cerebral arteries was elevated during 14-18 weeks of high-cholesterol diet. Cerebral arteries also exhibited increase in esterified cholesterol within detergent-sensitive domains, as well as increase in cholesterol level in the detergent-resistant fraction at earlier time-points of diet. Pulmonary artery and mesenteric artery were largely resistant to cholesterol accumulation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis revealed up-regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr) and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (Lrp1) gene expression in cerebral arteries when compared to mesenteric and pulmonary arteries, respectively. In summary, we unveiled the differential ability of arteries to accumulate cholesterol over the course of a high-cholesterol diet. The differential accumulation of cholesterol seems to correlate with the up-regulated gene expression of proteins responsible for cholesterol uptake.

Online synchronous chat counselling for young people aged 12-25: a mixed methods systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Youth mental health is a global issue, with 75% of many serious mental health difficulties emerging before the age of 25. An increase in the popularity of online counselling for young people's mental health has been seen in recent years, due to their accessibility, cost-effectiveness and reduced stigmatising effects. Online synchronous chat counselling consists of real-time, text-based, one-to-one chats with a mental health professional and/or trained volunteer. Literature to date examining the effectiveness of these interventions has been limited, and little is known about their design features, their acceptance, effectiveness and the therapeutic processes that contribute to their working. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A mixed-methods systematic review of the literature will be conducted. PsycINFO MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science and relevant grey literature will be searched for peer-reviewed, English language studies between January 1995 and June 2021. Backward and forward reference checking will be conducted. Quality of included articles will be examined using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and a combination of the TIDieR checklist and a prepopulated data table will be used for extraction. A mixed methods review adopting a convergent-integrated design will be employed. Quantitative data will be transformed and analysed simultaneously alongside qualitative data using narrative synthesis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The research does not require ethical approval. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, academic conference presentations, academic social media and invited workshops, webinars and seminars. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021256016.

Profiling third-level student mental health: findings from My World Survey 2.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify risk and protective factors for mental health across student cohorts to guide mental health provision. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the My World Survey 2-Post Second Level (MWS2-PSL) were used. The sample consisted of N = 9935 students (18-65 years) from 12 third-level institutions (7 out of 7 universities and 5 out of 14 Institute of Technologies (IoTs)) across Ireland. Key outcomes of interest were depression, anxiety and suicidality. Risk factors included drug/alcohol use, risky sexual behaviours and exposure to stressors. Protective factors included coping strategies, help-seeking, resilience, self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism and social support. These factors were profiled by degree type (undergraduate, postgraduate taught, postgraduate research), access route, and institution type (IoT, university). Chi-square tests of Independence and one-way ANOVAs compared groups on key risk and protective factors. RESULTS: A total 71% of respondents were female, 85% were aged 23 or under and there was a 2.2% response rate in IoTs versus 10.6% in university students. Undergraduates demonstrated higher levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation than postgraduates. Undergraduates showed higher risk and lower protective factors than postgraduates. Students attending Institutes of Technology reported higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower protective and higher risk factors than university students. CONCLUSION: In this sample of students, undergraduates, especially those attending Institutes of Technology, were at increased risk of mental health difficulties. Findings suggest the need to tailor interventions to meet cohort needs, and consider the differing vulnerabilities and strengths across student cohorts. Due to limitations of this study, such as selection bias, further research is warranted.

Adolescents' Experiences of Idiopathic Scoliosis in the Presurgical Period: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a sideways curvature of the spine that can progress severely during adolescent development and require surgical intervention. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the psychosocial experiences of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis during the presurgical stage of treatment. METHODS: Fourteen adolescents with moderate-to-severe AIS aged 12-17 years participated in semistructured interviews and data were analyzed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four key themes were generated from the analysis. "Proceeding with Caution" described adolescents' adaptation to the physical impact of their AIS, while "Am I Different?" encompassed adolescents' perceptions of their changing appearance and visibility of their condition. "An Emotional Journey" captured the rollercoaster of emotions from shock at diagnosis to the daunting realization of the severity of their condition, while knowing others with AIS could ease the emotional burden. Finally, adolescents' concerns and expectations about their prospective surgery were captured by the theme "No Pain, No Gain", whereby they were often keen to put surgery behind them. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding and addressing adolescents' psychosocial support needs as they manage the challenges associated with idiopathic scoliosis is a key component of promoting better outcomes among this patient group. Clinical implications and opportunities for support provision are discussed.

Measuring goal progress using the goal-based outcome measure in Jigsaw - A primary care youth mental health service.

BACKGROUND: Jigsaw is a primary care youth mental health service designed to increase access to and utilisation of mental health supports for 12- to 25-year-olds. Effectiveness in community youth mental health services is typically assessed using standardised instruments. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Jigsaw's brief intervention model of support using an idiographic tool, the goal-based outcome (GBO) measure. The study also aimed to explore the type of goals set by young people engaging with this service. METHOD: The study sample consisted of a secondary dataset of 4839 young people aged 12-25 years (63.5% female, 36.5% male) who engaged with one of Jigsaw's 13 brief intervention services. Overall, 7366 goals set using the GBO were examined. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to examine the type of goals set by young people, and inferential analyses were used to examine statistical and reliable changes in goal progress. RESULTS: The goals young people set focused on developing coping mechanisms and personal growth and managing interpersonal difficulties. Mean scores for progress towards goals improved significantly from pre- to postintervention. The reliable change index (RCI) indicated that change greater than 2.82 points represents reliable change on the GBO, with 78.6% of young people showing reliable improvement. Demographic characteristics did not impact goal progress. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest Jigsaw's brief intervention model of support is effective in assisting young people reach their goals and that the GBO is a suitable measure for young people attending a community-based youth mental health service.

Heterogeneous Longitudinal Antibody Responses to Covid-19 mRNA Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Public health measures to stem the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are challenged by social, economic, health status, and cultural disparities that facilitate disease transmission and amplify its severity. Prior pre-clinical biomedical technologic advances in nucleic acid-based vaccination enabled unprecedented speed of conceptualization, development, production, and widespread distribution of mRNA vaccines that target SARS-CoV-2's Spike (S) protein. DESIGN: Twenty-five female and male volunteer fulltime employees at the Providence VA Medical Center participated in this study to examine longitudinal antibody responses to the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine. IgM-S and IgG-S were measured in serum using the Abbott IgM-S-Qualitative and IgG2-S-Quantitative chemiluminescent assays. RESULTS: Peak IgM responses after Vaccine Dose #1 were delayed in 6 (24%) and absent in 7 (28%) participants. IgG2-S peak responses primarily occurred 40 to 44 days after Vaccine Dose #1, which was also 11 to 14 days after Vaccine Dose #2. However, subgroups exhibited Strong (n = 6; 24%), Normal (n = 13; 52%), or Weak (n = 6; 24%) peak level responses that differed significantly from each other (P < .005 or better). The post-peak IgG2-S levels declined progressively, and within 6 months reached the mean level measured 1 month after Vaccine Dose #1. Weak responders exhibited persistently low levels of IgG2-S. Variability in vaccine responsiveness was unrelated to age or gender. CONCLUSION: Host responses to SARS-CoV-2-Spike mRNA vaccines vary in magnitude, duration and occurrence. This study raises concern about the lack of vaccine protection in as many as 8% of otherwise normal people, and the need for open dialog about future re-boosting requirements to ensure long-lasting immunity via mRNA vaccination versus natural infection.

Interpreting ambiguous emotional information: Convergence among interpretation bias measures and unique relations with depression severity.

This study aimed to examine the convergence among interpretation bias measures and their associations with depressive symptom severity. Research into interpretation biases employs measures of interpretation bias interchangeably, however, little is known about the relationship between these measures. Participants (N = 82 unselected undergraduate students; 59 female) completed four computer-based interpretation bias tasks in a cross-sectional design study. Indirect measures, based on participants' reaction times, were not correlated with each other and had poor split-half reliability. Direct measures were more strongly correlated with depressive symptoms than indirect measures, but only the Scrambled Sentences Task explained a reliable unique portion of the variance in depressive symptoms. Interpretation bias tasks may not measure the same cognitive process and may differ in the extent to which they are a cognitive marker of depression-linked interpretation bias. These findings help to improve the measurement of and theory underlying interpretation bias and depressive symptoms.

A qualitative study on the multi-level process of resilience development for adults recovering from eating disorders.

BACKGROUND: Resilience research to date has been criticised for its consideration of resilience as a personal trait instead of a process, and for identifying individual factors related to resilience with no consideration of the ecological context. The overall aim of the current study was to explore the multi-level process through which adults recovering from EDs develop resilience, from the perspectives of clients and clinicians. The objective of this research was to outline the stages involved in the process of developing resilience, which might help to inform families and services in how best to support adults with EDs during their recovery. METHOD: Thirty participants (15 clients; 15 clinicians) took part in semi-structured interviews, and responded to questions relating to factors associated with resilience. Using an inductive approach, data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The overarching theme which described the process of developing resilience was 'Bouncing back to being me', which involved three stages: 'Who am I without my ED?', 'My eating disorder does not define me', and 'I no longer need my eating disorder'. Twenty sub-themes were identified as being involved in this resilience process, thirteen of which required multi-level involvement. CONCLUSION: This qualitative study provided a multi-level resilience framework for adults recovering from eating disorders, that is based on the experiences of adults with eating disorders and their treating clinicians. This framework provided empirical evidence that resilience is an ecological process involving an interaction between internal and external factors occurring between adults with eating disorder and their most immediate environments (i.e. family and social). Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder demonstrate high rates of symptom persistence across time and poor prognosis for a significant proportion of individuals affected by these disorders, including health complications and increased risk of mortality. Many researchers have attempted to explore how to improve recovery outcomes for this population. Eating disorder experts have emphasised the need to focus not only on the weight indicators and eating behaviours that sustain the eating disorder during recovery, but also on the psychological well-being of the person recovering. One way to achieve this is to focus on resilience, which was identified as a fundamental aspect of eating disorder recovery in previous research. This study conceptualises resilience as a dynamic process that is influenced not only at a personal level but also through the environment in which the person lives. This study gathered data from adults with eating disorders and their treating clinicians, to devise a framework for resilience development for adults recovering from eating disorders. The paper discussed ways in which these findings and the framework identified can be easily implemented in clinical practice to facilitate a better understanding of eating disorder resilience and to enhance recovery outcomes.

Parents' information needs, treatment concerns, and psychological well-being when their child is diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: We systematically reviewed the experiences of parents who have a child with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in order to understand their needs and concerns related to their child's healthcare, and assist health professionals in supporting parents of this paediatric patient group. METHODS: A systematic search strategy identified eighteen relevant studies published between 2000 and 2020. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and the literature was narratively synthesised. RESULTS: Three main themes were evident across the literature including information needs, treatment concerns, and psychological well-being. Studies predominantly focused on the surgical treatment of scoliosis. CONCLUSION: Parents face challenges such as acquiring appropriate knowledge about scoliosis to participate in healthcare decisions and coping with their child undergoing invasive spinal surgery. Throughout this time, their psychological well-being can be negatively impacted. Considering parents' experiences and support needs throughout this anxiety-provoking time is an important step in delivering family-centered care and promoting better outcomes for paediatric patients. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providing parents with appropriate resources and addressing concerns around surgical complications, postoperative pain, and how they can best support their child before and after surgery, may alleviate some of the emotional burden that parents experience.

Family-related non-abuse adverse life experiences occurring for adults diagnosed with eating disorders: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Although previous reviews suggest a strong association between abuse and eating disorders, less is known about non-abuse adverse life experiences, such as parental mental illness or family discord, which occur frequently for this population. The aim of the current study was to identify family-related non-abuse adverse life experiences occurring for adults with eating disorders, and to establish whether they occur for people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder more than the general population and other psychiatric populations. METHOD: A systematic review of studies focusing on family-related non-abuse adverse life experiences and eating disorders was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The search string was applied to four electronic databases including Psycinfo, PubMed/Medline, CINAHL Plus and EMBASE. RESULTS: Of the 26 studies selected for inclusion, six types of family-related non-abuse adverse life experiences were identified: adverse parenting style; family disharmony; loss of a family member, relative or close person; familial mental health issues; family comments about eating, or shape, weight and appearance; and family disruptions. Findings provided tentative evidence for eating disorder specific (i.e. parental demands and criticism) and non-specific (i.e. familial loss and family disruptions) non-abuse adversities, with findings also suggesting that those with bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder were more impacted by loss, family separations and negative parent-child interactions compared to those with anorexia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides a clear synthesis of previous findings relating to family-related non-abuse adverse life experiences and eating disorders in adults. Implications for trauma-informed care in clinical practice were discussed (e.g. considering the impact of past life events, understanding the function of ED behaviours, reducing the risk of potential re-traumatisation).

Is there an app for that? A cluster randomised controlled trial of a mobile app-based mental health intervention.

Demand for the use of mobile apps in mental health interventions has grown in recent years, particularly among adolescents who experience elevated levels of distress. However, there is a scarcity of evidence for the effectiveness of these tools within this population. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of CopeSmart, a mental health mobile app, using a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial design. Participants were 15-18-years-olds (N = 560) recruited from 10 schools randomly assigned to an intervention or control condition. Intervention participants used the app over a 4-week period. Multi-level modelling analyses revealed no significant changes in the intervention group from pre-test to post-test, when compared to the control group, in terms of emotional distress, well-being, emotional self-awareness or coping strategies. Findings suggest that a 4-week app-based intervention may not be enough to elicit intra-personal changes in mental health outcomes in a general adolescent population.

Systematic review of body image measures.

This systematic review synthesizes and critically appraises measurement properties of influential body image measures. Eight measures that met the definition of an assessment of body image (i.e., an individual's cognitive or affective evaluation of their body or appearance with a positive or negative valence), and scored high on systematic expert priority ranking, were included. These measures were: the Body Appreciation Scale (original BAS and BAS-2), the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, the Body Shape Questionnaire, the Centre for Appearance Research Valence Scale, the Drive for Muscularity Scale, two subscales of the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire, one subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory 3, and two subscales of the Multidimensional Body Relations Questionnaire. Articles assessing these scales' psychometric properties (N = 136) were evaluated for their methodological quality using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist, and a best evidence synthesis was performed. The results supported the majority of measures in terms of reliability and validity; however, suitability varied across populations, and some measurement properties were insufficiently evaluated. The measures are discussed in detail, including recommendations for their future use in research and clinical practice.

Investigating the psychometric properties of the revised child anxiety and depression scale (RCADS) in a non-clinical sample of Irish adolescents.

Background: The psychometric properties of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) have been established cross-culturally, yet psychometric evidence is lacking for an English-speaking European population. Aim: This research sought to further cross-validate the measure in a non-clinical Irish adolescent sample, and to test for gender and age-based differential item functioning in depression and anxiety. Method: Participants were Irish second-level school students (N = 345; 164 male; 12-18 years, M =14.97, SD = 1.44). Confirmatory factor analysis for categorical data (confirmatory item factor analysis) and multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) modelling to identify items displaying possible metric invariance were conducted. Results: A six-factor model fit the data well in both gender samples and both school cycles, as a proxy for age samples. Gender-based metric invariance for 5 of 47 items and age-based metric invariance for three items were identified. However, the magnitudes were small. Internal consistency and validity were also established. Conclusions: While, a number of items demonstrated minor metric invariance, there was no evidence that they influenced overall scores meaningfully. The RCADS can reasonably be used without adjustment in male and female, younger and older, adolescent samples. Findings have implications for the use of the RCADS in an English-speaking European population.