Association of Childhood Emotional Maltreatment with Adolescents' Psychopathology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Childhood Emotional Maltreatment (CEM) is a significant but under-studied risk factor for impaired mental health, with adolescents being particularly susceptible. This systematic review and meta-analysis, prospectively registered in PROSPERO as CRD42022383005, aims to synthesize the findings of studies investigating the association between CEM and adolescent psychopathology, making it the first attempt to the best of our knowledge. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines, a comprehensive search (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Science Direct, Embase, and ProQuest) yielded 12,224 studies, from which 72 were included in the qualitative synthesis. The meta-analysis was conducted on 76 effect sizes (ranging from 0.01 to 0.57) extracted from 56 studies. The assessment of publication bias utilized funnel plots, Egger's regression test, and the trim and fill method, if required. Additionally, a predictor analysis investigated the influence of study-level variables on the CEM-psychopathology association. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between CEM and adolescent psychopathology (Pooled association: 0.24-0.41) Furthermore, assessment of publication bias indicated no significant bias. The predictor analysis suggested minimal influence of study-level variables. The study underscores the urgent need to address CEM as a crucial risk factor for adolescent psychopathology. The significant positive correlation between CEM and psychopathological outcomes highlights the detrimental effects of CEM on adolescents. Awareness, prevention efforts, and targeted interventions are essential to mitigate these effects. Further studies with culturally diverse and larger sample sizes are required, with emphasis on methodological rigor, given that most of the identified studies showed a high risk of bias.

Attachment orientation and depression: A moderated mediation model of self-silencing and gender differences.

BACKGROUND: While the effect of insecure attachment on depression is well established, findings pertaining to the relationship between specific attachment dimensions (anxious and avoidant) and depression are inconsistent. The role of interpersonal factors underlying this effect has been little explored. 'Silencing the Self', a socio-cognitive construct may provide important insights as a mediating pathway from insecure attachment to depression and help resolve the inconsistencies. AIMS: The present study explored the mediating effect of self-silencing and the role of gender as a moderator in the relation between insecure attachment orientation (i.e. avoidant and anxious) and depressive symptoms. METHOD: Data was collected via an online survey, from 121 adults who were in a relationship. The participants were asked to complete three self-report questionnaires, assessing attachment orientation, silencing the self and depressive symptoms. Moderated mediation analysis was performed using conditional process analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that the effect of both insecure attachment dimensions on depressive symptoms was mediated by silencing the self. In addition, gender moderated the association between insecure attachment and self-silencing. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the literature on mediating pathways between insecure attachment and depression, and provides a new perspective for therapeutic interventions in the context of depression. It indicates that professionals should focus on current social context and relational schemas of individuals with an insecure attachment, especially women, while treating cases of depression in clinical settings.

Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, waning immunity, and breakthrough infections prompted the use of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to fight against the pandemic. India started booster doses in January 2022 and it is critical to determine the intention of booster dose uptake and its correlates. Therefore, the current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate booster dose acceptability and associated predictors among the Indian population. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit a sample of 687 Indian residents. A 55-item psychometric validated survey tool was used to assess booster dose acceptability, vaccine literacy and vaccine confidence. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Over 50% of participants reported their willingness to take the booster dose. Among the group not willing to take the booster dose (n = 303, 44.1%), a significantly larger proportion of respondents were unvaccinated with the primary series (12.2% vs. 5.2%, p < 0.001), had an annual income below 2.96 lacs/annum (52.8% vs. 33.1, p < 0.001), were residents of rural areas (38.0% vs. 23.2%, p < 0.001), were not living with vulnerable individuals (78.5% vs. 65.2%, p < 0.001) and did not have family/friends who had tested positive for COVID-19 (54.6% vs. 35.1%, p = 0.001). Demographic, vaccine variables and multi-theory model subscales to predict the initiation of booster dose among hesitant participants were statistically significant, R2 = 0.561, F (26, 244) = 11.978, p < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.514. Findings of this study highlight the need to develop evidence-based interventions to promote vaccine uptake, particularly among hard-to-reach communities living in developing countries.

Cross-Cultural Measurement of Positive and Negative Emotions in Adolescence: Evidence from Three Countries.

Cross-cultural assessment of affective well-being among adolescents has received scarce attention in positive psychological research. The present study investigated cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) among adolescents from three countries (India, Poland, and Serbia). The sample included a total of 1080 adolescents (53.6% female; M age = 16.75, range = 15-19 years). Surveys were administered online in each country. Measurement invariance testing provided evidence for partial scalar invariance of the SPANE across cultures, with item "afraid" showing nonivariance across the three countries. Latent factor correlations between positive and negative emotions were stronger in Serbia compared to Poland and India. Positive emotions and life satisfaction had strong positive associations in all three countries (ranging from 0.68 to 0.75). The inverse correlations between negative emotions and life satisfaction were - 0.27, - 0.54, - 0.69 in India, Poland, and Serbia, respectively. Polish adolescents demonstrated the lowest levels of affective well-being, whereas Indian and Serbian adolescents did not differ substantially in levels of positive and negative emotions. The present study demonstrated that the SPANE is a reliable and useful tool for the assessment of positive and negative emotions among adolescents from different cultural settings. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-022-00521-6.

Social Functioning in Individuals Affected by Childhood Maltreatment: Establishing a Research Agenda to Inform Interventions.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to impairments in various domains of social functioning. Here, we argue that it is critical to identify factors that underlie impaired social functioning as well as processes that mediate the beneficial health effects of positive relationships in individuals exposed to CM. Key research recommendations are presented, focusing on: (1) identifying attachment-related alterations in specific inter- and intrapersonal processes (e.g., regulation of closeness and distance) that underlie problems in broader domains of social functioning (e.g., lack of perceived social support) in individuals affected by CM; (2) identifying internal (e.g., current emotional state) and external situational factors (e.g., cultural factors, presence of close others) that modulate alterations in specific social processes; and (3) identifying mechanisms that explain the positive health effects of intact social functioning. Methodological recommendations include: (1) assessing social processes through interactive and (close to) real-life assessments inside and outside the laboratory; (2) adopting an interdisciplinary, lifespan perspective to assess social processes, using multi-method assessments; (3) establishing global research collaborations to account for cultural influences on social processes and enable replications across laboratories and countries. The proposed line of research will contribute to globally develop and refine interventions that prevent CM and further positive relationships, which - likely through buffering the effects of chronic stress and corresponding allostatic load - foster resilience and improve mental and physical health, thereby reducing personal suffering and the societal and economic costs of CM and its consequences. Interventions targeting euthymia and psychological well-being are promising therapeutic concepts in this context.

Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S): Evidence of Measurement Invariance Across Five Countries.

Purpose: The percentage of individuals who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 was 53% worldwide, 62% in Asia, and 11% in Africa at the time of writing (February 9, 2022). In addition to administrative issues, vaccine hesitancy is an important factor contributing to the relatively low rate of vaccination. The Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) was developed to assess COVID-19 vaccination acceptance levels. However, it has only been tested among Taiwanese, mainland Chinese, and Ghanaian populations (Chen et al, 2021; Fan et al, 2021; Yeh et al, 2021). Therefore, the present study examined the construct validity and measurement invariance of the MoVac-COVID19S among individuals from five countries (ie, Taiwan, mainland China, India, Ghana, and Afghanistan). Participants and Methods: A cross-sectional survey study recruited 6053 participants across five countries who completed the survey between January and March 2021. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) fit indices were used to examine factor structure and measurement invariance across the five countries. Results: The fit indices of the CFA were relatively good across the countries except for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Moreover, the four-factor structure (either nine or 12 items) had a better fit than the one-factor structure. However, the four-factor model using nine MoVac-COVID19S items was the only model that had measurement invariance support for both factor loadings and item intercepts across the five countries. Conclusion: The present study confirmed that the MoVac-COVID19S has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to assess an individual's willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale in Adolescent Samples: Measurement Invariance across 24 Countries and Regions, Age, and Gender.

Measurement of adolescent life satisfaction across cultures has not received much attention in previous empirical research. The present study evaluated measurement invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) among adolescents in 24 countries and regions (N = 22,710; age range = 13-19 years; 53% female). A single-factor model with residual covariance between a pair of items tapping past life satisfaction fitted well in 19 countries and regions and showed a partial metric invariance. In a subset of nine countries and regions, partial scalar invariance was supported. Partial metric invariance across all 24 countries and regions was achieved when custom model modifications in five countries and regions were included. Three SWLS items showed evidence of noninvariance across cultures. The measurement model was found to operate similarly across gender and age. Our findings suggest that caution is needed when using the SWLS for measuring life satisfaction among adolescents from different cultures. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-021-10024-w.

COVID-19 related fear and mental health in Indian sample: The buffering effect of support system.

The scientific world witnessed a surge of researches, from all corners of the world, regarding the humanitarian crisis precipitated by COVID-19 pandemic, more specifically its impact on people's mental health. However, researchers exploring the association between COVID-19 related fear and mental health are yet to understand the conditions through which potential benefits may occur. Many factors could buffer the effects of COVID-19 related fear on mental health; support system is probably the predominant one. Thus, the present study examined the moderating effects of support system in the association between COVID-19 related fear and mental health outcomes - somatic symptoms, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and depression. Using a web-based cross-sectional survey, we collected data from 163 volunteers assessed with demographic information, COVID-19 related fear, support system, and mental health outcomes. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis and simple effect tests revealed that high levels of support from family, friends, and significant others might buffer/lessen the psychological sequelae (e.g., somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression during public health emergencies, such as COVID-19 pandemic. Given the potential for negative mental health outcomes following pandemics, such as COVID-19, efforts to enhance peoples' support system may be especially important.

Gender Differences in Childhood Maltreatment: A Comparative Study of Nightmare Sufferers and Non-sufferers.

Child maltreatment has been identified as a significant problem, both within India and outside. According to UNICEF, over the last decade, there has been a growing recognition about this, but the problem has remained unresolved largely due to being underreported and undocumented. Previous research in this area has reported inconsistent gender differences across the world. Besides, there are shreds of evidence to suggest that childhood maltreatment would be associated with nightmares later in life, but a handful of studies exist in this context. Moreover, there is a paucity of research concerning the interaction effect of gender and group (nightmare sufferer vs non-sufferer) on childhood maltreatment. Owing to the insufficient research and inconsistent findings, the present study aimed to investigate gender differences in childhood maltreatment among nightmare sufferers as compared to non-sufferers. A total of 120 participants were selected from New Delhi. The results of two-way ANOVA suggest that the nightmares later in life would be associated with the abuse and neglect experienced during childhood as nightmare sufferer group reported having higher rates of child abuse and neglect than non-sufferers. It also suggests that male participants in general experience childhood maltreatment more than females; however, emotional abuse was experienced by males only if they belonged to the nightmare sufferer group.

Lived Experiences of Women with Dissociative Disorder: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the Indian setting, several studies have documented that dissociative disorders (DDs) are more common in females, and the most commonly elicited stressors are interpersonal. However, much of the research up to now has been quantitative. There is a notable paucity of qualitative studies exploring the subjective experiences of women with DD. Therefore, the present study sought to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of women diagnosed with DD. METHODS: Five women were recruited who were seeking psychological treatment for dissociative symptoms at a tertiary care neuropsychiatric institute in North India. In-depth interviews were conducted with each, and the transcripts were analyzed using the analytic method of interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Three superordinate themes that emerged were: patients' illness perspectives, the salience of relationships, and dealing with relationship conflicts. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the role of culture in influencing the participants' illness perspectives. Women with DD tend to define their self in relational terms and, thus, inhibit the expression of one's needs and opinions, to avoid conflict and to maintain harmony in relationships.

Lived experiences of Indian Youth amid COVID-19 crisis: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns have caused a global discomposure. Out of a plethora of ramifications of this unusual state, mental health problems are becoming a serious concern. Considering the peculiarity of the situation, encapsulation of the lived experiences of people affected by COVID-19 may lead us towards a better understanding and control of the situation. AIM: The aim of the present study was to get an in-depth analysis of the lived experiences of Indian youth amid COVID-19 crisis and its impact on their mental health. METHOD: Ten college going students were telephonically interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule to elicit participants' experiences with COVID-19 and the impact it has posed on their mental health. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). RESULTS: The analysis revealed three master themes: (1) 'Impact on mental health', (2) 'Positive experiences' and (3) 'Ways of coping amid the crisis'. CONCLUSION: The study draws attention to the mental health concerns of Indian youth amid the current crisis. The findings also highlight the positive outcomes of the crisis as well as the different ways of coping adopted by young individuals in India.

The Curvilinear Association Between Posttraumatic Distress and Posttraumatic Growth Among Pellet Gun Victims: The Moderating Roles of Time Since Trauma and Age.

Since 2010, the use of pellet guns in Indian-administered Kashmir has led to serious physical and psychological consequences among a growing number of victims. However, no research to date has examined the association between posttraumatic distress and posttraumatic growth (PTG) within this population. Previous research conducted on other types of trauma exposure has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the nature and directionality of this association; namely, whether it is linear or curvilinear. Moreover, this inconsistency may also be due to the effects of other variables, such as time since trauma and age. In the present study, we investigated whether the association between posttraumatic distress and PTG among pellet gun victims is best explained as linear or curvilinear and tested whether this association was moderated by time since trauma and/or age. Using purposive sampling, 120 pellet gun victims were recruited from Indian-administered Kashmir. The results of quadratic hierarchical regression suggested that an inverted U-shaped curvilinear association, sr2 = 0.07 (medium effect), was a better fit over and above a linear term, sr2 = 0.06 - 0.08 (medium effect). The moderation test further revealed that this effect was present across time but became apparent, as an inverted U-shape, 18 to 24 months posttrauma, sr2 = 0.04 (small effect); age, however, was not found to influence this association. These findings held even after controlling for the effects of confounding variables. The present findings suggest that across time, moderate levels of posttraumatic distress are associated with the highest levels of PTG.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: Furnishing experiences from India.

The current work seeks to address the issues and ramifications of the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in India. Ever since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, leading to a nationwide lockdown, a majority of people in India have faced a myriad of hardships, with mental health crisis being the most prominent one. The evidence at hand points toward an array of mental health issues in people that include a sense of uncertainty, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, panic attacks, and loneliness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

'Silencing the self' and women's mental health problems: A narrative review.

In the context of women's mental health several propositions have been made to account for their increased susceptibility to certain psychiatric illnesses. However, given the topic's multifacetedness, no single explanation is found sufficient in itself. 'Silencing the Self' theory sheds new light on this issue because it acknowledges the importance of social and cultural processes. Besides with its relational perspective, it centers on the primacy of core relationships and its influence on a woman's mental health. Even though, since its inception three decades ago, the theory has been studied in relation to various psychological and physical disorders; it has hitherto received inadequate attention by scholars. Nonetheless, it has the potential to inform our understanding when formulating women's mental health issues. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive narrative account of the extant work on 'silencing the self' in relation to psychiatric illnesses like depression, eating disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It attempts to synthesize the work done till date, as a starting point for further investigation of unexamined areas.

Beyond linear evidence: The curvilinear relationship between secondary traumatic stress and vicarious posttraumatic growth among healthcare professionals.

Insufficient and inconsistent research exists regarding the relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG). Some authors suggest that the STS-VPTG relationship can be linear, whereas others suggest that the relationship can best be represented as curvilinear. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether the relationship between STS and VPTG is essentially linear or curvilinear. A cross-sectional correlational research design was employed, and a total of 258 surgeons, psychiatrists, and physicians who deal with victims of the ongoing conflict were selected. After controlling for the effects of vicarious and direct traumatic exposure and experience, results of hierarchical regression provide support for the curvilinear association between STS and VPTG among the overall sample (the curvilinear model explained 4.6% of the variance in Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) scores beyond the variance explained by the linear model) and among professional groups of surgeons and physicians (the curvilinear model explained 4.3% of the variance in PTGI scores among surgeons and 3.5% of the variance in PTGI scores among physicians over and above variance explained by the linear models, respectively). Findings suggest that moderate levels of STS are most associated with the highest levels of VPTG.

Religious Commitment and Well-Being in College Students: Examining Conditional Indirect Effects of Meaning in Life.

There is systematic and quantitative evidence that religious commitment is associated with indicators of well-being, such as positive emotions and moods, absence of negative emotions, and satisfaction with life; however, researchers remain far from a consensus regarding which mechanisms may account for these observed relationships. Although religious commitment influences well-being through many different mechanisms, meaning in life is probably the predominant one. Thus, we examined the bidimensional conceptualization of meaning in life as a potential mechanism between religious commitment and well-being. The study was cross-sectional in nature. Survey data were collected from 92 college students, aged 17-21. A battery of self-report measures was used for tapping religious commitment, well-being, and meaning in life. Even though presence of meaning, search for meaning, religious commitment, and well-being correlated moderately with each other, presence of meaning carried a substantial proportion of variance in predicting well-being for girls/women. This study suggests that religious commitment influences a person's sense of meaning in life, which, in turn, influences her/his well-being. And, we hope that these results encourage professionals to explore with their clients the fundamental questions of meaning and purpose in life.

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of a Religious Conversion.

Religious conversion is an important phenomenon in contemporary religious climate, but existing psychology research work is mostly based on quantitative methods. In an attempt to contribute to this field, the present study proposes a qualitative exploration of religious conversion. The in-depth interview of a French woman is examined in order to investigate her experience of religious conversion, 40 years prior. The interview was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, with the purpose of revealing how the participant experienced the process of religious conversion, what was its impact on her life, identity and personality and how she coped with this impact. The four emerging themes were: conflicted relationship with Judaism, the pursuit of a spiritual quest, changes after conversion and life after conversion. These themes painted the image of a powerful spiritual transformation, a profound and dynamic lifelong process, integrating concepts and practices, life changes and developments. The findings are explained with the help of available literature.

PTSD and depression in adult survivors of flood fury in Kashmir: The payoffs of social support.

Exposure to disasters such as floods predisposes individuals for psychological distress such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Researchers exploring the association between flood-exposure and psychopathology attempt to understand the conditions and mechanisms through which potential benefits may occur. One such potential factor that may contribute to resilience in the face of disaster is social support system. However, there is scarcity of researches concerning the protective effects of social support following floods, in adult samples. Thus, the present study examined the moderating and indirect effects of perceived social support from family and friends in the association between flood-exposure and symptoms of PTSD and depression. The study was a cross sectional in nature. Survey data were collected from 87 adult survivors of flood fury in Kashmir valley, aged 30-40. High level of family and friends' support reduced the association between flood-exposure and symptoms of PTSD and depression whereas a low level of such support enhanced this association. Results also suggested that family support carried a significant proportion of variance in predicting depression. Given the potential for negative mental health outcomes following natural disasters, efforts to enhance adults' social support may be especially important.

Intolerance of uncertainty, depression, and anxiety: Examining the indirect and moderating effects of worry.

The present study sought to examine the indirect and moderating effects of worry between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The study was a cross sectional study. Data were collected from 120 psychiatric patients, aged 22 to 37 years. A battery of self-report questionnaires was administered for tapping IU, worry, depression and anxiety symptoms. Results from indirect effects analyses revealed that even though IU, worry, depression, and anxiety symptoms correlated moderately with each other, worry carried a substantial proportion of variance in predicting symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the relative effect was more pronounced for anxiety compared to depression symptoms. The results from hierarchical analyses supported the moderator role of worry. More specifically, a high level of worry enhanced the association between IU and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Given the potential for worry as a mechanism, and/or moderator between IU and symptoms of depression and anxiety, adults with a tendency to use this negative repetitive thought process (e.g. worry) may be at higher risk to develop psychological symptoms.

Effect of Dynamic Meditation on Mental Health.

Although traditional meditation has been found to be effective in improving physical and mental health of subjects, there was a paucity of research of the effect of active or dynamic meditation on these variables. Therefore, the present study was aimed at studying the effect of dynamic meditation on mental health of the subjects. Total sample of the present study comprised 60 subjects, 30 each in experimental and control group. Subjects in experimental group were given 21-day training in dynamic meditation. Mental health of the experimental and control group subjects was measured in pre- and post-condition with the help of Mental Health Inventory developed by Jagadish and Srivastava (Mental Health inventory, Manovaigyanik Parikshan Sansthan, Varanasi, 1983). Obtained data were analyzed with the help of ANCOVA. In post-condition, experimental group scored better than control group on integration of personality, autonomy and environmental mastery. Effect sizes of dynamic meditation on these dimensions of mental health were large. However, experimental group and control group did not differ significantly on positive self-evaluation, perception of reality and group-oriented attitude dimensions of mental health in post-condition. Overall, dynamic meditation training was effective in improving mental health of the subjects.