Solitary Experience and Problematic Social Media Use Among Young Adults: A Systematic Review with Recommendations for Future Research.

Objective: This study was conducted to summarize existing studies on the association between solitary experiences and problematic social media use (PSMU) among young adults. Method: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines, implemented in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO. We selected studies if they presented original data, assessed solitary experiences and PSMU in young adults (i.e., 18-30 age range), were published in peer reviewed journals between 2004 and 2023, and were written in English. Results: After duplicate removal, 1,841 eligible studies were found. From these, 12 articles were selected, encompassing 4,009 participants. Most studies showed a positive association between general loneliness and PSMU. Some of these suggested that this relationship varies based on the facets of loneliness, other potential variables, and the type of social media. No mediating factors were found. Few studies assessed solitary experiences other than general loneliness, highlighting the need for a multidimensional perspective on solitary experience in investigating PSMU. Conclusions: Implications and future research orientations are discussed.

A Comprehensive Scoping Review of Empirical Studies on Earned Secure Attachment.

Earned-Secure Attachment (ESA) can be defined as the process by which individuals with insecure childhood attachment rise above malevolent childhood experiences to develop secure relationships pattern in adulthood. To our knowledge, no previous review has summarized findings from empirical literature about this topic. To fill this gap, we conduct a preregistered scoping review (research published until 2023) following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, to find how ESA has been defined, assessed, and studied in the empirical literature. Four databases were searched (Scopus, PsycInfo, PubMed and Web of Science), 24 studies were included in the review and were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings from our review reveal a more formal than substantial agreement on the conceptualization of ESA and the conclusions that can be made, considering the heterogeneity of our results, are only preliminary. Developmental factors, the association between ESA and depressive symptoms and the role of fathers remain poorly defined, although the importance of secondary attachment figures and reflective functioning as factors that may contribute to earned-security in attachment is clear. Recommendations and future steps for researchers and practitioners are highlighted.

Longitudinal Associations Between Resilience and Mental Health During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Objective: Research on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has pointed out that lockdowns had small effects on the overall mental health, despite considerable heterogeneity among studies is present. Psychological resilience may be responsible for an amount of variance in individual reactions to the pandemic, despite the fact that its longitudinal associations with mental health symptoms remain unclear. This study sought to investigate changes in resilience and its relationships with depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total of 814 participated in this longitudinal study via an online survey during the first lockdown consequent to the COVID-19 pandemic (T1) and during the third wave (T2). The Resilience Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - 21 were administered. Sociodemographic data and COVID-19 related information were also collected. Results: Psychological resilience decreased during the third wave of the pandemic, whereas depression and stress increased. Moreover, psychological resilience had a direct effect only on depression during the third wave, while its effect on anxiety and stress is mediated by the mental health during the first lockdown. Conclusions: The mental health symptoms worsened during the third wave, while protective factors such as resilience decreased. Individuals showing high resilience experienced lower depression, anxiety, and stress over time. Psychological intervention that enhances resilience should be embraced in the action of health care authorities to reduce the impact of pandemic.

Maladaptive daydreaming and problematic online behaviors: A network analysis approach.

Previous evidence showed that Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is positively associated with different Problematic Online Behaviors (POBs). This study aimed to investigate the mutual relationship between MD and several POBs. Data were collected from 1209 participants, aged 18-73 (M = 30.59, SD = 12.26), through self-report questionnaires assessing MD and POBs, including problematic online gambling, problematic online gaming, problematic cybersex, Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), problematic online shopping, and cyberchondria. Two psychometric network analyses were performed to examine the associations between all POBs at item levels, and between MD and POBs at construct levels. Results revealed six distinct communities, supporting the specificity of each POB. Furthermore, MD was found to be more strongly associated with PSMU and cyberchondria, and weakly associated with problematic online gaming, problematic cybersex, and problematic online shopping. The mutual relationships between MD and POBs might have relevant implications for the assessment and treatment of these clinical conditions.

Predictors of suicidal ideation in Italian veterinarians.

Suicide represents a significant problem for healthcare professionals such as veterinarians. Previous studies showed that contextual and individual risk factors can contribute to suicidality among veterinarians. In the present study, self-report measures on exposure to animal euthanasia, substance abuse, reflective functioning, and suicidal ideation were administered to 1556 Italian veterinarians aged 24-74 years old. Structural equation modelling revealed that failures in reflective functioning and substance abuse were associated with suicidal ideation. Prevention programs focusing on improving reflective functioning and decreasing substance abuse might reduce suicide risk among veterinarians.

Role of parental educational level as psychosocial factor in a sample of inpatients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Introduction: Evidence on parental educational level (PEL) as a risk factor for Eating Disorders (EDs) is mixed, and no study has assessed its role in relation to the compliance and outcomes of treatments in EDs. Further, no study differentiated from the educational level of mothers and fathers, nor considered the possible mediation of perfectionism in fostering EDs. Methods: A clinical sample of 242 first-ever admitted inpatients with EDs provided information on PEL and completed the following questionnaires: the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (F-MPS). Clinicians also provided information on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) for each participant. Results: Individuals with high PEL (whether mothers, fathers, or both parents) showed significantly higher scores on depressive symptoms and lower on parental criticism, were younger, had an earlier age of onset, had fewer years of illness, more were students and employed, and fewer had offspring. Individuals with fathers or both parents with high educational levels suffered more from Anorexia Nervosa rather than Bulimia Nervosa, had a longer length of stay during the current hospitalization, had less dietary restraint, and had higher personal standards. Individuals with mothers with high educational levels showed a lower rate of previous substance or alcohol addiction. Personal standards partially mediated the relationship between higher PEL and lower dietary restraint. Discussion: PEL emerged to be a twofold psychosocial risk factor, being associated with higher depressive symptoms and a longer length of stay, but also with a shorter duration of illness and better scholar and working involvement. Higher PEL was related to higher personal standards but not to global perfectionism. Patterns of eating psychopathology emerged based on the high PEL of mothers or fathers.

Longitudinal associations of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers assisting patients with end-stage cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: the moderator role of emotional exhaustion.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the moderating role of emotional exhaustion in the relationships between longitudinal associations of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers assisting end-of-life cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A longitudinal study involving a final sample of 122 healthcare workers (61.5% females, mean age = 39.09 ± 11.04 years) was conducted. These participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). RESULTS: Results of correlation analysis showed that emotional exhaustion was correlated with both T1 and T2 measures of depression, anxiety, and stress. Results of the moderation analysis indicated that emotional exhaustion moderated the relationships between consecutive measures of depression and anxiety. Each of the moderation models explained about half of the variance for depression and anxiety. When considering stress, results did not show a moderating role for emotional exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results of this study highlight that emotional exhaustion moderated depression and anxiety over time. Psychological interventions to promote psychological mental health among healthcare workers assisting patients with end-stage cancer should carefully consider these findings.

Insecure Minds through the Looking Glass: The Mediating Role of Mentalization in the Relationships between Adult Attachment Styles and Problematic Social Media Use.

Research shows that insecure attachment styles and failures in mentalizing are associated with increased problematic social media use (PSMU). This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of failures in mentalizing in the relationships between attachment styles and PSMU within a large sample of individuals from the community. The study involved the participation of 3600 adult volunteers (2312 females, 64.2%) aged between 18 and 60 years old (M = 29.92; SD = 10.68). Participants completed measures to assess socio-demographics, adult attachment styles, mentalization, and PSMU. Findings showed that secure and dismissing attachment styles predicted reduced levels of PSMU, and that preoccupied and fearful attachment styles predicted increased levels of PSMU. The relationships between adult attachment styles and PSMU were mediated by failures in mentalizing. Thus, individuals with preoccupied and fearful attachment styles may excessively resort to social media as a means of coping with unprocessed mental states. Clinical interventions that focus on improving mentalizing abilities and promoting the adoption of appropriate self-regulation strategies might reduce maladaptive engagement in social media.

The role of interpersonal trauma and substance use in mental health: A large population-based study.

Both interpersonal trauma (IPT) and substance use are linked to mental health problems, however their interplay is understudied. This study will investigate the relationship between IPT, substance use and mental health in a large population-based sample. Participants included 3756 individuals, mainly young university students using a snowball sampling method. History of IPT was collected retrospectively using the Traumatic Experiences Checklist. Substance use was examined using the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. Mental health symptoms were assessed by the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure. Moderation analyses were performed investigating the relationship between IPT, substance use, and mental health symptoms. Participants exposed to IPT had a higher prevalence of substance use (cannabis, alcohol, tobacco) and had more severe mental health problems than people without IPT. Substance use was associated with a blunted increase of depression, anxiety, and anger in trauma victims. A history of abuse was more strongly linked to substance use than neglect. Moderation analyses further revealed that cannabis use increased psychotic symptoms and psychotic symptoms increased cannabis use in participants with high levels of IPT. Our findings indicate that substance use worsens psychotic symptoms in IPT victims whilst dampening other mental health symptoms.

Parental quality of life, child adjustment and adult attachment in parents of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Parents of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience a lower quality of life (QoL) than parents of offspring with typical development. However, factors associated with parental QoL are not yet fully understood. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between parental QoL, child adjustment and adult attachment among parents of children and adolescents with ASD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: One hundred and eighty-eight parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD completed a group of self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic variables, QoL (i.e., overall QoL and ASD symptoms-related parental QoL), child adjustment (i.e., offspring's total problems and prosocial behaviors) and adult attachment. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Structural equation modeling revealed that the overall parental QoL was negatively related to children's total problems and positively associated with prosocial behaviors, as well as with higher levels of secure attachment and lower levels of fearful attachment styles. Additionally, ASD symptoms-related parental QoL was negatively associated with the offspring's total problems. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This suggests that child characteristics may interact with parental characteristics to either enhance or compromise the QoL of parents of children and adolescents with ASD. Implications of these findings for promoting parental QoL are discussed.

Parental Quality of Life and Impact of Multidisciplinary Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Qualitative Study.

The presence of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the family can have a negative impact on parental Quality of Life (QoL), but evidence on how treatments for children with ASD can affect parental QoL is currently limited. In this qualitative study, we develop a semi-structured interview in order to investigate the impact of ASD on the QoL of mothers and fathers from a subjective perspective, as well as the effect of the intervention on their QoL and adjustment process. The sample consisted of 31 parents of children with ASD severity 2 or 3, aged 5 to 11 years, undergoing a multidisciplinary intervention. In order to identify emerging themes from the interview transcripts, a Thematic Analysis was conducted using a bottom-up approach. We identified three main themes relating to parental QoL (ASD impact on QoL, useful external resources, QoL improvement-related factors) and five themes relating to parents' views on the intervention (positive impact on parent, dissatisfaction with previous interventions, parental involvement, useful features, critical issues). The results provide indications of the process of parental adaptation and the components of interventions that foster an improvement in their QoL. In conclusion, living with a child with ASD can have a significant influence on a parents' QoL, not just physically and emotionally, but also in terms of general goals, family structure, and social interactions.

Further evidence for the bidimensionality of the components model of addiction: a reply to Amendola (2023).

In our original research article entitled "Deconstructing the components model of addiction: an illustration through "addictive" use of social media" (Fournier et al., 2023), we showed that the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, a six-item psychometric instrument derived from the components model of addiction to assess social media "addiction", did not form a unitary, but a bidimensional construct in which some components (i.e., salience, tolerance) were not associated with psychopathological symptoms, thus conflating central and peripheral features of addiction. Subsequently, in a recent commentary, Amendola (2023) sought to determine whether our findings were driven by the use of data aggregated from multiple independent datasets, i.e., a decision we transparently acknowledged as a limitation in our original research article. Following their re-analysis, Amendola (2023) claimed to have demonstrated that a unidimensional model best fitted the data. However, they only reported results for a partial set of models relevant to this investigation. In the present reply, through a transparent assessment and reporting of all unidimensional and bidimensional models relevant to this investigation, we show that the bidimensionality of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale is, in fact, tenable, robust, and consistent across multiple independent datasets. In line with the growing evidence demonstrating that many sets of criteria involved in operationalizing behavioral addictions pathologize involvement in appetitive behaviors, these results highlight the necessity to renew the conceptualization and assessment of behavioral addictions.

Anxiety, Depression, Emotion Regulation, and Daytime Sleepiness: Are There Links Between These Factors? Network Analysis on an Italian Sample During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the occurrence of psychological disturbances, such as depressive and anxiety symptomatology, thereby significantly impacting individuals' lifestyles by disrupting sleep patterns. This study aimed to elucidate the interconnections between emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, and daytime sleepiness. Method: We recruited 632 community adults who underwent an online survey of self-report questionnaires, including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).A network analysis was performed to examine and visually represent the pattern of relationships between psychological distress, emotion regulation, and daytime sleepiness. Results: The DERS Strategy dimension showed high values across all centrality indices, indicating it as the most influential node in the network. In addition, the DASS Depression and DERS Goals dimensions exhibited high betweenness values, emerging as points of connection between the other nodes within the network structure. Conclusions: Our primary findings underscore the connection between psychological distress and emotion regulation, specifically between depressive symptoms, a lack of emotional clarity, and difficulty in the flexible use of emotional strategies. These specific constructs hold promising potential as valuable targets for both assessment and the development of effective interventions during highly challenging situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Problematic Gaming during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to government measures enforcing isolation in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Consequently, online activities, including gaming, increased during this challenging period. Thus, it was possible that problematic gaming (PG) patterns also increased. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we estimated the prevalence of PG during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined differences among subpopulations. The evaluation of 38 studies revealed that the overall prevalence of PG during the COVID-19 pandemic was 3.6%. Furthermore, higher PG scores were found in undergraduate and gamer subpopulations, as well as in studies using the Gaming Addiction Scale. Finally, meta-regression analyses suggest that stricter government measures, as identified by the Government Stringency Index, may have contributed to a lower prevalence of PG behaviors. A potential explanation of this finding is that containment measures had a protective function with respect to emotional distress, and thus towards PG; alternatively, it could be that current measures for PG become less precise if an individual's functioning is already impaired due to other reasons, such as COVID-19 restrictions. Further theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Failure in reflective functioning as a key factor in the association between problematic social networking sites use, attachment and childhood maltreatment: A network analysis approach on gender differences.

Following a network analysis approach, the present study aims to explore the pattern of mutual relationships between failure in reflective functioning (RF) - defined as hypomentalization - problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU), attachment anxiety and avoidance, and childhood maltreatment among emerging adults, with a focus on gender differences. The study sample comprises N = 1,614 emerging adults (Mage = 23.84; SD = 3.21; 50% identified themselves as women) who completed online self-assessment measures. Results showed significantly greater PSNSU, hypomentalization, childhood emotional abuse, and both attachment avoidance and anxiety among women. Indeed, within the network analysis, performed separately for men and women, network-specific associative patterns were observed; yet also similarities have emerged. Within the women's network, differently from males, attachment avoidance connects, through attachment anxiety, to emotional abuse, mood modification related to PSNSU, and hypomentalization. Nonetheless, hypomentalization was central in both networks, functioning as a hub between attachment anxiety, the PSNSU cluster, and the childhood maltreatment cluster. These results shed light on the use of social network sites as a potential maladaptive emotion regulation strategy, particularly among women. In this regard, the role of RF should be considered as a key treatment target to reduce PSNSU and support the use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies.

Psychological couple-oriented interventions for patients with heart disease and their partners: a scoping review and guidelines for future interventions.

Objective: This scoping review aims to provide an accessible summary of available evidence on the efficacy of psychological couple-based interventions among patients with heart disease and their partners focusing on specific aspects and strategies by assessing different emotional and physical cardiac-related outcome measures. Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases using the keywords "heart diseases" and "couple-based intervention." A literature search using systematic methods was applied. Data were extracted to address the review aims and were presented as a narrative synthesis. Results: The database search produced 11 studies. Psychological couple-based interventions varied in terms of the type of intervention, personnel, format (group or individual, phone or in person), number of sessions, and duration. Most of the contributions also lacked adequate details on the training of professionals, the contents of the interventions, and the theoretical models on which they were based. Finally, although partners were involved in all the treatment, in most studies, the psychological strategies and outcomes were focused on the patient. Conclusion: The variability of the psychological couple-based interventions of included studies represents a challenge in summarizing the existing literature. Regarding their impact, psychological interventions for patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners were found to moderately improve patients' and partners' outcomes.

Psychodynamic Therapies for the Treatment of Substance Addictions: A PRISMA Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare psychodynamic with other treatments in studies of substance addiction. The literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, Cohcrane library, SCOPUS, and Onesearch databases. All studies comparing psychodynamic therapy with other types of psychological interventions for Substance Use Disorder were eligible. Three outcomes were considered to compare intervention performance: substance use, participation in treatment and other symptomatic conditions (OSCs). Hedges' G was used to measure effect size. The Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess quality of evidence and possible bias, Egger regression analyses for publication bias, and Q and I-square statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. The alcohol group showed no differences between treatments on the three outcomes. The cocaine group showed no significant differences in the two outcomes, while for OSCs, available data was insufficient. The opioids group showed small but significant differences regarding participation in favor of non-psychodynamic interventions and no significant results for other outcomes. Based on the three measures of recovery considered in this meta-analysis, psychodynamic interventions were shown to be as effective as other psychological treatments in treating substance dependence and proved to be an empirically-supported treatment for the above addictions.

Poor sleep hygiene practices are associated with a higher increase in sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent change score model.

The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly influenced physical and mental health worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate changes in sleep problems across three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify potential predictors of the inter-individual variability around these changes, with a particular focus on the role of detrimental sleep hygiene practices. A total of 352 participants completed an online survey of self-report questionnaires at three different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: T1 (Spring 2020); T2 (Autumn-Winter 2020); and T3 (Spring 2021). The questionnaires collected information on socio-demographic and COVID-19-related variables, psychological distress (i.e. the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21), sleep hygiene (i.e. the Sleep Hygiene Index) and sleep problems (i.e. the Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep Scale). Latent change score modelling revealed an average increase in sleep problems between T1 and T2 with significant inter-individual variability. No substantial changes were observed on average between T2 and T3. Notably, poorer sleep hygiene practices were associated with a more pronounced increase in sleep problems between T1 and T2 (ß = 0.191, p = 0.013), even after controlling for relevant confounders such as demographic factors, COVID-19-related information and psychological distress. These findings expand on previous research regarding the detrimental effects of the pandemic on mental health, suggesting that interventions targeting sleep hygiene practices may be beneficial for mitigating its negative impact on sleep disruptions.

The Impact of the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Eating Symptoms and Dysfunctional Eating Behaviours in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the prevalence of feeding and eating disorder (FED) symptoms or dysfunctional eating behaviours (DEB) in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHOD: We searched eligible articles in biomedical databases from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2022. Prevalence rates of FED or DEB changes between pre-pandemic and pandemic time and correlation with psychological distress were pooled with a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was tested using I-squared (I2) statistics. A total of 186 studies with 406,076 participants met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The more prevalent FED or DEB during the COVID-19 outbreak were: body image concerns (52%, 95% CI 0.38, 0.66), binge eating (40%, 95% CI 0.25, 0.55), and overeating (40%, 95% CI = 0.32-0.48). Pooled data of longitudinal studies (k = 8) only showed a significant difference in the prevalence of weight gain from pre-pandemic to the pandemic time. Finally, increased levels of psychological distress (k = 35) positively correlated with some ED symptoms. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis evidenced a negative impact of the pandemic on eating symptoms and DEB in the general population.