Association of personal, behavioral and positive psychological variables with somatization and number of diseases in Mexican general population: the influence of gender.

The objective of the study is to determine the personal, behavioral and psychological variables associated with somatization and the number of diseases in each gender from a sample of Mexican general population. They answered a questionnaire of behavioral and psychological variables including somatization and the sum of 16 different diseases and any additional one, finally the body mass index (BMI) was measured. A total of 164 participants (women = 90, men = 74) were included. We observed that women had more somatization and number of diseases than men and that more variables (mainly psychological) were associated with somatization and with the number of diseases in women than in men. Among the variables most negatively correlated in women with both variables were sleep quality (r = -0.525 and r = -0.536, p < 0.001), self-acceptance (r = -0.460 and r = -0.501, p < 0.001), positive relations with others (r = -0.447 and r = -0.441 p < 0.001), environmental mastery (r = -0.414, p < 0.001, for both variables), purpose in life and optimism; while men only showed a low negative correlation between emotion regulation and the number of diseases (r = -0.289, p < 0.05). The positive associated variables in women were anxiety, negative emotions and depression; while men showed a lower correlation between these three variables only with somatization. The somatization and age were positively related to the number of diseases in both genders and the BMI was significantly associated with the number of diseases only in men. In conclusion, women had more somatization and number of diseases than men and also had more relation between psychological variables and the two dependent variables than men, which could in part explains the higher values of somatization and the number of diseases in women, considering that they usually present higher values of psychopathological variables.

Problematic smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses among university students and associated predictive factors: a systematic review.

University students are a high-risk population with problematic online behaviours that include generalized problematic Internet/smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses (for example, social media or gaming). The study of their predictive factors is needed in order to develop preventative strategies. This systematic review aims to understand the current state of play by examining the terminology, assessment instruments, prevalence, and predictive factors associated with problematic smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses in university students. A literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines using four major databases. A total of 117 studies were included, divided into four groups according to the domain of problem behaviour: problematic smartphone use (n = 67), problematic social media use (n = 39), Internet gaming disorder (n = 9), and problematic online pornography use (n = 2). Variability was found in terminology, assessment tools, and prevalence rates in the four groups. Ten predictors of problematic smartphone use, five predictors of problematic social media use, and one predictor of problematic online gaming were identified. Negative affectivity is found to be a common predictor for all three groups, while social media use, psychological well-being, and Fear of Missing Out are common to problematic smartphone and social media use. Our findings reaffirm the need to reach consistent diagnostic criteria in cyber addictions and allow us to make progress in the investigation of their predictive factors, thus allowing formulation of preventive strategies.

Psychological variables associated with quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of body image distress.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and body image distress in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), considering relevant psychological variables (i.e., coping strategies, social anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, intolerance of uncertainty, pain, and distress). We also aimed to explore gender differences in patients with HNC in terms of relevant psychological variables in HNC. METHODS: Fifty-one HNC patients (37 males and 14 females) completed self-report questionnaires to assess body image distress, physical and mental QoL, and relevant psychological variables in HNC (coping strategies, social anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, intolerance of uncertainty, pain, and distress) before undergoing treatment. Pearson's correlations and four-step hierarchical regressions were performed to assess the relationship between body image distress, QoL, and the abovementioned psychological variables, while one-way analyses of variance and one-way analysis of covariance were employed to assess gender differences. RESULTS: Physical QoL was associated with body image distress above and beyond disease duration, distress, coping strategies, pain, mental QoL, and self-esteem, while mental QoL was associated with pain above and beyond distress, coping strategies, physical QoL, self-esteem, and body image distress. Concerning gender differences, females scored higher than males on most of the explored psychological variables, except for physical QoL and intolerance of uncertainty, and showed lower mental QoL and self-esteem than males. CONCLUSION: Body image distress and pain emerged as negatively associated with QoL, and almost all the explored psychological variables differed among genders. Psychological interventions targeting body image distress and pain should be promoted in patients with HNC to increase their QoL, while keeping gender differences in mind.

Psychological Factors Associated with Functional Disability in Patients with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis.

Several studies have shown an association between psychosocial variables and functional capacity in chronic pain processes such as osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to test a structural equations model that shows the predictive weight of certain variables such as catastrophizing, self-efficacy and kinesiophobia on functional pain and WOMAC subscales scores of pain and physical function of older patients diagnosed with hip and knee osteoarthritis. We also assessed the specific weight of age in terms of the factors. The study was conducted on a sample of 170 patients (142 women and 28 men mean age, 74.44 years range, 50-96 years). The main variables evaluated were WOMAC subscales scores of pain and physical function, self-efficacy, catastrophizing and kinesiophobia. To assess these variables, we used the Spanish validated version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities questionnaire, the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, respectively. We tested a structural equations model (IBM SPSS Amos version 22). The results showed the predominant predictive weight (both direct and indirect) of catastrophizing while simultaneously ruling out the relevance of age as a predictor of WOMAC subscales scores of pain and physical function. This study provides data of interest on the explanatory mechanisms that underlie the direct and inverse relationships between the studied psychological variables.

Development and validation of a screening questionnaire for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are serious conditions, associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Although prompt diagnosis is essential, these conditions are frequently misdiagnosed, delaying appropriate treatment. We developed and validated the Anxiety, Abuse, and Somatization Questionnaire (AASQ), a quick and clinically practical tool to differentiate PNES from epilepsy. METHOD: We retrospectively identified psychological variables that differentiated epilepsy from PNES in a discovery cohort of patients admitted to a video-electroencephalography monitoring (VEM) unit from 2002 to 2017. From these findings, we developed the AASQ and prospectively validated it in an independent cohort of patients with gold-standard VEM diagnosis. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred ninety-one patients were included in the retrospective study; mean age was 39.5 years (range: 18-99), 58% were female, 67% had epilepsy, and 33% had PNES. Psychometric data for 192 instrument items were reviewed, receiver operating characteristic curves were computed, and a 20-item AASQ was created. Prospective validation in 74 patients showed that a one-point increase in the AASQ score was associated with 11 times increase in the odds of having PNES compared with epilepsy. Low scores on the AASQ were associated with a low probability of PNES with a negative predictive value of 95%. SIGNIFICANCE: The AASQ is quick, inexpensive, and clinically useful for workup of seizure disorders. The AASQ excludes PNES with a high degree of confidence and can predict PNES with significance when combined with basic clinicodemographic variables. Future research will investigate diagnostic performance of the AASQ in relevant clinical subgroups, such as patients with comorbid epilepsy and PNES.

Understanding Patients' Preferences: A Systematic Review of Psychological Instruments Used in Patients' Preference and Decision Studies.

BACKGROUND: Research has been mainly focused on how to elicit patient preferences, with less attention on why patients form certain preferences. OBJECTIVES: To assess which psychological instruments are currently used and which psychological constructs are known to have an impact on patients' preferences and health-related decisions including the formation of preferences and preference heterogeneity. METHODS: A systematic database search was undertaken to identify relevant studies. From the selected studies, the following information was extracted: study objectives, study population, design, psychological dimensions investigated, and instruments used to measure psychological variables. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies were identified that described the association between a psychological construct, measured using a validated instrument, and patients' preferences or health-related decisions. We identified 33 psychological instruments and 18 constructs, and categorized the instruments into 5 groups, namely, motivational factors, cognitive factors, individual differences, emotion and mood, and health beliefs. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides an overview of the psychological factors and related instruments in the context of patients' preferences and decisions in healthcare settings. Our results indicate that measures of health literacy, numeracy, and locus of control have an impact on health-related preferences and decisions. Within the category of constructs that could explain preference and decision heterogeneity, health locus of control is a strong predictor of decisions in several healthcare contexts and is useful to consider when designing a patient preference study. Future research should continue to explore the association of psychological constructs with preference formation and heterogeneity to build on these initial recommendations.

Individual differences and health in chronic pain: are sex-differences relevant?

BACKGROUND: Because psychological variables are known to intercorrelate, the goal of this investigation was to compare the unique association between several well-established psychological constructs in pain research and pain-related outcomes. Sex differences are considered because pain is experienced differently across sex groups. METHODS: Participants were 456 consecutive chronic pain patients attending a tertiary pain clinic (mean age = 58.4 years, SD = 14.8, 63.6% women). The study design was cross-sectional. Psychological constructs included personality (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), irrational thinking (General Attitudes and Beliefs Scale), and coping (Social Problem Solving Inventory). Outcomes were pain severity and interference (Brief Pain Inventory) and physical, general, and mental health status (Short Form-36). To decide whether the bivariate analyses and the two-block, multivariate linear regressions for each study outcome (block 1 = age, sex, and pain severity; block 2 = psychological variables) should be conducted with the whole sample or split by sex, we first explored whether sex moderated the relationship between psychological variables and outcomes. An alpha level of 0.001 was set to reduce the risk of type I errors due to multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The moderation analyses indicated no sex differences in the association between psychological variables and study outcomes (all interaction terms p > .05). Thus, further analyses were calculated with the whole sample. Specifically, the bivariate analyses revealed that psychological constructs were intercorrelated in the expected direction and mostly correlated with mental health and overall perceived health status. In the regressions, when controlling for age, sex, and pain severity, psychological factors as a block significantly increased the explained variance of physical functioning (ΔR2 = .037, p < .001), general health (ΔR2 = .138, p < .001), and mental health (ΔR2 = .362, p < .001). However, unique associations were only obtained for mental health and neuroticism (ß = - 0.30, p < .001) and a negative problem orientation (ß = - 0.26, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: There is redundancy in the relationship between psychological variables and pain-related outcomes and the strength of this association is highest for mental health status. The association between psychological characteristics and health outcomes was comparable for men and women, which suggests that the same therapeutic targets could be selected in psychological interventions of pain patients irrespective of sex.

Somatosensory and Motor Differences between Physically Active Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain and Asymptomatic Individuals.

Background and Objectives: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most common occupational disorder due to its associated disability and high risk of recurrence and chronicity. However, the mechanisms underlying physical and psychological variables in patients with CLBP remain unclear. The main objective of this study was to assess whether there were differences between physically active patients with nonspecific CLBP compared with asymptomatic individuals in sensorimotor and psychological variables. Materials and Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional design with a nonprobabilistic sample. The sample was divided into two groups: individuals with nonspecific CLBP (n = 30) and asymptomatic individuals as a control (n = 30). The psychological variables assessed were low back disability, fear of movement, pain catastrophizing, and self-efficacy. The sensorimotor variables assessed were two-point discrimination, pressure pain threshold, lumbopelvic stability, lumbar flexion active range of motion, and isometric leg and back strength. Results: Statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of catastrophizing levels (p = 0.026) and fear of movement (p = 0.001) were found, but no statistically significant differences between groups were found in self-efficacy (p > 0.05). No statistically significant differences between the groups in any of the sensorimotor variables were found (p > 0.05). Conclusion: No sensorimotor differences were found between patients with asymptomatic and chronic low back pain, but differences were found in the psychological variables of catastrophizing and fear of movement.

[Effectiveness of mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) program among Hungarian cancer patients]. / Éber, tudatos figyelemre épülo, a rákbetegséggel való megküzdést segíto program (MBCR) hatásvizsgálata magyar rákbetegek körében.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Employment of mindfulness-based programs and techniques in the treatment of cancer patients have spread exponentially in the past decade. A large number of studies have proved the effectiveness of the program in the reduction of stress symptoms, depression and anxiety, and the improvement of sleep and mood patterns. The present study was done at Firebird Foundation and examines the effectiveness of the complex, MBCR (mindfulness-based cancer recovery)-based psycho-social intervention in the treatment of cancer patients. METHOD: The experimental group consisted of 101 people with various types and states of cancer. The control group consisted of 72 adjusted people. We did measurements (PPS, HADS, FACT-G, POMS-SF, Freiburg Adaptation Questionnaire) before the intervention (T1), right after the 8-week intervention (T2), and 6 months after the intervention (T3). RESULTS: The experimental group showed significant improvement in the measured psychological variables, and in few aspects of life quality between T1 and T2. There was a decrease in levels of observed stress and depression, and an escalation in optimism and vitality. We found a decrease in depressive and minimizing coping scores as well. There was a significant improvement in two dimensions of quality of life, and all these positive changes remained present by the end of the follow-up period (T3). In the control group, we only found a significant increase in minimizing coping scores at the time of T3 measurements. This is the first impact assessment study done on cancer patients using MBCR techniques in Hungary. CONCLUSIONS: The MBCR program is a very effective psychosocial intervention among cancer patients; it has a long term significant impact on mood and quality of life. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(33): 1293-1301.

Are food-related perceptions associated with meal portion size decisions? A cross-sectional study.

The purpose of this study was to test a comprehensive model of meal portion size determinants consisting of sociodemographic, psychological and food-related variables, whilst controlling for hunger and thirst. Using cross-sectional nationally representative data collected in 2075 participants from the Island of Ireland (IoI) and Denmark (DK), eight separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between food-related variables and meal portion size (i.e. pizza, vegetable soup, chicken salad and a pork meal) within each country. Stepwise regressions were run with physiological control measures (hunger and thirst) entered in the first step, sociodemographic variables (sex, age, body mass index (BMI)) in the second step; psychological variables (cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, general health interest (GHI)) in the third step and food-related variables (expected fillingness, liking, expected healthfulness, food familiarity) in the fourth step. Sociodemographic variables accounted for 2-19% of the variance in meal portion sizes; psychological variables explained an additional 3-8%; and food-related variables explained an additional 2-12%. When all four variable groups were included in the regression models, liking and sometimes expected healthfulness was positively associated with meal portion size. The strongest association was for liking, which was statistically significant in both countries for all meal types. Whilst expected healthfulness was not associated with pizza portion size in either country, it was positively associated with meals that have a healthier image (vegetable soup; chicken salad and in IoI, the pork meal). In conclusion, after considering sociodemographic and psychological variables, and the food-related variables of liking and expected healthfulness, there may be little merit in manipulating the satiating power, at least of these type of meals, to maintain or promote weight loss.

How sharp is a "sharp scratch"? A mixed methods study of verbal warnings issued before venipuncture.

OBJECTIVES: Health care providers frequently issue a verbal warning before venipuncture. Communications that induce negative expectations in patients can lead to the "nocebo" response, defined as experiencing greater pain. But is this also true for "sharp scratch"? METHODS: The study was conducted across 4 U.K. hospitals. Two separate surveys of health care providers and patients explored the prevalence, phraseology, rationale, and reaction to verbal warnings before venipuncture. Blinded adult patients already attending an outpatient department during a 2-week period were randomized to hearing a "sharp scratch" or the verbal cue "ready?" immediately before venipuncture. They were also asked to rate their pain (the primary outcome). RESULTS: 77% of 117 health care providers surveyed issued a verbal warning before venipuncture; 73% used "sharp scratch". Of 62 patients surveyed, 56% agreed that "sharp scratch" accurately describes venipuncture, and 64% agreed that they prefer "sharp scratch" to no warning. With increasing age, a preference came for an alternative warning to "sharp scratch" (P = 0.039) and to be distracted by conversation (P = 0.002). Of 192 patients in the randomized study, there was no difference in pain between the "sharp scratch" and "ready" groups. The numeric rating scores were 0.74 SD 1.06 vs. 0.88 SD 1.18, respectively. (P = 0.493). CONCLUSIONS: Most health care providers use the verbal warning "sharp scratch" before venipuncture. Most patients find this acceptable and prefer it to no warning. An exception may be elderly patients, who may prefer to be distracted by conversation. "Sharp scratch" makes no difference to the pain experienced compared with a verbal cue.

Morning-evening differences of short-term maximal performance and psychological variables in female athletes.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of time of day on short-term maximal performance and psychological variables in young females. Fifteen active women participated in the study (age: 22 ± 3 years) and completed Hooper and the POMS-F questionnaires subsequently. In a randomized order, they performed a maximum of 30 s cycling exercise at two different times of day: in the morning at 07:00 h and in the afternoon at 16:00 h with a recovery period of 48 h. The digit cancellation test, countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ) test, and the lower quarter Y balance test were performed at the beginning and at the end of each session. Our results showed that only peak power and mean power (p < 0.01) during the maximum 30 s cycling, reaching distances during the Y-balance (p < 0.05), Jump height in CMJ and SJ (p < 0.01) as well as attention, vigor, and stress scores (all p < 0.01) were higher in the afternoon than in the morning. Our results indicated a daily diurnal variation in short-term maximal performance and mood states in young athletic women with better performance observed during the afternoon.

Risk of eating disorders in Mexican university students.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the distribution of the risk of developing an eating disorder, other psychological variables, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity in Mexican university students. The second aim was to determine the association between the risk of developing an eating disorder and all variables by sex. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was carried out. SETTING: The Health Sciences Institute and the Agricultural Sciences Institute within the Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: 395 university students (65 % women) aged 18 to 29. ANALYSIS: Descriptive, correlational and binary regression model. RESULTS: The risk of developing an eating disorder (moderate and high) was 37.3 % for women and 32.6 % for men. A logistic regression analysis of women showed that thin-ideal internalization (12.9 times), BMI (3.5 times) and inactivity (2.6 times) increased the risk of developing an eating disorder. In men, the drive for muscularity (7.5 times) and BMI (2.3 times) increased the risk. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The variables associated with the risk of developing an eating disorder differed by sex, except for BMI, which increased the risk in both sexes. Findings should be considered in the design of future interventions to prevent the risk of eating disorders and associated factors.

Association between Oxidative Stress with Psychological and Biochemical Variables in a Sample of Healthy Mexican People: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Oxidative stress (OS) has been linked to cell damage and chronic disease development; however, the study of psychological factors related with OS has been limited, as has its relationship with biochemical and personal variables. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between a wide variety of personal, psychological, and biochemical factors with OS in a sample of healthy Mexican people. A total of 134 participants, from which 70 (52%) were women, without known chronic conditions were included in the study, and the molecule 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was also measured as a marker of OS. We observed in the multivariate analysis of the whole sample that depressive symptoms (measured with CES-D scale) were the only psychological variable significantly associated (positively) with 8-OHdG. In addition, the following sociodemographic variables were associated with 8-OHdG: age, schooling (positively correlated), and the frequency of vitamins/antioxidant consumption (negatively correlated). The biochemical variables of erythrocytes in urine and amylase were positively correlated with 8-OHdG, while glucose was negatively correlated with it. Additional biochemical variables were associated in the multivariate analysis of each sex, including the positive correlation of LDL-cholesterol, LDH enzyme, lymphocytes, and the negative correlation of phosphorus and eosinophils in women's samples, as well as the positive correlation of potassium, uric acid, and leucocytes in urine and the negative correlation of erythrocytes and lipase in the men's samples. In conclusion, depression was the only psychological variable positively correlated with 8-OHdG after adjusting for confounders, and new associations with biochemical variables were found with some differences between sexes.

The biobehavioural pain and movement questionnaire (BioPMovQ): development and psychometric validation of a new questionnaire.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to design and psychometrically validate a new instrument (the Biobehavioural Pain and Movement Questionnaire/BioPMovQ), which assesses the relationship between pain and various factors related to motor behaviour from a biobehavioural perspective. Methods: A mixed-method design combining a qualitative study with an observational and cross-sectional study was employed to develop (content validity) and psychometrically validate (construct validity, reliability and concurrent/discriminant validity) a new instrument. A total of 200 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain were recruited. Results: According to the exploratory factor analysis, the final version of the BioPMovQ consists of 16 items distributed across 4 subscales (1, disability, 2, self-efficacy for physical activity; 3, movement avoidance behaviours; and 4, self-perceived functional ability), all with an eigen value greater than 1, explaining 55.79% of the variance. The BioPMovQ showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.82; McDonald's ω = 0.83). The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.76 to 0.91), which was considered to demonstrate excellent test-retest reliability. The standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were 3.43 and 8.04 points, respectively. No floor or ceiling effects were identified. There was a positive, significant and moderate magnitude correlation with the Graded Chronic Pain Scale (r = 0.54), kinesiophobia (r = 0.60), pain catastrophising (r = 0.44) and chronic pain self-efficacy (r = -0.31). Conclusion: The BioPMovQ showed good psychometric properties. Based on the findings of this study, the BioPMovQ can be used in research and clinical practice to assess patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Chronic pain epidemiology and its clinical relevance.

Chronic pain affects ∼20% of the European population and is commoner in women, older people, and with relative deprivation. Its management in the community remains generally unsatisfactory, partly because of lack of evidence for effective interventions. Epidemiological study of chronic pain, through an understanding of its distribution and determinants, can inform the development, targeting, and evaluation of interventions in the general population. This paper reviews current knowledge of risk markers associated with chronic pain and considers how these might inform management and prevention. Risk factors include socio-demographic, clinical, psychological, and biological factors. These are relevant to our understanding of chronic pain mechanisms and the nature of, and responses to, current and future treatments.

Effects of Fasting on the Physiological and Psychological Responses in Middle-Aged Men.

Tracking changes in the body during fasting takes into account indicators of mental well-being and physiological parameters. The aim of the study was to measure psychological and physiological reactions, along with their mutual relations, caused by 8 days of water-only fasting. Fourteen men aged 35 to 60 participated in the study, divided into two groups, younger and elder. In addition to physiological parameters, psychological data were collected using four different tests. The obtained results confirmed reduction in body weight, systolic blood pressure, resting diastolic blood pressure and glucose level, and increase in resting heart rate, cortisol and ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration. However, no significant psychological changes were observed under the influence of fasting intervention. A significant interaction effect occurred for the state anxiety variable determined before and after the fasting intervention for both groups. Moreover, negative correlations between physiological (cortisol) and psychological factors of subjectively assessed stress were revealed. The only effect on cognitive ability was seen when responding to simple tasks. The study confirmed the beneficial effect of 8 days of water-only fasting on physiological variables without affecting mental well-being. The relatively high level of well-being after fasting intervention was independent of the physiological indicators of stress.

The Psoriasis Disability Index in Romanian Psoriasis Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic: Contribution of Clinical and Psychological Variables.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is one of the most frequent chronic inflammatory skin diseases and has a negative impact on the interpersonal relationship and psychosocial well-being. The aims of this study were to examine the effects of intensity of pruritus on quality of life and depression, to investigate the relationship between anger, self-esteem, and depression, and to compare patients with early and late onset of psoriasis. As our study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed also to investigate the safety concerns and anxiety related to COVID-19 in psoriasis patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 137 patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis. The patients were classified as early-onset (age < 30 years) and late-onset psoriasis (age ≥ 30 years). Duration of disease, pruritus scores, and socio-demographic characteristics were recorded. Measures included the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI), and Fear and anxiety in relationship with COVID-19 Scale were used for determining anger, anger expression style, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. RESULTS: The psoriasis patients had a lower score for self-esteem than the normative data from the Romanian general population. The average scores for state anger and trait anger are similar to the normative data from the Romanian general population, but the scores for anger-in and anger-out are higher. Patients with early onset had higher depression scores and lower quality of life. Self-esteem correlates negatively with depression, anger, severity of disability due to psoriasis, number of affected areas, and duration of disease. Lower level of self-esteem led to increased anger. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced self-esteem, increased anger levels, and depression are present in psoriasis patients. The effective treatment of psoriasis must, therefore, consist of a multidisciplinary approach, in which the personalized treatment of the skin condition is as important as the adjuvant therapies that reduce the patients' stress level.

Efficacy of Integrated Tele-Yoga Intervention on Physiological and Psychological Variables in Asymptomatic COVID-19 Positive Patients: A Confirmatory Randomized Control Trial.

BACKGROUND: A study was conducted on asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients admitted in a COVID-19 hospital in Indore, India, during first wave of the pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of an integrated tele-yoga intervention as an adjunct to conventional management on physiological, psychological, and mindfulness variables. METHODS: In a confirmatory randomized control trial, 60 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in hospital confinement were randomly allocated to experimental and control groups (n = 30). The tele-yoga intervention included breathing exercise, pranayama, and meditation delivered over 30 min for 7 days to the experimental group while the control group continued treatment as usual. Assessment of physiological variables and psychological variables was carried out before intervention and on day 7 immediately after intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v.16.0). RESULTS: Mann-Whitney U test shows that there was a statistically significant difference between groups regarding all variables (p < 0.001). The physiological and psychological variables which included Oxygen saturation (2.07%), Heart rate (8.21%), Respiratory rate (10.04%), Systolic blood pressure (6.14%), Diastolic blood pressure (8.38%), Visual Analog Scale for stress (62.78%), COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (68.44%), and State Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (72.72%) showed significant changes in the experimental group compared to control group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that integrated tele-yoga might have therapeutic benefits in improving physiological, psychological, and mindfulness variables in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

Body mass index: A determinant of distress, depression, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life amongst recreational athletes from random intermittent dynamic type sports.

This study aimed to understand the impact of body mass index on distress, depression, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life amongst recreational athletes from random intermittent dynamic type sports. A cross-sectional study design was selected with 440 recreational athletes to conduct this study. The mean age was 20.34 ± 1.33 years, height was 157.27 ± 5.93 cm, weight was 57.31 ± 13.02 kg, and BMI was 25.82 ± 6.64 kg/m2. All the athletes voluntarily participated in this study. Psychological distress was measured with the K10 questionnaire; depression was measured with the PHQ-9 self-reported questionnaire. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale measured self-esteem, and Diener's satisfaction with life scale measured satisfaction with life. The data collection was conducted in the classroom setting. It took 12-15 min to complete the survey. The descriptive statistics were calculated, and the ordinal-scale, qualitative variables and frequency distributions for different categories were determined. The Chi-Square (two-tails) test was applied to find the relationship between the variables. The significant level was set at 0.05 level. The result showed that body mass index was significantly related to distress (X 2  = 27.59, p = .001) and life satisfaction (X 2  = 45.14, p = .001). Whereas depression (X 2  = 15.46, p = .148) and self-esteem (X 2  = 12.02, p = .212) showed an insignificant relationship with body mass index among recreational athletes from random intermittent dynamic sports. The study highlighted the health implications of psychological distress, depression, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life with body mass index among recreational athletes from random intermittent dynamic sports. Future studies are needed to understand better the interaction between psychological variables and body mass index level.