The importance of social media users' responses in tackling digital COVID-19 misinformation in Africa.

Objective: Digital technologies present both an opportunity and a threat for advancing public health. At a time of pandemic, social media has become a tool for the rapid spread of misinformation. Mitigating the impacts of misinformation is particularly acute across Africa, where WhatsApp and other forms of social media dominate, and where the dual threats of misinformation and COVID-19 threaten lives and livelihoods.

Re-engaging with places: Understanding bio-geo-graphical disruption and flow in adult brain injury survivors.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults worldwide. After a period of rehabilitation, many ABI survivors still face complex mind/body conditions when they try to take up their former life again. Besides lasting visible impairments such as weakness and loss of body balance, there are often less obvious disabilities such as extreme fatigue, hypersensitivity for stimuli, memory, concentration and attention problems or personality changes.

No effect of ambient odor on the affective appraisal of a desktop virtual environment with signs of disorder.

Background: Desktop virtual environments (VEs) are increasingly deployed to study the effects of environmental qualities and interventions on human behavior and safety related concerns in built environments. For these applications it is essential that users appraise the affective qualities of the VE similar to those of its real world counterpart. Previous studies have shown that factors like simulated lighting, sound and dynamic elements all contribute to the affective appraisal of a desktop VE.

Does training general practitioners to elicit patients' illness representations and action plans influence their communication as a whole?

Objective: To examine whether the discussion of illness representations and action plans during medical encounters affects the way patients and general practitioners (GPs) communicate.

Methods: In a quasi-experimental design, 10 GPs first performed care-as-usual conversations with patients. After a 6 h training they performed consultations either emphasizing patients' illness representations or action plans.

A randomized clinical trial of a targeted intervention to moderate alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in at-risk adolescents.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a targeted intervention program aimed at at-risk adolescents in a randomized clinical trial design (N=107). This program combined intervention methods which have been proven effective in reducing drinking in young adults, such as an expectancy challenge, cognitive behavioral skill training and brief motivational feedback. Additionally, this intervention contained the new element of discussing biological, cognitive and social risk factors for developing alcohol problems.