Unlabelled: Although many positive psychology interventions like mindfulness-based treatments (MBTs) for youth have been used with a wide array of risk exposed populations (children living in poverty, victims of violence, displaced persons, children with disabilities, etc.), the efficacy of MBTs with regard to the level and domain of risk exposure has been largely overlooked. This oversight contributes to a perception of positive psychology as being decontextualized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic spurred public health measures to reduce viral spread. Concurrently, increases in alcohol consumption and conflict in romantic partnerships were observed. Pre-pandemic research demonstrated a bidirectional association between couples' conflict and drinking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: While individuals have many motives to gamble, one particularly risky motive for gambling is to cope with negative affect. Conflict with one's romantic partner is a strong predictor of negative affect, which may elicit coping motives for gambling and, in turn, gambling-related problems. Support for this mediational model was demonstrated in relation to drinking-related problems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Romantic relationship dysfunction is a risk for subsequent alcohol use, with some research suggesting gender differences in this link. We evaluated how different aspects of relationship dysfunction are related to different drinking behaviors and whether these associations vary by gender. We further examined the role of age as a potential moderator of this gender difference.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn early 2020, schools across Canada closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring parents to homeschool their children. We examined the association between homeschooling and romantic conflict among couples during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian couples ( = 756) completed online measures, including whether they were homeschooling, hours spent homeschooling, and romantic conflict during the month of April 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way parents partition tasks between one another, it is not clear how these division of labour arrangements affect well-being. Pre-pandemic research offers two hypotheses: economic theory argues optimal outcomes result from partners specialising in different tasks, whereas psychological theory argues for a more equitable division of labour. The question of which approach optimizes well-being is more pressing in recent times, with COVID-19 school closures leaving many couples with the burden of homeschooling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGranulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has raised much interest because of its role in cocaine addiction in preclinical models. We explored the plasma concentrations of G-CSF in patients diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and highly comorbid psychiatric disorders. In particular, we investigated the association between G-CSF concentrations and comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients with cocaine and alcohol use disorders (CUD and AUD, respectively).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFifteen to 25-year-olds are the age group most likely to misuse prescription drugs. Few studies have tested theory-driven models of adolescent risk for prescription drug misuse. Moreover, rarely are distinct pathways to different forms of prescription drug misuse considered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcohol consumption and associated harms are an issue among emerging adults, and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are actions with potential to minimize these harms. We conducted two studies aimed at determining whether the associations of at-risk personality traits (sensation-seeking [SS], impulsivity [IMP], hopelessness [HOP], and anxiety-sensitivity [AS]) with increased problematic alcohol use could be explained through these variables' associations with decreased PBS use. We tested two mediation models in which the relationship between at-risk personality traits and increased problematic alcohol use outcomes (Study 1: Alcohol volume; Study 2: Heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related harms) was partially mediated through decreased PBS use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHow the presence of inflammation has repercussions for brain function is a topic of active research into depression. Signals released from immune system-related cells, including chemokines, might be indicative of active depression and can, hypothetically, serve as biomarkers of response to interventions, both pharmacological and psychological. The objective of this study is to analyze the peripheral plasma concentrations of CXCL12, CCL11, CX3CL1 and CCL2 in a cohort of depressed primary-care patients, as well as their evolution after an internet-based cognitive-behavioral intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Achondroplasia, as the most common form of disproportionate short stature, potentially impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functioning of people with this condition. Because there are no psychometrically validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) condition-specific instruments for achondroplasia, this study selected and tested available generic, disease-specific and under development questionnaires for possible use in multinational clinical research.
Methods: A three-step approach was applied.
Rationale: the role that antidepressants play on alcohol consumption is not well understood. Previous studies have reported that treatment with a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRIs) increases alcohol consumption in an animal model of relapse, however it is unknown whether this effect holds for other antidepressants such as the atypical dopamine/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNDRI).
Objectives: the main goal of the present study was to compare the effects of two classes of antidepressants drugs, bupropion (SNDRI) and fluoxetine (SSRI), on alcohol consumption during relapse.
Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) is a non-cannabinoid acylethanolamide with multiple physiological roles that has been proposed to have antidepressant-like activity in preclinical models. OEA shares biosynthetic pathways with anandamide (AEA) a transmitter involved in affective disorders and anxiety in humans. However, although the participation of OEA in depression has been proposed, both, the contribution of OEA to the depressive phenotype and the effect of antidepressant therapy on circulating levels of this and related non-cannabinoid acylethanolamides in humans are basically unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeavy drinking in college remains a concerning issue due to its association with both health and social risks. While modelling contributes to college students' alcohol use, little work has identified who might be most susceptible to modelling effects. Peterson, Morey, and Higgins (2005) found males high in extraversion were more susceptible than others to matching strangers' drinking levels in a lab-based social drinking context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeerJ
October 2017
Background: Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a complex health condition, especially when it is accompanied by comorbid psychiatric disorders (dual diagnosis). Dual diagnosis is associated with difficulties in the stratification and treatment of patients. One of the major challenges in clinical practice of addiction psychiatry is the lack of objective biological markers that indicate the degree of consumption, severity of addiction, level of toxicity and response to treatment in patients with CUD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInternet-delivered psychotherapy has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression. Nevertheless, the study of the adherence in this type of the treatment reported divergent results. The main objective of this study is to analyze predictors of adherence in a primary care Internet-based intervention for depression in Spain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDifferences and similarities between intrusive thoughts typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and hypochondriasis are relevant for their differential diagnosis, formulation, and psychological treatment. Previous research in non-clinical samples pointed out the relevance of some process variables, such as responsibility, guilt, or neutralization strategies. This research is aimed to investigate the differences and similarities between clinical obsessions, worries, and illness intrusions in some of these process variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Psychol Psychother
November 2017
Unlabelled: In the context of psychological treatment, a sudden gain is a large and enduring improvement in symptom severity that occurs between two single therapy sessions. The influence of sudden gains on long-term outcomes and functional impairment in anxiety disorders is not well understood, and little is known with regard to panic disorder in particular. In addition, previous research on patients with anxiety disorders has produced inconsistent results regarding the relationship between sudden gains and cognitive change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
September 2017
Unlabelled: Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and will become one of the leading causes of disability in the world. Internet-based CBT programs for depression have been classified as "well established" following the American Psychological Association criteria for empirically supported treatments. The aim of this study is to analyze the cost effectiveness at 12-month follow-up of the Internet-based CBT program "Smiling is fun" with (LITG) and without psychotherapist support (TSG) compared to usual care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Depression is the most prevalent cause of illness-induced disability worldwide. Face-to-face psychotherapeutic interventions for depression can be challenging, so there is a need for other alternatives that allow these interventions to be offered. One feasible alternative is Internet-based psychological interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was the adaptation to Spanish of the Obsessive Belief Questionnaire-Children's Version (OBQ-CV) in a non-clinical sample. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the best fit for a model of three factors (Perfectionism/Certainty, Importance/Control of Thoughts, and Responsibility/Threat Estimation) and one higher-order factor. Moreover, results showed that the Spanish OBQ-CV is a reliable measure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (VOCI) were examined in two non-clinical Spanish samples. An exploratory factor analysis replicated the original six-factor structure. Moreover, results showed that the Spanish VOCI is a reliable measure.
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