Subjects: Psychology >> Clinical and Counseling Psychology submitted time 2024-06-05
Abstract： Health anxiety, characterized by excessive fear and worry about one’s health, is closely linked to interpretation bias as outlined in the comprehensive model of health anxiety. Research suggests that individuals with health anxiety often exhibit catastrophizing interpretations, and mitigating these interpretations can alleviate health anxiety symptoms. This study aims to examine the effects of internet-based cognitive bias modification of interpretation (iCBM-I) training on health anxiety, catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression symptoms. It also explores the longitudinal mediating mechanism of catastrophizing interpretation, providing insights for internet-based interventions for health anxiety.
In this randomized controlled trial, 228 participants with health anxiety (Short Health Anxiety Inventory SHAI scores ≥ 15) were randomly assigned to an iCBM-I group (100% positive feedback, N = 76), an attention control group (50% positive and 50% negative feedback, N = 76), or a wait-list control group (N = 76). Participants in the iCBM-I and attention control groups completed internet-based tasks over 12 days (one session every three days, totaling four sessions). Health anxiety, catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression were measured at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a one-month follow-up to assess the immediate and long-term effects of the iCBM-I program.
The intent-to-treat principle was employed, and the generalized linear mixed model analyzed the intervention effects. Two-factor analysis of variance and hierarchical regression examined the moderating effects of demographic and baseline symptom variables. Additionally, the parallel development latent growth curve model analyzed the longitudinal mediating effect of catastrophizing interpretation.
Results indicated that the iCBM-I group with 100% positive feedback showed significant immediate effects on reducing catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression symptoms compared to the wait-list group. One-month follow-up results revealed significant effects on health anxiety, catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression. Marital status, baseline health anxiety symptoms, and catastrophizing interpretation moderated the iCBM-I intervention effects, with catastrophizing interpretation serving as a longitudinal mediator.
This study developed an iCBM-I self-help intervention mini-program for health anxiety, demonstrating its feasibility, efficacy, and psychological mechanisms. The findings provide empirical support for cognitive theories of emotion and offer a novel perspective for networked interventions in health anxiety. Future research should consider integrating top-down and bottom-up combined intervention therapies to further investigate their effects and mechanisms in health-anxious individuals.
Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： Co-rumination refers to excessively discussing personal problems within a dyadic relationship. The meta-analysis examined how co-rumination was correlated with gender, mental health, and relationship quality. Our results revealed (1) Female co-ruminate more than male (g = 0.57, p < 0.001), which appeared most significantly in adolescents, especially for friends; (2) co-rumination was significantly correlated with mental health (r = 0.15, p < 0.001); and this effect is still significantafter controlling the rumination (partial correlation r = 0.08, p < 0.001); (3) age, study design, and co-ruminator didn’t moderate the aggregated correlation; (4) The aggregated correlation between co-rumination and relationship quality was also significant (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Future research should further examine the causal relationship between co-rumination and mental health.
Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： Topic Model is a computerized text analysis method and has been used widely in the field of psychology. For counseling research, this method has the potential for exploring themes of conversations between the therapist and patient, comparing the semantic similarity of different treatments and establishing behavioral coding systems. Using data from social media, researchers may use topic model to identify and predict various mental disorders, carry out calculations pertaining personality. Further, this paper discusses needed improvements of the topic model, and its application in the Chinese language environment. Topic model can be used to explore the psychological meaning of Chinese texts.
Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： School bullying has become a public health issue in the past several decades which caused physical and psychological harm on bullies, victims as well as bystanders. Therefore, a series of anti-bullying programs were designed to reduce the bullying or the harmfulness of bullying, but the effectiveness of these programs was inconsistent. Forty-three pre-post randomized controlled trail studies were selected to examine the effect of school-based anti-bullying programs. The evidence quality was screened under the GRADE protocol. Results suggested a significant effect for anti-bullying programs which targets bullies (g = 0.57, p< 0.05), while those who target victims, victimization decreased (g = 0.40, p< 0.05), and overall metal health improved (g = 0.40, p< 0.01). The pooled effect size indicated that school-based anti-bullying programs have a small effect on bullying and victimization (g = 0.17, p< 0.001) and influenced by publication bias. Attitude changed moderately (g = 0.19, p< 0.001). The evidence of attitude change was moderate, other outcome variables have a very low or low evidence quality according to GRADE protocol. For the programs targeting universal students, programs which was less than one semester performed better, and the global intervention showed more effective than education. The effect size of anti-bullying programs targeting bullies or victims was moderate, but more research is needed. Though school-based anti-bullying programs which target universal students have a relatively small effect size, however, they are practical for real-world applications. The dose of intervention and the feature of programs have influence on the effect of anti-bullying programs.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak increases public mental stress and pandemic-related trauma. Timely and comprehensive online mental health services have been deployed across China. Hotline counselors can be exposed to the stress and trauma experienced by callers indirectly. They may experience secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of their empathetic engagement with traumatized clients, and they may also experience vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG). The present study examined negative and positive change in hotline counselors concurrently and explored the mechanisms of both positive and negative outcomes. Participants were 776 counselors (81% female, average age = 42.57 ± 7.90, average years of experience = 12.44 ± 5.92) recruited from MOE-CCNU Mental Health Service Platform, the biggest official telephone-based and online psychological support platform in China during COVID-19 period. Empathy and VPTG were measured by revised Chinese versions of self-report questionnaires. STS was assessed by the corresponding subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. The Chinese Meaning in Life Questionnaire was used to assess participants’ search for life meaning. Mindfulness was evaluated by Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Latent variable structural equation modeling was applied. After controlling age, trauma cases and total cases, counselors’ empathy was positively associated with STS and VPTG. Results revealed that empathy was positively associated with STS and VPTG. Mindfulness mediated this association between empathy and STS. Search for meaning mediated the relationship between empathy and VPTG. Additionally, the association between empathy and VPTG was also mediated through other four significant mediating pathways: (a) secondary trauma stress, (b) secondary traumatic stress and search for meaning, (c) mindfulness and search for meaning, and (d) mindfulness and secondary trauma stress and search for meaning. Our findings support that empathy lead to both positive and negative outcomes among hotline counselors during COVID-19 period in China, highlighting dialectical insights into trauma workers’ experiences. When counselors engage in others’ traumatic experience, their vicarious negative emotional experience may be a pathway to growth, and search for life meaning is an important factor in that growth.
Subjects: Psychology >> Clinical and Counseling Psychology submitted time 2021-05-25
Abstract： " The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak increases public mental stress and pandemic-related trauma. Timely and comprehensive online mental health services have been deployed across China. Hotline counselors can be exposed to the stress and trauma experienced by callers indirectly. They may experience secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of their empathetic engagement with traumatized clients, and they may also experience vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG). The present study examined negative and positive change in hotline counselors concurrently and explored the mechanisms of both positive and negative outcomes. Participants were 776 counselors (81% female, average age = 42.57 ± 7.90, average years of experience = 12.44 ± 5.92) recruited from MOE-CCNU Mental Health Service Platform, the biggest official telephone-based and online psychological support platform in China during COVID-19 period. Empathy and VPTG were measured by revised Chinese versions of self-report questionnaires. STS was assessed by the corresponding subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. The Chinese Meaning in Life Questionnaire was used to assess participants’ search for life meaning. Mindfulness was evaluated by Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Latent variable structural equation modeling was applied. After controlling age, trauma cases and total cases, counselors’ empathy was positively associated with STS and VPTG. Results revealed that empathy was positively associated with STS and VPTG. Mindfulness mediated this association between empathy and STS. Search for meaning mediated the relationship between empathy and VPTG. Additionally, the association between empathy and VPTG was also mediated through other four significant mediating pathways: (a) secondary trauma stress, (b) secondary traumatic stress and search for meaning, (c) mindfulness and search for meaning, and (d) mindfulness and secondary trauma stress and search for meaning. Our findings support that empathy lead to both positive and negative outcomes among hotline counselors during COVID-19 period in China, highlighting dialectical insights into trauma workers’ experiences. When counselors engage in others’ traumatic experience, their vicarious negative emotional experience may be a pathway to growth, and search for life meaning is an important factor in that growth. "
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