Search Results (1,506)

Introduction: Distress during pediatric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) neuroimaging can compromise scan quality and negatively impact children’s experiences. This review aimed to systematically synthesize biomarkers and psychological factors associated with distress in children, adolescents, and young adults undergoing neuroimaging. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA and AMSTAR-2 guidelines and preregistered in OSF. A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases, including observational articles published between 2000 and 2025 that assessed distress during MRI and functional MRI (fMRI). Data extraction and risk of bias assessment (QUIPS tool) were performed independently by two reviewers. Results: Ten studies (n = 558) examining distress during neuroimaging were included in this review. Distress was assessed through subjective self- and parent-reports, objective physiological measures, and qualitative interviews. Overall, distress levels were low to moderate; most participants tolerated scans well, though younger age, male sex, parental anxiety, procedure length, and chronic illness were associated with greater discomfort. Noise, immobility, and boredom emerged as the most frequent triggers, while strategies such as distraction, age-appropriate information, and reducing waiting times were perceived as helpful. Among participants with cancer, scan-related anxiety was closely linked to fear of recurrence and perceived stress. Risk of bias across studies was moderate to high, particularly in domains of attrition and statistical reporting. Conclusions: Distress during scanning is driven by anticipatory and parental anxiety, procedure length, and chronic illness. Biomarkers (e.g., cortisol, blood pressure) showed inconsistent links with subjective distress, highlighting the need for integrated measures. Full article

Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a non-pharmacological intervention for managing pain and anxiety during medical procedures. This study presents a systematic review with complementary bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature on the clinical effectiveness of VR in healthcare settings. A structured search was conducted across five databases (Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE), identifying 627 records, of which 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on study design, population, type of intervention, and clinical outcomes related to pain and anxiety. Most included studies reported reductions in perceived pain and/or anxiety when VR was used as an adjunctive intervention, particularly in pediatric and procedural contexts. However, findings were heterogeneous in terms of study design, VR modalities, and outcome measures, limiting quantitative synthesis. The bibliometric analysis indicates growing research interest, with a strong focus on clinical outcomes, while evidence related to implementation and healthcare system integration remains limited. Overall, VR appears to be a promising complementary tool for improving patient experience during medical procedures. However, further high-quality studies with standardized methodologies are needed to establish its effectiveness and facilitate future meta-analyses. Full article

Background/Objective: Mental fatigue (MF) significantly impairs psychomotor performance in dynamic sports; however, its specific impact on closed-skill precision-demanding tasks remains underexplored. This study investigated the acute effects of experimentally induced MF exposure on psychophysiological responses, mood states, and archery shooting performance. Methods: Fifteen well-trained male compound-bow archers participated in a randomized crossover study. Participants completed an MF condition (30 min modified Stroop task) and a control condition (CON; passive viewing of a neutral documentary), separated by a 72 h washout period. Continuous heart rate (HR), archery shooting accuracy, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), rating scale of mental effort (RSME), state anxiety (VAS-A), mood states, and exercise enjoyment scale (EES) were assessed. Results: The Stroop task successfully induced subjective MF. Consequently, shooting accuracy significantly deteriorated in the MF condition compared to that in the CON condition (p < 0.001; g = 0.731). While HR and VAS-A remained consistent across conditions, the MF condition elicited a significant increase in RPE (p = 0.007; g = 0.836) and RSME (p = 0.010; g = 0.794). Furthermore, MF significantly increased feelings of anger and fatigue while drastically reducing PACES (p < 0.001; g = 1.530). Conclusions: Acute MF significantly degrades fine motor accuracy in precision sports. The pronounced dissociation between elevated RPE and stable peripheral physiological strain suggests that performance decline is driven by top-down cognitive burden rather than physiological limitations. Therefore, systematic monitoring of cognitive load is crucial for optimizing performance in precision sports. Full article

The skin–brain axis constitutes a complex, bidirectional network integrating cutaneous sensory, immune, and neuroendocrine systems with central neural circuits involved in emotion regulation, stress responsivity, and social cognition. Advances in psychodermatology and cosmetic science have progressively extended this framework to the emerging field of neurocosmetics, which explores how topical formulations, sensorial properties, and cutaneous neuromodulators may influence psychological well-being, affective states, and perceived stress. The aim of this narrative review is to synthesize current evidence on the biological foundations of the skin–brain axis and to critically examine the implications of these mechanisms for neurocosmetic interventions from a psychological and psychiatric perspective. It describes the biological substrates underlying skin–brain communication, including the cutaneous hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, neuropeptides, neurotrophins, transient receptor potential channels, and endocannabinoid signaling, and examines how these pathways are targeted by neurocosmetic interventions. Particular attention is devoted to neuroactive compounds, such as peptides, cannabinoids, botanicals, and aromatherapeutic molecules, as well as to sensorial strategies involving texture, temperature, and olfactory cues, which may modulate mood, anxiety, and self-perception through peripheral mechanisms. From a psychological and psychiatric perspective, the review discusses the intersection between stress-related skin conditions, body image disturbances, and emotional dysregulation, highlighting how cosmetic practices may influence subjective well-being beyond purely aesthetic outcomes. Methodological limitations of the existing literature, including the heterogeneity of study designs and outcome measures, as well as ethical considerations related to mood- and stress-related claims in cosmetic products, are critically examined. Finally, future research directions are outlined, and a translational framework is proposed to integrate dermatology, neuroscience, and mental health within next-generation cosmetic science. Full article

Choosing a future career represents a complex developmental task, often accompanied by multiple concerns and anxieties. The Social Cognitive Career Theory and Life Design paradigm emphasize the importance of supporting individuals in managing career-related challenges. However, global stressors—such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and increasing awareness of the climate emergency—have introduced new and multifaceted sources of uncertainty that are not adequately captured by existing instruments. This gap highlights the need for a psychometrically sound measure to assess emerging career-related concerns in the contemporary context. Accordingly, the study aimed to develop and validate the Career Concerns related to Perceived Environmental Challenges (CC-PEC Scale). Four studies were conducted. Study 1 employed exploratory factor analysis, supporting a three-factor structure (Career-related COVID-19 pandemic concern, Career-related war concern, and Career-related climate emergency concern). Study 2 confirmed this structure using confirmatory factor analysis and demonstrated measurement invariance across gender, supporting a hierarchical factorial model. Study 3 provided evidence of concurrent and discriminant validity through associations with related constructs. Study 4 offered preliminary evidence of stability and predictive validity using life satisfaction and flourishing as outcome variables. Overall, the findings support the CC-PEC Scale as a reliable and valid instrument for assessing career-related concerns linked to global environmental challenges. These results have important implications for research and career guidance interventions aimed at supporting young people’s career development in increasingly uncertain contexts. Full article

Background: Emotional distress (ED) is common among patients with gynecological malignancies and is associated with reduced quality of life and suboptimal health outcomes. Total-score approaches may overlook the complex interrelationships among individual emotional symptoms. Objective: This study provides a theory-informed contextual application and empirical boundary test of symptom network analysis, organized by the Stress Process Model (SPM), to examine not only how ED symptoms cluster and connect with psychosocial correlates and quality-of-life domains, but also whether psychosocial stratification is reflected in altered symptom topology or primarily in differences in distress burden. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 415 patients with gynecological malignancies recruited from a tertiary hospital in China. ED was assessed using the Brief Profile of Mood States-Short Form (BPOMS-SF30). An exploratory three-track screening strategy was used to derive a focused 16-node set of frequent negative mood symptoms. Gaussian graphical models with EBICglasso regularization were estimated for the symptom network and for extended networks including demographic/clinical variables, SPM-related psychosocial variables, and quality-of-life indicators. Results: The ED network showed dense positive connectivity, with strong within-domain clustering and several cross-domain associations. Exhaustion, restlessness, and irritability were relatively more relationally prominent in the primary network, although centrality stability was low to moderate across models. Fatigue-related symptoms were closely connected with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and impaired quality of life. Among psychosocial variables, self-perceived burden showed the strongest conditional association with fatigue. Adjusting for demographic and clinical variables did not materially alter the core symptom network, and no significant subgroup differences in global strength or overall structure were observed across psychosocial strata. Conclusions: In this sample, psychosocial risk stratification appeared to relate more to the overall severity and burden of distress than to major reorganization of symptom topology. The study therefore contributes primarily as a theory-informed contextual application of network methods and as an empirical boundary test showing that several psychosocial strata did not exhibit major topological differences. Because the retained nodes were selected for prevalence, association strength, and selection stability, the observed prominence of fatigue- and activation-related symptoms should be interpreted as conditional on this focused symptom subset. Overall, the findings are correlational, exploratory, and hypothesis-generating. Full article

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological condition that affects several domains of individuals’ lives, making those affected particularly vulnerable to psychological distress. The visible nature of many MS symptoms may increase self-consciousness, thereby fostering feelings of shame and perceived stigma. Previous research has shown that self-related perceptions are shaped by early interpersonal relationships, rendering emotional trauma particularly relevant in this context. The present study sought to test whether an association between emotional abuse and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress) in individuals with MS would be mediated by internalized shame and perceived stigma. A total of 171 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of MS (85% women; M = 30.04, SD = 10.01) were recruited and completed a set of validated questionnaires assessing the variables of interest. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the proposed model. Significant paths emerged from emotional abuse to internalized shame and from emotional abuse to internalized shame. In addition, internalized shame was significantly associated with psychological distress, and a further significant path was observed from perceived stigma to psychological distress. Moreover, significant indirect effects were found from emotional abuse to psychological distress via internalized shame and via perceived stigma. Full article

Gender-based violence constitutes a major public health and social concern, with particularly complex implications in structurally vulnerable contexts such as rural settings. However, empirical evidence regarding the specific profile and risk perception of women experiencing gender-based violence in small municipalities remains limited. The aim of this study was to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of women victims of gender-based violence residing in small rural municipalities and to examine their associations with mental health indicators and perceived risk of future violence. The sample comprised 30 women receiving support at a Specialized Care Centre for Victims of Gender-Based Violence (CAVI) serving three small municipalities in the Vega Media region (Region of Murcia, Spain). Standardized measures of depression, anxiety, and stress were administered, together with an assessment of perceived risk. The findings suggest a specific sociodemographic profile characterized by moderate levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms and generally low perceived risk. Women without children reported higher levels of psychological distress and perceived risk than those with children, although these differences should be interpreted with caution given the sample size. Overall, these findings provide preliminary insights into the characteristics and risk perception of women experiencing gender-based violence in rural settings and highlight the need for context-sensitive prevention and intervention strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fever is a common concern among parents, often leading to heightened anxiety and misconceptions about its management. While fever phobia has been extensively studied in Western countries, data from the Middle East—particularly Iran—remain limited. Understanding parental knowledge and anxiety in this cultural context is essential for developing targeted educational interventions. This study aims to assess parental knowledge, behavior, and anxiety regarding fever in children and to identify factors associated with higher levels of anxiety among Iranian parents, thereby contributing culturally specific evidence to the international literature on pediatric fever management. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 552 parents from Tehran, Iran, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, knowledge about fever, treatment practices, and anxiety levels using a 10-point Likert scale. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to examine the underlying factors influencing parents’ decisions to reduce fever. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses on standardized z-values were conducted to determine the predictors of fever-related anxiety. Results: Results showed that 67.4% of parents experienced anxiety when managing their child’s fever, with 65.6% perceiving fever as harmful. Fear of febrile seizures (77.4%) and brain damage were significant concerns motivating parents to reduce fever. Female parental sex (β = 0.336, p = 0.004) and the perception of fever as harmful (β = 0.058, p < 0.001) were the strongest predictors of fever-related anxiety. The PCA identified two key factors influencing fever management behavior: well-being protection and medical risk prevention. Parents commonly treated fever using combinations with either Paracetamol or Ibuprofen (47.6%). Conclusions: Parental anxiety about fever in Iran is largely driven by misconceptions, especially regarding febrile seizures and brain damage. Culturally tailored education and clear communication from healthcare providers are essential to reduce these fears, improve fever management, and decrease unnecessary antipyretic use. Full article

Background: Emotional aspects of early dental experiences have long-lasting effects. This study aimed to assess parents’ childhood dental experiences and their impact on current attitudes toward dental treatment and to evaluate the subjectively perceived usefulness of an educational material focused on psychological management of children’s dental visits. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive pilot study was conducted using an educational booklet developed and distributed to parents, who read it and completed a short questionnaire. Responses received between 27 February–31 March 2025 were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: A total of 142 parents (88% mothers) participated. Most participants (83.1%) had a university degree. Negative childhood dental experiences were reported by 44.4% (more frequent among mothers, p < 0.001), and 18.3% had shared these experiences with their children. Emotional discomfort during dental visits was reported by 61.3% of respondents. Dental anxiety was significantly associated with negative childhood experiences (p < 0.001). Parents with higher education were more likely to choose a certified paedodontist for their child than a nearby general dentist (p = 0.002). Most parents (97.9%) found the material provided helpful for managing future dental visits, and 91.6% were willing to share it with others. Conclusions: Childhood dental fear and anxiety may persist into adulthood. Despite the limited generalizability of our results, parents appreciated targeted resources which may support them in promoting positive dental experiences for their children. Full article

Background: Psychological distress, including anxiety, stress, and depression, is common and expected in women with newly diagnosed metastatic breast (MBC) or lung (MLC) cancer. This study examined short-term changes in depression, anxiety, and stress and the associations of such changes with demographic, lifestyle, and religiosity factors. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study included 121 women (66 with MBC and 55 with MLC) who attended two oncology clinics in Montenegro between July 2024 and February 2025. Psychological symptoms were assessed at baseline (T1) and three months after treatment initiation (T2) using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). Due to the non-normal distribution of residuals, multivariable quantile regression models (median regression, tau = 0.5) were used to examine independent predictors of psychological outcomes at T2, adjusting for baseline symptom severity, demographics, and clinical factors. Results: Baseline DASS-21 and ASI scores were comparable between the MBC and MLC patients. At three-month follow-up, depressive symptoms decreased in the overall cohort, driven by improvement among patients with MLC. Patients with MBC showed increased anxiety and stress over time, whereas patients with MLC showed reductions in depression and stress. At follow-up, anxiety was significantly higher in the MBC group than in the MLC group. The perceived importance of faith showed weak negative correlations with distress (ρ ranging from −0.227 to −0.242; all p = 0.01), while younger age was strongly associated with higher baseline distress in the MLC group (ρ = −0.431 to −0.688; all p < 0.001). In the multivariable median regression models, baseline symptom severity was the strongest predictor of psychological outcomes at T2 (p < 0.001). Additionally, cancer type was a significant independent predictor of depression at follow-up (B = −1.258; p < 0.001), with MLC associated with lower scores compared to MBC. Conclusions: Psychological distress is a common phenomenon during the first months after the diagnosis of metastatic cancer. Our results support the importance of early psychological assessment and tailored support in routine oncology practice. Full article

Background: Psychological distress, autonomic dysregulation, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are common after myocardial infarction (MI) and negatively affect cardiovascular outcomes. In recent years, integrative mind–body interventions, such as yoga and mindfulness-based approaches, have gained increasing attention as adjuncts to conventional cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. However, evidence regarding their effectiveness in post-MI populations remains fragmented. Objective: This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the effects of yoga- and mindfulness-based interventions in patients following myocardial infarction. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across major electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies evaluating yoga- or mindfulness-based interventions in post-MI patients. Eligible studies included adult MI populations. Study selection and quality assessment were performed according to predefined criteria. Results: The 10 included studies suggest that yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation programs may provide benefits beyond standard care, particularly in terms of self-rated health, psychological well-being, and return to pre-infarction daily activities. Mindfulness-based interventions were associated with reductions in anxiety and perceived stress, improvements in blood pressure control, enhanced social support, and better health-related quality of life. Several studies also reported favorable effects on autonomic balance and stress-related physiological markers. Finally, a study reported benefits in terms of MACE (p = 0.032). However, heterogeneity in intervention protocols, outcome measures, and study designs limited direct comparisons across studies. Conclusions: Yoga and mindfulness-based interventions appear to be promising complementary strategies in post-MI care. Full article

Food noise refers to persistent and intrusive thoughts about food that may interfere with daily functioning, emotional well-being, and eating behaviors. Although the construct has gained increasing attention in clinical and research contexts, no psychometrically sound tools are currently available in Italian to assess food noise. Therefore, the present study aimed to translate, adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Food Noise Questionnaire (FNQ). A total of 1087 participants (mean age 37.45 ± 10.35 years; 50.6% female) were enrolled in the investigation. Participants completed the Italian version of the FNQ, along with a convergent measure of food-related preoccupation and self-report measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and perceived stress. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional factor structure for the FNQ, with salient standardized factor loadings (range = 0.803–0.919) and strong internal-consistency reliability (categorical ω = 0.917). Evidence of convergent validity was provided by strong associations with food-related preoccupation (r = 0.831, p < 0.001), whereas discriminant validity was supported by smaller, yet significant, correlations with anxiety, depression, and perceived stress (r range = 0.350 to 0.417, p < 0.001). In addition, configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender was established within a multi-group framework. These findings provide evidence for the FNQ as a reliable and valid measure of food noise in the Italian adult population, demonstrating robust psychometric properties and gender-invariant measurement. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mindfulness-based interventions are widely used to reduce psychological distress. Their long-term neurophysiological correlates remain insufficiently characterized. Using a portable Muse InteraXon^® EEG device, this study aimed to evaluate (i) the extent to which a 12-month combined mindfulness and gratitude-based intervention reduces anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, and (ii) whether these changes are accompanied by corresponding EEG-derived neurophysiological alterations, exploring longitudinal brain–behavior associations. Methods: Fifty participants completed psychological assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months using validated scales (BDI-II, DASS-21, EMAS). A subcohort of 25 participants also underwent EEG recordings with a portable Muse device at the same time points. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models, and exploratory brain–behavior associations were assessed with change-score analyses and Spearman’s correlations with false discovery rate correction. Results: Across the full cohort (n = 50), psychological outcomes showed longitudinal improvements over 12 months, with reductions in BDI-21, DASS-21 depression, anxiety, and stress subscales, and EMAS-State scores (all p < 0.001; linear mixed-effect models). In the EEG subcohort (n = 25), longitudinal analyses showed increased alpha power and reduced beta and gamma power in frontal and temporoparietal regions (pFDR < 0.05), along with a modest decrease in delta power at 12 months, while theta power remained stable. Exploratory analyses showed non-significant trends in the hypothesized directions that did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons (e.g., Δalpha vs. Δstate anxiety: ρ ≈ −0.44; Δbeta vs. Δdepression: ρ ≈ 0.43) or after FDR correction. Conclusions: The mindfulness- and gratitude-based intervention was associated with sustained improvements in psychological outcomes and suggests accompanying dynamic modulation of neurophysiology. EEG appears to reflect time-dependent neural adaptation rather than a static predictor of treatment response. Full article

As AI-powered learning tools become more common in educational settings, understanding their acceptance mechanisms is increasingly important. This study examines how the design attributes of AI museum guides—anthropomorphism, interactivity, and personalization—are associated with the acceptance intention and perceived learning outcomes among Chinese high school students with prior museum experience. Using structural equation modeling with 324 participants, we test whether these features relate to acceptance through two affective pathways: perceived warmth and anxiety reduction. The results reveal distinct patterns: anthropomorphism shows an indirect-only association with anxiety reduction through perceived warmth; interactivity is associated with anxiety reduction through responsive feedback; and personalization serves dual functions, enhancing both pathways. Anxiety reduction shows strong positive associations with both acceptance intention and perceived learning outcomes. The multi-group analysis shows that most pathways function equivalently across genders, with one exception where anxiety reduction more strongly predicts learning outcomes for females than males. These findings reveal distinct psychological functions within the Chinese educational context: anthropomorphism influences anxiety reduction exclusively through perceived warmth, while personalization and interactivity provide both affective and cognitive support. The implications for AI museum guide design in similar contexts are discussed. The generalizability to other cultural contexts and populations, such as Western students or adult learners, requires further investigation. Full article