Search Results (409)

Background/Objectives: Tinnitus is often a distressing and disabling condition that negatively affects individuals’ emotional well-being and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between perceived tinnitus handicap and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, personality traits, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Methods: Tinnitus patients with hearing loss (N = 127) underwent audiologic testing and completed the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—Revised Short Form (EPQ-RS). Patient sociodemographic data (age, sex, and education level) and descriptive tinnitus characteristics were collected. The control group (N = 119) comprised tinnitus-free patients with hearing loss. Results: Patients experiencing catastrophic tinnitus reported significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores compared to those with slight, mild, or moderate tinnitus grades. Education level was weakly negatively associated with THI scores. Conversely, weak-to-moderate positive relationships were observed for tinnitus loudness, pure tone average, the three DASS subscales, and the neuroticism subscale. Hierarchical multiple regression identified subjective tinnitus loudness, neuroticism, and total emotional distress (the total DASS score) as statistically significant predictors of the total THI score. Patients with tinnitus showed statistically significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress subscale scores compared to tinnitus-free controls. Conclusions: The severity of tinnitus handicap is strongly correlated with subjective loudness, underlying neuroticism, and emotional distress. Patients with catastrophic tinnitus exhibit markedly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Consequently, clinical management of tinnitus must move beyond standard audiologic testing to include comprehensive psychological screening and targeted distress-reduction therapies. Full article

Background: The widespread use of appearance-focused social media platforms has transformed how body-related attitudes are constructed, internalized, and evaluated, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, yet the existing literature remains heterogeneous in conceptual frameworks, populations, and outcome measures. Objective: This scoping review maps the extent, nature, and characteristics of the available evidence on the relationship between appearance-focused social media use, body image, self-esteem, and psychological wellbeing in adolescent girls and young women. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies on female samples aged 10–30; data were charted and synthesized descriptively. Results: Fifty-eight studies (2014–2026) met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was concentrated in Australia and the United States and skewed toward emerging adults, with adolescent girls aged 10–17 examined in only nine studies. Appearance-focused engagement was consistently linked to body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, drive for thinness, and negative affect, with appearance comparison, internalization of appearance ideals, and self-objectification emerging as recurrent explanatory mechanisms. Body positive and body neutrality content emerged as the most promising protective categories. Conclusions: The review clarifies current evidence and identifies critical gaps for future research, informing clinical, educational, and preventive interventions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sleep health is a key determinant of physical and psychological well-being, yet poor sleep quality remains common, particularly among women. Sociodemographic inequalities and culturally patterned pre-sleep behaviours may contribute to sleep disturbances, but their combined role in Mediterranean populations is still insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine sleep quality and its associations with sociodemographic characteristics and pre-sleep habits among adult women living in Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 785 Spanish adult women aged 18–64 years. Sleep quality was assessed using the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Additional questionnaire items collected information on sociodemographic variables and pre-sleep habits, including meal timing, stimulant consumption, physical activity, bedtime routines, screen exposure, and sleeping alone or with company. Data were analysed using chi-square tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, Spearman’s correlations, and principal component analysis. Results: The mean global PSQI score was 7.5 (SD = 3.01), indicating mildly impaired sleep quality overall. Age showed the largest association with global PSQI score (ε² = 0.052, p < 0.001), followed by income (ε² = 0.010, p = 0.016). Frequent nocturnal awakenings were the most common sleep disturbance, whereas sleep medication use was uncommon. Older age and lower income were associated with poorer sleep outcomes, including shorter sleep duration, lower sleep efficiency, and higher global PSQI scores. Higher education and health-related training were generally associated with more favourable sleep profiles. Pre-sleep habits such as late dinners, stimulant use, and evening screen exposure were highly prevalent but showed weak and non-significant associations with global PSQI scores. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional sample, poorer sleep quality was associated with selected sociodemographic characteristics, whereas isolated pre-sleep behaviours showed weak or non-significant associations with global PSQI scores. Given the study design and non-probability sampling, these findings should be interpreted as associations and generalized with caution. They may inform future studies and support the development of gender-sensitive, non-pharmacological sleep-health strategies that consider socioeconomic and cultural context. Full article

Background: Adolescent obesity is an escalating public health concern globally and in Greece, associated with significant physical and psychological consequences. Pediatricians serve as frontline clinicians in the early identification, counseling, and management of adolescents with excess weight; however, their practices, perceived competence, and the barriers they face remain insufficiently explored in certain Greek regions. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a structured, anonymous questionnaire distributed to all pediatricians working in Western Macedonia (n = 60). Fifty-one pediatricians participated (response rate 85%). The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, training, knowledge, clinical practices, attitudes, self-assessed competence, and perceived barriers. Results: Most participants (88.2%) reported no specialized training in adolescent obesity. Nearly half of respondents were unfamiliar with current diagnostic criteria for adolescent obesity. Although pediatricians expressed confidence in providing nutritional and lifestyle counseling, they reported limited competence in pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery discussions. The most prominent barriers included insufficient family cooperation, lack of referral pathways, and difficulty engaging adolescents. Older and more experienced pediatricians reported higher levels of perceived competence and stronger interdisciplinary collaboration. Conclusions: Significant gaps in training and clinical support hinder the effective management of adolescent obesity in Western Macedonia. Strengthening continuous professional education, establishing multidisciplinary obesity care networks, and improving family engagement strategies appear crucial to enhancing clinical practice and improving health outcomes for adolescents. Full article

Background: Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutation) is a dynamic sequence of yoga that incorporates movement, breath and mindfulness, and is known for its many potential multidimensional health benefits. Despite the increasing volume of research, a comprehensive and domain-specific synthesis examining the multidimensional effects of Suryanamaskar and yoga-based interventions incorporating Suryanamaskar remains limited. Hence, the present study was designed to systematically review and synthesize the existing evidence related to the effects of Suryanamaskar and yoga-based interventions using Suryanamaskar sequence on various populations and outcome domains. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement and Cochrane Handbook recommendations. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from database inception to 31 December 2025. Studies involving human participants and Suryanamaskar-based interventions reporting measurable physical, physiological, or psychological outcomes were included. Fourteen studies met the eligibility criteria. Study characteristics, intervention protocols, and outcome measures were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 for randomized studies and ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies. Due to substantial heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Results: A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, Suryanamaskar and yoga-based interventions incorporating Suryanamaskar were associated with improvements in physical fitness, physiological health, psychological well-being, and body composition across diverse populations. Most included studies reported favourable changes in physical fitness, physiological, psychological, and body-composition outcomes; however, the magnitude and consistency of findings varied substantially across study designs, participant populations, intervention protocols, and outcome measures. Conclusions: Promising but heterogeneous evidence suggests that Suryanamaskar and yoga-based interventions incorporating Suryanamaskar may contribute to improvements in physical fitness, physiological function, psychological well-being, and body composition across diverse populations. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution because of variability in study designs, intervention protocols, participant characteristics, and risk of bias. Although Suryanamaskar appears to be a practical, low-cost, and holistic intervention with potential applications in educational, sports, and health-promotion settings, further high-quality randomized controlled trials with standardized protocols and larger sample sizes are required to strengthen the evidence base. Full article

In applied diagnostics, scores from multiple intelligence tests are often combined by simple arithmetic averaging. Although convenient, this practice is statistically imprecise: it neglects (a) that tests are positively correlated but not identical, each capturing somewhat different aspects of intelligence, and (b) that combining correlated measures reduces variance. Consequently, arithmetic means underestimate intelligence above the IQ scale center and overestimate it below the center. Such distortions can lead to serious misjudgments in high-stakes assessment, such as in educational placement or forensic evaluations of legal culpability. To obtain exploratory evidence on the prevalence of simple averaging practice, we surveyed n = 75 psychologically educated individuals familiar with IQ metrics. In response to a case vignette requiring the combination of several IQ scores, 58 participants (77.33%) applied simple averaging, and none considered intercorrelations and variance reduction. Therefore, the aim of this article was to propose the application of a more valid method for combining scores (as well as corresponding reliabilities and validities) of multiple tests. To validate the method, we performed Monte Carlo simulations, covering a wide range of test characteristics. Results showed virtually perfect accuracy (r = 1.00, p < .001), and the outcomes were robust against variations in the number of tests to be combined, score distributions, and intercorrelations. To facilitate adoption in practical diagnostics, we developed and introduced an open-source R package and an accompanying open-access Shiny web application. Full article

This randomized clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of an online mindfulness-based intervention in improving positive mental health and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among undergraduate students, in the context of rising global mental health challenges and limited access to care, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. Brazilian undergraduate pedagogy students enrolled in distance education were randomly assigned (1:1) to an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Program for Undergraduate Students or a control group. Primary outcomes included positive mental health, anxiety, and depression, while secondary outcomes were sense of coherence, resilience, mindfulness, and perceived stress. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. A total of 317 students were randomly allocated to the intervention group (n = 157) or the control group (n = 160), and 215 (67.8%) completed the study, with comparable baseline characteristics across groups. Compared with controls, the intervention significantly improved positive mental health and reduced anxiety and depression (all p < 0.001), while also increasing sense of coherence, resilience, and mindfulness and reducing perceived stress (all p < 0.05). These findings suggest that scalable, low-cost, online mindfulness interventions can simultaneously enhance positive mental health and reduce psychological distress, supporting their potential as preventive mental health strategies in higher education settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Labor pain is a multidimensional experience associated with physiological, cultural, psychological, and contextual factors. This study aimed to examine the association of personality-related characteristics, cultural beliefs, obstetric characteristics, and proxy indicators of post-disaster context with labor pain perception among women giving birth in Hatay after the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted with 314 women admitted to Hatay Training and Research Hospital between February and June 2025. Participants were between 38 and 42 gestational weeks, had a singleton healthy fetus, were admitted in active labor, and were expected to give birth vaginally. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire, the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, and the Visual Analog Scale. Labor pain was assessed at 6 cm, 8 cm, and full cervical dilatation (10 cm). Results: VAS scores increased significantly across cervical dilatation points, from 5.04 ± 0.81 at 6 cm to 7.01 ± 0.82 at 8 cm and 8.06 ± 0.93 at full cervical dilatation (10 cm). Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant within-person increase in pain intensity across the three assessment points, F(2, 626) = 996.444, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.761. Age was not significantly correlated with VAS pain score at full cervical dilatation. In exploratory unadjusted comparisons, VAS scores at full cervical dilatation differed according to education level, official marriage status, previous birth history and mode, attendance at antenatal education, and praying to relieve labor pain. In the multivariable regression model, higher Extraversion and higher education level were associated with lower VAS scores, whereas attendance at antenatal education, greater importance given to traditional rules, previous assisted vaginal/cesarean birth, and current place of residence were independently associated with VAS scores. Conscientiousness was not significantly associated with VAS scores in the adjusted model. Earthquake experience was not significantly associated with VAS scores. Conclusions: Labor pain perception was associated with selected sociodemographic, obstetric, and cultural characteristics. The findings support the importance of individualized, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed midwifery care in disaster-affected regions. Personality-related findings should be interpreted cautiously because the corrected reliability analysis showed low internal consistency for Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience, although Extraversion showed high internal consistency and Conscientiousness showed relatively better but still limited internal consistency. Disaster-related findings should also be interpreted cautiously because post-disaster context was assessed using only limited proxy indicators; current place of residence was independently associated with VAS scores in the adjusted model, whereas earthquake experience was not. Because of the observational design, causal interpretations cannot be made. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mental health problems among university students represent a growing public health concern and are shaped by both psychological and socioeconomic determinants that may act independently and interactively. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the separate and combined effects of these determinants on depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological distress in higher education students. Methods: A structured and targeted search strategy using predefined keyword groups and Boolean combinations across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar identified 99 records, of which 19 duplicates were removed. After screening 80 titles and 52 abstracts, 34 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 30 studies were ultimately included in the final review. Data were extracted on study characteristics, mental health outcomes, psychological determinants, socioeconomic factors, and their interactions. Results: The included studies consistently showed that psychological factors, including resilience, coping strategies, loneliness, self-efficacy, and perceived control, were associated with mental health outcomes, with higher resilience and self-efficacy linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety, and maladaptive coping and loneliness associated with increased psychological distress. Socioeconomic determinants, including financial stress, low socioeconomic status, parental education, housing insecurity, and food insecurity also independently contributed to elevated risks of depression, anxiety, and stress. Importantly, several studies demonstrated an interaction between these domains, where socioeconomic disadvantage amplified the adverse effects of poor coping capacity, low resilience, and social isolation, whereas social support and adaptive coping mitigated these effects. Conclusions: Student mental health is influenced by both distinct and interacting psychological and socioeconomic mechanisms, emphasizing the need for integrated institutional strategies that address structural vulnerabilities alongside individual psychological resilience. Full article

Climate-related disasters increasingly threaten agricultural sustainability and agro-ecological systems, yet public engagement with these risks often remains limited because climate impacts are perceived as psychologically distant. This study examined whether AI-generated audiovisual simulations of climate-related disasters are associated with stronger emotional and action-oriented engagement responses, particularly when scenarios are presented in a familiar local context. Using an experimental survey design, 402 participants broadly reflecting the characteristics in Israel viewed four short AI-generated films depicting wildfire and tsunami scenarios in either local (Israel) or geographically distant settings. Participants were explicitly informed that the videos were generated using artificial intelligence tools. After viewing, participants ranked the scenarios according to emotional response, concern about future implications, perceived personal relevance, and willingness to take action. The findings show a consistent pattern in which locally framed scenarios elicited stronger responses across all four dimensions than geographically distant scenarios. Wildfire scenarios set in Israel were rated as the most emotionally impactful, personally relevant, and action-motivating. Additional differences were observed across demographic groups, with higher engagement among women, younger participants, and respondents with higher educational attainment. These results suggest that AI-generated simulations, especially when locally contextualized, may serve as a potentially useful communication tool for reducing psychological distance and strengthening public engagement with climate-related environmental risks that may indirectly affect agricultural sustainability and agro-ecological resilience. Full article

Background: Research on the influence of the menstrual cycle on female athletic performance remains limited. This study investigated menstrual cycle characteristics, menstrual disorders, and phase-specific variations in perceived performance among female volleyball players. Methods: Eighty-four recreational and competitive athletes (M = 25.62 ± 6.43 years) completed a comprehensive survey between March and April 2025, including a modified Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MEDI-Q) assessing physical and psychological well-being, perceived sport performance, training quality, and motivation across the menstrual, follicular, and luteal phases. Results: Perceived sport performance differed significantly across phases, with the highest scores in the follicular phase (M = 1.70 ± 1.51), followed by the luteal (M = 0.88 ± 1.13) and menstrual (M = 0.64 ± 1.00) phases (p < 0.001). Perceived performance impairments were greatest during menstruation and lowest in the follicular phase. Motivation exhibited a similar trend, peaking in the follicular (M = 1.74 ± 1.55) and declining during menstruation. Menstrual disorders were reported by 75% of participants, and 59.5% experienced dysmenorrhea. Knowledge scores (M = 11.13/18) indicated a moderate understanding of menstrual physiology. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate significant menstrual phase-related variations in subjective performance and motivation, emphasizing the importance of menstrual cycle awareness, athlete education, and individualized, phase-based training strategies to optimize performance and support female athlete welfare. Full article

The adaptive regulation of student productivity remains a challenging problem in technology-enhanced learning environments due to the continuous and uncertain nature of cognitive effort, attention, and behavioral fluctuations. While existing educational intervention models are predominantly based on discrete-time decision frameworks, they often provide limited support for the representation of stochastic productivity dynamics and continuous effort adaptation. This paper proposes a continuous-time stochastic optimal control framework for adaptive effort allocation in student productivity regulation. The learner productivity level is modeled as a bounded stochastic diffusion process evolving on the interval ([0, 1]), where the drift and diffusion coefficients depend on both effort allocation and learner-specific psychological characteristics. The control objective is formulated as the maximization of an expected cumulative productivity reward penalized by excessive cognitive effort over a finite study horizon. Using the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) framework, we derive an optimal state-dependent feedback policy that dynamically adjusts effort allocation according to the current productivity level, the remaining study horizon, and the learner profile. We establish the well-posedness of the controlled stochastic dynamics and show that the productivity state remains invariant within the admissible interval. The resulting HJB equation is solved numerically using a semi-implicit finite-difference approximation combined with iterative feedback updates. Simulation experiments conducted on synthetic learner profiles illustrate the qualitative behavior of the proposed controller under heterogeneous psychological configurations. Compared with constant-effort and threshold-based heuristic strategies, the adaptive feedback policy produces smoother productivity trajectories and more stable effort allocation patterns under stochastic perturbations. The proposed framework provides a mathematically grounded approach for studying adaptive productivity regulation under uncertainty and establishes a foundation for future data-driven calibration and personalized intervention systems. Full article

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between young adults’ perceptions of gender equality and their recognition of psychological and physical dating violence while considering the role of sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 465 young adults aged 18–24 in Türkiye. Data were collected via an online questionnaire that included the Gender Equality Scale, the Perceptions of Dating Violence Scale, and sociodemographic variables. Nonparametric tests, Spearman correlation analyses, and OLS multiple regression analyses were used to assess group differences, bivariate relationships, and the unique predictive contribution of gender equality perceptions while controlling for sociodemographic variables. Results: The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between lower perceptions of gender equality and greater tolerance for psychological and physical dating violence. Educational level, perceived economic status, and romantic relationship status were associated with differences in perceptions of gender equality and violence, while gender and employment status were not significant factors. Conclusions: This study highlights the link between perceptions of gender equality and attitudes toward dating violence. These findings suggest that individual beliefs and sociodemographic characteristics influence how young adults perceive and respond to psychological and physical violence. Further research is needed to explore these relationships across broader populations and cultural contexts. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the factors that predict the acceptance of distance learning among undergraduate nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine Please check if the Citation part is missing the implications of these findings for nursing education in the post-pandemic era. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Greece with a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students from the Hellenic Mediterranean University and the University of Patras. Data were collected between December 2020 and January 2021 using an online questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 21.0. A total of 378 undergraduate nursing students (mean age: 22 years) participated in this study. The regression model predicting students’ attitudes toward distance learning (ATel) was statistically significant and explained 18.3% of the variance in ATel scores (R² = 0.183, adjusted R² = 0.158). Among the psychological and experiential factors, future career concerns (β = 0.237, p < 0.001), emotional distress related to social isolation (β = 0.186, p = 0.001), and perceived difficulties in group work (β = 0.140, p = 0.013) were revealed as significant predictors of the students’ attitudes toward distance learning. In contrast, digital readiness, flexibility, and perceived effectiveness of distance learning were not revealed as statistically significant predictors in the multivariate model but were positively associated with students’ attitudes. Demographic characteristics were not identified as statistically significant predictors of ATel scores. Psychosocial factors were significantly associated with nursing undergraduate students’ attitudes toward distance learning, underscoring the importance of incorporating blended learning in higher education in the post-pandemic era to secure group interaction, effective collaboration, and students’ well-being. Full article

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or psychiatric conditions, special education needs and addictions exert substantial demands on families, yet parental psychological functioning remains insufficiently integrated into prevention and family-based support. An in-depth understanding of parental experiences constitutes a cornerstone of family-centered care, given that parental well-being and resourceful functioning exert a direct and enduring influence on both intervention effectiveness and the broader trajectory of child development. This study aimed at identifying latent parental profiles across clinical and typical developmental contexts. Methods: A total of 281 parents of children with psychiatric diagnoses (primarily ASD), special educational needs, addiction, and typical development were assessed for positive and negative functioning. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) identified psychological subgroups, followed by Welch’s ANOVA to determine discriminating variables and multinomial logistic regression to examine sociodemographic and contextual predictors. Results: A three-profile solution emerged: Low well-being, high co-dependency and low resource functioning (50%); High well-being, low co-dependency and high resource functioning (26%); and Moderate well-being, moderate co-dependency and moderately resourceful functioning (24%). Parents of children with psychiatric diagnoses were significantly less likely to belong to the High well-being, low co-dependency and high resource functioning profile, underscoring the heightened psychological vulnerability characteristic of this group. Parents of typically developing children tend to belong to Moderate well-being, moderate co-dependency and moderately resourceful functioning. Conclusions: Parental psychological functioning exhibits heterogeneity across developmental contexts. Although parents of children with psychiatric diagnoses revealed the highest vulnerability, the profiles also revealed substantial psychological strain among parents of typically developing children. These findings highlight the need to shift from child-focused to family-centered prevention and support. Full article