Social support mediates the association between benefit finding and quality of life in caregivers
The psychosocial pathways underlying associations between benefit finding and quality of life are poorly understood. Here, we examined associations between benefit finding, social support, optimism and quality of life in a sample of 84 caregivers. Results revealed that quality of life was predicted by benefit finding, optimism and social support. Moreover, the association between benefit finding and quality of life was explained by social support, but not optimism; caregivers who reported greater benefit finding perceived their social support be higher and this, in turn, had a positive effect on their overall quality of li...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Brand, C., Barry, L., Gallagher, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Effect of perceived social support and dispositional optimism on the depression of burn patients
This study aimed to investigate the impact of perceived social support and dispositional optimism on depression of burn patients. A total of 246 burn patients accomplished the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Revised Life Orientation Test, and Depression Scale. The results revealed that both perceived social support and optimism were significantly correlated with depression. Structural equation modeling indicated that optimism partially mediated the relationship between perceived social support and depression. Implications for prevention of depression in burn patients were discussed. (Source: Journal...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: He, F., Zhou, Q., Zhao, Z., Zhang, Y., Guan, H. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Predictors of unwanted exposure to online pornography and online sexual solicitation of youth
This study examined factors associated with the unwanted exposure to online pornography and unwanted online sexual solicitation victimization and perpetration of youth in Taiwan. A total of 2315 students from 26 high schools were assessed in the 10th grade, with follow-up performed in the 11th grade. Self-administered questionnaires were collected. Multivariate analysis results indicated that higher levels of online game use, pornography media exposure, Internet risk behaviors, depression, and cyberbullying experiences predicted online sexual solicitation victimization, while higher levels of Internet chat room use, pornog...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Chang, F.-C., Chiu, C.-H., Miao, N.-F., Chen, P.-H., Lee, C.-M., Chiang, J.-T. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Childhood sexual abuse and depression in Latino men who have sex with men: Does resilience protect against nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy?
This study tested depression as a mediator between childhood sexual abuse and adherence to antiretroviral therapy, an effect moderated by resilience. In total, 149 HIV+ Latino men who have sex with men were recruited for this study. Using a regression-based bootstrap approach, depression mediated the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and antiretroviral therapy adherence, with worse adherence for participants at lowest percentiles of the resilience index. The prevalence of childhood sexual abuse and depression in HIV+ men who have sex with men is high and must be addressed to better prevent disease progression and...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Sauceda, J. A., Wiebe, J. S., Simoni, J. M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Life transitions and relevance of healthy living in late adolescence
Using a cross-sectional qualitative design involving focus groups and interviews, we sought to gain a more detailed understanding of adolescents’ physical activity, eating habits and health perceptions during the transition from secondary school (or high school) to work. Based on thematic analyses, three themes were extracted: (1) perceptions of lifestyle and health, (2) changes in priorities and (3) passive acceptance of internal and external influences on physical activity and diet. Poor diet and physical inactivity appeared to reflect participants’ amotivation towards health behaviours, reluctance to divert ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Koehn, S., Gillison, F., Standage, M., Bailey, J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Exercise self-efficacy intervention in overweight and obese women
This study investigated the effects of a brief tailored intervention on self-efficacy beliefs and exercise energy expenditure in active and inactive overweight and obese women. Participants were randomly assigned to either control (N = 50) or intervention (N = 47) conditions, and their exercise self-efficacy was assessed three times over a 12-week period. Results showed that the intervention increased schedule, physical, exercise-worries efficacy, and energy expenditure in the previously inactive group. The results suggest that self-efficacy interventions are effective at increasing exercise energy expenditure in inactive ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Buckley, J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Psychological resilience moderates the impact of social support on loneliness of "left-behind" children
This study examined the moderator effect of psychological resilience on the relationship between social support and loneliness of the "left-behind" children. A total of 200 left-behind girls and 214 left-behind boys completed the measures of psychological resilience, social support, and loneliness. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that psychological resilience moderated the association between social support and loneliness. When left-behind children reported a low level of psychological resilience, those with high social support reported lower scores in loneliness than those with low social support. However, the imp...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Ai, H., Hu, J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptomatology and pediatric obesity: Psychopathology or sleep deprivation?
The relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity in children has received considerable attention in recent years. However, the literature currently overlooks the potential causal and maintaining role that sleep problems may play in this relationship. Using a biopsychosocial framework, this article highlights how sleep problems impact the biological, psychological, and social aspects of both ADHD symptomatology and obesity. An in-depth examination of this model illustrates the imperative need for future research and clinical practice to recognize and explore the role sleep has in the link...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Lundahl, A., Nelson, T. D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Relationship between infertility-related stress and emotional distress and marital satisfaction
The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive effects of infertility-related stress on psychological distress and marital satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a nonrecursive model hypothesizing the impact of infertility-related stress on both emotional distress and marital dissatisfaction, which were supposed to have a reciprocal influence on each other. The model was estimated using data from a sample of 150 infertile patients (78 males and 72 females). Findings confirmed the predictive effects of infertility-related stress on both emotional and marital distress. However, infertility-rela...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Gana, K., Jakubowska, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Subjective well-being associated with size of social network and social support of elderly
The current study examined the impact of size of social network on subjective well-being of elderly, mainly focused on confirmation of the mediator role of perceived social support. The results revealed that both size of social network and perceived social support were significantly correlated with subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling indicated that perceived social support partially mediated size of social network to subjective well-being. The final model also revealed significant both paths from size of social network to subjective well-being through perceived social support. The findings extended prior re...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Wang, X. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Positive psychological states and health behaviors in acute coronary syndrome patients: A qualitative study
Positive psychological states are linked to superior cardiac outcomes, possibly mediated through increased participation in health behaviors. Trained study staff conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews in the hospital and 3 months later for 34 patients diagnosed with an acute coronary syndrome. These interviews focused on positive psychological states, cardiac health behaviors, and their connection; the interviews were transcribed and independently coded using directed content analysis. Both optimism and positive affect were associated with completion of physical activity and healthy eating in a bidirectional manner....
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Huffman, J. C., DuBois, C. M., Mastromauro, C. A., Moore, S. V., Suarez, L., Park, E. R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Social problem solving in chronic pain: An integrative model of coping predicts mental health in chronic pain patients
Despite several models of coping have been proposed in chronic pain, research is not integrative and has not yet identified a reliable set of beneficial coping strategies. We intend to offer a comprehensive view of coping using the social problem-solving model. Participants were 369 chronic pain patients (63.78% women; mean age 58.89 years; standard deviation = 15.12 years). Correlation analyses and the structural equation model for mental health revealed potentially beneficial and harmful problem-solving components. This integrative perspective on general coping could be used to promote changes in the way patients deal wi...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Suso-Ribera, C., Camacho-Guerrero, L., McCracken, L. M., Maydeu-Olivares, A., Gallardo-Pujol, D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Effects of lifetime stress exposure on mental and physical health in young adulthood: How stress degrades and forgiveness protects health
To examine risk and resilience factors that affect health, lifetime stress exposure histories, dispositional forgiveness levels, and mental and physical health were assessed in 148 young adults. Greater lifetime stress severity and lower levels of forgiveness each uniquely predicted worse mental and physical health. Analyses also revealed a graded Stress x Forgiveness interaction effect, wherein associations between stress and mental health were weaker for persons exhibiting more forgiveness. These data are the first to elucidate the interactive effects of cumulative stress severity and forgiveness on health, and suggest t...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Toussaint, L., Shields, G. S., Dorn, G., Slavich, G. M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Maladaptive health beliefs, illness-related self-regulation and the role of the information provided by physicians
This prospective study in 119 patients with cardiovascular diseases aimed to examine whether (a) illness representations mediate the relation of general maladaptive health beliefs to patients’ coping behaviours and (b) these relations are moderated by the patients’ perception of the amount of information provided by their physicians. Personal control and illness coherence mediated the relation of maladaptive health beliefs to coping behaviour. The amount of the provided information buffered the negative relation of maladaptive health beliefs to illness representations and coping. Thus, the detrimental effect of...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Karademas, E. C., Paschali, A., Hadjulis, M., Papadimitriou, A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Chinese version of the Optimism and Pessimism Scale: Psychometric properties in mainland China and development of a short form
This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Optimism and Pessimism Scale in a sample of 730 adult Chinese individuals. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the bidimensionality of the scale with two factors, optimism and pessimism. The total scale and optimism and pessimism factors demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. Population-based normative data and mean values for gender, age, and education were determined. Furthermore, we developed a 20-item short form of the Chinese version of the Optimism and Pessimism Scale with structural validity comparable to the full form. In summary, the Chinese v...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Xia, J., Wu, D., Zhang, J., Xu, Y., Xu, Y. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
