Search Results (186)

The rapid expansion of mindfulness research has generated both enthusiasm and controversy regarding its actual clinical value. While meditation is often regarded as the central mechanism of mindfulness-based interventions, other components such as psychoeducation and informal practice may play an equally significant role in improving mental health outcomes. This critical review examines the relative contributions of these elements to the therapeutic impact of mindfulness and clarifies the extent to which its effects are comparable to established treatments, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Evidence from meta-analyses and high-quality trials indicates that mindfulness programs achieve moderate efficacy in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, but effect sizes are frequently inflated by methodological limitations. Importantly, cognitive and emotional regulation skills, especially acceptance and non-judgment, appear to sustain long-term benefits more consistently than meditation alone. These findings highlight the need for rigorous longitudinal studies and component-focused designs to identify the mechanisms that drive clinical change. By distinguishing between evidence-based applications and overstated claims, this review contributes to a more balanced understanding of mindfulness and its appropriate integration into healthcare. Full article

Eco-friendly driving, defined as an individual’s daily driving practices that reduce fuel and energy consumption, remains significantly underutilized despite growing attention to climate change and sustainability. Given that changes in consumer behaviour are central to sustainability transitions and strongly influenced by how individuals perceive sustainability-related information, this study investigates the psychological and structural barriers that shape consumers’ perceptions of eco-friendly driving. A scoping review of empirical research on these barriers (Study 1), informed by Gifford’s “dragons of inaction,” combined with 50 semi-structured interviews (Study 2) conducted in a highly car-dependent regional context, provides convergent evidence on the complex factors shaping consumer behaviour in sustainable mobility. Across both studies, consistent psychological barriers emerged, including limited awareness of eco-driving techniques, doubts about effectiveness, emotional responses such as stress or range anxiety, and habitual reliance on conventional driving. Structural barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, limited charging accessibility, economic constraints, and weak policy support further constrained perceived feasibility. Evidence from both studies showed that these barriers reinforce one another, intensifying scepticism and reducing engagement with sustainability initiatives and messages. The findings contribute to research on sustainable consumer behaviour and sustainability communication by showing how internal and external constraints jointly shape eco-friendly driving decisions. Practically, the results highlight opportunities for coordinated infrastructure, policy, and communication strategies to support broader adoption of eco-friendly driving behaviours. Full article

Anxiety, depression, and social impairment exhibit high clinical comorbidity, yet their underlying shared neural circuitry remains poorly defined. Using a mouse model of chronic social isolation combined with circuit tracing and chemogenetic tools, we identified a key role for the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in relaying prefrontal cortex (PFC) signals to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) to drive behavioral changes. Further circuit dissection identified two distinct BNST microcircuits segregated by their input sources: one receives indirect PFC input relayed through the BLA (PFC → BLA → BNST), while the other is innervated by direct PFC projections (PFC → BNST). Chemogenetic inhibition of BLA neurons in the indirect pathway ameliorated anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, and social deficits. Within the BNST, however, inhibition of neurons in PFC → BLA → BNST pathway selectively alleviated affective phenotypes without altering social behavior. In contrast, inhibition of neurons in PFC → BNST pathway specifically restored social recognition while leaving emotional behaviors intact. Thus, the BLA integrates PFC-derived signals to broadly modulate behavior, while downstream BNST microcircuits dissociate these influences. The indirect, BLA-relayed pathway within the BNST specifically drives affective symptoms, whereas the direct PFC → BNST pathway selectively governs social recognition. This dissociable circuit model offers a new framework for understanding clinical comorbidity and may inform targeted interventions for distinct symptom dimensions. Full article

Chronic ethanol exposure and genetic factors interact to drive neuroadaptations in alcohol use disorders (AUD). However, the system-level coordination of molecular responses across brain regions remains unclear. The 5-HT system and BDNF are key regulators of neuroplasticity in alcoholism. The 5-HT₇ receptor modulates both behavior and serotonin signaling. We investigated midbrain 5-HT₇ overexpression in C57BL/6 mice given 5-week ethanol access. Our results showed complex, region-specific changes in 5-HT and BDNF signaling, as well as selective behavioral alterations. Ethanol abolished the antidepressant-like effect of 5-HT₇ overexpression and increased anxiety-like behavior, without affecting baseline locomotion or novel object recognition. At the molecular level, ethanol suppressed 5-HT₇-mediated CREB/BDNF signaling and differentially regulated 5-HT_1A and 5-HT_2A expression across regions. To extract general principles, we used integrative systems analysis based on population-averaged generalized estimating equations (GEE), and mapped effects in the (t₁, t₂) plane. We identified two regularities: first, regional specificity of responses, and second, divergence across regulatory levels, with opposing effects more frequent at the mRNA level and concordant effects more common at the protein level. These findings suggest that neuroadaptation to combined 5-HT₇ and ethanol factors follows region- and level-specific rules, rather than a single global program, underscoring the value of integrative analysis. Full article

Migrant populations drive Canada’s demographic expansion, making their successful integration a national priority. However, research has consistently shown that refugees and immigrants experience declining mental health and encounter significant barriers to accessing culturally appropriate mental health support. This scoping review examined the breadth of evidence on culturally adapted mental health education (MHE) programs for migrant populations, including those that integrate traditional and complementary healing practices, and their effectiveness. Systematic searches across six databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Global Health, CINAHL, and Scopus) identified 4075 peer-reviewed articles, with 28 studies meeting inclusion criteria. These included mental health education and awareness programs that integrate psychoeducation and skill-building. Inclusion criteria required cultural adaptation of programs through one or more approaches such as language modification, culturally adapted content, community-based delivery, or integration of traditional and complementary healing practices. Thematic analysis of the programs revealed seven key themes characterizing effective MHE programs: cultural adaptation and sensitivity, addressing unique migration-related stressors, integration of traditional and Western approaches, use of theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practices, rigorous evaluation methodologies, application of holistic frameworks, and community-based peer support models. Programs predominantly utilized psychoeducation and culturally adapted interventions, with common theoretical frameworks including cognitive–behavioral therapy and the PRECEDE–PROCEED model. Across the reviewed studies, program evaluations reported positive outcomes including increased mental health literacy, reduced stigma, enhanced coping skills, and decreased depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, suggesting that culturally adapted MHE programs are acceptable and feasible interventions for migrant populations. Full article

This article re-interprets V. S. Naipaul’s “Tell Me Who to Kill” from In a Free State (1971) through a Heideggerian lens, focusing on the ‘groundlessness’ of existence and the dialectics of ‘danger’ that structure the unnamed narrator’s life within colonial ‘modernity’. Using Hiedegger’s phenomenology as a rhetorical hermeneutic, it traces how ordinary existential structures—fear, anxiety, boredom, curiosity, idle talk, and ambiguity—surface in the narrator’s and other characters’ comportments and speech. In Heidegger’s sense, these moods do not simply describe psychological states but reveal the conditions of Dasein’s being-in-the-world and the ontological disclosures of a being unhomed by empire. By situating Heidegger’s concepts of Dasein, thrownness, and fallenness within Naipaul’s world of migration, labour, and racial precarity, the paper reveals how metaphysical homelessness becomes historically tangible. The narrator’s obsessive drive for success, his failed fraternal duty, and his descent into estrangement dramatize a colonial subjectivity torn between aspiration and abjection. In reframing Heidegger through the postcolonial experience, the article both deprovincializes European existentialism and reclaims phenomenology as a site for interrogating the psychic economies of empire. Ultimately, the novella becomes a poetics of nihilism—where the search for authenticity collapses under the weight of displacement. Full article

Background and Objectives: Dysmenorrhea affects 50–90% of women worldwide and significantly impacts quality of life. This study aimed to determine the nationwide prevalence of dysmenorrhea among Saudi women and evaluate the independent associations between pain severity, associated symptoms, and mental health and quality of life outcomes. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and August 2024 among women aged 18–55 years in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, menstrual patterns, dysmenorrhea severity (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS 1–10), associated symptoms, mental health (DASS-21), and quality of life (MQLI). Univariate comparisons and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life (QoL). Results: Of 950 women (mean age 28 ± 9.5 years, BMI 24 ± 5.8 kg/m²), 87% reported dysmenorrhea, with 50% experiencing pain every cycle and 55% reporting severe pain (VAS 7–10). Women with severe pain exhibited depression scores 47% higher than those with mild pain (21.8 vs. 14.8, p < 0.001), with similar patterns for anxiety and stress. In multivariate analyses, severe pain (VAS 8–10) was associated with 7–11-point increases in DASS scores (all p < 0.001). Constipation emerged as the strongest symptom-related predictor of depression (β = 4.94, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = 4.79, p < 0.001), stress (β = 3.96, p < 0.001), and reduced quality of life (β = −0.45, p = 0.015). Risk factors included having children, higher BMI, and longer menstrual cycles, while higher income, later menarche, and greater education were protective. Conclusions: Pain severity, not dysmenorrhea presence alone, drives mental health burden. Constipation represents a novel therapeutic target. Integrated care addressing pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and mental health is essential. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sociocultural factors, including migration and acculturation, may influence the clinical profile and course of eating disorders (EDs). This study examined differences between immigrant and native-born Spanish patients with EDs in (1) clinical presentation and (2) treatment response. Methods: Consecutive outpatients from the Eating Disorders Unit at Bellvitge University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) were assessed using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), and Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R). Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, ANOVA, Cox regression for dropout, and logistic regression for predictors of poor outcome, adjusted for ED subtype. Results: The sample included 1104 patients (947 native-born; 157 immigrants). Immigrant patients showed a distinct clinical profile, with lower drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction but higher interpersonal distrust, maturity fears, perfectionism, anxiety-related symptoms, and self-transcendence. They also presented a worse treatment response, including higher dropout rates, poorer outcomes, and lower remission rates. Predictive models identified different risk factors for poor treatment response in each group: among native-born patients, younger age of ED onset, higher novelty seeking, and lower self-directedness were associated with worse outcomes, whereas among immigrant patients, greater ED severity, lower harm avoidance, and lower self-transcendence predicted poorer results. Conclusions: Immigrant patients with EDs exhibit a differentiated clinical presentation and less favorable treatment response compared to native-born patients. The differential predictors of poor outcome highlight the need for culturally informed and individually tailored interventions that consider both sociocultural context and personality-related vulnerabilities. Full article

Self-harm is a growing public health concern, particularly among university students facing academic anxiety. This study explored the underlying factors driving suicide planning and attempts in this population. Using a qualitative design, we conducted thematic analysis of interviews with eight counselors and eight students from five public and private universities. Analysis via NVivo Software revealed six core themes: (1) current mental health support and coping strategies, (2) triggers of suicidal ideation linked to family and psychological stressors, (3) perceptions of campus mental health services, (4) cultural and societal misconceptions surrounding suicide, (5) institutional barriers to accessing mental health care, and (6) student-driven recommendations for prevention and support. These findings highlight the complex interplay between academic pressure, emotional distress, and limited institutional support. The study emphasizes the need for universities to enhance access to mental health services, reduce stigma through open dialogue and peer support, and engage families through targeted workshops. Tailored interventions addressing academic, emotional, and familial challenges—such as flexible deadlines and improved counseling access—can significantly reduce suicidal ideation and promote student well-being. Full article

This study explores the impact of sustainable leadership (SL) on environmental performance (EP), focusing on the mediating role of employee well-being (EW) and the moderating role of eco-anxiety in green companies in Turkey. The framework is founded on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) paradigm and is enhanced by Sustainable Leadership Theory, Bottom-Up Spillover Theory, and Terror Management Theory. Data were collected from 289 employees at five environmentally sustainable enterprises in Turkey, using a standardized questionnaire to evaluate characteristics through validated multi-item scales. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS4 was employed to assess reliability, validity, and the suggested correlations. The study’s findings demonstrate that SL has a substantial and favorable impact on EP, both directly and indirectly, through the enhancement of staff well-being. Furthermore, research indicates that eco-anxiety mitigates the association between SL and well-being, suggesting that increased eco-anxiety diminishes the beneficial effects of leadership. These findings underline the significance of robust, SL and proactive management of eco-anxiety to enhance employee well-being and optimize corporate environmental results. The outcomes indicate that firms should allocate resources to leadership development initiatives and staff support frameworks to alleviate climate-related anxiety and enhance resilience. The study advances Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by demonstrating how psychological health and leadership synergize to enhance environmental performance. It also offers practical implications for sustainable workplace practices. Full article

In the analysis of electric vehicle (EV) energy consumption, three main approaches are commonly used: physics-based models, artificial intelligence (AI) models, and hybrid frameworks that combine both. This combination enables more accurate estimations of EV energy consumption under diverse operating conditions, while also supporting applications in eco-driving, route planning, and urban energy management. Accurate analysis and prediction of EV energy consumption are critical for vehicle design, route planning, grid integration, and range anxiety. Recent advances in AI, notably machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), enable data-driven models that capture complex interactions among driving behavior, vehicle characteristics, road topology, traffic, and environmental conditions. This paper reviews the state of the art and presents a structured methodology for building, validating, and deploying AI models for EV energy consumption and efficiency analysis. Features, model architectures, performance metrics, explainability techniques, and system-level applications are discussed. Full article

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Similar to other chronic diseases, IBD is associated with negative mental health outcomes. The prevalence of anxiety and depression with IBD is increasing in western societies and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting a bidirectional relationship which remains poorly understood. This review seeks to distil current evidence on the epidemiology, biological mechanisms and microbial changes through which anxiety and depression may lead to worse IBD outcomes. The literature demonstrates that a prior diagnosis of depression is associated with an increased risk of developing IBD. Co-morbid anxiety or depression doubles the odds of adverse outcomes in IBD. Antidepressants appear to have class dependent effects on modulating disease activity in IBD with co-morbid depression. Chronic stress may drive IBD through a number of mechanisms, including inducing the hypothalamic pituitary axis, glucocorticoid resistance, increasing intestinal permeability, and releasing inflammatory cytokines. Alterations in the microbiome on either a genus or species’ level has been shown to be affected by and have an impact on both mental health illness and IBD activity. Further research with high quality longitudinal follow-up data is required to clarify causal associations of anxiety/depression and IBD onset as well as measure the impact of different antidepressant classes and microbiome targeted strategies on disease progression and outcomes. Full article

With AI chatbots becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life, growing concerns have emerged regarding users’ psychological dependency on these systems. While previous studies have mainly addressed utilitarian drivers, less attention has been paid to the cognitive and affective mechanisms driving chatbot dependency. Drawing upon Uses and Gratifications Theory, Compensatory Internet Use Theory, and Attachment Theory, this study proposes a dual-path model that investigates how instrumental motivations (e.g., information-seeking, entertainment, efficiency) and affective motivations (e.g., companionship, loneliness, anxiety) influence chatbot dependency through two mediating mechanisms: cognitive reliance and emotional attachment. Using survey data collected from 354 participants, the model was tested through structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that information-seeking and efficiency significantly predict cognitive reliance, which subsequently enhances chatbot dependency. In contrast, entertainment does not exhibit a significant influence. Furthermore, affective motivations such as companionship, loneliness, and anxiety are indirectly linked to dependency through emotional attachment, with loneliness demonstrating the strongest indirect effect. These findings underscore the dual influence of functional cognition and emotional vulnerability in fostering chatbot dependency, emphasizing the importance of emotionally sensitive and ethically responsible AI design. Full article

Although trauma exposure (TE) has been shown to be a robust predictor of youth involvement in the juvenile justice system, evidence regarding the role of TE amongst youth who recidivate has been more mixed. Recidivist youth are a population of particular concern, given evidence of declining mental health and diminished likelihood of returning to an adaptive developmental course. One way in which TE may contribute to these negative outcomes over time is through potentiating or “driving” mental health problems, which are especially prevalent among trauma-exposed youth in the justice system. To examine this hypothesis, longitudinal data were obtained over a 10-year period from a sample of 5615 juvenile justice-involved youth (1499 girls and 4116 boys) who completed a mental health screening at each admission to detention. Results of analyses assessing the associations among trauma exposure, linear and quadratic time, and mental health problems were consistent with the hypothesis that increases in TE were associated with increasing anger/irritability, depression/anxiety, somatic complaints, and suicidal ideation across repeat admissions. With the exception of alcohol/drug use, all mental health outcomes followed a quadratic trajectory over the course of multiple admissions. Rates of mental health problems were consistently highest for girls and White youth across all waves. These results add to our understanding of the role of trauma in mental health problems among persistent offenders and may help to inform interventions designed to reduce youth contact with the potentially iatrogenic effects of justice system involvement. Full article

Robotaxi services represent a major step in the commercialization of autonomous driving, offering efficiency, consistency, and safety benefits. However, despite technological advances, their large-scale adoption is far from guaranteed. Most urban users already rely on mature ride-hailing platforms such as Didi and Uber, making the real behavioral question not whether to adopt Robotaxi, but whether to migrate from existing services. Prior studies based on TAM, UTAUT, or trust models have primarily examined users’ initial adoption decisions, overlooking the substitution behavior that better captures how people shift between competing mobility services in real contexts. This study addresses this gap by applying the Push–Pull–Mooring (PPM) framework to examine users’ migration from ride-hailing to Robotaxi services, based on survey data collected from 1206 respondents across four Chinese cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Wuhan). The model was tested using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis (SEM–MGA). Push factors reflect negative experiences with ride-hailing, including social anxiety and insecurity caused by drivers’ behaviors; pull factors emphasize Robotaxi’ autonomy and service reliability; while mooring factors capture habitual ride-hailing use and perceived Robotaxi risk. Findings indicate that push and pull factors significantly promote migration intentions, whereas mooring factors hinder them. Among all factors, perceived risk exerted the strongest negative effect (β = −0.36), underscoring its critical role as a barrier to Robotaxi migration. Gender differences are also evident, with women more sensitive to risks and men more influenced by reliability. By situating adoption within a migration context, this study enriches high-risk innovation theory and offers practical guidance for designing gender-sensitive and user-specific promotion strategies. Full article