Search Results (350)

Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment is a frequent and clinically relevant concern among women with breast cancer, particularly during active oncological treatment, with potential consequences for memory, attention, executive functioning, daily autonomy, emotional well-being, and quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Playful Attention and Active Memory intervention (ALMA) on cognitive functioning in women with breast cancer undergoing active oncological treatment. Methods: This single-centre, three-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial at the University Healthcare Complex of Salamanca (Spain) will evaluate 63 women with breast cancer undergoing active oncological treatment. Participants will be randomized (1:1:1) into a health education control group, an individual non-tailored cognitive training group, or the ALMA multidimensional group intervention (two 120 min face-to-face sessions/week for four months, combining psychoeducation, targeted cognitive stimulation, and group feedback). Assessments will occur at baseline and post-intervention. The primary outcome is objective global cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment). Secondary outcomes include perceived cognitive function, everyday cognition, functional autonomy, anxiety, sleep quality, performance status, and everyday memory failures. Intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models will perform prespecified comparisons of ALMA versus both other groups. Expected results: This study is designed to provide evidence on the potential value of a structured, multidimensional cognitive intervention delivered during active breast cancer treatment. By comparing ALMA with both health education and individual cognitive training, the trial may clarify whether the integration of psychoeducation, ecological cognitive stimulation, and group-based support offers additional benefits beyond cognitive practice alone. The inclusion of objective, subjective, and functionally oriented outcomes strengthens the clinical relevance of the protocol and may contribute to the development of more comprehensive supportive care strategies for cancer-related cognitive impairment. Trial registration: This protocol is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT07165912. Full article

Background: Cervical cancer remains a significant health issue in Indonesia, where structural barriers, fragmented information, and sociocultural norms continue to hinder timely diagnosis and treatment. Families play a central role throughout the illness journey, yet their perspectives are often overlooked in the development of digital patient navigation systems. This study explored family experiences, caregiving challenges, and expectations for a family-centered digital navigation model, DIVA.ID, by integrating Digital Health frameworks and Family Systems Theory. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 18 purposively selected family caregivers of women with cervical cancer at a major referral hospital in West Java. Participants were selected because they were directly involved in daily care, treatment decisions, logistical support, or emotional assistance. Interviews were conducted between August and October 2025 and continued until thematic saturation was reached, as indicated by repetition of categories and the absence of new major codes in the final interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive–deductive content analysis guided by Elo and Kyngäs, with five researchers conducting independent coding, iterative code comparison, consensus meetings, and theoretical mapping. Results: Four main themes emerged: (1) family involvement in decision-making, including collective discussion, shifting authority roles, and patient autonomy; (2) caregiver burden, involving physical exhaustion, psychological distress, social restriction, stigma, financial pressure, and employment disruption; (3) psycho-spiritual coping mechanisms, including emotional sharing, prayer, crying, patience, and surrender to God; and (4) digital healthcare needs, covering BPJS guidance, treatment information, scheduling, communication pathways, shelter support, and mental–spiritual support. Mapping these themes to Digital Health frameworks and Family Systems Theory clarified how DIVA.ID could translate family experiences into practical navigation functions. Conclusions: This study provides empirical foundations for a culturally sensitive, family-centered digital navigation model in Indonesia. Rather than demonstrating effectiveness, the findings identify design requirements for DIVA.ID that should be tested in subsequent feasibility, usability, and intervention studies. Full article

Higher-education institutions increasingly use AI-enabled chatbots, personalised communication, recommendation systems, and predictive information services in academic marketing. Adoption of these systems depends not only on technical availability, but also on institutional trust, emotional engagement, and skepticism regarding the reliability, transparency, and autonomy implications of AI. This study examines the Trust-Tech Nexus framework using stakeholder survey data collected at MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Pune, India (N = 300). The analysis combines psychometric validation, WLSMV confirmatory factor analysis for ordered indicators, and cross-validated predictive modelling. Four three-item constructs were measured with five-point Likert indicators, as follows: AI Adoption, Institutional Trust, Emotional Engagement, and AI Skepticism. Reliability and convergent validity were acceptable, and the WLSMV CFA showed strong practical fit (CFI = 0.991, TLI = 0.988, RMSEA = 0.040, SRMR = 0.039). Discriminant validity was supported by HTMT and Fornell–Larcker evidence, while Harman’s single-factor result was treated only as an initial diagnostic. Construct-only ridge regression produced positive out-of-sample predictive evidence (CV R-squared = 0.352; RMSE = 0.642; MAE = 0.501). Exploratory classification results were moderate and are interpreted only as supplementary segmentation evidence because the binary targets were derived from the AI Adoption composite. The study supports a validated four-construct measurement structure and moderate predictive association in one institutional context, while avoiding causal claims. Full article

Objectives: Fear of falling (FoF) is a common psychological phenomenon in later life and is often accompanied by avoidance behavior and activity restriction. Although FoF is associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, reduced self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy, older adults with FoF may differ substantially in the configuration of these characteristics. The present study aimed to identify data-derived profiles of older adults based on FoF, avoidance behavior, self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy, and to examine profile-specific psychological predictors of FoF and avoidance behavior. Methods: The main analytical sample included 217 older adults aged 60–97 years (M = 76.45, SD = 10.14) with Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 20 or higher. Latent profile analysis was conducted using FoF, avoidance behavior, self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy. Anxiety components, depressive symptoms, coping strategies, pain catastrophizing, and loneliness-related indicators were examined in class-specific regression models. The stability of the class solution was tested across different MMSE cut-off scores. Between-class comparisons were conducted for functional, fall-related, socio-demographic, and psychological indicators. Results: A three-class solution was selected and interpreted as adaptive, vulnerable, and maladaptive profiles. The profile structure remained relatively consistent across MMSE cut-off scores, including in the broader sample with MMSE ≥ 15. The classes did not differ significantly in postural balance or number of falls, suggesting that the profiles could not be fully explained by objective fall-risk indicators. Significant between-class differences were found for age, daily pain level, and state social defense. Class-specific regression models suggested that psychological variables associated with FoF and avoidance behavior differed across profiles. Pain appraisal and emotion-related coping were more relevant in the adaptive profile, phobic anxiety and anxious appraisal of future events in the vulnerable profile, and anxiety-related, depressive, interpersonal, and coping-related factors in the maladaptive profile. All reported associations remained significant after false discovery rate correction. Conclusions: FoF and avoidance behavior are related but not identical phenomena and vary across data-derived psychological profiles. A profile-oriented approach may provide a more differentiated understanding of activity restriction in older adults and help identify profile-specific targets for psychological support. Full article

The aim of this study is to analyse the active role of volunteers in the Italian reception system and to assess how their actions and strategies contribute to the construction of an environment that promotes the autonomy and protagonism of unaccompanied minors in the development of their migration project. Based on a theoretical framework that combines socio-educational and psychosocial approaches and theories of community participation, the study addresses the importance of volunteering as a key tool in processes of inclusion and the development of personal migration projects. A qualitative approach is adopted under the interpretative paradigm, using a collective case study carried out at the Scuola Penny Wirton in Rome. The sample was selected through purposive and convenience sampling, integrating 25 volunteer agents (68% women and 32% men), aged between 60 and 84. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results show that volunteers deploy flexible and personalised strategies, prioritising the creation of a climate of trust and contextualised language learning as a vehicle for integration. Likewise, the importance of emotional support, identification and attention to psychosocial needs, and the promotion of a sense of belonging is evident. However, a lack of formal mechanisms for interdisciplinary collaboration is detected. Full article

Introduction: Dietary habits adopted during young adulthood play a critical role in physical, emotional, and cognitive health. University students represent a particularly vulnerable group due to academic stress, lifestyle transitions, and increased autonomy, factors that may influence eating behaviors, body weight perception, and psychological well-being. This study aims to examine dietary habits among students and their associations with self-perceived body weight, lifestyle characteristics, and psychological factors within a biopsychosocial framework. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a structured, self-administered online questionnaire distributed to university students aged 18–30 years in Romania. The questionnaire assessed dietary habits, nutritional knowledge, lifestyle behaviors, and psychological variables, including perceived stress and body weight perception. Body mass index was calculated based on self-reported anthropometric data. Results: The findings indicated substantial variability in dietary behaviors, with a high prevalence of irregular meal patterns, frequent snacking, and engagement in weight-control practices. Irregular meal patterns were reported by approximately 62% of participants, while 47% had engaged in at least one weight-loss diet. Discrepancies between self-reported BMI and perceived body weight were observed in roughly 38% of cases, and 83% of respondents reported at least one psychological symptom (stress, anxiety, or low mood) related to eating behaviors. A positive correlation was observed between sleep duration and perceived rest quality (r = 0.364, p < 0.001). High frequencies of caffeinated beverage consumption were also observed. Additionally, 204 participants reported no alcohol consumption, while the variety of alcoholic beverages consumed was strongly correlated with alcohol intake frequency (r = 0.734, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Dietary habits among university students are closely interconnected with body weight perception, lifestyle behaviors, and psychological well-being. These findings emphasize the need for integrative health promotion strategies that address nutrition, emotional regulation, and lifestyle balance to support mental and cognitive health during young adulthood. Full article

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a critical public health concern in South Africa, which ranks among the countries most severely affected worldwide. Women and girls are reported to bear the greatest burden, with men predominantly identified as perpetrators. GBV is particularly prevalent in densely populated areas such as informal settlements, where adverse socioeconomic conditions create fertile ground for its proliferation. Despite the scale of this problem, to the researchers’ knowledge, few studies, especially qualitative ones, have been conducted in such contexts, even though informal settlements are widespread across the country. To generate nuanced insights into this phenomenon, the current study explored the lived experiences of women victims of GBV in Alexandra, one of South Africa’s largest informal settlements. The study was grounded in an interpretive paradigm, employed a qualitative approach, and adopted a single-case-study design. Participants were purposively selected from a population of women victims of GBV, and the sample size was determined through data saturation. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) with Nvivo version 15 software and interpreted through the lens of feminist theory. The findings revealed that GBV has profound effects on women’s emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, extending beyond the immediate incidents to also affect their overall functioning, erode self-confidence, and limit opportunities for independence. The use of intimidation and coercion tactics by perpetrators trapped victims in a cycle of dysfunction which diminished agency, and fostered isolation. Interpreting these findings through a feminist lens highlights the systematic and recurrent nature of GBV, which cuts across personal, structural and relational dimensions. The findings underscore the urgent need for context-specific interventions that will help dismantle structures of abuse while supporting victims’ and/or survivors’ autonomy, recovery and, most importantly, capacity to rebuild identity and trust. Full article

Global crises often force a pivotal choice between protecting human legacy and ensuring financial survival, yet the psychological drivers behind these trade-offs remain poorly understood. While family firms are traditionally viewed as inherently resilient, the unique emotional attachments of their owners may constrain their ability to adapt to unprecedented shocks. This study examines the behavioral underpinnings of crisis management across 11 European nations during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging the traditional stewardship paradigm. Findings reveal a significant tension between preserving socioemotional wealth and economic survival. While family-managed firms prioritized personnel retention and financial autonomy, thus avoiding the psychological stigma of government aid, these non-financial priorities often proved detrimental to liquidity and business survival. This suggests that high emotional endowment can induce behavioral rigidity and an escalation of commitment, hindering strategic pivots. Furthermore, the results highlight a trend toward mimetic isomorphism, where extreme uncertainty forced a convergence of crisis responses across diverse organizational structures. Overall, the contribution of this study is to challenge the resilience myth, illustrating that acute shocks often override the distinctive behavioral archetype of family firms, forcing a shift toward institutional conformity and standardized mandates. Full article

In the contemporary digital economy, digital human resource management is reshaping organizational practices and enhancing both operational efficiency and the employee experience. As Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2009) becomes the core demographic in the workforce, their pronounced emphasis on work–life balance introduces novel managerial challenges. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study develops and tests a moderated mediation model examining how digital human resource management (HRM) influences sense of relaxation among Generation Z employees. Analyzing survey data from 364 Generation Z employees, we first develop and validate a measurement scale for employee relaxation, identifying four distinct dimensions: work disengagement, work adaptation, emotional regulation, and physical load. The findings reveal that digital HRM significantly enhances employee relaxation, with work autonomy serving as a partial mediator in this relationship. Furthermore, digital self-efficacy positively moderates both the direct effect of digital HRM on work autonomy and the indirect effect on employee relaxation through work autonomy. These findings offer theoretical insights into how digital HRM links to employee well-being and provide practical guidance for organizations managing a Generation Z workforce. Full article

Autonomous UAVs for urban traffic monitoring must respond quickly to changing operational conditions while maintaining stable, transparent decision-making. Rule-based controllers respond only at predefined thresholds, while learning-based methods adapt well but lack the certification transparency required for safety-critical deployment. This paper proposes a bio-inspired emotion-regulated decision-control mechanism and introduces the Pull–Push Engine (PPE), a regulatory architecture that balances environmental stimuli against personality-anchored baselines through weighted temporal integration. The PPE is embedded in a three-layer framework combining Big Five personality traits, the Pleasure–Arousal–Dominance (PAD) model, and Ortony–Clore–Collins (OCC) event appraisal. Validation in a SUMO-based simulation across three scenarios of increasing complexity showed that PPE regulation maintained bounded PAD trajectories and zero saturation despite concurrent stressors, whereas removing the pull term caused 57–88% saturation. Behavioral diversity scaled naturally with operational demands: Surprised mood dominated across all scenarios (47.8–67.5%), with Anxious and Focused increasing systematically with complexity. Strategy entropy rose monotonically (1.885–2.033 bits). A sensitivity sweep confirmed robust regulation across a stable operating region, with degradation only at the boundary (p < 0.001 for all key comparisons). Every simulated decision remains causally traceable from stimulus through emotional processing to action. This ensures interpretability, which is essential for future safety-critical UAV deployment, although hardware implementation and field validation are still required. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nursing organizational well-being has important implications for nurses, patients, and healthcare organizations. From a nursing-specific perspective, it arises from the balance between nursing demands and nursing resources in the work environment. However, most available instruments are not grounded in explicit nursing theory and do not allow the identification of well-being profiles through person-centered approaches. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nursing Organizational Well-being Questionnaire (NOW_Q). Methods: Following COSMIN guidelines, a two-phase design was adopted. Phase 1 involved item generation and expert evaluation, resulting in a 28-item instrument rated on a 5-point frequency scale. Phase 2 consisted of a multicenter cross-sectional study. Construct validity was examined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using cross-validation. Reliability was assessed using ordinal omega coefficients, concurrent validity through associations with a global organizational well-being item, and cluster analysis to explore practical utility. Results: Findings (n = 461 nurses; 7 hospitals) supported an eight-dimension structure: workload, emotional demands, work–family conflict, autonomy, available resources, nurse–nurse relationship, nurse–head nurse relationship, and nurse–physician relationship. The confirmatory model showed good fit (RMSEA = 0.051; CFI = 0.938; TLI = 0.927; SRMR = 0.067), and all dimensions demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (ordinal omega = 0.75–0.87). Significant associations with global organizational well-being were observed. Three distinct profiles emerged (Nurturing, Observed-Detached, and Withstanding), reflecting different configurations of nursing demands and resources. Conclusions: The NOW_Q is a theory-based, nursing-specific instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties and practical utility for identifying organizational well-being profiles and supporting targeted interventions in clinical settings. Full article

This article explores access intimacy as feeling, interactional practice, and political vision through an inclusive research project in Hong Kong, where 12 visually impaired adults and 35 university students collaboratively developed accessible board games. Drawing on Mingus’s interdependence framework and Valentine’s justice-based access, we position visually impaired participants as primary knowledge producers while critically examining vulnerability, power dynamics, and research ethics. Analysis of field observations and in-depth interviews reveals three key dimensions: (1) collaborative game design enabled visually impaired participants to experience emotional access by fostering friendship, recognition, and belonging beyond logistical accessibility; (2) negotiation around “independence” and “fairness” generated transformative empowerment for both visually impaired and sighted participants, reframing interdependence as strength; and (3) reciprocal vulnerability in sighted guiding practices disrupted ableist assumptions about autonomy, care, and risk, revealing care as mutual rather than unidirectional. We argue that access intimacy functions as a learnable relational skill, and that attending to it in research design, community planning, and accessibility policy fosters justice-based paradigms that move beyond accommodation toward genuine interdependence and solidarity. Full article

Veterinary practice involves frequent interactions with pet owners that may be conflictual, emotionally charged, and ethically complex. These relational demands may contribute to burnout and related distress, but the evidence remains scattered across outcomes and study designs. This scoping review mapped the literature on how veterinarian–client communication and relational experiences are associated with burnout among veterinarians. Five databases were searched, and 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were quantitative, with qualitative and mixed-methods studies also identified. Overall, the findings showed that repeated relational friction with clients, emotionally demanding end-of-life conversations, financial conflicts, and blurred boundaries around availability can contribute to burnout risk. The review also identified mechanisms linking these experiences to distress, particularly emotional reactivity and the effort required to regulate emotions during difficult interactions. Protective factors included supportive teams, autonomy, structured communication training, and interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Training. These findings suggest that burnout in veterinary practice is shaped not only by workload, but also by the relational demands of client-facing care. Prevention efforts should therefore combine individual support with team-based and organizational strategies that strengthen communication practices and reduce avoidable interpersonal strain. Full article

As AI-generated influencers increasingly dominate social media landscapes, their psychological impact on human users necessitates rigorous empirical investigation. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this study examines how AI influencers influence the satisfaction and frustration of users’ basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Utilizing a netnographic approach, the research identifies three pivotal psychological mechanisms. The findings reveal a fundamental paradox characterized by a dual-path process; while AI influencers can meaningfully fulfill psychological needs through consistent presence and customizable narratives, they simultaneously risk undermining these needs when perceived as instruments of algorithmic surveillance, commercial orchestration, or emotional inauthenticity. This duality underscores the complexity of AI-mediated engagement, where the same technological affordances can lead to either psychological flourishing or digital alienation. These insights emphasize the urgency for responsible AI design that prioritizes user well-being over mere commercial conversion, offering critical implications for developers, marketers, and policymakers in the evolving era of AI-driven social interaction. Full article

Aging is a complex physiological process influenced by various factors, including individuals’ mental attitude. This interaction between biological vulnerability and psychological resources characterizes the entire life course; however, in older age, it becomes particularly salient due to the higher prevalence of multimorbidity, frailty, functional decline, and existential transitions (e.g., retirement, bereavement, loss of social roles), which intensify the impact of mental outlook on adaptation and quality of survival. Optimism has gained growing attention in clinical practice as a psychological asset associated with better health. This has also encouraged the incorporation of optimism-enhancing strategies into geriatric care. However, encouraging optimism in older patients, although well intentioned, can create ethical tensions in clinical communication, decision-making, and care planning. Sensitivity should be paid to aspects such as education, cultural background and religion within interactions with older adult patients. Uncritical promotion of optimism can undermine autonomy, foster unrealistic expectations, or place emotional burdens on patients who may already feel vulnerable. The appeal of optimism should therefore be balanced with careful ethical consideration. Full article