Search Results (2,526)

Dementia affects approximately 55 million people worldwide, yet the psychological experience of diagnosis and the determinants of post-diagnostic well-being remain underexplored relative to biomedical research priorities. The existing literature has been predominantly deficit-oriented, focusing on cognitive decline, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and carer burden, with limited attention to preserved psychological capacities and what supports flourishing following diagnosis. This narrative review applies a positive psychology framework to synthesise evidence on meaning, purpose, hope, and post-diagnostic adjustment in early-stage dementia. A central empirical observation motivating the review: the well-being paradox—subjective well-being in early-to-moderate dementia is frequently higher than carers and clinicians predict. It is also more strongly associated with psychosocial variables than with objective cognitive status. Evidence from the IDEAL (Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life) cohort and related longitudinal research demonstrates that emotional responsiveness, need satisfaction, and capacity for meaning-making are preserved in early-stage dementia and constitute clinically relevant assets. Four positive psychology constructs are identified as evidence-based targets for intervention: hope, self-compassion, social identity, and meaningful engagement. Clinical implications include integrating strengths-based assessment, meaning-centred group interventions, structured peer support, and validated positive outcome measures into post-diagnostic care pathways. Health equity considerations and research priorities are addressed, including the underrepresentation of minority ethnic communities and people with young-onset dementia in existing research. The review argues that meaningful progress requires deliberate reorientation of clinical, commissioning, and research priorities toward a positive psychology framework for dementia care. Full article

Reading has long been recognised as a central mechanism for second language development, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts where exposure to the target language is limited. However, learners do not seem to benefit equally from comparable reading demands, suggesting that factors beyond linguistic competence influence developmental outcomes. This study examines the relationship between reading self-efficacy and English language proficiency among undergraduate students enrolled in a Degree in English Studies at a Spanish university. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed with a sample of 141 participants and data were collected using the Reader Self-Perception Scale 2 (RSPS2) and a standardised multilevel English placement test aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The results revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between reading self-efficacy and language proficiency, whereas literary epistemological beliefs did not show a comparable association. Among the RSPS2 dimensions, perceived Progress and Physiological States emerged as the strongest correlates of proficiency, indicating that learners’ sense of development and emotional comfort while reading is particularly relevant to language achievement. The study argues that reading self-efficacy is related to textual exposure and language development, shaping whether learners engage with texts in sustained and productive ways. By linking learner self-perception to measurable proficiency outcomes, the study contributes empirical evidence to current discussions on affective variables in language learning and offers pedagogical implications for fostering engagement in higher education EFL contexts. Full article

Parents of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are responsible for intensive daily disease management and often experience high levels of emotional distress. This study examined whether fear of hypoglycemia mediates the association between parents’ emotion regulation strategies and diabetes-related distress. Participants were recruited through Facebook and WhatsApp groups for parents of children and adolescents with T1D, and data was collected via self-report online questionnaires. A total of 102 parents, 92.2% mothers (aged 32–58 years) of children with T1D aged 8–17 years, completed measures of fear of hypoglycemia (Hypoglycemia Fear Survey—Parent Version), diabetes distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes-Parent Revised) and emotion regulation strategies (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), along with a sociodemographic questionnaire. Four mediation models were tested using PROCESS, including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression as predictors and the worry and behavior subscales of fear of hypoglycemia as mediators. Results revealed a significant indirect effect of worry on the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and diabetes distress (indirect effect = −0.15, 95% CI [−0.35, −0.02]), highlighting worry as a potential mediator between these variables, while the direct effect was negative but non-significant. No significant indirect effects were found for expressive suppression on the behavior subscale (indirect effect = 0.12; 95% IC [−0.07; 0.36]) or on the worry subscale (indirect effect = 0.07; 95% IC [−0.08; 0.24]). These findings suggest that cognitive reappraisal may be associated with lower diabetes-related distress through lower levels of excessive worry about hypoglycemia. Clinically, the results highlight fear-related cognition can be a relevant intervention target, alongside emotion regulation skills, in psychosocial support programs for parents of youth with T1D. Full article

Emotion recognition (ER) in human–computer interaction (HCI) holds immense potential for real-world applications, but traditional approaches based on electroencephalography (EEG) face challenges due to the complexity and impracticality of collecting and analyzing EEG data in ambulatory settings. This study explores electrodermal activity (EDA), a simpler measure of the sympathetic nervous system response that can be collected at multiple peripheral body sites, as a potential alternative for ER. We investigated the variable frequency complex demodulation (VFCDM) technique to analyze EDA and EEG signals and used deep learning models (ResNet50 and MobileNetV2) to classify arousal states (high arousal, HA vs. low arousal, LA). Our results show that EDA signals analyzed by VFCDM and classified by MobileNetV2 achieve promising performance, with an accuracy of 91.45%, comparable to the best EEG-based model (91.98%), in arousal classification. This suggests that EDA offers a viable and more practically accessible approach to ER in HCI compared to traditional EEG-based methods. Future work should explore larger and more diverse datasets, incorporate valence classification through multimodal fusion, and investigate the neural mechanisms underlying EDA-EEG interactions during emotional processing to further advance robust ER for HCI applications. 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

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate burnout, psychological distress, and intention to quit among healthcare workers one year after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, and to examine the relative contributions of disaster-related exposures and organizational factors using a hierarchical analytical approach. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 640 healthcare workers from a tertiary referral hospital in one of the provinces most severely affected by the earthquakes. Data were collected using validated instruments, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Event Scale–Revised, and Intention to Quit Scale. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with burnout dimensions, psychiatric symptoms, and intention to quit. Results: Clinically significant anxiety symptoms were observed in 32.5% of participants, depressive symptoms in 55.8%, and PTSD risk in 54.1%. Low personal accomplishment was the most prevalent burnout dimension (69.1%), while high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed in 43.0% and 18.9% of participants, respectively. Workplace climate variables accounted for the largest increment in explained variance across all seven models. Low job satisfaction was the strongest and most consistent factor associated with adverse outcomes, with standardized coefficients ranging from β = +0.27 to +0.61. Non-close colleague relations were independently associated with higher burnout, anxiety, depression, and intention to quit scores, as well as lower personal accomplishment. Despite the high prevalence of psychological symptoms, post-earthquake psychiatric help-seeking was reported by only 6.2% of participants. Conclusions: One year after the earthquakes, healthcare workers continued to experience a substantial psychological burden. Although disaster-related exposures were associated with several adverse outcomes, organizational factors appeared to demonstrate more consistent associations with mental health indicators. These findings highlight the potential importance of improving modifiable workplace conditions to support psychological well-being and workforce sustainability in post-disaster healthcare systems. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among postpartum women in Jordan and identify the factors that may influence it. Methodology: This study employed a cross-sectional design and was conducted among women who had given birth within the last year, selected through cluster randomization from four primary healthcare centers in Amman. Household resource quality of life was measured on the validated 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), which covers eight domains of health. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to compare mean HRQoL scores across categories of socio-demographic variables (e.g., marital status, income, employment, feeding type). Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between age (the only continuous variable) and HRQoL domains. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The physical functioning had the highest HRQoL (62.48 ± 25.19), and the lowest HRQoL (34.59 ± 37.46) was found in role limitations due to physical health and emotional problems (36.37 ± 40.90). Key socio-demographic factors were highly related to HRQoL. Better general health perceptions (p = 0.003) and emotional well-being (p = 0.005) were found to be correlated with higher income. The married women scored much higher in physical functioning (p = 0.015) and emotional well-being (p = 0.013) than divorced women. Infant feeding methods and employment status were also significantly associated with certain domains of HRQoL. Conclusions: Postpartum women in Jordan experience low HRQoL, particularly in the domains related to role limitations. Socio-demographic factors were found to be crucial, wherein marital status and income are specific aspects. This study strongly recommends immediate integration of an appropriate multidimensional support program in postpartum care as an intervention toward improving maternal well-being. Full article

Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used as a non-invasive marker of autonomic regulation and physiological adaptability, with relevance across cardiovascular, metabolic, neuropsychiatric, and stress-related conditions. HRV biofeedback has emerged as a non-pharmacological intervention intended to influence autonomic function through paced breathing, resonance-frequency training, and real-time physiological feedback. Although this approach has shown promise in improving stress regulation, emotional symptoms, autonomic balance, and selected cardiovascular outcomes, its effects are not consistent across individuals or clinical states. The reasons for this variability remain insufficiently conceptualized. In this narrative conceptual review, we propose the concept of autonomic non-responsiveness during HRV biofeedback as a descriptive framework for situations in which expected autonomic engagement is weakened, absent, or fails to translate into meaningful physiological or clinical benefit. We discuss potential contributors to non-response, including reduced autonomic flexibility, impaired baroreflex function, disease burden, fatigue, stress-related overload, dysfunctional breathing, methodological limitations, and cognitive-behavioral constraints. We then consider the clinical implications of recognizing non-response as a potentially informative state rather than a simple negative outcome. Finally, we outline a future research agenda focused on operational definition, candidate biomarkers, temporal characterization, and minimally adaptive closed-loop systems. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) results in progressive neural degeneration that causes cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms (NCSs). While cognitive symptoms commonly prompt a formal diagnosis, NCSs also contribute significantly to disability, caregiver burden, and overall disease progression. NCSs are rooted in both physiological and psychological consequences of AD, resulting in apathy/motivation loss, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, depression, agitation, and sleep disturbances. Despite progresses in pharmaceutical management of NCSs, variable efficacy, unwanted side effects, and lack of symptom-wide effectiveness often limit therapeutic practicality for people with AD, suggesting a need for the identification of practical adjunctive treatments. Mechanistic evidence of using music interventions as complementary treatment to manage cognitive symptoms in AD has been established, but the potential benefits for NCSs are less clear. Music interventions have the potential to adaptatively alter mechanisms underlying NCSs that span both physiological and psychological domains of symptomology. Physiologically, music has been shown to alter autonomic activity, neurotransmitter release in various brain regions, and mediate hormonal regulation. Psychologically, music interventions have been shown to enhance mechanisms related to motivation, emotional regulation, and resilience to mental stress. Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence further supports this and suggests that the mechanisms of music-induced benefits may aid in counteracting NCSs in people with AD. While the neuromechanistic rationale for music-induced benefits towards NCSs in AD is promising, findings are largely fragmented, leaving therapeutic application difficult. Accordingly, the purpose of this review is to integrate current mechanistic evidence and clinical findings for a rationale and framework for the therapeutic application of music interventions to combat NCSs in AD. Overall, evidence largely supports the use of music as an adjunctive, feasible, and non-invasive therapeutic tool to improve various aspects of NCSs in AD. The translation of mechanistic findings to therapeutic utility are further highlighted. Limitations, challenges, and future directions necessary to fully realize music benefits on NCSs in AD are also discussed with a goal of therapeutic translation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex disease with symptoms such as brain fog, widespread body pain, sleep disturbances, and mood changes, and its etiology is not clearly understood. Our main aim in this study was to evaluate emotional eating and emotional dysregulation in patients with FM and examine the possible effects of these disorders on disease severity. Materials and Methods: This observational study included 94 patients with FM (6 males, 88 females; mean age: 44.64 ± 9.04 years; range, 19–65 years) and 76 controls (7 males, 69 females; mean age: 41.91 ± 10.874 years; range, 18–64 years). The patient and control group participants completed a form including sociodemographic data. Participants also completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EEQ), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results: In unadjusted comparisons, DERS-goals and DERS-strategies scores were higher in the FM group than in controls; however, these differences did not remain statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. In the linear regression model, it was found that the total score of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-Total) (p = 0.010) was the only variable that significantly affected the FIQ value. Even though the patient group had slightly higher EEQ scores, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.721). Conclusions: Emotional regulation difficulties were associated with FM symptom severity, whereas emotional eating did not differ significantly between groups and was not associated with symptom severity. These findings suggest that emotion-related psychological processes should be considered within the biopsychosocial framework of FM. Full article

Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for a wide range of mental disorders, yet treatment outcomes remain highly variable across patients. The emerging field of precision psychotherapy seeks to address this variability by tailoring interventions to the characteristics and needs of individual patients. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have accelerated this effort by enabling predictive models that identify patients at risk for treatment non-response and support personalized treatment selection. However, most current approaches to precision psychotherapy focus primarily on predicting outcomes or stratifying patients into subgroups, while offering limited tools for supporting clinical decision-making within the therapeutic process itself. This paper proposes that advancing precision psychotherapy may benefit from conceptual frameworks capable of representing therapeutic interactions as they unfold within clinical sessions. Psychotherapy is fundamentally a communicative process in which psychological change is understood to emerge through the evolving dialogue between therapist and patient. To help structure this process, we introduce a dimensional framework that conceptualizes mental activity as organized across five hierarchical dimensions: action, thought, emotion, experience, and being. These dimensions provide a structured representation of the forms in which psychological activity appears in therapeutic dialogue and may allow therapeutic interaction to be described as a sequence of dimensional transitions between therapist and patient. Such a representation could serve as a conceptual basis for the future development of computational tools aimed at analyzing therapeutic dialogue and identifying patterns that may be associated with therapeutic processes such as change, rupture, or shifts in interaction. Integrated with AI-based analysis of psychotherapy sessions, this framework may inform the design of systems intended to support the analysis of therapeutic processes, such as monitoring patterns of interaction or identifying potential shifts in patient experience, while preserving the central role of clinical judgment. By providing a formalized representation of therapeutic dialogue, this approach is intended as a conceptual and methodological step toward the development of more precise, process-informed approaches to psychotherapy. Full article

Wearables design research often evaluates aesthetic and ergonomic features without capturing their emotional and cognitive effects on user experience and buying decisions. This paper investigates both dimensions for smartwatches as screen-based wrist-worn wearable devices (SBWWDs) among Millennials and Generation Z using Kansei Engineering to structure SBWWD design features into users’ emotional perception and affective preferences. The study examines four hypotheses: (H1a) aesthetic perception differs between Millennials and Generation Z, (H1b) aesthetic perception differs across genders within the same generation, (H2a) ergonomic perception and visual needs for smartwatches’ screen interfaces differ between Millennials and Generation Z, and (H2b) ergonomic preferences differ across genders within the same generation. The research adopts a two-phase design methodology. Phase I-A identifies key aesthetic attributes from market-leading smartwatches and develops controlled design stimuli using AI-assisted concept generation. A questionnaire-based survey captures demographic-linked aesthetic preferences and emotional responses, with emphasis on case shape, strap material, and wearable color, to psychological perception and preference in smartwatch product designs. Phase I-B examines ergonomic interface display preferences relevant to smartwatch screens, including contrast and polarity, using Likert scales and bipolar Semantic Differential Scales. Subsequently, participants evaluate the combined interface features’ stimuli through measures of task accuracy and completion, best/worst interface display selections, eye-tracking metrices analysis, as well as emotional and cognitive arousal provoked by psychological intention using the Self-Assessment Manikin. Further, a full factorial design experiment evaluates the effects of participants’ demographic variables, including generation and gender, as well as smartwatch design features, on aesthetics and ergonomics design perception and preference. Phase II applies Kansei Engineering principles by mapping design features to affective responses of Phase I. Findings provide a structured mapping of smartwatch design perception and preferences across generational and gender groups within the Egyptian market, supporting affective principles in SBWWD design guidelines. The study contributes an evidence-based framework that integrates aesthetic and ergonomic features through Kansei Engineering, aiming to enhance online purchasing in smartwatch devices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite growing recognition of sex as a biological variable that may influence responses to dietary interventions, many studies still pool data from women and men. Moreover, sex-stratified changes in eating behaviors and mental health following dietary interventions remain underexplored. This study aimed to describe sex-stratified changes in adiposity, eating behaviors, and mental health outcomes in men and women following a hypocaloric Mediterranean-style diet. Methods: A 12-week exploratory prospective longitudinal study was conducted in nineteen women and nine men with overweight or obesity. Participants attended two clinical visits (baseline and week 12), where adiposity parameters (body mass index [BMI], body fat, waist and hip circumference), diet quality, eating behaviors, mental health parameters (well-being, perceived stress, flourishing, anxiety and depression) and biochemical parameters were assessed. Analyses were stratified by sex to evaluate changes from baseline to week 12, and repeated-measures correlations were used to explore within-individual associations between concurrent changes in outcomes. Results: Women and men improved significantly in adiposity and diet quality. Uncontrolled eating decreased and cognitive restraint increased in both sexes (p < 0.05). In men, emotional eating decreased (p = 0.011), and mental health improved, with higher well-being (p = 0.043) and flourishing (p = 0.027), and lower stress (p = 0.021), anxiety (p = 0.017), and depression (p = 0.027). Also, in men, anxiety was positively correlated with body fat percentage (p = 0.012) and BMI (p = 0.002) and inversely correlated with diet quality (p = 0.013). Uncontrolled eating was positively associated with BMI in men (p = 0.022) and women (p = 0.006), and cognitive restraint was positively associated with diet quality (both p = 0.003). Conclusions: Women and men achieved similar improvements in adiposity, whereas improvements in mental health variables and emotional eating were observed only in men. These preliminary findings suggest that dietary interventions may benefit from considering sex-sensitive and multidisciplinary approaches, especially psychological support and stress-management components, may be required for women. However, these observations should be confirmed in adequately powered studies. Full article

Emotional problems have become increasingly prevalent among university students, underscoring the importance of identifying protective psychological capacities that are linked to lower vulnerability to emotional problems. However, prior research has largely relied on cross-sectional designs and conventional statistical approaches, which limit the ability to clarify the temporal associations among multiple variables. To address this gap, we recruited 950 undergraduate students (61.6% female; M_age = 19.26, SD = 1.18) from 20 universities and conducted a two-wave longitudinal study. Cross-lagged panel network analysis was applied to examine the prospective associations linking positive psychological capacities (e.g., resilience, mindfulness) with emotional outcomes (e.g., negative affect, depression). Results revealed that positive affect and the acceptance dimension of mindfulness were among the most influential nodes within the network and exhibited stronger prospective associations with other positive psychological capacities. Based on the pathways identified in the network analysis, a half-longitudinal mediation model was further estimated to examine whether acceptance and awareness were prospectively associated with lower depressive symptoms through optimism. Together, these findings further clarified the temporal associations among positive psychological capacities and identified a prospective association linking mindfulness and depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that future mental health interventions for university students may benefit from incorporating strategies that promote positive affect and optimism within mindfulness practices. Full article

Social entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized for its dual ability to address societal issues while maintaining economic value and long-term sustainability. Within this context, Learning by Doing (LBD) has been widely recognized as an effective experiential learning approach for fostering social entrepreneurial intention (SEI). However, limited research has examined how LBD operates within structured environments in the Global South. This study investigates Enactus Morocco as a structured LBD ecosystem. Adopting a qualitative exploratory design, data were collected through eleven interviews, capturing both beneficiary and organizational perspectives. The findings confirm the significant role of LBD in fostering EC and SEI, while highlighting the importance of supportive learning environments. Additionally, emergent relational and emotional variables are identified and structured through the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model. These results extend current understanding of experiential entrepreneurial learning and provide a foundation for future quantitative validation. Full article