Search Results (809)

This study investigates the public health consequences of media exposure to terrorism by examining individuals’ emotional responses to photographs from the October 7th terror attack, assessing how such imagery interacts with personality traits to influence emotional states. The research aims to explore how these reactions are moderated by personality traits—specifically the Big Five. A diverse sample comprising Israeli Jews (final sample N = 826) viewed media-sourced images categorized as explicit negative (n = 279; e.g., photos of bodies or deceased individuals), implicit negative (n = 269; images depicting destruction and devastation without explicit death symbols), and positive (n = 278; images of reconstruction and renewal). Participants’ affective states and specific emotions were assessed both before and after exposure to capture potential shifts. Results revealed a significant increase in negative emotions and a corresponding decrease in positive emotions following exposure to negative images. Personality traits moderated these emotional responses in nuanced ways. Neuroticism exacerbated negative emotional reactions, particularly among men exposed to implicit negative imagery, likely reflecting heightened sensitivity to ambiguous threats. Similarly, agreeableness was associated with heightened anger responses—specifically among men exposed to implicit negative imagery and women exposed to explicit negative images—although this effect was limited to anger and did not extend to other negative emotions. In contrast, openness was linked to decreased anger but only for men exposed to implicit negative imagery. Together, these findings underscore the complex interplay between media exposure, personality traits, and emotional responses to terror-related content. From a public health perspective, the results highlight the need for the following: (a) targeted mental health interventions that account for personality-based vulnerabilities, (b) responsible media reporting practices that minimize unnecessary harm, and (c) media literacy initiatives that empower individuals to manage exposure to distressing content. By linking personality, media imagery, and emotional outcomes, this study provides actionable insights for strengthening resilience, guiding ethical media practices, and promoting psychological well-being in communities affected by terrorism. Full article

Purpose: The global rise in mental health challenges among adolescents has led to the development of targeted interventions, including those designed to promote young people’s understanding and awareness of mental health. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate interventions implemented among secondary school students with the goal of enhancing mental health literacy, and to assess their effectiveness in achieving this outcome. Methods: This review was partially aligned with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were retrieved from four electronic databases—CINAHL Complete, PubMed, Academic Search Elite, and ERIC—and supplemented by a limited number of relevant studies identified outside the systematic search. The analysis focused on the content, delivery, design, evaluation methods, and outcomes of mental health literacy (MHL) interventions conducted in secondary schools internationally. Results: A total of 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles described a variety of different MHL interventions (n = 12). The findings indicate that school-based MHL interventions have a positive impact on students’ knowledge and understanding of mental health, but stigma reduction demonstrated less consistent effects. Study population, country, intervention content, delivery, methods, outcome measures, sample sizes and participants’ age range varied notably across the studies. Conclusions: Based on the evidence synthesized in this review, school-based MHL interventions appear to be effective and may serve as a valuable component in broader efforts to promote mental health in adolescence. These findings reinforce existing evidence and provide a foundation for practical implications, but future research is highly recommended for a more solid base of evidence. Full article

In recent years, Location-Based Augmented Reality (LAR) systems have been increasingly implemented in various applications for tourism, navigation, education, and entertainment. Unfortunately, the LAR content creation using conventional desktop-based authoring tools has become a bottleneck, as it requires time-consuming and skilled work. Previously, we proposed an in-situ mobile authoring tool as an efficient solution to this problem by offering direct authoring interactions in real-world environments using a smartphone. Currently, the evaluation through the comparison between the proposal and conventional ones is not sufficient to show superiority, particularly in terms of interaction, authoring performance, and cognitive workload, where our tool uses 6DoF device movement for spatial input, while desktop ones rely on mouse-pointing. In this paper, we present a comparative study of authoring performances between the tools across three authoring phases: (1) Point of Interest (POI) location acquisition, (2) AR object creation, and (3) AR object registration. For the conventional tool, we adopt Unity and ARCore SDK. As a real-world application, we target the LAR content creation for pedestrian landmark annotation across campus environments at Okayama University, Japan, and Brawijaya University, Indonesia, and identify task-level bottlenecks in both tools. In our experiments, we asked 20 participants aged 22 to 35 with different LAR development experiences to complete equivalent authoring tasks in an outdoor campus environment, creating various LAR contents. We measured task completion time, phase-wise contribution, and cognitive workload using NASA-TLX. The results show that our tool made faster creations with 60% lower cognitive loads, where the desktop tool required higher mental efforts with manual data input and object verifications. Full article

Aim: This study assessed how pharmacists perceive the impact of their role in the mental health (MH) services in two National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in England and their views on this service. Methods: An interview-based study was conducted from September to December 2023 on Microsoft Teams^® by interviewing the pharmacists involved in MH services in Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust & the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust (BSMHFT) in England. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide containing questions related to pharmacists’ roles, activities, perceptions about the service, and future recommendations. Transcripts were prepared and analysed using thematic analysis. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Reading and was registered as a service evaluation with both Trusts. Results: A total of 11 participants attended the interviews. Most of the participants self-identified as women (n = 9), worked between 25 and 40 h on average weekly (n = 8), and had training in MH (n = 7). Few (n = 4) had work experience >20 years. Four themes emerged: (1) Roles and responsibilities—pharmacists play a vital role in medication management, clinical decision-making, and patient counselling; (2) satisfaction and positive impacts—a high job satisfaction derived from improved patient outcomes and effective multidisciplinary collaboration was reported; (3) challenges and barriers—stigma, role ambiguity, limited training in mental health, and institutional challenges (workload, funding, etc.), were identified; participants also expressed scepticism about the readiness of newly qualified prescriber pharmacists; (4) recommendations—participants advocated for enhanced MH content in pharmacy curricula, societal awareness and de-stigmatisation. Conclusions: Pharmacists viewed their role as integral to providing MH services; however, progress is impeded by challenges such as stigma, fragmented care, training gaps, and staffing shortages. It seemed unclear at the moment how the new prescriber-ready pharmacists will contribute to services. Additional findings from primary-care settings would provide a collective account of the current roles of pharmacists and their potential in MH. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress, yet integration of behavioral health into diabetes care remains limited. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to mental health treatment among adults with T1D, using the Behavior Change Wheel as a framework to inform future integrated care strategies. Methods: We conducted five online focus groups with 21 adults with T1D. Discussions were guided by a semi-structured guide, with questions on lived experience, accessibility of mental health treatment, and integrated service delivery informed by the COM-B model domains. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, whereby meaning units were open-coded and then deductively categorized into COM-B constructs of capability, opportunity, and motivation. Results: Participants described limited psychological capability to address mental health due to the heavy self-management burden of T1D, lack of knowledge about navigating care, and uncertainty about treatment interactions. Physical opportunities were constrained by fragmented systems, high costs, and competing responsibilities. However, co-located services and telehealth were viewed as facilitators. Social opportunity was shaped by stigma, isolation, and feeling burdensome, with peer communities providing critical support. Motivation was undermined by past traumatic encounters with psychiatric care and the burden of educating providers about diabetes, contributing to mistrust and avoidance of treatment. Conclusions: Findings highlight how capability, opportunity, and motivation interact to influence engagement with mental health care among adults with T1D. Addressing these barriers through tailored, integrated models of care may strengthen access, trust, and long-term treatment engagement. Full article

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software has long served as a foundation for planning and modeling in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). In recent years, the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) has significantly reshaped the CAD landscape, offering novel interaction paradigms that bridge the gap between digital prototypes and real-world spatial understanding. These technologies have enabled users to engage with 3D architectural content in more immersive and intuitive ways, facilitating improved decision making and communication throughout design workflows. As digital design services grow more complex and span multiple media platforms—from desktop-based modeling to immersive AR/VR environments—evaluating usability and User Experience (UX) becomes increasingly challenging. This paper presents a longitudinal usability and UX study of a multiplatform house design pipeline (i.e., structured workflow for creating, adapting, and delivering house designs so they can be used seamlessly across multiple platforms) comprising a web-based application for initial house creation, a mobile AR tool for contextual exterior visualization, and VR applications that allow full-scale interior exploration and configuration. Together, these components form a unified yet heterogeneous service experience across different devices and modalities. We describe the iterative design and development of this system over three distinct phases (lasting two years), each followed by user studies which evaluated UX and usability and targeted different participant profiles and design maturity levels. The paper outlines our approach to cross-platform UX evaluation, including methods such as the Think-Aloud Protocol (TAP), standardized usability metrics, and structured interviews. The results from the studies provide insight into user preferences, interaction patterns, and system coherence across platforms. From both participant and evaluator perspectives, the iterative methodology contributed to improvements in system usability and a clearer mental model of the design process. The main research question we address is how iterative design and development affects the UX of the heterogeneous service. Our findings highlight important considerations for future research and practice in the design of integrated, multiplatform XR services for AEC, with potential relevance to other domains. Full article

Families in rural communities face a constellation of challenges that significantly hinder their ability to support adolescents. Our study aimed to explore family functioning as a protective factor for adolescent mental health from the perspective of parents in rural communities of southern Ecuador, using Photovoice as a participatory research tool. The research design corresponds to Participatory Action Research. Five Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted. A total of 29 parents of adolescents participated in the study. The research team employed qualitative content analysis for the interpretation phase. Through photographs and focus groups, parents commented on aspects of family life that they perceived as necessary for supporting adolescents, such as effective communication, cohesion, supervision, and expressions of care. The main conclusion indicated that the implementation of Photovoice converted participants from subjects to collaborators, allowing them to critically reflect on their behaviors while aiding or reinforcing in the co-creation of strategies. Full article

This rapid literature review was conducted to better understand the evidence base for interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being in disaster response workers. Three databases were searched: MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, and Embase. Grey literature reviewed included results of a Google Scholar search and organisation-recommended reports and articles. Of the 959 screened records, 25 studies were included, 13 of which evidenced the benefit of the studied intervention, and two included screening tools to identify at-risk workers. The results showed that evidence-based interventions exist to support disaster response workers to varying degrees in terms of perceived stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, burnout, sleep quality, somatic symptoms, irrational performance beliefs, and emotional and social well-being. Identified interventions featured neurofeedback, psychoeducation, mindfulness, reflective practice, and adjustments to cognitions or behaviours. Interventions varied in delivery (online with pre-recorded content, asynchronous, and guided learning), context (delivered to groups, individuals, and in work or private settings), and facilitator (psychologists, mental health practitioners, and medical doctors). Several interventions improved aspects of psychological well-being in disaster response workers; however, most findings were produced by quasi- or non-experimental designs, suggesting further research is required to clearly ascertain their benefits. Full article

In recent years, psychological research has increasingly focused on the impact of media exposure on mental health, identifying young adults as particularly vulnerable due to their high levels of media engagement. To explore these effects, the construct of Media Vicarious Traumatization (MVT) has been introduced as an extension of vicarious traumatization, aimed at capturing the psychological impact of emotionally intense media content. MVT offers a relevant framework for understanding the mental health risks of media exposure, especially in relation to socially significant issues like war, now central in contemporary media discourse. This study aims to culturally adapt and psychometrically validate the Media Vicarious Traumatization Scale (MVTS) within the Italian context, and to investigate the relationship between the war-related MVT construct, generalized anxiety, and future anxiety among young adults. Study I, conducted on a sample of 250 participants (M = 22.40, SD = 2.63), explored the latent structure of the MVTS using Parallel Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), yielding promising psychometric properties in terms of reliability and factorial stability. An independent sample of 553 participants (M = 22.43, SD = 2.37) was recruited for Study II to confirm the MVTS’s latent structure via Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), which indicated good model fit. This study also evaluated measurement invariance across gender, internal consistency, and convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity, alongside psychometric properties assessed through Item Response Theory (IRT). The results of both studies confirm the stable and robust psychometric properties of the scale. Furthermore, Study II provides novel insights into the predictive role played not only by the war-related MVT but also by the recently introduced construct of Worry about War in exacerbating both generalized anxiety and future anxiety among Italian young adults. Full article

Healthy nutrition is of great importance to maintain the physical and mental health of individuals. In recent years, products such as snack bars have become widely used to encourage healthy eating habits. This study compared the environmental footprints of four snack bar prototypes that adhere to the Mediterranean diet (MD) through a life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is used to calculate an environmental footprint, encompassing six impact categories: Global Warming Potential (GWP), Abiotic Depletion (AD), Human Toxicity (Cancer (HTC) and Non-Cancer Effects (HTNC)), land use (LU), and water use (WU). The total impacts were as follows (prototypes 1–4, respectively): GWP 0.221/0.224/0.234/0.194 kg CO₂-eq; AD 2.35/2.87/2.63/2.01 MJ; HTC 9.13 × 10⁻¹⁰/7.69 × 10⁻¹⁰/9.82 × 10⁻¹⁰/9.88 × 10⁻¹⁰ CTUh; HTNC 1.03 × 10⁻⁸/1.51 × 10⁻⁹/4.16 × 10⁻⁹/3.03 × 10⁻⁹ CTUh; LU 14.8/21.6/21.8/10.8; WU 0.132/0.287/0.198/0.068 m³. Prototype 4, which yielded the lowest value across four indicators (GWP, AD, LU, and WU), is the most environmentally favorable. A range of 89–91% of the GWP originates from raw material production, while the share attributed to transportation is 3–4%. Nuts and dried fruit contents are decisive for WU and LU. The findings suggest that environmental impacts are highly sensitive to ingredient composition and agricultural inputs, and that selecting raw materials and optimizing the supply chain is critical for mitigation. Full article

The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders highlights the need for innovative and accessible interventions. Although existing digital meditation applications offer valuable basic guidance, they often lack interactivity, real-time personalized feedback, and dynamic simulation of real-life scenarios necessary for comprehensive experiential training applicable to daily stressors. To address these limitations, this study developed a novel immersive meditation system specifically designed for deployment within a metaverse environment. The system provides mindfulness practice through two distinct modules within the virtual world. The experience-based module delivers AI-driven social interactions within simulated everyday scenarios, with narrative content dynamically generated by large language models (LLMs), followed by guided inner reflection, thereby forming a scenario–experience–reflection cycle. The breathing-focused module provides real-time feedback through a breath-synchronization interface to enhance respiratory awareness. The feasibility and preliminary effects of this metaverse-based system were explored in a two-week, single-group, pre-test/post-test study involving 31 participants. The participants completed a battery of validated psychological questionnaires assessing psychological distress, mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, and self-esteem before and after engaging in the intervention. This study provides exploratory evidence supporting the feasibility and potential of immersive metaverse environments and LLM-based scenario generation for structured mental health interventions, providing initial insights into their psychological impact and user experience. Full article

Background/Objectives: Weight-based stigma represents a pervasive psychosocial challenge affecting youth worldwide, with significant implications for mental and physical health. Although school-based interventions have been suggested as effective strategies to reduce weight bias, evidence regarding their content and efficacy in real-world educational contexts remains limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention designed to reduce internalized weight stigma among Italian adolescents. Methods: A total of 539 secondary school students (Mage = 15.91 years; SD = 1.38; 51.5% males) from 10 schools in Italy were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (61.2%, n = 330) receiving the program or a minimal intervention control group (38.8%, n = 209). The intervention integrated psychoeducational modules and activities based on cognitive dissonance theory to address maladaptive weight-related attitudes and associated psychopathological outcomes. Pre- and post-intervention assessments evaluated internalized weight bias and body dissatisfaction in both groups. Results: A significant reduction in internalized weight bias was observed among students perceiving themselves as overweight following the intervention. Additionally, a marginally significant decrease in body dissatisfaction was reported in the intervention group from pre- to post-intervention. No comparable changes were found in the control group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that incorporating cognitive dissonance-based psychoeducational content within school-based programs may be a promising approach for reducing internalized weight stigma in adolescents. Further research is warranted to refine intervention strategies, explore the mechanisms underlying the observed effects, and assess the scalability and long-term impact of such initiatives in school settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Although it is known that widespread online misinformation has negative consequences, there is no scale to measure susceptibility to online misinformation. Thus, our aim was to develop and validate a tool for measuring susceptibility to online misinformation: the Online Misinformation Susceptibility Scale (OMISS). Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to generate a preliminary pool of items. Subsequently, a multidisciplinary panel of experts assessed the content validity of these items. To establish face validity, cognitive interviews were performed. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to verify the underlying construct structure of the OMISS. We examined the concurrent validity of the OMISS by using a fake news detection scale, the Trust in Scientists Scale, a single-item trust in scientists scale, the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire, and a single-item conspiracy belief scale. Reliability was rigorously examined using multiple indices, including Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s Omega, Cohen’s kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: The psychometric evaluation using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-factor nine-item model for the OMISS. The OMISS demonstrated strong concurrent validity, evidenced by statistically significant correlations with the five scales mentioned above. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega were 0.920 and 0.921, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the OMISS was 0.994. Conclusions: Our comprehensive psychometric evaluations confirmed the OMISS as a valid tool for measuring online misinformation susceptibility. The OMISS holds promise as an effective tool for identifying susceptibility to misinformation and could support policymakers, health educators, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders in pinpointing high-risk groups. Full article

Brief Admission by Self-referral (BA), a standardized crisis intervention for individuals with repeated self-harm or suicidal behavior, was adapted for adolescents from 13 years in Region Skåne, Sweden, in 2018. BA aims to offer access to support based on autonomy and has been associated with reduced need of emergency care. Interviews with adolescents and legal guardians have pointed to BA as valuable and challenging, and professional support as key. This study aims to describe healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) experiences of BA for adolescents with self-harm at risk of suicide. Interviews six years after implementation with fourteen HCPs from outpatient and inpatient psychiatric care were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. BA was perceived as valuable caretaking without taking over, promoting mental growth and agency by being brief and granting access. It was described as offering relief to families and HCPs, although perceived to lack a sufficient level of legal guardian participation. Key work processes included being grounded in leadership and outpatient treatment. Challenges included system inflexibility and fitting BA into the physical care context. The results of this study may support future implementation of BA for adolescents with self-harm at risk of suicide and add guidance around potential pitfalls. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a sensitive developmental window shaped by both vulnerabilities and adaptive potential. From an evolutionary standpoint, mental health difficulties in this period may represent functional responses to environmental stressors rather than mere dysfunctions. Despite increasing interest, integrative models capturing the dynamic interplay of risk and protective factors in adolescent mental health remain limited. This study presents a holistic, multi-level framework grounded in ecological and evolutionary theories to improve understanding and intervention strategies. Methods: A two-round Delphi method was used to develop and validate the framework. Twelve experts in adolescent mental health evaluated a preliminary draft derived from the literature. In Round 1, 12 items were rated across five criteria (YES/NO format), with feedback provided when consensus thresholds were not met. Revisions were made using consensus index scores. In Round 2, the revised draft was assessed across eight broader dimensions. A consensus threshold of 0.75 was used in both rounds. Results: Twelve out of thirteen experts (92%) agreed to join the panel. Round 1 item scores ranged from 0.72 to 0.85, with an average consensus index of 0.78. In Round 2, ratings improved significantly, ranging from 0.82 to 1.0, with an average of 0.95. The Steering Committee incorporated expert feedback by refining the structure, deepening content, updating sources, and clarifying key components. Conclusions: The final framework allows for the clustering of indicators across macro-, medium-, and micro-level domains. It offers a robust foundation for future research and the development of targeted, evolutionarily informed mental health interventions for adolescents. Full article