Search Results (31)

Eurocentric portrayals of Africa remain entrenched in European educational systems, perpetuating stereotypes of poverty, primitiveness, and exoticism. This study investigates how such representations are mirrored in German students’ mental conceptions and how they are interpreted by future educators. Using an interpretivist qualitative design, the study analyzes open-ended responses from 41 Grade 5 and 7 pupils at a lower secondary school in Münster, Germany, and written reflections from 17 teacher trainees enrolled in a master’s course in geography education. Thematic analysis reveals five dominant pupil schemas: poverty and deprivation, environmental determinism, racialization and othering, infrastructural deficit, and the wildlife-tourism gaze, rooted in media, textbooks, teachers, and social networks. Teacher trainees’ reflections ranged from emotional discomfort to critical awareness, with many advocating pedagogical pluralism, the normalization of African modernity, and the cultivation of critical consciousness. However, most proposals remained reformist, lacking a deep epistemological critique. The findings highlight the urgency of integrating decolonial theory, postcolonial critique, and epistemic justice into teacher education. Without such structural reorientation, schools will risk reproducing the very global hierarchies they purport to challenge. Full article

Occupational stress is a major contributor to mental and physical health problems, yet individuals vary in how they appraise and respond to stress, even in identical situations. This study investigates whether motivational goals and internalized conflict schemas—as proposed by Grawe’s Consistency Theory—account for these differences by intensifying subjective stress when approach and avoidance goals are simultaneously activated. In a vignette-based pilot study, we validated 12 workplace scenarios varying in incongruence levels. In the main study (N = 482; mean age 25 years; 83.2% female), participants completed the FAMOS questionnaire to assess approach and avoidance goals and were randomly assigned to 4 out of the 12 pretested vignettes. Subjective stress was measured before and after vignette exposure using the SSSQ, and subjective wellbeing was measured using the PANAS. Multilevel modeling showed that participants with stronger avoidance goals and conflict schemas reported higher baseline stress, and that experimentally induced high incongruence led to greater increase in stress levels compared to low incongruence in three out of four scenarios. These findings suggest that psychological inconsistencies—particularly avoidance goals, conflict schemas, and goal incongruence—serve as internal stressors that intensify stress responses. The results highlight the importance of considering individual motivational patterns in stress research and intervention. Full article

In this article, I investigate the ontological status of the minor working-class character Mrs. McNab, the cleaner in “Time Passes", the middle section of Virginia Woolf’s tripartite novel To the Lighthouse. Woolf regarded this section as the connecting block between the two outer blocks, “The Window” and “The Lighthouse”, in which she aimed to depict an empty house, devoid of human presence, and to highlight the passage of time. This section has often been analysed by literary-stylistic criticism as if written from a non-anthropocentric worldview. However, the presence of a lower-class cleaner and the absence of the upper middle-class characters who predominate in the other two blocks has also raised much debate in the literary arena. Literary critics agree that this character is given a narrative voice, but how this voice functions, and whether this character is granted narrative agency in terms of the class issues and social relations in the period of transition between Victorian England and the early twentieth-century, is an issue which still remains open. Drawing upon cognitive stylistics, I suggest reading this character both as a category-based and person-based character, and as a narrative device. First, I carry out the analysis of the repetitive she-clusters and their semantic prosodies; then, through samples of the section “Time Passes", I analyse how viewpoint blending between narrator/author and character concur to grant narrative agency to Mrs. McNab and to what extent such agency may be limited by our perception of her through the social schemata of a servant, or whether such a perception may undergo a process of schema refreshment. Last, I suggest that this character may also be viewed as a narrative agent by means of which the reader can activate mental processes of TIME and SPACE blending between the three different blocks of the novel. This blending process allows for the completion of the narrative design of the novel: the journey to the lighthouse. Full article

Background: The mental health crisis among youth, exemplified by the 1.2 million affected in Canada, underscores the urgent need for effective interventions. Research indicates that in-school programs are more successful in addressing common mental health issues and promoting well-being. This evaluation study was performed on the Kids Write Network, an expressive writing intervention that aims to facilitate emotional expression and processing by encouraging individuals to address and reassess adverse life events through writing. This study explores how the cognitive and psychological mechanisms of expressive writing in adolescents can be unveiled through the theoretical approach of empowerment. Methods: Using a multiple case-study design, 50 middle school students from three schools in Montreal, Canada, participated in the expressive writing intervention and were individually interviewed. The data collected from these interviews were analyzed using a comprehensive coding schema to identify the theoretical underpinnings of empowerment. Results: The results demonstrate that writing about one’s negative life event allowed for a better understanding of it through reflection and a clearer understanding of one’s emotions. Conclusions: The findings can inform the development and implementation of school-based empowerment interventions for youth with mental health challenges. Further, our findings emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing the theoretical approach of empowerment in mental health programs for young individuals. Full article

Background/Objectives: Although physical exercise provides numerous health benefits, it can occasionally become addictive, leading to negative consequences for physical and mental health. Specifically, the role of maladaptive schemas in the relationship between exercise addiction and self-esteem underscores the importance of addressing these cognitive patterns in therapeutic settings to develop practical interventions that enhance exercise with healthier self-perceptions. This study aims to analyze the role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between exercise addiction and self-esteem. Methods: The design of this study is non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional. The sample comprised 788 university women students (mean age 20.39 years, SD = 2.28). Results: Exercise addiction is negatively associated with self-esteem and shows positive but weak correlations with most early maladaptive schemas, except for Impaired Autonomy. A mediating effect was identified for Disconnection and Rejection (β = −0.08, p = 0.008), Impaired Limits (β = −0.03, p = 0.019), Other Directedness (β = −0.04, p = 0.032), and Over-Vigilance and Inhibition (β = −0.05, p < 0.001). Full mediation was observed for Disconnection and Rejection and Over-Vigilance and Inhibition, while Impaired Limits and Other Directedness showed partial mediation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the decrease in self-esteem among individuals with exercise addiction could be explained by the activation of maladaptive schemas that influence exercise motivation, with Over-Vigilance and Inhibition standing out in particular. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based interventions focused on modifying early maladaptive schemas and strengthening self-esteem. Additionally, it would be advisable to implement educational programs in university and sports settings that promote well-being and enjoyment over the pursuit of external validation or obsession with body image. These strategies could help prevent exercise addiction and mitigate its negative effects on self-esteem. Full article

Background/Objectives: Many prison-sentenced individuals exhibit symptoms of mental dysfunctions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The presence of co-occurring mental disorders further complicates their rehabilitation and social reintegration efforts. Given these challenges, understanding the role of specific disorders, such as ADHD, is critical for developing targeted interventions tailored to the needs of incarcerated individuals and improving their outcomes. This research aimed to clarify the relationships among hyperactivity, criminal behavior, and psychological functioning to inform preventative and therapeutic strategies. Methods: This study investigated the complex interplay among attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, criminal behavior, and various psychological factors in a sample of 391 male inmates from low-security Polish prisons and a control group of non-offending men. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Spearman’s rank correlation were used to analyze the relationships among ADHD severity, type of crime (no crime, property crime, crime involving aggression), family functioning, childhood trauma, early maladaptive schemas, and mental health disorders. Results: The results revealed that while traumatic experiences were present across all groups, stronger family cohesion and support were associated with the absence of ADHD symptoms and criminal behavior. As ADHD severity and criminal behavior escalated, particularly in cases involving aggression, family support diminished, and maladaptive schemas, including “disconnection and rejection” and “excessive vigilance and inhibition”, became more prominent, alongside increased correlations with mental health issues (anxiety and depression). Conclusions: The findings underscore the crucial role of family environment and early intervention in mitigating the risks associated with ADHD and criminal behavior, highlighting the need for comprehensive interventions targeting maladaptive schemas and providing support for both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Limitations include the retrospective nature of data collection and the exclusive focus on male inmates in low-security facilities. Full article

Background/Objectives: The study aimed to compare the early maladaptive schemas and adult attachment profiles of patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder with those of healthy controls. Another objective of our study was to investigate the potential relationships between disease-related variables—such as the type of depression, number of depressive episodes, history of hospitalization, and suicidal ideation or attempts—and schema and attachment characteristics in the group of patients with major depressive disorder. Methods: The study included 118 patients who presented to the Psychiatry outpatient clinic at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Hospital between 1 April 2021 and 1 September 2021 and were diagnosed with major depressive disorder according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria based on mental state examinations conducted by researchers, as well as 92 healthy volunteers with no history of mental disorders. A sociodemographic data form prepared by the researchers was used to inquire about characteristics such as gender, age, and educational status. Additionally, a clinical data form was designed and implemented by the researchers to gather information regarding DSM-5 specifiers and the patients’ clinical histories. The Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form-3 was used to evaluate early maladaptive schemas, while adult attachment profiles were assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory II. The severity of depression in the patient group was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using SPSS 21, with a p-value less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 118 patients, 84 (71.2%) of whom were women and 34 (28.8%) men, along with 92 healthy volunteers, 60 (65.2%) of whom were women and 32 (34.8%) men. The mean age was 41.9 (±13.2) in the patient group and 40.8 (±11.9) in the control group (p > 0.05). The patient group had higher scores than the control group across all schema subtypes and attachment dimensions. Significant differences in certain schemas were observed between patients with chronic depression and those with recurrent depressive episodes, as well as between patients with a single hospitalization history and those with multiple hospitalizations, and between patients with a history of suicide attempts and those without any suicidal ideation or attempts. Positive significant correlations were found between the attachment and schema scores and the severity of depression in both patients and controls. Conclusions: Further research is needed to determine the role of schemas and attachment styles in the development of depression in more detail and to focus on schema and attachment-based therapies in treatment. Full article

Alexithymia, a psychological condition characterized by emotional suppression, is positively correlated with depression and anxiety and can develop into various mental disorders. Although alexithymia affects 10% of the symptomatic population and 25% of psychiatric patients, there has been a paucity of intervention studies. Even though several effective psychological treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), have been tested in recent years, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews on their efficacy. The objectives of this systematic review were to explore and synthesize findings from recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about psychological treatments, with the following inclusion criteria: (1) published from 2010 to 2024; (2) full text being available in English; (3) peer-reviewed journals; and (4) baselines and outcomes measured by TAS-20 and raw data were provided. We excluded non-psychological studies and studies involving mindfulness and DBT. We searched electronic databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar) and found 18 RCTs and 21 arms for alexithymia, with a combined total of 1251 participants. Fourteen arms (67%) investigated the effect of CBT on alexithymia, including acceptance and commitment therapy (seven arms), behavioral activation therapy (two arms), schema therapy, and compassion-focused therapy. The results indicated that most psychological interventions significantly decreased TAS-20, illustrating a showcase of treatments from each trial with different effect sizes (within-intervention group, ranging from 0.41 to 13.25). However, due to the heterogeneity between the studies, this review study may not be conclusive enough to make each intervention standardized. Further high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes and more consistent methodologies are needed, and corrective findings from such studies should be applied to produce more robust evidence-based psychological interventions for treating alexithymia. Full article

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by pervasive patterns of relational instability, chronic feelings of emptiness, sense of abandonment, self-injurious and anticonservative attempts. Pharmacological treatment has been found useful only for the management of severe symptoms and management of comorbidities, while psychotherapy is the main treatment for BPD. Although the disorder has long been considered resistant to any treatment, in recent years research has not only shown that BPD can be treated but also provided several manualized and empirically validated psychotherapeutic treatments. This paper set out to examine the most effective current psychotherapies for the treatment of BPD. All articles published in the last five years on the new psychotherapic treatments for BPD were included. Articles not relevant to this topic, as well as case reports and articles on animal models, were excluded. EBs forms of psychotherapy directed at symptom control and comorbidities occurring in BPD and forms termed generalist, were analyzed. Overall, the study found that there is no single form of psychotherapy that can fully treat BPD. The most effective forms of psychotherapy in controlling impulsive and self-injurious symptoms and in managing comorbidities remain Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Schema Therapy. Full article

Culture is a central theme across various theories and disciplines, influencing behavior and self-perception through interactions within social groups, families, and legal systems. This influence extends to the general population and particularly impacts sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), resulting in minority stress that contributes to mental health issues and the development of Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs). Adolescents within these groups face typical developmental stressors—such as hormonal changes and societal pressures—compounded by prejudice, increasing their vulnerability to depression, anxiety, stress, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Despite these challenges, Schema Therapy (ST) lacks comprehensive studies on the sociocultural aspects influencing EMS acquisition in SGM adolescents. This theoretical review aims to fill this gap by exploring the impact of society and culture on EMS development within SGM adolescents. We recognize the broad spectrum of cultural influences and emphasize the importance of cultural sensitivity and diversity. This review specifically addresses how societal and cultural dynamics impact SGM individuals, acknowledging that while ethnic or other cultural factors are not the focus of this paper, they merit future research. This manuscript will discuss central topics and their impact on LGBTQIA+ youth, including (1) the background (definition of culture, lack of studies on ST focusing on culture, and studies on adverse psychological outcomes), (2) minority stress theory and prejudice against sexual and gender diversity (distal and proximal stressors and sociocultural aspects), (3) EMSs and unmet emotional needs, (4) ST affirmative strategies (working with schema modes, imagery rescripting, chair work, and photo techniques), and (5) final considerations (limitations and research agenda). Full article

The neural or mental simulation of actions is a powerful tool for allowing cognitive agents to develop Prospection Capabilities that are crucial for learning and memorizing key aspects of challenging skills. In previous studies, we developed an approach based on the animation of the redundant human body schema, based on the Passive Motion Paradigm (PMP). In this paper, we show that this approach can be easily extended to hyper-redundant serpentine robots as well as to hybrid configurations where the serpentine robot is functionally integrated with a traditional skeletal infrastructure. A simulation model is analyzed in detail, showing that it incorporates spatio-temporal features discovered in the biomechanical studies of biological hydrostats, such as the elephant trunk or octopus tentacles. It is proposed that such a generative internal model could be the basis for a cognitive architecture appropriate for serpentine robots, independent of the underlying design and control technologies. Although robotic hydrostats have received a lot of attention in recent decades, the great majority of research activities have been focused on the actuation/sensorial/material technologies that can support the design of hyper-redundant soft/serpentine robots, as well as the related control methodologies. The cognitive level of analysis has been limited to motion planning, without addressing synergy formation and mental time travel. This is what this paper is focused on. Full article

This study aimed to explore the impact of the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical states of sports students from Romania and also to compare the differences according to gender and the type of sport. Initially, in order to collect demographic data and health reports, a cross-sectional survey was developed to evaluate the emotional needs of sports students during the pandemic. After the second wave, the coping strategies used by the participants to fight negative emotions were assessed using the CERQ questionnaire. The results indicate that depression symptoms are the most reported psychological issues among the participants and that there are differences according to gender concerning the cognitive schemas they use in order to reduce the symptoms. Also, it was found that there are differences, corresponding to the type of sport, in choosing adaptive coping mechanisms. Ultimately, it was confirmed that higher levels of hopelessness among sports students are associated with increased vulnerability to substance use, with the correlation between those two indicators being strong. Delving deeper into this relationship can help identify critical points for intervention to prevent substance abuse. At the same time, the dichotomic analysis of the results found as moderators—the gender and the type of sport in decreasing the severity of depression could be an important aspect of the next counseling interventions. Full article

Despite the existence of significant research on the mental health care challenges of migrants, particularly refugees and asylum seekers, less attention has been paid to treatment approaches. We used a case study from the UK to look at the topic from a cultural models approach (which comes from cognitive anthropology) to analyse migrants’ experiences with mental health care. Twenty-five refugees and asylum seekers living in North East England and Northern Ireland were interviewed who had used at least six sessions of talking therapy during the last three years. Our results suggested that adopting a ‘cultural models’ approach, which offers a new conceptual and methodological framework of migrants’ experiences and their underlying schemas and expectations, would significantly contribute to building therapeutic alliances and provide relevant and appropriate treatments for migrant clients, particularly for unrecognised pre- and post-migration traumatic experiences. Full article

Objectives: Schema Therapy, an approach that integrates cognitive-behavioural and attachment principles, helps us understand the impact of early interactions with caregivers on adult mental health. These early interactions can be assessed through Schema Therapy-informed tools; however, these tools have yet to be used with a postnatal population, which represents a period of vulnerability for new mothers. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of positive and negative early parenting interactions on a first-time mother’s mental health and her sense of competence during the postnatal period, using recently revised and newly developed Schema Therapy-informed tools. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Method: First-time mothers (N = 220) participated in an online survey within 12 months post-birth. Participants completed the Positive Parenting Schema Inventory (PPSI), Young Parenting Inventory—Revised (YPI-R2), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) scale. The data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and mediational analysis. Results: Negative early interactions with mothers and fathers led to greater postnatal depressive symptomology, while positive early interactions with mothers led to fewer postnatal depressive symptoms. Mediation analyses revealed that postnatal depressive symptoms mediated early parenting interactions and participants’ sense of parenting competence as a new mother. Conclusions: The protective effects of positive early interactions with caregivers can help first-time mothers’ postnatal emotional adjustment and their sense of competence through diminished postnatal depressive symptoms. However, the enduring effects of negative early interactions with caregivers can contribute to a first-time mother’s risk of developing postnatal depression and negatively affect her sense of parental competence. Full article

Body image disturbance (BID) involves negative attitudes towards shape and weight and is associated with lower levels of interoceptive sensibility (IS) (the subjective perceptions of internal bodily states). This association is considered a risk factor for developing eating disorders (EDs) and is linked to altered sensorimotor representations of the body (i.e., body schema). BIDs manifest across genders and are currently understudied in men. This study investigated gender-related differences in BID and its relationship to the body schema and IS. Data were collected from 86 men and 86 women. BID was assessed using questionnaires measuring self-objectification, state, and trait body dissatisfaction. IS was measured via the MAIA-2. The body schema was indexed via an embodied mental rotation task. Results showed that women reported higher BID than men across all scales. Gender differences in sub-components of interoceptive sensibility were found. Overall, both gender and interoceptive sensibility predicted BID. However, interoceptive sensibility exhibited its own unique association with BID beyond the influence of gender. BID, IS and gender were not significant predictors of performance in the body schema task. Therefore, while gender predicts differences in BID and interoceptive sensibility, there was no evidence of gender-related differences in body schema. Full article