Predictive modelling of stress, anxiety and depression: A network analysis and machine learning study.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed predictors of stress, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic using a large number of demographic, COVID-19 context and psychological variables. METHODS: Data from 741 adults were drawn from the Boston College daily sleep and well-being survey. Baseline demographics, the long version of the daily surveys and the round one assessment of the survey were utilized for the present study. A Gaussian graphical model (GGM) was estimated as a feature selection technique on a subset of ordinal/continuous variables. An ensemble Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm was used for prediction. RESULTS: GGM was found to be an efficient feature selection method and supported the findings derived from the RF machine learning model. Psychological variables were significant predictors of stress, anxiety and depression, while demographic and COVID-19-related factors had minimal predictive value. The outcome variables were mutually predictive of each other, and negative affect and subjective sleep quality were the common predictors of these outcomes of stress, anxiety, and depression. CONCLUSION: The study identifies risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes during the pandemic and informs interventions to mitigate the impact on mental health.

Correction: Creative problem solving and facial expressions: A stage based comparison.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269504.].

Neural response to sad autobiographical recall and sad music listening post recall reveals distinct brain activation in alpha and gamma bands.

Although apparently paradoxical, sad music has been effective in coping with sad life experiences. The underpinning brain neural correlates of this are not well explored. We performed Electroencephalography (EEG) source-level analysis for the brain during a sad autobiographical recall (SAR) and upon exposure to sad music. We specifically investigated the Cingulate cortex complex and Parahippocampus (PHC) regions, areas prominently involved in emotion and memory processing. Results show enhanced alpha band lag phase-synchronization in the brain during sad music listening, especially within and between the Posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and (PHC) compared to SAR. This enhancement was lateralized for alpha1 and alpha2 bands in the left and right hemispheres, respectively. We also observed a significant increase in alpha2 brain current source density (CSD) during sad music listening compared to SAR and baseline resting state in the region of interest (ROI). Brain during SAR condition had enhanced right hemisphere lateralized functional connectivity and CSD in gamma band compared to sad music listening and baseline resting state. Our findings show that the brain during the SAR state had enhanced gamma-band activity, signifying increased content binding capacity. At the same time, the brain is associated with an enhanced alpha band activity while sad music listening, signifying increased content-specific information processing. Thus, the results suggest that the brain's neural correlates during sad music listening are distinct from the SAR state as well as the baseline resting state and facilitate enhanced content-specific information processing potentially through three-channel neural pathways-(1) by enhancing the network connectivity in the region of interest (ROI), (2) by enhancing local cortical integration of areas in ROI, and (3) by enhancing sustained attention. We argue that enhanced content-specific information processing possibly supports the positive experience during sad music listening post a sad experience in a healthy population. Finally, we propose that sadness has two different characteristics under SAR state and sad music listening.

Associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth elements: A network analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic is a collective trauma causing profound psychological distress and, in some cases, positive psychological changes. The present study ascertained the most influential symptoms and strong connections between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG) elements. It also examined the symptoms/elements that acted as a bridge between the two, to elucidate how PTS and PTG co-exist. METHOD: The PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were used to assess PTS symptoms and PTG, respectively, in a sample of 509 adults from Kashmir, India. RESULTS: The network analysis revealed negative trauma-related emotions as the most influential symptom in the PTS network, and the ability to do better things with life as the most influential element in the PTG network. Eight bridge symptoms/elements emerged between the PTS and PTG, namely intrusive thoughts, nightmares, more compassion for others, sleep disturbances, trauma-related amnesia, hypervigilance, willingness to express emotions, and counting on others more. CONCLUSIONS: The study identified the most influential symptom in the PTS network and the bridge symptoms in the combined network of PTS symptoms and PTG elements in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the present sample. The bridge symptoms helped in understanding how PTS and PTG co-existed in adults exposed to disasters such as COVID-19. Identification of these symptoms can be highly significant for developing targeted interventions. These implications have been discussed further in the present study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Creative problem solving and facial expressions: A stage based comparison.

A wealth of research indicates that emotions play an instrumental role in creative problem-solving. However, most of these studies have relied primarily on diary studies and self-report scales when measuring emotions during the creative processes. There has been a need to capture in-the-moment emotional experiences of individuals during the creative process using an automated emotion recognition tool. The experiment in this study examined the process-related difference between the creative problem solving (CPS) and simple problem solving (SPS) processes using protocol analysis and Markov's chains. Further, this experiment introduced a novel method for measuring in-the-moment emotional experiences of individuals during the CPS and SPS processes using facial expressions and machine learning algorithms. The experiment described in this study employed 64 participants to solve different tasks while wearing camera-mounted headgear. Using retrospective analysis, the participants verbally reported their thoughts using video-stimulated recall. Our results indicate differences in the cognitive efforts spent at different stages during the CPS and SPS processes. We also found that most of the creative stages were associated with ambivalent emotions whereas the stage of block was associated with negative emotions.

Examining Cultural, Ethnic, and Religious Differences with the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality in the U.S. and India.

The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) is regularly used to measure spirituality and religiosity in U.S. Christian populations, although it has not been used for making comparisons with non-Western groups. This study compared BMMRS results for 109 individuals (60 in the U.S. and 49 in India) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from different cultures (U.S., India), ethnic groups (African American, Caucasian, South Asian), and religions (Christian, Hindu, Muslim). In general, the results indicated that U.S. African Americans and Christians reported being the most spiritual, South Asians and Hindus the least. Groups differed significantly in self-reported spiritual experiences, but less in frequency of religious activities. Results suggest using caution when applying Western-based measures of religion and spirituality in non-Western, non-Christian populations.

Post-traumatic Stress and Growth Among the Children and Adolescents in the Aftermath of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has enkindled many mental health problems across the globe. Prominent among them is the prevalence of post-traumatic stress (PTS) with hosts of its precipitating factors being present in the surrounding. With India witnessing severe impact of the second wave of COVID-19, marked by a large number of hospitalizations, deaths, unemployment, imposition of lockdowns, etc., its repercussions on children and adolescents demand particular attention. This study aims to examine the direct and the indirect exposure of COVID-19-related experiences on children and adolescents and its subsequent relationship with PTS and post-traumatic growth (PTG). The direct exposure was operationalized in terms of death or hospitalization in the family, while the indirect exposure was gauged in terms of exposure to media reports of the COVID situation. Data from 412 children and adolescents aged 9-20 years, collected online, revealed 68.9% of them with PTS. Interestingly, 39.8% of those reporting PTS were also experiencing PTG. Arousal appeared to be the most frequently reported characteristics of trauma. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) endorses significant difference between those with direct and indirect exposures to hospitalization. Those with direct exposure to hospitalization reported higher PTS. The indirect exposure of COVID-19-related news through electronic media was also significantly associated with higher PTS. Exposure through print media did not lead to significant difference in PTS, but those reading only magazines reported significantly higher PTG than not reading magazines. The findings are analyzed in the light of unfolding of events during the second wave of COVID-19 in India.

Exploring the Thermal Signature of Guilt, Shame, and Remorse.

The recent study of complex emotions using visual storyboards by Bhushan et al. (2020) endorses that same scenario can induce guilt/remorse or guilt/shame in people based on valence. These findings were based on behavioral data and did not consider body physiology. The present study aimed to explore the difference in the thermal signature of scenarios that elicit guilt in some and shame/remorse in others. Using storyboard depicting 13 scenarios, we analyzed the thermal changes on the forehead, eyes (left and right separately), cheek (left and right separately), nose tip, and mouth regions of the face with the objective of exploring the thermal signature of guilt, shame, and remorse. Data were collected from 31 participants using a thermal camera in a laboratory setting. We found a difference of 0.5°C or above change in temperature on the forehead, left and right cheeks, and mouth regions during guilt experience compared to shame and remorse experiences. The temperature of the right and left cheeks was high for guilt as compared to remorse for two scenarios inducing guilt/remorse, and the difference was statistically significant. For one of the scenarios inducing guilt/shame, thermal change in the right eye region was higher for shame as compared to guilt. The findings are discussed in light of the distribution of blood vessels on the face.

Development and validation of Indian Affective Picture Database.

Since culturally salient stimuli for emotion recognition are scarce in India, we developed and validated a set of 140 coloured pictures of six basic emotions along with a neutral expression. The expressions were posed by four expressers, two males and two females, with mean age of 25.25 (SD 3.77) years. The expressions were captured from five different angles keeping the background uniform. These pictures were shown to 350 undergraduates who labelled the emotion and rated their intensity. The mean biased hit rate was 93.02 (SD 7.33) and mean unbiased hit rate was .519 (SD .015). Within subjects ANOVA revealed significant main effect of emotion (F(1, 6) = 7.598, p < .001). The t-test value (23.116, p < .001) shows that the given emotion was identified correctly by participants beyond chance factors. The mean intensity rating was 5.94 (SD .77). Overall, the results reveal that the pictures are a valid set of affective stimuli.

The hindi adaptation and standardization of BAPQ: A brief tool for assessing Broad Autism Phenotype.

Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) refers to the characteristics and behaviour patterns similar to the defining features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which are sub-threshold but still qualitatively similar to ASD. Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) has been established to be reliable tool for assessing BAP which has been translated in different languages. In this article, we describe adaptation and standardization of BAPQ in Hindi, a widely spoken language in India. The questionnaire was translated into Hindi adhering to the International Test Commission Guidelines. The reliability coefficient obtained using Cronabch's Alphas was moderate (0.608). The self report translated version was then administered to 96 parents of children diagnosed with ASD. 68 participants scored over the cutoff to indicate presence of BAP in them. Their responses on BAPQ were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis. Factor analysis revealed different factor structure than given in the original scale. Therefore, based on the findings, a brief scale of BAP is proposed.

Short-term enhancement of cognitive functions and music: A three-channel model.

Short-term effects of music stimulus on enhancement of cognitive functions in human brain are documented, however the underlying neural mechanisms in these cognitive effects are not well investigated. In this study, we have attempted to decipher the mechanisms involved in alterations of neural networks that lead to enhanced cognitive effects post-exposure to music. We have investigated the changes in Electroencephalography (EEG) power and functional connectivity of alpha band in resting state of the brain after exposure to Indian classical music. We have quantified the changes in functional connectivity by phase coherence, phase delay, and phase slope index analyses. Spatial mapping of functional connectivity dynamics thus obtained, on brain networks revealed reduced information flow in long-distance connections between frontal and parietal cortex, and between other cortical regions underpinning intelligence. Analyses also showed increased power in the prefrontal and occipital cortex. With these findings, we have developed a stimulus-mechanism-end effect based neuro-cognitive model that explains the music induced cognitive enhancement by a three-channel framework - (1) enhanced global efficiency of brain, (2) enhanced local neural efficiency at the prefrontal lobe, and (3) increased sustained attention. Results signify that music directly affects the cognitive system and leads to improved brain efficiency through well-defined mechanisms.

Active Physical Practice Followed by Mental Practice Using BCI-Driven Hand Exoskeleton: A Pilot Trial for Clinical Effectiveness and Usability.

Appropriately combining mental practice (MP) and physical practice (PP) in a poststroke rehabilitation is critical for ensuring a substantially positive rehabilitation outcome. Here, we present a rehabilitation protocol incorporating a separate active PP stage followed by MP stage, using a hand exoskeleton and brain-computer interface (BCI). The PP stage was mediated by a force sensor feedback-based assist-as-needed control strategy, whereas the MP stage provided BCI-based multimodal neurofeedback combining anthropomorphic visual feedback and proprioceptive feedback of the impaired hand extension attempt. A six week long clinical trial was conducted on four hemiparetic stroke patients (screened out of 16) with a left-hand disability. The primary outcome, motor functional recovery, was measured in terms of changes in grip-strength (GS) and action research arm test (ARAT) scores; whereas the secondary outcome, usability of the system was measured in terms of changes in mood, fatigue, and motivation on a visual-analog-scale. A positive rehabilitative outcome was found as the group mean changes from the baseline in the GS and ARAT were +6.38 kg and +5.66 accordingly. The VAS scale measurements also showed betterment in mood ( 1.38), increased motivation (+2.10) and reduced fatigue (0.98) as compared to the baseline. Thus, the proposed neurorehabilitation protocol is found to be promising both in terms of clinical effectiveness and usability.

Psychophysiological and oculomotoric changes during emotion elicitation

With an aim to examine behavioural and physiological changes during emotion elicitation, 30 participants were shown audio, video or audio-video versions of movie clips depicting anger, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise and neutral expressions. While watching these stimuli, the eye-tracking glass was used to record oculomotoric changes. Heart rate, blood volume and respiration rate were also recorded. After viewing each clip the participants had to label and rate the emotion depicted in the movie clip. The data was analyzed with respect to valence, motoric direction and arousal dimensions of emotions. Findings of the behavioural data and corresponding change in the respiration rate suggest that fear is the only emotion that equally impacted participants psychologically as well as physiologically. The number of fixations and saccades for positive and negative emotions differed significantly (AU)

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Factor Structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality in US and Indian Samples with Traumatic Brain Injury.

The aim of this paper was to determine the factor structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) based on a sample of individuals from diverse cultures (i.e., USA, India), ethnicities (i.e., Caucasian, African-American, South Asian), and religions (i.e., Christian, Muslim, Hindu). A total of 109 individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were included. Participants completed the BMMRS as part of a broader study on spirituality, religion, prosocial behaviors, and neuropsychological function. A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization identified a six-factor solution accounting for 72% of the variance in scores. Five of the factors were deemed to be interpretable and were labeled based on face validity as: (1) Positive Spirituality/Religious Practices; (2) Positive Congregational Support; (3) Negative Spirituality/Negative Congregational Support; (4) Organizational Religion; and (5) Forgiveness. The results were generally consistent with previous studies, suggesting the existence of universal religious, spiritual, and congregational support factors across different cultures and faith traditions. For health outcomes research, it is suggested that the BMMRS factors may be best conceptualized as measuring the following general domains: (a) emotional connectedness with a higher power (i.e., spirituality, positive/negative); (b) culturally based behavioral practices (i.e., religion); and (c) social support (i.e., positive/negative). The results indicate that factor relationships may differ among spiritual, religious, and congregational support variables according to culture and/or religious tradition.

Route memory in an unfamiliar homogeneous environment: a comparison of two strategies.

Humans use many strategies for navigation. Strategies utilizing cognitive salience of landmark have not been tested for application. In this study, we compared two strategies that humans use while navigating in an unfamiliar homogenous environment to remember the route. First strategy, called route learning, involved remembering sequence of turns, while second strategy used a commonly known memory technique method of loci with slight modification. In route learning, participants did not rely on any landmark (no-landmark condition), while in method of loci they visualized personally significant landmarks (imagined condition). Two videos, each having nine identical turns (3 rights, 3 lefts and 3 straights) with no distinguishing feature at any turn, were developed using Trimble Sketchup and shown to 32 participants. The experiment was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, participants generated a list of personally known items to be used as landmarks. In the second phase, they saw the first video and were required to remember the sequence of turns. In the second video, they were required to imagine a landmark from the list generated in the first phase at each turn and associate the turn with the imaginary landmark. In both the tasks, the participants were asked to recall the sequence of turns as it appeared in the video. In the third phase, the participants were again asked to recall the sequence of turns. Result showed that memory of route was better without landmarks compared to imaginary landmark condition. This difference was insignificant when participants were tested again 20 min later. However, route memory was still better for no-landmark condition. The finding does not support earlier findings on route memory. Potential uses of method of loci for human wayfinding are mentioned.

Bereavement, cognitive-emotional processing, and coping with the loss: a study of Indian and Japanese students.

Campus suicides have increased manifold across academic institutions, often leaving unresolved bereavement issues in these institutions, primarily because students are supposed to carry on with their daily activities with little or no time and attention paid to this necessary process. In this study, the role of cognitive-emotional processes in coping, especially when one is grieving a death, was investigated through a comparison between 40 bereaved Japanese and Indian female college students. The participants were assessed for resilience, cognitive-emotional regulation, posttraumatic cognition, and coping strategies in the aftermath of the suicide death of someone close. Positive reappraisal mediated the relationship between resilience and proactive coping, whereas negative cognitions about the self mediated the relationship between resilience and proactive as well as reflective coping. The participants from the two cultures differed significantly on resilience, with Indians scoring higher than Japanese young adults. The findings are analyzed in light of the coping with distressful life events model and could have possible implications for social workers and/or mental health professionals in terms of acceptability of interventions.

Posttraumatic stress and growth among Tibetan refugees: the mediating role of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies.

This study examined posttraumatic stress (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among 226 Tibetan refugees across two generations. Additional objectives were to (i) examine the sex and generation differences on the scores of trauma, PTS, and PTG, (ii) explore the relationship between traumatic experiences, PTS and PTG, and (iii) investigate the mediating effect of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies between the traumatic experiences and PTS as well as PTG. Females scored higher on trauma, PTS, and PTG. The trauma, PTS, and PTG scores of the two generations were significantly different. Acceptance and putting into perspective partially mediated the relationship between traumatic experience and PTS. Positive refocusing, refocus on planning, putting into perspective, and catastrophisizing partially mediated the relationship between traumatic experiences and PTG.

Psychology of Meditation and Health: Present Status and Future Directions

Past four decades has witnessed substantial scientific research on meditation as an alternative mind-body therapy. This paper is an attempt to provide a comprehensive view of the present state of the research in meditation and health. It reviews major findings related to meditation and its effects on various disorders. Two major types of meditation practices dominating presently (concentration and mindfulness) are introduced. Effects of meditation on human physiology such as heart beat, blood pressure, cortical activity, metabolism, respiration, and skin resistance are discussed. Impact of meditation on human perception and cognition is also addressed. Possible pathways or mechanisms through which meditation impacts health such as, relaxation, systematic desensitization, release of repressed memories, un-stressing and so on are also discussed. Finally, major conceptual and methodological issues that need seriour attention from researchers in this area for future research is addressed (AU)

Los últimos cuatro decenios han presenciado importantes investigaciones científicas sobre la meditación como una alternativa terapéutica. Este artículo intenta brindar una visión global del estado actual de la investigación sobre meditación y salud. Examina los principales hallazgos relacionados con la meditación y sus efectos sobre diversos trastornos. Se presenta una introducción a los tipos principales de prácticas de meditación dominan actualmente (la concentración y el mindfulness). Se tratan los efectos de la meditación sobre aspectos de la fisiología humana como el ritmo cardiaco, la presión arterial, la actividad cortical, el metabolismo, la respiración, y la resistencia eléctrica de la piel, y se trata el impacto de la meditación sobre percepción y cognición humanas. Se discuten las posibles vías o mecanismos mediante los cuales la meditación impacta en la salud como son la relajación, la desensibilización sistemática, la liberación de recuerdos reprimidos y la disminución del estrés. Por último, se mencionan las principales cuestiones conceptuales y metodologías que necesitan la atención de los investigadores para futuros estudios en esta área (AU)

The Hindi Adaptation and Standardization of the Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI)

In this paper we present the Hindi adaptation of Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI). All the 55 items were translated into Hindi by independent translators. A consensus version (moderation) of these translations was developed looking at the language and cultural suitability of the words. Thereafter, backward translations of the moderated version were performed to check semantic discrepancies. After measuring item equivalence, we stan- dardized the Hindi version of PCI on a representative sample of senior citizens. Contrary to the proposition of the original scale, a fourteen factor solution emerged out of the factor analysis. The factor structure and reliability coefficients were compared between the original PCI and the Hindi version of PCI (AU)

En este artículo se presenta la adaptación al hindi del Inventario de Afrontamiento Proactivo (PCI). Los cincuenta y cinco ítems fueron traducidos al hindi por traductores independientes, llegando a una versión de consenso que tuvo en cuenta el significado y la oportunidad cultural de las palabras, y realizando traducciones de la versión moderada para verificar discrepancias semánticas. Después de medir la equivalencia de los ítems, se estandarizó la versión hindi del PCI en una muestra representativa de personas mayores. Al contrario que en la escala original, los resultados indicaron una solución de catorce factores. Se comparan la estructu factorial y los coeficientes de fiabilidad entre las versiones original e hindi del PCI (AU)

Handedness, Hinduism and sculpture: searching for evidence of lateralisation.

The majority of people throughout the world show extreme preference for the right hand. We studied lateral bias depicted in ancient Indian sculptures dating between the 7th and 9th centuries ad. A total of 288 sculptures were selected from various excavation sites/museums and the frequencies were computed on 13 different criteria in order to see the preferential bias for hand depicted in sculptures of male and female figures. The findings are discussed in the light of Hindu mythology and rituals.