A feasibility study of mindfulness-based interventions for children.

BACKGROUND: Children's overall psychological well-being is a concern for parents and adults worldwide. Mindfulness appears to be a promising intervention for enhancing children's psychological well-being, and its effectiveness has been well-documented. However, there is a paucity of data on the feasibility and acceptability of implementing mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for children; this is a crucial factor in determining whether MBIs can be utilized to benefit children. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing MBIs among Hong Kong children. METHODS: Seventy-eight children (mean age = 9.06, SD = .375) were recruited from a primary school in Hong Kong and received MBIs in a single session that lasted about 2 h. The intervention's feasibility was determined in terms of retention rates, while acceptability was based on qualitative feedback from the children. RESULTS: The results show that there were high retention rates (96%). Qualitative analyses of children's feedback revealed that they experienced enhanced well-being, and enjoyed and benefited from the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the high feasibility of MBIs in children, supporting the conduct of an efficacy trial to examine the effects of MBIs among children. Support from school teachers and measures to raise and maintain children's interest in mindfulness could facilitate the conduct of a study.

Nurses' perspectives on professional self-concept and its influencing factors: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses with a strong professional self-concept tend to exhibit a positive mindset and strong work engagement, delivering high-quality patient care. Although numerous quantitative studies have examined the factors impacting professional self-concept, there remains a limited exploration of these factors from the perspective of nurses themselves. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study uses the PERMA theory and Social Cognitive Theory as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nurses from six public hospitals in China. The data were analyzed thematically using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches. RESULTS: Nurses' understanding of professional self-concept could be divided into four categories: professional identity, competence, care, and knowledge. Factors influencing nurses' professional self-concept were categorized into eight subthemes in three domains: (1) personal factors, including psychological qualities and attitude towards the nursing profession; (2) occupational-related behavioral factors, including role-oriented behavior and knowledge-oriented behavior; and (3) work environment and external factors, including external evaluation and perceptions of nurses, time allocation, nursing work tasks, work atmosphere, school education, and perceived supports. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that, although nurses had different personal experiences, their perceptions of professional self-concept were similar. Nurses' professional self-concept is a multidimensional concept and involves various factors, such as personality, work-related characteristics, environment, and family. To thrive in a nursing career, nurses must discern the factors that can enhance or hinder their professional self-concept. By identifying and adjusting these factors, personalized support and positive interventions can be tailored to meet nurses' specific needs, which ultimately nurtures their professional development. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on December 14, 2022, in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200066699) as part of our ongoing study.

Latent profiles of nurses' subjective well-being and its association with social support and professional self-concept.

AIM: To identify latent profiles of nurses' subjective well-being (SWB) and explore its association with social support and professional self-concept. DESIGN: This study used an online survey and cross-sectional latent profile analysis design. METHODS: A total of 1009 nurses from 30 hospitals in Guangdong Province, China, were selected using convenience sampling. An online questionnaire survey comprising the following scales was distributed: Index of Well-Being, Nurses' Professional Self-concept Questionnaire and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Nurses' SWB was examined and categorized into profiles using nine Index of Well-being items as explicit variables and ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to explore factors related to the distinct categories. RESULTS: Nurses' SWB was divided into four latent profiles: extremely low, low, moderate and high. Regression analysis showed that social support and professional self-concept influenced SWB. There were statistically significant differences in age, title, working years, social support and professional self-concept among nurses in the different well-being categories. Ordered logistic regression analysis showed that social support and professional self-concept are associated with different SWB profiles.

Person-specific priorities in solitude.

OBJECTIVE: People value solitude in varying degrees. Theories and studies suggest that people's appreciation of solitude varies considerably across persons (e.g., an introverted person may value solitude more than an extraverted person), and solitude experiences (i.e., on average, people may value some functions of solitude, e.g., privacy, more than other functions, e.g., self-discovery). What are the unique contributions of these two sources? METHOD: We surveyed a quota-based sample of 501 US residents about their perceived importance of a diverse set of 22 solitude functions. RESULTS: Variance component analysis reveals that both sources contributed to the variability of perceived importance of solitude (person: 22%; solitude function: 15%). Crucially, individual idiosyncratic preferences (person-by-solitude function interaction) had a substantial impact (46%). Further analyses explored the role of personality traits, showing that different functions of solitude hold varying importance for different people. For example, neurotic individuals prioritize emotion regulation, introverted individuals value relaxation, and conscientious individuals find solitude important for productivity. CONCLUSIONS: People value solitude for idiosyncratic reasons. Scientific inquiries on solitude must consider the fit between a person's characteristics and the specific functions a solitary experience affords. This research suggests that crafting or enhancing positive solitude experiences requires a personalized approach.

Diversity, equity, and inclusivity in observational ambulatory assessment: Recommendations from two decades of Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) research.

Ambient audio sampling methods such as the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) have become increasingly prominent in clinical and social sciences research. These methods record snippets of naturalistically assessed audio from participants' daily lives, enabling novel observational research about the daily social interactions, identities, environments, behaviors, and speech of populations of interest. In practice, these scientific opportunities are equaled by methodological challenges: researchers' own cultural backgrounds and identities can easily and unknowingly permeate the collection, coding, analysis, and interpretation of social data from daily life. Ambient audio sampling poses unique and significant challenges to cultural humility, diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) in scientific research that require systematized attention. Motivated by this observation, an international consortium of 21 researchers who have used ambient audio sampling methodologies created a workgroup with the aim of improving upon existing published guidelines. We pooled formally and informally documented challenges pertaining to DEI in ambient audio sampling from our collective experience on 40+ studies (most of which used the EAR app) in clinical and healthy populations ranging from children to older adults. This article presents our resultant recommendations and argues for the incorporation of community-engaged research methods in observational ambulatory assessment designs looking forward. We provide concrete recommendations across each stage typical of an ambient audio sampling study (recruiting and enrolling participants, developing coding systems, training coders, handling multi-linguistic participants, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination of results) as well as guiding questions that can be used to adapt these recommendations to project-specific constraints and needs.

Effects of posture on heart rate variability in non-frail and prefrail individuals: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an aging-related syndrome leading to high mortality in older adults. Without effective assessment and prevention of frailty, the incidence of frailty and relevant adverse outcomes will increase by 2050 as worldwide populations age. Although evidence suggested heart rate variability (HRV) is a potential measure of frailty, the role of HRV in frailty assessment remains unclear because of controversial findings. This study examined the effects of posture on HRV parameters in non-frail and prefrail individuals to understand the role of HRV in assessing frailty. METHODS: Forty-six participants aged ≥ 50 years were recruited between April and August 2022. Frailty was defined using Fried's criteria. HRV was measured in standing, sitting, and lying postures, respectively, using a Polar Watch, and analyzed using Kubios HRV Standard 3.5.0 (Kubios). The five most commonly used parameters were examined, including standard deviations of all normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF/HF. Independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney tests were used for inter-group comparisons. Friedman tests were used for intra-group comparisons across postures. RESULTS: The non-frail group showed significant differences in HRV parameters across postures (all p < 0.05), whereas the prefrail group did not demonstrate any difference (all p > 0.05). The differences in the non-frail group included higher RMSSD and HF in the lying posture compared to those in the standing posture (29.54 vs 21.99 p = 0.003, 210.34 vs 96.34 p = 0.001, respectively), and higher LF and LF/HF in the sitting posture compared to those in the lying posture (248.40 vs 136.29 P = 0.024, 1.26 vs 0.77 p = 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The effects of posture on HRV were blunted in the prefrail group, which suggests an impaired cardiac autonomic functioning. Measuring the effects of posture on HRV parameters may contribute to frailty assessment. However, further evidence from larger cohorts and including additional HRV parameters is needed.

The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness yoga is a type of exercise that emphasizes the integration of mindfulness or meditation into yoga. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness yoga intervention on major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted by searching nine databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data knowledge service platform, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) from inception to April 2023. Primary outcomes included the severity of depression. Secondary outcomes included anxiety and rumination. RESULTS: Nine RCTs met our inclusion criteria (n = 581). The meta-analysis showed that mindfulness yoga significantly has a significant effect on depression (SMD = -0.53; 95%CI = -0.96 to -0.11; P < 0.05) among MDD patients. The only two RCTs involved also showed that mindfulness yoga could alleviate the anxiety level of MDD patients after intervention (SMD = -1.08; 95%CI = -1.64 to -0.52; P < 0.05). Meta-analysis did not reveal positive effects of the mindfulness yoga groups on rumination after intervention based on three RCTs (SMD = -0.33; 95%CI = -0.89 to 0.23; P > 0.05), but found a significant difference in the follow-up period based on two RCTs (MD = -7.42; 95%CI = -11.27 to -3.56; P < 0.05), compared with the control groups. CONCLUSION: Although we were unable to provide conclusive evidence to support the effectiveness of mindfulness yoga in improving symptoms in MDD patients, we found the literature included in this study indicated that mindfulness yoga might have a potential benefit for MDD patients and should be a feasible, acceptable, and promising intervention.

Exploring the impact of a compassion-oriented training program on personal care workers in a nursing home: A mixed-methods pilot study.

This pilot study aimed to explore the impact of a compassion-oriented training program on Personal Care Workers (PCWs) in a nursing home. A mixed-methods approach was used, including pre- and post-questionnaire surveys to measure changes in compassion, and in-depth interviews and daily diaries to explore PCWs' perceptions and experiences. A convenience sample of five female PCWs from a nursing home in Hong Kong participated in the study. The quantitative results showed that the PCWs experienced a decline in compassion after participating in the program. The qualitative data analysis identified three themes: (1) the multifaceted nature of compassion, (2) barriers and threats to compassion, and (3) transfer of skills at the workplace. Overall, These findings highlighted the complexity of implementing effective compassion training programs in nursing home, and emphasized the importance of recognizing the multifaceted nature of compassion and addressing barriers and threats to compassion in the workplace.

Polylactic Acid-Based Biomaterials in Wound Healing: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To examine (1) the effectiveness of polylactic acid (PLA)-based biomaterials in wound healing, (2) their effects on wound infection prevention, and (3) their safety compared with existing biomaterials. DATA SOURCES: Data sources included PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WEIPU, and WANFANG databases. STUDY SELECTION: Investigators included 14 studies discussing the effects of PLA-based biomaterials in cutaneous wound healing published from 2000 to 2021. DATA EXTRACTION: Authors extracted the following information from the selected studies: general information, study type, type of wound, PLA-based biomaterials and techniques, study period, outcome measures, and results. DATA SYNTHESIS: Polylactic acid-based biomaterials may promote wound healing through wound area repair, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and cell activities, which are related to the good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and moisture management properties of PLA. A proper product structure may also help. Both the native PLA materials and PLA blends seem to be antibacterial, although more evidence is needed for the native PLA products. Because there was no severe adverse event or obvious cytotoxicity observed in the included studies, PLA-based biomaterials are likely safe. CONCLUSIONS: Polylactic acid-based biomaterials may be good wound dressing materials, although more evidence is needed to support their broader application in wound care.

Self-perceived mental health and factors associated with the mental health of Hong Kong's asylum-seekers and refugees - A mixed methods study.

Rationale: The 21st century has seen vast flows of displaced people. In the year 2020 alone, an estimated 11.2 million were forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict or generalized violence. The torment and fear of war, persecution and threat to life, whether in the home country, during the process of fleeing, or in the post-migration host country, can be extremely traumatic to these marginalized populations. Hong Kong is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, but the territory has signed the 1967 UN(CAT) which requires the former colony to allow people who flee for their lives to have their cases processed in Hong Kong. Currently there are around 14,000 cases in Hong Kong, some of whom have been in Hong Kong for more than a decade, waiting for their claims to be processed, living on meagre government subsidies and with no right to work. Objectives: The paper examines the mental health of asylum-seekers and refugees in Hong Kong and the factors associating with their mental health. Method: A sequential mixed methods approach was conducted among asylum-seekers and refugees in Hong Kong between October 2019 and mid-2020. It comprised a pilot quantitative survey conducted with 47 participants, and follow-up qualitative interviews with 16 of the 47 participants. Survey results were analyzed using statistical measures while the qualitative in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed to identify emergent patterns and categories. Results: Results from the quantitative data identify 52.2% of the asylum-seekers taking part as having symptomatic anxiety, 55.3% as having symptomatic depression and 54.3% as having overall problems. Qualitative results show that asylum-seekers and refugees cited lack of work and poverty as key factors affecting their mental health and well-being. Fear of being sent home was expressed by respondents who were married or having children for the fear of being separated from each other.

Associations among migration risk factors, cultural identity conflict, and psychological symptoms among Syrian emerging adults with refugee backgrounds in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we examined relations between premigration, perimigration, and postmigration risk factors (i.e., potentially traumatic events [PTEs], postmigration living problems [PMLPs], stressful life events) and psychological symptoms (i.e., anxiety/depression, posttraumatic stress) in Syrian emerging adults with refugee backgrounds; we also tested cultural identity conflict as a possible mediator of these relations. We expected that greater exposure to migration risk factors was associated with more psychological symptoms and that higher cultural identity conflict would contribute to these associations. METHODS: We used data from the first wave of Karakter, a longitudinal study of 158 Syrians with refugee backgrounds (69.0% men, age range 18-35). Participants completed a questionnaire assessing PTEs, PMLPs, stressful life events, cultural identity conflict, and symptoms of anxiety/depression and posttraumatic stress. RESULTS: Correlational analyses indicated that more PTEs and stressful life events were related to higher levels of cultural identity conflict and more psychological symptoms. Furthermore, greater cultural identity conflict was associated with more psychological symptoms. We did not observe indirect effects of cultural identity conflict in the mediation analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that postmigration stressors and cultural identity conflict are associated with psychological symptoms among Syrian emerging adults who have resettled in the Netherlands.

Effects of Ving Tsun sticking-hand training on lower limb sensorimotor performance among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To explore the effects of Ving Tsun (VT) sticking-hand training on knee joint proprioception and leg muscular performance among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: Thirty-three middle-aged and older adults were randomly assigned to either the VT or control group. The VT group received sticking-hand training twice/week for 3 months. Data were collected before and after the intervention period. The primary outcome was knee joint repositioning error, which was measured using knee joint active repositioning tests. The secondary outcomes included the maximum muscle strength and time to maximum muscle strength of the major leg muscles. RESULTS: No significant group, time, or group-by-time interaction effects were found for the knee joint repositioning error (p > 0.05). The maximum muscle strength of the knee flexors increased over time in the VT group only (p = 0.038). In addition, the time to maximum muscle strength in the hip extensors and flexors increased over time in both groups (p < 0.05). For the knee extensors and flexors, the time to maximum muscle strength increased in the control (p = 0.027) and VT (p = 0.019) groups, respectively, over time. CONCLUSIONS: VT sticking-hand training could improve the maximum muscle strength of the knee flexors but could not attenuate the age-related deterioration in leg muscle contraction speed nor improve knee joint proprioception among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03318289. Registered on 23 October 2017.

How do people think about the impressions they make on others? The attitudes and substance of metaperceptions.

This research aims to further our understanding of the processes of metaperception formation and meta-accuracy by introducing the positivity-specificity model to metaperception, which can be used to disentangle two components of trait metaperceptions: metapositivity (attitudes) and trait-specificity (substance). In two North American samples (Sample 1, N = 547; Sample 2, N = 553), we used the positivity-specificity model to investigate five important aspects of metaperceptions, namely the extent to which (a) metaperceptions reflect metapositivity versus trait-specificity, (b) metapositivity reflects attitudes about the self, (c) the effects of metapositivity and trait-specificity vary across traits and acquaintances, (d) metapositivity helps or hurts meta-accuracy, and (e) metapositivity and trait-specificity are accurate independent of self-perceptions. Overall, participants' ideas about how they were seen included attitudes and substance, but the relative contribution of each depended on the trait being judged and on how well they knew an acquaintance. Participants' ideas about how positively they were seen were related to how positively they saw themselves to varying degrees depending on how much they knew and liked their acquaintances. Participants were also accurate about how positively they were seen and about how they were seen on a given trait, independent of positivity and, with close acquaintances, independent of self-perceptions. The current work demonstrates how the positivity-specificity model can be used to investigate how people think about and have insight into the impressions they make on others. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Tai chi-muscle power training for children with developmental coordination disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

This study compared the effectiveness of tai chi (TC) muscle power training (MPT), TC alone, MPT alone, and no training for improving the limits of stability (LOS) and motor and leg muscular performance and decreasing falls in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). One hundred and twenty-one children with DCD were randomly assigned to the TC-MPT, TC, MPT, or control group. The three intervention groups received TC-MPT, TC, or MPT three times per week for 3 months. Measurements were taken before and after the intervention period. The primary outcomes were the LOS completion time and dynamic LOS scores. The secondary outcomes included the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition total test score and percentile rank, knee muscle peak force and time to peak force, and the number of falls. None of the interventions affected the LOS test scores. Improvements in the peak forces of the knee extensors and flexors were demonstrated in the TC (p = 0.006) and MPT groups (p = 0.032), respectively. The number of falls also decreased in these two groups (p < 0.001). Thus, clinicians may prescribe TC or MPT for children with DCD to increase their knee muscle strength and reduce their risk of falls.

An examination of personality expression in everyday life in a Canadian sample of racialized undergraduate students.

OBJECTIVE: There is a growing body of research regarding the situations that are linked to personality expression in daily life. We examined racialized young adults' experiences of racial and ethnic cues, and variables from prior personality expression research. METHOD: We assessed Big Five personality states in racialized undergraduate students (N = 180) in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada using experience sampling methodology. Participants (Mage  = 19.85-years-old; 51% South Asian, 17% East Asian, 11% African, 11% Middle Eastern, 9% Southeast Asian, 8% Black-North American, 5% Caribbean, 3% Afro-Caribbean, 2% Central American, 2% White/European, 1% South American, 1% North African, 1% South and Central American, 1% Afro-European, 3% another) provided five assessments daily over 12 days (Nobservations  = 6980). RESULTS: We observed within-person associations from past personality expression research (e.g., participants exhibited greater conscientiousness when at school). Racial and ethnic cues from previous studies of racial and ethnic identity, stereotyping, discrimination, and prejudice were associated with situational characteristics (e.g., being in a majority White space was associated with being in public), and with Big Five personality states (e.g., racial identity salience was associated with extraversion). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that assessing sociocultural variables beyond the individual provides an opportunity for better understanding personality expression.

An item response theory analysis of two frequently used measures of identity development.

Identity development-exploring options and making commitments-is an important process related to human functioning across the lifespan. An accurate understanding of identity development processes requires precise measures, but commonly used questionnaires have not been subject to intensive psychometric analyses. We investigated the psychometric properties of two such measures, the Utrecht Management of Identity Commitments Scale and the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale. Previous analyses have treated the response scales as interval rather than ordinal, which may not be reasonable given the measures' Likert-type response scales. Accordingly, we evaluated their measurement precision by conducting multidimensional item response theory analyses of data from six studies of secondary and postsecondary students in The Netherlands and the United States (total N = 4,844; 36.00% boys/men, 63.07% girls/women; 0.02% nonbinary or missing gender data; 62.39% completed the measure in Dutch, 37.61% in English; 52.66% postsecondary school; 47.34% secondary school; racial, ethnic, and nationality information varied across studies). Graded response models showed that a limited range of the latent attributes was precisely measured, and the quality of items varied considerably. The measures functioned mostly similarly between gender groups, but there was substantial differential item functioning based on school level and language of the measure. We originally sought to create shortened versions, but the shortened versions provided no improvement over the low quality of the longer versions. Our analyses suggest that reflection on what these identity processes entail is needed, to develop new items that address different manifestations of the attributes under consideration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Atypical adaptive postural responses in children with developmental coordination disorder: Implications for rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Adaptive postural control is an important yet underexamined area in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). This study compared adaptive postural responses between children with DCD and those with typical development. METHODS: This was an exploratory cross-sectional study. Fifty-two children with DCD (aged 6-9 years) and 52 age- and sex-matched children with typical development participated in the study. Their adaptive postural (motor) responses were assessed using the Adaptation Test (ADT) on a computerized dynamic posturography machine. The sway energy score (SES) for each ADT trial and the average SES of five trials for both toes-up and toes-down platform inclination conditions were recorded. RESULTS: The SESs were lower in the DCD group than in the control group in ADT toes-up trial 1 (p = 0.009) and on average (p = 0.044). In the control group, the SES decreased from trial 1 to trial 2 for both the ADT toes-up (p = 0.005) and toes-down conditions (p < 0.001). SIGNIFICANCE: Adaptive postural responses were absent in children with DCD, and these children used less force (i.e., sway energy) to overcome postural instability. Therefore, both adaptive balance and neuromuscular training should be factored into rehabilitation programs for children with DCD.

Development of an integrative learning program for community dwelling old people with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: to develop an integrative learning program for people with dementia. METHOD: a methodological study was conducted using Delphi technique to develop the learning program, followed by a feasibility test. An expert panel was invited to develop the integrative learning program based on the neuroplasticity and learning framework. A feasibility test was conducted to evaluate the implementation of the program in two centers after the training of personnel who run the program. Verbatim transcripts of case conferences were coded, analyzed, and collapsed into themes and sub-themes by consensus. RESULTS: there was no indication for content modification during the period of program implementation. Qualitatively, the participating older adults showed improvement in communications, emotions, connectedness with self and others, and well-being. CONCLUSION: the integrative learning program was uneventfully implemented with promising results. The program is ready for full-scale research on its efficacy in multiple centers to obtain more robust evidence.