Practice or performance? A content analysis of yoga-related videos on Instagram.

Representations of yoga within media have become increasingly idealised, depicting typical practitioners as young, thin, and physically competent. While previous content analyses of yoga have focused on still images, social media platforms such as Instagram encourage the use of video to enhance viewer engagement. Video may contain features which reflect a more nuanced view of the body, and therefore the current study analysed 400 women in yoga-related videos on Instagram for appearance characteristics, body conceptualisation, yoga pose type, risk, and perceived intention. The vast majority of women were perceived to be in their 20s and thin or athletic. Only 13.2 % of women showed average visible levels of body fat, while more than a third displayed visible muscularity across multiple muscle groups. There was little presence of objectification with the majority of women in active poses, though more than 60 % of poses/sequences were advanced and potentially risky. The vast majority of videos appeared to be for the purpose of demonstrating skill rather than instructing the viewer. The findings show that videos on Instagram perpetuate unrealistic appearance ideals in yoga and also provide a platform for content creators to engage viewers by representing yoga as a highly performative, predominantly advanced physical activity.

Massively Multiplayer Online Games and Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) evolve online, whilst engaging large numbers of participants who play concurrently. Their online socialization component is a primary reason for their high popularity. Interestingly, the adverse effects of MMOs have attracted significant attention compared to their potential benefits. Methods: To address this deficit, employing PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review aimed to summarize empirical evidence regarding a range of interpersonal and intrapersonal MMO well-being outcomes for those older than 13. Results: Three databases identified 18 relevant English language studies, 13 quantitative, 4 qualitative and 1 mixed method published between January 2012 and August 2020. A narrative synthesis methodology was employed, whilst validated tools appraised risk of bias and study quality. Conclusions: A significant positive relationship between playing MMOs and social well-being was concluded, irrespective of one's age and/or their casual or immersed gaming patterns. This finding should be considered in the light of the limited: (a) game platforms investigated; (b) well-being constructs identified; and (c) research quality (i.e., modest). Nonetheless, conclusions are of relevance for game developers and health professionals, who should be cognizant of the significant MMOs-well-being association(s). Future research should focus on broadening the well-being constructs investigated, whilst enhancing the applied methodologies.

Is this what a female yogi looks like? A content analysis of yoga images on Instagram.

As yoga continues to increase in global popularity, idealized representations of a thin, athletic 'yoga body' have also become more prominent across commercial media. To examine how yoga is typically represented on social media, a content analysis of the posts of female yoga practitioners on Instagram was undertaken. Images were sourced using hashtags #yoga, #yogabody, #yogapractice, and #yogawoman, and 200 females per hashtag were then coded on demographic factors, body shape, activity, objectification, and practice of yoga. Results showed that over 90 % of women in the images were coded as being under 40 years of age with the vast majority in their 20 s. Almost three-quarters of women were perceived to be white, 100 % appeared able bodied. More than 80 % were classed as thin and/or athletic, while less than 15 % displayed average levels of visible body fat. More than 50 % of yoga poses were advanced while a quarter displayed potentially unsafe alignment. The findings demonstrate that the typical 'yoga body' on Instagram was perceived to conform to the young, thin/athletic ideal and that overall yoga is not being represented as an inclusive physical practice that can be adapted for women of diverse ages, body types, and abilities.

Associations between Facial Emotion Recognition and Mental Health in Early Adolescence.

Research shows that adolescents with mental illnesses have a bias for processing negative facial emotions, and this may play a role in impaired social functioning that often co-exists with a mental health diagnosis. This study examined associations between psychological and somatic problems and facial emotion recognition in early adolescence; as any processing biases in this age-group may be an early indicator of later mental illnesses. A community sample of 40 12-year-olds self-rated their symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization via two mental health screeners. They also completed a computerized emotion recognition task in which they identified photographs of 40 faces showing expressions of anger, fear, sadness, happiness, or neutral expression. Results showed that increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization were significantly associated with fewer correct responses to angry expressions. These symptoms were also associated with faster and more accurate recognition of fearful expressions. However, there was no association between mental health and recognition of sad affect. Finally, increased psychological and/or somatic symptomology was also associated with better identification of neutral expressions. In conclusion, youth with increased psychological and/or somatic problems exhibited a processing bias for negative anger and fear expressions, but not sadness. They showed better processing of neutral faces than youth with fewer psychological and/or somatic problems. Findings are discussed in relation to indicators of mental illnesses in early adolescence and the potential underpinning neural mechanisms associated with mental health and emotional facial recognition.

Cognitive dysfunction and functional disability in alcohol-dependent adults with or without a comorbid affective disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and functional disability in alcohol dependence with comorbid affective disorders. We investigated the neuropsychology of alcohol dependence in detoxified adults with and without affective comorbidity and examined the factors associated with prolonged functional disability. METHODS: From a total of 42 participants (age range = 18-44 years), 12 out of 21 alcohol-dependent participants had a comorbid affective disorder, 12 had an affective disorder only, and 9 were healthy controls. Participants completed a semi-structured clinical interview, questionnaires and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: Following detoxification (median = 35 days; M = 41.2 days, SD = 17.9), visual learning and memory functioning was worse in alcohol-dependent individuals. Comorbid affective disorders did not appear to exacerbate cognitive dysfunction. Psychiatric comorbidity and current depressive symptoms were predictive of poorer functional disability. Furthermore, learning and memory, and response inhibition, contributed significantly and independently to predicting functional disability over and above clinical and demographic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric comorbidity does not appear to be associated with more pronounced neuropsychological dysfunction in alcohol dependence. Conversely, both comorbid affective disorders and cognitive factors were critical in determining the functional outcomes of alcohol-dependent adults recently undergoing medically supervised inpatient detoxification.

Neuropsychological functioning is compromised in binge drinking young adults with depression.

For many young people, binge drinking is the most common form of alcohol misuse, particularly in those with a depressive disorder. Nonetheless, relatively little is known about the effects that the combination of depression and binge drinking has on neuropsychological outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether binge drinkers with depression show more pronounced neuropsychological dysfunction compared to their peers with depression alone or binge drinking alone. Neuropsychological testing was conducted on help-seeking young people (18-30 years) recently diagnosed with a depressive disorder and classified as either 'binge drinkers' (n=43) or 'non-bingers' (n=48). Two healthy control groups (i.e. binge drinkers, n=24 and non-bingers, n=21) were additionally recruited and also underwent the same testing. Qualitatively, binge-drinking patients with depression performed consistently below controls, depression alone, or binge drinking alone. In keeping with our hypotheses, visual learning and memory was significantly reduced in depressed binge drinkers, whereas mental flexibility was reduced at a trend level. There were no significant differences in neuropsychological performance in depressed alone or binge drinking alone individuals compared to controls. The findings suggest that when treating young people with a depressive disorder, strategies targeting binge drinking may contribute to preventing potential neurobiological changes underlying poorer long-term clinical outcomes.

Predicting uptake of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA): a belief-based theoretical approach.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder, for which continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a standard treatment. Despite its well-established efficacy, many patients choose not to initiate CPAP treatment. The present study investigated the degree to which biological measures (e.g. Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index [AHI]), symptom experiences (e.g. fatigue) and illness representations (e.g. perceived consequences) predict the decision of individuals newly diagnosed with OSA to undergo a trial of CPAP therapy. METHODS: Four hundred forty-nine individuals (316 males) newly diagnosed with OSA. Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Fatigue Severity Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) were administered at time of sleep study. These, patient demographics and sleep study variables were used to determine factors predicting patient decision to proceed with a trial of CPAP. RESULTS: The participants were most likely to attribute their OSA to unchangeable and psychological factors. For those with moderate OSA (AHI, 15 to 30) IPQ-R illness consequence was predictive of decision to initiate CPAP (p = 0.002). For severe OSA (AHI >30) age, ESS and IPQ illness causal beliefs were predictive of decision to initiate CPAP (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Illness beliefs are important determinants of the choice of recently diagnosed OSA patients whether or not to undertake a trial of CPAP therapy. Concerns about illness consequences were important in those with moderate OSA. In severe OSA, sleepiness symptoms are more prominent and a more significant determinant of CPAP uptake along with age and causal beliefs.

Pathways to alcohol-induced brain impairment in young people: a review.

Classically, disorders associated with 'alcohol-related brain damage' (ARBD) occur as a result of chronic excessive alcohol misuse and confer significant physical and psychological disability to the individual as well as to the community. These phenotypes are often difficult to detect at early stages and therefore early intervention and treatment is limited. It remains unresolved as to whether there are neurobiological markers of the early stages of such brain damage in young 'at-risk' drinkers, who probably experience 'alcohol-induced brain impairment' prior to the onset of ARBD, per se. This review focuses on neurobiological (in particular, neuropsychological and neuroimaging) markers that are associated with alcohol misuse in young people (13-24 years of age). The findings from this review suggest that a clearer understanding of alcohol misuse (particularly with regards to binge drinking) is needed. Despite this, neurocognitive profile along with supporting neuroimaging evidence appears to be particularly important in the early detection of brain changes that result from excessive alcohol use. In young alcohol misusers, these preventable and potentially reversible deficits may be progressive but if left unresolved such deficits eventually become major contributors to poor outcome (long term) and hamper adherence to treatment. We address five key themes in this review: (i) there are specific drinking patterns in young people; (ii) youth represents a critical period in brain development that is particularly vulnerable to alcohol misuse; (iii) the extent to which there are pre-existing versus alcohol-induced neurobiological changes remains unclear; (iv) vulnerability markers may be mediated by mental health and substance use comorbidities; and (v) cognitive remediation would be a likely candidate for early prevention and treatment as it could help to develop efficient meta-cognitive skills to prevent relapse in young drinkers.

Distinguishing young people with emerging bipolar disorders from those with unipolar depression.

BACKGROUND: To facilitate early intervention, there is a need to distinguish unipolar versus bipolar illness trajectories in adolescents and young adults with adult-type mood disorders. METHODS: Detailed clinical and neuropsychological evaluation of 308 young persons (aged 12 to 30 years) with moderately severe unipolar and bipolar affective disorders. RESULTS: Almost 30% (90/308) of young people (mean age=19.4±4.4yr) presenting for care with affective disorders met criteria for a bipolar-type syndrome (26% with bipolar I). Subjects with bipolar- and unipolar-type syndromes were of similar age (19.8 vs. 19.2yr) and reported comparable ages of onset (14.5 vs. 14.3yr). Clinically, those subjects with unipolar and bipolar-type disorders reported similar levels of psychological distress, depressive symptoms, current role impairment, neuropsychological dysfunction and alcohol or other substance misuse. Subjects with unipolar disorders reported more social anxiety (p<0.01). Subjects with bipolar disorders were more likely to report a family history of bipolar (21% vs. 11%; [χ(2)=4.0, p<.05]) or psychotic (19% vs. 9%; [χ(2)=5.5, p<.05]), or substance misuse (35% vs. 23%; [χ(2)=3.9, p<.05]), but not depressive (48% vs. 53%; χ(2)=0.3, p=.582]) disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Young subjects with bipolar disorders were best discriminated by a family history of bipolar, psychotic or substance use disorders. Early in the course of illness, clinical features of depression, or neuropsychological function, do not readily differentiate the two illness trajectories.