Emotional eating, internet overuse, and alcohol intake among college students: a pilot study with virtual reality.

Introduction: The term emotional eating (EE) describes the tendency to eat as an automatic response to negative emotions and has been linked to anxiety and depression, common symptoms among the university population. The EE tendencies have also been associated with excessive internet use and an increase in alcohol intake among young university students. Methods: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the tendency towards EE and other health-compromising behaviors, such as excessive internet use or high alcohol intake. Additionally, it aims to investigate the association of these risky behaviors with the participants' performance level in a virtual reality (VR) task that assesses their executive functioning, and to assess impulsivity and levels of anxiety and depression. Results: The results associate EE with excessive internet (r = 0.332; p < 0.01). use but not with alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption was not associated with anxiety, depression, or impulsivity, but it was related to altered executive functions in the VR task: flexibility and working memory explained 24.5% of the variance. By contrast, EE and internet overuse were not related to executive function but were associated with impulsivity, depression, and anxiety. Impulsivity and depressive symptoms accounted for 45% of the variance in EE. Depression, trait anxiety and impulsivity explained 40.6% of the variance in internet overuse. Discussion: The results reveal distinct patterns of psychological and neuropsychological alterations associated with alcohol consumption compared to emotional eating (EE) and excessive internet use. These findings underscore significant differences in the contributing factors between addictions and other substance-free addictive behaviors. For a deeper understanding of the various contributing factors to EE in college students, further research is recommended.

Nutrient intake, alcohol consumption, emotional eating and anxiety in women nursing students.

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze dietary habits, alcohol habits, emotional eating and anxiety in a sample of Spanish nursing students. These students appear to be essential to the field of public health and to teaching their future patients about their own good practices. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted. Participants completed the Emotional Eater Questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) test to evaluate alcohol intake, the State-Trait anxiety Inventory (STAI) test to measure levels of anxiety as a state and anxiety as a trait, and self-reported sociodemographic data. Following classroom instruction, three-day food records were used to gauge food intake. Results: The calorie intake for the macronutrients Ca, Mg, K, and Fe were below the Recommended Dietary Intakes (DRI) and imbalanced. The percentage E of proteins was 132.7 % more than recommended, while the percentage of carbohydrates is below the recommended level. Dietary energy consumption barely equaled 78 % of the total energy consumed by this sex and age group. With respect to emotional eating, nursing women students were low emotional eater (44 %) > emotional eater (30 %) > non-emotional eater (22.7 %). The students' emotional eating is substantially connected with fast food and sweets, or less healthy food intake behaviors. According to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), 82.7 % of female students used alcohol on a regular basis in a low-risk manner. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated a link between anxiety and dietary fat intake. Trait anxiety was negatively connected with emotional eating (EE), whereas state anxiety was positively correlated with meat consumption. It is crucial to consider these findings when creating prevention/intervention plans and profiles of harmful eating behaviors.

Asignación de tareas terapéuticas y revisión de su cumplimiento desde una perspectiva conductual: las secuencias verbales entre terapeuta y cliente / Assignment of therapeutic tasks and review of their fulfillment from a behavioral perspective: the verbal sequences between therapist and client

Las tareas terapéuticas (tareas para casa) constituyen una estrategia propia de la psicología conductual para conseguir el cambio clínico. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar cómo los terapeutas conductuales asignan las tareas terapéuticas y cómo revisan el cumplimiento. Se analizó la interacción verbal entre el terapeuta y el cliente en 211 sesiones grabadas (19 casos completos de éxito) mediante metodología observacional, a través del uso de un sistema de categorización (SIS-INTER-INSTR). Los valores de fiabilidad inter e intrajueces fueron entre buenos y excelentes. Los resultados muestran que los psicólogos conductuales emiten verbalizaciones motivadoras cuando asignan tareas terapéuticas. En la revisión del cumplimiento, frecuentemente refuerzan el cumplimiento de las tareas, pero dejan de evaluar el cumplimiento cuando el cliente informa que las ha realizado de forma parcial. Las secuencias verbales obtenidas proporcionan información sobre cómo los terapeutas conductuales dan instrucciones sobre las tareas terapéuticas y como revisan su cumplimiento. Esta información es un primer paso en el estudio de cómo esas secuencias pueden predecir o contribuir al establecimiento de una óptima colaboración terapéutica y a la eficacia del tratamiento. (AU)

Therapeutic (homework) tasks are a characteristic strategy in behavioral psychology to achieve clinical change. The aim of the present study is to determine how behavioural therapists assign therapeutic tasks and review their compliance. Observational methodology was used to analyse the verbal interaction of therapists and clients in 211 recorded sessions (19 complete successful cases) using a validated coding system (SIST-INTER-INSTR). The values for inter- and intra-judge reliability were from good to excellent. The study shows that behavioural psychologists offer motivating verbalisations when assigning therapeutic tasks. During the review of task compliance, therapists frequently provide positive reinforcement when clients report complete compliance with the assigned task but stop the review of tasks when clients report non-compliance or only partial compliance with the task. These sequences provide information about how behavioural therapists provide instructions for therapeutic tasks and review their compliance. This is a first step to study how these verbal sequences favour the establishment of TC and the effectiveness of treatment. (AU)

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Work Group Emotional Intelligence Profile Short Version (WEIP-S) in a Sample of Spanish Federated Coaches.

Emotional intelligence has been a topic of great interest to researchers in many different areas as it is associated with mental, psychosomatic, and physical health. In the sports context, it is a significant variable that can play an important role in improving the team's performance. Although there are numerous tools to assess emotional intelligence, few of them have been validated explicitly in a sports sample, and even fewer have had coaches as a target population. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the Spanish version of the work group emotional intelligence profile short version (WEIP-S) in a sample of Spanish federated coaches. The results confirm that this instrument presents good psychometric properties to measure the emotional intelligence of sports coaches. The original four-factor model (awareness of one's own emotions, management of one's own emotions, awareness of others' emotions, and management of others' emotions) shows good reliability and convergent validity for all four factors except for the management of one's own emotions. These findings suggest that it is possible to measure the emotional intelligence of coaches and offer the opportunity to continue investigating the relevance of constructing specific scales to measure this construct in the sports context.

Emotional Eating and Perfectionism as Predictors of Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder: The Role of Perfectionism as a Mediator between Emotional Eating and Body Mass Index.

(1) Background: Perfectionism has been linked to eating disorders and might be a risk factor for the appearance of eating pathologies. The aims of this study are (a) to verify the relationship between perfectionism, emotional eating (EE), binge eating (BE), and body mass index (BMI); (b) to identify the variables that predict BE symptoms and BMI; (c) to study the role of perfectionism as a mediator between EE and BMI. (2) Methods: 312 adult participants answered a cross-sectional survey that included the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ), the Binge Eating Scale (BES), and a sociodemographic questionnaire including BMI. (3) Results: The results suggest a direct correlation between EE, BE, and BMI, showing that EE is a powerful predictor of BE symptoms and BMI. Furthermore, two dimensions of perfectionism have a mediator role between EE and BMI, specifically doubts and actions and concern over mistakes: the presence of these two components of perfectionism reverses the relationship between EE and BMI. (4) Conclusions: These results have significant implications for the understanding of the two different (pathological) eating patterns: intake restriction and overeating and should be considered in intervention programs.

Decision Making and Risk Propensity in Individuals with Tendencies towards Specific Internet-Use Disorders.

The uncontrolled use of specific Internet applications is increasingly recognized as a mental health issue. Gaming disorder, which is one subtype of specific Internet-use disorders (sIUDs), has been included in the ICD-11 as disorder due to addictive behaviors. Addictive disorders are assumed to be accompanied by cognitive deficits as indicated by weaker performance in executive function and risky decision-making tasks. This study investigates risky decision-making in individuals with tendencies towards sIUDs including gaming, online buying-shopping, and social-networks-use disorders. A total of 293 individuals participated in the study. Based on specific screening instruments, the participants were assigned to a group with tendencies towards sIUD or a control group. Participants completed a risky decision-making task and questionnaires assessing risk-taking propensity, impulsivity, psychopathology, and perceived stress. The group with sIUD tendencies showed higher attentional impulsivity and higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to the control group. The groups did not differ in decision making and risk propensity. Decision making did not have significant effects on sIUD symptoms. Risk for developing sIUDs does not appear to be accompanied by altered general decision-making tendencies. Rather, psychological (pre-)load and attentional deficits appear to be relevant features in uncontrolled use of the Internet.

Deficits in executive functions but not in decision making under risk in individuals with problematic social-network use.

BACKGROUND: The tendency to strive for immediate gratification by neglecting potential negative long-term outcomes characterizes addictive behaviors, such as substance use or gaming disorder. Problematic social-network use is currently discussed as another potential addictive behavior, which is considered to result from an imbalance between affective and cognitive processes, indicated by traits such as increased impulsivity and/or decreased executive functions and decision-making abilities. METHODS: This study investigates the respective functions in social-network users by use of the Cards and Lottery Task (CLT) - a decision-making task under risk conditions in which options contain conflicting immediate and long-term outcomes at the same time. A sample of German and Spanish participants (N = 290) performed the CLT as well as the Modified Card Sorting Test (MCST), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), the short Internet Addiction Test specified for social-networking (sIAT-SNS), and screeners on other potentially problematic behaviors. RESULTS: Comparing extreme groups based on sIAT-SNS scores (1SD above/below mean), individuals with problematic social-network use (n = 56), as compared to those with non-problematic social-network use (n = 50), showed increased attentional impulsivity and reduced executive functions. No differences were observed in decision-making performance. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that problematic social-network use is related to attentional rather than general decision-making deficits. Furthermore, problematic social-network use is likely to co-occur with other problematic Internet-use behaviors, particularly gaming or shopping.

Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy programme with and without videoconference guidance sessions: A randomized controlled trial to treat work-related symptoms of anxiety and depression.

This study provides the results from the implementation of a highly structured therapist-guided iCBT programme for people with work-related anxiety and depression, in terms of programme efficacy, participants' adherence and satisfaction. Seventy-seven national police workers were randomly allocated to one of two groups: without additional videoconference sessions (web platform with guidance of therapist) and with additional videoconference sessions (same intervention as the previous group, plus two videoconference guidance sessions with a psychologist). The intervention was composed of 12 sessions and took place for 17-20 weeks. We found an adherence rate of 36.4%, with no differences between groups. All participants endorsed lower depression (BDI-II F(1) = 36.98, p < .001; ATQ F(1) = 24.22, p < .001), and anxiety (STAI-State F(1) = 76.62, p < .001) after the programme. As a variable related to anxiety and depression in workplace, participants also showed higher assertiveness levels (RAS F(1) = 8.96, p < .001). A significant reduction of the mean level of anxiety perceived by participants as the intervention programme progressed was observed in both groups (F(2) = 7.44; p = .003). Participants were satisfied with the therapists' intervention and with the programme. No significant group effects were found for any of the measures. Reduction in depression levels was maintained in the 12-month follow-up, but levels of anxiety increased. This study is innovative, as it is the first controlled trial to analyse the effect of two added videoconference sessions, and it includes short- and long-term measures, which is not usual. The results are discussed to clarify the role of the contact with the therapist to improve treatment adherence.

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Work Group Emotional Intelligence Profile Short Version (WEIP-S) in the Sports Context.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is related to better performance in sports. To measure this construct, many tools have been developed and validated in the sports context. However, these tools are based on an individual's ability to manage their own emotions, but do not consider the emotions of the rest of the team (teammates, coaches, etc.). In this regard, the Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile short version (WEIP-S) is a self-reported measure designed to measure the EI of individuals who are part of a team. The aim of this study was to validate the WEIP-S structure to measure EI in the sports context, and to analyze the psychometric properties of this tool in the sample in terms of validity and reliability. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 273 athletes to examine the reliability, factor structure, and evidence of validity (convergent, discriminant, nomological, and concurrent) of the WEIP-S. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original four-factor structure is the most appropriate for the sports context. Composite reliability was adequate for all factors except management of one's own emotions, which also showed poor convergent validity. Evidence of convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity are discussed. This study represents an advance in the use of specific scales to measure EI in the sports context.

La importancia de las instrucciones del psicólogo para favorecer la adhesión terapéutica / The importance of psychologist's instructions for the improvement of therapeutic adherence

En el presente trabajo ofrecemos una aproximación descriptiva al estudio de las instrucciones en terapia como paso previo al estudio de la influencia de las instrucciones en la adhesión terapéutica. Se analizaron dos casos completos tratados por dos terapeutas de orientación conductual, uno experto y uno inexperto. Se observaron y registraron las sesiones clínicas por medio de un sistema de categorías utilizando el software The Observer XT. Los datos ponen de relieve ciertas diferencias en la frecuencia y el tipo de instrucciones dadas, según las tareas realizadas por el clínico dentro de sesión y la experiencia de éste. Los resultados permiten establecer unas hipótesis (a confirmar) sobre la existencia de patrones a la hora de instruir al cliente durante la terapia y establecer algunas bases para estudiar la influencia de las instrucciones sobre la adhesión terapéutica y poder mejorar la eficacia de las intervenciones psicológicas (AU)

This paper presents a first descriptive approach to the study of instructions in therapy as a previous step to a more comprehensive research about the influence of instructions on therapeutic adherence. Two cases treated by two behavioral therapists were analyzed throughout the treatment -one of them was an experienced therapist and the other was inexperienced one. The sessions were observed and registered with a specific coding system and The Observer XT software. Data highlight the differences in frequency and type of instructions depending on the tasks carried out by the therapists, as well as on their experience. Results provide some first hypotheses (to be proved) about the existence of different patterns of therapist instructions during the psychological treatment and allow us to establish some bases for the study of the influence of instructions on therapeutic adherence which may improve the effectiveness of psychological interventions (AU)