Effectiveness and User Experience of Virtual Reality for Social Anxiety Disorder: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects occupational and social functioning. Virtual reality (VR) therapies can provide effective treatment for people with SAD. However, with rapid innovations in immersive VR technology, more contemporary research is required to examine the effectiveness and concomitant user experience outcomes (ie, safety, usability, acceptability, and attrition) of emerging VR interventions for SAD. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness and user experience of contemporary VR interventions among people with SAD. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, Emcare, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched between January 1, 2012, and April 26, 2022. Deduplicated search results were screened based on title and abstract information. Full-text examination was conducted on 71 articles. Studies of all designs and comparator groups were included if they appraised the effectiveness and user experience outcomes of any immersive VR intervention among people with SAD. A standardized coding sheet was used to extract data on key participant, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design items. RESULTS: The findings were tabulated and discussed using a narrative synthesis. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed that VR exposure therapy-based interventions can generally provide effective, safe, usable, and acceptable treatments for adults with SAD. The average attrition rate from VR treatment was low (11.36%) despite some reported user experience difficulties, including potential simulator sickness, exposure-based emotional distress, and problems with managing treatment delivered in a synchronous group setting. This review also revealed several research gaps, including a lack of VR treatment studies on children and adolescents with SAD as well as a paucity of standardized assessments of VR user experience interactions. More studies are required to address these issues. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022353891; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=353891.

Do we really remember the view? The cellar door schema and its contribution to memorable experiences: Recommendations for cellar door practices.

The importance of enjoyable, memorable cellar door experiences is well-established in the literature. The winescape, which incorporates views, building design, and ambience is recognised as a central motivation for wine tourism and the most repeated content in word-of-mouth communication, a valuable marketing tool. Recent research has prioritised human interaction, which develops a connection as the most important component of the cellar door experience (d'Ament, Nayeem, & Saliba, 2022). The current study expands previous research methodologies, adopting memory work and cellar door surveys in a mixed methods approach to explore the cellar door schema and its influence on cellar door expectations, assessments, purchases, and future positive word-of-mouth communication. A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted to analyse participant memories. A Bayesian network was produced from 136 cellar door surveys to determine the influence of cellar door schema on purchases and intention to engage in word-of-mouth communication. The results supported recent findings that the human element is the most remembered and valued; it fosters a connection, strengthens brand attachment and creates enduring customers. The winescape, while important for grounding the memory, is less prominent in recollections. Additionally, the results demonstrate the importance of word-of-mouth as a contributor to cellar door schemas. Recommendations are made for cellar door managers and staff who strive to create memorable cellar door experiences for their customers.

Implicit bias toward people with disability: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: People with disabilities (PWD) experience barriers to accessibility and employment, harming their quality of life. Strategies aimed at reducing disparity for PWD have not changed key statistics such as unemployment rates. Previous research has focused on explicit attitudes, generally found to be positive, prompting investigation into factors such as implicit bias. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated implicit bias toward PWD and associated factors. METHOD: Forty-six peer-reviewed studies published between January 2000 and April 2020 utilizing the Implicit Association Test were included. Of these, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. RESULTS: A significant moderate pooled effect (mean difference = 0.503, 95% CI [0.497-0.509], p < .001) was found, suggesting moderate negative implicit attitudes toward general disability. Negative implicit attitudes were also found toward physical, and intellectual disability. PWD were implicitly stereotyped as incompetent, cold, and "child-like." Findings were inconsistent for factors associated with bias including age, race, sex, and individual differences. Contact with PWD may be associated with implicit bias; however, measures were inconsistent. CONCLUSION: This review has found moderate negative implicit biases toward PWD, however, factors associated with this bias remain unclear. Further research should investigate implicit bias toward specific disability groups and strategies to shift such biases. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Journalists and Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Literature Review.

Mental health research focusing on journalists has largely tended to give precedence to trauma exposure and subsequent symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. However, there are several occupational factors that may be associated with the development of depressive symptoms in journalists. This systematic literature review aims to provide a concise, comprehensive, and systematic review of the quantitative literature relating to journalists' experiences of depressive symptoms. The systematic literature review method adopted was based on that prescribed by Fink and contains three main elements: sampling the literature, screening the literature, and extracting data. Key terms were developed and used to source appropriate studies from several electronic databases, a hand search of reference lists was conducted, and authors were contacted to suggest examples of their own work not yet sampled. The sample included 13 quantitative studies reported in English language. Journalists most at risk of experiencing depressive symptoms had (1) greater exposure to work-related and personal trauma, (2) experienced threats to themselves or their family, and (3) reduced levels of family and peer support, social acknowledgment, and education. An area for further investigation is the prevalence and experiences of specific depressive disorders within the journalist population. There are a number of theoretical and methodological issues that can be addressed in future research.

Producer practices and attitudes: Non-replacement male calf management in the Australian dairy industry.

Currently, there is no standardized rearing method or production guidelines for non-replacement male dairy calves that maximizes their economic viability. Producers have highlighted the need to match consumer expectations, but even with broadscale welfare improvement across the dairy industry, challenges remain at providing reliable and valuable pathways for non-replacement male dairy calves for beef production. A key consumer concern has been the use of on-farm euthanasia. Euthanasia has been a catalyst for change in the industry from a human and animal welfare perspective. The practice of euthanasia can lead to a decline in personnel wellbeing. To investigate the relationship between on-farm management practices of non-replacement male dairy calves and producer perceptions of their value proposition, an online questionnaire was provided to Australian dairy producers between June and October 2021. The aim was to identify supply-chain profitability of non-replacement male calves and investigate the attitudes and effects of euthanasia on producer wellbeing as part of managing these calves. A total of 127 useable responses were obtained, and a Bayesian network (BN) was utilized to model the interdependencies between management practices and wellbeing among participants. The results indicated that in general, dairy producers desired high welfare standards in their enterprises with regard to non-replacement male calves as well as expressed a desire to meet industry and consumers' expectations. In line with anecdotal reports of a reduction in practice, euthanasia was not identified as common practice in this group; however, producers were still accessing early-life markets for non-replacement male calves with operational requirements and environmental factors influencing their decisions. Producers expressed dissatisfaction with market access for their calves, as well as the lack of suitability of Australian beef grading standards for dairy-bred carcasses. Australian dairy managers and owners identified that euthanasia influenced employee wellbeing; however, they did not acknowledge euthanasia had an effect on their own wellbeing. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that all non-replacement male calf breeds had the potential to access profitable markets, and avoidance of euthanasia is a strong driver of change among dairy beef production systems in Australia.

Convivial Connection between Staff and Customer Is Key to Maximising Profitable Experiences: An Australian Cellar Door Perspective.

Cellar doors provide retail sales for wineries, providing higher returns than wholesale to domestic and export markets. Customer-based research has established enjoyable cellar door experiences are essential to building brand attachment, creating enduring customers, and increasing on-site and post-visit sales. However, customers co-create cellar door experiences with staff, as each approach the experience with unique realities guiding their expectations. Scarce literature includes experiences from staff perspectives. Constructivist grounded theory and adopting Charmaz's approach to analysis were used to explore data from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 33 wine consumers ranging in wine involvement, from wine novices to highly involved enthusiasts and winemakers. Twenty-two of the consumers were cellar door staff with experiences ranging from a few months to owners of long-established family wineries. Cognitive dissonance theory helped us to understand how tensions may arise for individuals approaching each experience and where to avert perceived risks. Findings show convivial connection respecting all actors creates enjoyable experiences. The warmth of greeting, further strengthened by staff-customer rapport, developed via knowledgeable conversation throughout the experience, increases brand attachment. Co-created connection becomes the conduit through which positive experiences are created and where brand attachment is forged. A framework based on emerging categories guides professional development models and human resources strategies for wineries, thereby maximizing profitability through cellar door sales.

Evaluating the Acceptance of Hemp Food in Australian Adults Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Structural Equation Modelling.

This research presents a mixed methods (qual-QUANT) approach to the evaluation of the intention to consume hemp foods in an Australian sample soon after its legalization, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate items developed from semi-structured interviews, with a focus on the TPB factors; attitudes toward hemp food consumption, subjective beliefs, and perceptions of control. Findings support the notion that consumers may be confused about associations between Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and hemp food produced from Cannabis sativa. Highly salient negative associations are mediated by the perception of positive aspects of CBD for some consumers, but the value placed on others' acceptance of hemp food is the greatest indicator of intention to consume hemp food products. It is suggested that greater education of consumers might allay fears borne of association of hemp food to either CBD or THC, and any move toward disassociation of hemp food to either entity would have positive repercussions for the hemp food industry. Findings have implications for other novel foods that carry highly salient negative associations for consumers.

The development and validation of the Multidimensional Paternal Perinatal Scale (MPPS).

The limited availability of screening tools for assessing fathers' emotional well-being during the perinatal period warrants the development of a new measure, especially since the existing measurements did not specifically focus on fathers' perinatal experiences. These existing measurements focus on the assessment of clinical symptoms rather than precursors that may negatively impact on perinatal father's well-being. Based on the paternal perinatal conceptual framework, the Multidimensional Paternal Perinatal Scale (MPPS) was developed to identify precursors that contribute to the father's emotional well-being during the perinatal period. This paper examines three steps of measurement development. The first step comprised item development based on the literature and qualitative findings. The second step comprised conducting the qualitative and quantitative judgment analysis of the MPPS content validity. The third step assessed inter-rater reliability. Two versions of the MPPS were developed: the antenatal and postnatal versions. The antenatal version of the MPPS includes 75 items and targets 11 precursors of paternal perinatal emotional well-being, while the postnatal version includes 103 items and targets 13 precursors of poor emotional well-being. The validity analysis showed that both the antenatal and postnatal subscales met content validity requirements. The overall Content Validity Index (CVI) of the antenatal version was equal to .95 for clarity and .99 for relevance, while the postnatal version showed a CVI of .98 for clarity and .93 for relevance. The inter-rater reliability for each of the antenatal and postnatal versions of the MPPS showed an AC2 of .67. The exploratory factor analysis derived a five-factor solution for the ANT-MPPS, and eight-factor solution for POST-MPPS. Both versions of the MPPS showed acceptable internal consistency. Overall, the findings showed adequate indices for content validity and inter-rater reliability of the new Multidimensional Paternal Perinatal Scales. Additionally, the MPPS demonstrated an acceptable construct validity and internal consistency. Results demonstrate that both versions of the scale successfully characterised antecedents of emotional well-being and as such can be used to identify fathers at risk of poor emotional well-being in the antenatal and postnatal environments.

Relationships between consumption patterns, health beliefs, and subjective wellbeing in Chinese Baijiu consumers.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption in China has increased rapidly, and there have been calls for policies and programs to address the issue. Alcohol plays a complex and important role in Chinese culture, where it is considered a symbol of happiness and is associated with wellbeing. Alcohol reduction policies may fail unless they take these cultural and social meanings of alcohol, and its relationship to wellbeing into consideration. Baijiu is a clear fermented spirit that is widely consumed in China and has strong cultural associations with health, wellbeing and prosperity. There is a lack of research on how consumption patterns relate to cultural beliefs and subjective wellbeing. METHODS: An online survey of n = 1992 Chinese adults was conducted to determine frequency and volume of baijiu consumed; beliefs about health benefits and traditional importance; and associations with subjective wellbeing. RESULTS: Higher frequency and volume consumed were associated with higher subjective wellbeing, controlling for age and income. We also found small to medium significant associations between consumption frequency and volume and: belief that baijiu is healthy; and that tradition dictated they should drink baijiu. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional and health values placed on baijiu, and its association with wellbeing, may help inform policy developments and alcohol reduction campaigns.

Barriers to Utilizing Non-replacement Male Calves in the Australian Dairy Industry: A Qualitative Study.

Male non-replacement calves in dairy systems represent an underutilized economic resource for dairy producers worldwide. Despite this, increasing the practice of rearing non-replacement male calves has significant barriers both in on-farm adoption and practice. Poor neonatal rearing practices, higher levels of morbidity and mortality, and disaggregated production pathways with multiple points of handling, have all been described as barriers to adoption of surplus calf production. To identify the critical decision-determining challenges associated with broader adoption of raising non-replacement stock, and to investigate the whole-of-value chain issues faced by dairy producers to rear non-replacement male calves, we undertook a series of semi-structured interviews with Australian dairy producers to interrogate their key challenges. To achieve this, a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to inform the process of analysis of in-depth interviews with Australian dairy producers regarding their current practices and perceptions. Five major themes emerged from these conversations that were key barriers to on-farm non-replacement calf rearing in the producer group participants. These were: impacts of drought on cost and availability of feed for these calves and the whole herd; the management requirements of non-replacement male calves as an additional workload to that of their current operation; their attitudes and current practices to and surrounding euthanasia; perceived ease of supply-chain access for these calves, and their perceptions of the economic value of dairy-beef product as a return on investment. Understanding the barriers to adoption of non-replacement calf rearing, and addressing the value proposition for dairy beef, can assist increased uptake of non-replacement calf rearing. These findings will allow development of strategies to address these barriers, and extension of viable management strategies to increase adoption of profitable business practices surrounding non-replacement male calf production.

Thermal Taster Subgroups and Orosensory Responsiveness Dataset.

Thermal taste is a phenomenon whereby some individuals, known as thermal tasters (TT) experience taste sensations when their tongue is warmed or cooled. It was first reported in 2000 by Cruz and Green [1] and since then, most research has focused on comparing TT to thermal non-tasters (TnT; individuals who do not experience thermally-elicited sensations). As TT rate the intensity of taste stimuli higher than TnT, understanding the nature of this difference may help inform how individual differences in taste perception impact consumer liking and consumption of food and beverages. However, as the mechanism(s) underlying thermal tasting are yet to be fully elucidated, it is unclear if TT should be considered a homogeneous group or if subgroups exist. We created a dataset to help determine if the orosensory advantage is universal across all TT, or if it is mainly attributable to one or more subgroups of TT. To this end, the thermal taste screening data of 297 TT from 12 previous recruitment drives ('cohorts') was combined. This created the largest dataset of TT reported to date in a single study, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the differences between TT. After training on appropriate scale use, participants were familiarized with common taste and chemesthetic stimuli (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, astringent and metallic). Using a sip-and-spit protocol, participants rinsed with the stimuli and rated the maximum intensity each stimulus elicited on a generalized Visual Analogue Scale (gVAS) or a generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS). To account for minor methodological differences between the cohorts, ratings from each cohort were first converted to z-scores before being combined into the overall dataset. Next, participants underwent a series of 12 trials that assessed response to a thermal elicitation device during which each combination of two temperature regimes (warming and cooling) and three lingual sites (tongue tip, 1 cm to left, 1 cm to the right) were examined in duplicate. Participants were asked to rate the maximum intensity of any sensations experienced during each trial. TT were classified into subgroups based on the type of thermally-elicited taste reported (typically sweet, sour, salty, bitter, metallic), the temperature regime during which the sensation was elicited (warming or cooling) and the location on the tongue tested at which the sensation was experienced. Figures are provided that show the mean intensity ratings of aqueous solutions of chemical stimuli and corresponding standard errors for each of the TT subgroups. In addition, the TT Subgroup Naming Conventions provided should allow for a consistent and clear use of terminology across future thermal taste research. Readers are referred to Homogeneity of thermal tasters and implications for mechanisms and classification[2] for a full discussion of how these findings inform our understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying thermal taste and the practical implications of methodological differences in determining thermal taste status.

Homogeneity of thermal tasters and implications for mechanisms and classification.

Thermal tasting, an important type of individual variation in orosensation, is a phenomenon by which some individuals perceive thermally-induced taste sensations simply by having the tip of their tongue warmed or cooled. These individuals, known as thermal tasters, report a variety of thermally-elicited tastes (typically sweet, sour, salty, bitter, metallic) and the tastes reported can vary with the temperature regime used (warming or cooling) and location on the tongue tested. Importantly, when compared to thermal non-tasters, thermal tasters are more responsive to aqueous solutions of basic tastants and to beverages. The mechanism(s) underlying thermal tasting are not well understood and it is unknown if the increased orosensory responsiveness of thermal tasters is universal or if it is driven by a subgroup of thermal tasters. Thermal taste data from 12 previous studies was combined to obtain a large sample of thermal tasters (n = 254) who were divided into subgroups based on the type of thermally-elicited taste reported and the temperature regime/location at which it was experienced. Sweet thermal tasters (n = 77) were 9 times more likely than non-sweet thermal tasters (n = 177) to experience thermally-elicited sensations during lingual warming (p < 0.0001). Similarly, sour thermal tasters (n = 89) were 8 times more likely than non-sour thermal tasters (n = 165) to report thermally induced tastes during cooling (p<0.0001). However, no differences in orosensory responsiveness based on these or other subgroups were identified, suggesting that the heightened orosensory responsiveness of thermal tasters may be centrally-mediated. We discuss how these findings inform our understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying thermal taste and the identification of thermal taste subgroups, along with practical implications of methodological differences in determining thermal taste status.

Subjective wellbeing in the Indian general population: a validation study of the Personal Wellbeing Index.

PURPOSE: The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) is a commonly used measure of life satisfaction that reflects a person's level of subjective wellbeing (SWB). The present study aimed to establish the validity and reliability of the PWI in a large sample of Indian adults and describe their SWB. METHODS: 2004 Indian adults completed a cross-sectional online survey, which was presented in English and included the PWI and demographic questions. The sample was split to assess the psychometric properties of the 7-item (n = 981) and 8-item (n = 937) versions of the PWI. RESULTS: Both the 7- and 8-item versions of the PWI demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = .89 and .88, respectively). The global means for both versions of the PWI (7-item = 74.43, 8-item = 73.82) were within the normative range for Western countries. Achieving in life had the lowest domain scores for both the 7-item (M = 70.51) and 8-item (M = 68.37) versions; the spirituality or religion domain had the highest domain score in the 8-item version (M = 78.84). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that both the 7- and 8-item versions of the PWI are valid and reliable measures of life satisfaction for use in India. The global mean scores for both versions of the PWI were within the normative range for Western countries. In this study, Indians reported high levels of satisfaction with their spirituality or religion, suggesting this domain may be an important contributor of SWB; however, more research is needed to determine this.

Predicting the intention to use herbal medicines for anxiety symptoms: a model of health behaviour.

Background: Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition in the Western world. Adults experiencing anxiety have been found to use a range of herbal medicines to manage anxiety symptoms.Aim: This study aimed to test a theoretical model based on the theory of planned behaviour that predicted the intention to use herbal medicines for anxiety symptoms, and to identify individual predictors of intention.Methods: An online survey was conducted with Australian adults who experienced anxiety and used herbal medicines (N = 400). A two-step approach to structural equation modelling was used to test a path model predicting the intention to use herbal medicines.Results: The model was found to be well-fitting. Attitude, subjective norms, control beliefs and severity of anxiety symptoms each significantly positively predicted intention to use herbal medicines for anxiety symptoms explaining 56% of the variance.Conclusions: The results suggest that mental health practitioners and policy makers need to ensure people experiencing anxiety have access to accurate and reliable information about herbal medicines to ensure they can effectively manage anxiety symptoms and safely engage in self-care.

Re-examining pregnancy-related anxiety: A replication study.

BACKGROUND: Recognition of pregnancy-related anxiety as a distinct anxiety is supported by evidence differentiating it from general anxiety and depression. Adverse associations with pregnancy-related anxiety further support this distinction. An influential study by Huizink et al. (2004), demonstrated that anxiety and depression contribute little to the variance of pregnancy-related anxiety, yet this study has not been replicated. Further, addressing limitations of the original study will provide further clarity to the findings. METHODS: Participants (N=1209), were recruited online and completed three scales: pregnancy-related anxiety, general anxiety and depression. Multiple regression assessed the unique contribution of general anxiety and depression (predictors) to pregnancy-related anxiety scores (criterion) for each trimester. RESULTS: Across pregnancy, general anxiety and depression explained only 2-23% of the variance in the pregnancy-related anxiety scores. Anxiety and depression showed small unique contributions for some trimesters and specific areas of concern, ranging from 2 to 11%. Comparisons to the original Huizink study showed most results were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: The methodology and more detailed analyses employed addressed noted limitations of the Huizink study. Findings that the contribution of general anxiety and depression to the variance in pregnancy-related anxiety scores was low, supports previous conclusions that pregnancy-related anxiety is a discrete anxiety type. Recognition of this unique anxiety (associated with many deleterious outcomes) may provide opportunity for prenatal screening/early intervention, potentially resulting in improved pregnancy outcomes. Limitations include no exclusion of women deemed as high-risk pregnancy and the pregnancy-related anxiety scale limited in its ability to fully assess this anxiety type.

The initial development of the Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale.

PROBLEM/BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related anxiety is a distinct anxiety characterised by pregnancy-specific concerns. This anxiety is consistently associated with adverse birth outcomes, and obstetric and paediatric risk factors, associations generally not seen with other anxieties. The need exists for a psychometrically sound scale for this anxiety type. This study, therefore, reports on the initial development of the Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale. METHODS: The item pool was developed following a literature review and the formulation of a definition for pregnancy-related anxiety. An Expert Review Panel reviewed the definition, item pool and test specifications. Pregnant women were recruited online (N=671). RESULTS: Using a subsample (N=262, M=27.94, SD=4.99), fourteen factors were extracted using Principal Components Analysis accounting for 63.18% of the variance. Further refinement resulted in 11 distinct factors. Confirmatory Factor Analysis further tested the model with a second subsample (N=369, M=26.59, SD=4.76). After additional refinement, the resulting model was a good fit with nine factors (childbirth, appearance, attitudes towards childbirth, motherhood, acceptance, anxiety, medical, avoidance, and baby concerns). Internal consistency reliability was good with the majority of subscales exceeding α=.80. CONCLUSIONS: The Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale is easy to administer with higher scores indicative of greater pregnancy-related anxiety. The inclusion of reverse-scored items is a potential limitation with poorer reliability evident for these factors. Although still in its development stage, the Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale will eventually be useful both clinically (affording early intervention) and in research settings.

SPME Method Optimized by Box-Behnken Design for Impact Odorants in Reduced Alcohol Wines.

The important sampling parameters of a headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) procedure such as the extraction temperature, extraction time, and sample volume were optimized to quantify 23 important impact odorants in reduced alcohol red and white wines. A three-factor design of Box-Behnken experiments was used to determine the optimized sampling conditions for each analyte, and a global optimized condition at every ethanol concentration of interest determined using a desirability function that accounts for a low signal response for compounds. Shiraz and Chardonnay wines were dealcoholized from 13.7 and 12.2% v/v ethanol respectively, to 8 and 5% v/v, using a commercially available membrane-based technology. A sample set of the reduced alcohol wines were also reconstituted to their natural ethanol level to evaluate the effect of the ethanol content reduction on volatile composition. The three-factor Box-Behnken experiment ensured an accurate determination of the headspace concentration of each compound at each ethanol concentration, allowing comparisons between wines at varying ethanol levels to be made. Overall, the results showed that the main effect of extraction temperature was considered the most critical factor when studying the equilibrium of reduced alcohol wine impact odorants. The impact of ethanol reduction upon the concentration of volatile compounds clearly resulted in losses of impact odorants from the wines. The concentration of most analytes decreased with dealcoholization compared to that of the natural samples. Significant differences were also found between the reconstituted volatile composition and 5% v/v reduced alcohol wines, revealing that the dealcoholization effect is the result of a combination between the type of dealcoholization treatment and reduction in wine ethanol content.

Development of a conceptual framework that identifies factors and challenges impacting perinatal fathers.

BACKGROUND: A father's ability to cope with fatherhood in the perinatal period has received limited attention in the literature. Recent studies have shown that both mothers and fathers are challenged by the demands of parenthood. AIMS: The challenges experienced by fathers during the perinatal period are explored and specific risk factors are identified. The aim of this paper was to develop a framework embedding the identified risk factors into a theoretical model that could be applied in predicting paternal emotional well-being. METHODS: This literature review consulted English peer-reviewed papers as far back as 1990. Databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, EBSCO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were examined. RESULTS: The results of the literature review depicted a number of factors that could be aggregated into four clusters, including vulnerability factors, precipitating factors, coping style, and socio-cultural factors. LIMITATION: The literature review was limited as it only examined English based peer-reviewed articles. CONCLUSION: The suggested model is based on various theoretical concepts and empirical findings. The application of this model could assist clinicians in the identification of at-risk perinatal fathers and target interventions to specific challenges experienced by perinatal fathers.

The pregnancy-related anxiety scale: A validity examination using Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related anxiety is increasingly recognised as a common condition that is associated with many deleterious outcomes for both the mother and infant (e.g., preterm birth, postnatal depression). Limitations in the psychometric properties and/or breadth of existing scales for pregnancy-related anxiety highlight the need for a psychometrically sound measure to facilitate effective screening and possible early interventions. The recently developed Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale (PrAS) was evaluated using Rasch analysis to explore how the scale's psychometric properties could be fine-tuned. METHOD: A sample of 497 pregnant women completed the PrAS. Data were subjected to Rasch analysis, and the resulting scale structure examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. RESULTS: After minor modifications, the Rasch model with 33-items and 8-factors demonstrated good fit, unidimensionality and excellent targeting and internal consistency. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the final structure, and Cronbach's alpha demonstrated excellent reliability. LIMITATIONS: The use of the same sample for all analyses was a potential limitation due to the possibility of sample-specific influences. CONCLUSIONS: The Rasch analysis further supports the internal construct validity of the PrAS. Ordinal to interval score conversions provide added precision to the analysis of the PrAS scores. The Rasch results, together with previous validation evidence, point to the PrAS as a comprehensive and psychometrically sound screening scale for pregnancy-related anxiety. The PrAS offers clinicians the ability to screen for pregnancy-related anxiety. The subscales provide additional insights into a woman's pregnancy-related anxiety and her specific areas of concern, enabling more targeted interventions.

Herbal medicine use behaviour in Australian adults who experience anxiety: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health condition in Australia. In addition, there are many people who experience problematic anxiety symptoms who do not receive an anxiety disorder diagnosis but require treatment. As herbal medicine use is popular in Australia, and little is known about how adults experiencing anxiety are using these medicines, this study aimed to identify how Australian adults who experience anxiety are using herbal medicines. METHODS: An online cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using purposive convenience sampling to recruit Australian adults who have experienced anxiety symptoms and have used herbal medicines (N = 400). Descriptive statistics, chi-square test of contingency, analysis of variance, and simple logistic regression was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Eighty two percent of participants experienced anxiety symptoms in the previous 12 months, with 47% reporting having previously been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In addition, 72.8% had used herbal medicines specifically for anxiety symptoms in their lifetime, while 55.3% had used prescribed pharmaceuticals, with 27.5% having used herbal medicines concurrently with prescribed pharmaceuticals. The Internet and family and friends were the most frequently used sources of information about herbal medicines. Forty eight percent of participants did not disclose their herbal medicine use to their doctor. CONCLUSIONS: Herbal medicines are being used by adults with anxiety and are commonly self-prescribed for anxiety symptoms. Health practitioners who are experts in herbal medicine prescribing are consulted infrequently. In addition, herbal medicine use is often not disclosed to health practitioners. These behaviours are concerning as people may not be receiving the most suitable treatments, and their use of herbal medicines may even be dangerous. It is critical we develop a better understanding of why people are using these medicines, and how we can develop improved health literacy to help with treatment decision making to ensure people receive optimal care.