Childhood-related PTSD: the role of cognitions in EMDR and imagery rescripting.

Background: The relationship between trauma-related negative cognitions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been studied frequently. Several studies found a mediating effect of trauma-related negative cognitions on symptom reduction in studies on different psychotherapeutic treatments, however, this relationship has never been studied in imagery rescripting (ImRs) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).Objective: To analyse the role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of PTSD due to childhood trauma with EMDR and ImRs.Method: N = 155 patients with PTSD due to childhood trauma aged between 18 and 65 (M = 38.54) participated in a randomized clinical trial and were treated with either EMDR or ImRs in Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands between October 2014 and June 2019. We analysed the relationship between PTSD symptoms (Clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, CAPS-5 and Impact of Event Scale revised; IES-R, completed twice for index trauma and for all other traumas) and trauma-related negative cognitions (Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory, PTCI) using Granger Causality analyses with linear mixed models on person-centered variables. Assessments were conducted pre-treatment, post-treatment (12 sessions in 6 weeks), eight weeks post-treatment, and one year after the pre-treatment assessment.Results: Changes in negative cognitions (PTCI) preceded changes in PTSD symptoms (unidirectional) as measured by the CAPS and the IES-R for index trauma. For the IES-R related to all other traumas, a unidirectional relationship was found in which changes in PTSD symptoms preceded changes in negative cognitions. No moderating effect of treatment was found. On the level of PTCI subscales only changes in cognitions about oneself preceeded changes in PTSD symptoms.Conclusions: The results support the idea of a general role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of PTSD. The analyses should be replicated with a higher frequency of assessments.

We studied the role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with either EMDR or ImRs.Within-person changes in trauma-related negative cognitions preceded changes in PTSD symptoms, except for self-reported PTSD symptoms of all other trauma's than the index trauma, where the opposite relationship was found.We found no moderation by treatment condition, this supports the idea of a general role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Exploring the Link Between Cyber Victimization and Depression.

Cyber victimization is strongly and positively associated with depressive symptoms in adolescence. Identifying mechanisms of this association is imperative to benefit adolescents' mental health. Applying the General Aggression Model in a theoretically novel way, this study examined a complex mediational pathway between cyber victimization and depressive symptoms. Two hundred seventy-seven adolescent participants (M age = 15.84; 65.7% females) reported their own cyber victimization experiences, depressive symptoms, and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral attributions in response to a hypothetical cyber victimization scenario. Path analysis within structural equation modeling was used to test a model where cyber victimization predicted depressive symptoms through characterological self-blame cognitions, sadness emotions, and passive avoidance behaviors. Characterological self-blame was found to partially mediate the positive and significant association between cyber victimization and depressive symptoms. Sadness emotions and passive avoidance behaviors did not emerge as significant mediators. The findings implicate the importance of cognitions in explaining the association between cyber victimization and depression and suggest incorporating cognitive re-framing education into anti-cyberbullying prevention programs.

Psychopathy, criminogenic cognitions and emotional responses to affective stimuli among male adult offenders.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has consistently shown value in studying emotion processing with psychopathy, but the relative effect of aural and visual stimulation has hardly been considered. AIMS: Our aims were to (1) compare reaction time and self-rated valence ((un)pleasantness), arousal and sense of being dominated by affective sounds or visual images among offenders with and without psychopathy (=/>26) on the psychopathy check-list revised; (2) investigate any associations, controlling for social desirability and depression; (3) explore the possible mediating effect of criminogenic cognitions on any relationships between psychopathy and emotional responses to affective stimuli. METHODS: Professional educators invited all male offenders serving semi-open custody sentences in one prison to participate. After a semi structured interview to assess psychopathy, they self-reported on criminogenic cognition, depression and social desirability scales, before a computer task using standardised human and animal sounds and images. Using the self-assessment manikin, participants rated the emotional valence, arousal and dominance levels when pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sounds or images were presented. RESULTS: About one in three prisoners completed all the ratings-120 men, of mean age 38.8 years (SD = 11.06). All had shorter reaction times to sounds than images. Offenders with high affective-interpersonal factor scores rated all types of sounds as less pleasant. Men with high psychopathy scores took longer to respond to unpleasant images than those with lower scores. There was a positive relationship between psychopathy factors and criminogenic cognitions and the external locus of criminogenic cognitions mediated the relationship between psychopathy facets and emotional responses of valence to pleasant sounds. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm the potential importance of emotional reactions to sounds as well as images among men with psychopathy. Given the shorter reaction times to sounds, in real life sounds could prove more provocative than images. While only small differences emerged between men above and below the PCL-R threshold, indications from facet analyses suggest that further study of sound stimuli could enhance the understanding of emotional response differences to inform interventions. Future research in this area should focus on human-related stimuli and add alexithymia measures.

The Relation Between Sexual Fantasies and Offense-Supportive Cognitions in People Convicted of Sexual Offenses: A Preliminary Study.

The main objective of this research is to study the relationships of offense-supportive cognitions and sexual fantasies with sex crime. The research involved 48 men: 26 convicted of sexual offenses against minors and 22 convicted of sexual offenses against adults from different prisons in the Community of Madrid, Spain. We used the RAPE Scale and the Sex With Children Scale to evaluate offense-supportive cognitions and an ad hoc adaptation of the Multidimensional Developmental, Sex and Aggression Inventory to evaluate sexual fantasies with minors and sadomasochistic fantasies. The results show that both groups present similar offense-supportive cognitions, while each group had significantly more sexual fantasies related to their specific crime. Participants who had sexual fantasies about minors presented significantly more offense-supportive cognitions justifying child sexual abuse than those who did not present these fantasies, while participants with sadomasochistic fantasies did not present more offense-supportive cognitions about rape. After collecting this information, we ran four mediation models to assess potential relationships between fantasies, offense-supportive cognitions, and specific sexual crime. The mediation models showed that both sexual fantasies with minors and sadomasochistic fantasies had direct relationships with sex crimes. Upon further confirmation with studies with larger sample sizes, our findings support the importance of dealing with sexual fantasies in treatment of people convicted of sexual offenses and imply a need for differentiated treatment, since the content of sexual fantasies was different in each group.

Does cognitive-behavioral treatment affect putative mechanisms of change among individuals with problem gambling? A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The current study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for problem gambling and gambling disorder and whether it produced different outcomes than minimal or no treatment controls on three putative change mechanisms: 1) gambling cognitions, 2) coping, and 3) self-efficacy. METHOD: Studies were identified from five bibliographic databases (i.e., Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed). Included studies were randomized controlled trials of CBT that included posttreatment data on putative mechanisms. Between-group Hedges's g effect sizes were calculated to examine outcomes of CBT relative to minimal or no treatment control on gambling cognitions, coping, and self-efficacy at posttreatment. Risk of bias was determined using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. RESULTS: Fifteen studies, representing 1,536 participants, were eligible for analysis. Participants in CBT had more favorable gambling cognitions (g = -0.41), coping behaviors (g = 0.27), and self-efficacy (g = 1.12) at posttreatment than minimal or no treatment control. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the current study provided preliminary support for the effectiveness of CBT on three putative mechanisms of change among individuals experiencing problem gambling and gambling disorder. Although the results were promising, there was significant heterogeneity in the magnitude of effect sizes for all three outcomes, and outcomes were not consistently assessed with psychometrically established assessment tools.

Bilateral vestibulopathy - Loss of vestibular function and experience of emotions.

OBJECTIVE: The vestibular system is closely connected to emotion-processing neuronal circuits. Patients with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP), a chronic loss of vestibular function, show remarkably lower rates of psychiatric comorbidities and vertigo-related anxiety (VRA) than those with episodic vertigo/dizziness (v/d). This study aimed to evaluate whether patients with BVP differ from those with episodic v/d in terms of VRA, general anxiety, and cognitions about body and health. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved a subsample of 202 patients with episodic v/d (i.e., vestibular migraine, vestibular paroxysmia, or Menière's disease) and 43 patients with BVP. All patients underwent standardised neurological/neurotological examinations, structured clinical interviews (SCID-I), and self-report questionnaires, such as the Vertigo Handicap Questionnaire (VHQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Trait Anxiety from the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), and Cognitions About Body and Health questionnaire (CABAH). Non-parametric tests were used for analysis. Due to multiple testing, the significance level was set at p ≤ .008. RESULTS: Patients with episodic v/d exhibited higher VRA levels than those with BVP. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p = .04; r = 0.15, small effect). Additionally, patients with BVP reported more catastrophizing cognitions (p < .001; r = 0.25, small effect) and bodily weakness (p = .003; r = 0.22, small effect) compared to those with episodic v/d. There were no differences in general anxiety levels (BAI and STAI-T) between patients with v/d and those with BVP. CONCLUSION: Patients with episodic v/d and BVP differed in their appraisal (cognition). The difference in VRA (subjective feeling) was not statistically significant. These preliminary results are discussed using a component approach to emotions.

Differences in parental behaviour, emotions, and cognitions between children's eating profiles.

A variety of parent psychological characteristics (e.g., wellbeing) have been related to children's eating behaviour. However, parent-child feeding interactions are reciprocal and complex, including relationships between parental cognitions, emotions, as well as the influence of children's varying appetitive traits. Using a person-centred approach, children's appetitive traits can be clustered into meaningful eating profiles. To date, no research has examined whether parental behaviours, emotions, and cognitions differ depending on a child's eating profile. Hence, this study recruited parents/primary caregivers from the APPETItE project, whose child had previously been identified as having an avoidant, typical, happy, or avid eating profile. Parents/primary caregivers of children (3-6 years; N = 632) completed online questionnaires examining broader parenting behaviour (parenting styles), parental emotions (stress, wellbeing), and parental cognitions (goals, self-efficacy, time and energy for meal planning and preparation, and perceptions about children's body size). Findings showed significant differences in parent responses to the questionnaires based on children's eating profiles. Parents of children with a happy eating profile reported better psychological wellbeing and greater parenting time and energy for meal planning and preparation, as well as being less likely to report goals of avoiding mealtime stress and conflict. In contrast, parents of children with an avoidant eating profile reported poorer psychological wellbeing. Children with an avid eating profile were perceived by parents as having a higher body weight, whereas children with an avoidant eating profile were perceived as having a lower body weight. Overall, these findings demonstrate that differences in parental characteristics and perceptions exist between children's eating profiles and thus should be considered in the development of tailored interventions to support children's healthy eating.

Psychological Factors Influencing Healthcare Utilization in Breast Cancer Survivors with Pain.

INTRODUCTION: Pain is a prevalent side-effect seen in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Psychological factors are known role-players in pain mechanisms. Both pain and psychological factors contribute to or interact with healthcare use (HCU). However, the association between psychological factors and HCU has never been investigated in BCS with pain, which is aimed in this study. METHODS: Belgian BCS with pain (n = 122) were assessed by the Medical Consumption Questionnaire, Injustice Experienced Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire, Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Associations were analyzed using logistic and Poisson regressions. RESULTS: Opioid use was related to more catastrophizing and less psychological distress. Psychotropic drug was related to more psychological distress. Endocrine therapy related to less vigilance and awareness. Psychological distress related to all types of healthcare provider (HCP), with psychological distress negatively related to physiotherapy, psychology, and other primary HCP visits, and positively with visiting a general practitioner and secondary HCP. Catastrophizing related to more visiting behavior in primary HCP, except to a general practitioner. Perceived injustice related to more general practitioner and other primary HCP visits, but to fewer psychology visits. Illness perceptions are only related to visiting other primary HCP. Vigilance and awareness was related to more psychologist and secondary HCP visits. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the complex interplay between HCU and psychological factors in BCS with pain. Psychological distress was overall the most important psychological factor related to HCU, whether catastrophizing and perceived injustice were the most relevant related to HCP visits.

Self-blame, posttraumatic stress, and cardiovascular reactivity among sexual trauma survivors.

Although trauma is closely linked with hyperarousal and cardiovascular health, little research has examined the effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on cardiovascular reactivity to trauma reminders among sexual trauma survivors. One type of negative appraisal after trauma, self-blame, is common after sexual trauma, but its relation to cardiovascular reactivity is unknown. The present study aimed to examine the influence of both PTSS and self-blame on blood pressure and heart rate (HR) reactivity to a trauma reminder. Cardiovascular reactivity was measured before, during, and after a laboratory-based sexual trauma reminder among 72 young adult women who have experienced sexual trauma. Higher PTSS predicted lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity during the trauma reminder. Higher levels of self-blame predicted higher HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity during and after the trauma reminder. Overall, these findings suggest that survivors of sexual trauma with higher levels of PTSS experience a blunting reaction of DBP when exposed to trauma reminders, as opposed to a more typical cardiovascular stress reaction that may elevate and then extinguish to baseline levels. Meanwhile, individuals with higher levels of self-blame have heightened cardiovascular SBP and HR responses during trauma reminders that do not return to baseline levels, perhaps due to self-blame leading individuals to be more 'on guard' to prevent future threats. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore the potential long-term cardiovascular impacts of heightened self-blame and PTSS and their associated cardiovascular reactivity patterns.

The Role of Anger Cognitions and Anger Rumination in Predicting Externalizing and Internalizing Problems in Adolescence.

This study aims to examine the relative contribution of anger cognitions and anger rumination in predicting externalizing and internalizing problems among 180 adolescents (aged 11-18 years) using correlational and linear regression analysis. Our findings showed that anger rumination predicted both externalizing (aggressive behaviors) and internalizing problems (anxious, depressive, and somatic symptoms). In contrast, biased anger cognitions did not appear to meaningfully predict either externalizing or internalizing symptoms, with the only exception of the hostile verbal labels and catastrophic cognitive attributions, a factor that was significantly associated with both rule-breaking behaviors (ß = .339, p < .01) and aggressive behaviors (ß = .238, p < .05). Anger rumination accounted for a higher rate of variance of psychopathology compared with anger cognitions and should be addressed in interventions for either externalizing or internalizing symptoms in adolescence.

Cognitive, Metacognitive, Motivational, and Emotional Predictors of the Intensity of Internet Gaming Disorder among Adolescents.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is multifaceted and can have significant negative consequences. The present study examined the contribution of cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and emotional factors as predictors for IGD severity. In a cross-sectional study, 703 Iranian adolescents (36.8% females, mean age = 16.98 years [SD = 1.23]) completed an online survey. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and emotional factors predicted 7.8%, 17.4%, 1.4%, and 1.9% of the variance in IGD symptoms, respectively. The findings indicated that the cognitive factors including some maladaptive cognitions, such as cognitive salience, regret, and perfectionism, and metacognitive factors including some maladaptive metacognitions (negative metacognitions regarding the uncontrollability of online gaming and negative metacognitions regarding the dangers of online gaming) were significant predictors of IGD severity, highlighting their importance in understanding and predicting problematic gaming behaviors. Although contributing to the variance in IGD, motivational factors (escape, coping, and skill development) and emotional factors including emotion regulation (especially reappraisal) played relatively smaller roles compared to cognitive and metacognitive factors. Of the examined predictive factors, metacognitions were the most important predictor of IGD severity. Exploratory moderator analyses showed significant interactions between three predictors of IGD (reappraisal, negative metacognitions, and cognitive salience) with loneliness, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Reappraisal was the most frequent predictor and had a significant interaction with these variables. Other predictors independently impacted IGD irrespective of the level of loneliness, stress, anxiety, or depressive symptoms. Based on these findings, special attention to metacognitive, cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors is suggested in the treatment of IGD.

Cognitions and Metacognitive Beliefs in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: There has been an increasing interest in understanding what contributes to the development and what maintains posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The cognitive model emphasizes that it is a disturbance of the autobiographical memory for the trauma, cognitive beliefs and maladaptive behaviour that maintain trauma symptoms. Interventions are based on cognitive restructuring and behaviour experiments to modify these beliefs. In contrast, the metacognitive model emphasizes that it is the metacognitive beliefs that give rise to the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS) that maintain trauma symptoms. The focus of treatment is reducing CAS and working on metacognitive beliefs. The aim of this study was to explore the contribution of cognitions and metacognitive beliefs to trauma symptoms and investigate what predicts symptom burden in traumatized patients. METHOD: Participants (N = 290) diagnosed with PTSD were included, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to explore if cognitions and metacognitive beliefs explained additional and independent variance in trauma symptoms while controlling for age and gender. RESULTS: Both cognitions and metacognitive beliefs contributed independently and significantly to predicting trauma symptoms. CONCLUSION: The results provide further support for investigating what maintains trauma symptoms and what to target in treatment. This may have clinical implications for our theoretical and practical understanding of PTSD.

An evaluation of the behavioural inhibition system and behavioural activation system (BIS-BAS) model of pain in athletes.

This study examined coping and pain responses using a behavioural inhibition (BIS) - behavioural activation (BAS) framework in 489 student athletes (M(age) = 20, SD = 4; 69% female). Two samples of athletes (226 pain-free athletes and 232 athletes with current pain) completed surveys assessing BIS- and BAS-related cognitions, emotions, and behaviours. Distinct groupings of BAS-related variables were identified in both samples, evidenced by significant positive correlations within BAS-related variables (positive affect, pain openness, approach thoughts and behaviours). Most BIS-related variables (depression, anxiety, harm beliefs, pain catastrophizing and avoidance behaviours) were also correlated in the sample of athletes with pain; however, this was not observed in pain-free athletes. In athletes with pain, BIS-related variables were significantly associated with pain variables, with this association stronger than that found for BAS-related variables. Regression analyses highlighted the pivotal role of pain catastrophizing as a predictor of pain unpleasantness and intensity. Findings shed light on the factors shaping athletes' coping, pain perception and decisions as to whether to pause or push through. Future investigations to explore these dynamics in more depth may aid in the development of targeted interventions that enhance athletes' ability to cope and to manage pain more effectively.

Adolescent's explicit and implicit cigarette cognitions predict experimentation with both cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Background: Past year, month, and lifetime adolescent e-cigarette use rates remain persistently high, despite falling cigarette use rates. Previous investigations have noted a strong relationship between an individual's positive and negative cognitions related to a behavior, and subsequent initiation of that behavior.Objective: This investigation was conducted to determine the impact positive and negative explicit and implicit cigarette-related cognitions may have on the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes among at-risk, cigarette-naive adolescents.Methods: A three-year longitudinal investigation evaluated the relationship between cigarette-related cognitions and subsequent cigarette and e-cigarette use among 586 alternative high school students (female: 50.8%; mean age: 17.4 years; Hispanic/Latino: 75.0%) who had never smoked cigarettes at the baseline assessment. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to generate demographics-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).Results: Students with higher positive explicit cigarette cognitions at the baseline had greater odds of subsequent cigarette use (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.11-2.68). If students also reported an increase over time in positive (OR = 3.45, 95% CI 2.10-5.68) or negative (OR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.03-3.61) explicit cigarette cognitions, the odds of cigarette use increased. The odds of dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes were greater among students who had higher negative implicit cigarette cognitions at the baseline (OR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.03-4.17) compared to those with lower levels of negative implicit cognitions.Conclusion: Prevention programming that focuses on decreasing positive cognitions related to nicotine and tobacco use may have greater overall effect on decreasing use compared to programs that only focus on increasing negative cognitions individuals form surrounding cigarette or e-cigarettes.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for fibromyalgia patients: The role of pain cognitions as mechanisms of change.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pain condition characterized by physical and psychological difficulties. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effects of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on FM patients and identify the role of two pain cognitions: psychological inflexibility in pain (PIPS) and pain catastrophizing (PCS), as mechanisms of change. METHODS: 95 FM patients (Mean ± SD: 49.18 ± 13.26 years) were randomly assigned to MBSR group therapy (n = 49) or a waitlist (WL) control group (n = 46). An adapted MBSR protocol for FM was employed. A series of measures were taken, covering FM symptoms, depression, perceived stress (PSS), PIPS and PCS. Three measurements were conducted: pre-intervention, post-intervention and 6-months follow up. RESULTS: Compared to WL controls, the MBSR group showed greater improvements in FM symptoms (F(1,78) = 2.81, p < 0.05), PSS (F(1,78) = 4.38, p < 0.05) and Depression (F(1,78) = 21.12, p < 0.001), with mostly medium effect sizes. Improvements in PSS (F(2,68) = 7.75, p < 0.05) and depression (F(2,68) = 15.68, p < 0.05) remained stable over six months. The effect of MBSR on FM and PSS was mediated by one's reported change in PIPS. The effect of MBSR on depression was mediated by one's reported change in PCS. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal the significant therapeutic potential of MBSR for FM patients, due to the emphasis on non-judging and acceptance of negative inner states. Furthermore, this research identified two important pain-related cognitions as mechanisms of change, suggesting that MBSR contributes to cognitive change, which enables the reduction of physical and psychological distress. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04304664.

Correlations of The Central Sensitization Inventory, conditioned pain modulation, cognitions and psychological factors in individuals with chronic neck pain: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic neck pain (CNP) is a global public health problem, with high prevalence and absenteeism rates. Central sensitization (CS) as a basis for chronic pain may play an essential role in its development and progression. It is often comorbid with low conditioned pain modulation (CPM) effects, cognitions, and psychological problems. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to (1) explore the relationship between pain-related cognitions and psychological factors, CPM effects, and the central sensitization inventory (CSI) scores; and (2) determine whether cognitions and psychological factors can predict CSI scores and CPM effects in individuals with CNP. METHODS: Fifty-four individuals with CNP were recruited for this cross-sectional study. The following outcome measures were evaluated: The CSI (screening tool) was compared with the cold pressor test (CPT), which was the psychophysical test used to assess the CPM; neck pain intensity using the visual analogue scale (VAS), as well as pain-related cognitions (including kinesiophobia and pain catastrophization) and psychological states (including anxiety and depression) using self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: CSI score was not associated with the CPM effect (r = 0.257, p > 0.05), and no cognitions or psychological factors were associated with CPM (p > 0.05), but CSI score was moderately positively correlated with kinesiophobia (r = 0.554, p < 0.01), lowly positively correlated with pain catastrophization (r = 0.332, p = 0.017) and anxiety (r = 0.492, p < 0.01), but not depression (r = 0.207, p = 0.132). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that kinesiophobia (B = 1.308, p < 0.01) and anxiety (B = 1.806, p = 0.02) were significant positive predictors of CSI score. CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirm some of our hypotheses. Accordingly, the findings inferred that the CSI does not seem to respond to CPM effect in patients with CNP effectively. In addition, CSI score was associated with cognitions and psychological factors, of which kinesiophobia and anxiety were effective predictors. In clinical practice, pain-related cognitions and psychological factors should be fully considered to manage neck pain efficiently.

Linking child adjustment difficulties with mother's maladaptive parental behavior: The mediating roles of parental cognitions and parenting stress.

Child abuse is prevalent worldwide, with most of the burden in developing countries. To reduce and prevent child abuse occurrence, many efforts are directed toward reducing maladaptive parental behaviors (MPBs), a predictor of parents' risk of engaging in child abusive behaviors. MPBs have been associated with child (e.g., behavioral difficulties) and parent characteristics (e.g., parenting stress and parental cognitions), although little research tested for mediational pathways. This study aimed to test the pathways through which child and parent characteristics are linked to MPB. Consistent with the social information processing model of parenting, we hypothesized that child behavioral difficulties would exert an indirect influence on MPB through parenting stress and that parenting stress will exert a direct and indirect effect on MPB through parental cognitions (i.e., expectations, attitudes, and attributions). This study used data from 243 mothers of children aged between 2 and 9 years in Romania. Two-stage structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results support the role of child behavior, parenting stress, and parental cognitions in predicting MPB (R2 = 0.69). Significant indirect effects were found from child behavior to MPB via parenting stress and parental cognitions. Direct effects from parenting stress and parental cognitions to MPB were significant. Findings show that parenting stress and parental cognitions are important mechanisms through which child behavioral difficulties influence maladaptive parental behavior, underscoring the need to focus on these mechanisms when assessing or intervening with families at risk for child abuse.

Economic valuation of a mesocarnivore's impact management.

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have interacted with humans during their common history. We used a contingent valuation method to assess the economic value of the management of this mesocarnivore's negative impacts. We carried out face-to-face interviews with 746 Greek residents, using a multiple-bounded discrete choice approach to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for red fox management under three impact situations: attack domestic animals, reduce game, carry disease. About 51.9%, 33.0%, and 81.1% of the respondents stated a mean WTP of €34.1, €44.9, and €72.1 for each situation, respectively. The total annual amounts of €18.7 million, €15.7 million, and €61.7 million could be collected from the target population for red fox management when they attack domestic animals, reduce game, and carry disease, respectively. Attitudes and likeability toward foxes were negatively associated while knowledge about foxes and fear of them were positively associated with WTP. The younger, richer, less educated, rural, farmers, hunters, and pet owners were generally more willing to pay for red fox management across situations. Females were more willing to pay for managing predation on domestic animals, while males were more willing to pay for managing predation on game. Our findings showed that the Greek residents highly value the management of red foxes in all impact situations and would be valuable for further advising the management process.

Childbirth as a traumatic event for attendant fathers.

Background: Negative reactions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth have been increasingly reported in mothers, particularly following objectively and subjectively difficult childbirth experiences. A small body of research has examined fathers' reactions to childbirth, with mixed results.Objective: The study aimed to further these studies, investigating whether objective and subjective aspects of fathers' participation in childbirth were related to levels of PTSD and fear of childbirth symptoms, in the first year following childbirth.Method: In total, 224 fathers whose partners had given birth within the previous 12 months answered online questionnaires that examined participation in childbirth, subjective appraisals, levels of fear of childbirth, and PTSD symptoms. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling, examining both direct and indirect effects.Results: Approximately 6% of fathers reported symptoms consistent with probable PTSD. Negative cognitions mediated the path between an emergency caesarean and PTSD. Fear of childbirth was related to emergency caesareans and lack of information from the medical team.Conclusions: Future studies should examine the level of fathers' participation, their subjective appraisal of childbirth, and fear of childbirth, when assessing fathers' reactions to childbirth.

Fathers may report fear of childbirth, not just PTSD, following a traumatic childbirth.Negative appraisal mediates the relationship between an emergency caesarean and PTSD.Fear of childbirth is related to lower levels of information sharing by staff.

Psychological maltreatment, meaning-centered coping, psychological flexibility, and suicide cognitions: A moderated mediation model.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems are currently diversifying, increasing the possibility of suicide. Exposure to psychological maltreatment is one of the factors that increases suicidal cognitions. In addition, psychological flexibility and meaning-centered approaches may be effective in coping with suicidal cognitions. OBJECTIVE: A hypothesized model was tested to examine the relationships among psychological maltreatment, suicidal cognitions, psychological flexibility, and meaning-centered coping. METHOD: Data were collected from a sample of 652 participants. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted to examine the mediating and moderating role of psychological flexibility and meaning-centered coping in the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and suicide cognitions among Turkish adults. RESULTS: The results of the study indicated significant negative and positive relationships between psychological maltreatment, suicide cognitions, psychological flexibility, and meaning-centered coping. The findings suggest that psychological flexibility and meaning-centered coping have a serial mediating effect on the relationship between psychological maltreatment and suicide cognitions. Furthermore, according to the study results, psychological flexibility plays a moderating role both between psychological maltreatment and suicidal cognitions and between meaning-centered coping and suicidal cognitions. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that psychological maltreatment can be considered as a risk factor and meaning-centered coping and psychological flexibility as protective factors in suicide prevention studies.