The impact of care-recipient relationship type on mental health burden of caregivers for schizophrenia patients: evidence from Beijing, China.

Objective: To examine the impact of care-recipient relationship type on mental health burden of caregivers for schizophrenia patients in China, elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using face-to-face surveys administered to caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in selected communities in Beijing, China. 1,853 samples' data was used. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression models and Sheaf coefficient method were employed to analyze the data. Results: The mental health burden experienced by caregivers of schizophrenia patients has reached a high level, with 66.9% reporting a moderate or severe impact from their caregiving responsibilities. Parents and spouses were the primary providers of care for schizophrenia patients in China. Parent caregivers experienced greater suffering in their caregiving role compared to spouse caregivers, whereas the difference between child caregivers and spouse caregivers was not significant. The factors influencing caregiver's mental health burden vary according to the type of relationship with the care-recipient. For parent caregivers, the mental health burden primarily stems from personal conditions of schizophrenia patients, while for spouse or child caregivers, it mainly arises from family economic conditions. Conclusion: This study reveals that caregivers having different types of care-recipient relationship with schizophrenia patients experience significantly different mental health burdens in Beijing, China, and major influencing factors are distinct according to different care-recipient relationship types.

Illness anxiety, infertility stress, resilience and thyroid-stimulating hormone among infertile people undergoing ART treatment in China.

OBJECTIVE: Infertile people undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment in China may experience severe infertility-related stress and illness anxiety (IA). However, little relevant research has been conducted until now. DESIGN: This study investigated the IA of 340 infertile people undergoing ART treatment, including 43 males, 292 females and 5 who preferred not to answer, in 2 tertiary general public hospitals in Wen Zhou, China. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood samples for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were obtained from 107 women to explore the relationship between IA and TSH. The questionnaire contained the Mandarin version of the Fertility Problem Inventory, the Resilient Trait Scale for Chinese Adults and the Whiteley Index, measuring infertility stress, resilience and IA, respectively. RESULTS: An incidence rate of 44.1% of IA among infertile people undergoing ART treatment in China was determined, and 30.2% of men and 46.6% of women had severe IA (χ2 = 4.05, p < 0.05). The risk of severe IA in women was around twice that in men (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.01-4.01). Women's IA level was significantly associated with their TSH level (ß = 0.27, p < 0.01). Resilience played a moderating role in the relationship between parenthood importance and illness anxiety. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the importance and urgency of providing holistic care for illness anxiety of infertile people undergoing ART treatment in China, especially women. The findings of this study indicated that mind-body therapies and resilience empowerment workshops could be conducive to infertile people's holistic health.

Yoga and massage are associated with small experimental placebo effects in chronic orofacial pain.

BACKGROUND: Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches (CIHA), including but not limited to, natural products and Mind and Body Practices (MBPs), are promising non-pharmacological adjuvants to the arsenal of pain management therapeutics. We aim to establish possible relationships between use of CIHA and the capacity of descending pain modulatory system in the form of occurrence and magnitude of placebo effects in a laboratory setting. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between self-reported use of CIHA, pain disability, and experimentally induced placebo hypoalgesia in chronic pain participants suffering from Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). In the 361 enrolled TMD participants, placebo hypoalgesia was measured using a well-established paradigm with verbal suggestions and conditioning cues paired with distinct heat painful stimulations. Pain disability was measured with the Graded Chronic Pain Scale, and use of CIHA were recorded with a checklist as part of the medical history. RESULTS: Use of physically oriented MBPs (e.g., yoga and massage) was associated with reduced placebo effects (F1,2110.44 = 23.15, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.171). Further, linear regressions indicated that greater number of physically oriented MBPs predicted smaller placebo effects (ß = -0.17, p = 0.002), and less likelihood of being a placebo responder (OR = 0.70, p = 0.004). Use of psychologically oriented MBPs and natural product were not associated with placebo effects magnitude and responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that use of physically oriented CIHA was associated with experimental placebo effects possibly through an optimized capability to recognize distinct somatosensorial stimulations. Future research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying placebo-induced pain modulation in CIHA users. SIGNIFICANCE: Chronic pain participants who use physically oriented mind-body practices, such as yoga and massage, demonstrated attenuated experimentally induced placebo hypoalgesia in comparison with those who do not use them. This finding disentangled the relationship between use of complementary and integrative approaches and placebo effects, providing the potential therapeutic perspective of endogenous pain modulation in chronic pain management.

A self-administered moxibustion-cum-massage intervention for older adults with chronic pain in the community: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of a simple, self-administrable moxibustion-cum-massage intervention for relieving chronic pain and improving psychological well-being for older adults in the community. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Seventy-eight participants with chronic pain were randomly assigned to the intervention and waitlist control groups. INTERVENTIONS: Participants received two moxa sticks a day to use the moxibustion-cum-massage procedure with the help of trained volunteers or caregivers for five consecutive days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participates' pain level, sleep quality, depression and subjective well-being were measured before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and one week after the intervention (T2). RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group × time interaction effect in subjective well-being with a medium effect size. Regarding within-group effects in the intervention group at post-intervention (T1), the subjective pain level was significantly reduced with a small effect size, while sleep quality and depression significantly improved with large effect sizes. The control group showed no significant within-group effects in these variables. Maintenance effects at follow-up (T2) were not significant. CONCLUSION: Despite the short intervention timeframe of five days, the study revealed preliminary evidence that the moxibustion-cum-massage intervention can be an effective, self-administrable pain relief regime for older adults. A longer period of intervention time is suggested for future studies.

Integration of virtual platforms for enhanced conference experience: Data-based evidence from the Society of Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies 2021 conference.

Background: The Society of Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) was one of many organizations that hosted a virtual scientific conference in response to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Retaining essential benefits of an in-person conference experience was a primary objective for the SIPS conference planning committee and guided the selection of a virtual platform on which to host the 2021 meeting. This article reports on the methods used to design and analyze an engaging, virtual scientific conference, along with the findings and implications for future meetings. Methods: Participant use of and interaction with different features of the conference platform were recorded and exported for analysis. Additionally, all SIPS conference attendees were invited to complete a brief, online post-conference survey that inquired about their perceptions of the SIPS conference specifically as well as their opinions of virtual and hybrid conferences in general. Using these data, we assessed (1) attendance patterns, (2) level of engagement, and (3) attendee satisfaction. Results: The platform recorded 438 unique, active conference attendees who used either a mobile app, web browser, or both to participate during the 3-day program. Seventy-four percent (N = 324) of active users attended all 3 days with 30 and 26 new attendees on Days 2 and 3, respectively. The connections feature offered on the platform was the most utilized function within the online forum. Attendance in the parallel workshop sessions remained constant across the 3 days, with an average of 44.6% (SD = 6.77) of people moving between workshops within a single session. The two poster sessions had an average of 47.6 (SD = 17.97) and 27.8 (SD = 10.24) unique views per poster, respectively. Eleven percent (N = 48) of attendees completed the post-conference survey. Thirty-six percent of these responders stated they were only able to attend because the conference was offered virtually. Further, the quality of the conference had an average satisfaction rating of 68.08 out of 100 (SD = 22.94). Conclusion: Results of data analyses suggest the virtual platform allowed for those who were unable to attend to join virtually, produced moderate engagement throughout the conference, and that the majority of attendees were satisfied with the quality of the fully-virtual conference. Therefore, incorporating virtual aspects in future in-person conferences could enhance conference experience and participation.

Objectification and ambiguity of body image in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: The manifestations of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), including acne, hirsutism, obesity, uncertain fertility, etc., can make women anxious, worried, or even depressed with their appearance and body. However, little relevant research has been conducted in the Chinese context. This mixed-method study aimed to understand how women with PCOS in China perceive their bodies and to examine the association between body image and depression. METHODS: First, 101 PCOS patients participated in a survey using the Body Surveillance subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Short-form Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, the Appearance Anxiety Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II, which measured participants' self-objectification, illness ambiguity, appearance anxiety, and depression, respectively. Second, fifteen women joined face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews, investigating their illness ambiguity, objectified experience, and behaviors to pursue beauty. RESULTS: Results indicated a high level of self-objectification, illness ambiguity, appearance anxiety, and depression among women with PCOS in China and supported the significant associations among the outcomes. Qualitative findings presented a body image of the precarious body, indiscernible identity, and distraught mind. LIMITATIONS: A convenient sampling method was used. The generalization of the study results needs further validation. Future longitudinal studies are necessary to clarify the causal relationships among outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study presented women's body image with PCOS and found the negative impact of body image on their depression levels. This study was of both theoretical and practical significance. Appropriate mind-body therapies were suggested for them.

Impact of mind-body intervention on proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 and 1ß: A three-arm randomized controlled trial for persons with sleep disturbance and depression.

Depressed people are prone to sleep disturbance, which may in return perpetuate the depression. Both depression and sleep disturbance influence proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) 6 and 1ß. Thus interventions for depression should consider the effect on sleep disturbance, and vice versa. Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (IBMS) and Qigong interventions have been applied in a wide range of health and mental health conditions, including depression and sleep disturbance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of these two mind-body therapies for persons with both depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance. A three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted among 281 participants, who were randomly assigned to either IBMS, Qigong or wait list control group. Participants in IBMS and Qigong groups received eight weekly sessions of intervention. Outcome measures were plasma concentrations of IL-6 and IL-1ß, and a questionnaire containing Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Somatic Symptom Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale and Body-Mind-Spirit Holistic Well-being Scale. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), immediate post-intervention (T1) and at three-months post-intervention (T2). Besides intervention efficacy analysis, path analysis was performed to explore the relations among perceived stress, depression, sleep disturbance, and IL-6 and IL-1ß values. The study found both IBMS and Qigong reduced depression, sleep disturbance, painful and painless somatic symptoms, IL-6 and IL-1ß levels, and increased holistic well-being. The effect sizes of IBMS and Qigong, mostly in the medium magnitude range, were approximatively equivalent. Path analysis models revealed a predictive role of perceived stress in depression and sleep disturbance, a bidirectional relationship between depression and sleep disturbance, and significant influence of depression and sleep disturbance on IL-6 and IL-1ß. Compared with control, the findings support the efficacy of IBMS and Qigong interventions in relieving depression and sleep disturbance, and in reducing IL-6 and IL-1ß levels.

Risk and protective factors of Internet gaming disorder among Chinese people: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Effective prevention and intervention of Internet gaming disorder require the identification of risk and protective factors. This study aims to exhaustively review the risk and protective factors of Internet gaming disorder among Chinese people. METHOD: We searched for articles published from database inception to February 2020 in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and two Chinese databases, CNKI and Wanfang Data. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they addressed Internet gaming disorder, sampled people in China, presented correlational factors of Internet gaming disorder and reported the effect sizes for correlations. Reviewers independently selected the studies, assessed their validity and extracted the data. Pooled Pearson's correlations were calculated using the random effects model. RESULT: In the meta-analysis, 153 studies covering 115,975 subjects were included. We identified 56 risk factors and 28 protective factors. Most risk factors strongly correlated with Internet gaming disorder fell into the category of maladaptive cognitions and motivations. Other factors that showed high effect sizes fell into various categories, including psychopathological characteristics, personality traits, cognition emotion regulation style and gaming-related factors. The only protective factor strongly correlated with Internet gaming disorder was self-control. We found that the factors related to the 'environments' show modest effect sizes compared to those related to the individual. The pooled effect sizes for most factors were not influenced by outliers and publication bias. CONCLUSION: Factors strongly correlated with Internet gaming disorder, especially maladaptive cognitions and motivations, are more likely to be proximal correlates of Internet gaming disorder and may be considered the focus of interventions. We encourage further empirical and experimental studies to examine the causal pathway and the treatment efficacy.

Pain experience and mood disorders during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: an opportunistic study.

INTRODUCTION: The unknown and uncontrollable situation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have triggered changes in pain, anxiety, and depression along with a perception of nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms. OBJECTIVES: We determined how anxiety, depression, and pain outcomes varied during the "Stay-at-Home" order compared with the prepandemic period and whether nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms would occur. METHODS: We conducted an online survey to opportunistically reassess clinical anxiety, depression, pain intensity, and pain interference while controlling for somatic symptom severity during the prepandemic and Stay-at-Home order period. During the Stay-at-Home period, anxiety, depression, pain intensity, and pain interference were reassessed. Coping strategies were assessed as a critical factor influencing pain behaviors. In addition, we explored the occurrence of nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms with an ad hoc survey referencing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publicly available COVID-19 symptoms. RESULTS: We observed a significant increase in depression and anxiety levels during the Stay-at-Home period. Coping strategy changes (eg, increased exercise) were linked to lower pain severity and interference which improved overall. Participants who self-reported nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms had higher prepandemic depression. Among the 72 participants not diagnosed with COVID-19, 70.8% of the participants experienced symptoms resembling those associated with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: We suggest the parallel between pain outcome improvement and worsening anxiety and depression during the Stay-at-Home order might reflect a shift in symptoms, indicating that those patients with underlying mood disorders may require more help than they did before the pandemic.

Can Psychosocial Intervention Suppress Testosterone and Triglycerides Among Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? A Feasibility Trial.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) suffer significant psychological distress, which may activate the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis and further affect their physiological state. They often experience elevated levels of testosterone and triglycerides. Considering reports of psychological distress among women with PCOS, this study aimed to develop a psychosocial intervention to improve their emotional and physical health, particularly in Chinese society. This pilot study employed the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (I-BMS) intervention model for women with PCOS in China. After a 2 h health information session, 18 participants were randomly assigned to the I-BMS group (9) or the control group (9). The intervention group received 6 weekly, 3 h I-BMS sessions. Pre- and post-blood tests and psychosocial questionnaires were collected from all participants. Retention to treatment was high with 79.6% treatment adherence gained and an overall average of five sessions completed. Compared with the control group, depression and anxiety symptoms reduced significantly for those in the intervention group (d = -1.24, p < 0.05 and d = -1.33, p < 0.01), their health-related quality of life improved significantly (d = 1.02, p < 0.01) both at post-intervention and 3 month follow-up, and their testosterone and triglycerides levels reduced significantly (d = -0.97, p < 0.001 and d = -0.41, p < 0.05) after joining the intervention. The I-BMS model is feasible and appears promising in improving psychological health, and reducing testosterone and triglyceride levels, in women with PCOS in China. Clinical Trial Registration: www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR1900027606.