Groove Rhythm Enhances Exercise Impact on Prefrontal Cortex Function in Groove Enjoyers.

A positive affective response modulates the effects of aerobic exercise on prefrontal executive function (EF). Groove rhythm (GR), eliciting the feeling of wanting to move to music, is useful for inducing positive affective response during exercise. Three minutes of listening to GR activated the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) and enhanced EF in participants who had higher psychological responses to GR. This finding prompted us to test the hypothesis that the combination of GR and exercise (GREX) induces positive psychological responses that enhance PFC function through entrainment of body movements and musical beats. 41 participants were administered two experimental conditions: three min of very light-intensity (30% V̇ O2peak) exercise combined with GR and combined with a white-noise metronome (WMEX). Before and after exercise, participants performed a Stroop task and were monitored for l-DLPFC activity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. GREX enhanced EF and l-DLPFC activity in participants who experienced greater subjective feelings of audiomotor entrainment and increased excitement with GREX. These psychological responses were predictive of the impact of GREX on l-DLPFC activity and EF. These findings, together with previous results, support the hypothesis that GR allows us to boost the cognitive benefits of exercise via l-DLPFC activity only in those who enjoy groove, and suggest that subjective audiomotor entrainment is a key mechanism of this boosting effect.

Female students' personality and stress response to an academic examination.

BACKGROUND: Women are vulnerable to stress-related disorders. Examinations are a source of stress, triggering emotional, cognitive, and hormonal responses. We examined women's psychological and hormonal stress responses and academic performance according to personality during a real-life examination. METHODS: Female students (N = 66) were divided into two groups based on hierarchical cluster analysis: one cluster characterized by high neuroticism and moderate extraversion (HN-ME; n = 42) and the other by low neuroticism and high extraversion (LN-HE; n = 24). Academic performance, perceived stress, and emotional dysregulation were analyzed. State anxiety, affect, and cortisol release were measured before and on the examination day. RESULTS: The HN-ME cluster was high in perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, and negative affect. This cluster also had higher state anxiety levels two days before and shortly after the examination compared to the LN-HE cluster. Students' cortisol levels were higher on the examination day, and there was a marginal significance of the Cluster factor in the cortisol release regardless of the day of measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Women with high neuroticism and moderate extraversion may be more vulnerable to psychological stress in academic settings but similar to other women in their cortisol response.

The Association of Physical Competence With Psychological Response Among Young Athletes at Time of Return to Sport After ACL Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The traditional index of return-to-sport (RTS) readiness after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is the achievement of physical competence criteria. Emerging research indicates that psychological response and self-perceptions of physical competence may be critical mechanisms for successful RTS among young athletes. HYPOTHESIS: Young athletes with higher actual physical competence (APC) and perceived physical competence (PPC) will demonstrate a more positive psychological response at the time of RTS after ACLR. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A total of 41 young athletes after primary ACLR completed testing within 8 weeks of medical clearance to RTS. APC was measured with isokinetic knee extension strength, single-limb crossover hop for distance, and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. PPC was measured with the Athletic Competence subscale of the Self-Perception Profile. Criteria for APC and PPC were based on established age- and activity-relevant cutoff scores. Different constructs of psychological response were assessed with the adapted Sport Motivation Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) total and subscale scores (Emotions, Confidence, and Risk Appraisal). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine differences in measures of psychological response based on achievement of APC and PPC, while adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: Of the 41 participants, 10 (24.4%) met all criteria for APC and 22 (53.7%) met the PPC criteria. The regression models estimating the ACL-RSI score (P < .001; adjusted R2 = 0.331), ACL-RSI Emotions score (P < .001; adjusted R2 = 0.427), and ACL-RSI Risk Appraisal score (P = .013; adjusted R2 = 0.212) were statistically significant. Although APC was not associated with any measure of psychological response, meeting PPC criteria, younger age, and male sex were found to be associated with a more positive psychological readiness to RTS, but not with motivation or resilience. CONCLUSION: Meeting PPC criteria was associated with higher psychological readiness to RTS among young athletes after ACLR, while meeting APC criteria was not associated with any construct of psychological response.

A clinical study of C arm-guided selective spinal nerve block combined with low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation of dorsal root ganglion in the treatment of zoster-related neuralgia.

Background: This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy and psychological response of low-temperature plasma ablation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) combined with selective spinal nerve block in patients with acute or subacute zoster-related neuralgia (ZRN). Methods: Totally 90 ZRN patients were randomly and evenly divided into three groups. Treatment was given to Group A using C arm-guided selective spinal nerve block (C-SSVB), Group B using C-SSVB and pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), and Group C using C-SSVB and low-temperature plasma ablation of the DRG. The outcomes were examined using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Anxiety and depression of patients were evaluated using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Quality of life was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and postoperative Satisfaction scale. In addition, data on adverse events and medication usage rates were collected. Results: The 90 patients were eligible for this study. The three treatments reduced VAS scores with no significant difference between groups A and B at the same time points; however, group B tended to have numerically lower VAS scores. Comparatively, group C had significantly reduced VAS scores on day 1 and 1 month after treatment compared with the other two groups. In terms of the decreasing SAS, SDS and PSQI scores, all the three treatments improved the anxiety, depression and sleep quality of the patients. In addition, significant alleviation in anxiety was found in group C compared with group A at all- time points. However, there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups in treatment-related adverse events that mainly focused on puncture pain at the surgical-site, skin numbness and medication usage rates. Conclusions: C-SSVB and LTPRA of DRG will be considered as a promising treatment option for ZRN patients if those results can be confirmed after further validation.

Integration of Obese Children in Physical Education Sessions: An Exploratory Study.

We investigated the effect of the role of the joker in children with obesity (OCs) on integration and physio-psychological responses during small-sided games (SSG) training programs. Sixteen OC students (age 13.8 ± 0.73 years) performed training programs consisting of two sessions a week for three weeks. The experimental protocol consisted of 16 teams of 4 children (3 of normal weight and 1 OC). The 16 teams were divided into 2 groups, one with an OC playing as the joker (SSG-J) and the other group with OC playing as non-joker (SSG-NJ). Maximum heart rates (HRmax), blood lactate concentration [La] and OMNI-Child perceived exertion were measured at the end of each SSG. A physical activity enjoyment Scale (PACES) was accomplished during physical activity for the evaluation of feelings in OCs. Additionally, the profile of mood states (POMS) was measured before and after the SSG-J and SSG-NJ programs. HRmax, [La], perceived exertion, and PACES scores were significantly higher after the SSG-J compared with SSG-NJ (increments of 6.4%, 31.7%, 19.5% and 18.1%, respectively). The score of the POMS variables was positively increased in the presence of jokers. The vigor score increased by 30%, while tension and total mood disturbance scores decreased by 27.6% and 4.5%, respectively. These findings suggest that the joker role could be effective in improving integration, physical enjoyment, physiological responses and mood states in OCs when a team game is used during PE sessions. PE teachers could then program joker exercises with the aim of improving OCs' physical commitment willingness to play.

Quantifying self-contained breathing apparatus on physiology and psychological responses during firefighting: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives. There is no consensus regarding the efficacy of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) on firefighters' physiological and psychological stress responses. This study synthesized and quantified the psycho-physiological demands placed on firefighters wearing SCBA compared to a control group. Methods. Five databases were searched with English-language restrictions from inception to January 2021. As dependent variables, physiological (rectal temperature [Tre], mean skin temperature [T¯sk], heart rate [HR], maximal heart rate [HRmax], maximum oxygen uptake [VO2max], total sweat rate [TSR]) and psychological (rating of perceived exertion [RPE] and thermal sensation [TS]) responses were continuously collected. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021228363). Results. Nine eligible studies with 289 participants met the inclusion criteria. The pooled estimates for VO2max statistically significantly decreased, whereas T¯sk, HR, HRmax, TSR and RPE increased significantly. Additionally, the Tre and TS parameters were elevated but not significant. Subgroup analysis revealed that, except for VO2max and TSR, the SCBA weight did not differ significantly between groups on any outcome measure. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis indicates that wearing SCBA elicits thermoregulatory, metabolic and psychological stress. However, this is not primarily explained by the weight of SCBA, highlighting the value of ergonomic design and physiological monitoring.

Psychological responses of the Philippine Physician Licensure Exam takers to the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective@#This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and the level of perceived stress of the Physician Licensure Exam (PLE) takers during the COVID-19 pandemic.@*Method@#We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive survey among the Physician Licensure Exam takers using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).@*Results@#Seven hundred thirty-two (732) Physician Licensure Exam takers participated in the survey, 423 (57.8%) were November takers and 309 (42.2%) were March takers who will be completing the exam on September 2020. The prevalence rates of major depression and generalized anxiety disorder among the PLE takers were 44.1% and 50.3%, respectively. November takers have a higher rate of depression (60.1%) and anxiety (52.7%) compared to the March takers (54.4% and 46.6%, respectively). The majority of the takers have moderate levels of depression (26.6%), anxiety (37.8%), and perceived stress (70.2%). There was a significant difference in the prevalence of major depression between the March and November takers (p-value <0.00001) but not with generalized anxiety disorder (p-value: 0.05155). There was also no significant difference in the severity of depression (p value=0.527878), anxiety (p-value=0.883558), and levels of perceived stress (p- value=0.2476) between the March and November takers.@*Conclusions@#There was a high prevalence of major depression and generalized anxiety disorder among the PLE takers during the COVID19 pandemic. Majority of the PLE takers experienced moderate levels of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress.

Psychological symptoms associated with self-reported events of COVID-19 contact, symptoms, or diagnosis: a large community-based survey among adults in Quebec, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Psychological consequences of COVID-19 contact, symptoms, or diagnosis are being increasingly reported. Few studies have examined the psychological effects tied to these events, using an unaffected comparison group. Most did not consider confounding factors like fear and stigma. This study aims to (1) identify individual characteristics associated with COVID-19 contact/symptoms or diagnosis and (2) examine the independent association between COVID-19 contact/symptoms or diagnosis and psychological symptoms. METHODS: From September 2020 to February 2021, 20,327 adults participated in community-based surveys in Quebec. Using repeated cross-sectional online questionnaire, data were collected on probable generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression episode (MDE), using the GAD-7 and the PHQ-9 scales, respectively. Self-reported events of (1) contact with a case or symptoms of COVID-19, and (2) diagnosis of COVID-19 were examined, along with several sociodemographic and pandemic-related factors. RESULTS: COVID-19 contact, symptoms, or diagnosis was more frequent in young adults, healthcare or social services workers, adults living with children, and those reporting a greater sense of threat, stigma, financial losses, or daily stress. COVID-19 contact or symptoms and diagnosis were associated with probable MDE relative to the unaffected group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.12-1.39 and aOR:1.82, 95% CI: 1.48-2.2, respectively). Suicidal thoughts and psychomotor retardation were the symptoms most closely associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Results from this study stress the need for better understanding, recognition, and support for people suffering from psychological symptoms following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Les conséquences psychologiques d'un contact, de symptômes ou d'un diagnostic de COVID-19 sont de plus en plus signalées. Peu d'études ont examiné les effets psychologiques liés à ces évènements en utilisant des groupes non affectés et n'ont pas tenu compte des facteurs de confusion tels que la peur et la stigmatisation. Cette étude vise à 1) identifier les caractéristiques associées au contact/symptômes ou diagnostic de COVID-19 et 2) examiner l'association entre un contact/symptômes ou diagnostic de COVID-19 et les symptômes psychologiques. MéTHODES: Un total de 20 327 adultes ont participé à une enquête transversale populationnelle au Québec entre septembre 2020 et février 2021. À l'aide d'un questionnaire en ligne, des données ont été recueillies sur l'anxiété généralisée probable (GAD-7) et la dépression majeure probable (PHQ-9). Les évènements autodéclarés de 1) contact avec un cas ou de symptômes de COVID-19 et 2) diagnostics de COVID-19 furent examinés, ainsi que plusieurs facteurs sociodémographiques et liés à la pandémie. RéSULTATS: Les contacts, symptômes ou diagnostics de COVID-19 étaient plus fréquents chez les jeunes adultes, les travailleurs de la santé, les adultes vivant avec des enfants, et ceux rapportant plus de stigmatisation, pertes financières, stress quotidien ou un plus haut niveau de menace perçue. Des contacts ou symptômes de COVID-19 et un diagnostic de COVID-19 étaient associés à de la dépression majeure probable comparativement au groupe non affecté (RCa : 1,25, IC à 95% : 1,12-1,39 et RCa : 1,82, IC à 95% : 1,48-2,2, respectivement). Les pensées suicidaires et le retard psychomoteur étaient aussi plus étroitement associés à un diagnostic de COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Les résultats de cette étude soulignent le besoin d'améliorer nos connaissances et notre soutien pour les personnes souffrant de symptômes psychologiques suite à un diagnostic de COVID-19.

An Empirical Study of the Restoration Potential of Urban Deciduous Forest Space to Youth.

Urban deciduous forests are an important ecological resource and seasonal landscape in the urban environment. However, in the abundant literature on how urban green space promotes human health and well-being, research on urban seasonal deciduous forests is limited. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and psychological recovery potential provided of urban deciduous forest space for youths and the spatial preferences of youths regarding such spaces. We recruited 120 participants to study the restorative potential of two typical urban deciduous forest landscape spaces (experimental groups) and one urban road environment (control group). The results showed that after 15 min of observation, the blood pressure (especially the diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.01)) and pulse of the deciduous forest trail setting (DFTS) group effectively decreased, and the restorative mood significantly increased. Regarding change in emotional parameters, the DFTS group scored higher on "interest" and significantly higher than the other two groups on positive emotion. The correlation results show that density and level are the key factors affecting spatial preferences regarding complex deciduous forests. An increase in density reduces the mood of re-laxation, and an increase in level decreases fatigue and interest. We suggest (1) constructing foot-paths in urban deciduous forests to reduce their spatial density as to improve the relaxation effect and (2) increasing landscape diversity according to the forest space to facilitate user participation and interest. This study provides a scientific basis for the environmental restoration of deciduous landscapes and for urban forestry management decision-makers based on space type construction.

The psychological response and perception of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia: Three-wave repeated cross-sectional study.

In addition to COVID-19 being a health threat, its longevity and restrictions act as significant stressors and risk for mental health. In the current study, we take a look at how psychological response, both its positive aspects, for example, mental well-being and life satisfaction, and its negative aspects, for example, anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety, have changed as the pandemic has continued (first three waves in Slovenia). Additionally, we are interested in whether the psychological response is associated with the perception of stress level in waves 2 and 3 as less, equally or more stressful when compared to the stress level in wave 1 and what shapes these perceptions. An online questionnaire battery (COVID-19 stress level comparison, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale; LAOM Anxiety Scale; Global Life Satisfaction scale; COVID-19 anxiety), with ANOVA and qualitative analysis of the open-ended question on reasons for perceiving wave 2 and wave 3 as more stressful when compared to wave 1, was used on a Slovene convenience adult sample (wave 1: N = 364, 83.5% female; wave 2: N = 987, 85.5% female; wave 3: N = 467, 78.5% female). The findings show (a) a significant increase in COVID-19 anxiety from wave 1 to wave 3, with a peak in wave 2, and a significant decrease in mental well-being from wave 1 to wave 3; (b) the level of anxiety, mental well-being, and life satisfaction differs significantly between individuals who perceive wave 2 and 3 as more stressful compared to individuals who perceive wave 2 and wave 3 as equally or less stressful when compared to wave 1; (c) reasons for perceiving the succeeding waves of the pandemic as more stressful compared to wave 1 are diverse, with some being reported in both succeeding waves (e.g., negative emotional response to the pandemic, negative perceptions of measures). The findings highlight the important role of stress analysis in identifying the support mechanisms for dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Daily Activities, Cognitions, and Stress in a Lonely and Distressed Population: Temporal Dynamic Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdown measures impacted mental health worldwide. However, the temporal dynamics of causal factors that modulate mental health during lockdown are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to understand how a COVID-19 lockdown changes the temporal dynamics of loneliness and other factors affecting mental health. This is the first study that compares network characteristics between lockdown stages to prioritize mental health intervention targets. METHODS: We combined ecological momentary assessments with wrist-worn motion tracking to investigate the mechanism and changes in network centrality of symptoms and behaviors before and during lockdown. A total of 258 participants who reported at least mild loneliness and distress were assessed 8 times a day for 7 consecutive days over a 213-day period from August 8, 2020, through March 9, 2021, in Germany, covering a "no-lockdown" and a "lockdown" stage. COVID-19-related worry, information-seeking, perceived restriction, and loneliness were assessed by digital visual analog scales ranging from 0 to 100. Social activity was assessed on a 7-point Likert scale, while physical activity was recorded from wrist-worn actigraphy devices. RESULTS: We built a multilevel vector autoregressive model to estimate dynamic networks. To compare network characteristics between a no-lockdown stage and a lockdown stage, we performed permutation tests. During lockdown, loneliness had the highest impact within the network, as indicated by its centrality index (ie, an index to identify variables that have a strong influence on the other variables). Moreover, during lockdown, the centrality of loneliness significantly increased. Physical activity contributed to a decrease in loneliness amid the lockdown stage. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 lockdown increased the central role of loneliness in triggering stress-related behaviors and cognition. Our study indicates that loneliness should be prioritized in mental health interventions during lockdown. Moreover, physical activity can serve as a buffer for loneliness amid social restrictions.

Differential psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic in psychiatric inpatients compared to a non-clinical population from Germany.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an inherently stressful situation, which may lead to adverse psychosocial outcomes in various populations. Yet, individuals may not be affected equally by stressors posed by the pandemic and those with pre-existing mental disorders could be particularly vulnerable. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the psychological response to the pandemic in a case-control design. We used an age-, sex- and employment status-matched case-control sample (n = 216) of psychiatric inpatients, recruited from the LMU Psychiatry Biobank Munich study and non-clinical individuals from the general population. Participants completed validated self-report measures on stress, anxiety, depression, paranoia, rumination, loneliness, well-being, resilience, and a newly developed index of stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the effects of group, COVID-19-specific stressors, and their interaction on the different psychosocial outcomes. While psychiatric inpatients reported larger mental health difficulties overall, the impact of COVID-19-specific stressors was lower in patients and not associated with worse psychological functioning compared to non-clinical individuals. In contrast, depressive symptoms, rumination, loneliness, and well-being were more strongly associated with COVID-19-specific stressors in non-clinical individuals and similar to the severity of inpatients for those who experienced the greatest COVID-19-specific stressor impact Contrary to expectations, the psychological response to the pandemic may not be worse in psychiatric inpatients compared to non-clinical individuals. Yet, individuals from the general population, who were hit hardest by the pandemic, should be monitored and may be in need of mental health prevention and treatment efforts.

Evaluation on the psychological adjustment and countermeasures of civil servants in public emergencies.

Public health emergencies are inevitable major development crises, and there are almost no omens of any emergency. The current social development would inevitably affect the psychological situation of civil servants. Grass roots civil servants have a wider range of tasks, more difficult working conditions and a more difficult environment. Under the strong social pressure, civil servants would also have negative factors such as fear and negative attitude. The mental health of grass-roots civil servants depends not only on the image and efficiency of the government, but also on creating a harmonious atmosphere and the quality of economic development. Therefore, people must pay attention to the psychological health of civil servants. It is mainly through psychological intervention and psychological adjustment to improve mental health. By analyzing the psychological characteristics of civil servants under emergencies and under pressure, and according to the importance of their coping ability under emergencies, this paper conducted corresponding psychological adjustment and psychological intervention to ensure the psychological health of civil servants, improve their ability to deal with public emergencies, and enable them to use correct and positive psychology to deal with public emergencies. It can be seen from the firefly algorithm that the prediction error value of the comprehensive quality of civil servants was declining, while the evaluation effect of the comprehensive quality was rising. The average value of the prediction error value of the comprehensive quality was about 0.49, and the average value of the evaluation effect of the comprehensive quality was about 0.73. In the whole process, the prediction error value of comprehensive quality decreased by 0.37, and the evaluation effect of comprehensive quality increased by 0.33. The comprehensive psychological quality and psychological adjustment ability of civil servants after psychological intervention were better than those before psychological intervention. The comprehensive psychological quality of civil servants after psychological intervention was 8.56% higher than that before psychological intervention, and the psychological adjustment ability was 8.47% higher than that before psychological intervention.

The 5-factor model of psychological response to COVID-19: its correlation with anxiety and depression.

The present study aimed to investigate the psychological response to COVID-19 on a community Egyptian sample and the correlation thereof with anxiety and depression. Further, we aimed to explore the differences in the psychological response and psychopathology in terms of demographics. We developed a COVID-19 Psychological Response Questionnaire (CPRQ). Further, we estimated the factor structure and internal consistency of CPRQ. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to assess Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was utilized to assess Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The sample comprised 7015 participants whose ages ranged between 18 and 70 years. The present study results yielded a 5-factor model of psychological response to COVID-19 (the factors are Anxiousness, Social Support, Avoiding/Cleaning, Depressivity, and Medical Concern). In terms of reliability, the internal consistency of the above factors was acceptable except for Depressivity. There were significant positive correlations between two factors (Anxiousness and Depressivity) and both MDD and GAD. In terms of demographic characteristics, females had the highest values on Anxiousness, Avoiding/Cleaning, Depressivity, MDD, and GAD. Generally, the 5-factor model reflects the psychological response to COVID-19 during the period of the outbreak. Further, this model reflects several concepts regarding models and theories of health-related behaviors. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01701-y.

The Influences of COVID-19 on Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted global attention. During the lockdown period of COVID-19, follow-up of many patients with chronic disease had been interrupted, which brought severe challenges to better management of their disease. This study aimed at exploring the change of illness, daily life, and psychological responses during the COVID-19 pandemic among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: A total of 612 patients were enrolled in this study; 282 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 1-2 group and 330 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 3-5 group. Among two groups, 168 (27.5%) and 177 (28.9%) patients were female with a median age of 42 and 45, respectively. The study was conducted by collecting the questionnaires in five nephrology centers. The questionnaire consisted of assessment of anxiety by using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the influences of COVID-19, which included basic demographic data, the influences of COVID-19 on illness and daily life, as well as the patients' psychological responses during the epidemic. Results: A total of 612 patients were included and divided into two groups according to eGFR. Ninety-six patients (34%) in the CKD stage 1-2 group and 141 patients (42.7%) in the CKD stage 3-5 group had reduced their follow-up frequency (p = 0.031). More patients with CKD stages 1-2 consulted online (25.9%), p = 0.005. Besides, patients in the CKD stage 3-5 group tended to be more anxious about follow-up (p = 0.002), fearful of being infected with COVID-19 (p = 0.009), and more likely to feel symptoms getting worse (p = 0.006). The standard scores of SAS were 48.58 ± 7.082 and 51.19 ± 5.944 in the CKD stage 1-2 group and the CKD stage 3-5 group, respectively (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in the severity of anxiety (p = 0.004). Conclusion: COVID-19 had a greater impact on patients with CKD stages 3-5 than those with stages 1-2 in terms of illness, daily life, and psychological disorder. Patients with CKD stages 3-5 were more anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PSIXPORT: Mobile App for Ecological Momentary Assessment of Psychological Dimensions in Sport Injury.

Retrospective self-reports have been commonly used to assess psychological variables such as feelings, thoughts, or emotions. Nevertheless, this method presents serious limitations to gather accurate information about variables that change over time. The Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) approach has been used to deal with some of the limitations these retrospective assessment methods present, and for gathering real-time information about dynamic psychological variables, such as feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. In the sports injury rehabilitation context, athletes' thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and pain perceptions during the rehabilitation process can influence the outcomes of this process. These responses change over different stages of the rehabilitation and taking them into account can help therapists to adapt the rehabilitation process and increasing their effectiveness. With this aim, an EMA mobile app (PSIXPORT) was designed to gather real-time information about severely injured athletes' cognitive appraisals, emotional responses, behaviors, and pain perceptions during their rehabilitation process. The goals of this study were to evaluate Psixport's ability to gather real-time information about injured athletes' psychological responses during the rehabilitation, to test the users' perceived usability of Psixport, and to compare the reliability and differences between real-time data gathered with Psixport and the data gathered through the one-time retrospective method. Twenty-eight severely injured athletes (10 men and 18 women) were assessed using Psixport, a retrospective questionnaire, and the uMARS usability test. Results showed that Psixport can be considered as a good tool to gather information about injured athletes' cognitive appraisals, emotional responses, behaviors, and pain perceptions. Moreover, multiple data assessments gathered with the app showed to be more accurate information about injured athletes' psychological responses than one-time retrospective reports.

Factors Influencing Anxiety Among WeChat Users During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mainland China: Cross-sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 around the world has adversely affected the mental health of the public. The prevalence of anxiety among the public has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are few studies evaluating the effects of positive psychological responses and information-seeking behaviors on anxiety experienced among social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the prevalence of anxiety and its associated factors among WeChat users in mainland China during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: From February 10 to February 24, 2020, a nationwide, web-based cross-sectional survey study was carried out using convenience sampling. Participants' levels of anxiety, positive psychological responses, and information-seeking behaviors were assessed. The survey was distributed among WeChat users via the WeChat smartphone platform. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with anxiety. RESULTS: This study found that the prevalence of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item [GAD-7] scale score ≥7) among WeChat users in China was 17.96% (446/2483) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that information-seeking behaviors such as cannot stop searching for information on COVID-19, being concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, and spending more than 1 hour per day consuming information about the pandemic were found to be associated with increased levels of anxiety. Additionally, participants who chose social media and commercial media as the primary sources to obtain information about the COVID-19 pandemic were found more likely to report anxiety. Conversely, participants who were confident or rational about the COVID-19 pandemic were less likely to report anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that positive psychological responses and information-seeking behaviors were closely associated with anxiety among WeChat users during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. It might be paramount to enhance mental well-being by helping people respond to the COVID-19 pandemic more rationally and positively in order to decrease symptoms of anxiety.

The Psychological Responses of Nurses Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Q Methodological Approach.

Anxiety among nurses attending patients at the forefront of the global coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is on the rise. Accordingly, examining the psychological response of nurses who have attended COVID-19 patients is necessary. This study aimed to categorize and characterize the psychological responses of nurses who have experienced COVID-19 patient care based on the Q methodology. The Q-sample extracted 34 statements, and the P-sample marked 22 nurses who had operated a screening clinic and experienced patient care in the local base hospitals treating COVID-19 using convenience sampling. The findings suggest that nurses who have experienced COVID-19 patient care fall into three categories based on the following psychological responses: (1) fear of social stigma, (2) anxiety about the risk of infection, and (3) burden of infection prevention and control nursing. Therefore, it is expected that the results of this study may serve as the basis for emotional support programs that are capable of understanding and mediating the psychological state of nurses who care for patients with COVID-19.

Fear Avoidance After Injury and Readiness to Return to Sport in Collegiate Male and Female Gaelic Games Players.

BACKGROUND: Injuries are common in collegiate Gaelic games, and negative psychological responses to injury, such as fear avoidance and a lack of psychological readiness to return to sport, can affect players during their rehabilitation and their subsequent return to sport. Thus, identifying these responses in players can allow clinicians to address these issues during rehabilitation. This study aimed to examine fear avoidance and psychological readiness to return to sport in collegiate Gaelic games players. HYPOTHESIS: Collegiate Gaelic games players will experience similar levels of fear avoidance and psychological readiness to return to sport as other adult athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: Male (n = 150) and female (n = 76) players from 1 Irish collegiate institution were recruited. Players that were injured over 1 collegiate season completed the Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ) immediately after the injury and the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) Scale once cleared to return to sport. An injury report form was also completed. The overall AFAQ (sum of 10 items) and I-PRRS (sum of 6 items/10) scores were calculated. RESULTS: Seventy-three injuries (n = 73) occurred, and injured players had a mean overall AFAQ and I-PRRS score of 22.6 ± 5.3 and 46.4 ± 8.8, respectively. Just less than half (47.9%) of players were deemed psychologically unready to return to sport when cleared physically. After severe injuries, significantly higher overall AFAQ scores than mild injuries (P = 0.01) and lower overall I-PRRS than moderate injuries (P < 0.0001) was noted. For the overall scores, no gender differences were observed. CONCLUSION: Fear avoidance and lowered confidence levels before return to sport occurs in collegiate Gaelic games players similar to other student-athletes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Identification of fear avoidance or low readiness to return to sport, particularly after serious injury, is important to implement psychosocial support during their rehabilitation.