scholarly journals Late Adolescents’ Attachment to Parents and Peers and Psychological Distress Resulting from COVID-19. A Study on the Mediation Role of Alexithymia

Author(s):  
Renata Tambelli ◽  
Silvia Cimino ◽  
Eleonora Marzilli ◽  
Giulia Ballarotto ◽  
Luca Cerniglia

The scientific literature has shown the key role played by attachment to parents and peers and difficulties in recognizing, processing, and regulating emotions (i.e., alexithymia) in the (mal-)adaptive psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic during late adolescence. No study has yet explored the complex interplay between these variables. We recruited a sample of 454 late adolescents (Mage = 22.79, SD = 2.27) and assessed attachment to parents and peers, alexithymia, and peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 through self-report instruments. Attachment to fathers and peers, but not to mothers, and alexithymia significantly predicted levels of peritraumatic distress. Alexithymia fully and partially mediated the effect of, respectively, attachment to mothers and attachment to peers on peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19. These findings suggested that intervention programs focused on the promotion of peer social relationships, supportive parent–adolescent relationships, and the ability to recognize and discriminate one’s own and others’ emotions are needed in helping late adolescents to face the current health emergency and preventing short- and long-term psychopathological consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 104-121
Author(s):  
Fazaila Sabih ◽  
Anis Ul Haque ◽  
Sana Younas ◽  
Asia Mushtaq

Numerous studies suggest that symptoms of mental illness in parents become reflected in family and parent–child interactions, affecting the nature and quality of caregiving and, in turn, both short- and long-term child outcomes. Given the paucity of research in this area in Pakistan, present study aims to examine differences in parenting practices and behavioral problems among adolescent children of parents with psychopathology and without psychopathology. It also explores moderating role of adolescents’ coping on the relationship between parenting practices and behavioral problems. Sample included 348 parents and their adolescent children divided into two groups: Parents with Psychopathology and without Psychopathology. Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Youth Self Report, and Brief COPE were used for data collection. Results indicated that adolescent children having parents with psychopathology have elevated levels of behavioral problems as compared to adolescent children of parents without psychopathology. Results of moderation analyses revealed that problem-focused coping, positive coping, and religious coping mitigated the potential impact of negative parenting practices on externalizing problems whereas denial exacerbated this relationship. The implications are discussed for implementation of effective preventive interventions with at risk families and children.


2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 688-692
Author(s):  
Lucian Nita ◽  
Dorin Tarau ◽  
Gheorghe Rogobete ◽  
Simona Nita ◽  
Radu Bertici ◽  
...  

The issue addressed relates to an area of 1891694 ha of which 1183343 ha are agricultural land (62, 56) located in the south-west of Romania and refer to the use of soil chemical and physical properties as an acceptor for certain crop systems, with minimal undesirable effects both for plants to be grown, as well as soil characteristics and groundwater surface quality. It is therefore necessary on a case-by-case basis, measure stoc or rect the acidic reaction by periodic or alkaline calculations, the improvement of plant nutrition conditions through ameliorative fertilization and the application of measures to improve the physical state, sufficient justification for the need to develop short and long term strategies for the protection and conservation of edifying factors and the need to respect the frequency of field and laboratory investigations at all 8x8 km grids of the National Soil-Grounds Monitoring System (organized by I.C.P.A.) and completing it with the relevant pedological and agrochemical studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (40) ◽  
pp. 5128-5133
Author(s):  
Kate Levenberg ◽  
Wade Edris ◽  
Martha Levine ◽  
Daniel R. George

Epidemiologic studies suggest that the lifetime prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorders ranges from 2.8 to 6.5 percent of the population. To decrease morbidity and mortality associated with disease progression, pharmacologic intervention is indicated for the majority of these patients. While a number of effective treatment regimens exist, many conventional medications have significant side effect profiles that adversely impact patients’ short and long-term well-being. It is thus important to continue advancing and improving therapeutic options available to patients. This paper reviews the limitations of current treatments and examines the chemical compound Linalool, an alcohol found in many plant species, that may serve as an effective mood stabilizer. While relatively little is known about Linalool and bipolar disorder, the compound has been shown to have antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, anti-depressive, and neurotrophic effects, with mechanisms that are comparable to current bipolar disorder treatment options.


Author(s):  
Dean Keith Simonton

Although psychologists typically see creativity as an individual-level event, sociologists and cultural anthropologists are more likely to view it as a sociocultural phenomenon. This phenomenon takes place at the level of relatively large and enduring collectives, such as cultures, nations, and even whole civilizations. This chapter reviews the extensive research on such macro-level creativity. The review begins with a historical overview before turning to the cross-sectional research on the creative Ortgeist, a subject that encompasses the factors that influence the relative creativity of both preliterate cultures and entire modern nations. From there the chapter turns to role of the Zeitgeist in affecting the creativity of civilizations across time—the rise and fall of creative activity. This research examines both quantitative and qualitative causes that operate both short- and long-term.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Alessandra Coscia ◽  
Flaminia Bardanzellu ◽  
Elisa Caboni ◽  
Vassilios Fanos ◽  
Diego Giampietro Peroni

In recent years, the role of human microbiota as a short- and long-term health promoter and modulator has been affirmed and progressively strengthened. In the course of one’s life, each subject is colonized by a great number of bacteria, which constitute its specific and individual microbiota. Human bacterial colonization starts during fetal life, in opposition to the previous paradigm of the “sterile womb”. Placenta, amniotic fluid, cord blood and fetal tissues each have their own specific microbiota, influenced by maternal health and habits and having a decisive influence on pregnancy outcome and offspring outcome. The maternal microbiota, especially that colonizing the genital system, starts to influence the outcome of pregnancy already before conception, modulating fertility and the success rate of fertilization, even in the case of assisted reproduction techniques. During the perinatal period, neonatal microbiota seems influenced by delivery mode, drug administration and many other conditions. Special attention must be reserved for early neonatal nutrition, because breastfeeding allows the transmission of a specific and unique lactobiome able to modulate and positively affect the neonatal gut microbiota. Our narrative review aims to investigate the currently identified pre- and peri-natal factors influencing neonatal microbiota, before conception, during pregnancy, pre- and post-delivery, since the early microbiota influences the whole life of each subject.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 514
Author(s):  
Tarek Hatoum ◽  
Robert S. Sheldon

Syncope accounts for up to 2% of emergency department visits and results in the hospitalization of 12–86% of patients. There is often a low diagnostic yield, with up to 50% of hospitalized patients being discharged with no clear diagnosis. We will outline a structured approach to the syncope patient in the emergency department, highlighting the evidence supporting the role of clinical judgement and the initial electrocardiogram (ECG) in making the preliminary diagnosis and in safely identifying the patients at low risk of short- and long-term adverse events or admitting the patient if likely to benefit from urgent intervention. Clinical decision tools and additional testing may aid in further stratifying patients and may guide disposition. While hospital admission does not seem to offer additional mortality benefit, the efficient utilization of outpatient testing may provide similar diagnostic yield, preventing unnecessary hospitalizations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Padamsey ◽  
William J. Foster ◽  
Nigel J. Emptage

Ca2+ is an essential trigger for most forms of synaptic plasticity. Ca2+ signaling occurs not only by Ca2+ entry via plasma membrane channels but also via Ca2+ signals generated by intracellular organelles. These organelles, by dynamically regulating the spatial and temporal extent of Ca2+ elevations within neurons, play a pivotal role in determining the downstream consequences of neural signaling on synaptic function. Here, we review the role of three major intracellular stores: the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and acidic Ca2+ stores, such as lysosomes, in neuronal Ca2+ signaling and plasticity. We provide a comprehensive account of how Ca2+ release from these stores regulates short- and long-term plasticity at the pre- and postsynaptic terminals of central synapses.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amy O'Connell

<p>Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that regulates a range of processes within the brain and is implicated in several psychiatric disorders. In addition, serotonin acts as a developmental signal during critical periods of prenatal development, influencing processes such as neuronal proliferation, migration, and synaptogenesis (Gaspar et al., 2003). The serotonin transporter (5- HTT) plays a key role in regulating extracellular serotonin levels and is the main target of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of drugs that have anti-anxiety and anti- depressive activity. SSRIs cause an acute increase in extracellular serotonin and are commonly prescribed as a treatment for depression and anxiety during pregnancy (Tran & Robb, 2015). Given that these drugs alter serotonin transmission and can pass to the developing fetus via the placenta, it is vital that the outcomes of prenatal SSRI exposure are investigated. In humans, a genetic variant of the gene that codes for the 5-HTT (SLC6A4) has been linked to increased risk for developing depression and anxiety (Caspi et al., 2003). The functional consequences of this genetic polymorphism are life-long alterations in 5-HTT activity, resulting in increased extracellular levels of serotonin (Nakamura et al., 2000). Given prenatal SSRI exposure results in a time-locked blockade of 5-HTT during critical periods of development, it follows that alterations in serotonin during development might similarly result in enhanced risk for depression and anxiety later in life. Outcomes in children prenatally exposed to SSRIs are difficult to study due to confounds of pre- existing maternal depression. Therefore, the current thesis presents two experiments that aimed to further investigate the role of altered extracellular serotonin levels during development in an animal model. Experiment one aimed to develop a method of voluntary oral administration of the SSRI fluoxetine to pregnant rat dams. This method was then applied in experiment two to create a time-locked blockade of 5-HTT during critical periods of development in an animal model of life-long 5-HTT blockade. The aim of experiment two was to directly assess the contribution of short- and long-term 5-HTT blockade on anxiety and depression phenotypes in adult male offspring. In addition, maternal behaviour was assessed to determine whether fluoxetine treatment had an influence on mother-pup interactions that could confound results. To test for anxiety and depression phenotypes, the novel affective disorder test (ADT) was used to assess anxiety behaviour and the deficits in anticipatory pleasure indicative of anhedonia. In the current study, fluoxetine treatment did not have an effect on litter outcomes or mother-pup interactions. Crucially, no significant group differences were found indicating that neither short- nor long- term blockade of 5-HTT resulted in increased anxiety- or depressive-like behaviours in the current experiment. However, limitations with methodological design limit the translatability of these results to the broader literature, and validation of the ADT is required before these results can be generalised beyond this thesis.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-312
Author(s):  
Soulat Khan ◽  
Tahira Mubashar ◽  
Tanvir Akhtar ◽  
Tayyab Ali Butt

The present study addresses impact of anger on suicidal ideation with the mediating role of perceived emotional distress in 40 late adolescents and emerging adults (Girls = 24, Boys = 16) with psychological problems. Participants’ aged between 18 to 25 years (M = 21.65, SD = 1.84). The sample was recruited from counseling centers of two public sector universities. Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (Osman, Gotierrez, Kropper, Barrios, Chiros, 1998), Perceived Emotional Distress inventory (Moscoso, 2011) and Anger Self-Report (Burney, 2001) were used to assess study variables. Findings indicated that anger and emotional distress had significant positive relationship with suicidal ideation and significant negative relationship with protective thoughts and ideation. Mediation Analysis through Process Macro revealed that perceived emotional distress significantly mediates the relationship between anger and suicidal ideations. No gender differences were found between study variables. The study outcomes highlighted that future strategies for prevention of suicidal ideation must focus on managing emotional distress and anger.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 326-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Heszen

Temperament is probably an important factor that influences coping activity. The framework of the study was the Regulative Theory of Temperament by Strelau, where six temperamental traits are distinguished: emotional reactivity, perseveration, activity, briskness, sensory sensitivity, and endurance. These traits were hypothesized to be connected to coping activity in accordance with their psychological characteristics. It was also expected that the associations between temperament and coping activity should depend on stress intensity. Participants were 278 diabetics and 232 patients after first myocardial infarction (MI). The study was longitudinal and two diseases had been purposely selected so as to represent stress intensity either increasing (in diabetes) or decreasing (after MI) over time. Temperamental traits as well as coping activity components: cognitive appraisal, affect, and coping strategies were measured using self-report questionnaires. As hypothesized, temperamental traits were connected to coping activity. Phase-related changes in coping activity confirmed an increase in stress levels in diabetics, while cardiac patients tended to experience the situation as more challenging. While the expectation referring to the differential role of temperament under different levels of stress intensity was not confirmed, the connections of temperament with coping activity were found to decrease under long-term stress.


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