Effects of a group music-based intervention in improving attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity: A randomized trial

The effects of a group music-based intervention on attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity were examined in Taiwan. A randomized controlled trial with a pre–post and follow-up design was performed. The music group ( N = 28) attended a 40-min session twice weekly for 10 weeks. The nonmusic group ( N = 28) received health education. The groups underwent a parental attachment and psychosocial adaptation assessment before and after the music intervention and at the 1-week follow-up. The results were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests and a mixed analysis of variance. Fifty-four participants completed both the pre- and posttests and were included in the final data analysis. The interaction effect was statistically significant, parental attachment, F(1.07, 25.81) = 8.18, p < .005, η2 = .14; and psychosocial maladaptation, F(1.30, 31.93) = 8.01, p < .01, η2 = .13, scores, implying a successful intervention. A significant difference in the postintervention parental attachment, F(1.03, 25.81) = 19.19, p < .001, and psychosocial maladaptation, F(1.28, 31.93) = 14.22, p < .001, scores was found between the music and nonmusic groups. The present study confirmed that group music-based interventions may effectively improve adolescents’ parental attachment and mitigate their psychosocial maladaptation.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Fluid Intelligence and Crystallized Intelligence as Cognitive Reserve Predictors of Social Cognition and Executive Functions Among Vulnerable Elderly People

The concept of cognitive reserve –CR– postulates two forms that prevent cognitive impairment: neural reserve and neural compensation. Both have been primarily linked to the protective role played by genetic factors, educational level, occupation or socioeconomic status. Though it is true that it has been related to executive functions, so far very little attention has been paid to its predictive capacity with other variables more related to social cognition and psychosocial adaptation. Considering socially vulnerable contexts with reduced cultural capital and educational levels, the neural reserve function would be the most relevant and best predictor of aspects related to social cognition and executive functions. We suggest that variables such as fluid and crystallized intelligence influence social cognition and executive functions. This study included a sample of 27 participants over 60 years old from varied contexts of social vulnerability. The procedure included data collection using various cognitive measures. Results show that elderly people with high intelligence—mainly fluid intelligence—have better executive functions, emotional recognition and theory of mind. These results focus on cognitive reserve and its importance because they show that elderly people in vulnerable contexts who strengthen these aspects protect themselves against the deterioration of cognitive skills. This study is the first preliminary research to present a relationship between cognitive reserve and social cognition factors in elderly subjects. Fluid intelligence functions as a highly related factor to protect the performance of executive functions, along with other social-cognitive factors relevant to facilitating the conditions of social adaptation.

DEPENDENCE OF ALEXITHYMIA INTENSITY ON COMPONENTS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION IN MEN WITH PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

Introduction. Levels of alexithymia and psychosocial adaptation can influence on the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with substance use disorders. The investigation of the state of the adaptation system is often used to examine these patients, despite its complexity and multilevel character. It is still unclear what characteristics of psychosocial adaptation may indicate increasing level of alexithymia. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate their association for future prediction of alexithymia level in men with substance use disorders. Methods. We examined 28 men who took the treatment at the detoxication therapy stage. We studied severity of alexithymia by Russian version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and analyzed peculiarities of psycho-social adaptation by C.R. Rogers and R.F. Dymond methods. To analyze the dependence between variances, multiple linear regression with Akaike information criteria and stepwise variable method was used. Results. The average level of alexithymia in the subjects was 57.6 ± 14.1 scores: it points out an elevated severity of the condition. The patients have “difficulty identifying feelings” at 18.9±6.6 scores, “difficulty describing feelings” at 13.7±4.9 scores and “externally oriented thinking” at 25.04±5.4 scores. The average levels of the subscales of the psychosocial adaptation questionnaire demonstrate no difference from normal values, but integral indices were increased. After stepwise variable method we selected the minimum set of factor characteristics associated with the original variable. Two factors related to the level of alexithymia were identified: internality and emotional comfort. The analysis shows the adequacy of the linear two-factor model for predicting the level of alexithymia in men with substance use disorders that based on values of internality and emotional comfort. Conclusion. We found that increased level of internality and emotional comfort in men with substance use disorders can predict an elevating level of alexithymia.

A Qualitative Exploration of Acculturation Practices of Pakistani Scholars in Dutch Society

The psychosocial adaptation of international scholars is a growing area of inquiry in social sciences. Currently, almost 47,164 Pakistani international scholars are enrolled in various universities worldwide but there is a dearth of literature concerning their psychosocial adjustment. This qualitative inquiry focuses on Pakistani graduate and postgraduate international scholars’ insights concerning their adaptation practices in Dutch culture and society. The study is grounded in a sociocultural adaptation model. The primary data was collected through in-depth interviews with ten Pakistani international students who are currently registered in three Dutch universities. The seven central themes that emerged out of in-depth interviews were the perception of cultural disparity, linguistic challenges, limited interaction with host nationals, discrimination, difficulties practicing religious obligations, acculturation attitudes, and participants’ coping strategies applied during the adjustment process. The findings of the current study highlight both barriers and protective factors within the scope of theoretical assumptions and literature. The current study contributes to the gap in the available literature concerning Pakistani international scholars’ experiences. A limited number of studies have discussed acculturation practices of Muslim students and from a specific region. The present findings would be useful for Pakistani international scholars who intend to study abroad and the administration of the host universities receiving Pakistani international scholars to facilitate their adjustment to the new context.

Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation

Existing theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people’s psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40–64 years) and older individuals (65–79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group,” particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults.