Training Conditions and Emotional Impact on Spanish Olympic Swimmers and Rowers in Social Isolation due to COVID-19. Results of a Survey

This article analyzes the results of a survey conducted in 2020 with Spanish Olympic swimmers and rowers, who were confined to their homes due to the epidemiological crisis. The questionnaire was administered between 23 April and 25 May. Responses to the questionnaire on emotional and adaptive reactions during the COVID-19 confinement (REACOVID-19) were received from 88 subjects, who represented 100% of the total population of Spanish Olympic swimmers and rowers. Through this questionnaire, they were asked about their living conditions, their daily training habits and their psychological, cognitive and emotional adaptation during the confinement. The results show the commitment of these athletes to their sports goals and their responsibility in respecting the confinement rules. Sixty-seven per cent of them stated that they had not left their homes for 96 days. In these extreme circumstances, the majority trained an average of 11 to 13 hours a week and coped with the confinement with a positive attitude, in spite of the inconveniences of social isolation, the lack of equipment and technical support for training and the limitations of their physical space. The article analyzes which emotional and social factors influenced both their motivation and their hours of training.

Grandparent-child cohesion, friendship quality, and left-behind children’s positive/negative affect in rural China

This study examined the roles of grandparent-child cohesion and friendship quality in left-behind children’s positive and negative affect compared with non-left-behind children. Data from 557 participants indicated that grandparent-child cohesion and friendship quality predicted children’s emotional adaptation. Friend trust and support and intimate exchange had a stronger predictive effect on positive affect among non-left-behind children. Moreover, the interaction effects between grandparent-child cohesion and friendship quality on children’s positive affect supported the reinforcement model, while the interaction effects on negative affect supported the reinforcement model among left-behind children but supported the compensation model among non-left-behind children.

Emotional adaptation during a crisis: decline in anxiety and depression after the initial weeks of COVID-19 in the United States

Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic are known to exacerbate depression and anxiety, though their temporal trajectories remain under-investigated. The present study aims to investigate fluctuations in depression and anxiety using the COVID-19 pandemic as a model crisis. A total of 1512 adults living in the United States enrolled in this online study beginning April 2, 2020 and were assessed weekly for 10 weeks (until June 4, 2020). We measured depression and anxiety using the Zung Self-Rating Depression scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state subscale), respectively, along with demographic and COVID-related surveys. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine factors contributing to longitudinal changes in depression and anxiety. We found that depression and anxiety levels were high in early April, but declined over time. Being female, younger age, lower-income, and previous psychiatric diagnosis correlated with higher overall levels of anxiety and depression; being married additionally correlated with lower overall levels of depression, but not anxiety. Importantly, worsening of COVID-related economic impact and increase in projected pandemic duration exacerbated both depression and anxiety over time. Finally, increasing levels of informedness correlated with decreasing levels of depression, while increased COVID-19 severity (i.e., 7-day change in cases) and social media use were positively associated with anxiety over time. These findings not only provide evidence for overall emotional adaptation during the initial weeks of the pandemic, but also provide insight into overlapping, yet distinct, factors contributing to depression and anxiety throughout the first wave of the pandemic.

Preditores de risco psicológico em Psicologia da Saúde: uma revisão da literatura

O ajuste psicológico é um fenômeno dinâmico e multidimensional, e não pode ser reduzido simplesmente a uma ausência de distúrbio psicológico. O sucesso dos cuidados psicológicos junto a enfermos crônicos inicia-se com a identificação das condições de risco e seus preditores. A compreensão do conhecimento acumulado e das evidências mais atuais sobre o tema favorece a elaboração do diagnóstico e no planejamento de ações.Objetivo:Realizar uma revisão integrativa dos fatores que influenciam o processo de adaptação psicológica e fatores de risco para morbidade psicológica e/ou psiquiátrica no adoecimento.Metodologia:Foi realizada uma busca da literatura especializada por meio de artigos científicos nas bases de dados: Portal de Periódicos Capes/MEC, BVS e PubMed utilizando os seguintes descritores: emotional adaptation and adjustment disorders and hospitalization and psychosocial impact.Resultados:A busca pelos descritores nas bases de dados selecionadas resultou em 1.368 artigos, que após a seleção por meio da aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão e triagem dos títulos, resumos e leitura completa, foram reduzidos a 54 artigos incluídos na análise. Os dados retirados dos artigos foram tabulados e analisados conforme a freqüência. Os principais resultados encontrados nos artigos foram analisados conforme método de análise de conteúdo proposto por Bardin. Conclusão: A Revisão da literatura possibilitou identificar os principais Preditores de Risco Psicológico em Saúde: sofrimento emocional, história prévia, percepção do diagnóstico/prognóstico, suporte social, fatores sociodemográficos e a forma com que a pessoa lida com o processo.

Examining the Post-operative Well-Being of Women Who Underwent Mammoplasty: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Mammoplasty is the most common surgery used for breast augmentation (aesthetic plastic) and breast reconstruction (disease-related plastic) in women who have been diagnosed with and surgically treated for regional breast cancer with modified radical mastectomy. This study aims to examine the long-term effects of mammoplasty on the psychological well-being of women.Methods: Participants were 44 women aged 30–50 years (mean = 40.4 ± 5.9). They were divided into two groups based on the purpose of the breast surgery they underwent [augmentation surgery (AS) vs. reconstruction surgery (RS)] and the time that had elapsed since their surgery (≤3 vs. >3 years).Results: Our findings suggest that women who underwent AS reported a decline in their psychological well-being over time. The women who had undergone AS ≤3 and >3 years did not show any differences in emotional functioning, with the exception of the BREAST-Q scores on the satisfaction with breasts subscale. We examined the impact of mammoplasty on the satisfaction levels and well-being of women who had undergone RS (after MRM). They were less satisfied with their breasts than those who belonged to the AS group, confirming our hypothesis. However, this was true only among those who had undergone surgery ≤3 years earlier.Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings underscore the need to provide psychological support to those who have undergone breast AS and RS. Additionally, this study implies the need for personalized psychological interventions to improve the emotional adaptation process and enhance women's mental well-being.

Emotional Adaptation During A Crisis: Decline in Anxiety and Depression After the Initial Weeks of COVID-19 in the United States

ObjectiveCrises such as the COVID-19 pandemic are known to exacerbate depression and anxiety, though their temporal trajectories remain unclear. The present study aims to investigate fluctuations in depression and anxiety using COVID-19 as a model crisis.Methods1,512 adults living in the U.S. enrolled in this online study on April 2nd, 2020 and were assessed weekly for 10 weeks (until June 4th, 2020; final n=537). Depression and anxiety were measured using the Zung Self-Rating Depression scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state subscale), respectively, along with demographic and COVID-related questions. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to examine factors contributing to longitudinal changes in depression and anxiety.ResultsDepression and anxiety levels were high in early April, but declined over time (F(9,4824)=17.53, p<.001 and F(9,4824)=23.35, p<.001, respectively). In addition to demographic factors such as sex, age, income, and psychiatric diagnoses, we identified some overlapping and some distinct dynamic factors contributing to changes in depression and anxiety: worsening of weekly individual economic impact of COVID-19 increased both depression and anxiety, while increased seven-day change in COVID-19 cases, social media use, and projected pandemic duration were positively associated with anxiety, but not depression.ConclusionsAlongside evidence for overall emotional adaptation, these findings highlight overlapping (economic), yet distinct (change in COVID-19 cases, social media use, and projected COVID-19 duration) factors contributing to fluctuations in depression and anxiety throughout the first wave of COVID-19. These results provide insight into socioeconomic policies and behavioral changes that can increase emotional adaptation in times of crisis.

An Adaptationist Framework for Personality Science

The field of personality psychology aspires to construct an overarching theory of human nature and individual differences: one that specifies the psychological mechanisms that underpin both universal and variable aspects of thought, emotion, and behaviour. Here, we argue that the adaptationist toolkit of evolutionary psychology provides a powerful meta–theory for characterizing the psychological mechanisms that give rise to within–person, between–person, and cross–cultural variations. We first outline a mechanism–centred adaptationist framework for personality science, which makes a clear ontological distinction between (i) psychological mechanisms designed to generate behavioural decisions and (ii) heuristic trait concepts that function to perceive, describe, and influence others behaviour and reputation in everyday life. We illustrate the utility of the adaptationist framework by reporting three empirical studies. Each study supports the hypothesis that the anger programme—a putative emotional adaptation—is a behaviour–regulating mechanism whose outputs are described in the parlance of the person description factor called ‘Agreeableness’. We conclude that the most productive way forward is to build theory–based models of specific psychological mechanisms, including their culturally evolved design features, until they constitute a comprehensive depiction of human nature and its multifaceted variations. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

The Effects of Family Participation on Preschoolers’ Development

Family involvement is defined as cooperation between the school and family and the family's active participation in the education process of their children. Family support is very important during preschool years, as the early education of the child affects the learning process, academic achievement, and social skills in later years. The goal of this article was to examine the relationship between family involvement and children's self-esteem and social-emotional adaptation. Self-esteem and social-emotional adjustment are two concepts that begin to develop during early childhood and are closely related to behaviors and skills in later life. Previous research shows the importance of family involvement on children’s self-esteem and social-emotional development. In this article, we first discussed the role of family involvement on child development. Then, we examined the effects of family involvement on children, parents, and teachers. Finally, we focused on the effects of family involvement on self-esteem and social-emotional adaptation. This article will contribute to understand the importance of family involvement during preschool years. Keywords Preschoolers, family involvement, self esteem, social-emotional adaptation