Associations Between Physical Activity, Affect Regulation Difficulties, and Mental Health Among Canadian Adolescents at Two Different Points of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Although physical activity declined with social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, youth who engaged in more physical activity experienced fewer mental health problems. If and how physical activity maintained its protective role throughout the ongoing pandemic remains unclear. This study models associations between three types of physical activity (indoor, outdoor, with parents), affect regulation, and anxious and depressive symptoms in two adolescent samples (W1: Summer 2020; W2: Winter 2020/21).

Stress-induced hyperphagia: empirical characterization of stress-overeaters

Background Stressful situations can have an impact on an individual’s eating behavior. People vulnerable to the influence of stress tend to change the quantity and quality of their food intake. Variables such as sex and body mass index (BMI) seem to be related to this stress-eating behavior, but it is rather unclear what factors account to the parameters associated with stress-eating behavior. The aim of this survey was to identify further characteristics of adults in Germany related to stress-overeating, focusing on stress perception, coping, eating motives and comfort foods as well as personality types. Methods This online survey was performed throughout Germany and comprised a 38-item pre-tested questionnaire. Stress-induced overeating was classified based on the Salzburg Stress Eating Scale (SSES). Moreover, validated questionnaires were used to identify additional characteristics of stress eaters. Participants were recruited using a convenience sampling approach, and data were collected between January and April 2021. Results The overall sample consisted of 1222 participants (female 80.8%, aged 31.5±12.8). 42.1% of participants were identified as stress-overeaters. Among the remaining group, 78.9% stated to eat less, 21.1% to eat equally when stressed. Female participants had a higher mean SSES score compared to male participants. The BMI was positively correlated to SSES, r(1220)=0.28, p>0.005. ‘Agreeableness’ (BigFive) was found to be a negative predictor of stress-overeating. The most pronounced difference in eating motives (The Eating Motivation Survey, TEMS) was found for ‘Affect Regulation’ and ‘Weight Control’. Conclusions The results indicate that stress-overeating affects a large proportion of the surveyed population. BMI, personality and eating motives additionally characterize stress-overeaters and may contribute to develop new approaches to address unhealthy stress-related eating patterns.

Cortisol Awakening Reaction and Anxiety in Depressed Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Disturbances of HPA axis functioning as represented by cortisol awakening reaction (CAR) belong to the mediating pathways linking psychosocial distress and cardiovascular risk. Both depression and anxiety have been confirmed as independent risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, data on anxiety and cortisol output in CAD patients are scarce. Based on previous data, we hypothesized that anxiety would be associated with higher cortisol output and a more pronounced morning increase in moderately depressed CAD patients. 77 patients (60 y, 79% male) underwent saliva sampling (+0, +30, +45, +60 min after awakening, midday and late-night sample). Anxiety was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and patients were grouped into anxious versus non anxious subjects based upon the recommended score (≥11). A repeated measures ANOVA yielded a significant time and quadratic time effect referring to the typical CAR. Anxious patients showed a significantly steeper 30 min increase, higher AUCi, lower waking and late-night cortisol levels. The steeper cortisol increase in the anxious group is in line with previous data and may be interpreted as a biological substrate of affect regulation. The lower basal and late-night levels coupled with greater AUCi mirror a more dynamic reactivity pattern compared to depressed subjects without anxiety.

A bioenergetic model that links psychopathology and intelligence: Implications for research and clinical practice

Decomposing the structure of human cerebral function in its domains, such as affect regulation or cognition, forms the backbone of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Research continues to decipher the domains and hierarchical structure of cerebral function. So far, the findings strongly suggest two higher-order latent factors of general psychopathology (p factor) and general intelligence (g factor). Both general factors are functions of the same organ, covary, share risk factors as well as biomarkers, and benefit from the same treatments. However, to our knowledge, a model that connects both components of cerebral function within a higher-order latent factor and describes its potential biological underpinning is lacking. First, we suggest the general factor of cerebral function (c factor) as the shared variance of the measures of g and p in a bi-factor model. Second, we propose and provide evidence that mitochondrial bioenergetics (MB) is one core biological underpinning of c. Third, we describe how this c factor mito-bioenergetics (CMB) model may transform research and clinical practice by advancing knowledge of treatment effects, risk factors, biomarkers and clinical outcomes. Finally, we present a CMB model-based hypothesis stating that fatigue—as a phenotypical correlate of MB—directly loads on c.

Toward a Theory of Emotions in Competitive Sports

In this article, we introduce a theory on the dynamic development of affective processes, affect regulation, and the relationship between emotions and sport performance. The theory focusses on how affective processes emerge and develop during competitive sport involvement. Based on Scherer’s component process model, we postulate six components of emotion that interact with each other in a circular fashion: (I) triggering processes, (II) physiological reactions, (III) action tendencies, (IV) expressive behaviors, (V) subjective experience, and (VI) higher cognitive processes. The theory stresses the dynamics of affective processes and describes the consequences for performance in competitive sports. It assumes that the peculiarities of different sports must be taken into account in order to understand the affective processes, and offers starting points on which strategies can be used to effectively regulate affective states. Consequences for research and practice are derived and discussed. To study the development of affective processes, future research should test the assumptions in ecologically valid contexts, such as real competitions or competition-like situations, using multi-component measures of emotions.

Negative Affect and Maladaptive Eating Behavior as a Regulation Strategy in Normal-Weight Individuals: A Narrative Review

Emotions have a powerful influence on eating behavior, and eating behavior can have a powerful effect on emotions. The objective of the present narrative review was to evaluate the relationship between negative affect and maladaptive eating behavior as a regulation strategy in normal-weight individuals. A search of the literature within PubMed®, MEDLINE® and PsycINFO was conducted using a combination of the following terms: “affect”, “negative affect”, “affect regulation” and “maladaptive eating behavior”. A total of 106 papers were identified for full text review and were included in the final set of literature. The manuscript presents an overview of the literature on negative affect and maladaptive eating behavior. It offers a brief overview of restrained, uncontrolled and emotional eating in normal-weight individuals and looks at maladaptive eating behavior used to regulate their affect. Based on the previous research findings, we argue that using more adaptive strategies for emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal) might result in downregulating integral negative affect to food and in improving eating behavior.

Song Transmission as a Formal Cultural Practice

From a biological point of view, the singing of songs is based on the human vocal learning capacity. It is universally widespread in all cultures. The transmission of songs is an elementary cultural practice, by which members of the older generations introduce both musico-linguistic rules and affect-regulative means to the younger ones. Traditionally, informal singing in familiar settings primarily subserves affect-regulation goals, whereas formal song transmission is embedded in various normative claims and interests, such as preserving cultural heritage and representing collective and national identity. Songs are vocal acts and abstract models that are densely structured and conform to cultural rules. Songs mirror each generations’ wishes, desires, values, hopes, humor, and stories and rest on unfathomable traditions of our cultural and human history. Framed in the emerging scientific field of didactics, I argue that research on formal song transmission needs to make explicit the norms and rules that govern the relationships between song, teacher, and pupils. I investigate these three didactic components, first, by conceptualizing song as rule-governed in terms of a grammar, with songs for children representing the most elementary musico-linguistic genre. The Children’s Song Grammar presented here is based on syllables as elements and on syntactic rules concerning timing, tonality, and poetic language. It makes it possible to examine and evaluate songs in terms of correctness and well-formedness. Second, the pupils’ learning of a target song is exemplified by an acoustical micro-genetic study that shows how vocalization is gradually adapted to the song model. Third, I address the teachers’ role in song transmission with normative accounts and provide exemplary insights into how we study song teaching empirically. With each new song, a teacher teaches the musico-linguistic rules that constitute the respective genre and conveys related cultural feelings. Formal teaching includes self-evaluation and judgments with respect to educational duties and aesthetic norms. This study of the three-fold didactic process shows song transmission as experiencing shared rule-following that induces feelings of well-formedness. I argue that making the inherent normativity of this process more explicit – here systematically at a descriptive and conceptual level – enhances the scientificity of this research domain.

Feeling the Absence of Touch: Distancing, Distress, Regulation, and Relationships in the Context of COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing guidelines were implemented to reduce viral spread, altering typical social interactions and reducing the amount of physical contact and affectionate touch many individuals experienced. The pandemic also caused psychological distress, perhaps in part related to reductions in affectionate touch with close others. We theorized that this would be particularly problematic for individuals reliant on affectionate touch to help regulate their emotions. Using online survey data collected nationwide from married or romantically partnered adults ( N = 585), we examined how physical distancing (moderated by cohabiting with spouse/partner) and affectionate touch with close others (moderated by individual differences in typical use and efficacy of touch for affect regulation [TAR]) related to individual psychological distress and romantic relationship quality. As hypothesized, more physical distancing was associated with less affectionate touch among non-cohabiters, but surprisingly with more touch among cohabiters. Also as hypothesized, participants higher in TAR and experiencing less affectionate touch reported more psychological distress than those similarly high in TAR and experiencing more affectionate touch, or than those lower in TAR. Unexpectedly, more physical distancing was associated directly with lower psychological distress and better relationship quality. Better relationship quality was linked directly to more affectionate touch and greater endorsement of TAR. Thus, for those cohabiting in satisfying romantic relationships, physical distancing may facilitate relationship-positive behaviors. Further, individual differences in TAR may influence the potency of touch effects on mood and stress.

STARC-SUD – Adaptation of a transdiagnostic intervention for refugees with substance use disorders

Background Refugees often suffer from multiple mental health problems, which transdiagnostic interventions can address. STARC (Skills-Training of Affect Regulation – A Culture-sensitive Approach) is a culturally sensitive transdiagnostic group intervention that has been developed for refugees to improve affect regulation. In refugees with substance use disorders (SUD), the consideration of SUD-specific elements might improve the acceptance and effectiveness of such an intervention. We aimed to adapt the STARC program for refugees with SUD in a culturally sensitive way. Method The conceptual framework of Heim and Kohrt (2019) was used to culturally sensitively adapt the STARC program to the needs of Syrian refugees with SUD. The results of five focus group discussions with refugees on cultural concepts of SUD and their treatment informed the adaption. An expert group suggested adaptions and decided by consensus on their implementation. Two pilot groups were conducted with the adapted STARC-SUD program. Interviews with the therapists of these pilot groups informed further adaption. Results The concepts related to SUD identified in focus groups and therapists’ interviews that differed from Western concepts were integrated into the STARC intervention. Discussion Further studies should assess the acceptance and effectiveness of the culturally sensitive STARC-SUD program for refugees with SUD.