The Impact of Chinese College Students' Perceived Stress on Anxiety During the COVID-19 Epidemic: The Mediating Role of Irrational Beliefs

Objective: To explore the underlying mechanism of the impact of perceived stress on anxiety of the Chinese college students during the COVID-19 epidemic.Methods: The Perceived Stress Scale, Irrational Belief Scale, and General Anxiety Scale were adopted in the current study. College students were randomly selected for online questionnaire survey. There were 1,598 valid questionnaires, and the proportion of women was 47.81%.Results: The perceived stress and anxiety, as well as the three dimensions of irrational beliefs (catastrophizing, low frustration tolerance, and depreciation) were significantly positively correlated; demandingness was not significantly correlated with anxiety. Further analysis found that the perceived stress had a significant positive predictive effect on the anxiety of college students. Catastrophizing, low frustration tolerance, and depreciation played part of the mediating role, and there was no significant difference in the strength of these mediating roles.Conclusion: The perceived stress of the COVID-19 epidemic had a positive effect on the anxiety of Chinese college students, this was partly mediated by irrational beliefs.

Emotional disorders

Emotional disorders in children with ADHD are often difficult to detect. The emotional problems that occur in children with ADHD fall into three categories: emotional characteristics of ADHD (low frustration tolerance, preoccupation, thrill-seeking, dysthymia, and overexcitability), reactive emotions to having ADHD, and coexisting emotional disorders (depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder). Inefficient inhibitory processes in the brain are the basis of these emotional difficulties. It is essential to be aware of the frequent occurrence of emotional disorders in children with ADHD. This chapter discusses emotional disorders in ADHD, including the emotional characteristics of ADHD, reactive emotions, and coexisting emotional disorders.

The map of cognitive processes in boredom: multiple mediation models

Background: Trait boredom is associated with several internalizing and externalizing problems. Addressing existing research gaps in the field, the present study investigated the map of cognitive processes for boredom, based on the rational emotive behaviour therapy model (REBT). Aims: The general aim of the study was to investigate the organization of irrational and rational evaluative cognitions related to boredom, and the association between boredom and depression symptoms and state/trait anxiety. Methods: The 233 participants (84% women) completed online scales of evaluative cognitions, trait boredom, trait/state anxiety and depression. Multiple mediation models via the SPSS extension PROCESS were employed. Results: The REBT psychopathology and psychological health models were partially confirmed, as the evaluative primary cognitions predicted positively and significantly the secondary ones in both cases. Low frustration tolerance (LFT) and global evaluations (GE), and frustration tolerance (FT), respectively, had significant effects. We found a positive significant association between boredom proneness and the negative dysfunctional emotions investigated. Conclusions: Both results offer further support for the hierarchy of cognitions and the distinction between the level of irrationality and rationality in REBT. This is the first attempt to assess a cognitive map of boredom, underlining the importance of (L)FT in relation to boredom. The significance of GE in boredom suggests that people might see themselves responsible, or even blame themselves, others or life itself while bored. The associations of boredom with anxiety and depression are relevant, as its role in those contexts is not yet fully understood.

Perceived Social Disconnectedness, Low Frustration Tolerance and Coping with Uncertainty in Mothers of Children Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship among perceived social disconnectedness, low frustration tolerance and coping with uncertainty in mothers of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The current study used correlational research design. Hundred participants were collected through non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data was drawn from both government and private special education centers of Lahore within six months. Perceived social disconnectedness scale, low frustration tolerance checklist and coping with uncertainty scale were used to measure variables under study. Correlational analysis showed highly significant negative association of social disconnectedness and low frustration tolerance with coping with uncertainty. Findings also showed significant predicting role of social disconnectedness and low frustration tolerance on coping with uncertainty in mothers of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Keywords: Perceived Social Disconnectedness, Low Frustration Tolerance and Coping with Uncertainty, CP Child’s Mothers

Pengembangan Skala Keyakinan Irasional dalam Penulisan Skripsi

Previous studies have shown that irrational beliefs contribute significantly to the procrastination, including the thesis-writing procrastination. Unfortunately, there are no scales that specifically can measure the beliefs in the thesis writing context. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a scale called the Skala Keyakinan Irasional dalam Penyusunan Skripsi (SKI-S). The scale was developed based on irrational belief construct proposed by Albert Ellis in the context of thesis writing. To achieve the aim, the study applied a research and development design involving four steps: (1) defining the construct; (2) developing the measurement model; (3) carrying out confirmatory factor analysis; and (4) checking the validity of the measurement model. 200 undergraduate students taking their 9th to 14th semester were involved in the study. 86 items were successfully validated which were classified into demandingness subscale (16 items); catastrophizing subscale (20 items); self-depreciation subscale (17 items); and low frustration tolerance subscales (20 items).Abstrak: Beberapa hasil penelitian membuktikan bahwa keyakinan irasional berkontribusi pada terjadinya prokrastinasi, termasuk prokrastinasi dalam penulisan skripsi. Sampai saat ini belum dijumpai alat ukur yang secara khusus mengukur keyakinan irasional dalam konteks dimaksud. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan sebuah alat ukur yang diberi nama Skala Keyakinan Irasional dalam Penyusunan Skripsi (SKI-S). Skala ini dikembangkan berdasarkan konstruk keyakinan irasional yang dikemukakan oleh Albert Ellis dengan menambahkan konteks penulisan skripsi ke dalam butir-butir skala. Untuk mencapai tujuan yang telah disebutkan, penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian pengembangan dengan langkah-langkah: (1) mendefinisikan konstruk; (2) mengembangkan model pengukuran; (3) melakukan analisis faktor konfirmatori; dan (4) mengecek validitas model pengukuran. Subjek yang terlibat dalam pengembangan ini adalah 200 mahasiswa yang terlambat lulus (sedang menempuh semester sembilan hingga 14). Hasil menunjukkan 86 butir SKI-S valid dan reliabel, sedangkan 178 butir lainnya tidak memenuhi syarat. Secara rinci, 86 butir tersebut terdiri dari: 16 butir subskala demandingness; 20 butir subskala catastrophizing; 17 butir subskala self-depreciation; dan 20 butir subskala low frustration tolerance.

Behavioral problems in Silver–Russell syndrome – Case report

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to present two cases of Silver–Russel Syndrome patients with behavioural problems. The male is diagnosed with ADHD, and the female shows antisocial behaviour.BackgroundRussell–Silver syndrome (RSS) is a rare disorder characterized by intrauterine growth retardation and postnatal growth deficiency along with a handful of common physical characteristics and a range of other symptoms.MethodsClinical observation, tests (EEG, psychological tests – IQ scale, JEPQ, Projective techniques) and interviews with the patients and their parents and foster parents.ResultsS.H. (20 years) – is opponent, aggressive, refuses every kind of cooperation with delayed mental development.V.M. (10 years) – premature baby (born in the sixth month) in a 40 years old mother (second pregnancy); blind on right eye and very low vision on the left eye; lost both of his parents at the age of 1.6 in a car accident; had several operations and is always under some treatments. V.M. had low school performance. The foster parent noticed that he has an attention deficit. Besides, he is very aggressive verbally and physically, has low frustration tolerance, borderline intelligence.ConclusionAccording to several studies that claims that patients with Silver–Russel syndrome have behavioural problems and among them, the most common are attention deficit problems; our study improves that hypothesis. Both of our patients have attention deficit problems.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Treatment difficulties in the pathology of the frontal lobe

Frontal lobe lesions may present as mood disorders, with apathy, emotional flattening and indifference towards the environment, refered to as “pseudodepression”. A 14-year-old adolescent is transferred from a pediatric ward for frontal headaches, sleepiness, apathy, food refusal, irritability and marked weight loss (BMI = 14 kg/sqm). The patient has a history of Socialized Conduct Disorder, with extremely low compliance towards treatment. When admitted he is cooperating partially, has an influenced general state and refuses to drink liquids. He is sad, impulsive, with low frustration tolerance, negativist, oppositionist, with voluntary urine emissions and marked sleepiness. There are clinical signs of dehydration and an intermittent convergent strabismus in the left eye. Laboratory tests show an inflammatory syndrome, nitrate retention, dyselectrolytemia. Neurologically: exaggerated tendon reflexes, frust bipyramidal syndrome, slight ptosis of the left eye; electroencephalogram–slow activity (lesion?) in left deviations. A consult with the Infectious Disease unit renders a diagnosis of headache syndrome and frontal sinusitis. The MRI is suggestive for a left frontal infectious expansive process (abscess) and massive maxillary–ethmoidal–frontal sinusitis. Combined parenteral antibiotics and pathogenetic treatment are initiated and the patient undergoes neurosurgery with the evacuation of the tumor. A cystic formation of 6/5/1, 5 cm, containing an opalescent yellow liquid is found at the histopathological exam. Streptococcus spp. is identified by the bacteriological exam. The evolution is good under treatment, with a slight accentuation of the behavioural symptoms. This case illustrates the importance of correct differential diagnosis, the psychiatric diagnosis being one of exclusion.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Frustration Tolerance in Youth With ADHD

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare children with ADHD with children without ADHD on frustration tolerance and to examine the role of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in frustration tolerance within the sample. Method: Participants included 67 children ages 10 to 14 years-old with ( n = 37) and without ( n = 30) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) ADHD who completed the Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT), a validated computerized behavioral measure of frustration tolerance. Results: Children with ADHD were more likely to quit this task than children without ADHD, demonstrating lower levels of frustration tolerance. There were no differences in frustration tolerance between children with ADHD + ODD and those with ADHD – ODD. Moreover, ODD did not moderate the relationship between ADHD and frustration tolerance. Conclusion: Our results suggest that low frustration tolerance is directly linked to ADHD and not better accounted for by ODD. This research highlights specific behavioral correlates of frustration in children with ADHD.