Imaginary friends: The effect of imagined social support on subjective and physiological indicators of stress

Social support is known to help buffer the effects of stress (Uchino et al., 1996). However, in many situations social support is unavailable, and imagining social support may help to reduce the impact of stress. Although imagined physical touch has been shown to be an effective stress buffer, little research has compared it to other types of imagined support (Feldman et al., 2010). Additionally, women tend to seek emotional support, whereas men tend to seek tangible support, but it is unknown if imagining those types of support will reduce stress (Reevy & Maslach, 2001). To gain greater insight into these processes, the purpose of this project was to identify whether imagining supportive touch or emotional social support is best at moderating stress, shown through a measure of perceived stress, heart rate, and blood pressure. Results showed that changes in stress, heart rate or blood pressure did not significantly vary by support condition. This may suggest that a high stress situation may overpower and negate the effects of any type of imagined social support

Associations Between Neighborhood Factors and Adherence in Youth with Spina Bifida: The Mediating Role of Parental Stress and Youth Internalizing Symptoms

Spina bifida (SB) is a birth defect that impacts physical, medical, and neuropsychological functioning. Physical complications like hydrocephalus and bladder dysfunction require daily adherence to complex medical regimens. Additionally, youth with SB are more likely to have symptoms of anxiety and depression which can impact their ability to master their regimens. Evidence in other pediatric populations have examined the impact of family factors, like parental stress, and individual-level predictors of self-management outcomes, yet few have examined how the broader context, like neighborhoods, impact outcomes. Therefore, the current study examined (1) the level of the neighborhood vulnerability and acute healthcare services within the sample, (2) associations between neighborhood factors and parental stress and youth internalizing symptoms, (3) associations between parental stress and youth internalizing symptoms and medical adherence, (4) the degree to which neighborhood factors predict medical adherence, and (5) the mediating role of parental stress and youth internalizing symptoms on associations between neighborhood factors medical adherence in youth with SB. One hundred and thirty youth with SB were enrolled in a larger longitudinal study (Kayle et al., 2020). The current study included youth home addresses and parent report of experiences of stress. Youth internalizing symptoms were assessed via youth-, parent- and teacher-report and medical adherence was assessed via parent-report. Results indicated that a majority of youth with SB live in a mid to high vulnerable neighborhood with no hospitals. Neighborhood factors were not significant predictors of parental stress or youth internalizing symptoms. Parental stress and youth internalizing symptoms were not significant predictors of youth medical adherence. Similarly, neighborhood factors were not significant predictors of youth medical adherence. This study highlights the need for providers to consider larger contexts, including neighborhoods, when supporting youth with SB and their families and the need for additional research to explore other outcomes like neuropsychological and academic functioning that may be impacted by neighborhood factors

The Effect of Imagined Support on Physiological Indicators of Stress

Social support is known to help buffer the effects of stress (Uchino et al., 1996). However, in many situations social support is unavailable, and imagining social support may help to reduce the impact of stress. Although imagined physical touch has been shown to be an effective stress buffer, little research has compared it to other types of imagined support (Feldman et al., 2010). Additionally, women tend to seek emotional support, whereas men tend to seek tangible support, but it is unknown if imagining those types of support will reduce stress (Reevy & Maslach, 2001). To gain greater insight into these processes, the purpose of this project was to identify whether imagining supportive touch or emotional social support is best at moderating stress, shown through a measure of perceived stress, heart rate, and blood pressure. Results showed that changes in stress, heart rate or blood pressure did not significantly vary by support condition. This may suggest that a high stress situation may overpower and negate the effects of any type of imagined social support

Effect of Imagined Support on Perceptions of Stress

Social support is known to help buffer the effects of stress (Uchino et al., 1996). However, in many situations social support is unavailable, and imagining social support may help to reduce the impact of stress. Although imagined physical touch has been shown to be an effective stress buffer, little research has compared it to other types of imagined support (Feldman et al., 2010). Additionally, women tend to seek emotional support, whereas men tend to seek tangible support, but it is unknown if imagining those types of support will reduce stress (Reevy & Maslach, 2001). To gain greater insight into these processes, the purpose of this project was to identify whether imagining supportive touch, emotional social support, or giving emotional support is best at moderating stress during an impromptu speech task that was conducted over zoom. Participants completed initial measures of perceived stress, personality, and social support. Next, they indicated their stress levels after the manipulated social support condition and the stress task. Initial results showed that changes in perceived stress did not significantly vary by support condition. However, the control condition had the highest increase in stress during the speech task. Future research is needed to determine whether imagining social support can be effective in helping people cope with stressful situations

Weight Management Behaviors are Associated with Elevated Glycemic Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Many adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) engage in weight management behaviors (i.e., trying to lose weight), and efforts to manage weight may impact glycemic control. We assessed objective/subjective weight status and weight management behaviors in a diverse sample of 76 AYAs with T1D, and examined differences in sociodemographic characteristics and A1c levels by the following categories: (1) Overweight BMI/weight management (n = 21), (2) overweight BMI/no weight management (n = 6), (3) in/below-range BMI/weight management (n = 25), (4) in/below-range BMI/no weight management (n = 24). Subjective overweight status was more common among late adolescents and females; female gender was associated with weight management behaviors. AYAs endorsing weight management behaviors evidenced higher A1c values than those who did not. Clinicians working with AYAs should be aware of associations among weight management and glycemic indicators and routinely screen for weight management behaviors. Future research should explore interventions to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors among AYAs

Young Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Recent Advances in Behavioral Research

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides a recent update of behavioral research pertinent to young children with T1D and addresses current priorities and future directions. RECENT FINDINGS: Rates of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in young children (ages 1-7) are continuing to rise. Since 2014, changes to diabetes care and management have impacted young children and reinforced the need for increased attention and interventions to support diabetes management, especially in caregivers who are primarily responsible for their young child\u27s diabetes management. T1D is associated with unique physiologic challenges in young children, with constant management demands elevating parental diabetes-related stress and fear of hypoglycemia. Diabetes technology use has significantly increased in young children, contributing to improvements in glycemic levels and parent and child psychosocial functioning. Yet despite the positive outcomes demonstrated in select clinical behavioral interventions, research with this young child age group remains limited in scope and quantity