87 research outputs found
Psychological adjustment to lung transplantation
Lung transplantation (LTx) is an effective treatment for end-stage lung failure. Despite great advances in transplant medicine over the last few decades, LTx does not result in complete recovery of health, as transplant recipients continue to be confronted by various health problems that must be psychologically processed and overcome. Many suffer from frequent emotional distress and psychological disorders that can negatively influence their ability to cope with their new organ, negatively impacting both their adherence to immunosuppressive therapy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, it is both clinically and scientifically relevant to assess the postoperative HRQoL and mental health of LTx recipients to identify those at risk for poor post-transplant outcomes and to improve patientsâ symptom experience. This manuscript consists of three studies that review psychological adjustment to lung transplantation in terms of HRQoL and psychosocial outcomes via three different approaches. Study 1 is a systematic review of the literature to compile and interpret the evidence on measures to assess HRQoL and psychological outcomes following LTx, summarizing psychological outcomes in studies published between 1994 and 2013. Of 371 articles, 63 studies were selected for final review. Considerable heterogeneity was found in methodology, operational concepts and applied outcome measures in the existing literature on HRQoL and psychological outcomes after LTx. Nevertheless, eligible studies generally point to significant improvements in both mental health and HRQoL post-transplant. A huge opportunity for future research lies in the development of guidelines to aid in the selection of outcome measures to assess psychological outcomes of lung transplant recipients. The second study investigated the psychosocial outcome trajectories of 40 lung transplant recipients related to psychological distress and HRQoL over their first six months posttransplant. Three distinctive clusters were identified: (1) patients with optimal postoperative trajectories (35%); (2) patients with good postoperative trajectories (42%); and (3) patients with poor postoperative trajectories (23%). The last group tended to be older, to suffer from more severe disease, to have more co-morbid conditions, and to have had a prolonged ICU and/or hospital stay. Disease severity, length of stay, and HRQoL two weeks post-transplant were strong predictors of psychological distress and impaired HRQoL at six months of follow-up. The results underscore the psychosocial needs of patients with poor post-transplant trajectories. The third study qualitatively analyzed patient experiences with transplantation and their adjustment to normal life within the first six months post-transplant. âPhysical benefitsâ, âfear of rejectionâ, âgratitude towards the donorâ, and âside effectsâ were the most frequently named themes with respect to the transplantation process, new lungs, donor and medication regimen. Most themes remained unchanged over time. While comments about âintensive care unit deliriumâ and âworries regarding donated organ qualityâ diminished significantly over time, mentions of ârestrictions in everyday lifeâ increased significantly. Gender comparison revealed only marginal differences in the response categories. Improvements in physical function during the early postoperative phase may be limited by the onset of clinical complications, fear of rejection and infections, medication side effects, and restrictions in everyday life. Generally, studies on HRQoL and psychological outcomes after lung transplantation have been limited by lost to follow-up, cross-sectional designs, small sample sizes and, great variability in the use of validated and non-validated outcome measures, such that comparisons between different studies are difficult. One area of future research is the development of consensus guidelines to aid in the selection of outcome measures to assess HRQoL and psychological outcomes among LTx patients. In addition, longitudinal studies, including pre- vs. post-transplant assessment with adequately-sized samples are needed to further investigate outcome profiles and identify additional outcome predictors in these patients
Methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) in dyads mother-child exposed to intimate partner violence in Cameroon: Association with anxiety symptoms
Background: The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is encoded by the NR3C1 (Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 3 Group C Member 1) gene plays an important role in the modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity by providing feedback regulation which allows termination of the stress response. Little is known about epigenetic programming at the level of NGFI-A (nerve growth factor-inducible protein A) putative binding site (CpG) of the NR3C1 exon 1F in dyads mother-child exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) more specifically in an unstudied region such as the sub-Saharan Africa where levels of violence are very high.
Objective: Examine NR3C1 exon 1F methylation in response to IPV and possible association with cortisol concentration and mental health.
Method: We recruited 20 mother-child dyads exposed to IPV and a control group of 20 mother-child dyads not exposed to IPV. We administered self-reported questionnaires to measure mother's mental health and collected saliva samples for cortisol dosage and bisulfite sequencing of DNA methylation.
Results: Regarding the mothers, our results showed a significant difference in methylation level at CpG 16-21 sites of the NR3C1 exon 1F promoter region between the groups. In the exposed group as compared to the control group, there was a significant positive association between the level of methylation at CpG 16-21 sites and mother's mental health in particular anxiety symptoms. However, we did not find any significant correlation between methylation level and cortisol concentration. In children, we did not find any significant results.
Conclusion: This study highlights a NGFI-A putative binding site (CpG 16-21) that is more methylated in mothers exposed to IPV and which may have the potential to confer vulnerability for psychopathologies
Reward processing under influence: Effects of stress and cognitive load on reward processing, and their clinical implications for the vulnerability to major depression
Les humains ont la propension Ă rechercher les rĂ©compenses et Ă Ă©viter les punitions. La motivation Ă rechercher des rĂ©compenses et la capacitĂ© Ă en ressentir les effets positifs, Ă constater quâun comportement a eu des consĂ©quences positives et celle de le reproduire sont des fonctions fondamentales du traitement de la rĂ©compense. Elles promeuvent la survie et le bien-ĂȘtre.Cependant, ces fonctions peuvent ĂȘtre menacĂ©es ou altĂ©rĂ©es par lâexposition Ă des situations ou des contextes stressants. Afin de clarifier les facteurs dĂ©terminants qui, chez les adultes sains, sont susceptibles de porter atteinte au traitement de la rĂ©compense, cette thĂšse poursuit quatre objectifs. PremiĂšrement, investiguer les mĂ©canismes neuronaux et psychologiques qui favorisent les comportements motivĂ©s et la sensibilitĂ© hĂ©donique, et comment lâexposition Ă un stresseur aigu imprĂ©visible peut affecter ces mĂ©canismes. DeuxiĂšmement, explorer comment la disponibilitĂ© de processus cognitifs rĂ©gulateurs peut moduler les effets de lâexposition Ă ce stresseur sur le traitement de la rĂ©compense. TroisiĂšmement, dĂšs lors que les stratĂ©gies de rĂ©gulation Ă©motionnelle peuvent amĂ©liorer ou altĂ©rer le maintien dâun traitement adaptatif de la rĂ©compense, cette thĂšse examine comment la propension Ă utiliser des stratĂ©gies de rĂ©gulation Ă©motionnelle adaptatives ou inadaptĂ©es influence la sensibilitĂ© Ă la rĂ©compense chez des adultes sains. Dâune importance clinique particuliĂšre, le quatriĂšme objectif se fonde sur le fait que le trouble dĂ©pressif caractĂ©risĂ© (TDC) se caractĂ©rise par un dĂ©rĂšglement du traitement de la rĂ©compense, une sensibilitĂ© accrue au stress et une altĂ©ration des processus cognitifs et de la rĂ©gulation Ă©motionnelle. Par consĂ©quent, en utilisant la vulnĂ©rabilitĂ© au TDC comme modĂšle clinique, cette thĂšse compare les effets neuronaux et psychologiques de lâexposition Ă un stresseur sur les comportements motivĂ©s et la sensibilitĂ© hĂ©donique, chez des individus prĂ©sentant une vulnĂ©rabilitĂ© accrue au TDM (IV, individu vulnĂ©rable) et chez des individus sains (IC, individu contrĂŽle). Trois Ă©tudes empiriques adressent ces objectifs. Notre premiĂšre Ă©tude empirique investigue comment, chez des sujets sains, lâexposition Ă un stresseur aigu et imprĂ©visible affecte les mĂ©canismes neuronaux et psychologiques impliquĂ©s lors de la phase dâanticipation et de rĂ©ception de la rĂ©compense, et comment lâeffort cognitif requis module les effets induits par le stresseur sur le traitement de la rĂ©compense. Pour mesurer lâactivation cĂ©rĂ©brale durant le traitement de la rĂ©compense, nous avons utilisĂ© une tĂąche de rĂ©compense durant laquelle un stress expĂ©rimental Ă©tait induit au travers de lâadministration de chocs Ă©lectriques, alors que le traitement de la rĂ©compense Ă©tait modulĂ© par le renforcement ou non des rĂ©ponses correctes. La disponibilitĂ© des fonctions cognitives rĂ©gulatrices a Ă©tĂ© manipulĂ©e en variant le niveau dâeffort cognitif requis durant la tĂąche expĂ©rimentale (charge cognitive faible ou Ă©levĂ©e). Nos rĂ©sultats indiquent que lâexposition Ă un stresseur et un effort cognitif accru influence la rĂ©activitĂ© striatale pendant la phase de rĂ©ception du feedback, sans toutefois que ces deux facteurs nâintĂ©ragissent. Dans toutes les conditions, lâexposition au stresseur a augmentĂ© la rĂ©activitĂ© du striatum dorsal et les performances cognitives, alors que la nĂ©cessitĂ© dâengager un effort cognitif accru sâest traduit par une rĂ©duction de la rĂ©activitĂ© du striatum ventral lors de la rĂ©ception de rĂ©compenses et par une diminution de la performance cognitive. Sur cette base, notre deuxiĂšme Ă©tude empirique porte sur la relation entre la propension dâindividus sains Ă utiliser des stratĂ©gies de rĂ©gulation Ă©motionnelle adaptatives ou inadaptĂ©es et leur sensibilitĂ© cĂ©rĂ©brale Ă la rĂ©ception de rĂ©compenses, une mesure reflĂ©tant la sensibilitĂ© hĂ©donique. Nos rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que la rĂ©activitĂ© du striatum ventral en rĂ©ponse Ă la rĂ©ception dâune rĂ©compense est nĂ©gativement corrĂ©lĂ©e Ă la tendance des sujets Ă rĂ©guler leurs Ă©motions de maniĂšre inadaptĂ©e, ainsi quâĂ la sĂ©vĂ©ritĂ© et Ă lâintensitĂ© des symptĂŽmes dĂ©pressifs subcliniques quâils rapportent. Avec pour objectif dâexplorer les implications cliniques pour la vulnĂ©rabilitĂ© au TDC, notre troisiĂšme Ă©tude empirique explore la maniĂšre dont lâexposition Ă un stresseur affecte le traitement de la rĂ©compense chez les IV par rapport aux IC durant la phase dâanticipation et de rĂ©ception de la rĂ©compense lorsque ceux-ci effectuent la mĂȘme tĂąche expĂ©rimentale que celle rĂ©alisĂ©e dans notre premiĂšre Ă©tude empirique. De maniĂšre exploratoire, nous examinons Ă©galement si le niveau de lâeffort cognitif Ă investir dans la tĂąche modĂšre de maniĂšre diffĂ©rente lâeffet du stresseur sur le traitement de la rĂ©compense chez les IV en comparaison aux IC. Nos rĂ©sultats mettent en Ă©vidence que lâexposition Ă un stresseur a rĂ©duit la rĂ©activitĂ© du striatum ventral chez les IV durant la phase dâanticipation, indĂ©pendamment dâune potentielle rĂ©compense. Cet effet induit par le stresseur Ă©tait renforcĂ© lorsque lâeffort cognitif annoncĂ© Ă©tait plus faible. Durant la phase dâanticipation, les IV ont Ă©galement prĂ©sentĂ© une augmentation de lâactivation du striatum dorsal dans toutes les conditions. Durant la prĂ©sentation du feedback, une diminution de la rĂ©activitĂ© du striatum ventral est apparue chez les IV dans la condition oĂč un effort cognitif accru avait Ă©tĂ© investi dans la tĂąche expĂ©rimentale, et ce indĂ©pendamment de la prĂ©sence du stresseur ou de rĂ©compense. En somme, les rĂ©sultats de cette thĂšse indiquent que lâexposition Ă un stresseur aigu imprĂ©visible pourrait induire une augmentation du niveau dâĂ©veil, menant potentiellement Ă une amplification de la motivation orientĂ©e vers la recherche de rĂ©compenses et Ă lâĂ©mergence de conduites automatisĂ©es au dĂ©triment de comportements orientĂ©s vers un but. Nos rĂ©sultats apportent un nouvel Ă©clairage sur la complexitĂ© de lâinfluence exercĂ©e par le niveau dâeffort cognitif et sur la maniĂšre dont celui-ci modĂšre les effets du stress sur le traitement de la rĂ©compense. Quant au rĂŽle jouĂ© par la rĂ©gulation Ă©motionnelle, les stratĂ©gies inadaptĂ©es semblent avoir un effet nĂ©faste sur la sensibilitĂ© Ă la rĂ©ception dâune rĂ©compense. Dâune importance clinique particuliĂšre, nos rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que la vulnĂ©rabilitĂ© familiale au TDC est associĂ©e Ă une difficultĂ© Ă encoder la valeur dâun stimulus Ă©motionnel et Ă des dysfonctions dans les processus dâapprentissage en lien avec la rĂ©compense. Ainsi, les rĂ©sultats de cette thĂšse pourraient contribuer Ă ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives pour le dĂ©veloppement de programmes de prĂ©vention efficaces visant Ă renforcer la rĂ©silience face au stress et Ă rĂ©duire le risque face Ă lâĂ©mergence de symptĂŽmes psychopathologiques liĂ©s au stress.Humans have a propensity to pursue rewards and to avoid punishments. The motivation to seek rewards and the ability to experience and to learn from positive consequences are fundamental functions in the reward processing. They promote survival and well-being. However, these functions can be challenged or impaired by stressful events or contexts. To clarify the determinant factors that might impair the normal reward function in healthy humans, this thesis has four aims. First, to investigate the brain and psychological mechanisms that foster adaptive motivated behaviors and hedonic responsiveness, and how unpredictable acute stress exposure might challenge these mechanisms. Second, to explore how the availability of cognitive regulatory processes may modulate the effect of stress exposure on these reward functions. Third, since emotion regulation strategies might improve or alter the maintenance of an adaptive reward processing, this thesis examines how the propensity to use adaptive or maladaptive emotion regulation strategies influences the responsiveness to reward delivery in healthy individuals. Of clinical importance, the fourth aim is based on the fact that major depression disorder (MDD) is characterized by a disrupted reward processing, increased stress sensitivity, and altered cognitive and emotion regulation processes. Consequently, we used the vulnerability to MDD as a clinical model to test the neural and psychological effects of stress exposure on motivated behaviors and hedonic responsiveness in healthy individuals vulnerable to MDD (HV) compared to closely matched healthy controls (HC). Three empirical works address these aims. Empirical work I explores how, in healthy individuals, unpredictable acute stress exposure affects the neural and behavioral mechanisms engaged during cues predicting rewards and during reward delivery, and how cognitive effort modulates stress-related effects on reward processing. To measure brain activations during reward processing, we used an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reward task with unpredictable acute stress induced by threat-of-shock, and reward responsiveness modulated by variable reinforcement schedules (rewarded vs not-rewarded trials). The availability of cognitive regulatory processes was manipulated by two levels of cognitive effort to exert in the task (low, high working memory load). Our findings indicate that both stress exposure and increased cognitive effort influenced the striatal reactivity during the delivery phase, but these factors did not interact. In all conditions, stress exposure enhanced both dorsal striatal activation during the delivery phase and cognitive performance, while higher cognitive effort reduced both ventral striatal reactivity to reward receipt and cognitive performance. Moving on from there, Empirical work II provides insight into the relationship between the propensity of healthy adults to use adaptive or maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and their neural responsiveness to reward delivery, a measure of hedonic responsivity. Our findings demonstrate that the ventral striatal responsiveness to reward delivery was negatively associated with both the subjectâs tendency to use maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and the severity and intensity of the subclinical depressive symptoms they reported. With the aim to test the clinical implications for the vulnerability to MDD, Empirical work III examines whether unpredictable acute stress exposure affects differently HCâs and HVâs neural responsiveness to cues predicting rewards and to reward delivery when performing the reward task used in our first empirical work. In an exploratory way, we also investigate whether cognitive effort modulates differently the effect of unpredictable acute stress exposure on reward responsiveness. Our findings evidence that stress exposure reduced the ventral striatal reactivity in HV during the anticipation phase, regardless of reinforcement schedule. This stress-related effect was potentiated when individuals were asked to exert a lower cognitive effort in the task. Also, HV showed diminished dorsal striatal activation in all conditions during the anticipation phase. During the delivery phase, the exertion of higher cognitive effort decreased the ventral striatal reactivity in HV, irrespective of stress exposure and reinforcement schedule. Overall, the findings of this thesis demonstrate that stress exposure might strengthen arousal resulting possibly in increased reward-seeking motivation and in the emergence of automatized actions at the expense of goal-directed behaviors. Our results bring new insights into the complex influence of cognitive demands and how they modulate the effect of unpredictable acute stress on the reward processing. Regarding the role played by emotion regulation, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies might have an adverse effect on the ability to experience hedonic feelings. Of clinical significance, our findings indicate finally that increased familial risk for MDD may be associated with impaired ability to encode incentive value and with dysfunctions in reward learning processes including the learning of action-outcome and stimulus-outcome associations. Altogether, the results of this thesis might open new avenues for developing efficient prevention programs promoting resilience in the face of stress exposure, and for reducing the risk for stress-related psychopathological symptoms
"Reshaping" the brain: longitudinal investigation of structural and functional brain alterations during weight gain in Anorexia nervosa
Indigenous-Amazonian Traditional Medicine's Usage of the Tobacco Plant: A Transdisciplinary Ethnopsychological Mixed-Methods Case Study
Harmful usage of tobacco is a global public health problem associated with adverse health effects and addiction. Yet, in the Peruvian Amazon, the native region of Nicotiana rustica L., this plant is used in remarkably different manners: it is considered a potent medicinal plant, applied in liquid form for oral ingestion to treat mental health problems, a common and ancient healing practice in this region. Using a transdisciplinary field research approach with mixed ethnopsychological methods, this work aimed to report for the first time a case study in this context. The intervention took place in the Peruvian Amazon (Loreto) and involved ritual tobacco ingestion in a weeklong retreat-like frame, administered by a specialized traditional Amazonian healer. The patient was a 37-year-old woman with diagnosed mood, anxiety, and attention deficit disorders, as well as a chronic somatic condition. We applied qualitative experience-sampling during and quantitative symptom assessments pre- and post-treatment. Our findings offer a detailed description of the experiential therapeutic process during the treatment week and suggest clinically relevant improvements in patient well-being. This work is significant in view of the globally prevalent harmful uses of tobacco and the current scientific trend of revisiting herbal psychoactives (e.g., cannabis, psilocybin) for their therapeutic potentials
HPA-axis activity and the moderating effect of self-esteem in the context of intimate partner violence in Cameroon
Background
The experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) is stressful. One objective way to monitor it is to assess victimsâ stress response by measuring the concentration of their salivary cortisol, the major stress hormone released by the hypothalamicâpituitaryâadrenal axis.
Objective
We investigated how the IPV experienced by women in Cameroon affects their stress levels and those of their children.
Method
We recruited 50 motherâchild dyads exposed to IPV and a control group of 25 motherâchild dyads. All mothers completed questionnaires, including the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale to assess IPV, the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale, to assess their psychological resources. Mothers were asked to collect 3 saliva samples from themselves and 3 from their children on a single weekday: immediately after waking up, 30 minutes after waking up, and 45 minutes after waking up. The total cortisol secretion over the first hour after awakening was determined by calculating the area under the curve with respect to the ground (AUCg).
Results
Mothers exposed to IPV exhibited higher total post-awakening cortisol concentrations compared with those in the control group. However, no significant difference was found between exposed and non-exposed children. In addition, higher IPV, specifically injuries, was significantly and positively associated with greater AUCg among mothers exhibiting lower self-esteem. When self-esteem was high, however, no significant effect of IPV on AUCg was observed.
Conclusions
Of particular clinical significance is that self-esteem can modulate the stress levels of women exposed to IPV, a valuable insight into the development of effective psychosocial interventions to support IPV victims in sub-Saharan Africa
Validity, Reliability, and Factor Structure of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale-French Version
Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans
Hallucinogens are a loosely defined group of compounds including LSD, N,N-dimethyltryptamines, mescaline, psilocybin/psilocin, and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methamphetamine (DOM), which can evoke intense visual and emotional experiences. We are witnessing a renaissance of research interest in hallucinogens, driven by increasing awareness of their psychotherapeutic potential. As such, we now present a narrative review of the literature on hallucinogen binding in vitro and ex vivo, and the various molecular imaging studies with positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT). In general, molecular imaging can depict the uptake and binding distribution of labelled hallucinogenic compounds or their congeners in the brain, as was shown in an early PET study with N1-([11C]-methyl)-2-bromo-LSD ([11C]-MBL); displacement with the non-radioactive competitor ketanserin confirmed that the majority of [11C]-MBL specific binding was to serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. However, interactions at serotonin 5HT1A and other classes of receptors and pleotropic effects on second messenger pathways may contribute to the particular experiential phenomenologies of LSD and other hallucinogenic compounds. Other salient aspects of hallucinogen action include permeability to the bloodâbrain barrier, the rates of metabolism and elimination, and the formation of active metabolites. Despite the maturation of radiochemistry and molecular imaging in recent years, there has been only a handful of PET or SPECT studies of radiolabeled hallucinogens, most recently using the 5-HT2A/2C agonist N-(2[11CH3O]-methoxybenzyl)-2,5-dimethoxy- 4-bromophenethylamine ([11C]Cimbi-36). In addition to PET studies of target engagement at neuroreceptors and transporters, there is a small number of studies on the effects of hallucinogenic compounds on cerebral perfusion ([15O]-water) or metabolism ([18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose/FDG). There remains considerable scope for basic imaging research on the sites of interaction of hallucinogens and their cerebrometabolic effects; we expect that hybrid imaging with PET in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) should provide especially useful for the next phase of this research
Short-Term Effects of a Multidimensional Stress Prevention Program on Quality of Life, Well-Being and Psychological Resources: A Randomized Controlled Trial
It is well-documented that university students have an increased risk in developing psychological problems because they face multiple stressors. Cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness-based stress prevention programs were shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress in university students. However, little is known of their effect on resource activation. Additionally, most validated interventions are unidimensional, i.e., including one stress-coping approach. In this study, we investigated the short-term effects of a multidimensional stress prevention program on studentsâ quality of life, psychological symptoms and resources, and resilience factors against stress. Using an experimental design, 64 healthy undergraduate students (56 women), between 18 and 34 years old (M = 21.34, SD = 2.53), from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, were randomly allocated either to the intervention or the wait-list control group. The intervention group participated in a multidimensional stress prevention program, integrating mindfulness-based activities, cognitive and behavioral strategies, social skills, and emotional regulation exercises. The program consisted of eight 2-h weekly sessions. Before and after the intervention, participants completed self-reported questionnaires evaluating quality of life; psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and interpersonal problems; as well as psychological resources like self-efficacy, sense of coherence, self-compassion, and social support, presented online. A standardized clinical interview was performed at pre- and post-measurement times. To analyze the sort-term effects of the program, we used mixed, two-factorial ANOVAs (per-protocol analyses). In accordance with our hypotheses, our results showed significant reduction of psychological symptoms, including anxiety, interpersonal problems, and symptoms of pain; a significant increase in quality of life, sense of coherence, and self-compassion in students who participated in the intervention program compared to the control group, (all p < 0.05). No significant results were found for symptoms of depression, social anxiety, self-efficacy, and social support. These preliminary findings indicate specific short-term effects of our multidimensional stress prevention program on psychological symptoms and on quality of life as well as promising effects on psychological resources and factors associated with resilience against stress. Future studies should investigate the long-term effects of the intervention as well as the effects in clinical samples
Mental health markers and protective factors in students with symptoms of physical pain across WEIRD and non-WEIRD samples â a network analysis
Background: Studies conducted in Western societies have identified variables associated with chronic pain, but few have done so across cultures. Our study aimed to clarify the relationship between specific mental health markers (i.e., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], perceived stress) as well as specific protective factors (i.e., social support and self-efficacy) related to physical pain among university students across non-WEIRD and WEIRD samples.
Method: A total of 188 university students (131 women and 57 men) were included in the study. We used network analysis to ascertain mental health markers especially central to the experience of physical pain.
Results: No statistically significant difference was found between mental health markers (i.e., depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and PTSD) and protective factors (i.e., social support and self-efficacy) associated with physical pain symptoms for Swiss students versus Indian students (Mâ=â0.325, pâ=â.11). In addition, networks for Swiss versus Indian students did not differ in global strength (Sâ=â0.29, pâ=â.803). Anxiety was the most central mental health marker, and social support was the most important protective factor related to physical pain in both countries. However, for Swiss students, perceived stress, and for Indian students, PTSD symptoms were central mental health markers related to physical pain.
Conclusion: Our results identify factors that may serve as important treatment targets for pain interventions among students of both countries before it becomes chronic
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