A structural equation model of achievement emotions, coping strategies and engagement-burnout in undergraduate students: a possible underlying mechanism in facets of perfectionism

Achievement emotions that the university student experiences in the learning process can be significant in facilitating or interfering with learning. The present research looked for linear and predictive relations between university students¿ achievement emotions, coping strategies, and engagement-burnout, in three dierent learning situations (classroom, study time, and testing). Hypotheses were identified for a possible model that would analyze the two facets of perfectionism based on these relations. In the case of perfectionistic strivings, the test hypothesis was that positive emotions would predispose the use of problem-focused coping strategies and an emotional state of engagement; in the case of perfectionistic concerns, however, negative emotions would predispose the use of emotion-focused strategies and a state of burnout. A total of 654 university students participated in the study, using an online tool to complete validated questionnaires on the three study variables. All students provided informed consent and corresponding permissions. Given the ex-post facto linear design, the predictions could be verified for each situation by means of logistic regression analyses and Structural Equations Models (SEM). Empirical results lent support, in varying degree, to the proposed theoretical relations. The testing situation was of particular interest. We discuss implications for perfectionism research and for the practice of prevention, education and health care in the university setting

Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging and cognitive control studies in schizophrenia: preliminary elucidation of a core dysfunctional timing network

Timing and other cognitive processes demanding cognitive control become interlinked when there is an increase in the level of difficulty or effort required. Both functions are interrelated and share neuroanatomical bases. A previous meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies found that people with schizophrenia had significantly lower activation, relative to normal controls, of most right hemisphere regions of the time circuit. This finding suggests that a pattern of disconnectivity of this circuit, particularly in the supplementary motor area, is a trait of this mental disease. We hypothesize that a dysfunctional temporal/cognitive control network underlies both cognitive and psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia and that timing dysfunction is at the root of the cognitive deficits observed. The goal of our study was to look, in schizophrenia patients, for brain structures activated both by execution of cognitive tasks requiring increased effort and by performance of time perception tasks. We conducted a signed differential mapping (SDM) meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia patients assessing the brain response to increasing levels of cognitive difficulty. Then, we performed a multimodal meta-analysis to identify common brain regions in the findings of that SDM meta-analysis and our previously-published activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis of neuroimaging of time perception in schizophrenia patients. The current study supports the hypothesis that there exists an overlap between neural structures engaged by both timing tasks and non-temporal cognitive tasks of escalating difficulty in schizophrenia. The implication is that a deficit in timing can be considered as a trait marker of the schizophrenia cognitive profile

Abnormal Distribution and Function of Circulating Monocytes and Enhanced Bacterial Translocation in Major Depressive Disorder

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) patients experience a systemic inflammatory stage. Monocytes play an important role in innate inflammatory responses and may be modulated by bacterial translocation. Our aim was to investigate the subset distribution and function of circulating monocytes, levels of proinflammatory cytokines, gut barrier damage, and bacterial translocation in MDD patients. Methods: Twenty-two MDD patients without concomitant diseases and 14 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were studied. The levels of circulating CD14++CD16- (classical), CD14++CD16++ (intermediate) and CD14- CD16++ (nonclassical) monocytes and the intracytoplasmic tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 expression in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation were analyzed by polychromatic flow cytometry. The serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 levels were measured by Luminex. LPS-binding protein (LBP), intestinal fatty acidbinding protein (I-FABP), and zonulin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: MDD patients had a significant increase in the frequency of intermediate monocytes and a significant decrease in the frequency of classical monocytes compared to those in the healthy controls. MDD patients had a significantly increased percentage of classical monocytes that expressed IL-1β, intermediate monocytes that expressed IL-1β and IL6 and nonclassical monocytes that expressed IL-1β, and decreased levels of nonclassical monocytes that expressed IL6 compared to those in the healthy controls. MDD patients had significantly increased levels of circulating TNF-α, IL-1β, LBP, and I-FABP compared to those in the healthy controls. MDD patients with high LBP levels had a significant reduction in the number of circulating monocytes compared to that in the normal-LBP MDD patients, which can be mainly ascribed to a decrease in the number of intermediate and nonclassical monocytes. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that compared to the healthy controls, MDD patients show a marked alteration in circulating monocytes, with an expansion of the intermediate subset with increased frequency of IL-1β and IL-6 producing cells. These patients also exhibited a systemic proinflammatory state, which was characterized by the enhanced serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels compared to those in the healthy controls. Furthermore, MDD patients showed increased LBP and I-FABP levels compared to those in healthy controls, indicating increased bacterial translocation and gut barrier damage

Differences in family structure and functioning between families with disordered and healthy children

INTRODUCTION During the last ten years, Children and Adolescent psychiatry has experienced a growth in the rates of children consulting for mental disorders. Alteration in family functioning and structure may cause a negative impact in children and adolescent psychological adjustment, being this fact related to the increase in the number of consultations. OBJECTIVES To compare family functioning and structure between families with and without a child affected with a psychopathological disorder. METHOD Parents of children attending for the first time to the Children and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at the Department of Psychiatry at the University Hospital of Navarra or at the General Paediatrics Department of the same institution were invited to fill in a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family Assessment Device (FAD), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III). Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS (v. 15.0) program. RESULTS We analysed a sample of 124 married couples with a child affected with a psychopathological disorder, and 46 marriages without any psychologically disordered child. Parents of disordered children had been married for a mean of approximately 15 years (+5.8) and those of healthy children had been married for a mean of approximately 9 years (+5.4). Statistically meaningful differences were found between fathers from both groups in the “global functioning” subscale measured by the FAD. In the case of mothers, the “roles” and “global functioning” FAD subscales revealed statistically meaningful differences (p<0.05) between both groups. Finally, the FACES III “cohesion” subscale displayed statistically meaningful differences (p<0.05) also between mothers from both groups. CONCLUSIONS Fathers of disordered children refer a worse global functioning in their families. Mothers of disordered children refer greater difficulty to allocate roles, and an alteration in emotional links between family members

Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging and cognitive control studies in schizophrenia: preliminary elucidation of a core dysfunctional timing network

Timing and other cognitive processes demanding cognitive control become interlinked when there is an increase in the level of difficulty or effort required. Both functions are interrelated and share neuroanatomical bases. A previous meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies found that people with schizophrenia had significantly lower activation, relative to normal controls, of most right hemisphere regions of the time circuit. This finding suggests that a pattern of disconnectivity of this circuit, particularly in the supplementary motor area, is a trait of this mental disease. We hypothesize that a dysfunctional temporal/cognitive control network underlies both cognitive and psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia and that timing dysfunction is at the root of the cognitive deficits observed. The goal of our study was to look, in schizophrenia patients, for brain structures activated both by execution of cognitive tasks requiring increased effort and by performance of time perception tasks. We conducted a signed differential mapping (SDM) meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia patients assessing the brain response to increasing levels of cognitive difficulty. Then, we performed a multimodal meta-analysis to identify common brain regions in the findings of that SDM meta-analysis and our previously-published activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis of neuroimaging of time perception in schizophrenia patients. The current study supports the hypothesis that there exists an overlap between neural structures engaged by both timing tasks and non-temporal cognitive tasks of escalating difficulty in schizophrenia. The implication is that a deficit in timing can be considered as a trait marker of the schizophrenia cognitive profile

Does the number of children take a role in marital dysfunction?

INTRODUCTION The number of separations and divorces has dramatically increased in Europe in the last few years. In Spain, according to the last report of the Institute for Family Policies entitled “Evolution on the Family in Europe 2009”, the rate represents a 268% increase. Furthermore, birth rates have also decreased, with only 4% of families having three or more children. OBJECTIVES To analyse differences in marital and family functioning depending on the number of children. METHOD We studied a sample of 168 married couples who on their own initiative turned to the Diagnosis and Family Therapy Unit (UDITEF) at the University of Navarra Hospital (Spain) referring marital dysfunction. Sociodemographic data were gathered from all couples. They were asked to fill in the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) in order to assess marital dynamics and the Family Assessment Device (FAD) to assess family functioning. Statistic analysis was done with the SPSS (v. 15.0) program. RESULTS Out of the couples studied (N=168), 78 had three or more children, and 90 had less than three. Couples in large families had been married for a mean of 19.6+10.6 years, and nearly had four children (3.94+1.2) of ages in a range of 10 to 17 years. Couples in families with less than three children had been married for a mean of 13.7+10.3 and had a mean of one child (1.23+0.28) within an age range of 9 to 12 years. Statistic analysis of marital dynamics as measured with the DAS shows that there are statistically meaningful differences in the “Affective expression” subscale (p<0.05) both in husbands and wives. Concerning family functioning as measured by the FAD, we can find statistically meaningful differences in the subscale “communication” (p<0.05) measured in wives. CONCLUSIONS In our sample, marital dysfunction does not seem to be influenced by the number of children in the family. However, further research is necessary to study other variables that could also take a role, in order to get more accurate data

Study of marital communication in marriages with infidelity

INTRODUCTION Infidelity has a significant psychological impact on marriages and families. Marriages with an infidelity experience show a great number of premarital communication problems such as low rates of positive interaction and high rates of invalidation and negative interaction (1). OBJECTIVES To analyse communicative resources of spouses belonging to marriages with at least one unfaithfulness episode. To compare marital communication depending on the sex of the unfaithful spouse. MATERIAL AND METHODS We analized a sample of married couples in which at least one of the partners had had an extramarital relationship and who had turned to the Diagnosis and Family Therapy Unit (UDITEF) during the last five years presenting marital dysfunction related to an extramarital episode. Marital communication was studied through the observational method Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System (RMICS), analysing a 15-minute conversation between partners, which was coded by two reliable independent raters. RESULTS We analysed a sample of 39 married couples. No statistically meaningful differences were found with the RMICS between unfaithful husbands and faithful wives. However, when the wife was the unfaithful partner, we observed statistically meaningful differences in communication in the codes Hostility (p<0.05) and Problem Discussion (p<0.01) as compared to their faithful husbands. Furthermore, statistically meaningful differences were found in the use of the code Humor (p<0.01) when comparing unfaithful husbands to unfaithful wives. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (v.15) program. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained in our study show that marital and family communication varies depending on the sex of the unfaithful partner, mainly in the way they discuss and cope with problems, although more studies should be carried out with larger samples in order to confirm the results. We also appreciate that marriages in which the husband has been unfaithful, have a better marital communication than do marriages with an unfaithful woman. Finally, unfaithful women use a communication pattern more hostile than their husbands. BIBLIOGRAFÍA (1) Allen, E.S. The multidimensional and development nature of infidelity: Practical applications. Journal of clinical psychology, 2005; 61; 11; 1371-1400. (2) Heyman E. R. & Vivian, D. Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System. Manual. Ver. 1.7, July, 2000. State University of New York at Stony Brook

Does the number of children take a role in marital dysfunction?

INTRODUCTION The number of separations and divorces has dramatically increased in Europe in the last few years. In Spain, according to the last report of the Institute for Family Policies entitled “Evolution on the Family in Europe 2009”, the rate represents a 268% increase. Furthermore, birth rates have also decreased, with only 4% of families having three or more children. OBJECTIVES To analyse differences in marital and family functioning depending on the number of children. METHOD We studied a sample of 168 married couples who on their own initiative turned to the Diagnosis and Family Therapy Unit (UDITEF) at the University of Navarra Hospital (Spain) referring marital dysfunction. Sociodemographic data were gathered from all couples. They were asked to fill in the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) in order to assess marital dynamics and the Family Assessment Device (FAD) to assess family functioning. Statistic analysis was done with the SPSS (v. 15.0) program. RESULTS Out of the couples studied (N=168), 78 had three or more children, and 90 had less than three. Couples in large families had been married for a mean of 19.6+10.6 years, and nearly had four children (3.94+1.2) of ages in a range of 10 to 17 years. Couples in families with less than three children had been married for a mean of 13.7+10.3 and had a mean of one child (1.23+0.28) within an age range of 9 to 12 years. Statistic analysis of marital dynamics as measured with the DAS shows that there are statistically meaningful differences in the “Affective expression” subscale (p<0.05) both in husbands and wives. Concerning family functioning as measured by the FAD, we can find statistically meaningful differences in the subscale “communication” (p<0.05) measured in wives. CONCLUSIONS In our sample, marital dysfunction does not seem to be influenced by the number of children in the family. However, further research is necessary to study other variables that could also take a role, in order to get more accurate data