SEXTING, NON-CONSENSUAL IMAGE SHARING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH

Background and Aims: Sexting refers to the exchange (sending and/or receiving) of self-taken sexual photographs, usually depicting the sender nude or semi-nude, via mobile phone. Academic and media narratives tend to portray sexting as a deviant behaviour due to the perceived risks of non-consensual image distribution (where individuals’ sexual images are shared without permission): Qualitative research suggests the psychological harms of revenge pornography (one type of non-consensual image distribution) are comparable to the effects of sexual assault and are gendered in nature; considered part of a continuum of sexual violence against women. There is a lack of quantitative research regarding adult sexting and non-consensual image sharing. Studies to date have conflated consensual and non-consensual sexting behaviours and have poor methodological design in terms of the operational definitions used. Researchers investigating sexters’ psychological health have thus far neglected to consider individual factors (e.g. coping, resilience and sexting attitudes), interpersonal aspects (e.g. relationship context and privacy expectations) and image characteristics. Existing research is biased by the measures used (i.e. primary focus on psychological distress) and there has been limited opportunity to demonstrate positive sexting associations (e.g. relational wellbeing). We therefore sought to develop a more nuanced understanding of sexters’ psychological health and wellbeing by addressing the following questions: How common are non-consensual image sharing experiences amongst a UK community (non-clinical) sample of adult sexters? Are there any differences in the psychological health and wellbeing of non-sexters and sexters (including those who have experienced non-consensual image sharing)? Are any sexting specific factors, such as privacy expectations, image characteristics and relationship with recipients, associated with psychological health? Are there any differences in psychological health and wellbeing between consensual sexters’, those who have experienced non-consensual sexting, and non-sexters’ when coping, resilience and sexting specific factors are accounted for? Method: We utilised a quantitative, cross-sectional online survey design. Participants from a non-clinical adult population (N = 270) were recruited via social media. The survey consisted of a sexting questionnaire identifying type of sexting behaviours, relationship context, privacy beliefs and sexting attitudes; as well as non-consensual image sharing behaviours and experiences. Psychological measures used included: the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scales (DASS-21), the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing scale (WEMWBS), the Impact of Event Scale (IES-6), the Brief COPE and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Results: 87% of the sample had engaged in sexting as an adult, primarily within committed relationships in order to maintain sexual intimacy. 14% of sexters had experienced the non-consensual distribution of their images and 16% had distributed others’ images without permission. Males and females did not differ significantly in who experienced non-consensual image distribution. Images were most often shared by someone the person was dating, typically with friends and family, although images were shared online in 43% of cases. Privacy expectations and sexting attitudes were not related to psychological health or wellbeing. When coping and resilience were accounted for, experiencing non-consensual image distribution was not related to psychological distress but individuals who were uncertain if their images had been shared had lower wellbeing, and consensual sexters who sent sexts to multiple partners had higher anxiety. Conclusion: Our research suggests that the problematic coping strategies individuals employ, and their level of resilience have a stronger relationship with psychological health than do their sexting behaviours; although further quantitative research with clear consistent definitions of sexting and non-consensual image sharing is needed to identify if these findings are replicable. Clinical interventions for those who are distressed by non-consensual image distribution should focus on identifying and reducing the use of problematic coping strategies such as avoidance, denial and self-blame. Sexting may be considered a normative part of intimate relationships: Educational strategies should fully explore issues of consent and perceived gender stereotypes; as opposed to encouraging individuals to abstain from sexting as a deviant or risky behaviour (which could contribute to self-blame and victim blaming). Future research should focus on understanding specific motivations for and types of non-consensual image distribution (e.g. revenge pornography) and whether it is associated with more harmful aspects of relationships such as interpersonal violence

Resilience, alexithymia, and university stress in relation to anxiety and problematic alcohol use among female university students

Objectives University students in Australia report higher levels of stress than non‐students of the same age, with females reporting higher stress than males. The ability to successfully adapt to, and cope with, stressful situations and events, often referred to as resilience, requires social and interpersonal resources as well as the ability to effectively self‐regulate emotions. When such resources and abilities are deficient, responses to university stress are likely to be maladaptive. Deficient emotional self‐regulation is characteristic of individuals with the subclinical personality trait alexithymia, who also tend to suffer from social and interpersonal difficulties; thus students with alexithymia may be especially susceptible to university stress and associated adverse outcomes of low resilience. The present study examined resilience in relation to alexithymia, university stress, and two common outcomes of the latter in female university students: anxiety and problematic drinking. Method Validated self‐report measures of the relevant constructs were completed online by 136 female university students from two Australian universities. All participants indicated they had English‐language proficiency and no history of serious head injury or diagnosed psychological disorder. Results Serial mediation models indicated that resilience showed the predicted protective relationship to both problematic drinking and anxiety through lower levels of alexithymia and university stress. Conclusions Findings suggest that students who lack resilience are more likely to report stress at university, as well as associated adverse outcomes such as anxiety and problematic drinking, due to deficiencies in emotional self‐regulation and inadequate use of social and interpersonal resources for successful coping

Muscle strength and gait speed rather than lean mass are better indicators for poor cognitive function in older men

We aimed to examine muscle strength, function and mass in relation to cognition in older men. This cross-sectional data-set included 292 men aged ≥60 yr. Handgrip strength (kg) was measured by dynamometry, gait speed by 4-metre walk (m/s) and appendicular lean mass (kg) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Cognition was assessed across four domains: psychomotor function, attention, visual learning and working memory. Composite scores for overall cognition were calculated. Bivariate analyses indicated that handgrip strength and gait speed were positively associated with cognitive function. After accounting for confounders, positive associations between individual muscle (or physical) measures and cognitive performance were sustained for handgrip strength and psychomotor function, gait speed and psychomotor function, gait speed and attention, handgrip strength and overall cognition, and gait speed and overall cognition. In multivariable models, handgrip strength and gait speed independently predicted psychomotor function and overall cognition. No associations were detected between lean mass and cognition after adjusting for confounders. Thus, low muscle strength and slower gait speed, rather than low lean mass, were associated with poor cognition in older men

Associations Between Aldosterone-Renin-Ratio and Bone Parameters Derived from Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography and Impact Microindentation in Men

Components of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) are present on bone cells. One measure of RAAS activity, the aldosterone-renin-ratio (ARR), is used to screen for primary aldosteronism. Associations between ARR and bone mineral density are conflicting. This study investigated associations between ARR and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and impact microindentation (IMI). Male participants (n = 431) were from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. “Likely” primary aldosteronism was defined as ARR ≥ 70 pmol/mIU. Another group, “possible” primary aldosteronism, was defined as either ARR ≥ 70 pmol/mIU or taking a medication that affects the RAAS, but not a beta blocker, and renin  0.05). There were no associations between ARR or aldosterone and pQCT-derived bone parameters. Men with likely primary aldosteronism had lower bone area, suggesting clinically high levels of ARR may have a negative impact on bone health

The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Low Muscle Mass and Low Muscle Function in Older Australians

Age-associated chronic, low grade systemic inflammation has been recognised as an important contributing factor in the development of sarcopenia; importantly, diet may regulate this process. This cross-sectional study examined the association of diet-related inflammation with components of sarcopenia. Participants (n = 809) aged 60–95 years from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study were studied. Body composition was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. In this study, low appendicular lean mass (ALM/height2, kg/m2) was defined as T-score \u3c −1 and low muscle function as Timed-Up-and-Go \u3e10 s over 3 m (TUG \u3e 10). Dietary inflammatory index (DII®) scores, based on specific foods and nutrients, were computed using dietary data collected from a food frequency questionnaire. Associations between DII scores and low muscle mass and low muscle function, alone and combined, were determined using linear and logistic regression. After adjusting for covariates, higher DII score was associated with lower ALM/height2 (β −0.05, standard error (SE) 0.02, p = 0.028), and higher natural log-transformed (ln) (TUG) (β 0.02, standard error 0.01, p = 0.035) and higher likelihood for these components combined (odds ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 1.69, p = 0.015). A pro-inflammatory diet, as indicated by higher DII score, is associated with lower muscle mass, poorer muscle function and increased likelihood for the combination of low muscle mass and low muscle function. Further studies investigating whether anti-inflammatory dietary interventions could reduce the risk of sarcopenia are needed

Changes in the prevalence of mental health problems during the first year of the pandemic: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

Aim: To describe the pattern of the prevalence of mental health problems during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the impact of containment measures on these trends. Methods: We identified articles published until 30 August 2021 that reported the prevalence of mental health problems in the general population at two or more time points. A crowd of 114 reviewers extracted data on prevalence, study and participant characteristics. We collected information on the number of days since the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in the study country, the stringency of containment measures and the number of cases and deaths. We synthesised changes in prevalence during the pandemic using a random-effects model. We used dose-response meta-analysis to evaluate the trajectory of the changes in mental health problems. Results: We included 41 studies for 7 mental health conditions. The average odds of symptoms increased during the pandemic (mean OR ranging from 1.23 to 2.08). Heterogeneity was very large and could not be explained by differences in participants or study characteristics. Average odds of psychological distress, depression and anxiety increased during the first 2 months of the pandemic, with increased stringency of the measures, reported infections and deaths. The confidence in the evidence was low to very low. Conclusions: We observed an initial increase in the average risk of psychological distress, depression-related and anxiety-related problems during the first 2 months of the pandemic. However, large heterogeneity suggests that different populations had different responses to the challenges imposed by the pandemic

Terminal osteoblast differentiation, mediated by runx2 and p27KIP1, is disrupted in osteosarcoma

The molecular basis for the inverse relationship between differentiation and tumorigenesis is unknown. The function of runx2, a master regulator of osteoblast differentiation belonging to the runt family of tumor suppressor genes, is consistently disrupted in osteosarcoma cell lines. Ectopic expression of runx2 induces p27KIP1, thereby inhibiting the activity of S-phase cyclin complexes and leading to the dephosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb) and a G1 cell cycle arrest. Runx2 physically interacts with the hypophosphorylated form of pRb, a known coactivator of runx2, thereby completing a feed-forward loop in which progressive cell cycle exit promotes increased expression of the osteoblast phenotype. Loss of p27KIP1 perturbs transient and terminal cell cycle exit in osteoblasts. Consistent with the incompatibility of malignant transformation and permanent cell cycle exit, loss of p27KIP1 expression correlates with dedifferentiation in high-grade human osteosarcomas. Physiologic coupling of osteoblast differentiation to cell cycle withdrawal is mediated through runx2 and p27KIP1, and these processes are disrupted in osteosarcoma