The Effects of COVID-19 Induced Stress, Anxiety and Depression on the Eating Behavior of College Women

Increases in the prevalence of disordered eating patterns have been linked to distress and poor mental well-being. Additionally, COVID-19 has been linked to both depressive and anxious symptomatology, along with increased feelings of distress (Fitzpatrick et al., 2020). Because disordered eating is particularly prevalent among college-aged women, this study sought to determine how depression, anxiety, and stress affect eating behaviors of college women in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 179 women at Butler University, aged 18-24, gave informed consent before completing a questionnaire pertaining to their demographics, their stress surrounding COVID, and their weight change since March 2020. The next set of questionnaires asked about their anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as their eating behaviors, first at the time they completed the survey (September-December 2021) and next during the COVID-19 lockdown period (March-August 2020). Depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher during COVID-19 than during the fall of 2021, but college-aged women reported more restraint in their eating at the time of the study. No overall differences emerged in uncontrolled or emotional eating across the two time points. In correlational analyses, depression and anxiety during COVID-19 correlated with both uncontrolled and emotional eating (depression also correlated with cognitive restraint). Although change in self-reported stress levels across time did not predict changes in disordered eating, improvements in depression and anxiety from Spring 2020 to Fall 2021 correlated with less emotional eating across time. Together, these findings reinforce past research showing that college-aged women are a particularly vulnerable population during times of crisis

Factors associated with self-esteem following acquired brain injury in adults:a systematic review

Self-esteem is potentially a key factor in psychological and psychosocial well-being following acquired brain injury (ABI). The current review aimed to identify, synthesise and appraise all existing quantitative empirical studies on predictors or correlates of self-esteem following ABI in adulthood. In total, 27 papers met the inclusion criteria. A range of clinical factors were related to self-esteem after ABI, including the degree of physical and functional impairment. It is unclear if cognitive impairment is related to high or low self-esteem. Additionally, psychological variables such as coping styles, adjustment and perception of problems or rehabilitation are related to self-esteem following ABI. Depression is strongly associated with low self-esteem, alongside anxiety, psychological distress and quality of life. Limitations of the available research and recommendations for clinical practice and further research are discussed. In particular, there is a need to engage with contemporary theoretical understandings of self-esteem, integrated with and supported by developments in how self-esteem is conceptualised and measured over time in an ABI population. The findings of the review suggest that self-esteem is an important factor to consider following ABI, particularly in the context of developing individualised, formulation-driven rehabilitation interventions that take into account biological, social and psychological factors

Social anxiety following traumatic brain injury:an exploration of associated factors

Social anxiety (SA) following traumatic brain injury (TBI) has the potential to affect an individual’s general psychological well-being and social functioning, however little research has explored factors associated with its development. The present study used hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the demographic, clinical and psychological factors associated with SA following TBI. A sample of 85 people who experienced TBI were recruited through social media websites and brain injury services across the North-West of England. The overall combined biopsychosocial model was significant, explaining 52–54.3% of the variance in SA (across five imputations of missing data). The addition of psychological variables (self-esteem, locus of control, self-efficacy) made a significant contribution to the overall model, accounting for an additional 12.2–13% of variance in SA above that explained by demographic and clinical variables. Perceived stigma was the only significant independent predictor of SA (B = .274, p = .005). The findings suggest that psychological variables are important in the development of SA following TBI and must be considered alongside clinical factors. Furthermore, the significant role of stigma highlights the need for intervention at both an individualised and societal level

Does a lack of social support and perceived stigma influence the relationship between motor neurone disease-related stress and psychological distress?

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms through which social support and felt stigma influence the relationship between motor neurone disease (MND)‐related stress and psychological distress for people with MND. Although a lack of social support has been identified as a significant predictor of psychological distress for individuals with MND, the mechanisms through which this relationship exists have not been assessed, nor have the predictive nature of stigma. Furthermore, the theoretical model specifying the effects of enacted stigma on self‐stigma has not been tested in individuals with MND. Design A cross‐sectional design utilizing an online survey method was used. It was hypothesized that social support would moderate the relationship between MND‐related stress (operationalized as enacted stigma or physical functioning) and psychological distress (operationalized as depression, anxiety, and stress). Furthermore, felt stigma would significantly mediate the relationship between MND‐related stress (enacted stigma) and psychological distress. Methods Individuals with a diagnosis of MND were recruited internationally through social media and through various organizations and support services. Seventy‐seven participants completed the online survey. Results Significant correlations were identified between social support, felt, and enacted stigma and psychological distress. Moderation analysis was not significant. However, the mediation analyses identified felt stigma as a significant mediator of the relationship between enacted stigma and psychological distress. A direct relationship between enacted stigma and stress (but not depression and anxiety) was also evident. Conclusions A comprehensive approach to tackling stigma is important in ameliorating psychological distress for people with MND. Limitations of the current study are discussed, along with implications for clinical practice

Synaptic signalling in a network of dopamine neurons:What prevents proper inter-cellular crosstalk?

Open access via the Jisc Wiley Agreement Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Chancellor’s Fellow Grant and the Moray Endowment Grant to SS. YC and TK were supported by Medical Research Council (Award Number: MR/K017276/1) and UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of NHS Research Scotland (NRS), through Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility. Authors thank Prof. Andrey Abramov (UCL) for his valuable suggestions on design of this study and Scott Denham from the Mass Spectrometry Core for his technical expertise and assistance in this work.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Accountability and pediatric physician-researchers: are theoretical models compatible with Canadian lived experience?

Physician-researchers are bound by professional obligations stemming from both the role of the physician and the role of the researcher. Currently, the dominant models for understanding the relationship between physician-researchers' clinical duties and research duties fit into three categories: the similarity position, the difference position and the middle ground. The law may be said to offer a fourth "model" that is independent from these three categories

An evaluation of section 1 of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012

A mixed methods evaluation of a legislation introduced by the Scottish Government to tackle sectarian and other offensive behaviours at regulated fotoball matche

FIGO good practice recommendations on progestogens for prevention of preterm delivery

Funding Information: Andrew Shennan reports payment/honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Manipal India; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Hologic; leadership or fiduciary roles in the HTA Commissioning Board UK and Action on Pre‐eclampsia charity. Natalie Suff reports no conflicts of interest. Jo Leigh Simpson reports royalties from Springer and Elsevier; consulting fees from the Illumina Clinical Expert Panel 2020; payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, or educational events from the 1 and 2 International Congresses on the Future of Women's Health, and a speaker's bureau at ASRM 2019; participation on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for the FDA DSMB; and leadership or fiduciary roles in IFFS and PGDIS. Bo Jacobbson reports research grants from Swedish Research Council, Norwegian Research Council, March of Dimes, Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the US National Institute of Health; clinical diagnostic trials on NIPT with Ariosa (completed), Natera (ongoing), Vanadis (completed) and Hologic (ongoing) with expendidures reimbused per patient; clinical probiotic studies with product provided by FukoPharma (ongoing, no funding) and BioGaia (ongoing; also provided a research grant for the specific study); collaboration in IMPACT study where Roche, Perkin Elmer and Thermo Fisher provided reagents to PLGF analyses; coordination of scientific conferences and meetings with commercial partners as such as NNFM 2015, ESPBC 2016 and a Nordic educational meeting about NIPT and preeclampsia screening. Bo Jacobbson is also Chair of the FIGO Working Group for Preterm Birth and the European Association of Perinatal Medicine's special interest group of preterm delivery; steering group member of Genomic Medicine Sweden; chairs the Genomic Medicine Sweden complex diseases group; and is Swedish representative in the Nordic Society of Precision Medicine. Ben W. Mol reports an investigator grant from NHMRC; consultancy for ObsEva; and research funding from Guerbet, Ferring, and Merck KGaA. William A. Grobman reports no conflicts of interest. st ndPeer reviewedPublisher PD