Increasing Emotional Intelligence through Training: Current Status and Future Directions

Emotional intelligence consists of adaptive emotional functioning involving inter-related competencies relating to perception, understanding, utilising and managing emotions in the self and others. Researchers in diverse fields have studied emotional intelligence and found the construct to be associated with a variety of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors such as mental health, relationship satisfaction, and work performance. This article reviews research investigating the impact of training in emotional-intelligence skills. The results indicate that it is possible to increase emotional intelligence and that such training has the potential to lead to other positive outcomes. The paper offers suggestions about how future research, from diverse disciplines,can uncover what types of training most effectively increase emotional intelligence and produce related beneficial outcomes

Psychological flexibility and attitudes toward evidence-based interventions by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

Objective Declining a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) or non-invasive ventilation (NIV) by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is often contrary to advice provided by health-care-professionals guided by evidence-based principles. This study proposes relational frame theory (RFT) to offer a viable explanation of this phenomenon. Design A total of 35 people (14 female, 21 male) aged between 34 and 73 years, with ALS, participated in this cross-sectional research. Main outcome measures This research examined the predictive power and interaction effect of psychological flexibility (the fundamental construct of RFT) and psychological well-being on attitudes toward intervention options. Results Participants with high psychological flexibility reported lower depression, anxiety, and stress, and higher quality of life. In addition, psychological flexibility was predictive of a participant’s understanding and acceptance of a PEG as an intervention option. Psychological flexibility was not found to be a significant predictor of understanding and acceptance of NIV. Conclusion Although the criterion measure had not been piloted or validated outside of the current study and asks about expected rather than actual acceptance, findings suggest that applied RFT may be helpful for clients with ALS

Changes in stigma and help-seeking in relation to postpartum depression: non-clinical parenting intervention sample

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental illness affecting women, and less commonly, men in the weeks and months after giving birth. Despite the high incidence of PPD in Australia, rates for help-seeking remain low, with stigma and discrimination frequently cited as the most common deterrents to seeking help from a professional source. The present study sought to investigate PPD stigma in a sample of parents and to examine the effects of an intervention on stigma and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 212 parents aged 18–71 years (M = 36.88, 194 females) completed measures of personal and perceived PPD stigma and attitudes towards seeking mental health services and were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an intervention group (video documentary or factsheet related to PPD) or a control group (video documentary or factsheet not related to PPD). Results showed that there were no effects for type of intervention on either personal or perceived PPD stigma scores. No effect was found for help-seeking propensity. Males had higher personal PPD stigma than females and older age was associated with lower personal PPD stigma. Familiarity with PPD was associated with perceived PPD stigma in others but not personal PPD stigma. More work needs to be conducted to develop interventions to reduce PPD stigma in the community

Birth related PTSD and its association with the mother-infant relationship: A meta-analysis

Objective: There is a growing body of research showing that birth related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may impact the mother-infant relationship. The present study assessed the strength of the association between birth related PTSD symptoms and the mother-infant relationship. Method: A total of twelve studies (5,572 participants) were included based on database searches using PubMed, EBSCO and ProQuest. Results: The findings showed that greater levels of birth related PTSD symptoms were associated with poorer mother-infant relationship, r = − 0.36, 95% CI: [− 0.43 - − 0.28], random effects model. The outcomes appeared to be heterogeneous (Q(11) = 81.63, p Conclusions: The results indicated that birth related PTSD symptoms are negatively associated with the motherinfant relationship. Further investigation into the prevention of birth related trauma is suggested. Improving birthing experiences for mothers is likely to contribute to improved infant mental health, thereby reducing overall social and economic costs

Older individuals and preventative behavioural interventions for COVID-19: a scoping review and perspective on wellbeing

Background In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, nations around the world introduced a range of behavioural interventions and restrictions in order to manage the spread of the virus. These included social distancing, lockdowns, and use of personal protective equipment, amongst others. The aim of the present paper is to examine some of the effects of these interventions on the psychological wellbeing and mental health of older adults, especially those with hearing loss. Methods The present review focused on published peer reviewed studies focusing on older adults. Search engines included Google Scholar, SpringerLink Journals, ProQuest Central, and PubMed employing different combinations of search terms such as "COVID-19", "older adults", and "isolation". Results Older adults were at risk of experiencing increased anxiety and depression and poorer wellbeing during lockdowns across nations, with those self-reporting loneliness reporting more severe symptomatology. Reductions in wellbeing were observed both amongst community-dwelling older adults and those living in residential care facilities. Use of personal protective equipment, especially masks, and social distancing requirements impacted communication amongst older adults with hearing loss, with this subgroup reporting increased depression, anxiety, and stress, with symptoms increasing with the severity of the hearing loss. Conclusions While technology can help to mitigate the impacts of lockdowns and restrictions, limited access to devices and a range of challenges in upskilling older adults has impacted the utility of these technologies for promoting wellbeing. Education and training in the use of technologies and digital devices for both older adults and families might assist in promoting wellbeing, with increased accessibility needed in aged care facilities to further support the wellbeing of residents

Empathy and the Public Perception of Stillbirth and Memory Sharing: An Australian Case

Objective: Stillbirth devastates families and leaves them struggling to grieve the death of their baby in a society that expects grief symptoms to decrease over time. Previous research has suggested that increased memory sharing opportunities can lead to positive mental health outcomes. The aim of the current study was to examine people’s perceptions of stillbirth as well as the perceived appropriateness of affected parents sharing memories of their child. In addition, we examined whether manipulating empathy would have an effect on people’s perceptions of stillbirth.Method: Participants included 200 Australian men and women 18 to 74 years of age (M = 36.76, SD = 12.59) randomly allocated to one of three experimental conditions (i.e., low empathy, high empathy, and control). The high empathy group watched a video about stillbirth and was instructed to imagine how the people portrayed felt; the low empathy group watched the same video but was instructed to remain detached; and the control group watched an unrelated video. Participants were then asked how much money they would be willing to donate to a fictional stillbirth organization, followed by the completion of questionnaires measuring (a) perceptions of stillbirth, (b) empathy, and (c) the appropriateness of parents sharing memories of a stillborn child with different groups of people over time.Results: The empathy manipulation had an effect on empathy and the willingness to help effected parents (high empathy vs. control). However, empathy did not have an effect on participants’ perceptions toward stillbirth nor appropriateness of sharing memories. The appropriateness of sharing memories decreased as time passed and social distance increased.Discussion: Individuals who have experienced stillbirth need to be aware that societal expectations and their own expectations in relation to sharing memories may not correspond to each other and that they may need to educate their social group about their need to share memories. Removing the taboo surrounding stillbirth is vital for both parents and those to whom they would wish to communicate

Strained interface layer contributions to the structural and electronic properties of epitaxial V2O3 films

We report on the transport properties of epitaxial vanadium sesquioxide (V2O3) thin films with thicknesses in the range of 1 to 120 nm. Films with thickness down to nanometer values reveal clear resistivity curves with temperature illustrating that even at these thicknesses the films are above the percolation threshold and continuous over large distances. The results reveal that with reducing thickness the resistivity of the films increases sharply for thicknesses below 4 nm and the metal-insulator transition (MIT) is quenched. We attribute this increase to a strained interface layer of thickness ∼ 4 nm with in-plane lattice parameters corresponding to the Al2O3 substrate. The interface layer displays a suppressed MIT shifted to higher temperatures and has a room temperature resistivity 6 orders of magnitude higher than the thicker V2O3 films.This work was supported by the University of Iceland Research Fund for Doctoral Students, the University of Iceland Research Fund, the Icelandic Student Innovation Fund, and the Icelandic Research Fund (Grant Nos. 207111 and 174271)

Validation of the brief Adjustment Disorder New Modules with Australian oncology patients

Background Evidence suggests that up to 30% of cancer patients may meet the criteria for adjustment disorder. However, no assessment instruments have been validated for use with cancer patients. The Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM)-8 and ADNM-4 are brief screening tools for adjustment disorder mapped directly to the new ICD-11 criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure and validity of both instruments in an Australian sample of adult oncology patients. Methods A total of 405 participants with a cancer diagnosis were recruited online from across Australia. Participants reported cancer-specific information, such as time since diagnosis, treatment stage, cancer stage, type of cancer, and the following questionnaires: 8-item Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM-8), the World Health Organisation Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the short form Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The predictiveness of stressors was assessed using multiple regression analysis and the structure of the ADNM-8 and the ADNM-4 was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Results Six previously tested models were examined, and the results suggested a 2-factor structure reflecting the two ICD-11 diagnostic criteria clusters of preoccupation with the stressor and failure to adapt was a good ft for both scales. The ADNM-4 outperformed the longer version of the scale on numerous ft indices though the ADNM-8 and ADNM-4 were highly correlated. Correlations of both scales with the psychological distress scale, the stress subscale, and the wellbeing index indicated good construct validity. Conclusions Our results suggest that the ADNM-8 and ADNM-4 are useful screening tools for assessing adjustment disorder symptoms in cancer patients. The prompt screening of cancer patients encourages early intervention for those at risk of adaptation difficulties and informs research and clinical decisions regarding appropriate treatments

Validation of the brief Adjustment Disorder New Modules with Australian oncology patients

Background Evidence suggests that up to 30% of cancer patients may meet the criteria for adjustment disorder. However, no assessment instruments have been validated for use with cancer patients. The Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM)-8 and ADNM-4 are brief screening tools for adjustment disorder mapped directly to the new ICD-11 criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure and validity of both instruments in an Australian sample of adult oncology patients. Methods A total of 405 participants with a cancer diagnosis were recruited online from across Australia. Participants reported cancer-specifc information, such as time since diagnosis, treatment stage, cancer stage, type of cancer, and the following questionnaires: 8-item Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM-8), the World Health Organisation Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the short form Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The predictiveness of stressors was assessed using multiple regression analysis and the structure of the ADNM-8 and the ADNM-4 was tested using confrmatory factor analysis. Results Six previously tested models were examined, and the results suggested a 2-factor structure refecting the two ICD-11 diagnostic criteria clusters of preoccupation with the stressor and failure to adapt was a good ft for both scales. The ADNM-4 outperformed the longer version of the scale on numerous ft indices though the ADNM-8 and ADNM-4 were highly correlated. Correlations of both scales with the psychological distress scale, the stress subscale, and the wellbeing index indicated good construct validity. Conclusions Our results suggest that the ADNM-8 and ADNM-4 are useful screening tools for assessing adjustment disorder symptoms in cancer patients. The prompt screening of cancer patients encourages early intervention for those at risk of adaptation difficulties and informs research and clinical decisions regarding appropriate treatments