Psychometric Properties of the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support among Thai Youth

Objective: To test psychometric properties of the Thai version of the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (12-Item MSPSS) and compare findings across two samples: high school students and university students in Thailand. Method: In this methodological research, participants were recruited from two settings, namely three high schools and a public university. They were excluded if they had chronic medical illness and/or mental disorders requiring hospitalization. Participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires, including the MSPSS. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) to explore the construct validity of the scale. Reliability analyses were also carried out to test internal consistency reliability. Results: The two samples were 624 and 966 secondary school and undergraduate students, respectively. For all two samples, the MSPSS contained three distinct factors. Questionnaire items retained for each factor were also similar across two samples. All two samples had acceptable fit indices and all factor loadings achieved statistical significance. Internal consistency reliability was also acceptable for the two samples. Conclusion: Acceptable and sound psychometric properties of the Thai version MSPSS were found in Thai adolescent population, both in high school and university. Future research could aim to the scale in other Thai populations. Keywords: Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, construct validity, adolescents, Tha

Psychometric Properties of the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support among Thai Youth

Objective: To test psychometric properties of the Thai version of the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (12-Item MSPSS) and compare findings across two samples: high school students and university students in Thailand. Method: In this methodological research, participants were recruited from two settings, namely three high schools and a public university. They were excluded if they had chronic medical illness and/or mental disorders requiring hospitalization. Participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires, including the MSPSS. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) to explore the construct validity of the scale. Reliability analyses were also carried out to test internal consistency reliability. Results: The two samples were 624 and 966 secondary school and undergraduate students, respectively. For all two samples, the MSPSS contained three distinct factors. Questionnaire items retained for each factor were also similar across two samples. All two samples had acceptable fit indices and all factor loadings achieved statistical significance. Internal consistency reliability was also acceptable for the two samples. Conclusion: Acceptable and sound psychometric properties of the Thai version MSPSS were found in Thai adolescent population, both in high school and university. Future research could aim to the scale in other Thai populations. Keywords: Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, construct validity, adolescents, Tha

Does segmentation always improve model performance in credit scoring?

Credit scoring allows for the credit risk assessment of bank customers. A single scoring model (scorecard) can be developed for the entire customer population, e.g. using logistic regression. However, it is often expected that segmentation, i.e. dividing the population into several groups and building separate scorecards for them, will improve the model performance. The most common statistical methods for segmentation are the two-step approaches, where logistic regression follows Classification and Regression Trees (CART) or Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) trees etc. In this research, the two-step approaches are applied as well as a new, simultaneous method, in which both segmentation and scorecards are optimised at the same time: Logistic Trees with Unbiased Selection (LOTUS). For reference purposes, a single-scorecard model is used. The above-mentioned methods are applied to the data provided by two of the major UK banks and one of the European credit bureaus. The model performance measures are then compared to examine whether there is improvement due to the segmentation methods used. It is found that segmentation does not always improve model performance in credit scoring: for none of the analysed real-world datasets, the multi-scorecard models perform considerably better than the single-scorecard ones. Moreover, in this application, there is no difference in performance between the two-step and simultaneous approache

Efficacy of Internet-based self-monitoring interventions on maternal and neonatal outcomes in perinatal diabetic women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

10.2196/jmir.6153Journal of Medical Internet Research188e19

Factors Predicting Psychological Well-being among Survivors of Breast Cancer in A Tertiary Care Hospital, Thailand

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to examine predicting the effect of stress, social support, self-efficacy, and resilience on psychological well-being in breast cancer survivors Materials and Methods: This predictive analysis for the descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by the theoretical underpinning of resilience and population consisted of eligible breast cancer survivors receiving care at an outpatient clinic within a tertiary hospital setting. The data collecting was proceeded through self-administered questionnaires in line with convenient sampling. The analytical approach encompassed descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression. Results: Emanating from the study included the recruitment of 123 participants, with stress, social support, and resilience collectively elucidating 43% of the variance in psychological well-being among breast cancer survivors. Notably, resilience emerged as the most influential predictor (β=.33), followed by stress (β=-.27) and social support (β=.26), all of which significantly contributed to the prediction of psychological well-being. Conclusion: Resilience, stress, and social support were three predictors of psychological well-being among survivors of breast cancer in this study. Recommendations extend to the integration of strategies that foster resilience and social support, while concurrently mitigating stress levels through activities and programs aimed at augmenting the psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors in the future

Assessment of Financial Risk Prediction Models with Multi-criteria Decision Making Methods

A wide range of classification models have been explored for financial risk prediction, but conclusions on which technique behaves better may vary when different performance evaluation measures are employed. Accordingly, this paper proposes the use of multiple criteria decision making tools in order to give a ranking of algorithms. More specifically, the selection of the most appropriate credit risk prediction method is here modeled as a multi-criteria decision making problem that involves a number of performance measures (criteria) and classification techniques (alternatives). An empirical study is carried out to evaluate the performance of ten algorithms over six real-life credit risk data sets. The results reveal that the use of a unique performance measure may lead to unreliable conclusions, whereas this situation can be overcome by the application of multi-criteria decision making techniques

Learning environments in health and medical studies: the mediating role of emotional intelligence

The conventional approach to sustainability is being extended through approaches such as the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development. Under such approaches, the analysis of sustainability also involves understanding improvements in people's quality of life in environments such as education and learning. Based on this theoretical approach, this study explored the relationships between anxiety, emotional intelligence, and mechanisms for coping with stressful situations. The mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between anxiety and coping mechanisms was also assessed. The anxiety, emotional intelligence, and coping variables were measured using standardized tests administered to students. This cross-sectional study was based on self-reports by health students at universities in Valencia (Spain). The study conformed to the ethical standards established by the Declaration of Helsinki. In total, 434 students participated in the study. The students were aged between 17 and 54 years (M = 21; SD = 0.320). From the perspective of the psychology of sustainability, the results indicate that avoidance coping strategies are positively related to anxiety and are negatively related to emotional intelligence. However, the results also show that approach coping strategies are positively related to emotional intelligence. In addition, the analysis shows the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between anxiety and coping. This study shows the need to encourage the sustainable development of emotional intelligence among health professionals and to consider this sustainable development when designing education programs for health-related fields

Mindfulness-based interventions for people diagnosed with a current episode of an anxiety or depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objective Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can reduce risk of depressive relapse for people with a history of recurrent depression who are currently well. However, the cognitive, affective and motivational features of depression and anxiety might render MBIs ineffective for people experiencing current symptoms. This paper presents a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of MBIs where participants met diagnostic criteria for a current episode of an anxiety or depressive disorder. Method Post-intervention between-group Hedges g effect sizes were calculated using a random effects model. Moderator analyses of primary diagnosis, intervention type and control condition were conducted and publication bias was assessed. Results Twelve studies met inclusion criteria (n = 578). There were significant post-intervention between-group benefits of MBIs relative to control conditions on primary symptom severity (Hedges g = −0.59, 95% CI = −0.12 to −1.06). Effects were demonstrated for depressive symptom severity (Hedges g = −0.73, 95% CI = −0.09 to −1.36), but not for anxiety symptom severity (Hedges g = −0.55, 95% CI = 0.09 to −1.18), for RCTs with an inactive control (Hedges g = −1.03, 95% CI = −0.40 to −1.66), but not where there was an active control (Hedges g = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.54 to −0.48) and effects were found for MBCT (Hedges g = −0.39, 95% CI = −0.15 to −0.63) but not for MBSR (Hedges g = −0.75, 95% CI = 0.31 to −1.81). Conclusions This is the first meta-analysis of RCTs of MBIs where all studies included only participants who were diagnosed with a current episode of a depressive or anxiety disorder. Effects of MBIs on primary symptom severity were found for people with a current depressive disorder and it is recommended that MBIs might be considered as an intervention for this population

Credit bureaus between risk-management, creditworthiness assessment and prudential supervision

"This text may be downloaded for personal research purposes only. Any additional reproduction for other purposes, whether in hard copy or electronically, requires the consent of the author. If cited or quoted, reference should be made to the full name of the author, the title, the working paper or other series, the year, and the publisher."This paper discusses the role and operations of consumer Credit Bureaus in the European Union in the context of the economic theories, policies and law within which they work. Across Europe there is no common practice of sharing the credit data of consumers which can be used for several purposes. Mostly, they are used by the lending industry as a practice of creditworthiness assessment or as a risk-management tool to underwrite borrowing decisions or price risk. However, the type, breath, and depth of information differ greatly from country to country. In some Member States, consumer data are part of a broader information centralisation system for the prudential supervision of banks and the financial system as a whole. Despite EU rules on credit to consumers for the creation of the internal market, the underlying consumer data infrastructure remains fragmented at national level, failing to achieve univocal, common, or defined policy objectives under a harmonised legal framework. Likewise, the establishment of the Banking Union and the prudential supervision of the Euro area demand standardisation and convergence of the data used to measure debt levels, arrears, and delinquencies. The many functions and usages of credit data suggest that the policy goals to be achieved should inform the legal and institutional framework of Credit Bureaus, as well as the design and use of the databases. This is also because fundamental rights and consumer protection concerns arise from the sharing of credit data and their expanding use