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Postpartum can lead to cognitive impairment as well as mental health problems. To prevent these symptoms from getting worse, there needs to be a care method that the mother can easily implement while the infant is nearby. This exploratory pilot study examined that cognitive function improves with horticultural activity. Fifteen healthy women less than one year postpartum participated in this study. They participated in eight sessions of horticultural activity. Psychological tests were administered to assess participants' mental health and cognitive functioning before and after gardening activities. Compared with before gardening activity, the trail making test (TMT)-A and TMT-B were significantly decreased, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test was significantly increased. Also, the scores for the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and anger-hostility, confusion-bewilderment, fatigue-inertia, tension-anxiety, Total Mood Disturbance of the Profile of Mood States 2 was significantly decreased, respectively. Vigor-activity and friendliness of the Profile of Mood States 2 were significantly increased. Given these positive benefits, horticultural activity may improve mental health and cognitive functions in postpartum women and may provide a great contribution to postpartum women's healthy life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research has used individual or group features to explain why migrants have different preferred number of children. However, these features can be identified and subdivided infinitely, with none of them broadly answering the question "why migrants desire more or less children"? This paper identified "environmental shocks", which are a common experience for all migrants, as determinants of dissimilar preferred number of children across internal migrants in China. Environmental shocks refer to the uncertainty experienced by physical and sociocultural changes in the environment. Environmental shocks were treated as a variable rather than a constant in the analysis because shocks may differ between migrants. By sampling the 1667 internal migrants who participated in China's 2015 General Social Survey, a quantitative analysis revealed that a farther migration distance (meaning greater environmental shocks) leads to lower preferred number of children for migrants. However, the mitigation of environmental shocks by the period at the current residence has no significant influence. Semi-structured interviews conducted with internal migrants in China revealed that the time since migration could mitigate environmental shocks and increase desired number of children, but the time since migration brings other challenges that may decrease preferred number of children. This study improves our understanding of the determinants of migrants' childbearing willingness and suggests that the government need to help weaken the impact of environmental shocks and uncertainties on migrants to prevent their preferred number of children from decreasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated dysmenorrhea, rumination, substance use and perceived stress as predictors of PMDD among women. We used a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling to recruit participants at a university in South Africa. A total of 1329 female students participated in the study. Data was collected using an online survey. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, Premenstrual Screening Tool, Drug Use Disorders Identification Test, Adapted Ruminative Response Scale, Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Descriptive analysis, correlations and logistic regression analysis were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A total of 135 participants screened positive for PMDD symptoms, indicating a prevalence rate of 10.2% for PMDD symptoms. The model predicted 90% of the cases correctly. Congestive dysmenorrhea, brooding, reflection and worry were identified as significant predictors of positive PMDD symptoms. Oral contraceptive use, spasmodic dysmenorrhea, perceived stress and drug use were not significant predictors. We recommend the development of a CBT based intervention targeting rumination in women with PMDD and education-based interventions regarding dysmenorrhea and PMDD among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a mental, neural, and glandular disorder and triggers changes in personal and behavioral characteristics. It affects considerably one's ability to work and perform daily tasks. The effects of relaxation using hypnotherapy and virtual reality (VR) technology on alleviation of the symptoms of PMS were examined. Methods: A clinical trial with control group was carried out in the academic year 2017–18 in the dormitories of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The participants were 90 girl students randomly grouped into three groups of hypnotherapy (n = 30), VR (n = 30), and control (n = 30). The data gathering tools were a demographics form and postmenstrual screening tool. The relaxation program using VR and hypnotism was implemented in three sessions in the experiment groups. Three months after the last session, the participants filled out the tools once more (posttest). The collected data were analyzed using paired t-test, ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc test. Results: The results of ANOVA showed that there was no significant difference in the control group before and after the intervention in terms of PMS (P > 0.05). This difference was significant in the experiment groups (P < 0.5). Conclusions: Relaxation using VR technology and hypnotism in the girls with PMS alleviated the symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to verify the interaction of demographic characteristics on the participation restriction of stroke survivors. This study was a secondary analysis using data from a completed cross-sectional study including stroke survivors. Data from 156 stroke survivors were analyzed. Participation restriction was measured using the Impact on Participation and Autonomy. The main and moderating effects of demographic characteristics were verified through a general linear model. The validated Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination was employed to assess cognitive ability. There were three significant moderating factors on participation restriction, namely, gender × presence of a spouse, gender × economic status, and education level × presence of a spouse. Intervention considering simple demographic factors might not affect activities that promote participation. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that a strategy must be developed to reduce participation restriction among less educated and female stroke survivors without a spouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For several decades now, there has been a strong interest in quantifying the magnitude of mental health problems in the general population. In spite of the growing methodological sophistication of investigations, there remain conceptual issues. The aim of this article is to critically analyse both the community prevalence studies of mental disorders and the way in which some of their findings are highlighted and disseminated. The article states that the "cases" identification criteria used in the studies favour a psychopathologising view of human problems. The need for a different conceptual framework for community prevalence studies is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce delays in accessing services and providing early treatment for patients with first-episode psychosis requires an understanding of the causes of treatment delay. We investigated it among patients with the first-episode schizophrenia (FES) across the country. 302 outpatients with a FES were recruited in one psychiatric hospital, six general hospitals, one community hospital, and one university hospital from June 2017 to August 2018. Those who have the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) 3 months or longer were considered as delayed treatment seekers. The relative influences of patients' characteristics on the delay in treatment-seeking were estimated on logistic regression analyses. The mean and median DUP was 9 weeks (standard deviation: 12) and 4 weeks (interquartile range: 2–9), respectively. 24% of the enrolled patients were delayed treatment seekers. Those living 6–10 km away and those living more than 20 km away from the hospital tended to be delayed treatment seekers, while those who had a family history of mental disorders tended to have sought treatment timely. Since the distance to the hospitals was a potential barrier to seeking health care among patients with FES, providing outreach mental health services and transportation support may be considered to shorten treatment delay in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student pregnancy is not only a growing concern in South Africa but also an international challenge which could result in disruptive tendencies such as substance abuse, prostitution and suicide. The aim of the current study was to explore the psychological stressors experienced by unmarried pregnant students at the University of Venda in South Africa. The study used a qualitative research design. The sample comprised 10 participants and data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews using an interview guide and analyzed by using thematic content analysis. Results indicated that students' pregnancies were mainly influenced by students' poor socio-economic status, peer pressure, lack of parent-student communication, ignorance as well as the negative attitude of the campus health-care professionals. Loneliness, emotional distress, difficulty in disclosing the pregnancy were the psychological stressors associated with students' pregnancies. The current study confirmed that unplanned pregnancies are stressful for pregnant students in a situation where there is a lack of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between personality characteristics and premenstrual syndrome has been considered by the researchers for a long time. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between personality characteristics based on Hexaco six-factor model with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic study. The statistical population consisted of female students in Kermanshah Medical Sciences University in the academic year 2017–2018. In a random sampling method based on the G-power software 220 ones were selected. The participants responded to Hexaco personality characteristics and premenstrual syndrome questionnaires. The correlation and multivariate regression tests were used for data analysis through SPSS-23 software. There was a significant relationship between personality characteristics of honesty-humility (0.32) and openness experience (0.23) with premenstrual syndrome (p < 0.01). Personality characteristic of honesty-humility (0.37) and agreeableness (−0.14) were predictive of premenstrual syndrome. The results of this study showed that personality factors can be considered as one of the predictors of premenstrual syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many psychological factors influence the onset and prognosis of heart disease, among the most studied, there are personality traits, depressive and anxious experiences. Type D personality, characterized by high levels of social inhibition and negative affectivity, is associated with unfavourable prognosis for cardiac patients. Depressive and anxious symptoms influence the onset of cardiac disorders, the management of the disease and their impact on quality of life. Aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of cardiac rehabilitation on social inhibition, negative affectivity, anxious and depressive symptoms in cardiac patients. Patients were recruited at the Rehabilitation Cardiology Unit of Cittadella Hospital, after an acute cardiac event, they were enrolled to attend a cardiac rehabilitation program. Patients were administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Type D Scale (DS-14). Results showed significant differences between the pre- and post-test evaluation: a decrease in the Negative Affectivity subscale (DS-14) and in the Anxiety subscale and emotional distress (HADS). Other differences resulted with respect to the sociodemographic variables, particularly unmarried patients showed higher levels of anxiety at the post-test with respect to married patients, also working patients showed lower levels of depression than those who were unemployed or retired because having a job helps patients to feel less depressed because they can concentrate their resources and thoughts on other things that are not just the disease. The study demonstrated that Cardiac Rehabilitation has beneficial effects on the psychological state of patients to stimulate awareness of the disease, modification of its perception and exchange of information valuable to reorganize private and professional lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential antecedents to having a sense of purpose in life remain understudied. As researchers begin contemplating purpose as a promising target of public health intervention, it is critical to identify its antecedents. Using prospective data from the Nurses' Health Study II (2009–2016; N ranged from 3,905 to 4,189), this study evaluated a wide range of potential antecedents of purpose, including psychosocial well-being, psychological distress, employment characteristics, lifestyle, and physical health factors. In separate regression models, we regressed purpose in life on each candidate antecedent. In each model, we adjusted for the prior value of purpose, prior values of all exposure variables, and various other covariates simultaneously. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing. The results suggested that positive affect and the number of close relatives were each associated with higher purpose (e.g., β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.17 for positive affect). Several psychological distress indicators were inversely associated with purpose, including depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, loneliness, and hopelessness (e.g., β = −0.16, 95% CI: −0.19, −0.13 for depressive symptoms). There was also some evidence suggesting that fewer close friends, living alone, and unemployment/retirement were associated with lower purpose. There was, however, little evidence that health behaviors or physical health were associated with subsequent purpose. This study extends the literature by providing longitudinal evidence with rigorous analytic methodologies, and by considering a wide range of potential antecedents of purpose including some that have seldom been examined previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insomnia, a common sleep disorder, is a public health concern, as it can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of insomnia and the common associated risk factors among students at Jazan University, in the Jazan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 712 students. A pre-designed, structured questionnaire was used to collect the relevant information pertaining to the study variables. The overall prevalence of insomnia in the study was 19.3%. There was no significant difference in prevalence between males and females (p-value = 0.5). Participants from health colleges had greater prevalence of insomnia than those from art and Islamic colleges and science colleges (p-value = 0.03). Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were significant risk factors for insomnia (p-value = 0.005, 0.000, 0.000, respectively). Insomnia is widely prevalent among Jazan University students. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, together with a noisy environment around the sleeping area, are important correlates. Screening for mental illnesses among university students is highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual rehabilitation for men after spinal cord injury (SCI) has focused on physical challenges and has neglected psychosocial factors. Utilizing a descriptive phenomenological approach, the lived psychological experience of sexuality was described for six men (age 24–49) with complete or incomplete SCI (C4-T12; <1 year to 29 years post-injury) who participated in one in-depth, standardized, open-ended interview (68–101 minutes). Participants described the emergence of a new perspective of sexuality placing less emphasis on any one physical act and more importance on emotional factors. Understanding the evolving meaning of sexuality for men after SCI is imperative for delivering effective sexual health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The high ratio of obesity prevalence was found in Saudi females. On the other hand, medical students have shown diverse patterns of knowledge and practice for their health around the world. This research aimed to measure the effectiveness of medical education for female medical sciences students related to BMI and psychological constructs by providing a comparative analysis between female medical and non-medical students of University. Material and Methods: For this study, descriptive, cross-sectional, the comparative design was used. Standardised scales were utilised to gather data. The sample comprised (N = 400) female students from medical and non-medical colleges. Independent sample t-test was calculated to measure the difference between demographics and health-related variables, BMI and psychological constructs for groups of medical and non-medical students. Results: Results presented no significant difference in demographic variables and health-related variables that shows that all students share similar demographic and health-related characteristics. However, a significant difference was found on the psychological variables of well-being well-being (t = 2.436, p < 0.05) and weight-specific quality of life (t = −3.865, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Therefore, the findings of the study concluded that female students of medical sciences were engaged related to health management courses, so they adopt a healthier lifestyle. It is recommended to increase community-based projects for non-medical students to facilitate and raise their awareness to maintain health-related activities and to enhance the perception of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the posterior region of the brain. Little is known about both the impact of PCA on functioning and how to support patients on a daily basis. The purpose of this study was to describe the functional profile of DD, a woman diagnosed with PCA, as well as to explore a pilot cognitive rehabilitation program designed to optimize functioning in daily living. The ADL Profile was used to assess the daily tasks that DD chose to undertake. Four operations, i.e. formulate a goal, plan, carry out and verify goal attainment, were scored for each task. Difficulties were observed during the execution of all tasks, as she struggled to find items or showed unsafe behaviors. Impairments were also seen in formulating a goal and planning, especially for less routine tasks. DD identified two tasks to be addressed in rehabilitation: setting the table and dealing cards. Learning was optimized using errorless learning and compensatory aids when setting the table, while dealing cards received no intervention. Only setting the table improved significantly with time. Further studies should be conducted to portray a wider functional profile of people living with PCA and develop effective rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Understanding of the factors that predict emotional distress in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is limited. This systematic review critically appraised and synthesised the findings of longitudinal studies into baseline clinical, demographic, social, and psychological predictors of later emotional distress in people with ALS. Methods: Medline, PsycINFO and CINAHL Plus were searched for relevant published literature from their inception until April 2018. Inclusion criteria were prospective or retrospective peer-reviewed studies, written in English, assessing baseline clinical, demographic, psychological or social predictors of emotional distress or psychological quality of life ≥1 month later in adults with ALS. Results: Eight studies were included in this review. Demographic or clinical factors were investigated in seven studies, social factors in two studies, and psychological factors in three studies. There was scarce evidence that any baseline demographic or clinical factors predicted emotional distress. The only factor that consistently predicted emotional distress across multiple studies was lower social support. Mindfulness and psychological quality of life each predicted emotional distress but were only evaluated in single studies. Conclusions: Further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms underlying emotional distress, particularly modifiable factors such as psychological factors, to reduce emotional distress in people with ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adults living with a chronic condition or disease is an important patient-reported outcome. There is a need to better understand the social health dimension of HRQOL among adults living with a chronic condition (with or without physical/mental disability). This study examined self-reported satisfaction with participation in social roles (SPSR) in adults, grouped by different age groups, living with a chronic condition relative to the US general population. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional survey study included a convenience sample of 1,822 community-dwelling adults living with one of four chronic conditions. Participants completed the self-report Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Satisfaction with Participation in Social Roles v1.0—Short Form 7a (SPSR-SF). PROMIS SPSR-SF scores were compared with a US general population using normative data collected by PROMIS (n = 2,555). Results: Participants self-reported significantly lower SPSR (M = 45, SD = 8.3) than the US general population (M = 50, SD = 10), t(1821) = −25.65, p >.001. A regression analysis indicated that physical function explained more variance of PROMIS SPSR-SF scores than age. Conclusions: Relative to the PROMIS national sample, adults living with a chronic condition reported lower levels of SPSR. Decreased physical function was associated with lower SPSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]