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The benefits of using social network sites (SNS) have spurred heated debate in academia and popular culture alike. This study sought to address the debate by formulating a new, nuanced framework highlighting two conceptual distinctions: (a) preference for versus problem in one's interpersonal relations, and (b) SNS use versus the benefits of such use. Mixed-effects meta-analysis was performed in 178 independent samples from seven regions worldwide ( n = 108,068; age range = 13-68). Eligible studies were those that examined an association between at least one common proxy measure of the socially rich (vs. poor; i.e., extraversion, social anxiety, or loneliness) and a criterion measure (i.e., SNS use or online social capital). The results revealed a complex picture. SNS use was positively correlated with both extraversion and social anxiety, although the social anxiety-SNS use correlation was significant for adult samples rather than adolescent samples. Online social capital was positively correlated with extraversion but inversely correlated with loneliness. Our conclusion is that extraverted individuals use SNS to enhance their opportunities for social interactions and can acquire more online social resources, whereas adults who are socially anxious use SNS to compensate for their social deficits but such effort is unrelated to online social resource accumulation. Individuals who feel lonely tend to obtain few such resources. However, most of the studies examined the leisure use of Facebook. We advocate more thorough testing of our hypotheses in future research on therapeutic SNS use and/or the use of SNS other than Facebook. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Existing studies have focused primarily on self-oriented anxiety (i.e., anxiety over one's infection) in the pandemic context, and the role of community risk is largely ignored. This study addressed these gaps by examining (a) self-oriented anxiety and two forms of others-oriented anxiety (i.e., anxiety concerning others' health and societal problems), (b) the associations between all these forms of anxiety and physical distancing practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (c) the hypothesized moderating role of community risk factors. The participants were 703 U.S. community-dwelling adults who completed an online survey. Geo-identifier data were extracted to identify the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and four social vulnerability indexes for the county in which each participant resided. Both forms of others-oriented anxiety were positively associated with physical distancing adoption, and the association was stronger among the participants residing in lower-risk communities (i.e., fewer confirmed COVID-19 cases, higher socioeconomic status, and better housing conditions). The study's novel findings reveal the protective role of anxiety, particularly anxiety concerning others' well-being, in encouraging people to adopt physical distancing during a pandemic. However, the protective role of anxiety is contingent upon certain community risk factors. Anxiety is more beneficial to residents of low- rather than high-risk communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heightened public anxiety was observed at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study enriches scholarly understanding of this mass response by investigating both generic and pandemic-specific anxiety that explain preventive health behavior.Methods: In our two-phase, mixed-methods study, pandemic-specific anxiety items elicited during the qualitative phase from March 2-8, 2020 were then tested in the quantitative phase from March 16-22, 2020. Eligible participants were U.S. or U.K. residents aged 18-65.Results: Of the 1,400 participants, 52% met the criteria for moderate to severe anxiety. In addition to anxiety over possible personal COVID-19 infection, participants were also anxious about others' health, others' reactions (e.g., panic-buying, discrimination), societal problems (e.g., economic slowdown, healthcare system breakdown), and personal finances. The positive association between generic anxiety and hygiene practice frequency was explained by two interpersonal-oriented forms of pandemic-specific anxiety: anxiety over others' health (b = 0•0040, 95% CI: 0•0031-0•0050) and others' reactions (0•0031, 0•0021-0•0042).Limitations: The study was conducted with participants from developed countries at an early stage of the pandemic, and the results were not necessarily generalizable to developing countries or other stages of the pandemic. Also, hygiene practices was the sole behavior of interest, and the findings may differ for other behaviors.Conclusions: The new findings indicate the importance of adopting a nuanced approach that unveils the multifaceted nature of anxiety using a mixed-methods design. Individuals from COVID-19-affected regions experience pandemic-specific anxiety due to concerns related to not only personal but also interpersonal-oriented issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence of associations between psychological symptoms and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level is scant, as is evidence on sex differences in associations for children and adolescents with obesity. This study examined sex differences in associations between psychological symptoms (self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger, and disruptive behavior) and TNF-α level in Taiwanese children and adolescents with healthy weight, overweight, or obesity.Methods: In 2010, 564 first, fourth, and seventh graders-comprising 250 children with overweight or obesity (44.3 %), 330 adolescents (58.5 %), and 303 males (53.7 %)-underwent a health examination and blood sampling and completed a questionnaire.Results: A significantly higher TNF-α level was found in children and adolescents with healthy weight than in those with overweight or obesity (median: 14.5 vs. 4.1 (pg/mL); p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression models, anxiety was significantly positively associated with TNF-α level in female participants with healthy weight (β = 0.11 per 10 increments in anxiety, 95 % confidence interval = 0.01-0.22).Limitations: Given the cross-sectional nature of the study, no inferences of causal relationships among TNF-α level, obesity, and psychological symptoms could be made.Conclusions: The findings enrich the literature on the TNF-α-psychological symptom association. Sex differences were found in children and adolescents without obesity rather than in those without obesity, and a higher TNF-α level was associated with increased anxiety in girls without obesity. The role of sex differences in the complex associations among psychological symptoms, TNF-α level, and overweight or obesity requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaming disorder (GD) has been widely examined in younger gamers, but scholars have yet to thoroughly investigate this phenomenon in a broader spectrum of adults. We performed nuanced analysis of the prevalence and associated factors of GD among three generations of Hong Kong adults, namely, Millennials, Generation X'ers, and Baby Boomers. Our study further examined the associations between GD and three mental health indicators (i.e., social anxiety, loneliness, and depression) and investigated the moderating role in such associations played by four demographic variables (i.e., gender, relationship status, education level, and generation). A community sample of 847 Hong Kong adults was recruited (39% male, mean age = 49.9 years, age range = 18–73). The estimated prevalence of GD was 8.3% in the gamer sample, and 2.6% in the overall sample, with significant differences in generation and relationship status between the GD and non-GD groups. All three mental health indicators were positively associated with GD, and relationship status and education level were found to moderate the association between social anxiety and GD. These findings reveal GD to be a mental health concern not only for Millennial gamers but also for older gamers, Generation X'ers in particular. • Demographic profiles of gamers differ considerably among generations. • The prevalence of GD was 8.3% and 2.6% in the gamer and overall samples. • The social anxiety-GD association was moderated by marital status. • The social anxiety-GD association was moderated by educational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]