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Introduction: Affect integration comprises the capacity to access and utilize the motivational and signal properties of affects. This capacity is essential for personal adjustment, mental health, and well-being. Affect integration is commonly operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory. This study examines the psychometric properties of a short-form (AII-SF-42) of the instrument in a sample of patients with personality disorders (n = 87). Methods: Analyses of internal-consistency reliability, along with standardized mean differences-, and associations between short- and long-forms are reported. Internal structure was assessed by confirmatory factor analyses and external criterion validity was addressed by tests of associations between the AIISF-42-scale scores and measures of alexithymia, symptom distress, interpersonal problems and level of personality dysfunction. Results: The study demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity for scores derived from the AII-SF-42, including acceptable internal consistency and strong correspondence with long-form scores, a consistent factor structure organized according to discrete affects, and systematic patterns of convergent and discriminant associations with external measures. Conclusion: Taken together, the results of the study demonstrate that in clinical settings, including patients with personality disorders the AII-SF-42 is a valid and useful alternative to the full-length version of the instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives Transitions from middle adolescence into merging adulthood, a life stage between age 15–25, has a high prevalence of sleep problems. Mindfulness is a trait defined as being attentive to the present moment which positively relates to sleep quality. In this study, we aimed to investigate how resilience and emotional dysfunction may influence the relationship between trait mindfulness and sleep quality. Methods The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were used to measure the key variables through an online survey of 497 participants between middle adolescence and emerging adults (317 females, mean age 18.27 ± 0.76 years). A process model was built to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and emotional dysfunction in the impact of trait mindfulness on sleep quality, together with the relationships between their specific components. Results We found a positive association between mindfulness and sleep quality through resilience and through emotional dysfunction, and through the sequential pathway from resilience to emotional dysfunction. Of note, acting with awareness (mindfulness facet) showed significant indirect effects on sleep quality, mediated by resilience and emotional dysfunction. Conclusions Our findings may unveil the underlying mechanisms of how low mindfulness induces poor sleep quality. The findings indicate that conceiving mindfulness as a multifaceted construct facilitates comprehension of its components, relationships with other variables, and underscores its potential clinical significance given its critical implications for mental health.

Objectives: Transitions from middle adolescence into merging adulthood, a life stage between age 15–25, has a high prevalence of sleep problems. Mindfulness is a trait defined as being attentive to the present moment which positively relates to sleep quality. In this study, we aimed to investigate how resilience and emotional dysfunction may influence the relationship between trait mindfulness and sleep quality. Methods: The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were used to measure the key variables through an online survey of 497 participants between middle adolescence and emerging adults (317 females, mean age 18.27 ± 0.76 years). A process model was built to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and emotional dysfunction in the impact of trait mindfulness on sleep quality, together with the relationships between their specific components. Results: We found a positive association between mindfulness and sleep quality through resilience and through emotional dysfunction, and through the sequential pathway from resilience to emotional dysfunction. Of note, acting with awareness (mindfulness facet) showed significant indirect effects on sleep quality, mediated by resilience and emotional dysfunction. Conclusions: Our findings may unveil the underlying mechanisms of how low mindfulness induces poor sleep quality. The findings indicate that conceiving mindfulness as a multifaceted construct facilitates comprehension of its components, relationships with other variables, and underscores its potential clinical significance given its critical implications for mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionAffect integration comprises the capacity to access and utilize the motivational and signal properties of affects. This capacity is essential for personal adjustment, mental health, and well-being. Affect integration is commonly operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory. This study examines the psychometric properties of a short-form (AII-SF-42) of the instrument in a sample of patients with personality disorders (n = 87).MethodsAnalyses of internal-consistency reliability, along with standardized mean differences-, and associations between short- and long-forms are reported. Internal structure was assessed by confirmatory factor analyses and external criterion validity was addressed by tests of associations between the AII-SF-42-scale scores and measures of alexithymia, symptom distress, interpersonal problems and level of personality dysfunction.ResultsThe study demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity for scores derived from the AII-SF-42, including acceptable internal consistency and strong correspondence with long-form scores, a consistent factor structure organized according to discrete affects, and systematic patterns of convergent and discriminant associations with external measures.ConclusionTaken together, the results of the study demonstrate that in clinical settings, including patients with personality disorders the AII-SF-42 is a valid and useful alternative to the full-length version of the instrument.

The aim of this study was to investigate the emotional difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms within children refugees in northern Greece borders. The present research focuses on the traumatic and emotional difficulties experienced by children refugees, who have been separated from their families during their journey to Europe. This study adopted a research approach with a sample of five children from Syria, of both sexes, aged 11 to 16 years. Each participant was given an Android-based mobile phone with the online forms of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and the Achenbach Adolescent Self-Report Questionnaire (YSR 11-18). The completion results showed high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and intensive emotional problems in the sample of refugees children. In particular, the findings showed a correlation between the level of emotional problems and posttraumatic stress disorder and the type of trauma related to the family traumatic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affect integration is defined as the capacity to comprehend emotional experiences as meaningful and to convert this knowledge into well-adjusted motivation, communication and behavior. Thus, affect integration is considered essential for personal adjustment and well-being, and it has been operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory. However, the validity of this questionnaire has been examined only in non-clinical respondents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire in a sample of patients with personality disorders (n = 87). The internal structure and consistency were addressed using Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. To determine aspects of convergent and discriminant validity, the correlations between the scores on the questionnaire and the scores on content-related questionnaires and scales were examined. Finally, scores from the clinical respondents and existing data from a previously collected non-clinical sample (n = 157) were compared to evaluate the external validity. The overall results demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, a consistent factor structure, and systematic patterns of convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, the findings indicated that the instrument clearly differentiated the clinical sample from the non-clinical sample.

According to the literature, avoidant personality disorder (APD) is often overlooked in research on personality disorders. In the present study, patients with APD were compared to patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) with respect to emotional dysfunction. Emotional dysfunction was operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory. Sixty‐one patients receiving treatment at specialized outpatient hospital facilities for either BPD (n = 25) or APD (n = 36) (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition) were included in a cross‐sectional study. Supporting our expectations of no difference in the global capacity for affect integration between groups, the estimated difference was 0.00 (95% confidence interval [CI] [−0.53, 0.53]). On the other hand, the expected increased dysfunction in APD regarding Expression could not be confirmed. Furthermore, problems with specific affects distinguished the groups; integration of Interest was worse in APD (p = 0.01), whereas integration of Jealousy was worse in BPD (p = 0.04). In terms of prototypical modes of experiencing affects, APD was characterized by decreased access to the motivational properties of Interest (p < 0.01), while BPD was more driven by Interest (p < 0.01), Anger (p < 0.01), and Jealousy (p = 0.01). In conclusion, even though the two disorders are characterized by similar overall levels of emotional dysfunction, they differ systematically and predictably regarding specific affects and modes of experiencing. These findings carry implications for the understanding of emotional dysfunction in APD and BPD, suggesting specific areas of emotional dysfunction that could be targeted in tailored psychotherapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Traumatic events such as divorce play an important role in causing alexithymia in children and parental self-efficacy. Attachment-based play therapy focuses simultaneously on the child's emotions and parental effectiveness. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of attachment-based play therapy on alexithymia of children and their mother’s parental self-efficacy in divorced family in Tehran in covid-19 pandemic. Method: The present study is a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, follow-up group. The statistical population of this study was mothers and their children in divorced families in Tehran in 1400 who responded positively to the invitation for cooperation in the present study in virtual networks. A total of 48 sample (24 children and 24 mothers) were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental groups received 10 sessions of attachment-based play therapy training but the control group did not receive any intervention. The collected data were analyzed using ANOVA with repeated measure. Results: The results showed that attachment-based play therapy improved emotional malaise and its components in children and increased their mothers' parenting self-efficacy (P <0.01). Conclusion: According to the results, attention to this approach in treatment programs and counseling as an effective method to reduce emotional distress in children and increase maternal self-efficacy of parents in divorced families can be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Emotional dysfunction is considered a key component in personality disorders; however, only few studies have examined the relationship between the two. In this study, emotional dysfunction was operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory, and the aim was to examine the relationships between the level of affect integration and the levels of symptom distress, interpersonal problems, and personality functioning in patients diagnosed with personality disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. Materials and Methods: Within a hospital-based psychiatric outpatient setting, 87 patients with personality disorder referred for treatment were identified for assessment with the Affect Integration Inventory and other measures (e.g., the Symptom Checklist-90, Revised, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems 64 circumplex version, and the Severity Indices of Personality Problems). Results: The analyses revealed that problems with affect integration were strongly and statistically significantly correlated with high levels of symptom distress, interpersonal problems, and maladaptive personality functioning. Additionally, low scores on the Affect Integration Inventory regarding discrete affects were associated with distinct and differentiated patterns of interpersonal problems. Conclusion: Taken together, emotional dysfunction, as measured by the Affect Integration Inventory, appeared to be a central component of the pathological self-organization associated with personality disorder. These findings have several implications for the understanding and psychotherapeutic treatment of personality pathology. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering the integration of discrete affects and their specific contributions in the conceptualization and treatment of emotional dysfunction in patients with personality disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survival rate after stroke has increased during the last decades, resulting in a rise in the need for rehabilitation services. Stroke has serious consequences, not only for physical, communicative and cognitive capacities, but also for emotional, motivational and interpersonal abilities. In Sweden, rehabilitation clinics offer programmes to stroke survivors encompassing physical, communicative and cognitive rehabilitation. Although 30% of patients suffer emotional, motivational and interpersonal difficulties, standard rehabilitation programmes do not meet these needs. In this article, aspects of clinical hypnosis that could have a potential for treating emotional, motivational and interpersonal deficits following stroke are reviewed. The article reports a pilot study of a hypnotherapeutic approach as a complementary component of a standard rehabilitation programme for stroke survivors. The report suggests that hypnosis is a cost-effective method for the rehabilitation of emotional, motivational and interpersonal deficits after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Emotional dysfunction is considered a key component in personality disorders; however, only few studies have examined the relationship between the two. In this study, emotional dysfunction was operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory, and the aim was to examine the relationships between the level of affect integration and the levels of symptom distress, interpersonal problems, and personality functioning in patients diagnosed with personality disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. Materials and Methods: Within a hospital-based psychiatric outpatient setting, 87 patients with personality disorder referred for treatment were identified for assessment with the Affect Integration Inventory and other measures (e.g., the Symptom Checklist-90, Revised, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems 64 circumplex version, and the Severity Indices of Personality Problems). Results: The analyses revealed that problems with affect integration were strongly and statistically significantly correlated with high levels of symptom distress, interpersonal problems, and maladaptive personality functioning. Additionally, low scores on the Affect Integration Inventory regarding discrete affects were associated with distinct and differentiated patterns of interpersonal problems. Conclusion: Taken together, emotional dysfunction, as measured by the Affect Integration Inventory, appeared to be a central component of the pathological self-organization associated with personality disorder. These findings have several implications for the understanding and psychotherapeutic treatment of personality pathology. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering the integration of discrete affects and their specific contributions in the conceptualization and treatment of emotional dysfunction in patients with personality disorders.

Psychopathy is a personality type characterized by both callous emotional dysfunction and deviant behavior that affects society in the form of actions that harm others. Historically, researchers have been concerned with seeking data and arguments to support a neurobiological foundation of psychopathy. In the past few years, increasing research has begun to reveal brain alterations putatively underlying the enigmatic psychopathic personality. In this review, we describe the brain anatomical and functional features that characterize psychopathy from a synthesis of available neuroimaging research and discuss how such brain anomalies may account for psychopathic behavior. The results are consistent in showing anatomical alterations involving primarily a ventral system connecting the anterior temporal lobe to anterior and ventral frontal areas, and a dorsal system connecting the medial frontal lobe to the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus complex and, in turn, to medial structures of the temporal lobe. Functional imaging data indicate that relevant emotional flow breakdown may occur in both these brain systems and suggest specific mechanisms via which emotion is anomalously integrated into cognition in psychopathic individuals during moral challenge. Directions for future research are delineated emphasizing, for instance, the relevance of further establishing the contribution of early life stress to a learned blockage of emotional self-exposure, and the potential role of androgenic hormones in the development of cortical anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the cognitive sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are well known, emotional impairments after TBI are suboptimally characterized. Lack of awareness of emotional difficulties can make self-report unreliable. However, individuals with TBI demonstrate involuntary changes in heart rate variability which may enable objective quantification of emotional dysfunction. Methods: Sixteen subjects with chronic TBI and 10 age-matched controls were tested on an emotional function battery during which they watched a series of film clips normed to elicit specific positively and negatively valenced emotions: amusement, sexual amusement, sadness, fear and disgust. Subjective responses to the emotional stimuli were also obtained. Additionally, surface electrodes measured cardiac and respiratory signals to compute heart rate variability (HRV), from which measures of parasympathetic activity, the respiratory frequency area (RFA) and sympathetic activity, the low frequency area (LFA), of the HRV frequency spectrum were derived. The Neurobehavioral Rating Scale-Revised (NRS-R) and the King-Devick (KD) test were administered to assess neurobehavioral dysfunction. Results: The two groups showed no differences in subjective ratings of emotional intensity. Subjects with TBI showed significantly decreased sympathetic activity when viewing amusing stimuli and significantly increased sympathetic activity when viewing sad stimuli compared to controls. Most of the subjects did not show agitation, anxiety, depression, blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, decreased motivation or mental fatiguability on the NRS-R. However, 13/16 subjects with TBI demonstrated attention difficulty on the NRS-R which was positively correlated with the increased sympathetic activity during sad stimuli. Both attention difficulty and abnormal autonomic responses to sad stimuli were correlated with the timing on the KD test, which reflected difficulty with visual attention shifting. Conclusions: The HRV spectrum may be useful to identify subclinical emotional dysfunction in individuals with TBI. Attention difficulites, specifically impairment in visual attention shifting, may contribute to abnormal reactivity to sad stimuli that may be detected and potentially treated to improve emotional function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive deficits, especially problems with memory observed after stroke often coexist with patients’ experience of difficulties in everyday life situations.Aims: The purposes of the study were to explore the relationships between verbal memory, emotional functioning and social competence in stroke patients, and to examine the emotional and social condition of stroke patients with low verbal memory.Methods: Ninety-five participants were assessed with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile, and the Social Competency Questionnaire. The participants’ relatives (N = 95) also took part in the study evaluating patients’ emotional and social functioning.Results: Stroke patients with low verbal memory had higher scores in depression, indifference, and inappropriateness than the patients with normal memory. They also obtained higher scores in the self-reported intimacy and lower scores in objectively assessed social exposition than controls.Discussion: It is worth considering patients’ relationships with relatives that evolve after stroke, especially when the patients experience cognitive difficulties in gaining new information. Collecting verbal information seems to be important for the feeling of effectiveness in some dimensions of elders’ social functioning.Conclusions: Because the social engagement may be treated as protective factor in the course of recovery we would recommend that during rehabilitation more attention should be paid to emotional and social functioning of stroke patients with low verbal memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Depression and anxiety can cause the development of chronic pain. However, the mechanism of chronic pain induced by emotional dysfunction is still unknown. Previously, we demonstrated that the G protein-coupled receptor 40/free fatty acid receptor 1 (GPR40/FFAR1) signaling in the brain is related to regulation of both pain and emotion. In the present study, we proved that the role of GPR40/FFAR1 signaling in the development of chronic pain is induced by emotional dysfunction.Results: Repeated social defeat (SD)-stressed mice showed the impairment of social interaction and anxiety behavior. These mice also caused pain prolongation after paw-incision comparison with non-SD mice. This pain prolongation was markedly continued by infusion of the GPR40/FFAR1 antagonist, GW1100 during SD stress but not non-SD stress. Although, infusion of the GW1100 during SD stress did not cause deterioration of the emotional behavior. Furthermore, GW1100-treated SD-mice showed strong tendency of emotional dysfunction after paw incision.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the dysfunction of fatty acids-GPR40/FFAR1 signaling in the brain underlying stress condition might be related to the development of chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult neurogenesis involves the generation of new neurons, particularly in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Decreased hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in both animal models of depression and in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), despite some inconsistency in the literature. Here, we build upon current models to generate a new testable hypothesis, linking impaired neurogenesis to downstream psychological outcomes commonly observed in MDD. We contend that disruption in adult neurogenesis impairs pattern separation, a hippocampus-dependent function requiring the careful discrimination and storage of highly similar, but not identical, sensory inputs. This, in turn, can affect downstream processing and response selection, of relevance to emotional wellbeing. Specifically, disrupted pattern separation leads to misperceived stimuli (i.e., stimulus confusion), triggering the selection and deployment of established responses inappropriate for the actual stimuli. We speculate that this may be akin to activation of automatic thoughts, described in the Cognitive Behavior Theory ofMDD. Similarly, this impaired ability to discriminate information at a fundamental sensory processing level (e.g., impaired pattern separation) could underlie impaired psychological flexibility, a core component of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy of MDD. We propose that research is needed to test this model by examining the relationship between cognitive functioning (e.g., pattern separation ability), psychological processes (e.g., perseveration and psychological inflexibility), and neurogenesis, taking advantage of emerging magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based imaging thatmeasures neurogenesis in-vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Some researchers suggest that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by elevated negative emotion; others argue that BPD involves both reduced positive and increased negative emotion. This study characterizes the emotional experiences of individuals with BPD symptoms in a combined university and community sample. Method Participants ( N = 150) completed a clinical interview assessing BPD symptoms and self-report measures of positive and negative emotion. A subset ( n = 106) completed a measure of emotion daily for 2 weeks. Pearson's correlations and multilevel modeling were used to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between BPD symptoms and emotions. Results BPD symptoms were robustly related to increased negative emotion; this relationship remained after accounting for positive emotion. BPD symptoms were weakly related to decreased positive emotion; this relationship was no longer significant after accounting for negative emotion. BPD symptoms predicted higher levels of negative and not positive emotion over 14 days. These patterns held for subscales assessing intensity, frequency, and duration of negative and positive emotions. Conclusion Findings suggest that individuals with BPD features are chiefly distinguished by elevated negative emotional experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To assess the emotional dysfunction associated with diabetes in Mexican young individuals with type-1 diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to perform a complete clinical and psychosocial evaluation of 93 consecutive type-1 diabetes patients, aged 14 to 30 years. RESULTS: Adolescents had higher scores of emotional dysfunction related to diabetes and a diminished knowledge in diabetes-related areas. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that an inadequate emotional response to diabetes (high problem areas in diabetes or PAID scores) was mainly associated with a poor glycemic control (OR=2.9, 95% CI 0.9-9.7, p=0.09). Apprehension about the future and the possibility of serious complications had the highest mean PAID score in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: New strategies should be developed to improve the routine care and support of young individuals with type-1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the emotional dysfunction associated with diabetes in Mexican young individuals with type-1 diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to perform a complete clinical and psychosocial evaluation of 93 consecutive type-1 diabetes patients, aged 14 to 30 years. RESULTS: Adolescents had higher scores of emotional dysfunction related to diabetes and a diminished knowledge in diabetes-related areas. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that an inadequate emotional response to diabetes (high problem areas in diabetes or PAID scores) was mainly associated with a poor glycemic control (OR=2.9, 95% CI 0.9-9.7, p=0.09). Apprehension about the future and the possibility of serious complications had the highest mean PAID score in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: New strategies should be developed to improve the routine care and support of young individuals with type-1 diabetes.OBJETIVO: Investigar la disfunción emocional asociada con la diabetes en jóvenes mexicanos con diabetes tipo 1. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal que incluyó la evaluación clínica y psicosocial de 93 pacientes con diabetes tipo 1 con edades comprendidas entre los 14 y los 30 años. RESULTADOS: Los adolescentes como grupo presentaron mayor disfunción emocional asociada con la diabetes y menores conocimientos en las diferentes áreas de diabetes. En un análisis de regresión logística multivariado, una respuesta emocional inadecuada (calificación alta de áreas problema en diabetes o PAID, por sus siglas en inglés), se asoció principalmente con un mal control glucémico (OR=2.9; 95% CI 0.9-9.7 p=0.09). La preocupación acerca del futuro y la posibilidad de desarrollar complicaciones se asoció con las calificaciones más altas de PAID en todos los grupos de edad. CONCLUSIONES: Es una imperiosa necesidad desarrollar nuevas estrategias que permitan mejorar el cuidado y brindar más apoyo a los jóvenes con diabetes tipo 1.

Affect integration is defined as the capacity to comprehend emotional experiences as meaningful and to convert this knowledge into well-adjusted motivation, communication and behavior. Thus, affect integration is considered essential for personal adjustment and well-being, and it has been operationalized through the Affect Integration Inventory. However, the validity of this questionnaire has been examined only in non-clinical respondents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire in a sample of patients with personality disorders (n = 87). The internal structure and consistency were addressed using Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. To determine aspects of convergent and discriminant validity, the correlations between the scores on the questionnaire and the scores on content-related questionnaires and scales were examined. Finally, scores from the clinical respondents and existing data from a previously collected non-clinical sample (n = 157) were compared to evaluate the external validity. The overall results demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, a consistent factor structure, and systematic patterns of convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, the findings indicated that the instrument clearly differentiated the clinical sample from the non-clinical sample. • Results demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency • Consistent factor structure • Systematic patterns of convergent and discriminant validity • The AII clearly differentiated the clinical sample from the non-clinical sample [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]