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Author(s): Zeliha Özlü-Erkilic [sup.1] [sup.2] , Oswald D. Kothgassner [sup.3] , Thomas Wenzel [sup.4] [sup.5] , Andreas Goreis [sup.3] , Anthony Chen [sup.5] , Veysi Ceri [sup.6] , Aylin Fakhr [...], In 2019, the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and associated prevention measures affected the mental health and psychological well-being of young people with and without a migratory background. The present study aimed to compare the mental health and psychological well-being of migrant and non-migrant young people before and after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign period in two countries which had different policies to deal with the pandemic. The "Psychological General Well-being" of young people and their experiences during the pandemic were investigated using an anonymous online survey during two pandemic waves before the vaccination campaign and 6 months after its start. A majority of the 6154 participants (aged between 15 and 25 years in all study groups) reported a decrease of mental health from the time period before the vaccination (BV) to after the vaccination (AV) campaign (b = 0.27, p < .001). This association was higher in females (b = 0.04, p = 0.008) and in youth with financial problems (b = 0.13, p 17 years (59% to 67%). Contrary to expectation, vulnerable groups such as the economically disadvantaged, younger, and female participants did not experience a significant easing of the pandemic&apos;s psychological burden AV. Vaccination campaigns should continue emphasizing the beneficial effects of COVID-19 vaccination on general well-being, but with an acknowledgement that the road to recovery is still a long one. Concurrently, free access to psychological treatment and financial support should be offered, especially for vulnerable groups. more...

Satisfaction with the detection process of autism and its determinants was investigated using data from the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union (2015-2018) network. A total of 1342 family members, including 1278 parents, completed an online survey collecting information about their experience and satisfaction with the early detection of autism in their child. Overall, the level of satisfaction varied considerably from one respondent to another. Difficulty in finding information about detection services, lack of professional guidance and support in response to first concerns, finding a diagnostic service on one's own, and a delay of more than 4 months between the confirmation of concerns and the first appointment with a specialist were all experiences individually associated with greater odds of being less satisfied. Using a dominance analysis approach, we further identified professional guidance and support in response to first concerns as the most important predictor of the level of satisfaction. These findings highlight the aspects of the process that need to be improved to enhance the experience of the detection process and are therefore relevant to guide health administrations toward actions to be implemented to this effect. more...

Author(s): Anna Felnhofer [sup.1] [sup.2] , Lena Wittmann [sup.3] , Adelais Reichmann [sup.4] , Dorothea König-Teshnizi [sup.5] , Oswald D. Kothgassner [sup.2] [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.22937.3d, 0000 0000 9259 [...], The question of what contributes to users&apos; identification with media characters remains an open issue in research. Apart from media interactivity, user characteristics like gender, age, immersive tendencies, and factual transportation into the narrative are promising factors. Yet, research is still in its infancy, and the usage of different media limits cross-study comparability. Hence, the current study set out to examine predictors of character identification using a text-based fiction with purported interactivity which was inspired by interactive fiction (IF) games. In an online experiment, 228 participants aged 15-65 years were randomly assigned to either an active condition where they could choose from different options, or a passive condition where they only read the story. Additionally, participants filled out questionnaires assessing immersive tendencies, level of identification, and narrative transportation. A multiple linear regression model tested for predictors of character identification. Apart from age and gender which remained non-significant, interactivity, immersive tendencies, and transportation into narrative significantly predicted identification with the IF&apos;s main character. The current findings support theoretical models on media interactivity and identification, yet several open issues such as the role of media content (engaging vs. mundane) and character features (e.g., similarity with user) remain to be answered. more...

Early services for ASD need to canvas the opinions of both parents and professionals. These opinions are seldom compared in the same research study. This study aims to ascertain the views of families and professionals on early detection, diagnosis and intervention services for young children with ASD. An online survey compiled and analysed data from 2032 respondents across 14 European countries (60.9% were parents; 39.1% professionals). Using an ordinal scale from 1 to 7, parents' opinions were more negative (mean = 4.6; SD 2.2) compared to those of professionals (mean = 4.9; SD 1.5) when reporting satisfaction with services. The results suggest services should take into account child's age, delays in accessing services, and active stakeholders' participation when looking to improve services. more...

Abstract Background Self-harm is a clinically relevant and prevalent behaviour which peaks in adolescence. Given the high prevalence of self-harm, the high levels of psychiatric comorbidity, and its role as a risk factor for suicide, delivering evidence-based care is critical. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on treating self-harm in adolescents (12–19 years) published in the last 20 years, identifying 25 randomised controlled trials. We calculated the effect of treatment interventions relative to active control conditions in reducing self-harm, suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms. Results Overall, treatment interventions fared slightly better than active controls in decreasing self-harm (d = 0.13, 95% CI 0.04–0.22, p = .004), suicidal ideation (d = 0.31, 95% CI 0.12–0.50, p = .001) and depressive symptoms (d = 0.22, 95% CI 0.07–0.38, p = .006). Subgroup analysis of specific therapies revealed moderate effects of DBT-A in reducing self-harm (d = 0.51, 95% CI 0.18–0.85, p = .002) and suicidal ideation (d = 0.48, 95% CI 0.17–0.80, p = .003), as well as moderate effects of family-centred therapy in the treating suicidal ideation (d = 0.58, 95% CI 0.01–1.15, p = .049). Conclusions The findings of our meta-analysis indicate that, overall, currently available treatments are effective in treating self-harm, suicidal ideation, and depressive symptoms in adolescence. Although the treatment intervention conditions showed only small to moderate effects in comparison to active controls, these differences were statistically significant and are clinically important. Further research is needed to understand the reduction in self-harm within active controls, which may arise due to the natural course of self-harm, or the potential efficacy of treatment as usual and enhanced usual care. Given the significant reduction of self-harm in active control conditions, delivering effective care to a large number of adolescents with self-harm may require developing stepped-care models in clinical practice. Expensive and poorly available treatments should be targeted at young people who most need them. more...

IntroductionEmotion dysregulation is a common challenge pertaining to numerous psychiatric disorders in adolescence and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT®-A) has been shown to be an effective treatment, especially in the reduction of self-harm and suicidality. Measures in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic set strict limits on physical contacts with patients. In order to continuously provide evidence-based specialized care to patients suffering from emotion dysregulation, we offered two online DBT®-A skill groups in a video-group-call format.ObjectiveWe aimed at assessing our online DBT®-A skills groups, collect according up- and downsides, and form a basis for advancement of this form of treatment provision. Also, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients was assessed.MethodsA physical DBT®-A skill group was switched to a video-group-call format and a second group was initiated de novo online. After five sessions, patients engaged in structured group discussions to reflect experiences. Discussion content was analyzed via Inductive Category Formation within the Framework of Qualitative Content Analysis.ResultsPatients unanimously found the COVID-19 pandemic challenging, but also reported differentially on its impact. Downsides were balanced by subjective “gains” in time and a perceived reduction in stress. Technical problems of the online format were discussed, but did not limit the positive experience of still receiving treatment. Patients of both online DBT®-A skill groups valued the offer, felt connected, and reported benefits from the treatment. The transition group additionally discussed changes in structure and content of the group sessions after the switch to online meetings and reflected differential functions of the group.DiscussionAlthough the sample size is small, and conclusions are drawn from Inductive Qualitative Content Analysis, the presented results are of interest. In our investigation, video-group-calls were both safe and beneficial for patients. This alternative to physical meetings is not only interesting for further waves of the current pandemic but also for service provision in remote areas with limited access to specialized care. Further research is needed to challenge and refine our results and to explore extensions to “basic” video-group-calls, such as “break-out sessions,” blended therapy, or real-time supervision within an online session. more...

Social responses to virtual humans in immersive Virtual Reality (VR) may depend on whether users perceive them to be controlled by a person (avatar) or by the computer (agent). As related evidence is growing, this meta-analysis set out to synthesize corresponding findings. Specifically, we analyzed whether the perceived agency of a virtual human affects (1) social presence, (2) the evaluation of the virtual entity, and (3) behaviors toward it differently. Additionally, we controlled for task type, the virtual entity's appearance, the type of interaction, and agency manipulation. A literature search yielded 20 studies examining 911 participants (agent condition: 460, avatar condition: 451). Differences between perceived avatars and agents in social responses were calculated using Hedges' g. Results showed differences for social presence (g = 0.65, p =.001) and evaluation (g = 0.30, p =.024) in favor of avatars over agents. No effects emerged for behavioral outcomes. Meta-regressions revealed larger agency-differences in social presence for neutral than for negative tasks, and differences in evaluation for positive compared to mixed and neutral tasks. Overall, our findings suggest that while deliberate social responses like social presence and evaluation depend on perceived agency, automatic behaviors do not. For future research, particularly consistent conceptualizations of key variables are necessitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Some post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients do not benefit from imaginal exposure therapy. One possible approach to reach such patients are virtual trauma interventions. Herein, a qualitative scoping review was conducted. Different types of virtual trauma exposure interventions were identified. For each type of virtual trauma exposure interventions it was examined in detail: (1) which in sensu trauma exposure approach serves as therapeutic framework, how it was transferred into virtual reality, and if it was manualized; (2) which hardware and software were used; (3) whether the influence of spatial and social presence on the efficacy of virtual trauma interventions have been measured, and (4) whether the efficacy of virtual trauma interventions for PTSD patients having imagination difficulties was evaluated. These research questions were analyzed qualitatively. Accordingly, an extensive literature search was conducted using the databases Web of Science, PsycINFO, LIVIVO, PTSDpubs, and PubMed for scientific articles published between January 2013 and July 2020. Only studies aimed to reduce PTSD symptoms using virtual trauma interventions were included. The literature search was not limited to a specific study design, treatment/intervention method, or a minimum sample size. Eighteen studies were identified, which reported three different virtual trauma intervention approaches, namely, virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), multi-modular motion-assisted memory desensitization and reconsolidation (3MDR), and action-centered exposure therapy (ACET). Seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two pilot studies, and one case study were focused on VRET; while two RCTs, one pilot study, and three case studies focused on 3MDR, and two case studies on ACET. Regarding the first research question (1), the results show that VRET is based on prolonged exposure, aiming for a virtual re-creation of the patient's traumatic recounting. Several treatment protocols exist for VRET. 3MDR is based on eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, aiming to reduce the patient's avoidance behavior. In 3MDR patients walk toward individualized trauma-related symbolic images in a cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE). One treatment protocol exists for 3MDR. ACET is based on the inhibitory learning theory, aiming for active interactions with a virtual trauma-associated environment to alter the anxiety structure through new secondary inhibitory learning. One treatment protocol exists for ACET. For the second research question (2), the results indicate that all VRET studies used head-mounted displays (HMDs) with a virtual version of the Iraq/Afghanistan or the World Trade Center attacks, while 3MDR studies utilized two different versions of a CAVE with personalized trauma-related images, and the ACET studies used HMDs with virtual street scenarios. For the third research question (3), the results demonstrate that the influence of spatial or social presence on the efficacy of virtual trauma interventions was not examined in any of the included studies. Similarly, for the fourth research question (4), the results show that empirical evidence for the efficacy of virtual trauma interventions on PTSD patients having imagination difficulties was lacking. Therefore, such empirical studies are needed to fill these research gaps. more...