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BackgroundDepression and anxiety have become increasingly prevalent across the globe. The rising need for treatment and the lack of clinicians has resulted in prolonged waiting times for patients to receive their first session. Responding to this gap, digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) have been found effective in treating depression and anxiety and are potentially promising pretreatments for patients who are awaiting face-to-face psychotherapy. Nevertheless, whether digital interventions effectively alleviate symptoms for patients on waiting lists for face-to-face psychotherapy remains unclear. ObjectiveThis review aimed to synthesize the effectiveness of DMHIs for relieving depression and anxiety symptoms of patients on waiting lists for face-to-face therapy. This review also investigated the features, perceived credibility, and usability of DMHIs during waiting times. MethodsIn this systematic review, we searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Web of Science for research studies investigating the effectiveness of DMHIs in reducing either depression or anxiety symptoms among individuals waiting for face-to-face psychotherapy. The search was conducted in June 2024, and we have included the studies that met the inclusion criteria and were published before June 6, 2024. ResultsOf the 9267 unique records identified, 8 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Five studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 3 studies were not. Among the RCTs, we found that digital interventions reduced depression and anxiety symptoms, but the majority of interventions were not more effective compared to the control groups where participants simply waited or received a self-help book. For the non-RCTs, the interventions also reduced symptoms, but without control groups, the interpretation of the findings is limited. Finally, participants in the included studies perceived the digital interventions to be credible and useful, but high dropout rates raised concerns about treatment adherence. ConclusionsDue to the lack of effective interventions among the reviewed studies, especially among the RCTs, our results suggest that waiting list DMHIs are not more effective compared to simply waiting or using a self-help book. However, more high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are warranted in order to draw a more robust conclusion. Additionally, as this review revealed concerns regarding the high dropout rate in digital interventions, future studies could perhaps adopt more personalized and human-centered functions in interventions to increase user engagement, with the potential to increase treatment adherence and effectiveness.

In eyewitness research the frequent use of video playback presented on a computer screen (i.e., 2D videos) in laboratory-based research is problematic due to the low realism of this method when presenting, for example, threatening (and non-threatening) first-person (and third-person) scenarios. However, in contrast to 2D videos, 360-degree videos presented in virtual reality (VR) presents the opportunity of achieving more realistic and immersive scenarios that might be better suited to mimic real-life incidents, as for example, in the case of a threatening first-person robbery. In the present study, we asked 37 participants to watch eight pre-recorded threatening or non-threatening 2D and VR videos, viewed from either a first- or third-person perspective. After each video, participants assessed the observed target's appearance and were then presented with either a target present (TP) or target absent (TA) six-person photograph line-up. We expected that VR would result in higher degrees of accuracy in both TP and TA line-ups compared with 2D and that the differences between manipulations would be more pronounced within VR compared with 2D. We found that TP (but not TA) accuracy was higher in 2D compared with VR videos (91 vs. 66%), that there was no main effect of perspective, and that threatening scenes increased TP (but not TA) accuracy compared to non-threatening scenes (86 vs. 70%). Furthermore, in VR (but not in 2D), threatening scenes increased TP (but not TA) accuracy compared with non-threatening scenes (85 vs. 40%). The results go against the expected increased accuracy in VR (vs. 2D) videos but support the notion that threatening (vs. non-threatening) scenes can increase identification accuracy in VR but not necessarily in 2D.

Sexual dysfunction, a globally widespread concern, is associated with numerous negative outcomes. While some evidence indicates the potential of ginger supplementation to enhance sexual function, comprehensive research in this area remains scarce and the potential mechanism behind is unclear. The current study aimed to explore if and how consumption of ginger as part of a daily diet is associated with sexual desire, frequency of sexual behavior, as well as sexual arousal and disgust experienced during these behaviors. Chinese participants (N = 499; 250 women) from an online sample service (Credamo) answered a cross-sectional survey regarding their consumption of ginger, sexual behavior, and sexual desire. Ginger consumption was associated with higher sexual desire, and more frequent sexual behaviors, as well as feelings of sexual arousal during them. Sexual desire and feelings of sexual arousal during specific sexual activities mediated the association between the ginger consumption and the frequency of sexual behaviors, indicating potential pathways of the effects of ginger on sexual behavior. Interestingly, while ginger consumption showed no direct relationship with feelings of disgust during sexual behavior, sexual arousal during these behaviors did positively mediate the association between ginger consumption and feelings of disgust. The findings imply that ginger shows potential as an intervention for enhancing sexual behavior, but further experimental and longitudinal research is needed to fully understand the causal mechanisms underlying the effects of ginger on sexual health.

Abstract Aims Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health concern with negative effects on individuals and families. The present study investigated the prevalence, risk factors and gender disparities associated with IPV during the Shanghai 2022 Covid-19 lockdown – a public health emergency which may have exacerbated IPV. Methods We estimated the total IPV prevalence and prevalence of physical, sexual and verbal IPV by using an adapted version of the Extended-Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream scale. This cross-sectional study was carried out using a population quota-based sampling of Shanghai residents across 16 districts during the 2022 Shanghai lockdown (N = 2026; 1058 men and 968 women). Results We found a distinct gendered dynamic, where women reported a significantly higher prevalence of experienced IPV (27.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 23.1–31.4) compared to men (19.8%, 95% CI: 16.1–24.0). Notably, the prevalence estimate mirrored the national lifetime IPV prevalence for women but was over twice as high for men. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, economic stress (income loss: adjusted OR [aOR] = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.28–4.56; job loss: aOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.02–2.92; financial worry much more than usual: aOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.00–3.57) and household burden (one child at home: aOR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.12–2.92; not enough food: aOR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.04–2.70) were associated with increased odds of overall IPV victimization among women but not men. With regard to more serious forms of IPV, job loss (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.09–4.69) and household burden (two or more children at home: aOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.33–7.69) were associated with increased odds of physical IPV against men. For women, a lack of household supplies was associated with increased odds of physical IPV (water: aOR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.79–6.25; daily supplies: aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.18–4.35). Lack of daily supplies (aOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.03–4.55) and job loss (aOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.16–6.12) were also associated with increased odds of sexual IPV. Conclusions Although a larger proportion of women reported IPV, men experienced greater IPV during the lockdown than previously estimated before the pandemic. Economic stressors, including job loss, and household burden were critical risk factors for serious forms of IPV. Improving gender equality that my account for disparities in IPV in China is critically needed. Policies that mitigate the impact of economic losses during crises can potentially reduce IPV.

It is known that children and older adults produce more false alarms in target absent line-ups and that weaker facial encoding increases choosing bias. However, there has been no investigation of how age or facial encoding strength impacts line-up position selections in either sequential or simultaneous line-ups. In the present study, we presented participants with four live targets (one by one) while manipulating sequential and simultaneous line-ups between participants and target present and target absent line-ups within participants. In order to investigate facial encoding strength, we presented the targets at distances between 5 and 110 m. Our main hypotheses were that children due to deficits with inhibition would be more biased toward indiscriminate selections in the first position of sequential line-ups compared with subsequent line-up positions and that first position selections would increase for all age groups as facial encoding became weaker. In simultaneous line-ups, we expected to find a top row bias. In our sample (N = 1,588 participants; 6–77 years), we found that younger children (6–11 years) and the oldest adults (60–77 years) showed a first position bias in sequential line-ups, and as facial encoding became weaker, all age groups (6–11, 12–17, 18–44, 45–59, and 60–77 years) showed an increased tendency to make first position selections. We also found a weak top row preference in simultaneous line-ups, which was moderated by age and increased distance. The main finding is that the results suggest that younger children and the oldest adults had a tendency toward a first position selection bias in sequential line-ups. Based on the combined results, we recommend caution when using sequential line-ups with younger children or older adults.

Prior research shows that increased distance and decreased light result in less correct eyewitness identifications, yet their combined effect is not well understood. The aim of the present study was to establish the maximum distance in low lux (lx) where an eyewitness’s later identification in target present (TP) line-ups is no longer reliable. We randomized participants (N = 178) into one of three lx conditions (high:300 lx, medium:10 lx, low:0.7 lx) and presented them with eight targets (one at a time) at eight separate distances (6–20 m). Each target-presentation was followed by an 8-person simultaneous TP line-up (i.e., there was a .125 probability of choosing the target correctly by chance). We found that the rate of correct TP identifications decreased with increased distance in all lx conditions. At 20 m the rate of correct TP identifications was .53 in the high lx condition, .41 in the medium lx condition and .11 in the low lx condition. The generalizability of our findings to overall eyewitness accuracy is limited by the exclusion of target absent line-ups, yet our findings show that reliable and correct target present identifications are very unlikely following observations made in low lighting (0.7 lx) at 20 m.