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PPARGC1A is involved in many metabolic processes including normal mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidation of glucose and lipids and transport of glucose into skeletal muscles. Previous researches linked this polymorphism with the higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of Gly482Ser with body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose levels and lipid profile in Serbian adolescents. The study included 147 boys and 150 girls, 15 years of age. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were recorded. Cardiovascular and malignant diseases, type 2 diabetes, cerebral palsy and genetics syndrome were criteria for exclusion. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. The results showed that boys carriers of GG genotype had statistically higher mean values of TC compared to the boys who were carriers of GA+AA genotypes (p=0.033). However, statistical significance was not obtained for the other analyzed parameters. Furthermore, in the group of overweight and obese children, higher mean values of TC and LDL-C were observed in the carriers of GG genotype compared to carriers of GA+AA genotype for all the adolescents, as well as in the group of girls. No correlation was observed for values of BMI, fasting blood glucose and levels of triglycerides. To confirm these results, further research with larger sample size and non-genetics factor taking into consideration, would be of great interest.

The present study investigated whether cultivating self-compassion facilitates disclosure of self-esteem threatening experiences to others, and whether it does so indirectly by reducing shame. Eighty-five female undergraduates recalled an event that threatened their self-esteem and were randomly assigned to write about it in a self-compassionate (n = 29), self-esteem enhancing (n = 30), or non-directive (free writing; n = 26) way. Participants then learned that self-disclosure can decrease distress and were invited to share their event in writing to a stranger. Contrary to the central hypothesis, there was no main effect of condition on self-disclosure; however, post hoc analyses demonstrated that condition interacted with self-esteem threat to predict length and depth of disclosure. For participants whose events were more self-esteem threatening, cultivating either self-compassion or self-esteem promoted deeper disclosures than free writing, and self-compassionate writing alone fostered longer disclosures. For less self-esteem threatening events, free writing promoted deeper and longer disclosures than cultivating self-compassion or self-esteem. Shame was not a significant mediator. Results highlight the potential utility of self-compassion or self-esteem enhancing interventions for facilitating the disclosure of distressing events that threaten self-worth.

Over 25 years of research suggests an important link between perfectionism and personality traits included in the five-factor model (FFM). However, inconsistent findings, underpowered studies, and a plethora of perfectionism scales have obscured understanding of how perfectionism fits within the FFM. We addressed these limitations by conducting the first meta-analytic review of the relationships between perfectionism dimensions and FFM traits ( k = 77, N = 24,789). Meta-analysis with random effects revealed perfectionistic concerns (socially prescribed perfectionism, concern over mistakes, doubts about actions, and discrepancy) were characterized by neuroticism ([Formula: see text] = .50), low agreeableness ([Formula: see text] = −.26), and low extraversion ([Formula: see text] = −.24); perfectionistic strivings (self-oriented perfectionism, personal standards, and high standards) were characterized by conscientiousness ([Formula: see text] = .44). Additionally, several perfectionism–FFM relationships were moderated by gender, age, and the perfectionism subscale used. Findings complement theory suggesting that perfectionism has neurotic and non-neurotic dimensions. Results also underscore that the (mal)adaptiveness of perfectionistic strivings hinges on instrumentation.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to a dispositional tendency to respond to one's anxiety sensations with fear. Longstanding theoretical accounts implicate AS in alcohol misuse; however, the relationship between AS and alcohol misuse remains unclear. We addressed this by testing whether AS is a risk factor for, and/or complication of, alcohol misuse by conducting a rigorous meta-analysis using random effect models. Our literature search yielded 15 studies (N = 9459). Studies were included if they used a longitudinal design, assessed AS and alcohol misuse at baseline, and assessed alcohol misuse and/or AS at follow-up. Results failed to support AS as a risk factor for, or complication of, alcohol misuse. Researchers are encouraged to test if the link between AS and alcohol misuse emerges under specific conditions (e.g., elevated state anxiety).

Individuals with social anxiety disorder (SADs; n = 41) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 40) were administered the Waterloo Images and Memories Interview, in which they described mental images that they tend to experience in both anxiety-provoking and non-anxiety-provoking social situations. Participants then recalled, in as much detail as possible, specific autobiographical memories of salient aversive and non-aversive social experiences that they believed led to the formation of these images. Audio-recorded memory narratives were transcribed and coded based on the procedure of the Autobiographical Interview, which provides a precise measure of the degree of episodic detail contained within each memory. Participants also rated the subjective properties of their recalled memories. Results revealed that participants across the two groups retrieved equivalent rates of both aversive and non-aversive social memories. However, SAD participants' memories of aversive events contained significantly more episodic detail than those of HCs, suggesting that they may be more highly accessible. Moreover, participants with SAD appraised their memories of aversive experiences as more distressing and intrusive than HCs, and perceived them as having a significantly greater influence on their self-perception. In contrast, no group differences were observed for memories of non-aversive events. Findings have the potential to shed new light on autobiographical memory in SAD, with implications for psychotherapeutic intervention.

Research has demonstrated an association between social anxiety and impaired Theory of Mind (ToM). We assess whether ToM deficits occur even at a subclinical level of social anxiety and whether group differences in ToM performance are consistent with interpretation bias. We also explore potential reasons as to why socially anxious individuals may perform differently on ToM tasks.Undergraduate participants high (HSA; n = 78) and low (LSA; n = 35) in social anxiety completed a task of ToM decoding, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (MIE), a task of ToM reasoning, the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC), and a post-task questionnaire about their experience completing the MASC.HSAs performed marginally worse than LSAs on the MIE on neutrally valenced trials, and their pattern of errors may be consistent with a negative interpretation bias. HSAs and LSAs did not differ overall in performance on the MASC, though HSAs reported experiencing more confusion and distress than LSAs during the task, and this distress was associated with more MASC errors for HSA participants only. These results provide insight into the nature of ToM ability in socially anxious individuals and highlight important avenues for future research.

In one of the few studies examining working memory processes in social anxiety disorder (SAD), Amir and Bomyea (2011) recruited participants with and without SAD to complete a working memory span task with neutral and social threat words. Those with SAD showed better working memory performance for social threat words compared to neutral words, suggesting an enhancement in processing efficiency for socially threatening information in SAD. The current study sought to replicate and extend these findings. In this study, 25 participants with a principal diagnosis of SAD, 24 anxious control (AC) participants with anxiety disorders other than SAD, and 27 healthy control (HC) participants with no anxiety disorder completed a working memory task with social threat, general threat, and neutral stimuli. The groups in the current study demonstrated similar working memory performance within each of the word type conditions, thus failing to replicate the principal findings of Amir and Bomyea (2011). Post hoc analyses revealed a significant association between higher levels of anxiety symptomatology and poorer overall WM performance. These results inform our understanding of working memory in the anxiety disorders and support the importance of replication in psychological research. (PsycINFO Database Record

Disclosure of personal distress is linked to important interpersonal and intrapersonal benefits. However, people who tend to view self-disclosure as being risky are likely to conceal their feelings and forgo opportunities to receive valuable social support. One such group of people may be those who fear receiving compassion. The current study of 85 female undergraduates investigated (a) whether fear of receiving compassion would predict decreased distress disclosure and (b) whether inducing a self-compassionate mindset could help to temper the association between fear of receiving compassion and perceived risks of revealing one’s distress to others. Participants completed self-report questionnaires to measure trait-like fears of receiving compassion as well as general distress disclosure tendencies. They were then enrolled in a laboratory experiment in which they recalled a personal past negative experience and were randomly assigned to write about it in a self-compassionate, self-esteem enhancing, or non-directive way. Finally, they rated how risky disclosing their experience would feel and disclosed the event in a written letter to another person. At a trait level, results indicated that the more participants feared receiving compassion, the less they tended to disclose. Moreover, self-compassion training—but neither of the comparison conditions—significantly weakened the positive link between fear of receiving compassion and perceived risks of distress disclosure. These novel findings suggest that practicing self-compassion could help to neutralize the maladaptive relationship between fear of receiving compassion and perceived risk of disclosure.

Background: Case histories, theoretical accounts, and empirical studies suggest an important relationship between perfectionism and bulimic symptoms. However, whether perfectionism confers vulnerability for bulimic symptoms is unclear. Objective: To address this, we conducted a meta-analysis testing if socially prescribed perfectionism, concern over mistakes, doubts about actions, personal standards, self-oriented perfectionism and EDI-perfectionism predict increases in bulimic symptoms over time. Method: Our literature search yielded 12 longitudinal studies for inclusion. Samples were composed of adolescents, undergraduates, and community adults. Results: Meta-analysis using random effects models showed perfectionistic concerns and EDI-perfectionism, but not perfectionistic strivings, had positive relationships with follow-up bulimic symptoms, after controlling for baseline bulimic symptoms. Conclusion: Results lend credence to theoretical accounts implicating perfectionism in the development of bulimic symptoms. Our review of this literature also underscored the need for additional longitudinal studies that use multisource designs and that assess perfectionism as a multidimensional construct.\ud Keywords: perfectionism; bulimia nervosa; bulimic symptoms; longitudinal; meta-analysis

Social anxiety disorder is associated with interpersonal dysfunction, but it is not clear why people with the disorder feel unsatisfied with their relationships. One possibility is that higher social anxiety could lead to changes in sensitivity to interpersonal traits. We examined whether social anxiety moderates the types of interpersonal evaluations people make regarding warmth and dominance. We developed vignettes in which central characters systematically varied in dominance and warmth and asked two samples of participants (undergraduate students, n=176, and online workers, n=403) to rate their willingness to interact with, and the social desirability of, these characters. Participants in general reported stronger desire to interact with warmer and less dominant characters, and rated warmer and more dominant characters as being more socially desirable. People with higher social anxiety exhibited greater tolerance for colder and more submissive characters on both rated dimensions. The perceived similarity of the characters accounted for the bulk of these effects. Participants indicated a higher desire to interact with characters more similar to themselves, and people with higher social anxiety were more likely to rate submissive and cold characters as being like themselves. The results have implications for clinical interventions for social anxiety disorder.

The stress generation model posits perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings generate stress and, in turn, depression. Alternatively, the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) maintains perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings confer risk for depression through social disconnection. However, inconsistent findings, underpowered studies, and overreliance on cross-sectional designs have obscured understanding of the mediating role of stress and social disconnection in the perfectionism–depression link. We addressed this by conducting the first meta-analytic test of the stress generation model and PSDM. Our search yielded 18 longitudinal studies (N = 5,568) involving community adults, undergraduates, medical students, and psychiatric patients. Results revealed perfectionistic concerns predicted increased depression through social disconnection and stress, whereas perfectionistic strivings predicted increased depression through social disconnection, but not stress.

Background Case histories, theoretical accounts, and empirical studies suggest an important relationship between perfectionism and bulimic symptoms. However, whether perfectionism confers vulnerability for bulimic symptoms is unclear. Objective To address this, we conducted a meta-analysis testing if socially prescribed perfectionism, concern over mistakes, doubts about actions, personal standards, self-oriented perfectionism and EDI-perfectionism predict increases in bulimic symptoms over time. Method Our literature search yielded 12 longitudinal studies for inclusion. Samples were composed of adolescents, undergraduates, and community adults. Results Meta-analysis using random effects models showed perfectionistic concerns and EDI-perfectionism, but not perfectionistic strivings, had positive relationships with follow-up bulimic symptoms, after controlling for baseline bulimic symptoms. Conclusion Results lend credence to theoretical accounts implicating perfectionism in the development of bulimic symptoms. Our review of this literature also underscored the need for additional longitudinal studies that use multisource designs and that assess perfectionism as a multidimensional construct.

Theoretical accounts suggest perfectionists are prone to suicide ideation, and over 25 years of research has tested these accounts. First were review research demonstrating perfectionists think, relate, perceive, and behave in ways that engender suicide ideation, and use Ernest Hemingway’s suicide as a case example. Next, we scrutinize evidence suggesting that, although the incremental validity of socially prescribed perfectionism (perceiving others as demanding perfection) beyond hopelessness is clear, the explanatory power of self-oriented perfectionism (demanding perfection of the self), and other-oriented perfectionism (demanding perfection from others) beyond hopelessness is unclear. Subsequently, we conducted a meta-analysis testing the extent to which self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism predict suicide ideation beyond hopelessness. Findings derived from 15 studies, with 20 samples involving 2089 participants, revealed that, after controlling for hopelessness, self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, but not other-oriented perfectionism, displayed small positive associations with suicide ideation. Findings dovetail with long-standing theoretical accounts suggesting both self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism play an important role in suicide ideation. Findings also indicate self-oriented perfectionism’s and socially prescribed perfectionism’s relationships with suicide ideation are not merely statistical artefacts stemming from shared variance with hopelessness. Taken together, findings underscore the importance of developing ways of intervening when suicidal people feel they must meet the perfectionistic expectations of themselves and others.