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BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on both the physical and mental health of individuals worldwide. Evidence regarding the association between mental health problems and information exposure among Thai citizens during the COVID-19 outbreak is limited. ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the relationship between information exposure and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. MethodsBetween April 21 and May 4, 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional, nationwide online survey of the general population in Thailand. We categorized the duration of exposure to COVID-19-related information as follows:

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of social anxiety symptoms (SASs) and its associated factors among middle-aged teachers in secondary education schools. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2023 to March 2024 among 341 secondary education schoolteachers aged 45–59 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, involving an online survey. Effects of psychosocial variables on SASs were investigated, including attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, neuroticism and extraversion personality traits, loneliness, perceived social stress, job burnout, and anxiety and depression. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of SASs. Results: This study found that 98 out of 341 (28.7%) teachers presented SASs. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that marital status (β = 0.103, 95% CI [0.437, 3.404]), income (β = 0.087, 95% CI [0.049, 3.758]), extraversion (β = −0.179, 95% CI [−0.573, −0.198]), attachment anxiety (β = 0.165, 95% CI [0.106, 0.359]), attachment avoidance (β = 0.145, 95% CI [0.066, 0.243]), depression (β = 0.242, 95% CI [0.248, 0.862]), loneliness (β = 0.182, 95% CI [0.099, 0.580]), and perceived social stress (β = 0.235, 95% CI [0.131, 0.373]) were significant predictors of SASs, explaining 51.1% of the variance. Conclusion: This study discovered a relatively high prevalence of SASs among middle-aged secondary schoolteachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders often experience psychological distress, which can affect the quality of childcare they provide. It is crucial to screen for psychiatric symptoms among these parents. The core symptom index (CSI) is a widely recognized tool used to assess general symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and somatic issues. It has proven validity and reliability across diverse Thai populations. Given the cultural similarities between Thai and Chinese populations, the CSI has been successfully implemented within the Chinese population. Nevertheless, it is crucial to research its validity and reliability in the general Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the CSI among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). (2) Methods: A total of 794 Chinese parents raising children with autism participated in this study. All completed the CSI, along with the social inhibition subscale of the Interpersonal Problems Inventory and the Couple Satisfaction Index. Factorial validity was assessed using CFA to determine how well the bifactor three-factor model fits the data. Various structural models were compared using model fit indices. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined by exploring correlations with the social inhibition subscale and the Couple Satisfaction Index. Invariance testing of the CSI was conducted across multiple groups based on gender, age, and education using CFA. The reliability of the CSI was evaluated using McDonald's omega coefficients. (3) Results: The bifactor model emerged as the best-fitting model for the data, suggesting that the total score of the CSI adequately represents overall psychiatric symptoms. The CSI exhibited significant correlations with the social inhibition subscale (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) and smaller correlation coefficients with the Couple Satisfaction Index (r = −0.16, p < 0.05), indicating both convergent and discriminant validity. The invariant test results support scalar invariance levels based on gender and age but only partial invariance for education. The Chinese version of the CSI demonstrated high consistency, with McDonald's omega coefficients ranging between 0.86 and 0.95. (4) Conclusions: The bifactor model of the Chinese version of the CSI is validated, making it a suitable tool for measuring depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms among parent(s) of children with autism spectrum disorders. Further research on other Chinese populations is encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Loneliness is prevalent among residents of long-term care settings, posing significant challenges to their mental wellbeing. Insecure attachment has been identified as a contributing factor to loneliness in this population. Previous research has suggested that meditation may have beneficial effects on mental health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relationship between meditation, insecure attachment, and loneliness among residents of long-term care facilities in Thailand. Specifically, the study sought to investigate the moderating effect of meditation on the association between insecure attachment (both avoidance and anxiety) and loneliness. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 236 residents living in long-term care homes in Thailand. Participants completed self-report measures including the 18-item Revised Experience of Close Relationship questionnaire (to assess attachment anxiety and avoidance), the Inner Strength-Based Inventory (to measure meditation practice), and the 6-item Revised Version of the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. Moderation analyses were performed to explore the role of meditation in the relationship between insecure attachment and loneliness. Results: The mean age of participants was 73.52 years, with females accounting for 57.6% of the sample. Among the participants, 58.4% reported engaging in meditation, with practice frequency ranging from often to daily. The mean meditation score was 2.92 out of 5, indicating regular but not daily practice. Meditation was found to moderate the relationship between insecure attachment (both avoidance and anxiety) and loneliness. Specifically, the moderation effect between attachment anxiety and loneliness was significant (B = 0.44, SE = 0.21, 95% CI [0.30, 0.86]), as was the interaction effect between attachment anxiety and loneliness (B = −0.34, SE = 0.17, 95% CI [−0.67, −0.02]). Conclusions: The findings suggest that the impact of meditation practice on loneliness is influenced by an individual's attachment dimension. Meditation demonstrates a moderating effect on attachment avoidance, anxiety, and loneliness, with variations observed in the direction of these effects. The clinical implications of these findings and recommendations for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]