Frontiers in Psychology

PurposeSocial media use in younger people has shown mixed associations with mental health. We hypothesized that communication types during social media use might alter the relationship between social media dependence and anxiety over time. We aimed to identify how four dimensions of communication influence the link between social media addiction (SMA) and anxiety. MethodsWe recruited a cohort of undergraduate students aged 18-26 to participate in daily surveys over two weeks using a diary metho...

Pusher syndrome is a disorder of postural control, characterized by an altered perception of upright body orientation. While visual verticality perception remains intact, patients incorrectly perceive their tilted body posture as upright, resulting in active resistance to posture correction. This perceptual mismatch offers a potential target for therapeutic interventions. We evaluated a newly developed Tilted Reality Device (TRD) designed to recalibrate body verticality perception by subtly tilt...

BackgroundThe cognitive demands of medical education require optimal learning environments. While the influence of background music on cognition has been widely studied, existing research exhibits a significant Eurocentric bias, predominantly focusing on Western classical music like the "Mozart Effect." This leaves a critical gap in understanding the impact of culturally salient, non-Western musical traditions on learning within their native contexts. MethodsA single-blind, randomized controlle...

The Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) is a key tool in evaluating orthorexia nervosa, but its evaluation process has witnessed considerable variation, with one item notably excluded from the last phase of its development. This study undertakes a thorough re-evaluation of the English version of the EHQ, focusing on its original 35 items, within two diverse populations where English serves predominantly as a second language. Through an online survey involving 163 female models and 243 non-models, ...

IntroductionMedical complications of malnutrition and refeeding account for approximately half of deaths in anorexia nervosa (AN). The AN Care Pathway (ANCP) was introduced at our institution in 2016 to improve quality of care of patients admitted for medical observation and management. We report results from our review of medical complications and report the impact and adoption of the ANCP. MethodsThe ANCP was developed in response to a need to improve quality of medical monitoring of patients...

ObjectiveWeight restoration is an integral part of managing anorexia nervosa patients and has been found to be associated with electrolyte and fluid abnormalities gathered under the umbrella term refeeding syndrome, which has led to cautious initiation of caloric regimes. This study looks at how a sample of severe anorexia nervosa patients were managed using higher rates of refeeding than the ones currently recommended. Designretrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with severe eating...

Length of stay on an inpatient unit for treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) is widely variable. Although previous research has used anthropometric and clinical variables and duration of illness to predict length of stay, there has been limited investigation of the predictive ability of biomarkers. Biomarkers, including those collected through a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and appetite hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, are impacted by disease presence and may play an etiological role i...

BackgroundFollowing the COVID-19 pandemic, computer-based self-help platforms for eating disorders (EDs) became increasingly prevalent as a tool to effectively prevent and treat ED symptoms and related behaviours. This systematic review explored the clinical effectiveness of computer-based self-help platforms for EDs. MethodsFrom inception to the 31st of May 2024, a systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, and APA PsycInfo was conducted. This systematic review followed the Pref...

We received rapid ethical permission to evaluate the early impact of COVID-19 on people with eating disorders. Participants in the United States (US, N=511) and the Netherlands (NL, N=510), recruited through ongoing studies and social media, completed an online baseline survey that included both quantitative measures and free-text responses assessing the impact of COVID-19 on situational circumstances, eating disorder symptoms, eating disorder treatment, and general well-being. Results revealed ...

Body image disturbance (BID) is a diagnostic feature of anorexia nervosa (AN), with few reliable visual perceptual or attitudinal markers. Somatomap is a 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) digital assessment of BID, which has demonstrated utility. Test-retest reliability of Somatomap 2D and 3D digital assessment of BID in AN was examined. Fifty-nine inpatient participants with AN performed test-retest by a) outlining body concern areas on a 2D avatar for each independent area of concern; ...

Clinical practice guidelines for medical professionals working with children and adolescents recommend routine screening for eating disorders. However, no validated screening tools exist for this age group. The aim of this study was to design and validate a brief, caregiver-based screening tool for eating disorders in children ages 6-12 that can be used in primary care. Caregivers of children aged 6-12 completed a battery of questionnaires (N=1,760). A subsample of caregivers completed semi-stru...

BackgroundThe outbreak of communicable diseases increases community anxiety levels; however, it demands protective behavioral changes with adjacent awareness of the emerging epidemic. This work aims to develop valid instruments to evaluate COVID-19 induced anxiety, protective behaviors, and knowledge towards COVID-19, and to explore the relationship between the three constructs. MethodsA total sample of 215 university students were recruited to participate in an online self-administered questio...

Cognitive control, defined as the allocation of mental resources required for goal-directed behaviour, is crucial for exercise participation as it is involved in regulating negative cognitive and affective responses caused by the demands of exercise. Research on both music and acute exercise separately show engagement of cognitive control processes and affective responses, with low-to-moderate exercise intensities reliably influencing cognitive and affective outcomes (e.g., core affect). However...

Sleep is a crucial factor in recovery and must be integrated into athletes training plans for optimal performance and well-being. Although professional athletes are advised to sleep for at least 8 hours, many experience shorter sleep durations or poor sleep quality. Sleep interventions have been recently proposed to improve sleep, but their effects remain unclear. This ecological study aimed to evaluate the sleep of a rugby team and to assess the effects of sleep interventions, including sleep h...

ObjectiveBy manipulating psychological factors--such as fostering positive expectations about exercise outcomes through verbal suggestions--it is possible to induce placebo effects without the use of traditional placebos, such as inert substances (closed-label placebos, CLPs). This can be achieved even when individuals are aware they are receiving a placebo through verbal suggestions (open-label placebo, OLP). This proof-of-principle study investigated whether the effects of OLPs on affective re...

This study compared the effects of a 25-min nap opportunity and a 10-min non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) condition on perceptual, cognitive, and physical performance in physically active young adults. Sixty participants (26 female, 34 male; 22 {+/-} 4 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (nap, NSDR, control; n = 20 each). All groups completed identical assessments immediately, 20 min, and 40 min post-intervention. Mixed-effects models, adjusted for sex, prior-night sleep, and weekly p...

BackgroundErgogenic evidence for caffeine is robust in sports and isolated limb tasks. Our objective was to evaluate a possible ergogenic effect on postural muscles, still unknown, through the Biering-Sorensens lumbar extension test. MethodsA double-blind, controlled placebo, crossover study. Fifty-one healthy, physically inactive male subjects (18-25 years) with average body mass (BMI 18.5 - 24.9 kg/m2) were recruited. The subjects received oral caffeine (6 mg/kg) and saline (0.3%) in two cros...

BackgroundAt present, there are inconsistent results in the research on the effect of physical exercise on emotion regulation ability, and there is no relevant research on how to exercise scientificlc. Therefore, on the basis of previous research, this study conducted a meta-analysis on the theme of physical exercise affecting emotion regulation ability according to the statement of PRISMA, and added relevant moderator variables to clarify the effect of physical exercise on emotion regulation ab...

BackgroundPeople with chronic low back pain (LBP) display an altered movement pattern where the lumbar spine moves more readily into its available range of motion relative to other joints when performing a movement. Recently a randomized controlled trial was completed to compare the effects of motor skill training (MST) to strength and flexibility exercise (SFE). MST improved the altered pattern to a greater extent than SFE. However, there was substantial variability in the baseline and the chan...

We investigated motor control strategies utilized by individuals with recurrent low back pain (rLBP) during active pain and remission periods as well as by back-healthy controls using the Balance-Dexterity Task. Nineteen young adults with rLBP were tested first when they were in pain and then again in symptom remission, and 19 matched controls were also tested. Trunk kinematic coupling and muscle co-activation were examined while participants performed the task by standing on one leg while compr...