Effects of a group mindfulness-based cognitive programme on smartphone addictive symptoms and resilience among adolescents: study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial

The Effect of Cognitive-behavioral Counseling on the Resilience of Female Adolescents with Premenstrual Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the causes of poor performance in women, with direct and indirect adverse effects on their marital, family, and social life. This study aimed to examine the effect of cognitive-behavioral counseling on resilience in adolescent girls with PMS.

Methods

This randomized clinical trial was conducted from February to May 2018 on 15-17-year-old girl adolescents in Hamadan high schools. Using the block randomization method and the block size of 10, we randomly assigned 120 participants with moderate to severe PMS into intervention (N=60) and control groups (N=60). Participants in the intervention group received eight 60-minute cognitive-behavioral counseling sessions for 8 weeks, and the control group received no intervention. Data were gathered using demographic questionnaire, Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. The Chi-square, independent-samples t-test, and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. P values <0.05 were considered significant.

Results

The mean total resilience score and all its dimensions increased in the intervention group 3 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Mean scores of total resilience and all subscales except spiritual influences showed statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups 3 months after the intervention (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Cognitive-behavioral counseling can improve resilience in female adolescents with moderate to severe PMS. It is recommended that school counselors can use cognitive-behavioral counseling to improve the resilience of girls with moderate to severe PMS.Trial Registration Number: IRCT2015052615341N6.

Experiential Avoidance as a Mediator of the Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness and Problematic Smartphone Use

Background

Experiential avoidance (EA) and mindfulness are the two important transdiagnostic process and outcome variables in psychological formulation and treatment. While smartphones have a large utility value, they also have the potential for adverse impacts on functioning. Studies have separately shown associations among EA, dispositional mindfulness (DM), and problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, there is a lack of study exploring the associations and mediation relationship among these variables together in an Indian context. The current study aims to explore the associations of PSU, DM, EA, and sociodemographic factors; including the mediating effect of EA between DM and PSU in the Indian adult context.

Methods

Four hundred and thirty-four participants (M age = 25.4, standard deviation = 2.6, 58.8% females) were recruited for an online survey using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using sociodemographic questionnaire, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, brief EA scale, and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. Statistical analyses comprised multiple regression, mediation analysis, and significance in sociodemographic variables.

Results

Both EA and DM significantly predicted PSU with a 37% variance; however, DM had an inverse relationship. EA as a mediator could account for a quarter of the effect, PM = 24.4%, ab = -0.14, 95% CIcs (-0.19, -0.09).

Conclusion

The current study implicates the monitoring and treatment planning for PSU from a transdiagnostic perspective in the Indian context.

A Bibliometric Analysis to Identify Research Trends in Intervention Programs for Smartphone Addiction

Smartphone addiction is a serious social problem that necessitates research. To identify trends in intervention programs for smartphone addiction, distribution of research topics, and inter-relationships in academic research. We analyzed 104 studies published between 30 June 2022, and 31 August 2022, on the Web of Science (WoS). We applied the bibliometric method and identified the relationship and development trends of academic research in the field using descriptive analysis, the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and co-occurrence. There were four findings: First, intervention programs are classified into 10 types: psychological, social support, lifestyle, technological, family, medical care, educational, exercise, mindfulness, and meditation. Second, the volume of research on intervention programs increased every year. Third, China and South Korea had the highest research involvement. Finally, academic studies were split into either the human behavior or social science categories. Most of them defined the symptoms in terms of individual behavior and social relations, implying that smartphone addiction is not yet recognized as a disorder. Smartphone addiction has not yet been internationally recognized as a disorder, despite its impact on human physiology, psychology, and social behavior. Most related studies have been conducted in Asia, specifically in China and South Korea; Spain has the most outside Asia. Additionally, most of the research subjects were students, probably because of the convenience of sampling. As smartphones gain popularity among older adults, future studies could focus on smartphone addiction among individuals of varied ages.

Indulging in Smartphones in Times of Stress: A Moderated Mediation Model of Experiential Avoidance and Trait Mindfulness

Although previous studies have shown that perceived stress is positively related to problematic smartphone use, knowledge of mediating and moderating mechanisms underpinning this relationship is quite limited. In this study, we explored whether experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use and whether trait mindfulness moderated this mediating process. A total of 763 Chinese college students completed the measures of perceived stress, experiential avoidance, problematic smartphone use, and trait mindfulness. The results indicate that perceived stress was positively related to problematic smartphone use and this relation was partially mediated by experiential avoidance. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis showed that trait mindfulness moderated the linkage between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use via experiential avoidance. This link became weaker for college students with higher levels of trait mindfulness. The results highlight the value of identifying the underlying mechanisms between perceived stress and college students' problematic smartphone use.

Facilitating Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety in Older People: History, Effectiveness, and Future Possibilities

The origins of mindfulness go back some 25 centuries to Eastern teachings, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Mindfulness-based interventions gained credence in Western mental health settings in the late 1970s through the work of medical researcher Kabat-Zinn, whose interest in Eastern meditation led him to develop a program for stress reduction. Since then, mindfulness-based interventions have been utilized for various populations, including older people with anxiety. Group mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated benefits for older people with anxiety living in residential aged care and the community. In primary care settings, innovative delivery models for group mindfulness-based interventions could be facilitated by nurses to support older people with anxiety to age in place with dignity. The benefits of mindfulness-based interventions suggest the value of integrating ancient Eastern techniques with modern Western strategies to achieve better health outcomes for older people with mental health concerns.

Effects of exercise and psychological interventions on smartphone addiction among university students: A systematic review

Background and aims

Among the large number of studies on smartphone addiction, only a few randomized controlled trials on exercise and psychological interventions for smartphone addiction by university students have been published. This study aims to systematically investigate the impact of exercise and psychological interventions on smartphone addiction among university students.

Methods

The PRISMA guidelines were adopted for this systematic literature review. Prominent academic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and PsycINFO were searched to find eligible studies published before Aug 2021. The overall quality of the articles was checked using the "QualSyst" tool by Kmet et al.

Results

From among 600 papers, 23 met the inclusion criteria and were incorporated into our systematic review. All of the studies were randomized controlled trials. The following thematic areas emerged as a result of the content analysis: study selection and design, as well as study characteristics (participants, intervention, comparisons, and outcomes).

Discussion and conclusion

The literature on exercise and psychological interventions for smartphone addiction is scarce. There is a need to introduce new interventions and to validate the effectiveness of combined interventions. Our findings suggest that exercise and psychological interventions may help to reduce smartphone addiction. This combination was more effective compare to exercise or psychological intervention on mental health and addiction among university students. Future research should combine exercise and psychological interventions, focusing on university students, especially females, who are vulnerable to smartphone addiction. Further studies should focus on the cross-section of neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and sports science to provide combined interventions in physiological and psychological direction.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD42021278037.

Mindfulness for internet use disorder: a study protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Internet use disorder (IUD) is on the rise and is associated with detrimental health consequences. Growing evidence suggests that mindfulness-either as a trait or cultivated in mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs)-is promising in preventing and treating IUD. With this systematic review and meta-analysis, we will examine (1) the association between trait mindfulness (TM) and IUD and (2) the effectiveness of MBPs in reducing IUD.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In October 2022, we will screen Medline, PsycINFO, PSYINDEX, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials without language or publication date restrictions. We will conduct backward and forward citation searches of included studies and relevant reviews. We will include studies that evaluate either (1) the association between TM and IUD or (2) the effectiveness of MBPs in reducing IUD. Two reviewers will independently screen records, select and extract data, and rate the risk of bias. In total, we will conduct three meta-analyses: a first meta-analysis will be on the correlation between TM and IUD, a second meta-analysis will be on between-group data examining the effectiveness of MBPs in reducing IUD in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and a third meta-analysis will be on within-group pre-postdata examining the effectiveness of MBPs in reducing IUD in all kinds of intervention studies. For the second and third meta-analyses, the primary outcome will be changes in IUD. We will explore moderators and sources of between-study heterogeneity and pursue a narrative synthesis of results. We will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system to assess the overall quality of evidence across intervention studies.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval is not required. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at (inter)national conferences.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022350071.