Anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods survey

OBJECTIVE

During the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) may have increased; however, little is known about the various factors which influenced this. We aimed to (a) identify the psychosocial modifiable associates of anxiety in PwMS in Ireland and the United Kingdom and (b) explore experiences of anxiety during the pandemic.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey was developed using public and patient involvement in 2021. This included measures of anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS-A]), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support [MSPSS]), multiple sclerosis control self-efficacy (Multiple Sclerosis Self-Efficacy scale [MSSE]), exercise habits (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire [GLTEQ]), MS acceptance (Acceptance of Chronic Health Conditions scale [ACHC]), and intolerance of uncertainty (Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 [IUS-12]), with open-ended questions asking about experiences of anxiety during COVID-19. A hierarchical regression analysis investigated the extent to which anxiety could be predicted by psychosocial modifiable factors after controlling for sociodemographic factors and multiple sclerosis (MS) type, while reflective thematic analysis was used to analyze open-ended responses.

RESULTS

287 PwMS completed the survey, with 58% reporting that their anxiety had increased during the pandemic. In order of magnitude, self-efficacy (β = -.41), intolerance of uncertainty (β = .35), social support (β = -.21), and exercise habits (β = .19) significantly predicted variance in HADS-A scores (p < .01). Themes describing sources of anxiety included personal health concerns, social concerns, and responsibilities/additional external burdens. In contrast, some PwMS reported that anxiety had decreased during COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

While the generality of findings may be limited due to a predominately female sample of PwMS living in the United Kingdom and Ireland, results have the potential to inform the development of targeted interventions in rehabilitation psychology to reduce anxiety in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender differences in intimate partner violence: Risk factors and associations with suicide

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to provide updated estimates of the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the general adult population of Ireland and to better understand gender-specific profiles of IPV, their risk factors, and their relationship with suicidality.

METHOD

Data (N = 1,098) from Wave 4 of the Irish arm of the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) study were used.

RESULTS

32.1% of the sample experienced lifetime IPV, with IPV more common among females. Latent class analysis results showed that females had a more complex profile of IPV (four classes) than males (three classes). Risk factors for females included younger age, having children, lower income level, lower social support, and lower social contact, while risk factors for males were living in an urban environment, having children, and lower social support. All IPV exposure was found to be associated with a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing multiple suicide-related phenomena for males and females.

CONCLUSION

IPV is a major public social health issue affecting approximately one-in-three females and one-in-four males in Ireland and is strongly associated with suicide-related phenomena. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Us versus them: The role of national identity in the formation of false memories for fake news

People are prone to forming false memories for fictitious events described in fake news stories. In this preregistered study, we hypothesized that the formation of false memories may be promoted when the fake news includes stereotypes that reflect positively on one's own nationality or negatively on another nationality. We exposed German and Irish participants (N = 1,184) to fabricated news stories that were consistent with positive or negative stereotypes about Germany and Ireland. The predicted three-way interaction was not observed. Exploratory follow-up analyses revealed the expected pattern of results for German participants but not for Irish participants, who were more likely to remember positive stories and stories about Ireland. Individual differences in patriotism did not significantly affect false memory rates; however, higher levels of cognitive ability and analytical reasoning decreased false memories and increased participants' ability to distinguish between true and false news stories. These results demonstrate that stereotypical information pertaining to national identity can influence the formation of false memories for fake news, but variations in cultural context may affect how misinformation is received and processed. We conclude by urging researchers to consider the sociopolitical and media landscape when predicting the consequences of fake news exposure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Is a sex difference in audio-visual temporal precision consistent across age groups? An update on Hernández et al. (2019)

Hernández et al. (2019) previously reported independent age and sex differences in temporal audio-visual integration in a large national cohort of older adults. Susceptibility to the sound induced flash illusion (SIFI) at long stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) increased with age and was stronger in older adult females than males. However, it is unclear if this sex difference is stable across age. We reanalyzed the data set used by Hernández et al. (2019) on SIFI performance from 3,479 older adults (Mage = 64.20 years, SD = 7.77, range = 50-93; 56% female) across three age groups (50-64, 65-74, and 75+ years), drawn from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. For the 70 ms SOA, females were less susceptible to the SIFI than males, irrespective of age. At longer SOAs (150 ms and 230 ms), females aged 50-64 years but not older were more susceptible to the SIFI than age-matched males. These findings extend those of Hernández et al. (2019) by indicating that age and sex can collectively influence the precision of multisensory integration exhibited by older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence and concordance of International Classification of Diseases-11th Revision and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-Fifth Edition posttraumatic stress diagnostics among Northern Irish military veterans

BACKGROUND

There are two primary competing diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). These systems differ in terms of the number and nature of PTSD symptoms, the implied latent structure of the disorder, and associated posttraumatic diagnostic classifications.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence and concordance of ICD-11th Revision (ICD-11) and DSM-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) PTSD, complex-PTSD (C-PTSD), and dissociative subtype of PTSD (D-PTSD) criteria in a sample of Northern Irish military veterans.

METHODOLOGY

Data were collected from a community sample of military veterans living in Northern Ireland (NI). Prevalence rates of ICD-11 PTSD and C-PTSD and DSM-5 PTSD and D-PTSD were estimated using validated self-report measures for each system. Concordance of caseness determined by diagnostic criteria was compared using Cohen's kappa.

RESULTS

The DSM-5 algorithm criteria produced significantly higher prevalence estimates of PTSD (39.26%) relative to the ICD-11 algorithm criteria (32.09%). Both C-PTSD and D-PTSD were identified for subgroups within the sample (24.66% and 27.96%, respectively). There was moderate agreement between the diagnostic systems regarding PTSD caseness, and between C-PTSD and D-PTSD caseness.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have implications regarding the measurement of PTSD and associated diagnostic groupings for the wider literature, suggesting that the choice of diagnostic screening framework may influence classification. Both C-PTSD and D-PTSD may be relevant diagnostic considerations for the NI military veteran group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Influencing a nation: How a leader's interpersonal emotion regulation influences citizen compliance via trust and emotions during a global pandemic

During crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary for political leaders to influence citizens to comply with public health measures and restrictions. These health measures (e.g., physical distancing, staying at home) had substantial negative effects on individuals' lives and thus were sometimes met with defensive, noncooperative responses. To influence citizens' compliance with public health guidance and nationally imposed restrictions, political leaders needed to effectively motivate them through their public communications. We argue that while negative emotions may have discouraged citizens from deviating from public health restrictions, other factors such as citizens' trust in political leaders played a role as well. We investigated whether the perception of the interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) strategies used by government leaders in ministerial briefings impacted citizens' compliance intentions via either negative affect or perceived trustworthiness. Across three studies based in Western Europe (Studies 1 and 2 survey, Study 3 experimental), we consistently found that a leader's affect-improving IER strategies increased compliance intentions via perceived trustworthiness but not via negative affect. Affect-worsening IER strategies demonstrated either no effect or an indirect worsening effect on the compliance intentions of citizens. Our findings highlight the importance of IER strategies in ministerial briefings and perceived trustworthiness of political leaders in motivating citizens to comply with public health restrictions during a pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Altering experienced utility by incidental affect: The interplay of valence and arousal in incidental affect infusion processes

The way we evaluate an experience can be influenced by contextual factors that are unrelated to the experience at hand. A prominent factor that has been shown to infuse into the evaluation processes is incidental affect. Prior research has examined the role of such incidental affect by either focusing on its valence or its arousal, while neglecting the interplay of these two components in the affect infusion process. Based on the affect-integration-motivation (AIM) framework from affective neuroscience, our research proposes a novel arousal transport hypothesis (ATH) that describes how valence and arousal of an affective state jointly influence the evaluation of experiences. We test the ATH in a set of multimethod studies combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), skin conductance recording, automated facial affect recording, and behavioral approaches across a range of sensory modalities including auditory, gustatory, and visual. We find that positive incidental affect, induced by viewing affect-laden pictures (vs. neutral pictures) or winning (vs. not winning) monetary rewards, enhances how much an experience (i.e., listening to music, consuming wines, or looking at images) is enjoyed. Tracking moment-based changes of affective states at the neurophysiological level, we demonstrate that valence mediates reported enjoyment and that arousal is necessary to implement and moderate these mediating effects. We rule out alternative explanations for these mediation patterns such as the excitation transfer account and the attention narrowing account. Finally, we discuss how the ATH framework provides a new perspective to explain divergent decision outcomes caused by discrete emotions and its implications for effort-based decision-making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing prevalence, validity, and correlates of ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder and complex posttraumatic stress disorder in Ireland

BACKGROUND

The most frequently used measure of the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). While there is strong support for the psychometric properties of the ITQ, few studies have assessed its reliability and validity in nationally representative samples. Additionally, several correlates of ICD-11 CPTSD have been identified; however, few studies have assessed multiple correlates simultaneously.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the factorial validity and internal reliability of the ITQ in a nationally representative sample of adults living in Ireland (N = 1,100); determine the prevalence rates of ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and CPTSD; and identify correlates of CPTSD symptoms and how CPTSD symptoms relate to risk of suicide.

METHOD

Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the factorial validity of the ITQ, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine the unique multivariate associations between 10 predictor variables (age, sex, urban dwelling, unemployment status, number of traumatic events, COVID-19 infection, knowing someone who died from COVID-19, loneliness, social support, and sleep problems) and symptoms of CPTSD, and the unique associations between CPTSD symptoms and suicide risk.

RESULTS

The ITQ produces reliable and valid scores, 11.2% of people met requirements for ICD-11 PTSD (2.4%) or CPTSD (8.8%), exposure to a higher number of traumatic life events, higher levels of loneliness, and more sleep problems predicted CPTSD symptoms; and negative self-concept (NSC) symptoms were most strongly associated with suicidality.

CONCLUSIONS

Where the risk of suicide is high, treating symptoms of NSC, loneliness, and sleep problems may be advisable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Data collection and outcome measurement in student counseling services in Irish higher education institutions: Counselors' views on challenges and facilitators

With increasing concerns around student mental health, student counseling services (SCSs) in higher education are being challenged to show evidence of their contribution to the personal and academic development of students through evidence-based approaches including systematic data collection and standardized outcome measurement. This study aims to document data collection and measurement processes in SCSs in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland and to explore the opinions of staff in SCSs on the feasibility and functionality of a standardized national database for SCSs to enhance robust data collection and measurement across the sector. Twenty-three interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed with staff in SCSs in 22 HEIs (85% of publicly funded HEIs). Findings revealed that the process of data collection in SCSs is mainly focused on individual counseling with variations among SCSs in collecting clients' demography, presenting issues, and clinical and educational outcomes. Lack of human and financial resources, no access to an electronic data management system, negative opinions about standardized outcome measures, and concerns over data protection and misuse of data were impeding factors for systematic data collection in SCSs. There is strong support among SCSs for the establishment of a national database which is facilitated by secured funding from the Higher Education Authority, a strong sense of community and trust among student counselors, and a history of data collection through the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland association. Findings offer insights into challenges and facilitators for robust data collection and measurement at a national level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).