stress appraisal

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has emerged as a critical child protection and public health concern in recent years. While the phenomenon is prevalent globally, its impact is compounded in sub-Saharan Africa owing to the cultural and socioeconomic challenges that leave many households in the region vulnerable. The present study synthesized existing evidence using the socioecological model as a guiding framework to assess the risk and protective factors associated with CSEC in sub-Saharan Africa...

Among large cetaceans in the Southern Hemisphere, fin whales were the most heavily exploited in terms of numbers taken during the period of intense industrial whaling. Recent studies suggest that, whilst some humpback whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere appears to have almost completely recovered to their estimated pre-whaling abundance, much less is known about the status of Southern Hemisphere fin whales. Circumpolar estimates in the 1990s suggest an abundance of about 5500 animals south of 60° S, while the IDCR/SOWER-2000 survey for the Scotia Sea and Antarctic Peninsula areas estimated 4670 fin whales within this region in the year 2000...

INTRODUCTION: The reason why some people with severe mental illness (SMI) maintain positive self-identity, while some are affected by the stigmatized environment is unclear. AIMS: To describe the status of individual stigma and explore the relationship between self-stigma, stigma resistance and related variables in people with SMI. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2021 to March 2022. The Chinese version of Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and Stigma Resistance Scale were used to assess individual stigma...

OBJECTIVE: The consequences of racism and racial stress on the academic and social well-being of adolescents are profound and well-documented. However, our understanding of how adolescents navigate racial stress and develop the agency to address discriminatory encounters, particularly in settings where educators struggle to intervene with microaggressions, remains limited. Research into the development of racial coping self-efficacy (RCSE) and coping skills has shown promise in enhancing the overall well-being of youth...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing year by year. Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) plays an important role in inflammatory diseases. However, the regulatory role of KLF6 in COPD has not been reported so far. METHODS: The viability of human bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was detected by CCK-8 assay. The protein expression of KLF6 and sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) was appraised with Western blot...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions may have led to increased stress, particularly in people with mental health problems. Since stress factors play important role in the emergence of suicide attempts (SA) and suicidal ideation (SI), they may have been exacerbated by the pandemic, which could have led to an increased number of suicide attempts. Thus, we first investigated whether the pandemic affected personal stress experiences and appraisal of coping potential in individuals with and without SA and SI...

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder that gives rise to motor incoordination and progressive functional disabilities. Although pharmacological interventions have revealed promising prospects in the management of SCA3, adverse effects may become unbearable. The use of herbal remedies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may serve as potential alternative medicines to delay the progression of the disease. This systematic review is intended to identify, appraise, and summarize the findings of studies pertaining to the therapeutic roles of herbal remedies in TCM targeting oxidative stress in the management of SCA3...

This systematic review examines the effectiveness of digital impressions in infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP), focusing on accuracy, operator preferences, and parents' perceptions. The PICO-formulated focused questions assessed the accuracy and operator preference of digital impressions compared to conventional impressions in infants with cleft lip and palate, while also exploring parents' perceptions as patient-centred outcomes. Electronic and manual searches were conducted in five databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library; to acquire grey literature, Google Scholar was also consulted...

OBJECTIVES: To describe cancer survivors' and care partners' perceived stress and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the feasibility of audio diaries for assessing role-related needs and resources. METHODS: Participants (N = 51; n = 28 survivors, n = 23 care partners) recorded three monthly audio diaries reporting stress and support experiences. Diaries were transcribed and content-analyzed using a hybrid approach...

Social contact (SC) has been identified as a promising strategy for stigma reduction. Different types of SC exist. Various scholars defined positive factors to strengthen SC. This study aims to investigate the application and effectiveness of SC as a strategy to reduce stigmatisation across stigmas, settings and populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We specifically examine the use of positive factors. A systematic review was conducted in twelve electronic databases using key terms related to stigma AND social contact AND intervention AND LMICs...

PURPOSE: In the first of two companion papers, we comprehensively reviewed the recent evidence in the primary literature, which addressed the increased prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, late-onset or term preeclampsia, fetal overgrowth, postterm birth, and placenta accreta in women conceiving by in vitro fertilization. The preponderance of evidence implicated frozen embryo transfer cycles and, specifically, those employing programmed endometrial preparations, in the higher risk for these adverse maternal and neonatal pregnancy outcomes...

ABSTRACT Background: Many healthcare workers (HCWs) endured psychologically traumatic events at work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For some, these events are re-experienced as unwanted, recurrent, and distressing intrusive memories. Simple psychological support measures are needed to reduce such symptoms of post-traumatic stress in this population. A novel intervention to target intrusive memories, called an imagery-competing task intervention (ICTI), has been developed from the laboratory...

INTRODUCTION: Mothers of preterm infants need support to deal with the issues caused by the early birth of their infants. OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the impact of a multifaceted supportive approach on the mothers' perceived support levels. METHODS: The present quasi-experimental study was performed on 143 mother-preterm infant pairs, in two neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of referral and educational hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The base of developed interventions was known to support system patterns of mothers with preterm infants...

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of permanent, mediated parental presence during all autism spectrum disorder diagnostic evaluations on parental adjustment (perceived parental stress and sense of parental competence) compared with procedures that traditionally only involve parents in pivotal periods of the diagnosis. The level of satisfaction with the diagnostic procedure and parents' needs were also evaluated to complete this first objective...

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS) with poorly understood underlying mechanisms. Lipids are considered to be associated with MS progression through the inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways, brain atrophy, cellular signaling, and tissue physiology. In addition, serum lipids are proposed as a modifiable factor affecting the neuropsychiatric condition; therefore, this study aims to assess the association between serum lipid levels and cognitive outcomes in MS...

Justice-involved women frequently report maltreatment and intimate relationships characterized by violence and abuse throughout adulthood. The present study aimed to (a) investigate the association between victimization and sexual relationship power (SRP) among justice-involved women with opioid use disorder (OUD) and (b) explore resilience as a potential moderating factor of the association between victimization and SRP. Under the ongoing Kentucky Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) cooperative, justice-involved women (N = 700) were randomly selected from eight jails in Kentucky, screened for OUD, consented to participate, and interviewed by research staff...

IMPORTANCE: Head and neck cancer (HNC) often requires treatment with a major impact on quality of life. Treatment decision-making is often challenging, as it involves balancing survival against the preservation of quality of life and choosing among treatments with comparable outcomes but variation in morbidity and adverse events; consequently, the potential for decisional conflict (DC) and decision regret (DR) is high. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the literature on DC and DR in HNC, to give an overview of its prevalence and extent, and to advise on clinical practice and future research...

Background: Maladaptive trauma appraisal plays an important role in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of exposure and cognitive treatments for PTSD symptomatology, the effect of such treatments on specific trauma appraisals is still not well understood. Objective: The study investigated the effect of an exposure and a cognitive restructuring internet-based treatment on specific trauma appraisals in Arabic-speaking participants with PTSD...

OBJECTIVES: Use of electronic cigarettes (ECs), also known as vaping, has gained remarkable popularity globally during the last decade especially among young people. Current evidence suggests that vaping may be associated with health risks. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether vaping increases the risk for initiation and progression of periodontal disease; and to appraise the clinical changes seen in patients using e-cigarettes, and how these changes impact the management of periodontal disease...

BACKGROUND: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people's (YP) mental health has been mixed. Systematic reviews to date have focused predominantly on quantitative studies and lacked involvement from YP with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Therefore, our primary aim was to conduct a qualitative systematic review to examine the perceived impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on YP's (aged 10-24) mental health and wellbeing across Europe. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, MEDRXIV, OSF preprints, Google, and voluntary sector websites for studies published from 1st January 2020 to 15th November 2022...