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Internet addiction became a major mental health problem in college student. Our objective was to examine the relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance (PIEA) and Internet addiction (IA) and the mediating effects of mental health problem indicators. 500 college students (238 men and 262 women) participated in this study. The level of PIEA was examined using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. The severity of IA was assessed using the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. The levels of depression, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist-90 item-Revised Scale. The relationship among PIEA, mental health problems, and IA was examined using structural equation modeling. The severity of PIEA was positively associated with the severity of IA as well as positively associated with the severity of mental health problems. In addition, the severity of mental health problem indicators was positively associated with the severity of IA. These results provide the severity of PIEA is directly related to the severity of IA and indirectly related to the severity of IA through increasing the severity of mental health problems. The PIEA should be one of the target objectives when administer cognitive-behavioral therapy to college students with IA and mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may struggle with hostility and suspicious thinking, but this has not been the subject of much research. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between hostility, suspicious thinking, and OCD severity. Participants included 66 outpatients in treatment for OCD, 27 in treatment for other disorders, and 68 students (n=161). All completed the Inventory of Hostility and Suspicious Thinking (IHS), a measure of psychotic thinking/paranoia, the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). As expected, the IHS was significantly positively correlated with the BAI and BDI-II. Additionally, regression analyses revealed that individuals with OCD have higher levels of hostility than students. Hostility was also significantly positively associated with increased OCD severity. Hostility and suspicious thoughts are prominent in anxiety disorders in general, and thus necessitate continued research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Social organizational stressors are well-known predictors of mental health disturbances (MHD). However, to what extent these stressors predict post-disaster MHD among employed victims hardly received scientific attention and is clearly understudied. For this purpose we examined to what extent these stressors independently predict MHD 1.5 years post-disaster over and above well-known risk factors such as disaster exposure, initial MHD and lack of general social support, life-events in the past 12 months and demographics (N=423). Exposure, social organizational stressors and support were significantly associated with almost all examined mental health disturbances on a bi-variate level. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that these stressors, i.e. problems with colleagues, independently predicted anxiety (Adj. OR=5.93), depression (Adj. OR=4.21), hostility (Adj. OR=2.85) and having two or more mental health disturbances (Adj. OR=3.39) in contrast to disaster exposure. Disaster exposure independently predicted symptoms of PTSD symptoms (Adj. OR=2.47) and agoraphobia (Adj. OR=2.15) in contrast to social organizational stressors. Importantly, levels of disaster exposure were not associated nor correlated with (levels of) social organizational stressors. Findings suggest that post-disaster mental health care programs aimed at employed affected residents, should target social organizational stressors besides disaster-related stressors and lack of general social support. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: While hostility and sleep disturbance are the potential risk factors for health problems and disease, few studies have examined the relationship between the two factors. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship between hostility and sleep problems assessed both subjectively and objectively in a nonclinical sample. Sixty-one healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Hostility was measured according to the Cook–Medley hostility scale. Subjective sleep quality was evaluated according to the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep was evaluated using actigraphy. A multiple regression analysis revealed that a higher level of hostility was significantly associated with the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and that a higher level of depression was not associated with the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep measures were not found to be associated with hostility. Confirming the robust relationship between poor sleep and hostility would have several important treatment implications for preventing health problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) manifest variably across individuals. Accordingly, recent models of the disorder imply that MDD may be characterized according to independent symptom dimensions. In particular, several studies reveal that depression may be characterized along dimensions of negative affect, agitation and hostility, and lassitude and malaise. No research has examined the relationship between these dimensions and neuropsychological function. Towards this end, 133 in patients with unipolar MDD and 17 people without psychiatric illness were administered a brief battery of neuropsychological tests and the MMPI-2. Paralleling earlier research, principal component analysis of the MMPI-2 revealed symptom dimensions of negative affect, agitation, and lassitude and malaise. Multiple regression analyses showed that the negative affect and agitation dimensions accounted for significant variance on measures of executive function, speed of information processing, new learning, dexterity, and overall impairment. Lassitude and malaise failed to correspond with neuropsychological performance. Implications of these data for clinical practice and neural models of MDD are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between severity of borderline personality features and history of suicide attempt (HSA) in male substance-dependent inpatients and the effect of anger, hostility and aggression on this relationship. Further, the effect of some variables that may be related to suicide and/or borderline personality, such as age at inception of regular substance use, substance of dependence (alcohol/drug), depression, and both state and trait anxiety, were controlled. Participants were 200 consecutively admitted male substance-dependent inpatients. Patients were investigated with the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI), the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Among substance-dependent inpatients, 33.0% (n =66) were identified as the group with HSA. Mean scores employment status, marital status and duration of education did not differ between groups, whereas current age and age at onset of regular substance use were lower in group with HSA. Mean scores of BPI, AQ and its subscales (anger, hostility and physical/verbal aggression), BDI and STAI were higher in the HSA group. In addition, the rates of drug dependency and borderline personality disorder were higher in this group. The severity of borderline personality symptoms was highly correlated with subscales of the AQ, depression and anxiety, whereas it was negatively correlated with age at onset of regular substance use. The severity of anger and borderline personality features predicted HSA in the logistic regression model. Results suggest that, to reduce the risk of suicide attempt among substance-dependent patients, the feeling of anger must be the target of evaluation and treatment among those with borderline personality features. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Psychotic symptoms are distributed along a continuum that extends from normality to diagnosable psychotic disorders and the presence of psychoticism among individuals in the general population may lead to morbidity and social impairment. This study examined a model in which psychoticism leads to several important psychological consequences. The analysis included 134 African Americans with no psychiatric history who were being seen in medical walk-in clinics for non-emergency medical problems. Psychoticism, perceived hassles, depression, hostility, and hopelessness were measured. The Linear Structural Relations Program (LISREL) was used to test the fit of the data to the proposed model, a trimmed hierarchical version, and two alternative models. The data supported a model in which psychoticism has substantial effects on several important characteristics: perceived daily hassles, depression, and hostility. Depression mediated the association between psychoticism and hopelessness. Goodness-of-fit indices for a final trimmed model that eliminated one path from the initial postulated model revealed good fit to the data, and the two alternative models were found not to fit the data. Like psychosis itself, psychoticism appears to cause meaningful dysfunction even among non-psychiatric individuals from the general population. Additional research is needed to further characterize the detrimental effects of psychoticism or self-reported psychotic symptoms in the general, non-psychiatric population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During pregnancy, the total serum cholesterol concentration rises up to 43%, followed by a rapid fall after delivery. Mild depressive symptoms (‘postpartum blues’) are a common complication of the puerperium and affect 30–85% of women in the early postpartum period. Based on these observations, it has been suggested that the sudden fall in cholesterol levels after delivery could serve as a ‘natural model’ to test the suggested association between cholesterol and mood. The present study was designed to expand the database concerning the association between cholesterol levels and mood in the postpartum period and to address some methodological problems raised by previous studies. Forty-seven healthy primiparous women were interviewed with a structured clinical interview on two occasions: during late pregnancy (median: day −20 before the expected delivery) and during the early postpartum period (median: day 32 after delivery). On both occasions, serum concentrations of total and HDL cholesterol were measured and mood symptoms were assessed with the state form of Spielberger''s State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI), the state form of the State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We found significant, albeit moderate, relationships between serum cholesterol levels and mood symptoms in the postpartum period that were not present during late pregnancy. Lower postpartum levels of total cholesterol were associated with symptoms of anxiety (r=−0.30, P=0.04), anger/hostility (r=−0.31, P=0.04), and depression (r=−0.35, P=0.02), and lower postpartum levels of HDL cholesterol were associated with symptoms of anxiety (r=−0.34, P=0.02). This study confirms that the physiological fall in blood lipids in the postpartum period can be a useful model to test the relationship between serum cholesterol levels and mood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since the one-child policy was implemented in China in 1979, many investigators have studied the psychological consequences to children without siblings. Although the results are not conclusive, there is evidence that children who have siblings, rather than only children, have increased anxiety and depression. Whether the differences between students with and without siblings would continue when they reached university age is an interesting question. We used the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire to assess personality traits and the Plutchik–van Praag Depression Inventory to measure depressed mood in 134 university students with and 126 university students without siblings. Most students without siblings (93.7%) were reared in urban areas, while 90.3% of students with siblings came from rural areas. Parental professions were higher in social status and annual family incomes were higher in students without siblings. Increased neuroticism–anxiety, aggression–hostility, and depressed mood were found in students with siblings. Gender and annual family income were not significantly related to personality in the two groups, and birth-order position was not related to personality in the students with siblings. In contrast, the depression score was positively correlated with neuroticism–anxiety and aggression–hostility, but negatively correlated with parental occupation and annual family income. The greater competition to receive high education, reduced benefits from society, and lower level of social respect might nurture these personality traits in students with siblings. These findings might, in some limited aspects, indicate that the one-child policy affects personality traits and depressed mood in students with siblings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• This longitudinal study was implemented at two timepoints, i.e., during the peak and the remission of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Fear significantly decreased over time, while depression level significantly increased during the second wave compared to the first wave of the survey. • Younger age, lower-income, increased level of perceived stress, and current quarantine experience were significant predictors of depression escalation. • The use of negative coping strategy plays a potential intermediating role in the stress-related increase in hostility, while social support acts as a buffer in hostility in the general population under high stress. The current COVID-19 pandemic is not only a threat to physical health, but also brings a burden to mental health in the general Chinese population. However, the temporal change of mental health status due to pandemic-related stress in relation to protective and risk factors to hostility is less known. This study was implemented at two timepoints, i.e., during the peak and the remission of the COVID-19 pandemic. 3233 Chinese individuals participated in the first wave, and among them 1390 participants were followed in a second wave. The result showed that fear significantly decreased over time, while depression level significantly increased during the second wave compared to the first wave of the survey. Younger age, lower-income, increased level of perceived stress, and current quarantine experience were significant predictors of depression escalation. Younger people and individuals who had a higher initial stress response tended to show more hostility. Furthermore, the use of negative coping strategy plays a potential intermediating role in the stress-related increase in hostility, while social support acts as a buffer in hostility in the general population under high stress. As the whole world is facing the same pandemic, this research provides several implications for public mental health intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Emotion adjustment is significantly negatively associated with Internet Gaming Disorder. • Emotion adjustment moderates the association between emotion concealment and Internet Gaming Disorder. • We believe the numerous problems arising from Internet Gaming Disorder could be partially resolved by employing emotion-focused therapy to intervene in the emotion-regulation deficit. Lack of control over Internet gaming habits may result in negative consequences. This study aimed to evaluate the emotional regulation of adults with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and the association of emotion regulation, depression, and hostility. Advertisements were used to recruit 69 young adults with IGD, 69 sex- and age-matched controls, and 69 sex- and age-matched regular gamers. The diagnosis of IGD was according to diagnostic interviews based on DSM-5 IGD research criteria. Participants completed the Affective Style Questionnaire, the center of epidemiological studies depression scale and the short-form Chinese version of Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. In the IGD group, the emotion adjustment score was significantly lower, whereas the scores for depression, and hostility were significantly higher than in the other two groups. In addition, emotion adjustment is the most associated emotion regulation behavior of IGD, followed by emotion concealment. In IGD group, emotion adjustment had a negative correlation with depression and hostility. Our study demonstrate that emotion adjustment is significantly associated with IGD. The depression and hostility mediated the association. Knowing that emotion adjustment plays a critical role in IGD, future interventions should focus on this subscale of emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]