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Background The popularity of videoconferencing platforms has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, concerns have been expressed regarding the potential for video calls to promote appearance dissatisfaction because individuals are exposed to an image of themselves on camera for extended periods. Objectives The aim of the current study was to characterize current video usage behaviors and their relation to appearance dissatisfaction and interest in aesthetic procedures in the general population. Methods An online survey was completed by 335 adults currently living in Australia. Multiple aspects of video usage were assessed, including engagement in video-manipulation techniques to enhance appearance and the focus of visual attention (ie, on self or others) while on video calls. The Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire was administered to determine if video-use behaviors were associated with greater body image disturbance. Results Over one-third of participants had identified new appearance concerns while on video. Dysmorphic concern was associated with self-focused attention, greater engagement in video-manipulation behaviors, and increasing appearance concerns due to their time on video calls. Individuals who identified new video-based appearance concerns reported greater interest in obtaining future beauty treatments (eg, waxing) and aesthetic procedures (eg, nonsurgical procedures such as antiwrinkle injections). Conclusions This is one of first empirical studies to report the potential consequences of video-call usage for increasing appearance dissatisfaction and dysmorphic concern, and to demonstrate a link between the use of video calls and interest in cosmetic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia implemented widespread closure of beauty and cosmetic services to control the virus spread. The effect of these restrictions is unknown, given that beauty services are widely used for stress relief or to enhance confidence. The current study explored the relationship between engagement in appearance-focused behaviors and distress regarding beauty service closure. Participants with high and low levels of dysmorphic concern were compared to determine whether COVID-19 restrictions may affect these groups differently. METHOD: An online survey was completed by 216 participants living in Australia. Questions addressed engagement in appearance-focused behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and attitudes toward beauty service closure. The Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) was used to group participants by low and high dysmorphic concern. RESULTS: Appearance-focused behaviors decreased in the low DCQ group (n = 163) during the COVID-19 pandemic, while such behaviors in the high DCQ group (n = 53) remained unchanged. Individuals who were living alone, younger, reported higher dysmorphic concern and greater distress over beauty service closure engaged in more frequent appearance-focused behaviors (R2 = .57, p < .001). The high DCQ group reported greater distress over beauty service closure and increased desire to obtain future beauty treatments. DISCUSSION: While COVID-19 restrictions may have provided a break from societal appearance pressure for those with low dysmorphic concern, appearance-focused behaviors persisted in individuals with high dysmorphic concern. A greater understanding of the long-term impacts on appearance-related distress is needed to determine mental health priorities emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND Self-monitoring of symptoms is a cornerstone of psychological interventions in bipolar disorder (BD), but individuals with lived experience also value tracking holistic outcomes, such as quality of life (QoL). Importantly, self-monitoring is not always experienced positively by people with BD and may have lower than expected rates of engagement. Therefore, before progressing into QoL tracking tools, it is important to explore user perspectives to identify possible risks and benefits, optimal methods to support engagement, and possible avenues to integrate QoL self-monitoring practices into clinical work. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to conduct a qualitative exploration of how individuals with BD engaged with a Web-based version of a BD-specific QoL self-monitoring instrument, the QoL tool. METHODS A total of 43 individuals with BD engaged with a self-management intervention with an optional Web-based QoL self-assessment tool as part of an overarching mixed method study. Individuals were later interviewed about personal experiences of engagement with the intervention, including experiences of gauging their own QoL. A thematic analysis was used to identify salient aspects of the experience of QoL self-monitoring in BD. RESULTS In total, 4 categories describing people’s experiences of QoL self-monitoring were identified: (1) breadth of QoL monitoring, (2) highlighting the positive, (3) connecting self-monitoring to action, and (4) self-directed patterns of use. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this research generate novel insights into ways in which individuals with BD experience the Web-based QoL self-assessment tool. The value of tracking the breadth of domains was an overarching aspect, facilitating the identification of both areas of strength and life domains in need of intervention. Importantly, monitoring QoL appeared to have an inherently therapeutic quality, through validating flourishing areas and reinforcing self-management efforts. This contrasts the evidence suggesting that symptom tracking may be distressing because of its focus on negative experiences and positions QoL as a valuable adjunctive target of observation in BD. Flexibility and personalization of use of the QoL tool were key to engagement, informing considerations for health care providers wishing to support self-monitoring and future research into Web- or mobile phone–based apps.

Background Self-monitoring of symptoms is a cornerstone of psychological interventions in bipolar disorder (BD), but individuals with lived experience also value tracking holistic outcomes, such as quality of life (QoL). Importantly, self-monitoring is not always experienced positively by people with BD and may have lower than expected rates of engagement. Therefore, before progressing into QoL tracking tools, it is important to explore user perspectives to identify possible risks and benefits, optimal methods to support engagement, and possible avenues to integrate QoL self-monitoring practices into clinical work. Objective This study aimed to conduct a qualitative exploration of how individuals with BD engaged with a Web-based version of a BD-specific QoL self-monitoring instrument, the QoL tool. Methods A total of 43 individuals with BD engaged with a self-management intervention with an optional Web-based QoL self-assessment tool as part of an overarching mixed method study. Individuals were later interviewed about personal experiences of engagement with the intervention, including experiences of gauging their own QoL. A thematic analysis was used to identify salient aspects of the experience of QoL self-monitoring in BD. Results In total, 4 categories describing people’s experiences of QoL self-monitoring were identified: (1) breadth of QoL monitoring, (2) highlighting the positive, (3) connecting self-monitoring to action, and (4) self-directed patterns of use. Conclusions The findings of this research generate novel insights into ways in which individuals with BD experience the Web-based QoL self-assessment tool. The value of tracking the breadth of domains was an overarching aspect, facilitating the identification of both areas of strength and life domains in need of intervention. Importantly, monitoring QoL appeared to have an inherently therapeutic quality, through validating flourishing areas and reinforcing self-management efforts. This contrasts the evidence suggesting that symptom tracking may be distressing because of its focus on negative experiences and positions QoL as a valuable adjunctive target of observation in BD. Flexibility and personalization of use of the QoL tool were key to engagement, informing considerations for health care providers wishing to support self-monitoring and future research into Web- or mobile phone–based apps.

In this study a profile is presented of a group of people diagnosed with pre-diabetes and who volunteered to be part of a lifestyle intervention to improve their health. Baseline (pre-intervention) data on biochemical, anthropometric, psychosocial, cultural and lifestyle factors were collected, providing a picture of the extent to which the behaviours of the participants were suboptimal for health. The sample enabled comparison of a Chinese-Australian group with an Anglo-Australian group, as well as male-female comparisons. Participants reported several barriers to healthy eating and exercise, with negative mood, particularly depression, significantly associated with more perceived barriers and weaker motivation to change. Men were less healthy eaters than women. The Anglo-Australian pre-diabetics were characterised by biochemical and anthropomorphic features reflecting the metabolic syndrome, showing risk factors not only for diabetes but also for cardio-vascular disease. The Chinese sample did not reflect metabolic syndrome risk factors to the same extent and, possibly as a consequence, were less motivated to change their behaviour in response to their diagnosis of pre-diabetes. The implications for lifestyle interventions were discussed.

Background The concept of resilience has captured the imagination of researchers and policy makers over the past two decades. However, despite the ever growing body of resilience research, there is a paucity of relevant, comprehensive measurement tools. In this article, the development of a theoretically based, comprehensive multi-dimensional measure of resilience in adolescents is described. Methods Extensive literature review and focus groups with young people living with chronic illness informed the conceptual development of scales and items. Two sequential rounds of factor and scale analyses were undertaken to revise the conceptually developed scales using data collected from young people living with a chronic illness and a general population sample. Results The revised Adolescent Resilience Questionnaire comprises 93 items and 12 scales measuring resilience factors in the domains of self, family, peer, school and community. All scales have acceptable alpha coefficients. Revised scales closely reflect conceptually developed scales. Conclusions It is proposed that, with further psychometric testing, this new measure of resilience will provide researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate instrument to measure a young person's capacity to achieve positive outcomes despite life stressors.