Search

Background: Non-sustainable diets are associated with several environmental and health-related problems. Psychology research is interested in the study of food choice determinants, and several theoretical frameworks have been applied to study mechanisms underlying behavioral change and to develop theory-based interventions. The present systematic review is aimed at reviewing the existing literature on the psychological theoretical frameworks used to study sustainable and/or healthy food choices and their application for the development of interventions promoting such food choices, both in general and clinical populations. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus was conducted according to PRISMA criteria. Results: Forty-five articles met the inclusion criteria and thirty-five theoretical frameworks emerged, mostly pertaining to social psychology and with the most widely used being the Theory of Planned Behavior. The majority of studies had a cross-sectional design, were conducted in general populations, and focused on healthy food choices. Only a few studies tested theory-based interventions. Internal (i.e., self-efficacy, personal values, and motivation) and external (i.e., peers, family, and social media influence) factors emerged as relevant healthy and sustainable eating determinants. Conclusions: The current review underlines that an integrative perspective combining prompts from different psychology fields is needed in order to identify the psychological factors influencing food choices and to develop psychological interventions for the promotion of more sustainable diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The early and rapid identification of psychosomatic symptoms is crucial to prevent harmful outcomes in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in busy comprehensive clinics. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and rapid screening method of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research-revised (DCPR) syndromes in patients with HPV infection. Methods: A total of 504 participants underwent a clinical assessment that included DCPR, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), fear of disease, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The prevalence of DCPR syndromes and DSM-5 diagnoses were compared between the HPV-positive and negative patients using χ2 tests. We explored the rapid screen indicator through multiple logistic regression analyses of the participants' psychosocial factors, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: The incidence of DCPR syndromes in HPV-positive patients (56.6%) was significantly greater than that in HPV-negative patients (17.3%) and DSM-5 diagnoses (8.5%) in the HPV-positive group. Health anxiety, irritable mood, type A behavior, and demoralization were the most common psychosomatic syndromes in HPV-positive patients. As the degree of fear increased from 0 to 5 to 10, the risk of DCPR increased from 1.27 (95% CI: 0.21–7.63) to 3.24 (score range: 1–5, 95% CI: 1.01–10.39) to 9.91 (score range: 6–10, 95% CI: 3.21–30.62) in the HPV-positive group. Conclusion: The degree of fear, as an independent risk factor, could be used to quickly screen outpatients with a high risk of DCPR syndrome among women with HPV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy lifestyle, such as alcohol use, and negative health outcomes have been associated with impairments in psychological well-being. The primary objective of the study was to test the efficacy of an intervention based on Well-Being Therapy to prevent or stem alcohol use, binge drinking and other unhealthy lifestyle among Italian adolescents in school settings. A three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial including three test periods (baseline, post-test, six-month follow-up) was implemented. Seven classes (144 students) were randomly assigned to receive well-being intervention (WBI), lifestyle intervention (LI), or no intervention (NI). Primary outcomes were alcohol use (AUDIT-C), binge drinking and other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (i.e. unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and cannabis smoking, poor sleep and Internet addiction). Linear mixed models and mixed-effects logistic regression were used to test the efficacy of WBI in comparison with LI and NI. At six-month follow-up, AUDIT-C total score increased more in NI in comparison with WBI (p = 0.044) and LI (p = 0.016), whereas the odds of being classified as at-risk drinker were lower in WBI (p = 0.038) and LI (p = 0.002), than NI. Only WBI showed a protective effect for cannabis use at post-test in comparison with NI (p = 0.003) and LI (p = 0.014). Sleep hours at night decreased more in NI than in LI (p = 0.027) at six months. Internet addiction decreased more in WBI (p = 0.002) and LI (p = 0.005) at post-test in comparison with NI. Although both interventions showed a positive impact on adolescent lifestyle, the positive effect of WBI on cannabis use underlines how this approach might be promising to stem adolescents' substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to investigate the relationships between creativity, subclinical bipolar disorder symptomatology, and psychological well-being. The study method was of descriptive, correlational type. Significant tests were performed using multivariate regression analysis. Students of the 4th grade of 6 different Italian colleges (N = 329) completed voluntarily the test of divergent feelings (TDF) included in the creative assessment packet (CAP), the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Paris, Pisa and San Diego--Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A), and the psychological well-being scale (PWB). Significant positive correlations between creativity and bipolar disorder vulnerability, especially hyperthymia, were found. Creativity was, instead, poorly associated to psychological well-being subscales, except autonomy and personal growth. In addition, although multivariate regression showed that creativity was not a significant predictor of almost all the psychological well-being subscales, it did show a significant association with personal growth. On the contrary, bipolar disorder vulnerability, in particular hyperthymia, was found to significantly predict all psychological well-being scales, except personal growth. These results improve knowledge on the mutual association of creativity, psychological well-being, and bipolar vulnerability, giving a theoretical framework in which situate these constructs.

Behavioural lifestyle interventions focused on diet and physical activity are a cornerstone for the treatment of obesity. However, their effects vary substantially across individuals in terms of magnitude and durability. Personalized approaches that target psychological well‐being may be promising to facilitate healthy behaviours and sustained weight loss. This preliminary study aimed to explore whether the sequential combination of behavioural lifestyle intervention (BLI) and well‐being therapy (WBT) may result in more favourable outcomes than BLI alone in promoting weight loss (primary outcome) and improving psychological well‐being, distress, dietary behaviours and physical activity (secondary outcomes). A total of 83 patients with obesity were randomly assigned to BLI/WBT (N = 38) or BLI group (N = 45). The BLI group received a 12‐week behavioural weight loss programme, whereas the BLI/WBT group received the same programme followed by an additional 4‐week WBT, adapted for group interventions. Data were collected at pretreatment (baseline, T1), at the end of BLI/WBT (T2), at 6‐month (T3) and 12‐month (T4) follow‐ups. There was a significant weight loss in both treatment groups at T2, T3 and T4. The BLI/WBT group showed greater improvements in depressive symptoms at T3 and T4, in autonomy at T2, in personal growth at T4 and in global well‐being at T4 compared with BLI group. WBT yielded no additional effect on weight loss. However, the secondary outcomes indicate that WBT may have enduring effects that reduce vulnerability to psychological distress in patients with obesity. In order to confirm these preliminary findings and explore whether a more intensive and individualized WBT can foster sustained weight loss, future studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature supports the positive effects of psychological well-being (P.W.B.) on health. However, most studies focused on the unitary construct of P.W.B., neglecting the different role played by distinct P.W.B. dimensions on health-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether unbalanced (i.e. low or high) levels of P.W.B. dimensions could differentially affect cardiac course after acute coronary syndrome (A.C.S.), in terms of participation in secondary prevention (S.P.) and/or survival. The sample included 136 depressed and/or demoralized A.C.S. patients referred for a S.P. program on lifestyle modification, in addition to routine cardiac visits provided by the hospital where they were admitted. Psychological assessment included validated interviews on depression and demoralization, Symptom Questionnaire and Psychological Well-Being scales. 100 patients joined the S.P. program, 36 did not. Logistic regression revealed that older age (B = 0.051; p < 0.05), higher autonomy (B = 0.070; p < 0.05) and lower personal growth (B = −0.073; p < 0.05) levels were associated with non-participation in S.P. Moreover, only among patients who did not join the program, those presenting with an impaired level of P.W.B. 'positive relations' dimension (i.e. below the 25th percentile) showed a worse cardiac prognosis (Log Rank: χ2(1) = 4.654; p = 0.031). Negative health outcomes in depressed cardiac patients, such as non-participation in S.P. and worse cardiac course, are associated with both high and low levels of certain P.W.B. dimensions. Psychotherapeutic approaches geared to a balance in P.W.B. dimensions could represent promising new additions to S.P. programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balanced levels of Psychological Well-Being (PWB) can represent protective factors for human functioning. PWB has not been investigated among young adolescents who practice binge drinking (BD), a popular pattern of alcohol intake, defined as the consumption of five or more alcoholic units in one session. The negative impact of BD on psychophysical health has been extensively studied, but there is scarcity of studies investigating the influence of psychological variables on BD in early adolescence. The main aim of this study was to fill the gap in the literature, focusing on PWB as a new possible target of preventive interventions. One thousand six hundred and eighty-seven Italian adolescents completed questionnaires assessing BD, cannabis use, lifestyle, allostatic overload, subclinical psychological distress, problem-solving, and PWB. Binge drinkers represented 9% of the sample. Among them, 71%, 26%, and 3% binge drank monthly, weekly, and daily, respectively. Stress (higher frequency of stressful life events), psychological distress (higher hostility), and PWB dimensions (higher scores on positive relations and lower on purpose in life) were associated with BD. These new findings on unbalanced levels of PWB could represent the potential target of longitudinal studies aimed to implement specific preventive interventions among young adolescents. Implications for research and prevention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]