BACKGROUND: Over the past 25 years, the development of multiuser applications has seen considerable advancements and challenges. The technological development in this field has emerged from simple chat rooms through videoconferencing tools to the creation of complex, interactive, and often multisensory virtual worlds. These multiuser technologies have gradually found their way into mental health care, where they are used in both dyadic counseling and group interventions. However, some limitations in hardware capabilities, user experience designs, and scalability may have hindered the effectiveness of these applications. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims at summarizing the progress made and the potential future directions in this field while evaluating various factors and perspectives relevant to remote multiuser interventions. METHODS: The systematic review was performed based on a Web of Science and PubMed database search covering articles in English, published from January 1999 to March 2024, related to multiuser mental health interventions. Several inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined before and during the records screening process, which was performed in several steps. RESULTS: We identified 49 records exploring multiuser applications in mental health care, ranging from text-based interventions to interventions set in fully immersive environments. The number of publications exploring this topic has been growing since 2015, with a large increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most digital interventions were delivered in the form of videoconferencing, with only a few implementing immersive environments. The studies used professional or peer-supported group interventions or a combination of both approaches. The research studies targeted diverse groups and topics, from nursing mothers to psychiatric disorders or various minority groups. Most group sessions occurred weekly, or in the case of the peer-support groups, often with a flexible schedule. CONCLUSIONS: We identified many benefits to multiuser digital interventions for mental health care. These approaches provide distributed, always available, and affordable peer support that can be used to deliver necessary help to people living outside of areas where in-person interventions are easily available. While immersive virtual environments have become a common tool in many areas of psychiatric care, such as exposure therapy, our results suggest that this technology in multiuser settings is still in its early stages. Most identified studies investigated mainstream technologies, such as videoconferencing or text-based support, substituting the immersive experience for convenience and ease of use. While many studies discuss useful features of virtual environments in group interventions, such as anonymity or stronger engagement with the group, we discuss persisting issues with these technologies, which currently prevent their full adoption.
- MeSH
- duševní poruchy terapie MeSH
- duševní zdraví MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- služby péče o duševní zdraví * MeSH
- telemedicína MeSH
- videokonferování MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- systematický přehled MeSH
Individuals with paraphilic interests in sexual violence or children may be more likely to sexually offend if they possess offense-supportive cognitions. These cognitions may develop in response to childhood adversity. However, this idea is largely based on research in men convicted of sexual offenses and may not generalize to non-incarcerated adults with paraphilic interests. In a sample of 178 adults screened for paraphilic interests in violence or children (from the general Czech population), we hypothesized that childhood sexual abuse and emotional neglect would be associated with offense-supportive cognitions about rape and child molestation. Participants came from a nationally representative sample of Czech adults and were selected if they self-reported high levels of sexual interest in violence and/or children. Participants completed an online survey with self-report measures of sexual orientation, offense-supportive cognitions (Bumby RAPE and MOLEST scales), and childhood sexual abuse and emotional neglect (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire). Controlling for gender, age, and sexual orientation, we found that both rape-supportive cognitions and child molestation-supportive cognitions were significantly associated with higher levels of childhood sexual abuse, but not emotional neglect. These findings indicate that childhood sexual abuse may lead to offense-supportive cognitions among men and women with paraphilia.
- MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- dospělí s anamnézou domácího násilí nebo sexuálního zneužívání v dětství psychologie statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- kognice * MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- nepříznivé zkušenosti z dětství psychologie statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- parafilie psychologie MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
- sexuální chování psychologie MeSH
- sexuální delikty psychologie statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- sexuální zneužívání dítěte psychologie statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- znásilnění psychologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
Schizophrenia (SCHZ) notably impacts various human perceptual modalities, including vision. Prior research has identified marked abnormalities in perceptual organization in SCHZ, predominantly attributed to deficits in bottom-up processing. Our study introduces a novel paradigm to differentiate the roles of top-down and bottom-up processes in visual perception in SCHZ. We analysed eye-tracking fixation ground truth maps from 28 SCHZ patients and 25 healthy controls (HC), comparing these with two mathematical models of visual saliency: one bottom-up, based on the physical attributes of images, and the other top-down, incorporating machine learning. While the bottom-up (GBVS) model revealed no significant overall differences between groups (beta = 0.01, p = 0.281, with a marginal increase in SCHZ patients), it did show enhanced performance by SCHZ patients with highly salient images. Conversely, the top-down (EML-Net) model indicated no general group difference (beta = -0.03, p = 0.206, lower in SCHZ patients) but highlighted significantly reduced performance in SCHZ patients for images depicting social interactions (beta = -0.06, p < 0.001). Over time, the disparity between the groups diminished for both models. The previously reported bottom-up bias in SCHZ patients was apparent only during the initial stages of visual exploration and corresponded with progressively shorter fixation durations in this group. Our research proposes an innovative approach to understanding early visual information processing in SCHZ patients, shedding light on the interplay between bottom-up perception and top-down cognition.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Mate value is an important concept in mate choice research although its operationalization and understanding are limited. Here, we reviewed and evaluated previously established conceptual and methodological approaches measuring mate value and presented original research using individual differences in how people view themselves as a face-valid proxy for mate value in long- and short-term contexts. In data from 41 nations (N = 3895, Mage = 24.71, 63% women, 47% single), we tested sex, age, and relationship status effects on self-perceived mate desirability, along with individual differences in the Dark Triad traits, life history strategies, peer-based comparison of desirability, and self-reported mating success. Both sexes indicated more short-term than long-term mate desirability; however, men reported more long-term mate desirability than women, whereas women reported more short-term mate desirability than men. Further, individuals who were in a committed relationship felt more desirable than those who were not. Concerning the cross-sectional stability of mate desirability across the lifespan, in men, short- and long-term desirability rose to the age of 40 and 50, respectively, and decreased afterward. In women, short-term desirability rose to the age of 38 and decreased afterward, whereas long-term desirability remained stable over time. Our results suggest that measuring long- and short-term self-perceived mate desirability reveals predictable correlates.
- MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- individualita * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- sexuální chování MeSH
- sexuální partneři MeSH
- výběrové chování * MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
A significant percentage of nursing home residents die in hospitals. The objective of this study is to explore the factors that influence decision-making about hospitalizations of nursing home residents in the Czech Republic that become terminal. A total of 27 semi-structured interviews with nurses and social workers registered with nursing homes, as well as general practitioners cooperating with nursing homes, were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six themes of the factors influencing decision-making about hospitalizations were made: the options of the nursing home, the accessibility of medical decision-making, inadequate care planning, the age of the resident, fear of legal action, and making the decision to hospitalize. Terminality of life seems to have no impact on the decision of nurses about hospitalization. Terminal hospitalization seems to be the result of the limited options that nurses have in different nursing homes in terms of how to organize end-of-life care.
- MeSH
- hospitalizace MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- pečovatelské domovy MeSH
- praktičtí lékaři * MeSH
- rozhodování MeSH
- sociální pracovníci MeSH
- zdravotní sestry * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: A recent study focusing on dietary predictors of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) found that women with higher levels of partner support, and those who had used oral contraception (OC) when they met the father, both tended to report less severe NVP compared with previous non-users or those with less supportive partners. We provide a further test of these factors, using a large sample of women from four countries who retrospectively scored their NVP experience during their first pregnancy. METHODS: We recruited women who had at least one child to participate in a retrospective online survey. In total 2321 women completed our questionnaire including items on demographics, hormonal contraception, NVP, and partner support. We used general linear models and path analysis to analyse our data. RESULTS: Women who had used OC when they met the father of their first child tended to report lower levels of NVP, but the effect size was small and did not survive adding the participant's country to the model. There was no relationship between NVP and partner support in couples who were still together, but there was a significant effect among those couples that had since separated: women whose ex-partner had been relatively supportive reported less severe NVP. Additional analyses showed that women who were older during their first pregnancy reported less severe NVP, and there were also robust differences between countries. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide further evidence for multiple influences on women's experience of NVP symptoms, including levels of perceived partner support.
- MeSH
- antikoncepce metody psychologie MeSH
- antikoncepční chování psychologie MeSH
- charakteristiky rodiny MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- internet MeSH
- komplikace těhotenství * etiologie prevence a kontrola psychologie MeSH
- kontraceptiva orální * aplikace a dávkování terapeutické užití MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nauzea * etiologie prevence a kontrola psychologie MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- sexuální partneři * psychologie MeSH
- sociální opora * psychologie MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- zdravotnické přehledy MeSH
- zvracení * etiologie prevence a kontrola psychologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- multicentrická studie MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
Mate choice in humans is specific by the involvement of kin both in partner choice and in the functioning of the relationship. The influence of relatives ranges from providing advice all the way to arranged marriages. Existing research so far tended to map neither the actual parental interventions and further reactions (counteractions) nor the independently pursued behavior (actions) by which the offspring or their partners assert their interests. This study identified such sets of behaviors through semi-structured individual interviews with members of 20 dyads of adult offspring and their biological parents (five son-mother, five son-father, five daughter-mother, and five daughter-father dyads). Thematic analysis revealed sets of parental actions aimed at the offspring, their partners, and the couple as a whole, as well as further counteractions (reactions to parental interference) and independently pursued behavior (actions) of the offspring and their partners aimed at the parents in the context of the offspring's previous or current relationship. Our findings showed that parental interference differed depending on the recipient: toward the couple were applied mainly indirect and supportive parental actions, whereas when facing their offspring or offspring's partner, parents' actions were more direct and disruptive. Our results thus indicate the importance of reporting about actual interactions which differ from the hypothetical settings used in prior studies by lower intensity. Moreover, by interviewing both members of dyads, we expanded the sets of actions and counteractions identified by prior studies and managed to limit self-reporting bias.
BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence to date about changes to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) during the initial wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To address this gap, our team organized a multicountry, cross-sectional online survey as part of a global consortium. METHODS: Consortium research teams conducted online surveys in 30 countries. Sampling methods included convenience, online panels, and population-representative. Primary outcomes included sexual behaviors, partner violence, and SRH service use, and we compared 3 months prior to and during policy measures to mitigate COVID-19. We conducted meta-analyses for primary outcomes and graded the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: Among 4546 respondents with casual partners, condom use stayed the same for 3374 (74.4%), and 640 (14.1%) reported a decline. Fewer respondents reported physical or sexual partner violence during COVID-19 measures (1063 of 15 144, 7.0%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (1469 of 15 887, 9.3%). COVID-19 measures impeded access to condoms (933 of 10 790, 8.7%), contraceptives (610 of 8175, 7.5%), and human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infection (HIV/STI) testing (750 of 1965, 30.7%). Pooled estimates from meta-analysis indicate that during COVID-19 measures, 32.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.9%-42.1%) of people needing HIV/STI testing had hindered access, 4.4% (95% CI, 3.4%-5.4%) experienced partner violence, and 5.8% (95% CI, 5.4%-8.2%) decreased casual partner condom use (moderate certainty of evidence for each outcome). Meta-analysis findings were robust in sensitivity analyses that examined country income level, sample size, and sampling strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Open science methods are feasible to organize research studies as part of emergency responses. The initial COVID-19 wave impacted SRH behaviors and access to services across diverse global settings.
- MeSH
- COVID-19 * MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- HIV infekce * MeSH
- kondomy MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- reprodukční zdraví MeSH
- sexuálně přenosné nemoci * epidemiologie MeSH
- sexuální chování MeSH
- sexuální partneři MeSH
- sexuální zdraví * MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- metaanalýza MeSH
Cognitive function, physical activity, and depressive symptoms are intertwined in later life. Yet, the nature of the relationship between these three variables is unclear. Here, we aimed to determine which of physical activity or cognitive function mediated this relationship. We used large-scale longitudinal data from 51,191 adults 50 years of age or older (mean: 64.8 years, 54.7% women) from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Results of the longitudinal mediation analyses combined with autoregressive cross-lagged panel models showed that the model with physical activity as a mediator better fitted the data than the model with cognitive function as a mediator. Moreover, the mediating effect of physical activity was 8-9% of the total effect of cognitive function on depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that higher cognitive resources favor the engagement in physical activity, which contributes to reduced depressive symptoms.
- MeSH
- cvičení * psychologie MeSH
- deprese * psychologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- kognice MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- longitudinální studie MeSH
- stárnutí psychologie MeSH
- zdravotnické přehledy MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
The occurrence of depression is influenced by social relationships, however, most studies focus on individuals, not couples. We aimed to study how depressive symptoms of couples evolve over time and determine, which characteristics are associated with their distinct trajectories. A multi-centric cohort sample of 11,136 heterosexual couples (mean age = 60.76) from 16 European countries was followed for up to 12 years (SHARE study). Information on depressive symptoms measured by EURO-D scale was collected every 2 years. Dyadic growth mixture modeling extracted four distinct classes of couples: both non-depressed (76.91%); only women having consistently high depressive symptoms while men having consistently low depressive symptoms (8.08%); both having increasing depressive symptoms (7.83%); and both having decreasing depressive symptoms (7.18%). Couples with increasing depressive symptoms had the highest prevalence of relationship dissolution and bereavement. In comparison to the nondepressed class, individuals with any depressive symptoms were less psychologically and physically well. Our results suggest that distinct mechanisms are responsible for couples' various longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms.
- MeSH
- deprese * diagnóza epidemiologie MeSH
- interpersonální vztahy * MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- longitudinální studie MeSH
- prevalence MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
