Journal of Health Psychology

This study explored the determinants of intentions to use drug checking services among Australian undergraduate students ( N = 324, M age = 22.32 years, SD = 7.21) using an integrated theoretical model that includes social cognition constructs (risk perception, subjective norms, attitudes), health and drug literacy, and socio-structural factors (education, race, employment). A cross-sectional correlational survey design and path analysis revealed that social cognition constructs directly influenced drug checking intentions, while drug literacy and socio-structural variables indirectly influenced intentions through these constructs. Notably, race had a negative indirect effect, while drug and health literacy had a positive indirect effect on intentions. The findings highlight the importance of utility beliefs, perceived risks, and social influences in shaping intentions to use drug checking services. These insights offer a foundation for future behavioral interventions targeting belief-based determinants to promote the use of drug checking services, potentially reducing health risks associated with drug use.

Body satisfaction in eating disorders (EDs) is negatively affected by critical evaluation of aesthetic aspects. A focus on the appreciation for the functioning of the body could create a more positive perspective. The Functional Appreciation Scale (FAS) measures functional appreciation. This is the first study that examines the Dutch version of the FAS in a clinical sample. Psychometric properties and differences in scores are evaluated in an ED and a community sample consisting of women. Factor Analysis identified and confirmed a one-dimensional factor structure. Reliability was adequate; convergent and discriminant validity were supported through correlations with the Body Cathexis Scale and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire respectively. Women with EDs scored significantly lower than women from a community sample. Further research regarding the applicability of the FAS for clinical practice is needed because of the ceiling effect and the lack of strong invariance between the clinical and non-clinical group.

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress among earthquake survivors following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. This cross-sectional study included 461 earthquake survivors. The findings revealed prevalence rates of 17.4% for PTSD, 61.2% for depression, 79.4% for anxiety, and 58.4% for stress. A moderately significant positive correlation was found between PTSD and depression ( r = 0.434), anxiety ( r = 0.543), and stress ( r = 0.534). Female participants had a higher risk for PTSD (OR = 2.144, p = 0.028) and anxiety (OR = 2.014, p = 0.005). Being unmarried was associated with increased risks for depression (OR = 1.597, p = 0.030) and anxiety (OR = 1.523, p = 0.045). Participants aged 33–67 had a significantly lower risk of developing PTSD (OR = 0.079, p = 0.022). Increased psychological support is essential for earthquake survivors’ mental health recovery.

The study aimed to examine the association between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and delayed and/or forgone care (DFC) among older adults in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to assess how SPA and DFC are associated with change in self-rated health status. A cross-sectional study of community-dwelling US adults (≥50 years) was conducted using the 2020 Health and Retirement Study data. Two separate multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to assess the study objectives. The final unweighted sample was 4079. Negative SPA were associated with DFC (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04). DFC and negative SPA were associated with worsened health status compared to respondent’s previous interview wave (aOR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.10–1.87 and aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04–1.08, respectively). Health promotion efforts should be implemented to foster positive SPA among older adults in the US to encourage timely use of healthcare.

This study explored the relationship between illness cognitions (helplessness, acceptance, and perceived benefits) and psychological distress in colorectal cancer couples. A cross-sectional study involving 403 colorectal cancer patients aged 26–59, diagnosed within 5 years, and their spouses in China was conducted from May to September 2023. Self-report questionnaires assessed illness cognitions, dyadic coping, and psychological distress. The results revealed that positive illness cognitions (acceptance and perceived benefits) and helplessness of patients and spouses both had direct and indirect effects on their own psychological distress through dyadic coping. The spouses’ coping mediated the relationship between patients’ positive illness cognitions and spouses’ psychological distress. Patients’ coping mediated the association between spouses’ positive illness cognitions and patients’ psychological distress. The same results were found in the relationships between helplessness and psychological distress. Interventions targeting illness cognitions in colorectal cancer couples may promote better coping and alleviate psychological distress.

Some patients with chronic conditions are unreceptive to a psychological approach. This study aimed to explore the experience of Long Covid (LC) with an emphasis on patients’ beliefs about the role of psychology. UK participants ( n = 14) with either self-reported or diagnosed LC took part in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis described three main themes: ‘Living in uncertainty’, ‘Why should I trust you if you don’t believe me?’ and ‘Once I know the cause people will believe me’. Transcending these themes was a tension between professional experts and experts by lived experience and a dichotomy between psychological and medical explanations. Overarching all themes was a sense that synthesising the biological and psychological components of LC could help to resolve this tension. In summary. living with LC is characterised by feeling disbelieved which can drive the rejection of psychology. Helping patients feel listened to may encourage a more positive approach to psychological support.

People are exposed to misinformation about dieting practices every day on social media which can influence their health and wellbeing. While misinformation research has largely focused on general vulnerabilities to misinformation and strategies to counteract its spread, limited work has examined how specific harmful content, such as dietary misinformation, influences vulnerable groups, particularly those at risk of eating disorders (EDs). This study investigated whether individuals at risk of an ED were more likely to endorse Dietary Misinformation. After completing measures of dietary intentions, health conscientiousness and weight concern, 215 participants completed a behavioural measure of belief rigidity (i.e. Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence; BADE), and measures of general and diet-specific misinformation susceptibility. The findings suggest that participants who score highly on weight concern (ie, potentially at risk for an ED), were less likely to show belief flexibility and integrate new evidence and are more inclined to endorse diet-specific misinformation. This research highlights the broader importance of drawing attention to how particular misinformation online can affect the wellbeing of those potentially in vulnerable groups, in this case those at ED risk.

The aim of this study was to examine the factors that influenced parental hesitancy toward vaccinating children against COVID-19 in the months leading up to the launch of the pediatric vaccination campaign. We examined whether parental anxiety moderated the relationships between parents’ access to vaccine information, choice overload, perceived freedom of choice, mistrust toward authorities, and hesitancy toward vaccinating children against COVID-19. A sample of 440 Canadian parents of children aged 1–16 years completed questionnaires. Results revealed that having less access to information and perceiving greater freedom in decision-making increased hesitancy among parents, especially when they reported experiencing anxiety in their parental role. Mistrust of authorities and choice overload were linked to greater hesitancy about vaccination. However, these links were not moderated by the reported parental anxiety. Considering that there will likely be more pandemics in the future, our study has pertinent implications for the healthcare community.

Two of the most common problems that cancer survivors may face are persistent cancer pain and fear of recurrence. We conducted a systematic review of quantitative studies that examined the association between cognitive factors, existential factors, and fear of recurrence with persistent cancer pain in cancer survivors. Our research question was formulated based on the PICO system. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Nineteen papers were included in the review, and the vast majority examined the association between cognitive characteristics and persistent cancer pain. The results emphasized the importance of cognitive factors as potential targets for psychological interventions. The association between pain and fear of recurrence was confirmed, and we gained a deeper understanding of the psychological processes involved in the relationship between cancer pain and fear of recurrence.

Weight-loss surgery (WLS) patients often experience changes in body image post-surgery, but the nature of this relationship has been unclear. The current study longitudinally assessed the discrepancy between perceived current and ideal body size before participants underwent WLS and at multiple time points during the first 2 years following surgery. As hypothesized, a mixed models analysis ( N = 327) revealed that as participants’ perceived current body size decreased following surgery in conjunction with weight loss, their ideal body size also decreased, resulting in a continued discrepancy between current and ideal body size. Thus, ideal body size may become a moving target post-WLS. Implications for WLS patients are discussed.

Fatigue has been proposed as a potential factor influencing the perception of pain, which could be pertinent for enhancing chronic pain treatment. Exploring the relationship between pain and fatigue during a 3-week inpatient interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy program, we evaluated children and adolescents (11–18 years) who reported significant chronic pain. Assessment tools included the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory and other clinical questionnaires. The participants had higher fatigue scores than healthy subjects, general fatigue was found to be associated with the perception of pain in a random-effects model. The connection between fatigue and pain in adolescents with chronic pain suggests that the degree of fatigue and the changes in fatigue were associated with the intensity of their pain. The participants’ ( N = 94) dimensions of fatigue and the intensity of their pain were reduced. We discuss implications for fatigue-reducing treatments in chronic pain management to reduce pain and augment pain management skills.

Sexual health is integral to physical and mental wellbeing. Yet, sexual health literacy (SHL) is understudied and there is a dearth of reliable and valid SHL measures. To address this gap in the literature, we used Robinson’s Sexual Health Model to guide this qualitative study of sexual health experts’ perspectives of SHL as part of a larger project to inform SHL scale development. Participants were eight cisgender women professionals with sexual health expertise. Participants completed an hour-long semi-structured virtual interview, which was transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Results provide insight into perceived gaps in, facilitators and barriers to promoting, and considerations for assessing SHL. Findings offer insight into sexual health promotion among diverse populations and will be used to guide development of a SHL scale.

Stressful family environments are critical in shaping adolescent sleep health; yet it remains unclear how both average levels and day-to-day fluctuations in parent-adolescent conflict may relate to daily adolescent sleep health. A community sample of adolescents ( N = 47; M age = 13.61, 91.5% White, non-Hispanic and 68.1% female) completed a 7-day daily diary. Multilevel modeling analysis revealed that average but not daily fluctuations in parent-adolescent conflict were significantly associated with daily sleep satisfaction. This higher time-scale association suggests clinical interventions to improve adolescent sleep health may find it beneficial to focus on factors that may enhance the quality of the long-term parent-adolescent relationship, rather than focusing on daily conflict resolution in isolation.

Research indicates relationships can support post traumatic growth (PTG) following spinal cord injury (SCI). However, knowledge of this area is limited. Thus, the study aimed to explore the role of relationships and perceived support in PTG development. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who had acquired SCI in adulthood. Constructivist Grounded Theory was utilised for analysis. Tracy’s qualitative markers were used to ensure quality and rigour. Findings showed SCI can disrupt core beliefs, triggering cognitive and behavioural re-evaluation processes to rebuild beliefs, and experience PTG. Three inter-related themes of how relationships support these processes were revealed: ‘a safe place to get back on your feet’; accepting and valuing me and enabling learning and independence. Relationships can support PTG processes through providing emotional safety, enabling exploration of self and supporting self-acceptance. A tentative theoretical model is provided, with implications for PTG theories and recommendations for clinical practice.

Psychological distress in older adults with hypertension in rural China significantly impacts their families and society. This study aims to explore how social participation affects psychological distress among older adults with hypertension in rural China, focusing on the mediating role of social capital. A total of 950 respondents completed surveys measuring social participation based on the frequency of social, recreational, and literary activities, the Resource Generator China scale, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships between the variables. The results showed that social participation significantly affects psychological distress, with social capital mediating this relationship. The indirect effect of social capital accounted for 61.0% of the total effect. These findings suggest targeted interventions in social participation and social capital to reduce psychological distress among rural elderly individuals with hypertension in China.

People with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face substantial physical and psycho-social challenges influencing their quality of life. This study explored the psychosocial aspects of people with COPD attending palliative care services. Concurrent embedded mixed methods study with 22 individuals was conducted. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and McGill Quality of Life-Revised and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires. Findings revealed a negative correlation between quality of life and psychological distress, emphasising that as disease severity increased, so did psychological distress. From interviews emerged three themes: adjustment to living with a debilitating disease, loss of identity and developing lifestyle coping strategies. To conclude, a biopsychosocial perspective to understanding the impact of COPD is essential in identifying mitigating factors which exacerbate disease burden and increase psychological distress of people living with COPD. Implementing a biopsychosocial framework can enhance care by furthering self-management, reducing psychological distress and promoting a person-centred approach.

Guided by the health information model and pathway model of health communication, this study investigates the relationship between different health information acquisition (seeking/scanning) and healthy lifestyle behaviors in a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of cancer survivors (N = 567) in China. A moderated mediation model was employed to explore the mediating roles of patient-centered communication (PCC) and patient trust in physicians in the relationship between health information acquisition and healthy lifestyle behaviors. The study also examined the moderating role of system trust. Results indicate that health information seeking and scanning positively correlate with healthy lifestyle behaviors (i.e. fruit and vegetable consumption) via PCC and patient trust. Moreover, system trust positively moderates the relationship between health information seeking and PCC. These findings contribute to health communication and psychology literature and highlight the importance of patient-centered care in managing self-health, especially within the Chinese healthcare context.

Extant literature has consistently documented the adverse impact of fear of COVID-19 on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people living with HIV (PLWHIV), as they are more prone to being infected with this deadly disease than the normal population. However, studies on the mechanism that could mitigate this adverse impact are lacking. We investigated whether self-compassion could buffer the negative impact of fear of COVID-19 on HRQoL among PLWHIV. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, 241 outpatients (41.5% male, 58.5% female) from two Nigerian healthcare facilities were conveniently sampled. Results showed that heightened fear of COVID-19 was associated with poorer HRQoL across four domains. Unexpectedly, self-compassion neither predicted HRQoL nor buffered the impact of fear of COVID-19 on HRQoL. Practical interventions should prioritize reducing fear of COVID-19 and addressing broader psycho-social factors to enhance HRQoL in this vulnerable population.

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of fear of death in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality in earthquake survivors. Participants were 190 voluntary earthquake survivors (n men = 64, n women = 123, three of them not specified) aged between 18 and 64 years. Data collection tools were the Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Basic Scale on Insomnia Complaints/Quality of Sleep, and sociodemographic information form. Data were analyzed via correlation and mediation analyses. Significant positive correlations were found between intolerance of uncertainty and poor sleep quality, intolerance of uncertainty and fear of death, and fear of death and poor sleep quality. Fear of death had no mediating role in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality. Given that intolerance of uncertainty and fear of death are related to sleep quality, it is critical to consider these variables in sleep quality intervention programs for earthquake survivors.

Current literature on tobacco dependence often overlooks the nuanced interplay between individual and psychosocial factors over time. This study employed Random Intercept-Latent Transition Analysis to examine the progression of tobacco dependence among established smokers, focusing on how demographic variables and psychosocial influences impact transitions between dependence levels. Data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study across three waves ( n = 12,823; 45.3% female) were analyzed. Four latent classes were identified: Stable Low Dependence, Increasing Dependence, Worsening Dependence, and Stable High Dependence. Younger individuals and Hispanic populations were more likely to progress to higher dependence levels, with family and peer influences linked to worsening dependence. These findings highlight the need for personalized, culturally sensitive interventions that address specific stages of tobacco dependence, informing more effective tobacco control strategies that consider both individual and contextual factors.

The present study examined the relationship between self-objectification and depressive symptoms among young Chinese women ( N = 324), and investigated the roles of appearance comparison on social networking sites (SNS) and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in this relationship. The results showed that self-objectification was associated with depressive symptoms, and the relationship was mediated by appearance comparison on SNS. The study also found that regulatory emotional self-efficacy moderated the indirect relationship between self-objectification and depressive symptoms via appearance comparison on SNS. These findings suggest that regulatory emotional self-efficacy plays a buffering role between appearance comparison on SNS and depressive symptoms. Based on our results, interventions that address young Chinese women’ depressive symptoms could include reducing self-objectification, decreasing appearance comparison on SNS, and improving regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Our research provides new insights into the interactions between self-objectification and the risk to women’s mental health.

This study aimed to evaluate the experiences of women with familial breast cancer history (FBCH) to understand their emotions and reactions. A qualitative approach was used relying on the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 women attending a Medical Imaging Center with FBCH and a high risk (over 25%) according to the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk assessment model. Theoretical concept derived from the subset of the seven main research questions resulted in 30 subcategories with 10 categories, which were categorized into two core concepts, “adaptive responses” and “maladaptive responses.” Based on the findings, in screening target women, physicians and other healthcare professionals should consider referrals not only to genetic and medical imaging services but also to psychological services as supportive measures to preserve the quality of life of these individuals.

Parents are increasingly turning to social media for breastfeeding-related information. Reddit, which allows users to anonymously discuss with individuals around the world, has recently increased in popularity among parents. Given breastfeeding’s importance, it is imperative to examine the behaviours of information-seeking parents to ascertain what information is being sought out and shared. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ use of Reddit to seek out and share breastfeeding-related information. The Naturalistic Inquiry method was employed to explore data extracted from the breastfeeding SubReddit (i.e. a forum of a particular topic where users can post/discuss the topic; /r/breastfeeding). Via thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (1) breastfeeding-related challenges; (2) ‘normal’ behaviours for age/development of infant; (3) weaning; and (4) returning to work. An increased understanding of the factors involved in parents’ decisions to seek support online, rather than from professionals, may provide important insights into breastfeeding support gaps.

Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19, it is important to understand factors that may underlie Black American emerging adults’ adherence to safety guidelines that could potentially reduce spread of illness and hospitalization. The current study examined how COVID-19 worry about mental health (CWMH) and COVID-19 worry about physical health (CWPH) predicted use of face masks, and whether perceived discrimination moderated these relations. The sample included 164 Black American emerging adults, age 18–25 ( M = 8.82, SD = 2.06). Findings indicated that perceived discrimination was a moderator, such that at higher levels of discrimination, CWMH predicted use of face masks, but this relation was not significant at lower levels of discrimination. CWPH did not predict use of face masks, and perceived discrimination was not a moderator of this relation. Overall, considering the role of race-related experiences and CWMH is important for understanding the use of face masks among Black Americans.

Stress around COVID-19 among university students is associated with higher physical symptom burden and worse overall health status. This study examined whether RNT and trait forgiveness mediate the link between perceived stress and health outcomes among Chinese university students. A total of 1342 students participated in a survey during the middle of the semester that assessed perceived stress, RNT, trait forgiveness, and various health outcomes. Results revealed significant mediating effects of both RNT and trait forgiveness on the relationship between perceived stress and health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and physical health. Moreover, the interplay between RNT and trait forgiveness mediated this association. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the interactions among perceived stress, RNT, trait forgiveness, and health outcomes, highlighting the importance of addressing stress and RNT to enhance forgiveness and overall well-being in university students.