Perceived Stress and Comorbid Illness Predict Depressive Symptomatology in People with Coeliac Disease

A high prevalence of depression is found in people with coeliac disease (CD). People with CD who are depressed are less likely to manage their illness effectively, which may lead to complications. Identification of variables associated with depression in people with CD may facilitate early detection and intervention. Participants were 749 members (125 males, 622 females) of the Queensland Coeliac Society (aged 18–88 years), recruited via a mailout. Participants completed the Modified Zung Self‐Rating Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Perceived Consequences Subscale (from the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire). Stress (p = .001) and comorbid medical illness (p = .01) were significantly associated with depression in CD. The current study made an original contribution to the body of literature by identifying stress and comorbid medical illness as predictors of depression in CD.     

No evidence for a General Factor of Personality in the HEXACO Personality Inventory

There have been an increasing number of articles that have speculated on the existence of a General Factor of Personality (GFP) similar to ‘g’ in intelligence research. In this study, I provide evidence that this general factor may be an artifact of the personality instrument used. Specifically, in two samples I show that depending on the type of analysis used there is either no evidence for a GFP in the HEXACO Personality Inventory or the GFP is found to be uncorrelated to GFPs based on Big Five or FFM instruments.     

Dimensions of religious/spiritual well-being and schizotypal personality

Dimensions of religious/spiritual well being (RSWB; such as hope, forgiveness, or general religiosity) have been examined comprehensively, and its positive relation to subjective well-being has been confirmed. However, there also might be facets of RSWB linked to mental illness (e.g. delusional ideas). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between different dimensions of RSWB, magical thinking as an indicator of schizotypy and Eysenck´s three personality factors (psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism), as there might be facets of RSWB also linked to mental illness (e.g. delusional ideas). One hundred and two undergraduate students (53 female, 49 male) completed the Multidimensional Inventory of Religious/Spiritual Well-Being (MI-RSWB), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire in short version (EPQ-RK) together with the Magical Ideation Scale. Results indicate that facets of RSWB based on magical thinking could also be understood as neurotic symptoms. This underlines the hypothesis, that there might be pathogenetic as well as salutogenetic aspects of religiosity/spirituality associated with personality and subjective well-being.     

Higher-order cognitive factors affect subjective but not proprioceptive aspects of self-representation in the rubber hand illusion

In the current study we look at whether subjective and proprioceptive aspects of selfrepresentation are separable components subserved by distinct systems of multisensory integration. We used the rubber hand illusion (RHI) to draw the location of the ‘self’ away from the body, towards extracorporeal space (Out Condition), thereby violating top-down information about the body location. This was compared with the traditional RHI which drew position of the ‘self’ towards the body (In Condition). We were successfully able to draw proprioceptive position of the limbs in and out from the body suggesting body perception is a purely bottom-up process, resistant to top-down effects. Conversely, we found subjective self-representation was altered by the violation of top-down body information – as the strong association of subjective and proprioceptive factors found in the In Condition became non-significant in the Out Condition. Interestingly, we also found evidence that subjective embodiment can modulate tactile perception.     

Effect of multimodal takeover request issued through A-pillar LED light,earcon, speech message,and haptic seat in conditionally automated driving

The driver of a conditionally automated vehicle equivalent to level 3 of the SAE is obligated to accept a takeover request (TOR) issued by the vehicle. Considerable research has been conducted on the TOR, especially in terms of the effectiveness of multimodal methods. Therefore, in this study, the effectiveness of various multimodalities was compared and analyzed. Thirty-six volunteers were recruited to compare the effects of the multimodalities, and vehicle and physiological data were obtained using a driving simulator. Eight combinations of TOR warnings, including those implemented through LED lights on the A-pillar, earcon, speech message, or vibrations in the back support and seat pan, were analyzed to clarify the corresponding effects. When the LED lights were implemented on the A-pillar, the driver reaction was faster (p = 0.022) and steering deviation was larger (p = 0.024) than those in the case in which no LED lights were implemented. The speech message resulted in a larger steering deviation than that in the case of the earcon (p = 0.044). When vibrations were provided through the haptic seat, the reaction time (p < 0.001) was faster, and the steering deviation (p = 0.001) was larger in the presence of vibrations in the haptic seat than no vibration. An interaction effect was noted between the visual and auditory modalities; notably, the earcon resulted in a small steering deviation and skin conductance response amplitude (SCR amplitude) when implemented with LED lights on the A-pillar, whereas the speech message led to a small steering deviation and SCR amplitude without the LED lights. In the design of a multimodal warning to be used to issue a TOR, the effects of each individual modality and corresponding interaction effects must be considered. These effects must be evaluated through application to various takeover situations.     

How to identify the take-over criticality in conditionally automated driving? An examination using drivers’ physiological parameters and situational factors

Autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance technology are growing exponentially, and vehicles equipped with conditional automation, which has features like Traffic Jam Pilot and Highway Assist, are already available in the market. And this could expose the driver to a stressful driving condition during the takeover mission. To identify stressful takeover situations and better interact with automated systems, the relationship and effect between drivers’ physiological responses, situational factors (e.g., takeover request [TOR] lead time, takeover frequencies, and scenario types), and takeover criticality were investigated.34 participants were involved in a series of takeover events in a simulated driving environment, which are varied by different TOR lead time conditions and driving scenes. The situational factors, drivers’ skin conductance (SC), heart rate (HR), gaze behaviors, and takeover criticality ratings were collected and analyzed. The results indicated that drivers had a higher takeover criticality rating when they experienced a shorter TOR lead time level or at first to fourth take-overs. Besides, drivers who encountered a dynamic obstacle reported higher takeover criticality ratings when they were at the same Time to collision (TTC). We also observed that the takeover situations of higher criticality have larger driver’s maximum HR, mean pupil size, and maximum change in the SC (relative to the initial value of a takeover stage). Those findings of situational factors and physiological responses can provide additional support for the designing of adaptive alert systems and environmental soothing technology in conditionally automated driving, which will improve the takeover performances and drivers’ experience.     

Heterogeneity of treatment changes after psychodynamic therapy within a one year follow‐up: A replication study

Naturalistic psychotherapy effect studies commonly report effect sizes for the total sample. However, a previous study of SCL‐90 Global Severity Index (GSI) improvement in a large outpatient sample used a cluster analytic strategy and reported clinical relevant outcome trajectories that could be grouped into early within‐treatment improvement, late improvement in the follow‐up period, and deteriorating patients with slight improvement that was lost at follow‐up. We explore GSI outcome trajectories and clinical significant change in a sample of 320 patients at a public psychiatric outpatient psychodynamic group therapy unit, the majority with anxiety, personality, and mood disorders. The study revealed large discharge and follow‐up effect sizes but more than one third of the patients were without measurable improvement. The major clusters described above were confirmed, and revealed unique clinical and socio‐demographic characteristics. Late improvers, as compared with early improvers, were characterized by anxiety symptoms and lack of network support after controlling for GSI at admission. Similarly, deteriorating patients had longer duration of illness and less favourable social characteristics compared with the other two groups. Early improving patients were less likely to have participated in short‐term groups, and only one third participated in additional treatment compared with more than 69% of the other patients. Severe and socially affected psychiatric patients, and patients with anxiety and agoraphobic symptoms may be less optimally treated in short‐term time limited psychodynamic groups. There is an obvious need for diversity of treatment offers, better integration of psycho‐social treatment components, and long‐term open ended treatment.     

From ABLE to TAPAS: A New Generation of Personality Tests to Support Military Selection and Classification Decisions

This article discusses 3 modern forced-choice personality tests developed for the U.S Armed Services to provide resistance to faking and other forms of response distortion: the Assessment of Individual Motivation, the Navy Computerized Adaptive Personality Scales, and the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System. These tests represent the transition from Likert to forced-choice formats and from static to computerized adaptive item selection to meet the challenges of large-scale, high-stakes testing environments. For each test, we briefly describe the personality constructs that are assessed, the response format and scoring methods, and selected ongoing research and development efforts. We also highlight the potential of these tests for personnel selection, classification, and diagnostic screening purposes.     

药物治疗的风险及其处理

造成药物治疗风险的因素包括药物因素、病情因素、患者因素、用药因素及管理因素等。通过对药物进行严格监管,对医药从业人员加强培训和教育,对民众开展科普教学和用药指导,可以降低药物治疗的风险。风险事件主要表现为用药差错、药物不良反应或药物治疗无效。在药物治疗中,首先必须时刻警惕和及时发现风险;其次需要全面评估风险,还要对疾病风险和药物治疗风险进行比较。应尽可能避免药物治疗的风险,对于必须承受的风险,需采取相应措施,减少风险事件发生的概率和严重程度。如果存在较大风险,务必同时设计处理风险事件的预案,并与患者及其家属保持良好的交流和沟通。