Research shows that sexual minority individuals are often faced with stressors that are associated with their minority status and that these stressors affect their psychological well-being. This...Show moreResearch shows that sexual minority individuals are often faced with stressors that are associated with their minority status and that these stressors affect their psychological well-being. This leaves the question which factors are implicated in their thriving and thus in their psychological well-being. This study used the relational cultural theory and investigated potential protective factors in the lives of sexual minorities. In particular, it investigated the associations between two dimensions of attachment style (model of self and model of others), self-respect, and psychological well-being and checked for a possible mediation effect of self-respect in the relationship between model of self and model of others and psychological well-being in a population of sexual minority adults (N= 241). The effects between the variables mentioned were tested using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire – Short Form, the Relationship Questionnaire, and a Self-Respect measure through an online survey. Model of self was found to be positively associated with self-respect while model of others was not. Both dimensions of attachment style were found to correlate with psychological well-being. Self-respect was also found to be positively associated with psychological well-being. Further, self-respect was found to partially mediate the relationship between model of self and psychological well-being, but not between model of other and psychological well-being. These results suggest that a positive model of self and of others, and self-respect are important for psychological well-being. These factors are important in the context of growth-fostering relationships in order to improve psychological well-being.Show less
Background: Auto-immune encephalitis (AIE) is a neurological condition with significant cognitive implications that impact the individuals overall well-being. The cognitive status of the...Show moreBackground: Auto-immune encephalitis (AIE) is a neurological condition with significant cognitive implications that impact the individuals overall well-being. The cognitive status of the individuals with AIE remains unsatisfactorily understood. Anti-LGI1 and anti-CASPR2 encephalitis are two forms of AIE, both occurring in mostly males of late-middle age. This study aims to provide more insight regarding the cognitive impairment and the relationship to psychological well-being. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional observational cohort study in a cohort of 91 patients with AIE (72 anti-LGI1; 19 anti-CASPR2). All patients performed a neuropsychological assessment (NPA; covering memory, executive functions (EF), visual-spatial functions, language) and a questionnaire: the World Health Organization-5-Well-being Index (WHO-5-WBI). The data of the NPA was compared to the norm population from Advanced Neuropsychological Diagnostics Infrastructure Norms (ANDI-Norms) with a T-Test. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to test for type of antibody and improvement at different points of time after diagnosis. A Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the correlation between NPA and the WHO-5-WBI score. Results: For anti-LGI1, all cognitive domains were significantly lower than the norm population. For anti-CASPR2, memory and total NPA were significantly lower than the norm population. Antibody was significantly predictive for EF (F(1,89) = 4.125, p = .045). Type of antibody, time in months between diagnosis and NPA and an interaction of these were not significantly predictive for EF (F(3,87) = 1.865, p = .141). Psychological well-being was negatively correlated with memory impairment for anti-LGI1 (r = .260, n = 68, p = .032). Discussion: This study determined the underlying cognition and psychological well-being mechanisms in patients diagnoses with anti-LGI1 and anti-CASPR2 encephalitis. Cognitive impairment, especially memory impairment, is evident in anti-LGI1 and anti-CASPR2 encephalitis. The attention span and verbal accuracy, as a part of EF, are significantly lower for anti-LGI1 compared to anti-CASPR2. Cognition improves in the first months after diagnosis, but thereafter stabilizes. Memory impairments, like forgetting information, have a negative influence on psychological well-being for anti-LGI1 patients. The sample size of the present study is larger than previous studies on cognition and psychological well-being of anti-LGI1 and anti-CASPR2 patients.Show less
Coronavirus disease 2019 has negatively affected the general population, and especially university undergraduates. Attending to and being aware of the present moment in an open, accepting and...Show moreCoronavirus disease 2019 has negatively affected the general population, and especially university undergraduates. Attending to and being aware of the present moment in an open, accepting and compassionate manner (i.e. mindfulness) has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and increase positive affect. In our present study, we used network analysis to examine the associations between anxiety, depression, stress, mindfulness and joy. An observational research design was used with a convenience sample of 66 undergraduate students aged 18 to 34 years who completed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) on their phones. They were asked eight questionsーtwo psychological constructs and six subclinical psychopathology symptomsーfour times a day for two weeks. Network analysis resulted in temporal and contemporaneous network models, indicating that mindfulness at time t does not significantly predict any variable at later time t+1 on the temporal level. At the contemporaneous level, mindfulness is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and joy. Given the limitations of the present study and the hypothesis generating nature of network analysis, we conclude that the significant partial correlations between mindfulness, psychological well-being and joy in the contemporaneous network may indicate potential causal relations worth following up on in future research.Show less
