RESUMEN
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are often not comfortable during mobile-phone conversations with unfamiliar people. "Hugvie" is a pillow with a human-like shape that has been designed to provide users with the tactile sensation of hugging another person during phone conversations to promote feelings of comfort and trust in the speaker toward their conversation partners. Our primary aim was to examine whether physical contact by hugging a Hugvie could reduce the stress of speaking with an unfamiliar person on the phone in individuals with ASD. We enrolled 24 individuals and requested them to carry out phone conversations either using only a mobile phone or using a mobile phone along with the Hugvie. All participants in both groups completed questionnaires designed to evaluate their self-confidence while talking on the phone, and also provided salivary cortisol samples four times each day. Our analysis revealed that the medium of communication was a significant factor, indicating that individuals with ASD who spoke with an unfamiliar person on the phone while hugging a Hugvie had stronger self-confidence and lower stress levels than those who did not use Hugvie. Hence, we recommend that huggable devices be used as adjunctive tools to support individuals with ASD during telephonic conversations with unfamiliar people.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista/psicología , Fobia Social/prevención & control , Psicoterapia/métodos , Habla , Estrés Psicológico/prevención & control , Teléfono , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Psicoterapia/instrumentación , Autoimagen , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Previous attempts to identify personality traits that enhance inclination to social anxiety (SA) have been limited by a tendency to focus on selected traits in isolation, rather than examining their interactions. Additional research is needed to better understand whether and how these dimensions are linked to SA. In a prospective study, it was examined how interactions between the Big Five personality factors predict SA symptoms. A total of 135 individuals, aged 18-50 years, were recruited. Personality traits were measured at baseline, and SA symptoms were assessed one month later. Results showed that low emotional stability was an independent predictor of higher levels of SA. Additionally, two significant interactions emerged: the interactions between extraversion and openness, and between openness and agreeableness predicted SA symptoms. At high openness, higher extraversion was associated with significantly lower levels of SA, suggesting that the interaction provides incrementally greater protection against SA. Thus, extraverts are likely to be protected against social anxiety symptoms, but more so the more open they are. Moreover, at high levels of agreeableness, low openness has been shown to be uniquely predictive for higher levels of SA symptoms, indicating that the combined effect of openness with agreeableness may be more important to SA than either trait in isolation. These findings highlight the importance of testing interaction effects of personality traits on psychopathology.
Asunto(s)
Ansiedad/psicología , Emociones , Personalidad , Fobia Social/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Ansiedad/etiología , Ansiedad/prevención & control , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Fobia Social/etiología , Fobia Social/prevención & control , Estudios Prospectivos , Psicopatología , Factores de Riesgo , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
This analysis aimed to examine the association of social dysfunction with food security status, fruit intake, vegetable intake, meal frequency and breakfast consumption in people with psychosis from the Hunter New England (HNE) catchment site of the Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP). Social dysfunction and dietary information were collected using standardised tools. Independent binary logistic regressions were used to examine the association between social dysfunction and food security status, fruit intake, vegetable intake, meal frequency and breakfast consumption. Although social dysfunction did not have a statistically significant association with most diet variables, participants with obvious to severe social dysfunction were 0.872 (95% CI (0.778, 0.976)) less likely to eat breakfast than those with no social dysfunction p < 0.05. Participants with social dysfunction were therefore, 13% less likely to have breakfast. This paper highlights high rates of social dysfunction, significant food insecurity, and intakes of fruits and vegetables below recommendations in people with psychosis. In light of this, a greater focus needs to be given to dietary behaviours and social dysfunction in lifestyle interventions delivered to people with psychosis. Well-designed observational research is also needed to further examine the relationship between social dysfunction and dietary behaviour in people with psychosis.
Asunto(s)
Dieta Saludable , Cooperación del Paciente , Fobia Social/etiología , Trastornos Psicóticos/fisiopatología , Trastorno de la Conducta Social/etiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Australia , Desayuno , Estudios de Cohortes , Estudios Transversales , Dieta Saludable/economía , Dieta Saludable/psicología , Conducta Alimentaria/psicología , Femenino , Abastecimiento de Alimentos/economía , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Encuestas Nutricionales , Cooperación del Paciente/psicología , Fobia Social/economía , Fobia Social/prevención & control , Fobia Social/psicología , Trastornos Psicóticos/economía , Trastornos Psicóticos/psicología , Trastornos Psicóticos/terapia , Estudios Retrospectivos , Trastorno de la Conducta Social/economía , Trastorno de la Conducta Social/prevención & control , Trastorno de la Conducta Social/psicología , Aislamiento Social/psicología , Factores Socioeconómicos , Estrés Psicológico/economía , Estrés Psicológico/etiología , Estrés Psicológico/prevención & control , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
According to cognitive models, post-event processing (PEP) is a key factor in the maintenance of social anxiety. Given that decreasing PEP can be challenging for socially anxious individuals, it is important to identify potentially useful strategies. Although distraction may help to decrease PEP, the findings have been equivocal. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether a brief distraction period immediately following a speech would lead to less PEP the next day. The secondary aim was to examine the effect of distraction following an initial speech on anticipatory anxiety for a second speech, via reductions in PEP. Participants (N = 77 undergraduates with elevated social anxiety; 67.53% female) delivered a speech and were randomly assigned to a distraction, rumination, or control condition. The following day, participants reported levels of PEP in relation to the first speech, as well as anxiety regarding a second, upcoming speech. As expected, those in the distraction condition reported less PEP than those in the rumination and control conditions. Additionally, distraction following the first speech was indirectly related to anticipatory anxiety for the second speech, via PEP. Distraction may represent a potentially useful strategy for reducing PEP and other maladaptive processes that may maintain social anxiety.