Romantic Love, Sexual Intimacy, and Logic-Based Therapy

Abstract Child and adolescent externalizing problems have often been conceptualized broadly with imprecise language (e.g., “disruptive behavior”) or inconsistently across varying taxonomies (e.g., oppositional defiant and conduct disorder symptoms, aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors). Establishing clarity around dimensions of externalizing problems is an essential step toward more accurate measurement and construct validity across the externalizing domain. To that end, the current study investigated fine-grained dimensions in the structure of youth externalizing psychopathology. Caregiver-report survey data were collected for a national community sample of 576 youth (ages 6–14; 45% female, 25% Hispanic), including measures of irritability, oppositionality, reactive and proactive aggression, conduct problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and inattention. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine relations among externalizing dimensions at the item-level followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine relations at the construct-level. EFA results suggested that a 3-factor model best fit the data, including factors characterized by externalizing affect (e.g., “felt mad”), externalizing behavior (e.g., “bullies, threatens, or intimidates others”), and ADHD symptoms (e.g., “talks excessively”), with a few cross-loadings. Similarly, confirmatory models indicated that a 3-factor, non-hierarchical structure fit the data best when compared to three other models. Results provide support for distinct facets of the externalizing spectrum in child psychopathology, suggesting a preliminary direction for a unifying framework. These findings highlight the potential for future measurement research to further disentangle the distinct and overlapping facets of externalizing constructs, particularly using multiple methods and informants and with replication across samples.

Experiences of bullying can have significant psychological consequences, including an increased risk of social anxiety. This study aimed to examine changes in social anxiety following Virtual Reality Social Exposure (VRSE) among bullying victims. A one-group pretest–posttest design without a control group was employed with 12 participants. The intervention consisted of three gradual exposure sessions in virtual environments representing social situations. Social anxiety was measured before and after the intervention, and the data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The results indicated a statistically significant decrease in social anxiety scores following the intervention (p = 0.002), with a reported effect size of 0.974. These findings suggest that VRSE may be a promising approach for reducing social anxiety among bullying victims. However, the absence of a control group and the small sample size limit conclusions regarding its effectiveness and safety. Further studies with larger samples, control groups, and systematic safety assessments are needed.

The purpose of this study is to examine how parentification and perceived stress impact adolescents' psychological and behavioural adjustment. This study explored the associations between parentification, perceived stress, and disruptive behaviour, and the predictive and mediating effects of these variables. The method of the research was descriptive cross sectional, purposive sampling was used for gathering samples, the number of samples obtained was 250.The methods used were descriptive cross sectional design, purposive sampling was used for sampling. The Parentification Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Disruptive Behaviour Scale were used to collect the data. The SPSS Version 26 was used for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression analysis and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 4). Results showed that parentification was not a significant predictor of perceived stress and disruptive behaviour. Perceived stress, however, was a strong predictor of disruptive behaviour. Indirect effect of parentification on disruptive behaviour via perceived stress was also non-significant. Impression of stress seems to be a key factor related to disruptive behaviour among adolescents, while the impact of parentification could differ based on contextual and cultural factors. The results emphasize the need for stress reduction and psychological health promotion initiatives for youth in Pakistan.

Stress arising from academic, professional and financial demands is common among students and young professionals, and the coping methods within easiest reach, such as listening to music, do not always suffice. This paper presents a survey-driven design for a virtual reality (VR) gadget that combines selectable immersive natural environments, environment-matched sound therapy and heart-rate biofeedback for short relaxation sessions. An online questionnaire completed by 24 respondents, mostly college students, supplies the user requirements. Among those who answer the relevant items, 65.2% report daily stress, 73.9% name academic or job pressure as the main cause, and 47.8% state that a busy schedule prevents regular yoga or meditation. Music is the most common coping method (63.6%). Asked about a 10–15 minute VR relaxation session described as free of side effects, 83.3% answer “yes, definitely” and 8.3% answer “maybe” if the price is under Rs. 5000. The findings yield design requirements, a system architecture, a session workflow and a protocol for comparing the gadget with guided breathing, meditation and relaxing music. That comparison is planned, not yet carried out: the prototype has not been tested with users, and the paper makes no claim of clinical effectiveness.

Mental health services are constantly evolving with the gradual introduction of functionalized care, which means medical intervention has become more focused on a particular clinical area or stage of the illness. This has progressed to having designated teams for inpatient psychiatry. Usually, psychiatrists manage their patients both in outpatient and inpatient settings while working in a particular geographical area or sector. Moving away from this model to a functionalized inpatient setting, where other psychiatrists take care of their patients, is seen as a breach in continuity of care. In this context, it was intended to review the current literature for the experience of clinicians and patients in these sectorized (medical continuity) or functionalized models of psychiatric inpatient care. A narrative review of the current literature from multiple databases was conducted. The results suggested that there are positive and negative observations in both models. It appeared that neither met the expectations of patients nor clinicians. Patients preferred to be seen by the same consultant in community and inpatient settings, but clinical outcomes were not significantly different in the two models. The functionalized care was mostly medical continuity rather than multidisciplinary. Any changes in the care models may be driven by local facilities and issues. There is a need to improve the quality of care through existing models before any changes. More studies are needed to improve the evidence on the effectiveness of these service models.