Ian Taylor Zajac

Autistic and/or Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) males report higher levels of loneliness than their neurotypical peers. This scoping review synthesised 82 studies examining loneliness and social connection in neurodivergent (ND) males. Findings indicated that levels of social connectedness were lower or similar in Autistic and ADHD males than neurotypical males, but never higher. Reduced levels of social connection (e.g., higher loneliness; lower social support, worse relational quality) were also associated with less favourable health outcomes. The data were heterogeneous, stemming, in part, from the multi-faceted nature and measurement of social connection. Future research should more consistently disaggregate data by sex and gender, consider the potential co-occurrence of ND conditions, and increase focus across the lifespan.

Aims: The behavioral addictions field lacks clinically useful behavior frequency measures. This study evaluated the psychometric performance of the new ‘Red Box, Green Box’ method for measuring gaming behavior with a focus on its utility for gaming disorder (GD) screening. Design, setting and participants: A prospective, cross‐sectional survey study was conducted using an online crowdsourcing platform. Participants were 1149 male gamers aged 18–35 years from Australia, Canada, United States, United Kingdom and Asia, reporting ≥12 hours of weekly gaming. Measurements: Gaming time was measured using a conventional weekly hours item, Red Box hours (gaming instead of fulfilling responsibilities) and Green Box hours (gaming during free or leisure time). GD was assessed by the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT‐10), with International Classification of Diseases , 11th Revision (ICD‐11) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM‐5‐TR) scoring approaches. Psychological distress [Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale ‐ 21 Items (DASS‐21)] and impulsivity [Barratt Impulsiveness Scale–short form (BIS‐15)] were measured. Findings: Gamers with GD reported higher Red Box hours [mean ( M ) = 21.1, standard deviation (SD) = 11.3] than those without ( M = 8.7, SD = 8.4; P < 0.001), and greater Red Box proportion (41.9% vs. 26.8%; P < 0.001). Red Box hours demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy for GD [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.86, sensitivity = 0.94, specificity = 0.63] and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) (AUC = 0.76, sensitivity = 0.88, specificity = 0.56), outperforming comparative measures. A Red Box response of ≥ 9.5 hours had a 94% likelihood of indicating ICD‐11 GD. Conclusions: The ‘Red Box, Green Box’ method appears to effectively identify International Classification of Diseases , 11th Revision, gaming disorder risk among males. Red Box hours demonstrated greater classification validity than the conventional weekly hours approach. This method provides a simple tool for epidemiological research, routine screening (e.g. outpatient consultation) and clinical assessment and treatment planning. Further validation in clinical populations and longitudinal studies is needed.

Lifestyle behaviours including physical activity (PA), dietary intake, and sleep are increasingly prominent targets in preventive mental health research and practice. Nevertheless, previous studies have typically adopted a model of mental health that discounts the potential for psychological distress and mental wellbeing to coexist. Reliance on linear regression modelling in extant research has also limited our understanding of how lifestyle behaviours interact with socio-demographic and other factors to predict distress and wellbeing. Among a sample of Australian adults (n = 1496) decision tree modelling was used to explore cross-sectional interactions between lifestyle behavioural and socio-demographic predictors of distress and wellbeing. In these models, sleep quality and frequency of moderate to vigorous PA -but not diet -predicted both distress and wellbeing outcomes. In contrast, higher self-reported health predicted wellbeing, but not distress. Overall, lifestyle behaviours interacted in complex ways with mental health variables and socio-demographic factors, with the predictors of distress often distinct from those of wellbeing. Our results align with a bivariate conceptualisation of mental health in which distress and wellbeing are overlapping butdistinct continua. Preventive mental health research should adopt a bivariate conceptualisation to facilitate more precise and generative insights regarding the lifestyle behavioural correlates of mental health.

Consumption of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables is emerging as a recommendation for the prevention and treatment of depression and anxiety. This review sought to examine literature investigating the role of kiwifruit in supporting psychological well-being in adult populations through increased vitamin C intake. The literature search using CINAHL, Embase and PubMed databases was restricted to English-language articles published from 2005 through July 2022. Inclusion criteria were randomized trials that delivered kiwifruit interventions to adult populations assessing psychological well-being. Studies were assessed for bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for randomized controlled trials. The literature search identified two eligible trials involving 202 participants that delivered gold kiwifruit interventions and evaluated aspects of psychological well-being (e.g., mood disturbance, vitality, vigour, depression). Daily consumption of two gold kiwifruit was associated with significant reductions in mood disturbance and fatigue, and significant increases in well-being and vigour. Larger effects were observed in participants with higher baseline mood disturbance. Additional research involving a broader range of cohorts and isolating the effects of other micronutrients within gold kiwifruit implicated in the pathophysiology of depression is warranted. Overall, preliminary evidence suggests that daily consumption of two gold kiwifruit might improve psychological well-being in adult populations.

Despite known links between men’s avoidant coping behaviours (e.g., distraction, denial, substance use) and suicide risk, little research has explored the mechanisms underpinning this relationship. This study sought to examine whether male-type depression symptoms (e.g., anger, aggression, emotion suppression), assessed by the Male Depression Risk Scale, mediate the association between avoidant coping and suicide/self-harm ideation in men. Data were drawn from an online survey of a community sample of 606 Australian men (M age = 50.11 years; SD = 15.00), conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mediation analyses were applied to examine the effect of male-type depression on the association between avoidant coping and suicidal/self-harm ideation, controlling for age, resilience and the experience of two psychosocial stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic (financial stress and government restrictions). Avoidant coping was associated with suicidal/self-harm ideation, r = 0.45, p < 0.001. Results supported a mediating role of male-type depression symptoms in this relationship, R²= 0.29, P_M = 0.36, p < 0.001, underscoring the importance of screening for male-type depression symptoms to better identify men at risk of suicidal/self-harm ideation. Results also suggest a need to support men to develop effective coping strategies, particularly in the context of common psychosocial stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Objectives: Measures from wearable devices could be a valuable supplement to mindfulness assessment and intervention. This observational study evaluated measures from a consumer‐grade EEG headband (Muse, InteraXon, Inc.) as novel correlates of state mindfulness during focused attention meditation.Methods: Adult participants (N = 68, M _age = 22.66, SD _age = 7.35) completed a task‐based measure of state mindfulness and thought probe measures of subjective mind wandering while meditating with the EEG headband. A subset completed 14 days of home practice (n = 29).Results: Device measures were sensitive to attention lapses within‐participants in the state mindfulness task (d = 0.56) and had large between‐participants associations for the same task (r = −0.50). Mean device metrics from home practice together explained approximately 30% of variance in self‐reported trait mindfulness, attentional control, nonattachment, and decentering.Conclusion: EEG biomarkers show potential as correlates of mindfulness with distinct benefits over existing assessment methods.

Background: Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, social distancing practices were introduced to curb infection rates in many countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of these restrictions on behaviours and well-being and whether individual differences predict changes in well-being. Methods: Australian adults participated in a cross-sectional, online survey during May 2020. The survey captured demographic information; health behaviours; personality traits; life satisfaction and COVID-19-related attitudes, financial concerns, perceived risks and impacts. Results: In total, 3745 (86.8% of 4313) participants completed all items. Participants were mostly female (85.7%) and 56.4 years (standard deviation [SD] = 12.6) on average. Over 95.0% of the sample indicated they had been social distancing or isolating. Health behaviours and well-being had generally worsened, with social connections being the most negatively affected. Life satisfaction was significantly lower since restrictions. For changes in life satisfaction, extroversion was a risk factor and openness to experience was a protective factor. Conclusions: Overall, well-being was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing particularly in this sample containing mainly older women. In future, it will be crucial to understand why and who may be differentially affected, to encourage behaviours that are protective of well-being.

Recent dietary trends have prompted growing support for a variety of fasting paradigms involving extreme restriction or nil-caloric intake on fasting days. Some studies indicate that fasting may negatively influence factors including cognitive function through inducing fatigue, which may prove problematic in the context of completing a range of cognitively demanding activities required by daily obligations such as work. This randomised within-subjects cross-over trial explored the effects of true fasting (i.e., nil-caloric intake) versus modified fasting, the latter of which involved two sub-conditions: (1) extended distribution (three small meals distributed across the day; 522 kcal total); and (2) bulking (two meals eaten early in the day; 512 kcal total) over a period of 7.5 h on a single day with a 7-day washout period between conditions. Participants were n = 17 females (Body Mass Index (BMI) Mean (M) = 25.80, Standard Deviation (SD) = 2.30) aged 21–49 years. Outcomes included cognitive function, subjective mental fatigue, satiety, food cravings and blood glucose. Results showed that there were no differences in cognitive test performance between conditions;however, both modified fasting sub-conditions had improved blood glucose levels, cravings, hunger and fullness compared to true fasting. Moreover, subjective mental fatigue was significantly reduced in the modified fasting conditions relative to true fasting. Overall, results indicated that the subjective experience of true fasting and modified fasting is different, but that cognition does not appear to be impaired.

Despite abundant cross-sectional evidence that low vitamin D status is associated with risk of cognitive decline in ageing, interventional evidence for benefits of vitamin D supplementation is lacking. This study was a 6 month randomised, double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effects of vitamin D3 (D3), enhanced vitamin D2 in a mushroom matrix (D2M), standard mushroom (SM) and placebo (PL) on cognition and mood in n = 436 healthy older male (49%) and female volunteers aged ≥ 60 years. Primary end points were change in serum vitamin D metabolites (25-OH-D, 25-OH-D2 and 25-OH-D3), cognitive performance, and mood over 24 weeks. Levels of total 25-OH-D and 25-OH-D3 were maintained in the D3 arm but decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the remaining arms (D2M, SM and PL). Analysis also revealed differential changes in these metabolites depending on total vitamin D status at baseline. There were no significant effects of treatment on any of the measures of cognitive function or mood. Overall, the results show that daily supplementation of ~600 IU of vitamin D3 was sufficient to maintain 25-OH-D throughout winter months, but in contrast to existing cross-sectional studies there was no support for benefit of vitamin D supplementation for mood or cognition in healthy elderly people.