Crystal L. Park

This longitudinal study was a secondary analysis of data from 569 cancer survivors ( M _age = 59.2, SD = 11.48), diagnosed with breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. The associations between three dimensions of illness perceptions—perceived consequences, perceived control and perceived timeline, measured at baseline (T1), and symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSS) assessed at 6 months (T2) and 12 months (T3), were examined using multiple linear regressions. Higher perceived consequences at T1 were significantly associated with increases in PTSS at T2 and T3. Higher perceived control at T1 was also significantly associated with reductions in PTSS at T3 but not at T2. Perceived timeline at T1 was not associated with changes in PTSS at T2 or T3. The findings suggest that beliefs about consequences and control may play significant roles in both short- and long-term psychological adjustment among adult cancer survivors.

Childhood abuse, including sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse is common (prevalence rates 8.4–14.5% in the U.S; Finkelhor, 2020; Finkelhor et al., 2015) and linked to myriad mental and physic...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pain are common following trauma exposure, highly comorbid, known to exacerbate one another, and together contribute to reduced quality of life. Sleep disturbance is likewise associated with both PTSD and pain and may partially explain the PTSD‐pain link over time. Despite their well‐documented co‐occurrence, studies have yet to examine the bidirectional influences of PTSD symptoms, sleep disturbance, and pain (i.e., severity and interference) together over time among women in the acute post‐trauma period. This is the aim of the present secondary analysis. Women ( N = 203) recruited within 1 month of experiencing a sexual trauma completed online surveys at baseline (T1) and two follow‐up periods each spaced 1 month apart (T2 and T3). Cross‐lagged panel models (CLPMs) were used to test the directionality of associations between PTSD symptoms and pain over time as well as the mediating role of sleep disturbance on cross‐lagged paths (between‐person level). A sensitivity analysis using random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel models (RI‐CLPMs) was conducted to isolate within‐person effects. Findings from CLPMs demonstrated that PTSD symptoms at T1 predicted both sleep disturbance and pain interference (but not pain severity) at T2 (between‐person level). Sleep disturbance did not mediate associations between PTSD symptoms and pain. No cross‐lagged effects were observed from T2 to T3. No within‐person cross‐lagged effects were observed among PTSD symptoms, pain, and sleep in RI‐CLPMs. Findings suggest that individuals with more severe PTSD symptoms in the month following sexual trauma experience worse physical health symptoms early‐on in the post‐trauma phase, including pain interference and sleep disturbance. Understanding the directionality and strength of co‐occurring concerns can inform first‐line treatment targets to prevent downstream negative physical and mental health sequelae following sexual trauma.

Religious service attendance is associated with better well-being, but observational associations do not establish causation. We analyse six annual waves of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N = 46,377) to estimate causal effects of monthly attendance on 24 well-being indicators using target trial emulation. Deterministic 'make everyone attend' contrasts fail positivity: only 2–3% of non-attenders initiate attendance per year. We therefore estimate supported stochastic interventions ($\delta = 5$) among baseline non-attenders (N = 38,477) using a sequentially doubly robust estimator with cross-validated machine learning. Effects are selective: small gains appear in meaning and purpose, forgiveness, and sexual satisfaction, with little movement in somatic health, psychological distress, social belonging, or perceived social support. A comparison exposure (+1 hour per week socialising with others) does not reproduce the pattern. We interpret the selective pattern through a prominent cooperative account of religion: gains concentrate in coordination-relevant domains rather than in direct health pathways.

Coding, that is, tagging sections of textual data from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), or semistructured surveys with descriptive words or phrases, is an important first step f...

Individuals vary in their reliance on science and on religion to make sense of the world. We aimed to determine if these two approaches to making meaning differentially associated with specific domains of adaptive behaviors and well-being, and the extent to which these associations would be moderated by their conjoint (interactive) effects. Participants were 301 US adults who completed online surveys. Bivariate associations largely supported hypotheses—religious and science worldviews related to different types of adaptive behavior and well-being. However, when conjoint effects were considered, both reliance on religion and on science related to multiple behaviors spanning emotional and logical behaviors and well-being. The few interaction effects noted suggested that very high levels of either worldview were maladaptive. Findings highlight the need to consider and assess both reliance on religion and reliance on science and consider their conjoint effects when studying their potential for leading to adaptive behaviors and well-being.

Questions remain about the role of yoga practice in everyday life, such as how amount of yoga practice relates to well-being or how practitioners take yoga “off the mat.” Yoga practitioners were surveyed on their yoga practice, extent to which they carry their yoga “off the mat,” perceived coping ability, stress, depression, and anxiety. Regression models examined effects of amount of yoga practice, taking yoga off the mat, and interaction on these outcomes. Amount of yoga practice and taking yoga off the mat interacted to predict stress and depression. With more yoga practice, those lower or average in taking yoga off the mat experienced greater stress and depression. Applying teachings and practices from yoga in daily life may help practitioners feel more able to cope and may attenuate the negative association between yoga practice and stress and depression. However, these findings are correlational and more research is needed for causation.

Beliefs about the genetic contribution to chronic disease risk may be associated with lower levels of physical activity, but this relationship has yet to be tested in young healthy adults. We examined genetic causal beliefs about disease and self-reported moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) among young healthy US adults. Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4; 2020) were analysed. The analytic sample was aged 18-39 years, with no history of cardiometabolic or lung disease and good/very good/excellent self-rated health (n = 439). Participants reported how much they think genetics determine risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Young healthy US adults with low genetic beliefs about diabetes were less likely to be inactive (aOR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.04-0.5) or somewhat active (aOR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.7) than those with moderate genetic beliefs. Those with low genetic beliefs about obesity were less likely to be somewhat active (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) than those with moderate genetic beliefs. Genetic causal beliefs about CVD were not related to MVPA. Additional research is needed to understand the complex interplay between beliefs about the heritability of cardiometabolic health and MVPA levels in young healthy US adults.