Abstract Books of the Global Conference on Psychology
The Abstract Books of the Global Conference on Psychology (PSYCHOLOGYCONF) presents carefully peer-reviewed research presented at the annual Psychology conference organized by Proud Pen. This collection captures original work across the field Psychology, spanning theoretical frameworks to applied studies. Each volume serves as a reference for ongoing research and study in the discipline.
The Role of Level and Stability of Self-Esteem in Predicting Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Latvia
The severity of depression and anxiety symptoms in health care workers (HCW) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low self-esteem (SE) is recognised as a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Less is known about the role of individual variations in SE. The aim of this study is to analyse the level and stability of SE as predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms in HCW during COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. The participants received seven questionnaires. The first questionnaire was available from 28 April to 2 June 2020, and the rest followed after 3, 6, 10, 13, 16, and 19 months. 161 HCW responded to all questionnaires and were included in this study. SE was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales. Data were analysed using chi-squared test and binary logistic regression in IBM SPSS Statistics (v.31.0.1.0). Participants with high and stable SE had significantly lower proportion of depression symptoms (31.3% vs 70.8%) and anxiety symptoms (29.7% vs 60.4%) than participants with high SE at the beginning of the study, which decreased later (p < 0.001/ = 0.001). The median (min – max) coefficient of variation (CV) of SE was 8.5 (0.0 – 30.9)%. CV was a significant predictor of depression symptoms, when controlling for mean SE level (OR = 1.13; p = 0.031), but not for anxiety symptoms (p = 0.258). The stability of SE is an important factor in the assessment of the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms.
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Understanding Men’s Mental Health in The Contemporary African Context
Mental health is a concept viewed differently in different societies. The understanding of the concept is fundamentally influenced by the societal construct and impacts how it is addressed. How mental health is addressed and promoted in the African context should be reimagined and aligned to the needs of African men. It begins with creating a psychologically safe environment supported by psychosocial support and empathy in societal structures. This manuscript intends to capture a synopsis of the need to highlight African men’s mental health and rethink alternative strategies that effect psychological resilience and good health. The research methodological approach is qualitative in nature, making use of the interpretivist paradigm. In doing so, literature published between 2021 and 2025 will be reviewed to identify emerging concepts as contributory factors to men’s mental health concerns in this context. Additionally, this literature will be used as advocacy towards identifying or realigning the strengths of alternative interventions for remedial and preventative measures of the mental health among African men. The aim of this manuscript is to echo the sentiment that mental health has no boundary. Instead, that relevant societal structures and stakeholders should recognise the transformative value of psychological support and well-being towards mental health and resilience.
To Examine the Relationship Between Employment Status and Attitudes Towards Criminal Behaviour of Young Adult Males in Jamaica
Youth unemployment has been identified as an important socioeconomic concern in Jamaica, but employment status alone may not explain attitudes toward criminal behaviour. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined whether attitudes toward criminal behaviour differed by employment status among 85 Jamaican males aged 18–30 years recruited through convenience sampling from Manchester, Clarendon, and St. Catherine. Participants completed an adapted 24-item attitude measure drawn from the Entitlement and Antisocial Intent scales of the Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA), together with demographic and unemployment-impact items. Items were interpreted in the keyed direction used in the study, with higher composite scores representing stronger endorsement of pro-criminal attitudes. An independent-samples t test showed that employed participants (n = 37, M = 40.38, SD = 4.13) had significantly higher criminal-attitude scores than unemployed participants (n = 48, M = 28.73, SD = 2.99), t(83) = 15.10, p < .001, mean difference = 11.65, 95% CI [10.11, 13.18], Hedges’ g = 3.27. Age was not significantly associated with criminal-attitude scores, r = .075, p = .497. The findings indicate that employment status was associated with criminal-attitude orientation in this sample, but in the opposite direction from a simple protective-employment assumption. The results underscore the need to examine employment quality, economic strain, peer and neighbourhood context, and other factors rather than treating employment status alone as an explanation of criminal attitudes.
Beyond the Autonomous Career Self: Relational and Structural Pathways of Career Identity among Indian Emerging Adults
Career identity theories developed largely in neoliberal Western contexts often privilege individual choice, self-determination, exploration, and rational career planning. Such assumptions may inadequately capture how young adults construct career identities within collectivist and economically unequal contexts. This study re-examines the career identity trajectories of urban emerging adults in Delhi-NCR through a post-neoliberal and relational-cultural lens, foregrounding familial, sociocultural, and economic conditions shaping career meaning-making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants, including five students and five employed emerging adults. Inductive thematic analysis generated three overarching themes: (1) Motives Associated with Career Pursuits, (2) Navigating Career Choices and Self-Discovery, and (3) Influencing Factors Shaping Career Decisions. Findings showed that career motivations were rarely purely intrinsic. Financial security, social respectability, family stability, and familial expectations coexisted with personal interests and aspirations. Career exploration was nonlinear and relationally embedded, shaped by parents, educational environments, community norms, setbacks, and structural constraints. Periods of uncertainty and recommitment resembled Western dual-cycle models, yet were often driven by negotiations with family expectations, economic vulnerability, and moral responsibilities rather than autonomous self-exploration. Career certainty frequently reflected alignment between individual aspirations and collective expectations. Parents, teachers, friends, siblings, socioeconomic privilege, gender norms, and the COVID-19 pandemic further facilitated or constrained career possibilities. Overall, career identity among Indian emerging adults appears relationally constituted, culturally embedded, and structurally constrained. The study contributes to decolonising career psychology by questioning the universality of Western identity models and foregrounding interdependence, precarity, moral responsibility, and sociocultural embeddedness.
Despite significant advances in psychological research on problem-solving and decision-making, limited attention has been given to situations in which individuals recognize effective solutions yet repeatedly fail to implement them. Existing literature has largely focused on explaining why people struggle to identify solutions, while comparatively little research has examined why known solutions may become psychologically inaccessible despite being readily available. This conceptual study introduces Solution Blindness, a proposed psychological construct describing a state in which individuals remain aware of a viable course of action but experience it as emotionally inaccessible. Drawing from existing literature on emotional avoidance, experiential avoidance, psychological inflexibility, cognitive dissonance, and loss aversion, this paper proposes that avoidance of emotional discomfort may contribute to a progressive reduction in the perceived accessibility of known solutions. To explain this process, the study presents the Invisible Exit Framework, a theoretical model consisting of six stages: recognition, emotional cost detection, protective avoidance, cognitive rationalization, Solution Blindness, and problem amplification. The framework suggests that perceived emotional costs and self-protective cognitive processes may interfere with the transition from awareness to action, leading individuals to remain in situations they recognize as harmful or ineffective. By shifting attention from solution discovery to solution accessibility, this research offers a novel perspective on the knowledge-action gap. The study concludes by proposing directions for future empirical validation and discussing potential implications for clinical psychology, education, organizations, and interpersonal relationships.
Public Perception of Juvenile Offenders in India: The Role of Offender Age, Offence Type, and Family Background
Public perception of juvenile offenders plays a significant role in shaping juvenile justice policy and legislation. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which permits juveniles aged 16 to 18 to be tried as adults for heinous offences, was itself precipitated by public sentiment regarding juvenile crime in India. Understanding which characteristics of a juvenile offender drive public judgment is therefore of direct relevance to the Indian legal context. This study investigated how offender age, family background, and type of offence individually and collectively influence public perceptions of juvenile offenders among a sample of 123 Indian participants drawn from school, college, and working-adult communities. Five situational vignettes were created and systematically varied across offender age (12 versus 17 years), family environment (warm and structured versus chaotic and unsupervised), and offence type (theft versus assault), with participants rating each vignette on six outcome measures: responsibility, sympathy, dangerousness, likelihood to reoffend, and support for punitive and rehabilitative responses. Results indicated that offence type produced the largest effects of any single factor; assault vignettes elicited significantly higher ratings of dangerousness, responsibility, and punitive support compared to theft vignettes, which elicited significantly more sympathy and rehabilitative support. Offender age significantly shifted perceptions of responsibility and sympathy even when the crime and circumstances were held constant, with older offenders judged more harshly. Family background influenced sympathy and perceived dangerousness but produced no significant differences in punitive or rehabilitative preferences. The cumulative presence of all three aggravating factors produced the largest effect sizes observed in the study. These findings have direct implications for juvenile justice policy and practice in India.
Relationship between Mental-and-Physical Well-Being and Loneliness amongst Orphans, India
Loneliness is a prevalent feeling among youth, and it is often associated with physical and mental well-being. This present study examines whether physical and mental well-being can predict loneliness among orphan children, specifically adolescents, in Delhi, India. The data for this study has been collected from an NGO based in Delhi with participants across the ages of 13-18. A multiple linear regression was used to examine the predictors individually and together. Results provided evidence to support the claim that mental well-being is a predicator of loneliness; however, the same did not apply for physical-well-being. Thus, targeted efforts need to be undertaken to focus on the overall well-being of orphans, especially mental well-being, focusing on building meaningful relationships, to tackle the invisible burden of loneliness that the country's youth carry.
Under Pressure: Occupational Differences in Stress, Resilience, and Decision-Making Across High-Stakes Professions
High-stakes situations need individuals to make decisions that often have serious, far-reaching, and irreversible consequences. This study examines the relationship between perceived stress, resilience, high-stakes exposure and decision making in four professions: Law & Order, Healthcare, Corporate, and Athletes. The present research employed Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Brief Resilience Scale and Decision-Making Questionnaire on 123 respondents from four different professions. The results found that there was a significant difference in stress, resilience, high-stakes exposure, and decision-making between the 4 main professions. Law & Order professionals were shown to have the highest perceived stress as well as high-stakes exposure. Healthcare professionals demonstrated the highest overall decision-making scores, whereas athletes generally scored lowest across several decision-making dimensions. Corporate professionals demonstrated the highest resilience and control. Resilience demonstrated significant negative correlation with perceived stress. Additionally, in most professions’ resilience had strong positive correlations with control, Law & Order being the exception. Relationships among decision-making dimensions were strongest among athletes and Law & Order professionals, whereas fewer significant associations were observed in the healthcare and corporate groups. High-stakes exposure demonstrated different patterns of association across professions. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that resilience was the strongest positive predictor of decision-making control, while perceived stress significantly predicted increased hesitancy and reduced decision-making control. High-stakes exposure also significantly predicted both hesitancy and control. These findings highlight the importance of resilience-building and stress-management interventions for professionals working in high-pressure occupations.
Stress and Academic Life: Experiences and Stressors During the First Year of University in Lima, Peru
Background: University students are exposed to multiple stressors that increase the risk of poor academic adjustment and higher education dropout. However, previous research has largely examined academic stressors in isolation, providing only a partial understanding of the complex challenges students face during the transition to university. Integrating academic, personal, and social stressors may offer a more comprehensive perspective on this critical period. Objective: This study aimed to identify the academic, personal, and social stressors experienced by first-year university students in Lima, Peru, as part of a broader doctoral research project on university adjustment and dropout intention. Methods: A qualitative design was employed. Twenty-one university students (18–25 years old) from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds and academic disciplines participated in semi-structured interviews validated by a panel of experts. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti version 7.5.4. Results: The analysis revealed that academic performance, time management, and forming and maintaining friendships were the most salient stressors during the first year of university. Beyond academic demands, participants described personal and social challenges that shaped their adaptation to university life, highlighting the interrelated nature of these stressors. Conclusions: By adopting a multidimensional perspective, this study extends the predominantly academic focus of previous research and provides a more holistic understanding of the stressors influencing students' early university experiences. These findings contribute to the development of a comprehensive measure of first-year stressors and offer evidence to inform institutional strategies aimed at promoting student well-being, successful adjustment, and dropout prevention.
Psychological Flexibility as a Potential Unifying Construct in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematic Narrative Review
As psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) approaches clinical implementation given its robust efficacy, understanding how psychotherapy enhances serotonergic psychedelic treatment is important when designing safe therapies to treat severe mood disorders. Despite the widespread practice of psychotherapy, there is a lack of consensus on which psychotherapy is most appropriate for PAP. This systematic narrative review examined whether current evidence supports the superiority of a specific psychotherapeutic framework or instead indicates shared transdiagnostic processes. 215 records were screened via an adapted PRISMA framework, excluding studies without structured psychotherapy or non-serotonergic compounds. The resultant 24 publications address structured psychotherapeutic frameworks, mechanisms, and clinical applications. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emerged as the most extensively operationalized and empirically investigated framework. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy pairings show preliminary promise but remain nascent, while other frameworks, such as mindfulness-based, compassion-focused, meaning-centered, psychodynamic, and systemic approaches, exhibit limited evidence. Despite theoretical differences between frameworks, psychological flexibility repeatedly emerged as a mechanism of therapeutic change, especially within ACT-informed and mechanistic accounts of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Moreover, evidence suggests that the quantity of structured psychotherapy may influence outcomes more strongly than the specific therapeutic orientation, suggesting that psychological flexibility may not be mechanistically exclusive to ACT. These findings challenge the emphasis on identifying an optimal psychotherapy for PAP, proposing instead that future protocol development may benefit from targeting shared mechanisms such as psychological flexibility. However, direct comparative trials remain absent, highlighting a need to determine whether varying psychotherapeutic frameworks produce distinct clinical benefits or primarily operate through shared pathways of change.
Redefining Academic Success and Well-Being among Palestinian University Students
This phenomenological study investigates the lived experiences, psychological well-being, and academic transformations of higher education students confronting prolonged socio-political hardships in Palestine. To capture the human dimension of educational endurance, a purposive sample of 20 university students (N = 20) was engaged through 10 individual semi-structured interviews and 10 focus group participants. Using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, three core themes emerged, well-being disruption under structural strain, the active cultivation of collective resilience pathways, and the fundamental redefinition of academic success as a mechanism of survival. The study provides an evidence-based foundation for precision-targeted university mental health interventions and flexible support structures, proving that student achievement under crisis extends beyond traditional GPA metrics to encompass collective endurance and academic survival.
From Selfies to Surgery: Social Media Selfie Culture, Body Image Dissatisfaction, and Cosmetic Surgery Acceptance Among Young Adults in Pakistan
The rapid growth of image-centered social media has intensified appearance-based comparison and contributed to the rise of selfie culture, particularly among young adults. Grounded in Social Comparison Theory, this study examined the relationship between social media engagement, body image dissatisfaction, psychological well-being, and attitudes toward cosmetic surgery in a South Asian context. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 312 adults aged 18–35 years in Pakistan who had recently undergone aesthetic treatments or cosmetic procedures at plastic surgery centers. Data were collected using validated instruments, including the Body Shape Questionnaire-16, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale, and Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised. Ethical approval was obtained from Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, and informed consent was secured from all participants. The mean age of participants was 24.6 ± 4.2 years; 63.5% were female and 36.5% were male. Females reported higher body image dissatisfaction and greater acceptance of cosmetic surgery than males. Social media engagement was positively associated with body dissatisfaction (r = .42, p < .001) and cosmetic surgery acceptance (r = .36, p < .001). Selfie editing and filter use significantly predicted cosmetic surgery acceptance (β = .29, p < .01). Appearance-based social comparison was positively related to body dissatisfaction and cosmetic surgery acceptance, while body dissatisfaction partially mediated this relationship. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were positively associated with cosmetic surgery acceptance, whereas self-esteem was negatively associated. The findings highlight the need for psychological screening in cosmetic settings and digital literacy interventions that encourage healthier engagement with appearance-focused online content.
Developmental Origins of Self-Criticism: Exploring Its Impact on the Psychological Functioning and Well-Being of South African Young Adults
Self-criticism, the enduring tendency to engage in harsh self-evaluation and punitive internal dialogue, represents a core cognitive vulnerability underpinning various forms of psychological distress. While quantitative research links self-criticism to adverse mental health outcomes, less is known about how early relational experiences qualitatively shape its development and clinical manifestations in emerging adulthood, particularly within non-WEIRD, socio-culturally complex contexts like South Africa. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study explored the lived experiences of six South African young adults (ages 18–30) regarding the developmental origins, cognitive internalization, and functional impact of self-criticism. Individual semi-structured video interviews conducted via Microsoft Teams were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a four-stage IPA framework. Three master themes emerged: (1) Developmental Onset and Relational Origins, highlighting an early window of vulnerability (ages 4–8) driven by caregiver reprimand cycles, parental control, peer rejection, and racialized institutional pressures; (2) The Internalization Process and Cognitive Vulnerability, illustrating how external criticism shifts into hostile internal dialogue, imposter phenomenon, and evaluative defensiveness; and (3) Adult Manifestations and Psychological Distress, detailing acute affective crises (panic and depression) and functional impairments (perfectionistic task paralysis and burnout). The findings underscore the importance of developmental formulation in clinical practice and advocate for integrating Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to target hostile self-evaluations in South African mental health settings.
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
The Impact of Neuro-Linguistic Programming on critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and purposeful decision-making in young adults with borderline personality and anxiety disorders: A Case Study
The present case study examines the impact of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) on critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and purposeful decision-making in two female undergraduate students diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and anxiety disorder. Participant A.D. (19 years old), diagnosed with BPD and currently engaged in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a primary intervention, and Participant M.P. (20 years old), diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with prior CBT experience, required and participated in a structured NLP intervention implemented as a complementary approach. The NLP intervention was conducted for a period of 10 weeks, consisting of one weekly session lasting one hour. The NLP techniques used, included Anchoring, Reframing, Future Pacing and the Meta Model for linguistic and cognitive restructuring. The results were assessed using qualitative methods, semi-structured interviews with the purpose to explore changes in reflective thinking, emotional regulation, and purposeful decision-making. A thematic analysis of participant responses was performed and that revealed significant improvements in cognitive flexibility, including increased ability to challenge using on target questions automatic thoughts, developing metacognition ability and reduce cognitive distortions. Participants also demonstrated enhanced emotional awareness and self-regulation, and a higher capacity for intentional, purposeful decision-making in both academic and social contexts. Clinically, relevant changes were observed in the specific areas, including reduced avoidance and procrastinated behaviors, improved tolerance of anxiety-provoking situations or events, and decreased reactivity to maladaptive thought patterns leading self-harm and withdrawal. These findings suggest that NLP, particularly through the application of the Meta Model, Reframing, Anchoring and Future Pacing, may serve as a valuable adjunctive intervention for enhancing cognitive-emotional functioning and purposeful decision-making in young adults with BPD and anxiety disorders. Further research with larger samples as well as quantitative methods for assessing the outcomes is recommended to establish the efficacy and generalizability of these results.
When the Child Becomes the Guide: An Integrative Relational Model for Transforming Childhood Psychopathology through Family Processes
Childhood psychopathology is frequently conceptualized as an individual disorder requiring symptom-focused interventions. Nevertheless, extensive research, including meta-analyses and longitudinal studies, has established the central importance of attachment security, caregiver reflective functioning, and family relationships in shaping children's emotional and behavioral outcomes. Additional studies indicate that systemic family dynamics and parental mentalizing capacities contribute to both the onset and persistence of childhood psychopathology. Despite these findings, many therapeutic approaches continue to prioritize symptom reduction over understanding the relational significance of symptoms. This presentation introduces an integrative relational model that conceptualizes childhood symptoms as adaptive relational communications, which can guide therapeutic change throughout the family system. Developed over more than twenty years of clinical experience in systemic family psychotherapy at the Clinical Service of Prof. Maurizio Andolfi’s Academy of Family Psychotherapy, this model integrates multigenerational family therapy with contemporary perspectives on mentalization, intersubjectivity, and developmental psychology. Instead of identifying the child as the patient, the intervention positions the child as an active guide who reveals unresolved emotional processes, family myths, intergenerational loyalties, and developmental impasses that perpetuate psychological distress. The therapeutic approach combines intergenerational family assessment with experiential techniques—including play, metaphors, drawings, and family narratives—to facilitate children's participation and promote reflective dialogue among family members. Family narratives are elicited to uncover hidden loyalties and histories, while structured involvement of caregivers and families of origin facilitates greater attunement and shared understanding. Throughout this process, children's symptoms are progressively reframed from targets of correction into shared opportunities for relational understanding, with the clinician guiding the family to discover new ways to respond to distress and support development. The model is exemplified through four video-supported clinical cases involving obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety, psychosomatic complaints, tic disorders, and behavioral difficulties. In these cases, children's symptoms function as meaningful expressions of family distress and simultaneously mobilize the relational resources necessary for change. Key interventions included facilitating open dialogue regarding the child's experiences, promoting parent-child play to strengthen emotional connection, and guiding families in exploring unresolved intergenerational patterns. Across these cases, the intervention was associated with improved parental reflective functioning, increased emotional attunement, restoration of generational boundaries, and a reduction in the child's symptom burden. Instead of prioritizing symptom reduction as the primary therapeutic goal, this model suggests that lasting clinical improvement occurs when children are no longer compelled to communicate unresolved family distress through psychological symptoms. By integrating experiential techniques with relational and developmental perspectives, the model provides a clinically applicable framework for psychotherapy with children and families that is relevant across therapeutic orientations focused on family processes, emotional development, and transdiagnostic mechanisms of change.
Psychological Scenarios of Economic Behavior and Their Relationship with the Level of Material Well-Being of an Individual
Background: Material well-being is determined not only by objective socioeconomic conditions but also by stable psychological patterns that shape individuals' financial attitudes, economic decision-making, and resource management. Psychological scenarios of economic behavior represent enduring cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies formed through personal development and life experience. Despite growing interest in economic psychology, limited attention has been given to hierarchical models describing the progression of psychological scenarios associated with increasing levels of material well-being. Objective: To develop and empirically examine a hierarchical model of psychological scenarios of economic behavior and to investigate the relationship between these scenarios and the level of individual material well-being. Methods: The proposed model conceptualizes economic behavior as a sequence of six psychological scenarios: Victim, Child, Parental Role, Adult, Creator, and Leader (Sage), each representing increasing levels of personal responsibility, financial competence, and economic productivity. Participants were assessed using a structured psychological questionnaire designed to identify the dominant economic scenario and evaluate its association with indicators of material well-being. Statistical analyses were performed to examine differences in financial outcomes across the identified psychological scenarios. Results: The findings demonstrate a significant relationship between dominant psychological scenarios and material well-being. Lower levels of financial well-being were predominantly associated with the Victim and Child scenarios, characterized by external locus of control, impulsive financial behavior, dependence on external circumstances, and short-term resource consumption. Higher levels of material well-being were associated with the Adult, Creator, and Leader scenarios, which were characterized by personal responsibility, strategic planning, value creation, effective resource management, and long-term financial thinking. The hierarchical model revealed a gradual transition from survival-oriented economic behavior toward productive, creative, and systemic financial strategies accompanied by increasing material prosperity. Conclusion: The proposed hierarchical model demonstrates that psychological scenarios constitute an important determinant of economic behavior and material well-being. Progression from passive survival-oriented patterns toward responsible, creative, and leadership-oriented economic strategies is associated with higher levels of financial success and resource accumulation. These findings contribute to the field of economic psychology by providing a conceptual framework for understanding the psychological foundations of material well-being and may serve as a basis for developing psychological interventions, financial education programs, and coaching approaches aimed at improving economic behavior and long-term financial outcomes.
Integration Of Autogenic Training and Cognitive-Behavioural Techniques for Treatment of Gad: An Illustrative Case Study
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a mental disorder that is treated by many mental health professionals. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Techniques has been proven to be effective for clients by helping them restructure their cognitions, which significantly reduces anxiety symptoms. Autogenic training (AT) is a relaxation technique to relieve physical tension, reduce anxiety, and improve psychological well-being (Yumkhaibam, et al, 2023). The study involved a case diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The case was administered instruments such as: Beck Anxiety Inventory, Penn State Worry Questionnaire; Severity Measure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Adult. The aim of this study was to create an approach that integrates Autogenic Training with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Techniques, to be effective in reducing anxiety symptoms. This study also aims to demonstrate the effective use of a case study, in analyzing the effects of combining Autogenic Training with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques and the impact of this approach on anxiety. Data analysis was based on psychological analysis and objective measurements of clinical instruments. The results showed a reduction in anxiety and worry symptoms, increased psychological and emotional well-being, learning new skills to cope with anxiety symptoms in the future, increased ability to control irrational thinking through the use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques, learning skills to relax independently in the future by working with Autogenic Training. Further research is needed to assess and identify these specific factors that alleviate anxiety and other relaxation exercises may be used. It may also be supportive for other studies in the clinical field, in the creation of a treatment guide.
The Effect of Neurodynamic Restoration on Psycho-Emotional State: An Empirical Study Using the “Dinamika” Diagnostic Complex
The growing prevalence of chronic psycho-emotional stress and associated psychosomatic disorders underscores the need for effective non-invasive methods of psychophysiological regulation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Neurodynamic Restoration Method — a body-oriented, non-pharmacological approach to nervous system regulation grounded in the principles of neuroplasticity and autonomic self-regulation — on psycho-emotional state and cardiovascular functional indicators. Seventy-eight women aged 25–38 years were randomly assigned to a control (n=39) and experimental (n=39) group. The sample was limited to female participants in order to control for hormonal variability as a confounding factor. Functional state was assessed using the “Dinamika” validated psychophysiological diagnostic complex, recording heart rate, heart rate variability indices (RMSSD, SDNN), pulse recovery time, pulse wave velocity, mean arterial pressure, cardiac index, and augmentation index. Trait and state anxiety levels were additionally measured. The experimental group completed a two-month course of Neurodynamic Restoration; the control group received standard psycho-emotional relaxation procedures. The study was conducted in accordance with informed consent principles. Results demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the experimental group compared to controls, including reduced heart rate, increased RMSSD and SDNN indices, improved cardiovascular parameters, and significant reductions in both trait and state anxiety (p<0.05). These findings are consistent with current research on heart rate variability as a marker of autonomic regulation, supporting the efficacy of non-pharmacological approaches to psychophysiological self-regulation. Neurodynamic Restoration is concluded to be a promising, safe, and non-invasive approach to psycho-emotional regulation. Further research with larger and mixed-gender samples and additional objective biomarkers is required to fully establish its efficacy.
The Body Under Surveillance: Self-Monitoring as a Transdiagnostic Mechanism in Panic, Sexual Performance Anxiety, and Performance Blocks
This paper proposes a brief strategic conceptualization of excessive bodily self-monitoring as a transdiagnostic maintaining mechanism in panic, avoidance, sexual performance anxiety, and performance-related blocks. Across these clinical presentations, individuals frequently shift from embodied experience to evaluative surveillance: heartbeat, breathing, dizziness, muscle tension, erection, orgasmic response, desire, or technical execution are monitored as possible signs of danger, inadequacy, or failure. Drawing on qualitative clinical observations from psychotherapeutic and sexological practice, the paper examines the perceptive–reactive system through which attempted solutions sustain the problem. The individual anticipates losing control, increases self-observation, attempts to regulate or suppress the feared response, and thereby amplifies the salience of bodily cues. In panic, ordinary sensations become evidence of imminent collapse; in agoraphobic avoidance, protected spaces progressively shrink; in sexual performance anxiety, erotic encounter becomes an evaluative task; and in sport or public performance, spontaneous action is inhibited by excessive technical control. From a brief strategic therapy perspective, clinical assessment should therefore identify not only symptoms, but also redundant attempted solutions: checking, reassurance-seeking, avoidance, over-preparation, protective rituals, and forced control. The paper discusses intervention pathways aimed at interrupting this surveillance system through paradoxical prescriptions, ritualized exposure, symptom scheduling, attention-redirection tasks, and corrective emotional experiences. The model offers an integrative clinical framework relevant to psychological disorder therapy, sports psychology, and the psychology of intimacy and performance.
Music Connect: Tracking Adolescent Mood Change Across a Five-Session Nordoff-Robbins-Inspired School Curriculum
Adolescent mental health is a global issue of concern in modern society: half of all mental health problems occur before age 14 and most of these conditions are not detected in school environments. The effect of a five-session Music Connect, a music curriculum inspired by Nordoff-Robbins, on the mood and feelings of adolescents was studied using a quasi-experimental, within-subjects, longitudinal design with 16 adolescents participating, and depressive symptoms assessed with the Moods and Feelings Questionnaire. Thirty children (M age ≈ 12±1), approximately equally distributed among genders, were recruited by the convenience sampling method from a single non-government school in Mumbai, India. Results indicated there was a statistically significant decrease in MFQ scores between Session 1 (M = 9.57, SD = 7.06) and Session 5 (M = 2.07, SD = 2.80), with most of the difference in scores occurring within first three sessions of the intervention and leveling off thereafter. This trajectory was corroborated by a repeated-measures ANOVA, F(4, 116) = 25.25, p < .001, η²g = .289, and a paired-samples t-test, t(29) = 6.62, p < .001, d= 1.21, where 83% of participants showed improvement overall. The findings here point to the possibility of providing a scalable and low-cost support to school wellbeing programs through a structured and group-based music curriculum. The findings do not provide evidence for causal claims as there was no control group, but they do provide some basis for further controlled, longitudinal research.
Psychological Well-Being in Amateur Tennis and Golf Athletes: The Roles of Performance Anxiety, Sport Type, Age, and Gender
Performance anxiety is widely reported among competitive athletes, yet little research has examined how demographic factors jointly relate to depressive symptoms and multidimensional sport anxiety in amateur, non-elite populations. This cross-sectional study examined the associations between sport type (tennis, golf, or both), age, gender, and self-reported depression and competitive sport anxiety among 30 amateur tennis and golf athletes (24 men, 6 women; age range 19–58 years) recruited via convenience sampling from the United States, India, and Singapore. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2), which yields Somatic Anxiety, Worry, and Concentration Disruption subscales. All four psychological variables violated the assumption of normality (Shapiro-Wilk ps < .05), so non-parametric tests, 95% confidence intervals, and both observed and a priori statistical power analyses accompanied all primary analyses. Sport type was not significantly associated with depression or any anxiety dimension in one-way analyses of variance or corroborating Kruskal-Wallis tests, although observed power for these comparisons was low. Age showed no significant correlation with any study variable. Women, however, reported significantly higher somatic anxiety than men on independent-samples t tests (d = 1.12, observed power = .66), with a similar but more test-dependent pattern for worry. Depressive symptoms, contrary to expectation, were not significantly correlated with any SAS-2 subscale, although the three anxiety subscales were strongly intercorrelated with one another. Within this small amateur sample, then, gender — rather than sport type, age, or depressive symptomatology — was the demographic variable most consistently associated with competitive sport anxiety, though the low power of several tests means these null findings should be treated as inconclusive rather than confirmatory. Limitations related to sample size, statistical power, gender imbalance, and convenience sampling are discussed alongside directions for future research.
Motherhood, Context, and Language: A Narrative Synthesis of Filicide in South Africa Through a Linguistic Feminist Lens
This article examines maternal experiences in cases of filicide in South Africa using a linguistic feminist lens, foregrounding how language constructs and reflects maternal identity, societal expectations, and contextual pressures within motherhood. Through employing a narrative synthesis of case studies and published literature, the study prioritises challenging experienced through motherhood and contextual factors. Findings highlight the interplay between socio-economic constraints, family dynamics, and societal discourse, demonstrating the utility of linguistic feminist analysis in understanding complex maternal experiences. Through local narratives, the study addresses a gap in South African research and contributes to feminist psychological scholarship on motherhood and social context.
Perceptions of Adolescent Behaviour in School: Comparing Student Self-Reports and Teacher Assessments
Adolescence is one of the stages when students become vulnerable to diverse types of emotional discomfort, behavioral disorders, social disputes that is why the correct diagnosis of the psychosocial problems becomes especially significant in the school setting. The research question in this paper was to analyze the degree of congruency between the self-reports of adolescents and teacher-reported socio-emotional and behavioural problems based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Data was collected from 59 students aged 12-19 years enrolled in grades 9-12 at an under-resourced school in Gurugram, India, along with corresponding teacher reports from 4 faculty members. The study made use of the SDQ which was administered physically to the students during the school hour. The questionnaire assessed emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and prosocial behaviour. Statistical analyses included paired-samples t-tests, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland-Altman plots, and multiple regression analyses to evaluate differences and agreement between informants. The results of the study indicated that most of the SDQ domains did not have significant student and teacher ratings. For prosocial behaviour the students rated higher than teachers. Poor agreement was shown in all domains of the ICC results even though the mean scores were similar. Thus, it signifies low cross-informant agreement on adolescent difficulties of students and teachers. In addition, regression analyses revealed that teacher ratings were not predicted by students’ self report, age and gender. This study highlights the significance of using multiple informants to improve the understanding of adolescent mental health issues in an altruistic school.
Comparative Study on The Effects of White Noise and Western Classical Music on Perceived and Physiological Stress Levels in Healthy Young Female Adults
This present study compared the effects of white noise and western classical music on perceived and physiological stress levels in young, healthy female adults. Using a repeated-measures laboratory experiment, 30 women aged 20-30 from the Delhi NCR region were exposed to both auditory conditions across two sessions. Perceived stress was measured using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), while physiological stress was assessed through pulse rate, blood pressure, and galvanic skin response (GSR). The findings showed that both white noise and western classical music were associated with significant reductions in perceived stress. However, the physiological results were less consistent with the white noise condition producing a significant increase in pulse rate, suggesting that although participants reported feeling calmer, autonomic arousal may not have decreased. This may be attributed to perceived stress scores being influenced by demand characteristics. In contrast, western classical music produced a significant reduction in pulse rate and lower GSR increases than white noise at all times, indicating a more consistent calming effect on physiological stress responses. Overall, the study suggests that while both auditory stimuli may help reduce the subjective experience of stress, western classical music appears to be more effective in promoting measurable physiological relaxation. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between perceived and physiological stress reduction and support further research
The Psychology of Performance Failure in Professional Football
This theoretical paper advances a conceptual framework for understanding performance failure in football as a multidimensional phenomenon emerging from the dynamic interaction of psychological, contextual, and performance-related factors. Although failure is an inherent component of competitive sport, in professional football it carries heightened consequences due to public scrutiny, financial stakes, and organizational pressures. Existing literature has often examined isolated predictors of underperformance, yet fewer approaches integrate cognitive, emotional, and environmental determinants into a coherent model. Drawing on cognitive-behavioral theories, stress-vulnerability models, and contemporary sport psychology perspectives, the present paper conceptualizes performance failure as the outcome of maladaptive appraisal processes, dysregulated emotional responses, and attentional disruptions under pressure. Key mechanisms discussed include fear of failure, perfectionistic concerns, rumination, reduced self-efficacy, and identity foreclosure in athletes. Contextual contributors such as coaching climate, team culture, media pressure, and injury history are also considered as amplifiers or buffers of failure risk. The objectives of this theoretical endeavor are: (1) to systematize the main psychological pathways leading to performance failure in football; (2) to distinguish between acute failure (momentary underperformance) and chronic failure patterns; and (3) to outline theoretical directions for prevention and intervention, including resilience training, cognitive restructuring, and psychologically informed coaching practices. By integrating individual and contextual perspectives, this framework aims to stimulate empirical research and support the development of evidence-based interventions designed to reduce performance failure and promote adaptive functioning in competitive football.
From Rote Recall to Real-World Application: Evidence for Experiential Learning in Schools
Rote learning involves memorizing the contents of textbooks and testing them through recall, which may focus more on the performance of the learner rather than true understanding. By contrast, the newer educational methods focus on the use, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge to solve practical problems. As the world of artificial intelligence brings even greater emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving, it is important to consider pedagogical approaches that foster deeper learning and retention. The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of experiential learning and traditional rote learning in the context of secondary school students.A sample of 69 students of the age group 15-18 years comprising 35 male and 34 female students were used in an experimental research design. The learning outcomes were evaluated after students were exposed with rote learning or experiential learning modules. The statistical analyses used an independent sample t-test to compare the learning methods, ANOVA to compare the differences between the age and grade levels, and multiple linear regression to determine the predictors of academic performance. The results showed that the performance of students who were exposed to experiential learning was significantly higher than the performance of students who were taught by a method of rote learning. The age was significantly related to student scores while the gender was not significantly related to learning outcomes. The results of regression showed that the learning module was the most significant factor influencing academic achievement, suggesting that the learning approach had a significant impact on student achievement.The findings indicate that experiential learning leads to better conceptual understanding, knowledge retention and application of knowledge. These findings suggest that teaching methods should be changed in favor of a more practical approach rather than being focused on memorization. It is imperative that policymakers, educators and curriculum developers invest in experiential learning resources and teacher training to better equip students to meet the demands of the modern world.
Empirical Evidence on the Effectiveness of Counseling and Mental Health Interventions at PICS NEPAL
There is a growing concern about mental health issues in this rapidly changing world. People still prioritize physical health, but Mental health is equally important for enhancing quality of life, as it has become the world’s most significant concern nowadays. One of the leading organizations addressing these issues is PICS NEPAL. Out of the total 289, 154 males, 128 females, three gay, and four didn’t disclose their identity. This record holds contrary to the previous beliefs that females are more likely to suffer from psychosocial issues and thus would be more likely to seek help. The findings highlight a growing mental health burden among young, unmarried individuals, adolescent males and females, who face increased vulnerability due to factors such as dysfunctional family, academic stress, trauma, financial issues, childhood stress, social media factors, and relationship issues. Symptoms include low self-esteem, stress, fear, phobia, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and suicidal ideation. The report represents the total number of sessions they attended at the center, ranging from 1 to 13. Therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Person-Centred Therapy, Psychoeducation, and Psychiatric Consultation, proved effective in reducing symptoms and promoting emotional well-being. After completing the sessions, clients experienced notable improvements in their mental well-being, which helped them manage daily activities and maintain quality relationships. It also shows the role of early intervention, rapport building, culturally responsive counseling, effective therapeutic intervention, and proper medication in addressing the mental health challenges faced by Nepalese.
Parental Conditional Regard, Family Emotional Processes, and Decision-Making Styles in Indian Adults: Insights from Family Systems Theory
This study explored the connections between parental conditional regard, perceived criticism, emotional involvement, differentiation of self and decision-making styles, all within an Indian cultural context, a collectivist one. Based on the Family Systems Theory and the Self-Determination Theory, the study sought to explore the interplay between family emotional processes and behavioural decision-making tendencies in culturally interdependent family systems. To achieve this, a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design was used on a sample of 226 Indian adults, who were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Standardized self-report instruments were used to gather data on the following: parental conditional positive and negative regard, emotional involvement and perceived criticism, differentiation of self and decision-making styles. The analyses of the data that were performed included Pearson correlations, point-biserial correlations, chi-square analyses, one-way ANOVAs, independent-samples t-tests, and logistic regression analyses. The results showed that these variables had high interrelationships, especially with high positive relationships between parental conditional positive regard and perceived criticism, and emotional involvement and perceived criticism. The differentiation of self was highly correlated with all the main family emotional processes. Parental conditional regard, emotional involvement, and differentiation, however, did not significantly predict dependent or avoidant decision-making styles as was predicted. Family emotional variables showed small but significant negative associations with intuitive decision making. The results point to the possibility that family emotional processes in collectivist cultures can have indirect effects on behaviour, rather than direct ones. Overall, the study highlights the importance of culturally contextualising family systems and psychological functioning within collectivist societies.
Psychological Mechanisms Influencing Preferences for AI-Based and Human Counselling in India
This research explores the psychological reasons behind people's preference for AI (artificial intelligence) over human-based counseling in India, focusing on five major areas including stigma, emotional safety, relational trust, accessibility, and privacy concerns. Although AI usage is beginning to be integrated into mental health care, research has not adequately studied the psychological influences affecting individuals' overall attitudes toward these two modalities, especially since mental health care infrastructures in much of the world are deficient. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of 56 adults currently residing in India who responded to a series of structured questionnaires that consisted of demographic items, multiple-choice questions, and a 5-point Likert scale measuring response level. Data analyses using non-parametric statistics were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation coefficients, and Chi-Square tests. Results indicate that those with interpersonal anxiety and those fearing judgment found AI effective in addressing emotional safety concerns associated with counseling. Additionally, privacy concerns significantly reduce trust in AI, and participants indicated that privacy concerns caused them to have even greater concerns regarding misuse of their data. Participants also feel that human counselors perform better than AI when dealing with emotionally complex cases because humans can read non-verbal communications. Participants indicated that both accessibility and affordability were major benefits of AI counseling. Finally, participants view AI and human-based counseling as competing systems, not complementary systems. These findings suggest that emotional safety, stigma, and privacy perceptions are central determinants of counselling preferences in India. Developers and policymakers should prioritise transparency, ethical data practices, and human-centred design to improve public acceptance of AI-assisted mental healthcare.
The Architecture of Choice: The Influence of Implicit Mechanisms on Strategic Decision-Making
Purpose / Objectives: This paper presents an integrative socio-psychological model of strategic decision-making, challenging classical rationalist paradigms. It introduces the original concept of Implicit Group Schemas (IGS)—a predictive macro-model—and a hierarchical cognitive filtration framework. The aim is to explain how latent cognitive-affective mechanisms predicate strategic choices and conflict environment formation under systemic uncertainty. Methods / Approach: Synthesizing predictive processing, meaning regulation, and polyheuristic theory, the research develops the Comprehensive Analysis of Implicit Determinants (CAID) program. This methodology triangulates cognitive, affective, and psychodynamic markers, integrating at-a-distance profiling (e.g., VICS) to decode the latent dynamics of political elites without relying on conscious self-reports. Results / Findings: Findings demonstrate that strategic choice is a product of sequential cognitive-dynamic filtration. Under stress, IGS aggressively reduces multidimensional reality to binary oppositions to defend the collective subject against intolerable uncertainty. Crucially, individual cognitive biases are not corrected by institutions but are instead institutionalized through group dynamics. Decisions thus become suboptimal strategically, yet optimal for maintaining group identity within the society's macro-psychological "corridor of opportunities". Conclusions / Recommendations: Shifting from conscious symptoms, such as groupthink, to the generative mechanism of IGS offers a vital paradigm shift. This model enables the accurate predication of conflict escalation. Furthermore, resolving conflict environments requires the leader’s volitional "meaning reconstruction of reality" to bypass implicit schemas and restore the opponent's agency.