Recent studies have reported that video game addiction is prevalent among university students. Despite this, video game addiction studies in Ghana are scarce. In addition, there is no validated scale for assessing video game addiction in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the 7-item Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS) among Ghanaian university students. Participants were 814 university students from three public universities in Ghana. The average age of the participants was 20.62 years (SD = 2.49). The data were collected using the Gaming Addiction Scale, Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version, Brief Resilience Scale, Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. The data were analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and AMOS Statistical Package. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the 7-item GAS. A Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.85 demonstrated that the scale had a good internal consistency reliability. Analysis using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient revealed that the 7-item GAS correlated differently with some criterion variables (emotional intelligence, stress, depression, anxiety, resilience, smartphone addiction and facebook addiction) as evidence of concurrent and discriminant validity. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the instrument demonstrated measurement invariance across age, university type and programme of study. These findings suggest that the 7-item GAS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring video game addiction symptoms among Ghanaian university students.
Abstract The cognitive-motivational repercussions of social exclusion have been extensively studied, particularly its adverse effects on cognitive functions such as decision-making. However, its influence on moral decision-making remains underexplored. In an era where a significant portion of social interaction takes place online, social exclusion is increasingly manifested through a lack of digital attention. The present study therefore examined moral decision-making across different levels of inclusionary status using an online ostracism paradigm. This paradigm simulates social interaction on a mock social-media platform that mirrored the digital dynamics of social connection through Likes , whereby participants experienced exclusion ( N = 31; 1 Like), inclusion ( N = 30; 5 Likes) and overinclusion ( N = 30; 9 Likes). Across mixed-effects models and a dual frequentist–Bayesian approach, overinclusion was associated with greater acceptance of sacrificial harm in self-beneficiary moral dilemmas, whereas exclusion and inclusion did not differ. Over-included participants also reported lower arousal in response to the dilemmas, and mediation analyses provided evidence consistent with a partially arousal-mediated overinclusion effect (attenuated when controlling for empathy traits). Additionally, higher affective empathy traits were associated with a lower tendency for sacrificial harm. This study demonstrates that moral decision-making remains unaffected by the short-term social exclusion, whereas overinclusion promotes sacrificial harm acceptance through the partial mediation of arousal. We conclude by outlining testable accounts for the null effect of exclusion, while highlighting implications for chronically over-included online users (e.g., influencers), and reporting hypothesis-generating hierarchical drift-diffusion predictions for future work.
Public sector firms struggle with retaining talented staff, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The study is based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and on organizational commitment and leadership theories to examine the joint influence of the work environment, affective organizational commitment, and leadership techniques on retention in Uganda’s public sector. It proposes a moderated mediation model in which organizational commitment mediates the relationship between the work environment and employee retention, and transformational and transactional leadership styles moderate this relationship. We examined 410 public-sector employees in Uganda using covariance-based structural equation modeling in SPSS-AMOS, and the findings show a positive relationship between the work environment and both affective organizational commitment and employee retention. Organizational commitment serves as a mediator between the work environment and employee retention. At the same time, there is a positive moderation of the influence of work environment on organizational commitment by transformational leadership and a negative moderation by transactional leadership.
Mental health problems are disproportionately experienced by LGBTQ youth because of social marginalisation and minority stress. Although self-efficacy has been determined as a predictor of resilience, its mechanisms by which the two relate have not been studied extensively. This paper focuses on how coping strategies moderate the association between self-efficacy and resilience among the LGBTQ youth. To analyze the moderating effect of coping strategies on the self-efficacy and resilience relationship among LGBTQ youth. It was a cross-sectional study involving 405 youth participants of LGBTQ. The data were processed with the help of the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The moderation model tested self efficacy as the independent variable, resilience as the dependent variable and the moderator as the coping strategies. Five thousand resamples of bootstrapping were used to test the significance of path coefficients. The findings validated that coping strategies played an important role in moderating the relationship between self-efficacy and resilience. The positive association between self-efficacy and resilience was significant (β = 0.614, t = 19.225, p < 0.001). The direct positive effect was observed between coping strategies and resilience ( β = 0.163, t = 2.391, p = 0.017). The interaction term (Coping Strategies × Self-Efficacy) did not reach statistical significance (β = 0.237, t = 2.221, p = 0.026, 95
Unfinished business has been associated with a diminished sense of meaning in life. The regulatory mechanisms that might account for this association have not, however, been examined empirically. The present study examined whether cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) explain part of that association among university students of the San Martín Region, in the Peruvian Amazon. A cross-sectional explanatory study with an associative strategy was conducted with 617 participants (M = 22.1 years, SD = 3.6; 54.0
Geometric forms are fundamental components of children’s educational environments and may influence emotional comfort, spatial perception, and learning behavior. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding how children’s shape preferences vary across cultures. This study aimed to compare children’s preferences for basic geometric shapes in Iran and Oman while examining the effects of age and gender. A field-based descriptive-analytical method was adopted using a child-centered visual interview technique. Thirty children were recruited from each country, totaling sixty youngsters between the ages of four and six. There were 26 girls and 34 guys in the sample. Four forced-choice trials with circle, square, rectangle, and triangle shapes presented as colored 3D, uncolored 3D, colored 2D, and uncolored 2D stimuli were completed by each child. 240 trial-level replies nested among 60 participants were produced by the process. The correlation between each child’s four responses was taken into consideration using a multinomial generalized estimating equation model. After controlling for within-child clustering, country was still substantially linked with shape preference (Wald χ²(3) = 22.702, p < 0.001). Additionally, significant correlations were found for gender (Wald χ²(3) = 37.962, p < 0.001) and age group (Wald χ²(6) = 13.273, p = 0.039). Shape preference was not significantly correlated with presentation condition (Wald χ²(9) = 5.150, p = 0.821), nor was the country-by-presentation-condition interaction (Wald χ²(9) = 7.168, p = 0.620). In terms of descriptiveness, Omani children chose circles in 59 out of 120 trials (49.2
This study aims to identify the determinants of stress associated with infertility among women and assess their impact on the success rates of intrauterine insemination (IUI). 243 infertile women undergoing IUI treatment at the reproductive center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to July 2021 were included in this study. Participants completed the General Information Questionnaire, the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), the Stress Response Questionnaire (SRQ), and the Coping Style Questionnaire (CSQ). Follow-up sessions were conducted to record pregnancy outcomes, including clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. General linear regression was used to evaluate the association between FPI scores and key participant characteristics. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the correlations between SRQ, CSQ, and FPI scores. Logistic regression analyzed the relationship between coping styles, perceived stress, various FPI domains, and pregnancy outcomes. The average global stress score related to infertility was 135.1 (SD=18.2). Factors such as the outbreak of COVID-19, educational level, and monthly household income significantly influenced infertility-related stress (P<0.05). Stress reactions and negative coping styles were positively correlated with higher levels of infertility-related stress (P<0.001). No statistically significant relationship was associated with pregnancy outcomes and live birth. Women undergoing IUI exhibit significant levels of stress related to infertility, which is influenced by factors such as the COVID-19 outbreak, educational level, and family income. Perceived stress and negative coping styles also contribute to this stress. These findings enhance understanding of psychosocial stress in women undergoing IUI during public health crisis and underscore the need for targeted psychological interventions to support their well-being.
Sexual violence has immediate and long-term adverse health outcomes on survivors, such as reduced mental well-being, suicidal thoughts, self-harm behaviours, and substance abuse. However, empirical evidence detailing the association between sexual violence, suicide ideation and self-harm among young people (18–24 years) in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study investigated the prevalence of sexual violence, suicide ideation and self-harm among young people aged 18 to 24 years in Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, and Namibia, as well as the influence of sexual violence experience on suicide ideation and self-harm. This study is a secondary analysis of nationally representative Violence Against Children Survey (VACS) data for the Ivory Coast (2018), Kenya (2018), Lesotho (2019) and Namibia (2019). In total, the study involved 9,826 young people aged 18 to 24 years across the four countries. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of respondents, while binary logistic regression was used to examine the influence of sexual violence on suicide ideation and self-harm. The results were adjusted for sex, school attendance, orphanhood status, working experience, talk to friends and justification for physical violence. The prevalence of sexual violence was more than 20
Numerous self-report measures have been developed to assess gaming disorder (GD) among children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 years old, but not for children below the age of 8 years. Because young children aged 5–7 years cannot reliably complete self-report surveys, assessment should be based on parent/guardian reports. Therefore, the present study developed and psychometrically evaluated a new instrument, the Parent Proxy Measure for Gaming Disorder Among Young Children (PPM-GD-YC). The study was conducted from June to November 2023 in Qazvin province, Iran using two-stage quota random sampling. A preliminary version of the scale was developed based on the components model of addiction comprising items assessing salience, conflict, tolerance, relapse, withdrawal, and mood modification. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Rasch analysis. A total of 5630 parents (mean age: fathers 39.0 years, mothers 34.2 years) participated. Parents reported that their children spent an average of 1.5 h daily on gaming. Six of 11 initial items were retained. The final six-item version demonstrated a unidimensional factor structure supported by EFA, CFA, and Rasch analysis. CFA fit indices were satisfactory (CFI = 0.976, TLI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.048). Rasch analysis showed acceptable item fit (infit MNSQ = 0.91–1.16; outfit MNSQ = 0.90–1.12). Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s α = 0.759). However, person separation reliability was modest (0.57), indicating the scale is suitable for group-level screening rather than individual clinical diagnosis. Importantly, the construct validity evidence presented is preliminary, as discriminant validity, known-groups validity, and criterion validity have not yet been established. The PPM-GD-YC is a promising screening tool for epidemiological research and large-scale screening studies, but it should be used exclusively for group-level comparisons. It should not be used for individual clinical diagnosis without further validation against clinical interviews and establishment of cut-off scores, as the low person separation reliability (0.57) limits its capacity to differentiate individuals reliably. Individual scores should be interpreted with extreme caution, and future research should prioritize establishing discriminant, known-groups, and criterion validity, as well as developing a longer version to improve person separation reliability.
Digital transformation has significantly reshaped modern society, with important implications for mental health. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution, main contributors, and thematic development of research on digital transformation and its psychological effects. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on studies indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed databases, covering the period January 1, 2014 to June 20, 2024. A total of 2287 publications were initially identified, of which 1606 were included in the analysis. The study employed the Biblioshiny application within the Bibliometrix package in RStudio. The bibliometric approach included performance analysis (scientific production, author affiliations, most cited journals, and collaboration networks) and thematic analysis (keyword frequency, research trends over time, co-occurrence networks, longitudinal thematic evolution, and thematic maps). The analysis highlights a substantial increase in research output over the studied period and identifies key contributors and geographical patterns in the field. It reveals important gaps in the literature, particularly regarding the relationship between emerging digitalization components (e.g., remote work, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, blockchain) and mental health. In addition, the findings indicate the rapid emergence of new research directions driven by technological advances, especially in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital environments. This study provides a baseline overview of the field prior to the accelerated expansion of AI-driven research observed after mid-2024. The findings have important implications for mental health research prioritization, clinical awareness, and the development of evidence-based interventions addressing the psychological impact of emerging digital technologies.
Psychological safety is an important workplace condition that supports employee participation, learning, and innovation. In Indian Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) organisations, employees work in environments characterised by rapid technological change, continuous learning, and evolving organisational demands. Although previous studies have reported positive relationships between psychological safety and innovation, limited qualitative research has examined employees’ experiences of psychological safety within workplace innovation settings in the Indian context. This study adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore employees’ experiences of psychological safety in workplace innovation environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 employees from IT and ITeS organisations located in Chennai and Bengaluru, India. The interview data were analysed using NVivo 15 through coding and thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from the analysis, including autonomy, flexibility and empowerment; organisational strategy and change; technology adoption and support; leadership and team culture; and open feedback. The findings indicate that organisational support, leadership accessibility, training opportunities, recognition, and open communication contribute to employees’ perceptions of psychological safety and their willingness to participate in workplace innovation. At the same time, frequent organisational changes, insufficient training, communication gaps, and fear of negative judgment may reduce employees’ confidence to contribute ideas and engage in innovation activities. This study contributes to the workplace innovation and psychological safety literature by providing qualitative evidence from Indian IT and ITeS organisations. The findings offer practical implications for organisational leaders and human resource professionals seeking to create supportive work environments that encourage employee participation, learning, and innovation.
Returning to work (RTW) after cancer treatment is a complex process considering the negative impact of cancer therapy on clinical, psychological, and social outcomes of cancer survivors. Yet, it is an important step that survivors have to consider in their life after the disease. This meta-synthesis aims to investigate qualitative evidence on what impacts return-to-work decisions, and what challenges and experiences cancer survivors encounter while returning to work. Three scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase) were systematically searched to identify qualitative studies investigating return-to-work decisions, challenges, and experiences. The meta-synthesis was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Twenty-nine studies were included in this review. Thematic analysis identified 5 interconnected themes: (1) RTW decision-making (including findings that work serves as a “distraction from cancer” and “desire for normalcy/independence”), (2) role of support, (3) impact of cancer on work ability (highlighting the significant of both physical and cognitive impairment), (4) financial aspects, and (5) challenges of returning to work(including stigma and discrimination). The findings demonstrate that these themes are not isolated but collectively map the full RTW pathway. This meta-synthesis uniquely integrated RTW decision-making, experiences, and challenges into a single qualitative synthesis. The findings demonstrate RTW’s positive impact on survivors’ quality of life and discuss 5 interconnected themes impacting the RTW journey. This work provides actionable targets for interventions and policy: strengthening support systems, addressing physical and cognitive work ability, and reducing workplace stigma. Furthermore, the findings can provide a foundational framework for future research to undertake deeper investigation of each individual theme.
Negative self-portrayal (NSP) is a precursor for social anxiety, a growing global concern that disproportionately affects adolescents. In addition, peer victimization is associated with NSP during this period of identity development. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying the link between peer victimization and NSP remain unclear. Recognizing that victimization disrupts adolescents’ self-concept by inducing feelings of self-blame and shame, this study investigated the potential indirect effect of self-continuity as a component of self-concept in the association between earlier peer victimization and later NSP in a sample of 310 Brazilian adolescents (53
In this theoretically driven narrative review, we examine epistemic injustice-specifically the systemic marginalization of certain groups as knowers and the inadequacy of dominant interpretive frameworks for accurately understanding their experiences. We explore how these dynamics manifest within Western mental health training and practice with the aim of advancing the theoretical application of the framework and developing recommendations for practice and institutional reform. We applied Miranda Fricker’s epistemic injustice framework to peer-reviewed literature published in PsycINFO and PubMed from 2000 to 2025 with the following terms: “epistemic injustice,” “testimonial injustice,” “hermeneutical injustice,” “cultural competency,” “traditional healing,” “mental health disparities,” “Indigenous psychology,” and “multicultural therapy.” The review is theoretically driven rather than systematic; source selection was iterative and judgment-based, and was informed by ongoing critical reflexivity regarding the authors’ positionality relative to the communities described. Approximately 88 sources are drawn upon. The guiding research question is: how does epistemic injustice theory illuminate the structural mechanisms that sustain mental health disparities across diverse communities? Epistemic injustice operates through three interconnected levels: the exclusion of non-Western epistemologies in mental health training, testimonial and hermeneutical injustice in clinical encounters, and institutional mechanisms—including insurance structures, credentialing requirements, and evidence standards—that reproduce and reinforce the first two. These patterns are structural rather than incidental. We offer recommendations for transforming training programs, expanding the evidence framework, reforming institutional policies, and developing collaborative practice models that respect diverse healing traditions while addressing the epistemic conditions that sustain mental health disparities. Despite decades of cultural sensitivity training, mental health disparities persist across racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minority communities, with Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian American, and 2SLGBTQIA+populations facing barriers to effective care. This paper shows how mental health systems systematically exclude non-Western healing practices and ways of understanding psychological distress through institutional policies. Addressing these knowledge-based barriers through institutional reform offers a pathway to reduce disparities and better serve diverse communities.
Opium use is a persistent public health concern. Cognitive–behavioral factors, including awareness, anti-opium attitudes, and opium-refusal self-efficacy, are potentially associated with opium-related decision-making. This study aimed to assess these constructs and identify factors associated with them among Iranian adults. A total of 308 adults aged 18 years and older participated in this cross-sectional online study in Sabzevar, Iran. Participants were recruited through social media using non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected using a validated researcher-developed questionnaire assessing demographics, awareness, anti-opium attitude, and opium-refusal self-efficacy toward opium use (Cronbach’s α: 0.76–0.85). Independent t-test/ANOVA and multivariable linear regression were used for analysis. Awareness did not differ across participant characteristics (P > 0.05). However, opium users had significantly lower anti-opium attitudes (P < 0.001) and opium-refusal self-efficacy (P < 0.001) scores than non-substance users. In adjusted analyses, higher awareness and non‑use of opium were significantly associated with stronger anti-opium attitudes (Adjusted R²=0.215, P < 0.001). Opium-refusal self-efficacy was positively associated with anti-opium attitude (B = 0.194, 95
This study examined the associations of self-efficacy and emotional intelligence with academic motivation among Afghan students enrolled in Indian higher education institutions, and compared these constructs across age cohorts and Indian states. A cross-sectional correlational survey design was employed, using purposive sampling of 200 Afghan nationals studying in Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The participants’ mean age was 26.82 years (SD = 2.90), with ages ranging from 18 to 40 years. The state distribution was Karnataka (n = 64, 32.0
Adolescents in South Africa face persistent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges shaped by intersecting psychosocial determinants. This systematic review synthesises evidence on these determinants using a thematic synthesis of qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and review articles to inform contextually grounded and equity-oriented SRH interventions. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number CRD420251069776), searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Africa Journals Online for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2010 and May 2024. Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed using thematic synthesis; all 31 were peer-reviewed journal articles. Six themes emerged: psychosocial determinants of adolescent SRH outcomes; social norms, gender power relations, and cultural beliefs; mental health and emotional well-being in SRH decision-making; effectiveness of policies and interventions; marginalisation and intersectional vulnerabilities; and pathways toward improved SRH outcomes. Peer influence and parent–adolescent communication strongly shape behaviours, while gender power imbalances and cultural taboos constrain protective practices. Mental health challenges are consistently associated with poorer SRH decision-making, yet mental health remains insufficiently integrated into SRH services. Despite progressive policy frameworks, healthcare provider attitudes and structural violence within health facilities continue to restrict access, especially for marginalised adolescents. To address these gaps, we propose the Intersectional Social Cognitive Ecological Model for Adolescent SRH (ISCEM-ASRH) to guide multilevel, equity-focused interventions; the ISCEM-ASRH is a theoretically informed synthesis intended to generate hypotheses for future empirical testing rather than a validated model.
Existing studies on fertility intentions have predominantly emphasized structural and socioeconomic family factors, while paying insufficient attention to psychological mechanisms. Drawing on attachment theory, this study examines how the family of origin influences fertility intentions among Chinese college students, both directly and indirectly through adult attachment styles. Using cross-sectional survey data from 359 college students from several provinces in China (mean age = 21.26 years; 190 males and 169 females), fertility intentions were assessed in terms of preferences for the number of children and gender composition. Path analysis was used to estimate the direct paths and bootstrapped indirect effects, whereas multi-group analysis was conducted to test whether the structural path coefficients differed across gender, household registration (hukou), and perceived economic-status groups. The results indicate that a more positive family environment characterized by higher levels of intimacy, harmony, acceptance of loss, and trust is associated with a stronger preference for having more children but a weaker preference for girls. One significant indirect effect was identified: family of origin was indirectly associated with the preferred number of children through preoccupied attachment. The structural paths were largely invariant across the demographic groups, except for a significant difference in the gender-preference equation across perceived economic-status groups. Overall, the findings reveal that fertility intentions are shaped by a complex interaction between family psychological dynamics and social structural factors. This study highlights the importance of incorporating family functioning and attachment perspectives into fertility research and provides insights for family education, relationship development, and fertility-related policymaking.
A strong sense of community (SoC) and interpersonal trust are important social factors that contribute to well-being, but its mechanism remains understudied. This study examined how SoC influences life satisfaction and subjective happiness through interpersonal trust, and how interpersonal exploitation and cynicism moderates this association. A sample of 730 participants (60.8
In recent years, dark tourism has gradually emerged as a distinctive form of cultural and psychological healing experience, particularly gaining attention for its therapeutic functions among older adults. However, the mechanisms through which dark tourism facilitates psychological healing remain inadequately explored, and the theoretical underpinnings in existing literature are limited. To address this gap, this study constructs a theoretical model of the psychological healing functions of dark tourism among older adults using grounded theory, based on interview data from 30 older adult participants. The research systematically reveals the key elements and logical pathways of this process. The findings are as follows: (1) Psychological foundation, social support, situational experience, cognitive reconstruction, and behavioral transformation constitute the five core categories of the psychological healing functions in dark tourism; (2) psychological foundation, social support, and situational experience (input factors) trigger emotional release and cognitive reflection, thereby influencing cognitive reconstruction (mediating mechanism), ultimately resulting in the external effect of behavioral transformation; (3) psychological healing outcomes of dark tourism can be further enhanced by optimizing situational experiences, strengthening social support networks, and enhancing individual psychological resilience. This study deepens the theoretical understanding of the psychological healing functions of dark tourism and provides theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the design of relevant sites and the optimization of healing mechanisms.
