The memory updating (MU) process is a core component of working memory (WM). To systematically examine the validity of two commonly used MU tasks as WM measures, the present meta-analysis (76 studies, total N = 16,184) synthesized results on the correlation between the two MU tasks and two criterion tasks (working memory capacity (WMC) and fluid intelligence (Gf)). Results indicated a moderate correlation between running memory (RM) and WMC (r = 0.42, 95% CI = [0.37, 0.48]), a weak correlation between n-back and WMC (r = 0.23, 95% CI = [0.19, 0.28]), and moderate correlations between both RM (r = 0.40, 95% CI = [0.35, 0.46]) and n-back (r = 0.34, 95% CI = [0.32, 0.37]) and Gf. Subgroup analyses showed that memory load moderated the correlation between RM and WMC, and stimulus-onset asynchrony moderated the correlation between n-back and both WMC and Gf. The recollection and recognition nature of RM and n-back contributed to their different correlation with WMC, and the involvement of controlled attention in both tasks accounted for their association with Gf. The present meta-analysis indicated that RM is a more valid WM measure in behavioral studies on individual differences.
This study examines the relationship between occupational stress-related leaves, classified under International Classification of Diseases code F43, and socioeconomic factors such as unemployment, income inequality, and worker income in Brazil from 2012 to 2022. Work-related stress disorders, especially those involving severe stress reactions and adjustment disorders, are big problems for occupational health. Bad working conditions and differences in income can make these problems worse. This research utilized secondary data from official Brazilian databases to perform time-series analyses and structural equation modeling. Results revealed a decline in stress-related leaves during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely influenced by remote work adoption and reduced exposure to workplace hazards. Structural modeling identified key relationships: unemployment rates and occupational risk exposure were positively associated with stress-related leaves, while higher income levels were protective. Unexpectedly, income inequality influenced aggression-related leaves but had no significant direct impact on stress-related leaves. These findings underscore the multifaceted impact of socioeconomic and workplace factors on occupational health, highlighting the need for policies addressing mental health at work and fostering equitable labor conditions. The study also identifies limitations, including potential underreporting and the exclusion of demographic nuances. Future research should adopt a multidisciplinary approach and consider disaggregated data to enhance understanding and intervention strategies.
Emotional eating denotes the behavior in which individuals regulate their emotions by eating in response to adverse emotions or psychological stress. Emotional eating is tightly linked to health issues such as obesity and metabolic disorders, and may give rise to unhealthy eating habits. The aim of this review is to investigate the psychological and physiological mechanisms of emotional eating, probe the potential impact of exercise as a tool for emotional regulation in emotional eating, and its role in avoiding the development of emotional eating into binge eating disorder. In addition, the review assesses gender differences and the potential risks of exercise interventions, aiming to provide theoretical support for clinical applications. A literature search was performed to assess the literature relevant to the role of appetite-controlling hormones and exercise in emotional eating. The search process covered multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. It used a combination of keywords such as “emotional eating”, “appetite-controlling hormones”, “exercise”, and “mood regulation” to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant areas. Inclusion criteria were original research, review articles, and meta-analyses published in English with adult participants. Exclusion criteria included studies relevant to non-emotional appetite changes due to diseases, studies without exercise interventions, and those missing physiological data. The final selected literature was reviewed and considered by independent reviewers to ensure the quality and relevance of the research. Studies suggest that emotional eating is tightly relevant to dysfunction in emotional regulation mechanisms. Specifically, when encountering adverse emotions, individuals may choose high-calorie foods to seek emotional comfort. Exercise, as an effective method of emotional regulation, can reduce emotional eating by modulating appetite hormones (such as leptin and ghrelin) and enhancing emotional well-being. However, the effects of exercise differ by gender, with women generally more likely than men to regulate emotions and lower appetite through exercise. Despite the positive regulatory effects of exercise, intense exercise may also give rise to adverse psychological and physiological effects, such as anxiety, depression, and overtraining syndrome. Hence, exercise interventions should be modified according to individual conditions to avoid excessive risks. Emotional eating overlaps with a binge eating disorder, and if emotional eating is not efficiently managed, it may progress to a binge eating disorder. Thus, exercise interventions could act as an effective means of preventing emotional eating from evolving into a binge eating disorder. In summary, this review emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation in modulating emotional eating, and the positive role of exercise interventions in emotional eating, notably in avoiding binge eating disorder. Future research should further probe the optimal exercise intervention strategies and focus on gender differences and the potential risks of exercise interventions.
Depression is a heterogeneous disease, with individual symptoms uniquely associated with negative cognitive processing bias and self-control. However, studies on the relationships among them from a fine-grained level are lacking. The present study employed network analysis to explore the specific connections among the three constructs based on the dual-process model. Recruiting 1168 Chinese university students, the study estimated a regularized partial correlation network. Depression, negative cognitive processing bias, and self-control were assessed with the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Negative Cognitive Processing Bias Questionnaire (NCPBQ), and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), respectively. Depression nodes fatigue, sad mood, and guilt were the most central symptoms. Negative memory bias, negative attention bias, and guilt were the bridge nodes. Network revealed distinct relations between different negative cognitive processing bias dimensions and depression symptoms, self-control and depression symptoms, and direct antagonistic effects between negative cognitive processing bias and self-control. The current study showed specific pathways between the three communities, and highlighted the role of dual-process model variables in depression development. Focusing on the identified critical depression nodes and related pathways could be effective for depression prevention and intervention.
To identify risk indicators at ages 6–18 years that are associated with DSM-IV diagnoses in adolescents and young adults with intellectual disabilities five years later. To assess the potential health gain and efficiency of preventive interventions targeting these risk indicators. Parents reported on potential child, parental, and environmental risk indicators. Five years later, parents were interviewed using a standardised psychiatric interview schedule (DISC-IV) to assess DSM-IV diagnoses in children with ID (N = 614) at the age of 11 to 24 years. Logistic regression and linear probability models were used to test the contribution of risk indicators to the prediction of DSM-IV diagnoses. Deviant levels of internalising and externalising problems, inadequate adaptive behaviour, and parental psychopathology predicted psychiatric disorder. Children/adolescents exposed to multiple risk indicators were at greater risk of developing DSM-IV disorders. Strategies aiming for the risk reduction of psychiatric disorders in children/adolescents with ID should focus on intervening at an early age, improving psychopathology and adaptive behaviour skills of the children/adolescents, and supporting their parents.
