PCOS is characterized by ovarian hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance (IR), which give rise to symptoms of hyperandrogenism and central obesity, which in turn may cause depression, lower self-esteem, and deteriorate coping strategies in stressful situations.
OBJECTIVE: to examine the mental condition, self-esteem, and ways of coping with stress in women with PCOS compared to age and BMI-matched healthy controls and to correlate them with clinical and laboratory hyperandrogenism, central obesity, and IR.
METHODS: 42 women with PCOS and 39 controls were assessed for the above-mentioned psychological measures and correlated with serum hormonal and metabolic parameters.
RESULTS: Compared to controls, women with PCOS had more symptoms of depression (p = 0.026), a higher level of tension induction (p = 0.032), were more prone to alcohol consumption (p = 0.015), and were less likely to use the strategy of active coping in stressful situations (p = 0.014) and to seek instrumental (p = 0.048) and emotional support (p = 0.043). The presence of hirsutism correlated negatively with the level of emotional induction (R = -0.32, p < 0.05), and androgenic alopecia positively with the hedonistic tone (R = 0.36, p < 0.05). Serum testosterone (TST) correlated positively with the likelihood of seeking instrumental support in stressful situations (R = 0.31, p < 0.05) and with emotional focus (R = 0.34, p < 0.05). Serum androstenedione (A4-dione) correlated negatively with the escape behavior (R = -0.32, p < 0.05). No correlations were found between waist circumference and IR with the studied psychological measures.
CONCLUSIONS: Women with PCOS are characterized by depression, higher levels of tension induction, and impaired coping strategies in stressful situations, which correlate with clinical and laboratory indices of hyperandrogenism and not with central obesity and IR.

UNASSIGNED: Autistic masking refers to some autistic individuals\' tendency to hide, suppress, or camouflage their autistic traits, autistic identity, or autism diagnosis. Autistic masking also may include unconscious or conscious attempts to mimic the behavioral, cognitive, or sensory styles of nonautistic neurotypical people and to suppress natural forms of autistic behavior, cognition, and reactions to sensory experiences. Since autistic people are a stigmatized minority in many neurotypical dominated societies, passing as nonautistic through autistic masking may be an attempt to avoid autism stigma and a reaction to previous interpersonal trauma. Increased autistic masking behaviors are associated with reports of increased depression, anxiety, burnout, and exhaustion in autistic people, and thus, exploring the roots and impact of autistic masking is an important mental health topic.
UNASSIGNED: This study investigated the relationships between autistic masking and depression, anxiety, gender identity, sexual orientation, interpersonal trauma, self-esteem, authenticity, and autistic community involvement. Participants were autistic adults (n = 342) recruited through autistic social media groups.
UNASSIGNED: This study found that higher self-reported autistic masking behaviors were associated with higher reports of past interpersonal trauma, greater anxiety and depression symptoms, lower self-esteem, lower authenticity, and lower participation within the autistic community. Autistic masking was not associated with gender identity or sexual orientation.
UNASSIGNED: The results of this study highlight the relationship between autistic masking and past interpersonal trauma, finding that autistic masking behavior is associated with mental health, self-esteem, and authenticity risks for autistic adults. We call into question the teaching of autistic masking strategies in therapies and education programs for autistic people based on the negative associations with autistic masking presented in this study and other research in this field.
Why is this an important issue? Autistic masking refers to autistic people suppressing their natural autistic traits, responses, and behaviors, in an attempt, consciously or unconsciously, to hide or reduce the visibility of their autistic traits, autistic identity, or autism diagnosis. High levels of autistic masking are associated with negative mental health, authenticity challenges, and burnout for autistic people. Interpersonal pressuring, past traumatic social experiences, and autism stigma potentially fuel autistic masking. What is the purpose of this study? This study aimed to investigate relationship between autistic masking and depression, anxiety, interpersonal trauma, self-esteem, authenticity, autistic community involvement, gender identity, and sexual orientation. What did the researchers do? We recruited 342 autistic adult participants through autistic social media groups on Facebook to complete a 30-minute anonymous survey online comprising validated scales to measure autistic masking, depression, anxiety, interpersonal trauma, self-esteem, and authenticity. Additional questions were asked about demographic factors, such as gender identity and sexual orientation, and we asked open-ended questions about past social trauma and intersectional issues. What were the results of the study? We found that higher self-reported autistic masking behaviors were associated with higher reports of past interpersonal trauma, specifically being shamed and teased about autistic traits, and broader experiences of emotional and physical abuse. Masking was also associated with greater anxiety and more depression symptoms, lower self-esteem, lower authentic living, greater accepting of external influence, higher self-alienation, and lower participation within the autistic community. Autistic masking was not found to be associated with gender identity or sexual orientation. Participants who reported involvement in previous applied behavior analysis therapy reported higher past interpersonal trauma than participants involved in some other forms of therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy. What do the findings add to what was already known? This study supports previous research associating autistic masking with depression and anxiety symptoms, and lower reported authenticity, such as autistic people feeling they were not being true to themselves, or revealing their genuine selves to others. This study is the first to quantitatively investigate relationships between autistic masking and past interpersonal traumas, self-esteem, authenticity, and autistic community involvement. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Our sample is not representative of the U.S. population when it comes to race, educational level, gender, and sexual orientation. It was very White, highly educated, had few cisgender men, and sixty three percent were members of sexual minority groups. The majority of participants reported late diagnosis of autism. This sample potentially contained an overrepresentation of people with high levels of autistic masking or who more recently realized they were autistic masking in comparison with the general autistic population. We did not analyze differences between early-diagnosed and late-diagnosed cohorts. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? This research calls into question the teaching of autistic masking strategies in parenting, education, and therapy programs for autistic people based on the negative associations of autistic masking. Our findings should be utilized as a strong call to action to push back against practices that encourage autistic masking and autistic trait shaming. Instead we advocate for promoting forms of parenting, education, and therapy that respect autistic people\'s traits, communication styles, sensory needs, and autistic identity.

Understanding the psychosocial factors influencing self-management behaviors among people with HIV (PWH) is crucial for effective medical interventions and improving their quality of life. However, there has been limited research exploring the psychosocial mechanisms influencing self-management behaviors among PWH in China. Our study examined the relationship between stigma, social support, self-esteem, and self-management behaviors among PWH, as well as whether social support and self-esteem mediate these relationships. Cross-sectional data were collected from 282 PWH in Sichuan Province, China. Data were collected using four validated self-report measures (HIV Stigma Scale, HIV/AIDS Patient Self-Management Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the different pathways influencing self-management behaviors. All the impacts on self-management behavior outcomes were found to be significant. The final mediation model indicated that social support and self-esteem significantly mediated the relationship between stigma and self-management behaviors. These findings underscore the importance of addressing stigma and enhancing social support and self-esteem in interventions aimed at promoting self-management behaviors among PWH.

UNASSIGNED: Body dissatisfaction significantly impacts depression among adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This relationship is compounded by various factors. Our study aims to explore the roles of self-esteem and self-compassion in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and depression in adolescent with PCOS.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, involving 287 adolescents diagnosed with PCOS from January 2020 to December 2021. Participants completed validated questionnaires covering body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, self-compassion and depression. We utilized correlation and mediation analyses to examine the relationships and mediating effects among these variables.
UNASSIGNED: Body dissatisfaction had a significant positive effect on depression (β = 4.254, p < 0.001). Conversely, self-esteem (β = -0.944, p < 0.001) and self-compassion (β = -0.318, p < 0.001) were negative predictors of depression. Both self-esteem [β = 3.405, 95% CI = (0.151, 0.305)] and self-compassion [β = 1.525, 95% CI = (0.045, 0.165)] were shown to partially mediate the relationship between body dissatisfaction and depression, explaining 37.07% and 16.61% of the total effect, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: This study highlights the importance of fostering self-esteem and self-compassion among adolescents with PCOS to buffer the depressive effects of body dissatisfaction. Interventions aimed at promoting accurate and positive body perceptions, enhancing self-esteem, fostering a supportive attitude toward personal challenges, and maintaining positive emotional states are recommended to decrease the incidence of depression.

UNASSIGNED: Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a unique yoga practice incorporated into the Art of Living course. It is found to have a beneficial effect on different psychiatric disorders. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of SKY practice on stress and self-esteem among medical doctors.
UNASSIGNED: A prospective study was conducted among medical doctors (interns, residents, and consultants) in a tertiary care center. The Perceived Stress Scale and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used for the assessment of stress and self-esteem levels, respectively. The parameters were assessed at baseline, 3-day and 40-day follow-up of SKY practice. The statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 25.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 58 participants were included in the study. The scores for stress decreased (19.07 to 18.62 to 16.33) and self-esteem levels increased (19.09 to 19.64 to 20.81) after the practice signifying the beneficial impact. It was statistically significant (P<0.05) with considerable effect sizes (Cohen\'s d 0.2-0.5 and >0.5 for self-esteem and stress levels, respectively). On MANOVA, gender (more in male participants) was significantly associated with stress levels even after the practice of SKY (P=0.042).
UNASSIGNED: Amid the hectic schedule, regular practice of SKY is proven beneficial for medical doctors with its positive impact on stress, and self-esteem levels by our study.

This longitudinal study examined the prospective associations between body appreciation and wellbeing (i.e., self-esteem, depression, and emotional wellbeing) as well as body image flexibility and wellbeing among 490 women between 18-35 years of age (M = 28.63; SD = 4.27) residing in the United States. Women were contacted in three waves, each two months apart, and completed measures relating to each construct online. As a prerequisite of longitudinal analyses, this study found evidence of configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance over time for each relevant measure. Cross-lagged panel modeling evidenced bidirectional associations between body appreciation and self-esteem between all waves and unidirectional associations between body appreciation and subsequent depression (negative) and body appreciation and subsequent emotional wellbeing (positive). Results showed bidirectional associations between body image flexibility, self-esteem, depression, and emotional wellbeing, although these bidirectional associations never occurred during the same interval between waves. This study evidences that higher body appreciation and body image flexibility are prospectively associated with increases in self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and decreases in depression, and also shows scenarios where the inverse associations also hold true. We also describe how this study complements existing cross-sectional research and the need to examine associations among more diverse participant groups.

Although previous studies have shown that self-compassion is associated with self-esteem and depressive symptoms, little is known about the intra-individual processes and the temporal dynamics of these variables. This study used a longitudinal design to explore the association between self-compassion, self-esteem and depressive symptoms among 5785 college students (aged 17-22 years; Mage = 18.63, SD = 0.88; 48.2% females). The participants were assessed six times in a six-month interval over three years. The random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) were used to disentangle within-person processes from stable between-person differences. Results of RI-CLPMs indicated that at the within-person level, self-compassion can positively predict subsequent self-esteem and negatively predict subsequent depressive symptoms, and vice versa. Self-esteem played a longitudinal mediating role in the prediction from self-compassion to depressive symptoms at the within-person level. These results indicate that cultivating self-compassion in college students is crucial as it can bolster their self-esteem and alleviate depressive symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mortality salience, death anxiety, and two moderating variables: self-esteem and religiosity. A total of 174 undergraduate students from the Mindanao State University-Main Campus in the Philippines were selected via convenience sampling. Specifically, the study was carried out to determine if both self-esteem and religiosity moderate the relationship between mortality salience and death anxiety. The results revealed that mortality salience was positively correlated with death anxiety among undergraduate students. Moreover, self-esteem significantly moderated the relationship between mortality salience and death anxiety, with low self-esteem enhancing this relationship. However, religiosity was found to be a non-significant moderator of the link between mortality salience and death anxiety. Overall, the findings of this study have implications for understanding these relationships and offer recommendations for further research.

UNASSIGNED: Previous studies investigating the effectiveness of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation in body weight reduction provided unequivocal results. We hypothesized that psychological factors such as self-efficacy, locus of control or dispositional optimism can affect the success of the intervention. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the psychological factors that modulate the effectiveness of CLA supplementation in overweight or obese women and affect the ability to successfully complete the study.
UNASSIGNED: In total, 74 subjects were recruited into this three-month randomized trial and divided into intervention and control groups receiving, respectively, capsules containing 3 g 80% CLA per day and capsules containing 3 g of sunflower oil. The following psychological tests were performed before the intervention: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES), Health Behavior Inventory scale and Life Orientation Test (LOT-R).
UNASSIGNED: A total of 60 women completed the study and the subjects who dropped out obtained higher scores in the GSES (p = 0.0490) and the LOT-R (p = 0.0087) tests than subjects who completed the trial. Besides, multivariate linear regression demonstrated that the SWLS test (p = 0.0345) results were independent predictors of body weight changes.
UNASSIGNED: In conclusion, psychological factors like self-efficacy and optimism may be associated with a higher risk of withdrawal from the study, while satisfaction with life may have an impact on the effectiveness of body weight reduction.Clinical trial registration: [https://drks.de/search/en], identifier [DRKS00010462].

This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and eating disorder symptoms (EDS) by testing the serial mediation model, with self-esteem and anxiety as mediators. A total of 923 participants (61.9% female) aged 15-60 years completed questionnaires assessing their EI, self-esteem, anxiety, and EDS. Correlational analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between the study variables, and a serial mediation analysis was conducted to test the possible mediating role of self-esteem and anxiety in the relationship between EI and EDS. Correlation analyses revealed significant bivariate relationships between EI, self-esteem, and anxiety, but no significant correlation between EI and EDS. The relationship between EI and EDS was serially mediated by self-esteem and anxiety. High levels of EI were associated with higher self-esteem, which, in turn, was associated with lower anxiety and less EDS. The results offer potential mechanisms that could explain the relationship between EI and EDS and highlight the importance of EI in regulating eating behavior through self-esteem and anxiety.