It has since long been known, from everyday experience as well as from animal and human studies, that psychological processes-both affective and cognitive- exert an influence on gastrointestinal sensorimotor function....It has since long been known, from everyday experience as well as from animal and human studies, that psychological processes-both affective and cognitive- exert an influence on gastrointestinal sensorimotor function. More specifically, a link between psychological factors and visceral hypersensitivity has been suggested, mainly based on research in functional gastrointestinal disorder patients. However, until recently, the exact nature of this putative relationship remained unclear, mainly due to a lack of non-invasive methods to study the (neurobiological) mechanisms underlying this relationship in non-sleeping humans. As functional brain imaging, introduced in visceral sensory neuroscience some 10 years ago, does provide a method for in vivo study of brain-gut interactions, insight into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying visceral sensation in general and the influence of psychological factors more particularly, has rapidly grown. In this article, an overview of brain imaging evidence on gastrointestinal sensation will be given, with special emphasis on the brain mechanisms underlying the interaction between affective & cognitive processes and visceral sensation. First, the reciprocal neural pathways between the brain and the gut (brain- gut axis) will be briefly outlined, including brain imaging evidence in healthy volunteers. Second, functional brain imaging studies assessing the influence of psychological factors on brain processing of visceral sensation in healthy humans will be discussed in more detail. Finally, brain imaging work investigating differences in brain responses to visceral distension between healthy volunteers and functional gastrointestinal disorder patients will be highlighted.展开更多
AIM: To test the psychometric properties of a Chinese [(Hong Kong) HK] translation of the chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ). METHODS: A Chinese (HK) translation of the CLDQ was developed by iterative ...AIM: To test the psychometric properties of a Chinese [(Hong Kong) HK] translation of the chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ). METHODS: A Chinese (HK) translation of the CLDQ was developed by iterative translation and cognitive debriefing. It was then administered to 72 uncomplicated and 78 complicated chronic hepatitis B (CriB) patients in Hong Kong together with a structured questionnaire on service utilization, and the Chinese (HK) SF-36 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2). RESULTS: Scaling success was ≥ 80% for all but three items. A new factor assessing sleep was found and items of two (Fatigue and Systemic Symptoms) subscales tended to load on the same factor. Internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.58-0.90 for different subscales. Construct validity was confirmed by the expected correlations between the SF-36v2 Health Survey and CLDQ scores. Mean scores of CLDQ were significantly lower in complicated compared with uncomplicated CHB, supporting sensitivity in detecting differences between groups.CONCLUSION: The Chinese (HK) CLDQ is valid, reliable and sensitive for patients with CHB. Some modifications to the scaling structure might further improve its psychometric properties,展开更多
This paper discusses the notion of commitment--a construct used in the psychology of work--and engagement, as hypothetically opposed to the concept of burnout used in the paradigm of positive psychology. The aim of th...This paper discusses the notion of commitment--a construct used in the psychology of work--and engagement, as hypothetically opposed to the concept of burnout used in the paradigm of positive psychology. The aim of this study is to analyze engagement in a group of 132 high school teachers from various schools in the private sector and identify its relationship with the commitment variable. The results of the work of this group in three dimensions are presented in this study: vigor, dedication, and absorption; the correlation data are also presented with organizational commitment in three dimensions: affective, normative and temporal (or continuity). With these results the aim is to find predictive evidence among teachers who score significantly in the three dimensions of engagement and the three dimensions of commitment.展开更多
The purpose of the present research was to investigate the predictors to Chinese college students seeking psychological help from professionals. By surveying 1,408 Chinese college students at five universities in Chin...The purpose of the present research was to investigate the predictors to Chinese college students seeking psychological help from professionals. By surveying 1,408 Chinese college students at five universities in China's Mainland, the results showed that among the factors examined, problem severity and help-seeking attitudes directly predicted help-seeking intention, while gender and subjective norms had a significant effect on college students' professional psychological help-seeking intention through help-seeking attitudes. Overall, the model explained 25% and 38.0% (for half-1 and half-2 data sets, respectively) of the variances of help-seeking intention. The results indicated that mainland Chinese college students rationally knew that they should choose to seek such professional help when the problem got severer enough, although they were emotionally reluctant to seek professional psychological help due to negative subjective norms around them. The implications and limitations were discussed.展开更多
文摘It has since long been known, from everyday experience as well as from animal and human studies, that psychological processes-both affective and cognitive- exert an influence on gastrointestinal sensorimotor function. More specifically, a link between psychological factors and visceral hypersensitivity has been suggested, mainly based on research in functional gastrointestinal disorder patients. However, until recently, the exact nature of this putative relationship remained unclear, mainly due to a lack of non-invasive methods to study the (neurobiological) mechanisms underlying this relationship in non-sleeping humans. As functional brain imaging, introduced in visceral sensory neuroscience some 10 years ago, does provide a method for in vivo study of brain-gut interactions, insight into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying visceral sensation in general and the influence of psychological factors more particularly, has rapidly grown. In this article, an overview of brain imaging evidence on gastrointestinal sensation will be given, with special emphasis on the brain mechanisms underlying the interaction between affective & cognitive processes and visceral sensation. First, the reciprocal neural pathways between the brain and the gut (brain- gut axis) will be briefly outlined, including brain imaging evidence in healthy volunteers. Second, functional brain imaging studies assessing the influence of psychological factors on brain processing of visceral sensation in healthy humans will be discussed in more detail. Finally, brain imaging work investigating differences in brain responses to visceral distension between healthy volunteers and functional gastrointestinal disorder patients will be highlighted.
基金Supported by Small Project Grant from the Committee of Research and Conference Grant,CRCG project,No.10207293the University of Hong Kong and the Health and Health Service Research Fund,HHSRF project,No.05060741,Food and Health Bureau,Government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region,China
文摘AIM: To test the psychometric properties of a Chinese [(Hong Kong) HK] translation of the chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ). METHODS: A Chinese (HK) translation of the CLDQ was developed by iterative translation and cognitive debriefing. It was then administered to 72 uncomplicated and 78 complicated chronic hepatitis B (CriB) patients in Hong Kong together with a structured questionnaire on service utilization, and the Chinese (HK) SF-36 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2). RESULTS: Scaling success was ≥ 80% for all but three items. A new factor assessing sleep was found and items of two (Fatigue and Systemic Symptoms) subscales tended to load on the same factor. Internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.58-0.90 for different subscales. Construct validity was confirmed by the expected correlations between the SF-36v2 Health Survey and CLDQ scores. Mean scores of CLDQ were significantly lower in complicated compared with uncomplicated CHB, supporting sensitivity in detecting differences between groups.CONCLUSION: The Chinese (HK) CLDQ is valid, reliable and sensitive for patients with CHB. Some modifications to the scaling structure might further improve its psychometric properties,
文摘This paper discusses the notion of commitment--a construct used in the psychology of work--and engagement, as hypothetically opposed to the concept of burnout used in the paradigm of positive psychology. The aim of this study is to analyze engagement in a group of 132 high school teachers from various schools in the private sector and identify its relationship with the commitment variable. The results of the work of this group in three dimensions are presented in this study: vigor, dedication, and absorption; the correlation data are also presented with organizational commitment in three dimensions: affective, normative and temporal (or continuity). With these results the aim is to find predictive evidence among teachers who score significantly in the three dimensions of engagement and the three dimensions of commitment.
文摘The purpose of the present research was to investigate the predictors to Chinese college students seeking psychological help from professionals. By surveying 1,408 Chinese college students at five universities in China's Mainland, the results showed that among the factors examined, problem severity and help-seeking attitudes directly predicted help-seeking intention, while gender and subjective norms had a significant effect on college students' professional psychological help-seeking intention through help-seeking attitudes. Overall, the model explained 25% and 38.0% (for half-1 and half-2 data sets, respectively) of the variances of help-seeking intention. The results indicated that mainland Chinese college students rationally knew that they should choose to seek such professional help when the problem got severer enough, although they were emotionally reluctant to seek professional psychological help due to negative subjective norms around them. The implications and limitations were discussed.