BMC Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Parenting stress and work-family balance as determinants of parent-child relationship quality in dual-earner families in Türkiye.","authors":"Davut Açar, Resul Duran","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05437-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05437-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In Türkiye, as in many countries, the increasing prevalence of dual-earner families has intensified the challenge of balancing employment and childcare responsibilities, often in the absence of adequate institutional or workplace support. This strain can affect family relationships, yet the interplay between work-family balance, parenting stress, and parent-child relationship quality remains underexplored in the Turkish context. This study aims to examine parent-child relationships, parenting stress, and work-family balance in dual-earner families, and to investigate how these processes are associated with sociodemographic characteristics and support mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study, based on a quantitative research design, analyzed data collected from 640 parents employed in various sectors in Türkiye. Ethical approval was obtained, informed consent was secured from all participants, and self-report scales were utilized. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Parenting stress was negatively associated with positive parent-child relationship quality and positively associated with negative parent-child relationship quality. Work-family balance showed the opposite pattern, being positively associated with positive parent-child relationship quality and negatively associated with negative parent-child relationship quality. In the regression models, parenting stress was the stronger predictor of both dimensions of parent-child relationship quality, while work-family balance made smaller but significant contributions. Spousal cooperation significantly moderated the association between parenting stress and both positive and negative parent-child relationship quality. The association between parenting stress and negative parent-child relationship quality was weaker among parents who reported more frequent cooperation with their spouse.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Parenting stress and work-family balance were significantly associated with both positive and negative dimensions of parent-child relationship quality in this sample. The findings also indicate that spousal cooperation may attenuate the adverse association between parenting stress and parent-child relationship quality. These findings highlight the relevance of family-level support and work-family conditions when considering parent-child relationships in dual-earner families.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13579846/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traditional Chinese mind-body practices on anxiety levels in university students: a multilevel dose-response meta-analysis.","authors":"Yonghua Liu, Haoran He, Jiajun Lan","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05432-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05432-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To estimate the association between traditional Chinese mind-body practices and anxiety symptoms in university students and to explore, rather than prescribe, possible dose-response patterns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from inception through May 18, 2026. Randomized controlled trials of Taijiquan, Baduanjin, qigong, and related practices were synthesized as standardized mean differences (SMDs) in a three-level random-effects model. Heterogeneity, prespecified subgroup and meta-regression analyses, and an exploratory Bayesian dose-response model were examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sixteen RCTs contributed 18 dependent effect estimates. Comparator subgroup estimates differed significantly (P-interaction = 0.001): Control-NoInt (waitlist or no intervention) yielded SMD = - 0.92 (95% CI - 1.28 to - 0.56), whereas Control-Int (usual care or another intervention control) yielded SMD = - 0.09 (95% CI - 0.38 to 0.56; p = 0.708). The Control-Int estimate was based on only six effect estimates and was underpowered, with a confidence interval compatible with benefit, no effect, or modest harm. Across all comparators, the pooled estimate was SMD = - 0.56 (95% CI - 0.92 to - 0.20; p = 0.002), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 94.1%). The Bayesian curve had a model-estimated turning point near 20.7 cumulative hours; sparse dose coverage, wide uncertainty at the extremes, and between-study heterogeneity preclude treating this value as an optimal prescription.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Low-certainty evidence showed materially different estimates by comparator: Control-NoInt favored the practices, whereas the small Control-Int subgroup was inconclusive. The pooled SMD is a heterogeneous average and should not be interpreted as a uniform benefit or as superiority over usual care or another intervention control. High heterogeneity, study-level risk of bias, geographic concentration in China, and indirect dose modeling do not support a precise dose recommendation or routine implementation without confirmatory trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13576185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148971664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Approaches to obesity among adults with accurate body-size perception: a qualitative thematic analysis.","authors":"Abdullah Kaan Kurt, Ersan Gürsoy","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05426-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05426-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Obesity is commonly framed through biomedical risk, yet it is also lived through functional limitations, emotional burden, and socially mediated experiences. Body-size perception may shape how individuals appraise risk and engage with change, but qualitative work has seldom focused specifically on adults who accurately perceive their body size.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study explored how adults attending an obesity outpatient clinic with accurate body-size perception conceptualise obesity and describe its implications for everyday life and change efforts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An interpretivist qualitative design was used. Participants were recruited from the Obesity Outpatient Clinic of Karadeniz Technical University Farabi Hospital using criterion-based purposive sampling with volunteer recruitment (May-August 2025). Accurate body-size perception was defined as concordance between measured BMI and the BMI range of the silhouette selected from BMI-anchored body-size guides. Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews (20-30 min) were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis with NVivo support; reporting followed COREQ.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-three participants were interviewed (mean age 46.1±10.1 years; mean BMI 35.5±4.6 kg/m²). Four overarching themes were generated: (1) health, functioning, and everyday life; (2) body image and emotional experience; (3) explanatory models and perceived causes of obesity; and (4) the struggle for change and seeking solutions. Across themes, obesity was described as a pervasive \"burden\" constraining daily activities and roles, emotionally taxing through body-image distress and socially \"read\" weight, understood through multifactorial causal narratives (lifestyle, stress, biology/medication, household routines, and the food environment), and managed through repeated cycles of attempts, plateaus, and regain alongside a strong desire for sustained professional support.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Among adults with accurate body-size perception, obesity was experienced as an embodied and socially situated burden, with change efforts characterised by fatigue and recurring cycles. Interventions may benefit from stigma-sensitive, person-centred care that addresses functional limitations, emotional drivers of eating, and longer-term behavioural support.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13595675/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathways to professional training: a multinational study of psychotherapy trainees.","authors":"Ulrike Willutzki, David E Orlinsky, Armin Hartmann, Michael Helge Rønnestad, Thomas Schröder, Jan Pirke, Erkki Heinonen","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05133-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05133-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>When aspiring psychotherapists start their training they enter it with particular educational and occupational backgrounds as well as childhood family experiences. Facets of these can be regarded as patterns of pathways to psychotherapy training potentially relevant for professional development. Based on a large-scale international trainee data base and comprising a wide range of variables we analysed whether different pathway patterns could be differentiated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pathway patterns were identified through cluster analysis using information from the Trainee Background Information Form of approximately 1300 trainees' data collected in 14 countries by the SPRISTAD Collaborative Research Network.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four pathway patterns could be differentiated defined by trainees' educational and occupational backgrounds: Novice Psych Students; Advanced Psych Trainees; Ancillary Clinical Professionals; and Unconventional Novice Candidates. Cluster analysis also led to differentiating three pathway patterns to psychotherapy training defined by trainees' childhood family experiences: Nurturing Families; Challenging Families; and Adversity-marked Families. Educational-occupational and childhood family pathways were generally unrelated, but each was associated with differential theoretical emphases of the training programs that trainees had selected. A comparison of pathway patterns across trainees in the five nations with most respondents showed many significant differences, especially with regard to educational-occupational pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Empirically, psychotherapy trainees entering training are not a homogeneous group but differ substantially concerning their educational/professional and family background pathway patterns to psychotherapy. The impact of these differences on training and professional development should be further explored.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13501768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148809220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression in volunteers working during earthquake.","authors":"Muhammed Atak, Mehmet Akif Sezerol, Zeynep Meva Altaş","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05417-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05417-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Volunteers working in earthquake-stricken areas have personally experienced or witnessed many traumatic events.The aim of this study is to investigate the levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression in individuals who volunteered during a highly destructive earthquake.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive research design was conducted between 20.03.2023 and 20.06.2023, with the study population consisting of volunteers who went to the earthquake-stricken area. An online survey was used as the data collection tool and was distributed to volunteers involved in earthquake-related activities through non-probability sampling via communication groups. The survey included sociodemographic questions, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), the CES-Depression Scale, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 237 volunteers responded to the survey. The frequencies of anxiety, depression, and PTSD among participants were 23.6% (n = 56), 58.6% (n = 139), and 13.9% (n = 33), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed that participants without earthquake-related training had lower odds of anxiety (aOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.76) and depression (aOR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.29-0.95). Female sex was associated with higher odds of depression (aOR = 3.87, 95% CI: 2.00-7.50) and PTSD (aOR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.26-5.82), while non-healthcare workers had higher odds of depression (aOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.01-3.37).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Volunteers working in earthquake-stricken areas are at a high risk of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Therefore, providing appropriate psychosocial support to volunteers involved in disaster response is essential for protecting and maintaining their mental well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13629031/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health research \"MI VEDETE?\" project: a value-based and participatory approach to adolescent mental health in Italian schools.","authors":"Sergio De Filippis, Giada Trovini, Giuseppe Albanesi, Ginevra Lombardozzi, Alessandro Vento, Giorgio Reggiardo, Anna Pugliese, Elio Serra, Georgios D Kotzalidis","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05395-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05395-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The \"MI VEDETE?\" (\"Do You See Me?\") project explores adolescent mental health, identifying emotional distress and preventing mental health disorders through co-designing the solutions with upper secondary school students, families, and educators within the school environment. The survey assesses multiple domains of adolescent mental distress across emotional, cognitive, behavioural, physical, sleep-related, and risk-related dimensions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The project was conducted between 2024 and 2025 in three Italian regions (Lombardy, Lazio, and Puglia). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including six school-based \"Awareness Day\" events facilitated by psychiatrists, 96 semi-structured interviews (\"anthropological conversations\") with students, parents, and teachers, six co-design workshops involving teachers, psychologists, sociologists, and local experts, and a large-scale survey that collected 2,139 responses across different groups. This study focuses on the analysis of the survey data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings reveal significant differences among students, parents, and teachers in the perception of adolescent mental health. Students reported high levels of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, isolation, and distress, while both types of informants frequently perceived inferior prevalence rates and differently attributed the causes of these conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings highlight marked differences between adolescents' self-reported emotional distress and adults' perceptions of adolescent mental health. The results underscore the need for educational initiatives specifically designed to improve parents' and teachers' ability to recognise early signs of psychological distress in young people. Enhancing adults' capacity to observe and understand adolescents' emotional needs should enable timely intervention, activating targeted support pathways and preventing mental health deterioration.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13579915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health inequalities in Türkiye: educational differences in depression risk.","authors":"Şeyda Ünver, Ahmet Kami̇l Kabakuş, Ömer Alkan","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05425-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05425-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to identify the socio-demographic and health-related factors associated with depression among individuals in Türkiye and to examine whether the pattern of factors associated with depression varies across educational groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study uses data from the 2022 Türkiye Health Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute. The sample consists of 22,742 individuals, including 13,070 with below-high school education and 9,672 with high school education or higher. Binary logistic regression models were applied to identify the factors associated with individuals' likelihood of experiencing depression within the last 12 months according to educational level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among individuals with lower educational attainment, female sex, older age, marital status, alcohol use, tobacco use, poorer self-rated general health, the presence of chronic disease, and a history of heart attack were significantly associated with depression. Among individuals with higher educational attainment, female sex, age, marital status, alcohol use, tobacco use, general health status, chronic disease, and limitations in daily activities due to health problems were significantly associated with depression.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Policies aimed at improving mental health outcomes should focus on reducing socioeconomic disadvantages, improving access to mental health services, and implementing targeted interventions for high-risk groups. Understanding how the factors associated with depression vary across educational levels may contribute to more effective and equitable mental health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13637317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nursing intervention for improving self-esteem and coping patterns among adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders.","authors":"Salma Bakry Attia, Ghada Mohamed Mourad, Hoda Sayed Mohamed, Asmaa Mohamed Khalifa","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05345-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05345-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders frequently experience diminished self-esteem and maladaptive coping, highlighting the need for targeted nursing interventions to enhance self-perception and foster adaptive coping in this population.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The study aimed to examine changes observed following the intervention delivered as part of routine clinical care for adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders on their self-esteem and coping patterns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quasi-experimental one-group pre- and post-test design was used with seventy adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders. Data were collected using an interviewing questionnaire (socio-demographic characteristics and psychiatric and physical history), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Adolescent-Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (A-COPE). The intervention program focused on enhancing self-esteem and fostering adaptive coping patterns. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and Spearman's correlation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Statistically significant changes in median scores for self-esteem and coping domains were observed following implementation of the nursing intervention. Significant positive correlations between self-esteem and coping patterns pre- and post-intervention were also observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While the quasi-experimental one-group pre- and post-test design limits causal inferences, the observed improvements in self-esteem and coping patterns suggest that the nursing intervention may benefit adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders. These findings support incorporating such interventions into mental health services and highlight the importance of future randomized controlled trials to confirm its effectiveness.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The study was retrospectively registered with the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR) (PACTR 202508828331881) on 21 August 2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13495195/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148799205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinicians' practices and attitudes toward depression assessment: a cross-sectional survey study.","authors":"Damon Navandi, Veerle C Eijsbroek, Clara Wiebel, Aaron Marker, Katarina Kjell, Marc L Molendijk, Elizabeth C Stade, Oscar N E Kjell","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05036-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05036-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate psychological evaluation is crucial for early detection, intervention and evaluation of mental health disorders. The validity and reliability of psychological evaluation methods have been systematically researched for many decades. However, assessment methods used by mental health professionals in clinical settings have not consistently been empirically documented. This study examines the extent to which standardized assessment methods are used in clinical settings, and clinicians' attitudes toward these practices. Clinicians (N = 585) from the U.S. (25%), the U.K. (28%), the Netherlands (18%), Sweden (22%), and other countries (7%) completed an online survey reporting their depression assessment methods. Clinicians reported using many different data collection methods (e.g., unstructured clinical interviews [83%], rating scales [83%]) in various combinations. A majority (80%) primarily employed clinical data combination methods, as opposed to statistical data combination methods (11%). Although they were confident in their assessments, the time to carry out assessments varied widely (M = 87 [SD = 108] minutes). 77% agreed on the importance of standardized, valid, and reliable assessments, and 43% reported interest in receiving AI decision-support. We did not find many significant cross-cultural differences. A majority of clinicians have not fully adopted standardized assessment methods. Predominant reliance on clinical judgment suggests a disconnect between best practices supported by research and everyday clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13491592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148799115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Controlled by the game\"- interviews on why regaining control over gaming is difficult for patients with gaming disorder.","authors":"Annika Hofstedt, Kerstin Ulin, Anna Söderpalm Gordh","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05258-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05258-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on gaming disorder has grown substantially over the past two decades, but few studies have used qualitative methods. The focus on quantitative studies risks overlooking nuances of gaming disorder. For treatment purposes it is important to have knowledge about the full range of factors maintaining gaming disorder. The aim of this study was to explore how individuals with gaming disorder experience their gaming, with a particular focus on factors that make it difficult to control the amount of time spent gaming.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twelve patients diagnosed with gaming disorder were recruited at an outpatient clinic treating gaming disorder in Gothenburg, Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine factors that hindered them from reducing their gaming. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirteen subthemes were identified, forming five main themes: Being committed, Enjoying the game, Filling the void, Climbing an eternity ladder and Being controlled by the game. The themes represent a wide range of reasons why it is difficult to control the amount of gaming, including aspects of the games, individual characteristics of the gamers and their life circumstances outside the games.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results highlight that gaming disorder is multifaceted and maintained by a combination of reduced self-control, structural game characteristics and the fact that gaming satisfies many basic human needs. For clinical purposes, it is important to address game-specific challenges, individual vulnerabilities and factors related to everyday life outside gaming to deliver effective treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13681908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149225024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}