BMC Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Differences in emotional expression among college students: a study on integrating psychometric methods and algorithm optimization.","authors":"Xiaozhu Chen","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02506-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02506-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>College students are in an important stage of life development, and their emotional expression ability has a profound impact on their mental health, interpersonal relationships, and academic performance. There are significant differences in emotional expression among individuals, which are influenced by various factors such as gender, cultural background, and personality traits. However, traditional research on emotional expression often relies on a single measurement method, which has problems such as single data dimensions, limited analysis methods, and lack of real-time dynamism and personalization. To overcome these limitations, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis using psychometric methods and algorithm optimization techniques.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Emotional Intelligence Scale (EQ-i) and the depression-anxiety-stress-21 (DASS-21) were used to quantitatively evaluate the emotional state of college students, and their facial expressions and speech emotion data were collected. In order to improve the precision of data analysis, random forests, support vector machines, and neural network machine learning algorithms were applied, and the variance analysis was used to calculate and compare the emotional differences of different genders and academic backgrounds in different grades.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The research results showed that gender, major, and grade differences significantly affected the emotional expression of college students. The F-values for the total EQ-i score of different genders were 7.00, and the F-values for depression, anxiety, and stress scores between different grades were 22.45, 12.48, and 9.14. Male engineering students scored higher in emotional intelligence than female liberal arts students, but liberal arts students showed more significant improvement in later academic years, reflecting the differing impacts of disciplinary environments on emotional development. Female students generally exhibited higher levels of anxiety and stress, particularly those in liberal arts, while female engineering students faced additional psychological burdens due to gender imbalance and biases. Anxiety and stress levels increased across all students as they advanced in their studies, correlating with academic and graduation pressures.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This article was based on the integration of psychometric methods and algorithm optimization techniques, exploring the differences in emotional expression among college students, providing new ideas for personalized mental health interventions for college students, enriching the theoretical basis of emotional expression research, and providing important references for education and mental health practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"280"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927134/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143671210","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":"The impact of maternal parenting stress on early childhood development: the mediating role of maternal depression and the moderating effect of family resilience.","authors":"Baocheng Pan, Yizhao Gong, Youli Wang, Jiaxuan Miao, Chengli Zhao, Yan Li","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02575-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02575-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Early childhood is a critical stage of rapid cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. The development during this period is crucial for the long-term health and well-being of children. This study investigates the influence of maternal parenting stress on early childhood development, with a specific focus on the mediating role of maternal depression and the moderating effect of family resilience.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nine-month longitudinal study was conducted involving 558 children and their mothers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study found that maternal parenting stress significantly negatively impacts early childhood development. Maternal depression acts as a mediator between maternal parenting stress and early childhood development. Furthermore, family resilience was found to significantly moderate both the initial and latter parts of this mediating relationship.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study highlights the protective role of family resilience in this mediating process, contributing to the expansion of the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response Model and enriching family educational practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"277"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11924677/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143671332","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":"Effect of delay interval and cue focality on prospective memory.","authors":"Zongbin Sun, Yu Tian, Tongxuan Dang, Qing Yang, Yunfei Guo, Yongxin Li","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02603-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02603-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Prospective memory refers to the ability to perform planned things in the appropriate future situations. Due to pointing towards the future, prospective memory usually has a certain amount of time delay. This study investigated the impact of a delay interval on prospective memory under different cue focality conditions and used the multinomial processing tree model to determine which component of prospective memory was affected.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were assigned to 2-back delay group, no task delay group, or no-delay group, and then assigned to perform either focal prospective memory tasks or non-focal prospective memory tasks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed that, compared to the non-delay group and no task delay group, participants in the 2-back delay group exhibited worse prospective memory performance, but better ongoing task performance after the delay interval task. The multinomial processing tree model analysis showed that the delay interval only affected the prospective component of prospective memory and had no impact on the retrospective component.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results indicate that delay intervals affect the accuracy of prospective memory under different cue focality conditions. Meanwhile, delay intervals only impair the prospective component of prospective memory.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"278"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927240/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143671328","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":"The effect of high-intensity interval training on inhibitory function in overweight female college students: the mediating role of body composition.","authors":"Zili Zuo, Ziyun Zhang, Yan Li, Jianming Zhang, Peng Shi","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02479-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02479-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the inhibitory function characteristics of overweight female college students through two studies, and on this basis, to explore the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention on the inhibitory function of overweight female college students, as well as to test the mediating role of body composition.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Study I recruited 34 overweight female college students and 38 normal-weight female college students, using the GO/NOGO task and the Flanker task to measure the participants' response inhibition and interference inhibition. Study II randomly divided the recruited 64 overweight female college students into an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32), with the experimental group undergoing 8 weeks of Tabata-based HIIT and the control group not engaging in any form of exercise. The body composition of the participants was measured using a bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer made in South Korea, the GAIA KIKO. Based on the SPSS 21.0 software, statistical techniques such as independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation effect tests were used for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The reaction times of overweight female college students were significantly shorter than those of normal-weight female college students under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05). 8 weeks of HIIT could effectively reduce the reaction times of overweight female college students under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05), and effectively improve BMI, fat-free weight, fat content, muscle content, and basal metabolic rate (P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between fat content and reaction times under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05), and a significant negative correlation between waist-hip ratio and reaction times under the GO stimulus (P < 0.05). In addition, the mediation effect test found that fat content had a significant mediating effect in the reaction times under the consistent conditions after HIIT intervention (P < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overweight female college students have poorer inhibitory function, and HIIT can effectively improve their inhibitory function, with fat content playing a potential mediating role in the intervention process. It is recommended that HIIT be used as an important means to control the weight of overweight female college students and improve their inhibitory function.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"272"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11921596/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664895","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":"Barriers to participating in an online family- and group-based prevention programme for parents with depression: an online survey.","authors":"Angela Joder, Svenja Geissler, Petra Dengl, Gerd Schulte-Körne, Belinda Platt","doi":"10.1186/s40359-024-02266-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-024-02266-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Children of parents with depression have an increased risk of mental illness themselves and there is an urgent need to implement effective prevention programmes for this population. \"Growing Up Healthy and Happy\" (\"GuG-Auf-Online\") is an online family- and group-based cognitive-behavioural preventive programme with a strong evidence base. The aim of the current study was to understand what factors might hamper parents with depression from participating in the programme.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in Germany with 274 parents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the programme (parental history of depression and a child aged eight to 17 years with no mental illness). The survey included several a priori-defined barriers (e.g. online format, feelings of shame) which parents rated in terms of (a) whether the barrier was relevant to them and if so, (b) how much it held them back from participating. Open-ended questions identified additional barriers. In addition to qualitative content analysis according to Mayring (2008), Pearson correlations were calculated to determine whether the current severity of parents' symptoms were associated with their responses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The following aspects emerged as relevant barriers: (a) shame regarding one's depression, (b) overburden and (c) avoidance (not wanting to be reminded of depression). There was no evidence that the online setting was a significant barrier. Most of the correlations between the current severity of parent's symptoms and their responses were statistically significant (p < .0037).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The main barriers to participation in prevention related to individual characteristics/ emotional experiences rather than structural issues. Addressing these barriers in the advertisement of future programmes could improve uptake.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"275"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11924649/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664834","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":"Relationship between different physical activity parameters and cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults: insights from a 4-year longitudinal study.","authors":"Dongxue Liu, Yihan Pan, Jin Wang, Shaoshuai Shen, Xiaoguang Zhao","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02586-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02586-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Physical activity (PA) is crucial for the prevention and management of chronic diseases and may be associated with cognitive impairment. This study investigated the longitudinal relationship between PA from different parameters (e.g., frequency, duration, intensity, and volume) and the incidence of cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2015). A total of 891 adults aged 45 and older were included in this study. Cognitive function was assessed using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status criteria, focused on episodic memory and executive function. We categorized participants into normal cognition and cognitive impairment groups. Self-reported PA information including frequency, duration, intensity, and volume was collected through a representative survey. Poisson regression analysis was employed to explore the relationship between PA parameters and the incidence of cognitive impairment over four years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Engaging in moderate or light PA (MPA or LPA) at least three days per week, and vigorous PA (VPA) one to two days per week, was associated with a reduced incidence of cognitive impairment. Additionally, spending 30-119 min per day or 150 min per week or more on any PA intensity was linked to lower cognitive impairment prevalence. Sensitivity analysis, excluding individuals with neurological, mental, or memory impairments, confirmed these findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings highlight that the frequency, duration, and volume of VPA, MPA, or LPA are linked to the incidence of cognitive impairment. Regular PA may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"274"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11921536/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664761","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":"Illness perception and resilience in patients with cancer: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Reza Shabanloei, Mostafa Ghasempour, Reza Zamanesazi, Majid Purabdollah, Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02572-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02572-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases and is considered a debilitating and incurable condition. Following diagnosis, individuals often experience anxiety, depression, and diminished social energy. Therefore, identifying factors that influence the psychological state of these patients and intervening to improve their well-being is crucial.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study aims to examine the relationship between illness perception and resilience in cancer patients visiting healthcare centers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted in a cross-sectional design, involving 262 cancer patients selected through stratified random sampling from two public and two private oncology treatment centers in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics (V.20) at a significance level of 0.05. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, t-test, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression to examine relationships between demographic variables, illness perception, and resilience.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The majority of participants in the study were male (74%), married (72%), suffering from gastrointestinal cancers (62%), with an average age of 40.9 (SD: 11.9) years. The average overall resilience score was 60.1 (SD: 16.6). Pearson correlation results showed a significant positive correlation between overall resilience and the subscales of illness identity (r = 0.26, p < 0.001), consequences of illness (r = 0.20, p < 0.001), personal control (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), treatment control (r = 0.61, p < 0.001), and time line cyclical (r = 0.33, p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis revealed that illness Identity (B = 0.94, CI [0.43, 1.44], p < 0.001), personal control (B = 1.75, CI [1.30, 2.21], p < 0.001), treatment control (B = 2.37, CI [1.87, 2.88], p < 0.001), and time line cyclical (B = 0.30, CI [0.40, 1.01], p = 0.04) significantly predicted resilience.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest that improving patients' understanding and control over their illness may enhance their psychological resilience. These results highlight the importance of patient education and psychological interventions in cancer care, aimed at strengthening personal control and resilience. Integrating these strategies into standard care has the potential to improve patients' ability to cope with the psychological challenges of cancer and ultimately lead to an enhanced quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"276"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11924744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664760","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":"Construction and evaluation of nomogram for risk prediction of cognitive impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comorbidity.","authors":"JiaFeng Luo, Wen Yang, Yang Liu, HongLian Ji, XinRan Li, Jing Bai, TieJun Liu, WeiBin Chen, Li Xiao, GuoXin Mo, JingShan Bai, CongHui Liu, WenQiang Li, AiShuang Fu, YanLei Ge","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02516-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02516-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) remains a serious public health problem globally, and the mortality rate for older COPD patients with cognitive impairment is almost three times that of older patients with cognitive impairment or COPD. The aim of this study was to construct a nomogram prediction model for the risk of comorbid cognitive impairment in COPD patients and to evaluate its clinical application. It helps to detect cognitive impairment in COPD patients at an early stage and give them effective interventions in time, so as to delay the progression of COPD patients and improve their prognosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, patients with COPD hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology were evaluated for cognitive function using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA) scale after stabilization of acute exacerbations. Participants were stratified into two groups: a case group (with cognitive impairment) and a control group (without cognitive impairment), based on predefined MoCA cutoff scores(< 26scores). Based on the basic characteristics of the patients and the laboratory indexes after stabilization of acute exacerbations, we conducted statistical analyses, screened out the risk factors and established the Nomogram Prediction Model by using the R software, and finally, we evaluated the clinical value of the model through the calculation of ROC curves for sensitivity, specificity and kappa value. Finally, the sensitivity, specificity and Kappa value were calculated by ROC curve to evaluate the clinical value of the model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After statistical analysis, C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) were found to be the risk factors for combined cognitive impairment in COPD patients, and the Nomogram prediction model was constructed by combining CRP and Hcy and plotted the ROC curve, and it was found that its model finally screened the critical value of the total score of 62.55, and the area under the ROC curve of the model was 0.870, and the sensitivity was 84.7%, and the specificity was 80.4%, indicating that it has a high degree of consistency with the actual results, which indicated that the consistency between the prediction results and the actual results was better, and it had a higher clinical application value.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CRP and Hcy are closely associated with comorbid cognitive impairment in COPD patients after stabilization of acute exacerbations, and increased levels of CRP and Hcy are associated with an increased risk of comorbid cognitive impairment in COPD patients. Combining both CRP and Hcy to create a nomogram model for predicting comorbid cognitive impairment in patients with COPD has good predictive ability.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"273"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11921626/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664810","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":"Becoming a valued member of society: the meaning of Art-Based vocational rehabilitation in the Norwegian labour and welfare service.","authors":"Kristin Berre Ørjasæter, Dina von Heimburg","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02597-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02597-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Individuals with social, mental health and/or addiction issues often face significant barriers to accessing, maintaining, and re-entering education or employment. Exclusion from these domains is linked to feelings of marginalization, hopelessness, and a reduced sense of significance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In our study, following the phenomenological reflexive lifeworld research approach, we conducted 11 interviews with young people facing social, mental health and/or addiction issues, who have experienced being out of school and work. The aim was to explore the potential of art-based vocational rehabilitation (ABVR) from the perspective of young people.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The essential meaning of ABVR can be understood as a starting point on a journey for young people with complex issues in becoming valued members of society. The essential meaning is further explicated through its five constituents: [1] experiencing a sense of belonging [2], building friendship [3], empowering through goal-oriented rehabilitation [4], developing authenticity, and [5] believing that one matters.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Participation in ABVR reshaped young people's self-perceptions, their confidence in their abilities, and their sense of significance to others. Despite once living on the borders of society, they joined a community of like-minded peers, contributing value and feeling that they matter. Altogether, attending ABVR supported a sense of citizenship and mattering.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"269"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11921480/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659020","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":"A study of vulnerable student populations, exclusion and marginalization in Sierra Leonean secondary schools: a social justice theory analysis.","authors":"Augustus Osborne, Regina Mamidy Yillah, Anais Bash-Taqi, O'bai Conteh","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02554-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-025-02554-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sierra Leone faces challenges in ensuring equitable and inclusive education for all its citizens. Certain groups, including pregnant students, student mothers, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and those without family support, are particularly vulnerable to exclusion and marginalisation. These groups are identified as vulnerable based on criteria established by organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which highlight the interplay between health, socio-economic status, and access to education. This study explores the extent of exclusion and marginalisation experienced by these vulnerable groups within Sierra Leonean educational institutions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between November and December 2023, a participatory study design was utilised, employing purposive sampling to gather diverse perspectives from 127 key informant interviews with 366 participants, including teachers, parents, students with disabilities, pregnant students, students who are mothers, and economically disadvantaged students across 11 schools in six districts in Sierra Leone. The analysis was performed manually using Microsoft Word, with four researchers responsible for organising, coding, and identifying patterns and themes within the dataset.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pregnant students are often stigmatized, being perceived as immoral and a negative influence on their peers. This stigma results in social isolation, bullying, and derogatory comments from both peers, and at times, teachers. Students with disabilities frequently experience bullying and social exclusion; however, there are also positive examples of peer support that facilitate their inclusion in schools and the broader community. Economically disadvantaged students are often subjected to bullying and discrimination based on their socioeconomic status, which contributes to feelings of self-isolation, reduced self-esteem, and low participation in school activities.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study revealed that pregnant students, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and those lacking family support face stigma, social isolation, and limited access to education in Sierra Leone. These challenges are deeply rooted in societal attitudes, parental expectations, and inadequate support from teachers. To address these systemic issues, policymakers and educators should adopt comprehensive strategies, including evidence-based community awareness campaigns to challenge harmful societal attitudes, the promotion of inclusive education practices through clear and targeted policies, and the establishment of robust support services within schools. Such measures are essential to create an equitable and inclusive educational environment for all students.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"263"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11916259/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143650789","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}