International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Development of personalized exercogs for older adults care: A feasibility and single-arm study","authors":"Madalena Raposo de Lima ,&nbsp;Carla Pombo ,&nbsp;Cátia Gameiro ,&nbsp;Beatriz Lopes ,&nbsp;Heitor Cardoso ,&nbsp;Alexandre Bernardino ,&nbsp;Maria Vania Silva Nunes","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia is rapidly increasing worldwide, profoundly impacting older adults’ quality of life and presenting significant challenges to healthcare systems. The heterogeneity of pathologies, the lack of customizable and available resources, and the scarcity of healthcare professionals are recurrent issues in aged care facilities. This study aimed to validate Exercogs®, a newly integrated portable exergaming platform designed to enhance cognitive function in older adults within elderly care facilities.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>We conducted two experiments: 1) a feasibility study with 12 healthcare professionals and 30 older adults to assess technology acceptance and usability, and 2) a single-arm pre-post study involving 204 seniors in aged care facilities to explore the potential multidimensional effects of the four Exercogs® (cognitive, affective, social, functional, and quality of life). The intervention was implemented over 12 weeks, with two weekly sessions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The intervention was well-received, with high-acceptance among older adults and healthcare professionals. Adherence was notably high (91.68%) with strong interest in continued use. Significant improvements were observed across multiple domains commonly impacted by aging, including cognition, mood, perceived loneliness, and quality of life, reflecting positive outcomes across all evaluated dimensions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Preliminary results suggest that the Exercogs® is a promising tool to support healthcare professionals in aged care facilities. Future research should include a control group and randomized clinical trials to further validate these findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 2","pages":"Article 100674"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147747488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Manipulation of interpersonal synchrony in psychotherapy using extended reality: Mapping future directions","authors":"Tal Krasovsky ,&nbsp;Zvi Tubul-Lavy ,&nbsp;Sigal Zilcha-Mano","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interpersonal synchrony is the dynamic coordination of two individuals over time, reflected in the alignment of their actions, emotions, thoughts, and physiological processes. Interpersonal synchrony is a core mechanism associated with therapeutic alliance and treatment outcomes in psychotherapy. However, given the largely correlational nature of current literature, manipulation of synchrony is essential in order to reveal its potential causal relationships with therapeutic relationships in psychotherapy. Despite growing recognition of its clinical significance, synchrony remains difficult to manipulate because it often emerges implicitly, shaped by relatively stable individual and interpersonal characteristics. This paper first introduces an Extended Reality (XR)-based framework for understanding interpersonal synchrony, drawing from Milgram and Kishino’s Reality–Virtuality continuum. We then use this framework to map options for synchrony manipulation during therapeutic encounters involving real and digital entities. We then explore the different challenges of implementing these synchrony manipulations, including conceptual, technological, and ethical issues. This outlines a future-oriented perspective on the potential of XR to provide an infrastructure for synchrony manipulation. This may provide new opportunities for tailoring therapy to individual synchrony profiles, with potential applications in treating disorders marked by interpersonal dysfunction, such as social anxiety or autism spectrum disorder. Ultimately, XR manipulation of synchrony may transform both research and clinical practice by bridging the gap between static trait-like tendencies and the facilitation of adaptive therapeutic flexibility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 2","pages":"Article 100688"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147806067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HD-tDCS over prefrontal cortex alleviates the inhibitory control and sleep problems of insomnia with objective short sleep duration","authors":"Haobo Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhangwei Lv ,&nbsp;Zijie Tang ,&nbsp;Xue Zeng ,&nbsp;Jiayu Feng ,&nbsp;Xu Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Insomnia disorder with objective short sleep duration (ISSD) is a severe phenotype associated with significant health risks including hypertension, diabetes, and cognitive impairment. It has been found that sleep problems in ISSD can be alleviated by improving inhibitory control (IC) ability. Therefore, there is a need to develop more effective interventions targeting inhibitory control to relief the symptom in ISSD.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to investigate whether high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) targeting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) could improve inhibitory control and sleep quality in ISSD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial, 50 ISSD were assigned to real (n = 25) or sham (n = 25) HD-tDCS groups (2 mA, 25 min/day for 7 days). Forty-one participants completed the study (real: 21, sham: 20). Primary outcomes were inhibitory control (accuracy of NoGO trial in Go/NoGo task, NoGo-ACC) and subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI; Insomnia Severity Index, ISI). Secondary outcomes included objective sleep measures (total sleep time, sleep latency) collected via forehead EEG device.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After the intervention, participants who received HD-tDCS had significantly better response inhibition (NoGo-ACC) and sleep quality (ISI, PSQI, sleep latency subdimension of PSQI, and daytime functioning subdimension of PSQI) than the sham group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings establish right dlPFC-targeted HD-tDCS as a potentially safe and effective neuromodulatory approach for ISSD, though optimized protocols may be required for full clinical remission. Future studies should investigate combined interventions and include neurochemical assessments to elucidate underlying mechanisms.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>The study was prospectively registered on September 29, 2024, in Chinese Clinical Trials registry (ChiCTR2400090393).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100663"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can intolerance of uncertainty & anxiety impact the lives we lead? Understanding lived experiences of people with chronic physical health and pain conditions","authors":"Dalainey H. Drakes,&nbsp;Emmanuelle Rochon,&nbsp;Allison J. Ouimet","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100683","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100683","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is associated with poorer emotional wellbeing and worse prognosis of chronic physical health and pain conditions (CPHPCs). Our current understanding of IU in CPHPCs is siloed within the literature on specific CPHPCs. However, IU is consistently identified as a risk factor for anxiety and depressive disorders. In this exploratory study, we used a mixed methods design to better understand the role of IU and anxiety in people’s (<em>n</em> = 139) lived experiences of their CPHPCs and how they respond to uncertainty across health and everyday contexts. Higher acceptance of illness and perceived social support were related to lower IU and anxiety among people with CPHPCs. Higher IU and anxiety were also related to lower scores on many domains of quality of life. Our reflexive thematic analysis resulted in four primary themes: 1) distressing contexts characterized by uncertainty are not limited to health scenarios and require management in diverse ways; 2) interference of CPHPC affects multiple domains of life beyond physical health; 3) navigating uncertainty for a chronic period changes coping abilities and identity development; and 4) responsivity to uncertainty is a multifaceted cognitive-behavioural and emotional-physiological response that hinders or promotes coping. IU plays an important contextual role in the lives of those with CPHPCs and holds potential as a transdiagnostic target for early prevention and intervention. Therapeutic approaches that acknowledge the role of health-related cues and cultivate comfort with uncertainty may provide a more supportive trajectory for those with CPHPCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100683"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147713637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sine Off On It: Sinusoidal waves as models of shame and stress in social anxiety","authors":"Talia Shechter Strulov,&nbsp;Dani Oshin,&nbsp;Idan M. Aderka","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100666","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100666","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The experiences of shame and stress are associated with social anxiety disorder (SAD). In the present study, we examined a sample of 111 participants (54 with SAD and 57 without SAD) who completed a daily diary measuring stress and shame over the course of 21 days. We modelled the temporal changes in shame and stress using linear and quadratic models as well as sinusoidal models. We found sinusoidal models to be superior to linear and quadratic ones in capturing the temporal dynamics of stress and shame. Specifically, linear models explained 9.91 % and 11.69 % of the changes in shame and stress over time (respectively), whereas sinusoidal models explained 35.76 % and 39.10 % of the changes in shame and stress over time (respectively). The differences in explained variances were statistically significant for both shame and stress. In addition, we examined whether the parameters of the best-fitting sinusoidal models were associated with levels of social anxiety. As expected, we found that the vertical offset parameters (i.e., average levels) of both shame and stress were significantly and positively associated with social anxiety. In addition, we found that fluctuations (sine wave amplitudes) in shame were positively associated with social anxiety whereas fluctuations in stress were negatively associated with social anxiety. Our findings demonstrate that sinusoidal waves can model temporal changes in emotions successfully. Moreover, sine wave parameters of shame and stress can be markers of social anxiety and can have implications for diagnosis and treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100666"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation in child- and adolescent ADHD","authors":"Rebecka Astenvald ,&nbsp;Matilda A. Frick ,&nbsp;Johan Lundin Kleberg ,&nbsp;Johan Isaksson","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience difficulties with emotion regulation. Specific use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies may contribute to these challenges, albeit research in this area remain limited.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Self-rated and task-specific use of adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was assessed in children and adolescents with ADHD and typically developing controls (N=176, 10–17 years, 55.1% girls; subsample for self-rated use: N=94, 13–17 years, 61.7% girls). Self-rated use was measured with the short version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Task-specific use was assessed by an experimental task involving viewing emotion-eliciting photos. Regression analyses were utilized to assess associations between ADHD and cognitive emotion regulation. Effects of sex and age were explored. Adjustments were made for co-occurring psychiatric symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>ADHD was associated with lower self-rated (β =-0.21, <em>p</em> = .044) and task-specific (β =-0.09, <em>p</em> = .015) use of adaptive strategies, and greater use of self-rated maladaptive strategies (β =0.27, <em>p</em> = .010). No associations remained after adjusting for co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and multiple comparisons. Rather, depressive symptoms may contribute to the self-rated use of maladaptive strategies. Post-hoc analyses revealed that ADHD was robustly linked to less self-rated use of acceptance (β =-0.38, <em>p</em> = .005).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Lower use of self-rated acceptance may be characteristic for ADHD. Depressive symptoms may play a more vital role for maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation than ADHD. More studies are needed to explore the longitudinal relation between ADHD, emotion regulation and depression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100660"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive VR intervention on social-cognitive skills in children with ASD: a feasibility study","authors":"Luna Maddalon ,&nbsp;Alberto Altozano ,&nbsp;Maria Eleonora Minissi ,&nbsp;Javier Marín-Morales ,&nbsp;Gary Lovaton Romero ,&nbsp;Thomas Parsons ,&nbsp;Amaia Hervás ,&nbsp;Mariano Alcañiz","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study introduces and evaluates a novel virtual reality (VR) adaptive system that advances the state of the art by tailoring social-cognitive training to individual performance, addressing gaps in traditional interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A sample of 23 children (aged 6–8 years) diagnosed with Level 1 ASD participated in a four-session program integrating traditional Theory of Mind tasks with gamified, adaptive VR environments. The online adaptive engine provides real-time support with hints (question repetition), feedback, and reinforcement strategies, while the offline engine adjusts difficulty levels between sessions based on performance. Pre- and post-test assessments using the Theory of Mind Test Battery (ToMTB) and Social Responsiveness Scale evaluated participants' progress. Statistical analyses, including generalized linear mixed models and the Aligned Rank Transform, were used to examine behavioral and biosignal metrics such as motor movement and electrodermal activity (EDA). Results revealed significant improvements in ToMTB post-test scores, suggesting that the adaptive system positively influenced ToM abilities, while no significant changes were observed in the SRS-2 scores. Behavioral analysis indicated progressive accuracy gains and reduced reliance on hints across sessions. Kinematic analysis revealed that whole-body acceleration and displacement increased across sessions, while EDA indicated a significant rise in tonic mean, tonic variance, and phasic variance levels. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and potential efficacy of using adaptive training VR systems to address social-cognitive challenges in individuals with ASD. Future research should expand sample sizes and explore follow-up effects to optimize VR-based interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100675"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147537808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traumatic memories are directly associated with depression and generalized anxiety symptoms, independent of posttraumatic stress symptoms","authors":"Marcus Broughill,&nbsp;Sean Commins,&nbsp;Philip Hyland","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Disturbances in memory following trauma exposure are central to the development of posttraumatic stress disorders. Whether traumatic memories directly or indirectly affect symptoms of other disorders like depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) remains unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that traumatic memories are directly related to depression and GAD symptoms, independent of posttraumatic stress symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Cross-sectional data from quasi-representative samples from Ukraine (<em>N</em> = 2050) and the United Kingdom (<em>N</em> = 975) were analysed. Posttraumatic distress was measured according to the <em>ICD-11</em> description (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and disturbances in self-organization [DSO] symptoms).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Traumatic memories were strongly, positively, and significantly correlated with PTSD, DSO, depression, and GAD symptoms. Controlling for PTSD symptoms, traumatic memories remained positively (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) associated with depression (<em>β</em> = 0.37– 0.41) and GAD (<em>β</em> = 0.35– 0.36) symptoms. Controlling for PTSD and DSO symptoms, associations remained positive and significant (<em>β</em> = 0.11–.21, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Traumatic memories were associated with depression and GAD symptoms, independent of the effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms. These findings are consistent with the proposition that traumatic memories are directly related to depression and GAD symptoms, as well as posttraumatic stress symptoms. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100686"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147748931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visual cognition as a marker of longitudinal disease progression in Huntington’s disease","authors":"Rocio Del Pino ,&nbsp;Maria Ángeles Acera ,&nbsp;Ane Murueta-Goyena ,&nbsp;Beatriz Tijero ,&nbsp;Marta Ruiz-Lopez ,&nbsp;Johanne Somme ,&nbsp;Javier Ruiz ,&nbsp;Andrea Gabilondo ,&nbsp;Rosario Sánchez-Pernaute ,&nbsp;Iñigo Gabilondo ,&nbsp;Tamara Fernández-Valle ,&nbsp;Juan Carlos Gómez Esteban","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100671","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2026.100671","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Visual cognitive impairment is common in Huntington’s disease (HD), but its longitudinal trajectory and prognostic value remain unclear. We aimed to characterize changes in visual cognition in premanifest (preHD) and early manifest HD compared with healthy controls, and to determine whether baseline visual cognition is associated with clinical progression.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 148 participants (78 controls, 39 preHD, 31 early HD) underwent annual assessments at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Visual cognition was assessed using an assessment protocol focused on attention, perception/processing speed, visuospatial ability, visual memory, and visuo-executive function. Disease burden was estimated using the CAG–Age Product (CAP). Linear mixed models examined group trajectories and tested whether baseline visual cognition predicted longitudinal changes in motor function (UHDRS), global cognition (MoCA), and quality of life (GENCAT).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Individuals with early HD showed faster decline in visual attention and visual perception/processing speed than controls, whereas preHD participants did not differ in overall rate of decline. However, visual memory worsened significantly in preHD as individuals approached estimated onset. Baseline visual cognition strongly predicted motor progression in preHD, with all domains associated with subsequent UHDRS worsening. In early HD, lower baseline visual attention and visuospatial abilities predicted greater cognitive decline. Quality of life remained stable overall, although baseline visuo-executive functioning predicted functional worsening in preHD.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Visual cognition may serve as a sensitive process-level marker of longitudinal change in HD, particularly in premanifest stages. Incorporating visual cognitive measures into multidomain progression models could refine early detection, stratification, and longitudinal monitoring in HD clinical research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100671"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147396887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing compassion meditation through virtual reality and sensory priming: A focus on individual factors","authors":"Aida Palacios ,&nbsp;Sara Martínez-Gregorio ,&nbsp;Catherine Andreu ,&nbsp;Desirée Colombo ,&nbsp;Ausiàs Cebolla ,&nbsp;Rosa Baños ,&nbsp;Maja Wrzesien","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although the effectiveness of compassion-based interventions (CBIs) has been widely demonstrated to improve mental health and prosocial behaviors, not all individuals benefit equally from these interventions. Therefore, enhancing specific capacities relevant to compassion practice (i.e., mental imagery and somatosensory perception) could optimize the benefits of CBIs. This randomized controlled trial study explores the efficacy of two tools: virtual reality (VR), to improve mental imagery skills; and a heating pad used as somatosensory priming (SP), to enhance the effectiveness of a compassion practice, as compared to a control group (compassion practice only). We assessed the impact of these tools in 92 participants, randomly assigned to one of the three groups, through self-reported, physiological, and behavioral measures on three time points (before meditation, immediately after, and two weeks after). Moreover, we investigated whether individual differences in mental imagery and interoceptive skills moderate these effects. The results show that all groups benefited from the practice, regardless of the condition. Although all groups benefited from the compassion practice, positive affect increased significantly more in the VR condition, while negative affect decreased significantly less in the SP condition, compared to the control condition. Moreover, one potential moderator was identified: mental imagery skills. Specifically, criticism towards others was significantly reduced in the VR condition but only among participants with low mental imagery skills. This study underscores the importance of enhancement tools for individuals with low mental imagery skills to maximize the benefits of compassion practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"26 1","pages":"Article 100657"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145799182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}