British Journal of Clinical Psychology最新文献

{"title":"The pathway from feeling of emptiness to suicidal ideation: Examining the mediating roles of psychological pain and hopelessness in clinical and non-clinical populations.","authors":"Reyhaneh Sardarzehi, Banafsheh Mohajerin, Mahdiyeh Golestani Fard, Amir Sam Kianimoghadam, Seyedshahab Banihashem, Maryam Bakhtiari","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The current study aimed to examine the relationship between the feeling of emptiness and suicidal ideation, and the mediating roles of psychological pain and hopelessness, in Iranian clinical and non-clinical populations within the framework of the Three-Step Theory (3ST).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two hundred and twenty-seven individuals with emotional disorders (all with current suicidal ideation) and 449 individuals from the general population (45.2% with current suicidal ideation) completed self-report measures assessing emptiness, psychological pain, hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Path analysis was conducted to examine the mediating effects.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Emptiness was significantly correlated with suicidal ideation in both the clinical <math> <mrow> <mfenced><mrow><mi>r</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>.45</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>p</mi> <mo><</mo> <mn>.001</mn></mrow> </mfenced> </mrow> </math> and non-clinical <math> <mrow> <mfenced><mrow><mi>r</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>.73</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>p</mi> <mo><</mo> <mn>.001</mn></mrow> </mfenced> </mrow> </math> populations. In the clinical sample, both psychological pain <math> <mrow> <mfenced><mrow><mi>β</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>.18</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>p</mi> <mo><</mo> <mn>.001</mn></mrow> </mfenced> </mrow> </math> and hopelessness <math> <mrow> <mfenced><mrow><mi>β</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>.11</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>p</mi> <mo><</mo> <mn>.001</mn></mrow> </mfenced> </mrow> </math> significantly mediated the emptiness-ideation relationship. In the non-clinical sample, pain <math> <mrow> <mfenced><mrow><mi>β</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>.08</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>p</mi> <mo><</mo> <mn>.001</mn></mrow> </mfenced> </mrow> </math> and hopelessness <math> <mrow> <mfenced><mrow><mi>β</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>.18</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>p</mi> <mo><</mo> <mn>.001</mn></mrow> </mfenced> </mrow> </math> were also significant mediators, though the strength of these indirect effects differed across samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings offer new insights into the psychological processes linking emptiness to suicidal ideation and highlight the importance of addressing both psychological pain and hopelessness in suicide prevention efforts. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149018337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal effects of lifetime trauma exposure and childhood sexual trauma by gender in individuals with first episode psychosis.","authors":"Julie M McCarthy, Jacqueline F Dow, Justin M Shepherd, Kim T Mueser","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70099","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjc.70099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>A history of trauma is common among people with psychotic disorders, and such a history is associated with more severe symptoms. Men and women with psychosis often experience differences in their course of illness and symptom profiles. Although past work has found gender differences in trauma among those with first episode psychosis, data in this domain are limited and primarily focused on childhood trauma with cross-sectional designs. The current analysis examined the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure at baseline and changes in functioning and symptom severity.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Secondary data analysis from the Recovery After an Initial Episode of Schizophrenia-Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP) study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four hundred participants (27% female) completed assessments at 6-month intervals over 24 months that were analysed cross-sectionally and longitudinally by high/low trauma exposure and gender.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results suggested that gender differences exist in the relationship between trauma exposure and symptoms for individuals with first episode psychosis. Cross-sectionally at baseline, more reported trauma was related to greater symptom severity for both men and women and most significantly related to depression. However, over the first 2 years of treatment, women with a greater history of trauma demonstrated significantly less improvement in psychotic symptoms than those with less trauma, whereas trauma history in men was not related to clinical improvement. Similar gender differences in improved psychotic symptoms were found when history of childhood sexual trauma was examined.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, the findings indicate that clinical interventions should systematically assess and address lifetime trauma exposure in first episode psychosis care.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>The overall RAISE-ETP study is registered on clinicaltrials.gov NCT#: NCT01321177.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149018361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cannabis use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and suicidal ideation within a social determinants of mental health framework: Insights from a network analysis.","authors":"Angela Giugovaz, Igor Marchetti","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Alcohol and cannabis use disorders are among the most prevalent substance use disorders worldwide. They frequently co-occur and show high comorbidity with psychological distress and suicidal ideation. Although these relationships are well established, their underlying structure remains unclear, as mental health is embedded within a complex network of individual, social and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to explore the interplay between alcohol and cannabis use disorders, psychological distress and suicidal ideation within the context of sociodemographic factors and social determinants of mental health using network analysis.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional secondary analysis of nationally representative survey data.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were drawn from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 44,360). A mixed graphical model was estimated and partitioned into three communities (psychological, sociodemographic, social determinants of mental health). Bridge centrality and odds ratio analyses were conducted to identify key nodes and quantify associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, sexual orientation) showed more direct connections to mental health outcomes, whereas social determinants (e.g., housing instability, employment) occupied more distal positions. Cannabis use disorder and psychological distress emerged as key bridging nodes linking sociodemographic and structural domains to broader mental health outcomes, including suicidal ideation and alcohol use disorder, suggesting pathways through which contextual risk translates into psychological vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Mental health outcomes are shaped by both individual and structural factors. Targeting key bridging nodes (e.g., cannabis use disorder and psychological distress) may improve prevention and intervention, alongside policies addressing adverse social conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149002322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The development and initial validation of the Perinatal Intrusions Interpretation Index: A novel scale that measures negative appraisals of infant-related intrusive thoughts.","authors":"Jodie E Pestana, Yan Lin, Nichole Fairbrother, Ariane Beeston, Yasmin Hasan, Florencia Canessa, Sarah Daniels, Emily Morgan, Nita-Roya Roschanzamir, Lu Zhang, Kirsten Hertog, Jolene Leong, Hana McMahon, Dua Kashany, Prabha S Chandra, Bronwyn M Graham, Richard Bryant, Nathan Holmes, Michelle L Moulds, Nicole M Reilly, Susanne Schweizer","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Unwanted and often distressing intrusive thoughts of infant-related harm are common during the perinatal period and are associated with poorer maternal mental health. The mechanisms linking perinatal intrusive thoughts to mental health remain poorly understood. One proposed avenue is through maladaptive appraisals, yet there currently are no measures capturing perinatal-specific appraisals. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a novel Perinatal Intrusions Interpretation Index (PIII) to assess negative appraisals related to intrusions of infant-related harm.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>439 people who were 1-6 months postpartum completed 12 items capturing appraisals of perinatal intrusions and an adapted online version of the Postpartum Intrusions Interview. A second validation sample, N = 142 people ≤ 9 months postpartum, completed the final 10-item PIII.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated a three-factor structure of the PIII: (1) inflated responsibility, (2) importance of thoughts and (3) need for control. The total PIII and subscales demonstrated good internal consistency. Higher negative appraisals on the PIII were significantly associated with more frequent and distressing intrusive thoughts of accidental and intentional infant-related harm and more maladaptive behavioural responses to perinatal intrusions. Intrusion type (accidental vs intentional) moderated the relationship between negative appraisals and intrusion frequency and distress and frequency of behavioural responses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The PIII is a reliable and valid scale to assess negative appraisals of infant-related harm intrusions. Negative appraisals may be a cognitive risk factor for perinatal intrusions to progress from normative to functionally impairing, offering a modifiable target for the prevention and treatment of perinatal anxiety disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neuroticism, extraversion, and self-compassion as mediators of therapeutic outcomes: Long-term effectiveness of a brief group adaptation of the Unified Protocol in a clinical sample of university students.","authors":"Antonio Ayuso-Bartol, María Ángeles Gómez-Martínez, Aitor Vicente-Arruebarrena, Laura Jiménez-Gómez, Alejandra Rebeca Melero-Ventola, Marina Wöbbeking Sánchez","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Emotional symptoms are highly prevalent among university students and are a frequent reason for seeking care in university psychological services. The Unified Protocol for the transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders (UP) may offer an efficient intervention for this context. this study examined the effectiveness of a brief face-to-face group adaptation of the UP in treatment-seeking university students, 12-month follow-up effects, and whether neuroticism, extraversion, and self-compassion mediated treatment effects.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A quasi-experimental mixed design included UP group treatment, a waitlist control condition (WLC), and repeated measures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>One hundred and two students attending a university psychological service were assigned to UP group treatment (n = 51) or WLC (n = 51). Depression, anxiety, stress, neuroticism, extraversion, self-compassion, and quality of life were assessed at baseline (T1) and post-treatment/waitlist reassessment (T2; 9 weeks) and additionally at 12-month follow-up (T3) for the UP group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>UP participants showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety, stress, and neuroticism, and significant improvements in quality of life and self-compassion, with moderate to large effect sizes. Most treatment gains were maintained at follow-up, and quality of life and neuroticism continued to improve over time. Mediation analyses suggested that neuroticism reductions mediated emotional symptoms and quality-of-life improvements, whereas self-compassion increases mediated stress reduction and quality-of-life improvement. Extraversion was not a unique mediator when considered alongside neuroticism and self-compassion.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A group adaptation of the UP may be a clinically useful and efficient intervention for treatment-seeking university students with emotional symptoms. Neuroticism and self-compassion may represent relevant transdiagnostic change processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148907782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping PTSD across the symptom spectrum: Affective, emotion regulation and cumulative trauma predictors in Syrian refugees: A quantile regression approach.","authors":"Emre Han Alpay","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study examined whether affective factors, emotion regulation strategies, cumulative trauma exposure, resilience and perceived social support are differentially associated with PTSD symptom severity across the symptom spectrum in Syrian refugees.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were 461 adult Syrian refugees residing in Türkiye (M = 41.54, SD = 12.08), of whom 73.5% (n = 339) were women. Quantile regression was used to examine whether associations with affective variables, emotion regulation strategies, cumulative trauma exposure, resilience and perceived social support varied across the PTSD symptom distribution.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Depression and anxiety were associated with PTSD symptoms across all quantiles, indicating that transdiagnostic affective distress is a stable correlate across the severity continuum. By contrast, emotion regulation strategies showed heterogeneous associations across symptom levels. Cognitive reappraisal demonstrated a stronger inverse association with PTSD at higher symptom levels, whereas expressive suppression was more strongly associated with severe symptoms. Type II traumas, reflecting repeated relational and identity-related adversities, were associated primarily with lower-to-moderate PTSD severity, whereas Type III traumas, reflecting chronic and ongoing stress exposure, were associated with moderate-to-severe symptom levels. Resilience and perceived social support were not independently associated with PTSD after accounting for emotional distress and cumulative trauma exposure.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings highlight the importance of considering symptom heterogeneity when examining PTSD in refugee populations. Emotion regulation processes and cumulative trauma exposure demonstrated severity-specific associations, suggesting that assessment and intervention planning may benefit from considering where individuals fall along the PTSD symptom continuum rather than relying solely on average population-level effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148819771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contributions of worry and social anxiety to paranoia in clinical and non-clinical samples: Cross-sectional and longitudinal results.","authors":"Brandee Feola, Hao Wu, Stephan Heckers, Jennifer U Blackford, Neil D Woodward, Jinyuan Liu, Julia M Sheffield","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70090","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjc.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Theoretical models implicate social anxiety and worry as potential drivers of paranoia; however, it is unknown which aspect of anxiety relates more strongly to paranoia, whether these relationships differ in clinical versus non-clinical populations and how these variables relate to one another over time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>143 schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and 89 non-clinical comparison (NCC) participants completed assessments of worry (Dunn Worry Questionnaire), social anxiety (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale) and paranoia (Revised-Green Paranoid Thoughts Scale). A subset (72 SSDs; 66 NCCs) completed longitudinal assessments over 6 months. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the relative contribution of worry and social anxiety on paranoia severity within each group, for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Worry, social anxiety, and paranoia were significantly elevated in SSD and intercorrelated. In NCCs, social anxiety accounted for more variance in paranoia than worry (16% vs. 3% in R²-change), but in SSDs, worry accounted for more variance in paranoia than social anxiety (14% vs. 5% R²-change). Longitudinal associations followed a similar pattern. In NCCs, change in social anxiety explained more variance than change in worry (18.5% vs. 6%), and in SSDs, change in worry explained more variance than change in social anxiety (26.5% vs. 0.5%), with social anxiety not adding meaningful variance to paranoia severity, above and beyond worry.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Social anxiety and worry are both highly relevant for paranoia. In sub-clinical samples, paranoia may be more related to social anxiety, whereas worry may relate more to paranoia in clinical samples. These findings can inform intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148766430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The new first listener: Daydreaming styles and self-compassion predict adolescent disclosure to AI, differently in ADHD.","authors":"Hui Yun Li, Ho Nam Cheung","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>AI chatbots are increasingly becoming a first common point of mental health disclosure for adolescents, suggesting a potential 'Step 0' within stepped-care pathways prior access to professional help. This study examined how daydreaming styles and self-compassion relate to adolescents' disclosure of inner thoughts to an AI 'listener', and whether these psychological processes differ among young people with ADHD, for whom spontaneous mind wandering and attentional control difficulties may be especially salient.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A large-scale cross-sectional online survey was conducted with adolescents and young people from the United States and Hong Kong.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were 2115 adolescents with and without ADHD identification. Structural equation modelling was used to test hypothesized pathways between daydreaming styles, self-compassion and AI disclosure with multi-group analyses (ADHD vs. peers).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Youth with ADHD differed markedly from their peers in daydreaming styles and self-compassion. Pathways from daydreaming styles to AI disclosure also differed by ADHD status. Self-compassion showed context-dependent associations. Among youth with ADHD, higher self-compassion predicted reduced AI disclosure. In the general population group, self-compassion amplified disclosure associated with positive-constructive daydreaming, while constraining disclosure linked to guilty-dysphoric daydreaming and poor attentional-control daydreaming.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Self-compassion and daydreaming styles jointly influence adolescents' tendencies to disclose mental health-related experiences to AI chatbots, with substantially different patterns among youth with ADHD. These findings suggest that AI-based 'Step 0' disclosures should be interpreted within stepped-care models with attention to individual differences and neurodiversity. Tailored, neurodiversity-informed approaches may be needed when integrating AI disclosure into youth mental health support pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148762909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the relationship between external shame and perceived social rank in people who hear voices.","authors":"Amy Lewins, Charlotte Thomas-Carmichael, Emmeline Goodby, Craig Steel","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>People who hear voices commonly experience high levels of shame. This study builds on evolutionary theories by investigating how feelings of shame are associated with the nature of the voice-person relationship. Researchers aim to understand whether increased feelings of external shame are associated with voice-hearers adopting a subordinating relationship to the voice(s), assigning the voice a higher social rank. The research also explored whether voice content, operationalized as the ways in which voices address the person (e.g. making requests, demands, forbidding actions, asking questions), is associated with this relationship as a potential mediator.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study implements a cross-sectional design, using an online survey. Fifty-six voice-hearers completed a series of questionnaires related to voice-hearing, external shame and perceived social rank, along with additional control variables online or via the telephone.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After controlling for confounders, external shame was significantly associated with perceived social rank, with higher levels of external shame corresponding to a lower perception of one's own social rank compared with the voice. Results did not suggest that voice content mediates this relationship.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings align with evolutionary theories on shame in voice-hearers and build on previous research by offering greater specificity in understanding the relationship between external shame and social rank, suggesting that interventions targeting external shame may be relevant, while future longitudinal research is needed to clarify the direction of the association. However, the cross-sectional study design precludes conclusions about directionality or causality, and self-selecting recruitment may limit the generalizability of results.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148765523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Computational modelling of effort-based decision-making in depression: The role of apathy and anhedonia in adolescent girls.","authors":"Ningning Zeng, Dongsheng Zhou, Jiali Zhou, Yaner Su, Guangzhi Deng, Junyi Zhang, Xiaoli Liu, André Aleman, Pengfei Xu, Yuejia Luo, Katharina S Goerlich","doi":"10.1111/bjc.70086","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjc.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability to depression, particularly in females. Motivational deficits are a hallmark of depression, yet the cognitive mechanisms underlying impaired effort-based decision-making (EBDM) in female adolescents remain poorly understood. Computational psychiatry addresses this by fitting mathematical models to behavioural data and extracting latent parameters, offering a more mechanistic view.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used computational modelling to investigate the distinct effects of apathy and anhedonia on effort-based decision-making in adolescent girls with depression. Thirty-two adolescent girls with depression and 33 matched healthy controls performed a physical effort-based decision-making task. Participants accepted or rejected to exert different levels of physical effort to obtain different magnitudes of rewards or to avoid loss. Group differences were analysed utilizing a hierarchical Bayesian discounting model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The depression group exhibited a significantly reduced willingness to exert effort to obtain rewards, reflected by a lower accept rate and longer response time compared to the healthy control group. In line with this, the discounting model showed that the depression group had a higher effort sensitivity. Moreover, in the healthy control group, higher apathy levels were associated with a lower accept rate, whereas no such associations were observed for anhedonia; in the depression group, no significant associations were found for either apathy or anhedonia.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identifies a computational signature of motivational deficits in female adolescent depression, characterized by oversensitivity to effort expenditure and modulated by apathy severity. By focusing on female adolescents, our findings highlight sex-specific mechanisms underpinning vulnerability to depression.</p>","PeriodicalId":48211,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Clinical Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148726145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}