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Whereas prior research has found that people are influenced by both internal (e.g., dimensional) and external (e.g., social) comparative information in academic contexts, we experimentally examined the influence of such comparisons in a health fitness context. Participants engaged in “physical and mental fitness” tasks (e.g., performing sit-ups, memorizing words) and were randomly assigned to receive (1) social comparative feedback indicating their physical or mental fitness was better or worse than their peers or (2) dimensional comparative feedback indicating their performance in a target domain (e.g., mental fitness) was better or worse than a referent domain (e.g., physical fitness). Results showed that participants who made upward comparisons had lower fitness self-evaluations and more negative (less positive) emotional reactions to the feedback for the target domain, with the effect being nominally stronger for social than dimensional comparisons and for mental than physical fitness. Findings are discussed in the context of comparison-based models and health behavior theories.

To identify factors that increase risk for nonadherence to recommended health protective behaviors during pandemics, this study examined the prospective relations of substance use frequency to both adherence to social distancing recommendations and social distancing intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the role of social distancing self-efficacy in these relations. A U.S. community sample of 377 adults completed a prospective online study, including an initial assessment between March 27 and April 5, 2020, and a follow-up assessment one-month later. Results revealed a significant direct relation of baseline substance use frequency to lower adherence to social distancing recommendations one-month later. Results also revealed significant indirect relations of greater substance use frequency to lower levels of both social distancing behaviors and intentions one-month later through lower social distancing self-efficacy. Results highlight the relevance of substance use and social distancing self-efficacy to lower adherence to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite evidence for the interrelations of interpersonal and emotional functioning within borderline personality disorder (BPD), little research has examined the impact of socially-oriented emotion regulation strategies among individuals with BPD symptoms. This study examined the impact of one such regulation strategy, social comparison (SC; upward vs. downward), on changes in negative emotions and cognitions following exposure to either a social threat or neutral condition of an online social interaction task among young women with a range of BPD symptoms. We hypothesized that BPD symptoms would be related to (a) greater increases in negative emotions and cognitions following upward SC among participants in both conditions, (b) greater increases in negative emotions and cognitions following downward SC among participants in the social threat condition, and (c) greater decreases in negative emotions and cognitions following downward SC among participants in the neutral condition. Providing partial support for hypotheses, results suggested that the cognitive consequences of downward SC may vary depending on the presence or absence of social threat. Specifically, results revealed a significant association between BPD symptoms and decreases in perceived threats to self-esteem and control following downward SC, but only among women in the neutral condition of the social interaction task. Conversely, although downward SC in the absence of social threat may be effective for regulating some negative cognitions, it may paradoxically increase negative affect among women with heightened BPD symptoms. Results highlight the need for further research examining the emotional and cognitive impact of social comparison among women with BPD symptoms.

This classic textbook continues to provide the basic knowledge relevant to the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. Comprehensive in scope, Dewhurst's Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology offers contributions from a noted panel of experts and contains an integrated approach that is designed to help deliver the highest possible care to patients. Since the publication of the previous edition, there have been a number of obstetric breakthroughs that are addressed in this new edition.  Written for both students and professionals, Dewhurst's Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology is a straightforward, authoritative and practice-based guide to women's reproductive health.

THE guide to women's reproductive health The knowledge needed for careful and effective practice of obstetrics & gynaecology continues to grow. Dewhurst's Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology distils evidence and experience into a straightforward, practice-based guide to women's reproductive health. This 8th edition has been comprehensively updated to reflect modern clinical needs. Summary boxes throughout enable rapid assimilation of key information for effective clinical practice. The two main parts, obstetrics and gynaecology, have been further divided into thematic sections: The basics of obstetrics and of gynaecology The phases of pregnancy from preconception to postnatal care Maternal medicine and fetal medicine Menstruation Infertility Urogynaecology Gynaecologic oncology Designed for trainees and to support experienced practitioners, Dewhurst's Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology is your ideal clinical companion.

Uterovaginal agenesis (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome; MRKH) is a congenital nonformation of the vagina and the uterus, but with normal ovaries. The authors investigated the psychological impact of this disorder, about which very little is known. A group of 66 women with MRKH were compared with 31 control-group women on a range of self-rating scales assessing psychological distress and self-esteem. Women with MRKH had significantly more pathological scores on some of the scales and subscales, such as phobic anxiety and psychoticism (interpersonal alienation), with a similar trend for subscales measuring depression and anxiety. MRKH has a lasting negative impact on affected women's level of psychological distress and self-esteem.

This study examined the prospective relations of baseline borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms to later coping- and health-related outcomes during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the moderating role of social media addiction in these relations. A U.S. nationwide community sample of 377 adults completed a prospective online study, including an initial assessment completed between March 27 and April 5, 2020 and a follow-up assessment one-month later. Baseline BPD symptoms were uniquely positively associated with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, past-month substance use, thwarted belongingness, and health anxiety at one-month follow-up. BPD symptoms were also found to be positively associated with substance use and thwarted belongingness only among participants with high levels of social media addiction. Results suggest that individuals with BPD pathology may be particularly vulnerable to adverse coping- and health-related outcomes during a pandemic, and highlight the potential downsides of excessive social media use in the context of a global health crisis.

People often use comparative information to better understand themselves and their standing in the world. Such comparisons influence self-evaluations, impact emotions, and direct future goal pursuit. Prior research has found that comparative information based on external (i.e., social) frames of reference may be particularly influential in the context of health-relevant behavior change. However, few studies have examined the use and impact of internal frames of reference, such as comparing one's current health to the past (i.e., temporal comparisons) or comparing one health-related domain (e.g., exercise) to a second domain (e.g., diet; i.e., dimensional comparisons). The present research aimed to explore the similarities and differences between internal and external comparisons within physical activity contexts. First, a cross-sectional Pilot Study was conducted to establish that both internal and external frame of reference comparisons were associated with physical activity-related outcomes. MTurk participants (N = 365) made social, temporal, and dimensional comparisons of vigorous exercise, and then reported self-evaluations and behavioral intentions. Next, to assess the causal impact of such comparisons, we conducted two pre-registered experimental studies (https://osf.io/v3y8f/) that utilized between-subjects designs wherein MTurk participants (total N = 533) made either upward or downward social, temporal, or dimensional comparisons about engaging in physical activity-related behaviors. Following our comparison manipulations, participants then reported self-evaluations, affective reactions, and behavioral intentions about physical activity-related behaviors. Study 2 replicated and extended the results of Study 1 using specific rather than general comparison targets (e.g., typical American vs. best friend, 2 years ago vs. 2 months ago, eating a healthy diet vs. endurance). Results across all three studies were consistent with our first overarching hypothesis, which stated that downward (upward) comparisons would result in more (less) favorable self-evaluations. In addition, results partially supported our hypothesis that downward (upward) comparisons would result in more (less) favorable affective reactions (Studies 1 and 2). Of the three studies presented, only the Pilot Study fully supported our hypothesis regarding behavioral intentions. Specifically, results revealed a negative association between comparative judgments and intentions, such that lower comparative judgments (i.e., upward comparisons) were associated with greater intentions, whereas higher comparative judgments (i.e., downward comparisons) were associated with lower intentions. Given that suboptimal adherence to physical activity behaviors has both clinical and public health significance, this research has implications for feasible and low-cost interventions aimed at increasing such behavior.

Tocolytics and indometacin are commonly used to prevent pre-term deliveries, but have side-effects which are potentially life threatening to the mother or the fetus, inhibiting the cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzyme which is upregulated in the fetus during labor. A COX-2-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory was studied in a 31-year-old woman who had lost eight previous pregnancies to preterm delivery, and the drug therapy assisted in the subject carrying a pregnancy to term with no harmful effect on the fetus.