PsychTech & Health Journal

WHEN VIRTUAL WORLDS BECOME INTELLIGENT

Miguel Melo — 2026-10-07

The recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) have contributed to a significant visibility of generative AI. Despite the big spotlights being on AI nowadays, the ambition to develop computational systems capable of creating the illusion of intelligent behaviour is not new. One can date AI to the 1950s, when various researchers raised the topic and made remarkable contributions to the field’s establishment and evolution.

SPIRITUALITY AS A RESOURCE FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION

Carolina Rosa — 2026-10-07

Spirituality has been increasingly recognized as a factor associated with the promotion of mental health, encompassing existential dimensions that transcend exclusively biomedical models. The present article provides an integrative review of the scientific literature published between 2020 and 2025, based on empirical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, examining the relationship between spirituality and religiosity and mental health indicators, as well as the underlying psychological and social mechanisms. The review was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases, supplemented by hand-searching of selected scientific journals. Nine studies met the predefined inclusion criteria and were incorporated into the final synthesis. Recent evidence suggests that higher levels of spirituality are associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms, greater resilience, and better emotional regulation, with associations that are predominantly small to moderate in magnitude. These findings appear to be mediated by processes such as positive religious coping, meaning-making, and social support, which may be reinforced within community-based contexts of shared belonging and collective identity. However, unfavorable outcomes linked to negative religious coping have also been documented, reflecting poorer mental health indicators and underscoring the need for ethically grounded, non-doctrinal, and culturally sensitive approaches. It is concluded that the careful integration of spirituality may represent a relevant complementary resource in the promotion of psychological well-being, highlighting the need for future longitudinal research and for the development of context-sensitive, non-confessional approaches within the field of Health Education.

MENTAL HEALTH AMONG HIGH-PERFORMANCE AFRICAN ATHLETES

Paulo Tibério Armando Saveca — 2026-10-07

The sporting world has highlighted the need for a better understanding of high-performance athletes’ mental health. Little is known about the mental health of African high-performance athletes, despite the widespread practice of sport. Objective: To map the literature on mental health among African high-performance athletes. Methods: A search was conducted in 2025 across four electronic databases, namely: Web of Science, PubMed, Scielo and Scopus, following the PRISMA guidelines for the preparation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Original articles involving African athletes were included, classified as levels 3 to 5 according to the Participation Classification Framework (McKay et al., 2022), without distinction by sport or gender, and containing relevant information on various aspects of athletes’ mental health. Results: The search yielded 5,249 articles conducted in a limited number of African countries. Following the various stages of the selection process, 17 studies were deemed eligible. Analysis of these articles led to the following conclusions: (1) the most commonly studied mental disorders are anxiety and depression; (2) these were followed by stress, anxiety, and distress; and, finally, (3) sleep disorders. Health-damaging behaviours such as smoking, poor dietary habits, harmful alcohol consumption, and physical and sexual abuse were also identified among young athletes, albeit less frequently. Conclusion: Generally speaking, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are shown to be a common problem throughout the lives of African athletes, offset by high levels of mental resilience. There is a need to conduct studies in more African countries, focusing on sports with the greatest social impact.

PARENTAL INFLUENCE ON VOCATIONAL CHOICE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

José Vasconcelos-Raposo — 2026-10-07

Transitioning to higher education represents a critical developmental milestone during Emerging Adulthood, where vocational decision-making and perceived family support play crucial roles in academic adjustment and psychological well-being. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory and Self-Determination Theory, this quantitative, cross-sectional study evaluated students’ perceptions of parental influence on university course choice and its association with psychological well-being. The sample comprised 60 first-year undergraduate students from higher education institutions in the northern interior of Portugal (M = 18.98 years; 50% female). Data were collected using a sociodemographic/vocational questionnaire and the Psychological Well-Being Manifestation Measurement Scale (EMMBEP). Overall psychological well-being scores were moderate to high (M = 87.35, SD = 13.22). No statistically significant differences in psychological well-being were observed based on the primary reason for course selection or perceived parental support (p > .05). However, students considering a course change exhibited significantly lower scores in the Happiness and Self-Control/Mastery domains. The findings suggest that parental support functions as a contextual resource fostering autonomy, whereas perceived vocational mismatch impairs self-mastery and positive affect.

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SEX, PRIOR EXPERIENCE, NAVIGATION METHOD, AND PERFORMANCE EFFICACY ON EXPERIENCED PRESENCE IN VIRTUAL REALITY

Helena Arriscado — 2026-10-07

Presence is a central dimension of virtual reality (VR) experience, defined as the subjective feeling of being situated within a technologically mediated environment. This study aimed to characterize interactions between: 1) sex and previous VR contact frequency, 2) sex and navigation method (gaze-directed vs. pointing), and 3) sex and performance efficacy in a virtual exploration task. It also investigated whether spatial presence, involvement, experienced realism, and overall presence differed based on these variables. Twenty-four university students (18 female, 6 male), aged 18-23, participated. They were sequentially assigned to one of two navigation conditions. The task involved a 2-minute immersive exploration of a VR environment using an Oculus Rift to find eight pots. Performance was deemed effective if at least four pots were found. Presence was measured using the Portuguese version of the Igroup Presence Questionnaire. Three 2 × 2 MANOVAs were conducted for the variable combinations. No statistically significant multivariate effects were found at the 5% level, though medium-to-large effect sizes were observed, primarily for sex and its interaction with contact frequency. A univariate analysis revealed a significant effect of sex on experienced realism (p = .047, η_p^² = .183). However, the small, unbalanced sample, low statistical power, non-random condition assignment, and internal consistency issues with some questionnaire dimensions necessitate cautious interpretation. The results provide exploratory evidence requiring confirmation in larger, balanced studies with more robust methodologies.