Perceived burdensomeness and happiness in cohabiting older adults: The serial mediating roles of mental well-being and loneliness.

BackgroundMental well-being is fundamental for a good life. Previous literature has examined the predictors of mental disorders and continuous measures of positive mental health. Very few studies have specifically focused on the predictors of different levels of mental well-being, but those that have suggest a different picture. This study aimed to compare socioeconomic and relational/recreational behaviour predictors of different levels of mental well-being as well as common mental disorders (CMDs).MethodsData from 3508 adults aged 16+ years old from the Danish Mental Health and Well-Being Survey 2016 were linked to Danish national register-based data. Mental well-being was assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and information on CMDs was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). Regression analyses were conducted to estimate the predictors of low and high mental well-being compared to moderate mental well-being and also of CMDs.ResultsLower socioeconomic position (education, income and employment status) was associated with increased odds of low mental well-being and the presence of CMDs, but did not significantly predict high mental well-being. Relational/recreational behaviours (informal and formal social participation, social support and recreational activity) were associated with reduced odds of low mental well-being and CMDs, and also with increased odds of high mental well-being.ConclusionsSocioeconomic predictors of high mental well-being do not mirror those of low mental well-being and CMDs, whereas relational/recreational predictors of high mental well-being do mirror those of low mental well-being and CMDs. These findings have important implications for public mental health strategies.

BackgroundImproving life satisfaction (LS) and mental wellbeing (MWB) is important for better public health. Like other health issues, LS and MWB are closely related to deprivation (i.e. lack of resources). Developing public health measures that reduce inequalities in wellbeing requires an understanding of how factors associated with high and low LS and MWB vary with deprivation. Here, we examine such variations and explore which public health measures are likely to improve wellbeing while reducing related inequalities.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire measuring LS and MWB was used with a cross-sectional sample of adults from the North West of England (n = 15,228). Within deprivation tertiles, analyses examined how demographics, health status, employment, relationships and behaviours (alcohol, tobacco, physical exercise) were associated with LS and MWB.ResultsDeprivation was strongly related to low LS and MWB with, for instance, 17.1 % of the most deprived tertile having low LS compared to 8.9 % in the most affluent. After controlling for confounders, across all deprivation tertiles, better self-assessed health status and being in a relationship were protective against low LS and MWB. Unemployment increased risks of low LS across all tertiles but only risks of low MWB in the deprived tertile. For this tertile, South Asian ethnicity and higher levels of exercise were protective against low MWB. In the middle tertile retired individuals had a reduced risk of low MWB and an increased chance of high LS even in comparison to those in employment. Alcohol’s impact on LS was limited to the most deprived tertile where heavy drinkers were at most risk of poor outcomes.ConclusionsIn this study, positive outcomes for LS and MWB were strongly associated with lower deprivation and good health status. Public health measures already developed to promote these issues are likely to improve LS and MWB. Efforts to increase engagement in exercise are also likely to have positive impacts, particularly in deprived communities. The development of future initiatives that address LS and MWB must take account of variations in their risk and protective factors at different levels of deprivation.

China’s One-Child per couple policy (OCP) has created a generation of one-child families, and these parents are now getting old. How do they live? This study examined the well-being of this cohort with four indicators: subjective (life satisfaction), mental (depression), physical (health), and psychological well-being (positive psychological functioning). Data were collected from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), and parents aged 60 and above were included. We examined the well-being of one-child older adults compared with those having multiple children across age groups and investigated the effects of children support and rural-urban difference. Compared with those with multiple children, one-child older adults were not at a disadvantage. They were significantly better in mental and physical well-being, with no difference in subjective or psychological well-being. One-child parents had a more stable pattern of subjective and mental well-being across age groups (60–64, 65–69, 70+). Among the three types of support, emotional support significantly predicted psychological well-being. Furthermore, urban older adults, of whom the majority were one-child parents, valued much more emotional support than their peers in rural areas. The findings suggest that the generation of Chinese older adults affected by the OCP live fairly well, and the parental status may shift older adults’ focus on filial piety expectations.

While debts are widely used financial tools, few longitudinal studies investigating potential causal links between debts and mental wellbeing exist among older adults. Older adults, particularly those not employed, are less likely to have increasing incomes to help them pay off their debts. This study investigates whether older adults with non-mortgage debts in three different labour market states have lower mental wellbeing and, separately, whether it is likely that reducing their debts helps to improve mental wellbeing. Using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, the study focuses on the English context, which is particularly interesting due to the high levels of, and a unique policy approach to, private indebtedness.The results indicate that people with debts have lower mental wellbeing (more depressive symptoms and lower quality of life) in all categories, but the mental pain linked to debts is stronger for people who are jobless (not working, not retired). The analysis from a causal perspective suggests that getting rid of debts may reduce depressive symptoms among people who are jobless but may also improve quality of life among the retired and employed. Both these findings suggest that mental health services should work closely with debt advice when needed.

To assess the mental well-being of pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, web-based international survey was carried out between May 15 and October 15, 2020. The survey was available in English, Spanish, Italian and Russian and promoted through social media and health care professionals. The questions evaluated sociodemographic characteristics, medical and obstetric history, COVID-19 symptoms and infection. The World Health Organization well-being index (WHO-5) was used to assess mental health status. Pregnant and postpartum women up to 12 months postpartum who were older than 18 years of age were eligible. Women were classified as having a low (WHO-5 ≦52) or high (WHO-5 > 52) mental well-being. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify factors associated with low mental well-being. A total of 4221 patients provided valid surveys for analysis (3324 pregnant and 897 postpartum women). The mean (±SD) WHO-5 scores for pregnant and postpartum women were 54.3 ± 20.3 and 54.7 ± 21, respectively. Low mental well-being was observed in 42% and 40% of pregnant and postpartum women respectively. Factors associated with low mental well-being included residence in a South American country (p < 0.001), being a single mother (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), having a respiratory or a psychiatric disorder (p = 0.02 and 0.03 respectively), multiparity (p < 0.001), the presence of symptoms like difficulty breathing (p = 0.02), diarrhoea (p = 0.04) and muscle pain (p < 0.001), and the pandemic period (p < 0.001). The second and third trimesters of pregnancy and the postpartum period were associated with higher mental well-being compared to the first trimester (p < 0.001). A history of hospital admission, pneumonia, or intensive care unit admission due to COVID-19 infection was not associated with worse mental well-being score. Sociodemographic characteristics, and not the SARS-COV-2 infection, were the determinants of mental well-being among pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study examined the relationships between earthquake obsession, psychological well-being, future anxiety, and hope in adults who experienced the earthquakes in southern Türkiye in 2023. The study sample consisted of 528 adults aged between 18 and 55 years. The results of the study showed that high earthquake obsession is associated with low mental well-being; however, high hope acts as a buffer in this relationship. At the same time, future anxiety mediates the relationship between earthquake preoccupation and mental well-being. In addition, we found that married individuals have more earthquake obsession and lower mental well-being than single individuals, and future anxiety has a more negative effect on well-being in single individuals. These findings will provide insights for mental health professionals to enhance well-being in intervention studies.

Psychological well-being decreases in the elderly, which in turn may affect the risk of disease. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the psychological well-being of the elderly and identify the factors associated with it. Accordingly, the present study was to consider the role of self-compassion and alexithymia in the psychological well-being of the elderly. The method of the present study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included all the elderly living in nursing homes of Qazvin in the summer of 2020, among whome 92 people were selected using convenience sampling based on Krejcie and Morgan table. They completed the self-compassion scale (Neff), alexithymia scale (Bagbi et al.) and psychological well-being scale-short form (Ryff). Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression test were used to analyze the data in SPSS software version 24 at the significance level of 0.05. The results showed that there was a direct and significant relationship between self-compassion (r=0.8) and its components with psychological well-being (p < 0.01), as well as a significant inverse relationship between alexithymia (r=-0.777) and its components with psychological well-being (p < 0.01). Besides, alexithymia and self-compassion explained 75.3% of the variance of psychological well-being. Therefore, counsellors and psychologists working in the field of elderly are recommended to enhance the psychological well-being of the elderly through using measures for the improvement of their self-compassion and the decrease of their alexithymia. References Abolfathi Momtaz, Y., Ansari, M., & Foroughan, M. (2020). The Effectiveness of humor training on the elderly’s well-being. Aging Psychology, 6(2), 119-130. [Persian] Azarbw, M., & Sajjadi, N. (2018). 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Increase in depression and anxiety symptoms and stable levels of compassion among older adults from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic

The psychological fallout of war media: A path analysis of media exposure, nuclear war threat anxiety, and mental wellbeing among older adults.

Older adults have been found to internalize stigma from society and this has been linked to several variables including social support, coping, psychological distress, and mental well-being. However, there is a dearth of research on how these variables interact with each other to impact the life of older adults. This study employed path analysis to explore social support and coping as boundary conditions and underlying mechanisms in the link between internalized stigma, psychological distress, and mental well-being, among older adults in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional design, the study recruited 167 older adults who responded to standardized questionnaires including The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, The Brief Coping Inventory, Kessler Distress Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, to determine levels of internalized stigma, social support, coping strategies, psychological distress, and mental well-being, respectively. The findings revealed that at low levels of social support, there is a significant and positive correlation between internalized stigma and mental well-being (β = -.36, SE = 0.17, p < .001). Path analysis showed that the relationship between internalized stigma and mental well-being was fully mediated by problem-focused coping (β = .11, p = . 001, 95% CI [0.04, 0.21]), but not psychological distress. Problem-focused coping was also found to have a significant positive correlation with mental well-being but no significant correlation with psychological distress. Conversely, avoidant-focused coping was found to have a significant positive correlation with psychological distress and a significant negative correlation with mental well-being. This study revealed the importance of social support and coping to attaining mental well-being among older adults. This study provides insights into the development of tailored interventions aimed at improving social support and problem-focused coping among older Ghanaian adults facing internalized stigma, and it also establishes a base for future research.

Introduction Mental health and wellbeing of the dental team has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this renewed interest, there has been longstanding issues with poor mental health and wellbeing in the dental profession for some time. While there is some evidence that documents poor mental wellbeing amongst dentists, there appears to be a lack of evidence concerning dental care professionals.Aims To explore the level of mental wellbeing and stress amongst dental hygienists and therapists (DHTs) in South West England.Method An online survey was distributed to DHTs in South West England via two professional networks.Results A total of 129 surveys were completed. The mean levels of reported wellbeing were lower amongst DHTs than the general population and 45% of respondents reported high anxiety levels. Younger respondents reported lower levels of life satisfaction. Plus, 43.5% of dental therapists reported performing solely dental hygiene treatments, with those performing no dental therapy reporting lower happiness levels.Conclusion Low mental wellbeing amongst DHTs in the South West has been identified in this survey and this is likely to impact negatively on the morale and motivation of the workforce, leading to increased levels of absenteeism and ultimately, loss of colleagues from the dental workforce. The stress encountered by DHTs is largely workplace-related and therefore, there is an increased need for team- and organisation-delivered interventions to improve mental wellbeing for this group.

Introduction Mental health and wellbeing of the dental team has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this renewed interest, there has been longstanding issues with poor mental health and wellbeing in the dental profession for some time. While there is some evidence that documents poor mental wellbeing amongst dentists, there appears to be a lack of evidence concerning dental care professionals.Aims To explore the level of mental wellbeing and stress amongst dental hygienists and therapists (DHTs) in South West England.Method An online survey was distributed to DHTs in South West England via two professional networks.Results A total of 129 surveys were completed. The mean levels of reported wellbeing were lower amongst DHTs than the general population and 45% of respondents reported high anxiety levels. Younger respondents reported lower levels of life satisfaction. Plus, 43.5% of dental therapists reported performing solely dental hygiene treatments, with those performing no dental therapy reporting lower happiness levels.Conclusion Low mental wellbeing amongst DHTs in the South West has been identified in this survey and this is likely to impact negatively on the morale and motivation of the workforce, leading to increased levels of absenteeism and ultimately, loss of colleagues from the dental workforce. The stress encountered by DHTs is largely workplace-related and therefore, there is an increased need for team- and organisation-delivered interventions to improve mental wellbeing for this group.Introduction

Background Global studies have demonstrated consistent associations between sleep problems and mental health and well-being in older adults, however Canadian data are lacking. We investigated associations between sleep quantity and quality with both mental illness symptoms and well-being among older adults in Canada. Methods We used cross-sectional baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a national survey of 30,097 community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and older. Self-reported sleep measures included average past-week sleep duration (short [&amp;lt;6h], normal [6-8h], long [&amp;gt;8h]), and sleep quality (satisfied or dissatisfied vs neutral). Mental illness outcomes included depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Mental well-being outcomes included self-rated mental health and satisfaction with life. We used modified Poisson regression models with adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical factors, and stratification by sex and age to explore effect modification. Results In the unadjusted analysis, short and long sleep duration and sleep dissatisfaction were associated with higher mental illness symptoms and lower well-being across all outcomes. Sleep satisfaction was associated with a lower likelihood of mental illness symptoms and better well-being. Short sleep duration was associated with the largest effects on mental health outcomes. Self-rated mental health and depressive symptoms had the largest associations with sleep measures. Effects were larger in males and the 45 to 54 year age group. Conclusions Preliminary evidence suggests sleep duration and quality are associated with symptoms of depression, psychological distress, and poor mental well-being among older adults. We are unable to determine whether sleep problems are a cause or consequence of poor mental health. Nonetheless, sleep may be an important target for public health initiatives to improve mental health and well-being among older adults. Key messages Our findings contribute further evidence that sleep difficulties are associated with adverse health outcomes including higher mental illness symptoms and lower well-being among older adults. Sleep disturbances are an unmet public health problem, and may be an important target for public health initiatives to improve mental health and well-being among older adults.

ObjectiveThe introduction of the “Broadband China” strategy significantly boosted internet access for older adults in China. This study examines the association between improved internet usage on the psychological well-being of older adults in China and explores the mediating role of intergenerational interactions, focusing on economic and emotional exchanges between older adults and their children.MethodA difference-in-differences analysis was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the “Broadband China” strategy in enhancing internet access. Additionally, fixed-effect regressions were used to examine the relationship between internet use and psychological well-being for older adults (aged 60 and above, male and female, all of Chinese ethnicity).ResultsInternet use is positively associated with psychological well-being. Mobile use and concurrent use of mobile and computers devices show particularly strong benefits. An inverted U-shaped relationship is observed between usage duration and well-being. Moderate use enhances well-being while excessive use diminishes the effect and may even lead to negative outcomes. Internet-based learning, social, and entertainment activities are beneficial, whereas the associations of internet-based work remain inconclusive. Economic interactions such as online shopping and digital transfers are positively associated with well-being, while increased reliance on virtual communication may reduce face-to-face interactions, weakening emotional connections.ConclusionThe “Broadband China” strategy played a significant role in promoting internet use among the country's older adults. While our results suggest many positive associations between internet use and mental well-being, increased internet usage is also associated with decreased face-to-face contact frequency and lower contact quality between older adults and their children.Policy ImplicationDigital inclusion policies should not only expand access but also promote balanced internet use while encouraging meaningful offline interactions between older adults and their families.

BackgroundMajor behavioural risk factors are known to adversely affect health outcomes and be strongly associated with mental illness. However, little is known about the association of these risk factors with...