Affect Balance Scale Research Articles

Trends in life expectancy in wellbeing

Objectives: This paper describes anddiscusses trends in life expectancy inwellbeing between 1989 and 1998.Methods: Data on wellbeing by theBradburn Affect Balance Scale is obtained fromthe Netherlands Continuous Health InterviewSurveys for the calendar years from 1989 to1998. Using Sullivan's method, life expectancyin wellbeing is calculated.Results: For males at the age of 16, lifeexpectancy in wellbeing increases significantlyfrom 52.7 years in 1989 (90.1% of the totallife expectancy) to 54.4 years in 1998(90.8%). This increase is almost completelycaused by the increase in total lifeexpectancy. For females at the age of 16, lifeexpectancy in wellbeing raises significant from54.4 years in 1989 (84.1%) to 56.2 years in1998 (86.3%). This increase is almostcompletely caused by a decrease in the numberof years in a state of distress.For both males and females at the age of 65,the significant increase of life expectancy inwellbeing exceeds the increase in total lifeexpectancy and is mainly caused by the decreasein number of years in distress.Conclusion: Contrary to life expectancyin good perceived health and to disability freelife expectancy – which show a decreasing trend– the overall wellbeing of the population isincreasing. It seems that aspects in human lifethat contribute to wellbeing or quality of lifeother than physical health are gaining inimportance. This makes life expectancy inwellbeing a less appropriate instrument tomonitor changes in population health, but auseful instrument to measure population qualityof life.

Other measures of psychological well-being: The Affect Balance Scale (ABS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI)

Other measures of psychological well-being: The Affect Balance Scale (ABS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI)

Attributional style and self-esteem as predictors of psychological well being

Background: this study sets out to examine to what extent attributional style (internal, stable, global) and self-esteem predicted positive affect and self-reported happiness in a normal, non-clinical, population of young people in their early 20s. Method: 88 participants completed five questionnaires: Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ in both positive and negative situations), Bradburn Affect Scales (Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Affect Balance Scale), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Gurin Happiness Measure, and Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI). Results: regressional analysis showed that the ASQ was the significant predictor of happiness accounting for 18% of variance. The ASQ in positive and negative situations was significantly inversely correlated with self-esteem. Further, with happiness (the OHI) as dependent variable and attributional style, self-esteem, and demographic variables as independent variables, self-esteem and attributional style (in positive situations) were the significant predictors of happiness accounting for 55% of the total variance. Conclusion: the results indicated that optimistic attributional style in positive situations was a stronger predictor of self-reported happiness than optimistic attributional style in negative situations. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of cognitive strategies for changing pessimism into optimism thus enhancing happiness or psychological well-being.

OPTIMAL AND NORMAL AFFECT BALANCE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY OF MAJOR DEPRESSION: EVALUATION OF THE BALANCED STATES OF MIND MODEL

The reformulated balanced states of mind (BSOM) model (Schwartz, 1997) proposed new cognitive-affective set-point ratios based on a mathematical model of consciousness (Lefebvre, 1990) to differentiate among pathological, normal and optimal balances. Using data derived from the Affects Balance Scale (Derogatis, 1975), the reformulated set-points were empirically evaluated by tracking changes in affect balance SOM (ratio of positive to total affect) in 66 depressed male outpatients undergoing cognitive-behavior therapy (n = 45) or pharmacotherapy (n = 21). Confidence interval estimations indicated that across treatments both remitted (SOM = .35) and unremitted (SOM = .35) patients had pathological pretreatment affect balances near the predicted set-point (.38). At post-treatment, affect balance for remitted patients (SOM = .74) progressed to a normal dialogue near the predicted set-point (.72), whereas unremitted patients maintained a negative balance (SOM = .41). Using Hamilton and Global Assessment Scale ratings, remitted patients were classified into average and optimal responders. At post-treatment, average responders achieved an affect balance (SOM = .70) near the normal dialogue set-point (.72), whereas optimal responders progressed to an affect balance (SOM = .81) at the optimal dialogue set-point (.81), supporting the theoretical distinction between normal and optimal balance. A mathematically generated measure that distinguishes normality and optimality permits increased quantitative precision in comparative psychotherapy outcome research.

Anger After Childbirth: An Overlooked Reaction to Postpartum Stressors

Other than postpartum depression, little is known about women's emotional responses to childbirth and subsequent stressors. Anger was explored on the basis of theory and evidence that it is a likely emotional response in this context. During their third trimester of pregnancy and approximately six weeks after delivery, 163 participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the anger subset of the Affect Balance Scale. A number of childbirth-relevant variables were examined as predictors of postpartum emotional response, controlling for prepartum levels and for the association between anger and depressed mood. As expected, a substantial group of women reported high levels of anger irrespective of depressed mood. Although the majority of variables predicted depressed mood, childcare stress, age, and religious self-identification were independently predictive of postpartum anger (all p values > .05). Implications for research and clinical intervention are discussed.

Personality, self-esteem, and demographic predictions of happiness and depression

This paper examines correlations and causes of happiness and depression among adolescents. Personality, self-esteem, “aspects of life”, affect, depression, and happiness were all measured by self-report and the data explored through using multiple regression. In all 234 participants (mean age=18.23 years) completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, Positive Affect; Negative Affect; and Affect Balance Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Oxford Happiness Inventory. Results indicated that extraversion was significantly correlated with positive affect, negative affect, depression, and happiness ( r=0.27, r=−0.22, r=−0.39, r=0.45; P<0.01 to P<0.001) and neuroticism significantly correlated with positive affect, negative affect, depression, and happiness to a similar degree ( r=−0.24, r=0.35, r=0.53, r=−0.43; P<0.001). Self-esteem and relationship with parents had a direct predictive power on happiness ( β=0.49, P<0.001; β=0.18, P<0.05) and the opposite relationship with depression ( β=−0.39, P<0.001; β=−0.22, P<0.01) whereas extraversion and neuroticism predicted happiness and depression mediating through self-esteem ( β=0.23, P<0.01; β=−0.47, P<0.001). Further, for depression, sex also showed direct predictive power ( β=0.20, P<0.01). The “path model” which resulted from the analysis showed clearly the differences in the personality, self-esteem, and demographic predictions of happiness as opposed to depression.

The cumulative effects of life event, personal and social resources on subjective well-being of elderly widowers.

A multidimensional Life Stress Model was used to test the independent contributions of background characteristics, personal resources, life event, and environmental influences on 200 widowers' levels of well-being, measured by the Affect Balance Scale. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that environmental resources were unrelated to negative affect which is influenced more by the life event and personal resource variables. The environmental resource variables, particularly interactions with friends and neighbors, mostly influenced positive affect. The explanatory model for well-being included multiple variables and explained 33 percent of the variance. Although background characteristics had the greatest impact, absence of hospitalization, higher mastery, higher self-esteem, contacts with friends, and interaction with neighbors enhanced well-being. The results support previous speculations on the importance of positive exchanges for positive affect. African-American widowers showed higher levels of well-being than Caucasian widowers did. The results advance knowledge about differences among elderly men.

The impact of olanzapine on attitude to medication and quality of life in schizophrenia

AIMS and MethodThis study aimed to compare the subjective quality of life and attitudes to medication between groups of patients with schizophrenia taking either olanzapine or traditional antipsychotic medication.ResultsThe two groups were matched for age, gender, length of illness and antipsychotic group demonstrated more extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS) and akathisia. Within this group, those with EPS scored lower on the affect balance scale of the Lancashire Quality of Life Scale than those without. More patients in the olanzapine group reported that medication was taken to prevent symptoms returning.Clinical ImplicationsThese results lend support to the hypothesis that the presence of EPS impairs quality of life and suggest that olanzapine therapy may improve patients' attitudes to medication.

Well-being as a moving target: measurement equivalence of the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale.

Although the Bradburn Affect Balance scale (ABS) is a frequently used two-factor indicator of well-being in later life, its measurement and invariance properties are not well documented. We examined these issues using confirmatory factor analyses of cross-sectional (adults ages 54-87 years) and longitudinal data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Stability of the positive and negative affect factors was moderate across a 3-year period. Overall, factor loadings for positive affect items were invariant over time with the exception of the pleased item. Negative affect items were time invariant. However, age-group comparisons between young-old and old-old groups revealed age differences in loadings for the upset item at Time 1. Finally, gender groups differed in loadings for the top of the world and going your way items. Thus a pattern of partial measurement equivalence characterized item response to the ABS. Our results suggest that group comparisons and longitudinal change in ABS scale scores of positive and negative affect should be interpreted with caution.

Development of an Instrument to Measure Resident Satisfaction With Assisted Living

This article describes the development of the Resident Satisfaction Index (RSI) to measure the quality of assisted living from the residents' perspective. In total, 156 residents in 13 assisted living facilities participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed five hypothesized RSI subscales representing resident perceptions of health care, housekeeping services, physical environment, relationships with staff, and social life/activities. Cronbach's alpha for the RSI subscales ranged from .77 to .86, and for the entire index, it was .92. The correlation of the RSI with the Affect Balance Scale (ABS) was .53, providing further support for its construct validity. The instrument could be used by policy makers and professionals interested in improving the quality of life for the frail elderly in assisted living.

To Balance or not to Balance: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Affect-Balance Scale

This study examined the psychometric quality of the Affect-Balance Scale (ABS) (Bradburn, 1969) using data collected from 292 middle-aged and older adults, living independently. The dimensionality of the scale was examined, the quality of individual items was tested, and the validity of the ABS was studied. Using a tetrachoric correlation matrix with the robust weighted least squares (WLSMV) estimation method of the Mplus program, we found that two moderately correlated (r = -0.37) constructs are needed to adequately account for the pattern of item scores in the ABS. Two of the 10 ABS items were found to be problematic. When raw sum scores were used in analysis, the correlation between the positive-affect and the negative-affect subscales was lower (r = -0.17), indicating that random and nonrandom measurement error masked the relationship between the two. While affect-balance correlated substantially with five criterion well-being measures, the negative-affect subscale (which constitutes half of the ABS) had a similar pattern of correlations, with only slightly lower magnitude. The theoretical construct of nobreak 'balance' is also questioned. The 'balance' scoring method (subtracting the negative-affect subscale score from the positive-affect subscale score) nets exactly the same score as does summing scores from both subscales together. Accordingly, the summed scores have the very same correlations with other variables as do the balance scores.

Illness intrusiveness among survivors of autologous blood and marrow transplantation.

Illness-induced disruptions to lifestyles, activities, and interests (i.e., illness intrusiveness) compromise subjective well-being. The authors measured illness intrusiveness in autologous blood and bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) survivors and compared the results with survivors of solid organ transplants. Forty-four of 64 consecutive ABMT survivors referred to the University of Toronto ABMT long-term follow-up clinic completed the Illness Intrusiveness Ratings Scale (IIRS), the Affect Balance Scale (ABS), the Atkinson Life Happiness Rating (ATKLH), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. Mean time from ABMT to evaluation was 4.6 +/- 2.8 years. All patients were in remission or had stable disease at the time of evaluation. Autologous blood and bone marrow transplantation patients' IIRS scores were compared with scores reported by recipients of kidney (n = 357), liver (n = 150), lung (n = 77), and heart (n = 60) transplants. Mean IIRS score for the 44 ABMT patients was 37.2 +/- 17 (maximum possible score, 91; minimum possible score, 13). Higher IIRS scores correlated with lower scores on the ABS (r = -0.54; P < 0.0001), and ATKLH (r = -0.44; P = 0.004), and with higher scores on the BHS (r = 0.58; P < 0.0001) and CES-D (r = 0.48; P < 0.0001). The authors compared IIRS scores from the ABMT survivors with scores from recipients of solid organ transplants. Scores were corrected for age, gender, and time from transplant to evaluation. Corrected mean IIRS scores for the marrow (37.5), kidney (38.9), heart (40.0), lung (30.1), and liver (32.3) transplant recipients differed significantly (P < 0.0001 by analysis of covariance). Higher scores among marrow, kidney, and heart transplant survivors were caused by increased scores in the instrumental domain of the IIRS that measures disruptions in health, work, financial situation, and active recreation. Despite achieving a remission after ABMT, patients continue to experience illness intrusiveness compromising subjective well-being.

Age-related differences and change in positive and negative affect over 23 years.

Positive and negative affect, measured by the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale, were studied in a longitudinal sample spanning from 1971 to 1994. The sample (N = 2,804) represented 4 generations of families. Linear trend analyses compared generations over time for positive and negative affect and also examined the possible influences of neuroticism and extraversion on initial levels of affect and patterns of change in affect. Negative affect decreased with age for all generations, although the rate was attenuated among the oldest adults. Higher neuroticism scores also attenuated the decrease in negative affect across time. For positive affect, the younger and middle-aged adults showed marked stability, but the older group evidenced a small decrease over time. Higher levels of extraversion were related to more stability in positive affect.

Sociopolitical control and empowerment: An extended replication

Although much of the empowerment research and literature deals with the individual in his immediate environment, there is clearly a branch that focusses more on the wider community and sociopolitical empowerment. Zimmerman and Zahniser (1991) developed an integrative measure of sociopolitical control containing two indices—Leadership Competence and Political Control, and they reported three tests of their measure. This study reports the use of the measure, as well as the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale (Bradburn, 1969) and a measure developed for measuring a sense of Community Belonging. The Pearson correlations for these measures were compared with Pearson correlations for measures of participation and decision-making for two similar groups of activists in the same community; one group had been active for two years longer than the second group. The comparison shows statistically significant differences between the two groups. Not only are the sociopolitical control indices of Zimmerman and Zahniser found to be effective, but they and other community empowerment measures are shown to be sensitive to the passing of time and accumulation of experience. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A new version of the geriatric depression scale for nursing and residential home populations: the geriatric depression scale (residential) (GDS-12R).

The objective was to develop a new short-form Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-12R) suitable for older people living in nursing and residential care settings, including those persons with significant cognitive impairment. A total of 308 newly admitted residents of 30 nursing and residential homes in northwest England were interviewed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Affect Balance Scale (ABS). A 12-item version of the GDS was shown to have greater internal reliability than the 15-item version, because of the context-dependent nature of the deleted items. There was close agreement between the GDS-12R items and another indicator of depressed mood (a single item from the ABS). Furthermore, moderate to high levels of cognitive impairment did not affect the performance of the new version of the scale. The GDS-12R provides researchers and clinicians with a brief, easy-to-administer depression scale that is relevant to residential and nursing home populations.

Parental divorce: long-term effects on mental health, family relations and adult sexual behavior.

Specific long term effects of parental divorce were examined in a sample of 179 Icelanders, 20 to 30 years of age. The participants answered the Borromean Family Index, the Affect Balance Scale and a number of questions on sexual behavior and attitudes towards marriage and divorce. Results showed that compared to adults whose parents remained married, those of divorced parents reported more negative emotional experiences at the time of the study and had looser family ties. They also had greater number of short love affairs, had their first love affair at a younger age, had a greater number of sexual partners, and were younger at the time of their first sexual intercourse than adults whose parents remained married.

CONVERGENT VALIDITY OF THE DEPRESSION-HAPPINESS SCALE WITH THE BRADBURN AFFECT BALANCE SCALE

The aim of the present paper is to provide further evidence for the convergent validity of one such measure, the Depression-Happiness Scale (McGreal &amp; Joseph, 1993; Joseph &amp; Lewis, 1998). The Affect Balance Scale (Bradburn, 1969), a measure which is very well established in the subjective well-being literature, which contains measures of both positive and negative affect, was administered alongside the Depression-Happiness Scale to 67 undergraduate students. As predicted, higher scores on the Depression-Happiness Scale, indicating a higher frequency of positive feelings and a lower frequency of negative feelings, were significantly associated with higher scores on the Affect Balance Scale and the Affect Positive Scale and also with lower scores on the Affect Negative Scale. These data provide further evidence of the convergent validity of the Depression-Happiness Scale.

Sociopolitical control and empowerment: An extended replication

Although much of the empowerment research and literature deals with the individual in his immediate environment, there is clearly a branch that focusses more on the wider community and sociopolitical empowerment. Zimmerman and Zahniser (1991) developed an integrative measure of sociopolitical control containing two indices—Leadership Competence and Political Control, and they reported three tests of their measure. This study reports the use of the measure, as well as the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale (Bradburn, 1969) and a measure developed for measuring a sense of Community Belonging. The Pearson correlations for these measures were compared with Pearson correlations for measures of participation and decision-making for two similar groups of activists in the same community; one group had been active for two years longer than the second group. The comparison shows statistically significant differences between the two groups. Not only are the sociopolitical control indices of Zimmerman and Zahniser found to be effective, but they and other community empowerment measures are shown to be sensitive to the passing of time and accumulation of experience. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

DEPRESSION, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

736 Introduction: There is increasing interest in documenting and optimizing quality of life in the post-transplantation period. The present study investigates the prevalence of mood symptoms interfering with function and the relationship between such symptoms and quality of life for transplant recipients. Method: Cross-sectional interview and self-report questionnaire survey of 100 consecutive attendees at T.T.H. liver transplant outpatient followup clinic. After obtaining informed consent, participants were interviewed using subsections of the well validated Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IIIR to assess mood symptomatology, both current and since transplant and a structured interview developed for this study with respect to: demographics; their past personal and family history of depression prior to transplantation; strategies used to cope with mood symptomatology. Participants then completed self-report questionnaires measuring quality of life (Medical Outcome Study-Short Form 36, Liver Disease Specific Quality of Life Index, Illness Intrusiveness Questionnaire) and mood symptomatology (Beck Depression Inventory, Bradburn Affect Balance Scale). Results: 100 participants completed the study. 54 M, 56F, average age 50.4 ± 12.1, time since transplant 26.1 ± 27.9 months. Using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IIIR, 4% currently met criteria for a DSM-IIIR major depressive episode, 22.7% did not currently meet criteria but had done so at some point since transplant, and 70.7% reported mood symptoms interfering with social or occupational functioning since their transplant. Current self-reported depressive symptomatology was endorsed by 29.7% of the sample. Less than half of the sample had reported their mood symptoms or psychosocial dysfunction to the transplant team. Depressive symptomatology was significantly associated with a prior history of psychiatric hospitalization, and poor self-reported quality of life. Discussion: Mood disturbances are extremely common in liver transplant recipients and are not frequently reported to the transplantation team. Depressive symptomatology and disorders are strongly associated with poorer quality of life. While no directionality can be inferred given the cross-sectional nature of this study, it did not appear that depressed patients reporting poorer quality of life had evidence of worse physical status. There is a need for prospective studies in to better delineate the relationships between mood, psychosocial dysfunction, and medical status. In the interim, given that depression is treatable, it is important to identify and treat depressed transplant recipients.

Occupations and well-being: a study of personal projects.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between occupation and subjective well-being (SWB). A convenience sample of 120 adults completed a personal projects analysis, a method of rating their current goal-directed pursuits. They also completed measures of SWB (Affect Balance Scale, Life Satisfaction Index Form A) and personality traits (Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory). Characteristics of personal projects were correlated with SWB scores. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate possible predictors of well-being from among the characteristics of personal projects, personality traits, and demographic variables. The stress associated with personal projects was significantly and inversely correlated with well-being, as was project difficulty. Perceived progress in completing projects was significantly positively correlated with well-being. The strongest predictors for well-being were the composite project factors of stress and efficacy. Two personality traits, sensing and extraversion, interacted with the project dimension of stress to emerge as significant predictors of well-being. Together, these four variables explained 42% of the variance in well-being scores. These findings are consistent with assumptions that attributes of meaningful occupations are significantly related to people's perceived well-being.