Experience Of Well-being Research Articles

Disabled, invisible and dismissed-The lived experience of fatigue in people with myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are rare haematological cancers. Several studies report the most common MPN symptom leading to reduced quality of life is fatigue. Yet, how fatigue affects the lives of people with MPN is not well described. The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the lived experience of fatigue associated with MPN. People with MPN who had experienced fatigue were invited to complete an online survey and if eligible, then to participate in semi-structured interviews and focus groups, exploring their experiences of fatigue. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts by two researchers produced themes describing the lived experience of fatigue. Twenty-three people with MPN participated in seven interviews and four focus groups. Qualitative data revealed how fatigue significantly affected participants' experiences of functional, social, family and emotional wellbeing. Participants reported that fatigue was infrequently acknowledged or addressed by health professionals, and a lack of information or support to manage their fatigue. Four themes including 12 sub-themes describe the experience of fatigue in MPN: (1) the distress of the MPN diagnosis, (2) sensations of fatigue, (3) daily life and emotional burden with fatigue and (4) how people managed their fatigue with limited guidance. Fatigue in MPN is common, debilitating and distressing. It affects all aspects of health, wellbeing and life. Health professionals could affect patients' lives substantially by acknowledging and understanding fatigue in MPN, including contributing factors and potential opportunities for management. More systematic data describing the causes and management of MPN fatigue is needed.

Differences in Life Satisfaction and Emotions by Romantic Coupling and Sexual Orientation

Subjective well-being is defined using a triune model including positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction. These variables are positively related to romantic relationship satisfaction and influenced by demographic characteristics (i.e., sexual orientation and relationship status). However, research often neglects how the interaction of identifying as specific demographics (e.g., gay or lesbian, in a committed relationship) may lead to different experiences of subjective well-being. A sample of individuals ( N = 811) participated in this national, online survey that assessed relationship quality, life satisfaction, and positive/negative affect. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance revealed those in a committed romantic relationship, regardless of marital status, reported more life satisfaction and fewer negative mood symptoms demonstrating greater personal subjective well-being. When assessing differences by sexual orientation, gay men reported less life satisfaction than heterosexual individuals and lesbian women, regardless of relationship status. While these findings help clarify that being in a romantic relationship may influence life satisfaction and emotional demeanor, they also speak to the challenges gay men may face in our society.

Eudaimonic well-being in individuals with mild to moderate intellectual disability

BackgroundSubjective well-being research in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) has a large hedonic focus and eudaimonic well-being is understudied in this population. Knowledge on eudaimonic well-being of individuals with ID is however necessary to improve their experienced well-being and support them in leading meaningful and flourishing lives. AimsThe current study adopted a qualitative design to examine whether and how people with ID experience elements of eudaimonic well-being. Methods and proceduresEleven adults with mild to moderate ID participated in individual semi-structured interviews about their subjective well-being. Interviews with their relatives and their direct support providers were conducted to contextualize the data. Outcomes and resultsBy means of an interpretative phenomenological analysis, social relationships, accomplishment, purpose and balance, individuality, autonomy, and growth could be identified as relevant elements of eudaimonic well-being. Eudaimonic well-being of individuals with ID seemed to be mediated by acceptance of others. Conclusions and implicationsThe results provide insight in eudaimonic indicators of well-being, expanding the current view on well-being in individuals with ID. Efforts to use these elements in the care and support for individuals with ID are discussed.

The protective role of work self-efficacy on wellbeing during COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a longitudinal year-long study

In this study, we focused on four work self-efficacy dimensions and their relationship with wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We adopted a person-centered approach and investigated whether individuals with different work self-efficacy profiles would have different wellbeing experiences at 6 and 12 months from the beginning of the pandemic. Data were collected in the UK across three waves (January 2020, October 2020 and January 2021) on a sample of 393 full-time employees. Results showed that being in two at-risk profiles significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing lower wellbeing during the pandemic. In particular, the probability of belonging to the Profile 3 “low self-efficacy but high empathic” significantly increased the risk of lower wellbeing in the shorter and longer timeframe. In addition, the probability of belonging to the Profile 2 “high assertive and task self-efficacy but low emotional” also significantly increased the risk of lower wellbeing in the longer timeframe.

Relationship Status and Well-Being in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to examine well-being, loneliness, and hope among single and partnered adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 560 adults in the U.S. (50.2% female, 48.9% male, 28.7% single, 71.3% partnered) completed an online survey regarding their experiences amid the global health crisis. Results indicated that single and partnered individuals reported similar experiences of loneliness, hope, and well-being. Furthermore, hope served as a significant positive predictor of psychological well-being for both single and partnered individuals. Single and partnered individuals also engaged in a similar number of social interactions during the pandemic. The nature of these interactions (i.e., in-person vs. digital), however, uniquely predicted well-being across relationship status. Among single individuals, connecting with others in person significantly predicted well-being, whereas digital connections did not. The inverse was found for partnered individuals, where digital connections predicted well-being, but in-person interactions did not.

Happiness, well-being, and recovery: Experiences of adults receiving psychiatric rehabilitation services.

Although recovery for people with serious mental illness (SMI) has received considerable attention, there is a research gap on the related topics of well-being and happiness-subjects that have been widely studied in the general population. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of happiness, well-being, and recovery from the perspectives of persons with SMI, and to examine similarities and differences among these constructs. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 30 adults with SMI to explore experiences of happiness, well-being, and recovery. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to generate themes related to each concept. Happiness was facilitated through relationships with natural and professional supports, engaging in meaningful activities that conferred a sense of accomplishment, using coping skills to reduce distress, engaging in recreational activities, and meeting basic material needs. Well-being was promoted through self-care activities and enhanced through relationships with professional supports. However, nearly one-fourth of participants expressed uncertainty about what well-being meant to them. Recovery was characterized as a process of overcoming illness or adversity through which personal control over symptoms and stressors is increased; recovery is also facilitated by supportive professional relationships. Most factors relating to the happiness of people with SMI are also factors that have been identified in theory and research as facilitating the happiness of the general population. Findings suggest that happiness should be considered an important new area of research, policy, and practice in the fields of psychiatric rehabilitation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Australian general practice registrars’ experiences of training, well-being and support during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

ObjectivesProviding well-supported general practice (GP) training is fundamental to strengthen the primary health workforce. Research into the unique needs of GP registrars during disasters is limited. Registrar burnout and insufficient...

The Value and Challenges of Implementing Patient Centered Measures in a Psychiatric Hospital Setting

Background: Measuring and interpreting outcome is challenging in mental health services than in some other areas of health care. Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) explore results of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) in psychiatric hospital settings, (2) describe the relation between generic PROMs (measure of well-being) and specific PROMs (disorder-specific symptom assessments), (3) describe the congruence between patients and clinicians evaluation of the care experience (based on Patients reported experience measures and Clinician reported experience measures). Methods: A total of 269 consecutive patients participated in this study. Results: (1) Subjective experience of well-being (outcome) improved after hospitalisation (+15%, avg). High satisfaction with subjective experience of care (85%, avg). (2) Significant correlation between patients’ assessment of subjective well-being (generic PROMs) and clinical improvement (specific PROMs) (p <0.007). (3) Significant correlation between patient and clinician experience of care (p= 0.002). Conclusions: One of the first French studies on the use of standardised PROMs and PREMs in psychiatric hospital settings. Results suggest that subjective well-being measures complement the assessment of the patient’s clinical symptoms and social functioning. The effectiveness of care depends on the consideration of these three dimensions. The use of core patient-reported measures, as part of systematic measurement and performance monitoring in mental health care, provides valuable input to the clinicians’ practice.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Mindfulness and Nondual Well-Being – What is the Evidence that We Can Stay Happy?

Research into subjective well-being (SWB) focuses on conducive life conditions, healthy cognitive-affective processes and adaptive behaviours, however, in this model, well-being fluctuates based on changing mental and physical phenomena. This inquiry explores the possibility that we can have a nondual experience of well-being that is unaffected by such movements and investigates if the literature supports this. The assertion in traditional mindfulness that the sense of self is constructed and responsible for such fluctuations is explored, along with what evidence there is that mindfulness practices deliver relevant cognitive and behavioural correlates associated with such a way of being. Proposed preconditions include (a) nondual awareness or the perception of no-self; (b) increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and increased self-lessness; (c) increased capacity to maintain (or protect) well-being including heightened emotional self-regulation and resilience to aversive stimuli. Research findings provide some evidence that the sense of self can be both constructed and deconstructed, and that mindfulness training may target psychological dimensions that could contribute to an experience of well-being that transcends the impact of life conditions. Recommendations are made for a collaborative relationship between SWB research and mindfulness to expand the inquiry into possible causes and conditions of ‘nondual well-being’.

Parents’ experiences of home-schooling amid COVID-19 school closures, in London, England

Upon COVID-19 being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, parent-carers worldwide faced major challenges in how to adapt, become resilient, and to continue educating their children at all levels amid school closures. Home-schooling, with parent-carers becoming the substitute teachers, had become the new ‘norm’ during the first and third lockdowns in England. This paper reports on qualitative findings from semi-structured interviews with 35 participants comprised of parents with children aged between 5 and 8 years old in South London, England. Thematical analysis is used to capture parents’ well-being experiences of home-schooling amid COVID-19 compulsory school closures. This paper explores how the pressure on parent-carers to provide education at home akin to a school setting is physically and emotionally challenging. The paper also addresses how parents’ stress levels intensified in the second (January 2021) home-schooling period. A post-structural feminist framework is deployed to unpick gender socio-cultural inequalities relating to the distribution of work/labour/childcare duties at home during lockdown. Existing research has focussed on the impact on low-income families and children’s well-being during the pandemic. This research contributes to existing research by addressing an under-researched area relating to the impact on well-belling for middle-income maternal caregivers. Findings of this research show how financial privilege does not provide an escape from additional stress and how parents’ well-being was affected.

Coping with COVID: COVID-19 experiences and drinking to cope

ABSTRACT Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of stress that may have increased drinking level overall and, more specifically, drinking to cope motivation. The current study tests whether specific domains of pandemic-related experiences are related to drinking to cope motivation and drinking level and whether drinking to cope motivation moderates the association between pandemic experiences and alcohol consumption. Method Participants (N = 292, 57% women) reported on their positive and negative experiences during the pandemic, their drinking to cope motivation, and their typical weekly alcohol consumption. Results Regression analyses revealed that negative emotional health and well-being experiences were related to higher levels of drinking to cope motivation. Negative social activity experiences were related to higher weekly alcohol consumption. In addition, negative home life experiences were related to higher consumption among individuals with high drinking to cope motivation and positive experiences were related to lower consumption among individuals with high drinking to cope motivation. Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of considering the domain of experiences during the current pandemic and future mass crisis events and may provide insight for designing interventions to prevent drinking to cope.

Mothers’ experiences of wellbeing and coping while living with rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative study

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) can result in difficulties for mothers when undertaking daily care activities and increased psychological distress. However, few studies have examined how women with RA subjectively experience coping and wellbeing as part of their motherhood.MethodsTwenty mothers with a diagnosis of RA and a dependent child (18 years or younger) who were living in Australia took part in a semi-structured interview between June and November 2017. Purposive sampling was undertaken to include participants across degree of current RA severity, number and age of children, and having received a diagnosis before or after a first child to take account of variability across these experiences. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts.ResultsThe following themes were identified: ‘Burden and complexity in the mothering role’, ‘Losing control: Women’s experiences of distress’, and ‘Adjusting and letting go: Women’s experiences of wellbeing’. Experiences of distress, including feelings of failure, were associated with accounts of a loss of control over mothering practices among women, regardless of child age. In contrast, accounts of adjusting mothering practices and relinquishing control were associated with reports of enhanced wellbeing. In addition, some mothers reported greater ease due to increased independence of older children. The absence of social support exacerbated burden and distress in the women’s accounts, while the availability of support alleviated burden and was associated with reports of wellbeing.ConclusionHealth professionals and services can provide support to mothers with RA by addressing feelings of failure, acknowledging strategies of adjustment and letting go, and encouraging access to social support.

A comprehensive evaluation of factors affecting nurse leaders’ work-related well-being

PurposeThis study aims to describe nurse leaders’ experiences of work-related well-being and its association with background variables, working conditions, work engagement, sense of coherence and burnout.Design/methodology/approachAn electronic survey design was used. Data was collected between December 2015 and May 2016 with an instrument that included demographic questions and four internationally validated scales: the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, QPS Nordic 34+, the shortened Sense of Coherence scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data was analysed using statistical methods.FindingsA total of 155 nurse leaders completed the questionnaire, giving a 44% response rate. Most of them worked as nurse managers (89%). Participants’ work-related well-being scores ranged from 8 to 10. Statistically significant relationships were found between participants’ work-related well-being and their leadership skills, current position, sense of coherence and levels of burnout. In addition, there were statistically significant relationships between work-related well-being and all dimensions of working conditions.Originality/valueThis study underlines the fact that work-related well-being should not be evaluated based on a single factor. The participants’ perceived work-related well-being was high, although almost half of them reported always or often experiencing stress. The results suggest that nurse leaders may have resources such as good leadership and problem-solving skills, supportive working conditions and a high sense of coherence that prevent the experienced stress from adversely affecting their work-related well-being.

Transforming the journey together: Baseline findings from a longitudinal, co-designed study on psychiatry trainee experiences of training and wellbeing.

Junior doctors have high rates of burnout resulting in downstream impacts on patient care. The aim of this study is to capture cross-sectional data on a cohort of psychiatry trainees. These data will be used to inform a wider project investigating psychiatry trainee mental health and wellbeing. This paper reports on the 2019 baseline data of psychiatry trainees enrolled in a formal education course at the University of Sydney, Australia. The data were collected with an online survey using a range of validated mental health and wellbeing scales. This descriptive study involved psychiatry trainees as co-designers. Our research findings are in keeping with the existing literature on the poor mental health and wellbeing of doctors with significantly higher levels of anxiety and exhaustion found in female trainees and carers. Despite this, the cohort had high scores on the flourishing scale. Concern around the wellbeing of junior doctors in Australia appears justified. We need to move beyond focussing on individual action to systems-based approaches to improving wellbeing and ongoing sustainability of the psychiatry trainee workforce in NSW.

What was care like for me? A systematic review of the experiences of young people living in residential care

Residential care can be a relevant option for young people with behavioural problems considered beyond the capacity of the young person’s own home or foster care to manage. While some care home residents go on to excel in life, others do not. Understanding how young people’s experiences of residential care impact on their well-being might help us improve the outcome possibilities for individual residents. This systematic review of qualitative research aimed to synthesize and identify the experience of living in residential care and suggest how these findings can enhance the well-being of this group in the future. Five relevant databases were searched for qualitative empirical studies published between 1990 and January 2020. Twelve papers met the inclusion criteria. The studies were thematically synthesised to produce findings.Four high-order analytical themes were constructed: autonomy and control; relationships and support; safety and security; and, child to adult transitions in care. These high-order themes revealed a varied experience of care with some young people experiencing stability and security as well as support towards achieving normative milestones. For others the findings revealed experiences of not being heard and understood by the care institution, creating experiences of poor well-being and a reduction in agentic development. In addition, peer relationships were experienced both positively as friendships and support developed within some care homes and negatively when the peer group accepted bullying and violence as normative behaviour. This review recommends further research into how the care community culture impacts on young people. Finally, this review calls for research on how agency is developed and supported among young people in residential care, and how poorer psychological well-being can be better understood within the realm of residential care.

The Impact of Service Dogs on Military Veterans and (Ex) First Aid Responders With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Due to its novelty and lack of empirical study it remains unclear if a service dog truly mitigates the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. To cross sectionally investigate the effect of service dogs on veterans and first aid responders with PTSD, we studied subjective and physiological parameters in 65 individuals divided over four groups. These groups were: veterans and first aid responders with PTSD and a service dog (n = 20), with PTSD and a companion dog (n = 10), with PTSD without a dog (n = 12) and a group without PTSD (n = 23). We found that veterans and first aid responders with PTSD who had a service dog showed significantly less PTSD related symptoms, better sleep quality, and better wellbeing experience, than those with a companion dog. Those with a service dog additionally experienced fewer PTSD related symptoms than those without a service dog and tended to walk more than individuals without PTSD. No differences were found in cortisol levels between groups though and changes in both salivary cortisol and activity were not linked to improved welfare experience. Though the use of physiological measurement methods thus warrants more research, our study indicates that the subjective experience of wellbeing, sleep quality and PTSD related symptoms is improved by the presence of a service dog.

MO190: Experiences of Being a Living Kidney-Donor-Perceived and Measured Stress Levels before and after Kidney Donation

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Living kidney donation is the preferred kidney replacement therapy considering graft function and survival rates. To donate a kidney is a life-changing experience, and there is a diverse spectrum of emotions connected to this process. The aim of this study was to investigate kidney donors' perceived and measured stress levels before and after donation. Furthermore, to investigate if the level of perceived stress could be linked to the degree of metabolic stress measured using saliva cortisol, serum glucose and insulin levels. METHOD A prospective observational study including 83 patients (46 ± 10.9 years, 63% women), who donated a kidney at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, during 2009–2010. Three self-rating surveys concerning stress (Everyday Life Stress Scale), vital exhaustion (Maastricht Questionnaire of vital exhaustion) and depressive symptoms (Depressive Mood Scale) were answered on the day before surgery, and then 2 and 6 months after kidney donation (see score details, Table 1). Blood samples of insulin, glucose and saliva cortisol were collected at the same time points. Statistical analyses were carried out to investigate changes over time, potential gender differences, and correlations between laboratory data and survey results. RESULTS Kidney donors generally scored low in self-rating stress mean 15.5 and depression symptom scales mean 10.8 pre-donation. The Maastricht's questionnaire showed a trend toward significant gender difference at 2 months; women mean score was 32.1 ± 9.3 and men 35.8 ± 6.9, P = .092. At 6 months, there was a significant gender difference in self-reported vital exhaustion, where women scored higher 36.9 ± 7.1 than men 30.7 ± 11.6; P = .037 and a near significant difference on the Depressive Mood Scale, 12.2 ± 12.5 versus 6.4 ± 8.2 at 6 months; P = .058. No significant difference over time in experienced well-being (Everyday Life Stress Scale) was found, 15.6 ± 8.2 vs 14.3 ± 7.6, P = .554. Data are displayed in detail in Table 1 and Figure 1. No correlations between metabolic stress measured as salivary cortisol (morning, noon and evening) and HOMA-IR, and perceived stress were found. CONCLUSION Kidney donors self-reported stress level and depressive symptoms did not change pre-donation to 6 months after donation. However, women reported more feelings of exhaustion and stress than men did at 6 months post-donation. In the future, a more structured psychosocial follow-up of kidney donors after at least 6 months is suggested.

Diversifying Indigenous Vulnerability and Adaptation: An Intersectional Reading of Māori Women’s Experiences of Health, Wellbeing, and Climate Change

Despite evidence that Indigenous peoples’ multiple subjectivities engender diverse lived experiences both between and within Indigenous groups, the influence of multiple subjectivities on Indigenous peoples’ vulnerability and adaptation to climate change is largely un-explored. Drawing on ethnographic research with Indigenous Māori women in Aotearoa New Zealand, this paper provides empirical evidence that subjectivity-mediated power dynamics operating within Indigenous societies (at the individual and household scale) are important determinants of vulnerability and adaptation which should be considered in both scholarship and policy. Using an intersectional framework, I demonstrate how different Māori women and their whānau (families) live, cope with, and adapt to the embodied physical and emotional health effects of climate change in radically different ways because of their subject positionings, even though they belong to the same community, hapū (sub-tribe), or iwi (tribe). In underlining these heterogenous experiences, I provide an avenue for reconsidering how climate adaptation scholarship, policies, and practices might better engage with the complex, amorphous realities within Māori and other Indigenous communities. I argue it is possible to develop more inclusive, tailored, and sustainable adaptation that considers divergent vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities within Indigenous communities, groups, and societies and supports customised vulnerability-reduction strategies.

Lived-Experience of Women's Well-Being in the Cyclone Shelters of Coastal Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is repeatedly threatened by tropical storms and cyclones, exposing one-third of the total population of the country. As a preparedness measure, several cyclone shelters have been constructed, yet a large proportion of the coastal population, especially women, are unwilling to use them. Existing studies have demonstrated a range of concerns that discourage women from evacuating and have explored the limitations of the shelters, but the experiences of female evacuees have not been apparent in these stories. This study explores the lived-experiences of women in the cyclone shelters of Bangladesh and discusses their health and well-being as evacuees in the shelters. Nineteen women from three extremely vulnerable districts of coastal Bangladesh were interviewed. Seven research themes were identified from the participants' narratives using van Manen's thematic analysis process. The most salient theme, being understood (as a woman), portrayed the quintessential image of these women, which subsequently influenced their vulnerability as evacuees. The next themes-being a woman during crisis, being in a hostile situation, being fearful, being uncertain, being faithful, and being against the odds-focused on the incidents they lived through which affected their physical and mental health and the emotions they felt as evacuees. The paper offers a deep inquiry into women's experiences of well-being in the shelters and recognizes the significance of women's voices to improve their experiences as evacuees.

From struggling to flourishing and thriving: Optimizing educator wellbeing within the Australian education context

Educators' wellbeing is inextricably linked to their capacity to teach and care for children. In this context, many factors may support or hinder educator wellbeing. This study identified educators’ perspectives regarding their wellbeing experiences and needs. Thirteen focus groups (n = 49) were facilitated, with a range of cohorts. Analysis identified five themes; (i) thriving, how educator wellbeing is manifested, (ii) struggling, when educator wellbeing is compromised, (iii) factors that impede educator wellbeing, (iv) marginalization and exclusion experiences, and (v) strategies for promoting wellbeing. A multi-layered systemic approach is required to improve workplace culture and policies and enhance educator wellbeing.