Higher Levels Of Life Satisfaction Research Articles

A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PRISONERS IN ROMANIAN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

Objectives. The aim of the study is to create a psychological profile of inmates by assessing personality dimensions based on the duration of their sentences, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of incarceration on individuals' psychological aspects. Material and methods. The data used were collected between July 2021 and August 2022. A total of 857 participants were selected from prisons. The data were stored in the EXCEL 2019 program and processed in the SPSS 26.0 statistical program. All data were analyzed at the group level. The instruments used in the study were: the Freiburg Personality Inventory revised form (FPI-R) that contains 12 dimensions and an item from the Omnibus questionnaire (duration of sentence). Results. In order to compare the effect of the duration of incarceration on personality, a statistical ANOVA analysis was performed. The 857 participants were divided into three groups based on the duration of their sentence. According to the results, inmates with a sentence duration of less than 3 years indicated significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and social orientation scales, compared to respondents with a sentence duration over 3 years (F (2,844) = 13.460, p = .000). Regarding the dimension of solicitation, inmates with a sentence duration of less than 3 years scored significantly higher than those with a sentence duration over 3 years (p = .000). Conclusions. The research results show that support and rehabilitation interventions should take into account the relationship between personality dimensions and the duration of sentence. Keywords: personality, inmates, incarceration, prison.

A guided online ACT intervention may increase psychological well-being and support school engagement in adolescents

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which initial levels and changes in ninth-grade adolescents' (n = 243) psychological well-being were associated with their school engagement after the transition to upper secondary education. In addition, we investigated whether a brief guided online acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention program delivered during ninth grade was associated with adolescents’ subsequent school engagement through changes in their psychological well-being. MethodLatent growth modeling (LGM) was used to examine the levels of and changes in well-being during ninth grade. Next, school engagement (measured by school satisfaction and dropout intentions) at the first year of upper secondary education was added to the model as a distal outcome variable. Finally, we examined the indirect effects of an online ACT intervention on subsequent school engagement through changes in psychological well-being. Effects of gender and academic achievement were controlled for in all analyses. ResultsA higher level of life satisfaction at the beginning of ninth grade predicted higher engagement in upper secondary education, whereas increased depressive symptoms during ninth grade predicted lower engagement in upper secondary education. Also, participation in the brief guided online ACT intervention during ninth grade promoted school satisfaction through decreased depressive symptoms. ConclusionsThe results suggested that psychological well-being and changes in psychological well-being during the final year of basic education are associated with school engagement after the transition to upper secondary education. The results also suggested that a brief guided online ACT intervention may increase psychological well-being, which can, in turn, support later school engagement.

The effect of information and communications technology use on the well-being of older Hong Kong Chinese adults

ABSTRACT The use of information and communications technology (ICT) has increased across all regions and age groups. However, little research has examined older adults’ use of ICT for different purposes. To address this research gap, the current study investigates the effects of ICT use for four purposes – social, leisure, financial, and medical – on the well-being of older adults. Most importantly, this study explores whether social support from friends may account for the observed positive effects of ICT use for social and leisure purposes. A total of 525 Hong Kong Chinese adults aged 60 and above (M age = 68.7, SD = 6.27, Range = 60–100 years) completed an interview session to measure their ICT use for various purposes, social support from friends, and well-being indicators, including life satisfaction, positive and negative emotions and cognitive functioning. The results demonstrate that ICT use for all four purposes was associated with more frequent positive emotions and improved cognitive functioning. Moreover, ICT use for leisure and financial purposes was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and fewer negative emotions. Social support was found to partially account for the effects of ICT use for social and leisure purposes on life satisfaction and positive emotions. These findings suggest that ICT use for all purposes is beneficial to older adults, and that ICT use may improve the emotional well-being of older adults by allowing for greater support from friends.

RECENT ADVERSITY AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG CHINESE OLDER ADULTS: ROLE OF GENDER AND NEIGHBORHOOD COHESION

Abstract A growing body of literature suggests that recent adversity impedes psychological wellbeing. Little is known about whether living in a cohesive neighborhood could buffer the negative consequences of adverse experience and whether such associations vary by gender. This study aims to examine the association of recent adverse events and perceived life satisfaction among Chinese older adults, and to explore the potential moderating role of gender and neighborhood cohesion. Data were from a cross-sectional study conducted with community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above in Anhui Province, China in 2014 (N=1,960). Recent adversity was measured by six events in the past two years (health decline, economic difficulty, loss of intimate people, loss of an important item, major life event, conflict with family or close friends/neighbors). Multilevel ordered logit regression with interaction term of adversity and neighborhood cohesion was performed. Models were further conducted on stratified samples to compare gender differences. Individuals experiencing any recent adverse event are 84% less likely (p=.008) to report a higher level of life satisfaction. Living in neighborhoods with better cohesion increased the likelihood of reporting better life satisfaction by 6% (p=.031). Modeling on the stratified samples showed that the above-mentioned significant relationships hold for male sample only. Recent adversity may negatively affect life satisfaction among Chinese older adults. Living in neighborhood with higher levels of cohesion could help buffer such negative influences, particularly for older men. Findings highlight the critical role of neighborhoods in combating the negative psychological consequences of adversity among Chinese older adults.

DOES KNOWLEDGE MATTER? AN INVESTIGATION INTO KNOWLEDGE OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND CAREGIVER BURDEN

Abstract A caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease often experiences burden, which can negatively impact their own physical and mental health, social participation and network, and financial stability (Chaio et al.; 2015, George & Gwyther, 1986). There is much interest in determining how to mitigate burden and studies suggest knowledge of the disease and recognizing positive aspects of caregiving may help reduce burden (Abdollahpour et al., 2018; Graham et al., 1997). The purpose of this study was to better understand how certain caregiver characteristics may impact burden. Participants (N=112) completed questionnaires regarding burden, disease knowledge, specific characteristics, and their caregiver experience. Pearson’s correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between knowledge, burden, and caregiver characteristics. There was no significant correlation between burden and knowledge (p =.457), but burden was significantly correlated with positive aspects of caregiving (p <.001) and life satisfaction (p <.001). To better understand how well these two variables predicted burden, a multiple regression was conducted, R² = .352, F(2, 90) = 24.48, p < .001. Our findings provide further evidence that a focus on the positive aspects of caregiving and higher levels of life satisfaction are predictors of reduced caregiver burden. Some prior studies suggested knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease led to decreased burden, whereas other studies found more knowledge increased anxiety, thus increased burden (Zawadzki et al., 2011). Our failure to find a correlation between knowledge and burden levels suggests this relationship may not be straightforward and future research needs to explore more specific aspects of this question.

The Mediation Effect of Job Crafting on the Effect of Learning Orientation on Life Satisfaction: A Research on Bank Managers

Günümüzün yoğun rekabetçi iş ortamında yenilikçilik ve öğrenme odaklılık sürdürülebilirlik açısından önemli olabilmektedir. Ayrıca, yaşam tatmini düzeyleri yüksek olan bireyler hem kendilerini hem de çevrelerini daha olumlu değerlendirebilmektedirler. İş zanaatkârlığı ise işgörenlerin yaptıkları değişiklikler aracılığıyla hem bireye hem de örgüte yönelik olumlu sonuçlar elde etmek amacıyla sergilenebilmektedir. Bu doğrultuda çalışmada, öğrenme odaklılığın yaşam tatmini üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi ve bu etki üzerinde iş zanaatkârlığının rolünün incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma amacı çerçevesinde kolayda örnekleme yoluyla, Güney Marmara bölgesindeki Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bursa, Çanakkale ve Yalova illerinde kamu ve özel sektörde çalışan 480 banka yöneticisine anket uygulanarak veriler toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler açıklayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri, korelasyon analizi ve yapısal eşitlik modeli aracılığıyla değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma bulguları kapsamında, öğrenme odaklılığın yaşam tatminini pozitif yönde ve anlamlı olarak etkilediği ve bu etkide iş zanaatkârlığının da kısmi aracılık etkisi tespit edilmiştir.

The mediating role of psychological resilience between social participation and life satisfaction among older adults in China.

A significant correlation has been discovered between social participation and older adults' life satisfaction, but the relationships among social participation, psychological resilience, and life satisfaction remain to be confirmed. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between social participation and life satisfaction for Chinese older adults and to analyse the possible mediating role of psychological resilience between these two aspects. Data on 15,779 people aged 65years and above were extracted from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Social participation was classified into two levels: low-level involvement activities and high-level involvement activities. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to analyse the correlations between the two levels of social participation and older adults' life satisfaction as well as the mediating effects of psychological resilience on this association. The results indicate that two levels of social participation were each positively correlated with life satisfaction. Specifically, high-level involvement activities (β = 0.070, P < 0.001) were more strongly associated with life satisfaction than low-level involvement activities (β = 0.051, P < 0.001). Moreover, psychological resilience was found to partially mediate the association between low-level involvement activities and high-level involvement activities and life satisfaction. A higher level of life satisfaction for older adults is related to participation in high-level involvement activities. Psychological resilience has a mediating effect on the association between two levels of older adults' social participation and life satisfaction. These findings suggest that the government and society should establish a more concrete understanding of the psychological resilience of older adults.

Multidimensional vulnerability among older adults in Germany : Social support buffers the negative association with life satisfaction.

Multidimensional vulnerability among older adults, characterized by low levels of individual resources in different life domains, has been insufficiently studied. This phenomenon is considered to be associated with amarked decrease in overall life satisfaction. Social support is supposed to buffer the negative effect of multidimensional vulnerability on life satisfaction. Analyses are based on the German Health Update dataset (GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS). The analytic sample includes respondents ≥ 65years (N = 5826). Confirmatory factor analyses were performed to construct alatent variable from the indicators income poverty, activities of daily living (ADL) limitations, multimorbidity, mental problems, and living alone. Multivariate linear regression models estimate the relationship between vulnerability and life satisfaction with a special focus on the interaction between vulnerability and social support. The analyses supports the multidimensional construct of vulnerability. Social support considerably moderates the negative relationship between vulnerability and life satisfaction. As the degree of vulnerability increases, the influence of social support becomes more pronounced. The assessment of vulnerability as amultidimensional construct helps to depict the life situation of older people in amore differentiated way. Vulnerable older adults with asmall or unreliable social network while finding it difficult to access practical help need additional external social support to achieve ahigh level of life satisfaction.

Spatial Analysis of Individuals Life Satisfaction in Turkey Within The Context of Socioeconomic Factors

Özet&#x0D; &#x0D; Amaç: İktisat biliminin temel argümanlarından biri, kaynakların kıt, ihtiyaçların ise sınırsız olmasıdır. Genel olarak bireylerin yaşamdan beklentilerinin yüksek olabileceği düşünülse de fizyolojik, güvenlik gibi en temel ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması dahi bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeylerini arttırabilmektedir. Bir ülkede sınır komşusu olan bölgelerin sosyoekonomik yapısı benzerlik gösterdiğinden bir bölgede yaşam memnuniyet düzeyindeki değişme, bu bölgeye sınır komşusu olan bölgelerde aynı yönde değişme oluşturacaktır. Bu kapsamda çalışmada bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeyinin Türkiye’nin 26 alt bölgesinin (ikinci düzey Türkiye İstatistiki Bölge Birimleri Sınıflandırması -İBBS-) sınır komşu olan bölgelerinde yayılım gösterip göstermediği ve bireylerin yaşam memnuniyetini etkileyen faktörlerin mekansal veri analiziyle belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. &#x0D; &#x0D; Yöntem: Çalışmada Türkiye’nin 26 alt bölgesinde bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeylerinin mekansal bağımlılığı, 2013 yılı için mekansal veri analiziyle araştırılmıştır. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK) tarafından yayınlanan yaşam memnuniyeti anketi, il düzeyinde sadece 2013 yılında yapılmıştır. Bu nedenle analiz 2013 yılı için gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analizde yer alan değişkenler için 2013 yılı TÜİK ve Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (SGK) verileri kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre mekansal regresyon modellerinden mekânsal otoregresif model çalışma için en uygun model olarak belirlenmiştir. &#x0D; &#x0D; Bulgular: SAR model sonucuna göre bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeyi sınır komşusu bölgeler arasında yayılım göstermektedir. Bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeyini ortalama günlük kazanç ve bölgenin aldığı iç göç pozitif yönde etkilerken; işsizlik oranı, yüksekokul ve fakülte mezunları, malvarlığına karşı işlenen suçlar ve şiddet suçları negatif yönde etkilemektedir. Yine SAR model sonucuna göre, kişi başına gayri safi yurt içi hasıla ve tüketici fiyat endeksinin bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeyine etkisi bulunmamaktadır. &#x0D; &#x0D; Sonuç: Bir ülkede bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeyinin yüksek olması, ülkenin sosyoekonomik yönden gelişmişliğinin bir göstergesi olduğu kabul edilebilir. Bu nedenle bireylerin yaşam memnuniyetini etkileyen sosyoekonomik faktörlerin belirlenmesi önem arz etmektedir. Bir ülkede bireylerin yaşam memnuniyet düzeyinin sınır komşu olan bölgelerde yayılım göstermesi ise, bölgeler arasında sosyoekonomik yönden farklılıkların giderilmesinin önemini ortaya koymaktadır. &#x0D; &#x0D; Özgünlük: Konuyla ilgili yapılmış çalışmalarda analiz yöntemi olarak çoğunlukla lojit ve probit modeller ve sabit etkili panel veri modelleri kullanılmıştır. Mekansal veri analiz yöntemi uygulayan çalışmalara rastlanmamıştır. Yine analizde suç türleri ve bölgelerin aldığı göç oranına bağımsız değişkenler olarak yer veren Türkiye için yapılmış çalışmalara rastlanmamıştır. Bu nedenlerle çalışmanın özgünlük oluşturduğu düşünülmektedir.

An Evaluation of Improving Psychosocial Life Satisfaction among Older Adults in Taiwan Day Care Centers Using Life Review Work.

This study examined the effects of life review therapy on the life satisfaction levels of older adults in day care centers in Taiwan. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. A total of 88 adults aged 65 and older were recruited from day care centers through convenience sampling and assigned to two groups based on their level of life satisfaction on Life Satisfaction Index A. The intervention groups participated in a life review therapy for eight weeks in addition to their daily activities. Data were collected at the baseline point and immediately after post-intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the effect of the intervention on the outcomes. At week eight, the intervention group showed a significantly higher level of life satisfaction than the comparison group. These findings suggest that life review programs may improve general life satisfaction among older adults.

Impact and Analysis of the Renovation Program of Dilapidated Houses in China on Poor Peasant Households’ Life Satisfaction: A Survey of 2617 Peasant Households in Gansu Province

In developing countries, housing difficulties and environmental problems for poor peasants are prominent. In 2008, China began to explore pilot projects for the renovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas and has achieved remarkable results. This paper examines the impact of China's Renovation Program of Dilapidated Houses on the life satisfaction of poor peasant households. Using firsthand survey data of four poverty-stricken counties in Gansu Province and the Propensity Score Matching method, we find that the program significantly improves the poor peasant households' life satisfaction, with a greater impact on non-poverty-stricken villages and general-assurance households. In the mechanism analysis, we find that these positive treatment effects are mainly driven by the increases in wage income and operating income. In addition, we relax the assumption of parallelism and use the Generalized Ordered Logit model to further explore how this impact varies between groups. We show that people with a high level of life satisfaction are more significantly affected by the program. This study provides evidence that a sustainable living environment can improve the overall wellbeing of rural residents.

Well-Being and Mental Health in Teachers: The Life Impact of COVID-19.

The impact of the pandemic on teachers' mental health has also been an important issue. The aim of the study was to analyze the vital impact of COVID-19, spirituality, and the use of social-emotional strategies on teacher well-being, mediated by mental health. The sample was non-random, inviting all teachers in a city North of Chile to participate in the study. The sample consisted of 624 teachers. A total of 74.4% were women and 25.6% were men. The mean age was 44.1 and the standard deviation was 11.9. A total of 56.4% belonged to public schools and 43.6% belonged to subsidized schools. Structural equations were used to analyze the data, finding a mental health mediating effect between the death of a close person, affected areas and family history with life satisfaction. Spirituality and the use of socio-emotional strategies self-applied by the teachers had no direct relationship with their mental health, so their mediating effect in relation to life satisfaction was discarded. Teachers who used social-emotional strategies, as well as those who reported higher levels of spirituality, obtained greater satisfaction with life, both general and specifically. Women had higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptomatology, but also higher levels of life satisfaction. The implications are discussed.

Comparing the impact of social support on the life satisfaction of widowed and non-widowed elders.

To compare differences in life satisfaction between widowed and non-widowed elders based on social support. A total of 4,560 widowed and 3,655 non-widowed elders were selected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS-2018). Ordinal logistic regression models and t-tests were performed using SPSS v20. Both widowed and non-widowed elders had high levels of life satisfaction. Personal characteristics had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of both widowed and non-widowed elders. Endowment insurance, social trust, residence, self-rated health, and living with family had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of widowed elders (p < 0.001), while endowment insurance, government subsidy, and self-rated health significantly impacted non-widowed elders (p < 0.001). Self-rated health had the greatest impact on the life satisfaction of widowed and non-widowed elders (OR = 4.62/4.45), followed by endowment insurance (OR = 1.24/1.32). Social support can significantly improve life satisfaction, but its impact is heterogeneous. Informal social support plays a greater role in improving the life satisfaction of widowed elders, but formal social support plays a greater role in the life satisfaction of non-widowed elders.

Deriving Meaning from Chaos: The Mediating Role of the Sense of Coherence in the Serial Relationships among Fear of COVID-19, Indices of Psychological Distress, and Life Satisfaction.

The current study focused on the role of the sense of coherence (SOC) in the serial relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. It examined the hypothesis that an SOC would mitigate the impact of the fear of COVID-19 on psychological distress, which in turn would positively impact life satisfaction. Participants were school teachers (N = 355) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the short form of the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. A path analysis confirmed the mediating role of the dimensions of the SOC in the relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Specifically, comprehensibility, meaningfulness, and manageability were found to mediate the associations between the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety, and the fear of COVID-19 and hopelessness, which in turn were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. The findings confirmed that an SOC is an important source of resilience. Interventions that facilitate the re-appraisal of stressors as challenges and enhance the awareness of practical coping strategies can build an SOC and promote mental health.

Are Perfectionists Always Dissatisfied with Life? An Empirical Study from the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory and Perceived Control.

Compared to non-perfectionists, perfectionists may not be satisfied with the growing needs in their lives to the same extent. To test whether perfectionists are dissatisfied with their lives, we investigated whether trait perfectionism attenuates the relationship between basic psychological needs, perceived control, and life satisfaction. A total of 574 college students self-reported basic psychological needs, perceived control, life satisfaction, and perfectionistic strivings and concerns, with a mean age of 19.53 (SD = 1.61), including 299 women and 275 men. A correlation analysis showed that perfectionistic strivings were significantly positively related to life satisfaction, while perfectionistic concerns were significantly negatively related to life satisfaction. The moderation analysis showed that perfectionistic strivings not only moderated the relationship between basic psychological needs and life satisfaction but also moderated the relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. Individuals with high perfectionistic strivings generally reported high levels of life satisfaction. Perfectionistic strivings, however, reduced the positive relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. Perfectionistic concerns moderated the relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction-the higher the perfectionistic concerns, the weaker the positive relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. The study found that individuals with high perfectionistic tendencies are not always dissatisfied with life, but that perfectionism weakens the relationship between basic psychological needs, perceived control, and life satisfaction. We argue that one way to improve happiness is by coaching individuals who are highly perfectionistic to become self-aware of their personality so both their perfectionistic strivings and concerns are more coherent with their values and goals or character.

The Relation Between Helicopter Parenting and Satisfaction with Life in Emerging Adults Living with Their Parents: The Moderating Role of Gender and Age Group

Objective. Over the last couple of decades, a trend of emerging adults living with parents has been rising. However, little is known about the developmental specificities and impact of parenting practices in this context. The objectives of this study were: to compare the levels of helicopter parenting and the levels of life satisfaction by gender (men versus women) and by age group (late adolescents versus young adults); to analyze the relationship between helicopter parenting, life satisfaction levels and age; and to investigate the moderating role of gender and age group in the relationship between helicopter parenting and life satisfaction.Materials and Methods. Self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 173 emerging adults (aged 18-29) living with their parents in Portugal. In order to examine differences in helicopter parenting and levels of life satisfaction, Student’s ttest was performed for independent samples. To analyze the association between helicopter parenting, life satisfaction and age, Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated. To detect possible interaction effects, regression-based analyses were performed; the SPSS macro PROCESS was used to optimize this procedure.Results. Life satisfaction levels differed according to age group, with late adolescents reporting higher levels of life satisfaction than young adults. Helicopter parenting was negatively correlated with life satisfaction, and life satisfaction was negatively correlated with age. The developmental variables of gender and age group moderated the association between helicopter parenting and life satisfaction.Conclusions. Interventions with emerging adults that aim to prevent the negative effects of helicopter parenting and increase life satisfaction must account for the developmental specificities associated with gender roles and different age groups.Key Words: Emerging Adulthood ■ Cohabitation ■ Helicopter Parenting ■ Life Satisfaction

Decomposition of caste differential in life satisfaction among older adults in India

BackgroundBeing a multi-cultured country, India has varied social groups which largely shape the lives of individuals. Literature has shown that life satisfaction is highly associated with the social status of individuals. However, changing age dynamics (growing older) and definition of life among people presses the need to understand whether the additional years of life in older adults are manifested with the disparity in life satisfaction among the Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribes (ST) and non-SC/ST social groups in recent years. The present study explored the factors contributing to such differences in life satisfaction across social groups.MethodsThis study used data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India conducted during 2017-18. The analytical sample of the study was 30,370 older adults. Life satisfaction was the outcome variable with a score ranging from 5 to 35. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were conducted. Simple linear regression analysis was used to establish the association between the outcome and explanatory variables. Further, the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition model was used to analyse the role of explanatory factors in the caste difference in life satisfaction among older people.ResultsOverall, the life satisfaction score among older adults in the study was 23.9 (SD- 7.3). Older adults from non-SC/ST group had significantly higher likelihood of having life satisfaction in comparison to older adults from SC/ST group [Coef: 0.31; CI: 0.14, 0.49]. The decomposition results showed that the model explained 74.3% of the caste gap (between SC/ST and non-SC/ST) in life satisfaction among older adults in India. Subjective social status (39.0%) was widening the gap for life satisfaction among older adults from SC/ST and non-SC/ST group. Similarly, level of education (15.2%) followed by satisfaction with living arrangement (13.2%) and place of residence (5.3%) contributed for widening the gap for life satisfaction among older adults from SC/ST and non-SC/ST group. Region of country (− 11.5%) followed by self-rated health (− 3.0%) and major depression (− 2.7%) contributed for narrowing down the gap for life satisfaction among older adults from SC/ST and non-SC/ST group.ConclusionOlder adults belonging to non-SC/ST groups were more likely to have a higher level of life satisfaction than those from the SC/ST group. Factors like subjective social status, educational level, living arrangement satisfaction, and place of residence explained the caste differential in life satisfaction among older adults. In addition, factors such as psychological health and perceived health status should be the area of concern and special focus for policy makers and researchers in terms of reducing social inequalities in wellbeing among older population.

Positive psychology in neurodiversity: An investigation of character strengths in autistic adults in the United Kingdom in a community setting

BackgroundThe positive psychology and neurodiversity movements both aim to promote and improve wellbeing through strengths-based approaches. However, little is known about how positive psychology can support the wellbeing of autistic people. The present study investigated character strengths profiles as a potential tool to identify strengths-based interventions that could enhance wellbeing outcomes for autistic adults. To our knowledge, this is first study to use this method as a possible way of improving the wellbeing of autistic adults in the community in the UK. MethodForty-seven self-reported formally diagnosed (83%) and self-identifying (17%) autistic adults completed online self-rated standardised questionnaires about their character strengths and life satisfaction. Descriptive statistics and correlational analyses were used to evaluate the profile of character strengths and their relationship to overall life satisfaction. ResultsCharacter strengths most frequently reported by autistic adults were Honesty, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Love of Learning, Fairness, and Kindness. Higher levels of life satisfaction were associated with character strengths of Gratitude, Hope, and Honesty. ConclusionsThe most frequent character strengths were consistent with autistic traits reported in the wider body of autism literature, such as intense interests and strong attention to detail. The present study provides preliminary findings and recommendations for potential future strengths-based interventions that could enhance life satisfaction of autistic adults in a community setting. Further investigation with larger samples is needed to replicate the emerging findings on this topic.

Themes of trust, identity, intimacy, and generativity in important autobiographical memories: Associations with life periods and life satisfaction.

Guided by Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the present study investigated whether themes of trust, identity, intimacy, and generativity are represented in older adults' most important autobiographical memories. Furthermore, we tested whether these themes are associated with certain life periods and whether having important memories (i.e., life story) that reflect developmental themes and are evaluated as positive is associated with life satisfaction. One hundred and twelve (59.8% female) older adults (61-92 years, M=70.96, SD=6.81) reported up to 15 important autobiographical memories. Participants rated each memory according to the themes of trust/mistrust, identity/confusion, intimacy/isolation, and generativity/stagnation. Using multilevel multinomial logistic regression, we found childhood memories to be associated with trust, memories from participants' youth with identity and intimacy, and adulthood memories with intimacy and generativity. Moreover, participants who rated their autobiographical memories (i.e., life story) as high in reflecting themes and, at the same time, perceived their memories as more positive showed higher levels of life satisfaction. Important autobiographical memories reflect how an individual became the person of today. They refer to age-related themes of psychosocial development and are associated with a person's life satisfaction if they are also considered as emotionally more positive.

The Physical and Mental Well-Being of Medical Doctors in the Silesian Voivodeship.

Physical and mental well-being are important determinants of medical doctors’ lives, including their professional activity, which has a direct impact on the health and lives of patients. The aim of the study was to assess the health condition of medical doctors from the Silesian Voivodeship. The physical health condition, including the prevalence of chronic diseases, drug therapy, and pro-health activities, was assessed. Data on mental health according to the HADS scale (hospital anxiety and depression scale) referred to the selected socio-economic and professional aspects of life, as well as life and job satisfaction. The doctors most often reported diseases of the circulatory system and diseases of endocrine system, nutritional status and metabolic changes, allergies, and degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Chronic diseases and anxiety or depressive disorders affected doctors aged 50–80 years more frequently, and those doctors undertook preventive pro-health activities more often. The higher risks of anxiety and depression were related to their social and professional roles, lower economic status, overweight or obesity, chronic diseases, pharmacotherapy, diets, and chronic fatigue. On the other hand, frequent physical activity, a longer sleep duration, smaller weekly workload, type of rest, a higher sense of job satisfaction, and a higher level of life satisfaction reduced the risk of disorders. The health condition of medical doctors in the Silesian Voivodeship requires decisive remedial actions in the professional and non-professional spheres.