Higher Well-being Research Articles

The Relationship between Psychological Well-Being and Motivation for Achievement in Bakrie Center Foundation Internship Students in Banten Province

Internships aim to enrich students' knowledge and experience through direct fieldwork. Psychological well-being relates to fulfilling and realizing fundamental human qualities by actualizing one's potential. Therefore, students with high psychological well-being are expected to have better achievement motivation. This study aims to determine if there is a relationship between psychological well-being and achievement motivation among Bakrie Center Foundation interns in Banten Province. The scales used are the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PSWB) and the Achievement Motivation Scale adapted from Julianti (2022), based on McClelland's aspects. This quantitative research uses a correlational design, with a sample of 47 interns. Pearson correlation analysis yielded a Pearson correlation (r) value of 0.234 with a significance level (p) of 0.109 (p< 0.05), indicating no relationship between psychological well-being and achievement motivation among Bakrie Center Foundation interns in Banten. Overall categorization data showed that the interns had high psychological well-being but low achievement motivation.

Eudaimonic Well-Being as a Moderator of the Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction

Aim This study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of eudaimonic well-being in mitigating the adverse effects of depressive symptoms. Background The dual continua model conceptualizes mental well-being and mental illness as related yet independent dimensions. According to this framework, well-being can serve as an active defense against mental illness. Objective Building on the dual continua model, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and life satisfaction and the potential moderating role of eudaimonic well-being. Methods This hypothesis was tested using a national sample of 17,357 people from 8,162 households in South Korea. Bayesian multi-level modeling was used for data analysis. Results The results showed that eudaimonic well-being moderated the relationship between depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Depressive symptoms were found to have a significant negative effect on life satisfaction in individuals with low and moderate eudaimonic well-being. However, in individuals with high eudaimonic well-being, depressive symptoms had no significant effect on life satisfaction. Conclusion These results suggest that eudaimonic well-being plays an important role in mitigating the effects of depressive symptoms on life satisfaction.

Social well-being and problematic school absence among Danish adolescents: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

Adolescents' well-being and school absence are important factors for public health. The aim of this study was to examine the association between social well-being and problematic school absence among Danish adolescents in the ninth grade, as well as to examine potential sex differences, using a large cohort of adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, information on social well-being was obtained from the yearly Danish National Well-being Questionnaire mandatory in compulsory school. Data on school absence was obtained from the Ministry of Children and Education. The study population comprised 203,570 adolescents in the school years 2014/2015 to 2019/2020. The association between social well-being and problematic school-absence was analysed using logistic regression. A stratified analysis was made to investigate potential sex differences. A total of 17,555 (9.16%) adolescents had problematic school absence, defined as >10% illegal absence and/or sickness absence in the ninth grade. Adolescents with low social well-being had higher odds for having problematic school absence compared with adolescents with high social well-being, adjusted odds ratio=2.22 (95% confidence interval 2.10-2.34). When stratifying for sex, the association was strongest for girls. The results remained after adjustment for parents' educational level and family structure. Associations between adolescents' social well-being and problematic school absence were found, where girls had the strongest association. These findings might provide knowledge about social well-being as an important factor for problematic school absence, while underlining the importance of early focus and prevention, which is of importance for both the adolescents and society.

The Effect of Optimism and Gratitude on Subjective Well-Being of Parents of Children with Special Needs

The children who are born with imperfect conditions are often referred as children with special needs. Parents of children with special needs shown to have low levels of optimism and gratitude, which can affect the level of subjective well-being. This research aims to prove the influence of optimism and gratitude on the subjective well-being of parents with special needs children. The present study used a quantitative approach with a survey research type. The research location was in Pidie Regency, Aceh, with a sample size of 132 parents aged 20-55. The sampling technique used simple random sampling. The instruments used in this research include The Satisfaction of Life Scale (SWLS) and Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) with a reliability value of 0.710, the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) with a reliability value of 0.793, and the Gratitude Questionnaire (Q-6) with a reliability value of 0.761. The result shows that optimism and gratitude can simultaneously influence the subjective well-being of parents who have children with special needs (ß=0.087, p=0.000). The practical contribution made by optimism and gratitude to subjective well-being is 97.5%. The study revealed that optimism and gratitude are very influential in increasing subjective well-being in parents. In conclusion, parents with high subjective well-being tend to show confidence, appreciation, and satisfaction in life, thus positively contributing to parental involvement with children.

Model of the Preschool Teachers’ Professional Well-Being

Introduction. Managing the lifelong learning environment requires a certain understanding of the educational needs and demands of learners of different categories. However, there is not The professional well-being of preschool teachers is sufficiently understudied, and operational models of professional well-being have not yet been built. The aim of the study is to develop a model of professional well-being of preschool teachers and to assess the quality of this model through empirical testing. Materials and Methods. The study involved 818 teachers aged 19‒74 with work experience ranging from 3 months to 50 years. The data was collected with the Russian version of PERMA-Profiler (O. M. Isaeva, A. Yu. Akimova, E. N. Volkova, 2022), Questionnaire of Basic Needs in Work (E. N. Osin, D. D. Suchkov, T. O. Gordeeva, T. Yu. Ivanova, 2015), Questionnaire of Professional Motivation (E. N. Osin, et al., 2017), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (D. A. Kutuzova, 2006), a short version of the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (A. A. Pankratova, D. S. Kornienko, D. V. Lyusin, 2022), and a short version of the Big Five (M. S. Egorova, O. V. Parshikova, 2016). The empirical data were collected online. Results. The three-component composition of the model of preschool teachers’ professional well-being was identified with structural equation modeling. The model includes general well-being, activity and personal components. High professional well-being is associated with high level of basic PERMA characteristics, subjective feeling of good health; satisfaction of basic needs for autonomy, competence, relatedness; autonomous types of motivation; job satisfaction; the energy and efficiency of the teacher; high agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to new experiences, extraversion and low neuroticism. The characteristics of a teacherʼs emotional intelligence were not included in the model. Discussion and Conclusion. The presented study contributes to the understanding of the structure and components of professional well-being of preschool teachers. The model of professional well-being can be used by the management of preschool educational institutions to develop and implement individual professional development programs, as well as to address issues of teacher retention in the organization.

Demographics and job satisfaction as predictors of mental well-being of Filipino teachers

Teachers worldwide have had to change how they work because of the COVID-19 health crisis. These work changes and pandemic challenges have affected teachers in one way or another. There is a need to investigate teachers' welfare and how contented they are with their jobs two years after the onset of the pandemic and nationwide lockdown. This study examined the factors predicting the subjective mental well-being of teachers in the Philippines. Using a cross-sectional study design, the survey responses of 218 Filipino teachers were analyzed. Data were gathered electronically using the demographic profile form, a short version of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and the Short Index of Job Satisfaction. Results indicated that the majority of teachers had average to high job satisfaction and average subjective mental well-being. Regression analysis revealed that the type of school employed, residence, and job satisfaction were significant predictors of the mental well-being of teachers. This study affirms that certain demographic variables and satisfaction at work exert a positive influence on the mental health of teachers. Continuously making improvements in the working conditions of teachers and devising ways to enhance their well-being are vital.

Quality of Government, Democracy, and Well-Being as Determinants in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Recent reports have indicated a slowdown in global progress towards compliance with the 2030 Agenda and a setback in some objectives. This has prompted the development of research to identify the factors contributing to some countries moving faster than others in achieving the goals. Until now, the literature has emphasized the role of economic and institutional factors in achieving the 2030 Agenda, making it necessary to investigate the effects that other political or social factors may generate. To contribute to this purpose, this article aims to identify the effect of the quality of government, democracy, and well-being on aggregate compliance with the 2030 Agenda. Through a quantitative analysis that uses the level of achievement of the 2030 Agenda as a dependent variable and six independent variables related to the quality of government, democracy status, and well-being, we found that the effectiveness of government, the welfare regime, subjective well-being, and democracy status positively influence the achievement of sustainable development objectives. These findings have practical implications, as they suggest that countries with solid and effective government institutions, social safety networks, high subjective well-being, and healthy democracy have greater potential for meeting the goals of the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing the urgency of our collective efforts.

Adaptive and maladaptive pathways of COVID-19 worry on well-being: Across-national study.

In a preregistered study, we examined whether worries about COVID-19 are simultaneously linked with enhanced well-being through social interaction and with reduced well-being through depression symptoms. In August 2020, census-matched participants from high- and low-prevalence regions in the United States and Italy (N = 857) completed assessments of COVID-19 worry, social interaction, depression symptoms, and well-being. Worries about COVID-19 predicted both more social interaction and more depression (ps < 0.001). In multiple mediational analyses, an adaptive pathway of COVID-19 worry through social interaction was associated with higher well-being, whereas a maladaptive pathway through depression symptoms was associated with lower well-being. Further, a comparison of high and low COVID-19 prevalence regions replicated the mediational findings for social interaction, providing evidence against reverse causation and common method variance. Findings suggest that normative worries about acute stressors may both benefit and undermine well-being, depending on their impact on social behavior or depression symptoms.

Improvement and Maintenance of Clinical Outcomes in a Digital Mental Health Platform: Findings From a Longitudinal Observational Real-World Study.

Digital mental health services are increasingly being provided by employers as health benefit programs that can improve access to and remove barriers to mental health care. Stratified care models, in particular, offer personalized care recommendations that can offer clinically effective interventions while conserving resources. Nonetheless, clinical evaluation is needed to understand their benefits for mental health and their use in a real-world setting. This study aimed to examine the changes in clinical outcomes (ie, depressive and anxiety symptoms and well-being) and to evaluate the use of stratified blended care among members of an employer-sponsored digital mental health benefit. In a large prospective observational study, we examined the changes in depressive symptoms (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety symptoms (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale), and well-being (5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index) for 3 months in 509 participants (mean age 33.9, SD 8.7 years; women: n=312, 61.3%; men: n=175, 34.4%; nonbinary: n=22, 4.3%) who were newly enrolled and engaged in care with an employer-sponsored digital mental health platform (Modern Health Inc). We also investigated the extent to which participants followed the recommendations provided to them through a stratified blended care model. Participants with elevated baseline symptoms of depression and anxiety exhibited significant symptom improvements, with a 37% score improvement in depression and a 29% score improvement in anxiety (P values <.001). Participants with baseline scores indicative of poorer well-being also improved over the study period (90% score improvement; P=.002). Furthermore, over half exhibited clinical improvement or recovery for depressive symptoms (n=122, 65.2%), anxiety symptoms (n=127, 59.1%), and low well-being (n=82, 64.6%). Among participants with mild or no baseline symptoms, we found high rates of maintenance for low depressive (n=297, 92.2%) and anxiety (n=255, 86.7%) symptoms and high well-being (n=344, 90.1%). In total, two-thirds of the participants (n=343, 67.4%) used their recommended care, 16.9% (n=86) intensified their care beyond their initial recommendation, and 15.7% (n=80) of participants underused care by not engaging with the highest level of care recommended to them. Participants with elevated baseline depressive or anxiety symptoms improved their mental health significantly from baseline to follow-up, and most participants without symptoms or with mild symptoms at baseline maintained their mental health over time. In addition, engagement patterns indicate that the stratified blended care model was efficient in matching individuals with the most effective and least costly care while also allowing them to self-determine their care and use combinations of services that best fit their needs. Overall, the results of this study support the clinical effectiveness of the platform for improving and preserving mental health and support the utility and effectiveness of stratified blended care models to improve access to and use of digitally delivered mental health services.

Peer and lay health work for people experiencing homelessness: A scoping review.

Homelessness poses complex health obstacles for individuals and communities. Peer and lay health worker programs aim to increase access to health care and improve health outcomes for PEH by building trust and empowering community-based workers. The scope and breadth of peer and lay health worker programs among PEH has not been synthesized. The primary objective of this scoping review is to understand the context (setting, community, condition or disease) encompassing peer and lay health worker programs within the homelessness sector. The secondary objective is to examine the factors that either facilitate or hinder the effectiveness of peer and lay health worker programs when applied to people experiencing homelessness (PEH). We searched CINHAL, Cochrane, Web of Science Core Collection, PsycINFO, Google Scholar and MEDLINE. We conducted independent and duplicate screening of titles and abstracts, and extracted information from eligible studies including study and intervention characteristics, peer personnel characteristics, outcome measures, and the inhibitors and enablers of effective programs. We discuss how peer and lay health work programs have successfully been implemented in various contexts including substance use, chronic disease management, harm reduction, and mental health among people experiencing homelessness. These programs reported four themes of enablers (shared experiences, trust and rapport, strong knowledge base, and flexibility of role) and five themes of barriers and inhibitors (lack of support and clear scope of role, poor attendance, precarious work and high turnover, safety, and mental well-being and relational boundaries). Organizations seeking to implement these interventions should anticipate and plan around the enablers and barriers to promote program success. Further investigation is needed to understand how peer and lay health work programs are implemented, the mechanisms and processes that drive effective peer and lay health work among PEH, and to establish best practices for these programs.

Psychosocial experiences are associated with human brain mitochondrial biology

Psychosocial experiences affect brain health and aging trajectories, but the molecular pathways underlying these associations remain unclear. Normal brain function relies on energy transformation by mitochondria oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). Two main lines of evidence position mitochondria both as targets and drivers of psychosocial experiences. On the one hand, chronic stress exposure and mood states may alter multiple aspects of mitochondrial biology; on the other hand, functional variations in mitochondrial OxPhos capacity may alter social behavior, stress reactivity, and mood. But are psychosocial exposures and subjective experiences linked to mitochondrial biology in the human brain? By combining longitudinal antemortem assessments of psychosocial factors with postmortem brain (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) proteomics in older adults, we find that higher well-being is linked to greater abundance of the mitochondrial OxPhos machinery, whereas higher negative mood is linked to lower OxPhos protein content. Combined, positive and negative psychosocial factors explained 18 to 25% of the variance in the abundance of OxPhos complex I, the primary biochemical entry point that energizes brain mitochondria. Moreover, interrogating mitochondrial psychobiological associations in specific neuronal and nonneuronal brain cells with single-nucleus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed strong cell-type-specific associations for positive psychosocial experiences and mitochondria in glia but opposite associations in neurons. As a result, these "mind-mitochondria" associations were masked in bulk RNA-seq, highlighting the likely underestimation of true psychobiological effect sizes in bulk brain tissues. Thus, self-reported psychosocial experiences are linked to human brain mitochondrial phenotypes.

(018) PILOT TESTING A NEW COUPLE-BASED SEX THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR SEXUAL INTEREST/AROUSAL DISORDER

Abstract Introduction Sexual interest/arousal disorder (SIAD) includes persistent and distressing symptoms of low sexual desire and/or arousal, which are the most common sexual difficulties among women. Meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials show that psychological therapies produce moderate to large improvements in clinically low sexual desire (Banbury et al., 2021; Frühauf et al., 2013; Günzler &amp; Berner, 2012). However, these therapies focus on individuals, neglecting the partner’s experience, which is known to affect and be affected by SIAD symptoms (Rosen et al., 2019). Despite the prevalence of SIAD and importance of interpersonal factors in the development and maintenance of low sexual desire, there are no empirically supported couple-based sex therapy interventions for this disorder. Objective To develop a new couple-based sex therapy intervention for SIAD following a cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) framework. To test the CBCT intervention for SIAD in terms of feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Methods Nineteen couples in which a woman was diagnosed with SIAD completed a 16-session CBCT intervention delivered via Zoom by therapists with PhD-level training in clinical psychology. The goals of the CBCT intervention were to re-conceptualize SIAD in biopsychosocial-interpersonal terms, modify psychological and interpersonal factors associated with low sexual desire/arousal (Rosen &amp; Bergeron, 2019), and consolidate skills. Participants completed measures of dyadic sexual desire and sexual distress (primary outcomes) as well as sexual communication, sexual satisfaction, relationship intimacy, and relationship satisfaction (secondary outcomes) at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. We assessed preliminary efficacy using multilevel models guided by the actor-partner interdependence model (Kenny et al., 2020) to account for the interdependence of couple members’ data. Results The CBCT intervention was feasible as indicated by therapists’ high adherence to the treatment manual (96.8%) and couples’ high rates of homework completion (82.0%). The intervention was acceptable to couples, based on high session attendance rates (97.4%) and treatment satisfaction ratings (7.39/10 for women, 7.33/10 for partners). The intervention produced moderate to large pre- to post-treatment improvements in women’s dyadic sexual desire for their partner (p = .002, d = 0.73) and couple members’ sexual distress (p = .001, d = -0.93 for women, p = .002, d = -0.54 for partners) that were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Couples also reported moderate improvements in sexual communication and satisfaction immediately post-treatment (ps = .001-.02, ds = 0.40-0.53), but there were little to no changes in relationship intimacy or satisfaction post-treatment (ps = .05-.84, ds = 0.10-0.19). Conclusions Findings show that a couple-based sex therapy intervention grounded in theory and dyadic research evidence reduces SIAD symptoms (greater sexual desire, lower distress) and more broadly improves couples’ sexual wellbeing (improved sexual communication, satisfaction; lower distress). The lack of change in relationship outcomes may have been the result of couples having relatively high relationship wellbeing as a prerequisite for participation in the study. Also, the focus of the CBCT intervention was on sexual, rather than relationship wellbeing. This pilot study was based on a small sample and had no control group by design. A randomized clinical trial of the CBCT intervention is needed. Disclosure No.

An Overview of Psychological Well-Being in First-Year Students of Faculty of Nursing

Introduction: First year students are often faced with various challenges that have an impact on their psychological well-being. So far, the psychological well-being of first-year nursing students is not clearly known. Good psychological well-being helps first-year nursing students cope with academic demands. Objective: This study aimed to describe the psychological well-being of first-year students at the Faculty of Nursing, Padjadjaran University. Methods: This study used a quantitative descriptive method. The population of this study were all first-year active students, namely the 2022 batch of the Faculty of Nursing, Padjadjaran University, Bachelor Study Program (N=234). The sampling technique in this study is total sampling. This study used the Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale Instrument with 48 statement items that have been adapted to Indonesian language and culture with a validity index of 0.304 - 0.580 and a cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.912. Data analysis in this study used univariate analysis. Results: The results showed that 6.4% of students had high psychological well-being, 87.6% of students had moderate psychological well-being, and 6.0% of students had low psychological well-being. Almost all first-year students of the Faculty of Nursing, Padjadjaran University have psychological well-being in the moderate category. Conclusion: For the faculty, it is hoped that they can make efforts to monitor the psychological well-being of students by promoting available counseling service facilities so that students can find out and take advantage of existing facilities, and further research is expected to be able to examine other factors that can affect psychological well-being which were not discussed in this study.

Emotion Regulation Tactics: A Key to Understanding Age (and Other Between- and Within-Person) Differences in Emotion Regulation Preference and Effectiveness.

Older adults report high emotional well-being, but age-comparative studies of emotion regulation strategies have not identified systematic age differences. We propose that emotion regulation tactics may be more promising. Emotion regulation tactics involve strategy implementation in a specific situation, and have features shared across strategies involving positive or negative elements (objects/thoughts) in the environment that may be approached or receded from in the regulation attempt (i.e., a valence dimension about the environmental element, and a direction dimension indicating movement toward or away from it). Across several studies, older adults used more positive-approaching than negative-receding tactics. Positive-approaching tactics may also be more effective at regulating mood. We consider implications for aging, as well as group differences in emotion regulation behavior generally.

Chicken or egg? On the relation between course performance and first-year students’ well-being and self-efficacy

ABSTRACT Prior studies suggest associations between course performance and well-being and self-efficacy, although what comes first in this effect remains unclear. This study contributes to the research on noncognitive aspects of learning of first-year students, and examines the bidirectional relation between, on the one hand, students’ well-being and self-efficacy, and on the other hand, their course performance in an accounting course. The study investigates first-year undergraduate students and their performance in an accounting course, measured as the grade and ensuing pass/fail mark. Longitudinal survey data were collected at three data collection moments during two consecutive semesters. The results lead to three main findings. First, well-being a few weeks before the examination moment affects course performance (grade) in accounting, while self-efficacy does not. Second, students who passed the course had higher well-being and self-efficacy in the next semester than those who failed. Third, students who passed, reported a higher increase in well-being and self-efficacy after the examination moment, than those who failed. Analyses controlled for students’ age, gender, and high school performance. The empirical results provide valuable longitudinal insights into the important role of well-being and self-efficacy in relation to course performance, and vice versa. Implications for theory and practice are provided.

German adult population norm values of the short Warwick Edinburgh mental well-being scale (SWEMWBS)

PurposeThe Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale represents an internationally established inventory to assess population mental well-being. Particularly the short form (SWEMWBS) is recommended for use in Mental Health Surveillance. In the present study, we present normative data of the SWEMWBS for the German adult population.MethodsData from the telephone survey German Health Update (GEDA) in 2022 representative of the German adult population (48.9% women, 18–98 years) was processed to estimate SWEMWBS percentile norm values, T-values, z-values and internationally comparable logit-transformed raw scores for the total sample (N = 5,606) as well as stratified by sex, age group and sex with age group combinations.ResultsThe average mental well-being was comparable to that of other European countries at M = 27.3 (SD = 4.0; logit-transformed: M = 24.79, SD = 3.73). To provide a benchmark, the cut off for low well-being was set at the 15th percentile (raw score: 23; logit-transformed: 20.73), for high well-being at the 85th percentile (raw score: 32; logit-transformed: 29.31).ConclusionThe present study provides SWEMWBS norm values for the German adult population. The normative data can be used for national and international comparisons on a population level to initiate, plan and evaluate mental well-being promotion and prevention measures.

Testing the Shamiri Intervention and Its Components With Kenyan Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Outcomes of a Universal, 5-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Mental health problems are prevalent among African adolescents, but professional treatment capacity is limited. Shamiri, an efficient lay provider-delivered intervention, has significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This trial investigated effects of the full Shamiri intervention and its components (growth-only, gratitude-only, and values-only) against a study skills control. In a 5-group RCT with adolescents from Kenyan high schools, anxiety, depression, and well-being were self-reported through 8-month follow-up. The RCT occurred immediately after an unanticipated government-mandated COVID-19 shutdown forced 3 years of schoolwork into 2 years, escalating academic pressures. Participants (N= 1,252; 48.72% female) were allocated to: growth (n= 249), gratitude (n= 237), values (n= 265), Shamiri (n= 250), and study skills (n= 251) conditions. Longitudinal multilevel models showed that, across all conditions, anxiety scores significantly improved at midpoint (B=-0.847), end point (B=-2.948), 1-month (B=-1.587), 3-month (B=-2.374), and 8-month (B=-1.917) follow-ups. Depression scores also improved significantly at midpoint (B=-0.796), end point (B=-3.126), 1-month (B=-2.382), 3-month (B=-2.521), and 8-month (B=-2.237) follow-ups. Well-being scores improved significantly at midpoint (B= 1.73), end point (B= 3.44), 1-month (B= 2.21), 3-month (B= 1.78), and 8-month (B= 1.59) follow-ups. Symptom reduction with Shamiri matched that of pre-COVID-19 trials, but symptom reduction with study skills far outpaced that of trials before the COVID-19-related school shutdown (31% greater anxiety reduction and 60% greater depression reduction). Thus, in contrast to previous RCTs, this COVID-19-era trial showed no significant differences between outcomes in any intervention and active control groups. Our RCT conducted during a post-COVID-19 period of heightened academic pressure produced unexpected results. Improvements in youth-reported anxiety and depression were consistent with previous trials for Shamiri, but markedly larger than in previous trials for study skills. Control interventions teaching life skills may produce mental health benefits when they convey skills of particular contextual relevance. A large five-group randomized controlled trial involved comparing the Shamiri Intervention to its component interventions (growth mindset, gratitude, and values affirmation) and a study-skills control. In contrast to previous studies of Shamiri, similar effects were observed across all groups (p<.05). This trial was conducted right after an unanticipated government-mandated COVID shutdown forced three years of schoolwork into two. Benchmarking analyses against previous trials showed approximately equal effects of Shamiri over time, but a 31% greater anxiety reduction and 60% greater depression reduction for the study-skills condition; this highlights the potential of interventions teaching highly relevant life-skills for improving mental health. Five-Arm Shamiri Trial; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/; PACTR202104716135752.

Being out in high school: Positive implications for well-being in three U.S. cohorts of sexual minority adults.

For lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (i.e., sexual minority [SM]) youth, coming out is an important developmental milestone and is typically associated with positive well-being. However, coming out in high school may entail a higher risk of school-based victimization. Due to the greater risk of homophobic bullying, the implications of being out in adolescence and well-being later in adulthood remain unclear. Using data from a national probability survey (Generations Study) of three distinct age cohorts of SM adults (N = 1,474) in the United States, this study (a) examined how being out at school in adolescence affects general well-being in adulthood and (b) SM-specific well-being in adulthood, and (c) examined if these associations differ by cohort. Results from multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that being out in adolescence was not significantly associated with general well-being, but was significantly associated with SM-specific well-being: higher rates of identity centrality and community connectedness, and lower rates of internalized homophobia. There were no cohort differences in the associations between outness in high school, general well-being, and SM well-being. The findings from this national probability sample of SM adults provide novel insight into implications of being out across the life course, including the positive implications of being out at school in adolescence for SM-specific well-being in adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Short Version of the Process-Oriented Emotion Regulation Measure for Children and Adolescents (POEM-CA)

Abstract: The development of appropriate emotion regulation (ER) strategies is crucial for the healthy development of children and adolescents. Therefore, the assessment of ER skills with economic and yet valid and reliable measures that help to identify ER problems at an early stage is desirable. In this study, the psychometric properties of the short version of the Process-Oriented Emotion Regulation Measure for Children and Adolescents (POEM-CA) were examined in a sample of children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years in primary (Sample A: N = 362) and secondary school (Sample B: N = 472). The hypothesised factor structure was replicated in both samples and scale and item characteristics were appropriate. The criterion-related validity of the POEM-CA was examined regarding well-being in both samples. As expected, more functional and less dysfunctional ER was associated with higher well-being. Additionally, associations with psychosocial adjustment were tested in Sample B. Functional ER was negatively associated with externalizing problems and positively associated with prosocial behavior. Beyond, dysfunctional ER was associated with more internalizing and externalizing problems. The findings indicate that the POEM-CA is a valid and reliable, but also economic measure that can be useful in research and practice.

Relations Between Social Camouflaging, Life Satisfaction, and Depression Among Polish Women with ADHD.

This study investigated the relationship between social camouflaging, life satisfaction, and depression symptoms in Polish women with ADHD. It aimed to fill a research gap in understanding ADHD manifestations in women, particularly focusing on social camouflaging-a concept known in autism, referring to strategies used to mask symptoms in social interactions. A total of 329 women with ADHD took part in an online survey. The survey measured ADHD symptoms using the ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS-vI.I), life satisfaction with the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Additionally, a novel set of questions, inspired by the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) but tailored for ADHD, was utilized to assess social camouflaging. Results indicated a significant negative association between social camouflaging and life satisfaction and a positive correlation with depressive symptoms, even after controlling for demographic variables. Additionally, factors like being in a relationship and having a positive subjective financial situation correlated with higher well-being. Reliance on self-report measures, the cross-sectional design, and participants' self-reported ADHD diagnosis are the main limitations of the study. The research underscores the importance of social camouflaging in understanding ADHD in women, suggesting that efforts to mask symptoms and meet societal expectations may link to lower life satisfaction and increased depressive symptoms. These findings advocate for continued research into these dynamics to develop more effective support for women with ADHD.