Implications For Psychological Well-being Research Articles

Stalking, harassment, gendered abuse, and violence towards politicians in the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery era.

High levels of harassment and threats against parliamentarians are being reported internationally, especially in the social media space. This is occurring alongside changes in our social landscape, with increasing political polarisation and the ongoing ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Harassment of politicians has been shown to have implications for psychological wellbeing and physical safety. To investigate harassment and violence towards parliamentarians in the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery era, including whether there had been a change in its nature and quantity, and to explore the contribution of social media. A survey of all New Zealand's parliamentarians was fielded in 2022, focusing on their experiences of harassment analysed quantitatively and with manifest and latent content analysis of free text responses. Data were disaggregated and compared by gender. Secondary analyses were conducted on similar data collected from parliamentarians in 2014 to compare trends over time. We obtained a cleaned achieved survey sample of 54 Members of Parliament (MPs). Harassment was reported by 98% of respondents, ranging from disturbing communication to actual physical violence. The vast majority of MPs endorsed multiple modalities of harassment occurring on multiple occasions. Ninety-six percent of MPs had been harassed over social media, with over half being threatened, including threats of physical violence (40%), sexual violence (14%), threats made towards MP's family members (19%), threats towards staff (12%), and death threats (27%). Almost all forms of harassment had increased significantly since 2014. Most MPs reported experiencing abuse related to the Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. lockdowns and vaccine mandates). Many MPs commented that the frequency and intensity of abuse increased markedly during the COVID pandemic and had not subsequently abated. Women were at significantly higher risk of certain types of social media harassment including gendered abuse, sexualised comments, threat of sexual violence, and threats toward their family. Harassment of parliamentarians is an escalating issue. Online threats and misogyny are increasingly apparent. This harassment has significant psychosocial costs for victims, their family and staff, and for democratic processes.

Future self-continuity promotes meaning in life through authenticity

We concerned with the emerging construct “future self-continuity” and its psychological consequences. We hypothesized, in particular, that future self-continuity, the perceived connection between one’s present and future self, is related—correlationally and causally—to meaning in life via authenticity, the subjective alignment with one’s true self. We tested and supported this hypothesis in three studies using measurement-of-mediation and experimental-causal-chain designs. At the trait level, future self-continuity was positively associated with meaning in life through authenticity (Study 1; N = 255). Experimentally induced high (vs. low) future self-continuity increased meaning in life via authenticity (Study 2; N = 177). Finally, experimentally induced authenticity (vs. controls) augmented meaning in life (Study 3; N = 369). Future self-continuity has implications for psychological well-being.

Gender differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being: evidence from Japan

ABSTRACT We advance research on the ‘gendered pandemic’ and its implications for psychological well-being in three important ways. First, we focus on Japan, arguably the most gender-inegalitarian wealthy country. Second, we focus on gender differences in both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Third, we use demographic decomposition tools to evaluate the extent to which observed gender differences in decline in psychological well-being reflect differences in pre-pandemic characteristics, differences in life changes during the pandemic, differences in pandemic-related worry, and differences in men’s and women’s responses to these characteristics and experiences. Results show that decline in both dimensions of psychological well-being was significantly greater for women and that the contributions of differences in relationships were larger than those of differences in composition. We also show that reduction in well-being derived from social interaction was particularly pronounced for women and that gender differences in age patterns of decline in both dimensions of psychological well-being are large.

Lifestyle Factors Counteract the Neurodevelopmental Impact of Genetic Risk for Accelerated Brain Aging in Adolescence

BackgroundThe transition from childhood to adolescence is characterized by enhanced neural plasticity and a consequent susceptibility to both beneficial and adverse aspects of one’s milieu. MethodsTo understand the implications of the interplay between protective and risk-enhancing factors, we analyzed longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 834; 394 female). We probed the maturational correlates of positive lifestyle variables (friendships, parental warmth, school engagement, physical exercise, healthy nutrition) and genetic vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) and sought to further elucidate their implications for psychological well-being. ResultsGenetic risk factors and lifestyle buffers showed divergent relationships with later attentional and interpersonal problems. These effects were mediated by distinguishable functional neurodevelopmental deviations spanning the limbic, default mode, visual, and control systems. More specifically, greater genetic vulnerability was associated with alterations in the normative maturation of areas rich in dopamine (D2), glutamate, and serotonin receptors and of areas with stronger expression of astrocytic and microglial genes, a molecular signature implicated in the brain disorders discussed here. Greater availability of lifestyle buffers predicted deviations in the normative functional development of higher density GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) receptor regions. The two profiles of neurodevelopmental alterations showed complementary roles in protection against psychopathology, which varied with environmental stress levels. ConclusionsOur results underscore the importance of educational involvement and healthy nutrition in attenuating the neurodevelopmental sequelae of genetic risk factors. They also underscore the importance of characterizing early-life biomarkers associated with adult-onset pathologies.

Future time perspective: Factor structure, age pattern, and implications for psychological well-being and life satisfaction.

Emerging research challenges the one-factor model of the future time perspective (FTP) scale by demonstrating two- and three-factor models of the FTP scale. Three samples (i.e., Switzerland and the United States; N = 2022) explored the factor structure, age pattern differences, tested the link between FTP factors, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction, as well as age as a moderator. We distinguished FTP into opportunities, extension, and constraint factors that corroborated previous research. We did not find a replicable curvilinear age pattern difference on any of the FTP factors. The association between extension and life satisfaction was stronger among younger than older adults. Alternatively, the association between constraint and life satisfaction was stronger among younger than older adults in Samples A and C, and the pattern was reversed in Sample B. Lastly, the association between constraint and environmental mastery was stronger among older adults than younger adults in Sample B and the pattern was reversed in Sample C. This variation in the perception of the future is different for people at different periods in life and has an important consequence for living life well, especially a focus on extension and lack of constraint.

Me, My Tics and I: An Exploration of Self-Identity and its Implications for Psychological Wellbeing in Young Women with Tourette's Syndrome.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10882-023-09911-x.

Big Five Personality Factors in Relation to Coping with Contact Restrictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Small Sample Study

To slow down the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, countries worldwide severely restricted public and social life. In addition to the physical threat posed by the viral disease (COVID-19), the pandemic also has implications for psychological well-being. Using a small sample (N = 51), we examined how Big Five personality traits relate to coping with contact restrictions during three consecutive weeks in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. We showed that extraversion was associated with suffering from severe contact restrictions and with benefiting from their relaxation. Individuals with high neuroticism did not show a change in their relatively poor coping with the restrictions over time, whereas conscientious individuals seemed to experience no discomfort and even positive feelings during the period of contact restrictions. Our results support the assumption that neuroticism is a vulnerability factor in relation to psychological wellbeing but also show an influence of contact restrictions on extraverted individuals.

Late diagnosis of autism: exploring experiences of males diagnosed with autism in adulthood

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder associated with qualitative impairments in social interaction, social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Symptoms of ASD are first evident in infancy and childhood. However, individuals presenting with less overt ASD symptomatology may only be diagnosed in adulthood, when the expectation of independence and productivity results in a growing crisis for the individual. This study applied an exploratory qualitative research design to explore first-hand experiences of ten adult males (25 years and above) who were diagnosed with autism during their adulthood. Purposive sampling was used to select participants through the Neurodiversity Centre, Cape Town, South Africa. In-depth one-on-one interviews, guided by a semi-structured interview schedule were conducted. The thematic analysis technique and NVivo 12 qualitative analysis software were used to organise the data and identify themes. Three key themes emerged: failure to diagnose ASD in childhood despite signs and symptoms, ramifications of missed/misdiagnosis in childhood and adulthood on psychological well-being and the impact of receiving a diagnosis of ASD in adulthood. Missed/misdiagnosis had serious implications for psychological well-being throughout childhood and into adulthood. Late diagnosis resulted in missed opportunities for early intervention to address impairments associated with ASD. Receiving a diagnosis provided an explanation for long standing difficulties, offered a way forward in terms of developing coping strategies and allowed for self-acceptance. The implications of these findings for the development of better early screening and assessment for ASD are discussed and future research pathways suggested.

Perceived experiences of patients with breast cancer: a qualitative study of the influence of spirituality and health beliefs among preoperative breast cancer patients in Ghana

BackgroundCancer is a major threat to public health globally and in Ghana. Breast cancer is a serious health problem among women which affects the daily functioning of the individual and their psychological health.AimThe study examined the influence of spirituality and health beliefs on anxiety and depression among preoperative breast cancer patients in Ghana.MethodologyThis is a qualitative study involving 54 preoperative breast cancer patients selected from 3 referral hospitals in Accra namely: 37 Military hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre all in Ghana. The study collected data via one-on-one in-depth interviews (IDI) and Focus group discussion (FGD).ResultQualitative thematic analysis techniques were employed to analyse data and the results revealed spirituality and health beliefs influenced patients’ perception and health-seeking, while spirituality in particular helped patients cope with the disease. The results also showed that participants’ levels of anxiety increased due mainly to surgery which is the most common mode of breast cancer treatment.DiscussionThis study generates knowledge about the relations between spirituality, health beliefs and psychological wellbeing among breast cancer patients in Ghana. The study implies that spirituality and health beliefs of the cancer experience have implications for psychological wellbeing.

The increased use of virtual teams during the Covid-19 pandemic: implications for psychological well-being

Organizations have increasingly moved toward decentralized and globalized work processes with the advent and improvement of information and communication technologies, which accelerated the implementation of virtual teams. While researchers and practitioners have previously debated the effectiveness of remote working in virtual teams by weighing its advantages and disadvantage, working remotely in virtual teams has become the new normal after COVID-19. Various challenges of working remotely in virtual teams have significantly affected employees’ psychological well-being. This study aims to (a) synthesize the literature on virtual teams focusing on the definition, antecedents, and outcomes, (b) review the literature on the relationship between virtual teams and psychological well-being, (c) share two practical cases, and (d) offer implications for HRD professionals to improve virtual team members’ psychological well-being. This study contributes to the field of HRD as it addresses several theoretical and practical limitations of the virtual team literature (e.g., lack of an integrative definition, lack of a comprehensive nomological network of virtual teams, lack of studies on psychological well-being in virtual teams). More importantly, since virtual teams have not been explored well in the HRD literature, the findings provide relevant and viable implications on psychological well-being for HRD practices as well as HRD research.

Writing and Reading Self-efficacy in Graduate Students: Implications for Psychological Well-being

In an effort to identify critical antecedents of mental health challenges in graduate education, recent research has examined graduate students’ self-efficacy beliefs as a motivational antecedent of their productivity, persistence, and well-being. Whereas graduate students’ self-efficacy concerning their scholarly writing activities has received increasing research attention in regards to psychological health, the well-being implications of graduate students’ self-efficacy for academic reading remains underexplored. The present study assessed both writing and reading self-efficacy in an international sample of graduate students (N = 851) in relation to critical well-being indicators including exhaustion, engagement, quitting intentions, program satisfaction, and imposter syndrome. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed writing self-efficacy to be a strong predictor across well-being outcomes, with a significant two-way interaction highlighting the combined benefits of writing and reading self-efficacy for imposter syndrome in graduate students. The present findings are novel in highlighting the well-being implications of both writing and reading self-efficacy for graduate students and support the expansion of graduate education programs aimed at promoting writing competencies to also address reading-related issues.

Acculturation, Communication Competence, and Family Functioning in Mexican-American Mother-Daughter Dyads.

Little is known of how intergenerational acculturation discrepancy relates to communication skills differences that may influence relationship quality among parents and adult children. Mexican–American mother–daughter dyads (n = 59) were studied using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model to examine dyadic associations of acculturation and communication competence with family functioning and mediation analysis to determine the indirect effect of acculturation discrepancy on family functioning through communication competence differences. Communication competence of mothers exerted significant actor and partner effects on daughter-perceived cohesion and closeness. Higher acculturation discrepancy predicted greater communication competence difference which in turn was associated with lower cohesion and closeness. There was a significant indirect effect of acculturation discrepancy on daughter-perceived cohesion through communication competence difference. Communication competence of mothers impacts their own as well as their daughters’ perceptions of dyad cohesion and closeness. Intergenerational discrepant acculturation contributes to discordant communication skills that impair family functioning, which has implications for psychological well-being.

Smashing, Shaming, or Polite Fun and Joy? How Workplace Humor Influences Positive Well-Being in South Korean Workplaces.

Humor is contextual, ambiguous, and varies within cultures but is widely associated with positive outcomes such as well-being and happiness. While humor is universal and enhances interpersonal relationships which can benefit psychological well-being, we argue that humor can also be diminish psychological well-being in Confucian-based, South Korean workplaces. Our research questions asks: how do hierarchical workplace relationships influence shared humor and positive well-being in Korean workplace contexts? Our contextual, ethnographic research includes in-depth field observations and semi structured interviews in three Korean organizations. Traditional Confucian-based cultures value face-saving, trust, and harmony while emphasizing formality and hierarchy. Korean honorifics maintain harmony, hierarchy, and politeness which creates benefits for group processes and influences the sharing of humor. Humor is enacted in accordance with workers' hierarchical status which has a significant impact upon the types of humor shared and the responses available to subordinate employees. Investigating these dimensions in Korean workplaces we argue that honorifics and hierarchy influence humor interactions in complex ways that have implications for psychological well-being.

Age Differences in Stress, Life Changes, and Social Ties During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Psychological Well-Being.

Background and ObjectivesExperiences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its implications for psychological well-being may vary widely across the adult life span. The present study examined age differences in pandemic-related stress and social ties, and links with psychological well-being.Research Design and MethodsParticipants included 645 adults (43% women) aged 18–97 (M = 50.8; SD = 17.7) from the May 2020 nationally representative Survey of Consumers. Participants reported the extent to which they felt stress related to the pandemic in the last month, the extent to which their lives had changed due to the pandemic, as well as social isolation, negative relationship quality, positive relationship quality, and frequency of depression, anxiety, and rumination in the past week.ResultsResults showed that older people reported less pandemic-related stress, less life change, less social isolation, and lower negative relationship quality than younger people. Greater pandemic-related stress, life change, social isolation, and negative relationship quality were associated with poorer psychological well-being. Poorer social ties (i.e., greater social isolation and negative quality) exacerbated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (stress, life change) on psychological well-being.Discussion and ImplicationsResearchers have indicated that older adults may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and social isolation, but this study indicates that young adults may be relatively more vulnerable. Because isolation and negative relationship quality appear to exacerbate the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being, reducing social isolation and negative relations are potential targets for intervention.

The hopeful dimension of locomotion orientation: Implications for psychological well-being

ABSTRACT Individuals who have a strong locomotion orientation tend to be future-oriented and motivated to move from the present state toward a future state, making swift and steady progress toward their goals. The current study has assessed the conceptual possibility that such motivation leads locomotors to experience greater hopeful thinking, an active cognitive process that consists in planning the future and implementing these plans. The results of Study 1 lend preliminary support to this possibility. The practical implication was linked to the importance of hope in the subjective well-being experienced in everyday life. For this reason, Study 2 tested a model in which hopeful thinking mediated the subjective well-being experienced by locomotors. The results supported the hypothesis: locomotion orientation was associated with enhanced hope capabilities that, in turn, were associated with higher subjective well-being, with significant positive implications for individuals.

Correlation of Resilience with Good Relations with Neighbors

Correlation of Resilience with Good Relations with Neighbors

Cultural Differences in Humor Perception, Usage, and Implications.

Humor is a universal phenomenon but is also culturally tinted. In this article, we reviewed the existing research that investigates how culture impacts individuals’ humor perception and usage as well as humor’s implications for psychological well-being. Previous research has substantiated evidence that Easterners do not hold as positive an attitude toward humor as their Western counterparts do. This perception makes Easterners less likely to use humor as a coping strategy in comparison with Westerners. Despite this difference, Westerners and Easterners have similar patterns in the relationship between their humor and psychological well-being index, though the strength of the relationship varies across cultures. Implications and potential future research avenues discussed.

The Authentic Moral Self: Dynamic Interplay between Perceived Authenticity and Moral Behaviors in the Workplace

Authentic experiences are deeply tied to human existential concerns and have implications for psychological well-being and optimal functioning. Importantly, previous studies suggest a mutually reinforcing relationship between authenticity and moral behaviors. The current research aims to extend this line of research to work-specific contexts. We found, among two U.S. samples that (a) perceiving oneself as having behaved morally prompted feelings of authenticity at work (Study 1), (b) people who tried to be authentic (vs. be realistic or rational) were less willing to engage in immoral behaviors at workplace (Study 2), and among a Chinese sample that (c) daily fluctuations in morality and authenticity covaried with each other, both contributing positively to job satisfaction and meaning in work (Study 3). Together, the findings demonstrate a bidirectional relationship between moral behaviors and authenticity in the workplace.

Culturally Motivated Remembering: The Moderating Role of Culture for the Relation of Episodic Memory to Well-Being

Episodic memory for specific personal events is a fundamental human cognitive faculty. Yet it is variably valued across cultures and may thus have different implications for psychological well-being. In a series of studies, we investigated the consequences of cultural fit in detailed episodic recall for psychological well-being among healthy adults and children from European American and East Asian cultural backgrounds. Participants recalled recent and distant personal events (Studies 1, 2, and 3) or recent positive and negative events (Study 4). The findings showed that culture moderated the relation of episodic memory to various aspects of mental health and well-being. Whereas detailed recall was linked to decreased use of avoidant coping among European Americans, it was associated with elevated depressive symptoms, decreased adaptive skills, and increased negative affect among East Asians. The findings support the person-culture-fit framework and suggest that the functional significance of episodic memory depends on cultural contexts.

Mental health consequences of weight cycling in the first-year post-treatment for breast cancer

Objectives: Weight cycling is linked with advanced breast cancer diagnosis, increased risk of cancer reoccurrence and cancer-related mortality. While women treated for breast cancer report challenges with navigating their post-treatment body shape and weight, the effects of weight cycling on body image and mental health have not been elucidated. This study examined associations between weight changes and weight cycling on psychological health (i.e. weight-related guilt, shame and depressive symptoms) among women in the first-year post-treatment.Design and Outcome Measures: Self-reported assessments of pre-cancer weight cycling, post-treatment weight-related guilt, shame and depressive symptoms, and objective assessments of weight were assessed in a longitudinal sample of 173 women treated for breast cancer (Mage = 55.01 ± 10.96 years).Results: Based on findings from multilevel models, women experienced the most weight-related shame when their weight was heavier than their personal average. Additionally, heavier weight was associated with worse psychological health, particularly for women with a history of stable (vs. cycling) weight pre-cancer.Conclusions: Weight cycling pre-cancer and post-treatment weight change have important implications for psychological well-being. Due to the potential psychological consequences associated with a history of weight cycling, targeted strategies are needed to improve overall health outcomes for women’s survivorship after breast cancer.