Lower Levels Of Psychological Well-being Research Articles

Life events, coping styles, and psychological well‐being in children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol

Children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol might experience more life events, in particular negative, than children living with parents who do not harmfully consume alcohol. They also primarily use less adaptive coping styles and often demonstrate lower resilience. No studies evaluated whether coping styles or psychological well-being might influence the risk of life events occurrence in children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol. Forty-five children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol and 45 children living with parents who do not harmfully consume alcohol, matched for sex and age, were assessed via the Appendix Life Events of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Psychological Well-Being scales. Children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol had more life events in the 6-month period before the assessment, mostly negative and neutral, and lower levels of psychological well-being than children living with parents who do not harmfully consume alcohol. The risk of having experienced at least one negative or neutral life event was higher in children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol than in their peers and in those with lower psychological well-being. The risk of having had a positive life event was not related to parents' consumption of alcohol but to avoidant coping and low self-acceptance behaviours. Children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol need interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being to protect them from life events, especially from negative ones.

Psychological Health and Social Support in Patients with HIV/AIDS in South-East Iran During Year 2016

Background: Empirical studies show social and psychological supports are pivotal for maintaining physical, psychological, and social health in patients living with HIV/AIDS. Objectives: The present study aimed at evaluating social and psychological support and the relationship between these two factors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving services form health centers of Zahedan province, south eastern Iran. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted. HIV/AIDS patients, who received services from health care facilities of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences were recruited in the study. Psychological well-being and social support were assessed using the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being and medical outcomes study Social Support Scale (MOS-SSS) questionnaires, respectively. Multivariable linear regression analysis using backward stepwise method was conducted to determine factors related to psychological health and social support. Results: A total 110 patients aged over 16 years old (83 males) were included in the study. Unsafe injecting drug use was the major HIV transmission route (59.1%). Mean psychological health score was significantly higher in males compared to females (P = 0.048). Also, a gender difference was observed for mean social support score, although it was non-significant. The regression analysis showed that females versus males and AIDS patients versus HIV infected patients had lower score of psychological well-being, moreover, social support positively and independently related to the score of psychological well-being (β = -0.505; 95% confidence interval: 0.360 to 0.649). Conclusions: The findings suggest that female patients, those living in the AIDS stage, and those with poor social support are more vulnerable to having lower level of psychological well-being. Harm reduction programs should be reinforced in such groups.

Chosen aspects of current psychological condition in relation to coping strategies of nurses in Slovakia

Aim: To analyze chosen aspects of the current psychological state of Slovak nurses, and their relation to preferred strategies for workload management. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The research sample consisted of 240 nurses. Miksik's SUPSO questionnaire was used in order to record and evaluate the structure and dynamics of subjective experiences and conditions. Stress management strategies were identified through Tobin's Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI) questionnaire, and the frequency of the experience of individual emotions through the SEHP Emotional Subjective Habitual Wellbeing questionnaire. The relationships between the variables were subjected to the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Nurses reported lower levels of psychological wellbeing and activity than the population average, as opposed to asthenic experience of stress and uncertainty. Regarding preference of coping strategies in the context of work, nurses mainly use problem solving, social support, and cognitive restructuring. Regarding the mutual relationship of current psychological state and preferences in coping strategies, there were significant positive relationships between a positively-attuned psychological state and an inclination toward problem-oriented strategies, and, in terms of negative experiences, with divergent strategies. Conclusion: Recognizing the relationship between nurses' current psychological state and preferences in terms of coping strategies allows the application of adequate preventive programs, thereby improving the physical wellbeing of nurses and their ability to cope with the demands of the profession, with potentially positive outcomes in specific nursing activities.

Economic Insecurity And Psychological Distress Among Indigenous Canadians

Indigenous Canadians, consisting of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, continue to live a lower quality of life than the rest of Canadians, as evidenced by persistent health disparities. They tend to suffer greater rates of psychological distress than non-Indigenous Canadians. Such disparities in prevalence of psychological distress, which are often associated with depression and suicide, is a dire issue in many countries with Indigenous populations, including Australia and the U.S. The objective of this research is to inform policy by examining factors expected to be related to the psychological health of Canada's Indigenous population focusing on the significance of economic insecurity. The association between economic insecurity and psychological wellbeing among Canada's Indigenous population is examined to determine the magnitude of the impact of economic insecurity relative to other factors. The measures of economic insecurity include employment status, degree of food insecurity and condition of housing. An IV ordered probit model is estimated using data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey where psychological wellbeing is assessed with the ten-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10).The K-10 distress scores, ranging from zero to 40 in the dataset, are re-grouped into 5 ordinal categories. The empirical results provide support for the hypothesis that economic insecurity plays a significant and relatively sizable role in explaining the determinants of psychological wellbeing of Canada's Indigenous peoples. They further imply that Indigenous Canadians with greater levels of economic insecurity are more likely to suffer from lower levels of psychological wellbeing with food insecurity having the largest impact followed by housing quality and employment status. Other variables, such as age, gender, marital status, children and location of residence, also significantly impact the psychological wellbeing of Indigenous Canadians. The results suggest that policy for psychological wellbeing needs to address basic physiological needs first before working toward higher level needs associated with self-esteem and self-actualization. The main policy recommendation is for government to prioritize their goals with a focus on allocating a sufficient amount of resources to make a difference.

“Are you sure?”: Relations between sexual identity, certainty, disclosure, and psychological well-being

ABSTRACTLesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) individuals have repeatedly demonstrated lower levels of psychological well-being than their heterosexual counterparts. The literature suggests that bisexually identified participants are more vulnerable to poor outcomes, yet some studies have called this statement into question. This study aimed to address this inconsistency, and investigate how factors related to cognitive dissonance, such as identity disclosure and certainty, influence well-being in the LGBQ subgroups. We used web-based sampling, and distributed an online questionnaire assessing identity disclosure, certainty, and three variables of psychological well-being (affect, happiness, and life satisfaction). This survey was predominantly advertised in and completed by people in New Zealand. Participants who were over 18 and had the technological skills and English proficiency to complete the survey were eligible for this study, resulting in a final sample of 402. Consistent with past research, participants with LGBQ identities had lower rates of psychological well-being than those identifying as heterosexual. Additionally, as expected, identity certainty and disclosure of identity were associated with higher psychological well-being. Cognitive dissonance theory may be a useful contributor to the Minority Stress Theory framework, as it expands our understanding of how internal stressors affect the complex relationship between sexual identity and well-being. Further investigation into sexual identity (particularly the development of certainty, and the “coming out” decision) and psychological well-being is recommended for future research.

Self-Efficacy and Collective Efficacy as Moderators of the Psychological Consequences of Exposure of Palestinian Parents in Israel to Community Violence.

This study examined the rates of exposure to community violence (ECV; that is, witnessing and directly experiencing violence) as well as the detrimental consequences of such exposure as reflected in posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and a decline in psychological well-being (PWB) among parents. In addition, the study examined whether self-efficacy and collective efficacy moderate these consequences. A self-administered questionnaire was filled out by a systematic random sample of 760 Palestinian parents in Israel. The findings indicate that most of them had witnessed such violence, and almost half of them had directly experienced such violence in their lifetime. The rates of ECV were higher for the fathers than the mothers. ECV was found to predict high levels of PTSS and low levels of PWB among parents. In addition, collective efficacy was found only to moderate the relationship between witnessing community violence and PTSS. There is a need to identify adults who are exposed to community violence, as well as to develop culturally adapted and sociopolitically sensitive therapeutic and preventive interventions and projects for provision of assistance following exposure to such violence.

An empirical assessment of adjustment disorder as proposed for ICD-11 in a general population sample of Israel

BackgroundA new diagnostic concept of Adjustment Disorder (AjD) was proposed for inclusion in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th version (ICD-11). However, the symptom structure of AjD is poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the dimensionality of AjD as a stress-response syndrome. MethodsA general population sample of the Israeli population (N = 1003) completed the Adjustment Disorder – New Module 20 and the WHO-5 Wellbeing Scale. We compared seven alternative models of AjD using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed to determine if subtypes of AjD were present. The performance of the unidimensional and multidimensional models of AjD were evaluated using regression analyses. ResultsCFA results supported a unidimensional model of AjD. The LPA identified three quantitatively distinct classes (low, medium, and high) with no evidence of any subtypes of AjD. The criterion validity of AjD was superior when treated as unidimensional. AjD was associated with lower levels of psychological wellbeing (β = −.32, p < .001). ConclusionsOur results suggest that AjD is better conceptualised as a unidimensional construct. Future work should focus on a reduction of required symptoms in order to improve clinical utility and validity of the diagnosis.

Comparing quality of life instruments: Sizing them up versus pediatric quality of life inventory and Kid-KINDL

Introduction: Children with overweight or obesity are very likely to experience health problems including low levels of psychological well-being and impaired quality of life (QoL). Given that the importance of QoL includes policymaking measuring QoL is especially crucial. Therefore, comparing generic (Kid-KINDL and Pediatric QoL Inventory [PedsQL]) and weight-related (Sizing Them Up) measures could provide insights for healthcare providers to decide how and when to use which QoL instrument. Methods: I recruited 199 school children studied between 3rd and 6th grades from 11 schools in Southern Taiwan, and all the children completed child depression inventory (for depression) and Rosenberg self-esteem scale (for self-esteem); one of their parents completed Sizing Them Up, PedsQL, and Kid-KINDL. Results: I constructed structural equation modeling to investigate the associations between these instruments, and the results indicated that self-esteem had the strongest relationship with Kid-KINDL; weight had the strongest relationship with Sizing Them Up. Moreover, both PedsQL and Kid-KINDL could observe the depression among children. Conclusion: Healthcare providers may have insights to select appropriate measure to assess QoL for overweight/obese children according to my findings.

Belirsizliğe Tahammülsüzlük ile Psikolojik İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişki

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and psychological well-being, and to examine the differences between these two variables in terms of gender, perceived income status, and perceived parental attitudes. Study group was composed of 426 undergraduates from various departments of Marmara, Sakarya, Anadolu, Yıldız Teknik and Sütçü İmam Universities. The data were gathered via Short Form of Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale short form, and Personal Information Form. The data were analyzed by Pearson Product Moments Correlation, ANOVA, and t test. The results revealed that students with higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty had lower levels of psychological well-being, intolerance of uncertainty levels didn’t differ in terms of gender, and however psychological well-being levels of female students were significantly higher than those of males. Students who grown up with protective parental attitude had higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty than democratic parental attitude. In terms of psychological well-being, students who raised authoritarian parental attitudes had higher scores than protective parental attitude. Though intolerance of uncertainty levels didn’t differ in terms of perceived income levels of students, students with higher perceived income levels had higher scores of psychological well-being.

An Investigation of Student Psychological Wellbeing: Honors Versus Nonhonors Undergraduate Education

The purpose of this study was to describe the current state of psychological wellbeing in gifted and nongifted undergraduate student sample populations and identify undergraduate populations experiencing heightened levels of distress within a large Midwestern public university. Study participants included 641 honors and 386 nonhonors undergraduate students. Each participant completed an electronic survey including a series of 10 measures of psychological adjustment to assess student psychological wellbeing. Significant differences between honors and nonhonors student sample populations were identified. Findings also suggest sophomore students share unique characteristics that may be responsible for lower levels of psychological wellbeing. Potential services that may improve the university undergraduate experience are discussed.

Bidirectional Associations Between Adolescents' Sexual Behaviors and Psychological Well-Being

PurposeAssessing bidirectional longitudinal associations between early sexual behaviors (≤16.0 years) and psychological well-being (global self-esteem, physical self-esteem, depression) among 716 adolescents, and the direct and buffering effect of parent–adolescent relationship quality. MethodsWe used data from Project STARS (Studies on Trajectories of Adolescent Relationships and Sexuality), a longitudinal study on adolescent sexual development in the Netherlands. Participants were 11.0–16.0 years old (mean age at T1 = 13.3 years). Self-reports from four waves of online questionnaires were used. Bidirectional longitudinal associations were assessed by linear mixed-effects models. ResultsAt most waves, boys had significantly higher levels of psychological well-being than girls, but genders did not differ in experience with sexual behaviors. Engagement in early sexual behaviors did not predict lower levels of psychological well-being over time, and lower levels of psychological well-being did not predict more engagement in early sexual behaviors over time. Parent–adolescent relationship quality did not moderate these associations in either direction, although we found a significant direct effect, in which a higher-quality parent–adolescent relationship predicted more optimal levels of the three indicators of adolescents' psychological well-being (but not lower levels of early sexual activity) over time. ConclusionsOur results show that, among Dutch adolescents, early sexual behaviors and psychological well-being were not interrelated. This may be explained by socio-cultural aspects of the Dutch society, such as more normalization of sexual behaviors during adolescence. As a result, early sexual activity in and of itself was not related to lower psychological well-being over time. Yet, cross-cultural differences in links between adolescents' sexuality and well-being should be further investigated.

Coping Styles and Socio-demographic Variables as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being among International Students Belonging to Different Cultures

The study examined whether coping styles (reflective, suppressive, and reactive coping) predict the level of psychological well-being among international students, studying at German universities and living in a situation where the impact of acculturation stress is supposed to be rather high. In particular, we looked for any differences in preferred coping styles of university students belonging to diverse cultures to find out whether there are differential associations between coping styles and culture. The participants were 235 Asian, 204 European, and 94 Latin American students who were recruited with the support of offices of student’s affairs of universities. They completed an online survey comprising the WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5), the Problem-focused Styles of Coping Inventory (PF-SOC), Student Stress Inventory (SSI), and a socio-demographic questionnaire. After controlling for socio-demographic variables which showed hardly any influence on well-being, coping exerted a high influence on the affective and functional state of international students. Suppressive coping turned out to be a relatively stronger predictor of a low level of psychological well-being in all three cultural groups, whereas reflective coping is predictive of a high level of psychological well-being. Also, reactive coping is rather dysfunctional but much less so than suppressive coping. Cultural group was found to be a significant predictor of coping styles. There were no significant differences in the level of well-being among the cultural groups, with about 40% being beyond a cut-off point signalling a depressive state. Counseling services need to pay attention to the relatively high percentage of students with poor psychological wellbeing. Improving students’ coping strategies may be an efficient way to improve their psychological well-being in academic/university and general life contexts.

The emigration intentions of Russian Jews: the role of socio-demographic variables, social networks, and satisfaction with life

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated the role of socio-demographic characteristics, social networks, and satisfaction with various aspects of life in predicting the emigration intentions of Jews living in Russia. The study’s subjects consisted of Jews and their relatives eligible for immigration to Israel under the Israeli Law of Return. The study’s participants (n = 824) lived in five metropolitan areas. Socio-demographic characteristics, social networks, and satisfaction with life in Russia together explained 23% of the variance in emigration intentions among Russian Jews. Specifically, stronger emigration intentions were associated with a younger age, a smaller number of Jewish ancestors, a lower level of religiosity, a smaller number of Russian friends, a larger number of friends living abroad, a lower level of psychological well-being, and dissatisfaction with the education and healthcare systems in Russia. In addition, Jews living in Moscow and St. Petersburg expressed stronger emigration intentions than Jews living in other cities in Russia.

Youth secrets are associated with poorer sleep and asthma symptoms via negative affect

ObjectiveAmong older children and adolescents, keeping secrets from parents is consistently associated with lower levels of psychological well-being. Further, concealing one's thoughts and emotions has been associated with poor physical health outcomes in adults. However, it remains an open question whether secret-keeping is associated with poorer health and health-related behaviors (such as sleep) among youth and, if those hypothesized links exist, what the psychological mechanisms might be. We investigated the associations among youth secrecy towards parents, daily asthma symptoms and daily sleep behaviors in a sample of low-income youth with asthma aged 10–17 and tested negative affect as a possible mediator of these associations. MethodsOne hundred and seventy two youths reported the extent to which they kept secrets towards parents over a period of four days. Asthma symptoms, nighttime awakenings, sleep onset latency, and subjective sleep quality were assessed with daily diaries completed by youths. ResultsMore frequent secret-keeping was associated with more severe asthma symptoms, lower ratings of sleep quality and greater number of nighttime awakenings. Secrecy was also associated with increased negative affect, which accounted for the associations between secrecy and number of awakenings and daytime asthma symptoms. These findings remained significant after controlling for youth age and other relevant demographic factors. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that secrecy towards parents can have consequential health outcomes for youth with asthma and point to the importance of investigating affective processes as mediators of the influence of secret-keeping on youth health.

Spirituality and Psychological Wellbeing of Elderly of Uttarakhand: A Comparative Study Across Residential Status

The present research has been conducted to assess and compare the level of spirituality and psychological wellbeing of elderly from institutionalized and non-institutionalized settings. The sample of the present study comprised of 200 respondents: institutionalized elderly (n1=100) drawn from the SRA recognized old age homes of Uttarakhand through census method and equivalent sample of non-institutionalized elderly (n2=100) drawn through lottery method from the nearby localities adjacent to the old age homes. The level of spirituality and psychological wellbeing of the respondents was assessed through standardized questionnaires. The findings of the study highlighted significant differences between the levels of spirituality and psychological wellbeing of institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly. Institutionalized elderly had higher levels of spirituality but lower levels of psychological wellbeing as compared to non-institutionalized elderly. Spirituality and psychological wellbeing were found to be positively correlated thus it can be concluded that elderly who have higher levels of spirituality have higher levels of psychological wellbeing.

The Impact of Affiliate Stigma on the Psychological Well-Being of Mothers of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities in India: The Mediating Role of Subjective Burden.

Knowledge of the impact of affiliate stigma on the wellbeing of caregivers to children with specific learning disability (SLD) in India is limited. To fill in this gap in knowledge a cross-sectional quantitative study was undertaken to assess the impact of affiliate stigma on the psychological well-being of mothers with children with SLD in India, and test the mediating role of subjective burden, using an adapted version of Pearlin's stress and adaptation model. Sample included 100 mothers of children with SLD. Data was collected using a structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics, correlation and stepwise regression were used as the primary analytic tools. Affiliate stigma experienced by mothers significantly predicted low levels of psychological well-being and subjective burden mediated the relationship between affiliate stigma and psychological wellbeing. The findings call for developing targeted interventions to address affiliate stigma and positive appraisal of the caregiving situation, with the goal of improving the psychological well-being of mothers of children with SLD.

Immigrants' Unemployment Drivers: Evidence from Switzerland

Immigrant groups, especially those originating from non-European countries, tend to experience disadvantage in the labour market and to be overrepresented among the recipients of welfare benefits. This outcome is sometimes explained with reference to migration-related factors such as weaker work values than natives (i.e., acceptability of remaining on benefits), smaller and lower quality of informal networks and lower levels of psychological well-being. Indeed, we find that these factors significantly influence unemployment duration in the expected direction. However, they explain only a small share of the overall disadvantage that some immigrant groups experience. We conclude that at least some of the large differences we observed in unemployment duration are likely due to discrimination by employers.

Weight Control Behavior as an Indicator of Adolescent Psychological Well-Being.

Adolescence is a critical time for the development of psychological well-being. Weight gain and the emergence of body image concerns during this period can lead to the development of negative psychological states. To explore this issue, we examined the relationship between weight control behavior (WCB; ie, trying to lose, gain, stay the same, or do nothing about weight) and levels of depression and self-esteem. Adolescents (508 boys, 502 girls; Mage = 12.32 ± .88 years) completed a survey that assessed WCB, depression, and self-esteem. Descriptive discriminant analysis was used to analyze WCB group differences on psychological well-being. Multivariate post hoc analysis further examined group differences. Structure coefficients indicated the relative importance of each dependent variable in boys and girls. Results indicated that, among both sexes, WCB was significantly related to depression and self-esteem. Individuals trying to lose weight had lower levels of psychological well-being than the other groups. Adolescents trying to lose weight reported the lowest psychological well-being scores whereas those not doing anything to control weight reported the highest levels of psychological well-being. These findings have important implications for screening and education programs designed to monitor and support adolescent psychological well-being.

Predictors of psychological distress and well-being in a sample of Australian undergraduate students

ABSTRACTPrevious research has found university students report higher levels of psychological distress compared to the general population. Our aim was to investigate the degree to which personality and contextual factors predict psychological distress and well-being in students over the course of a semester. We also examined whether resilience-building skills, such as positive self-talk, mindfulness meditation and self-management, included in a first-year psychology subject, might reduce distress and improve well-being. Undergraduate first-year students (n = 150) completed a battery of questionnaires in week three (Time 1; n = 150) and week 10 (Time 2; n = 53) of semester. At both times students reported high levels of psychological distress, as measured by the K10, the General Health Questionnaire and the Brief Symptom Inventory, and low levels of psychological well-being, as measured by the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Students exposed to resilience-building skills embedded in a subject (n = 24) were no less distressed at Time 2 than those not enrolled in that subject (n = 29). The personality traits of emotional resilience (vs. reactivity) and bounce-back resilience measured at Time 1 were the only significant predictors of psychological distress and well-being measured at Time 2. Students with high emotional and bounce-back resilience had lower psychological distress and higher well-being scores. Future research could consider development and trial of a full semester university subject designed to improve students’ resilience knowledge and skills.

Psychological Well-being of Ghanaian Children in Transnational Families

This study is one of the first large-scale analyses on child psychological well-being in the context of parental migration when children remain in an African country. As such, it contributes to the literature by investigating some of the insights gained from in-depth transnational family studies, and it also provides evidence from Africa where normative contexts around family life differ from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and East Asia where most studies have been conducted to date. A survey was conducted in 2010/2011 with 2,760 secondary school children and youths in high out-migration areas of Ghana. Using multiple regression analysis, we find that being in a transnational family is associated with lower levels of psychological well-being, yet only in families where parents are divorced or separated. Furthermore, when parents are in a relationship, specific characteristics of transnational family arrangements are associated with lower levels of child psychological well-being, while others are not. In particular, whether a parent migrates internally or internationally, who the caregiver is, and having a good relationship with the migrant parent are not associated with poorer well-being outcomes. Instead, if a father migrates, if the child changes caregivers more than once, and if the child has a bad relationship with his or her migrant father are associated with lower levels of well-being. This study adds nuance to a field of research that has emphasised negative outcomes and helps identify policy areas to improve the well-being of children in transnational families. Copyright (C) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.