Lower Life Satisfaction Research Articles

Subjective well-being and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemics on subjective well-being (SWB) and mental health in Hungary, with a particular focus on the roles of socioeconomic and COVID-19-related factors in shaping these outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 2,000 Hungarian adults from May 25 to June 8, 2021. The data was collected using standardized questionnaires, including the SWLS, GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Correlation analysis, one-way ANOVA and linear regression were used. Findings The study found significant anxiety (41.5%), depression (48.1%) and life dissatisfaction (41.9%) among 2,000 participants. Females reported higher anxiety and depression than males. Single individuals had the lowest life satisfaction. Higher income levels are correlated with greater life satisfaction. Quarantine and vaccination were linked to higher life satisfaction and lower psychological distress. The regression showed that older age, being married and higher income were linked to lower depression and anxiety. Severity of infection and quarantine increased both depression and anxiety. Infection reduced life satisfaction, but severe cases showed a slight improvement in satisfaction, highlighting complex health and well-being relationships. Practical implications The findings reveal complex relationships, including unexpected resilience in severe COVID-19 cases. Originality/value This study offers insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SWB and mental health in Hungary. By analyzing socioeconomic, demographic and pandemic-related factors in a large sample, it highlights complex relationships between quarantine, infection severity, vaccination and well-being. The findings contribute to understanding how these factors influence mental health, informing targeted interventions during health crises.

The Impact of Cognitive Impairment on Life Satisfaction in Older Adults: Examining the Double Mediating Roles of Neighborhood Satisfaction and Social Participation

ABSTRACT The environment plays an integral role in the lives of individuals with cognitive decline. This study analyzed data from the National Survey of Older Koreans (2020) (9,885 older Koreans). The results showed that cognitively impaired group had lower community environment satisfaction than the cognitively healthy group, which led to lower social participation and lower life satisfaction, and the double mediation effect was significant (B = −.001, p < .001). However, there was no direct effect of cognitive status on life satisfaction (B = .004, p = .759). The findings highlight the imperative for the development of neighborhood environments that foster social engagement among older adults experiencing cognitive decline.

Academic Performance, Health and Support Needs: Comparing Foster Care Alumni and Peers in Higher Education in Norway

The completion rates of higher education are low among young adults with a history of foster care. Understanding how students from foster care alumni fare is imperative for facilitating attainment and preventing drop-out. The aim of this study was to compare students from foster care alumni and the general student population by examining (1) sociodemographic characteristics, academic functioning and need for special assistance; (2) contextual factors important for student life; and (3) mental and somatic health, loneliness, life satisfaction and use of cannabis and alcohol. Data comprised self-reports from the Norwegian national survey Students’ Health and Well-being Study 2022. Reports from foster care alumni students (n = 508) were compared to those of the general student sample (n = 59,036). Compared to the general sample, twice as many foster care alumni students reported receiving or needing special assistance in their studies. Moreover, they reported substantially higher economic burden than their student peers, by higher frequency of work income, more financial worries, and less parental financial support. Foster care alumni students also reported a higher load of informal care responsibilities, poorer mental and somatic health, more loneliness and lower life satisfaction. Foster care alumni students fare comparably well in terms of grades and study progression despite the reported economic burden and impaired health and well-being. As these are factors shown to impact study completion, policies need to be put in place to ensure that care-experienced students receive adequate support through their young adulthood and specifically in higher education.

Depression, health-related quality of life and life satisfaction in patients with heart failure

Background: The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9) has been recognized as an effective tool for identification of patients with heart failure (HF) at risk for lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to compare HRQoL levels, overall satisfaction with health and life, disease severity variables, sociodemographic variables and behavioural risk factors between patients with HF with different levels of depressive symptomatology. Methods: In a &gt;55 years-old general population cross-sectional HF prevalence study, 1851 subjects were screened and those with NTproBNP ≥125 pg/mL (n=930) underwent detailed diagnostic visit to confirm or rule out HF as per 2016 European Society of Cardiology guidelines. HRQoL (the ShortForm 12 Health Survey, SF12; EQ5D3L), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ9) and satisfaction with life (Satisfaction With Life Scale, SWLS) were also assessed. Patient with HF (75±8 years, 54 % male, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IIII, with mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 56±13) were divided into three groups based on the severity of depressive symptomatology as per PHQ9 score (none: score 04, mild: score 59, and moderate-to-severe: score 1027). Multiple group comparisons and pairwise post hoc analyses were performed. Results: Results indicated significant between group differences in NYHA status (p&lt;0.001), number of comorbidities (p=0.006), functional capacity (p=0.01), as well as HRQoL variables (p=0.05 to 0.001) and SWLS score (p&lt;0.05), with nondepressed group generally showing better physical and subjective indicators of health and wellbeing compared with the mild and moderate-to-severe group. Conclusions: Results indicate that even patients with HF with clinically non-significant levels of depressive symptomatology show significantly impaired psychosocial status (diminished HRQoL, lower life satisfaction).

Key Factors Influencing Quality of Life in the Disabled Based on Multifaceted Life Satisfaction

Abstract Background Healthy life of the disabled is considered a global social issue, and enhancing the quality of life (QoL) of the disabled is an important task. The disabled have lower multifaceted life satisfaction due to various daily restrictions, which negatively affects their QoL. Research on the QoL of the disabled is ongoing, but there are few comprehensive studies addressing multifaceted life satisfaction. To enhance the QoL of the disabled, it is essential to understand their multifaceted life satisfaction and investigate key factors influencing their QoL. Methods We used data from the 2021 Disability and Life Dynamics Panel (nationwide survey). On the base of Patrick’s model of disability health promotion, we analyzed the impact of multifaceted life satisfaction of the disabled on their QoL by using multiple regression analysis adjusted for gender, age, education level, daily living activities, type and severity of disability, and presence of multiple disabilities. Results The satisfaction with social relationships(β=.535, p&amp;lt;.0001), income(β=.146, p&amp;lt;.0001), housing environment(β=.132, p&amp;lt;.0001), occupation(β=.130, p&amp;lt;.0001), and health(β=.111, p&amp;lt;.0001) was found to have a significant positive impact on the QoL of the disabled. Particularly, satisfaction with social relationships exerted the greatest impact on their QoL. Conclusions Not only health satisfaction, but also social relations, income, housing environment, occupation had a substantial impact on the QoL of the disabled. These findings can support the government in prioritizing health policy development for the disabled and contribute to improving the QoL for the disabled through a comprehensive and integrated approach. The government should develop health policies to enhance social connections and support networks for the disabled, while also considering aspects for improving income, housing environment, occupation, and health. Key messages • Not only health satisfaction, but also social relations, income, housing environment, occupation had a substantial impact on the QoL of the disabled. • The government should prioritize developing health policies aimed at enhancing social relations for the disabled, while also considering income, housing environment, occupation, and health.

Air Pollution Reduces the Individuals’ Life Satisfaction Through Health Impairment

Abstract Background The impact of air pollution on individuals’ happiness and life satisfaction (LS), and its relationship to other factors became the focus of recent research. Though, the underlying mechanism of how air pollution impacts LS remains unclear. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect effect of air pollution on individuals’ LS through health mediation. Methods We used longitudinal individual-level data from “Understanding-Society: the UK Household-Longitudinal Study” on 59,492 individuals with 347,377 repeated responses across 11 years (2009-2019) that was linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, and particulate-matter (PM10, PM2.5) pollution. Generalized structural equation models with multilevel ordered-logistic regression were used to examine the direct effect of air pollution on LS and the indirect effect from health impairment. Results Higher concentrations of NO2 (coefficient = 0.009, 95%CI = 0.007,0.012, p &amp;lt; 0.001), SO2 (coefficient = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.017,0.034, p &amp;lt; 0.001), PM10 (coefficient = 0.019, 95%CI = 0.013, 0.025, p &amp;lt; 0.001), and PM2.5 (coefficient = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.017,0.033, p &amp;lt; 0.001) pollutants were associated with poorer health, while poorer health was associated with reduced LS (coefficient = -0.605, 95%CI = -0.614,-0.595, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Mediation path analysis showed that air pollution impacted individuals’ LS directly and indirectly. The percent of total effect mediated through health was 44.03% for NO2, 73.95% for SO2, 49.88% for PM10, and 45.42% for PM2.5 and the ratio of indirect to direct effect was 0.79 for NO2, 2.84 for SO2, 0.99 for PM10, and 0.83 for PM2.5. Conclusions Health plays a major mediating role in the relationship between air pollution and LS. To alleviate the impact of air pollution on LS, future strategies should focus on health promotion besides reducing air pollution emissions. Key messages • Air pollution is related to lower life satisfaction directly and indirectly through health impairment. • Strategies and policies aiming at reducing air pollution emissions and better health would improve the individual’s life satisfaction and lower the mental health burden.

Exploring the Relationship Between Experiences of Violence and Subjective Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among School Teachers in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania.

Experiences of violence have been reported to be associated with lower levels of subjective wellbeing (SWB). However, little is known about this association in conflict settings and among forcibly displaced populations. In this study we exploit data from a representative sample of refugee teachers from Nyarugusu Refugee Camp collected as part of a larger study, to examine the association between demographic characteristics and SWB, and between experiences of violence and SWB. Three cross-sectional surveys of primary and secondary school teachers were conducted, collecting data on lifetime experience of violence (physical and sexual) and SWB (measured by life satisfaction and current happiness, on 1-5 Likert scales). Linear mixed models were used to estimate the associations between violence and SWB accounting for teacher and school clustering, unadjusted and adjusted for main factors associated with SWB. The 3 surveys included 1,666 responses completed by 885 teachers. Country of origin and number of meals consumed per day were strongly associated with SWB. Individuals who experienced physical violence reported on average, 0.13 lower life satisfaction scores (95% CI [-0.23, -0.02], p = .016) compared to those who did not experience physical violence, while survivors of sexual violence reported on average, 0.24 lower happiness scores ([-0.43, -0.05], p = .014) compared to those who did not experience sexual violence, after adjusting for confounders and clustering. We found an important negative association between past experience of violence and SWB in a refugee camp setting. These findings contribute to the evidence that violent experiences are likely to have a long-lasting impact on people's wellbeing. There is a need for improved mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings.

When social participation leads adults’ life satisfaction: Moderating role of motivation for social participation

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to investigate the longitudinal reciprocal association of social participation and life satisfaction by considering the motivation for social participation as a moderating variable. The data from 4,007 Korean adults were analyzed. Motivation for social participation was categorized into autonomous motivation or controlled motivation. Multi-group autoregressive cross-lagged modeling revealed that life satisfaction and social participation showed reciprocal relationships only when adults have autonomous motivation during social engagement. Social participation with controlled motivation was associated with later lower life satisfaction. Additionally, prior life satisfaction was not associated with controlled social participation. The results showed that the reason people participate in social activity is critical in understanding the effect of social participation in adulthood. Active social engagement with autonomous motivation and disengagement from controlled social participation may be a critical key for life satisfaction.

Oral hygiene predicts lower life satisfaction and subjective health: experience of post-Soviet countries

Oral diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases around the globe and become a public health challenge that considerably impact general health and well-being in all ages across the lifespan. Oral health is an integral part of general health, where poor oral health and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases have a common risk factor background. The underlying causes of oral health inequalities are often complex and related to country-specific historical, economic, cultural, social, or political factors. For more than a decade, data from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey showed that tooth brushing rates are very low in post-Soviet countries. The general aim of our study was to focus on a more detailed profile of schoolchildren from post-Soviet countries, who have poor habits of teeth brushing, in terms of their family, social support, physical activity, nutrition, and other health-related behaviors. Data for this study was extrapolated from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study, a World Health Organization collaborative cross-national study, conducted every 4 years since 1983/1984. For this study, the post-Soviet countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia were selected: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Data from all countries (some exceptions for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) were collected within 2017–2018 HBSC study, following international research protocol. The sample consisted of 44,760 schoolchildren, aged 11, 13, and 15 years from 12 countries. Irregular tooth brushing is more common among boys, elder adolescents, and schoolchildren from less affluent families. Low own health measures, low life satisfaction, low physical activity, and low FAS relate to poorer adolescent dental hygiene in post-Soviet countries. Adolescents characterized by irregular tooth brushing were more likely to assess their health as fair or poor rather than excellent or good (OR = 1.22), and also had greater odds of reporting low life satisfaction (OR = 1.36). Individual mental health complaints—feeling low, being irritable, being nervous, and having sleep difficulties—were assessed as a possible outcome of irregular tooth brushing. However, irregular tooth brushing was not associated with poorer mental health outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Oral hygiene in post-Soviet countries is still a major public health challenge and have to be addressed properly.What is Known:• Oral health strongly affects the overall health of children and adolescents in the future.• Oral diseases often share common determinants and risk factors with other chronic diseases.• The underlying causes of oral health inequalities are often complex and related to country-specific historical, economic, cultural, social, or political factors.What is New:• Irregular tooth brushing was more common among adolescents with low life satisfaction and poor or fair health as well as in less affluent families.• Irregular tooth brushing was not found to be associated with poorer mental health among post-Soviet countries adolescents.

Scrolling through adolescence: a systematic review of the impact of TikTok on adolescent mental health.

Amidst rising concerns about mental health in adolescents, the role of social media (SM), particularly highly visual platforms such as TikTok, has become a growing focus of investigation. In the extant literature, conclusive evidence is limited by the aggregate analysis of very heterogeneous SM platforms. This systematic scoping review examines the relationship between TikTok and mental health in adolescents. Additionally, it aims to highlight potential interactions between typical developmental processes and the unique aspects of TikTok, exploring their relevance to mental health within this demographic. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and PsychINFO yielded 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 17,336 subjects from 10 countries. The retrieved studies analyzed four main topics related to TikTok use, i.e., the overall impact on adolescents' mental health, risk of problematic use and behavioral addiction, consequences on body image and self-esteem, and possible spreading of mental illness behaviors. While TikTok offers creative opportunities for self-expression and peer connection, the literature raises concerns about its potential negative effects on teens, such as lower life satisfaction, increased risk of "contagion" of certain psychiatric symptoms, and problematic usage patterns. Significant variations in study methodologies and outcome measures were observed. In the current era of evolving SM landscapes, a comprehensive approach informed by developmentally grounded research is critically needed to further understand the interplay between SM and adolescent mental health, providing insights for health authorities and policymakers.

The relationship between perceived school stress and satisfaction with life among Norwegian school-based adolescents and the moderating role of perceived teacher care: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPerceived stress from schoolwork and perceived teacher care are shown to influence adolescents’ life satisfaction. However, there is a need to further explore how levels of perceived school stress affect life satisfaction of Norwegian adolescents across gender and school levels using nationwide data, and whether this association is moderated by perceived teacher care. Hence, this paper sought to: (1) describe perceived school stress, perceived teacher care and satisfaction with life in Norwegian adolescents stratified by gender and school level, (2) examine the association between perceived school stress and satisfaction with life by testing perceived teacher care as a possible moderator and (3) explore the association between perceived teacher care and adolescents’ satisfaction with life.MethodsWe utilized cross-sectional data from the Norwegian Ungdata Survey from 2021, encompassing adolescents from lower and upper secondary school. Two-thirds of all Norwegian adolescents participated in the Ungdata Survey from 2021. All data is anonymous. The study variables are presented according to lower and upper secondary school as well as gender. Linear regressions were conducted and adjusted for socioeconomic status (SES) by using SPSS.ResultsIn total, 139,841 adolescents were included. Girls exhibited higher perceived school stress, lower perceived teacher care, and lower life satisfaction than boys in both lower and secondary school (all p < 0.01). Strong inverse associations on satisfaction with life were found in both genders in lower and upper secondary school among those who reported very frequent perceived school stress, with perceived teacher care moderating the relationship (B= -0.67; 95% CI [-0.70 to -0.65], P < 0.01]). Moreover, robust associations were unveiled between high and low levels of perceived teacher care and life satisfaction across gender and school level.ConclusionsHigher perceived school stress was strongly inversely associated with life satisfaction in Norwegian adolescents, in both girls and boys, and in both lower and secondary school. Teacher care was identified as a moderator and seems to play a crucial part in the everyday life of Norwegian adolescents. These implications extend to teacher education, practice, and policy, which should be aware of the pivotal role of perceived teacher care on Norwegian school-based adolescents‘ life satisfaction.

Mental Health and Medicine Use for Headache: A Nationally Representative Study of Adolescents in Denmark.

This study examined the prevalence of headache medicine use among Danish adolescents and explores the link between mental health, frequent headaches, and medicine use for headache. We hypothesized that poor mental health increases headache occurrence, leading to greater medicine use. The 2022 Danish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study surveyed 5292 students aged 11, 13, and 15. Self-reported data included headache frequency, medicine use for headache, and five mental health indicators: life satisfaction, emotional symptoms, loneliness, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Multivariate logistic regression analyses assessed the association between mental health indicators and headache medicine use, adjusting for headache frequency. Weekly headaches were reported by 33.1%, and 43.6% used headache medicine in the past month. Poor mental health correlated with higher headache and medicine use rates. Analyses adjusted for sex, age group, and occupational social class found significantly increased odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for medicine use for headache among students with low life satisfaction (2.27; 1.88-2.75), among students with 2+ emotional symptoms (2.28; 1.92-2.69), students who often felt lonely (2.08; 1.69-2.55), students with low self-efficacy (1.37; 1.16-1.61) and students with low self-esteem (1.59; 1.36-1.85). When accounting for headache frequency, the association between poor mental health and medicine use diminished and became nonsignificant. Poor mental health was linked to increased medicine use for headache. The findings suggest that frequent headaches may explain the association between poor mental health and the use of headache medicine. Promoting rational medicine use and enhancing mental health among adolescents is essential.

The role of bicultural stress and shame on the well-being of South Asian college students in the United States.

South Asian U.S. college students experience socialization from South Asian cultures they grew up with and White culture outside the South Asian community. The present study considers that the ways of navigating two conflicting cultures and experiences of shame are associated with anxiety and life satisfaction among South Asian U.S. college students. An anonymous survey, distributed to 271 South Asian students (mean age = 22, 38.2% male, 59.2% female, 2.3% nonbinary), quantitively assessed how bicultural stress and shame are related to anxiety and life satisfaction. Open-ended questions asked students to describe experiences of bicultural identity stressors and shame. Survey results indicated bicultural stress and shame as predictors of anxiety and lower life satisfaction. Thematic analysis of open-ended question responses revealed experienced stressors related to academics, finances, family expectations, and fitting in. Shame experiences were tied to bicultural stress and family and self-imposed expectations of participants. There is a need to further investigate the relationships found in the present study and explore ways to support South Asian students experiencing bicultural stress and shame. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The prevalence of lifetime trauma and association with physical and psychosocial health among adults at the end of life.

National guidelines recognize lifetime trauma as relevant to clinical care for adults nearing the end of life. We determined the prevalence of early life and cumulative trauma among persons at the end of life by gender and birth cohort, and the association of lifetime trauma with end-of-life physical, mental, and social well-being. We used nationally representative Health and Retirement Study data (2006-2020), including adults age > 50 who died while enrolled (N = 6495). Early life and cumulative traumatic events were measured using an 11-item traumatic events scale (cumulative trauma: 0-5+ events over the lifespan). We included six birth cohorts (born <1924; children of depression [1924-1930]; HRS cohort [1931-1941]; war babies [1942-1947]; early baby-boomers [1948-1953]; mid-baby boomers [1954-1959]). End-of-life outcomes included validated measures of physical (pain, fatigue, dyspnea), mental (depression, life satisfaction), and social (loneliness, social isolation) needs. We report the prevalence of lifetime trauma by gender and birth cohort and the adjusted probability of each end-of-life outcome by trauma using multivariable logistic regression. The mean age at death was 78 years (SD = 11.1) and 52% were female. Lifetime trauma was common (0 events: 19%; 1-2: 47%; 3-4: 25%; 5+: 9%), with variation in individual events (e.g., death of a child, weapons in combat) by gender and birth cohort. After adjustment, increasing cumulative trauma was significantly associated (p-value<0.001) with higher reports of end-of-life moderate-to-severe pain (0 events: 46%; 1-2 events: 50%; 3-4 events: 57%; 5+ events: 60%), fatigue (58%; 60%; 66%; 69%), dyspnea (46%; 51%; 56%; 58%), depression (24%; 33%; 37%; 40%), loneliness (12%; 17%; 19%; 22%), and lower life satisfaction (73%; 63%; 58%; 54%). Older adults in the last years of life report a high prevalence of lifetime traumatic events which are associated with worse end-of-life physical and psychosocial health. A trauma-informed approach to end-of-life care and management of physical and psychosocial needs may improve a patient's quality of life.

Why are City Residents Less Happy than the Rest of the Population in Developed Countries? Studying the Urban-Rural Happiness Gap in Denmark Using Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition

AbstractIn Denmark, and in developed countries in general, urban residents tend to report lower subjective well-being than rural residents. This difference has been referred to as a happiness paradox as cities historically have pulled in residents from the countryside in what has become known as the rural exodus. This paper explores the urban-rural happiness gap in Denmark. Using the Danish Rural-Urban Survey administered in 2011/2012 (n = 2000), the paper compares the respondents who live in the five largest cities in Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, and Esbjerg) to the respondents who live in other parts of the country. The residents in the five largest cities report significantly lower life satisfaction than residents in the rest of the country. In contrast to evidence from other developed countries, this urban-rural happiness gap is found to be consistent across groups in the Danish society, e.g., across age, education, and employment groups. Further, the results show that the urban-rural happiness gap loses its statistical significance - and the two groups display similar satisfaction levels - when adjusting for several important factors. Decomposition analyses reveal that differences in urban-rural characteristics explain up to 94% of the urban-rural happiness gap. Of these urban-rural characteristics, lower access to nature amenities, lower bonding social capital, lower rates of retired people, and higher rates of non-native residents in the five largest cities in Denmark were found to account for up to 37%, 22%, 14%, and 9% of the urban-rural happiness gap, respectively.

Caregiving, caring intensity, and allostatic load: A comparison of caring to others inside and outside the home

ObjectiveCaregiving to a sick or disabled relative is a key chronic stress model in health psychology. However, caregiving is not uniformly stressful, and this study tested whether caregiving effects on life satisfaction and allostatic load varies by caring intensity, i.e., caring within the home, outside the own home, or both (e.g. Dual caring). MethodUsing data from the UK Understanding Society Wave 2, a sample of non-caregivers (N = 3149) and caregivers (N = 562) met inclusion criteria and completed measures of life satisfaction and provided blood samples for capturing endocrine, cardiovascular and immune parameters for assessment of allostatic load. ResultsDual caregivers had lower life satisfaction compared to non-carers, and other caregiver groups. Further, dual caregivers had higher levels of allostatic load compared to non-carers and those caring within the home and those caring outside the home. These group differences withstood adjustment for several co-variates including gender, education, income and lifestyle factors. ConclusionsThese results confirm that caregiving is not uniformly stressful with dual caring, an index of caring intensity being more damaging for health. The findings are also discussed in relation to the caregiver-control model of chronic stress.

Subjective Well-Being of Parents and Childless People in Older Age in Germany

AbstractThe growing number of older childless individuals in Western societies has raised concerns about their subjective well-being. In this study, we scrutinize the subjective well-being of parents and childless individuals aged 60 years and older. We examine subjective well-being as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Based on the value-of-children approach, we hypothesize that childless individuals experience lower subjective well-being than parents and that the disparity in well-being differs with age, gender, and the quality of the parent-child relationship. For our analysis, we use data from a nationally representative sample of adults aged 60 years and older (n = 10,682) drawn from the German Ageing Survey. Our findings from random effects regression models show that childless individuals report lower life satisfaction, less positive affect, and more negative affect than parents. These associations are larger for men than for women but do not vary significantly across age groups. Furthermore, our results suggest that the benefits of parenthood strongly depend on the quality of the parent-child relationship. Childless people report lower subjective well-being than parents with a close emotional bond with their children, but similar or even higher subjective well-being than parents with an emotionally distant parent-child relationship. In sum, our study indicates that childless people experience, on average, lower well-being across all three dimensions of subjective well-being in older age. However, under specific circumstances, childless individuals may fare better than parents.

The association between experiences of unfair treatment in school and adolescent adjustment over 5 years.

This study investigates how high-school experiences of unfair treatment connect to adolescents' higher education enrollment and life satisfaction 5 years later. We utilized four waves of data at ages 14 years (T1), 16 (T2), 18 (T3) and 19 (T4) in the UK (N = 13,065; 51% Male, 49% Female, 70% White, 11% Black, 19% South-Asian). Perceived teacher unfairness at T1 predicted lower university aspirations (T2) and subsequently lower enrollment in higher education (at T3 and T4) and life satisfaction (T4). Experiences with T1 teacher ethnic discrimination also predicted lower life satisfaction. The effects were similar across historically minoritized and majority-background pupils, but historically minoritized adolescents experienced more ethnic discrimination in school. Our findings highlight the importance of fair treatment for all pupils.

Symptoms and Psychosocial Factors on Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction in People with Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases estimated to touch 9.3 million people worldwide by 2030. Motor and non-motor symptoms of PD have a debilitating effect on people with PD’s quality of life (QoL) and life satisfaction (LS). This study aims to explore the factors influencing people with PD’s lives in Ireland. Methods The sample comprised 827 participants, recruited through crowd-sourcing and snowball sampling. Participants were asked to complete a 30-minute survey online or on paper. The survey collected data on motor and non-motor symptoms, social connectedness, self-efficacy, stigma, QoL and LS. A series of linear and multiple regressions assessed the relationships between people with PD’s symptoms, psychosocial factors and their QoL and LS. Results Low self-efficacy and high levels of stigma were predictive of low QoL and LS, while low social connectedness was associated only with low QoL. Results showed reduced dexterity with hand/eye coordination, anxiety, apathy, pain and fatigue contributed to LS, whereas reduced dexterity with hand/eye coordination, shaking/tremors, stiffness of movement, freezing of gait, cognitive problems, hallucinations, apathy, compulsive behaviours, sleeping disorders, pain and urinary incontinence were contributors of QoL. Conclusion This study can provide insights into the factors influencing people with PD’s QoL and LS. Data can promote the development of therapeutic interventions targeting PD non-motor symptoms, which are often dismissed by clinicians. Finally, findings can inform the development of health and social policies and educate the general public to dissolve the stigma associated with PD.

Why do students who have mental health issues decide to study abroad? Qualitative research on mental health issues as a push factor for international students in Japan

Various factors have been reported to encourage students to study abroad and choose their destination, including academic and economic factors. Simultaneously, it has been reported that international students are at high risk of developing mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, isolation, and even suicide, due to a number of driving forces. Given that prospective international students who go abroad are part of the population with low life satisfaction, why do they take such a risk to go abroad? In this study, interviews with 10 international students studying at a national university in Japan revealed that they face several difficulties in their destination country that may cause them to experience mental health problems. It also revealed that mental health problems were among the factors that influenced the international students’ decision to study abroad. For some students, studying abroad was a way to escape a stressful previous environment in which they felt psychologically maladjusted, and getting away from such a stressful environment was one of the main reasons behind their decision to go abroad. Some others reported that their psychological distress played a secondary role in their decision and that they had other primary reasons for choosing to study abroad. Some students chose to study abroad not in spite of, but because of, psychological difficulties in their home countries, suggesting that more attention must be paid to mental health issues as a factor driving students to study abroad.