Measures Of Mental Well-being Research Articles

Evaluating the Effectiveness of InsightApp for Anxiety, Valued Action, and Psychological Resilience: Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial.

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders, and stress plays a significant role in their development. Ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) hold great potential to help people manage stress and anxiety by training emotion regulation and coping skills in real-life settings. InsightApp is a gamified EMI and research tool that incorporates elements from evidence-based therapeutic approaches. It is designed to strengthen people's metacognitive skills for coping with challenging real-life situations and embracing anxiety and other emotions. This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effectiveness of InsightApp in (1) improving individuals' metacognitive strategies for coping with stress and anxiety and (2) promoting value-congruent action. It also evaluates how long these effects are retained. This experiment advances our understanding of the role of metacognition in emotional and behavioral reactivity to stress. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 228 participants (completion rate: n=197, 86.4%; mean age 38, SD 11.50 years; age range 20-80 years; female: n=101, 52.6%; and White: n=175, 91.1%), who were randomly assigned to either the treatment or the active placebo control group. During the 1-week intervention phase, the treatment group engaged with InsightApp, while participants in the control group interacted with a placebo version of the app that delivered executive function training. We assessed the differences between the 2 groups in posttest and follow-up assessments of mental health and well-being while controlling for preexisting differences. Moreover, we used a multilevel model to analyze the longitudinal data, focusing on the within-participant causal effects of the intervention on emotional and behavioral reactivity to daily stressors. Specifically, we measured daily anxiety, struggle with anxiety, and value-congruent action. The intervention delivered by InsightApp yielded mixed results. On one hand, we found no significant posttest scores on mental health and well-being measures directly after the intervention or 7 days later (all P>.22). In contrast, when confronted with real-life stress, the treatment group experienced a 15% lower increase in anxiety (1-tailed t test, t197=-2.4; P=.009) and a 12% lower increase in the struggle with anxiety (t197=-1.87; P=.031) than the control group. Furthermore, individuals in the treatment group demonstrated a 7% higher tendency to align their actions with their values compared to the control group (t197=3.23; P=.002). After the intervention period, InsightApp's positive effects on the struggle with anxiety in reaction to stress were sustained, and increased to an 18% lower reactivity to stress (t197=-2.84; P=.002). As our study yielded mixed results, further studies are needed to obtain an accurate and reliable understanding of the effectiveness of InsightApp. Overall, our findings tentatively suggest that guiding people to apply adaptive metacognitive strategies for coping with real-life stress daily with a gamified EMI is a promising approach that deserves further evaluation. OSF Registries osf.io/k3b5d; https://osf.io/k3b5d.

Lives of Irish Adolescents Who Were Born With a Cleft (LIA-Cleft).

The objective was to describe the lives of adolescents, who were born with cleft lip and palate (CL/P), in comparison to the general population as recorded in Growing up in Ireland (GUI), the national longitudinal study of children and youth. This was a cross-sectional study.Setting: The study was performed in a cleft center at a university teaching hospital.Participants: Adolescents born with CL/P in the years 2007 to 2009.Interventions: Growing up in Ireland questionnaires, which assessed demographics, health and experience of friendship, school, leisure, and social life, were adapted and administered to adolescents and their parents/guardians, who were identified from a prospectively maintained cleft database. Data were compared to that of GUI Cohort '08.Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures comprised primary caregiver and young person self-report items. Mental health and psychological well-being were assessed using validated instruments including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Thirty adolescents (10 female, 20 male) participated in the LIA-Cleft group. LIA-Cleft respondents indicated poorer ratings of both medical and dental health than the GUI group. Responses to questions regarding friendship, bullying, physical activity, social media, and screen time were similar in the GUI and LIA-Cleft groups. The LIA-Cleft group were less satisfied with their lives and exhibited lower self-esteem than the GUI group, but did not differ in measures of mental health and well-being or socioemotional well-being. In spite of reporting poorer medical and dental health, young people who were born with CL/P in Ireland lead lives that are broadly similar to their peers in the general population.

A systematic review of pre-pandemic resilience factors and mental health outcomes in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adolescence and young adulthood are sensitive developmental periods to environmental influences. Investigating pre-emptive measures against stressors, such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, on mental health is crucial. We aimed to synthesize evidence on pre-pandemic resilience factors shaping youth mental health outcomes during this period. For this pre-registered systematic review, we searched seven databases for longitudinal studies of youth populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing a priori defined resilience factors at the individual, family, or community level before the pandemic. Studies required validated mental health or wellbeing measures collected both before and during the pandemic. Study quality was assessed using the corresponding NIH Quality Assessment Tool. From 4,419 unique records, 32 studies across 12 countries were included, using 46 distinct resilience measures. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs, we applied a narrative synthesis approach, finding that resilience factors were generally associated with better mental health outcomes both prior to and during the pandemic. However, most factors did not mitigate pandemic-related mental health effects. Nonetheless, family-level resilience factors emerged as promising under specific conditions. Study quality was generally fair, with concerns in resilience assessment and sampling quality. Future research should prioritize rigorous study designs and comprehensive resilience assessments.

Identifying subgroups of individuals based on their epistemic stance, attachment dimensions and childhood trauma: A latent profile analysis.

The present study examines the interplay between epistemic stance, attachment dimensions, and childhood trauma in relation to specific demographic factors and mental health outcomes. This study aims to understand how these factors form distinct profiles among individuals, to identify those at risk of mental health concerns. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed on a dataset from the general population (n=500) to identify subgroups of individuals based on their epistemic stance (mistrust and credulity), attachment dimensions, and childhood trauma. Group comparison tests examined differences in sociodemographic variables across the profiles, whilst linear regression analyses investigated between-profile variations in mental health and wellbeing measures. The LPA revealed a four-profile solution as the most suitable fit for the data. The latent profiles were characterised as follows: LP1 (14% of the sample; high levels of mistrust and low scores on all other measures), LP2 (62% of the sample; average scores on all measures), LP3 (15% of the sample; highest scores on all measures), and LP4 (9% of the sample; lowest scores on all measures). Between-profile significant differences were found for relationship status and education levels. Linear regression analyses demonstrated variations across the profiles for mental health symptoms and wellbeing measures. This study identified four distinct profiles with specific combinations of epistemic stance, attachment dimensions, and childhood trauma. These profiles were associated with differing levels of mental health symptom severity and wellbeing, suggesting their potential utility in informing preventive strategies targeting individuals at highest risk of negative outcomes.

Long-Term Caregiving Impact and Self-Care Strategies in Family Caregivers of People with Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Mixed-Method Study.

Family caregivers of people with neuropsychiatric conditions are at risk of caregiver burden and declining health. The aims of this study were to identify the impact of caring on long-term family caregivers and their unmet needs and to explore their self-care strategies for achieving a successful caregiving experience. A mixed-method study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire in which standardized, self-reported measures of burden, health behaviors, sleep, and mental well-being were administered. Participants were family caregivers of people with neuropsychiatric disorders. Convenience sampling of 28 caregivers: 13 of people with mental health disorders (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and 15 with Alzheimer's disease. Based on the analysis of the semi-structured interviews, data saturation was reached. Analysis of self-reported measures indicated that 32.1% of long-term caregivers had high caregiver burden, 64.3% had reduced quality of life, 39.3% had low sleep quality, 21.4% had low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, 50.0% had a physical activity below the recommendation, 42.9% had high anxiety symptoms, 35.7% had high depressive symptoms, and 71.4% had reduced self-care agency. Content analysis and statistical analysis were conducted. Two themes were identified: (1) the impact of long-term caregiving and unmet needs and (2) successful self-care strategies. Caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease spent less time doing physical activity, had higher caregiver burden, and poorer health-related quality of life. The negative impact of caregiving could be prevented/managed by assessing the individual's circumstances for the development of cross-sectional self-care strategies involving physical, emotional, and social spheres.

Testing the associations between poverty stigma and mental health: The role of received stigma and perceived structural stigma.

Previous research has documented how people living on low incomes in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally experience various forms of poverty stigma. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine how experiences of poverty stigma are associated with mental health outcomes. An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,000 adults living in predominantly low- and middle-income households in the UK. The survey included a questionnaire designed to measure participants' experiences of different forms of poverty stigma, as well as measures of anxiety, depression and mental well-being. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the poverty stigma questionnaire supported a two-factor solution. One factor reflected participants' experiences of being mistreated and judged unfairly by other people because they live on low income (received stigma) and the other factor reflected participants' perceptions of how people living in poverty are treated by media outlets, public services and politicians (perceived structural stigma). Both received and perceived structural stigma were independently associated with anxiety, depression and mental well-being and these relationships persisted after controlling for socioeconomic indicators. There was also evidence that received stigma and perceived structural stigma partially mediated the relationships between financial hardship and mental health outcomes. Experiences of received and perceived structural poverty stigma are both associated with mental health and well-being. This suggests that addressing interpersonal and structural forms of poverty stigma may help to narrow socioeconomic inequalities in mental health.

Can self-guided colouring improve university student wellbeing, mental health, and mindfulness?

ABSTRACT Background Mindfulness-based interventions can successfully improve wellbeing in young adults. Mindful colouring is an applied mindfulness practice and improves short-term wellbeing. Less evidence is available about the effectiveness of regular, self-guided colouring. We investigated a self-guided two-week colouring intervention for university student wellbeing. Methods One-hundred and forty university students completed a minimum of 10-min self-guided colouring, six times over two weeks. Participants were assessed at baseline and two-week follow-up using self-report measures of wellbeing, relating to quality of life, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness. Results Colouring significantly improved all measures of mental health, wellbeing and mindfulness in students who completed at least six sessions of self-guided colouring. Conclusion Colouring is an accessible activity that can improve student wellbeing when carried out regularly over two weeks. Future research should investigate the impact of longer-term colouring practice on wellbeing, and the effect of this intervention in the general adult population.

Developing Self-Compassion in Healthcare Professionals Utilising a Brief Online Intervention: A Randomised Waitlist Control Trial.

(1) Background: The level of stress experienced by staff in the healthcare sector is highly prevalent and well documented. Self-compassion may support the health and wellbeing of individuals and enable them to stay well at work. This study aimed to understand whether a brief, online, self-guided, novel intervention improved the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals. (2) Methods: In a parallel randomised controlled trial, a volunteer sample of healthcare professionals were assigned to an intervention group (n = 110) or a waitlist control group (n = 80). Measures of self-compassion, mental wellbeing, stress and burnout were collected by an online questionnaire at baseline, post-programme and, for the intervention group, at follow-up. (3) Results: This intervention appeared to be effective in increasing self-compassion and mental health and decreasing stress and burnout. Significant group effects and significant time × group interactions for overall self-compassion [F (2, 183) = 32.72, p < 0.001; effect size ηp2 = 0.226], mental wellbeing [F (2, 212) = 17.46, p < 0.001; effect size ηp2 = 0.135], perceived stress [F (2, 205) = 5.42, p = 0.006; effect size ηp2 = 0.46], personal burnout [F (2, 224) = 7.57, p = 0.001; effect size ηp2 = 0.063] and work burnout [F (2, 208) = 7.39, p = 0.001; effect size ηp2 = 0.062] were found. (4) Conclusions: This study shows promise that an affordable and scalable intervention can be effective for busy healthcare professionals operating in a significantly challenging environment.

Social Control and Health Behaviors Among Individuals Living with Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.

Positive health behaviors (e.g., exercise, healthy eating habits, good sleep hygiene, treatment adherence) are important in ensuring optimal symptom management and health outcomes among individuals living with Parkinson's disease (PD). While multiple factors may influence engagement in health behaviors, little is known about the occurrence of social control, or relationship partners' attempts to influence and regulate another's behavior, and its potential role in the adoption of health behaviors among individuals with PD. To better understand the types of social control attempts employed and begin to explore the association between social control attempts and behavioral responses (e.g., engage in the targeted health behavior, hide the behavior) to those attempts, survey data were drawn from a cross-sectional, pilot study of married/partnered Veterans diagnosed with idiopathic PD (n = 25). Participants completed self-reported measures of sociodemographics, physical and mental well-being, relationship functioning, and both the frequency of and behavioral responses to positive and negative social control attempts. Although the majority of individuals reported their partners engaged in positive social control attempts, half also reported negative attempts. Bivariate analyses revealed more frequent positive social control attempts from one's partner were related to both positive and negative behavioral responses, and negative social control attempts were related to negative behavioral responses. However, when adjusting for covariates, positive social control attempts were related to positive behavioral responses, while negative social exchanges with one's partner (e.g., general conflict), rather than exposure to negative social control attempts, were related to negative behavioral responses. Findings lend preliminary evidence of the relationship between social control and exchanges and health behavior that may inform future, adequately powered observational and intervention studies that target interpersonal processes and health behaviors among individuals living with PD and their relationship partners.

Pilot implementation of an evidence-based online cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism in university students: Lessons learnt.

Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) have been met with an unprecedented demand on their student counselling and wellbeing services in recent years with the impacts of COVID-19 and high rates of mental health concerns amongst student populations. Online mental health programs offer one solution by providing students with quick and easy access to effective therapeutic content. The Focused Minds Program is an evidence-based eight-module online self-guided cognitive behavioural intervention that targets the transdiagnostic risk factor of perfectionism and has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. The program was implemented at a UK university between 2021 and 2023. Recruitment occurred via departmental emails, academic staff, and the university's counselling staff and website. Participants were provided with access to the intervention for 6-weeks and completed weekly surveys of psychosocial measures. The trial's implementation was assessed using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework: reach (uptake via the recruitment channels), effectiveness (outcomes on psychometric measures of mental wellbeing), adoption (staff and organisational support), implementation (intervention engagement and attrition), and maintenance (continued implementation across the trial period). Key barriers to successful implementation, as well as proposed solutions, are discussed to guide future online mental health interventions provided in HEIs.

Establishing Priorities for Improving Data Collection and Measurement of Mental Health and Well-Being of Adolescents With Special Educational Needs Within Nonmainstream Schools: Protocol for a Delphi Study.

There are more than 1.5 million children and young people in England with special educational needs (SEN), with over 160,000 young people in the United Kingdom attending a special school or alternative provision (AP) setting. Young people with SEN have been found to be at risk for poorer mental health and well-being than non-SEN peers. However, there is a range of both school-related and research challenges associated with identifying difficulties in a timely manner. This Delphi study aims to determine a list of stakeholder priorities for improving school-based measurement of mental health and well-being among young people with SEN, at an aggregated level, within secondary special school or AP settings. A secondary objective is to inform the implementation of school-based well-being surveys, improve engagement in special schools or AP settings, and improve survey response rates among children and young people with SEN. A mixed methods Delphi study will be conducted, including a scoping review and preliminary focus groups with school staff members and researchers to establish key issues. This will be followed by a 2-round Delphi survey to determine a list of stakeholder priorities for improving the measurement of mental health and well-being at an aggregate level within special schools and AP settings. A final stakeholder workshop will be held to discuss the findings. A list of recommendations will be drafted as a report for special schools and AP settings. The study has received ethical approval from the University College London Research Ethics Committee. The stage 1 scoping review has commenced. Recruitment for focus groups will begin in Autumn 2024. The first round of the Delphi survey will commence in early 2025, and the second round of the Delphi survey in the spring of 2025. The final workshop will commence in mid-2025 with final results expected in late 2025. There is a need for clear recommendations for special schools and AP settings on priorities for improving the measurement of mental health and well-being problems among young people with SEN. There is also a need for recommendations to researchers implementing school-based well-being surveys, including the #BeeWell program, to enable them to improve their engagement in special schools and AP settings and ensure surveys are accessible. PRR1-10.2196/58610.

The effects of folk-dance in schools on physical and mental health for at-risk adolescents: a pilot intervention study.

We present the findings from a pilot study to evaluate the effects of a six-week adapted folk-dance intervention on physical and mental health for at-risk adolescents conducted in schools. At-risk adolescents are at particular risk for sedentary behavior, poor mental health, and lower quality of life, and are likely to benefit from motivating and health-promoting activities such as dance. However, it can be challenging to conduct and evaluate evidence-based interventions with this population. We conducted a convergent parallel mixed-method design using pre-post measures of mental well-being, as well as pre-post measures using inertial measurement units to assess physical activity during a 6-week adapted folk-dance intervention. At the completion of the study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with all stakeholder groups. We observed significant improvements in mental well-being, as indicated by increased WEMWBS and MHC-SF scores, while the UCLA score showed no significant change, with these outcomes independent of age and gender. Furthermore, at-risk adolescents reduced the time spent in stationary/resting position, while their heart rates were also reduced by ∼15% in such conditions. Our results suggest that at-risk youth who participated in adapted folk-dance became more enthusiastic and showed more willingness to move over the course of the intervention. Quantitative results were supported by interviews, which found that participants responded positively to the adapted folk-dance classes, and reported both elevated physical exertion and high levels of enjoyment. The mixed-method research design also provided insights into the suitability of data collection methods for this hard-to-reach population. We report on these outcomes, including best practices for working within schools on health-promoting physical activities.

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Gratitude Questionnaire in a Chinese Sample: Comparing the 6-Item and 5-Item Versions

Abstract Objectives There are controversies related to the item composition of the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form (GQ-6). Recent literature has suggested removing Item 6 from the scale. This study evaluated both the 6- and 5-item versions and proposed an adapted Chinese version. Method Nine hundred and three undergraduate students were recruited for this psychometric evaluation study. The internal consistency, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the GQ-6 were evaluated. Results The results showed that the 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5), which excludes Item 6, demonstrated better internal consistency (α = 0.74) compared to the original 6-item version (GQ-6) (α = 0.59). Both the 6-item and 5-item versions of the Gratitude Questionnaire exhibited good concurrent validity with well-established measures of self-esteem, life satisfaction, happiness, and mental well-being, as reported in the gratitude literature. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicated that the 5-item version possessed better construct validity than the original version. The CFA results also supported a unidimensional factor structure for the GQ-5 after post-hoc modifications. Conclusions The findings suggest that the GQ-5 demonstrates better psychometric properties compared to the original GQ-6. These results will assist researchers in choosing the appropriate version of the Gratitude Questionnaire for research studies conducted in different Chinese contexts. Preregistration This study is not preregistered.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Behavioral Activation Intervention to Increase Engagement with Life and Well-Being in Older Adults

Introduction: Engagement with life is central to aging well. There is currently a lack of flexible programs for promoting engagement that tailor to the unique interests, capacities, and life circumstances of individuals. We designed and evaluated a new program for promoting engagement with later life based on principles of behavioral activation. Methods: A total of 135 adults aged 65 years and older who scored at or below the median on the Life Engagement Test were randomly assigned to either a 6-week behavioral activation program (n = 69) or a 6-week well-being program based on brief positive psychology interventions (the active control; n = 66). Participants completed assessments at baseline, 1-week follow-up, and 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome was engagement with life, and secondary outcome measures included social network characteristics, measures of mental health, well-being, and psychological and self-regulatory resources. Results: Participants in both conditions showed improvements in engagement with life post-intervention that were sustained at 3 months. Post-intervention improvements in both conditions were observed across most secondary outcomes; however, for several outcomes, participants with more limited functional and cognitive resources benefitted from participation in the positive psychology (active control) condition, but not the treatment condition. Conclusion: Similar levels of improvement in engagement with life and well-being were evident for participants who completed a behavioral activation-focused intervention, compared with participants who completed a positive psychology-focused intervention. The positive psychology approach may confer greater benefits for emotional well-being among those with poorer functional and cognitive abilities.

Do appraisals of military service indicate current distress in aging Vietnam War combat veterans?

Appraisals of military service, both desirable and undesirable, assessed via Elder and Clipp's (1989) scale, are associated with psychological distress in veterans. Aging combat veterans (CV) are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and other psychological disorders yet may underreport symptoms and not seek treatment that could be beneficial. It is unknown whether desirable and undesirable appraisals of military service are associated with mental health outcomes above and beyond typical risk and protective factors, such as age, education, and combat exposure. Therefore, we examined associations between appraisals of military service and assessments of psychological distress in Vietnam War CV, currently the largest cohort of aging veterans. Male Vietnam War CV aged 60 and older (n = 134) were selected from a larger study. Regression analyses examined the associations between appraisals of military service and measures of physical and psychological well-being and distress. Both desirable and undesirable appraisals of military service exhibited associations with measures of psychological distress, with undesirable appraisals being more strongly associated with distress than desirable appraisals. In regression analyses, appraisals were related to mental health outcomes over and above covariates. In addition, appraisals were more strongly related to psychological versus physical well-being measures, with undesirable appraisals more strongly related to mental health and well-being measures than desirable appraisals. Assessing appraisals of military service may identify veterans experiencing psychological distress who may benefit from referral for psychological interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

"Religious Coping Fosters Mental Health": Does Psychological Capital Enable Pakistani Engineers to Translate Religious Coping into Mental Wellbeing?

Turning toward religion to make sense of and cope with challenging circumstances is an area of interest for many recent researchers working on wellbeing and mental health. The present study extends this interest by assessing whether psychological capital explains the association between religious coping and mental wellbeing in Pakistani engineers. Psychological capital was assessed from four factors, namely optimism, resilience, hope, and self-efficacy. A sample of 501 Muslim engineers from Pakistan (M age = 33.41, SD = 6.37years) was assessed on measures of religious coping, psychological capital, and mental wellbeing. Results from correlation and a multimediation model showed that positive religious coping was positively predictive of mental wellbeing and psychological capital; however, negative religious coping remained insignificant for mental wellbeing. Further analysis showed that of four psychological capital factors, only self-efficacy explained the positive association between positive religious coping and mental wellbeing. Implications of the findings along with future directions have been discussed.

Smartphone use and well-being of adolescent girls: a population-based study

Background and objectivesRecent studies have reported an increasing incidence of anxiety among adolescent girls, and associated this with self-reported social media use. This study aimed to measure smartphone and social...

Masters students’ satisfaction with academic supervision and experiences of mental and emotional distress and wellbeing

Objective: This paper presents a nuanced exploration of the relationship between graduate supervision and students’ wellbeing. Methods: This study is a two-part mixed-methods survey study. Part 1 is a quantitative examination of the impact of satisfaction on different measures of mental and emotional distress (stress, depressive feelings, burnout) and wellbeing (satisfaction with life, intrinsic motivation) of Masters students. Part 2 is a qualitative exploration of the elements to which students attribute their degree of satisfaction with supervision, providing insight into students’ experiences of this important professional relationship. Results: The results show that satisfaction with supervision is related to student experiences of stress, burnout, satisfaction with life and intrinsic motivation, but not to depression symptoms. Conclusions: Supervision is related to many facets of graduate student mental health.

“It’s Time to see What I Can Do”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Trajectories of Resilience in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is a concern that adolescent mental well-being and resilience has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the aim of the current investigation was to track adolescents’ resilience from the initial months of the pandemic (T1) to approximately two years later (T2) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Through interviews, thirty-one adolescents narrated their COVID-19 experiences and reflected on their mental well-being across this timespan. Using these accounts, we identified four groups of adolescents exhibiting one of the following trajectories of resilience: (1) Enduring resilience, (2) Reaching resilience, (3) Declining resilience and (4) Enduring non-resilience. Our findings revealed that most adolescents were able to maintain or develop good resilience on prolonged exposure to COVID-19 adversity (trajectories 1 and 2). This finding is contrary to the prevailing notion that the majority of adolescents’ mental well-being and hence resilience was adversely impacted by COVID-19 in the short and long term. Further qualitative analysis identified key factors that contributed to maintaining and developing greater levels of resilience during the pandemic: quality of friendships, quality of family relationships and regaining a sense of control. Lastly, we found a lack of congruence between quantitative and qualitative measures of mental well-being and resilience, suggesting that they might tap into different constructs/experiences. Significantly, our findings highlight that the majority of teens showed adaptive resilience during the pandemic and highlight the need for further longitudinal qualitative and quantitative research to assess both adaptive and maladaptive impacts of adversity on the adolescents’ mental well-being and resilience.

Examining health apps and wearable use in improving physical and mental well-being across U.S., China, and Singapore

Health apps and wearables are touted to improve physical health and mental well-being. However, it is unclear from existing research the extent to which these health technologies are efficacious in improving physical and mental well-being at a population level, particularly for the underserved groups from the perspective of health equity and social determinants. Also, it is unclear if the relationship between health apps and wearables use and physical and mental well-being differs across individualistic, collectivistic, and a mix of individual–collectivistic cultures. A large-scale online survey was conducted in the U.S. (individualist culture), China (collectivist culture), and Singapore (mix of individual–collectivist culture) using quota sampling after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB-2021-262) of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. There was a total of 1004 respondents from the U.S., 1072 from China, and 1017 from Singapore. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and negative binomial regression. The study found that income consistently had the strongest relationship with physical and mental well-being measures in all three countries, while the use of health apps and wearables only had a moderate association with psychological well-being only in the US. Health apps and wearables were associated with the number of times people spent exercising and some mental health outcomes in China and Singapore, but they were only positively associated with psychological well-being in the US. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the social determinants, social–cultural context of the population, and the facilitating conditions for the effective use of digital health technologies. The study suggests that the combined use of both health apps and wearables is most strongly associated with better physical and mental health, though this association is less pronounced when individuals use only apps or wearables.