Mental Health Continuum-Short Form Research Articles

The Impact of Internet Addiction on Mental Health: Exploring the Mediating Effects of Positive Psychological Capital in University Students

Introduction: The widespread use of the internet has brought numerous benefits, but it has also raised concerns about its potential negative impact on mental health, particularly among university students. This study aims to investigate the relationship between internet addiction (IA) and mental health (MH) in university students, as well as explore the mediating effects of positive psychological capital (PsyCap) in this relationship. Objective: The main goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the measures and to determine whether internet addiction could negatively predict university students’ mental health, mediated through PsyCap. Method: A cross-sectional design with an inferential approach was employed to address this objective. The data were collected using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24), Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), and Keyes’ Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). The total sample of this study comprised 850 students from two large public higher education institutions in Ethiopia, of whom 334 (39.3%) were female and 516 (60.7%) were male, with a mean age of 22.32 (SD = 4.04). Several analyses were performed to achieve the stated objectives, such as Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliabilities, bivariate correlation, discriminant validity, common method biases, and structural equation modeling (confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and mediation analysis). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the construct validity of IAS, PCQ-24, and MHC-SF. Additionally, the mediating model was examined using structural equation modeling with the corrected biased bootstrap method. Results: The preliminary study results found that the construct validity of IAS, PCQ-24, and MHC-SF was excellent and appropriate. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that internet addiction had a negative and direct effect on PsyCap and MH. Moreover, PsyCap fully mediated the relationship between IA and MH. Additionally, this study confirmed that all the scales exhibited strong internal consistency and good psychometric properties. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay between IA, PsyCap, and MH among university students, confirming previous findings. Recommendation: The findings, discussed in relation to the recent and relevant literature, will be valuable for practitioners and researchers aiming to improve mental health and reduce internet addiction by utilizing positive psychological resources as protective factors for university students.

Flourishing in Education: Psychometric Properties of the Flourishing Scale in a Sample of Romanian Teachers

The Flourishing Scale (FS) is one of the most well-known tools for assessing psychological flourishing. However, its psychometric properties have been little analyzed in the case of teachers. This study aimed to examine the validity of the scale in the case of a sample of Romanian teachers and to analyze the latter’s level of flourishing. In this regard, 323 Romanian teachers from the pre-university education system were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the construct validity of the scale, and Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω indices were used to assess internal consistency. The convergent validity was assessed by associating the FS with other instruments related to well-being: the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience. Network analysis was performed to examine the items that are particularly influential in the scale. As a result of the CFA, the one-factor structure of the scale was certified (χ2/df = 1.39; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.035). The internal consistency is excellent (both α and ω = 0.89). The FS correlates with both of the scales which operationalize components of well-being. The teachers’ flourishing level is above average. The network approach showed that the items related to self-acceptance, optimism, and respect had the highest indicators of centrality, and the item related to supportive social relationships was the least informative in the network. For the male subsample, flourishing means optimism about the future and respect for others, and for the female respondents, it is related to self-acceptance and respect. The results provide support for using the scale in assessing flourishing among teachers.

The Relationship of Mental Health and Cognitive-Emotional States with Family Planning Attitudes in Young Women with Chronic Diseases

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of mental health and cognitive emotional states with family planning attitudes in young women with chronic diseases.
 Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted between 12 January 2022 and 01 April 2022. The study included a total of 410 young women with chronic diseases who were hospitalized in the internal medicine clinics of a university hospital or presented to the internal medicine clinics for examination. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC–SF), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and the Family Planning Attitude Scale (FPAS).
 Results: It was found that 20.2% (n=83) of the young women with chronic diseases had scores below the FPAS (135.5±22.1) cut-off point (

Invariance and item bias of the Mental Health Continuum Short-Form for South African university first-year students

Over the last decade, higher education institutions (HEIs) have become increasingly interested in student well-being. However, since the student population is very diverse in South Africa, questionnaires measuring the well-being of students must be psychometrically sound for different cultural and demographic groups. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Mental Health Continuum Short-Form (MHC-SF), including factorial validity, measurement invariance, item bias and internal consistency. The sample consisted of 1285 first-year university students. The three-factor structure of the MHC-SF was confirmed, indicating that emotional, social and psychological well-being are three independent factors. Invariance results showed that the MHC-SF produced similar results across campuses and gender sub-groups, although partial invariance was present among language groups. Item bias was present for different sub-groups, but the practical impact was negligible. Reliability scores indicated that all three dimensions are reliable in this sample. This study’s findings could help higher education institutions with preliminary results on the validity and reliability of a widely used well-being measure to assess university students’ subjective well-being and could aid in investigating and measuring first-year students’ overall well-being during their transition to tertiary education.Contribution: This study contributes to creating knowledge about fair and unbiased measurement of student well-being across different sub-groups in South Africa.

College student mental health: Psychiatric risk and psychological wellbeing

Objective To examine both psychiatric risk and psychological wellbeing in a college student sample drawn from a majority-minority university. Participants 100 participants (42% White; 70 females), mean age, 21.22 years. Methods Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the relationship of psychiatric risk (Brief Symptom Inventory; BSI) and psychological wellbeing (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form; MHC-SF) with student stress, cognition, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a new Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) scale. Results Risk correlated with increased student stress, higher ACEs and lower PCEs, whereas wellbeing correlated with lower student stress, better neuropsychological functioning, lower ACE and increased PCEs. PCEs predicted enhanced MHC-SF wellbeing and reduced BSI risk, accounting for 22.4% and 13.7% of variance in these measures, respectively. ACEs predicted elevated BSI risk and diminished MHC-SF wellbeing accounting for 8.6% and 5.9% of variance in these measures, respectively. Conclusion College student mental health may benefit from practices aim specifically to enhance wellbeing, stress-resistance, and cognition.

Finding flow in pandemic times: Leisure opportunities for optimal experience and positive mental health among Italian university students

The restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted citizens’ lives worldwide. In this emergency context, mental health levels and flow-promoting activities – with specific attention to leisure - were investigated among 1281 Italian university students attending courses in Health Sciences (HS) and Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (HuPS). They participated in an online survey including, among other instruments, the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), an open-ended question investigating flow activities, and demographic information. Most participants identified flow-promoting activities, primarily in the Productive and Leisure domains, but languishing students, as indicated by their scores on the MHC-SF, did it in a significantly lower percentage. Within Leisure, HuPS students reported Media/Reading and Hobbies, while HS students mentioned Sports in significantly higher percentages, suggesting a connection between flow activities and participants’ academic and professional goals. Findings also suggested that promoting flow among languishing students can help counterbalance their documented higher risk for psychopathology.

Mental health status according to the dual-factor model in Swedish adolescents: A cross sectional study highlighting associations with stress, resilience, social status and gender.

In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to I) investigate the dual-factor model of mental health by forming and describing four participant groups and II) examine associations between mental health status and background factors, school-related factors, stress, and resilience among adolescents in a community population in Sweden. Data were collected through a survey completed by 2,208 students in lower and upper secondary school on the Swedish island of Gotland. After missing data were removed, a total of 1,833 participants were included in the study. The survey included the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) for the assessment of mental well-being and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for the assessment of mental health problems. These two measures were combined into a dual-factor model, forming four mental health status subgroups: Vulnerable (47.5%), Complete mental health (36.2%), Troubled (13.9%), and Symptomatic but content (2.5%). Associations between these groups were explored regarding background factors, school-related factors, stress, and resilience through chi-squared tests and logistic regressions. Girls (OR: 1.88) and participants with high stress levels (OR: 2.23) had elevated odds for Vulnerable mental health status, whereas higher resilience (OR: 0.87) and subjective social status in school (OR: 0.76) were factors associated with reduced odds for this mental health status classification. Female gender (OR: 5.02) was also associated with Troubled mental health status. Similarly, a high level of stress (ORs: 4.08 and 11.36) was associated with Symptomatic but content and Troubled mental health status, and participants with higher levels of resilience had decreased odds for being classified into these groups (ORs: 0.88 and 0.81). The findings highlight the importance of interventions to increase resilience, reduce stress, and address stereotypic gender norms as well as social status hierarchies to support adolescents' mental health.

Navigating the digital landscape: Relationship between type of internet use and well-being among students—A mediation and moderation analysis

Background: The amount and frequency of internet use are often used to forecast its pros and cons, with mixed findings. After COVID-19, technological advances and sociological upheavals have shown the internet’s ability to support numerous activities, necessitating a change in internet use. Beyond internet use frequency, it has been advised to examine why people use it and how it affects their well-being. Hence, we aimed to investigate the various mediators and moderators in the relationship between the quality of internet use (type of activity) and well-being. Further, we investigated whether user attributes such as initial age and frequency of internet use moderate the influence of internet use quality on problematic internet use, loneliness, and well-being. Methods: 131 students in Manipur who were 18 years old were included in this cross-sectional study. Self-rated measures of the Adult Internet Usage questionnaire, Internet Addiction Test, and Mental Health Continuum-Short Form assessed internet use, dependence, and well-being. Results: Loneliness mediates the association between well-being and internet behaviors related to personal use-self-actualization (BootSE = .53, BootLLCI = .10, BootULCI = 2.18), cultural use-belonging (BootSE =.57, BootLLCI = -2.23, BootULCI = -.02). Average online hours moderate economic use-education, loneliness, and well-being (BootSE =.13, BootLLCI = -.55, BootULCI = -.04). Conclusion: To conclude, the effectiveness of internet use affects well-being differently depending on the type of activity. After a certain point, even seemingly good internet activities may have diminishing returns.

Performance-based attentional control, but not self-reported attentional control, predicts changes in depressive symptoms in short-term psychotherapy

ObjectiveAlthough impairments in attentional control are pervasive across psychopathology, there is substantial individual differences. In the current study, we examined whether individual differences in self-reported and performance-based measures of attentional control predict changes in depressive symptoms and well-being in a diagnostically diverse sample of patients attending a CBT-based partial hospital program. MethodParticipants were 89 patients (56.2% men, 75.3% non-Hispanic White). At baseline, patients completed the self-reported Attentional Control Scale and the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation task (RSVP), a behavioral measure of attentional control. Depressive symptoms were assessed daily using the Patient Health Questionnaire and well-being was assessed using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form. ResultsOn average, greater self-reported attentional control was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms, β = −0.49, t(52) = 4.84, p < .001, 95% CIs [−0.69, −0.29], and greater well-being, β = 0.45, t(53) = 3.90, p < .001, 95% CIs [0.22, 0.67]. More accurate task-based performance was associated with a decline in depressive symptoms over time, β = −0.02, t(32) = 2.50, p = .02, 95% CIs [−0.04, −0.01]. Neither self-reported nor performance-based measures of attentional control predicted changes in well-being. Finally, exploratory analyses suggest that depressive symptoms also improved over time for individuals who underestimated self-reported attentional control abilities relative to task-based performance, β = −0.19, t(32) = 2.23, p = .03, 95% CIs [−0.36, −0.02]. ConclusionsResults suggest that performance-based attentional control may be an important target for assessment and intervention, as well as a potential mechanism underlying risk and recovery.

Cluster Analysis of the Positive and Negative Indicators of Complete Mental Health State Model

&lt;p&gt;本研究目的在了解正負向指標篩檢心理健康型態集群分佈情形，是否符合Keyes主張以主觀幸福感與憂鬱症狀雙指標區分的完整心理健康模式。研究設計以心理健康BMI幸福感問卷、病人健康狀況憂鬱問卷，做為正負向指標篩檢工具，架構完整心理健康模式；以問卷調查法立意取樣739份樣本，經群集分析法作統計分群。結果能區分出有意義的四群集，包括擁有高幸福低憂鬱之完整圓滿心理健康型態的「心盛型」群集（46.28%）、不完整心理健康型態三個群集:「冷靜型」（低幸福低憂鬱之不完整心理亞健康型態，31.94%）、「奮戰型」（高幸福高憂鬱之不完整心理健康型態，11.10%）、「混沌型」（低幸福高憂鬱之不完整心理健康型態，10.69%）。低憂鬱者佔全體 78.22%，其中59.17%擁有高幸福而處於完整圓滿心理健康型態；高憂鬱者佔全體21.78%，其中50.93%擁有高幸福感。驗證了幸福感、憂鬱傾向作為正負向心理健康指標，篩檢完整或不完整心理健康型態。建議:（1）高憂鬱者參照「奮戰型」這群人高幸福感來源，藉由參與社團獲得人際支持、找到工作及收入來增加自我價值感；（2）「冷靜型」不能單看低憂鬱的心理健康篩檢，需提升「友善人際支持 正念情緒平穩 認同自我價值意義」之正向心理健康BMI幸福感，以獲得完整心理健康；（3）未來研究可依據正負向心理健康指標去發展心理健康素養能力，作為心理健檢與自主管理完整心理健康之用。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study aimed to understand the cluster distribution of positive and negative indicators for screening mental health patterns and whether they conform to Keyes’ claim that positive and negative indicators should be included in the complete mental health state model. The positive mental health indicators included social, emotional, and psychological well-being, which should be measured using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). Negative indicators measure the level of symptoms of mental illness concurrently, serving as a complete assessment of whether the individual is in a healthy state of positive and negative mental health indicators. Keyes employed these to distinguish four clusters of people with four mental health modes, of which the incomplete mental health cluster was in the state. Even if they have a negative mental illness, they could have positive mental health and well-being. Although some people do not have negative mental illness, they cannot have positive mental health and well-being. Therefore, Taiwanese scholar Li corresponded to these three well-being developments and selected three operational mental health skills: &amp;quot;&amp;quot;Befriend-Mindfulness-Identity&amp;quot;&amp;quot; as the Mental Health BMI Well-Being Index questionnaire (mBMI). After using them to evaluate 739 people, it was evident that the scores of the above two questionnaires were significantly correlated, and the mBMI questionnaire total score and Questions B, M, and I could effectively predict the total score, social, emotional, and psychological well-being of the MHC-SF, with a total explanatory power of 30.3%. This test should be used as a simple screening for well-being and as a positive mental health screening tool. Additionally, a Depression Scale Screening Tool for Negative Mental Health Depression was combined to explore the complete mental health state model of Taiwanese people. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; Therefore, in this study, the mBMI questionnaire was selected as a simple tool to measure positive mental health well-being, and the patients&amp;rsquo; health questionnaire for depression was used as a screening tool for negative mental health indicators. These are used as positive and negative indicators to test whether a complete or incomplete mental health state model fits. The questionnaire survey method was used to deliberately sample the data from 739 valid samples, and the cluster analysis method was used for statistical grouping to verify its suitability. According to the results of the aforementioned positive and negative indicators, four meaningful clusters were distinguished, including one complete and three incomplete mental health models. One cluster was &amp;quot;&amp;quot;Flourishing type&amp;quot;&amp;quot;(46.28%) of high well-being and low depression, which belonged to the complete mental health state model. The other three clusters were incomplete mental health state models. &amp;quot;&amp;quot;Fighting type&amp;quot;&amp;quot; (31.94%) of high well-being and high depression, &amp;quot;&amp;quot;Calm type&amp;quot;&amp;quot; (11.10%) of low well-being and low depression, and &amp;quot;&amp;quot;Chaos type&amp;quot;&amp;quot; (10.69%) of low well-being and high depression could fight for high well-being. It was verified that well-being and depression could be used as positive and negative mental health indicators to screen for complete or incomplete mental health state models. When we identified people with high depression, we encouraged them to refer to the source of high well-being of the &amp;quot;&amp;quot;fighting type&amp;quot;&amp;quot; group and increase their sense of self-worth by participating in clubs to obtain interpersonal support, find jobs, and earn income. We reminded the &amp;quot;&amp;quot;calm type&amp;quot;&amp;quot; people with low depression to promote their high well-being to have a complete mental health state. Finally, we monitored positive and negative indicators of mental health using screening tools of the Mental Health BMI Well-Being Index and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to screen for complete or incomplete mental health states as a reference for promoting positive and negative mental health. The befriend-mindfulness-identity skills should be improved to promote well-being and adjust depression to achieve complete mental health.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Effectiveness of trauma-focused art therapy (TFAT) for psychological trauma: study protocol of a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design

IntroductionTreatments such as eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing and (narrative) exposure therapies are commonly used in psychological trauma. In everyday practice, art therapy is also often used, although rigorous research...

Psychological dynamics of pandemic resilience: a tale of two cultures.

The present work endeavours to explore the experiences of university-level students from Pakistan and Nepal after the COVID-19 outbreak. A comprehensive electronic survey was carried out utilising a meticulous cluster sampling technique encompassing two distinct populations, i.e. Pakistan and Nepal, during the period extending from September 2022 to January 2023. A total of 2496 participants completed the questionnaire (Pakistani population: 55.45% and Nepalese population: 44.55%). We utilised the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), feeling of loneliness (UCLA), interdependent happy scale (IHS), and fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). Notably, a significant intercultural disparity was observed, particularly concerning the level of COVID-19 fear which was higher among the Nepalese population. However, this particular variable did not demonstrate any significant associations with other variables, except for the social dimension of MHC-SF. There was a negative correlation observed between this variable and IHS within the Pakistani population. Irrespective of the varying degrees of apprehension towards COVID-19 within the two distinct cultural contexts, there exists a significant positive correlation between the assessed psychological assets and individual well-being, as well as the resumption of regular activities after the outbreak.

The Impact of War Trauma and Housing Environment on Mental Wellbeing of Syrian Refugees in Jordan: A Comparison between In-Camp and Urban Populations

The aim of this study is to compare mental wellbeing and levels of post-trauma distress between Syrian refugees who live inside camps and those who live outside camps in Jordan through a survey-based cross-sectional design, where data were collected from 240 adult Syrian refugees in Jordan. The Arabic versions of the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) were used to quantitatively measure variables through descriptive statistics and multiple comparative analysis tests. Despite having no significant correlation with residence, findings of the MHC-SF showed significance for mental wellbeing with employment status and income. Whereas IES-R showed that camp refugees fared significantly better in terms of trauma effect than urban refugees. It can be concluded that Syrian refugees living inside camps were disadvantaged in terms of mental wellbeing but slightly less affected by war in comparison to those living in urban areas. Improved programs and policies are needed to uplift the mental wellbeing of Syrian refugees in Jordan and to minimize the destructive traumatic effects of the Syrian war on their wellness.

Community Exercise Program Participation and Mental Well-Being in the U.S. Texas-Mexico Border Region.

Hispanics are disproportionately affected by low rates of physical activity and high rates of chronic diseases. Hispanics generally and Mexican Americans specifically are underrepresented in research on physical activity and its impact on mental well-being. Some community-based interventions have been effective in increasing physical activity among Hispanics. This study examined data from a sample of low-income Hispanic participants in free community exercise classes to characterize the association between self-reported frequency of exercise class attendance, intensity of physical activity, and participant well-being. As part of two cross-sectional samples recruited from a stratified random sample of community exercise classes, 302 participants completed a questionnaire consisting of a modified version of the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). Adjusted logistic regression analyses indicated that those who achieve mild, moderate, and strenuous self-reported physical activity have 130% higher odds (p = 0.0422) of positive mental well-being after adjustment for age, frequency of attendance, and self-reported health. This study provides evidence that the intensity of physical activity is associated with flourishing mental well-being among Hispanic adults. The association between physical activity and mental well-being is more pronounced when considering participants engaged in mild levels of physical activity. The study further provides insight into the planning and development of community-based physical activity programming tailored to low-income populations.

Academic Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of College Student’s Mental Health and Study Progress

Mental health issues influenced college student's inner aspects, either emotionally, cognitively, physically, socially, and also their academic achievement. The ideal study period for college students is four years, but in fact, not all college students fulfill it. Academic self-efficacy had an essential role in determining mental health and study progress. The objective of this study was to measure the influence of academic self-efficacy on mental health and study progress. Three questionnaires The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form Scale and Academic Self Efficacy Scale were responded by 500 college students of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The collected data was analyzed using the Multivariate Regression Analysis technique. The result found that academic self-efficacy had a positive influence on mental health and study progress significantly. Multivariate regression analysis technique uses SPSS and MPlus, where the dependent variable is more than one, namely study progress, a categorical variable with two categories (1 appropriate and 0 late) and the mental health variable is a continuum variable. The study found a significant positive impact of academic self-efficacy to study progress and mental health of college students of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Academic self-efficacy had a .137 significance parameter to study progress and a .520 significance parameter to mental health. This result indicated that the higher academic self-efficacy level of college students would impact to the highest of their mental health and better study progress.

Modelling arts professionals' wellbeing and career intentions within the context of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial effect on the creative and cultural industries in the United Kingdom (UK), as seen in our first snapshot of the HEartS Professional Survey (April-June 2020, Phase 1, N = 358). By analysing data collected one year later (April-May 2021, Phase 2, N = 685), the aims of the current study are to trace the contributors to (1) arts professionals' mental and social wellbeing and (2) their expectations of staying in the arts. Findings show that artists continued to experience challenges in terms of finances, and mental and social wellbeing. Over half of the respondents reported financial hardship (59%), and over two thirds reported being lonelier (64%) and having increased anxiety (71%) than before the pandemic. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models, using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and Three-Item Loneliness Scale as outcome variables, indicate that perceived financial hardship continued to be associated with higher depression and loneliness scores. As in our first study, more physical activity before lockdown was associated with higher wellbeing and social connectedness scores, and higher self-rated health scores were associated with higher wellbeing and lower depression scores. Similarly, increases in physical activity during lockdown, as well as older age, were still associated with higher wellbeing and social connectedness scores and with lower depression and loneliness scores. An ordinal logistic regression model indicated three contributors to artists' professional expectations of remaining in the arts: greater proportion of income from the arts pre-pandemic, continued maintenance of skills, and greater proportion of freelance work. The results suggest that the wellbeing patterns observed at the start of the pandemic remained consistent a year on. They point to possible strategies to support wellbeing and underline the importance of finances for expectations of remaining in arts professions.

Perinatal depression among teenage mothers in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Nepal: A cross-sectional study

The teenage pregnancy has serious adverse effect on physical and mental health of mothers and infants. This cross-sectional study was aimed to assess proportion of perinatal depression and well-being of teenage mothers in Nepal. Perinatal women were evaluated using Mental Health Continuum Short Form, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Of 239 perinatal women, 12 (5%) were teenage with a mean age of 18.17 ± 0.93 years. 33.3% (n = 4) of teenage mothers had depressive symptoms, and 25% (n = 3) had moderate/languishing mental health. A high proportion of depression and poor mental health suggests that screening and supportive care should be provided for teenage mothers.

Positive mental health in adults with bipolar disorder: exploring social support subtypes, negative social interactions and potential to flourish

BackgroundBipolar disorder (BD) (i.e., BD-I or BD-II) is a serious mental illness (SMI) that can cause significant life challenges, but its impact and management may be mediated by psychosocial factors. This study’s primary objectives were to investigate whether adults with BD differ from those without in terms of social support, negative social interactions (NSIs), and positive mental health (PMH). Secondly, examine whether gender differences exist in terms of these variables, as well as whether specific social support subscales and NSI predict PMH for those with BD.MethodsUsing data extracted from a national Canadian survey, 563 adults reporting a lifetime BD diagnosis were compared to a matched, non-BD sample using the Social Provisions Scale 10 Items (SPS-10), the NSI Scale, and the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF) Scale. For the BD sample, males and females were compared based on study variables, and hierarchical regressions were subsequently performed to assess whether SPS-10 subscales and NSIs predicted PMH.ResultsRespondents with BD reported significantly lower SPS-10 and PMH scores, and significantly higher NSI scores. Within the BD sample, females reported significantly higher SPS-10 and NSIs scores, and ‘social integration’ and ‘reassurance of worth’ positively predicted PMH, while NSI uniquely predicted lower PMH levels for both males and females.ConclusionsThe results implicate specific psychosocial factors and gender in the degree to which adults with BD might flourish, particularly in terms negative relationships. The implications of social erosion and the bi-directionality of social support are also considered.

The well-being correlates of religious commitment amongst South African and Kenyan students

Religious commitment is a prominent feature in the lives of many students in Africa. The present study investigated the well-being correlates (emotional well-being, social contribution, and depression) of religious commitment, and compared them across sex. A cross-sectional sample of 471 students from South Africa and Kenya (men = 244; women = 227; with an average age of 22.8 years) completed the Religious Commitment Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, Social Well-being Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Short-Form. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to estimate direct effects of religious commitment on emotional well-being, social contribution and depression, and comparison across sex. The results showed significant direct effects, attesting to the association of religious commitment with higher emotional well-being and social contribution, and lower depression, with no significant sex differences. In addition to insight into positive and negative intra- and interpersonal well-being correlates of religious commitment, the absence of sex differences shows uniformity in how religious commitment is related to well-being for male and female students.

Is mental health positively associated with workplace social capital among Danish hospital employees? A multilevel study

Being mentally healthy is associated with being more productive, creative, altruistic, and innovative, which are key values in Western society and highly relevant among hospital employees. However, studies investigating the promotion of mental health rather than the prevention of poor mental health and mental illnesses among hospital employees are limited. Thus, we examined the association between workplace social capital and mental health among hospital employees using electronic survey data collected from Danish hospital employees. The study sample consisted of 1452 employees, corresponding to 40% of the hospital staff. Mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form, in which mental health is understood as a combination of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Workplace social capital was assessed using Borg et al.’s (2014) Social Capital Questionnaire, which measures bonding, bridging, and linking social capital in relation to immediate management and the workplace as a whole in four separate subscales. Multiple imputations by chained equations were applied.Multilevel linear regression analyzes showed a positive association among bonding, bridging, and linking social capital in relation to immediate management and mental health. First, our results highlight that hospital employees’ mental health is associated with social capital in the workplace. Second, the strongest association was found between bridging social capital in work teams and mental health. Third, mental health was significantly poorer among employees aged between 25 and 35 years than among employees aged between 46 and 55 years. However, unlike our theoretical expectation, linking social capital in relation to the workplace as a whole was not associated with mental health. In conclusion, our results provide an impetus for further research on health promotion and interventions in hospitals and in similar sectors.