Negative Indicators Of Well-being Research Articles

Assessing Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing in Medical Students: A Systematic Review

Medical students' psychological wellbeing is a growing concern. However, the methods used and outcomes measured in studies evaluating psychological wellbeing lack consistency given their wide and diverse array. This systematic review aims to characterise and comprehensively evaluate the outcomes measured and methods used in studies assessing psychological wellbeing among medical students. A consensus on the constructs and methods used in indexing psychological wellbeing can lead to more effective assessments and consequently more effective interventions aimed at promoting wellbeing in medical students. Methods: Multiple databases were searched, including Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Grey literature was searched through Google Scholar, and reference lists of the included studies were further searched. Results: Forty-five studies were included, and findings were integrated into a narrative synthesis. The results showed that various methods were used and various outcomes were measured to index medical students’ mental wellbeing; outcomes tapped on stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, and minor psychiatric disorders as wellbeing indicators while commonly used measures were the General Health Questionnaire, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Self-reported measures and quantitative designs predominated, focusing on negative indicators of wellbeing. The findings of this systematic review highlighted the vast heterogeneity in outcomes measured and methods used in studies assessing psychological wellbeing in medical students. Conclusions: Homogeneity in the measures and outcomes used to assess wellbeing is necessary to improve the comparability and reliability of findings among studies. Future research should also use validated measures that capture both positive and negative aspects of psychological wellbeing to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that can promote positive psychological wellbeing; and consequently, to inform the development of more effective interventions tailored to the mental health needs of medical students.

INDICATORS OF WELLBEING AND SELF- AND INFORMANT-REPORTED COGNITIVE DECLINE IN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Wellbeing has been associated with objective cognitive decline and is a promising target for dementia prevention. Less is known about associations between wellbeing and subjective cognitive decline (SCD), an early indicator for progression to Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Given the importance of early detection and intervention in ADRD, the current study assessed whether positive and negative indicators of wellbeing were associated with SCD via self- and informant-reports using zero-inflated Poisson regressions. A total of 1,014 participants (MAge=71.8, SD=3.1) were included in analyses. The sample was representative of both males (55%) and females (45%) and was racially diverse (65% White, 32% Black/African American, 2% other races). SCD was assessed with the AD8 Dementia Screening Interview (self- and informant-report versions), sense of purpose with the Life Engagement Test, life satisfaction with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness scale. Higher positive indicators of wellbeing were associated with lower SCD via self- and informant-reports. Higher levels of depression were associated with greater SCD via self-report. Higher levels of life satisfaction attenuated the association between depressive symptoms and SCD via self-report. These associations were statistically significant (p < .05) and held after applying False Discovery Rate correction. Effect sizes ranged from small to medium (ORPositive Wellbeing Indicators = 0.84-0.89, ORDepression = 1.34). These findings extend past wellbeing and objective cognitive decline research by demonstrating that positive and negative indicators of wellbeing are also associated with SCD assessed via self- and informant-reports.

Well-Being Implications of Digital Social Multitasking in Adolescent Friendship: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Adolescents' phone use during face-to-face interactions (i.e., digital social multitasking [DSMT]) has gained increasing attention because of its prevalence as well as implications for well-being. However, most studies have focused on only one dimension of the behavior and relied on variable-centered approaches. Informed by the DSMT framework, we adopted a person-centered approach to identify different groups of adolescents based on their levels, perceptions, and motives of phone use during face-to-face interactions with friends. We also examined how these groups differed in five well-being variables (loneliness, depressive symptoms, digital stress, friendship quality, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs). A total of 517 adolescents (Mage = 14.83, standard deviation [SD] = 1.93; 50 percent female) completed an online survey. Three profiles were identified: the Intentional (low levels, quite positive perceptions, motivated for clear goals), the Embracers (high levels, highly positive perceptions, strong motives), and the Unimpressed (low levels, low positive perceptions, low motives). The Embracers scored the highest on both positive and negative indicators of well-being, whereas the Unimpressed scored the lowest on all well-being scales. The Intentional appeared to be the most adaptive group. Implications are discussed.

Aging in Place: Connections, Relationships, Social Participation and Social Support in the Face of Crisis Situations

We seek to identify active coping strategies used by older adults to face the pandemic and to deal with daily stressors, and to clarify which factors had an effect on stress, positive emotions and depression in active and healthy community-dwelling older adults in the first and second year of the pandemic in Costa Rica. Participants were living in their own homes in Costa Rica (n = 218, mean age 69.96, 82.1% women). Participants were interviewed by phone and answered an online survey, which included socio-demographic information, mental health variables such as stressors (perceived health and fear of COVID-19, illness, perception of pandemic gravity), loneliness (whether they felt lonely and how often they felt lonely), access to Information and Communication Technologies, socio-emotional coping variables, social participation and physical activity level during the pandemic. Positive socio-emotional indicators related to well-being such as self-efficacy, social support, perceived health and proactive behavior were high. Negative well-being indicators such as perceived stress, emotional COVID-19 fear and loneliness showed low values in the sample studied during both years. We found significant relations across the dependent variables (perceived stress, positive emotions and depression) by studying the psychological well-being coping strategies. Findings highlight the importance of coping strategies and social participation in the capacity of older adults to mitigate the negative psychological consequences of crisis situations and provide evidence of "aging in place".

Virtual meetings and wellbeing: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between virtual meeting participation and wellbeing. Based on the conservation of resources theory, we hypothesize that participation in more virtual meetings is associated with both negative and positive wellbeing indicators.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was sent to 3,530 employees across five Belgian universities in April 2020. Useful data from 814 respondents was collected and analyzed to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe authors find support for their hypotheses, namely that participating in more virtual meetings is associated not only with negative wellbeing indicators (workload, stress and fatigue) but also with a positive wellbeing indicator, namely work influence.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the unique work-from-home context during the pandemic, the generalizability of our findings may be limited. Nevertheless, this study contributes to the literature on Meeting Science and Virtual Work, as it is the first study to empirically relate virtual meetings to wellbeing indicators, including a positive one.Practical implicationsAs virtual meetings and work-from-home are expected to remain prevalent, understanding wellbeing implications is of high managerial importance. Their findings can be useful for (HR) managers who develop flexible work policies for a post-pandemic world.Social implicationsThe findings draw attention to the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between productivity and wellbeing in creating a sustainable work(-from-home) context.Originality/valueThe COVID-19 lockdown provided a unique opportunity to obtain insight on the relationship between virtual meetings and wellbeing at an unprecedented scale.

School Climate Moderates the Association Between Sexual Harassment and Student Well-Being

Sexual harassment is a prevalent yet understudied challenge adolescents face in high school. Because sexual harassment is associated with negative well-being indicators like depression, substance use, and suicidality, school stakeholders must understand its potential consequences for student well-being, and how school climate might impact prevention efforts. The present study investigated whether school climate measures of disciplinary structure, student support, and engagement moderate the relationship between sexual harassment and student well-being. A statewide survey of 85,750 students (grades 9–12) in 322 high schools reported how many times in the past school year they had experienced sexual harassment. Participants also reported school climate perceptions and measures of well-being, including indicators of depression symptoms, substance use, and suicide attempts. Findings indicated that positive perceptions of school climate moderated the relations between sexual harassment experiences and student well-being. The findings from this study will provide valuable information for school stakeholders as they seek to mitigate the impact of sexual harassment in schools.

Enhancing college students well-being: The psycho-spiritual well-being intervention

ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a fourteen-module video-recorded well-being intervention that incorporates relevant videos of Indian spiritual leaders and motivational speakers and adopts an edutainment approach. Its efficacy was examined through a web-based (n = 42), and two classroom-based-studies (n = 308; n = 112) in a sample of Indian undergraduate students. These studies assessed pre-post differences in positive (general well-being, mental well-being, thriving, peace of mind, harmony in life, resilience, and sat-chit-ananda) and negative indicators of well-being (depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms). A significant improvement was noted in four well-being indicators in all the three studies, namely mental well-being (d = 0.46–0.53), general well-being (d = 0.39–0.41), thriving (d = 0.33–0.41), and peace of mind (d = 0.37–0.47). The participants’ evaluation of the intervention was also analyzed. Overall, the results appear promising and may stimulate further investigations.

The dynamics of appraisal: a review of 20 years of research using the Fortitude Questionnaire

Fortitude refers to the psychological strength to manage adversity and stay well. It is derived from adaptive cognitive appraisals of self, family, and social supports and has consistently been identified as a protective factor in psychological well-being. This study undertakes a scoping review of empirical research on the Fortitude Questionnaire, which was developed to assess levels of fortitude. The aims of the study were to categorize and catalogue studies that have used the Fortitude Questionnaire, identify the variables that have been linked to the scale, and determine the extent to which prior research has replicated the Fortitude Questionnaire’s psychometric properties. Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework for scoping reviews was followed to review studies published between January 1999 and March 2020. A total of 51 studies met the inclusion criteria. The scoping review found that the Fortitude Questionnaire has been used in different contexts and among various sample groups across the lifespan, including vulnerable and high-risk populations. The scale has demonstrated sound reliability and studies have confirmed its factor structure. The scale has also been used as an independent, dependent, and intervening variable. Fortitude has been linked to positive and negative indicators of well-being, and intervention studies have indicated that fortitude is amenable to change. The findings of this scoping review provide a foundation for the development of appraisal restructuring programmes and interventions.

Keeping Residents Well: How Important Are Perceptions of Program Support and Psychological Safety to Resident Wellness?

PURPOSE: We aimed to test whether measures of resident well-being correlated with perceptions of program support and psychological safety. BACKGROUND: Trainee well-being is a crucial component of developing competent and skilled OB/GYN physicians. While there are several measures of well-being collected at the national-level, there is little insight in the role of individual programs to foster trainee well-being. Perceived organizational and psychological safety are two constructs that can help identify cultural aspects of the clinical learning environment that may relate to trainee well-being. METHODS: OBGYN residents in a training program were recruited to complete an IRB-approved survey through paper and electronic methods between May-June 2018. Measures included the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (POS), Psychological Safety Scale (PS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Wayne State Wellness Scale (RWS) and Physician Well-Being Index (PWBI); all demonstrate validity and reliability evidence to assess factors of well-being and cultural aspects of the training program. Results: 20 OBGYN residents completed our survey. Results indicated a strong relationship between perceived organizational support and wellness (r=.62, P<.01 for RWS, r=.50, P<.05 for PWB)., suggesting greater perceptions of support relate to better wellness. Similarly, psychological safety also had a strong relationship with wellness (r=.56, p<.05 for RWS; r=-.72, p<.01 for PWB). DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between trainee wellness and the cultural measures of support and safety, especially between psychological safety and negative indicators of well-being (e.g., feeling burnt out from work, feelings of irritation). Further research should include interventions to improve perceptions of support and safety.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in later life: Contributions of self-determination theory.

As the population ages, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to well-being in the elderly. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of research on well-being among elderly people conducted particularly within the framework of self-determination theory and, more precisely, to study the relationships among basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being. Therefore, a systematic search of the literature was conducted using the databases PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Academic Onefile, MEDLINE, Science Direct, and ERIC to find studies published in English and French. China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was used to find studies published in Chinese. Ultimately, 23 studies (mainly from the United States, Canada, and Europe; no studies published in China were found) in the field of aging were used for the systematic analysis, 17 of which were used for the meta-analysis. The results reported in these publications are relatively congruent with the idea that basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation (autonomous types) are positively associated with positive indicators of well-being (meaning in life, life satisfaction, positive affect, self-esteem, etc.) and negatively associated with negative indicators of well-being (depression, apathy, etc.).

Perspectives of Refugee Children Resettling in Australia on Indicators of Their Wellbeing

Indicators of the well-being of refugee children are under explored, especially from children’s perspectives. We used a child-friendly computer-assisted interview (CAI) to investigate patterns in refugee children’s positive and negative indicators of well-being as they resettled in Australia. Thirty-seven children aged 7 to 13 years were clients of a specialized refugee trauma service. Analyzes revealed 3 cluster subgroups with distinctive patterns of indicators of high, moderate, low levels of well-being indicators. One subgroup with a high level of well-being differed from low and moderate level subgroups in consistently expressing indicators of faring well with little worrying, and the absence of intrusive worries. A subgroup with a low level of well-being expressed indicators of not faring well, worrying about family members, and having worries that intruded in daily functions. A subgroup with a moderate level of well-being differed from the low cluster in having less severe and less intrusive worries. Subgroups expressed common positive indicators of what they needed to help them feel better, their reliance on family members for help, and the forms of close interactions and talk they received as help from family members. Implications include the value of enabling refugee children to express their perspectives, and the importance of including these perspectives as a basis for tailoring intervention strategies for children and their families and for including children’s perspectives in policy and service decisions and strategies.

Do Work Characteristics Mediate the Negative Effect of Transformational Leadership on Impaired Well-Being?

Abstract: In recent years, transformational leadership as a health-related factor has become a focal point of interest in research and practice. However, the pathways and mechanisms underlying this association are not yet well understood. In order to gain knowledge on how or why transformational leadership and employee well-being are associated, we investigated the mediating effect of the work characteristics role clarity and predictability. The study was carried out on 618 employees working in the health-care sector in Germany. We tested the mediator effect using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that role clarity and predictability fully mediate the relation between transformational leadership and negative indicators of well-being. These results give credit to the notion that work characteristics play an important role in identifying health-relevant aspects of leadership behavior. Our findings advance the understanding of how to enhance employee well-being and have implications for the design of leadership-related interventions of workplace health promotion.

The relation of perceived meaning of life, meaning of illness and anxious-depressive symptoms among cancer patients

Our research is based on the literature that shows meaningfulness is a correlate of mental health both in the general population and in the case of patients with a serious illness such as cancer. We had two major goals: 1) to identify the meaning-categories patients find in their illness; 2) to test the relationships between perceived meaning of life, meaning of illness and negative indicators of well-being, like automatic thoughts, anxiety, depression in the case of a population of cancer patients from Romania. This study was completed in March-June of 2012. A number of 102 cancer patients, interned in the ‘Ion Chiricuta’ Oncology Institute in Romania, completed a battery of scales that measured perceived meaning of life (Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Meaning in Life after Cancer), the intensity of automatic thoughts (Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire), anxiety, depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and answered the question whether they found any meaning in their lives. We could identify the following categories of meaning patients found in their illness: character change, greater appreciation of life, change of priorities, spiritual growth, greater appreciation of close relationships, clarification of goals, development of self-knowledge. In accordance with the literature, our results show that perceived meaning of life (measured by MLaC), correlates negatively with automatic thoughts (r = –0.606), anxiety (r = –0.576), and depression (r = –0.542), and these relations are significant (p = 0.000). Patients who found their illness meaningful, found more meaning in their lives as well (t = 3.041, p = 0.003), and they showed lower levels of anxiety and depression, but these correlations are not significant (p = 0.567 and 0.116).

Work–Home Interface and Well-Being

Abstract. Much effort has been expended in the past decade to examine the causal relationship between work–family conflict (WFC) and negative indicators of well-being. Comparatively little is known about the effects of work–family enrichment (WFE) on well-being. Even more importantly, very few studies have examined the concomitant effects of both WFC and WFE in terms of well-being. This study aims to fill these gaps by investigating the directionality of the causal relationships between WFC, WFE, and two well-being variables (i.e., job strain and job engagement). We examined these relationships using a two-wave cross-lagged panel design. Our sample was composed of 978 workers from a Belgian Federal Public Service. Reciprocal relationships were found between WFC–job strain, WFC–job engagement, and WFE–job engagement.

Long-Term Development of Employee Well-Being: A Latent Transition Approach

The long-term development of employee well-being is still poorly understood. Consequently, in this three-wave 10-year longitudinal study among Finnish managers (n = 402) the development of employee well-being was examined in in detail. Specifically, the long-term development of job-related affective well-being was investigated at the intra-individual level, simultaneously taking into account positive and negative indicators of well-being, the level of well-being, and the direction of change. Further, the issue how (changes in) job resources and employee well-being were related across time was examined. By applying a novel person-centered methodology, factor mixture modeling and latent transition analysis, the results revealed that the development of favorable job-related affective well-being was eight times more probable than that of unfavorable development across the 10-year study period. Job resources predicted a high level of job-related well-being and, also, job resources increased along with favorable changes in well-being. Overall, the findings contribute to knowledge in the area of positive occupational health psychology by offering a detailed picture of the level of job-related affective well-being and its development over time.

A longitudinal study of the association between Compulsive Internet use and wellbeing

ObjectiveCompulsive Internet Use (CIU) has been linked to lower wellbeing, especially among adolescents. Yet, questions regarding the directionality of this association remain unanswered: CIU may influence wellbeing and vice versa. Theoretically, both directions are plausible, yet so far no studies have examined the directionality of these effects among adults. This article aims to shed light on the directionality of the relation between CIU and both positive and negative wellbeing, using a prospective, longitudinal sample of adults (n=398). MethodsOver the course of four years, participants completed five assessments of their CIU and both positive and negative indicators of wellbeing. Participants were married couples who were recruited in the municipalities where they were married. ResultsCIU predicted increases in depression, loneliness and stress over time, and a decrease in happiness. No effect of CIU on the change in self-esteem was found. Further, happiness predicted a decrease in CIU over time. ConclusionsThe results suggest CIU lowers wellbeing. This is important given that lowered wellbeing may affect health. Happiness is suggested to be a buffer for developing CIU.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Serbian Version of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the Serbian version of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). The research was carried out on a sample of 408 high school students (250 females, 158 males), with the mean age 16.6. The Serbian version of the MSLSS has demonstrated good psychometric properties. The internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s α) for the MSLSS domain and total scores were adequate. Support for the validity of the MSLSS was provided by the pattern of correlations with various positive and negative indicators of well-being. However, it has been suggested that shortening the scale from 40 items to 25 items could provide more accurate measure of adolescents’ life satisfaction for the future research.

The Assessment of Self-Oriented and Socially Prescribed Perfectionism: Subscales Make a Difference

Campbell and Di Paula (2002) suggested differentiating Perfectionistic Striving and Importance of Being Perfect subscales when measuring self-oriented perfectionism and Others’ High Standards and Conditional Acceptance subscales when measuring socially prescribed perfectionism. In this study, we investigated the utility of this differentiation by analyzing data from 1,041 students and examining correlations with positive striving and maladaptive evaluation concerns aspects of perfectionism and with positive and negative indicators of well-being and psychological adjustment. As expected, (a) Perfectionistic Striving scores showed higher correlations with positive striving aspects of perfectionism and with positive indicators of well-being and adjustment than Importance of Being Perfect scores, and (b) Conditional Acceptance scores showed higher correlations with maladaptive evaluation concerns aspects of perfectionism and with negative indicators of well-being and adjustment than Others’ High Standards scores. The findings indicate that Campbell and Di Paula's differentiation provides for a more detailed and informative assessment of multidimensional perfectionism and its different aspects. Moreover, it provides for new insights into self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism and their relationships and associations.