Negative Well-being Outcomes Research Articles

Place, mobility and social support in refugee mental health

Purpose This review and theoretical analysis paper aims to bring together literatures of place, mobility, refugees and mental health to problematise the ways in which social support is practised on the ground and to rethink its possibilities. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on an interdisciplinary understanding of social support that focusses on the social networks and significant and intimate relationships that mitigate negative mental health and well-being outcomes. The authors explore the dialectic relationship between place and mobility in refugee experiences of social support. Findings The authors argue that, in an Euro-American context, practices of social support have historically been predicated on the idea of people-in-place. The figure of the refugee challenges the notion of a settled person in need of support and suggests that people are both in place and in motion at the same time. Conversely, attending to refugees’ biographies, lived experiences and everyday lives suggests that places and encounters of social support are varied and go beyond institutional spaces. Research limitations/implications The authors explore this dialectic of personhood as both in place and in motion and its implications for the theorisation, research and design of systems of social support for refugees. Originality/value This paper surfaces the dialectics of place and mobility for supporting refugee mental health from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Exposure to police-related deaths and physiological stress among urban black youth

BackgroundEmerging evidence indicates that exposure to police-related deaths is associated with negative health and wellbeing outcomes among black people. Yet, no study to date has directly examined the biological consequences of exposure to police-related deaths for urban black youth. Methods and FindingsWe employ unique data from the 2014-16 Adolescent Health and Development in Context (AHDC) study – a representative sample of youth ages 11 to 17 residing in the Columbus, OH area. A subsample of participants contributed nightly saliva samples for cortisol for up to six days, providing an opportunity to link recent exposures to police-related deaths within the residential county to physiological stress outcomes during the study period (N = 585). We examine the effect of exposure to a recent police-related death in the same county on the physiological stress (nightly cortisol) levels of black youth. We find evidence of elevated average levels of nightly cortisol (by 46%) for black boys exposed to a police-related death of a black victim in the 30 days prior to the subject’s cortisol collection. We find no evidence of police-related death effects on the physiological stress levels of black girls or white youth. ConclusionsThese analyses indicate that police-related deaths influence the biological functioning of black boys, with potential negative consequences for health. We consider the implications of exposure to lethal police violence among black boys for understanding racial disparities in health more broadly.

What did infrastructure ever do for us?

What did infrastructure ever do for us?

Building a Contextually-Relevant Understanding of Resilience among African American Youth Exposed to Community Violence

Studies consistently demonstrate that African American youth experience disproportionate levels of community violence, which is associated with negative health and well-being outcomes among these youth. The frequency and severity of community violence exposure is a unique challenge for these youth and requires tailored approaches to promote resilience after community violence exposure. However, limited research exists that operationalizes resilience after community violence based on the unique context and lived experience of African American youth. Developing a more contextually relevant understanding of resilience is critical to reducing health inequities experienced by African American youth and promoting their well-being. Five focus groups were conducted with 39 African American adolescents (ages 13–18) exposed to community violence. Participants also completed a brief survey that included questions on demographics, adverse childhood experiences, social capital, and resilience. Focus-group transcripts were independently coded by two members of the research team and analyzed using an inductive approach. Youth highlighted key indicators of resilience including the ability to persevere, self-regulate, and change to adapt/improve. Youth also described family, peer, and cultural contexts that impact how resilience is produced and manifested, highlighting trust, perceived burdensomeness, self-determination, connectedness, and mental health stigma as key factors within these contexts. Results of this qualitative study support the development of health promotion programs for African American youth exposed to community violence that address unique risks and build on existing protective factors within family, peer, and cultural contexts.

Mental Health Challenges of United States Healthcare Professionals During COVID-19.

As COVID-19 continues to impact global society, healthcare professionals (HCPs) are at risk for a number of negative well-being outcomes due to their role as care providers. The objective of this study was to better understand the current psychological impact of COVID-19 on HCPs in the United States This study used an online survey tool to collect demographic data and measures of well-being of adults age 18 and older living in the United States between March 20, 2020 and May 14, 2020. Measures included anxiety and stress related to COVID-19, depressive symptoms, current general anxiety, health questions, tiredness, control beliefs, proactive coping, and past and future appraisals of COVID-related stress. The sample included 90 HCPs and 90 age-matched controls (Mage = 34.72 years, SD = 9.84, range = 23 – 67) from 35 states of the United States. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed, using education as a covariate, to identify group differences in the mental and physical health measures. HCPs reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, past and future appraisal of COVID-related stress, concern about their health, tiredness, current general anxiety, and constraint, in addition to lower levels of proactive coping compared to those who were not HCPs (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.28). Within the context of this pandemic, HCPs were at increased risk for a number of negative well-being outcomes. Potential targets, such as adaptive coping training, for intervention are discussed.

Effect of illegitimate tasks on work-to-family conflict through psychological detachment: Passive leadership as a moderator

Illegitimate tasks as a workplace stressor have been linked with various negative employee well-being and behavioral outcomes. However, whether and how its negative effects might spill over to employees' family domain has been less examined. The current study examined psychological detachment as a mediator in the relationship between illegitimate tasks and three types (time-based, strain-based, and behavior-based) of work-to-family conflict (WFC), and investigated the moderating effect of passive leadership. We collected data from 129 participants across three waves. Results showed that psychological detachment mediated the relationships of illegitimate tasks with time-based and strain-based WFC, but not with behavior-based WFC. Further, the negative effect of illegitimate tasks on psychological detachment as well as the indirect effect of illegitimate tasks on strain-based WFC via psychological detachment were stronger for individuals experiencing more passive leadership, suggesting that having a leader who does not provide functional leadership could exacerbate the effect of illegitimate tasks on psychological detachment and its indirect effect on strain-based WFC via detachment. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the potential negative effect of illegitimate tasks beyond the work domain through psychological detachment, and the exacerbating effect of passive leadership on stressor-strain relationships.

A systematic review of studies describing the influence of informal social support on psychological wellbeing in people bereaved by sudden or violent causes of death

BackgroundWhilst any type of bereavement can be traumatic, bereavement through violent or sudden causes is associated with more severe negative health and wellbeing outcomes compared to other types of loss. Social support has been found to have a positive impact on wellbeing after traumatic events in general. However, this association appears to be less consistently demonstrated in studies that focus on bereavement, and the literature in this area has not yet been systematically reviewed. This study aimed to review the international literature to examine systematically whether there is an association between informal social support from family and friends after bereavement through sudden and/or violent causes and post-bereavement wellbeing.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search for quantitative studies that tested for an association between social support and any outcome related to wellbeing after a sudden and/or violent loss. Included studies were assessed for quality, and findings were reported using the approach of narrative synthesis. The review was pre-registered on Prospero (registration number CRD42018093704).ResultsWe identified 16 papers that met inclusion criteria, 11 of which we assessed as being of good or fair quality and 5 as poor quality. Fifteen different wellbeing outcomes were measured across all studies. We found consistent evidence for an inverse association between social support and symptoms/presence of depression, predominantly consistent evidence for an inverse association between social support and symptoms/presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and conflicting evidence for an inverse association between social support and symptoms/presence of complicated grief.ConclusionsOur systematic review identified evidence to suggest that social support after sudden or violent bereavement is associated with a reduced severity of depressive and PTSD symptoms. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore potential causality in this relationship, widening the focus from common mental disorders to include other mental illnesses, wellbeing outcomes, and suicide-related outcomes after bereavement. There is also a need for consensus on the conceptualisation and measurement of social support. Our findings imply that interventions to improve access to and quality of social support may reduce the burden of mental illness after bereavement, and may therefore be worth investing in.

How do stereotypes harm older adults? A theoretical explanation for the perpetration of elder abuse and its rise

Mounting research shows that older adults who experience abuse are at elevated risk for a wide range of negative health and well-being outcomes. Yet, even as the older adult population grows and rates of elder abuse rise across the globe, the issue continues to be overlooked and perpetuated by individuals and institutions across various countries, cultures, and settings. Recognizing, addressing, and preventing the mistreatment of older adults is a challenge because elder abuse is not well-understood or extensively studied, and its root causes are perceived to vary from case to case. In order to fill this gap, we examine elder abuse and its associations with ageism through the lens of two empirically supported, cross-cultural models (i.e., the stereotype content model and BIAS map). These models explain how the acceptance and endorsement of societal stereotypes about older adults on dimensions of warmth and competence lead to emotion-driven, discriminatory behaviors ranging from neglect and abandonment to emotional, financial, and physical harm. This article also serves as a call to action, encouraging researchers, health professionals, policy makers, and community members to gain awareness of their own ageist beliefs and how they influence the way they perceive and interact with older adults.

The Microstructure of the Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire

Background: The wellbeing process model formed the basis of questionnaires that can demonstrate which factors predict negative and positive wellbeing outcomes. The Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) uses stressor, negative coping, psychological capital and social support scales to predict positive and negative wellbeing outcomes.&#x0D; Aims: The usual method of scoring the WPQ has been to sum relevant questions in each scale. The aim of the present analyses was to investigate the microstructure of the WPQ and examine the profile of individual predictor and outcome items.&#x0D; Methodology: The research was approved by the ethics committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and carried out with the informed consent of the volunteers (1481 psychology undergraduates; 89.4% female; 49.7% year 1; mean age 19.5 years). An online survey was carried out, and a MANOVA was conducted to examine associations between the wellbeing process predictor variables and the wellbeing outcomes.&#x0D; Results: A multivariate analysis of variance showed that the majority of individual predictors had significant overall effects. Some of the predictors (optimism; self-esteem, developmental challenges; time pressure; avoidance coping) had significant effects on all outcomes, which explains the global effects of the positive personality and stressor composite variables. Negative coping variables had significant effects on all negative outcomes. Other variables had selective effects on specific outcome measures.&#x0D; Conclusion: The independent variables from the student wellbeing questionnaire are good predictors of both positive and negative wellbeing outcomes. This is observed when either individual items or composite scores are used in the analysis.

Managing stressors online and offline: LGBTQ+ Youth in the Southern United States

LGBTQ+ youth experience negative health and wellbeing outcomes resulting from the stress of marginalization and unsupportive environments. Further, access to LGBTQ+ community resources often vary based on geographical factors. Previous research has focused on the risks of online spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and has perceived offline environments as a primary source of community and social support. This study explored the role of offline and online social supports on the relationship between environmental factors and LGBTQ+ esteem for LGBTQ+ youth in the southern United States, a region that has historically been under-resourced. Findings suggest that the online LGBTQ+-specific social support youth in this sample received significantly moderated the impact of LGBTQ-specific stressors on LGBTQ+ esteem, and offline social support was not a significant moderator. Researchers and practitioners should explore the value of online spaces for youth who may not have access to the same level and kind of offline resources needed to promote coping and resilience as compared to youth in communities with high resource density.

Valuing happiness predicts higher well-being: The moderating role of acceptance.

Recent research has found that individual tendencies to pursue positive hedonic states, defined as Valuing Happiness (VH), might bring about negative well-being outcomes. However, there lacked consistent evidence to support VH's paradoxical effects beyond European American contexts. The current study aimed to investigate how VH influences individual well-being within a highly interdependent culture, and additionally, the moderating role of acceptance in their relationship. We surveyed 266 participants online to assess their levels of VH, acceptance (a facet of dispositional mindfulness), well-being (indicated by life satisfaction, hedonic balance, and psychological well-being), and depression symptoms. Results showed that VH positively predicted life satisfaction and positive affect in a Chinese sample, even controlling for age. Moreover, the interaction between VH and acceptance was significant for psychological well-being. VH had a stronger effect on well-being for people who were low in acceptance than for those who were high in acceptance. These findings suggest that being motivated by happiness values might enhance well-being in an interdependent context, particularly for those who were less likely to accept their internal experiences. Implications were discussed in light of the motivational processes involved in individual happiness pursuits.

Shifting Arrays of a Kaleidoscope: The Orchestration of Relational Value Cocreation in Service Systems

The predominant value discourse among scholars characterizes value cocreation as involving multiple actors at the micro-, meso-, and macrolevels in service systems. This research contributes to the knowledge of the interdependencies among multiple resource-integrating actors and value outcomes by employing a relational perspective on value cocreation within the empirical context of family caregiving. The findings reveal how interdependent actors orchestrate value cocreation in service systems, how this impacts value, and how orchestration precipitates system adjustments, which form the recursive context of value cocreation over time. We differentiate and delineate three multi-actor orchestration mechanisms— assembling, performing, and brokering—through which nonreferent beneficiaries coordinate value cocreation on behalf of dependent referent beneficiaries. We term the mutually generalized oscillating multiform negative and positive well-being outcomes that emerge from orchestration among interdependent actors as relational value. In employing the metaphor of the kaleidoscope to emphasize system dynamism, our discussion of relational value cocreation deepens our understanding of how nonreferent beneficiary-led orchestration, founded on generalized mutuality and on behalf of referent beneficiaries with reduced agency, enhances and balances multiform, oscillating and positive and negative well-being outcomes in service systems. This will help service practitioners facilitate orchestration and optimize value for all.

Diverting young men from gangs: a qualitative evaluation

Purpose Serious organised crime (SOC) costs the UK billions of pounds every year and is associated with significant negative health, social and well-being outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether young people can be diverted from involvement in SOC using preventive intervention approaches. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from semi-structured interviews with practitioners involved in a six-month intervention which specifically aimed to divert “at risk” young people away from SOC involvement. Findings Themes arising from the analysis are: risk and vulnerability factors associated with young people involved in organised crime; what worked well during this intervention; what outcomes, both hard and soft, were generated; as well as, the specific challenges to the success of preventive programmes’ success. Practical implications Overall, the study highlights the problematic nature of diverting “at risk” youths from SOC and provides recommendations for future preventive intervention work in the field of SOC. Specifically, it suggests that longer-term interventions, targeted at younger children, may generate better behavioural outcomes if they focus on building trusting relationships with credible support workers (i.e. have lived experience of SOC). Originality/value With a growing body of evidence suggesting that young people are being increasingly exploited for organised criminal purposes, an approach which prevents involvement in SOC makes theoretical and economic sense. However, little research has empirically tested its utility in practice. This study seeks to address this gap.

Mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring: Factors that explain the relation between perceived social support and well-being

Perceived social support has consistently been associated with better psychological well-being, but the pathway(s) through which social support increases positive psychological outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction) and reduces negative psychological outcomes (e.g., depression) remain unknown. Potentially, social support may encourage a more balanced, self-forgiving, and positive perspective, which may facilitate better well-being. We investigated the extent to which mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring accounted for the relation between perceived social support and psychological well-being, as assessed by multiple outcome measures, in college students in the U.S. In Study 1 (N = 1024), greater perceived social support was indirectly related to lower levels of negative psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, dysfunctional attitudes) through mindfulness. In Study 2 (N = 228), we replicated and extended these findings. Perceived social support was significantly associated with greater mindfulness, self-compassion, savoring, and positive psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., psychological well-being, subjective happiness), as well as lower levels of negative psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., depression, perceived stress). Furthermore, mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring each accounted for the association between perceived social support and these psychological well-being outcomes. These findings suggest three pathways through which perceived social support may improve psychological well-being.

Regulatory Focus and the Effect of Nutritional Messages on Health and Well-Being: The Case of Red Meat Intake.

The persuasiveness of nutritional messages varies according to individual regulatory focus. However, so far research has focused on the negative or positive valence of the message, while we lack research on the differential effectiveness of health vs. well-being messages. We tested whether messages centred on negative health or well-being outcomes influenced the intention to eat red meat, and whether participants' predominant regulatory focus moderated this effect. Participants (N=207; 83 males, 124 females; mean age=24.89, SD=7.76) completed a questionnaire measuring dietary preferences and predominant regulatory focus. They were then presented with different versions of a message describing the negative effects of excessive red meat consumption on either health or well-being. They rated their involvement in the message and intention to eat red meat. Participants with a prevalent prevention focus showed greater involvement and lower intention to eat red meat after reading health messages than after reading well-being messages. No such difference was found in participants with a prevalent promotion focus. Emphasising the avoidance of organic diseases appears to be an effective strategy to involve individuals and reduce their intention to eat red meat, especially when they have a predominant prevention focus.

Sexting, Web-Based Risks, and Safety in Two Representative National Samples of Young Australians: Prevalence, Perspectives, and Predictors.

BackgroundThe rapid uptake of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past decade—particularly the smartphone—has coincided with large increases in sexting. All previous Australian studies examining the prevalence of sexting activities in young people have relied on convenience or self-selected samples. Concurrently, there have been recent calls to undertake more in-depth research on the relationship between mental health problems, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and sexting. How sexters (including those who receive, send, and two-way sext) and nonsexters apply ICT safety skills warrants further research.ObjectiveThis study aimed to extend the Australian sexting literature by measuring (1) changes in the frequency of young people’s sexting activities from 2012 to 2014; (2) young people’s beliefs about sexting; (3) association of demographics, mental health and well-being items, and internet use with sexting; and (4) the relationship between sexting and ICT safety skills.MethodsComputer-assisted telephone interviewing using random digit dialing was used in two Young and Well National Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2014. The participants included representative and random samples of 1400 young people aged 16 to 25 years.ResultsFrom 2012 to 2014, two-way sexting (2012: 521/1369, 38.06%; 2014: 591/1400, 42.21%; P=.03) and receiving sexts (2012: 375/1369, 27.39%; 2014: 433/1400, 30.93%; P<.001) increased significantly, not sexting (2012: 438/1369, 31.99%; 2014: 356/1400, 25.43%; P<.001) reduced significantly, whereas sending sexts (2012: n=35/1369, 2.56%; 2014: n=20/1400, 1.43%; P>.05) did not significantly change. In addition, two-way sexting and sending sexts were found to be associated with demographics (male, second language, and being in a relationship), mental health and well-being items (suicidal thoughts and behaviors and body image concerns), and ICT risks (cyberbullying others and late-night internet use). Receiving sexts was significantly associated with demographics (being male and not living with parents or guardians) and ICT risks (being cyberbullied and late-night internet use). Contrary to nonsexters, Pearson correlations demonstrated that all sexting groups (two-way, sending, and receiving) had a negative relationship with endorsing the ICT safety items relating to being careful when using the Web and not giving out personal details.ConclusionsOur research demonstrates that most young Australians are sexting or exposed to sexting in some capacity. Sexting is associated with some negative health and well-being outcomes—specifically, sending sexts is linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, body image issues, and ICT safety risks, including cyberbullying and late-night internet use. Those who do sext are less likely to engage in many preventative ICT safety behaviors. How the community works in partnership with young people to address this needs to be a multifaceted approach, where sexting is positioned within a wider proactive conversation about gender, culture, psychosocial health, and respecting and caring for each other when on the Web.

The Complexities of "Minding the Gap": Perceived Discrepancies Between Values and Behavior Affect Well-Being.

Research on self-determination theory and clinical models such as acceptance and commitment therapy has shown that behaving in line with our values is a key to maintaining healthy well-being. Combining work on values and experimental studies on moral hypocrisy and well-being, we experimentally tested how behaving incongruently with values affects well-being. We hypothesized that discrepancies between how one thinks one should have behaved and how one reported one did behave would be more detrimental to well-being when the behaviors were value-expressive and motivationally coherent compared to a control condition; greater perceived gaps between how participants feel they should have acted and how they report they did act would be associated with more negative well-being outcomes; the relationship between value manipulation and well-being would be mediated by perceived behavioral gap; and that personal values would interact with value manipulation to produce differential effects on well-being. One-hundred and fifty-eight first-year psychology students participated in an experiment designed to highlight discrepancies between how participants have behaved in accordance with a certain value and how they think they should have behaved, before reporting their well-being. As hypothesized, greater discrepancies between reported past behavior and how participants thought they should have behaved was associated with negative affect and decreased reports of positive well-being. We found no evidence for differential effects of manipulated value-expressive behaviors on well-being, or for our hypothesis that personal values and manipulated value-expressive behaviors interact. Nevertheless, value content mattered in terms of inducing perceived behavioral gaps. Our study suggests that perceived discrepancies between any value and reported past behavior can have a negative impact on some aspects of well-being. We discuss how the application of our methodology can be used in further studies to disentangle the value-behavior nexus.

Is it always this cold? Chilly interpersonal climates as a barrier to the well-being of early-career women faculty in STEM

PurposeThe purpose of this project was to examine the extent to which early-career women faculty in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experience working in a chilly interpersonal climate (as indicated by experiences of ostracism and incivility) and how those experiences relate to work and non-work well-being outcomes.Design/methodology/approachData came from a sample of 96 early-career STEM faculty (Study 1) and a sample of 68 early-career women STEM faculty (Study 2). Both samples completed online surveys assessing their experiences of working in a chilly interpersonal climate and well-being.FindingsIn Study 1, early-career women STEM faculty reported greater experiences of ostracism and incivility and more negative occupational well-being outcomes associated with these experiences compared to early-career men STEM faculty. In Study 2, early-career women STEM faculty reported more ostracism and incivility from their male colleagues than from their female colleagues. Experiences of ostracism (and, to a lesser extent, incivility) from male colleagues also related to negative occupational and psychological well-being outcomes.Originality/valueThis paper documents that exposure to a chilly interpersonal climate in the form of ostracism and incivility is a potential explanation for the lack and withdrawal of junior women faculty in STEM academic fields.

Game Identity-Based Motivations of Playing World of Warcraft and Their Psychological Outcomes.

Previous studies have found that playing massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) such as World of Warcraft (WoW) can lead to socializing and enhanced connectedness as well as negative well-being outcomes. Motivations for achievement and socializing play central roles in playing MMOGs. Using data from a survey of 181 WoW players, this study examined the relationship among game identities, motivations for playing WoW, and psychological outcomes. Results from analyses of path models suggested that motivations for achievement and socializing were influenced by game identities. Although these motivations substantially explained the variance in players' sense of WoW community, these factors only explained a small portion of negative psychological well-being. This study attests to the possibility of utilizing identity-based motivations in online game studies to understand psychological outcomes for players.

Workplace Telepressure and Worker Well-Being: The Intervening Role of Psychological Detachment

Workplace telepressure—an employee’s preoccupation and urge to respond quickly to work-related messages via information and communication technologies (ICTs)—may be associated with negative well-being outcomes for workers. The present study expands upon past work on ICT-related stressors and worker well-being with an examination of the presumed role of lower psychological detachment from work in the relationships between workplace telepressure and negative worker outcomes. A three-wave web-based survey with 234 employed adults confirmed between-person associations between workplace telepressure and lower psychological detachment from work, higher levels of exhaustion (physical and cognitive), and more sleep problems. Moreover, results supported the predicted indirect effect of workplace telepressure to physical exhaustion and sleep problems through psychological detachment at the between-person level. Results also showed a negative indirect effect of workplace telepressure through psychological detachment on within-person variation in work engagement, despite the positive bivariate association between workplace telepressure and engagement (absorption). Finally, exploratory analyses suggested that workplace telepressure might be a stronger predictor of exhaustion when ICT connection demands at work are low. We discuss implications for workplace telepressure in terms of both health impairment and motivational processes with respect to work recovery.