Personality Domains Research Articles

Climate change beliefs, emotions and pro-environmental behaviors among adults: The role of core personality traits and the time perspective.

Climate change and its consequences are recognized as one of the most important challenges to the functioning of the Earth's ecosystem and humanity. However, the response to the threat posed by the climate crisis still seems inadequate. The question of which psychological factors cause people to engage (or not) in pro-environmental behavior remains without a comprehensive answer. The aim of this study is to establish the links between the cognitive (level of knowledge about climate change and degree of belief in climate myths), emotional (various climate emotions, especially climate anxiety) and behavioral aspects of attitudes towards the climate crisis and their determinants in the form of the Big Five personality domains and time perspectives. The stated hypotheses were verified by analyzing data collected in an online survey of 333 adults using knowledge tests and self-report methods, including psychological questionnaires (Climate Change Anxiety Scale by Clayton and Karazsia, Big Five Inventory-short version by Schupp and Gerlitz, and Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory by Zimbardo and Boyd), and measurement scales developed for this study (Climate myth belief scale, Climate emotion scale, and Inventories of current and planned pro-environmental activities). The results of stepwise regression analysis demonstrate the importance of the core personality traits and the dominant temporal perspective as determinants of belief in climate change myths, climate anxiety, as well as actual and planned pro-environmental behavior.

Emergency department Nurses’ narratives of burnout: Changing roles and boundaries

PurposeEmergency department nurses work in rapidly changing environments, which can contribute to occupational stress. Emergency department nurses utilise diverse strategies to mediate the impact of stress on their daily lives. There is a paucity of qualitative research which explores emergency department nurses’ experiences and perspectives of burnout. This study aimed to explore emergency department nurses’ experiences of burnout. Further, the study considered how emergency nurses conceptualised burnout and the strategies they used to manage the professional and personal effects of burnout. ProceduresThe COREQ research guidelines were used throughout the study from the design stage through to dissemination. Narrative inquiry was used as the underpinning theoretical framework. The researcher met individually with eight emergency department nurses from NSW hospitals to undertake a face-to-face semi-structured interview. An inductive approach was used to establish major themes within the narrative. FindingsTwo major themes were established: experiencing conflicting emotions and trying to establish a personal sense of control. Emergency nurses felt passionate about their professional roles, yet encountered difficulties due to management structures, time constraints and a sense of underappreciation. The misalignment between their expectations and the reality of emergency department nursing, resulted in experiences of burnout such as dissatisfaction and frustrations at work. Consequently, these nurses adopted diverse strategies within both their professional and personal domains. Principal conclusionsThe conclusions of this study are transferable to a variety of acute health services. Health service management have a role to promote a positive workplace culture for nurses, which advocates for home life balance. This will support nurses to construct clear boundaries between professional identity and their personal lives.

Multivariate associations between psychiatric drug intake and grey matter volume changes in individuals at early stages of psychosis and depression

IntroductionPsychiatric drugs, including antipsychotics and antidepressants, are widely prescribed, even in young and adolescent populations at early or subthreshold disease stages. However, their impact on brain structure remains elusive. Elucidating the relationship between psychotropic medication and structural brain changes could enhance the understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with such treatment.Objectives Investigation of the associations between psychiatric drug intake and longitudinal grey matter volume (GMV) changes in a transdiagnostic sample of young individuals at early stages of psychosis or depression using an unbiased data-driven approach.Methods The study sample comprised 247 participants (mean [SD] age = 25.06 [6.13] years, 50.61% male), consisting of young, minimally medicated individuals at clinical high-risk states for psychosis, individuals with recent-onset depression or psychosis, and healthy control individuals. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to obtain whole-brain voxel-wise GMV for all participants at two timepoints (mean [SD] time between scans = 11.15 [4.93] months). The multivariate sparse partial least squares (SPLS) algorithm (Monteiro et al. JNMEDT 2016; 271:182-194) was embedded in a nested cross-validation framework to identify parsimonious associations between the cumulative intake of psychiatric drugs, including commonly prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants, and change in GMV between both timepoints, while additionally factoring in age, sex, and diagnosis. Furthermore, we correlated the retrieved SPLS results to personality domains (NEO-FFI) and childhood trauma (CTQ).ResultsSPLS analysis revealed significant associations between the antipsychotic classes of benzamides, butyrophenones and thioxanthenes and longitudinal GMV decreases in cortical regions including the insula, posterior superior temporal sulcus as well as cingulate, postcentral, precentral, orbital and frontal gyri (Figure 1A-C). These brain regions corresponded most closely to the dorsal and ventral attention, somatomotor, salience and default network (Figure 1D). Furthermore, the medication signature was negatively associated with the personality domains extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness and positively associated with the CTQ domains emotional and physical neglect.Image:ConclusionsPsychiatric drug intake over a period of one year was linked to distinct GMV reductions in key cortical hubs. These patterns were already visible in young individuals at early or subthreshold stages of mental illness and were further linked to childhood neglect and personality traits. Hence, a better and more in-depth understanding of the structural brain implications of medicating young and adolescent individuals might lead to more cautious, sustainable and targeted treatment strategies.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Postictal recovery of orientation in person, place and time relates to restoration of cortical activity after electroconvulsive therapy

IntroductionMost patients show temporary impairments in clinical orientation (i.e., orientation in person, place, and time) after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced seizures. It is unclear whether postictal reorientation is related to electroencephalography (EEG) restoration. This tentative relationship may shed light on mechanistic aspects of reorientation after ECT.ObjectivesTo study whether postictal EEG restoration after an ECT-induced seizure is related to recovery of clinical orientation in the cognitive domains person, place and time.MethodsWe performed a longitudinal study in ECT patients and collected continuous postictal EEGs. Postictal EEG restoration was estimated by the evolution of the normalized alpha/delta ratio (ADR). Recovery of orientation in the cognitive domains of person, place, and time was assessed using the Reorientation Time (ROT) questionnaire. In each cognitive domain, a linear mixed model was fitted to investigate the relationship between ROT and postictal EEG restoration. In these models, other (ECT-)parameters including seizure duration, use of benzodiazepines and electrode placement were included.ResultsIn total, 272 ictal and postictal EEG recordings of 32 patients were included. In all domains, longer ROT was associated with slower postictal EEG recovery. Longer seizure duration and use of benzodiazepines were related to longer ROT in all domains. Increased total charge of the ECT-stimulus was associated with increased ROT in place and age was positively associated with ROT in time.Image:Image 2:ConclusionsWe show a relationship between restoration of the postictal EEG and clinical reorientation in person, place and time after ECT-induced seizures. This indicates that clinical reorientation probably depends on gradual cortical synaptic recovery. Increased seizure duration and the use of benzodiazepines were also related to increased ROT values. Longer seizures and use of benzodiazepines may induce longer postictal synaptic depression.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Most people's life satisfaction matches their personality traits: True correlations in multitrait, multirater, multisample data.

Despite numerous meta-analyses, the true extent to which life satisfaction reflects personality traits has remained unclear due to overreliance on a single method to assess both and insufficient attention to construct overlaps. Using data from three samples tested in different languages (Estonian, N = 20,886; Russian, N = 768; English, N = 600), we combined self- and informant-reports to estimate personality domains' and nuances' true correlations (rtrue) with general life satisfaction (LS) and satisfactions with eight life domains (DSs), while controlling for single-method and occasion-specific biases and random error, and avoiding direct construct overlaps. The associations replicated well across samples. The Big Five domains and nuances allowed predicting LS with accuracies up to rtrue ≈ .80-.90 in independent (sub)samples. Emotional stability, extraversion, and conscientiousness correlated rtrue ≈ .30-.50 with LS, while its correlations with openness and agreeableness were small. At the nuances level, low LS was most strongly associated with feeling misunderstood, unexcited, indecisive, envious, bored, used, unable, and unrewarded (rtrue ≈ .40-.70). Supporting LS's construct validity, DSs had similar personality correlates among themselves and with LS, and an aggregated DS correlated rtrue ≈ .90 with LS. LS's approximately 10-year stability was rtrue = .70 and its longitudinal associations with personality traits mirrored cross-sectional ones. We conclude that without common measurement limitations, most people's life satisfaction is highly consistent with their personality traits, even across many years. So, satisfaction is usually shaped by these same relatively stable factors that shape personality traits more broadly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Art Collector of Colonial Korea: Pak Yŏngch’ŏl’s Art Collecting and Museum

Pak Yŏngch’ŏl (1879-1939) was a high-ranking government official, businessman and prominent art collector during the modern period. After Pak’s passing in 1940, his family donated Tasan mun’go (the Tasan Collection) to Keijō Imperial University in accordance with his will. The collection was comprised of 115 artworks, which included calligraphy, paintings, and craft items, along with a fund of 20,000 won. Pak’s financial support laid the foundation for the establishment of the Keijō Imperial University Museum two years later. Both the donation of his collection and the subsequent founding of the museum distinguish Pak Yŏngch’ŏl from contemporary Korean collectors. This study sheds light on Pak Yŏngch’ŏl’s character as an art collector and his perception of the museum based on a detailed investigation of the Tasan Collection housed at the Seoul National University Museum.Pak Yŏngch’ŏl did not actively participate in the appreciation and collection of art until the age of fifty. He began collecting art around 1928, coinciding with his appointment as the vice president of Chosŏn Commercial Bank. Pak then spent the next decade focused on building his collection. This study focuses on Pak Yŏngch’ŏl’s inspection tour of European countries in 1928, which was the catalyst that spurred his considerable devotion to the collection of art. During the tour, Pak Yŏngch’ŏl had the opportunity to experience various museums symbolizing modern civilization in Europe. The Louvre Museum in particular, which was first opened to the public and renown for its outstanding collection, seemed to have informed Pak of the value of art. The cultural treasures exhibited in the public spaces of museums would have reminded Pak that the preservation of historical artifacts is one of the indicators of civilization.In the pre-modern period, the appreciation and collection of calligraphy and painting were typically private activities limited to the individual’s personal domain. However, the political and social changes brought about in the modern period redefined art collecting within a public context. Pak Yŏngch’ŏl, who formed a collection and donated it with the purpose of establishing a museum, epitomizes the shift in perceptions of art collection in Colonial Korea.

It’s more than just food: the role of food among Chinese international students’ acculturation experiences in the UK and USA

ABSTRACT Food is an indispensable element in every culture. However, it is often regarded as trivial, mundane, and inconspicuous in daily life and, in turn, its role has often been overlooked in intercultural research. Through the lens of food culture, this paper draws insights from three independent yet related studies which investigated Chinese international students’ acculturation experiences in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (USA). Semi-structured individual interviews analyzed thematically were conducted with 23 participants in the UK and 29 participants in the USA. By applying the concepts of “invisible learning” and “unconscious competence” to food in Chinese international students’ acculturation experiences, we highlight the crucial hidden learning and engagement opportunities to enrich the current appreciation of student sojourners’ acculturation experiences. Findings in this paper suggest that food serves as a meaningful invisible or unconscious but powerful acculturation pathway in the personal, psychological, and social domains, which support these learners’ acculturation experiences and facilitate their competence development in new cultural environments. Arguably, understanding this nuanced dimension could better assist student sojourners in developing more effective acculturative strategies, and for host universities or other stakeholders to better support international students with more diverse opportunities and resources.

Examining Youth Flexible ACT Model Implementation in the Netherlands

Model adherence is a key indicator of mental health care quality. This study investigates the degree of model adherence, as well as content and staging of care, among the first Youth Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams in the Netherlands. Model fidelity was assessed in sixteen teams with the Youth Flexile ACT model fidelity scale (2014 version). Mental health workers completed a ‘content of care questionnaire’ to map the interventions applied in the teams. Model fidelity scores revealed that twelve teams adhered to the Youth Flexible ACT standard with ‘optimal implementation’ (≥ 4.1 on a 5 point scale) and four teams with ‘adequate implementation’. Most disciplines were well integrated within the teams; however, several items regarding the involvement of specific disciplines and the availability of treatment interventions (peer support worker, employment and education specialist and programs, family interventions, integrated dual disorder treatment) scored below the optimum. Frequency of contact during ACT and the use of Routine Outcome Monitoring instruments scored below the optimum as well. The ‘content of care’ data showed that most clients received an individual psychological intervention, and nearly half of the client sample received scaled-up / intensified ACT care. The findings indicate a predominantly successful translation of care from the theoretical Flexible ACT framework into practice, covering both ACT and non-ACT functions. Further room for improvement lies in the incorporation of specialized disciplines in the personal and social recovery domains, including the peer support worker and employment and education specialist, as well as in specific protocolled interventions.

Differences in olfactory functioning: The role of personality and gender

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between the gender and personality traits of individuals and their ability to detect, identify, and discriminate odors. The dataset on olfactory performance was compiled from a panel of 207 healthy human volunteers. The dataset for the odor identification test was collected using a set of 10 distinct odorants, and the odor discrimination test dataset was collected using a well‐established “Sniffin sticks” (Burghardt®, Wedel, Germany) odor discrimination test kit. To assess the Big Five personality traits of study participants, a self‐report survey questionnaire based on the International Personality Item Pool‐Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness (IPIP‐NEO) was used. Here, we conducted a statistical analysis to investigate the role of personality measures and gender on olfactory performance, as well as the relationship between olfactory performance and perceived odor intensity, pleasantness, and familiarity. The findings of the study suggest the existence of some relationships between gender and personality traits and odor discrimination and identification, but not odor detection. Conscientiousness and openness to experience personality traits were positively correlated with odor identification, while agreeableness and conscientiousness personality traits were positively correlated with odor discrimination. The extroversion personality scale was negatively correlated with odor discrimination. Additionally, male participants performed better than females in odor identification tasks, while females performed better in odor discrimination. The neuroticism personality domain was associated with odor identification tasks in males but not in females when analyzed separately. Correct identification of odors was also associated with their perceived familiarity.Practical ApplicationsThe results of this study may have important practical implications for a range of industries, including the fragrance and food industries. These findings may help tailor products to specific consumer preferences based on personality and gender, enhancing product appeal. Further, the fragrance and food industries can develop targeted marketing campaigns using fragrances and flavors associated with particular personality types or genders. Similarly, product testing can also be improved by representing a diverse range of personality types and genders to obtain more accurate feedback. The study insights can further guide the development of flavor and taste pairings that resonate with specific personality and gender groups. Overall, by considering olfactory differences related to personality and gender, the fragrance and food industries can segment their target markets more effectively and design products that appeal to different consumer groups.

Developing interconnectedness is critical in retaining rural general practitioners: A qualitative thematic analysis of recently recruited general practitioners to South East New South Wales, Australia.

Australia, in common with many countries globally, has a shortage of doctors working rurally. Whilst strategies and current research focus on recruitment, attrition from rural practice is a significant determinant of such shortages. Understanding doctors' decisions to stay or leave, once recruited, may provide further insights on how to address this rural differential. This study comprises a qualitative study of 21 recently recruited nationally-trained doctors and international medical graduates to a rural area of New South Wales, Australia. Interviews focused on their experiences prior to and within rural practice, and how these influenced their future career intentions. We used reflexive thematic analysis with each interview coded by two researchers to build an explanatory framework. Our findings comprise five themes which applied differentially to nationally-trained doctors and international medical graduates: connectedness across professional, personal and geographic domains, how multi-faceted connectedness was, and dissonance between participants' expectations and experiences. Amongst nationally-trained doctors, connectedness stemmed from prior rural experiences which engendered expectations founded upon their ability to develop community-level relationships. Experiences were mixed; some described difficulties maintaining a boundary between their personal and professional lives, which encroached upon their ability to embed within the community. International medical graduates' expectations were cultivated by their pre-conceptions of Australian postgraduate training but they lamented a lack of professional opportunities once in practice. Moreover, they described a lack of professional relationships with local, nationally-trained, doctors that could help them embed into rural practice. This study highlighted that when connectedness occurs across professional, geographic and personal domains doctors are more likely to continue rural practice, whilst illustrating how the importance of each domain may differ amongst different cadres of doctor. Supporting such cadres develop supportive interrelationships may be a low hanging fruit to maximise retention.

Intervening Effect of Maladaptive Personality on the Relationship Between Defense Styles and Psychiatric Symptoms Among Prisoners

Background: Prison settings are stress-inducing environments that make individuals more vulnerable to psychopathology. Defense styles and personality traits have long been associated with psychopathology. The current study aimed to explain the intervening role of maladaptive personality domains on the relationship between defense styles and psychiatric symptoms among male convicts imprisoned in nine Central Jails of Punjab, Pakistan. Method: Through cross-sectional design, data was collected through purposive sampling. 509 respondents (who were serving their sentence for the crime committed) with a Mean age of 35 years (10.21) provided data on self-reported translated versions of the Cross-Cutting Symptoms Measure, Personality Inventory for DSM 5 - Adult version (Short Form), and Defense Style Questionnaire. Results: Findings of the mediation analysis showed that negative affectivity, disinhibition, and psychoticism mediated the relationship between immature defense style and psychiatric symptoms whereas moderation analysis showed a significant interactional effect of antagonism with mature and neurotic defense style on psychiatric symptoms exclusively. Implication: Findings have highlighted that defense styles and certain personality domains intervene to have a combined indirect effect on psychiatric symptoms. The study also contributes to the literature by specifying the interactional effect of antagonism and mature defense style on predicting psychiatric symptoms.

Exploring the Complex Interplay of Procrastination between Biological, Cognitive, Developmental, Social, and Psychological Factors

Procrastination is a common behavior that affects individuals in various aspects of life, with persistent procrastination having cumulative negative impacts. Through a literature review, a sizable percentage of adults worldwide are chronic procrastinators, which increases their chance of suffering from mental conditions, including melancholy, anxiety, depression, and low self-confidence. On top of these detrimental effects on people's mental well-being, procrastination has been shown to negatively impact one's physical health, social interactions, and productivity. This paper investigates the complex interplay between biological, cognitive, developmental, social, and psychological factors in procrastination. The main findings of this review paper were: 1) Biological and cognitive factors play a significant role in procrastination behavior, 2) Procrastination affects performance in various domains, including the workplace, academic, and social spheres, and 3) Utilizing modern technologies such as brain imaging and sentiment analysis can enhance our understanding of procrastination and its effects across different demographics. Future studies in this area can gain insight into the underlying mechanisms and a more thorough understanding of procrastination's manifestations and effects across different demographics. By doing this, psychologists can create more potent interventions and ways to lessen procrastination's many detrimental effects, enhancing people's quality of life in the academic, professional, and personal domains. Understanding and addressing procrastination is crucial, given its far-reaching impacts and prevalence in modern society.

The Featural Life of Nominals

We introduce a novel locality violation and its repair in Southeastern Sierra Zapotec: an object pronoun cannot cliticize when the subject is a lexical DP. We develop an account in which pronouns and lexical DPs interact with the same probe because they share featural content. In particular, we suggest that the Person domain extends to include nonpronominal DPs, so that all nominals are specified for a feature we call [δ] (to resonate with DP), while all and only personal pronouns are specified for [π]. This account aims to unify the locality violation with the Weak Person-Case Constraint (PCC), as well as parallel constraints based on animacy, and requires a departure from Chomsky’s (2000, 2001) classical system of featural covariation (Agree). A functional head must be able to overprobe—that is, interact with more than one goal, even if its requirements appear to be met. We introduce a probe activation model for Agree in which, after applying once, the operation can apply again, subject to certain restrictions. We compare probe activation with two other systems recently proposed to account for overprobing: Deal’s (2015, 2022) “insatiable probes” and Coon and Keine’s (2021) “feature gluttony.” Neither can account for the locality pattern in Zapotec.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Lifetime Exposure to Trauma and the Development of Pathological Personality Traits

ABSTRACT Gender differences in the prevalence, types and outcomes of traumas have consistently been reported in the literature. Other research has documented that exposure to trauma is associated with the development and maintenance of pathological personality traits. In the current study, we examined the moderating role of gender in the association between lifetime exposure to trauma and pathological personality traits. The sample included 148 clients who sought treatment at a community mental health clinic. All participants completed online questionnaires including demographic information, the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ), and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF) at the entry to treatment. Our findings documented a significant association between exposure to trauma and pathological personality traits in men, but not in women. Furthermore, this pattern of results was specifically evident within two personality domains: antagonism and detachment. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of the interplay between trauma, gender, and the development of pathological personality traits. They expand upon the growing knowledge about the mental health crisis among boys and men by shedding light on the unique vulnerabilities that men face in response to traumatic experiences and how these experiences can have a lasting impact on their adaptive functioning. Consequently, at the clinical level, the current study emphasizes the importance of paying particular attention to men’s trauma histories and explicitly exploring these during the intake session.

Making cities mental health friendly for adolescents and young adults

Urban life shapes the mental health of city dwellers, and although cities provide access to health, education and economic gain, urban environments are often detrimental to mental health1,2. Increasing urbanization over the next three decades will be accompanied by a growing population of children and adolescents living in cities3. Shaping the aspects of urban life that influence youth mental health could have an enormous impact on adolescent well-being and adult trajectories4. We invited a multidisciplinary, global group of researchers, practitioners, advocates and young people to complete sequential surveys to identify and prioritize the characteristics of a mental health-friendly city for young people. Here we show a set of ranked characteristic statements, grouped by personal, interpersonal, community, organizational, policy and environmental domains of intervention. Life skills for personal development, valuing and accepting young people’s ideas and choices, providing safe public space for social connection, employment and job security, centring youth input in urban planning and design, and addressing adverse social determinants were priorities by domain. We report the adversities that COVID-19 generated and link relevant actions to these data. Our findings highlight the need for intersectoral, multilevel intervention and for inclusive, equitable, participatory design of cities that support youth mental health.

Fostering Psychological Literacy and Student Well-Being Through the First-Year Course Connecting and Working with Nature: A Case Study

Within psychology education, there is a growing focus on undergraduate students’ psychological literacy; enabling students earlier in their psychological training to directly apply their learning to their lives and in addressing contemporary societal challenges. This growing focus was a key driver for the creation of the course “Connecting and Working with Nature”. This course is a fully online, first-year psychology course that explores the human–nature relationship and sought to grow students’ knowledge and skills relating to nature connectedness and well-being while simultaneously supporting the development of their psychological literacy. To evaluate the course in relation to fostering students’ psychological literacy across personal, professional and community domains, we utilised a range of data sources including surveys, work samples, and focus groups. The findings generated through our mixed methods analyses support that our students did indeed foster their psychological literacy and draw connections between the content and their own lives, across all three domains. Courses that explore the human–nature relationship are well suited to the early development of psychological literacy. This course provided learning experiences that were tangible for all students, while also being a “safer” domain within which to ask students to begin applying their newfound psychological knowledge and skills.

From Bildungsroman to Bildungsromance: Physical and Affective War in Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees

The bildungsroman has dominated the Nigerian literary landscape since the 1990s with novels such as Chimamanda N. Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2004), Unoma Azuah’s Sky-High Flames (2005), Chika Unigwe’s Night Dancer (2012), and Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees (2015). These coming-of-age stories place a special emphasis on the national evolution of Nigeria. Thus, by delving into such interrelation of the national and personal domains, I propose to theorize Under the Udala Trees as a “bildungsromance,” or novel of affective and romantic development. I use the term “bildungsromance” to describe the growth of Okparanta’s protagonist, Ijeoma, as intrinsically associated with the experiences gathered from her affective attachments both in the public and the private spheres. I will analyze Ijeoma’s sentimental relationships as she discovers and naturalizes her queer identity. For this, I will delve into the negative affects − in the form of fear, shame and guilt (Braidotti 2009, 50) − that influence Ijeoma’s experience as a result of her non-conforming to the dictums of Nigerian customary laws. Ironically, such negative affects will be introduced as tightly associated with “the promise of happiness” (Ahmed 2010, 14). In turn, I shall underline the role of Ijeoma’s intimate and romantic relationships in prompting positive forms of affect such as self-love and pride. These affective experiences allow Ijeoma to acquire a critical perspective towards Nigerian customary laws and their impact on identity formation and on what has been referred to as the “democratisation of the private sphere” (Giddens 1992, 184). Ultimately, I will hinge upon Ijeoma’s awareness of her own affective advancements as a key element in her bildungsromance.

Walking the talk for dementia: A unique immersive, embodied, and multi-experiential initiative.

Coping with dementia requires an integrated approach encompassing personal, health, research, and community domains. Here we describe "Walking the Talk for Dementia," an immersive initiative aimed at empowering people with dementia, enhancing dementia understanding, and inspiring collaborations. This initiative involved 300 participants from 25 nationalities, including people with dementia, care partners, clinicians, policymakers, researchers, and advocates for a 4-day, 40km walk through the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.A 2-day symposium after the journey provided novel transdisciplinary and horizontal structures, deconstructing traditional hierarchies.The innovation of this initiative lies in its ability to merge a physical experience with knowledge exchange fordiversifying individuals' understanding of dementia.It showcases the transformative potential of an immersive, embodied, and multi-experiential approach to address the complexities of dementia collaboratively. The initiative offers a scalable model to enhance understanding, decrease stigma, and promote more comprehensive and empathetic dementia care and research.

Burnout in emergency department personnel—A continuing concern post pandemic

AbstractIntroductionHigh incidences of burnout has been reported amongst emergency department (ED) personnel during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Emerging from the pandemic, organisational support for psychological health may dwindle and become secondary to economic priorities. We aimed to ascertain the level of burnout within ED staff at our hospital, identify professional groups, which were more vulnerable and domains, which contributed most towards burnout.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional study approximately 8 months after major moves to remove COVID‐19 restrictions in Singapore. Data was collected via a self‐administered survey employing the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Demographics, occupational details, work satisfaction and motivation to stay in the job were also collected and analysed.ResultsA total of 115 ED staff participated. Overall CBI score was 62.3 ± 22.0. Scores for personal, work‐related and client burnout were 64.9 ± 23.2, 61.6 ± 23.1 and 60.4 ± 26.1, respectively. A total of 44.5% had to take medical leave because of burnout. Nurses had higher overall CBI scores than doctors (67.5 ± 20.5 vs. 54.6 ± 23.0, p = 0.01). Those who were satisfied with their present job had lower overall CBI scores compared to those not satisfied (42.7 ± 17.9 vs. 84.0 ± 14.4, p < 0.001). Overall CBI scores were also lower in those motivated compared with those not motivated to continue in their current job (50.1 ± 16.3 vs. 79.0 ± 15.1, p < 0.001).ConclusionED staff continue to record high rates of burnout as we transit out of the pandemic. Accompanying rates of medical leave and low levels of motivation to remain in the job are serious occupational health concerns. Factors contributing to burnout in at risk groups such as nurses should be further analysed. High mean CBI scores in the personal and work domains indicate that related factors contribute most towards burnout and interventions should be focused accordingly.

Analyzing Professional Well-being: The Intersection of Demographics, Work-Life Balance and Job Satisfaction

Background: Work-life balance (WLB) is a multifaceted and contemporary phenomenon where individuals strive to attain balance among their personal, professional, and social domains. Unfortunately, it hasn’t received significant consideration. This study aimed to investigate and comprehend the impact of demographics on WLB and work satisfaction amongst medical and dental professionals. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was performed between medical and dental professionals in Karachi from January to March 2023. The questionnaire consisted of demographics, work details, work satisfaction-related questions, and psychological and support questions, which were evaluated using a 3-point Likert scale. Analysis was done using SPSS software version 26 with p<0.05. The chi-square test and Pearson correlation test were employed to observe the association pattern. Results: A total of 383 out of 385 responses (99.4%) were included in the study. Females constituted 51.3% and males made up 48.7% of the sample. Of those, who belonged to the dental department 71% and 29% belonged to the medical department. In this sample, variables such as marital status (p=0.044), department (p<0.001), and dependents (p=0.010) were found to be significant with WLB score. In contrast, gender (p=0.032), marital status (p=0.022), and dependents (p<0.001) were significant with work satisfaction scores. Conclusion: A notable correlation was observed between demographics and work-life balance score (WLB). Institutions are encouraged to prioritize initiatives that increase awareness among their staff and nurture a stress-free environment to enhance well-being, contributing to individual satisfaction and organizational growth.