Personal Life Domains Research Articles

Professional–personal boundary work: Individuals torn between integration and segmentation

What drives individuals to work until late at night or during holidays, and how do they stop work or keep work commitment in its place? This qualitative study examines boundary work between the professional and the personal life domains. Drawing on interviews with 26 academics employed at a university, we identify various boundary work drivers and tactics. Norms prevailing in the professional field, career requirements and high workloads, as well as strong intrinsic passion for science drive individuals to work long hours and to blend the professional–personal boundary. At the same time, individuals try to establish boundaries to ensure productivity and one’s health, or meeting family and personal life needs. Furthermore, our research reveals three patterns of the relationship between integration and segmentation. Firstly, individuals utilize segmentation to restrict integration, employing sophisticated tactics such as self-deception or self-isolation to shield themselves from the negative repercussions of excessive integration. Secondly, segmentation tactics can not only restrict integration but also enable it, for instance through the creation of ‘free’ times and spaces. Thirdly, individuals sometimes also utilize integration to enable segmentation. Our findings expand boundary theory by identifying manifold boundary-work drivers and tactics and by revealing that integration and segmentation are not just two opposing poles of a continuum but they are mutually connected, restricting or enabling one another.

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND EARLY MID-LIFE BLACK WOMEN’S SLEEP QUALITY: A CONSIDERATION OF INTERSECTIONAL MEASURES

Abstract Beyond an individual behavior, scholars are progressively conceptualizing sleep as embedded in social factors. Extant research establishes that sleep is influenced by experiences based on status characteristics such as gender or race along with psychosocial stressors such as discrimination. Moreover, sleep is important in the context of gender and racial disparities, as Black women experience relatively poorer sleep quality compared to their Black male and White counterparts. Given their relatively poor sleep quality, this presentation will center Black women by examining how psychosocial factors influence their subjective sleep quality in early mid-life, an important life course stage characterized by significant role obligations in personal and professional life domains. This presentation also takes an intersectional approach, examining the sleep implications of two recently developed measures that capture the unique intersectional oppression of Black women: Superwoman Schema and gendered racial microaggressions. To assess the association between these intersectional psychosocial factors and subjective sleep quality, data are drawn from Mechanisms Underlying Stress and Emotions (MUSE) in African-American Women’s Health Study, a cohort of 422 Black women (ages 30-46) in Atlanta, GA, USA. Preliminary findings suggest that both Superwoman Schema endorsement (e.g., feeling obligated to help others) and reports of gendered racial microaggressions (e.g., feeling marginalized and silenced in professional settings) are related to poor subjective sleep quality. Moreover, these associations remain even after adjusting for various factors including, but not limited to, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and social support. Study implications and future research directions will be discussed.

An Empirical Analysis of Work-life Balance on Work from Home during Covid-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study on Men and Women

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous changes and challenges to male and female employees. The idea of work-life balance means, that a human’s life outside of the job is equally important to their work life and that the amount of time spent working should be evenly divided by the amount of time spent doing things, such as occupied hours with friends and family, exercising, and other similar ventures. Amongst other challenges, attaining satisfaction and balance is a key challenge. Aim: The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of men's and women's work-life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the theoretical framework of which is the work-life balance theory, which asserts that individuals should have an equitable distribution of time and energy between their work and personal life domains. The theory emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance to promote overall well-being and satisfaction Methodology: The current study is descriptive, empirical, and quantitative. The data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 200 working men and women employees. The latest PLS method was also used to analyse the obtained data. Results: The findings reveal that women experience more workload than men because of their personal involvement in their jobs through the period of working from home. Notably, there were no gender variances in the connection between work interruptions and personal life. It was found that the organization could help to reduce work interference with personal life and that by doing so, employees’ work-life unevenness could be reduced to some level. Practical and Social Implication: Given the possibility of employees experiencing psychological stress, a company could consider arranging for a trained professional to provide online counselling. Such a strategic initiative by a company during stressful times could motivate employees. The environment may also aid employees in maintaining their psychological welfare Conclusion: Many prior studies have examined the nature of WLB and the psychological and behavioural disorders that employees face. This study aimed to investigate the work-life balance in which employees were mandated to work from home during the -19 pandemic.

A REVIEW ON COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE, MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND THE PRESCRIPTION PATTERN FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disease marked by cognitive dysfunction, negative and positive symptoms. A person's perspective of their own place in life is reflected in their perception of their quality of life, which encompasses a wide range of factors including personal values and life domains. Cognitive functions are required to perform in the spheres of personal, social and occupational activities of everyday life, while the patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia they are having cognitive impairment, if the patient having severe cognitive impairment, in those patients quality of life affected because quality of life is directly proportional to the cognitive impairment and this can be traded with oral and injectable antipsychotic prepations. Medication Adherence also is one of the major problem in this condition, if the patient doesn’t take the medication properly or suddenly stop the medication the cognitive functions will be impaired and this will cause of decrees the quality of life to the patients.

Media Literacy: Concept, Theoretical Explanation, and its Importance in the Digital Age

Nowadays, when the flow of fake news in traditional media and on social media platforms has increased dramatically, media literacy skills are more important than ever. Media literacy promotes the critical thinking skills that enable people to make independent choices, in particular how to evaluate and choose different information sources and channels, as well as how to interpret the news and information received through those channels. For instance, the advent of new media technologies has brought drastic and dramatic changes in the media landscape globally. Digital media advancements (Multimedia, social media, and communication technologies) have permeated the aspect of human life (social, political, economic, and cultural). The cultural practices of doing things, learning, and personal life domains receive a significant influence from digitally enhanced communities. Most scholars agree that, at its core, media literacy depends on both knowledge and skills. In particular, individuals need to acquire knowledge about key facets of the mass media phenomenon, such as media industries, media messages, media audiences, or media effects. Also, they should be able to apply this knowledge when accessing, analysing, and evaluating all kinds of media messages. The theoretical explanation of media literacy discourages the protectionist approach and recognises and acknowledges the sociocultural effect of media in our mass-mediated society. The theoretical focus of media literacy bases on three aims, first, facilitating democracy, participation, and active citizenship. Second, knowledge economy, competition and choice, and lastly, lifelong learning, cultural expression, and personal fulfilment. The current article draws on the existing literature to explore the concept of media literacy, the theoretical explanation of media literacy, and the importance of media literacy in the digital age

In-session gaming as a tool in treating adolescent problematic gaming.

For some adolescent gamers, playing online games may become problematic, impairing functioning in personal, family, and other life domains. Parental and family factors are known to influence the odds that adolescents may develop problematic gaming (PG), negative parenting and conflictual family dynamics increasing the risk, whereas positive parenting and developmentally supportive family dynamics protecting against PG. This suggests that a treatment for adolescent PG should not only address the gaming behaviors and personal characteristics of the youth, but also the parental and family domains. An established research-supported treatment meeting these requirements is multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), which we adapted for use as adolescent PG treatment. We report here on one adaptation, applying in-session gaming. In-session demonstration of the "problem behavior" is feasible and informative in PG. In the opening stage of therapy, we use in-session gaming to establish an alliance between the therapist and the youth. By inviting them to play games, the therapist demonstrates that they are taken seriously, thus boosting treatment motivation. Later in treatment, gaming is introduced in family sessions, offering useful opportunities to intervene in family members' perspectives and interactional patterns revealed in vivo as the youth plays the game. These sessions can trigger strong emotions and reactions from the parents and youth and give rise to maladaptive transactions between the family members, thus offering ways to facilitate new discussions and experiences of each other. The insights gained from the game demonstration sessions aid the therapeutic process, more so than mere discussion about gaming.

Professional–Personal Boundary Work: Academics Torn Between Integration and Segmentation

What drives individuals to work until late at night or during holidays, and how do they stop work or keep work commitment in its place? This qualitative study examines boundary work between the professional and the personal life domains. Drawing on interviews with 26 academics, we identify various boundary work drivers and tactics. Norms prevailing in the professional field, career requirements and high workloads, as well as strong intrinsic passion for science – the libido sciendi – drive people to work long hours and to blend the professional–personal boundary. Whereas work–life integration is the ‘default mode’ in academia, individuals use segmentation as an active counter-strategy aimed at ensuring productivity and one’s health, or meeting family and personal life needs. They adopt sophisticated segmentation tactics including self-tricking or locking oneself in to protect themselves from negative side-effects of too much integration. However, segmentation tactics can not only restrict integration but also support it, for instance through the creation of ‘free’ times and spaces. Our findings expand boundary theory by identifying manifold boundary-work drivers and tactics and by revealing that integration and segmentation are not just two opposing poles of a continuum but they are mutually connected, limiting or enabling one another.

Chinese older adults' personal–family life balance and its associations with social networks: The moderating role of internet use

AbstractThis study used nationally representative data from the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey 2018 to examine how activity patterns in the personal and family life domains were associated with social networks among Chinese older adults and whether internet use changed these relationships. Using latent class analysis, we identified four activity patterns, including Personal‐centered Activity class (14.37%), Low Activity class (58.06%), Family‐centered Activity class (19.24%), and Balanced Activity class (8.33%). Multivariate analyses revealed that the Personal‐centered Activity and Low Activity classes were associated with looser family ties compared with the Family‐centered Activity class, whereas the Balanced Activity class was associated with closer friendship ties. Internet usage was significantly associated with stronger family and friendship ties in the Low Activity group. Intervention programs to address the digital divide and engage older adults with limited offline social engagement in online communications may have positive effects on maintaining or expanding their social networks.

The mediating role of the work-family conflict in the relationship between technostress and psychological well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic context

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic changes both for work and employees’ personal and family life domains. In this context, this research investigates the mediating role of the work-family conflict in the relationship between technostress creators (techno-overload and techno-invasion) and psychological well-being. We conducted a survey of 217 employees and the results indicated that the work-family conflict fully mediated the relationship between techno-overload and psychological well-being, thus strongly affecting the psychological well-being of employees in the context of exposure to the stress generated by ICTs overload. Similar results were identified regarding the mediating role of work-family conflict in the relationship between techno-invasion and psychological well-being. The findings suggest the need to increase the coping capacity of employees with technostress and their psychological well-being by reducing the work-family conflict and technostress.

Enactors or reactors? Work-life border management for women in law in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Work-family border theory casts individuals as protagonists who are enactive rather than reactive in shaping borders between work and personal life domains. To what extent is this the case in strongly patriarchal contexts that constrain women’s personal agency? This qualitative study conducted with 32 female lawyers, magistrates and justices in Nigeria shows how participants engage in new border management tactics in response to context-specific institutional and social factors. Faced with public harassment and physical assault in a country where violence against women is normalised, female legal professionals restructure family borders to extend no further than their homes and retain police attachés as border-keepers. When their families are reconfigured via nonconsensual polygamous marriages, women’s work borders are strengthened by co-wives performing domestic labour and family borders are strengthened by co-wives’ assistance with job tasks, thereby reducing participants’ work-family conflict. Rather than strategically enacting work-life borders within known situational constraints, Nigerian female legal professionals react to involuntary events that limit their agency to negotiate desired work and personal lives.

A Life Course Approach to Understanding Volunteering Practices Among Ethnic-Racial Minority Immigrants on the US-Mexico Border

Drawing insights from the life course perspective, this study examined individual and contextual factors that shaped volunteering practices among ethnic-racial minority immigrants across their life course. Using purposive sampling, 40 ethnic-racial minority immigrants at various stages of adulthood (18–65 years old) were recruited from a southwestern U.S. state on the US-Mexico border in 2018 to participate in an in-depth interview to better understand how their personal experiences, ecologies, and life histories influenced their volunteering practices. Grounded Theory Method was used to analyze the data. Overall, the participants’ volunteering propensities were influenced by (1) significant life events that served as turning points that motivated their desire to help, (2) linked lives in connection with their personal and professional life domains, (3) human capital and agency that served as their resources in volunteering and access to volunteering opportunities, and (4) the context that made volunteering conducive.

Measuring the Impact of COVID-19 on Siyan Mental Health Patients Using the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory: Survey Study.

BackgroundRecent research has shown that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation on people’s mental health are quite extensive, but there are limited studies on the effects of the pandemic on patients with mental health disorders.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals who have previously sought treatment for a mental health disorder.MethodsThis study uses the newly developed Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory (EPII) survey. This tool was designed to assess tangible impacts of epidemics and pandemics across personal and social life domains. From November 9, 2020, to February 18, 2021, a total of 245 adults recruited from a mental health clinic completed the consent form and responded to the survey link from the Siyan Clinical Corporation and Siyan Clinical Research practices located in Santa Rosa, California, USA.ResultsWe found that the least affected age group included individuals aged 75 years or older. This was followed closely by the 65- to 75-year-old age group. People with children under the age of 18 years also reported both more negative indicators associated with the pandemic and more positive indicators compared to those without children at home. Gender queer, nonconforming, and transgender individuals may also be at higher risk for more negative impacts associated with the pandemic. When respondents were assessed with regard to their mental health diagnosis, no differences were noted. Substance use also increased during the pandemic.ConclusionsIn conclusion, the data collected here may serve as foundational research in the prevention, care, and treatment of mental health disorders during pandemics such as COVID-19. Populations such as those with previously diagnosed mental health disorders are particularly at risk for negative effects of pandemic-related stressors such as social isolation, especially if they have children in the household, are part of a younger age group, or have substance use disorder. Gender may also be a factor. Further, the EPII survey may prove to be a useful tool in understanding these effects. Overall, these data may be a critical step toward understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations with a mental health diagnosis, which may aid mental health practitioners in understanding the consequences of pandemics on their patients’ overall well-being.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04568135; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04568135

The Sober Professor: Reflections on the Sober Paradox, Sober Phobia, and Disclosing an Alcohol Recovery Identity in Academia

Fueled by stigma, individuals in, or seeking recovery from addiction struggle with disclosure across personal and professional life domains. Guided by the concepts of stigma and alcogenic environments, this paper explores the risks, benefits, and paradoxes of disclosing an alcohol addiction recovery identity from the perspective of an assistant professor in a Canadian university context. It argues that disclosure can be a promising way to strengthen personal recovery, combat self and public stigma, help build community, model authenticity and transparency in teaching and research roles, shift university drinking culture, and provide a safer environment for others to disclose and/or seek help for addiction. Policy and practice recommendations are provided.

Wellbeing Conceptualizations in Family Medicine Trainees: A Hermeneutic Review

Phenomenon High levels of burnout have been widely reported among postgraduate medical trainees, however relatively little literature has examined what ‘wellbeing’ means for this group. Moreover, the literature that does exist has generally overlooked the potential role of specialty factors in influencing such conceptualizations. This is particularly true for family medicine and general practice trainees – a specialty considered to be unique due, in part, to its focus on community-based care. The present review sought to explore conceptualizations of wellbeing specifically within the context of family medicine and general practice training. Approach The Embase, Ovid Medline, and PsycINFO databases were searched from inception to November 2019 for literature examining wellbeing in family medicine and general practice trainees. Literature was iteratively thematically analyzed through the process of a hermeneutic cycle. In total, 36 articles were reviewed over seven rounds, at which point saturation was reached. Findings The findings confirm the complex and multifaceted nature of wellbeing as experienced by family medicine and general practice trainees. An emphasis on psychological factors – including emotional intelligence, positive mental health, self-confidence and resilience – alongside positive interpersonal relationships, rewards, and balanced interactions between trainees’ personal and professional demands were deemed critical elements. Insights A model of wellbeing that emphasizes rich connections between trainees’ personal and professional life domains is proposed. Further qualitative research will help to extend current understanding of wellbeing among medical trainees, including the individuality of each specialty’s experiences, with the potential to enhance interventional efforts.

Work-Life Balance : A Review and Future Research Agenda

This article aimed to provide an integrated review of the research in the area of work-life balance (WLB) that has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. It has been due to contemporary demographic, technological, environmental changes and also due to heightened concern among individuals for greater balance in work and personal life domains. WLB is a holistic concept that focuses on integrating the work and personal life activities of the individuals. This study contributed to the area of the work-life interface by scrutinizing the conceptualization of the key constructs, their meaning, and the influence of various antecedents and their consequences. Besides, this article also highlighted significant gaps and recommended avenues for future research. While reviewing this topic, it was observed that most prominently, researchers have put more emphasis on work-family conflict (WFC), while the WLB concept has received less attention in work-life research. Determinants of the work-life interface such as organizational domain predictors, dispositional (individual) predictors, life domain predictors, and demographic predictors are the prominent research areas in this field. The outcomes of the work-life interface identified in this field included work domain predictors and non-work domain predictors. The majority of the research studies in this field have taken place in developed economies in contrast to developing economies. Empirical research with regression-based models for analysis is the most popular research design.

Artificial intelligence and robots in individuals' lives: how to align technological possibilities and ethical issues

PurposeThis paper reports the panel discussion on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots in our lives. This discussion was held at the Digitization of the Individual (DOTI) workshop at the International Conference on Information Systems in 2019. Three scholars (in alphabetical order: Ting-Peng Liang, Lionel Robert and Suprateek Sarker) who have done AI- and robot-related research (to varying degrees) were invited to participate in the panel discussion. The panel was moderated by Manuel Trenz.Design/methodology/approachThis paper introduces the topic, chronicles the responses of the three panelists to the questions the workshop chairs posed and summarizes their responses, such that readers can have an overview of research on AI and robots in individuals' lives and insights about future research directions.FindingsThe panelists discussed four questions with regard to their research experiences on AI- and robot-related topics. They expressed their viewpoints on the underlying nature, potential and effects of AI in work and personal life domains. They also commented on the ethical dilemmas for research and practice and provided their outlook for future research in these emerging fields.Originality/valueThis paper aggregates the panelists' viewpoints, as expressed at the DOTI workshop. Crucial ethical and theoretical issues related to AI and robots in both work and personal life domains are addressed. Promising research directions to these cutting-edge research fields are also proposed.

Social Workers’ Encounters with Elder Abuse and Neglect: Giving Meaning to Their Experiences

Abstract This article examines Israeli social workers’ experiences of their encounters with elder abuse survivors and its impact on professional and personal aspects in the social workers’ lives. Participants were seventeen experienced women social workers, who intervened with elder abuse and neglect. Data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data analysis revealed three main themes: (i) ‘Sensing the Pain’: Exposure to the Complexity of Clients’ Life-Long Suffering; (ii) Taking Home the Pain: Social Workers Dwelling with the Sensitivity of the Encounter with Elder Abuse and (iii) ‘Caring for Them, and Letting Them Be Part of My World’: The Encounter as Resonating in Social Workers’ Professional and Personal Life Domains. Social workers’ experiences of complex, sensitive encounters with elder abuse survivors appear to be a multidimensional challenge, involving both burden and growth. This notion can leverage the client–helping professional relationship, thus enriching and shaping social workers’ personal and professional worlds.

Socializing Singlehood: Personal, Interpersonal, and Sociocultural Factors Shaping Black Women’s Single Lives

Popular discourse characterizes single Black women as desperate and dysfunctional, constructions of single status that reinforce broader stereotypes of Black women. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about how Black women define singlehood for themselves. The relative omission of Black women’s self-defined experiences of unmarried life from research is a gap that limits scholarly understandings of singlehood and Black women’s lives. To address this gap, 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with single, cisgender, heterosexual Black women aged 25–46 years from diverse educational and marital history backgrounds. Thematic analysis yielded nine themes across sociocultural (complex portrayals and liberation), interpersonal (advice, support, and judgment), and personal (purpose, security, freedom, and frustration) life domains. Participants enacted a range of strategies in unmarried life including strategic singlehood, the intentional practice of maintaining single status to foster growth, maintain freedom, or ensure safety. Differences in singlehood were observed by maternal status, age, and marital history. Findings suggest singlehood is socialized through scripting and gendered racial socialization processes. Media featuring single Black women, advice and judgments from family, and shifting gender roles for women contributed to single socialization processes. Study findings suggest new directions for practice, research, and policy. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684320939070

Analyzing the concept of spillover effects for expanded inclusion in health economics research.

Background: The incorporation of spillover effects in health economic research is recognized by regulatory agencies as useful for valuing health interventions and technologies. To date, spillover effects are not universally used within economic evaluations and conceptual definitions of spillover effects are vague within the context of health economics research. Materials & methods: In an effort to enhance awareness of spillover effects for health economic evaluations, a concept analysis using Walker and Avant's approach was performed to elucidate the key attributes, definitions, antecedents and consequences of spillover effects across a range of disciplines. Results: Key attributes included lack of intention, positive and negative impacts, and two entity/domain involvement. Antecedents included an initial action and desired outcome. Consequences involved spillovers across industries, work life to personal life domains, patient to family member domains and across healthcare markets. Conclusion: The analysis provides greater clarification around the dimensions of spillover effects and reveals opportunities to enhance methodological approaches to assessing spillovers.

Work-to-non-work spillover: the impact of public service motivation and meaningfulness on outcomes in work and personal life domains

ABSTRACTThis study examines why, and when, public service motivation (PSM) has spillover effects from employees’ work lives into their personal lives. Drawing on a dual conceptualization of meaningfulness, we propose and examine the relationship of PSM with meaningfulness of work through processes of realization and justification. Analyses of 253 matched dyads of policing employees and spouses support the proposed mediation effect of meaningfulness of work from PSM to job satisfaction, individual initiative (i.e. task-related behaviours after work), and psychological detachment from work in non-work time. Job autonomy is found to compensate for PSM in predicting meaningfulness and these outcomes.