Positive Aspects Of Well-being Research Articles

Evaluation of a gallery-based Arts Engagement program for depression

ABSTRACT Objective Engagement with the arts has gained recognition as a promising avenue for addressing the social determinants that contribute to and maintain mental health concerns. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of a gallery-based Arts Engagement program specifically for individuals living with depression. Methods Thirty two participants were randomly assigned to two terms of the program. Individual interviews and the group-based visual matrix format were utilised to generate qualitative data, which was subjected to thematic analysis. Results Participants identified that the program helped them feel more included, positively impacted their sense of identity, and counteracted negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioural patterns. Furthermore, the gallery, as a culturally important, non-medical institution, acted as a powerful destigmatizing agent. Conclusion Our results demonstrate how community-based, non-clinical art programs may be promising in promoting recovery from depression. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: Social prescribing has been shown to improve positive aspects of wellbeing, such as social connection and self-esteem, while also decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Social prescribing provides an important augmentation to traditional psychological intervention. Engagement with the arts is a promising avenue for addressing the social determinants that contribute to and maintain mental health concerns. What this topic adds: Gallery-based programs can support wellbeing, through social inclusion, connectedness, and hopefulness. Gallery-based programs have the potential to counteract negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioural patterns. Basing programs in culturally important, non-medical institutions, such as public art galleries, can serve as a destigmatizing agent and contribute towards self-esteem and belonging.

Advancing and translating knowledge: a systematic inquiry into the 2010–2020 mental health and psychosocial support intervention research evidence base

MHPSS is increasingly seen as a critical component to effective and responsible humanitarian programming. This review examines the extent to which MHPSS research generated since 2010 has contributed to the public health evidence base and how this has influenced and impacted programming and policy in humanitarian settings. This mixed-method study included a scoping literature review (n = 50) and a consultation process with qualitative key informant interviews (n = 19) and online survey responses (n = 52) to identify the facilitating and inhibiting factors for the two areas of inquiry and to understand the broader context in which knowledge is generated and taken up. The interviews were thematically analysed and the survey responses were descriptively analysed. The review identified a rapidly growing evidence base that has evaluated a range of MHPSS interventions. However, few studies examined long-term impacts of interventions, there was limited direct evidence on outcomes for children and adolescents and whole family approaches, and there were minimal replications of the same approach that could test efficacy across settings and population groups. A general shift was identified in the consultation process away from a focus on disorder towards the more positive aspects of wellbeing. However, there remained a mismatch in many studies included in the literature review, whereby the interventions were broad, community-based but the outcome measures used still focused on changes in symptoms of mental disorders. The evidence base for MHPSS has grown significantly over the last 10 years. However, several knowledge gaps remain, as does the divide between research and practice. Moving forward, MHPSS intervention research needs to be more responsive to the needs on the ground.

Job stress and well-being among internal migrant workers in China: A review and meta-analysis.

This review synthesized the findings from twenty-one studies of the associations between job stress and well-being among migrant workers in China. We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the correlations between two types of job stress (i.e. high job demands and lack of job resources) and two aspects of well-being (i.e. positive aspects and negative aspects). The results revealed a modest but significant association between job stress and positive aspects of well-being (r=-.179), and a modest but significant association between job stress and negative aspects of well-being (r=.256). Importantly, the association between job stress and negative aspects of well-being was larger than the association between job stress and positive aspects of well-being. Neither association was moderated by the indicators of job stress or by a set of study characteristics and sample characteristics. The findings contribute to the literature by clarifying the inconsistent findings of occupational health psychology research regarding the effect of job stress on Chinese migrant workers' well-being. The findings suggest that future studies should distinguish the differential effects of job stress on positive versus negative aspects of well-being.

Meaningful work and well-being: a study of the positive side of veterinary work

ObjectivesMental health is a growing concern in many healthcare professions, including veterinary medicine, as research suggests that veterinarians report higher levels of distress, burnout and suicidal ideation than other healthcare...

Positive and negative aspects of well-being as correlates of breast reconstruction decision

The aim of the study was to explore the role of positive and negative aspects of well-being in a breast reconstruction decision, described in terms of the trans-theoretical model of change (TTM). The study comprised 216 women after total mastectomy in the cross-sectional design. The positive aspects of well-being were measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale; the negative aspects were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-Anxiety scale). The multinomial logistic regression analyses were implemented, and the action stage was chosen as a relevant category. McFadden's pseudo R-squared for positive, negative and combined aspects of well-being models equalled 0.28, 0.13 and 0.27, respectively. For the first model, the differential effects were observed for well-being, age and relationship status (54 % correctly classified cases), whereas for the model with negative aspects-only age and well-being (44 % correctly classified cases). For a model combining two aspects of well-being, the pattern was similar to the one observed for positive well-being (53 % correctly classified cases). The likelihood of classifying women in the action stage rather than in the pre-contemplation stage was determined by three variables: being in a relationship, better well-being and younger age. For the contemplation stage, the same relations were obtained for well-being and age. Finally, for the preparation stage, the well-being effect disappeared. The results suggest that positive rather than negative aspects of well-being, after control for sociodemographic variables, may be significant correlates of breast reconstruction decision.

Self-Compassion

Self-compassion has been linked to both positive aspects of well-being and less psychopathology in nonclinical samples. Although this construct has begun to be investigated in case studies, the clinical correlates of self-compassion for those with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have yet to be explored. This study aimed to explore the relationship between self-compassion, symptoms, and insight in individuals with schizophrenia. A total of 88 participants with either schizophrenia (n = 51) or schizoaffective disorder (n = 37) who were enrolled in a study of metacognition at a Midwestern Veterans Affairs medical center completed measures of self-compassion and insight, along with a symptom interview. Higher self-compassion scores were associated with lower scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive, excitement, and emotional discomfort symptom scales in addition to poorer insight. Implications for treatment and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The role of positive emotions and clinical psychology: Vital hut undervalued

In this paper we outline the vital but under-appreciated role that an understanding of positive emotions, and their dysfunctions, can play in clinical psychology. Positive affects are functionally distinct from the negative affects that are the usual focus of our work. Basic research on positive emotions suggests that positive affects play a critical role in the capacity for flexible behaviour and new learning, as well as the capacity to be motivated by distal goals. In this respect, positive affects are vital to adaptive behaviour, and often act to buffer individuals against stress. The role of low levels of positive affect in vulnerability to depression and schizophrenia is explored, as is the importance of assessing the capacity for positive experience for diagnostic processes. Finally, we describe a recently developed extension of cognitive behavioural techniques, known as “Well being therapy” that focuses on enhancing the client's ability to achieve well being across a wide variety of domains, including environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance and positive relations with others. These techniques appear to very promising for treating a variety of psychological disorders, and may have specific relevance for the prevention of relapse. If clinical psychology is to embrace a definition of health that includes not just the absence of disease, but also values positive aspects of well-being and optimal functioning, then a greater focus on the role of positive emotion in psychological disorder and its treatment will be vital.