Positive Psychological Functioning Research Articles

Medical assistants’ comic styles and their potential for positive functioning at work: a cross-sectional study including a subgroup analysis

BackgroundMedical assistants are essential for the healthcare system. However, they face several working demands every day, for which they need resources to cope. While several studies show that humour can be a resource for healthcare professionals, studies on humour styles/comic styles in healthcare are scarce. But, as humour styles (e.g., light vs. dark) may have varying – and even negative – effects on positive psychological functioning, it is important to investigate their individual potential for medical assistants. Thus, this study investigates the relationships between medical assistants’ comic styles and their positive psychological functioning at work.MethodsApplying a cross-sectional design we assessed German medical assistants’ eight comic styles (i.e., benevolent humour, fun, wit, nonsense, irony, satire, sarcasm, cynicism) and facets of positive psychological functioning (e.g., well-being, feeling of competence). We analysed relationships between the variables by means of Pearson correlations, ANCOVAs and hierarchical regressions. All analyses were conducted with the total sample (N = 608; completion rate 44%) as well as a large subsample of medical assistants working in general medicine (N = 263).ResultsWhile most of the light styles (e.g., benevolent humour) relate positively to most facets, the dark style sarcasm relates negatively. The other dark styles showed coefficients around zero or even slightly positive ones (e.g., satire). Most relationships were also prevalent in the subgroup of medical assistants working in general medicine.ConclusionsThe eight comic styles might have varying potential for medical assistants’ positive psychological functioning at work, with benevolent humour being most adaptive and sarcasm being maladaptive. This study points to the relevance of raising attention regarding the (mal-)adaptiveness of different comic styles of healthcare professionals. Trainings of professionals (e.g., vocational education and training of medical assistants) might integrate the topic of humour (i.e., foster benevolent vs. caution against sarcastic humour) to build and maintain this helpful resource which professionals can use as a tool to master various challenges of everyday work (e.g., cope with stressful situations).

Protective Factors in the Context of Childhood Bereavement: Youth Gratitude, Future Orientation, and Purpose in Life.

The objective of the study was to examine potential associations between positive youth development constructs (gratitude, future orientation, purpose in life) and psychological functioning (posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, maladaptive grief reactions) among bereaved youth and test whether these associations vary by age. A diverse sample of 197 clinic-referred bereaved youth (56.2% female; M = 12.36, SD = 3.18; 36.1% Hispanic, 23.7% White, 20.1% Black, 11.9% Multiracial, and 8.2% another race/ethnicity) completed self-report measures of psychological functioning and positive youth development constructs. Linear regression models indicated that gratitude and purpose were associated with lower posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms among bereaved youth. Future orientation was associated with higher posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results were consistent across age. If replicated longitudinally, gratitude and purpose may be important protective factors against negative mental health outcomes in the aftermath of losing a loved one.

Psychology of Religion: The Relationship Between Islamic Spirituality and Psychological Well-Being

Psychological well-being is an indicator of individual well-being to meet the criteria for positive psychological functioning. One of the factors that can fulfill a positive psychological function is the presence of a high spirit of spirituality which is assisted by the ability to interpret life which cannot be separated, such as carrying out the values of truth and goodness to achieve prosperity. The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between spirituality and psychological well-being. Respondents in this study totaled 115 people consisting of 32 male and 83 female Muslim respondents with an age range of 18-25 years. In this study, the Ryff scale of psychological well-being and the Swinton scale of spirituality was used. The data collection method uses two scales, namely the spirituality scale and psychological well-being. Data were analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment correlation technique. The results show that the correlation between psychological well-being and Islamic spirituality is 0.528 with a significance value of 0.000. It is known that the correlation is classified as a fairly strong correlation, meaning that there is a fairly strong relationship between psychological well-being and Islamic spirituality. Keywords: relationship, psychological well-being, islamic spirituality

How Do Older Parents With One Child Live? The Well-Being of Chinese Elders Affected by the One-Child Policy

China’s One-Child per couple policy (OCP) has created a generation of one-child families, and these parents are now getting old. How do they live? This study examined the well-being of this cohort with four indicators: subjective (life satisfaction), mental (depression), physical (health), and psychological well-being (positive psychological functioning). Data were collected from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), and parents aged 60 and above were included. We examined the well-being of one-child older adults compared with those having multiple children across age groups and investigated the effects of children support and rural-urban difference. Compared with those with multiple children, one-child older adults were not at a disadvantage. They were significantly better in mental and physical well-being, with no difference in subjective or psychological well-being. One-child parents had a more stable pattern of subjective and mental well-being across age groups (60–64, 65–69, 70+). Among the three types of support, emotional support significantly predicted psychological well-being. Furthermore, urban older adults, of whom the majority were one-child parents, valued much more emotional support than their peers in rural areas. The findings suggest that the generation of Chinese older adults affected by the OCP live fairly well, and the parental status may shift older adults’ focus on filial piety expectations.

Relationship between gender roles, motherhood beliefs and mental health.

Gender roles, as social constructs, play a significant role in shaping individuals' beliefs and attitudes, influencing various aspects of life, including perceptions and expectations surrounding motherhood. These beliefs, acquired through culture and society, can have an impact on our mental well-being. This research consists of three independent studies conducted in the Mexican population. In the first and second studies, we extended the Attitudes Towards Gender Roles Scale and Motherhood Beliefs Scale and performed psychometric validation through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The aim of including additional items in both scales was to update these attitudes and beliefs in Mexican culture to avoid the traditionalist bias in both instruments. Finally, the third study examined the relationship between the new versions of both scales and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and Positive Psychological Functioning as indicators of mental health in women and men with and without children. Our findings revealed a significant association between higher levels of traditional attitudes towards gender roles and traditional motherhood beliefs, as well as between non-traditional attitudes towards gender roles and non-traditional beliefs about motherhood. Interestingly, we observed that traditional attitudes toward gender roles were associated with lower anxiety and depression scores, while non-traditional attitudes were associated with higher levels of depression. Furthermore, individuals who embraced non-traditional attitudes towards both gender roles and motherhood beliefs tended to exhibit better psychological well-being in all subsamples. Additionally, women generally showed lesser alignment with traditional attitudes towards both gender roles and motherhood beliefs compared to men. However, women reported higher rates of depression and anxiety, along with lower psychological well-being scores, than their male counterparts. This highlights the significant influence that traditional cultural norms about gender roles and motherhood have on women's mental health, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding and reevaluation of these traditional constructs in society.

The Difficulties in Interpersonal Regulation of Emotions Scale (DIRE): Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance across Gender and Two Chinese Youth Samples.

Effective interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) strategies have been found to be meaningful predictors for positive psychological functioning. The Difficulties in Interpersonal Regulation of Emotions Scale (DIRE) is a measure developed to assess maladaptive IER strategies. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of DIRE using two college student samples (Sample 1: n = 296; Sample 2: n = 419). The two-factor structure of DIRE (venting and excessive reassurance-seeking) was confirmed through an exploratory structure equation modeling approach. Our results demonstrated that the Chinese version of DIRE exhibits a similar factor structure (in both samples) as the original DIRE. Measurement invariance across gender and samples was also achieved. Latent mean analyses demonstrated that females more frequently reported excessive reassurance-seeking (in both samples) and venting (in Sample 1) than males. Furthermore, venting and excessive reassurance-seeking were significantly related to intrapersonal emotion regulation and well-being indicators. Although in Chinese culture DIRE performs somewhat differently from the original DIRE, the current findings suggest that DIRE is a reliable and valid scale with which to measure the IER strategies in Chinese culture and the use of this measure in clinical practice may allow for an accurate assessment of emotion regulation deficits in clients from other diverse cultures.

Life satisfaction of family business members: The role of socioemotional wealth goals and psychological functioning

ABSTRACT Family businesses offer affective benefits to family business owners and family members employed at their family’s businesses. However, little is known about whether the pursuit of “Socioemotional Wealth” (hereafter “SEW”) goals in family businesses relates to the psychological functioning and life satisfaction of family business owners/members. Utilizing a self-determination theory perspective, this study examines whether the pursuit of SEW goals is associated with life satisfaction of family business owners/members through intrinsic psychological needs fulfillment and positive psychological functioning in terms of purpose in life, personal growth, mastery, positive relations, and autonomy. Following a quantitative methodology, survey data was collected from 175 family business owners/family members employed in their family’s business in the United States. Results of PLS-SEM show that SEW goals have a significant positive association with subjective well-being and that psychological functioning fully mediates this relationship. This study adds to our understanding of mental health of family business owners/members and individual-level outcomes of SEW.

SELF-COMPASSION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG EMPLOYEES IN COMPANIES IMPLEMENTING LAYOFFS

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to mass layoffs in companies worldwide, including Indonesia, which has been further exacerbated by the global recession in 2023. These mass layoffs not only impact the mental well-being of affected employees but also the psychological state of those still employed in related companies. Previous studies have shown that the uncertain employment situation creates feelings of worry, demotivation, difficulty sleeping, and unexplained anger. This study focuses on the importance of self-compassion, which encourages individuals to accept their imperfections and negative emotions without drowning in them. The research using Spearman’s correlation, conducted in Jakarta with a sample size of 101 active employees whose companies have recently carried out mass layoffs, found a significant positive relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being of employees in companies that have terminated employment (r = 0.821, p < 0.05). The study suggests that self-compassion can be an adaptive strategy to promote well-being and positive psychological functioning during difficult times. Further research could explore different data collection techniques and study subjects.

Risk and protective processes in the link between racial discrimination and Chinese American mothers' psychologically controlling parenting.

Racial-ethnic minority parents' experiences with racial discrimination may function as a contextual stressor that negatively impacts psychological functioning to shape less effective parenting practices, including the use of more psychological control. Moreover, various factors can enhance or diminish psychological functioning in the face of racial discrimination. Accordingly, we examined the associations between Chinese American mothers' experiences of racial discrimination and three subdimensions of psychologically controlling parenting by considering the mediating roles of negative (depressive symptoms) and positive (psychological well-being) psychological functioning and the moderating role of maternal acculturation toward the mainstream culture (AMC) as a protective factor. Participants comprised 226 Chinese American mothers of preschoolers (Mage = 37.65; SDage = 4.39). Two separate moderated-mediation models with depressive symptoms or psychological well-being as mediators were tested using maximum-likelihood estimation. Findings revealed significant direct positive associations between racial discrimination and all three subdimensions of psychological control (love withdrawal, guilt induction, and shaming practices), as well as indirect associations through depressive symptoms but not psychological well-being. Importantly, the indirect associations were further moderated by maternal AMC. Results illustrate the importance of incorporating the contextual stressor of perceived racial discrimination in parenting determinant models and examining specific and nuanced processes in understanding the role of psychological adjustment. Support for Chinese American mothers' engagement in and access to various resources in the mainstream cultural context may help alleviate the adverse impact of racial discrimination on mothers' psychological health and ultimately on their negative parenting behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Deep rest: An integrative model of how contemplative practices combat stress and enhance the body's restorative capacity.

Engaging in contemplative practice like meditation, yoga, and prayer, is beneficial for psychological and physical well-being. Recent research has identified several underlying psychological and biological pathways that explain these benefits. However, there is not yet consensus on the underlying overlapping physiological mechanisms of contemplative practice benefits. In this article, we integrate divergent scientific literatures on contemplative practice interventions, stress science, and mitochondrial biology, presenting a unified biopsychosocial model of how contemplative practices reduce stress and promote physical health. We argue that engaging in contemplative practice facilitates a restorative state termed "deep rest," largely through safety signaling, during which energetic resources are directed toward cellular optimization and away from energy-demanding stress states. Our model thus presents a framework for how contemplative practices enhance positive psychological and physiological functioning by optimizing cellular energy consumption. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Closing a chapter? A protocol for a longitudinal mixed methods study on retirement from elite sport

Retirement from elite sport represents a major life transition for athletes and requires them to redefine their central life projects, identities, and perhaps even sources of meaning in life. Although an extensive body of literature has identified risk and protective factors in career termination, little is known about the more subjective processes and individual pathways of athletes as they establish their new relationship with work-life and sport. The planned longitudinal mixed methods study follows Swiss elite athletes’ transition with a focus on understanding (1) the relationship between psychological resources, life situations at the end of the sports career, and the retirement process; (2) how athletes’ post-retirement vocational careers interact with their subjective careers and sense of meaningful work; (3) how athletes reconstruct their identities and relationship with sport over time; and (4) how gender shapes athletes’ pathways and reorientation of their life design.Using a person-oriented approach combined with narrative inquiry, we expect to identify specific types and stories which demonstrate individual differences in career and personal development throughout the transitional period, an understanding of which can be targeted towards support programmes for retiring elite athletes. As the study centralises dimensions of positive psychological functioning (meaning and purpose in life/sport/work, resilience, life satisfaction), it complements previous studies focused on psychological distress and provides much needed knowledge that can be used to foster well-being in athletic retirement. Collaborating with the Swiss Olympic Association helps to ensure that the research findings will be disseminated to relevant end-users and used towards developing socially sustainable elite sport for the future generations.

24 Associations Between Positive Psychological Factors and Neurocognitive Functioning in Older Adults

Objective:Psychological wellness and strong cognitive skills are both important to successful aging. Although there are well-established relationships between psychiatric illness (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD) and cognitive dysfunction, few studies have focused on the relationships between positive psychological factors and neurocognitive function in older adults. Our goal was to explore associations between these two sets of measures in older adults.Participants and Methods:Participants (n=111) were part of a longitudinal study of biopsychosocial functioning in independently living older adult residents of a Continuing Care Senior Housing Community. Participants were administered a cognitive screening test (Montreal Cognitive Assessment; MoCA), a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and a set of published self-report scales measuring positive emotional and psychological function. Neuropsychological scores were appropriately normed, and composite scores were calculated for the following domains: language (Boston Naming Test, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System [D-KEFS] Verbal Fluency), attention/working memory (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV [WAIS-IV] Digit Span, DKEFS Visual Scanning), learning and delayed recall (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised), processing speed (WAIS-IV Coding, D-KEFS Trails Number and Letter Sequencing, D-KEFS Color-Word Interference Test Color and Word Naming), and executive function (D-KEFS Color-Word Inhibition and Inhibition/Switching, DKEFS Letter/Number Switching). Self-Report scales included the Perceived Stress Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies in Depression Scale, Emotional Support Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Coping Humor and Self-Efficacy Scales, Personal Mastery Scale, Meaning in Life Scale, Self-Rated Successful Aging, Satisfaction with Life, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and Lifetime Orientation Test-Revised. Due to the large number of psychological functioning measures, dimension reduction was undertaken via principal component analysis, resulting in a two-factor solution. Bivariate Pearson correlations were then computed between the two factor scores and each neurocognitive variable.Results:Factor 1 consisted of variables reflecting Positive Subjective Functioning. A higher score on Factor 1 (indicating higher self-rating of successful aging, fewer perceived cognitive failures, fewer reported depressive symptoms, less perceived stress/anxiety, more perceived emotional support, more satisfaction with life, more meaningfulness in life, and more search for meaning in life) was associated with better attention/working memory (r=0.226, p=0.049) and executive function (r=0.242, p=0.035). Factor 2 consisted of variables that reflected Positive Coping Skills. A higher score on Factor 2 (indicating more happiness, higher optimism, greater resilience, higher sense of personal mastery, more use of humor as a coping strategy, and greater coping self-efficacy) was associated with better performance on tests of language (r=0.325, p=0.004), learning (r=0.313, p=0.006) and delayed recall (r=0.241, p=0.035) of visual and verbal information, and better MoCA performance (r=0.440, p<0.001). Neither factor was associated with processing speed.Conclusions:Higher levels of subjective functioning and positive outlook/coping skills were associated with better neuropsychological performance. Given that late life is a time of risk for cognitive decline, future research should consider the influence of positive psychological functioning on neurocognitive outcomes and vice versa, as these relationships may have neurobiological and therapeutic implications for overall function in later life.

Mapping the Path to Cognitive Balance: Applying the States of Mind Model and Network Analysis to Eating Disorder Patients.

Background: In eating disorders (EDs), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) represents one of the first-line treatment options albeit with sub-optimal results. The assessment of cognitive balance through an index measuring increased adaptive thinking and reduced maladaptive thinking, the desired outcomes, and the ultimate goal of CBT treatments warrants attention. The states of mind model (SOM) provides a framework through which a cognitive balance index can be defined. The current cross-sectional controlled study tested the clinical utility of the SOM model in a sample of ED outpatients. Methods: ED outpatients (n = 199) were assessed at baseline with the attitudes and beliefs scale-2 (ABS-2) for rational beliefs (RBs) and irrational beliefs (IBs), from which a SOM ratio score index (RBs/(RBs + IBs)) was calculated, the eating disorder inventory-3 (EDI-3) for ED symptoms and ED-related psychopathological features, the psychological well-being scales (PWB) for positive psychological functioning. A matched control sample (n = 95) was also assessed with the ABS-2. Results: ED patients exhibited significantly lower SOM and RB scores compared to controls. Network analysis results highlighted the centrality of the SOM-cognitive balance index, PWB-self-acceptance, and EDI-3-general psychological maladjustment, as well as the importance of the influence that cognitive balance and general psychological maladjustment exert on each other. Conclusions: The findings support the clinical utility of the SOM ratio applied to cognitions in EDs. This demonstrates its ability to differentiate such patients from controls and in capturing worse ED-related general psychopathology as well as compromised aspects of psychological well-being, in particular self-acceptance and environmental mastery. It thus might be considered in CBT treatment of EDs a potential cognitive clinimetric and clinical index of ED severity indicating key difficulties in counteracting maladaptive thinking with adaptive thinking.

The Mediating Role of Positive Psychological Functioning in the Relationship between Moods, Extreme Compensation, and Emotional Repression and Resilience in Patients with Digestive Cancer: A Descriptive Study

The Mediating Role of Positive Psychological Functioning in the Relationship between Moods, Extreme Compensation, and Emotional Repression and Resilience in Patients with Digestive Cancer: A Descriptive Study

Does the Empowering Function of the Belief in a Just World Generalise? Broad-base Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Evidence

AbstractThe empowering function of the belief in a just world for the self (BJW-self) has been suggested as one mechanism by which BJW-self promotes positive psychological functioning for the individual. In this investigation we seek to understand if this empowerment function generalises to a broad range of positive and negative psychological variables and whether the function can be observed outside of tightly controlled experimental designs. We use a mix of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs (N = 840) to test these aspects of the empowerment function. In Sample 1 we find support for the positive indirect effect of BJW-self on life satisfaction, optimism, and resilience through empowerment. Similarly, BJW-self has a negative indirect effect on depression, anxiety, and stress through empowerment. These findings are broadly replicated in Sample 2. A subsample of Sample 1 completed measures again after one year (Subsample 3) allowing for a longitudinal test of the empowerment function. Findings provide mixed support for the empowering contribution of BJW-self to adaptive outcomes over time. Theoretical implications are discussed, as well as the important methodological and measurement issues that require attention for the individual differences study of BJW to progress effectively.

Resisting Fear: The Role of Problem-Solving Appraisals in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression

The COVID-19 pandemic represented a global public health emergency and was associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Individual differences in response to traumatic stressors can be attributed to subjective cognitive appraisals. The current study investigated the role of problem-solving appraisals in the association between COVID-19-related fear and mental health outcomes. Participants were university students (N = 322). They completed a web-based survey comprising the Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale, the fear of COVID-19 scale, the problem-solving inventory, the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist, and the satisfaction with life scale. Correlational analysis revealed that a heightened fear of COVID-19 was related to greater PTSD and depressive symptoms and a lower life satisfaction. Self-appraised ineffective problem-solving was associated with higher levels of PTSD and depression and a lower life satisfaction. Problem-solving appraisal moderated the relationship between fear of COVID-19, life satisfaction, PTSD, and depression, respectively. The findings suggest that problem-solving appraisals are a protective resource and have the potential to promote positive psychological functioning among young adults.

Hope, proactive personality, coping styles, and satisfaction with life among veterans during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces are an at-risk population given their increased mental health concerns resulting from their military service. However, there has been limited research conducted with this population during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine aspects of positive psychological functioning with 132 U.S. veterans during COVID-19 using Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional model of stress and coping. Specifically, we examined the personal resources of hope and proactive personality, two coping styles, and satisfaction with life. We performed correlation analyses to determine how these constructs related to each other. We also conducted a regression analysis to examine if the two dimensions of hope, proactive personality, adaptive coping, and maladaptive coping predicted veterans’ satisfaction with life. Lastly, we utilized a mediation analysis to investigate whether two coping styles mediated the relationships among personal resources and satisfaction with life. Findings from the regression analysis suggested hope pathways and proactive personality were significant predictors of satisfaction with life. Results from the mediation analysis suggested that adaptive and maladaptive coping did not mediate the relationships among personal resources and satisfaction with life.

Trajectories of adaptive and disturbed identity dimensions in adolescence: developmental associations with self-esteem, resilience, symptoms of depression, and borderline personality disorder features.

To advance our understanding of adolescents' identity formation and how it may play into their psychological functioning, this study investigated developmental trajectory classes of adaptive and disturbed dimensions of identity formation, and whether adolescents belonging to different trajectory classes develop differently on self-esteem, resilience, symptoms of depression, and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. Three-wave longitudinal data from 2,123 Flemish adolescents was used (54.2% girls; Mage = 14.64, range = 12-18 at T1). Results pointed to four trajectory classes of identity formation: adaptive identity, identity progression, identity regression, and diffused identity. The adaptive identity class presented with stable high levels of self-esteem and resilience, and stable low levels of symptoms of depression and BPD, whereas opposite results were obtained for the diffused identity class. The identity progression class reported an increase in self-esteem and resilience as well as a decrease in symptoms of depression and BPD, whereas opposite results were obtained for the identity regression class. These results emphasize that adaptive and disturbed dimensions of identity formation are closely related to markers of well-being and psychopathology among adolescents, and could help identify adolescents with an increased risk for negative psychological functioning or increased opportunity for positive psychological functioning.

Positive Psychological Functioning, Emotional Regulation and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Adaptation to Illness in Uruguayan Adolescents in Treatment for Cancer

This study aimed to analyze whether there is a relationship between the variables: Positive Psychological Functioning (PPF), Emotional Regulation (ER) and Coping Strategies (CS) in relation to Adaptation to Illness (AI), and which of these variables is the best predictor of adaptation in adolescents undergoing cancer treatment. The clinical sample was of 33 adolescents aged 12-17 years (M =15.15, ST=1.67). The results indicated that emotional suppression was used more by females, while the coping strategies of religion and behavioral disengagement were used more by males. Participants from the interior of the country showed higher values in PPF than those from the city, and religious belief was more highly related with AI and ER. A linear regression study showed that, although the three independent variables predict the dependent variable, the best predictor is PPF, followed by ER and CS. The t value of the stepwise linear regression model indicated a significance of .02. These results may be useful when planning treatment in adolescents with cancer, with an approach based on psychological resources.

LGBQ activism and positive psychological functioning: The roles of meaning, community connection, and coping.

LGBQ activism and positive psychological functioning: The roles of meaning, community connection, and coping.