Promotion Of Well-being Research Articles

Identification and Management of Somatic Symptoms and Emotional Disturbance

Somatic Symptoms or Medically Unexplained Symptoms are commonly found in children and adolescents. These symptoms generally reflect the underlying psychological distress and cause significant distress to the child. Presenting symptoms include abdominal pain, headaches, and musculoskeletal pain. The nature of illness prompts multiple visits to clinical setups, burdening the existing health resources. Risk factors include individual, family, and environmental factors. Most stressful factors are seen to arise from day-to-day problems in children like academic problems, bullying, familial disharmony, temperamental traits, abuse, financial constraints, and parenting issues. Psychiatric and physical comorbidities are prevalent. During the assessment, it is pertinent to rule in positive signs and keep in mind the common psychiatric/physical differentials. Management includes a multidisciplinary approach involving the child and family. An overall visualization of the biopsychosocial framework of the child is done to cater to specific needs. Psychoeducation remains a key strategy, while incorporating behavioral management. This includes promoting strengths and positive behavior in child, gradual reduction in secondary gains, promotion of general well-being, focus on a well-rounded schedule incorporating different activities, and relaxation training. Psychosocial factors are worked upon at length while enhancing coping skills. Familial factors are taken into consideration and home environment may be improved. Comorbidities if present can be managed with medications. The goal is functional recovery and rehabilitation, which can be time taking and requires patience from the treating team.

BIOSSEGURANÇA EM ESPAÇOS PÚBLICOS CONSTRUÍDOS: A PRAÇA SERZEDELO CORREIA

Access to knowledge of the Biosafety culture and the interrelationship of this culture with the different social realities was addressed, investigating the cultural reflection in public built environments. The interest was to question, point out, educate and improve the methods of cultural and social implementation of the promotion of well-being, safety and health in urban public areas. Objective: to generate subsidies for the future development of an educational project on biosafety to improve the quality of life, health and safety of public spaces built in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Materials and Methods: qualitative research based on a bibliographic review to understand the concepts of biosafety, risk and quality of life and their applicability to built public spaces. A visit was made to different locations to select the type of specific space to serve as an object for the production of the educational project on biosafety applied to public spaces. For this, the Google Earth tool was used as a technological base to capture information about the places in the city of Rio de Janeiro, allowing the delimitation and prior choice of spaces to be visited. Result: it was observed that the knowledge related to biosafety is still, for the most part, focused on the health area. Conclusion: We believe that the elaboration of an educational project in relation to biosafety knowledge will need to go beyond areas related to health, since all environments need to be included in the biosafety guidelines for greater protection of their users, better quality of life and greater preservation of the environment. environment.

Trends in Global Low-Carbon Development

One of the key requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement is the development and implementation of national strategies for long-term development with low greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the risks of climate change for the population and the economy. Russia must fulfill it, not forgetting the priorities of national security and sustainable socio-economic development of the country. In addition, the solution to the problem of climate change should be linked to the achievement of other UN Sustainable Development Goals: the elimination of poverty and hunger, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and the promotion of well-being for all. Two more goals, the importance of which should be emphasized in the context of this article, is ensuring access for all to reliable and affordable sources of energy, to full and decent employment.

UNDERSTANDING THE EXPECTATIONS OF VISITORS IN PLANNING AND MANAGING THE FACILITIES OF PUBLIC PARKS

Public parks play a significant role in the promotion of human well-being, nature protection and as a medium for ecosystem regeneration. Nonetheless, the provision and management of facilities in Malaysia’s public parks has been inconsistently and inadequately administered due to budgetary constraints. To optimise a limited budget whilst safeguarding the multidimensional benefits of parks, this paper aims to identify and classify park facilities according to its vitality. The research was conducted in two stages, involving observation and a questionnaire survey. In total, 1,658 respondents who had experience of visiting the public parks in Malaysia took part in the survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis were deployed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to classify the park facilities whilst measuring the consistency of the classification. Nineteen identified facilities were classified into two constructs, namely essential facilities and value-added facilities. The research outcome serves as a guide to plan and manage public parks within budget limitations. Moreover, future research from the perspective of motive and satisfaction in relation to visiting a park is recommended to validate the provision and maintenance of essential and value-added facilities

Bem-estar, Saúde Mental e a Enfermagem do Trabalho: uma revisão da Literatura

Introduction The new challenges and demands of work-related tasks reveal the interest in investing in the promotion of health, well-being and productivity of employees. The occupational nurse has a set of skills to assess professional risks, in particular psychosocial risks, to raise awareness, increase safety and to operate changes that promote healthy environments. The implementation of a mental health and well-being at work program has an impact on the prevention of health problems and in the acquisition of healthy lifestyle habits, with a positive impact on the worker and in the organization. Objectives To analyze the scientific evidence on the well-being and mental health of workers in Occupational Health. Methodology This is an integrative literature review. A search was carried out in the databases Pubmed®, CINAHL®Complete, MedicLatina, MEDLINE Complete, Nursing & Allied Health: Comprehensive Edition and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The sample is made by 25 articles, which met the defined inclusion criteria (2016-2022, in English, Spanish and Portuguese, in the area of health and well-being at work). Results The most reported problems in the work context were depression, anxiety, work overload and professional devaluation. Interventions based on cognitive behavioral therapy have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms in workers. The involvement of managers in a mental health and wellness program, preferably based on digital format, contributes to healthy work environments. Conclusions Implementing simple and accessible mental health and wellness programs, including encouraging practices such as mindfulness and yoga, can create significant changes, with gains in health and for the organization, for the positive impact on the person and their productivity. Currently, it is essential to promote the articulation between the occupational nurse and the managers of the organizations, because by looking out for the worker’s interest and the improvement of the indicators in terms of mental health, they favor the bond, the performance, the human capital and the productivity. KEYWORDS: Occupational Nursing; Welfare; Mental Health; Mental Health Program; Occupational Health.

Towards a health promoting university: descriptive findings on health, wellbeing and academic performance amongst university students in Australia

BackgroundUniversities are increasingly recognised as institutions where health and wellbeing can be promoted to maximise academic outcomes, career transitions, and lifelong positive health behaviours. There is concern about the mental health of university students and other factors which affect academic outcomes particularly for subgroups such as international students. There are few cohort studies of the breadth of issues that can impact on mental health and academic outcomes for both local and international students. We conducted a baseline prevalence survey of students at a large Australian university covering health, academic, and social determinants of wellbeing. The purpose was to inform the university’s new student health and wellbeing framework with a view to follow-up to determine predictors of mental ill-health and academic outcomes in the subsequent year. In this paper we present the baseline prevalence data and report on selected mental health and health care access issues for local and international students.MethodsThe entire university population as of April 2019 of over 56,375 students aged 18 or above were invited to complete the online survey. Questions explored eight domains: demographic characteristics, general health and wellbeing, mental health, risk taking behaviours, psychosocial stressors, learning and academic factors, social and cultural environment, and awareness of and access to health and wellbeing services. Records of academic results were also accessed and matched with survey data for a large subset of students providing consent.ResultsFourteen thousand eight hundred eighty (26.4%) students commenced our survey and were representative of the entire student population on demographic characteristics. Three quarters were aged between 18 to 25 years and one third were international students. Eighty-five percent consented to access of their academic records. Similar proportions of local and international students experienced symptoms of a depression or anxiety disorder, however international students were less aware of and less likely to access available health services both inside and external to the university. We also reported on the prevalence of: general lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, amount of daily sleep); risk-taking behaviours (including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; unprotected sexual activity); psychosocial stressors (financial, intimate partner violence, discrimination, academic stressors, acculturative stress); subjects failed; resilience; social supports; social media use; and health services accessed online.ConclusionsThis rigorous and comprehensive examination of the health status of local and international students in an Australian university student population establishes the prevalence of mental health issues and other psychosocial determinants of health and wellbeing, along with academic performance. This study will inform a university-wide student wellbeing framework to guide health and wellbeing promotion and is a baseline for a 12-month follow-up of the cohort in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Availability, Appropriateness, and Integration of Services to Promote Indigenous Australian Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health: Indigenous Youth and Service Provider Perspectives

Concerns about the complexity, fragmentation and inefficiency of Australia's current youth mental health service systems have led policy makers to seek improvements through a shift to community-based solutions. However, there is little evidence of how communities can make this shift. This paper examines the efforts of one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) community-Yarrabah in north Queensland-to develop strategies for mental health and wellbeing service system improvements for school-aged youth (5-18 years). The research was co-designed with Yarrabah's community-controlled health service and explores the perceptions of Yarrabah youth and service providers. Iterative grounded theory methods were used to collect and analyse data from 32 youth aged 11-24 years and 24 service providers. Youth were reluctant to seek help, and did so only if they felt a sense of safety, trust, relationality and consistency with providers. Young people's four suggestions for improvement were access to (1) information and awareness about mental health; (2) youth facilities, spaces and activities; (3) safe and available points of contact; and (4) support for recovery from mental illness. Service providers highlighted an appetite for youth-guided community change and recommended five improvement strategies: (1) listening to youth, (2) linking with community members, (3) providing wellbeing promotion programs, (4) intervening early, and (5) advocating to address the determinants of youth mental health. Overall, both groups realised a disjunct between youth need and service provision, but a willingness to work together for systems change. This study demonstrates the importance of community-driven efforts that harness both youth and service providers' perspectives, and suggests a need for ongoing dialogue as the basis for co-designing and implementing improvements to wellbeing supports and mental health services for Indigenous youth.

The Third Half: A Pilot Study Using Evidence-Based Psychological Strategies to Promote Well-Being among Doctoral Students

Over the last few years, various studies have reported decreasing well-being levels among doctoral students, who show a higher risk of suffering from psychological distress than the general population. Accordingly, European policies in higher education encourage well-being promotion programs among doctoral studies to enhance young researchers' well-being. However, programs using evidence-based practices for well-being promotion are not yet generalised in public universities. The present study describes a pilot experience designed to evaluate the efficacy of a well-being program among doctoral candidates of a public European university, the Autonomous University of Barcelona. 25 doctoral students (67% women) participated in a pre-post study consisting of six sessions of 3 h each and structured by the big five criteria coming from evidence-based practices for well-being promotion: outdoor green spaces exposure, physical activity, gamification, mentoring, positive and coaching psychology techniques. Results showed how participants experienced significant increases in several indicators of emotional well-being and decreased psychological distress after the Third Half program. These positive pilot results encourage further research and future replications to assess the impact of this evidence-based psychological program among the academic community. Results also lead the way towards the creation of healthier academic workplaces by implementing cost-effective interventions that improve researchers' psychosocial support and their overall well-being.

Changes in subjective well-being predict changes in U.S. presidential, Senate, & House of Representatives election outcomes

Free and fair elections enable the nation’s citizens to elect candidates whom they believe best represent their interests. When deciding who to vote for, individuals may consider a host of factors that ultimately improve their subjective well-being. Using data from the Gallup Sharecare Well-being Index (N = 3,208,924), we examined whether changes in subjective well-being predicted U.S. presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives election outcomes from 2010 to 2020. We tested this effect at county (n = 1,652–3,061), metropolitan statistical area (n = 191–363), state (n = 50), and district (n = 389–427) levels. Pre-registered multilevel models supported the notion that regions with growing discontent tended to have larger increases in non-incumbent vote shares. Establishing a link between subjective well-being and electoral outcomes has the potential to realign policymakers’ priorities with what truly matters to their constituents, thereby facilitating the promotion of population well-being.

Music: For a Sustainable Community and the Promotion of Well-being

This contribution aims to offer food for thought on the ancestral role of music for mankind, considering its potential, transversal to different areas of interest, including psycho-pedagogical, clinical and didactic, as a heterogeneous expression of cultures, communities and characters. In spite of the fact that music education is compulsory in secondary schools, not in all contexts the activities are structured and carried out taking into account the positive implications on pupils’ psycho-physical well-being, rehabilitative potential and increased motivation to learn. Just as the possibilities for dynamics and time in music are manifold, so too is the horizon of options that looms over the sky of educational action, intersecting also with the world of technology, which puts innovative tools such as serious games at the service of education.

Unpacking the social-emotional health of education support professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study sought to understand education support professionals' (ESPs) experiences early in the COVID-19 pandemic, including how they were feeling about their roles in education, strategies they were using to cope with unprecedented times, barriers they encountered toward maintaining SE health at work, and opportunities they identified as critical for creating safe and supportive school environments. This study employed a convergent parallel(QUAN + QUAL) mixed methods research design to capture ESPs' affective experiences and use of social and emotional learning (SEL). Data were collected in partnership with the National Education Association across 4 weeks through a survey including open and closed-ended questions. A total of 175 participants responded to the quantitative portion of the survey and at least one qualitative survey question. Findings suggest ESPs were feeling frustrated and experiencing very little SEL support in their daily work. ESPs would benefit from increased communication, inclusion, recognition, and well-being promotion in their schools. This study offers new insight into how schools and districts can provide better SEL support to ESPs.

Process of inner change in advanced age: a qualitative study of older adults in their early 90 s

The number of nonagenarians is growing globally. The promotion of mental wellbeing is increasingly important. The aim of this study was to explore mental wellbeing and psychological experiences of older adults in their early 90s who were living at home. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 20 older adults in their early 90s. A thematic analysis, according to Braun and Clarke, was used to analyze data. An inner process of older adults in their early 90s was revealed; its three themes were the "reality of aging," "seeking emptiness of the mind," and "still moving on." Older adults in this study experienced functional decline, regret, and loneliness. They were tired of life and nearly gave up. Emptying their minds helped them reset their attitudes and find a way to move on. After realizing that negative thinking did not help anything, they focused on what they could do and their daily routines. Perceived social usefulness validated participants' self-worth. However, a few were consistently active without negative perceptions of aging. Understanding the psychological process and mental wellbeing in later life aids in the development of practical healthcare policies to assist the growing oldest-old population in cope with age-related challenges and improve their mental wellbeing.

Influence of University Professors on the Formation of Personal Maturity of Students

Psychological and pedagogical interaction in higher education is characterized by certain features, among which, the determining is the influence of the professor on the formation of students' personal maturity. Under the influence of internal (personal) and external (social) factors, meaningful personal formations arise, that characterize this phenomenon. The article explicates signs of personal maturity: at the individual level - adequate self-esteem, a high level of self-regulation, independence, and responsibility; within social interaction - the ability of the individual to be tolerant and empathic. The process of professor-student interaction in higher education institutions should be aimed at maintaining an enthusiastic attitude toward the future profession, and the development of relevant qualities and features necessary for the future specialist, which adds relevance to the study. An effective means of influencing the formation of students' personal maturity is psychological and pedagogical support for all participants of the educational process in higher education institutions, which corresponds to the natural concept of personality development in the dialectical unity of postmodern approaches to understanding the psyche. The result of such support lies in the preservation of moral, spiritual, and mental health, the promotion of emotional well-being of students, the development of natural potential, and the activation of internal resources that ensure the aspiration of a young person to self-development. The article outlines the peculiarities of the influence of university professors on the formation of students’ personal maturity. The latter is activated due to the professors’ readiness to create conditions for psychological and pedagogical support and effective organization of the education process. The prospects for further research lie in outlining methods for the development and formation of students' personal maturity within the process of professor-student interaction during distance learning and the subsequent testing of their effectiveness in the educational process.

Runners Experience Lower Heart Rate, Increased Speed, and Joy/Calm on Routes with Trees, by the Sea and through Parks: Implications for Climate Change Design

The beneficial effects of green and blue areas on human wellbeing are significant. Physical activity is a crucial factor for the promotion of good human health and wellbeing, and running constitutes one of the most popular forms of outdoor physical activity. This study examines the effect of six urban “route landscapes” with different landscape characters used for outdoor running on the heart rates and speeds of 30 people wearing a smartwatch while running. These routes included: (1) a running track in a stadium; (2) a road without street trees; (3) a road with street trees; (4) an urban park without sea view; (5) an urban park with sea view; and (6) a road by the sea. Additionally, a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine participants’ perceptions and preferred “route landscape” for running. In the study, higher heart rates were recorded on routes without trees, including the stadium. The lowest heart rate was recorded in the park by the sea, followed by the road by the sea, which were at the lowest altitudes amongst the routes studied. Additionally, the highest mean speed of participants was recorded during the run on the road by the sea. The results also showed that irrespectively of the routes, increases in altitude and gradient caused an increase in the heart rates. In the survey, the majority of respondents stated that they would have felt calm and joy during a run either in a park or in a park by the sea. With rising sea levels dictating not to build, carbon capture being necessary in parks, and trees by roads reducing the heat island effect, this study reveals the best “route landscapes” for runners’ health and global warming.

Integrative self care plan coaching

This article explores the concept of self-care as care capacity building process that can be utilized for individuals and groups. Healthcare as practiced is disease-oriented and uses a pathogenic approach to find treatment solutions. All models of care delivery have practitioners direct their caring resources externally towards others. We support the concept of self-care as salutogenic, fostering the promotion and maintenance of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being and contributing to improved quality of life. We would suggest that the current healthcare system lacks a salutogenic methodology to foster conditions and capacities of health and well-being for its providers. This article gives a brief overview of an integrative self-care plan coaching process that offers a counterbalancing methodology and supports directing the practitioners’ caring resources inward toward self.

Using participatory action research to reimagine community mental health services in Colombia: a mixed-method study protocol

IntroductionMental healthcare systems are challenged by how they hear and respond to what marginalised communities experience as drivers of mental distress. In Colombia, this challenge intersects with wider challenges facing...

Educational goals and objectives of nursing education programs: Topic modeling

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the keywords and major topics of the educational goals and objectives of nursing educational institutions in South Korea.Methods: From May 10 to May 20, 2022, the educational goals and objectives of all 201 nursing educational institutions in South Korea were collected. Using the NetMiner program, degree and degree centrality, semantic structure, and topic modeling were analyzed.Results: The top keywords and semantic structures of educational goals included ‘respect for human (life)-spirit-science-based on, global-competency-professional nurse-nursing personnel-training, professional-science-knowledge-skills, and patients-therapeutic care-relationship.’ The educational goals’ major topics were clients well-being based on science and respect for human life, a practicing nurse with capabilities and spirit, fostering a nursing personnel with creativity and professionalism, and training of global nurses. The top keywords and semantic structures of the educational objectives included ‘holistic care-nursing-research-action-capability, critical thinking-health-problem solving-capability, and efficiency-communication-collaboration-capability.’ The educational objectives’ major topics were ‘nursing professionalism, communication and problem-solving capability; a change of healthcare environments and a progress of nursing practices; fostering professional nurses with creativity and global capability; and clients’ health and nursing practice.’Conclusion: Educational goals in nursing presented specific nursing values and concepts, such as respect for human life, therapeutic care relationships, and the promotion of well-being. Educational objectives in nursing presented the competencies of nurses as defined by the Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education (KABONE). Recently, the KABONE announced new program outcomes and competencies, which will require the revision of educational goals. To achieve those educational objectives, it is suggested that the expected level of competencies be clearly defined for nursing graduates.

Adaptation of The Modified BBC Subjective Well-being Scale (BBC-SWB) and The Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-scale) on the Ukrainian sample

Introduction. Given the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the promotion of mental health and subjective well-being of the population has become an important task of psychological services in Ukraine. This requires the use of adequate diagnostic methods and instruments, in particular, those that have proven themselves in foreign practice. For this purpose, they should be adapted and standardized on the Ukrainian sample. Aim: to adapt The Modified BBC Subjective Well-being Scale (BBC-SWB) and The Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-scale) on the Ukrainian sample. Methods. The Modified BBC Subjective Well-being Scale (BBC-SWB) and the Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-scale). In order to adapt and standardize these scales, a study was conducted on a sample of 502 respondents from the central regions of Ukraine. The sample included 69.7% of women and 30.3% of men aged 18 through 75 belonging to various social strata. Results. 1) The adaptation of The Modified BBC Subjective Well-being Scale (BBC-SWB) and The Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-scale) made it possible to bring them into line with Ukrainian realities; 2) the Scales' standardization allows using them for the analysis of the general indicator and individual subscales of subjective well-being as well as for the analysis of mental health of representatives of different population groups in Ukraine; 3) The obtained data demonstrated the Scales' high reliability and validity. Conclusions. The adapted Scales can be used by psychological centers and services for diagnosing mental health and well-being of Ukrainian population.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness and Positive Strengthening mHealth Interventions for the Promotion of Subjective Emotional Wellbeing and Management of Self-Efficacy for Chronic Cardiac Diseases.

Intervention in health prevention and treatment via mobile phones is becoming a key element on health promotion. Testing the efficacy of these mobile health (mHealth) psychological interventions for cardiovascular health is necessary as it is a chronic pathology, and it can influence the affective and cognitive states of patients. This research aimed to analyze the effectiveness of two brief psychological interventions-mindfulness and positive strengthening-to promote subjective emotional wellbeing and disease management self-efficacy using mHealth. This was a three-arm intervention and feasibility study, with a pre-post design and three follow-up measures with 105 patients (93 completed all phases) with cardiovascular diseases. Group 1 and 2 received the mindfulness or strengthening intervention, and Group 3 was the control group. The positive-negative affect and management self-efficacy for chronic and cardiovascular diseases were analyzed over time, while anxiety and depression levels were assessed at the beginning of the study. The results showed that mindfulness and positive strengthening interventions both had a positive effect on participants' affective state and management self-efficacy for the disease in comparison with the control group over time, even after controlling for baseline anxiety and depression levels. Positive strengthening seems to be more effective for improving cardiac self-efficacy, while mindfulness practice was significantly more effective at reducing negative affect at the first face-to-face evaluation.

Self-transcendent experiences as promoters of ecological wellbeing? Exploration of the evidence and hypotheses to be tested.

In recent years, much has been written on the role of different mental states and their potential to influence our way of thinking and, perhaps more importantly, the way we act. With the recent acceleration of environmental and mental health issues, alongside the limited effectiveness of existing interventions, an exploration of new approaches to deliver transformative change is required. We therefore explore the emerging potential of a type of mental state known as self-transcendent experiences (STEs) as a driver of ecological wellbeing. We focus on four types of STEs: those facilitated by experiences of flow, awe, and mindfulness, as well as by psychedelic-induced experiences. Some of these experiences can occur naturally, through sometimes unexpected encounters with nature or during immersion in every-day activities that one intrinsically enjoys, as well as through more intentional practices such as meditation or the administration of psychedelics in controlled, legal settings. We explore the evidence base linking each of the four types of STE to ecological wellbeing before proposing potential hypotheses to be tested to understand why STEs can have such beneficial effects. We end by looking at the factors that might need to be considered if STEs are going to be practically implemented as a means of achieving ecological wellbeing.