Psychological Well-being Outcomes Research Articles

Nexus between perceived job insecurity and employee work-related outcomes amid COVID-19: Attenuating effect of supervisor support

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine perceived job insecurity as an antecedent of adverse psychological well-being and job outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment), applying conservation of resources and organizational support theories. The study also investigated the role of perceived supervisor support as a moderator in the study. METHODS: Two-wave longitudinal data (n = 385) was collected with two months between Time 1 and Time 2. Data collected from employees working in two MNCs in Pakistan. A conceptual framework was developed where the mediating role of work stress on the job insecurity relationship is conditional to the values of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. RESULTS: During analysis, a positive association was found between job insecurity and work stress. Further, job insecurity led to work stress and it negatively led to job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Perceived supervisor support moderated work stress and job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The moderated mediation results indicate that supervisor support moderated the indirect effect of job insecurity on work outcomes. CONCLUSION: This paper examines the relationship between job insecurity and employee work outcomes amidst COVID-19. The findings have significant implications for employers and employees. Moreover, study findings expand our knowledge of COR theory and Organizational support theory for MNCs employees in the COVID-19 pandemic.

How strongly connected are positive affect and physical exercise? Results from a large general population study of young adults

Previous research has shown a link between low positive affect (PA) and numerous physical and psychological well-being outcomes but, recent research has raised the possibility that this relationship may be driven by physical activity. Thus, we were interested in exploring the PA-exercise connection by examining this relationship across differing levels of body mass and athleticism. We also looked at whether the item "active" that is used in many PA assessments was responsible for this effect. Participants were part of the Norwegian SHoT2018 national survey of 50,054 young adults (mean age = 23.2, 68.9% women), who completed electronic surveys about their exercise levels (duration, frequency and intensity) and affect. There was a clear and strong dose-response association between current state PA and the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise. For example, duration, magnitude, and slope effects were strongly driven by regular exercisers who had more than a 20-fold greater likelihood of being in the highest PA deciles compared to the least frequent exercisers. These dose-response connections replicated across both healthy and overweight BMIs, as well as in elite athletes. Removing the word "active" from the PA measure substantially reduced the size of this association, although the dose-response relationship remained. The observed strong connections have critical implications for health researchers and clinicians, and point to a need to carefully consider what types of activities are most strongly tied to well-being.

The Generational Impact on Meaning Making and Well-being of Adult Children Caregivers in Dementia Caregiving

Children caregivers contributed significantly to care and support dementia parents globally. In the caregiving journey, making sense of providing care plays significant role in their caregiving journey. In an ageing society such as Hong Kong, different generations of children caregivers take up dementia caregiver roles. We hypothesized that from studying baby boomers (BB, born in 1946-1964) and generation X (GX, born in 1965-1980), generations have impacts on their meaning making and well-being outcomes. 601 Caregivers completed a paper or online battery of questionnaires on burden (ZBI-4), mental well-being (PHQ-9), caregiving factors (ADL, IADL, caregiving hours, Positive Aspect of Caregiving; PAC) and the meaning making factors (Finding Meaning Through Caregiving; FMTC). Results showed that significant difference between caregivers from two generations. GX have significantly lower meaning made, measured by PAC affirming self and enriching life, as well as FMTC provisional meaning. While they spent less caregiving hours for the more independent care recipients, they suffered from higher burden, higher FMTC loss/powerless and worse psychological well-being (PHQ). The findings demonstrated generation X caregiver suffered from lower level of the meaning made and worse psychological wellbeing outcomes than BB caregivers. Future caregiver studies should take generational effect into account and services shall be provided in a generation-responsive approach.

Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Among U.S. Asian Older Adults: Findings From the Rutgers Asian RCMAR

U.S. Asians are the fastest growing group of older adults in the nation, increasing by 68% from 2000-2018. However, research on the psychological wellbeing of this population is limited. Drawing on the research of Rutgers Asian RCMAR Scientists, this symposium will address the impacts of stress, trauma and resilience on the psychological wellbeing of diverse groups of U.S. Asian older adults. Session 1 will assess the prevalence of psychological distress among older LGBT and non-LGBT U.S. Asian older adults, and the role of discrimination in medical care and intimate violence on psychological distress. Session 2 will take a mixed-methods approach to examining caregiver burden and depressive symptoms of Chinese American spouses and adult-children who provided care for their spouse or parents with dementia. Session 3 will explore the risk and protective factors for the mental health of sexual minority U.S. Asian older adults using data from the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health. Session 4 will identify different patterns of coping repertoires of older immigrants, based on a combination of individual, family, and community coping resources, and the optimal coping repertoire that is associated with the best psychological outcomes. In summation, this symposium describes the psychological wellbeing of diverse groups of U.S. Asian older adults, including sexual minority, caregiver and immigrant groups. The symposium addresses both risk factors and the protective factors and coping mechanisms that mediate and mitigate psychological wellbeing and aims to inform interventions to improve psychological wellbeing outcomes in U.S. Asian older adults.

The Impact of Short-term Integrated Yoga practice on Psychological wellbeing in special educators of individual with special needs

Background: Special educators face unprecedented work conditions and expectations that affect their psychological wellbeing and professional outcome as well. This study examines the growing evidence that even a short-term Integrated yoga practice enhance psychological wellbeing among special educators by reducing their stress, anxiety and depression levels. Materials and Methods: Special educators were recruited based on inclusion and exclusion criteria (n=20) age ranging between 25-50 years (Mean35±6.3) for a single group interventional pre-post study design: Integrated yoga module (included postures, breathing practices, relaxation and mediation) was given for a period of 8 weeks. The subjects were assessed on day 1 pre and post intervention on day 60 on perceived stress scale (PSS), Beck’s depression inventory (BDI-II) and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: After 8 weeks of Integrated yoga practice there was asignificant reduction in anxiety scores (P less than 0.000), depression scores (P less than 0.000) and perceived stress levels (P less than 0.000) respectively compared to baseline by wilcoxon signed rank test. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that even a short-term integrated yoga intervention that can enhance psychological wellbeing of the special educators.

Religious-service attendance and subsequent health and well-being throughout adulthood: evidence from three prospective cohorts.

BackgroundReligious-service attendance has been linked with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, suicide and depression. Yet, its associations with other health and well-being outcomes remain less clear.MethodsUsing longitudinal data from three large prospective cohorts in the USA, this study examined the association between religious-service attendance and a wide range of subsequent physical health, health behaviour, psychological distress and psychological well-being outcomes in separate cohorts of young, middle-aged and older adults. All analyses adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, prior health status and prior values of the outcome variables whenever data were available. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing.ResultsEstimates combining data across cohorts suggest that, compared with those who never attended religious services, individuals who attended services at least once per week had a lower risk of all-cause mortality by 26% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65 to 0.84], heavy drinking by 34% (95% CI: 0.59 to 0.73) and current smoking by 29% (95% CI: 0.63 to 0.80). Service attendance was also inversely associated with a number of psychological-distress outcomes (i.e. depression, anxiety, hopelessness, loneliness) and was positively associated with psychosocial well-being outcomes (i.e. positive affect, life satisfaction, social integration, purpose in life), but was generally not associated with subsequent disease, such as hypertension, stroke, and heart disease.ConclusionsDecisions on religious participation are generally not shaped principally by health. Nevertheless, for individuals who already hold religious beliefs, religious-service attendance may be a meaningful form of social integration that potentially relates to greater longevity, healthier behaviours, better mental health and greater psychosocial well-being.

Mentalizing the university experience: an exploratory study on the relationship between university students' reflective functioning, psychological well-being and academic performance

In a Clinical Health Psychology perspective, which focuses on the promotion and maintenance of mental and physical health of the individuals, mentalization (operationalized as reflective functioning; RF) may be conceived as a psycho-social competence associated with psychological well-being and good outcome treatment. In the university contexts, some studies demonstrated that the students' academic achievements may be related, on one hand, to RF improvements, on the other, to psychological well-being. Nevertheless, there is a lack of studies exploring RF in relationship with both academic achievement and psychological well-being regarding university students. This study aims at assessing the effectiveness, in terms of RF, psychological well-being and academic performance, of ten counselling groups addressed to 63 underachieving university students lagging behind in their studies. The counselling adopted an innovative narrative methodology, the Narrative Mediation Path (NMP), which aims to improve mentalization and psychological well-being in order to produce an impact on the students' academic performance. The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI), and the Academic Performance Inventory (API) were administered at the beginning and at the end of the counselling. Results showed an overall improvement of students in genuine mentalization, especially of the hypomentalizing dimension of RF, an increase of the psychological well-being index and its sub-dimensions (except for the General Health dimension) and an improvement of the academic performance. This study highlighted the effectiveness of the NMP methodology for students' success and suggests the utility of planning clinical psychology interventions aimed at enhancing mentalization in the university contexts.

Emotional Well-Being and Cognitive Function Have Robust Relationship With Physical Frailty in Institutionalized Older Women.

IntroductionFrailty associated to core dimensions of psychological well-being (PwB) has appeared as a possible new frailty phenotype named psychological frailty, implying a parallel to physical frailty (PF). Very little is known about the associations between mental well-being, especially emotional, mood, and self-perception dimensions, and the frailty syndrome in institutionalized older populations. The present study aims to examine the interlink between the PF phenotype and the core dimensions of PwB in Portuguese institution-dwelling older women.MethodsCross-sectional data were collected. A total of 358 older women, aged 75 years or more, were recruited from four nursing homes within the city of Coimbra and asked to complete a sociodemographic and a general health assessment survey. The main PwB dimensions were assessed in all participants: (i) global cognitive status was assessed using The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Neuropsychology Test, (ii) self-perception was screened using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and Global Self-Esteem Scale, (iii) CES-D of depression and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to screen mood states, and (iv) subjective happiness, satisfaction with life, and attitudes to aging psychometric rating scales were used to screen for emotional well-being. The syndrome of PF was assessed using Fried’s PF phenotype that includes weight loss, weakness, slowness, exhaustion, and low physical activity (PA) level assessments.ResultsFrail older women had a poor score in all PwB outcomes, except for global self-esteem and satisfaction with life. A hierarchical regression model analysis showed that global cognitive status and emotional well-being of subjective happiness and attitude to aging showed a significant negative relationship with PF in both unadjusted and adjusted models (explaining 34 and 40% of variance, respectively).ConclusionEmotional well-being and global cognitive performance are strongly associated with PF. Implementing active lifestyle interventions to improve positive psychological outcomes using geriatric assessments could assist in the older institutionalized patients’ physical and mental health care.

Are Contemplative Capacities Created Equal?: Examining Demographic Differences in Adolescents’ Contemplative Capacity and Differences in Psychological Well-being

Contemplative abilities including self-compassion, mindfulness, and related constructs such as distress tolerance are associated with adolescent psychological wellbeing. Yet how adolescents vary in contemplative abilities, and how such variations differ as a function of demographics, remains unclear. The present study sought to determine how many profiles of “contemplative capacities” exist among adolescents, how the profiles differ on demographics (i.e., gender, age, minority status, father and mother education) and adolescent psychological well-being (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and resilience), and how differences in psychological well-being are moderated by demographics (i.e., gender, age, minority status, father and mother education). Data were collected from 789 middle and high school students. Profiles of adolescent “contemplative capacities” were determined using adolescent self-reported self-compassion, mindfulness, and distress tolerance within a latent profile analysis. Three “contemplative capacities” (CC) profiles fit the data best: Profile 1: Moderate CC (n = 340); profile 2, High CC (n = 262); and profile 3, Low CC represents (n = 148). Profiles differed on gender, age, minority status, and father education. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted to examine mean difference among the high, moderate, and low CC profiles. The three profiles differed on all psychological well-being outcomes, with high CC reporting greatest psychological well-being, followed by moderate CC, and then low CC. Lastly, CC profiles differed on indicators of psychological well-being as a function of gender and minority status. Variations exist among adolescents’ contemplative abilities and such differences are associated with demographic factors and psychological well-being.

Identity Integration as a Protective Factor against Guilt and Shame for Religious Gay Men

ABSTRACT Belonging to multiple identities that are incompatible has been linked to poor psychological wellbeing outcomes, including feelings of guilt and shame. Individuals who experience such conflict can use a range of strategies to reconcile seemingly incompatible identities. The current study aimed to explore the strategy of identity integration as a protective factor against guilt and shame for individuals who identify as both religious and gay. A sample of 183 religious gay men (M age = 29.31 years, SD = 10.42) completed an online survey comprising measures of religious identification, gay identification, guilt, shame, and identity integration. We found that religious identification predicted higher levels of religious-based guilt, and both gay identity-based guilt and shame. Conversely, gay identification was not associated with any feelings of guilt or shame. Identity integration predicted lower levels of all guilt and shame outcomes, and also moderated the relationship between religious identification and guilt and shame – that is, religious-gay identity integration attenuated the negative effects independently associated with religious identification. These findings suggest that identity integration may enable gay people to access the protective benefits of religious engagement and multiple group memberships while remaining connected to the gay community.

A Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for College Athletes With Injuries

The authors used a quasi-experimental design to examine the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral-therapy (CBT) intervention for enhancing psychological well-being (positive and negative affect, vitality, self-esteem), rehabilitation adherence, and clinical rehabilitation outcomes (pain, physical function) in 16 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) Division I athletes experiencing a range of severe injuries. ANCOVAs, with adjusted baseline scores, revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups for positive affect at rehabilitation midpoint (T2; adjusted mean difference (AMD) = 0.41, p = .04, η2 = .34) and return to play (T3; AMD = 0.67, p < .001, η2 = .70), negative affect at T3 (AMD = −0.81, p = .01, η2 = .47), and vitality at T2 (AMD = 0.99, p = .01, η2 = .48) and T3 (AMD = 1.08, p = .02, η2 = .33). Given decrements in emotional functioning after injury, the data support the use of CBT-based interventions for facilitating the emotional well-being of athletes with severe injuries.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF DRUG ADDICTS IN PREDICTING TREATMENT OUTCOMES

Purpose of the study: This study aims to investigate whether psychological well-being could predict treatment outcomes in drug addicts after they had received solution-based psychosocial intervention in a drug treatment setting. The psychological well-being of individuals is an important variable in discussing treatment outcomes after they were given psychosocial interventions.
 Methodology: This study utilized a quasi-experimental research design using non-randomized pre-and post-test single group design. Fifty-seven participants were selected and they completed a pre- and post-assessment on psychological well-being changes and treatment outcomes questionnaire. Paired t-test and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the relationship between these two variables, while multiple linear regression was used to further explore whether participants' psychological well-being could predict their treatment outcomes.
 Main Findings: Results indicated a significant relationship between these two variables and more than twenty percent in treatment outcomes were explained by psychological variance. Few contextual meanings of psychological symptoms should need to be emphasized in discussing the findings and future research direction.
 Applications of this study: Having studied whether psychological well-being could predict treatment outcomes of drug addicts would benefit counselors and social workers who deal with addiction clients. The element of psychological well-being, such as mental health must be included in the treatment plan to increase the success of recovery amongst drug addict clients.
 The novelty of this study: The conclusions from this study offer significant insight into the utilization of solution-focused intervention in non-Western populations and the relation between psychological well-being and treatment outcomes for drug addict clients. The findings expand the existing literature review on the psychological well-being of drug addicts in a way it takes into accounts the cultural context in discussing the outcomes.

The Impact of Sibling Relationships on Later-Life Psychological and Subjective Well-Being

Previous research indicates the importance of having high levels of attachment with parents in order to realise positive outcomes of psychological and subjective well-being in later-life. Additionally, sibling attachment in childhood may impact future psychological and subjective well-being directly and independently from parental influences. To our knowledge, there is no existing study that examines the moderating role of sibling attachment on the association between parental attachment and later-life well-being. Participants (n = 254) were asked to retrospectively rate their attachments to their parents and the sibling closest in age to them. Additionally, they completed self-report questionnaires probing current levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life. The expected significant relationships between childhood attachments and later-life well-being were found for maternal and sibling attachments, but not paternal attachment. Furthermore, retrospectively-rated sibling attachment seemed to be a stronger predictor of later-life well-being than paternal attachment. Taken together, these findings indicate the importance of early-life attachment figures on future well-being. Furthermore, these findings concur with the general propositions of attachment theory, arguing that experiences with attachment figures during childhood heavily shape an individual’s developmental trajectory and their internal working models about the self, others, and the world. However, sibling attachment was not found to moderate the relationship between parental attachment and later-life psychological and subjective well-being. Speculative explanations as to why a moderating effect was not found include limited sibling resources, innate attachment effects, and contrast effects.

Health-related quality of life of prisoners with diabetes mellitus

The study explored health related quality of life of prisoners with diabetes mellitus (DM).48 male inmates incarcerated in a Greek prison, completed a demographic and clinical traits questionnaire. Prisoners with DM and those with additional health problems had worse physical, mental health and psychological well-being outcomes (p = 0.002, p < 0.001 and p = 0.014 respectively). People with DM in correctional facilities should receive specialized primary health care services either health services within the correctional institution or community liaison. The implementation of services targeting DM should be evaluated with the target of improving offenders’ physical and mental health.

SettleIN: Using a Manualised Intervention to Facilitate the Adjustment of Older Adults with Dementia Following Placement into Residential Care.

The authors examined the feasibility of delivering an adapted version of SettleIN, a manualised staff-led programme designed to facilitate adjustment to care for new residents with dementia. The effects of SettleIN on resident adjustment, mood and quality of life were also investigated. A pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted. Nineteen new residents with dementia and 21 staff participants were recruited. Residents were randomly assigned to receive the SettleIN programme or residential care as usual. Resident quality of life, mood and overall adjustment were measured at baseline and post-intervention, in week seven. Interviews were conducted with staff in week seven to explore intervention feasibility. Despite medium to large effect sizes, there was no significant difference in mean change scores between the two conditions, with regards to quality of life, psychological wellbeing or overall adjustment outcomes. Qualitative feedback indicated that SettleIN was not feasible across all areas, with problems around recruitment and practicality. However, SettleIN was deemed feasible in terms of retention and acceptability among staff. The majority of staff felt that SettleIN was beneficial for residents but that organisational and programme factors impacted upon intervention feasibility. Further exploration of organisational barriers is needed in order to reduce the impact of such factors on care home research.

Social prescribing for patients of secondary mental health services: emotional, psychological and social well-being outcomes

Purpose This paper aims to identify the well-being outcomes of a social prescribing model set within a secondary mental health service recovery pathway and understand the key characteristics of a social prescribing referral for producing these outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study of one mental health social prescribing service with three nested case studies of social prescribing providers. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with commissioners, providers and patients (n = 20) and analysed thematically. Findings Social prescribing makes a positive contribution to emotional, psychological and social well-being for patients of secondary mental health services. A key enabling mechanism of the social prescribing model was the supportive discharge pathway which provided opportunities for sustained engagement in community activities, including participation in peer-to-peer support networks and volunteering. Research limitations/implications More in-depth research is required to fully understand when, for whom and in what circumstances social prescribing is effective for patients of secondary mental health services. Practical implications A supported social prescribing referral, embedded within a recovery focussed secondary mental health service pathway, offers a valuable accompaniment to traditional approaches. Current social prescribing policy is focussed on increasing the number of link workers in primary care, but this study highlights the importance models embedded within secondary care and of funding VCSE organisations to receive referrals and provide pathways for long-term engagement, enabling positive outcomes to be sustained. Originality/value Social prescribing is widely advocated in policy and practice but there are few examples of social prescribing models having been developed in secondary mental health services, and no published academic studies that everybody are aware of.

Assessment of the Psychological Situation in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Due to advances in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD), the number of adults who are surviving with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is constantly growing. Until recently, the psychological effects of CHD had been widely neglected. Current research provides evidence for an increased risk of emotional distress in ACHD. The concept of illness identity attempts to explain how patients experience and integrate their CHD into their identities. The present study investigated illness identity in relation to clinical parameters and psychological functioning. Psychometric properties of the German version of the Illness Identity Questionnaire (IIQD) were examined. Methods: Self-reported measures on illness identity and psychological functioning (HADS-D) were assessed in a representative sample of 229 ACHD (38 ± 12.5 (18−73) years; 45% female) at the German Heart Center Munich. Descriptive analyses and multiple regression models were conducted. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to validate the IIQD. Results: The IIQD demonstrated good reliability. The originally-postulated four-factor structure could not be replicated. Anatomic disease complexity and functional status significantly influenced illness identity. Illness identity accounted for unique variances in depression and anxiety: Maladaptive illness identity states (i.e., , engulfment and rejection) were associated with higher emotional distress, whereas adaptive illness (i.e., , acceptance and enrichment) identity states were linked to lower emotional distress. Conclusions: Illness Identity emerged as a predictor of emotional distress in ACHD. Findings raise the possibility that interventions designed to target a patient’s illness identity may improve psychological well-being and cardiac outcomes in ACHD.

Cyberbullying and Psychological Well-being in Young Adolescence: The Potential Protective Mediation Effects of Social Support from Family, Friends, and Teachers.

In the current study, we tested the relations between cyberbullying roles and several psychological well-being outcomes, as well as the potential mediation effect of perceived social support from family, friends, and teachers in school. This was investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 1707 young adolescents (47.5% girls, aged 10–13 years, self-reporting via a web questionnaire) attending community and private schools in a mid-sized municipality in Sweden. We concluded from our results that the Cyberbully-victim group has the highest levels of depressive symptoms, and the lowest of subjective well-being and family support. We also observed higher levels of anxiety symptoms in both the Cyber-victims and the Cyberbully-victims. Moreover, we conclude that some types of social support seem protective in the way that it mediates the relationship between cyberbullying and psychological well-being. More specifically, perceived social support from family and from teachers reduce the probability of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and higher levels of social support from the family increase the probability of higher levels of subjective well-being among youths being a victim of cyberbullying (i.e., cyber-victim) and being both a perpetrator and a victim of cyber bullying (i.e., cyberbully-victim). Potential implications for prevention strategies are discussed.

Victimization and students’ psychological well-being: The mediating roles of hope and school connectedness

A plethora of evidence supports the negative effects of bullying victimization on students’ adjustment. Grounded in the Social and Psychological Capital Framework (Cassidy, McLaughlin, & McDowell, 2014), the authors investigated the effects of victimization on students’ psychological well-being assessed through life satisfaction and emotional difficulties via hope and school connectedness. Based on a sample of 1060 students from grades 3–6, results provided support for a negative relation between victimization and life satisfaction; and a positive relation between victimization and emotional difficulties. The results further supported the hypotheses of hope and school connectedness as mediators for the relations between victimization and life satisfaction and emotional difficulties. The significant mediation model reinforced hope and school connectedness as protective factors against bullying victimization and further advanced the Social and Psychological Capital Framework to be applied to school bullying. Results shed light on practical implications for victimization interventions, considering psychological well-being outcomes and incorporation of hope and school connectedness. Implications for future research were also discussed.

Midday napping in children: associations between nap frequency and duration across cognitive, positive psychological well-being, behavioral, and metabolic health outcomes

Midday napping in children: associations between nap frequency and duration across cognitive, positive psychological well-being, behavioral, and metabolic health outcomes