Background: Executive function (EF) undergoes rapid development during childhood and is shaped by parenting context. Parental subjective happiness has been linked to children’s socioemotional outcomes, but its long-term influence on EF remains unclear. Objectives: To determine whether mothers’ and fathers’ subjective happiness at the child’s age of 7 predict the child’s EF at age 12, and to identify which facets of parental happiness (overall, relative, general, independent) are associated with later EF. Materials and methods: A longitudinal cohort of 1 598 Korean families was drawn from the Education Panel Study on Korean Children. Parental happiness at baseline (child age 7) was assessed with the four-item Subjective Happiness Scale and classified into overall, relative, general, and independent domains. Children’s EF was measured five years later (age 12) using the 40-item Child-dolescent Self-Reported Executive Function Difficulty Screening Questionnaire (higher scores = better EF). One-way ANOVA tested EF differences across low, normal, and high parental happiness groups for each domain. Results: Maternal overall, relative, and independent happiness at age 7 were each positively associated with children’s EF at age 12 (all p<0.05). In contrast, the corresponding paternal happiness domains showed no significant associations (p>0.20). For the general happiness domain-reflecting moodrelated well-being both higher maternal and higher paternal scores predicted better child EF five years later (mother: F=5.34, p=0.005; father: F=3.04, p=0.048). Effect sizes were small to moderate (η²=0.01-0.04). Conclusion: In this Korean cohort, maternal happiness exerted a broader and stronger influence on children’s later EF than paternal happiness, while both parents’ general (mood-related) happiness independently predicted EF. Interventions that enhance parental-particularly maternal-subjective happiness may yield downstream cognitive benefits for school-aged children.

The present study aimed to develop and validate a multimodal self-esteem recognition method based on a self-introduction task, with the goal of achieving automated self-esteem evaluation. We recruited two independent samples of undergraduate students (N = 211 and N = 63) and collected 40-second self-introduction videos along with Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) scores. Features were extracted from three modalities-visual, audio, and text-and three-class models were trained using the dataset of 211 participants. Results indicated that the late-fusion multimodal model achieved the highest performance (Accuracy, ACC = 0.447 ± 0.019; Macro-averaged F1, Macro-F1 = 0.438 ± 0.020) and further demonstrated cross-sample generalizability when validated on the independent sample of 63 participants (ACC = 0.381, Macro-F1 = 0.379). Reliability testing showed good interrater consistency (Fleiss' κ = 0.723, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, ICC = 0.745). Criterion-related validity analyses indicated that the proposed method was significantly correlated with life satisfaction, subjective happiness, positive and negative affect, depression, anxiety, stress, relational self-esteem, and collective self-esteem. Moreover, incremental validity analyses indicated that the multimodal model provided additional predictive value for positive affect beyond the RSES. Taken together, these findings provide preliminary evidence that multimodal behavioral features can assist in achieving automated self-esteem evaluation, offering a feasible, low-burden complement to traditional self-report.

Objective: To investigate whether there is a correlation between religiosity, quality of life (QoL), and subjective happiness (SH) in hospitalized patients. Method: This is an exploratory analytical study with a quantitative approach, conducted with patients from a clinical inpatient unit of a private hospital in the Northern Region of Brazil. Four online forms were administered: sociodemographic characterization, quality of life assessment - WHOQoL-Bref, Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), and Subjective Happiness Scale. Data were analyzed using correlations and non-parametric tests with IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. Results: The study included 132 patients, with a mean age of 37.24 ± 11.29 years, most of whom were hospitalized for three days (53%). The patients' overall QoL scores showed mean and median values of 65.69 ± 13.01 and 67.02, respectively. The mean total SH score of patients was 19.8 ± 3.8, considered good. Organizational Religiosity (OR) showed a significant positive correlation with the Environment domain (17.5%; p=0.045) and with overall QoL (17.6%; p=0.043). The Non-Organizational Religiosity (NOR) domain showed a significant positive correlation with the social relationships (23.8%; p=0.006) and environment (21.1%; p=0.015) dimensions, as well as with overall QoL (23.8%; p=0.006). The Intrinsic Religiosity (IR) domain showed a significant positive correlation with all QoL domains (p<0.05). Regarding SH, it showed a significant positive correlation with the NOR (22.0; p=0.011) and IR (28.3%; p<0.0001) domains, meaning that both domains are associated with SH, and the higher the religiosity index in both domains, the greater the magnitude of SH. Conclusion: A significant correlation was observed between religiosity, quality of life, and SH in hospitalized patients, highlighting the importance of these aspects in coping with the health-disease process and their impact on the emotional and psychological well-being of ill individuals. These associations serve as support for comprehensive care.

ABSTRACT As concerns for the environmental consequences of the fast‐fashion industry grow, minimalist practices, including a capsule wardrobe, are gaining interest. This study explores how curating a capsule wardrobe influences wellbeing, sustainable fashion attitudes and fashion involvement. In Study 1, a 3‐week intervention with 37 women showed increased subjective happiness, with stable sustainability attitudes and fashion involvement. Study 2, using survey data from 318 women, employed structural equation modelling to test relationships between minimalism, wellbeing and fashion behaviours. The results showed that minimalism enhances wellbeing and support for sustainable values, alongside increasing fashion purchase engagement. Wellbeing also positively influenced localism, which in turn fosters deeper emotional garment involvement. These findings offer new insights into ethical materialism and suggest that minimalist fashion can reconcile personal wellbeing with sustainability while improving enclothed cognition. The study provides practical implications for fashion brand business strategies that align with Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Happiness is essential for human beings and influences their attitudes throughout life, including their career approach. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between undergraduate nursing students’ subjective happiness and academic engagement. This descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with undergraduate nursing students (n=350). The Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale – Short Form for Students (UWES-S-9)© were used. Data analysis was done through the PSPP program version 1.6.2-g78a33a. The participants’ total mean scores for subjective happiness (5.00±1.17) and academic engagement (3.75±1.42) were moderate. Students over 30 and those from middle and upper-middle-class backgrounds scored significantly higher in happiness than their peers aged 20-25 and those from lower-income backgrounds. Those who chose the nursing course out of genuine interest also reported higher levels of happiness, while students who indicated they would choose the course again achieved higher scores in both subjective happiness and academic engagement. There is a positive relationship between levels of subjective happiness and academic engagement. Social and financial support programs, peer mentorship, and sharing experiences can enhance students’ happiness. Informing students about nursing career options may also strengthen their connection to the profession.

The study focuses on interpreting the evolution of the scientific discourse on subjective well-being and happiness within an increasingly complex social reality, where individuals’ experienced quality of life becomes an indicator of sustainable development. The growth of publication activity and the expansion of interdisciplinary connections have created the need to systematize accumulated knowledge and identify major global trends. The aim of the study was to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global publications on subjective well-being from 2001 to 2024, which made it possible to determine the developmental directions of theoretical and empirical research. The objectives included analysing publication dynamics, identifying leading countries, authors and journals, and reconstructing the conceptual structures of the field. The scientific significance lies in the fact that the revealed trends clarify the theoretical foundations of studying subjective well-being and highlight gaps such as the underrepresentation of Central Asia in international scholarship. The methodology included bibliometric analysis of 496 Scopus-indexed articles using the Bibliometrix R package, enabling the construction of citation networks, thematic clusters and publication dynamics. The findings demonstrate a steady increase in research interest and the dominance of studies originating from the United States, the United Kingdom and Western Europe. The conceptual structure comprises four core clusters: psychological mechanisms of well-being, socio-economic and health-related determinants, macroeconomic factors, and demographic-psychological aspects. The practical significance is reflected in the potential use of the results for developing regional assessment tools and adapting international measurement methodologies to the socio-cultural context of Central Asia. Keywords: subjective well-being, happiness, bibliometric analysis, research trends, Scopus database, global collaboration, conceptual framework.

Innovative health measures are essential for promoting "healthy aging." The "ME-BYO" index considers health to exist on a continuum scale rather than as a binary state. This investigation sought to validate the ME-BYO index as a formative construct, examining if its constituent domains appropriately reflect overall health status using empirical data from the Kanagawa Prospective "ME-BYO" Cohort Study. We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data from 4,218 participants (aged 18-95 years, mean age, 57.8; 55.5% female) in the ME-BYO cohort. The ME-BYO index was specified as a higher-order formative construct composed of body mass index; blood pressure construct (systolic blood pressure, hypertension history); the 5-item Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-5) for locomotor function; and the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) for mental health. Its association with subjective well-being, a composite outcome including quality of life and subjective happiness, was examined using structural equation modeling. The GLFS-5 (outer weight: 0.695, t = 35.47) and the K6 (0.617, t = 20.23) were the strongest indicators of the ME-BYO index. Higher scores on the ME-BYO index (showing worse health) had a strong negative relationship with the subjective well-being outcome (path coefficient: -0.676, t = 71.99), accounting for 45.7% of the variance (R²). The ME-BYO index is a structurally valid formative measure that combines indicators from locomotor, mental, and metabolic domains. Its significant capacity to reflect subjective well-being supports its practical application in health surveillance and as a tool for empowering individuals to manage their health proactively.

This study investigated the predictive factors of individual differences in lying behaviors. A sample of 350 adults (216 females; Mean age = 23.97 years) completed an online survey assessing the frequency of lying (Scale of Frequent Lying), perceived acceptability of lying, self-perceived abilities to tell and detect lies (Self-Reported Lying Scale), and subjective happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale). Regression analyses revealed that acceptability of lying (β = 0.39), self-assessed lie-telling ability (β = 0.17), and gender (β = -0.20) predicted frequent lying, whereas self-assessed lie-detection ability, subjective happiness, and age did not. Men reported more frequent lying, higher self-assessed ability to lie, and greater acceptability of lying than women, whereas women reported higher self-assessed ability to detect lies.

IntroductionChinese left-behind children (LBC) report perceiving significant discrimination, a chronic stressor linked to adverse mental health outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Guided by the stress process model, which suggests that exposure to stress can increase the risk of poorer mental health through the depletion of psychosocial resources, this study examined whether the association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being was partially explained by social support and psychological resilience.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Sichuan Province, southwest China. Questionnaires on Perceived Discrimination, Social Support Rating Scale, Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents, and Subjective Happiness Scale were completed by 719 LBC (aged 10–15 years) from primary and junior high school.ResultsWe found that higher perceived discrimination was significantly associated with lower subjective well-being. This association was partially explained by social support and psychological resilience directly, as well as by a path involving lower social support leading to reduced psychological resilience.DiscussionThese findings contribute to understanding the mechanism through which discrimination may influence LBC’s subjective well-being. This highlights the need for multi-level interventions that aim to enhance individual resilience, strengthen social support networks, and address the broader issue of discrimination.

This study examined the relationships among perceived social support, self-esteem, and subjective happiness among a convenience sample of undergraduate counseling students in two public universities in Malaysia (N = 324). Drawing on social support theory, perceived social support, as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, was positively correlated with self-esteem as hypothesized. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the relationships among these variables. Self-esteem, as measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, was a significant mediator in the relationship between perceived social support and subjective happiness, as measured using the Subjective Happiness Scale. These findings suggest that perceived social support links to greater subjective happiness due to a higher sense of self-esteem. The findings also suggest that universities should provide peer mentoring and self-esteem workshops to enhance students’ self-esteem and skills for interaction with people, rather than just focusing on academic results.

Abstract: The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is widely used to assess positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). An international short-form version (I-PANAS-SF) was created for cross-cultural research. This study evaluates the validity and reliability of its Spanish version. This cross-sectional study involved 2,120 Spanish-speaking adults. We examined the structural, convergent, cross-groups, known-groups, and criterion validity, along with internal consistency and test–retest reliability. A two-factor model (PA and NA) showed excellent fit (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.07). Measurement invariance across sex, age, depression, and anxiety groups was found. Correlations with depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness were as expected. The I-PANAS-SF discriminated between individuals with/without possible major depression or general anxiety disorder. Reliability and stability were adequate (PA: ω = .85, ICC = 0.80; NA: ω = .75, ICC = 0.75). The Spanish I-PANAS-SF is a valid and reliable tool for assessing affect in Spanish-speaking adults.

BackgroundDance interventions encompass an inexpensive and engaging alternative to promote healthy ageing among older adults compared to pharmacological interventions. This study aims to refine the Community Dance Program (CDP) protocol and assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing and evaluating the program for promoting physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health of older adults.MethodsA feasibility cluster-controlled trial was conducted, in which participants were recruited from six Active Ageing Centres located island wide in Singapore. The outcome measures were physical performance, DNA methylation, muscle oxygenation, cognition, subjective happiness, quality of life, social support and intergenerational communication. Linear Mixed Model was conducted to examine the differences between the intervention and control groups at post-intervention after adjusting the baseline values and incorporating random effects for clusters.ResultsA total of 54 participants completed the study. The paired t-test results showed a significantly higher quality of life (p = 0.045) and lower levels of non-accommodation for intergenerational communication (p = 0.031) among participants in the intervention group after the CDP. The control group demonstrated a lower level of respect and obligation (p = 0.023) for intergenerational communication and a higher level of Pro-inflammation (p = 0.013). Linear Mixed Model showed no significant differences between the groups. A high retention rate was achieved, with 90% (54/60) of participants completing the post-test assessment. The intervention group also showed 90% (27/30) retention specifically.ConclusionThese preliminary findings suggest potential benefits of the dance intervention for physical and psychosocial well-being among older adults, warranting further evaluation in larger, adequately powered randomized studies. Future research can investigate the pathways of how intergenerational dance intervention may enhance older adults’ cognitive, physical, and psychosocial function over a longer term, as well as the relationships among these variables. Hence, more comprehensive and sustainable interventions can be developed for the older adults by leveraging the benefits of intergenerational engagement. This could lead to more effective strategies for promoting healthy ageing and improving the overall quality of life for older adults.Trial registrationThe study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (No: NCT05203848). Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-025-06796-7.

AimCost and probability biases are known to predict improvements in symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD). This study developed a high‐intensity mindfulness and cognitive behavioral group therapy (M‐CBT) program—comprising mindfulness training, psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, exposure exercises, and group sharing—designed to reduce these biases. The intervention was delivered in a group format, and its preliminary efficacy in patients with SAD was evaluated in a pilot single‐arm trial.MethodsPatients (N = 10) diagnosed with SAD through a structured clinical interview participated in an eight‐session M‐CBT program. They completed a set of questionnaires assessing SAD symptoms, cost and probability biases, fear of negative evaluation, self‐focused attention, depressive symptoms, subjective happiness, dispositional mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and suppression at pre‐intervention, mid‐intervention, post‐intervention, and follow‐up.ResultsAnalyses using linear mixed‐effects models revealed that high‐intensity M‐CBT produced improvements in SAD symptoms, cost and probability biases, depressive symptoms, subjective happiness, dispositional mindfulness, and cognitive reappraisal (p < 0.05). The intervention also yielded significant reductions in cost and probability biases from pre‐ to post‐treatment and at follow‐up, with large effect sizes (cost bias: Cohen's d = 0.85–1.27; probability bias: d = 1.07–2.42). In contrast, the effect sizes for SAD symptoms were moderate (d = 0.57–0.67).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that high‐intensity M‐CBT can alleviate SAD symptoms and reduce cost and probability biases. Moreover, delivering M‐CBT in a high‐intensity format appears to be effective for individuals with SAD. Future randomized‐controlled trials are warranted to more rigorously confirm these effects.

Interaction with individuals with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and nurses' positive mental well-being.

Cultural pathways to well-being in aging Japan: Exploring the meaning of "Good to Have Been Alive" through generativity, nature, and intergenerational connection.

Although authenticity has been considered from diverse existential and humanistic perspectives, the present study focuses on a positive conceptualization of authenticity based on Rogers’ novel concept of congruence as measured by the Congruity in the Self Scale (CiSS). Specifically, this study examined the extent to which the CiSS represents a distinct and useful measure over an existing measure of authentic personality (viz. authentic living, accepting external influence, and self-alienation) in accounting for psychological well-being (positive mood, subjective happiness, and amor fati ) and ill-being (negative mood, worry, and depression) in a sample of 256 adults. Results of conducting a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that, beyond the variance in well-being and ill-being accounted for by authentic personality, congruity in the self (using the CiSS) accounted for significant amounts of additional unique variance in health outcomes. Overall, the present findings indicate that congruity in the self is distinct from authentic personality, and that it has incremental validity over these dimensions in accounting for diverse indices of both well-being and ill-being in adults. Thus, the CiSS might represent a useful tool for researchers and practitioners who might be interested in a quick and accessible measure of authenticity based on Rogers’ notion of congruence.

This study aims to analyze the effect of happiness on accountants’ performance using the framework of Positive Psychology Theory. Happiness in this research is measured through six main dimensions: Pleasure, Meaning, Subjective Happiness, Life Satisfaction, Need for Cognition, and Perceived Relative Income. These dimensions represent emotional, cognitive, and social aspects that potentially influence psychological well-being and professional performance among accountants. The study employs a quantitative causal explanatory approach. Primary data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 181 professional accountants working across various sectors, both financial and non-financial. Data analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression. The results show that Meaning, Pleasure, and Perceived Relative Income have a positive and significant effect on accountants’ performance. This finding indicates that accountants who find meaning in their work, experience pleasure in performing their duties, and perceive their income as fair and competitive tend to demonstrate higher levels of performance. Conversely, Subjective Happiness, Life Satisfaction, and Need for Cognition do not have a significant effect on performance. This suggests that personal happiness, general life satisfaction, and the tendency to engage in deep thinking do not directly contribute to productivity but may serve as supporting factors for long-term psychological well-being. The study emphasizes the importance of applying Positive Psychology principles in human resource management within the accounting profession. Organizations should strengthen aspects of work meaning and happiness by fostering a supportive environment, ensuring fair reward systems, and providing opportunities for professional growth.

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to have lasting effects on well-being. This research studies ACEs, subjective happiness, and emotion regulation in young adults. Using a cross-sectional design, data was collected from a diverse sample of 323 young adults aged between 18 and 25 years (M = 21.08 years, SD = 1.94) from Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Jaipur, Rajasthan, India through self-report questionnaires assessing ACEs, emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and subjective happiness. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between ACEs and subjective happiness ( r = − .312, p &lt; .001) and between ACEs and cognitive reappraisal ( r = − .243, p &lt; .001). However, no significant correlation was found between ACEs and expressive suppression ( p = .586). ACEs, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression emerged as significant predictors of subjective happiness ( p &lt; .001, p &lt; .001, p = .001, respectively), collectively explaining 15.1% variance in subjective happiness. Additionally, cognitive reappraisal was positively correlated with subjective happiness ( p &lt; .001), while expressive suppression was negatively correlated with subjective happiness ( p &lt; .005). Males were found to engage in expressive suppression more than females ( p &lt; .001), though there was no gender difference in the use of cognitive reappraisal ( p = .054). It highlights the strong negative link between ACEs and subjective happiness, showing the long-lasting impact of childhood adversity on a person’s well-being. The study also highlights gender differences in expressive suppression, emphasizing the importance of considering gender-specific approaches in psychological interventions.

Previous findings have established a negative association between financial strain and mental health, although this kind of investigation among Nigerian university students is relatively scarce. However, the mechanism as well as the conditions among the associations have not received sufficient research attention in the literature. Therefore, this study investigated the link between financial strain and mental health as well as the mediating effect of subjective happiness in the association between financial strain and mental health among university students. The study also explored the moderated mediated role of gender in the relationship. This cross-sectional study used self-report measures of the Mental Health Scale, Financial Strain Scale, and Subjective Happiness Scale for data collection. A total of 196 university students aged 18-29 (female = 51.5%; mean age = 21.11 ± 1.64years) participated in the study. Data were analysed with the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Hayes PROCESS macro statistical tools. A negative predictive association was linked with financial strain and mental health among university students. Further, subjective happiness was found to statistically mediate the link between financial strain and mental health. Also, gender did not have conditional indirect effect on subjective happiness on mental health through subjective happiness. The study concluded that financial strain negatively linked with mental health and subjective happiness was associated with a mediation pattern between financial strain and mental health with no moderating effect in the association. Intervention policies aimed at reducing financial strain as well as student's wellbeing programs aimed at improving positive affect among university students should be tailored toward enhancing students' mental health.

The constructivist concept of Personal Meaning Organization (PMO), refined in the Adaptive Post-Rationalist (APR) framework, views personality as patterned meaning-making shaped by early attachment, yielding distinct organizations (controller, detached, contextualized, principle-oriented) with characteristic regulatory stances. Despite its clinical appeal and preliminary neurobiological evidence, PMO remains under-explored. We conducted an online survey of Italian adults assessing emotion regulation, subjective happiness, mental well-being, health-related quality of life, and PMOs. This study aimed to characterize PMO using standardized measures and network analysis to explore the intricate interplay between this construct and variables related to individual well-being. Findings showed that the Detached and Contextualized profiles were associated with emotional suppression, lower quality of life, and higher anxiety, depression, and impairment. Conversely, the Principle-oriented PMO was linked to greater happiness, frequent use of reappraisal, and no functional impairment. Network analysis highlighted mental well-being and anxiety/depression as central variables, underscoring their key role in the psychological system. The Controller PMO showed the highest expected influence, suggesting strong regulatory power. This is the first study to apply network analysis to the MQPO scale and to integrate the APR framework in assessing psychological functioning, offering novel insights for personality and mental health research.