Time Well-being Research Articles

Subjective Well-Being in Times of Covid-19: Positivity Bias

The present research examined how men and women with long and short term mating preferences perceive static male nonverbal behavior. Participants saw images of interacting men depicting different degrees of: space maximization, reciprocated/non-reciprocated intrasexual touch, gesticulation patterns of gesture/no gesture and palm up/neutral gestures, head cant (tilt), automanipulations, and open/closed limb positioning. They had to choose which of the 2 men was most attractive, and more flirtatious. We hypothesized that men in each dyad who displayed more: space maximization, non-reciprocated intrasexual touch, palm up gesturing, head cants (tilts), auto-manipulations, and open limb positioning would be rated as most attractive and more flirtatious. The results were consistent with the hypothesis. Specifically, men: exhibiting: palm up gesturing, open limb positioning, touch initiation, being a non-reciprocated touch recipient, auto manipulations in the hair area and neutral head positioning were rated as most attractive. Also, men exhibiting: palm up gesturing, open limb positioning, touch initiation, space maximization, automanipulations in the hair area, and a head cant(tilt) were rated as more flirtatious. Findings are discussed in terms of male self-presentational motives, and prior research.

Managing multiple roles during the COVID-19 lockdown: Not men or women, but parents as the emotional “loser in the crisis”

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a global crisis with high demands for the general population. In this research, we conducted a cross-sectional online study (N = 2278), which was diverse regarding age, employment, and family status to examine emotional well-being in times of the lockdown. We focused on inter-role conflict as a central factor associated with well-being. We tested whether individuals with high inter-role conflict (e.g. care-taker and employee) would appraise the lockdown more negatively than those experiencing low role-conflict and whether this would be associated with fatigue. In addition, we looked at gender as moderating this link. Latent modelling only showed small gender specific effects in the non-parent sample. However, in the parent sample, we found that although men experience less inter-role conflict than women on average, they coped significantly less well with it. We discuss the role of gender stereotypes in creating these psychological obstacles for men and women.

Imagination and transformations to sustainable and just futures

The ability of individuals and groups to identify, assess, and pursue alternative possible futures is an essential component of their ability to deliberately and collectively respond to major sustainability challenges rather than experience unguided or forced change. Deliberately engaging in transformation processes inevitably requires imagination. We refer to imagination for transformations as interdependent cognitive and social processes that create representations of present and possible future states of the world that can inform public deliberation, policy, decision making, and behavior from the individual to the global scale. We contend that imagination is an essential capacity for securing ecological, social, economic, and cultural well-being in times of rapid and often unpredictable global change. We sketch an emerging interdisciplinary research agenda on imagination as a transformational capacity and its role in transformation processes, building on contributions to a special issue on this subject. We specifically focus on imagination in relationship to transformative agency, causation, and individual-collective dynamics. Our aim is to identify research questions and challenges that are most pressing with a view to supporting efforts of transformations toward sustainability.

Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial that Altruism Moderates the Effect of Prosocial Acts on Adolescent Well-being.

Despite growing public and scientific interest in the positive benefits of prosociality, there has been little research on the causal effects of performing kind acts for others on psychological well-being during adolescence. Developmental changes during adolescence, such as greater perspective taking, can promote prosociality. It was hypothesized that performing kind acts for others would improve adolescent well-being (positive and negative affect, perceived stress) and increase prosocial giving. As part of a randomized controlled trial, 97 adolescents (Mage = 16.224, SD = 0.816, range 14-17; 53.608% female) were assigned to either perform kind acts for others (Kindness to Others, N = 33), perform kind acts for themselves (Kindness to Self, N = 34), or report on daily activities (Daily Report, N = 30) three times per week for four weeks. Well-being factors were measured weekly and giving was tested post-intervention. Overall, changes over time in well-being did not differ across conditions. However, altruism emerged as a significant moderator such that altruistic adolescents in the Kindness to Others condition showed increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and decreased stress. Increased positive affect was also linked to greater prosocial giving for Kindness to Others adolescents. These findings identify individual differences that may shape the effects of doing kind acts for others on well-being during adolescence.

European Part-time Workers’ Health and Well-being in Times of Crisis. The Case of Female Part-timers

European Part-time Workers’ Health and Well-being in Times of Crisis. The Case of Female Part-timers

Child Well-Being in Times of Confinement: The Impact of Dialogic Literary Gatherings Transferred to Homes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unexpected situation that has forced people to find educational alternatives to support learning and ensure child well-being. The need for practices that “open doors” at home as a way to promote a quality education and to foster an environment of supportive relationships and a sense of community, has led to the in-depth analysis of successful educational actions, particularly the Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs). The aim of this article is to show how the transference of DLGs to the home environment has had an impact on child subjective well-being in times of confinement, promoting a safe and supportive environment for learning, interacting, coexisting and on emotional development at different educational stages, especially for the most vulnerable children. Data collection consisted of a focus group of 10 teachers, 6 semi-structured interviews addressed to families and 6 life stories of students, from 4 primary education centers, 1 high school, and 1 Special Education School. Communicative methodology structured the two-level data analysis, for studying both the elements provided by online DLGs that favor and achieve child well-being, and the elements that may hinder those achievements. The results confirm that DLGs have had a notorious impact on children’s and their families’ well-being. Considering the findings in the development of educational public policies and the possibility of extending “open doors actions” as an option for future learning environments beyond the confinement situation is contemplated. Future research on how these spaces can have an impact on child well-being in upcoming contexts of the new normal in the education domain will be of interest.

Staff wellbeing in times of COVID-19.

In the last 10 years, there has been increasing interest into the psychological wellbeing of healthcare providers. Within critical care, increasing attention is being paid to the concept of 'burnout' - a cluster of symptoms that adversely affect the health of critical care providers. Publications and statements from the major critical care societies have all addressed this syndrome and emphasised urgency in tackling it. The current COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work, communicate and learn. Even before the pandemic, there have been growing concerns and acknowledgement that healthcare practitioners in intensive care are at increased risk of burnout and burnout syndrome. There has never been greater pressure on intensive care or indeed healthcare as a whole to look after so many patients during this pandemic and yet there is global acknowledgement that key to overcoming these challenges is to look after the care providers - both physically and psychologically. In this paper, we review the issue of burnout amongst healthcare practitioners during current pandemic. We present the impact of burnout on the individual and the system as a whole but perhaps most importantly, we provide a review of steps being taken to mitigate against these adverse outcomes in the short and longer term.

Change in mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of appraisals and daily life experiences.

When confronted with major threats, people often experience decline in well-being. The central purpose of this study was to identify mechanisms underlying change of well-being in times of threat, using the example of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on appraisals of the pandemic and affective states, stress, as well as mindfulness in daily life. We conducted a study across 3.5 weeks, including pretest, posttest, and a diary phase in-between. We worked with a sample of 460 adults, pre- and post-test information, as well as 7,189 observations from the diary phase. Results showed that deterioration in mental health symptoms across the duration of the study was associated with (a) change towards less fortunate appraisals of the pandemic and (b), more negative affect and less mindfulness in daily life. Furthermore, appraisals of the pandemic at pretest predicted experiences in daily life, with more negative appraisals of the pandemic predicting more negative affect and stressor occurrence as well as less mindfulness. These findings speak to the dynamic nature of well-being and appraisals in times of threat, and highlight the role of experiences in daily life in changes in well-being.

Coronavirus (Covid-19) and entrepreneurship: cultural, lifestyle and societal changes

PurposeCoronavirus (Covid-19) is a pandemic that not only has caused significant havoc around the world but also presents some important opportunities for entrepreneurs to be innovative in the marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to detail in more depth how entrepreneurs have been affected by the crisis by focussing on specific types of entrepreneurship in terms of cultural, lifestyle and social change.Design/methodology/approachA review of the existing literature on Covid-19 and crisis management is conducted that highlights the effect of the pandemic on entrepreneurs. This approach enables an integration of the existing research on resilience in terms of how entrepreneurs adapt and pivot their business models in response to change. Thereby enabling a contemporary view about the ways entrepreneurs can contribute to societal well-being in times of huge economic and social upheaval.FindingsWhile entrepreneurs by nature are resilient, the Covid-19 crisis in terms of its magnitude and length has led to specific challenges faced by entrepreneurs in adapting to the new environment. These challenges can be related to the way entrepreneurs respond to uncertainty by being flexible but also through the support of an entrepreneurial ecosystem environment.Originality/valueDue to the Covid-19 crisis being an ongoing and recent phenomenon, this paper is amongst the first to focus specifically on how cultural, lifestyle and social attributes of society have changed. Thereby providing advice to current and future entrepreneurs about how to respond to crisis situations and to manage short- and long-term considerations. There is a growing body of research in entrepreneurship that is offering valuable insights by taking a crisis approach. In addition to the practical opportunities touched upon in this paper, there are associated numerous research potentials due to the intersection of crisis management, entrepreneurship and resilience literature.

Job security and the promotion of workers’ wellbeing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: A study with Canadian workers one to two weeks after the initiation of social distancing measures

Background: Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, workplaces have had to make significant alterations in the way they conduct business. This, in addition to the current financial instability, may put workers at risk of experiencing job insecurity and, in turn, lower wellbeing. Job insecurity is a key determinant of wellbeing, but little is known on how it is impacted by public health crises, and more specifically how it relates to workers’ positive and negative wellbeing in the midst of a pandemic. Research is lacking on resilience levers that workplace interventions should target to support wellbeing in times of insecurity. Objective: Framed from a multidisciplinary perspective (public health, positive and organizational psychology), the study explores (1) workers’ job (in)security during the COVID-19 pandemic one to two weeks after social distancing measures were implemented by Canadian governments, (2) how job (in)security relates to wellbeing during the pandemic, and (3) the potential positive effects of workplace-related resilience levers. Method: 1,073 Canadian workers working full-/part-time or who were temporarily laid off completed an online survey, including measures of wellbeing at work or in general, job security and potential resilience levers (workplace disaster preparedness, policy, social capital). Results: Multiple regression findings highlight that marginalized workers (e.g., women, migrants, people facing financial hardships) reported lower job security, and having temporarily lost one’s job was negatively associated with job security. Low job security was related to lower scores across measures of wellbeing. Distress was high in the sample. Workplace disaster preparedness, policy and social capital were associated with higher wellbeing. The effects of these resilience levers tended to be stronger at higher job security levels. Discussion: Recommendations include a systemic, collaborative approach that includes policies fostering job security as well as resilience-promoting interventions in the workplace to protect/increase the wellbeing of workers during COVID-19.

The urban balcony as the new public space for well-being in times of social distancing

ABSTRACT Social distancing measures imposed by authorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic induce reflection on our existence: human presence once providing life in public space has now undermined it altogether. Away from the dystopia of the evacuated public spaces, a playful encouraging prayer against the extinction scenario comes from the Mediterranean urban balcony. This distinctive architectural element should further be explored as the new public space for restoring physical as well as social wellbeing during confinement. Early reflections on reevaluations of the existing/new balcony typologies promoting health in outdoors living seek to instigate a broader knowledge towards solutions and creativity.

Teachers' well-being in times of Covid-19 pandemic: factors that explain professional well-being

This cross-sectional study was aimed to describe and analyse factors related to the professional well-being of Portuguese teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A previously validated, anonymous and online questionnaire was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of Portuguese teachers. In addition to the socio-demographic and professional variables, the questionnaire measured subjective and professional well-being, satisfaction with the education system and future perspectives regarding the professional circumstances. The psychometric characteristics of the questionnaire were analysed, the t-test and ANOVA were used to analyse the differences between the main variables and the socio-demographic and professional characteristics, along with the generalized linear model in order to more precisely determine the predicting factors of teachers' professional well-being. The results showed that the majority of respondents have a moderately positive perception of well-being. Teachers were satisfied with the education system before the pandemic. The pandemic has reduced the perception of well-being in the face of the profession, creating some concern among teachers about their professional future. Sex, length of service, well-being, perceptions of teaching difficulties and future perspectives proved to be predictors of professional well-being in times of pandemic. This study provided scientific bases for the development of interventions that improve the professional well-being of teachers, which focus on emotional management and the development of digital skills in teachers with long careers. This piece of research concluded with thorough evidence that there is a need for further and stronger investment in public policies for the reform and, consequently, for the renewal of the teaching class.

Requiem for a Dream: Perceived Economic Conditions and Subjective Well-Being in Times of Prosperity and Economic Crisis.

Using the Panel of Social Inequalities in Catalonia, Spain (PaD 2001–2012), this article investigates the relationship between perceptions of economic conditions and subjective well-being in times of prosperity and economic crisis. It also analyses how this relationship plays out across different social backgrounds. Periods of economic crisis and prosperity serve as a proxy for objective macroeconomic conditions. The Spanish region of Catalonia is a relevant setting because it faced one of the highest increases in inequality and unemployment in Europe as a result of the 2008 Economic Crisis. Our results show that perceived economic conditions matter beyond objective micro and macroeconomic realm and become a strong determinant of subjective well-being during a crisis, particularly for the middle class. However, contrary to our initial expectations, our results also show the existence of a close correlation between perceptions of economic conditions and subjective well-being for low social background individuals in times of economic prosperity, and an even stronger relationship in times of economic crisis. The article stipulates several potential explanations for these results.

Well-Being in the Italian Regions Over Time

In this paper, we define clusters of homogeneous Italian regions with respect to the evolution over time of well-being. In particular we identify three partitions of the Italian regions based on the yearly time series of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the BES (equitable and sustainable well-being), in the period 2010–2016. The partitions are obtained using a Dynamic Time Warping-based Fuzzy C-Medoids clustering model for multivariate time series. The results show a territorial gap between northern and southern regions with respect to the economic, social and environmental dimensions. The central regions have a diversified behavior with respect to the different dimensions.

Food-related well-being in times of crisis: Conceptual considerations and empirical findings for Syrian refugees in Germany

Migration to a new country generally entails a variety of social and economic adversities, often reflected in food practices. This paper aims to explore the hedonic dimension of well-being in a food context among a diasporic Syrian community in Stuttgart, Germany. A conceptual framework that integrates the three aspects of well-being (hedonic, psychological and social) with goals for food consumption (functional, symbolic and hedonic) was developed as a guide for the exploration. The research design used semi-structured interviews with 34 Syrian refugees and content-based analysis to obtain a detailed and profound understanding of the relational links between food and well-being. Findings reveal the affective and cognitive components of hedonic well-being and the overall perception of a good food-related life concerning food purchasing, preparation, eating and post-eating. Satisfaction in food-related life was found to be associated with food availability and accessibility, physical health and body functioning, positive emotions, sensory experience, social relationships and overall life satisfaction. The insights gained from this research help to elucidate the concept of food-related well-being in the case of conflict and displacement and to find strategies to promote the well-being of refugees.

Parental Well-Being in Times of COVID-19 in Germany

We examine the differential effects of COVID-19 and related restrictions on individuals with dependent children in Germany. We specifically focus on the role of school and day care center closures, which may be regarded as a “disruptive exogenous shock” to family life. We make use of a novel representative survey of parental well-being collected in May and June 2020 in Germany, when schools and day care centers were closed but while other measures had been relaxed and new infections were low. In our descriptive analysis, we compare well-being during this period with a pre-crisis period for different groups. In a difference-in-differences design, we compare the change for individuals with children to the change for individuals without children, accounting for unrelated trends as well as potential survey mode and context effects. We find that the crisis lowered the relative well-being of individuals with children, especially for individuals with young children, for women, and for persons with lower secondary schooling qualifications. Our results suggest that public policy measures taken to contain COVID-19 can have large effects on family well-being, with implications for child development and parental labor market outcomes.

Parental Well-Being in Times of Covid-19 in Germany

We examine the differential effects of Covid-19 and related restrictions on individuals with dependent children in Germany. We specifically focus on the role of school and day care center closures, which may be regarded as a "disruptive exogenous shock" to family life. We make use of a novel representative survey of parental well-being collected in May and June 2020 in Germany, when schools and day care centers were closed but while other measures had been relaxed and new infections were low. In our descriptive analysis, we compare well-being during this period with a pre-crisis period for different groups. In a difference-in-differences design, we compare the change for individuals with children to the change for individuals without children, accounting for unrelated trends as well as potential survey mode and context effects. We find that the crisis lowered the relative well-being of individuals with children, especially for individuals with young children, for women, and for persons with lower secondary schooling qualifications. Our results suggest that public policy measures taken to contain Covid-19 can have large effects on family well-being, with implications for child development and parental labor market outcomes.

Health inequalities and well-being in times of financial and political crisis in Brazil, a case study

ABSTRACTBackground: Although global efforts have resulted in improvements in health and well-being across the world, economic downturns can rapidly undermine achievements in this area. Methods: Using Gallup World Poll data (n = 7,084) this study assessed the changes in health status and well-being before (2009–2013) and during (2015–2017) the current financial and political crisis in Brazil and their association with the Social Determinants of Health Inequalities. Health and well-being were measured by the Personal Life Index and the Life Evaluation Index. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression models were conducted. Results: A significant deterioration of well-being was found during the crisis, with a 29% decline (63–44%) in the prevalence of respondents classified as ‘thriving' in life. Food security, age and social support were the best predictors of health status and well-being, mitigating the association of health and well-being with income and unemployment. Education and community environment also showed strong association with well-being, and satisfaction with healthcare system played an important role in health status. Conclusions: In order to protect health and well-being during such crisis, policies should pay particular attention on enhancing the access to food, healthcare system, educational system, community environment (quality of air, water and infrastructure) and fostering social support.

Abstract WP315: Nationwide Channel Routing for Endovascular Treatment in Patient With Acute Ischemic Stroke

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the initial and subsequent interhospital transfer routes for endovascular treatment in patients with ischemic stroke and to estimate their effects on recanalization therapy and outcome. Methods: From the nationwide acute stroke quality assessment program database, patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke were identified through all kinds of acute stroke care hospitals in South Korea for 6 months survey period. Among them, we defined thrombectomy-eligible patients who had NIHSS score of 7 or more and arrived at the hospital within 6 hours from last well-being time. After determining the in- and outflow routes per person, patients were dichotomized into initially anchored in thrombectomy capable hospital (TCH) and initially anchored in non-TCH according to the initial visiting hospital. In each group, they were subclassified into stay-on and transfer-out according to outflow routes. Implementation of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular treatment (EVT), and clinical outcomes were compared by initial visiting hospitals and sub-groups. Results: Of 14902 patients with ischemic stroke, thrombectomy-eligible patients were 2180 (male, 51.9% and age, 72.9 ± 12.5 years old). Initial routes were TCH (35.5%) and non-TCH (64.5%), which were associated with IVT (53.8% for patients anchored in TCH versus 35.5% for patients initially anchored in non-TCH, P < 0.001) and EVT (33.3% versus 8.1%, P < 0.001). Initial visiting hospital showed a significant difference in 1 y mortality (29.3% versus 36.0%, P = 0.002). Transfer-out to TCH in patients initially anchored in non-TCH (n = 1406) was rated 17.4%, which was significantly associated with higher EVT (34.8% versus 7.5%) compare to stay-on, not with IVT (35.7% versus 34.9%). Conclusion: In acute stroke, the initial route and interhospital transfer affected the implementation of recanalization therapy and would be the key step toward renovating the stroke care system.

‘Hopeful adaptation’ in health geographies: Seeking health and wellbeing in times of adversity

Living with adversity can create wide-ranging challenges for people's health and wellbeing. This adversity may arise through personal embodied difference (e.g. acquiring a brain injury or losing mobility in older age) as well as wider structural relations that shape a person's capacity to adapt. A number of dichotomies have dominated our understanding of how people engage with health and wellbeing practices in their lives, from classifying behaviours as harmful/health-enabling, to understanding the self as being defined before/after illness. This paper critically interrogates a number of these dichotomies and proposes the concept of ‘hopeful adaptation’ to understand the myriad, often non-linear ways that people seek and find health and wellbeing in spite of adversity. We highlight the transformative potential in these adaptive practices, rather than solely focusing on how people persist and absorb adversity. The paper outlines an agenda for a health geography of hopeful adaptation, introducing a collection of papers that examine varied forms of adaptation in people's everyday struggles to find health and wellbeing whilst living with and challenging adversity.