Trends In Well-being Research Articles

Where should health system investments be made to protect the mental health of healthcare workers?

Abstract Background This study explores trends and work-related determinants of mental health and wellbeing among health and care workers in Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to determine where investments can best be made to protect and support mental health and wellbeing among health and care workers to improve retention and recruitment. Methods Data are analysed from the National Health Service staff survey in England and the Health Service Executive ‘Your Opinion Counts’ survey in Ireland to explore trends in mental health and wellbeing and burnout. Evidence is then taken from a series of European Observatory policy briefs, based on expert-led literature reviews, to explore determinants of poor mental health and wellbeing and to identify potential areas for investment. Results Rates of burnout and poor mental health and wellbeing have increased in England and Ireland since the start of the pandemic among all professional groups. Workplace-based factors are important determinants of poor mental health and wellbeing, and can be grouped into: macro-level structural factors such as staff shortages, poor working conditions and low pay; meso-level organisational factors including poor leadership, and insufficient education, training and support; micro-level individual factors such as insufficient self-care or not seeking support. However, determinants at the micro-level, especially seeking support from others, are largely shaped by structural or organisational factors. Conclusions Increased financing to address structural and organisational determinants of mental health and wellbeing contributes to improved patient care, better staff experience, lower rates of absenteeism, and enhanced recruitment and retention. It is therefore one of the best health system investments that can be made.

Can grit predict well-being?

BackgroundBurnout affects over 50% of surgical residents, and efforts focused on well-being during training are needed. Grit, defined as perseverance toward achieving long-term goals, is a measure of mental fortitude and may be protective against burnout and predictive of well-being.MethodsAn anonymous electronic survey was distributed to surgical and non-surgical resident trainees as well as general surgery faculty. Grit was measured using a 12-question validated Grit Scale and well-being was measured using a 5-question validated WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Linear regression was used to identify associations between post-graduate year (PGY), grit, and well-being. Student’s t-test was used to compare grit and well-being scores among male and female trainees.Results23/38 (60.5%) surgical residents completed the survey. Grit scores ranged from 3 to 4.67 (scale of 1–5) and well-being scores from 24 to 84 (scale of 0–100). There was no correlation between grit and well-being (R2 = 0.01, p < 0.63) or between PGY class and grit (R2 = 0.06, p < 0.27). However, there was a positive correlation between PGY class and well-being (R2 = 0.18, p < 0.05). Female residents trended towards higher grit (4.12 female vs 3.76 male, p < 0.07) and lower well-being (53 vs 60, p < 0.18). Compared with non-surgical residents, there were no significant differences in mean grit or well-being. The pooled trainee group demonstrated a positive correlation between PGY class and well-being (R2 = 0.09). Faculty reported higher grit (4, p < 0.03) and well-being (68.8, p < 0.002) than residents.ConclusionDespite high overall grit, trainees experience relatively low well-being; this effect is exaggerated in females. Grit and well-being trend to increase with PGY years and as faculty. The lack of association between grit and well-being in trainees suggests that intrinsic grit is not enough; well-being is impacted by external factors and encourages future work to identify and modify these factors for a positive impact on trainees.

Association between bubble tea consumption and mental health among adults in mainland China: A national cross-sectional analysis of cohort study

BackgroundBubble tea has emerged as an essential beverage in the daily lives of many individuals, which is particularly pronounced among nurses. However, few studies have investigated the potential effects of bubble tea consumption on mental health among nurses. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between bubble tea consumption and mental health among nurses. MethodsA cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the Nurses' Mental Health Study (NMHS), a national cohort study. Odds ratios (ORs) were employed to evaluate the relationship between bubble tea consumption and mental health. ResultsA total of 132,910 participants were enumerated nationwide in our survey. 8666 (6.52 %) were male and 124,244 (93.48 %) were female. The median age of participants was 34 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratios (ORs) for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychiatric diagnosis, fatigue, burnout, loneliness, and well-being trend changed across categories of bubble tea consumption. Low frequency of bubble tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation, while high frequency of consumption was related to an increased suicidal risk. The relation between bubble tea and mental health varies with gender and age. ConclusionsThis large-sample cross-sectional study found that consumption of bubble tea was significantly associated with increased anxiety, depression, psychiatric diagnosis, fatigue, job burnout and loneliness, and decreased well-being among nurses. Moreover, research indicates that limited consumption of bubble tea may be correlated with a reduction in suicidal ideation, whereas excessive consumption may be linked to an increase in such ideation.

Health behaviour and wellbeing trends among Australian adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2017–2022): An interrupted time-series analysis

ObjectiveTo explore population-level trends in health behaviours and wellbeing indicators from before (2017–2019) to during (2020–2022) the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. MethodsUsing cross-sectional data from New South Wales Adult Population Health Surveys (2017–2022, n = 73,680 responses), we calculated weighted prevalence estimates and interrupted time-series logit models to investigate trends in health behavioural risk factors (vegetable and fruit intake, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, e-cigarette use), Body Mass Index (BMI) (overweight and obesity), and wellbeing indicators (psychological distress, self-rated health) among adults aged ≥ 16 years before and during the pandemic. ResultsFrom 2017 to 2022, the behavioural risk factors and BMI trends were mostly unchanged. Similarly, wellbeing indicator trends showed only minor variations according to age. The interrupted time-series models found marked changes from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic for e-cigarette use and self-rated health. E-cigarette use showed an overall increasing trend, with significant increases from 2017 to 2022 (OR 8.25, 95 %CI 6.10–11.16). Poor self-rated health showed a stable trend before COVID-19, but decreased in 2020 (OR 0.68, 95 %CI 0.58–0.80) and 2021 (OR 0.70, 95 %CI 0.60–0.81), returning to pre-COVID levels in 2022 (OR 1.23, 95 %CI 1.07–1.41). During the pandemic (2020–2022), there were few statistically significant observed changes in prevalence trends according to SES indicators. ConclusionAmong Australian adults, relatively small population-level impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviours and wellbeing trends were observed. Continued surveillance and sub-group analyses are essential for investigating potential time-lagged effects and regional or sociodemographic differences in health behaviours and wellbeing.

Pursuing China's provincial sustainable development goals within a safe and just operating space: Past, present and future

As emphasized by the challenging sustainable development agenda, countries are facing a complicated combination of environmental stress and social challenges, leading the Earth system towards an unsustainable path. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately assess past fluctuations contributing to current situations and apprehend plausible future implications. This study integrates safe and just operating space (SJOS) with Sustainable Development Goals to depict multiple “windows” of environmental and social evolution in different historical periods, with 31 provinces in China as a case study. Then, we track the spatiotemporal evolution trajectory of environmental performance and social well-being in each province from 2012 to 2021. The Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model is utilized to capture the temporal relationships between various indicators and to forecast the spatial trends of SJOS in the provinces from 2022 to 2030. Research findings indicate that: (1) over the 2012–2021 period, the environmental performance of the majority of provinces far exceeds the warning thresholds, with no province falling within all threshold boundaries simultaneously. The phosphorus cycle is the most challenging boundary, with only 6.8% of provinces within the safe boundary over the past 10 years. In comparison, freshwater use performs the best, with 80% of provinces staying within the threshold. (2) Social well-being generally improves across all provinces from 2012 to 2021, but the spatial and temporal trajectories are more varied. All provinces meet the thresholds for the food security and employment indicators. However, none of the provinces meet the standard for the social equity indicator. (3) Over the 2022–2030 projection period, environmental performance and social well-being trend in opposite directions across provinces. This culminates in no province being entirely within the safe and just space by 2030. Sanitation shows the most significant change compared to other indicators. Xinjiang had the largest improvement at 59.12%, while Tianjin had the most significant downward trend at 53.88%. Adjustments in national policies and priorities are essential if China wants to accomplish the sufficiency of biophysical resources whilst ensuring social equity in the access and exploitation of these resources.

Resilience mediates the prediction of alienation towards parents on subjective well-being in rural left-behind children: a 12-month longitudinal study.

Parent-child relationship is critical for children's well-being. In China, the large number of left-behind children (LBC, one or both parents leaving for work for at least 6 months) raises public concern. Although LBC often report poor mental health status and higher alienation towards parents, the dynamic trend of subjective well-being in this population, as well as the prediction of alienation towards parents on LBC's subjective well-being, remain unrevealed. This study aimed to examine the dynamic trend of subjective well-being in Chinese LBC and further explore the predictional influence of alienation towards parents, with resilience as a potential mediator. We recruited 916 rural LBC in China and investigated them at five waves (baseline, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months later) using Inventory of Alienation towards Parents (IAP), Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents (RSCA) and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). We used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) for analysis. At baseline, no significant differences were found in the scores of alienation towards parents, resilience, and subjective well-being on gender, grade, or type of LBC. A significant correlation existed between the scores of alienation towards parents, resilience, and subjective well-being. HLM showed a linear increase in the subjective well-being of rural LBC. Alienation toward both mother and father negatively predicted the developmental trajectory of children's subjective well-being over 12 months. Moreover, resilience partially mediated this prediction. This study is among the first to reveal that alienation towards parents predicts the developmental trajectory of later LBC's subjective well-being, with resilience as a mediator. These findings warrant the necessity of paying attention to alienation toward parents to ensure the mental health of LBC, giving valuable guidance to parents, schools and governments.

The association among thriving in life, quality of life, and suicidal ideation in Chinese urban older adults: the moderating effects of attitude toward own aging

BackgroundAs the global trend of population aging intensifies, the health and well-being of the older population has gradually become a focus of attention for the global community. This study assessed the status of thriving in life among Chinese urban older adults and identified its relationship with attitude toward own aging and quality of life (QoL). It also tested whether attitude toward own aging moderates the association between thriving in life and Qol or between thriving in life and suicidal ideation.MethodsPrimary data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among urban older adults from three provinces in China. They were invited to complete an anonymous survey using face-to-face interviews from December 2019 to January 2020. Data from 764 older adults were analyzed.ResultsApproximately 44.39% of participants reported positive responses toward the four domains of thriving in life. Thriving in life and attitude toward own aging had a significant association with QoL. Thriving in life was a protective factor for suicidal ideation for older adults. Moreover, attitude toward own aging moderated the association between thriving in life and QoL and that between thriving in life and suicidal ideation.ConclusionsChinese urban older adults were reportedly thriving in life, which contributed to increased QoL and reduced suicidal ideation. Notably, the study revealed that more positive attitudes towards own aging were associated with higher levels of thriving in life, better QoL, and reduced suicidal ideation. Targeted interventions for older adults should be devised to promote thriving in life and prevent negative attitudes of older people towards their own aging, further raising QoL and reducing suicidal ideation.

Relationship Trends of Financial Literacy and Well-being: A Bibliometric Mapping and Systematic Literature Review

The primary purpose of this research was to learn about current worldwide study drifts in financial literacy and well-being that leads to mental health of people. Information for this purpose came from Scopus database, which is one of the world's largest bibliographic databases. This study goes along with literature reviews of systematic, network, and bibliometric nature and includes network analysis (NA) that was applied to find a year-over-year growth pattern with annual progress occurrence, authorship pattern, degree of alliance, top prolific writers, highly cited papers, most collaborative institutes, most desired sources, AJG-rated journals, collaboration networks, and so on. The research is based on an assessment of 164 academic papers published between 2005 and 2022. During the research, the most productive year was 2020. With five publications and 201 total citations, it is clear that Xiao Ju was the most prolific author. Financial Education and Financial Satisfaction: Financial Literacy, Behavior, And Capability ss Mediators, published in 2017, received the most citations. Social Indicators Research was the most cited source, with 296 citations and four articles. For network visualization, the VOS viewer software version 1.6.18 was utilized, and R version 4.1.1 (2021-08-10) with the Biblioshiny package was used for Bibliometric analysis. According to the findings, there was a steady growth in financial literacy and well-being research productivity during the study period.

A Co-Created Assessment Framework to Measure Inclusive Health and Wellbeing in a Vulnerable Context in the South of Europe.

Rapid urbanisation exacerbates health and wellbeing disparities in vulnerable contexts and underscores the imperative need to develop innovative and participatory co-creation approaches to understand and address the specificities of these contexts. This paper presents a method to develop an assessment framework that integrates top-down dimensions with bottom-up perspectives to monitor the impact of inclusive health and wellbeing interventions tailored to the neighbourhood's needs in Las Palmeras, a vulnerable neighbourhood in Cordoba (Spain). Drawing upon studies in the literature examining urban health and wellbeing trends, it delineates a participatory and inclusive framework, emphasising the need for context-specific indicators and assessment tools. Involving diverse stakeholders, including residents and professionals, it enriches the process and identifies key indicators and assessment methods. This approach provides valuable insights for managing innovative solutions, aligning them with local expectations, and measuring their impact. It contributes to the discourse on inclusive urban health by advocating for participatory, context-specific strategies and interdisciplinary collaboration. While not universally applicable, the framework offers a model for health assessment in vulnerable contexts, encouraging further development of community-based tools for promoting inclusive wellbeing.

Student discourse’s paradoxes of representations of the concept “technological well-being of Russia”

Problem and aim. The relevance of presented study lies in understanding that it is impossible to be an independent government and implement its own policies without having technological leadership. In modern youth discourse, the attractive image of the creative engineer has disappeared, without which it is impossible to achieve a change in the «user» mentality in the field of technology. Accordingly, the purpose of the study is an applied communicative-semiotic analysis of the basic representations through which students describe concepts such as «Russia’s technological wellbeing», «technological leadership» and «technological imitation». Materials and research methods. The authors of the study used communicative-semiotic analysis to study free verbal associations of students (projective methodology), which made it possible to determine the symbolic constructs of youth discourse in the ratio of internal/external and individual/collective areas that integrate human consciousness and empirical phenomena into conversations about the technological well-being of Russia (concept of M. Conway). The applied research (questionnaire) was carried out in two stages. Data processing was carried out using the method of identifying keywords by Word Cloud Generator with the subsequent formation of a word cloud as a method of information compression. The identified associations were analyzed within the Porter stemmer word stemming tool. Research results. The results of the study showed that the formation of representations in relation to the concept of «technological well-being of Russia» is contradictory. However, this inconsistency is not associated with projection of the «technological leadership» and «technological imitation» vectors. The authors found that the projection of the image of the future of Russia in the trends of technological well-being is not associated by engineer students with the role of a man. The non-subjective nature of the concept of «technological well-being» emphasizes the gaps in the system of higher engineering education associated with the imposed practice of consumer behavior. The authors proposed educational technologies for leveling the non-subjective nature in the formation of the concept of «technological well-being of Russia» in the system of higher engineering education. Conclusion. The results of the study are significant for both the theoretical and practical research base in the field of higher engineering education. An empirical basis on representations of the image of the future associated with the concept of «technological well-being» will make it possible to understand what stereotypes and constructs are relevant for young people’s individual educational trajectory. In the future, this will make it possible to make changes curriculum for future engineers in terms of social and humanitarian knowledge.

Doing wellbeing policy: A discussion on public policy making for integrative prosperity

AbstractFocusing on holistic wellbeing rather than solely economic prosperity is becoming ever more popular among policy makers, both in Australia and New Zealand, and elsewhere. And yet, turning a complex set of system‐level indicators of wellbeing into actionable policy requires us to rethink how we develop, implement, and evaluate policy. In this article, I review the current trends in wellbeing, including developments in the measurement and tracking of wellbeing, and offer practical steps for integrating actionable wellbeing outcomes into future policymaking processes.Points for practitioners Focusing on wellbeing as part of the policy making process is becoming more popular among governments, including in Australia and New Zealand. The New Zealand Government has been doing wellbeing budgets since 2019 while the Australian Government released a new wellbeing framework in 2023. Wellbeing policy represents an approach to policy making that aims to maximize the general health and happiness of a target population on both subjective and objective measures of wellbeing. This includes both economic and non‐economic measures of prosperity and wellbeing. There are many ways of tracking the wellbeing effect of policy and so choosing the right framework is important for effective wellbeing policy making. This starts with a wellbeing purpose for the policy and a clear and concise definition of wellbeing. Doing wellbeing policy requires a good understanding of what wellbeing represents and how it is measured. You need relevant and measurable indicators of wellbeing, an evaluation strategy, and the ability to reflect and innovate as part of an iterative policy making process.

Exploring non-linear effects of walking accessibility on well-being in rural older adults of Jintang County: a random forest analysis.

The global concern surrounding the aging population has brought the well-being of older individuals to the forefront of societal attention. Unfortunately, studies focusing on the well-being of older people residing in rural areas are frequently overshadowed by the developmental disparities between rural and urban regions. Thus, this study aims to delve into the non-linear impact of walking accessibility on the subjective well-being of rural older adults. The goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of this relationship, ultimately contributing to an improved quality of life and health for older adults in rural areas. In this study, the Random Forest algorithm was employed to explore the non-linear effects of demographic variables, perceived safety, subjective built environment (including perceptions and preferences of the built environment), and walking accessibility on the subjective well-being of older adults. The findings of this study underscore the pivotal role of walking accessibility in influencing the well-being of older adults, particularly in terms of access to bazaars and health centers, where non-linear and threshold effects are evident. Furthermore, community safety, road conditions, and walking preferences were identified as positive influencers on the well-being of older adults. Well-being trends varied with age, revealing noteworthy non-linear relationships for certain variables. The insights gained from this study provide crucial theoretical guidance for the development of policies tailored to the unique context of rural aging. By taking into account factors such as walking accessibility, community safety, health support, and social interaction, we can create an improved living environment for rural older adults, ultimately enhancing their happiness and overall quality of life.

A Fresh Perspective on Examining Population Emotional Well-Being Trends by Internet Search Engine: An Emerging Composite Anxiety and Depression Index.

Traditional assessments of anxiety and depression face challenges and difficulties when it comes to understanding trends in-group psychological characteristics. As people become more accustomed to expressing their opinions online, location-based online media and cutting-edge algorithms offer new opportunities to identify associations between group sentiment and economic- or healthcare-related variables. Our research provides a novel approach to analyzing emotional well-being trends in a population by focusing on retrieving online information. We used emotionally enriched texts on social media to build the Public Opinion Dictionary (POD). Then, combining POD with the word vector model and search trend, we developed the Composite Anxiety and Depression Index (CADI), which can reflect the mental health level of a region during a specific time period. We utilized the representative external data by CHARLS to validate the effectiveness of CADI, indicating that CADI can serve as a representative indicator of the prevalence of mental disorders. Regression and subgroup analysis are employed to further elucidate the association between public mental health (measured by CADI) with economic development and medical burden. The results of comprehensive regression analysis show that the Import-Export index (-16.272, p < 0.001) and average cost of patients (4.412, p < 0.001) were significantly negatively associated with the CADI, and the sub-models stratificated by GDP showed the same situation. Disposable income (-28.389, p < 0.001) became significant in the subgroup with lower GDP, while the rate of unemployment (2.399, p < 0.001) became significant in the higher subgroup. Our findings suggest that an unfavorable economic development or unbearable medical burden will increase the negative mental health of the public, which was consistent across both the full and subgroup models.

Trends in Mental Wellbeing of US Children, 2019-2022: Erosion of Mental Health Continued in 2022.

We provide fresh estimates of a change in the nationwide prevalence of mental health symptoms among US children during the COVID-19 pandemic using National Health Interview Survey data (2019-22) on children aged 2-17 years (n = 27,378; age subgroups 2-5, 6-11, and 12-17) to assess overall mental distress and 19 specific outcomes related to developmental, communicative, cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. Raw and adjusted (for socio-demographics) linear regressions estimated the change in prevalence for each outcome between 2019 (baseline year) and three succeeding years (2020-2022). Summary scores for mental distress rose between 2019 and 2020 (1.01 to 1.18 points, range of 0-15), declined slightly in 2021 (1.09), and climbed sharply again in 2022 (1.25). The declines primarily affected adolescents (1.11 at baseline, 1.24 in 2020, 1.30 in 2021, and 1.49 in 2022). Specific outcomes belonging to all domains of mental health showed similar increases in prevalence. US children suffered significant erosion of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic that continued into 2022. Expansion of mental health programs aimed at school-going children will likely be needed to respond effectively to the ongoing crisis.

Trends in emotional wellbeing during COVID-19 by ethnicity, age and gender: evidence from a higher education staff survey

This paper provides evidence of the trends in the emotional wellbeing of university staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on differences according to age, gender and ethnicity. From June 2020 to July 2021 a survey was circulated to University College London staff, capturing information on self-described demographic indicators (age, gender, and ethnicity), satisfaction with academic life, and mental and emotional wellbeing. Results show a moderate level of emotional wellbeing overall, with scores increasing after lockdowns were lifted. Some significant heterogeneity within the demographic variables demonstrates the need for disaggregating the categories within Black and Minority Ethnic individuals. Black Caribbean and Black African staff reported higher levels of emotional wellbeing (respectively, 0.60 and 0.81 higher wellbeing scores, on average) while staff who identified as Arab or “other” reported lower levels (on average −1.0 and −0.65) than staff who identified as White. There was a sharp increase in emotional wellbeing for Arab staff and a slight increase in Asian and “other” ethnic staff. Findings from this research provide evidence into the trends in emotional wellbeing of faculty and staff in a United Kingdom university context, contributing to the literature focusing on higher education during the pandemic period. We also flag the importance of disaggregating Black and Minority Ethnic categorization to describe and better understand the diverse impact on emotional wellbeing within different ethnic groups, which has rarely been explored in the literature assessing university staff wellbeing.

Canadian Workers’ Well-Being During the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Profile Analysis

To explore workers’ well-being during COVID-19, researchers have primarily utilized variable-centered approaches (e.g., regression) focusing on describing workers’ general level of well-being. Given the diversity of factors that may have impacted workers’ well-being during the pandemic, focusing on such well-being trends do not provide sufficient insight into the different lived well-being experiences during the pandemic. Moreover, positive well-being in workers’ general lives and work has been understudied in such complex public health crises. To address these issues, we use latent profile analysis, a person-centered analysis, to explore the diverse well-being realities Canadian workers (employed before COVID-19 or working at the time of the survey) experienced at the beginning of COVID-19. Canadian workers (N = 510) were surveyed between May 20-27th, 2020, on positive (meaning in life, flourishing, thriving at work) and negative (distress, stress, impaired productivity, troublesome symptoms at work) well-being indicators, as well as on factors that may be associated with experiencing different well-being profiles. Five well-being profiles emerged: moderately prospering, prospering, moderately suffering, suffering, and mixed. Factors at the self- (gender, age, disability status, trait resilience), social- (marital status, family functioning, having children at home), workplace- (some employment statuses and work industries, financial strain, job security), and pandemic-related (perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, social distancing) ecological levels predicted profile membership. Recommendations for employers, policymakers, and mental health organizations are discussed.

Exploring Mandala – Art as a Form of Therapy

The declining trend of mental wellbeing among university students is at a concerning rate. Finding ways to curb the issue before it becomes out of hand is the main objective of this study as it assesses the effectiveness of using mandala art as a therapeutic method in lowering the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the students. Art has been around for thousands of years, and this study tested the claim specifically on mandala art of its effectiveness as the recently emerged method in the field of psychotherapy. This study applied quantitative research through a quasi-experimental method. 72 participants from University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) were gathered to join the experiment and the participants were administered the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) before and after Mandala colouring activity. The effectiveness was measured in terms of the pre and post scores of DASS-21 through Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test using the SPSS v26.0. Results of the research showed a significant difference between the median of the pre-test scores and post-test scores (p&lt;0.005). The findings of this research supported the hypothesis that involving oneself in therapeutic art activity can lower the register of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms.

SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF OLDER PEOPLE IN ENGLAND SINCE THE PANDEMIC: DID ALREADY-ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS FARE WORSE?

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and actions to reduce transmission (including stay-at-home orders and workplace closures) have had an impact on actual and perceived social isolation and support across all age groups. There was a clear increase in social isolation during the pandemic, especially among older adults, potentially due to the heightened risks of complications and mortality if infected with the novel coronavirus. In England, employing data from the nationally representative English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and using pre- (2018/19) and during pandemic data (June/July 2020 and November/December 2020), we found that overall, older adults who were already experiencing social isolation prior to the pandemic (isolated group) experienced a larger rise in loneliness and drop in social contact during the pandemic than older adults who were previously socially connected (non-isolated group). Results are robust even when we account for the fact that respondents socially isolated (including those not married and with infrequent contact with relatives and friends) felt lonelier and less supported even before the pandemic, and when we adjust for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Expanding on this work with post-pandemic data collected between October 2021 and March 2023, this paper describes loneliness, social contact, and social support pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic and investigates whether and to what extent trends in social well-being continued to diverge between the isolated and non-isolated groups.

Chronic disease onset and wellbeing development: longitudinal analysis and the role of healthcare access.

Experiencing the onset of a chronic disease is a serious health event impacting living conditions and wellbeing. Investigating wellbeing development and its predictors is crucial to understand how individuals adapt to chronic illnesses. This study (i) analyzed the impact of a chronic disease on wellbeing development, and (ii) explored spatial healthcare access as potential moderating factor. Data were obtained from the German Socio-economic Panel, a nationally representative household survey. A prospective sample of 3847 individuals was identified for whom the onset of cancer, cardiopathy, diabetes or stroke was observed between 2008 and 2020. Mixed models using an interrupted time series approach were performed to identify immediate level changes and longitudinal trend changes in wellbeing (operationalized with health and life satisfaction) after disease onset. Further, spatial access to healthcare (operationalized by two-stage floating catchment area measures) as potential moderating factor was examined using interaction effects. Chronic disease onset had an immediate negative level impact on health and life satisfaction. For health satisfaction, a negative pre-onset wellbeing trend was offset (but not reversed). A small positive trend was observed for life satisfaction after disease onset. Spatial access to healthcare was not associated with the magnitude of wellbeing reduction at onset. Health and life satisfaction levels drop with the onset of a chronic disease with no recovery trend for health and little recovery for life satisfaction, implying persistently lower wellbeing levels after a chronic illness onset. Spatial access to healthcare does not affect the wellbeing change after disease onset.

Social well-being in coronacrisis: Who took the brunt of it?

Basing on the data from the representative sociological survey held by the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting RANEPA in March 2021, the socio-economic difficulties faced by various groups of the Russian population during the pandemic year were studied. It was found out that the negative trend of financial well-being rather widely characterizing Russians was most widespread among the middle-aged Russians and among those holding the lowest employment positions. The practice of consumer savings, which is slightly differentiated by demographic groups, is in the highest degree (at the level higher than 80%) related to those who have low financial status and significant loan burden. Two thirds of the working respondents, primarily representatives of management-level, faced a variety of problems in the sphere of employment caused by the specifics of the crisis context. Mass shift to a remote format of employment which became quite successful as a situational adaptive mechanism has turned out to be associated with decrease in work productivity and comfort of working duties performance. More than half of the respondents faced changes in habitual recreational and leisure practices, and 23% of them—significant changes. Women, representatives of the most active youth cohort and dwellers of megacities perceive these changes most acutely. The period under consideration is characterized by significant negative dynamics in interpersonal trust beyond the “nearest circle” in all socio-demographic groups of the population. Social interactions of Russians are mostly developed within “the nearest circle of communication”, firstly—with relatives; the level of trust and hope for help in case of need from governmental and public institutes is much lower. Representatives of the least resource-rich groups of the population show a lower level of involvement in the networks of potential social support that further limits the adaptation potential of the vulnerable strata of population.