Relationship Well-being Research Articles

Couples and concealable chronic illness: Investigating couples' communication, coping, and relational well-being over time.

Couples managing chronic illnesses-the leading causes of death and disability in the United States-can experience challenges in their daily lives and relationships. Both couple members have reported lower satisfaction, greater burden, and communication difficulties. Many of these illnesses are nonvisible or concealable, increasing fear and uncertainty when sharing illness information, and reducing self-disclosure. These challenges can leave couples vulnerable to dissatisfaction and distress. In this longitudinal study, we integrated dyadic coping frameworks to examine how couples' communication and coping predicted relational well-being over time. Couples, where one partner was diagnosed with a concealable chronic illness, completed three online surveys 6 months apart (n = 242 couples at baseline, 146 couples at 6 months, and 123 couples at 12 months). Couples were recruited from university settings. Actor-partner interdependence mediation models using within-person multilevel dyadic path modeling tested the theoretical model. For patient and partner actor effects, at times when they saw the illness as shared and something that they could manage together, the more they talked about the illness and used dyadic coping strategies (p < .001). In turn, when using dyadic coping strategies more often, patients and partners felt more satisfied, close, and sexually satisfied than they typically felt that year (p < .001). For cross-partner effects, when patients talked about the illness more than usual, their partners also used dyadic coping strategies more often (p = .01). Patients' open communication may not only benefit themselves but also their partners. This multifaceted approach offers new insight into promoting relational well-being while managing concealable chronic illness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Price of Love: Understanding the Financial and Psychosocial Costs of Caring for Children with Medical Complexities.

Parents of children with medical complexities (CMCs) report significant challenges affecting their financial, emotional and social well-being in relation to caring for their child's medical needs. The Complex Care Navigator Program was designed to provide social, emotional and economic support to parents of CMCs. This paper describes the results and outcomes of the program and the challenges experienced during the evaluation process. Overall, results suggest that the program had a positive impact on the parents' psychosocial functioning and social connections. The results demonstrate the importance of providing early screening, psychosocial intervention and peer support.

Evaluation of employees' well-being in relation to job satisfaction and the level of organisational fairness

This study focuses on evaluating employees ' job satisfaction and the degree of fairness within organizations. The main aim is to examine the relationship between these crucial elementsof the work environment and how they impact employee performance and company success. The analysis of the obtained data is a crucial element of this research, as it is necessary to assess variations in employees' perceptions and to identify potential discrepancies between satisfaction levels and fairness perceptions. This study also explores how employees' well-being, job satisfaction and organizational fairness relate to organizational performance. The results obtained from this research could provide organizations with the necessary insights to improve their employees' work environment and generate effective strategies to enhance employee job satisfaction.

Emotion as a state/trait and loneliness of employees at work in multinationals in Constanta and Bucharest

In the era of globalization, multinational companies have become an important part of the economic landscape. bringing with them diversity and challenges specific to the business environment in cities such as Bucharest and provincial cities. In this psychological study, we explore the impact of loneliness at work and emotions as a state and trait on employees in multinational companies, comparing the experiences in Bucharest with those in smaller Romanian cities, such as Constanta.The sample used consisted of 60 subjects, namely 30 male and 30 female, 30 from each city (Bucharest and Constanta).The samples with which we conducted the investigation are the loneliness at work scale and the state-trait emotion measurement questionnaire. The research hypotheses were:H1. It is presumed that loneliness at work is more pronounced among multinational employees in Bucharest than in Constanta; H2. Emotion as a state/trait is presumed to be more pronounced in employees of multinationals in Bucharest than in those in Constanta; H3. Emotion as a state/trait is presumed to be related to loneliness at work.The aim was to identify these aspects, providing useful information for improving the mental and relational well-being of employees in this work environment.

Longitudinal associations between childhood maltreatment and sexual motivations in couples: The role of basic psychological needs

Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been consistently associated with negative sexual outcomes in couples. Yet, its link with sexual motivation, which plays a key role in relational and sexual well-being, remains elusive. Based on self-determination theory, sexual motivations encompass intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation (i.e., integrated, identified, introjected, and external), and amotivation. This study examined the dyadic longitudinal associations between CM and these six sexual motivations, while considering the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) as potential mediators. Data from 309 cohabitating couples (50.8% cisgender women, M = 32.64 years, SD = 9.59), collected at three time points over 1 year, were analyzed using actor-partner interdependence mediation models. CM was not significantly related to intrinsic motivation. However, overall, a person’s CM was indirectly associated with their own and their partner’s extrinsic motivation (i.e., integrated, identified, introjected, and external) via their own satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the romantic relationship. A person’s CM was also indirectly associated with their own amotivation via their own and their partner’s satisfaction for autonomy and relatedness. Findings suggest that catering to basic psychological needs of couples with a CM history may facilitate healthier sexual dynamics through their associations with sexual motivation.

May I Help You? The Relationship Between Interpersonal Emotion Regulation and Emotional and Relational Wellbeing in Daily Life

People often get support from others in regulating their emotions, a phenomenon known as interpersonal emotion regulation (IER). However, the relative effectiveness of specific IER strategies for improving emotional and relational wellbeing in daily life is unclear. Here, we report two preregistered, ecological momentary assessment studies, in which we examined how the use of six key IER strategies relates to emotional and relational wellbeing among romantic couples in daily life. Study 1 focused on enacted IER as reported by the regulator, whereas Study 2 focused on perceived IER as reported by the regulated partner. Using a dyadic experience sampling design (6 beeps/day for 7 days), Study 1 (N = 136) showed that when people reported to have given advice or encouraged their partner to suppress their emotions, their partners experienced impaired emotional wellbeing. When people reported to have distracted their partner, their partner experienced enhanced positive affect and felt closer to their partner. The use of interpersonal reappraisal, acceptance and ignoring was unrelated to partners’ momentary wellbeing. Using a dyadic daily diary design (1 beep/day for 12 days), Study 2 (N = 361) showed that perceptions of one’s emotions being ignored by the partner were associated with impaired emotional and relational wellbeing on the same day. The perceived use of other IER strategies was unrelated to momentary wellbeing. Taken together, the present set of studies illuminates how IER processes shape people’s emotions and relationships in ecologically valid settings. Our findings indicate that enacted and perceived regulatory behaviors are associated with differential outcomes, highlighting the complex nature of interpersonal emotion dynamics.

Enhancing sexual health in primary care: Guidance for practitioners.

Sexual health is an integral aspect of overall health and well-being and is fundamental to the sustainable development of societies worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual health as 'a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality'. However, addressing sexual health has been afforded low priority in primary healthcare systems. Primary care practitioners (PCPs), who play a crucial role in providing comprehensive care to communities, receive little training on screening and managing individuals with sexual health problems. The scope of services ranges from education, prevention and screening, to management of sexual health matters. Patients with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as stroke, cancer, heart disease and diabetes, are at increased risk for sexual dysfunction, possibly because of common pathogenetic mechanisms, such as inflammation. This is of considerable importance in the sub-Saharan African context where there is a rapidly increasing prevalence of NCDs, as well as a high burden of HIV. Strategies to improve the quality of sexual health services in primary care include creating a safe and non-judgemental practice environment for history-taking among gender-diverse populations, utilising effective screening tools aligned with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for sexual dysfunctions. In particular, the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM -5) diagnostic and treatment algorithm can empower primary care providers to effectively address sexual dysfunctions among patients and improve the quality of care provided to communities regarding sexual and reproductive health.

Педагогическая практика как условие нормализации психологического самочувствия личности студента

The research aims to substantiate the essence and structure of the notion of a student’s personal psychological well-being in relation to future teachers in the process of practice. The paper analyzes the notion of “personal psychological well-being” and substantiates the author’s definition of the notion of “a student’s personal psychological well-being in the process of teaching practice”, which is an integral and dynamic characteristic of an individual, reflecting the internal psychological state of each student in the process of teaching practice, revealing a student’s self-perception of their own professional achievements as the basis of their social and professional self-determination. A system of criteria and their detailed indicators for the manifestation of personal psychological well-being among teacher students in the process of teaching practice (the cognitive criterion, the emotional criterion, the personal criterion) is proposed. The methodology of a pilot study is described and the results of such a study involving undergraduate students are analyzed. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the following: a new direction for the development of models, content and methodological support for students’ teaching practice is substantiated from the standpoint of changes in their psychological well-being. As a result of the research, it was confirmed that the inclusion of the context of reflective-innovative activity in the content of practice, the activation of self-analysis and self-development mechanisms in students in the process of practical training contribute to the normalization of psychological well-being among teacher students, increasing the sense of confidence in the correctness of their professional actions and personal self-realization.

Assessing the efficacy of a resilience training intervention for long-term improvements in well-being and resilience.

This article has two aims: (1) to assess the impacts of a novel training intervention for individual well-being and (2) to measure the trajectory of resilience over the training period dependent on reported significant life events. Using a randomised controlled trial with a diverse German sample with the majority drawn from a student population, we measure the effects of the intervention to provide insight into its impacts and act as a proof of concept for the training. We find that the training intervention boosts resilience and other related well-being measures with a high effect size in comparison with a control group and compared with existing resilience training studies.

Forced Migration: A Relational Wellbeing Approach

In this Special Issue, we consider the ways in which a relational wellbeing approach can be used to understand the lives and trajectories of refugees in general and young refugees in particular [...]

Examining the interplay between internet use disorder tendencies and well-being in relation to sofalizing during the COVID-19 pandemic

AimsThe present study investigated the potential links between Internet Use Disorder tendencies, well-being and the impact of COVID-19 on Internet usage patterns. MethodA sample of 2498 participants filled out the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; the cognitive facet of well-being) and the Sofalizing Scale which comprises the Online Displacement and Social Compensation dimensions. Participants were also asked to report the extent to which changes in Internet use occurred due to COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., reductions, no changes, increases). The present study comprised a survey study with cross-sectional character. ResultsThe statistical analyses demonstrated that the aforementioned variables were robustly associated with each other. In a first mediation model, the association between higher levels of Internet Use Disorder and reduced well-being was partially mediated by the two dimensions of the Sofalizing scale called Online Displacement and Social Compensation. The results of the second mediation model showed that the relationship between changes in Internet use due to COVID-19 pandemic and well-being was fully mediated by CIUS scores, suggesting that increased Internet use due to the COVID-19 pandemic increased levels of Internet Use Disorder tendencies, which in turn decreased levels of well-being. DiscussionThe findings are discussed in the context of human social needs in a time of crisis, where meeting people in-person was restricted.

Prevalence, correlates and trends of intimate partner violence among Indigenous and northern youths in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is rising in Canada and disproportionately affects Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories largely due to the harmful, ongoing effects of settler colonialisation. Youth are known to be at high risk for IPV, but scant evidence exists about the scale of IPV and strategies for its prevention among youth in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Methods We conducted a serial cross-sectional study that measured the prevalence, correlates and four-year violence trends among youths participating in a land- and arts-based programme in the Northwest Territories. Researchers recruited 240 youths aged 12 to 19 to participate in an Indigenous-led land- and arts-based retreat designed to promote resilience, empowerment, and relational well-being among youth. The study period was from 2018 to 2021, and each annual retreat contained a mix of new and returning participants. At each retreat, participants were asked to report, in a self-administered survey, if they had experienced or perpetrated IPV in the past 12 months. Results Youths reported a high prevalence of experiencing (62%) and perpetrating (55%) IPV. For every one-unit increase in depression severity score, participants were 30% more likely to experience IPV) and 24% more likely to perpetrate IPV. Although the prevalence of experiencing and perpetrating IPV decreased by 6% and 14%, between 2018 and 2021, this trend was not statistically significant. Conclusions The high prevalence of IPV, linked to depression among youths in our study, calls for integrated mental health and violence prevention programming with youth in the Northwest Territories. Future programmes should use a strengths-based and decolonised approach to address the underlying effects of settler colonialism on the social dynamics that sustain IPV in Northern and Indigenous communities.

Narratives of Symbolic Objects: Exploring Relational Wellbeing of Young Refugees Living in Scotland, Finland, and Norway

Background: In this study, objects are used as a representation of relational wellbeing to help young refugees living in Norway, Scotland, and Finland to talk about important persons who make them feel well. At the time of this research, there is no known study that uses objects to facilitate narratives of how young refugees and members of their social networks generate relational wellbeing. Methods: Using a qualitative approach, young refugees participated in individual interviews about the objects they brought to art workshops to understand their experiences, feelings, and acts of wellbeing. Results: Treating each object as unique to the owner was powerful in revealing how relational wellbeing is experienced and expressed. There were overlaps in experiences and expressions of wellbeing, hence our themes of discussion: overlaps between old and new social ties; between time and space; and between the three constructs of relational wellbeing. Old ties were not forgotten; instead, they evolved to a different form, supporting young refugees from a distance, while new ties contributed to what is needed in their present and at their current age. Experiences of relational wellbeing transcended time and space between their disrupted places of origin, their experiences on the journey, and settling in their new countries. The constructs of relational wellbeing—feeling good, being connected, and having enough—were inseparable in the participants’ experiences. Conclusions: We conclude that these overlaps have implications for a relational wellbeing approach in theory and practice. The results leave a challenge for both researchers and practitioners to develop complex research and intervention methods that can capture these tapestries of young refugees’ experiences of relational wellbeing.

Improving Sexual Health Across the Life Span Through Integrated Care in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Sexual health is a vital part of physical, emotional, and relational well-being among adults across the life span. While patients are reluctant to discuss their sexual concerns, Obstetrics and Gynecology providers are especially well positioned to improve sexual functioning and satisfaction through screening, education, prevention and early intervention, treatment, and integrating behavioral health and sexual medicine services in their clinical practices. This article sets out to provide applied information and perspectives to foster the development of interprofessional sexual medicine services in Obstetrics and Gynecology practices in hospital and community settings.

The Effect of Long-Term (Im)balance of Giving Versus Receiving Support With Nonrelatives on Subjective Well-Being Among Home-Dwelling Older People.

Although many studies have explored the benefits of support giving or receiving for older people, little is known about how the balance between giving and receiving instrumental support in nonrelative relationships affects home-dwelling older people. This study examines the relationship between long-term support balance and subjective well-being in relationships with nonrelatives among older people across 11 European countries. A total of 4,650 participants aged 60 years and older from 3 waves of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe were included. Support balance was calculated as the intensity difference between support received and support given across 3 waves. Multiple autoregressive analyses were conducted to test the relationship between support balance and subjective well-being, as indicated by quality of life, depression, and life satisfaction. The impact of balanced versus imbalanced support on all subjective well-being measurements was not significantly different. Compared to balanced support, imbalanced receiving was negatively related to subjective well-being and imbalanced giving was not related to better subjective well-being. Compared to imbalanced receiving, imbalanced giving showed to be the more beneficial for all subjective well-being measures. Our results highlight the beneficial role of imbalanced giving and balanced support for older people compared to imbalanced receiving. Policies and practices should prioritize creating an age-friendly environment that promotes active participation and mutual support among older people, as this may be effective to enhance their well-being.

Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being in Adolescents Relationship with Family Dysfunction

Adolescence is a critical phase during which teens undergo significant developmental processes that contribute to their overall growth and maturation. Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that the family continues to hold significant sway, exerting a considerable impact on the overall well-being of individuals in this stage of life. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the potential association between emotional intelligence, well-being, and family dysfunction as a mediating factor among teenagers. This research aimed to distinguish itself from previous studies that mostly concentrated on the individual development of adolescents. A sample consisting of 249 adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 17 years (mean age = 13.98 years, standard deviation = 0.57) was surveyed. Descriptive analyses were performed on the collected data, and three variables were computed using correlation and regression methods. The findings indicated a significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence in adolescents and their overall well-being, while also revealing a notable negative correlation between emotional intelligence and family dysfunction. The findings from the regression analysis demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between the development of emotional intelligence during adolescence and the occurrence of family dysfunction. This demonstrates the significance of a conducive familial environment in shaping the prospective growth of teenagers.

Teachers' social well-being in relation to trust in institutions and attitude towards citizenship

The aim of this study is to explore the levels of Social Well-being of Chilean teachers and its relationship with Trust in Institutions and Attitude towards Citizenship. This is an empirical study, using validated Likert-type scales. Correlation and regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between these variables and to understand how they influence each other. The results indicate significant correlations between teachers' Social Well-being and their Attitude towards Citizenship, as well as their level of Trust in Institutions. In addition, moderate interactions were observed in which Trust in Institutions influenced the relationship between Attitude towards Citizenship and Social Well-being. The results showed lower levels of Social Well-being than other similar studies on teachers. Both Trust in Institutions and Attitude towards Citizenship showed significant positive correlations, although of moderate strength, and somewhat stronger in the Non-Conventional dimension of Attitude towards Citizenship.

The Determinants of Study Progress in Postgraduate Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this paper is to investigate the determinants of satisfaction with study progress during a period when COVID-19 restrictions were in place and after their removal. Background: The pandemic instigated a period of rapid technological change in global higher education. Relatively little research has examined the combined effect of technological use and the pandemic on academic development. The current work sets out to examine the role of time management, technology use, and health and well-being on self-assessed academic progress. Methodology: An opportunity sample of 494 doctoral students recruited predominantly from universities in the UK completed a survey with measures of technology use, attitudes to technology, self-reported health and well-being, satisfaction with study progress and aspects of time management. During the period of data collection, pandemic restrictions were removed, providing the opportunity for a limited, interrupted time series (ITS) analysis Contribution: This paper presents a model of study progress, which is applied in two distinct periods over which data was collected – during the period of the pandemic when social restrictions were in place and in the period following, when restrictions were removed. Findings: A majority of doctoral students reported being satisfied with their study progress. Several significant correlates of this were identified. A linear model utilising these variables statistically explained 29% of the variance in satisfaction with study progress. For the period when COVID restrictions were still in place, the model explained 47% of the variance, significantly greater than in the subsequent period when restrictions were removed. Effect sizes for happiness with time management, finding software applications difficult to use or learn, currently reported general health, health compared to the previous year and the effects of the pandemic on study were significantly greater during the period of the pandemic. Recommendations for Practitioners: A proportion of the sample reported finding software difficult to use/learn, with this impacting on reported study progress. This suggests a need for technology training for doctoral students. The relationship between time management and study progress also suggests a potential need for support in this area. It is important that technology training takes on board the ‘emotional usability’ of technology. Raising awareness amongst supervisors of doctoral students of both the psychological dimensions of technology use and the need for student support would be beneficial. Recommendation for Researchers: Self-rated academic progress provides a useful measure of academic attainment. The role of doctoral students’ health and well-being in relation to study progress warrants further investigation. To clarify the causal nature of relationships between time management, health and well-being and study progress further work using longitudinal studies is required. Impact on Society: The study suggests the pandemic had a large influence on doctoral students’ education and their health and well-being. With the increasing importance of international postgraduate recruitment for universities, the findings highlight the need for attention to be given for students’ well-being and the support infrastructure which can contribute to this. Future Research: Future work should seek to replicate the findings and examine how determinants of study progress may vary over time and in different populations of doctoral students. Structural equation modelling could be used to further explore the relationships which health, time management, technology use and appraisal have with study progress. More work is needed to assess the potential long-term effects of the pandemic on well-being and academic life.

Beliefs, attitudes and intentions towards environmental issues: The role of self-compassion and wellbeing

The aim of this study was to explore the role of self-compassion and wellbeing in relation to global warming as a core environmental issue. A total of 490 emerging adults, (221 male and 269 female) aged from 18-22 (M=19.06, Sd=1.36), took part in an online survey measuring attitudes, beliefs, and intentions regarding global warming, self-compassion and wellbeing. Results showed those with more positive beliefs, attitudes and intentions towards the environment scored higher on self-compassion and wellbeing. It is suggested that self-compassion and wellbeing are linked to positive attitudes, beliefs and intentions towards the environment in a relationship of reciprocal causality. In conclusion this research suggests that this relationship could be exploited as part of changing environmental behaviour.

Beyond the Bedroom: How Resilience and Thought Control Influence Sexual Satisfaction

This study aimed to explore the predictive relationships between resilience, thought control, and sexual satisfaction among adults in romantic relationships. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 450 participants through validated scales measuring sexual satisfaction (Index of Sexual Satisfaction), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), and thought control (Thought Control Questionnaire). Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted using SPSS-27 to examine the predictive value of resilience and thought control on sexual satisfaction. The regression analysis revealed that both resilience (β = 0.29, p &lt; 0.01) and thought control (β = 0.30, p &lt; 0.01) significantly predicted sexual satisfaction, accounting for 49% of the variance in sexual satisfaction scores. The findings suggest a substantial relationship between these psychological constructs and sexual satisfaction. The study underscores the importance of resilience and thought control as significant predictors of sexual satisfaction. These findings highlight the need for incorporating psychological resilience and cognitive strategies into interventions aimed at enhancing sexual well-being in intimate relationships.