Well-being Responses Research Articles

Correlation between Self-Efficacy and Psychosocial Well-Being among Students in Public Universities in the Upper Eastern Region of Kenya

The impact that psychological chal- lenges have on University students, their families, and society at large, are of worldwide significance. Govern- ment and non-governmental organizations have launched efforts to improve psychosocial well-being in response to this. Since attending college can be stressful, there is rising concern about the psychological chal- lenges that university students face. Examining the cor- relation between university students' self-efficacy and psychosocial well-being is likely to provide an overview on their capacity to handle difficult situations and pre- serve good mental health. Self-determination theory and cognitive behavior theory were incorporated into the study. Correlational study design and descriptive survey were applied. Using purposive and stratified random sampling, a study sample of 395 was selected from 34,009 respondents, which included university students, student counselors, and deans of students from Tharaka University, Meru University of Science and Technology, and Chuka University. A psychologi- cal test instrument for students and an interview sched- ule for student counselors and deans of students were used to gather data. The instruments were piloted in a university outside the research prior to administration. With 382 respondents providing data, the study's re- sponse rate was 96.7%. Data were discussed and sub- jected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis. While quantitative data was examined both descrip- tively and inferentially using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0 computer software, quali- tative data was evaluated thematically. Frequency and percentages were employed as descriptive statistics, and Pearson's correlation was used to test hypotheses at the 95% significant level. The results of the study showed a strong and favorable correlation between psy- chological wellness and self-efficacy. Therefore, it is ad- vised that university administration implement meth- ods targeted at boosting students' self-efficacy to im- prove their wellbeing in coordination with other stake- holders. Encourage peer mentoring programs run by students so they can benefit from one other's experi- ences and develop useful problem-solving skills.

How Do Urban Nature Parks Contribute to Psychological Restoration? The Perspective of Embodied Experience

Urban nature parks, as public green spaces in cities, hold great significance in helping individuals rejuvenate their physical and mental well-being in response to the demands of daily life and work. While researchers have widely recognized the psychologically restorative effects of urban nature parks, the role of embodied experiences in the restoration process has not received adequate attention. Drawing upon the embodied theory, this study explores how embodied nature experiences contribute to and support psychological restoration, as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms. The findings indicate that embodied nature experiences in urban nature parks directly and indirectly facilitate psychological restoration by enhancing nature connectedness and social connectedness. Furthermore, nature connectedness and social connectedness serve as serial mediators between embodied nature experiences and psychological restoration. These conclusions provide empirical evidence for the future development of urban nature parks.

The Effect of Psychological Flexibility on Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Multiple Mediation Role of Mindfulness and Coping.

The COVID-19 pandemic involved a complex set of stressors affecting the health and well-being of the population. The understanding of the psychological processes that influence well-being in response to the pandemic and their interrelation is vital. A promising process in understanding the emotional impacts of these stressors is psychological flexibility. This study investigated the effect of psychological flexibility on well-being, both directly and indirectly, via mindfulness and coping strategies. A total of 334 Portuguese adults participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, including measures of psychological flexibility, well-being, mindfulness, and coping strategies. A multiple mediation model studied whether there are conditional indirect effects of mindfulness and coping strategies on well-being. The results showed statistically significant correlations between psychological flexibility, well-being, mindfulness, and coping strategies. Furthermore, we found that mindfulness and coping strategies partly mediate the relationship between psychological flexibility and well-being. Understanding the processes through which psychological flexibility influences well-being in a stressful context is important in comprehending the processes involved in an emotional reaction to a pandemic-like societal event. Mindfulness and coping are shown to be important processes to consider in understanding this phenomenon and designing future responses.

Bioaccumulation of metals and metalloids in seafood: A comprehensive overview of mobilization, interactive effects in eutrophic environments, and implications for public health risks

This article delves into the intricate dynamics of metals and metalloids (MEs and MLOIDs) bioaccumulation in seafood, with a focus on mobilization processes and interactive effects in eutrophic environments. It unveils critical insights into the mechanisms influencing contaminant concentration in marine organisms, and thoroughly examines the implications for public health risks. The study emphasizes the multifaceted challenges posed by MEs and MLOIDs bioaccumulation in seafood, highlighting the necessity of understanding these complexities to develop effective strategies for mitigating environmental impact and safeguarding public health. The overview comprehensively explores the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of MEs and MLOIDs within aquatic ecosystems, covering sources, entry mechanisms, speciation, and transformation. It investigates the gradual buildup of substances in marine species tissue, emphasizing the use of environmental biomonitoring for metal pollution and assessing risks associated with consuming contaminated seafood. Key considerations include dietary exposure, the effects of processing on toxic MEs and MLOIDs contents, and the bioavailability of these elements in seafood products. The study examines constructive biomarkers as crucial indicators of MEs and MLOIDs contamination, ranging from metallothioneins (MTs) to DNA damage biomarkers. It evaluates their role in environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and regulatory measures, emphasizing the integration of exposure and effect biomarkers for a comprehensive approach to ensuring the quality and safety of seafood products. The article advocates ongoing research for refining biomarkers, exploring isotopic ratios, and understanding the effects of processing methods. It underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among scientists, regulatory bodies, and the seafood industry to tailor measures to regional contexts. The study envisions a proactive and informed strategy to foster environmental conservation and public well-being in response to MEs and MLOIDs contamination in seafood.

Transforming informal communication in the urgent shift to teleworking: a case study in Japan

IntroductionWhile informal communication is essential for employee performance and wellbeing, it is difficult to maintain in telework settings. This issue has recently been becoming more prominent worldwide, especially because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, how employees managed their informal communication in the sudden shift to teleworking is still understudied. This study fills this research gap by clarifying how an organization's employees improvised informal communication during the urgent shift to teleworking.MethodsAn exploratory case study of a large construction firm in Japan was conducted, focusing on how employees improvised informal communication during teleworking in response to COVID-19. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 employees and applied a qualitative thematic analysis to the collected data.ResultsFour informal communication strategies (structured informality, casual tech, implicit communication, and face-to-face opportunity seeking) that were improvised amid the sudden shift to teleworking caused by COVID-19 were identified.DiscussionThe findings can inform concrete means for the effective and dynamic transition of informal communication to teleworking settings during emergencies, thus contributing to informal communication studies as well as the promotion of resilient business operations and employee wellbeing in response to future crises.

Well-Being in Response to Gratitude Interventions: A Student Elicitation Approach

Well-Being in Response to Gratitude Interventions: A Student Elicitation Approach

A quantitative study on Chinese international students’ support mechanisms to address alienation caused by COVID-19 stigma encounters in the United States

In this study, Chinese international students (N = 231) from multiple U.S. universities completed an online survey from 2021 to 2022. The data was examined by structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between Chinese students’ stigma encounters and their feelings of alienation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support mechanisms linking stigma encounters and alienation were also examined, including collective face concerns, perceived social support from Chinese and Americans, and social communication with the co-national and host cultures. The results suggested that stigma encounters increased Chinese international students’ alienation and collective face concerns; however, collective face concerns reduced alienation feelings. In addition, the relationship between stigma encounters and alienation was partially mediated by collective face concerns, while the mediating effects of perceived social support and social communication were not significant. The theoretical and practical implications of this study were discussed to examine support mechanisms that help Chinese international students to address stigmatization and improve their psychological well-being in response to COVID-19.

Unveiling the dark side of influencer marketing: how social media influencers (human vs virtual) diminish followers’ well-being

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the negative impact of social media influencers (SMIs) (human vs virtual) on customer well-being. Additionally, it aims to explore how the fear of missing out (FOMO) mediates and regulatory focus moderates this relationship from the social comparison theory lens.Design/methodology/approachIn the first study, text mining and machine learning were employed to measure the level of followers' well-being in response to 40 SMIs (human vs virtual) posts on Instagram. In the second study, a randomized between-subjects experiment was conducted with three groups (human vs virtual vs control) and a sample size of 412 participants to confirm the results of the first study and investigate how FOMO mediates and regulatory focus moderates the relationship between SMI beauty product endorsement and consumer well-being.FindingsThe findings from text mining indicate that SMIs have a greater impact on consumers well-being, which is higher for virtual than human influencer. Additionally, the result of the experimental study shows the mediating role of FOMO in their relationship between SMIs and well-being. The moderator analysis reveals that there is a moderating effect of regulatory focus in the model.Practical implicationsThe findings inform marketing managers about the differences between virtual than human influencer in their impact on customer well-being in endorsing beauty product, especially among the younger generation.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first research studies that examine the dark side of SMIs, which diminishes their follower's well-being through social comparison theory lenses.

How difficult is it to interpret subjective well-being questions during crises? Evidence from the onset of conflict in Yemen

Abstract Subjective well-being (SWB) measures, such as satisfaction with income, are increasingly being used to measure changes in well-being in response to policy changes and shocks. However, large policy changes or shocks themselves might cause individuals to change how they answer SWB questions in ways that have little to do with changes in objective well-being measures. For example, respondent-specific scales that individuals use to respond to SWB questions (e.g. threshold of income required to be satisfied) might change at the same time that income is changing following a shock. We illustrate the importance of this concern following the onset of conflict in Yemen, where households reported a large improvement in SWB across a range of different dimensions despite large declines in nearly all traditional and objective measures of well-being.

The moderating role of coping strategies in athletic coaches’ psychological well-being in response to negative emotions

Negative emotions are known risk factors for physical health, psychological distress (e.g. hopelessness and feeling worthless), and mood disorders (e.g. depression and anxiety). Thus, it is important for athletic coaches, one of the most stressful occupations, to understand how to cope with their negative emotions. This study aimed to examine the moderating roles of four different coping strategies (emotion-focused, problem-focused, proactive, and emotive suppression) on the relationship between negative emotions and psychological well-being. Online survey data were collected from 162 athletic head coaches working in NCAA Division I through questionnaires that assessed the proposed variables. The results reported that proactive coping strategy and emotive suppression strategy negatively and significantly moderated the negative emotional–psychological well-being relationship. The findings of this study contribute to understanding the coping strategies that should be avoided in response to negative emotions among coaches. The results also highlight the need to consider adopting existing proactive coping intervention programs for coaches.

Exploring Black adolescents’ perceptions of God during COVID-19: God images as a source of wellness

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine challenges Black adolescents may experience because of COVID-19 and coping strategies employed to navigate their reported difficulties. The current study used secondary data analysis to understand how Black U.S. adolescents’ positive images of God contributed to their emotional well-being in response to stressors associated with COVID-19. Data from a larger study were extracted from 11 Black adolescents’ (Ages 12–17; 54.5% female) individual interview transcripts; and the research team used an interpretative phenomenology process to analyze the data. Participants’ experiences of God as a (a) Teacher, (b) Powerful Being, and (c) Comforter served as robust contributors to their feelings of strength, hope, assurance, calmness, contentment, and motivation, despite the challenges they encountered. This study presents a culturally responsive approach to understanding and potentially responding to Black adolescents’ mental health needs during the COVID-era.

House prices, housing wealth and financial well-being

The causal chain between house price variation and observable changes in economic behavior including consumption requires that individuals perceive the impact of house price movements on their household wealth and recognize the impact on their financial situation. In this paper we establish evidence for the first link in this causal chain by investigating the effect of house price variation on perceived financial well-being using longitudinal information on subjective financial satisfaction. Exploiting substantial variation in local house prices in Australia across time, we find that plausibly exogenous unanticipated increases in local house prices improve the perceived financial well-being of home owners. The impact is strongest for mortgage owners, suggesting a strong collateral effect. We also highlight important asymmetries in the effects of house price shocks on perceived financial well-being associated with both the direction of the house price shock and tenure status. Mortgage owners exhibit more significant changes in their financial well-being in response to positive house price shocks. Furthermore, we highlight a weaker wealth effect for individuals that are liquidity constrained suggesting that these constraints are important for understanding responses to housing wealth shocks.

Predicting transitions between longitudinal classes of post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: protocol of a latent transition model in a general Dutch sample

BackgroundA growing body of literature shows profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, among which increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AD). However, current...

Prediction of PCOS and Mental Health Using Fuzzy Inference and SVM.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder found in women of reproductive age. There are different methods used for the detection of PCOS, but these methods limitedly support the integration of PCOS and mental health issues. To address these issues, in this paper we present an automated early detection and prediction model which can accurately estimate the likelihood of having PCOS and associated mental health issues. In real-life applications, we often see that people are prompted to answer in linguistic terminologies to express their well-being in response to questions asked by the clinician. To model the inherent linguistic nature of the mapping between symptoms and diagnosis of PCOS a fuzzy approach is used. Therefore, in the present study, the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is evaluated for its performance. Using the local yet specific dataset collected on a spectrum of women, the Fuzzy TOPSIS is compared with the widely used support vector machines (SVM) algorithm. Both the methods are evaluated on the same dataset. An accuracy of 98.20% using the Fuzzy TOPSIS method and 94.01% using SVM was obtained. Along with the improvement in the performance and methodological contribution, the early detection and treatment of PCOS and mental health issues can together aid in taking preventive measures in advance. The psychological well-being of the women was also objectively evaluated and can be brought into the PCOS treatment protocol.

Impact of extended release naltrexone on health-related quality of life in individuals with legal involvement and opioid use disorders

Background: Understanding the impact of medications for opioid use disorder on health related quality of life (QOL) may help to explain why few individuals with legal involvement remain in treatment, specifically those receiving opioid antagonists. QOL is an established predictor of treatment retention and has been shown to improve with some treatment for opioid use disorder. Yet limited research has examined QOL with opioid antagonists. We examined the impact of extended release naltrexone (XR-NTX) on QOL and retention in treatment in a randomized, multi-site trial of individuals with legal involvement. Methods: The participants were 308 community-dwelling adults with current or recent legal involvement with opioid dependence at five site across United States. They were randomized to receive XR-NTX or treatment as usual for 6 months. QOL was measured every 2 weeks using Euro QOL individual items, summary index score, and health state today metric. Results: No significant difference in QOL scores were observed between the two groups at the completion of active treatment or on follow up at 52 and 78 weeks. There were no time effects of treatment on scores. Contrary to expectation, baseline and average QOL did not predict retention in treatment. Conclusion: In contrast to prior research, our findings did not demonstrate significant changes (improvements or decreases) in QOL associated with XR-NTX treatment. Clinicians may consider that individuals receiving XR-NTX may not experience changes in perceived well-being in response to treatment and consider discussing with patients that they may not necessarily perceive improvement in their QOL. This may help to ground patient’s expectations about the effects of treatment and potentially reduce attrition from treatment with opioid antagonists.

Seeking Sanctuary: Creating a New Utopia on a Donkey Farm

ABSTRACT A recent uptick in international trade in donkey hides has sparked intense concern among social activists. Several campaigns have been launched in attempts to protect donkeys and to ensure their wellbeing in response to what various groups have labeled a “crisis.” As a result, donkeys have increasingly been given homes in animal sanctuaries that focus specifically on the rescue and rehabilitation of farm animals. This paper explores the ways in which the people who run one such sanctuary in Pretoria, South Africa, try to create order through praxis. Data were collected by way of ethnographic observation over an 18-month period, as well as through interviews and analysis of textual sources. We argue that the sanctuary can be understood as an attempt by its directors, managers, and volunteers to create a model of what they consider the ideal order of humans’ relationships with animals. Central to this argument are discussions around interlocutors’ beliefs about veganism, animal rights, their focus on animals as individuals, and the historical context of donkeys in South Africa.

Mental Health Consequences of Adversity in Australia: National Bushfires Associated With Increased Depressive Symptoms, While COVID-19 Pandemic Associated With Increased Symptoms of Anxiety.

High quality monitoring of mental health and well-being over an extended period is essential to understand how communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and how to best tailor interventions. Multiple community threats may also have cumulative impact on mental health, so examination across several contexts is important. The objective of this study is to report on changes in mental health and well-being in response to the Australian bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized an Experience-Sampling-Method (ESM), using the smartphone-based mood monitoring application, MoodPrism. Participants were prompted once a day to complete a brief survey inquiring about symptoms of depression and anxiety, and several well-being indices, including arousal, emotional valence, self-esteem, motivation, social connectedness, meaning and purpose, and control. Participants were N = 755 Australians (aged 13 years and above) who downloaded and used MoodPrism, between 2018 and 2020. Results showed that anxiety symptoms significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not during the bushfires. This may be explained by concurrent feelings of social connectedness maintained during the bushfires but not during the pandemic. In contrast, depressive symptoms increased significantly during the bushfires, which maintained during the pandemic. Most indices of well-being decreased significantly during the bushfires, and further again during the pandemic. Study findings highlight the unique responses to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises, revealing specific areas of resilience and vulnerability. Such information can help inform the development of public health interventions or individual clinical treatment, to improve treatment approaches and preparedness for potential future community disasters.

The potential role of frailty in modifying quality-of-life related outcomes in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving docetaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamine, and radium 223.

63 Background: As the arsenal of therapeutic agents for mCRPC expands, frailty-informed care is emerging as a strategy for tailoring management decisions. Yet, data to guide this approach and to ascertain its impact on the mood, fatigue, pain, and quality of life (QoL) experienced by older men with mCRPC remain lacking. We examined patient-reported outcomes, stratified by a validated frailty index (FI), for mCRPC treatment with docetaxel chemotherapy (CHEMO), abiraterone (ABI), enzalutamide (ENZA), or radium 223 (RAD). Methods: Older (aged 65+) men starting one of four approved therapies for mCRPC were enrolled in a multicenter prospective cohort study. Assessing their mood, fatigue, pain, and QoL with PHQ-9, ESAS tiredness, ESAS pain, and FACT-G total as well as subscale scores, we used linear mixed effect models to determine change in each outcome over time (0, 3, 6 months). At end of treatment, we administered the Decisional Regret Scale. We then constructed a FI from 34 variables that span laboratory abnormalities, geriatric syndromes, instrumental activities of daily living, social support, as well as emotional, cognitive, and physical deficits. Following established cut-offs, we categorized patients as non-, pre-, and frail, then performed stratified linear mixed effects regression analyses to identify differences in outcomes by frailty status. Results: A total of 198 men (mean age 75.1) starting CHEMO (n = 70), ABI (n = 38), ENZA (n = 67), and RAD (n = 29) were included, of which 9.6%, 1.5%, 5.6%, and 2.5%, respectively, were determined frail. Frailty correlated only modestly with age (Pearson r = 0.27). Independent of frailty status, patients across treatment cohorts were similar in terms of baseline QoL-related measures, with the exceptions of mood (p = 0.033) and pain (p = 0.034). Over time, no significant change in QoL was reported, although all four therapies resulted in generally low levels of decisional regret and similar trends of improved pain but worsened mood (p = 0.006 and 0.02, respectively). At baseline, frailty status correlated with worse FACT-G total (p < 0.001) and functional well-being (p < 0.001), as well as worse depression scores (p < 0.001). According to FI-stratified analysis, frail patients experienced similar QoL-related outcomes to fit patients for all measures aside from mood (p < 0.001). Contrary to our hypotheses, frailty was not associated with significant worsening in emotional well-being or functional well-being in response to mCRPC treatment. Conclusions: Of the older men receiving care for mCRPC, frail patients may experience generally similar trends in QoL as fit patients. Interestingly, frailty status, rather than treatment modality, may play more of a contributory role to changes in QoL-related outcomes over time.

Meditating in Virtual Reality 2: Phenomenology of Vividness, Egocentricity and Absorption-Immersion

The current study was designed to replicate and extend previous findings that demonstrate the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) technology to facilitate salient experiences of positive affect and wellbeing in response to meditative tasks, by (1) evaluating the phenomenological variables vividness, egocentricity, and immersiveness, as mediators of variability in positive affective response, and by (2) evaluating individual differences in trait absorption as a predictor of variability in positive affective response. The current experiment included 48 undergraduate students, all of whom completed both a brief VR and non-VR guided meditation session. Participants self-reported affective and meditative responses after each session using a battery of questionnaires. Participants experienced greater positive affect in response to VR versus non-VR guided meditation. Further, higher positive affect in response to VR meditation was (1) partially mediated by the experience of higher immersiveness, which was partially mediated by the experience of higher egocentricity in turn, and (2) predicted by higher trait absorption. Guided meditation in VR is associated with increased positive affect in comparison to non-VR meditation partly due to its effects on egocentricity and immersiveness, especially among participants high in trait absorption.

Occupational imbalance in hurried African American working mothers

ABSTRACT Investigations on occupational imbalance and on hurriedness have shown that working mothers experience diminished well-being in response to time pressures and efforts to balance work and family. Few studies have focused on African American mothers, though they are employed at higher rates than all other American mothers. This study sought to identify patterns of occupational imbalance among a group of self-identified hurried African American women. Participants were married, working, mothers, aged 20 to 55 (n=91), and recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Participants completed one audio-recorded semi-structured interview. Questions focused on the management of their multiple roles and their satisfaction with their current lifestyle. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the narratives. Four conceptions of occupational imbalance were identified: Imbalance in energy expenditure and restoration time, Imbalance in deliberation versus diversion, Imbalance in role engagement, and Imbalance in actual versus desired occupations. Results suggest some hurried African American women experience several forms of occupational imbalance, findings that contribute to the on-going efforts to delimit this essential construct in occupational science. Outcomes specific to minority women, a social group broadly underrepresented in research, add to the breadth and depth of the discourse, a necessary step in validating its definition. Occupational scientists can further utilize this evidence to inform investigations of occupational imbalance for working mothers in minority groups across the world.