Early parental support and meaning in life among young adults: the mediating roles of optimism and identity

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the meaning in life scale in a sample of young adults

BACKGROUND

Young adults are in a constant phase of realizing their meaning in life while being in a constant pursuit of meaning. Meaning in life is a subjective, personal construct related to the perception of one's own life. Considering that there are no measures that study this construct within the Arab context, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) in the Lebanese context with a sample of young adults.

METHODS

A sample of 684 Lebanese young adults was recruited for this study, having a mean age of 21.74 years, 65.6% of which were females. Through an online questionnaire, participants were requested to complete the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-8) and the Oviedo Grit Scale (EGO).

RESULTS

CFA indicated that fit of the original bi-dimensional model of MLQ scores was inadequate. Items 9 and 10 cross-loaded to both MLQ factors. After removal of those 2 items, the final model displayed good fit indices. Reliability was good for the Search (ω = 0.89 / α = 0.89) and Presence (ω = 0.88 / α = 0.87) subscales. Additionally, across three levels of gender invariance (Configural, Metric and Scalar), no significant gender-based distinctions were observed in the MLQ scores. The Search subscale was significantly and positively associated with higher GRIT but not psychological distress, whereas the Presence subscale was significantly associated with higher GRIT and lower psychological distress.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study contribute to the psychometric reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the MLQ and makes it available for dissemination among young adults within the Arab context. This allows for the implementation of new research that target construct of meaning in life, allowing for the accessibility of interventions that aim to foster the presence of and search for meaning in the lives of young adults within the Arab nations.

Sexual risk behavior among individuals seeking outpatient mental health services: Associations with childhood emotional neglect and identity dysfunction

This study was developed to examine sexual risk behavior among patients seeking community-based mental health services, including associations with psychological distress, identity dysfunction, and childhood emotional neglect. A mediation model was examined regarding identity dysfunction mediating the link between emotional neglect and sexual risk behavior. A total of 245 outpatients completed questionnaires regarding perceived risky sexual behavior, psychological distress, identity dysfunction, and emotional neglect. Sexual risk behavior was found to be a prevalent issue among individuals seeking outpatient mental health services, with 13% reporting engagement in unsafe sexual practices at least some of the time. Mediation analysis revealed that childhood emotional neglect was indirectly linked with sexual risk behavior through the mediating effect of identity dysfunction. Thus, findings suggest a pathway to sexual risk behaviors through perceived childhood emotional neglect and identity dysfunction. Clinical attention to identity-related vulnerability among this population may be warranted in aiming to mitigate risk-taking associated with sexual practices.

An Evaluation of 5-Year Web Analytics for HeadsUpGuys: A Men's Depression E-Mental Health Resource

The present study reports an evaluation of web analytics, over a 5-year period, for HeadsUpGuys.org, an eHealth resource for men with depression. Google Analytics, Search Console, and Tag Manager were used to monitor user activity over the course of the website's first 5 years (June 15, 2015-June 15, 2020). Through this period, HeadsUpGuys had a total of 1,665,356 unique users, amounting to 1,948,481 sessions and 3,328,258 page views. Organic traffic accounted for the highest proportion (53.44%; n = 1,041,277) of website sessions. Four of the top 10 Google search queries that brought users to the website related to suicidality. Three countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada) accounted for almost three-quarters (71.10%; n = 1,385,485) of the site's traffic. Nearly three-quarters (73.35%; n = 1,429,285) of sessions occurred on a mobile device. The goal conversion rate for the Self Check was 60.27%. The average time on page was 2 min 53 s, with a bounce rate of 65.92%, and an exit rate of 57.20%. The goal conversion rate for the Stress Test was 52.89%. The average time on page was 4 min 8 s, with a bounce rate of 72.40% and an exit rate of 48.88%. The conversion rate for the final goal was 11.53%, indicating that approximately one in 10 visitors to the site had a session of at least 3 min. The findings illustrate the potential of eHealth resources to support men's mental health and provide a real-world benchmark to help advance the men's eHealth field.

Perspectives on personal identity in the early stages of psychosis: A survey of Canadian clinicians

AIM

Identity-related concerns represent an important aspect of young people's experience in early psychosis. Knowledge regarding clinicians' perspectives on this issue, however, is limited. Thus, the present study was developed to understand Canadian clinicians' perspectives on personal identity-related concerns in early psychosis.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed to 331 multiprofessional clinicians working in early psychosis intervention programs in a Canadian province. Clinicians were asked about their opinions regarding the salience of identity in early psychosis using Likert-rated items and open response questions.

RESULTS

Nearly all of the clinicians agreed that identity is an important issue for clinical attention, yet only half of the clinicians endorsed a high level of confidence in their ability to address issues related to identity in treatment. Although several clinical strategies were identified, specific evidence-based approaches for strengthening identity in early psychosis remain lacking.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate a need for early psychosis programs to invest in identity- related training for clinicians.

Cultural Differences in People's Psychological Response to COVID-19

The present research studied Chinese and Euro-Canadian students during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their affect, optimism, well-being, and meaning in life. The results revealed both differences and similarities across cultures. As predicted, Chinese participants reported more positive affect and less negative affect, higher optimism, higher state psychological well-being, and higher meaning presence, compared to Euro-Canadian participants. The findings were replicated after a week's delay. Analyses on longitudinal data showed that state optimism, state well-being, and meaning presence influenced one another over time. These variables also mediated the cultural differences in one another. These results are consistent with cultural work on naïve dialecticism and non-linear lay theory of change. Results also demonstrate underlying relationships among the constructs that are common to both cultural groups. Broadly, the present research highlights the impact of culture on people's response to challenging life situations and the mechanisms underlying these cultural differences.