Core self-evaluations and coping styles as mediators between social support and well-being

Core self-evaluations and perceived classmate support: Independent predictors of psychological adjustment

INTRODUCTION

The main aim of this research was to explore the contribution of both core self-evaluations (CSE) and classmate support as unique predictors of positive and negative psychological adjustment among adolescents.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 2,293 Spanish adolescents (Mage = 14.07) completed the Core Self-Evaluations Scale, the Classmate Support subscale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales and the Frequency of Suicidal Ideation Inventory. Pearson correlations among assessed variables were examined, and three hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictive role of CSE and classmate support on life satisfaction, depressive symptomatology, and suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

Both CSE and classmate support were positively related to life satisfaction and negatively related to depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Hierarchical regression analyses identified CSE and classmate support as independent predictors of both positive and negative psychological outcomes in this sample. These results indicated support for a comprehensive model involving CSE and classmate support as additive predictors of both positive and negative outcomes among adolescents.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the unique and additive role of both individual (i.e., CSE) and, to a lower degree, social factors (i.e., classmate support) to augment the prediction model of positive and negative psychological adjustment among adolescents. Practical implications are discussed, focusing on preventive programs that include strategies to increase positive self-appraisals and create a supportive classroom climate.

Job burnout and anxiety among medical staff: A latent profile and moderated mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

Due to work pressure, work intensity, and the impact of emergencies such as the epidemic, job burnout and mental health problems among medical staff have become increasingly prominent.

OBJECTIVES

Our study aims to characterize the patterns of burnout in Chinese medical staff, explore the profile differences on anxiety and self-esteem, examine whether the differences in these profiles on anxiety were mediated by self-esteem, and investigate whether this mediating process was moderated by positive coping styles among medical staff.

METHODS

Data were collected from 602 medical staff in China by a convenient sampling method. A latent profile and moderated mediation analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis on three burnout dimensions [emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy] indicated two burnout profiles: low burnout (82.47% of the sample) and high burnout (17.53%). Medical staff with a low burnout profile had lower levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism than those with a high burnout profile. It was also determined that self-esteem mediates burnout and anxiety in both high- and low-burnout medical staff. The moderating role of positive coping styles was also identified (β = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.058-0.550).

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of two distinct burnout patterns (low burnout and high burnout) provides clinical administrators with clear goals for individualizing support and interventions for medical staff with different levels of burnout. Furthermore, attention should be given to self-esteem and positive coping styles, as they act as potential mediators and moderators of medical staff's mental health problems.

Reciprocal longitudinal relations between self-efficacy and coping style: The explanatory mechanism of future self-continuity

BACKGROUND

It has been demonstrated that self-efficacy and coping styles are related. However, whether there is a reciprocal longitudinal relation between self-efficacy and coping styles needs to be examined. In this longitudinal study, we tested the reciprocal impacts of self-efficacy and coping styles, taking into account the role of future self-continuity (FSC) in these effects.

METHODS

The sample included 346 university students in central and southwestern China (48.3% female; Mage = 21.20). Three waves of questionnaire data were collected at half-year intervals. Cross-lagged models were adopted for data analysis.

RESULTS

Self-efficacy at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted positive coping style at Waves 2 and 3, and positive coping style at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted self-efficacy at Waves 2 and 3. Self-efficacy at Waves 1 and 2 negatively predicted negative coping style at Waves 2 and 3, while negative coping style at Waves 1 and 2 did not significantly predict self-efficacy at Waves 2 and 3. These results indicated the reciprocal causation of self-efficacy and coping styles. Additionally, the mediation analysis revealed that FSC at Wave 2 played a mediating role in the unidirectional association between self-efficacy at Wave 1 and negative coping style at Wave 3.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that self-efficacy and coping style have mutual influences over time partly explained by university students' FSC. Consequently, the results offer potential applied value for promoting positive coping strategies among university students.

Physical activity and school adaptation among Chinese junior high school students: chain mediation of resilience and coping styles

Background

As a crucial juncture in students' educational journey, junior high school presents challenges that profoundly influence well-being and academic performance. Physical activity emerges as a pivotal factor shaping the holistic development of junior high school students. Beyond its recognized impact on physical and mental health, engaging in regular physical activity proves effective in augmenting students' adaptability to school life. Despite its importance, the mechanisms through which physical activity influences school adaptation in junior high school students remain understudied in academic research.

Objective

In exploring the potential mechanisms, this study aims to validate the mediating roles of resilience and coping styles by examining the association between physical activity and school adaptation among junior high school students.

Methods

This study employed cross-sectional survey approach among junior high school students in China. Through the convenience sampling, 1,488 participants aged from 12 to 16 years old (Average age = 13.59, SD = 1.017) from two Junior high schools in Changsha City, Hunan Province were recruited to complete the Physical Activity Scale, School Adaptation Questionnaire for Junior High School Students, Resilience Scale for Adolescents, and Simple Coping Styles Questionnaire. For data analysis, the SPSS 26.0 and Amos 26.0 were used for statistical processing.

Results

The results showed that physical activity exhibited a significant correlation with school adaptation (r = 0.656, p < 0.001). Resilience, positive coping style and negative coping style played partial mediating roles between physical activity and school adaptation, with the effect size were 0.229, 0.170, 0.171. The chain mediation effect size of resilience and positive coping style was 0.042, while the chain mediation effect size of resilience and negative coping style was 0.050.

Conclusion

Physical activity positively predicts Chinese junior high school students' school adaptation through resilience and coping styles, suggesting that junior high school students should engage in regular physical activity, so as to improve their resilience and positive coping styles, mitigating negative coping styles, thus promoting their school adaptation.

The association between uncertainty intolerance, perceived environmental uncertainty, and ego depletion in early adulthood: the mediating role of negative coping styles

Introduction

Uncertainty intolerance and perceived environmental uncertainty can influence an individual's emotions and behavioral responses. Previous research showed that high uncertainty intolerance and high perceived environmental uncertainty were both negatively associated with an individual's life satisfaction. We explored the interaction effects of uncertainty intolerance and perceived environmental uncertainty on ego depletion of early adulthood and its mechanisms.

Methods

Investigating 292 college students using an uncertainty intolerance scale, a perceived environmental uncertainty scale, a negative coping style questionnaire, and an ego depletion scale. The correlations among all variables were calculated using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient, and then we used the PROCESS macro (model 8) in SPSS to test the conditional process model in the relationship between uncertainty intolerance and ego depletion.

Results

The results showed that the interaction terms of uncertainty intolerance and perceived environmental uncertainty were significantly associated with negative coping styles. Only in the high perceived environmental uncertainty situations, uncertainty intolerance was positively associated with negative coping styles, and negative coping styles were positively associated with ego depletion.

Discussion

In general, compared with perceived environmental uncertainty, participants' cognition towards environmental uncertainty was much more associated with individual's coping styles and psychological state, individuals with high uncertainty intolerance would face great stress and experience more emotional problems. Our results suggest that it is important for individuals' mental health to gain a sense of control in an uncertain environment and improve the tolerance of uncertainty. Future research needs to pay attention to the intervention strategy of decreasing uncertainty intolerance.

Safety Stressors and Coal Miners' Safety Performance: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Coping Styles

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effects of three different safety stressors (safety role ambiguity, safety role conflicts, and safety interpersonal conflicts) on safety performance of coal miners under the mediating role of resilience and coping styles.

Patients and Methods

The study is cross-sectional. To collect data to analyze the hypothesized relationships in the present study, a total of 450 questionnaires were distributed to coal miners in Shannxi Province of China. Regression analysis was employed as the main statistical technique in analyzing the data using SPSS 22.0 and Process 4.1.

Results

The results of regression analysis indicate that the three kind of safety stressors have a negative predictive effect on coal miners' safety performance. Resilience and coping styles both were the mediating variables between the safety stressors (safety role ambiguity, safety role conflicts, and safety interpersonal conflicts) and coal miners' safety performance, and resilience and coping styles play a chain mediating role between the safety stressors (safety role ambiguity, safety role conflicts, and safety interpersonal conflicts) and safety performance of coal miners.

Conclusion

This study further explores the mechanism between safety stressors and safety performance, providing theoretical guidance for improving the safety performance of coal mines. It emphasizes the importance of coal miner's resilience intervention, positive coping styles promotion, and negative coping styles prevention in coal mine safety production.

Mindful self-care and resilience in first-year undergraduate students

OBJECTIVE

Post-secondary students experience elevated levels of academic stress. The objective of the current study is to examine the relationship between a three factor model of resilience (ie, mastery, emotionality reactivity, and relatedness), mindful self-care and flourishing in first-year undergraduate students.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample (n = 177) of first-year undergraduates were recruited from a large urban university in Alberta during the 2019-2020 academic year.

METHOD

A multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine whether the three-factor model of resilience and mindful self-care predicted flourishing in undergraduate students.

RESULTS

Self-reported resilience significantly predicted flourishing. Specifically, a sense of mastery and a sense of relatedness was positively associated with flourishing. Additionally, mindful self-care significantly predicted flourishing. Specifically, supportive relationships and supportive structure.

CONCLUSIONS

University demands are significant and academic stress reduction interventions should be offered to support students entering post-secondary education.

The impact of core self-evaluation on school adaptation of high school students after their return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic: the parallel mediation of positive and negative coping styles

Background

To explore the direct effect of core self-evaluation and the indirect effects of positive and negative coping styles on school adaptation of high school students after their return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The Core Self-Evaluation Scale, Simple Coping Style Scale, and School Adaptation Questionnaire were used for the psychometric analysis of 500 high school students (229 males and 271 females) one month after their return to school. The bootstrap method was applied for mediation analysis.

Results

A positive correlation was noted between core self-evaluation and school adaptation (r = 0.56), and the predictive effect was significant (β = 0.43). Core self-evaluation positively predicted positive coping styles, which positively predicted school adaptation, while core self-evaluation negatively predicted negative coping styles, which negatively predicted school adaptation. Positive and negative coping styles played a significant mediating role between core self-evaluation and school adaptation. The mediating effect included the indirect effects generated by two pathways: core self-evaluation → positive coping style → school adaptation (95% CI [0.08-0.19]) and core self-evaluation → negative coping style → school adaptation (95% CI [0.03-0.11]).

Conclusion

There is a positive association between the core self-evaluation and school adaptation of high school students after their return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. It may directly or indirectly affect the school adaptation of high school students after their return to school through positive or negative coping styles. After returning to school, educators should guide students to view themselves positively, cultivate healthy core self-evaluation, and enable them to have good school adaptation.

The effect of prosocial behaviours on Chinese undergraduate nursing students' subjective well-being: The mediating role of psychological resilience and coping styles

This study aimed to explore the effect of prosocial behaviours on Chinese undergraduate nursing students' subjective well-being (SWB) and examine the roles of psychological resilience and coping styles. The sample for this study included 683 nursing students from two undergraduate universities in Henan Province, China. SWB, prosocial behaviours, psychological resilience, and coping styles were assessed by the Index of Well-Being, the Prosocial Behavioural Tendency Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, respectively. We adopted Pearson's correlation analysis and the PROCESS Macro Model 81 in regression analysis to explore the relationships among prosocial behaviours, psychological resilience, coping styles, and SWB. Prosocial behaviours of undergraduate nursing students had a positive predictive effect on SWB; psychological resilience and coping styles both were the mediating variable between prosocial behaviours and undergraduate nursing students' SWB; psychological resilience and coping styles played a chain mediating role between the prosocial behaviours and SWB of undergraduate nursing students. The results indicated that prosocial behaviours not only directly affected the SWB of undergraduate nursing students but also affected the SWB of undergraduate nursing students via psychological resilience and coping styles. These results offer certain theoretical support and guidance for the research and improvement of undergraduate nursing students' SWB and emphasize the importance of interventions to increase prosocial behaviours, improve psychological resilience, promote positive coping styles, and address negative coping styles.

Stress-Buffering Effects of Social Support on Tourism Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model

Since the beginning of 2020, China's tourism industry has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and domestic tourism revenues have plummeted. Tourism employees have faced reduced working hours, job instability, shut down, and unemployment. In the context of the normalization of epidemic prevention, the tourism industry is recovering slowly and uncertainly, and many tourism employees face increasing employment stress. To investigate the relationship between social support and employment stress among tourism employees, 308 tourism employees were surveyed, and the mediating role of positive coping styles and the moderating role of psychological resilience were examined using structural equation modeling. The results revealed three key findings: social support significantly and negatively influenced the employment stress of tourism employees; positive coping styles significantly mediated the relationship between social support and employment stress among tourism employees; and psychological resilience moderated the relationship between social support and employment stress among tourism employees, as well as moderating the relationship between social support and positive coping style. The current findings help to deepen the understanding of the relationship between social support and employment stress, and they have important implications for alleviating the employment stress of tourism employees in the context of the pandemic.

Core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing: A moderated mediation model

Objectives

Much has been written documenting the positive association between core self-evaluation and adolescents' subjective wellbeing, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms which underlay this relationship. This study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether meaning in life mediated the relationship between core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing, and whether this mediating process was moderated by adolescents' self-esteem.

Methods

A sample of 1,185 adolescents (11-17 years of age, 51.3% females) completed the Core Self-Evaluation Scale (CSES), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and the Index of Wellbeing Scale (IWS).

Results

The results indicate that after controlling for gender and age, core self-evaluation contributed significantly to subjective wellbeing (β = 0.900, p < 0.001). Meaning in life played a mediating role in the relationship between core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing (β = 0.143, p < 0.01), with core self-evaluation indirectly affecting subjective wellbeing through meaning in life (β_indirect = 0.068, 95% CI = [0.024, 0.119]). Self-esteem moderated the path mediated by meaning in life, more specifically, the conditional indirect effect between core self-evaluation and wellbeing was significant for adolescents with medium and low self-esteem (effect = 0.056, 95% CI = [0.014, 0.106]; effect = 0.092, 95% CI = [0.034, 0.159]. Both mediating and moderating effects were shown to exist in the association between core self-evaluation and adolescents' subjective wellbeing.

Discussion

Based on the results, the following suggestions can be made: subjective wellbeing can be promoted through interventions such as enhancing adolescents' core self-evaluation and helping them understand the meaning in life, and that greater attention needs to be paid to adolescents with low self-esteem. The findings of this study helpful to clarify the mediation and moderating mechanism of the beneficial influence of adolescents' core self-evaluation on subjective wellbeing.

Association of Received Intergenerational Support with Subjective Well-Being among Elderly: The Mediating Role of Optimism and Sex Differences

Even though an extensive body of previous research has examined the association between received intergenerational support and the well-being outcomes of older adults in a wide variety of contexts, few studies have been conducted to explore the impacts of intergenerational support on elders’ subjective well-being, especially the intermediary mechanisms in this process. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by exploring the mediating role of optimism in the association between received intergenerational support and subjective well-being among the elderly in China, as well as the sex differences that exist between males and females. The findings show that the intergenerational support received from adult children is positively related to subjective well-being and that this relationship is partly mediated by optimism. Meanwhile, no significant sex difference was found in the interrelations between intergenerational support, optimism, and subjective well-being.

Reducing the Influence of Perceived Stress on Subjective Well-Being of Student Veterans With and Without Disabilities: The Protective Role of Positive Traits and Social Support

The transition from the regimented environment of military service to a less structured college lifestyle can be stressful for student veterans with and without disabilities, which highlights the importance of exploring protective person-environmental contextual factors that can help student veterans with and without disabilities manage their stress effectively, leading to enhanced well-being. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational design study was to examine the role of positive person-environment contextual factors, including hope, resilience, core self-evaluations, and social support, to reduce the influence of perceived stress on the subjective well-being (SWB) of student veterans with and without disabilities. The sample included 205 student veterans (71.7% males; 80.5% White; Mage = 29.32; 39% with service-connected disability). Findings suggested that core self-evaluations and social support partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and SWB in student veterans with and without disabilities. Implications for clinicians, university counselors, and university staff are also discussed.

Social Support in Higher Education: Evidence of Validity and Reliability in the Peruvian Context

Social support is a useful cornerstone concept that describes how positive human relationships and social networks allow people to overcome stressful events they face during their lives and to find themselves in a state of relative well-being. This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Social Support Appraisals Scale (SS-A) in a Peruvian sample. Participants were 417 undergraduate’s students in Metropolitan Lima (Mage = 21.78, SD = 4.09). Cross-sectional data was collected after approval by the ethical committee and authorization of all parties involved. A theoretical three-factor model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Results showed good fit indexes and revealed that the SS-A’s three-dimensional structure was invariant across gender and presented adequate reliability. Likewise, social support showed significant correlations to academic stress. Although the results’ generalizability due to the non-random nature of the data presents a caveat, the current findings reveal preliminary evidence that the adapted version of the Social Support Appraisals Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of perceived social support in this sample of Peruvian college students.

Personalities in sync: The covariation of psychological resources in leader–follower dyads

Based on a two-week daily diary study of 31 leader–follower dyads, this article demonstrates that within-person variation in the leader’s level of state core self-evaluations is associated with within-person variation in the follower’s level of state core self-evaluations. Moreover, we provide tentative evidence that this crossover effect might be mediated by transformational leadership behavior. Our study contributes to personality and leadership research by exploring within-leader, within-follower, and within-dyad personality processes. By showing that the personality states of leader and follower fluctuate in sync, we shed light on a new way in which leaders and followers connect.

Core self-evaluations and psychological well-being: the mediating role of work-to-family enrichment

Purpose

How or whether dimensions of work-to-family enrichment (WFE) mediate the relationship between an individual's core self-evaluations (CSEs) and their psychological well-being (PWB) is yet to be explained. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of three WFE dimensions in mediating between CSEs and PWB in Indian bank employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study collected data from 222 full-time bank employees working in Indian nationalized banks. The authors tested the study hypotheses using parallel mediation analysis.

Findings

The result showed positive associations among CSEs, all WFE dimensions (development, affect and capital-based) and PWB. Parallel mediation analysis suggested that two WFE dimensions (affect and capital-based) mediated the relationship between CSEs and PWB.

Research limitations/implications

The use of a single source of data (Indian nationalized banks) limits the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

Senior management at these banks may build a happier and more satisfied workforce by implementing appropriate training and personality development programs. Empowering and rewarding employees for the desired performances may help them appreciate their self-worth, enrich their quality of life (by gaining positive resources from work-family interactions) and ultimately improve their PWB.

Originality/value

The research literature has been relatively silent on the mediating role of individual dimensions of WFE. The present study adds to the existing body of knowledge by exploring the role of individual dimension-based WFE in the relationship between CSEs and PWB.

Perceived social support, coping strategies, anxiety and depression among women with breast cancer: Evaluation of a mediation model

PURPOSE

Depression and anxiety are now considered as common adverse reactions to cancer. Prior research has shown that social support and functional coping strategies alleviate depressive and anxious symptoms of cancer patients but the exact relationship between social support and coping strategies in amelioration of the symptoms is yet to be elaborated.

METHODS

The current study examined the relationship between social support, coping strategies and depressive-anxious symptomatology and explored the possible role of coping strategies in mediating the relationship between social support, depression and anxiety in Iranian breast cancer patients (N = 221). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured using the Depression-Anxiety-Stress (DASS-21) scale, social support was measured using the Medical Outcome Survey, Social Support Scale (MOSS-SSS), and coping strategies were measured using the brief COPE.

RESULTS

All of the social support subscales were negatively correlated with depression and anxiety. Most of the coping strategies were negatively correlated with depressive-anxious symptoms. When controlling for covariates, mediation analysis revealed that active coping, positive reframing and acceptance partially mediated the association of social support of different types with depression. Positive reframing also partially mediated the relationship of the total social support and positive social interactions with anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of social support may relieve depressive and anxious symptoms of breast cancer patients through functional coping. The management of breast cancer patients should also focus on providing patients with social support and educating them on the practice of functional coping strategies.

Music Listening as Coping Behavior: From Reactive Response to Sense-Making

Coping is a survival mechanism of living organisms. It is not merely reactive, but also involves making sense of the environment by rendering sensory information into percepts that have meaning in the context of an organism's cognitions. Music listening, on the other hand, is a complex task that embraces sensory, physiological, behavioral, and cognitive levels of processing. Being both a dispositional process that relies on our evolutionary toolkit for coping with the world and a more elaborated skill for sense-making, it goes beyond primitive action-reaction couplings by the introduction of higher-order intermediary variables between sensory input and effector reactions. Consideration of music-listening from the perspective of coping treats music as a sound environment and listening as a process that involves exploration of this environment as well as interactions with the sounds. Several issues are considered in this regard such as the conception of music as a possible stressor, the role of adaptive listening, the relation between coping and reward, the importance of self-regulation strategies in the selection of music, and the instrumental meaning of music in the sense that it can be used to modify the internal and external environment of the listener.

Dimensions of social support in the experience of work engagement in middle age: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study

So far, the relationship between the various dimensions of social support and work engagement has not been widely examined in the literature. In this study, we examined the relationship of social support at work (from a colleague or supervisor) and social support in one's private life (from a spouse, relative or friend) with various dimensions of work engagement (vigor, dedication and absorption). The participants (N = 5,259-5,376, 46 years-old, 52.7% women) came from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study. Social support was evaluated with the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), and work engagement was assessed with a short version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). The data were analyzed using linear regression analyses. The results showed that high social support at work (p < 0.001) and in one's private life (p < 0.001) were associated with higher total work engagement, higher vigor, higher dedication, and higher absorption. These findings were adjusted for gender, marital status, education and occupational status. The results were essentially unchanged when they were additionally adjusted for job strain and effort-reward imbalance. To conclude, our findings indicate that the experience of overall social support may play a role in the experience of work engagement.

Career Success Criteria Clarity as a Predictor of Employment Outcomes

Drawing on the goal-setting theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study empirically proposes an operational definition of career success criteria clarity (CSCC) and further explores its impact on career satisfaction, person–job fit, and subjective well-being through the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE). A pilot study of 231 samples showed that the CSCC scale had good reliability and validity. To further test the effects of CSCC on crucial employment outcomes, as well as the mediating role of CDSE, 240 employees were included in an additional survey. Structural equation modeling path analysis supported all the expected hypotheses. Results indicated that: (1) CSCC was positively correlated to career satisfaction; (2) CSCC was positively correlated to person–job fit; (3) CSCC was positively correlated to subjective well-being; (4) CSCC was positively correlated to CDSE; (5) CDSE fully mediated the relationship between CSCC and career satisfaction; (6) CDSE fully mediated the relationship between CSCC and person–job fit; and (7) CDSE partly mediated the relationship between CSCC and subjective well-being. The results contributed to social cognitive career theory model and provided suggestions for both the career educators and consultants.

From Neighboring Behavior to Mental Health in the Community: The Role of Gender and Work-Family Conflict

This research emphasizes the potential influences of social community environments on low-income employees' mental health. Using a two-wave panel design, we collect 218 matched data from low-income employees in Harbin City, China. We developed a moderated mediation model to test our hypotheses with the following significant results: (1) neighboring behavior, defined as both giving and receiving various kinds of assistance to and from one's neighbors, positively influenced mental health; (2) work-family conflict mediated the relationship between neighboring behavior and mental health; (3) gender moderated the influences of neighboring behavior on mental health, such that neighboring behavior had a stronger positive influence on mental health for females than for males; (4) gender moderated the mediating effect of work-family conflict; that is, the positive influences of neighboring behavior were stronger for female employees than for male employees. This research explores the mechanism and boundary conditions of the relationship between neighboring behavior and mental health. In practice, community managers support community social workers by organizing community-building social activities and supportive programs to enhance residents' neighboring behavior.

The influence of social support on loneliness and depression among older elderly people in China: Coping styles as mediators

This study examines the direct effect of social support and the mediating effects of coping styles on loneliness and depression of older elderly people in China using data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Our sample includes 905 males and 741 females aged 75 years and over. The mean age of the sample is 79.71 (standard deviation = 4.01). We use structural equation modeling to show that social support is significantly negatively associated with the incidence of loneliness and depression among older elderly people. Higher levels of social support are also significantly negatively associated with the use of negative coping styles and consequently predict fewer symptoms of loneliness and depression. A higher level of social support is significantly positively associated with positive coping styles and consequently predicts fewer depressive symptoms. However, positive coping styles are not significantly associated with loneliness. These findings emphasize the importance of social networks in resilience and have significant implications for gerontological social work practice in China.

The Mediating Role of Family and Food-Related Life Satisfaction in the Relationships between Family Support, Parent Work-Life Balance and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Dual-Earner Families

This study explored the associations between family support and satisfaction with life, food-related life and family life. It also assessed the associations between both parents' work-life balance and satisfaction with life, food-related life and family life among adolescent children from dual-earner families. Questionnaires were administered to 303 dual-earner families with one child between 10 and 17 years in Temuco, Chile. Adolescents answered the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Satisfaction with Food-related Life scale (SWFoL), Satisfaction with Family Life scale (SWFaL) and the Family subscale of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Both parents answered the Work-life Balance (WLB) scale. Using structural equation modelling and having controlled for adolescents' gender, age and socioeconomic status, we confirmed that adolescent life satisfaction is associated with satisfaction with family life and food-related life. Food-related life satisfaction and family life satisfaction had complete mediating roles between perceived family support and adolescents' life satisfaction. Satisfaction with food-related life also had a complete mediating role between both parents' WLB and adolescents' life satisfaction. Satisfaction with family life had a complete mediating role between mothers' WLB and adolescents' life satisfaction. In addition, mothers' WLB was positively associated with perceived family support among adolescents. These findings suggest the need to improve family support and work-life balance among mothers in order to enhance adolescents' satisfaction with different domains of life in dual-earner families.

Promoting the Sustainability of Organizations: Contribution of Transformational Leadership to Job Engagement

The psychology of sustainability highlights the importance of building organizational environments promoting the employees’ well-being, and leaders play an important role in it. Drawing from Kahn’s theory, the purpose of this study is to simultaneously examine the mediating role of task significance, perceived organizational support (POS) and employees’ core self-evaluations (CSE) in the relationship between supervisors’ transformational leadership and job engagement. In order to test the proposed model, a structural equation modelling was performed using the bootstrapping technique in IBM SPSS Amos 23 for Windows. The sample consisted of 320 employees from emergent high-tech and knowledge-based SMEs in Spain. The results supported all the hypotheses posited. By helping employees to find the meaning and significance of their work, making them feel supported by the organization and strengthening their sense of worth and competence, transformational leaders boost job engagement, a key aspect of the human dimension of organizational sustainability. This paper contributes to the psychology of sustainability by advancing knowledge of the mechanisms through which supervisors’ transformational leadership influences employees’ well-being in terms of job engagement.

Chinese Drug Users’ Abstinence Intentions: The Role of Perceived Social Support

This study investigated the relationship between Chinese drug users’ perceived social support and their intentions for choosing abstinence. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed with 3,239 drug users, especially heroin (427) and methamphetamine (890) users. All participants were from multiple Chinese compulsory drug treatment institutions. Perceived support from friends was the factor that showed a strongest positive relationship with Chinese drug users’ abstinence intentions. The positive influence from family support on the willingness to seek and choose abstinence was not as great as scholars have suggested, which challenges previous research findings. Methamphetamine users had a significantly lower chance of pursuing abstinence, but their abstinence intentions were positively related to perceived support from friends. Comparatively, all types of perceived social support had no significant influence on heroin users’ abstinence intentions. This study highlights that, as China’s methamphetamine-addicted population rapidly expands, tailored treatment, especially facilitating positive peer support, is urgently needed.

A systematic review of the psychometric properties of the cross-cultural translations and adaptations of the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS)

BACKGROUND

Social support (SS) has been identified as an essential buffer to stressful life events. Consequently, there has been a surge in the evaluation of SS as a wellbeing indicator. The Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) has evolved as one of the most extensively translated and validated social support outcome measures. Due to linguistic and cultural differences, there is need to test the psychometrics of the adapted versions. However, there is a paucity of systematic evidence of the psychometrics of adapted and translated versions of the MSPSS across settings.

OBJECTIVES

To understand the psychometric properties of the MSPSS for non-English speaking populations by conducting a systematic review of studies that examine the psychometric properties of non-English versions of the MSPSS.

METHODS

We searched Africa-Wide Information, CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO, for articles published in English on the translation and or validation of the MSPSS. Methodological quality and quality of psychometric properties of the retrieved translations were assessed using the COSMIN checklist and a validated quality assessment criterion, respectively. The two assessments were combined to produce the best level of evidence per language/translation.

RESULTS

Seventy articles evaluating the MSPSS in 22 languages were retrieved. Most translations [16/22] were not rigorously translated (only solitary backward-forward translations were performed, reconciliation was poorly described, or were not pretested). There was poor evidence for structural validity, as confirmatory factor analysis was performed in only nine studies. Internal consistency was reported in all studies. Most attained a Cronbach's alpha of at least 0.70 against a backdrop of fair methodological quality. There was poor evidence for construct validity.

CONCLUSION

There is limited evidence supporting the psychometric robustness of the translated versions of the MSPSS, and given the variability, the individual psychometrics of a translation must be considered prior to use. Responsiveness, measurement error and cut-off values should also be assessed to increase the clinical utility and psychometric robustness of the translated versions of the MSPSS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO - CRD42016052394.

Life Satisfaction of University Students in Relation to Family and Food in a Developing Country

Life satisfaction and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) are associated with healthy eating habits, family interaction around eating and family support. The present study evaluates the relationship between SWFoL and satisfaction with family life (SWFaL), and their relationship with life satisfaction in university students. We identify the relationship of two different types of family support and student SWFaL and explore a moderator effect of gender. A questionnaire was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 370 students of both genders (mean age 21 years) in Chile, including Satisfaction with Life Scale, SWFoL scale, SWFaL scale, and the Family Resources Scale. Using structural equation modeling, we found that students' life satisfaction was related to SWFaL and food-related life. A high positive relationship was identified between intangible family support and students' SWFaL, which would have a mediating role between intangible support and life satisfaction. Using multi-group analysis, a moderator effect of gender was not found. These findings suggest that improving SWFoL, SWFaL and intangible family support is important for both female and male students.