Empirical Clarification of the Nature of Psychological Well-Being

An analysis of the literature revealed that conceptualizations of the nature of psychological well-being are very diverse, and that it is still unclear what the nature and/or dimensions of psychological well-being are. Scales based on several models and constructs from diverse theoretical traditions were completed by a multicultural group of 550 participants. The validity of the scales for use in this particular group was determined. The manifestations of psychological well-being in different gender, cultural and age groups were compared. Similarities and differences were found. In a factor analysis on the data of the total group, a general psychological well-being factor was identified. Psychological well-being seems to be multidimensional with regard to facets of self that are involved ( e.g., affect, cognition, behaviour), as well as with regard to the domains of life in which these facets manifest themselves ( e.g., intra- and interpersonal, social and contextual, in love and work). A sense of coherence, satisfaction with life and affect-balance are strong indicators of general psychological well-being. Findings from this perspective may point to new directions for capacity building.

Modernity and Subjective Well-Being in Zimbabwean College Students

The study utilized a multiple discrepancy approach to examine modernity as a correlate of subjective well-being in a sample of 110 Zimbabwean college students (44 males; 66 females) aged 24 to 58 years. Measures of subjective well-being covered satisfaction with life, domain of life satisfaction, frequency of emotional experiences, positive and negative affect. Students gave actual and ideal ratings of their subjective well-being and with comparison to their ideal person or desirability. The Zimbabwean college students had positive perceptions of their subjective well-being, although they tended to be less happy with their lives as compared to their ideal persons in satisfaction with life, recreation, finances, frequency of emotional experience, positive, and negative affect. Students with a higher preference for modernity reported having a higher self-regard, being less fearful, experiencing more pleasant affect and feeling closer to their ideal life as compared to those with a lower endorsement of modernity. Those with a higher preference for collectivism reported a higher satisfaction with family. Younger, and female students tended to report being significantly closer to their ideal levels of well-being.

Discrimination, Attributional Tendencies, Generalized Self-Efficacy, and Assertiveness as Predictors of Psychological Distress Among African Americans

This study tested whether perceived past racial discrimination and a tendency to attribute negative outcomes across varied life situations to racial prejudice or discrimination (TAND) predicted unique variance in psychological distress among 195 African American college students. The authors also examined whether generalized self-efficacy and assertiveness uniquely predicted distress and moderated hypothesized TAND distress and past discrimination-distress relationships. Both generalized self-efficacy and assertiveness inversely predicted distress, accounting together for about 12% of the variance in distress. Past discrimination and age also inversely predicted distress, together accounting for about 14% of the variance. Assertiveness partly mediated the relationship between generalized self-efficacy and psychological distress. These results suggest that counselors can help reduce African American clients’ psychological distress by augmenting their general self-efficacy and assertiveness.

Optimism, Health-related Hardiness and Well-Being among Older Australian Women

This article examines whether optimism and health-related hardiness contribute to health and well-being among older women. Positive psychological characteristics, including optimism and health-related hardiness, are correlated with good self-rated health, but these variables are all affected by socioeconomic status, social support, physical illness and access to services. Using data from 9501 Australian women aged 73 to 78, we show that optimism and health-related hardiness explain a significant proportion of variance in all subscales of the SF-36, and in stress, even after these confounders are taken into account. The data, although cross-sectional, suggest that positive personal characteristics may contribute to well-being.

Resilience, Meaning, and Well-Being

In this issue of The Counseling Psychologist, Smith presents an array of important strength-related literature and offers propositions, stages, and counseling recommendations to foster resilience among youth. This article argues, however, that the strength-based counseling model is not sufficiently operational or clearly distinguishable from other models and that more inclusion of the adult well-being literature could help to clarify key constructs and relationships among variables. The author proffers a focal operationalization of psychological resilience as generalized self-efficacy and discusses the importance of cultural moderators of resilience effects and meaning in life as a predictor of well-being. He recommends studying the incremental therapeutic benefits of strength-focused interventions.

Prevention and Counseling Psychology

This article advocates the need for a much stronger emphasis on and commitment to the science and practice of prevention in counseling psychology. Historical and recent developments in the profession are highlighted, as are the changing U.S. demographics and societal needs that mandate an enhanced prevention focus for the field. A prevention-based agenda of four fundamental goals for counseling psychology is articulated. The goals include eight training domains and objectives as well as skills needed to support a prevention agenda for counseling psychology. Barriers and adjustments needed to give renewed vitality toward prevention are discussed. Prevention resources and funding opportunities are presented.

Applied Epistemology and Professional Training in a Science-Based Cultural Enterprise

Receptiveness toward evidence-based practice such as proposed by Chwalisz (2003 [this issue])is a function of how one defines the discipline and how one views counseling and psychotherapy. By acknowledging the dual nature of therapeutic psychology as a science-based cultural enterprise, one may be able to overcome schisms in the field and related resistance to the role of research in practice. This view calls for a broader definition of evidence and the criteria and processes involved in its evaluation. This article suggests that scientist-practitioner training and evidence-based practice can be strengthened by more attention to the applied epistemology of research and practice. Implications of this perspective for the professional culture and professional discourse and socialization are discussed.

Emotional intelligence and job satisfaction of academic librarians: An assessment of the relationship

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and general job satisfaction of librarians. For this purpose, a quantitative study was conducted on librarians serving in university libraries of Pakistan. A randomly selected sample of Pakistani university librarians completed a questionnaire survey measuring their responses on emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis indicated that all indicators of emotional intelligence were significant predictors of job satisfaction. The results showed that self-assessment was the strongest predictor while optimism was the weakest predictor of job satisfaction. The findings are useful for libraries and other organizations interested in developing emotional intelligence and improving workers’ job satisfaction, which ultimately may lead to effective performance.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and personality characteristics in older adults in the general Dutch population

OBJECTIVE

The authors wanted to examine the association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and personality characteristics and the potential mediating role of these characteristics in the relationship between ADHD and depression in older adults in the general Dutch population.

METHODS

Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam in 2008/2009 were used in a cross-sectional design on 231 participants with and without ADHD aged 60-94 years. Questionnaires assessing self-esteem, self-efficacy, mastery, neuroticism, and social inadequacy were administered. ADHD was measured by means of ADHD diagnosis and level of ADHD symptoms. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between ADHD (symptoms) and personality characteristics. Single and multivariate mediation analyses were performed to examine the mediating role of personality characteristics in the relationship between ADHD (symptoms) and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

ADHD was significantly negatively associated with sense of mastery (B = -2.44, t = -3.14, df = 228, p = 0.002), self-esteem (B = -1.16, t = -2.27, df = 228, p = 0.02), and self-efficacy (B = -2.33, t = -2.02, df = 228, p = 0.045) and positively associated with neuroticism (B = 0.99, t = 4.90, df = 228, p <0.001) and social inadequacy (B = 0.65, t = 3.32, df = 229, p = 0.001). In the single mediation analyses, all personality characteristics were mediators in the relationship between ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms. In the multivariate analysis only mastery and self-esteem were mediators.

CONCLUSION

Older adults with ADHD reported lower self-esteem and sense of mastery and higher levels of neuroticism and social inadequacy than older adults without ADHD. Mastery and self-esteem partly explained the association between ADHD and depressive symptoms in old age. The results implicate that in treatment clinicians should pay attention to the personality characteristics of older adults with ADHD.

Does psychological strengths and subjective well-being predicting parental involvement and problem solving among Malaysian and Indian students?

The present study examined the predictors of psychological strengths and subjective well-being for dealing with academic stress perceived by university engineering students. Sample of 400 Malaysian (N = 180 boys and N = 220 girls) age varies 18 to 25 years and 400 Indian students (N = 240 boys and N = 160 girls) age varies 18 to 25 years from public universities were participated. Quantitative method was used for data analysis. Findings shows that gender, religiosity and socioeconomic status are significantly influencing psychological strengths and subjective well-being of both Indian and Malaysian students. Findings also revealed that parental involvement and problem solving coping styles were significantly predicting psychological strengths and subjective well-being among both countries participants. Findings of the current study provide the insight for the educators, and parents dealing with adolescents.

Can positive thinking help? Positive automatic thoughts as moderators of the stress-meaning relationship

The purpose of this study was to test whether positive automatic cognitions moderated the relationship between event stressfulness and meaning in life. Measures of these constructs were administered to 232 students and community-dwelling adults. Supporting hypotheses and the literature, positive automatic cognitions moderated the relationship between event stressfulness and meaning in life. For persons with high levels of positive thinking, greater event stressfulness was associated with higher meaning in life. For persons with low levels of positive thinking, greater event stressfulness was associated with lower meaning in life. These results were obtained when controlling for positive affect, as well as the positive affect × event stressfulness interaction. The positive cognitions × event stressfulness interaction accounted for 2.9% of variance, and the overall model accounted for 47% of the variance in meaning in life.

[Review of studies on generalized self-efficacy and the explanatory potential of epigenetic theory]

In this article, we review studies of generalized self-efficacy (GSE) involving the characteristics, measurement, changes, and formation of GSE. We discuss controversial issues regarding developmental changes in GSE, such as the age at which GSE develops and becomes established, and its causal direction, i.e., does task-specific self-efficacy have an effect on GSE, or does GSE have an effect on task-specific self-efficacy. We suggest that studies of GSE should be designed to address these questions. Since it is possible to study the long-term development of GSE using epigenetic theory, we suggest that this theory should be the theoretical framework for GSE studies. GSE studies would also benefit from consideration of the theory of competence (concept of virtue) based on the perspective of healthy ego-development. Moreover, not only positive aspects of GSE, but also negative aspects, such as over-aspiration, should be investigated. We conclude that multifaceted studies of GSE based on theories of personality development should be undertaken.

Optimism and well-being in older adults: the mediating role of social support and perceived control

To investigate how psychosocial resources may improve well-being for older adults, this study explored the relationship among questionnaire measures of optimism, social support and perceptions of control in predicting subjective well-being (measured with the positive affect subscale of the Affect Balance Scale) (Bradburn, 1969) and psychological well-being (measured with the purpose in life scale of the Ryff Psychological Well-being scales) (Ryff, Lee, Essex, & Schmutte, 1994) among older adults. The potential mediating roles of perceived social support and perception of control were also explored. Participants were 225 adults aged from 65 to 94 years. Optimism was found to be a predictor of both subjective and psychological well-being, and perceived social support was found to mediate the relationship between optimism and subjective well-being, but not psychological well-being. In contrast, perception of control was found to mediate the relationship between optimism and psychological well-being, but not subjective wellbeing. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm these pathways.

The Role of Optimism Regarding Nutrition and Health Behavior

This article summarizes the relationships among optimism, nutrition, and health behavior. The benefits from optimism are addressed, optimism is defined, and measurement scales for testing optimism are presented. The purpose of this article is to review primary research studies and clarify the relationship between optimism and nutrition-related health behaviors. The literature offers confirmatory evidence that optimism enhances mental and physical well-being. Food selection decisions and the role of optimism are explained. Optimism increases the likelihood of making healthy food choices and living a healthier life. Finally, several reasons are proposed for explaining why optimism is overwhelmingly beneficial for physical and mental health.

The measurement of optimism: the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT–R)

A Scheier és Carver (1985) által kidolgozott Életszemlélet Teszt (Life Orientation Test, LOT) a vonásoptimizmus mérésére leggyakrabban használt mérőeszköz. Az optimizmus (fizikai) egészségre (úm. testi tünetek száma, gyógyulás sebessége, mortalitás és immunfunkciók) vonatkozó prediktív erejét számos vizsgálatban igazolták. A mérőeszköz eredeti (LOT), majd annak átdolgozott (LOT–R) változatát, valamint az optimizmus konstruktumát azonban sok kritika érte és éri a mai napig, amelyek egy része a mérőeszköz faktorszerkezetét, másik része pedig a vonásoptimizmus diszkriminációs validitását, illetve az úgynevezett harmadik változó problémát érinti. A skála és a fogalom, valamint az azokat ért kritikák rövid bemutatása után ismertetjük a LOT–R magyar változatának validitási, reliabilitási adatait és a feltáró és konfirmatív faktorelemzéssel kapott eredményeket. A teszt hazai változatának reliabilitás- és validitásadatai a külföldi eredményekkel összhangban jónak adódtak. A LOT–R faktorszerkezetére vonatkozó eredmények azonban nem támasztják alá egyértelműen a teszt egy- vagy kétfaktoros modelljét.

Emotion-Oriented Coping, Avoidance Coping, and Fear of Pain as Mediators of the Relationship Between Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Pain-Related Distress Among African American and Caucasian College Women

The authors tested whether coping styles and fear of pain mediate the relationship between positive affect and negative affect on one hand and pain-related distress (PD) on the other. Among African American and Caucasian female college students, negative affect, fear of pan, and emotion-oriented coping together accounted for 34% of the variance in PD among African American woman and 40% of the variance in PD among Caucasion women. Emotion-oriented coping and fear of pain fully mediated the relationship between negative affect and PD among Caucasian women and partly mediated the relationship between negative affect and PD among African American women. Results suggest that reducing college women's reliance on emotion-oriented coping and their fears of pain may help reduce PD.

The health information specialist

Purpose

This paper discusses the need for health information specialists who can promote patient empowerment by tailoring the information patients receive as they cope with illness. The objectives of this study are to distinguish the various stages of coping with illness, examine the informational needs of patients during these stages, explore how web information contributes to patient empowerment, and describe the potential role of the health information specialist.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to meet the study's objectives, a qualitative research method was used in which 110 in‐depth interviews were conducted with patients who told their story of coping throughout the course of illness. By distinguishing and understanding the different stages of coping with illness, we came to distinguish the distinct informational needs during the coping process, and understand how web information contributes to patient empowerment.

Findings

The process of coping with illness has four stages. In each stage, the patient's informational needs differ, as does his ability to absorb and process information. Health systems do not provide information to match the coping stage of the patient. Patients turn to professional (hospitals, universities) and unprofessional (forums, blogs) internet sites in their search for medical knowledge. The current study, integrated with other studies that show patients' difficulties using the internet, emphasizes the importance of the information specialist in the patient empowerment process.

Originality/value

The study will aid policy makers in the process of empowering patients by demonstrating patients' dynamic informational needs when coping with illness. This study proposes a role for the information specialists that will enable them to expand into the health domain. This role is the health information specialist, a professional who will, among other things, learn how health systems work, identify types of web information sources, assess medical site quality, recognize patients' coping stages, and adapt information to individual characteristics.

Lang and Goulet Hardiness Scale: development and testing on bereaved parents following the death of their fetus/infant

The process of development and testing of the Lang and Goulet Hardiness Scale (LGHS), a self-report instrument designed to measure hardiness in bereaved parents following the death of their fetus/infant, is presented. Hardiness is a personal resource, composed of 3 interdependent components that are characterized by a sense of personal control over the outcome of life events and hardships such as the death of a fetus/infant, an active orientation toward meeting the challenges brought on by the loss, and a belief in the ability to make sense of one's own existence following such a tragedy. The concept of hardiness has been studied by various disciplines and in a multitude of settings to understand its ability to lessen potentially negative effects of life stress. However, it has never been studied within the context of parental bereavement. The LGHS was developed systematically, originating from a concept analysis. A panel of 15 experts was used to establish content validity.A pretest was conducted on 73 bereaved individuals to assess convergent and discriminant validity of the LGHS. Subsequently, a validation study on 220 bereaved parents who had experienced the death of their fetus/infant 2 months previously was conducted including a retest 6 months after the loss with 192 of the remaining participants. Analyses reveal that the LGHS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring hardiness and that it is sensitive enough to detect changes in the construct over time.

Weathering the storm of perinatal bereavement via hardiness

Hardiness is a personal resource that can potentially diminish negative effects of life stress. To increase understanding of the role that it can have on the health protection and promotion of bereaved parents following a perinatal loss, this article uses J. Wilson's (1969) method to present a concept analysis of hardiness. This analysis provides not only a fresh perspective for understanding the experience of perinatal loss but has also induced the development of a hardiness instrument. Knowledge development in this area is paramount for professionals interested in enabling bereaved parents to draw on and develop their hardiness, not only to transcend the experience but ultimately to gain a sense of personal growth following their loss.

The relationship between stress and health care use: an investigation of the buffering roles of personality, social support and exercise

The main and interactive effects of social support, physical exercise, and personal hardiness on objective measures of health were investigated using a longitudinal research design. Data were collected from 192 working adults. Results showed main effects for hardiness and exercise on the dependent variables of health care costs and the number of health insurance claims filed. Hardiness appeared to be associated with fewer health problems. Contrary to prediction, those who exercised more appeared to have greater health care use. Three-way interactions suggested that health care use was lowest for those high in all three resistance resources: exercise: hardiness: and social support. But, the converse of this reasoning, that absence of these resources is associated with higher levels of illness, was not entirely supported. The interactions suggested that hardiness in the absence of exercise and social support was associated with the highest health care costs. The highest number of claims was apparent for those exhibiting hardiness and exercise. Thus, the presence of exercise, hardiness, and social support seemed to decrease health care use, but the factors contributing to greater health costs and claims were more complicated to interpret.