Subjective Nearness-to-Death and COVID-19 Worries Among Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel: The Moderating Role of Israeli Identity and Sense of Community

The Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel is characterized by close everyday contact and a strong sense of community. While the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in global uncertainty, fear, and fatalities, this group was particularly affected by the pandemic. Accordingly, the current study examines whether subjective nearness-to-death was associated with increased COVID-19 concerns, and whether Israeli identity and sense of community moderate this association. Data were gathered from 255 Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and results yielded a significant link between subjective nearness-to-death and COVID-19 worries, moderated by both moderators. Results are discussed in line with terror management theory, and theoretical/practical implications are suggested.

Sense of community, meaning in life, and satisfaction with life among Ultra-Orthodox Jews: A mediation model

The Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, characterized by close-knit ties and strong community values, has been particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, both epidemiologically and socially. Accordingly, the current study examined whether the connection between the sense of community and life satisfaction in this population is mediated by meaning in life (MIL). Three hundred and fifty-eight Ultra-Orthodox participants (age range: 30-70; M = 49.50, SD = 10.24) filled out scales assessing MIL, sense of community, and satisfaction with life (SWL), as well as sociodemographic and COVID-19-related scales. Sense of community was linked with increased MIL and life satisfaction. Moreover, the connection between sense of community and life satisfaction was mediated by MIL. This study highlights the roles of sense of community and MIL for Ultra-Orthodox individuals and emphasizes the importance of both concepts for maintaining SWL during COVID-19. Practical implications for Ultra-Orthodox communities are suggested.

The Influence of Guozhuang Dance on the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults: The Chain Mediating Effect of Group Identity and Self-Efficacy

BACKGROUND

In the context of the gradually accelerating aging of the population, the subjective well-being of older adults has received extensive research attention. Guozhuang Dance is a collective aerobic exercise that plays an important role in the physical activity of older Chinese adults. Studying the intrinsic relationship between Guozhuang Dance and the subjective well-being can help improve the quality of life and well-being of older adults in their later years. This study was conducted in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China, where many older adults practice Guozhuang Dance. Previous studies pointed out that group identity and self-efficacy can influence well-being in a collective exercise.

METHODS

For this study, we recruited 520 adults (male = 228, female = 292) aged 65 years or older from Chengdu who participated in Guozhuang Dance, to conduct a survey to understand the effect of this exercise on their subjective well-being. The Guozhuang Dance exercise scale, the group identity scale, the self-efficacy scale, and the subjective well-being scale were used in the study. We used SPSS for the descriptive statistical analysis, and AMOS for the structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The results of the study show that Guozhuang Dance has a positive effect on enhancing the subjective well-being of older adults and can increase the subjective well-being through the chain mediating effect of group identity and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that effective measures should be taken to encourage older adults to participate in Guozhuang Dance, in order to enhance their subjective well-being.

Examining the mediator and moderator of the link between Migration-Related stress and depression amongst Chinese migrant children

Migration-related stress is detrimental to children's mental health, yet little is known about the potential mechanisms behind this association. This study examines the mediating role of inflow city identity in the association between migration-related stress and depression and the moderating role of social participation amongst Chinese migrant children. A sample of 484 migrant children aged 8-17 years is randomly recruited through a cross-sectional survey in Kunming, China. Inflow city identity partially mediates the association between migration-related stress and migrant children's depression. Moreover, social participation moderates the above relationship. The direct and indirect effects are significant for migrant children with low social participation but insignificant for migrant children with high social participation. This study deepens the theoretical understanding of the underlying mechanism between migration stress and psychological distress and provides practical implications for preventing mental disorders in Chinese migrant children.

Community Post-traumatic Growth: Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Coping with Coronavirus

The present study sheds light on the phenomenon whereby groups experience adversity, following which they show signs of growth. We propose the conceptualization of post-traumatic growth as a phenomenon that also exists at the group level, “community post-traumatic growth” (CPTG). The concept of CPTG is explained using a case study on the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel following the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study describes shared characteristics of Israeli ultra-Orthodox society and the crisis it experienced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of physiological features such as the relatively high proportion of affected people and in terms of psychological characteristics such as the shut-down of synagogues and yeshivas, and the perceived discrimination they experienced from the general population in Israel. The present study views the sense of discrimination as a traumatic factor at the group level. In total, 256 participants completed online questionnaires examining three hypotheses: (1) sense of discrimination (trauma) will be correlated with level of CPTG; (2) the level of identification with the ultra-Orthodox culture will be positively related to CPTG, while the level of identification with Israeli culture will be negatively correlated with CPTG; (3) the level of life satisfaction of the individual will be predicted by CPTG. The results supported the hypotheses and are discussed at length in the discussion section.

Perceived discrimination and psychological well-being among immigrants living in Greece: Separation as mediator and interdependence as moderator

The present study was based on the rejection-identification model regarding migrants acculturation. Personal perceived discrimination, acculturation attitudes, self-construal, and psychological well-being were examined simultaneously in Albanian and Indian immigrants residing in Greece (N = 233). It was hypothesized that perceived discrimination would be related negatively to immigrants’ psychological well-being, both directly and indirectly. A positive relationship was expected between perceived discrimination and separation and a negative relationship between discrimination and integration, or assimilation. It was, also, expected a positive relationship of perceived discrimination to interdependent self-construal and a negative relationship to independent self-construal. Furthermore, it was examined the mediating role of separation in the association of perceived discrimination with psychological well-being and the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the association of perceived discrimination with psychological well-being. According to the results, perceived discrimination was positively related to separation and negatively to integration, but was related neither to independent nor to interdependent self-construal. Perceived discrimination was, also, positively related to depression directly and indirectly. Fewer depressive symptoms were reported by those immigrants who face discrimination but also select separation. Immigrants with high levels of interdependence, also, do seem to be protected from depression and anxiety. The interpretation of these findings signifies that, when immigrants who perceive discrimination choose separation from the host country, they may reduce their depression feelings, by fitting into relationships with in-group members. Interdependence and the perception of immigrants self as a social unit, also, may act protectively for their psychological well-being, enhancing the identification with the in-group, as well.