Examining the interplay between internet use disorder tendencies and well-being in relation to sofalizing during the COVID-19 pandemic

AIMS

The present study investigated the potential links between Internet Use Disorder tendencies, well-being and the impact of COVID-19 on Internet usage patterns.

METHOD

A sample of 2498 participants filled out the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; the cognitive facet of well-being) and the Sofalizing Scale which comprises the Online Displacement and Social Compensation dimensions. Participants were also asked to report the extent to which changes in Internet use occurred due to COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., reductions, no changes, increases). The present study comprised a survey study with cross-sectional character.

RESULTS

The statistical analyses demonstrated that the aforementioned variables were robustly associated with each other. In a first mediation model, the association between higher levels of Internet Use Disorder and reduced well-being was partially mediated by the two dimensions of the Sofalizing scale called Online Displacement and Social Compensation. The results of the second mediation model showed that the relationship between changes in Internet use due to COVID-19 pandemic and well-being was fully mediated by CIUS scores, suggesting that increased Internet use due to the COVID-19 pandemic increased levels of Internet Use Disorder tendencies, which in turn decreased levels of well-being.

DISCUSSION

The findings are discussed in the context of human social needs in a time of crisis, where meeting people in-person was restricted.

There is a correlation between nutritional status, Self-Rated Health and Life Satisfaction? Evidence from 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross sectional study in a sample of Italian adolescents living in Tuscany Region

Background

Overweight has been associated with several social and phycological problems and is perceived as one of the major health care challenges to focus on in the future. The purpose of the study is to investigate the correlations among nutritional status, assessed by the Body Mass Index, the perception of one's own health status and Life Satisfaction, detected in Italian adolescents living in Tuscany Region, and to investigate the influence of gender on them.

Methods

A statistically representative sample of 2760 Tuscan adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 was involved in the 2018 Health Behaviours at School-aged Children survey. The participants were divided into three nutritional status class: underweight, normal weight and overweight (overweight + obese).

Results

The results show that there is a statistically significant difference in all categories between boys and girls aged 13 and 15 years; in girls aged 11 and 13 years, the Life Satisfaction of the overweight group is statistically lower than that of normal and underweight groups; Self-Rated Health is statistically lower in all age groups for overweight individuals compared to normal weight children, except for 11-year-old females.

Conclusions

Viewing the psychosocial problems related to overweight, more attention and care must be placed on adolescents to ensure their healthier development.

Mental Health and well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic and After the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The study compared the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A repeated online cross-sectional study was performed twice among university students in Ukraine: in November 2020 (Pre-war sample, n = 752) and September-October 2022 (During-war sample, n = 862). The survey measured life satisfaction (SWLS), perceived stress (PSS-10), anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9). Stress, anxiety, and life satisfaction levels were similar during the war and pandemic, while symptoms of depression decreased during the war, compared to the pandemic. Network analysis showed that anxiety has a crucial effect on depression and stress, and stress is most closely related to life satisfaction. The association of life satisfaction with anxiety and depression disappeared in wartime, in contrast to the pandemic. The priority of prevention and intervention programs in wartime Ukraine should focus on anxiety as the most influential factor in other mental health and well-being problems. The results showed high resistance and adaptation to war conditions among university students in Ukraine.

Association between Social Mobility and Quality-of-Life Index in Women of Rasht: A Population-Based Study in the Iranian Context

Background

Life course research has shown that socioeconomic conditions in childhood have a profound impact on adult health. However, little is known about the different health effects of social mobility. This study was conducted to answer whether the intergenerational social mobility of women in Rasht is related to their quality of life index.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey conducted in 2020-2021, in which the researcher created a social mobility questionnaire, was used to study the association between social mobility and the quality of life index of women aged 30-65 in Rasht. The current socioeconomic status of 784 married women in this city was compared to the previous socioeconomic status of their parents. Also, Ferrans and Power's quality of life index questionnaire was used. Data analysis was done using t-test and ANOVA.

Results

The mean (SD) score for the overall quality of life index was 21.60 (4.23) of 30. The majority of participants had immobility (350 of them or 44.6%). There was no statistically significant correlation between women's intergenerational mobility and their quality-of-life index (P = 0.734). Still, there was a statistically significant difference between the average score of the quality of life in the socioeconomic groups of the participants.

Conclusion

Findings show that the women in Rasht did not have opportunities to promote their status or could not take advantage of these possibilities. Although our results did not show evidence for the effects of social mobility on quality of life, some scholars' findings support the idea of the impact (negative or positive) of intergenerational upward mobility on well-being.

Positive Psychological Well-Being in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Survivors

Positive thoughts and emotions contribute to overall psychological health in diverse medical populations, including patients undergoing HSCT. However, few studies have described positive psychological well-being (eg, optimism, gratitude, flourishing) in patients undergoing HSCT using well-established, validated patient-reported outcome measures. We conducted cross-sectional secondary analyses of baseline data in 156 patients at 100 days post-HSCT enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a psychological intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT05147311) and a prospective study assessing medication adherence at a tertiary care academic cancer center from September 2021 to December 2022. We used descriptive statistics to outline participant reports of positive psychological well-being (PPWB) using validated measures for optimism, gratitude, positive affect, life satisfaction, and flourishing. The participants had a mean age of 57.4 ± 13.1 years, and 51% were male (n = 79). Many, but not all, participants reported high levels of PPWB (ie, optimism, gratitude, positive affect, life satisfaction, and flourishing), defined as agreement with items on a given PPWB measure. For example, for optimism, 29% of participants did not agree that "overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad." Aside from life satisfaction, mean PPWB scores were higher in the HSCT population than in other illness populations. Although many patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing HSCT report high levels of PPWB, a substantial minority of patients reported low PPWB (i.e., no agreement with items on a given PPWB measure). Because PPWB is associated with important clinical outcomes in medical populations, further research should determine whether an intervention to promote PPWB can improve quality of life in HSCT recipients.

The Role of Time Perspective and Mindfulness on Life Satisfaction in the United States of America, Spain, Poland and Japan: A Cross-Cultural Study

We assessed the cross-cultural role of Time Perspective (TP) tendencies [Past Positive (PP), Past Negative (PN), Present Hedonistic (PH), Present Fatalistic (PF), and Future (F)], the Deviation from a Balanced Time Perspective (DBTP) profile, the Deviation from a Negative Time Perspective (DNTP) profile, and mindfulness on life satisfaction (LS). The sample consisted of psychology undergraduate students (N= 867, MAGE= 20.19, SD= 3.417) in four countries: USA, Spain, Poland and Japan. We used a 17-item short version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in all countries. For ensuring measurement invariance, we conducted pairwise CFAs for the ZTPI-17, MAAS and SWLS. Regression analyses showed that PN predicted decreased LS in Poland and Japan. PP predicted increased LS in Spain. F predicted increased LS in Poland. DNTP predicted decreased LS in Poland. Mindfulness predicted decreased LS in Japan and increased LS in USA, Spain and Poland. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that the DBTP partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and LS in Spain and USA. The DNTP partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and LS in Spain, Poland and Japan (opposite direction). The findings suggest that the association of TP, mindfulness and LS differs across the investigated countries as a function of culture.

Geographic, Socio-Demographic and School Type Variation in Adolescent Wellbeing and Mental Health and Links with Academic Competence in the United Arab Emirates

Interest in adolescents' wellbeing and mental health is growing worldwide, but little research in this area has been conducted in certain world regions and countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Geographic, socio-demographic and school type differences in adolescent wellbeing and mental health are commonly observed in the field, and the UAE is a diverse country where these types of differences have been found for other outcomes (notably, academic). Yet, no prior national study has explored these differences in terms of wellbeing and mental health in the nation. We address this gap by investigating differences across emirates, gender, socio-economic status, immigrant status, school sector and school curriculum for overall life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, meaning and purpose in life, and internalizing difficulties. We use linear regression to analyse cross-sectional data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study from 2015 and 2018. We find substantial geographic, socio-demographic and school type differences in levels (2018) of wellbeing and mental health -which vary across distinct domains- and declines (2015-2018) of wellbeing. Better wellbeing and mental health are observed in the northern emirates and among boys. Better wellbeing and poorer mental health are observed among nationals (compared to expatriates) and in public schools (compared to private schools). Despite presenting the best academic outcomes, British schools present the worst wellbeing and mental health outcomes. However, results show the absence of a trade-off between academic competence and wellbeing and mental health, with evidence of a small positive association with wellbeing.

Association of perceived life satisfaction with attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment among the elderly in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Amidst rapid population aging, South Korea enacted the Well-dying Act, late among advanced countries, but public opinion on the act is not still clear. Against this background, this study aims to: 1) investigate factors affecting elderly individuals' attitude toward life-sustaining treatment, and 2) examine whether attitude toward life-sustaining treatment is related to their perceived life satisfaction.

METHODS

Data from the 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons were used. There were 9,916 participants (3,971 males; 5,945 females). We used multivariable-adjusted Poisson regression models with robust variance to examine the association between perceived life satisfaction and attitude toward life-sustaining treatment and calculate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

After adjusting potential confounders, the probabilities that the elderly who were dissatisfied with their current life would favor life-sustaining treatment were 1.52 times (95% CI: 1.15-1.64) and 1.28 times (95% CI: 1.09-1.51) higher for men and women, respectively, than the elderly who were satisfied. In addition, attitudes in favor of life-sustaining treatment were observed prominently among the elderly with long schooling years or high household income, when they were dissatisfied with their life.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that for the elderly, life satisfaction is an important factor influencing how they exercise their autonomy and rights regarding dying well and receiving life-sustaining treatment. It is necessary to introduce interventions that would enhance the life satisfaction of the elderly and terminally ill patients and enable them to make their own decisions according to the values of life.

Culture, Aging, Self-Continuity, and Life Satisfaction

The present work examines how culture and age interact to influence self-continuity and life satisfaction. Specifically, we compared Canadian and Chinese young (17-26 years old) and older adults (60-88 years old) in their sense of self-continuity and life satisfaction (N = 424). Consistent with past research, older adults reported greater self-continuity compared to their young counterparts, while cross-cultural comparisons showed that young Chinese reported greater self-continuity than young Canadians. In terms of life satisfaction, older adults again scored higher than younger adults, while cross-cultural comparisons indicated that, this time, young Canadians reported higher life satisfaction than young Chinese. Although the data were cross-sectional, indirect effects analyses showed that self-continuity mediated the effect of age on life satisfaction in both cultural groups, with the indirect effect stronger among Canadians than among Chinese. These findings highlight the importance of considering culture and age when examining psychological outcomes, and the potential of self-continuity as a mechanism to enhance overall life satisfaction.

Living with COVID-19: Subjective Well-Being in the Second Phase of the Pandemic

While there is ample evidence of the decline in mental health among youth during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, less is known about the determinants of recovery, which is the focus of this study. Drawing on a stress process framework, this study examines the associations of changes in direct, pandemic-related, and indirect, lockdown-related stressors with life satisfaction. A novel representative, longitudinal sample of British 16-25-year-olds is used, drawing on 6 data collections between February 2021 to May 2022 (N = 6000, 51% female, 24% ethnic minority, 46% in work, 35% with higher education). Using linear fixed-effects regression models, the findings suggest a substantial improvement in life satisfaction among youth. An increasing frequency of social contacts, receding worries about career prospects and job skills learning contributed significantly to increases in life satisfaction, whereas direct, health-related COVID-19 stressors did not affect life satisfaction. Sub-group analysis suggests that women's, adolescents', and students' life satisfaction responded more strongly to the stressors considered in this study. The findings highlight the positive effects of less stringent lockdown restrictions, economic recovery, and opportunities for job skills learning on youth's happiness.

Daily Memory Lapses and Affect: Mediation Effects on Life Satisfaction

Memory lapses are a type of daily challenge that are common to most people and are associated with negative mood outcomes. How daily challenges are associated and linked to broad domains, like life satisfaction and well-being, has been underexamined. Life satisfaction is often assessed from a macro-level that emphasizes average differences over longer timeframes, yet daily experiences (i.e., micro-level) may accumulate to shape these characteristics. In the current study, we examined if daily memory lapses (e.g., difficulties with word-finding or forgetting a meeting) were associated with life satisfaction, and whether this relationship was mediated by the associated changes in positive and negative affect due to daily memory lapses. In a coordinated analysis of two datasets (N = 561, ages 25-93 years), we used multilevel structural equation modeling to assess how daily memory lapses may influence the broader outcome of global life satisfaction. The pattern of results was similar across datasets: memory lapses were associated with reduced positive affect and increased negative affect. Further, the daily affect associated with daily memory lapses significantly mediated the relationship between lapses and life satisfaction, while the direct relationship between memory lapses and life satisfaction was non-significant. This study provides support for the role of daily challenges, specifically memory lapses, influencing broader constructs such as psychological well-being by identifying the key factor of affective responses. Future work should identify other salient daily challenges, as well as explore if reducing the affective response to challenges through targeted interventions would mitigate impacts on distal functioning.

Factors Influencing Residents' Specialty Choices and Satisfaction: Impact of Gender, Career Motivation and Life Goals

OBJECTIVE

Resident physicians working in medical specialties play an essential role in the makeup of the healthcare workforce. However, there is little theoretical understanding of how different medical specialties are perceived or how residents' choices are made. Many factors can influence resident physicians' choice of specialty. Previous studies have looked at personality differences within specialties, but were unable to describe the heterogeneity of viewpoints that existed within each specialty. Our objective, was to gather information about factors related to resident's life goals and career motivation as a means of improving residency program design and enhancing the college's advisory capacity.

DESIGN

Our study used a self-report anonymous questionnaire to characterize the relationship between resident physicians' preferences and their choice of specialty.

SETTING

King Saud University & King Saud University Medical City.

PARTICIPANTS

353 residents.

RESULTS

The majority of respondents reported that their current specialty was one of their top three choices. Almost half were satisfied with their residency program, and 24.1% were very satisfied. Gender, specialty, and workload demonstrated significant associations with residency program satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the effects of career motivation and life goals for resident physicians in enhancing their career satisfaction. Ensuring that residents are able to find time for personal needs has important consequences for their perceptions of wellbeing and may be an effective strategy for promoting career satisfaction.

The relationships between resilience of the adults affected by the covid pandemic in Turkey and Covid-19 fear, meaning in life, life satisfaction, intolerance of uncertainty and hope

The current study was conducted to investigate the association between the resilience of the adults affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and Covid-19 fear, meaning in life, life satisfaction, intolerance of uncertainty, hope gender, psychological trauma history and the presence of the individuals diagnosed with Covid-19 around. A total of 929 adults with the mean age of 41.58 participated in the current study. Findings from the study indicated that hope, meaning in life, life satisfaction, not having the experience of psychological trauma positively and significantly predict resilience while intolerance of uncertainty and Covid-19 fear negatively and significantly predict resilience. The presence of people diagnosed with Covid-19 and gender on the other hand were found to not significantly predict resilience.

Joint Physical Custody and Adolescents' Life Satisfaction in 37 North American and European Countries

Joint physical custody, a parental care arrangement in which a child lives with each parent about equally after separation or divorce, is an increasingly common phenomenon in many Western countries. Although attention from family scholars, practitioners, and law professionals is growing, there are hardly any numbers on the prevalence of joint physical custody (JPC). Moreover, studies using large-scale representative data on the effects of JPC for children's well-being are still rare. The data for this study come from Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC), a representative cross-national survey of adolescents in 37 European and North American countries that was conducted in 2002, 2006, and 2010 and included information on students at the ages of 11, 13, and 15 years (N = 92,886). First, results revealed that symmetrical JPC after family dissolution is still very rare in the majority of countries (5% or less), but reaches 10-20% in some countries. Second, adolescents' life satisfaction in nonintact families is higher in symmetric JPC arrangements than in asymmetric care arrangements. However, after controlling for children and family characteristics, the differences disappear. Thus, it is not the symmetric JPC arrangement that induces adolescents' higher life satisfaction, but rather the children and family characteristics that are associated with the choice of such a custody arrangement by separated or divorced parents.

Occupation and life satisfaction among individuals with mental illness: the mediation role of self-reported psychophysiological health

Background

Unemployment can diminish physical, psychological and social health. In this context, research shows that people with mental illness have even more difficulties finding occupation. Thus, some countries, such as Sweden, strive after creating job opportunities for this specific group. We investigated the effect of having an occupation on life satisfaction among individuals with mental illness and whether self-reported physical and psychological health mediated the relationship between being (un)employed and life satisfaction.

Method

Two-hundred eighty-seven individuals (148 males, 134 females, and 5 missing information) with mental illness, who received support and services from Swedish Municipalities in Blekinge, self-reported occupation, life satisfaction, and physical and psychological health.

Results

Participants who reported having an occupation reported also significantly higher levels of life satisfaction, physical health, and psychological health compared to those without occupation. Nevertheless, these differences were rather small (Eta² < 0.06). Moreover, the indirect effect of having an occupation on life satisfaction through physical and psychological health was significant. Finally, the total indirect effect of physical and psychological health (i.e., psychophysiological health) accounted for 53% of the total effect of having an occupation on life satisfaction.

Conclusion

For individuals with mental illness there seems to be an almost equal importance of indirect and direct effects of having an occupation on their levels of life satisfaction. More specifically, while there are differences in life satisfaction within this population in relation to having an occupation, having an occupation leads to the sense of good psychophysiological health, which in turn helps individuals with mental illness to feel satisfied with their lives.

Identity, Couple and Intergroup Dynamics in Intercultural Families: Implications on Life Satisfaction of Partners

The current study analyzed how identity, couple, and intergroup dynamics are related to life satisfaction among 210 intercultural partners living in Italy. Three levels of analysis were considered: a micro level, taking into account the identity aspect of each partner in terms of self- or hetero-ethnic identification; a meso level, examining the passion, commitment, and intimacy of the couple sphere of the partners; a macro level investigating the discrimination that partners can perceive by the community as an effect of the relationship between dominant and minority groups. The results show that for both partners, foreign and Italian, the variables that have a predictive value on life satisfaction bring into play the couple and the intergroup dynamics, leaving out the identitary one. Specifically, increased perceived discrimination as a member of a mixed couple leads to decreased life satisfaction by partners. In turn, we can see that a strong intimacy between partners enhances their life satisfaction. These results introduce a reflection on the role of the differences about the ethnic identity, considered erroneously the main cause of dissatisfaction in the mixed couple. The implications of the study are described and suggestions for future research discussed.

Community, Context, and Coping: How Social Connections Influence Coping and Well-Being for Military Members and Their Spouses

Military members and their spouses (n = 223 families) were selected from an Active Duty Army installation and assessed with regard to their connections with the military community, their levels of coping with military culture demands, and their reports of individual (depression and life satisfaction) and family well-being. Guided by the contextual model of family stress and the social organization theory of action and change, results from a structural equation model indicated that military community connections, for both military members and their civilian spouses, were related to coping with the military culture and its demands, which in turn was related to both individual and family well-being. Unique actor and partner effects also emerged where both active duty military members' and their civilian spouses' perceptions of military community connections influenced the civilian spouses' satisfaction with military life, but only the active duty military members' community connections influenced their military-specific coping. Additionally, the associations between military-specific coping and individual and family well-being only had actor effects. When examined within the context of important military culture elements, namely rank and extent of military transitions (deployment and relocation), these core findings linking communities to coping and well-being were unchanged. Implications for theory, future research, and practice are shared.

Exploring the association between quality of homecare services and older adults' well-being

Homecare services play an important role in enabling older adults with chronic illness or functional impairment to continue living in their homes and communities. Previous research on homecare services has not fully explored the potential psychological benefits of homecare services. This study investigates the association between quality of homecare services and psychological well-being by analyzing two surveys. The results showed that the association between well-being and the quality of homecare services was mediated by satisfaction with health (z = 4.36, p = .000), satisfaction with family life (z = 4.96, p = .000) and satisfaction with friendship (z = 3.56, p = .000). The top three most important life domains, health, family life, and friendships, combined fully mediated the association between well-being and the quality of homecare services. These findings suggest that quality homecare services could enhance clients' well-being in the areas of family life and friendships beyond health.

Self-esteem, self-efficacy, and optimism as psychological resources among caregivers of people with dementia: findings from the IDEAL study

OBJECTIVES

Being a family caregiver, and in particular giving care to someone with dementia, impacts mental and physical health and potentially reduces the ability of caregivers to "live well." This paper examines whether three key psychological resources-self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem-are associated with better outcomes for caregivers of people with dementia.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

Caregivers of 1,283 people with mild-to-moderate dementia in the Improving the Experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) project responded to measures of self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem, and "living well" (quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being). Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the association between psychological resources and "living well".

RESULTS

Self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem were all independently associated with better capability to "live well" for caregivers. This association persisted when accounting for a number of potential confounding variables (age group, sex, and hours of caregiving per day).

CONCLUSIONS

Low self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem might present a risk of poor outcomes for caregivers of people with dementia. These findings encourage us to consider how new or established interventions might increase the psychological resilience of caregivers.

High Life Satisfaction: Exploring the Role of Health, Social Integration and Perceived Safety among Mexican Midlife and Older Adults

We sought to investigate the relationship of high life satisfaction with important physical health, mental health, social integration and perceived safety factors among midlife and older Mexican adults. We examined 2,200 midlife and older adults (aged 50-101 years) from the Mexican arm of the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) and used binary logistic regression models to identify key factors associated with high LSA. Our final logistic regression model revealed self-rated health, affect, interpersonal activities and perceived safety on street to be significantly associated with high life satisfaction. Results from this study add to the nascent literature on subjective well-being of midlife and older Mexicans. Although social work with older adults is not well established in Mexico, researchers and practitioners should collaborate on the development and implementation of social worker-led strategies for prevention and intervention to enhance well-being among midlife and older Mexicans.

Retirement and Unexpected Health Shocks

Is retirement good for your health? We complement previous studies by exploring the effect of retirement on unexpected health evolution. Using panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey (2001-2014), we construct measures of the mismatch between individual expected and actual health evolution (hereafter "health shocks"). In our approach, reverse causation running from health shocks to retirement is highly unlikely, because we look at shocks that happen after retirement, and those shocks are, by definition, unanticipated. We find that retirement decreases the probability of negative shocks (by approximately 16% to 24% for men and 14% to 23% for women) while increasing the likelihood of positive shocks (by 9% to 14% for men and 10% to 13% for women). This result is robust to the use of different lead-lag structures and of alternative measures of health change. Our findings are thus consistent with a positive impact of retirement on health.

The social complexities of disability: Discrimination, belonging and life satisfaction among Canadian youth

Although disability has been on the psychological agenda for some time, there is limited empirical evidence on the life satisfaction of youth with a disability, especially the effect of discrimination and factors that might mitigate it. We address this critical gap by examining the complex social experiences of youth with a disability and the culminating effect on life satisfaction. We ask three questions: (1) Is having a disability associated with lower life satisfaction? (2) Do youth with a disability experience discrimination and, if so, how does this affect life satisfaction? (3) Can a sense of belonging mitigate the negative effect of discrimination? We address these questions using microdata from the Canadian Community Health Survey, which is nationally representative. Our sample consists of 11,997 adolescents, of whom 2193 have a disability. We find that life satisfaction is lower among youth with a disability. Moreover, many experience disability-related discrimination, which has a negative effect on life satisfaction. However, this is mitigated by a sense of belonging to the community. Specifically, youth with a disability do not report lower life satisfaction when high belonging is present, even if they experience discrimination. This is true for boys and girls. We conclude that belonging, even if it is not disability-related, is protective of well-being. This has important implications for policy whereby organizations that cultivate a sense of belonging may alleviate the harm sustained by youth who experience discrimination as a result of their disability.

Examining the Effectiveness of Group Positive Parenting Training on Increasing Hope and Life Satisfaction in Mothers of Children with Autism

Objective: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders are exposed to mental distress because of having a disabled child more than parents with children with other psychological disorders, and their children's disorder has a negative effect on their hope and life satisfaction. The present study aimed to examining the effectiveness of group positive parenting training on increasing hope and life satisfaction in mothers of children with autism. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, and control and experimental groups. Mothers with autistic children (6-15 years) in Rasht consisted the statistical population of the study. All the children had a medical record and autism diagnosis based on DSM-IV-TR by a psychiatrist. Hope Questionnaires by Snyder and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire by Diener were implemented. Participants of the experimental group received positive parenting training for 8 sessions, and participants of the control group were put in the state of waiting. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (univariate and multivariate covariance analysis) were used for data analysis. Results: In this study, 27 mothers of children with autism were examined. The mean and standard deviation of the age of mothers in the experimental group was 36.14± 2.47 years and it was 37± 3.62 years for mothers in the control group. The results of univariate covariance analysis revealed a significant difference between the scores of pretest and posttest of the experimental and control groups in life satisfaction (Sum of square = 16.558, F = 13.534, DF = 1, P = 0.002, 〖=ƞ〗^2 = 0.361). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that using group positive parenting training can have a positive effect on dimensions of hope and life satisfaction in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Suicidal Ideation, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, And Life Satisfaction Of Medical, Engineering, And Social Sciences Students

BACKGROUND

Pursuing higher education is not an easy task as it requires hard work, dedication, and motivation. Although there are many rewards involved in growing up academically, nevertheless, it contains a few hazards too. For instance, suicidal ideation is associated with presence of depression, anxiety, and stress with low level of satisfaction with life in students finding difficulty in handling educational demands of higher education. Therefore, the present study focused on the query that whether there is any difference or not among medical, engineering, and social sciences students of city of Karachi, Pakistan in the level of suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction.

METHODS

Using comparative group design, total 300 students (150 males and 150 females) with age range of 19-26 were selected from faculties of medical, engineering, and social sciences of different universities of Karachi, Pakistan, through purposive sampling. Respondent Profile Form, The Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered to assess suicidal ideation; depression, anxiety, stress; and life satisfaction, respectively, of the students. Scores were analysed through ANOVA and Post Hoc (Tukey's HSD) test using SPSS.

RESULTS

Social sciences and engineering students were significantly higher on depression, anxiety, and stress than medical students [F (2, 297) =8.701, p=.000] whereas insignificant differences in the level of suicidal ideation [F (2, 297) =1.914, p=.149] and life satisfaction [F (2, 297) = .726, p = .485] among these students were found.

CONCLUSIONS

With the help of these findings, it would be easier to counsel students of different disciplines in time on the lines of suggested preventive measures.

The association of socioeconomic status of family and living region with self-rated health and life satisfaction in children and adolescents: The CASPIAN-IV study

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of health inequality in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of SES of family and living region with self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS) among children and adolescents. Methods: This study was a part of the fourth survey of a national surveillance program, which was conducted in 30 provinces of Iran in 2011-2012. LS and SRH were assessed by a questionnaire based on the World Health Organization-Global School-based student Health Survey (WHO-GSHS). Family SES was estimated using principal component analysis (PCA) and based on family assets, parental education and occupation, and type of school. Region SES was calculated using PCA and some variables including literacy rate, family assets and employment rate. Results: Out of 14,880 invited students, 13,486 (participation rate: 90.6%) completed the survey; of whom, 49.2% were girls, and 75.6% were from urban areas with the mean ± SD age of 12.47±3.36 years. In the multivariate model, SES of family and living region was associated with LS and good SRH. In the full models, in addition to all potential confounders, family and living region SES were included simultaneously. However, only the association of family SES with LS, and good SRH remained statistically significant. Conclusion: The effect of families' SES on SRH and LS is more important than regional SES. The presented patterns of SRH and LS may be useful in developing better health policies and conducting complementary studies in this field.

Maintaining Perceived Control with Unemployment Facilitates Future Adjustment

Unemployment is a major challenge to individuals' development. An important personal resource to ameliorate the negative impact of unemployment may be perceived control, a general-purpose belief system. Little is known, however, about how perceived control itself changes with the experience of unemployment and what the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of such change in perceived control are in different ages. We use data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (N = 413 who experienced unemployment and N = 413 case-matched controls; time period of data collection: 1994 - 1996) to examine whether perceived control changes with unemployment, explore the role of socio-demographic, psychosocial and health factors in moderating such change, and investigate whether levels of perceived control prior to unemployment and unemployment-related change in perceived control predict unemployment-related outcomes up to five years following. Results indicated that, on average, perceived control remained relatively stable with unemployment, and that younger and older workers did not differ in this regard. However, there were sizeable individual differences in change in perceived control, with women and those with fewer years of education experiencing greater unemployment-related declines in perceived control. Lower levels of perceived control prior to unemployment and steeper unemployment-related decrements in perceived control were each associated with a higher risk of remaining unemployed in the 12 months immediately following unemployment. Steeper unemployment-related declines in perceived control also predicted lower life satisfaction up to five years following. We discuss possible pathways by which perceived control may facilitate adjustment to unemployment, consider the role of perceived control for better understanding the dynamics of unemployment, and suggest routes for further more process-oriented inquiry.

Dyadic Aspects of Sexual Well-Being in Men with Laser-Treated Penile Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Coping with cancer, its treatment and recovery are dyadic processes within a relationship. Sexual dysfunctions and problems of penile cancer may add to the demands of coping.

AIM

The prospective study aimed to describe the dyadic aspects of sexual well-being and life satisfaction before and 1 year after organ-sparing laser treatment of penile carcinoma.

METHODS

A consecutive series of 29 patients with penile carcinoma suitable for laser treatment were included together with their partners, median age 60 (37-73) years and 57 (30-72) years, respectively. Median length of relationship was 29 years (1-54 years). The participants completed structured interviews before treatment, at 6 months' and 12 months' follow-up. The interview addressed sexual activities, sexual functions, verbal (sexual) communication, and life satisfaction.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Three well-validated instruments were included: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, International Index of Erectile Function-5, and Life Satisfaction checklist, LiSat-11. The interviews contained the same questions for patients and partners at all three measuring points.

RESULTS

There was a high level of within-couple agreement on sexual activities, sexual function, and life satisfaction before and after organ-sparring treatment. No significant differences between interview data at 6 and 12 months' follow-up occurred. Before treatment, sexual dysfunctions were common among men, especially decreased sexual interest and dyspareunia. At follow-up, increased sexual function was found, with the exception of erectile function and women's orgasm. A rather high proportion was being unsatisfactory sexually inactive. Few had an ongoing verbal (sexual) mutual communication. Couples with an active sexual life at follow-up showed coherence in high satisfaction with life as a whole.

CONCLUSION

A high level of within-couple agreement concerning sexuality and life satisfaction points to the necessity of including an adequate sexological case history, counseling, and treatment for this group of patients and their partners.

Subjective Well-being of Older African Americans with DSM IV Psychiatric Disorders

This study examined demographic and mental health correlates of subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, happiness) using a national sample of older African Americans with psychiatric disorders. We used a subsample of 185 African Americans, 55 and older with at least one of thirteen lifetime psychiatric disorders from The National Survey of American Life: Coping with Stress in the 21st Century (NSAL). The findings indicated that among this population of older adults who had a lifetime psychiatric disorder, having a lifetime suicidal ideation was associated with life satisfaction but not happiness. Further, having a 12-month anxiety disorder or a lifetime suicidal ideation was not associated with happiness. Having a 12-month mood disorder, however, was negatively associated with an individual's level of happiness, as well as their life satisfaction. Additionally, there were two significant interactions. Among men, employment was positively associated with life satisfaction, and marriage was associated with higher levels of happiness among men but not women. The overall pattern of findings reflects both similarities and departures from prior research confirming that well-being evaluations are associated with multiple factors.

Age distribution curve in psychiatric admissions inversely correlates with Life Satisfaction

A strong inverse correlation was found between the age-distribution curve of psychiatric admissions and the U-bend Life Satisfaction curve. It may indicate that the peak of mental disorders at midlife reflects a less satisfactory period of life or, conversely, that the mental health load burdens of Life Satisfaction.

Effects of three different testosterone formulations in female-to-male transsexual persons

INTRODUCTION

Gender dysphoria is characterized by a strong discomfort with the gender assigned at birth and the urge to live as a member of the opposite gender. The acquisition of phenotypic features of the desired gender requires the use of cross-sex hormones. Female-to-male (FtM) transsexual persons are treated with testosterone to induce virilization.

AIM

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of three different testosterone formulations on body weight and composition and metabolic and bone parameters.

METHODS

Forty-five FtM transsexuals were randomly assigned to receive testoviron depot (i.m.: 100 mg/10 days; n = 15), testosterone gel (50 mg/die; n = 15), and testosterone undecanoate (i.m.: 1,000 mg every 6 weeks for the first 6 weeks and then every 12 weeks, n = 15). FtM individuals were studied before, at week 30, and at week 54 of testosterone treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Anthropometric, metabolic, bone, hematological, and biochemical parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 12 months of treatment.

RESULTS

Lean body mass significantly increased and fat mass decreased in all groups. No modifications were reported in fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity index. High-density plasma lipoprotein levels declined significantly and low-density lipoprotein concentrations increased significantly in the three groups. The activated partial thromboplastin time and factor I did not change while prothrombin time significantly increased in all groups. At week 54, all subjects were amenorrheic and time to amenorrhea did not differ between the three groups. Current general life satisfaction was increased in all subjects after 1 year of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

One-year testosterone administration in FtM transsexuals appears to be very safe with no differences among the testosterone formulations used. Our study is preliminary, and the detection of subtle or long-term differences in the effects of the three formulations may require further larger and longer term studies in this and other populations.

Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being amongst Institutionalized Elderly in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

In Pakistan, the issue of institutionalized elderly is a neglected area and little is known about their subjective conditions. The present study was conducted in 2012 which examined the relationship between religiosity and subjective well being amongst institutionalized elderly people.

METHODS

Data was collected from 100 adults above the age of 60 years in Lahore,Pakistan, through purposive sampling strategy. Religiosity was measured through Religiosity Index, while Trait Well Being Inventory was used to assess subjective well being.

RESULTS

Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used for the analysis of the data, which revealed that religiosity has a significant positive relationship with life satisfaction. However, no association was found between religiosity and mood level. Moreover, regression analysis indicated that religiosity positively predicted life satisfaction among elderly.

CONCLUSION

The current research would create awareness and urge the policy makers to look into this social issue and provide better long term care to the residents of old homes.