Positive life experiences and mortality: Examination of psychobiological pathways

INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE

Positive life experiences are potentially-rewarding events and behaviors, such as social and romantic interactions, experiences of relaxation and physical comfort, time spent in nature, and other leisure activities. To date, there is limited evidence linking positive life experiences to long-term health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

The current study used data from N = 1243 participants in the Midlife Development in the US Study Biomarker Project to examine whether greater frequency of a range of different positive experiences and greater level of enjoyment of these experiences was linked to survival over a 12- to-16-year period in Cox proportional hazards models. The potential mediating roles of positive affect, depression, perceived stress, and an allostatic load index of physiological dysregulation in these associations were also examined.

RESULTS

Greater frequency of positive experiences and greater enjoyment of positive experiences were both associated with a reduced hazard of mortality over the 12- to 16-year period. Models assessing a single mediator showed that both associations were mediated by decreased depression and decreased perceived stress, but not by positive affect or allostatic load. In supplementary multi-mediation models, depression was the only significant mediator of the frequency-survival and enjoyment-survival associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive life experiences may confer long-term survival benefits, partially through lessening depressive symptomatology.

Perceived self-efficacy by Under-10 tennis players when scaling the equipment and play area

The modification of child-sports aims to develop an optimal learning environment that facilitates the emergence of desirable psychological outcomes (e.g., self-efficacy). The aim of the study was to assess the effect of reducing net height and court size on self-efficacy and shot-efficacy of U-10 tennis players in a real-game context. Twenty U-10 tennis players (M = 9.46, SD = 0.66 years of age; M = 3.65, SD = 1.53 years of tennis experience) played two round-robin tournaments one week apart in the same order and schedule. The first tournament was played under the International Tennis Federation's Tennis 10s regulation at green stage (GT). Afterwards, the modified tournament (MT) was played with the same regulation GT, however, net height (0.91 m-0.80 m) and court size (23.77 m × 8.23 m-18.00 m × 8.23 m) were reduced. Results accomplished using Bayesian and Frequentist inferences showed an increase in players' self-efficacy when serving in MT than GT (BF10 = 4.796; δ = -0.576; and p = .011). This is increase may be due to a reduction in their serving faults in MT (BF10 = 6.169; δ = -0.591; and p = .010). Therefore, reducing net height and court size enhances the serve performance and self-efficacy and thus promotes positive tennis experiences.

The role of positive childhood experiences in the link between childhood maltreatment and affective lability in a sample of incarcerated men and women

BACKGROUND

Individuals with a history of child maltreatment (CM) tend to show high affective lability (AL) and criminal behavior. However, positive childhood experiences (PCEs) may act as a protective factor even in the presence of child maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between CM, PCEs, and AL in adulthood, identify the predictors of AL and analyze the moderating role of PCEs in the relationship between CM and AL in a sample of 424 incarcerated men (n = 343) and women (n = 81), aged between 18 and 73 years (M = 37.88).

METHODS

Participants responded to an online protocol consisting of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale (BCEs), and the Affective Lability Scale - Short Version (ALS-18).

RESULTS

CM was positively associated with AL and negatively associated with PCEs, and PCEs are negatively associated with AL. Regression analyses, after controlling for age, sex, and education, confirmed the role of PCEs on AL, above and beyond CM. However, moderation analysis showed that PCEs did not moderate the relationship between CM and AL for either men or women.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the complexity of human development and behavior from early childhood into adulthood. Further studies are needed to better understand the role of PCEs in the relationship between ACEs and AL among inmates in order to develop more appropriate prevention and intervention programs.

The effect of adverse and positive experiences on inflammatory markers in Australian and UK children

Background

The relationship between childhood adversity and inflammation is well-established. Examination of positive experiences can provide a more complete understanding of intervention opportunities. We investigated associations of adverse and positive experiences, and their intersection, with inflammation in children and adolescents.

Methods

Data sources: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC; N = 1237) and Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 3488). Exposures: Adverse and positive experiences assessed repeatedly (LSAC: 0-11 years; ALSPAC: 0-15 years). Outcomes: Inflammation quantified by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA) (LSAC: 11-12 years; ALSPAC: 15.5 years). Analyses: Linear regression on the log-transformed outcomes estimated the relative difference in inflammatory markers with adverse/positive experiences, adjusting for socio-demographics and concurrent positive/adverse experiences, respectively.

Results

Most associations were in the expected direction but differed in magnitude by exposure, outcome and cohort. Across both cohorts, adverse experiences were associated with up to 7.3% higher hsCRP (95% CI: -18.6%, 33.2%) and up to 2.0% higher GlycA (95% CI: 0.5%, 3.5%); while positive experiences were associated with up to 22.1% lower hsCRP (95% CI: -49.0%, 4.7%) and 1.3% lower GlycA (95% CI: -2.7%, 0.2%). In LSAC, the beneficial effect of positive experiences on inflammation was more pronounced among those with fewer concurrent adverse experiences.

Conclusion

Across two cohorts, we found small but directionally consistent associations between adverse experiences and higher inflammation, and positive experiences and lower inflammation, particularly for GlycA. Future research should give further consideration to positive experiences to complement the current focus on adversity and inform the design and evaluation of early life interventions.

Critical incidents in anorexia nervosa: perspectives of those with a lived experience

BACKGROUND

Although social-emotional difficulties are believed play a key role in anorexia nervosa (AN), there is uncertainty regarding what these difficulties might look like. Previous research has largely focused on a "disease model" of social-emotional processing in AN with little attention paid to positive emotions and experiences. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to obtain a fuller picture of critical life events as identified by those with lived AN experience.

METHODS

Thirty-four participants aged 16-48 with current or past AN completed an online survey describing self-defined positive and difficult critical events. Thematic analysis was used to assess patterns in participants narrative responses.

RESULTS

Two major themes were identified in the descriptions of positive critical events: Moments of celebration and Unexpected positive outcomes. These major themes revealed increased external focus and some corrective experiences that challenged the participants pre-existing expectations leading to new positive outcomes. Difficult events clustered into life events that were identified as Eating disorder (ED) related and Non-ED related and included the dimensions of relational conflict and feeling unsupported.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that although negative emotionality was identified in the accounts of those with lived experience of AN capacity for "big-picture" thinking with and explicit focus on others was also identified. Moreover, an openness to corrective experiences that worked to challenge negative expectations was evident for some participants. Together these findings have scope as targets for further clinical research and treatment interventions.

Associations between positive and negative social media experiences and sleep disturbance among young adults

OBJECTIVES

We sought to examine the association of positive and negative experiences using social media (SM) and sleep disturbance in a national survey of U.S. young adults.

METHODS

Experiences using SM were assessed with 2 items asking participants about the percentage of time using SM that involved a negative/positive experience that they were personally involved in. Sleep disturbance was assessed using the validated PROMIS 4-item short form. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine associations between positive and negative SM experiences and high sleep disturbance, while controlling for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

Although reporting high levels of negative experiences was significantly associated with greater odds of high sleep disturbance (AOR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.18-1.89), reporting high levels of positive experiences was not associated with sleep disturbance.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that more robust examinations of negative SM experiences-especially as they relate to sleep disturbance-may be warranted.

Trajectories of caregiver burden in families of adult cystic fibrosis patients

ABSTRACTObjectives:Little is known about the experience of family caregivers of adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). This information is important for the identification of caregivers at risk for burden.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal analysis of survey data obtained from caregivers of adult CF patients participating in an early intervention palliative care trial. Caregivers completed the validated Brief Assessment Scale for Caregivers (BASC) repeatedly over a 28-month period. Mixed-effects modeling evaluated multivariate associations with positive and negative caregiver perceptions over time.

RESULTS

Of the 54 caregivers, 47.9% were spouses. The mean age was 50.9 years (SD = 13.2); 72.2% were women; 75.9% were married; and 63.0% were employed. At baseline, the BASC revealed large variations in positive and negative perceptions of caregiving. Although average scores over time were unchanging, variation was greater across caregivers than within caregivers (0.49 vs. 0.27, respectively). At baseline, the positive impact of caregiving in the sample was higher than the negative impact. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients' baseline pulmonary function and their full-time employment status predicted caregiver burden over time.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Caregivers of CF patients varied in their positive and negative caregiving experiences, although burden levels in individual caregivers were stable over time. When the disease was advanced, caregivers of CF patients experienced more overall burden but also more positive impact. This suggests that the role of caregivers may become more meaningful as disease severity worsens. In addition, full-time patient employment was associated with lower caregiver burden regardless of disease severity. This suggests that burden in CF caregivers may be predicted by financial strain or benefits conferred by patient employment. These associations require further investigation to determine whether highly burdened caregivers can be identified and assisted using tailored interventions.