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Theoretically, purpose serves as a basic dimension of healthy psychological functioning and an important protective factor from psychopathology. Theory alone, however, is insufficient to answer critical questions about human behavior and functioning; we require empirical evidence that explores the parameters of purpose with respect to measurement, prediction, and modification. Here, we provide empirically supported insights about how purpose can operate as a beneficial outcome (e.g., marker of well-being), a predictor or mechanism that accounts for benefits that a person derives (such as from an intervention), or a moderator that offers insight into when benefits arise. Advancing the study of purpose requires careful consideration of how purpose is conceptualized, manipulated, and measured across the lifespan. Our aim is to help scientists understand, specify, and conduct high-quality studies of purpose in life. Public Significance Statement: This article reviews and synthesizes what is known about the nature and benefits of human beings possessing and working toward a purpose in life. We detail the various ways that a purpose can serve a person and the specific ways that psychologists and other mental health professionals can study and target this highly desirable psychological resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent American Psychological Association Summit provided an urgent call to transform psychological science and practice away from a solely individual-level focus to become accountable for population-level impact on health and mental health. A population focus ensures the mental health of all children, adolescents, and adults and the elimination of inequities across groups. Science must guide three components of this transformation. First, effective individual-level interventions must be scaled up to the population level using principles from implementation science, investing in novel intervention delivery systems (e.g., online, mobile application, text, interactive voice response, and machine learning-based), harnessing the strength of diverse providers, and forging culturally informed adaptations. Second, policy-driven community-level interventions must be innovated and tested, such as public efforts to promote physical activity, public policies to support families in early life, and regulation of corporal punishment in schools. Third, transformation is needed to create a new system of universal primary care for mental health, based on models such as Family Connects, Triple P, PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience, Communities That Care, and the Early Childhood Collaborative of the Pittsburgh Study. This new system must incorporate valid measurement, universal screening, and a community-based infrastructure for service delivery. Addressing tasks ahead, including scientific creativity and discovery, rigorous evaluation, and community accountability, will lead to a comprehensive strategic plan to shape the emergent field of public mental health. Public Significance Statement: On February 25, 2022, the American Psychological Association's Council of Representatives adopted a resolution to support population health, which led to the Population Health Science Summit held on September 12–13, 2023. This article summarizes key points from the Summit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How adolescents and their parents cope with adolescent stress is relevant for child well-being. (In)congruencies between parent and child perceptions of child stress may be important sources of information for understanding family functioning. However, research assessing the occurrence of stressful events in adolescents' daily lives from the perspective of both adolescents and their parents is lacking, likely because this type of research comes with numerous challenges. Therefore, this pilot study examined the feasibility of two different paradigms, daily diary and the experience sampling method (ESM), for triadic (child–mother–father) assessment of adolescent stress in daily life. Twenty family triads participated either in the diary paradigm (receiving one survey per day) or the ESM paradigm (receiving multiple surveys per day). Results indicated that both paradigms seemed doable to participants in terms of experienced burden, and individual compliance to the paradigms was sufficient. The absolute number of reported stressors was similar across paradigms. In addition, both paradigms captured convergence and divergence in the family members' reports of adolescent stress and between- and within-family differences therein. However, diary participants experienced lower burden and missed relatively less assessments (higher individual and triadic compliance) than ESM participants, suggesting higher data quality. In all, these findings suggest that although both paradigms may be feasible, a diary paradigm may be preferred to capture triadic family reports of adolescent stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental support is crucial in the well-being of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth. Research shows that parents of TGD youth often experience stigma and negative mental health outcomes as a result of being exposed to cissexist settings as they advocate and seek services for their child. Yet, there is a lack of research on the experiences of parents of TGD youth in the United States. This study explores the reported hopes of 990 parents (Mage = 48.6 years; SD = 6.7; 88.1% White; 67.3% heterosexual; 89.4% cisgender women) of TGD youth for their children (youth ages 3–18 years) in the United States. Radical hope framework is applied to unpack narratives of hopes by parents of TGD youth as a critical component of resistance and motivation toward healing from oppression. For this study, the following open-ended question was analyzed using thematic analysis: What is your greatest hope for your child? Four main themes and 11 subthemes of parental hopes emerged: (1) living authentically (freely expressing themselves, developing self-love, living a happy and normal life), (2) interpersonal connections (finding community, building social networks and friendships, developing romantic relationships, building their own family, and loved by others), (3) meeting life milestones (career and employment, achieving goals and dreams, and becoming an advocate), and (4) acceptance by society. We provide clinical recommendations grounded on the tenets of radical hope such as collective ways in which parents of TGD youth can engage in both resisting systemic oppression and building strong loving relationships with their child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment tools for depression and anxiety usually inquire about the frequency of symptoms. However, evidence suggests that different question framings might trigger different responses. Our aim is to test if asking about symptom's context, ability, duration, and botherment adds validity to Patient Health Questionnaire–9, General Anxiety Disorder–7, and Patient-Related Outcome Measurement Information Systems depression and anxiety. Participants came from two cross-sectional convenience-sampled surveys (N = 1,871) of adults (66% females, aged 33.4 ± 13.2), weighted to approximate with the state-level population. We examined measurement invariance across the different question frames, estimated whether framing affected mean scores, and tested their independent validity using covariate-adjusted and sample-weighted structural equation models. Validity was tested using tools assessing general disability, alcohol use, loneliness, well-being, grit, and frequency-based questions from depression and anxiety questionnaires. A bifactor model was applied to test the internal consistency of the question frames under the presence of a general factor (i.e., depression or anxiety). Measurement invariance was supported across the different frames. Framing questions as ability (i.e., "How easily ...") produced a higher score, compared with framing by context (i.e., "In which daily situations ..."). Construct and criterion validity analysis demonstrate that variance explained using multiple question frames was similar to using only one. We detected a strong overarching factor for each instrument, with little variances left to be explained by the question frame. Therefore, it is unlikely that using different adverbial phrasings can help clinicians and researchers to improve their ability to detect depression or anxiety. Public Significance Statement: Levels of depression and anxiety symptoms in patients are often assessed in terms of their frequency in the past weeks ("How often ..."). We found that asking participants about their depression and anxiety symptoms in relation to context, ability, duration, and botherment, instead of frequency alone, does not add information while assessing these symptoms in online assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health care professions are emotionally demanding, requiring special skills in caring and empathy. In the health care field, many professions have been linked to burnout, notably through compassion fatigue. Several studies have attempted to determine what factors influence burnout among health care workers in general; however, few have focused exclusively on psychologists (PSYs) and neuropsychologists (NPSYs). This scoping review aims to better understand the determinants of burnout among PSYs and NPSYs specifically. It also aims to identify which factors allow PSYs and NPSYs to adapt and thrive at work despite the difficulties those professions bring. This research focused on burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being at work. Among the most notable results obtained from 27 scientific studies are as follows: (a) PSYs and NPSYs are generally very satisfied at work despite high burnout rates; (b) individual factors and the work environment impact the mental health of PSYs and NPSYs; (c) self-care behaviors are favorable for job satisfaction, and they also decrease the risk of burnout. In addition, it appears that a feeling of autonomy has an important influence on burnout symptoms, which is consistent with self-determination theory. In sum, this scoping review reveals that factors such as self-compassion, work–life balance, control over work, and administrative tasks can reduce the risk of burnout as well as improve job satisfaction and mental health among PSYs and NPSYs. Public Significance Statement: The results of the present study suggest that self-care is an important variable in both preventing burnout and promoting job satisfaction at work. Given the importance of psychologists' and neuropsychologists' service to the public, it is deemed essential that they take care of their own mental health while caring for others. It is also essential that the work environment allows these professionals to meet their psychological needs in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To obtain a better understanding of the factors which complicate or facilitate the adjustment of caregivers after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in older adults. Research Method: At 4, 8, and 12 months post-TBI (mild to severe), 65 caregivers answered two open-ended questions regarding facilitators and challenges linked to the injury of their loved one. A thematic analysis was performed. Results: Participants mentioned almost as many facilitators as challenges at each time point. Among the facilitators, we found the following themes: receiving social support, having access to rehabilitation, improvement of the injured loved one's health condition, returning to live at home, having access to home services, feeling useful, effective communication, and having time for oneself. The challenges identified were: health issues in the injured loved one, psychological impact on the caregiver, assuming a new role, relationship strain, and decrease in activities and outings. Conclusions: During the first year following TBI in older adults, caregivers were able to identify several facilitators despite the presence of challenging factors, suggesting effective coping and resilience. This knowledge can guide potential caregivers in their adaptation after TBI in an older adult, and we propose a simple tool to support this process. Impact and Implications: Caregivers should be supported in their adjustment to challenges brought about by brain injury in older age. Caregivers can leverage several facilitators, namely using or finding social support, accessing rehabilitation and home support services, and communicating effectively with their injured loved one. We propose a concrete tool (for professionals or families) to allow the examination of both challenges and facilitators and to explore solutions in order to facilitate caregivers' adjustment. This tool could be used at different time points postinjury to support their adjustment and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Research has examined peer mentorship to understand how it may help people with spinal cord injury (SCI) adapt and thrive. We still lack an in-depth understanding of the perspectives of SCI peer mentors and mentees on their dyadic relationship. This study was to explore the dyadic interactions and relationships between SCI peer mentors and mentees in a peer mentorship program delivered at a rehabilitation center. Research Method: Between 2016 and 2017, we recruited two dyads of peer mentor and mentee with SCI (N = 4). Each participant completed three one-on-one interviews (N = 12). Data were analyzed using a creative nonfiction approach. Results: Three unique dialogical stories were developed. Story 1 (A slow and steady start) described how mentors took a mentee-centered approach in building the relationship. Story 2 (Mentorship and friendship: negotiating the "grey zone") highlighted how mentees and mentors experienced challenges in navigating the boundaries between mentorship and friendship. Story 3 (The "endless" job for mentor) showcased how the relationship could enter a phase in which it could affect mentors' well-being. Conclusions: The stories highlighted important attributes to the relationships between SCI mentors and mentees. Considerations were suggested for community-based SCI organizations to integrate peer mentorship into rehabilitation settings, including optimizing mentorship introductions and matching, defining mentors' role explicitly, and building support systems for mentors. Impact and Implications: The creative nonfiction stories in this study provided insights into some of the nuances of SCI peer mentorship relationships that are only broadly mentioned in past studies, including mentorship introduction, friendship–mentorship boundaries, and burdens on mentors. To develop and/or optimize SCI peer mentorship programs within rehabilitation, community-based organizations and rehabilitation institutions can consider an informal approach to facilitate mentor–mentee connections, while clearly defining roles and responsibilities for mentors. Because mentors may maintain contacts with mentees beyond rehabilitation settings, organizers of peer mentorship programs need to build support systems to ensure mentors can manage the extra demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: Individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) are at increased risk for experiencing loneliness and social isolation. The aim is to describe facilitators identified by individuals living with SCI/D to alleviate loneliness and perceived social isolation. Research Method/Design: Descriptive qualitative design using in-depth interviews with veterans with SCI/D (n = 23). Descriptive statistics was used to calculate demographic and injury characteristics. Audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim transcripts were coded and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six thematic analysis phases. Results: Participants were male (70%), white (78%), and not currently married (35%), with an average age of 66 years (42–88). Participants had paraplegia (61%), with traumatic etiology (65%) and were injured 14 years (1–45) on average. Eight themes were identified by participants living with SCI/D that described facilitators to alleviate loneliness and perceived social isolation. (a) Engage in/pursue interests; (b) Interact with/spend time with others; (c) Embrace acceptance; (d) Take part in reciprocity; (e) Find a purpose/accomplish goals; (f) Get out of residence, get outside; (g) Connect with SCI/D community/SCI/D peers; and (h) Seek help from (mental) healthcare professionals. Conclusions/Implications: Individuals with SCI/D identified facilitators to alleviate loneliness that encompasses changes in ways of thinking, actions to expand participation in life, and efforts focused on involving others. Findings can be used to guide healthcare delivery and develop interventions to target feelings of loneliness and social isolation in persons with SCI/D, which may be particularly impactful if they involve reciprocal interactions with peers with SCI/D. Impact and Implications: Due to the many consequential health impacts, loneliness and social isolation have been deemed an epidemic. Individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) are at increased risk for feelings of loneliness and social isolation because of barriers they face after injury, such as mobility issues and smaller social networks. Efforts are needed to help individuals with SCI/D manage loneliness/isolation; the current study findings offer actionable facilitators that can be used in rehabilitation settings. Individuals with lived experiences provide a rich source for understanding multiple strategies that can be used to address psychosocial outcomes. Individuals with SCI/D offered personal insights on ways to alleviate feelings of loneliness and social isolation, which are directly applicable to guide patient-centered treatment planning. Lack of published interventions to reduce loneliness/isolation among persons with SCI/D makes these findings an invaluable source of information to develop novel interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study used the behavior change wheel to identify the priority behavioral factors for a tailored intervention to support (re-)engagement in sexual activity following a spinal cord injury (SCI). Research Method/Design: Forty-eight semistructured interviews were conducted with participants from three outpatient/carer/clinician populations in the United Kingdom: people living with SCI, their partners/spouses, and healthcare professionals working in SCI rehabilitation. To identify potential strategies to facilitate (re-)engagement in sexual activity, the behavior change wheel (BCW) and behavior change technique taxonomy Version 1 were applied to code behavior change techniques (BCTs) present in interview transcripts. Results: Six intervention functions, three policy categories, and 21 BCTs were identified as primary targets for interventions to support sexual (re-)engagement post-SCI. Increasing physical-related skills and training would promote physical capability, while sex-related knowledge and the understanding of sex-related health consequences would elevate psychological capability. A supportive healthcare team, alongside peer support and targeted environmental resources about sexual activity/well-being facilitate physical and social opportunities for sex. Motivation to (re-)engage in sexual activity comprised goal-driven reflective motivation to enhance beliefs about capabilities, and automatic motivation via emotional support and reward-based reinforcement. Conclusions: This study outlines the key BCW and theoretically-derived intervention targets which now provide the foundation for innovative future interventions in SCI and sexual activity. Targeting these highly specific BCTs increases the likelihood that sexual satisfaction can become universally accessible after SCI. Impact and Implications: Results of this study demonstrated the significant strength of combining the capability, opportunity, motivation for behavior model and behavior change technique taxonomy in order to offer a practical and structured framework for formulating sexual activity interventions. The priority domains of the behavior change wheel were physical and psychological capability, physical and social opportunity, reflective and automatic motivation. Future interventions for sexual (re-)engagement post-spinal cord injury (SCI) must first target these domains. Theoretically informed interventions optimize the implementation and acceptability of sexual well-being and sexual satisfaction interventions for people with SCI, their partners, and the healthcare professionals delivering the intervention. Twenty-one key behavior change techniques (BCTs) were identified, specifically pertaining to sexual well-being and sexual satisfaction after SCI: Without including all of these BCTs, future interventions risk weaker psychosocial and behavioral outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has established that parents who are in a relationship, yet unmarried at the time of their child's birth, are at an increased risk of relationship instability. However, the processes that may lead to the dissolution of these unmarried parents' couple relationships are less clear. Guided by the vulnerability–stress–adaptation model, the present study examined data from a sample of 1,575 mother and father dyads who participated in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study over a 9-year period. A mixed effects Cox regression model was used to investigate how unmarried parents' reports of enduring vulnerability (depressive symptoms) over time influenced the onset of relationship dissolution between the time their focal child was 1- and 9-years old. Further, the potential mediating effect of mothers' and fathers' reports of stressful events (parenting stress) and adaptive processes (couple relationship interactions and coparenting behaviors) on the association between depressive symptoms and relationship dissolution by the 9-year follow-up were also examined. Results indicated that mothers' and fathers' reports of experiencing depressive symptoms over time were associated with relationship dissolution. Further, perceptions of couple interactions emerged as a significant mediator at the 3- (mothers) and 5- (mothers and fathers) year follow-up. Coparenting behaviors were a significant mediator for mothers and fathers at the 3- and 5-year follow-up. These results highlight how experiencing depressive symptoms over time, as well as perceptions of couple interactions and coparenting behaviors throughout the early years of parenting, are salient factors in the instability of unmarried parents' relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion regulation is important for psychological health and can be achieved by implementing various strategies. How one regulates emotions is critical for maximizing psychological health. Few studies, however, tested the psychological correlates of different emotion regulation strategies across multiple cultures. In a preregistered cross-cultural study (N = 3,960, 19 countries), conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, we assessed associations between the use of seven emotion regulation strategies (situation selection, distraction, rumination, cognitive reappraisal, acceptance, expressive suppression, and emotional support seeking) and four indices of psychological health (life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and loneliness). Model comparisons based on Bayesian information criteria provided support for cultural differences in 36% of associations, with very strong support for differences in 18% of associations. Strategies that were linked to worse psychological health in individualist countries (e.g., rumination, expressive suppression) were unrelated or linked to better psychological health in collectivist countries. Cultural differences in associations with psychological health were most prominent for expressive suppression and rumination and also found for distraction and acceptance. In addition, we found evidence for cultural similarities in 46% of associations between strategies and psychological health, but none of this evidence was very strong. Cultural similarities were most prominent in associations of psychological health with emotional support seeking. These findings highlight the importance of considering the cultural context to understand how individuals from diverse backgrounds manage unpleasant emotions. Public Significance Statement: This study assessed links between multiple emotion regulation strategies and indices of psychological health in diverse countries around the world as people coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these links were similar across countries, but some were different, such that strategies that were positively related to psychological health in some countries were unrelated or negatively related to psychological health in other countries. These findings highlight the importance of a culturally sensitive approach to emotion regulation and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we introduce a special issue on initiatives to train and educate antiracist psychologists. These 10 articles are timely and important in the current sociopolitical climate. We provide an overview of the articles and conclude with recommendations for next steps in training psychologists who seek to promote collective well-being by critically examining oppressive structures that uphold racism and actively addressing barriers and inequities that have adversely impacted people of color in America. Public Significance Statement: Racism in America is a lethal threat to psychological well-being. This article introduces a special issue that is focused on efforts to train psychologists to be antiracists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article reviews the scholarship and policy landscape about the state of child and youth well-being, as well as the scope of health/mental health and education inequities and the factors driving them. The research and policy literature are reviewed to provide exemplars of innovation in science, practice, prevention, policy, and public education that can advance progress and support optimism. Several guiding principles emerge that provide a foundation for improving well-being and equity for the next generation. Public Policy Relevance Statement: Children and youth are facing unprecedented challenges and worsening inequities across vulnerable groups in health, mental health, and education. Progress to advance social justice requires innovation in science, practice, prevention, policy, and public education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trans young adults of color experience systemic harm that contributes to negative health outcomes and hinders their ability to live freely. The present study used a grounded theory qualitative methodology rooted in a critical–ideological paradigm to understand the intersections of racial and gender oppression. Trans young adults of color from across the United States (N = 15; ages 20–29; majority racial identities: Asian, Black, and multiracial; majority gender identities: nonbinary and transmasculine) participated in a semistructured interview. Analyses identified a six-category empirical framework explaining major dimensions and processes of intersectional experiences of trans people of color. The core category, Reclaiming Creativity, reflected how trans communities of color use creativity to build their identities and communities beyond intersectional oppressive societal norms and imagine a better, more liberated world. The remaining five categories were Creating and Recreating Identity, Experiencing Discrimination and Its Impacts on Wellness, Surviving Oppression and Compromising Authentic Self, Embracing Identity Strengths, and Finding Liberation. They provided insights into the role of creativity within the intersectional experiences of trans young adults of color. In doing so, they provided directions to address structural injustice, pursue liberation, and allow creativity to flourish. Public Significance Statement: Interviews with a diverse sample of young adults found that trans people of color have complex experiences navigating the overlap of social stigma and harm from transphobia and racism. Participants used creativity to construct their identities, survive oppression, and create strength and joy. Particularly in the context of antitrans legislative attacks across the United States, these experiences should be recognized and honored by efforts to address structural injustice and inequity, promote rights and dignity, and create environments where the creativity of trans people of color can thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumination is an established transdiagnostic factor in mental illness, but there remains a significant gap in understanding the subjective experiences of those affected by it. This study explored the lived experiences of depressive rumination in early adulthood, a population notably susceptible to its effects. We interviewed 20 participants aged between 18 and 35 years using a semistructured approach and generated five distinct but interconnected themes using reflective thematic analysis. The first theme delved into recurrent narratives of past traumas and unresolved pain, with participants unable to move on from their past. The second theme illustrated how participants, due to real or perceived pressure, often equated their self-worth with their ability to meet expectations, leading to a distorted self-view and diminished self-esteem. The third theme captured the relentless pursuit of mental peace, with tranquility remaining ever elusive despite the frequent use of distraction. The fourth theme highlighted the profound isolation stemming from internalized mental health stigma, with participants grappling with fears of being perceived as burdensome and facing rejection from their close ones. Finally, the fifth theme underscored the far-reaching and interconnected repercussions of rumination on mental, emotional, and physical health and individuals' ability to achieve their life goals. These findings emphasize the intertwined nature of psychological, physiological, and social risk factors for the development and maintenance of rumination, advocating for a holistic treatment approach to rumination and paving the way for more timely, tailored care. Public Significance Statement: Our study highlights the complex sources and manifestations of harmful, repetitive negative thinking in early adults. We focus on the maladaptive processing of events, the impact of social expectations and stigma, problems with rest, and how these issues affect overall health. We propose a framework to identify and evaluate these issues early, focusing on prevention and care that is tailored to each person over circumscribed, reactive treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research has overwhelmingly demonstrated the negative consequences of perceived racial–ethnic discrimination on children's and youth's well-being and academic outcomes, context- and perpetrator-specific discrimination experiences are rarely disaggregated. Racial–ethnic discrimination in the school environment is common, and the perpetrators are often teachers who may treat racial–ethnic minority students unfairly. This work used a three-level multilevel approach to meta-analytically synthesize existing evidence with the aim to (a) document the links between perceived teacher-based racial–ethnic discrimination (TBRED) and students' psychological, behavioral, and physical well-being, substance use, grade point average and school motivation, and (b) to examine whether these associations differ by sample and study characteristics. Based on 68 studies and 259 effect size estimates, we found that perceived TBRED is linked to lower well-being (r = −.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−.18, −.12]), higher substance use (r =.13, 95% CI [.06,.20]), and lower academic performance (r = −.16, 95% CI [−.20, −.13]) with substantial heterogeneity across effect sizes. Similarly, TBRED had small-to-medium negative associations within each domain of well-being and academics. The results were partially moderated by school racial–ethnic composition, suggestive of a protective function of a higher concentration of racial–ethnic minority students. In addition, more reliable scales and a greater number of items measuring TBRED were associated with stronger negative correlations with well-being. These findings highlight the importance of increasing awareness around issues of racism and discrimination in initial teacher training and professional development. We encourage further exploration of effect size heterogeneity and call for research on TBRED outside the United States. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: This meta-analysis of 68 studies found that perceiving teacher-based racial–ethnic discrimination (TBRED) is detrimental to both students' well-being and academic outcomes to similar degrees. These findings demonstrate that teachers bear responsibility for the well-known discrimination-to-adjustment link and that the negative impact of TBRED is not limited to the academic domain but extends to well-being. The results imply that there is a dire need for changes in teacher training and professional development that not only educate teachers on what to teach their students (i.e., subject content) but also on how to teach in increasingly diverse schools in equitable and culturally responsive (i.e., nondiscriminatory) ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas grandiose narcissism has generally been found to be related to adaptive affective experiences (i.e., positive affective states), many theoretical conceptualizations have emphasized its associations with characteristics of low affective well-being (i.e., unstable, highly variable affective states). Empirical research on the association of grandiose narcissism with the mean level of and variability in affective states has been inconclusive, as studies have differed considerably in their conceptualizations and measurement of narcissism and affect dynamics and have suffered from methodological limitations. Here, we offer conceptual explanations for previously inconsistent findings, derive diverging hypotheses about different aspects of narcissism and affective well-being, and investigate these hypotheses in two daily diary and three experience-sampling data sets (overall N = 2,125; total measurements = 116,336). As hypothesized, we found diverging associations between agentic and antagonistic aspects of narcissism with affect levels: Whereas narcissistic admiration was related to more pleasant affective states, narcissistic rivalry was related to less pleasant ones. We also obtained some support for diverging effects of admiration and rivalry on affect variability. However, these associations were largely reduced when we corrected for (squared) mean levels of affective valence and arousal. In combination, these findings suggest that only the agentic aspect of grandiose narcissism is conducive to affective well-being, whereas its antagonistic aspect negatively influences affective well-being. Moreover, the assumed associations of grandiose narcissism with volatile affectivity seem to rely heavily on mean-level effects and primarily manifest in experiences of more diverse affective states rather than stronger or more frequent affective fluctuations in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In achievement contexts like end-of-semester exam preparation, students experience a variety of positive and negative achievement emotions, and their regulation is crucial. Despite its relevance, the interplay between, and dynamics of, emotions and their regulation is still little understood, particularly as prior research primarily relied on between-person research. In the present study, we use a situated assessment approach and a novel statistical approach, dynamic network modeling, to simultaneously analyze between-person associations, contemporaneous within-person associations as well as temporal lagged within-person associations and stability of achievement emotions and emotion regulation strategies in multivariate models. We used a total of 6,915 assessments of 201 German undergraduate students on six emotions (joy, pride, hope, satisfaction, anxiety, anger, and boredom) and eight emotion regulation strategies (activation, social support, positive refocusing, rumination, reappraisal, suppression, expression, taking action) during exam preparation in two assessment waves (5 weeks prior, and 1 week before important exams). The results uncovered distinct communities of emotions and emotion regulation strategies, wherein taking action and reappraisal held a particularly central position in explaining their linkages. We found evidence for effects from emotions on the use of emotion regulation strategies, and vice versa, and identified self-enforcing loops and carryover effects. We also observed differences in the stability of the assessed constructs over time, and between the week before the exam and 5 weeks before, that emphasize the consideration of not only person and situation-specific components, but also the respective context at hand, to which end dynamic network analyses emerge as a promising research avenue. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: This study sheds light on how students navigate their emotions during exam preparation and underscores the critical role of effective emotion regulation. By examining real-time emotional experiences and regulation strategies, we uncovered distinct communities of emotions and emotion regulation strategies, with "taking action" (i.e., actively acting to improve the situation) and "reappraisal" (i.e., changing the way one thinks about a situation) emerging as particularly central strategies. Following up on these networks of emotions and regulation strategies can pave the way for the development of personalized emotion regulation skills, enhancing students' overall exam preparation and academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Everyday well-being appraisals are judgments about the goodness of recent daily life events. These appraisals are expected to be distinct from other types of well-being involving traits, affect, and psychological distress and expected to be uniquely important for understanding health behavior such as exercise, diet, and treatment adherence for people with medical conditions. To develop and test a new Everyday Wellbeing Appraisal Scale, two studies were conducted in which a total of 718 people with hypertension completed online questionnaires. In Study 1, to achieve maximum validity with the fewest number of items, an empirical analysis was used to select a set of six items with high discrimination that incorporated multiple types of response-option formats. In Study 2, the scale's unidimensional factor structure and high discrimination were confirmed, and the new scale outperformed several existing types of well-being scales in its ability to explain unique variance in health behavior criterion variables. Specifically, it explained unique variance in health behavior after controlling for a widely used measure assessing trait-level reflections of well-being, as well as measures of positive affect and two types of psychological distress. Also, when compared to the trait-level measure of well-being, the new scale demonstrated less overlap with affect and psychological distress. These results suggest that this brief, new scale is valuable for assessing a distinct construct that is especially salient for understanding health behavior. Public Significance Statement: A new scale comprised six questions was developed to assess everyday well-being appraisals, which are judgments about the goodness of daily life experiences. These daily judgments are different from traits, moods, stress, or life attitudes, and they may play a key role in providing motivation for healthy behavior involving exercise, diet, and adherence to medical treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis examines the association between exposure to community violence and parenting behaviors (i.e., positive parenting, harsh/neglectful parenting, parent–child relationship quality, and behavior control). A systematic search yielded 437 articles that measured community violence exposure before or at the time of parenting, assessed parenting, and were available in English. There were 342 effect sizes across parenting constructs: positive (k = 101; 68 studies), harsh/neglectful (k = 95; 60 studies), relationship quality (k = 68; 41 studies), and behavior control (k = 78; 51 studies), from 160 reports representing 147 distinct studies. Results of the three-level meta-analyses found small but significant effects between community violence and positive parenting (r = −.059, 95% CI [−.086, −.032]; 95% PI [−.268,.151]), harsh/neglectful parenting (r =.133, 95% CI [.100,.166]; 95% PI [−.107,.372]), parent–child relationship quality (r = −.106, 95% CI [−.145, −.067]; 95% PI [−.394,.182]), and behavior control (r = −.047, 95% CI [−.089, −.005]; 95% PI [−.331,.237]). The association between exposure to community violence and harsh/neglectful parenting and behavior control was moderated by the type of exposure to community violence, informant or source of community violence and parenting data, child age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Given the substantial degree of heterogeneity in overall effect sizes, implications for policy and intervention are tentatively considered while emphasizing that more empirical research on the association between community violence and parenting is essential for advancing the field. Public Significance Statement: Given growing rates of community violence, research examining the correlates of community violence and their effects on children and families is timely. The current meta-analytic review suggests that greater exposure to community violence is associated with reduced positive parenting, poorer parent–child relationship quality, reduced behavior control, and increased harsh/neglectful parenting. Due to substantial variability in the direction and magnitude of effect sizes, more research is needed to inform intervention and policy initiatives, particularly within neighborhoods affected by community violence. It is important that neighborhood conditions support, rather than challenge, responsive parenting. To ensure that the onus of responsibility is not solely placed on parents, multisystemic interventions at the individual level (i.e., to build children's resilience), family level (i.e., to support positive caregiving), school level (i.e., to foster violence awareness), and the broader community level (i.e., to curtail growing incidences of crime through community reinvestment policies) are critical to ensure the well-being of children and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinx communities in the United States face a unique combination of acculturative, systemic, racial, and other traumatic stresses, including adverse childhood experiences, necessitating the close examination of interventions that may act as a buffer, as well as those that promote health and well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have demonstrated an impact on well-being and may play a role as a protective factor in the context of trauma and adversity. This systematic review examined 11 meta-analyses and studies on MBIs in Latinx populations with trauma. The review identified salient themes in existing research, significant gaps that still exist, and future directions for implementing effective MBIs that facilitate engagement, retention, and positive mental and physical health outcomes. Findings suggest that MBIs are feasible and acceptable for Latinx individuals; however, barriers to use need to be addressed. Empirically supported facilitators of use include offering multiple linguistic options for the intervention, providing integrative frameworks to discuss mindfulness and religion, facilitating transportation and childcare, and using culturally responsive emotion regulation techniques, guided visualizations, and storytelling. A number of research gaps remain, such as the need to examine anti-oppressive mindfulness practices to address racism, increase Latinx representation in clinical settings, employ community-engaged strategies and strength-based approaches, and use novel dissemination methods, such as digital intervention and prevention programs. Public Significance Statement: Mindfulness-based interventions have the potential to reduce the adverse impact of trauma among Latinxs. The findings point to culturally relevant considerations before, during, and after treatment to increase engagement and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of nature for social, cognitive, physical, and emotionalwell-being have been well documented in counseling and well-being research, highlighting its capacity for building restoration and resilience. Less research has adopted a more focused exploration of the role of nature for the understanding of self for enhancing well-being. Using a phenomenological approach, the aim was to explore how nature assists the understanding and experience of self as a resource for well-being, within the emerging field of walking coaching. Five semistructured interviews were conducted with walking coaching clients and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three superordinate themeswere developed: creating fluidity and clarity in thought, nature's wisdom: learning and knowing through being, and acceptance and restoration of self. The participants' subjective experiences illustrate hownature enabled a process of discovery that started with seeking clarity and led to a position of self-acceptance. Such a discovery was prompted by cues and immersion in the natural environment that participants believed could not be experienced indoors. The study not only highlights the importance and appropriateness of IPA as a qualitative methodology for understanding coaching experiences, but also encourages coaches and clients to consider the insightful and restorative benefits of taking their coaching outdoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have focused on the relationship between a sense of meaning in life and mental health in adults; this relationship has yet to be explored in children. The current study aimed to explore the possible relationship between meaning and mental health and behavior. Participants were recruited through Canadian schools and places of worship. Datawere collected from 62 children ages 6-12 through two online, anonymous, video-based questionnaires. Regression and correlational analyses determined that a child's sense of meaning ("meaning mindset") was associated with self-reported mental health and positive behavior. Results showed that meaning significantly predicted mental health and positive behavior (β =.90, p,.001), accounting for 50% of the variance. The frequency with which a child attended a religious institution was not related to mental health or meaning. Future studies should continue to explore the relationship between meaning mindset and childhood well-being, while also exploring methods to foster its growth. The results of this study highlight the importance of using meaning-based approaches in both treating mental illness in children as well as in preventing it. Meaning measures could also be used to determine which children may be at risk for difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has indicated that engaging in art activities is beneficial to both psychological and physical well-being; however, few studies have examined the link between attitudes toward art and well-being. In the present study, we have termed a positive and appreciative attitude toward art as savoring art and have investigated the relationship between savoring art and individual well-being. Study 1 (N = 501) examined the associations between savoring art and psychological well-being (PWB) as well as subjective well-being (SWB), the two most widely used terms for meaningful and hedonic happiness, respectively. The results suggested that savoring art was linked to a greater level of both PWB and SWB. Furthermore, Study 2 (N = 144) demonstrated that savoring art correlated with reduced biological health risk, as measured by objective biomarkers for inflammation and hypertension. The results from the present study highlight the potential psychological and physical benefits of savoring art, regardless of individuals' socioeconomic condition, level of openness to experience, or art engagement frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (i.e., sexual minority [SM]) youth, coming out is an important developmental milestone and is typically associated with positive well-being. However, coming out in high school may entail a higher risk of school-based victimization. Due to the greater risk of homophobic bullying, the implications of being out in adolescence and well-being later in adulthood remain unclear. Using data from a national probability survey (Generations Study) of three distinct age cohorts of SM adults (N = 1,474) in the United States, this study (a) examined how being out at school in adolescence affects general well-being in adulthood and (b) SM-specific well-being in adulthood, and (c) examined if these associations differ by cohort. Results from multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that being out in adolescence was not significantly associated with general well-being, but was significantly associated with SM-specific well-being: higher rates of identity centrality and community connectedness, and lower rates of internalized homophobia. There were no cohort differences in the associations between outness in high school, general well-being, and SM well-being. The findings from this national probability sample of SM adults provide novel insight into implications of being out across the life course, including the positive implications of being out at school in adolescence for SM-specific well-being in adulthood. Public Significance Statement: The study suggests that despite the risk of homophobic bullying, being out in school during adolescence has positive effects on sexual minority (SM) well-being in adulthood. This finding advances our understanding of the long-term developmental implications of being out in school for SM individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping negative interpersonal secrets can diminish well-being, yet people nevertheless keep negative information secret from friends, family, and loved ones to protect their own reputations. Twelve experiments suggest these reputational concerns are systematically miscalibrated, creating a misplaced barrier to honesty in relationships. In hypothetical scenarios (Experiments 1, S1, and S2), laboratory experiments (Experiments 2 and 6), and field settings (Experiments 3 and 4), those who imagined revealing, or who actually revealed, negative information they were keeping secret expected to be judged significantly more harshly than recipients expected to judge, or actually judged, them. We theorized that revealers' pessimistic expectations stem not only from the cognitive accessibility of negative information (Experiment S3) but also from a perspective gap such that the negative outcomes of disclosing this information, compared to positive outcomes, are more accessible for prospective revealers than for recipients. Consistent with this mechanism, revealers' expectations were better calibrated when directed to focus on positive thoughts or when they considered revealing positive information (Experiments 5, 6, and S4). Revealers' miscalibrated expectations matter because they can guide decisions about whether to reveal information or conceal it as a secret (Experiment S5). As predicted, calibrating revealers' expectations increased their willingness to reveal negative information to others (Experiment 7), suggesting that miscalibrated fears of others' judgment create a misplaced barrier to honesty in relationships. Overestimating the reputational costs of disclosing negative information might leave people carrying a heavier burden of secrecy than would be optimal for their own well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflecting on Pillemer et al.'s (2024) comprehensive and authoritative article, our commentary flags three critical issues we believe could benefit from further conceptual specification to refine vicarious memory theory. First, we take the stand that vicarious memory is distinct from autobiographical memory and needs to be more precisely defined in its own right. In service of a definition, we explore how the two systems are separate but may intersect through what we term vicarious reasoning. Second, the allowable sources of vicarious memories need to be determined. We suggest vicarious memories can only be gleaned from close others, those with whom we identify. Third, several adaptive outcomes of vicarious remembering were presented in the target article. We suggest that once vicarious memories are defined in a more constrained manner, including delineating allowable sources, a tight conceptual rationale can be made for a small set of particular outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing recognition that thoughts often arise independently of external demands. These thoughts can span from reminiscing your last vacation to contemplating career goals to fantasizing about meeting your favorite musician. Often referred to as mind wandering, such frequently occurring unprompted thoughts have widespread impact on our daily functions, with the dominant narrative converging on a negative relationship between unprompted thought and affective well-being. In this systematic review of 76 studies, we implemented a meta-analysis and qualitative review to elucidate if and when unprompted thought is indeed negatively associated with affective well-being in adults. Using a multilevel mixed-model approach on 386 effect sizes from 23,168 participants across 64 studies, our meta-analyses indicated an overall relationship between unprompted thought and worse affective well-being (r ¯ = −.18, 95% CI [−.23, −.14]); however, the magnitude and direction of this relationship changed when considering specific aspects of the phenomenon (including thought content and intentionality) and methodological approaches (including questionnaires vs. experience sampling). The qualitative review further contextualizes this relationship by revealing the nuances of how and when unprompted thought is associated with affective well-being. Taken together, our meta-analysis and qualitative review indicate that the commonly reported relationship between unprompted thought and affective well-being is contingent upon the content and conceptualization of unprompted thought, as well as the methodological and analytic approaches implemented. Based on these findings, we propose emerging directions for future empirical and theoretical work that highlight the importance of accounting for when, how, and for whom unprompted thought is associated with affective well-being. Public Significance Statement: A large portion of our mental content is "unprompted" by nature such that it is unrelated to the ongoing task or our physical surroundings. Our meta-analytic review provides a comprehensive overview of how unprompted thought relates to how we feel, revealing that unprompted thoughts are generally associated with reduced affective well-being. Notably, this relationship was mitigated and at times reversed depending on the content of unprompted thought as well as how it was defined and measured. We found that unprompted thoughts were associated with worse affective well-being only when thoughts were unintentional, ruminative, and contain negative content. In fact, this relationship was not reliable when time-sensitive measures were used, and it even turned positive during future-oriented, positive, or freely moving thoughts. Taken together, we found that the type and content of unprompted thought can determine whether it is linked to our happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty, a social determinant of health, disproportionately affects families with children. Public and private safety nets, or support networks available in times of need, can help address poverty and its consequences. Independently, strong safety nets (public or private) promote health and well-being, yet little is known about how private and public safety nets combine and evolve over time. Using latent class and latent transition analyses, this study examined public and private safety net configurations of mothers with low-income, sociodemographic characteristics associated with these configurations, and safety net changes over time. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study from child ages 1, 5, and 9 (N = 2,251), results indicated that mothers were sorted into four safety net configurations (public support only, private support only, all high, and all low) and 30%–53% of each class of mothers transitioned from one safety net configuration to another at the next neighboring wave, underscoring the importance of examining both public and private supports simultaneously and longitudinally. Membership in configurations with low private support (e.g., public only, all low) and sociodemographic disadvantage (e.g., more poverty, recent experience of hardship) predicted transitions, commonly leaving mothers without advantage in the riskiest safety nets. To promote a more responsive, equitable safety net, lengthening public safety net program certification periods and increasing outreach efforts (e.g., through schools, churches) to potentially eligible mothers could strengthen and stabilize safety nets to lessen poverty and its consequences for economically marginalized families. Public Policy Relevance Statement: The potential benefits of public and private safety nets, or support networks available in times of need, are clear. Study findings suggested four safety net configurations, and mothers, particularly those facing high disadvantage, were susceptible to risky safety nets and instability. Broadening program outreach and lessening the burden of program receipt could be valuable approaches in decreasing poverty and its consequences for economically marginalized families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived collective (or group) continuity (PCC) is the perception of a link between a group's past, present, and future in both aspects: via permanent cultural traits (e.g., values, beliefs, traditions, habits) that are transmitted (essentialist PCC) or historical group events that are part of a causal-effect chain (narrativist PCC). PCC has not been investigated in the particular historical context of France. Moreover, previous studies have often focused on the beneficial effects of PCC as a whole (i.e., without considering these two dimensions independently), such as on social well-being (e.g., Sani et al., 2007). The initial objective of this research (Study 1), using a cross-sectional design, was to validate a French version of the PCC scale. Results showed that PCC had psychometric qualities that were quite satisfactory. This research also aimed, using a longitudinal design (Study 2), to test whether PCC and essentialist PCC, more than narrativist PCC, had a positive mediated effect on individual well-being (here satisfaction with personal life). Hypotheses were partially confirmed. But in general, the more French participants perceived collective continuity and the more they perceived their group to be an entity, the more strongly they identified with their group and the more satisfied they were with their life. These results and the experimental limits allow us to propose a set of recommendations and reflections for future research on collective continuity, and their bearing on and implications for individual and group dynamics. Public Significance Statement: The perception of collective continuity (i.e., the perception of a link between the past, present, and future of a group on two main domains: narrativist—link between historical events and essentialist—permanent group traits) can be assessed from a self-reported questionnaire in the French national context. Then, essentialist and collective continuity are positively associated with better personal life satisfaction (through group entitativity perception and French national identification). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: In schizophrenia, insight, the recognition that one has a medical illness that requires treatment, has long been related to deteriorated quality of life. Yet, insight and quality of life are broad constructs that encompass several dimensions. Here, we investigated differential associations between insight and quality-of-life dimensions using a psychological network approach. Research Method/Design: We extracted data from the French network of rehabilitation centers REHABase (January 2016 to December 2022, N = 1,056). Our psychological network analysis modeled insight and quality of life as a network of interacting dimensions: three insight dimensions (awareness of illness, reattribution of symptoms to the disease, and recognition of treatment need) and eight quality-of-life dimensions (autonomy, physical and psychosocial well-being, relationships with family, friends and romantic partners, resilience, and self-esteem). Results: Insight was negatively associated with quality of life. Our psychological network analysis revealed a strong negative association between awareness of disease and self-esteem. Both dimensions were the strongest nodes in the overall network. Our network analysis also revealed a significant but positive connection between recognition of treatment needs and resilience. Conclusion/Implications: While insight and quality of life are overall negatively associated, we found both negative and positive connections between insight and quality-of-life dimensions. The negative relationship between insight and quality of life may reflect the deleterious effects of diagnostic labeling on a patient's self-esteem. Yet, acknowledgment of treatment needs may have positive effects on quality of life and may promote recovery, perhaps because it emphasizes the need for support rather than labels and abnormalities. Impact and Implications: As they try to educate their patients with schizophrenia on the nature of their diagnosis, clinicians should be aware of the so-called insight paradox, where increased insight is associated with decreased quality of life. Our findings suggest that rehabilitation treatment interventions aiming to improve quality of life may focus on self-esteem, in addition to helping patients obtain necessary resources and valued roles in society. Our findings also suggest that psychoeducation programs should focus on the need for treatment rather than disease labeling and abnormalities to prevent the deterioration of self-esteem and promote resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia have a major impact on functioning; however, they remain poorly targeted by available treatment offerings. Cognitive remediation (CR) is effective in improving neurocognition and functioning. Despite clinical guidelines for schizophrenia recommending CR, it is still not readily available in clinical services and sizeable attrition rates are reported in clinical trials. Method: To elucidate the barriers and facilitators of CR access and engagement, we conducted a mixed methods qualitative-dominant study with 12 clinicians in Australia, in 2021, with 1 hr interviews and additional rating scales completed. Results: Thematic analysis highlighted four themes (cognitive symptoms, CR intervention, motivation and engagement in CR, and CR implementation), and 14 subthemes. Clinicians emphasized the broad impact of cognitive deficits and outlined pros and cons of different CR approaches. Several factors were suggested as impacting engagement, including motivation assessments/techniques, neurocognitive insight, illness, and demographic factors. Lack of routine implementation in Australia was unanimously espoused and partly explained by a need for cost-effectiveness analyses, remote and flexible delivery, and increasing service resource provision and staff training in CR. Conclusions: This study offers key insights into CR access, while recommending methods for optimizing CR implementation and dissemination to improve recovery outcomes of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Impact and Implications: This study highlights that clinicians in our sample were highly aware of the pervasive impact of cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia and advocated for the implementation and dissemination of cognitive remediation (CR) in routine mental health services, locally and across the world. To optimize both access and engagement, clinicians suggest greater flexibility of delivery and greater contextualization in available programs, notably with consideration to consumer preferences, goals, and barriers. Increasing cognitive literacy in consumers—through psychoeducation, for example—is also key. Our results suggest that clinical services may not provide access to CR to people perceived at higher risk for dropout notably because of a lack of appropriate resources to support them; yet, these patients could benefit. Suggested improvements in access to staff training, increased funding, and advocacy of CR benefits in clinical services and to policy makers, as well as further cost-effectiveness and implementation research, would improve CR dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infusion of multicultural factors into all aspects of training, research, and service is an expected competency for professionals in health service psychology. This includes skills in multicultural case conceptualization, the basis upon which diagnoses, and treatment interventions are selected. However, there is a paucity of research on the effects of training on multicultural case conceptualization ability and limited evidence of its effectiveness. Using a single-case research design, this study addressed this inadequacy by training doctoral students to interpret and integrate multicultural factors in their case conceptualizations. Results indicated no functional relationship between the training intervention and multicultural case conceptualization skills. A combination of statistical and visual analyses indicated weak effects of the intervention for two participants and a counter to the intended direction of effect for one participant. The limitations of the study and valuable insights are discussed, raising important implications for future research and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food insecurity poses a serious threat to children's development, but the mechanisms through which food insecurity undermines child development are far less clear. Specifically, food insecurity may influence children through its effect on parents' psychological well-being and parent–child interactions as a result, but past research on the role of parents is correlational and undermined by omitted variable bias. Using a partially rural, low-income sample of parents living in Pennsylvania (N = 272, 90% mother, Mage = 35) and their school-aged children (ages 4–11, 50% female) alongside daily measures of parent-reported food insecurity and parent and child mood and behavior, we examine how daily changes in food insecurity predict daily changes in parent and child well-being, and the extent to which food insecurity operates through parents to affect children. This method not only explores families' daily, lived experiences of food insecurity, but improves upon the methodological issues undermining past research. Findings indicate that food insecurity influences parent and child well-being on a daily basis, but that associations are stronger and sustain longer for parents than children. Further, parent mood and behavior partially explain the association between daily food insecurity and child mood and behavior, but food insecurity is also independently associated with child well-being. This study is the first to examine daily associations between food insecurity and parent and child well-being. Its implications for food assistance programs, policies, and the future of food insecurity research are discussed. Public Significance Statement: Using daily observations, this study finds that food insecurity is associated with decreased well-being for parents and children on daily basis. Associations are stronger and last longer for parents than children, and daily food insecurity partially works through parent well-being to influence children. These results are an important building block in understanding how the well-documented, long-term effects of food insecurity on child outcomes develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood adversity can have detrimental impacts on life course mental and physical health. Timing, nature, severity, and chronicity of adversity are thought to explain much of the variability in health and developmental outcomes among exposed individuals. The current study seeks to characterize heterogeneity in adverse experiences over time at the individual, family, and neighborhood domains in a cohort of predominantly Black children (85% Black and 15% White, 46.2% girls, 67.2% free/reduced lunch in first grade), and to examine associations with mental health from sixth grade to age 26. Participants were part of a randomized universal preventive interventions trial in first grade with prospective follow-up through early adulthood. Separate models characterized heterogeneity in adversity in elementary, middle, and high schools. Changes in adversity over time and relationships with mental health (anxiety, depression, suicidal behaviors) were investigated using a random-intercept latent transition analysis (RI-LTA). We identified three-class solutions in early childhood, middle school, and high school. Generally, both a higher and a lower poly-adversity class were observed at each time point, with varying nature of adversity characterized by the third class. RI-LTA indicated prevalent within-individual changes in adverse exposure over time and differential associations with mental health and suicidal behaviors. Results suggest that treating adverse exposures as a static construct may limit the ability to characterize salient variation over time. Identifying complexity in adverse experiences and their relation to health and well-being is key for developing and implementing effective prevention and early intervention efforts to mitigate negative effects through the life course. Public Significance Statement: Children are exposed to changing forms of adversity across development with differential impacts on mental health. Focusing on repeated, adaptive, coordinated, and multilevel preventive mental health efforts will be crucial to support the well-being of children and adolescents throughout the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are notable parallels between processes leading to person-environment fit (PE-fit) and processes of selection and acculturation among U.S. immigrants. Thus, a natural question is: Do immigrants benefit from fitting their new environments? PE-fit appears to have uniformly positive effects in the education, career, and personality literatures, but it is unclear whether this would be the case for immigrants. The present study evaluated the PE-fit of U.S. immigrants (N = 39,195) to their new host communities (9,925 Zip Code Tabulation Areas [ZCTAs]). PE-fit varied across immigrants. On average, immigrant PE-fit was lower (b = 0.23 and b = 0.35) than the PE-fit of U.S. natives (b = 0.47; N = 122,339 from 2,374 ZCTAs). Immigrants more closely matched their community's profile when they were older, more educated, from Western countries, or from countries with French or German as the official language. PE-fit was positively associated with immigrant traits of Honesty, Introspection, Creativity, and Industry. Immigrants experienced better PE-fit when they resided in communities with more educated residents, with residents born abroad—particularly in the same world region—or with residents with a similar ethnic background. Finally, immigrant PE-fit was associated with well-being and self-reported health. We discuss the implications for the study of U.S. immigrants and the field of acculturation and propose future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective reactivity, defined as within-person increases in negative affect triggered by daily stressors, has well-established links to personal well-being. Prior work conceptualized affective reactivity as an intrapersonal phenomenon, reflecting reactions to one's own stressors. Here, we conceptualized reactivity interpersonally, examining one's responses to a romantic partner's daily stressors. Across four longitudinal dyadic studies, we investigated how reactivity to partner stress predicts relationship quality appraisals. In fledgling couples, reactivity to a partner's stressors, assessed via weekly (Study 1; N = 152) and daily (Study 2; N = 144) diaries, positively predicted partner relationship quality. In both studies, the associations were mediated by the partner's perceptions of responsiveness. Furthermore, reactivity to partner stress buffered against declines in partner relationship quality over 8 weeks in Study 1 and 13 months in Study 2. The relevance of reactivity to partner stress for relationship quality diminished in the later stages of relationships. Among samples of established couples (Studies 3 and 4, Ns = 164 and 208, respectively), reactivity to partner stress did not directly predict partner relationship quality or moderate its trajectory over time. Overall, the predominant pattern across four studies painted a portrait of relational well-being benefits specific to fledgling relationships. Through its novel framework of situating affective reactivity interpersonally between partners, the present research contributes to both affective science and relationship science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is a broad consensus on the detrimental consequences of dating violence, yet its association with well-being remains underexplored. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between dating violence victimization and subjective, psychological, and social well-being among adolescents and emerging adults. Method: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines, a structured search in Scopus, Web of Science, and APA PsycInfo databases was conducted. Inclusion criteria encompassed participants between 10 and 29 years, peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2021, explicit measures of well-being, a focus on experiences of dating violence victimization, and an examination of the relationship between these two phenomena. Results: A total of 11 studies gathering 11,435 participants were included. An association was found between victimization and low levels of well-being, in both adolescence and emerging adulthood, with variables such as frequency, severity, type of victimization, and gender emerging as significant. Heterogeneity was estimated using the Q statistic and the I2 index, and publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test. The meta-analysis showed a significant medium effect (r = −0.23, p <.01), linking experiencing victimization with lower levels of well-being both in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Conclusions: Dating violence can have a profound impact on the well-being of young people. To prevent such dynamics and promote positive outcomes, it is crucial to recognize gender similarities and differences while addressing the normalization of violence from an early age. This requires a developmental perspective and the consideration of the protective role of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop a measure of racial–ethnic–cultural (REC) belonging for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). The iBelong Scale was designed to assess the multidimensional components of REC belonging across diverse BIPOC groups. The scale was constructed based on a grounded conceptual framework of REC belonging, and the initial pool of items received feedback from community members and content experts. Validation of the iBelong Scale comprised data from 808 BIPOC participants collected across three interrelated studies for the purposes of initial validation, construct validity, and test–retest reliability. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis yielded a 25-item scale with five factors: (a) Home, (b) Connection, (c) Authenticity, (d) REC Thriving, and (e) Self-Definition. Results from Study 2's confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the five-factor model was an acceptable fit of the data and the best fit among competing models. Measurement invariance was assessed, and results indicated that the iBelong Scale measures REC belonging similarly across differing BIPOC groups. The iBelong Scale was related to a range of measures in theoretically expected ways, including positive associations with general belonging, racial/ethnic identity, and general well-being, and negative associations with loneliness and REC nonbelonging. Findings from Study 3 indicated the test–retest reliability of the iBelong Scale over a 2-week period. Limitations of the studies and implications for research and practice are discussed. Public Significance Statement: This article discusses the construction and validation of the iBelong Scale, a measure of belonging for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) in relation to their racial–ethnic–cultural identities. The iBelong Scale can be useful for researchers studying BIPOC identity, belonging, and wellness, and counselors working with BIPOC in assessment and therapeutic avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When children reach a certain age of maturity, middle-aged parents often reflect on their parenting, harboring continuous worries about their adult children. These parenting experiences are also shared within couples and continue to impact parents' well-being. Utilizing couple data from the 2010 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study, we examined the dyadic associations of worry about child issues and psychological well-being among middle-aged couples (N = 1,091; aged 47–55) who have at least one adult child (Mage = 23.13 years). Results from the actor–partner interdependence model showed that one's own parental worry was significantly associated with psychological well-being for both husbands and wives (i.e., actor effects). Further, wives' worry about children was significantly associated with husbands' psychological well-being (i.e., partner effects)—but not vice versa. These findings highlight that aspects of parenting not only impact children but also extend to the linked lives of midlife parents themselves. Research on parental experiences at the couple level may inform interventions to enhance middle-aged parents' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrimination is a chronic stressor for Black Americans that occurs alongside other social positions and has implications for personal and relational well-being. Using data from the Survey of Midlife in the United States, this study examined the relative and multiplicative effects of gender and financial strain on the links between discrimination and personal and relational well-being among Black Americans in romantic relationships (N = 443). Results indicate that financial strain was associated with poorer personal well-being and that being female was associated with poorer relational well-being. Further, among women (but not men), discrimination was associated with poorer quality of life across levels of financial strain. The findings speak to the potential resilience of Black individuals and their relationships in the face of discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined bidirectional associations between mothers' homework involvement (autonomy support and psychological control in homework situations), Finnish adolescents' academic motivation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, amotivation), and school well-being (school satisfaction, school-related stress) across the transitions to lower and upper secondary school. The sample consisted of Finnish adolescents (n = 841; 457 girls; age 12 at T1) and their mothers (n = 652; T1). The results showed that increased levels of maternal psychological control in Grade 7 predicted adolescents' decreased school satisfaction in Grade 9 but only indirectly via increased amotivation. In turn, adolescents' increased levels of school satisfaction decreased maternal psychological control via increased intrinsic motivation within Grade 9 and the first year of upper secondary education. Taken together, more knowledge and understanding should be provided to mothers to help them to support adolescents' motivation and school well-being in more optimal ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The putative associations between creative adaptability and the experience of emotional well-being (i.e., a positivity ratio of more positive than negative emotions) was investigated during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak with a sample of 1,432 adults from four countries: Israel (n = 310), United States (n = 312), Italy (n = 378), and China (n = 569). Country differences and a mediation model for creative adaptability predicting emotional well-being through creative self-efficacy, resilient coping, and emotion regulation (reappraisal and suppression) were examined. The findings point to slight differences in countries, which are potentially due not only to the culture but also to the phase of the pandemic. More consistently, creative adaptability was positively associated with creative self-efficacy, resilient coping, and reappraisal emotion regulation in all countries. Regarding mediation, in the Israeli, Italian, and Chinese samples, creative adaptability was positively related to resilient coping, which was positively related to emotional well-being. Similar relations were found for creative self-efficacy as a mediator in the United States and Chinese samples. In the Chinese sample, creative adaptability was positively associated with suppression, which was negatively associated with emotional well-being. These results are suggestive of the role of creative adaptability in dealing with the emotional burden associated with the COVID-19 crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small but growing body of research suggests that prosocial motivation (i.e., the desire to act for the benefit or welfare of others) may enhance creativity. Most of the relevant research on this topic, however, has focused on creativity in business or everyday life settings. The present studies are the first to examine the nature and potential role of prosocial motivation in the arts and sciences specifically. This project used a qualitative-to-quantitative approach to anchor its operationalization of prosocial motivation in the lived experiences of creators. Study 1, a qualitative study of 56 professional artists and scientists, provided a rich list of self-reported conscious motivations (including prosocial) for creative work in these two domains. Study 2, a cross-sectional study of 972 graduate students in artistic and scientific fields, validated a new self-report scale based on results of Study 1. Factor analyses revealed three types of motivation (prosocial, emotional, intellectual) and one process (sense of audience). Study 2 also showed that associations between these variables and outcomes related to creativity and well-being differed between the arts and sciences. Taken together, results of these studies confirm that prosocial motivation is an important but understudied aspect of creative work. They also highlight the promise of bridging different areas of research in psychology in order to provide a comprehensive examination of potential antecedents and outcomes of creative behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous meta-analyses, the true extent to which life satisfaction reflects personality traits has remained unclear due to overreliance on a single method to assess both and insufficient attention to construct overlaps. Using data from three samples tested in different languages (Estonian, N = 20,886; Russian, N = 768; English, N = 600), we combined self- and informant-reports to estimate personality domains' and nuances' true correlations (rtrue) with general life satisfaction (LS) and satisfactions with eight life domains (DSs), while controlling for single-method and occasion-specific biases and random error, and avoiding direct construct overlaps. The associations replicated well across samples. The Big Five domains and nuances allowed predicting LS with accuracies up to rtrue ≈.80–.90 in independent (sub)samples. Emotional stability, extraversion, and conscientiousness correlated rtrue ≈.30–.50 with LS, while its correlations with openness and agreeableness were small. At the nuances level, low LS was most strongly associated with feeling misunderstood, unexcited, indecisive, envious, bored, used, unable, and unrewarded (rtrue ≈.40–.70). Supporting LS's construct validity, DSs had similar personality correlates among themselves and with LS, and an aggregated DS correlated rtrue ≈.90 with LS. LS's approximately 10-year stability was rtrue =.70 and its longitudinal associations with personality traits mirrored cross-sectional ones. We conclude that without common measurement limitations, most people's life satisfaction is highly consistent with their personality traits, even across many years. So, satisfaction is usually shaped by these same relatively stable factors that shape personality traits more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a culture-specific examination of Korean American undergraduates' correlates of well-being that implemented a psychosociocultural approach (Gloria & Rodriguez, 2000) to assess the interrelated dimensions of self-beliefs (psychological), support and expectations of others (social), and personal and contextual values (cultural). Given the importance of intersectional- (i.e., self-identified gender, college generation, student standing) and values-informed explorations (Guan, Gloria, et al., 2020), the study assessed how Asian cultural values (emotional self-control, humility, collectivism, conformity to norms, and family recognition through achievement; Kim et al., 2005) informed the well-being of 221 Korean American undergraduates. Results revealed a 2 × 2 × 2 interaction of college generation, student standing, and self-identified gender (multivariate analysis of variance) and relationship patterns among the dimensions (canonical correlations) with cultural values emerging salient. The dimensions collectively accounted for 60.2% of variance for well-being with the psychological and social dimensions emerging as the strongest predictors. Implications for university personnel to support Korean American undergraduates' well-being are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kazdin's (2024) article details the urgent need for adjuvant treatment approaches focused on how individuals live in daily life. This is an essential pathway to reduce suffering given the global prevalence of psychological distress. We strongly agree and add that a targeted focus on the period of emerging adulthood is of vital importance. Evidence is consistent and compelling that need is high in this stressful developmental period, with the first onset of most psychiatric disorders and limited access to traditional mental health services. Moreover, evidence suggests that this is a life stage where "habits" relating to key lifestyle factors, including physical activity, nutrition, and social activities, have not yet coalesced, hence the opportunity for change may be greatest. These are habits that, as Kazdin (2024) writes, are robustly predictive of lifelong physical and mental health. To leverage this behavioral plasticity, we recommend enlisting the aid of smartphone technology that many emerging adults already use in their everyday lives. This will facilitate earlier intervention, potentially translating into decades of reduced suffering for many individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis synthesizes experimental studies on the immediate effects of discrimination on mental health, exploring the effects of different paradigms and discrimination types on diverse facets of mental health. We analyzed data from a systematic literature search (73 studies; 12,097 participants; 245 effect sizes) for randomized controlled trials with manipulation of discrimination as a predictor and mental health as an outcome using a three-level random-effects model. Experimentally manipulated discrimination led to poorer mental health (g = −0.30), also after controlling for publication year, region, education level, and methodological quality. Moderator analyses revealed stronger effects for pervasive (g = −0.55) compared to single-event manipulations (g = −0.25) and a trend toward weaker effects for samples with nonmarginalized (g = −0.16) compared to marginalized identities (g = −0.34). Gender and age did not moderate the effect. Discrimination had the largest effects on externalizing (g = −0.66) and distress-related outcomes (g = −0.41); heterosexism (g = −0.66), racism (g = −0.32), and sexism (g = −0.30) had the largest effects on mental health. Convenience sampling compromised generalizability to subgroups and the general population, downgrading methodological quality for all included studies. When interpreting the findings, selective samples (mostly young female adults with higher education), often limited ecological validity, and ethical restrictions of lab-induced discrimination need to be considered. These constraints likely led to conservative estimates of the mental health effects of discrimination in this meta-analysis. Future research should investigate more diverse samples, further explain the heterogeneity of findings, and explore protective factors of the effects of discrimination on mental health. Public Significance Statement: This meta-analysis shows that discrimination can directly and immediately cause poor mental health, with the largest effects on externalizing outcomes such as anger and hostility. Heterosexism more strongly diminished mental health than racism or sexism. More recent studies found a considerably stronger effect of discrimination on mental health. The small to moderate negative effects of discrimination on mental health likely accumulate over time and can significantly deteriorate public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nostalgia is a social, self-relevant, and bittersweet (although mostly positive) emotion that arises when reflecting on fond past memories and serves key psychological functions. The majority of evidence concerning the prevalence, triggers, and functions of nostalgia has been amassed in samples from a handful of largely Western cultures. If nostalgia is a fundamental psychological resource, it should perform similar functions across cultures, although its operational dynamics may be shaped by culture. This study (N= 2,606) examined dispositional nostalgia, self-reported triggers of nostalgia, and functions of experimentally induced nostalgia in young adults across 28 countries and a special administrative region of China (i.e., Hong Kong). Results indicated that nostalgia is frequently experienced across cultures, albeit better valued in more-developed countries (i.e., higher national wealth and life-expectancy). Nostalgia is triggered by psychological threats (especially in warmer countries), sensory stimuli (especially in more-developed countries), and social gatherings (especially in less-developed countries). The positive or negative affect prompted by experimentally induced nostalgia varied by country, but was mild overall. More importantly, recalling a nostalgic (vs. ordinary) memory increased social connectedness, self-continuity, and meaning in life across cultures. In less-developed countries, recalling an ordinary memory also conferred some of these functions, reducing the effect size of nostalgia. Finally, recalling a nostalgic (vs. ordinary) memory augmented state satisfaction with life in countries with lower quality of living (i.e., lower life-expectancy and life-satisfaction). Overall, findings confirm the relevance of nostalgia across a wide range of cultures and indicate cultural nuances in its functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]