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This study explored how students' main information problems during the information age, namely internet addiction, information overload, and social network addiction, influence holistic well-being and academic attainment. The participants were 226 university students, all UK based and regular internet users. They answered the Internet Addiction Test, Information Overload Scale, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, and the Wellbeing Process Questionnaire. Data were analysed with SPSS using correlation and linear regression analysis. The univariate analyses confirmed the negative impact of information overload, internet addiction and social media addiction on positive well-being but not academic attainment. However, multivariate analyses controlling for established predictors of well-being showed that the effects of information overload, internet addiction and social media addiction were largely non-significant, confirming other research using this analysis strategy. Future research should examine the type of internet use as well as the extent of it.

PurposeSocial media addiction has been an ongoing topic of debate for platform developers, well-being and mental health experts. There is a limited understanding of the factors leading to the addiction of young social media users, the consequences of experiencing addiction, and the measures/mechanisms used by parents and platform providers to limit/prevent problematic social media use amongst young users. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature concerning these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) protocol was used to evaluate and present the results. A total of 45 studies were screened and independently reviewed against predetermined criteria for eligibility.FindingsThe results revealed four categories of young users' addiction to social media networks (social, technological, behavioural and mental). Several prevention approaches directed at parents and platform providers were discussed.Originality/valueThis study offers important insights for health policy makers, platform providers, parents and researchers on designing interventions addressing social media addiction amongst young users. It also provides an in-depth understanding of the conceptualization of social media addiction and suggestions on possible actions to prevent it.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit in repeated spreading waves, the population worldwide continues to be under stressful lockdowns and quarantine and getting more dependent on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Evidence is needed to identify the mental health impact of quarantine on loneliness and Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and find the significant risk factors. This study explores the association of loneliness, internet addiction and related factors such as the number of hours spent online, and the quality of the relationship of people spending the quarantine with on well-being using the Internet addiction scale, UCL loneliness short scale, and WHO-5 measure. The data from a sample of 613 adults from the Middle East were analyzed through SPSS using correlation and regression. The results showed an association between loneliness, internet addiction and low well-being; the number of hours spent online was negatively correlated with well-being, and the quality of the relationship with people spending the quarantine was positively associated with well-being. The results confirm the negative consequences of internet addiction, loneliness and spending long hours online on well-being during quarantine, and the importance of the quality of the relationship with whom one is spending quarantine in supporting well-being.

Objective To understand how firefighters’ use of rules (i.e., standard operating procedures [SOPs]) and deliberative decision making (i.e., operational discretion [OD]) interacts with acute stress. Background Current operational guidance for UK firefighters combines the provision of SOPs, for routine incidents, with the use of OD, under prescribed conditions (e.g., when there is a risk to human life). However, our understanding of the use of SOPs and OD is limited. Methods Incident commanders (ICs; n = 43) responded to simulated emergency incidents, which either licensed the use of OD or required use of a SOP. Video footage of IC behavior was used to code their response as involving a SOP or OD, while levels of acute stress were assessed using a blood-based measure and self-report. Results ICs were less likely to use OD selectively in the simulated emergency incident that licensed its use than in the one for which use of an SOP was appropriate; IC command level did not affect this pattern of results; and the incident that licensed OD resulted in more acute stress than the incident that required use of a SOP. Conclusion SOPs and OD were not used in the manner prescribed by current operational guidance in simulated emergency incidents. Application These results suggest that firefighter training in SOPs and OD should be augmented alongside personal resilience training, given the impact of stress on health and wellbeing, but also to improve the deployment of SOPs and OD under stress.

There has been extensive research on post-viral fatigue, and the present mini-review and commentary provides an overview of the effects associated with different infecting agents. Fatigue is not only a subjective state, rather it has an impact on our ability to carry out everyday functions, and its effect can be demonstrated using performance tasks. It is not surprising, therefore, that persistent effects of COVID-19 are observed, and the key features of Long Covid are reviewed here, Suggestions for further research which will provide a better understanding of Long Covid and provide a basis for prevention and management are also discussed.

Wellbeing research is implicitly guided by two theoretical approaches: subjectivism and objectivism. Objectivists argue that the predictors of wellbeing are universal, whereas subjectivists emphasise the role of values. The aim of the present research was to assess these two views in the context of wellbeing research by conducting a secondary analysis of the Eurobarometer. This database includes satisfaction ratings of both life and specific domains (e.g. health, family, social life, personal safety, financial situation, home life, job and neighbourhood). Regression analyses revealed significant cross-national variation in domain-life satisfaction relationships, to the extent that none were universal. Direct cross-national comparison of these relationships revealed significant differences and further validated these findings. Variation in these relationships refutes the core premise of objectivism and indicates that subjectivism is a more appropriate framework for psychological research into wellbeing. In order to consolidate these findings, future research should incorporate other predictors of wellbeing, such as personality.

Background:\ud The high number of marine incidents in port and coastal areas due to the tired deck officers’ erroneous actions are one of the major challenges of marine transportation. Approaching, berthing, and cargo handling (ABC) are the most stressful and exhausting operations of the ship in these areas, which are carried out consecutively and uninterruptedly.\ud \ud Materials and methods:\ud This study examined Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) performance, Arrow Flanker Task performance and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) of 70 deck officers of ocean-going oil tankers with 4on–8off shifts at the end of the first shift of cargo-handling operations. In this case, they had worked more than 14 hours continuously. Also, their level of sleepiness was assessed using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) at the beginning, middle, and end of their first shift of handling operation.\ud Results:\ud The results were analysed according to the duration at sea and deck officers rank. PSQI, KSS, PVT mean reaction times and lapses, and also Flanker’s variables were higher among the chief and second officers who were present on board between 0–30 days. The state of officers who were present on board between 31 to 60 days was better than the officers with 0–30 and 61–90 days’ duration at sea. In addition, the results show that sleep quality during tour of duty affects cognitive performance and sleepiness of officers during cargo handling operations.\ud Conclusions:\ud The paper concludes by discussing possible solutions for reducing fatigue and human error among seafarers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes of fatigue among rail staff by analysing qualitative data and conducting an online diary study. It had a closer look at the experience of fatigue among rail staff and brought a more detailed blueprint picture of fatigue and its causes in the rail staff’s real-life. Study 1 analysed 133 responses of qualitative data from rail staff, and Study 2 was a diary study examining fatigue and its related risk factors before and after work, on the first and the last day of a working week in 19 rail staff. The findings from the two studies, using different methodologies, showed similar results that fatigue among rail staff was a result of heavy workload and a high workload would further increase fatigue. Fatigue before work mainly resulted from sleep quality, length of sleep, and the time spent on commute, while fatigue after work resulted from the perceived workload and shift type. Evidence has demonstrated that overtime work, specific shift patterns, insufficient rest days between opposed shifts, and poor timing of breaks during work were also associated with fatigue.

Despite the widespread interest in the effects of workload on behaviour, there has been little research on the effects of it on attitudes and values in the workplace and life generally. The aim of the present research was to examine associations between noise exposure (which increases workload) and components of the psychological contract (fairness; trust; organisational commitment; work satisfaction; motivation; organisational citizenship; and intention to stay/quit). 166 workers completed a survey measuring components of the psychological contract, perceptions of noise exposure and other job characteristics. Univariate analyses showed that higher noise exposure was associated with a more negative psychological contract. However, adjustment for other job characteristics, both negative (e.g. job demands) and positive (e.g. control and support), removed the significant effects of noise. These results confirm previous research suggesting that psychosocial stressors have greater behavioural effects than components of the physical working environment such as noise.

Offshore workers are exposed to a unique combination of factors that may impact negatively on well-being. This paper describes results from a survey of fatigue, health and injury amongst seafarers and installation personnel working in the UK sector of the offshore oil industry. Potential stressors and fatigue­ related variables (e.g. noise, working hours, and shift) were considered in terms of their combined effects on subjective outcome measures. Median splits of these variables were summed to create a 'total fatigue indicators' score. A quartile split of this variable was entered into a series of analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), co-varying age, education and socio-economic status (SES) and stratifying for occupational group (i.e. seafarers or installation personnel). Total fatigue indicators demonstrated a linear effect on depression, cognitive failures, social functioning, lack of/poor quality sleep, fatigue, and the home-work interface. Effects were more pronounced amongst installation personnel than seafarers. This is possibly due to fundamental differences in shift systems between the two groups of offshore workers. No significant effects were observed for injury frequency, prescribed medication or smoking and alcohol consumption. Results suggest that exposure to a combination of stressors has a significantly greater negative effect on health than any of these factors in isolation.

There exists a significant body of evidence regarding the effects of occupational hazards. These effects are often considered in isolation, yet a significant proportion of the workforce is exposed to several hazards at a time. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined impact of workplace factors on mood, cognitive performance and physiology. Participants completed a battery of objective measures before and after work, as previous research (e.g. Broadbent et al. 1989) has shown the difference between before and after work measures to be a good indicator of workload demands during the day. The test battery was performed on the first and last days of the working week. Subjective information regarding chronic and acute (i.e. daily) exposure to hazards was also collected. Mean composite 'total negative factors' scores were created for exposure to chronic and acute stressors (e.g. noise, exposure to hazardous substances, job demand): median splits of these variables were then entered into a series of ANOVAs where mood, simple reaction time and physiology served as dependent measures. Findings indicate that chronic exposure to negative factors results in increased susceptibility to fatigue, over the course of the testing session, working day and working week.

Previous research suggests that internet addiction, or problematic internet use, reduces the\udwellbeing and academic attainment of university students. A major problem with much of the previous\udresearch is that the studies have not controlled for established predictors of wellbeing and attainment. When\udthis has been done, the effects of internet use on wellbeing have no longer been significant, although a\udnegative effect of internet use on attainment still remained. This topic was examined in the present study\udwhich also controlled for information overload. 179 first year university students completed the internet\udaddiction test , the information overload scale and the student wellbeing process questionnaire. Correlational\udanalyses showed that internet addiction was associated with negative wellbeing and negatively associated\udwith positive wellbeing. Numerically, internet addiction scores were associated with poorer attainment but\udthese effects were not significant, possibly reflecting the sample size. The associations between internet\udaddiction and wellbeing were not significant when established predictors of wellbeing (positive personality,\udsocial support, exposure to stressors and negative coping) were covaried. Further research is needed to\udextend these findings using longitudinal designs, other samples (e.g. high users of the internet, workers) and\udassessment of type of internet use.

Research on psychological risk factors for upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTIs) has been conducted for over fifty years. Early studies failed to control for exposure and also often relied on self-report rather than clinical and virological assessment. A universal policy used in the current COVID-19 pandemic has been to restrict exposure by social isolation. This leads to increased stress and removal of social interaction. In addition, information overload about the disease, and incorrect information, can also reduce wellbeing. Studies of experimentally-induced URTIs have shown that stress increases susceptibility to infection. Other research has shown that stress due to job insecurity and few social contacts are key risk factors for infection. This suggests that while social isolation will reduce exposure, it will also lead to an increased risk of illnesses, due to increased stress and reduced social support, should the person become infected with the virus. Other research has shown that infection and illness lead to changes in behaviour. These effects include greater negative affect and impaired attention and slower speed of response. Such effects are not only present when the person is symptomatic but also occur with sub-clinical infections, during the incubation period and after the illness. People with the illness are also more sensitive to other negative influences such as fatigue, and this has implications for safety critical jobs such as those carried out by healthcare professionals treating those with COVID-19.

Background: The wellbeing process model formed the basis of questionnaires that can demonstrate which factors predict negative and positive wellbeing outcomes. The Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) uses stressor, negative coping, psychological capital and social support scales to predict positive and negative wellbeing outcomes. Aims: The usual method of scoring the WPQ has been to sum relevant questions in each scale. The aim of the present analyses was to investigate the microstructure of the WPQ and examine the profile of individual predictor and outcome items. Methodology: The research was approved by the ethics committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and carried out with the informed consent of the volunteers (1481 psychology undergraduates; 89.4% female; 49.7% year 1; mean age 19.5 years). An online survey was carried out, and a MANOVA was conducted to examine associations between the wellbeing process predictor variables and the wellbeing outcomes. Results: A multivariate analysis of variance showed that the majority of individual predictors had significant overall effects. Some of the predictors (optimism; self-esteem, developmental challenges; time pressure; avoidance coping) had significant effects on all outcomes, which explains the global effects of the positive personality and stressor composite variables. Negative coping variables had significant effects on all negative outcomes. Other variables had selective effects on specific outcome measures. Conclusion: The independent variables from the student wellbeing questionnaire are good predictors of both positive and negative wellbeing outcomes. This is observed when either individual items or composite scores are used in the analysis.

Background: Previous research shows that the Well-being Process Questionnaire (WPQ) has good content validity, construct validity, discriminant validity and reliability. Aims: The present research examined the diagnostic validity of the anxiety and depression questions from the WPQ by comparing them with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) from which they were derived. Method: One hundred and twenty university staff members aged 20-64 participated in the study which involved an anonymous online survey. The data were used to assess the ability of single item measures, rated on a 10 point scale, to correctly identify a respondent that meets a diagnostic criteria, in this case clinical levels of depression or anxiety. Results: This analysis involved comparison with an established measure (HADS clinical cut-off) in terms of the proportion of those with the condition correctly identified as such (sensitivity) by the single items and the proportion without the condition correctly identified as such (specificity) by the single items. The results showed that a cut-off point at a score of 5 provided the best results for sensitivity and specificity in the depression and anxiety items. Sensitivity at this point was 71.4% and 86.3% for depression and anxiety respectively, while specificity was 85.4% for depression and 72.6% for anxiety. Conclusion: These findings confirm that the single item anxiety and depression questions from the WPQ can be used as an initial screening tool to identify clinical cases of anxiety and depression. Relevance for patients: This will provide a rapid method of assessment that will benefit patients and lead to more effective prevention and management.

Objectives\ud The purpose was to provide a systematic review of the literature related to the personality and well-being of social, domestic, pleasure and commuting (SDP&C) car drivers.\ud \ud Methods\ud The following databases were searched: PsychINFO (PsychNET), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Social Sciences Index; WoS), ORCA (Online research at Cardiff University), Science Direct (Elsevier), Taylor and Francis Online, and PubMed. Grey literature was sourced using the Transport Research International Database (TRID) as well as conference proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and Driver Assessment. In parallel, an internet search of Google Scholar was undertaken. Two researchers reviewed papers suitable for inclusion. Eligible papers were those published in the English language, during the last decade; the latter to allow for a more contemporary appraisal of the literature. The search yielded thirty peer reviewed articles and ten reports relevant to the personality and well-being of SDP&C road users.\ud \ud Results\ud The findings show that anxiety, stress and depression were predictive of unfavourable driving outcomes (e.g. risk-taking, aggression, poor driving behaviour.) Further, driving discourtesy by others was found to not only induce stress reactions in drivers, but also led to riskier driving practice, such as deliberately engaging in intimidating driving behaviour. Negative personality traits were related with negative driving behaviours, whilst higher levels of well-being and life satisfaction appear to safeguard drivers against deliberate driving violations. There was a dearth of literature focusing on UK drivers, as well as research examining the impact of driving itself on the well-being of the driver.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud Further longitudinal, multivariate research is required to examine all well-being/personality predictors, whilst controlling for established predictors (such as fatigue) such that the factors underpinning unsafe driving behaviour (in isolation and in combination) may be revealed.

Background: The Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) has been used to identify predictors of both positive and negative wellbeing. These variables can now be used to investigate whether different aspects of the wellbeing process are associated with academic outcomes. Aims: The wellbeing process involves established predictors such as exposure to stressors, negative coping, social support, positive personality, and conscientiousness. The wellbeing outcomes are positive (e.g. happiness, positive affect, and life satisfaction), and negative (e.g. stress, anxiety and depression). The aim was to examine associations between these variables and academic outcomes (Grade Point Average [GPA]; perceived efficiency; perceived course stress, and perceived workload). Methodology: The research described in this paper was carried out with the approval of the ethics committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and the informed consent of the participants (1296 psychology undergraduates; 89.4% female; 49.7% year 1; mean age 19.5 years). An online survey was carried out and this included the Student WPQ and academic outcomes. A MANOVA was conducted to examine associations between the wellbeing process variables and the academic outcomes. Results: The main factor associated with the academic outcomes was conscientiousness. Those in the high conscientiousness category had higher GPA sores, reported greater efficiency and higher course stress and workload. GPA scores were also associated with student stressors, with those in the high stress category having lower GPA scores. Greater efficiency was associated with higher scores for positive wellbeing and social support, and lower negative coping. Higher course stress was associated with higher scores for exposure to stressors, negative coping and negative wellbeing. Higher negative wellbeing was also associated with higher perceived workload. Conclusion: Conscientiousness is the best predictor of academic outcomes. Other components of the wellbeing process have selective effects on academic outcomes.

There has been extensive research on workload, often in the laboratory or workplace. Less research has been conducted in educational settings and there is very little examining workload, wellbeing and academic attainment of university students. The present study of 1294 students examined associations between perceptions of workload, hours spent at university, time pressure and attainment and wellbeing outcomes (measured using the Wellbeing Process Questionnaire). Established predictors (stressors; social support; negative coping; positive personality and conscientiousness) were controlled for, and the analyses showed that workload was significantly associated with all outcomes whereas time pressure was only related to course stress and negative wellbeing (life stress, fatigue and anxiety/depression). Hours spent at the university had no significant effects. The effects of workload were interpreted in terms of an initial challenge leading to increased efficiency and attainment. These results show the importance of including workload in future longitudinal research on student wellbeing and attainment.

The research described here examined associations between smoking, wellbeing and academic attainment of university students. Wellbeing was investigated using the Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (WPQ) and academic attainment was assessed using Grade Point Average (GPA) and perceptions of work efficiency. 923 university students (94 males, 829 females; approximately 10% smokers) participated in the study. Univariate analyses showed that smokers were less conscientious, had lower positive wellbeing and lower attainment scores. Smokers also reported greater exposure to stressors, more negative coping and higher negative outcome scores. When established predictors of wellbeing (positive personality; social support; exposure to stressors and negative coping) and attainment (being conscientious) were co-varied, smoking still had a significant effect on academic attainment but not the wellbeing outcomes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of being away from home on the well-being of international and domestic UK university students as a function of demographic factors, course load, support, personality, healthy lifestyle, and their employment of pre-planning and being at university strategies. A total of 510 students (n = 391 international and 117 British) completed an on-line survey to record demographic details and measure their well-being, quality of university life, and their being away from home strategies. The findings showed that International students reported greater quality of university life and used more pre-departure strategies; the female students reported a significantly more negative well-being and higher course demand than their male peers. A regression analysis showed that positive well-being was predicted by a positive personality, a healthy lifestyle, control and support for academic work, quality of university life and employing well-being strategies (using technology without over-reliance on it and the ability to unwind from study). Negative well-being, on the other hand, was predicted by a less positive personality and a less healthy lifestyle, a higher course demand, less control and support for academic work and less quality of university life. Moreover, the regression analysis showed that international students who employed more pre-departure strategies showed less negative well-being.

The current study examined a large cohort of untreated Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients at initial assessment and at specific time points over a three-year period. Methods used in previous studies to assess patient health, were validated and used to assess recovery and improvement. Possible predictors of outcome would then be identified by assessing improvements in health status at specific follow-up points. The illness was also assessed in terms of recovery and improvement by using health related and psychosocial measures together with the aetiology of the illness. These were further used to investigate possible mechanisms influencing or predicting recovery or improvement. Two-hundred and twenty-six patients completed wide ranging questionnaires at initial assessment and again six and eighteen months and three years later. A current state of health score was used to measure recovery over time and analyses conducted to investigate the relationship between this and other health related measures. Regression analyses were conducted to assess predictors of improvement and recovery. Spontaneous recovery rates in the untreated patient at three-year follow-up were low (6%). The data suggested, however, that illness length, symptom severity and health status have an important role in recovery. Although there was no evidence to suggest an association between illness onset type and subsequent recovery or psychopathology scores at initial assessment and recovery, regression analyses did indicate that levels of anxiety, cognitive difficulties and social support at initial assessment predict a positive outcome. The state of health measure was validated as a method of accurately assessed the health status of patients and was used as an indicator of improvement and recovery within this group. Spontaneous recovery in the patient group was associated with several factors measured at initial assessment. However, further studies are necessary to more fully identify the factors which affect recovery or improvement and to investigate the exact nature of the mechanisms involved. The present study shows that spontaneous recovery of CFS patients is rare. Treatment or management is essential, and the efficacy of different approaches must be assessed.

Background: The first aim of this study was to investigate the influence of psychosocial characteristics on four training attitudes (motivation to learn, learning, transfer intention and cognitive dissonance) and well-being. The second — and main — aim was to examine the impact of attitudes to training on individual levels of well-being. Methodology: This study used a longitudinal approach comprising two phases of data collection. One-hundred and eighty first-year psychology students participated in Phase 1, and 95 students participated in both phases. The participants were required to complete a survey measuring various psychosocial characteristics (coping, personality, work characteristics, organisational citizenship behaviour [OCB] and commitment), four training attitudes and positive and negative well-being. Results: The results showed that specific psychosocial characteristics, particularly the positive variables (positive coping, positive work characteristics, OCB, and commitment) had significant correlations with positive training attitudes (motivation to learn, learning, and transfer intention). In addition, motivation to learn, learning, and transfer intention had a significant positive correlation with positive well-being, while cognitive dissonance had a significant negative correlation with positive well-being. However, these relationships were no longer significant when other variables were included. Furthermore, it was revealed that personality and commitment were the stronger predictors for well-being. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. Conclusions: This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge, but more research is required to confirm the relationships between attitudes to training and well-being. Future research could also examine these relationships in more detail, especially in the context of specific training programmes.

Few longitudinal studies have examined the changes over time in international students’ wellbeing. This study aimed to explore any change in wellbeing from the beginning of the first semester until the end of the academic year and the impact of using ‘wellbeing away’ strategies on international students’ wellbeing. The survey used the Smith Wellbeing Questionnaire (SWELL), a ‘quality of university life’ questionnaire, a ‘being away strategies’ questionnaire and three open-ended questions focused on difficulties, coping strategies and the respondents’ most demanding time during their study period in the UK. A total of 104 participants completed the three phases. Repeated measurements showed no significant difference in students’ wellbeing over the academic year. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that positive effects were predicted by positive personality, lower level of course demands, by unwinding after study and by quality of life in the second phase. Themes derived from open-ended responses showed that participants found the hardest parts were pre-arrival and the first few weeks in the UK: 48% of the students reported academic difficulties such as exams, deadlines and lack of adjustment to the education system. Time management and study-life balance were the next most difficult issues, especially for those who reported themselves married. Finally, students reported getting social support from family and friends and used exercise as a coping strategy. Results give support to the value of ‘studying away’ strategies that can help students who are away from home to maintain wellbeing.

Background: Police are exposed to a wide range of stressors and this is especially true in developing countries such as Jamaica. Exposure to psychosocial stressors and use of maladaptive coping styles can result in mental ill-health. \ud \ud Aims: To examine the relationship between work characteristics, coping and mental health in Jamaican police officers and to test whether work characteristics are indirectly associated with mental health outcomes through perceived job stress and job satisfaction. \ud \ud Methods: Police officers from the Jamaican police force completed a questionnaire using a cross-sectional design. We analysed the data using hierarchical regression. \ud \ud Results: The study group consisted of 134 police officers; the response rate was 94%. Negative work characteristics, lower levels of positive work factors and work support and emotion-focused coping styles were associated with increased levels of depression (F(8, 125) = 7.465, P < 0.001). Subjective feelings of anxiety were positively associated with negative work characteristics and emotion-focused coping (F(8, 125) = 7.586, P < 0.001). The relationship between work characteristics and mental health outcomes was mediated by perceived stress. Job satisfaction mediated the relationship between positive work characteristics and depression. \ud \ud Conclusions: Stress management and intervention programmes should address modifiable work conditions, monitor stress levels and reduce maladaptive coping.

Background: The Well-being Process Questionnaire (WPQ) has proven to be a useful instrument in the measurement of well-being. This is because it uses single/short items to measure several well-being variables with the same instrument. This article attempts to add resilience, work-life balance and burnout to the WPQ to find out if they increase its predictive value.\ud\udAims: First, to confirm the effect of the established predictors from previous studies which used the WPQ. Secondly, to test new variables: resilience, work-life balance and burnout to observe how they relate with the established variables to check for the possibility of their subsequent addition to future iterations of the WPQ.\ud\udMethodology: The research summarized in this paper comprises two studies. The sample for the first study comprised 105 White British workers (male and female), aged 18-66 (mean age: 39.8). The sample for the second study was 145 university undergraduates (male and female), aged 18-23 (mean age: 19.19). Ethical approval for both studies was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Cardiff University School of Psychology. The theoretical framework was the Demands-Resources Individual Effects (DRIVE) model, while the instruments used were the Well-being Process Questionnaire (WPQ) and the Student Well-being Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) respectively. Regressions were carried out to test for the established effects. Stepwise regressions were performed to ascertain if the combination of the established effects and new variables had any significant implications for future WPQ iterations and studies.\ud\udResults: Many of the established effects were replicated in both studies. The longer and shorter items for burnout and work-life balance showed moderate to strong correlations at P

Background: This study aimed to investigate the influence of attitudes towards training on individuals’ level of well-being, after controlling for other variables (demographics and psychosocial characteristics). Attitudes towards training consist of motivation to learn, learning, transfer intention and cognitive dissonance.\ud \ud Methodology: In total, 210 workers who had undergone various training programs completed an online survey measuring various psychosocial characteristics, four training attitudes and level of well-being.\ud \ud Results: The results showed that positive psychosocial characteristics (positive personality, positive coping, positive work characteristics, organisational citizenship behaviours and commitment) had significant associations with positive attitudes towards training (motivation to learn, learning and transfer intention) and positive well-being. Similarly, negative psychosocial characteristics (negative coping and negative work characteristics) were correlated with negative training attitudes (cognitive dissonance) and negative well-being. The training attitudes also had a moderate to high correlation with well-being. However, after controlling for other variables (age, gender, education and psychosocial characteristics), only cognitive dissonance was found to influence negative well-being. Cognitive dissonance theory was used to explain these findings.\ud \ud Conclusion: This study gives a new perspective in the field of both training and well-being. It not only provides new knowledge but may also be beneficial to practitioners. More research is required in the future to confirm the link between training attitudes and well-being and examine in more depth the relationship between them.

Background: The first aim of this study was to analyse the structure of coping and to develop a measuring instrument to be used in future work. A second aim was to examine associations between coping scores and negative outcomes (anxiety, depression, fatigue, cognitive difficulties and somatic symptoms). Finally, gender differences in coping with workplace events were examined, as were the relationships between gender and subjective health outcomes.\ud \ud Methodology: A survey of a sample of 240 adults from the South Wales area was conducted at one-time point only. The questionnaire included a factor analysed version of the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCCL) as well as scales measuring anxiety, depression, fatigue, cognitive difficulties and somatic symptoms.\ud \ud Results: Results showed that negative coping styles significantly predicted negative health outcomes, and positive coping styles predicted fewer negative outcomes. No significant differences were found for health outcomes between men and women, but women were significantly more likely to use self-blame and wishful thinking coping.\ud \ud Conclusion: This study demonstrated that coping styles are associated with wellbeing outcomes. Further research should use more independent variables, such as workplace and individual characteristics, to explain more of the variance in health outcomes than just that explained by coping styles alone.

This review aims to address the major sources of stress experienced by international students, the role of individual differences, the chronology of their stress levels and wellbeing over time, and gaps in the existing literature. Two electronic databases (PubMed and Psych Info) were searched for English peer-reviewed articles using eight search terms. Thirty-eight studies were included in this paper and divided into themes and sub-themes including sources of stress, individual differences and mental health including stress, depression and wellbeing. The findings highlight major stressors and show mixed results in some areas due to the lack of homogenous samples based on country of origin or ethnicity and sometimes context differences concerning the country or university social dynamics. Limitations were identified in the methodology, and several recommendations for future research are included.

Background Recreational drug use is a major cause of disease, injury, physical and mental impairment and death in developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybe mushrooms are recreational drugs with capacity to cause harm. Cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin have reported therapeutic applications. Objectives The primary purpose of this study was to determine which of the three types of vendor (pharmacy, shop and the black market) are perceived to be the most suitable for selling the substances discussed according to a general population sample. Methods A sample of 105 UK nationals was selected for the survey. Participants were presented information regarding reported relative dangers of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin and potential therapeutic applications. Participants were then asked to review harm reduction strategies. Results It was found that participants concluded that pharmacists with available NHS support from GPs and mental health workers are the most suitable vendors of cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin as opposed to regulated shops or the black market (p Conclusions The data suggest that the university-educated participants are supportive of treating recreational drug use as a health issue with GPs, mental health workers and pharmacists taking on roles.

The behavioral effects of chewing gum have been studied for over 80 years and much of the research has been concerned with increases in alertness and attention. Another line of research has addressed the issue of whether chewing gum reduces stress. This topic has been studied in the laboratory, in epidemiological studies and real-life interventions. Relevance for patients: The present article briefly reviews the area and makes the case for dissemination of the findings with the aim of reducing stress in the general population and patient groups.

Objectives: This study integrates different aspects of ethnicity and work-related stress dimensions (based on the Demands-Resources-Individual-Effects model, DRIVE [Mark, G. M., and A. P. Smith. 2008. “Stress Models: A Review and Suggested New Direction.” In Occupational Health Psychology, edited by J. Houdmont and S. Leka, 111–144. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press]) and aims to test a multi-dimensional model that combines individual differences, ethnicity dimensions, work characteristics, and perceived job satisfaction/stress as independent variables in the prediction of subjectives reports of health by workers differing in ethnicity. Design: A questionnaire consisting of the following sections was submitted to 900 workers in Southern Italy: for individual and cultural characteristics, coping strategies, personality behaviours, and acculturation strategies; for work characteristics, perceived job demands and job resources/rewards; for appraisals, perceived job stress/satisfaction and racial discrimination; for subjective reports of health, psychological disorders and general health. To test the reliability and construct validity of the extracted factors referred to all dimensions involved in the proposed model and logistic regression analyses to evaluate the main effects of the independent variables on the health outcomes were conducted. Results: Principal component analysis (PCA) yielded seven factors for individual and cultural characteristics (emotional/relational coping, objective coping, Type A behaviour, negative affectivity, social inhibition, affirmation/maintenance culture, and search identity/adoption of the host culture); three factors for work characteristics (work demands, intrinsic/extrinsic rewards, and work resources); three factors for appraisals (perceived job satisfaction, perceived job stress, perceived racial discrimination) and three factors for subjective reports of health (interpersonal disorders, anxious-depressive disorders, and general health). Logistic regression analyses showed main effects of specific individual and cultural differences, work characteristics and perceived job satisfaction/stress on the risk of suffering health problems. Conclusion: The suggested model provides a strong framework that illustrates how psychosocial and individual variables can influence occupational health in multi-cultural workplaces.

The Demand Resources and Individual Effects Model (DRIVE Model) is a transactional model that integrates Demands- Control-Support and Effort-Reward Imbalance models emphasising the role of individual (Coping Strategies; Overcommitment) and job characteristics (Job Demands, Social Support, Decision Latitude, Skill Discretion, Effort, Rewards) in the work-related stress process. The present study aimed to test the DRIVE Model in a sample of 450 Italian nurses and to compare findings with those of a study conducted in a sample of UK nurses. A questionnaire composed of Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised (WCCL-R); Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ); ERI Test; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used. Data supported the application of the DRIVE Model to the Italian context, showing significant associations of the individual characteristics of Problem-focused, Seek Advice and Wishful Thinking coping strategies and the job characteristics of Job Demands, Skill Discretion, Decision Latitude, and Effort with perceived levels of Anxiety and Depression. Effort represented the best predictor for psychological health conditions among Italian nurses, and Social Support significantly moderated the effects of Job Demands on perceived levels of Anxiety. The comparison study showed significant differences in the risk profiles of Italian and UK nurses. Findings were discussed in order to define focused interventions to promote nurses’ wellbeing.

Research suggests that university staff have high stress levels but less is known about the well-being of this group. The present study used an adapted version of the Demands-Resources-Individual Effects (DRIVE) model to investigate these topics. It also used the Well-Being Process Questionnaire (WPQ) which consists of single items derived from longer scales. One hundred and twenty university staff participated in an online survey. The single items had good concurrent validity and estimated reliability. Factor analyses showed that single items and the longer scales loaded on the same factor. Work characteristics could be sub-divided into two factors (resources and demands), as could personality (positive personality and openness/agreeable/conscientious), coping (positive and negative coping) and outcomes (positive well-being and negative outcomes such as stress and anxiety). Results from regressions showed that positive well-being was predicted by positive personality and positive coping. Negative outcomes were predicted by job demands and negative coping. Overall, the study has demonstrated the utility of the adapted DRIVE model and shown that a short single item measuring instrument can quickly capture a wide range of job and psychosocial characteristics.

Objective: Two studies tested multivariate models of relationships between subjective task engagement and vigilance. The second study included a stress factor (cold infection). Modeling tested relationships between latent factors for task engagement and vigilance, and the role of engagement in mediating effects of cold infection. Background: Raja Parasuraman’s research on vigilance identified several key issues, including the roles of task factors, arousal processes, and individual differences, within the framework of resource theory. Task engagement is positively correlated with performance on various attentional tasks and may serve as a marker for resource availability. Method: In the first study, 229 participants performed simultaneous and successive vigilance tasks. In the second study, 204 participants performed a vigilance task and a variable-foreperiod simple reaction-time task on two separate days. On the second day, 96 participants performed while infected with a naturally occurring common cold. Task engagement was assessed in both studies. Results: In both studies, vigilance decrement in hit rate was observed, and task performance led to loss of task engagement. Cold infection also depressed both vigilance and engagement. Fitting structural equation models indicated that simultaneous and successive tasks should be represented by separate latent factors (Study 1), and task engagement fully mediated the impact of cold infection on vigilance but not reaction time (Study 2). Conclusions: Modeling individual differences in task engagement elucidates the role of resources in vigilance and underscores the relevance of Parasuraman’s vision of the field. Application: Assessment of task engagement may support diagnostic monitoring of operators performing tasks requiring vigilance.

Research has identified a number of risk factors for road traffic accidents. Some of these require education of drivers and a first step in this process is to assess perceptions of these risk factors to determine the current level of awareness. An online survey examined risk perception with the focus being on driver behavior, risk taking and fatigue. The results showed that drivers’ perceptions of the risk from being fatigued was lower than the perceived risk from the other factors.

Sixteen healthy male volunteers who smoked at least 20 cigarettes a day and satisfied DSM-IIIR criteria for nicotine dependence were recruited to investigate the possible effects of a selective 5HT-3 receptor antagonist (BRL 46470A) on acute nicotine withdrawal. The study was of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-way crossover design using two doses of BRL 46470A (0.1 and 10 μg) and one dose of lorazepam (1 mg). Outcome measures included visual analogue ratings for nicotine withdrawal and a battery of psychological performance tests. Except for an effect of BRL 46470A (0.1 μg) to decrease subjective rating of confusion, none of the drug treatments attenuated subjective measures of nicotine withdrawal. Lorazepam significantly impaired performance on all three tests of neuropsychological function, but BRL 46470A was without effect on these measures.

Aims: Performance in school is known to predict a number of important outcomes in later life (e.g. socioeconomic status). For this reason it is considered useful to identify aspects of demography and lifestyle that are associated with low school attendance, low academic attainment, and high occurrences of problem behaviour. \ud Study Design: The current study utilised a cross-sectional design; analyses were performed twice due to the availability of two cross-sections of data from the same sample.\ud Place and Duration of Study: Data from the current study were collected from three secondary schools in Cornwall, UK. The first cross-section was collected in December, 2012, and the second was collected in June, 2013.\ud Methodology: The School Information Management System was used to obtain data relating to demography (sex, school and year group attended, eligibility/ineligibility to receive free school meals, and presence/absence of a special educational needs status) and school performance (attendance, attainment at Key Stage 3/Key Stage 4 English and maths, and occurrence of behavioural sanctions). Lifestyle factors (number of sleep hours, and frequency of exercise participation) were assessed via pen and paper questionnaire. Chi-square, chi-square tests of linear association, and between-subjects t-tests were used to establish whether the school performance outcomes were associated with the demographic and lifestyle variables. These analyses were then followed-up with binary logistic regression, to determine whether the observed effects were independent of one another.\ud Results: Low school performance was consistently associated with male sex, school and year group attended, special educational needs status, eligibility to receive free school meals, low sleep hours, and infrequent exercise participation. In addition, below average school attendance was itself predictive of low English and maths attainment, and of a high occurrence of behavioural sanctions. The majority of effects observed were significant at both the univariate and multivariate levels.\ud Conclusions: The identification of demographic and lifestyle correlates of school performance may be useful for detecting at-risk individuals who might benefit from interventions. If such interventions were to be effective, the associated reductions in future unemployment and criminality could be beneficial to society as a whole.

Aims: Ethnicity and culture represent a novel topic in the literature on stress and wellbeing at work because there has not been enough consideration of them in studies of work stress. This paper aims to present a critical review and evaluate recent articles investigating ethnicity in the literature on stress and wellbeing at work to identify limitations of previous research concerning all the aspects related to the cultural dimensions in this research area.\ud \ud Methodology: Pubmed, PsycInfo and Scopus databases were searched for articles dealing with ethnicity and occupational health for the years 1985 to 2014. The studies were divided into three categories as follows: ethnicity and occupational mental health, ethnicity and occupational physical health, ethnicity and work stress.\ud \ud Results: Sixty articles were selected, 26 on occupational mental health, 13 on physical health and 21 on work stress. None of the studies used a transactional perspective or took as a framework of reference general models of stress that integrate all the aspects related to ethnicity with work-related dimensions. Most of the reviewed studies measured ethnicity as a descriptive category of the working population studied (i.e. country of birth, nationality, language, skin colour, origin, racial group) or focused on the differences between ethnic groups and it has failed to consider the salient cultural aspects such as acculturation strategy, cultural identity and perceived racial discrimination.\ud \ud Conclusions: The gap in the work stress literature on different aspects of ethnicity suggests further consideration of the potential role of cultural dimensions as individual differences or as potential sources of stress in work stress models and shows the need to develop and test a general model that integrates ethnicity and work-related stress in a transactional perspective.

Aims: Stress, anxiety, and depression are alarmingly common in the general population, can be extremely debilitating, and are a huge cost to public health services. Understanding risk factors associated with such conditions may therefore be useful in helping devise intervention strategies. Though much research has been conducted in the adult population, relatively few studies have investigated these problems in adolescents from the UK. This is a gap in the literature that the current paper aims to address.\ud Study Design: The current research utilised a cross-sectional design.\ud Place and Duration of Study: Data were collected from three secondary schools in Cornwall, UK, in June 2013.\ud Methodology: Data from the Cornish Academies Project were used to investigate links between demographic and lifestyle variables and single item measures of stress, anxiety, and depression. The sample included 2307 secondary school children aged 11-17 (48.5% male, 51.5% female) from the South West of England.\ud Results: A number of risk factors were identified, including female gender, low sleep hours, and belonging to a higher school year. In addition to this, the effects of stress anxiety, and depression on school attendance, Key Stage 3/Key Stage 4 English and maths attainment, and the occurrence of behavioural sanctions were investigated. After demographic and lifestyle covariates had been controlled for, high stress was found to predict the occurrence of behavioural sanctions, and high depression was associated with below average English and maths attainment.\ud Conclusion: Though the findings presented are informative in themselves, the identification of correlates of mental health problems in this demographic group may also be of benefit to future studies that utilise multivariate approaches to data analysis.

Recent evidence has indicated that chewing gum can enhance attention, as well as promoting well-being and work performance. Four studies (two experiments and two intervention studies) examined the robustness of and mechanisms for these effects. Study 1 investigated the acute effect of gum on mood in the absence of task performance. Study 2 examined the effect of rate and force of chewing on mood and attention performance. Study 3 assessed the effects of chewing gum during one working day on well-being and performance, as well as postwork mood and cognitive performance. In Study 4, performance and well-being were reported throughout the workday and at the end of the day, and heart rate and cortisol were measured. Under experimental conditions, gum was associated with higher alertness regardless of whether performance tasks were completed and altered sustained attention. Rate of chewing and subjective force of chewing did not alter mood but had some limited effects on attention. Chewing gum during the workday was associated with higher productivity and fewer cognitive problems, raised cortisol levels in the morning, and did not affect heart rate. The results emphasise that chewing gum can attenuate reductions in alertness, suggesting that chewing gum enhances worker performance.

A large body of research suggests that diet can exert significant effects on behaviour, mood, and cognition. Of particular concern in recent years has been the rapid rise in popularity of highly caffeinated energy drinks, with some suggesting that they may negatively impact the performance, behaviour and health of schoolchildren. The current study aimed to assess whether these products exert acute effects on the likelihood of children receiving detentions. In addition, another known risk factor, the omission of breakfast, was also recorded. Participants in the current study came from a cohort of 3071 pupils attending three secondary schools in the South West of England. Those who were given a detention during a weeklong period of December 2013 (N = 40) were asked to state whether or not they had consumed an energy drink and eaten breakfast that day. The results were then compared to a control day later in the same week on which detentions had not been received. The children given detention were found to be more likely to habitually consume energy drinks and skip breakfast than other children in the cohort from which they came. The major difference between detention and control days was that on detention days there was an increase in both missing breakfast and consuming energy drinks. Though conclusions must be tentative due to the preliminary nature of the study, the results indicate that breakfast intervention programmes and restricting energy drink consumption may be effective methods for reducing problem behaviour in secondary schools.

Previous research has shown that both experimentally-induced and naturally occurring upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTIs) influence mood and mental functioning. None of the previous studies of naturally occurring colds has conducted appropriate virological assays to determine the nature of the infecting agent. This is an essential methodological step in studies of malaise associated with URTIs. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of naturally occurring colds on mood and objective measures of performance. This was done by first conducting a cross-sectional comparison of 37 healthy people and 158 volunteers with colds and then a longitudinal study in which 100 volunteers developed colds and 87 remained healthy. Virological techniques were used to identify infecting agents and comparisons made across the different groups. The results showed that having a cold was associated with reduced alertness and slowed reaction times. These effects were observed both for colds where the infecting virus was identified and those where it was not. Similar effects were obtained for both rhinovirus and coronavirus colds. One may conclude that upper respiratory tract illnesses lead to a reduction in subjective alertness and impaired psychomotor functioning. This was true for both illnesses where the infecting agent was identified and for those clinical illnesses where no virus was detected. It is now important to identify the mechanisms linking infection and illness with the behavioural changes. Similarly, the impact of these effects on real-life activities such as driving needs examining. Finally, methods of treatment need to be developed which not only treat the local symptoms of the illnesses but remove the negative mood and the performance impairments. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.