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Research on child well-being under 10 years old is limited. A first step towards stimulating research targeting this population is the validation of psychometric scales across cultures. The current study examines the cross-cultural validity of the Children’s Worlds - Subjective Well-being Scale (CS-SWBS-8-year-old version), a six-item subjective well-being scale in an international sample of 8-year-olds (N = 20,822) across 19 countries. A confirmatory factor analysis of the CW-SWBS-8yo showed adequate fit after structural equation modelling. Multi-group analysis supported scalar invariance when one of the countries (Chile) was not included in the model. When testing convergent validity, results suggested that the CW-SWBS-8yo is predicted by life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Overall, the findings support the use of the CW-SWBS-8yo in 8 year-olds in both eastern and western countries.

The proliferation of mental health research is orienting its efforts towards the exploration of psychological well-being. One of the main burdens is the measurement challenges reported by the widely used Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS), which has often been criticized for inconsistencies between the theoretical and the empirical model. A potential alternative to understand the structure of psychological well-being is network models, which conceptualizes psychological phenomena as emerging systems of mutually connected variables. Employing exploratory graph analysis, we examined the network structure of the Spanish 29-item PWBS in a random sample of 1,404 adults. We estimated a regularized partial correlation network using the graphical LASSO algorithm in the item and dimension level. We tested the stability of both networks and identified the most important variables of the network. The PWBS network model revealed four dimensions, with self-acceptance, life purpose and environmental mastery clustering together. Node strength centrality suggested that self-acceptance is the most central dimension in the psychological well-being structure as measured by the PWBS. Despite the network model of psychological well-being did not replicate the theoretical structure of Ryff's model, it provides a novel conceptualization of psychological well-being and proposes target indicators for mental health interventions Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Wiley

Background Sociosexuality explains whether people hold an (un)restricted orientation toward casual sex, and its effects on well-being are inconclusive. This study investigates how specifically the ...

The study of cardiovascular risk factors has been deeply described in recent years, but the findings on the complex role of psychological indicators (i.e. happiness and depression) on cardiovascular health are mixed. The primary goal of our study was to examine the extent to which certain psychological aspects, namely happiness and depression, can predict cardiovascular risk. A sample of 173 (

The network approach poses an alternative focus to understand psychological constructs as emerging from mutual interactions among indicators. Network psychometrics has been applied to psychopathology to unravel the connections between symptoms, but it can also be applied to the study of well-being. The role of character strengths in mental health is at the forefront of research attention. Previous findings suggest that heart character strengths are more predictive of mental health than mind character strengths. Nevertheless, researchers have rarely applied the network approach in this context. The present study examines, from the network approach, the connections between heart and mind character strengths and mental health. Building upon the dual-factor model of mental health, positive (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction) and negative indicators (i.e., depression) were included in the assessment of this construct. A sample of 597 Spanish undergraduates (M = 23.52; SD = 5.25; 75.6% females) completed cross-sectional self-report measures. Network analysis was used to estimate a network composed of two communities: character strengths and mental health. We used centrality analysis to calculate the importance of each node and bridge centrality to examine the interactions between the communities. The results indicated that the heart strengths of love, zest, hope, and gratitude reported the highest bridge strength centrality, suggesting that they played an intermediary role activating and deactivating components of mental health. Adopting the network approach to explore the connections between character strengths and mental health can help design focused intervention strategies in psychology.

Objective: Two studies were conducted to investigate fear of happiness through the lens of the dual continua model of mental health. Methods: In Study 1, we examined whether depression (indicator of mental illness) and happiness (indicator of mental health) predicted fear of happiness through a Structural Equation Model. In Study 2, we ran a quasi‐experimental design to examine differences in affect (positive and negative), happiness and depression when engaging in either fearless or fearful beliefs of happiness. Results: Fear of happiness was positively and negatively predicted by depression and happiness, respectively. Fearless individuals reported higher positive affect and happiness, and lower negative affect and depression, than fearful individuals. Conclusions: Fearing happiness might act as a maladaptive self‐verifying motive to enhance one's perspective of the world. Given the likelihood of modifying maladaptive cognitive patterns, we highlight different psychological interventions that can address the negative impact of fearful beliefs of happiness.

Introduction Time attitudes refer to the way individuals feel about their past, present, and future and have been associated with adolescent-specific developmental, social, and emotional changes. The dual-factor model of mental health proposes that optimal functioning entails high levels of emotional, social, and psychological well-being, as well as low levels of psychopathology. Since previous research has suggested that time attitudes can assist in understanding the development of adolescents, the primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between time attitudes and mental health according to the dual-factor model. Methods: A total of 317 Spanish high school students aged between 14 and 16 years (45.1% females) participated in the study. Time attitudes were assessed with the Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory-Time Attitudes Scale, and profiles were identified through person-centered analysis. Data were also gathered on well-being and psychological distress measures, which were analyzed as distal outcomes. Results: Four time attitude profiles were identified – negatives, positives, past negatives, and present/future negatives. Adolescents belonging to the positive profile reported higher scores on well-being and lower scores on psychological distress. The psychological well-being and depression constructs had higher (positive and negative, respectively) scores across all profiles. These results suggested an association between time attitude profiles and mental health according to the dual-factor model. Conclusions: We suggest that positive psychology interventions may nudge adolescents towards a more positive appraisal of the past, present, and future and promote their mental health and positive development. Further practical implications are discussed.

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a key role in the adjustment of adolescents during this transitional life period. The accumulated evidences suggest that EI is associated with happiness, considered the affective component of subjective well-being and optimism and pessimism, considered cognitive mechanisms to expect either a brighter or darker future. In spite of the relevance of the relationship between EI, happiness, optimism, and pessimism, the majority of the research falls behind findings with adult samples, accumulating little knowledge in the context of adolescence. Furthermore, the measurement of EI has been recently challenged by the introduction of the bifactor model into the study of EI. The goal of the current study was to explore the association of EI with happiness, optimism, and pessimism in adolescence by introducing the bifactor EI model. The participants were 493 Spanish high-school students ranging from 14 to 18 years old (52.7% females) who completed self-report questionnaires. The results demonstrated that the bifactor EI model with an e-factor (general EI factor) and three emotional dimensions (emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional regulation) also represented the best well-fitted structure in adolescence. Most remarkably, results suggested that general EI and emotional regulation predicted positively happiness and optimism, while emotional attention predicted positively pessimism and negatively happiness. These results highlight the importance of the measurement of EI in the study of associated outcomes that are considered relevant during the period of adolescence. Hence, the specific role of the EI dimensions are important when explaining the relationship of EI with happiness, optimism, and pessimism.

Multicomponent positive psychology interventions are increasing in the general population but the study of its effectiveness in adolescents is still scarce, especially in the school context. Previous meta-analyses have reported that multicomponent positive psychology interventions increase well-being and reduce distress outcomes. However, the results on these outcomes limit their samples to adult populations. The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate and compare the immediate but also long-lasting effects of school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions aimed at increasing well-being indicators of mental health (i.e., subjective and psychological well-being) and reducing the most common psychological distress indicators (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) in adolescents. A total of 9 randomized and non-randomized controlled trials from the searched literature met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The results showed small effects for subjective well-being (g = 0.24), psychological well-being (g = 0.25), and depression symptoms (g = 0.28). Removing low-quality studies led to a slight decrease in the effect sizes for subjective well-being and a considerable increase for psychological well-being and depression symptoms. The relevant moderation analyses had an effect on subjective well-being and depression symptoms. The present systematic review and meta-analysis found evidence for the efficacy of school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions in improving mental health in the short and long-term. Small effects for subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and depression symptoms were identified. Effects for psychological well-being and depression symptoms remained significant over time. In light of our results, education policy-makers and practitioners are encouraged to include positive practices within the schools' curriculum as effective and easily implemented tools that help to enhance adolescents' mental health. Further research is needed in order to strengthen the findings about school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions in adolescents.

The effectiveness of multicomponent positive psychology interventions (MPPIs) on adolescents' mental health has been studied with the use of standard procedures throughout the scientific literature. However, little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying the network structure of mental health following the dual-factor model after an MPPI. We relied on network analysis to explore the reorganization of the connections between mental health indicators after a school-based MPPI. Adolescents from two high schools in Spain were randomly allocated to the 6-week intervention group (n = 85) or to the control group (n = 135). Network analysis showed that the relations between the two differentiated network dimensions of mental health (i.e. well-being and psychological distress) changed after the intervention. Unlike control participants, emotional well-being was negatively associated with depression and stress, while psychological well-being was positively related to stress after the intervention. The present study supports the viability of the network approach in analyzing the connections between mental health indicators as defined by the dual-factor model and the contribution of MPPIs to change the complex pattern of relations between the dimensions of well-being and psychological distress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted a global health crisis that has threatened the mental health of individuals worldwide. The present paper sought to systematically review and meta-analyze studies reporting the prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic of well-being and psychological distress as defined by the dual-continua model, which includes (absence of) psychological distress and (presence of) well-being among the general population and healthcare workers. Systematic searches were conducted in various databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until 6 December 2020. From a total of 158 studies (N = 880,352) included in the meta-analysis, only seven reported the prevalence of well-being. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence among the general population and healthcare workers on depression (25%; 31%), anxiety (27%; 31%), stress (35%; 32%), and well-being (52%; 45%), respectively. Sub-group analyses based on region, income, percentage of women, preparedness of country to respond to COVID-19, and economic vulnerabilities were conducted in order to examine sources of heterogeneity in psychological distress. Results revealed differences among the two groups and indicated that disparities in terms of preparedness to fight the pandemic can distinctly affect mental health in the general population and healthcare workers. Addressing mental health during and after a health crisis should be in the spotlight of the international and national public health agenda. Considering the protective role of well-being to minimize psychological symptoms, mental health policies during the COVID-19 should include strategies to combat the psychological consequences of the pandemic by promoting well-being practices.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-02913-6.

Vulnerable narcissism is associated to the fear of criticism and rejection; however, to date no investigation assessed its relations to the dispositions towards ridicule and laughter, which is scrutinized in the current paper. The dispositions towards ridicule and laughter could be conceptualized as three distinct types of humor traits: gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at), and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others). We expected that, according to the complex structure of vulnerable narcissism, it would be positively related to gelotophobia and katagelasticism, reflecting social withdrawal on the one hand, and antagonistic orientation towards people on the other. The results supported our hypotheses, providing further evidence to the complex structure of vulnerable narcissism The work of Radosław Rogoza was supported by National Science Centre, Poland (2020/39/B/HS6/00052) and the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Elsevier

Time attitudes, which refer to positive and negative feelings towards the past, present, and future, are a salient phenomenon in the developmental stage of adolescence and have been related to better well-being. Positive feelings towards time can be promoted in the school setting through empirically validated positive psychology interventions. However, the extent to which these interventions impact the time attitudes of adolescents remains unknown. The current study investigated the influence of a multicomponent positive psychology intervention on adolescents’ transitions between time attitude profiles and how these transitions are related to their emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Participants consisted of 220 (M = 14.98; 47.3% female) adolescents from two Spanish high schools who participated in the six-week Get to Know Me+ program. Adolescents’ time attitudes and well-being were measured via the Adolescents and Adult Time Inventory–Time Attitudes and the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form, respectively, at pre- and postintervention. Participants were clustered in different profiles through a latent profile analysis, and the transitions were analyzed using a latent transition analysis. Five profiles were identified (negative, present/future negative, past negative, optimistic, and positive), and results indicated that adolescents who participated in the intervention were more likely to transition to positive profiles (optimistic and positive) and generally reported higher well-being, especially those in the negative, present/future negative, and optimistic profiles. Preliminary evidence showed that school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions can have a positive impact on adolescents’ feelings towards time and well-being.

What are the differences between optimists and pessimists? The aim of this study is to analyze the differences reported by optimists and pessimists in terms of three psychological variables: emotional intelligence (EI), happiness, and life satisfaction. To answer this question, we examined the extent to which a combination of different levels of optimism and pessimism can differently predict EI, happiness, and life satisfaction in two independent samples (891 adults, 494 adolescents). To do that, we introduced a person-centered approach, which offers several advantages in the study of optimism over the extended, predominant variable-centered approach. Then, using a latent profile analysis, we identified three groups of individuals with a similar optimism–pessimism configuration: optimists, ambivalents, and pessimists. The results obtained supported our hypothesis that optimists report higher EI, happiness, and life satisfaction levels than those reported by pessimists. Low levels of optimism, rather than high levels of pessimism, distinguish optimistic from non-optimistic people in the prediction of external outcomes. Our results suggest that optimism and pessimism can be viewed as separate yet correlated traits that can be grouped together to explain individual affective and cognitive differences, which encourage the refinement of strategies and interventions used in psychology practice Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature

Social processes depend on individual features that make possible the development of social relationships and strong ties. Mental well-being (i.e., emotional, social, and psychological) in particular plays a key role in these processes influencing the formation of social ties. However, little is known about the potential of perceiving individuals as happy because of their levels of mental well-being. The aim of the study is to perform a longitudinal social network analysis to explore how mental well-being predicts being perceived as a happy individual. The study sample comprised 240 first-year university students and data were gathered through self-reported measures and peer reports, asking the students to select happy peers according to their perceptions. Results confirmed that mental well-being influenced the judgments of individuals regarding being perceived as a happy peer at zero-acquaintance level. These findings support mental well-being as an important resource to facilitate the development of social relationships.

The dual-continua model of mental health distinguishes between mental illness (presence of mental disorders, such as depression) and mental well-being (presence of positive traits and abilities). This model also distinguishes between hedonic well-being (e.g., affect balance and life satisfaction) and eudaimonic well-being (i.e., optimal psychological and social functioning, as indicated for example by having a purpose in life). We examined the relationships between depressive symptoms (a common indicator of mental illness), life satisfaction, and eudaimonic well-being. The study used a sample of 17,056 participants from England whose data were collected at eight intervals of approximately two years over a 16-year period, from 2004 to 2019. The mean age of the sample in the first wave was 58.843 years, with a standard deviation of 12.617 years (women = 55.2%). We disentangled within- and between-person sources of variance to examine whether increases or decreases in one variable preceded changes in the other variables at the next time point. We found positive reciprocal relationships between life satisfaction and eudaimonic well-being and negative reciprocal relationships between the two well-being dimensions and depressive symptoms. These results suggest that within-person increases in well-being are followed by future decreases in depressive symptoms, and within-person increases in depressive symptoms are followed by future decreases in well-being. Therefore, low levels of mental well-being in older adults may be considered a risk factor for depression, and well-being interventions (such as those focused on meaning-making) may serve as a protective factor against depression in older adults.

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been found to generally predict subjective wellbeing (SWB) indicators such as life satisfaction and happiness. Concerning the specific abilities of trait EI, i.e., mood attention, emotional clarity and mood repair, research has largely demonstrated that emotional clarity and mood repair are the strongest predictors of SWB indicators, whereas mood attention has been relegated to a secondary role. To clarify previous inconsistencies, we tested EI by means of the bifactor model because it allows for a better comprehension of the complex nature of EI. The current paper was composed of two studies: Study 1 examined the prediction of SWB indicators by EI and its dimensions in the bifactor model; and Study 2 analysed the differences in EI and SWB indicators across university students and employees. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that the structure of EI is best represented by the bifactor model with a general e(motional)-factor and three specific emotional abilities. Mood attention was a negative predictor of SWB indicators, whereas mood repair was a positive predictor, and emotional clarity was non-significant. Study 2 showed that employees and university students did not differed in how EI predicted SWB indicators. These findings evidenced a shift in the study and measurement of EI. Further implications of this paper are discussed.

The proliferation of mental health research is orienting its efforts towards the exploration of psychological well-being. One of the main burdens is the measurement challenges reported by the Psychological Well-being Scale (PWBS), which has often been criticized for inconsistencies between the theoretical and the empirical model. A potential alternative to understand the structure of psychological well-being is network models, which conceptualizes psychological phenomena as emerging systems of mutually connected indicators. We examined the network structure of the Spanish 29-item PWBS in a sample of 1,404 adults. We estimated a regularized partial correlation network using the graphical LASSO algorithm in the item and dimension level. We tested the stability of both networks and identified the most important variables of the network. The PWBS network model revealed four dimensions, with self-acceptance, life purpose and environmental mastery clustering together. Node strength centrality suggested that self-acceptance is the most central dimension in the psychological well-being structure as measured by the PWBS. Despite the network model of psychological well-being did not replicate the theoretical structure of Ryff’s model, it provides a novel conceptualization of psychological well-being and proposes target indicators for mental health interventions.

There are different concepts of humor: virtuous humor (i.e., benevolent and corrective humor) which represents the morally good, and three dispositions towards ridicule and laughter, namely the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia), the joy of being laughed at (gelotophilia), and the joy of laughing at others (katagelasticism). In the current study, we aim to investigate the relationship of virtuous humor and dispositions towards ridicule and laughter with happiness. A sample of 229 Spanish undergraduates completed self-reports of the corresponding measures. Regression analyses revealed individual differences in humor predicting happiness. Gelotophobia and corrective humor were negatively associated with happiness, whereas gelotophilia and benevolent humor were positively associated with happiness. The effect of gelotophilia on happiness may be due to the existing relationship between gelotophilia and benevolent humor. Our study extends prior research into the contribution of novel forms of humor to positive outcomes and replicates important findings on the relationship between humor and happiness. In sum, the results demonstrated that virtuous humor and dispositions towards ridicule and laughter can be adequately assessed among Spanish samples, and that it is important to consider novel forms of humor in the study of happiness.

Character strengths have been found to be predictive of high levels of life satisfaction. The present study attempts to examine the relationship between these constructs but at a fine-grained level. To that end, we used the heart versus mind classification of character strengths (Peterson, 2006), scarcely examined in prior research, to test whether affectivecomponent traits (heart strengths) are more linked to life satisfaction than cognitive-component traits (mind strengths). A sample of 419 undergraduate students completed the measures of character strengths and life satisfaction. Statistical analysis showed that affective-component traits were more predictive of life satisfaction than cognitive-component traits. These findings emphasize the need to devise strength-based interventions aimed at improving life satisfaction, specifically addressing heart character strengths. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed., La literatura científica demuestra que las fortalezas de carácter predicen altos niveles de satisfacción vital. El presente estudio pretende examinar la relación entre estos 2 constructos, pero de un modo más específico. Para ello, hicimos uso de la clasificación mente versus corazón de las fortalezas de carácter (Peterson, 2006), escasamente utilizada en estudios previos, para analizar si los rasgos de componente afectivo (fortalezas de corazón) se relacionan en mayor medida con la satisfacción vital que los rasgos con componente cognitivo (fortalezas de mente). Cuatrocientos diecinueve estudiantes universitarios completaron las 2 medidas requeridas. Los resultados demuestran que los rasgos de componente afectivo predicen la satisfacción vital en mayor medida que los rasgos de componente cognitivo. Este hallazgo destaca la necesidad de crear intervenciones basadas en las fortalezas de carácter para mejorar los niveles de satisfacción vital, poniendo especial énfasis en las fortalezas de corazón. Se comentan las implicaciones que suponen para futuras investigaciones en el campo del bienestar.

La psicología positiva ha protagonizado durante la última década una redirección científica en el estudio del funcionamiento humano, favoreciendo la proliferación de estrategias destinadas a mejorar el bienestar de las personas partiendo de las cualidades que les permiten alcanzar los objetivos. Este estudio pretende desarrollar un programa de mentoría personalizado entre estudiantes de primer y último año de la Facultad de Educación, Psicología y trabajo Social. Para llevarlo a cabo se han analizado diversos modelos de mentoría basados en la psicología positiva aplicada y, por el otro, el estudio exploratorio de los niveles de fortalezas de carácter, inteligencia emocional, rendimiento, bienestar y felicidad. Se ha contado con una muestra de 480 estudiantes procedentes de diferentes grados. A partir de los resultados de este estudio se muestra el diseño de un modelo de mentoría propio adaptado a las necesidades detectadas de la Facultad y pone especial énfasis en desarrollar estos componentes.

A recent re-operationalisation of grandiose narcissism has resulted in the distinction of two narcissistic strategies based on the cognitive, affective-motivational, and behavioural dynamics: admiration (assertive self-enhancement) and rivalry (antagonistic self-protection). The Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ) was developed to assess this model with two higher-order dimensions. However, cross-validations of the NARQ have not been extensively conducted across diverse population groups and languages. This study aimed to test the internal and external validity (through the relation with envy and self-esteem), reliability, and cross-cultural equivalence of the Spanish version of the NARQ. The psychometric properties were evaluated in a Spanish sample (N = 310), and cross-cultural equivalence was tested in participants from Chile (N = 234) and Colombia (N = 256). The results supported the reliability and validity of the Spanish NARQ, as well as the cross-cultural equivalence across Spanish-speaking countries. In addition, we discuss obtained differences across Spanish, Chilean, and Colombian sample within two narcissistic strategies. The work of Maria M. Kwiatkowska is supportedby the research program for young scientists and PhDstudents funded by the Cardinal Stefan Wyszy´nskiUniversity in Warsaw, Poland (project number:UmoBMF-14/18). The work of R. Rogoza was sup-ported by National Science Centre, Poland (projectnumber 2015/19/N/HS6/00685).