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This paper sheds light on the role of firm social connectedness in multiple banking relationships, controlling for other firm-level determinants. Using a large sample of Italian manufacturing firms, we develop novel text-based measures of firm connectedness and multiple banking relationships. We measure firm connectedness by exploiting information on the number of links that a non-financial firm has with any other non-financial firm through individuals who hold a position (such as shareholder, administrator, and technical or administrative employee) in both firms. The paper finds empirical evidence that firm connectedness is positively associated with the number of banks lending to the firm. This effect is stronger for younger, smaller, and more indebted firms, suggesting that firm connectedness favors the diffusion of soft information and ultimately their access to multiple sources of credit by reducing negotiation and transaction costs. Connectedness, on the other hand, does not seem to reduce firms' incentives to increase the number of lenders in order to minimize hold-up risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the consequences of upward socioeconomic mobility for disenfranchised individuals? This article examines this question in the context of a business training program offered to residents of Brazilian urban slums, known as "favelas." The study employs a randomized controlled trial complemented by quantile regressions, field visits, and interviews. The results show that training improves favela dwellers' economic outcomes, such as by increasing income and participation in entrepreneurship, and some socio-psychological outcomes, such as by improving self-efficacy and optimism. However, these income improvements were accompanied by participants' enhanced experiences of favela stigma, an adverse socio-psychological outcome related to their residential segregation. Both quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrate the multifaceted nature of socioeconomic mobility, through which favela dwellers who prosper economically become more exposed to prejudice from people living outside favelas. The study illustrates, through the "allegory of the favela," the bittersweet process of socioeconomic mobility. This abductive research contributes to the literature by showing that while interventions designed to enfranchise individuals may effectively achieve economic inclusion in terms of income gains, they may simultaneously lead participants into discriminatory systems that further stigmatize people based on the same characteristics of their prior exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer support is where individuals with the same shared experience provide mutual support. Using a non-controlled repeated measure design, this study evaluates initial efficacy of one-to-one email peer support. Young people with an eating disorder were matched with a recovered volunteer befriender, for up to one year, providing 1–3 email contacts a week. All participants completed measures (self-esteem, self-efficacy, wellbeing) at start of service, two and four-month intervals for recipients (n = 92) and peer befrienders (n = 86) respectively, and at end of service. Recipients also completed measures of social connectedness, impact of eating disorder, and goal-based outcomes. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models indicated significant improvements across all outcomes for recipients by 4 months, apart from self-esteem, and improvements self-efficacy, eating disorder impact and goal-based outcomes maintained at end of service. Peer befrienders did not show changes in self-esteem or self-efficacy, but there was a small significant reduction in wellbeing. The study provides evidence for email peer support for young people with eating disorders and highlights the need for robust support for befriending roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live-streamed and recorded concerts have increased the possibilities for attending live performances. In this study, our goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the qualities of the aesthetic experience in digital concerts of Western classical music. We thematically analyzed the free-form comments left by 341 participants of an online experiment after they viewed a digital concert. With an inductive approach, we developed a thematic framework focusing on medium-related affordances and their influence on the participants' experiences. The camerawork has a particular potential to affect sensory perception; for example, through close-ups and offering different visual perspectives. Additionally, the peculiarity of viewing the concert from one's living room creates a situation that can both foster and inhibit aspects of the experience and produce a constrained kind of social connectedness. Hence, specific experiential dimensions—such as closeness and immersion—are developed by the digital medium in distinctive ways. At the same time, participants' previous live experiences induced expectations conditioning the whole experience. Overall, this study contributes to understanding how an audience's aesthetic experience acquires specific qualities through the digitization of the concert. The findings also indicate possibilities for triggering specific dimensions of the audience's experience in future digital or hybrid concert design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have assessed the impact of operas on audience engagement in social issues and psychological well-being. This study evaluated a streaming opera's effects on measures of audience engagement important to Veterans' recovery from posttraumatic stress and unstable housing. Among 185 attendees, 137 completed at least part of the pre- or postopera surveys, and 45 completed both pre- and postopera surveys. Participants also shared 31 comments and 34 Zoom chat submissions. The primary outcome was change in willingness to engage in social activities, work, and family relationships with Veterans with posttraumatic stress or unstable housing. Secondary outcomes included measures of movement toward greater engagement, hope for Veterans Affairs (VA) response, positive and negative affect, arousal, and social connectedness. There was a large increase in overall willingness to engage with Veterans who have posttraumatic stress or unstable housing (Cohen's d =.74). Similar increases were observed among those reporting personal experience with trauma or unstable housing, despite high baseline willingness to engage. Postopera movement toward engagement correlated with postopera ratings of positive affect, social connectedness, and arousal. Qualitative comments highlighted the inspirational and emotionally connected structural features of the work along with concerns about witnessing trauma and abuse. These findings suggest that opera may be an effective vehicle to promote engagement with clinical and social concerns. The results further show that increased willingness to engage is associated with psychological well-being. The qualitative results may inform creation of future presentations in both content and style to maximize beneficial impacts and community uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how the principle of gender equality informs politics of belonging in Switzerland. We propose to conceptualize 'doing belonging' as a technology of power and we examine how actors in (non-)institutional settings employ it as part of professional and personal action. The paper draws on two case studies: an ethnography of institutions in charge of Swiss naturalization procedures and a series of qualitative interviews with migrant descendants. It unpacks how individuals negotiate belonging in different social contexts that are marked by specific power relations. First, we reveal how ideas of gender equality shape the implementation of state policies in naturalization procedures by selectively assessing the candidates according to their national and assumed cultural background. Second, we show how naturalized individuals are doing belonging when confronting external ascriptions as being 'gender unequal'. The analysis contributes to a better understanding of the role the principle of gender equality plays in politics of belonging enacted at a micro-sociological and individual level, thus illuminating the gendered underpinnings of migration politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine adolescents' perspectives regarding external and internal influences of the e-cigarette initiation process. Design: Semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interviews. Setting: California, remote videoconference. Participants: Adolescents ages 13-17 who currently or previously used e-cigarettes (n = 47). Method: Interviews occurred from May 2020-February 2021. Two researchers coded transcripts based on a codebook developed inductively. Coded excerpts were reviewed to identify encompassing themes related to adolescent e-cigarette initiation. Results: Adolescents were often near e-cigarette use by peers, family members, and others, creating ample opportunities to try e-cigarettes in response to curiosity, peer pressure, and desires to cope with stress or belong to a group. Adverse first experiences were common (eg, throat irritation, nausea), but many adolescents vaped again or continued to use regularly in attempts to cement friendships or alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety. Specific characteristics of e-cigarette devices, including low-cost, concealability, and variety in designs and flavors facilitated initiation, continued use, and nicotine dependence. Conclusions: Adolescents progress to e-cigarette use via a multistage process, starting where social expectations and opportunity converge. While individual circumstances vary, many continue to vape as a perceived coping tool for emotional issues, to gain social belonging, or influenced by e-cigarette characteristics that contribute to ongoing use and dependence. Efforts to deter use should address the devices themselves and the social forces driving youth interest in them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, political tensions between Hong Kong and mainland China over the territory's status, culminating with the 2019/20 pro-democracy demonstrations, spilled over into tourism, with rising antagonism among "HongKongers" toward Chinese tourists. Central to these strained relationships are complex identity tensions that position HongKongers as distinct from mainland Chinese, despite being essentially "compatriots." The sense of belonging to a social group is derived from the interactions that distinguish "us" from "others," whilst the Chinese have been signified as "others" in this scenario, their perspectives on the issue are poorly understood. This study utilizes social identity theory to unpack these identity positions. Our results uncover changes in Chinese tourists' reflections on perceived othering they experienced by HongKongers and how identity plays a significant role in redefining relationships between hosts and guests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of students experienced increased levels of stress and worries about their college pursuits as they were forced to abrupt pivot to online and hybrid learning due to the global pandemic. Drawing from the theory of human needs, this study examined the extent to which COVID-19 influenced the relationship between financial well-being, needs satisfaction, and college persistence among undergraduate college students. Findings suggest financial well-being and needs satisfaction predicted college persistence. We also found that as social belonging (group connection) and self-actualization (academic achievement) increase, college persistence decreases. Both needs satisfaction and financial well-being were important and of critical nature, pre-pandemic, and were amplified for students during the pandemic. Suggestions on how university administrators and faculty can support their students amid crises, such as COVID-19, are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing opportunities for social interaction and access to psychosocial interventions are 2 of the 15 Standards for Psychosocial Care for Children with Cancer and Their Families. Peer relationships are especially important among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), and cancer disrupts this aspect of social development. Many AYAs with cancer report a desire to engage in peer support groups; however, this remains a critical unmet need. Telehealth is a cost-effective and increasingly common modality for delivering health care that reduces access barriers and may be an especially good fit for AYAs with cancer. Little work has evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of peer support groups for AYAs with cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth peer support group intervention for AYAs with cancer. Methods: Telehealth group interventions are offered twice yearly as standard of care at Seattle Children's Hospital to AYAs on or off treatment for cancer or a brain tumor. Group members are assigned to a High School Group (grades 9–12) or an AYA Group (spring of grade 12 or older). Aim 1 is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention for all patients who participate in groups in their clinical care. Feasibility will be assessed based on a priori metrics (enrollment, attendance, attrition) for all group members. Group and telehealth acceptability will be assessed by a 16-item internally developed measure that was adapted from the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Aim 2 is to conduct patient stakeholder semi-structured interviews post-intervention with 20 AYAs to gather feedback and inform intervention refinement. Participants who opt-in for study procedures will also complete exploratory measures of social connectedness/isolation, depression, and benefit finding, pre- and post-intervention (Aim 3). Discussion: Findings from this pilot study will inform intervention refinement, intervention implementation, and sample sizes for future powered trials. This study will provide preliminary empirical evidence to support the development of effective group interventions for AYAs with cancer that increase opportunities for social interaction and access to peer support, with the potential to contribute to improved psychosocial care of AYAs with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominance of online social media data as a source for large-scale social network studies has recently been challenged by networks constructed from state-curated register data. In this paper focused on the cross-comparison of the network structures, we investigate the similarities and differences of the Dutch online social network (OSN) Hyves and a register-based social network (RSN) of the Netherlands. First and foremost, we find that node metrics and the connectivity of the two population-scale networks are similar, with more long-distance ties captured by the OSN, and with the OSN ties proving to be predictive of RSN ties. These results hold when correcting for population size and geographical distance, notwithstanding that these two factors appear to be the main drivers of connectivity. Second, we show using multiple algorithms that the community structure of the two networks is similar and that neither follows strict administrative geographical delineations (e.g., provinces). Instead, communities appear to either center around large metropolitan areas or, outside of the country's most urbanized area, comprise large blocks of interdependent municipalities. Beyond population and distance-related patterns, communities also highlight the persistence of deeply rooted sociocultural communities such as the Dutch Bible belt. The findings presented in this work aid in interpreting results from future studies in which register-based social networks are used to obtain insights into the social network structure of an entire population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveParticipantsMethodsResultsConclusionsIn this study, we examine social support and sense of belonging as protective factors against depression and anxiety among undergraduates with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), a growing population at heightened risk for mental health problems.Our sample of 170 undergraduates (ages 18–25) attending a large public university in the southwestern US was comprised of predominantly female-identified (69%), South Asian (45%), junior and senior (78%), full time (97%) students.Students self-reported ACEs, perceived social support, sense of school belonging, and depression and anxiety symptoms in fall 2022.Controlling for age, higher ACEs and lower social support and belonging predicted more severe depression and anxiety. Higher ACEs only significantly predicted higher depression severity when support and belonging were low. Interactions predicting anxiety were nonsignificant.Findings highlight social support and belonging as potential intervention targets for reducing mental health risk among students with ACEs or other traumatic experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the internet has allowed for the global distribution of content, redefining media communication and property structures through various streaming platforms. Previous studies successfully clarified the factors contributing to trends in each streaming service, yet the similarities and differences between platforms are commonly unexplored; moreover, the influence of social connections and cultural similarity is usually overlooked. We hereby examine the social aspects of three significant streaming services–Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube–with an emphasis on the dissemination of content across countries. Using two-year-long trending chart datasets, we find that streaming content can be divided into two types: video-oriented (Netflix) and audio-oriented (Spotify). This characteristic is differentiated by accounting for the significance of social connectedness and linguistic similarity: audio-oriented content travels via social links, but video-oriented content tends to spread throughout linguistically akin countries. Interestingly, user-generated contents, YouTube, exhibits a dual characteristic by integrating both visual and auditory characteristics, indicating the platform is evolving into unique medium rather than simply residing a midpoint between video and audio media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bed rest (BR) studies are primarily designed to investigate the effects of weightlessness on the human body, but they are also used to study the effects of physical inactivity. For this purpose, participants are typically recruited from the general population without requiring specialized training, which contrasts with the selection process for cosmonauts. The BR study environment is often characterized as highly stressful, highlighting the importance of understanding coping mechanisms and adaptation strategies among participants, as well as the role of their daily interactions. This review aims to determine whether interpersonal relationships and the concept of social connectedness (SC) have been explored within the context of BR studies. For the search strategy, the definition of exclusion criteria, and the initial screening, PRISMA 2020 statement was followed. The PEO framework was used to generate keywords, and thematic synthesis was applied for data extraction, analysis, and synthesis. An initial search did not uncover any studies examining the concept of SC in the context of BR as an environment with extreme conditions, suggesting that SC in this context has not yet been investigated. While findings of thematic synthesis indicate that interpersonal relationships play a significant role in coping with and adapting to the extreme conditions of BR studies. As results showed these relationships can have both positive and negative effects. Interpersonal relationships also serve as a crucial support mechanism among participants. Additionally, how participants make sense of their involvement in such studies remains underexplored, and further research in this area is recommended in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Guided by Self-System Processes Theory, Social Support Theory, and Stress and Coping Theory, this study investigates how perceived school climate influences adolescents' negative emotions through the chain mediation of school belonging and social avoidance and distress. It also examines demographic differences across gender and grade and tests the structural invariance of the proposed model. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 1,507 Chinese adolescents in grades 5–9 was conducted using validated scales. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to examine gender and grade differences in the key variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested the hypothesized mediation model, while multigroup SEM assessed structural invariance across subgroups. Results: Perceived school climate reduced negative emotions both directly and indirectly, with school belonging and social avoidance and distress as key mediators. Peer support demonstrated the strongest indirect effect, while teacher support and autonomy opportunities influenced negative emotions through both direct and indirect pathways. A chain mediation pathway was identified, and structural invariance testing confirmed consistent relationships across gender and grade groups. Conclusion: This study reveals a complex chain mediation mechanism and highlights the stability of structural relationships across demographic groups. The findings provide valuable theoretical and practical insights for fostering supportive school environments to promote adolescent emotional well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Graduate students face numerous demands, high stress levels, and associated challenges to intra- and inter-personal relationships. Mindfulness may help to ease such challenging experiences. The Mindfulness Ambassador Program (MAP) is a promising group-based program that has not yet been studied among graduate students. The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) explore graduate students' perceptions of stress, and their relationships with themselves and meaningful others; (2) explore graduate students' perspectives of and satisfaction with the MAP; and (3) investigate if participation in the MAP elicited changes in graduate students' perceived levels of stress, self-awareness, interpersonal skills, and/or social connectedness. Methods: In this one-group, pre/post mixed-methods pilot study, nine participants completed pre-post questionnaires and participated in a semi-structured interview post-intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, and paired t-tests. Results: Pre-intervention, qualitative themes included participants experiencing moderate-to-high stress levels, intrapersonal conflict, interpersonal relationship challenges, and seeing oneself as a work in progress. Post-intervention themes included better stress management, increased consideration for oneself and others, feelings of connection with others, and overall satisfaction with the MAP. Statistically significant improvements were found from pre- to post-intervention in mean score differences for perceived stress (p =.043), private self-awareness (p =.006), awareness of immediate surroundings (p =.044), and social connectedness (p =.006). Conclusions: Participants reported several benefits from their positive experience participating in the MAP. These findings may be used to inform future mindfulness-based programming for graduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the factors influencing teachers' organizational commitment in China. We employed a survey design with a sample of 506 full-time teachers from various public middle and high schools across mainland China. Social connectedness, job control, and work engagement were measured using self-reported scales. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine the hypothesized relationships. The results indicated that social connectedness and job control were directly associated with higher levels of organizational commitment among teachers. Furthermore, work engagement played a mediating role in these relationships. Specifically, teachers who felt more connected to their colleagues and had greater control over their work reported higher levels of work engagement, which, in turn, predicted stronger organizational commitment. These findings highlight the importance of fostering a supportive and collaborative school environment to cultivate social connectedness and provide teachers with greater autonomy and decision-making opportunities to enhance job control. By nurturing these factors, schools can promote work engagement, ultimately leading to a more dedicated and committed teaching workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many lifestyle and psychosocial factors are associated with a longer lifespan; central among these is social connectedness, or the feeling of belongingness, identification, and bond as part of meaningful human relationships. Decades of research have established that social connectedness is related not only to better mental health (e.g., less loneliness and depression) but also to improved physical health (e.g., decreased inflammatory markers, reduced cortisol activity). Recent methodological advances allow for the investigation of a novel marker of biological health by deriving a predicted "age of the brain" from a structural neuroimaging scan. Discrepancies between a person's algorithm-predicted brain-age and chronological age (i.e., the brain-age gap) have been found to predict mortality and psychopathology risk with accuracy rivaling other known measures of aging. This preregistered investigation uses the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study to examine connections between the quality of social connections, the brain-age gap, and markers of mortality risk to understand the longevity-promoting associations of social connectedness from a novel biological vantage point. While social connectedness was associated with markers of mortality risk (number of chronic conditions and ability to perform activities of daily living), our models did not find significant links between social connectedness and the brain-age gap, or the brain-age gap and mortality risk. Supplemental and sensitivity analyses suggest alternate approaches to investigating these associations and overcoming limitations. While plentiful evidence underscores that being socially connected is good for the mind, future research should continue to consider whether it impacts neural markers of aging and longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting in the 1960s, state investments in the economic development of Southern Italy led to the construction of large-scale production plants and radically transformed spaces and social relations. In the context of Taranto's Old City, the impacts of the steel industry continue to fuel the degradation of buildings and spaces, encapsulating the struggles between social marginality, health ramifications and the need for economic alternatives. Through ethnographic research conducted with an active group of Old City residents, I explore how a fractured and devastated urban space becomes an opportunity for resilience and social regeneration. This material degradation comes from Taranto's pre-industrial past, in the sense that it is a by-product of the historical sedimentation of housing processes in the Old City. However, it is also inherently future-oriented if we consider the context's current ecological and urban transition challenges. Inhabitants reclaim spatial waste to recover the economic and social alternatives destroyed and repressed by industrial development. The manipulation of the ruins allows the inhabitants remaining in the Old City to claim a social valuation of space that challenges the logic of industrial reconversion. People on the periphery of industrial development produce a new interpretation of the interaction between what is discarded and what is recovered, shifting the focus from the relics of a bygone era to the strategic recovery of ruins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study examined the longitudinal relationship between cumulative socioeconomic status (SES) risk and serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels to better understand the association between social factors and a biomarker of neurodegeneration. Methods We used data from the Family and Community Health Study, collecting psychosocial and blood data at 2 waves (2008) and (2019) from 254 Black Americans (43 males and 211 females). Blood samples were analyzed at each wave for serum NfL concentrations. Regression analysis and mixed-effect modeling examined relationships between cumulative SES risk and serum NfL, controlling for covariates and assessing time effects. Results Utilizing 11-year longitudinal data, serum NfL levels increased with age. Higher cumulative SES risk at baseline correlated with elevated serum NfL at the 11-year follow-up and predicted a greater increase in NfL levels. Clinically, NfL is a sensitive biomarker for axonal injury and neurodegeneration, commonly used to detect early and preclinical stages of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Conclusions Our results suggest that exposure to cumulative SES risk among Black adults may contribute to elevated levels of NfL, indicating potential early neurodegeneration. Given the established role of NfL in detecting neurodegenerative processes, these findings underscore the importance of interventions that bolster social safety nets and social connectedness to enhance brain health and mitigate neurodegenerative risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic-imposed disruptions led to increased loneliness and parenting stress. This is concerning given the well-known negative effects of loneliness and stress on one's overall well-being. There is limited research, however, on the experience of loneliness during parenthood. Thus, this study aims to examine the influence of loneliness and social connectedness on parenting stress during the pandemic. Data were collected through an online survey in July 2020 administered in the U.S. (n = 362). PROCESS Macro was used to examine the main and moderating effects of loneliness and social connectedness on parenting stress. Results showed that higher scores on loneliness were related to higher parenting stress; higher scores on social connectedness were related to lower parenting stress. Social connectedness also moderated the effects of loneliness on parenting stress. Findings highlight the importance of expanding relationships beyond the parent or couple subsystem. Other implications for the counseling profession are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaspora has been defined as the voluntary or involuntary dispersion of a social or ethnic group. Home signifies a dwelling and the structures of family and friends. There exists a nexus between migration and home. Diaspora connotes a process of estrangement and detachment from home which evokes images of trauma. The diasporic members experience a sense of loss of the homeland and a sense of alienation in the hostland. The dislocation fetches isolation, cultural conflicts and nostalgia for home. Memories are crucial to diasporic identity and bridge the gap between the past and the present. To resist assimilation to the host country, the migrants attempt to revive and recreate their religious, cultural and linguistic practices. This paper draws from the theories of Stuart Hall, Avtar Brah and Paolo Boccagni and attempts to reestablish a sense of home and grounding for the Indian diaspora in the host country. The Immigrant revolves around the immigrant experiences from the perspective of a woman Nina who shifts to the environs of Canada following her courtship with Ananda, a dentist in Halifax. Ananda gets assimilated to the Canadian culture thanks to his endurance whilst Nina is alienated and torn between the two different cultures. Memories provide sustenance to Nina in the new atmosphere. Owing to her attachment to the homeland, Nina reintegrates her Indian cultural traditions in the Canadian setting. She asserts her belongingness, recreates a sense of home in the foreign soil and reconstructs her Indian cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aims to investigate the relationship between internal motivations and consumer upcycling intention, and how these motivations relate to purchase intention of upcycled products. Design/methodology/approach: This research is based on an online survey with a sample of 470 US consumers. Structural equation modeling with Mplus was applied to test the proposed relationships. Findings: Perceived competence is the strongest internal motivation related to consumer upcycling intention, followed by waste prevention and frugality. Consumers who have motivations of waste prevention, social connectedness and emotional attachment for consumer upcycling have higher intention to purchase upcycled products. Research limitations/implications: The generalizability of the findings might be limited due to the US-based survey sample. Future research could validate and extend these findings in different cultural contexts. Practical implications: The findings enable policymakers and business practitioners in the circular economy to develop effective strategies to promote consumer upcycling as well as the purchase of upcycled products. Originality/value: First, this research addresses the dearth of literature studying upcycling and the broader circular economy from the demand side (i.e. the consumer). Second, by identifying perceived competence as the strongest internal motivation for consumer upcycling, this research offers a new perspective on how to promote consumer upcycling. Third, by demonstrating that certain internal motivations for consumer upcycling can explain purchase intention of upcycled products, this research validates for the first time the connection between consumer upcycling and upcycling businesses empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is carried out at the Educational Institution No. 35005 Reverend Father Bardo Bayerle of the Province of Oxapampa, Peru. We demonstrate that when there is a strong cultural identity, this means that the intercultural attitude of students is also strengthened. Cultural identity is a value that is currently being lost. This is a negative phenomenon, since with the reaffirmation of what one is culturally then one can consolidate the relationship with other groups. In this paper this phenomenon is studied from a statistical perspective on a survey carried out on students of this institution, some of them belonging to the target group and others belonging to the control group. To obtain more reliable results we apply Plithogenic Statistics, which is a generalization of Multivariate Statistics, where more than one random variable is studied simultaneously. Specifically, plithogenic statistics incorporates new components within the statistical study such as falsity or indeterminacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimalism is a philosophy based on reduction of consumption and holding fewer possessions that has gained great momentum and popularity worldwide. While prior literature suggests that not all minimalists engage in luxury consumption, a segment of minimalists labeled inconspicuous minimalists are theorized to not only focus on having fewer possessions, but also to have a preference for high product quality and subtlety in design that translates into a higher propensity to purchase "quiet luxury" products. This research empirically examines the relationship between inconspicuous minimalism and luxury consumption. In four experimental studies, we find that contrary to popular belief, certain minimalists are in fact likely to purchase luxury goods. Moreover, we find that inconspicuous minimalists prefer "quiet" versions of luxury brands that are more discreet (no logos), and that these luxury purchases are motivated by a desire for social connectedness to knowledgeable "elites" who share similar cultural capital and values. These findings suggest that inconspicuous minimalists are motivated by social factors, but not by traditional Veblen style conspicuous consumption motives in which the buyer has a desire to impress the masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the use of feminist citation practice and intertextual relations in Jennifer Bélanger and Martine Delvaux's essay "Les allongées," including the elements of chronic pain, autotheory and horizontal writing. Topics discussed include performative use of citation in autotheory to foster a sense of belonging and community, connecting through dialogue on chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic, and citation as companionship and process of feminist figuration.

Psychoactive drugs such as alcohol and stimulants are typically used in social settings such as bars, parties or small groups. Yet, relatively little is known about how social contexts affect responses to drugs, or how the drugs alter social interactions. It is possible that positive social contexts enhance the rewarding properties of drugs, perhaps increasing their potential for repeated use and abuse. In addition, drugs may enhance the rewarding effects of social interactions by increasing feelings of social closeness and connectedness. To examine these relations, we investigated the effects of several drugs (MDMA, methamphetamine, alcohol) on feelings of connection between two strangers engaged in a conversation. We also investigated feelings of connection between two participants who discussed either 'shallow' or deeper topics in two conversations, without any drugs. All four conditions: deeper conversations, MDMA, methamphetamine and alcohol significantly increased feelings of connection and closeness compared with control conditions (small talk or placebo). We postulate that these feelings of connection could contribute to the drugs' rewarding effects when the drugs are used in social contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities worldwide have increasingly engaged in internationalisation, with international students playing a pivotal role. Despite China’s strategic initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, which have positioned the country as a leading study destination, limited research has explored the multifaceted challenges international students face in China. Moreover, there is a critical gap in understanding their sense of belonging in non-Anglophone and non-European universities. Adopting a feminist, poststructuralist perspective (Gravett and Ajjawi 2022), this study investigates the perceptions and practices of university and city belonging of international students enrolled in Chinese-medium-instruction programmes at an internationalised university in East China. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and retrospective photo-essays-in-a-week. The findings reveal that belonging is a dynamic, relational process shaped by diverse motivations, competencies, opportunities, and perceptions, all of which are influenced by the local sociohistorical context and temporally and spatially situated, digitally mediated practices. The study highlights the unique role of language and sociomaterial factors in shaping students’ experiences and offers new insights into international student experiences in non-Anglophone contexts. Pedagogical and theoretical implications of belonging are discussed, suggesting the need for more inclusive and supportive institutional practices to foster a more holistic sense of belonging for international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is considered good practice in all health research including literature reviews. Reporting of involvement practice in realist reviews has been inconsistent leaving gaps in understanding of best practice. Realist reviews are theory driven and explain how interventions work, for whom and in which circumstances. PPI in realist reviews provides a link between programme theory and real-world experiences and can be achieved through a 'stakeholder group' bringing lived and professional experience together. This paper discusses experiences of a stakeholder group with seven members with lived experience and eight members with professional experience in a realist review focused on how community mental health crisis services work. A mental health crisis is a time of distress when people need urgent support. Many different agencies can respond to mental health crises, but despite this, people often find it hard to navigate to the right help at the right time. Reflections on involvement in four stakeholder meetings alongside practical examples of involvement activities used during the realist review are discussed. Having two researchers co-lead the stakeholder group from both lived and professional experience perspectives provided a bridge between the different expertise within the stakeholder group. Engagement with a voluntary organisation provided support to lived experience stakeholders, which sustained their involvement over time. Social connectedness was needed to establish trust between stakeholders. This required informal social contact between stakeholders that needed to be planned, especially for online meetings. To maintain the emotional wellbeing of the stakeholders during their involvement, safe spaces for discussion are needed and these are best planned in partnership with the stakeholders. We concluded that consideration of ways to provide opportunity for informal contact in online meetings may improve the experience of the stakeholders. Careful consideration of ways to sustain stakeholders' contribution over time are needed. The emotional impact of involvement should be considered when planning realist reviews. This may include built in flexibility in the involvement to include small expertise specific breakout groups, individual meetings, and should be planned in partnership with the stakeholders. Plain English Summary: Involving people with experience of accessing mental health services (PPI) in literature reviews is good practice. We know less about how to do this in 'realist' literature reviews. Realist reviews explain how things work, who they work for, and in what situations. PPI can help researchers to link theory with people's real-life experience. Researchers do this in a 'stakeholder group' that brings people with experience of accessing services together with professionals. This paper shares experiences of a stakeholder group with seven PPI members and eight professional members. Stakeholders supported a realist review about how community mental health crisis services work. A mental health crisis is a time of distress when people need urgent support. Many different services can help, but people still find it hard to get the right help at the right time. The researchers thought carefully about the stakeholder group membership to make sure everyone felt able to join in. We have written about how the stakeholders learned together about doing realist reviews and the activities the stakeholders took part in. Due to Covid-19, the stakeholder meetings moved online. Although online meetings worked well, being in a room together was better for the stakeholders to get to know each other. Support from voluntary organisations as well as informal contact with stakeholders between meetings helped people to stay involved over time. Planning safe spaces to talk, could help avoid stakeholders being upset by being involved in realist reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of AI to function as communicators (i.e., conversational agents), has opened the opportunity to rethink AI's place within people's social worlds, and the process of sense-making between humans and machines, especially for people with autism who may stand to benefit from such interactions. The current study aims to explore the interactions of six autistic and six non-autistic adults with a conversational virtual human (CVH/conversational agent/chatbot) over 1–4 weeks. Using semi-structured interviews, conversational chatlogs and post-study online questionnaires, we present findings related to human-chatbot interaction, chatbot humanization/dehumanization and chatbot's autistic/non-autistic traits through thematic analysis. Findings suggest that although autistic users are willing to converse with the chatbot, there are no indications of relationship development with the chatbot. Our analysis also highlighted autistic users' expectations of empathy from the chatbot. In the case of the non-autistic users, they tried to stretch the conversational agent's abilities by continuously testing the AI conversational/cognitive skills. Moreover, non-autistic users were content with Kuki's basic conversational skills, while on the contrary, autistic participants expected more in-depth conversations, as they trusted Kuki more. The findings offer insights to a new human-chatbot interaction model specifically for users with autism with a view to supporting them via companionship and social connectedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of social living are well established, but sociality also comes with costs, including infectious disease risk. This cost–benefit ratio of sociality is expected to change across individuals' lifespans, which may drive changes in social behaviour with age. To explore this idea, we combine data from a group-living primate for which social ageing has been described with epidemiological models to show that having lower social connectedness when older can protect against the costs of a hypothetical, directly transmitted endemic pathogen. Assuming no age differences in epidemiological characteristics (susceptibility to, severity and duration of infection), older individuals suffered lower infection costs, which was explained largely because they were less connected in their social networks than younger individuals. This benefit of 'social ageing' depended on epidemiological characteristics and was greatest when infection severity increased with age. When infection duration increased with age, social ageing was beneficial only when pathogen transmissibility was low. Older individuals benefited most from having a lower frequency of interactions (strength) and network embeddedness (closeness) and benefited less from having fewer social partners (degree). Our study provides a first examination of the epidemiology of social ageing, demonstrating the potential for pathogens to influence the evolutionary dynamics of social ageing in natural populations. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Understanding age and society using natural populations'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As animals age, they exhibit a suite of phenotypic changes, often including reductions in movement and social behaviour ('behavioural ageing'). By altering an individual's exposure to parasites, behavioural ageing may influence infection status trajectories over the lifespan. However, these processes could be confounded by age-related changes in other phenotypic traits, or by selective disappearance of certain individuals owing to parasite-induced mortality. Here, we uncover contrasting age-related patterns of infection across three helminth parasites in wild adult female red deer (Cervus elaphus). Counts of strongyle nematodes (order: Strongylida) increased with age, while counts of liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) and tissue worm (Elaphostrongylus cervi) decreased, and lungworm (Dictyocaulus) counts did not change. These relationships could not be explained by socio-spatial behaviours, spatial structuring, or selective disappearance, suggesting behavioural ageing is unlikely to be responsible for driving age trends. Instead, social connectedness and strongyle infection were positively correlated, such that direct age–infection trends were directly contrasted with the effects implied by previously documented behavioural ageing. This suggests that behavioural ageing may reduce parasite exposure, potentially countering other age-related changes. These findings demonstrate that different parasites can show contrasting age trajectories depending on diverse intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and that behaviour's role in these processes is likely to be complex and multidirectional. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Understanding age and society using natural populations'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As women advance into leadership roles, the gender discrimination they face is a pressing issue that demands attention from a business ethics perspective. This paper considers the downstream consequences of such gender discrimination on their subordinates. Previous research indicates that women leaders in male-dominated organizations often face gender bias, which may prompt them to distance themselves from their gender identity as a coping mechanism (self-group distancing behavior). By integrating concepts from management, psychology, and business ethics, we investigate the following research question: What are the downstream consequences of gender discrimination experienced by women leaders on their subordinates? We hypothesize that women leaders' self-group distancing responses create uncertainty belonging among women subordinates, which leads to adverse outcomes such as decreased leadership aspirations and increased turnover intentions. Our results suggest that when a woman leader engages in self-group distancing because of gender discrimination, women subordinates experience reduced feelings of belonging, increased differentiation, diminished leadership aspirations, and heightened turnover intentions. In contrast, male subordinates' sense of belonging, differentiation, leadership aspirations, and turnover intentions do not significantly differ when a woman leader engages in self-group distancing behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Information communication technologies (ICTs) can enhance older adults' health and well-being. Most research on the use of voice-activated ICTs by older adults has focused on the experiences of individuals living in the community, excluding those who live in long-term care homes. Given evidence of the potential benefits of such technologies to mitigate social isolation and loneliness, more research is needed about their impacts in long-term care home settings. With this in mind, we evaluated impacts and engagement of older adults with voice- and touchscreen-activated ICTs in one long-term care home in Canada. Research Design and Methods Interviews were conducted with older adults who were provided with a Google Nest Hub Max and with staff as part of a larger implementation study. Participants completed semistructured interviews before the technology was implemented, and again at 6 and 12 months. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. Results We found that residents primarily used the technologies to engage in self-directed digital leisure and to engage with others both in and outside the home, and that this in turn enhanced their comfort, pleasure, and social connectedness. We also identified ongoing barriers to their engagement with the technology, including both personal and structural factors. Discussion and Implications Our findings suggest that implementation of voice-activated ICTs can bring added value to broader efforts to improve well-being and quality of life in long-term care by enhancing choice, self-determination, and meaningful relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractCrowding in tourism happens frequently and mainly leads to negative reactions from tourists. Tourists’ non-negative behavioral reactions to social crowding have not been systematically explored. This research explored the influence of social crowding on tourists’ preference for natural products. We considered two types of natural products in the tourism field: natural environment products (e.g. natural destinations) and natural material products (e.g. organic products provided in tourist destinations). The results of three experimental studies indicated that social crowding stimulated tourists to exhibit a stronger preference for natural products as a means of coping with ontological security threat. This effect was buffered when tourists had a stronger perception of social connectedness. The findings offer novel theoretical and practical insights and expand the literature on social crowding in tourism and the sustainable development of tourism by proposing a positive effect of social crowding on tourists’ preference for natural products and focusing on tourists’ well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Background Method Results Conclusion Implications This scoping review systematically analyzes empirical research evidence on the acceptance and effectiveness of AI technology for older adults' social connectedness with a focus on sociocultural factors from an ecological perspective.The global aging population faces significant challenges, including physical decline and social isolation. AI assistive technologies may offer promising solutions to support independent daily activities and improve social connectedness with family and community. Various facilitators and barriers were known to influence the acceptance and effectiveness of these technologies in promoting the well‐being of older adults.Using Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework, we examined 30 peer‐reviewed articles identified from three major databases (Web of Science, Embase, and IEEE Xplore).The review revealed a range of research characteristics and technologies involved. AI technologies such as social robots and telepresence systems were effective in reducing loneliness and enhancing social connectedness. Key factors affecting the technology acceptance and effectiveness included technological features, sociodemographic characteristics of individual users (e.g., age, health status, gender, educational background and prior experience with technology, marital status, and living arrangements), and cultural relevance.A sociocultural perspective is crucial to understand heterogeneity in technology use and its effectiveness among older adults.Future research should focus on customization based on cultural relevance, sustainable effects, and robust research methodologies to develop effective and inclusive AI technologies for older adults and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The sense of school belonging is a type of psychological need that has been confirmed to have positive psychological outcomes and supports the positive functioning of students in learning environments. Therefore, identifying individual and motivational factors that affect this sense is important. This study aimed to develop a structural model of school belonging based on academic identity, with the mediating role of students' academic engagement. Methods and Materials: This correlational study utilized structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all female high school students in Khorramabad during the 2023-2024 academic year. Among them, 800 students were selected through multistage cluster sampling. They were then evaluated using the School Belonging Questionnaire (Barry et al., 2004), Academic Identity Scales (Vaz & Isakson, 2008), and Academic Engagement Scale (Reeve, 2013). Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Findings: A positive and direct relationship was found between successful academic identity and academic engagement with school belonging, while a confused academic identity had a direct and negative relationship with school belonging (P<0.001). Successful and follower academic identities had a positive and direct relationship with academic engagement; confused and delayed academic identities had a direct and negative relationship with academic engagement (P<0.001). Academic engagement mediated the relationship between academic identity and school belonging. The overall model fit indices also indicated that the proposed model had a good fit. Conclusion: Based on the study's findings, it can be concluded that students' academic identity and academic engagement contribute to their sense of school belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Loneliness is a prevalent issue among international university students, often exacerbated by cultural and linguistic barriers. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a blended intervention to promote international students' social connectedness and well-being. Methods: A sample of 49 international students from the University of Padua (Italy) was recruited. The study followed the methodology of a non-randomized controlled trial comparing a blended intervention (comprising group activities and online self-help materials) with two other active conditions (self-help only and peer-to-peer interventions) and a control condition at two times (baseline and at 8 weeks). Participants completed a survey to assess their satisfaction with the interventions, changes in their interactions and wellbeing. They also filled in some questionnaires to measure anxiety, depression, perceived social support, loneliness and satisfaction with life. A mixed-method analysis was conducted. Results: Results showed that interventions involving in-person activities had significant advantages over self-help intervention in terms of interaction improvement and a higher number of relationships. Participants perceived self-help materials as more relevant, satisfactory, and functional within the blended group compared to the self-help group. Contrary to the control group, the blended and peer-to-peer groups reported lower scores on the standardized measures of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and higher scores on satisfaction with life, collected pre- and post-intervention. The thematic analysis of the answers to the open-ended questions showed that in-person group activities provided the opportunity to compare themselves with peers and have a direct experience of new social connections. Discussion: The findings highlight the importance of translating insights from self-help materials into active and direct social experiences, to reduce loneliness through the emergence of new perspectives and shared meaning making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestAlthough researchers have attempted to understand the lived experiences of autistic adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, existing studies have noted a lack of participatory research. Adopting a truly participatory approach, two autistic researchers led this study alongside an autism advisory panel established to guide the national online survey from inception to the dissemination of results. The autistic community identified six domains of importance: (1) social connectedness, (2) community participation, (3) support needs, (4) educational outcomes, (5) learning experiences, and (6) employment. A convergent mixed methods design resulted in the largest representation of autistic adults’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic to date (N = 951). An integrated and narrated synopsis of autistic adults’ lived experiences revealed the paradoxical nature of public health measures as increasing and decreasing wellbeing, potential issues with the accuracy of proxy reports, and demographic differences. Improvements in education and approaches to learning are recommended for further exploration.Autism studies are often led by non-autistic researchers from specific disciplines, failing to provide a holistic understanding of autistic people’s lives described in their own words.This study was designed and carried out by autistic researchers and represents the lived experiences of 951 autistic adults during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.The effects of stress, anxiety and uncertainty caused by public health measures and rapid changes to social norms due to COVID-19 are still being felt among autistic communities.It is crucial for local governments, social supports, and educational institutions to have a solid understanding of what everyday life was like for autistic adults’ during the COVID-19 pandemic so improvements can be made based on what is learned from their reflections.More than half of autistic adults reported greater support needs, an important finding for local governments and service providers to consider in policymaking and future planning.Autism studies are often led by non-autistic researchers from specific disciplines, failing to provide a holistic understanding of autistic people’s lives described in their own words.This study was designed and carried out by autistic researchers and represents the lived experiences of 951 autistic adults during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.The effects of stress, anxiety and uncertainty caused by public health measures and rapid changes to social norms due to COVID-19 are still being felt among autistic communities.It is crucial for local governments, social supports, and educational institutions to have a solid understanding of what everyday life was like for autistic adults’ during the COVID-19 pandemic so improvements can be made based on what is learned from their reflections.More than half of autistic adults reported greater support needs, an important finding for local governments and service providers to consider in policymaking and future planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Design/Setting/Participants Results Conclusions The negative consequences of social disconnection, including loneliness and social isolation, is receiving considerable attention from researchers and policymakers, and growing as a global public health priority. Volunteering has emerged as a promising strategy to promote social connection and combat loneliness, calling for a closer examination of its potential benefits to individual social health and community cohesion. This study explores the experiences and impact of volunteering on individuals' social health, providing insights into both the positive impacts and possible limitations of volunteering in rural communities.Twenty‐two volunteers (6 males; 16 females) in one rural Northern Victoria community participated in semi‐structured interviews via telephone, online or face‐to‐face. Thematic analysis was used to develop descriptive themes from the qualitative data.Four themes were identified: (1) creating social and community bonds, (2) giving back to the community, (3) building identity through volunteering and (4) social identity and belonging. Findings suggest that volunteering helps individuals to meet new people, increase opportunities for social interactions with others and within social groups, positively influencing their social identity and the identity of the community. Volunteers, who felt connected through their volunteering, experienced a sense of belonging. However, when feeling overburdened or undervalued, volunteers disengaged and sought new volunteering opportunities.This study demonstrates the influence of rural volunteering on volunteer's social connections, identity and social health. Creating flexible, accessible and inclusive volunteering opportunities acts as a valuable community resource for building and maintaining social health and connection and reduces social disconnection in rural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectivesMethodResultsConclusionThis article features results of a qualitative research conducted with twenty-nine men and women responsible for Alzheimer’s cafés in Italy, on the topic of ethical issues in dementia care. The goal was to identify the sources of moral distress for caregivers, exploring some bottom-up solutions that have been implemented shared with others in informal settings.During the in-depth interviews participants shared about challenges and opportunities related to dementia care and ethics, informed by the symbolic interactionist approach to the theory of social representations.The analysis of interviews resulted in identification of six main themes, each with some sub-themes: awareness, personhood, social connectedness, isolation, access, and institutional dimension.The results pointed out the importance of culturally appropriate approach and advocacy for tackling ethical issues, especially in the light of morally wrong egregious abuse of persons with dementia (as related by participants), which can be classified as benefits trafficking, a form of human trafficking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor social connectedness has been identified as a risk factor for poor mental health but there is a lack of standardisation in how it is measured. This systematic review aimed to identify suitable measures of social connectedness for use in UK adult general populations. Methods: Searches were undertaken in two stages to identify: (1) measures of social connectedness from review articles and grey literature and (2) studies reporting on the psychometric properties of the identified measures. Grey literature and five databases were searched: MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO; CINAHL and Web of Science. Studies based on UK adult general populations (16–65 years) or other English language speaking countries with similar cultures (US, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) were included. Psychometric evidence was extracted relating to six general domains: conceptual model, content validity, reliability, construct validity, scoring and interpretability, and respondent burden and presentation. A narrative synthesis summarised these psychometric properties. Results: Stage (1) 2,396 studies were retrieved and, 24 possible measures of social connectedness were identified; stage (2) 6,218 studies were identified reporting on psychometrics of identified measures and 22 studies were included. These studies provided psychometric evidence for 10 measures, and we did not find psychometric studies for the other identified measures. Six measures (6/10, 60%) reported assessing loneliness and four (4/10, 40%) reported assessing social support but there was a degree of overlap between the assessments of each concept. There was good evidence of reliability across measures, 90% (9/10) had adequate internal consistency, but evidence of content validity was only available for one scale. Five measures (5/10, 50%) reported on at least half of the psychometric criteria, and these were: UCLA-3 (for loneliness), and MSPSS, F-SozU K-6, SPS-10 and SPS-5 (for social support). Conclusions: This review identified ten social connectedness measures, and identified UCLA-3, MSPSS, F-SozUK-6, SPS-10, and SPS-5 as having the most robust psychometric properties for the UK adult population. Further testing is required to establish content validity, and to clarify the definition and conceptualisation of social connectedness, to enable standardisation in the approach to measuring social connectedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence of upward social comparison on social networking sites on individual well-being, as well as the role of envy and nature connectedness, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1078 college students. The results indicated: (1) upward social comparison on social networking sites had a significant negative effect on well-being; (2) envy played a mediating role in the relationship between upward social comparison on social networking sites and well-being; and (3) nature connectedness moderated the direct effect of upward social comparison on social networking sites on well-being and the mediating effect of envy. The present study revealed the relationship between upward social comparison on SNSs and well-being and its internal mechanism, providing concrete ways to intervene individual well-being in the Internet era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People who use drugs are among the most socially excluded groups in Europe. Qualitative research on Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs) has reported various benefits to clients, including increased feelings of well-being, safety and connection, however, few studies have explored in-depth client narratives of belonging and social inclusion. In this article, we explore this literature and describe the ways in which DCRs foster social inclusion and feelings of belonging amongst their clients. With a view towards the future of DCR implementation in Europe, this argument positions DCRs as effective 'inclusion health interventions'. The shift in analysis from DCRs as a purely harm reduction or overdose prevention and response intervention to one of 'inclusion health' could work towards a wider recognition of their effectiveness in addressing broader health and social inequities. At a policy level, this shift could result in increased political support for DCRs as recognized interventions, which through their design, effectively promote social inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on qualitative interviews with South Korean (Korean hereinafter) migrants in Western Canada, this study examines the migrants' sense of belonging and social networking practices during their post‐migration settlement and adaptation, including during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The study focuses on a relatively recent cohort of Korean labour migrants whose main motivation for migration was to explore flexible and relaxed ways of living in the host society. Through an analysis of these migrants' lived experiences, the study examines how they have managed various forms of social networking and developed particular senses of social belonging. The study reveals the migrants' lack of a sense of social belonging and tendency to pursue individualized micro‐networks, which were particularly challenged during the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand how COVID-19 affected social connection, barriers to connection, and generated ideas for creating pro-connection activities and spaces. The approach was guided by design principles and included generative interviews and a group workshop with young people aged 16–24 years. COVID-19 allowed young people to recognize the importance of face-to-face and incidental social contacts and appreciate deeper connections to friends, family, and community. Young people identified barriers and enablers to forming quality social connection as confidence, the time and effort taken to build meaningful friendships, mental health, and cultural identity. Programmes that overtly tackle social connection were considered unappealing and usually reach only those who are already engaged. Instead, social connection is a by-product of other activities that take a 'mild structure, low pressure' approach and focus on strengths and interests. Activities and spaces must be free and easy to access and involve multiple engagements over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early adolescents who are new to Canada experience dual challenges of navigating developmental changes and multiple cultures. This study examined how changes in early adolescents' emotional health from ages 9 to 12 differed by immigration background, and to what extent peer belonging and supportive school climate protected or promoted their emotional health. Methods: This study drew upon linked self‐report and administrative data. Across 10 school districts in British Columbia, Canada, N = 4479 non‐immigrant, immigrant, and refugee adolescents reported on their peer belonging, school climate, and emotional health (life satisfaction, optimism, self‐esteem, sadness, worries) in Grades 4 and 7, using the Middle Years Development Instrument. Immigration background including immigration class (economic, family, refugee) and generation status (first, second) were obtained from linked Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada data. Multi‐level modeling assessed the effect of time (grade level), immigration group, and changes in peer belonging and school climate on changes in self‐reported emotional health. Analyses were adjusted for gender, English first language, and low family income. Results: Immigrant and refugee adolescents reported worse emotional health in Grade 4 compared to non‐immigrants. Non‐immigrant and immigrant adolescents reported declines in emotional health from Grades 4 to 7. In contrast, first‐generation refugee adolescents reported significant improvements in life satisfaction, and first‐ and second‐generation refugees reported improvements in worries over this period. Perceived improvements in peer belonging and school climate were associated with positive changes in emotional health for all adolescents. Conclusions: Changes in adolescents' emotional health from Grades 4 to 7 differed between immigrants, refugees, and non‐immigrants. Immigrants and refugees who enter adolescence with lower emotional health than their non‐immigrant peers may particularly benefit from culturally responsive school and community‐based interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]