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

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

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

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

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

It is a common understanding that the 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) significantly harmed mental health. However, findings on changes in overall life satisfaction have been mixed and inconclusive. To address this puzzling phenomenon, we draw upon the domainspecific perspective of well-being and research on catastrophe compassion and propose that the pandemic can have opposing effects on mental health and communal satisfaction, which then differently relate to people's overall life satisfaction. Longitudinal analyses of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) Survey of Australia (N = 12,093) showed that while there was a greater decrease in mental health in the first COVID-19 pandemic year (2019-2020) than in the previous years (2017-2019), an increase in communal satisfaction also occurred, demonstrating a potential silver lining effect of the pandemic on people's satisfaction with family, community, and neighborhood. Moreover, consistent with socioemotional selectivity theory, changes in mental health, communal satisfaction, and life satisfaction were related to age, such that older adults generally reported less harmful and more beneficial psychological changes. We further found that age was associated with stronger associations of mental health and communal satisfaction with life satisfaction during the pandemic year. Overall, our findings speak to the importance of communal life in life satisfaction during the pandemic and agerelated differences in the process, shedding light on the need to devise customized support to address inequalities in pandemic effects on public well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined self-care behaviors and strategies used by trainees in professional psychology programs, both immediately before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 167), and approximately 1 year in (N = 99). Trainees completed online measures to assess perceived stress, well-being, self-care behaviors, and program self-care culture. Self-care behaviors had a negative relationship with perceived stress and number of hours worked, and positive relationships with well-being and program self-care culture. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between self-care domain and perceived well-being, although it did not fully account for the relationships between self-care and perceived well-being in most models. The most frequent self-care behaviors endorsed by trainees were related to the professional support and life balance self-care domains which were of particular importance for trainees in this sample. This study demonstrates that self-care is associated with trainee functioning and efforts within programs to actively promote self-care may have a beneficial effect. We propose that professional psychology training programs consider what organizational and program wellness might mean, and that an exclusive focus on impairment and individual responsibility are barriers to enacting a shared culture of wellness in our programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to expand previous research by examining (a) the prevalence rates of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its potential predictors (posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS], perceived stress, adaptive coping strategies, social support) during the first and second lockdown in the general population of Greece, and (b) the mediating role of the stress indicators (PTSS/perceived stress) in the relationship between positive reframing and PTG. A sample of 1,361 participants (1.009 in the first lockdown and 352 in the second lockdown) completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory and the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument (ESSI). Moderate levels of PTG were found during both lockdowns. PTG did not significantly increase during the second lockdown. PTG was associated with PTSS during the first lockdown and with perceived stress during the second one; these two stress indicators partially mediated the positive reframing—PTG relationship in the first and second lockdown, respectively. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies predicted PTG during the first lockdown, whereas only adaptive coping strategies predicted PTG during the second lockdown. Perceived social support, emotional during the first lockdown and instrumental during the second one, predicted PTG during the two lockdowns, respectively. The results of this study may enhance our understanding of PTG and its predictor to inform the design of interventions moving beyond growth cognitions into growth actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: Examine contributors to resilience among caregivers of individuals who have sustained a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), with the goal of identifying important targets for an intervention to improve caregiver resilience as well as outcomes for people with TBI. Research Method/Design: Participants were adult caregivers (n = 176) and individuals with TBI who required inpatient rehabilitation at six TBI Model System sites. Measures included the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-10, Family Needs Questionnaire, Zarit Burden Interview, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. Data were collected between September 2018 and June 2021. Results: Caregivers endorsed levels of personal resilience that were comparable to norms for community samples and slightly higher than groups under stress or with medical illness. Reports of the burden associated with the caregiving role were relatively low, as was reported psychological distress. In a multivariable model, higher proportions of met emotional support needs were associated with increased resilience. Conclusions/Implications: Resilience may be strengthened by emotional support networks, including friends or family who may not already be directly involved in the provision of care. Supporting engagement with community agencies, peer mentors, or other informal resources within the family system that provide emotional support may bolster resilience outcomes for caregivers. Impact and Implications: This study contributes to the literature by examining factors related to caregiver resilience after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Findings indicate that caregiver resilience is positively associated with family needs being met for emotional support. Rehabilitation professionals should make every effort to facilitate emotional support for caregivers who are adjusting to the impacts of TBI on the family. Resources should be allocated for supporting engagement with community agencies, peer mentors, and support groups to increase caregiver resilience postinjury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We examined positive behavioral resources and characteristics that might distinguish resilient personality prototypes among persons with chronic spinal cord injury/disorder (SCID). Positive psychology variables with clear linkages to existing psychological interventions were examined as potential mediators of the resilience–well-being relationship. Research Method and Design: A cross-sectional, self-report study was conducted. Two hundred and ninety-eight consenting members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (268 male; 236 self-identified as white) provided useable survey data for analysis (including 161 veterans with tetraplegia, 107 with paraplegia, 30 with cauda equina). Cluster analysis of Big Five personality traits identified resilient and nonresilient personality profiles. Tests of mean differences between resilient and nonresilient participants on behavioral resources and characteristics were performed. Path models predicting well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were conducted. Results: One hundred and sixty-three respondents had resilient personality profiles and 135 had nonresilient profiles. Resilient individuals reported significantly more optimal scores on every positive psychology variable, and greater well-being and HRQL than nonresilient respondents. Path models found the relationship of resilience to well-being was explained through its beneficial associations with psychological flexibility, use of personal strengths, meaning in life (MIL), and gratitude. Psychological flexibility also mediated the resilience–HRQL relationship. Cauda equina was significantly associated with higher pain interference and lower HRQL. Conclusions: Higher gratitude, MIL, use of personal strengths, and psychological flexibility appear to characterize resilience and well-being among persons with chronic SCID. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of pain interference on HRQL among individuals with cauda equina. Impact and Implications: The present study documents several positive behavioral resources and characteristics that typify resilience among persons with chronic spinal cord injury/disorder. The results should prompt rehabilitation psychologists to consider further study of the positive psychology variables examined in this paper, and the potential use of the existing interventions associated with each one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: Within the framework of the Salutogenic Model of Health, this study aimed to investigate sense of coherence among caregiving partners of persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), and its relationship with perceived social support and illness beliefs conceived as generalized resistance resources in tension management. Research Method/Design: In this cross-sectional study, 398 caregiving partners of PwMS (Mage = 44.62; 34.9% women and 65.1% men) filled in questionnaires measuring sense of coherence (Sense of Coherence Scale-13), perceived social support from family, friends and significant others (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and illness beliefs (Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire). Hierarchical linear regression analysis was performed to assess the contribution of perceived support and illness beliefs to sense of coherence, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: Perceived support from family and beliefs concerning illness-related emotional representations, illness coherence, and treatment control emerged as significant predictors of participants' sense of coherence. Higher perceived support from family and stronger beliefs in illness coherence and treatment control were associated with higher sense of coherence, while more negative emotional representations were related to lower sense of coherence values. Conclusions/Implications: Findings lend support to the relevance of a salutogenic approach to caregiving in multiple sclerosis. They further suggest the usefulness of interventions that can promote caregivers' sense of coherence and successful coping in life by benefitting from family support, favoring the construction of a coherent illness view, offering comprehensive information and expert guidance on treatment and rehabilitation opportunities, and promoting adaptive management of negative emotions. Impact and Implications: By adopting a salutogenic approach to health, this study provided novel insight into sense of coherence among caregiving partners of persons with multiple sclerosis. Perceived social support and illness beliefs emerged as generalized resistance resources for partners assisting their loved ones. Findings lend support to the need for an integrated view of caregivers' health, encompassing not only negative but also positive aspects of caregiving. The healthcare staff in rehabilitation settings should capitalize on available contextual and personal resources to strengthen caregivers' sense of coherence. Consolidation of support from family, promotion of positive beliefs about illness coherence and confidence in treatment control, as well as the encouragement of awareness and management of illness-related negative emotions, can represent viable strategies to support partners' positive adjustment to their caregiving role and well-being in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite multiple theories and treatment modalities emphasizing the importance of individuality in couple relationships, the field is lacking a reliable and valid measure of this construct. In the present study, we developed the Individuality in Couples (ICQ) questionnaire and demonstrated its strong psychometric properties across two samples of participants in committed intimate relationships (Sample 1 = 580 undergraduates; Sample 2 = 445 community members). The ICQ is comprised of 25 items that can be combined into a reliable total score to measure individuality in the context of couple relationships (i.e., the extent to which someone feels respected by their partner for their individuality and experiences personal autonomy in the relationship). Scores on the ICQ demonstrated high internal consistency, excellent construct replicability, convergent and divergent validity with measures of other relationship dimensions (i.e., intimacy, support, sexual satisfaction, psychological aggression, communication), criterion validity with measures of relationship satisfaction and partner health, and incremental predictive validity for explaining relationship satisfaction and partner well-being when controlling for other relationship dimensions. Results suggest that individuality in couples is largely a unidimensional construct that is distinct from more severe patterns of control and coercion characteristic of psychological aggression. The ICQ holds promise for identifying and promoting dynamics essential for healthy couple relationships. Public Significance Statement: The Individuality in Couples (ICQ) questionnaire is comprised of 25 items that measure the extent to which someone feels respected by their partner for their individuality and experiences personal autonomy in the relationship. The ICQ demonstrated excellent reliability and validity and holds promise for understanding how to best promote healthy dynamics in couple relationships and enhance the health of each partner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family, peers, and academics are three central sources of stress for Chinese adolescents, which have potential negative implications for youth's adjustment. This study investigated how within-person fluctuations in daily domains of stress (i.e., family, peer, and academic) and between-person differences in average stress levels were associated with four Chinese adolescent adjustment indicators (i.e., positive and negative emotions, sleep quality, and subjective vitality). Participants included 315 Chinese adolescents (48.3% girls; Mage = 13.05 years, SD = 0.77 years) who completed a 10-day diary on each domain of stress and indicators of adjustment. Multilevel models revealed that peer stress had the most detrimental association with Chinese adolescents' adjustment at both within-person (i.e., higher same-day and next-day negative emotions) and between-person (i.e., higher negative emotions, worse sleep quality, and lower subjective vitality) levels. Academic stress was only significant at the between-person level, corresponding to worse sleep quality and increased levels of negative emotions. Family stress exhibited mixed associations and was positively associated with positive and negative emotions and subjective vitality. These findings underscore the need to examine the impact of multiple domains of stress on Chinese adolescent adjustment. Further, identification and intervention for adolescents with elevated peer stress may be particularly helpful for increasing healthy adjustment. Public Significance Statement: The present study found that among the most proximal domains of stress for Chinese adolescents (i.e., family, peer, and academic stress), peer stress had the most salient association with adolescents' emotional and physical adjustment. Identification of and intervention for adolescents with heightened peer stress may be particularly helpful for increasing healthy adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: This study sought to investigate the extent to which demographic and clinical characteristics predict which patients drop out of an interdisciplinary pain management program (IPP). Research Method/Design: Participants (N = 178 outpatients, 18–75 years of age) received treatment for various chronic pain conditions in an IPP (including biopsychosocial assessment, cognitive–behavioral, and physical therapies). Separate logistic regression analyses identified the demographic and clinical variables most predictive of attrition across five domains: (a) demographics, (b) number of medical and non/psychiatric diagnoses, (c) opioid use (yes versus no)/risk of misuse, (d) pain-related cognition and behavior, and (e) physical, social, and mental well-being. Significant predictors from the five domains were integrated in a final multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Among patients exposed to a 4-week IPP, 34% dropped out. In the final model, significant predictors of higher odds of attrition included younger age or being unemployed. Also, patients on opioids at preintervention had higher odds of completing the IPP than patients not on opioids at preintervention. Follow-up analyses revealed 24 of 37 completers (65%) on opioids at preintervention reduced or eliminated use over the course of the IPP. Conclusions/Implications: Because findings are limited by sample and design characteristics, they require replication yet offer novel hypotheses for identifying patients at risk of attrition. Specifically, patients with preintervention opioid use (contrasted with opioid dependence) may particularly benefit from an IPP. Patients at highest risk for early dropout can be targeted for specific engagement interventions to promote completion and effectiveness of IPP. Impact and Implications: Although research has been conducted on the topic of attrition in IPPs, the body of evidence is limited and conflicting. This study extends the work of Oosterhaven et al. (2019) by identifying additional clinical and demographic characteristics that predict attrition in adults participating in an IPP. This study confirms that younger age and unemployment status are significant predictors of IPP attrition and provides new evidence to suggest that opioid use may predict IPP completion. These findings may help clinicians reduce attrition by screening for risk factors and establish improved guidelines regarding opioid use in their specific programs (e.g., requiring complete detoxification versus partial stabilization of opioid use prior to program start). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current longitudinal study examined the predictive associations between the development of future perceptions in adolescence and depressive symptoms in adolescence and early and middle adulthood. Participants (N = 1,527; 48.3% female; broadly representative of Western Germany with respect to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status) were measured yearly in adolescence at the age of 12 to 16 years and then in adulthood at the age of 35 and 45. Future perceptions were assessed during adolescence, whereas depressive symptoms were assessed at the age of 16, 35, and 45. Three important results stand out. First, the measure of future perceptions functioned equivalently across adolescence. Second, the development of future perceptions during adolescence varied across individuals, though mean-level stability was evidenced in the sample. Third, individual differences in the level and change of future perceptions during adolescence predicted depressive symptoms in adolescence and adulthood. These findings demonstrate that one's perception of the future not only has short-term affective consequences but may have long-term effects on depressive symptoms beyond adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evidence concerning strengths model of case management (SMCM) remains mixed. This study aimed to test the hypotheses that higher fidelity to SMCM is associated with improved quality of life (QoL), hope, community participation, community functioning, more days of competitive employment and of independent living, and fewer days of hospitalization. Methods: SMCM was implemented over a 3-year period, at seven sites in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Québec, and Ontario. Independent assessors visited 14 teams at the seven sites to evaluate fidelity at baseline and 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months later. Participants (N = 311) answered standardized questionnaires at 4.5-month intervals up to 18 months. Fidelity assessments were interpolated so they could be associated with questionnaire responses. Linear mixed-effects models and generalized linear models were estimated. Results: Fidelity increased significantly, with all sites except one achieving or approaching good fidelity within 36 months. Fidelity was not significantly associated with any of the outcome measures, although all estimated directions of relationships were consistent with our hypotheses. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: In a pragmatic study of real-world implementation of the strengths model at seven sites, no statistically significant relationships between fidelity and outcomes were found. Low variation in fidelity across individuals, modest sample size, and limited ability to detect change over 18 months, may have contributed to these null findings. Impact and Implications: Implementation of strengths model of case management (SMCM) was largely successful at seven sites in three Canadian provinces, but higher fidelity was not significantly associated with improved client outcomes. The sample size of 311 may have been insufficient. Given mixed findings from previous studies, and the compatibility of SMCM with a recovery orientation, further research, with strong designs and large sample sizes, is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The experience of personal recovery from mental health has been theorized to occur through several pathways. CHIME is a seminal theoretical framework of personal recovery that is widely endorsed by the existing literature. Few studies have examined the utility of the CHIME framework with those experiencing acute challenges in their engagement in the recovery process. The purpose of the present study was to examine part of the CHIME framework for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses in the period immediately following hospitalization. Specifically, the impact of social support and community integration on personal recovery was examined. Methods: The present study involved a secondary analysis of a Phase 2 clinical trial. Assessment measures were administered to participants 1-month (n = 82) and 6-months (n = 72) postdischarge from a psychiatric hospital. Hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between social support, community integration, and 1-month and 6-month personal recovery. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that community integration and social support significantly predicted personal recovery. Mediation analyses indicated social support partially accounts for the relationship between community integration and personal recovery at 1- and 6-months postdischarge, providing evidence for social support as a mechanism of personal recovery during this time. Conclusion and Implications for Practice: This quantitative investigation of CHIME highlights the mechanism of social support for individuals who are experiencing acute challenges in their recovery. These findings point to the need for interventions that enhance community integration and social support postdischarge. Impact and Implications: The results of the present study suggest that social support is a significant mediator in the relationship between community integration and personal recovery for those who have recently been discharged from inpatient psychiatric hospital. These results can be used to inform the development of recovery-promoting interventions for individual's postdischarge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of a theory-driven multicomponent positive psychology intervention to improve well-being for individuals with severe psychiatric conditions (SPCs) in comparison with treatment as usual (TAU). This intervention moves away from the traditional psychiatric perspectives that focused on symptoms and deficits, promoting a broader view of outcomes such as noncritical self-acceptance, strengths, and positive relationships with others, among other things. Method: A two-arm randomized and outcome-blinded trial with pre-post and 6-month follow-up evaluations was conducted to assess the intervention. A total of 141 participants were allocated to either the experimental condition or the waiting list group receiving their TAU. A mixed-effect model was used to examine the efficacy of the intervention and a repeated-measures Student's t-test for the follow-up effectiveness analysis. Results: The intervention protocol was highly acceptable for participants, showing very high participant satisfaction as well as good attendance and adherence rates. At the end of the group therapy, participants reported a significant improvement in self-acceptance and environmental mastery and, these changes were maintained in the follow-up assessment after 6 months. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: The results of this randomized control trial provide further evidence supporting that positive psychology approaches can be a powerful complementary strategy to promote more comprehensive psychiatric rehabilitation services for people with SPCs. Impact and Implications: New psychosocial approaches for people with severe psychiatric conditions pursuing recovery should incorporate practices to promote well-being, as the two are mutually enhancing processes. The current multicomponent positive psychology intervention had a high level of feasibility and acceptability which facilitates its implementation. Significant improvements in self-acceptance and environmental mastery were maintained after 6 months, providing evidence that this intervention can be a great complementary strategy to traditional psychiatric rehabilitation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) with additional special needs ("DHHPlus") have complex differences in psychological development that, when combined with aspects of their environment, often place them at an increased risk for psychological challenges. Further, their combination of special needs places unique demands on their parents. Despite the high proportion of DHH children in this particular subgroup, little research has been done to identify estimates of broad psychological functioning, the parent-child relationship, parent stressors, and parent satisfaction with resources independent of other samples. This study addresses that gap through collecting preliminary data on broad psychological functioning and related parent-child variables in a sample of children who are DHHPlus. Research Method/Design: Thirty-one primary caregivers of children who were DHH with additional medical and/or mental health diagnoses completed several questionnaires about their child and family, including the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3) Parent Rating Scale, BASC-2 Parenting Relationship Questionnaire, and Family Stress Scale. The current DHHPlus sample was separated into two subgroups by age, including a preschool group (ages 2-5 years, n = 14) and child group (ages 6-11, n = 17) for visual comparison of mean scores with respective normative and clinical samples from each measure. Results: When compared to normative and clinical samples, parents of DHHPlus children endorsed more concerns about their child's behavior, adaptive skills, the parent-child relationship, and higher levels of family-related stress, with a unique rank order of family stressors. Conclusions/Implications: Results provide initial child and parent estimates to support assessment and treatment services for this diverse and underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive mental health (PMH), defined as the presence of general emotional, psychological, and social well-being is an important factor of general mental health. To allow for valid comparisons of PMH across different groups of interest, measurement invariant instruments are needed. The present study tested the measurement invariance of the nine-item Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-Scale) across eight countries (i.e., France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States) as well as across genders, and age groups. Population-based online-panel surveys were conducted (N per country > 1,000). The PMH-Scale showed good to excellent internal consistency as well as unidimensionality in all subsamples. Convergent validity was supported by positive correlations with the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6), discriminant validity was shown be negative correlations with the subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21). The PMH-Scale showed scalar measurement invariance across countries, genders, and age groups. Comparisons of latent means showed small to medium group differences, with highest levels of PMH found in the French and US-American samples as well in participants between 45 and 54 years of age. Lowest levels of PMH were found in Russian participants. Gender differences in PMH were negligible. The PMH-Scale can be used to meaningfully compare the levels of PMH across the eight investigated countries, women, and men, as well as younger and older individuals. Public Significance Statement: The Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-Scale) is a self-report questionnaire that measures psychological well-being. The PMH-Scale has been validated in eight countries (France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and its values can be compared across women and men, as well as younger and older individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing smartphone ownership, studies have examined whether mobile mindfulness applications (MMAs) can reduce depression symptoms. However, no studies have examined how real-world, self-directed MMA use may differ between depressed and nondepressed populations nor assessed this use in a sample of young adults. An online international survey was conducted with 726 participants, aged 18-30 years taking part, and assessed whether MMA use, perceived helpfulness of MMAs, reasons for and against MMA use, and frequency and recency of MMA use differed across categories of depression severity (no depression N = 229, mild-moderate N = 212, severe-extreme N = 285) as measured via the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) depression subscale. Young adults with severe-extreme depression were more likely to report using MMAs, compared with participants with mild-moderate depression and no depression groups. Participants with severe-extreme depression were most likely to use MMAs for their own well-being, citing knowledge barriers and lack of efficacy as reasons for not using MMAs. Participants with severe-extreme and mild-moderate depression found MMAs less helpful than those with no depression symptoms. These findings suggest young adults with severe depression symptoms may view MMAs as viable self-help tools for mental well-being. Future app development should consider severely depressed populations as potential users and psychologists in practice should further be aware that young adults with severe depression are using mindfulness apps to support their mental health and well-being. Assessment of mindfulness app use by young adults may be important when considering psychological treatment for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs) face negative stereotypes and social stigma, which may be linked to negative feelings during social contact. In this study, we compare SAHFs' social contact and time alone to that of stay-at-home mothers and parents of other work/caregiving statuses. In addition, we analyze SAHFs' subjective well-being when with their children, spouse, nonspouse adults, and when alone to more accurately capture the positive and negative valences of their experiences. Using individual-level time-use diaries from the American Time Use Survey (N = 35,959), a nationally representative sample, we find that compared to fathers working full time, SAHFs spent more time alone, more time with only their children, and less time with adults. SAHFs reported that this alone time was meaningful, not negative. They reported more happiness when interacting exclusively with children. These findings refute some stereotypes that primary caregiving fathers only stay home with their children as a last resort and further support the new fatherhood ideal that contemporary fathers desire to be more actively involved in child rearing. Unfortunately, SAHFs reported significantly more sadness, more stress, and less happiness while interacting in a variety of contexts with adults. Connecting our work with previous research, we believe these findings are best explained by either exclusion of SAHFs or increased salience of social stigmas felt by SAHFs in social situations with adults. These indicators of emotional well-being during social contact have important implications for parent physical and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the relationship between medical comorbidities and psychological health outcomes at 2 and 5 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method: Veterans Affairs (VA) TBI Model System participants who completed a 2-year (n = 225) and/or 5-year (n = 283) follow-up with a comorbidities interview were included in the current study. Psychological health outcomes were assessed using the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). While controlling for known predictors of outcome, the relationship of overall comorbidity burden to psychological outcomes was examined cross-sectionally using generalized linear regression at 2 and 5 years post-TBI. Lasso regularization was used to examine relationships of specific comorbid conditions to outcome. Results: Greater comorbidity burden was significantly associated with lower satisfaction with life at 2 and 5 years post-TBI and was associated with greater depressive symptomatology at 5 years post-TBI. Chronic pain was associated with lower satisfaction with life and greater depressive symptoms at both 2- and 5-year follow-up. Sleep apnea was associated with lower satisfaction with life and greater depressive symptoms at 5-year follow-up. Rheumatoid arthritis was associated with lower satisfaction with life and lower levels of perceived improvement in health and well-being at the 5-year follow-up. Implications: Results suggest that medical comorbidities may have a cumulative impact on adverse psychological health outcomes in chronic stages of TBI. This study further highlights the complexity of patients with TBI and the importance of identifying medical comorbidities as they provide potential targets for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite historical shifts in some parts of the world indicating greater openness to more fluid and less restrictive notions of "manhood," boys continue to experience significant pressures to conform to dominant masculine norms through policing of masculinity. The Policing of Masculinity Scale (POMS) was developed to measure this pervasive gender socialization process that can impact boys' functioning and well-being. Prior to the development of the POMS, there had been no quantitative scale through which to measure the range of normative gender policing behaviors experienced by boys during adolescence and other developmental periods. Findings from exploratory factor and other analyses on the POMS (N = 227) demonstrated evidence for validity and reliability with this sample and functional utility for its Agent, Target, and Emotional Impact Scales. For the primary Agent and Target Scales, three factors emerged, including Verbal Policing Epithets, Physical Policing Challenges, and Masculinity Deviations, providing evidence for the range of mediums through which boys receive the message that they are not "man enough." In support of construct and criterion validity for this study, the POMS exhibited significant relationships with a range of constructs and well-being outcomes including teasing, masculine norms, homophobic and misogynistic attitudes, hyperactivity, school attitudes and performance, and emotional problems. In this time of greater attention to issues facing boys and men, the POMS will enable the exploration of policing of masculinity in new and multidimensional ways, and contribute to more fully understanding the social, developmental, and psychological implications of masculine gender socialization. Public Significance Statement: This measure development study assessed the Policing of Masculinity Scale (POMS) including its factor structure and indicators of validity and reliability. The POMS measures a widespread gender socialization process used by boys to communicate the perception that another boy's behavior is insufficiently masculine. Findings from this study demonstrated evidence for validity and reliability including significant relationships between policing of masculinity and outcomes for boys pertaining to school performance, interpersonal functioning, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that plurisexual individuals face ongoing decisions about whether and how accurately to present their sexual orientation to others, in part because of stereotypes and negative attitudes specific to plurisexuality. This study tested a within-person model of theoretical predictors and outcomes of self-presentational accuracy in a sample of 165 cisgender plurisexual women. Participants completed online surveys to report on situations involving self-presentation decisions as they occurred over a 14-day period. Participants also completed nightly surveys assessing facets of well-being. Self-presentational accuracy varied substantially from day to day. Several contextual and relational factors, including acceptance and rejection cues, interaction partners' sexual orientation, and interpersonal closeness, predicted self-presentational accuracy, both directly and through the mediator of anticipated acceptance. Self-presentational accuracy predicted daily life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect through the mediator of social support. Finally, exploratory analyses underscored the relevance of goals related to authenticity, closeness, privacy, communication, educating others, and safety in self-presentation decisions. Discussion highlights the importance of context in identity management decisions among plurisexual women and the impact of these decisions on day-to-day well-being. Public Significance Statement: The present study suggests that plurisexual women's sexual orientation self-presentation varies significantly from day to day and is influenced by interpersonal context. Furthermore, the accuracy of plurisexual women's self-presentation predicts daily social support and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the model structure, reliability, and validity of the Grit-S for veterans with mental illnesses. Method: A total of 156 veterans with mental illnesses (Mage = 37.85, SD = 10.74) were recruited from Amazon MTurk to complete an online survey consisting of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S), the Brief Resilience Scale, the PERMA-Profiler, the Patient Health Questionnaire−9, and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II. Results: Results revealed that grit is a multidimensional construct in veterans with mental illnesses. The Grit-S was found to have acceptable reliability and concurrent validity. Grit was found to be negatively associated with functional disability in veterans with mental illnesses after controlling for demographic variables. Conclusions and Implications: The Grit-S is a multidimensional, reliable, and valid scale for measuring grit in veterans with mental illnesses. Impact and Implications: This study confirms that grit is a multidimensional construct in veterans with mental illnesses. The Short Grit Scale is a reliable and valid scale for measuring grit in veterans with mental illnesses. Grit was found to be associated with higher levels of well-being and resilience and lower levels of depression and functional disability. Future research is needed to develop an empirical grit intervention for veterans with mental illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: This study aimed to describe the perceived stress levels and coping mechanisms related to COVID-19, and whether coping is related to well-being in people with self-reported chronic conditions and disabilities. Research Method/Design: A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. The total number of participants were 269 individuals with self-reported disabilities and chronic conditions (Mage = 39.37, SDage = 12.18). We examined the relationship between perceived stress and coping strategies related to COVID-19, and which COVID-19 coping strategies were associated with well-being after controlling for demographic and psychological characteristics. Results: Correlation analyses demonstrated that perceived stress related to COVID-19 was positively associated with coping strategies including self-distraction, denial, substance use, behavioral disengagement, venting, planning, religion, and self-blame. Further, hierarchical regression results demonstrated that active coping, denial, use of emotional support, humor, religion, and self-blame were associated with participants' well-being after controlling for demographic and psychological characteristics. Conclusions/Implications: This exploratory study findings suggest that measuring and quantifying COVID-19 related stress and coping strategies in individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities can help clinicians and researchers understand potential effects of COVID-19 among people with chronic conditions and disabilities. Impact and Implications: The current exploratory study extends the literature by exploring the perceived impact of COVID-19, stress levels and coping mechanisms related to COVID-19, and which coping strategies are associated with well-being in individuals with self-reported chronic conditions and disabilities. Active coping, denial, use of emotional support, humor, and religion coping were found to be positively correlated with well-being scores. Self-blame was found to be negatively correlated with well-being scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) can experience high burden, which underlies the importance of examining the needs of caregivers to be able to support them in the caregiving role. The current study aims to assess the relationships among PD symptoms and four measures of caregiver quality of life (QOL; i.e., personal and social activities, anxiety and depression, self-care, and strain). Method: Data from 181 caregiver/care recipient dyads (N = 362) were collected at a multidisciplinary PD clinic in a public, academic medical center in the southeastern United States at the time of the care recipient's first neuropsychological evaluation. Results: All PD symptoms were positively correlated with each other, as were all forms of caregiver QOL, and all PD symptoms were associated with each measure of caregiver QOL. A series of regressions suggested that demographics and PD symptoms predicted all four types of caregiver QOL, explaining 33% of the variance in caregiver personal and social activities, 24% in anxiety and depression, 28% in self-care, and 36% in strain. Female caregivers and those who provided care to male care recipients generally had worse QOL. Greater PD-related symptoms including difficulties with mobility, decreased emotional well-being, and greater nonmotor functioning impairment were unique predictors of reduced caregiver QOL. Conclusions: PD symptoms are robustly related to caregiver QOL, with mobility and nonmotor symptoms as the primary drivers of this relationship. Interventions for PD caregivers should include strategies for managing mobility and nonmotor symptoms, as well as their QOL effects on caregivers. Impact and Implications: Research on the relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms and caregiver quality of life (QOL) has been sparse. In this study, greater difficulties for individuals with PD with mobility, decreased emotional well-being, and worse nonmotor functioning were unique predictors of reduced caregiver QOL. These results suggest a tentative rubric for identifying caregivers who may need additional support. They also underscore the need for integrated behavioral health services for caregivers and individuals with PD to assist with management of PD symptoms and their effects on caregiver QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine how far group-level psychosocial and affective factors, as a relevant context, predict outcome expectancy as a process appraisal of an organizational health intervention. For this purpose, data from a university hospital (N = 250 representatives from 29 nursing wards) were collected. Participants took part in an intervention consisting of 4-day workshops designed to improve psychosocial working conditions. Employee surveys covered baseline psychosocial (job demands and job resources) and affective aspects (valence and positive and negative activation) as context variables. At the end of the workshops, participants evaluated the intervention process with the outcome expectancy scale. Applying a multilevel approach, the results indicated that both baseline psychosocial characteristics (job resources, in particular managerial support) and baseline affective factors (valence) as relevant context characteristics were related to the appraisal of the intervention process (outcome expectancy). The post hoc mediation analysis further showed that the affective context (valence) mediated the relation between job resources (managerial support) and outcome expectancy. There was no relation between job demands and outcome expectancy as well as between negative activation and outcome expectancy. This study shows that already healthy contexts with good psychosocial working conditions and well-being relate to a beneficial intervention process. Specifically, this study highlights the essential role of affects that influence process appraisals. These affects are, in turn, influenced by the psychosocial context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the effects of work interruptions as a stressor and appreciation of employees by supervisors as a resource with regard to four parameters of well-being, postulating main effects and interactions. Using latent moderated structural equation modeling, we analyzed longitudinal data on 208 employees at seven different companies who completed an online questionnaire twice. There were no main effects; however, the interactions between work interruptions and appreciation by supervisors were significant, and in the expected direction. Appreciation by supervisors moderated the effects of interruptions on the four parameters of employees' well-being: job satisfaction, self-efficacy, job-related depressive mood, and sleep problems. These results held after accounting for conceptually relevant control variables, namely, time pressure, job control, and social support by supervisors. There were no indications for reversed effects. The findings underscore the importance of contextual factors like appreciative leader behavior for handling difficult situations such as work interruptions and thus confirm the potential of feeling appreciated at work as a protective resource in stressful work situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In four studies, we document the development and validation of the Emotional Style Questionnaire (ESQ)—a 24-item self-report measure that captures how people vary across 6 dimensions that make up a healthy emotional life. These 6 dimensions (Outlook, Resilience, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention) are based on a theoretical framework drawn from neuroscientific studies of emotion. Study 1 reports the development of the ESQ and provides initial support for the proposed factorial structure of the scale. Study 2 confirms the adequacy of the factorial structure in a second sample and establishes the construct validity of each of the 6 subscales. In Study 3, we test the relationship between the ESQ as a measure of healthy emotionality and various indicators of psychological and physical well-being. Finally, Study 4 investigates the test–retest reliability of the scale and reveals very good reliability across an interval of 4 weeks. We conclude that the ESQ is a psychometrically solid and easily implementable instrument that can be used to gauge healthy emotionality and its components in both clinical and research settings. This study introduces the Emotional Style Questionnaire—a 24-item measure of overall emotional health—which also provides more fine-tuned information about the 6 different dimensions underlying emotional health. This easily implementable questionnaire can be used by anyone (e.g., researchers, clinicians) interested in understanding the emotional profile of a person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacations contribute significantly to employee well-being. However, the positive effects of vacation on employees fade out over time (fade-out effect). Although the phenomenon is robust, little is known regarding the factors that can be expected to preserve employees' enhanced well-being after returning from vacation. The present study examined organizational variables having the potential to accelerate or delay fade-out effects. Specifically, it was hypothesized that perceived job insecurity and perceived organizational support may affect vacation fade-out effects. A questionnaire was completed by 124 Israeli employees at three time points: before departing for vacation, immediately following the vacation, and 2 weeks after returning from vacation. Findings indicated that employee health significantly increased, and employee exhaustion significantly decreased, after vacation. However, these beneficial effects tended to fade out. Furthermore, upon returning from vacation, perceived organizational support was found to inhibit the increase in employee exhaustion and the decline in health, whereas perceived job insecurity increased employee exhaustion and decreased health. Finally, perceived organizational support buffered the effect of perceived job insecurity on the fade-out effect of exhaustion. Our study contributes to the cumulative research in the field by suggesting that organizational support and job security may be useful variables for exploring the dynamic aspect of employees' well-being after vacationing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Decisional autonomy--or sense of one's ability to make independent choices about one's life--is especially relevant to individuals who may feel their autonomy is limited due to physical challenges. Past work has found associations between measures of autonomy and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with disability and in older adults. However, it is less clear how decisional autonomy influences the impact of pain and fatigue severity on QoL, especially in adults aging with physical disability. This study examined the relationship of decisional autonomy to QoL and the extent to which autonomy moderates the association between symptom severity and QoL. Method: We used hierarchical linear regression models to examine the associations between autonomy, pain and fatigue, and quality of life in a sample of individuals with long-term disability. In 2 sets of models, we examined individuals reporting some level of fatigue (n = 1,060, Mage = 62.66, SD = 11.88) and some level of pain (n = 964, Mage = 62.79, SD = 11.69). Results: We found that decisional autonomy significantly predicted QoL over and above other measures related to social participation. Decisional autonomy also weakly moderated the associations between fatigue and QoL and the associations between pain and QoL. Conclusions: The findings indicate that levels of decisional autonomy may be important to QoL in individuals aging with physical limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the biopsychosocial predictors of subjective well-being (SWB) in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) through a framework informed by feminist disability theory. Method: Two hundred twenty-nine women with FMS completed an online survey measuring FMS severity, physician-patient working alliance, meaningful role-functioning, illness centrality, and SWB. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationships among the constructs and their statistical contributions to SWB. Several open-ended prompts were used to inform the quantitative results. Results: The results indicated a good fit between the data and the respecified model. All variables significantly contributed to the overall model. FMS severity, meaningful role-functioning, and illness centrality accounted for 79% of the variance in SWB, with the indirect effect of physician-patient working alliance. Conclusion: The present study provided strong support for a biopsychosocial framework encompassing the medical environment, FMS severity, illness centrality, and meaningful role-functioning to predict SWB in women with FMS. As a feminist framework, the primary research model needs further refinement but still has significant implications for conceptualization, treatment, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mood symptoms may impact on personal recovery and psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to explore whether recent mood symptoms were associated with recovery and social support from friends, family, and partners. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 312 participants who self-reported a confirmed diagnosis of BD and were recruited through social media. Results: A series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted. Those who reported depression (52%) or hypo/mania (47%) reported lower recovery scores. Those who reported seeing family and >1 friend reported higher recovery scores along with those who were employed, did not receive benefits, and had higher education. Recent hypo/mania symptoms were associated with less family contact. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Friends and family may be conducive to recovery, however recent symptoms may have an impact. More research is required to understand how hypo/mania symptoms may influence accessing family support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study used a psychology of working theory (PWT) framework to test the direct and indirect relations of perceived social status and transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) marginalization (i.e., victimization, nonaffirmation of gender identity, negative expectations for the future) with work volition, overqualification, and vocational and emotional well-being outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, meaningful work, satisfaction with life, depression) in a sample of 175 TGNC working adults. This study also tested the moderating effect of one form of structural marginalization (lack of legal protections from employment discrimination) on the overall pattern of results. Participants were recruited using online social media and discussion forums and completed the study survey online. For the full sample, perceived social status and nonaffirmation of gender identity were associated with vocational and emotional well-being outcomes through the mediating role of work volition, and for some paths, overqualification. Significant differences emerged in the overall pattern of results for those without protections, suggesting that protections from discrimination buffer the adverse links of some forms of TGNC marginalization with work volition and vocational outcomes. Implications of study findings for research, counseling, and advocacy are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the 6th phase of this longitudinal study was to establish whether children born through assisted reproduction involving reproductive donation were at risk for psychological problems following the transition to adolescence at age 14 and, if so, to examine the nature of these problems and the mechanisms involved. Eighty-seven families formed through reproductive donation, including 32 donor insemination families, 27 egg donation families, and 28 surrogacy families, were compared with 54 natural conception families. Standardized interviews, questionnaires, and observational assessments of the quality of parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent adjustment were administered to mothers, adolescents, and teachers. The mothers in surrogacy families showed less negative parenting and reported greater acceptance of their adolescent children and fewer problems in family relationships as a whole compared with gamete donation mothers. In addition, less positive relationships were found between mothers and adolescents in egg donation families than in donor insemination families as rated by both mothers and adolescents. There were no differences between family types for the adolescents themselves in terms of adjustment problems, psychological well-being, and self-esteem. Longitudinal analyses showed no differences between family types in negative parenting from age 7 to age 14, and a weaker association between negative parenting and adjustment difficulties for gamete donation than natural conception and surrogacy families. The findings suggest that the absence of a genetic link between mothers and their children is associated with less positive mother-adolescent relationships whereas the absence of a gestational link does not have an adverse effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laypersons and experts believe that wisdom is cultivated through a diverse range of positive and negative life experiences. Yet, not all individuals with life experience are wise. We propose that one possible determinant of growth in wisdom from life experience is self-reflection. In a life span sample of adults (N = 94) ranging from 26 to 92 years of age, we examined wisdom's relationship to self-reflection by investigating "why" people report reflecting on the past (i.e., reminiscence functions) and "how" they reflect within autobiographical memories of difficult life events (i.e., autobiographical reasoning). We assessed wisdom using self-report, performance, and nomination approaches. Results indicated that wisdom was unrelated to the frequency of self-reflection; however, wiser people differed from others in their (a) reasons for reminiscence and (b) mode of autobiographical reasoning. Across 3 methods for assessing wisdom, wisdom was positively associated with exploratory processing of difficult life experience (meaning-making, personal growth), whereas redemptive processing (positive emotional reframing, event resolution) was positively associated with adjustment. This study suggests that developmental pathways in the wake of adversity may be partially determined by how individuals self-reflectively process significant life experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study we used a mixed-method design to examine perceptions of legal status and their association with psychosocial experiences among undocumented Latino/a immigrants in the United States Participants were asked to compare their perceived social experiences with those of documented Latinos/as in order to determine whether differences in such perceptions might emerge and whether such perceptions might differentially impact well-being. A community sample of 140 self-reported undocumented Latino/a immigrants completed questionnaires measuring perceptions of legal status, well-being (global and psychological), perceived context of reception, and experiences of discrimination. Results indicated that individuals who perceived their experiences as different from those of documented Latinos/as due to an unauthorized legal status reported less social equality as evidenced by lower well-being, increased experiences of discrimination, and a more adverse context of reception. Moreover, individuals who perceived their social experiences as different from those of documented Latinos/as due to their legal status reported issues centering on 2 domains: limited opportunity/restricted social mobility and discrimination/unfair treatment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in terms of advancing theory and from a multicultural counseling perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the unique relations between multiple sources (i.e., mothers, teachers, and siblings) of perceived daily autonomy support and psychological control and children's basic psychological needs and well-being. During 5 consecutive days, 2 children from 154 families (Mage youngest child = 8.54 years; SD = .89 and Mage oldest child = 10.38 years; SD = .87) provided daily ratings of the study variables. Multilevel analyses showed that each of the sources of perceived autonomy support and psychological control related uniquely to changes in daily well-being and ill-being. These associations were mediated by experienced psychological need satisfaction and frustration, respectively. Overall, the findings testify to the dynamic role of autonomy support and psychological control in children's development. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experimental work demonstrates that temporal distancing from negative experiences reduces distress. Yet two central questions remain: (a) do people differ in the habitual tendency to temporally distance from negative experiences, and if so (b) what implications does this tendency have for well-being? Seven studies explored these questions. Study 1 describes the construction and reliability of the Temporal Distancing Questionnaire, a new measure of individual differences in the tendency to place negative experiences into a broader future time perspective. Study 2 establishes a nomological network around this construct, examining the relationship of temporal distancing to other theoretically related constructs. Study 3 tests whether people high in temporal distancing (i.e., "high temporal distancers") experience greater concurrent well-being, including greater positive affect and life satisfaction and lesser negative affect, worry, and depressive symptoms. Study 4 examines whether temporal distancing predicts well-being measured at the daily level, and across time. Finally, Studies 5a-5c explore a key way in which temporal distancing may support psychological well-being--by facilitating more adaptive responses to negative experiences. Our results demonstrate that the tendency to temporally distance from negative experiences predicts a more positive profde of affective experiences and stress-reactivity that may support immediate and longer-term well-being. Moreover, many of these findings remained significant when controlling for general reappraisal tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illness cognitions are mediators between illness and well-being in patients with physical symptoms. The Illness Cognitions Questionnaire (ICQ) explores these illness cognitions but has not been validated in older persons. This study aimed to validate the ICQ in adults aged 60 years and above and to develop an extended version (ICQ-Plus) suitable for older persons. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore illness cognitions in 21 older persons suffering physical symptoms. The items in the original ICQ and items of these interviews that potentially reflect dimensions not covered by the original ICQ were combined in the ICQ-Plus. Then the ICQ-Plus was completed by 220 older patients with physical symptoms, and its factor structure was explored by maximum-likelihood factor analyses. Analysis of covariance was performed to assess differences in illness cognitions between older persons suffering from medically explained symptoms (MES) and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). The interviews generated 26 new items. Factor analysis confirmed the 3-factor structure of the original ICQ, including factors covering helplessness, disease benefits, and acceptance. In addition, exploratory factor analysis on the ICQ-Plus items revealed 4 additional factors, including cognitions referring to perseverance, illness anxiety, avoidance, and catastrophizing. Patients with MUS scored significantly lower than did patients with MES on acceptance and disease benefits and higher on helplessness and illness anxiety. We concluded that older patients with physical symptoms express illness cognitions that are relevant for treatment but are not covered by the ICQ and recommend that the extended ICQ-Plus be used in studies of older persons. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of classism that may explain links between social class, first-generation college student status, and academic and well-being outcomes. Specifically, with a sample of 1,225 college students from a public university, we examined social class and first-generation status as predictors of institutionalized, citational, and interpersonal classism and classism as a predictor of life satisfaction, academic satisfaction, and grade point average (GPA). Partially supporting hypotheses, social class and first-generation status predicted institutionalized classism and interpersonal classism, and social class predicted citational classism. In turn, institutionalized classism and citational classism negatively predicted life satisfaction, and institutionalized classism negatively predicted academic satisfaction. Indirect effects were significant from social class to life satisfaction via institutionalized and citational classism, from social class to academic satisfaction via institutionalized classism, and from first-generation status to life satisfaction via institutionalized classism. Social class also had direct effects to life satisfaction, academic satisfaction, and GPA, and first-generation status had direct effects to academic satisfaction and GPA. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on therapist factors have mostly focused on therapist traits rather than states such as affect. Research related to therapist affect has often looked at therapist baseline well-being or therapist reactions, but not both. Fifteen therapists and 51 clients rated pre- and postsession affect, as well as postsession working alliance and session quality, for 1,172 sessions of individual psychotherapy at a community clinic. Therapists' affect became more positive when clients were initially positive and when clients became more positive over the session, and became more negative when clients were initially negative and when clients became more negative over the session. Furthermore, when therapists were initially positive in affect and when therapists became more positive over the session, clients rated the session quality to be high. Conversely, when therapists were initially negative in affect and when therapists became more negative over the session, clients rated the session quality and working alliance low. On open-ended questions, therapists reported mood shifts in 67% of sessions (63% positive, 50% negative). Positive affect change was attributed to collaborating with the client, perceiving the client to be engaged, or being a good therapist. Negative affect change was attributed to having a difficult client, perceiving the client to be in distress, or being a poor therapist. Thus, therapist state affect at presession and change in affect across a session may independently contribute to the process and outcome of therapy sessions. The examination of within-therapist variables over the course of therapy may further our understanding of therapist factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a group-randomized field experimental design, this study tested whether a workplace intervention--designed to reduce work-family conflict--buffered against potential age-related decreases in the affective well-being of employees' children. Daily diary data were collected from 9- to 17-year-old children of parents working in an information technology division of a U.S. Fortune 500 company prior to and 12 months after the implementation of the Support-Transform-Achieve-Results (STAR) workplace intervention. Youth (62 with parents in the STAR group, 41 in the usual-practice group) participated in 8 consecutive nightly phone calls, during which they reported on their daily stressors and affect. Well-being was indexed by positive and negative affect and affective reactivity to daily stressful events. The randomized workplace intervention increased youth positive affect and buffered youth from age-related increases in negative affect and affective reactivity to daily stressors. Future research should test specific conditions of parents' work that may penetrate family life and affect youth well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study addresses older adults' developmental regulation when faced with progressive and irreversible vision loss. We used the motivational theory of life span development as a conceptual framework and examined changes in older adults' striving for control over everyday goal achievement, and their association with affective well-being, in a sample of 364 older adults diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration. Using longitudinal data from 5 occasions at 6-month intervals, we examined intraindividual change in control strategies, and how it was related to change in affective well-being, in terms of self-rated happiness and depressive symptoms. Mixed model analyses confirmed our hypotheses that (a) intraindividual change, particularly in selective primary control and in compensatory secondary control (CSC), predict change toward higher happiness ratings and lower depression; and (b) as functional abilities (instrumental activities of daily living) declined, CSC became increasingly predictive of better affective well-being. Overall, the findings suggest that CSC strategies are essential for maintaining affective well-being when physical functioning declines. Intensified selective primary control striving may be effective to achieve goals that have become difficult to reach but are not associated with affective well-being, possibly because struggling with difficulties undermines the experience of enjoyable mastery. In contrast, goal adjustments and self-protective thinking may help to find pleasure even from restricted daily activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the association between various facets of generativity, that is, cultural demand for generativity, generative concern, and generative action, with the satisfaction of the needs for relatedness. competence, and autonomy in samples of elderly from Cameroon, China (Hong Kong), the Czech Republic, and Germany. Participants provided information on self-transcendence values (internalized cultural demand), generative concern and action, and need satisfaction. Results suggest, first, that internalized cultural demand affects generative action indirectly through generative concern, second, that generative concern has a positive direct effect on need satisfaction, but that, third, there is also an indirect effect of generative concern on need satisfaction through generative action, which, fourth, is positive for the needs for relatedness and competence but negative for the need for autonomy. These findings were culture-invariant in our study, suggesting generalizability to other cultures. They are discussed with respect to the role of values in generativity and a possible trade-off of generative action for the satisfaction of needs at least in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central question we addressed was whether mothers' adjustment might vary systematically by the developmental stages of their children. In an Internet-based study of over 2,200 mostly well-educated mothers with children ranging from infants to adults, we examined multiple aspects of mothers' personal well-being, parenting, and perceptions of their children. Uniformly, adjustment indices showed curvilinear patterns across children's developmental stages, with mothers of middle-schoolers faring the most poorly, and mothers of adult children and infants faring the best. Findings based on children in mutually exclusive age groups--for example, mothers with only (1 or more) infants, preschoolers, and so forth--had larger effect sizes than those based on the age of the mothers' oldest child. In contrast to the recurrent findings based on children's developmental stages, mothers' adjustment dimensions showed few variations by their children's gender. Collectively, results of this study suggest that there is value in preventive interventions involving mothers not just in their children's infancy and preschool years, but also as their children traverse the developmentally challenging years surrounding puberty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the initial development and validation of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) with a sample of 1,002 students in Grades 6 -8 . The SSWQ is a 16-item self-report instrument for assessing youths' subjective wellbeing at school, which is operationalized via 4 subscales measuring school connectedness, academic efficacy, joy of learning, and educational purpose. The conceptualization and development of the SSWQ's subscales and items are described, and results from a series of preliminary psychometric analyses are reported. Findings indicated that the SSWQ was characterized by 4 conceptually sound latent factors, that these 4 first-order factors were robust indicators of a single second-order factor (i.e., student subjective wellbeing), that all subscales and the composite scale demonstrated at least adequate construct reliability and internal consistency, and that the estimated latent-means for all first-order and second-order factors were invariant across gender. Moreover, results from bivariate correlations and a latent-variable path analysis provided evidence in support of the construct validity of the SSWQ's scales and latent factors, showing strong associations with other student wellbeing indicators (i.e., school prosociality and academic perseverance), while findings from binary logistic regressions demonstrated that overall student subjective wellbeing levels, based on composite scores from the SSWQ, were mildly to-strongly associated with a variety of self-endorsed risk factors (e.g., aggression and self-harm) and protective factors (e.g., social support and physical exercise). Implications for theory, research, and the practice of school psychology are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental science is replete with studies on the impact of mothers on their children, but little is known about what might best help caregivers to function well themselves. In an initial effort to address this gap, we conducted an Internet-based study of over 2,000 mostly well-educated mothers, seeking to illuminate salient risk and protective processes associated with their personal well-being. When women's feelings in the parenting role were considered along with dimensions of personal support as predictors, the latter set explained at least as much variance--and often much more--across dimensions of mothers' personal well-being. Within the latter set of personal support predictors, findings showed that 4 had particularly robust links with mothers' personal adjustment: their feeling unconditionally loved, feeling comforted when in distress, authenticity in relationships, and satisfaction with friendships. Partner satisfaction had some associations with personal adjustment outcomes, but being married in itself had negligible effects. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research, and for interventions aimed at fostering resilience among mothers facing high level of stress in their role as parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]