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Higher emotional capital is associated with enhanced positive emotions, social relationships, social capital and human capital. The present study developed and evaluated a personal emotional capital questionnaire for adolescents (PECQ-A) that assessed 10 components of this capital. The PECQ-A was administrated to two samples of Iranian 15-year-olds from two Iranian cities ( N1 = 600, N2 = 300, total N = 900) recruited using multistage random cluster sampling. A confirmatory factor analysis of the first sample confirmed the ten-factor structure of the PECQ-A. The reliability of PECQ-A was acceptable (Cronbach’s α = .90, McDonald’s ω = .88, AVE = .57, Composite reliability CR = .89). Analyses of the second sample revealed that the PECQ-A and its components exhibited convergent validity when compared to the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC–SF), the students’ GPAs, and the students’ mathematics and natural sciences scores. The PECQ-A demonstrated divergent validity when contrasted with the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21). Test-retest reliability was acceptable. Invariance measurement was confirmed for the PECQ-A. A MANOVA identified several gender differences. PECQ-A scores were not sensitive to the order that the questionnaires were administered. The results suggest that the PECQ–A is a valid and reliable measure of personal emotional capital suitable for use with adolescents.

Objectives Procrastination is a common form of self-regulation failure that a growing evidence base suggests can confer risk for poor health outcomes, especially when it becomes habitual. However, the proposed linkages of chronic procrastination to health outcomes have not been tested over time or accounted for the contributions of higher-order personality factors linked to both chronic procrastination and health-related outcomes. We addressed these issues by examining the role of chronic procrastination in health outcomes over time in which the hypothesized links of procrastination to health problems operate via stress and health behaviours. Design Three-wave longitudinal study with 1-month intervals. Methods Participants (N = 379) completed measures of trait procrastination at Time 1, and measures of health behaviours, stress and health problems at each time point, in a lab setting. Results Procrastination and the health variables were inter-related in the expected directions across the three assessments. Chronic procrastination was positively associated with stress and negatively with health behaviours at each time point. Path analysis testing a cross-lagged longitudinal mediation model found an indirect relationship operating between procrastination and health problems via stress, after accounting for the contributions of conscientiousness and neuroticism. Conclusions This research extends previous work by demonstrating that the links between chronic procrastination and poor health are accounted for mainly by higher stress, after accounting for other key traits, and that these associations are robust over time. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of addressing habitual self-regulation failure for improving health.

Research suggests that multiple forms of relaxation training (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, visualization, and autogenics) can help individuals reduce stress, enhance relaxation states, and improve overall well-being. We examined three different, commonly used approaches to stress relaxation—progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery—and evaluated them in a head-to-head comparison against each other and a control condition. Sixty healthy undergraduate participants were randomized to one of the four conditions and completed 20 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, or guided imagery training that was delivered by recorded audio instruction. Baseline and follow-up assessment of psychological relaxation states were completed. Physiological relaxation was also assessed continuously using measures of electrodermal activity and heart rate. Results showed that progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery all increased the state of relaxation for participants in those groups, compared to participants in the control group. In each case, the increase was statistically significant and although the groups did not differ on relaxation before training, all groups were significantly higher on relaxation after training, as compared to the control group. Progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery showed an immediate linear trend toward physiological relaxation, compared to the control group, and the deep breathing group showed an immediate increase in physiological arousal followed quickly by a return to initial levels. Our results lend support to the body of research showing that stress relaxation training can be effective in improving relaxation states at both the psychological and physiological level. Future research could examine stress relaxation techniques in a similar manner using designs where multiple techniques can be compared in the same samples.

To identify correlates of quality of life (QoL) measured with the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) in participants of a multidisciplinary day hospital treatment program for fibromyalgia (FM). In this cross-sectional, observational study, “real world” data from 480 FM patients including socio-demographics, pain variables and questionnaires such as the SF-36, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Multiphasic Pain Inventory (MPI), SCL-90-R and others were categorized according to the components (body structure and function, activities and participation, personal factors, environmental factors) of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). For every ICF component, a linear regression analysis with QOLS as the dependent variable was computed. A final comprehensive model was calculated on the basis of the results of the five independent analyses. The following variables could be identified as main correlates for QoL in FM, explaining 56% of the variance of the QOLS (subscale/questionnaire and standardized beta in parenthesis): depression (− 0.22), pain-related interference with everyday life (− 0.19), general activity (0.13), general health perception (0.11), punishing response from others (− 0.11), work status (− 0.10), vitality (− 0.11) and cognitive difficulties (− 0.12). Pain intensity or frequency was not an independent correlate. More than 50% of QoL variance could be explained by distinct self-reported variables with neither pain intensity nor pain frequency playing a major role. Therefore, FM treatment should not primarily concentrate on pain but should address multiple factors within multidisciplinary therapy.

Suicide is a significant public health concern. Risk factors include depression, anxiety, hopelessness, being college-aged, and chronic illness. Self-compassion may reduce risk. We examined the rel...

Objective Little is known about potential mechanisms of action linking protective positive psychological variables and functional disability in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease. The present study was undertaken to examine symptoms of psychopathology, including stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality, as serial mediators of the association between gratitude, self-compassion, self-forgiveness, and functional impairment. Methods We assessed risk and protective factors for functional disability in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who were recruited from an Austrian health care facility. Respondents completed online surveys, including the Gratitude Questionnaire 6-item form, the Self-Compassion Scale short form, the Self-Forgiveness and Forgiveness of Others Index, the Perceived Stress Scale 4, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2, the 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Sleep Condition Indicator, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Bivariate and serial mediation analyses were conducted. Results For our sample of 1,218 patients (52% female, n = 632; AS [37%], OA [34%], RA [14%], and FM [24%]), stress, depression, and anxiety, in parallel as first-order mediators, and sleep quality as a second-order mediator, explained the association between positive psychological variables and functional disability. Conclusion Positive psychological factors exert a beneficial downstream effect on mental well-being, sleep health, and health-related functional impairment. Therapeutic promotion of gratitude, self-compassion, and self-forgiveness may improve mental and physical health in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease.

Objectives Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with increased criticism from others. To date, there is little research considering the consequences of how others respond to people with ADHD. Self-compassion is a positive way of relating to oneself during difficulty. Here, we investigate whether levels of self-compassion differ between people with and without ADHD, and whether perceived criticism mediates any differences in self-compassion between people with and without ADHD. Methods A cross-sectional design was used to conduct natural group comparisons. A sample of 1203 adults (46% with a self-reported ADHD diagnosis) recruited via social media, online forums and posters completed online self-report measures of diagnostic status, ADHD traits, self-compassion and perceived criticism. Between-group comparisons of self-compassion and perceived criticism were conducted on participants grouped by diagnosis, then grouped by ADHD trait severity. Perceived criticism was tested as a mediator variable between ADHD diagnosis and self-compassion. Results Adults with an ADHD diagnosis showed significantly lower self-compassion and higher perceived criticism than the participants without ADHD. Participants high in ADHD traits but without a diagnosis had significantly similar levels of self-compassion to the diagnosed group. Mediation analysis found that higher perceived criticism partially explained the relationship between ADHD diagnosis and self-compassion, even after accounting for co-occurring mood disorder diagnosis. Conclusions Adults with ADHD are less self-compassionate than adults without ADHD. This is partially explained by the higher level of criticism they perceive from others.

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Der Anteil an erwachsenen Bluthochdruckpatienten wurde 2010 weltweit auf 31,1% geschatzt. Ziel dieser Studie war es die Effekte von Lebensstilanderungen bei Patienten mit arterieller Hypertonie (AH) in der Primarversorgung zu untersuchen. Methodik Systematische Literaturrecherche in den Online-Datenbanken PubMed, Embase, Cochrane und Opengrey. Es wurden nur randomisierte kontrollierte Studien der Jahre 2005-2017 in deutscher oder englischer Sprache berucksichtigt. Ergebnisse Von 458 identifizierten Texten, wurden 11 Studien ausgewertet. Die untersuchten Patientengruppen waren sehr heterogen und unterzogen sich verschiedenen Interventionstypen. Besonders haufig waren Schulungen zum Krankheitsbild, regelmasige Selbstmessungen des Blutdrucks oder Patientenerinnerungen zur Einhaltung eines gesunden Lebensstils angewandt worden. Schlussfolgerung Es bedarf weiterer Studien, welche gezielt die hausarztliche Versorgung betrachten. Viele Lebensstilinterventionen scheinen aber sehr gute Effekte bei Patienten mit bereits bestehender AH zu zeigen (Sekundarprophylaxe), so dass diese Masnahmen die Basis einer antihypertensiven Therapie bei allen Patienten mit AH bilden sollten. Zudem ist es wichtig die Beratung zu einem gesunden Lebensstil wahrend der medikamentosen Therapie aufrecht zu erhalten.

Responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit helps people to achieve their goals, yet evidence suggests that some people struggle to respond with self-compassion. The current research proposes that social cognition models such the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Prototype Willingness Model could explain why some people, such as those high in perfectionistic concerns, struggle to respond with self-compassion. We therefore conducted a pre-registered prospective study that measured participants' beliefs about self-compassion, difficulties enacting self-compassionate responding, perfectionistic concerns, and then tested their ability to be self-compassionate in response to a recalled and future lapse. The results showed that participants were less likely to respond with self-compassion to lapses if they held negative beliefs about self-compassion and experienced difficulties enacting self-compassion. Participants high in perfectionistic concerns were more likely to have negative beliefs about self-compassion and experience difficulties enacting self-compassion. Together, these findings provide evidence that social cognition models can be used to understand self-compassionate responding and identify why some people struggle to respond with self-compassion to goal lapses.

Individuals with fibromyalgia report lower levels of health-related quality of life (HRQL) compared to other chronically ill populations and interpersonal factors (i.e., social support) may influence risk. What is less understood is how intrapersonal factors (i.e., self-compassion) may impact the social support-HRQL linkage. We examined the association between social support and HRQL in a sample of persons with fibromyalgia and tested the potential mediating role of self-compassion. Self-identified adults in the United States with fibromyalgia (N = 508) were recruited from state, regional, and national organizations and support groups and completed an online battery of self-report questionnaires including: Multidimensional Health Profile-Psychosocial Functioning Index, Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form. Individuals with greater subjective social support reported higher levels of self-compassion and, in turn, higher mental HRQL. These findings provide greater information about psychosocial constructs and HRQL and extend our understanding of self-compassion among individuals living with fibromyalgia.

Loneliness is a growing public health concern that is associated with a range of negative health outcomes. The extent to which loneliness may also be associated with greater use of primary health care remains unclear. The present meta-analysis aimed to address this gap by quantifying research on the association of loneliness to primary health care use. The database searches yielded 23 eligible studies with 25 effects, total N = 113,639. A random effects meta-analysis revealed a small positive average effect size (ravg = .094; 95% CI [.07, .12]) between loneliness and the use of primary care that increased in magnitude as the proportion of females in the samples increased. Studies that used objective measures of primary care use yielded effects that were significantly larger than those using self-report measures. The effects were robust to differences in age and the type of health-care systems across studies, and to whether the loneliness scale was single versus multi-item. The findings from this first comprehensive meta-analysis of the association of loneliness with use of primary care indicate that people who experience loneliness make a greater number of visits to primary-care practitioners. This evidence highlights the importance of providing primary-care practitioners with adequate resources to help patients who are lonely, and the practical impact of loneliness on health-care use when viewed at the population level. Further research is needed to understand the factors and processes that might explain why people who feel lonely use primary health-care more frequently as suggested by the current findings.

Background The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected humans worldwide and led to unprecedented stress and mortality. Detrimental effects of the pandemic on mental health, including risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have become an increasing concern. The identification of prospective neurobiological vulnerability markers for developing PTSD symptom during the pandemic is thus of high importance. Methods Before the COVID-19 outbreak (September 20, 2019–January 11, 2020), some healthy participants underwent resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) acquisition. We assessed the PTSD symptomology of these individuals during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic (February 21, 2020–February 28, 2020) in China. This pseudo-prospective cohort design allowed us to test whether the pre-pandemic neural connectome status could predict the risk of developing PTSD symptom during the pandemic. Results A total of 5.60% of participants (n = 42) were identified as being high-risk to develop PTSD symptom and 12.00% (n = 90) exhibited critical levels of PTSD symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic measures of functional connectivity (the neural connectome) prospectively classified those with heightened risk to develop PTSD symptom from matched controls (Accuracy = 76.19%, Sensitivity = 80.95%, Specificity = 71.43%). The trained classifier generalized to an independent sample. Continuous prediction models revealed that the same connectome could accurately predict the severity of PTSD symptoms within individuals (r2 = 0.31p, Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • COVID-19 pandemic brought out PTSD symptoms indeed. • The predated neural conncectome status can reliably predict vulnerability for developing the PTSD during COVID-19 pandemic. • The neural connectome preceding to COVID-19 pandemic can predict the severity of PTSD symptoms. • We provided a robust classifier to forewarn individuals at high risks of developing PTSD in the future.

Background Chronic medical conditions (CMCs) affect up to 35% of children and adolescents. Youth with chronic medical conditions are at an increased risk of psychological distress and reduced health-related quality of life, and report rates of mental illness up to double that of their physically healthy peers. Accessible, evidence-based interventions for young people with chronic illness are urgently required to improve their mental health and daily functioning. Self-compassion involves taking a mindful, accepting approach to difficult experiences, being aware that one is not alone in one’s suffering, and being kind and understanding with oneself during challenging times. Self-compassion shares strong associations with mental health outcomes among young people and preliminary work indicates that interventions that build self-compassion have the potential to substantially improve youth mental health. Self-compassion is also associated with better physical and mental health outcomes among individuals living with CMCs. While face-to-face self-compassion training is available, there are several barriers to access for youth with CMCs. Online self-compassion training potentially offers an accessible alternative for this high-risk group. Methods Self-Compassion Online (SCO) is a self-compassion program that has been tested with a non-clinical adult group. For the proposed trial, a reference group of youth (16–25 years) with chronic illness reviewed the program and proposed adaptations to improve its suitability for youth with chronic illness. In alignment with the SPIRIT Checklist, this paper outlines the protocol for a CONSORT-compliant, single-blind randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of the adapted program, relative to a waitlist control, for improving self-compassion, wellbeing, distress, emotion regulation, coping and quality of life among young Australians with CMCs. Mechanisms of action and feasibility of SCO will be analysed using quantitative data and participant interviews, respectively. Finally, cost-utility will be analysed using health-related quality of life data. Discussion The SCO program could provide a scalable solution for improving psychological outcomes and quality of life among youth with chronic illness. The proposed trial will be the first to determine its efficacy for improving these outcomes, relative to waitlist control. Trial registration The trial was registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry on the 11th April 2019, ACTRN12619000572167. Protocol version: Version 2, 21 December 2019.

Veterans are at particular risk for suicide due to psychopathological, emotional, and interpersonal risk factors. However, the presence of individual-level protective factors, such as self-compassion, may reduce risk, becoming more salient at increasing levels of distress and psychopathology, per theory. We examined the relation between self-compassion and suicide risk, and the moderating effects of depression, PTSD symptoms, anger, shame, and thwarted interpersonal needs. Our sample of US veterans (n = 541) in our cross-sectional study were mostly male (69.1%) with an average age of 49.90 (SD = 16.78), who completed online self-report measures: Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, Multidimensional Health Profile-Psychosocial Functioning Screening Tool, PTSD Checklist-Military Version, Differential Emotions Scale-IV, and the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire. The linkage between self-compassion and suicidal behavior in our veteran sample was moderated by distress-evoking risk factors, including depression, anger, shame, and thwarted interpersonal needs, such that, as level of risk severity increases, the inverse association between self-compassion and suicidal behavior is strengthened. Our findings highlight an emergent protective process that may prevent suicide in times of distress. Therapeutically bolstering the ability for self-compassion may provide a proactive coping strategy that can be brought to bear in times of crisis, reducing suicide risk for veterans.

People often fail at following through with their health behaviour goals. How health goals are cognitively represented holds promise for understanding successful health behaviour change. Health-related possible selves (HPS) reflect cognitive representations of a future self that people may wish to achieve (hoped-for-HPS) or avoid (feared-HPS), that can promote health behaviour change. However, success depends on the strength of the efficacy and outcome expectancies for achieving/avoiding the HPS. Personality traits linked to poor self-regulation are often not considered when assessing the potential self-regulatory functions of HPS. The current study addressed this issue by examining the associations of trait procrastination with efficacy and outcome expectancies for hoped-for-HPS and feared-HPS, and health behaviour change intentions and motivations in a community sample (N = 191) intending to make healthy changes in the next 6 months. Trait procrastination was associated with weaker intentions and motivations for health behaviour change, and lower efficacy and outcome expectancies for hoped-for-HPS, but not feared-HPS. Bootstrapped multiple mediation analysis found significant indirect effects of procrastination on health behaviour intentions, through outcome, but not efficacy, expectancies for hoped-for-HPS. Results suggest that issues in imagining a hoped-for-HPS can be achieved are linked to weak intentions for health behaviour change for those with chronic self-regulation difficulties. Research into interventions that strengthen feeling connected to hoped-for-HPS is recommended.

The present study examined differences between fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls on anger rumination, mental health and quality of life and tested anger rumination as a mediator of patient-control differences in mental health and quality of life. Participants were a propensity score-matched sample of 58 fibromyalgia patients and 58 healthy controls. Participants completed measures of anger rumination, depression and anxiety and quality of life. Patients were higher than controls on all anger rumination scales and depression and anxiety and lower on quality of life. All anger rumination scales were related to poorer mental health and quality of life. Patient-control differences on mental health and quality of life were mediated by anger rumination. In multiple mediator models, the only subscale with unique mediating effects was anger memories. Anger rumination has potent associations with mental health and quality of life, and differences between patients and controls on mental health and quality of life are partially mediated by differences in anger rumination. Addressing tendencies to ruminate on anger experiences in the care of fibromyalgia patients may offer an important avenue to improved health and quality of life. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The present study examined the relationship between future orientation and fibromyalgia-related pain severity in a sample of 287 adults with fibromyalgia. Specifically, authors examined dimensions of self-compassion (for example, self-kindness, isolation, mindfulness) as possible mechanisms through which future orientation might be associated with pain severity. Results of conducting a multiple mediator test with 10,000 bootstraps indicated that the significant negative association between future orientation and pain severity was mediated through one specific self-compassion dimension, namely, isolation. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the present findings for working with fibromyalgia patients, specifically the potential value of social workers working with fibromyalgia patients to build future orientation as a resilience factor to combat pain severity. Also discussed is the value of working with patients to develop a sustainable social support system that can disrupt experiences of social isolation and disconnectedness from others, and which appear to contribute to greater pain severity.

adults of college age are at particular risk for psychopathology, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicidal behavior, but protective factors (e.g., self-compassion) may buffer risk. We examined...

The extent to which individuals perceive stigma from others and internalize stigmatizing beliefs is increasingly recognized as a contributor to psychological and physical distress. Individuals in poverty may feel increasingly stigmatized as a result of financial hardship; however, little research has examined the linkage of financial stigma to health outcomes, nor the potential underlying explanatory mechanisms of such an association. According to Self-Determination Theory, loss of social capital, which often occurs when a person is stigmatized, may deleteriously affect health outcomes, yet this premise has not been tested. We assessed the incremental impact of sociodemographic characteristics, and experienced and internalized financial stigma, on health-related quality of life (HRQL), as well as the mediating effect of belongingness, in a sample of 100 working, uninsured primary care patients. Results confirmed that experienced and internalized perceived stigma contributed additional variance, over the effects of sociodemographic factors, to poor HRQL, and belongingness was a significant mediator. Financial stigma may increase isolation, reducing opportunities for meaningful social connections, thereby deleteriously impacting mental and physical health outcomes. Therapeutically addressing stigma, and bolstering social connectedness, may improve HRQL in the underserved and impoverished.

Fibromyalgia has a significant impact on the lives of patients, symptoms are influenced by psychological factors, such as psychological flexibility and catastrophizing. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of these variables in moderating the association between the severity and impact of fibromyalgia symptoms. A total of 187 patients from a general hospital population were evaluated using the Combined Index of Severity of Fibromyalgia (ICAF), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). A series of multiple regression analyses were carried out using the PROCESS macro and decision tree analysis. The results show that psychological flexibility modulates the relation between severity and the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms. Catastrophism has residual importance and depends on the interaction with psychological flexibility. Interaction occurs if the severity of the disease is in transition from a mild to a moderate level and accounts for 40.1% of the variance in the sample. These aspects should be considered for evaluation and early intervention in fibromyalgia patients.

We present two studies that together provide preliminary evidence to challenge the view that the relationship\ud between adult attachment and mindfulness is bi-directional (Study 1: repeated measures design and Study 2: a\ud repeated measures study examining the efficacy of attachment security priming and a mindfulness induction).\ud Adult attachment anxiety emerged as a significant predictor of some facets of mindfulness, over time, but the\ud reverse was not true. Priming attachment security increased state mindfulness of mind to a greater degree than a\ud mindfulness induction or control. These findings challenge previous research suggesting that the relationship\ud between adult attachment and mindfulness is bi-directional, suggesting that attachment orientation plays a\ud causal role in the development of mindfulness.

Objective: Health-care workers (HCW) are at risk for psychological distress during an infectious disease outbreak, such as the coronavirus pandemic, due to the demands of dealing with a public health emergency. This rapid systematic review examined the factors associated with psychological distress among HCW during an outbreak.Method: We systematically reviewed literature on the factors associated with psychological distress (demographic characteristics, occupational, social, psychological, and infection-related factors) in HCW during an outbreak (COVID-19, SARS, MERS, H1N1, H7N9, and Ebola). Four electronic databases were searched (2000 to 15 November 2020) for relevant peer-reviewed research according to a pre-registered protocol. A narrative synthesis was conducted to identify fixed, modifiable, and infection-related factors linked to distress and psychiatric morbidity.Results: From the 4,621 records identified, 138 with data from 143,246 HCW in 139 studies were included. All but two studies were cross-sectional. The majority of the studies were conducted during COVID-19 (k = 107, N = 34,334) and SARS (k = 21, N = 18,096). Consistent evidence indicated that being female, a nurse, experiencing stigma, maladaptive coping, having contact or risk of contact with infected patients, and experiencing quarantine, were risk factors for psychological distress among HCW. Personal and organizational social support, perceiving control, positive work attitudes, sufficient information about the outbreak and proper protection, training, and resources, were associated with less psychological distress.Conclusions: This review highlights the key factors to the identify HCW who are most at risk for psychological distress during an outbreak and modifying factors to reduce distress and improve resilience. Recommendations are that HCW at risk for increased distress receive early interventions and ongoing monitoring because there is evidence that HCW distress can persist for up to 3 years after an outbreak. Further research needs to track the associations of risk and resilience factors with distress over time and the extent to which certain factors are inter-related and contribute to sustained or transient distress.

(1) Background: The present study developed and evaluated a personal emotional capital questionnaire (PECQ) for adults that assessed 10 domains of personal emotional capital. (2) Method: Initially, 100 items were created and then administered to students attending Semnan University and Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Of the 700 questionnaires distributed, 527 were completed in full. Students were sampledusing the multi-stage random cluster method. Exploratory factor analyses, Cronbach’s alpha, and test–retest reliability were used to evaluate the scale. (3) Results: The ten components ofthe PECQ were confirmed. Test–retest correlations after 30 days were high, as was Cronbach’s alpha (0.94). Thecomponents highly correlatedwith overall emotional capital. The PECQ displayed convergent validity as it positively correlated with the Keyes’s Mental Health Continuum—Short Form and students’GPAs. The PECQ displayed divergent validity as it negatively correlated with measures of depression, anxiety and stress (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21)). Differences in overall PECQ scores and its components were examined for several variables including gender, age, marital and employment status, academic program, and field of study. PECQ scores were not sensitive to the order of administering questionnaires. (4) Conclusion: The results suggest that the PECQ is a valid and reliable measure of personal emotional capital and supports its use in adults.

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. We investigate whether the tendency to self-affirm in response to threat is associated with how people feel when they weigh themselves. People who were preoccupied with their weight anticipated feeling less negative (Studies 1a and 1b) and felt less negative (Study 2) when self-weighing if they typically affirmed their strengths. Study 3 experimentally manipulated self-affirmation. Although this intervention prompted affirmation of strengths it did not influence how participants felt when they subsequently weighed themselves. Together, the findings suggest that the tendency to spontaneously affirm strengths, but not values or social relations, is associated with the psychological outcomes of self-weighing and thus provide the basis for understanding how such individual differences might moderate how people respond in other self-evaluative contexts.

Despite extensive evidence that time perspective is associated with a range of important outcomes across a variety of life domains (e.g., health, education, wealth), the question of why time perspective has such wide-reaching effects remains unknown. The present review proposes that self-regulatory processes can offer insight into why time perspective is linked to outcomes. To test this idea we classified measures of time perspective according to the dimension of time perspective that they reflected (e.g., past, present-hedonistic, future) and measures of self-regulation according to the self-regulatory process (i.e., goal setting, goal monitoring, and goal operating), ability, or outcome that they reflected. A systematic search identified 378 studies, reporting 2,000 tests of the associations between measures of time perspective and self-regulation. Random-effects meta-analyses with robust variance estimation found that a future time perspective had small-to-medium-sized positive associations with goal setting (r+ = 0.25), goal monitoring (r+ = 0.19), goal operating (r+ = 0.24), self-regulatory ability (r+ = 0.35), and outcomes (r+ = 0.18). Present time perspective, including being present-hedonistic and present-fatalistic, was negatively associated with self-regulatory processes, ability, and outcomes (r+ ranged from -0.00 to -0.27). Meta-analytic mediation models found that the relationship between future time perspective and outcomes was mediated by goal monitoring, goal operating, and self-regulatory ability, but not goal setting. As the first test of why time perspective is associated with key outcomes, the findings highlight the central role of self-regulation processes and abilities for understanding why people with certain time perspectives experience better outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

BackgroundHealth-care workers (HCW) are at risk for psychological distress during an infectious disease outbreak due to the demands of dealing with a public health emergency.AimsTo examine the factors associated with psychological distress among HCW during an outbreak.MethodWe systematically reviewed literature on the factors associated with psychological distress (demographic characteristics, occupational, social, psychological, and infection-related factors) in HCW during an outbreak (COVID-19, SARS, MERS, H1N1, H7N9, Ebola). Four electronic databases were searched (2000 to 10 July 2020) for relevant peer-reviewed research according to a pre-registered protocol. A narrative synthesis was conducted to identify fixed, modifiable, and infection-related factors.ResultsFrom the 3335 records identified, 52 with data from 54,800 HCW were included. All but two studies were cross-sectional. Consistent evidence indicated that being female, a nurse, experiencing stigma, maladaptive coping, having contact or risk for contact with infected patients, and being quarantined, were risk factors for psychological distress among HCW. Personal and organisational social support, perceiving control, positive work attitudes, sufficient information about the outbreak and proper protection, training and resources, were associated with less psychological distress.ConclusionsHCW who may be most at risk for psychological distress during an outbreak require early intervention and ongoing monitoring as there is some evidence that HCW distress can persist for years after an outbreak. Further research is needed to track the associations of risk factors with distress over time and the extent to which certain factors are inter-related and linked to sustained or transient distress.

Shame and guilt are common during the course of parenting and can reflect feelings of “bad self “and “bad behaviour” in relation to parenting events. Self-compassion is known to be beneficial for well-being by reducing negative emotions, yet there is little research examining whether self-compassion might reduce parental guilt and shame. The current study examined the effects of dispositional and induced self-compassion on guilt and shame in a sample of 167 parents (Mage = 37.23, SD = 6.73, 83.1% female) of children 12 years and under recruited online. After completing baseline measures, parents were randomly assigned to recall a guilt versus shame provoking parenting event, and randomly allocated to either a self-compassion prompt versus a control condition. Analyses confirmed that those who received the self-compassion prompt reported higher levels of self-compassion, and reduced feelings of guilt and shame compared to the control group. Effects did not differ as a function of the guilt versus shame instructions. Multivariate analyses revealed that, when controlling for dispositional self-compassion, and baseline guilt and shame, differences between conditions were maintained for post-manipulation guilt and shame. Findings extend our understanding of the role of self-compassion for improving well-being when dealing with the challenges of parenting.

The preference for taking risk troubles people across multiple domains including health, economics, and social well-being. Prior research has demonstrated that risk preference can be influenced by time perspective (TP). However, little is known about the neural substrates underlying the effect of TP on risk preference. Here, we used a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method across two samples to address this question. In Sample 1, the behavioral results showed a positive correlation between present hedonistic TP (PHTP) and gambling rate (the index of risk preference), indicating the higher PHTP, the greater the preference for risk. Subsequently, the whole-brain VBM results found that gambling rate was negatively correlated with the gray matter (GM) volume of a cluster in the right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC). The PHTP score was also negatively related to the GM volume of another cluster in the rPPC. We then examined an overlapping region in the rPPC using a conjunction analysis method. The GM volume of this overlapping brain region was related to both PHTP score and gambling rate. Finally, the mediation analysis found that the GM volume of overlapping region in rPPC played a role in explaining the effect of PHTP on risk preference. This result was also reproduced and validated in another independent sample. Taken together, our findings manifest that the structural variation of rPPC can account for the influence that PHTP has upon the risk preference.

Advances in understanding of the perfectionism construct have been limited by an almost exclusive reliance on a variable-centered approach. This study utilized a person-oriented approach to examine Hewitt and Flett’s conceptualization of multidimensional perfectionism in relation to health and well-being. Levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism were also assessed. Cluster analyses were employed to examine within-person configurations of self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) in university students ( n = 538) and adults with chronic illness ( n = 773). Five unique configurations were found in both samples and three clusters replicated across samples. “Extreme perfectionists” with high scores across all perfectionism dimensions reported relatively poor physical health, psychological health, psychosocial resources, and well-being along with elevated neuroticism and conscientiousness. A group distinguished by elevated SPP also reported relatively poorer outcomes along with elevated neuroticism and lower conscientiousness. In contrast, “nonperfectionists” reported relatively elevated levels of health and well-being. These profiles differed in their links with health and well-being even after taking into account key differences in conscientiousness and neuroticism. Our results illustrate the importance of employing a person-oriented approach to the study of multidimensional perfectionism, especially as it relates to physical health, mental health, and subjective well-being.

Background Obese and overweight individuals have greater illness and disease burden, but previous findings from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) suggest that they are no more likely to use complementary health approaches (CHA) than those of normal weight. The current study investigates the relationship between weight status and CHA use, and among CHA users, examines differences in reasons for use by weight status. We propose and test a Dual Continuum Model of Motivations for Use of CHA to examine differences in reasons for use by weight status. Method Participants were drawn from the 2012 NHIS, a nationally representative sample of civilian, non-institutionalized US adults (N = 34,525). Weight status was operationalized by body mass index. CHA use was measured in the past year and was categorized into alternative providers, products, and practices. Among CHA users (N = 9307) factors associated with use were categorized as health enhancing or health reactive. Results Logistic regression showed overweight and obese individuals were less likely to use alternative providers, products, and practices than normal weight. Multinomial logit regression showed some support that overweight and obese adults were less likely than normal weight persons to use CHA for health-enhancing reasons, and more likely to use for health reactive reasons. Conclusions Despite greater health burden, overweight and obese adults are underutilizing CHA, including modalities that can be helpful for health management. The Dual Continuum Model of CHA Motivations shows promise for explicating the diversity of reasons for CHA use among adults at risk for health problems. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-018-2404-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Hamodialysepatienten (HDP) leiden neben einer terminalen Niereninsuffizienz haufig an Depression, Angsten und Stress. Korperliche Aktivitat (KA) hat auf diese Komorbiditaten einen positiven Einfluss. Neben der aktuellen korperlichen Aktivitat wurden potentielle Korrelate der KA bei HDP erhoben, um mogliche Praventionsansatze abzuleiten. Die Daten wurden in 13 Dialysezentren in Bayern erhoben. Ein standardisierter Fragebogen wurde verwendet, um die KA (EHIS-PAQ) und Korrelate der KA in 240 HDP abzufragen. Geschlechtsunterschiede wurden mittels t‑ bzw. Mann-Whitney-U-Test ermittelt (Signifikanzniveau p

Problem-solving deficits and poor health–related quality of life are associated with suicide risk; yet, little is known about the interrelations between these variables. In 220 primary care patients, we examined the potential mediating role of physical and mental health–related quality of life on the relation between social problem–solving ability and suicidal behavior. Participants completed the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised, and Short-Form 36 Health Survey. Utilizing bootstrapped mediation, our hypotheses were partially supported; mediating effects were found for mental health–related quality of life on the relation between social problem-solving and suicidal behavior. Physical health–related quality of life was not a significant mediator. Greater social problem–solving ability is associated with better mental health–related quality of life and, in turn, to less suicidal behavior. Interventions promoting social problem–solving ability may increase quality of life and reduce suicide risk in primary care patients.

Background: Mediation studies test the mechanisms by which interventions produce clinical outcomes. Consistent positive mediation results have previously been evidenced (Hayes et al., 2006) for the putative processes that compromise the psychological flexibility model of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Aims: The present review aimed to update and extend the ACT mediation evidence base by reviewing mediation studies published since the review of Hayes et al. (2006). Method: ACT mediation studies published between 2006 and 2015 were systematically collated, synthesized and quality assessed. Results: Twelve studies met inclusion criteria and findings were synthesized by (a) the putative processes under investigation, and (b) the outcomes on which processes were tested for mediation. Mediation results were found to be generally consistent with the psychological flexibility model of ACT. However, studies were limited in methodological quality and were overly focused on a small number of putative processes. Conclusions: Further research is required that addresses the identified methodological limitations and also examines currently under-researched putative processes.

Introduction Mind-body awareness is often viewed as an outcome of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Emerging evidence suggests that mind-body awareness may be an intermediate outcome that contributes to CAM-related outcomes. The current study aimed to test a model of mind-body awareness as an intermediate outcome of CAM use via provider autonomy support that facilitates quality of life and health behaviour changes. Methods Undergraduate students (N = 243, M age = 23.5, 84% female) screened for current CAM use, completed an online survey including questions about their CAM use, perceived outcomes from use of CAM, a measure of CAM provider autonomy support, and a new 8-item measure of Mind-body Awareness (MBA). Results Bivariate analyses confirmed that those with high MBA had higher scores on positive CAM-related health behaviour (diet, weight loss, exercise) and quality of life (sleep quality, mood, energy levels, concentration) changes. Path analysis controlling for demographics and health status tested the proposed model of CAM use predicting provider autonomy support, and in turn MBA and two CAM-related outcomes. The model fit well to the data, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.03, supporting the hypotheses that CAM use is associated with higher MBA via increased autonomy support, and MBA contributes to quality of life and health behaviour changes. Conclusions Findings extend previous research on mind-body awareness by linking it to CAM-related quality of life and behavioural outcomes in a sample of young adult CAM consumers, and further suggest a route through which provider support may enhance CAM outcomes.

The current study extended previous research on self-compassion and health behaviours by examining the associations of self-compassion to bedtime procrastination, an important sleep-related behaviour. We hypothesized that lower negative affect and adaptive emotion regulation would explain the proposed links between self-compassion and less bedtime procrastination. Two cross-sectional online studies were conducted. Study 1 included 134 healthy individuals from the community (mean age 30.22, 77.4% female). Study 2 included 646 individuals from the community (mean age 30.74, 68.9% female) who were screened for the absence of clinical insomnia. Participants in both studies completed measures of self-compassion, positive and negative affect and bedtime procrastination. Participants in study 2 also completed a measure of cognitive reappraisal. Multiple mediation analysis in study 1 revealed the expected indirect effects of self-compassion on less bedtime procrastination through lower negative affect [b = − .09, 95% CI = (− .20, − .02), but not higher positive affect. Path analysis in study 2 replicated these findings and further demonstrated that cognitive reappraisal explained the lower negative affect linked to self-compassion [b = − .011; 95% CI = (− .025; − .003)]. The direct effect of self-compassion on less bedtime procrastination remained significant. Our novel findings provide preliminary evidence that self-compassionate people are less likely to engage in bedtime procrastination, due in part to their use of healthy emotion regulation strategies that downregulate negative mood.

Emerging evidence indicates self-compassion can be beneficial for medical populations and for medical adherence; yet, research to date has not fully examined the reasons for this association. This study examined the association of dispositional self-compassion to adherence across five medical samples and tested the extent to which perceived stress accounted for this association. Five medical samples (total N = 709), including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cancer patients, recruited from various sources, completed online surveys. Self-compassion was positively associated with adherence in all five samples. A meta-analysis of the associations revealed a small average effect size (average r = .22, [0.15, 0.29]) of self-compassion and adherence and non-significant heterogeneity among the effects (Q (4) = 3.15, p = .532). A meta-analysis of the kappa2 values from the indirect effects of self-compassion on adherence revealed that, on average, 11% of the variance in medical adherence that was explained by self-compassion could be attributed to lower perceived stress. Overall, findings demonstrate that dispositional self-compassion is associated with better medical adherence among people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cancer, due in part to lower stress. This research contributes to a growing evidence base indicating the value of self-compassion for health-related behaviours in a variety of medical populations.

Following an unexpected geo-political event, such as the United Kingdom's June 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union (“Brexit”), people will make counterfactuals that mentally undo the outcome and imagine what might have been had the outcome gone in the predicted direction. Yet little is known about how such counterfactuals may impact well-being, or the individual differences that might protect individuals from making potentially distressing upward counterfactuals. We examined the extent to which individual differences in enduring just-world beliefs shape the number of upward counterfactuals generated by British “Remain” voters, and the resulting effects on vote-related well-being. Participants who were directed to make counterfactuals reported the same levels of vote-related well-being as those who were not directed to make counterfactuals. Among those who made counterfactuals, making more upward counterfactuals was associated with reduced well-being. However, holding just-world beliefs limited the number of upward counterfactuals that were made and thus protected individuals from this distress. Our findings demonstrate that individual differences in enduring beliefs about the fairness of a vote may protect voter well-being when there will not be a second vote.

Theory and evidence suggests that person-centred models may be especially relevant for elucidating the role of perfectionism in health and well-being in those with chronic health conditions. This may be particularly true for conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), in which perfectionism is known to play a prominent role in health outcomes. Yet to date no research has taken a person-centred approach to examine how within-person combinations of perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns are linked to vulnerability for poor health in CFS. The current study compared matched samples of people with CFS and healthy controls (N = 163 each) on measures of stress, depression, and health problems. Consistent with the Stress and Coping Cyclical Amplification Model of Perfectionism in Illness and the tripartite model of perfectionism, within-person combinations of high perfectionistic concerns and strivings had the poorest health profile compared to other within-person combinations, but only among those with CFS. In addition, the perfectionism was indirectly associated with health through stress in those with CFS only. Findings add to a growing evidence base on the utility of person-centred models for understanding the health risks of perfectionism in the context of chronic illness.

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Die personenzentrierte Medizin (PZM) mit Fokus auf einer humanistisch-biografisch orientierten Medizin und einem erweiterten, positiv-salutogenen Gesundheitsbegriff ist ein zentraler Bestandteil der Arzt-Patienten Beziehung in der Allgemeinmedizin. Ziel dieser Analyse ist es deshalb, Prävalenz und Typ von Forschungsprojekten in universitären Instituten für Allgemeinmedizin in Deutschland (D) und Österreich (Ö) sowie deren thematische Schwerpunkte in den Bereichen PZM, Gesundheitsförderung (GF), Prävention (PRÄ) und konventioneller Medizin (KM) zu erfassen. Methodik Es wurde eine Recherche auf den Webseiten von 30 Instituten für Allgemeinmedizin mit dem Fokus auf deren Forschungsprojekten im Zeitraum September–Dezember 2015 durchgeführt. Die erfassten Projekte wurden in die 5 Kategorien PZM, GF, PRÄ, KM und sonstige Themen eingeteilt. Anschließend erfolgte eine Identifikation der Zielgruppen und thematischen Schwerpunkte in den ersten 4 Kategorien, vertieft in den Bereichen PZM und GF. Ergebnisse Die Suche ergab insgesamt 541 Forschungsprojekte (FP), 452 in Deutschland und 89 in Österreich. Es wurden nur FP erfasst, die ausdrücklich als solche gekennzeichnet waren. 70 FP untersuchten Aspekte der PZM, 15 FP Aspekte der GF, 32 FP Aspekte der PRÄ und 395 FP Aspekte der konventionellen Medizin. Chronisch kranke Patienten stellten in den beiden Kategorien PZM (24 von 70) und GF (7 von 15) die häufigste Zielgruppe dar. Häufigster thematischer Schwerpunkt der PZM-Projekte war das Thema Kommunikation (13 von 70), bei den GF-Projekten die körperliche Aktivität (6 von 15). Schlussfolgerung Die Mehrzahl der Forschungsprojekte beschäftigt sich mit konventionellen medizinischen Themen. Mit einem Anteil von 13% (PZM) bzw. 16% (PZM & GF) liegt die Forschungsaktivität im Bereich PZM bzw. GF in D und Ö unter dem europäischen Durchschnitt von 20%. Um diese Themenbereiche verstärkt in die hausärztliche Versorgung zu integrieren ist es aus unserer Sicht notwendig u. a. die Forschung zu Voraussetzungen und Barrieren von PZM und GF im ärztlichen Alltag in Deutschland und Österreich zu vertiefen.

A growing literature on how perfectionism relates to self-reported physical health has rarely considered the role of negative affect or contextual factors. We addressed this by examining how Perfectionistic Concerns (PC) and Perfectionistic Strivings (PS) were associated with self-rated health across thirteen samples (total N = 4,991) before and after controlling for negative affect, and meta-analysed the effects. PC was associated with poor self-rated health, whereas PS was associated with good self-rated health. The associations were attenuated after adjusting for negative affect, but remained on average significant. The effects for PC were moderated by sample type, perfectionism measure, and sex. Findings suggest that the associations of perfectionism with subjective health are not solely due to biases associated with negative affect.

Disclosure of the use of complementary health approaches (CHA) is an important yet understudied health behavior with important implications for patient care. Yet research into disclosure of CHA has been atheoretical and neglected the role of health beliefs. Using a consumer commitment model of CHA use as a guiding conceptual framework, the current study tests the hypotheses that perceived positive CHA outcomes (utilitarian values) and positive CHA beliefs (symbolic values) are associated with disclosure of CHA to conventional care providers in a nationally representative US sample. From a sample of 33,594 with CHA use information from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a subsample of 7348 who used CHA within the past 12 months was analyzed. The 2012 NHIS is a cross-sectional survey of the non-institutionalized US adult population, which includes the most recent nationally representative CHA use data. The 63.2% who disclosed CHA use were older, were less educated, and had visited a health care provider in the past year. Weighted logistic regression analyses controlling for demographic variables revealed that those who disclosed were more likely to report experiencing positive psychological (improved coping and well-being) and physical outcomes (better sleep, improved health) from CHA and hold positive CHA-related beliefs. CHA users who perceive physical and psychological benefits from CHA use and who hold positive attitudes towards CHA are more likely to disclose their CHA use. Findings support the relevance of a consumer commitment perspective for understanding CHA disclosure and suggest CHA disclosure as an important proactive health behavior that warrants further attention.