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Introduction: Perceived responsiveness, or the extent to which one feels understood, validated and cared for by close others, plays a crucial role in people's well‐being. Can this interpersonal process also protect people at risk? We assessed whether fluctuations in suicidal ideation were associated with fluctuations in the degree of perceived responsiveness that psychiatric patients (admitted in the context of suicide or indicating suicidal ideation) experienced in daily interactions immediately after discharge. Methods: Fifty‐seven patients reported on suicidal ideation (5 times a day) and perceived responsiveness (daily) for four consecutive weeks. The effects of established risk factors—thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and hopelessness—were assessed as well. Results: The more patients felt that close others had been responsive to them, the less suicidal ideation they reported. At low levels of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, or hopelessness, perceived responsiveness seemed to play a protective role, negatively co‐occurring with suicidal ideation. When thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and hopelessness were high, perceived responsiveness did not have an effect. Conclusion: Perceived responsiveness could be a protective factor for suicidal ideation for people at risk only when they are experiencing low levels of negative perceptions. When experiencing highly negative perceptions, however, perceived responsiveness seems to matter less.

Symptom-system fit theory proposes that problematic behaviors are maintained by the social system (e.g., the couple relationship) in which they occur because they help promote positive relationship functioning in the short-term. Across three daily life studies, we examined whether mixed-gender couples reported more positive relationship functioning on days in which they engaged in more shared problematic behaviors. In two studies (Study 1: 82 couples who smoke; Study 2: 117 couples who are inactive), days of more shared problematic behavior were accompanied by higher daily closeness and relationship satisfaction. A third study with 79 couples post-stroke investigating unhealthy eating failed to provide evidence for symptom-system fit. In exploratory lagged analyses, we found more support for prior-day problematic behavior being associated with next-day daily relationship functioning than vice-versa. Together, findings point to the importance of a systems perspective when studying interpersonal dynamics that might be involved in the maintenance of problematic behaviors.

Alcohol control strategies vary between countries and reflect differences in drinking cultures. This study explored how perceived effectiveness of alcohol control strategies varies according to individual characteristics and country of residence. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 1910 university students in Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. It assessed the perceived effectiveness of 11 alcohol control strategies. Correlates included sensation-seeking, alcohol outcome expectancies, drink refusal self-efficacy, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Bivariate analysis using mixed-measures MANOVA and Pearson correlations were followed by linear regression to identify multivariate correlates. These analyses revealed that educational strategies (e.g. teaching people skills to resist peer pressure) were considered more effective than restrictive strategies (e.g. raising the legal drinking age). Perceived effectiveness was greater among women and lighter drinkers. Country of residence also explained unique variance. The findings highlight the need to consider the potential impact of drinking culture in alcohol-related harm-reduction strategies., Alcohol control strategies vary between countries and reflect differences in drinking cultures. This study explored how perceived effectiveness of alcohol control strategies varies according to individual characteristics and country of residence. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 1910 university students in Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. It assessed the perceived effectiveness of 11 alcohol control strategies. Correlates included sensation-seeking, alcohol outcome expectancies, drink refusal self-efficacy, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Bivariate analysis using mixed-measures MANOVA and Pearson correlations were followed by linear regression to identify multivariate correlates. These analyses revealed that educational strategies (e.g. teaching people skills to resist peer pressure) were considered more effective than restrictive strategies (e.g. raising the legal drinking age). Perceived effectiveness was greater among women and lighter drinkers. Country of residence also explained unique variance. The findings highlight the need to consider the potential impact of drinking culture in alcohol-related harm-reduction strategies.

Positive Emotionen gelten als Schlüsselfaktor zur Steigerung des Wohlbefindens und der Arbeitsleistung. Die vorliegende Studie beleuchtet den Zusammenhang zwischen transformationalem Führungsverhalten der Schulleitung und dem Erleben positiver Emotionen von Lehrpersonen. Es wird untersucht, ob dabei (a) die erhaltene soziale Unterstützung aus dem Team und (b) die Befriedigung der psychologischen Grundbedürfnisse als vermittelnde Mechanismen wirken. Basierend auf Längsschnittdaten von N = 1 217 Lehrpersonen zeigte sich, dass das individuelle transformationale Führungsverhalten die Bedürfnisse nach Autonomie und sozialer Eingebundenheit befriedigt, was zu einer Erhöhung der positiven Emotionen der Lehrpersonen beiträgt. Für die kollektive transformationale Führung waren die Ergebnisse weniger eindeutig. Sie weisen aber darauf hin, dass diese zu mehr sozialer Unterstützung innerhalb des Teams führt. Dadurch werden die Bedürfnisse nach Autonomie und sozialer Eingebundenheit stärker befriedigt, was wiederum zur Steigerung der positiven Emotionen der Lehrpersonen beiträgt. Schulleitungen können folglich positive Emotionen von Lehrpersonen über zwei verschiedene Wege fördern: Indem sie (1) die psychologischen Grundbedürfnisse der Lehrpersonen befriedigen und (2) die Voraussetzungen für ein unterstützendes Teamklima schaffen.

Events that change the family system have the potential to impact couple dynamics such as concordance, that is, partner similarity in health and well-being. This project analyzes longitudinal data (≥ two decades) from both partners of up to 3,501 German and 1,842 Australian couples to investigate how couple concordance in life satisfaction, self-rated health, mental health, and physical health might change with transitioning to parenthood and an empty nest. Results revealed couple concordance in intercepts (averaged r = .52), linear trajectories (averaged r = .55), and wave-specific fluctuations around trajectories (averaged r = .21). Concordance in linear trajectories was stronger after transitions (averaged r = .81) than before transitions (averaged r = .43), whereas no systematic transition-related change in concordance of wave-specific fluctuations was found. Findings emphasize that shared transitions represent windows of change capable of sending couples onto mutual upward or downward trajectories in health and well-being.

A considerable amount of people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience ongoing symptoms, a condition termed long COVID. This study examined nuanced experiences of social stigma in people with long COVID and their associations with perceived stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and mental and physical health-related quality of life (hrqol). A total of N = 253 participants with long COVID symptoms (mean age = 45.49, SD = 12.03; n = 224, 88.5% women) completed a cross-sectional online survey on overall social stigma and the subfacets enacted and perceived external stigma, disclosure concerns, and internalized stigma. Data were analysed using multiple regression and controlling for overall burden of consequences of long COVID, overall burden of symptoms of long COVID, and outcome-specific confounders. In line with our preregistered hypotheses, total social stigma was related to more perceived stress, more depressive symptoms, higher anxiety, and lower mental hrqol, but—in contrast to our hypothesis—it was unrelated to physical hrqol after controlling for confounders. The three subscales of social stigma resulted in differential associations with the outcomes. Social stigma experiences go hand in hand with worse mental health in people with long COVID. Future studies should examine potential protective factors to buffer the effects of social stigma on people’s well-being.

Companionship is related to better affect and relationship satisfaction, but few studies have examined both partners' perspectives over time and the link between companionship and health. In three intensive longitudinal studies (Study 1: 57 community couples; Study 2: 99 smoker-nonsmoker couples; Study 3: 83 dual-smoker couples), both partners reported daily companionship, affect, relationship satisfaction, and a health behavior (smoking in Studies 2 and 3). We proposed a dyadic score model that focuses on the couple level for companionship as a dyadic predictor with considerable shared variance. On days with higher companionship, couples reported better affect and relationship satisfaction. When partners differed in companionship, they also differed in affect and relationship satisfaction. For smoking, a different picture emerged: Whereas smokers with nonsmoking partners smoked less on average with higher companionship, smokers with smoking partners smoked more on days with higher companionship. Findings show companionship as a consequential relationship construct deserving further study. Using the dyadic score model acknowledged both partners' perspectives on companionship. It demonstrated higher precision for detecting effects of partner averages in a dyadic predictor compared with traditional approaches, tests for effects of partner differences in a dyadic predictor and in outcome while maintaining the focus on the dyad.

Contact tracing mobile applications (apps) were important in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Most previous studies predicting contact tracing app use were cross-sectional and not theory-based. This study aimed at contributing to a better understanding of app use intentions and app use by applying an extended version of the protection motivation theory across two measurement points while accounting for the development of the pandemic. A total of N = 1525 participants from Switzerland (Mage = 53.70, SD = 18.73; 47% female; n = 270 completed both assessments) reported on risk perceptions, response efficacy, self-efficacy, social norms, trust in government, trust in the healthcare system, active search of COVID-19-related information, intentions for and actual (self-reported) app use. Analyses included country-specific incidences and death toll. Increases in response-efficacy, self-efficacy, trust in government, and the active search of COVID-19-related information predicted increased app-use intentions. Increases in self-efficacy, intentions, and the active search of COVID-19-related information predicted increased self-reported app use. Risk perceptions, incidence, and death toll were unrelated to both outcomes. Across an aggravation of the pandemic situation, intentions for and app use were primarily related to response-efficacy, self-efficacy, trust in government, and the active search of COVID-19-related information.

Alcohol control strategies vary between countries and reflect differences in drinking cultures. This study explored how perceived effectiveness of alcohol control strategies varies according to individual characteristics and country of residence. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 1910 university students in Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. It assessed the perceived effectiveness of 11 alcohol control strategies. Correlates included sensation-seeking, alcohol outcome expectancies, drink refusal self-efficacy, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Bivariate analysis using mixed-measures MANOVA and Pearson correlations were followed by linear regression to identify multivariate correlates. These analyses revealed that educational strategies (e.g. teaching people skills to resist peer pressure) were considered more effective than restrictive strategies (e.g. raising the legal drinking age). Perceived effectiveness was greater among women and lighter drinkers. Country of residence also explained unique variance. The findings highlight the need to consider the potential impact of drinking culture in alcohol-related harm-reduction strategies.

Aims Cardiac rehabilitation (CR), a key component of secondary prevention in cardiac patients, contributes fundamentally to improved cardiovascular health outcomes. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) represents a widely employed outcome measure in CR, yet, its predictive properties on exercise capacity change during CR are poorly understood. Aim of this study was to examine the association between baseline HRQOL and its subdomains on improvement of exercise capacity during CR. Methods Study participants were 13,717 inpatients of six Swiss CR clinics from 2012 to 2018. We measured HRQOL at admission to CR with the MacNew Heart (MNH) questionnaire and exercise capacity at admission and discharge using the six minutes walking test (6MWT). Following factorial analyses, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses to test the predictive properties of baseline global HRQOL and its domains for improvement in exercise capacity, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. Results Mean improvement in 6MWT was 114 m (SD = 90), achieved after 17.4 days (SD = 5.5). Lower emotional HRQOL (b = 7.85, p = < .001, 95% CI [− 5.67, 10.03]) and higher physical HRQOL (b = − 5.23, p < .001, 95% CI [− 6.56, − 3.90]) were associated with less improvement in the 6MWT. Global MNH and social HRQOL showed no association with exercise capacity improvement. Conclusion Patients entering CR with low emotional and high physical HRQOL are at risk for a lower gain in exercise capacity during CR. Global MNH alone does not provide a reliable assessment of HRQOL; thus a focus on specific domains of HRQOL is needed.