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Objectives: The Estonian National Mental Health Study (EMHS) was conducted in 2021-2022 to provide population-wide data on mental health in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. The main objective of this paper is to describe the rationale, design, and methods of the EMHS and to evaluate the survey response., Methods: Regionally representative stratified random sample of 20,000 persons aged 15 years and older was drawn from the Estonian Population Register for the study. Persons aged 18 years and older at the time of the sampling were enrolled into three survey waves where they were invited to complete an online or postal questionnaire about mental well-being and disorders, and behavioral, cognitive, and other risk factors. Persons younger than 18 years of age were invited to fill an anonymous online questionnaire starting from wave 2. To complement and validate survey data, data on socio-demographic, health-related, and environmental variables were collected from six national administrative databases and registries. Additionally, a subsample was enrolled into a validation study using ecological momentary assessment., Results: In total, 5636 adults participated in the survey wave 1, 3751 in wave 2, and 4744 in wave 3. Adjusted response rates were 30.6%, 21.1%, and 27.6%, respectively. Women and older age groups were more likely to respond. Throughout the three survey waves, a considerable share of adult respondents screened positive for depression (27.6%, 25.1%, and 25.6% in waves 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Women and young adults aged 18 to 29 years had the highest prevalence of depression symptoms., Conclusions: The registry-linked longitudinal EMHS dataset comprises a rich and trustworthy data source to allow in-depth analysis of mental health outcomes and their correlates among the Estonian population. The study serves as an evidence base for planning mental health policies and prevention measures for possible future crises., (© 2023 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The aim of the study was to analyse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the Estonian general population and its socio-demographic and behavioural correlates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal data on 1781 individuals from an Estonian rapid-assessment survey on COVID-19 were used. HRQoL was assessed with the EQ-5D-3L in June 2020 (baseline) and in May 2021 (follow-up). The HRQoL index score and its socio-demographic and behavioural variations were analysed using paired t -tests and Tobit regression modelling. Statistically significant declines in mean EQ-5D index scores were observed for all socio-demographic and behavioural variables considered. Most of these changes were due to increased reporting of problems in the pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression health domains. Older age, being unemployed or economically non-active and having financial difficulties were significantly associated with lower HRQoL in both baseline and follow-up measurements. In the follow-up data, women had significantly lower HRQoL compared to men, whereas higher education proved to be the only protective factor regarding HRQoL. Unhealthy dietary habits and low physical activity had a negative impact on the HRQoL score in the follow-up data. These results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on HRQoL in the Estonian population.

Objective: Organised cervical cancer screening was started in Estonia in 2006, but participation is still low. Human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling has proved to increase screening uptake. This study addressed the feasibility of HPV self-sampling and the acceptance of this method among long-term screening non-attenders., Methods: A randomised intervention study was conducted in Estonia in 2020. Women born in 1958-1983 without a Pap smear in 2013-2019 were identified in the Estonian Health Insurance Fund database. From them, 12,000 women were randomly allocated to three equal-sized study groups. The opt-out group received a questionnaire and a Qvintip® sampling device by regular mail. Two opt-in groups received a questionnaire and an e-mail invitation to order a self-sampler online; one received Qvintip and the other Evalyn® Brush. Participantś background characteristics were obtained from the Population Register. The effect of covariates on participation rate was estimated with multivariate Poisson regression. Acceptance of self-sampling was analysed according to agreement with statements in the questionnaire., Results: The overall participation rate was 16% with significant differences between opt-out (26%) and opt-in (11%) groups. Compared to the opt-out Qvintip group, adjusted relative risks for the Qvintip and Evalyn Brush opt-in groups were 0.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.45) and 0.44 (95% CI 0.40-0.49), respectively. Participation was associated with living place, citizenship, and education. Self-sampling was well accepted: 98% agreed that it was easy to use, 88% preferred it as a screening method in future., Conclusions: The results show the feasibility and good acceptance of HPV self-sampling among long-term screening non-attenders in Estonia.

Objective: To study the population-level mental health responses during the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Estonia and analyze its socio-demographic, behavioral, and health-related variations among general population. Methods: This study used nationally representative data on 4,606 individuals, aged 18-79 years from a rapid-response cross-sectional survey conducted in April 2020. Point prevalence and mutually adjusted prevalence rate ratios for perceived stress from log-binomial regression analysis were presented for socio-demographic, behavioral, and health-related variables. Results: This study found that 52.2% of population aged 18-79 reported elevated stress levels in relation to COVID-19 outbreak. Higher levels of perceived stress were found in women, in younger age groups, in Estonians, and in those with higher self-perceived infection risk, presence of respiratory symptoms, and less than optimal health, according to self-reports. Conclusion: Although, the potential long-term health effects of the current crisis are yet unknown, the alarmingly high stress levels among people indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic might have had a widespread effect on people's mental health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Reile, Kullamaa, Hallik, Innos, Kukk, Laidra, Nurk, Tamson and Vorobjov.)

Objective: This study investigated the associations between personality traits at age 8 and academic performance between ages 10 and 14, controlling for family confounds., Background: Many studies have shown links between children's personality traits and their school performance. However, we lack evidence on whether these associations remain after genetic and environmental confounders are accounted for., Method: Sibling data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) were used (n = 9701). First, we estimated the overall associations between Big Five personality traits and academic performance, including literacy, numeracy, and foreign language. Second, we added sibling fixed effects to remove unmeasured confounders shared by siblings as well as rating bias., Results: Openness to Experience (between-person β = 0.22 [95% CI: 0.21-0.24]) and Conscientiousness (between-person β = 0.18 [95% CI 0.16-0.20]) were most strongly related to educational performance. Agreeableness (between-person β = 0.06 [95% CI -0.08-0.04]) and Extraversion (between-person β = 0.02 [95% CI 0.00-0.04]) showed small associations with educational performance. Neuroticism had a moderate negative association (between-person β = -0.14 [95% CI -0.15-0.11]). All associations between personality and performance were robust to confounding: the within-family estimates from sibling fixed-effects models overlapped with the between-person effects. Finally, childhood personality was equally predictive of educational performance across ages and genders., Conclusions: Although family background is influential for academic achievement, it does not confound associations with personality. Childhood personality traits reflect unbiased and consistent individual differences in educational potential., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Personality published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: In the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster of March 11, 2011, plant workers were exposed to various traumatic events and reported a subsequent increase in alcohol use. To determine the relationship between disaster-related experiences and problem drinking, we conducted a three-year follow-up study., Methods: Problem drinking among the nuclear plant workers was assessed annually from 2012-2014 using a modified version of the CAGE questionnaire that asked about current, rather than lifetime, drinking. A total of 1378 workers provided at least one CAGE response, and 2875 observations were used in the present analysis. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between disaster-related experiences and problem drinking over time., Results: The prevalence of problem drinking (CAGE score ≥2) increased over time. At the baseline assessment in 2012, a year after the disaster, plant workers who had experienced life-threatening danger and discrimination had significantly more symptoms of problem drinking, which persisted over the following 2 years. Although at baseline, plant workers who had experienced major property loss or the death of a colleague showed no significant differences in problem drinking symptoms from those without such experiences, over the next 2 years their problem drinking increased significantly., Conclusions: Individuals who experienced life-threatening danger and discrimination during the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster reported an increase in problem drinking. Although major property loss and the death of a colleague did not elevate problem drinking prevalence at baseline, it did so over the next 2 years. Different adverse effects of a natural disaster appear to differentially increase drinking behavior over time., (© 2024 Research Society on Alcohol.)

Objective: To assess, at a clinical level, the mental health of former Chernobyl cleanup workers from Estonia by comparing them with same-age controls., Method: The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was administered during 2011-2012 to 99 cleanup workers and 100 population-based controls previously screened for mental health symptoms., Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that cleanup workers had higher odds of current depressive disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07, 95% confidence interval [CI: 1.34, 7.01]), alcohol dependence (OR = 3.47, 95% CI [1.29, 9.34]), and suicide ideation (OR = 3.44, 95% CI [1.28, 9.21]) than did controls. Except for suicide ideation, associations with Chernobyl exposure became statistically nonsignificant when adjusted for education and ethnicity., Conclusion: A quarter of a century after the Chernobyl accident, Estonian cleanup workers were still at increased risk of mental disorders, which was partly attributable to sociodemographic factors. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).)

Purpose: To study the long-term mental health consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident among cleanup workers from Estonia., Methods: In 2010, 614 Estonian Chernobyl cleanup workers and 706 geographically and age-matched population-based controls completed a mail survey that included self-rated health, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL), alcohol symptoms (AUDIT), and scales measuring depressive, anxiety, agoraphobia, fatigue, insomnia, and somatization symptoms. Respondents were dichotomized into high (top quartile) and low symptom groups on each measure., Results: Logistic regression analysis detected significant differences between cleanup workers and controls on all measures even after adjustment for ethnicity, education, marital status, and employment status. The strongest difference was found for somatization, with cleanup workers being three times more likely than controls to score in the top quartile (OR = 3.28, 95% CI 2.39-4.52), whereas for alcohol problems the difference was half as large (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.16-1.99). Among cleanup workers, arrival at Chernobyl in 1986 (vs. later) was associated with sleep problems, somatization, and symptoms of agoraphobia., Conclusion: The toll of cleanup work was evident 24 years after the Chernobyl accident among Estonian cleanup workers indicating the need for focused mental health interventions.

Background: The increased knowledge of cervical cancer (CC) risk factors and suboptimal performance of present screening programs has generated interest in shifting from a universal screening approach to one based on individual risk assessment. To inform the future development of risk-based CC screening programs, it is crucial to gain insight into the factors influencing the acceptability of such approach among screening target group women. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the acceptability of risk-based CC screening and to identify potential barriers. Methods: In this qualitative study, one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample including women aged 30–65 years to explore women's perspectives on the acceptability of risk-based CC screening. The study was conducted in Estonia, and interviews were conducted from March to September 2023. Potential participants were approached in person by a member of the study team or by their healthcare providers at primary care or gynaecology clinics. The interview guides were developed based on the concept of acceptability of healthcare interventions. Results: Twenty participants (mean age 44.5, SD = 8.6) with diverse backgrounds were interviewed. The seven components of acceptability (affective attitude, burden, ethicality, opportunity costs, perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, and intervention coherence) were explored as key themes. Generally, women supported risk-based screening. However, we identified several factors that may compromise the acceptability of risk-based screening. The participants were reluctant to accept less intense screening for low-risk women and anticipated that if risk-based approach was implemented, more frequent testing would remain an option. Providing in-person clinician support was expected, requiring additional healthcare resources. Knowledge gaps in CC prevention highlighted the need for accessible information and education. Most women were unworried about sensitive data inclusion in risk score calculations. However, some participants were concerned about potential confidentiality breaches by healthcare workers. Conclusion: This study indicates that risk-based CC screening is acceptable, except for testing low-risk women less frequently. Our findings underscore the necessity for comprehensive understanding of the needs and concerns of the target group women for program development. Healthcare organizations are required to proactively address these needs by implementing comprehensive information dissemination and efficient communication approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions is one of the best known and applied theories in Positive Psychology. It argues that positive emotions initiate an upward movement by opening up the mind and broadening thoughts and thus represents a counter model to the vicious circle-models of clinical psychology. The number of studies directly testing this theory in all components is scarce, ambiguities in the model impede clear inference. Method: To draw a conclusive picture on within-model processes, we applied network modeling on the components of the theory across two studies (N1 = 312; N2 = 302). Results: In both studies, the positive relationship between positive emotions, resources and life outcomes is well-supported, yet the role of broadening, as an intermediary component within these is questioned. Discussion: As the broadening component consistently deviated from the model's predictions and thus did not contribute to the model as expected in either study, the validity of the Broaden-and-Build Theory in its current conceptualization is challenged, and our results point to the need to reassess the role of broadening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While well-being does generally constitute a moderate predictor of school achievement, research on the predictive validity of cognitive ability for wellbeing in school contexts remains scant. The current study analyzed longitudinal relations between cognitive ability measured at age 13 (Grade 6) and wellbeing measured at age 18 (Grade 12, valid N = 2,705) in a Swedish sample, using several multivariate model techniques. The results indicate that cognitive ability was not a statistically significant predictor when several predictors were entered in a multiple regression model. However, gender was a significant covariate as girls and young women have a substantially lower degree of self-reported well-being. This casts light on the limitations of cognitive ability as a construct for some non-cognitive outcomes, at least in shorter and narrower spatial-temporal contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of research highlights the continuum between dark and bright personality traits impacting individual prosocial or antisocial tendencies. However, the interplay between personality dimensions and actual criminal behavior and its reoccurrence is not fully elucidated. We aimed to explore the cumulative predictive value of the bright and dark core of personality for criminal history in differentiating a general community sample (N = 282) from a large sample of inmates (N = 296), with (n = 129) or without (n = 167) criminal history while controlling for age, sex and impression management. Predictors of first-time offending were higher levels of Neuroticism, Openness, Dark Factor, Sadism, and Deceitfulness. Criminal recidivism was predicted by high Neuroticism and Deceitfulness. Finally, higher levels of Extraversion were negatively related to criminal behavior and history, highlighting a potential protective effect of displaying assertive and sociable tendencies. The findings highlight the relevance of considering the dark personality core complementary to the typical personality dimensions in the risk assessment, prediction, and reduction of criminal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International students have diverse backgrounds and experience that can impact their academic success in international education. Purpose of this research intends to provide empirical evidence of the impact of student aptitude on the academic success in the context of higher education in UK. Data is gathered from 748 international students studying at UK universities, and analyzed using regression analysis. The results revealed a significant positive association amid student aptitude and academic success among international students. The regression coefficient (ß=0.65) and R2 (0.40) of the model designated students' aptitude to be a strong antecedent of academic success. The results are supported by the Cognitive Load Theory which suggests that students having higher cognitive abilities could manage cognitive load in a better manner, which facilitate effective learning and higher academic success. The findings imply that aptitude and cognitive abilities of students are critical contributing factors towards academic performance and inspires additional assessment of cognitive and non-cognitive elements in this regard. The findings are of significance to practitioners and educators in designing more effective student support systems and educational strategies for international higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agreement between adolescents, mothers, fathers, and teachers on adolescents' personality traits was investigated in a longitudinal study. The targets for personality ratings were the adolescents who participated in the European Youth Heart Study in Estonia. There were 593 participants in the first wave and 480 participants in the follow-up study 3 years later. Adolescents' self-reports as well as father, mother, and teacher ratings were collected using questionnaires to measure the five-factor model of personality. In both waves, inter-rater agreement was highest between mothers and fathers, was low to moderate for parent-self ratings, and was lowest for ratings between self and teacher, mother and teacher, and father and teacher. Test-retest correlations were moderate for parent and self-ratings but failed to reach statistical significance for three of the five teacher-rated traits, suggesting lower reliability of teacher ratings. Possible explanations for the low agreement between teachers and other judges are discussed.

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching--romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship--was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.

This study examined the relationship between alcohol/illicit drug use, the Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality traits, aggressiveness (Agg), and hyperactivity (Hyp), and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in a population-derived representative sample of preadolescents and adolescents (n=1172). Alcohol and illicit drug use was self-reported. The FFM personality inventories were filled in by mothers of the participants, and Agg and Hyp were rated by their class teachers. Higher scores in extraversion (E), Agg, and Hyp and lower scores in conscientiousness (C) together with older age were significant predictors of more frequent alcohol use in adolescents. No significant association was found between alcohol illicit drug use, and platelet MAO activity.

Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.

The Standard Progressive Matrices was standardised in Estonia in 2001 on a sample of 2,689 12- to 18-yr.-olds. The mean IQ of the Estonian sample was approximately 5 points higher than British IQ norms of 1979. Adjustment for the estimated secular increase of intelligence in Britain reduces the mean IQ of the Estonian sample to 100.2, in relation to a British mean of 100. A particular interest of the result from Estonia is that the intelligence of a European population is apparently not impaired by decades of low living standards.

Mortality was studied in a cohort of 4831 men from Estonia who participated in the environmental cleanup of the radioactively contaminated areas around Chernobyl in 1986-1991. Their mortality in 1986-2020 was compared with the mortality in the Estonian male population. A total of 1503 deaths were registered among the 4812 traced men. The all-cause standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 1.04 (95% CI 0.99-1.09). All-cancer mortality was elevated (SMR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.28). Radiation-related cancers were in excess (SMR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.36); however, the excesses could be attributed to tobacco and alcohol consumption. For smoking-related cancers, the SMR was 1.20 (95% CI 1.06-1.35) and for alcohol-related cancers the SMR was 1.56 (95% CI 1.26-1.86). Adjusted relative risks (ARR) of all-cause mortality were increased among workers who stayed in the Chernobyl area ≥ 92 days (ARR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08-1.34), were of non-Estonian ethnicity (ARR 1.33, 95% CI 1.19-1.47) or had lower (basic or less) education (ARR 1.63, 95% CI 1.45-1.83). Suicide mortality was increased (SMR 1.31, 95% CI 1.05-1.56), most notably among men with lower education (ARR 2.24, 95% CI 1.42-3.53). Our findings provide additional evidence that unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol and smoking play an important role in shaping cancer mortality patterns among Estonian Chernobyl cleanup workers. The excess number of suicides suggests long-term psychiatric and substance use problems tied to Chernobyl-related stressors, i.e., the psychosocial impact was greater than any direct carcinogenic effect of low-dose radiation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Mood and anxiety disorders are characterized by abnormal levels of positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA) and changes in how emotions unfold over time. To better prevent and treat those disorders, it is crucial to determine which kind of indices of emotion dynamics best predict elevated depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms. Methods: 221 individuals (60 men; mean age = 46 years, SD = 15 years) completed a 7-day ecological momentary assessment study, where their positive and negative affective experience was assessed 5 times a day. For each participant, the intensity, instability, inertia, and differentiation of PA and NA were calculated. The Estonian Emotional State Questionnaire was used to assess depressive and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. Results: We found that NA and PA intensity, and NA instability predicted elevated depressive and GAD symptoms. Models including NA instability alongside PA and NA intensity showed the best fit for both depression and generalized anxiety, as NA instability alongside other variables significantly increased the odds of having elevated depressive and GAD symptoms. Affective inertia, differentiation, and PA instability were not associated with depressive and GAD symptoms. Discussion: In addition to the mean levels of affect, it is important to study other emotion dynamic indices such as NA instability, as these offer a more nuanced view of underlying emotion dysregulation processes. This could, in the longterm, help tailor more specific prevention and intervention methods for mood and anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic performance (AP) is crucial for lifelong success. Unfortunately, many students fail to meet expected academic benchmarks, leading to altered career paths or university dropouts. This issue is particularly pronounced in the early stages of higher education, highlighting the need for the instructors of these foundational courses to have access to simple yet effective tools for the early identification of students at high risk of academic failure. In this study, we propose a streamlined conceptual model inspired by the Model of Human Behavior (MHB) to which we have incorporated two dimensions: capacity and willingness. These dimensions are assessed through the definition of three variables: Prior Academic Performance (PAP), Personality and Academic Engagement, whose measurements can easily be obtained by the instructors. Furthermore, we outline a Machine Learning (ML) process that higher education instructors can use to create their own tailored models in order to predict AP and identify risk groups with high levels of transparency and interpretability. The application of our approach to a sample of 322 Spanish undergraduates studying two mathematical subjects at a Spanish university demonstrates its potential to detect failure early in the semester with a precision that is comparable with that of more complex models found in literature. Our tailored model identified that capacity was the primary predictor of AP, with a gain-to-baseline improvement of 21%, and the willingness variables increasing this to 27%. This approach is consistent over time. Implications for instructors are discussed and an open prediction and analysis tool is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Better and higher adaptation of students to the college environment can have a significant impact on the academic performance of individuals and ultimately their academic progress. The purpose of this research is to investigate the personality traits that affect the academic adjustment of dental students in Tehran Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences in 2021-2022. Material and Methods: This descriptive research was conducted on randomly selected students. Two questionnaires were used: 1: Anderson academic adjustment 2: HEXACO 6-factor model. The questionnaires also contained demographic information such as (age, sex, year of education, marital status). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to investigate the relationship between academic adjustment and subgroups of personality traits, and the role of variable factors was determined by regression analysis. All calculations were done using SPSS software version 26. Results: The average academic adjustment score among 250 participating students was 34.3 ± 2.582. The average score of honesty-humility, excitability, extroversion, pleasantness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness personality traits were obtained as 11.97, 10.19, 13.49, 10.40, 13.55, and 13.85 respectively. There was a positive and significant relationship between personality subgroups, extroversion and conscientiousness with compatibility, and between personality subgroups, excitability and agreeableness, there was an inverse and significant relationship with compatibility (p<0.05). Conclusion: It seems, status of academic adjustment for dental students of Tehran Islamic Azad University was suitable Extraverted and dutiful had more academic adjustment and excited and negotiable ones had less adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coming from a disadvantaged background can have negative impact on an individual's educational trajectory. Some people however seem unaffected and cope well with the demands and challenges posed by school education, despite growing up in adverse conditions, a phenomenon termed academic resilience. While it is uncertain which underlying factors make some people more likely to circumvent unfavorable odds than others, both socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive ability have robustly been linked to school performance. The objective of the present work is to investigate if individual cognitive abilities and SES interact in their effect on grades. For this purpose, we analyzed SES, cognitive, and school performance data from 5001 participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Ordinal logistic regression models suggest similar patterns of associations between three SES measures (parental education, income-to-needs ratio, and neighborhood deprivation) and grades at two timepoints, with no evidence for interaction effects between SES and time. Parental education and income-to-needs ratio were associated with grades at both timepoints, irrespective of whether cognitive abilities were modeled or not. Neighborhood deprivation, in contrast, was only a statistically significant predictor of reported grades when cognitive abilities were not factored in. Cognitive abilities interacted with parental education level, meaning that they could be a safeguard against effects of SES on school performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This meta-analysis provides the first comprehensive synthesis of associations between student and teacher personality traits and the quality of teacher-student relationships., Method: Fifty-five studies met the eligibility criteria, contributing a total of 238 effect sizes. We used multivariate meta-analysis with robust variance estimation (RVE) to model the dependency of effect sizes., Results: Student prosocial behavior (ρ = 0.59) and proactive personality (ρ = 0.48) were the strongest predictors of positive teacher-student relationship quality. All Big Five traits of students, except neuroticism, showed significant positive associations, with all correlations exceeding 0.4 when holding constant with all other moderators. Teacher agreeableness (ρ = 0.31) and conscientiousness (ρ = 0.29) yielded modest associations. Students with less emotional stability or aggressive behaviors were more likely to experience negative teacher-student relationships, such as conflict and dependency., Conclusion: Our findings highlight the critical role of student personality in explaining the quality of teacher-student interactions. Multiple traits appear equally important, as indicated by comparable effect sizes. The literature is relatively limited when it comes to teacher personality. We were unable to examine teacher traits in relation to teacher-student conflict and dependency, but, overall, agreeable and conscientious teacher behaviors appeared to be important for favorable interactions, whereas teacher neuroticism may undermine the quality of such interactions., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Personality published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Fluid intelligence (Gf) involves logical reasoning and novel problem‐solving abilities. Often, abstract reasoning tasks like Raven's progressive matrices are used to assess Gf. Prior work has shown an age‐related decline in fluid intelligence capabilities, and although many studies have sought to identify the underlying mechanisms, our understanding of the critical brain regions and dynamics remains largely incomplete. In this study, we utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate 78 individuals, ages 20–65 years, as they completed an abstract reasoning task. MEG data was co‐registered with structural MRI data, transformed into the time–frequency domain, and the resulting neural oscillations were imaged using a beamformer. We found worsening behavioral performance with age, including prolonged reaction times and reduced accuracy. MEG analyses indicated robust oscillations in the theta, alpha/beta, and gamma range during the task. Whole brain correlation analyses with age revealed relationships in the theta and alpha/beta frequency bands, such that theta oscillations became stronger with increasing age in a right prefrontal region and alpha/beta oscillations became stronger with increasing age in parietal and right motor cortices. Follow‐up connectivity analyses revealed increasing parieto‐frontal connectivity with increasing age in the alpha/beta frequency range. Importantly, our findings are consistent with the parieto‐frontal integration theory of intelligence (P‐FIT). These results further suggest that as people age, there may be alterations in neural responses that are spectrally specific, such that older people exhibit stronger alpha/beta oscillations across the parieto‐frontal network during abstract reasoning tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare systems around the world are facing large challenges. There are increasing demands and costs while at the same time a diminishing health workforce. Without reform, healthcare systems are unsustainable. Relocating care, for example, from hospitals to sites closer to patients' homes, is expected to make a key contribution to keeping healthcare sustainable. Given the significant impact of this initiative on citizens, we conducted a scoping review to provide insight into the factors that influence citizens' attitudes towards relocating care. Method: A scoping review was conducted. The search was performed in the following databases: Pubmed, Embase, Cinahl, and Scopus. Articles had to include relocating healthcare and citizens' perspectives on this topic and the articles had to be about a European country with a strong primary care system. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 70 articles remained. Results: Factors positively influencing citizens' attitudes towards relocating care included: convenience, familiarity, accessibility, patients having more control over their disease, and privacy. Factors influencing negative attitudes included: concerns about the quality of care, familiarity, the lack of physical examination, contact with others, convenience, and privacy. Furthermore, in general, most citizens preferred to relocate care in the studies we found, especially from the hospital to care provided at home. Conclusion: Several factors influencing the attitude of citizens towards relocating care were found. These factors are very important when determining citizens' preferences for the location of their healthcare. The majority of studies in this review reported that citizens are in favour of relocating care. In general citizens' perspectives on relocating care are very often missing in articles. It was significant that very few studies on relocation from the hospital to the general practitioner were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated direct as well as indirect relations between children's emotion regulation (anger- and avoidant-oriented strategies), behavior regulation, and mathematics achievement in a longitudinal study during the transition from primary to secondary school in Germany. Participants were 76 primary school students attending grade four at Time 1, of whom 51 participated again as secondary school students attending grade five at Time 2, as well as children's mothers and teachers. Anger- and avoidant-oriented emotion regulation strategies at Time 1 were negatively associated to behavior regulation at Time 2. Behavior regulation at Time 2 was positively related to mathematics achievement at Time 2. There were no direct relations between emotion regulation (anger- and avoidant-oriented strategies) at Time 1 and mathematics achievement at Time 2. However, we found significant indirect negative effects between emotion regulation (anger- and avoidant-oriented strategies) at Time 1 and mathematics achievement at Time 2 via behavior regulation at Time 1. Thus, anger- and avoidant-oriented emotion regulation at Time 1 indirectly affected mathematics achievement negatively at Time 2 via behavior regulation at Time 2. This study confirms the complex structure of self-regulatory processes and underlines the importance of specific emotion regulation strategies for mathematics achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to analyse associations between the five-factor model personality traits and locus of control of successes and failures based on the theory of social learning and to assess whether gender moderated relationships between these variables in Polish early adolescents. The following instruments were used: the Picture Based Personality Survey for Children and the Locus of Control Questionnaire. A total of 1016 students participated in the study, including 49% boys and 51% girls. Both for girls and boys, the highest correlations were found between conscientiousness and locus of control in success situations. Neuroticism correlated negatively with the two types of locus of control. A moderating effect of gender was observed between openness to experience and locus of control of successes, and it was stronger in girls than in boys., (© 2024 British Psychological Society.)

Purpose: To determine whether (1) healthcare access at onset of the pandemic and (2) age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and pre-existing health status were associated with change in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study includes a general population sample of five countries., Methods: An online questionnaire was administered to respondents from Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic between April 22nd and May 5th of 2020, and 1 year later between May 23rd and June 29th of 2021. The questionnaire included questions on demographic background, health status, and HRQoL. The primary outcome was change in HRQoL as measured by the EQ-5D-5L instrument. Specifically, the EQ-5D-5L index and EQ VAS were used. Healthcare access was quantified with regard to the respondent's ease of getting an appointment, waiting time, and opportunity to contact the provider and during analysis dichotomized into "sufficient" versus "insufficient". Linear regression analysis was performed with change in HRQoL as dependent variable and background variables as independent variables., Results: In total, 6,765 respondents completed the second questionnaire. 19.8% of total respondents reported insufficient healthcare access. Respondents with insufficient healthcare had both more improved and deteriorated HRQoL compared to respondents with sufficient healthcare, whose HRQoL remained unchanged. We did not find significant interactions between age, gender, SES and/or chronic disease status with healthcare access at onset of the COVID-19 pandemic., Conclusion: Healthcare access was not associated with cumulative differences in change in HRQoL over a 1-year period in strata of age, gender, SES, and chronic disease status., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented pressure on societies and healthcare systems around the world. Over the last years, measures imposed in almost all countries dealing with the pandemic sent the entire world into an extensive crisis and thus into a deep global recession. Since the outbreak began, many European countries have faced three/four waves of pandemic. Portugal has mainly dealt with three waves (March/April'2020; October/November'2020; January/February'2021), the third being the deadliest one. The purpose of this article is to provide evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 on health-related quality of life (HRQol) and well-being (W-B) of Portuguese citizens. It aims to (i) characterize these outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic; (ii) compare them to pre-COVID-19 Portuguese population; and (iii) identify the social determinants that may affect these outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study used data from a survey that collected data on HRQoL, W-B, satisfaction with life, economic and labour impacts, access to healthcare, mental and physical health, amongst others. The survey was implemented by telephone to a representative random sample of 1,255 respondents from the general adult Portuguese population, stratified by sex, age group and region. Data was collected during the end of the second national lockdown. For comparison purposes, we have also used two other representative databases from the general Portuguese population: (i) data from before the pandemic (n = 1,006); and (ii) data from a survey conducted during the first lockdown, (n = 904). Results: Looking at health and access to healthcare, 4% of citizens had their surgeries postponed or cancelled because of COVID-19, more than a quarter had medical appointments or complementary exams postponed or cancelled, with 7% over 65 years old with surgeries cancelled or postponed and 32% medical appointments. COVID-19 pandemic also impacted negatively on the HRQoL of citizens, especially in the first lockdown. Half of the respondents reported feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge, about 45% of citizens felt sad or depressed. Sleeping problems were reported for almost 39% of citizens, and loneliness is reported by 29% of citizens. For about 70–85% of citizens, these feelings were more so than before the pandemic. Citizens with fair/strong economic stability were the most economically affected by the pandemic. Conclusions: We provided evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on health and W-B of Portuguese citizens. Their health was worse than before the pandemic and the access to healthcare was highly affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic engagement in recent years has become the focus of determining student learning and achievement. However,despite this growing awareness that has revolutionized academic policies and educational approaches, literature on engagement in the academic context is still in its infancy. This study seeks to remedy this through the confirmation of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students' (UWES-S) promising psychometric properties and by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between academic engagement, personality traits, and social media addiction, a determinant that has yet to be explored. Our findings indicate that of the five personality traits analyzed, agreeableness had the strongest negative correlation with academic engagement, and perhaps equally as striking is the positive, albeit insignificant, association between social media and academic engagement. Furthermore, the most informative and least informative items for academic engagement were identified using IRT analysis. Finally, this study also addresses several gaps in the literature by determining that the one-factor construct of the UWES-S is an adequate measure of academic engagement compared to its three-factor counterpart and by demonstrating the measurement invariance of the UWES-S across gender, class year, and academic major in our sample of Taiwanese undergraduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence shows that personality pathology starts to develop from (late) childhood onwards. The current study extends previous research by examining maladaptive personality change using both a variable-centered approach (i.e., mean-level changes) and a person-centered approach (i.e., latent profile transitions). Data were used from a 3-wave longitudinal study on Dutch youth (at T1: N = 492, mean age = 10.1). Maladaptive personality traits (i.e., Emotional Instability, Disagreeableness, Introversion, and Compulsivity) were assessed yearly using the Dimensional Personality Symptom Item Pool (DIPSI). A Factor of Curves model indicated presence of a higher-order developmental factor, reflecting low initial levels and small decreases over time, which explained change in all DIPSI traits. Latent profile analyses revealed three quantitatively different maladaptive personality trait profiles. Latent Transition Analysis demonstrated substantial stability in profiles over time. Small groups showed a transition toward another (often more adaptive) profile. Although a person-centered approach may have some merit when aiming to detect high-risk subgroups, the current results suggest that a variable-centered approach—and a Factor of Curves model capturing shared underlying developmental processes in particular—is favorable over a person-centered approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses two questions: Do Big Five traits change from early to middle adolescence? How do developmental trajectories differ between educational environments (i.e., secondary school tracks)? We used a representative random sample from Germany, following 6th graders (T1, N = 1662; age: M = 11.68; SD = 0.63; female = 47.4%; from N = 87 primary schools) to the end of compulsory secondary education over three measurement points (i.e., assessing students in 6th, 7th, and 9th grade). Results of latent change modeling indicated overall increases in mean levels for all personality traits from early to middle adolescence. Regarding selection effects, the results indicated that more conscientious, agreeable, extraverted, open, and emotionally stable sixth graders were more likely to transit into an academic rather than a non-academic secondary school track. Moreover, the results showed that these initial differences in personality traits seemed to diminish between 6th and 9th grade for all personality traits. Additionally, controlling for selection effects, a contextual effect was discernible for conscientiousness. This study highlighted the potential role of differential learning environments for modifying changes in personality traits during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation of intelligence quotient with spelling performance, executive functions and emotional intelligence and to analyse the profiles in executive functions presented by the participants and the differences at the level of intelligence quotient, spelling performance and emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 125 Spanish primary school students (58 girls and 67 boys) in a rural environment, with a mean age of 10.92 (±.68) years. Intelligence quotient and spelling performance were measured using the BADyG test; executive functions were assessed using the NIH EXAMINER battery and emotional intelligence was assessed using the Bar‐On questionnaire. The results show a high correlation of intelligence quotient with spelling performance, executive functions and two emotional intelligence dimensions (adaptability and interpersonal). Two clusters were observed: a high executive functions profile (n = 74, 59.7%), with high scores on all measured variables (working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, inhibition and verbal fluency), and a low executive functions profile (n = 50, 40.3%) with low scores on all executive functions‐related variables. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANCOVA) found variations between the different clusters in the intelligence quotient, spelling performance and interpersonal emotional intelligence variables, showing that students with a higher executive functions profile had a higher intelligence quotient, spelling performance and interpersonal emotional intelligence values. This study could help to better define what kind of teaching methodology favours the development of academic performance in schoolchildren and the connections between important educational aspects such as emotional intelligence and executive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this cross-sectional study we aimed at: 1) validating the observer (Obs) version of HEXACO Medium School Inventory Extended (MSI-E); 2) establishing convergent and divergent construct validity of the HEXACO-MSI-E; 3) establishing criterion validity of HEXACO-MSI-E. We administered the HEXACO-MSI-E, the Big Five Questionnaire-Children (BFQ-C), the Internalizing and Externalizing scales of Youth Self Report (YSR), some items of the 2019 Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRB) and some items about adolescents' values, beliefs, behaviors, and desired features of a possible future job to 1175 adolescents (Mage = 12.03, SD = 0.89) and the observer version of these measures (except for BFQ-C) to 854 parents or legal guardians. The factorial structure and the reliability of the Observer Report of HEXACO-MSI-E were confirmed. Convergent and divergent validity were successfully established with a version of the inventory filled out by parents. Convergent and divergent validity were also established with BFQ-C notwithstanding some only apparent anomalies. Criterion validity was established with respect to four specific groups of criteria collected in both self-report and observer form. HEXACO-MSI-E traits were more predictive with respect to self-report than to observer criteria and the majority were common. Together with the positive results of this study, implications and issues for future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although not widely known, public works employees in the United States were designated as emergency providers during critical incidents in 2003 and have provided these public works services, when activated. These public works employees may be either employees of a specific government entity or, more recently, privately contracted employees who provide similar services for a government entity. First responders working critical incidents are at risk for psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is less clear, however, whether government/contracted public works employees working the same critical incidents are subject to the same risk of onset. This paper reviewed 24 empirical studies assessing this possible association from 1980 to 2020. These studies included 94,302 government/contracted employees. Psychological trauma/PTSD was reported in all 24 manuscripts assessing PTSD. Three of these studies additionally reporting serious somatic health problems. Public works employees are at risk for onset and this is a worldwide issue. Study findings and treatment implications are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]