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College students’ personal predictability beliefs tend to moderate the association between childhood family predictability and happiness
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Recollection of family unpredictability in one’s childhood has been associated with depression and/or anxiety (Hood et al., 2019; Ross et al., 2016); however, it is unclear whether low levels of unpredictability are beneficial for our well-being. Following the positive psychology trend, the present study assessed whether less unpredictability (i.e....
Citations
... Among college students in the United States, the LoL Scale appears to have strong internal consistency (α = .94 -.97) and construct validity, i.e., correlating with more happiness and life satisfaction, and with less anxiety and depression (Abdel-Khalek & Lester, 2011;Ross et al., 2022). Internal consistency was strong (α = .94) ...
This study investigated how distress, conceptualized as an interaction between hassles and stress perceptions, related to mental health, whether the type of distress (social or nonsocial) was consequential, and whether perceived support and self-compassion attenuated these relationships. Students ( N = 185) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey. Survey questions pertained to hassles and stress perceptions, mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, happiness, and love of life), perceived social support, and self-compassion. As predicted, students reporting more hassles and stress (both social and nonsocial) as well as those reporting less support and self-compassion, were worse off regarding mental illness and mental wellness. This was observed for both social and nonsocial distress. Although we did not support our hypotheses regarding buffering effects, we found perceived support and self-compassion are beneficial, regardless of hassles and stress levels. We discuss implications for students’ mental health and ideas for future research.
Turbulent changes in early life are a hidden source of childhood trauma, increasing potential risks for mental illness. Many studies have identified the link between childhood uncertainty and mental health. However, research on the long-term effect of early-life uncertainty (EU) on mental health has not been systematically synthesized. This meta-analysis aims to provide a quantitative estimate of the association between EU and subsequent mental health outcomes. Eight electronic databases and gray literature were searched. Twenty-eight studies met our inclusion criteria: samples of non-clinical adolescents or adults and clear and valid assessments. Random-effect models were used to calculate the pooled effect sizes of EU on internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and well-being. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were used to explore potential moderators. Results indicated small to moderate associations involving EU and internalizing problem ( r = .28; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.228, 0.326]) and externalizing problem ( r = .16; 95% CI [0.102, 0.220]). EU was not significantly associated with well-being ( r = −.41; 95% CI [−0.738, 0.071]). Furthermore, moderator analyses found that composite uncertain experiences in childhood had a stronger negative effect than single experiences. EU was a stronger predictor of mental health problems in adults than in adolescents. Cross-sectional studies would amplify the correlation between EU and mental illness compared to longitudinal studies. In the future, childhood uncertain and unpredictable risks should receive more attention. More research needs to focus on positive psychological indicators and samples from non-Western countries.
