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Gratitude and Grit Indirectly Reduce Risk of Suicidal Ideations by Enhancing Meaning in Life: Evidence for a Mediated Moderation Model
Abstract
We examined meaning in life as a suicide resiliency factor. Since meaning in life may be hard to directly modify, we examine gratitude and grit as factors that synergistically confer resiliency to suicide by increasing meaning in life. Using a longitudinal study of 209 college students, we find that gratitude and grit interact such that individuals endorsing high gratitude and grit experience a near absence of suicidal ideations over time. Testing a mediated moderation model we find that grit and gratitude confer resiliency to suicide by increasing meaning in life. Our findings illustrating the importance of examining co-occurring personality factors as well as the mechanisms of these factors that can confer resiliency to suicide.
... Several studies have investigated the relationships among gratitude, presence of meaning in life, and wellbeing. For instance, Kleiman et al. (2013) found that gratitude predicted meaning in life four weeks later among college students, and there is ample evidence that the presence of meaning in life is associated with well-being (see Li et al., 2021, for a meta-analysis). However, to the best of our knowledge, there is only one study by Datu and Mateo (2015) that investigated the mediating role of the presence of meaning in life on the relationship between gratitude and well-being (i.e., life satisfaction) in college students. ...
... The study is unique, as it examines, for the first time, the relations between gratitude, caring for bliss, presence of meaning in life, and flourishing (operationalized without the meaning aspect) over time. Based on previous research (Kleiman et al., 2013;Li et al., 2021), we hypothesized that dispositional gratitude and caring for bliss at time 1 will predict the presence of meaning in life at time 2, which, in turn, will predict flourishing at time 3. The results of the current study may advance the understanding of how dispositional gratitude and caring for bliss are related to wellbeing and thus may help to further solidify theoretical considerations about the impact of positive affect on presence of meaning in life and ultimately well-being (King et al., 2006). ...
... As hypothesized, we found that higher levels of gratitude and caring for bliss at time 1 predicted higher levels of presence of meaning in life at time 2. This finding is in line with the results of the study by Kleiman et al. (2013) among college students. Also, as expected, the presence of meaning in life at time 2 predicted flourishing at time 3, corroborating the robust link between the presence of meaning in life and wellbeing . ...
... Meaning in life (MiL) encompasses the subjective understanding, recognition, or perception of the purpose and significance of one's existence, as well as an awareness of one's life's mission, purpose, and primary objectives [20]. Gratitude, as a substantial influencer of MiL, facilitates the acquisition of this sense of purpose [21,22]. For example, individuals who routinely document moments of gratitude demonstrate higher levels of MiL [23]. ...
... Secondly, the findings partially support hypothesis 2, that trait gratitude is positively associated with adolescent SWB through the mediation of MiL, which verifies the intrinsic and extrinsic goal theory again. As predicted, expressing gratitude may lead individuals to recognize the significance of their lives and subsequently enhance their levels of life satisfaction, which is consistent with the findings proposed by previous studies [21,27]. Trait gratitude enhances the perception of meaning in life by promoting the savoring of positive experiences and by strengthening social bonds, thereby providing a sense of purpose and connection [21,57]. ...
... As predicted, expressing gratitude may lead individuals to recognize the significance of their lives and subsequently enhance their levels of life satisfaction, which is consistent with the findings proposed by previous studies [21,27]. Trait gratitude enhances the perception of meaning in life by promoting the savoring of positive experiences and by strengthening social bonds, thereby providing a sense of purpose and connection [21,57]. At the same time, the linkage of gratitude to optimism, resilience, and openness to experiences motivates the desire to explore new possibilities and discover new sources of meaning and purpose [58][59][60]. ...
The relationship between trait gratitude and subjective well-being is well documented in the literature. Recently, growing attention has been given to examining which factors are determinants in the relationship. However, there are no studies to present a comprehensive model of how meaning in life and self-control jointly play a role in this relationship. This study investigated parallel and serial mediation of the presence of meaning, the search for meaning, and self-control in the relationship between trait gratitude and subjective well-being. A total of 764 adolescents (Mage = 14.10, SD = 1.43, 48.43% males) from three middle schools in China completed a six-item measures of gratitude questionnaire form, a meaning in life questionnaire, a middle school students’ self-control ability questionnaire, and a satisfaction with life scale. The study revealed that trait gratitude affected the presence of meaning and subsequently affected subjective well-being. In addition, trait gratitude affected self-control through the presence of meaning and the search for meaning, and it subsequently affected subjective well-being. Therefore, the presence of meaning, the search for meaning, and self-control played an important role in the positive effects of trait gratitude on adolescent subjective well-being. The findings were in line with the intrinsic and extrinsic goal theory of gratitude and provided new insight to inform the improvement of adolescent subjective well-being in the future.
... Previous studies on the relationship between grit and self-esteem have shown that grit had a significant effect on self-esteem and other concepts related to self-cognition such as self-efficacy, self-control, self-consciousness, self-satisfaction, and self-awareness [23,[31][32][33][34]. ...
... This is consistent with the results of a previous study [22] showing that grit had a significant effect on self-esteem in male and female adolescents. Moreover, other studies have shown that high grit had a positive effect on self-satisfaction [33], academic self-efficacy [23,34], and self-worth evaluation [32]. Hence, this study reconfirmed that grit contributes to the improvement of self-concept, including self-esteem. ...
Previous studies have shown that female adolescents are at a higher risk of low self-esteem than male adolescents, and self-esteem in adolescents is critical for academic performance, adult health, and economic status. Depression, social withdrawal, and grit are predicted to be internal factors that affect self-esteem, and an integrated exploration of the relationship between them is required for a proper approach to enhance self-esteem in female adolescents. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of social withdrawal and depression on self-esteem among female adolescents and explored the mediating effect of grit on self-esteem. Data collected from 1,106 girls in the third year of middle school of the third-year survey (2020) of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 were analyzed in this study. For data analysis, partial least square-structural equation modeling was performed using SmartPLS 3.0. Social withdrawal was negatively related to grit, but not related to self-esteem. Depression was negatively related to grit and self-esteem. Grit was positively related to self-esteem. In addition, grit showed mediating effects in the associations between social withdrawal and self-esteem, and between depression and self-esteem in female adolescents. In conclusion, in female adolescents, the mediating effects of grit attenuated the negative effects of social withdrawal and depression on self-esteem. To enhance self-esteem in female adolescents, it is important to develop and implement strategies to strengthen grit and control negative emotional states, such as depression.
... Several studies have shown that grateful individuals have higher levels of life satisfaction, positive emotions, and lower levels of negative emotions (Xiang and Yuan, 2021). They also have higher levels of autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose, self-acceptance, and meaning among others (Kashdan et al., 2006;Kleiman et al., 2013). Concomitantly, gratitude has been found to be negatively associated with negative indicators of well-being. ...
... In terms of outcomes, gratitude has been found to be positively associated with an enhanced sense of meaning (Kleiman et al., 2013). Grateful individuals tend to see the positive and the good in the world and in others and this imbues their lives with a greater sense of meaning. ...
Gratitude has mostly been explored in relation to well-being but whether it is associated with school-related outcomes such as motivation and engagement has seldom been explored. Motivation and engagement, however, are critical to students’ academic success. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine how gratitude is associated with different types of academic motivation (amotivation, controlled motivation, and autonomous motivation) and engagement (cognitive, behavioural, and emotional). We recruited 1099 Chinese university students and asked them to answer questionnaires assessing their levels of gratitude, motivation, and engagement. Structural equation modelling revealed that gratitude was positively associated with controlled motivation, autonomous motivation, and academic engagement but negatively associated with amotivation. Autonomous motivation partially mediated the relationship between gratitude and academic engagement. The findings of this study elucidate the theoretical linkages among gratitude, motivation, and engagement, demonstrating the importance of gratitude for school-related outcomes.
... Grit has been shown to be a protective factor against suicide and depression. In a pioneering study on grit and gratitude as means to reduce suicidal ideations in university students, Kleiman et al. (2013) found that with high grit levels, there was a decline in suicidal ideations and depressive symptoms. They explained that grit helps in persevering at goals even in the presence of challenges, failures, loss or pain. ...
... It confers a sense of flexibility in the face of goal obstructions, brings about a sense of hope since grit is future-oriented, and helps in the maintenance of life goals that bring about a sense of purpose in life. Due to these, grit is a source of resiliency in life or a protective factor against suicide and depression (Kleiman et al., 2013). Grit, along with high gratitude levels, enhance meaning in life, acting as a buffer against suicide. ...
The study determined the relationship between connectedness to nature, grit, and depression level among selected Filipino adolescents. There were 116 respondents, with an average age of 19.6 years, who accomplished a self-administered questionnaire. The findings show that the average level of connectedness to nature was 50.99 with majority of the scores in the average range. Around two-thirds had an average grit level. Less than three-fourths of the respondents had an average depression level. Connectedness to nature had and a weak positive relationship with grit levels and a weak negative relationship with depression levels. Grit levels had a weak negative relationship with depression levels. These relationships were significant. Adolescent connectedness to nature and grit should be enhanced in various settings as they are related to positive individual states. Further studies can consider larger samples of adolescents from various contexts and how the mentioned variables may facilitate better well-being in the youth.
... Furthermore, it has been noticed that these individuals are shielded from adverse effects including depression, stress, hopelessness, and anxiety [29,61]. Additionally, these persons have decreased levels of post-traumatic symptoms [64], jealousy and materialistic perspectives [41], and suicidal tendencies [29,35,37]. Positive psychology methods are now more frequently used to enhance psychological well-being [7,12]. ...
Parenting entails a range of actions aimed at supporting children and caring for them, but they can also be very stressful. This study examines the effects of a 2-week gratitude journaling exercise on parental stress and well-being among preschool parents. The sample includes parents from a state preschool who volunteered to participate. An experimental group ( n = 20) and a control group ( n = 21) were created. Parental stress and well-being were evaluated using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale and the Parental Stress Scale. Data were gathered using pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test evaluations. To compare groups and examine changes over time, statistical techniques such the Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test were used. According to the results, after the intervention, participants in the trial group had a significantly lower level of parental stress and higher level of mental well-being compared to control group. Moreover, between posttest and follow up study evaluations there were no significant differences in the mental well-being or parental stress levels of the experimental group. These findings suggest that gratitude journaling can significantly reduce parental stress and improve mental well-being. The study contributes to the corpus of research in this field by showing the preventive and protective effects of gratitude journaling exercise on parental stress, particularly in aftermath of pandemics like Covid-19.
... In another study, Consistency of Interest and perseverance of effort together were negatively correlated with poor mental health outcomes, particularly depression and anxiety (Musumari et al., 2018). Furthermore, Kleiman et al. (2013) discovered that having more grit does not increase the risk of suicide or depressive symptoms. Grit has an impact on more than only poor mental health; students with high grit scores have a far greater degree of mental well-being and are more likely to have a growth mindset (Kannangara et al., 2018). ...
The COVID-19 pandemic is continuously spreading across the world, including in Indonesia. this study investigates relationship positive mental health (PMH), psychological well-being (PWB), Growth Mindset (GM) and Grit dimensions (Consistency of Interest and perseverance of effort) among students college. A total of 802 students responded to the online questionnaires. The participants completed the Assessing positive mental health Scale, Mental Health Scale Inventory-5 (MHI-5), Growth Mindset scale, and The Short Grit Scale. Data were analysed using correlation and PLS-SEM. The findings revealed that growth mindset improves positive mental health and psychological well-being in college students. The results of the correlation analysis showed that there is a positive association between Positive Mental Health, Psychological well-being, Growth Mindset, Perseverance of Effort and Consistency of Interest. while negative association between Growth mindset and Consistency of Interest. Furthermore, this study found that Perseverance of Effort does serve as a significant mediator between Growth Mindset and Positive Mental Health as well as psychological well-being. Growth mindset leads to Positive Mental Health, but Perseverance of Effort could be a significant factor. Therefore, there is a need for parents, teachers, and peers to promote Perseverance of Effort at home and in college, which is essential in increasing growth mindset and Positive Mental Health and Psychological well-being. Based on the results of this study, the growth mindset combined with an increase in grit is critical to maintaining mental health during a pandemic. The implications of this research are discussed.
... The experience of childhood psychological maltreatment is a kind of growth adversity for individuals, and the sense of life meaning can buffer its negative effects, such as reducing aggressive behavior (such as cyber bullying). Meaning in life can also buffer the negative impact of risk factors on individuals and play an important role in protecting the psychological adaptation of individuals (Kleiman et al., 2013). Therefore, as a stable protective factor, meaning in life is able to moderate the impact of risk factors on individual externalizing problems. ...
Objective
With the development of information and communication technology, cyberbullying among Chinese college students has become more frequent, bringing many negative consequences to both society and students themselves. Childhood psychological maltreatment may be one of the influencing factors of cyberbullying, but its internal mechanism remains poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and cyberbullying among college students and to further explore the mediating effect of negative emotion and the moderating effect of meaning in life.
Methods
In this study, 656 college students (48.7% males) were recruited to complete anonymous questionnaires assessing their perceptions of child psychological maltreatment, negative affect, meaning in life and cyberbullying. SPSS23.0 and Hayes PROCESS macro for SPSS were used to conduct statistical analysis.
Results
(1) Childhood psychological maltreatment was significantly positively associated with cyberbullying; (2) Negative affect played a partially mediating role between childhood psychological maltreatment and cyberbullying; and (3) Meaning in life moderated the direct association between childhood psychological maltreatment and cyberbullying and moderated the association between negative affect and cyberbullying.
Conclusion
In this study, a moderated mediation model was constructed and the internal mechanism of childhood psychological maltreatment and cyberbullying among college students was found. The results provided both theoretical contributions and practical suggestions for preventing cyberbullying.
... Research has found that when individuals have a higher sense of meaning in their lives, their level of positive psychological capital is higher and their vulnerability to crisis is lower. Research in positive psychology has shown that the sense of meaning in life plays an important role in individual psychological function and physical and mental health [25]. Having a higher meaning in life often leads to higher subjective well-being, higher life satisfaction, and greater optimism in the face of di culties and setbacks, full of hope for the future [26 -29]. ...
Objective: To explore the relationship between the sense of meaning in life and crisis vulnerability of undergraduate nursing student and the chain mediating effect of socialist core value identification and positive psychological capital on the relationship between the two.
Methods: A total of 330 undergraduate nursing students (M±SD = 19.68±1.31 years old) from traditional Chinese medicine colleges in Yunnan ethnic minority areas were measured bythe Sense of Life Scale, Socialist Core Values Identity Scale, Sense of Life Scale and Crisis Vulnerability Questionnaire.
Results: The sense of meaning in life was negatively correlated with crisis vulnerability, positively correlated with socialist core values identification and positive psychological capital, negatively correlated with crisis vulnerability, positively correlated with socialist core values identification and positive psychological capital, and positively correlated with socialist core values identification. The chain mediation effect analysis shows that the sense of meaning in life can predict crisis vulnerability through three indirect pathways: the mediating effect of socialist core value identification, the mediating effect of positive psychological capital, and the chain mediating effect of socialist core values and positive psychological capital.
Conclusion: The sense of meaning in life may be a remote variable of the crisis vulnerability of undergraduate nursing students, which can reduce individual crisis vulnerability by enhancing the level of socialist core value identification and positive psychological capital.
... The average education level reported for the parent with the highest education in the family was 10.86 years (SD = 3.13; the length of compulsory education in China is 1 Only seven studies (8%) among the 83 studies in the meta-analysis had time lags between measuring grit and subjective well-being (Hou et al., 2022). Several studies have reported substantial correlations between grit and subsequent subjective well-being facets or correlates (e.g., job satisfaction, depression) with intervals up to 3 years (Chandra et al., 2020;Jordan et al., 2018;Kleiman et al., 2013;O'Sullivan et al., 2019). However, these studies were not designed to test the relation between grit and subjective well-being and lacked control over potential causal variables. ...
In cross-sectional research, subjective well-being and grit are found to be positively correlated. Their mutually reinforcing effects are particularly relevant for youth entering early adolescence because, during this developmental period, both well-being and grit have been shown to predict consequential outcomes later in life. However, their mutual relation has not yet been investigated in early adolescence. This study, therefore, examined the possibility of a virtuous cycle linking subjective well-being and grit during early adolescence. Self-report questionnaires of grit and subjective well-being were completed by N = 5291 children in China (47.6% girls; initial Mage = 9.69, SDage = 0.59) on six occasions over 3 academic years. In random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), within-person changes in grit predicted within-person changes in subjective well-being 6 months later, and vice versa. Notably, analyses revealed an asymmetry in this cycle: paths from subjective well-being to grit were stronger and more reliable than the converse. Likewise, facet-level analyses showed that the predictive power of the perseverance component (of grit) and the affective component (of subjective well-being), respectively, was greater than the passion and cognitive components, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of boosting happiness for catalyzing positive youth development and, in addition, foreground the utility of studying these composite constructs at the facet level.
... If cultivated in contextually appropriate ways, life satisfaction can reduce the impact of future stressors. Existing interventions for enhancing meaning in life have focused on promoting self-awareness and developing gratitude through mindfulness-based interventions [52]. These types of interventions can assist young adults by developing their capacity for perspective taking and enhance their sense of self-efficacy in negotiating life stressors. ...
Life satisfaction is a key index of well-being, yet few studies have examined its role as a protective factor in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study expands the research in this area through an examination of the role of life satisfaction in the relationship between perceived stress and negative indices of mental health. Participants were university students (N = 322) who completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and short forms of the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicate that life satisfaction had a health-sustaining effect on indices of well-being. It also moderated the relationship between perceived stress, on the one hand, and anxiety and hopelessness, on the other hand. Further, life satisfaction played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and indices of mental health. The findings suggest that life satisfaction could be a protective factor in the context of stressful life events. Cultivating life satisfaction through mindfulness training and the enhancement of gratitude could potentially sustain mental health.
... One of the fundamental principles of organismic valuation theory is that maximizing one's potential leads to greater wellbeing. Since grit is a drive toward the future, it may lead to optimism, which in turn may help people find purpose in their lives and experience sense of meaning (Kleiman et al. 2013). There is scientific support for this: As a result of the fact that human existence is fraught with unpredictability, potential hardships, and shifts, Antonovsky (1993b) conceptualized a "Chaos Theory" to explain human existence, and it has since gained momentum, which suggests that having some aspect of oneself that stays stable and coherent is crucial to one's health. ...
There are numerous individuals from all walks of life with varying levels of ability to achieve their `goals. However, there are a few people who are grittierdespite not relying on their natural abilities, and who instead employ hard strategies and ideas to achieve their goals. These individuals persist through hardships. These people are thought to be flourishing because of the meaningful lives they lead. The qualities of perseverance and persistence known together as "grit" have been found to play a significant role in a person's happiness and well-being. The current study investigates how much of an impact grit plays in determining wellbeing of faculties engaged in Higher Education Institutions. Data were gathered from 334permanent faculty members at state universities in Bihar, India, using standardized scales. The results revealed a significant favorable relationship between grit and psychological well-being. Stepwise linear regression analysis further revealed that, dimensions of grit significantly predict dimensions of psychological well-being of the faculties of higher education. This suggests gritty employees find meaningful employment to improve their well-being. The study's practical and theoretical ramifications, as well as its limits, are examined.
... In addition, through contact with various Buddhist symbols, such as traditional temple architecture, cultural rituals, and monks, tourists become more willing to follow the positive direction advocated by Buddhist culture (Huang et al., 2019). Curiosity, social competence, appreciation of beauty, gratitude, and spirituality have all been associated with meaning (Kleiman et al., 2013). For most people, curiosity may motivate a search for meaning in life. ...
Spiritual values can be a source of meaning for people, and can also determine their feelings, behavior, and mental health. In China’s Buddhist mountains, we collected a total of 400 valid questionnaires from Mount Putuo and Mount Jiuhua, and identified spiritual values as transcendence, general connectedness, inner balance, positive life direction, and special religious feelings. We also explored the impact of these spiritual values on tourists’ psychological wellbeing according to the PERMA model (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement). The results revealed that the more easily attained spiritual values (general connectedness, positive life direction, and special religious feelings) had a greater influence on psychological wellbeing than the less easily-attained spiritual values (transcendence and inner balance). Positive emotion and meaning, as components of psychological wellbeing, were strongly influenced by the four spiritual values, whereas engagement, accomplishment, and relationships were influenced by fewer spiritual values. The research contributes to the existing knowledge on spiritual values by analyzing their dimensions and relationships with tourists’ wellbeing from different levels, and also provides empirical suggestions for the sustainable development of religious tourism destinations.
... The 6-item scale developed by McCullough et al. (2002) was used to measure gratitude. The scale is reliable for research on university students, evaluating their tendency to experience gratitude (Kleiman et al., 2013). The reliability was .78 with the pilot study sample of 120. ...
... Sufrir ciber-VN puede resultar traumático debido al efecto de la permanencia, esto es, que los mensajes abusivos en redes pueden volver a visualizarse y almacenarse generando la sensación de revictimización (Stonard, 2020). Por el contrario, la gratitud que implica apreciar lo positivo en la vida se asocia negativamente con el RS (Kleiman, Adams, Kashdan y Riskind, 2013). Se han propuesto cuatro hipótesis para explicar la utilidad de la gratitud como factor protector del RS: la hipótesis esquemática (la gratitud actúa contrarrestando los pensamientos negativos como la desesperanza), la hipótesis del afecto positivo (la gratitud se asocia a menores síntomas de depresión), la hipótesis de ampliación y construcción (la gratitud dirige la atención a las relaciones significativas, mejorando la percepción de apoyo por parte de su red social) y la hipótesis de afrontamiento (la gratitud facilita el afrontamiento adaptativo). ...
La ciberviolencia en el noviazgo (ciber-VN) afecta a hombres y mujeres, aunque de manera diferente. Sufrir ciber-VN puede llevar a emplear estrategias de afrontamiento (EA) que incrementen el riesgo de suicidio (RS). Este estudio analiza diferencias de sexo entre jóvenes de Colombia en la frecuencia de victimización de ciber-VN y de uso de EA (rumiación y gratitud) ante los conflictos de pareja, el RS entre víctimas de ciber-VN, y variables predictoras (ciber-VN, EA) del RS. Participaron 482 estudiantes universitarios/as heterosexuales (mujeres: 74,5%) (Medad = 20,67, DT = 2,36; rango:18-26). Los resultados muestran que las mujeres reportan más frecuencia de ciber-VN que los hombres y, dentro de las víctimas, ellas puntúan más alto que los hombres en el uso de rumiación y en RS. Solo en mujeres, una mayor frecuencia de ciber-VN sufrida, un mayor uso de la rumiación y un menor uso de la gratitud predicen un mayor RS. Aunque las intervenciones preventivas de VN son importantes en ambos sexos, este estudio sugiere aplicar programas dirigidos especialmente a mujeres que muestren el impacto que tiene la ciber-VN en el RS, reduzcan el uso de la rumiación y fomenten el uso de la gratitud para amortiguar los efectos de la ciber-VN sufrida en todos los ámbitos de desarrollo de la persona.
... This shift in perspective is imperative, as emerging research supports the efficacy of positive psychological constructs in addressing the needs of Latinx individuals (Kleiman et al., 2013). Therefore, in this study, we adopt a positive psychology framework to examine Latinx college students' mental health by focusing on subjective happiness, gratitude, and social connectedness. ...
... (Blalock et al., 2015;Credé et al., 2017;Derakhshan et al., 2022;Kleiman et al., 2013;Mustaza & Kutty, 2022;Noughabi et al., 2022;Weiss, 2018 ...
... The ABC-X model of parental resilience and reframing. (Kleiman et al., 2013) and studies have indicated that positive acknowledgements and gratitude are associated with reframing and growth (Woods et al., 2007). Findings from this study show that by acknowledging that the tracheostomy relieved their child's breathing difficulties, gratitude meant that parents were able to positively reframe their situation. ...
This study aimed to examine how parents develop personal resilience when facing the challenges of caring for a child with tracheostomy. This study employed a longitudinal qualitative design. Unstructured narrative interviews with 12 parents (from nine families) whose child had a new tracheostomy were undertaken at three time points over 12 months. Data were analysed using a socio-narratology method. Findings reveal the journey parents experienced, how their feelings changed and the processes involved in developing resilience over the first 12 months of their child having a tracheostomy. Stories told by parents early in their journey revealed emotional upheaval, negative emotions, stress and shock. Due to medical need, parents had little or no choice for their child to have a tracheostomy. Once their child's life was out of danger, parents started to reframe their experiences and beliefs. Resilience played a major part in how parents perceived and faced their situation, allowing them to deal with what came their way and to move forward with their lives. Different aspects of resilience such as self-awareness, grit, gratitude, internal locus of control and reframing came to the fore at different time points. Parents talked feeling stretched by the challenges they faced and how they reframed their perspectives about their child's tracheostomy. Parents' resilience and reframing is discussed in relation to the ABC-X model. This study identifies a theoretical model that explains this process of change, this results in transferable knowledge, useful for understanding and explaining the experience of other parents and families.
... Highly determined people can set long-term goals and refuse to give up with and without constructive feedback. Also, Kleiman (2013) defined such individuals with the ability to reflect and believed they could positively change their lives. They maintain a positive spirit to achieve goals, become more inspired by engaging more, find their purpose instead of pleasure, and remain grateful. ...
Educators and mental health professionals have promoted social and emotional learning (SEL) as the foundation for safe and positive education. SEL factors such as grit competency and growth mindset were the critical factors in this research, along with the student’s mental ability level. Grit competency pertains to one’s ability to work hard, overcome setbacks, finish tasks, and set long-term goals. At the same time, a growth mindset refers to believing intelligence and ability can change with persistence and practice and believing interests and behaviors can positively change with effort and learning. This research aimed to determine the grit and growth mindset levels of 137 all-female Filipino senior students from Quezon City and test their relationship with mental ability. A standardized test measured grit competency and growth mindset, while the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, 7th Edition (OLSAT-7), measured cognitive ability. Results signified a low and negative relationship between grit competency and mental ability, with r = -.152 and p = 0.039 < 0.05. Similarly, there was a low and negative relationship between a growth mindset and cognitive ability with a value of r = -.157 and p = 0.034 < 0.05.
... For example, West Point candidates who scored 1 standard deviation greater than the mean on the total Grit-S score were twice as likely to complete summer training than other candidates (6). Similarly, substantial differences in outcome have been demonstrated in other studies which consistently show that grit can have a beneficial effect, including the association between grit and grade point averages among Ivy League undergraduates (24), performance in the Scripps National Spelling Bee (6), greater employment and relationship stability, lower job attrition, and stronger work engagement (9), less frequent career changes (6), and better well-being and psychological health, such as lower rates of burnout among medical residents (17) and lower suicidal ideation (25). ...
Background: Recovery from substance use disorder requires sustained effort and perseverance. Hence, the resilience factor of grit may be important for people in recovery. Little research has been conducted on grit in patients with substance use disorder (SUD), especially in a large and varied sample.
Objectives: To analyze the psychometric properties of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) in patients with SUD and to use demographic and clinical characteristics to predict variance in Grit-S scores.
Methods: Participants completed the Grit-S and other self-report measures. Psychometric properties of the Grit-S were assessed in outpatients (N = 94, 77.7% male) and a hierarchical regression predicted Grit-S variance in inpatients (N = 1238, 65.0% male).
Results: The Grit-S demonstrated good internal consistency (α=.75) and strong test-retest reliability (adjusted r = .79, p < .001). Mean Grit-S score was 3.15, lower than other clinical samples reported in the literature. Regression modeling indicated a moderate, statistically significant association between demographic and clinical characteristics and Grit-S scores (R² = 15.5%, p < .001). Of particular interest, the positive factor of recovery protection showed the strongest association with Grit-S of all variables assessed (β=.185 vs. β = .052–.175 for the remaining significant independent variables).
Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the Grit-S in patients with SUD support its use in this population. Moreover, the particularly low grit scores among inpatients with SUDs and the association of grit scores with substance use risk and recovery factors suggest that grit could be useful as a treatment target in this population.
... The Meaning in Life Questionnaire is a 10-item self-report measure rated on a 7-point scale ranging from absolutely untrue to absolutely true (e.g., "My life has no clear purpose"). This scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties with college students (Kleiman et al., 2013;Steger et al., 2006Steger et al., , 2008Steger & Kashdan, 2007). This study focused on the Presence of Meaning subscale, which includes five items and measured connectedness to values in 3ST. ...
Social marginalization increases the risk of suicidal ideation (SI) among individuals with diverse identities, yet research examining the effects of marginalization has focused on one identity. Emerging adulthood is a critical period of identity development and the age group with the highest rates of SI. Considering the challenges of living in potentially heterosexist, cissexist, racist, and sizeist environments, we tested whether possessing multiple marginalized identities was associated with severity of SI through factors proposed in the interpersonal-psychological theory (IPT) and the three-step theory (3ST) of suicide and if mediation paths were moderated by sex. A sample of 265 college students completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing SI and constructs related to IPT and 3ST. The number of marginalized identities was generated by adding minoritized sexual orientation, race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White, body mass index >25 kg/m2, sexual attraction to same sex but identified as heterosexual, and gender-fluid identity. In IPT multiple mediation analyses, possessing more marginalized identities was associated with SI severity through burdensomeness and hopelessness, but not belonging. Indirect paths through burdensomeness and belonging were moderated by sex. For 3ST, possessing more marginalized identities was associated with SI severity through hopelessness and psychological pain, but not social connection or meaning in life. Future research should consider intersecting social identities and test mechanisms by which multiply marginalized college students develop resilience to SI risk factors, such as support within their marginalized groups, to inform suicide assessment and intervention efforts on college campuses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
... Rimfeld et al., 2016), health (e.g. Kleiman et al., 2013) and the military (e.g. Maddi et al., 2012). ...
Research question
Sport management scholars have recently taken a greater interest in the psychological processes of sport employees in order to generate well-being among them. One source of well-being for sport employees could be work grit, which is an internal resource that can be utilized by the employee and, by extension, the organization for goal achievement. This study was designed to explore how work grit is experienced by sport employees through the lens of the positive organizational behavior paradigm.
Research methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 full-time American sport employees to gain insight into strategies for goal attainment as well as their purpose for working in sport. Utilizing both inductive and deductive processes as part of a thematic analysis process, a conceptualization of sport employee grit was developed.
Results and findings
The analysis of the data helped to develop a model of sport employee work grit. The model contains two integrated elements of sport employee work grit (goal achievement and fulfillment through sport) and proposed outcomes (perseverance, performance, and psychological well-being).
Implications
This study introduces work grit theory and its application within the sport management discipline. The findings of this study also suggest that work grit has the potential to advance sport employee well-being and positive organizational behavior theory within sport management literature. It is further suggested that grit can assist sport practitioners in designing effective human resource management strategies to simultaneously help sport employees and the sport organizations for which they work.
... Meaning in life theory suggests that a higher level of meaning in life promotes optimal adjustment across domains of functioning, including physical health, well-being, and academic achievement (Roepke et al., 2014;Glaw et al., 2017;Hooker et al., 2018). This notion has been supported by empirical studies among adolescents, young adults, and elderly people (Kleiman et al., 2013;Henry et al., 2014;Czekierda et al., 2017Czekierda et al., , 2019. Since college students spend most of their time in universities, school adjustment is a very important part of college students' social adjustment. ...
Background
The fact that female college students are more addicted to smartphones than male college students has raised public concerns. However, previous studies have rarely explored the mechanism of female college students’ smartphone addiction. Previous studies have shown that identity may affect the formation process of female college students’ smartphone addiction, and the identity of female college students in different grades may be different. Nonetheless, few studies have explored the grade differences in the formation process of female college students’ smartphone addiction.Methods
The present study examined the relationship between meaning in life, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction among Chinese female college students using a moderated mediation model in which school adjustment played a mediating role and grade played a moderating role. A total of 1,076 Chinese female college students (Age: 19.83 ± 1.11; 369 freshmen, 379 sophomores, and 328 juniors) completed an online questionnaire regarding meaning in life, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction.Results(1) School adjustment mediated the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction. (2) School adjustment had a partial mediating effect between meaning in life and smartphone addiction for female freshmen and sophomores, but it did not exist among female juniors. (3) The influence of school adjustment on female sophomores’ smartphone addiction was significantly stronger than that of female freshmen.Conclusion
The findings of this study advance our understanding of the potential impacts of meaning in life on smartphone addiction and provide a grade perspective for targeted prevention or intervention with female college students’ smartphone addiction.
... This supposition seems to be especially relevant for the growth-oriented purpose orientation dimensions, because purpose orientations that are centered around growth can result in psychological and social resources that can be available in one's life for noticing and appreciation. Because gratitude is considered to be an interpersonal psychological strength (e.g., Kleiman et al., 2013), it is likely to be positively predicted by purpose orientation that is focused on enriching the lives of others. It is also plausible that gratitude is positively predicted by the self-growth purpose orientation because engaging in activities that make oneself a better person and achieving personal growth may result in noticing and appreciating the good in one's life and becoming more grateful. ...
The current study considered the role of broad life orientations of university students on their academic engagement and burnout within the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine whether life purpose orientations predicted student academic engagement and burnout directly and indirectly through disposition towards gratitude. University students completed questionnaires assessing academic engagement, burnout (reduced sense of schoolwork accomplishment, schoolwork devaluation, mental exhaustion from schoolwork), life purpose orientations (others-growth, self-growth, career-focused), and disposition towards gratitude. Structural equation modeling showed that academic engagement and two dimensions of burnout (reduced sense of schoolwork accomplishment, schoolwork devaluation) were negatively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation and by disposition towards gratitude. Additionally, reduced sense of schoolwork accomplishment was predicted indirectly by others-growth purpose orientation through disposition towards gratitude. Overall, findings highlight that broad life orientations may play salient roles in student academic success.
... Meningkatnya pembahasan tentang gratitude tidak lepas dari banyaknya temuan terkait hubungannya dengan berbagai aspek positif pada manusia seperti motivasi, engagement dan prestasi akademik pada siswa (Datu, Bernardo, & King, 2018), kepuasan hidup yang lebih tinggi (Datu, 2014;Emmons & McCullough, 2003;Kong, Ding & Zhao, 2015), dan kebermaknaan hidup (Datu & Mateo, 2015;Kleiman, Adams, Kashdan & Riskind, 2013). ...
Abstrak Gratitude memiliki peran dalam menjadikan lingkungan kerja sehat sehingga mampu meningkatkan motivasi serta mengarah pada kinerja karyawan menjadi lebih produktif. Meskipun pada dasarnya para ahli memiliki anggapan yang berbeda mengenani konsep gratitude namun keseluruhannya memberikan pemaknaan yang sama mengenai bagaimana gratitude mampu memberikan kontribusi di semua aspek positif di kehidupan manusia terutama di linkungan kerja. Metode tinjauan literatur digunakan untuk mengumpulkan materi yang relevan tentang topik ini untuk mengkaji lebih jauh mengenai gratitude dalam upaya memperluas pengetahuan dan menekankan efek positif dari gratitude dalam konteks organisasi. Kajian literatur ini menemukan bahwa bahwa gratitude memiliki relevansi dengan bidang organisasi. Gratitude menjadi lebih dari sekedar diperlukan di lingkungan kerja yang selalu berubah dinamika konfliknya, tujuannya adalah membuat karyawan tetap termotivasi, tertarik, dan loyal kepada organisasi. Gratitude dalam konteks organisasi berhubungan dengan perasaan membangun, menghargai, membantu menciptakan lingkungan kerja yang positif dan bahagia, memengaruhi dan memperkuat hubungan antara manajemen dan rekan kerja. Graitude juga mampu meningkatkan motivasi karyawan untuk memberikan kinerja terbaiknya, dan berdampak pada kemungkinan peningkatan keberhasilan individu dan organisasi. Kata Kunci: Gratitude; Organisasi; Lingkungan Kerja. Abstract Gratitude has a role in creating a healthy work environment so that it can increase motivation and lead to more productive employee performance. Although experts have different assumptions about the concept of gratitude, but the whole gives the same meaning about how gratitude can contribute in all positive aspects of human life, especially in the work environment. The literature review method is used to gather relevant material on this topic to further explore gratitude to expand knowledge and emphasize the positive effects of gratitude in an organizational context. This literature review found that gratitude is indeed relevant to the field of organization. Gratitude is more than necessary in a work environment that is always changing the dynamics of conflict, the aim is to keep employees motivated, interested, and loyal to the organization. Gratitude in the organizational context is related to feelings of building, appreciating, helping to create a positive and happy work environment, influencing, and strengthening the relationship between management and coworkers. Gratitude is also able to increase employee motivation to provide the best performance, and have an impact on the possibility of increasing the success of individuals and organizations
... However, mediating factors have not been previously explored, and the relationship of how the constructs influence depression or between them is unheard of in this study (Reis & Menezes, 2017). Considering the network analysis, the strength of the association between spirituality and depression in the present study and the benefits observed in previous studies suggest that spirituality is central in the life of the elderly and a promising construct when approached with the elderly with MDD (Kim et al., 2013;Kleiman et al., 2013). ...
Introduction:
Depression in aging may lead to loss of autonomy and worsening of comorbidities. Understanding how positive attributes contribute to healthier and happier aging has been one of the purposes of Positive Psychology. However, the literature still lacks studies that evaluate how depression in the elderly is related to constructs considered positive.
Objective:
The present study aimed comparing scores of constructs of spiritual well-being, social support, self-esteem, life satisfaction, affection, optimism, and hope in the elderly with minimal, mild, moderate, and severe depression and healthy controls in order to investigate possible indirect and mediated relationships between positive constructs and depression.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with elderly, 62 of whom were diagnosed with different severity of Major Depression (DSM-V) (minimum, mild, moderate, and severe according to the Beck Depression Inventory - BDI) and 66 healthy controls matched by age, sex and schooling. The instruments used were adapted and validated versions of the Spirituality Self-Rating Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Medical Outcomes Social Scale of Support, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Revised Life Orientation Test, and the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale. After comparing the means of scores between groups, an analysis of normalized partial association networks was performed to investigate the direct and mediated relationships between depression and other evaluated constructs.
Results:
Scores of spiritual well-being, social support, self-esteem, life satisfaction, positive affect, optimism, negative affects, and hope differed significantly between the control group and the degrees of depression (p < 0.001). The analysis of normalized partial association networks has shown that the relations of depression with the constructs of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social support are mediated, while the constructs of dispositional hope, positive affect, spiritual well-being, and optimism are indirectly related to depression. The social class was also positively related to depression.
Conclusion:
Depression in different degrees is associated with a reduction in the scores of instruments that evaluate positive attributes. The constructs directly associated with depression are spiritual well-being, optimism, positive affect, and dispositional hope. The others had mediated relationship. These results may contribute to the planning of future interventions for the prevention of depression among the elderly.
... The relationship between gratitude and the sense of meaning in life is also indicated by studies on the role of the tendency to experience gratitude as a protective factor against suicide (Kleiman, Adams, Kashdan, Riskind, 2013). A higher level of gratitude turned out to be a factor protecting against suicide through a mediator in the form of increased sense of the meaning of life. ...
In the article there is measured and discussed the relationship between dispositional gratitude and the holistic concept of quality of life in the personalist-existential approach, with a psychophysical, psychosocial, subjective, metaphysical and global dimension of the quality of life. The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between gratitude, measured with the GQ-6 Gratitude Questionnaire by McCullough, Emmon and Tsang in Polish adaptation of Kossakowska and Kwiatek, and quality of life, measured with the Sense of Quality of Life Questionnaire. The research questions was “Is gratitude related to the psychophysical, psychosocial, subjective, metaphysical and global dimensions of the quality of life in the personalist and existential concept?”. The study involved 148 students, aged 17–59 ( M = 30.21; SD = 10.09). The results show the presence of low and moderate positive relationships between gratitude and quality of life in all dimensions. Moreover, the research discovered some gender differences in the correlations between gratitude and some dimensions of quality of life. Gratitude correlates with better quality of life in all spheres of human functioning – biological, social, subjective and metaphysical.
... Other Non-Cognitive/Metacognitive Factors Other non-cognitive/metacognitive factors such as self-concept, enjoyment, learning goals, meta-cognitive skills, and effort in learning are also critical to individual subjective (Jiang et al., 2020;Kiaei & Reio, 2014;Kuykendall et al., 2015) and eudaimonic well-being (Geng et al., 2021;Kleiman et al., 2013). ...
Previous studies on student well-being have focused on a limited number of factors. However, well-being is facilitated or hindered by many different factors. Therefore, focusing on a limited set of constructs could lead to an incomplete understanding of the various factors that predict student well-being. The current study drew on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) dataset to understand the importance of background, non-cognitive/metacognitive, and schooling constructs in understanding well-being. This study focused specifically on understanding different well-being dimensions including positive affect, negative affect, life satisfaction, and eudaimonic well-being. The data were from 12,058 15-year-old Chinese students from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. China presents an interesting case given its high levels of achievement but low levels of well-being. Using a machine learning approach (i.e., random forest regression), the results indicated that factors belonging to “non-cognitive/metacognitive” and “schooling” constructs were found to be the most important predictors of well-being. More specifically, students’ positive affect and life satisfaction were best predicted by school belonging and resilience. Negative affect was best accounted for by school belonging and fear of failure. Eudaimonic well-being was best predicted by resilience and work mastery. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
... Research into positive psychology has shown that sense of meaning in life plays an important role in individual psychological function (36). Meaning in life is a highlevel psychological need, defined as one's understanding and experience of life and one's understanding of their life goals, missions, or tasks (37). ...
Objectives
Much has been written documenting the positive association between core self-evaluation and adolescents' subjective wellbeing, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms which underlay this relationship. This study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether meaning in life mediated the relationship between core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing, and whether this mediating process was moderated by adolescents' self-esteem.
Methods
A sample of 1,185 adolescents (11–17 years of age, 51.3% females) completed the Core Self-Evaluation Scale (CSES), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and the Index of Wellbeing Scale (IWS).
Results
The results indicate that after controlling for gender and age, core self-evaluation contributed significantly to subjective wellbeing (β = 0.900, p < 0.001). Meaning in life played a mediating role in the relationship between core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing (β = 0.143, p < 0.01), with core self-evaluation indirectly affecting subjective wellbeing through meaning in life (β indirect = 0.068, 95% CI = [0.024, 0.119]). Self-esteem moderated the path mediated by meaning in life, more specifically, the conditional indirect effect between core self-evaluation and wellbeing was significant for adolescents with medium and low self-esteem (effect = 0.056, 95% CI = [0.014, 0.106]; effect = 0.092, 95% CI = [0.034, 0.159]. Both mediating and moderating effects were shown to exist in the association between core self-evaluation and adolescents' subjective wellbeing.
Discussion
Based on the results, the following suggestions can be made: subjective wellbeing can be promoted through interventions such as enhancing adolescents' core self-evaluation and helping them understand the meaning in life, and that greater attention needs to be paid to adolescents with low self-esteem. The findings of this study helpful to clarify the mediation and moderating mechanism of the beneficial influence of adolescents' core self-evaluation on subjective wellbeing.
... As such, gritty people do not deviate from their long-term goals, even when there is no positive feedback [3]. For all these reasons, grit has consistently been considered as a positive trait that is positively related to positive psychological and life outcomes (such as academic performance [4], academic achievement [5], hope, mindfulness [6], positive affect, happiness, and life satisfaction [7]), and inversely associated with negative psychological indicators (such as depression [8], anxiety [9], negative affect [7], and suicidal thoughts and behavior [10][11][12]). ...
Background: Given the high clinical utility of grit, and the lack of measures that assess this construct among the Arabic-speaking populations, we propose to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Oviedo Grit Scale (A-EGO) in terms of internal consistency, factor structure, convergent validity, and measurement invariance in a sample of Lebanese adults from the general population.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, online study among 575 participants from the Lebanese general population (mean age= 26.28 years [SD: 8.83], 72.7% females). The unidimensional factorial structure of the A-EGO was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the MPlus8 program. The mean and variance adjusted weighted least squares (WLSMV) was used as the estimation method. The reliability of the scores, the evidence of validity in terms of measurement invariance and correlation with other variables were analyzed.
Results: The present results show that the 10 items of the A-EGO loaded on one factor. The internal consistency was excellent in our sample, as evidenced by a Cronbach’s alpha value of .93. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated invariance across gender, governorate, and marital status at the configural, metric and scalar levels. Additionally, A-EGO scores showed moderate and positive correlations with self-control (r = .442), conscientiousness (r = .478), and productiveness facet (r = .506), supporting the convergent validity of the A-EGO.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the A-EGO has good psychometric properties and can be recommended for the assessment of grit among the broader Arabic-speaking people worldwide. Making this scale available in the Arabic language will hopefully foster research in this area in Arab countries.
... Grit is an individual factor that has been examined in the higher education literature to inform academic performance and now demonstrates utility for suicide prevention (Blalock et al., 2015;Kleiman et al., 2013). Grit is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals despite adversities, cultivated through a growth mind-set (Duckworth et al., 2007). ...
There is limited research about suicidal behaviors among Black emerging adults (peak age of suicide risk) who report exposure to police violence. The current study applies an integrated approach to examine individual, immediate environment, and community-based risk and protective factors of suicide among Black college students who reported previous exposure to police violence. A purposive sample of Black college students (N = 300) was analyzed using bivariate analyses and binary logistic regression. Outcome variables investigated were lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Twenty-eight percent of participants reported lifetime suicidal ideation and 14 percent reported lifetime attempts. Female students were significantly more likely to report lifetime suicidal ideation and recent symptoms of anxiety and to engage in emotional social support than male peers. Logistic regression results demonstrated that higher income and greater depression symptoms were associated with lower reporting of lifetime suicidal ideation. Reporting of more grit, the trait of perseverance and passion for long-term goals, was associated with a lower reporting of both lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Findings have implications for how social workers in higher education are encouraged to address suicidal behavior among Black students, including the cultivation of grit.
Schools have traditionally taken a “just-the-facts-ma’am” approach to civic education, focusing on governmental structures and political systems. We argue that preparing young people to engage with democracy requires far more than rote memorization of facts and figures. Schools should be laboratories of democracy, where young people’s civic intentions are converted into civic behaviors. We argue that to realize that transformation, educators must impart real-world knowledge, practical skills, and nurturing abilities that are not captured by standardized tests of academic achievement: namely, the interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities conducive to civic mindedness. We discuss what these oft-labeled “noncognitive” skills are and how they are measured, review the evidence that shows how they foster democratic participation, articulate a vision for how civics can help develop students’ noncognitive skills, and lay out a research agenda for scholars seeking to teach young people the skills requisite to actively participate in democracy.
In this chapter, we described how a gratitude intervention, which aims to increase student well-being, was integrated with Academic and Social Skills Building Seminar (ASSB), which aims to develop academic skills among students—in line with positive education’s goals of incorporating a well-being component to traditional education. In Part I, we provide an overview of the gratitude intervention and ASSB, and the basis for their integration. Part II describes how the gratitude intervention was integrated to ASSB, and presents the modules of the integrated program. Lastly, in Part III, we describe the pilot implementation of the integrated program, feedback from students and counselors, and insights gained from its initial implementation. Then, we present the recommendations for an improved program based on the findings of the pilot study and discuss future directions for program implementation and research.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between gratitude and subjective well-being (SWB) of employees working in the information technology (IT) sector in India. The study investigated a moderated mediation model for gratitude and SWB, treating employee engagement as a mediator and gender as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected from 162 professionals working IT sector in India. Process Macro, AMOS and IBM SPSS 22 were used to analyze the mediation and moderation effects.
Findings
The results depicted that employee engagement fully mediates the positive association between gratitude practice and the SWB of employees as well as the demographic variable; gender also demonstrated a full moderation effect between them.
Originality/value
This research may be one of the few studies from the Indian context that explore whether gratitude practiced by employees working in the IT sector can play a significant role in impacting their SWB. Past research models had not introduced employee engagement’s indirect impact on the examined variables.
The purpose of this study is to test the growth mindset theories of high school students' grits with explanatory models. The correlational design of the quantitative research approach was used in the current study. This study consists of 35000 students studying secondary education in the city center of Konya, Türkiye. The sample of this study consists of 783 students to whom the scales were applied in the selected schools. The study results highlighted a negative significant relationship between the fixed mindset dimension of Mindset Theories, belief in invariance and procrastination sub-dimension scores of high school students, and the perseverance of effort and consistency of interest scores of their grits. The fixed mindset dimension predicts 12.6% of students' grits' consistency of interest and perseverance of effort, 3.6% of the variability in belief in invariance sub-dimension, and 17.3% of the variability in the procrastination. While the consistency of interest dimension of the students' grits does not have a significant predictor of the growth mindset dimension of mindset theories, it has a significant predictor of the variability in the fixed mindset dimension. The study found that the consistency of interest fixed mindset predicted the variability in the procrastination dimension more. It can be suggested to organize training, activities, and projects for the development of students' grit, and to test grit and mindset theories across cultures by conducting similar studies in different countries.
Previous studies have revealed that academic buoyancy, or everyday academic resilience, have become more important amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study was conducted to ascertain if determination and passion for attaining long-term aspirations, or grit, would facilitate the academic buoyancy of Filipino undergraduate students who are engaged in distance learning. Through quota sampling, 114 Filipino college learners (57 males, 57 females) aged 18 and above were recruited to complete an online survey which included the Triarchic Model of Grit Scale (TMGS) and Academic Buoyancy Scale (ABS). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that grit had a positive impact on academic buoyancy while controlling for demographic variables. It was also identified that the grit dimension of adaptability to situations was the most significant predictor of academic buoyancy and that the demographic characteristics of the participants were not associated with their capability to cope and stay afloat on a day-to-day basis. The results provide interesting insights about the relationship between the triarchic model of grit and academic buoyancy in the collectivist setting.
The aim of this research is to specify the relationship between the academic grit skills and academic success of primary school fourth grade students. In addition, the academic grit skills and academic success of primary school fourth grade students included in the sample were analyzed in terms of various factors (gender, education status of the mother, education status of the father, socioeconomic level, preschool education status and number of siblings). The study employs the relational scanning model, which is one of the quantitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 400 fourth grade students, determined using the proportional stratified sampling method, who receive education in state primary schools chosen from regions that differ in terms of socioeconomic levels in the city center of Sivas. Research results indicate that there is a statistically positive, moderately significant relationship between the academic grit levels and academic success of primary school fourth grade students.
La ideación suicida es el primer momento de una serie de eventos desencadenantes del suicidio, fenómeno que cobra la vida de miles de personas cada año en todo el mundo. El objetivo de esta bibliometría fue analizar la producción científica mundial entre 1973 y 2021 alrededor de la ideación suicida en estudiantes universitarios. La metodología utilizada implicó el análisis de 289 documentos hallados en la base de datos Scopus, empleando RStudio y el paquete Bibliometrix. Entre los principales hallazgos se observó el incremento en las publicaciones desde el año 2011. Estados Unidos se ubicó como el país con mayor número de publicaciones.
Cognitive factors constitute an important risk factor to the development of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Engaging in depressive and anger rumination are uniquely associated with elevated vulnerabilities to STBs. Variations in attentional focus and control may further modify the impacts of rumination. For one, grit resembles the inflexible thinking patterns inherent in rumination, potentially contributing to one's capability of persisting in carrying out suicidal behaviors despite fears of pain or death. In the context of rumination, locus of control may alter the perspectives to which individuals attribute negative experiences. The current study examines the moderating roles of grit and locus of control on the impact of depressive and anger rumination on suicidality. Participants (N = 322) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires measuring depressive rumination, anger rumination, grit, locus of control, and suicidal history (a history of suicidal ideation, history of suicidal attempts, or neither). Using hierarchical multinomial logistic regression in R, results revealed that, as opposed to working together, the proposed variables are more independently informative in distinguishing those with a history of suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, or neither. Findings provide unique contribution to the suicide literature pertaining to how individuals may perceive of their own internal locus of control and grit following suicidal thoughts and beliefs. Clinical implications and future directions are provided as recommendations in line with current findings.
Suicide research/clinical work remain in dire need of effective tools that can better predict suicidal behavior. A growing body of literature has started to focus on the role that neuroimaging may play in helping explain the path towards suicide. Specifically, structural alterations of rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rost-ACC) may represent a biological marker and/or indicator of suicide risk in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Furthermore, the construct of "grit," defined as perseverance for goal-attainment and shown to be associated with suicidality, is modulated by rost-ACC. The aim was to examine relationships among rost-ACC gray matter volume, grit, and suicidality in U.S. Military Veterans. Participants were age-and-sex-matched Veterans with MDD: with suicide attempt (MDD+SA:n = 23) and without (MDD-SA:n = 37). Groups did not differ in depression symptomatology. Participants underwent diagnostic interview, clinical symptom assessment, and 3T-MRI-scan. A Group (SA-vs.-No-SA) x Cingulate-region (rostral-caudal-posterior) x Hemisphere (left-right) mixed-model-multivariate-ANOVA was conducted. Left-rost-ACC was significantly smaller in MDD+SA, Group x Cingulate-region x Hemisphere-interaction. Lower grit and less left-rost-ACC gray matter each predicted suicide attempt history, but grit level was a more robust predictor of SA. Both structural alterations of rost-ACC and grit level represent potentially valuable tools for suicide risk assessment.
This study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether increased army morale could reduce suicidal ideation. The mediating role of grit and the moderating role of social support were also examined. A total of 1029 male navy cadets in China were recruited to complete the survey. The measures used in the study included the Army Morale Scale, Grit Scale, Social Support Scale, and Self-rated Idea of Suicide Scale. The results indicated that: increased army morale could significantly reduce suicidal ideation; the impact of army morale on suicidal ideation could be partially mediated by grit; and social support moderated the impact of army morale on suicidal ideation. Specifically, relatively higher levels of social support could reduce suicidal ideation among individuals with lower levels of army morale, but the effect is not significant when the morale is at a high level. The study revealed that increased army morale could reduce suicidal ideation. Moreover, the mediating role of grit and the moderating role of social support were also revealed.
The present study explores the relationship between music self-efficacy (MSE) and self-esteem, grit, and learning and playing habits of amateur musicians who use online music tutorials (OMTs) while learning to play new pieces. Amateur musicians ( N = 409) from 30 countries answered research questionnaires, including preferences of autonomy OMTs (foster independent learners and incorporate knowledge) versus dependent OMTs (based mainly on imitation and provide little further knowledge). Ordinary least squares regression indicated that the independent variables accounted for 50% of the variance in the dependent variable (MSE) and that the model was significant. The results indicated that self-esteem, grit, preferences of autonomy OMTs, playing with others and weekly hours of playing were positive predictors of MSE. In addition, dependent OMTs were negatively correlated with MSE. The findings highlight the need to examine any possible causality in the relationship between learning and playing habits, and MSE of amateur musicians. In addition, data were collected in the midst of the Covid-19 worldwide impact and should be further explored post-Covid-19.
It has been suggested that children’s persistence is associated with their satisfaction with school and life. However, the mechanism of this relationship in children is not understood well. The present study investigated whether there is a correlation between persistence and school and life satisfaction in elementary school children, considering that self-esteem is a mediator between the two factors. A total of 107 children in Grades 1 through 6 and their mothers participated and they answered the questionnaires on persistence, self-esteem and school and life satisfaction. We found that self-esteem explains the relationship between children’s persistence and school and life satisfaction. Our findings suggest the underlying mechanisms linking children’s persistence and school and life satisfaction. The development of persistence and self-esteem may play an important role in the education of elementary school children.
Objective:
The interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) predicts perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and hopelessness lead to suicidal ideation and recommends burdensomeness and belongingness should be the targets of treatment. Limited research has tested if burdensomeness and belongingness temporally predict suicidal ideation during treatment. This study examined the bidirectional relationships between burdensomeness, belongingness, hopelessness, depression, and suicidal ideation in young people seeking treatment for suicide-related behaviors.
Method:
A sample of 638 Australian young people (69.3% females, Mage = 16.61 [SD = 2.99]) completed measures of burdensomeness, belongingness, hopelessness, depression, and suicidal ideation at each session of treatment (Msessions = 5.24 [SD = 2.16]). A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model examined the within-person direction of effects across the first five occasions of treatment.
Results:
Autoregressive paths showed hopelessness had carryover effects across all time points. All other variables had carryover effects at four time points. Cross-lagged paths varied, with suicidal ideation predicting depression, burdensomeness, and hopelessness. Belongingness, burdensomeness, and hopelessness predicted suicidal ideation on one occasion. Hopelessness predicted burdensomeness and depression at three time points and predicted belongingness on one occasion.
Conclusions:
Results are partially consistent with the ITS, but in contrast to the theory, the most consistent predictor of suicidal ideation was prior suicidal ideation. Prior levels of hopelessness, belongingness, and burdensomeness did influence suicidal ideation at some time points, but the most consistent effects were from hopelessness toward burdensomeness. Theoretical and treatment implications for these findings are discussed, particularly the need to directly address hopelessness in treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Gratitude is conceptualized as a moral affect that is analogous to other moral emotions such as empathy and guilt. Gratitude has 3 functions that can be conceptualized as morally relevant: (a) a moral barometer function (i.e., it is a response to the perception that one has been the beneficiary of another person's moral actions); (b) a moral motive function (i.e., it motivates the grateful person to behave prosocially toward the benefactor and other people); and (c) a moral reinforcer function (i.e., when expressed, it encourages benefactors to behave morally in the future). The personality and social factors that are associated with gratitude are also consistent with a conceptualization of gratitude as an affect that is relevant to people's cognitions and behaviors in the moral domain.
To determine the risk factors for suicide, 6,891 psychiatric outpatients were evaluated in a prospective study. Subsequent deaths for the sample were identified through the National Death Index. Forty-nine (1%) suicides were determined from death certificates obtained from state vital statistics offices. Specific psychological variables that could be modified by clinical intervention were measured using standardized scales. Univariate survival analyses revealed that the severity of depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation were significant risk factors for eventual suicide. A multivariate survival analysis indicated that several modifiable variables were significant and unique risk factors for suicide, including suicide ideation, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and unemployment status.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a time-limited, outpatient intervention targeting suicidal young adults. Participants (N = 264) were randomly assigned to either the experimental treatment or the control condition (i.e., treatment as usual). In addition to intake assessments, participants completed follow-ups at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Both treatment and control participants evidenced significant improvement across all outcome measures throughout the follow-up period. Reductions were reported in suicidal ideation and behavior, associated symptomatology, and experienced stress, along with marked improvement in self-appraised problem-solving ability. Results also indicated that the experimental treatment was more effective than treatment as usual at retaining the highest risk participants. Available data demonstrate the efficacy of a time-limited, outpatient intervention for suicidal young adults. Implications of current findings for intervention with and treatment of this population are discussed.
Suicide is analyzed in terms of motivations to escape from aversive self-awareness. The causal chain begins with events that fall severely short of standards and expectations. These failures are attributed internally, which makes self-awareness painful. Awareness of the self's inadequacies generates negative affect, and the individual therefore desires to escape from self-awareness and the associated affect. The person tries to achieve a state of cognitive deconstruction (constricted temporal focus, concrete thinking, immediate or proximal goals, cognitive rigidity, and rejection of meaning), which helps prevent meaningful self-awareness and emotion. The deconstructed state brings irrationality and disinhibition, making drastic measures seem acceptable. Suicide can be seen as an ultimate step in the effort to escape from self and world.
In four studies, the authors examined the correlates of the disposition toward gratitude. Study 1 revealed that self-ratings and observer ratings of the grateful disposition are associated with positive affect and well-being prosocial behaviors and traits, and religiousness/spirituality. Study 2 replicated these findings in a large nonstudent sample. Study 3 yielded similar results to Studies 1 and 2 and provided evidence that gratitude is negatively associated with envy and materialistic attitudes. Study 4 yielded evidence that these associations persist after controlling for Extraversion/positive affectivity, Neuroticism/negative affectivity, and Agreeableness. The development of the Gratitude Questionnaire, a unidimensional measure with good psychometric properties, is also described.
The most commonly used method to test an indirect effect is to divide the estimate of the indirect effect by its standard error and compare the resulting z statistic with a critical value from the standard normal distribution. Confidence limits for the indirect effect are also typically based on critical values from the standard normal distribution. This article uses a simulation study to demonstrate that confidence limits are imbalanced because the distribution of the indirect effect is normal only in special cases. Two alternatives for improving the performance of confidence limits for the indirect effect are evaluated: (a) a method based on the distribution of the product of two normal random variables, and (b) resampling methods. In Study 1, confidence limits based on the distribution of the product are more accurate than methods based on an assumed normal distribution but confidence limits are still imbalanced. Study 2 demonstrates that more accurate confidence limits are obtained using resampling methods, with the bias-corrected bootstrap the best method overall.
The expert performance framework distinguishes between deliberate practice and less effective practice activities. The current longitudinal study is the first to use this framework to understand how children improve in an academic skill. Specifically, the authors examined the effectiveness and subjective experience of three preparation activities widely recommended to improve spelling skill. Deliberate practice, operationally defined as studying and memorizing words while alone, better predicted performance in the National Spelling Bee than being quizzed by others or reading for pleasure. Rated as the most effortful and least enjoyable type of preparation activity, deliberate practice was increasingly favored over being quizzed as spellers accumulated competition experience. Deliberate practice mediated the prediction of final performance by the personality trait of grit, suggesting that perseverance and passion for long-term goals enable spellers to persist with practice activities that are less intrinsically rewarding—but more effective—than other types of preparation.
At its most elemental level, human development consists of constancy and change in quantitative and qualitative aspects of behavior and functioning. The science of human development therefore illuminates the causes, mechanisms, and conse- quences of constancy and change in behavior and functioning. There is no simple characterization of human development other than complex because it is a multi- dimensional (i.e., biological, social, emotional, and cognitive), multidirectional (i.e., positive and negative), multidetermined (i.e., self, others, contexts, and sys- tems), life-long process (Baltes, Staudinger, & Lindenberger, 1999; Erikson, 1950, 1959; Mortimer & Shanahan, 2003). This special issue of Research in Hu- man Development is devoted to the topic of "risk and resilience" in human devel- opment, a topic that epitomizes the complexity of human development as a process of constancy and change throughout life. The terminology of risk and especially resilience is everywhere these days, suggesting these are popular fields of social scientific inquiry that have been on- going for many years. However, it is important to note that although popular, the topics of risk and resilience are relative newcomers to the field of human develop- ment. The terminology and science of risk and resilience emerged primarily from the health sciences and particularly from the investigation of psychopathology. It was a handful of pioneering psychologists—Norman Garmezy (1973), Emmy Werner (Werner & Smith, 1977), and Michael Rutter (1979)—primarily inter- ested in child development who bridged the study of risk and resilience and brought this dual focus into the science of human development. Risk factors are causes of undesirable, non-normative developmental out- comes. Put differently, risk factors generate negative change in or persistent (i.e., chronic) poor behavior or functioning. Risk factors are measurable characteristics
This study investigated 3 broad classes of individual-differences variables (job-search motives, competencies, and constraints) as predictors of job-search intensity among 292 unemployed job seekers. Also assessed was the relationship between job-search intensity and reemployment success in a longitudinal context. Results show significant relationships between the predictors employment commitment, financial hardship, job-search self-efficacy, and motivation control and the outcome job-search intensity. Support was not found for a relationship between perceived job-search constraints and job-search intensity. Motivation control was highlighted as the only lagged predictor of job-search intensity over time for those who were continuously unemployed. Job-search intensity predicted Time 2 reemployment status for the sample as a whole, but not reemployment quality for those who found jobs over the study's duration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Gratitude is conceptualized as a moral affect that is analogous to other moral emotions such as empathy and guilt. Gratitude has 3 functions that can be conceptualized as morally relevant: (a) a moral barometer function (i.e., it is a response to the perception that one has been the beneficiary of another person's moral actions); (b) a moral motive function (i.e., it motivates the grateful person to behave prosocially toward the benefactor and other people); and (c) a moral reinforcer function (i.e., when expressed, it encourages benefactors to behave morally in the future). The personality and social factors that are associated with gratitude are also consistent with a conceptualization of gratitude as an affect that is relevant to people's cognitions and behaviors in the moral domain.
Counseling psychologists often work with clients to increase their well-being as well as to decrease their distress. One important aspect of well-being, highlighted particularly in humanistic theories of the counseling process, is perceived meaning in life. However, poor measurement has hampered research on meaning in life. In 3 studies, evidence is provided for the internal consistency, temporal stability, factor structure, and validity of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), a new 10-item measure of the presence of, and the search for, meaning in life. A multitrait-multimethod matrix demonstrates the convergent and discriminant validity of the MLQ subscales across time and informants, in comparison with 2 other meaning scales. The MLQ offers several improvements over current meaning in life measures, including no item overlap with distress measures, a stable factor structure, better discriminant validity, a briefer format, and the ability to measure the search for meaning.
Several literatures converge on the idea that approach and avoidance/withdrawal behaviors are managed by two partially distinct
self-regulatory system. The functions of these systems also appear to be embodied in discrepancy-reducing and -enlarging feedback
loops, respectively. This article describes how the feedback construct has been used to address these two classes of action
and the affective experiences that relate to them. Further discussion centers on the development of measures of individual
differences in approach and avoidance tendencies, and how these measures can be (and have been) used as research tools, to
investigate whether other phenomena have their roots in approach or avoidance.
This paper presents a new model of gratitude incorporating not only the gratitude that arises following help from others but also a habitual focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life", incorporating not only the gratitude that arises following help from others, but also a habitual focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life. Research into individual differences in gratitude and well-being is reviewed, including gratitude and psychopathology, personality, relationships, health, subjective and eudemonic well-being, and humanistically orientated functioning. Gratitude is strongly related to well-being, however defined, and this link may be unique and causal. Interventions to clinically increase gratitude are critically reviewed, and concluded to be promising, although the positive psychology literature may have neglected current limitations, and a distinct research strategy is suggested. Finally, mechanisms whereby gratitude may relate to well-being are discussed, including schematic biases, coping, positive affect, and broaden-and-build principles. Gratitude is relevant to clinical psychology due to (a) strong explanatory power in understanding well-being, and (b) the potential of improving well-being through fostering gratitude with simple exercises.
The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior (T. E. Joiner, 2005) makes 2 overarching predictions: (a) that perceptions of burdening others and of social alienation combine to instill the desire for death and (b) that individuals will not act on the desire for death unless they have developed the capability to do so. This capability develops through exposure and thus habituation to painful and/or fearsome experiences and is posited by the theory to be necessary for overcoming powerful self-preservation pressures. Two studies tested these predictions. In Study 1, the interaction of (low) family social support (cf. social alienation or low belonging) and feeling that one does not matter (cf. perceived burdensomeness) predicted current suicidal ideation, beyond depression indices. In Study 2, the 3-way interaction among a measure of low belonging, a measure of perceived burdensomeness, and lifetime number of suicide attempts (viewed as a strong predictor of the level of acquired capability for suicide) predicted current suicide attempt (vs. ideation) among a clinical sample of suicidal young adults, again beyond depression indices and other key covariates. Implications for the understanding, treatment, and prevention of suicidal behavior are discussed.
The goal of this study was to develop a multi-dimensional model that might explain suicide ideation among college students. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 1,249 first-year college students. An estimated 6%(wt) of first-year students at this university had current suicide ideation. Depressive symptoms, low social support, affective dysregulation, and father-child conflict were each independently associated with suicide ideation. Only 40%(wt) of individuals with suicide ideation were classified as depressed according to standard criteria. In the group who reported low levels of depressive symptoms, low social support and affective dysregulation were important predictors of suicide ideation. Alcohol use disorder was also independently associated with suicide ideation, while parental conflict was not. Results highlight potential targets for early intervention among college students.
In this article, we introduce brief self-report and informant-report versions of the Grit Scale, which measures trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals. The Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) retains the 2-factor structure of the original Grit Scale (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007) with 4 fewer items and improved psychometric properties. We present evidence for the Grit-S's internal consistency, test-retest stability, consensual validity with informant-report versions, and predictive validity. Among adults, the Grit-S was associated with educational attainment and fewer career changes. Among adolescents, the Grit-S longitudinally predicted GPA and, inversely, hours watching television. Among cadets at the United States Military Academy, West Point, the Grit-S predicted retention. Among Scripps National Spelling Bee competitors, the Grit-S predicted final round attained, a relationship mediated by lifetime spelling practice.
Meaning in life and life satisfaction are both important variables in well-being research. Whereas an appreciable body of
work suggests that life satisfaction is fairly stable over long periods of time, little research has investigated the stability
of meaning in life ratings. In addition, it is unknown whether these highly correlated variables change independent of each
other over time. Eighty-two participants (mean age = 19.3 years, SD 1.4; 76% female; 84% European-American) completed measures
of the presence of meaning in life, the search for meaning in life, and life satisfaction an average of 13 months apart (SD = 2.3 months).
Moderate stability was found for presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, and life satisfaction. Multiple
regressions demonstrated specificity in predicting change among these measures. Support for validity and reliability of these
variables is discussed.
The regression models appropriate for counted data have seen little use in psychology. This article describes problems that occur when ordinary linear regression is used to analyze count data and presents 3 alternative regression models. The simplest, the Poisson regression model, is likely to be misleading unless restrictive assumptions are met because individual counts are usually more variable ("overdispersed") than is implied by the model. This model can be modified in 2 ways to accomodate this problem. In the overdispersed model, a factor can be estimated that corrects the regression model's inferential statistics. In the second alternative, the negative binomial regression model, a random term reflecting unexplained between-subject differences is included in the regression model. The authors compare the advantages of these approaches.
To determine the risk factors for suicide, 6,891 psychiatric outpatients were evaluated in a prospective study. Subsequent deaths for the sample were identified through the National Death Index. Forty-nine (1%) suicides were determined from death certificates obtained from state vital statistics offices. Specific psychological variables that could be modified by clinical intervention were measured using standardized scales. Univariate survival analyses revealed that the severity of depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation were significant risk factors for eventual suicide. A multivariate survival analysis indicated that several modifiable variables were significant and unique risk factors for suicide, including suicide ideation, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and unemployment status.
H. Cleckley (1976) maintained that psychopaths are relatively immune to suicide, but substantial evidence exists for a relationship between antisocial deviance and suicidal acts. This study was the first to explicitly examine suicidal history among psychopathic individuals as defined by R. D. Hare's (1991) Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R). Male prison inmates (N = 313) were assessed using the PCL-R and DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 1987, 1994) for antisocial personality disorder (APD), and they completed A. Tellegen's (1982) Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). Presence or absence of prior suicide attempts was coded from structured interview and prison file records. Suicide history was significantly related to PCL-R Factor 2 (which reflects chronic antisocial deviance) and to APD diagnosis but was unrelated to PCL-R Factor 1, which encompasses affective and interpersonal features of psychopathy. Higher order MPQ dimensions of Negative Emotionality and low Constraint were found to account for the relationship between history of suicidal attempts and antisocial deviance, indicating that temperament traits may represent a common vulnerability for both.
In four studies, the authors examined the correlates of the disposition toward gratitude. Study I revealed that self-ratings and observer ratings of the grateful disposition are associated with positive affect and well-being, prosocial behaviors and traits, and religiousness/spirituality. Study 2 replicated these findings in a large nonstudent sample. Study 3 yielded similar results to Studies I and 2 and provided evidence that gratitude is negatively associated with envy and materialistic attitudes. Study 4 yielded evidence that these associations persist after controlling for Extraversion/positive affectivity. Neuroticism/negative affectivity, and Agreeableness. The development of the Gratitude Questionnaire, a unidimensional measure with good psychometric properties, is also described.
Suicide in the military is a growing concern. We reviewed empirical studies and used two case studies
to illustrate the potential explanatory role of Joiner’s (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal
behavior. The theory posits that three variables—perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness,
and acquired capability for suicide—determine the risk of an individual engaging in a lethal suicide
attempt. In our case studies, we illustrate how these variables might be affected in an active duty
population post-deployment. Although methodological limitations preclude conclusive determinations,
the case studies provide a framework within which to understand the phenomenon of suicide in the military.
Future work that examines these findings empirically will be invaluable to both researchers and
mental health counselors
a b s t r a c t Suicide in the military is a growing concern. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior proposes that an individual will not die by suicide unless he or she experiences a combined disconnection from others, feelings that one is a burden on others, and the ability to do so, but this theory has not yet been rigorously tested with military samples. The current study tested the theory's hypotheses in pre-dicting history of suicide in a sample of 88 active duty US Air Force personnel, which was compared to a non-military undergraduate sample (n = 309) and a non-military clinical sample (n = 228). Active duty personnel demonstrated higher acquired capability when compared to a clinical non-military sample. As compared to non-military undergraduates, active duty personnel demonstrated less perceived burden-someness, but did not differ in terms of thwarted belongingness. The interaction of burdensomeness and acquired capability significantly predicted suicidal history, but the three-way interaction between burdensomeness, belongingness, and acquired capability did not, providing partial support for the theory in a military sample.
Purpose-a cognitive process that defines life goals and provides personal meaning-may help explain disparate empirical social science findings. Devoting effort and making progress toward life goals provides a significant, renewable source of engagement and meaning. Purpose offers a testable, causal system that synthesizes outcomes including life expectancy, satisfaction, and mental and physical health. These outcomes may be explained best by considering the motivation of the individual-a motivation that comes from having a purpose. We provide a detailed definition with specific hypotheses derived from a synthesis of relevant findings from social, behavioral, biological, and cognitive literatures. To illustrate the uniqueness of the purpose model, we compared purpose with competing contemporary models that offer similar predictions. Addressing the structural features unique to purpose opens opportunities to build upon existing causal models of "how and why" health and well-being develop and change over time.
Neuroticism and extraversion are potentially important markers of personality vulnerability to suicide. Whereas previous studies have examined these traits independently, we examined their combined effects. Data were collected from family members and/or friends of individuals 18 years or older who died by suicide (n = 64) in rural China and from age-, sex-, and geographically matched controls (n = 64). Personality was assessed with the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. Individuals with a personality style characterized by high neuroticism and low extraversion were at 3.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-6.55) times greater risk for suicide than were individuals without this personality style; in contrast, a style characterized by low neuroticism and high extraversion conferred decreased suicide risk (odds ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 1.44-6.55). We conclude that it may be clinically inadequate to conceptualize neuroticism, by itself, as a risk marker for suicide. However, when the negative affect characteristic of neuroticism is combined with the joylessness, pessimism, and hopelessness characteristic of low extraversion, risk for suicide is elevated.
Stressors encountered in daily life, such as family arguments or work deadlines, may play an important role in individual health and well-being. This article presents a framework for understanding how characteristics of individuals and their environments limit or increase exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. Research on daily stressors has benefited from diary methods that obtain repeated measurements from individuals during their daily lives. These methods improve ecological validity, reduce memory distortions, and permit the assessment of within-person processes. Findings from the National Study of Daily Experiences, which used a telephone-diary design, highlight how people's age, gender, and education and the presence or absence of chronic stressors in their lives predict their exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. Finally, future directions for research designs that combine laboratory-based assessment of stress physiology with daily-diary methods are discussed.
A self-report version of the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) was administered to 50 inpatients diagnosed with mixed DSM-III psychiatric disorders and 55 outpatients with affective disorders. The self-report SSI was written for both paper-and-pencil and computer administration. The correlations between the self-reported and clinically rated versions for both inpatients and outpatients were > 0.90, which suggests strong concurrent validity. The Cronbach coefficient alphas for the paper-and-pencil and computer versions were also in the 0.90s and indicated internal consistency. Furthermore, the mean SSI scores of the compute version for both the inpatients and outpatients were higher than the mean SSI scores of the clinical ratings; the patients described more severe suicide ideation than clinicians reported.
Life meaning and coping strategies were investigated as statistical predictors of suicidal manifestations in a sample of 298 university undergraduates. Participants completed measures of hopelessness, sense of coherence, purpose in life, coping for stressful situations, suicide ideation, prior suicide attempts, and self-reported likelihood of future suicidal behavior. Moderated multiple regression techniques examined the incremental validity of life meaning by coping interactions for predicting each suicide variable separately by gender. The interaction of sense of coherence and emotion-oriented coping made a unique, significant contribution to the statistical prediction of all suicide variables for women. For men, the interaction between sense of coherence and emotion-oriented coping contributed significantly to the statistical prediction of suicide ideation. All interactions remained significant when hopelessness was statistically controlled. The hypothesis that life meaning acts as a buffer between coping style and suicidal manifestations was partially supported. Implications for suicide prevention and intervention are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol, 2003.
The contribution of a series of measures of personality and/or cognitive style to serious suicide attempt risk in young people was examined in a case-control study. Individuals making suicide attempts had elevated odds of hopelessness, neuroticism, introversion, low self-esteem, impulsiveness, and external locus of control. When allowance was made for intercorrelations between these measures, hopelessness, neuroticism, and external locus of control remained significant risk factors for serious suicide attempt; self-esteem, extraversion, and impulsiveness were not significantly associated with suicide attempt risk. Nonsignificant findings were explained by the presence of substantial correlations between these measures and measures of hopelessness, neuroticism, and external locus of control.
Identification of risk factors for the loss of meaning in life among older adults is needed. In this article, we test hypotheses derived from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide concerning the role of perceptions that one is a burden on others as a risk factor for lower meaning in life.
A prospective design was used to examine the temporal associations between perceptions of burdensomeness on others and perceived meaning in life among older adults (n=65) seeking mental health treatment (primarily for depression and/or anxiety) at an outpatient geriatric mental health clinic. Participants completed self-report questionnaires within a month following intake. Follow-up questionnaires were completed over the phone two months later.
Perceived burdensomeness predicted lack of meaning in life two months later, while accounting for depression severity. In contrast, baseline levels of meaning in life did not significantly predict the levels of burdensomeness at two months.
The findings suggest that burdensomeness may contribute to suicide morbidity and mortality in late-life by eroding meaning in life. Empirically supported treatments for late-life depression could be adapted to focus on perceptions of burdensomeness and its connections with meaning in life.
Suicide is a leading cause of death among older adolescents and young adults; however, few studies have prospectively examined risk for suicidal ideation. The present study in older adolescents and young adults investigated whether two personality traits previously implicated in risk for suicidal ideation, neuroticism and extraversion, as well as certain aspects of interpersonal functioning, prospectively predicted endorsement of suicidal ideation during depressive episodes. Participants (n=117) are a subset of the Northwestern-UCLA Youth Emotion Project sample, which started with a group of high school juniors oversampled for high neuroticism. Baseline interpersonal functioning was measured using the Life Stress Interview. Baseline personality trait composite scores were created from multiple inventories. Depressive disorders and suicidal ideation were assessed at the baseline and three annual follow-up interviews using the SCID. Cox regression was employed to predict suicidal ideation during depressive episodes diagnosed at any follow-up interview. Results showed that baseline extraversion inversely predicts suicidal ideation in males only, and that baseline interpersonal problems in one's social circle, regardless of gender, predict suicidal ideation during depressive episodes.
In a sample of 1252 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 15.00 years), this study examined the direct relations between gratitude and adolescents' suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. This study also examined indirect relations between gratitude and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts via two self-system beliefs--coping efficacy and self-esteem. Finally, this study examined the extent to which stressful life events moderated the direct and indirect relations between gratitude and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The odds of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were lower among adolescents who scored higher on gratitude, after controlling for demographic variables. Self-esteem mediated the relations between gratitude and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, while the mediating role of coping efficacy was not significant. Moreover, stressful life events moderated the mediated path through self-esteem. This indirect effect was stronger for adolescents low on stressful life events than that for those high on stressful life events. This study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
