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Good for your soul? Adult learning and mental well-being
Abstract
Although there is a widely held view that adult learning has a positive impact on well-being, only recently has this proposition been systematically tested. The paper reviews recent research findings on the influence of adult learning on earnings and employability, both of which may influence well-being indirectly. These are more important for some groups than others: in economically advanced societies, additional earnings produce limited gains in well-being for most groups except the poorest, while employability is most significant for groups that are most vulnerable in the labour market. The author then reviews recent research findings showing that participating in learning in adult life has some positive direct influence on well-being; analyses of cohort studies suggest that the influence is comparatively small, but nevertheless significant. There has been less study of learning’s negative consequences for well-being, and the paper draws on history data to illustrate some of these less desirable influences. It concludes by identifying areas for further research, and outlining a number of implications for policy and practice. These are particularly important in the current context, where environmental movements appear to be challenging the primacy of economic growth as the overarching goal of policy.
... Seppur si tratti di un ambito di studio non particolarmente fiorente, i benefici della partecipazione alla CE sono stati esplorati da molteplici prospettive. Ne sono state indagate le ricadute sulla situazione socio-economica e sull'employability e affermato il ruolo che essa riveste per il benessere e la felicità degli adulti coinvolti (Field, 2009a;2009b) così come ne sono stati indagati i benefici sulla salute e sulla vita familiare (Schuller, Preston, Hammond, Bassett-Grundy & Bynner, 2004). Gli studi che si sono concentrati sulla relazione dell'apprendimento in età adulta con la salute mentale e il benessere, evidenziano come proprio il benessere possa essere considerato come uno dei risultati più rilevanti della partecipazione a programmi di CE. ...
... Gli studi che si sono concentrati sulla relazione dell'apprendimento in età adulta con la salute mentale e il benessere, evidenziano come proprio il benessere possa essere considerato come uno dei risultati più rilevanti della partecipazione a programmi di CE. Ne derivano, infatti, una visione positiva del futuro e una maggiore autoefficacia (Field, 2009a;2009b) che si traducono concretamente in livelli più elevati di impegno sociale e civico e in una maggiore resilienza di fronte alle criticità della vita (Argyle & Martin, 1991). ...
... Prima di tutto, è importante ricordare, riprendendo Field (2009b), che "the concept of wellbeing is a notoriously difficult one. It is hard to is therefore not easy to operationalise for research purposes" (p. ...
The effects of adult and continuing education (ACE) on the mental health and well-being of adults who engage in continuing education programmes have been the focus of studies and research for some years now, and the benefits of such involvement have been investigated with reference above all to the socio-economic dimension. On the other hand, attention to well-being in the educational and training professions, including ACE professionals, is still starting and is extremely recent. Starting from document analysis and the exploration of a recent literature, the contribution intends to offer a reflection on challenges and potential avenues for research on the well-being of ACE professionals. Well-being dei professionisti dell’adult continuing education: riflessioni e piste di ricerca. Le ricadute dell’adult and continuing education (ACE) sulla salute mentale e sul benessere di adulti che si impegnano in programmi di continuing education sono al centro di studi e ricerche già da alcuni anni e i benefici di tale coinvolgimento sono stati più volte indagati e resi evidenti con riferimento soprattutto alla dimensione socio-economica. D’altra parte, l’attenzione al benessere nelle professioni educative e formative, compresi i professionisti ACE, è ancora agli inizi ed è estremamente recente. A partire da un’analisi documentale e dall’esplorazione di una letteratura recente, il contributo intende offrire una riflessione in termini di sfide e potenziali piste di ricerca sul tema del well-being dei professionisti dell’ACE.
... Major depressive disorder in mothers affects 6% to 17% of pregnancies worldwide and can lead to negative outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birth weight [11,12], poor cognitive outcomes, and psychiatric morbidity in childhood and adolescence [13]. Furthermore, it affects a mother's ability to manage her children's feeding practices, contributes to poor socio-emotional development, and increases the likelihood of disruptive behavior [14,15]. ...
... Although tool validation is a component of our study, the primary objective is to establish statistical baselines for antenatal maternal depression in Kampala, Uganda; therefore, we employed a comparatively large number of respondents. The data comprises 12 ...
Background
Perinatal depression remains a substantial public health challenge, often overlooked or incorrectly diagnosed in numerous low-income nations.
Objective
The goal of this study was to establish statistical baselines for the prevalence of perinatal depression in Kampala and understand its relationship with key demographic variables.
Methods
We employed an Android-based implementation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to survey 12,913 women recruited from 7 government health facilities located in Kampala, Uganda. We used the standard EPDS cutoff, which classifies women with total scores above 13 as possibly depressed and those below 13 as not depressed. The χ ² test of independence was used to determine the most influential categorical variables. We further analyzed the most influential categorical variable using odds ratios. For continuous variables such as age and the weeks of gestation, we performed a simple correlation analysis.
Results
We found that 21.5% (2783/12,913, 95% CI 20.8%‐22.3%) were possibly depressed. Respondents’ relationship category was found to be the most influential variable ( χ ² 1 =806.9, P<.001; Cramer’s V=0.25 ), indicating a small effect size. Among quantitative variables, we found a weak negative correlation between respondents’ age and the total EPDS score ( r =−0.11, P <.001). Similarly, a weak negative correlation was also observed between the total EPDS score and the number of previous children of the respondent ( r =−0.07, P <.001). Moreover, a weak positive correlation was noted between weeks of gestation and the total EPDS score (r =0.02, P =.05)
Conclusions
This study shows that demographic factors such as spousal employment category, age, and relationship status have an influence on the respondents’ EPDS scores. These variables may serve as proxies for latent factors such as financial stability and emotional support.
... Yet, the best way to enhance awareness of and build positive trends towards ALE is though initiating an educational program at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, where learners' skills on the educational and psychological levels are developed, enabling them fully to perform their tasks, in a way that corresponds with the circumstances and reality of Palestinian society. Field (2009) argues that programs can enhance participants' self-esteem and social networks, improving their overall social and psychological well-being, especially when they concentrate on arts and culture, which DAK University specializes in. Given that ALE contributes to transforming conflicts and promotes sustainable peace, Palestine shall benefit enormously, especially that it faces several political and social conflicts. ...
The article looks at global, regional, national and local dimensions in a diverse setting of the interplay of governmental, university and civil society partners. Higher education (HE) is called to support the recent discussions on the importance of adult learning and education (ALE) within lifelong learning. Therefore, during the Adult Education Academy (AEA) on international and comparative studies which met in 2024 at University of Würzburg for the 11th year as a study opportunity for PhD and Master students as well as practitioners, the authors agreed to contribute this paper to examine thematic areas related to global policy recommendations that strengthen the relationship between HE and ALE in different forms. Findings should lead to a better understanding of ALE enabling the acquisition of skills for personal fulfilment and social enlightenment. Le istituzioni di Higher education promuovono l’apprendimento e l’educazione degli adulti: esempi, esperienze, aspettative. L’articolo esamina le dimensioni globale, regionale, nazionale e locale in un contesto diversificato di interazione tra partner governativi, universitari e della società civile. L’HE è chiamata a supportare il recente dibattito sull’importanza dell’apprendimento e dell’educazione degli adulti (EA). Pertanto, durante l’Adult Education Academy (AEA) sugli studi internazionali e comparativi, riunitasi nel 2024 all’Università di Wurzburg come opportunità di studio per dottorandi, studenti e professionisti, gli autori hanno concordato di contribuire alla stesura di questo articolo con la finalità di esaminare temi relativi alle raccomandazioni delle politiche globali che rafforzano il rapporto tra HE e AE. I risultati dovrebbero portare a un migliore riconoscimento dell’AE come mezzo per l’acquisizione di competenze utili alla realizzazione personale e alla crescita sociale.
... It extends beyond the absence of mental illnesses to include a positive state of mental health where individuals realize their abilities, can handle normal life stresses, work productively, and contribute to their communities (Erwanto et al., 2024). Mental well-being is crucial for learning, as it impacts cognitive functions, motivation, and the ability to interact socially (Field, 2009). In an educational context, students' mental well-being significantly influences their learning capacity, academic achievement, and overall educational experience (Pan et al., 2023). ...
Since contemporary situational data is lacking on demographic factors that affect students' reading culture and their mental well-being, this study assessed the demographic factors that affect the reading culture and mental well-being of students at Lagos State University. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Using the convenience sampling technique, 1500 students from Lagos State University were selected as respondents but 1313 respondents were used for final analysis. Using the multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA), two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the first hypothesis indicated a statistically significant effect and difference between the demographic factors and reading culture (F = 7.695, p < .001, partial η² = .153) with effect size, as measured by partial eta squared of 15.3% of the variance in students' reading culture. Equally, the second hypothesis also found a statistically significant effect between the demographic factors and students' mental well-being (F(30, 1282) = 10.323, p < .000, partial η² = .195). This indicates that, collectively, the demographic variables accounted for approximately 19.5% of the variance in mental well-being scores among the students. Based on these findings, the study concluded that various aspects of students' lives, such as living arrangements and academic progression, can have a meaningful impact on students' mental well-being and reading practices. Therefore, it recommended that university management and administrators should focus on creating supportive reading environments within different types of hostels (on-campus and off-campus) to enhance students' reading habits. Additionally, interventions should be designed to address the unique mental health needs of students, particularly paying attention to gender-specific patterns and the influence of academic levels, with a focus on providing appropriate support and resources.
... For Smyth et, al (2013, p. 311) 'nurturing a hospitable and student-centred approach to teaching and learning…is crucial in motivating students to reengage.' Rethinking learning that is focused on the PRISM (2023) Ollis and Foley (2023) PRISM 91 5 (2) relational through gathering resources for capabilities (Field, 2009), such as resilience, social and community connectedness and civic engagement is what Sen (1979) describes as involving essential human capabilities. For Sen, agency and well-being are intrinsically connected, it follows, then, that if access to a form of relational education that engages diverse learners and develops their well-being and creates opportunities, then this form of education is essential for a socially just education and needs serious policy consideration that recognises the value of relational adult community learning capabilities and approaches. ...
In Australia, there is no one cohesive program design or curriculum which provides a framework for adult learning in Adult Community Education (ACE) organisations, with the two major states New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria leading the most developed systems. Many adult learners who learn in these education settings return to study to find pathways to employment, or to retrain for a new role after losing their job. In addition, later-life learners may attend because they want to remain healthy, participate in leisure activities, build friendships and remain active and engaged in their later years. Many of the learners are 'second chance learners' who have had prior negative experiences with the neoliberal system which assesses, ranks, and categorises learners according to their academic abilities. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive framework for the delivery of pre-accredited training in Australia, founded on social constructivist theory, learner-centred pedagogy, and course design enhanced by Nussbaum's Capability Framework. We commence the article by delivering a context for adult education policy and social justice education in the development of the ACE system. What we mean by a socially just education is one in which all people access a critical and democratic curriculum with equity and access to resources at its core. In this paper, we argue for the importance of adult learning, which is holistic, flexible, and nimble to cater for diverse learners and learning needs.
Purpose
The aim of the proposed randomized controlled study is to compare the effects and efficacy of a dance, a Tai Chi and a waiting list control group intervention over an 8-week period on physical functions and mental benefits among non-clinical adults aged between 18 and 60.
Method
A double-blind, randomized controlled trial will be adopted to evaluate the effects and efficacy of an 8-week dance intervention compared with Tai Chi and a control group on physical and mental benefits. Participants will be randomly assigned to 3 groups, dance, Tai Chi, and Control group, using stratified random sampling based on sex. Isometric Mid-thigh Pull (IMTP), Y-Balance test (YBT), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), and The Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) are utilized for collecting physical and mental data. All measurements will be conducted by research assistants blinded to participants’ group allocation and analysis will be carried out by statistician blinded to the group and test parameters.
Expected result
Mental wellbeing parameters are predicted to be increasing during the learning phase and the physical parameters are predicted to have an improvement in the practising phase.
W artykule przedstawiono genezę powstania oraz funkcjonowania Uniejowskiego Uniwersytetu Trzeciego Wieku, który stanowi ważny ośrodek edukacji i aktywności, a także miejsce integracji lokalnej społeczności. Podsumowano dziesięć lat jego działalności i zrealizowanych w tym czasie aktywności. Dokonano analizy liczby słuchaczy oraz ich miejsca zamieszkania. Podkreślono znaczenie Uniejowskiego Uniwersytetu Trzeciego Wieku dla lokalnej społeczności, jego udział w projektach o zasięgu regionalnym, a także jego reprezentację w Radzie Społecznej Seniorów i Obywatelskim Parlamencie Seniorów, co pozwala m.in. na uwzględnianie aktualnych potrzeb osób starszych w planowanych i realizowanych z myślą o nich działaniach.
In this exploration of child abuse and its impact on survivors' lives and well-being, well-being was defined as feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally well and functioning positively as an individual and a member of society. The primary categories of child abuse addressed were physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and neglect. Intimate personal violence as a form of child abuse was also addressed. Short- and long-term physical, psychological, social, and individual outcomes for child abuse survivors throughout the life course were explored. Interventions and strategies aimed at helping child abuse survivors and their caregivers recover from the aftermath of child abuse were explored. This work focused on what child abuse survivors and their caregivers found the most helpful on their journeys to well-being. While well-being outcomes for survivors of childhood abuse were found to be deleterious in many psychological, social, and individual areas, recovery and improvement in overall well-being were found to be possible for both child abuse survivors and their caregivers.
This study was a single-group pre-post survey carried out to analyze the effects of a calligraphy extracurricular program on nursing students' career decision making self-efficacy (CDMSE) and self-leadership. The subjects of this study were 230 second-year nursing students. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 25.0 program for descriptive statistics, paired t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. After the calligraphy extracurricular program, CDMSE (t=7.20, p<.001) and self-leadership (t=6.80, p<.001) both advanced, and there was a significant difference in all detailed item. As a result of analyzing CDMSE and self-leadership, it was found that there was a strong correlation both before (r=.81, p<.001) and after (r=.85, p<.001) the program. As a result of this study, the effectiveness of the calligraphy extracurricular program was verified, and it is believed that the desire for aesthetic experience can be satisfied. University education should continue to provide students with a variety of opportunities to improve their capabilities in various ways by organizing a variety of helpful extracurricular programs.
The key features which influence mental health both in jobs and unemployment are brought together within a single perspective. Three principal axes of affective well-being are identified as warranting investigation, and it is suggested that nine environmental features are of primary importance. The impact of these features on mental health is viewed as analogous to the influence of vitamins on physical health, with an explicit non-linearity in the relationship. This ‘vitamin model’ is extended to permit examination of individual differences (for example, in terms of baseline values and specific matching characteristics), and empirical evidence is summarized. It is concluded from previous research that job features do not interact synergistically in relation to employee well-being, although this possibility may not yet have been adequately tested. The framework is suggested to be adequately comprehensive, but, as is the case with other models, it requires development in respect of the specific mechanisms operating between environmental features and mental health.
This report concerns a two-part project about the importance for adult health and well-being of (1) broadly defined school success and (2) participation in adult learning. In the first part of the project we examine which aspects of schooling are markers for health and well-being in adulthood, using not only measures of attainment such as qualifications, but also measures of engagement. Our interest is in testing the strength of broad-ranging childhood indicators for adult health in order to help practitioners target appropriate resources. In the second part we consider the potential role for adult learning in improving health and well-being amongst adults generally, and in offsetting the disadvantage associated with not flourishing at school, thereby reducing health inequalities. We use longitudinal data to examine relationships between participation in adult learning and trajectories in health and well-being for adults who did and did not flourish at school. The differences in adult health and well-being between those who flourished at secondary school and those who did not are substantial and pervasive and go beyond the effect of qualifications attained, indicating the importance of engagement at school as well as academic attainment. We also find that patterns established in early life have a more profound effect than those adopted in later life, and the difference in scale and pervasiveness of the results for school and for adult education tend to support this. Our findings underline the importance of understanding why flourishing at secondary school is such an important signal for adult health and well-being. However, it does not negate the value of adult education, which seems to provide real opportunities for transformation of poor health and well-being amongst adults, whether or not they flourished at school.
The term 'social capital' is a way of defining the intangible resources of community, shared values and trust upon which we draw in daily life. It has achieved considerable international currency across the social sciences through the very different work of Pierre Bourdieu in France and James Coleman and Robert Putnam in the United States, and has been widely taken up within politics and sociology as an explanation for the decline in social cohesion and community values in western societies. It has also been adopted by policy makers, particularly in international governmental bodies such as the World Bank. This fully revised second edition of Social Capital provides a thorough overview of the intense and fast-moving debate surrounding this subject. This clear and comprehensive introduction explains the theoretical underpinning of the subject, the empirical work that has been done to explore its operation, and the influence that it has had on public policy and practice. It includes guides to further reading and a list of the most important websites.
How do education and learning really impact on people's lives? The Benefits of Learning is a detailed, systematic and vivid account of the impact of formal and informal education on people's lives. Based on extended interviews with adults of all ages, it shows how learning affects their health, family lives and participation in civic life, revealing the downsides of education as well as the benefits. At a time when education is in danger of being narrowly regarded as an instrument of economic growth, this study covers: the interaction between learning and people's physical and psychological well-being the way learning impacts on family life and communication between generations the effect on people's ability and motivation to take part in civic and community life. Packed with detail from adults' own accounts of their lives, the book reveals how learning enables people to sustain themselves and their communities in the face of daily stresses and strains, as well as sometimes transforming their lives. The book opens up new avenues for debate. It is a valuable resource for education researchers and of particular interest to education policy makers, adult education practitioners, health educators and postgraduate students in education. © 2004 Tom Schuller, John Preston, Cathie Hammond, Angela Brasset-Grundy and John Bynner. All rights reserved.
Although there has been a considerable amount of research relating measures of schooling years, qualifications, or training spells to workers' labour market success, there has been very little assessment of the role of more basic literacy and numeracy skills, largely due to problems with measurement and data availability. Yet it is obviously crucial, in an era of apparently rising demand for skills, that we have evidence on the labour market value of the full range of worker skills, including basic literacy and numeracy. This paper therefore uses data from the National Child Development Study and the International Adult Literacy Survey to fill this gap. Specifically, we use test scores achieved by respondents in both surveys to measure their basic literacy and numeracy skills. We then evaluate the impact of these skills on workers' labour market outcomes, and find clear evidence of a substantial wage return to such basic skills.
Although economic output has nearly doubled in the last 30 years, life satisfaction levels in the UK and other developed countries have remained resolutely flat, with evidence that depression and anxiety are increasing, notably among young people. While governments in the developed world focus on economic development as the key route to well-being, a growing body of research suggests that, once basic needs have been met, this approach is flawed. This well-being manifesto for a flourishing society, produced by the think tank new economics foundation (nef), proposes eight alternative priorities for government action to promote well-being. While the focus is on UK policy and the examples are largely drawn from the UK, the key themes of the manifesto will apply to many developed country contexts.