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Altruism, Happiness, and Health: It's Good to Be Good
Abstract
Altruistic (other-regarding) emotions and behaviors are associated with greater well-being, health, and longevity. This article presents a summary and assessment of existing research data on altruism and its relation to mental and physical health. It suggests several complimentary interpretive frameworks, including evolutionary biology, physiological models, and positive psychology. Potential public health implications of this research are discussed, as well as directions for future studies. The article concludes, with some caveats, that a strong correlation exists between the well-being, happiness, health, and longevity of people who are emotionally and behaviorally compassionate, so long as they are not overwhelmed by helping tasks.
... Yardım etme davranışı toplumsal faydalarının yanı sıra fiziksel ve psikolojik sağlığı olumlu yönde etkilemektedir. Yardım etmek; huzur, mutluluk sağlamakta, kendini çok iyi hissetme gibi duygularla içsel ödül kazandırmaktadır (Post, 2005). Başkalarına yardım etmek, olumsuz olaylar karşısında etkili olabilecek bir şeyler yapılabileceği düşüncesini desteklemekte, bir amaç ve memnuniyet duygusu sağlamaktadır (De Silva 2011:6-9;Qiu vd., 2020). ...
... Başkalarına yardım etmek sadece yardım edilen için iyilik getiren tek yönlü durum olarak değerlendirilmemektedir. Yardım eden kişi bu davranışı, yardım ettiği kişiden bir karşılık beklemeden yapsa da bu davranışın kişiye de faydası vardır. Birine yardım etmiş olmanın verdiği huzur, mutluluk, bir şeyi tamamladığını hissetme gibi düşünce ve duygular, olumlu ruh ve beden sağlığını beraberinde getirir, bu bağlamda başkalarına yardım etme, kişinin kendine de yardım etmesidir (Post, 2005) denilebilir. Yardım etmenin psikolojik kazanımlarından biri kişinin kendini çok iyi hissettirmesi ve içsel ödül almasıdır (Post, 2005). ...
... Birine yardım etmiş olmanın verdiği huzur, mutluluk, bir şeyi tamamladığını hissetme gibi düşünce ve duygular, olumlu ruh ve beden sağlığını beraberinde getirir, bu bağlamda başkalarına yardım etme, kişinin kendine de yardım etmesidir (Post, 2005) denilebilir. Yardım etmenin psikolojik kazanımlarından biri kişinin kendini çok iyi hissettirmesi ve içsel ödül almasıdır (Post, 2005). Karşılık beklemeden yardım etmenin ödülü iyi bir insan olmaktır. ...
Bu çalışmada pandemi sürecinde gösterilen yardım etme davranışının psikolojik yönleri incelenmiştir. Araştırma yardım etme davranışını incelemek üzere polis memurları ile nitel yöntemlerle yürütülmüştür. Çalışmaya gönüllü katılan 15 kişiye pandemi ile ilgili düşünceleri ve başkalarına yardım etmekle ilgili görüşleri ile ilgili yarı yapılandırılmış 3 soru sorulmuştur. Veriler betimsel analiz ve içerik analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre; katılımcılar pandemi ile ilgili olarak stres, kaygı gibi olumsuz duygular yaşamışlardır. Yardım etme davranışı huzur, güven, güç, kontrol duygusu, empati, motivasyon sağlamıştır. Bu araştırma bulgularına dayanarak, pandemi sürecinde yardım etme davranışının ruh sağlığına olumlu etkilerinin benzeri kriz durumlarında geçerli olabileceği düşünülmektedir ve yardım etme davranışının kapsamı ile ilgili toplumun bilgilendirilmesi gerektiği temel önerimizdir.
... Research shows that generosity increases psychological well-being of both givers and recipients of generous acts for people across various stages of life (Allen 2018;Wang et al. 2014). For example, generous elderly persons display fewer signs of anxiety and melancholy (Post 2005), and report greater sense of life satisfaction and self-confidence (Allen 2018). Similarly, Wang et al. (2014) report a significant relationship between generosity and the psychological well-being of young adults by focusing on three recipients of generosity -the self, loved ones and the community at large. ...
... Therefore, generosity occurs in different directions as shown by the arrows in Figure 1. Recognizing the established link between generosity and well-being (Allen 2018;Post 2005;Wang et al. 2014), the generous behaviours then positively affect psychological well-being of both the giver and the recipient, as indicated by the separate box on the right hand side of Figure 1. ...
Generosity, a charitable and kind gesture towards others, was an integral aspect of hospitality in ancient times. The concept of generosity however has not yet been sufficiently examined in contemporary, commercial hospitality. In commercial hospitality, generosity can be facilitated through a generosity economy – an economy where generous acts are encouraged and nothing is expected in return. This article aims to understand the role of generosity in commercial hospitality as part of generosity economy. A model of generosity in commercial hospitality has been developed, providing a preliminary understanding of how generosity can be created in commercial hospitality contexts. Theoretical and practical implications and directions for future research are outlined.
... Participants who don't help another person when the person fall into distress will feel uneasy and this unease will be alleviated by altruistic behavior, which explains why many people feel better after they have done something moral [2]. Similar findings are supported by a questionnaire study, which found that altruistic behavior can help alleviate negative emotions while maintaining continued emotions [3]. A survey showed that the individuals spent more money on others, the more happiness they experienced. ...
... Volume -5-(2023) experimenters compared the tolerance of electric shock stimuli between those who donated to orphans and those who refused to donate, then they found that donors were more able to tolerate electric shock injuries. Besides, numerous physiological studies have shown that the positive emotional experience triggered by altruistic behavior could improve the functioning of the immune and cardiovascular systems, regulates blood pressure and heart rate, and increases the body's production of beneficial hormones, enzymes and acetylcholine, increasing the body's resistance to disease and leading to a healthier and longer life [3]. It could be inferred that an individual's altruistic behavior can be guided by intrinsic rewards, rather than by profit exchange or irrationality. ...
The interpretation of altruistic behavior is related to the establishment of moral normative theory. However, the explanation from "economic man hypothesis" and utilitarian will lead to the dilemma that altruistic behavior is “either hypocritical or stupid”. This dilemma arises because philosophers have failed to understand the mechanisms underlying human altruistic behavior. Recent research in psychology has provided a lot of new evidence, which could be able to resolve this dilemma. For example, the results of some behavioral experiments demonstrated that there is a loophole in the “economic man hypothesis”, in another words, altruism can be both pure and wise. Future research needs to explore the essence structure of altruistic behavior by fully combining the strengths of philosophy and psychology.
... From the 'altruism' standpoint, there is also a broadly documented relationship between acting altruistically and happiness (e.g., Post, 2014). Of course, the causality is complex (do happier people help others or does helping others boost happiness?), ...
... Of course, the causality is complex (do happier people help others or does helping others boost happiness?), but a growing body of experimental and longitudinal research (and the discovery of plausible biological and psychosocial mechanisms) suggests that altruism does likely have a causal impact on wellbeing (Post, 2014). For instance, a US longitudinal survey found volunteering effects on subjective wellbeing in 2004, controlling for 1992 subjective wellbeing (Piliavin & Siegl, 2007), a finding that has now been replicated in the UK (Lawton et al., 2021). ...
Unlabelled:
To inhibit the spread of COVID-19 Public health officials stress, and governments often require, restrictions on social interaction ("social distancing"). While the medical benefits are clear, important questions remain about these measures' downsides: How bitter is this medicine? Ten large non-probability internet-based surveys between April and November 2020, weighted statistically to reflect the US population in age, education, and religious background and excluding respondents who even occasionally role-played rather than giving their own true views; N = 6,223. Pre-epidemic data from 2017-2019, N = 4,032. Reliable multiple-item scales including subjective wellbeing (2 European Quality of Life Survey items, Cronbach's alpha = .85); distancing attitudes (5 items, alpha = .87); distancing behavior e.g., standing 6' apart in public (5 items, alpha = .80); emotional cost of distancing and restrictions on social interaction (8-12 items, alpha = .94); and an extensive suite of controls (19 variables). Descriptive statistics, OLS regression, structural equation models. Subjective wellbeing is greater for those who approve of distancing, for those who practice distancing, and particularly for those whose distancing attitudes and behavior are congruent, either both in favor or both opposed (multiplicative interaction). The emotional cost of distancing is strongly tied to wellbeing and is heterogeneous, with some disliking distancing much more than others. An SEM model suggests causality: that emotional costs strongly reduce wellbeing but not vice-versa. During the epidemic, COVID issues constitute two of the top 5 influences on wellbeing, behind only subjective health and religious belief and tied with income. All this is net of family background, religious origins, age, ethnicity, race, gender, rural residence, education, occupational status, marriage, unemployment, income, health, religion, and political party.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-023-10149-0.
... This implies a close, kind, respectful behavior of mutual appreciation and joy for the triumphs of family and friends. These acts are important since they contribute to strengthening levels of selfesteem [14], mental health [15] and well-being [16]. The third domain refers to feelings of support, care, security, affection, and satisfaction that the person experiences with their family and friends. ...
... However, when relationships are insecure or characterized by uncertainty, they can make it difficult for people to function properly [67]. Likewise, adequate management of interpersonal relationships also plays a fundamental role in the development and maintenance of mental health and well-being of people [15,16]. Integration is another factor that positively predicts emotional well-being and personal growth [17,18]. ...
Background
Positive relationships are one of the most important components within the PERMA model since they facilitate the development of the other components. However, in the scientific literature, few instruments have been identified with solid psychometric properties that measure positive relationships in university students and adequately represent the construct. Therefore, the study aims to develop and study the psychometric properties of the PRI + 19 positive relationships scale through Confirmatory Factor Analysis, factorial invariance, and relationship-based validity with other variables.
Method
A pilot sample of 201 university students (43.8% men and 56.2 women) between the ages of 18 and 34 (M = 20.9; SD = 2.74) was collected. The confirmatory sample consisted of 450 university students of both sexes (30.2% men and 69.8 women) between the ages of 18 and 35 years (M = 21.9; SD = 3.15). Along with the PRI + scale, other instruments were applied to measure satisfaction with life and psychological well-being.
Results
In the pilot study, the Exploratory Factor Analysis showed the presence of three factors that could explain 54.5% of the items. In the confirmatory study, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the model of three dimensions related to 19 items presents the best adjustment indexes compared to other models (χ2 = 541.61; df = 149; CFI = 0.97; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.077 [IC90% 0.070 ‒ 0.084]). The scale also showed evidence of being strictly invariant for the groups of men and women. Finally, it was shown that the development of the positive bonds dimension positively predicts psychological well-being (0.35) and life satisfaction (0.20). The positive relationship management dimension positively predicts psychological well-being (0.28) and life satisfaction (0.29). Similarly, the integration dimension positively predicts psychological well-being (0.48) and life satisfaction (0.52).
Conclusion
This study suggests that the PRIM + 19 scale is a useful tool from which valid and reliable interpretations of positive relationships in Peruvian university students can be obtained.
... This strategy helps to generate feelings among consumer having sympathy and empathy considerations. The literature indicates that altruism is positively effects wellbeing, happiness and overall life satisfaction (Becchetti, Corrado, & Conzo, 2016;Kahana et al., 2013;Post, 2005). Dodds, Jaud, and Melnyk (2021) concluded that spiritual and moral advertising can enhance eudemonic wellbeing of consumers. ...
... Altruistic emotions and behaviors are positively related to wellbeing, happiness and overall life satisfaction (Becchetti et al., 2016;Kahana et al., 2013;Post, 2005). Moreover, altruism also have the relationship with social comparison. ...
The study aims to examine the impact of altruistic advertisements on subjective well-being, materialism, and transpersonal gratitude through downward social comparison. An experimental design testing two conditions i.e., Altruistic advertising vs control was adopted to gather responses from 147 young consumers. Single-stage cluster sampling technique has been used to collect data. The findings of the study show that young consumers after experiencing altruistic advertising are less materialistic, more satisfied with their lives, and score high on transpersonal gratitude. Also, transpersonal gratitude is found to be a positive predictor of subjective well-being and a negative predictor of materialism. Furthermore, materialism negatively but partially mediates the relationship between transpersonal gratitude and life satisfaction. Few studies have experimentally tested the impact of advertising on consumers through downward social comparison but none has studied this impact in terms of different nuances of advertising and their impact on materialism or subjective well-being. Furthermore, the role of transpersonal gratitude has been examined that is merely been studied in the existing literature. Marketers working in the field of advertising can improve the quality of advertising by taking into consideration the negative impact of advertising on consumers/viewers. Gratitude interventions can be utilized to mitigate the negative effects of advertising. Data was cross-sectional which does not account for any longitudinal effects of altruistic advertisement on the above-mentioned relationship. Secondly, our sample consisted of young girls only which may affect the overall generalizability of the results with respect to gender and age. Thirdly, in our experiment, we only examine the effects of altruistic advertisement whereas hedonic and functional advertisement groups have not taken into account.
... Well-being has been defined as "feeling hopeful, happy, and good about oneself, as well as energetic and connected to others" [34] (p. 68). ...
... H1. Agreeableness at T1 (at the beginning of the basic training) will be positively related to wellbeing at T2 (two months later). Well-being has been defined as "feeling hopeful, happy, and good about oneself, as well as energetic and connected to others" [34] (p. 68). ...
This longitudinal research explores team cohesion as a potential mediator explaining the associations between agreeableness as a personality trait and well-being. Additionally, the study examines whether the leader offering support moderates the mediating role of perceived group cohesion. The sample consists of male military personnel (N = 648) from six different units. The longitudinal design examined two time points, T1 and T2, during the soldiers’ training period. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was utilized to determine the significance of the moderator and the mediation effect. The results indicate that an agreeable personality and team cohesion at T1 predicted increased well-being at T2 (two months later). In addition, the moderated mediation hypothesis was significant, indicating that when leaders offered more support, the indirect link between an agreeable personality and well-being via team cohesion was stronger than when they offered less. The findings suggest that an agreeable personality and leader support are important in the organizational domain, and these variables promote well-being. By understanding the contribution of both external and internal sources of support to soldiers’ well-being, intervention plans can be developed to lessen the stressors of their mental well-being and help them reach their maximum potential.
... Previous studies have found that both altruism and communal narcissism are positively correlated with psychological adjustment. Altruism is positively associated with common bond, life satisfaction and positive affect (Dulin & Hill, 2003;Kahana et al., 2013;Kim et al., 2016;Post, 2005). Communal narcissism also positively correlates with life satisfaction, positive affect, and selfesteem (Żemojtel-Piotrowska et al., 2014;Żemojtel-Piotrowska et al., 2017). ...
This study aimed to examine the difference between communal narcissism and altruism using close-other reports, especially in collectivistic cultures (e.g., Korea). There may be differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures in the evaluation of communality. However, research on acquaintance evaluations of the difference between communal narcissism and altruism has never been conducted in a collectivistic culture. Accordingly, 179 Korean college students (115 females) completed self-report questionnaires to assess communal narcissism and altruism, selecting three close others who rated the psychological adjustment of the participants in terms of communality, altruism, and well-being. We found that self-reported communal narcissism was positively correlated with self-reported altruism but not significantly correlated with close-other-reported altruism. Additionally, the effect of self-reported communal narcissism on psychological adjustment as evaluated by close others was not significant after controlling for the effect of self-reported altruism. However, after controlling for the effect of self-reported communal narcissism, the effect of self-reported altruism on psychological adjustment as evaluated by close others was significant. Although communal narcissism and altruism are closely related in self-reports, findings based on reports of close others provide empirical evidence that they are distinguishable personality traits.
... Empirical evidence (Post, 2005) suggested that psychological well-being is the overall sense of fulfillment, happiness and satisfaction of an individual which is the source of altruism where individuals put the needs and interests of others before their own (Kahana et al., 2013). ...
Purpose
The purpose of current study was to investigate the impact of supervisor support on Knowledge Sharing Behavior through psychological well-being, psychological ownership, and Alturism. The study also took mindfulness as first path moderator in the relation to supervisor support and psychological well-being, and psychological ownership.
Design/methodology/approach
Positivism research philosophy followed by the deductive approach is followed to meet the objectives of the current study. A total of 219 employees from the telecom sector were identified as the respondents of the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data through self-administrated questionnaires. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used through AMOS to generate the results and test hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggested that supervisor support significantly contributes to the achievement of the knowledge-sharing behavior of employees with the chain of mediation, i.e. psychological well-being, ownership and altruism. Similarly, the moderating role of mindfulness is significant in the relationship between supervisor support and psychological well-being.
Originality/value
Although a number of researchers have studied the link between supervisor support and other employees related attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, few have explored the roles of psychological ownership, well-being and altruism in the relationship of knowledge sharing behavior. This study thus posits a novel sequential mediation and moderation mechanism, based on the social exchange theory, through which supervisor support is translated into knowledge sharing behavior.
... There is ample evidence supporting a correlation between behaviours typically regarded as moral and psychological well-being. For instance, engaging in prosocial and altruistic behaviours, such as donating money and participating in volunteer work, is positively associated with self-reported happiness (Borgonovi, 2008;Phelps, 2001;Post, 2005) and with better overall mental health (Schwartz et al., 2003). These findings are supported by the results of intervention studies in which engaging in deliberate acts of kindness increased life satisfaction (Buchanan & Bardi, 2010). ...
Moral behaviour has long been associated with well-being, but variables that may contribute to this association have been left unexplored. In this study the reconciliation model of moral centrality was used as a framework to investigate the relationship between morality and psychological health. According to this model, the inherent conflict between self-interest and morality can be transformed into a synergistic force through the development of moral centrality. Consequently, the integration of self-interest and morality is expected to positively influence psychological well-being. The present study examined eudaimonic well-being as a potential mediating variable in the link between moral centrality and mental health. Participants (N = 119) completed an online questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions and measures of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, eudaimonic well-being, and altruism. Moral centrality was defined as the integration of both agentic and communal values in their responses to open-ended questions. Moral centrality was associated with lower depression and anxiety, and with higher self-esteem, and these associations were mediated by eudaimonic well-being. Altruism was not associated with any of the measures of mental health. An exploratory analysis revealed that the specific integration of the agentic value achievement and the communal value benevolence may be the underlying factor explaining this relationship. These findings suggest that moral centrality may play a unique and meaningful role in promoting eudaimonic well-being and mental health. The results highlight the potential for fostering moral centrality to enhance mental health and well-being in clinical interventions.
... Contrary to this, Olateju et al. [33] found that despite participants' awareness of the increased risk of COVID-19 exposure due to their role, they were still willing to work because they believed that exposure to diseases was an integral part of their job as healthcare workers. Also, social psychology theories say that altruistic behaviour wins out over negative feelings and anxiety, which makes people more likely to do self-sacrificing things when they are in demanding circumstances [34]. Again, a significant proportion of PHOs in this study are uncertain as to whether or not everyone should participate in COVID-19 prevention. ...
Unlabelled:
Public Health Officers (PHOs)' experiences in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic can be based on whether the PHO is active or passive regarding five experience aspects, including knowledge, understanding, opinion, participation, and practice. Therefore, this study's objectives are to identify the types of experiences and analyse the predictors of proactive practical experiences in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic among PHOs in the southern region of Thailand.
Methods:
An explanatory mixed methods approach was used to collect data, through questionnaires and online in-depth interviews. This study was conducted from 4 August 2020 to 3 August 2021.
Results:
The results include 60 PHOs from 60 Primary Care Units in six provinces, with 41 (68.3%) females and an average age of 35.57 years (SD = 11.61). The PHOs' knowledge, understanding, and participation experience aspects were mostly proactive rather than passive. The factors that significantly predicted proactive practical experiences included sex (ORadj = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.04-2.21), age (ORadj = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.16-2.48), married status (ORadj = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.16-2.48), education level (ORadj = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.02-2.20), and position for work (ORadj = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.16-2.48). The results of quantitative method were confirmed by 12 sub-themes of 8 PHOs' experiences from qualitative method.
Conclusions:
The PHOs' knowledge, understanding, opinion, and participation experiences were significant predictors of practical experience. Primary health care systems should promote proactive experiences in all four aspects to increase proactive practical experiences.
... As such, it is possible that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has triggered motivation to engage in prosocialness. Prosocial behaviour has been associated with positive wellbeing [11][12][13] and given the difficulties experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, prosocial behaviours appear to contribute positively to wellbeing [14][15][16]. For example, Varma and colleagues [15] investigated the effectiveness of prosocial behaviour as a strategy to promote wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a collective opportunity to engage in prosocial behaviours, including kindness; however, little is known about the long-term impacts of the pandemic on such behaviours. As a part of a larger study (Health Outcomes for Adults During and Following the COVID-19 Pandemic), the purpose of this mixed methods research was two-fold: (1) to quantitatively explore adults' prosocial behaviour over time during the first 16 months of the pandemic in Ontario, Canada (April 2020-August 2021); and, (2) to more deeply explore, via focus groups, a sub-sample of Ontario adults' lived experiences of prosocial behaviour (assessed March 2022). A total of 2,188 participants were included in this study, with the majority of participants identifying as female (89.5%). At three time points, participants completed online questionnaires which included demographics, Prosocialness Scale for Adults, and three global kindness questions. A subset of participants (n = 42) also participated in one of six focus groups exploring their experiences of prosocial behaviour during the pandemic. A series of one-way repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that participants' self-reported prosocial behaviour increased significantly over time, while participants' awareness of kindness, engagement in acts of kindness, and view of kindness as crucial significantly decreased. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) shift in prosocial behaviour during the pandemic; (2) kindness from various perspectives; and, (3) prosocial burnout. This study provides insight into the longer-term effects of the pandemic on adults' prosocial behaviours and should be leveraged to help understand how individuals respond in times of crises.
... Another reason people make transcendent choices is because doing so tends to be correlated with greater happiness, health, and longevity. Indeed, the most important reason offered by those who perform altruistic acts is that it makes them happy (Post, 2005;Bergland, 2015). ...
... Another study reveals that altruism leads to improved mental health. It is because altruism instills a feeling of happiness among those who show altruistic behavior (Post, 2005). ...
The primary aim of the current study was to explore the impact of altruism, heroism, and psychological distress on the quality of life among social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study comprised of a sample of 300 social workers belonging to different nongovernmental organizations and social worker centers. Data were collected through purposive sampling technique with cross-sectional research design during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that altruism and heroism were positively correlated with compassion satisfaction-a subscale of quality of life, whereas these variables were negatively correlated with burnout and secondary traumatic stress-subscales of quality of life. Additionally, the psychological distress was negatively correlated with compassion satisfaction and positively correlated with burnout and secondary traumatic stress. The results of hierarchical regression revealed that altruism and heroism were positive predictors of compassion satisfaction, whereas they were negative predictors of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Psychological distress was a negative predictor of compassion satisfaction, whereas a positive predictor of burnout and secondary traumatic stress related to quality of life. The study has concluded and recommended that the appropriate measures should be taken to promote altruism and heroism while the psychological distress upon social workers should be mitigated to minimize their burnout and secondary traumatic stress, and to enhance their compassion satisfaction-quality of life during COVID-19 and/or similar stressful situations like pandemics, floods, earthquakes, droughts, etc. The study has implications for the social and rescue workers, their managers, counsellors, and governing bodies.
... Motivation can be seen through the evocation of collective protection and sexuality by both studied populations. If the first one is a facilitator, since altruism is good for well-being [54][55][56], the second could be a barrier to mothers, school staff and potentially physicians. In fact, as adolescents and young adults don't seem to have sufficient knowledge, sexual education and health intervention is important to give information and get them vaccinated [57,58]. ...
Background:
It has been proven that vaccination is effective against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections, genital warts, and pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical lesions. Nevertheless, the HPV vaccine coverage of 37.4 % in 2021 in France is one of the lowest in Europe. To explore and understand the reason why French population is so late compared to its neighbours, we carried out focus groups with mothers and with National Education school staff. We aimed to identify knowledge and perceptions of HPV in both study populations, as well as factors influencing HPV vaccination.
Methods:
Between January 2020 and March 2021, we performed a qualitative study using an inductive approach with a thematic content analysis (TCA). We conducted semi-structured focus groups with 29 people including 15 mothers of adolescents in middle schools and 14 school staff from the national education system.
Results:
Different factors influenced the decision-making process of parents and school staff: knowledge and perceptions of HPV and its vaccine, sources of information about HPV and vaccination. Mothers' discourses differed from those of school staff. They mentioned the importance of gynaecological monitoring and the negative image of pharmaceutical companies, and questioned internet as a reliable source of information. For their part, school staff mentioned cultural and/or religious affiliation, municipalities' role to inform the population, and ethical dilemma or logistical challenges regarding HPV vaccination in schools.
Conclusion:
The results of these focus groups provided information on which elements may harm or help HPV vaccination. Identified perceptions, beliefs, knowledge, barriers, and facilitators will help us to build an intervention program focus on general practitioners (GP), school staff, parents, and adolescents.
... The pursuit of happiness is not only a basic demand of people but also the ultimate goal of human society (1,2). On the one hand, a higher level of happiness reduces people's negative emotions and protects against mental diseases (e.g., mental disorder and depression) (3,4). On the other hand, a higher level of happiness promotes creativity and working efficiency, which helps to promote the development of the whole society (5). ...
Introduction
Subjective well-being (SWB) is attributable to both individual and environmental attributes. However, extant studies have paid little attention to the contribution of environmental attributes at the urban level to SWB or their nonlinear associations with SWB.
Methods
This study applies a machine learning approach called gradient boosting decision trees (GBDTs) to the 2013 China Household Income Survey data to investigate the relative importance of urban and individual attributes to and their nonlinear associations with SWB.
Results
The urban and individual attributes make similar relative contributions to SWB. Income and age are the most important predictors. Urban facilities make a larger contribution than urban development factors. Moreover, urban attributes exert nonlinear and threshold effects on SWB. Cultural facilities and green space have inverted U-shaped correlations with SWB. Educational facilities, medical facilities, and population size are monotonically associated with SWB and have specific thresholds.
Discussion
Improving urban attributes is important to enhancing residents’ SWB.
... Making contributions for others and viewing one's life as valuable and purposeful contributes to psychological well-being [4,33]. Several participants expressed how they had found meaning in life (N = 9 ...
Background
Due to the scarcity of research on the benefits of theatresports for youth, this study examined the outcomes of theatresports as a means to implement positive education in youth work settings.
Methods
To this end, qualitative research was conducted with 92 participants in a theatresports program. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the participants’ experiences of the program, using the framework of positive education.
Results
Results showed that the processes and practices of the theatresports program helped the participants achieved well-being in terms of various domains namely positive emotions, positive health, positive relationships, positive engagement, positive accomplishment, and positive meaning. These capabilities and qualities acquired helped them achieve well-being, and the learning acquired from the program could even be applied to daily life situations and deal with the challenges.
Conclusions
This shows that the theatresports program manifests the benefits of positive education. Corresponding implications were discussed.
... Most participants viewed themselves as empathic and committed to helping others, attributing this to challenges faced with TS. This finding is valuable as helping behaviours positively correlate with wellbeing (Post, 2005). However, there is a balance to be had between helping and 'people-pleasing'. ...
Unlabelled:
Women with Tourette's syndrome (TS) continue to be under-researched, despite female sex being associated with increased tic-related impairment in adulthood. Existing literature indicates that individuals with TS are more likely than the general population to report self-stigma, but little is known about the subjective identities of women with TS and how this relates to psychological wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom with a purposive sample of 11 females. All were diagnosed with TS and aged 18-28. Data was transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis applied. Five themes were established: "I'm not normal", "I just want to be me", I'm a "people pleaser", seeing oneself as an "outsider", and "it's just part of me…it's not going anywhere". Difficulties with self-acceptance and the autonomy to be one's true self were noted and appeared to be intensified by stereotypical gender roles and attempts to conceal tics. Findings also suggested that personal growth and feelings of mastery can be achieved through embracing TS as part of one's identity, or recognising it as just one aspect of the self. Psychological support focused on accepting and living with tics rather than reducing them may benefit this population and is currently difficult to access. Consideration should also be given to improving the availability of support groups where women with TS can meet others like themselves.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10882-023-09911-x.
... To be effective, vaccine rollout interventions must address fear and anxiety, raise awareness of emotional manipulations by anti-vaccine disinformation efforts, and activate positive emotions such as altruism and hope [27]. Hope and altruism (both PrEP and COVID-19 facilitators) have been welldocumented to benefit self and have effectively prevented epidemics [28]. Therefore, focusing on how someone can be simultaneously in control of their own well-being (i.e., personal health, stability, maintaining being around family, avoiding caretaking responsibilities, etc.) by protecting others may advance uptake. ...
Mississippi (MS) trails behind other states in both pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and COVID-19 vaccine uptake. This study investigated similarities in willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and use PrEP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between April 2021 and January 2022 with 15 clinical staff and 49 PrEP-eligible patients living in MS. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Overall, 51% of patients were on PrEP, and 67% received the COVID-19 vaccine. Among PrEP users, 64% had received the vaccine. Participants reported similar hesitations (efficacy, side effects, and no perceived risk) and reasons for use (health autonomy and protecting themselves and others) regarding PrEP and the COVID-19 vaccine. Taking PrEP did not increase the likelihood of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, thus engaging in one prevention behavior does not lead to engaging in other prevention behaviors. However, results indicated commonalities in hesitancy and motivators to utilize both preventive measures. Future prevention and implementation efforts can be informed by these commonalities.
... Prosocial behavior is known for impacting social relationships, life satisfaction, economic success as well as mental and physical health (14)(15)(16), and its alteration, together with socio-affective disruption, have been linked to personality, depressive and anxiety disorders (6,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). The propensity to act prosocially may therefore vary with psychiatric traits. ...
... Happiness is essential for students' motivation to learn in school (Datu et al. 2016;Frey and Stutzer 2010;Moos et al. 2005;Oreopoulos 2007;Soleimani and Tebyanian 2011). Recent research into happiness also supports the notion that individuals who are happier show more initiative to collaborate with peers (Post, 2005;Veenhoven, 2008). ...
... 26 One intrinsic motivation to contribute to OSS projects is a sense of happiness and community fostered in OSS contributors, even if contributing is not in the person's own self-interest (Jiang et al., 2017;Lakhani & von Hippel, 2003;Osterloh & Rota, 2007). In line with the idea that voluntary contributions to others are associated with greater well-being (Dunn et al., 2008;Post, 2005), contributions to others' projects are a more effective way for OSS community members to develop a sense of community, happiness, and support of others' well-being than are contributions to their own projects, which are more selffocused. Thus, the intrinsic motivations involving a sense of community and happiness drive OSS community members to contribute more to others' projects than to their own during a pandemic. ...
Contributions by individual open source software (OSS) community members are the lifeblood of the OSS projects that power today’s digital economy and are important for the very survival of such communities. Individual contributions by OSS community members to others’ projects and their own determine whether OSS communities are resilient in the face of major shocks. Arguably, if crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic prompt users to reduce their contributions to others’ projects relative to the contributions to their own projects, such behavior can have implications for the overall resilience of the OSS community. Therefore, whether and how individuals change their contributions in the face of a crisis is an important question. We examine whether members in an OSS community increased or decreased their contributions to others’ projects relative to their own in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, a sudden and unexpected global health-related shock that has affected almost everyone. We also compare and contrast this behavior when the OSS community faced increasing unemployment, an economic cyclic shock that is arguably and relatively more personal. Drawing on the concept of prosocial behavior and conservation of resources (COR) theory, we hypothesize that the pandemic increased OSS community members’ contributions to others’ projects relative to their own; on the other hand, the threat of rising unemployment decreased OSS community members’ contributions to others’ projects relative to their own. Our empirical analyses of a longitudinal dataset of over 18,000 OSS community members on GitHub, with more than 1.4 million member-day observations, support our hypotheses. This study contributes by uncovering the differential effects of exogenous health-related and economic shocks on the resilience of the OSS community. We conclude with a discussion of our findings’ implications for OSS community resilience.
... Indeed, having control enhances goal-orientation, granting people more means to achieve their goals and exert more control even in unrelated domains (Guinote, 2007(Guinote, , 2017. Having more resources and higher status is also linked to behaviors that promote others' wellbeing (Gittell and Tebaldi, 2006;Hughes and Luksetich, 2008;Korndörfer et al., 2015;Post, 2005;Stamos et al., 2020), the effect of which seems to be moderated by feelings of power (Dubois et al., 2015). Thus, it is unsurprising that people exhibit strong preferences for power (Mason and Blankenship, 1987) and seeking control over outcomes (Wang and Delgado, 2019). ...
Controllability, or the influence one has over their surroundings, is crucial for decision-making and mental health. Traditionally, controllability is operationalized in sensorimotor terms as one's ability to exercise their actions to achieve an intended outcome (also termed "agency"). However, recent social neuroscience research suggests that humans also assess if and how they can exert influence over other people (i.e., their actions, outcomes, beliefs) to achieve desired outcomes ("social controllability"). In this review, we will synthesize empirical findings and neurocomputational frameworks related to social controllability. We first introduce the concepts of contextual and perceived controllability and their respective relevance for decision-making. Then, we outline neurocomputational frameworks that can be used to model social controllability, with a focus on behavioral economic paradigms and reinforcement learning approaches. Finally, we discuss the implications of social controllability for computational psychiatry research, using delusion and obsession-compulsion as examples. Taken together, we propose that social controllability could be a key area of investigation in future social neuroscience and computational psychiatry research.
... As such, many charities and non-profit organizations may be at risk as they unsustainably rely on fewer donors and those who give fewer of their resources (CanadaHelps, 2018). Meanwhile, adolescents are likely to miss out on the benefits of generous behavior, such as greater health, happiness, and social connection (Aknin et al., 2019;Curry et al., 2018;Post, 2005). ...
In partnership with a sport-based Experiential Philanthropy Intervention – The Play Better Program – we conducted a pre-registered, longitudinal experiment examining whether repeatedly reflecting on prosocial activity could boost adolescents’ objective generosity. Adolescents (N = 114; aged 9–16) practiced charitable giving throughout their 2-month sports season and were randomly assigned to repeatedly reflect on the importance of their prosocial activity (Reflection condition) or to write about their everyday activities (Control condition). Adolescents completed an objective measure of generosity at pre- and post-intervention and self-reported measures of prosocial character. Across conditions, adolescents donated objectively more at post- vs. pre-intervention. However, adolescents in the Reflection (vs. Control) condition were no more generous and did not report greater prosocial character at post-intervention. Overall, these findings highlight the malleability of human prosociality and the need for additional scholar-practitioner collaborations to uncover whether and how Experiential Philanthropy Interventions boost long-term generosity among the next generation of givers.
... Further, intervention group participants qualitatively described improved mental health, a fostered sense of purpose, enhanced social connection, enjoyment, and positive empathy, to name a few (Shillington et al. 2021). Therefore, it is evident that engaging in kind acts has both psychological and physical benefits that include improvements in social-emotional wellbeing and more positive school climates, which are essential for students' educational success (Curry et al. 2018;Kaplan et al. 2016;Lyubomirsky, Tkach, and Sheldon 2004;Post 2005;Pressman, Kraft, and Cross 2015;Shillington et al. 2021). ...
Positive academic climates are critical to helping students thrive, and kindness innovations might enhance these climates. This conceptual paper’s purpose is to share insights from a consensus building event focused on fostering relationships and knowledge-sharing among an international group of multidisciplinary students, faculty, and staff who explored ways to bring a kindness framework into post-secondary education. Participants underscored kindness as critical for students’ experiences and university culture, and identified several levels of influence requiring intervention focus. Ideas and strategies emerging from the event might serve to encourage student-led kindness initiatives and prompt university personnel to integrate kindness into post-secondary institutions.
... Similarly, volunteering for the environment provides numerous health benefits and personal growth to its participants (Thoits and Hewitt 2001;Wearing 2001;Post 2005;Abreu and Ferreira 2021;Sandiford 2021;Smyth et al. 2022). Serving in a natural environment can enhance the benefits of natural activities and experiences (Halpenny and Caissie 2003;Miles et al. 1998). ...
The current study investigated the differences between environmental volunteering program and natural experience program in natural benefits, place attachment and pro-environmental behaviours. Fifty-eight college students were recruited to participate in these two programs which were conducted in a highland farm. Comparing to those in natural experience program, the results indicated that participants in the environmental volunteering program perceived greater natural benefits, expressed a stronger place attachment to activity site, as well as reported a better human-nature relationship and improved pro-environmental behaviours. The findings of this study also presented how these measurements predict volunteers’ natural benefits and pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental volunteering is an environmental health strategy that could be incorporated into individuals’ health promotion. Suggestions for promoting environmental volunteering, and their implementations are proposed.
... Research also shows that altruistic acts contribute to individuals' well-being (e.g. Post, 2005). As a group-level construct, it helps learners move towards better citizenship, along with other concepts such as responsibility, civility, work ethic, moderation, nurturing, and tolerance (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). ...
According to positive psychology (PP), positive emotions contribute to language learning by helping learners recognize their strengths and overcome obstacles. One form of PP is altruism (altruistic teaching), which requires teaching without self-focus. The present study aimed to investigate how altruism affects the emotions and second language (L2) summary writing skills of Iranian L2 learners, drawing on an experimental (comparison group, pretest–posttest) design within a sequential explanatory design. The participants of the study were 130 Iranian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) with B1 general English language proficiency who were assigned to one intervention and one comparison group, and underwent the intervention and control intervention, respectively. Both the intervention and control intervention involved an instructional program of 12 sessions on summary writing with one teacher. What distinguished the intervention from the control intervention was that each student in the intervention group was supposed to teach for one hour one peer what they learned about English summary writing out of altruism. Analysis of the data showed that altruism has a positive instructional influence on the L2 summary writing skills of L2 learners by promoting their self-esteem, gratitude, connectedness and community, happiness, and compassion. The article ends with implications for research and practice in second language acquisition (SLA) and PP.
... In the animal kingdom, a similar example of altruism can be found amongst vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), which have been observed regurgitating blood meals to donate it to other members of their group who have failed to feed that night to ensure they do not starve 37,38 . Studies have shown altruistic behaviours to be imperative for the fitness of functioning societies, reducing morbidity and mortality rates 39 and promoting mental health and happiness 40 within growing populations. ...
Social behaviours are essential for the survival and reproduction of many species, including our own. A fundamental feature of all social behaviour is social preference, which is an individual’s propensity to interact with members of their species (termed conspecifics). In an average population, various social preference behaviours are readily observed, ranging from uninterested (not engaging with conspecifics) to very social (engaging with conspecifics). Individuals expressing these behaviours are typically labelled as having an asocial or prosocial, respectively. Little is known about how the underlying social circuitry gives rise to such distinct social behaviours in the population. It is well established that adverse social experiences can impact social behaviour, including isolation during early development. Undesired social isolation (loneliness) alters behavioural patterns, neuroanatomy (e.g., brain volume) and neurochemistry in ways that resemble developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism and schizophrenia. However, few studies have investigated the impact of early life isolation on social circuitry, and how this results in dysfunctional social behaviour commonly associated with these and other disorders. In this thesis, juvenile zebrafish was used to model social preference behaviour, as it is an excellent translational model for human developmental and behavioural disorders. Population-level analysis revealed that several features of social preference behaviour could be summarised via Visual Preference Index (VPI) scores representing sociality. Using multiple behavioural parameters, comprehensive investigations of asocial and prosocial fish identified via VPIs revealed distinct responses towards conspecifics between the two phenotypes. These initial results served as a baseline for facilitating the identification of atypical social behaviour following periods of social isolation. The impact of isolation on social preference was assessed by applying either the full isolation over the initial three weeks of development or partial isolation, 48 hours or 24 hours, before testing. Following periods of social isolation, juvenile zebrafish displayed anxiety-like behaviours. Furthermore, full and partial isolation of 48 hours, but not 24 hours, altered responses to conspecifics. To assess the impact of social isolation on the social circuitry, the brain activities of fish were analysed and compared between different rearing conditions using high-resolution two-photon imaging. Whole-brain functional maps of isolated social phenotypes were distinct from those in the average population. Isolation-induced activity changes were found mainly in brain regions linked to social behaviour, social cue processing, and anxiety/stress (e.g., the caudal hypothalamus and preoptic area). Since some of these affected regions are modulated by serotonin, the reversibility of the adverse effects of social isolation on preference behaviour was investigated by using pharmacological manipulation of the monoaminergic system. The administration of an anxiolytic the drug buspirone demonstrated that altered social preference behaviour in isolated fish could be rescued by acutely reducing serotonin levels. By investigating social preference at the behavioural and functional level in wild-type juvenile zebrafish, this work contributes to our understanding of how the social brain circuity produces diverse social preferences. Furthermore, it provides important information on how early-life environmental adversity gives rise to atypical social behaviour and the neurotransmitters modulating the circuit, offering new opportunities for effective intervention.
Purpose
Although allies have been shown to be effective at helping to ignite positive change for marginalized groups, the literature on ally identity development is fragmented.
Design/methodology/approach
We draw from developmental, contextual, and identity theories to review the existing literature and focus squarely on the ally experience, resulting in a synthesized process-based conceptualization of ally identity development.
Findings
At each stage, we discuss intrapersonal experiences individuals are likely to have internally, interpersonal experiences that are likely to occur with others, and catalysts for progression to subsequent stages. In doing so, we outline the multilevel factors that influence and are influenced by ally development in hopes of identifying what motivates or dissuades individuals from becoming more active allies.
Originality/value
We provide practitioners and scholars with a deeper understanding of the organizational and societal benefits associated with allyship behaviors, as well as tools for increasing their presence within organizations.
Introduction:
Positive psychological characteristics have been found to be associated with discrimination and school outcomes separately; however, no work has examined these associations together or in North American Indigenous (NAI) populations. NAI adolescents experience high rates of racial discrimination. Because discrimination has a detrimental impact on academic outcomes it is critical to identify factors that could buffer this impact. The purpose of this study was to examine the indirect effect of racial discrimination on three distinct school outcomes (i.e., attitudes toward school, grades, and educational attainment goals) through the pathway of three positive psychological characteristics (i.e., satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, and self-compassion).
Methods:
First Nation adolescents living on a rural reserve in Eastern Canada (N = 106, Mage = 14.6 years, 50.0% female) completed a pencil-and-paper survey in Spring 2017 as part of a larger community-based participatory research study.
Results:
In the model examining school attitudes, indirect effects through subjective happiness (b = -0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): [-0.53, -0.03]) and self-compassion (b = -0.19, 95% CI: [-0.39, -0.04]), but not satisfaction with life, were significant. In the model examining grades, only the specific indirect effect through subjective happiness was significant (b = -0.27, 95% CI: [-0.59 -0.07]). Similarly, in the model examining school goals, only the indirect effect through subjective happiness was significant (b = -0.40, 95% CI: [-0.94, -0.08]). The direct effects of discrimination on school attitudes (b = 0.02, 95% CI: [-0.52, 0.56]), grades (b = 0.16, 95% CI: [-0.39, 0.71]), and school goals (b = -0.03, 95% CI: [-0.90, 0.84]) were not significant after controlling for positive psychological characteristics.
Discussion:
Schools should foster positive emotions to enhance academic outcomes, especially for NAI youth who are more likely to experience racial discrimination.
Introduction:
We explored experiences of volunteering in Heritage at Risk (HAR) projects, intended to mitigate the deterioration to historic assets, and the relationship with wellbeing. We aimed to understand the value of HAR to volunteers' wellbeing and relationships between HAR programme characteristics such as location, asset type and type of activity.
Methods:
We used a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews of a purposive sample of volunteers recruited via Historic England (HE), employing Systematic Grounded Theory involving open, axial and selective coding.
Findings:
We interviewed 35 volunteers (18 male and 17 female) participating in 10 HAR projects. We identified six themes from the data analysis. (1) Purpose-was associated with volunteering motivations; there were some barriers to volunteering and many types of facilitators, including accessibility to local heritage sites. (2) Being-volunteers showed an appreciation and attachment to their place of residence. (3) Capacity-to learn heritage-specific skills and diversify experiences in learning new skills (life, technical and personal). (4) Sharing-community engagement, connectedness, and inclusivity captured diversity and inclusion within volunteers across age, ethnicity, ability, and gender. (5) Self-nurture-HAR volunteering created physical, psychological, and social benefits with limited risks and adverse outcomes. (6) Self-actualisation-described volunteers reflecting on their experiences.
Conclusion:
HAR volunteering was associated with positive physical, social and psychological wellbeing outcomes. The study provides an evidence base for specific wellbeing benefits of volunteering at Heritage at Risk sites, although we could not conclude that HAR project activity was the cause of increased wellbeing.
Public contribution:
Staff from HE were involved in designing the project brief. In selecting the HAR project sites, we took advice and recommendations from HE staff across all their six regional offices.
Objective:
When socioeconomic status is measured at the individual and/or family level, it has long been associated with cognition in children. However, the association between neighborhood deprivation, an index of community-level socioeconomic status, and child cognition is not fully understood. The goal of this study was to investigate (1) the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and child cognitive functioning and (2) whether child age moderates the relationship between cognitive functioning and neighborhood deprivation.
Methods:
This study included 9878 children, ages 3 through 17 years (M = 10.4 yrs, SD = 3.4 yrs). Data were gathered from children referred for and evaluated at an urban, outpatient neuropsychology assessment clinic between 2006 and 2022, located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was measured at the census block level using the Area Deprivation Index composite.
Results:
There was a 20-point median difference in overall intelligence between the neighborhoods with the lowest and highest levels of deprivation. Overall intelligence and verbal comprehension, compared with working memory, fluid reasoning, and processing speed, demonstrated the strongest negative association with neighborhood deprivation (all p < 0.05). Older children had lower overall intelligence scores compared with younger children in neighborhoods with high levels of deprivation (p < 0.01), suggesting a cumulative influence of poverty exposure.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates the stark disparities in child cognitive functioning across levels of neighborhood deprivation. Findings support the importance of access to early interventions and services that promote intellectual growth and verbal capacity among children who live in neighborhoods with great deprivation.
Health and happiness influence each other. However, the relationship is quite complex, as a healthy person may be unhappy, and a seriously ill patient may experience happiness. Physical and mental health, and illness-related variables impact upon happiness, though it may be more pronounced by mental illnesses. Positive emotions, resilience, sex and intimacy, and social connectedness are usually associated with happiness, whereas stress, worry, pain, and depression are not. Happier people probably live longer, and there is excess mortality associated with unhappiness; however, many confounding variables exist. Interestingly, in recent years, biological substrates for happiness have been suggested. Genetics, neurotransmitters, specific areas of the brain, and biomarkers have been identified as being associated with the states of happiness. Achieving and maintaining happiness through health appears to have simple messages of being physically active, maintaining good health, preventing and managing illnesses well, having positive emotions, learning to be resilient against stress, and being generous and spiritual. Studies on health and happiness are building up in recent years, providing more insights into their interrelation. Happiness is being used as an outcome measure in clinical interventional trials and other health research, and there is an enhanced scope for its use in common clinical practice.KeywordsHappinessPhysical healthMental healthBiological basis of happinessHappiness illness interface
Christianity is the most widely practiced global religion. Christian philosophy and practices have recently gathered the interest of psychology researchers, especially in positive psychology. This chapter attempts to provide an overview of Christian theology and practices and their association with positive psychology. We discuss how the Christian worldview has contributed to understanding human nature, interpersonal relationships, and overall well-being. Several Christian practices such as congregational membership, volunteering services, prayer, and confession have been discussed for their positive physical and psychological impact. The chapter further presents the core concepts of positive psychology embedded in Christian teachings insinuating the Christian way of life. It draws parallels between Christian philosophy and the eudaemonic approach to happiness and shows how Christian theology supports the pursuit of purpose and meaning in life and interconnects love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Besides, the chapter discusses empirical studies on Christian yoga, meditation, and other Christian-sensitive psychological interventions. In the end, it briefly covers Christianity in India, its origin, and various organizations that contribute to promoting overall health in society.KeywordsChristianityPositive psychologyMental healthWell-beingChristian psychology
Buddhism is a globally practiced religion which has made its way into psychological research. Buddhist literature is replete with concepts pertaining to behavior, mind, and emotions and has been efficacious in providing insights into the dynamics of human mind and behavior, resulting in the development of a new subfield of research known as ‘Buddhist Psychology’. This chapter discusses some selected constructs of Buddhism like the Four Noble Truths and the eightfold path, the three poisons and their antidotes, Bodhisattva, anatta and mindfulness that have positive associations with human well-being. A discussion of each of these topics begins with its representation in Buddhist literature, followed by its parallels in psychological literature and its status in empirical studies. This dualistic understanding will help shed light on how naturally and effortlessly Buddhist principles can find their way into contemporary psychology. The chapter culminates with suggestions for researchers on how to better understand and incorporate Buddhist principles into psychological practice.KeywordsBuddhist psychologyFour Noble TruthsEightfold pathThree poisons
Bodhisattva
Anatta
Mindfulness
Sikhism is a widely practiced religion that guides its followers regarding a healthy way of living. This chapter starts by discussing the demography and history of Sikhs. The chapter then identifies the various aspects of Sikh philosophy that propagate the idea of flourishing. Further, it explores the various teachings and practices within Sikhism that are related to positive psychological well-being and examines the application of several daily practices in enhancing well-being. This chapter attempts to synthesize empirical evidence in favor of these practices and highlight gaps that exist in the existing literature. It further explores the utilization of the Sikh belief system and practices in the psychotherapeutic context and discusses the Sikh psychological models proposed for intervention. It also examines the role of the Sikh belief system in acting as a possible barrier to the accessibility of mental health services for Sikh followers. The chapter ends by highlighting the scope of future research.KeywordsSikhismPsychological benefitsWell-beingPsychotherapeutic context
Internationally, there is growing attention on links between social isolation and mental health problems. Here, we use unique Australian longitudinal data to investigate associations between adult men's (n = 507; age M = 29.90, SD = 1.31) social network investments and their concurrent and subsequent mental health problems. In linear regressions, using generalised estimating equations (GEEs), we examined associations between social network investment (time with friends, network size and various activities with friends) and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety and stress) across five timepoints. Models were adjusted for waves of outcome and potential confounders. Cross-sectionally, each social network investment variable, except for drinking with friends, was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Men's extended friendship network size and sharing a meal with friends were negatively associated with concurrent anxiety and stress. Time spent and physical activity with friends was also negatively associated with concurrent stress. In longitudinal analyses, after adjusting for prior depressive symptoms, only the number of friends in close and extended networks remained protective against depressive symptoms 1 year later. Results did not differ by fatherhood or relationship status. Programs designed to strengthen men's investment in social networks are recommended to reduce men's depressive symptoms.
Happiness is considered to be a life goal that can be elusive and yet one that all humans wish to achieve. Its importance is acknowledged by everyone, but there may be scepticism or lack of enthusiasm about research on happiness. The present essay aims at pointing out that happiness research as an area is promising. The discussion begins by outlining how this research area can be meaningful and summarises the various conceptualisations proposed in the philosophical, psychological, and economic perspectives. Possible integrative conceptual frameworks are then considered. After a brief description of the main methods and indicators used in this research, findings showing cultural influences on happiness are analysed. The significant correlates of happiness are summarised, including economic factors, equality, and social justice, prosociality and gratitude, and personality correlates. The discussion concludes by listing some issues that are still insufficiently explored. Considering the progress the area has already made, optimism is expressed about the future of happiness research and its expected contribution to national and social policy formulation towards a happy society.KeywordsPsychological perspectiveHappiness conceptCorrelates of happinessSustainable wellbeingCultural influence
A great deal of attention is paid to how people interact with digital technologies and the impact of the digital on people. While there is much interest in the role of digital technology in our lives, we engage in this interest in the digital by recalling that ‘interest’ is, as the anthropologist Michael D. Jackson suggests, made up of inter and est, the latter meaning ‘to be’. In the context of this edited volume, we, in this chapter, foreground inter-being between people, considering the digital tools and platforms that both facilitate and modulate these interactions and relationships. With the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as a backdrop, and with mixtures of apprehension and appreciation, the authors reflect of different aspects of digitally mediated inter-being: the challenges of fostering incidental-though-important student communion in university classes; how counsellors can positively engage with clients digitally; the impact and dynamics of email; concern over the algorithms that modulate our interactions on social media; and the role social media played for many people during the pandemic-induced lockdowns.KeywordsDigital technologyEmailPhatic communionRelational cultural therapySocial mediaAlgorithms
This paper offers a new child‐centred methodology that explores children's visions of their futures, encourages self‐reflection and depth and shares children's voices with peers and researchers, as unbrokered as possible. This final stage of a longitudinal, arts‐based, social science‐informed project was delivered by partnering with schools in socially disadvantaged areas of Bristol, a UK city. Our two‐phase activity used a Tree metaphor to explore children's hopes, ambitions and support, looking forward to recovery from the COVID‐19 pandemic. The analysis combined multi‐disciplinary thematic and visual‐narrative analysis, and revealed diversity, intersection and individuality in themes that scaled out from the child and their family over different timescales. Themes included emotion (concerns; empathy), experiences (happenings, resources skills; aspirations) and relationships, linked to their recent experiences of COVID‐19 mitigation. The paper reflects critically on children's and researchers' positionality, and the complexities involved in developing research methods that encourage children's autonomy, agency and authenticity.
Previous research has shown that prosocial behavior not only benefits the person being helped, but also promotes the well-being of the person helping. Still, several specific characteristics of the helping situation have not yet been considered in one single study. Thus, we examined under which circumstances the helper's well-being is more or less positively influenced. We carried out a 7-day diary study with 363 participants who reported on their everyday prosocial behavior as well as their well-being. We examined the effect of 13 potential moderation variables based on theoretical assumptions of self-determination theory and theories about reciprocity and altruism, as well as invested resources. Overall, the results replicated the positive effect of prosocial behavior on well-being. However, the helper's autonomy, the recipient's gratitude and low responsibility for the situation, the improvement of the situation through helping, and low expected self-blame (when not helping) on the side of the helper were necessary conditions. Moreover, taking within-subject effects into consideration, significant random effects in multilevel models showed that the effect of prosocial behavior on well-being can highly differ from person to person, emphasizing that not all people under all circumstances are happier when they help others.
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unexpected, long-term negative event. Meaning in life has been linked to better psychological adjustment to such events. The current study uses longitudinal data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic to discover whether perceived social support mediates the relationship between six dimensions of prosocial behavior (Altruistic, Anonymous, Public, Compliant, Emotional, and Dire) and meaning in life. A sample of Chinese college students (N = 514) was tracked at three time points (T1, T2, and T3) during the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was used for mediation analysis. The mediation effect was found in all the dimensions of prosocial behavior except for Public prosocial behavior. We also found a longitudinal, bidirectional association between perceived social support and meaning in life. The current study contributes to the growing literature on the significance of prosocial behavior in predicting meaning in life.
The emergence of social neuroscience in the past two decades has offered a useful neurocognitive framework for understanding human social behavior. Of importance, social neuroscience research aimed to provide mechanistic explanations for the established link between wellbeing and social behavioral phenomena–particularly those reflective of social connectedness. Here, we provide an overview of the relevant literature focusing on recent work using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In general, fMRI research demonstrated that aspects of social connectedness that are known to either positively (e.g., social acceptance) or negatively (e.g., social isolation) impact wellbeing also modulated the activity of subcortical reward system accordingly. Similar modulatory influence was found for the activity of other brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex, which are typically regarded as components of the “social brain” that support a wide range of functions related to social cognition and behavior. Elucidating such individual differences in brain activity may shed light onto the neural underpinnings of the link between social connectedness and wellbeing.
This study explored whether altruistic behaviour would decrease agent's unhealthy food intake, and whether vitality and state self-control would sequentially mediate this effect based on the Self-Determination Theory Model of Vitality. It included 1019 college students in total across three studies. Study 1 was a laboratory experiment. By framing a physical task as a helping behaviour or a neutral experimental task, we examined whether these framed tasks impacted participants' subsequent unhealthy food intake levels. Study 2 was an online investigation measuring the relationship between donation (vs. no donation) behaviour and participant's estimated unhealthy food intake level. Study 3 was an online experiment with a mediation test. By random assignment of conducting a donation behaviour versus a neutral task, we examined whether these behaviours affected participants' vitality, state self-control, and estimated unhealthy food intake levels. In addition, we tested a sequential mediation model with vitality and state self-control as the mediators. Both unhealthy and healthy foods were included in Study 2 and 3. Results showed that altruistic behaviour could decrease agent's unhealthy (but not healthy) food intake, and this effect was sequentially mediated by vitality and state self-control. The findings highlight that altruistic acts may buffer agents against unhealthy eating behaviour.
Compassion and Spiritual Care are interconnected. The role of Compassionate Spiritual Care (CSC) is crucial both in delivering high-quality care and in preventing HCPs burnout. There is a huge room for improvement in CSC worldwide and ample evidence suggests the implementation of relevant interventions and effective training of HCPs, chaplains, and volunteer spiritual care leaders. We proposed a model of 4 dimensions for CSC skills and attitudes and 5 key spiritual virtues that can be cultivated via experiential learning educational methods as described in detail in Chap. 4.
The hypothesis of group selection fell victim to a seemingly devastating critique in 1960s evolutionary biology. In Unto Others (1998), we argue to the contrary, that group selection is a conceptually coherent and empirically well documented cause of evolution. We suggest, in addition, that it has been especially important in human evolution. In the second part of Unto Others, we consider the issue of psychological egoism and altruism - do human beings have ultimate motives concerning the well-being of others? We argue that previous psychological and philosophical work on this question has been inconclusive. We propose an evolutionary argument for the claim that human beings have altruistic ultimate motives.
Emphasizes the subjective experience of the person attempting to express compassionate love through a discussion of empirical research. It is concluded that one goal of research on compassionate love is ultimately to give additional insight into how compassionate love might be fostered in individuals and societies. It is argued that in order to do this well, it is important to understand the key features of compassionate love, the substrate of conditions that influence the expression, and the motives that detract from the quality of loving compassion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)(chapter)
Older residents (N 5 1972) in California were investigated prospectively for association of volunteering service to others and all-cause mortality. Potential confounding factors were studied: demographics, health status, physical functioning, health habits, social support, religious involvement, and emotional states. Possible interaction effects of volunteering with religious involvement and social support were also explored. Results showed that 31 percent (n 5 630) of respondents volunteered, about half (n5289) for more than one organization. High volunteers ([.greaterequal]2 organizations) had 63 percent lower mortality than nonvolunteers (age and sex-adjusted) with relative hazard (RH) 5 0.37, confidence interval (CI) 5 0.24, 0.58. Multivariate adjustment moderately reduced difference to 44 percent (RH 5 0.56, CI 5 0.35, 0.89), mostly due to physical functioning, health habits, and social support. Unexpectedly, volunteering was slightly more protective for those with high religious involvement and perceived social support. After multivariate adjustment, any level of volunteering reduced mortality by 60 percent among weekly attenders at religious services (RH 5 0.40; CI 5 0.21,0.74). Lower mortality rates for community service volunteers were only partly explained by health habits, physical functioning, religious attendance, and social support.
Many advances in medical technology have brought with them ethical dilemmas for which our society and philosophy provide no satisfactory answers. However, these dilemmas ought not to completely obscure the positive social impacts of technical advances. Since the development of safe blood transfusions, medical treatments have come into common use that require products only obtainable from human bodies. Writing about the donation of blood, Richard Titmuss and others have examined why people give this lifesaving gift to strangers and what are the circumstances contributing to or impeding such gift giving. Today, scholars are examining how the donation of human organs also may establish the Titmuss called 'the gift relationship' in contemporary society. However, no large-scale systematic research into the characteristics and motivations of families of organ donors has yet been done. This article begins to address these issues.
Handwritten autobiographies from 180 Catholic nuns, composed when participants were a mean age of 22 years, were scored for emotional content and related to survival during ages 75 to 95. A strong inverse association was found between positive emotional content in these writings and risk of mortality in late life (p < .001). As the quartile ranking of positive emotion in early life increased, there was a stepwise decrease in risk of mortality resulting in a 2.5-fold difference between the lowest and highest quartiles. Positive emotional content in early-life autobiographies was strongly associated with longevity 6 decades later. Underlying mechanisms of balanced emotional states are discussed.
This chapter examines some of the literature demonstrating an impact of affect on social behavior. It will consider the influence of affect on cognition in an attempt to further understand on the way cognitive processes may mediate the effect of feelings on social behavior. The chapter describes the recent works suggesting an influence of positive affect on flexibility in cognitive organization (that is, in the perceived relatedness of ideas) and the implications of this effect for social interaction. The goal of this research is to expand the understanding of social behavior and the factors, such as affect, that influence interaction among people. Another has been to extend the knowledge of affect, both as one of these determinants of social behavior and in its own right. And a third has been to increase the understanding of cognitive processes, especially as they play a role in social interaction. Most recently, cognitive and social psychologists have investigated ways in which affective factors may participate in cognitive processes (not just interrupt them) and have begun to include affect as a factor in more comprehensive models of cognition. The research described in the chapter has focused primarily on feelings rather than intense emotion, because feelings are probably the most frequent affective experiences. The chapter focuses primarily on positive affect.
The major independent role played by anxiety and severe psychosocial problems (especially family ones) is demonstrated by this multivariate analysis of a five year prospective study of the development of new angina pectoris among almost 10,000 adult men (average annual incidence = ).
Love is analyzed as an element of social action and therefore of social structure. Although the romantic complex is rare, a "love pattern" is found in a wide range of societies. Since love is potentially disruptive of lineages and class strata, it must be controlled. Since its meaning is different within different social structures, it is controlled by various measures. The five principal types of "love control" are described. Disruptions are more important to the upper social strata who possess the means for control. Therefore these strata achieve a higher degree of control over both the occurrence of love relationships and the influence of love upon action.
A virtue is defined as any psychological process that enables a person to think and act so as to benefit both him- or herself and society. Character is a higher-order construct reflecting the possession of several of the component virtues. The process by which the topics of virtue and character fell out of favor in psychology is reviewed, with a call for a rebirth of interest in these concepts in the interface of clinical, counseling, social, and personality psychology.
Existing research and writing on the topic of love is explored in order to encourage study of the epidemiology of love. Theoretical work in the psychology of love is reviewed, followed by a profile of measurement instruments developed to assess love. Next, existing empirical findings linking love-related constructs to health and healing are summarized. Finally, an outline is provided of pertinent questions in the epidemiology of love. The possibility is raised that love may not be just a host factor, similar to other psychosocial constructs, but also an agent of salutogenesis.
Panel data from a sample of 313 women who were wives and mothers in 1956 and were interviewed both in 1956 and in 1986 are used to consider the pathways that lead to health and social integration. Possible relationships were explored between the number, duration, timing, and episodes of various nonfamily roles throughout adulthood and subsequent health and multiple-role occupancy. It was found that occupying multiple roles in 1956, participating in volunteer work on an intermittent basis, and belonging to a club or organization were positively related to various measures of health and that occupying multiple roles in 1956, as well as doing volunteer work, was positively related to occupying multiple roles in 1986.
One-hundred and thirty-two college students were exposed in small groups to two films which contrasted in the extent to which they aroused either power or affiliation motivation. In previous studies high power motivation, if it is inhibited, has been associated with lower levels of salivary immunoglobulin A (S-Ig A), and high affiliation motivation, if it is not inhibited, is associated with higher concentrations of S-Ig A. The film which aroused power motivation more was not followed by a decrease in S-Ig A concentrations as predicted, but the film was followed by a significant reduction in S-Ig A concentrations for those individuals with the inhibited power motive syndrome at baseline as compared to individuals characterized by other motive syndromes. The film which aroused affiliation motivation more was followed by an increase in S-Ig A concentrations immediately afterwards, and this increase was sustained an hour later when subjects continued to dwell on the loving relationships that characterized the film. Subjects characterized by the relaxed affiliative syndrome at baseline showed greater gains in S-Ig A in response to the film which aroused affiliative concerns. Although higher S-Ig A levels at baseline are associated with reports of less severe illness in the past among males, neither males nor females who showed consistent gains in S-Ig A after the affiliative film reported less severe illness in the past.
This exploratory within-subjects study compared the effects of elder retired volunteers giving massage to infants with receiving massage themselves. Three times a week for 3 weeks, 10 elder volunteers (8 females, mean age = 70 years) received Swedish massage sessions. For another 3 weeks, three times per week, the same elderly volunteers massaged infants at a nursery school. Receiving massage first versus giving massage first was counterbalanced across subjects. Immediately after the first- and last-day sessions of giving massages, the elder retired volunteers had less anxiety and depression and lower stress hormones (salivary cortisol) levels. Over the 3-week period, depression and catecholamines (norepinephrine and epinephrine) decreased and lifestyle and health improved. These effects were not as strong for the 3-week period when they received massage, possibly because the elder retired volunteers initially felt awkward about being massaged and because they derived more satisfaction massaging the infants.
Ethological attachment theory is a landmark of 20th century social and behavioral sciences theory and research. This new paradigm for understanding primary relationships across the lifespan evolved from John Bowlby's critique of psychoanalytic drive theory and his own clinical observations, supplemented by his knowledge of fields as diverse as primate ethology, control systems theory, and cognitive psychology. By the time he had written the first volume of his classic Attachment and Loss trilogy, Mary D. Salter Ainsworth's naturalistic observations in Uganda and Baltimore, and her theoretical and descriptive insights about maternal care and the secure base phenomenon had become integral to attachment theory. Patterns of Attachment reports the methods and key results of Ainsworth's landmark Baltimore Longitudinal Study. Following upon her naturalistic home observations in Uganda, the Baltimore project yielded a wealth of enduring, benchmark results on the nature of the child's tie to its primary caregiver and the importance of early experience. It also addressed a wide range of conceptual and methodological issues common to many developmental and longitudinal projects, especially issues of age appropriate assessment, quantifying behavior, and comprehending individual differences. In addition, Ainsworth and her students broke new ground, clarifying and defining new concepts, demonstrating the value of the ethological methods and insights about behavior. Today, as we enter the fourth generation of attachment study, we have a rich and growing catalogue of behavioral and narrative approaches to measuring attachment from infancy to adulthood. Each of them has roots in the Strange Situation and the secure base concept presented in Patterns of Attachment. It inclusion in the Psychology Press Classic Editions series reflects Patterns of Attachment's continuing significance and insures its availability to new generations of students, researchers, and clinicians.
The importance of participation in voluntary formal associations for enhancing health is supported by four kinds of evidence. (1) Seven prospective studies of social relations and mortality show the independent effect of formal social participation, net of informal ties. (2) Conceptual analysis demonstrates that voluntary formal associations constitute a separate class of social causation. (3) Our factor analysis of data from a sample of 629 nonmetropolitan elderly identified two types of formal social participation: 'instrumental,' as in associations that are community oriented, and 'expressive,' as in those that exist for the benefit of the members. (4) Regression analysis showed that the instrumental participation factor is linked, net of controls, to the perceived health of both men and women, whereas the expressive factor predicts for women only.
ack in the 1930s some young Catholic nuns were asked to write short, personal essays about their lives. They described edifying events in their childhood, the schools they attended, their religious experiences and the in- fluences that led them to the convent. Although the essays may have been initially used to assess each nun's ca- reer path, the documents were eventu- ally archived and largely forgotten. More than 60 years later the nuns' writ- ings surfaced again when three psy- chologists at the University of Ken- tucky reviewed the essays as part of a larger study on aging and Alzheimer's disease. Deborah Danner, David Snow- don and Wallace Friesen read the nun's biographical sketches and scored them for positive emotional content, record- ing instances of happiness, interest, love and hope. What they found was remarkable: The nuns who expressed the most positive emotions lived up to 10 years longer than those who ex- pressed the fewest. This gain in life ex- pectancy is considerably larger than the gain achieved by those who quit smoking.
Infant monkeys were reared with the aid of a laboratory constructed mother-substitute. "We produced a perfectly proportioned streamlined body stripped of unnecessary bulges and appendices. Redundancy in the surrogate mother's system was avoided by reducing the number of breasts from two to one and placing this unibreast in an upper-thoracic, sagittal position, thus maximizing the natural and known perceptual-motor capabilities of the infant operator. The surrogate was made from a block of wood, covered with sponge rubber, and sheathed in tan cotton terry cloth. A light bulb behind her radiated heat. The result was a mother, soft, warm, and tender, a mother with infinite patience, a mother available twenty-four hours a day, a mother that never scolded her infant and never struck or bit her baby in anger." The data obtained "make it obvious that contact comfort is a variable of overwhelming importance in the development of affectional responses, whereas lactation is a variable of negligible importance." It is suggested that the primary function of nursing "is that of insuring frequent and intimate body contact of infant with mother." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Loving is a fundamental aspect of being human. Freud himself argued that the inability to love leads to illness, and some empirical research appears to support his view. Yet our knowledge of the nature of love remains primitive, because until recently it was not considered scientifically respectable to investigate love phenomena. This study used confirmatory factor analytic methods to test the fit of various models to data provided by 499 subjects on the 1990 version of the Hendrick and Hendrick Love Attitudes Scale. The results suggest that counselors and researchers should not treat the love styles delineated by Lee as discrete or uncorrelated entities. The results also suggest that the traditional model regarding this measure, positing (a) six factors (b) that are uncorrelated, may not provide a very good fit to data from the Love Attitudes Scale.
Longevity and health are determined by a diverse--and surprising--set of factors.
Emotional Longevity explores them all, providing nothing less than a new definition of what it means to be healthy. Drawing on the findings of the most important scientific studies, leading behavioral scientist Dr. Norman Anderson, along with his coauthor and spouse, health journalist P. Elizabeth Anderson, identifies the combination of links between biology and social environment, beliefs, and emotions that influence our vulnerability to everything from the common cold to heart disease, high blood pressure, and the speed of recovery from illness. These include: your expectations about the future, how you explain events that happened in your past, your friendships and social ties, your education and income, traumatic experiences that you never disclosed to anyone, and your ability to find meaning following adversity. Through the stories of many prominent figures, including Maya Angelou, Reynolds Price, and Linda Ellerbee, the authors underscore the reality of these scientific findings, and Dr. Anderson's conclusions show us how to enhance the quality of our lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Previous work by the authors and colleagues (1984) extended J. A. Lee's (1973/1976) theory of 6 basic love styles: eros (passionate love); ludus (game-playing love); storge (friendship love); pragma (logical, "shopping list" love); mania (possessive, dependent love); and agape (all-giving, selfless love). In Study 1, 807 undergraduates completed a 42-item rating questionnaire, with 7 items measuring each of the love styles. Six love style scales emerged clearly from factor analysis. Internal reliability was shown for each scale, and the scales had low intercorrelations with each other. Significant relationships were found between love attitudes and several background variables, including gender, ethnicity, previous love experiences, current love status, and self-esteem. Study 2, with 567 Ss, replicated the factor structure, factor loadings, and reliability analyses of the 1st study. The significant relationships between love attitudes and gender, previous love experiences, current love status, and self-esteem were also consistent with the results of Study 1. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Objectives. To assess health habits, and their relationship with psychological wellbeing, among Australian women; in particular to examine the relationship between health habits and the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ; Hunter, 1992). Design. A cross-sectional postal survey of women in three age groups was carried out. Methods. Questionnaire responses from a representative sample of 612 women from three age groups (18-23, 45-50 and 70-75) were analysed. Data included the WHQ, 12-item General Health Questionnaire, Medical Outcomes Study SF-12 and self-reports of smoking, height and weight, alcohol use and exercise status. Results. Young women had the highest rates of smoking and drinking and were most likely to be underweight, while middle-aged and older women were most likely to be overweight or obese. Psychological distress was highest in the youngest group; the middle-aged group were most likely to report vasomotor symptoms and difficulties with memory and concentration; and the older women difficulty in sleeping. Health habits were related to psychological well-being; smoking, unhealthy body weight and lack of exercise were most closely related to the depression subscale of the WHQ. Conclusions. Young adulthood appears the time of greatest distress for women. Distress, particularly depression, is associated with behaviours which predispose to later disease, suggesting that psychological interventions with young women may be particularly important for long-term physical health. The WHQ appears a useful measure of well-being and a good predictor of health-related behaviour across a range of ages.
Video-based media spaces are designed to support casual interaction between intimate collaborators. Yet transmitting video is fraught with privacy concerns. Some researchers suggest that the video stream be filtered to mask out potentially sensitive ...
The interpretation of religion in DSM-III-R contains considerable negative bias and contributes to unfair stereotypes of religious persons. Particularly new religious movements and religious conversion are unfairly interpreted under the DSM-III-R heading, 'Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified'. It is suggested that a more balanced and respectful interpretation of religion is needed in DSM-III-R, since psychiatry through its official nomenclature should not contribute to social intolerance of religious nonconformity.
During 1975 twenty-six bereaved spouses took part in a detailed prospective investigation of the effects of severe stress on the immune system. T and B cell numbers and function, and hormone concentrations were studied approximately 2 weeks after bereavement and 6 weeks thereafter. The response to phytohaemagglutinin was significantly depressed in the bereaved group on the second occasion, as was the response to concanavalin A at 6 weeks. There was no difference in T and B cell numbers, protein concentrations, the presence of autoantibodies and delayed hypersensitivity, and in cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, and thyroid hormone assays between the bereaved group and the controls. This is the first time severe psychological stress has been shown to produce a measurable abnormality in immune function which is not obviously caused by hormonal changes.
The major independent role played by anxiety and severe psychosocial problems (especially family ones) is demonstrated by this multivariate analysis of a five year prospective study of the development of new angina pectoris among almost 10,000 adult men (average annual incidence = 5.7/1,000). The independent effect of these two variables is considerably augmented by the other significant risk factors of age, total serum cholesterol, systolic or diastolic blood pressure, certain electrocardiographic abnormalities and diabetes mellitus. The presence of all seven risk factors (at a high level) increases the probability of angina pectoris developing within five years to 289/1,000 from 14/1,000, when these factors are low or absent. The wife's love and support is an important balancing factor, which apparently reduces the risk of angina pectoris even in the presence of high risk factors. The implications of these findings to the pathophysiology and prevention of angina are stressed.
This study prospectively evaluated psychosocial as well as biologic, behavioral, and demographic factors in the development of duodenal ulcer. Baseline data were collected in 1963 on 8,458 Israeli men over age 40 years who had no history of duodenal ulcer. The subjects were followed for 5 years, and 254 reported the development of radiographically proven duodenal ulcer. The average annual incidence was six per 1,000 subjects. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed several previously reported risk factors: smoking (odds ratio (OR) = 1.64, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.25-2.16), greater age (60 years and over) (OR = 1.85, 95% Cl 1.25-2.74), lower salary (OR = 1.50, 95% Cl 1.14-1.96), and lower systolic blood pressure (less than 140 mmHg) (OR = 1.58, 95% Cl 1.16-2.15). In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association of duodenal ulcer incidence with preceding measures of family stress, emotional support, and coping style. These were: increased family problems (OR = 1.60, 95% Cl 1.19-2.16), low level of perceived love and support from subject's wife (OR = 2.06, 95% Cl 1.05-4.05), and restraining retaliation when hurt by coworkers (OR = 1.89, 95% Cl 1.19-3.00). This study confirms several previously reported risk factors and underlines the importance of stress, lack of social support, and coping style in the development of duodenal ulcer.
While much research has focused on the impacts of negative psychological states, such as stress, on physical health, relatively little research has examined the effects of positive psychological states. We suggest this imbalance is attributable to inadequate theoretical and methodological development regarding the impacts of positive psychological states on health. This paper presents a framework by which positive psychological states may influence physical health. Following this, we review evidence pertaining to this framework. We conclude by discussing methodological issues associated with this relatively new area of inquiry.
The prospective association of social relationships and activities reported during a round of interviews and medical examinations in 1967-1969 with mortality over the succeeding nine to 12 years was examined for a cohort of 2754 adult (aged 35-69 years as of 1967-1969) men and women in the Tecumseh Community Health Study. After adjustments for age and a variety of risk factors for mortality, men reporting a higher levels of social relationships and activities in 1967-1969 were significantly less likely to die during the follow-up period. Trends for women were similar, but generally nonsignificant once age and other risk factors were controlled. These results were invariant across age, occupational, and health status groups. No association was observed between mortality and satisfaction with social relationships or activities. How and why social relationships and activities predict mortality are discussed and identified as important foci for future research.
Volunteer workers over age sixty-five were compared to retired elderly who did not engage in any type of work activity. Volunteers were found to have significantly higher degree of life satisfaction, stronger will to live, and fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization. Since no differences were found on most demographic or background variables, participation in volunteer work appears to be the salient factor in explaining psychosocial differences between volunteers and non-volunteers.
Rabbits on a 2 percent cholesterol diet were individually petted, held, talked to, and played with on a regular basis. Measurements
of aortic affinity for a Sudan stain, serum cholesterol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure were made at the end of the
experimental period. Compared to control groups, which were given the same diet and normal laboratory animal care, the experimental
groups showed more than a 60 percent reduction in the percentage of aortic surface area exhibiting sudanophilic lesions, even
though serum cholesterol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure were comparable.
A conceptual framework that identifies psychological and behavioral features associated with antecedents, experiences, and consequences of volunteerism is presented, and an inventory that measures 5 specific motivations for AIDS volunteerism is developed and cross-validated. Then a field study of 116 AIDS volunteers is presented in which a helping disposition, volunteer motivations, and social support (as antecedents), and personal satisfaction and organizational integration (as experiences) are used to predict duration of service over 2 1/2 years. Structural equation analyses indicate that dispositional helping influences satisfaction and integration but not duration of service, whereas greater motivation and less social support predict longer active volunteer service. The model is generalized to the prediction of perceived attitude change. Implications for conceptualizations of motivation, theoretical issues in helping, and practical concerns of volunteer organizations are discussed.
In the early 1950s, multiple-choice scores reflecting feelings of warmth and closeness with parents were obtained from a sample of healthy, undergraduate Harvard men who participated in the Harvard Mastery of Stress Study. Thirty-five years later, detailed medical and psychological histories and medical records were obtained. Ninety-one percent of participants who did not perceive themselves to have had a warm relationship with their mothers (assessed during college) had diagnosed diseases in midlife (including coronary artery disease, hypertension, duodenal ulcer, and alcoholism), as compared to 45% of participants who perceived themselves to have had a warm relationship with their mothers. A similar association between perceived warmth and closeness and future illness was obtained for fathers. Since parents are usually the most meaningful source of social support in early life, the perception of parental love and caring may have important effects on biological and psychological health and illness throughout life.
This study examined how the perception of parental caring, obtained from undergraduates, relates to subsequent health over the ensuing 35 years.
In the early 1950s, initial ratings of parental caring were obtained from a sample of healthy, Harvard undergraduate men who participated in the Harvard Mastery of Stress Study. In a 35 year prospective, follow-up investigation, detailed medical and psychological histories and medical records were obtained.
Subjects identified in midlife as suffering from illnesses such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, duodenal ulcer, and alcoholism, gave their parents significantly lower ratings (p < .00003) on perceived parental caring items (loving, just, fair, hardworking, clever, strong) while in college. This effect was independent of subject's age, family history of illness, smoking behavior, the death and/or divorce of parents, and marital history of subjects. Furthermore, 87% of subjects who rated both their mothers and fathers low in parental caring had diagnosed diseases in midlife, whereas only 25% of subjects who rated both their mothers and fathers high in parental caring had diagnosed diseases in midlife.
Since parents are usually the most meaningful source of social support for much of early life, the perception of parental caring, and parental loving itself, may have important regulatory and predictive effects on biological and psychological health and illness.
Coronary artery disease continues to be the primary cause of mortality in the United States. Recent studies have significantly advanced the ability to improve outcomes in this disorder by demonstrating that intensive risk factor modification programs with diet, lipid-lowering drugs, exercise, and psychosocial interventions can reverse atherosclerosis and reduce events by 40% to 60%. Of all the interventional arms, psychosocial interventions have been the least studied despite research demonstrating that depression and social isolation are potent risk factors for events in patients with coronary artery disease. The few studies that have examined psychosocial interventions in patients with coronary artery disease have demonstrated a reduction in mortality and recurrent events, suggesting that this treatment strategy may be beneficial. Use of volunteer, patient-driven support groups may provide a cost-effective way to improve social support and enhance altruism in patients with coronary artery disease. Although the psychophysiology of altruism is not well defined, it is possible that altruistic activities might have positive health benefits in patients with coronary artery disease. Studies are needed to explore the roles of low-cost, patient-driven support programs in improving psychosocial functioning and outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease.
