Sean P. Mackinnon’s research while affiliated with Dalhousie University and other places

Physicians and other healthcare professionals experience a high risk of burnout, especially during infectious disease epidemics. A longitudinal survey of physicians in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted to assess various risk factors for burnout in the context of a pandemic. We draw from the multi-level model of clinician burnout. This paper focuses on the association between personal coping practices (sleep, mindfulness, gratitude) and burnout indices, as well as the contribution of between-person and within-person effects of personal practices on reducing burnout. Participants were physicians practicing in Canada with a full, provisional, or post-graduate in-training license. The survey was distributed beginning on May 13, 2020, and data was collected monthly for 5 months. Measured personal coping practices included average hours of sleep and days practicing gratitude or mindfulness during the preceding week. Study hypotheses were tested using three multilevel multiple-regression models. One extra hour of sleep was associated with a 0.19 to 0.40 unit (between-subjects) decrease in exhaustion on a five-point scale. Hours of sleep was a consistent predictor of cynicism at the between-subjects (95% CI -0.08, -0.52) and within-subjects (95% CI -0.06, -0.26). Gratitude was a significant predictor of efficacy at the between-subjects level. As days of gratitude increased by one, efficacy increased by 0.02 to 0.19 points on a 5-point scale. This study demonstrated sleep is an important protective factor against burnout. Individuals who sleep more than their colleagues had less burnout symptoms and increasing sleep on an individual level was associated with reductions in burnout. Trial Registration: NCT04379063.

Introduction The link between parent-child separation through child welfare systems and negative health and social outcomes is well documented. In contrast, despite the over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in child welfare systems, the relationship between child welfare system involvement and health and social outcomes among Indigenous populations has not been systematically reviewed. Our objective is to assess whether Indigenous People who have been exposed to a child welfare system personally or intergenerationally (ie, parents and/or grandparents) within Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA (CANZUS countries) and the circumpolar region are at an increased risk for negative health and social outcomes compared with other exposed and non-exposed groups. Methods and analysis We will undertake a comprehensive exploration of literature documenting health and social outcomes for Indigenous individuals with personal or intergenerational exposure to a child welfare system. The search will encompass nine databases, including Ovid MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Bibliography of Native North Americans, CINAHL, EMBASE, Public Affairs Index, Scopus, Social Work Abstracts and Sociological Abstracts. Additionally, reference lists of included studies will be examined. The literature search will include studies up to 4 October 2024 and will adhere to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Findings will be presented in summary tables through narrative synthesis, and if feasible, a meta-analysis will quantify the impact of child welfare exposure on health and social outcomes. Ethics and dissemination The results of this systematic review will synthesise current evidence regarding health and social outcomes related to personal and intergenerational child welfare exposure among Indigenous populations in CANZUS countries and circumpolar regions. This information could help support future policy and practice decision-making. Findings will be widely disseminated through peer-review publications and community presentations aimed at various interested parties, including policymakers, professional practitioners and clinicians, and service users (ie, clients, family members, caregivers). PROSPERO registration number CRD42023434543

Objective Youth with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) experience elevated rates of internalizing symptoms, although more research is required to understand this phenomenon. Perfectionism, a multidimensional personality trait that involves dimensions such as striving for flawlessness (self-oriented perfectionism) and feeling that others demand perfection (socially-prescribed perfectionism), is a well-known risk factor for internalizing symptoms that has received minimal attention in pediatric populations. Preregistered hypotheses explored the relationships between youth and parent perfectionism and symptoms of depression and anxiety in youth with JIA, as mediated by (a) youth/parent negative self-evaluations and (b) youth self-concealment. Methods One hundred fifty-six dyads comprised of youth (13–18 years) with JIA and a caregiver completed online questionnaires about trait perfectionism, negative self-evaluations (i.e., pain catastrophizing and fear of pain), self-concealment, and internalizing symptoms. Results Positive relationships were observed between parent/youth self-oriented perfectionism and negative self-evaluations, youth self-oriented perfectionism and internalizing symptoms, and youth negative self-evaluations and internalizing symptoms. Parent self-oriented perfectionism was negatively related to youth depression symptoms. Indirect effects were observed for youth self-oriented perfectionism predicting anxiety and depression symptoms through pain catastrophizing (a1b1 = 0.13 and 0.12, 95% CI [.03, .24 and .03, .22], respectively). Exploratory mediations suggested youth socially-prescribed perfectionism might predict internalizing symptoms directly and indirectly through self-concealment. Conclusion Youth and parent perfectionism are implicated in the internalizing symptoms of youth with JIA and may manifest through youth negative self-evaluations (e.g., catastrophic thoughts) and self-concealment. While future research is needed, screening for perfectionistic tendencies in this population may help guide assessment, prevention, and treatment efforts.

Objective Although juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is often associated with pain, this experience does not necessitate negative outcomes (eg, depression, functional impairment). Little research has explored youth and parent resilience resources (ie, stable traits) and mechanisms (ie, dynamic processes) in this context, and studies have focused on their contributions independently rather than collectively. This study, informed by the Ecological Resilience‐Risk Model in Pediatric Chronic Pain, sought to (1) explore the relationships among youth and parent resilience resources and mechanisms and (2) identify the relative importance (RI; ie, independent contributions when entered simultaneously) of evidence‐based youth and parent resources and mechanisms in contributing to youth‐reported recovery, sustainability, and growth outcomes. Methods Youth (13–18 years) with JIA and their parents (156 dyads) completed a battery of online questionnaires assessing resilience resources (optimism, resilience), mechanisms (psychological flexibility, pain acceptance, self‐efficacy), recovery and sustainability (pain intensity, functional disability, health‐related quality of life), and growth (benefit finding) outcomes. Results Analyses demonstrated significant positive correlations across within‐person resources and mechanisms and weaker correlations across within‐dyad resources and mechanisms. Although the RI of predictors varied by outcome, youth pain acceptance was the most robust predictor across models (RI = 0.03–0.15). Some predictors (eg, parent psychological flexibility and pain acceptance) were generally categorized as “Not Important,” whereas others (eg, youth resilience) had “Inconclusive” results, suggesting construct overlap. Conclusion Although additional research is needed to further understand resilience, results highlight the importance of fostering pain acceptance in youth and incorporating parents in psychosocial interventions to optimize living with JIA.

Network models of psychopathology can identify specific items/symptoms that explain the connections among broader constructs such as depression, anxiety, and perfectionism. In two studies, we examine the dynamic interplay between depression, anxiety, and perfectionism symptoms among undergraduates using structural equation modeling (SEM) and network analysis. Participants in two independent samples (N = 774 and N = 759) completed online, cross-sectional questionnaires including measures of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perfectionism (i.e., concerns over mistakes , doubts about actions, and personal standards). When analyzing data in the traditional fashion using SEM as a point of comparison, results from both samples were consistent with the existing literature. After controlling for all other perfectionism variables in the model, concerns over mistakes and doubts about actions were positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms (βs from .21 to .46), while personal standards showed negative associations with depressive symptoms (β =-.20 both samples) and non-significant associations with anxiety symptoms (βs from-.09. to-.03). Nonetheless, model fit for the confirmatory factor model was below ideal cutoffs in the second sample, suggesting other structures (e.g., a network model) might better represent the data. Network analyses revealed associations between constructs at the item level across both samples. Four key symptoms emerged as central nodes linking depression , anxiety, and perfectionism: difficulty taking initiative to do activities, feeling worthless, feeling close to panic, and doubts about simple everyday activities. This study underscores the importance of investigating item-level associations for a nuanced interpretation of these constructs.

One effective route to increasing well-being is through the pursuit of activities which suit a person’s personality strengths (i.e., person-activity fit). People who strive for achievement tend to organize their behaviors in ways that promote goal attainment and well-being. We tested the hypothesized process that achievement striving would lead to increased well-being over time through feelings of competence and flow. A secondary aim was to describe the types of personally valued activities and whether activity type facilitates competence and flow. Undergraduate students (N = 346 at Time 1; N = 244 at Time 2) completed an online survey measuring personality, personally expressive activities, basic psychological need satisfaction, flow, and well-being at two timepoints ~ 4 months apart. Two coders thematically coded activities into seven types (e.g., reading and writing, hobbies). We used cross-sectional and longitudinal serial mediation models to test our hypothesis with eudaimonic (life worth) and hedonic (life satisfaction) well-being, controlling for sample characteristics (recruitment source and term). Achievement striving was positively correlated to competence and well-being, but the indirect effects did not show that well-being is boosted by feeling competent and in flow during in personally expressive activities, cross-sectionally or longitudinally. Perceived competence was comparable across activity types, although flow was highest in reading and writing activities. While achievement strivers tended to feel happy and competent at personally expressive activities, the mechanistic pathway to well-being is not yet clear. Future studies might recruit larger sample sizes and utilize smaller time lags (e.g., ecological momentary assessment).

Introduction: Hypothetical moral dilemmas require individuals to decide between the lives of five vs. one person(s). We replicated the influence of physical contact, personal force, and spatial proximity on moral decision-making in experiments 1a and 1b of Greene et al. (2009).Method: Participants (N = 268) completed the footbridge and speedboat dilemma of their condition (physical contact and personal force; personal force only; no physical contact nor personal force) by reporting a moral acceptability rating (1-9).Results: Personal force was associated with decreased ratings of moral acceptability and permissibility, partially replicating experiments 1a and 1b of Greene et al. (2009).Discussion: Results suggest that personal force influences people to respond with a deontological response, rather than a consequentialist response.

Many positive psychology interventions aim to improve happiness through engagement in simple and intentional everyday activities that offer intrinsic rewards. Personal projects are personally relevant goal-directed activities that take place over an extended period of time, and are a way to study the intentional pursuit of happiness. This exploratory study identifies the types of projects that people engage in and which project dimensions predict hedonic well-being (enjoyment). Students (N = 327) and community participants completed the Personal Project Analysis in a cross-sectional survey. Two coders thematically coded projects into seven types. We used linear mixed models to identify which project types and dimensions uniquely predict enjoyment. People engaged in various types of activities (7 project types) which were enjoyed to different extents (relationship projects were most enjoyable while household maintenance were least enjoyable) and tend to experience greater enjoyment when projects encourage autonomy, control, likelihood of success, progress, absorption, low difficulty, and low challenge. Knowledge on which activity characteristics are linked to well-being can inform tailored positive psychology programming. Overall, people tend to find activities which are relatively easy and where they make a lot of progress more enjoyable, indicating simple daily activities are one way to intentionally prioritize daily well-being.

This volume brings together experts in generativity and related fields to provide a compelling overview of contemporary research and theory on this topic. Generativity refers to a concern for—or acting towards—the benefit of future generations as a legacy of the self; it has implications for outcomes at the individual, relational and social, and broader societal levels. Understanding the role and expressions of generativity at various stages of our lives is important to the sense of well-being and purpose, and it impacts parenting, caregiving, and social relationships, as well as having implications for activities and experiences in the workforce, and in voluntary activities in communities and the wider society. The chapters in this volume explore the meaning and impact of generativity across development and across life contexts and roles. They address generativity within a particular area or life domain, or period of the lifespan, and outline key methods and findings, as well as theoretical issues and applied implications. The volume represents the first comprehensive exploration of generativity from early to late adulthood; it offers a broad international perspective and will inform research into generativity across multiple cultures.