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BMC Public Health Jan 2023Health-related behaviors may change after retirement and induce changes in the mental health. This systematic review aimed to investigate the nature of changes in...
BACKGROUND
Health-related behaviors may change after retirement and induce changes in the mental health. This systematic review aimed to investigate the nature of changes in physical activity and leisure activities, as well as the relationship between physical activity, leisure, and psychological adjustment among retirees.
METHODS
Search of papers was done in three electronic databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus without constraints on time, geographical regions, or languages in February 2022. The papers that had examined the relationship between physical activity and adjustment among retirees using observational design (cross-sectional or longitudinal) were included in the present study. To evaluate the methodological quality of cross-sectional studies, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist, and for longitudinal studies, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used.
RESULTS
The search results identified 1458 records. Twenty-six papers were included in this review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings of most of these studies indicated a significant positive correlation between physical activity, leisure, and psychological adjustment in retirees. Retirees were mostly engaged in passive leisure activities such as reading, watching TV and movies, and less engaged in physical activities, sport, or physical exercise. General organized assessment of the total physical activity among retirees was not possible.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the study findings, it can be stated that there is a positive correlation between physical activity, leisure, and the retirees' adjustment. Usage of the same and valid measurement method specific to old age and retirement period can be useful in more precise assessment of physical activity and its association with adjustment among retirees.
Topics: Humans; Emotional Adjustment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Leisure Activities; Health Behavior; Retirement
PubMed: 36709282
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15080-5 -
Applied Psychology. Health and... Nov 2023This follow-up study aimed to analyze the protective role of positivity and coping strategies on the well-being and psychological distress levels reported during... (Review)
Review
This follow-up study aimed to analyze the protective role of positivity and coping strategies on the well-being and psychological distress levels reported during Portugal's first and third waves of COVID-19. The total sample consisted of 135 participants (82.0% women) with ages ranging from 20 to 72 years (M = 39.29, SD = 11.46). Results suggested a significant decrease in well-being levels but no changes in psychological distress were observed. Positivity was a strong and significant predictor of well-being and psychological distress during the pandemic crisis. Among the set of strategies used by individuals at the first wave, denial, self-blame, and self-distraction predicted a poorer adaptation with more significant mental health impairment, with self-blame standing out as the most harmful. This study highlighted the key role of positivity in adjusting to the current pandemic crisis and the lasting detrimental impact of specific coping strategies.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Emotional Adjustment; COVID-19; Follow-Up Studies; Pandemics; Portugal; Adaptation, Psychological
PubMed: 37321921
DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12462 -
Advances in Health Sciences Education :... Dec 2023Stressors inherent to training and stemming from the learning environment are associated with high rates of burnout, depression, and mental health problems in health... (Review)
Review
Stressors inherent to training and stemming from the learning environment are associated with high rates of burnout, depression, and mental health problems in health professions students (HPS). There is evidence that disadvantaged or stigmatized groups are particularly affected. These problems not only impact students after graduation but may also have detrimental effects on patient outcomes. Resilience, conceptualized as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, has inspired an increasing number of interventions aimed at addressing those problems in HPS. These interventions have mostly targeted individual students and their psychological traits while ignoring social and structural factors that may enhance or undermine individual resilience. To address this gap in the literature, the authors reviewed the evidence for psychosocial determinants of resilience and proposed a model inspired by the social determinants of health literature and the "upstream-downstream" metaphor. In this theoretical paper, the authors propose that upstream determinants such adverse childhood experiences and socioeconomic and sociodemographic markers of disadvantage have a direct effect on psychological adjustment and an indirect effect mediated by resilience. Additionally, the authors propose that the institutional downstream drivers of learning environment, social support, and sense of belonging moderate the direct and indirect effects of the upstream determinants on psychological adjustment. Future research should test these hypotheses and gather evidence that may guide the development of interventions. The authors present their model as part of a comprehensive response to recent calls to action to address diversity, equity and inclusion in health professions education.
Topics: Humans; Emotional Adjustment; Social Determinants of Health; Students, Health Occupations; Social Support; Health Occupations; Resilience, Psychological
PubMed: 37193860
DOI: 10.1007/s10459-023-10222-1 -
International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2023The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health symptoms, particularly among vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ+ individuals. In the present study,...
The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health symptoms, particularly among vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ+ individuals. In the present study, we aimed to (i) identify different psychological adjustment profiles among LGBTQ+ young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare LGBTQ+ young adults in relation to (ii) sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19-related experiences and (iii) the internal and external protective resources associated with each adjustment profile. An online questionnaire was administered to 1699 LGBTQ+ young adults from six countries (Brazil, Chile, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and the UK). A cluster analysis was conducted, and four profiles of psychological adjustment were identified: unchallenged, resilient, distressed, and at-risk. The at-risk cluster scored lowest in social support (particularly from family). The profiles of participants who experienced the highest levels of pandemic adversity (at-risk and resilient) comprised mostly South American participants, those under lockdown at the time of survey completion, those who self-identified as transgender and non-binary, and those with a plurisexual sexual orientation. Interventions should consider strategies to help young adults maintain support systems and reinforce the value of positive family relationships. Specific groups within the LGBTQ+ community that seem to be in a particularly vulnerable situation may need additional tailored support.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Young Adult; COVID-19; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Pandemics; Emotional Adjustment; Communicable Disease Control
PubMed: 36833881
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043188 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Oct 2022A strong link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and borderline personality features (BPF) has been consistently demonstrated. However, little is known about the role...
BACKGROUND
A strong link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and borderline personality features (BPF) has been consistently demonstrated. However, little is known about the role of psychological adjustment (PA) as a mediator of this relationship. The purpose of the study was to explore the mediating role of PA in the CM-BPF linkage in a large sample of early adolescents.
METHODS
A total of 5724 students (mean age = 13.5, SD = 1.0) were recruited from three middle schools by using the multistage random cluster sampling method in Anhui Province, China. Participants were required to complete self-report questionnaires regarding CM experience, self-perceived PA and BPF. Mediation analyses were computed via structural equation modelling.
RESULTS
CM victimization was positively associated with BPF, and individuals with lower levels of PA were more likely to present with BPF. Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on BPF via PA (effect = 0.047, 95 % CI: 0.035, 0.058).
LIMITATION
The cross-sectional design of this study did not allow testing causality. The retrospective investigation of CM history could cause recall bias.
CONCLUSIONS
PA partially mediates the relationship between CM and BPF. These findings have important implications for considering PA as a protective factor in this relationship.
Topics: Adolescent; Borderline Personality Disorder; Child; Child Abuse; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emotional Adjustment; Humans; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35878835
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.028 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2022Pesticides used to control insects, such as pyrethroids, are neurotoxicants, yet adolescent researchers often overlook their potential role in adolescent psychological...
Pesticides used to control insects, such as pyrethroids, are neurotoxicants, yet adolescent researchers often overlook their potential role in adolescent psychological adjustment. This brief report is guided by bioecological theory and considers the possible independent and interactive effects of environmental pyrethroid pesticide exposure for adolescent depressive symptoms. Self-reported adolescent appraisals of the parent-child relationship and depressive symptoms were obtained from a convenience sample of impoverished, predominantly Latino urban youth ( = 44). Exposure to environmental pyrethroids was obtained from wipe samples using a standardized protocol. Parent-adolescent conflict was higher in households with bifenthrin than those without, and adolescent depressive symptoms were elevated in homes where cypermethrin was detected. In addition, the presence of bifenthrin in the home attenuated the protective effects of parental involvement on adolescent depressive symptoms. The current results suggest that adolescent mental health researchers must consider the synergistic combinations of adolescents' environments' physical and social features. Given the endemic presence of pesticides and their neurotoxic function, pesticide exposure may demand specific attention.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Depression; Emotional Adjustment; Humans; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting; Pesticides
PubMed: 35010800
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010540 -
Reproductive Biomedicine Online Nov 2022Is there a relationship between disclosure and psychological adjustment in heterosexual-couple families following oocyte donation and sperm donation when the child is 7...
RESEARCH QUESTION
Is there a relationship between disclosure and psychological adjustment in heterosexual-couple families following oocyte donation and sperm donation when the child is 7 years old?
DESIGN
This was a cross-sectional study of heterosexual couples with 7- to 8-year-old children conceived with identity-release oocyte donation (n = 83, response rate 56%) or sperm donation (n = 113, response rate 65%). Participants individually completed instruments for the assessment of parents' emotional distress (HADS), parenting stress (SPSQ) and relationship quality (ENRICH), and their child's psychological adjustment (SDQ-Swe) and reported whether they had talked with their child about their donor conception.
RESULTS
About half of parents had talked with their child about their donor conception (oocyte donation 61%, sperm donation 58%). Separate analyses for mothers and fathers showed no main effects of disclosure or type of donation on the outcomes, nor were there any interaction effects. Overall, mothers and fathers in oocyte donation and sperm donation families were found to be well adjusted, reporting within-normal range levels of anxiety, depression and parental stress, and a high relationship quality. The children were well adjusted, with low levels of emotional and behavioural problems.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the present results confirm previous research indicating that early disclosure of the donor conception to children is not associated with negative outcomes for parents or children. Heterosexual couples using oocyte or sperm donation should be informed that disclosure when the child is 7-8 years old is not detrimental to the psychological adjustment of families.
Topics: Male; Animals; Heterosexuality; Emotional Adjustment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Semen; Oocyte Donation; Tissue Donors; Disclosure; Spermatozoa; Oocytes
PubMed: 35953415
DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.06.011 -
Child Development Mar 2017This meta-analytic review includes 135 studies, representing 17 countries, of child and adolescent (ages 4-17) samples of overt and relational peer victimization and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This meta-analytic review includes 135 studies, representing 17 countries, of child and adolescent (ages 4-17) samples of overt and relational peer victimization and examines the magnitude of overlap between forms of victimization and associations with five social-psychological adjustment indices. Results indicate a strong intercorrelation between forms of victimization (r¯ = .72). No gender difference with regard to relational victimization was found, but boys were slightly higher in overt victimization. Overt victimization is more strongly associated with overt aggression; relational victimization is more strongly related to internalizing problems, lower levels of received prosocial behavior from peers, and relational aggression. Both forms are related to externalizing problems. Age and method of assessment were explored as potential sources of variability in effect sizes.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Child; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; Crime Victims; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Social Adjustment; Social Behavior
PubMed: 27709610
DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12621 -
Disability and Rehabilitation Dec 2020The aim of this study was to test the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), hypothesizing direct relations between illness...
The aim of this study was to test the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), hypothesizing direct relations between illness beliefs and psychological adjustment, and indirect relations through coping strategies and social support. Questionnaires were administered cross-sectionally to 680 participants (=40.1; 64.4% women) recruited in eight MS units to assess illness beliefs, coping strategies, social support, and adjustment indicators including life satisfaction, psychological well-being, mental health, and depression. Multiple mediational analyses were conducted to identify direct and indirect paths connecting illness beliefs to psychological outcomes.: Controlling for disability level, significant direct and indirect relationships were observed: Beliefs on illness coherence, personal and treatment control were associated with better adjustment; emotion representations and cyclic timeline with worse adjustment; illness identity, consequences, psychological and chance/bad luck causes with mixed positive and negative outcomes. Notably, findings identified recurrent and unique pathways connecting illness beliefs to the different indicators through meaning- and problem-focused coping strategies, avoidance and social support.: The Common Sense Model can represent a useful framework to be tested in rehabilitation programs, jointly addressing illness beliefs and coping resources for the promotion of psychological adjustment among persons with MS.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONBased on the Common Sense Model, the beliefs held by persons with MS about their illness are related to various aspects of psychological adjustment in multiple ways, both directly and indirectly through engagement in specific coping strategies and perception of social support.Clinicians supporting patients' adjustment may take into account that some illness beliefs were consistently associated with positive adjustment, some with poor adjustment, and some yielded mixed positive and negative results.Some ways in which coping strategies and social support connected illness beliefs to psychological adjustment were specific to the adjustment indicator under consideration including satisfaction with life, psychological well-being, mental health and depression.It may be worth testing comprehensive psychological interventions with the aim of raising awareness of one's illness beliefs, the strategies enacted in response to these beliefs, and the positive and negative relations of these processes with psychological adjustment, encompassing broad areas of individuals' lives and not only health-related issues or depression.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Multiple Sclerosis; Perception; Social Support
PubMed: 31056979
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1610511 -
BMC Oral Health Nov 2022Patients with ocular loss tend to have physical and psychosocial difficulties. Maxillofacial prosthetic specialists involved in the treatment should be trained with...
BACKGROUND
Patients with ocular loss tend to have physical and psychosocial difficulties. Maxillofacial prosthetic specialists involved in the treatment should be trained with competence to manage psychological complications. However, due to the multifactorial origin of the psychosocial distress, designing such training activities can be challenging. This research aimed to construct a conceptual framework illustrating the effects of ocular loss on patients' physical and psychosocial well-being and their coping strategies, to propose the learning content of training sessions.
METHODS
A semi-structured interview and a topic guide were employed to explore the perceptions from patients who were receiving their first custom ocular prosthesis, fabricated by maxillofacial prosthodontists. The participants were selected using a purposeful sampling up until data saturation. The data were analyzed using framework analysis.
RESULTS
Twelve patients participated in this research. Four main themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) Impact of ocular loss, (2) Factors influencing psychosocial distress, (3) Psychological adjustment, and (4) Expected treatment outcomes. Each theme appeared to have influence on the other, rather than presenting itself independently. Although patients with ocular loss experienced both physical and psychosocial difficulties, psychological distress was greatly influenced by self-perceived disfigurement, etiology, and social status. Therefore, they needed to develop their coping strategies including rehabilitation with ocular prosthesis.
CONCLUSION
Various forms of psychological adjustments were necessary in these patients with ocular loss to resume their daily lives. The specialist involved in the treatment should also partake in patients' psychological adjustment and should be competent in psychological management skills, such as supporting patients to meet their expectations.
Topics: Humans; Adaptation, Psychological; Culture; Dentists; Emotional Adjustment; Learning; Psychological Distress
PubMed: 36424616
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02597-1