The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale

Background There is increasing international interest in the concept of mental well-being and its contribution to all aspects of human life. Demand for instruments to monitor mental well-being at a population level and evaluate mental health promotion initiatives is growing. This article describes the development and validation of a new scale, comprised only of positively worded items relating to different aspects of positive mental health: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Methods WEMWBS was developed by an expert panel drawing on current academic literature, qualitative research with focus groups, and psychometric testing of an existing scale. It was validated on a student and representative population sample. Content validity was assessed by reviewing the frequency of complete responses and the distribution of responses to each item. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the hypothesis that the scale measured a single construct. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Criterion validity was explored in terms of correlations between WEMWBS and other scales and by testing whether the scale discriminated between population groups in line with pre-specified hypotheses. Test-retest reliability was assessed at one week using intra-class correlation coefficients. Susceptibility to bias was measured using the Balanced Inventory of Desired Responding. Results WEMWBS showed good content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the single factor hypothesis. A Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.89 (student sample) and 0.91 (population sample) suggests some item redundancy in the scale. WEMWBS showed high correlations with other mental health and well-being scales and lower correlations with scales measuring overall health. Its distribution was near normal and the scale did not show ceiling effects in a population sample. It discriminated between population groups in a way that is largely consistent with the results of other population surveys. Test–retest reliability at one week was high (0.83). Social desirability bias was lower or similar to that of other comparable scales. Conclusions WEMWBS is a measure of mental well-being focusing entirely on positive aspects of mental health. As a short and psychometrically robust scale, with no ceiling effects in a population sample, it offers promise as a tool for monitoring mental well-being at a population level. Whilst WEMWBS should appeal to those evaluating mental health promotion initiatives, it is important that the scale’s sensitivity to change is established before it is recommended in this context.

‘Old and ill’ : death anxiety and coping strategies influencing health professionals' well-being and dementia care

INTERGENERATIONAL SUPPORT AND WELL-BEING OF OLDER ADULTS IN CHANGING FAMILY CONTEXTS

This dissertation consists of three papers that examine the complexities in upward intergenerational support and adult children’s influence on older adults’ health in changing family contexts of America and China. The prevalence of “gray divorce/repartnering ” in later life after age 55 is on the rise in the United States, yet little is known about its effect on intergenerational support. The first paper uses the life course perspective to examine whether gray divorce and repartnering affect support from biological and stepchildren differently than early divorce and repartnering, and how patterns differ by parents’ gender. Massive internal migration in China has led to increased geographic distance between adult children and aging parents, which may have consequences for old age support received by parents. This topic has yet to be thoroughly explored in China, as most studies of intergenerational support to older parents have focused on the role of coresident children or have not considered the interdependence of multiple parent-child dyads in the family. The second paper adopts the within-family differences approach to assess the influence of non-coresident children’s relative living proximity to parents compared to that of their siblings on their provision of support to parents in rural and urban Chinese families. The study also examines how patterns of the impact are moderated by parents’ living arrangement, non-coresident children’s gender, and parents’ provision of support to children. Taking a multigenerational network perspective, the third paper questions if and how adult children’s socioeconomic status (SES) influences older parents’ health in China. It further examines whether health benefits brought by adult children’s socioeconomic attainment are larger for older adults with lower SES and whether one of the mechanisms through which adult children’s SES affects older parents’ health is by changing their health behaviors. These questions are highly relevant in contemporary China, where adult children have experienced substantial gains in SES and play a central role in old age support for parents. In sum, these three papers take the life course, the within-family differences, and the multigenerational network perspective to address the complexities in intergenerational support and older adults’ health in diverse family contexts.

Designing Happiness: Architecture and urban design for joy and well-being

Scientific studies exploring the environmental and experiential elements that help boost human happiness have become a significant and expanding body of work. Some urban designers, architects and planners are looking to apply this knowledge through policy decisions and design, but there is a great deal of room for further study and exploration. This paper looks at definitions of happiness and happiness measurements used in research. The paper goes on to introduce six environmental factors identified in a literature review that have design implications relating to happiness: Nature, Light, Surprise, Access, Identity, and Sociality. Architectural precedents are examined and design strategies are proposed for each factor, which are then applied to a test case site and building in Baltimore, Maryland. It is anticipated that these factors and strategies will be useful to architects, urban designers and planners as they endeavor to design positive user experiences and set city shaping policy.

Unemployment, parental distress and youth emotional well-being: The moderation roles of parent-youth relationship and financial deprivation

We investigated, in a sample of 112 unemployed parents of adolescents aged 10-19 years, the links between parental distress and change in youth emotional problems related to parental unemployment, and the moderation roles of parent-youth relationship and financial deprivation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlations. Further, simple moderation, additive moderation, and moderated moderation models of regression were performed to analyze the effects of parental distress, parent-youth relationship and financial deprivation in predicting change in youth emotional problems related to parental unemployment. Results show that parental distress moderated by parent-youth relationship predicted levels of change in youth emotional problems related to parental unemployment. This study provides evidence that during job loss, parental distress is linked to youth emotional well-being and that parent-youth relationships play an important moderation role. This raises the importance of further researching parental distress impacts on youth well-being, especially during periods of high unemployment rates.

Economic well-being and poverty among the elderly: an analysis based on a collective consumption model

We apply the collective consumption model of Browning, Chiappori and Lewbel (2006) to analyse economic well-being and poverty among the elderly. The model focuses on individual preferences, a consumption technology that captures the economies of scale of living in a couple, and a sharing rule that governs the intra-household allocation of resources. The model is applied to a time series of Dutch consumption expenditure surveys. Our empirical results indicate substantial economies of scale and a wifeís share that is increasing in total expenditures. We further calculated poverty rates by means of the collective consumption model. Collective poverty rates of widows and widowers turn out to be slightly lower than traditional ones based on a standard equivalence scale. Poverty among women (men) in elderly couples, however, seems to be heavily underestimated (overestimated) by the traditional approach. Finally, we analysed the impact of becoming a widow(er). Based on cross-sectional evidence, we find that the drop (increase) in material well-being following the husbandís death is substantial for women in high (low) expenditure couples. For men, the picture is reversed.

Young people's well-being and the economic crisis: How does parental unemployment and family wealth affect the downturn experience?

Background: Portugal is among the European countriesmost severely hit by the economic recession and the fifth with the highest unemployment rate. Given that adolescents' development is highly influenced by their living contexts, monitoring the repercussions of the economic recession is essential for the evaluation and improvement of their current and future public health. Objective: To investigate youth perceived repercussions of the economic recession, its association with life satisfaction, as well as to assess differences across parental employment status and family perceived wealth. Methods: Data were drawn from the Portuguese 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged children survey, aWHO collaborative cross-national study, with a nationally representative sample of 2748 students (Mage = 14.7 years ± 1.2; 48% boys). Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were performed. Results: Levels of life satisfaction are lower when young people perceive that the economic recession generated negative lifestyle changes. Having unemployed parents was found to be significantly associated with perceiving such repercussions and family wealth to decrease the perception of repercussions of the recession. Conclusions: Findings enhance our understanding of how Portuguese youth are being affected by the socioeconomic conditions surrounding them. Such information contributes to improve future research and also allow some considerations about the policies aimed at protecting young people'swellbeing during a period of high unemployment and socioeconomic downturn.

The Role of Existential Beliefs Within the Relation of Centenarians’ Health and Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of existential beliefs in mediating the influence of health on centenarians' well-being. A total of 80 centenarians (mean age 101.1; SD = 1.3; 81.3 % women) with no/minor cognitive impairment were included. The OARS questionnaire for diseases and functional capacity (ADL, IADL), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the existential beliefs subscale were used for data collection. The findings suggest that existential resources are a crucial element for mitigating the impact of health constraints in subjective well-being in this population. Appropriate models of intervention for very old age that recognize the importance of religion, spirituality, and meaning of life are to be considered.

The well-being of relatives of patients with atrial fibrillation: a critical incident technique analysis

BACKGROUND: The well-being of relatives of patients having chronic heart diseases (CHD) has been found to be negatively affected by the patient's condition. Studies examining relatives of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) indicate that their well-being may be affected in a similar manner, but further research is needed. AIM: To explore and describe critical incidents in which relatives of patients experience how AF affects their well-being and what actions they take to handle these situations. DESIGN AND METHOD: An explorative, descriptive design based on the critical incident technique (CIT) was used. Interviews were conducted with 19 relatives (14 women and five men) of patients hospitalised in southern Sweden due to acute symptoms of the AF. RESULTS: The well-being of relatives was found to be affected by their worries (patient-related health), as well as the sacri-ficing of their own needs (self-related health). In handling their own well-being, these relatives adjusted to and supported the patient (practical involvement), along with adjusting their own feelings and responding to the mood of the patients (emotional involvement). CONCLUSION: The well-being of relatives of patients with AF was affected depending on the patients' well-being. In their attempt to handle their own well-being, the relatives adjusted to and supported the patients. Further research is needed in order to evaluate the effects of support to relatives and patients respectively and together.

Feeling existentially touched - A phenomenological notion of the well-being of elderly living in special housing accommodation from the perspective of care professionals

This article presents a phenomenological analysis of interview material, in which 12 care professionals in elderly care reflect on the elderly's well-being within the frame of special housing accommodation. The perspective of the care professionals is of special interest. The findings show that the well-being is characterized as the elderly's feelings of being existentially touched. The well-being is an existential experience of being acknowledged as a human being and is an approach that classifies the elderly's needs as those of having, loving, and being. The meaning of the phenomenon is elucidated by the constituents: (1) to feel the freedom of choice, (2) to feel pleasure, and (3) to feel closeness to someone or something. The findings contribute new understanding of well-being in the elderly care by its existential dimension of the well-being as "just being'' and of doing things in order to experience meaningfulness. Accordingly, the well-being of the elderly as it is seen from the perspective of the care professionals involves both carers' subjectivity and intersubjectivity between the care professional and the elderly. An implication for promoting elderly's well-being is to develop awareness of these existential dimensions.

The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Europe: Impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human well-being

Procambarus clarkii is currently recorded from 16 European territories. On top of being a vector of crayfish plague, which is responsible for large-scale disappearance of native crayfish species, it causes severe impacts on diverse aquatic ecosystems, due to its rapid life cycle, dispersal capacities, burrowing activities and high population densities. The species has even been recently discovered in caves. This invasive crayfish is a polytrophic keystone species that can exert multiple pressures on ecosystems. Most studies deal with the decline of macrophytes and predation on several species (amphibians, molluscs, and macroinvertebrates), highlighting how this biodiversity loss leads to unbalanced food chains. At a management level, the species is considered as (a) a devastating digger of the water drainage systems in southern and central Europe, (b) an agricultural pest in Mediterranean territories, consuming, for example, young rice plants, and (c) a threat to the restoration of water bodies in north-western Europe. Indeed, among the high-risk species, P. clarkii consistently attained the highest risk rating. Its negative impacts on ecosystem services were evaluated. These may include the loss of provisioning services such as reductions in valued edible native species of regulatory and supporting services, inducing wide changes in ecological communities and increased costs to agriculture and water management. Finally, cultural services may be lost. The species fulfils the criteria of the Article 4(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament (species widely spread in Europe and impossible to eradicate in a cost-effective manner) and has been included in the “Union List”. Particularly, awareness of the ornamental trade through the internet must be reinforced within the European Community and import and trade regulations should be imposed to reduce the availability of this high-risk species.

the health and well-being of nursing students in clinical practice . what prevents it? what promotes it?

Introduction: The training of nursing students in the context of clinical practice, is characterized by educational experiences, subject to various emotional stress (stress, ambivalence, frustration, conflict), sometimes making it very vulnerable student.However not all students use the same strategies minimizing their meanings and negative effects on the level of your health and well-being Objetiv:To analyze the perception that nursing students have about the determinants of their health status and well-being in clinical practice Methods: Exploratory research Results:The results reveal the complexity of the teaching / learning process in clinical practice, identified determinants that limit and / or promote health and well-being of students, or not contributing to their motivation, self-confidence and learning. All students value the presence of the following dimensions: affective-emotional (humanization in learning experiences); relational dynamics (interactions developed with all stakeholders); methods used (professional competence of the clinical supervisor and teacher); school curriculum (adaptation of learning in theory); socialization to the profession (become nurse).Conclusions: The results indicate, that although all students evidencing the dimensions described as fundamental to learning in clinical practice, the study results are dichotomous and ambivalent. Students 2nd and 3ºanos refer a low perception in clinical practice, the indicated dimensions, and for these source of concern and uncertainty in learning, such as limiting their health condition and well-being. For students of the 4th year, these dimensions are percecionadas as gifts, and sources of motivation, learning and catalysts such as promoting their health and well-being.

Psychological characterization of hypertensive patients: associations with adherence to pharmacological treatment and self-management

Introduction: The role of psychosocial factors in the onset and progression of essential hypertension has been object of a large body of literature, yet findings appear to be controversial. Aims: We assessed the predictive role of psychosomatic syndromes, affective symptomatology, psychological reactance, psychological distress, well-being and quality of life on adherence to antihypertensive medications, lifestyle behaviors, hypertension severity and absolute cardiovascular risk grading, as well as their temporal stability at 1-year follow-up, in a sample of hypertensive patients. In addition, we aimed to validate the Italian version of the Hong Psychological Reactance Scale (HPRS). Methods: Eighty consecutive hypertensive outpatients treated with antihypertensive medications were compared to 80 controls. Psychosocial variables were assessed using clinical interviews and self-rating questionnaires at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Cardiac parameters were also collected. One-hundred and fifty individuals from general population provided data for the HPRS validation. Results: Hypertensive patients reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress and lower levels of psychological well-being at baseline compared to controls. Among hypertensive patients, allostatic overload (AO) was the most frequently reported psychosomatic syndrome at baseline. Patients with AO displayed significantly greater levels of psychological distress and lower levels of well-being and quality of life than those without. Further, patients with illness denial were significantly more likely to report poor adherence to pharmacological treatment and, as well as those with higher levels of affective symptomatology, were less likely to follow a balanced diet. At follow-up, patients displayed significantly higher levels of well-being and lower levels of stress, mental pain and quality of life. Conclusions: Findings suggest the clinical relevance of psychosocial factors and psychosomatic syndromes in the progression of hypertension, with important implications for its management. As to the Italian validation of the HPRS, results support previous findings, even though a confirmatory factor analysis should be carried out.

Precarious employment and social reproduction: the impact on health and well-being

This dissertation aims to make a theoretical and empirical contribution to the debate on precarious employment, social reproduction and the impact on health and well-being. In recent years, numerous studies have examined the effect of precarious employment as a social determinant on health and well-being, focusing on gender differences in this phenomenon. Within this framework, the research design is to investigate this topic quantitatively in the United Kingdom using longitudinal data to assess the long-term effects of precarious employment and informal care work on health. More specifically, the aim of this thesis is to investigate the impact of precarious employment on health and to analyze gender differences within this phenomenon, particularly in relation to the role of informal care work. The analysis shows that precarious employment is indeed associated to a detrimental effect on health and that this effect is stronger for women’s mental health. Additionally, the analysis shows that time spent on informal care work explains part of the gender gap in mental health, and that informal care and the number of hours spent on it are associated with worse mental health for women. Finally, during the first few months of Covid-19, for both men and women, performing more hours of care work on average is associated with worse mental health, showing that it is not so much the change from fewer to more hours that affects health, but rather those who do more hours on average, hence the long-term effect of being an intensive informal carer.