Yun-Han Wang, Yun-Lin Wang, Dara Kiu Yi Leung
et al.
Abstract Background Emerging evidence has shown that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is effective in improving depressive symptoms in the older population. However, the accessibility to MBCT is limited by the shortage of psychotherapists or mindfulness teachers. One potential solution is to involve social workers, who have the knowledge and skills to promote individual and community well-being in various settings, in delivering modified MBCT to enhance its accessibility and sustainability. This study examined the effectiveness of an eight-week age-modified MBCT led by different mental health professionals (mindfulness teacher only vs. mindfulness teacher and social worker) in improving mental health outcomes as compared with a control group. Methods Older adults (N = 112) were recruited through five community-based centres for older adults and mental wellness in Hong Kong. Participants were allocated to one of three groups: (1) mindfulness teacher-led modified MBCT, (2) social worker/teacher co-led modified MBCT (50% led by social workers and 50% led by mindfulness teacher), or (3) control (care as usual). The age-modified MBCT consisted of eight weekly sessions, with age-related modifications including more sitting meditation, shortened duration of each session, and the removal of the retreat. Outcome variables (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, and mindfulness) were assessed at baseline (T0), after the intervention (T1), and four weeks after the intervention (T2), through self-reported questionnaires. Linear mixed models were performed while controlling for demographic variables to examine changes in outcome variables between the groups. Results Participants from the age-modified MBCT intervention groups (teacher-led and social worker/teacher co-led) showed significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms and stress, as well as greater increase in mindful non-reactivity, compared to the control group post-intervention. No significant interaction effect of time and group was found for anxiety and both overall mindfulness and its other facets. The improvements in mental health and mindfulness outcomes post-intervention were not significantly different between the teacher-led and social worker/teacher co-led MCBT groups. Discussion Age-modified MBCT is beneficial in managing depressive and stress symptoms and in improving mindful non-reactivity among older adults at risk for depression. The findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of partial task-shifting in the delivery of MBCT to trained social workers. Future studies may explore the possibility for social workers in leading MBCTs independently to further improve its scalability and service accessibility for older adults in the community. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05995587. Retrospectively registered on 16 August 2023.
Background: Internet has become an integral part of our daily lives but as the use of internet is increasing, it is important to be aware of the prevalence, context, and impact of its addiction on sleep and the presence of anxiety, depression, and stress in our lives. Aim: To assess the prevalence of internet addiction and its association with insomnia, depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students in a tertiary care medical institute in Eastern India. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study with a purposive sampling method was conducted among 420 undergraduate medical students of different professional years. Out of 420 medical students, 413 students who gave consent and returned complete performa were taken in the study using a semi-structured performa for sociodemographic details, Young's Internet Addiction Test, Insomnia Severity Index, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Results: We found 31.2% of students had internet addiction, 24.2% had clinical insomnia, 58.1% had stress, 68.8% had anxiety, and 64.6% had depression. Potential internet addiction was significantly related to average screen time, insomnia, stress, anxiety, and depression. Conclusions: Internet addiction is prevalent among medical students affecting sleep, anxiety, depression, and stress, which needs urgent preventive strategies.
Hadi Daneshmandi, Alireza Choobineh, Zeinab Rasouli Kahaki
et al.
Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of individuals’ personality traits on the perceived effort.Methods: This experimental study was conducted from October 2022 to December 2022 on 30 students using general health questionnaire (GHQ-28), Raven’s intelligence quotient (IQ) test, visual analogue scale (VAS), revised neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience (NEO) personality inventory, and Jamar hand dynamometer (JHD).Results: A significant positive correlation was found between the exerted force to the JHD (EF-JHD) and perceived effort rated on horizontal VAS (PE-H/VAS) and vertical VAS (PE-V/VAS) in the individuals with low levels of ‘neuroticism’. Considering ‘extraversion’ and ‘agreeableness’ factors of the NEO test, the correlation coefficient between EF-JHD, and PE-H/VAS and PE-V/VAS was higher in the individuals with medium levels compared to those with high levels. This relationship was reverse for the ‘openness to experience’ and ‘conscientiousness’ factors. The results demonstrated a significant strong positive correlation between PE-H/VAS and PE-V/VAS (r=0.97). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a moderate positive correlation between EF-JHD and PE-H/VAS and between EF-JHD and PE-V/VAS.Conclusion: Individuals’ personality traits are recommended to be considered in assessing the perceived effort by VAS.
Post-industrial landscapes serve as crucial markers of industrial cultural heritage. This study focuses on the urban environmental form design of post-industrial civilization. Facing challenges posed by the incompatibility of traditional industrial lands with modern society, the urban renaissance of post-industrial landscapes emerges as a pivotal topic. This article defines the concepts of visual cognition, the cognitive schema, and the post-industrial landscape from the perspective of environmental psychology through literature research, case studies, and on-site investigation methods. It elaborates on the design process of the Shou Gang Industrial Cultural Heritage Site. This study shows how to create a living space that has both historical memory and meets modern needs through steps such as extracting core elements, constructing spatial schema, and promoting scene integration. The study found that, by extracting and integrating the four key visual cognitive elements of humans, objects, paths, and event, a dynamic and interactive living space schema—scene relationship—can be constructed. Finally, by summarizing the overall consciousness of the visual cognitive schema, it further emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the harmony and unity of people, behavior, and environment in the design process and realizing the sustainable utilization and development of space.
Rakel Eklund, Maarten C. Eisma, Paul A. Boelen
et al.
Mobile health (mHealth) apps have been shown to be useful to monitor and reduce mental health problems across a variety of stress-related and affective disorders, yet research on the value of apps for prolonged grief is scarce. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to elucidate bereaved parents' experiences of using the self-help app My Grief with a focus on helpfulness, satisfaction, and usability. Data were derived from closed-ended and open-ended questions administered at the 3-month post-assessment of the intervention group (n = 67) within a randomized controlled trial testing the effects of access to the My Grief app. The sample consisted of 88 % women, with a mean age of 47 years, who predominantly lost their child to cancer (41 %), on average 4.8 years ago. Participating parents indicated that the My Grief app helped them increase their knowledge about prolonged grief and track their grief over time. The app was experienced as easy to navigate and around half of the parents used the app more than one day a week. Almost all parents were satisfied with the app and would recommend it to other parents in similar situations. The findings add to the knowledge base justifying mHealth within support systems for bereaved adults.
Organizational Psychology. Choosing an I/O Psychology Career The primary emphasis of industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists is employee behavior at work. To enhance safety, performance, communication, and other aspects of the working environment, they employ psychology theories and research techniques. Managers of a company, for instance, can be worried about the high turnover rate in their organization. To ascertain the reason for the high turnover rate, an organizational psychologist may carry out a survey, interview workers, or apply other research methodologies. The primary distinction between the two can be summarised as follows: I/O psychologists examine employee behavior to identify advantages that can maximize employee satisfaction and output advantages and... You might anticipate a rather sizable salary working as an industrial-organizational psychologist. Above-average compensation is one of the main benefits of working as an industrial and organizational psychologist. Through the creation and administration of performance reviews, the identification of skill shortages, and the provision of feedback and recommendations, organizational psychology assists organizations in measuring and managing employee performance. The scientific investigation of people's actions at work and in organizations defines the field of industrial-organizational psychology or I/O psychology. Knowledge of psychology research or business psychology can help those operating in HR improve the performance of their organization. Key tasks for HR professionals include recruitment, performance appraisal, employee engagement, development, and well-being. I/O psychology puts business psychology techniques to use by concentrating on interpersonal as well as workplace issues like engagement and morale. Corporate strategy, stakeholder interactions, market performance, and overall business operations are some of these spheres. The area of psychology known as industrial-organizational psychology is responsible for applying psychological theories and concepts to businesses. I-O psychology, as it is often known, focuses on improving employee physical and mental health as well as other relevant workplace difficulties. I-O psychology has two main objectives: (1) to comprehend how people behave (perform tasks) in a work environment; (2) to explain how an organization may continue to grow and succeed; and (3) to explain how persons can be productive, fulfilled, and rewarded. Aligning the needs of the organization and those of its personnel is the main focus of the psychology subfield known as organizational psychology. It attempts to enhance the living and working environment of employees in order to boost productivity and the effectiveness of the business. Organizational psychology aids companies in evaluating employees' abilities, perspectives, and potential. They work to advance their career and personal development while achieving corporate goals. As a result, they enhance teamwork and provide you a chance to evaluate personalities and working methods.GRA (Gray Relational Analysis) Method, Individual Assessment, Performance Appraisal, Personnel Recruitment, Job Analysis Alternatives Occupational Health Quality Assurance, Modernization, and Organizational Culture Evaluation. Individual Assessment, Performance Appraisal, Personnel Recruitment, Job Analysis. Occupational Health Quality Assurance, Modernization, and Organizational Culture. Performance Appraisal got the first rank whereas Job Analysis had the lowest rank.
The Fear of Being Single Scale (FOBS) is a widely used measure of the fear of being single, but its applicability to Chinese populations has not been established. This study aimed to translate the FOBS into Chinese and examine its psychometric properties among Chinese college students. The study consisted of three phases with three samples (total n = 1768). In the first phase (Sample 1: n = 571), an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) supported a unidimensional structure with 6 items for the Chinese version of the FOBS (C-FOBS). In the second phase (Sample 2: n = 692), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the factor structure and indicated good model fit. The C-FOBS also demonstrated good internal consistency, split-half reliability, criterion validity, and cross-gender invariance. In the third phase (Sample 3: n = 505), the C-FOBS showed acceptable test-retest reliability over a two-week interval. The results suggest that the C-FOBS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the fear of being single among Chinese college students.
Background: Work-related stress is a risk factor for a number of adverse health and work outcomes. Resilience trainings are a promising approach for adequately dealing with work stress and keeping employees mentally healthy. However, results of previous resilience trainings have been heterogeneous, ranging from null findings to large effects. Existing digital resilience interventions show a lack of consistency in terms of an underlying theoretical framework and methods used to foster resilience. Positive Appraisal Style Theory of Resilience offers an innovative conceptualization of resilience. Strengths-based cognitive behavioral therapy is a corresponding therapeutically method reflecting resilience as a resource-oriented process of dealing with stress. Based on this background, a new hybrid web-and app-based digital resilience intervention for employees named RESIST was developed. Objective: The first aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of the newly developed training RESIST regarding its usability, user behavior, user experience and motivation to use. Second, the study sought to explore preliminary effects of the intervention on reducing stress and enhancing resilience by conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods: The feasibility study was conducted in three phases. First, the usability of the app was investigated in a pre-test with five participants using a thinking-aloud method. Second, the preliminary efficacy of the training was examined in a pilot randomized controlled trial. A sample of 30 employees were randomized either to receive the resilience training (n = 15) or to be member of a control group (n = 15). The primary outcome was measuring perceived stress. Secondary outcomes included measures of resilience and depressive symptoms. Third, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with six participants of the resilience training group on training content, motivation for use, and user experience. Results: Overall, results indicate that RESIST can be a feasible training for resilience promotion and stress reduction with high user satisfaction. Analysis of covariance showed that, relative to controls, participants who received RESIST reported significantly lower stress scores at post-intervention (F1,27 = 16.91, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.57; 95 % CI 0.71–2.43) than controls. Significant differences, with moderate-to-large effect sizes, were also detected for general resilience and various resilience factors. Conclusions: Results are promising and provide hope that a hybrid web- and app-based resilience intervention based on strengths-based cognitive behavioral therapy can have a positive impact on dealing adequately with stress and improve resilience of employees.
Musawenkosi D. Saurombe, Simone S. Rayners, Kedibone A. Mokgobu
et al.
Orientation: Remote work recently gained traction globally due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, not all companies promptly adapted to this.
Research purpose: The study investigated the perceived influence of working remotely on employee productivity and performance management in South Africa.
Motivation for the study: The ambivalent trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term accompanying impacts have rendered research topics around the subject pertinent.
Research approach, design, and method: A quantitative research approach was employed, and the sample population included remote workers within three South African provinces, between the ages of 18 and 65. The sampling method employed was purposive sampling with a complementary snowball sampling approach.
Main findings: The results revealed that respondents preferred working remotely, as this was more convenient and cost efficient for them. However, respondents indicated that remote working caused them to work in isolation and longer hours than in the office to prove their productivity to their line managers and employers, thus impeding their social life.
Practical/managerial implications: HR professionals should develop different policies aligned with remote work and restructure business operations in a way that aligns work responsibilities with the online working environment, as respondents felt their organisation’s current performance management and HR Policies were not suited for working remotely.
Contribution/value-add: The study offers insights that could assist South African organisations to adopt more effective remote work structures and policies, especially those who will continue with remote work even after the pandemic.
Andrzej Piotrowski, Ryszard Makarowski, Radu Predoiu
et al.
IntroductionParamedics play a vital role in the healthcare system by providing professional support in situations of direct threat to patient health and life. They experience numerous difficulties during their work, which result in occupational stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their work has become even more demanding. The aim of the current study was to examine the role of resilience in the subjective experience of stress among paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsThe study was carried out in two phases, in October-November 2019 (N = 75) and in May-June 2020 (N = 84), using the Sense of Stress Questionnaire (Skala Poczucia Stresu) and the Resilience Scale (Skala Pomiaru Prężności).ResultsParamedics exhibited higher intrapsychic stress before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tolerance of failure and treating life as a challenge were higher during the pandemic, in contrast to optimism and the ability to mobilize in difficult situations. Paramedics who were in contact with patients with COVID-19 experienced higher stress. Perseverance and determination, openness to new experiences and sense of humor, as well as competences and tolerance of negative emotions were revealed to play a key part in mitigating subjectively experienced stress.ConclusionParamedics’ subjectively experienced stress was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paramedics who were in direct contact with patients with COVID-19 experienced higher stress. They had sufficient psychological resources, in the form of resilience (perseverance and determination, openness to new experiences, sense of humor, and competences and tolerance of negative emotions), which allowed them to cope with the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qing Xiong,1 Shuping Shi,2 Jianwen Chen,3 Yiqiu Hu,4 Xintong Zheng,3 Congcong Li,5 Quanlei Yu5– 7 1Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2RDFZ Chaoyang Branch School, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Graduate School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 5School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Hubei, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 6Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 7Central China Normal University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Quanlei Yu School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, No. 152 Luoyu Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-027-67868617Email yulei19881987@mail.ccnu.edu.cnPurpose: Bullying is a serious problem among adolescents. Many scholars have examined school bullying in recent years; however, there are many psychological and behavioral mechanisms for bully that still remain unclear. Based on the theory of self-worth orientation, this study examined the influence of academic achievement on bullying behavior among adolescents and explored the moderating effects of perceived social support and age cohort.Methods: Participants were 3227 middle and high school students in the 7th through 12th grades in China. A self-report method was used to measure academic achievement, social support, bullying, and demographic variables.Results: Moderation analyses indicated that the relationship between academic achievement and bullying behavior was moderated by the perceived social support of adolescents and their age cohort. Specifically, social support moderated the relationship between achievement and bullying behavior positively in the middle school group but negatively in the high school group.Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis of self-worth orientation theory and indicate that bullying intervention could be enhanced by addressing the relationships between academic achievement, social support, age cohort, and bullying.Keywords: academic achievement, bully, social support, age cohort, self-worth
This study examined the potential usefulness of a life design-related career development intervention to enhance the career adaptability of working adults in a business sector most likely to be disrupted by technology and robotics. Participants were employed at a manufacturing workshop in a South African correctional centre. A mixed-methods intervention study design was implemented. The participants completed a number of career-based assessments during the intervention. The results indicated that the participants were well prepared to face the career challenges presented by Industry 4.0 and that the intervention shows promise in improving career adaptability in working adults. More longitudinal research with diverse participants is needed.
Vocational guidance. Career development, Social Sciences
Philip I. Chow, Brian D. Gonzalez, Karen S. Ingersoll
et al.
Background: Online interventions for insomnia can increase access to treatments for those with limited access to services. What remains unknown is whether individuals from more isolated (vs. more densely populated) regions engage with, and benefit as much from, an online intervention. This secondary analysis examined the relationship of geographical indices with engagement and outcomes of an efficacious, fully automated online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) program (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet-SHUTi). Method: 303 participants (Mage = 43.3; SD = 11.6) were randomly assigned to SHUTi or an online patient education condition and assessed at baseline and post intervention. Rural code of participants was determined using participant zip codes. Distance to the nearest sleep medicine provider was calculated as the distance between the center of the nearest provider's city (from a publicly available list of CBT-I providers) and the center of the participants' zip code. Adherence outcomes were number of intervention core completions, sleep diaries, and logins. Sleep outcomes were insomnia severity as well as sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset derived from online sleep diaries. Results: Individuals were from a range of geographic locations. Most lived in fairly densely populated areas; however, there was a large variation in distance to the nearest sleep medicine provider. Findings indicate that the efficacy, adherence, and engagement with SHUTi were not impacted by where people lived. Controlling for age and gender did not impact any of the relationships among geography variables (i.e., distance, ruralness) and adherence or sleep related outcomes. Conclusions: Internet interventions must demonstrate that they can overcome obstacles posed by geography. This is the first study to examine the geographic location of participants and its association with engagement with, and outcomes of, online CBT-I. Keywords: eHealth, Insomnia, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Geography