scholarly journals Nonpolitical Versus Political Participation: Longitudinal Associations with Mental Health and Social Well-Being in Different Age Groups

Author(s):  
Matthias Lühr ◽  
Maria K. Pavlova ◽  
Maike Luhmann

AbstractDrawing on public opinion and empirical research, one may advise people to participate in voluntary organizations because voluntary participation can improve their mental health and social well-being. However, do such benefits apply across different types of participation and across the life course? In this study, we investigated whether benefits to mental health and social well-being differ between nonpolitical and political participation and across age groups (preregistration is accessible at https://osf.io/kqcbe). Using 25 waves of data from the British Household Panel Survey and the Understanding Society (1991–2016), we conducted multilevel analyses with observations nested within participants in younger (14–29, n = 10,536), middle-aged (40–50, n = 4,955), and older (65–75, n = 3,059) adults. We used life satisfaction and GHQ-12 scores as measures of mental health, and social support and neighborhood belonging as measures of social well-being. We found only few and small significant effects at the within-person level: On occasions when younger adults reported political participation, they reported slightly higher neighborhood belonging than when they did not. On occasions when older adults reported nonpolitical or political participation, they reported slightly higher life satisfaction than when they did not. However, we found no significant differences between nonpolitical and political participation and among age groups. In sum, our findings qualify the opinion that voluntary participation yields significant benefits to engaged individuals. We discuss potential explanations, including characteristics of political participation in the United Kingdom.

Author(s):  
Madeline A. Gregory ◽  
Nicole K. Legg ◽  
Zachary Senay ◽  
Jamie-Lee Barden ◽  
Peter Phiri ◽  
...  

Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound consequences on collective mental health and well-being, and yet, older adults appear better off than younger adults. The current study examined mental health impacts of the pandemic across adult age groups in a large sample (n = 5,320) of Canadians using multiple hierarchical regression analyses. Results suggest older adults are experiencing better mental health and more social connectedness relative to younger adults. Loneliness predicted negative mental health outcomes across all age groups, while the negative association between social support and mental health was only significant at average and high levels of loneliness in the 65–69 age group. Results point towards differential mental health impacts of the pandemic across adult age groups and indicate that loneliness and social support may be key intervention targets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should further examine mechanisms of resiliency among older Canadian adults during the pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 56-56
Author(s):  
Lindsay Ryan

Abstract The current study examines how cohort differences across two age-matched groups of midlife and older women from the Health and Retirement Study are associated with well-being and self-perceptions of aging (SPA). Women aged 51–60 (n=2318) and 61–70 (n=1650) were selected from the 2008 and 2018 waves. No significant cohort differences were identified for life satisfaction (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) or positive SPA (Lawton, 1975; Liang & Bollen, 1983). The 2008 cohort of midlife women reported significantly higher negative SPA compared to 2018 (p<.05). Linear regression analyses find that cohort and SPA are significantly associated with life satisfaction in both age groups, and that the association of negative SPA differs by cohort for the midlife women (p<.01). Implications are discussed within the life course developmental framework.


2021 ◽  
pp. 136078042199237
Author(s):  
Jana Klímová Chaloupková ◽  
Renáta Topinková ◽  
Markéta Šetinová

The proportion of people seeking a partner later in life has increased in recent decades. However, studies exploring age variation in partner preferences are quite rare. We aim to fill this gap by examining the partner preferences for household care skills, financial resources, and education of unpartnered individuals aged 19–65 years ( n = 1145) who participated in speed-dating events in the Czech Republic. We hypothesized that the importance of these characteristics varies with age, and that this variance may differ for men and women. The results show that gender differences concerning these characteristics are mostly stable across age groups. The exception is the importance of household care skills, which increases for older men and decreases for older women. We found that older adults value financial resources more than younger adults, and that this increase is true for women and men. Finally, we did not find evidence that the importance of education differs with age.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 461-461
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks

Abstract Of all the various forms of adversity experienced during childhood, childhood maltreatment (emotional and physical abuse) is shown to have the largest impacts on mental health and well-being. Yet we still have a limited understanding of why some victims of early maltreatment suffer immense mental health consequences later on in the life course, while others are able to cushion the blow of these early insults. Using two waves of data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), this study considers change in religiosity as a buffer across three dimensions for victims of childhood abuse: religious importance, attendance, and the specific act of seeking comfort through religion. Results suggest that increases in religious comfort during adulthood are positively associated with adult mental health for victims of abuse, while decreases in religious comfort over time were associated with worse mental health. Changes in religious attendance and religious importance were not significant associated with mental health for victims of abuse. Taken together, my results show that the stress-moderating effects of religion for victims of childhood maltreatment are contingent on the stability or increases or decreases in religiosity over the life course, which has been overlooked in previous work.


Author(s):  
Samit N. Unadkat ◽  
Alfonso Luca Pendolino ◽  
Deborah Auer ◽  
Sadie Khwaja ◽  
Premjit S. Randhawa ◽  
...  

AbstractEver since the introduction of the concept of Procedures of Limited Clinical Value (PoLCV), procedures such as functional septorhinoplasty have been subject to additional funding restrictions within the British National Health Service. Recent publications have suggested that 10% of Clinical Commissioning Groups in the United Kingdom no longer fund septorhinoplasty surgery irrespective of the indications, including congenital malformations or post-trauma, and despite the strong evidence available in the literature in treating a range of health conditions. Thus, inequity exists across the country. At present functional septorhinoplasty surgery is frequently but incorrectly grouped together with aesthetic rhinoplasty, both of which are deemed to be cosmetic interventions. Moreover, as we exit the peak of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, procedures deemed to be of lower clinical priority will potentially be at risk throughout Europe. The purpose of this review is twofold; the first is to put forward the evidence to commissioners in favor of functional septorhinoplasty surgery on patient well-being and mental health; the second is to demonstrate why functional septorhinoplasty surgery is a distinct procedure from aesthetic rhinoplasty and why it ought not to be classified as a procedure of limited clinical value.


Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 665-669
Author(s):  
Timur Uman ◽  
Pernilla Broberg ◽  
Torbjörn Tagesson

BACKGROUND: Business professionals are an important occupational group that carries responsibility for the economic welfare of organizations and of society at large. These professionals have recently been reported to be experiencing increased mental strain, which may have a significant effect on the role they play in organizations and in society. Understanding the causes of this strain is thus an important endeavour. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the antecedents of the mental health of business professionals. METHODS: Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between business professionals’ mental health and its demographic, work-related, and other triggers. T-tests and descriptive statistics were used to explore the gender of the respondents in relation to these triggers and mental health. RESULTS: Compared with their male counterparts, female business professionals report poorer mental health; however, no gender differences were found in job satisfaction or life satisfaction. According to this study, age, overtime pay, higher salary and position as a manager have a positive relation with mental health, whereas working overtime has a negative relation with mental health. Job satisfaction and life satisfaction are important determinants of the mental health of business professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Business professionals are important to the economic welfare of their organization and of society as a whole. Our study suggests that demographic characteristics, work-related aspects and subjective dimensions of well-being have a profound effect on the mental health of business professionals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Lina Martínez ◽  
Valeria Trofimoff ◽  
Isabella Valencia

COVID-19 pandemic is harming many social and economic spheres beyond physical health. The subjective well-being of the population (positive emotions and life satisfaction) and the prevalence of stressors affecting good mental health like worry, depression, and anxiety are increasing worldwide. This analysis presents evidence of subjective well-being and mental health in Colombia, South America, during the current crisis. The data for this analysis comes from an online survey released after one month of quarantine. In total, 941 adults participated in the study. Results show that women are more affected by their well-being and experience more often worry, depression, and anxiety than males. In particular, younger women and from the lower socioeconomic strata. Respondents identify three primary concerns because of the pandemic: i) financial consequences, ii) health (personal and loved one's health), and iii) productivity. Respondents are, on average, more concerned for the health of loved ones than their health. 49% of study participants report having an income reduction as a consequence of the pandemic, but women in all subgroups analyzed are more affected than males. In terms of productivity –working remotely-, educated people, and from 50+ age range, feels more productive working from home. Evidence from this analysis contributes to the broader research of the consequences of COVID-19 on the well-being of the population. Evidence comes from a country in the global South with high population ratings of subjective well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction before the pandemic. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökmen Arslan ◽  
Murat Yıldırım ◽  
Mega M. Leung

Research Problem: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a multi-faceted crisis worldwide. Researchers and health authorities in various parts of the world echoed the dire condition of the public's mental health. This study sought to examine the mediating effect of personal meaning on the association between coronavirus (COVID-19)-related suffering, mental health problems, and life satisfaction. Participants included 231 adults (mean age = 46.65 ± 13.98; 68% female) and completed measures of suffering related to COVID-19, meaning, life satisfaction, and mental health problems online.Results: Findings from mediation analysis showed that suffering had significant associations with personal meaning, mental health, and well-being. Furthermore, personal meaning was significantly associated with adults' mental health and well-being and mediated the negative effect of suffering on mental health and well-being.Discussion: Overall, results from this study indicate that personal meaning is an important promotive factor that may help to understand the negative effect of coronavirus-related suffering on mental health and well-being amid the public health crisis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 12-24
Author(s):  
Hassan Mohebbi ◽  
Christine Coombe ◽  
Robert Kirkpatrick

Emotional Intelligence (EI), defined as the “capacity to process emotional information accurately and efficiently” (Mayer & Salovey, 1995), has recently become one of the most discussed issues in different fields. There has been a great deal of discussion both for and against its potential role in education. In fact, it is argued that there is a significant relationship between EI and success in various aspects of life, including life satisfaction, mental health, self-efficacy, psychological well-being, occupational success, and academic achievement. However, there is a gap with regard to EI and its potential role and application in various fields and contexts. The intention of this paper is to stimulate debate and encourage further research about EI through discussing its definitions, constituents, theoretical framework, measurements, and the criticisms leveled against its alleged unfulfilled promise. Furthermore, we elaborate thoroughly on the directions for future research in this field of study.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document