Childhood poverty and psychological well-being: The mediating role of cumulative risk exposure

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Gary W. Evans ◽  
Kalee De France
Keyword(s):  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Cumulative Risk ◽  
Externalizing Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Task Persistence ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Childhood Poverty ◽  
Over Time

Abstract The current study assessed whether the proportion of childhood (age 0–9 years) in poverty altered the developmental trajectories (ages 9–24) of multimethodological indicators of psychological well-being. In addition, we tested whether exposure to cumulative risk over time mediated the association between poverty exposure and psychological well-being. Measures of psychological well-being included internalizing and externalizing symptoms, a behavioral index of learned helplessness (task persistence), and chronic physiological stress (allostatic load). Exposure to poverty during childhood predicted the trajectory of each development outcome: individuals with more poverty exposure during childhood showed (a) relatively high levels of internalizing symptoms that diminished more slowly with maturation, (b) relatively high levels of externalizing symptoms that increased faster over time, (c) less task persistence indicative of greater learned helplessness, and (d) higher levels of chronic physiological stress which increased faster over time relative to persons with less childhood poverty exposure. Trajectories of cumulative risk exposure from physical and psychosocial surroundings from 9–24 years accounted for the association between childhood poverty and the growth curves of internalizing and externalizing symptoms but not for learned helplessness or chronic physiological stress. Additional sensitivity analyses indicate that early childhood disadvantage is particularly problematic for each outcome, except for internalizing symptoms which seem sensitive to the combination of early and lifetime poverty exposure. We also explored whether domains of cumulative risk as well as two alternatives, maternal sensitivity or family cohesion, functioned as mediators. Little evidence emerged for any of these alternative mediating constructs.

scholarly journals Childhood poverty and adult psychological well-being

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (52) ◽  
pp. 14949-14952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Childhood Poverty ◽  
Childhood Disadvantage ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Childhood disadvantage has repeatedly been linked to adult physical morbidity and mortality. We show in a prospective, longitudinal design that childhood poverty predicts multimethodological indices of adult (24 y of age) psychological well-being while holding constant similar childhood outcomes assessed at age 9. Adults from low-income families manifest more allostatic load, an index of chronic physiological stress, higher levels of externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression) but not internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression), and more helplessness behaviors. In addition, childhood poverty predicts deficits in adult short-term spatial memory.

The Psychological Well-Being of Taiwanese Youth

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin-Chun Yi ◽  
Chyi-In Wu ◽  
Ying-Hwa Chang ◽  
Ming-Yi Chang
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Growth Curve ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
School Context ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Quadratic Growth ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Over Time

This study examines the growth trajectory of the psychological well-being of Taiwanese adolescents from early to late adolescence. Under the competitive educational system in Taiwan, family and school context are two major loci accounting for the developmental outcome. Data are taken from the Taiwan Youth Project, which is a longitudinal panel study of 2696 students since the year 2000. The study uses individual depressive symptoms as the dependent variable. Family cohesion, family educational strategy as well as classroom effects at school are chosen to indicate the potential contextual influence. Using the latent growth curve method, the analysis confirms that family and school factors do produce different effects over time. Family context is salient at the initial status, but not for subsequent development. Class cohesion as well as adolescents' perceptions of unfairness by teachers determine the depressive level, the linear slope and the non-linear quadratic growth curve. In other words, once the adolescent gets used to junior high school, the school context tends to exert more pronounced effects. Further analysis on gender comparisons indicates that selective family and school effects are more pronounced among females, with a greater degree of depressive symptoms over time. The article concludes that while family and school have different impacts on the growth curve of individual depressive symptoms, the school context exerts salient effects over an adolescent's life course.

Longitudinal Relationships Among Fear of COVID-19, Smartphone Online Self-Disclosure, Happiness, and Psychological Well-being: Survey Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Matthes ◽  
Kevin Koban ◽  
Ariadne Neureiter ◽  
Anja Stevic
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attrition Rate ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

BACKGROUND Given that governmental prevention measures restricted most face-to-face communications, online self-disclosure via smartphones emerged as an alternative coping strategy that aimed at reducing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s psychological health. Prepandemic research demonstrated that online self-disclosure benefits people’s psychological health by establishing meaningful relationships, obtaining social support, and achieving self-acceptance, particularly in times of crisis. However, it is unclear whether these dynamics transition well to lockdown conditions where online self-disclosure must stand almost entirely on its own. Longitudinal investigations are needed to gain insights into the psychological functionalities of online self-disclosure during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the temporal associations between smartphone online self-disclosure (as a communicative behavior) and critical indicators of psychological health (including psychopathological, as well as hedonic and eudaimonic states) during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Austria. METHODS We conducted a representative 2-wave panel survey between late March/April 2020 and May 2020. A total of 416 participants completed both waves (43.1% attrition rate, given n=731 participants who completed the first wave). A partially metric measurement invariant overtime structural equation model was used to determine the temporal associations among online self-disclosure, fear of COVID-19, happiness, and psychological well-being. RESULTS The analysis revealed that fear of COVID-19 significantly predicted online self-disclosure over time (<i>b</i>=0.24, <i>P</i>=.003) and happiness over time (<i>b</i>=−0.14, <i>P</i>=.04), but not psychological well-being (<i>b</i>=0.03, <i>P</i>=.48), that is, stronger COVID-19 fears at T1 prompted more online self-disclosure and less happiness at T2. Online self-disclosure, on the other hand, significantly predicted happiness (<i>b</i>=0.09, <i>P</i>=.02), but neither fear of COVID-19 (<i>b</i>=−0.01, <i>P</i>=.57) nor psychological well-being (<i>b</i>=−0.01, <i>P</i>=.57) over time. Participants who engaged more strongly in online self-disclosure at T1 felt happier at T2, but they did not differ from less-disclosing participants concerning COVID-19 fears and psychological well-being at T2. Importantly, happiness and psychological well-being were significantly related over time (happiness T1 → psychological well-being T2: <i>b</i>=0.11, <i>P</i>&lt;.001; psychological well-being T1 → happiness T2: <i>b</i>=0.42, <i>P</i>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that online self-disclosure might play a pivotal role in coping with pandemic stressors. With restrictions on their options, individuals increasingly turn to their smartphones and social media to disclose their feelings, problems, and concerns during lockdown. While online self-disclosure might not alleviate fears or improve psychological well-being, our results demonstrate that it made people experience more happiness during this crisis. This psychological resource may help them withstand the severe psychological consequences of the COVID-19 crisis over longer timeframes.

Caregiving in quarantine: Humor styles, reframing, and psychological well-being among parents of children with disabilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110435
Author(s):  
Heidi L. Fritz
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Family Satisfaction ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Humor Styles ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Over Time

Prior research links adaptive humor styles (affiliative and self-enhancing) with enhanced psychological well-being and maladaptive humor styles (aggressive and self-defeating) with worse psychological well-being, primarily through humor styles’ influence on individuals’ social interactions and efforts to positively reframe stressors. The present study examined the unique relation of each humor style with psychological well-being with a focus on understanding mechanisms of adjustment under highly stressful conditions. Ninety-nine parents of children with disabilities were surveyed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in March 2020, and 79 parents completed follow-up surveys in July 2020. As predicted, at T1, self-enhancing humor was associated with less psychological distress and greater family satisfaction, self-defeating humor was associated with greater distress, and aggressive humor was associated with lower family satisfaction. Moreover, affiliative humor predicted decreased psychological distress over time, whereas self-defeating humor predicted increased psychological distress and decreased family satisfaction over time. Relations were largely mediated by caregiver positive reappraisal, family efforts to reframe daily disability-related challenges, and negative social interactions. Future research should further examine the influence of caregiver humor styles on family dynamics, family reframing norms, and caregiving efficacy.

scholarly journals PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND THE ONSET OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG CHINESE OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S114-S115
Author(s):  
Jiaan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Previous research has shown the beneficial effects of positive psychological assets on health, but more research is needed to confirm the prospective effects on cognitive function. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and the earliest onset of cognitive impairment among Chinese older adults. Data came from 2000 to 2014 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Study sample consisted of 6,225 older adults who were free from cognitive impairment in 2000. Psychological well-being was measured based on seven items that assessed optimism, conscientiousness, self-determination, happiness, self-esteem, pessimism, and loneliness, with responses ranging from “always (1)” to never (5)”. Negative feelings items were reverse coded. Higher score indicated more positive psychological well-being. Cognitive impairment was measured by a Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Respondents scored at or above 24 were regarded as having no cognitive impairment. A multi-category time-varying variable was used to capture four potential outcomes: (1) persistently free of cognitive impairment between waves, (2) onset of cognitive impairment, (3) death between waves, and (4) attrition. Socio-demographics, chronical diseases conditions, functional health status were served as controls. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models that account for clustering of observations within a subject over time were employed for the study. Results show that more positive psychological well-being is significantly associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment onset and death over time. Results suggest that developing more psychological resilience-based intervention programs among older adults may help them delay the onset of cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals CHARACTERIZING THE PATHWAYS UNDERLYING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND HEALTH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S813-S813
Author(s):  
Eric S Kim ◽  
Anthony Ong
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Daily Diary ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Diary Study ◽  
Response Effort ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Daily Diary Study ◽  
Over Time

Abstract As populations age, identifying factors that foster the maintenance of health is crucial for improving the health and well-being of older adults. Yet, most psychological, biomedical, and public health efforts have focused on reducing harmful risk factors. While the risk management approach has contributed greatly to prevention and treatment programs, our aging society continues to grapple with the steadily rising tide of chronic conditions. Expanding the focus to include upstream, health-promoting psychosocial assets may help inform a more comprehensive response effort. Mounting research suggests that different dimensions of psychological well-being are uniquely associated with reduced risk of chronic conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain understudied. This symposium presents 4 studies evaluating potential mechanisms. The first talk presents research evaluating how a spouse’s level of optimism may be uniquely associated with an individual’s cognitive health over time (above and beyond that own individual’s level of optimism). A second talk, draws upon a multi-burst daily diary study and focuses on affective stress response as a potentially modifiable target that could explain the health benefits of optimism. A third talk evaluates how baseline levels purpose in life might be associated with repeated measures of five key health behaviors over time. A fourth talk discusses results from a longitudinal-burst daily diary study determining the reciprocal relationships among optimism, pain interference, and goal-directed activity among older women who experience pain. Overall, these studies add to the growing research on psychological well-being and physical health by providing evidence around potential biobehavioral pathways.

scholarly journals Effects of cumulative risk on behavioral and psychological well-being in first grade: Moderation by neighborhood context

2010 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1447-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Lima ◽  
Margaret Caughy ◽  
Saundra M. Nettles ◽  
Patricia J. O’Campo
Keyword(s):  
Cumulative Risk ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Psychological Well Being

Associations Between Physical Fitness and Children’s Psychological Well-Being

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy LaVigne ◽  
Betsy Hoza ◽  
Alan L. Smith ◽  
Erin K. Shoulberg ◽  
William Bukowski
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Adaptive Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Athletic Competence ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Teacher Reports

We examined the relation between physical fitness and psychological well-being in children ages 10–14 years (N = 222), and the potential moderation of this relation by sex. Participants completed a physical fitness assessment comprised of seven tasks and a diverse set of self-report well-being measures assessing depressive symptoms, loneliness, and competence. Peers reported on social status and teachers rated adaptive functioning, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing symptoms. Multiple regression analyses indicated a significant association between physical fitness and psychological well-being for both boys and girls. Higher levels of physical fitness were associated with lower levels of peer dyadic loneliness and fewer depressive symptoms; greater cognitive, social, and athletic competence; greater feelings of self-worth; and better teacher reports of adaptive functioning. An interaction between internalizing and sex indicated a significant and negative association between physical fitness and internalizing symptoms for males only. No other moderation effects by sex were observed. Results suggest that physical fitness is associated with a range of well-being indicators for both boys and girls in this age group.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document