Happiness is best kept stable: Positive emotion variability is associated with poorer psychological health.

Experiencing positive emotion is often linked with greater psychological health and lower psychopathology. However, a growing body of research suggests a surprising paradoxical effect: in spite of the benefits of experiencing positive emotion, there may be important downsides to pursuing positive emotion. This chapter reviews current findings on the paradoxical effects of pursuing positive emotion (often focusing on the specific emotion of happiness), discusses possible mechanisms to explain these paradoxical effects, and suggests methods to avoid these effects. Specifically, the chapter outlines three key mechanisms for the paradoxical effects of pursuing happiness: First, as people pursue happiness, they tend to set high standards for their happiness which can result in disappointment. Second, when people are inaccurate about how to achieve happiness, they may engage in activities that are counterproductive for achieving happiness and psychological health. Third, as people pursue happiness, they may monitor their experience of happiness which can directly interfere with the experience of happiness. These processes, in turn, may create risk for psychopathology. Fortunately, these three mechanisms also suggest how to avoid paradoxical effects of pursuing happiness: by removing impossibly high standards, disappointment can be avoided; by engaging in productive happiness pursuits, people can attain more sustainable happiness; and by automatizing the process of pursuing happiness, the ill-effects of monitoring can be avoided. Although pursuing happiness can paradoxically lead to reduced happiness and greater psychopathology, by understanding the mechanisms underlying this paradox, we can obtain valuable insights into effective ways to achieve happiness and avoid psychopathology.

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Boosting positive mood in medical and emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic: preliminary evidence of efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of a novel online ambulatory intervention

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2021-107427 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. oemed-2021-107427

Author(s):

Karin G. Coifman ◽

David D Disabato ◽

T H Stanley Seah ◽

Sarah Ostrowski-Delahanty ◽

Patrick A Palmieri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Expressive Writing ◽

Positive Emotion ◽

Negative Emotion ◽

Medical Personnel ◽

Well Being ◽

Smartphone Application ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

High Dose ◽

Emergency Responders

ObjectivesThe aim of this project was to test the efficacy of a brief and novel online ambulatory intervention aimed at supporting psychological health and well-being for medical personnel and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsInterested participants, n=28, actively employed as medical personnel, support staff and emergency responders, in the Midwestern USA in May–June of 2020, provided informed consent and were randomised to complete either low-dose or high-dose intervention, one time daily for 1 week via smartphone application. Each daily intervention included expressive writing, adaptive emotion regulation activity and (one vs two) positive emotion-generation activities, lasting 3–6 min a day. Ratings of negative and positive emotion were provided before and after each activity daily. Analyses tested compliance, acceptability, as well as efficacy at increasing positive emotion and decreasing negative emotion with each use and across time.ResultsThe results indicated a 13% increase in positive emotion, t(25)=2.01, p=0.056; and decrease in negative emotion by 44%, t(25)=−4.00, p=0.001 across both doses. However, there was a clear advantage for individuals in the high-dose condition as daily boosts in positive emotion were significantly greater (an additional 9.4%) B=0.47, p=0.018. Overall, compliance was good. Acceptability ratings were good for those who completed the follow-up assessment.ConclusionFront-line personnel, including medical staff and emergency responders, are experiencing unprecedented psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This investigation suggests both feasibility and efficacy for a brief, daily, ambulatory intervention which could provide essential psychological support to individuals at risk in the workplace.

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Assessment of Cognitive-Communicative Disorders of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Sustained in Combat

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld19.2.47 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 47-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Christine Parrish ◽

Carole Roth ◽

Brooke Roberts ◽

Gail Davie

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Communication Disorders ◽

Service Members ◽

Patient Questionnaire ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Test Protocol ◽

Communication Deficits

Abstract Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is recognized as the signature injury of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet there remains limited understanding of the persisting cognitive deficits of mTBI sustained in combat. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have traditionally been responsible for evaluating and treating the cognitive-communication disorders following severe brain injuries. The evaluation instruments historically used are insensitive to the subtle deficits found in individuals with mTBI. Objectives: Based on the limited literature and clinical evidence describing traditional and current tests for measuring cognitive-communication deficits (CCD) of TBI, the strengths and weaknesses of the instruments are discussed relative to their use with mTBI. It is necessary to understand the nature and severity of CCD associated with mTBI for treatment planning and goal setting. Yet, the complexity of mTBI sustained in combat, which often co-occurs with PTSD and other psychological health and physiological issues, creates a clinical challenge for speech-language pathologists worldwide. The purpose of the paper is to explore methods for substantiating the nature and severity of CCD described by service members returning from combat. Methods: To better understand the nature of the functional cognitive-communication deficits described by service members returning from combat, a patient questionnaire and a test protocol were designed and administered to over 200 patients. Preliminary impressions are described addressing the nature of the deficits and the challenges faced in differentiating the etiologies of the CCD. Conclusions: Speech-language pathologists are challenged with evaluating, diagnosing, and treating the cognitive-communication deficits of mTBI resulting from combat-related injuries. Assessments that are sensitive to the functional deficits of mTBI are recommended. An interdisciplinary rehabilitation model is essential for differentially diagnosing the consequences of mTBI, PTSD, and other psychological and physical health concerns.

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Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Revised Sense of Coherence Scale

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000323 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 206-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Rahel Bachem ◽

Andreas Maercker

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Growth ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Psychometric Evaluation ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Structure Stability ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Reliability Factor ◽

Two Samples

Abstract. The present study introduces a revised Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale, a new conceptualization and operationalization of the resilience indicator SOC. It outlines the scale development and aims for testing its reliability, factor structure, and validity. Literature on Antonovsky’s SOC (SOC-A) was critically reviewed to identify needs for improving the scale. The scale was investigated in two samples. Sample 1 consisted of 334 bereaved participants, Sample 2 of 157 healthy controls. The revised SOC Scale, SOC-A, and theoretically relevant questionnaires were applied. Explorative and confirmatory factor analyses established a three-factor structure in both samples. The revised SOC Scale showed significant but discriminative associations with related constructs, including self-efficacy, posttraumatic growth, and neuroticism. The revised measure was significantly associated with psychological health indicators, including persistent grief, depression, and anxiety, but not to the extent as the previous SOC-A. Stability over time was sufficient. The study provides psychometric support for the revised SOC conceptualization and scale. It has several advantages over the previous SOC-A scale (unique variance, distinct factor structure, stability). The scale could be used for clinical and health psychological testing or research into the growing field of studies on resilience over the life span.

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