Sexuality and Mental Health in Emerging Adulthood

2021 ◽  
pp. 452-470
Author(s):  
Anne J Maheux ◽  
Sophia Choukas-Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Hookup Culture ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Sexual experience is considered an important developmental milestone for emerging adults. Whereas some sexual experiences incur benefits, others are associated with negative mental health outcomes. This chapter first describes the cultural context in which emerging adults experience their sexuality, including sexualized media, sexual scripts, hookup culture, and technology, and the impact of these contextual forces on emerging adults’ psychological well-being. The mental health effects of sexual behaviors are also discussed as they relate to various relational contexts, including committed romantic relationships, casual “hookups,” and ongoing casual relationships (e.g., “friends with benefits”), with an emphasis on the disproportionate negative outcomes for women and the limited empirical research on the impact of these experiences on racial and sexual minority individuals. The chapter further discusses the mental health outcomes affecting emerging adults with sexual and gender minority identities. The chapter concludes with important directions for future work, including longitudinal studies and greater attention to intersectionality.

scholarly journals The Impact of Distal Influences and Proximal Resources on the Mental Health of African American Older Adults: Findings From the Georgia Centenarian Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meneka C Johnson Nicholson ◽  
Peter Martin ◽  
Megan Gilligan ◽  
Carolyn E Cutrona ◽  
Daniel W Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
The Impact ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract Background and Objectives Over the years, a large amount of research has been devoted to the investigation of factors that led to mental health outcomes in older adults. For African American older adults, their lived experiences place them at high risk for mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of early life influences (i.e., education, childhood life events, and childhood financial well-being) and present psychosocial resources (i.e., individual, financial, and social) on current mental health outcomes in a sample of African American older adults in their 60s, 80s, and 100s. Research Design and Methods Using data from the Georgia Centenarian Study, 125 participants were interviewed about their mental health, resources, and early life influences. Results A structural equation model was tested and resulted in a good fit. Results indicated that the more social resources African American older adults had available, the lower the number of depressive symptoms they reported. African Americans with higher levels of financial well-being during childhood reported higher self-rated mental health. Older adults had higher levels of financial resources. Level of education showed a positive relationship with financial resources. Indirect effects of distal influences on health outcomes via current resources were not found. Discussion and Implications The findings are of direct practical relevance and can be used to more readily identify older African Americans who may be susceptible to poorer mental health outcomes based upon the impact of their unique distal and proximal psychosocial resources.

How “Conditions of Confinement” Impact “Conditions of Employment”: The Work-Related Well-Being of Provincial Correctional Officers in Atlantic Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Ricciardelli ◽  
Nicole Gerarda Power
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Stressors ◽  
The Impact

Internationally, researchers studying correctional officer (CO) work have examined CO self-presentation, staff-prisoner relationships, and emotional labor. We build on this research by drawing on occupational literature to examine officer mental health outcomes that result from correctional work. We examine the impact of working in prison on COs' well-being, paying particular attention to aspects of the work content (operational stressors) and context (organizational stressors). In conducting semi-structured interviews with COs in Atlantic Canada, we found that COs identified a number of operational stressors as impacting their mental health, specifically generalized violence among prisoners, direct and vicarious violence, and ongoing harassment. COs identified organizational stressors, including a work culture that discourages visible emotional responses to operational stressors, a lack of support from management, and inadequate procedures for dealing with workplace violence and harassment, as factors that exacerbate and contribute to negative mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals Well-Being and Perceived Stress of Adolescent Young Carers: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Wepf ◽  
Agnes Leu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Young Carers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAdolescent young carers have been described as a hidden group at risk of mental health problems. However, research has not yet clarified the effect of caring when considering the related family situation. We aimed to examine the impact of a caring role on adolescents’ mental health and to gain knowledge about adolescent young carers’ specific needs. We collected cross-sectional data from adolescents (15–21 years, N = 2525) recruited through educational institutions in German-speaking Switzerland. Based on self-reported answers regarding the presence or absence of a family member with health problems and youth’s caring activities, the participants were grouped into three subsamples. We compared mental health outcomes (well-being and perceived stress) in current carers and their peers, and we conducted multiple regression analyses for predicting these outcomes among all adolescents and the subsample of carers. Adolescent young carers had lower levels of well-being and higher levels of perceived stress than their peers. However, when controlling for background variables, well-being levels were lower only when carers were compared to adolescents from a healthy family background. Indicators of family instability predicted mental health outcomes independently of being a carer. More recognition for the caring role predicted better well-being and perceived stress outcomes, and more support in caring predicted better well-being but not perceived stress outcomes. The findings suggest that a caring role is not necessarily related to decreased well-being in adolescents, but it is associated with higher levels of perceived stress. The way professionals and services respond to young carers’ specific needs should be improved.

scholarly journals The effect of parental roles on mental health outcomes of unemployment: a gender perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (13/14) ◽  
pp. 16-33
Author(s):  
Concetta Russo ◽  
Alessandra Decataldo ◽  
Marco Terraneo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Parental Roles ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the extent to which family roles and settings can mediate the impact of unemployment on psychological well-being among Italian households.Design/methodology/approachUsing the European Health Interview Survey data for 2015, the authors adopt linear regression models to evaluate the effect of family settings on the mental health outcomes of unemployment, in particular on the likelihood of developing depression. The latter is measured using the internationally validated Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8). Since the gender gap in occupation has not ceased to exist in Italy, special attention is paid to the differences between males and females in the workforce.FindingsThe results suggest that involvement in parental roles has a moderating influence on unemployment mental health outcomes among both men and women, although it has a higher effect on the female workforce. Moreover, the study shows that “not living far from the family of origin” could be considered a crucial moderating factor for both gender categories.Originality/valueThe novelty of this paper lies in its consideration of the implications the social definition of gender roles may have on gender-related expectancies and attributions in life domains, such as work and family.

Evidence of sexual orientation and gender differences in mental health outcomes for violent crime victims

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Cramer ◽  
Martha Shumway ◽  
Amanda M. Amacker ◽  
Dale E. McNiel ◽  
Sarah Holley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Violent Crime ◽  
Crime Victims ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
And Gender

scholarly journals Individual- and Relationship-Level Factors Related to Better Mental Health Outcomes following Child Abuse: Results from a Nationally Representative Canadian Sample

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 776-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracie O. Afifi ◽  
Harriet L. MacMillan ◽  
Tamara Taillieu ◽  
Sarah Turner ◽  
Kristene Cheung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Abuse History ◽  
Good Mental Health ◽  
Nationally Representative

Objective: Child abuse can have devastating mental health consequences. Fortunately, not all individuals exposed to child abuse will suffer from poor mental health. Understanding what factors are related to good mental health following child abuse can provide evidence to inform prevention of impairment. Our objectives were to 1) describe the prevalence of good, moderate, and poor mental health among respondents with and without a child abuse history; 2) examine the relationships between child abuse and good, moderate, and poor mental health outcomes; 3) examine the relationships between individual- and relationship-level factors and better mental health outcomes; and 4) determine if individual- and relationship-level factors moderate the relationship between child abuse and mental health. Method: Data were from the nationally representative 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health ( n = 23,395; household response rate = 79.8%; 18 years and older). Good, moderate, and poor mental health was assessed using current functioning and well-being, past-year mental disorders, and past-year suicidal ideation. Results: Only 56.3% of respondents with a child abuse history report good mental health compared to 72.4% of those without a child abuse history. Individual- and relationship-level factors associated with better mental health included higher education and income, physical activity, good coping skills to handle problems and daily demands, and supportive relationships that foster attachment, guidance, reliable alliance, social integration, and reassurance of worth. Conclusions: This study identifies several individual- and relationship-level factors that could be targeted for intervention strategies aimed at improving mental health outcomes following child abuse.

The Impact of Mobile Application Systems Use on Mental Health Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of the Effect of Systems Usage on Anxiety, Worry, & Emotional Reactivity Among Participants in the Unwinding Anxiety Program (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Nardi ◽  
Alexandra Roy ◽  
Shira Dunsiger ◽  
Judson Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Interoceptive Awareness ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Mobile health applications provide a promising avenue to help mitigate the burden on mental health services by complimenting therapist-led treatments for anxiety. However, it remains unclear how specific systems' use of application components (i.e., tools) may be associated with changes in clinical symptomatology (i.e., anxiety, worry). OBJECTIVE This study was a secondary analysis of systems usage data from the Stage I randomized controlled trial testing the impact of the Unwinding Anxiety mobile application among adults with GAD. This secondary analysis was conducted to assess how using specific application tools may be associated with improvements in anxiety, worry, emotional regulation, and interoceptive awareness. METHODS We present analyses of the intervention group (i.e., those who received the Unwinding Anxiety program) during the Stage 1 trial. Total use of specific mobile application tools (i.e., ecological tools, meditation practices, educational modules) as well use specific to each tool (e.g., stress meter, lovingkindness meditation practice) were calculated. We utilized multivariate linear models to investigate the effect of total use of these tools on anxiety, worry, interoceptive awareness, emotional regulation at 2-months post-program initiation controlling for baseline scores, age, and education level. In addition, associations between systems usage metrics and baseline participant characteristics were assessed for differences in usage groupings. RESULTS The sample was primarily female (n=25; 92.6%) and the average age was 42.9 years old (SD=15.6) and educational module completion, the central intervention component, averaged 20.2 + 11.4 modules out of XXX for the total sample. Multivariate models revealed that completing >75% of the program was associated with an average 22.6-point increase in interoceptive awareness (SE=8.32, p=0.013) and an 11.6-point decrease in worry (SE=4.12, p=0.009). In addition, a single log unit change in total number of meditations was associated with a 0.95-point reduction in GAD-7 scores (SE=0.27, p=0.005) while a single log unit use of the stress meter was associated with an average of a 0.5-point increase in emotional regulation scores (FFMQ) (SE=0.21, p=0.027). CONCLUSIONS The work presented offers a clearer understanding of the impact of specific mobile app systems use on mental health outcomes. In addition, this research lays the groundwork for future comprehensive investigations of systems usage in dosing studies for health behavior change. CLINICALTRIAL Developing a Novel Digital Therapeutic for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (NCT03683472).

Longitudinal Effects of Gendered Harassment Perpetration and Victimization on Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescence

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (23-24) ◽  
pp. 5997-6016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Rinehart ◽  
Dorothy L. Espelage ◽  
Kristen L. Bub
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Homophobic Name Calling ◽  
Gendered Harassment

Gendered harassment, including sexual harassment and homophobic name-calling, is prevalent in adolescents and is linked to negative outcomes including depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance abuse, and personal distress. However, much of the extant literature is cross-sectional and rarely are perpetrators of these behaviors included in studies of outcomes. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of longitudinal changes in gendered harassment perpetration and victimization on changes in mental health outcomes among a large sample of early adolescents. Given that these behaviors commonly occur in the context of a patriarchal society (males hold power), we also investigated the impact of gender on gendered harassment. Participants included 3,549 students from four Midwestern middle schools (50.4% female, 49% African American, 34% White) at two time points (13 and 17 years old). Results indicated that increases from age 13 to 17 years in sexual harassment perpetration and victimization and homophobic name-calling perpetration and victimization predicted increases in depression symptoms and substance use. Gender did not moderate these pathways. These findings highlight that negative outcomes are associated with changes in gendered harassment among adolescents and emphasize the importance of prevention efforts. Implications for school interventions are discussed.

The impact of childhood parental quality on mental health outcomes in older adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Burns ◽  
V. Loh ◽  
J.E. Byles ◽  
H.L. Kendig
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Parental Quality ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Impact of Internet-Based Interventions on Caregiver Mental Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Sherifali ◽  
Muhammad Usman Ali ◽  
Jenny Ploeg ◽  
Maureen Markle-Reid ◽  
Ruta Valaitis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Chronic Condition ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Internet Based Intervention

BACKGROUND The health of informal caregivers of adults with chronic conditions is increasingly vital since caregivers comprise a large proportion of supportive care to family members living in the community. Due to efficiency and reach, internet-based interventions for informal caregivers have the potential to mitigate the negative mental health outcomes associated with caregiving. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the impact of internet-based interventions on caregiver mental health outcomes and the impact of different types of internet-based intervention programs. METHODS MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and AgeLine databases were searched for randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials published from January 1995 to April 2017 that compared internet-based intervention programs with no or minimal internet-based interventions for caregivers of adults with at least 1 chronic condition. The inclusion criteria were studies that included (1) adult informal caregivers (aged 18 years or older) of adults living in the community with a chronic condition; (2) an internet-based intervention program to deliver education, support, or monitoring to informal caregivers; and (3) outcomes of mental health. Title and abstract and full-text screening were completed in duplicate. Data were extracted by a single reviewer and verified by a second reviewer, and risk of bias assessments were completed accordingly. Where possible, data for mental health outcomes were meta-analyzed. RESULTS The search yielded 7923 unique citations of which 290 studies were screened at full-text. Of those, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria; 11 were randomized controlled trials, 1 study was a controlled clinical trial, and 1 study comprised both study designs. Beneficial effects of any internet-based intervention program resulted in a mean decrease of 0.48 points (95% CI –0.75 to –0.22) for stress and distress and a mean decrease of 0.40 points (95% CI –0.58 to –0.22) for anxiety among caregivers. For studies that examined internet-based information and education plus professional psychosocial support, the meta-analysis results showed small to medium beneficial effect sizes of the intervention for the mental health outcomes of depression (–0.34; 95% CI –0.63 to –0.05) and anxiety (–0.36; 95% CI –0.66 to –0.07). Some suggestion of a beneficial effect on overall health for the use of information and education plus combined peer and professional support was also shown (1.25; 95% CI 0.24 to 2.25). Overall, many studies were of poor quality and were rated at high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS The review found evidence for the benefit of internet-based intervention programs on mental health for caregivers of adults living with a chronic condition, particularly for the outcomes of caregiver depression, stress and distress, and anxiety. The types of interventions that predominated as efficacious included information and education with or without professional psychological support, and, to a lesser extent, with combined peer and psychological support. Further high-quality research is needed to inform the effectiveness of interactive, dynamic, and multicomponent internet-based interventions. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO CRD42017075436; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=75436 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/709M3tDvn)

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