Interactions between human behaviour and the built environment in terms of facility management

Facilities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 2-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darja Kobal Grum
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In comparison with the relations between the human and natural environments that have been the central focus of environmental psychology for many years, the interactions between the psychological processes underlying human behaviour and the built environment have only recently regained the interest of researchers. In this paper, the author first discusses the reasons for the slower development of human – built environment relations. Afterwards, the author systematically examines the impact that the research of environmental stress, namely, poor housing and poor neighbourhood quality, had on the contemporary understanding of human – built environment relations. Design/methodology/approach The author focuses on social, biophilic and evidence-based design. The author proposes deeper psychological engagement in correlation with human behaviour, psychological well-being and society. The author highlights the inclusion of psychologists in interdisciplinary research teams addressing the development of sustainable solutions to the issues of residential environments. Findings It has been shown that substandard house quality, high noise, lack of natural light in houses, poorer physical quality of urban neighbourhoods, living in a low-income neighbourhood, etc. are linked to elevated physiological and psychological stress. Despite this evidence, there is still a gap between building designers and building users in modern industrialised societies, which could deepen tenants’ dissatisfaction due to specific behavioural needs and consequently lower their psychological well-being and health risk behaviour. Research limitations/implications These are potential risks of error arising from the use of assumptions, limited samples size and data from the secondary resources. Originality/value The major contributions of this paper are as follows. If the environment is understood as a dynamic, constantly changing and complex system of a wide range of players, the author can discern in this environment a dynamic that is otherwise characteristic of emotional dynamics. Expressed participants’ high satisfaction with residential status does not necessarily generate high expectations regarding real estate factors.

scholarly journals Effects of Economic Uncertainty on Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context: Social Identity Disturbance, Job Uncertainty and Psychological Well-Being Model

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danijela Godinic ◽  
Bojan Obrenovic ◽  
Akmal Khudaykulov
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Economic Uncertainty ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Identity Disturbance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Psychological well-being is a major global concern receiving more scholarly attention following the 2008 Great Recession, and it becomes even more relevant in the context of COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we investigated the impact of economic uncertainty resulting from natural disasters, epidemics, and financial crisis on individuals’ mental health. As unemployment rate exponentially increases, individuals are faced with health and economic concerns. Not all society members are affected to the same extent, and marginalized groups, such as those suffering from chronic mental illnesses or low-income families cannot afford the downsizing, mass lay-offs and lack of access to public health services. Psychiatric profession is familiarized with the phenomenon of intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and we examine how this concept is associated with job uncertainty and social identity disturbance. Several studies have formally investigated the effects of IU, but to our knowledge, this is the first research integrating the psychological well-being, job uncertainty and identity disturbance caused by economic breakdown. Literature points to many reported cases of PTSD, anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies following major social disasters. Yet, we have undertaken to analyze the subjective experiences underlying the self-harming behaviors in an attempt to fill the methodological gap by drawing insights from prominent psychological, sociological and economic theories. We find economic uncertainty to have a positive relation to job uncertainty and identity disturbance, and a negative relationship with psychological well-being. Psychological well-being depends on coherency between both abstract subjective and concrete objective identity, and when these perceptions are inconsistent, cognitive dissonance arises resulting in identity disturbance. We argue that stability is not associated with monetary advantage only, but also with a wide range of other benefits that are crucial for individuals’ growth, satisfaction and sense of identity. Therefore, we propose the implementation of social support and public welfare policies to mitigate health risks during the turbulent socio-economic changes.

scholarly journals Psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic in low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study of older persons in Thailand

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e047650
Author(s):  
Wiraporn Pothisiri ◽  
Paolo Miguel Manalang Vicerra
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Ageing Society ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 situation in Thailand was controlled with various social measures. Much of the information covered in the media and in studies focused on the public health and economic aspects of the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the psychological well-being of older people, which is important especially in an ageing society categorised as low income or middle income due to the limits of economic and healthcare resources.SettingThe impact of COVID-19 on older persons in Thailand, an online survey, taken across nine provinces within the five regions of the country.ParticipantsInformation was collected from 1230 adults aged at least 60 years old.If an older person was illiterate, unable to access the internet or had a disability preventing them from responding to the survey, an intermediary residing in the community conducted the survey interview.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe analysis focused on the worries of older adults and the factors associated with psychological distress experienced during the pandemic using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe majority of people aged at least 60 years old experienced psychological distress during COVID-19. Employment loss (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.38), inadequate income (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.44) and debt incursion (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.57 to 4.80) were detrimental to psychological well-being. The negative changes in the perception of their health status (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.99) and decreased life satisfaction (OR 1.49, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.87) also weighed on older Thais. The protective factors for psychological well-being were residing in rural areas (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.61) and being married (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.01).ConclusionObserving the concerns of the older population is important for introducing policies that can alleviate their precarious financial and health statuses.

Perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers during COVID-19: a mediated moderated roles of teleworking and resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vartika Kapoor ◽  
Jaya Yadav ◽  
Lata Bajpai ◽  
Shalini Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Working Mothers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe present study examines the mediating role of teleworking and the moderating role of resilience in explaining the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers in India. Conservation of resource theory (COR) is taken to support the present study.Design/methodology/approachThe data of 326 respondents has been collected from working mothers in various sectors of Delhi NCR region of India. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity, and SPSS Macro Process (Hayes) was used for testing the hypotheses.FindingsThe results of the study found an inverse association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. Teleworking acted as a partial mediator and resilience proved to be a significant moderator for teleworking-well-being relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based at Delhi NCR of India, and future studies may be based on a diverse population within the country to generalize the findings in different cultural and industrial contexts. The present work is based only on the psychological well-being of the working mothers, it can be extended to study the organizational stress for both the genders and other demographic variables.Practical implicationsThe study extends the research on perceived stress and teleworking by empirically testing the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being in the presence of teleworking as a mediating variable. The findings suggest some practical implications for HR managers and OD Practitioners. The organizations must develop a plan to support working mothers by providing flexible working hours and arranging online stress management programs for them.Originality/valueAlthough teleworking is studied previously, there is a scarcity of research examining the impact of teleworking on psychological well-being of working mothers in Asian context. It would help in understanding the process that how teleworking has been stressful for working mothers and also deliberate the role of resilience in the relationship between teleworking and psychological well-being due to perceived stress, as it seems a ray of hope in new normal work situations.

Psychological factors of fear of crime: an empirical study of older people in Lucknow, India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Avanish Bhai Patel
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The incidents of elder victimisation and cases of victimisation, in general, are increasing fast in the society. These incidents have had negative impact on the sense of well-being and way of life of the older people. Therefore, fear of crime is being considered as a most concerning psycho-social problem amongst the older people in contemporary time. The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of crime rate on the well-being of the older people and examine the linkage between psychological factors and fear of crime amongst the older people. Design/methodology/approach The present study is based on the mixed method approach and an exploratory research designed applied to conduct the study. The field survey has been done from October 2012 to January 2013 on a sample of 220 older people of rural and urban areas of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh through purposive sampling. For the study, researcher has interviewed 137 male older people and 83 female older people through interview schedules and case studies. The data have been analysed through descriptive and narrative analysis. Findings The study finds that those older people have direct or indirect experience of victimisation, they have anxiety and feel insecurity that someone can victimise them. The study also finds that the happiness of older people is more affected due to anxiety and phobia and have higher level of feeling of fear of crime in their neighbourhood and home. The study also finds whenever anti-social elements are active in the neighbourhood and they commit crimes, fear of crime and anxiety grasp the older people to a large extent causing a fracture in their psychological well-being. Originality/value This work is the original work of researcher. This paper is related to the researcher’s PhD dissertation work. This paper talks about how the psychological well-being of older people affects due to nature of crime in neighbourhood, phobia of crime and anxiety due to criminal activities.

Investigating systematic review for multi-disciplinary research in the built environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-90
Author(s):  
Subhadarsini Parida ◽  
Kerry Brown
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Powerful Means ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which a systematic review approach is transferable from medicine to multi-disciplinary studies in the built environment research. Design/methodology/approach Primarily a review paper, it focuses on specific steps in the systematic review to clarify and elaborate the elements for adapting an evidence base in the built environment studies particular to the impact of green building on employees’ health, well-being and productivity. Findings While research represents a potentially powerful means of reducing the gap between research and practice by applying tried and tested methods, the methodological rigour is debatable when a traditional systematic review approach is applied in the built environment studies involving multi-disciplinary research. Research limitations/implications The foundational contribution of this paper lies in providing methodological guidance and an alternative framework to advance the longstanding efforts in the built environment to bridge the practitioner and academic divide. Originality/value A systematic review approach in the built environment is rare. The method is unique in multi-disciplinary studies especially in green building studies. This paper adopts the systematic review protocols in this cross-disciplinary study involving health, management and built environment expertise.

Yes, But

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laina Y. Bay-Cheng ◽  
Anne E. Bruns
Keyword(s):  
Young Women ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Sexual Experiences ◽  
Unwanted Sex ◽  
Unwanted Sexual Experiences ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

Reflecting the wide range of consensual unwanted sexual experiences, researchers often have contrasting views of the impact of these incidents on young women. Some scholars support a normalizing view of these as fairly harmless and ordinary aspects of relationships, akin to other forms of willing compromises between partners. Other researchers problematize unwanted sexual experiences, framing them in terms of gender inequalities and detrimental effects. In the current study, we were interested in how young women themselves characterized their unwanted sexual experiences and whether these accounts varied according to a woman’s social location. We interviewed 41 young women (18–22 years old) from three groups: affluent undergraduates, low-income undergraduates, and low-income nonstudents. Almost all of the affluent undergraduates framed their unwanted sexual experiences in normalizing terms, representing such events as relatively harmless incidents and outgrowths of developmental experimentation. In contrast, the low-income students and nonstudents both articulated more ambivalent positions and were more inclined to link their experience to sources of vulnerability, including personal adversity (e.g., trauma, social, and material insecurity) and social norms and stigma. Participants’ sexual histories, life circumstances, and standpoints at the intersection of gender and class were reflected in their experiences of unwanted sex, reinforcing that contextualized analyses and interventions are essential to advancing women’s sexual rights and well-being. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ 's website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/supplemental

scholarly journals A Modified Version of the Transactional Stress Concept According to Lazarus and Folkman Was Confirmed in a Psychosomatic Inpatient Sample

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Obbarius ◽  
Felix Fischer ◽  
Gregor Liegl ◽  
Alexander Obbarius ◽  
Matthias Rose
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Resources ◽  
Stress Model ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
Self Reported Health Status ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundStress is a major risk factor for the impairment of psychological well-being. The present study aimed to evaluate the empirical evidence of the Transactional Stress Model proposed by Lazarus and Folkman in patients with psychosomatic health conditions.MethodsA structural equation model was applied in two separate subsamples of inpatients from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine (total n = 2,216) for consecutive model building (sample 1, n = 1,129) and confirmatory analyses (sample 2, n = 1,087) using self-reported health status information about perceived stress, personal resources, coping mechanisms, stress response, and psychological well-being.ResultsThe initial model was created to reflect the theoretical assumptions by Lazarus and Folkman about their transactional stress concept. This model was modified until a sufficient model fit was reached (sample 1: CFI = 0.904, TLI = 0.898, RMSEA = 0.072 [0.071–0.074], SRMR = 0.061). The modified model was confirmed in a second sample (sample 2: CFI = 0.932, TLI = 0.928, RMSEA = 0.066 [0.065–0.068], SRMR = 0.052). Perceived external stressors and personal resources explained 91% of the variance of the stress response, which was closely related to symptoms of depression (63% variance explained). The attenuating effect of resources on stress response was higher (standardized β = -0.73, p < 0.001) than the impact of perceived stressors on stress response (standardized β = 0.34, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe empirical data largely confirmed the theoretical assumption of the Transactional Stress Model, which was first presented by Lazarus and Folkman, in patients with a wide range of psychosomatic conditions. However, data analyses were solely based on self-reported health status. Thus, proposed inner psychological mechanisms such as the appraisal process could not be included in this empirical validation. The operationalization and understanding of coping processes should be further improved.

Workplace spirituality, psychological well-being and mediating role of subjective stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 725-739
Author(s):  
Manju Mahipalan ◽  
Sheena S.
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Workplace Spirituality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Subjective Stress ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of spirituality on subjective stress and psychological well-being (PWB). Additionally, the study also examines the mediating role of stress in the spirituality – well-being relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study is quantitative in nature. Data were collected from 322 secondary school teachers using a structured questionnaire. Partial least squares based structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Findings Results indicated a positive relationship between spirituality and PWB but an inverse relationship between job stresses. Also, subjective stress was found to be a significant mediator in the relationship between spirituality and well-being. Social implications The inner resource of spirituality among teachers can be tapped to cope with perceived stress levels thereby augmenting a sense of well-being. Psychologically clear and receptive minds are indispensable in the process of teaching. Originality/value The present study combines the evolving construct of workplace spirituality with PWB and subjective stress, which are under explored in the social sector.

Exploring the impact of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety and stress on psychological well-being among adults in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naeem Aslam ◽  
Kanwal Shafique ◽  
Ammar Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Fear of COVID-19 is one of the pivotal components that have generated higher levels of stress, obsessions and anxiety among the adult population, thus creating numerous mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate psychological well-being based on COVID-19-related fear, obsessions and anxiety during the pandemic situation. Design/methodology/approach The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety, stress and well-being among adult populations. Additionally, the aim was to see the impact of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety and stress on well-being. This was a cross-sectional study based on nonclinical sample of (n = 250) adults; data was obtained via online questionnaire survey method and analysis was performed by using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-22). Findings The authors’ findings based on descriptive statistics showed that COVID-19-related fear and obsessions were positively associated with COVID anxiety and stress and negatively associated with well-being. COVID anxiety was positively associated with stress and negatively associated with well-being. Moreover, perceived stress is negatively associated with well-being. The results additionally provide the outcome/conclusion that COVID-related anxiety significantly negatively predicted the psychological well-being. Overall the model explained 24% of the variance in psychological well-being. Females scored significantly high in COVID-19-related anxiety and obsessions as compared to males. Research limitations/implications A distinctive feature of this study is the understanding of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety, stress and well-being among adult populations, and the findings are highlighting the need for psychological and social interventions for this specific population; therefore, immediate attention is needed by the clinical health professionals dealing with mental health issues. Originality/value There is a vital need to explore and develop psychological interventions aiming at the negative consequences being faced by the adult populations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending second wave that will expose individuals to various mental health issues evolving because of the health crisis.

A survey of complex trauma in families who have children and adults who have a learning disability and/or autism

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Baker ◽  
Vivien Cooper ◽  
Winnie Tsang ◽  
Isabelle Garnett ◽  
Noelle Blackman
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disability ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Purpose There is an established literature supporting the idea that families who have children and adults who have a learning disability and/or autism have a greater vulnerability to mental health problems or poor psychological health. There are shortcomings in this literature in that there is a little consideration of the impact the families interaction with services has on their well-being. It is argued that complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), with its focus on prolonged chronic exposure to trauma experiences and the recognition that this can occur in adulthood, may well be an appropriate framework to enable a better understanding of the experiences of families. Design/methodology/approach A total of 214 family members completed a co-produced online survey in relation to potential traumatic events, impacts and support. Findings The experiences of family carers of children and adults with a learning disability and/or who are autistic would appear to be multi-layered and complex, with many experiencing a wide range of traumatic events with the associated emotional and personal sequela. The reported responses are consistent with CPTSD with 10% of having received a diagnosis of PTSD. Their experience was that the system failed not only to provide support but also created additional trauma. Practical implications A trauma-informed approach needs to be adopted by agencies and professionals that serve families to ensure they understand their potential contribution to the trauma families experience. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that has attempted to examine the experience of families using the framework of CPTSD.

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