scholarly journals Role Identity, Dissonance, and Distress among Paramedics

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Mausz ◽  
Elizabeth Anne Donnelly ◽  
Sandra Moll ◽  
Sheila Harms ◽  
Meghan McConnell
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Workplace Stress ◽  
Modest Contribution ◽  
Public Safety Personnel ◽  
Identity Disruption ◽  
Role Identity Theory ◽  
Health And Well Being

Role identity theory describes the purpose and meaning in life that comes, in part, from occupying social roles. While robustly linked to health and well-being, this may become, however, when an individual is unable to fulfil the perceived requirements of an especially salient role in the way that they believe they should. Amid high rates of mental illness among public safety personnel, we interviewed a purposely selected sample of 21 paramedics from a single service in Ontario, Canada to explore incongruence between an espoused and able-to-enact paramedic role identity. Situated in an interpretivist epistemology, and using successive rounds of thematic analysis, we developed a framework for role identity dissonance wherein chronic, identity-relevant disruptive events cause emotional and psychological distress. While some participants were able to recalibrate their sense of self and understanding of the role, for others, this dissonance was irreconcilable, contributing to disability and lost time from work. In addition to contributing a novel perspective on paramedic mental health and well-being, our work also offers a modest contribution to the theory in using the paramedic context as an example to consider identity disruption through chronic workplace stress.

scholarly journals Meaning of Life and Well-Being: Preliminary Results of the Successful Aging Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 112-112
Author(s):  
Zvi Gellis ◽  
Kim McClive-Reed ◽  
Bonnie Kenaley ◽  
Eunhae Kim
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Presence Of Meaning ◽  
Aging Study ◽  
Proxy Measure ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Meaning in life for older persons has become a focal research point, with findings that a greater sense of meaning is associated with better outcomes on a range of health and well-being factors. Our study examined relationships between scores on several personality scales, including the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2009) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, a proxy measure of mood/depression. Community-dwelling members (N=535) of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes aged 50 and up (mean age 71.4, SD = 6.93) at 3 U.S. sites completed surveys. Higher wellness levels were significantly correlated with increased resilience, optimism, life satisfaction, and presence of meaning in life, while lower levels were associated with greater searching for meaning in life. A multivariate linear regression model (F = 55.597, df = 4, p = .000, R = .566, R2 = .320) showed that wellness scores increased with higher scores in optimism (ß = .348, p =.000), resilience (ß = .183, p = .000), and presence of meaning in life (ß = .106, p = .019). However, searching for meaning in life significantly predicted decreases in wellness scores (ß = -.084, p=.019). These results support those of previous studies, suggesting that for older persons, an ongoing search for meaning in life is linked to negative outcomes than a perception of existing meaning in life. A variety of available interventions aimed at increasing meaning and purpose in life (Guerrero-Torelles et al., 2017) may contribute to better health and well-being in older adults.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Health, and Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-70
Author(s):  
Kristine Klussman ◽  
Julia Langer ◽  
Austin Lee Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract. Background: Most people are comfortable asserting the beneficial effects of physical exercise on mental health and well-being. However, little research has examined how different types of physical activity affect these outcomes. Aims: The current study sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of the differential relationships between different types of physical activity and various aspects of health and well-being. In addition, we sought to understand the role of self-connection in these relationships. Method: One hundred forty-three participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure their current weekly activity as well as their current health and well-being. Specifically, we examined three intensities of activity (walking, moderate, and vigorous) and three types of activity (team-based, community-based, and not team nor community-based) on self-reported health, anxiety, depression, affect, flourishing, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. In addition, we examined self-connection as a possible moderator of these relationships. Results: Results suggested that physical activity was inconsistently related to health and well-being, and activity intensity and type were important to understanding these relationships. In contrast, self-connection reliably related to health and well-being and moderated the relationship between activity type and the presence of meaning. Limitations: The cross-sectional, self-report nature of the study limits its contribution. In addition, we only examined a subset of all physical activities that people engage in. Conclusion: In all, results suggest that the relationships between physical activity, mental health, and well-being are tenuous, at best. Future research needs to examine these relationships further and continue to examine self-connection to determine how to best increase health and well-being through physical activity.

6. The why of creativity

2021 ◽  
pp. 82-96
Author(s):  
Vlad Glăveanu
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Creative Expression ◽  
The Other ◽  
Creative People ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The One ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Different Levels

This chapter addresses why people engage in creativity. This question can be answered at different levels. On the one hand, one can refer to what motivates creative people to do what they do. On the other hand, the question addresses a deeper level, that of how societies today are built and how they, in turn, construct the meaning and value of creativity. Nowadays, people consider creativity intrinsically valuable largely because of its direct and indirect economic benefits. However, creative expression also has a role for health and well-being. Creativity also relates to meaning in life. The chapter then considers how creativity can be used for good or for evil.

Health and Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 201-226
Author(s):  
Neal M. Krause
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Religious Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Proactive Coping ◽  
Coping Responses ◽  
The Third ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Extensive Body ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Insight Into

The goal of this chapter is to show how a sense of meaning in life acts in concert with the dimensions of religion that have been discussed so far to affect health. The discussion that follows is divided into two sections. The extensive body of research that links meaning with health and well-being is examined first. Following this, three submodels are introduced that provide further insight into how meaning in life might affect health. The first submodel brings gratitude and prayer to the foreground. The second submodel focuses on the relationships among meaning in life, proactive coping responses, and health behavior. The third submodel brings issues involving the interface between meaning in life, negative aspects of religious life (e.g., religious doubt), and health-related outcomes.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Stress and Resilience: Exploring the Role of Hope and Meaning in in Life Undergraduate Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
Abdullah MERT ◽  
Gökmen ARSLAN ◽  
Özlem TAGAY
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public University ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
High Motivation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether meaning in life and hope mediate the association between coronavirus stress and resilience in university students. The participants were 376 (68% female) undergraduate students attending a public university in Turkey. The age of the students ranged from 18 to 38 years (Mage = 20.67, SD = 3.62). The results of the present study suggest that the meaning of life and hope attenuate the negative effects of stress on hope and resilience. Specifically, hope emerged as an important mechanism for the relationship between meaning in life and resilience. These findings provide insights into the relationships between coronavirus stress, hope, sense of life, and resilience in young adults during the period COVID -19. Hope and sense of life may function as protective factors to promote mental health and well-being by increasing an individual's ability to recover from stressful situations with high motivation and in creative ways. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether meaning in life and hope mediate the relationship between coronavirus stress and resilience in university students. The participants were 376 (68% female) students attending a public university in Turkey. The age of the students ranged from 18 to 38 years (Mage = 20.67, SD = 3.62). The results of the study showed that the meaning of life and hope mitigated the negative effects of stress on hope and resilience. Specifically, hope was found to be an important mechanism for the relationship between meaning in life and resilience. These findings shed light on the relationships between coronavirus stress, hope, sense of life, and resilience in young adults during COVID -19. Hope and sense of life may act as protective factors to promote mental health and well-being by increasing individuals' ability to recover from stressful situations with high motivation and in creative ways.

When performance gets personal: Towards a theory of performance-based identity

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1077-1105
Author(s):  
Benjamin W Walker ◽  
Dan V Caprar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Theoretical Account ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Work And Life

For better or worse, contemporary society places immense value on achievement and performance. What are the consequences of this emphasis on (if not obsession with) performance for people’s sense of self, and relatedly, their mental health and well-being? We develop a theoretical lens for exploring such questions by introducing the concept of performance-based identity—a form of identity that we propose arises when performance (at work or in another setting) becomes personally meaningful to the extent that it acts as a basis for self-definition. We argue that many individuals are likely to develop performance-based identities in a world where performance is increasingly emphasized as important, and where other identities (e.g. those derived from particular groups, organizations, and cultures) are being destabilized by fundamental shifts in the nature of work and society. We explain the similarities and differences between performance-based identity and related constructs, present a theoretical account of how people construct performance-based identities, and discuss how acknowledging and studying performance-based identities could yield valuable new insights into how people experience their work and life in general.

Experiences of Intergenerational Trauma in Second-Generation Refugees: Healing Through Occupation

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 412-422
Author(s):  
Janany Jeyasundaram ◽  
Luisa Yao Dan Cao ◽  
Barry Trentham
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intergenerational Trauma ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Vietnamese Refugees ◽  
Greater Toronto Area ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background. Trauma experienced in one generation can affect the health and well-being of subsequent generations, such as impairing life skills, personal contentment, behaviour patterns and sense of self. This phenomenon has predominantly been explored with descendants of European refugees and is not fully understood from an occupational perspective. Purpose. This research explores how intergenerational trauma manifests in the occupational lives of second-generation Ilankai Tamil and Vietnamese refugees. Methods. Using qualitative narrative inquiry, 12 adult children of Tamil and Vietnamese refugees residing in the Greater Toronto Area participated in semi-structured interviews. Narratives were thematically analysed. Findings. Findings illustrate how sociohistorical, cultural and familial contexts influence the way second-generation refugees view what they can and should do. Many healing responses to intergenerational trauma include occupations focused on communal care. Implications. Findings from this study reveal the unique struggles and needs of two understudied populations and the possibilities for healing through occupation.

scholarly journals Older Canadians’ Identity and Well-Being in Retirement

2021 ◽  
pp. 009141502110015
Author(s):  
Nicky J. Newton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Identity Processes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
New Information ◽  
Identity Disruption ◽  
Process Assimilation ◽  
The Relationship

Retirement can be a time of identity disruption for many older adults. Identity process theory (Whitbourne et al., 2002) states that age-related changes, such as retirement, can prompt an individual to incorporate new information about themselves into their personal identity using one of three identity process: assimilation, accommodation, and balance. Additionally, individual identity and the manner in which individuals retire—voluntary or involuntary—are associated with post-retirement well-being (Newton et al., 2018). The current study examined the relationship between identity processes, planned/unplanned retirement, and hedonic (life satisfaction) and eudaimonic (meaning in life) well-being in a sample of retired Canadians. Results indicated that identity accommodation and balance were associated with both types of post-retirement well-being, whereas unplanned retirement was consistently only related to life satisfaction. This study emphasizes the importance of including individual difference factors when examining older adults’ well-being and the utility of measuring well-being in multiple ways.

scholarly journals A Longitudinal Examination of the Association Between Meaning in Life, Resilience, and Mental Well-Being in Times of Coronavirus Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökmen Arslan ◽  
Murat Yıldırım
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Urban City ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Examination ◽  
Health And Well Being

The coronavirus disease possesses an important threat to people's health and well-being. The purpose of the present study is to longitudinally examine whether meaning in life before the pandemic increases resilience and mental well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. The sample of the study comprised 172 young adults (72% women) in a public university in an urban city of Turkey. Participants ranged in age between 18 and 40 years (M = 20.87, SD = 3.92). Mediation analyses were performed to examine the impacts of meaning in life on the outcomes across the two waves of data. Findings from these analyses revealed that meaning in life before the pandemic had a significant predictive effect on resilience and mental well-being of young adults during the coronavirus disease. Resilience also mediated the impacts of meaning in life on mental well-being indicators at the second time. These results suggest the importance of meaning-based preventions and interventions designed to build up resilience experiences for improving psychological health and well-being during a public health crisis.

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