scholarly journals Security motives and personal well-being during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Rodrigues ◽  
Giulia Zoppolat ◽  
Rhonda Nicole Balzarini ◽  
Richard B. Slatcher

Objective: Past research suggests that having a stronger ability to regulate feelings and behaviors can help individuals cope during stressful events, but little is known about why and when this might be the case. We examined if being more focused on prevention (i.e., health security motives) impacted personal well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examined possible underlying mechanisms for this effect, and whether perceived social support buffered it.Design: We conducted a pre-registered longitudinal study over one month (N = 1,269).Main outcome measures: Regulatory focus, worry for health (T1), adherence to preventive measures (T2, two weeks after T1), loneliness, negative and positive affect, frequency of social interactions, and perceived social support (T3, two weeks after T2).Results: Prevention scores (T1) increased the adherence to health behaviors (T2), which then predicted negative affect (T3). Exploratory results further showed that prevention scores predicted more loneliness and more negative affect (T3), but only for individuals with fewer social interactions and less perceived social support.Conclusions: Security motives in threatening times can be a double edge sword, with benefits for health behaviors and negative consequences for personal well-being. Having a strong social network during these times appears to alleviate these consequences.

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy A. Freeze

Over the last three decades, research has established a strong link between attachment and well-being as well as social support and well-being. Past research found that attachment to church congregation predicted well-being over and above that predicted by attachment to God. However, it is unknown if attachment to church congregation predicts well-being over and above that predicted by social support. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if attachment to church congregation could explain a portion of the variance in negative affect, positive affect, satisfaction with life, and daily spiritual experiences, beyond that explained by religious social support and perceived social support. The data from 201 participants indicated that religious social support, perceived social support, and attachment to church congregation each predicted different aspects of well-being. Only negative affect was predicted by attachment to church congregation beyond that predicted by social support. More research is needed to better understand the relationship between attachment to church congregation, social support, and well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly E. Moore ◽  
Shania Siebert ◽  
Garrett Brown ◽  
Julia Felton ◽  
Jennifer E. Johnson

Abstract Background Justice-involved populations report a higher than average number of pre-incarceration stressful life events. However, few studies have described stressful life events which occur during incarceration, explored gender differences in these events, or evaluated the effect of these events on well-being. Method This study draws from a sample of male and female adults incarcerated in 6 prison facilities across two states (n = 160) to identify the number and type of stressful life events they experienced during incarceration, gender differences in stressful events, and the relationship between stressful life events and markers of well-being (i.e., depression, hopelessness, loneliness, suicidality). We also examined whether perceived social support would buffer the relationship between stressful events and well-being outcomes. Results Participants on average reported experiencing 4 stressful life events during their current incarceration, the most common being relocation to another cell and being made fun of/insulted by someone in the prison. There were few gender differences in types of events experienced. Regression analyses showed that stressful life events were associated with more loneliness, as well as suicidality, but only when participants had low perceived social support. Conclusions Stressful life events, and drawing on social support networks to cope with stress, should be addressed in the context of correctional treatments to reduce suicide risk during incarceration.


2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402094074
Author(s):  
Neda Hashemi ◽  
Maryam Marzban ◽  
Bernadette Sebar ◽  
Neil Harris

Background: Middle Eastern (ME) migrants are vulnerable to developing mental health problems due to pre-migration and post-migration traumas and stresses. The evidence on the subjective well-being of ME migrants and its contributing factors is limited and inconclusive. Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the moderating role of perceived social support in the association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being, after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Method(s): This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Queensland, Australia. A total of 382 first-generation young adult ME migrants, aged between 20 to 39 years, completed a self-administered questionnaire. To analyse data, a series of three hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) analyses were conducted, one for each of the subjective well-being components (i.e., positive affect, negative affect, and satisfaction with life). The interaction between perceived social support and perceived discrimination for the prediction of subjective well-being components was further explored using simple slope analysis. Results: Gender was found to be a significant predictor of positive and negative affect. Education was found to predict satisfaction with life, but not positive and negative affect. Married migrants were found to have significantly higher life satisfaction, positive affect and lower negative affect. Perceived social support had a moderating role in the association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being. Conclusion: Considering the buffering role of perceived social support against the adverse effects of perceived discrimination on subjective well-being, organizations and individuals working with ME migrants should acknowledge the significance of social support and improve their capacity to deliver effective and appropriate social support services to migrants experiencing discrimination.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos-Maria Alcover ◽  
Sergio Salgado ◽  
Gabriela Nazar ◽  
Raul Ramirez-Vielma ◽  
Carolina Gonzalez-Suhr

The social distancing, confinement and quarantine adopted since March 2020 to confront the COVID-19 pandemic have affected multiple vital areas, and specially work, business and productive activities. Prior research has highlighted the relation between perceptions of risk in employment and its concomitant financial risk with a myriad of consequences for people's well-being and health. In order to analyze the potential negative consequences of temporary layoffs, downsizing or closure of companies and businesses, and the consequent insecurity about the continuity of employment, the aim of this study is twofold. Firstly, to analyze the relations between the perceptions of job insecurity and financial threat and overall mental health during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of the Chilean adult population. And secondly, to identify the potential buffer effect of perceived social support on this relation. To analyze this, we carried out a cross-sectional study on a non-probabilistic sample aimed at a general Chilean adult population. The results show that both perceptions of job insecurity and financial threat are associated with a decline in perceived mental health. Additionally, results indicate a moderate buffer effect of perceived social support relative to the size of the social network. Thus, in relation to job insecurity and financial threat, the network size mitigates the association of both with the decline in perceived mental health. The theoretical and applied scope of these findings are analyzed, and their challenges and limitations are discussed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Field

A main objective of this study was to compare the emotional well-being of mothers who had already experienced a reunion with children relinquished two to four decades ago, with that of mothers who were still awaiting the possibility of such re-contact. A nationwide postal survey was carried out in New Zealand of the relinquishment experiences and subsequent adjustment of 238 women who had been able to re-contact their children and of 206 women who had not as yet made contact. The two subgroups did not differ on two standardised measures of psychological well-being (GHQ-28 and global self esteem). However, the post-reunion women reported significantly greater improvements in their feelings connected with “adoption events”, and also reported higher levels of perceived social support than did the pre-reunion women. Women who still lacked any information about their relinquished child showed significantly more negative affect and poorer psychological well-being than those who had at least obtained some non-identifying information.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Fernandes ◽  
Nandini Sanyal ◽  
Soundarya Dhupar

The objective of the present study is to observe whether there is a relationship between perceived social support, positive and negative affect and psychological well-being among married and widowed older adults. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 120 older adults, aged above 60 years, out of whom 60 were men (30 married and 30 widowed) and 60 women (30 married and 30 widowed). The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12) (Cohen & Hoberman, 1983), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988b) and Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff, 1989) were administered to measure perceived social support, positive and negative affect and psychological well-being respectively. Significant differences were found between married and widowed older adults with respect to positive and negative affect and psychological well-being (p <0.05) There were no significant gender differences with respect to perceived social support, affect and psychological well-being. The study also showed significant correlations between the dimensions of perceived social support, positive and negative affect and psychological well-being (p<0.05). Details are discussed in the paper. The study brings to light that affect plays a significant role in the psychological well-being of older adults and encouraging of social networks can help sustain successful aging.


GeroPsych ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lia Oberhauser ◽  
Andreas B. Neubauer ◽  
Eva-Marie Kessler

Abstract. Conflict avoidance increases across the adult lifespan. This cross-sectional study looks at conflict avoidance as part of a mechanism to regulate belongingness needs ( Sheldon, 2011 ). We assumed that older adults perceive more threats to their belongingness when they contemplate their future, and that they preventively react with avoidance coping. We set up a model predicting conflict avoidance that included perceptions of future nonbelonging, termed anticipated loneliness, and other predictors including sociodemographics, indicators of subjective well-being and perceived social support (N = 331, aged 40–87). Anticipated loneliness predicted conflict avoidance above all other predictors and partially mediated the age-association of conflict avoidance. Results suggest that belongingness regulation accounts may deepen our understanding of conflict avoidance in the second half of life.


2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana-Maria Vranceanu ◽  
Linda C. Gallo ◽  
Laura M. Bogart

The present study investigated whether a social information processing bias contributes to the inverse association between trait hostility and perceived social support. A sample of 104 undergraduates (50 men) completed a measure of hostility and rated videotaped interactions in which a speaker disclosed a problem while a listener reacted ambiguously. Results showed that hostile persons rated listeners as less friendly and socially supportive across six conversations, although the nature of the hostility effect varied by sex, target rated, and manner in which support was assessed. Hostility and target interactively impacted ratings of support and affiliation only for men. At least in part, a social information processing bias could contribute to hostile persons' perceptions of their social networks.


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