scholarly journals Investigating the Qualities of a Recreational Forest: Findings from the Cross-Sectional Hallerwald Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renate Cervinka ◽  
Markus Schwab ◽  
Daniela Haluza
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Before And After ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Health And Well Being

Prior research shows that forests contribute to human health and well-being. In this sense, this cross-sectional case study, adopting the principles of citizen science, assessed the restorative potential of places in the Hallerwald, an Austrian community forest. A convenience sample of adult forest visitors (n = 99, 64% females) completed a survey during a guided 2.5 h forest tour. The German questionnaire assessed the qualities of defined places in the forest. We also investigated changes in mood states, perceived stress, restoration, connectedness, and mindfulness before and after visiting the forest. In cooperation with a local working group, we developed the new Widen One’s Mind (WOM) scale, which showed good scale characteristics. All places received high scores in their potential to increase restoration and vitality and to widen one’s mind. Positive affect, restoration, connectedness with nature and the forest, and mindfulness increased pre- versus post-visits, whereas negative affect and perceived stress decreased. The findings of this study suggest that in recreational forests, visitors experience beneficial mental effects such as stress reduction in addition to physical exercise. To facilitate regional development goals, we recommend evaluating places in forests regarding the potential effects on the health and well-being as well as citizen participation before initiating extensive remodeling.

scholarly journals Perceived Control and Aging: A Mini-Review and Directions for Future Research

Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Robinson ◽  
Margie E. Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Sex Education ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Control Beliefs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Health And Well Being

This brief review on perceived control and aging is organized according to 3 perspectives of research involving description, explanation, and modification. An extensive body of literature has utilized cross-sectional and correlational methods to describe the sociodemographic variations and outcomes associated with perceived control. This work has focused on differences in perceived control as a function of age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and culture and has identified positive associations with many aging-related outcomes involving health and well-being. With growing evidence regarding the health benefits of perceived control in the context of a declining sense of control with aging, there has been an increased effort to uncover the mechanisms involved, with the hopes of developing methods to maintain and/or promote adaptive control beliefs throughout adulthood. Through longitudinal and experimental work, researchers are beginning to clarify the directionality and elucidate the mechanisms to explain the associations. Recent evidence from longitudinal studies shows that control beliefs have an impact on subsequent changes in health. Yet, the findings suggest that it is not a unidirectional relationship. A conceptual model suggesting an ongoing reciprocal relationship between perceived control and health and well-being is discussed. Research examining the mechanisms that link perceived control to aging-related outcomes can help to inform and to develop effective interventions that are tailored to the individual's specific barriers and goals. We consider new directions for research, including more attention to intraindividual variability and reactivity to daily challenges, such as stress, with the goal of advancing our understanding of how perceived control contributes to aging-related outcomes. More work is needed to develop strategies to enhance control beliefs in later life. Although it will not always be possible to modify control beliefs, researchers can take these beliefs into account when developing interventions. A personalized approach is recommended as a way to tailor interventions that are compatible with individuals' beliefs about control to facilitate adaptive behavior change. Conclusions focus on selected issues and considerations for future research.

scholarly journals Heart Rate Variability as a Marker of Distress and Recovery: The Effect of Brief Supportive Expressive Group Therapy With Mindfulness in Cancer Patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 825-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
HyeYoun Park ◽  
Sohee Oh ◽  
Yumi Noh ◽  
Ju Young Kim ◽  
Jeong-Hyun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Group Therapy ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Before And After

Objectives. We aimed to investigate the effects of brief supportive expressive group therapy with mindfulness for cancer patients and to assess the utility of heart rate variability (HRV) as a biomarker of distress and treatment effect. Methods. A total of 28 female patients with nonmetastatic cancer at a university hospital in South Korea received a 4-week modified group therapy for distress reduction. The BESTMIND (Brief Expression and Support Therapy with Mindfulness) program consisted of supportive–expressive group therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The subjective outcomes of distress, anger, sleep quality, and sense of well-being and the physiological outcome of HRV were assessed before and after the program. Results. After the program, patients showed significantly reduced distress, perceived stress, anger, and sleep disturbance and increased quality of life. No significant change was observed in the degree of mindfulness. A significantly increased SD in the normal beat-to-beat intervals and normalized high-frequency (HF 0.15-0.4 Hz) power from spectral analysis were observed after treatment. According to the correlation analyses, HF power correlated with depression scores, and normalized HF power was associated with depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and anger at baseline. The pretreatment and posttreatment comparison indicated that an increase in HF power was associated with a decrease in anger. Conclusions. These results suggest the effectiveness of this modified group-based program for distress reduction and also provide preliminary evidence for the use of HRV as a biomarker of distress and recovery. HF power from HRV variables may serve as a quantitative biomarker of the treatment response of distress management, including anger.

Participation in a Yoga Study Decreases Stress and Depression Scores for Incarcerated Women

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Traci H. Lundstrom ◽  
Courtney A. Rocheleau ◽  
Dimpna Flores Guerra ◽  
Cynthia A. Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Program Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Incarcerated Women ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Yoga Intervention ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Term Basis

Abstract Incarcerated individuals exhibit a high incidence of stress-related disorders, including addiction and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as the added stress of captivity. Access to stress-reduction tools is limited for these individuals. One possible approach may be regular structured yoga classes. Using two approaches, we tested the effectiveness of a brief, intensive yoga intervention in a population of incarcerated women in a county jail. The first approach was an examination of archival data collected as part of a program analysis. Individuals showed considerable reduction in self-reported stress following a single yoga session. The second approach was an experimental study using a week-long yoga intervention. Thirty-four participants were assigned to either the yoga or control group for the first week. In the second week, the conditions were reversed. Participants were assessed weekly, before and after intervention. Baseline scores revealed high rates of depression, stress, and exposure to traumatic life events compared to normative data. Stress and depression were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale and Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. Compared to controls, participants reported less depression after a week of daily yoga sessions. Perceived stress declined under both control and yoga conditions. Due to the transient nature of the jail institution, it is important to examine interventions that can be provided on a short-term basis. Although there were limitations in this study, the results support the conclusion that the brief yoga intervention had a positive effect on participants’ well-being.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and initial period of lockdown on the mental health and well-being of adults in the UK

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina Van Der Boor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Initial Period ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Summary The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being were assessed in a convenience sample of 600 UK adults, using a cross-sectional design. Recruited over 2 weeks during the initial phase of lockdown, participants completed an online survey that included COVID-19-related questions, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the World Health Organization (Five) Well-Being Index and the Oxford Capabilities Questionnaire for Mental Health. Self-isolating before lockdown, increased feelings of isolation since lockdown and having COVID-19-related livelihood concerns were associated with poorer mental health, well-being and quality of life. Perceiving increased kindness, community connectedness and being an essential worker were associated with better mental health and well-being outcomes.

scholarly journals Cognitive and emotional responses to urban and nature exposures in the Brazilian Cerrado

Heringeriana ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32
Author(s):  
Ana Beatriz dos Santos Costa ◽  
Mariana De-Carvalho ◽  
Victória Oliveira Matos ◽  
Reuber Albuquerque Brandão
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Natural Settings ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Minute Walk ◽  
Brazilian Biodiversity

Contact with nature increases human health and well-being by stress reduction, positive-emotionelicitation, and attentional restoration. Despite the outstanding Brazilian biodiversity, we are unaware ofstudies linking nature experiences to welfare. Herein, we applied cognitive tasks and emotional self-reportsin 33 subjects, before and after a 30-minute walk in a nature trail at Parque Nacional de Brasília, and compared them with the same tests applied before and after a 30-minute walk in Brasilia´s downtown. We recorded improvements in emotional self-reports after nature experience, while the urban exposure caused decreases in self-reported happiness and increases in negative emotions. These results highlight the relevance of natural settings for cognitive and emotional well-being and the need for a better understanding of the relationships between nature and human health. The recognition that mental health is an ecosystem service can improve the arguments for nature conservation, and the quality of life and public health.

Resilience levels in paramedic students: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malek Safori ◽  
Zainab Alqudah ◽  
Brett Williams
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Health And Well Being

PurposeParamedics responding to emergencies have proven to have an impact on their mental health and well-being. Therefore, measuring and initiating resilience promotion and development during the educational process could promote health in this group. This study aims to cross-sectionally examine the self-reported resilience levels of bachelor paramedic students at a large Australian university.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of first-, second- and third-year bachelor paramedic students was used from a large Australian university. The student’s resilience was measured using the 25-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) during 2019.FindingsTwo-hundred and twenty-nine students participated in the study, of which 55% were females. The total mean score for the CD-RISC was 72.6 [standard deviation (SD) = 13.2). The CD-RISC mean score of the first-, second- and third-year levels were 75.3 (SD = 13.2), 70.5 (SD = 14.4) and 73.8 (SD = 10.4), respectively, with no significant statistical difference (p-value = 0.1) and of which the second year formed the major sample (44.5%). Additionally, our findings show no significant variation in the CD-RISC mean score between males [70.8 (SD = 12.9)] and females [74.1 (SD = 13.3)], with p-value = 0.09.Originality/valueThe study findings suggest that paramedic students have moderate levels of self-reported resilience. These results, while specific to one university, provide essential data for the paramedic profession in addressing an important issue facing all paramedics around the world.

scholarly journals A method for determining the suitability of schools as evacuation shelters and aid distribution hubs following disasters: case study from Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Tsioulou ◽  
Joanna Faure Walker ◽  
Dexter Sumaylo Lo ◽  
Rebekah Yore
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Emergency Evacuation ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
School Buildings ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Despite the controversy regarding their use, school buildings are often assigned as emergency evacuation shelters, temporary accommodation and aid distribution hubs following disasters. This paper presents a methodology to compare the relative suitability of different school buildings for these purposes by using the analytical hierarchy process to weight criteria based on the combined opinions of relevant experts and combine these with descriptive scores from surveyed buildings. The aggregated weights show that approximately equal weighting should be given to the hard characteristics (hazard at location and physical vulnerability) and soft characteristics (accessibility, communications, living environment, access to supplies). As well as immediate safety, conditions for inhabitation are important so that displaced persons are not discouraged from evacuating to shelters and shelter life is not detrimental to health and well-being. The study allows an optimal selection of school buildings used as shelters before and after a disaster and highlights where most improvement could be made with relatively little time and resources for both individual buildings and the whole study area. This method was applied to Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines, an area exposed to floods, windstorms and earthquakes, but can be adapted for other local contexts and building types. Among the 38 school buildings surveyed, we identified key areas for improvement as being insufficient pedestrian access for evacuation at night and for those with mobility constraints, and a lack of alternate spaces for evacuee activities leading to interference with education.

scholarly journals 65 The Health and Well-Being of Family Carers of Older People: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii1-iii16
Author(s):  
Deirdre O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Postal Survey ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Future ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Family carers are critical to supporting older people to live well in their homes and demand for care at home is projected to increase dramatically into the future.1 The Irish state and health system, therefore, are dependent upon the supply of family care now and into the future. The health and well-being of older family carers, and carers providing care to older people in the community, is under-researched. Methods A combination of online and postal survey distribution achieved a convenience sample (N=1102) of carers from the membership and network reach of Ireland’s largest family carer support and advocacy agency. Results Of those carers providing care to an older adult (n=341), 30% were aged over 64 and 28% reported mild to moderate carer burden. A further 36% reported moderate to severe burden. The average Zarit burden score for carers caring for an older adult was 44 (CI 42:45) and was 39 (CI 36:43) for family carers aged over 64. Among family carers of older adults, 72% reported diagnosis or treatment for physical illness and 42% reported diagnosis or treatment for mental illness. The most frequently cited source of worry for this group was their own health and wellbeing (73%) followed by lack of appropriate supports/services (68%). GPs were the most frequently cited source of support (64%) followed by a PHN (50%). Conclusion The study findings indicate that the lack of appropriate state supports and services for family carers is negatively impacting carer health and well-being. Family carers, including those providing care to older people and those who are themselves aged over 64, need to be consistently identified for intervention by health professionals, particularly GPs and PHNs.

scholarly journals From Stress to Psychopathology: Relationship with Self-Reassurance and Self-Criticism in Czech University Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Kotera ◽  
Jaroslava Dosedlova ◽  
Denise Andrzejewski ◽  
Greta Kaluzeviciute ◽  
Makoto Sakai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Transactional Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Path Analyses ◽  
As Stress

AbstractPsychological stress has become a major concern, potentially leading to diverse health problems including psychopathology such as depression and anxiety. Transactional Model of Stress and Coping is an established model, conceptualizing stressful experiences via person–environment relationship. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the pathway from stress to depression/anxiety, with a focus on self-criticism (inadequate-self and hated-self) and self-reassurance (reassured-self) in Czech students who suffered from high prevalence of mental health problems. Convenience sample of 119 undergraduates completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and the Forms of the Self-Criticizing/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale. Correlation and path analyses were conducted. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines were used to aid an accurate and complete report of the study. Depression, anxiety, and stress were positively associated with inadequate-self and hated-self while negatively associated with reassured-self. Both inadequate-self and hated-self partially mediated the stress–depression and stress–anxiety relationships, whereas reassured-self only partially mediated the stress–depression relationship. Inadequate-self had greater impact on the stress–depression/anxiety pathways than hated-self and reassured-self. Findings indicate that clinical treatment may benefit from targeting the feelings of inadequacy to prevent stress progressing to psychopathology. This is particularly relevant as stress levels are rising globally. Our findings offer developments to the Transactional Model, and help practitioners and educators identify solutions to protect mental health of Czech university students.

Measuring the Impact of a Full Service Grocery Store in a Food Desert

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-176
Author(s):  
Kellie Schneider ◽  
Diana Cuy Castellanos ◽  
Felix Fernando ◽  
Jeanne A. Holcomb
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Food Deserts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Food deserts, areas in which it is difficult to obtain affordable, nutritious food, are especially problematic in low-income neighbourhoods. One model for addressing food hardship and unemployment issues within low-income food deserts is a cooperative grocery store. Through the cooperative model, the grocery store can serve as a cornerstone to address socio-economic marginalisation of low-income neighbourhoods and improve the health and well-being of its residents. It is important for communities and policymakers to be able to assess the effectiveness of these types of endeavours beyond traditional economic factors such as profitability. This article uses a systems engineering approach to develop a framework for measuring the holistic impact of a cooperative grocery store on community health and well-being. This framework encompasses values that characterise the relationship between food retail, economic viability and social equality. We develop a dashboard to display the key metrics for measuring the economic, social and environmental indicators that reflect a grocery store’s social impact. We demonstrate the usefulness of the framework through a case study of a full-service cooperative grocery store that is planned within the city of Dayton, OH.

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