scholarly journals Happiness in Czechia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10826
Author(s):  
František Petrovič ◽  
František Murgaš ◽  
Roman Králik
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Anxiety Depression

The unprecedented growth of prosperity in developed countries, including the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, interrupted by the economic crisis in 2008–2009, came to a halt at the beginning of 2020. This was due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 respiratory disease pandemic, for which no cure was known in June 2020. The response of governments in the form of declaring a state of emergency and closing national and regional borders for several months had serious economic and, above all, psychological consequences. Anxiety, depression, and possibly suicides were expected to increase. In this paper, we focused on the experience of happiness, understood as positive emotion, expressing the highest degree of well-being. The conceptualization of happiness is based on the analysis of six indicators. The aim of the paper was to explore the experience of happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Czechia. Two hypotheses were formulated in terms of the expected effects of this pandemic on the experience of happiness. Measuring happiness in one region of the Czechia on a scale of 0–10 using both face-to-face methods and social networks yielded different results from those expected.

scholarly journals The Fear Traumatization: Psychological Consequences of Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
V.I. Ekimova ◽  
M.I. Rozenova ◽  
A.V. Litvinova ◽  
A.V. Koteneva
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Anxiety Depression

The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with high transmission and mortality rates of the infection, created an unprecedented state of emergency worldwide. The risk of infection and death, the experience of social isolation, alongside with loss of control over the situation and frightening information caused the "pandemic of fear" that had spread across regions and countries. The aim of this review is to summarize and to analyze the results of numerous studies of the COVID-19 pandemic psychological consequences for the population of different countries and the world as a whole, as well as for individual categories of population, and COVID-19 related risk factors. Relatively high levels of fear, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological distress and stress have been observed and continue to be observed among the population of China, Spain, Italy, Iran, the United States, Turkey, Nepal, Denmark, and other countries. The most severe symptoms of psychological trauma are demonstrated by medical workers, women, young people, those who had lost their jobs during the crisis, people with chronic diseases, etc. It is especially important to continue international and interdisciplinary researches aimed at identifying and mitigating the dangerous effects of COVID-19 on people's mental health and psychological well-being.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF OFFLINE AND ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS ON LONELINESS AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG ITALIAN OLDER PEOPLE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S529-S529
Author(s):  
Daniele Zaccaria ◽  
Georgia Casanova ◽  
Antonio Guaita
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Older People ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Social Network Sites ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Causal Impact

Abstract In the last decades the study of older people and social networks has been at the core of gerontology research. The literature underlines the positive health effects of traditional and online social connections and also the social networks’s positive impact on cognitive performance, mental health and quality of life. Aging in a Networked Society is a randomized controlled study aimed at investigating causal impact of traditional face-to-face social networks and online social networks (e.g. Social Network Sites) on older people’ health, cognitive functions and well-being. A social experiment, based on a pre-existing longitudinal study (InveCe - Brain Aging in Abbiategrasso) has involved 180 older people born from 1935 to 1939 living in Abbiategrasso, a municipality near Milan. We analyse effects on health and well-being of smartphones and Facebook use (compared to engagement in a more traditional face-to-face activity), exploiting the research potential of past waves of InveCe study, which collected information concerning physical, cognitive and mental health using international validate scale, blood samples, genetic markers and information on social networks and socio-demographic characteristics of all participants. Results of statistical analysis show that poor social relations and high level of perceived loneliness (measured by Lubben Scale and UCLA Loneliness scale) affect negatively physical and mental outcomes. We also found that gender and marital status mediate the relationship between loneliness and mental wellbeing, while education has not significant effect. Moreover, trial results underline the causal impact of ICT use (smartphones, internet, social network sites) on self-perceived loneliness and cognitive and physical health.

scholarly journals Economic Development and Growth in Central and Eastern Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-84
Author(s):  
Csilla Polster
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
European Union ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Migration Activity ◽  
Member States

The study investigates the economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe in the last 25 years. The economy can be regarded as a substantial topic in any country, but it is even more interesting in developing countries. One of the basic ideas of the European Union is the convergence between member states, namely the reduction of development disparities, which can be achieved through faster economic growth in less‑developed countries. Growth theory is one of the main topics in economics. Its significant importance is because the desire for development is one of the main driving forces of mankind. The aim of the study is to reveal the crucial differences and common features between the growth paths of the eleven Central and Eastern European member states of the European Union. After presenting growth theories, the growth performance of the examined Central and Eastern European member states is pinpointed. During the research, GDP per capita, population, migration, activity rate, employment rate, unemployment rate, foreign direct investment and foreign trade openness are considered.

scholarly journals Dynamics of the anxiety level of Moscow students during the educational process in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-339
Author(s):  
Sofya N. Zimina ◽  
◽  
Ainur A. Khafizova ◽  
Anastasia M. Yudina ◽  
Irina M. Sineva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Place Of Residence ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Demographic Questionnaire ◽  
Situational Anxiety ◽  
The Face ◽  
Personal Anxiety ◽  
Restrictive Measures

The COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented measures to contain it have disrupted the daily life of most people and affected their psychological well-being negatively. Despite the increasing worldwide relevance of exploring the psychological consequences of COVID-19, this study is one of the first Russian papers on this subject. In order to study the changes in the level of anxiety of students, that took shape during the forced self-isolation regime, the authors carried out two surveys involving the students of Moscow universities, according to Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The primary testing took place on March 2-16, 2020 in the face-to-face format; the subsequent online testing during the second stage was held from May 25 to May 30, 2020. The testing covered 13 young men and 29 girls aged from 18 to 25. The survey results showed that over 70% of the respondents regularly infringed the forced stay-at-home regime; 26.8% did not leave their place of residence with the exception of permitted absence cases; 12.2% strictly followed the established prescriptions and did not leave their place of residence at all. The average values of personal anxiety indicators before and during the introduction of restrictive measures did not differ significantly and amounted to 45.1 and 44.9 points respectively (p = 0.94). The level of situational anxiety increased markedly among the majority of respondents (from 38.0 to 45.6 points on the average, p = 0.0002). The intensity of changes in situational anxiety depended on its initial level – the respondents from the group showing the lowest original degree of anxiety suffered from stress most of all. The specific features of compliance with the forced self-isolation regime and the level of labour engagement did not affect the anxiety indicators; however, the stress connected with the examinations and the presentation of qualifying graduation papers was an additional factor affecting the psychoemotional state of the students during the pandemic.

Beyond the Self in Self-Regulation—Reaching Beyond Technologies: The Importance of Others and Relationships to Individual Well-Being

Biofeedback ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 158-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari K. Swingle
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Anxiety Depression

As technologies become increasingly integrated in all aspects of culture, we may be losing our therapeutic pulse on how important true face-to-face and heart-to-heart relationships are to our personal and collective well-being. Social isolation and excessive utilization of i-technology appear to contribute to the development or maintenance of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, and ADHD. Human engagement risks being eclipsed by the novelty and excitement of the digital age. Current practice indicates that there are potentially positive and even therapeutic applications of technologies for betterment and healing, but that we should be selective in our applications.

scholarly journals Public Finance Sectors Central and Eastern European Countries and in Developed Countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Renata Małkowska
Keyword(s):  
Public Finance ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Social Spending ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The Public ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Eastern European Countries

This paper analyses the interdependencies between state debt and the volume of the public sector’s expenditure, focusing particularly on pro-social spending. These phenomena have been studied in relative values (versus GDP) and in absolute values (per capita). This served as the grounds for an attempt to identify general directions of the public finance policies followed by countries in the Central and Eastern Europe and in selected highly developed countries.

scholarly journals Developing the Transport Infrastructure of Central and Eastern Europe With a View to the Region's Convergence

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Peter Novoszath
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Transport Infrastructure

The purpose of my study is to what extent EU co-financing projects have helped to bring the transport infrastructure of Central and Eastern Europe closer to the more developed countries. I will evaluate projects implemented in the CEF Transport Program in CEE countries on the basis of my research. A further aim of my paper is to respond to dilemmas of what is more worthwhile to develop super railways or airports in the region.

Education online in lockdown: limits and possibilities. The vision of families in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique-Javier Díez-Gutiérrez ◽  
Katherine Gajardo Espinoza
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Autonomous Communities ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Policy Proposals

PurposeMarch 14, 2020, marked the beginning of an unexpected state of emergency in Spain due to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). From that moment on, the educational system had to adapt so that millions of students could continue their education at home. Through a descriptive study, the reality and perceptions that Spanish families have about the educational actions that took place during the compulsory lockdown of the Spanish population is presented.Design/methodology/approach3,400 representatives of family units from 17 autonomous communities answered a survey, the data were analyzed using descriptive and frequency statistics.FindingsRelevant conclusions were drawn from the results. Despite the efforts of the authorities, the economic, cultural, social and digital divides leave many households without access to the fundamental right of education; families value the support of technologies but consider that they should not replace the face-to-face education that is necessary for the development process of minors; it is necessary to adapt the school content for a future postpandemic, discriminating the expendable from the essential in the school curriculum; priority must be given to the integral well-being of people in educational policies and also to the most vulnerable ones.Originality/valueThe study allows progress in the analysis of educational policy proposals in the face of future crisis.

Food Insecurity Is More Strongly Associated with Poor Subjective Well-Being in More-Developed Countries than in Less-Developed Countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A Frongillo ◽  
Hoa T Nguyen ◽  
Michael D Smith ◽  
Alisha Coleman-Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Daily Experience ◽  
Hedonic Adaptation ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Multilevel Linear Regression

ABSTRACT Background Food insecurity is strongly associated with subjective well-being. People compare their well-being to a subjective reference that adjusts over time, which is called hedonic adaptation. Objective We aimed to deepen understanding of the relation between food insecurity and subjective well-being among countries from the perspective of possible hedonic adaptation between food insecurity and subjective well-being. Methods Global data from the Gallup World Poll 2014 were collected from 152,206 individuals in 147 countries. Telephone and face-to-face surveys were conducted in 37 and 111 countries, respectively, collecting data on law and order; food and shelter; institutions and infrastructure; job climate; and financial, social, physical, and evaluative well-being, including the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Data were aggregated to country level and merged with economic and social measures from World Bank and United Nations sources: infant mortality, gross domestic product, economic inequality, agricultural value added, fertility, maternal mortality, female schooling, and female participation in the labor force. Multilevel linear regression was used to examine associations between well-being and food insecurity. Results Experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity was prevalent among countries, with a mean probability of 0.273 ± 0.220. Countries that were less developed economically and socially had a higher probability of experiencing food insecurity, lower subjective well-being as measured by the daily experience index, and less negative slopes for the relation between daily experience index and food insecurity. Food insecurity was the strongest predictor of daily experience from among the measures of economic and social development. Conclusions The prevalence of food insecurity was strongly and negatively associated with subjective well-being across 147 countries. The association between food insecurity and poor subjective well-being within countries was stronger for more-developed countries, providing evidence of hedonic adaptation between food insecurity and subjective well-being. Food insecurity explained substantial variation in subjective well-being both among and within countries.

Publishing and Librarianship in Central and Eastern Europe: The Needs to Join Forces

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srećko Jelušić
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Publishing Industry ◽  
Electronic Publishing ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
State Subsidies

Some interesting findings result from an analysis of the post-1990 publishing and bookselling scene in various Central and East European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia). The number of small and medium size publishers is growing, as are the number and diversity of titles published. Bookstore networks are disintegrating, state subsidies to publishing have ceased, and many publishers do not submit legal deposit copies to the national library. Electronic publishing is growing slowly but steadily, and there is an increase in expert assistance and financial subsidies from western countries. Whereas librarianship can continue building on its existing infrastructure, the publishing industry has little professional experience. Both have in common a major interest in information and communication technology, especially electronic publishing and long-term preservation of digital material. The fact that these activities are still in a development stage gives CEE countries some advantage compared with developed countries, but practical advance depends on expert knowledge. There are several areas of possible cooperation between librarianship and publishing in Central and Eastern Europe, mainly concerned with research and education.

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