Nomological Network of Dispositional Mindfulness: Evidence from MIDUS-II and MIDUS-III

While dispositional mindfulness is a popular construct in the field of positive psychology, its nomological network in the context of health and well-being is not well established. Our study addresses this limitation by examining the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and various health-related psychological constructs, including personality, social well-being, and affective states. Data for this study were gathered from the national longitudinal studies of health and well-being called Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II and MIDUS-III). The nomological network analysis of dispositional mindfulness showed positive associations with both religiosity and overall well-being measures (e.g., Social Well-Being, Sympathy, Optimism, and Generativity) and negative associations with maladaptive tendencies (e.g., Pessimism, Aggression, Neuroticism, and Personal Constraints). Finally, test-retest validity was positively verified by significant correlations among the variables, spanning over ten years. Articulating a nomological network of dispositional mindfulness has important implications for future research and practice.  

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Age Differences in the Relationship Between Daily Social Media Usage and Affect

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1320 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 410-410

Author(s):

Xin Yao Lin ◽

Margie Lachman

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Media ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Age Differences ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Media Usage ◽

The Relationship ◽

Daily Time

Abstract Social media platforms allow people to connect and share content online (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). Although older adults are becoming more frequent users of social media, there continue to be mixed views on whether social media positively or negatively impacts well-being. Past studies have mainly focused on cross-sectional analyses for individual differences. However, both the time spent on social media and one’s affect can fluctuate on a daily basis. Thus, it is important to understand how the relationship between daily social media usage and affect varies within individuals from day to day. The current study adds to the literature by examining whether daily variations in time spent with social media are related to daily positive and negative affect and whether there are age differences in these relationships. The current study used an eight-day daily diary from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher dataset for 782 participants (ages 25-75). Multilevel modeling results revealed that age moderated the relationship between daily time spent on social media and negative affect: for younger adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had more negative affect. For older adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had less negative affect. Surprisingly, daily time spent on social media was not related to daily positive affect, nor did this relationship differ by age. Implications for future research are discussed with a focus on how social media usage can contribute to daily well-being for adults of different ages.

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A Comparison of Public Perceptions of Physicians and Veterinarians in the United States

Veterinary Sciences ◽

10.3390/vetsci7020050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

April A. Kedrowicz ◽

Kenneth D. Royal

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Public Perceptions ◽

Medical Specialties ◽

The Public ◽

Veterinary Profession ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Research Show

Veterinary medicine consists of virtually the same medical specialties as human medicine, with veterinarians performing similar roles as medical doctors, albeit with different species. Despite these similarities, anecdotally, some perceptions of veterinarians as not “real doctors” persist. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare public perceptions of physicians and veterinarians. Participants were provided brief definitions of a physician and a veterinarian and then asked to provide a rating that best describes their perception with respect to 25 different personality characteristics/traits. A sample of 606 participants (unweighted) in the United States completed the survey. The results of this research show that the public tends to perceive veterinarians more favorably than physicians. More specifically, veterinarians were viewed as more approachable, sensitive, sympathetic, patient and understanding, while physicians were viewed as more proud, arrogant and overconfident. These results point to the favorable public perceptions of veterinarians. These findings are particularly relevant for veterinary educators who train the future workforce and have a significant role both in how the profession is portrayed and emphasizing the relationship between the public trust and social responsibility. Reinforcing the public’s strong trust in the veterinary profession throughout students’ education could enhance their own self-concept, self-esteem and overall mental health and well-being.

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Dispositional mindfulness as a moderator between perceived stress and psychological symptoms in Chinese digestive tract cancer patients

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105317736576 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 810-818 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mengyu Zhong ◽

Pei Hwa Goh ◽

Di Li ◽

Junyi Bao ◽

Wei Xu

Keyword(s):

Digestive Tract ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Digestive Tract Cancer ◽

Tract Cancer ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

The Relationship

Mindfulness has been garnering increased attention within the area of clinical psychology due to its theorized and empirical associations with psychological well-being. Using a sample of patients diagnosed with digestive tract cancer ( N = 292), we examined the relationship between perceived stress and psychological symptoms at varying levels of dispositional mindfulness. Results showed significant associations between perceived stress and psychological symptoms. More importantly, the relationship between perceived stress and psychological symptoms was only significant for patients with low, but not high, levels of dispositional mindfulness. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

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Child’s Developmental Disabilities and Parental Well-being in Midlife and Old Age: Does Race Matter?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3365 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 916-916

Author(s):

Juha Lee ◽

Manjing Gao ◽

Chioun Lee

Keyword(s):

Developmental Disabilities ◽

Life Course ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Differential Vulnerability ◽

Differential Exposure ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract Having a child with developmental disabilities (DD) compromises parents’ health and well-being. We have little knowledge on whether the association is robust to the presence of exposure-outcome confounders and how it varies by race. Guided by life-course perspectives, we evaluate (1) the association between having a child with DD and parental well-being and (2) racial disparities in the likelihood of having a child with DD (differential exposure), and/or the effect of having a child with DD on parental well-being (differential vulnerabilities). We advance prior studies by including a wide array of parent’s early-life adversities (ELAs, e.g., poverty and abuse), which may link the predictor to the outcome. Using the core, Refresher, and Milwaukee samples from Midlife in the United States (N=9,640, 25% non-Whites), we conducted regression analysis with race as a moderator. Compared to having a healthy child, parents having a child with DD reported lower well-being even after controlling for ELAs. While the likelihood of having a child with DD (around 10%) is similar for both non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans, African American parents are more adversely affected by having a child with DD across most of the eudaimonic well-being indicators (i.e., autonomy, self-acceptance, positive relationships with others, personal growth, environmental mastery). The later-life well-being of racial minorities is disproportionally affected by having a child with DD. Future research avenues include identifying life-course pathways that contribute to this differential vulnerability.

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A Salutogenic Perspective on Adverse Experiences

European Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1027/2512-8442/a000011 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 53-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jan Höltge ◽

Shauna L. Mc Gee ◽

Andreas Maercker ◽

Myriam V. Thoma

Keyword(s):

Adaptive Functioning ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Adverse Experiences ◽

Past Experiences ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Practical Implications

Abstract. Research has predominantly focused on the negative effects of adversity on health and well-being. However, the salutogenic perspective suggests that adversity may not always be detrimental ( Antonovsky, 1996 ). In fact, under certain circumstances, adversity may have the potential for positive outcomes, such as increased resilience and thriving ( Carver, 1998 ; Rutter, 1987 ). The “steeling effect” suggests that past experiences of adversity may increase resistance to later adversities. It proposes that moderate adversity may facilitate more adaptive functioning than no adversity or high levels of adversity ( Rutter, 2006 , 2012 ). The relationship between adversity and health may be optimally assessed using curvilinear models, yet the majority of previous studies have examined linear associations ( Masten & Cicchetti, 2016 ). It is therefore the aim of this review to determine whether moderate adversity is associated with more adaptive functioning when compared to no and high levels of adversity. Practical implications and future research are also discussed.

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Killing two birds with one stone: how intervening when witnessing bullying at the workplace may help both target and the acting observer

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health ◽

10.1007/s00420-020-01575-w ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Morten Birkeland Nielsen ◽

Michael Rosander ◽

Stefan Blomberg ◽

Ståle Valvatne Einarsen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Time Lag ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Social Situations ◽

Health Related ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract Objective This study examines under which conditions being an observer of bullying can be detrimental to health and well-being. It was hypothesized that health-related problems following observations of bullying are determined by (1) whether the observer has been exposed to bullying her/himself and (2) whether the observer have tried to intervene in the bullying situation that they witnessed. Methods The study was based on a longitudinal probability survey of the Swedish workforce, with an 18-month time lag between assessment points (N = 1096). Results Witnessing bullying at work were associated with an increase in subsequent levels of mental distress among the observers, although this association became insignificant when adjusting for the observers’ own exposure to bullying. Intervening against bullying moderated the relationship between observations of bullying and mental health problems. Observers who did not try to intervene reported a significant increase in mental health problems at follow-up, whereas there were no significant changes in levels of mental health problems among those who did intervene. Conclusions the findings suggest that observer interventions against bullying may be highly beneficial for both the targets and observers of bullying. Organizations should therefore invest in ways to increase constructive bystander behavior in negative social situations at the workplace.

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“Especially for People Our Age”: Exploring the Correlates of Ageism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2292 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 601-601

Author(s):

Jennifer Sublett ◽

Michael Vale ◽

Toni Bisconti

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Future Research ◽

Health Related ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented context for older adults where they may feel patronized, isolated, and fearful because of their greater risk of getting COVID-19 and being targets of ageism. Previous researchers have linked ageism negatively with health and well-being; although, the majority of this research has highlighted the negative, or hostile, aspects of ageism, and excluded the overaccommodative and patronizing qualities of benevolent ageism. Since the start of the pandemic, both forms of ageism have been noted to be more salient with claims of an ageism outbreak (Ayalon et al., 2020). The correlates of ageism during the COVID-19 pandemic are widely unknown, and the goal of this study was to explore whether experiences of ageism were related to different affective and health-related responses to the pandemic. In a sample of older adults (N=65) collected in September 2020, we found that benevolent ageism positively correlated with pandemic specific experiences of pity (r=.27, p<.05), loneliness (r=.30, p<.05), worry (r=.40, p<.01), and negatively related to self-reported physical health (r=-.31, p<.05) and emotional well-being (r=-.26, p<.05). Hostile ageism did not relate to pity, but positively correlated with loneliness (r=.25, p<.05) and worry (r=.37, p<.01), and negatively related to physical health (r=-.27, p<.05) and emotional well-being (r=-.38, p<.01). This work provides preliminary evidence of how the lives of older adults have been influenced by COVID-19 and the resulting ageism outbreak. Future research should continue this avenue of study with more expansive and inclusive samples and approaches as the pandemic is not over.

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Structural Violence and Health-Related Outcomes in Europe: A Descriptive Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136998 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6998

Author(s):

Gloria Macassa ◽

Cormac McGrath ◽

Mamunur Rashid ◽

Joaquim Soares

Keyword(s):

Structural Violence ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Peace Studies ◽

Full Potential ◽

European Context ◽

Health Related ◽

The 1960S ◽

The Uk ◽

Health And Well Being

In recent years, there has been a revival of the term “structural violence (SV)” which was coined by Johan Galtung in the 1960s in the context of Peace Studies. “Structural violence” refers to social structures—economic, legal, political, religious, and cultural—that prevent individuals, groups and societies from reaching their full potential. In the European context, very few studies have investigated health and well-being using an SV perspective. Therefore, this paper sought to systematically and descriptively review studies that used an SV framework to examine health-related outcomes across European countries. The review included two studies each from Spain and France, one each from the UK, Ukraine and Russia, and another study including the three countries Sweden, Portugal and Germany. With the exception of one mixed-method study, the studies used a qualitative design. Furthermore, the eight studies in the review used different conceptualizations of SV, which indicates the complexity of using SV as a concept in public health in the European context. Future research that attempts to identify and standardize measures of SV is needed; the knowledge gained is hoped to inform appropriate interventions aiming to reduce the effects of SV on population health.

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Relating mindfulness to financial well-being through materialism: evidence from India

International Journal of Bank Marketing ◽

10.1108/ijbm-07-2020-0375 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Nishit Kumar Sinha ◽

Pankaj Kumar ◽

Pushpendra Priyadarshi

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Future Research ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Mindfulness Practices ◽

The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and financial well-being (FWB) and the mediating role of materialism on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework is provided to support the research hypotheses. A survey with 311 working professionals from India allowed the hypothesized relationship to be tested through regression-based models.FindingsThe findings reveal that the three dimensions of FWB – financial anxiety, current money management stress and perceived financial security – are predicted by mindfulness and materialism even after controlling for several demographic variables. Materialism mediates the relationship between mindfulness and FWB.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are subject to the usual cautions associated with self-reported cross-sectional data. Future research may incorporate mindfulness interventions to establish causal relationships.Practical implicationsThe study provides theoretical guidance to the policymakers and the financial institutions, including banks, which may focus on malleable factors beyond merely income to enhance FWB. Mindfulness is not only a trait but also could be cultivated by various physical and online-based mindfulness practices. Banks may integrate tools promoting mindfulness within their interactive web framework in order to stimulate customers' control over their daily spending through enhancing mindful awareness of present financial actions and their impact on the financial future. Thus, organizations may institutionalize such programs within their framework to help their employees cultivate greater FWB. Mindfulness promotes less anxiety related to financial decisions, which may develop customers' value as well as business opportunities for banks.Originality/valueUnlike other FWB dispositional antecedents, which become relatively stable at the formative stage, mindfulness levels can be enhanced in different age-groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to empirically establish that mindfulness exerts its beneficial effects on FWB directly, and, through reducing materialistic motives.

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The mental health and well-being profile of young adults using social media

10.31234/osf.io/3bqvz ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nina H. Di Cara ◽

Lizzy Winstone ◽

Luke Sloan ◽

Oliver Davis ◽

CMA Haworth

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Significant Research ◽

User Groups ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Research And Policy

The relationship between mental health and social media has received significant research and policy attention. However, there is little population representative data about who social media users are which limits understanding of confounding in associations between mental health and social media. Here we profile users of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children population cohort (N=4,083). We provide estimates of demographics and mental health and well-being outcomes by platform. We find that users of different platforms and frequencies are not homogenous. User groups differ primarily by sex and YouTube users are the most likely to have poorer mental health outcomes. Instagram and Snapchat users tend to have higher well-being. Relationships between use-frequency and well-being differ depending on the specific well-being construct measured. The reproducibility of future research may be improved by stratifying by sex and being specific about the well-being constructs used.

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