scholarly journals Proximal versus distal ecological stress: Socio-ecological influences on political freedom, well-being, and societal confidence in 159 nations

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 306-320
Author(s):  
Lucian Gideon Conway ◽  
Linus Chan ◽  
Shailee R. Woodard ◽  
Mohsen Joshanloo
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Political Freedom ◽  
Ecological Perspective ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Stress Measurements ◽  
Ecological Stress ◽  
Societal Issues ◽  
Gallup World Poll

Previous work from a socio-ecological perspective reveals that ecological stress has important effects on political, cultural, and psychological outcomes. However, that work has been limited by (1) a focus on distal forms of ecological stress that are hard for societies to control, and (2) a lack of large-scale conceptual replications. The present study aims to fill in these gaps by simultaneously testing the effects of both more distal ecological stress (e.g., climate) and more proximal ecological stress (e.g., water quality) on political restriction, political freedom, well-being, and societal confidence measurements. In a sample from the Gallup World Poll spanning over one and a half million participants and 159 nations, we found that while both kinds of ecological stress measurements predicted greater vertical political restriction, reduced horizontal political restriction, reduced well-being, and reduced freedom, only proximal forms of ecological stress predicted a loss in societal confidence. These results not only provide key conceptual replications of prior studies on new data, they also add previously unstudied outcomes and new ecological stressors. As a result, they help us better understand contributing factors to key societal issues such as freedom, well-being, and societal confidence.

scholarly journals Psychiatric disorders in China: strengths and challenges of contemporary research and clinical services

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Xiao Chang ◽  
Qiyong Gong ◽  
Chunbo Li ◽  
Weihua Yue ◽  
Xin Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Clinical Services ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Neuroscience Research

Abstract China accounts for 17% of the global disease burden attributable to mental, neurological and substance use disorders. As a country undergoing profound societal change, China faces growing challenges to reduce the disease burden caused by psychiatric disorders. In this review, we aim to present an overview of progress in neuroscience research and clinical services for psychiatric disorders in China during the past three decades, analysing contributing factors and potential challenges to the field development. We first review studies in the epidemiological, genetic and neuroimaging fields as examples to illustrate a growing contribution of studies from China to the neuroscience research. Next, we introduce large-scale, open-access imaging genetic cohorts and recently initiated brain banks in China as platforms to study healthy brain functions and brain disorders. Then, we show progress in clinical services, including an integration of hospital and community-based healthcare systems and early intervention schemes. We finally discuss opportunities and existing challenges: achievements in research and clinical services are indispensable to the growing funding investment and continued engagement in international collaborations. The unique aspect of traditional Chinese medicine may provide insights to develop a novel treatment for psychiatric disorders. Yet obstacles still remain to promote research quality and to provide ubiquitous clinical services to vulnerable populations. Taken together, we expect to see a sustained advancement in psychiatric research and healthcare system in China. These achievements will contribute to the global efforts to realize good physical, mental and social well-being for all individuals.

Efficacy of Crisis Intervention

Crisis ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Reisch ◽  
Petra Schlatter ◽  
Wolfgang Tschacher
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Term Therapy ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Step Therapy ◽  
Long Term Therapy ◽  
The Impact

This study assesses the efficacy of the treatment approach implemented in the Bern Crisis Intervention Program, where particular emphasis is placed on the remediation of suicide ideation and suicidal behavior, and depression, fear, and phobia are generally considered to be contributing factors. Four questionnaires addressing psychopathology, emotional well-being, social anxiety, and personality were administered prior to and after the treatment of 51 patients over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. The reduction of symptoms contributing to suicidal ideation and behavior was interpreted as indirect evidence of an antisuicidal effect of the program. Significant improvements were found in the psychopathology ratings, with depression and anxiety showing the largest reductions. The impact on personality and social phobia, however, was only moderate, and on average patients still exhibited symptoms after attending the program. This residual symptomatology points to the necessity of introducing a two-step therapy approach of intensive intervention targeted at the precipitating causes of the crisis, augmented by long-term therapy to treat underlying problems.

Immigrant Youth in Germany

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Frankenberg ◽  
Katharina Kupper ◽  
Ruth Wagner ◽  
Stephan Bongard
Keyword(s):  
School System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ethnic Discrimination ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Sociocultural Adaptation ◽  
Age Related ◽  
German School ◽  
Transcultural Adaptation

This paper reviews research on young migrants in Germany. Particular attention is given to the question of how Germany’s history of migration, immigration policies, and public attitude toward migrants influence the transcultural adaptation of children and adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds. We combine past research with the results of new empirical studies in order to shed light on migrants’ psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Studies comparing young migrants and their German peers in terms of psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health outcome suggest higher rates of emotional and behavioral problems among migrants of most age groups. With regard to adolescent populations between the ages of 14 and 17 years, however, the existence of differences between migrants and natives appears to be less clear. Research has also yielded inconsistent findings regarding the time trajectory of transcultural adaptation among adolescents. The coincidence of acculturation and age-related change is discussed as a possible source of these inconsistencies. Further, we provide an overview of risk and protective factors such as conflicting role expectations and ethnic discrimination, which may cause heightened vulnerability to adverse adaptation outcomes in some groups. Large-scale studies have repeatedly shown migrants of all age groups to be less successful within the German school system, indicating poor sociocultural adaptation. Possible explanations, such as the idiosyncrasies of the German school system, are presented. Our own studies contribute to the understanding of young migrants’ adaptation process by showing that it is their orientation to German culture, rather than the acculturation strategy of integration, that leads to the most positive psychological and sociocultural outcomes. The paper concludes by discussing implications for future cross-cultural research on young migrants and by suggesting recommendations for multicultural policies.

Unintended consequences of biofuels production?The effects of large-scale crop conversion on water quality and quantity

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather L. Welch ◽  
Christopher T. Green ◽  
Richard A. Rebich ◽  
Jeannie R.B. Barlow ◽  
Matthew B. Hicks
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Water Quality And Quantity

Chemical Water Quality of Runoff From Grazing Land in Nebraska: II. Contributing Factors

1982 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Schepers ◽  
B. L. Hackes ◽  
D. D. Francis
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Grazing Land ◽  
Chemical Water

Predictability of fouling-potential of raw water for ultrafiltration membranes

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-489
Author(s):  
S. Krause ◽  
A. Obermayer
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Ultrafiltration Membranes ◽  
Small Water ◽  
Lab Experiments ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
Public Drinking Water

The public drinking water supply of southern Germany is characterized by a rather decentralized network. Due to the hydrogeological setting in these parts of Germany many of the small water works with an average capacity of 50 m3/h have to treat raw water extracted from karstic or cliffy aquifers. These raw waters tend to be contaminated with particles and pathogens acquired during snowmelt or after strong rainfalls. In the last decade ultrafiltration has become the technology of choice for the removal of the aforementioned contaminants. Flux decline caused by unanticipated membrane fouling is the main limitation for the application of ultrafiltration membranes. This paper describes how membrane fouling phenomena can be predicted by using a statistical approach based on data from large scale filtration systems in combination with field and lab experiments on raw water quality and membrane performance. The data defines water quality and respective fouling phenomena both in technical scale filtration plants and in lab experiments of eleven different raw waters. The method described here is more economically feasible for small water works when compared to typical pilot experiments that are used for high capacity water works.

Large-scale wetland-restoration of the Ronde Venen, The Netherlands

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 197-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Bijlmakers ◽  
E. O. A. M. de Swart
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Wetland Restoration ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Important Criterion ◽  
Spatial Strategy ◽  
Hydrological Characteristics ◽  
Spatial Composition

For the area of the Ronde Venen a plan for large-scale wetland-restoration and improvement of the water quality was developed. Major elements of the developed spatial strategy are the optimal use of the specific hydrological and ecological characteristics of the area. Based on regional hydrological characteristics within the study area hydrological sub-units were distinguished by connecting discharge and recharge areas. In this way the intake of polluted surface water from outside the area could be minimized, with an optimal use of specific local differences in water quality. Two scenarios were developed and evaluated using hydrological, hydrochemical and ecological models. The scenarios differed in spatial composition and the way the water level was manipulated. In order to optimize water quality, natural and artificial pollution control mechanisms were implemented as well. An important criterion for the evaluation was the extent to which the scenarios succeeded in optimizing conditions for the realization of the ecological goals. The most promising and acceptable scenario has been worked out in further detail.

Psychosocial Consequences of Body Weight and Obesity

2018 ◽  
pp. 274-286
Author(s):  
Deborah Carr ◽  
Vera K. Tsenkova
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Integrative Health ◽  
Psychosocial Consequences ◽  
Adults And Children

The body weight of U.S. adults and children has risen markedly over the past three decades. The physical health consequences of obesity are widely documented, and emerging research from the Midlife in the United States study and other large-scale surveys reveals the harmful impact of obesity on adults’ psychosocial and interpersonal well-being. This chapter synthesizes recent research on the psychosocial implications of body weight, with attention to explanatory mechanisms and subgroup differences in these patterns. A brief statistical portrait of body weight is provided, documenting rates and correlates of obesity, with a focus on race, gender, and socioeconomic status disparities. The consequences of body weight for three main outcomes are described: institutional and everyday discrimination, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the ways that recent integrative health research on the psychosocial consequences of overweight and obesity inform our understanding of population health.

scholarly journals Leisure Time Sports Activities and Life Satisfaction: Deeper Insights Based on a Representative Survey from Germany

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mutz ◽  
Anne K. Reimers ◽  
Yolanda Demetriou
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Leisure Satisfaction ◽  
General Life Satisfaction ◽  
Sports Activities

Abstract Observational and experimental studies show that leisure time sporting activity (LTSA) is associated with higher well-being. However, scholars often seem to assume that 1) LTSA fosters “general” life satisfaction, thereby ignoring effects on domain satisfaction; 2) the effect of LTSA on well-being is linear and independent of a person’s general activity level; 3) the amount of LTSA is more important than the repertoire of LTSA, i.e. the number of different activities; 4) all kinds of LTSA are equal in their effects, irrespective of spatial and organisational context conditions. Using data from the German SALLSA-Study (“Sport, Active Lifestyle and Life Satisfaction”), a large-scale CAWI-Survey (N = 1008) representing the population ≥ 14 years, the paper takes a closer look on these assumptions. Findings demonstrate that LTSA is associated with general life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction (concerning relationships, appearance, leisure, work and health), but that the relationship is most pronounced for leisure satisfaction. Associations of sport with life satisfaction, leisure satisfaction and subjective health are non-linear, approaching an injection point from which on additional LTSA is no longer beneficial. Moreover, findings lend support to the notion that diversity in LTSA matters, as individuals with higher variation in sports activities are more satisfied. Finally, results with regard to spatial and organizational context suggest that outdoor sports and club-organized sports have additional benefits.

scholarly journals Tourist Mental Health Drives Destination Choice, Marketing, and Matching

2021 ◽  
pp. 004728752110115
Author(s):  
Mary-Ann Cooper ◽  
Ralf Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Destination Choice ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Nature Tourism ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Tourism Enterprises ◽  
Health And Well Being

Leisure tourism, including destination choice, can be viewed as an investment in mental health maintenance. Destination marketing measures can thus be analyzed as mental health investment prospectuses, aiming to match tourist desires. A mental health framework is particularly relevant for parks and nature tourism destinations, since the benefits of nature for mental health are strongly established. We test it for one globally iconic destination, using a large-scale qualitative approach, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists’ perceptions and choices contain strong mental health and well-being components, derived largely from autonomous information sources, and differing depending on origins. Parks agencies emphasize factual cognitive aspects, but tourism enterprises and destination marketing organizations use affective approaches appealing to tourists’ mental health.

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