Do partnership dissolutions and living alone affect systemic chronic inflammation? A cohort study of Danish adults

BackgroundPartnership breakups and living alone are associated with several adverse health outcomes. The aim of this study, carried out in Denmark, is to investigate whether accumulated numbers of divorces/partnership breakups or years lived alone across 26 years of adult life are associated with levels of inflammation, and if vulnerability with regards to gender or educational level can be identified.Methods4835 participants from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) aged 48–62 years were included. Data on accumulated numbers of partnership breakups and years living alone were retrieved from a national standardised annual register. Inflammatory markers interleukin 6 (IL-6) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured in blood samples. Multivariate linear regression analyses were adjusted for age, educational level, early major life events, body mass index, chronic diseases, medicinal intake affecting inflammation, acute inflammation and personality scores.ResultsFor men, an association was found between an increasing number of partnership breakups or number of years living alone and higher levels of inflammatory markers. No such association was found for women, and no evidence of partnership breakups and educational level having a joint effect was found for either gender.ConclusionThe findings suggest a strong association between years lived alone or accumulated number of partnership breakups and low-grade inflammation for middle-aged men, but not for women. Among those of either sex with a lower level of education, no specific vulnerability to accumulated years lived alone or number of breakups was identified.

Emotional anticipation of future vocational transitions: A person-centered approach

Most future educational and career transitions represent major life events that individuals anticipate to a considerable extent, possibly with multiple emotions at the same time. However, few studies have examined the emotions that individuals experience when they anticipate a future educational or career transition, imagine how it will occur, the consequences it will have for them, and visualize their coping efforts. The aims of the present dissertation are fourfold. First, we explore individuals’ combinations of multiple future-oriented emotions at the prospect of three major educational and career transitions: (a) the transition from high school to higher education, (b) the transition from higher education to the job market, and (c) the transition from unemployment to employment. Due to the rather exploratory nature of our first research question, our second objective pertains to the replication of these combinations and the investigation of similarities between several groups of individuals based on (a) gender, (b) institutional context, and (c) the temporal distance before the transition. Third, we examine several antecedents of individuals’ combinations of future-oriented emotions. These antecedents ranged from career-related constructs such as career decidedness and career adaptability to affective mechanisms such as cognitive appraisals, trait affect, and emotion regulation. Finally, we examine the behavioral effects of future-oriented emotions in terms of anticipated vocational planning and effort. Overall, the present dissertation brings several implications in highlighting the combinations of future-oriented emotions that individuals experience when anticipating important vocational transitions, a research strand that is scarce both in vocational and emotion research. From a practical point of view, the evidence of several combinations—and the differences and similarities among several groups or contexts—carries practical implications for designing and implementing career-related interventions. Finally, examining antecedents and outcomes of future-oriented emotions combinations underlines the importance of taking emotional anticipation processes into account when individuals prepare for and cope with major educational and career transitions.

Emotional anticipation of future vocational transitions: A person-centered approach

Most future educational and career transitions represent major life events that individuals anticipate to a considerable extent, possibly with multiple emotions at the same time. However, few studies have examined the emotions that individuals experience when they anticipate a future educational or career transition, imagine how it will occur, the consequences it will have for them, and visualize their coping efforts. The aims of the present dissertation are fourfold. First, we explore individuals’ combinations of multiple future-oriented emotions at the prospect of three major educational and career transitions: (a) the transition from high school to higher education, (b) the transition from higher education to the job market, and (c) the transition from unemployment to employment. Due to the rather exploratory nature of our first research question, our second objective pertains to the replication of these combinations and the investigation of similarities between several groups of individuals based on (a) gender, (b) institutional context, and (c) the temporal distance before the transition. Third, we examine several antecedents of individuals’ combinations of future-oriented emotions. These antecedents ranged from career-related constructs such as career decidedness and career adaptability to affective mechanisms such as cognitive appraisals, trait affect, and emotion regulation. Finally, we examine the behavioral effects of future-oriented emotions in terms of anticipated vocational planning and effort. Overall, the present dissertation brings several implications in highlighting the combinations of future-oriented emotions that individuals experience when anticipating important vocational transitions, a research strand that is scarce both in vocational and emotion research. From a practical point of view, the evidence of several combinations—and the differences and similarities among several groups or contexts—carries practical implications for designing and implementing career-related interventions. Finally, examining antecedents and outcomes of future-oriented emotions combinations underlines the importance of taking emotional anticipation processes into account when individuals prepare for and cope with major educational and career transitions.

Transitions Into and Out of Voluntary Work Over the Life Course: What is the Effect of Major Life Events?

The aim of the current study is to investigate which major life events are associated with transitions into and out of volunteering over the life course and, especially, why these associations exist. Social Production Function theory is used to derive hypotheses, which are tested using longitudinal data (adult subsample) from Lifelines. Associations between major life events and (a) volunteer take-up, nonvolunteer sample ( N = 59,773) and (b) volunteer cessation, volunteer sample ( N = 32,143) are studied by applying Linear Probability Modeling. Results show clear associations between specific major life events and starting and quitting volunteering. The influence on the latter is stronger than on the former. Most findings are in line with our theory-based expectations indicating that (a) voluntary work contributes especially to the fulfillment of the needs for status, stimulation, and behavioral confirmation and (2) life events causing losses (gains) in these needs are associated with a higher likelihood to take-up (quit) volunteering.

Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Major life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, affect psychological and physiological health. Social support, or the lack thereof, can modulate these effects. The context of the COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to better understand how dogs may provide social support for their owners and buffer heightened symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and contribute to happiness during a major global crisis. Participants (768 pet dog owners and 767 potential pet dog owners) answered an online survey, including validated depression, anxiety, happiness psychometric scales, attitude to and commitment towards pet, and perceived social support. Potential pet dog owners were defined as individuals who did not own a dog at the time of the survey but would be very or extremely interested in owning one in the future. Dog owners reported having significantly more social support available to them compared to potential dog owners, and their depression scores were also lower, compared to potential dog owners. There were no differences in anxiety and happiness scores between the two groups. Dog owners had a significantly more positive attitude towards and commitment to pets. Taken together, our results suggest that dog ownership may have provided people with a stronger sense of social support, which in turn may have helped buffer some of the negative psychological impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived Stress and Life Stressors in Adults With and Without Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a widespread chronic pain condition often accompanied by comorbid conditions, such as depression, which may impact perception of stress severity. The current study examined perceived stress and life stressors in adults ages 50 and older with and without FM. It was hypothesized that individuals with FM and/or depression would subjectively rate stressors as more severe than those without. Ninety-four participants (52% with FM, 78% female) aged 50 to 93 (M = 67.72, SD = 9.26) were administered the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure perception of stress and an updated version of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) to assess stressors (i.e., major life events). The difference between the SRRS pre-determined values and participants' subjective ratings was calculated. Difference scores indicated that self-reported severity exceeded standardized values. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that older adults and men were less likely to report exaggerated stress severity. Controlling for age and gender, individuals with FM were significantly more likely to report stress severity far above standardized severity scores. Both depression and chronic pain impact stress ratings, but when controlling for the former, FM impact was no longer significant, suggesting that the impact is significantly greater for depression. Results also found a significant interaction between FM status and depression for perceived stress, but not for life event stressors, which may further emphasize the distinctions between the two measures. The findings underline the importance of assessing different types of stress and stressors in individuals with chronic pain and other related comorbidities.

The Effect of Major Life Events on Individual's Work Centrality: Social and Economic Aspects

This unique study compares the change in work centrality among individuals (n=407) both those who did experience and those who did not experience major life events, over the course of twelve years. The data was collected via the “Meaning of Work” questionnaire that included questions on work and life events. Special analysis of life events allows us to examine the causal nature of the relationship between life events and work centrality. The findings indicated that childbirth had an opposite effect on men's and women's work centrality. The work centrality of individuals who experienced divorce, a worsening of financial conditions and taking a considerable loan, did not change, while it increased among those who did not experience these events. There are several suggestions for the social and welfare and policymakers regarding life events, and the impact these policies may have on the magnitude of these events on work centrality.

Investigation and Research on the Psychological Capital State of New Students in Higher Vocational Colleges in the Post-pandemic Period

The investigation on the psychological capital state was conducted on 1200 new students of the class 2020 in the province, it was found that in the Post-pandemic period, the psychological capital of new students in higher educational colleges was generally good after experiencing a series of major life events, but still needed further improvement.