COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

We examined US parent and youth perceptions of how life events, both positive and negative, associated with COVID-19 resulted in changes in family and youth functioning. Families ( n = 105, 80% white, 48% male, and 87% mothers) completed surveys during the pandemic (May to July 2020) and 3 years prior (for youth ages M = 10.6, SD = 1.17 and M = 13.6, SD = 1.19). Declines in youth, though not parent, report of open family communication, parental support, and family satisfaction were found. Declines were associated with various domains of pandemic-related stress in parent report, though positive life events served as buffers. Pre-pandemic family functioning also predicted pandemic stress. Spillover effects in turn impacted youth functioning. The current findings shed light on how experiences of the pandemic are linked with family functioning and have implications for how to support families during this time.

Unrealistic optimism and HEXACO traits as predictors of risk perception and compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures during the first wave of pandemic

The aims of this study were to examine possible differences and factors that contribute to risk perception and compliance with preventive measures at the beginning (T1) and the end (T2) of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 423 participants (M = 30.29, SD = 14.45; 69% female). Compliance, risk perception and trust in information were significantly higher in T1 than T2. For risk perception, significant predictors in both T1 and T2 were age, Emotionality (HEXACO-PI-R), and Unrealistic Optimism (NLE, Negative Life Events). Trust in information was a significant predictor in T1, while Unrealistic Optimism (Positive Life Events) was a significant predictor in T2. For compliance, significant predictors in T1 were gender and trust in information while in T2 were Emotionality, Extraversion, Conscientiousness (HEXACO-PI-R), NLE and trust in information, for both T1 and T2. In general, findings suggest a much more pronounced role of personality traits in adherence to protective measures at the end than at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia. Also, the results indicate the role of unrealistic optimism regarding negative life events in lower compliance with protective measures.

Does imagining you never met a romantic partner boost relationship satisfaction and gratitude? A conceptual replication and extension of the effect of mentally subtracting a partner

Previous research has found that thinking about the presence of a partner in one’s life can, at least temporarily, increase relationship satisfaction. However, other studies have found that doing the opposite—thinking about the absence of a partner from one’s life (i.e., mentally subtracting a partner)—can boost relationship satisfaction. The current study is a conceptual replication and extension of a previous study demonstrating that people who imagined never meeting their current partner reported greater satisfaction than people who thought about the presence of a partner in their life or a neutral control. We expected that thinking about the absence of a partner could boost gratitude and, in turn, promote greater relationship satisfaction. However, we did not find support for the mental subtraction effect on relationship satisfaction or gratitude. That is, participants who mentally subtracted their romantic partners from their lives did not report greater relationship satisfaction or gratitude compared to participants who thought about the presence of their partner in their lives (or those in a control condition). Our study suggests that mentally subtracting positive life events may not always boost feelings of satisfaction.

Nature-Based Interventions and Mind–Body Interventions: Saving Public Health Costs Whilst Increasing Life Satisfaction and Happiness

A number of countries have begun to adopt prevention pays policies and practices to reduce pressure on health and social care systems. Most affluent countries have seen substantial increases in the incidence and costs of non-communicable diseases. The interest in social models for health has led to the growth in use of social prescribing and psychological therapies. At the same time, there has been growth in application of a variety of nature-based and mind–body interventions (NBIs and MBIs) aimed at improving health and longevity. We assess four NBI/MBI programmes (woodland therapy, therapeutic horticulture, ecotherapy/green care, and tai chi) on life satisfaction/happiness and costs of use of public services. These interventions produce rises in life satisfaction/happiness of 1.00 pts to 7.29 (n = 644; p < 0.001) (for courses or participation >50 h). These increases are greater than many positive life events (e.g., marriage or a new child); few countries or cities see +1 pt increases over a decade. The net present economic benefits per person from reduced public service use are £830–£31,520 (after 1 year) and £6450–£11,980 (after 10 years). We conclude that NBIs and MBIs can play a role in helping to reduce the costs on health systems, while increasing the well-being of participants.

COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

In this longitudinal study, we examined parent and youth perceptions of how life events, both positive and negative, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in family functioning as well as youth functioning. We tested both direct effects of parent- and youth-reported negative and positive events as well as indirect or spillover effects that have their effects on parent functioning and marital relationships. Families (n=101 parent-youth dyads, 80% European American, 48% boys, and 87% mothers) completed surveys during the pandemic (May to July 2020) and 1.5 years prior. We conducted multivariate path analyses predicting residualized change in family and youth functioning. According to child-report of family functioning, open family communication, parent-child relationship quality and family satisfaction all decreased during this time, although no changes were found in parent-report of family functioning. Several forms of parent-reported negative life events and child-reports of school-related stress during the pandemic predicted changes in family functioning. Moreover, positive life events predicted child reports of family functioning directly and evidence for spill-over effects of parent-reported positive life events on family functioning were also found. In addition, the receipt of social support by parents during the pandemic protected against decrements in family functioning and, indirectly, increases in child symptomatology. School-related stress also predicted increases in child-reported symptomatology. Moreover, several aspects of family functioning pre-pandemic impacted the extent to which parents and children experienced both positive and negative life events during the pandemic. The current findings thus shed light on how experiences of the pandemic are linked with family functioning and have implications for how to support families during this time.

The lower senses in early Netherlandish epiphany altarpieces

The late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries were a time of growing affective piety and engagement with the material culture of Christian devotion in Northern Europe. The three so-called lower senses of smell, touch, and taste were very much a part of this devotional context, formed over centuries to be associated with particular fragrances, embraces, and savors. This work argues that artists and patrons exploited a play on these lower senses as integral parts of the composition, utilizing objects, actions, and even persons to trigger sense memory, ideas, and appropriate practice in viewers. The Epiphany, or the biblical event when magi from the east brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn Jesus, was a popular subject for altarpiece paintings. It was one of three most popular altarpiece subjects in the late medieval Low Countries. Its association with the Eucharist and the phenomenon of infrequent communion for the laity at the time helps to explain why the lower senses became important in these works. Smell is highly associated with memory and was stimulated in these altarpieces to reinforce positive life events with the Church's worship. Touch and taste are braided senses that imply contact with Christ through the Eucharist, if only visually. Marginal persons also appear in these paintings becoming living symbols of the senses that help to correct over-enthusiasm for miraculous and direct contact with the holy.

T5. STRESS SENSITIZATION AS THE UNDERLYING MECHANISM LINKING CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND PSYCHOTIC-LIKE SYMPTOMS IN NONCLINICAL YOUNG ADULTS

Background The traumagenic neurodevelopment model of psychosis poses that prolonged or severe stress exposure in critical developmental periods (i.e., childhood) disrupts psychobiological stress regulation mechanisms, increasing liability for the onset and persistence of psychotic symptoms after re-exposure to stressful events (Read et al., 2014). This disruption seems to result in a process of behavioral and biological sensitization by which the individual manifests an enhanced stress sensitivity to subsequent minor adversities in adulthood (Belda et al., 2015), which may cause an increased risk for psychosis. The behavioral manifestation of stress sensitization has been examined in samples at clinical risk for psychosis, but it has been scarcely studied in nonclinical populations. The first goal of the present study was to investigate whether the association between childhood trauma (CT) and perceived stress was moderated by the impact of recent life events in a nonclinical sample. The second goal was to test whether the association between CT and suspiciousness was mediated by perceived stress, and whether this mediation was moderated by the impact of life events. Following stress sensitization hypotheses, it was expected that the association between CT and suspiciousness would be mediated by higher levels of perceived stress. In turn, the impact of negative recent life events was expected to moderate the effect of CT on suspiciousness via increased levels of perceived stress. Methods The sample consisted of 168 Spanish nonclinical youngsters (mean age=28.01), belonging to the ongoing Barcelona Longitudinal Investigation of Schizotypy Study (BLISS). From a large pool of unselected college students, a selected subsample oversampled for schizotypy scores continues regular follow-up assessments. They were assessed for life events, perceived stress and suspiciousness at the concurrent assessment, whereas CT was assessed 7 years earlier at baseline. Linear regression and simple slope analyses were performed to test whether recent life events moderated the association between CT and suspiciousness. Moderated mediation analyses were conducted to examine the indirect effect of CT on suspiciousness via perceived stress moderated by the impact of recent life events. Results Recent life events significantly moderated the association between CT and perceived stress. Simple slope analyses indicated that this association was significant when subjects experienced negative or neutral life events, but not positive life events. Moderated mediation analyses revealed an indirect effect of CT on suspiciousness through perceived stress, which was moderated by the impact of recent life events. Thus, these mediational effects were significant for those subjects with a greater subjective appraisal of a negative or neutral impact of life events, but not for those experiencing a positive impact. The magnitude of the conditional indirect effect (as indicated by the Index of Moderated Mediation) was significantly different across levels of impact of recent life events (i.e., negative, neutral, positive). Discussion These findings provide further supporting evidence to the stress sensitization hypothesis for psychosis by showing its manifestation across both the clinical and nonclinical ranges of the hypothesized psychosis continuum. CT and perceived stress were associated when the impact of recent life events was negative or neutral, but not positive, suggesting that positive life events may play a protective role in the perception of stress and the role that stress shows in the mechanistic pathway to suspiciousness.

Positive Ageing: to What Extent can Current Models of Wellbeing Categorise the Life Events Perceived as Positive by Older Adults?

Life expectancy is increasing globally, which makes understanding what contributes to well-being in older adults crucial for social and economic reasons. This is the first study to categorize positive life events in community dwelling older adults, to explore their fit with psychological well-being models. Volunteers self-defined as well (N = 88), completed diaries identifying three positive events daily for 14 days. Diary entries combated negative stereotypes of ageing by describing older adults with active lives contributing to society. Of nine themes identified through thematic analysis of over 3500 events; seven supported existing well-being models, being activities delivering positive affect and life satisfaction (hedonic model) and demonstrating competence, autonomy, relatedness, self-acceptance, purpose in life, and personal growth (eudemonic models). However, two well-supported new dimensions were also identified within the themes ‘interaction with the physical environment’ and ‘personal well-being’. These new dimensions were labelled ‘life-affirmation and ‘mindfulness’. This suggests the existence of additional considerations related to well-being specifically for older populations, which may indicate a need to broaden the existing models.

Sensitivity to the Average and Summative Impact of Multiple Events: When “More is More” and When “More is Less”

How people respond to positive and negative events is a basic question in psychology. Most theoretical accounts assume that the detrimental impact of negative life events is cumulative, resulting in a “more is more” effect. A similar assumption of “more is more” is typically used to predict the influence of multiple positive life events, people’s reactions to evaluative stimuli (e.g., an audience), and their judgments of consumer goods. In this article, we present a model that suggests that these conclusions do not capture the full picture of how people respond to multiple positive or negative events. More specifically, the averaging/summation (A/S) model does not predict that the underpinnings of individuals’ responses to positive or negative events always reflect summative affective impact. Rather, individuals’ responses often reflect the average value of events, as well as their summative value. We review research supporting the model’s predictions and discuss alternative theories and interpretations, such as the conservation of resource model, the peak–end rule, mental accounting, distraction, and assimilation/contrast. In addition, we suggest new avenues for research.