The roles of hopeful thinking in preventing problems and enhancing strengths

Positive Emotions, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Older Adults: An Application of Broaden-and-Build Model

According to the broaden-and-build theory, positive emotions can broaden our awareness and build psychological resources, which leads to better psychological outcomes. Previous studies demonstrated that hope partially mediates the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction in college students. Yet, there has no similar model been tested among older adults. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the mediating role of hope agency and pathways in the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction. Three hundred and forty-one Chinese community-dwelling older adults (mean = 70.83, SD = 9.16) were asked to complete a survey questionnaire comprising measures assessing positive emotions, hope, life satisfaction, and other sociodemographic variables. Results showed that hope agency, but not hope pathways, partially mediated the relationship between positive emotions and life satisfaction. We discussed the importance of these initial findings concerning positive emotions and hope as predictors of life satisfaction in the older adult population.

The role of hope in language teachers' changing stress, coping, and well-being☆

Language teaching has been described as a “profession in crisis”; a situation likely worsened by the effects of an emergency conversion to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examines two waves of data (from April and November 2020) on stress, coping, and well-being during those eight months. Results show an increase in teachers' stress associated with health and travel but decreases in stress due to online teaching and the shortage of goods in retail stores. There was a significant reduction in coping behavior as teachers settled into the new normal. Well-being, as measured by PERMA, declined significantly, and there was a significant increase in sadness, loneliness, and anger. However, teachers reported an increasing sense of growth during trauma. Time 2 data included a measure of hope, defined by feelings of agency and available pathways to goal achievement. Rarely has hope been studied among teachers in general or language teachers in particular. Results show significant, positive correlations between hope and various measures of successful coping and teacher well-being, including a sense of growth over time. The study suggests the time frame of the study was especially difficult for teachers, but that hope is associated with more positive outcomes.

Hope, goal-commitment and -stress mediating between collaborative leadership, financial resources and performance

Purpose

Combining the goal-setting and job demands-resources (JD-R) theories, we examine how two project resources, collaborative project leadership and financial project resources, enhance high project performance in community-academic health partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

With a sequential explanatory mixed-method research design, data were collected through a survey (N = 318) and semi-structured interviews (N = 21). A hypothesised three-path mediation model was tested using structural equation modelling with bootstrapping. Qualitative data were examined using thematic analysis.

Findings

Project workers’ hope, goal-commitment and -stress: (1) fully mediate the hypothesised relationship between highly collaborative project leadership and high project performance; and (2) partially mediate the relationship between financial project resources and high project performance. The qualitative data corroborate and deepen these findings, revealing the crucial role of hope as a cognitive-motivational facilitator in project workers’ ability to cope with challenges.

Practical implications

Project leaders should promote project workers’ goal commitment, reduce their goal stress and boost project performance by securing financial project resources or reinforcing workers’ hope, e.g. by fostering collaborative project leadership.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the project management and JD-R literature by considering the joint effects of project workers’ hope and two commonly studied project resources (collaborative project leadership and financial project resources) on high project performance. Moreover, we demonstrate the importance of the goal-setting and JD-R theories for understanding complex health-promotion projects connecting academic to community work.

A Concept Analysis of Illness Intrusiveness in Chronic Disease: Application of the Hybrid Model Method

This study clarifies the concept of illness intrusiveness in patients with a chronic disease using the hybrid model method. To clarify the dimension, attributes, and definition of illness intrusiveness in chronic disease, three phases of analysis were conducted. In the theoretical phase, a working definition was devised through a systematic review. In the fieldwork phase, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with nine participants with chronic diseases. In the final analytic phase, the results were integrated through comparison and review. There are four domains and eleven attributes of illness intrusiveness in chronic disease. The domains include physical, psychological, social/contextual, and spiritual. The physical domain consists of four attributes: pain, fatigue, physical malfunction, and change of body image. The psychological domain consists of three attributes: psychological weakness, uncertainty, and stigma. The social/contextual domain is made up of three attributes: withdrawal of role play, limit of daily life, and burden of changing health habits. Finally, the spiritual domain had one attribute: unstable spiritual state. Thus, based on the study findings, it is necessary to develop a suitable illness intrusiveness in chronic disease assessment scale to assess chronic disease patients.

The association between insecurity and subjective well-being among youth during the COVID-19 outbreak: A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Sudden and unpredictable changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have profoundly threatened the psychological well-being and increased insecurity among adolescents worldwide. At a critical developmental stage, the well-being of the youth is more vulnerable to adverse environments. This study constructed a moderated mediation model to explore the buffering factors between insecurity and subjective well-being of the youth during the pandemic.

METHODS

During the COVID-19 outbreak in June 2020, data of 5,503 Chinese youth (15-29 years old) were collected via an online questionnaire. Subjective well-being, insecurity, self-control, and hope were measured, and the moderated mediation model was analyzed.

RESULTS

Findings from this study showed that with the mediating effect of self-control, insecurity negatively predicted subjective well-being, and hope moderated the association between insecurity and self-control. Specifically, the link between insecurity and self-control was stronger when hope was low but weaker when hope was high.

LIMITATIONS

Since this study was mainly conducted in China, and considering the continuous change of the pandemic on a global scale, it is of great significance to conduct cross-cultural and cross-time studies in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that self-control and hope play important roles in buffering the negative effects of insecurity on the subjective well-being of adolescents and young adults. The findings provide implications for reducing the negative impact of insecurity from a positive psychology perspective and for youth mental health interventions during public health crises.

The Interplay of EFL Students' Enjoyment, Hope, Pride and Self-Regulation

Nowadays, emotions are among the most significant issues in the route of learning a language that should be taken into consideration. Consistent with the fundamental function of positive psychology (PP) and also the theory of broaden-and-build, enjoyment in language learning especially the foreign language is among those positive emotions that encourage EFL learners to develop their perspective to achieve. Efforts to apprehend and develop the academic achievement of EFL learners have also progressively concentrated on self-regulation as it boosts learners’ enjoyment, hope, pride, self-control, and learning. Besides, in line with the investigations of these positive emotions, principles of PP, the present review makes every effort for the interplay and its effects in language learning. It is pertinent to state that the present review of studies can benefit academic organizations, professional development centers, policymakers in the academic community to consider the role of emotions, namely positive ones and their positive impact on language learning.

Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on the Well-Being of Young Children: A Systematic Literature Review

Over the last 20 years, the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions for the development of the well-being of children and adolescents and the moderation of high levels of anxiety and depression in this population has been largely demonstrated. Emphasis has been placed on the promotion of well-being and prevention of mental health problems in the school context in order to foster, through positive psychology, the cognitive and socio-emotional development of primary and secondary students, e.g., by strengthening positive relationships, positive emotions, character strengths, optimism, and hope. However, little is known about the impact of these interventions on young children. This systematic review aims at examining the effects of positive psychology interventions on the well-being of early childhood children (<6 years old), both in the preschool education context with educators or teachers and also in the family context with parents. Several electronic databases were searched, and the findings systematically reviewed and reported by the PRISMA guidelines. Very few studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 3), highlighting the need for further research in this area. Indeed, all of the selected studies demonstrated the importance of positive psychology interventions with young children to promote positive aspects of development, such as gratitude, positive emotions, life satisfaction, accomplishment, positive relationship, or self-esteem. Limitations in the field are discussed.

Expectations and beliefs: How single young gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men envision romantic relationships

We developed measures of relational beliefs and expectations among single young gay and bisexual men (YGBM). Data come from an online cross-sectional study YGBM, which ran from July 2012 until January 2013. There were 50 items on relational beliefs and 25 items on relational expectations. We used random split samples and a priori analysis to group items together and applied principal axis factoring with varimax orthogonal rotation. We had a total N = 1582 in our analytical sample and identified six constructs of relational expectations (restrictions, negative break up, masculine and gender norms, optimism, cheating, immediacy) and two constructs of relational beliefs (sex beliefs, equality). Our findings highlight specific relational cognitions among YGBM and offer insight into the beliefs and expectations that may inform their relationships. Findings may be useful for health professionals to help YGBM reflect and understand the health implications of their beliefs and expectations about same-sex relationships to promote healthy decision-making as they seek future partners.

Predicting Contribution in High Achieving Black and Latinx Youth: The Role of Critical Reflection, Hope, and Mentoring

Contemporary approaches to adolescent development are framed by positive youth development models. A key outcome of these models is that healthy and positively developing youth are more likely to contribute to their family, schools, and communities. However, little work on contribution and its antecedents has been conducted with youth of color. As high achieving youth of color often become leaders in their communities, it is important to consider malleable predictors of contribution within this population. Therefore, through a cross-sectional design, we examined the relations between youth critical reflection, hopeful future expectations, and mentoring relationship quality and youth contribution in a sample of 177 youth of color (60% Black, 40% Latinx) attending an afterschool college preparation program at six sites around the U.S. Results indicated that youth critical reflection, hopeful future expectations, and mentoring relationship quality significantly predicted contribution. Exploratory analyses suggested that these relations were significant for Black youth but not Latinx youth. Implications of these findings for future scholarship are discussed.

Associations between insecurity and stress among Chinese university students: The mediating effects of hope and self-efficacy

BACKGROUND

In the context of the pandemic, exploration on the association between insecurity and stress among university students is limited. The current study aims to investigate the parallel mediation role of hope and self-efficacy in the relationship between insecurity and stress among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We employed a cross-sectional research design in a university by distributing questionnaires online. 5286 participants were recruited (mean age = 19.65; SD = 1.13). Items were from the Security Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, and the Positive Psychology Capital (Psycap) Questionnaire (PPQ). Parallel mediation analysis was performed using PROCESS macro in SPSS.

RESULTS

The results indicate that insecurity predicted students' stress positively and that students with high-level perceived insecurity are more likely to perceive stress. Moreover, hope and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between insecurity and stress, indicating that hope and self-efficacy could buffer the negative effects of insecurity on stress.

LIMITATIONS

This study examines the mediating model between insecurity and stress among Chinese university students. The generalizability of the findings in other regions remains to be explored. Additionally, the roles of other positive self-beliefs including optimism and resilience in relieving stress can be further explored in future research.

CONCLUSIONS

This research provides direct evidence of insecurity effects on stress among university students, enriching relevant theories in the field of stress. Moreover, this research suggests that enhancing positive self-beliefs such as hope, and self-efficacy helps to relieve students' stress during COVID-19.

"What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger": Psychosocial Resources and the Mental Health of Black Older Adults

A robust body of research has shown that Black Americans are less likely than Whites to have psychiatric disorders despite the social and economic disadvantage and systemic racism that they face. This mental health paradox has been demonstrated across all ages of the life course, including older adulthood. One of the prevailing explanations for the lower prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Blacks pertains to the influence of psychosocial resources on mental health. Psychosocial resources can directly or indirectly support mental health through physiological and psychological pathways. They can also mitigate the adverse effects of social stressors of discrimination and other stressors on psychological distress and mental illness. Black older adults may particularly benefit from psychosocial resources because they have had a lifetime of experiencing and overcoming adversity. Although this cycle of stress adaptation can wear away at the physical body, it may facilitate mental health resilience. In this chapter, we review research on the relationship between psychosocial resources and mental health. The chapter begins with a brief review of the Black-White mental health paradox and the mechanisms through which psychosocial resources operate to influence mental health. We then review research on intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community-level psychosocial resources that are particularly salient for Black Americans. Throughout the chapter we highlight research specifically focused on Black older adults and discuss the cultural relevance of each resource to their mental health and psychological functioning.

Entrepreneurialism through Self-Management in Afghan Guest Towns in Iran

This article studies the self-management of guest towns (GTs) in Iran and the development of Afghan refugees’ employment and entrepreneurship in these settlements. No earlier research exists on refugee entrepreneurialism in GTs in Iran. The research is based on surveys (546 refugee respondents), interviews (35 refugees) and observations in four GTs in Iran, and interviews (12) with key public authorities related to Afghan refugees in Iran. Of the nearly one million Afghan refugees in Iran, approximately 30,000 reside in 20 GTs, each having up to a few thousand inhabitants. Following a decrease in international support for Afghan refugees and national privatisation policies, the Iranian government decided in 2003 that GTs needed to be self-managed to be financially self-sustainable by their Afghan refugee inhabitants. The motivation and necessity generated by GT self-management led to the increase, diversification, and profit orientation in Afghan refugees’ economic activities in the GTs. The GT refugee councils facilitated internal entrepreneurship fostered externally by state policies, such as the GTs’ obligation to become economically self-sustainable and the provision of tax exemptions and other incentives to GTs. A larger number of Afghan refugees (including women) obtained employment, various entrepreneurial trajectories emerged, and several businesses connected the GTs to the external economy.

Hopelessness Among Middle-Aged and Older Blacks: The Negative Impact of Discrimination and Protecting Power of Social and Religious Resources

Background and Objectives

Hopelessness—a state of despair characterized by a negative outlook towards the future and a belief in insurmountable challenges—is a risk factor for major depression, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality among older adults. It is also an understudied consequence of discrimination. Older blacks disproportionately report experiencing discrimination and, as a result, may be at greater risk of feeling hopeless. However, social and religious resources may protect against the adverse effects of discrimination. The current study examines whether social support, social engagement, religious attendance, and religiosity buffer the effects of self-reported everyday discrimination on hopelessness among a nationally representative sample of blacks.

Research Design and Methods

Using data from the 2010/2012 psychosocial assessment of the Health and Retirement Study, we regressed hopelessness on everyday discrimination, stratifying by 2 age groups, ages 51–64, representing middle-age (n = 1,302), and age 65 and older, representing old age (n = 887). Interaction terms tested whether each resource moderated the discrimination–hopelessness relationship controlling for depressive symptoms, socioeconomic status, and demographic characteristics.

Results

Greater reports of everyday discrimination were associated with higher levels of hopelessness for middle-aged and older blacks. For middle-aged blacks, the resources did not moderate the discrimination–hopelessness relationship; rather, higher levels of support (b = −0.294, p < .01), religiosity (b = −0.297, p < .001), religious attendance (b = −0.218, p < .05) were independently and inversely associated with hopelessness. For older blacks, higher levels of religiosity moderated the discrimination–hopelessness relationship (b = −0.208, p < .05) and higher levels of support (b = −0.304, p < .05) and social engagement (b = −0.236, p < .05) were independently and inversely associated with hopelessness.

Discussion and Implications

Findings suggest that self-reported everyday discrimination increases hopelessness among middle-aged and older blacks but social and religious resources may counterbalance its effects, in age-specific ways, to protect against hopelessness. Religiosity may be especially important for older blacks as a buffer against the negative consequences of discrimination on hopelessness.

The relationship of self-compassion and hope with quality of life for individuals with bleeding disorders

INTRODUCTION

Minimal research has been conducted examining the relationship of positive psychology variables with quality of life (QOL) for individuals with bleeding disorders. While many individuals manage their bleeding disorders well, some are at higher risk of developing psychosocial complications due to the daily stressors of managing illness-related symptoms.

AIM

The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationships between two positive psychology variables, self-compassion and hope and QOL (overall, psychosocial and physical) among individuals diagnosed with bleeding disorders.

METHODS

Participants completed a survey identifying demographic information as well as rating scales of self-compassion, hope and quality of life. We conducted Pearson correlational and standard multiple regression analyses to explore the bivariate and linear relationships between the aforementioned variables in a sample of 86 patients with bleeding disorders between the ages of 15 and 65.

RESULTS

Self-compassion and hope were significantly related to QOL. Together, self-compassion and hope were predictive of overall QOL, psychosocial QOL and physical QOL. However, hope was the only individual predictor of all three QOL dimensions.

CONCLUSION

Due to the significant relationships found between self-compassion, hope and QOL in this sample, it may be beneficial to incorporate positive psychology factors into the treatment of those diagnosed with bleeding disorders, especially those at higher risk for decreased QOL.

Perceived Stress, Hope, and Health Outcomes Among Medical Staff in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated the buffering role of hope between perceived stress and health outcomes among front-line medical staff treating patients with suspected COVID-19 infection in Shenzhen, China. In the cross-sectional study with online questionnaires, medical staff's perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and hope were measured by the 10-item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Locus-of-Hope Scale, respectively. A total of 319 eligible front-line medical staff participated. The prevalence of anxiety (29.70%), depression (28.80%), poor sleep quality (38.90%) indicated that a considerable proportion of medical staff experienced mood and sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal locus-of-hope significantly moderated the effects of stress on anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. Moreover, external family locus-of-hope and external peer locus-of-hope significantly moderated the association between perceived stress and depression. The prevalence of symptoms indicates that both mental and physical health outcomes of front-line medical staff deserve more attention. Internal and external locus-of-hope functioned differently as protective factors for medical staffs' health and might be promising targets for intervention.

Family Strain Predicts Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in Middle-aged Adults: Hope Mediates and Self-compassion Moderates the Relation

Introduction

Interpersonal strain is linked with depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. One possible mechanism accounting for this relation is a reduction in hope, defined as the belief in one's capacity both to reach and to generate a variety of ways to obtain goals. The strength of the strain-depressive symptoms relation is not uniform across individuals, however, pointing to the likelihood that individual differences in the ability to successfully navigate relationship strain play a role in mitigating its negative effects. One potential moderator of the strain - depressive symptoms relation is self-compassion, which encompasses the capacity to respond to one's own negative thoughts and experiences in a kind and nonjudgmental way. Although theory and empirical evidence suggest that self-compassion is protective against the impact of stress on mental health outcomes, little research has investigated how self-compassion operates in the context of relationship strain. In addition, few studies have examined psychological mechanisms by which self-compassion protects against mental health outcomes, depression in particular. Thus, this study examined 1) the extent to which hope mediates the relation between family strain and depressive symptoms, and 2) whether these indirect effects are conditional on self-compassion in a community sample of middle-aged adults.

Methods

Self-reported family strain, self-compassion, hope, and depressive symptoms were assessed in a community sample of 762 middle-aged adults aged 40-65. Follow-up measures of depressive symptoms were assessed approximately 20 months later.

Results

Results from structural equation models indicated that hope mediated the relation between family strain and depressive symptoms and the indirect effect was conditional on levels of self-compassion. For individuals high versus low in self-compassion, strain-related declines in hope predicted smaller increases in depressive symptoms.

Discussion

Taken together, the findings suggest that family strain may lead individuals to experience less hope and subsequent increases in depressive symptoms. However, a self-compassionate attitude may serve as a resilience resource, weakening the hope - depressive symptoms relation, a finding that holds promise for future research on the development and refinement of self-compassion interventions.

When Is Hope Enough? Hopefulness, Discrimination and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Allostatic Load

Hopefulness is associated with better health and may be integral for stress adaptation and resilience. Limited research has prospectively examined whether hopefulness protects against physiological dysregulation or does so similarly for U.S. whites, blacks and Hispanics. We examined the association between baseline hopefulness and future allostatic load using data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 8,486) and assessed differences in this association by race/ethnicity and experiences of discrimination. Four items measured hopefulness and allostatic load was a count of seven biomarkers for which a respondent's measured value was considered high-risk for disease. A dichotomous variable assessed whether respondents experienced at least one major act of discrimination in their lifetime. We used Poisson regression to examine the association between hopefulness and allostatic load and included a multiplicative interaction term to test racial/ethnic differences in this association. Subsequent analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity and tested the interaction between hopefulness and discrimination within each racial/ethnic group. Hopefulness was associated with lower allostatic load scores, but its effects varied significantly by race/ethnicity. Race-stratified analyses suggested that hopefulness was protective among whites and not associated with allostatic load among Hispanics irrespective of experiencing discrimination. Hopefulness was associated with lower allostatic load among blacks reporting discrimination but associated with higher allostatic load among those who did not. Findings suggest that hopefulness plays differing roles for older whites, blacks and Hispanics and, for blacks, its protective effects on physiological dysregulation are intricately tied to their experiences of discrimination.

Optimism and Wishful Thinking: Consistency Across Populations in Children's Expectations for the Future

Two studies investigated 5- to 10-year-olds' (N = 194) positivity bias when forecasting the future. Children from two geographic locations (mostly Caucasian, higher income college town; mostly African American, lower income urban community) completed a future expectations task (FET). For multiple scenarios, children predicted whether a positive versus negative (optimism items) or a positive versus extraordinary positive (wishful thinking items) outcome would occur, including its likelihood. In both samples, optimism and wishful thinking decreased with age, optimism was higher than wishful thinking, children did not show a comparative self-optimism bias, and individual differences in the FET optimism score correlated with self-reported dispositional optimism and hope. Exploratory comparisons revealed between-sample equivalence in responses to all measures, except for less tempered wishful thinking in the urban community.

A Brief Hope Intervention to Increase Hope Level and Improve Well-Being in Rehabilitating Cancer Patients: A Feasibility Test

This article reports on the feasibility and effect of the brief hope intervention (BHI) in terms of increasing the hope level and psychological and physical health outcomes of rehabilitating cancer patients (RCP). Chinese RCP living in the community were invited to join the study. The BHI consisted of four one-on-one sessions: two (1-hour) face-to-face sessions and two (30-minute) telephone follow-up sessions in between. There were three core features in the hope therapy: (a) goal thoughts: finding workable goals, (b) pathway thoughts: finding ways to reach the targets, and (c) agency thoughts: positive self-talk to optimize their motivation to accomplish the set goals. A one-group pre- and postintervention design was used. Outcome measures included the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the State Hope Scale. Recruitment, attrition, and qualitative feedback were collected to understand their comments on BHI. A total of 40 participants were recruited (female 92.3%). The mean age was 57.2 years (SD = 6.7). The participants had significant improvement in all aspects of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, with moderate-to-large effect sizes (d = 0.49-0.74). The changes in present hope and depression scores were insignificant, with small effect sizes (d = 0.17-0.34). The BHI seemed to be promising in producing both physical and psychological benefits in RCP.

Hope, the Household Environment, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Women in Rural South Africa (HPTN 068)

We assessed the psychological trait of hope as an explanatory mediator in the relationship between the home environment and sexual risk behaviors among 2533 young women in rural South Africa. Hope mediated the relationship between average household age and sexual debut (mediated effect = - 0.003, p < 0.05), and between household consumption and sexual debut (mediated effect = - 0.019, p < 0.05). Both higher average household age (β = 0.01; 95% CI 0.00, 0.01) and greater household consumption (β = 0.05; 95% CI 0.02, 0.08) were marginally associated with higher hope. In turn, greater hope was associated with lower odds of sexual debut (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.52, 0.74). These results provide important preliminary evidence of the role of the home environment in shaping protective psychological assets and healthy sexual behaviors. Continued exploration of the relationship between hope and the home environment may help to explain why young women in this context have a disproportionate risk for HIV.

Hope and self-efficacy are associated with better satisfaction with life in people with ALS

The psychological phenotype in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is less negative than in other neurodegenerative diseases, manifested by a lower prevalence of psychopathology, such as anxiety and major depression, and a higher perceived quality of life by patients, irrespective of physical impairment. We hypothesized that positive psychological factors such as hope, optimism, and self-efficacy in people with ALS (PALS) were key determinants of satisfaction with life (SWL), despite physical impairment, and were protective against psychopathology. Forty PALS, at different functional levels, completed objective questionnaires to evaluate psychological factors of hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and SWL. Approximately 41% of the variance in SWL was accounted for by the Agency factor of hope. The results indicated that SWL was significantly correlated to specific positive psychological factors of hope and self-efficacy. Physical impairment was not correlated with positive psychological factors or SWL. These results support the role of hope and self-efficacy in maintaining satisfaction with life in PALS and consideration of these potentially modifiable factors could improve palliative therapy.

Effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and positive psychological intervention (PPI) on female offenders with psychological distress in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

Despite rapid growth in the female prison population, there is little research on effectiveness of psychological interventions for them.

AIMS

To test the hypotheses that (1) each of two psychological interventions administered separately - cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or positive psychology intervention (PPI) - would be more effective than 'treatment-as-usual' alone in reducing psychological distress and enhancing psychological well-being; (2) outcomes would differ according to intervention; and (3) combining the interventions would be more effective than delivering either alone.

METHODS

We recruited 40 women in a special Hong Kong prison unit for female offenders with psychological distress. Half of them received eight sessions of CBT followed by eight sessions of PPI; the other half received the same interventions in the reverse order. We recruited another 35 women who received only 'treatment as usual' (TAU) in the same unit. We used various clinical scales to assess the women's psychological distress or well-being before and after the interventions or at similar time points for the comparison women.

RESULTS

All intervention group women showed a significant reduction in psychological distress and enhancement in psychological well-being after each intervention alone compared to the TAU women. There were no significant differences between CBT and PPI in this respect. Receiving both treatments, however, did yield significantly more improvement than either intervention alone in reducing depressive thoughts and enhancing global judgement of life satisfaction, self-perceived strengths and hopeful thinking style.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE

Our findings provide preliminary empirical support for the effectiveness of psychological interventions with psychologically distressed women in prison. It would be important now to conduct a full, randomised trial to determine optimal length and combinations of treatment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The factor structure of the Dispositional Hope Scale in hemiplegic stroke patients

BACKGROUND

Hope is an important coping strategy and psychological resource for patients with a chronic illness. Stroke patients are exposed to stressful situations such as limited daily life activities, cognitive impairments and financial burdens.

AIM

This study investigated the factor structure of the Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS) and verified its validity when examining stroke patients.

METHODS

This methodological study used secondary, cross-sectional data analysis to investigate the factors related to participation restriction in chronic stroke patients. The DHS's reliability was assessed by calculating the internal consistency of Cronbach's α. The structure of the DHS was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis. The one-factor model (Korean version), two-factor model (original version) and bifactor models were compared.

RESULTS

The fit indices provided evidence for the two-factor DHS model among hemiplegic stroke patients. Although the two-factor model was identified as superior by the Akaike information criterion value, both models had strong goodness-of-fit indices. The DHS had an adequate level of internal consistency in measuring hope in stroke patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The DHS is a valid, reliable and useful tool for examining hemiplegic stroke patients. Identifying the psychometric properties of the DHS can help health professionals implement program development for stroke patients.

Future Orientation, Social Support, and Psychological Adjustment among Left-behind Children in Rural China: A Longitudinal Study

Existing research has found that parental migration may negatively impact the psychological adjustment of left-behind children. However, limited longitudinal research has examined if and how future orientation (individual protective factor) and social support (contextual protective factor) are associated with the indicators of psychological adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction, school satisfaction, happiness, and loneliness) of left-behind children. In the current longitudinal study, we examined the differences in psychological adjustment between left-behind children and non-left behind children (comparison children) in rural areas, and explored the protective roles of future orientation and social support on the immediate (cross-sectional effects) and subsequent (lagged effects) status of psychological adjustment for both groups of children, respectively. The sample included 897 rural children (Mage = 14.09, SD = 1.40) who participated in two waves of surveys across six months. Among the participants, 227 were left-behind children with two parents migrating, 176 were with one parent migrating, and 485 were comparison children. Results showed that, (1) left-behind children reported lower levels of life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and happiness, as well as a higher level of loneliness in both waves; (2) After controlling for several demographics and characteristics of parental migration among left-behind children, future orientation significantly predicted life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and happiness in both cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models, as well as loneliness in the longitudinal regression analysis. Social support predicted immediate life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and happiness, as well as subsequent school satisfaction. Similar to left-behind children, comparison children who reported higher scores in future orientation, especially future expectation, were likely to have higher scores in most indicators of psychological adjustment measured at the same time and subsequently. However, social support seemed not exhibit as important in the immediate status of psychological adjustment of comparison children as that of left-behind children. Findings, implications, and limitations of the present study were discussed.

Perceived Prejudice and the Mental Health of Chinese Ethnic Minority College Students: The Chain Mediating Effect of Ethnic Identity and Hope

As a multinational country incorporating 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, China is concerned with the mental health of members of minority ethnic groups, with an increasing focus on supporting Chinese ethnic minority college students. Nevertheless, in daily life, members of minority ethnic groups in China often perceive prejudice, which may in turn negatively influence their mental health, with respect to relative levels of ethnic identity and hope. To examine the mediating effects of ethnic identity and hope on the relationship between perceived prejudice and the mental health of Chinese ethnic minority college students, 665 students (18-26 years old; 207 males, 458 females; the proportion of participants is 95.38%) from nine colleges in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Yunnan and Guizhou provinces of China took part in our study, each completing adapted versions of a perceived prejudice scale, a multiethnic identity measure, an adult dispositional hope scale, and a general health questionnaire. Analysis of the results reveals that perceived prejudice negatively influences mental health through both ethnic identity and hope in Chinese ethnic minority college students. The total mediation effect was 54.9%. Perceived prejudice was found to negatively predict ethnic identity and hope, suggesting that perceived prejudice brings about a negative reconstruction of ethnic identity and hope mechanisms within the study's Chinese cultural context. The relationship between perceived prejudice and mental health was fully mediated by hope and the chain of ethnic identity and hope. Ethnic identity partially mediated the relationship between perceived prejudice and hope. The relationship between perceived prejudice and mental health mediated by ethnic identity was not significant, which suggests that the rejection-identification model cannot be applied to Chinese ethnic minority college students. This paper concludes by considering the limitations of our study and discussing the implications of its results for researchers and practitioners.

Hope for Help-Seeking: A Positive Psychology Perspective of Psychological Help-Seeking Intentions

In the present study, we used multigroup structural equation modeling in a sample of college students ( N = 2,461) to examine ethnic and gender differences in the connections between dispositonal hope and intentions to seek psychological help from formal and informal sources. In a personal-emotional problem scenario, we found a robust positive relationship between hope and intentions to seek help from informal sources, but no association for formal sources. In a suicidal thoughts scenario, hope was positively associated with intentions to seek both informal and formal psychological help. Results of exploratory moderation analyses indicated that the model was invariant across non-Latino White students and Asian American students, as well as across men and women. These findings address critical gaps in the hope and help-seeking literature, and suggest that increasing college students’ dispositional hope may provide a unique positive psychology-focused avenue for increasing help-seeking intentions, even within underserved populations.

Exploring Couples' Processes of Change in the Context of SASA!, a Violence Against Women and HIV Prevention Intervention in Uganda

There is now a growing body of research indicating that prevention interventions can reduce intimate partner violence (IPV); much less is known, however, about how couples exposed to these interventions experience the change process, particularly in low-income countries. Understanding the dynamic process that brings about the cessation of IPV is essential for understanding how interventions work (or don't) to reduce IPV. This study aimed to provide a better understanding of how couples' involvement with SASA!-a violence against women and HIV-related community mobilisation intervention developed by Raising Voices in Uganda-influenced processes of change in relationships. Qualitative data were collected from each partner in separate in-depth interviews following the intervention. Dyadic analysis was conducted using framework analysis methods. Study findings suggest that engagement with SASA! contributed to varied experiences and degrees of change at the individual and relationship levels. Reflection around healthy relationships and communication skills learned through SASA! activities or community activists led to more positive interaction among many couples, which reduced conflict and IPV. This nurtured a growing trust and respect between many partners, facilitating change in longstanding conflicts and generating greater intimacy and love as well as increased partnership among couples to manage economic challenges. This study draws attention to the value of researching and working with both women, men and couples to prevent IPV and suggests IPV prevention interventions may benefit from the inclusion of relationship skills building and support within the context of community mobilisation interventions.

Effects of Educational Music Therapy on State Hope for Recovery in Acute Care Mental Health Inpatients: A Cluster-Randomized Effectiveness Study

Background: There has been an increasing emphasis on recovery as the expectation for people with mental health disorders. Purpose: The purpose of this effectiveness study is to determine if group-based educational music therapy can immediately impact state hope for recovery in acute care mental health patients. Research questions included: will acute care mental health inpatients who participate in a single music therapy session have higher agency and pathway aspects of state hope for recovery than patients in a control condition? Will there be differences in state hope for recovery as a result of hope-oriented songwriting or lyric analysis interventions? Method: Participants (N = 169) were cluster randomized to one of three single-session conditions: lyric analysis, songwriting, or wait-list control. Results: There was no significant between-group difference. However, both music therapy conditions tended to have slightly higher mean pathway, agency, and total state hope scores than the control condition even within the temporal parameters of a single music therapy session. There was no between-group difference in the songwriting and lyric analysis interventions. Conclusion: Although not significant, results support that educational music therapy may impact state hope for recovery within the temporal parameters of a single session. The specific type of educational music therapy intervention did not affect results. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Social ecological factors associated with future orientation of children affected by parental HIV infection and AIDS

From a social ecological perspective, this study examined the effects of stigma (societal level), trusting relationships with current caregivers (familial level), and self-esteem (individual level) on future orientation of children affected by HIV infection and AIDS. Comparing self-report data from 1221 children affected by parental HIV infection and AIDS and 404 unaffected children, affected children reported greater stigma and lower future orientation, trusting relationships, and self-esteem. Based on structural equation modeling, stigma experiences, trusting relationships, and self-esteem had direct effects on future orientation, with self-esteem and trusting relationships partially mediating the effect of stigma experiences on children's future orientation. Implications are discussed.

Why weight for happiness? Correlates of BMI and SWB in Australia

Despite our best medical and behavioural strategies, the physical and mental health of the overweight and obese remains compromised. In an effort to improve treatment outcomes, research has begun to focus on (1) specific BMI categories, and (2) subjective well-being (SWB), a broad construct exploring how we evaluate and experience our lives. Positive psychology is concerned with SWB, through the application of variables associated with health, happiness and optimal functioning. To date, research exploring the relationship between BMI categories and SWB is lacking for community based Australians. This study employed a cross-sectional design using an online survey method (n=260). SWB and related variables were assessed over five BMI categories including normal, overweight, and obese classes one, two and three. Main findings suggest the class two and three obese demonstrated significantly lower scores on flourishing in comparison with the normal and overweight. The class three obese also demonstrated higher depression, and lower scores on agency and positive affect in comparison with the normal and overweight. Furthermore class two and three obese reported lower scores on pathways thinking than the overweight. Results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that a lack of SWB may contribute to or maintain atypical BMI. Implications for treatment interventions are discussed.

Positive Psychological Interventions in Counseling

Counseling psychologists are in a prime position to claim preeminence in the field of applied positive psychology. A number of misunderstandings or misconceptions of positive psychology seem to interfere, however, with the focus (or lack thereof) that has been placed upon training counseling psychologists to utilize and contribute to positive psychological scholarship and applications. In this article, the most commonly reported misconceptions are addressed, and foundational information regarding positive psychological constructs, theories, and processes most relevant to the applied work of counseling psychologists is reviewed. Counseling psychologists are encouraged to claim positive psychology as the logical extension of our humanistic roots and to consider how to both utilize and contribute to the growing body of positive psychological scholarship.

A Positive Psychology Intervention With Emerging Adults

This study assessed the impact of a positive psychology intervention in a sample of 40 young men (35%) and women (65%) aged 18-30 years. Participants were 1st and 4th year undergraduate University students, postgraduate students and working youths. The study examined the effects of a battery of interventions commonly used in positive psychology interventions, including a video and three exercises (i.e. expressing gratitude, best possible selves, goal setting) on character strengths, hope, gratitude and social relations. Intervention activities were carried out during a session that lasted an hour and a half, while a further half-hour evaluation session took place after a two-week interval. Marked positive changes were revealed with regards to youths’ well-being as a result of the intervention. In particular, elevated levels of hope, perceptions of social support and ability to handle social stress successfully, as well as levels of three out of six key character strengths, i.e. courage, humanity/love and transcendence were observed. Influences of demographic and socio-psychological characteristics of youths on the above variables; constellations of intricate relations between them; as well as certain developmental patterns were also highlighted. The repercussions of the above findings for the advancement of positive psychology knowledge and interventions are discussed.

How statewide LGB policies go from ‘‘under our skin’’ to ‘‘into our hearts’’: fatherhood aspirations and psychological well-being among emerging adult sexual minority men

Researchers have noted increasingly the public health importance of addressing discriminatory policies towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. At present, however, we know little about the mechanisms through which policies affect LGB populations’ psychological well-being; in other words, how do policies get under our skin? Using data from a study of sexual minority young men (N = 1,487; M = 20.80 (SD = 1.93); 65% White; 92% gay), we examined whether statewide bans (e.g., same-sex marriage, adoption) moderated the relationship between fatherhood aspirations and psychological well-being. Fatherhood aspirations were associated with lower depressive symptoms and higher self-esteem scores among participants living in states without discriminatory policies. In states with marriage equality bans, fatherhood aspirations were associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem scores, respectively. Fatherhood aspirations were associated negatively with self-esteem in states banning same-sex and second parent adoptions, respectively. Our findings underscore the importance of recognizing how anti-equality LGB policies may influence the psychosocial development of sexual minority men.

Future orientation: a construct with implications for adolescent health and wellbeing

Multidisciplinary research has supported a relationship between adolescent future orientation (the ability to set future goals and plans) and positive adolescent health and development outcomes. Many preventive strategies - for example, contracepting, exercising - are based on taking actions in the present to avoid unwanted or negative future consequences. However, research has been hampered by unclear and often divergent conceptualizations of the future orientation construct. The present paper aims to integrate previous conceptual and operational definitions into a conceptual framework that can inform programs and services for youth and efforts to evaluate future orientation as a target for intervention. Recommendations focus on furthering the study of the construct through measurement synthesis as well as studies of the normative development of future orientation. Also suggested is the need to pair environmental intervention strategies with individual level efforts to improve future orientation in order to maximize benefits.

The stress-buffering effects of hope on changes in adjustment to caregiving in multiple sclerosis

This study examined the direct and stress-buffering effects of global hope and its components (agency and pathways) on changes in adjustment to multiple sclerosis caregiving over 12 months. A total of 140 carers and their care-recipients completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 12 months later, Time 2. Focal predictors were stress, hope, agency and pathways, and the adjustment outcomes were anxiety, depression, positive affect, positive states of mind and life satisfaction. Results showed that as predicted, greater hope was associated with better adjustment after controlling for the effects of initial adjustment and caregiving and care-recipient illness variables. No stress-buffering effects of hope emerged. Regarding hope components, only the agency dimension emerged as a significant predictor of adjustment. Findings highlight hope as an important protective resource for coping with multiple sclerosis caregiving and underscore the role of agency thinking in this process.

The mediating roles of cancer-related rumination in the relationship between dispositional hope and psychological outcomes among childhood cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the effects of dispositional hope on psychopathology as well as self-perceived positive change in childhood cancer survivors through the potential mediation of cancer-related ruminations.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used, and a group of childhood cancer survivors (N = 89; mean age = 23.2 years; age range = 17.2-31.3 years) were studied. Dispositional hope level was measured by the Hope Scale; positive and negative cancer-related ruminations were assessed by the Chinese Cancer-related Rumination Scale; depression symptoms were measured by Beck Depression Inventory; and anxiety symptoms were measured by Beck Anxiety Inventory. Positive adjustment outcome of posttraumatic growth (PTG) was assessed by the Chinese Post-traumatic Growth Inventory. Multiple regressions were used to analyze the relationship between dispositional hope and the outcome variables of PTG, anxiety and depression and the potential mediators of positive and negative cancer-related rumination.

RESULTS

Dispositional hope was positively related to PTG, and the correlation was specifically mediated by positive cancer-related rumination. Dispositional hope also correlated with lower levels of depression and anxiety, specifically mediated by negative cancer-related rumination.

CONCLUSION

The present finding supported hope as a significant positive factor for childhood cancer survivors, which was associated with PTG and better psychological adjustment. The findings may inform development of therapeutic intervention programs aimed at increasing childhood cancer patients' hope levels, which may be correlated with more positive cancer-related thoughts and better adjustment. The present study, which examined survivors diagnosed at young age, may enrich existing studies on the effect of onset age and adjustment outcomes.

Hope as a Predictor of Reincarceration Among Mutual-Help Recovery Residents

Given the rates of reincarceration in the U.S., it is important to understand criminal justice risk and protective factors. Hope is a potentially important factor with two components-agency (goal-directed determination) and pathways (planning to meet goals) (Snyder et al., 1991). We conducted a secondary data analysis (n = 45) of a longitudinal survey of mutual-help recovery home residents. As hypothesized, greater global hope and agency significantly predicted lower odds for reincarceration, and lower levels of pathways was not predictive. We relate these findings to hope theory and potential community applications.