The prospective effect of purpose in life on gambling disorder and psychological flourishing among university students

What is known about population level programs designed to address gambling-related harm: rapid review of the evidence

BACKGROUND

Gambling and gambling-related harm attract significant researcher and policy attention. The liberalisation of gambling in most western countries is strongly associated with a marked rise in gambling activity and increases in gambling-related harm experienced at the population level. Programs to address gambling-related harm have traditionally focused on individuals who demonstrate problematic gambling behaviour, despite clear evidence of the effectiveness of a public health approach to high-risk activities like gambling. Little is known about the availability or efficacy of programs to address gambling-related harm at a population level.

METHODS

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation commissioned a rapid evidence review of the available evidence on programs designed to reduce gambling-related harm at a population level. The review was conducted using a public health and harm reduction lens. MEDLINE, ProQuest Central and PsychInfo databases were searched systematically. Included studies were published in English between 2017 - 2023 from all countries with gambling policy contexts and public health systems comparable to Australia's; included primary data; and focused on primary and/or secondary prevention of gambling-related harm or problems.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-seven articles were eligible for inclusion. Themes identified in the literature included: risk and protective factors; primary prevention; secondary prevention; tertiary prevention; target population group; and public health approach. The evidence review revealed a gap in empirical evidence around effective interventions to reduce gambling-related harm at the population level, particularly from a public health perspective.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing gambling-related harm requires a nuanced, multi-layered approach that acknowledges the complex social, environmental, and commercial nature of gambling and associated harms. Moreover, evidence demonstrates community programs to reduce gambling-related harm are more successful in reducing harm when based on sound theory of co-design and address the social aspects that contribute to harm.

The Protective Role of Curiosity Behaviors in Coping with Existential Vacuum

An existential vacuum is experienced as a kind of crisis that one can cope with using his/her strengths. The related literature suggests that the important determinants of coping with existential emptiness include positive emotional and personality resources, and among these-Curiosity Behaviors. The purpose of this study is to describe the role of curiosity as an important factor in relation to emotional resources in individuals experiencing an existential vacuum. A survey was conducted using online tools (n = 484). The hypotheses about the direct and indirect relationships between Curiosity Behaviors and existential vacuum were tested using multiple regression analyses and mediations. The study involved a sample of adult participants representing the general population. The participants completed five questionnaires, the first one focusing on Curiosity Behaviors, such as seeking out novel and challenging experiences and engagement in activities that capture one's attention (The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory), and the other tools being the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Flourishing Scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. The results indicate that Curiosity Behaviors characteristically negatively predict existential vacuum. In addition, other variables, such as Flourishing, seem to be useful in explaining the relationships between these factors. Flourishing along with Curiosity increases a sense of Meaning in Life. Our results present evidence showing the importance of Curiosity Behaviors in coping with the existential vacuum.

Examination of the Factors That Encourage University Students to Sports Betting. A Q-Method Study

This study aimed to examine the factors that motivate university students to sports betting through the Q-method. The study is designed with the Q-methodology. According to this method, qualitative and quantitative research methods are applied in the same study. Interviews were conducted with the participants of the study, question expressions were created and similar studies in the literature were used. With this feature, the current study has both structural and non-structural pattern features. In the study, the snowball sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was employed as a sampling method. The people recommended by the participants with at least five years of sports betting history were included in the study. A total of 29 university students constituted the study group. In the analysis of the data, basic components analysis was applied and it was concluded that the participants were gathered under two factors, and the value of 0.55 was reached as the significance value. As a result, it can be stated that different factors motivate the participants to bet, such as making money, seeking excitement, having social relations, sports betting as a profession, endeavor, killing time, and betting because of addiction.

Big Five Personality Traits and Compulsive Buying: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

The inter-relationships between the Big Five personality traits, self-esteem, and compulsive buying are supported by strong empirical evidence. What is yet unknown is to what extent self-esteem can channel the influence of personality traits on compulsive buying. The main objective of this study is to explore the possible mediating role of self-esteem in the link between the Big Five personality traits and compulsive buying. Path analysis results, using a sample of 487 university students, generally confirm the suitability of the proposed model in which self-esteem mediated the effects of the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness) on compulsive buying. Moreover, a direct effect of neuroticism and conscientiousness on compulsive buying was found. Finally, based on the finding that self-esteem acts as a necessary filter in the analysis of the five factors-compulsive buying relationship, several action-oriented guidelines for the prevention or intervention of this behavioral problem are suggested.

Thriving amidst adversity: Flourishing and grit in Ukrainian college students with strong life purpose before and after the onset of the Russian war in Ukraine

This multi-study examined the role of life purpose in the well-being of Ukrainian university students before (Study 1) and during the Russian war in Ukraine (Study 2) during the 2021-22 academic year using a cross-sectional design. University students from a city highly affected by the war, a region which borders Russia, completed measures of sense of purpose in life (awakening to purpose, awareness to purpose, altruistic purpose), specific purpose orientations (others-growth, self-growth, career-focused), flourishing, and grit (consistency of interests, perseverance of effort). Structural equation modeling was used to test four alternative path models. In Study 1 (N = 159), flourishing was positively predicted by all measures of purpose, except for awareness of purpose, which was a negative but weak predictor. Similar to flourishing, both dimensions of grit were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, perseverance of effort was predicted positively by awakening to purpose. Consistent with Study 1, in Study 2 (N = 107), flourishing and perseverance of effort were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, flourishing was positively predicted by awakening to purpose and others-growth purpose orientation. Overall, students with a strong life purpose reported high sense of flourishing and grit. Findings also highlighted the salient role of career-focused purpose orientation in students' well-being. It is thereby important to support students in exploring and connecting life's purpose with their career aspirations.

Examining the role of life purpose in high school students' self-esteem through structural equation modelling

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which high school students' sense of purpose explained variance their self-esteem. Life purpose is a multidimensional construct that encompasses long-term goals, commitments, and intentions to fulfill aspirations that are meaningful to self and have consequences for the world beyond-the-self. For this study, we explored the role of three distinct dimensions of awareness of purpose, awakening to purpose, and altruistic purpose in predicting students' self-esteem. High school students' (N = 234) between 14 and 18 years, completed surveys on self-esteem and sense of purpose. A structural model was tested, in which the three latent factors of awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose were specified to predict a latent factor of self-esteem. Analyses were conducted using maximum likelihood estimation method. Findings showed that both awareness of purpose and altruistic purpose contributed positively to adolescents' self-esteem. Awakening to purpose, on the other hand, was not significantly related to adolescents' self-esteem once their awareness of purpose and altruistic purpose were taken into account. This study expanded the growing body of research on the role of purpose in contributing to school students' personal wellbeing and development. We have discussed the findings of this study and previous literature in the context of practical implications that could support school personnel, teachers, and counselors to engage in wellness-oriented approaches that could strengthen students' sense of purpose, and thereby their self-esteem.

Positive childhood experiences on flourishing mediated by meaning in life in Chinese undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To examine the associations of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) with positive mental well-being (i.e. meaning in life and flourishing) in Chinese undergraduate nursing students. The mediation effect of meaning in life on the association between PCEs and flourishing was investigated.

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems, such as high stress, have been prevalent in nursing students. Less is known about positive well-being that could be independent of mental health problems.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study in Chinese nursing students of age ≥ 18 years enrolled in either three-year associate degree or four-year bachelor's degree program at 25 different universities across mainland China.

METHODS

PCEs were measured using the 10-item Benevolent Childhood Experiences scale on perceived relational and internal safety and security, positive and predictable quality of life, and interpersonal support by age 18. Measures of positive mental well-being included the Secure Flourish Index on flourishing and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire on presence of meaning and searching for meaning. Associations were analyzed using multivariable linear regression adjusting for perceived stress.

RESULTS

Of 2105 participants, 87.7% were female, the mean [SD] age was 19.8 [1.6] years. More PCEs were associated with higher flourishing (adjusted b=6.82, 95% CI 6.23, 7.41, β = 0.44), presence of meaning (adjusted b=0.91, 95% CI 0.75, 1.06, β = 0.24), and searching for meaning (adjusted b=0.67, 95% CI 0.49, 0.84, β = 0.17). Presence of meaning (indirect effect: adjusted b=1.57, 95% CI 1.27, 1.89) and searching for meaning (indirect effect: adjusted b=0.84, 95% CI 0.60, 1.08) partially mediated 23% and 12% of the association between PCEs and flourishing, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PCEs showed dose-response associations with meaning in life and flourishing in Chinese undergraduate nursing students, and the associations remained independent of perceived stress. The association between PCEs and flourishing was mediated through meaning in life. Higher meaning of life and flourishing associated with more PCEs highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and early screening of PCEs in nursing schools. The mediation effects of meaning in life warranted targeted interventions for helping students with fewer PCEs to flourish.

Measuring Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language learners’ resilience: Development and validation of the foreign language learning resilience scale

Despite the growing body of research on the factors of resilience in diverse fields, there is still a dearth of particular attention on foreign language learning resilience. To fill the gap, this study seeks to develop the foreign language learning resilience scale (FLLRS) to measure its psychometric scale reliability and validity in Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language contexts. Valid data were collected from 313 Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language college students who voluntarily participated in the survey. The FLLRS was validated based on a series of reliability (e.g., item analysis, split-half reliability and internal consistency) and validity (e.g., construct validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity) tests. Results suggested that the 19-item FLLRS presented three factors: ego resilience, metacognitive resilience and social resilience. Besides, all the three factors contributed high effects to foreign language learning resilience. Among the three factors, metacognitive resilience was found to have the highest path coefficient, followed by social resilience, with ego resilience having the lowest. The validated scale could advance knowledge in the field of second language acquisition regarding how learners’ individual differences, emotional factors and the contextual antecedents may affect foreign language learning resilience.

The Beneficial Role of Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous for Existential and Subjective Well-Being of Alcohol-Dependent Individuals? The Model Verification

Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an important psychosocial factor for the recovery of alcohol-dependent individuals. Recent studies have confirmed the beneficial role of involvement in AA for abstinence and reduction in drinking alcohol. Little is known about the mechanism underlying the relationship between involvement in AA and subjective well-being. This study aims to verify whether in a sample of Polish AA participants involvement in AA is indirectly related to subjective well-being through existential well-being consisting of hope and meaning in life. The achieved results have confirmed that involvement in AA is positively related to existential well-being, which in turn positively predicts subjective well-being including life satisfaction as well as positive and negative affect. It was confirmed that AA involvement in self-help groups indirectly via existential well-being is related to subjective well-being. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs and Adherence to Responsible Gambling Practices: The Mediating Role of Flourishing

Responsible gambling (RG) is a practical approach to contain potential gambling-associated harms to an acceptable level. However, few studies have proposed a theoretical framework to account for significant individual differences in RG adherence, which hinders an effective RG promotion in public. To address this missing link, the current study aims to identify psychological need factors associated with adherence to RG practices. We applied the self-determination theory (SDT) to explore the association between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., relatedness, competency, and autonomy) and RG adherence in a probability Chinese community adult sample (N = 1002; 55.7% women and M _age = 44.28 years), acquired from a telephone survey conducted in the 2018 fall with a two-stage cluster random sampling method. We found that the three types of basic needs satisfaction were significantly and positively related to RG adherence via a full mediation of flourishing. The findings provide practical insights to understanding individual differences in RG adherence and designing corresponding SDT-based interventions for gambling communities globally.

Investigating prolonged social withdrawal behaviour as a risk factor for self-harm and suicidal behaviours

BACKGROUND

Self-harm and suicidal behaviour are recognised as public health concerns. Prolonged social withdrawal behaviour, or hikikomori, is reported as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour.

AIMS

To examine the occurrence and additional risk of prolonged social withdrawal behaviour on self-harm and suicidal behaviour among Chinese university students.

METHOD

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with three universities in southern China. A two-stage random sampling was adopted for recruitment, with students in different years of study, in different departments of each participating university. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the sociodemographic and psychological correlates of self-harm and suicidal behaviours among male and female participants with hikikomori status.

RESULTS

Of the students who completed the online survey, 1735 (72.23%) were included in the analysis; 11.5% (n = 200) reported self-harm behaviour and 11.8% (n = 204) reported suicidal behaviours in the past 12 months. Men showed a higher prevalence rate of self-harm than women (14.7% v. 10.8%, P = 0.048), but a similar rate of suicidal behaviours (11.9% v. 11.3%, P = 0.78). The overall prevalence rate of social withdrawal behaviour was 3.2% (7.0% for men and 2.3% for women, P < 0.001). Prolonged social withdrawal behaviour status was significantly associated with self-harm (odds ratio 2.00, 95% CI 1.22-3.29) and suicidal behaviour (odds ratio 2.35, 95% CI 1.45-3.81). However, the associations became statistically insignificant after adjustment for psychological factors in the final models in the logistic regression analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged social withdrawal behaviour appears to be associated with self-harm and suicidal behaviour, but psychological factors have stronger links with suicidality.