The Role of Gender and Age in the Emotional Well-Being Outcomes of Young Adults

Healthy Pills: A Physical Activity and Meditation Program to Enhance Mental Health and Well-Being in Spanish University Students

(1) Background: University students' mental health (MH) is in crisis due to academic stress, lack of physical activity (PA), and low self-esteem. This study evaluated a 12-week PA and meditation intervention to enhance psychological well-being in Spanish university students. (2) Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used, with a non-randomized control group and pretest-posttest assessments. The study lasted 14 weeks (12 weeks of intervention and two for evaluations). Initially, 149 students were recruited, but the final sample included 136 (82 intervention, 54 control) due to attrition. Participants were selected through convenience sampling, respecting university-established groups. The intervention consisted of six PA sessions (aerobic, cardiovascular, and strength exercises) and six meditation sessions (yoga and mindfulness). Validated questionnaires assessed resilience, psychological distress, self-esteem, mood, personality traits, sedentary behavior, PA levels, and sleep duration. (3) Results: Significant improvements were found in resilience (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.01), and sleep duration (p < 0.05), with greater mood benefits in men. No major changes were observed in other variables. (4) Conclusions: PA- and meditation-based interventions can improve students' MH, particularly in key psychological aspects. Further research should explore long-term effects and refine strategies by distinguishing between preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Psychological Distress and Well-Being in Emerging Adult Women: The Role of Positivity and Coping Strategies

Women in emerging adulthood face increased challenges. Positive Life Orientation (PLO) and Coping have proved essential for successfully adapting individuals to developmental challenges affecting mental health. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional methodology, the study aims to (i) analyze the primary sources of stress of emerging adult women and the coping strategies most used; (ii) analyze the levels of well-being and psychological distress; (iii) analyze the role of PLO and coping strategies in predicting well-being and psychological distress. A total of 240 emerging women aged between 18 and 25 years participated in the study. PLO was measured using the Positivity Scale, coping using the Brief Cope, well-being using the Mental Health Continuum Scale, and psychological distress using The Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Scale. Studies constituted the primary stress factor, followed by interpersonal relationships and work. The most used coping strategies were planning, active coping, acceptance, positive reframing, self-distraction, emotional and instrumental support, and venting. Women presented moderate levels of anxiety, mild levels of stress, and mild to moderate levels of depression. All well-being scores were lower than the reference means for the Portuguese population. Results from hierarchical multiple linear regressions show the predictive role of PLO and coping strategies in well-being and psychological distress. PLO is a positive predictor of all dimensions of well-being and a negative predictor of depression. Active coping strategies predict higher levels of well-being and lower levels of psychological distress, mainly depression. In other directions, avoidance strategies predict lower psychological distress and higher well-being levels. Results highlight PLOs and coping strategies' crucial role in promoting emerging adult flourishing.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior on Well-Being and Self-Rated Health of Italian Public Health Medical Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The PHRASI Study

High workloads and extended work shift greatly limit the opportunities for medical residents to adopt a healthy lifestyle by practicing regular physical exercise. Using data from the Public Health Residents' Anonymous Survey in Italy (PHRASI), this research assessed the associations between physical activity levels and sedentary behavior, well-being, and self-rated health among Italian public health residents (PHRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a cross-sectional design, this study utilized the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the WHO-5 Well-being Index, and the single-item self-rated health to measure physical activity, sedentary behavior, self-rated health, and well-being among PHRs. The study included 379 PHRs. Multiple logistic regressions adjusted for age and sex were applied to explore the associations among the variables of interest. While 74% of PHRs were sufficiently active, 50% reported good well-being. We found a positive association between physical activity (specifically walking and intense activities) and well-being (aOR 1.292, p = 0.032). At the same time, sedentary behavior was negatively associated with self-rated health (aOR 0.948, p = 0.022) and well-being (aOR 0.945, p = 0.005). This study contributes valuable insights into the role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in PHRs' mental health, calling for targeted public health strategies to support their well-being.

Experienced and Inexperienced Staff: Exploring the Differences

Background: The outdoor industry has experienced a number of problematic issues, one of the most prominent being staffing concerns related to hiring, retention, and burnout. Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between the level of experience, gender, and age on the selected variables of resilience, coping skills, mental toughness, levels of anxiety, job positivity, and burnout. Methods: This study used an electronic self-report instrument to measure the six variables. For simplicity, level of experience was measured as the overall length of time working in the outdoor industry. Findings: Results partially supported the hypothesis that level of experience can be linked to higher job positivity, lower anxiety, and higher levels of burnout. No significant relationship was found between level of experience and resilience, mental toughness, or coping. Gender and age did not moderate the relationships between experience and the outcomes of interest. Implications: The findings of this study suggest that experience in outdoor adventure programs may be associated with higher job positivity, lower anxiety, and lower levels of burnout among more experienced staff. These results highlight the importance of providing opportunities for individuals to gain experience in order to enhance their well-being and job satisfaction within outdoor adventure programs.

The Evolution of Patient Satisfaction in Postoperative Care: The Impact of Investments and the Algorithm for Assessing Significant Growth over the Last 5 Years

An analysis of patient satisfaction in the context of healthcare reflects the patient's perception of actual care through the prism of their expectations of ideal care. A study was conducted to investigate patient satisfaction with postoperative care in the context of improvements in hospital medical services (renovations and modernization of operating rooms and wards with beds, endowments in medical equipment for investigation and treatment, new work procedures, and revisions of existing procedures). Statistical analysis was performed based on the questionnaires distributed to patients hospitalized in the surgical wards of the Bihor County Emergency Clinical Hospital, between 2019 and 2023. A total of 4018 questionnaires were collected, and after the elimination of questionnaires with incomplete or incorrect data, 3985 remained in the analysis. Of the total of 2994 people who reported having undergone surgery, a total of 2090 responded to the questions that focused on postoperative care and overall impression of the hospital. No statistically significant differences in patient satisfaction by sociodemographic factors were found. A statistically significant increase in patient satisfaction with postoperative care and overall impression of the hospital was observed over the last 5 years. Correlation testing between postoperative care responses and overall impression, using the Sperman method, shows a directly proportional relationship between the two variables. In the future, it is necessary to extend the patient satisfaction questionnaire to comprehensively analyze the surgical component in order to identify gaps in postoperative care, helping decision makers to improve the medical services provided to patients.

The Protective Roles of Self-Compassion and Parental Autonomy Support Against Depressive Symptoms in Peer-Victimized Chinese Adolescent Girls: A Longitudinal Study

Peer victimization (PV) is a common and serious problem in school contexts, which hinders adolescents' emotional development and social adaptation. The present study aimed to test the longitudinal relationship between PV and the increase of depressive symptoms (DSs) among Chinese mid-late adolescents using a two-wave longitudinal design and examine the buffering effects of self-compassion (SC) and parental autonomy support (PAS) on this relationship. A relatively large sample of Chinese high school students (N = 722, 52.1% boys; age at Time 2 = 16.23 years old, SD = 0.79) were surveyed annually at two time points. The results showed that PV at Time 1 positively predicted DSs at Time 2 after controlling for the DSs at Time 1. In addition, SC and PAS moderated the longitudinal relationship between PV and the development of DSs, while such moderating effects only existed in girls but not in boys. Specifically, the positive relationship between PV and DSs was non-significant among girls with higher levels of SC or PAS. Our findings highlighted that SC and PAS might be important protective factors buffering against DSs for victimized girls.

Feasibility and acceptability of a home-based virtual group exercise program in global Asian adult population: Baseline characteristics of a cohort study

BACKGROUND

To determine the potential influence of a home-based virtual group exercise on people's long-term overall health consequences in global Asian population.

METHODS

We recruited 1021 participants from more than 7 regions across the globe including Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, United States, Canada, Europe, and other regions. All the participants attended the virtual group Qigong exercise 60-minute bi-weekly with instructors for 6 months from June 2022 to December 2022. The physical, mental, and social well-being and other variables were measured via online questionnaires.

RESULTS

The majority were 51 to 65 (50.6%) years old, female (90.2%), married (68.5%), and came from Taiwan (48.9%). Older adults had higher scores on measures of overall health and exercise adherence, and lower scores on measures of sleep quality and depressive symptoms compared with younger counterparts (P < .05). Most of them (95.3%) acknowledged that the improvement of health status was their motivating factor for exercise. Eighty nine percent of the participants believed that social media played an important role in this exercise program.

CONCLUSION

This study will suggest such approach has great potential to reduce health disparities and can be implemented to underserved population who has limited recourses to join in-person exercise program.

Conceptual Utility Model for the Management of Stress and Psychological Wellbeing, CMMSPW™ in a university environment: theoretical basis, structure and functionality

This article describes and introduces the Conceptual Utility Model for the Management of Stress and Psychological Wellbeing, CMMSPW™ Its purpose is to assess, evaluate and treat stress and psychological wellbeing. First, the theoretical assumptions of the model are presented. This model is an application of the 3P Model, Theory of Internal vs. External Behavioral Regulation and the Model of Competency for the Management of Stress and Psychological Wellbeing. Second, the conceptual structure of the model is presented. This model allows the structural and functional determination of the variables and predictive, mediating and final factors for stress and psychological wellbeing. Third, the functional structure is presented. For predictive factors, the internal and external self-regulation theoretical model allows us to assess levels of internal and external regulation of the individual and their context, as well as other personal and contextual factors involved in self-regulation. For mediating factors, the model of competence for the management of stress and wellbeing allows us to analyze conceptual (concept and principles), mediating (skills and metaskills) and attitudinal (attitudes, values and habits) variables. Finally, in relation to factors that condition outcomes, we can determine levels of response to stress and psychological wellbeing. Finally, limitations and conclusions are presented. The model also allows us to determine predictive relationships between those three types of variables and is functionally transferable to other contexts, including contexts proper to the psychology of education, clinical practice and healthcare, and psychosocial, organizational and technological contexts.

Trait-Level Resilience in Pet Dogs-Development of the Lincoln Canine Adaptability Resilience Scale (L-CARS)

The concept of psychological resilience is well-explored in the human literature and is often described as the ability to 'bounce back' following adversity. However, it remains a neglected research area in dogs despite observations that like humans, dogs vary in their ability to cope with stress. This study aimed to develop the first canine 'resilience' scale. An on-line survey was developed for owners. This covered demographics, medical/behavioural history of the dog, and 19 potential resilience items assessed using a 5-point Likert scale; 1084 complete responses were received during the survey period, with 329 respondents subsequently completing the questionnaire a second time, 6-8 weeks later. Intra-rater reliability was assessed, and only reliable items retained. A principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was then performed with components extracted on the basis of the inspection of scree plots and the Kaiser criterion. Items were retained if they loaded >0.4 onto one of the components but removed if they cross-loaded onto more than one component. This resulted in a 14-item, 2-component solution. One component appeared to describe "Adaptability/behavioural flexibility" and the other "Perseverance", which are described in the human literature on resilience. Predictive validity was established for expected correlates, such as problem behaviour. The resulting instrument was called the Lincoln Canine Adaptability and Resilience Scale (L-CARS) and is the first to be developed for the assessment of resilience in dogs.

A Path Analysis Model of Self- vs. Educational-Context- Regulation as Combined Predictors of Well-Being in Spanish College Students

Previous literature has established the importance of personal and contextual factors in college students' trajectories. Following the Self- vs. External-Regulation Behavior Theory (2021) and the 3P Biggs Model, the present study aimed at analyzing a structural linear model that validates the joint effect of self-regulation, educational context, age, and gender (as personal and contextual presage variables) with other meta-abilities, such as coping strategies, resilience, and positivity (process variables), and specific well-being outcomes, such as flourishing and health (product variables). A sample of 1310 Spanish college students was analyzed, aged 17 to 25, and a cross-sectional study with an ex post facto design was performed. Association and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using SPSS software (v.26) and AMOS (v.23). Results show that individual and contextual factors have an important role in the acquisition of psychological competencies in young adults. Self-regulation was proven to be an important meta-ability that predicts personal well-being and behavioral health outcomes. Complementarily, educational context was shown to be an external predictor of other skills, such as problem-focused strategies, and positive outcomes such as flourishing and behavioral health. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.

Advances on Self-Regulation Models: A New Research Agenda Through the SR vs ER Behavior Theory in Different Psychology Contexts

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (1986) influenced the development of several complementary models of the construct of Self-Regulation. Building on the foundation of Self-Determination Theory, SDT (2000), and Zimmerman's Self-Regulation Theory, SR (2001), with their assumptions, contributions, goddesses, and limitations, we come to the Self- vs. External Regulatory Theory, SR-ER (2021). Finally, we integrate recent evidence demonstrating the explanatory adequacy of the SR vs. ER model for different psychological constructions in different settings related to education, health, clinical practice and social work. Complementary, a new theoretical and empirical research agenda is presented, to continue testing the adequacy of SR vs. ER assumptions, and to better understand the behavioral variability of the different constructs studied.

Exploring Well-Being and Its Correlates among Young Men Using Sen’s Capability Approach: Results from the Young Adults Survey, Switzerland (YASS)

Background: The range of options people have to do the things they value in life may have strong effects on their well-being. This is especially true for young adults, as their opportunities and choices may affect both their current and future lives. This study follows Sen’s capability approach (CA) to assess young people’s well-being in terms of capabilities and functionings. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional data from the Young Adult Survey Switzerland were used for the analysis (N = 58,615). Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the distribution of capabilities and functionings according to individuals’ capital equipment. Finally, multivariate regression analyses were conducted to investigate associations between social, cultural, and economic capital; overall capabilities; and functionings. Results: Young men with lower capital equipment rated their capabilities and functionings lower than others. Capabilities and corresponding functionings differed in the domains of health, happiness, and intellectual stimulation. Multivariate analysis confirmed the effects of social, economic, and cultural capital on both overall capabilities and functionings. Conclusions: Young men differ in their perceived capabilities and functionings in different life domains according to their equipment with different forms of capital. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the transformation of capabilities into functionings, future studies should analyze issues of choice and adaptation to restricted living conditions.

Is psychological resilience associated with changes in youth sport participants' health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Objectives: This study investigated the quality of life of youth sport participants over the COVID-19 pandemic as moderated by psychological resilience.Methods: Participants included 93 high school sport participants (53.76% female, mean age = 15.59 ± 0.74) in a three-year longitudinal cohort study (SHRed Concussions) who completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Pediatric Quality of Life Scale (PedsQL), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at Year 1 (pre-pandemic, 2019-2020) and Year 2 (pandemic, 2020-2021). Change in quality of life and mental health symptoms from Year 1 to Year 2 was examined using paired t-tests and Year 1 resilience was examined as a predictor of Year 2 quality of life and mental health symptoms using linear regression.Results: Among participants with Year 1 scores before the pandemic onset, mean PedsQL (n = 74, t = -0.26 [-2.63, 2.03], p = 0.80) and SDQ (n = 74, t = 0.030 [-0.90, 0.93], p = 0.98) scores did not significantly change between Year 1 and Year 2. In unadjusted analyses, Year 1 CD-RISC scores were positively associated with predicted Year 2 PedsQL scores when Year 1 scores were controlled (β = 0.31 [0.0062, 0.61], ΔR2 = 0.02) but not with residual change in SDQ scores (β = 0.035 [-0.11, 0.18], ΔR2 = 0.001).Conclusions: Quality of life did not change significantly after the pandemic onset, and resilience was modestly protective.