优抚医院疗养对象的社会支持与幸福感的关系:心理健康的中介作用

考察优抚医院疗养对象的幸福感现状,探讨其心理健康、社会支持与幸福感的关系。采用老年人心理健康问卷、社会支持评定量表、纽芬兰纪念大学幸福度量表对103名平均年龄82.43岁的优抚医院疗养对象进行调查。结果表明:(1)优抚医院疗养对象的幸福感与全国常模无显著差异,心理健康水平与社会支持状况都显著低于对照组;(2)优抚医院疗养对象的社会支持、心理健康水平和幸福感各维度之间存在显著正相关;(3)心理健康在社会支持对幸福感的影响中起中介作用;心理健康的情绪体验维度在客观支持对幸福感的影响中起部分中介作用。     

Effects of positive interventions and orientations to happiness on subjective well-being

This study examined the effects of positive interventions and orientations to happiness on well-being. Participants were 218 self-selected adults randomly assigned to one of four positive interventions (pleasure, engagement, meaning or a combination), or daily events or no intervention control groups. Participants completed the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form and Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire. Analysis of variance results supported the hypothesis that well-being would significantly increase for participants in all intervention groups with those in the meaning, engagement, pleasure and combination groups showing larger increases than those in the control groups. Contrary to expectations, the control group also showed an increase in well-being. The prediction that participants’ dominant orientation to happiness would influence the success of the positive interventions in increasing well-being was supported at post-intervention but not at follow-up. Findings support the effectiveness of positive interventions in increasing well-being and underscore the importance of including individual difference factors such as Orientations to Happiness.     

Prioritizing Happiness has Important Implications for Mental Health,but Perhaps Only if you Already are Happy

Happiness is frequently posited as an important outcome of quality of life and characteristic of well-adjusted and functioning individuals. Happy individuals are less likely to report adverse mental health. Understanding the importance that individuals place on happiness is less clearly articulated and inconsistent. Valuing or placing higher importance of happiness appear to confer both benefits and risk for mental health outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the importance of happiness and mental health outcomes and whether the relationship between happiness and mental health is moderated by the importance individuals place on happiness. We utilised data from two studies, a university student sample (n = 413) and a community sample (n = 248) to examine the study aims. Mental health was operationalised in terms of psychological distress and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Happiness and the level of importance individuals ascribed to happiness were associated with adverse mental health outcomes. In multi-variate analyses, level of happiness was more strongly related to mental health. Interactions between happiness and the importance of happiness revealed that the effect of happiness was moderated by the importance that individuals placed on happiness. Overall happiness and to a lesser extent, the importance of happiness, are significantly associated with mental health outcomes. Happiness was most strongly related to mental health amongst those who rated the importance of happiness more highly.

     

Mental Illness and Mental Health: The Two Continua Model Across the Lifespan

Mental health has long been defined as the absence of psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety. The absence of mental illness, however, is a minimal outcome from a psychological perspective on lifespan development. This article therefore focuses on mental illness as well as on three core components of positive mental health: feelings of happiness and satisfaction with life (emotional well-being), positive individual functioning in terms of self-realization (psychological well-being), and positive societal functioning in terms of being of social value (social well-being). The two continua model holds that mental illness and mental health are related but distinct dimensions. This model was studied on the basis of a cross-sectional representative internet survey of Dutch adults (N = 1,340; 18–87 years). Mental illness was measured with the Brief Symptom Inventory and mental health with the Mental Health Continuum Short Form. It was found that older adults, except for the oldest-old, scored lower on psychopathological symptoms and were less likely to be mentally ill than younger adults. Although there were fewer age differences for mental health, older adults experienced more emotional, similar social and slightly lower psychological well-being. In sum, today’s older adults have fewer mental illness problems, but they are not in a better positive mental health than today’s younger adults. These findings support the validity of the two continua model in adult development.     

Pilgrimage and devotion to the divine mother: mental well-being of devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi

Based on a study of 10,354 devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi, a popular shrine in North India, this article focuses on how devotion to the Mata, and undertaking the arduous pilgrimage regularly, contributes to the happiness and mental well-being of her followers. Their scores on the Mature Religiosity Scale (MRS) were high. Analyses of variance showed that religiosity scores, duration of being a devotee, education and pilgrimage frequency influenced their subjective happiness and mental well-being. Logistic regression models showed that those who had better education, belonged to the higher economic class, were devotees of the Mata since a long time, undertook the pilgrimage annually, had higher MRS and Gratitude Questionnaire scores were more likely to have higher scores on Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, and hence better mental well-being. This in general corroborates the positive relationship between religiosity, devotion and well-being, and specifically, the literature on well-being promoting potential of pilgrimage.     

Personality roots of well-being,religiosity, and its handmaiden—virtue

Intensive and comprehensive personality studies of healthily developing men and women reveal that well-being's component physical and mental health and happiness are highly intercorrelated. Health and happiness are reliably related to success and fulfillment in an adult's various roles. However, traditional measures of religiosity are related neither to well-being nor to measures of adults' success and fulfillment in their principal roles. When religion is defined in terms of ethical values, then it powerfully predicts success and well-being. Androgyny, especially stereotypic feminine interpersonal strengths, and psychological maturity are the most powerful predictors of an adult's well-being, success, and virtue.He was formerly Research Consultant to the Academy of Religion and Mental Health.     

Expanding Mental Health Services to Older High-Utilizing HMO Patients: A Pilot Study

Background: Expanded mental health benefits were offered to older HMO patients who were high medical utilizers. Outcomes of interest were use of services, subjective well-being, and psychopathology. Methods: Sixty-nine (25 male, 44 female) patients age 55 or above seeking frequent outpatient medical care completed the SF-36 health survey and the revised Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R). Patients were assigned to usual care, health education, or expanded mental health benefit conditions. Results: Patients showed high initial levels of psychopathology and distress. Over the 6 months of the study, patients in the expanded benefits group made a mean of 11.5 visits to mental health professionals versus a mean of 3.4 visits by usual care patients. Patients in the expanded benefits group showed significant improvement in SF-36 General Health and Mental Health well-being scores. Patients in the health education group showed no improvement. Patients in the usual care group showed improvements in Vitality scores. Psychopathology summary scores showed improvement for both usual care and enhanced benefit groups. Conclusions: Mental health treatment may improve well-being and reduce psychopathology in older high-utilizing patients. Creativity will be needed in expanding access to mental health services for this population.     

The Mental Health of Older Buddhists After the Wenchuan Earthquake

This study investigated changes in measures of mental health among elderly Buddhists after the Wenchuan earthquake in China. The mental health status of Buddhists was compared with that of a non-religious group matched for age which was also severely affected by the disaster. The study focused on two geographic areas which were badly damaged by the earthquake, Beichuan and Mianyang, with Beichuan having suffered the greater damage. The Mental Health Inventory for the Elderly (MHIE) was used to measure the cognitive efficiency, emotional state, self-perception, interpersonal communication, and adaptive ability of survivors at two different times and in two different places: in Beichuan at 4?months and 10?months after the earthquake, and in Mianyang at 6?months and 10?months after the disaster. The scores on the Mental Health Inventory for the older Buddhists in Beichuan were significantly lower than those for the non-religious participants there, but no significant differences were found in Mianyang. The mental health scores of older Buddhists in Beichuan 10?months after the earthquake were significantly better than those recorded 4?months after the earthquake. There were no significant differences in the mental health measurements of Buddhists between testing times in Mianyang. The results indicated that religious faith helped Buddhists recover from trauma, but only in areas severely damaged by earthquakes. The lower level of mental health scores was interpreted to mean that those with religious sensitivities were more deeply affected by but had resilience facing the trauma of the earthquake.     

Important Goals,Meanings, and Relationships in Flourishing and Languishing States: Towards Patterns of Well-being

Qualitative studies of lay people’s perspectives on facets of well-being are scarce, and it is not known how the perspectives of people with high and low levels of well-being dovetail or differ. This research explored the experiences of people with high/flourishing versus low/languishing levels of positive mental health in three cross-sectional survey design studies. Languishing and flourishing participants were selected in each study based on quantitative data from the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form as reported by Keyes et al. (Journal of Health and Social Behavior 43:207–222, 2002). Qualitative content analyses were conducted on written responses to semistructured open-ended questions on the what and why of important meaningful things (study 1, n = 42), goals (study 2, n = 30), and relationships (study 3, n = 50). Results indicated that well-being is not only a matter of degree—manifestations differ qualitatively in flourishing and languishing states. Similar categories emerged for what flourishing and languishing people found important with regard to meaning, goals, and relationships, but the reasons for the importance thereof differed prominently. Languishing people manifested a self-focus and often motivated responses in terms of own needs and hedonic values such as own happiness, whereas flourishers were more other-focused and motivated responses in terms of eudaimonic values focusing on a greater good. We propose that positive mental health can be conceptualized in terms of dynamic quantitative and qualitative patterns of well-being. Interventions to promote well-being may need to take into account the patterns of well-being reflecting what people on various levels of well-being experience and value.

     

Using Concept Mapping to Operationalize Mental Well-Being for Men and Boys

A primary purpose of many prevention-oriented interventions is to improve the general well-being and quality of life for individuals and their communities. Unfortunately, well-being is often poorly defined, with definitions embracing related issues of quality of life, happiness, and physical health. Mental well-being as a concept is also poorly defined, particularly for different population groups. As part of a larger study to assess community-level prevention efforts aimed at men and boys, a participatory approach was used to operationalize mental well-being from a male-centered, community-based perspective using concept mapping. A set of 96 statements perceived as important aspects of mental well-being for men and boys were developed and sorted by 90 participants from the study communities. The 8-cluster solution was selected as the most parsimonious and the best conceptual fit in relation to the mental well-being concept, namely, positive self-worth, supportive community, community connections, positive masculinity, responsive institutions, strong social connection, dignity and respect, and safety. These eight clusters of mental well-being, which were classified into two overarching domains of socio-environmental and emotional well-being, can provide a basis by which to assess community-based programs aimed at this population.     

Posttraumatic Growth, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Mental Health Among Coronary Heart Disease Survivors

The present study aimed to estimate posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among heart disease survivors and examine whether PTG moderates the association between PTSS and mental health. Data from 82 myocardial infarction and acute coronary artery bypass graft survivors (aged 46–82) was obtained at admission to a cardiac rehabilitation unit. Mental status was assessed by the PTSD Inventory, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Mental Health Inventory and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). 17.1 % of the participants suffered significantly from PTSS and most of the study sample (71.2 %) reported PTG. PTSS were positively associated with PTG and psychological distress and negatively with well-being and HRQOL. PTG moderated the association between PTSS and most mental health outcomes. We conclude that posttraumatic growth may attenuate the negative effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms on mental health.     

Cultural values and happiness: an East-West dialogue

Happiness as a state of mind may be universal, but its meaning is complex and ambiguous. The authors directly examined the relationships between cultural values and experiences of happiness in 2 samples, by using a measurement of values derived from Chinese culture and a measurement of subjective well-being balanced for sources of happiness salient in both the East and the West. The participants were university students-439 from an Eastern culture (Taiwan) and 344 from a Western culture (the United Kingdom). Although general patterns were similar in the 2 samples, the relationships between values and happiness were stronger in the Taiwanese sample than in the British sample. The values social integration and human-heartedness had culture-dependent effects on happiness, whereas the value Confucian work dynamism had a culture-general effect on happiness.     

Happiness,health, and religiosity: significant associations among Lebanese adolescents

The present study sought to test for an association between, and sex-related differences in, happiness, health, and religiosity. A sample (N?=?239) of Lebanese adolescents was recruited (111 boys and 128 girls). They responded to the Oxford Happiness Inventory, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Love of Life Scale as well as five self-rating scales to assess happiness, satisfaction, mental health, physical health, and religiosity. Boys obtained a higher mean score on mental health than did their female counterparts. All the Pearson correlations between the study scales were significant and positive but two. Principal components analysis yielded two salient components in boys and labelled “Happiness”, and “Religiosity and health”. In girls, only one component was retained, and labelled “Happiness, health, and religiosity”. It was concluded that those consider themselves as enjoying happiness, experienced good mental and physical health and more religious.     

The relationships between subjective well-being,health, and religiosity among young adults from Qatar

Introduction: The aims of this study were to explore the associations between, and the factors of, subjective well-being, health, and religiosity among Qatari undergraduates. A sample of 113 male and 133 female college students from University of Qatar responded to the Oxford Happiness Inventory, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and Love of Life Scale, as well as to five self-rating scales to assess happiness, satisfaction with life, mental health, physical health, and religiosity. Men obtained a significantly higher mean score on self-rating of mental health than did their female counterparts. All the correlations between the scales were significant and positive. Principal components analysis yielded one factor in both the sexes and labelled “Well-being, health and religiosity.” The only predictor of religiosity was the self-rating scale of satisfaction in men and women. It was concluded that those who consider themselves as religious in the present study reported higher subjective well-being and good health.     

Positive illusions: positively correlated with subjective well-being, negatively correlated with a measure of personal growth

Psychologists have long debated the benefits and costs of self-deceptive enhancement or positive illusions. Accurate perception of reality is central to the definitions of mental health proposed by many personality and clinical psychologists, but Taylor and Brown have suggested that having positive illusions is associated with increased happiness and satisfaction with life. One explanation for the conflicting assertions is that mental health, broadly defined, includes both subjective well-being and personal growth, distinguishable factors which are differentially related to positive illusions. For this study, 81 college students completed measures of positive illusions (Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Self-deceptive Positivity and How I See Myself Questionnaire), subjective well-being (Satisfaction With Life Scale and Existential Anxiety Scale), and moral reasoning (Defining Issues Test) as an index of personal growth. As predicted, positive illusion composite scores were positively correlated with scores on the subjective well-being composite (r=.40) but negatively correlated with Defining Issues Test scores (r=-.25). The quadratic relationship between these measures of positive illusion and subjective well-being composites was not significant, indicating no support for an "optimal margin of illusion."     

Cultural Values and Happiness: An East-West Dialogue

Abstract

Happiness as a state of mind may be universal, but its meaning is complex and ambiguous. The authors directly examined the relationships between cultural values and experiences of happiness in 2 samples, by using a measurement of values derived from Chinese culture and a measurement of subjective well-being balanced for sources of happiness salient in both the East and the West. The participants were university students–439 from an Eastern culture (Taiwan) and 344 from a Western culture (the United Kingdom). Although general patterns were similar in the 2 samples, the relationships between values and happiness were stronger in the Taiwanese sample than in the British sample. The values social integration and human-heartedness had culture-dependent effects on happiness, whereas the value Confucian work dynamism had a culture-general effect on happiness.     

Towards Youth Happiness and Mental Health in the United Arab Emirates: The Path of Character Strengths in a Multicultural Population

Happiness, good mental health and the possession of character strengths have been proposed in the context of positive psychology as important conditions for achieving a life full of gratification. However, there is a scarcity of studies examining those conditions in Eastern cultural contexts, in order to replicate findings from the Western countries. In this vein, the present study aims to explore the influence of strengths on happiness and mental health in the multicultural context of United Arab Emirates and it is hypothesised that certain strengths are better predictors of happiness and mental health than others, also after controlling for potential sociodemographic confounders. A sample of young university students, in the majority coming from eastern countries was assessed through the Global Happiness Scale, the GHQ-12 and the VIA-IS-120. The results of the regression analyses revealed that the group of character strengths under the denomination of Transcendence together with being young was associated with higher levels of happiness and better mental health. In addition, the possession of strengths of Restraint was associated with less happiness, whilst being a man indicated a better mental health. Such results have important implications regarding the replication of previous results from Western contexts in the context of UAE, highlighting the need for implementation of culturally context-tailored strategies for achieving happiness and mental health through the use of character strengths.     

Cultural constructions of happiness: theory and emprical evidence

In a review of recent cross-cultural evidence on happiness and well-being, the authors identified substantial cultural variations in (1) cultural meanings of happiness, (2) motivations underlying happiness, and (3) predictors of happiness. Specifically, in North American cultural contexts, happiness tends to be defined in terms of personal achievement. Individuals engaging in these cultures are motivated to maximize the experience of positive affect. Moreover, happiness is best predicted by self-esteem. In contrast, in East Asian cultural contexts, happiness tends to be defined in terms of interpersonal connectedness. Individuals engaging in these cultures are motivated to maintain a balance between positive and negative affects. Moreover, happiness is best predicted by perceived embeddedness of the self in a social relationship. Directions for future research are discussed.     

Self-Regulation for Sustaining Happiness and Well-being: An Indian Perspective

An important paradox of the well-being literature is the apparent disconnect between the external materialistic strivings such as money and the experience of well-being, referred to as the American Paradox. Additionally, it has been studied that the pursuit of happiness itself may result in paradoxical effects; the more people pursue it, the less likely are they able to obtain it. Happiness and well-being thus understood from the Western perspective as the presence of pleasure and absence of pain lack sustainability theoretically as well as practically. It is deficit driven, externally directed, object dependent and culturally biased. The focus of the paper is to understand the notion of happiness from an indigenous perspective. Against the hedonistic concept of well-being advocated by Western researches, the Indian perspective holds important consequences for the individual as well as the social well-being. The paper argues that the indigenous perspective on happiness and well-being is sustainable across time and situations for the classes as well as the masses.