1,721,004 research outputs found
Understanding the Beneficial Relationship between Nature and Well-Being in Daily Life– a Multi-Method Mediational Investigation
Full text linkNature is thought to enrich well-being: The more time people spend in nature, the happier they feel. But how consistent is this link, and what mechanisms might account for the salutogenic effects of nature on well-being? The aim of this thesis was to investigate the beneficial effects of nature on emotional well-being in people’s daily lives and to deepen the scientific understanding of the mechanism(s) linking nature to emotional well-being. Following a brief overview of this thesis (Chapter 1- Introduction), I discuss the current literature on nature and well-being, focusing on theories of biophilia and attentional theories that might account for the nature and well-being relationship (Chapter 2- Literature Review). In the literature review, I identify several gaps in current research and discuss one possible mediator of the link between nature and well-being - the concept of fascination (defined as the extent to which attention is drawn effortlessly by objects in the environment). Next, I present a series of five empirical studies (Study 1-5) consisting of one correlational daily diary study and four field experiments that collectively sought to test the relationship between nature and two markers of well-being – increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. Study 1-2 explored and established fascination as a reliable mediator of the relationship between nature and positive affect (PA). Study 3-4 replicated fascination as a mediator of the nature-PA link and also eliminated two other potential mediators - mindfulness (Study 3) and heart rate variability as a physiological indicator (Study 4). After establishing fascination as the standard mediator which explains how nature may influence positive affect (PA), Study 5 investigated several other potential factors which together mediated the nature and PA link (fascination, fluency, and savoring). Path analyses in Study 5 using multi-level structural equation modeling (MSEM) suggested that daily fascination, fluency, and savoring collectively mediated the link between nature and PA: experiencing more fascination in nature contributed to greater fluency in nature, and this fascination-fluency circuit enhanced the experience of savoring, contributing to increases in daily PA. Overall, the results across all five studies confirmed the positive relationship between nature and PA in daily life, and suggested that the cognitive quality of experiences in nature (fascination and fluency) and emotion regulation following nature (savoring) may explain why people feel happier after spending time in nature. In the General Discussion, I discuss these findings and the contribution made by this thesis to the literature on nature and emotional well-being
Lifestyle Behaviours as Predictors of Health: Understanding the Importance of Sleep, Diet and Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being
Full text linkThere is now considerable evidence supporting the notion that sleep, diet, and physical activity can benefit mental health and well-being individually. Previous literature suggests young adults who sleep between seven- to nine-hours-per-night have reduced depressive symptoms and anxiety, along with elevated mood, when compared to participants sleeping fewer than seven or greater than nine hours per night. Furthermore, following a healthy diet has also been associated with improvements in mood and well-being, whereby individuals who regularly adhere to a Mediterranean diet show elevated mood and a reduced risk of depression. Finally, regular physical activity has also been associated with greater mental health and well-being, whereby regular aerobic exercise at moderate intensity has been shown to reduce symptoms of major depressive disorder and anxiety. However, health behaviours do not occur in isolation, and instead tend to cluster together. Yet, research considering the way all three behaviours combine to predict mental health and well-being is still in its infancy. Therefore, the aim of the present thesis was to investigate the combined relationship between sleep, diet and physical activity in predicting mental health and well being outcomes, in two separate cross-sectional studies, both with young adults aged 17-25 years old. Study 1 was a large scale, cross-sectional survey of 1533 participants from New Zealand and the United States. Study 2 was a 13-day micro-longitudinal survey based study of 783 participants from New Zealand. Both studies measured multiple self-reported lifestyle behaviours, such as sleep quality and quantity, consumption of fruit and vegetables, and physical activity habits, along with several measures of mental health (depressive symptoms and negative mood) and well-being (life satisfaction, flourishing and positive mood). Study 1 also measured anxiety and vitality. Results of Study 1 supported past research, that when tested in isolation, each health behaviour was associated with greater mental health and well being. However, when tested against each other in regression models, sleep quality was the strongest predictor of all mental health and well-being outcomes. Diet and physical activity were weaker, relatively equal and still statistically significant predictors. Two trends were observed where raw fruit and vegetable consumption moderated the relationship between sleep quality, and both vitality and flourishing. Study 2 showed similar results, where each health behaviour was associated with greater mental health and well-being when tested in isolation. Furthermore, when tested against each other in regression models, sleep quality was again the strongest predictor of all mental health and well-being outcomes. Both diet and physical activity were relatively equal, weak predictors of mental health and well-being. No significant moderation effects were observed. These results suggest that sleep quality may be the strongest predictor of mental health and well-being, meaning intervention research should focus on sleep quality interventions among young adults
The Pursuit of Happiness
No full textIs the frequent monitoring of happiness in daily life actually detrimental to happiness? Current psychological literature suggests that explicit focus on happiness may actually be self-defeating (Schooler, Ariely, & Lowestein, 2003). The current thesis investigated the psychological effects of frequent self-monitoring of happiness outside the laboratory in daily life. A total of 223 young adults (92 men) from the University of Otago were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups. Commercially available SMS text message software was used to send participants either one, three or six text messages per day for 13 days inquiring about their current level of happiness. A fourth control group also received six text messages per day inquiring about non-mood related experiences. Findings showed no differences in changes in momentary or trait happiness between the three experimental groups, suggesting no reactivity as a result of monitoring happiness overall. Conversely, group differences in changes in momentary happiness were moderated by personality variables self-esteem and dysphoria. Findings suggested that increased monitoring of happiness among those with low self-esteem and high dysphoria leads to a decrease in happiness over time. Interestingly, there was also some evidence that frequent reporting of non-emotional states led to a decrease in trait happiness among those low in self-esteem. Taken together, these findings suggest that the heightened focus on happiness throughout western society today may actually be detrimental to the happiness of those with greater vulnerability to lower mood – i.e. those with low self-esteem or high dysphoria
Can an apple a day keep the psychologist away? The role of fruit and vegetable intake in mental well-being.
No full text‘You are what you eat’ is a well-known adage that is supported by evidence linking healthy diets to greater physical well-being. The cornerstone of a healthy diet is a high intake fruit and vegetables, containing a variety of micronutrients critical for optimal physical and mental functioning. Given the associated physical benefits, there has been an increasing level of interest in the potential role of fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) in mental health. However, the literature linking diet to mental health is limited and reflects a number of methodological issues that preclude researchers from understanding the full extent that FVI can play in mental health. These include: a predominant focus on factors relating to mental ill-being (such as depression), issues with control variables and specificity of mental health measures, limited investigation into plausible mechanistic pathways, and most importantly, a paucity of experimental research that speaks to the causal nature of this relationship. The aim of this thesis was to provide a comprehensive, multi-method approach to examining the observational and causal relationships between FVI and a range of mental health outcomes in young adults; guided by the World Health Organisation definition that mental health encompasses not only the absence of illness (e.g., depression, anxiety), but the presence of well-being (e.g., flourishing, vitality). First, I provide an overview of the literature, highlighting the methodological gaps which provide the rationale for the subsequent empirical studies. These include: a correlational study exploring the influence of FVI on a range of mental well-being outcomes (e.g., flourishing); a randomised controlled trial exploring whether the relationship between FVI and mental health is causal and whether key micronutrients mediate this link; and finally, a large observational survey study exploring the differential effects of raw versus cooked/canned/processed FVI on mental health. Additionally, secondary aims explored the development and execution of a mobile phone-based Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) to increase FVI in low-consuming young adults. Collectively, this body of work provides insights into the nuances of the relationship between FVI and mental health. Overall, daily fruit and vegetables, especially those consumed raw, appear to have significant links with mental well-being outcomes, such as vitality, creativity, curiosity, motivation, and socio-emotional flourishing. While this thesis provided some support for the role of FVI in buffering against mental ill-being such as depressive symptoms, the links with well-being were consistently stronger. Most importantly, this thesis addresses the major limitation highlighted in the literature – causality – by providing the first evidence that the relationship between FVI and mental well-being is causal, and can occur relatively rapidly in day-to-day life. These findings suggest that we eat has a powerful effect on how we feel, and that policy makers and clinicians can harness nutritional psychiatry strategies as a promising route of mental health improvement
Understanding the Beneficial Relationship between Nature and Well-Being in Daily Life– a Multi-Method Mediational Investigation
No full textNature is thought to enrich well-being: The more time people spend in nature, the happier they feel. But how consistent is this link, and what mechanisms might account for the salutogenic effects of nature on well-being? The aim of this thesis was to investigate the beneficial effects of nature on emotional well-being in people’s daily lives and to deepen the scientific understanding of the mechanism(s) linking nature to emotional well-being. Following a brief overview of this thesis (Chapter 1- Introduction), I discuss the current literature on nature and well-being, focusing on theories of biophilia and attentional theories that might account for the nature and well-being relationship (Chapter 2- Literature Review). In the literature review, I identify several gaps in current research and discuss one possible mediator of the link between nature and well-being - the concept of fascination (defined as the extent to which attention is drawn effortlessly by objects in the environment). Next, I present a series of five empirical studies (Study 1-5) consisting of one correlational daily diary study and four field experiments that collectively sought to test the relationship between nature and two markers of well-being – increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. Study 1-2 explored and established fascination as a reliable mediator of the relationship between nature and positive affect (PA). Study 3-4 replicated fascination as a mediator of the nature-PA link and also eliminated two other potential mediators - mindfulness (Study 3) and heart rate variability as a physiological indicator (Study 4). After establishing fascination as the standard mediator which explains how nature may influence positive affect (PA), Study 5 investigated several other potential factors which together mediated the nature and PA link (fascination, fluency, and savoring). Path analyses in Study 5 using multi-level structural equation modeling (MSEM) suggested that daily fascination, fluency, and savoring collectively mediated the link between nature and PA: experiencing more fascination in nature contributed to greater fluency in nature, and this fascination-fluency circuit enhanced the experience of savoring, contributing to increases in daily PA. Overall, the results across all five studies confirmed the positive relationship between nature and PA in daily life, and suggested that the cognitive quality of experiences in nature (fascination and fluency) and emotion regulation following nature (savoring) may explain why people feel happier after spending time in nature. In the General Discussion, I discuss these findings and the contribution made by this thesis to the literature on nature and emotional well-being
Can an apple a day keep the psychologist away? The role of fruit and vegetable intake in mental well-being.
Full text link‘You are what you eat’ is a well-known adage that is supported by evidence linking healthy diets to greater physical well-being. The cornerstone of a healthy diet is a high intake fruit and vegetables, containing a variety of micronutrients critical for optimal physical and mental functioning. Given the associated physical benefits, there has been an increasing level of interest in the potential role of fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) in mental health. However, the literature linking diet to mental health is limited and reflects a number of methodological issues that preclude researchers from understanding the full extent that FVI can play in mental health. These include: a predominant focus on factors relating to mental ill-being (such as depression), issues with control variables and specificity of mental health measures, limited investigation into plausible mechanistic pathways, and most importantly, a paucity of experimental research that speaks to the causal nature of this relationship. The aim of this thesis was to provide a comprehensive, multi-method approach to examining the observational and causal relationships between FVI and a range of mental health outcomes in young adults; guided by the World Health Organisation definition that mental health encompasses not only the absence of illness (e.g., depression, anxiety), but the presence of well-being (e.g., flourishing, vitality). First, I provide an overview of the literature, highlighting the methodological gaps which provide the rationale for the subsequent empirical studies. These include: a correlational study exploring the influence of FVI on a range of mental well-being outcomes (e.g., flourishing); a randomised controlled trial exploring whether the relationship between FVI and mental health is causal and whether key micronutrients mediate this link; and finally, a large observational survey study exploring the differential effects of raw versus cooked/canned/processed FVI on mental health. Additionally, secondary aims explored the development and execution of a mobile phone-based Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) to increase FVI in low-consuming young adults. Collectively, this body of work provides insights into the nuances of the relationship between FVI and mental health. Overall, daily fruit and vegetables, especially those consumed raw, appear to have significant links with mental well-being outcomes, such as vitality, creativity, curiosity, motivation, and socio-emotional flourishing. While this thesis provided some support for the role of FVI in buffering against mental ill-being such as depressive symptoms, the links with well-being were consistently stronger. Most importantly, this thesis addresses the major limitation highlighted in the literature – causality – by providing the first evidence that the relationship between FVI and mental well-being is causal, and can occur relatively rapidly in day-to-day life. These findings suggest that we eat has a powerful effect on how we feel, and that policy makers and clinicians can harness nutritional psychiatry strategies as a promising route of mental health improvement
The Pursuit of Happiness
No full textIs the frequent monitoring of happiness in daily life actually detrimental to happiness? Current psychological literature suggests that explicit focus on happiness may actually be self-defeating (Schooler, Ariely, & Lowestein, 2003). The current thesis investigated the psychological effects of frequent self-monitoring of happiness outside the laboratory in daily life. A total of 223 young adults (92 men) from the University of Otago were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups. Commercially available SMS text message software was used to send participants either one, three or six text messages per day for 13 days inquiring about their current level of happiness. A fourth control group also received six text messages per day inquiring about non-mood related experiences. Findings showed no differences in changes in momentary or trait happiness between the three experimental groups, suggesting no reactivity as a result of monitoring happiness overall. Conversely, group differences in changes in momentary happiness were moderated by personality variables self-esteem and dysphoria. Findings suggested that increased monitoring of happiness among those with low self-esteem and high dysphoria leads to a decrease in happiness over time. Interestingly, there was also some evidence that frequent reporting of non-emotional states led to a decrease in trait happiness among those low in self-esteem. Taken together, these findings suggest that the heightened focus on happiness throughout western society today may actually be detrimental to the happiness of those with greater vulnerability to lower mood – i.e. those with low self-esteem or high dysphoria
The Role of Dysphoria in the Predictions, Experience, and Memory of Happiness
No full textThe role of positive affect and happiness in depression and vice versa is the subject of a growing tide of scientific research. Although a deficit in positive feelings – anhedonia – is the hallmark of depression, the mechanisms underpinning the interaction between depression and happiness are yet to be clearly understood. Dysphoria, or sub-threshold depression, is a prevalent and growing concern particularly among young people, and emerging research suggests that it is associated with biases in positive emotion processing and regulation, which may foreshadow the development of a clinically significant disorder. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of dysphoria in the predictions, experience, and memory of everyday happiness in a young adult population. One hundred and sixty university students aged between 17 and 30 were asked about their general happiness and to predict their level of happiness over an upcoming two weeks. They were then asked to rate their level of happiness several times per day for two weeks, to recall their levels of happiness and, finally, to make predictions about their future happiness. Participants were assigned to a high-dysphoria and a low-dysphoria group based on their scores on a measure of depressive symptomatology. Results showed that dysphoria was associated with dampened predicted, experienced, and remembered happiness, diminished memory-experience and prediction-experience gaps, significance of troughs in predicting memories, and more cognitive-based rather than experience-based memories of happiness. Overall, the findings imply that significant deficits in positive feelings, spanning beliefs, experience, memory, and anticipation of happiness are evident in sub-threshold depression, and this pattern of deficits may contribute to the maintenance of lower happiness in dysphoric individuals, which may put them at risk of poor physical and psychological outcomes
The Role of Dysphoria in the Predictions, Experience, and Memory of Happiness
No full textThe role of positive affect and happiness in depression and vice versa is the subject of a growing tide of scientific research. Although a deficit in positive feelings – anhedonia – is the hallmark of depression, the mechanisms underpinning the interaction between depression and happiness are yet to be clearly understood. Dysphoria, or sub-threshold depression, is a prevalent and growing concern particularly among young people, and emerging research suggests that it is associated with biases in positive emotion processing and regulation, which may foreshadow the development of a clinically significant disorder. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of dysphoria in the predictions, experience, and memory of everyday happiness in a young adult population. One hundred and sixty university students aged between 17 and 30 were asked about their general happiness and to predict their level of happiness over an upcoming two weeks. They were then asked to rate their level of happiness several times per day for two weeks, to recall their levels of happiness and, finally, to make predictions about their future happiness. Participants were assigned to a high-dysphoria and a low-dysphoria group based on their scores on a measure of depressive symptomatology. Results showed that dysphoria was associated with dampened predicted, experienced, and remembered happiness, diminished memory-experience and prediction-experience gaps, significance of troughs in predicting memories, and more cognitive-based rather than experience-based memories of happiness. Overall, the findings imply that significant deficits in positive feelings, spanning beliefs, experience, memory, and anticipation of happiness are evident in sub-threshold depression, and this pattern of deficits may contribute to the maintenance of lower happiness in dysphoric individuals, which may put them at risk of poor physical and psychological outcomes
Lifestyle Factors as Keys to Wellness? Unlocking the Individual, Additive, and Synergistic Associations of Sleep, Diet, and Exercise with Mental Health and Well-Being
No full textVarious strategies have been proposed as entry points to promote better mental health and well-being. Among these entry points may be modifiable lifestyle behaviours such as sleep, diet, and exercise. These healthy lifestyle behaviours have shown widespread benefits, however, research has largely focussed on these behaviours in isolation, with little understanding of how these behaviours combine to predict mental health and well-being. The aim of this thesis was to delineate the individual, additive, and synergistic associations of these three modifiable lifestyle behaviours, with mental health and well-being. A large-scale cross-sectional survey was completed by 795 young adults in the United States and New Zealand. Each participant reported on a range of lifestyle habits including sleep quality and quantity, consumption of raw and cooked fruit and vegetables, and exercise habits, along with several measures of mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety, negative mood) and well- being (life satisfaction, flourishing, vitality, positive mood). Results indicated that each lifestyle behaviour in isolation was associated with lower depression, lower anxiety, and higher psychological well-being. However, when tested against each other in regression models, higher sleep quality was the single largest predictor of mental health and well-being, followed by the consumption of raw fruit and vegetables, then physical activity. There were also several higher-order interactions between the health variables. For example, among those with poorer sleep quality, higher intake of raw fruit and vegetables predicted better mental health and well-being, suggesting that diet can buffer the harms of poor sleep quality. Although the study was correlational, findings suggest that behavioural interventions for improving mental health and well-being should target sleep, secondarily diet, and exercise. If confirmed in intervention research, results of this project may help individuals and clinicians become aware of the simple changes people can make in their daily lives to achieve better mental health and well-being with a specific emphasis on targeting sleep quality
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