1,720,989 research outputs found
Optimal Well-being, Depression, and Caregiving: An Explorative Investigation
No full textObjectives: Recent studies documented the protective role of hedonic and psychological well-being for mental and physical health of aging individuals. However, the combination of these two dimensions of well-being (conceptualized as optimal well-being) has been rarely evaluated in association with providing caregiving. This exploratory investigation aimed to: (1) cluster a group of community dwellers according to levels of hedonic and psychological well-being (low well-being-LWB; moderate well-being-MWB; high well-being HWB); and (2) to identify their psychosocial correlates of their optimal well-being, including providing daily caregiving.Methods: 217 community dwellers (60-90 years) completed questionnaires concerning psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and caregivers' distress. They were classified into three groups (LWB, MWB, HWB), following a k mean cluster analysis. Chi-square and GLM were used to compare the three clusters. Regression analyses were performed to evaluate the correlates of hedonic and psychological well-being.Results: Fifty-two individuals belonged to the HWB cluster, 68 to the LWB cluster and 97 to the MWB cluster. Individuals in the LWB cluster showed higher levels of anxiety and depression, and 61 of them reported to provide caregiving. Members of the HWB cluster were the oldest. Psychological and hedonic well-being negatively correlated with depression and caregiving.Conclusions: These results indicate that only a small proportion of community dwellers reported optimal well-being.Clinical Implications: Addressing depression and alleviating caregiver distress may constitute ingredients for promoting optimal well-being among older community dwellers
The well-being and burden of caregiving for patients with Parkinson's disease
Full text linkWell-being and positive psychological functioning may protect caregivers from experiencing burden. Despite this, research has scarcely explored these variables among caregivers of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This research endeavoured (1) to measure differences in distress and well-being between caregivers of PD patients and caregivers assisting individuals suffering from non-neurodegenerative age-related health problems (controls); and (2) to evaluate the predictors of well-being, distress and caregiver burden in the total sample of caregivers
Quiet Time- A School Program Based on Meditation for Promoting Well-Being in Children: Results from a Controlled Investigation
Full text linkVarious investigations have applied meditation protocols in the school context, with beneficial effects. Transcendental meditation, however, received little attention in primary school settings and few controlled studies are available. The present study is aimed: 1) to investigate the implementation of a school protocol (Quiet Time-QT) based on Transcendental Meditation TM in a primary school setting 2) to test its efficacy in promoting strengths and resilience in children, using a controlled research, with a cross over design. 92 students attending fourth and fifth class of a primary school were assigned to either the QT intervention, or to a waiting list condition. Children assigned to the waiting list received the QT protocol after few months. Before and after the intervention children were evaluated by their teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). A Repeated Measures MANOVA was applied to compare the two groups. After the QT intervention children in the experimental condition showed fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties (SDQ) compared to children in the waiting list. An overall positive effect of QT was observed in the total sample in improving children’s strengths and emotional well-being. Participants enjoyed the practice of meditation in the school setting. Conclusions: the results of this controlled investigation showed that the QT school protocol is feasible in the school setting, and it yielded improvements in children’s strengths and well-being. Meditation programs could be easily included in the educational system to sustain children positive development
Positive Narrative Therapy for an Unspecified Eating Disorder: A Child Case Report
No full textA new sequential multicomponent treatment (cognitive behavioral therapy followed by well-being-enhancing narrative strategies) was applied for an unspecified eating disorder in a 10-year-old boy for reducing symptoms and improving well-being. Both distress and well-being were assessed with self and observer ratings at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-, 6-, 12-month follow-up. An ABA design was used and reliable change indexes were calculated as outcome measures. This new sequential psychotherapeutic approach, which integrated standard cognitive behavioral therapy with narrative strategies addressed at promoting well-being in a child patient diagnosed with an unspecified eating disorder, was able to reduce symptoms and to foster his resources and positive behaviors. The patient himself, his parents, and teachers confirmed these improvements. This case report shows the clinical usefulness of a new sequential psychotherapeutic approach for treating an unspecified eating disorder in a child. It provides psychotherapists with relevant clinical implications concerning the emotional and interpersonal dimensions involved in this disabling condition
Exploring Psychological Well-Being and Positive Emotions in School Children Using a Narrative Approach
Full text linkWhile a large body of research has provided quantitative data on children’s levels of happiness, positive emotions and life satisfaction, the literature reflects a dearth of studies that analyze these dimensions from a narrative and qualitative point of view. Folk and fairy tales may serve as ideal tools for this purpose, since they are concerned with several concepts scientifically investigated by research in the field of positive psychology, such as resilience, self-realization, personal growth and meaning in life. The aim of the present study was to explore children’s well-being and positive emotions using an innovative narrative approach, which involved interviews and group discussions, as well as the analysis of fairy tales written and discussed in a group context. The sample included 95 school children who were asked to report and discuss in a group setting situations or experiences which triggered positive emotions and happiness in them. Guided by their teachers and a school psychologist, they were then asked to write their own original fairy tale drawing on the positive emotions that had previously emerged. Positive emotions were found to be triggered mainly by interpersonal relationships with peers as well as with family members. Hobbies and leisure time were also strongly associated with happiness and hedonic well-being, while personal fulfilment, self-esteem and goal achievement emerged as highly significant for children. In sum, the findings suggest that this school psycho-educative intervention based on narrative strategies provided useful information on children’s well-being and yielded positive feedback, the implications and possible further applications of which are discussed
Once upon a time: A school positive narrative intervention for promoting well-being and creativity in elementary school children
Full text linkRecent research highlighted the importance of incorporating programs for promoting well-being and creativity in schools. However, eudaimonic well-being received only limited attention and only few interventions aimed at its promotion in the school setting. This research aimed to compare the efficacy of an intervention based on storytelling and narrative techniques versus a control condition for the promotion of well-being and creativity in elementary schoolchildren. A total of 165 students (78 girls, 87 boys; Mage = 9.3 years; SD = 0.5) were randomized to a School Positive Narrative Intervention or to a controlled condition. Children were assessed before and after intervention and at 3-month follow-up with self-reports of well-being, anxiety, depression and somatization. A storytelling task was implemented, and specific creativity storytelling scores were calculated for the stories produced by children during the intervention. At post intervention, children assigned to the narrative intervention reported increased levels of well-being and decreased depression, anxiety, and somatization, compared to controls. These improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Higher scores on creativity emerged in stories focused on fear, sadness, and happiness. The use of narrative strategies help children to identify their personal resources, to express creativity, and to assimilate the concept of eudaimonic well-being that could be difficult to process because of its abstractness and multidimensional nature. This brief intervention fostered children creativity and it produced beneficial effects on children's well-being and distress
Could Empathy Be Taught? The Role of Advanced Technologies to Foster Empathy in Medical Students and Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review
Full text linkThe physician-patient relationship relies mostly on doctors’ empathetic abilities to understand and manage patients’ emotions, enhancing patient satisfaction and treatment adherence. With the advent of digital technologies in education, innovative empathy training methods such as virtual reality, simulation training systems, mobile apps, and wearable devices, have emerged for teaching empathy. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the efficacy of these technologies in teaching empathy, the most effective types, and the primary beneficiaries -students or advanced healthcare professionals-. This study aims to address this gap through a literature review following PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PsychINFO, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases using specific keywords. Inclusion criteria for articles were established, and two researchers independently rated the selected articles, resolving any disagreements by consensus. Out of 1137 articles screened, a total of 14 articles were included in this review with a total of 1285 participants, who received empathic training integrated with the use of digital technologies. Only 9 articles defined the construct of empathy, focusing on cognitive, affective, clinical, or cultural aspects. Empathy was assessed with various methods and promoted through various digital technologies, including wearables (e.g. HMDs, SymPulseTM armband) and non-wearable devices (computer monitors, Mobile Apps, Kinect System). Participants were primarily medical students (68.1%), with few healthcare workers (31.9%) and nurses (2.9%). All digital technologies effectively promoted empathy among the target population except for 3 studies that involved advanced career healthcare workers. This review highlights the potential efficacy of digital technologies in fostering empathy among medical students, though not as effectively among advanced healthcare professionals. These insights have implications for designing targeted educational programs that address the distinct needs of healthcare professionals at varying career stages. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed
University counseling service for improving students' mental health
No full textThe main aims of this study were to provide an initial sociodemographic and clinical characterization of university students' academic and psychological functioning and to investigate and compare the feasibility and clinical utility of psychotherapies (cognitive behavior vs. psychodynamic) delivered at a large University in Northern Italy for improving university students' mental health, using self and observerreport measures. One hundred forty-9 students (102 women; MAge= 24.55, SD = 3.35) were consecutively interviewed and extensively assessed by independent clinicians of the Service before and after the intervention, using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation and the Global Assessment Scale. Patients were enrolled in an individual psychotherapy and allocated to cognitive behavior or psychodynamic approach according to specific criteria. Psychotherapists who were not involved in the assessment phase administered the treatment. The majority of students was female and the most severe conditions emerged among students enrolled in philosophy, arts, and communication and medical schools. At posttreatment, all students improved both in terms of well-being and distress, regardless of the type of psychotherapy received. This improvement emerged both by students' self-report and clinicians' evaluations. These findings point to the feasibility and clinical utility of psychotherapy in promoting well-being and reducing young adults' distress. The importance of university counseling services for promoting students' mental health, and a positive transition to adulthood is discussed
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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