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Frontline workers have shown extraordinary resilience and sustained efforts since the outbreak of COVID-19. The present study used semi-structured interviews with 38 frontline workers in the UK and Ireland to explore the psychological impact of working through COVID-19. The qualitative data were analysed systematically using thematic analysis. Four themes were interpreted: 1)) "I've stopped turning the telly on. I've had to because the news was making me ill": An ecosystem of influence; 2) "Dead, dead, dead": The emotional and psychological toll: 3) "It's shone a light on what we're failing on as well": Injustices, hierarchies and heroes: and 4) "I definitely think COVID happened for a reason to stop us in our tracks and to slow us down": Unexpected positives. This research offers insights into how frontline workers make sense of their experiences during periods of enormous societal and occupational stress. The learnings generated have relevance for government and organisational policy-makers who have opportunities to shape future conditions for frontline workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper draws on a longitudinal study exploring the outcomes of an arts referral programme in General Practice in the South West of England since 2009. It focuses on the qualitative responses of the patient cohort Methods: Using qualitative methods and thematic analysis, this paper explores and considers the responses from n = 1297 participants who provided feedback from an open-ended questionnaire on self-reported benefits of the arts referral programme. Results: Participant reactions demonstrate that the programme provided a range of personal and social benefits rarely considered or explored in comparative studies. The analysis suggests participants were able to self-manage aspects of their health-related conditions, and were able to make progress towards a better physical and/or mental health. Conclusions: The evidence suggests that arts-based referral programmes, have a range of benefits for participants that may not have been fully appreciated. The consequences on self-management requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a sense of purpose in life has been discussed as a psychological asset for promoting positive youth development. Yet confidence in the benefits of purpose has accumulated faster than rigorous confirmation of their existence among youth, using instruments and methods calibrated to the developmental stage of those under study. Here, the authors illuminate four problems this asymmetry creates for drawing inferences from extant research on youth purpose, namely its reliance on (1) unclear scientific criteria for distinguishing "youth" and measures that include developmentally presumptuous items, (2) single-informant and self-report methods, (3) misapplication of crosssectional designs to test prospective or causal theories, and (4) analytic techniques insensitive to purpose content. In delineating these problems, the authors consider the extent to which the three empirical contributions included in this issue are responsive to each and may provide templates to guide future studies of youth purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work experience can be beneficial to high school students, especially when the work is regular and less than 20 hours/week. Previous studies have found that school-related work experience provides more learning opportunities with fewer negative consequences than jobs unrelated to school. This study analyzed responses of 22,183 seniors from 868 high schools who had been employed during the school year. In this study, contrary to previous studies, students with school-related jobs expected to get less education and were academically less able than those whose jobs were unrelated to school. Comparisons of students' self-reports of the quality of their jobs failed to confirm the hypothesis that school-related jobs were more advantageous than jobs unrelated to school. Black students were nearly twice as likely to report having school-related jobs as non-Hispanic white students. The difference in job quality may result from schools underinvesting in high-quality cooperative education, internships, and other forms of work-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: Unemployment is a type of chronic stressor that impacts human health. The reasons for how the stress of unemployment affect health is still a matter of discussion. One of the pathways from chronic stress to ill health is mediated by cortisol, and so we set out to compile extant data on how its secretion is affected by unemployment. Design: A systematic literature search was conducted to establish the cortisol dysregulatory effects of this stressor. Main outcome measures: Only studies that specifically examined the effects of unemployment on cortisol excretion, and were written in English were included. Results: Ten reports were obtained and synthesised to determine the severity and complexity of the effect of unemployment on cortisol secretion. The resulting combined evidence is mixed in terms of degree or dynamic of relationship. Conclusions: The differences between the cumulate findings of the studies can be understood in the context of the lack of both standardised methodology and an absence of consensus on unemployment definition. We propose existing methodologies may be strengthened by acknowledging and accounting for the individual characteristics that may be relevant to the stress experience of unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although finding a purpose is almost universally accepted as a developmental achievement, relatively little research has sought to understand the potential means by which individuals do so. Using a newly developed measure, the current studies examined the personality and well-being profiles of individuals who reported following any of three different pathways to purpose: (1) proactive engagement, (2) reaction to significant life events, or (3) social learning. Across both emerging adult (n = 179) and adult (n = 307) samples, we demonstrated that individuals along these three pathways differ in theoretically meaningful ways. For instance, proactively engaged individuals report greater agency and openness to experience, while individuals who found a purpose primarily through reactive means are less likely to be exploring their life aims. Engagement with any pathway though coincided with greater well-being, due to the fact that following these paths may lead to a sense of purpose in life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]