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Emotional labour refers to the process of managing the self to fulfil the emotional requirements of a job, particularly with regard to interactions with customers, co‐workers and clients. Previous research has identified that client relationships, in particular, can lead to a strain on emotional labour. This is of particular concern for the hairdressing industry in Scotland, given that it is unregulated and consequently no formal support or essential training is provided to support hairdressers to navigate client relationships. The current study therefore sought to explore how hairdressers navigate the social and emotional aspects of client relations and how these impact upon psychological wellbeing. Interviews were conducted with seven self‐employed Scottish hairdressers before reflexive thematic analysis was applied to the data, generating themes of Safeguarding the salon via client vetting, Follow the client's lead, Supporting clients through personal problems and Social fatigue. These findings identify the unwritten but complex social process used by hairdressers to safeguard their own wellbeing and the impact that this can have when this is not accomplished. Future research should consider the impact of emotional labour on employed vs. self‐employed workers to further explore how job autonomy influences the social and emotional challenges that hairdressers experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gains in holistic approaches to adult mental health have been associated with increasing interest in understanding psychological wellbeing (PWB) among adolescents. Empirical examination of measurement models for PWB in adolescence is lacking. Thus, the current study examined PWB in a longitudinal, diverse sample of 433 adolescents (non‐Latinx Black: 37.6%; non‐Latinx White: 25.9%; Latinx: 36.5%; Male adolescents: 50.1%). A one‐factor, correlated six‐factor and hierarchical models were examined across racial/ethnic (White, Black, and Hispanic) and gender (female, male) identities, after which the best fitting model was selected to undergo invariance testing. A one‐factor structure was superior, and exhibited strict invariance across racial/ethnic and gender identities at each wave of the study, as well as longitudinal invariance within the entire sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed Methods Results Conclusions So What? Nostalgia—the bittersweet reliving of the past—has been linked to social connection and psychological wellbeing. Although food consumption is often an intrinsically social experience, relatively little research has examined how individuals experience and understand how food consumption relates to feelings of nostalgia, food and mood.In the current study, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight Australians from varying cultural backgrounds to explore their experiences with nostalgia, food and mood.Reflexive thematic analysis identified three key themes from the data: (i) The bittersweet experiences of food‐evoked nostalgia—individuals' descriptions of food‐evoked nostalgia and how it impacted their mood both positively and negatively (ii) social connection and identity continuity—participants' description of food‐evoked nostalgia and how this provides an opportunity for social connection and identity continuity throughout life, which positively influences mood, and (iii) the role and relationship of food‐evoked nostalgia and mood—individual descriptions of the important role that nostalgic food plays in their life, in addition to their relationship with food, and how this impacts mood.Understanding the positive component of nostalgic foods allowed individuals to bolster positive mood states with food‐evoked nostalgia, increasing their quality of life.Understanding the link between food‐evoked nostalgia and mood has significant implications, suggesting that negative mood states altered by nostalgic foods may result in positive mood states. Appropriate use of food‐evoked nostalgia may increase the quality of life for individuals experiencing low mood states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregivers play an important role supporting people diagnosed with cancer, yet report significant unmet information and support needs that impact on their psychological wellbeing. Health literacy and social connectedness are key factors that influence wellbeing, yet few studies have examined their relative role in psychological wellbeing of carers. This study investigated relationships between caregiver and care recipient health literacy, social support, and social connectedness on psychological morbidity in a cancer setting. Methods: This cross‐sectional study included 125 caregiver‐cancer care recipient dyads. Participants completed the Health Literacy Survey‐EU‐Q16, Social Connectedness Scale‐Revised, the Medical Outcomes Study–Social Support Survey, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 (DASS21). Relationships between factors were examined using hierarchical multiple regression with care recipient factors entered at Step 1 and caregiver factors at Step 2. Results: Most caregivers provided care for their spouse (69.6%); caregivers mean total DASS21 score was 24.38 (SD = 22.48). Mean DASS21 subscale scores for depression, anxiety, stress in caregivers were 4.02 (SD = 4.07), 2.7 (SD = 3.64), and 5.48 (SD = 4.24) respectively, suggesting normal range of depression and stress, and mild anxiety. Care recipients had a diagnosis of breast (46.4%), gastrointestinal (32.8%), lung (13.6%), or genitourinary (7.2%) cancer, and a mean DASS21 score of 31.95 (SD = 20.99). Mean DASS21 subscale scores for depression, anxiety, stress in care recipients were 5.10 (SD = 4.18), 4.26 (SD = 3.65), and 6.62 (SD = 3.99) respectively, suggesting mild depression and anxiety, and normal stress scores. Regression analyses showed that only caregiver factors (age, illness/disability, health literacy and social connectedness) were independent predictors of caregiver psychological morbidity (F [10,114] = 18.07, p < 0.001). Conclusion(s): Only caregiver, and not care recipient, factors were found to influence caregiver psychological morbidity. While both health literacy and social connectedness influenced caregiver psychological morbidity, perceived social connectedness had the strongest influence. Interventions that ensure caregivers have adequate health literacy skills, as well as understand the value of social connection when providing care, and are supported to develop skills to seek support, have the potential to promote optimal psychological wellbeing in cancer caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Parental Illness Questionnaire for Cancer (PPIQ‐C) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Methods: A sample of 372 AYAs (aged 12–24 years) who had a parent diagnosed with cancer completed the PPIQ‐C and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the dimensional structure of the PPIQ‐C. Scale reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's omega (ω). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to assess construct validity by examining correlations between PPIQ‐C subscale scores and K10 total scores. Results: The PPIQ‐C is organised into three sections, each with a separate factor structure for items representing identity, core (emotional representations, coherence, timeline, consequences, and controllability), and cause dimensions of the Common‐Sense Model of Self‐Regulation. Exploratory factor analyses determined the structure of each section: identity items comprised two subscales (12 items), core items comprised 10 subscales (38 items), and cause items comprised three subscales (11 items). Scale reliability was acceptable for all subscales, except the cause subscale chance or luck attributions (α = 0.665). Correlations between PPIQ‐C subscale scores and K10 total scores provided support for construct validity. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests that the PPIQ‐C is a reliable, valid, and useful tool for assessing illness perceptions among AYAs with a parent with cancer. The PPIQ‐C may be a useful addition to both clinical practice and future research, however further evaluation work is needed to confirm its structure and robustness prior to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Older adults in residential aged‐care facilities (RACFs) experience segregation from society and face limited opportunities to meaningfully engage on a social and/or occupational level due to various structural and systemic challenges. An occupational therapy‐coordinated intergenerational live‐in student programme (ILiSP) with allied health students was successfully pioneered across Sydney (Australia) to facilitate ongoing intergenerational contact. We explored how ongoing intergenerational contact influenced meaningful engagement of older adults in RACFs by investigating routinely collected clinical data and exploring stakeholders' perspectives. Research design and methods: We employed a concurrent nested mixed‐methods design. Residents' attendance in weekly organisational activities and students' monthly volunteer hour reports were analysed to produce statistics for demonstrating the changes in residents' activity attendance alongside ongoing intergenerational contact. Qualitative data from discussions directed by the nominal group technique (NGT) with staff, management and students, individual interviews with relatives and residents, and narrative clinical documentation were thematically analysed. Results: The Wilcoxon signed‐rank test indicated that residents' activity attendance increased during intergenerational contact. Qualitative data yielded three main themes—interdependence, meaningful engagement, and kinship—all associated with intergenerational contact as part of established ongoing relationships. The NGT highlighted consensus on on‐site living for maintaining a cohesive and supportive collective. Conclusion: Despite structural and systemic challenges within RACFs that dissuade community integration, ILiSP created opportunities for students to connect/reconnect residents to new/established networks and to support residents to maintain or re‐engage with previous lifestyle preferences. Therefore, ongoing intergenerational contact fostered a cohesive collective in support of the social and occupational needs of residents, which should be capitalised on by policymakers (e.g., the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program) and interested organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) describes the experience of a pleasant body sensation accompanied by a feeling of well‐being and relaxation in response to specific audiovisual stimuli, such as whispers and personal attention. Previous work suggests a relationship between this experience with the processing of affective and body states; however, no research has explored differences in interoception between people experiencing ASMR and those who do not. We hypothesized that the ASMR experience is based on interoception processing. To test this, we assessed group differences across different dimensions of interoception: Interoceptive sensibility (IS), measured using the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA); Interoceptive accuracy score (IAS), measured by calculating performance in a heartbeat counting task (HCT), and the electrophysiological index of interoception, the heartbeat evoked potential (HEP), which was calculated during the HCT and an ASMR tingle reporting task (ASMR‐TRT). Our results showed that IS and IAS, dimensions requiring conscious awareness, showed no differences between groups. However, HEP amplitude was larger in the ASMR group in both tasks. We concluded that the ASMR experience is based on an unconscious interoceptive mechanism, reflected by HEP, where exteroceptive social‐affective stimuli are integrated to represent a body state of positive affective feelings and relaxation, as has been described for affective touch. The relevance of this finding relies on that interoceptive function, body regulation, and emotional/affective experiences are fundamental for well‐being, and the relationship between ASMR and interoception opens the way to future research exploring the causal relationship between them and their potential clinical applications. This is the first study exploring different dimensions of interoception associated with autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR: a pleasant and relaxing body sensation). Our finding showed that ASMR is associated with unconscious interoceptive brain processing, but not with interoceptive awareness. This work advances the relationship between interoceptive function and emotional/affective experiences, opening the way to future research exploring potential clinical and general well‐being applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Connected health technologies have the potential to improve access to cancer care and support and reduce costs. We aimed to assess the impacts of interventions delivered using connected health technologies on psychological and quality of life (QoL) outcomes in people living with and beyond cancer.Methods: PUBMED, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched using terms relating to (i) cancer, (ii) connected health, and (iii) QoL/psychological wellbeing. Studies were included if they evaluated interventions using connected health technologies and assessed psychological and/or QoL outcomes for adults at any stage of cancer treatment or survivorship.Results: Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria with a total of 8956 participants. Connected health technologies included web-based applications (n = 24), smart applications (n = 12), and wearable devices (n = 1). Studies were heterogeneous in terms of intervention components. We identified five clusters: (i) Psychosocial support and rehabilitation, (ii) psychoeducation and information support, (iii) symptom monitoring, reporting and self-management, (iv) peer and social support, and (v) health coaching and physical activity training. Due to heterogeneity of outcome measures, the meta-analysis included only seven RCTs; pooled mean estimates showed connected health interventions were moderately effective in reducing symptoms of depression (SMD: -0.226, 95% CI -0.303/-0.149) and anxiety (SMD: -0.188, 95% CI: 0.279/-0.0963) compared with usual care.Conclusion: While the considerable heterogeneity observed highlights the need for more rigorous studies to improve reproducibility and efficiency, results suggest that connected health interventions have the potential to improve psychological wellbeing and QoL outcomes in people living with and beyond cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research with general population samples has consistently shown that forgiveness and mindfulness facilitate coping with distressing experiences and significantly promote mental health. No study, however, has examined their unique contribution to prisoners' psychological wellbeing nor has considered the different forms of self‐forgiveness among prisoners. Aims: Our aim was to investigate the role of mindfulness in mediating any association between prisoners' self‐forgiveness and psychological wellbeing and to test whether any such links are moderated by years spent in prison. In this study self‐forgiveness was conceptualised as a multidimensional construct, including presence of genuine self‐forgiveness, absence of pseudo self‐forgiveness and/or absence of self‐punitiveness. Methods: Participants were recruited from a prison in Northern Italy. Consenting men were asked to complete an anonymous self‐report questionnaire with only a researcher present. Results: 104 male prisoners (mean age 46.63 years, SD 11.38) took part. Findings were that self‐punitiveness was inversely related to well‐being, with mindfulness mediating this relationship, this while controlling for the other dimensions of self‐forgiveness and the perceived severity of the crime committed. Contrary to expectation, we found no direct relationship between genuine self‐forgiveness and well‐being, but the moderated mediation models showed that genuine self‐forgiveness was positively associated with mindfulness and, through this, had an indirect association with wellbeing, significant only for prisoners who had already spent several years in prison. Conclusions: Our findings confirm that self‐forgiveness is a complex construct, worthy of further investigation among offenders. They suggest that forgiveness interventions for prisoners should include modules aimed at primarily reducing self‐punitive attitudes. Promotion of genuine self‐forgiveness should be tried only with awareness that this is likely to take a very long time. In such circumstances, interventions may promote energy to be invested in mindful processes with a consequent improvement in psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of relationships connecting sense of community (SOC) and community resilience with psychological wellbeing, via the mediation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) impacts on life domains. Survey data were collected from an international sample of adults (n = 824) during the COVID‐19 outbreak (June–September 2020). Using a structural equation model, we tested a mediation model to identify the associations between SOC and community resilience with the perceived impacts of the emergency situation and with psychological wellbeing. Results revealed that SOC mitigated the impacts of COVID‐19 on multiple life domains, and it was also positively associated with wellbeing. Community resilience was correlated with SOC and wellbeing but showed no significant relationship with COVID‐19 impacts. The findings support that SOC has a protective function and can contribute to mitigating the impacts of difficult life situations. SOC can also be leveraged as an intervention aimed at protecting the wellbeing of people and communities, particularly in times of crisiss [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal welfare is a growing public concern that has the potential to undermine the social license of zoos and aquariums. The lack of consensus on how animal welfare is defined across such a diverse sector combined with and a widespread belief that commercial priorities such as entertaining visitors conflicts with animal welfare, hinders efforts to effectively address this fundamental issue for the sector. Data derived from an audit of habitats across a major North American wildlife attraction revealed that holistic animal welfare assessments undertaken by animal carers embracing three principal constructs of animal welfare, correlated strongly with visitor perceptions of animal happiness. Visitor assessments of animal happiness also correlated with animal carer assessments of social, behavioural and locomotor opportunities and inversely with the prevalence of stereotypic behaviours, supporting the proposition that folk conceptions of animal welfare are more accurate than may have previously been considered to be the case. However, the holistic animal welfare assessment inversely correlated with assessments of a habitat's capacity to safeguard welfare as determined by the facility's veterinary staff, supporting the proposition that tensions exist between physical and psychological components of captive animal welfare provisioning. This further underlines the importance of clarity on how animal welfare is conceived when developing institutional animal welfare strategies. Finally, the data also showed that both holistic animal welfare assessments and visitor perceptions of animal happiness strongly correlated with the level of enjoyment experienced by visitors, challenging the belief that animal welfare competes with the commercial priorities of zoos and aquariums. The audit supports the case that maintaining high animal welfare is a commercial imperative as well as a moral obligation for zoos and aquariums and underlines the necessity to utilize conceptions of animal welfare that acknowledge the centrality of the affective states of animals in maintaining those standards. Research highlights: Most zoo animal welfare stakeholder groups do not have publicly available animal welfare definitions and those that do, differ from the reported scientific consensus. For wildlife attractions, this ambiguity has the potential to create confusion, misalignment of effort, conflict, and an erosion of trust with the general public. An animal welfare audit undertaken across a large wildlife attraction encompassing a range of stakeholder perspectives and welfare conceptions revealed differing alignments; the performance of habitats from a veterinary management perspective inversely correlated with a holistic animal welfare assessment undertaken by animal care staff utilising a suite of broad‐based criteria, encompassing three principle animal welfare constructs relating to natural living, effective states and health/biological functioning. This holistic assessment correlated with visitor perceptions of animal happiness as well as their enjoyment of those habitats. Visitor assessments of welfare also correlated with animal carer assessments of social, behavioural and locomotor opportunities and with the prevalence of stereotypic behaviours. The findings of this audit support the case that tensions can exist between veterinary and holistic animal welfare‐based priorities in achieving peak captive animal welfare and support the case for a consensus in defining animal welfare centred around the affective states of animals. Finally, the audit suggests folk understandings of animal welfare are more accurate than may have been considered to be the case, and that welfare is important in shaping visitor experiences of wildlife attractions, illustrating the strategic as well as moral importance of animal welfare to wildlife attractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used data from 1871 college students across China to examine the relations among volunteering and PWB in 2020. Results of regression analysis indicate that volunteering had positive effects on the PWB of the students. Students whose motivation to volunteer was public interest had greater PWB, regardless of the degree to which they also reported private gain as a motivation. The significant interaction results indicate that students whose volunteer motivation included both public interest and private gains and who had high frequency of volunteering were more likely to have higher PWB. Policy and practice implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the work environment on psychological wellbeing is an important consideration for organisations to motivate and retain older workers. This study examines how organisational factors can enhance older workers' psychological wellbeing. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources Theory, we propose that the interaction of two organisational factors, inclusive leadership, and mature‐age human resource (HR) practices, can foster older workers' psychological wellbeing. Online panel data were collected from a sample of 398 older workers in the Australian public sector. Results showed that mature‐age HR practices positively and partially mediated the relationship between inclusive leadership and psychological wellbeing. More importantly, we found that inclusive leadership acted as an antecedent and moderator by enhancing the ability of mature‐age HR practices to beneficially influence the psychological wellbeing of older workers. Based on the findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The siblings of individuals with health conditions are often overlooked, despite being at risk of experiencing psychological difficulties. There is a lack of literature investigating interventions which could promote siblings' psychological wellbeing. Therapeutic recreational (TR) camps promote self‐perception and self‐worth, yet there are currently no UK studies qualitatively investigating siblings' experiences of TR camps. Aims: This study aims to understand siblings' lived experiences of attending TR camps, providing a greater depth of understanding of whether these camps have a positive impact on siblings' wellbeing. Method: Due to the paucity of qualitative research regarding individuals' experiences of TR camps, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals who had attended TR sibling camps. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Analysis revealed three superordinate themes. The first, an environment that facilitates autonomous challenge, demonstrated the importance of siblings having a place where they felt autonomous in a fun, care‐free environment. This encouraged participants to engage in challenges, feeling determined to overcome them. The second, an inclusive and supportive environment, highlighted the importance of connectedness. Facing challenges and reflecting on this within a supportive team, encouraged a sense of belonging. The final superordinate theme, a transformational journey, revealed that siblings gained determination and a positive outlook to facing challenges in daily life. Additionally, they gained self‐acceptance and a positive self‐image, becoming more confident with, and accepting of, their identity. Conclusions: This study presents a novel contribution to the existing literature and highlights the importance of camp providers ensuring their TR model incorporates autonomous challenge, success and reflection. These encourage positive youth development and self‐determination in young people. In addition, recommendations include implementing teams, promoting positive volunteer‐camper relationships and implementing reflective sessions. These recommendations could potentially enhance the positive impact that TR camps have on siblings' psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the associations between multiple measures of social trust and two outcomes of psychological wellbeing (happiness and depression) among South Korean adults (n = 1549) living in residential communities, that is, administrative districts (n = 77) in and around the capital city of Seoul. Based on multilevel modeling, we find that familial trust positively predicts happiness at both individual and contextual levels; and it negatively predicts depression at the individual level only. In comparison, peer trust is negatively related only to depression at the individual level, albeit marginally. Lastly, general trust significantly predicts both outcomes at the community, but not individual, level. These mixed findings suggest that the trust‐wellbeing relationship depends critically on issues of definition (how the variables are conceptualized) and measurement (how they are operationalized according to different units of analysis). Our study offers implications for the literature on social determinants of mental health broadly and, more specifically, on the role of social trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the extent and risk factors of child subjective wellbeing and psychological health empirically using China Family Panel Studies data set. Child subjective wellbeing was measured in this paper using six indicators including the frequency in feelings of depression, nervousness, restlessness, hopelessness, helplessness, and meaninglessness. Risk factors of child subjective wellbeing have also been examined in particular to the domains of household multidimensional material deprivation, parenting practices, and children's personal health conditions. The results of this paper implied that providing adequate nutrition and ensuring children's access to basic water and sanitation facilities were important strategies for promoting children's psychological health and wellbeing. Also important factor for child wellbeing is parenting styles and practices, that is, how parents interact with children in daily lives and how they behave as parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has consistently shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to report chronic stress and symptoms of psychopathology when compared to parents of typically developing children and children with other psychological or physical conditions. Certain individual characteristics might either put parents at risk or allow them to cope more effectively under the strenuous conditions of raising children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Previous research has suggested that higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty and certain coping styles are associated with higher parental levels of anxiety and depression. The aim of this study is to characterize the way in which intolerance of uncertainty and coping (avoidant and problem‐focused coping) predict mental health and psychological wellbeing in parents of children with ASD. Only mothers participated in this study. Fifty mothers (Mage = 44.28 years, SDage = 6.58) of children with ASD completed questionnaires assessing anxiety and depression, psychological wellbeing, intolerance of uncertainty, and avoidant and problem‐focused coping. The results from this study provide preliminary evidence that higher use of problem‐focused coping but not avoidant coping and intolerance of uncertainty predicts psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, our observation of greater intolerance of uncertainty and higher use of avoidant coping predicting anxiety and depression supports previous research. The findings from this study have implications for the development of intervention programs to help improve the mental health and psychological wellbeing of parents. Lay Summary This research studied the factors that impact the mental health of parents of children on the autism spectrum. We found that mothers, who are not comfortable with uncertainty, use more avoidant coping, and less problem‐focused coping have poorer mental health. Identifying these factors is a crucial first step in developing intervention programs to help improve the mental health of parents. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1797–1801. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' mental health have a greatest impact on wellbeing and academic performance, also is often affected adaptation to the university life. This study examines the proportion of students with a positive and negative affect balance, and the relationship between affective wellbeing and academic self‐efficacy and performance. It also analyzes how psychological wellbeing and academic self‐efficacy predict affective wellbeing and academic performance. In a sample of 200 undergraduate students (M = 19.07 years), it was found that positive affect decreased and negative affect increased during the second academic year. The majority had a positive affect balance (AB). Psychological wellbeing predicts positive emotions and its achievement dimension predicts academic performance. 53% of participating students maintained a positive AB, 14% maintained a negative AB and 21% went from a negative to a positive AB one. The change from a positive to a negative AB (10%) is associated with an increase in psychological wellbeing, suggesting a process of post‐stress growth in relation to the challenges of university life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a cross‐sectional survey to examine short‐term anxiety and distress in women receiving different results following routine human papillomavirus (HPV) primary testing at cervical screening. Participants were women aged 24–65 (n = 1,127) who had attended screening at one of five sites piloting HPV primary screening in England, including a control group with normal cytology who were not tested for HPV. Women completed a postal questionnaire ~2 weeks after receiving their screening result. Unadjusted mean anxiety scores ranged from 32.9 (standard deviation [SD] = 12.2) in HPV‐negative women to 42.1 (SD = 14.9) in women who were HPV‐positive with abnormal cytology. In adjusted analyses, anxiety was significantly higher in women testing HPV‐positive with either normal cytology (mean difference [MD] = 3.5, CI: 0.6–6.4) or abnormal cytology (MD = 7.2, CI: 3.7–10.6), than the control group. Distress was slightly higher in women who tested HPV‐positive with abnormal cytology (MD = 0.9, CI: 0.02–1.8), than the control group. We also found increased odds of very high anxiety in women who tested HPV‐positive with normal or abnormal cytology compared to the control group. This pattern of results was only observed among women receiving their first HPV‐positive result, not among women found to have persistent HPV at 12‐month follow‐up. Testing HPV‐positive with normal cytology for the first time, is associated with elevated anxiety despite carrying very low immediate cervical cancer risk. However, receiving the same test result at 12‐month early recall does not appear to be associated with higher anxiety, suggesting anxiety may normalise with repeated exposure and/or over time. What's new? While a positive test for human papillomavirus (HPV) with negative cytology is associated with low cervical cancer risk, recall for additional HPV testing may have undesirable psychological impacts. In this study, involving women who participated in HPV primary screening in England, women who were informed of an HPV‐positive result for the first time experience increased anxiety and concern. Meanwhile, positive HPV testing at 12‐month recall had little adverse psychological impact, suggesting that anxiety concerning a positive HPV result is relatively short‐lived. Nonetheless, strategies should be in place to mitigate anxiety in women receiving a positive result for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (QOL‐AD) developed by Logsdon et al. in1999 is believed to be useful for evaluating responses from both patients and their caregivers. We previously confirmed both the reliability and the validity of the Japanese version of the QOL‐AD. However, the factor structure of this scale should be confirmed because the QOL‐AD covers multiple facets of dementia patients' lives. Thus, we performed a factor analysis of the Japanese QOL‐AD. Then, we examined the correlations between each of the identified QOL factor scores and the results of other scales. Methods: The Japanese version of the QOL‐AD was given to 132 AD patients and 132 caregivers. Four other tests were also performed at the same time: the Mini‐Mental State Examination, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), the Hyogo Activities of Daily Living Scale (HADL), and the Short Memory Questionnaire. A factor analysis using Varimax rotation was used to examine the dimensions underlying the QOL‐AD. In addition, we examined the Pearson correlations between each of the identified QOL factor scores and the results of the other four tests. Results: Factor analyses of both versions of the Japanese QOL‐AD (both the patients' and the caregivers' responses) revealed three factors that were named 'psychological wellbeing', 'human relationships', and 'physical and social environment'. The 'psychological wellbeing' factor was significantly correlated with the Mood factor of the NPI. The 'human relationships' factor was significantly correlated with the Psychosis factor of the NPI. The 'physical and social environment' factor was significantly correlated with the HADL. Conclusions: Both the patients' and the caregivers' responses to the Japanese version of the QOL‐AD were composed of three factors: 'psychological wellbeing', 'human relationships', and 'physical and social environment'. The present results support the multi‐domain concept of QOL proposed by Lawton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who have parents with any kind of illness may become young carers who take a responsibility not expected of children for household tasks, or personal or emotional care for parents and siblings. So far, little is known about children in Sweden who are at risk of becoming young carers. The aim of this article is therefore to explore the extent and impact of children's caring activities as reported in a pilot study by a sample of children in Sweden. A number of international questionnaires measuring the amount of caring activities, impact of caring, quality of life, and psychological well‐being were translated and combined into a survey. The pilot survey was completed by 30 children 10–18 years of age. Also, when completing the survey, the children were interviewed concerning their experiences of caregiving. The participants report on a group level emotional symptoms such as fear and nervousness above the clinical cut‐off value. They also rate a lower level of caring compared with findings from the United Kingdom, but they report a higher degree of negative impact of caring than young carers in the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancements in precision medicine and health care reform, it is critical that genetic counseling practice respond to emerging evidence to maximize client benefit. The objective of this review was to synthesize evidence on outcomes from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of genetic counseling to inform clinical practice. Seven databases were searched in conducting this review. Studies were selected for inclusion if they were: (a) RCTs published from 1990 to 2015, and (b) assessed a direct outcome of genetic counseling. Extracted data included study population, aims, and outcomes. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions guidelines. A review of 1654 abstracts identified 58 publications of 54 unique RCTs that met inclusion criteria, the vast majority of which were conducted in cancer genetic counseling setting. Twenty-seven publications assessed 'enhancements' to genetic counseling, and 31 publications compared delivery modes. The methodological rigor varied considerably, highlighting the need for attention to quality criteria in RCT design. While most studies assessed several client outcomes hypothesized to be affected by genetic counseling (e.g., psychological wellbeing, knowledge, perceived risk, patient satisfaction), disparate validated and reliable scales and other assessments were often used to evaluate the same outcome(s). This limits opportunity to compare findings across studies. While RCTs of genetic counseling demonstrate enhanced client outcomes in a number of studies and pave the way to evidence-based practice, the heterogeneity of the research questions suggest an important need for more complementary studies with consistent outcome assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified the varied ways in which emotional disengagement from schoolwork typically developed between 14 and 16 years of age, in the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England. Using growth mixture modelling we found eight main trajectories of (dis)engagement, with four trajectories of either increasing or stable emotional disengagement with schoolwork (41% of the sample). Using propensity score matching to create groups balanced on a wide range of covariates at Wave 1, we compared disengaged students to their engaged counterparts to identify the longitudinal effects of disengagement-trajectory membership on behavioural engagement, psychological wellbeing, substance use, career pathways and achievement. Using linear and binary logistic regressions, we established that students in disengagement trajectories developed lower achievement across compulsory secondary school, and participated less in education and more in employment at age 17 years. In young adulthood (age 19-20 years) they were less likely to attend university and more likely to be unemployed. During secondary schooling, they developed higher levels of substance use and poorer psychological wellbeing, which persisted in the year after compulsory school. However, in young adulthood, the differences in substance use dissipated and students in most of the disengagement trajectories had relatively similar life satisfaction to their counterparts. These findings suggest that students (except perhaps those who became unemployed) were able to develop healthily and happily after leaving the schoolwork environments from which they were emotionally disengaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While more women with breast cancer survive because of advances in cancer treatment including hormonal therapy, they are at a risk of menopausal symptoms, which can threaten their psychological wellbeing. We examined the effect of menopausal symptoms on women's psychological wellbeing during three different phases of breast cancer: short-term (0-1 years since diagnosis), medium-term (2-5 years), and long-term (more than 5 years). In this cross-sectional study, 425 survivors treated with hormonal therapy were recruited from a convenience sample in Japan and completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis revealed that menopausal symptoms significantly contributed to psychological wellbeing in all phases. In long-term survivors, menopausal symptoms were significantly milder; however, the negative effect was prolonged. One in three to four survivors was suspected to have poor psychological wellbeing, irrespective of time. Although the effect of menopausal symptoms on psychological wellbeing has been described in short-term survivors, little is known about the long-term effect. This study examines the effect of menopausal symptoms on psychological wellbeing, thereby providing useful information regarding long-term quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of a 5-month resilience-based program (Girls First Resilience Curriculum or RC) among 2308 rural adolescent girls at 57 government schools in Bihar, India. Local women with at least a 10th grade education served as group facilitators. Girls receiving RC improved more (vs. controls) on emotional resilience, self-efficacy, social-emotional assets, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing. Effects were not detected on depression. There was a small, statistically significant negative effect on anxiety (though not likely clinically significant). Results suggest psychosocial assets and wellbeing can be improved for girls in high-poverty, rural schools through a brief school-day program. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest developing country trials of a resilience-based school-day curriculum for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study examined whether there was an association between a repeated dietary and lifestyle intervention that began in infancy and participants' psychological wellbeing at the age of 20. Methods We examined the psychological wellbeing of 457 young adults participating in the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project ( STRIP), a randomised controlled trial conducted in Finland between 1989 and 2011. We assessed potential differences in psychological wellbeing between the intervention and control groups by examining participants' satisfaction with life, how they rated their health, their experiences of stress and the consequences of experiencing stress and symptoms of depression at the age of 20. We also assessed socio-economic status during childhood as a potential confounding factor. Results We found no association between the long-term dietary and lifestyle intervention and participants' psychological wellbeing in adulthood. Adjusting for sex and childhood socio-economic status did not affect the results and socio-economic status did not moderate the association between the intervention and psychological wellbeing. Conclusion Our findings showed no association between intensive dietary and lifestyle counselling that was initiated in infancy with psychological wellbeing in adulthood and the initiative did not appear to pose any psychological risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Worldwide, each year, large numbers of women are referred for colposcopy following low-grade abnormal cervical cytology. Many have no visible abnormality on examination. The risk of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 ( CIN2/3) in these women is low. It is unknown whether, for women, a normal colposcopy resolves the anxiety which often follows the receipt of an abnormal cytology result. We investigated the prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes over 30 months following a normal colposcopy. Methods This cohort study was nested within the UK TOMBOLA randomized controlled trial. Women aged 20-59 years, with recent low-grade cytology, who had a satisfactory colposcopy examination and normal transformation zone, completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS) and Process Outcome Specific Measure ( POSM) at recruitment and during follow-up (12, 18, 24 and 30 months post-recruitment). Outcomes included percentages reporting significant anxiety ( HADS anxiety subscale score ≥11), significant depression ( HADS depression subscale score ≥8) or worries about the result of the next cytology test, cervical cancer, having sex, future fertility and general health at each time point (point prevalence) and during follow-up (cumulative prevalence). Results The study included 727 women. All psychological measures (except depression) had high prevalence at recruitment, falling substantially by 12 months. During follow-up, the cumulative prevalence of significant anxiety was 27% and significant depression was 21%. The most frequently reported worry was that the next cytology test would be abnormal (cumulative prevalence of 71%; point prevalence of ≥50% at 12 and 18 months). The cumulative prevalence values of worries about cervical cancer, having sex and future fertility were 33%, 20% and 16%, respectively. Conclusions For some women who have low-grade cytology, a normal colposcopy does not appear to provide psychological reassurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An audit of the screening history of all new cervical cancer cases has been a requirement since April 2007. While NHS cervical screening programmes ( NHSCSP) guidance requires that women diagnosed with cervical cancer are offered the findings of the audit, as yet there has been no research to investigate the psychological impact that meeting to discuss the findings might have on patients. This is in spite of the fact that cytological under-call may play a role in as many as 20% of cervical cancer cases. This review draws on the literature concerning breaking bad news, discussing cancer and disclosing medical errors, in order to gain insight into both the negative and positive consequences that may accompany a cervical screening review meeting. We conclude that while patients are likely to experience some distress at disclosure, there are also likely to be positive aspects, such as greater trust and improved perception of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This paper reports on mainly quantitative findings from a mixed methods evaluation of a new model of emotional support and counselling for people with moderate visual impairment. Method: The CORE Outcome Measure was completed with service users at baseline and post‐intervention to assess the impact of the new service on psychological wellbeing and social functioning. Their perceived needs and expectations of the service were also explored. Results: Of the 35 individuals providing data at each assessment time, mean item scores on the CORE fell significantly (p<.001), taking the sample from within a clinical population before therapy, to a mean score below this following therapy. A more positive outlook accompanied this improvement in functioning. Discussion: Findings from the study augment the growing evidence that emotional support and counselling services can play an important role alongside and within related vision services. Implications for practice: The study indicates that therapeutic input for the visually impaired client group may need to target both wellbeing (feelings about oneself and the future) and problems (depression, anxiety, physical health, and trauma). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a dual model of emotional support and counselling offers considerable benefit for people with visual impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims Use of the stimulant drug mephedrone increased dramatically in 2009, and it is still available in the United Kingdom after being controlled in April 2010. This study aimed to assess mephedrone's acute cognitive and subjective effects. Design A mixed within- and between-subjects design compared 20 mephedrone users, first while intoxicated (T1) and secondly drug free (T2); and 20 controls twice when drug free (T1 and T2). Settings Participants' own homes. Participants Healthy adults recruited from the community. Measurements Subjective effects, episodic and working memory, phonological and semantic fluency, psychomotor speed and executive control at were assessed at T1 and T2. Trait schizotypy, depression, changes in mephedrone use since the ban and attitudes influencing use of a hypothetical new legal high were indexed at T2 only. Findings Compared with controls, mephedrone users had generally impaired prose recall ( P = 0.037) and higher scores in schizotypy ( P < 0.001) and depression ( P = 0.01). Mephedrone acutely primed a marked 'wanting' for the drug ( P < 0.001), induced stimulant-like effects, impaired working memory ( P < 0.001) and enhanced psychomotor speed ( P = 0.024). Impulsivity in mephedrone users correlated with the number of hours in an average (nearly 8 hour) mephedrone session (r = 0.6). Users would be drawn to use a new legal high if it were pure, had no long/short term harms, and was positively rated by friends or on the internet. Conclusions Mephedrone impairs working memory acutely, induces stimulant-like effects in users and is associated with binge use. Factors that influence users' attitudes to new drugs might help to predict future trends in use of the many new psychoactive substances emerging on the internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To study associations between pregnant women's knowledge of prenatal screening and decisional conflict in deciding whether to participate in first-trimester screening for Down syndrome in a setting of required informed consent, and to study associations between knowledge and personal wellbeing, and worries in pregnancy. Methods A population-based cross-sectional study with 6427 pregnant women consecutively included before the time of a nuchal translucency scan. Participants were recruited from three Danish obstetric departments offering prenatal screening free of charge. The results presented are based on 4111 pregnant women (64%). Knowledge was measured using 15 questions. The primary outcomes were measured using pre-existing validated scales, i.e. The Decisional Conflict Scale, the WHO Well-Being Index and the Cambridge Worry Scale. Associations were analyzed by multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses. Results A higher level of knowledge was associated with less decisional conflict when deciding whether to participate in first-trimester Down syndrome screening (adjusted odds ratio 1.31 (95% CI, 1.26-1.37)). An increased level of knowledge was also associated with higher levels of wellbeing (adjusted linear coefficient 0.51 (95% CI, 0.26-0.75), P < 0.001). Knowledge was not associated with worries, either in general or specifically about something being wrong with the baby. Conclusion The results of this study indicate the importance of ensuring a high level of knowledge for pregnant women making choices about participation in prenatal screening for Down syndrome in order to improve the psychological management of test decisions. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature suggests that the effectiveness of a support group is linked to the qualifications, skills and experience of the group leader. Yet, little research has been conducted into the experiences of trained vs. untrained support group leaders of chronic-illness support groups. The current study aimed to compare the experience of leaders, trained vs. untrained in group facilitation, in terms of challenges, rewards and psychological wellbeing. A total of 358 Australian leaders of cancer and multiple sclerosis (MS) support groups, recruited through State Cancer Councils and the MS society (response rate of 66%), completed a mailed survey. Compared with untrained leaders, those with training were significantly younger, leading smaller groups and facilitating more groups, more frequently (all P < 0.05). Trained leaders were more likely to be female, educated beyond high school, paid to facilitate, a recipient of formal supervision and more experienced (in years) (all P < 0.01). Untrained leaders reported more challenges than trained leaders ( P < 0.03), particularly struggling with being contacted outside of group meetings (52%) and a lack of leadership training (47%). Regardless of level of training, leaders identified a number of unmet support and training needs. Overwhelmingly, leaders found their facilitation role rewarding and the majority reported a high level of psychological wellbeing. Group facilitator training has the potential to reduce the burden of support group leadership. Developing interventions to assist support group leaders will be particularly beneficial for leaders with minimal or no training group facilitation training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Persson P, Brynhildsen J, Kjølhede P on behalf of the Hysterectomy Multicentre Study Group in South-East Sweden. A 1-year follow up of psychological wellbeing after subtotal and total hysterectomy—a randomised study. BJOG 2010;117:479–487. Objective To compare subtotal abdominal hysterectomy (SH) and total abdominal hysterectomy (TH) regarding influence on postoperative psychological wellbeing and surgical outcome measurements. Design A prospective, open, randomised multicentre trial. Setting Seven hospitals and one private clinic in the south-east of Sweden. Population Two-hundred women scheduled for abdominal hysterectomy for benign conditions were enrolled in the study; 179 women completed the study (94 SH and 85 TH). Methods Four different psychometric tests were used to measure general wellbeing, depression and anxiety preoperatively, and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Statistical analysis of variance and covariance were used. Main outcome measures Effects of operating method on psychological wellbeing postoperatively. Analysis of demographic, clinical and surgical data, including peri- and postoperative complications and complaints at follow up. Results No significant differences were observed between the two groups in any of the psychometric tests. Both surgical methods were associated with a significantly higher degree of psychological wellbeing at 6 and 12 months postoperatively, compared with preoperatively. No significant differences were found in the clinical measures including complications. A substantial number of women experienced persistent cyclic vaginal bleedings after SH. Neither minor or major postoperative complications, nor serum concentration of sex hormones, were associated with general psychological wellbeing 12 months after the operation. Conclusions General psychological wellbeing is equally improved after both SH and TH within 12 months of the operation, and does not seem to be associated with the occurrence of peroperative complications or serum concentration of sex hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Preliminary research has indicated that recreational ketamine use may be associated with marked cognitive impairments and elevated psychopathological symptoms, although no study to date has determined how these are affected by differing frequencies of use or whether they are reversible on cessation of use. In this study we aimed to determine how variations in ketamine use and abstention from prior use affect neurocognitive function and psychological wellbeing. Method We assessed a total of 150 individuals: 30 frequent ketamine users, 30 infrequent ketamine users, 30 ex-ketamine users, 30 polydrug users and 30 controls who did not use illicit drugs. Cognitive tasks included spatial working memory, pattern recognition memory, the Stockings of Cambridge (a variant of the Tower of London task), simple vigilance and verbal and category fluency. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess psychological wellbeing. Hair analysis was used to verify group membership. Results Frequent ketamine users were impaired on spatial working memory, pattern recognition memory, Stockings of Cambridge and category fluency but exhibited preserved verbal fluency and prose recall. There were no differences in the performance of the infrequent ketamine users or ex-users compared to the other groups. Frequent users showed increased delusional, dissociative and schizotypal symptoms which were also evident to a lesser extent in infrequent and ex-users. Delusional symptoms correlated positively with the amount of ketamine used currently by the frequent users. Conclusions Frequent ketamine use is associated with impairments in working memory, episodic memory and aspects of executive function as well as reduced psychological wellbeing. ‘Recreational’ ketamine use does not appear to be associated with distinct cognitive impairments although increased levels of delusional and dissociative symptoms were observed. As no performance decrements were observed in the ex-ketamine users, it is possible that the cognitive impairments observed in the frequent ketamine group are reversible upon cessation of ketamine use, although delusional symptoms persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore social functioning and psychological well-being in a population-based cohort of epilepsy patients compared to matched controls. Methods: A random sample of patients with epilepsy (N = 347) and a healthy control group (N = 430) matched for age, gender and domicile were identified through National Registry of Social Insurance Institution in Finland. The data were collected by postal questionnaire assessing various factors related to social and psychological well-being and were analyzed by using linear regression analysis to compare the study and control groups. Results: The age at onset of epilepsy was significantly associated with the level of further education and the level of seizure control with the employment status. The patients with epilepsy and lower level of basic education had also significantly lower level of further education, employment, and fewer social relations. Some differences in psychological well-being were also seen in those with matriculation examination when compared to matched controls. Conclusions: In young adults with well-controlled epilepsy and successful basic education, social functioning is comparable with healthy peers. The importance of all social and educational support during the time of basic education may be crucial to favorable intellectual, functional, and social development later in life. Both professional and informal support is needed in adjunct to conventional treament of epilepsy, which is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare laparoscopic hysterectomy and abdominal total hysterectomy regarding influence on postoperative psychological wellbeing and surgical measures. Design A prospective, open, randomised multicentre trial. Setting Five hospitals in the South East of Sweden. Population Hundred and twenty-five women scheduled for hysterectomy for benign conditions were enrolled in the study, and 119 women completed the study. Fifty-six women were randomised to abdominal hysterectomy and 63 to laparoscopic hysterectomy. Methods Psychometric tests measuring general wellbeing, depression and anxiety preoperatively and 5 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. Main outcome measures Effects of operating method on the psychological wellbeing postoperatively. Analysis of data regarding operating time, peroperative and postoperative complications, blood loss, hospital stay and recovery time. Results No significant differences in the scores were observed between the two groups in any of the four psychometric tests. Both the surgical methods were associated with a significantly higher degree of psychological wellbeing 5 weeks postoperatively compared with preoperatively. The operating time was significantly longer for the laparoscopic hysterectomy group, but the duration of the stay in hospital and sick-leave were significantly shorter for laparoscopic hysterectomy group compared with the abdominal hysterectomy group. Conclusions General psychological wellbeing is equal after laparoscopic and abdominal hysterectomy within 6 months after the operation. The advantages of the laparoscopic hysterectomy are the shorter stay in hospital and shorter sick-leave, but these issues must be balanced by a longer duration of the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal saline installation with endotracheal suctioning: primum non nocere (first do no harm) ¶ Normal saline instillation, in conjunction with endotracheal suctioning, is purported to be beneficial in removing thick and tenacious secretions for patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Guidelines for this routine procedure are inconsistent and its efficacy is unsupported by research-based evidence. This discussion paper highlights that the procedure produces no physiological benefits for the patient and, indeed, may have detrimental effects on the patient's psychological wellbeing. It is proposed that after 25 years of inconsistent practice in trying to remove thick and tenacious secretions, it is time to focus on techniques to prevent thick and tenacious secretions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors discuss the findings expressed at the paper by C.J. Morgan and colleagues on ketamine abuse. They note the provision of the scientific dangers in using ketamine by the authors of the research. Furthermore, they mention the ability of the authors in garnering information out from their recruitment of ketamine users.