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Background: Despite disproportionate rates of mental ill-health compared with non-Indigenous populations, few programs have been tailored to the unique health, social, and cultural needs and preferences of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males. This paper describes the process of culturally adapting the US-based Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project to suit the needs, preferences, culture, and circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males aged 16–25 years in the Northern Territory, Australia. YBMen is an evidence-based social media-based education and support program designed to promote mental health, expand understandings of gender and cultural identities, and enhance social support in college-aged Black men. Methods: Our adaptation followed an Extended Stages of Cultural Adaptation model. First, we established a rationale for adaptation that included assessing the appropriateness of YBMen's core components for the target population. We then investigated important and appropriate models to underpin the adapted program and conducted a non-linear, iterative process of gathering information from key sources, including young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males, to inform program curriculum and delivery. Results: To maintain program fidelity, we retained the core curriculum components of mental health, healthy masculinities, and social connection and kept the small cohort, private social media group delivery but developed two models: 'online only' (the original online delivery format) and 'hybrid in-person/online' (combining online delivery with weekly in-person group sessions). Adaptations made included using an overarching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing framework and socio-cultural strengths-based approach; inclusion of modules on health and wellbeing, positive Indigenous masculinities, and respectful relationships; use of Indigenous designs and colours; and prominent placement of images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male sportspeople, musicians, activists, and local role models. Conclusions: This process resulted in a culturally responsive mental health, masculinities, and social support health promotion program for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males. Next steps will involve pilot testing to investigate the adapted program's acceptability and feasibility and inform further refinement. Keywords: Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous, Australia, male, cultural adaptation, social media, mental health, masculinities, social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The United States is increasingly recognizing period product insecurity, insufficient access to menstrual products and limited private spaces for managing menstruation due to financial constraints, as an issue impacting the well-being and dignity of Americans. One strategy to address period product insecurity has been distributing free period products via period supply banks. The outcomes of period product distribution outside the school setting are absent from the literature. Objectives: This study, a formative evaluation of the free period product distribution efforts of the Alliance for Period Supplies, aims to identify (1) characteristics of individuals receiving products from period supply banks and their experiences of period product insecurity and (2) health and social outcomes experienced by recipients of free period products. Design: Survey data collection occurred at two points: baseline and one-year follow-up. All study participants provided verbal consent. Methods: Between Fall 2018 and Spring 2020, 1863 baseline and 80 follow-up surveys were administered. Participants received free period products for themselves and/or a household member from one of 20 participating Alliance for Period Supplies period supply banks directly or from one of their 64 partner agencies. Results: At baseline, 72.4% of participants had to choose between buying period products and another basic need. One year after accessing a period supply bank, 36.3% of participants reported this experience (p = 0.018). Participants reported at baseline, on average, 7.8 days in the past year of avoiding seeing others, canceling appointments, or skipping work or school because they did not have access to period products. At follow-up, this was reduced to 1.2 days, on average, t (68) = 2.214, p < 0.05. Conclusion: Period supply banks play an essential role in facilitating access to period products and the resulting benefits. Our study highlights the need for sustainable, well-funded policies and interventions to address period product insecurity effectively in society. Plain Language Summary: How people in the United States benefit when they get free period products from a period supply bank Why we did this study: In the United States, many individuals cannot afford to buy period supplies and the other stuff they need to live. Period supply banks want to help by giving them free period products. Researchers do not know if getting free period products is helpful for individuals. What we wanted to learn: The Alliance for Period Supplies is a membership program for period supply banks. We wanted to learn about the individuals who get free period products and whether getting them was helpful. What we did: For a year, starting in Fall 2018, we asked 1863 individuals to fill out paper surveys. A year later, we asked 80 of those same individuals to fill out a second survey. We asked participants to take the survey if they got free period products from a period supply bank for themselves or someone they live with. Individuals only participated in the study if they told us they wanted to. What we learned: Individuals who cannot afford period products must navigate difficult decisions between purchasing products or choosing other basic needs. Providing free products through a period supply bank has lessened the burden on these individuals, reducing the number who had to choose. Individuals unable to afford period products may sometimes opt out of going places they want to go for pleasure or miss important events, like work or school, because they do not have period products. Getting free period products has eased these challenges, letting individuals participate more fully in activities and engagements without worry about period products. Why is this important: Period supply banks are essential places where individuals receive free period products. The period supply banks need more individuals, including our government, to donate period supplies or money to buy them so they can help more individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Physical activity has been extensively studied and numerous mental health benefits have been found. Pickleball is an emerging racquet sport, which is characterized by its accessibility to all audiences and has become especially popular in the United States among the elderly. It is a novel team game and its inclusive nature is innovative for health improvement. The purpose of this systematic review was to review and evaluate existing studies that have examined the effects of pickleball on the mental and psychological health of individuals. Methods: A systematic review was conducted on articles found in Scopus, PubMed, Elsevier, Web of Science (WoS), PsyINFO, Dialnet, and Elton B. Stephens Company (EBESCO) from 1975 to the present. The keywords used was a five combination between “Pickleball” joint with different terms by the connector AND, the second part of the combo could be “mental disorder” OR “anxiety” OR “depression” OR “psychological health” OR “mental health.” Eligibility criteria included: papers focused on pickleball, in English or Spanish, on mental health variables, without establishing an age range. We excluded duplicate works, without access or that did not address the objective of this study. Results: The search resulted in 63 papers, of which 13 were selected. A total of 90.74% of the population were people over 50 years of age. The results show significant improvements in the different psychological variables measured in pickleball practitioners: personal wellbeing, life satisfaction, depression, stress, happiness, etc., pickleball shows potential as a new tool to work and improve people’s mental health. Conclusions: The pickleball is displayed as an inclusive sport that does not need adaptations, resulting of great interest to be worked in different populations with mental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescent subjective well-being is a topic that has gained significant focus over recent years. This focus is reflected in forming measurement tools and interventions to better understand better and improve adolescent mental health. While these steps are necessary, problems still exist regarding adolescent subjective well-being measurement. Notably, current measurement tools are limited in their content, applicability to various populations, and accessibility. Aims: This paper examines the psychometric properties of the Survey on Flourishing (SURF) when used with an adolescent sample from the United States. Method: A sample of 334 participants participated in the present study. We examined the reliability and validity of the SURF by examining its internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. We also examined the factor structure of the SURF using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The SURF demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.92), a strong positive correlation with convergent measures, and a weak negative correlation with a discriminant measure. A one-factor model best fits the observed data. Conclusion: The SURF demonstrated good psychometric properties and addressed several shortcomings in current measures. Preliminary data suggests the SURF may be a useful and practical measure of adolescent subjective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the macro dynamics of housing and disability by comparing pressures on a broad range of issues related to housing and disability across states. Despite the growing population of adults with disabilities in the United States, research on the national-level relationship between housing and disability has been largely absent and little attention has been paid to accessibility, housing affordability, or the prevalence of involuntary movement and relocation for adults with disabilities. Using national data from the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS), we examine the multi-dimensional nature of housing, through cost burdens, upkeep, and maintenance, renting vs. ownership, and types of housing prevalent in the United States, and argue that this creates a paradox of livability vs. affordability for adults with disabilities. These state-level trends in the cost and livability of housing environments by state show that housing conditions and housing costs are inversely associated for adults with disabilities. These macro-level conditionalities are not uniform but vary by housing type and location across the country, creating specific paradoxes in each state. We assert that housing itself is one of the key mechanisms that can support or hinder the long-term well-being of persons with disabilities living in the community, through the presence or absence of both physical space and facilities in the home. Ultimately, housing conditions and affordability need to be considered primary factors in the study and support of persons with disabilities and these considerations must be tailored to state and local housing dynamics to meet persons with disabilities where they live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and loneliness in the United States, using the 2018 General Social Survey to assess their interactions against a backdrop of declining traditional religious affiliation and a rise in "spiritual but not religious" identification. It examines religion and spirituality's capacity to counteract loneliness, a condition with significant health implications. The analysis uncovers complex relationships between aspects of religious life and loneliness, showing no mitigating role of spirituality when controlling for other factors, with complex and varied negative relationships of religious service attendance and self-rate religiosity to different aspects of loneliness. Yet, any potentially protective effect of religion varies, with minority religious groups reporting feelings of increased loneliness. These findings underscore religion and spirituality's nuanced roles in emotional well-being, indicating that their benefits (or not) against loneliness are complex, varied, and depend on the aspect of religion or loneliness observed, along with non-religious factors. The paper contributes to the literature on societal loneliness, changing religious and spiritual engagements, and highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to explore the role of religion and spirituality in understanding loneliness specifically, and personal and social well-being more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating societal considerations into decisions related to invasive species management is desirable, but can be challenging because it requires a solid understanding of the ecological functions and socio- cultural and economic benefits and values of the invaded environment before and after invasion. The ecosystem service (ES) concept was designed to facilitate such decision-making by establishing direct connections between ecosystem properties and human well-being, but its application in invasive species management has not been systematic. In this Discussion paper, we propose the adoption of the ES cascade model as a framework for understanding the environmental effects, costs and benefits associated with controlling an invasive shrub (Tamarix spp.) in riparian systems of the western United States. The cascade model has the advantage of explicitly dissecting social-ecological systems into five components: ecosystem structure and processes, ecological functions, ecosystem services, benefits and the economic and socio-cultural valuation of these services and benefits. The first two have received significant attention in the evaluation of Tamarix control effectiveness. The last three have long been implicitly acknowledged over decades of Tamarix management in the region, but have not been formally accounted for, which we believe would increase the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of management efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary healthcare services have principal responsibility for providing child and youth wellbeing and mental health services, but have lacked appropriate measurement instruments to assess the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth or to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services designed to meet their needs. This review assesses the availability and characteristics of measurement instruments that have been applied in primary healthcare services in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States (CANZUS countries) to assess the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth. Methods: Fifteen databases and 12 websites were searched in December 2017 and again in October 2021. Pre-defined search terms pertained to Indigenous children and youth, CANZUS country names, and wellbeing or mental health measures. PRISMA guidelines were followed, with eligibility criteria guiding screening of titles and abstracts, and selected full-text papers. Results are presented based on the characteristics of documented measurement instruments assessed according to five desirability criteria: development for Indigenous youth populations, adherence to relational strength-based constructs, administration by child and or youth self-report, reliability and validity, and usefulness for identifying wellbeing or risk levels. Results: Twenty-one publications were found that described the development and or use by primary healthcare services of 14 measurement instruments, employed across 30 applications. Four of the 14 measurement instruments were developed specifically for Indigenous youth populations, four focused solely on strength-based wellbeing concepts but none included all Indigenous wellbeing domains. Conclusion: There is a diversity of measurement instruments available, but few fit our desirability criteria. Although it is possible that we missed relevant papers and reports, this review clearly supports the need for further research to develop, refine or adapt instruments cross-culturally to measure the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emerging body of research has documented that self-employed people are more likely to report higher levels of eudaimonic well-being (EWB; e.g., autonomy, competence, meaning) than their employed counterparts. In this paper, we examine why the self-employed perceive their lives as psychologically more fulfilling even though they face more complex and competing occupational demands that can expose them to more stressors. Specifically, we hypothesize that the self-employed are more likely to engage in problem-focused coping—productive and proactive behaviors and thoughts aimed to help them overcome challenges (e.g., planning and active coping)—and less likely to engage in emotion-focused coping—behaviors and thoughts to merely make them feel better (e.g., venting and denial)—which, in turn, can promote higher levels of EWB. Using data from Waves 2 and 3 of the National Study of Midlife in Development in the United States, we find supportive evidence for our theory. More importantly, we show that the well-being benefits from self-employment accrue almost entirely because the self-employed are more likely to use problem-focused coping as opposed to emotion-focused coping. In a series of robustness tests, including random-effects models, matching estimators, and twin and sibling fixed-effects, we further demonstrate the relevance of coping as a key explanatory mechanism in the relationship between self-employment and EWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marshallese mobility long precedes the deep disruptions of nuclear history, contemporary climate-induced migration debates, and the ongoing socio-economic, legal, and geopolitical discourses about the freely associated relationship between the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the United States (U.S.). Nonetheless, understanding the well-being of the Marshallese people today requires an acknowledgment of the multiple factors that have drawn at least one-third of the RMI's citizens to live in the U.S. over the last half century, as well as a firm grasp of how they live, work, and advocate for their communities in this diaspora. This article makes the argument that migration with dignity will always require attention to the ongoingness of history, migration, and lives. Beyond this, we argue that ongoingness is more than a vague, conceptual notion we might use to describe – or even dismiss – complex histories and present-day uncertainty about addressing migration-related issues. Rather, we present a series of qualitative studies, conducted over more than five years, to indicate how the ongoingness of migration can be made tangible for studying, understanding, and potentially expanding migration – and life – with dignity. This paper discusses three aspects of ongoingness that impact the well-being of the Marshallese who live in the U.S.: their ongoing relationship with their home environment, their ongoing relationship with the law, and their ongoing relationship with notions and practices of responsibility and repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can conventional economic analysis help in defining and measuring the success of labor unions? In this paper, a general indicator of union welfare is proposed and particular expressions for the wage and employment objectives of unions are rearranged to derive measures of union success or welfare. These indicators combine two measures: union density and the relative union-nonunion wage gap. The indicators are applied to describe the movement of union welfare in the United States over the past eighty years, the differences in union success among groups of U.S. workers, and the variation in union well-being across countries. The results suggest that U.S. unions' success peaked in the 1950s and 1960s; they have tended to benefit black workers, especially black men, more than other groups; and in recent decades a very low unionization rate has contributed to make them less successful, overall, than unions in other countries with similar labor markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adequate housing is a basic human right. The many millions of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) have a lower life expectancy and more physical and mental health problems. Practical and effective interventions to provide appropriate housing are a public health priority. Objectives: To summarise the best available evidence relating to the components of case‐management interventions for PEH via a mixed methods review that explored both the effectiveness of interventions and factors that may influence its impact. Search Methods: We searched 10 bibliographic databases from 1990 to March 2021. We also included studies from Campbell Collaboration Evidence and Gap Maps and searched 28 web sites. Reference lists of included papers and systematic reviews were examined and experts contacted for additional studies. Selection Criteria: We included all randomised and non‐randomised study designs exploring case management interventions where a comparison group was used. The primary outcome of interest was homelessness. Secondary outcomes included health, wellbeing, employment and costs. We also included all studies where data were collected on views and experiences that may impact on implementation. Data Collection and Analysis: We assessed risk of bias using tools developed by the Campbell Collaboration. We conducted meta‐analyses of the intervention studies where possible and carried out a framework synthesis of a set of implementation studies identified by purposive sampling to represent the most 'rich' and 'thick' data. Main Results: We included 64 intervention studies and 41 implementation studies. The evidence base was dominated by studies from the USA and Canada. Participants were largely (though not exclusively) people who were literally homeless, that is, living on the streets or in shelters, and who had additional support needs. Many studies were assessed as having a medium or high risk of bias. However, there was some consistency in outcomes across studies that improved confidence in the main findings. Case Management and Housing Outcomes: Case management of any description was superior to usual care for homelessness outcomes (standardised mean difference [SMD] = −0.51 [95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.71, −0.30]; p < 0.01). For studies included in the meta‐analyses, Housing First had the largest observed impact, followed by Assertive Community Treatment, Critical Time Intervention and Intensive Case Management. The only statistically significant difference was between Housing First and Intensive Case Management (SMD = −0.6 [–1.1, −0.1]; p = 0.03) at ≥12 months. There was not enough evidence to compare the above approaches with standard case management within the meta‐analyses. A narrative comparison across all studies was inconclusive, though suggestive of a trend in favour of more intensive approaches. Case Management and Mental Health Outcomes: The overall evidence suggested that case management of any description was not more or less effective compared to usual care for an individual's mental health (SMD = 0.02 [−0.15, 0.18]; p = 0.817). Case Management and Other Outcomes: Based on meta‐analyses, case management was superior to usual care for capability and wellbeing outcomes up to 1 year (an improvement of around one‐third of an SMD; p < 0.01) but was not statistically significantly different for substance use outcomes, physical health, and employment. Case Management Components: For homelessness outcomes, there was a non‐significant trend for benefits to be greater in the medium term (≤3 years) compared to long term (>3 years) (SMD = −0.64 [−1.04, −0.24] vs. −0.27 [−0.53, 0]; p = 0.16) and for in‐person meetings in comparison to mixed (in‐person and remote) approaches (SMD = −0.73 [−1.25,−0.21]) versus −0.26 [−0.5,−0.02]; p = 0.13). There was no evidence from meta‐analyses to suggest that an individual case manager led to better outcomes then a team, and interventions with no dedicated case manager may have better outcomes than those with a named case manager (SMD = −0.36 [−0.55, −0.18] vs. −1.00 [−2.00, 0.00]; p = 0.02). There was not enough evidence from meta‐analysis to assess whether the case manager should have a professional qualification, or if frequency of contact, case manager availability or conditionality (barriers due to conditions attached to service provision) influenced outcomes. However, the main theme from implementation studies concerned barriers where conditions were attached to services. Characteristics of Persons Experiencing Homelessness: No conclusions could be drawn from meta‐analysis other than a trend for greater reductions in homelessness for persons with high complexity of need (two or more support needs in addition to homelessness) as compared to those with medium complexity of need (one additional support need); effect sizes were SMD = −0.61 [−0.91, −0.31] versus −0.36 [−0.68, −0.05]; p = 0.3. The Broader Context of Delivery of Case Management Programmes: Other major themes from the implementation studies included the importance of interagency partnership; provision for non‐housing support and training needs of PEH (such as independent living skills), intensive community support following the move to new housing; emotional support and training needs of case managers; and an emphasis on housing safety, security and choice. Cost Effectiveness: The 12 studies with cost data provided contrasting results and no clear conclusions. Some case management costs may be largely off‐set by reductions in the use of other services. Cost estimates from three North American studies were $45–52 for each additional day housed. Authors' Conclusions: Case management interventions improve housing outcomes for PEH with one or more additional support needs, with more intense interventions leading to greater benefits. Those with greater support needs may gain greater benefit. There is also evidence for improvements to capabilities and wellbeing. Current approaches do not appear to lead to mental health benefits. In terms of case management components, there is evidence in support of a team approach and in‐person meetings and, from the implementation evidence, that conditions associated with service provision should be minimised. The approach within Housing First could explain the finding that overall benefits may be greater than for other types of case management. Four of its principles were identified as key themes within the implementation studies: No conditionality, offer choice, provide an individualised approach and support community building. Recommendations for further research include an expansion of the research base outside North America and further exploration of case management components and intervention cost‐effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Occupational stress is a phenomenon affecting people worldwide. Investigating occupational stress among immigrant worker populations will unravel some of the intricacies of this condition and its psychological effects on this population. Aim. This paper conceptually examined occupational stress within the context of immigrant workers' mental health and offer an operational definition to aid nurse researchers, educators, and practitioners in assessing and managing patients and developing culturally appropriate interventions for this population. Design. Walker and Avant's eight-step concept analysis is used as an organizing framework. Data Source. MEDLINE, CINAHL, OVID, PubMed, and APA Psych Info. Review Methods. Keywords job stress, immigrant work stress, occupational stress scale, immigrant work-related stress, and mental health were used. The search yielded 142 articles; 17 were selected based on the effect of work stress on mental health. Results. This analysis found that occupational stress can be attributed to communication problems, alienation, discrimination, and barriers to work-life balance can cause negative consequences among immigrants. An operational definition is also provided. Conclusion. There is a growing need to examine closely and differentiate between occupational and acculturative stress to navigate a more profound understanding of how these conditions negatively complement each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational creativity is indispensable in a highly competitive and dynamic academic environment; and the role of individuals is mostly unquantifiable. Hence the study argued that the ideas, novel research output, patents, grants of the academic staff depend on the flexible wellbeing of the workforce which is at a low level in Nigeria. Thus, the paper investigated the role of personality traits on the relationship between flexible wellbeing and organizational creativity. The paper implemented a cross-sectional survey research design and collated data from six hundred and twenty-one academic staff ranked from Senior Lecturer to Professor from eight selected private universities in South-West, Nigeria through applying multi-stage random sampling technique. Reliable and validated tests were conducted on the adapted questionnaire before it was used for the study. The result from hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS add-on called process analysis revealed that personality traits have a moderating effect on the interactions between flexible wellbeing and organizational creativity (∆R² = 0.014, ∆F(1, 528) = 13.579, p < 0.05). Management to tailor wellbeing policies and practices to workers’ creative drive as there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to designing an effective flexible wellbeing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines demographic differences in flourishing, defined as "complete well-being" and consisting of six domains: emotional health, physical health, purpose, character strengths, social connectedness, and financial security. Results are based on a random, cross-sectional sample of 2363 survey respondents drawn from employees of a large, national, self-insured employer based in the United States. We found that well-being across domains tends to increase with age, although there are some variations. Results are similar across most domains for men and women, although women score higher on character strengths, while men had higher scores on financial security. Racial and ethnic differences were striking. Black employees score higher than the reference group (White employees) on the emotional, purpose, and character strengths domains, but considerably lower on financial security. Hispanics also score lower on financial security (though not as low as Blacks), but higher than Whites on purpose, character strengths, and social connectedness. Asians reported higher well-being than Whites across all domains except purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retirement is an important event in the life of an individual. The decision to retire or exit from full-time employment may be motivated by several factors, including health. This paper explores the effect of both subjective and relatively more objective physical and mental health conditions on the probability of exit from full-time employment. Using longitudinal data on older Americans from ten waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1992–2010), eight health indices are created from a wide range of health measures by principal component analysis. The effect of these health indices on the time until exit from full-time employment is empirically examined in a proportional hazard model. Single and competing risk specifications are estimated that allow for multiple spells of full-time employment and control for unobserved heterogeneity. The main results suggest that better self-reported health decreases the likelihood of exit from full- time employment, while poor physical health (functional limitations factor) increases the likelihood of exit from full-time employment via complete retirement and disability. For mental health, I find that depression increases the likelihood of exit via complete retirement, part-time work and unemployment while cognitive disorders lead to an increase in likelihood of exit via the disability exit route. Hence, physical and mental health problems are both impediments to continued work. These results have implications for public policies targeted towards retaining older workers within the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spring 2020, COVID-19 and the ensuing social distancing and stay-at-home orders instigated abrupt changes to employment and educational infrastructure, leading to uncertainty, concern, and stress among United States college students. The media consumption patterns of this and other social groups across the globe were affected, with early evidence suggesting viewers were seeking both pandemic-themed media and reassuring, familiar content. A general increase in media consumption, and increased consumption of specific types of content, may have been due to media use for coping strategies. This paper examines the relationship between the stress and anxiety of university students and their strategic use of media for coping during initial social distancing periods in March-April 2020 using data from a cross-sectional survey. We examine links between specific types of media use with psychological well-being concepts, and examine the moderating roles of traits (hope, optimism, and resilience) as buffers against negative relationships between stress and anxiety and psychological well-being. Our findings indicate that stress was linked to more hedonic and less eudaimonic media use, as well as more avoidant and escapist media-based coping. Anxiety, on the other hand, was linked to more media use in general, specifically more eudaimonic media use and a full range of media-based coping strategies. In turn, escapist media was linked to negative affect, while reframing media and eudaimonic media were linked to positive affect. Avoidant coping was tied to poorer mental health, and humor coping was tied to better mental health. Hedonic and need-satisfying media use were linked to more flourishing. Hope, optimism, and resilience were all predictive of media use, with the latter two traits moderating responses to stress and anxiety. The findings give a nuanced portrait of college students' media use during a pandemic-induced shutdown, showing that media use is closely intertwined with well-being in both adaptive and maladaptive patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this overview is to provide a brief introduction to the theme of the special issue, the expert commentary, and six papers included in the special issue. The authors conclude by articulating four avenues of future research that are likely to contribute significantly towards building work-environments in which employees and organizations can flourish. Design/methodology/approach – The International Journal of Manpower's usual double blind review process was used to select the six papers from various parts of the world including Estonia, USA, Australia, Brazil, and Israel that focus on important aspects of the changing work environment and its influence on employee wellbeing. The papers represent a wide variety of research designs, methodologies, and analytic strategies used to investigate the influence of changing work environment on employee wellbeing. An expert commentary provides an overview of current scholarship on changes occurring in the work environment and its impact on employee wellbeing. Findings – The findings of the studies included in this special issue provide insights into six specific work-environmental issues influencing employee wellbeing, including workplace bullying; inter-organizational networks; professional contractor well-being; inter-generational differences; commitment and intention to leave; and work-engagement. Practical implications – Each article includes practical implications with regard to promotion of employee wellbeing. Originality/value – Taken as a collective, the six papers in this special issue highlight frontier issues in the relationship between changing work environment and employee wellbeing. The expert commentary provides an easy to access summary of the current scholarship in the area and specifies fruitful areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy PointsChild poverty is associated with both short‐ and long‐term health and well‐being, and income support policies can be used to improve child health.This article reviews the types of income support policies used in the United States and the evidence of the effectiveness of these policies in improving child health, highlighting areas for future research and policy considerations specific to income support policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using individual-level data from a large number of countries, this paper examines how self-reported subjective well-being depends on own income and reference income, where reference income is defined as the income of one's professional peers. It uncovers a divide between ‘old’—low-mobility—European countries on the one hand, and ‘new’ European post-Transition countries and the United States on the other. The relative importance of comparisons (‘jealousy’) versus information (‘ambition’) seems to depend on the degree of mobility and uncertainty in the considered countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to devise a new index of wellbeing that includes social and political in addition to economic factors. The new index seeks to assess a country's underlying "enabling environment" — the extent to which individuals are able to live as each chooses. Country rankings using this new measure (the HENX) are compared with the ranking of countries using the UN's popular indicators of development, the human development index and the HPI-2. Design/methodology/approach — The paper describes the necessity of a new index, the subcomponents used in its construction, and the method of construction. Findings — Country rankings are sensitive to which measure is used for the ranking. In particular, the USA and UK fare poorly when ranked by the HPI-2 but their rankings improve dramatically when the HENX is used. Originality/value — If a measure of the enabling environment of a country is deemed to be important as a measure of the wellbeing of citizens, and if political and social dimensions are deemed to be important to this environment, rankings of the most developed economies by the UN fail to adequately capture the countries' relative positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with advanced cancer and family caregivers often use avoidant coping strategies, such as delaying advance care planning discussions, which contribute to deterioration in their quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in improving quality of life in this population but have rarely been applied to advance care planning. This pilot trial examined the preliminary efficacy of a group-based Mindfulness to Enhance Quality of Life and Support Advance Care Planning (MEANING) intervention for patient-caregiver dyads coping with advanced cancer. Primary outcomes were patient and caregiver quality of life or well-being, and secondary outcomes included patient advanced care planning engagement (self-efficacy and readiness) and other psychological and symptom outcomes. Methods: In this pilot trial, dyads coping with advanced cancer were recruited from five oncology clinics in the midwestern U.S. and randomized to six weekly group sessions of a mindfulness intervention (n = 33 dyads) or usual care (n = 22 dyads). Outcomes were assessed via surveys at baseline, post-intervention, and 1 month post-intervention. All available data were included in the multilevel models assessing intervention efficacy. Results: Patients in the MEANING condition experienced significant increases in existential well-being and self-efficacy for advance care planning across follow-ups, whereas usual care patients did not. Other group differences in outcomes were not statistically significant. These outcomes included other facets of patient well-being, caregiver quality of life, patient readiness for advance care planning, caregiver burden, and patient and caregiver depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbance, cognitive avoidance, and peaceful acceptance of cancer. However, only MEANING patients showed moderate increases in psychological well-being across follow-ups, and MEANING caregivers showed moderate increases in quality of life at 1-month follow-up. Certain psychological outcomes, such as caregiver burden at 1-month follow-up, also showed moderate improvement in the MEANING condition. Patients in both conditions reported small to moderate increases in readiness to engage in advance care planning. Conclusions: A mindfulness-based intervention showed promise in improving quality-of-life and advance care planning outcomes in patients and caregivers coping with advanced cancer and warrants further testing. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03257007. Registered 22 August 2017, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03257007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate profiles of employee well-being using multiple components to better understand how well-being is experienced in organizations. Design/methodology/approach: A survey design with 579 health care workers in the USA was administered. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify well-being profile groups. Findings: Six well-being profile groups based on the relative levels of work stress, carry-over stress and job satisfaction were identified. Profile groups differed with respect to intention to remain in the organization and occupation, and job search behavior. Practical implications: Models of well-being at work have generated consistently disappointing results that have not enhanced the development of programs to increase well-being at work. By identifying patterns of well-being, this study offers insights into how well-being is experienced so that more targeted programs to promote it can be implemented. Originality/value: Although there is increased interest in the person-centered model in organizational research, it has not been applied to psychological well-being at work. This study represents an initial attempt to study configurations of well-being based on its components. Results indicate that distinct patterns of well-being are present, and those patterns are useful in gaining a greater understanding of how well-being is experienced and in how it can be more effectively managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral health is critical for total body health and well-being; however, little improvement in oral health status has occurred in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Tooth decay and gum disease remain highly prevalent, with more than 90% and 50% of adults suffering from these conditions, respectively. To combat this lack of improvement, alternative approaches to dental care are now being suggested. One such alternative therapy is probiotics for oral care. In the oral cavity, probiotic strains have been shown to reduce levels of oral pathogens, inhibit the formation of dental caries, and reduce the levels of bacteria that cause halitosis. However, as the oral care probiotic market expands, many products contain bacterial species and strains with no documented health benefits leading to confusion and mistrust among consumers and clinicians. This confusion is enhanced by the regulatory status of probiotic products which puts the onus of safety and efficacy on the manufacturer rather than a central regulatory body. The overarching goal of this review is to provide consumers and clinicians with documented evidence supporting (or refuting) the health benefits of oral care probiotics marketed for sale in the United States. This includes defining what constitutes an oral care probiotic product and a strain level analysis of candidate probiotics from the genera Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacillus. Additionally, prebiotics and postbiotics will be discussed. Finally, a set of considerations for consumers and clinicians is provided to empower probiotic product decision making. Together, this review will improve understanding of oral care probiotics marketed in the US for dental professionals and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is generally defined as a behaviour that occurs when an individual (perpetrator) acts with the intention to harm or intimidate another individual (target). Much of the research in this field has focused on the impact of bullying on the vulnerable populations: children and adolescents, and there is an overall scarcity in discussing adult bullying. The literature supports the existence of characteristic differences between targets and perpetrators as perpetrators usually lack self-awareness and empathy skills, while targets are typically avoidant and submissive. In the workplace, the relationship between perpetrators and targets often involves a form of power imbalance, with perpetrators holding higher positions. Research has shown that up to 30% of American workers have been bullied in the workplace (Lutgen-Sandivk et al., 2007), with one third of healthcare workers experiencing at least 2 incidents of bullying weekly (Chipps et al., 2013). More than 75% of Canadian medical residents have reported being bullied (Vogel, 2018), and 83% of medical students have experienced at least one incident of bullying or mistreatment (Cook et al., 2014). Such bullying incidents have a significant biopsychosocial burden on victims and can negatively compromise their mental, physical, and social health, and create a pernicious work environment. Some consequences that have been associated with adult bullying include mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation, somatic disorders, and decreased job performance. In the medical field, all such consequences could translate to a direct impact on patient care. Therefore, discussing and addressing adult bullying becomes a necessity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family caregivers are family members or friends of care recipients who assist with activities of daily living, medication management, transportation, and help with finances among other activities. As a result of their caregiving, family caregivers are often considered a population at risk of experiencing increased stress, isolation, and loneliness. During the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, social isolation and decrease in social activities were a top concern among older adults and their family caregivers. Using secondary analysis of survey data as part of a multi-site implementation trial of a caregiver skills training program, we describe differences in caregiver experiences of loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Health and wellbeing surveys of family caregivers were collected on 422 family caregivers of veterans before and during COVID-19. Logistic regression modeling examined whether the loneliness differed between caregiver groups pre vs during COVID-19, using the UCLA 3-item loneliness measure. Rapid directed qualitative content analysis of open-ended survey questions was used to explore the context of how survey responses were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: There were no significant differences in loneliness between caregivers pre vs during COVID-19. In open-ended responses regarding effects of COVID-19, caregivers described experiencing loneliness and social isolation; why they were unaffected by the pandemic; and how caregiving equipped them with coping strategies to manage negative pandemic-related effects. Conclusion: Loneliness did not differ significantly between pre vs during COVID-19 caregivers. Future research could assess what specific characteristics are associated with caregivers who have resiliency, and identify caregivers who are more susceptible to experiencing loneliness. Understanding caregiver loneliness could assist other healthcare systems in developing and implementing caregiver support interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foster care programs at animal shelters have emerged as an important tool for promoting animal welfare and supporting shelter life-saving efforts. Preliminary evidence suggests that foster caregiving may also be health-promoting for humans. The goals of this study were to investigate the experiences of foster caregivers at animal shelters based on measures of positive and negative affect, quality of life, and grief, and to describe human-animal attachment among foster populations. Between March 2022 and 2023, 131 foster caregivers from five shelters in the United States completed three online surveys before, during and after providing foster care to a shelter animal. Positive affect decreased significantly from baseline to post-foster (F = 5.71, p<0.01), particularly among dog caregivers (F = 6.17, p<0.01). Negative affect remained unchanged (F = 0.47, p = 0.63). Foster caregivers perceived their foster animal provided companionship, affection and emotional support, although dog foster caregivers reported significantly higher emotional (U = 313.50, p<0.01) and social/physical quality of life (t = 4.42, p<0.01) than cat foster caregivers. Caregivers reported low mean avoidant and anxious attachment, suggesting they were able to develop secure bonds with their foster animals. Retention of fosters was also strong, with 86% of caregivers reporting they were likely to provide foster care in the future. Our findings suggest that fostering at animal shelters may serve as a One Health intervention to offer companionship, affection and emotional support to human caregivers while promoting animal welfare. However, these benefits did not translate to improvements in caregiver mental wellbeing, so caution should be applied when considering foster caregiving as a potential mental health promotion tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effectively managing their athletic and academic projects is a major challenge for student-athletes. The salience of the identity they develop in each of these contexts can affect their well-being and is therefore an important variable to consider. Examining these mechanisms in countries and student-athlete support systems other than the United States is also important. Aim: This study aims to both translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of a French version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale, the AAIS-FR, and to examine the additive and interactive relationships of the two identities with sport burnout and engagement. Methods: Participants were 359 French student-athletes (50.42% female) who were competing at various levels (ranging from regional to international). Results: Results from analyses using a slightly modified version of the original scale provided evidence of construct (i.e., factor structure) and concurrent (i.e., expected relationships between both identities and several correlates identified in previous work) validity, as well as reliability (i.e., internal consistency) and invariance across gender and sport competition levels of the AAIS-FR. In addition, regression analyses revealed a favourable relationship between athletic identity and sport well-being (i.e., positive with engagement and negative with burnout), no relationship between academic identity and sport well-being, and no interaction between the two identities. Conclusion: While further research is needed to provide additional evidence for the validity of the AAIS-FR, researchers can still use this tool to measure the salience of the two identities of French-speaking student-athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cattle welfare is a critical component of sustainable beef production systems. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate how a specific group of beef industry stakeholders perceived and integrated animal welfare into sustainability programs using an online survey. Individuals represented owners, managers, and chief sustainability officers from a variety of stakeholder groups. Respondents recognized cattle welfare as a critical component to ensuring the overall sustainability of a production system and integrated animal welfare outcomes within their sustainability programs. It was evident that respondents felt animal care and providing basic needs to animals was a critical component of cattle welfare. The motivation of respondents to include cattle welfare in sustainability programming was related to cattle health and performance as well as consumer perception. Additionally, respondents often mentioned following best management practices and often referenced industry guidelines, assessment tools, and sometimes regulations where relevant. Respondents shared that the three pillars of sustainability (e.g., environmental, social, and economic) were interconnected, highlighting the need for balanced approaches to integrating sustainable animal welfare solutions in beef systems. This study aimed to investigate how stakeholders in the United States beef industry incorporate animal welfare into their sustainability programs. A survey was administered online to the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef membership. Twenty-seven surveys were analyzed. Most respondents (n = 26, 96%) had sustainability programs that incorporated animal welfare. Most respondents believed that welfare positively impacted environmental (n = 25/26, 96%), economic (n = 25/26, 96%), and social (n = 26/26, 100%) sustainability. The thematic analysis of five free response questions identified ten themes: Animal Care, Regulations and Guidelines, Responsibility, Consumers and Stakeholders, Performance and Efficiency, Financial Impact, Connectedness, Critical Component, Animal-based Outcomes, and Employees. When asked to define welfare, the most common themes were Animal Care and Regulations and Guidelines. When asked why welfare was a component of their sustainability program, the top factors from a provided list were: cattle health (n = 20, 74%), cattle performance (n = 12, 44%), and consumer perceptions (n = 12, 44%). Findings suggest a widespread recognition of animal welfare's importance within sustainable beef production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper first reviews the goals of the founding documents of the social indicators and quality-of-life movements of the 1960s and 1970s. It next describes the current state of knowledge with respect to the founding goals of this field. The focus then turns to the topic of measuring changes in child and youth well-being in the United States over the past few decades. In particular, the evidence-based approach used in the construction of the recently developed composite Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI) is described. Some findings from the CWI regarding changes in child and youth well-being in the period 1975–2004 are reported. Trends in the CWI then are compared with data on trends in subjective well-being of high school seniors – similarities of trends in these two series provide validating support for the interpretation of the CWI as an index of changes in the quality-of-life of children and youth. Using data on some additional indicator series, most of which were initiated in the 1990s, an Expanded CWI is then described. The qualitative pattern of change in the expanded CWI is shown to be similar to that of the basic CWI, except that the expanded CWI shows a more pronounced decline in the early-1990s and a slower rate of improvement into the early-2000s. The paper concludes with some possible directions for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright light on industrial slaughterhouses in the United States and their impacts on the vulnerable beings--both human and animal--they exploit. But the severity of these impacts is the result of a long history of failed regulatory oversight. This paper highlights the inadequacies of the current regulatory system in the United States and how they have contributed to dangerous conditions for slaughterhouse workers, environmental degradation, and severe animal suffering. Further, it argues that a rights-centered One Health approach would provide the necessary conceptual foundation for a new regulatory framework that can meaningfully address the interconnected rights, health, and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment. As a first step in establishing this new framework, the United States should create a federal Slaughterhouse Oversight Commission to strengthen the rights, health, and well-being of humans and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how an approach resembling Sen's capabilities framework is being applied by low-income neighborhoods in efforts to strengthen community and improve quality of life for residents. It will begin with a brief review of Sen's capabilities framework, followed by a detailed description of neighborhood resource surveys. A final section will bring the two ideas together and will explain how the work being done in neighborhoods can be viewed as an extension of Sen's approach, deepening our understanding of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the occupational segregation of white women in the US at a metropolitan area level. Our results show substantial variation across areas and suggest that the national scale does not reveal the real situation of white women. The proportion of white women who would have to shift occupations to achieve zero segregation ranges between 20 per cent in some areas and 40 per cent in others. The consequences that occupational segregation has in terms of earnings also vary dramatically within the country, which suggests that in dealing with labour inequalities, local authorities should play an active role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on our earlier research (Case and Deaton 2015), we find that mortality and morbidity among white non-Hispanic Americans in midlife since the turn of the century continued to climb through 2015. Additional increases in drug overdoses, suicides, and alcohol-related liver mortality—particularly among those with a high school degree or less—are responsible for an overall increase in all-cause mortality among whites. We find marked differences in mortality by race and education, with mortality among white non- Hispanics (males and females) rising for those without a college degree, and falling for those with a college degree. In contrast, mortality rates among blacks and Hispanics have continued to fall, irrespective of educational attainment. Mortality rates in comparably rich countries have continued their premillennial fall at the rates that used to characterize the United States. Contemporaneous levels of resources—particularly slowly growing, stagnant, and even declining incomes—cannot provide a comprehensive explanation for poor mortality outcomes. We propose a preliminary but plausible story in which cumulative disadvantage from one birth cohort to the next—in the labor market, in marriage and child outcomes, and in health—is triggered by progressively worsening labor market opportunities at the time of entry for whites with low levels of education. This account, which fits much of the data, has the profoundly negative implication that policies—even ones that successfully improve earnings and jobs, or redistribute income—will take many years to reverse the increase in mortality and morbidity, and that those in midlife now are likely to do worse in old age than the current elderly. This is in contrast to accounts in which resources affect health contemporaneously, so that those in midlife now can expect to do better in old age as they receive Social Security and Medicare. None of this, however, implies that there are no policy levers to be pulled. For instance, reducing the overprescription of opioids should be an obvious target for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Institutional Graduate Medical Education (GME) Well-being Director (WBD) roles have recently emerged in the United States to support resident and fellow well-being. However, with a standard position description lacking, the current scope and responsibilities of such roles is unknown. This study describes the scope of work, salary support, and opportunities for role definition for those holding institutional leadership positions for GME well-being. Methods: In November 2021, 43 members of a national network of GME WBDs in the United States were invited to complete a cross-sectional survey that included questions about job responsibilities, percent effort, and dedicated budget, and a free text response question about unique leadership challenges for GME WBDs. The survey was analyzed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results: 26 members (60%) responded. Most were physicians, and the majority identified as female and White. Median percent effort salary support was 40%. A small minority reported overseeing an allocated budget. Most respondents worked to improve access to mental health services, oversaw institution-wide well-being programs, designed or delivered well-being content, provided consultations to individual programs, met with trainees, and partnered with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. GME WBDs described unique challenges that had implications for perceived effectiveness related to resources, culture, institutional structure, and regulatory requirements in GME. Discussion: There was high concordance for several key responsibilities, which may represent a set of core priorities for this role. Other reported responsibilities may reflect institution-specific needs or opportunities for role definition. A wide scope of responsibilities, coupled with limited defined budgetary support described by many GME Well-being Directors, could limit effective role execution. Future efforts to better define the role, optimize organizational reporting structures and provide funding commensurate with the scope of work may allow the GME Well-being Director to more effectively develop and execute strategic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent mental health is an urgent global public health issue. Youth participatory action research is an effective strategy to amplify youth voices and can serve as a catalyst for evidence-based action addressing the mental health crisis. To illustrate the benefits of youth participatory action research for informing community health, we describe an ongoing collaboration with a youth council located in the central coast of California, USA. Research methods included an anonymous online self-report survey to gather information about the mental health of high school students in 2020 (n = 176) and 2022 (n = 234), 93% Latinx/Mexican American. Both surveys included a four-item patient health questionnaire to screen for depression and anxiety risk, in addition to scaled and open-ended survey questions selected by the youth leaders based on their research questions. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated a significant but small decrease in mental health risk, and a continued need for resources to access mental health support. Results led to community-based action aimed at improving local youth mental health. The interdisciplinary research team (psychology and public health) and youth leaders share reflections highlighting the innovative, empowering, and transformative impact of youth participatory action research as a tool for improving community health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive Summary: Home and community gardening is emerging as a beneficial intervention for resettled refugee populations. Using an interdisciplinary lens, we examined whether gardening influences mental health, food security, and economic well-being. A mixed methods study (n = 29) was conducted with quantitative surveys to assess indicators of mental health, food security, and economic well-being. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews explored gardener participants' experience of gardening benefits (n = 10). Participants had on average been in the United States for seven and a half years, with most having lived in refugee camps prior to arrival. Findings showed gardeners reporting fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma, and lesser food insecurity than non-gardeners, and similar indicators of economic well-being. Non-parametric regression analysis showed that being a gardener significantly predicted less psychological distress. Qualitative data substantiated these findings with gardeners reporting improved mental health, closer family, social relationships and connections with culture, and more access to fresh and organic food. The multiple, simultaneous benefits of gardening reported here provide strong support for building community-based health promotion programs to assist refugee integration, including long after arrival. The study further highlights the importance of examining these interrelated factors of mental health, food security, and economic well-being simultaneously and reevaluating the established goals of refugee resettlement, particularly in the United States. We offer the following recommendations: • Policymakers and refugee resettlement practitioners should integrate culturally appropriate community-based health promotion efforts in refugee programs long after the initial resettlement period. • Researchers on refugee integration outcomes should include interdisciplinary perspectives that offer comprehensive understanding of processes related to health outcomes. • Policymakers on refugee resettlement and integration should consider the linkages between mental health, food security, and economic well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the role of educator perceptions of school leader emotion regulation (ER) and emotional support (ES) in educator well-being during a typical year and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on emotion contagion theory, leaders' (in)ability to regulate their own emotions may trigger ripple effects of positive or negative emotions throughout their organizations, impacting staff well-being. Additionally, based on conservation of resources theory, when experiencing psychologically taxing events, skillful emotional support provided by leaders may help to replenish staff's depleted psychological resources, promoting staff well-being. In two national studies, a cross-sectional (NStudy 1 = 4,847) and a two-wave study (NStudy 2 = 2,749), we tested the association between United States pre K-12 educator perceptions of school leaders' ER and ES with educator well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, employing structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling. In Studies 1 and 2, educator reports of their leaders' ER and ES skills predicted greater educator well-being, including higher positive affect and job satisfaction and lower emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions. In moderation analyses, perceived leader ER predicted well-being about equally among educators facing severe versus mild health impacts from COVID-19. In contrast, perceived leader ES was more strongly associated with educator well-being for some outcomes in those severely versus mildly impacted by COVID-19 illness and death. Leader ER played a role in the well-being of everyone, whereas leader ES was more predictive of well-being for those severely impacted by a crisis. Regarding implications for policy and practice, efforts to promote well-being among educators may be enhanced when combined with efforts to develop school leaders' ER and ES skills, especially in times of crisis. Accordingly, school districts should consider the value of investing in systematic, evidence-based emotion skills training for their leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of political, civil, socioeconomic, and cultural rights is to protect the dignity of all human beings. Good mental health and well-being is defined by the "social, psychosocial, economic, and physical environment that enables individuals and populations to live a life of dignity, with full enjoyment of their rights and in the equitable pursuit of their potential."1 Stigmatization, discrimination, and negative stereotypes are barriers to mental health and well-being.2 Individuals with mental health problems, including those with drug dependence, suffer stigmatization, which is a direct affront to dignity and may have enduring health impacts. This paper discusses the implications of stigma for a human-rights based approach to improving mental health among those with drug dependence, with a focus on the opioid epidemic now ravaging the United States. It explores the public health burden of stigma related to substance misuse, including stigma in the context of treatment and health care. It also discusses the role of policy initiatives--including decriminalization--in addressing stigma related to substance misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The K-12 teaching population in the United States remains overwhelmingly White despite rapid changes in racial demographics. Black prospective educators enrolled in teacher preparation programs often find themselves isolated and subjected to racism. Racial affinity groups have been established to support students of Color. Faculty mentors of these groups spend substantial time, physical, and emotional energy supporting students who navigate the violence of higher education institutions. Given recent and ongoing pandemics, supporting students to survive, thrive, and develop psychological literacy is critical work and has become more time intensive. This article examines the experiences of two Black women faculty mentors working with Black undergraduate students. Findings indicate that notwithstanding the labor, mentoring has supported faculty members’ wellbeing, thereby disrupting traditional notions of service leading to burnout. The authors posit that affinity mentoring is mutually beneficial for faculty and student wellbeing. Implications and transferability are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The obesity epidemic in industrialized nations has important implications for education, as research demonstrates lower academic achievement among obese students. The current paper compares the test scores and school grades of obese, overweight and normal-weight students in secondary and further education, controlling for demographic variables, personality, ability and well-being confounds.Participants:This study included 383 eighth-grade students (49% female; study 1) and 1036 students from 24 community colleges and universities (64% female, study 2), both drawn from five regions across the United States.Measures:In study 1, body mass index (BMI) was calculated using self-reports and parent reports of weight and height. In study 2, BMI was calculated from self-reported weight and height only. Both samples completed age-appropriate assessments of mathematics, vocabulary and the personality trait conscientiousness. Eighth-grade students additionally completed a measure of life satisfaction, with both self-reports and parent reports of their grades from the previous semester also obtained. Higher education students additionally completed measures of positive and negative affect, and self-reported their grades and college entrance scores.Results:Obese students receive significantly lower grades in middle school (d=0.83), community college (d=0.34) and university (d=0.36), but show no statistically significant differences in intelligence or achievement test scores. Even after controlling for demographic variables, intelligence, personality and well-being, obese students obtain significantly lower grades than normal-weight students in the eighth grade (d=0.39), community college (d=0.42) and university (d=0.31).Conclusion:Lower grades may reflect peer and teacher prejudice against overweight and obese students rather than lack of ability among these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption is critical to economic growth and quality of life. America's energy system, however, is malfunctioning. The status quo is characterized by a tilted playing field, where energy choices are based on the visible costs that appear on utility bills and at gas pumps. This system masks the "external" costs arising from those energy choices, including shorter lives, higher health care expenses, a changing climate, and weakened national security. As a result, we pay unnecessarily high costs for energy. New "rules of the road" could level the energy playing field. Drawing from our work for The Hamilton Project, this paper offers four principles for reforming U.S. energy policies in order to increase Americans' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author reflects on the study conducted by researchers Annamaria Lusardi, Daniel Schneider, and Peter Tufano that examines the ability of individuals to cope with the recession in the U.S. He cites the result of the study, which indicates the high level of financial fragility of the people and majority of them could not cope with a shock. The author recognizes the study since it can help assess household's ability to weather shocks essential for their well-being.

This paper uses recent data on U.S. children from the National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) to create indices that tally the number of problems or risks that individual children experience. We compare results with those from indices developed elsewhere that assess the change across sets of population-level indicators. While the two types of indices show similar trends over time, specific changes, as well as trends, depend on the specific domain of well-being or context examined, highlighting the importance of the distinction between well-being and context. Children with problems in multiple domains tend to be socio-economically and demographically disadvantaged compared with other children. We preface this work by providing an overview of the history of child well-being indicators and distinguish indices of child well-being from indices of the condition of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study designed to develop and validate a measure of quality of college life (QCL) of students. Using a theoretical model based on a build-up approach to QCL, the authors provide an empirical examination of various hierarchical components and their properties. The method is executed in two stages. The first stage is used to clarify the particular elements for inclusion in the model. The second phase uses a sample of students drawn for the campuses of three major universities in the United States. These samples were used to test several hypotheses regarding the model and its components. The results generally provide support. Finally, the discussion centers on the value of the model in application by both university officials and public policy officials in the at-large community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogen transmission through wildlife trade has become a significant One Health issue, but businesses involved in trade can take actions to minimize pathogen spread within and beyond trade networks. Such actions could include an industry‐led clean‐trade certification program whereby retailer costs for enhanced biosecurity and disease‐free product certification are offset by increased prices to consumers. However, we currently know little about the demand for, and value of such a program to consumers. With the case of pet amphibian owners in the United States, we assessed what characteristics make people more likely to demand certified wild animals and how much more in price premium they are willing to pay for such animals. Findings suggested that the demand for pathogen‐free amphibians was driven by the perceived risk of pathogen spillover to wild populations, behavioral control in preventing transmission, and other characteristics related to pet ownership and demographics. On average, respondents were willing to pay $38.65 per animal more for certified pathogen‐free amphibians than non‐certified amphibians. Findings lend support for the viability of an industry‐led clean‐trade program aimed at enhancing animal well‐being, increasing customer satisfaction, and reducing the risk of pathogen transmission within and beyond the pet trade network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies of the social implications of agricultural organization have been cross-sectional and confined to a single region. This paper examines the relationship between the socioeconomic well-being of agricultural counties in 1970 and changes in the size and organization of agricultural production from 1949 to 1969. Two regions, the Corn Belt and the central Great Plains, are studied. Results indicate that the relationship between variables depends upon the region studied and that increases in numbers of hired farm laborers are more likely to have negative consequences for agricultural communities than are increases in the scale of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines trends in psychological well-being in the United States since the Second World War. To measure these trends, a long series of surveys with questions on subjective, personal happiness are analyzed. To test the adequacy of this measure, its association with more complex measures of well-being (e.g., the Bradburn Affect Balance scale and the Andrews and Withey life-feeling scale) was examined, and its test/retest stability determined. Both indicated that happiness might serve as a suitable indicator. Variations in question wording were examined in the happiness series. Differences were found that prevented all wordings being used in a uniform, single series, but the general trends were detectable by using the two main variations as parallel series. Possible seasonal and context effects were also found that further complicated the analysis of happiness. With the effects of variant wordings, seasons, and contexts taken into consideration, it appears that happiness rose from the late forties to the late fifties, then fell until the early seventies, and then, possibly after some rebound, remained stable from the early seventies to the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An individual might have a net worth of $10,000 and believe they are in great shape financially, while another individual might have $100,000 and feel otherwise. Could personality explain this disparity between perception and reality of their financial situation? This study answers this research question using data from the 2018 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Findings from this study show that conscientious and extraverted consumers believe they are doing better than they are. Conversely, consumers who exhibit traits relating to neuroticism, openness to experience, and agreeableness think their financial situation is worse than it is. These findings have implications for consumers, professional advisors, and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]