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Mental health peer support (PS) is a relational approach to recovery. Service users are helped through a relationship focused on connection with a PS worker who shares similar experiences. Despite the strong evidence base, the mechanisms of action for mental health PS are under-researched. Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms, including social comparison theory (SCT). SCT highlights the benefits arising from emphasising differences between a service user and the PS worker. An unintended consequence is that connection between them may be reduced. We propose common humanity (CH) as an under-acknowledged mechanism of action. CH is an experience recognising that there are other people living with similar suffering, and helps us regulate emotions. A CH-informed connection-based PS relationship may help a service user in different ways from a SCT-informed comparison-based PS relationship. Future PS research can investigate emotional self-regulation to establish whether CH-related outcomes arise from PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents grappling with social anxiety may experience poor school satisfaction, resorting to school-related avoidance behaviors, exemplified by absenteeism, as a coping mechanism. Understanding the role of family support in alleviating the adverse effects of social anxiety on school satisfaction is imperative for fostering supportive educational settings. Although there is literature regarding how school satisfaction promotes positive adolescent outcomes, empirical knowledge on the interrelation between social anxiety, school satisfaction, and family emotional support is limited. This study investigates the association between social anxiety, family emotional support, school satisfaction, and school absenteeism within the theoretical framework of the stage-environment fit theory to offer insight into how family emotional support can moderate the influence of social anxiety on school-related outcomes. Methods: Utilizing a population-based sample of 1861 upper secondary school pupils from the Trøndelag Young Health study "Young-HUNT3 study", we employed an index of moderated mediation to examine the role of family emotional support in moderating the association between social anxiety and school-related avoidance behavior related to school satisfaction. Results: Family emotional support had moderated mediation association for school absenteeism (β = 0.128, 95% CI 0.019, 0.278) and extracurricular activity (β = −0.003, 95% CI −0.008, −0.000). Conclusions: This urges further investigation into the specific mechanisms and individual differences influencing these relationships, aiming to deepen our understanding of adolescents' experiences and inform comprehensive strategies for promoting their well-being within school communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer support in mental health is a low-threshold intervention with increasing evidence for enhancing personal recovery and empowerment of persons living with severe mental health conditions. As peer support spreads globally, there is a growing need for peer support training programmes that work well in different contexts and cultures. This study evaluates the applicability and transferability of implementing a manualised multi-national training programme for mental health peer support workers called UPSIDES from the perspective of different local stakeholders in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Method: Data from seven focus groups across six study sites in Africa (Tanzania, Uganda), Asia (India, Israel), and Europe (Germany 2 sites) with 44 participants (3 service users, 7 peer support workers, 25 mental health staff members, 6 clinical directors and 3 local community stakeholders) were thematically analysed. Results: 397 codes were identified, which were thematically analysed. Five implementation enablers were identified: (i) Enhancing applicability through better guidance and clarity of training programme management, (ii) provision of sufficient time for training, (iii) addressing negative attitudes towards peer support workers by additional training of organisations and staff, (iv) inclusion of core components in the training manual such as communication skills, and (v) addressing cultural differences of society, mental health services and discrimination of mental health conditions. Discussion: Participants in all focus groups discussed the implementation of the training and peer support intervention to a greater extent than the content of the training. This is in line with growing literature of difficulties in the implementation of peer support including difficulties in hiring peer support workers, lack of funding, and lack of role clarity. The results of this qualitative study with stakeholders from different mental health settings worldwide emphasises the need to further investigate the successful implementation of peer support training. All results have been incorporated into the manualisation of the UPSIDES peer support training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) may develop following interpersonal and cumulative traumatic events, usually during early development. In addition to the core PTSD symptom profile, CPTSD presents emotional dysregulation symptoms that can be resistant to conventional treatments. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) may be an effective intervention for addressing the more resistant symptoms in the emotional stabilisation phase of treatment rather than the trauma-processing phase. This paper explores the diagnostic validity and prevalence of CPTSD, treatment recommendations and the role of CFT in mediating shame and stabilising emotional dysregulation. We also evaluate current evidence utilising compassion-based interventions for the components of the CPTSD symptom profile and the viability of CFT as a whole. The novelty of CPTSD as a clinical condition means there is limited evidence regarding recommended treatment. Research into the efficacy of CFT and its suitability to target CPTSD's symptom profile will contribute to the current gap in recommended treatment approaches for this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation can have a negative impact on well-being, yet important strengths can emerge in adversity. Our aim was to explore how pre-university students in Singapore responded to the social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a thematic analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews with six pre-university students (three males and three females). Singaporean pre-university students found a "lack of face-to-face contact" (Theme 1) with friends challenging. However, they utilised "acceptance" (Theme 2), and "adaptability and resilience" (Theme 3) to cope with the changes associated with the COVID-19 restrictions. Educators, counsellors, parents and researchers may better support pre-university students' well-being by discussing how to enhance the students' strengths, rather than solely attempting to alleviate negative mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current commentary takes a closer look at the issue of mass shootings in the US and the stigma experienced by those with a serious mental illness. Mental illness is not a predictor of gun violence. However, false assumptions of mental illness only reinforce the negative belief that individuals who have mental illness are dangerous and violent, exacerbating the stigma already attached to those suffering from mental illnesses. Linking gun crime to mental illness is a barrier to seeking treatment and having a mental illness does not necessarily imply an individual will commit indiscriminate acts of violence. Research reports that most mental health symptoms were not related to gun violence, but easy access to firearms and other demographic variables were identified as the primary cause. Mass shootings exert a strong influence on public policy and public perception. There needs to be a shift in attitudes toward mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly since it was first identified in December 2019. A nation-level lockdown has been implemented in many countries, affecting workers of all sectors and forcing many to work from home. In this commentary, we discuss mental health difficulties that working from home might cause on non-key workers, based on research in New Ways of Working (NWW) and telecommuting. Moreover, we propose the use of mindfulness-based approaches to protect workforce from the potential negative impacts of working from home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic motivation is important to students' mental health and performance. One established measure is the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), comprising 28 items. AMS assesses intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation, which are further categorised into seven subscales. One weakness of AMS is its length. In this study, we constructed and validated a short version of the 14-item Academic Motivation Scale (SAMS). Data from two university student samples were analysed to construct and validate the factorial structure. SAMS yielded adequate internal consistency, and very strong correlations with the original version of AMS in both samples. Confirmatory factor analysis on SAMS replicated the seven-factor model identified in the original AMS. SAMS can be a reliable and valid alternative to the original AMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, more than two-thirds of employees report mental health issues, while in Japan, more than half of the country's workforce are mentally distressed. Although both countries are socio-economically developed in similar ways, their cultures differ strongly. This article investigates mental health constructs among German and Japanese employees. A cross-sectional design was employed in which 257 German and 165 Japanese employees completed self-report scales regarding mental health problems, mental health shame, self-compassion and work motivation. T-tests, correlation and regression analyses were conducted. Results show that German employees have significantly higher levels of mental health problems, mental health shame, self-compassion and work motivation than Japanese employees. While many correlations were similar, mental health problems were associated with intrinsic motivation in Germans, but not in Japanese. Shame was associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in Japanese, but not in Germans. Self-compassion – defined as a complex of compassion, humanity, care and unconditional, compassionate love – was associated with gender and age in Japanese, but not in German employees. Lastly, regression analysis uncovered that self-compassion was the strongest predictor of mental health problems in Germans. In Japanese employees, mental health shame is the strongest predictor of mental health problems. Results can guide managers and psychologists in internationalised organisations to effectively approach employee mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although career construction theory is relevant to today's vocational climate, empirical research into it is scarce. Accordingly, we explored this theory by investigating the concepts, structures and processes that UK-based millennial career changers use to construct narratives allowing for continuity of plot and discontinuity of career direction. Interpretative phenomenological analysis on semi-structured interviews (N = 6) identified four themes: dissatisfaction, realisation, sacrifice and return. The Hero's Journey was identified as an overarching structure for meaning making in career change. Participants assimilated instability and discontinuity into a broader framework of continuity, through narrating a quest for closer alignment between their work and personality. This study provides useful insights into career construction theory and suggests further utility of The Hero's Journey in career counselling/guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative attitudes and shame towards mental health problems are detrimental to mental health. An established measure for mental health attitudes and shame is the Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems Scale (ATMHPS), comprising 35 items. This comprehensive instrument evaluates Community/Family Attitudes, Community/Family External Shame, Internal Shame, and Family/Self Reflected Shame. One weakness of the ATMHPS is its length. The present study constructed and validated a shorter version of the ATMHPS (SATMHPS), comprising 14 items. Samples of UK university students (274 business and 301 healthcare students) were recruited, and analyses were performed to construct and validate the factorial structure. The SATMHPS demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, and very strong correlations with the original ATMHPS in both samples. Confirmatory factor analyses on the SATMHPS replicated the seven-factor model identified in the original ATMHPS. The SATMHPS can be a reliable, valid and user-friendly instrument to measure attitudes and shame towards mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parents of children with medical complexity (CMC) have extra child‐raising responsibilities because of the time commitments necessary for care, and their social participation is often compromised. Experiencing leisure excursions with such children may be a solution to some of these problems but the first‐hand experience of excursions in regard to their psychological impact on the caregivers of CMC remains to be appraised. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted, via video conference, with eight informal and eight formal caregivers of CMC who attended an excursion to Tokyo Disney Land (TDL). We investigated the psychological changes that they had experienced through the excursion, performing inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were identified among parents and five were identified among medical professionals. Themes reported by the parents were: Increased trust in the public and society (Theme 1); confidence for other challenges (Theme 2), and connection with other parents in the non‐medical settings (Theme 3). Themes reported by medical professionals were: Expanding the initiative to other CMC (Theme 1); feeling bonded with other caregivers within the working group (Theme 2); information exchange across different working groups (Theme 3), positive responses from CMC (Theme 4); families' confidence to go out (Theme 5). Conclusions: This study showed that the excursion to TDL led to positive psychological changes in both medical professionals and parents of CMC, enhancing trust, connection, and confidence. The promising results of this study suggest a need for further research about the impact of an excursion on caregivers of CMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative research aimed at exploring personal dance experience and influence of dancing on the evolution of embodied self-awareness and well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three participants (one female, two males), and the data were evaluated using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Six themes were identified: (a) freedom of expression through dance, (b) perceptions of fun and partner dance vs. dancing alone, (c) flow in dance, (d) sensations and sexuality in dance, (e) music and rhythm in dance, and (f) impact of dance on life and the self. Participants reported that dance led to higher embodied self-awareness and creative self-expression and was deemed to improve health and well-being. Our findings help increase the utility of dance as a well-being approach, stress coping intervention and countermeasure to depression and loneliness. They make aware of the use of dance as a creative tool in inducing positive transformations on individual and societal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is a cost-effective healing practice that has recently attracted the interest of social scientists who have attributed it, in part, to mental health benefits. Japanese university students suffer from high rates of mental health problems, and the number of suicides remains high despite the total number of suicides in Japan decreasing. Effective mental health approaches which increase mental wellbeing and self-compassion, and reduce associated deficits, such as loneliness, are sought after for Japanese students; however, healthful treatment has not been identified to date. Accordingly, this pre-post-pilot study evaluated the levels of mental wellbeing, self-compassion, and loneliness among 25 Japanese undergraduate students who participated in a three-day shinrin-yoku retreat in Fukushima. Measurements were taken prior, straight after, and two weeks post-intervention. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc analysis revealed that the mean scores of self-compassion, common humanity, and mindfulness increased statistically significantly from pre-retreat to follow-up. The mean scores of mental wellbeing and loneliness did not statistically significantly change. The positive effects on self-compassion indicate that shinrin-yoku retreat should be evaluated within a larger sample and in a shorter time frame to establish optimal shinrin-yoku parameters in this arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working from home (WFH) has been associated with increased levels of job burnout; a psycho-physiological outcome of experiencing intense or extended periods of work-related stress. Individuals with higher levels of selfcompassion have been shown to mitigate the effects of stress by reducing the negative affect associated with stressful situations. The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of self-compassion on job burnout and number of working hours in full time employees WFH. Fifty-eight full time WFH participants (37 females, 21 males; age M = 34, SD = 8 years) completed online self-report questionnaires. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that SC did not predict job burnout and number of working hours for this sample of WFH employees. The obtained evidence suggests that self-compassion was not enough to mitigate job burnout or number of working hours, therefore employers should not rely on employees to manage workloads and hours effectively but assist in developing schedules to reduce the negative impact of job burnout on their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological stress has become a major concern, potentially leading to diverse health problems including psychopathology such as depression and anxiety. Transactional Model of Stress and Coping is an established model, conceptualizing stressful experiences via person–environment relationship. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the pathway from stress to depression/anxiety, with a focus on self-criticism (inadequate-self and hated-self) and self-reassurance (reassured-self) in Czech students who suffered from high prevalence of mental health problems. Convenience sample of 119 undergraduates completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and the Forms of the Self-Criticizing/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale. Correlation and path analyses were conducted. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines were used to aid an accurate and complete report of the study. Depression, anxiety, and stress were positively associated with inadequate-self and hated-self while negatively associated with reassured-self. Both inadequate-self and hated-self partially mediated the stress–depression and stress–anxiety relationships, whereas reassured-self only partially mediated the stress–depression relationship. Inadequate-self had greater impact on the stress–depression/anxiety pathways than hated-self and reassured-self. Findings indicate that clinical treatment may benefit from targeting the feelings of inadequacy to prevent stress progressing to psychopathology. This is particularly relevant as stress levels are rising globally. Our findings offer developments to the Transactional Model, and help practitioners and educators identify solutions to protect mental health of Czech university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary highlights two cross-cultural issues identified from our global mental health (GMH) research, RECOLLECT (Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing) 2: self-enhancement and ingroup biases. Self-enhancement is a tendency to maintain and express unrealistically positive self-views. Ingroup biases are differences in one’s evaluation of others belonging to the same social group. These biases are discussed in the context of GMH research using self-report measures across cultures. GMH, a field evolving since its Lancet series introduction in 2007, aims to advance mental health equity and human rights. Despite a 16.5-fold increase in annual GMH studies from 2007 to 2016, cross-cultural understanding remains underdeveloped. We discuss the impact of individualism versus collectivism on self-enhancement and ingroup biases. GMH research using concepts, outcomes, and methods aligned with individualism may give advantages to people and services oriented to individualism. GMH research needs to address these biases arising from cross-cultural differences to achieve its aim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although parents of triplets experience substantial mental distress, research about this increasing population has primarily focused on physical health risks of triplets and mothers, failing to capture the subjective wellbeing of parents. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand first-hand experience of parents of triplets, using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews participated by eight parents (four couples: Age M = 48.63, SD = 10.61 years). Six themes were identified: (1) Negative and (2) Positive experiences of raising triplets prenatally and postnatally, (3) Social, psychological, and material support, (4) Experiences and challenges specific to mothers and (5) fathers, and (6) Advice for future parents. These themes suggest that being reassured and accepting support from others are particularly essential in reducing stress and anxiety. Self-compassion interventions were recommended to support the wellbeing of parents of triplets. Our findings will help parents of triplets, their social circles, and healthcare workers to develop effective approaches to reduce the mental health difficulties that this under-researched population experiences. Highlights: Parents of triplets experience increased anxiety and stress related to triplets' and mothers' health and financial concerns. Parents' positive experiences included a sense of having a big family and of feeling magical to encounter the unusual phenomena. Mothers' challenges were internal (health-related), while fathers' were external (stability of job and finances). Being reassured and accepting support from others are particularly essential for reducing stress and anxiety in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the relationships between mental wellbeing and positive psychological constructs in therapeutic students (psychotherapy and occupational therapy students). The number of therapeutic students has increased recently; however, they suffer from poor mental health, which may be improved by potentiating their positive psychological constructs, bypassing mental health shame. Therapeutic students (n = 145) completed measures regarding positive psychological constructs, namely mental wellbeing, engagement, motivation, resilience, and self-compassion. Resilience and self-compassion predicted mental wellbeing, explaining a large effect. Self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between resilience and mental wellbeing. This study highlights the importance of positive psychological constructs, especially resilience and self-compassion, for mental wellbeing of therapeutic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues Addressing opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women is of growing importance, and substance use treatment positively impacts outcomes for mother and baby. Understanding substance use treatment experiences is important to improve access, and retention, and no review or synthesis of research addressing the treatment experiences of pregnant women exists. Approach: Thus, a qualitative meta‐synthesis was conducted, which investigated the psychological motivators and barriers of pregnant women with OUD trying to access treatment and their perceptions of treatment. Key Findings: A total of 3844 articles were retrieved from the literature search. Nine articles met eligibility criteria, were appraised, then synthesised using a comparative thematic approach. Four themes: (i) Embodied Experiences; (ii) Institutional Pressures; (iii) Social Context; and (iv) Reconstructing Selves; indicate that women with OUD are motivated to engage in treatment to pursue the safety and custody of the unborn baby and to pursue and enact the changes necessary to claim 'normal' parenthood status. Pregnant women describe psychological and relational barriers to engaging in treatment, including anxieties about the baby's health, fears of authorities' involvement, stigma and experiencing relationships with treatment providers as constrictive or invalidating. Implications: Identity theory's concepts of identity verification, closed environments and master status identities illuminate the findings. Implications include recognising the salience of bodily experiences, providing medication‐assisted treatment support groups and promoting validating relationships in treatment using strengths‐based approaches. Conclusions: Pregnant women face unique psychological challenges in accessing and engaging in substance use treatment for OUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-compassion has been identified as a protective factor against body image concerns, but the relationship has not been explored in women in the menopausal transition, when body image perceptions may be particularly vulnerable. Women in the UK (N = 248) self-reported on levels of body appreciation, body preoccupation, self-compassion and mental distress. Correlation and mediation analyses were used. Results indicated that self-compassion was positively associated with body appreciation and negatively associated with body preoccupation. Mental distress mediated the relationships between self-compassion and body appreciation, and self-compassion and body preoccupation. Findings suggest that self-compassion is important to body image in women in the menopausal transition, and having good mental health can enhance these pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shinrin-yoku, immersing oneself in nature using one's senses, has been receiving increased attention internationally. While most of the existing studies have focused on physical health, this systematic review and meta-analysis examined the mental health impacts of shinrin-yoku, using the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registry: BLINDED). Of 497 articles retrieved on databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Science Direct and Google Scholar, twenty met the inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in Asia and Europe, and used a variety of different bathing approaches (e.g. breathing, walking, yoga). While noting a need for more rigorous research and extensive follow-up assessments, the findings indicate that shinrin-yoku can be effective in reducing mental health symptoms in the short term, particularly anxiety. More careful examination of shinrin-yoku practices is needed; longer follow-up with participants from a range of countries along with greater examination of potential mechanisms is needed for shinrin-yoku to be accepted into mainstream interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As mental health awareness increases, more students enrol to therapeutic subjects, aspiring to help others' mental wellbeing. While mental health of other caring students has been explored, therapeutic students' mental health has not been investigated thoroughly. This study aimed to explore relationships between mental health, mental health attitudes, self-criticism/self-reassurance, self-compassion, and caregiver identity of counselling and occupational therapy students. One hundred forty-five students, recruited through opportunity sampling, completed measures about those constructs. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that their mental health was associated with attitudes, self-criticism/self-reassurance and self-compassion. Self-criticism and internal shame were independent predictors of mental health. Findings will inform the mental health status of therapeutic students and help identify better solutions for their challenging mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police work is a high-risk profession that can cause mental health conditions. With increasing sickness levels and falling police numbers, it is essential prompt mental health treatment be implemented. The study aims to explore institutional negativity and stigma in the police force towards mental ill health. Semi-structured interviews attended by five police officers with thematic analysis captured (i) police culture, (ii) the stigma of mental illness, (iii) disclosure of mental illness and (iv) breaking down barriers. Findings indicate police culture and attitudes to mental health may contribute to the causes of psychological illness, rather than the nature of the job itself. Increased education and awareness surrounding mental health have been shown to be fundamental in how an officer reacts to stress, but change is needed at a managerial level. Future research needs to explore the effects of mental health stigma on ethnicity and gender in the police force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide, COVID-19 has exacerbated the vulnerability of migrants, impacting many facets of their lives. Nepalese make up one of the largest groups of migrants residing in Japan. Crises, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could disproportionately affect migrants from low- and middle-income countries like Nepal, widening health and economic inequalities. An in-depth, comprehensive assessment is needed to appraise the diverse problems they encounter. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, this study aimed to identify challenges faced by Nepalese migrants in Japan as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and to discuss their needs to counter these challenges.Methods: This qualitative study employed an interpretivist approach to appraise the first-hand experience of Nepalese migrants living in Japan. Fourteen participants (8 males and 6 females, aged 21 to 47 years old) were recruited to participate in semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews (45-60 min) regarding: (a) their perceived current physical and mental health, (b) problems faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (c) perception of available and necessary support structures. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit the participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.Results: Six themes were identified: 1) experiencing psychosomatic symptoms, 2) adoption of new healthy behaviors, 3) financial hardship, 4) family concerns, 5) reflections on discrimination and 6) reflections of existing support and expectations of support systems. The findings of our study illustrate the specific impact of COVID-19 among Nepalese migrants regarding their unstable employment conditions, perceived lack of social support, possible obligation to send money home, difficulty in accessing services due to the language barrier, and a lack of effective governmental support from Nepal. Pandemic-related adversity has negatively impacted migrants' mental well-being, exacerbating their vulnerability.Conclusions: Comprehensive and timely support should be provided to the vulnerable migrant population. Effective coordination among relevant parties in both countries, including the governments concerned, should be facilitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor mental health of university students is becoming a serious issue in many countries. Malaysia - a leading country for Asia-Pacific education - is one of them. Despite the government's effort to raise awareness, Malaysian students' mental health remains challenging, exacerbated by the students' negative attitudes towards mental health (mental health attitudes). Relatedly, self-compassion and resilience have been reported to improve mental health and mental health attitudes. Malaysian students (n = 153) responded to paper-based measures about mental health problems, negative mental health attitudes, self-compassion, and resilience. Scores were compared with 105 UK students, who also suffered from poor mental health and negative mental health attitudes, to make a cross-cultural comparison, to contextualise Malaysian students' mental health status, using t tests (aim 1). Correlation, path, and moderation analyses were conducted, to evaluate the relationships among these mental health constructs (aim 2). Malaysian students scored higher on mental health problems and negative mental health attitudes, and lower on self-compassion and resilience than UK students. Mental health problems were positively associated with negative mental health attitudes, and negatively associated with self-compassion and resilience. While self-compassion mediated the relationship between negative mental health attitudes and mental health problems (high self-compassion weakened the impacts of negative mental health attitudes on mental health problems), resilience did not moderate the same relationship (the level of resilience did not influence the impact of negative mental health attitudes on mental health problems). Self-compassion training was suggested to counter the challenging mental health in Malaysian university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia plays a key role in education of the Asia Pacific, expanding its scholarly output rapidly. However, mental health of Malaysian students is challenging, and their help-seeking is low because of stigma. This study explored the relationships between mental health and positive psychological constructs (academic engagement, motivation, self-compassion, and well-being), and evaluated the relative contribution of each positive psychological construct to mental health in Malaysian students. An opportunity sample of 153 students completed the measures regarding these constructs. Correlation, regression, and mediation analyses were conducted. Engagement, amotivation, self-compassion, and well-being were associated with, and predicted large variance in mental health. Self-compassion was the strongest independent predictor of mental health among all the positive psychological constructs. Findings can imply the strong links between mental health and positive psychology, especially self-compassion. Moreover, intervention studies to examine the effects of self-compassion training on mental health of Malaysian students appear to be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological construct of 'ikigai' reflects the sense of having a 'reason for living' and has been associated with various positive health-related outcomes. This study presents an English translation of the Ikigai-9, empirically explores the manifestation of ikigai in the UK, and outlines its associations with facets of well-being. Three hundred forty-nine participants self-reported levels of ikigai as well as state measures of mental well-being, depression, anxiety and stress. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original three-factor model, favouring instead a single-factor solution. Results indicated that above sex and age, ikigai predicted greater scores of mental well-being and lower scores of depression. The Ikigai-9 has high internal reliability and presents a logistically convenient measure of ikigai for English-speaking populations. However, further validation (e.g. test-retest reliability) is required to develop a better understanding of the potential protective role of ikigai in mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last few years have seen increasing research on self-report measures of compassion. The Compassionate Engagement and Action Scale (CEAS) is rooted in an evolutionary approach to compassion, which focuses on the competencies of compassion those are engagement with distress or suffering, and taking action to alleviate and prevent it. This study sought to validate the CEAS in a Japanese population using a cross-sectional design. A total of 279 students (82 males, 191 females, 6 unknown) answered self-report questionnaires, including the Japanese version of CEAS. We found single-factor structures for compassion for others scales, compassion from others scales, and compassion for self scales. All scales were found to have acceptable internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity, and construct validity. Even though some limitations, these results indicate that the Japanese version of CEAS is an adequately constructed and useful measure to assess compassionate engagement and action toward others, from others, and for the self with Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to highlight the characteristics of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and suggest possible directions for future research and study. The majority of NLP studies argue for more rigorous empirical support and standardised regulatory governance, in order to overcome academic biases and general misunderstandings. However, its popular practice for just under half a century and its global usage, suggest there is grounding for NLP to be accepted into the "mainstream" of psychology. We compare NLP with more "accepted" approaches (cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and coaching), and explore its practice regulations. While its efficiency (thorough analysis and applicability) was identified as its strength, more rigorous research and universal regulations of practice are needed for NLP to move onto the next level of acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business ethics have come under increasing scrutiny recently due to various corporate scandals. This has prompted a need for research into the characteristics of people drawn to the business world and the education they receive. This study (i) evaluates the levels of ethical judgement, mental health, motivation, and self-compassion in 144 UK business students and (ii) assesses the relationships between these variables. A high proportion of respondents (i) believed that other students would behave unethically, whilst they themselves would not, and (ii) had a high level of anxiety, extrinsic motivation and self-compassion. Extrinsic motivation was associated with participants' belief that others would behave unethically, whilst intrinsic motivation was associated with strict ethical judgement and self-compassion. Extrinsic motivation and self-compassion were significant explanatory variables for students' ethical judgement, and self-compassion was a significant explanatory variable for mental health symptoms. This study is unique in examining the facets of ethics, mental health, self-compassion and motivation in business students. Findings have implications for both educators and practitioners since improving ethical behaviour in the future workforce may be achieved by augmenting future employees' levels of self-compassion and intrinsic motivation, rather than solely administering "ethics training" that has been found to be of limited value. Findings also indicate that such an approach may have utility for improving business students' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The employment of mental health peer support (PS) is recommended in national and international mental health policy, and widely implemented across many countries. The key components of PS remain to be identified. This study aimed to develop a typology of components involved in one-to-one PS for adults in mental health services. A systematised review was performed to establish a preliminary long list of candidate components, followed by expert consultation (n = 21) to refine the list. Forty-two publications were full-text reviewed, comprising 26 trial reports, nine training manuals, and seven change model papers. Two hundred forty-two candidate components were identified, which were thematically synthesised to 16 components and eight sub-components, categorised into four themes: recruitment, preparation, practice, and PS worker wellbeing. Our typology can inform reflection and planning of PS practice, and allow more rigorous and synthesised studies, such as component network meta-analyses, to characterise the impact of each component and their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on purpose of this commentary is to highlight the importance of an intensive care unit (ICU) well-being champion, who promotes selfreflective practice and self-care to protect staff well-being. Topics include the champion provides peer-to-peer support, delivers psychological first aid and through the Look, Listen and Link approach and the ICU has nominated a well-being champion from within the nursing team to take a bottom-up approach to staff during the COVID-19.

Despite their poor mental health, many UK construction workers do not seek out help, because of shame for mental health problems relating to masculinity. The purposes of this study were to investigate relationships among mental health shame, mental health problems, masculinity, self-compassion, and motivation, and examine whether self-compassion would mediate the relationship between mental health shame and mental health problems. Construction workers (N = 155) completed measures for those five constructs. The five constructs were adequately correlated with each other, but masculinity and motivation were not related to shame. Self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between mental health shame and mental health problems. Findings may help construction workers understand the importance of mental health shame with mental health problems, and identify better solutions for poor mental health. Brief online self-compassion training was recommended to reduce shame and enhance self-compassion, and may be accessible for construction workers who work at diverse sites and hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although numerous national and organisational level approaches have taken to improve their mental health, Japanese workers still suffer from high rates of mental health problems. Despite its worldwide application, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) has not been evaluated for these problems in-depth. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of NLP training for mental health among Japanese workers. Design/methodology/approach: A pre-post test design with repeated measurements was used with 30 Japanese workers, who were undertaking NLP Practitioner Certification training. The effects on mental health were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale at pre-training, post-training and a three-month follow-up. Findings: The mean scores of depression and stress decreased significantly, and mental well-being increased significantly between pre-training and post-training and between pre-training and follow-up. There was no significant difference between post-training and the follow-up for any of the measures. Practical implications: The results suggest this training was effective for mental health of Japanese workers, and the positive effects on mental well-being were sustained. Originality/value: This is the first ever study to empirically evaluate the effects of the regulated NLP training on the mental health of Japanese workers, conducted by researchers well-versed in NLP. This training might be conducive to improving the mental health of the Japanese workforce. Larger scale and/or controlled studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese workers suffer high rates of mental health symptoms, recognised recently by the Japanese government, which has enacted workplace well‐being initiatives. One reason for poor mental health concerns negative attitudes about mental health problems such as shame, which may be mediated by self‐reassurance and self‐criticism. This study aimed to evaluate shame‐based attitudes toward mental health problems and explore the relationship between mental health attitudes, self‐criticism, self‐reassurance, and mental health symptoms. Japanese workers (n = 131) completed three measures: attitudes toward mental health problems, mental health symptoms, and self‐criticism/reassurance. A high proportion of workers reported negative attitudes about mental health problems. There were strong relationships between mental health attitudes, mental health symptoms, self‐criticism, and self‐reassurance. Path analyses revealed that the total and indirect effects (through self‐criticism and self‐reassurance) of mental health attitudes on mental health were larger than the direct effect alone. Hated‐self and family reflected shame were identified as predictors for mental health symptoms. The findings suggest the importance of self‐criticism and self‐reassurance in mental health and mental health attitudes. Implications for help‐seeking behaviours also are discussed. Interventions aimed at reducing self‐criticism and enhancing self‐reassurance are recommended to improve mental health attitudes and increase help‐seeking in Japanese workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online learning is crucial to success for higher education institutions. Whilst the existing literature predominantly focused on its economic advantages, we focused on its inclusivity. At an online learning unit of a UK university, the number of students with disabilities (SWD) is three times higher than the national average. Having a degree makes significant financial and psychological differences in the lives of SWD. Though recent literature focused on inclusivity of online learning, an appraisal of first-hand experience of SWD studying online is a missing perspective. Accordingly, we aimed to explore their experience, using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews involving ten SWD. Three themes emerged: (1) having control over studies as an advantage of online learning, (2) personal touch helps SWD's online learning, and (3) challenges SWD experience with the social element of online learning. Our findings will help to develop the inclusivity of online learning to a new level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing awareness of mental health problems among UK business students, which appears to be exacerbated by students' attitudes of shame toward mental health. This study recruited 138 UK business students and examined the relationship between mental health and shame, and mental health and potential protective factors such as self-compassion and motivation. A significant correlation between each of the constructs was observed and self-compassion was identified as an explanatory variable for mental health. Shame moderated the relationship between self-compassion and mental health. Integrating self-compassion training into business study programs may help to improve the mental health of this student group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research about sex addiction and its relationships with other constructs remains unexplored. We recruited a gender-balanced sample (53 men, 51 women) who responded to measures of sex addiction, adverse childhood experience, adult attachment, narcissism, self-compassion, and motivation. Sex addiction was found to be statistically significantly associated with these constructs. Anxious attachment statistically significantly mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experience and sex addiction and the relationship between narcissism and sex addiction. Self-compassion did not statistically significantly moderate the relationship between anxious attachment and sex addiction. Therapeutic approaches targeting attachment and narcissism, such as relation-based or mindfulness-based interventions, are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of the general public negatively, associated with preventative measures, restricting life activities. These restrictions, such as the stay-at-home strategy, resulted in heightened stress, depression, loneliness, substance abuse, and domestic violence, violating people's occupational and personal lives. During the pandemic, the demands for role-play games (RPGs) have increased: for example, the sales of "Dungeons & Dragons" tripled, underscoring the potential mental health benefits of such games. However, research into the mental health benefits of such games remains under-developed, needing more scientific attention. Accordingly, this commentary paper reviews the existing literature, and suggests areas for application and research about RPGs and mental health including psychotherapy, career guidance, education, and people with disabilities. Insights offered can help practitioners and researchers in RPGs and mental health conduct empirical research and develop alternative approaches for mental health in stressful times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purposes of this study were to (i) assess levels of different types of work motivation in a sample of UK hospitality workers and make a cross-cultural comparison with Chinese counterparts and (ii) identify how work motivation and shame-based attitudes towards mental health explain the variance in mental health problems in UK hospitality workers. One hundred three UK hospitality workers completed self-report measures, and correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify significant relationships. Findings demonstrate that internal and external motivation levels were higher in UK versus Chinese hospitality workers. Furthermore, external motivation was more significantly associated with shame and mental health problems compared to internal motivation. Motivation accounted for 34-50% of mental health problems. This is the first study to explore the relationship between motivation, shame, and mental health in UK hospitality workers. Findings suggest that augmenting internal motivation may be a novel means of addressing mental health problems in this worker population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the application of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) has been reported worldwide, its scientific investigation is limited. Career consulting is one of the fields where NLP has been increasingly applied in Japan. This study explored why career consultants undertake NLP training, and what they find most useful to their practice. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with six career consultants, who had attended NLP certification training, revealed that they wanted to learn action-oriented NLP-based coaching skills in addition to their active-listening-based counselling skills. NLP provided frameworks to lead their clients’ thoughts efficiently, deepened their understanding of the human mind, and developed their attitude to understand others and themselves. The NLP skills found most useful were reframing and the Disney strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Poor mental health of healthcare students is a cause for concern in many universities. Though previous research has identified mental health shame and self-compassion as critical in this student group, how these variables differ across different healthcare disciplines remains to be evaluated. Healthcare students (n = 344; counselling, occupational therapy, social work and nursing) completed measures regarding these variables. MANOVA and regression analyses were performed. (1) Counselling and nursing students were more depressed than occupational therapy students; (2) nursing students were more anxious than occupational therapy and social work students; (3) occupational therapy students had more positive attitudes towards mental health than the others; and (4) nursing students worried about their own reputation associated with their family more than counselling students. Self-compassion was the strongest predictor of mental health in all groups; however, the effect sizes varied: largest in nursing and smallest in social work students. Findings will help inform effective interventions for students in each healthcare discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Japanese construct of ikigai reflects a sense of having 'purpose in life' or a 'reason for living and has been associated with a variety of positive health outcomes. However, to date little research into ikigai exists within Western populations. This study explored the predictive power of ikigai for measures of well-being, depression, and anxiety in an adult Western population. Ninety-four participants (70% female) responded to an online survey. After accounting for the covariates of sex, age, employment status, and student status, multiple hierarchical regression indicated that ikigai positively predicted well-being and negatively predicted depression. While on its own, ikigai negatively predicted anxiety; this was not the case after accounting for the aforementioned covariates. The findings support the importance for investigating ikigai in the West and the need for further exploration of ikigai as a potential means of bringing about benefit in mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about how the psychological stress of having experienced a natural disaster affects cancer patients. We experienced a patient who was treated with breast cancer after having been stricken by a typhoon, which resulted in significant psychological damage. Treatment strategies should incorporate patients' mental health appropriately after disasters. Given that most breast cancer patients are vulnerable to stress, treatment strategies that can reduce the psychological damage, both in the short and long term, such as implementing social engagement programs or self‐compassion training, have the potential to improve their management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UK depression prevalence is increasing. In this study we appraised the relationships between psychological factors of derailment, self-criticism, self-reassurance and depression, to identify individual differences within the UK general population indicating those at higher risk. Participants completed self-report measures regarding these constructs. Relationships were assessed using correlation and path analyses. Derailment and self-criticism predicted depression positively, whereas self-reassurance predicted depression negatively. Self-criticism mediated derailment’s relation to depression. Self-reassurance moderated derailment’s relation to depression, with low self-reassurance indicating greater depression, though self-reassurance was not found to moderate the effect of derailment-associated self-criticism on depression. In depression treatment therefore derailment should be considered as a target factor to be reduced, since derailment indicates a risk of depression for individuals with high self-criticism or low self-reassurance. . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shinrin-yoku ('') (i.e., forest bathing), a Japanese wellbeing practice, aims to harmonise a person with a forest by bathing in the forest mindfully using our five senses (Miyazaki, 2018). Practitioners can choose whatever they like to focus on in the forest: different colours of leaves, the sounds of streams, or the warmth of sunshine beaming between leaves. Since the birth of this practice in 1982, shinrin-yoku has been widely used in the Japanese clinical fields (Hansen, Jones, & Tocchini, 2017). Recently, this healing practice has received attention from healthcare practitioners and researchers worldwide (Wen, Yan, Pan, Gu, & Liu, 2019). In this commentary, we will discuss limitations of the current shinrin-yoku research, and how future research can be conducted to appraise the effects of shinrin-yoku on addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report shows that there is a lack of a legal framework in Japan to protect patients' right during the end‐of‐life period, which hinders the implementation of ACP in medical practice. This report suggests that legal support can contribute to the advancement of ACP while addressing cultural differences. Advance Care Planning has been widely advocated in Japan, but it has not yet taken root. The collective decision making culture in Japan may unconsciously overpower or ignore the patients' wishes, hence legal support can mitigate its negative impacts on ACP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefit of self-monitoring of blood glucose in reducing HbA1c in non-insulin-treated participants remains unclear. HbA1c may be improved in this population with said self-monitoring. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct meta-analyses of glycemic control in non-insulin-treated participants with Type 2 diabetes: self-monitoring of blood glucose versus usual care, structured versus unstructured self-monitoring of blood glucose, and use of self-monitoring of blood glucose readings by clinicians to adjust (or modify) therapy versus usual care. Methods : MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central were electronically searched to identify articles published from January 1, 2000, to June 30, 2020. Trials investigating changes in HbA1c were selected. Screening was performed independently by two investigators. Two investigators extracted HbA1c at baseline and follow-up for each trial. Results : Nineteen trials involving 4,965 participants were included. Overall, self-monitoring of blood glucose reduced HbA1c. Preplanned subgroup analysis showed that using self-monitoring of blood glucose readings to adjust therapy contributed significantly to the reduction. No significant improvement in HbA1c was shown in self-monitoring of blood glucose without therapy adjustment. The same difference was observed in structured versus unstructured self-monitoring of blood glucose. Discussion : HbA1c is improved with clinician therapy modification based on structured self-monitoring of blood glucose readings. Implications are for clinicians to prescribe structured self-monitoring of blood glucose to modify therapy based on the readings and not prescribe unstructured self-monitoring of blood glucose. Participants with suboptimal glycemic control may benefit most. A self-monitoring of blood glucose regimen that improves clinical and cost-effectiveness is presented. Future studies can investigate this regimen specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]