The Moderated Mediation Effect of Age and Relaxation on the Relationship between the Type A Behavior Pattern and Blood Pressure in South Korea.

Although it is generally known that the type A behavior pattern (TABP) is associated with high blood pressure, recent studies have not consistently supported this association. Therefore, it is important to determine which factors moderate and mediate this relationship. The purpose of this study was to verify the moderated mediation effect of age and relaxation in the relationship between TABP and high blood pressure among middle-aged adults in South Korea. This study utilized data from the Korea Health and Genome Study (KHGS) supported by the Korea National Institute of Health. The participants in the present study were 10,022 Korean adults aged 40 to 69. To identify the conditional indirect effect of TABP on blood pressure through relaxation, with a consideration of age, a moderated mediation model using SPSS PROCESS macro 3.10 was applied. As is generally known, TABP was associated with high blood pressure, but its relevance was reversed through relaxation. Moreover, this relationship was moderated by age, which is known to be the most powerful predictor of high blood pressure. The lower age group with TABP exhibited a higher relaxation, whereas the higher age group with TABP demonstrated a lower relaxation. The findings demonstrate the need for relaxation education, stress management, or counseling to help individuals recognize their behavior patterns and strengthen the willingness and motivation for relaxation, especially among elderly people with TABP, in order to manage their blood pressure effectively.

Estimating the economic value of counselling services using the contingent valuation method.

This study aimed to justify the use of the contingent valuation method to elicit the willingness to pay (WTP) for counselling services and to analyse the socio-demographic and psychological factors that influence WTP (through an increase in insurance premiums) for counselling services in South Korea. Regarding WTP for counselling services, the researchers asked 561 participants double-bounded dichotomous choice questions, which is one of the major estimation methods. Two survival analysis models were set up with their corresponding variables to investigate the factors affecting the WTP for an increase in insurance premiums to cover counselling services. The results indicate that a person in South Korea who makes KRW 2,500,000 (USD 2223.21) per month and pays KRW 66,625 (USD 59.25) per month in insurance premiums is willing to pay a roughly 1% premium to receive additional counselling services. The first regression analysis model for WTP showed that pocket money and counselling experience had significant positive effects while gender had a significant negative effect. The second model included four additional psychological factors and the significant effects of gender and counselling experience that had been found in the first model disappeared while only pocket money showed a significant effect on WTP.

Relationships between social support and student burnout: A meta-analytic approach.

This study is a meta-analysis of 19 relevant studies, with 95,434 participants, investigating the relationships between various types of social support and 3 dimensions of student burnout. The overall results indicate that social support is negatively correlated with student burnout. Specifically, school or teacher supports have the strongest negative relationship to student burnout. Social supports from parents and from peers also have a significant negative relationship with student burnout. Among the 3 dimensions of student burnout, inefficacy was more strongly related to social support than emotional exhaustion or cynicism. The results of a moderation analysis suggest that the type of schools (secondary school and postsecondary school) affected the relationships between the overall social support and student burnout. We discuss the implications to ameliorate student burnout.

University students' perceived need for mental health services: A study of variables related to not seeking help.

This study analyzed data from the 2012 Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey, collected from undergraduate students at 9 universities. Researchers explored how demographic and behavioral variables related to avoidance of psychological help when needed. A total of 7,992 SERU participants responded to target items included in the present study. We examined whether student characteristics and behaviors differed between 3 self-report groups: (1) students who indicated they did not need counseling services; (2) students who reported needing counseling services, but not using them; and (3) students who reported using counseling services at least once during the 2012 academic year. Students who reported needing, but not using, counseling services were significantly different from the other 2 groups in that they were more likely to be female, Hispanic, endorse financial difficulties, and work longer hours while attending school. The 3 groups did not differ in understanding others with observable disabilities. Implications for college counselors and student affairs personnel are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Burnout syndrome in psychotherapists: a comparative analysis of five nations.

Burnout is a common phenomenon among psychotherapists. The purpose of this study was to test the Counselor Burnout Inventory (CBI; Lee et al., 2007) measurement invariance, as well as compare means of five latent variables (i.e., CBI subscales of Exhaustion, Incompetence, Negative Work Environment, Devaluing Client, and Deterioration in Personal Life) across five nations (United States, Korea, Japan, Philippines, and Hong Kong) using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that the assumptions of configural, factor loading, and intercept invariance were satisfied across the five nations. When comparing means of five latent variables, the results indicated differential burnout tendencies across the five nations. Implications for psychotherapists' burnout prevention and future research are discussed.