Psychological well-being in Europe after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has had devastating effects on the Ukrainian population and the global economy, environment, and political order. However, little is known about the psychological states surrounding the outbreak of war, particularly the mental well-being of individuals outside Ukraine. Here, we present a longitudinal experience-sampling study of a convenience sample from 17 European countries (total participants = 1,341, total assessments = 44,894, countries with >100 participants = 5) that allows us to track well-being levels across countries during the weeks surrounding the outbreak of war. Our data show a significant decline in well-being on the day of the Russian invasion. Recovery over the following weeks was associated with an individual's personality but was not statistically significantly associated with their age, gender, subjective social status, and political orientation. In general, well-being was lower on days when the war was more salient on social media. Our results demonstrate the need to consider the psychological implications of the Russo-Ukrainian war next to its humanitarian, economic, and ecological consequences.

The relationship between chronic fatigue syndrome, burnout, job satisfaction, social support and age among academics at a tertiary institution

Objectives: Over the last 20 years, tertiary institutions have been subjected to several changes. This has resulted in increased workloads for academics. Some academics have started to experience symptoms that are related to chronic fatigue syndrome and burnout. Researchers, however, cannot agree whether the 2 syndromes are two sides of the same coin or actually 2 separate constructs. This study that was conducted at a tertiary institution in South Africa therefore aimed to determine if these constructs accounted for the evidence of the same syndrome within an academic setting or if they were 2 separate, distinguishable constructs. However, since job satisfaction and social support play a role in the poor physical and psychological health experienced by individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome or burnout, it was decided to also include these 2 constructs into the investigation. Age was also incorporated because it had dissimilar relationships with burnout and chronic fatigue syndrome. Material and Methods: The participants completed the following questionnaires via an online survey: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptom Inventory, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale and the Social Support Scale. The data was used for constructing a structural equation model. Results: Job satisfaction was found to be a strong predictor of burnout. The number of symptoms indicative of chronic fatigue syndrome reported by the participants proved to be a relatively strong significant predictor of burnout. Age did not yield any significant relationship with any of the constructs. Conclusions: The results indicated that chronic fatigue and burnout should be perceived as 2 distinguishable constructs in the academic context. It should be noted, however, that some overlap exists between them. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(1):75 ­ 85

Facial Adiposity, Attractiveness, and Health: A Review.

The relationship between facial cues and perceptions of health and attractiveness in others plays an influential role in our social interactions and mating behaviors. Several facial cues have historically been investigated in this regard, with facial adiposity being the newest addition. Evidence is mounting that a robust link exists between facial adiposity and attractiveness, as well as perceived health. Facial adiposity has also been linked to various health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, blood pressure, immune function, diabetes, arthritis, oxidative stress, hormones, and mental health. Though recent advances in the analysis of facial morphology has led to significant strides in the description and quantification of facial cues, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a great deal of nuance in the way that humans use and integrate facial cues to form coherent social or health judgments of others. This paper serves as a review of the current literature on the relationship between facial adiposity, attractiveness, and health. A key component in utilizing facial adiposity as a cue to health and attractiveness perceptions is that people need to be able to estimate body mass from facial cues. To estimate the strength of the relationship between perceived facial adiposity and body mass, a meta-analysis was conducted on studies that quantified the relationship between perceived facial adiposity and BMI/percentage body fat. Summary effect size estimates indicate that participants could reliably estimate BMI from facial cues alone (r = 0.71, n = 458).