The Role of Self-Compassion and Attributions in the Mental Health of Older Adolescents amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aimed to examine the relationship among self-compassion, attributional styles, and mental health and their components in older adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of each component of self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification) and attributions (globality, stability, self-worth, and negative consequences) in predicting mental health was also analyzed. There were 322 participants aged 18 to 22 that participated in an online survey. The participants filled out a form that consisted of sociodemographic questions, COVID-19-related questions, the Self-Compassion Scale, the Mental Health Continuum-short form-and the Cognitive Styles Questionnaire-very short form. The results indicated moderate levels of self-compassion, attributions, and mental health in participants. Furthermore, gender differences in self-compassion were confirmed, meaning that male participants had higher total levels of self-compassion, and certain differences were observed on attribution subscales, but not on well-being subscales. Self-compassion and mental health were found to be positively correlated with each other and negatively correlated with negative attributions. Of the four attributional components, stability and negative consequences were revealed to be significant negative predictors in the first step but lost their significance with the inclusion of self-compassion components in the second step of the analysis. Regarding the six components of self-compassion, self-kindness, recoded isolation, and common humanity were significant positive predictors in the second step of the analysis. COVID-19-related items did not show any significant intergroup differences. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between positive mental health, self-compassion, and attributions in older adolescents so that they can be used as theoretical support for related interventions, especially during and after times of crisis, such as a pandemic.

Tie--an accessory fashion detail or a symbol?

AIM: The first aim of this study was to establish the frequency of wearing a tie or business neckerchief on different occasions and in relation to age and educational level. The second aim was to establish whether men who frequently wear a tie were attributed certain characteristics more often than men who rarely wear a tie and to establish whether there were differences in the attribution of these characteristics according to sex, age, educational level, and the frequency of wearing a tie. METHOD: Data were collected in 2005 by a method of face to face interview on a national representative sample (n = 1007). Participants estimated how often they wore a tie or business neckerchief on 9 different occasions. They also estimated whether each of 14 characteristics was more pronounced in men who frequently wear a tie. RESULTS: Tie was most frequently worn on festive and formal occasions,such as weddings and festive gatherings, and least frequently on family gatherings and when traveling. On all occasions, tie was more often worn by men of higher educational level and of older and middle age. A relatively small proportion of Croatian citizens based their conclusions on men's characteristics on the frequency of wearing a tie. Men who frequently wear a tie were relatively most often attributed the characteristics of ambition, politeness, and respectability, with significant differences found between persons who attributed these characteristics according to sex, age, educational level, and the frequency of wearing a tie by the participants themselves. CONCLUSION: Wearing a tie or neckerchief is an exception rather than a rule for most of the Croatian population, and is associated only with specific, primarily festive and formal occasions. Such use of the tie suggests that people adapt their style of clothing to the expectations of others and use it as a specific symbol of the occasion.