Environmental mastery and purpose of life during COVID-19-related lockdown: A study deepening the role of personal and community resilience.

COVID-19 outbreak and the measures needed to contain its first wave of contagion produced broad changes in citizens' daily lives, routines, and social opportunities, putting their environmental mastery and purpose of life at risk. However, these measures produced different impacts across citizens and communities. Building on this, the present study addresses citizens' understanding of the rationale for COVID-19-related protective measures and their perception of their own and their community's resilience as protective dimensions to unravel the selective effect of nationwide lockdown orders. An online questionnaire was administered to Italian citizens during Italian nationwide lockdown. Two moderation models were performed using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) path analysis. The results show that the understanding of the rationale for lockdown only associated with citizens' purpose of life and that it represented a risk factor rather than a protective one. Furthermore, the interaction effects were significant only when community resilience was involved. That is, personal resilience did not show the expected moderation effect, while community resilience did. However, the latter varied between being either full or partial depending on the dependent variable. In light of the above, the theoretical and practical implications of these results will be discussed.

Mindfulness and psychological distress in men during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of environmental mastery and purpose in life.

Men's mental health has been severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many studies focussing on the determinants of men's psychological distress. This study aimed at examining the relationships between mindfulness, environmental mastery (EM), purpose in life (PL) and indicators of psychological distress (i.e., common mental disorders and perceived stress). This was a cross-sectional online study in which participants were 1,006 men aged between 29 and 39 years (45.1%), residing in Brazil during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A parallel multiple mediator model was used to test the study variables' relationships, using mindfulness as the independent variable and indicators of psychological distress as the dependent variables. Results indicated that EM and PL significantly mediated the effects of mindfulness on men's psychological distress, lowering its levels and accounting for 31% of common mental disorders and 51% of perceived stress. Implications for public health policies and clinical practice are discussed.

The Happy Home: Ageing, Migration, and Housing in Relation to Older Migrants' Subjective Wellbeing.

(1) Background: With an increasingly diversifying ageing population, it is important to understand what 'ageing well' means to older adults with a migration background. Given older adults' preference to age in place and declining mobility, housing is a significant place in later life. Therefore, this paper explores the influence of housing, migration, and age on older migrants' subjective wellbeing, with attention to immaterial aspects such as a sense of home as well. (2) Methods: In-depth interviews with older migrants from various ethnicities (N = 22) were conducted. The data collection and analysis were led by an inductive and deductive approach through thematic analysis. (3) Results: The results point to the dynamic nature of age(ing) and the role of migration background in the subjective wellbeing of older migrants. The need for preserving one's housing situation and environmental mastery in later life is highlighted. Furthermore, the relation and mutual influence of subjective wellbeing and sense of home is uncovered. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights the intersection of age, migration, and housing to the subjective wellbeing and sense of home of older migrants. In addition, influences on older migrants' subjective wellbeing concern both a material (i.e., housing) and immaterial (i.e., sense of home, age, migration) base.

Caregiving burden of informal caregivers of older adults with advanced cancer: The effects of rurality and education.

OBJECTIVES: Rural-urban disparities in the experiences of caregivers of older adults with advanced cancer may exist. This study examined factors associated with caregiver mastery and burden and explored whether rural-urban disparities in caregiver outcomes differed by education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Longitudinal data (baseline, 4-6 weeks, and 3 months) on caregivers of older adults (≥ 70) with advanced cancer were obtained from a multicenter geriatric assessment (GA) trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02107443). Rurality was determined based on 2010 Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes. Caregivers' education was categorized as ≥ some college vs ≤ high school. Caregiver outcomes included Ryff Environmental Mastery (scored 7-35) and Caregiver Reaction Assessment (including self-esteem, disrupted schedules, financial problems, lack of social support, and health problems; each scored 1-5). Separate linear mixed models with interaction term of education and rurality were performed. RESULTS: Of 414 caregivers, 64 (15.5%) were from rural areas and 263 (63.5%) completed ≥ some college. Rurality was significantly associated with more disrupted schedules (ß = 0.21), financial problems (ß = 0.17), and lack of social support (ß = 0.11). A significant interaction between education and rurality was found, with rurality associated with lower mastery (ß = -1.27) and more disrupted schedule (ß = 0.25), financial problems (ß = 0.33), and lack of social support (ß = 0.32) among caregivers with education ≤ high school. CONCLUSION: Our study identifies subgroups of caregivers who are vulnerable to caregiving burden, specifically those from rural areas and with lower education. Multifaceted interventions are needed to improve caregivers' competency and reduce caregiving burden.

Caregiver-Oncologist Prognostic Concordance, Caregiver Mastery, and Caregiver Psychological Health and Quality of Life.

BACKGROUND: Caregivers of adults with cancer often report a different understanding of the patient's prognosis than the oncologist. We examine the associations of caregiver-oncologist prognostic concordance with caregiver depressive symptoms, distress, and quality of life (QoL). We also explore whether these relationships differed by caregiver environment mastery, an individual's sense of control, and effectiveness in managing life situations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from a national geriatric assessment cluster-randomized trial (URCC 13070) that recruited patients aged 70 years and older with incurable cancer considering any line of cancer treatment at community oncology practices, their caregivers, and their oncologists. At enrollment, caregivers and oncologists estimated the patient's prognosis (0-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-5 years, and >5 years; identical responses were concordant). Caregivers completed the Ryff's environmental mastery at enrollment. At 4-6 weeks, caregivers completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (depressive symptoms), distress thermometer, and 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (quality of life [QoL]). We used generalized estimating equations in models adjusted for covariates. We then assessed the moderation effect of caregiver mastery. RESULTS: Of 411 caregiver-oncologist dyads (mean age = 66.5 years), 369 provided responses and 28% were concordant. Prognostic concordance was associated with greater caregiver depressive symptoms (ß = 0.30; p = .04) but not distress or QoL. A significant moderation effect for caregiver depressive symptoms was found between concordance and mastery (p = .01). Specifically, among caregivers with low mastery (below median), concordance was associated with greater depressive symptoms (ß = 0.68; p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver-oncologist prognostic concordance was associated with caregiver depressive symptoms. We found a novel moderating effect of caregiver mastery on the relationship between concordance and caregiver depressive symptoms. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Caregiver-oncologist prognostic concordance is associated with greater caregiver depressive symptoms, particularly in those with low caregiver mastery. When discussing prognosis with caregivers, physicians should be aware that prognostic understanding may affect caregiver psychological health and should assess their depressive symptoms. In addition, while promoting accurate prognostic understanding, physicians should also identify strengths and build resilience among caregivers.

Subjective incompetence as a predictor of treatment outcomes in eating disorder outpatients.

Eating disorder (ED) patients are frequently characterized by feelings of inefficacy. The aims of the present study were to investigate subjective incompetence and whether its early modification in therapy is associated with treatment response in terms of both psychological distress and well-being. Sixty female ED outpatients undergoing cognitive-behaviorally-based treatment integrated with nutritional rehabilitation were evaluated using: Subjective Incompetence Scale (SIS), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Psychological Well-being Scales (PWB). Repeated measures analysis of variance to test changes in variables and hierarchical regression analyses to test the predictive role of SIS were conducted. Significant improvements in SIS, and in distress measures (EAT, BDI-II) and well-being (PWB) were observed by mid-treatment. Early SIS reductions in patients significantly predicted reductions in EAT-food and bulimic preoccupations, EAT-oral control and EAT-dietary restraint scores, independently of initial depressive symptomatology and illness severity. Gains in three PWB dimensions (environmental mastery, purpose in life, self-acceptance) were also predicted by changes in subjective incompetence. Treatment response might be enhanced by targeting more specifically persistent feelings of incompetence associated with ED symptomatology and compromised psychological well-being dimensions. Such paucities in positive functioning are central themes in EDs and if left untreated might represent obstacles to recovery.

Mastery matters most: How mastery and positive relations link attachment avoidance and anxiety to negative emotions.

Attachment avoidance and anxiety are associated with negative emotions. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations are not fully understood. We investigated environmental mastery and positive relations with others as two mechanisms behind the attachment-emotion link in a sample of 343 adults. As predicted, attachment avoidance and anxiety were related to greater fear, hostility, envy and depression through lower mastery. Contrary to our hypothesis, positive relations mediated only the attachment-depression link. In addition, by adopting a moderated mediation approach, we were able to show that mastery mattered most for individuals high on avoidance: The indirect effect of avoidance through lack of mastery on fear, hostility and depression (but not on envy) increased with higher avoidance scores. Contrary to our predictions, poor relationships did not matter more as sources of negative emotions as anxiety increased. These findings underscore that the emotional life of avoidantly attached individuals is especially jeopardised by poor mastery.

The affective profiles, psychological well-being, and harmony: environmental mastery and self-acceptance predict the sense of a harmonious life.

Background. An important outcome from the debate on whether wellness equals happiness, is the need of research focusing on how psychological well-being might influence humans' ability to adapt to the changing environment and live in harmony. To get a detailed picture of the influence of positive and negative affect, the current study employed the affective profiles model in which individuals are categorised into groups based on either high positive and low negative affect (self-fulfilling); high positive and high negative affect (high affective); low positive and low negative affect (low affective); and high negative and low positive affect (self-destructive). The aims were to (1) investigate differences between affective profiles in psychological well-being and harmony and (2) how psychological well-being and its dimensions relate to harmony within the four affective profiles. Method. 500 participants (mean age = 34.14 years, SD. = ±12.75 years; 187 males and 313 females) were recruited online and required to answer three self-report measures: The Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule; The Scales of Psychological Well-Being (short version) and The Harmony in Life Scale. We conducted a Multivariate Analysis of Variance where the affective profiles and gender were the independent factors and psychological well-being composite score, its six dimensions as well as the harmony in life score were the dependent factors. In addition, we conducted four multi-group (i.e., the four affective profiles) moderation analyses with the psychological well-being dimensions as predictors and harmony in life as the dependent variables. Results. Individuals categorised as self-fulfilling, as compared to the other profiles, tended to score higher on the psychological well-being dimensions: positive relations, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, autonomy, personal growth, and purpose in life. In addition, 47% to 66% of the variance of the harmony in life was explained by the dimensions of psychological well-being within the four affective profiles. Specifically, harmony in life was significantly predicted by environmental mastery and self-acceptance across all affective profiles. However, for the low affective group high purpose in life predicted low levels of harmony in life. Conclusions. The results demonstrated that affective profiles systematically relate to psychological well-being and harmony in life. Notably, individuals categorised as self-fulfilling tended to report higher levels of both psychological well-being and harmony in life when compared with the other profiles. Meanwhile individuals in the self-destructive group reported the lowest levels of psychological well-being and harmony when compared with the three other profiles. It is proposed that self-acceptance and environmental acceptance might enable individuals to go from self-destructive to a self-fulfilling state that also involves harmony in life.

Cognitive status moderates the relationship between out-of-home behavior (OOHB), environmental mastery and affect.

Studies on the relationship between behavioral competence, such as the competence of exerting out-of-home behavior (OOHB), and well-being in older adults have rarely addressed cognitive status as a potentially moderating factor. We included 35 persons with early-stage dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT), 76 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 146 cognitively healthy (CH) study participants (grand mean age: M=72.9 years; SD=6.4 years). OOHB indicators were assessed based on a multi-method assessment strategy, using both GPS (global positioning system) tracking technology and structured self-reports. Environmental mastery and positive as well as negative affect served as well-being indicators and were assessed by established questionnaires. Three theoretically postulated OOHB dimensions of different complexity (out-of-home walking behavior, global out-of-home mobility, and out-of-home activities) were supported by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We also found in the DAT group that environmental mastery was substantially and positively related to less complex out-of-home walking behavior, which was not the case in MCI and CH individuals. In contrast, more complex out-of-home activities were associated with higher negative affect in the DAT as well as the MCI group, but not in CH persons. These findings point to the possibility that relationships between OOHB and well-being depend on the congruence between available cognitive resources and the complexity of the OOHB dimension considered.

La relación entre la discriminación percibida y el balance afectivo en personas con discapacidad física: el papel mediador del dominio del entorno / The relationship between perceived discrimination and affective balance on people with physical disabilities: the mediating role of environmental mastery / A relação entre a discriminação percebida e o balanço afetivo em pessoas com deficiência física: o papel mediador do dominio do ambiente

Numerosas investigaciones ponen de manifiesto que la discriminación percibida tiene un efecto negativo importante en la salud física y mental de las personas pertenecientes a diversos grupos estigmatizados. El objetivo del presente estudio es investigar la relación entre la discriminación percibida y el balance entre emociones positivas y negativas en personas con discapacidad física. Asimismo, se analiza el papel mediador de una variable especialmente relevante en relación con las personas con discapacidad física, el dominio del entorno (Ryff, 1989a), como factor protector de la influencia negativa de la discriminación. En el estudio participaron 52 personas con discapacidad física. Los resultados mostraron que la relación negativa entre la discriminación percibida y el balance afectivo se reduce significativamente al introducir el dominio del entorno en la ecuación. Asimismo, se encontró que la edad de los participantes está positivamente relacionada, tanto con el balance afectivo, como con el dominio del entorno. Esta investigación demuestra que en la medida en que las personas con discapacidad física se sienten con la habilidad personal de elegir o crear entornos favorables, los efectos negativos del estigma disminuyen.

There is a large body of research showing that perceived discrimination has a negative effect on physical and mental health of persons belonging to different stigmatized groups. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between perceived discrimination and affective balance in people with physical disabilities. In addition, the mediating role of a special relevant variable -the environmental mastery (Ryff, 1989a) - is analyzed in relation to people with physical disabilities as a protective factor against negative discrimination. Participants in the study were 52 people with physical disabilities. Results showed that the negative relationship between perceived discrimination and affective balance is significantly reduced by introducing environmental mastery into the equation. It was also found that the age of the participants shows a positive association both with affective balance and environmental mastery. This research shows that to the extent that people with physical disabilities feel able to choose or create favorable environments, the negative effects of stigma are reduced.

Numerosas pesquisas põem em evidência que a discriminação percebida tem um efeito negativo grande na saúde física e mental das pessoas pertencentes a diversos grupos estigmatizados. O objetivo do presente estudo é pesquisar a relação entre a discriminação percebida e o balanço entre emoções positivas e negativas em pessoas com deficiência física. Da mesma forma, analisa-se o papel mediador de uma variável especialmente relevante em relação com as pessoas com deficiência física, o domínio do ambiente (Ryff, 1989a), como fator protetor da influência negativa da discriminação. No estudo participaram 52 pessoas com deficiência física. Os resultados mostraram que a relação negativa entre a discriminação percebida e o balanço afetivo se reduz significativamente ao introduzir o domínio do ambiente na equação. Da mesma forma, encontrou-se que a idade dos participantes está positivamente relacionada, tanto com o balanço afetivo, como com o domínio do ambiente. Esta pesquisa demonstra que na medida em que as pessoas com deficiência física sentem-se com a habilidade pessoal de escolher ou criar ambientes favoráveis, os efeitos negativos do estigma diminuem.