scholarly journals Double burden? Implications of indebtedness to general life satisfaction following negative life events in international comparison

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 614-628
Author(s):  
Nora Müller ◽  
Klaus Pforr ◽  
Oshrat Hochman
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
The Public ◽  
General Life Satisfaction

While debt is not problematic per se, it can become an additional burden when people experience negative life events–like unemployment, a severe disease, divorce, or their partner’s death–which can be detrimental for individuals’ subjective wellbeing. We investigate first, a potential moderating effect of economic resources or, better yet, lack thereof in the relations between negative life events and general life satisfaction, and second, whether this moderating effect is a function of state-level policies. We expect that, on average, debt has a reinforcing effect on the negative relationship between negative life events and general life satisfaction. Moreover, we expect that country-level policies protecting individuals from the negative consequences of experiencing a negative life event or indebtedness can explain the country differences in the moderating effect of debt. We test our assumptions among the population aged 50+ applying data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE). We apply a two-stage fixed-effects regression approach to estimate the moderation effect of debt on the relationship between negative life events and general life satisfaction within and across countries. Although we find an almost zero average moderating effect of debt across countries, we find large variance in the moderating effects between countries. This variance can be explained by debt regime, but not by the generosity of the public unemployment and the public health systems, or the level of gender equality.

The associations between family characteristics and depressive symptoms in older adults: a community-based survey in rural China

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1226-1234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Gong ◽  
Xiaopiao Wen ◽  
Chaoping Guan ◽  
Zhiqing Wang ◽  
Yuan Liang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
The Past

ABSTRACTBackground: The aim of the current study was to investigate the associations between family characteristics and depressive symptoms, and provide new evidence and recommendations for prevention and intervention in the depressive symptoms of older adults.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted door-to-door, utilizing a sample of 1,317 individuals aged 60 years and above in rural China. The five family characteristic variables recorded were: living with spouse, living with descendant, support of family members, self-reported family economic status in the previous year, and family-related negative life events that occurred anytime in the past with a continuous psychological effect during the past 12 months. Gender, age, years of schooling, and self-rated physical health status were taken as potential confounders. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine independent effects on depressive symptoms.Results: In addition to the potential confounders, only family-related negative life events, support of family members, and self-reported family economic status had significant effects on depressive symptoms in older adults. Experiencing a family-related negative life event was the most significant variable (OR = 11.70, 95% CI: 7.72–17.73), the second was support of family members (OR = 6.93, 95% CI: 3.26–14.70), while family economic status was less important than support of family members (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.08–5.25).Conclusion: This study, from the perspective of family characteristics on depressive symptoms in older adults, showed a strong correlation between being exposed to harmful family environments and depressive symptoms among the elderly. Efforts to address family risk factors and strengthen family cohesiveness deserve a higher priority, given the importance of these factors, compared with other efforts such as promoting economic development.

For better or worse: Negative life events and sibling relationships

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke Voorpostel ◽  
Tanja van der Lippe ◽  
Henk Flap
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Sibling Relationships ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Physical Illness ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Financial Problems ◽  
Life Event ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Law

Using Dutch data ( N = 6630), this article examines how sibling relationships (including full biological, half- and adopted siblings) differed for persons who experienced a negative life event (divorce, physical illness, psychological problems, addiction, problems with the law, victimization of abuse or financial problems) and those who did not. Results showed that people who experienced serious negative life events in the past often had less active, less supportive and more strained sibling ties. The group that experienced a physical illness formed an exception, showing more supportive and active sibling ties, but also higher levels of conflict. Results suggest inequality between persons who have experienced negative life events and those who have not in terms of access to positive and supportive sibling relationships.

scholarly journals Disentangling the causal inter-relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in women: a longitudinal twin study

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 1801-1814 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wichers ◽  
H. H. Maes ◽  
N. Jacobs ◽  
C. Derom ◽  
E. Thiery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Model Fitting ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study

BackgroundNegative life events are strongly associated with the development of depression. However, the etiologic relationship between life events and depression is complex. Evidence suggests that life events can cause depression, and depression increases the risk for life events. Additionally, third factors influencing both phenotypes may be involved. In this work we sought to disentangle these relationships using a genetically informative longitudinal design.MethodAdult female twins (n=536, including 281 twin pairs) were followed up for measurements of negative life event exposure and depressive symptoms. Four follow-ups were completed, each approximately 3 months apart. Model fitting was carried out using the Mx program.ResultsThe best-fitting model included causal paths from life events to depressive symptoms for genetic and shared environmental risk factors, whereas paths from depressive symptoms to life events were apparent for shared environmental factors. Shared latent influence on both phenotypes was found for individual-specific effects.ConclusionsLife events and depressive symptoms have complex inter-relationships that differ across sources of variance. The results of the model, if replicated, indicate that reducing life event exposure would reduce depressive symptoms and that lowering depressive symptoms would decrease the occurrence of negative life events.

scholarly journals Examining Response to Negative Life Events Through Fitness Tracker Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Faust ◽  
Keith Feldman ◽  
Suwen Lin ◽  
Stephen Mattingly ◽  
Sidney D'Mello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
The United States ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Life Event

Negative life events, such as the death of a loved one, are an unavoidable part of life. These events can be overwhelmingly stressful and may lead to the development of mental health disorders. To mitigate these adverse developments, prior literature has utilized measures of psychological responses to negative life events to better understand their effects on mental health. However, psychological changes represent only one aspect of an individual's potential response. We posit measuring additional dimensions of health, such as physical health, may also be beneficial, as physical health itself may be affected by negative life events and measuring its response could provide context to changes in mental health. Therefore, the primary aim of this work was to quantify how an individual's physical health changes in response to negative life events by testing for deviations in their physiological and behavioral state (PB-state). After capturing post-event, PB-state responses, our second aim sought to contextualize changes within known factors of psychological response to negative life events, namely coping strategies. To do so, we utilized a cohort of professionals across the United States monitored for 1 year and who experienced a negative life event while under observation. Garmin Vivosmart-3 devices provided a multidimensional representation of one's PB-state by collecting measures of resting heart rate, physical activity, and sleep. To test for deviations in PB-state following negative life events, One-Class Support Vector Machines were trained on a window of time prior to the event, which established a PB-state baseline. The model then evaluated participant's PB-state on the day of the life event and each day that followed, assigning each day a level of deviance relative to the participant's baseline. Resulting response curves were then examined in association with the use of various coping strategies using Bayesian gamma-hurdle regression models. The results from our objectives suggest that physical determinants of health also deviate in response to negative life events and that these deviations can be mitigated through different coping strategies. Taken together, these observations stress the need to examine physical determinants of health alongside psychological determinants when investigating the effects of negative life events.

scholarly journals Geographical identification of the vulnerable groups during COVID-19 crisis: the typhoon eye effect and its boundary conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pok Man Tang ◽  
Stephen X. Zhang ◽  
Chi Hon Li ◽  
Feng Wei
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Working Adults

AimAlthough some studies suggest the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with negative consequences on physical health, our knowledge about the detrimental effects of COVID-19 on people’s mental health is still nascent. This study uses typhoon eye theory to offer insights in helping clinical psychiatrists to screen people with well-being issues during COVID-19 outbreak.MethodsWe collected survey data from working adults across different geographical areas in China on 20 and 21 February 2020 during the outbreak of COVID-19. The sample contains 308 working adults, who were in various parts of China, with varying distance to the epicenter of Wuhan.ResultsIndividual adults’ distance to the epicenter was negatively associated with life satisfaction (β = −0.235, 95% CI −0.450 to −0.020, p = 0.032). This association between distance and life satisfaction was significant only for adults who were young or had smaller family sizes. For example, the negative relationship was strongest when the individuals were in the age bracket of 20 years old (15.7%; β = −0.703, 95% CI −1.098 to −0.307; p = 0.001) and single (32.3%; β = −0.767, 95% CI −1.125 to −0.408; p < 0.001).ConclusionOur results that people’s well-being deteriorates by the distance from the epicenter for specific groups of people help guide mental healthcare providers towards the regions that are further away from the epicenter in the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, our results indicate the practitioners should be cautious of using typhoon eye effect for individuals who were older or had a larger family size.

Additive and Synergetic Contributions of Neuroticism and Life Events to Depression and Anxiety in Women

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 390-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Kandler ◽  
Fritz Ostendorf
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Environmental Variance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Positive Life Events ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Stress Models

In this genetically informative and longitudinal study of women, we investigated the nature of individual differences in tendencies to depression (TD) and anxiety (TA) as well as in the probability to develop unipolar mood disorders (UMDs), anxiety disorders (ADs) or both. Specifically, we examined the roles of neuroticism, negative and positive life events and their interplay as heritable and environmental factors of variance in TD and TA. Cross–sectional data from a total of 1200 women including 232 patients (suffering from UMDs and/or ADs) and longitudinal data from 630 female twins including 260 complete pairs were analysed. The analyses yielded that variance in neuroticism mediated the vast majority of the genetic variance in both TD (about 85–90%) and TA (about 70–75%). Negative life events additionally contributed as risk factors accounting for common and specific environmental variance in both TD and TA, whereas positive life events only acted as protective factors in the case of TD. Moreover, TD but not TA was associated with both the probability of exposure and the sensitivity to negative life events and a negative life–event balance (i.e. more negative than positive experiences). The results were discussed within the framework of additive, dynamic and synergetic diathesis–stress models. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

Negative life events and life satisfaction in university students: Belief in a just world as a mediator and moderator

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 526-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xunlong Tian
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Just World ◽  
Cross Sectional

A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the role of belief in a just world between negative life events and life satisfaction. The results revealed that two dimensions of belief in a just world played partial mediating roles between negative life events and life satisfaction. Moreover, belief in a just world was also a moderator between negative life events and life satisfaction that mitigates the adverse effects of negative life events. In conclusion, these results suggest that belief in a just world could be both a mediator and a moderator between negative life events and life satisfaction.

The relationship between negative life events, psychological distress and life satisfaction: a population-based study

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 601-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnvor Marum ◽  
Jocelyne Clench-Aas ◽  
Ragnhild B. Nes ◽  
Ruth Kjærsti Raanaas
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Happy Hosts? International Tourist Arrivals and Residents’ Subjective Well-being in Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artjoms Ivlevs
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Tourism Impacts ◽  
Affective Component ◽  
International Tourist

While there has been a growing interest in the relationship between perceived tourism impacts and residents’ quality of life, little is known about how residents’ well-being is affected by actual tourist arrivals. This article studies the effect of international tourist arrivals on the subjective well-being—happiness and life satisfaction—of residents in European countries. Data come from the six waves of the European Social Survey, conducted in 32 countries in 2002-2013. The results of the OLS fixed-effects and instrumental-variable estimations suggest that tourist arrivals reduce residents’ life satisfaction. This negative relationship tends to be more pronounced in countries where tourism intensity is relatively high, as well as among people living in rural areas. In addition, tourist arrivals have a greater negative relationship with the evaluative component of subjective well-being (life satisfaction) than its affective component (happiness).

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