Mental Health of Parents and Life Satisfaction of Children: A Within-Family Analysis of Intergenerational Transmission of Well-Being

This paper addresses the extent to which there is an intergenerational transmission of mental health and subjective well-being within families. Specifically it asks whether parents’ own mental distress influences their child’s life satisfaction, and vice versa. Whilst the evidence on daily contagion of stress and strain between members of the same family is substantial, the evidence on the transmission between parental distress and children’s well-being over a longer period of time is sparse. We tested this idea by examining the within-family transmission of mental distress from parent to child’s life satisfaction, and vice versa, using rich longitudinal data on 1,175 British youths. Results show that parental distress at year t − 1 is an important determinant of child’s life satisfaction in the current year. This is true for boys and girls, although boys do not appear to be affected by maternal distress levels. The results also indicated that the child’s own life satisfaction is related with their father’s distress levels in the following year, regardless of the gender of the child. Finally, we examined whether the underlying transmission correlation is due to shared social environment, empathic reactions, or transmission via parent–child interaction.     

Physical and Mental Health Correlates of Self-Efficacy in Dementia Family Caregivers

This study examined whether self-efficacy for controlling upsetting caregiving thoughts would longitudinally predict mental and physical health as well as utilization of psychotropic medications in help-seeking dementia family caregivers (N = 53). Positive associations were found between self-efficacy and self-reported mental health and physical health subscales of the Short Form Health Questionnaire-12, and negative correlations were found between self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts about caregiving and the number of psychotropic medications being utilized both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. These results suggest that self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts may be a fruitful target area for further intervention research with dementia family caregivers.     

Divorce and parity progression following the death of a child: A register-based study from Finland

Most studies that have examined whether a child’s death influences parental relationship stability have used small-scale data sets and their results are inconclusive. A likely reason is that child loss affects not only the risk of parental separation, but also the risk of having another child. Hence parity progression and separation must be treated as two competing events in relation to child loss. The analysis in this paper used Finnish register data from 1971 to 2003, covering over 100,000 married couples whose durations of both first marriage and parenthood could be observed. We ran parity-specific Cox regressions in which process time started from the birth of each additional child. All marriages included women of childbearing age, none of whom had experienced any child death on entering the analysis. We find that child loss only modestly influences the divorce risk, whereas its effect on the risk of parity progression is considerable.     

Mental Health Concerns of Gay and Bisexual Men Seeking Mental Health Services

ABSTRACT

Little data exist about the mental health needs of gay and bisexual men. This is due to limitations of existing studies such as small and nonrepresentative samples, failure to assess sexual orientation, and concerns about stigmatization, possibly causing sexual minority individuals to be reluctant to disclose their sexual orientation to researchers. Fenway Community Health is a large urban health center that serves the LGBT community. The large number of gay and bisexual men who present for mental health treatment allows for a unique opportunity to gain insight into mental health, prevention, and intervention needs for this group. The current study is a review of the mental health information from all of the gay and bisexual men who reported that they were HIV-negative during their mental health intake over a six-month period at Fenway Community Health (January to June 2000; N = 92). The most frequent presenting problems were depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. Additionally, presenting problems included current or past abuse, substance abuse, finance and employment, recent loss, and family issues. The most frequent diagnoses were depression, anxiety disorders, and adjustment disorders. These findings support the notion that presenting problems and mental health concerns among gay and bisexual men are similar to those frequently reported by individuals in other mental health facilities, however, specific psychosocial stressors are unique to this population.     

Levels of Mental Health Continuum and Personality Traits

Empirically, mental health and mental illness are not opposite ends of a single measurement continuum. In view of this fact, Keyes (J Health Soc Behav, 43:207–202, 2002) operationalizes mental health as a syndrome of symptoms of both positive feelings (emotional well-being) and positive functioning (psychological and social well-being) in life. In his comprehensive model, the presence of mental health is described as flourishing in life, and the absence of mental health is characterized as languishing in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the discriminatory power of Big Five personality traits in discriminating among the levels of mental health continuum using an Iranian university student sample. Findings revealed that respondents with different levels of mental health differed significantly on four of the five personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness). All in all, the results of this study converged with prior findings about the importance of Big Five personality traits in predicting well-being.

退休对男性老年人健康的影响--基于断点回归的实证研究

退休是个体从过去工作生涯中抽身出来的转折点,退休后个人福利的变化是老龄化社会值得关注的问题。基于中国家庭追踪调查（ CFPS）2012年数据,以男性为例采用模糊断点回归的方法识别退休对个体心理、生理健康的因果影响。结果显示,退休对个体的生理健康并没有显著影响,但对其心理健康有显著的正向效应。从影响渠道来看,退休后个体压力减少,认知功能、记忆力以及对生活满意程度提升是导致健康（尤其是心理健康）改善的主要原因。本文的研究为未来退休政策的制定提供参考。     

河南省农村外出务工人员心理健康状况调查与分析

近年来,农民工问题成为社会研究的热点问题,他们的心理健康问题也越来越多地受到人们的关注。本文采用精神症状自评量表（SCL-90）对河南的抽样调查资料进行测评。结果显示。农民工的心理健康不仅在不同性别、不同婚姻状况以及务工时间长短方面与正常人存在差异．而且不同地区之间农民工的心理健康状况也有着显著差异。     

Joint Analysis of Health Histories,Physiological State,and Survival

Data on individual health histories, age trajectories of physiological or biological variables, and mortality allow for the study of the joint evolution of health and physiological states and their effects on mortality. Individual health and physiological trajectories are described using a stochastic process with two mutually-dependent continuous and jumping components. The parameters of this process and mortality rate are identified from the data in which the continuous component is measured in discrete times, and transitions of jumping process are observed.     

The LGB Mormon Paradox: Mental,Physical, and Self-Rated Health Among Mormon and Non-Mormon LGB Individuals in the Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Much of the literature on mental and physical health among religious LGB individuals has relied on small-N convenience samples. This study takes advantage of a unique, large-N, population-based dataset to test the relationship between religious identity, religious activity, and health, with a specific emphasis on Utah Mormons. In a surprising finding, Mormon LGBs report better mental health than non-Mormon LGBs, while their self-rated and physical health is not significantly different. However, there is some evidence that Mormon LGBs derive fewer health benefits from church attendance than their non-LGB Mormon counterparts. These results may nuance the conventional wisdom regarding the health dynamics of LGB individuals who identify with a conservative, heteronormative religious tradition, and plausible explanations are discussed.     

西部农村留守妇女的身心健康及其影响因素——来自四川农村的报告

本文采用西部地区24个行政村千余名农村妇女的调查数据,探讨了农村留守妇女的身心健康及影响因素。研究发现,留守确实影响了农村妇女的身心健康,留守妇女比非留守妇女更担心自己的身体健康状况,更倾向认为自己的身体健康状况不及同龄女性和比以前更差了,更容易出现一些生理和心理不健康的症状;留守妇女的家庭压力、社会支持网络、当地医疗卫生状况等因素对其身心健康有不同程度的影响。文章最后提出建立夫妻间良好的沟通机制、构建社会支持网络、改善农村医疗卫生状况三点建议。     

Construct and Criterion Validity of a Norwegian Instrument for Health Related Quality of Life Among Elderly Women Living at Home

Purpose of the study: The aim of the current study is to validate an instrument consisting of five items and first used in the Nord-Trondelag Health Survey (HUNT-5), as a measure of health related quality of life (QOL) in a population of elderly women living at home. Design and methods: A random sample of 307 women aged 75 years and over (mean 80.8 years, response rate 74.5%) and living at home were interviewed using the HUNT-5 instrument, the 20-question version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20) and the respondents’ records of their health status and functional ability. Results: No significant relationships were found between age and the sumscores of GHQ-20 and HUNT-5. Factor analysis indicated that HUNT-5 is primarily unidimensional. The Cronbach α for HUNT-5 was 0.79 and that for GHQ-20 was 0.87. The correlation between the HUNT-5 and the GHQ-20 sumscores was 0.75 (p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between some of the health and function items and the two QOL instruments (ranging from 0.14 to 0.68). Implications: This evaluation supports the psychometric validity of HUNT-5 for elderly women living at home. It is important to take into consideration the women’s own experience of their health and functional ability in planning therapy and in obtaining the best possible QOL for them.     

老年人心理压力、应对方式与心理健康关系的研究

为了探讨心理压力和应对方式对老年人心理健康的影响,本研究采用社会再适应量表、应对方式量表和心理健康症状自评量表,对武汉市随机抽取的442位60岁以上老年人进行了问卷调查。研究结果表明:心理压力对老年人心理健康有直接影响,心理压力越大,老年人心理健康水平越低;解决问题、自责和幻想三种应对方式在心理压力与心理健康之间起中介作用,采用解决问题的应对方式,有利于调节压力对老年人心理健康的影响;反之,采用自责和幻想的应对方式则不利于老年人心理健康。     

Cross-Cultural Analyses of Determinants of Quality of Life and Mental Health: Results from the Eurohis Study

Recent projects on international instrument development have produced a wide array of health indicators that may be used for cross-cultural field-testing, however more information on their cross-cultural performance in relation to health determinants is necessary. The current study approaches one step for international conceptual validation by analysing the association between various health determinants and different types of health outcomes (mental health, quality of life) across a range of countries or geographical areas. The current study is based on the EUROHIS project that has been conducted in a sample of 4849 adults across 10 European countries. Results highlight that interactions between health determinants with subjective mental health, general health and quality of life (QoL) differ between Western European countries, Eastern European countries and the Newly Associated States as well as Israel. Using a MIMIC model approach, we were able to show that the impact of each of the sociodemographic variables cannot be interpreted on the basis of its single loading but only seeing the interacting with other indicators. Future studies should include sociodemographics in MIMIC models in each latent factor before carrying out regressions on a larger scale. Future investigations will require larger and representative samples to (a) test models on latent factors of mental health and QoL and (b) on the basis of these findings test overall structural models across countries.     

Impact of Family Environment on Future Mental Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men

This study explored the relationship between dimensions of functioning in the family of origin of graduate students in helping profession programs and their attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. One hundred forty-three participants completed the Family Environment Scale (FES-R: Moos & Moos, 1986 Moos, R. H. and Moos, B. S. 1986. Family Environment Scale, 2nd, Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.  [Google Scholar]), the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale (ATLG: Herek, 1994 Herek, G. M. 1994. “Assessing attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: A review of empirical research with the ATLG scale”. In Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications, Edited by: Greene, B. and Herek, G.M. 206–224. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and demographic questions. Results suggest that three family dimensions (conflict, intellectual-cultural orientation, and moral-religious emphasis) significantly predicted attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. The results also revealed that younger students held more negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men than their older peers. Implications for educators, researchers, and practitioners are discussed.     

The Interaction of Same-Sex Marriage Access With Sexual Minority Identity on Mental Health and Subjective Wellbeing

Previous psychological and public health research has highlighted the impact of legal recognition of same-sex relationships on individual identity and mental health. Using a sample of U.S. sexual minority (N = 313) and heterosexual (N = 214) adults, participants completed a battery of mental health inventories prior to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) examining identity revealed sexual minority participants living in states where same-sex marriage was banned experienced significantly higher levels of internalized homonegativity than sexual minority participants living in states where same-sex marriage was legal, even after controlling for state-level political climate. Mental health ANCOVAs revealed sexual minority participants residing in states without same-sex marriage experienced greater anxiety and lower subjective wellbeing compared to sexual minority participants residing in states with same-sex marriage and heterosexual participants residing in states with or without same-sex marriage. Implications for public policy and future research directions are discussed.     

Disparities in Physical Health Conditions Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Studies

We conducted a systematic review to assess evidence for disparities for lesbian and bisexual women (i.e., sexual minority women [SMW]) in comparison with heterosexual women across a range of nine physical health conditions. Among the k = 11 studies meeting eligibility criteria, almost every comparison (i.e., heterosexual vs. (a) lesbian, (b) bisexual, or (c) both lesbian and bisexual women) was in a direction indicating SMW disparities. Despite limited power due to small samples of SMW, we found evidence of disparities as indicated by a statistically significant adjusted odds ratios for asthma (5 of 7 comparisons), obesity (8 of 12), arthritis (2 of 3), global ratings of physical health (4 of 7), and cardiovascular disease (1 of 1). Evidence was lacking for cancer (1 of 4), diabetes and hypertension (both 1 of 5), and high cholesterol (0 of 3). Future work should confirm findings in more diverse, larger samples and should examine potential explanatory factors.     

中国农村儿童健康不平等及其影响因素研究——基于CHNS数据的经验研究

本文使用“中国家庭营养与健康调查”（CHNS）数据,测度了中国农村儿童健康不平等程度,重点计算了收入、医疗保险、母亲教育水平等因素对健康不平等的贡献。回归基础上的集中系数及其分解结果显示：我国农村地区存在亲富人的健康不平等,高收入家庭儿童的健康状况更好;健康不平等主要的贡献因素是父母亲收入、母亲教育程度、母亲工作状况、父亲身高等：收入对于儿童健康不平等的贡献最大,但不同的收人类型表现出一定的差异。父母亲的工资收入对于儿童健康不平等的贡献为正,收入不平等会扩大健康不平等;医疗保险的不平等程度不断扩大,进一步强化了健康不平等。     

居住安排对居家老年人精神健康的影响--基于文化情境与年龄的调解效应

经济社会和家庭结构双重转型导致老年人居住安排的急剧变迁,正在动摇老年人传统照顾模式的文化与家庭基础,给老年人的精神健康带来不可忽视的影响。构建生命历程视角下的居住安排———文化情境———精神健康分析框架并进行实证研究,结果显示,相对空巢老人而言,与子女同住对老年人精神健康具有显著的积极效应,网络家庭老年人的生活满意度和抑郁水平都较高;居住安排———老年人精神健康关系受到居住地、婚姻状况的调节作用,对中低龄老年人作用尤其明显。与子女同住对老年人,尤其是农村和城市高龄老年人精神健康的积极效应显著,而网络家庭主要改善了农村老年人的生活满意度。     

Mental Health and Coping Patterns in Jewish Gay Men in Israel: The Role of Dual Identity Conflict,Religious Identity,and Partnership Status

This study examined the effects of dual-identity conflict, religious identity (religious/spiritual vs. sexual), and partnership status on the coping strategies and mental health of gay Jewish men in modern Israeli society. Participants were 73 religious and 71 secular gay men recruited via e-mail, social networking sites, and online resources targeting sexual minority men. Participants were assessed via measures of identity conflict, mental health, and coping strategies. Jewish gay men who reported more severe identity conflict also reported using less problem-focused and avoidance coping and more emotion-focused coping strategies and reported poorer mental health than their less identity-conflicted counterparts. Furthermore, gay men who self-identified as religious reported poorer mental health as well as less problem-focused coping and more emotion-focused coping compared to secular men. Religious gay men in romantic relationships reported lower intensities of dual-identity conflict and better mental health compared to their nonpartnered counterparts.