Effects of vacation from work on health and well-being: Lots of fun,quickly gone

Abstract

Although vacation from work provides a valuable opportunity for recovery, few studies have met the requirements for assessing its effects. These include taking measurements well ahead of the vacation, during the vacation and at several points in time afterwards. Our study on vacation (after-) effects focused on two related questions: (1) Do health and well-being of working individuals improve during a vacation? and (2) How long does a vacation effect last after resumption of work? In a longitudinal study covering seven weeks, 96 Dutch workers reported their health and well-being levels two weeks before a winter sports vacation, during vacation and one week, two weeks and four weeks after vacation on seven indicators. Participants' health and well-being improved during vacation on five indicators: health status, mood, tension, energy level and satisfaction. However, during the first week of work resumption, health and well-being had generally returned to pre-vacation levels. In conclusion, a winter sports vacation is associated with improvements in self-reported health and well-being among working individuals. However, these effects fade out rapidly after work resumption. We propose a framework for future vacation research and suggest investigating the role of vacation type, duration and means to prolong vacation relief.     

置业顾问幸福感与自尊和工作体验的关系研究

采用量表调查法,用自编置业顾问工作体验问卷,调查了北京地区置业顾问幸福感与自尊和工作体验的关系,得出以下结论:置业顾问的总体幸福感呈中等水平,在性别、学历和工作区域上无显著差异;置业顾问的自尊水平较高,在工作区域上差异显著;置业顾问的工作体验包括文化精神体验、物质保障体验和环境转换经历三个维度,物质保障体验维度上,有显著性别差异,在环境转换经历维度上,性别和学历上均有显著差异;置业顾问的总体幸福感、自尊和工作体验两两显著相关;自尊和文化精神体验对总体幸福感具有正向预测作用。     

大学生应对方式的发展特点及其对心理健康的影响

深入考察大学生应对方式的发展特点及其对心理健康的影响, 以期为大学生心理健康教育提供实证依据和理论指导;采用横断研究与纵向研究相结合的方式, 对660名大学生进行了问卷研究。结果发现:各年级大学生位居前3名的应对方式均为“筹划行动”、“接受”与“主动克制”;4年中, 大学生的应对方式发生了显著变化(F=2.498, P=0.000), 但并未随着年级的升高而变积极;“情绪宣泄”和“求助宗教”对大学生心理健康的各项指标均具显著的消极影响, “停滞放弃”则对人际敏感性、抑郁和总体心理健康状况具有显著消极影响(P值均小于0.05)。大学生的不良应对方式值得关注, 应根据不同年级特点开展心理健康教育。     

What the 2008 Stock Market Crash Means for Retirement Security

The 2008 stock market crash raises concerns about retirement security, especially since the increased prevalence of 401(k) and similar retirement saving plans means that more Americans are now stakeholders in the equity market than in the past. Using a dynamic microsimulation model, this paper explores the ability of alternate future stock market scenarios to restore retirement assets. The authors find that those near retirement could fare the worst because they have no time to recoup their losses. Mid-career workers could fare better because they have more time to rebuild their wealth. They may even gain income if they buy stocks at low prices and get above-average rates of return. High-income groups will be the most affected because they are most likely to have financial assets and to be invested in the stock market.     

Commentary: The Emergence and Application of Active Aging in Europe

Active aging is established as the leading global policy strategy in response to population aging. In practice, however, the term active aging serves as a convenient shelter for a wide range of policy discourses and initiatives concerning demographic change. The twin purposes of this article are, first, to examine its European origins and how it has been applied in the world's oldest region. This policy analysis illustrates the contrast between the primarily European discourse on active aging, which emphasizes health, participation, and well-being, and the U.S. discourse that prioritizes productivity. The application of active aging in Europe has, nonetheless, been predominantly in the productivist mold. The examination of the emergence of this key policy concept in Europe is contextualized by an outline of the changing politics of aging in this region. The second purpose of the article is to set out a new, comprehensive strategy on active aging that is intended to realize the full potential of the concept. Understanding of the need for this broad vision of active aging is facilitated by the historical policy review.     

Adolescents Caught in Parental Loyalty Conflicts

A group of 220 13- to 16-year old Catholic high school boys were administered a questionnaire regarding their exposure to parental loyalty conflict behaviors, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, depression, and rule-breaking behaviors. Results revealed high rates of exposure to parental loyalty conflict—especially in divorced families—as well as statistically significant associations with psychological maltreatment and depression. These data build on and extend earlier findings documenting the prevalence of children's involvement in parental conflict and the negative effects of that experience.     

Different Challenges,Different Well-Being: A Comparison of Psychological Well-Being Across Stepmothers and Biological Mothers and Across Four Categories of Stepmothers

Although previous research has indicated stepfamilies experience poorer mental well-being than biological families, it has focused primarily on stepfather-led families. In contrast, this study focuses on the well-being of stepmothers. It is also the first to compare well-being across all combinations of residential, nonresidential, simple, and complex stepfamilies and to measure anxiety and depression as indicators of stepmother well-being. Participants were 333 biological mothers and stepmothers. Among the results, in comparison to biological mothers, full complex and part simple stepmothers reported significantly higher mean levels of, respectively, depression and anxiety. Results also suggest that, for biological mothers but not for stepmothers, having a long-term partner might be a buffer against anxiety and depression.     

Understanding the Factors Related to Stepmother Anxiety: A Qualitative Approach

Stepparenting is widely recognized as a stressful experience, with higher levels of stress and anxiety experienced by stepmothers than stepfathers. This study sought to examine the experiences of stepmothers to help understand the perceived factors related to their increased anxiety within the stepfamily. A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted in the United Kingdom. Results suggested that stepmother anxiety is predominantly related to three areas: their relationship with the biological mother, their relationship with their stepchildren, and lack of clarity regarding the stepmother role. It is posited that interventions designed to clarify the stepmother role and improve and strengthen relationships between stepfamily members would help alleviate anxiety and thus improve stepmother well-being.     

Kinship Care: Analysis of the Health and Well-Being of Grandfathers Raising Grandchildren Using the Grandparent Assessment Tool and the Medical Outcomes Trust SF-36 TM Health Survey

ABSTRACT

As more and more children are being separated from their biological parents because of AIDS, substance abuse, mental and physical illness, incarceration, and child abuse and neglect, child welfare agencies are relying more often on kinship care as a viable option for out-of-home placements. In many cases, kinship care falls on the grandparents. While keeping children within their families is generally viewed as preferable by child welfare agencies, it can be a burden on grandparent caregivers, who often exist on severely limited incomes and without much assistance or support from social service agencies. A research project was conducted which used both quantitative and qualitative data from research conducted by Jones and Gibbons (2000) on grandparent care, but this study focuses on the experiences of grandfathers who participated in the project and examines their outcomes in several different areas.     

Rural Kinship Caregivers' Perceptions of Child Well-Being: The Use of Attribution Theory

Sixty-one rural, southwestern U.S. kinship caregivers were asked about their experiences and how those experiences influence the well-being of the 122 children in their care. They reported high levels of caregiving readiness/capacity and parenting abilities. Attribution theory, the manner in which people associate behavior, is used to interpret the findings and provide a set of practice, programming, and policy recommendations.