Meta-Regression on the Heterogenous Factors Contributing to the Prevalence of Mental Health Symptoms During the COVID-19 Crisis Among Healthcare Workers.

Objective: This paper used meta-regression to analyze the heterogenous factors contributing to the prevalence rate of mental health symptoms of the general and frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in China under the COVID-19 crisis. Method: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Medrxiv and pooled data using random-effects meta-analyses to estimate the prevalence rates, and ran meta-regression to tease out the key sources of the heterogeneity. Results: The meta-regression results uncovered several predictors of the heterogeneity in prevalence rates among published studies, including severity (e.g., above severe vs. above moderate, p < 0.01; above moderate vs. above mild, p < 0.01), type of mental symptoms (PTSD vs. anxiety, p = 0.04), population (frontline vs. general HCWs, p < 0.01), sampling location (Wuhan vs. Non-Wuhan, p = 0.04), and study quality (p = 0.04). Conclusion: The meta-regression findings provide evidence on the factors contributing to the prevalence rate of mental health symptoms of the general and frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) to guide future research and evidence-based medicine in several specific directions. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=220592, identifier: CRD42020220592.

How and when goal-oriented self-regulation improves college students' well-being: A weekly diary study.

This study investigates how (i.e., through what mechanism) and when (i.e., under what conditions) goal-oriented self-regulation behaviors improve college students' psychological well-being. On the basis of data from 74 s-year Chinese college students in a weekly diary study (296 observations), we conducted a moderated mediation model and found that goal-oriented self-regulations behaviors (i.e., planning, monitoring, controlling, and reflecting) were positively related to college students' psychological well-being through increased academic performance. Further, such an indirect effect was stronger when college students' optimism and social support were high. This study contributes to student development and self-regulation literature by underscoring that academic performance plays a vital intermediate role in the relationship between self-regulation behaviors and college students' psychological well-being. Besides, we highlight that optimism and social support act as important personal and social resources for college students that can better unleash the positive effects of goal-oriented self-regulation behaviors.

Enhancements on Flame Resistance by Inorganic Silicate-Based Intumescent Coating Materials.

Flame-retardant coatings have drawn much attention in recent years. In this study, an inorganic sodium silicate-based intumescent flame-resistance coating with an excellent flameproof properties is developed by mainly utilizing sodium silicate as the ceramizable binder, via hydrolysis and self-condensation reaction. Fly ash, metakaoline, and wollastonite behave as supplement cementing materials. Major formulation encompasses the combination of the ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol as the flame-retardant additives, and aluminum hydroxide or expandable graphite as the intumescence-improving filler agents. Expandable graphite was found to play an important role in the eventual performance of flame-resistance testing. The results showed that solid interaction forces can be formed between metakaoline and sodium silicate, resulting in a similar material to geopolymer with excellent physical properties. After high-temperature flame testing, a densely complex protective layer of carbon-char created on top of the robust silicon dioxide networks offers notable flame resistance. An optimal ratio in this inorganic intumescent coating contains sodium silicate-metakaoline (weight ratio = 9:1)-ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol, aluminum hydroxide (3, 3, 10 wt.%)-expandable graphite (1 wt.%), which can create 4.7 times higher expansion ratio compared with neat sodium silicate matrix. The results of flame testing demonstrate only 387.1 °C and 506.3 °C on the back surface of steel substrate after one and three hours flaming (>1000 °C) on the other surface, respectively, which could meet the requirements according to the level of fire rating.

In the Eye of the Beholder: Challenge and Hindrance Appraisals of Work Characteristics and Their Implications for Employee's Well-Being.

Previous research on the association between job characteristics and employee well-being has returned mixed results. In particular, the possible impact of individual appraisal of these job characteristics has not been well-acknowledged. To address this limitation, we drew on appraisal theory and examined: (a) how workers appraise particular job characteristics, and (b) how these appraisals affect the relationships between these job characteristics and well-being (i.e., work engagement and burnout). We tested our hypotheses across two studies. In a cross-occupation sample (Study 1, n = 514), we found that job demands and resources can be appraised as both challenges and hindrances. In addition, challenge appraisals can mitigate the detrimental impact of job demands on engagement and burnout; and hindrance appraisals can strengthen the detrimental effects of job demands on burnout. Further, hindrance appraisals of job resources reduce their beneficial effects on engagement and burnout. Study 2 (n = 316 nurses in a hospital) further showed that challenge appraisals of job demands can reduce their impact on burnout while challenge appraisals of job resources will strengthen their positive effect on employee engagement and burnout. We discuss study implications as well as future research directions.

The Impact of Social Factors on Job Crafting: A Meta-Analysis and Review.

Despite the considerable focus on job characteristics and individual differences in job crafting research, the influence of social factors on job crafting has not been well-acknowledged. Based on social interaction and job crafting literature, this meta-analysis estimates the associations between social factors (i.e., organizational insiders and outsiders) and job crafting, and how these social factors contribute to employee outcomes through their job crafting. Based on a sample of 51 empirical studies that included 54 independent samples (N = 17,863), we found that social factors of positive leadership styles (e.g., empowering and transformational) and coworker support were positively related to employee job crafting. Moreover, leadership showed a stronger correlation with employee job crafting than coworker support and Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX). Further, our study showed that employee job crafting positively mediates the relationships between social factors and work outcomes (e.g., job performance and well-being). Our study contributes to job crafting literature by integrating social factors into the job crafting model and demonstrating that the social context of work (in particular organizational insiders) plays a crucial role in shaping employees' job crafting behavior. We also emphasize the critical role that job crafting plays in transmitting valuable social resources into improved work outcomes. Building on our results, we provide future direction for job crafting research and discuss how our results can imply practice in terms of job crafting training.

Challenge and hindrance appraisals of job demands: one man's meat, another man's poison?

Background and objectives: Many job stress models assume that all workers experience a particular job demand in the same way - an assumption that may or may not be warranted and that has rarely been tested. Building on appraisal theory, we explore (a) how individuals appraise particular job demands (i.e., as a challenge or as a hindrance) and (b) how these appraisals affect the relationship between job demands and engagement/burnout.Design and Methods: A multi-occupation cross-sectional study was conducted among 527 Chinese workers (321 females, 60.9%; Mage = 32.74, SD = 6.70). The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis.Results: We found that the appraisal of job demands (time urgency, role conflict, and emotional demands) as a challenge moderated the associations between these demands and burnout/engagement. Generally, the results indicate that the presence of high job demands was associated with negative outcomes. However, these detrimental effects were weaker if workers appraised these characteristics as being high-challenge.Conclusions: This study extends research on job demands within the challenge-hindrance framework by focusing on the moderating effects of appraisals. Given the important role of appraisal, we conclude that researchers should include appraisal more systematically in their theorizing and research on the effects of job demands on well-being.

A three-decade repeated cross-sectional survey on mental health of the Chinese Jino minority.

OBJECTIVE: As there is growing evidence outlining varying degrees of social, economic and cultural changes among minority groups in China, there was a need to undertake research to determine whether modernization and urbanization of China has had an impact on the mental health of individuals from minority groups. In 1979, the Jino ethnic minority group was the last minority group to be designated a minority by the Chinese Central Government. As a direct result of the Chinese Government intervention, the Jino society began transitioning from a traditional rural lifestyle existence to that of a more modern urban lifestyle. Our objective was to explore whether changing social and economic influences had impacted the mental health of the Jino people. METHODS: A longitudinal study over three decades was undertaken to determine the mental health of the Jino People. RESULTS: From our initial study in 1979 and subsequent follow-up studies in 1989, 1999 and 2009, there were no significant changes found for 1-month prevalence, lifetime prevalence and prognosis for schizophrenia and mental retardation among the Jino population researched. For major depressive disorders, there were significant differences, suggesting a rising trend not only in 1-month prevalence but also in lifetime prevalence. We found significant differences had occurred over the three decades for alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence and Korsakov's psychosis. At the same time, the annual suicide incidence had increased at least three times in 2009 compared to that of 1989. CONCLUSION: Results from our three-decade longitudinal repeated cross-sectional survey show that due to rapid social, economic and cultural changes among the Jino people, serious social and mental health problems such as alcohol-related disorder, suicide and major depressive disorders have increased.

Association study of serotonin transporter SLC6A4 gene with Chinese Han irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common clinical gastrointestinal dysfunction disorders. 5-sertonon (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a very important neurotransmitter, which is involved in gastrointestinal motion and sensation. Solute carrier family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4) gene encode serotonin transporter (SERT) which function is to rapidly reuptake the most of 5-HT. Therefore, it is needed to explore the association between SLC6A4 gene polymorphisms and IBS. METHODS: 119 patients and 238 healthy controls were administrated to detect the SLC6A4 gene polymorphisms including 5-HT-transporter-gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) and three selected tag Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) rs1042173, rs3794808, rs2020936 by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and TaqMan® SNP Genotyping. RESULTS: There were significant difference for 5-HTTLPR between IBS and control groups (X2 = 106.168, P<0.0001). In control group, genotypes were mainly L/L (58.4%), however, the genotypes in IBS were S/S (37.8%). The significant difference was shown in D-IBS subjects when compared to the controls (X(2) = 50.850, P<0.0001) for 5-HTTLPR. For STin2 VNTR, rs1042173, rs3794808, and rs2020936 polymorphisms, there were no any significant differences between IBS and control groups. There were no statistical significantly haplotypes for 5-HTTLPR, VNTRs and the three SNPs between IBS and controls. CONCLUSION: The S allele in 5-HTTLPR was a susceptible allele with Chinese Han IBS, but other associations of VNTRs, three selected Tag SNPs and positive haplotype with IBS were not found. It is indicated that much research are needed to study the relationship between other polymorphisms in SLC6A4 gene and IBS.

Prevalence and prognosis of schizophrenia in Jinuo people in China: a prospective 30-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies investigating the influence of the development on mental health of minorities in China. AIMS: To follow up the prevalence, natural course and prognosis of schizophrenia in Jinuo people, the last group to be recognized as a 'national minority' in China, every 10 years since 1979. METHODS: From 1979 to 2009, 15%-19% of Jinuo residents were evaluated by random cluster sampling and followed up every 10 years using the Chinese version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) as the screening tool and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) as diagnostic criteria tool. RESULTS: There were no significant differences for the lifetime prevalence and current prevalence of schizophrenia across the three decades. Neither were there any significant differences for the prognosis of schizophrenia; however, at least half the patients had deteriorated or had residual symptoms in the follow-up. PANSS symptoms were significantly different according to different illness duration. CONCLUSIONS: During the three decades, there was no increasing trend for schizophrenia prevalence in Jinuo society; however, the prognosis of schizophrenia was not optimistic. In the natural, untreated status, schizophrenia patients with an illness duration of more than 20 years had more serious symptoms.