The impact of deep learning based- psychological capital with ideological and political education on entrepreneurial intentions.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of psychological capital on college students' entrepreneurial intentions. Through a combination of relevant analysis and linear regression, the primary focus is on exploring the relationship between psychological capital and its four dimensions with entrepreneurial intentions. Firstly, the items in the psychological capital questionnaire were revised to align more closely with entrepreneurial contexts. Subsequently, the average deviations and standard deviations of each dimension of psychological capital were analyzed. Then, the correlation between psychological capital and entrepreneurial intentions was examined to explore the extent of their relationship. Finally, regression analysis was conducted on both psychological capital and entrepreneurial intentions, and utilizing a recurrent neural network model, the covariant relationship between entrepreneurial psychological capital and intentions was explored. The results indicated that the average scores for entrepreneurial self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience were 3.91, 4.27, 4.19, and 4.15, respectively. The average value of psychological capital was 4.13, indicating a moderately high level. The correlation analysis between psychological capital and entrepreneurial intentions yielded a result of 0.562, indicating a moderate degree of correlation. The correlation coefficients of the four dimensions with entrepreneurial intentions were 0.390, 0.494, 0.531, and 0.467, respectively. The standardized coefficients for psychological capital and its four dimensions were 0.564, 0.382, 0.510, 0.536, and 0.468, all of which were statistically significant. Overall, psychological capital exhibited better predictive power for entrepreneurial intentions than its individual dimensions. The results from the deep learning model similarly demonstrated the positive role of psychological capital in entrepreneurial intentions, though the influence of ideological and political education (IPE) factors was relatively weaker. In conclusion, both psychological capital and IPE have a promotive effect on entrepreneurial intentions. This study provides a reference for the accurate evaluation of college students' entrepreneurial intentions.

Relations of optimism and purpose in life to immune markers in aging.

OBJECTIVE: Optimism and purpose in life are associated with improved health outcomes. More information is needed on biological mechanisms, including immunosenescence. We investigated if psychological well-being is associated with healthier immunosenescence-related measures including naïve and terminally differentiated CD4+ and CD8+ T cell percentages, CD4+:CD8+, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG response. METHODS: Participants were adults over age 50 from the Health and Retirement Study. Optimism was measured using the Life Orientation Test Revised. Purpose in life was assessed using the subscale from the Ryff psychological well-being measure. We examined the cross-sectional associations of optimism and purpose in life with measures of T cell subsets using linear regression and with CMV IgG using ordered logit regression, controlling for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: The final analytic sample ranged from 7250 to 7870. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, a 1-SD increment in optimism was associated with the percentage of naïve CD4+ T cells increasing by 0.6 (95%CI 0.2%, 1.0%). A 1-SD increment in purpose in life was associated with the percentage of naïve CD4+ T cells increasing by 0.9 (95%CI 0.5%, 1.3%) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and the association was maintained after further adjustments for health conditions, depression, and health behaviors. For naïve CD8+ T cell percentages, CD4:CD8 ratios, and CMV IgG antibodies, associations were seen only in models that adjusted for age. No significant associations were seen in any models for the terminally differentiated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS: We found associations of optimism and purpose in life with naïve CD4+ T cell percentages.

Psychological capital variables as protective factors in indigenous youth experiencing homelessness.

Indigenous youth in the United States are at high-risk for experiencing homelessness related to adverse childhood experiences such as parental substance use and low educational attainment. Such experiences may lead to adverse physical and mental health issues; these youth also have positive attributes of psychological capita (hope, self-efficacy, resilience, optimism) that are related to health outcomes. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe demographic attributes and psychological capital in Indigenous youth experiencing homelessness (IYEH) who participated in a longitudinal intervention study related to safe sex behaviors and life satisfaction. From a total of 602, Indigenous participants (n = 111; mean age 21.25 ± 1.82 years) were recruited from drop-in centers in Austin, Texas and Columbus, Ohio. Data were collected immediately after the intervention and at 3- and 6-month intervals. For this analysis, only data collected at the final time-point were used. Valid scales with Cronbach alphas of 0.75-0.92 (Hope, Resilience, Optimism, Self-efficacy for Substance Refusal, Self-efficacy for Safer Sex, Safe Sex Behaviors, Social Connectedness, and Life Satisfaction) were used. The majority of the IYEH reported smoking, drinking, and using drugs. Psychological capital variables of hope, self-efficacy for negotiating safer sex, resilience, and optimism were significantly related to one another, but not to safe sex behaviors or intention to use condoms. Resilience and optimism were significantly related to social connectedness but not to other psychological capital variables. Life satisfaction was significantly associated with hope, resilience, and optimism. Findings have implications for further theory and research development.

Emerging adults' emotions toward their siblings with down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Typically-developing siblings of individuals with Down Syndrome often experience complex emotions towards their sibling. This study explored how social support, personal resources (optimism, sense of coherence [SOC]), and individual variables (sex, religious affiliation, siblings' functionality) may impact emerging adult siblings' emotions toward their sibling with Down Syndrome. METHODS: Participants were 292 siblings of individuals with DS ranging in age from 18-27 (M=21.54, SD=2.50). Participants completed self-report questionnaires exploring optimism, SOC, support, and acceptance. RESULTS: Higher levels of support and optimism were positively associated with positive emotions, and higher SOC with lower levels of negative emotions. Siblings' functionality and religious affiliation interacted with variables to predict emotions. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to a greater understanding of how emotions may play a role in sibling relations during the emerging adulthood stage. It also provides unique insight into how religious affiliation may be associated with more positive outcomes for siblings.

The bidirectional relationships of optimism and pessimism with depressive symptoms in adulthood - A 15-year follow-up study from Northern Finland Birth Cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Low optimism and high pessimism have predicted depressive symptoms in several studies, but the associations in the other direction, from depressive symptoms to future optimism and pessimism, have been unexplored. We examined bidirectional associations of optimism and pessimism with depressive symptoms in adulthood. METHODS: A population-based sample of 4011 Finnish adults (55 % women) was analyzed with a 15-year prospective follow-up period from age 31 to age 46. Optimism and pessimism were measured with the Life Orientation Test-Revised, and depressive symptoms were measured with the Symptom Checklist-25. Temporal associations were investigated with cross-lagged panel models. RESULTS: According to the model fit indices (RMSEA < 0.04, CFI ≥ 0.97) optimism and pessimism had bidirectional relationships with depressive symptoms: optimism predicted lower depressive symptoms (ß = -0.09, p < .001), and depressive symptoms predicted lower optimism (ß = -0.10, p < .001) in the follow-up. Also, pessimism predicted higher depressive symptoms (ß = 0.08, p < .001), and depressive symptoms predicted higher pessimism (ß = 0.09, p < .001) in the follow-up. In the participants with clinically high depressive symptoms at age 31, the predictive associations from optimism and pessimism to depressive symptoms remained, but associations in the other direction were attenuated. LIMITATIONS: The follow-up study included only two time points with a 15-year time gap, which does not consider the possible fluctuation in the study variables between the measured times. CONCLUSION: Dispositional optimism and pessimism may have bidirectional relationships with depressive symptoms in adulthood when the baseline depressive symptoms are below the clinical level.

Optimism, pessimism, and physical health among youth: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: High levels of optimism (and low levels of pessimism) are associated with improved physical health in adults. However, relatively less is known about these relations in youth. The present study aimed to review the literature investigating optimism, pessimism, and physical health in children and adolescents from populations with and without health conditions. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review up until February 2024. Studies were included if they sampled youth (average age ≤18 years) and treated optimism or pessimism as predictors of health behaviors or outcomes. Data on study and sample characteristics, health outcome, optimism construct, and findings were extracted from eligible papers and results were synthesized. RESULTS: Sixty studies were retained. Most studies were conducted in North America, with adolescents, and used cross-sectional designs and self-reported measures of health. Measures of optimism and pessimism differed across studies. Roughly one-third of studies sampled medical populations. Health categories included substance use, diet and physical activity, sexual health practices, medical adherence, other health behaviors, cardiometabolic health, subjective health/health-related quality of life, pain, sleep, and oral health. Generally, we observed adaptive associations between optimism and health. Higher optimism and lower pessimism were most consistently associated with lower rates of substance use and lower cardiometabolic risk. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of optimism or the absence of pessimism appears to be associated with various adaptive health outcomes among youth with and without health conditions. Developmental, methodological, and clinical considerations for future research are discussed, such as conducting longitudinal studies with objective measures of health and psychometrically validated instruments.

Psychological capital and well-being: An opportunity for teachers' well-being? Scoping review of the scientific literature in psychology and educational sciences.

In a context marked by teachers' shortage, prioritizing teachers' well-being emerges as one of the factors that can encourage them to stay in the profession. Well-being is a multidimensional concept and difficult to define and measure. Moreover, its link with Psychological Capital (PsyCap), a concept that includes personal psychological resources (hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) (Luthans & Youssef, 2004), has received little attention in the educational sciences. The main objective of this paper is therefore to investigate the links between these two concepts from a theoretical point of view in psychology and educational sciences. For this purpose, the scoping review methodology (Tricco et al., 2018) is mobilized to identify research issues, methodological questions, and the various links between well-being and PsyCap. Based on a systematic review of 376 bibliographic references conducted in the main databases in psychology and educational sciences, 32 articles were selected analysed. The data extracted indicate that these concepts particularly affect teachers (42.11 % of subjects concerned, N = 42,750). In addition, all the sources selected report significant and positive statistical links between well-being and PsyCap. These results suggest possible avenues for research on teachers' well-being.

HIV Treatment Optimism Moderates the Relationship between Sexual Risk Behavior and HIV Risk Perception among Urban HIV-negative Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men who have Sex With Men.

Using baseline data of the Engage Cohort Study, a Canadian study of sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM), we evaluated the association between sexual behavior and risk perception among HIV-negative participants and whether HIV treatment optimism moderated this relationship. Participants were recruited by respondent-driven-sampling (RDS). We defined high-risk sexual behavior in the past six months as any condomless anal sex with a casual partner (i.e. not the participant's main partner) with either unknown HIV-status where neither used pre-exposure prophylaxis or with a partner living with HIV having detectable/unknown viral load. We assessed HIV treatment optimism-skepticism using a 12-item scale. RDS-II-weighted adjusted logistic regression models examined associations with risk perception measured by the question "How would you assess your current risk of getting HIV?" (response options were on a 6-point Likert-scale ranging from "very unlikely" to "very likely", dichotomized into "No Perceived Risk" (very unlikely/unlikely) and "Perceived Risk" (somewhat likely/likely/very likely/I think I already have HIV). Of 1961 participants, engagement in high-risk sexual behavior was reported by 155 (17.0%), 62 (12.4%), 128 (17.2%) of participants in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver, respectively. High-risk sexual behavior increased the odds of perceived HIV risk (pooled adjusted odds ratio = 2.9, 95%CI = 2.2-3.8). HIV treatment optimism-skepticism scores moderated the relationship: for GBM engaging in high-risk sexual behavior, higher HIV treatment optimism-skepticism scores increased perceived HIV risk. Promoting awareness around advances related to HIV prevention and treatment is important for appropriate risk assessment and for increased engagement in prevention interventions.

RESUMEN: Evaluamos la asociación entre el comportamiento sexual y la percepción de riesgo entre los participantes VIH negativos y si el optimismo sobre el tratamiento del VIH moderó esta asociación. Definimos comportamiento sexual de alto riesgo en los últimos seis meses como cualquier sexo anal sin condón con una pareja casual con un estado de VIH desconocido donde ninguno utilizó profilaxis previa a la exposición o con una pareja que vive con el VIH y que tiene una carga viral detectable/desconocida. Se evaluó el optimismo sobre el tratamiento del VIH mediante una escala de 12 ítems. Los modelos de regresión logística ajustados examinaron las asociaciones con la percepción del riesgo ("Riesgo no percibido" vs. "Riesgo percibido"). De 1961 participantes, 155 (17,0%), 62 (12,4%), 128 (17,2%) de los participantes en Montreal, Toronto y Vancouver, informaron comportamiento sexual de alto riesgo. El comportamiento sexual de alto riesgo se mostró asociado con riesgo percibido. El optimismo sobre el tratamiento modero la asociación. Promover la conciencia sobre los avances relacionados con la prevención y el tratamiento del VIH es importante para una evaluación adecuada de los riesgos y una mayor participación en las intervenciones de prevención.

Perceived stress, optimism-pessimism, psychological adjustment, and death distress of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between death distress, psychological adjustment, optimism, pessimism and perceived stress among nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: this study was designed as cross-sectional/cohort. The population of the study involved 408 nurses from Northern Cyprus, which are registered as full members of the Nurse Council. The sample comprised 214 nurses, who volunteered to participate in the study. The study data was collected using a web-based online survey (Demographic form, the Coronavirus Stress Measure, The Optimism and Pessimism Questionnaire, The Brief Adjustment Scale-6, The Death Distress Scale). RESULTS: the results indicated that perceived stress significantly and negatively predicted optimism (ß = -0.21, p < 0.001) and pessimism (ß = 0.38, p < 0.001). Perceived stress had significant and positive predictive effects on psychological adjustment (ß = 0.31, p < 0.001) and death distress (ß = 0.17, p < 0.01). Further analysis results revealed that pessimism mediates the association of stress with psychological adjustment and death distress; however, optimism only mediates the effect of stress on psychological adjustment among nurses. CONCLUSION: a low level of pessimism is effective in strengthening nurses' psychological adjustment skills againt perceived stress and death distress. Nurses should consider behavioral strategies to help reduce the level of pessimism during periods such as pandemics. BACKGROUND: (1) High levels of perceived stress increased higher score of psychological adjustment. (2) Pessimism mediates the association of stress with adjustment and death distress. (3) Optimism only mediates the effect of stress on psychological adjustment among nurses.

Savoring changes novel positive mindset targets of GAD treatment: Optimism, prioritizing positivity, kill-joy thinking, and worry mediation.

This study analyzed effects of savoring on unstudied positive mindset targets of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treatment (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05040061). 85 students with GAD were randomly assigned to one of two ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) on smartphone for seven days. The SkillJoy EMI promoted practices for savoring positive emotions. An active control EMI mirrored SkillJoy, yet did not include savoring or positive emotion. Optimism, worry, kill-joy thinking (lessening positive emotion with cognition), and prioritization of positive emotion activities and goals were assessed at pre-trial, eighth-day, post-trial, and 30th-day follow-up. Savoring was assessed pre-trial and fifth-day mid-trial. Longitudinal linear mixed models and simple slope analyses examined change between and within conditions. Bias-corrected bootstrapping path analysis examined mediation of worry change by increased savoring. SkillJoy led to significantly greater increases in both optimism and prioritizing positivity than the control from pre-trial to post-trial and pre-trial to follow-up. Both interventions significantly reduced kill-joy thinking at both timepoints with Skilljoy leading to marginally greater change at post-trial. Pre- to mid-trial increases in savoring mediated the relationships between treatment condition and reductions in worry at both post-trial and follow-up.

Nocebo hyperalgesia and other expectancy-related factors in daily fibromyalgia pain: Combining experimental and electronic diary methods.

OBJECTIVE: Expectancies are known to shape pain experiences, but it remains unclear how different types of expectancies contribute to daily pain fluctuations in fibromyalgia. This combined experimental and diary study aims to provide insights into how experimentally-derived nocebo hyperalgesia and other, diary-derived, expectancy-related factors are associated with each other and with daily pain in fibromyalgia. METHODS: Forty-one female patients with fibromyalgia first participated in a lab procedure measuring nocebo hyperalgesia magnitude, then filled out an electronic diary 3 times a day over 3 weeks regarding the expectancy-related factors of pain expectancy, anxiety, optimism, and pain-catastrophizing thoughts, and current pain intensity. RESULTS: Our results indicate that experimentally-induced nocebo hyperalgesia was not significantly related to diary-assessed expectancy-related factors and did not predict daily fibromyalgia pain. Higher levels of the self-reported expectancy-related factors pain expectancy and pain catastrophizing, but not anxiety and optimism, predicted moment-to-moment pain increases in fibromyalgia, after controlling for current pain, moment-of-day and all other expectancy-related factors. CONCLUSION: Our exploratory research findings indicate that self-reported expectancy-related factors, particularly pain expectancy and pain catastrophizing, are potentially more relevant for predicting daily pain experience than experimentally-induced nocebo hyperalgesia. Further translation of nocebo hyperalgesia is needed from experimental to Ecological Momentary Assessment research. Our findings imply that targeting the decrease in pain expectancy and catastrophizing thoughts e.g., via Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, have potential for improving daily pain levels in fibromyalgia.

Personal Resources and Expectations and Health Behaviors Among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients-A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: The long-term success of organ transplantation (Tx) depends on the transplant recipient's ability to self-manage symptoms, treatment, lifestyle changes, and psychosocial consequences. Health behavior (HB) determinants include personality traits such as optimism, self-efficacy, and health locus of control. PURPOSE: Assessing the relationship between personal resources and expectations and health behaviors of organ transplant recipients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted between 01/04/2018 and 30/10/2019 at 3 transplant centers in Poland. The study group consisted of 243 Tx recipients of kidney, heart, liver, and lung. The Health Behavior Inventory, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), General Self-Efficacy Scale, Dispositional Optimism Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to collect data. FINDINGS: The study group had medium levels of dispositional optimism (mean 15) and high levels of self-efficacy (mean 30.18). The MHLC scale was dominated by a belief in the influence of others and an internal locus of control over one's health. The respondents presented a high level of HB (mean 92.09). A positive relationship was found between personal resources (self-efficacy and optimism), MHLC and HB. The presence of depression and anxiety negatively affected personal resources and internal locus of health control and HB in terms of a positive mental attitude. Type of Tx differentiated internal locus of health control and HB. Predictors of HB were dispositional optimism, self-efficacy, influence of others with health locus of control, symptoms of depression, age and time since transplantation-explaining between 6.1% and 14.5% of health behavior categories. CONCLUSIONS: To improve health practices among organ recipients, strengthening their personal resources is recommended. It is necessary to form an internal locus of control for adherence to positive HB.

Who Benefits and How: Five Dimensions of Adolescent Psychological Well-Being and Their Relative Impact on Cardiometabolic Health in Adulthood.

PURPOSE: Positive dimensions of psychological well-being in adolescence may help youth preserve cardiometabolic health (CMH) as they age, but little is known about which aspects of well-being matter most and for whom. This study examines the differential impact of five dimensions of adolescent psychological well-being on CMH maintenance in adulthood and considers social patterning in both their distribution and respective health benefits. METHODS: Data were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 3,464), five dimensions of psychological well-being were identified at baseline (1994-1995; mean age = 15 years): happiness, optimism, self-esteem, belonging, and feeling loved. CMH was measured using seven biomarkers related to chronic disease risk in 2008 (mean age = 28 years) and 2016-2018 (mean age = 38 years): high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein, and body mass index. CMH maintenance in adulthood was characterized as having healthy levels of ≥6 biomarkers at each follow-up. RESULTS: Youth who reported higher levels of belonging in the teen years were more likely to maintain CMH across young adulthood than those who reported lower levels, regardless of one's social standing (ORper 1-standard deviation = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03-1.46). Associations with other dimensions of well-being were heterogeneous by sex and race and ethnicity, while differences by socioeconomic factors were less apparent. DISCUSSION: Fostering belonging through supportive social environments may help set youth on positive health trajectories and prevent chronic disease across the lifespan.

On the correlation between gratitude and resilience in medical students.

Objective: Medical students' health and resilience have increasingly been the subject of current research in recent years. A variety of interventions are recommended to strengthen resilience or its known or suspected influencing factors, although the literature shows that the evidence on the effectiveness of the interventions is inconsistent. The present study investigated whether gratitude is a direct protective factor for resilience in medical students or whether resilience factors (optimism, self-efficacy, social support) and stress mediate the effects of gratitude on resilience. Methods: 90 medical students at Witten/Herdecke University took part in the study that determined their gratitude, resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, social support and stress levels using validated questionnaires (GQ-6, RS-25, LOT-R, SWE, F-SozU, PSS). Correlations were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients. In addition, a multivariate regression analysis and a path analysis were calculated to determine the direct and indirect effects of gratitude on resilience. Results: Multivariate regression analysis showed that only optimism, social support and stress were significantly associated with resilience (B=0.48, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.66; B=0.23, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.44 and B=-0.02, 95% CI: -0.03, -0.001, respectively). The direct effect of gratitude on resilience was minimal and not significant in the path analysis. However, there was an indirect effect of gratitude on resilience (B=0.321; p<0.05). Mediation via the optimism variable was mainly responsible for this effect (indirect effect B=0.197; p<0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that gratitude has only a minimal direct influence on resilience. However, results indicate that optimism as a mediating factor strengthens the resilience of medical students. Against this background, it may be useful to integrate interventions that promote an optimistic attitude into medical studies in order to strengthen the mental health of future doctors in the long term.

Lack of reinforcement is hard to "bear": Assessing judgment bias in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis).

Cognitive biases reveal underlying affective state by indicating optimism and pessimism. This methodology may permit assessment of positive welfare in animals that have few validated positive welfare indicators, such as bears. Our goal was to validate a judgment bias test for assessing optimism in brown bears, using a touchscreen. After training the bears on a conditional discrimination, we compared responses to an ambiguous stimulus in a 2 × 2 nested design involving four experimental conditions representing presence or absence of a behind-the-scenes tour and presence or absence of a keeper training session with food reinforcement. We recorded bears' behavior during the conditions as a measure of convergent validity. Testing revealed the possibility of pessimism in the absence of reinforcement in one bear. More frustration behaviors were also observed during the no food reinforcement conditions. This is the first experimental demonstration of brown bears using a touchscreen and one of only three reports in which bears have been reported to perform a conditional discrimination. This method of assessing underlying affective state shows promise for the future.

Optimism and Sleep in Aging Women: Bidirectional Relationships.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep quality and duration are important for biological restoration and promotion of psychological well-being. Optimism may facilitate or result from sufficient sleep, but questions remain as to directionality. The present study tested how optimism is associated with levels of and variability in sleep quantity and quality in a longitudinal burst design. METHODS: Midlife and older women ( N = 199) reported their sleep quantity and quality in online diaries for a 7-day period, every 3 months for 2 years. Optimism was measured at baseline and end-of-study. Multilevel models tested the effects of optimism on sleep. Linear regression models tested the effect of sleep on optimism. RESULTS: Baseline optimism was associated with higher sleep quality ( γ = 2.13 [1.16 to 3.11], p < .0001) and lower intraindividual variability (IIV; night-to-night and wave-to-wave) in sleep quantity (night-to-night: γ = -0.07 [-0.13 to -0.005], p = .03; wave-to-wave: b = -0.07 [-0.12 to -0.02], p = .003). In turn, higher average sleep quality (but not quantity) was associated with higher optimism at end-of-study ( b = 0.02 [0.007 to 0.03], p = .002). Variability in sleep was unrelated to optimism. CONCLUSIONS: Optimism may play an important role in maintaining sleep quality and consistency in sleep quantity, perhaps by buffering stress. Similarly, sleep quality may play an important role in maintaining optimism. The cycle whereby optimism and sleep enhance one another could improve physical health and psychological well-being among aging adults.

Age moderates the association of optimism on craving during substance use disorder treatment.

BACKGROUND: Optimism, characterized by a positive expectancy toward future outcomes, has garnered attention for its potential role in influencing well-being and may be a protective factor in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. This study evaluated the relationship of optimism and craving among those in substance use disorder SUD treatment. METHODS: Drawing from a cohort of 4201 individuals in residential SUD treatment programs, this study used both cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment to examine tonic (steady-state) and cue-induced (phasic) cravings across individuals primarily using eight classes of substances. Previous research established that optimism increases during adulthood and peaks during an individual's 50s. This study sought to establish if the association between optimism and craving is moderated by age during the first week of treatment and if that relationship changes over the course of treatment both within and between-person. RESULTS: This study found a negative correlation between optimism and craving intensity. Elevated optimism scores correlated with substantially reduced levels of both tonic (ß = -0.31, p < 0.001) and cue-induced (ß = -0.29, p < 0.001) cravings. Age was a significant moderator of the relationship between optimism and craving such that as individuals age, the potency of optimism in mitigating cravings gradually attenuates (interaction for tonic craving: ß = 0.06, p < 0.001; interaction for cue-induced craving: ß = 0.05, p < 0.001). Reflected in the fact that in older individuals' cravings tended to converge toward lower or moderate levels, regardless of their optimism scores. CONCLUSIONS: By delineating the contemporaneous association between high optimism and lower cravings, the study suggests that interventions aimed at fostering optimism may represent an avenue to improve the effectiveness of SUD treatment, especially in emerging adults.

Control beliefs about stress and post-traumatic growth in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and optimism.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between control beliefs about stress and post-traumatic growth among Chinese nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and optimism in this relationship. A total of 692 Chinese nurses participated in this online study, who completed the Beliefs about Stress Scale, Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale and demographic variables between September and October 2020. Results indicate that 48.8% (N = 388) of nurses reported significant post-traumatic growth related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, control beliefs about stress were positively related to post-traumatic growth (r = 0.38, p < 0.001), basic psychological needs satisfaction (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and optimism (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). In addition, basic psychological needs satisfaction and optimism were both independent and serial mediators of the relationship between control beliefs about stress and post-traumatic growth. Nurses and hospital administrators should focus on increasing nurses' control beliefs about stress and thereby enhancing their post-traumatic growth after experiencing events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To support this process, programs should be designed to meet nurses' basic psychological needs and increase their optimism.

Analyzing the concept of toxic positivity for nursing: A dimensional analysis approach.

AIM: To analyze toxic positivity and its relevance to nursing. DESIGN: Concept analysis using Schatzman's dimensional analysis approach. DATA SOURCES: Two searches were conducted using Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest and CINAHL (1990-2023). Keywords included "toxic positivity" (Phase 1) and "emotional suppression," "unrealistic optimism"; "disingenuous happiness," "forced gratitude" and "logical fallacy" (Phase 2). Retained sources (1) were in English (Phases 1 and 2); (2) used 'toxic positivity' as a construct reflecting the purpose of analysis (Phase 1); and (3) demonstrated relevance towards analytical findings (Phase 2). Total analytic sources were 35. METHODS: The analytic phase, identification, elucidated conceptual dimensions and contexts. The analytic phase, logistics, examined relationships among dimensions and contexts through an iterative process resulting in a dimensional matrix/conceptual model. RESULTS: Salient dimension is Emotional Suppression with two sub-dimensions, Logical Fallacy and Forced Gratitude. Other dimensions include Unrealistic Optimism and Disingenuous Happiness. Contexts include intra- and post-paradigmatic societal shifts and intra- and post-traumatic experiences. Analysis reveals toxic positivity as an exchange between a giver and receiver with the receiver experiencing negative outcomes. CONCLUSION: The concept appears consistent in its application and use across contexts and is emerging in nursing literature. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: Acknowledging toxic positivity in nursing may inform theoretical and future research related to improving nursing burnout, bolstering retention, and enhancing well-being. Nurses across work environments may encounter toxic positivity. Leaders should consider policy adoption and inclusion of trauma-informed practices. IMPACT: Nursing workforce issues require deeper examination of potential contributing factors. Findings suggest toxic positivity may be encountered in work environments impacting nursing at individual and system levels. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.