Community participation and subjective wellbeing among the immigrant population in Northern Italy: An analysis of mediators.

Community participation can be a potential strategy to increase the degree of the subjective wellbeing of immigrants within receiving societies. This study aims to analyze the relationship between immigrants' community participation and their subjective wellbeing, testing the two dimensions of sense of mattering (feeling valued and adding value) and psychological sense of community as potential mediators of this relationship. A total of 308 first-generation immigrants living in Northern Italy filled out a questionnaire (45.1% were members of a migrant community-based organization). We found that immigrants who are members of a migrant organization show a higher level of subjective wellbeing, sense of mattering, and psychological sense of community than those who are not members. We also found that the sense of adding value and the psychological sense of community serve as mediators of the relationship between community participation and subjective wellbeing. The findings suggest that active participation is positively related to immigrants' feeling useful and capable of contributing to society and their feeling of belonging, which, in turn, are positively related to their subjective wellbeing. Practical implications are presented, focusing on the need for generative social policies to move beyond the welfarist perspective in which immigrants only "receive" to embrace an active perspective in which immigrants can also "give."

The role of cyberbullying victimization in the relationship between adult BTS fans' psychological sense of community and wellbeing.

Adult fans of K-Pop band BTS are part of a diverse and global fandom that has an evident psychological sense of community associated with psychosocial benefits such as increases in wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate if cyberbullying victimization plays an influential role in the relationship of BTS fans' psychological sense of community and wellbeing using an online co-designed survey administered to 183 participants. There was a significant positive relationship found between psychological sense of community and wellbeing. The results of a moderation analysis were interpreted as cyberbullying victimization not having an influential role in this positive relationship, despite cyberbullying typically having detrimental effects on interpersonal relationships and communities generally. It was concluded that BTS fans' psychological sense of community may be buffering against the adverse consequences of cyberbullying victimization and/or competent anti-cyberbullying and online safety practices are being carried out in online BTS fan communities. Implications for anti-cyberbullying researchers and cyberbullying prevention efforts are also discussed.

"Even Though We Have Different Colors, We Are All Equal Here": Immigrants building a sense of community and wellbeing through sport participation.

Although there are several studies reporting the beneficial role of sports in immigrant health, more research is needed to understand whether and how these activities can guide the psychological sense of community (SOC) and well-being outcomes. This study aims at exploring how sport participation among immigrants contributes to developing their SOC and subjective well-being. We analyzed the experiences of 17 immigrants participating in Balon Mundial (BM), an annual multicultural football tournament in Turin (Italy). A thematic deductive theory-driven analysis was implemented based on in-depth interviews. BM developed a psychological SOC by providing immigrants with a safe space-based on norms of accessibility and fair play-to mutually share traditions while forming positive and trusting bonds. All these dimensions of the tournament were connected to an enhancement of immigrants' subjective well-being in terms of happiness, self-care, sense of acceptance and cultural intelligence. Sport participation can sustain immigrants' psychological SOC and subjective well-being under specific conditions: (a) when norms are developed based on inclusion; and (b) when a shared goal and  history are built among participants.

A latent profile analysis of psychological sense of community and ethnic identity among racial-ethnic minority young adults from the southwestern United States.

Among young adults fof color, both sense of community and ethnic identity, as developmental processes, have been associated with wellness, empowerment, and civic action. Additional research is needed that provides empirical support for the connection between psychological sense of community and ethnic identity on outcomes that relate to human development such as intrapersonal psychological empowerment, civic engagement, and depression symptoms. The current study of young adults of color (N = 243; 70% Hispanic/Chicano(a)/Spanish and 10% American Indian/Native American; 70% female) investigates heterogeneity according to dimensions of psychological sense of community and the ethnic identity construct. Latent profile analyses (LPA) were conducted. Using LPA, five profile groups emerged. Profile group differences were present on reported levels of intrapersonal psychological empowerment, civic engagement, and depression symptoms. Majority of sample participants were classified with moderate to high psychological sense of community and ethnic identity. Findings provide insights for efforts on developing community belongingness based on ethnic group identity and engaging young adults in civic life.

In what ways do emerging adults with substance use problems experience their communities as influencing their personal recovery processes?

Applying the multiple psychological sense of community concept (MPSOC), this study explored how emerging adults with substance use problems experience the influences of various senses of community and communities on their personal recovery processes. Semi-structured interviews with 21 emerging adults from different urban contexts in Norway were analysed using a collaborative, seven-step, deductive, and reflexive thematic approach. MPSOC is shown to be a key concept for achieving a broad, in-depth understanding of emerging adults' senses of community and personal experiences of community influences on recovery processes from substance use. Positive and negative senses of community in geographical, relational, substance use-related and ideal communities influence the potentials and challenges in emerging adults' recovery processes. Supportive and motivating community relationships, meaningful activities with peers, and distance from recovery-impeding communities were identified as important recovery components. To promote recovery and prevent substance use in emerging adults, community approaches and tools applied in substance use treatment have to take into account and utilise multidimensional and age group-specific aspects of belonging.

Psychometric testing of the Brief Sense of Community Scale with older adults in Puerto Rico.

The Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) is a well-validated measure of psychological sense of community (PSOC), but it has yet to be tested with Spanish-speaking older adults. The current study uses data from face-to-face interviews with a non-probability sample of 154 community-dwelling older adults in Puerto Rico. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test three competing factor structures. We also tested internal consistency reliability and convergent validity. CFA results show the second-order four-factor model was the best fit (χ2 (16) = 20.78, p = 0.187; CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.995, SRMR = 0.026, RMSEA = 0.044, 90% CI [<0.001, 0.092]). The BSCS showed good reliability (α = 0.85) and was correlated in the expected direction with social network size (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) and loneliness (r = -0.27, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that the BSCS comprises the four domains (membership, needs fulfillment, emotional connection, and influence) from the original PSOC theory. These results inform theory development and can aid program planning, policy, and practice with older adults in Puerto Rico.

The brief sense of community scale: Testing dimensionality and measurement invariance by gender among Hispanic/Latinx youth.

Psychological sense of community is defined as feelings of belongingness and a shared belief that community members will meet one another's needs. Psychological sense of community has four dimensions: membership, influence, needs fulfillment, and emotional connection. In this study, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the first and second-order factor structure of the brief sense of community scale (BSCS) between male and female Hispanic/Latinx adolescents from an urban community (N = 947). To help validate the BSCS model, the second-order factor model was tested with regression to predict the measures of intrapersonal psychological empowerment and ethnic identity, as constructs conceptually related to psychological sense of community. Findings support that: (1) psychological sense of community can be measured through the BSCS and as a four-factor model among Hispanic/Latinx youth, supporting McMillan and Chavis's (1986) original theoretical discussions; (2) while no differences between genders were present at the model-level, there was path-specific variation; and (3) intrapersonal psychological empowerment and ethnic identity were associated with psychological sense of community.

Psychological sense of community and motivation toward collective social change among community coalition members of color in the southwestern United States.

Drawing on McMillan and Chavis's psychological sense of community framework among southwestern community coalition members (N = 18), data were examined for narratives of how psychological sense of community and experiences of community manifest among coalition members. We were also interested in knowing how coalition members make meaning of social change. Findings illustrate that dimensions of psychological sense of community (e.g., membership, emotional connection, needs' fulfillment, and influence) are important in how members made meaning of community needs and their own participation in the coalition. Implications are put forward for theory and community programming.

Sense of community, psychological empowerment, and relational structure at the individual and organizational levels: Evidence from a multicase study.

The aim of this study was to determine the associations among psychological sense of community (PSoC), psychological empowerment (PE), and relational structure with indicators of centrality and cohesion in egocentric and sociocentric networks when analyzed at different levels. A multicase analysis was used (four developed in Colombia and one in Spain) in which 458 people participated in five studies conducted in organizational and community contexts of vulnerable urban and rural areas. The results suggest that PSoC and PE are intertwined processes whose association is accentuated in organizational contexts. However, the relationships between relational context and PSoC and PE vary notably depending on (a) the type of relationship evaluated, (b) the focus of the study (individual/egocentric vs. group/sociocentric) and the type of indicator used to assess the relational context (centrality vs. structural cohesion). Findings are discussed to understand the role that social bonds play in the development of PSoC and in the ability of subjects to empower themselves in different contexts.

Individual and perceived community determinants of sense of community: The role of universalistic values.

Research on the determinants of the psychological sense of community (PSoC) is of particular importance to community interventions. A cross-sectional study involving 778 residents in an Italian local community explored through a mediation model the effects on PSoC of an individual cultural variable that has been scarcely investigated in PSoC research, that is, values-specifically, universalism-, and a perceived contextual variable, that is, the assessment of community services (a component of residential satisfaction). Results showed that universalism increased PSoC both directly and indirectly, having an effect also on the evaluation of community services, which, in comparison to values, showed a greater direct impact on PSoC. Limitations and implications for community interventions are discussed.

A study of psychological sense of community as a mediator between supportive social systems, school belongingness, and outcome behaviors among urban high school students of color.

Psychological sense of community (SOC) has been examined minimally among the youth of color, and as a mediating variable, as well as construct implicated in promoting wellness. Using data from a sample of 401 students of color (M age = 16.55, standard deviation = 1.31; 54.7% female; 57% Hispanic/Latina[o]) from an underserved northeastern US urban community, we examined the mediating relationship of psychological SOC between social support, participation in youth-based community programs, and outcomes including school belongingness, risk behaviors such as substance use and violent behavior, and psychological symptoms, including depression. Results indicated that access to social supports and youth-based community programs was negatively associated with risk behaviors and experiencing depressive symptoms, through both psychological SOC and school belongingness. Implications include the need for community-based activities for youth that not only foster support but encourage a positive psychological SOC and in-turn offset negative developmental trajectories and risk behaviors.

Shared Communities: A Multinational Qualitative Study of Immigrant and Receiving Community Members.

Community psychology is central to understanding how immigrants and more established residents of their new settings join together to develop a shared sense of community and membership. In our present study, we explored how newer (i.e., first- and second-generation immigrants) and more established community members form multiple positive psychological sense of community (PSOC) with one another. We conducted a multinational, qualitative study of PSOC through interviews with 201 first- and second-generation immigrants and third generation or more "receiving community members" in three contexts (Baltimore-Washington corridor of the U.S.; Torino, Italy; Lecce, Italy). Results indicated numerous similarities among the ways in which participants constructed PSOC in shared and nonshared communities, regardless of immigration/citizenship status, length of community residence, city, country, age, or gender. Small, proximal, and salient communities were often particularly important to building positive PSOC, which was formed around diverse membership boundaries. As intersectional beings, members converged and diverged on many characteristics, providing multiple opportunities for members to bring diversity to their communities while sharing other characteristics deemed essential to membership. Nonetheless, findings point to significant, structural challenges rooted in power and privilege that must be confronted to bridge the community-diversity dialectic and build strong, shared sense of community.

Multiple psychological senses of community and community influences on personal recovery processes from substance use problems in later life: a collaborative and deductive reflexive thematic analysis.

PURPOSE: There is a pressing need for substance use services to know more about how to promote recovery from substance use problems, particularly in later life. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is an important recovery dimension. This study aims to clarify in what ways PSOC and communities influence later life recovery processes. METHOD: A collaborative and deductive reflexive thematic approach was used to analyse 23 interviews with older adults in recovery from different substance use problems. RESULTS: The findings suggest that PSOC and recovery in later life include multiple communities (relational, geographical, substance use-related, ideal and service-related) and affective states (PSOC and NPSOC). Older adults' recovery, moreover, can be described as personal and heterogenic (with respect to community relationships, individual needs, type of substance use problem, age of onset and meaningful activities). CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirm age of onset, type of substance use problem and community memberships as essential to later life recovery. They also supplement prior evidence on community resources and challenges to later life recovery. Importantly, the new findings extend and nuance current understandings of later life recovery. Taken together, the article illustrates MPSOC as a useful concept, with central practical and theoretical implications for later life recovery.

A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is an important construct for health and well-being outcomes for community-dwelling older adults. Drawing on the Ecological Theory of Aging and the Age-Friendly Cities (AFC) framework, this scoping review explored how PSOC has been used in research with community-dwelling older adults. This study examined antecedents, correlates, and outcomes of PSOC, with a focus on relevance to theory and practice. Databases were searched between 1986 and 2021 for peer-reviewed journal articles. Searches identified 582 unique articles, and 28 were included in the final sample. Three primary themes emerged in the synthesis: relevance to the AFC framework, PSOC as a predictor of health and well-being outcomes, and the role of PSOC in relocation. Findings from this review show that PSOC serves as a mechanism that links the social and physical AFC environments with health and well-being outcomes. This review also presents mechanisms for how features of the environment relate to PSOC. These findings demonstrate the role of PSOC as a resource to improve person-environment fit. Results from this review can be used to guide future research and inform theory, policy, and practice.

Japanese version of the Brief Sense of Community Scale: construct validity and reliability.

BACKGROUND: The Brief Sense of Community Scale is a widely accepted eight-item scale that measures the four dimensions of sense of community; however, the factor structure of the Japanese version of this scale has never been confirmed. In this study, we demonstrated the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Brief Sense of Community Scale. METHODS: After completing the back translation of the scale, a sample of 993 Japanese individuals completed the Japanese version of the Brief Sense of Community Scale. RESULTS: The results indicate that the Japanese version of the Brief Sense of Community Scale is comparable to the original scale and demonstrated adequate goodness-of-fit for both the four-factor and second-order models, which demonstrates its validity. Nonetheless, it remains necessary to consider possible cross-national cultural concerns when utilizing the scale. CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese version of the Brief Sense of Community Scale will contribute toward the creation of a community in which all members feel comfortable.

Living in the Era of an Ideological Climate of Globalisation: A Study of Psychological Sense of Community Among Young and Older Adults in Two Cultures (India and Norway). Challenges for Community Psychology and the Applied Social Sciences.

How do people describe the psychological sense of community (PSOC) in the present day ideological climate of globalising neo-liberalism, assuming that people are essentially individualistic, that solidarity, social commitment, and citizenship are not natural dispositions, as we all are the lonely citizen? This issue is addressed by a mixed-methods study using semi-structured interviews with two age groups-young and older people-from two different cultures-India (Mumbai) and Norway (Oslo). This two by two design gives the opportunity to analyse people's meaning systems of PSOC, asking; is there a core meaning system of PSOC shared by people within as well as across cultures? Belongingness and citizenship are continuously formed and negotiated, just at the intersection of two dimensions: culture and historical time. The young and older adult informants often live in different "historical times." The meaning systems of PSOC were explored and compared by language analyses of words used by the informants. Text search queries were made for 69 words. "Help,", "care," "different," "problem," and "family" were identified as central for further in-depth qualitative analyses. The word, "family" demonstrated high frequencies of use across sub-samples. There was nothing more relevant for the groups than the family when thinking of PSOC, revealing almost a "prior to society perspective." PSOC is about being part of families. Simultaneously, we are members of other communities: schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities and nations. The informants mentioned such communities, but not often. Feeling part of the family, helping and caring not only the family but also your neighbourhood, local community, or national and global communities are particularly necessary today, as we live in a time where communities, societies, and nations across the world are heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this crisis, it is vital that nobody forgets that we are national and transnational citizens and part of many interrelated social systems. This study points out how community psychology and the applied social sciences can work to strengthen the feelings of connections to other communities, societies, and nations outlining and co-creating transformative multi-level interventions of public policy programmes of inclusion and "we-ness."

Exploring Relationships of Psychological Sense of Community With Self-Rated Health and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Chinese Americans.

This study examined the relationships of psychological sense of community (PSOC) with self-rated health and depressive symptoms among older Chinese Americans. The sample was taken from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE), a population-based survey of 3,159 community-dwelling seniors. PSOC was measured through the Sense of Community Index (SCI). Factor analysis indicated a four-dimensional structure within the SCI; however, the SCI lacked dimensional consistency and items that composed four underlying factors were different than the proposed ones. After controlling for sociodemographics, binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that a higher level of PSOC was related to a lower likelihood of self-reporting poor or fair health and of developing more depressive symptoms. The identified factors of influence and emotional connection were also significantly related to self-rated health and depressive symptoms. Future research need aim at improving the conceptualization process of the PSOC and cultural relevance in minority populations.

Perceptions of sense of community and community engagement among rural nurses: Results of a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Variations in rural nurses' sense of community and engagement in rural communities are poorly understood, although there is evidence that these are linked to community cohesion and perceived community resilience. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our research was to develop descriptive profiles of rural nurses who exhibit a sense of community and community engagement at low, average, and high levels, based on occupational, personal, community, and regional characteristics. These results were linked to levels of cohesion and resilience. DESIGN: A survey questionnaire, including established scales, demographic information, and information about rural nursing practice was administered to rural nurses. SETTINGS: Rural communities in all provinces and territories in Canada outside the commuting zone of urban areas with 10,000 or more inhabitants. PARTICIPANTS: Multi-level systematic stratified sampling was employed for the national survey. A subsample of 2116 Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Licensed Practical Nurses comprised the participants for this analysis. METHODS: The analysis was conducted in two stages: (1) in the first subset, those (n = 2116) whose primary work community was rural, remote, or rurban with less than 10,000 inhabitants were grouped into a nine-group typology based on low, average, and high tertiles of Psychological Sense of Community and Community Engagement. The second subset (n = 993) represented those in three groups: low-low, average-average, and high-high scores on the two indices. Significant differences between the three groups were identified based on occupational, personal, community, and regional characteristics. Chi Square, ANOVA, and correlation tests were applied as required. RESULTS: Nurses with low scores on both Psychological Sense of Community and Community Engagement were more likely to be from larger communities, single or divorced and living and working in the North. Those with average scores on both scales have been in their nursing positions for more than 20 years, are middle aged and are satisfied with their home community. Nurses in the third group have high scores on both indicators; they are more likely to be from a smaller childhood communities, married or living common-law, and are in the late middle age group. CONCLUSIONS: By focusing on the key variables or traits of nurses, modifiable recruitment and retention practices can be implemented. For example, it is important to recruit nurses who are from smaller communities. Other initiatives for nurses include matching community activities with the age and stage of the family and developing a welcoming strategy for the workplace and community for newly arrived nurses.

The power of connections: Psychological sense of community as a predictor of volunteerism.

Two studies explored psychological antecedents of volunteerism, including several dispositional constructs and psychological sense of community (PSOC). In Study 1, 140 retirees completed measures of empathy, self-esteem, generativity, and PSOC, as well as involvement in volunteer organizations and weekly volunteering hours at two points in time. PSOC predicted concurrent and future volunteerism even after controlling for the other predictors. In Study 2 (n = 427), PSOC and measures of environmental concern and connectedness were used to predict current environmental volunteerism and activism. PSOC was the only measure reliably and uniquely related to these behaviors. Across two different domains and operationalizations of PSOC, the findings support the validity and utility of PSOC for understanding general and issue-specific volunteerism. More generally, they highlight social relationships and psychological connections as potential pathways to volunteerism and social action.

Rehabilitation: housing aspects of community integration.

This article provides a short history of the hawing aspects of community integration in the United States for persons with permanent and/or long-term physical, affective, and cognitive disabilities. Included in this history are the philosophy behind the process, some pitfalls that have been found to be important to avoid, and some guidelines for developing community-integrating housing options for persons with disabilities. Also provided are names and addresses of organizations and agencies that might offer more detailed information.