Variety in Pleasant Activities is Associated with Improved Mental Health: Evidence from Two National Samples of U.S. Adults.

Engaging in a wide range of pleasant activities may provide mental health benefits, particularly for those genetically predisposed to depression. This study examined associations between pleasant activity variety, mental health, and genetic vulnerability in two U.S. cohort studies (N = 2,088). Participants reported depressive symptoms, mental healthcare visits, and engagement in pleasant activities over the past month. Greater variety of pleasant activities was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in both study samples. Individuals engaging in more diverse pleasant activities also had fewer mental health visits. Individuals with a higher genetic risk for depression experienced a stronger negative association between variety of pleasant activities and depressive symptoms compared to those with a lower genetic risk. These results highlight the potential of diverse pleasant activities as a means to enhance well-being, particularly among individuals genetically susceptible to depression. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-023-00225-x.

Mean Affect Moderates the Association between Affect Variability and Mental Health.

Increasing evidence suggests that within-person variation in affect is a dimension distinct from mean levels along which individuals can be characterized. This study investigated affect variability's association with concurrent and longitudinal mental health and how mean affect levels moderate these associations. The mental health outcomes of depression, panic disorder, self-rated mental health, and mental health professional visits from the second and third waves of the Midlife in the United States Study were used for cross-sectional (n = 1,676) and longitudinal outcomes (n = 1,271), respectively. These participants took part in the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE II), where they self-reported their affect once a day for 8 days, and this was used to compute affect mean and variability. Greater positive affect variability cross-sectionally predicted a higher likelihood of depression, panic disorder, mental health professional use, and poorer self-rated mental health. Greater negative affect variability predicted higher panic disorder probability. Longitudinally, elevated positive and negative affect variability predicted higher depression likelihood and worse self-rated mental health over time, while greater positive affect variability also predicted increased panic disorder probability. Additionally, mean affect moderated associations between variability and health such that variability-mental health associations primarily took place when mean positive affect was high (for concurrent mental health professional use and longitudinal depression) and when mean negative affect was low (for concurrent depression, panic disorder, self-rated mental health, and longitudinal self-rated mental health). Taken together, affect variability may have implications for both short- and long-term health and mean levels should be considered. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-024-00238-0.

My partner really gets me: Affective reactivity to partner stress predicts greater relationship quality in new couples.

Affective reactivity, defined as within-person increases in negative affect triggered by daily stressors, has well-established links to personal well-being. Prior work conceptualized affective reactivity as an intrapersonal phenomenon, reflecting reactions to one's own stressors. Here, we conceptualized reactivity interpersonally, examining one's responses to a romantic partner's daily stressors. Across four longitudinal dyadic studies, we investigated how reactivity to partner stress predicts relationship quality appraisals. In fledgling couples, reactivity to a partner's stressors, assessed via weekly (Study 1; N = 152) and daily (Study 2; N = 144) diaries, positively predicted partner relationship quality. In both studies, the associations were mediated by the partner's perceptions of responsiveness. Furthermore, reactivity to partner stress buffered against declines in partner relationship quality over 8 weeks in Study 1 and 13 months in Study 2. The relevance of reactivity to partner stress for relationship quality diminished in the later stages of relationships. Among samples of established couples (Studies 3 and 4, Ns = 164 and 208, respectively), reactivity to partner stress did not directly predict partner relationship quality or moderate its trajectory over time. Overall, the predominant pattern across four studies painted a portrait of relational well-being benefits specific to fledgling relationships. Through its novel framework of situating affective reactivity interpersonally between partners, the present research contributes to both affective science and relationship science. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Do We Become More Lonely With Age? A Coordinated Data Analysis of Nine Longitudinal Studies.

Loneliness is a pervasive experience with adverse impacts on health and well-being. Despite its significance, notable gaps impede a full understanding of how loneliness changes across the adult life span and what factors influence these changes. To address this, we conducted a coordinated data analysis of nine longitudinal studies encompassing 128,118 participants ages 13 to 103 from over 20 countries. Using harmonized variables and models, we examined loneliness trajectories and predictors. Analyses revealed that loneliness follows a U-shaped curve, decreasing from young adulthood to midlife and increasing in older adulthood. These patterns were consistent across studies. Several baseline factors (i.e., sex, marital status, physical function, education) were linked to loneliness levels, but few moderated the loneliness trajectories. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of loneliness and underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce social disparities throughout adulthood.

Engagement with nature and proinflammatory biology.

BACKGROUND: Prior evidence indicates that contact with nature improves physical health, but data explicitly linking engagement with nature to biological processes are limited. DESIGN: Leveraging survey and biomarker data from 1,244 adults (mean age = 54.50 years, range = 34-84 years) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS II) study, we examined associations between nature engagement, operationalized as the frequency of pleasant nature encounters, and systemic inflammation. Concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen were measured from fasting blood samples. Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic, health behavior, and psychological well-being covariates. RESULTS: More frequent positive nature contact was independently associated with lower circulating levels of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to a growing literature on the salubrious health effects of nature by demonstrating how such experiences are instantiated in downstream physiological systems, potentially informing future interventions and public health policies.

Too little, too much, and "just right": Exploring the "goldilocks zone" of daily stress reactivity.

Hormetic models of stress resilience describe nonlinear relations for exposure to adversity and health outcomes, where exposure induces salutary changes up to a threshold, with changes becoming deleterious afterward. Here we apply a hormetic model of stress to reactivity to daily stressors, examining whether mental and physical health benefits arise from low-to-moderate reactivity but then decrease at higher levels. Data are from the second wave of the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE). Adults (N = 2,022; Mage = 58.61, SD = 12.12, age range: 35-86; 57% female) completed telephone interviews detailing their stressors and affect on eight consecutive evenings. A series of multilevel structural equation models estimated within-person associations between daily stressors and negative affect (i.e., stress reactivity), and between-person linear and quadratic effects of stress reactivity on mental and physical health outcomes (i.e., life satisfaction, psychological distress, and number of chronic conditions). Findings reveal a significant quadratic effect for each outcome, indicating a U-shaped pattern (inverse U for positively valenced life satisfaction), such that low and high levels of stress reactivity were associated with poorer health and well-being, whereas moderate levels of daily stress reactivity predicted better health outcomes. These findings suggest that individuals who display either very low- or very high-stress reactivity may benefit from interventions that target their emotion regulation skills and coping resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Trajectories of affective well-being and survival in middle-aged and older adults.

Affective experiences are key components of subjective well-being with important implications for health. However, little is known about heterogeneous longitudinal affect trajectories and their links to survival. This study identified joint trajectory subgroups based on 18-year changes in positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) and examined their differential associations with mortality risk. Participants were 3,250 adults (aged 39-93 years) from the Midlife in the U.S. study assessed over three waves (1995-2013). Parallel growth mixture modeling revealed three subgroups: (a) improving (increasing PA, decreasing NA), (b) deteriorating (decreasing PA, increasing NA), and (c) flourishing (high, stable PA, low, stable NA). Adjusting for baseline demographic and health covariates, Cox proportional-hazard results showed the improving group had the lowest mortality risk (HR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.35, 1.32]) and the deteriorating group had the highest mortality risk (HR = 1.86, 95% CI [1.34, 3.55]), relative to flourishing. These findings highlight the importance of modeling multidimensional trajectories of affective well-being and their heterogeneous links to survival. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations Between Generativity and Social Asymmetry Among Older Adults in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness and social isolation are major public health concerns among older adults in Japan. Generativity, the concern for and commitment to future generations, may buffer older adults from loneliness. This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between generativity and social asymmetry (the discrepancy between social isolation and loneliness) among older adults in Japan. METHODS: Data were from 2 waves (2008 and 2012) of the Midlife in Japan survey, a nationally representative longitudinal study of 645 adults aged 30-79 residing in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Generativity was measured using the 6-item Loyola Generativity Scale. Social asymmetry was computed as the residual score from regressing loneliness onto social isolation. RESULTS: Higher generativity levels were associated with lower social asymmetry scores (B=-0.21, SE=0.04), but generativity change across waves did not predict social asymmetry 4 years later (B=-0.04, SE=0.06). DISCUSSION: Generativity may play a protective role in buffering older adults from the adverse effects of social isolation on loneliness. Promoting generativity among older adults may be a potential intervention strategy to reduce loneliness and improve well-being in aging populations in Japan.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of a Positive Affect Skills Intervention for Adults With Fibromyalgia.

Background and Objectives: To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a positive affect skills intervention for middle-aged and older adults with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Research Design and Methods: Ninety-five participants with FMS aged 50 and older (94% female) were randomized to 1 of 2 conditions: (a) Lessons in Affect Regulation to Keep Stress and Pain UndeR control (LARKSPUR; n = 49) or (b) emotion reporting/control (n = 46). LARKSPUR included 5 weeks of skill training that targeted 8 skills to help foster positive affect, including (a) noticing positive events, (b) savoring positive events, (c) identifying personal strengths, (d) behavioral activation to set and work toward attainable goals, (e) mindfulness, (f) positive reappraisal, (g) gratitude, and (h) acts of kindness. Outcome data were collected via online surveys at baseline, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up. Results: Completion rates (88%) and satisfaction ratings (10-point scale) were high (LARKSPUR: M = 9.14, standard deviation (SD) = 1.49; control: M = 8.59, SD = 1.97). Improvements were greater in LARKSPUR participants compared with control participants on measures of positive affect (Cohen's d = 0.19 [0.15, 0.24]), negative affect (Cohen's d = -0.07 [-0.11, -0.02]), and pain catastrophizing (Cohen's d = -0.14 [-0.23, -0.05]). Improvements in positive affect (Cohen's d = 0.17 [0.13, 0.22]) and negative affect (Cohen's d = -0.11 [-0.15, -0.06]) were maintained at 1-month follow-up. Dose-response analyses indicated that intervention engagement significantly predicted pre-to-post and post-to-follow-up reductions in pain catastrophizing. Discussion and Implications: The current preliminary findings add to existing literature and highlight the specific potential of internet-delivered positive affect skills programs for adults with FMS. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04869345.

Affect variability and physical health: The moderating role of mean affect.

Research has only begun to explore how affect variability relates to physical health and has typically not assessed long-term associations nor considered the moderating role of mean affect. Therefore, we used data from the Midlife in the United States Study waves 2 (N = 1512) and 3 (N = 1499) to test how affect variability predicted concurrent and long-term physical health while also testing the moderating role of mean affect. Results indicated that greater negative affect variability was associated concurrently with a greater number of chronic conditions (p = .03) and longitudinally with worse self-rated physical health (p < .01). Greater positive affect variability was associated concurrently with more chronic conditions (p < .01) and medications (p < .01) and longitudinally with worse self-rated physical health (p = .04). Further, mean negative affect played a moderating role such that at lower levels of mean negative affect, as affect variability increased, so did the number of concurrent chronic conditions (p < .01) and medications (p = .03) and the likelihood of reporting worse long-term self-rated physical health (p < .01). Thus, the role of mean affect should be considered when testing short- and long-term associations between affect variability and physical health.

For living well, behaviors and circumstances matter just as much as psychological traits.

In 2004 through 2016, three studies in the national Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) project asked participants the open-ended question "What do you do to make life go well?". We use verbatim responses to this question to evaluate the relative importance of psychological traits and circumstances for predicting self-reported, subjective well-being. The use of an open-ended question allows us to test the hypothesis that psychological traits are more strongly associated with self-reported well-being than objective circumstances because psychological traits and well-being are similarly self-rated-meaning that they both ask respondents to decide how to place themselves on provided and unfamiliar survey scales. For this, we use automated zero-shot classification to score statements about well-being without training on existing survey measures, and we evaluate this scoring through subsequent hand-labeling. We then assess associations of this measure and closed-ended measures for health behaviors, socioeconomic circumstances, biomarkers for inflammation and glycemic control, and mortality risk over follow-up. Although the closed-ended measures were far more strongly associated with other multiple-choice self-ratings, including Big 5 personality traits, the closed- and open-ended measures were similarly associated with relatively objective indicators of health, wealth, and social connectedness. The findings suggest that psychological traits, when collected through self-ratings, predict subjective reports of well-being so strongly because of a measurement advantage-and that circumstance matters just as much when assessed using a fairer comparison.

Associations Between Loneliness and Cognitive Resilience to Neuropathology in Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness in the aging population is associated with decreased cognitive function and increased neuropathology; less is understood about the association of loneliness and cognitive resilience (CR), defined as the discordance between a person's actual and expected cognition given their neuropathology. Here we assess the effect of loneliness and change in loneliness on CR at end of life and across older adulthood. METHODS: Data were combined from 2 longitudinal studies of older adults. CR proximate to death (CRlast_level) and across time (CRslope) was obtained by independently regressing global cognition and change in cognition onto multiple neuropathology indicators and extracting the resulting residuals. We used a series of simple linear regression models to assess the effect of loneliness level and change on CRlast_level and CRslope. RESULTS: Higher baseline loneliness was associated with lower CRlast_level (ß = -0.11, 95% confidence interval [95% CI; -0.18, -0.04], p < .01); higher baseline loneliness and increasing loneliness over time was associated with lower CRslope (ß = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.22, -0.05], p < .01 and ß = -0.12, 95% CI [-0.20, -0.04], p < .01, respectively). Results were robust to covariate inclusion and independent of objective social isolation. DISCUSSION: Higher and increasing loneliness was associated with lower CR in the face of neuropathology. These results suggest that some individuals are less resilient to the accumulation of neuropathology than others, and experiencing high/increasing loneliness is a key factor putting some at risk. Interventions aimed at optimizing cognitive function across older adults should include loneliness reduction as a potential area of focus.

Racial uplifts and the Asian American experience.

It is well established that experiences of racial discrimination pose a significant health risk to ethnic minority youth. In this article, we introduce a new concept, racial uplifts, to capture a largely neglected countertheme in the scientific literature-the nature and processes underlying salubrious race-related experiences. We report on data from a mixed-method study of everyday racial uplifts in the lives of Asian American youth. Study 1a (n = 20; age range = 17-23 years) and Study 1b (n = 14; age range = 18-22 years) examined data collected through semistructured focus group interviews. Study 2 used data from a 14-day diary study (n = 152; age range = 16-20 years). A consensual qualitative research analysis of interview data revealed six major racial uplifting themes: (a) ethnic bonding, (b) overcoming obstacles, (c) bicultural competence, (d) cultural bridging, (e) globalism, and (f) outgroup regard. Analysis of end-of-day diary data revealed that respondents reported at least one daily racial uplift on 65% of the study days and multiple uplifts on 42% of the study days. Multilevel analyses indicated that everyday racial uplifts were associated with decreased daily negative affect and increased daily positive affect and self-esteem. The results add to a growing literature on the role of assets and promotive resources in the lives of ethnic minority youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Five challenges for hope and resilience research.

Twenty years after Snyder's seminar article on hope theory, research on hope has moved in many directions and has spanned multiple spheres of personal life and social life, including psychological adjustment, physical health, lifespan development, and interpersonal relationships. Given its importance for well-being, it is somewhat surprising that a close look at the literature reveals that the question of whether hope is a source of resilience is far from resolved, and key questions remain unanswered. Here, we outline five challenges for future hope and resilience research, including conceptualization, measurement, research design, modeling methods, and multidirectional and multidimensional perspectives on adaptation. Although each of these challenges has received some attention, additional work is needed to build a more cumulative science, thereby contributing important insights into what it means to be well in the face of adversity.

The pandemic and social experience: For whom did discrimination and social isolation increase?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine whether experiences of discrimination have increased during the pandemic, particularly among negatively stigmatized racial/ethnic groups, and whether such experiences have exacerbated feelings of social isolation. METHOD: Discrimination and social isolation were assessed before and during the pandemic in a sample of 263 Black and White young adults attending a large, predominantly White 4-year research university in the Southeastern region of the United States (52% Black, 48% White, 53% female, mean age = 19.2). RESULTS: Increases in discrimination were evident among Black but not White participants. Black participants also reported greater increases in social isolation than White participants, and changes in discrimination partially mediated the emergent racial disparity in social isolation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are consistent with theoretical perspectives on discrimination during times of stress and suggest the need for broader attention to the impact of the pandemic on unfair treatment of stigmatized groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Lessons in Affect Regulation to Keep Stress and Pain UndeR control (LARKSPUR): Design of a randomized controlled trial to increase positive affect in middle-aged and older adults with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a leading cause of functional limitations and disability for which there is no cure. Positive psychological interventions for improving health have received increasing attention, but evidence of the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of such interventions in adult populations with FMS is limited. OBJECTIVES: To describe the rationale and design of a 5-week, online positive affect skills intervention, LARKSPUR: Lessons in Affect Regulation to Keep Stress and Pain UndeR control. METHODS: FMS participants (N = 90) will be randomized to one of two conditions: (1) LARKSPUR or (2) emotion reporting/attention control. LARKSPUR is an online multicomponent intervention that targets eight skills to help foster positive affect: (1) noticing positive events, (2) savoring positive events, (3) identifying personal strengths, (4) behavioral activation to set and work toward attainable goals, (5) mindfulness, (6) positive reappraisal, (7) gratitude, and (8) acts of kindness. The primary outcomes include feasibility (i.e., recruitment, retention, adherence) and acceptability (i.e., helpfulness, usability, satisfaction). Secondary outcomes include pain intensity and pain interference. SIGNIFICANCE: If feasibility and acceptability metrics are met and reductions in pain outcomes are achieved, we will undertake future efficacy and effectiveness trials of LARKSPUR among older adults with FMS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04869345.

Advancing the Study of Resilience to Daily Stressors.

Historically, studies of childhood and adult resilience have typically focused on adaptation to chronic life adversities, such as poverty and maltreatment, or isolated and potentially traumatic events, such as bereavement and serious illness. Here, we present a complementary view and suggest that stressors experienced in daily life may also forecast individual health and well-being. We argue that daily process approaches that incorporate intensive sampling of individuals in natural settings can provide powerful insights into unfolding adaptational processes. In making this argument, we review studies that link intraindividual dynamics with diverse health-related phenomena. Findings from this research provide support for a multiple-levels-analysis perspective that embraces greater unity in pivotal resilience constructs invoked across childhood and adult literatures. Drawing on insights and principles derived from life-span theory, we conclude by outlining promising directions for future work and considering their broader implications for the field of resilience.

The Relational Wear and Tear of Everyday Racism Among African American Couples.

The wear and tear of adapting to chronic stressors such as racism and discrimination can have detrimental effects on mental and physical health. Here, we investigated the wider implications of everyday racism for relationship quality in an adult sample of 98 heterosexual African American couples. Participants reported on their experiences of racial discrimination and positive and negative affect for 21 consecutive evenings. Using dyadic analyses, we found that independently of age, gender, marital status, income, racial-discrimination frequency, neuroticism, and mean levels of affect, participants' relationship quality was inversely associated with their partner's negative affective reactivity to racial discrimination. Associations did not vary by gender, suggesting that the effects of affective reactivity were similar for men and women. These findings highlight the importance of a dyadic approach and call for further research examining the role of everyday racism as a key source of stress in the lives of African American couples.

Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic and measures aimed at its mitigation, such as physical distancing, have been discussed as risk factors for loneliness, which increases the risk of premature mortality and mental and physical health conditions. To ascertain whether loneliness has increased since the start of the pandemic, this study aimed to narratively and statistically synthesize relevant high-quality primary studies. This systematic review with meta-analysis was registered at PROSPERO (ID CRD42021246771). Searched databases were PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library/Central Register of Controlled Trials/EMBASE/CINAHL, Web of Science, the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 database, supplemented by Google Scholar and citation searching (cutoff date of the systematic search December 5, 2021). Summary data from prospective research including loneliness assessments before and during the pandemic were extracted. Of 6,850 retrieved records, 34 studies (23 longitudinal, 9 pseudolongitudinal, 2 reporting both designs) on 215,026 participants were included. Risk of bias (RoB) was estimated using the risk of bias in non-randomised studies-of interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Standardized mean differences (SMD, Hedges' g) for continuous loneliness values and logOR for loneliness prevalence rates were calculated as pooled effect size estimators in random-effects meta-analyses. Pooling studies with longitudinal designs only (overall N = 45,734), loneliness scores (19 studies, SMD = 0.27 [95% confidence interval = 0.14-0.40], Z = 4.02, p < .001, I 2 = 98%) and prevalence rates (8 studies, logOR = 0.33 [0.04-0.62], Z = 2.25, p = .02, I 2 = 96%) increased relative to prepandemic times with small effect sizes. Results were robust with respect to studies' overall RoB, pseudolongitudinal designs, timing of prepandemic assessments, and clinical populations. The heterogeneity of effects indicates a need to further investigate risk and protective factors as the pandemic progresses to inform targeted interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality differences in the occurrence and affective correlates of daily positive events.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research shows that Neuroticism predicts exposure and affective reactivity to daily stressors. Zautra and colleagues extended this work to daily positive events. Building on these frameworks, we examined the Big Five personality traits as predictors of the occurrence and affective correlates of daily positive events. METHOD: Participants in two national U.S. daily diary studies (NSDE 2: N = 1,919 and NSDE Refresher: N = 778; aged 25-84) reported daily positive events, emotions specific to the events, and daily affect for 8 consecutive days. RESULTS: In parallel analyses in both samples, Extraversion and in the NSDE Refresher sample only Openness (but not Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, or Agreeableness) predicted more frequent positive event occurrence. All Big Five traits were associated with one or more emotional experiences (e.g., calm, proud) during positive events. Neuroticism predicted greater event-related positive affect in the NSDE 2 sample, whereas Agreeableness was related to more event-related negative affect in the NSDE Refresher sample. CONCLUSIONS: The Big Five personality traits each provided unique information for predicting positive events in daily life. The discussion centers on potential explanations and implications for advancing the understanding of individual differences that contribute to engagement in positive experiences.