Exploring fear of happiness among university students: The role of perfectionism, academic burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness.

Due to its impact on mental health and well-being, fear of happiness is beginning to receive more attention in research. This study, conducted in Hungary, explored the relationship between fear of happiness, perfectionism, loneliness, hopelessness, and academic burnout. Participants aged between 18 and 35 years (N = 1,148, M = 22 years, SD = 4.5) completed an online questionnaire that included self-report measures of these constructs. In the present study, males showed higher levels of fear of happiness and perfectionism than did females. Analyses also revealed that both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, academic burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness were positively related to fear of happiness. In multiple regression analysis, gender had a positive and age had a negative role in the levels of fear of happiness. Maladaptive perfectionism, academic burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness were positive predictors, while adaptive perfectionism almost reached statistical significance. These findings highlight the predictive role of previously unexplored variables in fear of happiness.

Strengths and Difficulties among Adolescent with and without Specific Learning Disorders (SLD).

Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) have become a major concern in modern societies. It is essential to detect their emotional, behavioral and social consequences as early as childhood. The aim of this study is to examine a set of strengths and difficulties and compare them between students with and without SLD. Participants in this study were adolescents aged 11-18 years from Budapest and villages of its Metropolitan area (Hungary) (N = 276, mean age = 13.6 years, SD = 1.8, 54.7% boys). Due to multistage sampling, a nearly equal number of students had SLD or not. In addition to sociodemographics, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Proactive Coping Inventory were included in the survey, and t-test, correlation and logistic regression analysis were applied in statistical analyses. Our findings suggest that in early adolescence (ages 11-14 years), conduct and peer problems, in late adolescence (ages 15-18 years), emotional problems, highlighted SLD. In terms of strengths, prosocial behavior in children with SLD may compensate difficulties, especially at a younger age. Students from lower SES families and those having parents with a lower educational level are more likely to have a diagnosis of SLD. Teachers and special educators should take care of improving the adolescents' prosociality, social and coping skills and listening to emotional, conduct and peer problems in those with SLD.

Adolescent Life Satisfaction: Association with Psychological, School-Related, Religious and Socially Supportive Factors.

Adolescent life satisfaction is crucial to later adult health and well-being; therefore, searching for its correlates should receive priority in research. The aim of this study was to explore the role of psychological (depression, future orientation), school-related (school achievement, satisfaction with school), religious (going to church, importance of religion), socially supportive (family and friend support), other familial, and sociodemographic (age, sex, self-assessed socioeconomic status) factors in adolescent life satisfaction. This cross-sectional survey (entitled Szeged Youth Study 2022) involved a sample of middle and high school students (N = 2239, aged 11-18 years, 51.8% females) from public schools in Szeged, Hungary. Besides descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analysis were applied to the data analyses. Boys scored higher on the life satisfaction scale (Satisfaction with Life Scale, SWLS), while the level of depression (Children's Depression Inventory, CDI) was higher among girls. In the final regression model, family support was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction (ß = 0.44, p < 0.001), followed by depression (as a negative contributor), socioeconomic (SES) self-assessment, future orientation, satisfaction with school, going to church, and friend support. School prevention programs should be focused not only on preventing mental health difficulties but also promoting adolescent well-being.

Association between impulsivity and cognitive capacity decrease is mediated by smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and daytime fatigue among medical students: a path analysis.

BACKGROUND: Medical students are at high risk for sleep disturbance. One possible cause of their sleeping problem is impulsivity. We aim to investigate the possible mediators between medical students' impulsivity and sleep outcomes. Thus, we developed and investigated a model where the predictors were attentional, non-planning, and motor impulsivity subtraits. In the final model, subjective cognitive capacity decrease was the outcome variable. In light of previous findings, academic procrastination, smartphone addiction, and bedtime procrastination were considered important mediators as well as two variables of poor sleep, sleeping insufficiency, and daytime fatigue. METHODS: Medical students (N = 211; ageM = 22.15 years; ageSD = 3.47 years; 71.6% women) were recruited to complete an online survey comprised of demographics (age, gender), self-administered scales (Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale, Bedtime Procrastination Scale, Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale, Academic Procrastination Scale-Short Form) and questions on tiredness, daily fatigue and subjective cognitive capacity decrease. Correlation and path analyses were implemented to examine hypothesized relationships between the variables. RESULTS: Both attentional impulsivity (ß = 0.33, p < .001) and non-planning impulsivity (ß = -0.19, p < .01) had a direct relationship with cognitive capacity decrease. Attentional impulsivity was also associated with decreased cognitive capacity with a serial mediation effect via smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and fatigue (estimate = 0.017, p < .01). The indirect link between non-planning impulsivity and cognitive capacity decrease was mediated by academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and fatigue (estimate = 0.011, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Inability to stay focused and plan tasks effectively (directly and indirectly) predicts poor sleep outcomes. This relationship is mediated by excessive smartphone use, academic procrastination, and bedtime procrastination. Our findings are relevant in light of self-regulatory learning, which is crucial in medical education. This is a recursive cycle of planning, emotion regulation, proper strategy selection and self-monitoring. Future interventions addressing attentional and non-planning impulsivity, problematic smartphone use, academic procrastination, and in turn, bedtime procrastination might make this routine more effective. In the conclusion section, practical implications of the results are discussed.

Multi-Level Protective Factors of Adolescent Smoking and Drinking.

Adolescence is the most critical life stage for experimentation with substance use; however, this is also the most suitable period for strengthening protective factors and thus promoting adult physical and mental health. Since smoking and drinking still appear among the most frequent types of substance abuse in Europe, this study aims to examine the role of potential protective factors at multiple levels for adolescent smoking and drinking: psychological factors at the individual level, aspects of school attachment at the school level, social support variables at the social level, and measures of quality of life at the level of mental health. This cross-sectional survey involved a sample of adolescents (aged 11-18 years, N = 276) in Budapest and villages in its metropolitan area (Hungary). In addition to descriptive statistics, logistic regression analyses were used to detect odds for potential protective factors. There were no sex differences in adolescents' substance use. Self-control seems to be a universal and most determining protective factor against substance use, while other potential protective factors (self-esteem, resilience, social support from family or significant others, school attachment, and mental well-being) may also contribute to prevention. However, age and friend support acted as risk factors. Findings suggest that a complex approach to prevention should receive consideration.

How to Procrastinate Productively With ADHD: A Study of Smartphone Use, Depression, and Other Academic Variables Among University Students With ADHD Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The association between chemical dependency and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is widely recognized, but there is less data regarding modern behavioral addictions among young adults. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 408 Hungarian college students (67.2% female, mean age 23.37 years [SD = 3.87]) responded to an online survey including the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Procrastination Scale, the Short College Boredom Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV). RESULTS: Regression analyses showed that passive procrastination (ß = .31, p < .001), depression (ß = .20, p < .001), academic boredom (ß = .18, p < .001), active procrastination (ß = -.12, p < .001), and smartphone addiction (ß = .13, p < .001) were significantly related to ADHD symptoms, accounting for 41% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Findings provide important additions to knowledge of mental health challenges among young adults with ADHD.

Social Differences in Health Behaviours among Jordanian Adolescents.

Social differences are evident in both developed and developing countries. During adolescence, there are limited differences in morbidity and mortality, but differences do appear in terms of health behaviours. This study aims to examine the relationship(s) between social differences and students' health behaviours. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 with a sample of high school students (N = 2741, aged 13-18 years) in Jordan. Besides descriptive statistics, bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to detect the odds risk for each social difference indicator. Females were engaged in more healthy dietary and hygienic behaviours and less engaged in smoking. Males were more physically active. Adolescents with a higher parental education level were more engaged in healthy behaviours; however, they drank carbonated soft drinks and ate fast food more often. Higher SES (socioeconomic status) self-evaluation was positively associated with eating breakfast and fruit and vegetables, being physically active, drinking carbonated soft drinks, eating fast food, and smoking. Our findings suggest that socioeconomic differences are important to understanding Jordanian adolescents' health behaviours. While females tend to engage in more healthy behaviours, the role of parental education and perceived family affluence is not always beneficial in terms of adolescents' dietary habits, hygienic behaviour, or smoking.

Relationships Among Depression, Online Self-Disclosure, Social Media Addiction, and Other Psychological Variables Among Hungarian University Students.

ABSTRACT: In the digital age, besides the well-known contributors to depression, more research is needed on certain activities of social media, such as online self-disclosure. Using an online survey, we examine the associations of depression with social media addiction, online self-disclosure, loneliness, and life satisfaction among a sample of Hungarian university students ( N = 301, aged between 18 and 30 years). There were no sex differences in depression scores. Findings showed the following: a) lonely students; b) those less satisfied with their lives; c) those sharing negative information; and d) those that engage in deep self-disclosure are more likely to report depressive symptomatology. Although social media addiction was a correlate of depression in bivariate analyses, it became nonsignificant when online self-disclosure and other psychological variables were introduced to the model. A more careful accounting of these relationships is needed to more wisely use social media when disclosing information about ourselves.

A sex-stratified multiple regression on Jordanian adolescents' life satisfaction using different elements of school climate.

BACKGROUND: School climate is one of several important factors influencing adolescent well-being and life satisfaction. Although a growing number of studies investigate the role of school climate, they often apply a global scale and only a few of them measure any specific elements. Likewise, most studies are focused on well-being and not life satisfaction. AIM: The purpose of this study is to investigate how different elements of school climate (teacher responsiveness, disruptive behavior, positive mutual bonds, classroom atmosphere, growth) are related to life satisfaction among a sample of Jordanian high school students. METHODS: Using a self-administered and online questionnaire, the sample consists of adolescents from public schools located in northern Jordan (N = 2141, aged 13-18 years). RESULTS: Jordanian high school students' levels of life satisfaction were higher for girls [t(2139) = -8.2, p < .001]. Disruptive behavior correlated negatively with classroom atmosphere (r = -0.50; p < .001 among girls and r = -0.45; p < .001 for boys); teacher responsiveness was positively correlated with growth (r = 0.49; p < .001 for girls and r = 0.61; p < .001 for boys). However, the role of disruptive behavior was different for girls (negative) compared to boys (positive), although these correlations were weak. In multiple regression analyses, teacher responsiveness (ß = 0.22; p < .001) and positive mutual bonds (ß = 0.19; p < .001) were largest contributors to life satisfaction beyond self-assessed socioeconomic status (ß = 0.27; p < .001). Age (ß = -0.08; p < .01) and growth (ß = 0.27; p < .001) were significant only for boys. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the importance of examining different elements of school climate in an effort to better understand adolescents' life satisfaction. Certain gender differences may highlight differences in social needs across different classroom settings which require further investigation.

What makes university students perfectionists? The role of childhood trauma, emotional dysregulation, academic anxiety, and social support.

While most studies concentrate on the negative psychological consequences of perfectionism, we know less about its antecedents. This study examined the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, difficulties in emotion regulation, academic anxiety and social support and maladaptive perfectionism among university students. A large sample of 1,750 students (81% female; M = 21.6 years, SD = 4.8) completed an online self-report survey assessing these constructs. Relative to males, female participants recorded higher scores for difficulties in emotion regulation, perceived social support and debilitating anxiety but not for perfectionism. In line with previous studies, perfectionism was positively related to difficulties in emotion regulation and childhood trauma, with the former being the stronger predictive variable. Debilitating academic anxiety was also a positive but much weaker contributor. In contrast, perceived social support was a significant negative predictor of perfectionism, suggesting that perfectionists can benefit from social connections. Age and gender did not play a role in perfectionism scores. These findings draw attention to the predictive role of emotion regulation and childhood adverse experiences in maladaptive perfectionism and stimulate further research into exploring its association with social support and test anxiety.

Body Appreciation in Light of Psychological, Health- and Weight-Related Variables Among Female Adolescents.

Recent research has begun to focus on positive body image and how this can be supported in adolescence. Body appreciation is a key element of positive body image, and has been associated with self-reported health status, weight-related concern, family factors and psychological variables such as self-esteem. In this study we explored these associations among Hungarian adolescent females. Female high school students from two major towns in Csongrád county, Hungary (N = 454; age range from 14 to 20; M = 16.3 years, SD = 1.2) completed questionnaires assessing body appreciation, self-esteem, optimism, life satisfaction and health- and weight-related variables. Analyses revealed that body appreciation was most strongly related to self-esteem, as well as being positively associated with life satisfaction, self-perceived health, being in control of diet, and engagement in sport. Conversely, binge drinking, engaging in slimming behaviors and having eating disorders in the family were negatively associated with body appreciation. These findings provide some indications of factors that might be targetted in health education programs aiming to promote positive body image and to develop resilience against body dissatisfaction in this demographic group. Such programs should also include information of nutrition and media literacy.

Adolescents' attitudes towards healthy eating: The role of self-control, motives and self-risk perception.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical stage in life course development. It is a particularly relevant stage regarding our understanding of eating behaviors since adolescent's evolving, more autonomous food preferences tend to be influenced by peers and media as much if not more than the family. Therefore, exploring adolescent's eating preferences could be an important focus to developing prevention programs. AIMS: To explore the role of psychological variables (namely, self-risk perception, self-control and eating motivations) and their relationships with healthy eating attitudes. METHODS: A sample of adolescents (Szeged, Hungary, N = 274, ages 14-19 years; mean age = 15.95 years, S.D. = 1.17 years; 54% males) was recruited to participate in the study. Data were collected from self-administered/anonymous questionnaires. Besides descriptive statistics, correlations and a path analysis were applied to examine the relationships between self-control, self-risk perception, eating motivations and healthy eating attitudes. RESULTS: Self-control played a decisive role, both directly and indirectly in healthy eating attitudes, while self-risk-perception had a less important mediating role. Eating motives were directly related to eating attitudes but in a different way: health motives were positively associated with healthy eating attitudes, while social and external motives had a negative relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The path analysis suggests that self-control indeed plays an important role in developing healthy attitudes. While health motives play a more decisive role in health-related attitudes than we might expect, self-risk perception plays a limited role perhaps due to the notion that adolescents typically present a feeling of invulnerability. These findings suggest that despite their diminished self-risk perception, adolescents tend to be health conscious in nutrition, particularly when it combines with the underlying impact of self-control and health motives.

Youth Problem Drinking: The Role of Parental and Familial Relationships.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use continues to be an important global public health problem and adolescence seems to be a decisive period of time in the development of drinking patterns into adulthood. While most studies concentrate on frequency and amount of alcohol, fewer studies address "problem drinking." Gathering information on youth's alcohol-related behavioral consequences is especially important. OBJECTIVES: Current research focuses on gathering information on the background of problem drinking behavior with special attention to parental/familial relationships. METHODS: The survey was conducted within the youth health behavior - Makó research project in 2012 (n = 1,981, aged 13-18 years, 50.9% males). Anonymous, self-administered questionnaires contained items on sociodemographics, substance use, and parental/familial relationships (such as parental control and awareness or variables of family environment). RESULTS: Problem drinking (identified in 17.2% of the sample) was more common among males and high school students and those from lower socioeconomic status groups compared to their counterparts. Among the familial/parental variables, negative family interactions, discussion of problems with parents, physical and sexual abuse were positively related to adolescent problem drinking, whereas parental control and awareness, and the positive identification with parents proved to be protective factors. Conclusions/Importance: We conclude that parents and the family were important correlates of adolescents' problem drinking. Our findings suggest that on-going school interventions to prevent the development of problem drinking among youth should include parents and the family.

Are adolescents with high self-esteem protected from psychosomatic symptomatology?

UNLABELLED: This study investigated the role of self-esteem, social (need to belong, loneliness, competitiveness, and shyness), and health (smoking, drinking) behaviors in Hungarian adolescents' psychosomatic symptoms. Our sample of 490 students (ages 14-19 years) from Debrecen (Hungary) completed the questionnaires. Besides descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analyses were applied to test interrelationships. Frequency analysis revealed that fatigue was the most commonly experienced psychosomatic symptom in this sample, followed by sleeping problems and (lower) back pain. Girls reported experiencing more symptoms. Multiple regression analyses suggested that (1) need to belong, shyness, and competitiveness may serve as social behavioral risk factors for adolescents' psychosomatic symptomatology, whereas (2) self-esteem may play a protective role. The role of social and health behaviors was modified when analyzed by gender: the psychosomatic index score was positively related to smoking and shyness among girls, and need to belong among boys. Self-esteem provided protection for both sexes. CONCLUSION: We conclude that problems with social relationships (namely, unmet need to belong, competitiveness, and shyness) may lead to psychosomatic health complaints, whereas self-esteem may serve as a protection. Findings suggest that social skills training and strengthening self-esteem should be an important part of children's health promotion programs in schools to improve their psychosomatic health and well-being. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Despite being free of serious physical illness, many adolescents often report subjective health complaints, such as psychosomatic symptoms • As children in this life stage develop independence and autonomy, new types of social relationships, and identity, their social needs and skills also change What is new: • Need to belong, shyness, and competitiveness may serve as social behavioral risk factors for adolescents' psychosomatic symptomatology, whereas self-esteem may play a protective role • The role of social and health behaviors may vary by gender.

A reason to eat healthy: The role of meaning in life in maintaining homeostasis in modern society.

Health is a state of homeostasis of four principle kinds, namely, biochemical, physiological, psychological, and social. In this article, we complete this theory with a fifth element, namely, spiritual balance. Existential attitudes have been found to be closely related to identity formation, moral development, value-related attitudes, personal goals, and lifestyle choices. Meaning in life and searching for meaning serve better health since they may encourage people to engage in health-promoting behaviors and avoid health-risking behaviors, such as obesity and eating disorders. The meaning-making model proposes that people's perceptions may contribute to content/discontent with life, body, and the world.

Being lonely or using substances with friends? A cross-sectional study of Hungarian adolescents' health risk behaviours.

BACKGROUND: Studying adolescents' health risk behaviours is oddly significant in Central and Eastern European countries, where the prevalence of smoking and drinking among 14-18 year old students is significantly high. The goal of our study is to examine the role of social psychological and social behavioural variables in health risk behaviours among Hungarian adolescents. METHODS: Our sample was comprised of three high schools of Debrecen (the second largest city of Hungary). In all, 501 students filled in the questionnaire from 22 classes (14-22 years old). Students aged above 18 years were excluded for the purpose of the study, giving a total sample size of 471 high school students. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: According to our results (1) social behavioural factors (namely, smoking and alcohol use of the best friend and peer group) proved to be better predictors of adolescents' health risk behaviours as compared to the included social psychological attributes (2); among the latter ones, loneliness and shyness were negatively related with both smoking and drinking, while competitiveness was a predictor of drinking prevalence among boys. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that social behavioural factors, including smoking and drinking of friends, are oddly important predictors of Hungarian adolescents' health risk behaviours. According to our results, health policy should pay more attention to peer norms related to smoking and drinking during school health promotion. Developing health protective social norms may be an indispensable component of effective health promotion in high schools.

A reason to stay healthy: The role of meaning in life in relation to physical activity and healthy eating among adolescents.

The present longitudinal study investigated the incremental contribution of meaning in life to sustaining health-promoting behaviors, after controlling for well-being and health values among East-European adolescents (N = 456). Time 1 responses on presence of meaning, search for meaning, well-being, and health values were used to predict levels of healthy eating and physical activity 13 months later. All independent variables significantly predicted engagement in healthy eating and physical activity. Presence of meaning and search for meaning were the most robust predictors, and the interaction of them predicted additional variance in healthy eating among boys and physical activity among girls.

A Study of Motives for Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among High School Students in Hungary.

Motives may be an important influence for substance use among youth. The goal of this research was to study the relation of social, self-enhancement, boredom relief and affect regulation motives to smoking and drinking in a sample of Eastern European high school students and to examine variation in the effects of these motives by gender. Our sample involved 500 students (ages 14-20 years) from three high schools in a large city in Hungary. Multiple logistic regression analyses examined the relation between motives and substance user status. Social motives were significantly related to both smoking and drinking (except for boys' smoking). Affect regulation motives were a significant predictor of smoking; in addition, boredom relief was a significant motive for smoking among boys. Mother's educational level was inversely related to youth substance use, whereas father's education was positively related to alcohol use among girls. School-based prevention programs should include cognitive education and social skills training to counter perceived benefits of substance use. Further research is needed to clarify the relation of alcohol use to parental education.

Socioeconomic inequalities in mental well-being among Hungarian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: According to several empirical studies, mental well-being is significant in adolescence; adolescent's social network is undergoing radical changes while at the same time depression is increasing. The primary goal of our study is to determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with mental health status of Hungarian adolescents and the strength and nature of this association. METHODS: Our sample was comprised of three high schools of Debrecen (the second largest city of Hungary). Data were collected in January 2013. In all, 471 students filled out the questionnaire from 22 classes (14-18 years old). 'Absolute' (education and occupational status of the parents, assessed by the adolescent) and 'subjective' (self-assessment of family's social class) SES measures and five mental health indicators (shyness, loneliness, need to belong, psychosomatic symptoms, self-esteem) were involved. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between family SES and mental health indicators. RESULTS: Our results indicate that association between adolescents' 'subjective' SES and mental well-being is not gradient-like. Manual employment and unemployment status of both parents also proved to be significant determinants of mental health status. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, professionals of school-based mental health programs should consider students whose parents are unemployed or have manual occupational status as a high risk group in terms of mental well-being.

The interacting role of physical activity and diet control in Hungarian adolescents' substance use and psychological health.

The interacting protective role of diet control and physical activity was examined in understanding adolescents' substance use and psychological health. Questionnaire survey was conducted in Hungary in 2008 (N = 881). Diet control, physical activity, prevalence of substance use, and psychological health variables were measured. Logistic regression analyses showed that the interaction term of diet control and physical activity significantly increased the odds of self-perceived health, decreased substance use, and influenced the level of optimism, satisfaction with life, and the presence of depressive symptoms. Results indicated that the interaction of diet control and physical activity plays important role in adolescents' health behavior.