Positive resources for psychiatry in the fourth industrial revolution: building patient and family focused psychological capital (PsyCap).

COVID-19 is altering the world, impacting every facet of life, and driving an associated global paradigm shift. Threats to our individual, family, team, community, and global well-being consume our attention at the potential price of our well-being and performance. The time to respond with scientific approaches to protect our most precious assets - people - is now. COVID-19, unstable geopolitical systems, and accelerated scientific and technological breakthroughs are characteristic of what has been identified as a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This 4IR is placing a premium on solutions that are validated to increase well-being, especially those that simultaneously significantly increase performance. Psychological Capital or simply PsyCap has emerged as a leading evidence-based positive approach to human development, drawing from previously largely untapped psychological resources (Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism or the HERO within). Although there is an extensive, growing body of PsyCap academic research in all levels of analysis and domains, there is still a void in PsyCap's applications within psychiatry. The purpose of this article is to review PsyCap applications and its implications for the practice of psychiatry, especially within the context of 4IR and the second wave of Positive Psychology (PP 2.0). Specific attention is given to evidence-based, non-stigma applications for the effective practice of psychiatry.

Not Me, But Reflects Me: Validating a Simple Implicit Measure of Psychological Capital.

We propose the recently introduced implicit measure of psychological capital (PsyCap), the Implicit Psychological Capital Questionnaire (I-PCQ; Harms & Luthans, 2012), can provide a needed valid alternative to the self-report Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ). We explain the development of the I-PCQ items, assess the structural validity of the instrument, test its vulnerability to response distortion, and assess its capacity to predicting work attitudes and behaviors vis-à-vis the PCQ and Big Five personality facets. We found that the I-PCQ demonstrated acceptable structural validity that was consistent with and added to prior theorizing, was resistant to response distortion, and predicted work outcomes above and beyond the widely used self-report PCQ and Big Five personality traits. We conclude that the I-PCQ represents a valid, easily administered measure of psychological capital that minimizes problems associated with self-reports and is appropriate for use in work settings.

The impact of financial and nonfinancial incentives on business-unit outcomes over time.

Unlike previous behavior management research, this study used a quasi-experimental, control group design to examine the impact of financial and nonfinancial incentives on business-unit (21 stores in a fast-food franchise corporation) outcomes (profit, customer service, and employee turnover) over time. The results showed that both types of incentives had a significant impact on all measured outcomes. The financial incentive initially had a greater effect on all 3 outcomes, but over time, the financial and nonfinancial incentives had an equally significant impact except in terms of employee turnover.

The role of mindfulness and psychological capital on the well-being of leaders.

In today's highly competitive and extremely complex global economy, organizational leaders at all levels are facing unprecedented challenges. Yet, some seem to be handling the pressure better than others. Utilizing 4 samples of CEOs/presidents/top (n = 205), middle (n = 183), and junior (n = 202) managers, as well as 107 entrepreneurs, using Structural Equation Modeling we tested the direct effect that their level of mindfulness (heightened awareness) and the mediating effect of their psychological capital (i.e., hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism) may have on their mental well-being. In all 4 samples, mindfulness was found to be negatively related to various dysfunctional outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and negative affect of the managerial leaders and burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion and cynicism) of the entrepreneurs. For all 4 samples, the model with psychological capital mediating the effects of mindfulness on dysfunctional outcomes fit the data best. The study limitations, future research and practical implications of these findings conclude the article.

Impact of positive psychological capital on employee well-being over time.

The recently recognized core construct of psychological capital or PsyCap (consisting of the positive psychological resources of efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) has been demonstrated to be related to various employee attitudinal, behavioral, and performance outcomes. However, to date, the impact of this positive core construct over time and on important employee well-being outcomes has not been tested. This study meets this need by analyzing the relationship between a broad cross-section of employees' (N = 280) level of PsyCap and two measures of psychological well-being over time. The results indicated that employees' PsyCap was related to both measures of well-being and, importantly, that PsyCap explained additional variance in these well-being measures over time. The limitations, needed future research, and practical implications conclude the article.