This cross-sectional study investigated the associations among adaptability to the pandemic, personality, and levels of learning experiences (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) among higher education students required to adapt to an abrupt transition to synchronous online learning due to the global COVID-19 pandemic A sample of 1,217 college students from Israel completed an online questionnaire after transitioning to synchronous online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic Comparisons of reactions to the online condition versus more typical face-to-face learning conditions confirmed that students had pervasive negative reactions to the online condition that became necessary due to the pandemic Moreover, adaptability to the pandemic was associated broadly with more positive reactions across multiple indicators Support was also found for an indirect associations model such that personality traits were associated with specific reactions to online learning via their associations with adaptability Supplemental analyses highlighted the more positive reactions and learning adaptability of students who reported greater feelings of belonging and mattering The current findings attest to the role of adaptability and the significant challenges experienced by college students who experienced changes in their learning and life conditions due to the need to rapidly adjust to the changes and uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Adaptability to a sudden transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding the challenges for students

This cross-sectional study investigated the associations among adaptability to the pandemic, personality, and levels of learning experiences (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) among higher education students required to adapt to an abrupt transition to synchronous online learning due to the global COVID-19 pandemic A sample of 1,217 college students from Israel completed an online questionnaire after transitioning to synchronous online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic Comparisons of reactions to the online condition versus more typical face-to-face learning conditions confirmed that students had pervasive negative reactions to the online condition that became necessary due to the pandemic Moreover, adaptability to the pandemic was associated broadly with more positive reactions across multiple indicators Support was also found for an indirect associations model such that personality traits were associated with specific reactions to online learning via their associations with adaptability Supplemental analyses highlighted the more positive reactions and learning adaptability of students who reported greater feelings of belonging and mattering The current findings attest to the role of adaptability and the significant challenges experienced by college students who experienced changes in their learning and life conditions due to the need to rapidly adjust to the changes and uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) 

Adaptability to a sudden transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding the challenges for students.

The phenomenon of female preponderance in depression has been well-reported, which has been challenged by higher rates of suicide and addictive behaviors in males, and a longer life-span in females. We thus propose an alternative hypothesis "Gender differences in self-reporting symptom of depression," suggesting mild-moderate depression tends to be reported more often by females, and severe depression and suicide tend to be reported more often by males. Potential mechanisms that account for this difference may include three aspects: covariation between estrogen levels and the incidence peak of female depression, gender differences in coping style (e.g., comparative emotional inexpressiveness and non-help-seeking in males), and gender differences in symptom phenotypes (e.g., atypical symptoms in male depression). Our newly presented hypothesis implied the overlooked under-diagnosis and under-treatment of depression in males. For effective diagnoses and timely treatment of male depression, it is critical to incorporate symptoms of depression in males into the relevant diagnostic criteria, encourage males to express negative emotions, and increase awareness of suicidal behavior in males.

/pdf/a-hypothesis-of-gender-differences-in-self-reporting-symptom-hsgpqe7bsv.pdf

A Hypothesis of Gender Differences in Self-Reporting Symptom of Depression: Implications to Solve Under-Diagnosis and Under-Treatment of Depression in Males

AIMS: We aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of seasonal suicide patterns among multiple geographically, demographically and socioeconomically diverse populations. METHODS: Weekly time-series data of suicide counts for 354 communities in 12 countries during 1986-2016 were analysed. Two-stage analysis was performed. In the first stage, a generalised linear model, including cyclic splines, was used to estimate seasonal patterns of suicide for each community. In the second stage, the community-specific seasonal patterns were combined for each country using meta-regression. In addition, the community-specific seasonal patterns were regressed onto community-level socioeconomic, demographic and environmental indicators using meta-regression. RESULTS: We observed seasonal patterns in suicide, with the counts peaking in spring and declining to a trough in winter in most of the countries. However, the shape of seasonal patterns varied among countries from bimodal to unimodal seasonality. The amplitude of seasonal patterns (i.e. the peak/trough relative risk) also varied from 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-1.62) to 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01-1.1) among 12 countries. The subgroup difference in the seasonal pattern also varied over countries. In some countries, larger amplitude was shown for females and for the elderly population (≥65 years of age) than for males and for younger people, respectively. The subperiod difference also varied; some countries showed increasing seasonality while others showed a decrease or little change. Finally, the amplitude was larger for communities with colder climates, higher proportions of elderly people and lower unemployment rates (p-values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the common features of a spring peak and a winter trough, seasonal suicide patterns were largely heterogeneous in shape, amplitude, subgroup differences and temporal changes among different populations, as influenced by climate, demographic and socioeconomic conditions. Our findings may help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of seasonal suicide patterns and aid in improving the design of population-specific suicide prevention programmes based on these patterns.

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Seasonality of suicide: a multi-country multi-community observational study.

Psychological capital (PsyCap) comprising the positive psychological resources of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism (HERO) has strong empirical associations with increased wellbeing and reduced mental health symptoms in adult samples. Emerging studies of PsyCap among school-age students have also shown preliminary, positive associations between PsyCap and student wellbeing. The present study is the first to examine PsyCap-HERO constructs and associations with both mental health symptoms and subjective wellbeing in school-aged children and adolescents (aged 9-14 years). A convenience sample of Australian school students (N = 456, Mage = 11.54, SD = 1.20, 47% female) completed an online survey during class time. Measures of hope, efficacy, resilience, optimism, flourishing, anxiety, and depression previously well-validated in school samples were used. Significant associations between each HERO construct and flourishing, anxiety and depression symptoms in the expected direction were found, and importantly, the combination of HERO constructs was shown to be a stronger predictor of increased levels of student flourishing, and decreased levels of anxiety and depression symptoms, than individual HERO constructs. Findings indicate that student PsyCap may be a promising area of further investigation for schools, policymakers, clinicians and researchers looking to identify positive psychological resources in youth that may buffer poor mental health and promote wellbeing.

/pdf/searching-for-the-hero-in-youth-does-psychological-capital-5bog1o49fx.pdf

Searching for the HERO in Youth: Does Psychological Capital (PsyCap) Predict Mental Health Symptoms and Subjective Wellbeing in Australian School-Aged Children and Adolescents?

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that subjective well-being and adaptability are linked to adaptive educational outcomes, including higher achievement and lower anxiety. It is not presently clear, however, how school-related subjective well-being and adaptability are related, or predict behavioural outcomes such as student conduct. AIM: The aim of the present study was to test a bidirectional model of school-related subjective well-being and adaptability, and how they relate to achievement and behavioural conduct. METHOD: Data were collected from 539 Year 12 students over four waves. Achievement and behavioural conduct were measured in the first wave of data collection (T1 ), school-related subjective well-being and adaptability at the second and third waves (T2 and T3 ), and achievement and behavioural conduct again in the fourth wave of data collection (T4 ). RESULTS: A structural equation model showed that T2 school-related subjective well-being predicted higher T3 adaptability, but not vice versa. T3 school-related subjective well-being predicted greater T4 achievement and positive behavioural conduct, and T3 adaptability predicted greater T4 positive behavioural conduct. CONCLUSION: School-related subjective well-being promotes adaptability, achievement, and positive behavioural conduct, and adaptability is also related to positive behavioural conduct. Attempts to foster well-being and adaptability could show educational gains for students.

/pdf/school-related-subjective-well-being-promotes-subsequent-2kphuctssf.pdf

School-related subjective well-being promotes subsequent adaptability, achievement, and positive behavioural conduct.

Objectives 
To test for social structural effects on the gender paradox in suicidal behaviour.


Methods 
We analyzed newspaper reports of completed and attempted suicides in the Scottish city of Dundee during the mass movement of women into the paid labour force in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. We calculated rates of suicides per 100,000 of the male and female populations.


Results 
We found that the female suicide rate dropped during this time period, whereas there was only a significant reduction in attempted suicide amongst men.


Conclusions 
Our understanding, and action to prevent, suicide in men and women must take place in the context of our gendered social world.

/pdf/the-gender-suicide-paradox-under-gender-role-reversal-during-1amqgayeyy.pdf

The gender suicide paradox under gender role reversal during industrialisation

Academic buoyancy protects achievement against minor academic adversities

Previous studies have shown that children and adolescents who report high levels of test anxiety also report symptoms of, and meet clinical criteria for, emotion disorders (anxiety and depression). However, the directionality of this relation cannot be established from existing studies: Is high test anxiety predisposing persons at elevated risk for developing emotion disorders or vice versa? In the present study, we addressed this question in a sample of adolescents. In addition to the risk of developing an emotion disorder, based on the Dual Factor Model of Mental Health, we also considered school-related wellbeing. Self-reported data were collected over two waves from 1198 participants, aged 16–19 years, in upper secondary education. Data were analysed using a structural equation model controlling for gender and age. We found reciprocal relations between test anxiety and elevated risk for developing emotion disorders, and between school-related wellbeing and elevated risk for developing emotion disorders. School-related wellbeing was negatively related to subsequent test anxiety but not vice versa. Our findings imply that there would be downstream benefits to improved mental health from using interventions to address test anxiety but also, from addressing emotion disorders, to improve school-related wellbeing and test anxiety.

/pdf/does-test-anxiety-predispose-poor-school-related-wellbeing-5a7ayrn8yw.pdf

Does Test Anxiety Predispose Poor School-Related Wellbeing and Enhanced Risk of Emotional Disorders?

School-related wellbeing, academic buoyancy, and adaptability are valued constructs in their own right, as indicators of student welfare and as predictors of academic achievement. In the present st...

Joanna Beaumont

Papers

School-related subjective well-being promotes subsequent adaptability, achievement, and positive behavioural conduct.

The gender suicide paradox under gender role reversal during industrialisation

Academic buoyancy protects achievement against minor academic adversities

Does Test Anxiety Predispose Poor School-Related Wellbeing and Enhanced Risk of Emotional Disorders?

A multi-component wellbeing programme for upper secondary students: Effects on wellbeing, buoyancy, and adaptability