Transnational families (TNFs) are a growing demographic in Europe, yet no scoping review has systematically mapped the multilevel determinants shaping their well-being across Europe's diverse welfare regimes. This review addresses that gap. A systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO identified 42 peer-reviewed articles published in English (2014–2024) focusing on TNFs in Europe and addressing well-being. Guided by the transnational ecological systems framework, thematic analysis organised findings into four levels from proximal to distal: (1) Individual-level determinants, (2) Family & community-level determinants, (3) Institutional & policy-level determinants and (4) Societal & structural determinants. Findings demonstrate that well-being in TNFs emerges from the transaction between individual agency and structural environments, filtered through diverse European welfare regimes. These findings call for a shift from nationally centred service models towards transnational competence in social work practice and inclusive policies recognising cross- -border caregiving. Future research should prioritise participatory approaches and address the geographical bias towards Western and Northern European contexts.
This study examines life satisfaction (LS), happiness, and loneliness across seven European countries (Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom) and differences in these outcomes based on migration background (MB). The sample involves 68136 participants (57% female, 18-60 years old). The data was collected between 2020 and 2023 as part of the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP). MB was categorised into three groups: locals, foreign-born individuals with foreign-born parents (MB group), and those with a mixed MB. The results show that there are differences in LS, happiness and loneliness between countries. Croatia had the highest levels of LS and happiness. Germany and the UK had the lowest levels of LS and happiness, but also the highest levels of loneliness. Overall, the mixed MB group had the lowest LS and happiness, while the MB group reported the highest LS and happiness levels but also showed the highest level of loneliness. Patterns varied in different countries, but generally, the locals and MB group had more similar profiles compared to the mixed MB group. Some countries followed the results obtained on the total sample, but for some, different results were obtained.
This exploratory study examines the subjective quality of life (SQoL) among foreign workers in Croatia amid increasing labour migration. Drawing on Cummins' Homeostatic Model of Subjective Well-Being, the research aimed to determine whether foreign workers' SQoL deviates from the normative benchmark and how it relates to socio-demographic, economic, and psycho-social variables. A survey involved 400 participants, mainly from the Philippines, Nepal, and India, using validated instruments, the Personal Wellbeing Index, Perceived Stress Scale, and Satisfaction with Migration Life Scale, translated into five languages. Statistical analysis showed that the average SQoL (M = 61.56) was significantly lower than the normative value (70), although the effect size was small, with stress emerging as a major negative correlate (r = -0.18, p < 0.001). While weak associations were observed for age, country of origin, and planned duration of stay, employment-related variables and language proficiency were not significantly associated with SQoL.
The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between different family resilience dimensions (i.e., family problem solving, utilising social and economic resources, and family spirituality) and subjective well-being (SWB) of mothers and fathers. The data was collected from 848 pairs of mothers and fathers of elementary school-aged children, as a part of the three-year longitudinal project. Using paper- -pencil questionnaires, mothers and fathers assessed family resilience, their life satisfaction and happiness in two study waves. The results of structural equation modelling showed that, among family resilience dimensions, only family problem solving was reliably longitudinally associated with greater SWB in both parents two years later. Other family resilience dimensions did not contribute significantly to either parent's SWB, after controlling for their SWB measured in the first wave of the study. Family resilience explained only a small portion of the variance in both mothers' and fathers' SWB, indicating that although family resilience does play a role in the parents' SWB, there are other individual and family factors that should be considered.
This review explores the challenges encountered by transnational families in Europe amidst crises like forced migration, the refugee crisis, political unrest, war, and the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasising issues of discrimination, social protection, and coping strategies. The study analyses literature from 2011 to 2023, focusing on 52 peer-reviewed articles in English from SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. While social protection measures exist, they are often insufficient or inaccessible, leading families to rely on informal support networks and coping methods like community assistance and legal aid. The review underscores the necessity for more inclusive policies that address the specific hurdles, advocating for reforms to curb discrimination, fortify social protection, and bolster support frameworks.
In Croatia, almost half of adults under guardianship live with their families, and for most of them, their guardian is a family member. The burden of care affects caregivers' mental and physical health and this relationship is moderated by social support. Therefore, drawing on the Stress Process Model and using a secondary, theory-driven thematic analysis, this paper explores which stressors and which changes guardians of adults under guardianship experience in caring for their wards, as well as what kind of social support they perceive. The analysis includes data from interviews with 11 caregivers (parents or partners) of persons deprived of legal capacity due to mental disorder (schizophrenia). The results indicate that caregivers as primary stressors identify changes in the ward's behavior as well as refusal of treatment and non-cooperation. These primary stressors lead to secondary stressors – role strain of guardians and challenges in household maintenance, and contextual stressors – stigma from the environment and lack of formal support. These stressors accumulate into a care burden. The changes perceived by caregivers include difficulties in mental and physical health, disruptions in everyday life, and reduced social life. Caregivers perceive support from the family, while formal support is fragmented and often absent. In conclusion, guardianship facilitates the representation of wards and property protection, but it doesn't reduce the everyday demands of care – this requires flexible services and the development of formal support models.
This study explores how ethical leadership fosters employees' feedback-seeking behaviours. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, the research identifies intrinsic motivation and affective commitment as key mediators through which ethical leaders encourage proactive feedback-seeking. The findings reveal that ethical leadership positively influences employees'intrinsic motivation and affective commitment to the organisation, which in turn enhances their tendency to feedback-an essential behaviour in dynamic and quality-sensitive work environments such as manufacturing. To empirically test this model, a crosssectional survey was conducted among 422 employees at a large manufacturing plant in Manisa, T & uuml;rkiye. The results support a serial mediation model, confirming that ethical leadership indirectly promotes feedback-seeking behaviours through increased intrinsic motivation and affective commitment.
Existing research on mobile dating apps has focused on exploring the impact of dating apps on body dissatisfaction, but has largely overlooked which specific experiences of dating app use impact this dissatisfaction. As such, the underlying mechanisms at play require further exploration. Drawing upon social comparison theory and using a sample of 538 dating app users, this study constructed a model with the aim of clarifying the impact of dating app feedback on body dissatisfaction, the mediating role of self-conscious appearance comparison, and the moderating role of gender. The results indicated a negative association between dating app feedback and self-conscious appearance comparison, which in turn was positively associated with body dissatisfaction; however, gender did not moderate either of these associations. These findings provide recommendations which could enhance the dating app user experience.
This study examines the role of minority stress and self- -compassion in the mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals within Croatian society. Building on the minority stress theory, the aim was to explore whether differences in mental health and well-being between LGBTQ+ and cisgender heterosexual individuals can be explained by minority stress exposure, and to what extent self-compassion serves as a protective factor. The results of an analysis conducted on a convenient sample of 358 participants (61% LGBTQ+) showed that LGBTQ+ people experience higher levels of minority stress, lower life satisfaction, and more frequent symptoms of depression compared to cisgender heterosexual people. A serial mediation model indicated that minority stress fully mediated the relationship between sexual orientation and mental well-being, while self-compassion was found to only partially mediate the link between minority stress and mental health. The findings highlight the importance of social context in shaping mental health, which was established in earlier studies.
Adoption by persons of homosexual orientation is a current, but at the same time controversial topic. The European Court of Human Rights has, through its case law, confirmed the freedom of states to regulate this issue independently, subject to the prohibition of discriminatory treatment. In the Republic of Croatia, life (same-sex) partners do not have the possibility of jointly adopting a child, with additional confusion arising from a decision of the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia in 2022. Therefore, this paper aims to present the issue of adoption by persons of homosexual orientation with special reference to the (im)possibility of adoption by life partners in the Republic of Croatia, and to present the legal implications of the decision of the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia from 2022. With the aforementioned decision, and considering the complexity of this topic, international treaties related to adoption, national Croatian family and anti-discrimination legislation, and recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights are also analysed. Since the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia also decided on the possibility of adoption by same-sex partners in the same year, its significance is analysed as an example of the legal regulation of this issue.
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between automatic thoughts during learning and school achievement, with emphasis on the mediating role of the cognitive and physiological aspects of test anxiety. A total of 256 sixth- and seventh-grade elementary school students (52.8% female; Mage = 12.80 years, SDage = 0.73) participated in the study. Validated questionnaires assessing automatic thoughts and test anxiety were used, and the data on students' overall academic success and self-assessment of satisfaction with themselves as students were collected. The path analysis revealed a positive direct effect of positive automatic thoughts on the student's satisfaction, while thoughts reflecting a lack of motivation and interest in learning had a positive direct effect on the final grade. Thoughts reflecting fear of failure showed a negative direct effect on measures of school achievement, partially mediated by the physiological signs of test anxiety. The findings contribute to the understanding of emotional-cognitive mechanisms underlying school functioning and imply the importance of their integration into school prevention and intervention programmes.
The aim of this paper is to identify the incidence of overeducation, its determinants, and its impact on workers' wages in Croatia. The analysis was conducted on a sample of respondents from Croatia using data from the 2022 and 2023 PIAAC survey. Overeducation was measured subjectively by comparing respondents' level of formal education with the level of education they themselves considered necessary for their work. A total of 30.3% of respondents stated that their work did not fully utilise their educational qualifications. To analyse the determinants of overeducation, the Heckman selection model was used to correct for possible bias in the sample due to the inclusion of only employed respondents. Area of education, experience, and business ownership were found to be statistically significant determinants of overeducation. The impact of overeducation on wages was assessed using a regression model, which found that overeducated employees earn statistically significantly less than colleagues with similar educational qualifications who perform jobs corresponding to their level of education.
Public perceptions and preferences regarding vaccination are crucial for shaping pandemic response strategies. Rapid COVID-19 vaccination was viewed as the only way to end the pandemic. In this study, we conducted a cross-sectional vignette study in Turkiye using five online surveys to assess participants' perceptions of vaccine efficacy based on different countries of origin. We then used standard mean comparison tests and (ordered) logistic regressions to provide evidence for the country-of-origin bias of the COVID-19 vaccines. 1615 participants answered our five surveys. Even though the two vaccines are reported to have the same efficacy, participants' subjective evaluation of the vaccine's efficacy and their willingness to get vaccinated are significantly higher when the vaccine originates from Germany rather than from China. Our findings show that the manufacturing origin of vaccines significantly influences perceptions, with people having a bias or preference towards vaccines originating from a particular source despite equal efficacy. More importantly, however, even though a vaccine has a higher efficacy, it may not be the preferred choice of individuals due to its source of origin. Public health officials should note this bias, as vaccination rates play a critical role in pandemic control.
The aim of the research was to examine the contribution of personality traits and the functions of listening to music to the explanation of psychological well-being, and to determine whether the contribution of the functions of music to the explanation of the psychological well-being of musicians and nonmusicians differs. The research was conducted on a sample of a total of 876 participants, students of music academies and students of other study programmes from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. The following instruments were used in the research: a general data questionnaire, an emotional stability scale, an intellect scale, a shortened version of the psychological well-being scale and a shortened version of the music listening function scale. The results showed that musicians and non-musicians differ in personality traits (musicians scored higher on both traits) and in the functions of music listening, whereby non-musicians listen to music more for stress and affect regulation, while for musicians, awe and appreciation, strong emotional experience, and identity are more important functions of music. Personality traits were a strong predictor of psychological well-being in both subsamples, but in addition to them, the functions of music also showed a significant separate contribution to psychological well-being. The results led to the conclusion that the contribution of functions of music listening to psychological well-being does not differ significantly between musicians and non-musicians.
Over the last ten years, research on sexting among adolescents has increased significantly, leading to significant progress in understanding its correlates. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the biopsychosocial risk and protective factors of adolescent sexting behaviour. The analysis includes 36 empirical studies identified through searches of EBSCO, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases and published up to 18 April 2025, examining various predictors of sexting in line with the biopsychosocial model. This literature review shows that individual factors include socio-demographic variables, personality traits such as impulsivity and sensation-seeking, propensity for risky behaviour, substance use and psychological difficulties. Contextual factors include family dynamics such as parental control and communication, norms and peer pressure, as well as factors related to intimate partners and the school environment with known prevention programmes. Broader contextual factors such as cultural norms are also significantly associated with sexting. Recommendations are made for future research and practice to better understand sexting among adolescents. This includes the need for integrated interventions that address a variety of factors that occur in adolescents who engage in various forms of sexting.
In an online cross-sectional study of 371 Slovenian women, depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, and satisfaction with childbirth - including quality of care provision and stress and anxiety management - was measured with the Birth Satisfaction Scale. The prevalence of depression was 27.22% during pregnancy and 21.32% postpartum. Logistic regression identified significant predictors: stress and anxiety management of childbirth (significant in severe depression), a history of a depressive episode and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. More predictable deliveries were associated with higher satisfaction with childbirth. Results emphasize the importance of routine depression screening, support for stress and anxiety management, while predictable deliveries increase satisfaction with childbirth.
The objective of the paper is to analyse the characteristics of cultural and creative industries (CCI) in two Croatian counties - the Istria and Sibenik-Knin Counties, as well as to assess their contribution to the county and national economy. Given that an important part of the CCI sector consists of public cultural activities directly financed from public funds, an analysis of public allocations for culture from the state and local budgets is also conducted. Besides analysing the characteristics and contribution of CCIs, we also investigate the impact of CCIs on the economic development of the two counties in question by employing fixed-effects regression for the period 2017-2022. The results indicate that CCIs are an important part of the economy of both counties, where the contribution of CCIs in Istria County is stronger than in Sibenik-Knin County. The main factor through which CCIs have a significant and positive impact on the economic development in both counties is the gross added value of CCIs per capita. The results also show that other factors such as tourist arrivals (for Istria County) and public expenditure for culture (for Sibenik-Knin County) play significant roles in their respective county models.
The aim of the study was to examine the effects of a motivational intervention based on context personalisation, drawing on from Expectancy-value theory and the Model of interest development. The study aimed to explore whether there would be a difference in motivational beliefs and knowledge between students who participated in the motivational intervention (the experimental group) and students taught in the usual way (the control group) when learning new mathematical content. A total of 316 second grade high school students participated in the study that was conducted at four time points assessing: prior knowledge and general motivation for learning mathematics; specific motivation after the first lesson of a new unit; specific motivation and knowledge after partial completion of the unit; and again, specific motivation and knowledge after completion of the entire unit. The students in the experimental group show higher triggered situational interest and perceived utility, although there were no differences at later time points. There were no significant differences in self-efficacy or test scores. In conclusion, while introducing context personalisation into instruction can increase student motivation, these effects appear to be modest and transient.
In this study, we empirically investigate the impact of AI- -assisted learning environments versus traditional teaching methods on student engagement at the University of Montenegro. Using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-9S) and a qualitative survey, we assessed three core dimensions of engagement: vigour, dedication, and absorption. A total of 82 undergraduate students (age range 19–27; 59% female, 41% male) participated in a semester-long comparative analysis using a pre-and-post intervention design. Sixty students from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics were assigned to the AI-assisted group due to logistical and course scheduling constraints, while twenty-two students from the Faculty of Metallurgy continued with traditional instruction, forming the control group. Our analysis employed a mixed ANOVA to explore interactions between time and instructional type, revealing significant improvements when the group switched to AI-assisted instruction for vigour (F(1,80) = 22.35, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.218), dedication (F(1,80) = 24.48, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.234), and absorption (F(1,80) = 20.11, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.201). Elevated Cohen's d values indicated large effect sizes, demonstrating both statistical and practical significance in these enhancements.
Model 5C nastoji objasniti kako interakcije adolescenata s okolinom pridonose pozitivnom razvoju mladih, pri čemu su indikatori pozitivnog razvoja kompetencije, samosvijest, karakter, brižnost i povezanost. Dosadašnja presječna istraživanja poka- zuju da pozitivna školska klima znatno predviđa snažniji razvoj ovih indikatora, ali i da ovi indikatori predviđaju pozitivniju školsku klimu. Ovim je longitudinalnim istraživanjem ispitana povezanost modela 5C i školske klime te njihov međusobni utjecaj kroz vrijeme. Rezultati pokazuju da pozitivna školska klima pridonosi razvoju svih 5C indikatora, dok učenici s razvije- nom odgovornosti i socijalnom svijesti te dobrim odnosima s vršnjacima i nastavnicima pridonose boljoj školskoj klimi. Ovi nalazi naglašavaju važnost poticanja suradnje i individualizira- noga pristupa učenicima s različitim kompetencijama i akadem- skim dostignućima.
