Introduction: Well-being is increasingly conceptualized as the product of interacting psychological, social, and contextual resources rather than isolated individual traits. This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on positive psychosocial factors associated with well-being in Germany.Materials and methods: Following systematic review procedures, 33 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025 were identified and analyzed. The reviewed studies predominantly relied on large-scale, population-based datasets and examined a range of psychological, social, and contextual resources in relation to life satisfaction, positive affect, and subjective well-being.Results: Across studies, psychological resources—including optimism, self-esteem, perceived control, flexible goal adjustment, and adaptive emotion regulation—were consistently associated with higher well-being. Longitudinal evidence suggested that these resources may buffer the negative effects of health decline, socioeconomic disadvantage, and stressful life events. Social and relational resources were equally central: social participation, group identification, relationship quality, emotional support, value similarity, and positive neighborhood norms were linked to better well-being outcomes. In later life, such resources were associated not only with higher well-being but also with slower functional decline and reduced mortality risk. However, findings regarding self-efficacy, mindfulness, and certain forms of instrumental support were mixed or context dependent.Conclusions: Overall, well-being in Germany appears to emerge from dynamic interactions between psychological capacities, social relationships, and contextual conditions. These findings support resource-oriented approaches to mental health and highlight the need for more longitudinal and experimental research to clarify causal mechanisms and inform preventive public mental health strategies.
Introduction: Dementia diagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa remains largely clinical, with limited neuroradiologic confirmation. This study assessed how visual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) rating scales correspond with automated volumetry in older Ugandan adults with clinically suspected dementia and explored associations with global cognition.Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional hospital- and community-based study of adults aged ≥ 50 years with clinically suspected dementia who underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 1.5T brain MRI using a NeuroQuant®-compatible protocol. Automated outputs included age- and sex-adjusted normative percentiles; hippocampal occupancy (HOC) ≤ 5th percentile was classified as abnormal. Visual ratings included medial temporal atrophy, global cortical atrophy, Koedam posterior atrophy, and Fazekas white matter hyperintensity scores. Spearman rank correlations assessed predefined visual–quantitative pairs and exploratory associations with MMSE.Results: Of 72 eligible participants, 63 (87.5%) completed MRI and automated volumetry successfully. Mean age was 75.6 years, and 77.8% were female. Abnormal HOC was present in 38.1%, white matter hyperintensities in 61.9%, cortical infarcts in 41.3%, and entorhinal cortex atrophy in 11.1%. Medial temporal atrophy (MTA) correlated inversely with HOC (ρ = − 0.40; p = 0.001), global cortical atrophy (GCA) with whole-brain volume percentiles (ρ = − 0.56; p < 0.001), and frontal atrophy with frontal cortical volume (ρ = − 0.32; p = 0.011). Higher hippocampal asymmetry was associated with lower MMSE scores (p = 0.009).Conclusions: Standardized visual MRI rating scales showed moderate correspondence with automated volumetry, supporting a pragmatic dementia imaging pathway in low-resource settings.
Introduction: While large language models (LLMs) are increasingly experienced as relational partners, limited empirical research exists regarding how users emotionally experience abrupt changes in these systems. This study investigates the psychological, affective, and cognitive impacts of the temporary removal of GPT-4o and its replacement by GPT-5 in August 2025, mapping the consequences for user well-being through the exploration of the emerging phenomenon of technological mourning. We propose the concept of “technological mourning,” defined as the affective response to the perceived loss of a digital partner. The framework draws on theory of individuation, second-order cybernetics, and distributed cognition to interpret user reactions as signals of disturbances within human–AI systems.Materials and methods: Adopting a netnographic approach, we analysed a corpus of 3668 public items collected from Reddit and YouTube during August 2025. Data were processed via a structured natural language processing (NLP) pipeline using BERTopic, resulting in a final qualitative manual analysis of 1307 analytically relevant items.Results: Nine thematic categories emerged, among which the most significant were: “Relational attachment and anthropomorphism” (n = 425), “Disappointment” (n = 263), and “Nostalgia, loss and grief” (n = 110). Findings reveal that abrupt updates can disrupt stabilised cognitive couplings and trigger feelings of relational loss.Conclusions: LLMs function as relational artefacts within the user’s associated milieu, making updates a matter of psychological and cognitive continuity. Developers should prioritise relational design and transparency to maintain the stability of these hybrid human–AI cognitive ecologies.
The State of Israel, with its unique social fabric, provides a distinctive context for examining resilience and well-being as positive indicators of mental health. Although a growing body of research has addressed these issues, existing knowledge remains fragmented and lacks an integrative, multilevel synthesis. This narrative review synthesizes empirical research conducted in Israel since 2000 on resilience and well-being in the contexts of war and armed conflict, immigration waves, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The review is guided by a multidimensional analytical framework comprising two axes. The first examines resilience and well-being at the macro, meso, and micro levels, emphasizing societal-, institutional-, community-, and individual-level factors that potentially enhance or maintain resilience and well-being in the face of these challenges. The second compares findings across population groups, including ethnic groups, age cohorts, essential workers, and other vulnerable populations in Israeli society. The findings indicate that resilience and well-being vary across the individual, community, and societal levels and across different societal challenges, reflecting the interaction of personal, relational, and structural factors under prolonged stress. Overall, resilience and well-being emerge as key positive dimensions of mental health, highlighting the need for context-sensitive and multilevel approaches to strengthen adaptive functioning during challenging times.
Rising healthcare costs, prevalence of chronic diseases, and population aging in Canada highlight the limitations of reactive, disease-based models in healthcare. Positive psychiatry reframes healthcare in terms of cultivating positive psychosocial characteristics (PPCs) as important, modifiable determinants of health. While Canadian healthcare initiatives are increasingly aligned with positive psychiatry, the evidence base has not been comprehensively synthesized. This narrative review synthesizes empirical evidence on positive psychiatry-informed interventions to promote health and well-being in Canada. Eligible studies were English-language, peer-reviewed empirical articles examining psychosocial interventions targeting PPCs. Sixteen studies were included. Interventions included individuals with chronic disease, caregivers, and Canadian minorities including Francophones and First Nations peoples. This synthesis revealed important themes: the presence of positive psychiatry interventions across the lifespan; a focus on lifestyle change; national scaling of positive psychiatry interventions at the frontlines of care; PPC interventions for primary prevention and tertiary care to mitigate chronic disease; and targeting Canada’s equity-denied groups. Interventions targeting PPCs have the potential to reduce downstream healthcare utilization and improve system sustainability. Evidence from Canada supports the feasibility of positive psychiatry interventions to promote health and well-being across populations and healthcare settings. National scaling of PPC interventions in Canada represents gains in research and practice for health and well-being promotion at the frontlines of care. Further scaling of effective positive psychiatry interventions aligns with national and global public health, sustainability, and health equity objectives.
Introduction: In conflict-affected regions like Kashmir, women are frequently exposed to multiple traumatic events, increasing their risk for psychiatric disorders. Trauma is often underrecognized in clinical settings, limiting opportunities for gender-sensitive, trauma-informed interventions. This study aimed to: (1) quantify and characterize traumatic life events among women attending a tertiary mental health facility in Kashmir. (2) examine associations between cumulative trauma burden and psychiatric diagnoses, particularly major depressive disorder (MDD) and trauma-related disorders. (3) identify sociodemographic factors contributing to psychiatric vulnerability.Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 women aged ≥ 18 years attending a women’s mental health clinic were assessed. Diagnoses were established using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I. 7.0.2, DSM-5). Cumulative trauma burden was measured with the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5). Sociodemographic data were collected using a semi-structured proforma. Analyses included Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and cluster analysis.Results: MDD (59.3%), bipolar disorder (11.7%), and trauma-related disorders (11%) were the most common diagnoses. Over one-third reported more than 11 traumatic events, most frequently natural disasters (95%) and war-zone exposure (66.6%). High cumulative trauma burden was strongly associated with MDD and trauma-related disorders. Older age, marital status, illiteracy, unemployment, and high trauma burden significantly predicted adverse psychiatric outcomes (p < 0.001). Cluster analysis identified two profiles: high trauma burden with depression, and lower trauma exposure with relatively stable outcomes.Conclusions: Cumulative trauma burden and sociodemographic vulnerabilities substantially influence women’s mental health in conflict settings, underscoring the need for trauma-informed, gender-sensitive clinical assessments, interventions, and community-based mental health programs.
Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation are increasing in adolescents and young adults worldwide. Methods to improve the design and delivery of interventions tailored to these groups remain a priority. Reducing the cultural stigma of mental illness perceived by adolescents and young adults plays a crucial role in the recognition and treatment of mental health disorders, especially in cultures where conversations about mental illness are considered taboo. For example, children from Asian cultures often are taught to suppress their emotions to avoid bringing dishonor to their families. In Latino cultures, mental illness stigma is related to traditional expectations of male and female roles in the family unit. With the increasing popularity of visual and social media in recent years, traditional psychoeducation for mental health in the form of written materials for youth and families of minority cultures may be less effective. In this perspective we highlight the role of visual performing arts such as film, television, theater, and educational videos as tools to humanize mental illness and reduce its cultural stigma. Integration of characters from minority cultures has been shown to be particularly effective for decreasing stigma and increasing mental health literacy in these cultures. Use of visual performing arts for adolescent and young adult mental health education worldwide, particularly in minority cultures, thus should be a valuable tool in the recognition and timely treatment of mental health disorders. This perspective examines the role of the visual performing arts in reducing mental health stigma and increasing mental health literacy in adolescents and young adults.
Introduction: The rapid expansion of digital learning, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has highlighted the importance of social support systems in shaping students’ engagement. This study examines how parental involvement, parental support, and teacher support are associated with students’ engagement in digital learning, with a particular focus on the mediating role of self-efficacy.Materials and methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1019 students aged 10–18 (69% girls). Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing social support, self-efficacy, and engagement in digital learning. Hierarchical regression analyses and path analysis were used to examine direct and indirect associations among the variables.Results: All three support sources were positively associated with students’ engagement in digital learning. The path analysis further indicated that self-efficacy mediated the relationships between parental involvement, parental support, and teacher support and engagement in digital learning. The direct effects of parental support and teacher support remained statistically significant after accounting for the mediator, whereas the direct effect of parental involvement was reduced to marginal significance, indicating partial mediation.Conclusions: The findings suggest that social support contributes to students’ engagement in digital learning largely through enhancing self-efficacy. These results underscore the importance of strengthening both school- and home-based support systems, alongside interventions aimed at fostering students’ confidence in their learning abilities.
Introduction: Over the last decade, mental health concerns have increased for medical students and residents. Our goal was to add to the literature by examining U.S. orthopedic surgery residents’ (N = 179; women = 84; White = 126) psychological well-being and the demographic and program-related factors associated with it.Materials and methods: Residents anonymously completed a cross-sectional, online survey from September 2024 through January 2025. They provided demographic information as well as program factors. We assessed psychological well-being via life satisfaction, measuring it through the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Faculty support was measured through the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES).Results: Just over 25% of residents reported neutral or lower levels of life satisfaction. Higher levels of life satisfaction were significantly correlated with sleep satisfaction (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), sleeping 6 to 8 h per night (r = 0.23, p = 0.002), having an ongoing interest in orthopedics (r = 0.56, p < 0.001), and support from residency program faculty (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). Further, the residents’ postgraduate year in their program (F (4, 174) = 3.57, p = 0.009) and their relationship status (F (2, 176) = 5.89, p = 0.003) mattered in terms of their reported levels of life satisfaction. Postgraduate year (PGY)-1 and PGY-5 residents had significantly higher life satisfaction than PGY-2 residents. Married residents were the most satisfied with their lives.Conclusions: Although generally satisfied, residents’ well-being varied significantly based on several key factors. Residency training programs can take active measures to help improve their residents’ well-being and life satisfaction, which may improve their surgical performance.
Mental health disorders contribute substantially to the burden of disease across Africa, yet access to timely, culturally responsive, dignified care remains limited. Dignity in mental health care encompasses respect for autonomy, human rights, cultural identity, and meaningful involvement in care decisions. This narrative review examines gaps and opportunities in the delivery of dignified mental health services across African contexts. Relevant literature published between 2010 and 2025 was identified through structured searches of PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, African Journals Online (AJOL), PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Studies addressing access, dignity, stigma, legal and policy frameworks, system reforms, cultural influences, and community involvement in mental health service delivery were included. These topics were synthesised thematically. Although not conducted as a systematic review, the search and study selection process was guided by PRISMA principles to enhance transparency and rigour. Five key domains emerged: structural and systemic barriers, including underfunding, workforce shortages, and weak governance; stigma, cultural beliefs, and social exclusion that limit help-seeking and undermine dignity; human rights concerns, including coercion, neglect, and inadequate safeguards; policy and legislative gaps, particularly weak implementation and enforcement of mental health laws; and emerging innovations such as task-shifting, digital platforms, school-based programmes, and collaboration with traditional and faith-based healers that show potential for culturally responsive, dignity-affirming care. Advancing dignified mental health care in Africa will require strengthened rights-based systems, culturally responsive service delivery, meaningful service-user involvement, sustained investment, improved governance, and more effective implementation of mental health policies. Community-based innovations offer promising pathways toward equitable, rights-based, and dignified mental health care.
Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI)-based facial expression analysis can estimate emotional valence rapidly and noninvasively without the need for human training. However, reproducibility data remain limited, particularly in East Asian populations, where facial expressions may be more subtle. Establishing reproducibility in this context is essential for evaluating whether AI-derived valence measures may be useful in digital environments and mental health-related monitoring. Therefore, this study had two aims: (1) to evaluate state-specific reproducibility for positive, negative, and neutral facial expressions, and (2) to examine short-term trait-like stability by integrating valence estimates across all emotional conditions.Materials and methods: Healthy young adults in Japan (N = 40) completed two facial expression recording sessions separated by 30 min. Positive, neutral, and negative facial expression conditions were recorded using an AI-based system. Test–retest reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland–Altman analyses. To examine short-term trait-like stability across conditions, all condition-specific valence values were additionally integrated into a single dataset for each participant.Results: The ICC values were 0.82, 0.61, and 0.05 for the positive, negative, and neutral conditions, respectively. Bland–Altman analyses indicated no notable systematic bias across sessions. When data from all conditions were combined, the integrated dataset yielded a high ICC of 0.94, indicating short-term trait-like stability.Conclusions: AI-based emotional valence values showed good to moderate reproducibility for positive and negative expressions, whereas the neutral condition showed low ICC values, likely because of restricted score variability. Integrating valence data across conditions yielded a high ICC, indicating short-term trait-like stability at the individual level. These findings support the potential of AI-based valence as a low-burden measure for future research on emotional assessment in digital environments. However, further validation under ecologically valid real-world conditions is needed.
Introduction: Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) provide resources to violently injured patients in the United States but do not have robust program evaluation plans that incorporate behavioral health and socioemotional outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate a well-established HVIP with patient-reported outcome measures, including socioemotional and behavioral health outcomes.Materials and methods: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected routine program data from HVIP participants enrolled from 1 June 2022 to 12 December 2024. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms and measures of self-efficacy and satisfaction with social roles and activities were compared at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months using a mixed-effect model, permutation testing, and the Reliable Change Index.Results: Fifty-seven participants were enrolled in the HVIP during the study period; three were excluded. Twenty participants (37%) completed the assessments at all time points. Forty-nine (90.7%) participants screened positive for either PTSD or depression symptoms, and 26 (53%) engaged in therapy. There were no differences over time in PTSD (β = −4.28, SE = 2.55, p = 0.093), depression (β = −0.67, SE = 1.02, p = 0.512), or other measure scores (social roles (β = 1.04, SE = 1.25, p = 0.406)), (self-efficacy (β = 1.39, SE = 1.18, p = 0.240)). There was significant score variance within and between participants.Conclusions: HVIPs can screen for PTSD and depression symptoms and connect patients to needed therapy. This longitudinal assessment was limited by participant attrition. Further study is needed to determine within- and between-participant variability, which HVIP interventions should remain standard, and which interventions should be individualized.
Introduction: Social media platforms have become important spaces where mental health information circulates and where users interpret and share experiences related to psychological well-being. This study aimed to identify the main themes circulating in TikTok videos tagged with the Brazilian Portuguese hashtag #saudemental (#mentalhealth) and to characterize the professional profiles of their creators.Materials and methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study employed inductive qualitative content analysis of the 100 most-liked videos using the hashtag, totaling more than 54 million likes. Public metadata, full video transcriptions, and self-declared professional information were analyzed. Coding was based on units of meaning, which were grouped into thematic categories. Descriptive statistics were used to contextualize engagement metrics.Results: Ten thematic categories emerged, with content centered on psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms representing the largest proportion of the sample (33 out of 100 videos). The analyzed videos accumulated more than 494 million views. Within the diagnosis-focused category, 55% were informative videos. Among the 100 creators, 46 did not disclose any professional or academic background, 26 identified themselves as psychologists, and only 10 of these provided a professional registration number. Among the ten most-followed creators, none identified as psychologists or psychiatrists.Conclusions: The findings indicate a strong circulation of psychopathological discourse within short-form video environments, reinforcing the prominence of diagnostic language in everyday interpretations of emotional experience. By examining the Brazilian context, this study contributes to international discussions on the reinforcement of distress framed through medical narratives in digital spaces and highlights the need for strengthened digital and health literacy initiatives on algorithmically curated platforms.
About 23% of US adults live with a mental illness. Young adults (36.2%) and women (26.4%) report the highest rates of mental health disorders. The typical brain/cognitive-oriented first-line treatments of anxiety disorders are pharmacotherapy, psychological interventions, and transcranial stimulation. Such approaches have several limitations, including medical costs, adverse effects, treatment resistance, limited evidence of long-term effects, and high relapse rates. Instead of relying solely on ultra-cognitive therapies, it is worth examining the embodied nature of stress reduction (body–mind unison). Therefore, the purpose of this conceptual mini review was to analyze how exercise programs, such as endurance training and holistic body–mind movement, modulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Grounded in Merleau-Ponty’s philosophical underpinnings of embodiment, it was hypothesized that a shapely body schema (habitual body) via exercise can facilitate the strengthening of the HPA axis. A critical narrative review of healthy adults was conducted to test and support this hypothesis. Merleau-Ponty challenged Cartesian mind–body dualism and showcased how consciousness is embodied: it derives from the union of body and mind. Exercise facilitates this union by leading to a balanced body schema formed as a Gestalt. Mental health is not the outcome of a unidirectional stimulus-response model from the brain to the body, but holistic and embodied via a strong body schema. Regular and appropriate exercise training can strengthen the body schema and thus the function of the HPA axis by connecting its in-itself elements (e.g., cortisol secretion) and for-itself essence (e.g., perceptions, emotions, and breathing regulation) for health and well-being.
Introduction: “Positive” outcomes such as flourishing and personal recovery are important predictors of physical health, mental illness, quality of life, and all-cause mortality. However, behavioral health outcome measures often emphasize symptom reduction, while overlooking “positive” outcomes. The objective of this study is to describe (1) the outcomes most important to individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and (2) “positive” outcomes and psychiatric symptoms in a real-world sample of young adults with MDD.Materials and methods: Forty-three participants aged 18–35 with a diagnosis of MDD receiving outpatient behavioral health treatment in an urban safety-net psychiatry department completed online surveys identifying factors most important to recovery and standardized measures of flourishing, personal recovery, functioning, and symptoms of depression and anxiety.Results: Most participants (61.9%) had high symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) ≥ 10), 16.7% were flourishing (Flourishing Scale ≥ 48), and 41.9% had high personal recovery (Brief INSPIRE-O ≥ 50). Factors ranked as “most important” for personal recovery included coping well with stressful events (39.5%), functioning well (34.9%), and having hopes and dreams for the future (30.2%). Notably, among individuals with low depressive symptoms, 60.0% reported low flourishing and 31.3% reported low personal recovery.Conclusions: Individuals with MDD value a diverse range of outcomes, and exhibit a large variation in levels of depressive symptoms and characteristics of “positive” mental health. Aligning outcome tracking with patient-defined goals may provide a more comprehensive understanding of overall mental health.
Introduction: Mental health challenges are common among college students, highlighting the need for scalable approaches that aim to reduce distress and support well-being. mHealth tools may complement campus services, though sustained engagement may be difficult. This study sought to discover how a blended intervention combining an mHealth positive psychology intervention (PPI) app with optional wellness coaching might impact student well-being.Materials and methods: In this single-arm pilot study, 28 students at a public university were given access to a PPI app (Roadmap 2.0) with mood tracking, a Fitbit® wearable device, and optional wellness coaching. Data sources included PROMIS® surveys at baseline and monthly follow-ups, daily mood ratings, app engagement logs, wearable-derived activity metrics, coaching attendance, and optional exit interviews. Analyses were descriptive and exploratory.Results: From baseline to exit, participants showed descriptive increases in PROMIS® global mental health and positive affect and decreases in depression, anxiety, fatigue, and anger. App engagement declined over time. In exploratory models, app engagement was lower among participants reporting greater psychosocial resources or support. Mood ratings were higher in the days following PPI activity completion, and PPI activity users were observed to have higher mood ratings over time. Interviews supported perceived app–coaching synergy and identified barriers to sustained engagement.Conclusions: A blended PPI mHealth app plus wellness coaching appears feasible in a real-world college setting and was associated with favorable descriptive trends in mental health and well-being outcomes. Controlled studies are needed to evaluate efficacy and assess app versus coaching contributions.
Introduction: Little is known regarding the relationship between digital media use, internalized feelings, and sleep behaviors in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using dopaminergic dysregulation theory, the goal of this study was to understand how parents’ perceptions of the sleep behavior and digital media use of their adolescents (ages 13–18), diagnosed with ADHD, are associated with their child’s internalized feelings. Materials and methods: Data for this study comes from parents of teenagers who were diagnosed with ADHD who were recruited from Prolific (N = 79). Results: Regression analyses showed that parents’ perceptions of their children’s digital media use were not statistically significantly related with their child’s internalized feelings. Moreover, there was no statistical evidence for a relationship between children’s digital media use and their internalized feelings. However, there was statistical evidence associated with sleep and the impact it has on internalized feelings. Conclusions: This study contributes to the existing literature by providing knowledge to parents, educators, and healthcare providers that may offer guidance on the best way to support adolescents with ADHD who use electronics.
Introduction: Height is a salient yet underexamined dimension of body image, particularly in romantic contexts where cultural norms often privilege taller stature. The present study examined associations between objective height, height dissatisfaction, dating confidence, and subjective dating experience in a mixed student and community sample of Australian adults (N = 332).Materials and Methods: Participants self-reported height, completed the Height Dissatisfaction Scale, and rated their dating confidence and past short- and long-term relationship experience.Results: Greater height dissatisfaction was significantly associated with lower dating confidence, whereas objective height was unrelated to dating confidence. Height dissatisfaction was also unrelated to subjective dating experience, suggesting that perceived future dating potential may be more sensitive to height-related concerns than evaluations of past romantic history. Moderation analyses indicated that the negative association between height dissatisfaction and dating confidence was consistent across sex and relationship status.Conclusions: These findings highlight the psychological relevance of height-based body image concerns in romantic self-perception and suggest that perceived height inadequacy—rather than height itself—may undermine dating confidence across demographic groups. Addressing height-related dissatisfaction may therefore be important in interventions targeting body image concerns and romantic self-confidence.
The well-being of first-year university students is a critical factor for success in university life. Thus, increasing physical activity (PA) is essential. However, longitudinal studies examining the effects of combined lecture–practice physical education classes on PA-related well-being remain limited. This study aimed to verify the effects of university classes on the PA-related well-being of freshmen at a paramedical university. The participants were 339 students (183 female) who completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of the exercise science class to assess their perception of PA, perceived PA benefits, regular PA, perceived class format effects, and enjoyable exercise options. Four-month university physical education classes increased the enjoyment of being physically active (p = 0.003, r = 0.27), perceived social bonding through PA (p < 0.001, r = 0.32), regular PA (p < 0.001, r = 0.54), and enjoyable exercise options (p < 0.001, r = 0.78). Lectures and practical classes played an important role in bringing about these changes. There were positive relationships between the change in enjoyment of being physically active and the change in perceived social bonding through PA (p < 0.001, r = 0.19) and enjoyable exercise options through the courses and regular PA (p = 0.02, r = 0.12). Combined lecture–practice physical education classes for first-year paramedical university students could enhance their perception of PA, perceived PA benefits, regular PA, and enjoyable exercise options. To further promote these potential benefits, it is important to incorporate diverse class formats, increase the variety of exercises, and encourage students to exercise with others.
Introduction: Due to the urgent need for more sustainable support for post-secondary student mental health, many institutions are exploring alternative ideas for intervention, such as the role of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and wellness apps. However, if technological programs or devices are used for student mental health, their design and delivery should align with research on student well-being, best practices in psychological interventions, and learning theories.Materials and methods: This study used a case study approach to examine how cognitive, industrial, and positive psychology principles can inform the design and delivery of mental health apps and programs. An emerging platform from Denmark, StudentPulse, which has students complete mental health check-ins, was examined using a comparison analysis approach between design features and research on post-secondary wellness and learning.Results: The analysis revealed how the platform’s features are rooted in three areas of psychological wellness: cognitive, positive, and industrial. This included design features such as AI-trained responses for students that provide immediate feedback, choice, reflection, and flourishing questions. The feedback design is based on cognitive principles of retention, attention, and motivation.Conclusions: As post-secondary institutions continue to adopt technological tools that support student mental health, these tools must be grounded in psychological principles to ensure they minimize harm and promote student wellness. The study recommends that wellness-based technologies incorporate evidence-based research in mental health, learning, and psychology in their design and implementation.
