Loneliness is a significant determinant of mental and physical health which has many root causes at local community level. Building on the Social Identity Approach to Health we test a longitudinal version of McNamara et al.'s (2021) neighbourhood identity model of wellbeing, which links local community identification to wellbeing via reduced loneliness. Study 1 was a two-wave survey of residents in mid-Nottinghamshire, UK (T1 N = 879; T2 N = 216). Mediation analyses showed that, over a one-year period, changes in community identification predicted increases in wellbeing via increases in perceived support and reductions in loneliness while controlling for a range of demographic factors. In Study 2, a secondary analysis of a large population-based UK study, i.e. Understanding Society (UKHLS; Waves 9 and 12; n = 38,056) showed that over a three-year period, increases in identification predicted improvements in GHQ-12 mental health and self-rated general health, again via increases in perceived support and reductions in loneliness. Across studies, the effect of neighbourhood identification on wellbeing occurred primarily through loneliness reduction. We discuss implications for reducing health inequalities through local community identity-building and social infrastructure, and outline priorities for policy and future research.

The transition into secondary/middle school can diverge adolescents into positive and negative developmental trajectories. Social emotional learning (SEL) programs can improve social-emotional skills and psychological well-being (PWB). However, there has been little examination of the potential utility of SEL programs across secondary school transition, and whether their effectiveness varies by the socioeconomic status of the school (SES), COVID-19 school closures, gender, baseline well-being scores, and implementation fidelity. This study examined these patterns in the Motus SEL pilot program: An Irish program designed to develop primary school students' social-emotional competencies before transitioning into secondary school. This study aimed to (a) longitudinally investigate the effect of the Motus SEL program on emotion regulation, social support, self-esteem, and PWB across secondary school transition and (b) examine the moderating role of school SES, COVID-19 school closures, gender, baseline PWB, and implementation fidelity. At baseline (T1), 568 primary school students aged 11-13 years completed measures of emotion regulation, self-esteem, social support, and PWB before the transition. One week later, 335 students received the Motus SEL program, and 233 students acted as a classroom-comparison group. At one-month follow-up (T2) one week after the program, and at six-month follow-up (T3) post-secondary school transition, both groups completed the same measures to examine program effects. Multi-level models found that the program positively predicted cognitive reappraisal use and PWB. When examining moderators, there was variation across genders. The program significantly reduced emotional suppression use for girls but not boys across the transition. These findings demonstrate that SEL can improve emotion regulation and PWB and there may be differential effects across genders.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period where high stress can increase cardiovascular risk. Up to 12% of adolescents in developed countries provide care to a loved one - an established chronic stressor. Research consistently finds associations between caregiving and cardiovascular health in adult caregivers. However, few studies have examined the cardiovascular effects of caregiving on adolescents, despite evidence suggesting young carers have worse physical health than their non-caring peers. Individual and psychosocial factors, such as sex and coping strategies, may further influence cardiovascular outcomes in young carers. As such, this study utilized two waves of data from the Growing Up in Ireland Study to examine how caregiving affects the cardiovascular health of males and females-measured by systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR)-at ages 17/18 and again at 20/21. Coping strategies were examined as mediators through which sex influences cardiovascular outcomes in young carers. Caregiving was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes over time; however, sex-specific cardiovascular health and coping patterns emerged. Male young carers showed smaller increases in DBP compared with female young carers and male non-carers, while female young carers reported greater use of problem-solving and support-seeking coping strategies than male carers. These coping strategies did not mediate the association between sex and DBP among young carers. These findings highlight potential gendered pathways in young carers' physiological and coping responses to caregiving stress.

The current study aims to examine the associations between private religious practices, daily spiritual experiences, and cardiovascular reactivity. A sample of 628 middle-aged participants was drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) 2 Biomarker Project. Participants completed a standardized cardiovascular reactivity protocol consisting of baseline, stress, and recovery phases, with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) monitored throughout. Psychometric scales captured levels of private religious practices and daily spiritual experiences. Regression models that adjusted for baseline cardiovascular activity, age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, race, and prescription medication use, showed that private religious practices were associated with lower SBP reactivity. This indicates that those who scored higher in private religious practices were found to have lower levels of SBP responses following an acute stressor. Further, these results remained when daily spiritual experiences were added to the model. There were no associations between daily spiritual experiences and any of the cardiovascular variables. Private religious practices, but not daily spiritual experiences, are related to lower SBP reactivity in this midlife sample. The current findings underscore the importance of considering private religious practices and spiritual experiences as distinct constructs when examining health outcomes.

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the characteristics, key concepts and themes surrounding the support needs of East Asian Migrant family carers in a host country. Design/methodology/approachA systematic scoping review was conducted across five databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, MEDLINE and Web of Science, between 2012 and 2023, adhering to the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR reporting frameworks. FindingsIn all, 26 primary studies met the inclusion criteria. Through analysis, three major themes emerged: culturally sensitive needs, education and training needs, and social support needs. These findings highlight significant gaps in the availability and accessibility of culturally and linguistically appropriate health-care services. Originality/valueThis study addresses a critical gap in migration and caregiving research by focusing on the support needs of East Asian migrant family carers. The findings provided valuable evidence to inform culturally responsive health and social care policies, services, and future research.

Understanding student experiences of social emotional learning (SEL) is a growing area of interest. Student perspectives can provide insight into individual differences in programme effectiveness and implementation fidelity measures, such as student responsiveness. Using the Motus SEL programme as an exemplar, this study aimed to understand student responsiveness to SEL targeting secondary school transition. Students who received the SEL programme participated in two focus groups (N = 20) that were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were then analyzed using Xu and Zammit's (2020) hybrid model of thematic analysis, applying both inductive coding and deductive coding as guided by SEL theory and the Quality Teaching Framework. The analysis generated four themes: (1) relevant and applicable SEL content, (2) the importance of SEL programme structure, (3) the integration of gamification in SEL, and (4) the need for individualized SEL. Briefly, students emphasized that the content was helpful and enjoyed the gamified pedagogy. However, students highlighted the need for an extended programme duration to improve information consolidation and variation in content and pedagogy to cater for different abilities. Integrating these student perspectives with evidence from quantitative findings can explain how and why an SEL programme is effective and better inform programme development and implementation.

Negative religious coping (NRC) is associated with adverse mental health and well-being. However, the majority of research focuses on general life stress; few studies have examined NRC in response to a standardized acute psychological stressor. The present study examined the relationship between NRC and physiological and psychological responses to acute stress. Young adults (N = 81, M-age = 19.63 years, age range = 18.27-28.87 years, 65.4% female, 18% Hispanic, and 64.2% White) completed baseline and stress task phases, and cardiovascular activity was measured throughout. NRC was assessed using the Brief Religious Coping Scale. Hierarchical linear regressions adjusting for baseline measures, religiousness, sex, neuroticism, and depression scores demonstrated that lower diastolic blood pressure reactivity was associated with higher NRC. Higher self-reported stress in response to the task was associated with higher NRC. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate reactivity were not associated with NRC in the final models. In response to standardized acute stress, NRC is associated with increased feelings of stress, but not increased physiological responses to stress.

Personality traits have long been deemed to be an important driver of longevity; however, a large volume of evidence remains divergent across traits, populations, and contexts. This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis brings together longitudinal data (158 effect sizes) exploring five personality trait associations with mortality risk from 569,859 people, representing 5,997,667 person-years, 43,851 deaths, and four continents. Univariate and multivariate meta-analyses were conducted. Neuroticism predicted an increased risk of premature death, while extraversion and conscientiousness predicted reduced mortality risk. For neuroticism, age was a significant moderator, such that the effects were stronger for younger populations. Adjustment for health-related factors reduced the effects of neuroticism and conscientiousness on mortality risk. Extraversion had a significant protective effect only in pooled samples from North America and Australia. Significant effects for openness did not withstand small-study bias adjustment. No association was found for agreeableness. Multivariate analyses revealed that each of the significant effects for neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness persisted when adjusting for all traits. Several trait groupings were tested to compare how well they predicted mortality risk. The Five-Factor Model demonstrated the most parsimonious explanation. This review amalgamates extensive longitudinal work and highlights the critical role that personality plays in longevity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

This study profiled the association between social–emotional competencies, psychological well‐being (PWB), and secondary/middle school transition. Analysis drew from 233 sixth‐class/sixth‐grade students aged 11–13 years who completed measures of emotion regulation, perceived social support, self‐esteem, and PWB at baseline and 1‐month follow‐up in primary school, and at 6‐month follow‐up post‐secondary school transition. COVID‐19 school closures, school socioeconomic status and gender were examined as moderators. Repeated‐measures multi‐level models revealed a significant decline in boys' emotional suppression use, an increase in boys' self‐esteem, and a decline in girls' PWB across the transition. Further, perceived social support, self‐esteem, and gender were significant predictors of post‐transition PWB while controlling for baseline PWB. This highlights the importance of enhancing social support and self‐esteem across secondary school transition and considering gender differences in school transition effects. Policymakers should consider interventions that bolster these factors during this critical developmental phase.

Evidence suggests that young carers (age <25 years) can have worse health outcomes than their peers, yet the long-term effects of caregiving remain unclear. While psychosocial factors influence adult carers' health, their role in young carers' health is understudied. The aim of our Review is to synthesise longitudinal evidence examining young carers' physical and mental health and summarise psychosocial determinants. Databases were searched for eligible studies (eg, longitudinal and health-focused studies, those that included a non-carer comparison group, and studies of carers age <25 years) until Dec 31, 2024. After screening 4362 records, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria with 17 retained for narrative synthesis. All studies were conducted in high-income countries. 17 studies contributed 26 associations between caregiving and health, with 20 for mental health and six for physical health. Three studies identified links between psychosocial factors and mental health. Despite some notable inconsistencies, our findings suggest a small-to-moderate risk of poorer mental health among young carers, with stronger effects for subgroups (eg, high-intensity carers). Evidence on physical health was inconclusive. Social connections appear to play a key part in young carers' mental health. Further large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to clarify inconsistent findings. Unequal conditions of care relating to individual and situational factors could affect health in young carers.

Online support groups (OSGs) may help reduce family caregiver stress, but the psychosocial pathways remain unclear. Using social identity theory, this study examined the relationships between social identity, social support and perceived stress. It was hypothesised that non-OSG members would report lower social support and higher stress than OSG members, with social support mediating the relationship between social identity and stress. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 136) assessed social support, social identity and perceived stress. No significant differences in social support or stress were found between OSG (n = 78) and non-OSG members (n = 58), though OSG members identified more strongly as caregivers (p < 0.001). Higher social identity correlated with greater social support but not lower stress. Mediation analysis showed social support indirectly linked social identity to reduced stress. Findings highlight the role of social identity in OSGs and its potential for improving caregiver well-being.

The combination of an ageing population, increasing prevalence of preventable noncommunicable diseases and a decline in physical activity with age emphasizes the need for investment in physical activity programs and services for older people. This study aimed to add to the initial evidence on the effectiveness of the Move for Life (MFL) intervention by examining its effects on psychosocial health outcomes and determinants of physical activity. MFL is an intervention that aims to augment existing community-based public physical activity programs for middle-aged and older adults in Ireland with strategies derived from behavioural theory and support from peer leaders. A 3-arm cluster randomised feasibility trial compared MFL intervention, usual provision (UP) and waiting list control (CON) groups at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, at 8-, 10- or 12-weeks) and 6-month follow up after baseline (T2). Psychosocial health and determinants of physical activity were assessed at each occasion by validated self-report measures. Linear or generalized linear mixed models were fitted to estimate group differences over time. Of 733 recruited individuals, 601 (mean age: 63.06 ± 8.1 years, 80.4% female) met study inclusion criteria. Significant advantages were found in the MFL group relative to UP in ratings of self-efficacy to overcome barriers to physical activity participation, subjective norms for and attitudes towards participation in physical activity (ps < .05). Subsequent analyses accounting for implementation fidelity revealed additional advantages for the 'high fidelity' MFL group relative to other groups, notably regarding loneliness and relatedness to others, perceived behavioural control, attitudes toward and intentions to participate in physical activity (ps < .05). The pattern of results shows the potential of MFL to impact positively the psychosocial health of inactive adults aged 50 + years and change psychosocial determinants of physical activity, particularly when implemented as intended. The results suggest as well that existing physical activity programs may have unexpected psychosocial consequences.

Young adult carers (YACs) report poorer mental health than their peers. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) constitute a mental health risk factor. Prior quantitative research has not investigated ACEs in YACs. Hence, this study explores ACEs in YACs and aims to: (1) compare ACEs in two groups of YACs (chronically ill parent and chronically ill non-parent family member contexts) with non-carer peers; (2) examine relations between caregiving and ACEs; (3) explore relations between socio-demographics and ACEs; (4) examine relationships between ACEs and mental health (depression, anxiety, well-being). A total of 1,823 Italians aged 18–29 completed an online survey. Of these, 1,458 reported no ill family member (non-carers) and 365 reported an ill family member (YACs); 268 with an ill parent, 97 with an ill non-parent family member. As predicted, YACs reported significantly higher ACEs than non-carers regardless of care context. Most reported ACEs in YACs: emotional neglect, emotional abuse, household mental illness, separation-divorce. Unexpectedly, caregiving was not significantly correlated with ACEs. Lower socio-economic status was correlated with higher ACEs. As hypothesised, higher ACEs predicted higher depression and anxiety and lower well-being. Results show that YACs are at greater risk of ACEs than non-carer peers, and that higher ACEs predict poorer mental health, hence supports should be developed that mitigate the harmful mental health effects of ACEs in YACs.

Healthcare workers in the UK report high levels of burnout and poor wellbeing, and interventions are urgently needed to address this issue. Expressive writing, whereby individuals write about emotionally laden thoughts or experiences, is an effective intervention for reducing stress and enhancing wellbeing, and is a potential candidate for use with healthcare workers. However, it is crucial that the preferences of healthcare workers are taken into account in the design of future trials in this area, and that perceived barriers and facilitators to engaging with expressive writing activities are considered. Therefore, the present study aimed to seek healthcare workers' views on expressive writing activities for enhancing wellbeing. We informed 11 UK-based health and social care professionals about current research into the potential wellbeing benefits of expressive writing activities and conducted 1:1 semi-structured interviews to determine their preferences, perceived facilitators and barriers to engaging routinely with expressive writing. Data were analysed using deductive, reflective thematic analysis, with the coding framework informed by the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) Model. Key findings, from the perspective of future trial design, were that participants preferred the three good things (writing down three good things that have happened during the day), written benefit finding (writing about positive emotions, thoughts, feelings and life changes in relation to an unfavourable experience) and gratitude letter (writing a letter of appreciation to someone who has never been properly thanked) activities. Participants expressed preferences for simple, brief activities that could be easily embedded into a daily routine. However, it was clear that support from managers, researchers or friends and family would be needed to promote engagement with the activities. Most notably, participants expressed a preference for flexibility in terms of how, when and where they write.