Search Results (3,829)

Empirical research on organizational behavior contributes significantly to the examination of workplace impacts and to a deeper understanding of the underlying drivers of employee behavior. The long-term sustainability of organizations operating in VUCA environments depends largely on flexible adaptation and effective change management. The aim of this research is to examine the associations between workplace factors related to organizational change and employees’ intention to quit and perceived job insecurity during a crisis. Special emphasis is placed on stress caused by organizational change as an appraisal-based construct that may statistically mediate the association between employees’ psychological and physical strain and intention to quit. The research was conducted on a Hungarian sample, using a questionnaire survey among employees working in an SME environment. Based on the TSM (Transactional Stress Model), JD-R (Job Demands–Resources), and COR (Conservation of Resources) frameworks, hypotheses were formulated regarding the associations among workplace strain, stress caused by organizational change, intention to quit, and job insecurity. The hypotheses were tested using mediation models estimated within a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework. The results indicate a significant positive association between psychological strain and intention to quit, together with a significant indirect effect through stress caused by organizational change, a pattern consistent with partial mediation. Physical strain was also significantly and positively associated with intention to quit, but its indirect effect through stress caused by organizational change was not statistically significant. Indifferent leadership was significantly and positively associated with job insecurity, while the hypothesized indirect effect through stress caused by organizational change was not statistically significant. Full article

Learning disabilities are traditionally conceptualized as domain-specific disorders arising from deficits in reading, attention, or numerical processing. Although these approaches have substantially advanced understanding of dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyscalculia, they do not fully explain the marked heterogeneity, developmental variability, frequent comorbidity, or changing learning trajectories observed across children. This conceptual review proposes a developmental timing framework in which learning disabilities emerge, in many cases, from maturational asynchrony among interacting neural, cognitive, linguistic, sensorimotor, and executive systems rather than from isolated deficits within a single domain. Drawing on evidence from developmental neuroscience, cognitive psychology, neuroeducation, developmental systems theory, and learning sciences, we synthesize research on the developmental coordination of language, executive function, attention, motor control, working memory, symbolic learning, and numerical cognition across childhood. Within this framework, dyslexia, ADHD-related learning difficulties, dyscalculia, and mixed learning profiles are interpreted as distinct developmental expressions of differing patterns of cross-system asynchrony interacting with the increasing cognitive demands of formal education. We distinguish maturational asynchrony from related concepts, including developmental variability, developmental cascades, and multiple-deficit models, and propose measurable indicators through which the framework may be empirically evaluated. The framework further generates testable predictions concerning longitudinal developmental trajectories, educational transitions, developmental fit, and timing-sensitive intervention. Rather than replacing established cognitive accounts of learning disabilities, the developmental timing framework provides an integrative developmental architecture within which existing theories can be understood while offering a basis for future longitudinal and intervention research. This perspective highlights the importance of aligning educational expectations and instructional practices with children’s evolving neurodevelopmental readiness rather than chronological age alone. Full article

Cancer prehabilitation aims to improve outcomes by helping patients physically and mentally prepare for treatment. This qualitative study aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators to engaging in prostate cancer prehabilitation and create recommendations for designing interventions. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore perspectives on cancer prehabilitation among men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Alberta, Canada. Interviews were thematically analyzed to identify barriers and facilitators to engagement. Themes were mapped to the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) to create recommendations for intervention development. Thirty-four men diagnosed with prostate cancer completed interviews. Key facilitators to engaging in prehabilitation included opportunities for social connection, strategies to reduce treatment-related side effects, and support coping with the psychological impact of diagnosis. Barriers included competing care priorities, lack of familiarity with prehabilitation, logistical challenges, and stigmatized perceptions of help-seeking. To promote improved patient engagement, prehabilitation interventions should be initiated near diagnosis, offer personalized, goal-oriented interventions with multiple components, and have options for virtual participation to increase accessibility. These recommendations may help improve the uptake and impact of prehabilitation programming in prostate cancer care. Further research to identify evidence-based interventions for mitigating treatment-related side effects may help increase patient motivation to engage in cancer prehabilitation. Full article

Teachers’ mental health is increasingly acknowledged as essential for effective teaching and positive educational outcomes, yet interventions specifically designed to support it remain limited. This paper presents the Online Well-being Course (OWC), a serious game developed to enhance teachers’ mental health through gamified experiential and reflective activities. A mixed-methods design combined quantitative evidence from a pre-post intervention involving 151 Italian teachers with qualitative data on the experiences of 189 Italian teachers. The intervention produced improvements in social-emotional competence and self-efficacy, together with reduced perceived stress. Qualitative findings further revealed positive changes in relationship skills, emotional competence, decision-making, social awareness, self-care strategies, and school climate. Findings support the potential of serious games to strengthen teachers’ psychological resources and inform innovative approaches to teacher professional development. Full article

Burnout is recognized in the ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic work-related stress. In educational settings, psychosocial risks—particularly high job demands and insufficient resources—have been associated with burnout, depressive symptoms, and physiological stress dysregulation. This longitudinal quasi-experimental study examined changes associated with participation in a multicomponent cognitive–behavioral intervention among teachers. The sample comprised 66 primary and secondary school teachers (30 training, 36 non-training), further stratified according to high or low baseline levels of stress-related health problems. Measures included resource availability, self-efficacy, interpersonal conflicts, work overload, burnout, depressive symptoms, and salivary cortisol, assessed as total morning cortisol output using the area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg), at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and four-month follow-up (T3). The clearest pattern of statistically significant within-group changes was observed among trained teachers with high baseline stress-related health problems (TG-HHP; n = 13). From T1 to T2, this subgroup showed increased resource availability and self-efficacy and reductions in burnout (1.63 to 1.33; p = 0.013, d = 0.81), depressive symptoms (46.92 to 42.40; p = 0.032, d = 0.67), and morning cortisol AUCg (410.01 to 306.50; p = 0.018, d = 0.78). At T3, statistically significant changes relative to baseline were observed across all study variables. These findings provide preliminary evidence that participation in a structured cognitive–behavioral intervention may be associated with psychosocial, psychological, and physiological improvements, particularly among teachers with elevated baseline stress-related health problems. Full article

This study examined the indirect role of psychological resilience in the association between hope and life satisfaction among university students. University years involve substantial academic, social, and psychological change; therefore, identifying resources that support well-being during the transition to emerging adulthood is important. The sample comprised 500 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Akdeniz University, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaires. Hypotheses were tested with hierarchical regression, and indirect associations were examined using bootstrap analysis with 5000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals. Hope, psychological resilience, and life satisfaction were positively and significantly associated. Psychological resilience showed a significant indirect association between hope and life satisfaction, while the direct association remained significant. An alternative model with hope as the mediator also yielded a significant indirect association, indicating that temporal ordering cannot be established from these cross-sectional data. Additional analyses found no significant Hope × Psychological Resilience moderation effect. Overall, the findings highlight the interrelated roles of hope and psychological resilience in university students’ life satisfaction and underscore the need for longitudinal research to clarify their temporal relationships. Full article

Sustainability issues are a major concern of both private entities and public policies. This paper addresses the topic of indicators reflecting the achievement of sustainability at the business and country levels. Changes occur within companies and national economies as further technological developments are achieved in pursuit of sustainability. Nevertheless, the Gross Domestic Product is still mostly used when assessing economic growth within the European Union. The present study asks whether this indicator is still up to date or if some other indicators should be taken into account. More appropriate indicators reflecting sustainable economic growth exist, but they are not used on a large scale. The aim of this study is to determine why this is the case and to propose possible solutions for a more appropriate assessment of economic growth within the European Union, while considering aspects of sustainability. In this study, an exploratory, conceptual research design that combines a qualitative comparative analysis with a descriptive examination of indicators provided by Eurostat and the European Commission is adopted. The proposed mathematical model is conceptual and illustrative, and its coefficients are not econometrically estimated. Therefore, the study’s findings are presented as conceptual propositions supported by descriptive evidence rather than as empirically validated results. The international comparative perspective and interdisciplinary view, combining microeconomics, macroeconomics, social aspects, environmental aspects, legal aspects, and even cultural and psychological aspects, are novel elements of this study. Thus, this research may have a social impact beyond academia, emphasizing the role of sustainability in our society. Full article

Armed conflict is a planetary health concern because it disrupts interconnected human, institutional, cultural, and ecological systems on which health and collective well-being depend. Religion is rarely the sole cause of such conflict, but it may become a consequential and changing dimension when political actors use sacred language, identities, institutions, memories, and symbols to mobilize supporters, define enemies, legitimize coercion, or resist compromise. Because these processes can influence social cohesion, institutional trust, humanitarian action, and the capacity for cooperation and recovery, understanding the political activation of religion is relevant to planetary health. This conceptual integrative review synthesizes scholarship from conflict studies, political science, religious studies, law, psychology, public health, and peacebuilding to clarify how such politicization can be analyzed without reducing multidimensional conflicts to religion alone. This article proposes seven analytical dimensions: religious rhetoric in political discourse; religious identity as a boundary of group division; involvement of religious institutions and leaders; targeting of religious sites and symbols; religious justification of violence; religious framing of resistance to external intervention; and mobilization of historical grievances with religious content. These dimensions form a heuristic framework rather than a validated diagnostic instrument. From a planetary health perspective, the framework identifies pathways through which politicized religion can damage population health and the social and institutional systems on which health depends, including humanitarian access, public-health trust, displacement, cultural continuity, psychosocial well-being, social cohesion, and cooperative governance. The same religious resources may also support mediation, restraint, resilience, and reconciliation. This article links each dimension to proportionate peacebuilding and planetary health responses and identifies priorities for empirical validation, comparative coding, and longitudinal research. Full article

Background/Objectives: Childhood cancer profoundly affects families, particularly parents, who assume demanding caregiving roles associated with significant emotional and social burden that remain underexplored qualitatively. To explore the experiences of parents of children with cancer during the disease process: diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and their child’s progress. Methods: An exploratory qualitative interview study was conducted using individual semi-structured interviews with six parents of children with cancer in Spain. Participants were intentionally recruited through a parent association. Interviews were conducted online, audio- and video-recorded with consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke. Sullivan’s interpersonal theory was subsequently used as a conceptual framework to interpret the emerging themes, particularly in relation to interpersonal anxiety, security, emotional regulation, and significant relationships. Results: Six parents were included in the analysis, representing heterogeneous clinical trajectories, including active treatment, remission, and bereavement. Five axes, 12 categories, and 52 codes were identified. Parents described uncertainty and emotional disruption around diagnosis, the coexistence of perceived strength and distress during treatment, changes in family and interpersonal relationships, continuing concerns following remission, and profound grief and continuing bonds following the death of a child. These findings were interpreted through Sullivan’s interpersonal framework. Conclusions: This exploratory study suggests that parents’ experiences of childhood cancer are shaped by changes in interpersonal relationships, emotional regulation, perceived security, and support networks across different phases of the illness. The findings highlight potential areas for psychosocial support, although they should be interpreted cautiously given the small and heterogeneous sample. Full article

Background: As survival increases among children with congenital and acquired heart disease (HD), understanding how families adapt to long-term care and family needs has become increasingly important. This study explored parents’ experiences and healthcare professionals’ perspectives to identify unmet needs and inform family-centred paediatric cardiac care. Methods: A qualitative study informed by a constructivist perspective was conducted. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 parents (32 mothers and 7 fathers) of young children with congenital or acquired HD recruited from a single tertiary paediatric cardiology centre, and six healthcare professionals recruited from three different tertiary centres. Data were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory was subsequently used as a sensitising framework to support interpretation of the findings. Results: Six interrelated themes emerged: (1) childhood HD as a long-term developmental journey beyond survival; (2) the impact on everyday life and family participation; (3) parents’ progressive psychological adaptation; (4) the central role of communication and continuity of care; (5) parents’ transformation into expert caregivers; and (6) healthcare professionals’ support for integrated family-centred care. Parents described caregiving as an evolving process characterised by uncertainty, emotional adaptation, increasing caregiving competence, and changing family roles. Healthcare professionals similarly highlighted the need to address developmental, psychosocial, nutritional, and educational needs alongside specialist cardiac management. Conclusions: The findings suggest that childhood HD may be understood not only as a chronic medical condition but also as a long-term developmental and family experience. Parents’ and healthcare professionals’ complementary perspectives highlight the need for integrated family-centred paediatric cardiac care that combines developmental surveillance, caregiver empowerment, multidisciplinary collaboration, and continuity of care throughout the disease trajectory. Full article

Adolescence is marked by significant emotional changes, which may be intensified by the presence of a rare respiratory disease. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological outcomes and challenges associated with these conditions during adolescence. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted in Web of Science, ProQuest and Scopus databases, identifying 677 articles. Following screening, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria and three additional eligible studies were identified through manual snowball searching, resulting in 21 studies included in the final synthesis. Most studies focused on symptoms of anxiety and depression as key psychological variables. Some also assessed health-related quality of life, psychological comorbidities, treatment adherence, disease knowledge and perceived self-efficacy. Most studies focused on adolescents with cystic fibrosis, whereas evidence concerning primary ciliary dyskinesia was considerably more limited (20 studies included participants with cystic fibrosis and 3 with primary ciliary dyskinesia; 1 study included both conditions). Findings regarding anxiety, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life were heterogeneous across studies. Despite the adequate methodological quality of these studies in general, the findings highlight inconsistent conclusions in the literature, with no clear consensus on the extent or nature of the psychological impact. There is a clear need for further high-quality research to better understand the psychological difficulties and consequences associated with rare respiratory diseases during adolescence. Regular psychological assessment may be considered part of multidisciplinary care to identify psychological difficulties and support the well-being of adolescents with CF and PCD. The main limitations were the heterogeneity of study populations and methodologies, the predominance of cross-sectional designs, and the restriction of the search to three databases. Full article

Background/Objectives: Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a qualitative enamel defect affecting pediatric populations, predisposing to hypersensitivity, caries, and post-eruptive breakdown, and potentially impacting oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Therefore, the primary aim of the present umbrella review was to evaluate the overall OHRQoL among pediatric subjects with MIH, as well as individual domains from both children and parents. Secondary aims were to evaluate the influence of MIH severity, extent/distribution pattern, age, and dentition status on overall- and domain-specific OHRQoL outcomes, and to assess the impact of different dental treatments on OHRQoL. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines and PROSPERO registration, six systematic reviews were included. To address metric heterogeneity, mean scores were normalized into a 0–100% descriptive percentage impact index. Treatment-related changes were calculated as percentage improvements. Results: A total of 4028 respondents (3193 children and 835 parents/caregivers) were evaluated for OHRQoL. The overall impact on children and parents was highest in the oral domain (26.43%), followed by the psychological (20.25%), functional (19.50%), and social (11.75%) domains. Parental underestimation of MIH was consistently observed across all domains. Children in early mixed dentition reported a higher perceived impact than those in late mixed/permanent dentition (26.77% vs. 14.43%). In an exploratory subsample (n = 494), MIH severity appeared to impact OHRQoL, particularly in oral and functional domains. Overall, post-treatment OHRQoL improved across all domains, although evaluated in a limited sample (n = 491). Conclusions: MIH showed a relevant impact on pediatric OHRQoL. Notably, children consistently report a greater perceived impact than parents, suggesting potential parental underestimation. However, findings regarding dentition stage, MIH severity, and post-treatment improvements should be interpreted with caution, as heterogeneity in assessment tools, limited subsamples, and variable follow-up intervals precludes definitive conclusions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) influence lipid-mediated inflammatory pathways implicated in migraine, yet randomized trial data evaluating biologic effects of omega-3 supplementation in youth with migraine remain limited. This pilot quasi-randomized clinical trial aimed to determine whether 12 weeks of omega-3 PUFA supplementation produces measurable changes in whole-blood EPA and DHA levels in children and adolescents with migraine, and to characterize changes in patient-reported measures of pain, migraine-related disability, and psychological distress. Methods: We conducted a parallel-group, quasi-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in children and adolescents (ages 10–17) with migraine diagnosed per International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition criteria, recruited from pediatric neurology clinics at two academic medical centers. Of 57 participants allocated 1:1 to daily omega-3 PUFA supplementation (340 mg EPA + 510 mg DHA) or coconut oil placebo for 12 weeks, 44 completed the study and were analyzed. The primary outcome was change in whole-blood omega-3 PUFA index. Secondary outcomes included patient-reported measures of pain intensity, pain interference, migraine-related disability, and psychological distress. Exploratory outcomes included changes in omega-6/omega-3 and arachidonic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid (AA/EPA) ratios. Between-group differences were evaluated using ANCOVA adjusting for baseline values. Results: Omega-3 supplementation significantly altered lipid biomarker profiles. Compared with placebo, the intervention group demonstrated greater increases in omega-3 PUFA index (adjusted mean difference 1.64; 95% CI 0.94–2.35; p < 0.001) and greater reductions in omega-6/omega-3 ratio (−2.57; 95% CI −4.25 to −0.90; p = 0.003) and AA/EPA ratio (−13.52; 95% CI −21.55 to −5.49; p = 0.002), consistent with the increase in whole-blood omega-3 levels. No significant between-group differences were observed in patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: Omega-3 PUFA supplementation significantly altered lipid biomarker profiles in youth with migraine over 12 weeks, supporting a measurable whole-blood EPA + DHA response in this proof-of-concept trial. Future larger-scale trials with longer duration are needed to evaluate clinical effects. Full article

Background: Premenstrual disorders (PMDs), including premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, are common conditions that may substantially affect adolescents’ physical and psychological well-being. However, their presentation and management during adolescence are complicated by reproductive-axis maturation, overlap with other medical conditions, and limited adolescent-specific evidence. This review aimed to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on PMDs in adolescents, integrating biological, psychological, developmental, clinical, and sociocultural aspects. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted. Publications addressing the neuroendocrine and developmental mechanisms, clinical manifestations, psychosocial consequences, diagnosis, and treatment of PMDs were considered, with adolescent-specific evidence prioritized where available. Results: Current evidence suggests that PMDs are associated with altered sensitivity to physiological ovarian steroid fluctuations and their neuroactive effects rather than abnormal circulating hormone concentrations alone. In adolescents, PMDs may present with diverse somatic, affective, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms and are associated with impaired quality of life, school functioning, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being. Diagnostic assessment remains challenging because symptoms may overlap with normal pubertal changes and psychiatric disorders. Prospective monitoring of symptom cyclicity and functional impairment is therefore essential. Pharmacological treatments, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selected combined oral contraceptives, represent important therapeutic options, while psychological, lifestyle, physical activity, and physiotherapeutic interventions may provide additional benefits. However, most treatment evidence is derived from adult populations. Conclusions: PMDs in adolescents should be conceptualized as multidimensional conditions requiring an interdisciplinary approach integrating gynecological, psychiatric, psychological, endocrinological, primary care, and lifestyle perspectives. Greater recognition and developmentally appropriate assessment may facilitate earlier diagnosis and individualized management. Further prospective, adolescent-specific research is needed to clarify the biological and psychosocial determinants of PMDs and establish evidence-based strategies for their multidisciplinary management. Full article

Background: Climate change and related environmental issues are among the major global threats affecting health systems. While nurses’ eco-friendly behaviors are critical for reducing the environmental impact of health care services, the psychological mechanisms through which these behaviors influence carbon footprint awareness have not been sufficiently explained. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of nurses’ eco-friendly behaviors on carbon footprint awareness and to assess the mediating role of climate change anxiety in this relationship. Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional and analytical design. The sample consisted of 386 nurses selected through convenience sampling based on voluntary participation from among nurses working in secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Turkey. Results: It was determined that environmentally friendly behavior significantly and positively predicted carbon footprint awareness (B = 0.542, p < 0.001) and climate change anxiety (B = 0.602, p < 0.001). In addition, climate change anxiety was found to have a significant positive effect on carbon footprint awareness (B = 0.458, p < 0.001). Bootstrap analysis showed that climate change anxiety played a significant partial mediating role in the effect of eco-friendly behavior on carbon footprint awareness (indirect effect = 0.176, 95% CI = 0.165–0.369). Conclusions: Nurses’ eco-friendly behaviors increase carbon footprint awareness both directly and through climate change anxiety. The findings highlight the importance of practices that support eco-friendly behaviors and educational programs that strengthen climate change awareness in the development of sustainable health services. Full article