Search Results (1,556)

Perceived safety strongly shapes how residents use and experience their neighborhoods, yet evidence on how spatial and social factors interact in rapidly urbanizing Asian cities remains limited. This study investigates the role of natural surveillance, spatial connectivity, and perceived incivilities in shaping residents’ perceived safety in Bayan Baru, Malaysia, with fear of crime examined as a key mediating factor. A face-to-face survey of 300 adults measured five constructs: natural surveillance, spatial connectivity, perceived incivilities, fear of crime, and perceived safety. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.0, supported by bootstrapping and predictive relevance tests. Results showed that natural surveillance and spatial connectivity increased perceived safety both directly and indirectly by reducing fear, while perceived incivilities undermined perceived safety through heightened fear. Additional interdependencies indicated that spatial connectivity strengthened natural surveillance, which in turn reduced perceived incivilities and reinforced perceived safety, though connectivity alone did not directly reduce incivilities. Mediation analysis confirmed fear of crime as a central psychological bridge linking environmental cues to safety evaluations. These findings highlight how the interplay of visibility, connectivity, and disorder shape perceived safety in Malaysian neighbourhood settings. Interventions should combine design improvements, maintenance of public space, and community engagement to reduce fear and strengthen everyday confidence in neighborhood safety. Full article

The escalating climate crisis and pervasive digital transformation position university students at a critical juncture where digital competencies increasingly shape environmental engagement. Despite extensive research on digital literacy and environmental responsibility as discrete constructs, the psychological mechanisms linking these domains remain inadequately theorized. This study investigated whether historical empathy mediates the relationship between digital literacy and environmental responsibility among 927 Egyptian university students (50.9% female; M age = 20.50 years). Participants completed validated measures assessing digital literacy, historical empathy (cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions), and environmental responsibility. Mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS macro revealed that historical empathy partially mediated the relationship between digital literacy and environmental responsibility, accounting for approximately 12% of the total effect (indirect effect = 0.0381, 95% CI [0.0132, 0.0636]). Digital literacy demonstrated stronger associations with cognitive empathy (r = 0.337) than affective (r = 0.324) or behavioral empathy (r = 0.209), suggesting digital tools are primarily associated with the contextualization of historical environmental decisions. The model explained 26.6% of variance in environmental responsibility, indicating that while digital literacy exerts substantial direct influence, cultivating historical empathy represents a meaningful complementary pathway. Sustainability educators should integrate historical environmental case studies with digital learning tools to foster empathetic engagement that bridges the attitude–behavior gap. These findings underscore the importance of integrating digital competencies with historical consciousness in sustainability education to bridge the persistent attitude–behavior gap in environmental engagement. Full article

Background/Objectives: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) require contextual approaches emphasizing family roles. Parents of children with NDDs face a complex socio-emotional reality. They may experience high levels of stress, fatigue, depression, and feelings of guilt and uncertainty, and they are often left feeling isolated and unsupported. All of these factors increase their socio-emotional vulnerability and affect their children’s wellbeing. A significant part of the available evidence has focused on parents of typically developing children or on a single construct. For these reasons, and considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of this study was to review interventions targeting the improvement of the socio-emotional wellbeing of parents of children with NDDs, in order to characterise recent research, the specific constructs addressed, and the effectiveness of interventions. Methods: No prior protocol/registration. ERIC and Web of Science databases (selected for their broad multidisciplinary coverage in psychology and social sciences) were searched from 2020–2025 (last search: 7 September 2025), limited to English/Spanish publications. Inclusion criteria encompassed parents/primary family caregivers of children with NDDs receiving socio-emotional programs. Two independent reviewers screened the titles/abstracts and full texts, resolving disagreements through discussion. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this systematic review employed narrative synthesis without risk-of-bias assessment and included 16 studies (approximately, 1100 participants). Results: The analysis indicated a scarce but growing scientific output, with a complex methodological landscape showing promising preliminary convergence in intervention outcomes. Interventions effects appeared mediated by cultural suitability, accessibility, and contextual alignment. Conclusions: Future work should pursue multisystemic approaches engaging diverse societal contexts and agents to optimize child and family wellbeing. Full article

This qualitative single-case study examines how spirituality promotes mental health within a stigmatized occupation by analyzing an in-depth interview with “Perla,” a 62-year-old Mexican woman with decades of experience in sex work. Guided by Virginia Satir’s Transformational Systemic Therapy (STST), specifically the Self-Mandala and Iceberg Metaphor, we conceptualize spirituality as a universal human dimension of meaning, moral orientation, and relational connection that may be expressed within or beyond formal religion. Narrative thematic analysis identifies processes through which Perla cultivates congruence (alignment of inner experience and outward conduct), safeguards dignity, and sustains hope amid systemic constraints. Her Catholic practices (prayer, ritual boundaries regarding Eucharist) coexist with a broader spiritual agency that supports self-worth, emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and coherent identity, factors associated with mental well-being. Interdisciplinary implications bridge marriage and family therapy, psychology, pastoral care, and cultural studies. Clinically, we translate Satir’s constructs (yearnings, perceptions, expectations, coping stances) into practical assessment and intervention steps that can be applied in secular settings without religious presuppositions. Analytic rigor was supported through reflective memoing, a structured three-level coding process, constant comparison, and verification by a second coder. The case challenges pathologizing frames of sex workers by demonstrating how spirituality can function as a protective, growth-oriented resource that fosters agency and moral coherence. Full article

Background/Objectives: The most relevant psychological constructs for responding to stress in chronic lumbar pain in a positive way are active coping strategies, positive emotions, and resilience. The aim of this study was to study the coping strategies used by people affected by chronic low back pain and associated factors. Methods: We carried out a prospective longitudinal study involving people on a first visit at the Pain Unit of Josep Trueta University Hospital (Girona, Spain) presenting with chronic back pain, with a follow-up at three months. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), the Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory (VPMI), and the Abridged Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were used. The correlation of variables was analyzed, and a multiple linear regression model was used. Results: A total of 129 people with a mean age of 62.5 years participated (58.1% women). The mean severity of pain was moderate with mild improvement at the follow-up (6.42 to 6.17 points). The use of active coping strategies declined during the study (21.28 to 15.6 points), and a significant increase in passive strategies (23.6 to 30.21 points) and in catastrophizing (13.98 to 14.56 points) was observed. The total resilience scores were slightly better at baseline than at follow-up (27.50 to 26.67 points). The intensity of the back pain had a direct and significant relationship with passive strategies and an inverse relationship with active strategies and resilience. Conclusions: The coping strategies for dealing with chronic back pain observed in the study participants are not fully effective. The intensity of pain is significantly associated with the use of passive strategies and female sex. Full article

Violence against women remains prevalent, yet many survivors do not engage with services even where health infrastructure exists. This study investigated the role of institution-facing resources, Institutional Trust (ITR) and Procedural Justice (PJ), and the role of interpersonal resources, Social Support Provided (SSP), in women’s formal care-seeking intentions, as mediated by Psychological Distress (PSS) and General Self-Efficacy (GSE). An online survey was administered to women in Greece (n = 392) and the United Kingdom (n = 328), yielding a sample of 718. To compare the structural paths in the model across the two countries, measurement invariance was first explored, while the model was estimated through multi-group structural equation modeling. Across the pooled sample, PJ and GSE predicted HSB firmly, while ITR had no direct link to the construct. SSP did not directly predict HSB, but was linked to GSE in all models. The results of the interaction and group-difference models showed PJ and SSP had a slight indirect effect through GSE, while distress-based pathways were weaker and context-dependent. Multi-group models revealed significant cross-national differences: the direct effect of ITR and PSS on GSE was stronger in the United Kingdom than in Greece. The direct effect of PJ/GSE and SSP/GSE also had a stronger impact in Greece than in the United Kingdom. Overall, the results indicate that the willingness of women to seek help is less driven by their trust in institutions and more driven by their expectations of fairness in provider interaction and their perceived personal capability, where social support plays a role as the antecedent increasing women’s Perceived Self-Efficacy. The implications include prioritizing procedurally just practices, designing interventions that enhance self-efficacy for system navigation, and mobilizing informal networks as partners in the help-seeking process. Full article

Urban park landscape design has significant potential to alleviate heat stress and promote public health, particularly during extreme summer heat. This study explores how the spatial configuration of landscapes within the Yanghu Wetland Park in Changsha, China, influences pedestrian thermal comfort and destination loyalty under hot summer conditions, and how these factors affect public perceived health. It enriches current research by examining the impact of landscape spatial configuration, thermal comfort, and destination loyalty on public perceived health from a psychological perspective. We identified connections between park users’ spatial perceptions and their psychological and health perceptions. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among visitors’ spatial perception, psychological perceptions, and health perceptions within this large urban wetland park. At the same time, we explored how landscape characteristics, thermal comfort, destination loyalty, and public perceived health interact. This research constructs a Spatial–Thermal–Perception–Behavior (SPB) theoretical framework for such complex blue-green spaces, providing a multidimensional perspective on the relationship between the environment and health. Based on a survey of 321 visitors, This study pioneers the SPB theoretical framework, clarifying how this wetland park’s landscape configurations impact public perceived health through the mediating pathways of thermal comfort and destination loyalty. It provides a scientific basis for heat-adaptive landscape design in similar wetland park settings, aiming to enhance resident well-being and improve public perceived health. Full article

Therapeutic horse riding (THR) is a non-traditional intervention that may support mental well-being in individuals with autism spectrum conditions. Despite growing interest, most research has focused on children and has tended to privilege practitioner or caregiver perspectives, leaving autistic adults underrepresented. This qualitative study explores the psychological benefits and systemic barriers associated with THR among Autistic adults, drawing on perspectives from both clients and practitioners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Autistic clients and four practitioners, and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five overarching themes were constructed: Facing the Puissance: barriers to accessing THR, Pathways to Participation, Embodied Engagement, To Understand and To Be Understood, and Beyond the Arena—Impacts That Last. Participants described enjoyment, increased confidence, and a sense of achievement, with effects accumulating over time and often extending beyond the riding arena into daily life. Barriers included cost, accessibility, and limited availability of appropriately trained staff and facilities. These findings add to the limited evidence base on THR for Autistic adults by providing an in-depth, contextually grounded account of participants’ experiences. They suggest that, for verbally fluent Autistic adults who choose to access THR in similar settings, THR can enhance well-being, self-agency, and relationship-building, whilst also revealing structural obstacles that restrict equitable access. Full article

Pain catastrophizing (PC) and hopelessness are increasingly recognized as central determinants of pain severity, disability, and treatment response in individuals with rheumatic and immune-mediated diseases. Traditionally conceptualized as secondary emotional reactions to pain, these cognitive-affective constructs instead represent active mechanisms that shape symptom perception, behavioral responses, and long-term outcomes. In this review, we synthesize evidence across neurobiological, psychological, and clinical domains to elucidate the pathways linking PC and hopelessness to maladaptive coping, kinesiophobia, and functional decline. Early life stress, trauma, and maladaptive cognitive schemas emerge as upstream vulnerability factors that prime heightened emotional reactivity and reduced prefrontal regulatory control, facilitating amplified pain signaling and fear-based avoidance behaviors. Avoidance and inactivity foster physical deconditioning, fatigue, and higher perceived disability, creating a vicious circle that sustains distress and poor quality of life. Moreover, inactivity-related metabolic dysfunction and weight gain may contribute to low-grade inflammation, particularly in conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, thereby intersecting with biological disease pathways. Importantly, these psychological processes identify a distinct patient subgroup for whom further escalation of immunosuppressive therapy provides limited benefit. Instead, integrated psychological approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and coping-skills training—demonstrate meaningful effects on catastrophizing, agency, and functional recovery. We emphasize the need for routine screening to detect patients with maladaptive cognitive–emotional profiles and propose a stratified care model prioritizing targeted psychological interventions alongside standard rheumatologic therapy. Future research should refine phenotyping strategies, clarify neuroimmune links, and develop scalable intervention models to break the avoidance cycle and improve patient-centered outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Emotion dysregulation is central to many psychiatric disorders. Laboratory-based tasks designed to assess emotion processing and regulation often rely on standardized affective stimuli whose ecological validity remains unclear. We contextualize this study in our broader research program of neurophenomenological reflection of standard paradigms in experimental cognitive psychology. Methods: This study investigates the lived experience of 27 patients with affective disorders as they performed a cognitive-affective task combining working memory demands with exposure to negative emotional images. Phenomenological interviews were used to collect data on their experience of the task. Results: We identified three key experiential domains: whether the stimuli are capable of eliciting a spontaneous emotional response, voluntary construction of an emotional responses, and its temporal dynamics. Patients reported on two alterations in affectivity that are associated with dysregulation: (a) affective enchantment, characterized by intense emotions combined with superstitious appraisal; and (b) disintwinement (a sense of detachment and emotional blunting). Emotional responses exhibited complex unfolding across moment-to-hour timescales, sometimes persisting and blending across trials (impressionability), reflecting clinical phenomena such as rumination. Additionally, patients employed a range of explicit and implicit regulation strategies, many acquired through therapy or long-term coping. Conclusions: Our findings reveal the limitations of rapid, static image-based paradigms in eliciting authentic and spontaneous affectivity in clinical populations, highlighting the need for more ecologically valid experimental designs. Furthermore, inclusion of reports on such subtle affective states as vital feelings in laboratory-based experimental assessments is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of altered phenomenology of affectivity in affective disorders. Full article

Adolescence is a critical period when rapid cognitive maturation coincides with heightened emotional vulnerability. This study examined the dynamic association between academic ability and mental health across early adolescence, focusing on vocabulary ability as a core indicator of academic ability. Using large-scale data from Grades 1–12 (N = 13,412), a vertically scaled vocabulary ability scale was constructed based on Item Response Theory (IRT) and the Non-Equivalent Anchor Test (NEAT) design to achieve cross-grade comparability. Fixed-parameter calibration was then applied to an independent cross-sectional sample of middle school students (Grades 7–9, N = 401) in Tianjin, combined with the DASS-21 to assess internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that higher vocabulary ability was significantly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, with the negative association strongest in Grade 8. The present study provides new empirical evidence for understanding the interactive mechanisms between academic and psychological development during adolescence. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the value of IRT-based vertical scaling in establishing developmentally interpretable metrics for educational and psychological assessment. Full article

Based on the “Future Outlook” sections of annual and semi-annual reports from Chinese A-share-listed companies (2011–2024), we construct a novel measure of managerial confidence by quantifying the intertemporal shifts in textual sentiment. Using a sample of 76,923 observations, our analysis reveals that this measure exhibits dynamic predictive power for expected stock returns. Specifically, in the short term, managerial confidence serves as a valid predictor. A long-short portfolio sorted by managerial confidence yields a 7.05% cumulative return spread over the five post-disclosure trading days. Mechanism analysis suggests that this short-term predictability stems from high managerial confidence effectively attracting investor attention. Over the medium term (six months), however, its predictive power hinges on the reliability of the confidence signal: For managers whose historical confidence has aligned with fundamental performance, high confidence predicts positive expected excess returns; for those who are chronically overoptimistic, it becomes an inverse predictor of firm value. These findings indicate that financial markets dynamically assess both the intensity and the reliability of signals within managerial disclosures, offering a new perspective on the predictive power of managerial psychological traits in capital markets. Full article

With the ubiquitous connectivity and exposure of social network service (SNS), the stressors it causes have received extensive attention in the academic community. Unlike previous studies, this research focuses on the cross-cultural dimension and explores the different effects of multiple SNS-generated stressors on user behavior outcomes. Based on the “Stressors-Strain-Outcome” (SSO) theoretical framework, we constructed a “technical stressors—exhaustion—reduced SNS usage intention” pathway to systematically investigate five types of technical stressors. These were perceived information overload, perceived social overload, perceived compulsive use, perceived privacy concern, and perceived role conflict. We introduce “fear of missing out” (FOMO) as a moderating variable to explore its moderating role in SNS exhaustion and reduced SNS usage intention. In this study, we took SNS users from China and the United States as the research subjects (338 samples from China and 346 samples from the United States), and conducted empirical tests using structural equation models and multiple comparative analyses. The results show that there are significant cultural differences between Chinese and American users in terms of the perceived intensity of technostress, the path of stress transmission, and the moderating effect of FOMO. Against the background of collectivist culture in China, perceived information overload, privacy concerns, and role conflicts have a significant positive impact on SNS exhaustion, and SNS exhaustion further positively drives the intention to reduce usage of SNS. However, the direct impacts of perceived social overload and perceived compulsive usage are not significant, and FOMO does not play a significant moderating role. In the context of the individualistic culture found in the United States, only perceived information overload and perceived social overload have a significant positive impact on SNS exhaustion, and FOMO significantly negatively moderates the relationship between exhaustion and reduced SNS usage intention, as high FOMO levels will strengthen the driving effect of exhaustion on reduced usage intention. The innovation this study exhibits lies in verifying the applicability of the SSO model in social media behavior research from a cross-cultural perspective, revealing the cultural boundaries of the FOMO moderating effect, and enriching the cross-cultural research system of reduced usage intention of SNS. The research results not only provide empirical support for a deep understanding of the psychological mechanisms of users’ SNS usage behaviors in different cultural backgrounds, but also offer important references that SNS enterprises can use to formulate differentiated operation strategies and optimize cross-cultural user experiences. Full article

In recent years, organizations have increasingly promoted and integrated employees’ environmentally sustainable behaviors and practices as part of a strategic approach to enhance corporate reputation, demonstrate environmental stewardship, and respond to pressing ecological imperatives. This study explores the psychological factors that motivate employees’ intentions to engage in green behaviors within organizational settings, following the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). We extend the model by incorporating a conceptually multilevel perspective, examining antecedents at the organizational, team, and employee levels: perceived organizational support, perceived colleague support and workplace attachment. Data were collected from a sample of 286 public employees. Our findings indicate that, among the behavioral antecedents proposed by the TPB, only some were validated as significant predictors of employees’ intentions to engage in green behaviors within their organization. The results further show that each organizational, team, and employee level antecedent included in this study significantly influenced the constructs of the TPB. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. Full article

Cultural tourism has emerged as a key factor in destination development, but moving from growth-oriented expansion to sustainability necessitates a better comprehension of the psychological processes influencing visitor involvement. Existing studies insufficiently integrate destination-level diversification with tourist psychological identity, particularly within emerging economies. Drawing on a diversified development framework, this study constructs a theoretical model linking economic, cultural, social, and environmental dimensions with tourist psychological identity and sustainable destination development. Questionnaire data from 300 respondents were analyzed using regression analysis to examine direct and indirect effects across influencing factors. Economic development (β = 0.45), government policy support (β = 0.23), and investment orientation (β = 0.32) significantly strengthen sustainable cultural tourism development. Cultural resources (β = 0.51), cultural exchange (β = 0.27), and creative industries (β = 0.18) also exhibit strong positive effects. Tourist psychological identity is shaped by personal economic status (β = 0.42), cultural experience (β = 0.33), and social recommendations (β = 0.35). Moreover, psychological identity exerts a substantial influence on sustainable development (β = 0.56), indicating a reinforcing mechanism between destination diversification and long-term sustainability. Findings demonstrate that diversified development pathways enhance both destination sustainability and tourists’ psychological attachment, offering actionable implications for destination marketing and management. This study contributes to shifting tourism development from a growth paradigm toward a sustainability paradigm, supporting SDGs 8, 11, and 12. Full article