European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

Inner strength is increasingly recognized as a protective factor in mental health, but its structure and dynamics remain underexplored, particularly in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. This study applied network analysis to investigate the complex relationships among inner strengths in individuals exhibiting BPD symptoms, aiming to identify core and bridging strengths that could inform targeted interventions. The sample comprised 346 Thai university students (25.4% males, 74.6% females; mean age = 21.60 ± 2.24 years) who screened positive for BPD symptoms using the Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder. Network analysis revealed that inner strengths formed an interconnected system with both core and peripheral features. The strongest association was observed between generosity and loving-kindness. A cognitive behavioral cluster comprising perseverance, wisdom, and determination also emerged. Centrality analysis identified loving-kindness as the most influential node in terms of direct connections, while equanimity exhibited the highest bridge centrality. Generosity and determination demonstrated the greatest expected influence. A negative link between truthfulness and equanimity highlighted a potential conflict between absolute honesty and inner balance in this population. Notably, exploratory analyses by gender revealed distinct network structures. In males, determination, wisdom, and precept emerged as central strengths; however, results for males should be interpreted with caution due to sample size. In females, perseverance, loving-kindness, and meditation were the most influential. These gender-specific patterns suggest that targeting different core strengths according to gender may enhance the effectiveness of interventions for individuals with BPD symptoms. Overall, the findings suggest that fostering specific inner strengths, particularly equanimity, loving-kindness, and those identified as central for each gender, may enhance psychological resilience and inform more tailored intervention strategies for BPD.

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024575181) was to quantify the relationships between dispositional and situational achievement goal involvement and sport confidence. A secondary purpose was to examine potential moderators of these relationships. Published studies reporting sufficient data, including one achievement goal measure from the dichotomous framework and one measure of sport confidence in an athlete sample, were included. Information sources included EBSCOhost databases, Web of Science databases, and relevant meta-analyses. The random-effects correlational coefficient (r) served as the summary statistic. Thirty-six studies yielding 37 independent samples, published between 1988 and 2026, which met all inclusion criteria, representing a total of 10,461 participants from youth to elite sports across four continents. Meta-analyzed random-effects correlations between task climate (k = 15, r = 0.33 [95% CI 0.23, 0.43]), ego climate (k = 13, r = −0.08 [95% CI −0.16, −0.00]), task orientation (k = 26, r = 0.27 [95% CI 0.21, 0.32]), ego orientation (k = 26, r = 0.11 [95% CI 0.06, 0.17]), and sport confidence ranged from small and negative to medium and positive in magnitude. Mixed-effects moderator analyses revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) for task climate when comparing state (r = 0.24) versus trait (r = 0.41) sport confidence measures, for task orientation scale (TEOSQ r = 0.31 vs. POSQ r = 0.18) in relation to sport confidence, and for study quality (lowest r = 0.35, medium r = 0.18, highest r = 0.24) in the task orientation–sport confidence relationship. However, nearly all prediction intervals for the examined relationships crossed zero, with the exception of a few TEOSQ- and POSQ-based moderator analyses. Thus, researchers and practitioners are cautioned that relationships between dispositional achievement goals, motivational climate perceptions, and sport confidence might be minimal or vary based on the dispositional achievement goal measure.

Low back pain is common and negatively impacts quality of life and workplace productivity. However, few studies have focused on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) where risk factors are prevalent. This cross-sectional study examined the association and structural relationships between physical and social factors in low back pain among Japanese SME workers. We analyzed survey data collected between April 2021 and August 2022 from 762 SME workers aged 18–65 years in Shimane, Japan, to assess acute (less than 3 months) and chronic low back pain using a self-reported questionnaire. Workplace physical (physical load) and social (stress of interpersonal relations) factors were measured using a brief job stress-related questionnaire. Associations between workplace factors and acute and chronic low back pain were evaluated using multivariable, multinomial logistic regression. Among the 762 workers, 50.9% and 7.3% reported acute and chronic low back pain, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) for acute pain was 2.08 for ‘Very much so’ in those with a high physical load. Compared with those with low interpersonal stress, the OR for chronic pain was 2.20 for medium stress and 2.82 for high stress. Reducing physical workloads may mitigate acute low back pain, while lowering interpersonal stress at work may reduce chronic low back pain. Future studies should investigate whether improving workplace physical and social factors is longitudinally effective.