Predictor variables of happiness and its connection with risk and protective factors for health

Abstract

Great thinkers, philosophers, scientists, and artists from History have often been concerned about one of the most important elements of life: happiness. The study had four goals: (1) To analyze possible differences in feelings of happiness as a function of sex and age; (2) To explore the relations of happiness with risk factors (psychopathological symptoms, behavior problems) and protective factors (self-concept-self-esteem, cooperative behavior, social skills) for health; (3) To identify predictor variables of happiness; and (4) To explore whether self-esteem mediates the relationship between happiness and psychopathological symptoms. The sample comprised 286 adolescents (14–16 years old). The study used a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional methodology. Seven assessment instruments were administered. The ANOVAs confirm that there are no sex differences, but happiness decreases as age increases. Pearson coefficients show that adolescents with more feelings of happiness had fewer psychopathological symptoms (somatization, obsession–compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism…), fewer behavioral problems (school-academic, antisocial behavior, shyness-withdrawal, psychopathological, psychosomatic), high social adaptation, high self-concept/self-esteem, many cooperative behaviors, many appropriate social skills, and few negative social skills (inappropriate assertiveness, impulsiveness, jealousy-withdrawal). Multiple regression analysis identified five variables predicting happiness: high self-concept, few symptoms of depression, many cooperative behaviors, high self-esteem, and low psychoticism. Results showed a partial mediational effect of self-esteem in the relation between happiness and psychopathological symptoms. The discussion focuses on the importance of implementing programs to promote feelings of happiness, as well as protective factors for health (self-esteem, cooperation…).

Impact of exercise on psychological burden in adult survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

“…Impaired performance was defined as a score falling at or above the 90th percentile based on sibling age-adjusted and sex-adjusted norms, as in prior CCSS analyses. 44,45 Cancer September 1, 2019 HRQOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form, 15 which includes questions about general health, well-being, and quality of life in the previous 4 weeks and yields 8 scaled scores: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional, and mental health. Summary scale scores are also available for a physical composite and a mental composite.…”

“…2 At the same time, significant medical and psychological morbidity because of late effects of therapy has been well documented. 15,16 Therefore, treatment strategies able to mitigate multiple symptoms simultaneously may have significant benefit for childhood cancer survivors. Of importance, these symptoms do not occur in isolation but, rather, in clusters.…”

“…Of importance, these symptoms do not occur in isolation but, rather, in clusters. 15,16 Therefore, treatment strategies able to mitigate multiple symptoms simultaneously may have significant benefit for childhood cancer survivors. 17 Exercise is a pleiotropic therapy shown to improve a broad array of psychological symptoms in patients without cancer.…”

Propuesta para mejorar la percepción de la imagen corporal, desde la psicología positiva

“…Moreover, Garaigordobil (2015) analyzed the relationship between happiness and self-concept in teenagers ages 14 to 16 and healthy life practices as prevention strategies for psychopathologies, proving that several behavioral and cognitive strategies promote feelings of happiness.…”

Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, percepción de enfermedad, felicidad y emociones negativas en pacientes con diagnóstico de artritis reumatoide

“…Sin embargo, el predominio de los síntomas ante situaciones de deterioro funcional y físico no excluye la presencia de emociones positivas (como la felicidad), las cuales sirven como marcos protectores para la salud física y mental de pacientes con condiciones médicas crónicas (Angner, Ray, Saag & Allinson, 2009;Angner, Ghandhi et al, 2013;Garaigordobil, 2015).…”