Psychological well-being occurs when there is an absence of mental disorders and presence of positive states. Given the increasing prevalence of mental disorders, which are thought to have their roots in childhood, improving psychological well-being in children is currently an important area of research. Physical activity has been proposed as a method by which negative states can be reduced and positive states increased, thereby increasing children’s overall psychological well-being and in turn helping to protect against a decline into clinical disorders. Research focusing on physical activity and psychological well-being has mainly used self- reported measurements to assess physical activity, a method which leads to considerable non-differential misclassification that in turn will attenuate associations between physical activity and psychological wellbeing. Few studies have employed more precise, objective measures such as accelerometry. Despite providing a more precise measure of physical activity, a number of limitations are present with the use of accelerometry, specifically concerning the data reduction processes. Various decisions made when handling accelerometer data can result in misclassification of time spent in different intensities of physical activity and can introduce selection bias. The present thesis aims to address how the decisions made during data reduction can affect estimates of physical activity prevalence and alter the observed relationships between physical activity and psychological well-being in children. The first study of this thesis assessed the misclassification of activity intensities occurring as a result of the use of various accelerometer cut-points and the resulting variation in relationships between physical activity and psychological well-being that occurs. Results showed that the use of different cut-points to determine physical activity intensity alters the magnitude of the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being; relationships were attenuated, with some becoming non-significant. The second study addressed the issue of children’s compliance with wear time requirements over multiple time points; compliance with wear time decreased over time, whilst inclusion and exclusion rules based on minimum wear times introduced selection bias. The use of more lenient wear time criteria, to reduce selection bias, introduced misclassification of physical activity intensities. Further, longitudinal relationships between physical activity and psychological well-being differed depending upon the wear time criteria employed. The third study aimed to address whether compliance, and in turn selection bias would systematically differ between groups of a trial of a physical activity intervention, and whether this would alter the results of the intervention itself. Results showed that compliance varied across trial condition, that selection bias with groups was different for each condition and that non-compliance hindered the exploration of the mediating effect of physical activity on psychological well-being. Study four involved the validation and calibration of a new wrist worn, waterproof physical activity monitor more compatible with 24 hour wear, thus potentially overcoming the compliance problems noted in the earlier studies. Results showed good concurrent and criterion validity, with high classification accuracy for the cut-points created. The final study assessed the acceptability and compliance with 24 hour wear in children and allowed a detailed examination of the underestimation of time spent in PA intensities that occurs from capturing shorter and different periods of the day. Results showed large misclassification with 10 hour capture periods relative to complete observation, with time in activity intensities varying across different periods of the day. The results of this thesis demonstrate that substantial selection bias and misclassification of time in activity intensities can be introduced through the decisions made during the processing of raw accelerometry data. Furthermore, this error alters the relationships between physical activity and psychological well-being. The results indicate that the true relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being in children may still be unknown, with researchers reporting relationships and effects only relevant to the measurement methods and data reduction processes they have employed. A method of overcoming selection bias and reducing misclassification is through 24 hour wear, which through the design of new accelerometers is now possible. Future studies should use monitors compatible with and acceptable for complete observation. This would result in more precise estimates of time spent in physical activity intensities and less selection bias. Both of these improvements would greatly increase our understanding of the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being in children.

Research has only recently begun to examine how individuals can be mentally healthy as opposed to simply showing the absence of distress. One way of defining mental wellness, Psychological Well-Being (PWB; Ryff, 1989), encompasses six dimensions of positive functioning. Cognitions relating to the future are a key element of well-being and are particularly relevant in the late adolescent developmental stage. The study's first aim was to examine how the positive and negative events adolescents anticipate in the future are seen as being implicated in various aspects of their well-being. The second aim was to examine the relationship between PWB self-report scores and levels of anxiety and depression. Sixth form students completed a task which elicited positive and negative events they were anticipating in the future and their thoughts about what was good or bad about those events. They also completed a measure of anxiety and depression and self-report scales of PWB. Open-ended responses about the consequences of the events (what was good or bad about them) were independently coded for the presence of the six PWB dimensions. Environmental Mastery was the most salient aspect of PWB present when participants discussed the consequences of both positive and negative events. The frequency of PWB dimensions present in adolescents' responses was similar between those with high and low levels of anxiety and depression, except those with high levels expressed significantly more responses related to Positive Relations with Others. On the self-report measures Positive Relations and Self-Acceptance showed unique relationships to depression scores, and Environmental Mastery and Self-Acceptance showed unique relationships to anxiety scores. The findings have implications for developing prevention strategies focusing on strengthening these aspects of PWB in the hope of protecting vulnerable people from future distress.

Allt fler människor i dagens samhälle lever och behandlas för en cancersjukdom. Det innebär att sjuksköterskan oftare kan komma att möta människor med olika cancersjukdomar inom sjukvården. Detta examensarbete kommer att beskriva vuxna människors upplevelser av att leva med en cancersjukdom. Nio vetenskapliga artiklar söktes fram via systematiska sökningar i databaserna Cinahl och PubMed, medan en artikel hittades osystematiskt. Dessa artiklar analyserades sedan genom att identifiera nyckelfynd som besvarade litteraturstudiens syfte. Med hjälp av dessa nyckelfynd kunde artiklarna sedan sammanställas till ett nytt resultat, vilket presenteras i denna uppsats. Resultatet påvisar att en cancersjukdom medför påfrestningar och förändringar i människans vardagliga liv. Framtiden upplevs som osäker men med stöd från familj, vänner och stödgrupper och känslan av hopp blir det lättare att kunna hantera sjukdomen. Resultatet visar också att cancersjukdomen medför att människan upplever sig som en börda, både för sig själv och sin omgivning. Relationer till familj och vänner sätts på prov. Det finns minskad ork till att utföra aktiviteter. Oro skapas över att samlivet förändras och de upplever även förändrat utseende på grund av håravfall. Med ökad kunskap om hur det är att leva med cancersjukdom får sjuksköterskan möjlighet till ökad förståelse för människan. Genom en ökad förståelse kan sjuksköterskan lyssna, ställa frågor och delge information på ett sätt som kan hjälpa människan att enklare kunna hantera sin vardag och livssituation. / Background Cancer is a growing problem in today ́s society. More people are diagnosed with the disease and the number of cases is expected to increase even more in the future. In order to be able to respond to people living with cancer and to apply a good nursing care, the nurse must know how these people experience their living conditions. Aim The aim of this study was to describe adults’ experiences of living with cancer. Method The method used was a literature study based on qualitative research according to Friberg (2012). The articles is analyzed according to Friberg ́s five-step model and results in three main themes and seven sub- themes. Results The main themes were- Changes in everyday life, Being a burden to themselves and their surroundings and To deal with an uncertain future. Conclusion The results showed that cancer disease changes the whole human life. The patients feel strain, both physically and mentally which changes everyday life in different ways and they live in a constant state of uncertainty.

The drama of Jean-Paul Sartre is primarily an investigation into the meaning of the human condition. The question of primary concern is: What does it mean to be a human being? Through his drama, Sartre reveals the nature of the existential situation. This thesis looks at five plays of Sartre and discusses the philosophical ideas in each.

There are several psychosocial factors that can affect an individual diagnosed with cancer (Holland, 2003), and directly addressing these issues with patients is important for their overall care and quality of life (Holland, 1998). The practice of psycho-oncology has been designed to assess these psychosocial issues with patients and their caregivers by means of outlets such as support groups to facilitate a wellness model of care (Myers & Sweeney, 2008). Using the demographics of age and sex, I plan to analyze and identify what psychosocial needs are significant to individuals diagnosed with cancer, and compare the sex and age of two significantly represented patient age groups 18-40 and 41-80 years old. I will survey the patients of Tulane Cancer Center in New Orleans, Louisiana when they arrive for medical treatment at the facility. The survey will include a demographic page, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G (Version 4), the Body Image Scale (BIS), the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire-Short Form (CSFQ-14), and additional questions regarding the extent to which an individual would attend a support group designed for their specific age and sex demographic. Through data analysis, I hope to discover whether any of the variables of body image, sexual functioning, physical well being, social/family well being, emotional well being, and functional well being show significant differences between the male or female young adult population of 18-40 year olds and those patients who are 41-80 years old. The findings should allow psycho-oncology clinicians to utilize this knowledge to address what psychosocial needs are appropriate for each age and sex group, and thus enhance the overall care of the patient.

Thesis advisor: Brian Gareau / Thesis advisor: Juliet Schor / This research seeks to understand how, if at all, access to green and open spaces impacts community well-being. Although much work has been done in the environmental justice sector on the disproportionate distribution of amenities in low-income communities, these studies have focused mainly on the negatives such as toxics and pollutants. This research is important because it seeks to understand the importance of environmental amenities that are not available to these populations. In order to understand this relationship, I conducted in-depth interviews with nine community members and observed at four green or open spaces. As a result of the above procedures, I found that green and open spaces not only have a positive impact on community well-being, but they influence personal well-being as well. Personal well-being is enhanced by activities that foster perceived mental and physical health for individuals, while community well-being has been linked to the ability to participate in social encounters with others. Although there are many other factors that inevitably provide well-being, it is important to note that all of my interviewees believed green and open spaces in their community were a prominent contributor. This research enhances the understanding of the less visible environmental injustices low-income communities suffer. I hope that this study serves as a catalyst for future research on a larger scale that will prove the importance of access to these areas. It is my hope that cities will begin to plan their parks and open spaces in ways that will benefit the most people and that areas where space is an issue will begin to create small green areas wherever possible. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology Honors Program. / Discipline: Sociology.

This thesis is focused on economic returns to education in China. It takes education as a key point to develop three aspects: earnings returns to education, the influence of education as one of the social-economic factors associated with the Body Mass Index (BMI) related to health, and the determinants of subjective well-being. A panel databased analysis including continuous and discrete dependent variables (ordered probit/probit) is used in this research. The first part examines the earnings returns to education in urban China for four years covering the period 1989 to 2000. We find, in common, with others that such returns were small in 1989, but have increased steadily since then. We also find that the returns for women exceed those for men and go some way to reducing the gender earnings gap. Crucially, however the returns to education decline with the length of time since the individual left school which is consistent with the hypothesis that education enhances ability and skills which in turn enhances earnings, but that the value of such skills deteriorates over time. Finally we find evidence for gravity effects by which earnings decline as distance from Beijing, and more noticeable, Shanghai increases. The aim of the second part is to examine the impact of socio-economic status (SES) on the BMI, a formula based on the ratio of height to weight, linked to health, using a fouryear (1991, 1993, 1997 and 2000) panel data set. To an extent we confirm the results with respect to the linkage between SES and health found for other countries. However, instead of using the existing specification of BMI, we explore the healthy BMI range based on a self-reported measure of health in China. This leads to a slightly different formulation for the BMI and a substantially different healthy range. We also find that this healthy BMI has a significant impact on health together with SES. Because of potential simultaneity between education and health we estimate a relationship between SES and health change. We find a significant relationship between education and changes in health status. The final part studies both happiness and life satisfaction in mainland China. We explore the extent to which SES and social capital influence subjective well-being. The results for happiness and life satisfaction are similar, but not identical. To an extent we confirm the results of others with respect to other countries. Hence we find a U-shaped relationship with respect to age and positive influences of income and health on well-being. We also include a variable which reflects the degree of choice/control over their lives people feel they have. Crucially, for social capital variables, we find that individuals who are involved in more voluntary organizations have higher levels of happiness, and those who are a member of Communist party are also more satisfied with their lives. Finally, education has a limited positive impact on subjective well-being, however, it is also the most significant determinant of social capital variables across individuals. In the thesis we specifically discuss the problem of endogeneity which is traditionally tackled by the use of some instrumental variable method. Recently much of the work in this genre including work relating to education, has been criticised from the perspective of weak instruments. Throughout we suggest alternative approaches and each is specific to the context in which it is used. Each of these alternatives is in itself based on certain assumptions which can in turn be questioned. Their value lies more in that they present extra evidence on the impact of education, rather than they unambiguously provide a solution to the endogeneity problem. Economics is not an exact science and it is the accumulation of evidence which is important. In our case our evidence is that education matters, and it matters not just with respect to earnings, and by implication productivity, but also with respect to health and subjective well-being.

Introduction: Care professionals suffering with poor wellbeing is a phenomenon that has been found to have a damaging effect upon individual employees, service users and organisations. Employees working in forensic settings are believed to be at increased risk of damaged wellbeing due to the unique demands of their working environment, including exposure to violence and aggression. This issue was addressed in two ways. Firstly, a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of person-centred interventions to improve the wellbeing of forensic professionals was prepared. Following this, an empirical study was completed which examined the ability of demands related to violence and aggression, and resources of two types (cognitive and contextual behavioural) to predict the wellbeing of employees in a high secure forensic mental health (FMH) hospital. Method: For the systematic review, relevant databases were systematically searched and 7 papers that met the inclusion criteria were identified. The included studies were quality assessed to identify strengths and weaknesses. For the empirical study, 142 employees at a high secure FMH hospital completed self-report questionnaires which examined their wellbeing, perceptions of the prevalence of aggression, beliefs about safety, attitudes towards aggression, and psychological flexibility. Results: The reviewed studies included psychological, educational and mixed type interventions. Evidence for the effectiveness of interventions was mixed, and problems with methodological quality common. The results of the empirical paper suggested that exposure to violence and aggression was not a good predictor of wellbeing. However, the beliefs staff held about safety and staff‘s level of psychological flexibility were predictive of wellbeing. Conclusions: The review concluded that the existing evidence for the effectiveness of person-centred wellbeing interventions for forensic professionals was generally of poor quality, and inadequate to provide firm recommendations. Further research to assess the effectiveness of interventions and the underlying mechanisms of wellbeing change in forensic settings was advised. The empirical paper concluded that job demands related to staff‘s cognitive appraisal of safety, and the contextual behavioural resource, psychological flexibility, were predictive of staff wellbeing. It was recommended that future interventions to improve the wellbeing of forensic professionals consider the psychological processes staff encounter in the workplace, with a particular focus on contextual behavioural resources, which have an existing evidence base in broader occupational fields. Further research using contextual behavioural interventions within forensic settings is recommended in order to develop the limited research on forensic professionals‘ workplace wellbeing.

This thesis explores the interaction between well-being and environmental volunteering. Focusing on five case study groups across Scotland, the emotional, social and physical well-being impacts of active environmental volunteer work are examined. Through an extensive ethnographic approach incorporating in-depth interviewing, participant observation and focus group work the thesis highlights the importance of studying the initial and continuing motivations for individuals to participate in environmental volunteering. This retains a particular focus on emotional and embodied volunteer experiences, exploring the importance of tasks and landscapes on the volunteering encounters. In considering the meaning of volunteering, the thesis also explores linkages of community and citizenship and how individuals frame and understand their volunteering, especially in relation to the environmental aspects of the work. This speaks directly to academic themes of embodiment, human-nature interactions, emotional geographies and social capital. The studentship was an ESRC-CASE funded project, with the CASE partner being Forestry Commission Scotland. The research takes place within a dynamic political context that encompasses current research and work on volunteering and natural environment encounters within Scotland and the UK as a whole. The thesis looks to inform ongoing policy relevant debates on environmental volunteering within both the Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The core principle underlying this research program is that places can contribute to identity, and that like other elements of identity they may be subject to the same psychological processes. One way in which personal and social identity have been characterised is by their provision of a psychologically significant sense of identity continuity. The overarching question addressed throughout each chapter of this thesis is whether places are significant aspects of identity because they too provide a sense of temporal endurance: place identity continuity (PIC). Four empirical studies aimed to address this question using insights from social psychological theory. They also aimed to reveal the structure of place identity continuity, its psychological significance, and whether variation in its expression could be accounted for using social context. Following an introduction to the core themes of the thesis in Chapter One, Chapters Two and Three provide reviews of the literature connecting place, identity, and continuity: the first from disciplines outside psychology and the second from psychology itself. Chapter Four describes the research methods to be used, and ends Part I of the thesis. Part II presents the empirical studies. Chapter Five reports the results from Study 1, an interview study conducted with residents of Tayside, exploring their place experiences and perceptions of identity continuity in relation to places. It reveals that place relationships can be characterised by connections with past and future selves, and a sense of fit between place and self, but that they can also vary according to strength of place identification and social context. Chapter Six reports the results of Study 2, a large student survey study leading to the development of a three-dimensional scale to measure PIC, and confirmation that PIC is connected with place attachment and place identity. Chapter Seven reports the results of Study 3, a cross-validation of the PIC measure and examination of the varying connections between PIC dimensions and psychological well-being in a large general public survey study. Finally, Chapter Eight reports the results of Study 4, an experiment showing that PIC can vary according to self-categorisation such that those categorising themselves as a family member will generally rate PIC higher than those primed with a student identity. Chapter Nine draws the results of each study together to conclude that PIC is a significant aspect of place identity, and that it is characterised by connections with past place identity, present place and self congruency, and future place identity, thus extending the existing place identity literature. It is also concluded that the use of social psychological approaches enriches previously static and deterministic understandings of place identity, and provides an opportunity to integrate social and environmental psychology. Limitations, future studies, and theoretical and practical implications are then provided before concluding remarks are offered.