Social connectedness

Although physical activity enjoyment is associated with athletes’ psychological outcomes, the mechanisms underlying its relationship with mental well-being remain unclear. This study examined the mediating role of loneliness among athletes. A correlational survey design was employed. The participants consisted of 350 athletes selected through criterion sampling, including 178 females (Mage= 20.58 ± 1.99) and 172 males (Mage= 21.91 ± 4.88). Data were collected using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale–Short Form, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Pearson correlation analysis and PROCESS Macro Model 4 mediation analysis were conducted, and indirect effects were tested using 5,000 bootstrap samples. Physical activity enjoyment was positively associated with mental well-being (r= .586, p< .01) and negatively associated with loneliness (a= −.196, p< .01). Loneliness was negatively associated with mental well-being (b= −.447, p< .01). The mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of physical activity enjoyment on mental well-being through loneliness (indirect effect= .088, 95% CI [.026, .147]). These findings indicate that enjoyment of physical activity contributes to athletes’ mental well-being and that loneliness partially explains this relationship. The results emphasize the importance of considering social connectedness and psychological experiences in understanding athletes’ well-being.

Mental health systems face a persistent gap in accessible, continuous, and person-centred support. Conversational AI can expand access to psychoeducation, emotional check-ins, self-management, and service navigation, but may also introduce risks of digital exclusion, cultural mismatch, privacy concerns, unsafe advice, and overreliance on automation. This paper develops a conceptual framework integrating Orange Technology, which promotes emotional wellbeing, cultural sensitivity, social connectedness, and resilience, with empathetic AI for mental health support. An integrative literature review examined peer-reviewed systematic reviews and WHO and UN guidance published from 2021 to 2026. Evidence suggests that conversational AI can improve depression, distress, anxiety, and engagement, although effects are heterogeneous and may decline over time. Personalization and empathic interaction may enhance engagement, while the framework's effects on community resilience, cultural sensitivity, and community resource integration require further empirical validation. The framework therefore positions AI as a supportive, human-in-the-loop layer rather than a replacement for clinicians, families, peers, or communities. It connects emotional sensing, empathetic dialogue, personalized support, escalation pathways, community connection, inclusive access, and governance, while aligning mental health innovation with SDG 3, 9, and 17.

Background Benefit finding may be associated with better mental health after the pandemic, but its longitudinal trajectory and its associations with psychosocial resources and mental health symptoms during recovery remain unclear. Objective This study examined trajectories of benefit finding among Chinese college students from approximately 3 to 15 months after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. We also examined its associations with emotion regulation, social connectedness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, together with indirect association patterns involving benefit finding. Methods A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 1,155 Chinese college students. Data were analyzed using parallel-process latent growth curve modeling. Results Social connectedness and benefit finding increased linearly over time, whereas depressive and anxiety symptoms decreased. Cognitive reappraisal was positively associated with the benefit finding intercept but negatively associated with its slope, whereas expressive suppression was not significantly associated with either growth factor. Social connectedness showed stronger associations with benefit finding trajectories than the emotion regulation variables. Benefit finding was negatively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms at both the intercept and slope levels. Indirect association patterns through benefit finding were supported for social connectedness and both depressive and anxiety symptoms at the intercept and slope levels when inference was based on bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals. Conclusions Benefit finding increased during the post-pandemic recovery period and was associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms. Social connectedness showed relatively strong associations with benefit finding trajectories, while cognitive reappraisal was associated with higher initial benefit finding but a slower subsequent increase. The indirect association patterns linked social connectedness with both symptom domains through benefit finding at the intercept and slope levels. These findings highlight psychosocial resources that merit further study in campus mental health research, while the observational design does not establish causal direction or temporal precedence.

It has also taken over a century for science to fully realize that oxytocin is far more than a “female reproductive hormone.” Both the measurement and interpretation of the biochemical and functional properties of oxytocin have raised controversy and remain works in progress. However, oxytocin is now recognized as a pleiotropic molecule that sits at the center of an extended system which includes vasopressin, the autonomic nervous system, the immune system and more. This larger system affects essentially every bodily function and helps to coordinate these with social context, the history of each individual and perhaps the existence of humans as a species. Together these support survival, reproduction and wellbeing, allowing mammals to manage and benefit from various forms of hormetic challenge. Here we suggest that oxytocin, viewed as a system, in turn acts as a keystone capable of connecting mammalian regulatory physiology to the benefits of social connection.

Learners enter Further Education (FE) for diverse reasons, and previous experiences of educational transitions influence how they approach new transitions. FE offers fresh opportunities for learners in providing both vocational and academic pathways. Understanding the transition experiences of learners is critical in ensuring the engagement and retention of learners. By listening to the voices of learners from three FE settings in South Wales who had considered withdrawing during their first year, this study offers new insights into what supports continued participation and what challenges learners face, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Findings suggest that early relationships with staff play a crucial role in helping learners settle into FE. Over time, friendships and meaningful engagement with the course become key factors in learners’ decisions to remain. This study therefore emphasises the need for FE settings to prioritise early transitions support and to recognise the ongoing importance of social connections and course relevance in sustaining learner engagement.

یادگیرندگان به دلایل متنوعی وارد آموزش عالی (FE) می‌شوند و تجارب پیشین آن‌ها از گذارهای آموزشی بر نحوه مواجهه‌شان با گذارهای جدید تأثیرگذار است. آموزش عالی فرصت‌های تازه‌ای را برای یادگیرندگان از طریق ارائه مسیرهای حرفه‌ای و آکادمیک فراهم می‌کند. درک تجارب گذار یادگیرندگان برای تضمین مشارکت و ماندگاری آن‌ها اهمیت اساسی دارد. این پژوهش با شنیدن صدای یادگیرندگان سه مرکز آموزش عالی در جنوب ولز که در سال اول خود به ترک تحصیل فکر کرده بودند، بینش‌های جدیدی درباره عوامل حمایت‌کننده از تداوم حضور و چالش‌های پیش‌روی یادگیرندگان، به‌ویژه افراد با پیشینه محروم، ارائه می‌دهد. یافته‌ها نشان می‌دهد که روابط اولیه با کارکنان نقش حیاتی در کمک به سازگاری یادگیرندگان با آموزش عالی ایفا می‌کند. در گذر زمان، دوستی‌ها و مشارکت معنادار با دوره تحصیلی به عوامل کلیدی در تصمیم یادگیرندگان برای ماندن تبدیل می‌شود. بنابراین، این مطالعه بر ضرورت اولویت‌بخشی به حمایت از گذارهای اولیه در مراکز آموزش عالی و شناسایی اهمیت مستمر پیوندهای اجتماعی و ارتباط دوره تحصیلی با نیازهای یادگیرندگان برای حفظ مشارکت آن‌ها تأکید می‌کند.

INTRODUCTION: Lifestyle factors are increasingly recognized as important correlates of adolescent mental health and wellbeing. However, existing research has largely focused on sleep, nutrition, and physical activity in isolation, with less attention to cumulative multidomain lifestyle protective factors and their prospective associations with subsequent wellbeing beyond prior mental health. METHODS: Data were drawn from 163 adolescents (55.2% female; aged 12-17 years) participating in the Australian Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study between 2018 and 2025. Lagged generalized estimating equation models examined associations between cumulative lifestyle protective factors and wellbeing at the subsequent assessment after adjustment for prior wellbeing, age, and sex. Two lifestyle protective factor indices were examined: a Base Index comprising nutrition, sleep, and physical activity, and an Extended Index additionally incorporating mindfulness and social connectedness. Outcomes were positive wellbeing measured using the COMPAS-W and low psychological distress measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). RESULTS: Lifestyle protective factors commonly co-occurred across behavioral and psychosocial domains. Higher scores on both the Base and Extended lifestyle protective factor indices were associated with greater odds of subsequent positive wellbeing and low psychological distress after adjustment for prior wellbeing, age, and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Cumulative lifestyle protective factors were prospectively associated with subsequent adolescent wellbeing after accounting for prior levels of wellbeing, highlighting multidomain lifestyle protection as a potentially important contributor to mental health across adolescence.

مقدمه: عوامل سبک زندگی به طور فزاینده‌ای به عنوان همبسته‌های مهم سلامت روان و بهزیستی نوجوانان شناخته می‌شوند. با این حال، پژوهش‌های موجود عمدتاً به خواب، تغذیه و فعالیت بدنی به صورت مجزا پرداخته‌اند و به عوامل محافظ سبک زندگی چندحوزه‌ای تجمعی و ارتباطات آینده‌نگر آن‌ها با بهزیستی بعدی فراتر از سلامت روان قبلی کمتر توجه شده است. روش‌ها: داده‌ها از ۱۶۳ نوجوان (۵۵/۲٪ دختر؛ در بازه سنی ۱۲ تا ۱۷ سال) شرکت‌کننده در مطالعه طولی مغز نوجوانان استرالیا بین سال‌های ۲۰۱۸ تا ۲۰۲۵ جمع‌آوری شد. مدل‌های معادلات برآورد تعمیم‌یافته با تاخیر، ارتباط بین عوامل محافظ سبک زندگی تجمعی و بهزیستی در ارزیابی بعدی را پس از تعدیل برای بهزیستی قبلی، سن و جنسیت بررسی کردند. دو شاخص عوامل محافظ سبک زندگی مورد بررسی قرار گرفت: شاخص پایه شامل تغذیه، خواب و فعالیت بدنی و شاخص گسترده که ذهن‌آگاهی و پیوند اجتماعی را نیز در بر می‌گیرد. پیامدها شامل بهزیستی مثبت با استفاده از COMPAS-W و پریشانی روان‌شناختی پایین با استفاده از مقیاس پریشانی روان‌شناختی Kessler (K10) اندازه‌گیری شد. نتایج: عوامل محافظ سبک زندگی معمولاً در حوزه‌های رفتاری و روانی‌اجتماعی به طور همزمان رخ می‌دهند. نمرات بالاتر در هر دو شاخص پایه و گسترده عوامل محافظ سبک زندگی با احتمال بیشتر بهزیستی مثبت بعدی و پریشانی روان‌شناختی پایین پس از تعدیل برای بهزیستی قبلی، سن و جنسیت همراه بود. نتیجه‌گیری: عوامل محافظ سبک زندگی تجمعی به طور آینده‌نگر با بهزیستی بعدی نوجوانان پس از در نظر گرفتن سطوح قبلی بهزیستی مرتبط بودند و بر اهمیت حفاظت چندحوزه‌ای سبک زندگی به عنوان یک عامل بالقوه مهم در سلامت روان در سراسر نوجوانی تأکید می‌کنند.

Background: This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Korean version of the Body Perception Questionnaire–Short Form (K-BPQ-SF) in Korean adults.Methods: Online survey data from 700 Korean adults were randomly divided into Sample A (n=300) for exploratory factor analysis and Sample B (n=400) for confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was examined using correlations with related external measures in the full sample (N=700).Results: Exploratory factor analysis identified a 23-item, three-factor structure for Body Awareness and a 19-item, two-factor structure for Autonomic Reactivity. In the comparison using the same final 42 items, the modified Korean five-factor model showed a relatively better fit than the original study-based three-factor model. The five subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency. All five subscales were significantly positively correlated with alexithymia, difficulties in emotion regulation, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and trait anxiety, whereas they were significantly negatively correlated with social connectedness. These findings are consistent with a priori theoretical predictions and support the convergent validity of the K-BPQ-SF.Conclusions: These findings support the reliability and validity of the K-BPQ-SF as a self-report measure of body awareness and autonomic reactivity in Korean adults. Implications for its application and directions for future research are discussed.

زمینه: این مطالعه ساختار عاملی، پایایی و روایی نسخه کره‌ای پرسشنامه ادراک بدن–فرم کوتاه (K-BPQ-SF) را در بزرگسالان کره‌ای مورد بررسی قرار داد. روش‌ها: داده‌های نظرسنجی آنلاین از ۷۰۰ بزرگسال کره‌ای به طور تصادفی به دو نمونه تقسیم شد: نمونه A (n=300) برای تحلیل عاملی اکتشافی و نمونه B (n=400) برای تحلیل عاملی تأییدی. روایی همگرا با استفاده از همبستگی با مقیاس‌های خارجی مرتبط در کل نمونه (N=700) بررسی شد. نتایج: تحلیل عاملی اکتشافی ساختار سه‌عاملی با ۲۳ ماده برای آگاهی بدنی و ساختار دو‌عاملی با ۱۹ ماده برای واکنش‌پذیری خودکار را شناسایی کرد. در مقایسه با استفاده از همان ۴۲ ماده نهایی، مدل پنج‌عاملی اصلاح‌شده کره‌ای نسبت به مدل سه‌عاملی مبتنی بر مطالعه اصلی برازش نسبتاً بهتری نشان داد. پنج خرده‌مقیاس از انسجام درونی مناسب برخوردار بودند. هر پنج خرده‌مقیاس با آلکسیتیمیا، دشواری در تنظیم هیجان، نشانه‌های استرس پس از سانحه و اضطراب صفتی همبستگی مثبت معنادار و با پیوستگی اجتماعی همبستگی منفی معنادار داشتند. این یافته‌ها با پیش‌بینی‌های نظری اولیه همسو بوده و روایی همگرای K-BPQ-SF را تأیید می‌کنند. نتیجه‌گیری: این یافته‌ها از پایایی و روایی K-BPQ-SF به عنوان یک ابزار خودگزارشی برای سنجش آگاهی بدنی و واکنش‌پذیری خودکار در بزرگسالان کره‌ای حمایت می‌کنند. پیامدهای کاربرد و جهت‌گیری‌های پژوهش‌های آتی مورد بحث قرار گرفته است.