Baoyu Bai

Background/Objectives: Patients’ trust in physicians is important for treatment adherence and health outcomes in chronic pain, yet patients’ psychological traits remain underexamined. Self-compassion involves responding to personal suffering with self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindful awareness. This study examined the association between self-compassion and trust in physicians among Chinese patients with chronic pain and explored the indirect association through pain centrality. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 376 eligible hospitalized patients with chronic pain was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. The primary analyses included 367 participants with complete data on the study variables. Participants completed measures of self-compassion, pain centrality, and trust in physicians. Pearson correlations were calculated, and a bootstrap analysis of the indirect association was conducted while controlling for age, sex, 7-day average pain intensity, and log-transformed pain duration. Results: Self-compassion was positively associated with trust in physicians and negatively associated with pain centrality. Pain centrality was negatively associated with trust in physicians, and an indirect association through pain centrality was observed (estimate = 0.054, bootstrap standard error = 0.027, 95% confidence interval [0.0004, 0.1093]), while the direct association remained statistically significant. Conclusions: Self-compassion may represent a positive psychological resource relevant to trust in physicians, and pain centrality may be statistically relevant to this association. These findings support further investigation of both constructs in person-centered chronic pain assessment and care.

Attachment plays an invaluable role in adult romantic relationships. However, little research has investigated the psychological mechanisms of the relationship between insecure attachment and romantic relationship satisfaction, especially from a body image perspective in the male population. Based on attachment theory and objectification theory, this study examined the relationship between body shame and romantic relationship satisfaction using a serial mediation model with two mediators which were insecure attachment and partner objectification among young males. In the study, 468 heterosexual males with romantic relationship experience participated. They completed the Body Image Shame Scale, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory‐Short Form, Body Surveillance Subscale and the Relationship Assessment Scale. The results showed that insecure attachment (avoidance and anxiety) was negatively correlated with romantic relationship satisfaction, and body shame could positively predict partner objectification among heterosexual male college students. Importantly, body shame and partner objectification acted as mediators in the association only between avoidant attachment (not anxious attachment) and romantic relationship satisfaction sequentially. This study identified different pathways associated with insecure attachment types in the male population, which could help guide young people to understand factors related to developing healthy romantic relationships.

Background: Work flow is critical for nurses due to the demanding nature of their profession, as it enhances stress resilience, engagement, and quality of care. Aims: This study sought to examine the relationship between perceived organizational support for strengths use and work‐related flow among nurses, and to explore the mediating roles of psychological capital components: self‐efficacy, resilience, hope, and optimism. Methods: This cross‐sectional study, involving 607 nurses, was conducted in March 2024. Validated scales were employed to measure perceived organizational support for strengths use, psychological capital, and work‐related flow. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0, along with the PROCESS macro for mediation analysis. Results: The study revealed a significant positive relationship between perceived organizational support for strengths use, psychological capital, and work‐related flow. Among the four psychological capital dimensions, only self‐efficacy and optimism significantly mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support for strengths use and work‐related flow. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of fostering a strengths‐based organizational climate and enhancing key psychological resources—particularly self‐efficacy and optimism—to improve nurses' flow experiences at work. Clinical Relevance: Enhancing perceived organizational support for strengths use can foster self‐efficacy and optimism among nurses, thereby promoting work‐related flow. By cultivating a strengths‐based work environment and reinforcing key psychological resources, healthcare institutions can improve nurses' well‐being, engagement, and ultimately the quality of patient care.

Residential mobility is a critical socio‐ecological factor involving substantial changes in both physical and social environments. However, existing research has inconsistently defined and measured residential mobility, creating ambiguity about whether past experiences or future expectations primarily drive its psychological impact. This study addresses this gap by examining both the distinctions and connections between residential mobility experiences and expectations, with the goal of identifying the primary mechanism influencing subjective well‐being. Guided by pragmatic prospection theory and sensitised‐specialisation theory, we conducted two studies. In Study 1, a manipulation experiment revealed that residential mobility expectations had a stronger impact on subjective well‐being than residential mobility experiences. In Study 2, a large‐scale survey demonstrated that residential mobility expectations mediate the relationship between residential mobility experiences and subjective well‐being. Together, these findings highlight the distinct yet interconnected roles of residential mobility experiences and expectations. While residential mobility experiences provide a foundational context, it is the expectations of future mobility that predominantly shape the psychological impact on well‐being. These results underscore residential mobility expectations as the primary mechanism by which residential mobility influences individual outcomes, offering valuable theoretical and practical insights.

Research on the use of strengths has suggested that it can promote individuals' psychological health and well-being. This study aimed to examine the relationship between strength use and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in the context of COVID-19 pandemic among health care workers, as well as the mediating role of psychological capital in this relationship. A total of 740 health care workers completed the Strengths Use Scale, the Positive Psychological Capital Scale, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Descriptive, correlational, and multiple mediation analyses were performed to analyze the data. Participants of 55.9% reported experiencing significant PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found a significant and positive correlation between strength use, psychological capital, and PTG. In addition, the study found that self-efficacy and optimism, but not hope and resilience, mediated the linkage between strength use and PTG linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also indicated that self-efficacy and optimism had equal importance in the strength use-PTG link. The study concludes that strength use is positively related to PTG in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic through the mediating roles of self-efficacy and optimism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-objectification is a common phenomenon that has extensive adverse consequences for both women and men. The current research aimed to provide a preliminary test to see whether future orientation, a tendency to plan and consider long-term goals, could reduce people's self-objectification tendencies. In addition, we examined whether perceived meaning in life could account for this effect. These predictions were supported across three studies (N = 837) using multiple methods. In Study 1, participants who were induced to adopt a future orientation (vs. present orientation) assigned less points to attributes focusing on physical appearance. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated the mediating role of perceived meaning in life in the relationship between future orientation and self-objectification with a correlational study (Study 2) and an experimental study (Study 3). Importantly, the predicted effects emerged among both genders. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Background: The prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers remains chronically high. Former studies have indicated that strength use is a promising approach to reduce burnout. However, relatively little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying the ability of strength use to reduce burnout, especially among healthcare workers. Aim: This study sought to examine the link between strength use and burnout in Chinese healthcare workers, and to explore the mediating roles of beliefs about stress and basic psychological needs satisfaction in that relationship. Methods: This study was conducted in two time periods, from September to October 2020 and from February to September 2022. A total of 812 healthcare workers completed a multi-section questionnaire. Results: Strength use was negatively associated with burnout and negative stress beliefs, and positively associated with positive stress beliefs, control beliefs, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Moreover, negative stress beliefs, control beliefs, and basic psychological needs satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between strength use and burnout. Furthermore, effect contrasts revealed that the mediating effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction was stronger than that of negative stress beliefs and control beliefs. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that negative stress beliefs, control beliefs, and basic psychological needs satisfaction act as mediators in the association of strength use with burnout. Furthermore, basic psychological needs satisfaction plays a more important mediating role than negative stress beliefs and control beliefs in the strength use–burnout relationship.