Pre-job loss grief reactions and work attachment among sick-listed employees:Introduction of the imminent job loss scale

Purpose: With this study, we aimed to explore the emotional experiences of sick-listed employees facing imminent job loss, as this emotional distress may hinder successful job search outcomes. The study had two objectives: (1) to develop and validate the Imminent Job Loss Scale (IJLS) for assessing pre-job loss grief reactions and (2) to examine its relationship to work attachment.Method: Development of the IJLS was carried out using feedback from an expert panel. The psychometric properties of the IJLS were evaluated, and its association with work attachment was examined using data from 200 sick-listed employees facing imminent job loss. Results: The IJLS demonstrated strong internal consistency and temporal stability, distinctiveness from depression and anxiety symptoms, and solid convergent validity. Work-centrality and organizational commitment were positively related to pre-job loss grief reactions, while work engagement and calling showed no significant associations.Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into pre-job loss grief reactions and shows the potential utility of the IJLS for screening and monitoring purposes. Understanding pre-job loss grief reactions can improve the re-integration and job prospects of sick-listed employees. In future research, explorations of these dynamics should continue to provide better support to sick-listed employees during this challenging period

Effects of exciton deconfinement on the transient photoluminescence from thermally activated delayed fluorescence host-guest systems

For thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) host-guest systems used in organic light-emitting diodes, understanding of the transient photoluminescence (PL) measurements is crucial for accurate determination of the photophysical rates of the emitter. Here, we study how the PL is affected by triplet-exciton deconfinement from the guest to the host molecules. This deconfinement can complicate the analysis of the PL decay and potentially lead to a loss of efficiency. From an analytical model, we find that the transient PL intensity remains bi-exponential in the presence of exciton deconfinement for the case of fast triplet diffusion, albeit with a longer decay time of the delayed component. Deconfinement might, therefore, not always be recognizable from a single transient PL measurement. The role of deconfinement depends on the energetic disorder, the guest concentration, and the energy difference Δ E T between triplet-exciton energies on the host and guest molecules and is effectively suppressed for Δ E T &gt; - &gt; 0.2 eV. We find from analytical modeling and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations that the decay can become non-bi-exponential and even show a distinct third decay step. The shape of the decay curves depends on the characteristic times for guest-host transfer and host diffusion, relative to the prompt and delayed decay times of the TADF emitter. A comparison with available experimental data is included, finding qualitative agreement with dedicated deconfinement studies and indicating the influence of other processes for the often observed power-law decay at long time scales. </p

Fluctuations of prolonged grief disorder reactions in the daily life of bereaved people:An experience sampling study

IntroductionLoss-adaptation has been described as being characterized by ‘waves of grief’, whichmay result in a Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Although this assumption about thefluctuating nature of grief is supported by theoretical work, it is not (yet) supported byempirical work. We are the first to explore to what extent PGD reactions fluctuate ineveryday life and whether fluctuations in PGD reactions are related to overall PGDlevels using experience sampling methodology (ESM).MethodsData from 38 bereaved individuals (74% women, on average 6 years post-loss, 47%lost a parent) were analyzed. For two weeks, five times per day, participants reportedon the severity of 11 PGD reactions in the past three hours (ESM-PGD). At baseline,overall PGD severity (B-PGD) in the past two weeks was assessed with telephone interviews using the Traumatic Grief Inventory–Clinician Administered. Root MeanSquare of Successive Differences (RMSSD) were calculated to reflect fluctuations inESM-PGD. Spearman correlations between RMSSD values of the 11 ESM-PGDreactions and B-PGD scores were computed.ResultsMean B-PGD scores were below the clinical cut-off. Some fluctuations in ESM-PGDreactions were found, as indicated by varying RMSSD values, but also floor effectswere detected. B-PGD levels were related to RMSSD values for ESM-PGD (ρ between.37 and .68, all p &lt; .05; and between .36 and .63 after removal of floor effects).DiscussionWe found that (some) ESM-PGD reactions fluctuated in everyday life. This may offernew theoretical insights into loss-adaptation, which may result in optimizing PGDtreatment

Symptoms of complicated grief and depression following job loss: Can engagement in non-work activities bring relief?

The present study aimed to examine whether day-level engagement in non-work activities can mitigate the adverse outcomes of job loss. Based on Jahoda's latent deprivation model, we hypothesized that engaging in such activities (e.g., meeting others) can fulfil five basic needs (e.g., need for time structure) and that fulfilment of these needs mitigates the negative consequences of job loss. A diary study was conducted on five consecutive days among 236 participants who had involuntarily lost their job, yielding 1046 daily measures of the time spent on activities, the evaluation of these activities, and emotional distress. Multilevel regression analyses showed that time spent on daily activities was associated with the degree of fulfilment of the basic needs and emotional distress, yet the effect sizes were small. Perceived utility of these daily activities showed more solid effect sizes with the basic needs and emotional distress. However, the mediation effect of the basic needs regarding the association between activities and emotional distress could not be confirmed. The present results suggest that, in addition to stimulating individuals who experience job loss-related emotional distress to undertake certain activities, the evaluation of these activities should also be taken into account in tailor-made interventions and preventive measures

Job loss-related complicated grief symptoms: A cognitive-behavioral framework

In a significant minority of people, involuntarily job loss can result in symptoms of job loss-related complicated grief (JLCG). The present cognitive-behavioral framework is introduced to explain the underlying processes that may lead to the development and maintenance of JLCG symptoms. Three core processes play a central role, namely (1) negative cognitions related to the job loss and misinterpretation of one's grief reactions; (2) anxious and depressive avoidance strategies to cope with the job loss and its consequences; and (3) insufficient integration of the job loss into the autobiographical memory. These core processes are assumed to interact and reinforce each other, leading to JLCG symptoms. The three core processes can be influenced by certain risk factors, including circumstances surrounding the loss, personality traits, and characteristics of the social environment. JLCG symptoms can lead to additional psychological and practical problems, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, lower employability, and reduced likelihood of re-employment. This paper explains and illustrates the three core processes with vignettes. Implications of the model for preventive measures and psychological interventions are introduced. It concludes with suggestions for future research on JLCG symptoms

Treatable Vascular Risk and Cognitive Performance in Persons Aged 35 Years or Older:Longitudinal Study of Six Years

BACKGROUND: Poor cognitive performance is associated with high vascular risk. However, this association is only investigated in elderly. As neuropathological changes precede clinical symptoms of cognitive impairment by several decades, it is likely that cognitive performance is already associated with vascular risk at middle-age. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of cognitive performance with treatable vascular risk in middle-aged and old persons. DESIGN: Longitudinal study with three measurements during follow-up period of 5.5 years. SETTING: City of Groningen, the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Cohort of 3,572 participants (age range, 35-82 years; mean age, 54 years; men, 52%). EXPOSURE: Treatable vascular risk as defined by treatable components of the Framingham Risk Score for Cardiovascular Disease at the first measurement (diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension). MEASUREMENTS: Change in cognitive performance during follow-up. Cognitive performance was measured with Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) and Visual Association Test (VAT), and calculated as the average of the standardized RFFT and VAT score per participant. RESULTS: The mean (SD) cognitive performance changed from 0.00 (0.79) at the first measurement to 0.15 (0.83) at second measurement and to 0.39 (0.82) at the third measurement (Ptrend CONCLUSIONS: Change in cognitive performance was associated with treatable vascular risk in persons aged 35 years or older