Interventions based on self-management of well-being theory:Pooling data to demonstrate mediation and ceiling effects, and to compare formats

Objectives: Interventions based on self-management of well-being (SMW) theory have shown positive effects, but additional questions remain: (1) Are improvements in well-being, as induced by the interventions, mediated by improved self-management ability (SMA)? (2) Do the interventions show ceiling effects? (3) Is a particular format of SMW intervention (individual, group, or self-help) more effective?Method: Data of three randomized controlled trials were pooled. The greater part of the sample (N = 445) consisted of single older females. A bootstrap analysis was performed to test for mediation. Regression analyses with interaction effects were performed to test for ceiling effects. Controlled and transformed effect sizes (proportion of maximum change) were calculated to compare formats.Results: There was a full significant mediation of well-being by SMA. A significant interaction (ceiling) effect was found on well-being, but not on SMA. The controlled effect sizes of the raw scores were small to medium (.04-.49), and were small to large after transformation (.41-.73). None of the intervention formats was more effective.Conclusion: Support for SMW theory was found, i.e. increasing self-management ability lead to improved well-being. Some ceiling effect was found. We conclude that various SMW interventions formats can improve self-management abilities and well-being with medium effects

Geographical life-space and subjective wellbeing in later life

Geographical life-space is an important factor to consider when studying subjective wellbeing of older adults. The purpose of this article is twofold: to provide an in-depth understanding of 1) the geographical life-spaces in which the lives of older adults take place and 2) the relation between life-space and experienced levels of subjective wellbeing. Seventy-six older adults (aged 65 and older) participated in our qualitative study. We applied a qualitative research approach, through combining indepth-interviews with visual life-space diagrams. Our findings show that most older adults continue to experience a high level of subjective wellbeing, regardless of the extent of their life-space. We conclude that the possibility to fulfill one's needs, even in a restricted life-space, is more conducive to maintaining subjective wellbeing than the extent of life-space itself

De arbeidsovereenkomst voor bepaalde tijd onder de Wet werk en zekerheid (WWZ). De ketenbepaling, de proeftijd, het concurrentiebeding, de aanzegplicht en de transitievergoeding

Het doel van de WWZ is om de rechtspositie van een werknemer met een arbeidsovereenkomst voor bepaalde tijd te verbeteren door oneigenlijk gebruik van tijdelijke contracten tegen te gaan en de doorstroom naar vaste contracten te bevorderen. Met de invoering van de WWZ zijn de bepalingen ten aanzien van de ketenbepaling, de proeftijd en het concurrentiebeding gewijzigd en zijn de bepalingen ten aanzien van de aanzegplicht en de transitievergoeding ingevoerd. Zijn deze bepalingen in overeenstemming met de Richtlijn 1999/70/EG en wordt de doelstelling van de WWZ daarmee bereikt? Uit het onderzoek is gebleken dat de bepaling betreffende de transitievergoeding in strijd is met de richtlijn, omdat er sprake is van verboden onderscheid. Ook is gebleken dat het doel van de WWZ niet wordt bereikt. Werkgevers omzeilen de transitievergoeding, nemen eerder afscheid van tijdelijke werknemers en gaan niet sneller over tot het aanbieden van een vast contract. Werkgevers vermijden een vast contract vanwege de risico’s en de kosten. De aanbevelingen zijn: aanpassen van de bepaling betreffende de transitievergoeding, nader onderzoeken welke aanpassingen ertoe kunnen leiden dat werkgevers overgaan tot het aanbieden van een vast contract, de loondoorbetalingsverplichting herzien en onderzoeken of een vorm van een ingroeicontract mogelijk beter aansluit bij de behoefte van de huidige arbeidsmarkt

The associations of different social needs with psychological strengths and subjective well-being:An empirical investigation based on Social Production Function theory

The fulfilment of social needs is essential for human beings to function well and thrive, but little is known about how social needs are differentially associated with types of well-functioning. This study investigates how the three social needs as proposed by Social Production Function theory—the needs for affection, behavioral confirmation, and status—relate to psychological strengths (self-evaluation, hope, and self-regulatory ability), loneliness, and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect). Moreover, possible mechanisms are explored. Using the first release sample of the LifeLines study (N = 13,301) and four other samples (N = 1094, N = 456, N = 415, and N = 142), we found that the three social needs yielded a robust factor structure, and related differentially to gender and education. Their associations with all three psychological strengths were substantial. Affection need fulfilment related most strongly to both emotional and social loneliness, but the expected stronger association of behavioral confirmation with social loneliness was not found. As expected, affection related most strongly to life satisfaction and least strongly to positive affect, whereas status related most strongly to positive affect and least strongly to life satisfaction. Of all social needs, behavioral confirmation had comparatively the strongest negative association with negative affect. With regard to mechanisms, affection was found to have a partial indirect effect on life satisfaction via self-evaluation, hope, and self-regulatory ability, while status had a modest indirect effect via self-regulatory ability on positive affect. It is concluded that different need fulfillments make unique contributions to different types of well-functioning, implying that a mix of social need satisfiers (i.e. different kinds of social relationships and other social provisions) are needed for individuals to function well. This knowledge may support interventions and policy directed at both individual and societal well-being