IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v70y2024i3p489-497.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hope, resilience and subjective happiness among general population of Paraguay in the post COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Julio Torales
  • Iván Barrios
  • Osvaldo Melgarejo
  • Noelia Ruiz Díaz
  • Marcelo O’Higgins
  • Rodrigo Navarro
  • Diego Amarilla
  • José Almirón-Santacruz
  • Israel González-Urbieta
  • Tomás Caycho-Rodríguez
  • João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia
  • Antonio Ventriglio

Abstract

Background: Positive mental health includes not only the absence of mental disorders but also the presence of subjective well-being, good coping strategies for life stress, and strategies for adapting to community life. It is well known that the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged mental health in general population worldwide. However, research has not measured protective factors for mental health in the general population after the declared end of pandemic by the World Health Organization. Methods: This observational, cross-sectional study surveyed 591 Paraguayan participants aged ⩾18 years, who were recruited through an online survey. Demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status were collected as well as mental health and validated tools for hope, resilience, subjective happiness were administered. Results: Of the participants, 81.6% were women, 54% were married or in a relationship and 90.7% reported an university education. The main source of stress was economic issues (30.3%). A total of 22.7% had been previously diagnosed with a mental disorder, 22.2% had consulted a mental health professional and 10.8% had consumed prescription drugs. 42.6% reported flourishing, 36.2% reported moderate and 21.2% reported languishing mental health. Conclusions: This large survey has shown that most of participants reported a flourishing mental health with high ratings at hope, resilience, and subjective happiness scales. Also, the main sources of stress were economic issues, not consequently related to the pandemic. This may add evidences to the international debate on the long term effects of the global pandemic and probably suggests that recovery processes have been collectively adopted in Paraguay.

Suggested Citation

  • Julio Torales & Iván Barrios & Osvaldo Melgarejo & Noelia Ruiz Díaz & Marcelo O’Higgins & Rodrigo Navarro & Diego Amarilla & José Almirón-Santacruz & Israel González-Urbieta & Tomás Caycho-Rod, 2024. "Hope, resilience and subjective happiness among general population of Paraguay in the post COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(3), pages 489-497, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:3:p:489-497
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640231216342
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231216342
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640231216342?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Emma Pleeging & Martijn Burger & Job Exel, 2021. "The Relations between Hope and Subjective Well-Being: a Literature Overview and Empirical Analysis," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 1019-1041, June.
    2. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Heidi Lepper, 1999. "A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 137-155, February.
    3. Nazgol Makki & Madhu S. Mohanty, 2019. "Mental Health and Happiness: Evidence From the U.S. Data," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 64(2), pages 197-215, October.
    4. Soomin Ryu & Lu Fan, 2023. "The Relationship Between Financial Worries and Psychological Distress Among U.S. Adults," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 16-33, March.
    5. Natalio Extremera & Pablo Fernández-Berrocal, 2014. "The Subjective Happiness Scale: Translation and Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of a Spanish Version," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 473-481, October.
    6. Julio Torales & Marcelo O’Higgins & João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia & Antonio Ventriglio, 2020. "The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(4), pages 317-320, June.
    7. Fjolla Kondirolli & Naveen Sunder, 2022. "Mental health effects of education," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(S2), pages 22-39, October.
    8. Corey Keyes, 2006. "Subjective Well-Being in Mental Health and Human Development Research Worldwide: An Introduction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 77(1), pages 1-10, May.
    9. M. Pilar Matud & Marisela López-Curbelo & Demelza Fortes, 2019. "Gender and Psychological Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-11, September.
    10. Sheng Zhi Zhao & Man Ping Wang & Kasisomayajula Viswanath & Agnes Lai & Daniel Yee Tak Fong & Chia-Chin Lin & Sophia Siu-Chee Chan & Tai Hing Lam, 2019. "Short Sleep Duration and Insomnia Symptoms were Associated with Lower Happiness Levels in Chinese Adults in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-11, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonio Crego & José Ramón Yela & Rita Ozores-Pérez & Pablo Riesco-Matías & María Ángeles Gómez-Martínez, 2022. "Eudaimonic and Uncertainty Metaphors About Life are Associated with Meaningfulness, Experiential Avoidance, Mental Health and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 4119-4146, December.
    2. Hagit Sabato & Sapir Bar-Ilan, 2023. "Pleasure or Meaning: Subjective Well-Being Orientations and the Willingness to Help Close Versus Distant Others," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 2013-2037, August.
    3. Antonio Crego & José Ramón Yela & María Ángeles Gómez-Martínez & Pablo Riesco-Matías & Cristina Petisco-Rodríguez, 2021. "Relationships between Mindfulness, Purpose in Life, Happiness, Anxiety, and Depression: Testing a Mediation Model in a Sample of Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-15, January.
    4. Katsunori Sumi, 2014. "Reliability and Validity of Japanese Versions of the Flourishing Scale and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 601-615, September.
    5. Ana Blasco-Belled & Radosław Rogoza & Cristina Torrelles-Nadal & Carles Alsinet, 2020. "Emotional Intelligence Structure and Its Relationship with Life Satisfaction and Happiness: New Findings from the Bifactor Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2031-2049, August.
    6. Pablo González-Rico & Eloísa Guerrero-Barona & Maria José Chambel & Mónica Guerrero-Molina, 2022. "Well-Being at Work: Burnout and Engagement Profiles of University Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, November.
    7. Amelia Dennis & Jane Ogden, 2022. "Nostalgia, Gratitude, or Optimism: The Impact of a Two-Week Intervention on Well-Being During COVID-19," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2613-2634, August.
    8. Ana Blasco-Belled & Radosław Rogoza & Cristina Torrelles-Nadal & Carles Alsinet, 2022. "Differentiating Optimists from Pessimists in the Prediction of Emotional Intelligence, Happiness, and Life Satisfaction: A Latent Profile Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 2371-2387, June.
    9. Sara Esteban-Gonzalo & Laura Esteban-Gonzalo & Verónica Cabanas-Sánchez & Marta Miret & Oscar L. Veiga, 2020. "The Investigation of Gender Differences in Subjective Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: The UP&DOWN Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-11, April.
    10. Douglas Rhein & Alexander Nanni, 2022. "Assessing Mental Health Among Thai University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    11. Qutaiba Agbaria & Liat Hamama & Hod Orkibi & Belle Gabriel-Fried & Tammie Ronen, 2016. "Multiple Mediators for Peer-Directed Aggression and Happiness in Arab Adolescents Exposed to Parent–child Aggression," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(3), pages 785-803, September.
    12. Albert Feliu-Soler & Javier de Diego-Adeliño & Juan V. Luciano & Ioseba Iraurgi & Carlo Alemany & Dolors Puigdemont & Víctor Pérez & Maria J. Portella & Joan Trujols, 2021. "Unhappy While Depressed: Examining the Dimensionality, Reliability and Validity of the Subjective Happiness Scale in a Spanish Sample of Patients with Depressive Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-13, October.
    13. Raquel Lara-Moreno & Ester Lara & Débora Godoy-Izquierdo, 2021. "Exploring Intraindividual Profiles for Home Buildings Based on Architectural Compositional Elements and Psychological Health Factors: A Transdisciplinary Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-20, August.
    14. Leanna M. Closson & Alicia M. McVarnock & Laura E. Cook, 2022. "Is there an Upside to Social Withdrawal? Considering Well-Being among Socially Withdrawn Emerging Adults," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3131-3149, October.
    15. Laura Esteban-Gonzalo & Sara Esteban-Gonzalo & Irene Esteban-Cornejo & Rocío Izquierdo-Gómez & Carmen Padilla-Moledo & José Castro-Piñero & Oscar L. Veiga, 2020. "Wellbeing as a Protective Factor of Adolescent Health. The Up & Down Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(4), pages 1453-1467, August.
    16. Annette Henricksen & Christine Stephens, 2013. "The Happiness-Enhancing Activities and Positive Practices Inventory (HAPPI): Development and Validation," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 81-98, March.
    17. Antonio Crego & José Ramón Yela & María Ángeles Gómez-Martínez & Ahmed A. Karim, 2020. "The Contribution of Meaningfulness and Mindfulness to Psychological Well-Being and Mental Health: A Structural Equation Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(8), pages 2827-2850, December.
    18. Salvador Reyes-Martín & Mónica Hernández-López & Miguel Rodríguez-Valverde, 2021. "Spanish Adaptation of the Experiential Approach Scale (EAS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Lourdes Rey & Natalio Extremera & Nicolás Sánchez-Álvarez, 2019. "Clarifying The Links Between Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being in Older People: Pathways Through Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(1), pages 221-235, March.
    20. Ronen, Tammie & Abuelaish, Izzeldin & Rosenbaum, Michael & Agbaria, Qutaiba & Hamama, Liat, 2013. "Predictors of aggression among Palestinians in Israel and Gaza: Happiness, need to belong, and self-control," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 47-55.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:3:p:489-497. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.