Sound Mind
Goal Harmony
Jiabi Wang & Ayelet Fishbach
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
At times, goals seem to conflict, pulling people in opposite directions; at other times, they appear to complement or even facilitate one another, creating harmony. We propose and test a theoretical framework for understanding the antecedents and consequences of perceived goal harmony. We find that goal harmony can be enhanced through the cognitive process of mental integration, which includes identifying connections between goals (e.g., considering how holding a job supports parenting) and creating multifinal means (e.g., considering how a means to job success can also serve parenting). Additionally, goal harmony is acquired through social learning. People in five collectivistic countries reported greater goal harmony than those in five individualistic countries (e.g., more harmony in India and China than in the Netherlands and the United States), and men reported more harmony between their work and family goals than women. We further find that goal harmony predicts and causally increases motivation and well-being. Interventions designed to promote goal harmony enhanced prosocial behaviors and encouraged healthier eating habits. Further, individuals who perceived greater goal harmony were more likely to stick to their New Year’s resolutions over a 2-month period.
Adenosine signalling drives antidepressant actions of ketamine and ECT
Chenyu Yue et al.
Nature, forthcoming
Abstract:
Ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) achieve rapid remission in treatment-resistant depression. However, their mechanisms of action -- the understanding of which is essential for refining therapeutic precision -- remain unclear. Here, using mouse models, we identify adenosine signalling as a central pathway that underlies the antidepressant effects of these interventions. Results from genetically encoded adenosine sensor experiments and real-time optical recordings reveal that both therapies induce strong adenosine surges in key mood-regulatory regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. Genetic or pharmacological disruption of A1 and A2A adenosine receptors abolishes their therapeutic effects, which establishes the essential role of adenosine signalling in antidepressant efficacy. Notably, adenosine signalling specifically in the medial prefrontal cortex drives antidepressant actions. Ketamine increases adenosine by modulating cellular metabolism to increase intracellular adenosine levels without causing neuronal hyperactivity. Leveraging this mechanism, we develop ketamine derivatives that enhance adenosine signalling and exhibit improved antidepressant efficacy with reduced side effects at therapeutic doses. Furthermore, acute intermittent hypoxia, a non-pharmacological intervention involving controlled reductions in oxygen levels, increases brain adenosine levels and produces antidepressant effects, paralleling the actions of ketamine and ECT. Our findings establish adenosine as a pivotal mediator of rapid-acting antidepressants and a tractable target for scalable, noninvasive therapeutics in major depressive disorder.
Cognitive, Noncognitive, and Social Skills and Alcohol Consumption
Sun Hyung Kim & Young Joo
Health Economics, forthcoming
Abstract:
We study the effects of cognitive, noncognitive, and social skills on alcohol consumption, measured through total quantity, frequency, typical quantity, and binge drinking. Using the data from the NLSY79, we find that cognitive skills increase drinking frequency but reduce binge drinking and typical quantity. Noncognitive skills negatively impact frequency, typical quantity, and binge drinking, whereas social skills positively affect all measures of alcohol consumption. We present a framework and employ parametric causal mediation analysis to explore transmission channels, identifying mental wellness, future planning, and occupation prestige as significant mediators. However, the direction of this influence varies, highlighting the heterogeneity of the transmission channels.
Bullshit job experiences at work and subjective well-being: The moderating role of protestant work ethic
Marina Müller, Michael Barthelmäs & Johannes Keller
Personality and Individual Differences, December 2025
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to (a) explore the relation between perceptions of negative experiences at work (bullshit job perception) and subjective well-being, and (b) examine protestant work ethic (the conviction that only hard, painful work is good work) as a moderating factor concerning the relation between bullshit job perception and subjective well-being. Three cross-sectional studies (total N = 1400) were conducted with samples of US employees. Moderation analyses revealed that the relationship between perceiving one's job as bullshit and subjective well-being was qualified by protestant work ethic. Bullshit job perception was negatively related to subjective well-being but only for individuals low in protestant work ethic. Interestingly, bullshit job perception and subjective well-being were not or even positively associated for individuals scoring high in protestant work ethic. Thus, perceiving negative aspects at work can be associated with high levels of subjective well-being among persons strongly endorsing the protestant work ethic, which emphasizes the importance of hard work. In contrast, individuals low in protestant work ethic tend to report lower subjective well-being when faced with adverse work experiences. Our findings underscore the significance of examining the interplay between work-related attitudes and workplace experiences with respect to employees' subjective well-being.
Wounds that won't wash away: Disgust and trauma-related contamination in military veterans seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder
Alyssa Jones et al.
Journal of Traumatic Stress, forthcoming
Abstract:
Disgust in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been relatively underexamined compared to other emotions, although it may be relevant to war-related PTSD given potential exposure to both physical contaminants and moral violations. The present study examined the prevalence of disgust, mental contamination, and compulsive behaviors among veterans seeking PTSD treatment. Participants were 289 military veterans (79.2% male; Mage = 43.82, SD = 13.61) referred for treatment at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs PTSD specialty clinic. Veterans completed measures of PTSD symptoms; trauma-related disgust toward others and themselves; feelings of dirtiness in response to thoughts, images, or memories of the trauma (i.e., trauma-cued mental contamination); compulsive behaviors; and time spent washing, cleaning, and/or avoiding feeling dirty. Combat was the most common index trauma (69.9%). Nearly three quarters (74.0%) of veterans endorsed at least moderate disgust toward others, and 61.2% endorsed at least moderate disgust toward oneself; about half (54.4%) endorsed at least moderate mental contamination, and 45.0% endorsed washing, cleaning, and/or avoiding feeling dirty at least 1 hr per day. Disgust toward others, disgust toward oneself, and mental contamination were significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms, rs = .41–.57, ps < .001. Multiple regression analysis indicated that all three predictors were associated with PTSD symptoms, F(3, 274) = 79.68, p < .001, R2 = .47, with disgust toward oneself the strongest predictor, β = .30, p < .001. The present study suggests a notable prevalence of disgust, contamination, and time spent avoiding feeling dirty among veterans seeking PTSD treatment.
Genetic Markers of Stress, Resilience and Success at an Elite Military Selection Course
Martha Petrovick et al.
Physiology & Behavior, forthcoming
Abstract:
To qualify for training as elite U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) soldiers, candidates must complete the extremely stressful 19-20 day Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course. At SFAS, soldiers must excel at stressful cognitive and physical challenges including team problem solving, foreign language testing, land navigation, timed loaded road marches, timed runs, and challenging obstacle courses. Approximately 70% of soldiers who attempt SFAS fail. To investigate genetic factors associated with cognitive and physiological biomarkers of resilience and success at SFAS, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; n=116) from 47 genes associated with psychological function, resilience, circadian rhythms/sleep, and biomarkers of stress (cortisol and C-reactive protein [CRP]) were examined. Study volunteers were 800 males enrolled in SFAS (age=25±4y; height=178.1±7.5cm; body mass=82.5±9.2kg; mean±SD). Genes associated with resilience and their functions included: tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2; serotonin synthesis); catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; catecholamine catabolism); corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor1 gene (CRHR1; resilience to stress); Period3 (PER3; circadian rhythmicity); FK506 binding protein5 (FKBP5; steroid receptor regulation). In summary, several genetic variants are associated with cognitive function and resilience in healthy volunteers exposed to 19-20 days of severe physical and cognitive stress designed to select the best candidates for training. This study extends findings of research on resilience genetics to a novel population and situation, mentally and physically stressed soldiers competing to be trained in an elite unit. The findings indicate that several genes known to be associated with resilience exert their effects on the resilience phenotype under very difficult circumstances than usually studied.
Developmental timing of index trauma exposure and accelerated epigenetic aging in United States military veterans
Amanda Tamman et al.
Psychoneuroendocrinology, December 2025
Abstract:
Trauma exposure has been linked to accelerated GrimAge, an epigenetic biomarker of premature morbidity and mortality. Building on this evidence, the present study examined whether the type and timing of index trauma exposure are differentially associated with accelerated GrimAge. Participants were 873 European American male United States military Veterans from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. We investigated associations between self-reported age at index trauma, index trauma type (interpersonal violence, non-interpersonal trauma, or loss/instability/other), and accelerated GrimAge, operationalized as GrimAge exceeding chronological age by five or more years. Results revealed that interpersonal violence was associated with three-fold greater odds of accelerated GrimAge compared to other trauma types. Age at index trauma was not independently associated with accelerated GrimAge. However, we observed a significant interaction between trauma type and its developmental timing, even after adjusting for index trauma recency, cumulative trauma burden, and other potential confounders. Specifically, Veterans who were older at the time of exposure to interpersonal violence or trauma involving loss or instability had higher odds of accelerated GrimAge. In contrast, exposure to non-interpersonal trauma was more strongly associated with accelerated GrimAge when it occurred at younger ages. These results indicate that trauma type and timing jointly influence epigenetic aging in Veterans, highlighting the need for tailored interventions that address specific trauma characteristics to reduce associated long-term health risks in this population.