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Despite the growing importance of visual information, user-generated photos in product reviews have received relatively little attention. We investigate whether the contextual background of a product image can influence consumers' perceptions of review helpfulness and product evaluation.

Online experiments were conducted using a scenario technique. A single factor (contextual background: low vs. high) between-subjects design was conducted in Study 1. A 2 (contextual background: low vs. high) × 2 (mental simulation: outcome vs. process) between-subjects design was conducted in Study 2.

A photo with a high (vs. low) contextual background enhances mental imagery, increasing perceived helpfulness and product evaluation. Furthermore, mental simulation plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between contextual background and mental imagery.

Based on cue utilization theory, this study identifies how the contextual background of product images affects consumers' perception and product evaluation by uncovering the underlying mechanism of mental imagery. Furthermore, the research examines the moderating effect of mental simulation while reviewing user-generated photos.

The purpose of this study is to understand user perceptions and misconceptions regarding security tools. Security and privacy-preserving tools (for brevity, the authors term them as “security tools” in this paper, unless otherwise specified) are designed to protect the security and privacy of people in the digital environment. However, inappropriate use of these tools can lead to unexpected consequences that are preventable. Hence, it is significant to examine why users do not understand the security tools.

The authors conducted a qualitative study with 40 participants in the USA to investigate the prevalent misconceptions of people regarding security tools, their perceptions of data access and the corresponding impact on their usage behavior and data protection strategies.

While security vulnerabilities are often rooted in people’s internet usage behavior, this study examined user’s mental models of the internet and unpacked how the misconceptions about security tools relate to those mental models.

Based on the findings, this study offers recommendations highlighting the design aspects of security tools that need careful attention from researchers and industry practitioners, to alleviate users’ misconceptions and provide them with accurate conceptual models toward the desired use of security tools.

The outbreak of COVID-19 not only had serious negative impacts on the world economy but also on the global mental health because of the psychological disorders associated with the spread of the pandemic, the increased degree of uncertainty and the unprecedented measures taken by different countries to face the pandemic’s spread. This paper analyses the mental health well-being of individuals in selected MENA countries (Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt) during the pandemic.

The study employs a pooled OLS model using the Economic Research Forum (ERF) COVID-19 MENA Monitor Survey panel dataset collected during 2020 and 2021.

The findings show that there is no association between the mental health of individuals in the selected countries and their age, gender, family size, marital status, receipt of social support and participation in care work. Mental health improved at higher levels of education, being employed, being a rural area resident and living in Morocco or Tunisia compared to living in Jordan while it worsened as income declined, food insecurity and anxiety about being infected with Covid-19 increased, being a resident in camps, and during waves 4 and 5. Based on these results, it is recommended that suitable financial, physical and human resources should be directed towards the provision of mental health care services in the region. Also, mental health care services should be accessible to different population groups, with a special focus towards the most vulnerable since they are more prone to mental illnesses, especially during health crises and economic shocks. This should be accompanied by increasing awareness about the provided services and reducing stigma against mental illnesses. Furthermore, introduction of policies targeted towards reducing food insecurity and income instability can play a key role in enhancing mental well-being.

Although few papers have previously investigated the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in MENA countries, most of them have focused on a country-level analysis and adopted a gender perspective. Hence, this paper aims at exploring the association between mental health well-being and socio-economic factors in selected MENA countries during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many industries, and reports indicate that this includes the illicit drug market. Recent research suggests that the homeless are particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, and the UK Government has acted to house rough sleepers. Research is scarce regarding homeless people’s experiences of the illicit drug market. This study aims to explore homeless people’s experiences of the drug supply in the UK during COVID-19.

Eight homeless people who use illicit drugs, residing in hostels for homeless people in Southampton, participated in semi-structured one-on-one telephone-based interviews.

A thematic analysis revealed five themes: availability of drugs, presence of dealers, quality of drugs, finances and personal experiences. Participants reported varying experiences of the drug supply, with lockdown measures expressed as the main reason for reduced supplies, as users found it difficult to find dealers and generate income for purchasing drugs.

The results may lack generalisability to the wider population, such as rough sleepers and drug dealers, suggesting a need for further research into people’s experiences of the drug supply during COVID-19. Research on this topic could be more in-depth through the use of research methods that are convenient for the homeless population.

Services should invest in harm reduction services and encourage homeless people who use drugs to engage in substitution treatment. Homeless services should provide psychological support for homeless people who use drugs.

The changes in homeless people’s behaviour following the pandemic may have implications for their interactions with the rest of society (e.g. begging in town centres may reduce). These changes in behaviour may also change the way society can best support homeless people.

The results are partially consistent with other research findings about the illicit drug supply; however, they also suggest that some individuals experienced minimal change in the illicit drug supply.

The authors focus on using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a lens through which to analyze the holistic welfare development of Black male student-athletes, namely their identity development and overall college and career readiness. The authors contend that if structured and delivered well with the appropriate supports, athletics can be more of a mobilizing mechanism for Black males versus an exploitive one. Specifically, athletic identity does not have to be exclusive, but rather one aspect of the student-athletes' multidimensional sense of self. To this end, the authors outline specific research, practice, and policy recommendations that address the unique challenges of Black male student-athletes in K-16.

Sexual harassment on public transport puts women at risk of mental health problems, apart from disrupting their lives and the harmful social consequences. This is especially the case for Pakistani women, for whom sexual harassment has been on the rise for the past decade. This study aims to explore how Pakistani women use strategies to cope with sexual harassment when using public transport and its mediating role in their issues with mental health.

Given that the data collection task on such a culturally sensitive topic was crucial, a mobile application for anonymized data collection was used, which appeared to be an effective strategy. Using the mobile application, 1,054 women who use public transport submitted their responses; however, the analysis is based on 250 usable responses. Their experience of harassment was measured using the Sexual Harassment Experience Questionnaire, their mental health using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and their coping strategies by the Brief Cope Inventory.

The results indicate that adaptive coping is a significant negative mediator between sexual harassment and mental well-being, whereas maladaptive coping is non-significant. Adaptive coping, i.e. “Acceptance” to admit the reality that the problem exists with all, and “Religion” to seek help spiritually to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, the findings show no suitable coping means to deal with the impact of sexual harassment on women who travel on public transport. This study also illustrates that using the right technologies can encourage participants to submit responses for culturally sensitive topics.

This study provides insight into the experience of street harassment in Pakistani women and how it is related to mental health. This study also explores the role of adaptive and maladaptive coping as an intervening variable between street harassment and mental health.

Obesity is a significant public health issue. With obesity increasing worldwide, risk factors for obesity need to be better understood and require careful examination. This study aims to examine mental health as a risk factor for obesity using longitudinal data from Australia.

The main identification strategy relies on the recent death of a close friend and a serious injury or illness to a family member as exogenous shocks to mental health.

The authors’ preferred estimates, which account for the endogeneity of mental health, suggest that mental health has a significant negative impact on obesity. This result proves to be robust to a suite of sensitivity checks. Further investigations reveal that poor mental health leads to increased smoking, which also has an effect on obesity.

The study’s findings provide a new perspective on how good mental health helps curb obesity.

The study aims to identify the predictors of depression and anxiety among carers of hospitalized patients with mental illness in Eradah Complex for Mental Health Hospital.

A descriptive correlational study design was conducted using a convenient sample of family carers of patients with mental illness (N = 216). The study used the Beck Depression Inventory and Anxiety Inventory scales.

The results of regression models revealed that the socio-demographic characteristics of the family carers showed that age is a statistically significant predictor of family carers depression and anxiety scores. In addition, the age of the family carers explained 36% of the variance in the family carers depression and anxiety scores, while marital status explained 64% of the total variance in the family carers’ depression and anxiety scores. Furthermore, having received support in caring significantly predicted depression and anxiety scores, and this was the case for occupation status and being diagnosed with any form of chronic illness.

Based on the findings of this study, the authors opine that evaluations of carers’ cognitive strategies and social support are needed to determine the risk of depression in carers of mental patients.

This study is the one of the limited studies conducted in Saudi Arabia to identify predictor of depression and anxiety among caregivers of hospitalized patients with mental illness. The study has used a validated scales to assess the main study outcomes.

Introduction: When people need to take decisions, being economic decisions or otherwise, their decisions tend to rely on information the brain has already processed, and this includes the resources that the person has already invested. This is called sunk cost bias in the behavioural economics literature. On the other hand, mental practices could lead to the mental accounting bias, where people allocate a different value to a fixed amount of money, depending on circumstances.

Purpose: In this chapter, both biases mental accounting and sunk cost are investigated for the tourism industry in Turkey.

Methodology: The topic is researched through scenario-based questions and the Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) method is applied.

Findings: As a result, it could be reported that people, regardless of gender, fall into sunk cost and mental accounting biases in decisions relating to their vacations. Mental accounting biases can be primarily explained using the scenario questions posed rather than gender, education, and income while sunk cost bias is explained by status, ‘being s university student’ and ‘income level’.

Practical implications: Rapid price changes in the tourism industry can disturb consumers who are mental accounting and sunk cost biased. So, they can change their holiday preferences or be dissatisfied with it and give negative feedback.

This study aims to assess extant research streams to delineate new research directions for tourism stakeholders’ mental health and well-being.

A comprehensive review of the literature on various topics related to mental health, well-being, memorable experiences, emotions, community well-being, wellness tourism and sustainable development was conducted.

Several research directions for different research subjects were identified: tourists employees, and the community. For tourists, the research topics included mental health, well-being, memorable experiences and wellness tourism. For research on employees, the focus included their mental health, psychological well-being and negative emotions. In studying the role of tourism in community mental health and well-being, research has explored community well-being and emotional solidarity and used a capital approach. This study discusses several new research directions based on past research trends, global trends and other relevant factors.

This conceptual study can help understand the new holistic research landscape of mental health and well-being.

本研究的目标是评估当前的研究现状, 为旅游相关的心理健康和幸福感确定新的研究方向。

对关于心理健康、幸福感、难忘体验、情绪、社区幸福感、健康旅游和可持续发展等多个主题的文献进行了全面审阅。

确定了针对不同研究对象的若干研究方向：游客、员工和社区。对于游客, 研究主题包括心理健康、幸福感、难忘体验和健康旅游。对于员工的研究, 重点包括他们的心理健康、心理幸福感和负面情绪。在研究旅游对社区心理健康和幸福感的影响时, 探讨了社区幸福感、情感团结以及资本方法的运用。本研究根据过去的研究趋势、全球动态和其他相关因素, 提出了若干新的研究方向。

这项概念性研究有助于全面理解心理健康和幸福感的新研究格局。

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar las corrientes de investigación existentes para delinear nuevas direcciones de investigación para la salud mental y el bienestar de los actores turísticos.

Se realizó una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura sobre diversos temas relacionados con la salud mental, el bienestar, las experiencias memorables, las emociones, el bienestar comunitario, el turismo de bienestar y el desarrollo sostenible.

Se identificaron varias direcciones de investigación para diferentes sujetos de investigación: turistas, empleados y la comunidad. Para los turistas, los temas de investigación incluyeron la salud mental, el bienestar, las experiencias memorables y el turismo de bienestar. Para la investigación sobre los empleados, el enfoque incluyó su salud mental, bienestar psicológico y emociones negativas. Al estudiar el papel del turismo en la salud mental y el bienestar comunitario, la investigación ha explorado el bienestar comunitario y la solidaridad emocional, y ha utilizado un enfoque de capital. Este estudio discute varias nuevas direcciones de investigación basadas en tendencias de investigación pasadas, tendencias globales y otros factores relevantes.

Este estudio conceptual puede ayudar a comprender el nuevo panorama holístico de investigación en salud mental y bienestar.