心理健康與福祉之城鄉差異研究:從社會心理學觀點

Abstract

心理健康問題已成為當前人類整體健康的最大負擔。而心理健康被定義為精神疾病的缺乏，同時也被認為是一種福祉（幸福感）的狀態。然而，在心理健康與城鄉環境的關係以及人們對心理健康兩大面向中病理學症狀的了解多於幸福感面向的討論。本研究主要以心理健康中的幸福感面向為主，利用了臺灣地區的全國代表性調查資料，從社會心理學觀點，探討了心理健康方面三個重要的情感主題。對臺灣的各種情緒進行城鄉差異的分析不僅有助於認識其潛在價值，而且有助於我們了解地理因素對於心理健康的影響。 本論文關注在心理健康中的各種情緒特徵以其城鄉差異的討論。第一篇文章闡明了同時評估正向和負向情緒對於心理健康的促進具必要性。研究結果證實了哪種類型的生活領域感知能夠在正向與負向的情緒調節中產生最好或最壞的結果，這有助於確認提高幸福感的有效方式。而結果也反映出正向情緒與負向情緒可能同時發生而不盡然會相互抵消的事實，這揭示了混和情緒在進一步了解心理健康內涵的潛在價值。 根據前一篇文章的見解，第二篇文章則關注在冷漠的討論上，這是一種整合正面情緒和負面情緒的中立情緒，目前仍未被視為一種心理健康議題，因此未受到相應的認識。因此本論文試圖探討不同的生活滿意度和社交互動因素在冷漠中的作用。這篇文章提供了關於冷漠本質及其相關因素的一些新見解。首先，研究發現相較於人際互動得數量，冷漠與互動關係的質量更加具相關性。除此之外，心理需求層面的滿足感對於減緩情緒冷漠至關重要。而實質層面的需求若得不到滿足，則會觸發更多的冷漠反應。 最後一篇文章則著重在孤獨感與社會隔離的城鄉差異及其相關性的討論上。結果顯示出相較於都市地區，農村地區的孤獨感和社會隔離度程度更高，其中大多數的社會關係和社會參與的狀況也往往處於不利的狀態。在基於直接-間接-質量-數量合併的綜合觀點下，研究進一步檢驗了孤獨與社會隔離因素（包含社會支持、社會參與和社會關係）的關係。結果提供了關於減緩孤獨感的一些新見解:虛擬的網路互動並非是有效減緩孤獨感的替代方法。此外，孤獨感與人際關係的質量比關係的數量更加緊密相關，因此，孤獨感應著重於使當前關係的質量最大化。最後，孤獨感的相關因素具有城鄉的差異性，這顯示出相關健康政策與計畫應該根據地理位置而有因地制宜的作法與對策。

Mental health problem has become the biggest burden to human health both in developing and developed countries. Mental health is more than the mere lack of mental disorders, which has also been defined as a state of well-being. However, there is more knowledge of pathological symptoms than well-being, especially the discussion on mental health association with rural-urban difference. This dissertation explore the three emotional salient topics in mental health to fill these gaps, and utilizes a nationwide representativeness survey from Taiwan. Furthermore, research on various emotions in rural and urban areas in Taiwan is useful for not only recognizing the potential value but also helping us understand the influence of geographic factors on mental health. In light of the research needs, this dissertation focuses on the emotional characteristics in mental health and the issues of rural and urban differences. The first essay clarifies the necessity of simultaneously evaluating the effects of positive and negative emotions to promote mental health. The extent to which specific life perceptions are associated with emotional profiles and explore relevant factors was investigated. These results confirm which life domains can produce the best and worst outcomes in emotional regulation and therefore contribute positively to mental health. It also suggests the positive versus negative emotions might simultaneously without necessarily offsetting each other, which reveals the potential value of integrating both emotions in mental health outcomes. Following the new insight, the next studies focus on neutral emotion, a special emotion integrating of positive emotion and negative emotion. Neutral emotion is seen as a sign of a pronounced state of apathy, but it is not yet properly recognized as a mental health concern. The roles of different life satisfaction and social interaction factors played in apathy are investigated. The study provides new insight into the nature of emotional neutrality and the related factors that reduce apathy. It recognized the apathy is related more to the quality of relationships rather than their quantity; satisfaction of psychological needs is critical to reducing apathy, while if the material needs are not satisfied, it will trigger more apathy reactions. Finally, the last study focuses on rural and urban differences in social isolation and its related factors to the loneliness. Result show that rural residents reported more loneliness, and social isolation, that most of the social relationships and social participation also tend to be at a disadvantage. In addition, socio-demographic, various measures of social isolation, and geographic (rural and urban) factors were significantly related to perceived loneliness. And, the associations also differed somewhat for rural versus urban. Therefore, policies and plans to deal with loneliness should be tailored to local conditions and take into account the rural-urban differences in the risk factors of social isolation.