Publications by authors named "Iolanda Galinha"

Objectives: Group singing (GS), as an art-based intervention, has demonstrated a wide range of biopsychosocial benefits in older adult participants. However, the factors that predict the adherence of older adults to these programs and that moderate the intervention outcomes were not yet studied, which is the aim of this study.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was developed to test the efficacy of a GS intervention, from which pre-post intervention data was collected and analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Group singing has potential benefits for elderly individuals' well-being, but there's limited experimental evidence supporting this idea.
  • A study with 89 participants in a singing program and 60 in a control group aimed to evaluate its effects on various aspects of well-being, including self-esteem and social identification.
  • The results indicated that participation in the singing group significantly improved positive affect and social well-being, and these benefits persisted over time, with additional insights gained from qualitative interviews.
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ObjectiveTo examine short- and long-term effects of a group singing program on older adults' perceived physical and mental health levels, and also investigate subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive/negative affect and hedonic balance), body balance and serum biomarkers (C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) as putative mediating mechanisms, controlling for the cognitive status of the participants. : The randomized controlled trial included 149 participants (60 to 95 years), allocated to an immediate intervention group (IG) or a wait-list active control group (WLG). The intervention comprised 34 sessions of group singing during 4-months.

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Background: Singing is a multimodal activity that requires physical, cognitive and psychosocial performance, with benefits to various domains of well-being and health in older adults. In recent years, research has increasingly studied group singing as an important cost-effective intervention to promote active and healthy aging. However, the specific factors responsible for these benefits need further experimental support, as most studies do not allow for causal inferences.

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  • The text discusses two common concepts of a good life: hedonic (pleasure-focused) and eudaimonic (meaning-focused) well-being, suggesting that psychological richness is also important but often overlooked.
  • In a cross-cultural study, participants from 9 nations were asked about their ideal life, with 7-17% opting for a psychologically rich life.
  • A follow-up study revealed that 28% of Americans and 35% of Koreans believed their lives could be psychologically richer if they could undo their biggest regrets.
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We explored cultural and historical variations in concepts of happiness. First, we analyzed the definitions of happiness in dictionaries from 30 nations to understand cultural similarities and differences in happiness concepts. Second, we analyzed the definition of happiness in Webster's dictionaries from 1850 to the present day to understand historical changes in American English.

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