Contextual Positive Coping as a Factor Contributing to Resilience After Disasters

Perceptions of police as a moderator between negative experiences and mental health symptoms

Negative experiences with police present serious risks for mental health. However, interpretation plays a meaningful and little understood role in the effects of those experiences. This study expands on previous work exploring coping responses to negative police experiences and investigates the relation between negative experiences with police and mental health outcomes. Participants (N = 198) were from a diverse sample of young adults at a minority-serving institution. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Middle Eastern/North African participants reported significantly more negative police experiences than White and Asian/Asian American participants. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx also showed more negative perceptions of police. Negative police experiences were positively related to depression but not posttraumatic stress symptoms. There were also meaningful interactive effects between negative experiences and perceptions of police on levels of posttraumatic stress and depression, suggesting negative perceptions of police may buffer negative effects of negative police experiences. Our findings point to the importance of addressing negative encounters with police as mental health stressors, as well as effects of crucial differences in perceptions of police by race. This research contributes to a growing understanding of the complex nature and effects of experiences with police on mental health.

The lived experiences and perceptions of middle-aged adults in Dominica who have survived severe storms-a qualitative exploration

Introduction

The Eastern Caribbean island of Dominica has experienced diverse negative effects from the North Atlantic hurricane season, including deadly storms like Hurricane Maria in 2017. Vulnerability is increased by geographic location, small island developing state (SIDS) status, and ecosystem characteristics. A variety of negative health effects including stress and anxiety are caused by powerful storms. The perspectives of middle-aged (the "sandwich generation") survivors in this post-storm milieu are understudied.

Methods

This phenomenological qualitative study describes the perceptions of middle-aged (35-55 years) Dominicans, purposively recruited with gatekeeper assistance from communities stratified according to four natural hazard vulnerability categories designated by the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica (CREAD), regarding their lived experiences in the context of severe storms. Data was collected between June and August 2022, using primarily Zoom-based semi-structured, individual interviews (12 of 13), guided by the principles of saturation and maximum variation. Verbatim interview transcripts were thematically analyzed with constant comparison using an ATLAS.ti-supported hybrid deductive-inductive coding frame. Reflexivity and contact summary sheets were used to minimize bias.

Results

Ten women and three men from diverse CREAD vulnerability and sociodemographic backgrounds were recruited. Data condensation yielded three organizing themes: (i) "The diverse health effects of severe storms", (ii) "Response to and recovery from severe storms", and (iii) "Preparedness and precaution for severe storms". These themes encapsulated the health impacts of severe storms on Dominicans and elucidated the role of facilitating and barricading resilience factors.

Discussion

Severe storms produced direct and indirect mental, social, and physical health impacts on middle-aged Dominicans, including anxiety and burnout. Participants used faith-based, tangible community-based support, and emotional mechanisms to cope with and demonstrate resilience. Better risk communication and early warning systems would improve population readiness. Persistent dispirited attitudes toward storm preparedness among some participants suggest the need for targeted methods to enhance community involvement in disaster planning, including traditional approaches like "coup-de-main" (self-help).

Problem-oriented coping and resilience among Fibromyalgia patients who live under security threats and have undergone a Fibrotherapy intervention program

Our study examined the association between problem-focused coping and resilience among fibromyalgia (FM) patients who live under constant security threats. Resilience is a coping resource and detrimentally affects FM female patients (FMPs) to get up and cope with life. A cohort of 96 FMPs ages 19-75 was subjected to a Fibrotherapy intervention program in the Rehabilitation Help Center in Sderot (Ezra Le'Marpeh), Israel. We examined levels of problem-oriented coping and levels of resilience among the sample. In addition, we assessed whether there is a correlation between their resilience level and their medical metrics. The research included medical metrics and physical metrics. A cohort of 16 FMPs who participated in the quantitative phase composed the qualitative sample. Data from the t-test showed improved mental resilience among all the sample, with a significantly higher level among problem-oriented FMPs. We conclude that resilience is acquired through problem-oriented coping strategies. Furthermore, the association between resilience and problem-oriented coping helped to improve health indicators since coping with the disease included entering a regime of physicals activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Emotion Regulation Use Varies Across Socioecological Levels of Pandemic Stress in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

COVID-19 escalated stress within family/neighborhood (local) and national/cultural (global) levels. However, the impact of socioecological levels of stress on pandemic emotion regulation remains largely unexplored.

METHODS

Thirty older adults from the Northeast US (63-92 years) reported on pandemic stress and emotion regulation in semi-structured interviews. Responses were coded into socioecological sources of local and global stress, and associated use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies from the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was explored.

RESULTS

Older adults experienced significant distress at global levels, and perception of lacking top-down safety governance may have exacerbated local distress of engaging in daily activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants endorsed coping with local stressors via perspective-taking, acceptance, and other adaptive strategies, while global sources of stress were associated with greater use of maladaptive strategies, including other-blame and rumination.

CONCLUSION

Quantitative assessments may underestimate significant older adult distress and maladaptive coping toward global stressors. Findings should be replicated with more diverse populations beyond the COVID-19 context.

Coping with subjective and objective stress during a pandemic pregnancy: implications for maternal mental health

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened prenatal maternal stress, a risk factor for poorer maternal and infant health. There was substantial variability, however, in the extent to which the stress of pandemic pregnancy influenced maternal mental health. Some of this variability may have been due to the different coping strategies used to manage pandemic stress. In this cross-sectional study of 7,383 pregnant women in the U.S. (M = 25.69 ± 8.71 weeks gestational age) recruited during the first and second U.S. waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined associations of objective stressors, the subjective experience of stress, and the use of four coping strategies with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Spiritual coping, planning/preparation, and avoidant coping were associated with increased subjective and objective stress and with greater mood and anxiety symptoms, whereas coping by positive appraisal was associated with modestly lower subjective stress and with lower mood and anxiety symptoms. We also found small interactions of stress and coping in predicting mood and anxiety symptoms, suggesting that fit between coping strategy and type of stress influences coping outcomes. Specific coping strategy used as well as the fit between coping strategy and stress type may determine whether coping buffers or exacerbates mood and anxiety symptoms. The small magnitude of these associations suggests that individual-level coping may be insufficient in the face of the overwhelming nature of the stress accompanying a global pandemic. This work adds to our understanding of coping with pregnancy stress in the context of population-level stressors (i.e., a pandemic or large-scale disaster).

Posttraumatic Growth, Maladaptive Cognitive Schemas and Psychological Distress in Individuals Involved in Road Traffic Accidents-A Conservation of Resources Theory Perspective

Road traffic accidents can have profound psychological impacts on the individuals involved, encompassing both negative distress and positive growth. This study, guided by the conservation of resources (COR) theory, investigates the intricate relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG), maladaptive cognitive schemas, and psychological distress in individuals involved in road traffic accidents. PTG reflects an individual's ability to derive positive changes from adversity, while maladaptive schemas represent negative cognitive patterns. Using a 122 sample of individuals involved in road traffic accidents, we examined direct and indirect effects within this complex network. Our findings reveal significant direct effects of PTG on psychological distress (β = 0.101, p = 0.02). Particularly noteworthy are the indirect effects mediated by cognitive schemas, emphasizing the role of impaired autonomy and perceived performance deficiencies (β = 0.102, p = 0.05). This suggests that individuals involved in road traffic accidents experiencing higher PTG levels may indirectly experience greater psychological distress through these maladaptive cognitive schemas. This study not only advances our understanding of the psychological consequences of road traffic accidents but also aligns with self-determination theory, emphasizing autonomy and competence as fundamental needs. Individuals involved in road traffic accidents may undergo profound shifts in perspective following the trauma, which our results support. Recognizing the nuanced relationship between PTG, maladaptive cognitive schemas, and psychological distress is crucial for tailoring interventions and support systems for individuals involved in traffic accidents. As PTG can coexist with distress, interventions should foster adaptive growth while addressing maladaptive schemas to promote resilience in the face of traumatic events.

Risk and protective factors for resilience among adolescents and young adults with beta-thalassemia major

BACKGROUND

Resilience is the ability to overcome adversity in response to a potentially traumatic event. It can relieve people's discomfort and build personal capacity when facing a stressful situation such as beta thalassemia major. Resilience is a complex and multidimensional concept and is influenced by protective and risk factors. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to (1) investigate the relationship between protective (social support and hope) and risk (uncertainty and defensive coping) factors with resilience and (2) examine the mediating role of courageous coping between these protective and risk factors in resilience.

METHODS

This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 312 adolescents and young adults with beta-thalassemia major aged 12-24 years; they were selected using purposeful sampling from two different outpatient thalassemia clinics in the south of Iran. Data were collected in a face-to-face survey using Zimmet Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Herth Hope, Stewart Uncertainty in Illness scale, Jalowiec Coping, and Connor-Davidson resilience Scale from April 2022 to November 2022. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive tests, Pearson correlation, and a structural equation model.

RESULTS

According to the main findings of mediation analysis, courageous coping partially mediated the relationship between social support and resilience [(β = 0.042; 95% BC CI (0.003, 0.131)] and fully mediated the relationship between hope and resilience [(β = 0.166; 95% BC CI (0.031, 0.348)]. In other cases, uncertainty and defensive coping had a direct and indirect effect on resilience, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Based on these results, health professionals and healthcare policymakers should consider this mediator in developing programs to improve resilience. Also, the use of courageous coping could modulate the effect of defensive coping on resilience. Therefore, teaching the use of courageous coping can play an important role in improving resilience.

Did Resilience and Socioeconomic Status Predict Older Adults' Finding a Silver Lining in COVID?

Background and Objectives

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic stretched our limits-physically, mentally, and economically. However, some older adults report that it led to positive changes. This study aims to understand whether prepandemic resilience, education, or income predicted older adults' subsequent likelihood of reporting positive changes in their lives during the pandemic.

Research Design and Methods

We use data from the National Social Life, Heath, and Aging Project, an ongoing panel study with a COVID-19 ancillary supplement (N = 2,650).

Results

The study results aligned with the fundamental cause theory. In demographically adjusted models including resilience, education, and income, as well as the effect of the pandemic on employment and a COVID-disruption score, the odds of reporting any positive change were 2.6 times higher for those with an associate degree (p < .01) and 4.7 times higher for those with a bachelor's or higher (p < .001), compared to those without a high school degree. In contrast, neither resilience nor income was significantly associated with endorsing a positive change. We also categorize specific changes thematically coded from open-ended responses and examine their demographic distributions. Categories include spirituality, home organization, hygiene practices, and increased quality time with others.

Discussion and Implications

These findings show that older adults with more education could navigate COVID-19 challenges in a way that improved their perspectives on at least one aspect of their lives.

Resource loss, coping strategies and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in survivors of the 2020 Croatia earthquake

BACKGROUND

Conservation of resources theory (COR) establishes a link between resource loss and the stress response. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of resource loss in the form of home damage and the choice of active or passive coping strategies to PTSD symptoms in survivors of the 2020 Petrinja (Croatia) earthquake.

METHODS

A total of 374 adults (29.9% men) aged 18-64 years living in the counties surrounding the epicenter of the Petrinja (Croatia) earthquake participated in an online cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire included the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Coping Inventory, and the binary item assessing whether or not the participants' home was damaged.

RESULTS

Hierarchical regression analysis showed that home damage was a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms. Participants whose homes were damaged by the earthquake were significantly more likely to use passive coping strategies, namely avoidance and emotional venting, and one active coping strategy, action, than those whose homes were spared. Finally, more frequent use of passive coping was associated with a higher risk of PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The study corroborates the COR theory link between resource loss and the stress response, as well as the general consensus that passive coping is a less adaptive strategy than active coping. In addition to passive coping, individuals who lacked resources may have been inclined to take some active steps because they either needed to repair or relocate their homes and because most buildings were only moderately to minimally damaged in the Petrinja earthquake.

Older adults' subjective experiences of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Italy: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the subjective experience of the COVID-19 outbreak in healthy older adults and develop a model of the older population's psychological adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A qualitative grounded theory approach was taken to the study design and analysis, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from 19 community-active Italian older people by telephone during the first wave of COVID-19 (May 2020).

RESULTS

The theory emerging from the study conceptualized the COVID-19 subjective experience in older people as an adjustment process to the disruption of habits, social contacts, and routines that prompted a meaning-making process to face this adverse experience. Three emergent categories included 'loss, uncertainty, and distress' as the psychological impact of the pandemic emergency, 'making sense of COVID-19' as a subjective sense-making process of the pandemic, and 'living with the pandemic' as agency and self-management within the pandemic experience. The resulting narratives encompassed themes, i.e. risk perception, representation of the self, connection with past-time memories, and compliance with safety measures.

CONCLUSION

The results have implications for designing effective messages to promote hope, social responsibility, and commitment in aging during the COVID-19 pandemic and for health workers who wish to support the psychological health of older adults.

Psychological Resilience: An Affect-Regulation Framework

Exposure to adversity (e.g., poverty, bereavement) is a robust predictor of disruptions in psychological functioning. However, people vary greatly in their responses to adversity; some experience severe long-term disruptions, others experience minimal disruptions or even improvements. We refer to the latter outcomes-faring better than expected given adversity-as psychological resilience. Understanding what processes explain resilience has critical theoretical and practical implications. Yet, psychology's understanding of resilience is incomplete, for two reasons: (a) We lack conceptual clarity, and (b) two major approaches to resilience-the stress and coping approach and the emotion and emotion-regulation approach-have limitations and are relatively isolated from one another. To address these two obstacles,we first discuss conceptual questions about resilience. Next, we offer an integrative affect-regulation framework that capitalizes on complementary strengths of both approaches. This framework advances our understanding of resilience by integrating existing findings, highlighting gaps in knowledge, and guiding future research.

Perceived stress and stress responses during COVID-19: The multiple mediating roles of coping style and resilience

Although many studies have examined the effects of perceived stress on some specific stress responses during the COVID-19, a comprehensive study is still lacking. And the co-mediating role of coping style and resilience as important mediators of stress processes is also unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of perceived stress on emotional, physical, and behavioral stress responses and the mediating roles of coping style and resilience in Chinese population during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19 from a comprehensive perspective. 1087 participants were recruited to complete the anonymous online survey including the Perceived Stress Scale, the Stress Response Questionnaire, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire and the Emotional Resilience Questionnaire. Pearson's correlation and Hayes PROCESS macro 3.5 model 6 were used in the mediating effect analysis. Results showed that positive coping style and resilience both buffered the negative effects of perceived stress on emotional, physical, and behavioral responses through direct or indirect pathways, and resilience had the strongest mediating effects. The findings urged relevant authorities and individuals to take measures to promote positive coping style and resilience to combat the ongoing pandemic stress and protect public physical and mental health.

Emotional response patterns, mental health, and structural vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: a latent class analysis

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increases in negative emotions such as fear, worry, and loneliness, as well as changes in positive emotions, including calmness and hopefulness. Alongside these complex emotional changes has been an inequitable worsening of population mental health, with many people experiencing suicidal ideation and using substances to cope. This study examines how patterns of co-occurring positive and negative emotions relate to structural vulnerability and mental health amid the pandemic.

METHODS

Data are drawn from a cross-sectional monitoring survey (January 22-28, 2021) on the mental health of adults in Canada during the pandemic. Latent class analysis was used to group participants (N = 3009) by emotional response pattern types. Descriptive statistics, bivariate cross-tabulations, and multivariable logistic regression were used to characterize each class while quantifying associations with suicidal ideation and increased use of substances to cope.

RESULTS

A four-class model was identified as the best fit in this latent class analysis. This included the most at-risk Class 1 (15.6%; high negative emotions, low positive emotions), the mixed-risk Class 2 (7.1%; high negative emotions, high positive emotions), the norm/reference Class 3 (50.5%; moderate negative emotions, low positive emotions), and the most protected Class 4 (26.8% low negative emotions, high positive emotions). The most at-risk class disproportionately included people who were younger, with lower incomes, and with pre-existing mental health conditions. They were most likely to report not coping well (48.5%), deteriorated mental health (84.2%), suicidal ideation (21.5%), and increased use of substances to cope (27.2%). Compared to the norm/reference class, being in the most at-risk class was associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 2.84; 95% CI = 2.12, 3.80) and increased use of substances to cope (OR = 4.64; 95% CI = 3.19, 6.75).

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified that adults experiencing structural vulnerabilities were disproportionately represented in a latent class characterized by high negative emotions and low positive emotions amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Membership in this class was associated with higher risk for adverse mental health outcomes, including suicidal ideation and increased use of substances to cope. Tailored population-level responses are needed to promote positive coping and redress mental health inequities throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Dynamic associations between stress and relationship functioning in the wake of COVID-19: Longitudinal data from the German family panel (pairfam)

Individuals all across the world experienced significant disruptions in their personal and family life with the outbreak of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current study investigated dynamic associations between stress and relationship functioning over time in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived stress, relationship satisfaction, and relationship quality (appreciation, intimacy, conflict) were reported by 1483 young to middle-aged participants who were in a romantic relationship and lived with their partner in 2018/2019 and in May-July 2020 (a few months after the onset of COVID-19). Data were analyzed using bivariate latent change score models. Relationship functioning (satisfaction, appreciation, intimacy) showed small decreases from before to during the pandemic. Contrary to expectations, levels of perceived stress also decreased on average from before to during the pandemic. Changes in relationship functioning were correlated with changes in stress over time, so that participants with greater decreases in relationship satisfaction, appreciation, and intimacy and greater increases in conflict from before to during the pandemic showed lesser decreases/greater increases in stress. Higher pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction was associated with greater decreases/lesser increases in stress from before to during the pandemic. Pre-pandemic levels of other measures of relationship functioning or stress were not associated with changes in outcomes over time. Results add to the literature demonstrating that stress is closely intertwined with the functioning of intimate relationships. Furthermore, they suggest that greater relationship satisfaction may serve as a protective factor for stressful life events.

Profiles of emerging adults' resilience facing the negative impact of COVID-19 across six countries

Although emerging adults (i.e., individuals aged 18-29 years old) may be at a lesser risk of COVID-19 severe illness and mortality, studies have found that the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being is higher among emerging adults when compared to other age groups. The current study aimed to identify profile(s) based on resilience resources, which could help emerging adults in managing the disruptions to their lives following the pandemic. A cross-national sample of 1,768 emerging adults from China, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and the US was utilized to identify profiles based on different resilience dimensions (ego-resiliency, positivity, religiosity, socioeconomic status, family support, peer support). Results of the Latent Profile Analysis suggest the presence of four different profiles: no resources, only peer, only family, and well-equipped. The association of these profiles with demographic variables, adulthood markers, self-perceived COVID-19 impact, present well-being, and future life perception was investigated. Implications for resilience theory as well as for future interventions are discussed.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03658-y.

The Association Between General Self-Efficacy and Depressive Symptoms in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Mediating Role of Coping Styles Preference

Background

Depressive symptoms are prevalent in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus and related with poor disease outcomes. Both general self-efficacy and coping style are associated with depressive symptoms. A model about proactive coping indicates that coping style plays a mediation role between general self-efficacy and depressive symptoms. But, empirical evidence is missing about this potential mediation relationship which may be a barrier of taking precise strategies for relieving depressive symptoms.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus and explore whether coping style preference mediates the association between general self-efficacy and depressive symptoms.

Methods

This was a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey (June-July 2017) among 721 persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (45.4% male and 54.6% female) aged from 22 to 96 years old. Data on general self-efficacy, coping style preference and depressive symptoms were collected using validated questionnaires in hospital setting. The mediation model was tested using the bootstrapping (K=5000) in the MPlus program version 7.4. The results were reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

Results

The prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms was 58% (n = 418) among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus at hospital setting. A higher level of general self-efficacy was related to less depressive symptoms via positive coping preference (p < 0.01).

Discussion

About two-thirds of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus experienced elevated depressive symptoms during hospitalization. The intervention elements, including strengthening general self-efficacy and promoting positive coping, are promising to decrease their depressive symptoms.

Adolescent Positivity and Future Orientation, Parental Psychological Control, and Young Adult Internalising Behaviours during COVID-19 in Nine Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many young adults’ lives educationally, economically, and personally. This study investigated associations between COVID-19-related disruption and perception of increases in internalising symptoms among young adults and whether these associations were moderated by earlier measures of adolescent positivity and future orientation and parental psychological control. Participants included 1329 adolescents at Time 1, and 810 of those participants as young adults (M age = 20, 50.4% female) at Time 2 from 9 countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States). Drawing from a larger longitudinal study of adolescent risk taking and young adult competence, this study controlled for earlier levels of internalising symptoms during adolescence in examining these associations. Higher levels of adolescent positivity and future orientation as well as parent psychological control during late adolescence helped protect young adults from sharper perceived increases in anxiety and depression during the first nine months of widespread pandemic lockdowns in all nine countries. Findings are discussed in terms of how families in the 21st century can foster greater resilience during and after adolescence when faced with community-wide stressors, and the results provide new information about how psychological control may play a protective role during times of significant community-wide threats to personal health and welfare.

Environmental Changed, Capacity of Adaptation, and The Levels of Community Resilience Post-Earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional study

BACKGROUND: Natural disasters led to environmental destruction, casualties, and fatality. Disasters have been associated with post-traumatic disorders among affected community, thus, it is important to understand capability and resilience level post-disasters. AIM: This study aims to determine the degree of environmental change and the capacity of adaptation associate to the levels of community resilience among earthquake victims in Lombok, Indonesia. METHODS: A number of 129 respondents were recruited using clustered random sampling design. Data were collected using the adaptation capacity framework and the resilience brief scale questionnaire by face-to-face interviews. Significant level was set as p = 0.05 with 95% confidence interval. A Chi-square statistical test and logistic regression were used to test hypothesis. RESULTS: A number of 129 respondents included in the study. Bivariate analysis indicated a significant correlation between environmental changed, adaptation capacity, and community resilience. Environmental changed was predictor that statistically significant predicted community resilience (ß = 2.425, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The level of environmental destruction was significantly predicted the level of community resilience.

The mediating role of coping in the relationship between family function and resilience in adolescents and young adults who have a parent with lung cancer

PURPOSE

Resilience plays an important role in helping individuals to adapt to adversity and improve their psychosocial outcomes. This study aims to examine the mediating role of coping in the relationship between family function and resilience in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who have a parent with lung cancer.

METHOD

A total of 135 AYAs with a lung cancer parent were recruited from a tertiary grade A cancer center in southern China, and investigated using a self-designed general information questionnaire, the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve index.

RESULTS

The mean score of AYAs' resilience was (3.61 ± 0.49), and its influencing factors included AYAs' years in work, family function, and positive coping. The total effect of family function on resilience was significant (total effect = 0.38, 95% CI [0.048-0.115]), and a positive indirect effect was identified for family function on resilience via positive coping (indirect effect = 0.10, 95% CI [0.005-0.043]).

CONCLUSION

Family functioning can facilitate resilience either directly or by promoting positive coping. This study suggests that individualized interventions can be made to improve resilience by promoting family function, or by enhancing positive coping in AYAs with a lung cancer parent.

Learning it the hard way - how enjoying life and positive appraisal buffer the negative effects of stressors on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Higher levels of stress and negative emotions such as anxiety and depression have been reported since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains less clear how positive emotions, such as hedonic capacity, may be affected. Further, during lockdowns, the ability to learn new pleasurable activities (hedonic learning) may be particularly relevant. Here, we investigated if state hedonia and/or hedonic learning mediated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and mental health. Moreover, we explored whether positive appraisal style (PAS), a major resilience factor, influenced these relationships.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional design, 5000 German-speaking participants filled out online questionnaires targeting stressors, mental health, state hedonia, hedonic learning, and PAS between April 9 and May 15, 2020. After confirming the factor structure of our constructs, we applied latent structural equation modeling to test mediation as well as moderated mediation models.

Results

Stress showed a positive association with mental health symptoms, which was buffered by both state hedonia and hedonic learning. While higher stress was related to lower state hedonia, participants reported more hedonic learning with greater stressor load. The latter effect was greater for individuals with high PAS.

Limitations

The present results should be replicated in longitudinal designs with representative samples to confirm the directionality and generalizability of effects.

Conclusions

Both state hedonia and hedonic learning buffered the effect of stress on mental health in an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning new rewarding activities in combination with a PAS may be especially relevant for maintaining mental health during lockdowns.

'A lot of small things make a difference'. Mental health and strategies of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

The social and economic consequences of COVID‐19 have the potential to affect individuals and populations through different pathways (e.g., bereavement, loss of social interaction).

Objective

This study adopted a solicited diary method to understand how mental health was affected during England's first lockdown. We also considered the experiences of diary keeping during a pandemic from the perspective of public participants.

Methods

Fifteen adults older than 18 years of age were recruited from northwest England. Diarists completed semistructured online diaries for 8 weeks, which was combined with weekly calls. A focus group captured participants' experiences of diary keeping.

Findings

Four key factors influenced mental health, which fluctuated over time and in relation to diarists' situations. These concerned navigating virus risk, loss of social connections and control and constrictions of the domestic space. Diarists also enacted a range of strategies to cope with the pandemic. This included support from social networks, engagement with natural environments, establishing normality, finding meaning and taking affirmative action.

Conclusion

Use of diary methods provided insights into the lived experiences of the early months of a global pandemic. As well as contributing evidence on its mental health effects, diarists' accounts illuminated considerable resourcefulness and strategies of coping with positive effects for well‐being. While diary keeping can also have therapeutic benefits during adversity, ethical and practical issues need to be considered, which include the emotional nature of diary keeping.

Public Contribution

Members of the public were involved in interpretation of data as well as critiquing the overall diary method used in the study.

Coping with COVID-19: An Examination of the Role of (Non)Religiousness/(Non)Spirituality

Psychological distress and coping strategies employed during collective trauma events may vary for theists and atheists, as well as others along the (non)religious spectrum. The present study explored these differences via data collected from a US-based sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical models suggested relationships between maladaptive coping and distress for all participants and potential differences in coping and, in turn, distress between participants high and low in institutional religiousness and individual spirituality. Additionally, all participants, though especially nonreligious participants, appeared less able to engage in adaptive emotion-focused coping strategies. Implications for future research are provided.

Self-efficacy, Hope as Mediators Between Positive Coping and Resilience Among Patients With Gastric Cancer Before the First Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Patients with gastric cancer experience severe psychological distress as a result of their cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy. Resilience is a defense mechanism that enables one to thrive amid distress. However, little research has been done to explore the formation and development mechanism of resilience among patients with gastric cancer before their first chemotherapy treatment.

OBJECTIVE

The mediating roles of self-efficacy and hope on the relationship between positive coping and resilience among patients with gastric cancer before their first chemotherapy treatment were examined to inform the future resilience intervention.

METHODS

A total of 253 patients with gastric cancer before their first chemotherapy treatment were investigated using the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Herth Hope Index, and the 14-Item Resilience Scale. Structural equation modeling was conducted using Mplus version 7.03 to test the hypothesized mediational model.

RESULTS

Structural equation modeling analysis showed self-efficacy and hope completely mediated the relationship between positive coping and resilience; the indirect effects were 0.242 (P < .01) and 0.258 (P < .01), respectively; indirect effects accounted for 81% of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive coping is not the independent predictor that may contribute to resilience among patients with gastric cancer before their first chemotherapy treatment, but it can indirectly affect resilience through self-efficacy and hope.

IMPLICATIONS

Self-efficacy and hope may increase the positive influence of positive coping on resilience among patients with gastric cancer before their first chemotherapy treatment. Resilience intervention might be enhanced by addressing the impact of positive coping on self-efficacy and hope.

Does living close to a petrochemical complex increase the adverse psychological effects of the COVID-19 lockdown?

The petrochemical industry has made the economic development of many local communities possible, increasing employment opportunities and generating a complex network of closely-related secondary industries. However, it is known that petrochemical industries emit air pollutants, which have been related to different negative effects on mental health. In addition, many people around the world are being exposed to highly stressful situations deriving from the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns adopted by national and regional governments. The present study aims to analyse the possible differential effects on various psychological outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression and emotional regulation strategies) stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown experienced by individuals living near an important petrochemical complex and subjects living in other areas, nonexposed to the characteristic environmental pollutants emitted by these kinds of complex. The sample consisted of 1607 subjects who answered an ad hoc questionnaire on lockdown conditions, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). The results indicate that people living closer to petrochemical complexes reported greater risk perception [K = 73.42, p < 0.001, with a medium size effect (η2 = 0.061)]. However, no significant relationship between psychological variables and proximity to the focus was detected when comparing people living near to or far away from a chemical/petrochemical complex. Regarding the adverse psychological effects of the first lockdown due to COVID-19 on the general population in Catalonia, we can conclude that the conditions included in this survey were mainly related to changes in the participants' impulsivity levels, with different total impulsivity scores being obtained if they had minors in their care (p<0.001), if they had lost their jobs, if they were working (p<0.001), if they were not telecommuting (p<0.001), if they went out to work (p<0.001) or if they established routines (p = 0.009). However, we can also be fairly certain that the economic effects are going to be worse than those initially detected in this study. More research will be necessary to corroborate our results.

Cross-Sectional Study of Resilience, Positivity and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Engagement-Burnout in Undergraduate Students: Implications for Prevention and Treatment in Mental Well-Being

In a population of young adults, this study analyzes possible linear relations of resilience and positivity to coping strategies and engagement-burnout. The aim was to establish a model with linear, associative, and predictive relations, to identify needs and make proposals for therapeutic intervention in different student profiles. A population of 1,126 undergraduate students with different student profiles gave their informed, written consent, and completed validated questionnaires (CD-RISC Scale; Positivity; Coping Strategies of Stress; Engagement, and Burnout). An ex post-facto design involved bivariate association analyses, multiple regression and structural predictions. The results offered evidence of associations and predictive relationships between resilience factors, positivity, coping strategies and engagement-burnout. The factors of resilience and positivity had significant differential associations (positive and negative) with factors of coping strategies. Their negative relationship to burnout factors, and positive relation to engagement factors, is especially important. Results of structural analysis showed an acceptable model of relationships between variables. We conclude with practical implications for therapeutic intervention: (1) the proactive factors of resilience reflect a perception of self-efficacy and the ability to change adaptively; (2) the reactive factors of resilience are usually associated with withstanding experiences of change, uncertainty or trauma.

Lessons in Resilience: Initial Coping Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Objectives

In addition to increased physical health risks, older adults may also experience risks to their mental health and social wellbeing due to COVID-19. Yet, older adults may be uniquely able to cope given their life experiences and coping mechanisms. This study explores older adults’ coping experiences and strategies during the initial weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Design and Methods

A Midwestern sample of 76 older adults aged 70-97 completed a phone interview about their experiences with social distancing due to COVID-19. Interviews were conducted during early weeks of regional social distancing (March 28–April 20, 2020). Participants rated their level of perceived coping and responded to open-ended questions about their daily life and coping.

Results

Mean perceived coping level (on a scale from 1-10) was 7.9, with 87% of participants rating their coping positively. Primary themes that emerged included: 1) staying busy, 2) seeking social support, and 3) having a positive mindset. These emotion-focused coping strategies appeared adaptive in the early weeks of the pandemic for most older adults.

Discussion and Implications

Contrary to predominant messaging about the vulnerability of older adults, these findings highlight the resilient nature of older adults in terms of their psychological coping and adaptability during COVID-19. Future research should build upon these findings to better understand and promote late-life coping during crises. Practitioners should seek to support older adults’ engagement in such proactive coping, and social policies should be developed to acknowledge the variable needs of older adults.

Prospective interactive influence of financial strain and emotional nonacceptance on problematic alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Researchers have highlighted the risk for alcohol use problems in the context of COVID-19, although the factors associated with this risk remain unclear.Objectives: This study examined the prospective relation of baseline financial strain (reported at the beginning of the pandemic) to problematic alcohol use one month later, as well as the moderating role of emotional nonacceptance. We hypothesized that financial strain would be more strongly associated with problematic alcohol use one month later among participants with high (vs. mean or low) levels of nonacceptance.Methods: Shortly after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO and national emergency by the U.S. President (on March 11 and 13, 2020, respectively), a U.S. nationwide community sample completed a prospective online study, including an initial assessment from March 27-April 5, 2020 and a one-month follow-up from April 27-May 21. Measures included the Family Economic Strain Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Participants included 254 adults reporting some alcohol use (50.4% women; mean age = 41.8).Results: Baseline financial strain was significantly positively associated with problematic alcohol use one month later only among participants with high (b =.06, SE =.03, p =.037) versus mean (b =.01, SE =.02, p =.677) or low (b = -.04, SE =.02, p =.110) emotional nonacceptance.Conclusion: Individuals experiencing financial strain in the context of COVID-19 may be at risk for problematic alcohol use if they are not accepting of their emotional distress.

Caring for the Most Vulnerable: A Model for Managing Maladaptive Behavior in Children with Mental Special Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: This article presents the results of a comprehensive national model developed for managing maladaptive behaviors (MBs) in children with mental special needs (CMSNs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that combines telehealth-based Applied Behavioral Analyses, psychiatric interventions, and support from local psychosocial teams. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a system that combined telehealth applications with local psychosocial support teams, allowing services from video calls to emergency interventions. Materials and Methods: The system combines the telehealth applications with the services from local psychosocial intervention teams. In addition to system records covering sociodemographic variables and initial complaints, a telephone survey questioning the effectiveness and satisfaction of the system was used as the main outcome. Results: In total, 347 individuals used the system with mothers constituting the majority of applicants (88.7%, n = 332). The overall satisfaction of the system was 8.8/10. In terms of effectiveness, 63.3% (n = 237) of caregivers reported an improvement in the reason of application. Counselors decided on a need for follow-up visits for 36.6% (n = 137) of applications. A referral to a psychiatrist was asked for 40 patients (10.6%). Discussion: To our best knowledge, this is the first study presenting a model for managing MBs of CMSNs during the COVID-19 outbreak. In general, therefore, it seems that there is a need for unique systems to handle behavioral problems of CMSNs. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that it is possible to establish an integrative multistep multidisciplinary telehealth-based approach in a short while.

Mechanisms of resiliency against depression following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Prior studies of oil spills have reported adverse impacts on mental health, but have not examined some potentially important moderators. In this cross-sectional analysis of n=38,361 responses to the 2010-2011 Gulf States Population Survey, we assessed the association of direct oil contact with depression severity following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and modification by self-mastery, emotional support, and cleanup participation using Tobit regression models accounting for the complex survey design. Oil contact was associated with increased depression severity. Among respondents with oil contact, depression was more severe for those reporting lower self-mastery. However, respondents with oil contact had lower depression severity if they participated in cleanup efforts, compared to exposed individuals who did not participate. This potential protective effect was larger for respondents with lower self-mastery. Our results are consistent with the notion that participation in recovery efforts may reduce depressive symptoms following oil spills among impacted individuals.

Identifying the Key Risk Factors for Adverse Psychological Outcomes Among Police Officers: A Systematic Literature Review

It is well established that police work is highly stressful; however, a paucity of evidence limits our knowledge and understanding of the factors that may lead to, compromise, and/or compound psychological distress for this unique population. To address this lack, the current systematic review was conducted to reveal the individual, organizational, and operational risk factors that have been identified in the research literature to date and their associations with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and burnout. We performed searches on literature published between January 2008 and January 2018 and identified a total of 20 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The results indicated that individual factors, including high levels of neuroticism, low social support, and engaging in passive or avoidant coping strategies, were associated with adverse psychological outcomes. This review identified low social support from colleagues as the most common risk factor linked to adverse psychological outcomes. Other organizational risk factors associated with such outcomes included high work demands, low resources, and low reward. This article demonstrates that individual, organizational, and operational factors all impact the negative psychological outcomes of police officers to some degree. In particular, the current review suggests that certain negative psychological outcomes are likely a result of a combination of risk factors across the three domains of risk, highlighting the necessity to observe psychological risk of police in a more comprehensive way.

Breaking Through Barriers and Building Disaster Mental Resilience: A Case Study in the Aftermath of the 2015 Nepal Earthquakes

Introduction: Nepal was hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2015 that disrupted its socio-economic system and shattered many lives, resulting in increased mental health issues during the post-earthquake phase. Disasters can have severe mental health impacts on the affected population, making it necessary to enhance resilience within communities and to help them to adapt well in the face of adversities. From these earthquakes, this study looks to identify measures needed to develop community mental resilience for disaster preparedness in Nepal. Method: We conducted this research using the qualitative case study method and thematic analysis (TA). Result: Several activities were carried out by organizations to support the psycho-social aspects of communities, but were challenged by existing barriers. After considering the present context, this study presents five recommendations for mental resilience and also suggests the utilization of existing resources, such as faith-based organizations and teachers in the communities. Despite the considerable impact, communities demonstrate their own resilience, to some extent, through the culture of sharing and helping each other. Conclusions: A firm commitment is required from the government to enhance resilience by mainstreaming mental health in all areas of disaster management and planning.

Quality or quantity of coping resources: Why not both? An integration of common stress theories

Threatening situations may cause distress (e.g., armed conflicts, natural disasters, etc.) and provoke Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms. National resources may mitigate threats or damage in certain situations. This research suggests that in doing so, such resources deployed in concert with personal resources, may reduce levels of these symptoms. Two major stress theories are integrated in theoretical support of the role of national resources: The Conservation of Resource theory (Hobfoll, 1989) and the Cognitive Appraisal Theory (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). Hobfoll's theory is extended beyond personal resources to encompass national resources. We offer the case of the Iron Dome as an example of a national resource. Iron Dome is an Israeli missile defense system successfully used during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 in response to rocket attacks from Gaza. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the operation in the form of an online survey in which 910 Israeli civilians were assessed using a Psychological Distress and the Impact of Event Scale. They reported on their personal resources and perception of the Iron Dome as a national security resource. Our findings revealed that resource quantity significantly predicted Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms. In addition, it was found that the national security resource significantly contributed to decreased Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptom predictions beyond all personal resources examined. Research contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Between vulnerability and resilience: A network analysis of fluctuations in cognitive risk and protective factors following remission from depression

Research exploring how cognitive risk- and protective factors relate following remission from internalizing disorders suggests a central role for resilience. However, it remains unclear what constitutes resilience in this context. Furthermore, previous studies have typically relied on cross-sectional data which do not allow to map the temporal dynamics of such relations. Using a seven-day experience sampling period in 85 remitted depressed patients, we examined the interplay between five transdiagnostic vulnerability- and protective factors in daily life. We present a temporal, contemporaneous, and a between-subjects network, providing an in-depth analysis of how these factors relate to daily life fluctuations in residual symptomatology. Furthermore, we test the role of positive affect as a main resilience factor. Resilience uniquely predicted all other factors over time (temporal network). Higher levels of resilience were related to less momentary use of rumination, more deployment of positive appraisal, and lower occurrence of residual symptoms (contemporaneous network). Participants scoring high on resilience mostly engaged in positive appraisal (between-subjects network). Similar structures were obtained when substituting self-reported resilience by positive affect. This highlights the importance of resilience, and in particular, positive affectivity, to cope with stressors following remission. This may be fostered by facilitating the use of positive appraisal.

Reflections from the Lebanese field: "First, heal thyself"

Humanitarian aid workers caring for Syrian refugees face major stressors as they attend to refugees’ needs on the field. Without adequate psychosocial support, evidence has shown that fieldworkers experience high burnout and turnover as well as long-term poor mental health. Unfortunately, scarce training in this regard leaves them ill-equipped to care for themselves and practice resilience while handling trauma in the field. This paper highlights our reflection on working with mindfulness programs during humanitarian crises, specifically how our program, Stress Management and Relaxation Response Training (SMART), has helped over time fieldworkers and the community they cared for. We propose that programs targeting the wellbeing of fieldworkers should be prioritized as part of efforts to improve the international aid response although they may require impeccable coordination and generous resources. We encourage donors to fund those projects viewed as special social protection programs building resilience and strengthening within system support. We argue that this will increase the efficacy of the crisis intervention and work towards sustainable peace building.

Disaster Mental Health and Positive Psychology: An Afterward to the Special Issue

The articles in this Special Issue are devoted to integrating the fields of disaster mental health and positive psychology. Their focus on resilience building, individual and community preparation, meaning making, and posttraumatic growth represents an important new development in disaster mental health. The overarching goal of this effort is to inform strategies to help both individuals-including children, adolescent, adult disaster survivors, and relief workers-and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and possibly even grow stronger in the face of adversity. To achieve this goal, this body of literature suggests that it is important for disaster mental health workers to partner with community leaders, organizations, and the population at large to understand community vulnerabilities, take advantage of existing strengths, and respect cultural factors implicated in disaster recovery. It further suggests that an effective community-based approach to disaster recovery will make psychosocial support and skill-building programs available to large numbers of survivors, which is critical for responding to future national and international disasters. Continued high-quality research that is comprehensive and considers not only relevant psychological, social, cultural, and biological factors but also interrelations between individuals, organizations and communities is needed to advance this relatively new and important direction of the disaster mental health field.