"I forgive myself": The association between self-criticism, self-acceptance, and PTSD in women victims of IPV, and the buffering role of self-efficacy

Experiences of intimate partner violence and valued living among women veterans: The role of self-efficacy

Predominantly cross-sectional research suggests that self-efficacy may play an important role in women's psychological health after experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). However, few studies have examined these associations over time or with respect to broader aspects of psychological well-being. Valued living, which reflects behavioral engagement within personally important life domains, represents a key aspect of well-being that may be negatively impacted by experiences of IPV. Participants were 190 women veterans who completed three web-based surveys. We examined whether IPV experiences at Time 1 were associated with valued living at Time 3 (i.e., 4 years after Time 1) through self-efficacy at Time 2 (i.e., 3 years after Time 1). We separately examined overall, psychological, physical, and sexual IPV and investigated lifetime and recent (i.e., past 6 months) IPV experiences for each subtype. Separate path analysis models indicated that lifetime overall, β = -.10, 95% CI [-.19, -.02]; psychological, β = -.08, 95% CI [-.17, -.001]; physical, β = -.10, 95% CI [-.18, -.01]; and sexual, β = -.11, 95% CI [-.22, -.01], IPV experiences were indirectly associated with less valued living through less self-efficacy, whereas the indirect effect only emerged for recent physical IPV, β = -.26, 95% CI [-.50, -.02], but not for recent overall, psychological, or sexual IPV. These findings suggest that experiencing IPV is associated with less self-efficacy and valued living, which highlights the importance of providing early psychosocial interventions to enhance well-being among individuals managing the effects of experiencing IPV.

Rebuilding wellbeing: Understanding the role of self-criticism, anger rumination, and death distress after the February 6, 2023, Türkiye Earthquake

This study investigated self-criticism, anger rumination, and death distress in wellbeing after one of the most devastating natural disasters of this century. The study included 399 participants from 56 different cities across Türkiye. Participants were from 3 groups: those who themselves or one of their nuclear families are earthquake survivors (group 1), those who had a loved one other than a nuclear family member who was an earthquake survivor (group 2), and those who were deeply affected by the earthquake through media networks (group 3). Results showed that women experienced higher death distress and anger rumination and lower mental wellbeing compared to men post-earthquake. Individuals in group 1 had significantly lower mental wellbeing and higher death distress than groups 2 and 3. However, the effect size of this significant differentiation depending on earthquake experience was small. Moreover, anger rumination and death distress fully mediated the link between self-criticism and mental wellbeing.

Is lifetime abuse forgivable in old age?

Old age is characterized by reflection and a retrospective examination of the multiple meanings of various life experiences, including lifelong abuse. Forgiveness is found to have a salutary effect, especially for older adults. To understand the place and role of forgiveness in the reflective process during aging, we performed a secondary analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interviews (N = 78) with older women survivors of abuse. Inductive thematic analysis was based on concepts developed deductively from the literature review. The findings include three main themes: (1) The dimensions of forgiving: The victim as subject; (2) Being forgiven: Between lost forgiveness and hope; and (3) Self-forgiveness and the aging self. Despite the known salutary effect of forgiveness, we must consider that this is not a universally desirable process. We included the dimension of forgiveness in the study of abuse throughout the older person's life course and identified further complexities in addition to the "forgiveness"/"unforgiveness."

Regulatory emotional self-efficacy and psychological distress among medical students: multiple mediating roles of interpersonal adaptation and self-acceptance

BACKGROUND

Psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress) is more common among medical students than in the general population, and is an important cause of insomnia, internet addiction, substance abuse, decreased academic performance and increased suicidality in medical students.

METHODS

To examine the mechanism by which regulatory emotional self-efficacy affects medical students' psychological distress, a questionnaire of 539 medical students using an interpersonal adaptability scale, regulatory emotional self-efficacy scale, self-acceptance scale and depression-anxiety-stress scale was conducted.

RESULTS

① Regulatory emotional self-efficacy, interpersonal adaptability and self-acceptance are positively correlated, but they are negatively correlated with psychological distress. ② The mediation model shows that interpersonal adaptation and self-acceptance are the mediation variables of the effect of regulatory emotional self-efficacy on psychological distress, and the total mediation effect value is -0.37, accounting for 86.05% of the total effect (-0.43). Specifically, the effect involves three paths: first, regulatory emotional self-efficacy indirectly affects psychological distress through interpersonal adaptation (effect value-0.24); second, regulatory emotional self-efficacy indirectly affects psychological distress through interpersonal adaptation and self-acceptance (effect value-0.08); and third, regulatory emotional self-efficacy indirectly affects psychological distress through self-acceptance (effect value -0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Interpersonal adaptation and self-acceptance have a significant mediating effect between regulatory emotional self-efficacy and psychological distress, and the chain mediating effect of interpersonal adaptation and self-acceptance is also significant.

The relationship between childhood adversities and complex posttraumatic stress symptoms: a multiple mediation model

Background: There is a growing research literature on complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), yet studies that focused on Chinese populations are still limited. Accumulating evidence showed that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with a higher likelihood of CPTSD symptoms, but potential mediating roles of self-kindness and self-judgement on the ACEs-CPTSD relationship remain understudied. Objective: The purpose of this study was to first examine the relationship between ACEs and CPTSD among Chinese college students, and then to test the mediating role of self-kindness and self-judgement on the ACEs-CPTSD relationship. Method: The study included 1361 college students for an online survey in May 2020. Demographic variables (e.g. age, gender, having sibling[s] or not, residence, family structure, and subjective socioeconomic status), ACEs, self-compassion (self-kindness and self-judgement subscales), and CPTSD symptoms were assessed. After controlling for demographic variables, a series of structural equation models tested the mediation hypothesis: indirect effects of self-kindness and self-judgement on the relationship between ACEs and CPTSD symptom. Results: ACEs of College students were positively associated with more severe CPTSD symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder and disturbances in self-organization symptoms). Furthermore, these direct pathways were mediated by decreased self-kindness and increased self-judgement. Conclusions: Findings have substantial theoretical and treatment implications, including the two critical targets (i.e. lowering self-judgement and raising self-kindness) when treating complex PTSD.