Attentional bias effect on post-traumatic outcomes in children after earthquake: Mediation role of rumination

The relationship between psychological resilience, neuroticism, attentional bias, and depressive symptoms in college Chinese students

In recent years, the incidence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students has been increasing. Studies have shown that depressive symptoms are related to a variety of psychosocial factors, among which neuroticism, resilience, and attention bias are most notably related, but the correlation among the three is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the influence mechanisms of different degrees of resilience, attentional bias, and neuroticism in the formation of depressive symptoms. The college freshmen of this study were selected through stratified multi-stage cluster sampling. Students provided informed consent and then completed a general situation questionnaire and four scales: the Chinese version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Zung Self-Rating Depressive Symptoms Scale. In total, 1,493 freshmen participated in the research group. Our results showed that low resilience, negative attention bias, and high neuroticism jointly increased the risk of depressive symptoms. There is a significant correlation between these three factors and depressive symptoms. Additionally, strength, tenacity, and attention bias all had more significant effects on the occurrence of depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that there may be an important psychological mechanism for the occurrence, development, and poor prognosis of depressive symptoms.

Underlying Role of Rumination-Mediated Attachment Style Plays in PTSD after TIA and Stroke

Objective: Attachment and rumination were examined as the intermediary variables on post-traumatic stress disorder and medication compliance in stroke or TIA patients. Methods: A total of 300 participants with stroke or TIA from the Second Hospital of Hebei Province were selected. Patients accomplished NIHSS, ABCD2, ECR, RSQ, and RRS on admission. After 3 months, the PCL-C and MMAS were collected. Results: In the stroke or TIA patients, the incident of PTSD was 7.7%; PTSD scores were significantly associated with attachment anxiety (r = 0.225, p < 0.01), symptom rumination (r = 0.197, p < 0.01), and obsessive thinking (r = 0.187, p < 0.01). After the Sobel test analysis and verification by the Baron and Kenny’s stepwise approach we found that ruminant mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and PTSD; obsessive thinking mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and PTSD. Conclusions: The relationship between attachment anxiety and PTSD was positively predicted by rumination and obsessive thinking. Adult attachment style, rumination, and PTSD scores may not predict medication compliance.

The effect of hindrance stressors on the emotional exhaustion among front-line healthcare workers in the recuperation period during the COVID-19 epidemic in China: a prospective cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the influence and conditioning process of hindrance stressors on the emotional exhaustion of the front-line healthcare workers during recuperation, examine the potential mediating process of rumination, and explore the moderating role of organisational and family factors.

SETTING

This cross-sectional study was conducted during 12-20 July 2020. Total 418 questionnaires were collected from front-line healthcare workers by random cluster sampling. Hierarchical regression was performed to analyse the mediating effect of affective rumination using SPSS25.0, while PROCESS was used to further investigate the moderating role of servant leadership and family support.

PARTICIPANTS

418 healthcare workers were investigated randomly from front-line medical teams. Inclusion criteria included worked as front-line health workers and participated in the fight against COVID-19 in Hubei; age ≥18 years; normal cognitive and comprehension abilities under physical and mental health; volunteer to participate in this study. Exclusion criteria included recently affected by major events other than COVID-19 or those with a history of neurasthenia and trauma.

RESULTS

Using descriptive analysis of average value and SD measured by a five-item scale (MBI-GS), we found that front-line healthcare workers' emotional exhaustion score (2.45±0.88) was at the medium level. Hindrance stressors, mediated by affective rumination, had a significant positive predictive effect on emotional exhaustion. Servant leadership negatively moderated the direct effect of hindrance stressors on emotional exhaustion (β=-0.106, p<0.01). Family support positively moderated the impact of hindrance stressors on emotional exhaustion (β=0.082, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

During the recuperation period, after successfully controlling COVID-19 at the front line, the first-line healthcare workers should be screened through affective rumination evaluation to gain insight for targeted interventions. We find that servant leadership is beneficial in alleviating emotional exhaustion while family support worsens emotional exhaustion. We suggest that servant leadership should be further promoted in medical organisations, and family support should be applied correctly and cautiously.

The Relationship Between Attentional Bias, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: Evidence From the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to observed increases in reported mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety symptoms. There is evidence attentional bias is associated with depression and anxiety, and it has been further suggested that anxiety sensitivity has a role in both the development and maintenance of depression and anxiety symptoms. Understanding these relationships may help inform preventative interventions for those at risk of mental health concerns. The present study explores the role of anxiety sensitivity, specifically physical and cognitive concerns, as a potential mediator of the relationship between attentional bias with depression and anxiety symptoms.

Method

Participants (n = 460) were recruited from the general population in China, and completed an online survey between February and March, 2020 which included the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale (APNI), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). After exploring the correlations between the measures, mediation analysis was performed to explore the role of anxiety sensitivity (physical and cognitive subscales) in the relationship between attentional bias and depression and anxiety (as measured by the DASS-21).

Results

The results indicated that negative attention bias was significantly positively correlated with physical and cognitive concerns, physical and cognitive concerns were significantly positively correlated with depression and anxiety, and negative attention bias was significantly positively correlated with depression and anxiety (all ps < 0.001). Physical and cognitive anxiety sensitivity mediated the relationship between negative attention bias and both anxiety and depression symptoms.

Conclusion

Negative bias was associated with levels of anxiety and depression, and physical and cognitive anxiety sensitivity mediated associations between negative bias and anxiety and depression symptoms. The study provides theoretical support for intervention and guidance on individual mental health during the pandemic, and helps individuals increase their concern to negative emotions.

COVID-19-related post-traumatic growth in the general public: a cross-sectional study from Yunnan, China

To investigate post-traumatic growth induced by COVID-19 pandemic in certain Yunnan residents and to analyze its influencing factors. A total of 581 permanent residents of Yunnan province completed the electronic questionnaire from 18 April 2020 to 26 April 2020. Logistic regression analysis showed that the educational levels, self-perceived health status, family history of infectious diseases, family history of infectious diseases, personality and frequency of going through COVID-19 related news were influencing factors of PTG (P < 0.05). As a traumatic event, the threat of COVID-19 may enable some people to gain positive psychological development in adversity. This will provide reference for public psychological crisis intervention following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Influence of Post-Traumatic Growth on College Students' Creativity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Deliberate Rumination

Purpose: This study used a moderated mediation model to test the mediating effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between post-traumatic growth (PTG) and creativity and the moderating effect of deliberate rumination in the second path of the indirect mediation path during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A sample of 881 university students from Guangdong Province, China, was surveyed with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Deliberate Rumination Inventory. SPSS (23 version) and PROCESS (3.3 version) were used for correlation analyses, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis. Results: (1) PTG was positively correlated with creativity, self-efficacy, and deliberate rumination. Creativity was positively correlated with self-efficacy and deliberate rumination. Deliberate rumination was positively correlated with self-efficacy. (2) Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between PTG and creativity. (3) Deliberate rumination moderated the second half of the path of "PTG → self-efficacy → creativity." Conclusions: PTG affected creativity directly and also indirectly through self-efficacy. In particular, deliberate rumination moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and creativity, such that the association was stronger when the incidence of deliberate rumination was low. These results provide a more comprehensive understanding of the positive link between PTG and creativity.

The Impact of Positive Youth Development Attributes on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents Under COVID-19

PURPOSE

This study examined the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among adolescents in mainland China under COVID-19. The direct effects of the perceived threat of COVID-19 and positive youth development (PYD) qualities, as well as the moderating effect of PYD qualities on PTSD symptoms, were studied.

METHODS

Five schools in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, participated in this study. Two waves of data were collected before school lockdown (Wave 1, between December 2019 and January 2020) and after school resumption (Wave 2, between June 2020 and July 2020), respectively. A total of 4,981 adolescents aged above 11 years (Mean age = 13.15, SD = 1.32 at Wave 1, 51.5% girls) completed questionnaires at both waves. Students responded to measures of PYD qualities at both waves and perceived threat and PTSD symptoms at Wave 2.

RESULTS

A total of 517 adolescents (10.4%) could be regarded as having PTSD. Results indicated significant unique main effects of perceived threat (β = .13, p < .001) and Wave 1 PYD qualities (β = -.16, p < .001) on PTSD symptoms. Besides, results showed a significant moderating effect of PYD qualities in mitigating the negative impact of perceived threat on PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the protective effect of PYD attributes in reducing the negative influence of traumatic situations such as COVID-19 on adolescent mental health. Results underscore the importance of promoting PYD qualities in adolescents in mainland China via effective PYD programs.