Physical injury, stress, and health: Protective role of dispositional optimism

Healthy Habits and Emotional Balance in Women during the Postpartum Period: Differences between Term and Preterm Delivery

Breastfeeding could be considered as a vulnerable period, rising the risk to shift from optimism to pessimism. Preterm delivery is an event that increases postpartum maternal stress and depression, which can have a negative impact on breastfeeding and maternal–filial wellbeing. The adherence to healthy habits may have a positive influence on this vulnerable population. We aimed to analyze the impact of prematurity on maternal psychological aspects during postpartum and to study if adherence to the Healthy Food Pyramid influences psychological variables. Fifty-five breastfeeding women being attended in the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid, Spain) were recruited during the first day postpartum. The medical data were collected from the obstetrical records. The women answered an auto-administered questionnaire with several sections: sociodemographic characteristics, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Life Orientation Test (LOT), at 14 days and 6 months postpartum, Adherence to the Healthy Food Pyramid Questionnaire (AP-Q) at 28 days postpartum and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) at 6 months postpartum. The PSS and LOT scores were not statistically different in mothers with preterm compared to term delivery either at 14 days or at 6 months postpartum. Longitudinally, the PSS did not show significant differences, but the LOT score was lower at 6 months compared to 14 days postpartum (p-Value = 0.046). A higher EPDS score was significantly found in mothers with preterm delivery (9.0 ± 4.7) than those with a term delivery (5.4 ± 4.2; p-value = 0.040). A significant and positive correlation was observed between the AP-Q score and LOT both at 14 days and 6 months postpartum. Conclusively, maternal optimism decreases during the postpartum period, women with preterm delivery being at risk of postpartum depression. Furthermore, there is a relationship between optimism and adherence to healthy habits. Healthcare professional counseling is essential during the entire breastfeeding period, particularly in vulnerable mothers with preterm delivery.

Optimism as a mediator of the association between social support and peripartum depression among mothers of neonatal intensive care unit hospitalized preterm infants

The birth of a preterm infant and the hospitalization in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) add extra functional and emotional demands to the typical transition to motherhood. Therefore, the prevalence of peripartum depression (PPD) among preterm mothers is especially high. As optimism was found to be a mediator of the association between social support and depression, the current study aimed to test this mediation in the population of NICU mothers. A sample of 128 Israeli mothers of 214 NICU hospitalized infants filled out self-report questionnaires regarding background variables, social support, optimism, and PPD symptoms. As hypothesized, optimism was found to partially mediate the association between social support and PPD symptoms among mother of preterm infants. The higher the perceived social support reported, the higher maternal optimism reported, and in turn, the lower PPD symptoms reported. In accordance with the Transactional Stress Theory, social support and optimism reflect maternal secondary appraisals that impact the way mothers of preterm infants cope with the challenging situation of a preterm birth and NICU hospitalization. Healthcare professionals should encourage preterm mothers' use of social support to increase optimism and reduce the risk of developing PPD.

Health tourism destinations as therapeutic landscapes: Understanding the health perceptions of senior seasonal migrants

Health-driven seasonal tourism has become a new way of providing for the aged, which demonstrates a profound relationship between place and health. Therapeutic landscapes strongly suggest a causal relationship between health tourism destination and individual health. However, the quantitative validation of such relationship remains neglected and possible mechanisms underlying the relationship lack a strong theoretical basis. Based on therapeutic landscape theory and the REPLACE framework, this study quantitatively examines health promotion mechanisms of health tourism destinations by using data collected in Sanya, China, in January 2019. The effect of personal traits of dispositional optimism on health perceptions is also considered. The results show that physical, social, and symbolic landscapes positively influence health perceptions through restorative experiences. Social landscapes, symbolic landscapes and dispositional optimism positively affect health perception, while physical landscapes do not directly have a significant impact on health perception. It is expected that this study will fill the knowledge gap and advance our knowledge of therapeutic landscapes by exploring how they can influence health.

Global Psychological Implications of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). What Can Be Learned From Italy. Reflections, Perspectives, Opportunities

On December 31, 2019, the Chinese authorities announced that in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, central-eastern China, a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown etiology had developed. A new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes serious problems like pneumonia and even death, has been discovered. This new disease (COVID-19) has spread also in Italy starting from the first recognized case on February 20. Beyond its biological implications, this coronavirus allows us many psychological reflections. A new virus is indeed a potentially serious problem for mankind, but it can also be an opportunity to bring the focus back to us, to observe what is happening, who we are and how we are reacting both as individuals and as a population. Even positive implication of this pandemic was discussed.