Dealing with negative life events: differential effects of personal resources, coping strategies, and control beliefs

Young people's happiness in the context of negative life events and coping strategies: a latent profile and latent class analysis

Young people have to cope with many negative life events and stress factors to maintain their happiness. Although there are studies on how they benefit from different coping strategies and their results, there is no study that profiles/groups young people according to negative life events and coping styles. From this point of view, the study aims to determine different life events classes and stress coping profiles in young people, and to examine the differences in happiness among the new groups created according to the discovered classes and profiles. Participants consisted of 1093 young people (M = 21.08) from different state universities in Turkey. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted, resulting in a 3 profile solution characterizing coping strategies: Positive-oriented (26.8%), slightly positive-oriented (50%), and negative-oriented (23.2%) coping strategy profiles. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted, resulting in a 2 class solution characterizing negative life events: More negative (40.1%) and less negative (59.9%) life events classes. For the purpose of the study, the profiles created with the latent profile analysis and the latent class analysis were considered together and the participants were divided into 6 groups. These groups differed significantly in terms of happiness. The group with the highest level of happiness is the group with positive-oriented coping strategies and less negative life conditions (μ = 4.35, p < .001), and the group with the lowest level of happiness is the group with negative-oriented coping strategies and more negative life conditions (μ = 3.48, p < .001). However, the findings indicated that a positive-oriented coping strategy profile (the profile that scored high on positive coping strategies and low on negative coping strategies) offers the most promising route to happiness whether experienced negative life events are less or more.

Support- and meaning-focused coping as key factors for maintaining adult quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about both consequences and helpful strategies to maintain quality of life (QoL) have become increasingly important. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of coping factors during the COVID-19 pandemic, their associations with QoL and the moderating role of certain sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods

Analyses were based on cross-sectional self-reports from German adult participants (N = 2,137, 18-84 years, 52.1% female) of the CORONA HEALTH APP Study from July 2020 to July 2021. Multivariate regression analyses were used to predict (a) coping factors assessed with the Brief COPE and (b) QoL assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF while taking measurement time, central sociodemographic, and health characteristics into account.

Results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, German adults mostly pursued problem- and meaning-focused coping factors and showed a relatively good QoL [Mean values (M) from 57.2 to 73.6, standard deviations (SD) = 16.3-22.6], except for the social domain (M = 57.2, SD = 22.6), and with a decreasing trend over time (β from -0.06 to -0.11, ps < 0.01). Whereas, escape-avoidance coping was negatively related to all QoL domains (β = -0.35, p < 0.001 for psychological, β = -0.22, p < 0.001 for physical, β = -0.13, p = 0.045 for social, β = -0.49, p < 0.001 for environmental QoL), support- and meaning-focused coping showed positive associations with various QoL domains (β from 0.19 to 0.45, ps < 0.01). The results also suggested differences in the pursuit of coping factors as well as in the strength of associations with QoL by sociodemographic characteristics. Escape-avoidance-focused coping was negatively associated with QoL levels in older and less educated adults (simple slopes differed at ps < 0.001), in particular.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated what types of coping may be helpful to avoid QoL deterioration (i.e., support- and meaning-focused coping) and provide implications for future universal or targeted health promotion (i.e., older or less educated adults who lack social or instrumental support) and preparedness in the face of unknown challenging societal situations similar to that of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional trends of enhanced use of escape-avoidance-focused coping and QoL deterioration point toward a need for increased attention from public health and policy.

Coping Patterns in Advanced Old Age: Findings from the Fordham Centenarian Study

INTRODUCTION

Research on coping in advanced old age is scarce. In the present study, we explored coping patterns in near-centenarians and centenarians, and characteristics associated to using a specific coping pattern.

METHODS

We analyzed the frequency with which participants (N = 87, MAge = 99.05; SDage = 2.6; age range 95-107) reported using specific coping strategies (i.e., coping strategy use) and the relative preference for specific strategies (i.e., relative coping preferences) in data from the Fordham Centenarian Study. Moreover, we applied cluster analysis to detect coping patterns, and we compared cluster characteristics.

RESULTS

Very old individuals reported using emotion control and acceptance the most. Cluster analysis further revealed two distinct groups: The high coping group reported significantly higher coping strategy use than the low coping group (p < 0.001). The two groups also favored different strategies (p < 0.001), with the high coping group showing significantly higher relative preferences than the low coping group for active problem-solving, proactive prevention, and strategic planning (all ps < 0.05). The groups furthermore differed significantly in psychological strengths (i.e., personality, self-efficacy, ps < 0.001) and well-being outcomes (i.e., life satisfaction, p = 0.05).

DISCUSSION

This study provides evidence for a general preference for acceptance and emotion control in very old individuals, supporting theories of a developmental coping shift in old age, yet our findings also document the existence of groups with different coping patterns. More frequent coping use, and particularly continued use of active problem-solving and proactive prevention, may enable well-being in very old age.

How stress-related factors affect mental wellbeing of university students A cross-sectional study to explore the associations between stressors, perceived stress, and mental wellbeing

Background

Lowered mental wellbeing of students is a growing health and societal problem. Experiencing high levels of stress for a longer period of time has been associated with an increased risk for lower mental wellbeing and mental health problems. To reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing it is important to understand how various sources of stress are related with mental wellbeing and which factors can buffer the impact of stress on mental wellbeing.

Objectives

Deriving from a conceptual model the aim of the study was to explore 1) the association of underlying stressors (academic pressure, family circumstances, side-activity pressure, and financial situation) with perceived stress and mental wellbeing, 2) whether perceived stress mediates the association between the sources of stress and mental wellbeing and 3) whether loneliness, self-esteem, personality and coping styles buffer or reinforce the impact of perceived stress on mental wellbeing.

Method

A cross-sectional survey design was used among students of an University of Applied Sciences and conducted between November 16, 2020, and January 18, 2021. Study variables were mental wellbeing, perceived stress, academic pressure, financial pressure, family pressure and side-activity pressure, coping style, self-esteem, loneliness, personality. The questionnaire was constructed using validated measures. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between perceived stress, sources of stress and mental wellbeing. Mediation and moderation processes were explored using Hayes PROCESS models.

Results

A total of 875 university students (37,2% male, 62,3% female, mean age 21,6) participated. Perceived stress had a strong negative association with mental wellbeing (unstandardized regression coefficient (b) = -.848, p < .001; r = -.667, p < .01), explaining 45% of the variance. Academic pressure (b = -8.014, p < .01), family pressure (b = -3.189, p < .01), side-activity pressure (b = -3.032, p < .01) and financial pressure (b = -2.041, p < .01) all had a negative impact on mental wellbeing. This effect was mediated by perceived stress, but a direct effect remained for academic pressure (b = -3.306, p < .01) and family pressure (b = -1.130, p < .01). Significant interaction effects between perceived stress and mental wellbeing were found for approach coping (low = -.93, p < .01; high = -.64, p < .01) and emotional stability (low = -.81, p < .01; high = -.64, p < .01).

Conclusion

Perceived stress has a major impact on students’ mental wellbeing. Underlying stressors were mediated by perceived stress, but direct effects were also found. To protect the mental wellbeing of students, it is urgent to reduce perceived stress, suppress underlying stressors and make students more resilient through the development of found buffers, such as approach coping.

Longitudinal Associations of Perceived Mastery and Constraints With Coping and Their Implications for Functional Health for Aging Adults

The present study examined longitudinal associations of distinct dimensions of perceived control (i.e., perceived mastery and constraints) with approach and avoidance coping relating to functional health for aging adults, which had not been well studied previously. Using data from two waves of Midlife in the United States ( N = 4,963, whose mean age was 55.4 [ SD = 12.5]), a longitudinal path model was analyzed for direct and indirect effects among perceived mastery and constraints, approach and avoidance coping, and functional limitations. Bidirectional associations were observed between perceived mastery and approach coping and between perceived constraints and avoidance coping. Moreover, perceived constraints not only were directly associated with functional limitations but also mediated the longitudinal associations of the other factors of interest with functional limitations. These findings can inform future research on perceived control and coping in the context of promoting functional health.

Development and Validation of a Coping Strategies Scale for Use in Chinese Contexts

Individuals’ coping strategies have a profound effect on how well they respond to negative life events. Despite this, most coping strategies instruments that are available currently have been developed exclusively in Western contexts. In the present study, a Coping Strategies Scale (CSS) for use with Chinese participants was developed and validated based on responses from 734 Chinese university students (334 male, 399 female, 1 other). Results supported a seven-factor structure for the CSS, which included the dimensions of Withdrawal, Positive Adaptation, Problem-solving, Disengagement, Prosocial Focus, Seeking Emotional Support, and Self-regulation. The results supported the validity of the seven-factor CSS in terms of its content, associated response processes, internal structure, and relationships with other variables. Based on these results, the CSS provides a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing the coping strategies used by Chinese adults in confronting potentially adverse psychological events.

Subgroups in Late Adulthood Are Associated With Cognition and Wellbeing Later in Life

Objectives: In this study, we aim to discover whether there are valid subgroups in aging that are defined by modifiable factors and are determinant of clinically relevant outcomes regarding healthy aging.

Method: Data from interviews were collected in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam at two measurement occasions with a 3-year interval. Input for the analyses were seven well-known vulnerability and protective factors of healthy aging. By means of community detection, we tested whether we could distinguish subgroups in a sample of 1478 participants (T1-sample, aged 61–101 years). We tested both the external validity (T1) and predictive validity (T2) for wellbeing and subjective cognitive decline. Moreover, replicability and long-term stability were determined in 1186 participants (T2-sample, aged 61–101 years).

Results: Three similar subgroups were identified at T1 and T2. Subgroup A was characterized by high levels of education with personal vulnerabilities, subgroup B by being physically active with low support and low levels of education, and subgroup C by high levels of support with low levels of education. Subgroup C showed the lowest wellbeing and memory profile, both at T1 and T2. On most measures of wellbeing and memory, subgroups A and B did not differ from each other. At T2, the same number of subgroups was identified and subgroup profiles at T1 and T2 were practically identical. Per T1 subgroup 47–62% retained their membership at T2.

Discussion: We identified valid subgroups that replicate over time and differ on external variables at current and later measurement occasions. Individual change in subgroup membership over time shows that transitions to subgroups with better outcomes are possible.

Sadness regulation strategies and measurement: A scoping review

BACKGROUNDS

Accurate measurement and suitable strategies facilitate people regulate their sadness in an effective manner. Regulating or mitigating negative emotions, particularly sadness, is crucial mainly because constant negative emotions may lead to psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. This paper presents an overview of sadness regulation strategies and related measurement.

METHOD

Upon adhering to five-step scoping review, this study combed through articles that looked into sadness regulation retrieved from eight databases.

RESULTS

As a result of reviewing 40 selected articles, 110 strategies were identified to regulate emotions, particularly sadness. Some of the most commonly reported strategies include expressive suppression, cognitive reappraisal, distraction, seeking social or emotional support, and rumination. The four types of measures emerged from the review are self-reported, informant report (parents or peers), open-ended questions, and emotion regulation instructions. Notably, most studies had tested psychometric properties using Cronbach's alpha alone, while only a handful had assessed validity (construct and factorial validity) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha or test-retest) based on responses captured from questionnaire survey.

CONCLUSION

Several sadness regulation strategies appeared to vary based on gender, age, and use of strategy. Despite the general measurement of emotion regulation, only one measure was developed to measure sadness regulation exclusively for children. Future studies may develop a comprehensive battery of measures to assess sadness regulation using multi-component method.

Steeling or sensitizing? A longitudinal examination of how ongoing accumulation of negative life events affects depressive symptoms in older adults

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether: 1) as people age, accumulation of negative events increases ('sensitizing') or decreases ('steeling') the detrimental effects of subsequent events on depressive symptoms, and 2) how particular psychosocial factors are associated with the strength of these steeling or sensitizing effects.

METHOD

We used data from six measurement waves from 2,069 adults aged 55-84 (M=68.0) at baseline in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We included 18 different life events across the life course. Using hybrid multilevel models, we tested whether the effects of proximate life events (<3 years) on depressive symptoms (measured by the CES-D) were moderated by previous cumulative events (childhood until previous measurement wave). Additionally, we tested whether education, mastery, emotional support, neuroticism, having strong faith, and loneliness were associated with the strength of steeling/sensitizing effects.

RESULTS

Cumulative and proximate life events were independently associated with more depressive symptoms. Interaction effects indicated that the more cumulative life events, the weaker the effects of recent life events, suggesting a 'steeling' effect. Unexpectedly, three-way interaction effects showed that higher mastery and lower neuroticism were associated with weaker steeling effects. These effects were predominantly attributable to within-person changes rather than to fixed between-person differences. Results from analyses with event severity scores were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

As a population, older adults appear to become more resilient against new stressors as they accumulate experience in dealing with negative life events. Findings on mastery tentatively suggest that accepting limits to one's own control over life circumstances may foster a steeling effect.

Fear and Coping in Students during the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Combined Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

The overwhelming impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been experienced by individuals across the world. Additional circumstances unique to students affected their studies during the early stages of the pandemic, with changes in living and studying mid-semester. The current study aimed to investigate predictors of fear of COVID-19 in college students during this acute phase using cross-sectional and longitudinal samples. In total, 175 undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire in the spring 2020 semester following lockdown. A subset of 58 students completed a separate survey in fall 2019, which served as a baseline. For the cross-sectional sample, pre-COVID-19 and current living situations did not predict COVID-19 fears. However, a propensity to experience panic was significantly associated with greater COVID-19 fears. How students coped with the pandemic was not associated with COVID-19 fears, although a greater propensity to use denial as a coping style tended to be related to greater COVID-19 fears. In the longitudinal subsample, students showed decreased positive mood and social stress load while depressive mood increased after lockdown. Their preferred coping styles changed, utilizing more self-distraction and acceptance, and less self-blame and substance use. Findings reflect both positive and negative consequences of the pandemic. The unique changes in students' lifestyles will need to be met by tailored interventions.

Developmental Regulation and Awareness of Age-Related Change: A (Mostly) Unexplored Connection

Objectives

Linkages between developmental regulation and awareness of aging-although suggested by theoretical considerations-have not found much empirical consideration. To address this gap, we examined associations between two established modes of developmental regulation, that is, assimilation and accommodation, and awareness of age-related change (AARC) in midlife and old age, while considering the role of chronological age as a moderator.

Method

Data are based on a cross-sectional sample of 356 adults (aged 42-100 years). A newly developed measure of AARC was used to assess perceived gain- and loss-related aging experiences.

Results

AARC was associated with assimilation and accommodation over and above a range of control variables. Individuals who perceived many loss-related aging experiences were less likely to use assimilation and accommodation. Individuals perceiving many gain-related aging experiences were more likely to make use of these strategies. The effects remained stable when controlling for subjective age and self-efficacy, except for the association between gain-related aging experiences and assimilation. No moderation effect of calendar age was found.

Discussion

Results suggest that multidimensional subjective aging constructs may enrich our understanding of how developmental regulation modalities are used by aging individuals.

Frailty in aging and its influence on perceived stress exposure and stress-related symptoms: evidence from the Swiss Vivre/Leben/Vivere study

Frailty is a core concept in understanding vulnerability and adjustment to stress in older adults. Adopting the perspective provided by the transactional model of stress and coping (Lazarus and Folkman in Stress, appraisal, and coping, Springer, New York, 1984), the present study examined three aspects of frailty in older adults: (1) the link between frailty and perceived stress exposure (PSE); (2) the link between frailty and stress-related symptoms (SRS); and (3) the role of frailty in the link between PSE and SRS. Participants were 2711 adults aged between 64 and 101 years who were taking part in the Swiss Vivre/Leben/Vivere study. As well as assessing frailty, we measured PSE and SRS during the 4 weeks preceding the administration of the questionnaires, together with the covariates age, sex, educational attainment, language of the canton, and type of canton (urban vs. rural). Regression analyses revealed higher levels of PSE in frail older adults than in non-frail older adults. In addition, frail older adults reported more SRS than non-frail older adults. As expected, the association between PSE and SRS differed as a function of the frailty status: The positive relation between PSE and SRS being stronger for frail older adults than for non-frail older adults. These results suggest that frailty is related to perceived discrepancy between resources and demands, and to ability to cope with PSE. Our findings have implications for interventions to help frail older adults manage stress.

Health, coping and subjective well-being: results of a longitudinal study of elderly Israelis

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to test a conceptual model designed to promote the understanding of factors influencing subjective well-being (SWB) in old age. Within this framework, we evaluated the relative influences on elderly Israelis' SWB of health and/or function, personal resources, coping behaviors (reactive and proactive), and changes in all of these factors over time.

METHOD

At baseline, 1216 randomly selected elderly persons (75+) were interviewed at home (T1) and 1019 one year later (T2). The conceptual model was evaluated by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis using AMOS 18.

RESULTS

After one year, a relatively high percentage of participants reported decline in health/function (DHF) and in personal resources. The effects of the study variables on T2-SWB were evaluated by a SEM analysis, resulting in a satisfying fit: χ² = 279.5 (df = 102), p < .001, CFI = .970, NFI = .954, TLI = .955, RMSEA = .046. In addition to significant direct effects of health/function on T2-SWB, health/function was found to indirectly influence T2-SWB. Our analysis showed that health/function had a negative influence on the positive effects of personal resources (function self-efficacy, social support) and the diverse effects of the coping patterns (goal-reengagement - positive; expectations for future care needs - negative; having concrete plans for future care - positive).

CONCLUSION

Personal resources and use of appropriate coping behaviors enable elderly people to control their well-being even in the presence of DHF. Evidence-based interventions can help older people to acquire and/or strengthen effective personal resources and coping patterns, thus, promoting their SWB.

How could lay perspectives on successful aging complement scientific theory? Findings from a u.s. And a German life-span sample

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This article investigates lay perspectives of the concept of successful aging in young, middle-aged, and older adults from 2 cultures, the United States and Germany, to potentially guide the development of scientific theories of successful aging. The empirical findings are embedded in a comprehensive overview of theories of successful aging and life-span development and offer implications for theory development.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Two samples of young, middle-aged, and older adults from the United States (N = 151) and Germany (N = 155) were asked about definitions and determinants of successful aging. Codes were developed to capture common themes among the answers, resulting in 16 categories.

RESULTS

Themes mentioned included resources (health, social), behaviors (activities), and psychological factors (strategies, attitudes/beliefs, well-being, meaning). There were striking similarities across countries, age, and gender. Health and Social Resources were mentioned most frequently, followed by Activities/Interests, Virtues/Attitudes/Beliefs, Well-being, and Life management/Coping. Age differences were limited to Growth/Maturation and Respect/Success, and gender differences were limited to Social Resources and Well-being. Educational and cultural effects were limited to psychological factors and Education/Knowledge, which were more often mentioned by U.S. participants and individuals with more education.

IMPLICATIONS

Young, middle-aged, and older lay persons from the United States and Germany have quite similar concepts of successful aging, which they view in far more multidimensional terms than do established scientific theories (Rowe & Kahn, 1998). Given evidence that factors mentioned by laypeople do promote successful aging, considering them in more comprehensive theoretical models may enhance our understanding.

Family Stressors, Home Demands and Responsibilities, Coping Resources, Social Connectedness, and Thai Older Adult Health Problems

Objectives: To examine gender variations in the linkages among family stressors, home demands and responsibilities, coping resources, social connectedness, and older adult health problems. Methods: Data were collected from 3,800 elderly participants (1,654 men and 2,146 women) residing in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. Results: Findings indicated gender variations in the levels of these constructs and in the mediational pathways. Thai women indicated greater health problems than men. Emotional empathy was the central variable that linked financial strain, home demands and responsibilities, and older adult health problems through social connectedness. Financial strain (and negative life events for women) was associated with lowered coping self-efficacy and increased health problems. The model indicated greater strength in predicting female health problems. Discussion: Findings support gender variations in the relationships between ecological factors and older adult health problems.

Revisioning, reconnecting and revisiting: the psychosocial transition of returning home from hospital following a stroke

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate and improve understanding of the experiences of patients and their carers during the first month at home following discharge from hospital, thereby enhancing appropriate care from a more informed perspective.

METHOD

In-depth interviews and self-report diaries were used to capture data from 12 patient/carer dyads. Four survivors with marked communication problems were included in this number, two requiring the use of pictures and diagrams to express their views. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to capture and interpret survivor and carer experiences.

FINDINGS

Three superordinate themes were derived from the data. Stroke survivors and their carers described the first month at home as a very dynamic time, recounting a process that involved revisioning (re-examining their identity and the reality of their new situation, including an awareness of their own mortality), reconnecting (with important relationships and previous activities) and revisiting (their past lives, and the stroke event and hospital experience). These three activities assisted in making and finding sense in their new situation; participants' vision of their lives was revised and revisited as they attempted to reconnect with as much of their past selves and past activities as possible.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to understandings through in-depth individual accounts of the psychosocial transition of returning home. Details of how people make sense of their altered situation can make a valuable contribution to research, and the knowledge base for care provision. Implications for Rehabilitation Supporting people to revision their future can assist with psychosocial transition following a stroke. Assisting patients to reconnect and reintegrate in a way that is meaningful to them is an important part of the rehabilitation support that can be offered by professionals, and can be informed by awareness of their vision of what the future may now hold. Offering people the opportunity to reflect on what has occurred, either verbally or in the form of a diary, can assist adjustment and help people to make sense of their changed situation.

Linking Life Dissatisfaction to Health Behaviors of Older African Americans Through Psychological Competency and Vulnerability

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of life dissatisfaction on health behaviors of older African Americans and the linking role of psychological competency (e.g., control and agency) and psychological vulnerability (e.g., negative affect). A structural equation model using baseline data from a larger intervention study of older African Americans was examined. Respondents included 207 (153 females and 54 males with a median age of 60) older African Americans. Life dissatisfaction was directly associated with respondents’ daily fat consumption and sleep and indirectly associated with receiving regular physical exams, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption through their psychological processes. The association between life dissatisfaction and respondents’ health behaviors varied depending on the behavior under consideration. Programs and services designed to improve older African Americans’ health behaviors should address their psychological processes, as this research suggests these psychological processes are associated with different health behaviors.

Identifying sources of strength: resilience from the perspective of older people receiving long-term community care

This study seeks to explore the sources of strength giving rise to resilience among older people. Twenty-nine in-depth interviews were conducted with older people who receive long-term community care. The interviews were subjected to a thematic content analysis. The findings suggest that the main sources of strength identified among older people were constituted on three domains of analysis; the individual-, interactional and contextual domain. The individual domain refers to the qualities within older people and comprises of three sub-domains, namely beliefs about one's competence, efforts to exert control and the capacity to analyse and understand ones situation. Within these subdomains a variety of sources of strength were found like pride about ones personality, acceptance and openness about ones vulnerability, the anticipation on future losses, mastery by practising skills, the acceptance of help and support, having a balanced vision on life, not adapting the role of a victim and carpe-diem. The interactional domain is defined as the way older people cooperate and interact with others to achieve their personal goals. Sources of strength on this domain were empowering (in)formal relationships and the power of giving. Lastly, the contextual domain refers to a broader political-societal level and includes sources of strength like the accessibility of care, the availability of material resources and social policy. The three domains were found to be inherently linked to each other. The results can be used for the development of positive, proactive interventions aimed at helping older people build on the positive aspects of their lives.