Posttraumatic recovery to distress symptoms ratio: a mediator of the links between gender, exposure to fire, economic condition, and three indices of resilience to fire disaster

The association between sense of coherence and quality of life: a cross-sectional study in a sample of patients on hemodialysis

Background

Patients on hemodialysis universally experience detriments in their general quality of life (QOL). Sense of coherence (SOC) is a long-standing factor that affects QOL. Nevertheless, the association between SOC and QOL in patients on hemodialysis was seldom investigated. Our research aims to study this association in a sample of Lebanese adult patients on hemodialysis.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, SOC was measured using the short version of the “Orientation of Life" scale (SOC-13). QOL was assessed using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life- Short Form (KDQOL-SF). The association between SOC and QOL and its submodalities was first explored using Pearson Correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses, controlling for sociodemographic variables and medical variables.

Results

157 patients on hemodialysis (mean(SD) age: 62.1(13.81) years; 58.6% males) were included. Mean QOL score was 51.65 and that of SOC was 48.06. SOC was strongly corrected with the total QOL (r = 0.832; p value < 0.001), as well as its physical functioning (r = 0.767; p value < 0.001), emotional functioning (r = 0.757; p value < 0.001), cognitive functioning (r = 0.740; p value < 0.001), and social functioning (r = 0.773; p value < 0.001) submodailties. SOC was moderately correlated with professional functioning submodality of QOL (r = 0.618; p value < 0.001), but not correlated with the satisfaction with the quality of care (r = 0.052; p = 0.520). Within the regression models accounting for sociodemographic and medical variables, SOC was significantly associated with the total QOL (unstandardized B = 0.803; 95% CI 0.714, 0.893), physical functioning (unstandardized B = 0.761; standardized B = 0.763; 95% CI 0.661, 0.861), emotional functioning (unstandardized B = 1.205; standardized B = 0.757; 95% CI 1.037, 1.372), professional functioning (unstandardized B = 1.142; standardized B = 0.498; 95% CI 0.843, 1.442), cognitive functioning (unstandardized B = 1.239; standardized B = 0.739; 95% CI 1.058, 1.420), and social functioning (unstandardized B = 0.912; standardized B = 0.768; 95% CI 0.790, 1.034).

Conclusions

In a sample of adult patients on hemodialysis, SOC was positively significantly associated with QOL and its submodalities, expect the satisfaction with the quality of care. The confirmation of the general hypothesis that relates the SOC with the QOL encourages more salutogenic research among this patient population.

Individual Resilience: A Major Protective Factor in Peer Bullying and Victimization of Elementary School Children in Israel

Peer violence in school has become a major issue for schools around the world. The present study examined the impacts of cultural settings and of protective individual attributes on peer bullying and victimization in school. These protective attributes were self-esteem, sense of autonomy, emotional regulation, and individual resilience. Participants were 112 Jewish and 55 Arab Bedouin pupils 10 to 11 years old. It was hypothesized that Jewish pupils would score lower than Bedouin pupils on bullying and on victimization, and will score higher than them on these protective individual attributes. It was also hypothesized that despite these differences, the investigated attributes would correlate with reduced peer violence in both groups. It was hypothesized further that individual resilience will be the major predictor of both bullying and victimization in both groups. Results have generally supported these hypotheses, suggesting alternative ways for curtailing peer aggression in school.

Sex-linked neurofunctional basis of psychological resilience in late adolescence: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Psychological resilience refers to the ability to adapt effectively in the face of adversity, which is closely related to an individual's psychological and physical health and well-being. Although previous behavioural studies have shown sex differences in psychological resilience, little is known about the neural basis of sex differences in psychological resilience. Here, we measured amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the sex-linked neurofunctional basis of psychological resilience in 231 healthy adolescents. At the behavioural level, we replicated previous findings indicating that males are more resilient than females. At the neural level, we found sex differences in the relationship between psychological resilience and ALFF in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Specifically, males showed a positive correlation between psychological resilience and ALFF in the right OFC, while females showed a negative correlation in this region. The sex-specific association between psychological resilience and spontaneous brain activity might be dependent on differences in hormonal systems and brain development between male and female adolescents. Taken together, the results of our study might provide the first evidence of sex-specific neurofunctional substrates of psychological resilience in adolescents, emphasizing the vital role of sex effects in future psychological resilience-related studies.

Risk Factors as Major Determinants of Resilience: A Replication Study

The present study was conducted in the context of current concerns about replication in psychological research. It claims that risk factors should be regarded as an integral part of the definition of individual resilience, which should be defined in terms of the balance between individual strength or protective factors, and individual vulnerability or risk factors (IND-SVR). Five independent samples, including 3457 Israeli participants, were employed to determine the effects of resilience promoting and resilience suppressing variables on the IND-SVR index of resilience, and on its two components: recovery from adversity, and distress symptoms. Five path analyses were employed for determining the role of distress symptoms as a measure of psychological resilience, as compared to other indices of this resilience. Results indicated the major role of risk factors (distress symptoms) as an integral component of resilience. This role was generally replicated in the five investigated samples. Risk factors are legitimate, valid, and useful parts of the definition of psychological resilience. Resilience research has shifted away from studying individual risk factors to investigating the process through which individuals overcome the hardships they experience. The present data seem to suggest that this shift should be reexamined.

Sense of Coherence as a Determinant of Psychological Well-Being Across Professional Groups of Aid Workers Exposed to War Trauma

The present study aims to test whether sense of coherence (SOC) acts as a determinant of positive psychological functioning in aid workers directly exposed to warfare. Specifically, we performed multiple regression analyses to compare different groups of aid workers in terms of the effects of SOC and cumulative trauma on their psychological distress. Palestinian helpers, both professional and non-professional ( N = 159) completed three self-reported measures: the General Health questionnaire, Sense of Coherence Scale, and Impact of Events Scale. The findings bear out the predictive power of SOC and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relation to mental health across different professional groups. In particular, volunteers without a specific professional profile, psychiatrists, medical doctors, and less markedly counselors seemed to protect their mental health through a SOC. Clinical implications and recommendations for training and supervision are discussed.

Posttraumatic Growth in Breast Cancer Survivors: Constructive and Illusory Aspects

This study investigated the impact of a building-resilience intervention on coping and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a convenience sample of 94 breast cancer survivors. PTG was divided into constructive and illusory components, based on the two-sided Janus face model (Maercker & Zoellner, 2004). We operationalized constructive PTG as an improvement in both PTG and coping, and illusory PTG as an improvement in PTG only. An 8-session group intervention was delivered to 49 women (mean age = 51.5 years, SD = 10.7) who completed self-report questionnaires at baseline and at 6 months follow-up; a control group of 45 women only completed questionnaires. More than half the participants (n = 53; 56.38%) reported increased PTG at 6 months (mean change = 0.56, SD = 0.48, η(2) = .58). The increase in both PTG and positive coping was significantly greater in the intervention group than the control group (B = 0.23 for PTG, and B = 0.35 for positive coping). Further, a higher proportion of constructive PTG (vs. illusory PTG) was reported by the participants in the intervention group (89.3%), as compared to the control group (56.3%; z = 2.57). The distinction between constructive and illusory PTG has clinical implications for interventions promoting coping and growth among cancer survivors.