Presentation of Coping Strategies Associated with Physical and Mental Health During Health Check-ups

Association of personal and professional factors, resilience and quality of life of registered nurses in a university medical city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This study assessed the resilience of nurses in Saudi Arabia during the corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and examined its influence on their quality of life (QOL). A sample of 356 nurses was surveyed in this quantitative, cross-sectional study using the Resilience Scale for Nurses and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) from October 2020 to March 2021. The nurses reported the highest resilience score on "situational pattern", while the lowest score was on "relational pattern." The nurses had good perceptions on their overall QOL and health and rated their "social relationship" as having the highest quality, while their "environmental" domain as having the least quality. Gender, marital status, provision of direct nursing care to COVID-19 patients, "philosophical pattern", "situational pattern" and "dispositional pattern" had multivariate impacts on the QOL dimensions. The study concluded that being resilient can positively impact the nurses' QOL during stressful situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Association between workplace health promotion service utilisation and depressive symptoms among workers: a nationwide survey

OBJECTIVES

Workplace-related factors are associated with the risk of depression. Despite implementation of workplace health promotion (WHP) programmes in China to promote the physical and mental well-being of workers, the relationship between WHP and depression has received limited attention. This study investigated the association between WHP service utilisation and depressive symptoms among workers.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic and occupational characteristics, WHP service utilisation, and mental health status. The Lasso method was used for variable selection to achieve dimension reduction, and logistic regression was used to assess the association between WHP service utilisation and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The analysis included 11,710 workers, of whom 17.0% had depressive symptoms. Lasso regression resulted in 6 of 18 WHP services showing significant negative associations with depressive symptoms, including occupational safety training, mental health services, health check-ups, sports activities, fitness rooms, and healthy canteens. The logistic regression results showed that, after adjusting for sociodemographic and occupational factors, utilisation of these six services was associated with a decreased likelihood of depressive symptoms. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.96) for occupational safety training, aOR: 0.82 (95% CI: 0.68-0.99) for mental health services, aOR: 0.80 (95% CI: 0.71-0.90) for health check-ups, aOR: 0.68 (95% CI: 0.57-0.80) for sports activities, aOR: 0.59 (95% CI: 0.47-0.74) for fitness rooms and aOR: 0.72 (95% CI: 0.59-0.87) for healthy canteens.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilisation of WHP services was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. Implementation of WHP services and the provision of a supportive workplace environment should be prioritised to benefit the mental health of workers.

A qualitative study of a mental health awareness intervention for Jordanian and resettled Syrian refugees in host communities

BACKGROUND

Mental health disorders significantly contribute to the global burden of disease, however, prevention and treatment programs are often inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries.

AIMS

The goal of this qualitative evaluation was to examine participants experiences of the healthy community clinic (HCC-MH), an integrated mental health awareness intervention delivered in primary care clinics to Jordanians and resettled Syrians in a border community in Jordan.

METHODS

Four focus group discussions (FGDs) with Jordanians and Syrians (N = 21) who participated in the HCC-MH were conducted. FGDs examined knowledge, acceptability, and applicability of the intervention. Open coding and the constant comparison method were used to identify themes that emerged from the FGDs.

RESULTS

Six central themes emerged from the data including : (1) awareness; (2) behavior changes; (3) reduction in stigma; (4) connecting physical and mental health; (5) relationships; and (6) coping. Notably, female participants stated participation in the intervention fostered awareness of their own emotional needs, which led to positive lifestyle and behavior changes. Participants also described how the information provided in the intervention normalized emotional distress and aided understanding of the interconnection between physical and mental health. The amplification of healthy coping strategies to reduce stress and distress was also a prominent theme.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are discussed within the cultural and contextual setting of the study, and implications for mental health awareness interventions in complex settings are provided.

Coping strategies and their association with diabetes specific distress, depression and diabetes self-care among people living with diabetes in Zambia

OBJECTIVES

Utilising coping strategies to reduce and manage the intensity of negative and distressing emotions caused by diabetes is essential. However, little is known about the use of coping strategies among people living with diabetes in Sub-Saharan African countries like Zambia. This study investigates coping strategies used by people with diabetes in Zambia and how these are associated with diabetes-specific emotional distress, depression and diabetes self-care.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from 157 people with diabetes aged between 12 and 68 years were collected. Of the 157, 59% were people with type 1 diabetes and 37% with type 2 diabetes. About 4% had missing information in their record but had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Coping styles were measured using the Brief Version of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE), diabetes specific-distress using the Problem Areas in Diabetes, depression using the Major Depression Inventory and self-care using the Diabetes Self-Care scale.

RESULTS

Data showed that adaptive coping strategies such as religious coping, acceptance among others, were the most frequently used coping strategies among Zambian individuals with diabetes. Maladaptive coping strategies e.g., self-blame and self-distraction were related to increased diabetes specific-distress and depression. Emotional support was related to better diabetes self-care, while self-blame was related to poor diabetes self-care.

CONCLUSION

There is need to help individuals with diabetes identify adaptive strategies that work best for them in order to improve their quality of life.

The role of time perspective and acculturative stress on adaptive and maladaptive stress coping strategies of Puerto Ricans living in the island of Puerto Rico and the state of Connecticut in mainland United States

We assessed the role of Time Perspective (TP) and acculturative stress on adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, across healthy and treatment-seeking Puerto Ricans living in the island of Puerto Rico (PR), as well as at the state of Connecticut in mainland United States (US). Participants were comprised of 197 adults from the island of PR, as well as 138 adults from Connecticut. TP was measured through five categories assessed by the Zimbardo TP Inventory (Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Fatalistic, Present Hedonistic, and Future), the Deviation from a Balanced Time Perspective-revisited (DBTPr) coefficient, and the Deviation from the Negative Time Perspective (DNTP) coefficient. Acculturative stress was measured with the Acculturative Distress Scale. Adaptive and maladaptive stress-coping were measured through the Brief COPE Inventory. DNTP predicted adaptive coping, whereas acculturative stress, Present Hedonistic, and DBTPr predicted maladaptive coping. Puerto Ricans living in Connecticut engaged more often in maladaptive coping than those in PR. Acculturative stress partially mediated the influence of DBTPr on maladaptive coping. DNTP mediated the influence of state on adaptive coping. DBTPr and acculturative stress totally mediated the influence of state on maladaptive coping. These findings suggest that assessing TP, levels of acculturative stress, and coping strategies could assist in tailoring evidence-based interventions to the specific needs of Puerto Rican populations. Doing so could be effective in promoting a Balanced Time Perspective, reducing acculturative stress, increasing adaptive coping, and improving mental as well as physical health, on Puerto Ricans living in PR or mainland US.

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.

Determinants of Depression among Malay Single Mothers Living in Community in Perak, Malaysia

Background

Being a single mother is challenging. Many single mothers developed depression, but some managed to survive. This study aimed to determine the proportion of depression among single mothers living in community and its associated factors.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved conveniently sampled 213 Malay single mothers living in community in Perak, Malaysia. A Malay version of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 was used to determine significant depression at a cut-off point of 10. Malay version of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) and Brief-Coping with Problems Experienced (COPE) scales were used to assess support and coping strategies.

Results

The proportion of depression among Malay single mothers in this study was 20.2% (95% CI: 15.0, 26.2). Previous history of depression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 10.27; 95% CI: 2.18, 48.35; P = 0.003) and coping by using self-blame (aOR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.45, 2.77; P < 0.001) increased the risk of depression. Active coping (aOR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96; P = 0.027) and use of emotional support (aOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.84; P = 0.002) is protective of depression.

Conclusion

There was a high proportion of depression among Malay single mothers living in the community. Personal history of depression and type of coping strategies used significantly influenced the occurrence of depression among these single mothers. Providing guidance to acquire adaptive coping strategies is a crucial preventive measure.

A Mixed-Methods and Prospective Approach to Understanding Coping Behaviors, Depression, Hopelessness, and Acute Stress in a U.S. Convenience Sample During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increases in U.S. residents' stressors while limiting many of the resources previously available to cope with stress. Coping behaviors may contribute to the prevention or proliferation of psychological distress during and after the pandemic. Understanding these coping behaviors and associated psychological outcomes can help health educators develop programs that encourage effective coping and promote mental health. This study used a sequential mixed-methods approach informed by Roth and Cohen's conceptualization of coping to understand the use of approach coping behaviors- which are active and directed toward the perceived threat-and avoidance coping behaviors-which include activity directed away from perceived threat during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. residents (N = 2,987) were surveyed online in April 2020 and again in September 2021. Open-ended responses at baseline were thematically analyzed to illustrate coping behaviors in participants' own words. At baseline, more than half (56%) of the sample met criteria for probable depression, 51% for acute stress symptoms, and 42% for moderate to severe hopelessness. At follow-up, 45% meet criteria for probable depression and 23% for acute stress. However, the proportion of the sample who reported moderate to severe hopelessness increased to 48%. We used mixed-effects general linear models to examine changes over time and found that increases in approach coping behaviors were associated with decreases in depressive symptoms and hopelessness; increases in avoidance coping were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of hopelessness. Increases in both types of coping were associated with increases in acute stress symptoms related to COVID-19. Although there was some attenuation in distress in our sample between April 2020 and September 2021, our findings suggest a need for interventions that encourage the use of approach coping behaviors and that both increase access to and decrease stigma for mental health support.

Comparing cognition, coping skills and vedic personality of individuals practicing yoga, physical exercise or sedentary lifestyle: a cross-sectional fMRI study

BACKGROUND

Nature and intensity of physical activity may influence cognition, coping mechanisms and overall personality of an individual. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare cognition, coping styles and vedic personality among individuals practicing different lifestyle.

METHODS

Thirty-nine healthy young adults of both gender (27.63±4.04 years) were recruited and categorized into three groups; i.e. yoga, physical activity or sedentary lifestyle groups. Participants were assessed on cognition, coping styles and Vedic personality inventory (VPI). Verbal-n-back and Stroop tasks were performed using 3 Tesla MRI scanner. Task Based Connectivity (TBC) analysis was done using CONN toolbox in SPM.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the cognitive domains across the groups. The planning (p=0.03) and acceptance domain (p=0.03) of the Brief COPE scale showed difference across the groups. Post-hoc analysis revealed that planning and acceptance scores were distinctly higher in the physical activity group, however, there was no difference between physical activity group and yoga practitioners. Similarly, in the VPI, Sattva (p=0.003), Rajas (p=0.05) and Tamas (p=0.01) were different across the groups, and the post hoc analysis showed superiority in Sattva scores in Yoga group, meanwhile, both Rajas and Tamas were higher in the physical activity group. Yoga practitioners preferentially recruited left Superior Frontal Gyrus in relation to the physically active group and precuneus in relation to the sedentary lifestyle group.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed that yoga practitioners had a distinct higher sattva guna and preferentially recruited brain areas associated with self-regulation and inhibitory control.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers: cross-sectional analyses from 14 countries

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been impacted psychologically due to their professional responsibilities over the prolonged era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to identify the predictors of psychological distress, fear, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among self-identified HCWs across 14 countries (12 from Asia and two from Africa). The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale were used to assess the psychological distress, fear, and coping of HCWs, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 2447 HCWs participated; 36% were doctors, and 42% were nurses, with a mean age of 36 (±12) years, and 70% were females. Moderate to very-high psychological distress was prevalent in 67% of the HCWs; the lowest rate was reported in the United Arab Emirates (1%) and the highest in Indonesia (16%). The prevalence of high levels of fear was 20%; the lowest rate was reported in Libya (9%) and the highest in Egypt (32%). The prevalence of medium-to-high resilient coping was 63%; the lowest rate was reported in Libya (28%) and the highest in Syria (76%).

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 has augmented the psychological distress among HCWs. Factors identified in this study should be considered in managing the wellbeing of HCWs, who had been serving as the frontline drivers in managing the crisis successfully across all participating countries. Furthermore, interventions to address their psychological distress should be considered.

PANAS Internacional Revisado: Propiedades psicométricas en una muestra internacional latina

El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar las propiedades psicométricas de una versión corta revisada del PANAS (Thompson, 2007), en el marco de una investigación más amplia sobre el impacto psicosocial de la pandemia por COVID-19. Se contó con una muestra internacional, especialmente de sujetos de: 1) Colombia (72 %), 2) Brasil (9.5 %), 3) otros países latinoamericanos (12.1 %) y 4) de otros países, europeos, EE. UU. y Canadá (6.31 %). Como resultados, el IPANAS-R tuvo unos coeficientes alfa de 0.82 y omega de 0.83, sin diferencias significativas entre submuestras de acuerdo al coeficiente de Feld. Un análisis paralelo y otro factorial exploratorio muestran una solución satisfactoria de dos dimensiones, con coeficientes: RSMEA: 0.079,  RMSR: 0.042, CFI: 0.949 y GFI: 0.989, aunque con diferencias de  ajuste entre las submuestras. A nivel de validez convergente, un mayor apoyo social informal (familia, amistades), un mayor afrontamiento activo y una percepción del paso tiempo más positiva, rápida y esperanzadora se asociaron con un mejor balance de afectos.

Factors Associated With Psychological Distress in Health-Care Workers During an Infectious Disease Outbreak: A Rapid Systematic Review of the Evidence

Objective: Health-care workers (HCW) are at risk for psychological distress during an infectious disease outbreak, such as the coronavirus pandemic, due to the demands of dealing with a public health emergency. This rapid systematic review examined the factors associated with psychological distress among HCW during an outbreak. Method: We systematically reviewed literature on the factors associated with psychological distress (demographic characteristics, occupational, social, psychological, and infection-related factors) in HCW during an outbreak (COVID-19, SARS, MERS, H1N1, H7N9, and Ebola). Four electronic databases were searched (2000 to 15 November 2020) for relevant peer-reviewed research according to a pre-registered protocol. A narrative synthesis was conducted to identify fixed, modifiable, and infection-related factors linked to distress and psychiatric morbidity. Results: From the 4,621 records identified, 138 with data from 143,246 HCW in 139 studies were included. All but two studies were cross-sectional. The majority of the studies were conducted during COVID-19 (k = 107, N = 34,334) and SARS (k = 21, N = 18,096). Consistent evidence indicated that being female, a nurse, experiencing stigma, maladaptive coping, having contact or risk of contact with infected patients, and experiencing quarantine, were risk factors for psychological distress among HCW. Personal and organizational social support, perceiving control, positive work attitudes, sufficient information about the outbreak and proper protection, training, and resources, were associated with less psychological distress. Conclusions: This review highlights the key factors to the identify HCW who are most at risk for psychological distress during an outbreak and modifying factors to reduce distress and improve resilience. Recommendations are that HCW at risk for increased distress receive early interventions and ongoing monitoring because there is evidence that HCW distress can persist for up to 3 years after an outbreak. Further research needs to track the associations of risk and resilience factors with distress over time and the extent to which certain factors are inter-related and contribute to sustained or transient distress.

Contextual and Individual Determinants of Mental Health: A Cross-sectional Multilevel Study in Tehran, Iran

Objectives

Our aim was to answer the following questions: (1) Can mental health variance be partitioned to individual and higher levels (e.g., neighborhood and district); (2) How much (as a percentage) do individual-level determinants explain the variability of mental health at the individual-level; and (3) How much do determinants at the neighborhood- or district-level explain the variability of mental health at the neighborhood- or district-level?

Methods

We used raw data from the second round of the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool in Tehran (in 2012-2013, n=34 700 samples nested in 368 neighborhoods nested in 22 districts) and the results of the official report of Tehran’s Center of Studies and Planning (in 2012-2013, n=22 districts). Multilevel linear regression models were used to answer the study questions.

Results

Approximately 40% of Tehran residents provided responses suggestive of having mental health disorders (30-52%). According to estimates of residual variance, 7% of mental health variance was determined to be at the neighborhood-level and 93% at the individual-level. Approximately 21% of mental health variance at the individual-level and 49% of the remaining mental health variance at the neighborhood-level were determined by determinants at the individual-level and neighborhood-level, respectively.

Conclusions

If we want to make the most effective decisions about the determinants of mental health, in addition to considering the therapeutic perspective, we should have a systemic or contextual view of the determinants of mental health.

Influencias psicosocioculturales sobre los síntomas psicopatológicos en comunidad abierta: desigualdades ecosistémicas

Los problemas de salud mental en la población general tienden a estar relacionados con determinantes sociales que también influyen en la inequidad sanitaria. Sin embargo, estos determinantes suelen tenerse en cuenta solo en la población clínica y pasan inadvertidos en el ámbito comunitario. Teniendo esto en cuenta, el propósito del presente estudio fue identificar los factores psicosocioculturales que influyen en la presencia de los síntomas psicopatológicos en población abierta. Para esto, participaron 229 mujeres y hombres, adultos, mexicanos, a quienes se les aplicaron dos instrumentos de autorreporte para evaluar sus síntomas psicopatológicos, el SCL 90-R y el Cuestionario de Factores Asociados a la Salud. Los resultados muestran diferencias entre hombres y mujeres tanto en los síntomas como en los factores evaluados, en donde las mujeres resultaron ser las más desfavorecidas. Los modelos predictivos señalan que en las mujeres los factores que predicen la sintomatología son los pensamientos conflictivos, la violencia intrafamiliar, la falta de confianza en sus capacidades y la discriminación de género; mientras que en los hombres fueron la violencia intrafamiliar, la pobreza y un menor bienestar. Se concluye que los modelos psicosociales y ecosistémicos permiten comprender que los factores psicosocioculturales influyen sobre los síntomas incipientes de población comunitaria, con vías diferentes tanto para las mujeres como para los hombres. Con esto se demuestra que el contexto imprime un impacto diferencial en la salud mental.

Association Between Stress and Coping with DNA Methylation of Blood Pressure-Related Genes Among African American Women

Background

Exposure to psychosocial stress and employment of high effort coping strategies have been identified as risk factors that may partially explain the high prevalence of hypertension among African Americans. One biological mechanism through which stress and coping may affect risk of hypertension is via epigenetic modifications (e.g., DNA methylation) in blood pressure-related genes; however, this area remains understudied in African Americans.

Methods

We used data from the ongoing Intergenerational Blood Pressure Study, a longitudinal study designed to investigate factors that contribute to hypertension risk in African American women (n = 120) and their young children, to investigate the association between stress overload, problem-solving coping, avoidance coping, and social support coping with DNA methylation in 25 candidate genes related to blood pressure. Multivariable linear regression and multilevel modeling were used to conduct methylation site-level and gene-level analyses, respectively.

Results

In site-level analyses, stress overload, problem-solving coping, social support coping, and avoidance coping were associated with 47, 63, 66, and 61 sites, respectively, at p < 0.05. However, no associations were statistically significant after multiple testing correction. There were also no significant associations in gene-level analyses.

Conclusions

As human social epigenomics is an emerging, evolving area of research, there is much to be learned from studies with statistically significant findings as well as studies with null findings. Factors such as characteristics of the social stressor, source of DNA, and synchronization of exposure and outcome are likely important considerations as we move the field forward.

Dyadic effects of depressive symptoms on medical morbidity in middle-aged and older couples

OBJECTIVE

Depressive symptoms in middle and later life are associated with an increased risk of greater medical morbidity (i.e., number of chronic health conditions). Yet little is known about mutual influences that may occur within married couples. This study examined the effects of wives' and husbands' depressive symptoms on their own and their partner's number of chronic health conditions over an 8-year period. It was also determined whether these effects varied by gender.

METHOD

The U.S. sample included 992 heterosexual couples (M = 63.58 years at baseline) drawn from 5 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014). Dyadic growth curve models were estimated to evaluate the effects of own and partner baseline depressive symptoms on medical morbidity across time. Models controlled for baseline marital duration and negative marital quality along with age, education, minority status, health-related self-efficacy, body mass index, disability status, alcohol use, smoking, and moderate and vigorous physical activity.

RESULTS

Husbands' higher baseline depressive symptoms were significantly linked to their own higher number of chronic conditions. When wives had higher depressive symptoms at baseline, husbands showed significantly greater increases in their number of chronic conditions over time. Own and partner depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with baseline levels or changes in wives' number of chronic conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that depressive symptoms within middle-aged and older couples may have long-term associations with medical morbidity. Findings underscore the value of considering the implications of depressive symptoms for chronic health conditions among individuals and couples. (PsycINFO Database Record