Pathways from collectivist coping to life satisfaction among Chinese: The roles of locus-of-hope

Family Support and Hope among People with Substance Use Disorder in China: A Moderated Mediation Model

Studies have shown that hope is an important protective factor. At present, few of the available studies on hope have been conducted on people undergoing compulsory rehabilitation. This study explores the mediating role of resilience between family support and hope, and whether relapse plays a moderating role between family support, resilience, and hope. A total of 647 people with substance use disorder completed surveys on Perceived Social Support from Family Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Herth Hope Index. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the moderated mediation analysis. Family support not only has a direct effect on hope, but also has a significant indirect effect on hope through resilience. The indirect effect of family support on hope via resilience was significant among both the non-relapse group and relapse group; in addition, both the association between family support and resilience and the relation between resilience and hope were moderated by relapse experience. The results indicate that interventions targeting resilience might be an effective approach to improving hope among people with substance use disorder in China.

Bent, But Not Broken: Locus-of-Hope and Well-Being Among Malaysians Facing Economic Challenges Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hope is conceptualized as a cognitive set that has often been studied in the context of adversity. No studies, however, directly examine how locus-of-hope (LOH) influences psychological outcomes among vulnerable populations within collectivist cultural contexts. We address this gap by assessing the relationships between LOH and well-being among Malaysians facing financial struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that LOH will predict well-being but that external LOH will more strongly predict well-being than internal LOH. One-hundred and fifty-two (152) Malaysians (63 men, 89 women, average age 29.69 years old) who have (1) experienced loss of employment status (2) decrease in salary earnings or (3) earn below the lower 40% threshold of national household incomes completed a series of questionnaires assessing their LOH and well-being. Results indicate that controlling for age, perceptions of government efforts and trait optimism, LOH significantly predict well-being. Findings also show that internal LOH and LOH-family were the strongest predictors of well-being. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in light of these findings.

Unboxing the therapeutic community for addictions: a locus-of-hope theory perspective

Purpose

The therapeutic community (TC) is a widely used treatment approach for substance use disorders. Several psychological theories have been used to explain its processes but have put less emphasis on the specific contributions of the person’s cognitive resources. This paper aims to offer a theoretical conceptualization using the locus-of-hope theory which expounds on the person’s goal-directed thinking and how it bolsters the TC process.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviewed contemporary theoretical perspectives on TCs and studies on locus-of-hope theory to provide arguments for locus-of-hope’s utility in understanding TCs. From this review, this paper discusses a formal conceptualization of TCs using the locus-of-hope model.

Findings

In this conceptualization, the authors explained that the TC becomes a co-agent in the person’s goal-pursuit by strengthening the individual’s beliefs regarding one’s capability to develop goals together with the will and strategies to attain these important recovery goals. The person’s hopeful thinking boosts the TC protocols in a dynamic fashion.

Originality/value

This paper offers a locus-of-hope perspective that considers the person’s contributions in bolstering the TC process. Reflections on clinical and research implications were provided. This paper aids further in unboxing of the TC.

Measuring hope during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines: development and validation of the state locus-of-Hope scale short form in Filipino

Various adaptations of the Dispositional Hope Scale have been validated and used for specific research and applied purposes. The Locus-of-Hope Scale was developed as a cultural adaptation that measures internal and external aspects of agency related to goal-pursuit that are typical in collectivist cultures. The scale has been used to account for variations in well-being-related factors in collectivist societies but still assumes that hope-related thoughts are dispositional. A State Locus-of-Hope Scale was developed to assess hope-related thinking concerning ongoing events and experience during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines in March 2020. The 16-item scale in Filipino was adapted from a short version of Locus-of-Hope Scale. Using data from 3128 respondents, confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit between the four-factor model (compared to one-factor and two-factor models), supporting the scale's structural validity. There was also good evidence for the subscales' convergent and discriminant validity. Preliminary evidence for construct criterion validity was demonstrated by examining associations with well-being and anxiety. The results indicate the viability of the State Locus-of-Hope scale for assessing temporal hope-related thoughts that can inform efforts to understand how individuals engage in goal-related processes and maintain well-being in specific personal and social situations.

Perceived Stress, Hope, and Health Outcomes Among Medical Staff in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated the buffering role of hope between perceived stress and health outcomes among front-line medical staff treating patients with suspected COVID-19 infection in Shenzhen, China. In the cross-sectional study with online questionnaires, medical staff's perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and hope were measured by the 10-item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Locus-of-Hope Scale, respectively. A total of 319 eligible front-line medical staff participated. The prevalence of anxiety (29.70%), depression (28.80%), poor sleep quality (38.90%) indicated that a considerable proportion of medical staff experienced mood and sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal locus-of-hope significantly moderated the effects of stress on anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. Moreover, external family locus-of-hope and external peer locus-of-hope significantly moderated the association between perceived stress and depression. The prevalence of symptoms indicates that both mental and physical health outcomes of front-line medical staff deserve more attention. Internal and external locus-of-hope functioned differently as protective factors for medical staffs' health and might be promising targets for intervention.